#Vlad is in the beginning of redemption but it's still in the beginning

[puppetmaster13u]

Have a Ghost are Dragons Prompt

Danny hadn't seen Vlad's other form. Not in the entire time he'd known him, nor at any point during a fight.

Oh sure, he'd gone into a ghost form, but never anything else, never anything more. Even Box-Ghost changed sometimes, usually to sit contentedly in one of said boxes until a ghost hunter started to shoot at him. Usually Danny's parents.

He'd never seen it until now, his own leg torn through by an unlucky shot and wings too small to fly as he tried to run. Tried to flee from his parents- tried to get out from the lab while green spattered everywhere.

He'd never seen it until they were trying to cut into him, even if they didn't know it was him. That it was their son. He just needed to get to the Portal, just needed to get out where they couldn't reach.

And then Vlad had arrived, almost seeming to stutter and freeze, everything growing cold. And then burst into flame.

Everything was a blur after that. Everything hurt, more than it should have compared to the injuries he'd suffered before. Painful enough that his vision whited out.

The next thing he knew, he was in the Zone. Not in Amity, not anywhere familiar either. He tried to ignore that fact, just as he tried to ignore the ectoplasm green dripping from slowly (too slowly) healing wounds.

"Where are we going?" he found his voice, however small.

Vlad was quiet, an unreadable expression on his reptilian face, head turned away from him. "Somewhere," he eventually answered, not sounding anything else but exhausted. "I'll figure it out."

[catmaraudersfan]

Danny agreeing with the Batfam's contingency plans:

This takes place after A Glitch in Time. Danny has forgiven Dan but still worries about snapping.

*Justice League Watchtower*

The room was a shouting mess.

A lot of people were hurt and angry about learning about the contingency plans, others were hurt but understood where they were coming from but wished the Batfamily would have TOLD THEM.

Suddenly, Phantom shows up (the League finally caught wind of a teen hero fighting VARIOUS Rouges by himself with no help or mentor SINCE THE BEGINNING and took action. They find out WHY it took so long for them to learn about him and ended the Guys in White PERMANENTLY.) carrying a HEAVILY reinforced box.

Ignoring the confused looks, he hands the box to Batman, then flees to the opposite side of the room.

Batman wearily opened the box and saw a flower.

Deadman suddenly swears LOUDLY and flees to where Phantom is and Constantine whistles feeling impressed with Phantom.

"Looks like Phantom agrees with you, Bats," Constantine says. He then explained what the flower is and why Phantom and Deadman are keeping their distance from it.

Phantom is then bombarded by people protesting that this is a terrible idea and that Phantom would NEVER attack anyone, let alone them and that they trust him.

Phantom then bluntly says that he HAS though. Explaining Freakshow along with what he could do if he snapped. (His way of explaining about Dan without getting him in trouble or ruining his and Vlad's redemption and recovery.)

[lilianade-comics]

My Cheese Melt AU is an alternate series of events beginning in Kindred Spirits (in which Vlad never sends Dani to capture Danny, because he convinced himself that it would be a waste to get rid of a perfectly serviceable clone so quickly, leading directly into him getting so unreasonably attached to her that he forgets all about the original "perfect son" plan) which then turns into a Dani inclusive, family dynamic focused rewrite of season 3. (the fic series starts with spirits less than willing)

Dani is present for certain important canon episodes (currently Eye For An Eye, Urban Jungle, and Living Large are the ones I've fleshed out) but she also gets episodes about her. Such as her first day at school, her obligatory identity crisis episode in which she recruits Sam and Tucker to help find her some hobbies and interests that are sufficiently different from anything Danny or Vlad likes, and Aloha From the Other Side, the vacation episode where her dad breaks Hawaii by simply being Vlad. Overall, she's a sweet kid who hilariously has a better moral compass than Danny and Vlad combined, but she also has INCREDIBLE capacity to be worse than both of them, if the situation calls for it. Her arcs focus on self discovery/identity, the looming threat of destabilization, and her relationships with Vlad and Danny.

Danny's relationship with Dani is more complex in this AU, because he doesn't trust "Vlad's daughter" at all at first. It doesn't help that the first time he meets her is in Eye For An Eye, right after sending the GIW to destroy Vlad's (and Dani's!) house. And now, Vlad is obnoxiously hellbent on replacing him with "Ellie Phantom" as the protector of Amity Park! But after Dani proves she has a mind of her own and hasn't been completely brainwashed by Vlad, and doesn't necessarily approve of his villainy, Danny shifts from animosity more toward concern for her. He knows Vlad well enough to realize that he's inevitably going to break her heart, and Danny is going to be there to protect her when it happens. (But what Danny doesn't know is that Vlad already broke Dani's heart when she discovered the truth about his initial plans for her before they moved to Amity Park. He saved her life in a fit of petulant guilt immediately after to make up for it, which is why she's still with him.)

And then there's Vlad himself. It would be helpful to think of his arc here as less of a redemption arc, and more of a domestication arc. Vlad is still a supervillain and Danny's arch enemy, but because of his parental attachment to Danielle his antagonist status is just as likely to be seen in him hauling Danny back to FentonWorks by the ankles because it's past his bedtime as it is in his latest cringefail brilliant scheme. In general, he finds himself in increasingly mundane situations by virtue of being involved in Dani's life, which generally results in comedy because Vlad is anything but equipped to handle parenthood (or mundane situations) normally. He's also allowed to have a rare reflective moment now and again and generally be a little more layered than just a villain. There's also increased opportunity for temporary allyships, because Vlad and Danny agree on Only One Thing: Dani is to be protected at all costs.

[skylersprompts]

DC x DP Prompt *31*

Dan… no, Bruce often thought back how his life had started. A young kid – not older than four years of age - had died in his sleep. His soul was leaving for the realms. And the Ancients had asked him if he was ready for redemption. Ready to live a new life, with all the happiness and pain it had to offer. He said yes, because nothing could be worse than rotting in the Thermos.

He had been wrong.

He had been shoved in the dying body of a little kid, his memory's of his past life simplified, so that his new brain could still grasp them without hurting him. He knew that he had been Dan once. Now he was little Bruce Wayne. He wasn’t allowed to ever take a life while he had his free will. He wasn’t allowed to ever tell anyone about his past live. He wasn’t allowed to use his powers, should he ever find the strength to reach his core again. The Ancients had made it clear that they would otherwise take everything from him. He remembered that his original, Phantom the Ancient of Balance had been against this, but he had been outvoted. If he should be able to heal his obsessions and never kill somebody, he and his family would share an afterlife together. His obsession unwrapped itself. Without being able to reach his core it was easier. His core was mending itself back together, his broken obsessions healing. From Danny's side he got the obsession to protect and belong in his fraid. From Vlad he got the obsession for control and family. And everything seemed to be perfect in the beginning. He had his Mother and Father. They were all safe. And he had as much control as a small child could have. He really was striving.

And then his parents died.

It broke him, not completely, but enough. And then he became the Batman. Being a hero, while also having something that was so vampire-esque was almost like a homage to whom he had been made of once. And even though he didn’t have a family anymore, except for Alfred, he at least could protect other people and gain some control back.

Than he got Dick, his first Robin. And everything was wonderful again, he healed again. Then he found Jason and he was brought into his little family and he loved it so much. All of this was worth it. Having his two sons and his father in all but name by his side was so much better then the Thermos.

He had been wrong again.

Bruce need for control and protect made him sometimes a bad parent, he knew this. But he never wanted to push his children away. He needed to find Jason and apologies.

And then he hold the broken body of his son.

This time the crack was bigger. Because he should have been able to protect his family. Because it was all his fault! He wanted to hunt down and kill the clown, he was holding onto a thread. He knew he would lose everyone if he let himself slip, but it was so hard.

And then Tim came into his life, holding him together, even though it shouldn’t be his job. But he healed, little by little. Until the Red Hood came. Until Jason came back and asked the impossible.

He couldn’t damn everyone and Jason to be erased. He couldn't lose his family, his son again.

[ectokelpeigh]

Look I know Vlad’s big moment in AGIT was only the beginning of redemption and had a lot of powerful emotional nuance but I still keep thinking of him like this

[ambriel-angstwitch]

I just read a Glitch in time and I need to dump my thought’s because I adored it so much.

So first of all ghost obsessions are kind of canonical now, ghosts are made of emotions. Vlad was a desire for love and a fear of everybody leaving him though in his quest for power to make everyone stay he drove them away. And then Danny was fueled by a protection instinct which is why his powers were shorting out during the book, but now he has a new purpose as the bridge between worlds.

Speaking of that purpose I wonder if that ghostly drive is what largely led to the choice he made with clockwork I mean man was literally giving the choice between “loving and supportive family and community but your no longer half dead” and “you get to keep your powers but no one remembers you saved the world so they hate you” and he went “you know what number 2” I mean I get it because they talked about how the device was unnatural and somebody needs to fix it and Danny’s best fit but still he’s sacrificed so much. Though this is fandoms dream since we love the drama and didn’t like Phantom Planet that much. But Valerie remembers and hates his guts which is unfortunate.

Also oh my goodness Dan and Vlad redemption all in the same go? What?! Like his red eyes just dramatically opening and “He’s your responsibility now.” (Vlad finally gets to raise a Danny in his image like he dreamed) Like what? Dan and Vlad spin off when? Seriously this book felt like the beginning to something too many openings for new ideas and storylines were created. (I could go on but I’m going to end there)

[crystal-wingeddragon-spikes]

Danny Phantom, a Glitch in Time and why I don't like the redemption.

[Spoiler]

The Ultimate Enemy's entire premise lies on Future Danny's lacks of remorse and regret.

Once he realized Danny travelled from the past and seeing his old friends Sam and Tucker again, his response is to ensure the bad future will happen. He left Danny stranded in the bad future, which to his knowledge, Danny should not ever be able to go back. When he impersonates Danny, he can choose to live the second life as a regular life with family, but he did not. He did all of these not because he misses his friends and family, he did it to ensure that they will die. His attitude is full of disdain toward Sam, Tucker and Jazz. We can clearly see his malice when Jazz confronted him about the test answers. The only reason he did not kill her is that he needs her to die in The Nasty Burger explosion.

This plot in a Glitch in Time came out of nowhere. It will only make sense if someone confuse fanon with canon. I understand we Danny Phantom fans have a complicate relationship with Butch Hartman and something he put in season 3, but this is just bad.

I don't, never, like the premise of Danny cheating on his SAT, I meant CAT exam, and it leads to the death of his entire support group, causes him to spiral in his grief, tried to separate his ghost power, accidentally becomes the strongest ghost/the new ghost king.

Please, he cheated on a standardized test by accidentally getting the answers (which is a classified government document). This is a very bad excuse for the darkest episode of this series.

-----

Vlad's redemption is marginally better. He was a more grounded character from the beginning. He is not a force of destruction, not a murderer (as in, he never actually killed someone even if he wants to kill Jack), his motive is something realistic, but taken to an extreme.

Still, I think his entire appeal is that he is a self-sabotaging tragic villain. He thinks he is a victim, and that prevents him from actually examining harms he has caused because he keeps justifying himself.

People actually taking a pity on him and want things to turn out better from him is missing the entire points. Vlad let one horrible disaster ruined his life because he victimizes himself, and he sees all of his atrocities justified, because he was wronged, by a mistake that Jack deeply regretted. No, he will not get better when good things come to his life because he is too busying wallowing in his self-pity.

He does not love Maddie, he loves the concept of him winning her over Jack. One episode, in which Danny created an alternate timeline where Vlad is married to Maddie. She would be happier with Jack, who shares and respects her ghost hunting passion.

Vlad could have a daughter who love him. If he treated Dani well, but it was clear that he is very manipulative and never really see her as a human. He wants Danny as a son, but not because he loves him. Danny is a status symbol for him.

That is the appeal of Vlad. Underneath all of his wealth, superior ghost powers, access to ancient ghost artefacts, political influence, and his cold-blooded cut-throat cunning; This meta human Lex Luther, is just a man child who refuse to grow the moment he was blasted in the college. That is why he is the opposite of the inexperienced Danny, hunted by hunter ghost Skulker and his ghost hunting parents alike, just a teenager who is considered a loser at his school, but his heart is good and true. Vlad spent his life using his ghost power to amass fortune and power, Danny stretches himself thin saving Amity Park.

As I said, I consider Vlad redemption to be better because he actually has a realistic epiphany. When he messed up so horribly, he stopped trying to pin blame on Jack and realize that he is a horrible person that drives everyone who love him away.

[thesoulspulse]

This amv was originally going to be about Vlad and my oc Veronica who I created to be his new romantic interest, and in a way it still kinda is, but now it's mostly about how he could have had a great relationship with Danny as a mentor and Maddie as a friend/colleague. If Vlad hadn't been so selfish and self-sabotaged himself in so many ways -especially with the stunt he pulled confessing to Maddie in "Maternal Instincts" when she genuinely thought he had long since forgiven her and Jack for the accident and wanted to reconnect as friends- things could have been different.

But here's the thing. Vlad never had many friends to begin with or family that we know of so he acts like a spoiled brat himself who thinks money and power will give him everything he wants. As a result Vlad only pushed Danny and Maddie even further away from him with every stupid decision he made from that point on, the poor guy just doesn't know any better. So in the end Vlad ruined everything between them...

Still, if Danny found some way to get through to him or set up a real truce I think Vlad could have turned things around and could have been a really good influence on him. Maybe that's wishful thinking but I've mentioned this before in other posts how I love redemption arcs and sincerely feel like Vlad was overjoyed hearing Danny call him dad, which seemed more important than even "winning over" Maddie. So basically I put this video together to show how Vlad did let everyone down sadly. However, as long as Danny's secretly open to giving Vlad a second chance if/when he asks for it with the intention of putting serious effort into making up for past mistakes I'd like to believe he could change.

Too bad canon Vlad's got way too many issues for that to happen.

Song Lyrics/Subtitles Below:

Adam Lambert - Whataya Want from Me Lyrics

Hey, slow it down

What do you want from me

What do you want from me

Yeah, I'm afraid

What do you want from me

What do you want from me

There might have been a time

And I would give myself away

(Ooh) Once upon a time

I didn't give a damn

But now here we are

So what do you want from me

What do you want from me

Just don't give up

I'm workin' it out

Please don't give in

I won't let you down

It messed me up, need a second to breathe

Just keep coming around

Hey, what do you want from me

What do you want from me

What do you want from me

Yeah, it's plain to see

that baby you're beautiful

And there's nothing wrong with you

It's me ' I'm a freak

but thanks for lovin' me

'Cause you're doing it perfectly

There might have been a time

When I would let you step away

I wouldn't even try but I think

you could save my life

Just don't give up

I'm workin' it out

Please don't give in

I won't let you down

It messed me up, need a second to breathe

Just keep coming around

Hey, what do you want from me

What do you want from me

What do you want from me

What do you want from me

Just don't give up on me

I won't let you down

No, I won't let you down

So

Just don't give up

I'm workin' it out

Please don't give in

I won't let you down

It messed me up, need a second to breathe

Just keep coming around

Hey, what do you want from me

Just don't give up

I'm workin' it out

Please don't give in

I won't let you down

It messed me up, need a second to breathe

Just keep coming around

Hey, whataya want from me

Whataya want from me

Whataya want from me

Whataya want from me

Whataya want from me

Whataya want from me

By RentAnAdviser.com

[idiomagic]

Another post of book recs for all y'all who aren't familiar with all the awesome stuff written before you were born. Previously I've recommended the Hound and the Falcon Trilogy, Bridge of Birds, Silverlock, Nine Princes in Amber, Lord Valentine's Castle, and Tam Lin (by Pamela Dean.) I am Old and inept at new fangled technology, so I'm not providing links. Get the books from your local library, then buy copies for all your friends! The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters "Another dead body. Every year it is the same. Every year, another dead body..." "Amelia Peabody, that indomitable product of the Victorian age, embarks on her debut Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal to record her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way to Cairo, Amelia rescues young Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been abandoned by her scoundrel lover. Together the two women sail up the Nile to an archeological site run by the Emerson brothers-the irascible but dashing Radcliffe and the amiable Walter. Soon their little party is increased by one-one mummy that is, and a singularly lively example of the species.

Strange visitations, suspicious accidents, and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn. Now Amelia finds herself up against an unknown enemy-and perilous forces that threaten to make her first Egyptian trip also her last . . ." Titan by John Varley (Book One of the Gaea Trilogy) "It begins with humankind's exploration of a massive satellite orbiting Saturn. It culminates in a shocking discovery: the satellite is a giant alien being. Her name is Gaea. Her awesome interior is mind-boggling—because it is a mind. A mind that calls out to explorers, transforming all who enter." The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust "Set in the same world as Stephen Brust's beloved Vlad Taltos books, The Phoenix Guards is a fantasy rewrite of The Three Musketeers―a swashbuckling tale of adventure. A thousand years before the birth of Vlad Taltos, the Dragaeran Empire is a hotbed of intrigue, sorcery, intrigue, wild adventure, and intrigue. For those who would be heroes, it is a delightful time to be alive―and an easy place to die. Khaavren of the House of Tiassa is a son of landless nobility, possessor of a good sword and "tolerably well-acquainted with its use." Along with three loyal friends, he enthusiastically seeks out danger and excitement. But in a realm renowned for repartee and betrayals, where power is as mutable as magic, a young man like Khaavren, newly come from the countryside, had best be wary. His life depends on it. And so does the future of Draegara."

Alamut by Judith Tarr "A knight from across the sea, a beleaguered kingdom, a spirit of fire with a deadly secret - Judith Tarr's beloved novel of grand romance and high magic in the age of the Crusades is a classic in the making. Join Prince Aidan, son of a mortal king and an immortal enchantress, and the deathless Assassin Morgiana, in a saga of war and truce, betrayal and honor, hate and love." The Unlikely Ones by Mary Brown "Thing, a young girl who hides beneath a mask, and her handicapped companions--a crow, a toad, a goldfish, and a kitten--set off on a desperate quest to find the Dragon of the Black Mountain, in search of healing and redemption." Tea With the Black Dragon by R. A. MacAvoy "Martha Macnamara knows that her daughter, Elizabeth, is in trouble—she just doesn’t know what kind. Mysterious phone calls from San Francisco at odd hours of the night are the only contact they've had for years. Now, Elizabeth has sent her mother a plane ticket and reserved a room for her at the city’s most luxurious hotel. Yet, since Martha checked in, she still hasn’t been contacted by her daughter, and is feeling lonely, confused, and a little bit worried.   But Martha meets someone else at the hotel: Mayland Long, a distinguished-looking and wealthy Chinese man who is drawn to Martha’s good character and ability to pinpoint the truth of a matter. They become close quickly, and he promises to help her find Elizabeth. Before he can solve the mystery, though, Martha herself disappears—and Mayland realizes that he’s in love with her.   Now, a man whose true nature and identity is unknown to those around him will embark on a potentially dangerous adventure in a city on the verge of exploding with its own sort of magic as technology spreads through the region that will become known as Silicon Valley. An elegant, delightful, and unusual novel that blends ancient myth with modern wizardry, Tea with the Black Dragon is “a small masterpiece, setting a fantasy story against a contemporary background”

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

the beginning?

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/SVtxeJH by valiantlybold Jason is a halfa but this is only the start of the aftermath. Words: 3960, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 17 of The Adventures of Danny Wayne Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Danny Fenton, Vlad Masters, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, J'onn J'onzz Relationships: Danny Fenton & Jason Todd, Danny Fenton & Vlad Masters Additional Tags: Kid Danny Fenton, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Protective Jason Todd, Danny Fenton Lives in Gotham City (DCU), Halfa Biology, Halfa | Half-Ghost Jason Todd (Danny Phantom), Vlad Masters Redemption, Vlad Masters Being Less of an Asshole, Still a Bit of an Asshole Tho, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Good Parent Jason Todd, Danielle "Dani" Phantom is Called Ellie, Mentioned Danielle "Dani" Phantom, Danny Fenton's Ghost Obsession is Space, Ghost Obsessions (Danny Phantom) read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/SVtxeJH

[kaezerdoodles]

Kaezer’s Collection of Danny Phantom AUs

(Making this to put them all in one place for navigating convenience- refer to the tags for any posts. Spoiler alert- it’s all Vlad/Dan centric)

Hunted

My first DP au. Basically draconic!Vlad redemption arc with a bit of OCxVlad but focusing on Vlad protecting Danny and Dani from Maddie and the GIW. I am currently writing a fic in this AU- you can read it and it’s prequel over on AO3

Dance with the Devil

A TUE AU where Vlad secretly had a daughter, Gwen, and when Danny became Dan she was the one that kept him away from Amity along side Valerie. Mainly angsty OCxDan- Umbrella AU for several different prompts/plots

Reign of Fire

(Formally Ecto-pocalypse)

The Disasteroid hits Earth and opens a massive rift between the GZ and the living realm, allowing ghosts to freely move between realms. Vlad knew this from the beginning and waited to play his cards so he could capitalize off of it- 10 years later he is now the Supreme Ruler of both Earth and the GZ. Focuses on the ghost resistance that’s rising up against Vlad and recruits Danny- who has still been protecting Amity and is a local hero.

Dear Agony

New au, focuses on what would have happened had Vlad had someone with him while he was in the hospital and how things would have changed. Mainly angsty OCxVlad- I’ll make a proper post of this AU soon

True Rivals

Wherein Danny has an antihero rival, the eldest son of Vlad, Marcus- who is a little older and was born a halfa. Despite both boys being very similar and could possibly be best of friends, they hate each other thanks to Vlad’s desire for revenge on Jack and Maddie. Oh- and Marc has a crush on Jazz and Danny is livid about it.

(More to be added as I come up with them)

Edit- settled on Last Dragoness, added tag

Edit- True Rivals added, tag added

Edit- Ecto-pocalypse is now Reign of Fire (same concept- new name), old tag removed, Last Dragoness removed (it’s not something that I’ll post about often if at all and is mostly for myself and friend a anyway)

[mutable-manifestation]

The premise, to me, screams "Dani was his first go at making the clone a baby to start with, and seeing baby Dani hit the paternal instincts (and maybe even Family Obsession) so hard it jumpstarted his redemption arc.

Just a few weeks of caring for Dani in has him apologizing to Danny and asking to start over - something Danny reluctantly grants. Alongside a laundry list of demands - like regular updates about Dani & how she's doing & milestones and stuff. Because like. It's his clone actually, thanks very much. A little baby clone twin sister, separated by years.

Vlad never moves to Amity Park, preferring to keep a healthy headstart distance between himself and Jack and Maddie. Physically at least.

Now that he has a half-ghost child, he actually puts some energy into dulling their crazy, rather than egging them on in attempt to one-up Danny by making them inconvenience him for whatever reason.

He has to be subtle, of course, expressing an interest in getting Involved in paranormal studies again.

Of course, it doesn't even take much effort to be subtle. He just has to push for actual science. Like. "Perhaps it would be best to refocus efforts on observational study given the difficulty of catching specimens?"

Then it's just a matter of going over the data and pointing out all the ways in which it seems that dead people really are still just people.

Vlad's a convincing guy when he's not being unbearable, and with Dani dulling the edges of his loneliness his compliments to Maddie are much rarer and tend to be far less creepy.

He's even been nice to Jack! Without visibly gritting his teeth and relying on the man's obliviousness to carry them through.

So things are going well.

Except that Dani keeps trying to destabilize.

It is by the grace of duplicates alone that Vlad gets any sleep - it's not that her episodes are frequent but they're irregular. Vlad won't be able to rest if she's unwatched until he manages to put a stop to the issue.

He moves to one of his hotels in Gotham the day she first destabilizes - it's the city with second-highest level of ambient ecto after Amity Park, which should help Dani and allow him to keep his "just-in-case" head start for running from Jack and Maddie.

Thankfully it's not a month after Dani's creation that Danny meets Frostbite, and the yeti agreed to take a look at her as soon as he can bring her (and there might've been some Big Emotions from the yetis about "something-something-mirror of the Great One" but Danny is Not Mentioning That)

So now Vlad finds himself, 2 hours before the planned visit at the Far Frozen, standing beside Daniel and staring at an empty crib.

"Uh, maybe one of your duplicates went to give her a bottle?"

"Daniel," Vlad begins, voice deadly calm. "I only went to lock everything up. I was gone for 2 minutes. There are no duplicates."

~~~

Bruce and Damian are in the batmobile heading back to the batcave, baby held carefully in Damian's lap, the rest of the family teasing him about inheriting Bruce's bad habits, when, with a crackle of harsh static, every electronic device in Gotham - including their secure, isolated comms channels - lights up with the face and/or voice of Vlad Masters.

"Hello, citizens of Gotham, my name is Vlad Masters and I would like to start off by apologizing for interrupting your evening, to whatever extent the interruption may take. You see, I have a message for Batman and Robin."

The sun has long since set, but the sky brightens considerably as almost everyone in the city wakes up, flicking on lights and either anxiously wondering what new disaster was about to go down or exasperatedly unplugging devices and removing batteries.

For their part, Batman and Robin sit in silence, destination unchanged but listening carefully in the off-chance of a confession - or any other information they can work with to learn yet more. Instead-

"While you managed to loop quite a few cameras, you did not get them all. It was incredibly easy to uncover who it was that Stole My Daughter!" On a passing screen, they could see the way his face, as well as his voice, transformed into a snarl at the last bit.

The man had surprisingly long canines, and the various bats quickly added "Vampire" and "Meta" to their mental roulette wheels of "what could be the deal with Vlad Masters."

Another screen further ahead showed how he forcibly smoothed his expression into a mere icy scowl.

"It has been precisely 15 minutes since you first broke into my home, so I will give you 15 more - exactly 15 more - to return her to me."

And then he steps back, and a glowing meta in a black-and-white hazmat suit appears out of thin air to float beside him, picking up seamlessly where he'd left off.

"Or else the GIW will get a long, hard look at what their lives would be like if I really was a menace to them."

His Lazarus-green eyes go brighter, and he raises a Lazarus-green-glowing hand to point at the camera. Then there is a flash, and the broadcast stops.

# Dcu x Dp 193

Batman and Robin had broken into Vlad Masters Hotel because they found something that was extremely similar to Lazarus water as Damian looks around he ends up in the bed room where he finds a crib that has a sleeping baby in it underneath the crib he finds injections filled with Lazarus water and comes to the conclusion that he is experimenting on this baby. Damian decides that he needs to take her when he leave.

After creating Dani Vlads decided not to age her up and raise her himself. Vlad is using ecto injection keep her stable until he find a permanent solution.

[autisticsupervillain]

An interesting point to make is how Vlad Masters nearly qualifies as both a Magnificent Bastard and a Complete Monster, but he just narrowly misses both marks.

On the Complete Monster side of things, Vlad is honestly the vilest recurring villain on the show by a pretty wide margin. For starters, he hurts Danny on a personal level to an extent unmatched by everyone other than Dark Danny. His longstanding goal is to kill Danny's father and steal his family, simply because Jack "stole" is college crush from him, for starters. To that end, he's willing to: manipulate the teenaged Valerie into becoming a ghost hunter, putting both her life and Danny's at stake. Create expendable clones of Danny, none of which he has any problems with abusing or disposing of despite their love for and loyalty to him. He even brutally tortures Danny so as to extract the data he needs to create the "perfect" clone of him, even attempting to callously risk Dani's life to that end. And even in his first appearance, he possesses Jack in an attempt to ruin his relationship with Maddie.

Of course, when he isn't trying to seduce Maddie and kill Jack, he's fighting Danny for incredibly petty reasons. His crimes under this banner include but aren't limited to: leaving Sam, Danny, and Tucker at the mercy of Salem witch hunters so he can steal their scroll and take over the world, take over Danny's town and ruin his life to win a prank war, forces the ghosts of animals he's killed to serve him, and even poisons Danny's friends, happy to let them die along with him if he isn't saved.

Then, of course, there's his final and most heinous outing. After finally getting his arch-enemy to retire, he openly threatens the world with obliteration unless they elect him as their absolute leader, jeopardizing billions of lives in his quest to take over the world and humiliate Jack.

Vlad is perfectly willing to attempt a body count far exceeding even the most ambitious of the show's villains. His only real rival in either area is Dark Danny, who at least had the excuse of his family dying and having to maintain his own existence. Vlad's excuse is his crush married someone else because of an accident. That quickly falls apart when Masters of All Time reveals just how horribly Vlad would've treated her if things had gone his way to begin with.

However, as monsterous as Vlad, he's ultimately shown to be redeemable. He shows that he had slivers of humanity within him, as he sympathizes with Danny when he loses his family and tries his best to numb the boy's pain. That alone is enough to disqualify him from this, nevermind his guilt induced redemption when things fail.

On the Magnificent Bastard end of the scale, Vlad shows he's Danny's arch enemy for a reason on multiple occasions.

In Reign Storm, Vlad attempts to steal the Ghost King's ring and crown, only for that to backfire when the King wakes up. What follows is Vlad masterfully improvising by manipulating everyone he interacts with, ultimately culminating in him stealing both the Ecto-Skeleton and the Crown of Fire, all while turning the Fright Knight to his side and repairing his relationship with Maddie. He wins on all fronts and never loses his cool throughout the episode, even when he faces down opponents miles out of his league.

When Danny and Co get their hands on a scroll that allows them to traverse time itself, Vlad catches up with them and steals it by playing the time period against them, coming up with multiple back up plans along the way. When one time period doesn't work out, he just travels to another and adjusts his strategy accordingly, only losing when the scroll itself turns against him.

Even at the start of Season 3, Vlad proves his savy by effortlessly taking over the town from undeg Danny's nose, before using his position to turn everyone against Danny Fenton. When Danny regains the public vote, Vlad turns the effort against him by handily defeating him in front of everyone before allowing his human half to "save the day". Only a last minute gambit on Danny's part prevents Vlad's absolute victory and, even then, the episode ends in a stalemate with Vlad as mayor.

The problem arises when you realize how inconsistent this level of hyper competence is for Vlad.

When Jack Fenton alone arrives to stop Vlad from stealing his portal, Vlad gloats about having the perfect opportunity to kill him. He then proceeds to get his ass kicked, whining indignantly about how impossible his defeat is as he's tossed into the portal.

When Jazz shows up at his front doorstep claiming she wants to live with him, Vlad ignores all the obvious red flags she gives him simply because she keeps insulting Jack and praising his ego. Jazz would've gotten in and out without raising a blip on Vlad's radar if Danny hadn't gotten caotured.

Then, of course, there's the time he succeeded in getting himself alone with Danny and Maddie. Does he try to slowly seduce her whilst planting doubts in her mind about Jack? Nope. He spills his guts about hating Jack and expects her to just drop Jack in a heartbeat to be with him. She storms out. Nevermind Vlad ends the episode by getting chased into the woods by his own minions.

Of course, none of this is a knock against Vlad as a character. Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard aren't the be-all and end-all of villainy. It's just funny to note that Vlad comes close to hitting the two big villain tropes on TV Tropes, only to miss both by inches. Vlad is Danny's arch enemy because he's the most personal of all his foes. Not because he's the most brilliant or most monsterous. If anything, this zig zagging makes Vlad all the more dangerous. He's pitiful and easily humiliated one day, monsterous and magnificent the next. For all his shortcomings, Danny still better watch his back. "Funny, joke around Vlad isn't here today!"

[romance-club-daily]

Who is your LI in each book and why/how did you pick 'em?

Let's go:

Sails in the Fog: Sebastian de Aldana, one of my first LIs (As you will see throughout the list, I have a thing for soft-hearted grumpy guys 🙈).

Moonborn: Max Fall, one of my favorite LIs, sneaky and fun guy.

My Hollywood Story: First I choose Jeff, but later I saw that he was a jerk and did a replay with Ray. I guess he's the better route on this book (but there's not a lot scenes with him :/).

Queen in 30 Days: Adam Huez, of all three. I like his route more. But he's annoying sometimes.

Shadows of Saintfour: Derek Nixon. I like the idea of ​​friends to lovers and to see their friendship, although it doesn't show much of them.

Wave Patrol: Jake Brown, hands down. My first LI ever, and another grumpy with a soft heart.

Seduced by The Rhythm: First I played with Justin, but he became unbearable, so I did Brandon's route and love it! His "redemption" arc is amazing!

Chasing You: Same case as above, but first Alexander Nielsen at first (he became a lot better later) and Ellia November. Ellia deserved more scenes... :/ he's such a passionate guy.

Heaven's Secret: Lucifer. Although I think this guy a little controversial at first, I really like his development by the end of the book.

Legend of the Willow: Kazu Naito a.k.a. the best LI in RC so far (until now at least). This man is everything.

Dracula: A Love Story: I'm on Vlad's route and I love this emo boi, but I too follow/watch Noe's path in the yt playthroughs and I think he's great too. So... both :D

Love From Outer Space: Todd Madison, he's super relatable and a cute nerd.

Rage of the Titans: I'm still waiting for a miracle, Marshall/Hephaestus has to become an endgame LI 🙂 I don't follow any of the other routes now.

Path of the Valkyrie: Ullr! Good guy! (But I follow/watch Sagr's one too)

Sophie's Ten Wishes: I'm on Benedict Reed's path. He's shy and cute, I liked him from the beginning. But I'm curious about Diego and Mitch's route too 👀

Sins of London: Sherlock Holmes! He's unbearable sometimes, but I still like him.

On Thin Ice: I was on Brian's route, then did a replay for Hodge. I liked both, but I came back for Brian, since I wanted to finished the book with him first.

Arcanum: Robert Steltz, his path of angst is so tempting and frustrating 🙂 But I guess we'll have a good reward later when he finally realizes his big love for Selena/Lilith 😀

Gladiator Chronicles: For now I'm trying to follow Paulina's path, but Stortia, Labelle and Augusta are calling for me too~ Still don't know what to do 🤡

Heart of Trespia: I was without a LI because none of them caught my attention, but Reinhold's arc get a grip on me later. So I'm in his route now. I just wanted D'Mario to appear earlier in the story 😀

The Flower from Tiamat's Fire: Sin! Hope we can have more scenes with him... Lyar is interesting too 👀

Theodora: This one will tear me apart 🥺 Lawrence stole my heart, then came John Roberts and Friedrich too 🤡 What am I suppose to do???

Hell and High Water: I guess will appear more LIs but I liked Chand.

Edit because I forgot ROTT and POTV 🤡

[princess-of-the-corner]

ML AU Masterpost

So I’ve been asked a few times to make a Masterpost of all my ML AUs because there’s like. A Lot. Some are full fics, others are just concepts we spitball around. 

I’ll write the AU Name, a short summary, and give relevant tags to it. And my tagging system is kind of a mess so like. I’ll have two tags for some AUs because sometimes it’ll be ‘AU Name’ and other times it’s ‘AU Name AU’, ya know?

Anyway here we go!

Hero Chat

My main AU! Kinda my ‘Canon has disappointed me, this is Canon now’ AU. 

Canon Divergence happens technically at the end of Queen Wasp, with Chloé not going back to Audrey and beginning to throw away her redemption arc. But the real changes don’t start until the beginning of Season 3, where Ladybug makes Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Honeybee(Chloé’s new Identity) full-time Heroes. 

Relevant links: 

Fics: X Relevant Tags: X X X X Bonus tag for the HC Answers: X 

Lady Luck

My other biggest AU!

Instead of Marinette, it’s Chloé chosen to be Ladybug. This changes several things. Adrien, Alix, Gabriel and Nathalie all still have their Canon Miraculous, but everyone else gets shuffled around because Chloé will be choosing them. 

Fic: X Relevant Tags: X X X X

Forged

Post-Miracle Queen, Chloé finds a new Miraculous from a separate Miracle Box. Hopefully things go better this time. 

Fic: X Tags: X

Queen’s Second Chance: 

The events of Miracle Queen go horribly wrong. Very very bad end(probably my darkest AU tbh). The Heroes are defeated, Hawkmoth has all the Miraculous, Chloé has been desperately trying to break out of her Akumatization since the fight began, but was unable to.

In a desperate attempt, Sass uses his power. It takes himself and the person with the most regret back in time a lot longer than just a few moments. 

Chloé wakes up the morning of Origins, and is determined to make things right this time. 

Fic: X Tags: X

Double Trouble: 

Post-Miracle Queen, Ladybug realizes she made a mistake in that taking the Miraculous away from Chloé left her vulnerable to Hawkmoth attacking her directly and forcing her to work for him. And now the whole Team’s identities are revealed. To fix this, she’s shuffled the Team’s Miraculous and given it to them permanantly so they can fight back if needed. 

However, Hawkmoth and Mayura believe that Chloé is still on their side, and recruit her for further plans. Not knowing she’s still part of Team Miraculous and is just gathering all info she can as information. 

Chloé finds out that Lila is also working for the villains, but isn’t entirely sure if Lila is truly a villain, or just in over her head. 

Also featuring Sonic Fandub quotes because this AU started as a joke with that. 

Fic: X Tags: X

Steal My Heart

Phantom Thief AU! 

Ladybug and Chat Noir thieves by night. By day, Marinette and Adrien are detective partners using their resources to track down new targets and keep the police off their trail. 

The twist? Ladybug and Chat Noir are rivals! Each have no idea that their rival is also their partner they might low-key be crushing on. 

Fic: X Tags: X

Phantom!Chloé

One of two Danny Phantom crossovers! This one is a more legit crossover while the other is an AU. 

Post Miracle Queen, Chloé accompanies her mother to some rich people gala type thing in America, hosted by Vlad Masters. Chloé wanders off, finds the hidden lab, and fucking dies. Well. Half way. 

Naturally she gets dragged into the Drama that are the other Halfas. To the point that Vlad just straight up sponsors her class for a foreign exchange program. Now the entire Miracuclass is in Amity Park and dealing with these idiots. 

Fic: X Tags: X

Lady Phantom

This is the other DP crossover, but it’s a full AU where instead of the Miraculous, it’s all Ghosts. 

Mari is the Danny of this AU, with her parents having a Ghost Research lab in the basement where she gets fuckin zapped. The rest of the gang are the sidekicks helping with Ghost Weaponry. 

Gabriel and Hawkmoth are two separate people, the latter being an Evil Ghost who is manipulating Gabriel to help fully free him. The Kwami are very powerful Ghosts that are near godlike(think how Clockwork is). 

All the Akumas are also Ghosts, who Hawkmoth sets loose on Paris. They are seperate entities from the Canon ‘Akuma Victim’, but are fighting on behalf of said victim in an attempt to help them because their deaths were very similar to current events. 

Tags: X 

Duchess Noire

Similar to Lady Luck, but instead of replacing Mari as Ladybug, Chloé replaces Adrien as Chat Noir. (Adrien later gets the Bee). 

Tags: X

Cerise Wings

Sabrina is Ladybug instead of Marinette. Chloé is Duchess Noire again. An interesting role reversal for the pair and gets them to learn to be Equals as both Heroes and Civilians. 

Tags: X 

Avatar AU

Exactly what it says on the tin. ML characters in the world of ATLA. 

Kinda funky since Mari and Adrien are both the Avatar due to some bullshit ‘Split Avatar’ thing that I do not have room to explain all of rn. 

The Kwami are also Humans in this. 

Tags: X

Monster AU: 

Again, exactly what it says on the tin. All the ML characters are various monsters. 

Tag: X 

Persona AU

ML but it’s Persona 5, basically. Palaces and all that. The Kwamis are the characters’ Personas. 

Tags: X

Class Knows

Instead of putting the Miraculous in their rooms, Fu puts the Miraculous in Mari and Adrien’s backpacks. This means they pull them out in class and the whole gang learns who the Heroes are from day one. 

Tags: X

Super DC AU

Several characters have Superpowers other than the Miraculous. Marinette’s parents and grandomther are retired Heroes, and Marinette herself inherited their Plant and Energy powers. Chloé has lightning powers because her mom had an affair with an NY Hero. Rose’s grandfather was a supervillain defeated by Mari’s family and she got his Shadow and Death powers. Lila is actually descended from a Fox Hero, but barely has any powers. 

There is an offshoot of the main AU where Rose replaces Adrien as Chat Noir, becoming Shadow Noire. 

Tags: X

Cousins AU

Marinette and Lila are cousins. Mari is used to Lila’s shenanigans, and Lila refuses to harm Family, so there’s no real threat. 

Tags: X 

Childhood Friends: 

Marinette, Nino, Kim, Chloé, Adrien and Sabrina are a squad of childhood friends. Shenanigans ensue. 

Tags: X

Mentor!Jalil

Jalil’s pendant is actually a Scarab Miraculous. Master Fu met him and decided to train him as Guardian years before the whole Hawkmoth thing happened. 

He takes over being a more direct mentor to Ladybug and Chat Noir, with his own Hero Persona: Khepri. 

Tags: X

Feast Redemption

Instead of being destroyed, Feast is broken out of the Peacock’s control and become a real creature. Marinette babysits him as a pet. She’s trying to keep him from eating things he shouldn’t, but she can just reach into his mouth to retrieve things if needed. 

Everyone around her is. so confused by this creature she insists is just a weird looking cat. 

Tags: X

Summer Nights

The summer when the Cesaire family moves to Paris, the apartment they are supposed to move into burns down. Luckily Marlena’s boss is very understanding, and offers them a few rooms in his hotel until they’re able to find and move into a different place. 

While hanging around the hotel, Alya meets Chloé. They end up befriending each other, though encounter a slight hiccup when Alya sees how Chloé acts to their classmates. Nothing that some gentle guidance onto a redemption arc can’t fix! Also maybe a crush along the way. 

Tags: X

Adribrina AU

Adrien and Sabrina have been dating since the spring before the series started, but are keeping it low-key because no one wants to subject Sabrina to the media storm and angry fangirls. 

Marinette starts with a crush on Adrien, but finds out he has a GF and, while heartbroken, moves on. Also Chloé has a crush on her. 

Some Kwami shuffle because Sabrina figures out that Adrien is Chat Noir and tracks down Fu to beg him to let her help keep her bf safe and he gives her the Fox Miraculous. 

Tags: X

Red Velvet

Along with the Butterfly and Peacock, Fu loses the Black Cat. So Gabriel already has one half of the Miraculous he needs to save Emilie from the Magic Coma, and he uses the Black Cat instead, becoming the villain Tuxedo. 

Fu tries to give the Ladybug to Marinette, but Tom was looking for something in her room and finds it instead. Refusing to let his daughter do something unsafe, he takes on the duty and becomes Red Velvet. 

Through shenanigans(Plagg being a little shit), Marinette gets the Peacock and Chloé gets the Butterfly. Once she manages to fix the Peacock, Marinette becomes the Hero ‘Mockingbird’. Chloé doesn’t jump on the Hero Bandwagon until later, but the side effect of the Butterfly Miraculous’s Empathy edges her onto a Redemption Arc. 

Tags: X

To Bee A Bat

This is.... kind of turning some salt tropes on its' head? Like the salty 'Mari's bio dad is Bruce Wayne' but it's Chloé instead and no one's salted.

Between Season 4 and 5, Chloé's 'parents' don't want to deal with her anymore and send her off to live with her bio dad, Bruce Wayne. Shenanigans ensue as she is initially scared to trust them before finding out the family secrets and is down for being a Bat.

Meanwhile, the Miracuclass goes through Season 5 plot, incredibly concerned for where she dissappeared to. Especially as her 'parents' don't seem to care/are telling them to stop looking for her.

Tags: X

Scarlet Scarab and Captain Noire

Alim Kubdel with the Ladybug Miraculous, Anarka Couffaine with the Black Cat. 

Tags: X 

Amazon and Jynx Sphinx

Nora Cesaire with the Ladybug, Jalil Kubdel with the Black Cat

Tags: X

Lord Rouge

Luka and Juleka with the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous

Tags: X

Alley Chat

Nora gets the Ladybug again, but Alya is her Black Cat. 

Tags: X

Queen Of Hearts

Alix with the Ladybug, and Jalil is the Black Cat again. 

Tags: X

Side Note: Scarlet Scarab and Captain Noire, Amazon and Jynx Sphinx, Lord Rouge, Alley Chat, and Queen of Hearts can all have sub-aus where they shuffle the Teamups. So we can have Lord Rouge with Captain Noire, Alley Chat with Queen of Hearts, Scarlet Scarab with Jynx Sphinx, etc. Not all are tagged. 

Miraculous Trio AU

Instead of sending out Ladybug and Chat Noir, Fu decides to send out Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee. 

Tags: X

Chloé Split

Something(either an Akuma or something else) Splits Chloé into multiple different aspects of herself. All aspects go by different names, but most start with ‘Cl’. Catrina is the exception but it’s a fuck you to her because she’s the “Audrey 2.0′ personality. 

Tags: X

Alien!Lila

Instead of being from Italy, Lila is from space. And obvs can’t tell people she’s not human. Her lying isn’t malicious and just her trying to fit in with the other kids and look normal. Yes her stories of meeting celebrities are normal because all her classmates have met celebrities or are famous themselves. 

Tags: X

Public Knowledge

All Hero and Villain identities are known to the public. Though Miraculous can’t be just yoinked from people. They have to either be handed over willingly or won through combat.

Tags: X

PJO AU

Easy to guess. Percy Jackson AU. All the Miracuclass are demigods. 

Tags: X

Animal Attraction

A side effect of the Miraculous is that it attracts the creature it represents. Shenanigans ensue. 

Tags: X

[ladyfantasy98]

Danny Phantom Fanfic Idea -- Danny, Vlad, & Dan (+ Dani!)

I’ve been thinking way too much about Danny Phantom lately. Oh well.

But a story idea that came to me a while ago was a possible Vlad redemption arc. I’m fine he didn’t get one in the show, and it’s a little hard to imagine after how he treated Danielle and all those clones -- but the idea of Old Vlad in The Ultimate Enemy (and even his mini realization in Phantom Planet after Jack flies away) shows that Vlad is capable of realizing and regretting his mistakes and possibly fixing them.

So, the story idea -- Dark Danny/Dan Phantom escapes from the Fenton Thermos and travels to Danny’s current timeline (whether that would be after Phantom Planet I’m not sure, I had mixed feelings about the movie, but anyway) and seeks out Danny and/or Vlad, causing untold destruction in Amity Park. 

Danny, in the middle of a battle with Vlad, of course recognizes him immediately and is terrified/infuriated. Once Danny and Dan reveal who he is to Vlad, Vlad is shocked and horrified at what the combination of him and Danny/their ghosts -- something he’s always wanted -- actually is, and begins to question how much he’s let his ghost side influence his schemes and desires (not that I’m excusing Vlad’s own actions or saying he was possessed or anything, but Dan’s existence has given him food for thought)

Eventually, Danny and his friends manage to trap Dan again, probably with Clockwork’s help (who may or may not have been meddling in things...), maybe with Vlad’s. Then he talks with Vlad, revealing to him how his older alternate self regretted his past actions, put aside his hate & lust for Jack and Maddie, and helped Danny fix the timeline. Based on this, Vlad decides he wants to try and be better & have a healthier relationship with Danny. 

Which eventually leads this exchange:

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

Vlad breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself. He spoke his next words slowly, carefully, trying to order his thoughts.

“I...I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. About myself. Self-reflection, I should say. And I’ve...realized something. Likely the very same thing that my other future alternate self did before he had his change of heart.” Vlad began to pace in front of his desk, not looking at Danny. For his part, the teenager seemed less suspicious; he had extinguished his ecto-rays and his posture was less rigid. He watched Vlad go back and forth, back and forth.

Vlad continued, his voice rising in pitch, “I looked at Dan Phantom, who is, who was, you -- me -- us. I looked at him and I - I saw the truth. The truth that -- me, stripped of my vanity and selfishness and ability to lie to myself -- and you, stripped of all compassion and hope and - and childish innocence -- Well. There was nothing left but hatred. You hated me and I hated myself. That was the truth.”

Vlad stopped his pacing abruptly and spun to face Danny. Full of raw emotion, he cried, 

“But I don’t want that to be the truth, Daniel! Danny! I - I - I want to be better! I don’t want that to be my future! I know this is asking for -- for too much, really, but I...if you could...would you...” Vlad trailed off, struggling to get the words out. The back of his neck was wet with sweat -- he hadn’t realized how hot he’d gotten, whether from his pacing or his emotional distress, he couldn’t tell. Danny watched him, arms crossed, an inscrutable expression on his face.

Vlad took another breath to calm himself, and finished weakly,

“Would you give me another chance? To be...good? To truly be your...Uncle Vlad?”

Silence. The hands on the wall clock ticked by slowly, painfully, the only sound in the room. Even with Vlad exerting himself, his and Danny’s breathing, as half-ghosts, was barely perceptible in the quiet room. Danny simply continued to stare at Vlad, his bright blue eyes trained on the older man’s. Vlad’s heart beat painfully -- yet slowly -- in his chest as he awaited an answer.

Eventually Danny sighed. He uncrossed his arms and said, in a quiet voice, “Yeah, I get that. Seeing what you’ve become...learning how your choices changed you for the worse...and seeing that and wanting it to never happen...I get it. I do. Dan did for you what he did for me -- he scared you with what you could become if you don’t change your ways.”

The younger half ghost fell silent once more. Vlad stayed quiet, not wanting to interfere with or influence the other’s thought process.

“I’m not ready to forgive you,” Danny said finally, a thoughtful frown on his face. “And I’m definitely not ready to trust you.” 

Vlad nodded, accepting this. But he couldn’t help the hope that sprouted inside him at the unsaid, implied Yet in Danny’s words.

“But...” and here Danny’s gaze softened. His mother’s gentleness and his father’s joyful friendliness, never mind the color, were evident in his eyes. How had Vlad never realized before what a beautiful combination that was? “But you’ve clearly thought about your actions and you’re asking me for a second chance. So...I’m willing to give you one.”

The sprout shot up into a full-grown plant. Vlad let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Th-thank-you, Daniel. Danny. I - you don’t know what that means to -”

Danny held up a finger, cutting Vlad off. “Hold up. Not so fast. I’m not God; I have conditions. I have to make sure you’re not tricking me.”

Vlad sobered up at that. He nodded solemnly. “Yes. Of course. I understand. What are your...conditions?”

“Don’t come near my family,” Danny answered firmly. “No showing up unannounced, no sabotaging airplanes, nothing. I see you around my parents or Jazz, and this...experiment is over. I’ll come to you, you don’t come to us. Understand?”

Vlad nodded again. He had much to make up for to Jack and Maddie as well, but honoring their son’s wishes was the best way to start atoning. “I understand.”

“And don’t you dare do anything or come close to Danielle,” the boy added, practically spitting. His eyes glowed green for a split second, punctuating just how serious he was about that particular condition. “You’ve done far worse to her than to me, and I don’t want you even thinking about her, you got that? If she wants in on this forgiveness/redemption thing, than it’ll have to be her decision. We go at my pace, her pace, not yours. Got it?”

Vlad met the boy’s protective fury with an understanding sympathy, and regret. “Yes. I understand. Anything you need me to do, or not do, and I will listen to you, Danny. I am completely at your mercy. And about your pace, I understand that, too. It’s alright if I do all this and you don’t ever forgive me. I don’t deserve it.” 

He sighed, and finally looked away from the boy -- almost a man, really; he would be eighteen soon, never mind all the growing-up he’d done in the past few years as a superhero -- and stared up at the white ceiling.

He could still feel Danny’s eyes on him, however. And when the younger half-ghost cleared his throat, Vlad glanced back at him -- widening his eyes a little at what he saw.

Danny was holding his hand out to him. “Yeah, well, fruitloop...you know what they say. The journey of a hundred miles begins with one step. Or, something like that.”

Vlad smiled and grasped Danny’s offered hand.

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

So...yeah. That’s how I imagine a Vlad-redemption-arc would begin. 

Whether or not Dark Danny would also get a redemption arc...I don’t know, maybe. Perhaps he could bond with Danielle (who I don’t think existed in Dark Danny’s timeline, because if Vlad took Danny in after his family and friends’ deaths, then there would be no need for a Clone program) over the fact that they both wouldn’t exist without a (unnatural, unequal, immoral, but still) combination of Danny and Vlad.

I’d love to know your thoughts on this! Comment or DM me.