#Danny moved out the moment he turned 17

[bet-on-me-13]

David Cain had a backup plan

(I know I literally just made a "Villains backup plan" Post yesterday with Trigon, but I also thought of this)

So! David Cain needed insurance, his Weapon was perfect so far but it didn't hurt to have a backup plan.

He took some of his Weapons DNA and stored it for later Use. When the Weapon escaped, and it became clear that he would not be able to capture it again, he turned to his Backup Plan.

He took the DNA and struck a Deal with a relatively new Villain going by Plasmius. Plasmius would get the DNA to test his Cloning Technology, and in return David would get the Clone once the tests were done.

The Deal was set, and Plasmius asked for 1 Year to complete the Cloning Process and Deliver.

But it seems that Plasmius had other plans.

Instead he took the DNA and incorporated it into the Structure of his own Weapon. An Unstable Clone known as Danielle that he planned to use against his Nemesis, Phantom. Unfortunately for him, his Plans failed and the Clone turned against him, escaping into the world.

Which left Vlad in a bit of a pickle, when 6 months later the Assasin he had made a deal with returned looking for his Weapon. The news did not go over well...

Now, David Cain is on the search for his Second Weapon, and while it may take a while to find it, he knows he will not fail this time.

...

Ellie is having the time of her life! She had escaped from under Vlad's thumb over 2 years ago, and was still exploring the world! Fulfilling her Obsession of Exploration while also reveling in her own Freedom.

She hadn't aged, and probably wouldn't for another 10 years if Frostbite's estimates were right, but she was making it work well enough.

Unfortunately she had recently noticed some shady guys tracking her whenever she stopped in a City, so she couldn't stay for as long anymore, but that was fine.

It was probably just more Fruitloops set on her by Vlad, she had taken care of enough of those guys. It would be easy!

...

6 Months later and she was not fine.

The Fruitloops following her had turned out to he working for an entirely different Fruitloop, who was actually a serious threat. He had gotten his hands on Ecto Weaponry, and was using it to try to capture her.

She wanted to go find Danny, but it turns out he had moved in with Jazz in a different city the moment he turned 17. He just never got the chance to inform her because she had lost her phone back when this whole thing started. He had left a message with Sam and Tucker though.

She thinks they mentioned it being called Gotham, so maybe she can find them there?

[bookworm-called-bear]

She feels like death

Jazz Fenton had become the Princess, advisor, and Acting Queen of death ever since her brother Danny Fenton became the ghost king at 14. He was now 17, just two or so years off from being able to assume the throne, and Jazz had gotten pretty used to her new position.

Mainly because she didn’t have to hurt people.

Jazz Fenton is the first person in line to help you with anything you aren’t equipped to handle yourself, so long as you are a good person. She, the ruler of death, will nurse you into life. Because death is patient, death is kind.

Death is inevitable.

Jazz has long since learned that everyone will become her subject eventually, she has no need to rush. Death will help you out of any bad situation you are in because she doesn't need you to die. You will eventually join her kingdom and she would much rather her subjects be friendly to her rather than hate her.

So when she's been summoned by a cult who want her to destroy the world and take them into her kingdom she is angry. So very righteously angry. Her future subjects had been threatened. She didn't pretend that the people of this world weren't tainted. But she would deal with them when she had to.

Her eyes were blazing green and the Queen/ Princess Advisor crown rested on her brow, silver against her bright red hair. She used some of the extra powers given to her by her position (thanks Danny) to freeze the cultists where they were.

"Why have you called me here," she asked with a voice far kinder than the cultists deserved. The main man who summoned her began to open his mouth and she silenced him with the tilt of your head. "What made you think I was talking to you?"

"We summoned you," the main cultist said, their voice suddenly far less certain than it was a few moments before when chanting her summoning. She really had to make that more difficult.

"Is your blood the one that is spilt in the circle," she questioned, smiling viciously. Jazz turned to the young girl in a purple outfit with a cape who was now being hugged by another young girl in a black heroes getup. The vigilantes of the world. Jazz turned her attention to the injured woman whose blood spilled to get her here. She moved her hand over the girl, taking away as much pain as she could.

"Hello," Jazz said to the young girls. They reminded her a lot of her and Danny, two kids against the world. New sisters. She would protect them. "Let me deal with these men and then we can talk about what you need."

[robinsegghead]

Danny's Daycare Part 17

Masterlist

Incoming video call from The-Next-Bruce-Wayne…

Incoming video call from The-Next-Bruce-Wayne…

“Hello?”

“Tucker! Just the man I needed to talk to!”

Tucker sighed. He could tell just by the way Danny said his name- they way he said ‘just the man I needed to talk to’ that he was up to something. “What’s up man?”

Danny smiled sheepishly. “Well, uh, first of all did you get the job?” He squinted and looked behind Tucker, probably noting the stacks of moving boxes lined up against the wall. 

Scoffing, Tucker gave him a Look. “Dude, it’s me- of course I got the job. Sam and I have been packing as fast as possible so we can get out there within the month, sooner if she has her way.” He loved his girlfriend but when she wanted something done she was on a warpath until it got done and Tucker… he just wasn’t built like that.

Smiling, Danny glanced off screen for a moment before returning his attention to the screen.

“How are the boys?” Tucker asked, raising an eyebrow knowingly. Danny could argue that he wasn’t their dad all he wanted, and he’d respect that and not call them his kids, but it didn’t make it true.

The sheepish smile returned. “Uh well, that’s one part of what I was calling to talk to you about. I don’t want to overload you while you’re moving, but uh- well… how long would it take for you to make them like, legally mine?”

Tucker’s eyes blew wide. Holy shit- “For real?”

“Miguel and Santi said I was dad-shaped.” He confirmed like it explained anything. 

“You cried didn’t you?”

His best friend crossed his arms. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. We talked about it last night and they’d like to-” Danny choked, looking away from the camera but he couldn’t fool Tucker. He was clearly getting emotional. “They’d like to get their name changed to Nightingale as soon as possible.”

“Holy shit man- that’s amazing!” He hadn’t believed Dani when she’d called the group to inform them that Danny’s recent deistractions had been because he’d taken two boys in and was acting as their guardian. They were twenty-two! No way Danny had decided to just take in a couple of teens and be their dad. But then he’d met them at the birthday party and he could tell they were everything to Danny.

From the way he talked about them to the way he looked at them when he thought they wouldn’t notice, Danny loved those kids with his whole heart. It had been interesting to witness in person and despite Danny’s argument that he wasn’t their dad, Tucker knew he’d be getting this call in the near future. Which is why he already had the paperwork drawn up and faked with everything in place, he essentially just had to click a button to make it happen.

Danny was grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah it’s… I’m… happy they trust me.”

“All right, two more Nightingales coming right up. Now, you wanna tell me why you said we were taking down the GIW then turned off your phone?” 

Yesterday had been a normal day for Tucker and Sam, each working on packing one room while blaring music through the partially empty apartment. The night before they’d all been panicking about Danny’s daycare getting attacked and all the news that came with it, but knowing Danny, he’d gotten into more trouble after the fact and forgot to check his phone before passing out for the night. So they didn’t worry too much.

Just when Sam was saying them should try calling him again they’d gotten the text.

Crime-Fighting, Night-Stalking Vigilantes

The-Next-Bruce-Wayne: Get in losers we’re going to take down the GIW

The-Next-Bruce-Wayne changed the group chat name from ‘Crime-Fighting, Night-stalking Vigilantes’ to ‘Operation Take Down the Plastics’

“What the fuck.” Sam breathed.

Tucker started typing immediately. “You’re seeing this, right?”

Cassandra is typing…

The-Next-Gotham-Rogue is typing…

The Midwest Princess is typing…

Chaos: Fucking finally

TooFine: What brought this on?

Cassandra: Hell yeah, I’ve been waiting to be a part of a GIW mess around for years!

The-Next-Gotham-Rogue: Danny answer your phone

The-Next-Gotham-Rogue: Daniel J Nightingale answer. Your. phone.

The Midwest Princess: Oooh someone’s in trouble~

After two more calls went to voicemail, Sam and Tucker had given up on both reaching Danny and packing and had opted for cuddling on the couch with wine and theorizing about what could have caused Danny’s 180.

“After the scarecrow attack… everyone reached out.” Danny twisted his fingers. “I mean- everyone. People from Amity, numbers I didn’t recognize… one from Wisconsin…” Danny didn’t elaborate on that, Tucker knew that was Vlad and that Danny hadn’t read the messages. “Everyone knows where I am. That puts the boys in danger. So. We’re taking down the GIW. I’ve already asked Red Hood to get Batman and the Justice League to look into them and the Anti-Ecto-Acts and he seemed pretty sure that they had no idea any of this was going on.”

“Wait wait wait- go back- the Red Hood? Danny? How did you manage to get into contact with a crime lord and why haven’t I been informed?” Tucker couldn’t believe this- Danny had been so insistent that he wanted nothing to do with the Gotham vigilantes and here he was name dropping one of them like they were casual besties.

Shrugging, Danny glanced off camera again and frowned. “Uh- I met him a while back and now he drops by once in a while to check in.”

“Danny.”

“I accidentally killed the Joker and Red Hood caught me but he wanted the fucker dead too so he’s been dropping off food and shit at my place as a thank you and he also knows I’ve died and he’s met Phantom.”

“Danny- wha- what the fuck man! Holy fucking Christ!” Tucker keeled over, laughing. “You- you’re telling me that you… KILLED someone, and Red Hood is now feeding you as compensation? And you told him you’re dead?” 

The man on the other end of the line sighed heavily, his eye bags speaking volumes through his silence. “I was trying to help- sometimes I just say things and then I can’t take them back, I don’t know.”

“How- HOW does telling the Red Fucking Hood that you’re dead, help?”

Danny looked off camera again, clearly distracted. “I accidentally mentioned being a teenage vigilante and he had questions. I was all ‘if you take off your helmet’ AKA ‘reveal your identity’ I’ll tell you what happened. But the fucker wheres a domino mask UNDER the helmet! So he took it off and I’m not a liar so I had to tell him. I didn’t tell him everything though. He doesn’t know I’m Phantom. Or that I’m the ghost king. Or anything about the Fentons.”

Tucker could feel his usual laid back demeanor cracking under the weight of Danny’s big mouth. “Oh my fucking god. Okay, putting that aside. You need me to make the boys legally yours and what else?”

“If it’s cool, I’ll portal over later today to get a copy of your files on the GIW. Whenever Hood gets the chance to speak with Batman and hopefully the JL, he’s gonna summon Phantom again and I’d like to have all the information ready for them. Now I’ve actually gotta get going- I think the boys friend wants to hang out? I’m not sure. I’ll talk to you soon, Tuck. Love ya.”

Right, of course, why not. Tucker collapsed back onto the couch and groaned loudly. 

“What’re you grumbling about?” Sam asked, walking through the front door with groceries on either arm.

“Danny.”

She gave him a knowing look. “Help me put this stuff away and you can tell me all about what the fuck Danny did this time.”

~~~~~

“Wait wait wait hold on! I can’t understand you when you’re both talking at the same time.” Danny waved his hands around to silence the boys. “Miguel,” He turned to the older boy. “What’s going on?” 

Miguel shrugged. “Damian asked us over for dinner but he said you should come to ‘cause ‘is dad wanted ta meet you or somethin’.”

“And he said he has a dog and a cat and a cow! I want to see their cow, Danny can we go! Please?” Santi begged, reminding Danny that he was just a thirteen year old kid. “An’ he said he had a buncha brothers and sisters and we could all hang out- can we go?”

Danny thought about the paperwork Tucker would be emailing soon confirming the boys adoption, the drive he needed to pick up to give to the bats, the council meeting he needed to schedule to discuss the GIW, the work he needed to make sure was getting done on the daycare, and he sighed.

“What time?”

“YES!” Santi shot up and started running around in victory.

Miguel checked his phone. “Damian said dinner’s ‘round six-thirty but we could come over at six to meet everyone.”

That was only two hours to prepare. Danny rubbed his eyes. “Okay. I have some work to do before we leave, send me their address so I can figure out when we should leave.” He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. “Make sure Curiosity’s fed and let me know if you need anything, I’ll be in my study at my place.”

It was a few moments later when Miguel sent him the address and, after looking it up, Danny dropped his head to his desk. 

“Only you, Danny.” He groaned into the desk and processed the information that seemed obvious but hadn’t been for him apparently. Damian fucking Wayne. He’d been casually conversing with Damian Wayne, asking favors of him, not knowing who he was, and now he’d agreed to go to dinner at his house. House. Danny scoffed. His fucking manor. 

On the bright side, Duke would probably be there. It wasn’t like Danny was worried about them all being rich assholes or something, nice people like Duke and Damian didn’t come from rich assholes, but he wasn’t mentally prepared to have dinner at Wayne Manor with Bruce fucking Wayne.

Putting aside the work he’d planned on doing, Danny decided to take the rest of the time given to him, to prepare. Starting with a nap. 

Thank Ancients his sleep had been coming easier recently.

~~~~~~~

“Who did you say was coming to dinner again, Dami?” Dick asked, lounging on a couch in the main sitting room. 

Damian looked up from his sketchbook. “You remember the people we ran into at the store a few weeks ago?” Dick nodded. “Them. Nightingale is an acquaintance of mine and he is now a person of interest as well.”

“What do you mean?” Dick sat up.

“I forgot you were not here last night.” Damian tsked, setting down his charcoal and cleaning his hands off with a dirty rag. “Todd brought father a case. A very serious case that father isn’t too pleased about. He’s meeting with the Justice League tomorrow to discuss it, but seeing as Nightingale was specifically mentioned by Phantom, he is now a person of interest.”

Dick blinked. “Phantom?”

Sighing loudly, Damian picked up his sketchbooks and charcoal and stood up. “Read the report, Grayson.”

“Wait! We’re back to Grayson?” His older brother groaned as Damian exited the room with a hidden smirk on his face.

~~~~~~

Distantly, you could hear a young man screaming. “Who the FUCK ARE MIGUEL AND SANTIAGO NIGHTINGALE!?”

~~~~~~

Driving to Wayne manor was wild. And Danny said that as a half dead half alive ghost king who’d been cut open by his own parents and ended up opening a daycare without any plans. So you know he meant it. 

The driveway was long and winding, they had to introduce themselves at the gate so the butler could let them in, and when the pulled up the building towered over them. Now, technically, Danny did own a keep. It was certainly bigger than the manor, but that was a ghost thing. He’d never seen a place so big in the living world.

(And despite his abundant wealth, Danny didn’t care much for his large keep or deep pockets except for what they could do for others.)

Parking in front of the stairs- yes there were actual stairs leading up to this double door front entrance- Danny turned off the car and turned to the boys. “Okay, be on your best behavior- I don’t know this fruitloop so if you want to leave at any time, let me know. But also, have fun.”

Miguel rolled his eyes but Santi was the one who spoke up. “Fruitloop?”

“Crazy rich person.” Danny interpreted

Miguel frowned. “Aren’t you technically-”

“OH KAY!” Danny shouted, not wanting to be reminded that he technically fell under the same category as Vlad Masters and Bruce Wayne. “Let’s go!”

He hadn’t told the boys to dress up, he certainly hadn’t dressed up himself, and they’d all ended up wearing what was most comfortable. Danny at least put on jeans instead of sweatpants and threw on a cardigan instead of his usual ratty sweatshirt. He’d panicked after his nap took longer than it was meant to and barely had the time to shower and throw on some clothes before they needed to leave so he hadn’t had the chance to really think about his clothes.

Miguel fiddled with his bracelets as they approached the door and Danny noted that the boy was already anxious about the evening. “Hey, just try to have a good time. Seriously, we can leave whenever one of us gets tired, yeah?” The boy nodded silently, shifting a tiny bit closer as Danny rang the doorbell.

Opening the front door was exactly the kind of guy he expected. Dressed up, bald, with perfect posture, definitely a rich butler. He heard the footsteps of a couple more people approaching but- wait, wasn’t that the guy from-

“Alfred?” Danny said before he could stop himself. 

The butler offered a small smile. “Mister Danny, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I was unaware that you were the Mister Nightingale that Master Damian informed us would be visiting tonight. Please, do come in.” He opened the door wider, gesturing for them all to step into the foyer.

“Nightingale.” Damian greeted as he stepped into the foyer. “I was unaware you were acquainted with Pennyworth.” It was a statement, but the way he said it made Danny feel like he was being interrogated. 

Before he could respond, Dick stepped in right behind Damian. “Danny! A pleasure to see you again! I didn’t know Damian had befriended your kids.”

“They’re-” Danny started to refute Dick’s claim, out of habit, before stopping himself suddenly. All eyes were on him as he paused and glanced at Miguel who nodded subtly not quite meeting Danny’s eyes. “Yes, Damian’s been helping the boys learn how to take care of their cat. I will say I didn’t realize who either of you were.” He chuckled awkwardly.

Damian tipped his head to one side. “You… did not know?”

Shrugging, Danny took note of the shoe rack behind him and the boys and the lack of shoes on Dick and Damian, and gestured for the boys to take them off. “I’m not from Gotham, I mean, sure I’ve heard of you guys, but I didn’t really make the connection that you were Waynes.” He did his best to keep it casual, knowing well how annoying it could become when people talked to you like you were famous. He was a king after all, some people respected his status.

“Perhaps you should show our guests a more suitable spot to have this conversation?” Alfred offered with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Dick smiled sheepishly. “Sorry Alf, come on, most of the others are chilling in the living room.” 

Following Dick and Damian, Danny wondered how many others there would be. Growing up he thought he was really good with names and faces but after moving away from the small town he’d lived in his entire life and eventually taking up residence in Gotham, he realized he wasn’t any good at them at all. It had taken a long time to memorize his regular kids and parents’ names and who went with who-

“Well how was I supposed to know that? No one ever tells me anything!” A distinctly female voice shouted from the room they were entering. “Besides, who woulda thought Dami would have friends-” She cut off the moment Dick walked into the room and cleared his throat. “Oh come on- you know it’s true!”

Danny frowned to himself. Damian seemed like a pretty nice kid to him. 

“Tt. Brown. I’ll have you know I have plenty of friends. Nightingale, Miguel, Santiago, this is-”

“Wait a minute! They get first names but I’m still brown!” The girl shouted. Her hand movements and tone of voice felt familiar and Danny couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen her somewhere before.

“Everybody calm down!” Dick sighed loudly. “Danny, Miguel, Santiago, this is Steph, next to her is Cass,” the girl waved with a small smile. “And- where’s Tim? I thought he’d be here.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m here, Dick.” A young man grumbled, face buried in his phone. “Was working on something, are our guests- Danny?” 

Okay, once was a coincidence, twice? “Tim?” What were the chances that he already knew half of this family from previous chance encounters around the city? Because he knew Duke, Tim, Dick, Damian, and Alfred, and there couldn’t be that many more after Steph and Cass. 

“Oh my god why does no one tell me anything.” Tim breathed.

Steph shouted and pointed. “HA! Tim agrees with me! Maybe if the demon brat had told us who he was having over this wouldn’t have happened!”

“Uh… I’m not  sure how that would have helped but it’s good to see you again Tim. And nice to meet you, Stepp, Cass. I’m Danny, these are-” He hesitated, still getting used to things. “Miguel and Santiago, my boys. Thanks for having us over.”

The room grew silent and all of the Waynes seemed to be exchanging looks until finally Tim let out a sentence that was genuinely worrying. “Oh my god you’re as bad as Bruce.”

Oh goddamnit. He was a fruitloop.

The room burst into laughter, even Santi and Miguel seemed to understand the joke, Danny just rubbed a hand across his brow and shook his head. Hoping to change the subject, he brought up the only topic he could think of. “Where’s Duke? He’s the only one I knew would actually be here.”

“He was working on some stuff last I checked, he’ll be here soon for dinner though- huh.” Dick paused. “Dami, did you happen to mention to Duke who our company was for dinner?”

Damian tsked. “I did not think it imperative to alert every member of this household who would be coming over for dinner. They are my guests.”

“Yes well, have yourself and your guests wash up, dinner is almost ready.” Alfred said, making Danny and the boys jump. How the hell was he so quiet? The man moved more like a ninja than a butler.

Once Damian had showed them to the nearest bathroom and they’d all washed their hands, they were shown to the dining room. It was… crazy. A crystal chandelier hung above the center of the room, the table was long enough to hold ten people on each side, the chairs were ornate, the floor was immaculate, and Danny was reminded once again that he was inside a multi-billionaire’s manor.

Damian, possibly sensing the boys’ anxiety, offered them seats beside himself and Danny found himself somehow sitting to the left and one down from the head of the table. Tim sat beside him (thank Ancients there would be a buffer between him and Bruce Wayne), Dick sat across from Tim, and Steph and Cass sat across from the boys (leaving one chair between them and Dick for some reason).

“Sorry I’m late!” A familiar voice called, footsteps rushing into the room. “Still not as late as Ja- oh! Uh, hi, Danny!” Duke smiled, confused, and looked around at his family.

Danny offered a smile in return. “Ah, and Damian’s lack of communication strikes again.” He jokes.

“It was not a lack of communication, Nightingale.” Damian corrects. “I simply didn’t see a point in alerting Thomas to your dinner invitation.”

“Riiiight… not like ‘Thomas’ and I are acquainted or anything.” Danny jokes as Duke takes the spot directly across from Damian beside Cass. “Sorry to surprise you at home, I didn’t realize I’d be dropping in on my employee until after I’d already agreed to come over.”

Duke shook his head. “No, don't worry about it! I just didn’t expect it!”

“Ah, Mr. Nightingale.” A deep and buttery smooth voice greeted from the other side of the room. Danny looked up to see Bruce Wayne approaching the table. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Damian’s told me quite a bit about you.”

“Sounds fake.” Danny blurted out before realizing he probably shouldn’t treat every fruitloop he met the way he treated Vlad. “Uh,” Bruce’s kids burst out in laughter. “Sorry, I didn’t.” He cleared his throat. “It’s nice to meet you too, mr. Wayne.”

Taking his seat, Bruce smiled. “Please, just Bruce is fine.”

“Then you can call me Danny. And this is Miguel and Santiago.” He pointed to the boys who were in a surprisingly deep conversation with Damian about what quantified a hero vs. vigilante vs. anti-hero. He prayed to the ancients the boys wouldn’t bring up any of the ghost stuff he’d told them about.

“Well we’re happy to have you over. It’s not often Damian brings friends home.” Bruce flashed another smile and Danny couldn’t help but feel they weren’t as genuine as they seemed. Don’t get him wrong, Bruce seemed nice enough for a fruitloop, but he definitely didn’t feel like the kind of person who was really this smiley.

On top of that, ever since they’d arrived Danny had been sensing more and more ectoplasm, both throughout the house and on the people living in it. He’d never noticed before (whether that was because everything seemed less ectoplasm-y outside of the realms he’d been living in for the last five years, or because he wasn’t observant, he didn’t know) but Damian had a strong ectoplasm signature. Tim and Dick had a bit of one too, but Bruce? Bruce had been around death no question.

Bruce looked around the table and frowned. “I thought Jay was coming by tonight?” He looked between his kids and the obviously open spot across from Danny and beside Dick. “Has anyone heard from-”

“All right all right- I’m here, don't get your panties in a twist!”  Just as a man Danny recognized waltzed into the room, Miguel let out a groan. Jason looked at the kid for a moment before taking his seat. “Yeah yeah kid, good to see you too.”

Miguel crossed his arms. “Din’t say it was good ta seeya.” 

Danny was still trying to process what was happening. So- there were nine ‘Waynes’ including Alfred, and he’d known six of them before even walking into the manor tonight. Holy shit- how did he not know all of these people were Waynes and how did he always get into these situations?

“Jason, you know our guests?” Bruce asked, surprise lacing his words.

Jason shrugged, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “A guy’s gotta have friends.” 

He was pretty sure Jason said it more to evade Bruce’s questions than anything else, but it was still nice to hear that Jason counted Danny as a friend even if they’d barely had the chance to get to know each other.

“Jason!” Santi gasped. “I finished that book you gave me- did you know it’s a series?” He asked excitedly.

Grinning, the man nodded. “Got the rest of the books if you’d like to borrow them too. But you’ve gotta write an essay about the book first and then we’ll talk about it in depth and then you can pick a different book.”

Santi nodded excitedly before turning back to Miguel and elbowing him. “Be nice.” He hissed.

Miguel eyed Jason warily, neither seemed to know what to say to the other.

Nobody in the Wayne family seemed to know what to say either- was it really so surprising that Jason was friends with them? While it had been a surprise every time someone Danny knew walked in the room, it hadn’t been quite as shocking as it seemed it was for Jason to know them. Maybe he was a bit of a loner?

“Babs can’t make it tonight.” Dick finally interjected. 

Bruce nodded, taking a sip of water. “She had that dinner with her dad, right?”

Dick nodded. “And Wally sends his love but he’s got a work thing.”

Alfred walked into the room and began dishing the first course and oh holy shit Danny didn’t know which fucking fork and spoon to use for everything. Ancients he hated fruitloops and their fruitloopy ways.

“So Danny,” Bruce started. Danny caught Jason rolling his eyes subtly. “Terrible what happened to your daycare, I hope none of the children were hurt?”

Danny nodded, thanking whoever was watching over him from having to pick a spoon for the soup. “Yeah Scarecrow and his goons did some damage but nobody was hurt thankfully. Duke was a great help keeping the kids safe.” He nodded to the boy who smiled sheepishly. “We usually have really good security but I’m going to have my guy look it over since, obviously, Scarecrow shouldn’t have been able to get in.”

“Yes, I’m sure that was quite the surprise-”

“A surprise? Come one B! The man tackled the scarecrow no hesitation! I don’t think he was that surprised!” Steph joked.

Danny blinked. He hadn’t realized the video those teens recorded had started so early. He could have sworn the teens didn’t start recording until after Phantom had appeared. “Ah, well, just had to make sure I held him off until someone showed up. Luckily Phantom was there so-”

“Phantom?” Bruce cut in.

“Just some vigilante who helped out. Not really one of Gotham’s I don’t think. But he took care of the fear gas and the goons and whatnot so Duke and I could watch over the kids.”

“Yeah, and then Red Hood showed up and kicked their asses!” Miguel added enthusiastically.

“Language.” Alfred and Danny scolded at the same time, everyone freezing to look between the two before laughing.

Miguel pouted and muttered something about how cool Red Hood had been while glaring at Jason.

Holding up his hands defensively, Jason smirked. “Hey you don’t gotta convince me kid, Red Hood’s my favorite too.”

Of course he’s your favorite, he’s your boyfriend. Danny thought forlornly.

Miguel untensed slightly. “Just because you got good taste in heroes don’t mean I like ya all the sudden.”

Jason glanced at Danny, smirk intensifying, before looking back. “Whatever you say kid.”

Ancients why was Jason looking at him like that? Danny rolled up the sleeves of his cardigan- why was it so hot in here? Were rich people just always running the heat or something? 

The conversation turned away from the daycare and onto other things. Steph and Cass seemed to be in a debate with Duke about the best flavor waffle- obviously it was chocolate chip- while the boys and Damian continued their previous discussion.

“How did you two meet?” Bruce asked, pointing his knife between Danny and Jason.

Jason sscowled. “The way that normal people meet, old man.” 

“Well we met at a clothing store with Damian.” Dick offered. “I’ve gotta say Danny, I haven’t seen Damian make a friend so easily before, how’d you do it?”

Danny shrugged. “I dunno, he’s a good kid.” Tim eyed him in shock. “He helped me set up my apartment for some cats I found and then I started sending him cat pics. He did the same, the boys wanted a cat, Dami was willing to teach them, now they’re friends.”

Dick choked. 

“Did you just call him Dami?” Tim asked cautiously, looking at the end of the table to see if the boy had heard.

Nodding, Danny leaned to see Damian. “Hey Dami?”

The boy pinched his eyes closed. “Yes? Nightingale?” He sighed.

Turning back to Dick, Bruce, and Tim who all gave him completely shocked looks, he smirked. “Nothing, never mind.”

“Tt.” 

“He’s a sweet kid.” Danny shrugged, finally just taking a wild guess and using one of the spoons to start eating the soup. While three of the Waynes stared at him like he was crazy and one stared at him like he was crazy but in a good way, Danny enjoyed every bite of the best bowl of soup he’d ever had.

Tim stared in awe. “You’re a madman.”

Danny snickered. “I have been told that on occasion. I don’t think this is all that crazy though.” He glanced down the table, making sure Damian wasn’t listening before continuing. “We hit it off right away, he’s a good kid, with a lot of knowledge, and was kind enough to help me.” Starting to grow uncomfortable with the stares he was getting, Danny changed the subject. “Enough about me, Tim, how're your boyfriends?”

Clearly knowing what Danny was doing but not caring, Tim rolled his eyes and started on some rant about how his boyfriend Kon who’d apparently made some bet about who could plan the better date for their other boyfriend Bernard. Tim pretended to be annoyed but it was obvious he loved them and their antics and Danny couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to date multiple people.

For no specific reason.

Just.

Science.

Before he knew it they’d been served the main dish which was amazing if not a bit familiar for some reason. Something about the sauce- taking a good look at what he was eating, Danny made the connection. Vindaloo. Hood brought them vindaloo once and after mentioning how much they’d liked it, he brought it again. Hood had never repeated a dish except the vindaloo. But why would they taste identical? Hood must have his own recipe for the food.

“Alf, you gotta help me out here-” Jason cut into his thoughts. “I can never get the meat as tender as you do! I’ve tried tenderizing it, marinating it, cooking it longer- what’s your secret!” 

Alfred gave Jason a knowing smile and, without a word, turned and left. While Jason pouted Danny finally connected the dots. It was either one of two answers.

One, Hood wasn’t actually cooking the food, Jason was, and Hood was just the delivery boy. Or two, Jason and Hood cooked together so Hood’s recipe came from him. Either way, it more than confirmed his theory that Hood and Jason were dating- Jason literally just said that Red Hood was his favorite vigilante!

Danny wished he could say the food stopped tasting good once he realized, but it didn’t. It tasted even better than Hood’s (Jason’s?), something Danny didn’t think possible.

“So Danny, where are you from?” Dick asked, finally sensing the lull in the conversation.

Swallowing the bite he’d been chewing for way too long, Danny wiped his mouth with the napkin. “A small town in Illinois you probably haven’t heard of. But I haven’t been there in years, traveled a bit, ended up here. Honestly, Gotham’s more like home than the town I grew up in ever was.” 

Dick frowned but Bruce is the one who responded. “Why is that?”

Danny shrugged. “My parents were the town crazies so making friends was difficult.”

Please stop asking about Jack and Maddie.

Of course luck wouldn’t be in his favor. 

“Why were they the village crazies?” Tim asked analytically.

“Father,” Damian cut in. “If we may be excused, I’d like to show Miguel and Santiago the barn.”

Bruce nodded. “Of course, you boys be careful out there.” After the boys had excused themselves, Bruce turned back to Danny. “I’m sorry, you were saying?” 

Something told Danny that Bruce really wanted to know about his parents. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like he was being watched. He obviously was, there were many pairs of eyes on him, but it was more than that. He felt like the people watching him were analyzing him, peering into his soul, pulling back his layers and layers of defenses and digging around for what they could find inside.

It felt like back in his parents basement when he first woke up and there were cuffs around his wrists and ankles and a gag in his mouth and his parents screamed at him about killing their son. It felt like when they cut into him for the first time and rooted around in his chest, pushing and pulling with no care for what they moved or damaged, searching, searching, searching, for his core. It felt like when they turned him over to the GIW for further ‘study’ and experimentation and he learned what it felt like to lose a limb and an organ and an eye and-

“Danny?”

Seven pairs of eyes stared at him in concern. “Uh, sorry.” Danny unclenched his hand from the tablecloth and forced an uncomfortable chuckle. “Jack and Maddie were ectobiologists- they studied ghosts, the paranormal, that kind of thing. Makes people think you’re crazy and- to be fair- they were so.” Danny ended with a pathetic shrug and took a sip of water to avoid speaking anymore.

“They studied ghosts?” Steph asked, leaning over Cass to get closer to the conversation. “What was that like?”

Clearing his throat, Danny tried not to feel like he was being interrogated. “It made for an interesting childhood.” He didn’t like the way Cass was looking at him- he thought she could definitely read his body language better than he wanted. “Anyways, I certainly didn’t want to do what they did and eventually decided to move here and open a daycare.” Please let them latch onto the daycare, please-

“How’d they feel about that?” Bruce asked. Oh course the parent in the room would ask how his parents felt about his decision. Jason looked like he was about to say something but Danny was getting annoyed with this line of questioning.

A bit tired of the interrogation, Danny shrugged defiantly. “They didn’t know. I don’t exactly speak to them anymore and haven’t spoken to them since I turned eighteen.”

“Why not?” Dick asked, promptly shutting up when Jason shoved an elbow in his ribs.

“All right, well I think that’s enough interrogating our guest. What would Alfred say?” He asked, looking each Wayne in the eye. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Eat your vindaloo and shut the hell up.” Turning back to Danny, he smiled. “So Danny, what’s been your favorite part of Gotham so far?”

Oh thank Ancients for Jason Todd.

Prev. Next

[ourtearsofrain]

Chapter 17- This Wicked Shiver Chills Me Down to My Soul

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka

Genre: angst, hurt(literal)/comfort, fluff

Word Count: just over 3.2k

Warnings: AU typical events/threats/violence, graphic and severe injury (broken bone), vomiting, brief mention of syringe/needle

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam

For a moment, Sam thinks he’s dead as his senses cut out, feeling as if he was suspended midair in a black void. As his pain creeps in, bringing him back to full consciousness, he wishes he was. Excruciating pain rips through his body, everything set alight with a raging fire; and through it, he can feel the hot ache spreading up his left arm as if it were boiling the very blood in his veins. Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look. Fuck. Sam feels bile raise in his throat as he glances down to see his arm covered in blood, the deep red of it blocking out the color of his skin, with one of his bones snapped clean in half and protruding from his arm.

Feeling that hot, thin saliva filling his mouth, he has just enough time to turn ever so slightly to the left as he vomits, each retch convulsing his body and sending waves of heat radiating up through his arm. He collapses onto his back, the bright sky causing him to squint as he makes out what had to be the form of Hazel still standing 30 feet above him. Somewhere near him, he hears the whistle of an arrow let loose as Hazel disappears and another finds his side, towering above him and blocking out the sun.

“Sam!?” Daniel’s worried face comes into view as he falls to his knees beside him, hesitating as he reaches towards him.

“Daniel.” His voice is weak, and he can’t tell if he even said anything, feeling as if someone had shoved cotton in his ears, his own brain thick with it as he tries to sort through his sluggish thoughts.

“Oh God- I- I need to reset the bone- it’s going to hurt but I need to do it.” Daniel’s voice cracks at his words, and Sam feels pressure on the raging hot fire burning across his forearm before he hears a sickening crack, and his senses are yanked back to being fully functional. He can’t tell if he screams, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he did as agonizing pain reverberates through his arm, the sensation bringing bile up his throat again. Having already emptied his stomach, each heave brings up nothing as his muscles spasm against his ribcage, sending a deep ache into his chest and causing him to barely register Daniel’s hand on his back. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Sam. It’s ok, you’re ok.”

Sam falls onto his back sobbing, his eyes screwing shut as pain throbs through his body, his head feeling as if it were about to explode. “It hurts- it hurts so much, Danny.” He barely notices the slip up, uncaring as the other man makes no move to correct him.

“I know. I know, Sammy. I’m so sorry. Just- just hold still, I’ll take care of you. I’ll be right back, I promise.” Sam feels Danny’s hand leave his shoulder, the scuff of his boots on the molten rock the only other sign that he had left him. He closes his eyes, finding no use in keeping them open with his tears blinding him, before trying to take deep breaths and doing all he could to keep his thoughts away from his arm. Daniel. Danny. He didn’t care that I called him that. He- he’s going to help, he has to. He wouldn’t just leave me. What if he leaves me like this? Hazel would. Panic courses through his body as he considers trying to get up to find him, fear like he had never known before taking over his mind at the thought of Danny leaving him.

His mind is set to ease as he hears Danny’s heavy footsteps coming towards him quickly, as if he had run to get back to him, before the warm trickle of what must have been water numbs the pain in his arm momentarily. “It’s the water from the pools. I don’t- I don’t know if it’ll work the same not being submerged, but I- I have the healing paste I can use and-” Danny cuts himself off, rustling around in his bag hurriedly until he must have found what he needed. “And I have the stuff you used on my shoulder, it should- should help your arm. I’m sorry if this hurts.” The second he says it, Sam can feel a slight cold pinch, guessing that Danny had injected the medicine he had received in his Sponsor Gift.

Trying to find his voice, Sam clears his throat as it comes out scratchy and worn. “Couldn’t hurt more than anything else that just happened.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I- here, hold still.” Sam does as he says, not moving a muscle as Danny tenderly picks up his arm and wraps it with gauze a few times before he feels him place something firm above and below his forearm, finishing by wrapping it up the rest of the way. He opens his eyes as the pain recedes, the medicine beginning to course through his system plus the additional support easing the pain. Did he really use the shanks he made to splint my arm? How ironic. “It’s a good thing I didn’t use all of them for the fire last night. I- I know they aren’t ideal, I can make better ones but that’s all I have right now.”

“Don’t apologize. You’re helping me, you don’t need to apologize.” Sam finally looks at Danny, only to be filled with horror as he sees half his face covered in blood. Forgetting the state his arm was in, he shoots up to a sit, immediately reaching for his face with his right hand as he holds his left arm to his body. “Danny, your- your face.” His hand comes up to cup his left cheek, Danny’s blood sticky and warm against his palm.

“It’s fine.” Danny brings his hand up to Sam’s as their gazes meet, more care and concern still behind his eyes than Sam had ever seen in his life. “She missed my eye, it’s alright.”

“No- here, let me-” Trying to move his left hand to his cheek, Sam hisses in pain as fire spreads through his arm once again.

“No. You’re going to hurt yourself more. Hold on.” Once again, Danny finds his bag, searching through its contents until he pulls out the tattered remains of his shirt. He tears the fabric until it splits in two, looping the bottom half of the shirt over Sam’s head and around his left arm to make a rudimentary sling, restricting his arm enough for him to not be able to move it much. “There. You’ll heal faster if you leave it be.”

“Do you have more water? The magic bubbly pool water.” Danny’s laugh almost makes Sam forget his pain for a moment as his cheeks tint pink, both from the growing warmth inside him fueled by the sound and embarrassment. “What?”

“Nothing. I just think you may have hit your head a little too hard there, Sammy.” Danny gently grazes his fingertip across Sam’s forehead, sending electricity coursing through his body as he brushes the small strands of hair that had fallen from his ponytail back with a small smile.

“Just give me the goddamn water.” Doing as he says with a light laugh, Danny hands him his canteen as he watches him, waiting for what Sam would do with it. “Sit down. Not by the vomit, please.” Damn, I really just threw up everything in my stomach in front of him and he just, doesn’t care? Isn’t disgusted? He tries to focus on his task as Danny moves to his right side, sitting down silently with his legs crossed as Sam drenches the remainder of the shirt with the water, his hand shaking as his body tries to function through the remainder of his pain.

“Hold still.” Sam smiles at him as he repeats Danny’s previous words, bringing the wet cloth up to gently wipe the blood from his face. Danny’s eyes don’t leave his once as he gently scrubs his skin, making sure to take extra care every time the cloth caught on the vertical gash above and below his left eye. “Get me the healing paste.” Sam’s cheeks tint pink in his embarrassment as he realizes his words. “Please. Get me the healing paste please.”

Grabbing it from the bag, he unscrews the lid for Sam before holding it out to him, watching as he collects a liberal amount onto his fingertips before spreading it across Danny’s skin carefully, never once bringing his gaze away from Sam. When he finishes, he hands the jar back to Danny, thankful that he was too focused on screwing the lid back on to see Sam watching his every movement, his attention completely captured by the other man’s fingers on the metal. “So, where are we going?”

“What do you mean?”

“In the arena, we can’t stay here. Hazel she- she got away. I think I hit her on the leg but to be honest, I was too focused on getting to you-” As if he had just then realized what he said, Danny’s eyes dart up to Sam quickly, trying to gauge his reaction. He was focused on me? Don’t let it get to your head, Sam, he would do that for any other tribute that was his ally. You aren’t special to him. He’s just a good person. Finding none as Sam trains his face into a neutral expression, he continues, unaware of the other man’s thoughts. “She’d be stupid to stay in this portion, but it would be stupid of us to assume that she or any other threats nearby are gone. So, what portion do we want to go to?”

“She might run back to water, we found a great cave that’s hidden in plain sight. But she could also run back to the forest, to that area by the lake we found. She isn’t smart or creative enough to come up with new hiding places.”

“So mountains it is? That’s the only section she hasn’t been to, there’s nowhere for her to hide there if it is true that she wouldn’t be able to find her own place to stay safe.”

“I guess.” Sam watches as Danny packs his bag back up before standing and offering a hand down to him, his grip strong as he lifts most of Sam’s weight. As he makes it to his feet, he’s suddenly overcome with dizziness, as if all the blood in his head had suddenly left. Danny’s hand not grasping Sam’s right forearm comes up to grip his left shoulder, helping the other man steady himself as he tries not to fall back down. “Sorry, thanks.”

“No problem.” Why is he blushing? He keeps looking down at something, what is he looking- oh. Sam feels his cheeks heat as he realizes he was still holding onto Danny’s arm, his gaze dropping as he drops his arm and picks up his bag, slinging it over his right shoulder before finding his sword again and gripping it tight in his right hand.

“Lead the way, will you? I have a horrible sense of direction. And um-” Shame fills him as he prepares to ask what he needed to, embarrassed that he couldn’t take care of himself with his arm being in the state that it was in. “I can’t really fight back with my arm and the bag only half on. I can try to block with the sword I have but if- if we run into anyone, I won’t be much use. Can I- can I count on you to have my back if we do? I know it’s not your responsibility but-”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, Sammy. I’ll look out for you.”

Those words melt Sam completely. Danny may be a strong, skilled fighter, but he has a heart of gold. He could have easily made some excuse up about just ‘trying’. It’s not his job to look out for me, I should be able to do that myself. But he agreed to anyway. And I- I trust that he will. He doesn’t seem like the type of man to make empty promises.

“Ready?”

Danny’s voice rips him from his thoughts, making him realize that he had been zoning out while staring at him. “Yeah, let’s go.”

“You alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“You seemed like you went somewhere, like you were lost in your own mind. You good?”

“Yeah, yeah it’s nothing.” Sam waves the question away, not wanting to explain where his train of thought had been going. Trying to keep his mind under control, Sam follows Danny without another word as he leads them through the terrain of molten rock, the towering mountains slowly growing closer on the horizon with every step.

--------------------------------------------------------

“So, I- I definitely think this is the ‘air’ ss- section.” Sam tries to joke through his chattering teeth, hoping that Danny would be able to hear him over the wind whipping at their skin, flurries of snow sticking to their red cheeks and hair. “Are you- are you sure we should keep- keep going?”

“I- I don’t know. It’s getting- getting too dark. We need to find shelter or we’ll ffr- freeze to death out here.” If Sam hadn’t been so cold that the only thing he could think about was whether he’d still have all his toes by the time morning came, he would have thought that the way Danny was hugging himself in an attempt to stay warm was cute.

“There. What about tthh- th- there.” Sam raises his right arm just enough for Danny to guess the direction he had been referring to, trying to make himself as small and compact as possible to preserve his body heat. Danny follows the gesture to see a small, dark cutout in the mountainside, barely large enough for them to squeeze through.

“Might as well try.” Sam follows as he starts towards the opening, praying that it would lead to a cave. Thankfully, after a couple minutes of walking sideways through the crack, Sam suddenly feels the walls around him grow wider, signaling to him that they had finally found a cave. The only sounds that can be heard are the wind whistling through the rock and Danny rustling around in his bag before a small light fills the cavern as he strikes a match.

“I’m gonna make a small fire but it won’t- fuck, it won’t be large enough to keep us warm. We could smoke ourselves ou- out if we make it too big.”

“I’d honestly take that over ffr- freezing to death.” A strange look passes across Danny’s face that he can’t quite place, but he doesn’t ask about what it was for as Danny stacks a small pile of the remaining sharpened sticks. Within no time, they have a small fire burning bright in the center of the cave as both men huddle around it, their hands extended towards the warmth. “God, it’s still so cold, I don’t know if I can sleep in this.”

“I-” Danny cuts himself off quickly, his cheeks turning red from more than just the cold in the low light flickering across his face. “I know of a way we can keep warm.”

“What is it?”

Despite Sam’s eager tone, hesitation crosses Danny’s face as he looks up at Sam quickly, his eyes dropping once again as he appears to consider whether to propose the idea to him. “Skin to skin contact helps preserve body heat and- and warm you up.”

“Oh.” Oh…

“We don’t- we don’t have to. I have some clean rabbit pelts that we can make work and I think I have a heat retaining blanket or tarp in my bag.”

“No- no, it’s fine.” Eager much? “Whatever keeps us alive, right?”

“Yeah… yeah, whatever keeps us alive.” Danny says nothing more as he sets in on unpacking his bag, laying the rabbit pelts on the cold stone below them and covering a just large enough space for the two of them to fit. As he watches Danny hesitate with the blanket in his hands, his eyes looking at everything except for Sam, panic fills him more and more as the seconds tick by.

God, I need to break this silence, it’s getting unbearable. Say something, anything. “So uh… how do you want to do this?” Not that. Why the fuck did you say it like that?

“Uh- we uh, probably will be fine just taking our- taking our shirts off and then… then we can lay down and…”

“Yeah, uhm… alright.” Sam averts his eyes as Danny unzips his jacket, pretending to be focused on taking off his sling and getting his jacket and shirt off without messing his splint up. He was literally shirtless for the first half of a day that you knew him, how is this any different? I mean for starters, you’re also fucking shirtless and will probably be cuddling him. That’s what’s fucking different. What the fuck is wrong with you, Sam? Why are you so paranoid about this?

It isn’t until he hears Danny spread the blanket out that he looks up, finding Danny starting to lay down on half of the pelts as he held the blanket up for Sam, signaling for him to lay down with him. He tries to keep his eyes away from Danny’s chest as he joins him, finding that it was easier to avert his gaze with his back to him. Thinking he was in the clear, Sam lays down, trying to calm his racing heart as Danny lowers the blanket. Suddenly, he feels Danny snake his arm under his neck, the other wrapping around his side and pulling him towards his chest until Sam’s back is flush against his skin, warmth flowing into his body at the contact. Shit, can he feel how fast my heart is beating right now? Thank God he has his hands balled into fists, I don’t know if I could handle it if his hands were open and splayed across my- Guessing where his thoughts would leave him, Sam cuts himself off, trying to lull himself to sleep by watching the fire crackle only feet from them. 

“Are you comfortable?”

“Yeah, are you?”

“Yeah.” Neither say another word as they lay on the ground, the air thick with awkward tension as both men feel that the other wasn’t completely relaxed.

Finally, after a few minutes, Sam can’t take it anymore, knowing that he would never be able to sleep if he didn’t voice his thoughts. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Keeping me alive. I said earlier that it’s not your responsibility, but if I didn’t have you as an ally, I would have been long dead. Hazel would have killed me if you hadn’t been there when I was stung, and she definitely wouldn’t have tried to help me or my arm or try to keep me from freezing to death.”

“Of course, Sammy. You’d do the same for me.” Would I? I’d like to think that I would, knowing him as I do now. But I don’t think I’m as good of a person as he is. He’s too caring, too kind. He’s too good for this arena, for this world. “Goodnight, Sam.”

“Goodnight, Danny.” Sam finally lets his exhaustion catch up to him, easily relaxing into Danny’s arms as sleep overtakes him.

--------------------------------------------------------

Taglist: @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @milojames16 @gretnavannfleet @aioba1503-sdm @sanguinebats @cheersdannyx2 @musicislove3389 @holdingup-fallingsky @freyjalw @hailthegodsong @Maddie-Rae

[readyforthegarden]

Ooh 6&17 with Josh or Sammy please? 🥺👉🏻👈🏻 hit me with your best shot!

6. "are you really so oblivious?" & 17. "for years i have yearned for you, in secrecy and silence."

Weeell we're going with JOSH!!! We're gonna have some jealous Josh and suave Danny mixed in here bc i'm a brat and sucker for making them green jelly beans. Crystal I hope you like it!!

"Danny!" you laughed as the tall man pretending to dance up on you from behind, you leaned forward, trying to angle yourself away from your tipsy friend. "Go away!"

"Come on, dance with me!" Danny whined, taking your wrist in his hand, gently tugging you towards the bars small dance floor. "You're the only other person in this group with rhythm." you sighed, looking into his pouting face and knocked back your own drink, letting him drag out you.

The bar wasn't one the group of you would typically go to, it bordered on a club and played more contemporary and dance music. Danny and yourself didn't mind, but the others in your group preferred more dive bar vibes.

Danny grinned as you started dancing with him, his hands on your hips. You followed his lead, moving with him and music and losing yourself for a little bit. It felt good to dance, and with a guy who knew how to do it, too. After a while, you noticed Danny glancing over your shoulder, back to the bar.

"What, what's happening?" you moved to look but Danny stopped you. You gazed at him in confusion, but he just smirked.

"Josh is glaring at me right now." Danny informed you. "Like, he's trying to murder me with his stare." you furrowed your brows.

"Why would he do that?" you asked Danny, as the taller man wrapped his arm around your waist, pressing you into him tighter.

"Are you really so oblivious?" Danny stared at you in disbelief. "Josh has a major crush on you."

"What? No!" you shook your head and rolled your eyes.

"He thinks it's secret. That nobody knows, but it's not hard to see it when he shoots daggers at anyone who gets too close to you." Danny explained. "He's in love with you."

"If you're teasing me, this isn't funny." you scowled at Danny, showing him how unamused with his joke you were. You'd always harbored feelings for Josh, falling in love with him like you would a warm summer day. Every time he smiled at you, laughed at a joke, even called your name for the most mundane reason, you felt the tingly heat of the sun spread across your skin in the most delicious way.

"I'm being serious." Danny persisted. "Here, I'm gonna turn you around, and when I do, peek at him. He's absolutely raging." Danny did as he said, spinning you around and pulling yourself back into him, continuing to dance with you. "Look now." Danny whispered in your ear. You glanced up towards the bar, and caught Josh clenching his jaw, indeed staring daggers at Danny. His eyes darted over to you, and you watched the soften for a moment, then he completely averted his gaze, sipping his drink and putting his attention back to whatever bother was talking louder.

"He was staring!" you turned back around, eyes wide.

"Have I ever lied to you?" Danny chuckled. "Now, you should go dance your way over to him, and take his ass home with you."

"Danny, come on."

"I mean it!" Danny protested. "I might be a little tipsy, but I'm not blind. You and Josh have been so in love with each other since you two met." he put his hands on either side of your face. "Go get him." Danny turned you around, nudging you back towards Josh. After a few moments, you walked over to the bar, wedging yourself between Josh and Jake as Danny came over and engaged the younger twin in conversation.

"Hey," you leaned over, near-startling Josh.

"Hi," Josh greeted you tightly.

"Do you wanna take a walk?" you asked. "I'm too hot from dancing and don't want to go outside alone."

"Why doesn't Danny go with you?" Josh asked.

"I don't want him to, I'm asking you." you replied. Josh's cheeks reddened as you held his stare.

"Sure," Josh moved from his bar stool, leading you out of the bar. As soon as you got outside, your entire body was chilled. The late night air was brisk against your skin, causing goosebumps to rise on your flesh. You and Josh walked in silence for a little bit. You wanted to bring up the crush, but what if Danny was misinterpreting Josh's looks? What if Josh was looking at someone else on the dance floor, not you and Danny?

"It's colder than I thought it would be." you broke the ice, chuckling under your breath. Silently, Josh unbuttoned his long sleeved shirt, exposing the white long sleeved shirt underneath. He fluidly slipped the button down off and draped it over your shoulders as you both continued to walk. The spice of his cologne invaded your senses, and instead of the warm fabric easing them, it only created more.

"Better?" Josh asked softly, watching you thread your arms through the sleeves.

"Yeah, thank you." you smiled at him. You picked at the hem of the shirt as you walked, building up the courage to say something, but Josh got there first.

"You look pretty tonight," he complimented, giving you a soft smile. "Beautiful, actually. I like what You've done with your hair, the uh, the curls, waves.."

"Oh, thank you." you blushed, wanting to giggle and scream as he reached over and helped you pull your hair from under his shirt. His fingertips brushed against your neck and you fought back the shiver he drew from you.

"So...you and Danny?" Josh drew his hand away, tucking it into his pocket.

"Me and Danny what?" you raised an eyebrow. Josh shrugged, looking anywhere but you.

"How uh, how long have you guys been together?"

"Josh, I'm not seeing Danny." you informed him. "We just danced together."

"Oh...yeah," Josh sighed and you weren't sure if it was disbelief or relief.

"I would have rather been dancing with someone else, if I'm being honest." you mused, glancing at him from the corner of your eyes. His head whipped over to you, staring curiously.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I would have rather danced with you." you let the words tumble out of your mouth quickly, ripping off the proverbial bandaid. Josh stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?"

"I would have rather been dancing with you, Josh." you said again, turning to look at him. "Josh since the day we met I-" your words were cut off, Josh's hands cradling your face much like Danny's had, but Josh was pressing his lips against yours. You melted into his embrace, grabbing his sides and tugging yourself closer to him. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours, biting his lower lip before speaking again.

"For years, I have yearned for you," Josh murmured. "In secrecy and silence, because I couldn't believe that you would fall for someone like me."

"Someone like you?" you huffed a short, giddy laugh. "Josh I've been head over heels since the first moment you said my name. There is no one else I've ever felt this way for in my entire life." you kissed again, this time you initiating it. Your arms wrapped around Josh's broad shoulders, and he put his on your waist, backing you up against the wall of the building next to you. This time when you parted, Josh gave you a sappy smile.

"Let me take you on a date, buy you a drink, a car, a house we can build the rest of our lives together in." he insisted.

"That's a lot, Josh. Right now, I'd rather have a greasy fast food cheeseburger." you whispered with a laugh, your heart flipping at the idea of spending the rest of your life with Josh.

"Okay, we'll start with a cheeseburger, then we'll move on to forever, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan, Josh."

[rocketboots564]

Teen Wolf OC: Enrico’s Dream

Here’s a bit of writing I made for a Teen Wolf OC of mine: Enrico Mahealani, the son of one of Danny’s cousins, who comes to live with him after his father’s death. This takes place after the events of the Teen Wolf Movie, and is part of a sorta fix-it au of mine that I’ve been brainstorming over while watching Teen Wolf for the first time.

For more info on him check out here

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .

———————————————————————————

“Life is the art of dying” -Atticus Finch

The dreams started from the moment I moved into Beacon Hills.

It always begins the same way

I open my eyes, standing in the entrance of an old, decrepit house, deep within a forest of some kind. The walls and furniture were grayed and dirtied, covered in dust and mold. It smelled of rot and ash, but more than anything, it had the lingering scent of animal fur and blood. Burn marks decorated nearly everywhere he looked, even parts of the building had caved in or fallen apart, peering out into the forest outside.

“Where am I?” I mutter under my breath, a strange sense of unease and confusion climbing up my spine, snaking its way through my body. The place had been burned down, and ages ago by the looks of it. What little was left standing was covered in soot or marked with claws. Shadows and darkness took shapes in the deepest corners of the many halls and walls of the house, as if someone or something was watching me, an audience of hidden eyes staring upon me like wolves watching their prey. This place was home to tragedy, to souls lost and massacred by hate.

It wasn’t until I started to look around that I heard them… the whispers coming from the stairs. My eyes I darted to the main staircase, tracing up each step as the whispers got louder and louder, as if trying to scrape warn me, clawing their way into my ears and head. At the very top of the stairs, amidst the light of the full moon that blanketed the house, I saw it…

Two bodies, strung together and hung to the ceiling by rope, their feet dangling right above the ground. My heart nearly stopped, my face running cold as I watched them dangle above ground. Their faces were bloodied and scarred, blood dripping from their open wounds. One was a dark-skinned man, his face hung low in an expression of despair. A terrified, betrayed look rung in his dead eyes, as if all he had ever known and loved had turned against him in his final moments. The other was pale, with long, blonde hair that was matted with grime. As if in opposition to the man, her head was held high, angered tears streaming down her face as a fiery and vengeful rage filled her furrowed brow.

Both of them couldn’t have been any older than 17. They were teenagers…kids… just like me.

“Oh my god,” I whispered under a hushed breath, trying to force the terror in my heart back down as I stepped closer. Their gored faces began to twitch and shudder, flickering to life as they shouted in unison, “SAVE THEM! SAVE THE PACK!!”

They screamed in agony, their bodies writhing and jerking around. Their eyes flashed a deep yellow, as their wounds began to loose more and more blood, dripping down the steps of the stairs into a bloody pool at the bottom.

Panic began to set in, my instincts taking over as I ran to the stairs. “Hold on! I’m right here!” I cried out, running up the steps, hoping I could make it. Save them! I have to save them! my thoughts echoed in my mind, each step feeling like a mile, my body moving as if time had slowed to a screeching halt. My hand reached out, my fingers stretching toward them, blood rushing through my veins. Their screams biting into my skull like glass as I winced, my eyes shutting tight from pain.

The next thing I felt was a burning heat.

My eyes blinked open, and the two bodies were gone. The house was now burning, fires feasting away at whatever was left of the house. I gasped, stepping back as the stairs back down crashed in on itself, burning away as hole began to form, leading into a dark, empty abyss. Confusion and fear began to claw at my heart as I stumbled back, the flames spreading across the house at an alarming rate.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, as I turned to face a man. He was tall, towering over me, his piercing gaze staring me down. His mouth bared fangs, his ears long and pointed as his irises of his eyes glowed a bright blue.

“W-Who are y–”

“FIND MY SON… FIND STILES” he interrupted, his voice growling like a beast as the flames began to engulf him, eating and burning away at his flesh. His grip tightened, as he threw me over the edge, my arms reaching out as I fell down into the empty pit below. All I could do was watch, falling endlessly into darkness as he burned alive.

It’s then that I wake up.

My throat gasps for air as I sit in my bed, alone again. No more flames, no more of that house, and no more bodies…

For others, dreams are a natural occurrence. They pass and go without so much as a thought in people’s minds. Some even remark at the absurdity of their dreams, the comical and nonsensical nature of them.

For me, dreams always mean something. They allude to hidden truths, of what has passed, and of what has yet to come. They are puzzles, intricate clues tangled in a web of vague visions that haunt my sleep.

And, most of all, they are gateways of communication, my own personal radio to those beyond the grave, the spirits of the dead.

I don’t know why they keep happening.

Questions racked my mind. What was this “pack” and who were those people? Who is Stiles, and who is that man’s son? My thoughts echoed back to me as they rang in my skull, my gaze drifting to my hands as they clenched tightly.

Something is wrong in Beacon Hills, and I intend to find out why.

(Fin.)

———————————————————————————

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .

Taglist:

@fionajames

[poke-me-with-a-stick]

Chapter 17 of 'Artificial Wingman!'

For the full story, click Here!

Enjoy!

(Warning! Violence, blood, and a bit of spite)

---

Damian crouched next to the broken skylight, watching his target pace the concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse. Red Hood perched next to him, staring at the man with the same mixture of contempt and rage that he was currently feeling. The teen would bet that his eyes were glowing Lazarus green under his helmet.

“What’s the plan?” He asked the man, his eyes never leaving the limping clown below them. He ignored the small bit of satisfaction he gained from the fact that the man was already injured. Most likely by one of his two hostaged. Harley, if he had to name who he thinks did it.

“Why do you think I have a plan?” Jason glanced at him, his voice gruff. Damian couldn't help but to roll his eyes. He really didn't have the patience for Todd's humor right now.

"Tt, you are the one who told me that we needed a plan before 'charging head first' into the situation. So I ask again, what is the plan?" He did tear his eyes away from the man this time, turning to stare at his brother.

Red Hood huffed and shook his head, but looked back through the window again. "I don't see them in there right now. He had to have moved them, right?" Damian nodded, turning back to observe the room as well. "But they have to be somewhere close. I say we search that side room over there first."

The teen thought it over. While he wanted to go for a more… violent approach, Todd's plan made much more sense. If they could find Danny without letting Joker know that they were here, then they had a better chance of getting the teen out unscathed. Also meaning that they could be gone before Batman made his grand entrance.

It would be in their best interest to be gone before his father showed up. Until he had this love potion situation with Danny sorted out, he did not want nor need his family's involvement.

Shaking himself, he gave Red Hood a nod before slipping through the broken skylight, landing nimbly on the support beam below. Hood followed close behind, his thick boots making soft, metallic thumps on the metal as he landed mere inches away. Quickly, the two made their way across the beams, keeping to the shadows to avoid being spotted as they trapeze over their enemy's head.

When they were right above the door, both vigilanties paused, their eyes snapping over to Joker as they climbed down as silently as possible. Thankfully, the man seemed much too busy examining his arm. What he was looking at, Damian couldn't tell from this angle. If he were to guess, he would assume it was some sort of injury, based on the pained grimace that scrunched up his painted face.

Ducking behind a large crate, Damian spared a glance back at Todd before focusing his attention back to the main room. He trusted the man to pick a lock.

From his hiding spot, he observed the clown, taking note of the way he seemed to favor his right leg, as well as the injury on his arm. A bit of pride welled up inside him as he realized that Danny had probably caused at least one of those wounds. Dread welled up right after it. 'If the Joker was injured, how was Danny right now?'

The teen was pulled from his thoughts as three goons entered the room. He ducked further into the shadows, throwing a glance back at Todd. Thankfully, the man didn't seem to have thrown all of his concentration into picking the lock, being fast to slip behind a rather large barrel as the three came to a stop in front of their boss.

"Well?" Joker growled at them, an uncharacteristic scowl etched into his palored expression.

The men shifted nervously for a few moments until one seemed to gather his courage. "No sign of them, sir." He said, taking half a step back as he fiddled with his clown mask.

Joker sneered at the man, pulling a gun quickly and shooting a round into the man's shoulder.

The goon dropped to the floor with a guttural scream, clutching the wound as he curled up in a ball. Joker rolled his eyes and gestured to the man with his gun. The remaining two men leaped into action immediately, hoisting up their injured comrade. "Go. And don't come back until you find them!" The clown shouted after their retreating figures. He growled to himself, putting his gun away before he began pacing again.

His gaze didn't leave the man as Jason went back to the lock, only looking back when he heard the telltale click. "Psst!" His brother's modulated voice hissed at him. He turned and nodded at the man, slinking backwards slowly as he cracked the door open. Silently, they both slid through the doorway, quickly closing the door behind them.

Breathing a quiet sigh, Damian straightened from his crouch. Todd stood as well, slipping his lock picking kit back into his pocket. Taking a moment to regroup, the teen pulled one of his knives free of its sheath. Hood mimicked him, sliding one of his pistols out of it's holster, holding the weapon alertly as he began moving forwards.

The room they had entered was dark, no windows to light up the place. Not that the dark was much of an issue, considering the variety of functions a bat suit has. A night vision setting for his domino was basic compared with some of the things Drake had added to it.

Space was taken up by more large crates, these stacked high enough to be considered walls. Both vigilanties moved silently through the maze they made, shadows as they searched for signs of active life.

After what Damian knew was only a few minutes, they did find active life. Just… not who they had hoped to find. In the middle of the crate maze, was a table. A single light bulb hung over the cheap wood, making the five masked men sitting idly around it very obvious.

Hood gestured for him to stop, pulling him down when one of the men glanced in their direction. The goon's eyes passed over them, going back to the table as another slapped down a card.

"Humf," One of the clowns grumbled, shuffling his own cards around. Damian ignored the men, his gaze intently searching the room for any sign of Danny. 'Not here.' Several choice words flashed through his mind, not slipping out solely because of what Alfred would do if he ever heard.

Glancing back at Todd, he inclined his head towards the men, a silent question. The man seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding. He didn't waste any time slipping away, ducking and weaving around crates and barrels until he was across the room. His gaze caught Todd's, understanding passing between them.

At the same time, they both leaped forwards, striking the men fast and hard. All five men were knocked out cold before they could even react. Damian worked quickly on tying them up, not really caring that the zip ties might be cutting into their skin a bit harshly.

"I don't think he's in here." Todd pointed out, peering around a few crates just to be sure.

"Hmph." Damian grumbled. "Son what now?c the teen questioned, crossing his arms. He did his best to remain impassive, trying not to show how anxiety was beginning to eat at him.

"If he isn't here, then we need to find out where he went." The man stated, stalking past the teen as he made his way back the way they came. "Looks like you might get to put those blades of yours to use." He called over his shoulder. Despite the helmet, Damian knew the man was smirking. Not a smile, but the sadistic tilt of his lips he did when someone got what was coming to them.

While that smirk usually irritated the teen, he couldn't help but feel a stirring of anticipation at his brother's words.

Unlike on their way in, the two didn't go for stealth as they came back out. Jason pulled one of his pistols, clicking the safety off before landing a harsh kick to the door. The wood creaked dangerously, the hinges protesting loudly as the door slammed into the wall. The noise immediately caught Joker's attention, the clown pulling his gun and turning towards them.

Todd fired a shot at the man, hitting the hand wrapped around the weapon. With a hiss, the Joker dropped his gun, pulling his now-bleeding hand to his chest. Damian saw the look of recognition flash through the clown's eyes as he realized who was stalking towards him, gun clicking as he cocked it again. A strained smile pulled at the man's pale face. "Well well well, didn't expect Batsy to let you loose tonight." The man chuckled, his eyes never leaving the gun in Red Hood's hand. "Does your Daddy know you're here?" He sneered, obviously trying to get a rise out of him.

To his credit, Todd didn't react to the taunt, keeping a steady pace as he wordlessly stalked closer to the villain. With such an obvious threat in front of him, it was incredibly easy for Damian to sneak up behind him. One quick and ruthless strike to the back of his injured leg had the man falling with a pained grunt. He tried to hurriedly push himself back up, but Damian's well-placed foot on his back effectively stopped the motion.

Todd crouched down in front of the man, his gun clutched loosely as he stared down at the man. The man managed to project an air of lazy confidence, despite the rage that Damian knew was festering behind his calm facade. "Alright." Todd started. "This is how it's gonna go. You," he pointed at the clown, "are going to tell us what we want to know."

An unnerving grin spread the clown's painted lips. "And if I don't?" He questioned. Damian had to hold back a scoff. Of course the Joker would act flippant in a situation with his life at stake. It didn't matter though. It wasn't his problem that the man didn't realize just what kind of danger he was in, faced with the two most violent members of the Bat Family.

Todd tilted his head, observing the man with obvious disdain. "If you don't? Well, in that case, you'll get a new job! How does being a human pin cushion sound?" The faux cheer coming through his voice modifier was as fake as could be, something that would have no doubt grated on Damian's nerves in any other situation.

The teen took his brother's words as a signal, immediately sinking one of his blades into the concrete right beside the clown's head. Satisfaction curled in him as red slid down the blade's edge, welling from a fresh knick in his ear. Joker hissed, his head flinching away as he eyed the blade warily. Taking his gaze away from the blade, he sneered at Hood. "Oh please, are you even really trying?" He rolled his eyes. "You'll have to do better than that if you're threatening me. Everyone knows that Batsy wouldn't let you do any actual damage."

Damian couldn't help but smirk as Hood shifted, resting his gun on his thigh as he readjusted. "Who said Batman knew we were even here?" The growl in his voice was almost a purr as he spoke, and Damian didn't need to see his face to know the sadistic smile he was wearing. Beneath him, the teen could feel the clown stiffen. 'Good,' Damian thought, putting more weight onto his foot. He was finally realizing what situation he was in.

The two vigilanties stayed quiet, waiting patiently for a response. The silence stretched on for a few minutes before he finally broke. "Okay, okay!" The man's voice shook. "What do you want?"

"That's more like it!" Hood laughed, leaning back on his heels. He grew serious as he settled again. "Now, what we wanna know. Where are the hostages?"

The Joker scoffed in disbelief. "Seriously? That's what you want to know?" Damian fought the urge to draw another knife.

"Yeah." Todd tilted his head down, staring at the man as he stood up. "That's what we wanna know. So, Harley and the boy. Where are they?" He rolled his gun from palm to palm in a deliberately absent sort of way.

The Joker ignored the silent threat. Instead, he let out an incredulous huff, disdain clear on his face. "I don't know." He growled.

"You don't know?" Todd's voice took on a dangerous lilt. "Now, I find that hard to believe." He stalked closer, until his boot was right in the man's face. With a rough movement, he slid the toe of his boot under the man's chin, angling in upwards until the Joker's neck strained, forced to look upwards.

"It's the truth." The man spat, his voice strained by the action. "I don't know where they are." Hood didn't say anything, glaring down at the man for a long while. With a staticky huff, he suddenly yanked his foot away. Neither of them felt bad when his face fell hard into the concrete.

Hood crouched again, gripping his oily green hair tightly, pulling his head back up. "Talk." He growled.

"They left!" The words tumbled out with a pained wheeze. "That feral brat bit me, and Harley got loose, and they left!" Todd hummed, but said nothing. His lackluster response egged the villain on. "I don't know where the bitch took him, but they're long gone by now. Who knows what hole they've crawled into."

Todd loosened his grip on the man's hair, standing again with a weary sigh. "And we're back to square one." He muttered walking towards the exit. Louder, he called over his shoulder. "I'll be outside! Tie him up when you're done!"

Damian nodded, but stayed silent until he heard a door close. He knew Todd hadn't really left, more than likely he had found a door to slam before climbing back into the rafters to watch. But his words invoked the intended reaction from the man Below him.

"Ha!" The Joker laughed. "Did he leave you behind to deal with me? He's more of a coward than I thought." Anger welled up in Damian as the clown insulted his brother, but he stayed as he was. 'A diversion tactic,' he told himself. 'He's just trying to drop your guard.'

Sure enough, only a moment later, the man attempted to sit up quickly. Probably aiming to knock him down long enough to dive for a weapon. Unfortunately for the clown, Damian was a step ahead of him. His weight shifted on the man's shoulder, shoving him back down quite forcefully. Before he could try again, Damian had a knife out. With one swift movement, the sharp blade pierced through the man's hand, hitting the concrete below it with a sharp tink sound. The man howled in pain, trying to curl his legs beneath him. There was much more Damian longed to do, much more violent things that he hadn't done in years, but he didn't have time for any of that. They had the information they needed, as dissatisfied as it left him, and there was no need in sticking around. One sharp kick to the temple, and the Joker was out cold.

Pulling his blades free, he re-sheathed them and pulled out some zip ties. Once the man was restrained, he stood, heading the way Todd had left.

Just as he predicted, his brother dropped from the rafters just before he reached the door. "Nice one." He commented as they exited the building, pulling their grapples and launching themselves onto a nearby roof. They hung around until they could hear the sirens in the distance, taking off at the first sign of lights. The entire time, Damian paced the rooftop, impatience blatantly obvious.

"I'm surprised." Todd told him. "Honestly, it seemed like you would do more than stab him."

"Tt." Damian scoffed. "I would have, but we have more pressing matters to attend to." He crossed his arms, foot tapping in the gravel. "Not to mention, we have no way of knowing when the others will show up. It would be harder to escape the manor a second time." Todd hummed in agreement.

"So, what now?"

Damian shot him a look. "Why are you asking me?"

Red Hood shrugged. "There are several ways we could go about this." He pointed out. "We could search the city by hand. Or we could head back to the apartment to regroup and tell Jazz what happened. We could ask Ivy if she knows where Harley is, assuming she didn't drop Danny off somewhere." He ticked each option off on his fingers as he spoke. "It's up to you. What do you want to do, Demon brat?"

Damian scowled at the nickname, but said nothing as he thought each option over. Searching the city by hand would take too long. Heading back to the apartment had its merits, but that's assuming Jasmine could find the teen without any sort of trackers. It would be a lot different than pinpointing a broadcasting signal. And calling Poison Ivy would be a bit of a gamble. Yes, the chances that she knew where Harley wasn and if she still had Danny with her, were high, but getting her to share the information might be tricky depending on her mood at the time.

Sighing, Damian came to a decision. "We might as well head back to the apartment. If Jasmine cannot find him, we will contact Ivy."

Todd nodded. "Alrighty then. Lead the way!" Despite his words, he launched himself ahead of Damian, letting out a cackle at the irate noise he made.

—

Ivy sneezed suddenly, blinking in surprise. Beside her, Harley glanced over. "You okay?" She asked, setting down her pizza slice. Ivy waved her off.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She told the woman.

"S'mone's talk'n 'bout you." Danny pipped up, talking around the slice of pepperoni he was messily shoving into his mouth.

"Danny, don't talk with your mouth full." Jazz scolded him, dabbing at the mess of sauce on his face. He grumbled a bit, but made no move to stop her. Harley cooed at the scene they made. Ivy rolled her eyes and took another bite of her slice.

---

(There might be some grammar/spelling mistakes. It's okay because I tried my best!)

For the amazing person who made the prompt for this story as well as the lovely people who follow along;

@halfblackwolfdemon @manapeer @xxwintrynightzxx @im-totally-not-an-alien-2 @blu-lilac @academicpurposes @secretdestinywerewolf @passivedecept @naluforever3 @postit-nope @spiteismymiddlename @2t-productions @plague-daisy @feet-achy @bubblecookies16 @thesapphiredragon13 @justwannabecat @magicalcollecter @adeniumdream @amuseofminds @lupagrim @readerkayden @dr-syko-pharm-4 @ladythugs @angelheartgamer @markthespot68 @kyrianclawraith @michikoy-yuki @servasvictoria02 @your-emo-nightmare @vala-dreams @scarlett-green-rose @t1dwarrior-of-earth @charlie-the-frogie @akikoyuii @mysticalcomputerdetective @roseuniverse999 @im-totally-not-an-alien @thefearfullone @weird-droplet-309 @jaytriesstuff @raventao @jacquelynwinchester @dragongoblet @tlise21 @longlivethefallen @the-archer-goddess @temple-of-jalebi @adepresseddwightsblogofjunk @plainly-colorful @the-legalHe-shipper @49saltpeppershakers @igotafewbadideas @tumbling-darkling @sparklygardenbouquet @sarcastic-yami @blueneko9314 @starscreamlover @liedboutmurder @do3y @roze-realm @some-mildly-happy-human @yinari-uchiha @azuera @chaoticmistake @altairsarts @kawaiikenna @heartsong18 @thetoyboxs @tricksovertreats @mnemovoid @lim4b3ans @horribly-lost-and-gay @keimiwolf @dryeraseslime @joey394

[denimbex1986]

'He's known around the world for his roles in Peaky Blinders, Dunkirk and now Christopher Nolan's highly praised Oppenheimer.

Yet Cillian Murphy, 47, is famously private - offering only a sliver of detail about himself throughout his years in the spotlight.

So just what do we know about the Irish star? Here, FEMAIL delves into the father-of-two's home life, early career and family as we take a look at the insights Cillian has shared with his fans.

The Tommy Shelby actor was born in Cork in 1976 to a mother who taught French, while his father, Brendan, worked as a schools inspector before moving to the Department of Education. His grandfather, aunts and uncles were also teachers.

But not wanting to follow the family tradition of working in education, Cillian pursued a career in the arts after getting a 'huge high' from his drama module at Catholic secondary school Presentation Brothers College.

However, his first performing love turned out not to be acting - instead he turned his talents toward music.

Cillian and his The Sons of Mr. Green Genes bandmates, which included his brother, were even offered a five-album record deal.

However, they were forced to turn down the opportunity by his parents, with the actor explaining: 'My brother was still in school. I was 18 and he was 16, the idea of losing two of us was just too outrageous and horrifying for them so it didn't happen and then everything just kind of fell apart.

'In retrospect, the music industry is just terrible. Unless you're super successful it's really hard to make a living. We’d have crashed and burned pretty quickly in that industry,' Cillian told the Armchair Expert podcast, via The Irish Examiner.

The Corkman went on to study law at University College Cork before he dropped out in an effort to break out into the world of acting

But recalling the moment he told his parents of his decision, he said: 'It wasn't a happy moment in our family history', reported The Independent.ie.

Cillian also discussed his 'pretty average upbringing' in a video with Vice, saying: 'I grew up in Cork, my parents are teachers.

'Pretty average, middle-class upbringing, you know? They were, I think, probably anxious that I did well at school and went to college, did all that stuff.

'I foolishly decided to pursue a law degree. But I was playing music. I was playing in a band, and I just started acting then.

'Those two things were happening and they became much more important than going to college. I didn't really go in at all, and I failed gloriously in the first year.'

But he soon found success as an actor, appearing in late 90s Irish film Disco Pigs and Danny Boyle's violent horror 28 Days Later in 2002.

He's also known for his appearance in director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy as the villainous Dr Jonathan Crane and his alter-ego Scarecrow.

Most famously, he played Birmingham gang boss Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders for six seasons from 2013 to 2022 - but said he couldn't have stuck to the work schedule without his 'amazing wife'.

He married Irish artist Yvonne McGuinness in 2004, after the pair first met at one of his rock band's shows in 1996. They went on to have two children together, Malachy, 17, and Aran, 16.

Cillian told GQ of his work schedule: 'I couldn't do this without [my wife] and her understanding. But it is a struggle.

'I think it is for any dad whose work takes him away, which it generally does, and which consumes him, which my work does.'

He added: 'I make sure that I try not to go from job to job to job, because that means you live in a bubble of set, hotel, set, hotel, plane, film festivals - which, to me, is not reality. So I just check out from that for six months a year.'

Cillian and his family now live in Dublin after he reportedly splashed out close to £1.7million on a Victorian townhouse.

The four-storey home, originally built in 1863, is located in Monkstown, south Co. Dublin, and has six double bedrooms as well as four receptions rooms.

However while the family are now based in Dublin, his sons were born in London and stayed there until 2015 before they all moved to Ireland, with the actor joking they moved because his sons were developing 'very posh English accents'.

'We were in London for 14 years, both our kids were born there. We only came back to Dublin in 2015,' he told the Armchair Expert podcast.

'It's kind of an Irish story, you know, to move away, do your thing and then come home. That seems to be a common narrative for Irish people.

'We wanted the kids to be Irish, and they were sort of at that age where they were preteens and they had very posh English accents and I wasn’t appreciating that too much. Our parents are a certain age and it was just a nice time to come home.'

The 5ft7 star also noted that his sons were almost taller than him.

It also seems he won't be following in the footsteps of the acting elite, claiming he 'couldn’t envisage' upping sticks to Los Angeles.

Cillian said: 'I love visiting and I love the food and I do love the weather. I don’t know, I just feel European, I just feel Irish. I’d feel like a bit of an interloper if I lived in California, I couldn’t envisage living there permanently.''

[spectacled-renegade-writes]

An Early Start - Chapter 17 - Danny Phantom

Ao3: Here | Masterpost: Here

Ao3 Description: The accident that turns Danny half-ghost happens when he is four years old and leaves him trapped in the Ghost Zone. Clockwork finds him and takes him in to raise. But what happens when Clockwork sends Danny back to the human-world ten years later when a permanent portal appears?

Reminder: This story will have 25 chapters and be split into 3 distinct parts. Chapter 17 is the start of part 3, aka the final part.

Chapter 17:

Part 3: Both and Neither

One morning, not long after the incident with Vlad, Danny wakes up and he doesn’t want to get out of bed, and he doesn’t want to go to school. So, he pulled his blanket back over his head and tried to go back to sleep. Sleep is the one thing he cherished about being half-human all these years. As a ghost, Danny didn’t need to sleep. But as a human, he could drift away and spend five to eight hours without a single thought. But just as Danny found himself drifting back into that peaceful darkness, a knock sounded at his door, pulling him back.

“Danny?” Jazz’s voice sounded from the other side. “Are you awake? It’s almost time to leave for school.” Danny did not bother knocking on his nightstand to let her know he was awake. He kept his eyes closed and remained still, hoping she would go away. Alas, the universe had different plans, and he heard his door slowly creak open and Jazz saying, “I’m coming in.”

Still, Danny did not move, but he did open his eyes and glance at her. Jazz took a seat at the edge of his bed. “Danny, are you okay?” She asked, placing the back of her hand against his forehead. “You don’t have a fever,” she mumbled. “Are you feeling alright?”

Physically? Yes. Emotionally? Well, he didn’t know the emotion, or perhaps lack thereof, that he felt at the moment. So, he shook his head.

“If you’re feeling sick then maybe you should stay home from school today.” She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “I’ll call the school and let them know neither of us are coming in, so I can take care of you.”

No! Danny wanted to yell. More than anything else in the world, he just wanted to be alone right now. So, he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could dial, using his other hand to point at her, then to the window. “You go.” He was saying.

Jazz frowned. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you home alone with mom and dad, who won’t even notice you’re not feeling well.”

Danny shook his head and let go of her wrist. “Just need sleep.” He assured. Jazz looked conflicted with that but Danny forced himself to smile to reassure her. “I’ll be fine.”

“Well…” Jazz chewed her lip. “If you’re sure. But keep your phone on you so I can check in, okay?”

“O-K.”

“Okay,” Jazz repeated. “Well, I better get going. Do you want breakfast first?”

Eating was the last thing on Danny’s mind, he hadn’t even thought about it. He shook his head. Once again his response seemed to upset his sister, and he wished he knew how to stop doing that. But Jazz relented this time. “I’ll be going then. Love you.”

“You too.” Danny replied. He watched her leave and the moment she closed his door, he let the emotion drop from his face. If he was being honest with himself, he felt nothing and everything at the same time, or rather, the type of nothing that felt like everything; the type that made him shut down. He’s never felt it this strongly before. Danny rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

He was alone with his parents. The thought occurred to him suddenly, like remembering something important you had to do last minute. All of the sudden Danny wanted to be anywhere else in the world but here, and lucky for him he knew just where that somewhere else could be. So, he dragged himself out of bed, got dressed, then transformed into his ghost half, his true half, he felt, and flew through the ceiling.

Danny took the scenic route on the way to the abandoned house, letting the wind whip across his face and block out his thoughts. But despite the longer commute, he still managed to arrive in no time, and after doing the usual onceover to make sure it was empty, touched down in the living room and returned human. Danny zipped up his hoodie, placed the hood over his head, and lay down on the threadbare couch that occupied the room. All he wanted to do was not think for a while. He’d deal with the rest later.

Danny let his eyes slip closed and in the safety of solitude, fell asleep.

-

“Is he okay?”

“He looks okay. Should we wake him?”

“I don’t know. If dude crashed here, he must be exhausted.”

“Why did he crash here? You think something happened at home?”

“I don’t know. I saw his sister at school today and she seemed normal.”

Danny woke slowly to the voices. Finding another form of safety in their familiarity. He cracked his eyes open and saw Sam and Tucker standing over him. But still, the moment he opened his eyes, the empty feeling decided to return, and he sat up without so much as a smile in greeting.

“Danny,” Sam said, taking a seat next to him now that there was room. “Are you okay? You haven’t answered any of our texts and you weren’t at school today.”

Danny pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. Four missed texts from Sam. Two missed texts from Tucker. Six missed texts from Jazz. Danny opened the texts from Jazz. Most of them were checking in on him, making sure he was okay, but the last one was her asking him where he was, since he wasn’t there when she arrived home. To put her mind at ease he texted her back. Sorry. I was asleep all day. I felt better when I woke up so I went for a walk. I’ll be back later. Danny hit send and pocketed his phone.

“Okay,” Tucker said, sitting down at his other side. “Now that you’re done lying to your sister, want to tell us what’s actually going on? Is it like a ghost thing? No offense man, but you look awful.”

Danny snorted at that. He reached down to unzip his hoodie if only to play with the zipper. On one hand, it felt nice being with his friends. On the other… Danny stood up and made his way around the couch to go upstairs. His friends followed. The portrait of Clockwork’s Tower was still there, vibrant as the day he painted it. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at it, before sitting down on the floor.

A hand appeared on his shoulder.

“You’re homesick?” Sam asked.

Danny nodded absently. Of course he was but… there was something else too, something separate, or maybe not, maybe different but connected, pulling at his heart. He didn't really know how to describe it. His friends took a seat on either side of him again.

“I met someone like me.” Danny said after a moment. He barely lifted his hands from his lap and his movements were sluggish.

“Someone like…” Tucker trailed.

“Another H-A-L-F-A.”

“But I thought there was no one else like you.” Sam said.

“I lied.” Danny replied. He didn't look at his friends, he kept his eyes on the painting in front of him. “I didn’t do it maliciously I just… didn’t know anything about him, or even who he was.”

“But you knew of him,” Sam surmised, no hint of anger in her voice like Danny expected.

He nodded. “Turns out he was closer than I thought. He's an old friend of my parents.”

“What?!” Tucker exclaimed.

Danny nodded again. “They made the same mistake twice, but he wasn’t sent to the Ghost Zone like I was.”

“Shouldn’t that be great news?” Tucker asked, calming down. “There’s someone out there who you can relate to.”

Danny bowed his head and frowned, he suddenly felt like crying again. He didn’t. “He is obsessed with vengeance, and blames my father. Of course he’s right but… he wants to kill him, and I don’t want that, no matter what my father did.”

“Isn’t this both of your parents’ fault?” Sam asked.

“For me it is,” Danny replied. “But I think with V-L-A-D, the other half ghost, I think it’s just my dad’s fault.” The same hurt from the night of their battle wrapped itself around Danny again and he bit down hard on his lip. “He wanted me to join him, and I wanted to join…”

“But you don’t hurt people.” Sam finished for him.

Danny wrapped his arms around himself and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He felt more alone than ever. More… other than ever. Everything he felt growing up: isolated Christmas parties, turned heads, lonely day after crushing lonely day… it all returned full force, everything he’s managed to push down. “I don’t know if I’m a ghost or a human. It seems like I should feel like both, and maybe sometimes I do feel like that, but mostly, I feel like neither. I don’t know which one I’m supposed to be. Both are lonely... Neither side truly understands." Danny sighed. "But he did.”

His friends frowned and Sam put her hand back on his shoulder. “Danny…”

“I tried to get through to him. For a second it seemed like I did.” Danny could still recall the way Vlad faltered. He could also recall the expression moments later when his dad crashed through the wall in the Fenton RV. “But then my father showed up, and all I could feel from him was hatred.” That wasn’t even the worst part. No, the worst part is what Danny felt now, what he felt the moment he left the castle. His cheeks burned in shame.

“Danny?” Tucker asked, placing his hand on Danny’s other shoulder. “What is it?”

“I still want to join him.” He replied, keeping his hands close to his chest.

Sam and Tucker shared a look and Danny didn’t look up to see what it was, but all of the sudden both of his friends were hugging him. “I don’t think that’s something to be ashamed of.” Sam said. “Your parents suck and you finally found someone who understands you.”

“Yeah,” Tucker agreed. “If I was in your situation… I don’t know what I’d do.”

Danny pulled his knees up and held on to his friends. He glanced back up at the portrait.

Sam, Tucker and Jazz, they seemed to be the only thing most days keeping him from abandoning his mission and going back to the Ghost Zone. He closed his eyes and leaned in to the embrace. He didn’t know if he could ever let this go.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ao3 Notes: We're officially at the the third and final part of this story! Thank you so much to all of you for following along so far. I hope the remaining chapters won't disappoint! <3

I hope you all have a wonderful day/night!

[qnewsau]

First look at Jonathan Bennett in 'The Groomsmen'

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/first-look-at-jonathan-bennett-in-the-groomsmen/

First look at Jonathan Bennett in 'The Groomsmen'

Hallmark has given fans a first look at The Groomsmen, the first in a three-part trilogy starring Jonathan Bennett.

Significantly, The Groomsmen will feature the first gay-centric main storyline in a Hallmark Channel movie.

Bennett, 43, told People that he will play Danny in the films, starring alongside Tyler Hynes and B.J. Britt, who have previously starred in other Hallmark Channel films.

“Playing the character of Danny in The Groomsmen — not only are we telling a story of friendship and love, but…telling a story about a wedding,” he said in an interview at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25.

“This is the first time we’ve had a gay wedding on Hallmark as the lead storyline,” Bennett said. “And that’s a huge move for the gay community so they can see themselves represented in these stories.”

Jonathan Bennett to star as ‘ex-jock with a heart of gold’

According to Hallmark, the movie follows “the lives and romantic relationships of three best friends of different backgrounds, cultures and sexual orientations…as they each find love and wedding bliss in picturesque locations Greece, Italy and Bulgaria.”

Bennett’s character, Danny, is an “ex-jock with a heart of gold,” in comparison to Britt’s Pete, described as a “kind-hearted pediatrician with a penchant for planning,” and Hynes’s role as Jackson, a “stylish and charming social media agent.”

While reflecting on the strides he and his costars have made in these films, Bennett teared up as he recalled watching the cut for the first time.

“10 years ago, 15 years ago, I would never dream that I would be [starring] in a Hallmark movie that’s seen by so many people across middle America, in so many different places in the country … and I would be playing a gay character, getting married to another man and having two straight best friends standing behind me in the frame, supporting me and lifting me up,” he said.

“I never would’ve dreamed that I would be making that movie. And here we are and we did it.

“And not only did we do it, but we crushed it because it is so beautiful in Greece and the scenes turned out so gorgeous. So it was just a very emotional moment watching that part of the cut. I was like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.'”

The Groomsmen: First Look debuts on Oct. 17, followed by The Groomsmen: Second Chances on Oct. 24 and The Groomsmen: The Last Dance on Oct. 31, on Hallmark.

An Australian release date is yet to be announced.

  For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[redflagshipwriter]

The smile dropped off Dick's face in record time. "Robin, we need ice and a box, stat, big enough for a dismembered human arm."

Blood welled up cheerfully and spilled onto the floor. There was only a split second where Jason saw the literal bones and tendons of his soulmate. But it was an important split second.

Robin turned on his line long enough for a curt, "understood," and then dropped off.

Red Robin was already dropping to his knees to examine the hand as closely as possible without touching it. "Oracle. We have a right arm, detached at the shoulder joint." He was digging into the bio kit at his belt with his free hand.

"Putting up a filter for 911 calls," Oracle said into the comms.

Jason watched with a sort of numb distance as Tim put on disposable gloves over his work gloves and put a pipette to the exposed joint. It was a matter of moments to get a blood sample. "I'll have blood type in two minutes." He squinted, gave Jason a guilty look, and nudged the hand ever so slightly to roll over so that he could see a new angle. "We're looking for a teenager, probably male, wearing a class ring in purple and silver." He rolled off the gloves and stashed them in a biohazard bat. "Likely a sophomore or older, then. 15 to 18 years old."

"Roger that. Any other identifying details on that class ring?"

Jason was suddenly free to move again. He beat Tim to taking the ring off and turning it around to look for details. He barely noticed the way that Tim skittered backwards, out of Jason's reach. "No school name," he reported. That was rotten luck. But there was a year engraved- "Graduation is next year- victim is a Junior."

Bruce full-body flinched in his peripheral at the word victim.

"Initials D. F." He turned it in his hand again, too numb to appreciate the way light glinted off of it.

"I'll let you know as soon as I get a hit." Oracle promised.

The hand was so limp. Of course it was. Jason couldn't look away from it. But it looked wrong, fingers flat and wrist utterly without tension.

He slightly extended his own arm to make a visual comparison. They were nothing alike. His soulmate was about a year younger than him, but he was a lot smaller. Paler. The arm had the level of musculature you'd expect from a member of the chess club. Poor shit head had no idea what someone else had gotten him into. Jason's gut churned with a potent mix of self-loathing and righteous rage. One of those was easier to deal with than the other.

"Robin, what's the ETA on the ice?" Batman put a hand to his earpiece like the old man he was, as if that'd help him hear better.

Jason staggered backwards, away from the physical piece of his soulmate. He swallowed, hard, and turned his attention to the problem that he could interact with.

Red Robin had moved forward when Jason stepped away from the arm. "Blood type is AB+, but there's some kind of contamination. I'll run a second sample to see if it's the blood itself or from this location."

Jason's gloves creaked with the force of the fist he made when he rounded on the cultists. "Motherfuckers." That was as coherent as he could manage. He crossed the last few steps and fully decked the fucker who'd been stonewalling them. The cultist fell over with an aborted scream that did absolutely nothing to stop the incoherent fury in Jason's body right now.

He wheeled on the next cultist. Dick was there with his hands up, bodily blocking him from wailing on the rest of these creeps.

"Hood, stop!" Batman barked, but he didn't move to interfere. "Agent A, ready our supply of AB+ blood in case we need to transport victim either to the Batcave or bring blood to them."

Jason gritted his jaw, hard. He didn't want to fight Dick. His breaths were harsh through his helmet's filters.

"I've got a hit." Oracle sent a ping across all systems that had a geo tag. "An ambulance headed to Amity general hospital in Illinois, called by a Samantha Manson. Victim is 17 year old Danny Fenton. The hospital has an adequate supply of his blood type. It'll arrive on scene in six minutes and reach the hospital after about ten minutes of driving."

"I have purchased the box and ice. ETA two minutes." Robin had clearly been sprinting. It was rare for him to sound even a little winded.

Agent A clipped in. "I am confirming that the Batjet is ready to depart and will bring it to your location. ETA three minutes from departure."

Jason swallowed down on his rage. He turned away from Dick and the temptation to smash skulls. "I'm getting on that plane," he declared.

"Of course." Bruce's voice came out gruff. "Nightwing, are you willing to secure the crime scene and confer with the police?"

"You got it B." Nightwing was already flitting around, wrenching wrists together and using zip ties. Jason momentarily considered helping. He decided it was better not to, not when he was this pissed off at the perps.

IdeaDpxDc—There are better ways to meet someone.

Note: Sorry, I don't know English, so please use a translator. I apologize if you don't get the idea.

Dead On Main. Soul mates.

---

"Exactly... what does this ring do?" The shining ring was still attached to his finger. This wouldn't worry him if it weren't for the fact that, with each passing minute, the ring emitted more light, and that can't be good.

The cult leader refused to speak. He wouldn't even look at him, seeming particularly attentive to the material the floor was made of. Very funny that now he was scared of him when, an hour ago, he was giving a very cliché speech about how humanity was doomed because it would summon the evil of evils.

It wasn't very smart of him to perform his summoning precisely in Gotham City, home of the Dark Knight.

Red Hood was getting impatient. He placed the hand without the ring on his weapon; if words didn't work, a real threat to his life would. And this didn't really break Bruce's 'no killing' rule because the gun was only loaded with rubber bullets. However, just as he was about to advance and shoot the guy, he saw Batman grab the leader's tunic collar and lift him up.

The man, of course, screamed in fear. "Speak, what does that ring do?" No jokes. Batman's voice was deeper than usual, showing that he was upset, no, rather angry.

Or worried, but Jason could never consider that possibility. For the moment, he was only surprised, although it didn't show through his helmet.

"I-I don't know," the leader replied. Poor guy, he seemed about to cry. Batman, not content, tightened his grip even more; he wasn't willing to tolerate a lie this time.

Red Robin raised an eyebrow. "You managed to gather a bunch of magical artifacts for your summoning and you don't know what they do?"

The man looked away. "No..." The rest of the cult members also looked away. Very brave and stupid of them to all agree to lie to the bats. Jason himself wanted to mock them, but the ring kept shining. He couldn't mock when the ring kept shining and he didn't know what it meant.

From the communications, Robin could be heard. "Tt, this wouldn't be happening if Hood hadn't put on the ring." Jason suppressed a growl.

"Kid, I didn't put on the ring. This thing stuck to me the moment I touched it." It was true. In the middle of the operation to stop the ritual, Jason had pulled the ring, which at that moment was a kind of necklace by the chain that ran through it, from a member who was wearing it. The ring in his hand began to glow and suddenly teleported to his ring finger, then stopped shining. It was when everything calmed down that the ring began to release a different, but constant light.

Approximately ten minutes have passed since then, he thought as he looked at the ring, ignoring all the magical stuff; it was actually a very simple ring. Suddenly, the ring began to blink.

Oh, no. That couldn't be good.

Batman, fed up with the leader's silence and his followers, threw the man meters ahead. "Oracle, call Zatanna now, we need more information about the ring," he ordered as he approached the man who was in pain from the fall. The guy, terrified by the violent aura of the Dark Knight, tried to retreat.

Finally, Nightwing stepped between the man and the brutal beating he would receive if he didn't speak.

"It's okay, B, calm down." With his hand on his father's shoulder, Dick tried to ease the atmosphere. "I understand your concern. We are all worried about what the ring might do to Hood. But we can't let fear and anger control us. Hood is important to all of us. He is our brother, your son. We can't lose our cool now. Let's call Wonder Woman. If no one wants to talk, she can help us with the lasso of truth."

Total silence. Jason didn't know what to say; he didn't think his family would react like this over a blinking ring. That is... he doesn't know. Suddenly, the ring's light began to blink faster.

Batman, after Nightwing's words and seeing the change in the ring, understood that he couldn't waste time with someone who wouldn't talk. "You're right, thank you Nightwing." Looking at the others, he said: "We need to act quickly, we don't know the effects the ring might have on Hood. We need to take him to the cave for a thorough analysis, no discussions." The last part he said looking at Jason. "Until then, don't try to take it off or use it."

Jason scoffed, as if he would.

"Oracle, you heard, call Diana. Red Robin and I will take care of the rest of the cult. Nightwing, take Red Hood to the cave." Batman began giving orders as he reached the leader and began dragging him towards the rest of his cult. The leader, in a failed attempt, tried to resist. "Agent A, please prepare a stretcher. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

On the other hand, the touching speech and the strange family moment of the bats seemed to soften the heart of a girl from the cult, who in a whisper said: "The ring, nothing will happen to him." Although she spoke quietly, everyone present heard her.

The leader, panicking that the information would be revealed, exclaimed: "Catrina, shut up!" However, he was struck by Batman, who was already fed up with the guy.

"What do you have to say about the ring?" he asked.

The woman hesitated to speak. "We thought of using the ring to subdue the king of the dead and make him listen to our orders..." She paused, not knowing how to continue. "There is a real legend about the ring. A long time ago, a witch wanted to know who her soulmate was, so she created the ring. This allows one to be guided to their soulmate through the red thread. I think everyone already knows what the red thread is." Nervous, she looked around. Only Nightwing nodded, and that was enough for her to continue telling. "Well, the witch's red thread connected with a prince. Unfortunately for everyone, the prince was not happy that his soulmate was a witch. So he had her killed." The girl looked at her hands; that part of the story was sad. "The witch was angry, but still wanted her soulmate to accept her, so she rewrote the ring's original purpose. It was no longer something that united you with your soulmate, but now it was something that allowed you to subdue your soulmate... uh, this." She pointed to a book that was lying in a corner. "With another spell, in fact, it can be used to subdue anyone, even a king of the dead."

With the whole story already told, Red Robin asked: "So, what is the ring doing to Red Hood?"

"It's tracking his soulmate. I... didn't get to put the other spell on it. I could only activate the ring's primary function. Your brother will be fine."

That definitely changes things. Jason swore he could hear his heart beating. A soulmate, wow. He admits he's read many romance novels and maybe once dreamed of it, but for it to actually happen, wow.

Suddenly, the ring stopped blinking. Five seconds later, everyone saw a red thread shoot out from the ring's gem. It quickly moved in one direction, went through the wall, and kept going. The process was like a fishing rod when it catches a fish.

"Does this mean it already found its soulmate?" Red Robin asked. Astonished by the red thread, he tried to touch it but his hand went through it; apparently, the thread was intangible to anyone else.

"Yes," the cultist also seemed astonished.

Jason felt a look on him, turned, it was his brother. Oh no, not that look, he knew that smile; Dick would tease him so much in the coming days. For his part, Batman sighed in relief. Well, it wasn't such an extreme danger, but it was still dangerous. "Agent A, cancel the stretcher." He never imagined this would mean a soulmate case. "Oracle, don't cancel the call to Zatanna or Wonder Woman, we need to verify the information. We'll stay here until the police arrive."

How nice it would be if everything ended like that, right? With Dick joking with Jason, Tim analyzing the thread, Barbara laughing at the turn of events, Bruce relieved and Damian surprised. However, one must remember the story.

The witch changed the ring's original purpose. Unexpectedly, the thread began to retract, as if it had caught something. It did so so quickly that Jason grabbed his hand in pain. It was then that everyone had a bad feeling. The wall the thread had previously passed through suddenly exploded, the noise and dust alerting everyone, especially when once the chaos disappeared, something horrific could be seen.

An arm. A fucking arm. Apparently freshly torn from its owner. Oh, no. What did it do to his soulmate?

...

Somewhere else in the world, somewhere in the United States, Danny gasped in pain. What the hell? What was that? Ancients! Where is his arm?

---

Note: Sorry, I don't know English, so please use a translator. I apologize if you don't get the idea.

[ellabellabugz]

Last day

Day 7 DP/DC Week 2022

“Grayson.” Dick glanced up from his desk. The files glared up at him. He’d been staring at them for the past hour and no new evidence has appeared throughout his prodding.

His attention landed on the captain, making a beeline toward Dick’s desk.

“Sir” he greeted doing his best to sound respectful.

“I have a newbie for you to take care of.”

Dick blinked, they had a new detective? Or trainee? “Who?”

“Names Daniel Nightingale, he’s a psychic detective.”

Dick blinked, before laughing. Waiting for someone to come out and yell haha gotcha!

But that didn't happen.

The captain remained serious, his eyes on Dick as he waited for him to stop laughing. Once Dick did, the captain resumed. “He has proven resourceful and is fresh out of the academy. Before he even joined, he solved the Hilsberry murder.”

Dick gaped. That murder was one even Batman himself had looked into and turned up empty-handed.

Yet somehow this psychic detective figured it out.

Dick felt the urge to look into Daniel grow. His finger twitched at the thought of researching him. He stood up watching as the Captain gave an approving nod before heading back toward his office. Dick could make out messy black hair as he moved closer.

He hoped that Daniel was just sitting down, he would hate to have a new partner who happened to be extremely short. Not that it would stop the man from being any less fierce, but thanks to Damian, Dick knew exactly how dangerous short people can be.

The door opened and Dick felt a wave of relief wash over him as the man stood up to greet him. Then the refile turned into horror.

The dude looked like a baby.

How old did the captain say he was?

Daniel stood up, he was shorter than Dick but not by a lot. Blue eyes met his and Dick felt himself bluescreen.

Bruce would kidnap this kid.

If he was even a kid.

He sure looked like a kid.

“Mister Grayson?” Daniel asked, head tilted. Dang it he even sounded young.

“Uh… what,” Dick said, very planned out obviously. As he had a way with words.

“You looked like you’ve seen a ghost.” The k̶i̶d̶ man looked at him a smirk appearing on his face as if telling an inside joke.

It had to be because the kid was a psychic and could commune with the dead. It seemed reasonable for the words the totally adult.

“How old are you?” Dick blurted after a moment of silence, watching the smile grow on Daniel’s face.

“20.” Daniel’s grin grew larger. “I know I look young, it’s great for getting into schools for research.”

“Why would you-”

“My last case was about this teen girl who was murdered. Her ghost dragged me all the way back to her school.” Daniel waved off the shocked looked. “Anyway, I’m Danny.” He held his hand out to shake Dick’s.

Dick slowly took it.

And Jesus this kid's hands were freezing.

“Sorry, my hands are as cold as the dead,” Danny said after he pulled away. “I would wear gloves but it’s fun to see people's reactions.”

The captain looked between the two of them before sighing. “You have work to do, get out of my office.”

Danny nodded pushing back Dick and out into the work area. Scanning the others working. He waited for Dick to sit back down at his desk before speaking. “Soooo, watcha working on?”

Dick sighed before sliding the file over to Danny. If he was stuck working with the kid might as well see what he can do and keep Bruce away from him. The last thing he needed was Bruce to fly down to Bludhaven just to try and adopt a grown man who happened to look like a 17-year-old.

Danny hummed pulling Dick out of his thoughts. “Bart Turner? I can try to summon him if you want. Though that would add another ghost following me around.” Danny glared over Dick’s shoulder. Dick followed the gaze seeing nothing there.

Either this kid was crazy. Or he was telling the truth and was currently being haunted by ghosts.

That would explain the dark bags under his eyes. Looked like Danny got even less sleep the Tim. That was saying something…

Maybe Dick should force him to sleep.

Danny nodded. “Yeah, that’d make sense.”

“Huh?” Dick raised an eyebrow as Danny was talking aloud to no one. Maybe it was one of his ghost friends.

“Hm.” Danny stood up glancing around. “Time to go summon another pain in the ass.” Danny stumbled before glaring at a certain spot in the air.

Dick was genuinely concerned for the kid. For all he knew, Danny could be hallucinating from lack of sleep. It seemed plausible as Danny looked dead on his feet.

Though surprisingly the boy managed to carry himself well. With training, and didn’t walk like someone who hasn’t slept.

Dick’s eyes narrowed, it was clear the kid was lacking sleep. Yet he still managed to act perfectly fine. He knew it wasn’t hard if the lack of sleep was only for a little bit. But if one started to hallucinate from the lack of sleep, it would be a little hard to walk in a straight line.

Danny glanced back. “You coming?” He asked eyes on Dick, who has yet to move from the chair his rear had been glued to.

Dick cleared his throat before standing up, grabbing the jacket that was wrapped around the back of his seat. Before following Danny out the door.

-_-

Danny waved back to the woman who greeted him as he entered the little magic shop. Dick Grayson trailing behind him. Honestly, Danny could tell the man was suspicious, but it didn’t matter. No one actually bothered looking into him fully. They’d search him up and find what Tucker had put out there about him.

Danny Nightingale, psychic detective. It was reasonable, especially after the ghosts came to Danny begging them to find their killers. Or bury their bodies or something.

Yes, Bart Turner wasn’t confirmed dead, but Danny had a sneaking suspicion he was and the body was just hidden somewhere.

Best way to find the body was to ask the ghost.

And yeah, Danny knew he wasn’t actually old enough to be a cop. But being 16 and disowned from your family, one had to find a way. It wasn’t hard for Tucker to create a new life for himself. It seemed he already started on that path anyway.

Throwing together an ID and saying Danny was 4 years older than he really was. That was fine. Most details were kept the same, same birthday, same first name, different hometown, different parents. But Danny engraved the differences into his brain.

If he slipped up and someone found out that Danny Nightingale was Danny Fenton.

Well, that wouldn’t be pretty.

And Danny did not want to go back into the grave.

It was fine.

As long as he did his job well no one would suspect him or care that he was a minor.

Plus calling himself physic was cool. Best way to explain his knowledge of the unknowable.

“So what exactly are we looking for?” Mr. Grayon asked, side-eying Danny as he picked up a weird bottle of liquid.

“I wouldn’t pick that up.” Danny turned to look at him. “Unless you want warts to appear all over your hand.” Danny’s grin returned as he watch Mr. Grayson pale once again and hastily set down the bottle, wiping his hand off on his pants. “We’re looking for salt, I ran out of it at home.”

“Why do we need salt?” Dick asked, watching Danny sort through a shelf of different salts.

“I wanted to make cookies, but the recipe called for salt.”

Mr. Grayson blinked at that. “Uh, it’s not to ward off evil spirits or something?”

Danny laughed shaking his head. “No, summoning spirits isn’t as hard as the movies make it out to be, and salt yeah it can burn them but ghosts come back anyway, especially if you get on their nerve.”

A glass bottle behind Danny tumbled off of the shelf, shattering on the floor. Danny’s eyes narrowed and he glared at the shelf. “Tabitha, stop it.” His attention turned back to Grayson. “As you can most likely already tell, spirits can somewhat interact with the real world, if they focus hard enough or it's centered around one of their key traits.”

There’s no way Danny was going to reveal about obsessions. That was for him and the other ghosts to know. Not some random detective he happened to be paired with.

“Tabitha is a cat. So she loves to knock things off of shelves. Poor thing got hit by a car. I happened to watch it happen so now she just follows me around. Trips me a lot too, cats love to get under people's feet.”

“You actually expect me to believe this?” Mr. Grayson asked shocked.

“Of course not Mr. Grayson,” Danny said picking out a bag of salt. “But I do appreciate you actually listening instead of brushing me off as crazy.”

Mr. Grayson seemed to bristle at what Danny said. “Dick.”

Danny froze before turning to face the man. “I’m sorry, what?”

“That’s my name.”

Danny slowly nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ll stick to Mr. Grayson.”

Mr. Grayson wrinkled his nose. “But it makes me feel old.”

Danny laughed but ignored the man instead of heading to the woman at the counter. “Hey, Cathy.”

“Danny.” The older woman greeted ringing up the salt. “Have the nightmares still been bothering you?” She asked her face softened as she looked at Danny.

Mr. Grayson stopped next to Danny, he could feel his eyes on him.

“Nah, I just don’t like sleeping.”

Cathy clearly didn’t believe his lie, as she set down a bottle next to the salt. “Take this before you go to sleep, should help.”

Danny’s face softened as he looked down. He didn’t know what he would do without Cathy. She was the sweetest woman he has ever met. Clearly caring deeply about Danny. “Thanks, Cathy,” Danny said before going to hand her his cash.

A shock went through him as Mr. Grayson pushed his hand down and handed Cathy his card instead. “You don’t-”

Mr. Grayson waved him off. “I got it.”

When they stepped out of the shop, Mr. Grayson turned on him. “What did she mean about nightmares.”

Danny tried to push past him but Grayson was surprisingly strong, pulling Danny back. “Danny.”

“Mr. Grayson, it’s nothing.”

Mr. Grayson’s hand went up to his hair, he was agitated.

Danny never knew what to do when people were agitated. Thankful Dick seemed to recover quickly. “Please, call me Dick.” Danny shook his head at the beg.

He couldn’t go on first-name basis. That meant he would get attached.

Danny couldn’t risk getting attached, after this case he would disappear again. He always did, letting himself fade into the background until a new spirit needed help. Becoming attached made it more likely for someone to figure out who he was.

Becoming attached made him more likely to slip up.

Becoming attached would result in pain in the end.

“Danny, please. I can’t help unless you tell me what’s going on.” Mr. Grayson pleaded, his soft blue eyes trying to pick out something within Danny’s face.

“Mr. Grayson, that is none of your concern.” Danny pushed past Mr. Grayson and walked towards the car.

Now summoning a spirit was nothing major. At all. Hell, Danny was going to do it in the car.

Mr. Grayson kept on driving as Danny sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed as he focused. He willing his mind to reach out.

Come on Bart Turner.

Come on.

Danny was startled as he felt a cold hand around his neck. His eyes shot open and his body slammed forward.

Mr. Grayson yelped, jolting into the other lane before straightening.

“Danny are you okay?”

Danny nodded, rubbing his head where it hit the dashboard. “Yeah, Mr. Turner was a little startling.”

“But you got him?”

“Yeah, he’s in the back seat.”

Danny wanted to laugh as Mr. Grayson glanced behind him, trying to see the spirit to no avail.

Danny glanced back toward the ghost before starting his questions.

-_-

Dick hated the fact that they ended up at this creepy building in the middle of nowhere.

It was an abandoned building, literally in the middle of nowhere. There were other buildings in sight, and the road they took to get here was dirt. If Dick didn’t know better he would say Danny was leading him to kill him.

But no.

Danny seemed nervous, almost more nervous than him as they stepped onto the porch, the old wood creaking under their weight. A small breeze pushed past them as Dick moved forward to open the door.

The hinges screamed in protest as it opened. The inside of the house was seemingly worse than the outside. The furniture turned over, and some of the wood splintered. The walls were dirtied and the wallpaper was torn in some places.

The family photos seemed to make it worse, their eyes seemingly following their every step. Glass crunching underfoot.

“Are you sure-”

Danny nodded. “This is where his body is.”

Dick sighed before continuing onwards, fighting off the urge to sneeze from the dust stirring underfoot.

Danny wasn’t so lucky, sneezing the instant the dust hit.

After a few more sneezes Danny stopped with a groan. “I hate dust.”

Dick smirked before heading up the stairs. It was the direction the ghost had pointed them. Danny had said it was up the stairs and the first bedroom on the right.

If you couldn’t trust a ghost to know where his body was, who could you trust?

The creaking of the stairs made Dick’s heart stop every time. He had to fight off the urge to wait and make sure it wasn’t going to crumble apart under his feet, sending him back down.

Once they made it to the top it wasn’t hard to find the room.

A thin layer of dust coated everything in the bedroom. The lamps, the bed, the floor, the desks. Their footprints were seemingly the only thing that disturbed the dust.

Danny’s eyes narrowed. “Someone's been here.”

Dick nodded, his eyes scanning the floor. If you focused you could see where the dust was fresher, a thinner layer than the rest. Someone had moved through here. If Dick was to guess, they were dragging something with them.

Dick did what he did best, followed the trail. It led to a wardrobe.

Dick’s heart clenched as he reached forward to open it.

Expecting the body to fall out.

Instead, the wardrobe was empty.

“Check behind it,” Danny spoke, he was standing to the side of the wardrobe eying the crack. “Looks like there's an opening.”

Dick moved to Danny’s side and they pushed.

The smell was instant.

Dick fought off a gag, staring at Danny who was turning green.

“That’s disgusting,” Danny spoke first, eying the corpse. Decay is already evident on it.

“Well, now we know what happened to Bart Turner.”

“Yeah, but not who killed him.” Danny sighed slipping on a pair of gloves he moved forward, grabbing the body and pulling it out of the little nook. “Call in, we’ll need transport for the body.”

“What are you-”

Danny cut him off, again. It was getting annoying on how well the boy seemed to know what he was going to say. “I’m going to check the nook for clues.”

After finding the body catching the culprit wasn’t hard.

The murderer had worked hard on hiding the body, but not the fingerprints they left.

The locket also helped, Danny, found it inside the nook next to where the body had laid. Inside was a picture of a family. A mother, a daughter, and the father, whose head happened to be scratched off.

Danny deduced that the locket belonged to Bart Turner’s wife.

It was later confirmed when the prints on the locket and the husband matched his wife Hillary Turner.

The woman hadn’t resisted arrest. Instead clarifying the murder and declaring the man deserved it. Why he did, she never clarified.

Dick walked up to Danny as the PD celebrated. “You did well.”

Danny nodded, his cup next to him was left untouched. “Yeah…” He sounded unsure, Dick glanced around before looking at Danny.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I will be.” Danny gave Dick a small smile.

Dick wanted to press for more information but someone called his name. Pulling his attention from Danny.

When he looked back

The boy was gone.

[mutable-manifestation]

Part 3 of The Gotham Puddle Boy: Danny Fenton

(Ages bc I didn't clarify before: Jazz 18, Danny 16, Tim 17, Duke 15, Jason 20, Damian 12, Bruce 40, Alfred 70, Dick 25, Cassandra 20 - Idk anything about the Batman timeline or Cass so I'm winging it [ha, winging. Bats])

Duke POV

Duke shared a look with Tim as Jason - Jason - took over the conversation with Tim’s guest, wrangling prank details out of him and talking up Alfred’s cooking as he led the way to the dining area.

Danny lightly elbowed Jason as he suggested he take part in the prank, causing both Tim and himself to stiffen, but Jason only laughed despite the contact.

"Sure kid," and he snorted and ruffled his hair at the indignant 'I'm 16!' "Bruce could do with a little pranking. Tim already fill you in on the basics?"

"Yeah, I got an hour crash course basic family facts and which utensils to use when - which, yikes." The part of his face that Duke could see scrunched up in displeasure.

"You're playing the part of 'another adopted son that's already been here a while and how could he forget you.' You want my advice? Don't bother with utensil orders. Just eat however - the more comfortable you are the more convincing you are, at any rate. It's social engineering 101. Damian's the only one who really cares, anyway."

Danny took a moment to glance back at Tim, who shrugged. Danny shrugged as well.

"Sounds like a plan, J-man." At that, both of them grimaced.

"Just. Call me Jason - it's an inside joke. Bruce'll have a fit."

"Jason, got it."

At that point they arrived in the dining room, Damian and Cass already present.

"Danny, I presume?" Damian asked, zeroing in on the guy before he could even cross the threshold.

"That's me! Here to assist with all your parental pranking needs," he gave an exaggerated bow. "Nice to meet you - Damian and Cassandra, right?"

Cassandra gave a small wave in reply. Damian declined to answer, turning to Tim and raising a brow meaningfully before his eyes flicked behind them.

"Yep!" a bright voice chirped, causing the four of them to yelp and whip around. "I'm Dick - but we might want to save the chatting for after the prank since Bruce is finally on the way up."

Tim scrambled to sit next to Cass, shoving Danny into the seat next to him even as Dick chuckled and walked to his own seat next to Damian.

Duke settled down next to Dick, all of them trying not to stare as Jason sat directly next to Danny and started up a conversation, asking about the convention he'd mentioned earlier.

Dick openly stared before glancing at himself and Tim. They both shrugged.

Everyone cut off as the dining room door opened once more, Bruce finally arriving.

"Alright-" he cut off, staring straight at Danny - Alfred must have followed Tim's request to stay quiet after he'd texted Bruce that his friend had left an hour ago. He hastily plastered on a pleasant smile, asking, "And who is this?"

Danny immediately made a noise like he'd been shot, bursting into tears and curling into himself to bury his face in his hands.

Tim and Jason move as one, each rubbing a shoulder soothinly as the latter glared death at Bruce, who stiffened in place, visibly stuggling to maintain a neutral expression.

"You forgot Danny again?" Tim questioned incredulously.

"Of course he would, that unreliable leech is the most pathetic of the lot of you," Damian sneered at the sobbing boy.

"Damian." Dick reprimanded. Duke decided to focus on sinking into his chair, glancing breifly at Cass, who seemed content enough to simply observe the chaos.

"Well it's true."

"You-"

Dick's reply was cut off as Danny croaked out "It's o-okay. H-he's right anyway." Duke could almost admire how real he'd made it seem, progressing carefully from bursting into tears to slowly getting them under control.

"It is not," Jason spat. "It isn't your fault Bruce can't be bothered to pull his head of his work long enough to remember his family."

"IT IS!" Danny positively shrieked, jolting up out of his chair and knocking the hands from his shoulders to look Jason in the eye, tears visibly streaming down his face. "I-I'm not athletic and my grades are garbage no m-matter how much I try to fix them and I-I can't do anything right-!" His voice cracked on the word as he cut himself off, clenching his fists.

"I- excuse me," he said quietly, tossing the napkins he'd put in his lap onto his plate before weaving around the stunned Bruce and out the door. Alfred must have been nearby with the food as they could faintly hear him call out "Master Danny," at which Bruce's eyes widened a fraction as the other sat in silence a moment, stunned by the performance.

"I'm going after him," Tim and Jason spoke in unison, standing from their places.

"And what are you gonna say to him, Replacement," Jason sneers, "'Sorry Bruce doesn't care about you?' At least I know what it's like to be a throwaway Wayne," he stares dead at Bruce at the last bit, shouldering his way past the man as Tim sits frozen in place.

"Jason-" Bruce turns, cut off by the dining room door slamming shut in his face.

~

Bruce POV

Bruce had pulled all-nighters before - too often, according to Alfred. He was familiar with the effects, and hallucinations weren't meant to begin until hour 72; Bruce was barely on hour 30.

Despite that, Bruce had entered his dining room only to be faced with what was most definitely the boy he had seen vanish into a puddle the night before.

He was young, somewhere in the 15-to-20's range, though likely on the younger end. Bruce was relieved to see that he was okay, but suspicious. The water had tested normal every time, and while people did tend to respect his no metas rule this was likely a teenager - with the greater tendency to disregard authority that entailed.

Tim had said his friend had left already, and he was generally truthful. Still, with the sudden appearance of the boy the night after he'd seen him disappear into a puddle - and keeping in mind that it was well within Duke's abilities to manipulate light and make him appear to vanish - it was entirely possible they were playing a prank on him.

Still, better not to make assumptions. So he started simple: by attempting to prompt an introduction.

Instead of an introduction his question had been met with a deluge of tears and accusations that even Jason was taking part in. The boy's speech before disappearing was worrying - even if the context was wrong there was a hint of truth in every lie, and the lack of self-worth evident in his words….

But it was Jason's parting shot that hit him like a knife to the heart. As if he had ever wanted to lose his son - as if he ever wanted to lose any of them.

It was only Alfred opening the door not three seconds after Jason closed it that prevented him from spiraling further. Alfred might keep quiet and allow the kids to prank him, but he would never answer dishonestly, which meant he could make sure this wasn't some sort of mind control/memory alteration event.

"Alfred, have I ever adopted a boy named 'Danny?'"

"Not yet, Master Bruce."

"…Yet?"

Alfred merely glanced around the room at his children - black hair and blue eyes for all but Duke's black-and-brown - before pointedly raising a brow.

Bruce scowled before looking back at his children, noting the grimaces and hunched shoulders - "Who was that, really?"

"Danny," Tim spoke up, "The guest I mentioned earlier? He didn't really go home, I just texted everyone about him so we could prank you." He paused, winced. "I…didn't think about how the prank might hit a sore spot for Jason." He concluded grimly. At that, everyone grimaced.

Bruce took a breath before trudging on. "And the puddle incident last night, was that a prank as well?"

Dick, Duke, Tim, and Cass shared a look while Damian merely raised a brow. "No? Why would that be related?" Dick finally questioned.

"Because 'Danny' is the person I saw disappear into the puddle."

"Another meta?" Duke asked, perking up.

"Why come to Gotham, then?" Damian tagged on, face twisting in dissapproval.

"Because his parents dragged him here for an engineering convention," Tim filled in. "The one Jason was asking about earlier. If they don't know he's a meta he might not have been able to come up with an excuse to be allowed to stay home."

"Full name?" Bruce demanded.

"Danny Fenton," Tim answered, not missing a beat. "But seriously, Bruce. He's sixteen and he's only in town for a week because of his parents - and it's already been like three days. He's not doing anything - we literally spent four hours playing Damned-"

"Tim." Bruce cut him off, not looking away from his phone as he opened up a background check. "I'm not going to chase a random teenager out of Gotham - but if there's an outside meta in the city it doesn't hurt to know what to expect."

"Uh," Duke spoke up, "Not to put a damper on things but. Jason's been acting…weird."

"Weird how?"

"Not in a bad way!" Tim defended, "He's just been calm. Which is a nice change of pace! Maybe Danny has some kind of calming aura?"

"For Jason specifically?" Dick asked, raising a brow.

"But he wasn't calm," Duke says softly.

"Because he was confronted with a stranger in the house-"

"No," Duke cut off Tim's response, "He froze before either of you came into sight, before we could even hear your voices. I watched him stare at the stairway for a solid ten seconds before you ever came into view. And you saw how he wouldn't even talk until he suddenly just… switched to friendly-mode. A mode I didn't know he had, by the way. Isn't it odd that Jason is the only one affected less than 24 hours after Bruce sees the person likely causing the affect disappear into what he thought was Lazarus water?"

"You think he's related to the League of Assassins somehow?" Bruce narrowed his eyes, humming as he looked at the screen.

"We've been playing video games alone for four hours, Danny's been nothing but nice. And I'm the one who invited him here - he didn't ask about it, he was just leaving when I offered to hang out. And he had four hours to stab me if he wanted to and didn't." Tim shot back.

"Still, it won't hurt to run a quick background check while he and Jason cool down - every lie has a grain of truth," He frowned sadly, thinking back on Jason's words, "And unless that was scripted they probably both need a minute."

The room winced, frozen quietly in place as Alfred passed out the food and Bruce typed away.

`

Danny POV

Danny scrubbed his eyes as he retreated to 'his' room - a guest room he and Tim had spent some of their prep time making look lived in earlier. It was the designated retreat room for after he completed his tearful speech - Tim would follow soon enough to tell him if Bruce was actually falling for it or if he should drop the joke and come say hi.

He tried to tell himself that it was only for dramatic effect when he slammed the door behind him. He slid down the adjacent wall to hug his knees to his chest, doing his best to ignore the pang in his chest in favor of thinking about the look on Bruce Wayne's face when he'd fled the room.

He heard a few doors open and close before 'his' door opened, and he looked up to find Jason looking down at him instead of Tim - expression just as heavy as Danny's.

"Hey," he said, taking a glance around. "Nice digs."

Danny snorted. "Thanks. What happened, I thought Tim was going to come get me?"

Jason closed the door behind him, sliding down to sit crisscross on the floor against it in an echo of Danny not ten seconds earlier. "Prank's probably canceled. I said something that… hit a little too close to home." He grimaced.

"Yeah." Danny muttered, looking away from him to stare blankly at the window a moment.

His brows drew down as he mulled that over, pushing away his own feelings for the moment. Tim had mentioned the rooms were soundproof, so with it just being him and Jason, now was the best time to ask.

He turned to rest his head on his knees, looking at Jason as he asked, "Do they know?"

"Know?" Jason echoed, turning to look him in the eyes.

"You know," Danny said, flashing green eyes.

Jason jolts out of his seated position, putting another ten feet between them even as he sees his own eyes flash green from a mirror in the corner of his vision.

The feeling of calm and safety hasn't disappated but he won't let that stop him from reacting.

"You're from the League?" he questions, even though it sounds wrong the moment he so much as thinks it.

"What?" Danny asks, baffled. "I don't think the Justice League accepts scrawny teenagers."

"What? No! The League of Assassins!"

"…isn't that one of the optional add-on groups for Dragons and Dragons?"

"What? NO!" Jason runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Okay, what is anyone supposed to 'know' here? Something about Lazarus water?"

"Lazarus water? Is that like, some kind of alternative holy water?" Danny's face scrunches up before he shakes his head. "Whatever, not the point. I mean 'Do they know you're liminal?'"

"Liminal." Jason echoes again, face blank before his eyes narrow. "Does that have something to do with why I felt like I was about to be murdered before you introduced yourself?"

Danny freezes, face cycling through embarrassment, confusion, and realization before settling on dawning horror as he paled. "YOU don't know? You don't know? Ancients. Okay. Alright, okay, quick question - a few questions. They are very important and you need to answer honestly."

Jason narrows his eyes at the demand, "What?"

"Okay, starter: your eyes just flashed green-" Jason stiffened, blinking "-were you aware that happens?"

"Maybe my eyes just look green in different lighting," he deflects, "why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to help you," Danny says grimly. "Because if you're liminal and you don't know then you're in danger. And you are liminal - I couldn't sense you until I saw you because your signature is so small but it's obvious to anyone with the ability or the technology for it. And I'm sure you could sense me even before that. You thought I was 'going to murder you' because your liminal instincts told you that I could have-" Jason tensed. "-and you relaxed because I satisfied that liminal part of you's fear by making it clear that I wouldn't - that I won't. That I was - am friendly."

"Great. If you don't want to murder me then why does being 'liminal' put me in danger."

"Because it doesn't matter how small your ecto-signature is, the fact that you have one at all classifies you as an ecto-entity-"

"'Ecto?'" Jason cuts him off, raising a brow.

"As in ectoplasm; the thing ghosts are made of."

Jason flinches as if slapped. "Ghosts aren't real. I'm not a ghost. I'm alive."

Danny's face softens, and Jason hates it. "You aren't a ghost. But something happened - whether it was… an injury… of some kind, or a contamination by exposure."

Memories of his death play behind Jason's eyes, along with memories of his revival, hazy agony-fear-confusion weaving through each like a nightmarish mockery of a carousel.

"You have an ecto-signature, which means you're maintaining your own ectoplasm levels by producing it. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, your ecto-signature means that the Anti-Ecto Acts apply to you. Which is why I need you to tell me if you've noticed any suspicious guys in white suits and sunglasses around recently - or if you've tried to donate any blood since… whatever caused this, if you know?"

"Anti-Ecto Acts?" Jason asks, mind still reeling.

"I'll be happy to explain, but the other two things are way more urgent if we want to avoid being vivisected-"

"IF WE WHAT!?" Jason shouts, grabbing at the weapons in his pockets to calm himself.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just so used to that kind of threat I didn't think about how it might be…concerning to hear. Look, I won't let anyone vivisect you. The GIW are incompetent idiots anyway. But if you get on their radar and they know your identity it'll be a problem - assuming you want to keep your current life and identity instead of changing your name and moving to Mexico or something. So: white suits, blood donations? Any yeses?"

"I-no."

"Great! Then let's walk through the Anti-Ecto Acts, starting with your new classification in the eyes of the government as a non-sentient being incapable of experiencing thoughts or feelings - or pain!"

-----

Anyway my tags got put in a different order on two other posts so sorry if they look wonky :\

[imtooscaredforthis]

Fixation

Chapter 17: Evening Delight

Mentions of: Murder, Drinking, Dark Secrets, NSFW Content, Oral Sex, etc.

Tags: @froegis @autisticpickle @darthwhorecrux @dead-bxtch-walking @moonshineinasippycup

Danny watched in intrigue as you beat down those two drunkards, spraying them with pepper spray and rushing out of the alley. It seemed like he finally did it. He finally managed to push you further and further and got you to snap. And he couldn’t be more pleased.

Of course, he had to hide that by playing Jed, mocking concern and worry, while all he wanted to do was grin with glee. He wondered if he could get you to kill someone. That would be quite the entertainment.

And you were angry, so very angry, he doubted he would have to do anything to get you to do so. You could’ve murdered those guys easily. He could see it in you. But for now, he knew he couldn’t do anything. Not yet, anyways.

He simply walked back with you to your home, listening as you explained your situation, and what had happened. What he stumbled upon. “I’m just glad you’re okay. And I’m glad I could help.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just tired. Tired of being the victim and constantly being afraid. Tired of letting people walk all over me and I, I guess I just wanted to fight back. I know I could’ve handled it differently, but-”

“I think your actions were completely rightful. You wanted to defend yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Jed replied, walking with you to your front doorstep.

“Thanks.” You smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. You both stood there for a moment, not saying anything. Not sure what to do or say.

Jed was the first to move, stepping back, and turning to leave. “Well, I guess I better go-”

“Wait, could you stay for the night? I could really use some company.” You stopped him.

A small smile crossed his lips, and he nodded. “Sure.”

As soon as you’re inside, you make a beeline straight to the cabinet, grabbing a bottle of wine and pouring yourself a glass. You needed another drink in you after all that happened.

Jed sat down on the couch, watching your actions with slight concern. This couldn’t be good.

You walk over to the living room, wine glasses and bottles in hand, sitting down beside him on the couch. “Want some?”

“Okay.” Jed shrugged, supposing some wine in his system couldn’t hurt. You poured him a smaller dose in his glass, placing the bottle on the coffee table, using some old Ghostface essays as a placemat. Danny inwardly frowned at the action.

You began to down the glasses quickly, drinking and drinking. One became two, two became three, three became four, and your vision started to blur, your head beginning to spin.

“Why don’t you take a break from that?” Jed finally had to say as you tilt the bottle to pour it, almost completely missing the glass and dropping it.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” You slur your words, leaning back on the couch and letting out a long sigh. “Jed, what’s your deepest darkest secret?”

The question makes him go quiet, a look of surprise on his face. The question came out of nowhere, to be fair. “Uh, I-“

“Here, I’ll go first. There’s another reason why I moved to Roseville, and it wasn’t just because of Ghostface, or how protective my parents could be, it’s because of something else. My father was the sheriff of our county, so I was always interested in the work, but he never let me get involved and forced me to work on the ranch where we lived. When I got older, he let me start going to the department, and one day, when I was eighteen, I met this guy convicted of murder, and I guess I was interested in him and we talked and- I- I accidentally left the cell door open and he got out, and- he killed my sister.”

Jed was silent, and you sighed. “Oh god, you probably think I’m a horrible person don’t you?”

“No, no. I don’t think it was your fault. I’m sure you feel very guilty and it’s been a burden for a long time. I know how you feel since I have to write about Ghostface. It’s not like I enjoy it, but it pays the bills. You wanted to hear my secret? Well, here it is. Ghostface sends me pictures of his kills and gets me to put them in the paper. It’s so fucked up, and I’ve lost so much sleep and had so many nightmares because of it.”

You rested your hand over Jed’s gently, comforting him. “Thank you for sharing this with me. I really appreciate it.”

He gave you a lopsided smile, shaking his head. You leaned over, pressing a kiss to his lips. He was shocked at first, but then kissed you back, soft and passionately.

After a few moments, you pulled away, panting softly. You lowered yourself down, moving to undo Jed’s belt buckle, before being stopped. “W-wait! Are you sure we should- I mean you’re drunk, I don’t think it would be good if we-”

“I’m fine. I want this. I know I do. Do you?” You asked.

“Yes.” He was quick to answer, grabbing your wrists and pinning you underneath him on the couch, surprising both you and him. His glasses fell to the side, and he just tossed them on the table without a care.

He kept you laying there, moving to the edge of the couch, pulling down your skirt. “You’ve been so stressed and went through a lot today, let me take care of you.”

Slipping off your panties, he eyed your soaked slit, biting his lip. “So wet. I bet you taste good too.”

His filthy words made you clench onto nothing, and before you could even process what was happening, you felt him lick up your core. You arched your back, head falling against the pillow. “Oh-”

He continued eating you out, drinking up your juices like a starved man, rubbing two fingers over your clit. You did your best to keep your thighs from clamping down on his head, but it was no use, and he had to use his free hand to force them open.

“I was right. You’re so fucking sweet.” He got out between sucks, his voice vibrating nicely against your cunt.

“Fuck, Jed! Right there!” You moaned, bucking your hips into his mouth, as you felt yourself grow closer.

He moved his fingers even faster, in hard circles around your clit, making you cry out a long string of curses and praise, grabbing at his hair, tugging the dyed locks. It had been far too long since someone had touched you like this, and you forgot how deprived you had grown.

“Shit, I’m going to- fucckkk” You moaned out, feeling your eyes roll to the back of your head as you reached your peak.

Jed sat up, wiping your juices off of his chin, panting slightly. You smiled down at him, moving over him as he sat up on the couch. You straddled him, kissing him and tasting a bit of yourself on his tongue. “I think it’s time I take care of you now.”

You kept eye contact with him, discarding his belt and unzipping his fly. Jed put on a condom, while you got ready. You lined yourself up with his member, slowly moving down on it, hiding your head in the crook of his neck.

“Oh god.” You moaned at how he stretched you out, how you felt a pleasant burn against the walls. Once the ache was less unbearable, you began moving.

Jed groaned, leaning his head back, and holding your hips, moving you slightly along. “Fuck, so tight.”

You pressed kisses from the stubble on his chin, down his neck, sucking and leaving small hickeys. Nothing too noticeable, before moving back and picking up the pace.

“Feels so good.” He mumbled, returning the favor and kissing your neck as well, going lower to your collar bones.

“Yeah, it feels- Ah- amazing for me too.” You managed to get out, bouncing on him a little more, feeling him start to throb.

You were growing close as well, squeezing him tightly, kissing him again. Jed bucked his hips up into yours, hitting right against your cervix, making you scream and dig your nails into his forearms. And after a few more thrusts, you both reached your peaks, finishing together.

You laid beside Jed, sighing softly, both of you calming down from your highs. “That was amazing.”

“It was good for me too.” He said, pressing a kiss to your neck. You eventually fell asleep on the couch, resting in his arms.

[goliath-de-senfina-sango]

Hope

Ectoberhaunt 2022, Order, Day 17, ao3

“You know, if you stop worrying so much, you’ll relax enough for things to go just right. I hear that helps a lot of people through their performances, confidence.”

Danny looked away from the mirror where he was trying once more to tame his hair beyond cutting it. The undercut was nice and all but getting his bangs to cooperate for once in his life would be a miracle and he was truly hoping for one.

“Jazz, I’m not just performing at some show or fighting ghosts or whatever. What if he says no? What if this ruins everything?”

Jazz sighed and batted his hands away, comb in one hand as she took over attacking his hair, and Danny did not pout, because he had grown well beyond pouting.

“Danny, tell me what exactly you think the worst possible scenario here is.”

“Tucker could say no, and things get so awkward that he breaks up with me to avoid the discomfort of rejecting a proposal and then he moves away to become a tech billionaire all on his own, or ghosts attack us during the date and he’s so fed up with the ghost shit that he leaves, or Duul Amon repossesses him and decides that i’m too much of a peasant to marry and turns me down on principle of nobility or all three of those things at once and also aliens might hit us with an ftl osmium rod or twelve to wipe out humanity.”

Jazz didn’t say anything for a moment after he stopped, making sure that his hair was, at minimum, braided into a nice ponytail while his bangs were even successfully combed back. Once gel that he didn’t remember buying was applied, Jazz nodded once at her work before turning Danny around to face him. Her hands were pressed together and her expression was somewhere between ‘crazy runs in the family’ and ‘concerned amusement’.

Danny didn’t see what was so funny, they told the aliens where to find them and ending terrestrial life was far easier than movies made it seem.

“Danny, I love you so very much, which is why I’m going to be very honest with you. That’s all ridiculous and kind of rude to Tucker. Tucker has had a handle on Duul Amon for a while; aliens are unlikely to attack us; Valerie, Sam, and several allies of yours have collectively agreed to keep ghosts from being a problem - including The Fright Knight; you are the high king of all ghosts; and Tucker Foley has been your best friend since you were babies, gone through all this ghost shit since you were both 14 and has had you with him through his werewolf and pharoah nonsense basically the same amount of time, and you’ve been dating since you were in junior year of highschool. Tucker isn’t going to say no in the first place, and even if he did it would be because he’s not ready yet. You two are so ridiculously in love, Danny, let that love reassure you, not give you anxiety.”

Danny took a couple of deep breaths while Jazz spoke, breathing out the stress and breathing in Jazz’s inspirationally calm vibe. The stress looked a sickly blellow and he was glad to embrace lavaroon serenity, eyes flashing green for a moment.

“Thanks, Jazz. You know how to give a guy hope. Ok, yeah, tonight’s gonna go great! I’m gonna ask Tucker to marry me and he’s gonna say yes! Yeah, ok, let’s do this!”

Danny stood and hugged Jazz before spinning around and grabbing his bouquet on his way out of the house.

[redrobin-detective]

because I could not stop for death

because I could not stop for death / he kindly stopped for me / the carriage held but just ourselves / and immortality ~ Emily Dickinson

Danny Fenton was dying, properly this time.

Somehow, in the back of his head and in his worst nightmares, he knew it would end this way: bleeding on the floor of his parents’ lab where it had all began. He was so hot he felt like his skin was on fire, blood and ectoplasm were dripping all over him and his lungs and heart were working overtime to try in vain to keep him alive a moment longer. He’d imagined at the time that there would be more screaming but death, in the end, was turning out to be a quiet little affair. A lonely table set for one.

“Danny, Danny come on, you-you gotta slow down your breathing, just relax, for me, please,” Sam moaned, more than making up for his lack of noise. She was shaking and touching him all over, his chest, his face, his hair. Normally she jumped right into action but she had to know, deep down, that there was nothing she could do. All that was left was to watch her panic and cry, it wasn’t his favorite image. 

“Vlad!” He heard Tucker scream cry into the phone, “please it’s Tucker, Danny’s dying I think. The Fentons had some new invention, something about his core, please we don’t know what to do!” 

Ugh Vlad, he was probably going to be so happy Danny was on his way out. He wasn’t looking much forward to his last images being his archenemy gloating. Tucker hung up and reached down to grasp Danny’s hand so hard it hurt. “Don’t worry dude, Vlad’s coming. He knows so much about you half ghosts that you’ll be fixed up on no time.” Right, Danny was already dead. If calling Vlad, feeling like he did something, helped Tucker move on then he’d deal with it.

Danny tilted his head to the side where Sam’s fingernails were carding through his hair. It was getting harder to see with the blood pouring out of his eyes but he looked at her, and tried to memorize her face. He’d never been able to tell her how much he loved her, that any day spent with her was a blessing. Tucker too, his best bro and a part of his soul. His best friends in the whole wide world, through thick and thin. God, he was going to miss them.

“Glurk,” he said, trying to convey those feeling but the fluids in his mouth and airway made it impossible. “Blerh.”

“Shh shh shh,” Sam soothed, “it’s okay, don’t try to talk.”

“Daniel!” He heard Vlad’s voice shriek as he materialized in front of the portal. Sam and Tucker were violently pushed out the way. Danny wanted to be angry at his loved ones being taken away in his final moments but anger was for the living, he barely had the energy to breathe. This death was too long and too short all at once. He made eye contact with Vlad who all at once lost the frantic edge to his tone and and instead knelt on the floor. “Oh my dear boy. What did they do to you?”

“What is going on?” Sam demanded, shoving her way back in. Danny was glad, he could see again like this. “Why aren’t you doing something!”

“There’s nothing to be done,” Vlad said in a flat, monotone, he picked up one of Danny’s hands and patted it gently. “His core is dying, it’s like a ghost’s heart. It contains their very essence, it is from which everything they are comes from. If Jack and Maddie somehow disrupted it then there’s nothing anyone can do to save him.”

“But he’s human too,” Tucker defended, grabbing Danny’s other hand. His human warm skin burned but the contact felt so good, he twitched his fingers closer to his friend’s. “He-he doesn’t need a core, he’s already got a heart. So, so he doesn’t have powers, we can do normal again.”

“You-” Vlad hissed before taking a calming breath. “The accident that made Daniel like this irreparably altered him. His core was as much a part of keeping him alive as his other organs, without it, his body is shutting down.” Vlad turned down to look Danny in the eye and saw true, genuine grief in those hateful red eyes. 

“I cannot imagine the agony you are going through, I’m so sorry. I’d say it will be over soon but,” a hitch that sounded almost like a sob if it was coming from anyone other than Vlad. “But you’ve hovered on the edge of death for years, son, and you’ve always been such a fighter. You have minutes at most but those minutes are an eternity when you’re suffering.”

Sam and Tucker’s sobbing blended together in the background, Vlad was saying something with a miserable, stunned expression. The swirling of the portal in the background seemed louder than anything, louder than his heart beat pounding and pounding as it ran it’s last race. 

“Daniel, Danny,” he focused his eyes back on Vlad who had a stubborn, unhappy set to his brow. “Do you want me to make the pain stop? An ectoblast to your chest will end your life instantly.”

“Don’t you dare touch him,” Sam shrieked, coming back into view and looking like she was trying to fight Vlad off. “You do anything to him and I’ll kill you!” Tucker just sat and stared at him, like he too was trying memorize Danny’s face.

“It’s a mercy, Samantha or do you want his last moments on earth to be drowning on the blood in his lungs.”

“Sam, he has a point. I don’t- I don’t think we can fix this.”

“No! No we always fix things, I’ll do it myself if I have to!”

Danny’s vision was starting to go, more black than anything else. He closed his eyes and readied himself for the inevitable. 

“Time Out,” Danny opened his eyes and found he was no longer in pain. He was standing up and apart from where he’d previously been lying. Sam had her hands in Vlad’s face and the older hybrid was snarling something at her. Tucker was midmotion trying to stand up, presumably to get Sam but the three of them were frozen in the moment. Danny turned and found Clockwork floating, looking very out of place in his parents lab. “Good evening, Danny.”

“You that short on cash that you work part time as a grim reaper?” Danny quipped out of habit. He looked down at his body and grimaced a bit, that wasn’t a pretty sight. No doubt traumatizing for Tucker and Sam. God how were they going to explain this to his parents? “Gonna ferry me across the River Styx? I don’t have two pennies but I think I have a bloodied $10 on me.”

“You’re core is dying and you have 17 seconds left in this world before all your organs give out and finish the process you began when you turned on your parent’s ghost portal,” Clockwork explained as he changed into child form. 

“O-okay,” Danny said shakily, trying to be brave even when he was so, so scared. He was going out whether he wanted it or not but he refused to leave crying. “Nice of you to come say goodbye then but, uh but unless you have something to say then you should let me go back. No one knows better than me that you can’t outrun death. Thanks but I’m uh I’m ready.”

Clockwork stared at him for a bit, not sure how long, time was weird like this but he changed forms a few times. “You’re quite the remarkable young man, Danny Fenton.”

“Uh thanks,” Danny added, once more looking at his body which had, according to Clockwork, a 17 second expiration date. “What’s going to happen? Am I going to become a ghost? Does heaven or hell exist for someone like me?”

“I don’t get to decide what happens, I merely see options,” Clockwork stated easily, taking his time. “If you die naturally you’ll become ghost, a mere shadow of who you are now and one who would fade fairly quickly. You don’t have strong enough anger or regrets to tie you in the real world for long.” Not great but okay he supposed, hell for his friends and family though. “You could let Plasmius deliver his mercy kill, destroying what’s left of your ghost core and ensuring you do not come back.” Better, probably won’t help the Fruitloop’s instability but he can’t save everyone.

“That one comes with it’s own caveat but I’ll get to that in a moment,” Clockwork explained. “There is a third option where you get up off the floor and walk away.” Danny blinked then looked back at his body which certainly wasn’t walking anywhere but into a plush casket. Clockwork opened his hands and the Ghost King’s Crown materialized in his hands. “If you accept your claim to the King’s Cown, it will revitalize your core and your life would be saved.”

Danny blinked.

“By sealing Pariah Dark, you won by proxy and established a legitimate claim to the throne. The Zone has been without a king for millennia, most have forgotten the old rules. Those who remembered were not too keen on a half-ghost child assuming leadership and kept you in the dark. If Plasmius ends your life then your claim transfers over to him, which he is aware of. It had been his plan all along to trick you into defeating Pariah so he could steal the Crown from you at a later date, a much easier opponent.”

Danny’s mind was overloaded with information, he didn’t know what to focus on first. He stared at his 17 seconds from death face and tried to process it all. Crown? Claim? Vlad?

“Of course,” Clockwork tutted, “he didn’t plan on your dying and in such a gruesome fashion. If he kills you and takes your claim, he would spend his remaining years ruling the Ghost Zone in a just, controlled fashion for your memory. He destroys all the stable portals and keeps the ghost and human worlds separate.” Clockwork became and old man and titled his head, “it’s not a bad timeline, all things considered.”

“And if I take it?” Danny asked quietly.

“You’re compassionate, brave and motivated, you have all the makings of a revolutionary king,” Clockwork smiled. “The Zone would experience and unprecedented era of peace, there would be positive interactions between human and ghosts for the first time since life and death split into two. Your name would spoken with reverence for the rest of time.”

“But I don’t want to be king,” Danny frowned.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Clockwork stated. “Which is why I am giving you the choice. If you pass peacefully there will be no one to claim the Crown and life will continue on, ghost attacks and all. If Plasmius kills you, he becomes an effective but unmemorable king. If you take the Crown, you can get the chance to tell Sam and Tucker how much you love them.”

Danny rubbed at his face, he didn’t want to die but he’d be sealing away his entire future with a move like this. He didn’t even know if the Crown would let him go with death, maybe he’d die and be stuck as the Ghost King until his core finally gave out lord in who knows how long. Eternity was an awful long time to carry such a responsibility. He couldn’t bring himself to ask, too afraid of the answer.

“Is there ever a timeline I became an astronaut?” He asked instead. Clockwork hummed, seemingly unsurprised by Danny’s non-sequitur. 

“Yes, in one of the few universes where you never walked into the portal. You never go into space what with human politics putting a halt on the programs but you work for NASA. You leave Amity Park at 17 and don’t come back save for your parents’ dual funeral.” He paused and Danny felt read down to his very bones, “from the moment you became half ghost you were always heading for this moment. The circumstances varied but it always came down to you and the Crown. Time is straining to continue, to see how this drama plays out. Will you accept it and all the joy and grief that comes with it?”

Danny looked over at Vlad, still mid-sneer but there was a scared desperation in his face. He and Vlad sniped at each other all the time but Danny didn’t really hate him and he didn’t think Vlad did either. Leaving him alone, plus making him be king was a heavy burden to put on his enemy. 

Sam and Tuck probably wouldn’t recover from this, he’d put them through so much already but he just knew that they’d never be the same. Could he do that to them? Take the easy way out and leave them to suffer? Mom and Dad didn’t deserve to come home to a dead son, the truth would come out and they’d never forgive themselves. Jazz certainly wouldn’t, she was 2 states over at University but he could already hear her angry, grief-stricken screams. 

Death, death was quiet. It was quiet and merciful and sad, but it was also easy. And Danny Fenton had never once taken the easy route. He reached out and took and the crown before shakily placing it on his head. He gasped, throwing his head back as his core swelled, taking up residence once more right next to his heart. Clockwork smiled, looking like the cat who ate the canary. 

“The Crown of Fire, pardon me the Crown changes with each core, the Crown of Ice is now yours as is the Zone. Your reign begins now but so too does the rest of your life. People are waiting for you. Time in.” Danny slammed back into awareness on the floor of his parents’ lab, the floor he’d almost died on twice. 

He sat up as cold radiated off his body, causing frost to crawl down his arms and along the floor. Sam, Tucker and Vlad, who’d been frozen up until now, jumped back to life. There was a new, familiar weight on his head that he didn’t dare acknowledge. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and said a silent goodbye to a quiet, normal life. It wouldn’t be all bad, he could be happy like this but the Crown still felt like a iron manacle around his neck. But he got used to the ghost powers, he could get used to this too. Maybe one day he won’t look at the stars and say ‘what if?’

“Danny!” Sam shouted, throwing herself into his arms soon followed by Tucker. Their warm weight, their relieved sobs, their shaky breaths in his air, now this was something worth living for. He squeezed them tightly.

“But how dude, you were at death’s door!” Tucker asked, still not letting go.

“You accepted the Crown,” Vlad said evenly, “I wasn’t aware you even knew about your claim. Who told you?”

“You don’t know everything, Vlad,” Danny sighed, sitting himself upright. Ugh his shirt was covered in blood and ectoplasm. He needed to trash these clothes before his parents freaked. And find a way to hide the floating ice crown on his head. 

“Even an old man can be surprised every now and again,” Vlad said wearily. He stood up to his full height before startling Danny by dipping down to one knee. “Then allow me to be the first to welcome my new king and wish him well.”

“I thought you wanted this,” Danny questioned.

“I do, I did,” Vlad said, unusually off balance. “To be quite honest, I’m not sure how to feel about it but, right now, I’m just immeasurably happy you’re alive, little badger. Now I best be off, enjoy your kingdom, my liege, I’ll be sure to come bother you some time soon.” Vlad disappeared in a swirl of pink leaving just him, Sam and Tucker still clinging to him.

Danny may have a kingdom, a job he didn’t want and his whole life decided in a spur of the moment choice, but he also had something very important. He squeezed his friends tightly.

“I love you guys, thank you for being my friends even though I have the worst ideas for activities. Dying? On a Sunday night? How lame is that?” Sam laughed, a bit hysterical but it was real and it made Danny feel weightless. 

“Don’t do that again, buddy,” Tucker breathed into his shoulder. “So you gonna explain what just happened and why you’re apparently the Ghost King or something?”

“Yeah, yeah I will but let’s get changed first. Mom and Dad will be home soon and I think I’m going to need to have a conversation with them about my new job.”