Where we left off: Dr. Jazz Todd and Mr. Jason Nightingale are Ghost Married, Not dating, Haunt owners of Crime Alley, and Jason Pines. Auntie Sam Todd and Divorced Uncle In Law Tucker Foley are Crime Alley's Knights. They have a plan for how they will make Red Hood Crime Inc. Profitable, but realize they don't have the skills or time to make Crime Alley safe before Danny is Born. They call Clockwork.
Timeline: Jazz is 6 months pregnant
There is too much needed for the Danny Protection Squad
They realize they need someone in charge of their technical security, which should be Tucker, but he already has a lot on his plate, is still adapting to the minute differences in the tech this dimension has from his original, and batting off Oracle, Tim "Stalker" Drake, and the other hackers in the superhero business is a full time job and he already has too many.
They also need someone in charge of their magical security since Danny will probably radiate a lot of death magic once he's born. They need to know if magic users start sniffing around as much as the bats, and cut off any summoning of The Balance or even The Ghost King before it occurs.
TL;DR, they need a shit ton of wards.
Sam offers to be in charge of magic, but she only knows a little from her time with Undergrowth and doesn't feel qualified enough to be their magical safety expert.
Jazz and Jason will have their hands full parenting a literal baby. They're on Parent Protection Squad Roles until he can at least hold his head up himself.
Also the last line of defense if anyone gets past the tech security or magic wards
The best help for Tucker’s problem would be to ask Technus, but Technus is a crafty little fucker they are unsure they can trust.
If they get him in a core bond deal, however, they could trust him for the length of the contract, but they don’t know if they have anything he would want.
They decide to summon him and let Jazz negotiate because she is scary when she wants to be and quick to pick up manipulation tactics.
Technus offers to become a Crime Alley Knight and possess the technology of Crime Alley so nothing can go in or out without his notice, and bond thrall obey the Knights and Haunt Owners for 10 years, only if Tucker let’s him use his body as an incarnation to overshadow so he can conquer and possess a technology dimension he found. The caveat is this conquering has to happen and succeed first and then he’ll provide security and loyalty. But the contract states that the 10 years start upon signing.
He tries to make the conquering sound like a breeze, but it's pretty obvious that there is a chance 10 years will have come and gone by the time Technus is done. A bond thrall is powerful stuff, and intended to sweeten the deal so they take the gamble anyway, but he clearly intends to never have to be put under it at all.
Crafty little fucker.
They tell Technus they’ll think about it and discuss where that leaves them. Jason suggests calling Clockwork to ask about what decision creates the best timeline.
Clockwork is a cryptic bastard as always, but he does say to take the deal. Sam and Jazz argue vehemently because they don’t want Tucker to suffer so much for however many years trapped in the control of a maniac ghost.
Clockwork informs that that incarnation overshadowing is quite different than regular overshadowing. Tucker will have no awareness of time passing at all. Also, when the dead overshadow the living, their body clock stops like they’re suspended between life and death, so to his perspective, only a blink would occur and he would return regardless of how long it takes. Unless of course his body is damaged or dies.
Which brings a whole other round of arguments.
Clockwork eventually reveals that if this path is taken, Tucker’s body will return whole and intact. And that there may be some lingering benefits from spending a long time as the incarnation of a near Ancient of Technology (the type of technology Technus controls isn’t ancient enough in itself for Technus to be an ancient. But he is the embodiment of the concept)
And regarding time, Clockwork hints that Technus is probably unaware of how slow the time in this dimension is relative to the other realms, and that all will be well in regards to their timeline.
The only thing left to discuss is the morality. Because Technus is literally implying conquering an entire dimension for a measly 10 years of tech security.
And while they want to protect their friend and family, that might be too selfish.
But they get reminded that, while they did do this for their friend, they also did this because Danny’s continued existence ensures Existence’s continued existence. He is the glue that connects the infinite realms to the entire multiverse. The Balance. He needs to exist. He needs to be safe
It’s a long discussion. Tucker would be sacrificing his body for who knows how long, regardless of if he won’t be conscious for it. And they now know he might come back changed. Even if Clockwork hints the change is positive, he’s still a cryptic bastard.
And a dimension might be forfeit.
Someone comments that they’ll be forcing Technus away from the dimension eventually so it won’t be permanent. Someone says Technus isn’t in the business of killing and maiming, he just likes possessing tech, so the damage would be minimal. They're just trying to make themselves feel better.
There is no right answer. Think the Trolley Problem or the conundrum from the end of Watchmen. The result can only be dubious and morally gray.
Lady Gotham starts to like them even more.
Yeah, don't forget about her. They're still fake relationship scamming her and now there are two more people encroaching in Gotham she needs to start liking. She could make their lives very difficult if she decides they aren't Gotham enough.
Before deciding, Clockwork laments how hard it will be raising a Halfa baby who ages at a glacial pace. Good luck with years of the terrible twos.
They all balk
They forgot that shit.
Clockwork implies that they may want to make a deal with him as well. He may be able to suggest getting Sam more trained in Magic, Jazz more experience in ruling an Inhabited Haunt, and all he’d need is to send Jason on a quest when the time comes. Don’t worry, it will be violent and help take the edge off. It's only an open ended deal bond favor. What's the worst that can happen?
If a deal is made, he'll ensure any Halfa kids Jazz and Jason have will age normally until their brain and body fully develop (26 baby!).
The Todd Pham are overwhelmed.
Tucker squints his eyes at the word “kids” instead of “kid”, Clockwork laughs, I laugh, and you remember that I keep using the plural whenever I write my title blurb.
That feeling when you're a whimsical magical teenage girl but your best friend is a dude in his twenties and when you hang out you have to put up with his boring adult conversations with his boring adult coworker :///
