#bruce wayne has never seen a ghost

[apatheticsunday]

Dead Serious Oblivious Dating Trope

AKA "Damian thinks flirting/dating entails a lot more violence than the average person and Danny's confused as to why this vigilante keeps prepositioning him for battles" idea!

Okay, so, I know Damian went to live with Bruce when he was still a kid, 10 or something, but what if he joined the Batfam when he was older? Like imagine he's had an entire childhood and adolescence in the League of Assassins, so he's raised in this culture of being The Best (i.e., strongest fighter, intelligent and knowledgeable, etc.). And maybe the LoA typically follows the tradition of arranged marriages, but you may court someone if they're seen as an equal. Talia with Bruce, for example. And!! It's not courting like the "sweet serenading, fan-fluttering, going for a walk in a park with a chaperone" Bridgerton-type courting.

In the League of Assassins, you court by battling your intended's guardian to the death.

So, fast-forward to Damian learning how to assimilate into Gotham city culture. He still struggles to learn his place in the Batfam, but he's older and has a better grasp on his emotions; no trying to kill Tim, no constant threats of death and dismemberment, no jealously protecting the title of Heir. He's... kind of like Bruce actually. Damian is scarily competent, logical, and level-headed but super intense.

Danny, who's been living in Gotham for awhile and has gotten to know the Batfam fairly well, meets the newest addition while on patrol. Let's say he's still Phantom but cosplays as a Meta. Bruce let him stay in Gotham because he's a sucker for a black-haired, blue-eyed, abused kids.

Their introduction goes about as well as the Batfam expects. Damian is all business, only offering a quick nod and his name before returning his focus to patrol. Danny's maybe a bit taken aback but doesn't take it too personally since he'd already been given the rundown by Tim.

Damian and Danny end up patrolling together while Batman and Cass investigate some lead by the docks or something. Their night turns pretty badly when Clayface attacks. Damian ends up being the damsel in distress since he's only ever faced human enemies; even the deadliest opponents in the League could still be killed using swords or the usual combat weapons. Danny ends up using his powers to defeat Clayface before Batman can come back.

And then Danny goes home, content that he was able to let loose a little without Batman there to supervise him, and doesn't think about it after. Damian, however, is downright enamored because Danny was terrifying while fighting. His movements were lupine like a panther, a comfortability in his posture that spoke of decades in combat; his eyes turned Lazarus Pit green, chilling in its intensity. His skin took on a ghostly pallor and Damian could've sworn his teeth sharpened. He looked like a deity of War.

(Danny doesn't know this, of course; he was just happy to enjoy a really good fight since he hasn't unleased his Full Ghost powers in a long minute.)

A couple weeks pass and Danny's invited to a Wayne family dinner. Except when he shows up, Damian - who he thought he'd kind of bonded with since he'd literally saved the guy from Clayface - tries to kill him. Straight up: full assassin regalia, recently polished sword, genuinely throwing his all into the battle.

The Batfam try to intervene but Damian easily (and painfully, as Jason was flipped face-first into a table, Steph was stabbed, Dick broke his elbow) fought off. In the end, it was Danny who froze Damian and yelped a frazzled, "What the fuck, dude?" Bruce agreed to dethaw his son if he never, ever drew his sword at the dinner table again and explained why in the world he randomly attacked Danny unprompted.

Except Damian's response is to apologize and formally proposition Danny to a "battle to rights"... and the Batfam are all like, wtf?? What is that?? They're thinking maybe the rights to the Wayne inheritance, but Danny was never adopted by Bruce (he'd had enough of millionaires trying to adopt him so he'd politely declined all the Batfam's attempts to rope him into the family; Dick, Babs, and Jason of all people included).

The thing is that Danny's parents disowned him, he doesn't consider Vlad to be his guardian, and Jazz isn't really in the picture here. Bruce isn't considered his adopted father figure, either. So, Damian concluded the next reasonable course of action was to fight Danny for his right to marry him.

Cue months of hilarious misunderstandings where the Batfam try to keep Damian separated from Danny since he keeps trying to fight him... and worse, is that Damian loses every damn fight. Danny has non-human powers and endless knowledge of dead languages, cultures, space, history, etc. Damian likes him so, so much but he can't win the battle to rights and it's driving him insane!! He calls his mother to vent his frustrations and she only encourages him, tells him that he shouldn't want to marry someone he can beat so easily, that he picked his intended well.

It gets to the point where Damian's trying to use any and all knowledge of Danny's weaknesses. It just makes him more obsessed because there doesn't seem to be any (there are, but they aren't on Earth and/or are locked down in the Fenton Works labs, untraceable to anyone not in the GIW).

And Danny's just like, what the hell!! Why the hell is this guy targeting him over and over again? The worst part is that Damian is actually very intelligent and thoughtful - during their duels, they quip back and forth in ancient languages, discuss thought-proving topics, and when Danny beats him, they have a quiet moment to compliment each other's fighting styles. They discuss ancient history and art together. Damian is one of the few people who can actually match Danny's odd tidbits of random knowledge, as he'd been extensively educated while in the LoA.

Finally, Danny just asks, "Why do you keep trying to fight me?? Do you just hate me or something??" (He hopes not. Danny's starting to like Damian a bit too much, especially after their fights when Damian offers to cook him some of Alfred's most popular recipes. Danny's a terrible cook so he actually looks forward to having a surprisingly good meal, sans the attempted poisoning at times.)

And Damian just... stops. He's utterly flabbergasted and perhaps a little bit exasperated since it's been months of being unable to win the battle to rights. "Why would I request to court you if I hate you, habibi?"

Danny's like, "Huh???"

Damian explains how courting works in the LoA and why it's been on-sight ever since the Clayface fight. And everything just clicks for Danny!! He's also kind of... flattered? Like, he's never been wanted so badly that someone would fight to the death for him (Danny's just like "he's confused but he's got the spirit!" about the whole "if Danny doesn't have a guardian, I'll just fight him instead" logic).

So, he's like, "Of course, I'll date you!!"

It'd probably be an adjustment period since Damian's idea of a romantic date is watching his boyfriend go Full Ghost on supervillains. He'd just be heart-eyeing at him the entire time. And it's not like Danny's not having a good time!! He just expected there'd be more date-night activities and less patrol-night activities. So, Danny introduces Damian to more "regular" hobbies, like going to the zoo, movie nights, bookshop dates, etc.

(another side idea in my head is Damian introducing Danny to Talia and Ra's al Ghul, like, "This is Danny Fenton, my intended." But Danny is decked out in his Ghost King attire, crown included, and introduces himself as King of Infinite Realms, Space, and the Dead. Meanwhile his boyfriend is just looking at him with this look of utter besotted lovesick pride. There's so much potential!!)

[rosemaryhoney27]

“Danny vs. Gotham: Rogues, Riddles, and Regret”

aka: Gotham's Villains Realize They've Made a Terrible, Terrible Mistake

Vlad wanted to leave. He wanted to scoop Danny up, fly far away, and pretend the Gotham trip never happened. But Bruce had insisted Danny stay another week for “family bonding.” And Vlad—against his better judgment and his rapidly thinning sanity—had agreed.

What he hadn’t agreed to was sending Danny out on a “light patrol run” with Red Robin and Spoiler.

“He’s a child!” Vlad hissed. Bruce shrugged. “He suplexed a gang leader and sword-fought Damian with a smile.” Tim sipped his fourth espresso and muttered, “Kid’s got better reaction time than half of us. Might as well let him stretch his legs.” Vlad: internal screaming intensifies

Later That Night – Gotham Financial District, 10:22 PM

It should’ve been a routine patrol.

SHOULD’VE.

But this was Gotham. So naturally, they ran into Riddler. And not just Riddler. Riddler with a microphone, a speaker setup, and a slideshow.

“Riddle me this, Batbrats!” he declared, laser pointer in hand. “What flies forever, rests never, has no lungs but can still scream?!”

Danny blinked. “That’s wind.”

Riddler paused. “…I—I wasn’t done.”

“You said it in the wrong order. Classic misdirection. Also, you did this one in Amity Park two years ago. You posted it online.”

“…What?”

“Yeah, it was part of your ‘multi-state riddle tour.’ You rhymed ‘obfuscate’ with ‘paperweight.’ My friend Tucker roasted you for a week.”

Spoiler wheezed. “OH MY GOD.”

Tim was filming. “This is gold.”

Danny smiled like a polite little demon. “If you want new material, I can send you Tucker’s podcast link. He does villain reviews.”

Riddler stared, brain lagging. “I—I have—graphics—”

“You spelled ‘cerebral’ wrong on slide 4.”

“…I hate it here.”

Five Minutes Later

Riddler’s henchmen surrendered unprompted. Riddler ran face-first into a recycling bin while trying to flee. Danny phased him through the lid and said, “Please stay in there until Gotham has better riddles. Thank you.”

Tim couldn’t breathe. Spoiler was crying laughing. Danny handed Riddler a sticker that said “I Tried My Best (And Failed)” before floating away.

But It Got Worse

Because then, Scarecrow showed up.

And naturally, he released his newest fear gas on the group.

“Let’s see what horrors hide in your soul, little ghost,” Crane sneered.

Danny blinked as the gas swirled around him.

Then sneezed.

Then sniffed it.

Crane: “What—what are you doing—?!”

Danny: sniff sniff “Ooh. Cinnamon and despair. Very vintage.”

Crane: “THAT’S NOT HOW FEAR GAS WORKS—”

Danny exhaled, glowing green, and the gas dissipated.

“I’ve been inside the Ghost King’s mind, dude. This is like spa day fog machine levels. You want real terror? I have a VHS of Tucker’s high school poetry.”

Crane dropped his canister and backed away. Spoiler whispered, “He’s ungasable.” Tim, still filming: “That’s not even the weirdest thing I’ve seen this week.”

Danny offered Scarecrow a cough drop and a tissue.

“Bless your heart,” he said.

Crane ran.

Later – Back at the Cave

Danny was handing out debrief cookies. Again.

Bruce was watching the security cam footage with the face of a man who was trying to process “he sniffed the fear gas.”

Dick leaned over. “This kid’s either going to save Gotham or traumatize it into behaving.”

Jason nodded solemnly. “He gave Riddler a sticker. That’s psychological warfare.”

Damian looked up from sharpening his sword. “He told me he once bit a cursed toaster.”

Vlad, in the background, was staring at the Batcomputer like it had personally betrayed him. “I—he—he ate fear gas. He corrected Riddler’s grammar. He is not normal.”

Bruce looked at Danny, who was humming while reorganizing the med supplies.

“…He’s a Wayne.”

Vlad: “NOOOOOOOOOO—”

[pomegranatelifethis]

In another universe again

Promise?

The Wayne Manor was a labyrinth of secrets, its towering walls steeped in history and whispers of the past. You’d grown up within those walls, a daughter of the Wayne legacy, twin to Damian, the son destined to inherit the mantle of Robin. But where Damian was sharp edges and fierce determination, you were a shadow, slipping through the cracks of a family that never seemed to notice you were there.

You were Y/N Wayne, the other half of a pair, but to the Batfamily, you were an afterthought. Bruce, your father, was a man consumed by his mission, his eyes always fixed on the horizon of Gotham’s endless night. Dick was the golden son, too busy charming the world to see you fading. Jason, with his jagged edges, spared you fleeting glances but never lingered. Tim was lost in his own mind, his coffee-fueled nights leaving no room for you. And Damian��your twin, your mirror—carried the weight of expectations you could never touch. He was the heir, the prodigy. You were just… you.

The neglect wasn’t loud. It was quiet, insidious, like a slow bleed. A missed birthday here, a forgotten promise there. Training sessions where you were left to spar with dummies while Damian was molded by Bruce’s hands. Family dinners where your seat was filled with silence, your voice drowned by their laughter. You tried to be seen, to be heard. You trained harder, studied longer, patched your own wounds after patrols. But the harder you tried, the more invisible you became.

Then came Lila.

She arrived like a burst of sunlight, a foster girl with wide eyes and a smile that disarmed even the coldest hearts. The Batfamily welcomed her with open arms. Dick ruffled her hair, Jason taught her to throw a punch, Tim helped her with homework, and Bruce—*Bruce*—smiled at her in a way you’d never seen directed at you. Even Damian, your stoic twin, softened around her, his rare laughter echoing through the manor.

Lila was everything you weren’t. She was wanted.

You watched from the sidelines as they showered her with affection, their voices bright with praise. “Lila’s a natural,” Dick would say. “She’s got heart,” Jason added. “She’s one of us,” Tim declared. And you? You were the ghost in the room, your presence barely acknowledged. The realization settled in your chest like a stone: you were worthless to them.

The doubt crept in slowly, then all at once. Why weren’t you enough? Were you too quiet, too weak, too *you*? You spent nights staring at the ceiling of your room, the weight of their indifference pressing down until you couldn’t breathe. You stopped joining them for meals, stopped waiting for them to notice you. They didn’t.

The kidnapping was almost a relief.

It happened on a rainy Gotham night, the kind where the city seemed to drown in its own despair. You and Lila were grabbed off the streets, thrown into a van before you could react. The world went dark, and when you woke, you were in a warehouse, wrists bound, the air thick with the scent of rust and fear. Lila was beside you, her face pale but defiant, her eyes darting to the cameras mounted on the walls.

The kidnappers were professionals, their faces hidden behind masks. They spoke in clipped tones, their words broadcast live to the city. “The Batfamily has one hour to choose,” their leader said, his voice cold as steel. “One girl lives. One dies. Make your choice, or we kill them both.”

You knew what would happen before it did. You saw it in the way Bruce’s voice crackled through the comms, calm but strained. You saw it in the way Dick hesitated, his eyes flickering to Lila. You saw it in the way Jason’s jaw clenched, his gaze fixed on the girl who’d become their sister in all but blood.

“We’re coming for you,” Bruce said through the feed, his words meant for both of you but landing on Lila like a lifeline. “Hold on.”

The clock ticked down. The kidnappers paced, their guns glinting under the flickering lights. Lila whispered to you, her voice trembling. “They’ll save us, Y/N. They have to.”

You wanted to believe her, but the truth was a blade in your gut. You’d always been the one left behind.

When the Batfamily arrived, it was with the precision of a military strike. Batman led the charge, Nightwing and Red Hood flanking him, Red Robin and Robin covering the exits. They moved like shadows, neutralizing the kidnappers with ruthless efficiency. But when the moment came—when the leader grabbed you and Lila, a gun to each of your heads—they froze.

“Choose!” the leader roared, his finger twitching on the trigger. “Now!”

Bruce’s eyes met yours through the haze of smoke and chaos. For a moment, you thought he saw you—really saw you. But then his gaze shifted to Lila, and you knew.

“Save her,” he said, his voice steady, final.

The world slowed. Dick lunged for Lila, pulling her from the kidnapper’s grip. Jason tackled the man holding her, his fists a blur. Tim and Damian cleared the room, their focus on the girl who mattered. You were still there, the gun pressed to your temple, your heart a hollow drum.

They’d chosen her.

The cameras were still rolling, broadcasting every second to Gotham and beyond. You looked into the lens, your reflection staring back—a girl forgotten, a shadow no one would mourn. You thought of the manor, of the family that had never been yours. You thought of Damian, your twin, who hadn’t even glanced your way.

The kidnapper’s voice was a low growl in your ear. “Looks like you’re the one they don’t need.”

You didn’t flinch. You didn’t cry. You just stared into the camera, your lips parting to whisper one final word.

“Goodbye.”

The gunshot echoed through the warehouse, a single, deafening crack. The world went black.

The echo of the gunshot hung in the air, a jagged wound in the silence of the warehouse. The cameras, cold and unyielding, captured every moment—the blood pooling beneath your motionless body, the kidnapper stepping back, the world watching as Y/N Wayne, the forgotten daughter, became a ghost before their eyes.

Bruce Wayne—Batman—stood frozen, his cape a heavy shroud around him. His mind, always calculating, always planning, had betrayed him. He’d made the call, the tactical choice: save Lila, neutralize the threat, then save you. It was supposed to be clean, precise. But the plan had unraveled, and now you were gone. His daughter, his *child*, lay dead because of him. The weight of it pressed against his chest, a suffocating force that no kevlar could shield. He stared at your body, the camera’s red light mocking him, broadcasting his failure to Gotham. He wanted to move, to cradle you, to scream, but Batman didn’t break. Bruce Wayne, though—he was shattering.

“No…” The word slipped from Dick Grayson’s lips, barely a whisper, as he stumbled forward. Nightwing, the heart of the family, was unraveling. He’d been the one to pull Lila to safety, his hands gentle but firm, his focus on the girl they’d all come to love. But now, as he looked at you, your eyes still open, staring into the void of the camera, guilt clawed at him. He’d promised to protect you, hadn’t he? All those years ago, when you and Damian came into their lives, he’d vowed to be the big brother you needed. Yet he’d let you fade, let you slip through the cracks. “Y/N, I’m sorry,” he choked, falling to his knees beside you, his gloved hands hovering over your still form, afraid to touch what he’d already lost.

Jason Todd’s rage was a living thing, coiled and ready to strike. Red Hood had taken down the kidnapper who held Lila, his fists a blur of vengeance. But when the shot rang out, when he saw you crumple, something inside him broke. He’d always seen you as the quiet one, the kid who patched her own wounds and never asked for anything. He’d meant to check on you, to pull you into his orbit, but there was always another mission, another fight. Now, he stood over your body, his helmet hiding the tears burning his eyes. “You bastards,” he snarled, his voice cracking as he rounded on Bruce. “You *chose* her over your own kid!” He wanted to hit something, to tear the world apart, but all he could do was stare at you, the sister he’d failed, and feel the weight of his own worthlessness.

Tim Drake’s mind was a storm of data, replaying every second, every decision, searching for the moment it all went wrong. Red Robin was supposed to be the strategist, the one who saw every angle. But he hadn’t seen you. Not really. You were always there, a quiet presence in the Batcave, working beside him in silence while he buried himself in cases. He’d noticed your absence at dinners, your retreat from the family, but he’d told himself you were fine. You were strong. You didn’t need him. Now, as he knelt beside Dick, his hands trembling as he scanned your vitals—knowing it was pointless—he felt the full force of his neglect. “I should’ve… I should’ve checked on you,” he murmured, his voice hollow. The cameras caught his failure, too, and he knew the world would judge him. He deserved it.

Damian Wayne, your twin, stood apart, his katana still in hand, blood dripping from its blade. Robin was trained to be unyielding, to prioritize the mission above all else. But you were his other half, the shadow to his light, the one who understood the weight of being Talia’s child in a world that didn’t want you. He’d pushed you away, told himself it was to protect you from his own darkness, but the truth was uglier: he’d been too proud, too focused on proving himself. Now, as he looked at your lifeless body, your blood staining the concrete, something inside him fractured. “Ukhti,” he whispered, the Arabic word for sister slipping out, a plea and a prayer. He didn’t move toward you. He couldn’t. If he did, he’d have to face the truth: he’d failed you, just like the rest of them.

Lila, the girl they’d chosen, stood trembling in Dick’s arms, her wide eyes fixed on your body. She didn’t speak, didn’t cry, but the guilt was there, etched into her face. She’d been the one they saved, the one they loved, and now your death was her shadow. The cameras caught her, too, the girl who’d taken your place, and Gotham would whisper her name with scorn.

Bruce finally moved, his steps heavy as he approached you. He knelt beside you, his gloved hand reaching out to close your eyes, a gesture too late to matter. “Y/N,” he said, his voice low, broken. “I thought… I thought there was time.” But there hadn’t been. He’d calculated wrong, prioritized wrong, and now his daughter was gone. The world watched, and he felt their judgment, but it was nothing compared to the war raging inside him. He was Batman, the protector of Gotham, but he couldn’t protect his own child.

The Batfamily stood in a fractured circle around you, each grappling with their own guilt, their own failure. The cameras kept rolling, the live feed searing your death into Gotham’s memory. The city would mourn you, the forgotten Wayne, but the family who’d lost you would carry the weight forever.

Dick’s hand rested on your cold cheek, tears streaming down his face. “We didn’t see you,” he whispered. “God, Y/N, we didn’t see you.”

Jason’s fists clenched, his voice a raw growl. “This isn’t over. Whoever set this up—they’re gonna pay.”

Tim’s head bowed, his mind still racing, still searching for a way to undo the impossible. “I’m sorry,” he said again, the words useless against the void.

Damian’s grip on his katana tightened, his voice barely audible. “You deserved better, ukhti.”

Bruce remained silent, his hand lingering on your face, the weight of his choice a noose around his neck. He’d failed you, just as he’d failed Jason, just as he’d failed Gotham too many times before. But this—this was different. This was his daughter, and he’d let you die.

The warehouse was silent now, save for the hum of the cameras and the distant wail of sirens. The Batfamily stood over your body, a family broken by their own hands. They’d chosen Lila, and in doing so, they’d lost you.

And Gotham watched, its heart as cold and unforgiving as the night

Bruce Wayne knelt beside you, his hand still resting on your closed eyes, as if he could will you back to life. His mind was a battlefield, replaying every second of the night—his choice, his hesitation, his failure. He’d chosen Lila because she was the civilian, the one they’d welcomed into their home, the one who’d seemed so fragile. But now, as he looked at your lifeless form, a gnawing doubt clawed at him. Something was wrong. The kidnappers’ precision, the cameras, the broadcast—it was too orchestrated, too perfect. His instincts, honed by years as Batman, screamed that this was no random crime.

“Bruce,” Tim’s voice cut through the haze, sharp and urgent. He was crouched by one of the kidnappers, a tablet in hand, his fingers flying across the screen. “You need to see this.” His face was pale, his eyes wide with something that looked like fear. Bruce rose, his movements mechanical, and joined Tim. The screen displayed a series of encrypted messages, traced back to an unlisted server. The sender’s codename was innocuous—*Starling*—but the content was damning. Instructions for the kidnapping, coordinates for the warehouse, even the exact wording of the ultimatum: *Make the Batfamily choose.* And at the bottom, a single line that turned Bruce’s blood to ice: *Eliminate Y/N Wayne. Secure the family.*

Bruce’s gaze snapped to Lila, who was still clinging to Dick, her sobs perfectly timed. His heart, already fractured, began to splinter further. “Lila,” he said, his voice low, dangerous. “Step away from Nightwing.”

Dick frowned, his arms tightening protectively around her. “Bruce, what—”

“Now,” Bruce barked, his tone leaving no room for argument. Lila’s sobs faltered, and for a fraction of a second, her mask slipped—a flicker of calculation in her eyes before she buried her face in Dick’s chest again. But Bruce saw it. And so did Damian.

Damian Wayne, your twin, stood apart, his katana still dripping with the blood of the last kidnapper he’d dispatched. His green eyes, so like yours, were fixed on Lila, and the realization hit him like a blade to the chest. He’d always been wary of her, the girl who’d slipped so easily into their lives, but he’d dismissed it as jealousy, as his own struggle to share the family he’d fought to claim. Now, as he pieced together the puzzle—her sudden arrival, her effortless charm, the way she’d drawn their attention away from you—he felt a rage unlike any he’d known. It wasn’t the cold, controlled fury of the League of Assassins. This was personal, visceral, a brother’s wrath for the sister he’d failed.

“You,” Damian hissed, his voice a venomous whisper. He took a step toward Lila, his katana rising, but Jason grabbed his arm, holding him back. “She did this. She *planned* this.” His eyes burned with unshed tears, his voice breaking as he looked at your body. “Ukhti, I should’ve known. I should’ve protected you.”

Bruce’s mind raced, connecting the dots. Lila’s foster records had been clean—too clean. Her arrival had coincided with a lull in major threats, a perfect distraction. She’d played them all, weaving herself into their hearts while you faded into the background. And now, you were dead because of her. Because of *him*. The guilt was a noose, tightening with every breath. He’d failed you as a father, and now he’d failed you as Batman, blinded by a girl who’d weaponized their affection.

“Tim,” Bruce said, his voice steady despite the storm inside him. “Secure the evidence. Dick, restrain her.”

Dick hesitated, his eyes darting between Bruce and Lila. “Bruce, she’s just a kid—”

“She’s a traitor,” Damian snapped, wrenching free of Jason’s grip. He lunged for Lila, but Bruce stepped in front of him, his hand on Damian’s chest.

“Not yet,” Bruce said, his voice a low growl. “We need answers.”

Lila’s performance faltered as Dick gently but firmly pulled her away, his hands cuffs-ready. Her eyes widened, a flicker of panic breaking through her facade. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she cried, her voice trembling. But the cameras were still rolling, and Gotham was watching. The city would see her unmasked, just as the Batfamily had.

Damian sank to his knees beside you, his katana clattering to the ground. He reached for your hand, cold and still, and pressed it to his forehead, a gesture of grief and apology. “Ukhti,” he whispered, his voice raw. “I was supposed to be your shield. I let you down. I let her take you.” His shoulders shook, the weight of his failure crushing him. He’d been raised to be a warrior, not a brother, but you’d been the one constant in his life, the one who’d understood him without words. And now you were gone, stolen by a girl who’d played them all.

Bruce watched, his heart a bleeding wound. He wanted to comfort Damian, to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but the words wouldn’t come. He was the father, the leader, and he’d let this happen. He’d chosen Lila, not because he loved her more, but because he’d underestimated you. He’d thought you were strong enough to wait, to endure. He’d been wrong.

The sirens grew louder, GCPD closing in. Tim was already uploading the evidence to the Batcomputer, ensuring Lila’s betrayal would be exposed. Jason stood guard, his gun trained on the remaining kidnappers, but his eyes kept drifting to you, his sister, the one he’d never truly known. Dick cuffed Lila, his face a mask of betrayal and guilt, while Tim worked in silence, his jaw tight with suppressed grief.

Bruce knelt beside Damian, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll make this right,” he said, though the words felt hollow. “For her.”

Damian didn’t look up. “There is no right,” he said, his voice barely audible. “She’s gone.”

Talia al Ghul stood in the heart of her fortress, the flickering torchlight casting shadows across her sharp features. The air was heavy with the scent of incense and steel, a reminder of the empire she’d built. Her spies had just delivered the news, their voices trembling as they recounted the events in Gotham. The live broadcast had reached even the remote peaks of Nanda Parbat, and Talia had watched, her heart a storm of ice and fire, as her daughter—*her* Y/N—was shot dead on camera.

She stood motionless, her emerald eyes fixed on the tablet displaying the frozen image of your body, your blood pooling beneath you. The world had seen it, but only Talia understood the true cost. You were her daughter, her legacy, the child she’d trained in secret, hoping to mold you into a weapon as deadly as Damian. But you’d chosen Gotham, chosen your father, and she’d let you go, believing Bruce would protect you. She’d been wrong.

Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her dagger, the blade glinting in the torchlight. “Lila,” she murmured, the name a curse on her lips. Her spies had uncovered the girl’s treachery, the messages linking her to a shadowy network that rivaled even the League. Lila had played the Batfamily like pawns, orchestrating your death to secure her place. Talia’s lips curled into a snarl. The girl would pay, but not before she suffered.

“Beloved,” Talia said, her voice soft but laced with venom, addressing the empty air as if Bruce could hear her. “You failed her. You let a viper into your home and called it family.” Her eyes burned with tears she refused to shed. She’d lost you, her daughter, her shadow, and the pain was a blade in her heart. But Talia al Ghul did not break. She planned.

She turned to her assassins, her voice a whip. “Find the girl. Bring her to me alive. She will learn the price of crossing the al Ghuls.” Her gaze returned to the tablet, to your still face, and her voice softened, a mother’s grief breaking through. “Rest, my daughter. Your blood will not be spilled in vain.”

Talia would burn Gotham to the ground if it meant avenging you. And when she was done, Lila would beg for the mercy you’d never been given.

[dcxdpdabbles]

Clark: Mr. Wayne, can I ask some questions for the Daily Planet? Bruce: Certainly, especially for a reporter as handsome as you, Mr.-? Clark: Clark Kent. Bruce: A name as lovely as the man. Fitting. What questions do you have? Clark: There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of paranormal incidents reported within the Gotham Clock Tower, built and owned by your family. Do you believe these rumors have any weight? Bruce: You mean the legend of the Ghost Boy? Well, it's an interesting story, but in all the years I've been inside the clock tower, I've never seen the famous Phantom. Of course, I also haven't been inside it often, as my Grandfather closed it to the public due to safety concerns, and that included my family. Clark: Then you think that nothing is inside the tower? Bruce: I think the paranormal is real, especially with aliens like Superman being real, but I genuinely believe the Gotham Clock Tower ghost is just an old wives' tale. Clark: Hmm. Including the Lure? Bruce: Yes, including the Lure. As any Gothamite can tell you, the legend states Phantom's singing lures children into the Tower to never be seen again. Children are cautioned not to walk near the Tower after sunset or fall victim to the Lure, but I visited the Tower multiple times as a child, and many other children did too. It's often a dare Gothamites do as teenagers, practically a rite of passage. Clark: Quite a dare. Bruce smiling: It keeps things lively. You know how kids are. They claim they aren't scared, but everyone who does the dare is shaking in their boots. Clark: On the topic of those dares: What are your thoughts on recent rumors claiming that the string of missing teenagers are victims of Phantom? Bruce: I know Batman has made a statement, indirectly, since Commissioner Gordon was the one at the press conference - that he believes Phantom is behind this, but there is just no proof. Personally, I would rather a real detective investigate the missing cases than a man who hides behind masks. Even if Superman agrees with Batman. Clark: You don't seem to be much of a Batman fan. Bruce laughing: You seem to be one. I can tell I upset you with my opinion of him, but really, I think Batman is worthless and necessarily violent. He only punches at the problems but doesn't seem to fight for a better life quality in Gotham, and that's where crime really comes from. Clark is annoyed: Batman risks his life for this city. Bruce: You risk your life walking through the city. But I digress, if people want to believe Batman's warning of Phantom waking to kidnap teenagers, well, that's their opinion. Clark: Thank you for your time, Mr. Wyane. I'm sure many Gothamites will agree with a man as knowledgeable as you. Bruce: Thank you! And hey, if you're inclined in the same gender, I'm free this- Clark: Good day, Mr. Wayne. Tim watching Clark leave: What was the point of that? Bruce: Kent has a sway over the public; if he writes to take the warning seriously, then the people will listen. How was the stakeout? Tim: Oh, there is definitely something in the Tower. Its glowing green eyes locked with mine six different times, no matter how much I moved on the roofs. I was far away enough that Lure couldn't reach me, but I did hear a faint singing in the wind. Phantom is back. Bruce: Then tonight, we contact Zatana and John. That thing is going to give the kids back.

[chaoticwriting]

Lex Luthor is not an unknown name in the world, especially Metropolis. It's just that for the past half decade he has been very quiet. The cause? Maybe because he just found out that he has a son.

Enter Daniel James Luthor. A bright young man with a genius intellect rivaling his father. Daniel or Danny as he prefers to be called is very famous among the people of Metropolis. People would think as the son of Lex, he would be an arrogant young man. But he is in fact very friendly and kind. He is often seen helping some old lady's cross the street or hanging around with other kids . There are also pictures of him online, asking Cassandra Cain-Wayne, the adopted daughter of Bruce Wayne out on a date. The way he smiles nervously and blushes in embarrassment makes people laugh and sees him just as another citizen of Metropolis.

People also attributed the massive changes in Lexcorp as Danny's. Lexcorp has been climbing the worker friendly environment ranking and almost being ranked the same with Wayne Enterprise. Lex Luthor has also made less derogatory comments on aliens and metas. Of course he sometimes still insults Superman in an interview but the insults now sound more personal than before.

At the same time all of this is happening, a new hero has entered Metropolis. He calls himself Phantom. With multiple powers that might make people mistake him as a martian if not for his white skin and black and white clothing, he has helped Metropolis many times and is very popular among the people.

His first appearance was during the invasion of Darkseid and he played a major role in making Darkseid retreat back to his planet. His popularity continues to rise as he is much more friendly than other heroes in Metropolis. Unlike other heroes, he stays to chat with them whenever he helps people. It makes the people of Metropolis connect to him on a higher level than the likes of Superman.

Another thing that puzzles the people of Metropolis is the connection between Lexcorp and Phantom. Whenever Phantom fought, the property damages are never high. But if there are ever any property damages, they are often handled by Lexcorp.

The mystery doesn't last long as one day, Phantom is shot by a green energy beam by a group called Ghost hunter. When the beam hits him, Phantom screams the most gut wrenching scream anyone has ever heard. Phantom then collapses on the floor unconscious. The Ghost hunters just about to capture Phantom when thankfully Superman arrives having heard the scream from the Watchtower.

The Ghost hunters use some unknown device and teleport away before Superman can capture them. Superman turns towards the crowd as he sees them crowding the body of Phantom with some of them taking pictures. Superman freezes as he sees in the place of where Phantom has collapsed, a young very well known boy is in place.

Superman is just about to disperse the crowd when multiple cars and a helicopter flies into close proximity. He ready himself for any battle but all he gets is a glare from a very angry Lex Luthor who is screaming at his subordinates to carry Danny to his hospital as fast as possible.

As much as Superman hates Lex, he can't let personal vendetta get in his way of helping out a kid. Even if the kid is Lex's. Superman offers to fly him there instead since he is faster than even a helicopter and surprisingly, Lex immediately accepts the offers and even gives him a coordinate that he doesn't even know was supposed to be a hospital.

Superman ignores his suspicion and flies as fast as possible towards the area and lo and beholds, a small building is standing there inconspicuously. Just as Superman lands, multiple medical personnel rushes out of the door and one of them takes Danny away from him. Superman is about to follow them in since he can't see inside with the whole building covered in lead until he hears Lex's helicopter flying in. When the helicopter lands, Lex and Superman give each other a nod and Superman flies back up to the Watchtower.

Superman then reports back what happened since he kinda dipped the JL official monthly meeting to see what happened. The other heroes are kinda worried and also a little baffled because on one hand, Phantom's current state is unknown and everyone has met him and likes him one way or another. On the other hand, they just find out that Phantom is Lex's kid and has been running around helping Superman fight crimes and aliens alike.

Although Superman has vouched for Lex (which very concerns other heroes because like, this is Superman, vouching for Lex Luthor) the other heroes still decides that it is better to investigate what happens to Phantom. Especially this Ghost hunter group.

The next 6 months have been rather quiet in Superman's opinion. There is no news about the Ghost hunter (which is insane in Superman's opinion because like this is Batman investigating) and the only news that has been received about Phantom is from the Lexcorp PR group and Cass since she is the only outsider that is allowed to visit Danny.

On another news though, Lex has completely resigned from his CEO position and has been seen since he first entered the hospital that Danny is in. No one knows where, what or how he is doing. Currently the CEO of Lexcorp is his sister and the only news anyone has about him is that he is fine(He knows she is hiding something but it's more of worried lying rather than evil lying).

That is of course until a few days ago when millions of nanobots sprung out of nowhere from all across the planet. The nanobots just fly out into the sky in multiple little patches and just stay unmoved. The next 24 hours has probably been the most stressed any of the JL members has been for the past 6 months. Suddenly, just as if on a timer, all the nanobots move and swarm down towards the ground.

Mass panic happens all around the world except people realize that the nanobots don't do anything to them. They merely pass through them except a few people every once in a while. The JL members rush to stop the nanobots from whatever they are doing but no matter how they try, it is just impossible to find a way to destroy all of them or deactivate them in a short time.

Suddenly multiple screams sounded all around the world. All of them come from people that had the nanobots enter their body. The JL is powerless to stop whatever is happening and can only watch in horror as one by one people fall to the ground screaming in pain. The more proficient JL members check their condition and find out that all these people have one of their back bones broken into complete powder, making them into vegetables.

The 1 hour of horror ended exactly as the remaining nanobots declare loudly in a robotic voice

"GHOST HUNTERS EXTERMINATED"

And then, all of the nanobots just turn to dust like none of them ever existed. A few days later, the Lexcorp PR group came out to announce that Danny has successfully awoken thanks to Lex's dedicated research.

All the JL members have suspicion that Lex is behind the nanobots but they can't find any evidence that he is the one behind them. Later that month, Phantom is seen back in action and people later forget about the incident.

The underworld though never forgets and they all have reached a common consensus. Never pissed off Lex again.

[orbitalpython]

It's not like it mattered anyway?

< (2) >

Bruce should've expected this. Damian had been very quiet the last couple of days. After all it's not everyday you see a black hair and blue eyed teenager popping up in popularity. But something about this specific black haired blue eyed teenager caught Damian's attention. Something that is never good. So Bruce took the liberty of bugging EVERYTHING. So that Bruce wouldn't be surprised but...

There are a million things he should have expected but, Now that he's here chasing that teenager he realizes two things. 1.) Nobody ever makes Damian go AWOL and 2.) Daniel Fenton looks striking like him. So Bruce did some "investigations" into the Fenton's history. History in Salem witch trials regarding Jack Fentonightingale. Ghost research in being self proclaimed "experts" in Ectobiology. And... DANIEL FENTON - ADOPTED

BIRTH FATHER - BRUCE WAYNE

how had he missed this?

Jack and Maddie just got back from the school after hearing what happened. Assassins and Danny's apparent brother has come to "Take him home" whatever THEIR son interpreted that as must have meant nothing good. But when they opened the door to his room... Nothing empty. Glow in the dark stars? Gone. Space posters? Removed. Clothes? Missing. The room looks exactly like a guest bedroom.

So they went down to the basement and the site left them shocked. the basement looked normal. No portal, no weapons not even the various inventions that usually lay scattered around nor the patents and blueprints remained. Fenton Works seemed to just not exist anymore. Soon shouting came from up above recognizable voices Danny's friends.

"DANNY? BRO YOU HERE?" Tucker and Sam arrived later than Danny did. " Hey Tucker and Sam." Maddie said as she walked up from the basement "Was... Did you two see Danny by any chance?" "No, it's like Danny erased any and all reference of himself." Tucker said looking at the school student list. "Hey... you... guys seen Danny... yet?" Jazz said coming in haggard and out of breath.

[stealingyourbones]

Ever since Danny figured out how to master making portals he started using the Ghost Zone as Hammerspace. Every once in a while an object disappears from his hammerspace but he's still working on figuring out the kinks of it all. Bruce Wayne, midway through a drive to a gala, has a glowing green portal open to the side of him and a device like something he's never seen before falls out of it. He asks Alfred to stop the car. Bruce calls up to the Watchtower for someone to bring the unknown weapon(?) from an unknown dimension up to containment. He’ll deal with it when he returns from the Gala. 

[livinghalfway]

Bury Him with the Roses Pt. 2

Masterlist

Summary: Damian learns that his twin is alive only to learn that he was dead and buried a few hours before his impromptu arrival to the Fenton household. When he goes to visit Danyal's final resting place he finds two individuals digging up his brother's grave.  Word Count: 1129

A four hour flight. 

His brother was only a four hour flight away, and yet it has been five years since they’ve last seen each other. Damian isn’t sure why Danyal hasn’t reached out to him. Sure, his brother did not get to learn the name of their father, but there is no way he was able to avoid the Wayne name. Danyal must have seen the announcement of him joining the family, or at least a picture of him with them after all these years. 

The town had some kind of media block, but that only pertained to hiding information coming out of Amity Park, not going in. It was frankly a miracle that Damian even found the article about the gorillas. 

Whoever put the block up was good admittedly, but there was nothing Oracle couldn't crack into. A single crack in the wall, and it all came crumbling down. 

The "ghost" attacks, the GIW, Phantom,  but most importantly the Fenton's. So much information was now available to them, and yet the only thing he searched for was the address of his brother's home. That was the only thing that mattered. 

Which is why Damian finds himself in the Wayne private plane not even an hour later with his Father and Dick sitting next to him. The others stay behind to look after Gotham, and investigate more about the strangeness of Amity Park. While making sure to give them any useful information about the Fenton’s they find.

From what has been found so far doesn’t paint the most stable of households, and Damian has every intention of taking Danyal home with them when they leave for Gotham.  He’s … he’s excited to show his twin the life he’s built; that he has changed for the better from the boy that he once was. 

“So, Damian,” Dick snaps him out of his thoughts, “What was Danyal like? With all the chaos I don’t think anyone got the chance to ask about him.”

With this question Bruce becomes much more attentive to what is happening around him. In a voice far too soft for Damian as he speaks nostalgically about his twin and their youth, “Danyal was as skilled with a blade as he was kind. Ra’s did everything he could to take that gentle nature from him, but nothing ever phased him. Despite striving in the league, it was obvious how much he hated being there. … He would have loved it in the manor.” 

“He still has plenty of time to make the manor a home.” Dick reassures him. “It sounds like you really admire him.” 

A humorless laugh escapes his throat at those words. “I hated him. Danyal was so much better than I was, and yet he never cared for Ra’s or Mother’s approval. By the time I truly recognized that we were never meant to be rivals he was already gone.” 

Damian hopes that with this second chance he’ll be able to make up for all the years spent being jealous of the only other person who truly knows what his childhood was like. Someone who should have been a confidant was instead seen as nothing more than a competitor. 

He knows why Danyal didn’t reach out, it’s because of him. Damian’s sure of it. 

“Dami, do you care about Danyal?” 

“...Yes.” 

“Then just talk to him. I’m sure you two can get through this together.” 

Damian hopes so; he wants to get to know his brother. He’s not going to miss out on this second chance to do so. 

-

It’s late by the time the three of them finally reach the Fenton household; the sun is already beginning to set. 

The building itself looks like one big safety hazard. Damian is honestly surprised that it’s liveable. Walking up to the front door he notes just how filthy the doorstep is. Dirt covered shoes and gloves lay littered about. He silently takes note of all of this as Bruce knocks firmly on the door. 

To everyone else you would think the man is as cool as ice, to Damian though he can recognize the signs of nervousness and worry coming from his Father. No doubt feeling unsteady from the fact that they have the bare minimum amount of information for what they’re about to walk into.

Heavy footsteps can now be heard from inside now. 

When the door opens it is to the face of Danyal’s adoptive father, Jack Fenton. The man looks tired; his shoulders are slumped and a melancholy smile graces his face. 

“Oh! Bruce Wayne? Hello! Is there anything I can do for you folks?” Jack asks as he looks between the three of them, obviously confused by their presence. His eyes widen when his gaze lands on Damian. “Danny?”

“That’s actually what we’re here to talk about,” Bruce clears his throat before continuing. “It was recently discovered that my son Damian and Daniel could possibly be twins. We’re here to confirm if that is true or not.” 

Strangely Jack looks almost relieved at those words.”Come- come inside.This conversation might be better done inside.” 

As they are led inside towards the living room Jack calls out for his wife Madeline that they have guests; notably not calling for Danyal as well. While they get situated in their seats Damian takes this time to take a look around the room for signs of his brother. 

He sees photos of his twin all along the walls, in most of them he was standing next to the Fenton's daughter, Jasamine. As he looks through his eye eventually notices a red blossom of some sort lying innocently under one of the side tables. 

It’s unlike any flower he’s ever seen before. Just as he’s about to ask about it, Madeline finally joins them in the living room as well. Her eyes widened too once looking at Damian. It looks like she’s about to say something, but before she can Jack quickly whispers something in her ear. 

Dick, who is sitting next to him, gently squeezes his shoulder as the Fentons sit across from them, and is the first to speak up, “Should we wait and get Danny to join us before we start this?”

The two Fenton’s look towards one another with pained expressions; a silent conversation occurs between them at that moment. After a few tense seconds Madeline quietly speaks up, “That … will not be necessary. Danny is- We- I’m sorry to be the one to tell you after you’ve traveled all the way here, but Danny is no longer with us, in fact we laid him to rest just a couple hours ago.” 

At those words Damian knows that he had just lost his second chance to reconcile with his brother. 

[kitkatscabinet]

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'VE SEEN A GHOST

Requested by @/rainbowstar

Summary: You were dead... weren't you?

Pairings: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne x gn! reader.

A/N: Unedited. Can you tell I sort of ran out of steam by Bruce :(

DICK GRAYSON

Blood stained his suit, his hands, drips from his hairline and over his domino mask. His blood sluggishly oozes from the various cuts littering his body, but it’s Slade’s blood that soaks the rooftop.

It’s Slade’s blood that’s splattered across his face and heaving chest like a macabre painting. Yet somehow, the ounces of blood spilled still pales in comparison to the sight that had greeted Dick in your apartment months ago. He still sees it in his nightmares, the blood, your blood saturating what was supposed to be your safe haven.

Slade’s gargled laughter that fills the air as he spits out mouthfuls of red tinged saliva. It’s Slade lying at his feet, at his mercy.

Mercy.

The thought of sparing the madman still smirking wickedly up at him, of granting any form of leniency for his crimes reinvigorates Dick’s fierce anger.

Slade won’t beg for mercy and Dick won’t grant it. Two truths they both know. Slade won’t beg like you wouldn’t have, and Dick won’t give any, the way Slade hadn’t.

Neither of them spoke as Dick pressed Slade’s own blade against the man’s neck, the thin scarlet line of blood that forms trickling down his skin quickly with the increase in pressure.

"Always knew you had it in you, boy wonder." There's an ounce of smug satisfaction in his tone that has him pressing the blade further into his neck.

"You seem awfully relaxed for a man on death's door." Dick sneers.

"I'm not too concerned with your ability to follow through."

Dick sees red, his arm swinging back, ready to dole out his vengeance, when a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist from behind, twisting it behind his back as a foot kicked his knee out.

He lands harshly on a knee, dropping the sword, he braces both hands on the ground, lashing out with his good leg. The assailant grunts but catches his foot forcing Dick to wrench himself free.

Slade doesn't rejoin the fight, which sets off all sorts of warning bells. Yet they all go ignore the second Dick lays eyes on his attacker. The bottom half of their face is covered by a mask, but their eyes, your eyes, are on display. Only there's no recognition there, only a cold and calculating gaze.

"Gorgeous, aren't they? Do you like my new masterpiece, Grayson?" Slade mocks, and Dick lunges, only to be stopped once more, by you.

He squeezes his eyes shut, yet when he opens them you're still there, still staring at him with those cold, dead eyes.

He's still stuck in this nightmare.

JASON TODD

Jason has a lot of regrets in his life. None so big as Ethiopia, than you. He regrets going to say goodbye to you before leaving, and more than anything he regrets letting you convince him to take you with him.

Jason's drowning in regrets but he could never regret loving you, not even if the pain of losing you was a raw wound that would never heal.

He hadn't forgiven Bruce for not killing the Joker for him. He'd begrudgingly come to accept Bruce's reasoning, but he'd never accept it, not after what that psycho had done to you.

He'd promised the Bat he'd stop killing, but as far as Jason was concerned, the next time the Joker busted out of Arkham, it was open season.

Yet annoyingly, every time it happens, one of his nosy family members is suddenly hanging off his arm. It's like they know what he's planning and make it their personal mission to ruin his day.

Not this time.

It's like fate had suddenly decided to smile down on him for once instead of mercilessly fucking him.

He'd been the closest to the asylum when news of the breakout hit the police scanners, and he'd be damned if anyone fucked this up for him.

It's not that hard to hunt down the clown, not when his grating cackles ring out through the air.

"Hoodie!" The madman greeted excitedly, laughing at the sight of the gun raised and aimed at the space between his eyes. "We both know you won't, don't wanna piss off daddy Bat— " A shot rings out, and Jason watches, stunned, as the Joker slumps, his brains splattering across the road.

"Hood!" Nightwing's caught up already, great.

"Wasn't me." He denies, the two vigilantes watching as a figure emerges from the shadows, a booted foot nudging the Joker before they empty a clip into the Joker's body.

Jason's in too much disbelief and more than a little satisfaction to chase after the masked individual but Dick isn't. He lunges with his Escrima raised, yet even Jason can tell there's not too much heat behind his actions.

Their masks slip off in the ensuing tussle, and Jason freezes in his tracks. Your name falls from his lips in disbelief. He watches with his heart in his throat as your face scrunches up in confusion.

"Who the fuck is that?"

TIM DRAKE

He can't remember the last time he slept, nor will he, not until he's found you. His family are worried, he sees the pitying glances they throw his way as they try to get him to rest, to pull him away from his all-consuming quest to find you.

Dick had even resorted to sedating him once, Tim wasn't stupid enough to fall for that one again.

They say that you're dead. That he needs to give up his useless search because you're not coming back. Tim had nearly broken Damian's arm for saying that.

He doesn't care that the amount of blood covering that warehouse, all your blood, would have been impossible to survive losing. He doesn't care that you've been legally pronounced dead because he refused to believe it. As far as Tim is concerned, until he sees your body, you're alive.

He knows he's been more violent than acceptable lately. Tim can't find it in himself to care that he may have permanently disabled a few of Penguin's goons, if anything, he wishes they were dead. One of these lowlives knows what happened to you, where you are.

It's Damian who finds him, kneeling in the warehouse he'd lost you, fingers lightly tracing the old blood stains.

"Drake." The usual scorn Damian reserved solely for him wasn't present for once but the disapproval is still evident.

"Not now, Robin." His tone is cutting, he's too exhausted to fight right now. Not here.

"Father needs you, the Court —"

"Good thing he has you and everyone else then." Tim scowled.

"What's this? Some baby birds far from the nest?" It's all the warning he gets before he has to spin and block an incoming blade. Speak of the devil. Talons.

Damian and Tim do their best to fend off their attackers, but Tim's so exhausted he's practically deadweight and they just keep coming.

He hears a yelp, Damian goes down, and he's too far away to help. Panic flares, he moves, but he's too slow. He's going to lose someone else in this godforsaken building. Except suddenly, one of the Talons is turning on their own.

Beggars can't be choosers. He'll deal with the rogue Talon later, but for now, they just have to survive.

When the dust settles, Tim's got all sorts of questions, none of which he gets the chance to ask when they remove their mask, and it's your face glaring at him.

"Why are you looking for me?"

Tim's not sure whether to laugh or cry. He does both.

BRUCE WAYNE

For years, he'd been afraid to let someone in, let someone get close for fear of them being used against him. But you were persistent and refused to let him push you away.

His children loved you. He loved you and when months passed without incident Bruce finally started to open up to you, to let you into his life and heart.

He promised to keep you safe and he did. For 8 years he'd kept you safe and protected. Nobody ever made the connection between you and Batman, none of his rogues ever even thought to target you.

But he'd let his guard down, he'd forgotten that Gotham was a cesspool of misery seemingly determined to ruin his life.

It's not the Joker that takes you from him. It's not the Joker or Two-Face or the Penguin or Freeze. It's not any of the various villains he's tangled with over the years

It's a stranger with a gun. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. A simple coffee date with one of your friends in a small cafe had ended with you dead, lying in the morgue, with Bruce having to make the identification. Having to tell his children why you're not coming home. Why you'll never come home again.

He moves listlessly through his days, refusing to plan your funeral or let anyone else do it. He knows he needs to put you to rest, but doing so will make it even more real.

Just another regret of his. 9 days after your death, he gets the call, your body is missing.

Bruce Wayne drowns publicly in his grief. Batman ruthlessly rains down his fury on the criminals of Gotham.

He tears through the streets like a hurricane, practically annihilating every gang and every low-life criminal apart on his hunt to find whoever took you.

Talia insists it wasn't the League; Jason rips his way through them anyway. Bruce doesn't dissuade him from the killing.

The JLA try to intervene, but Bruce nearly kills Superman for his concern. The fight is bloody and brutal, with Bruce inflicting weeks of fury and grief on his friend.

His knuckles are bloody, probably broken from Clark's stupid Kryptonian body when a voice, the voice he'd been hearing pleading for him in his nightmares screams at him.

He turns just in time to receive a wooden baseball bat to the jaw.

It would have been easy to dodge, to block or disarm them. But Bruce is so stunned by the appearance of a person with your face that he lets the attack land.

It's Superman who disarms you, attempting to calm you down as he defends Batman. Defends Batman because you, the person resembling you, don't seem to recognise Clark, let alone your own husband.

Bruce doesn't care, he hugs you tightly against him, face buried in your neck, even as you squeak and writhe in offence. To which he can't help but smile.

Memory or not. This is you, and he's never letting you go again.

[p-seduonym]

Switched at Birth (Part Two)

A/N: I swear I'll get into the yandere stuff (...eventually) I just trying a slow burn for now. Anyway please enjoy and credit goes to @luludeluluramblings for her Switched at Birth Concept.

Yandere!Batfam X Switched! Fem! Reader X Yandere! Wayne! OC

It didn’t take much for Melissa to slot herself into your daily routine. 

If anything, you encouraged it. 

Not at that very moment– no introducing her to her birth parents would have been dampened by your steely yet teary eyed look. So you both settled with Melissa giving you her phone number and contact information before she left. That night, after the sun had long past set, Melissa Wayne lingered just outside the fence. Between the mailbox and the well-loved swing set, she seemed to consider saying something, but decided not to at the last moment. You waved goodbye, only noticing after she was gone that she never touched her cup of tea. 

When your family returned, you kept quiet. It didn’t feel right to reveal something so monumental without her there. Instead, you idly picked at your dinner, nodding along to the usual chatter before excusing yourself to your childhood room.

There, surrounded by bits and bobbles of your past, you searched for Melissa Wayne.

She was hardly the most well-known member of the Wayne family. No dazzling athletic achievements like the ever-sociable Dick Grayson. No reputation for intellect like the prodigious Tim Drake. Nothing set her apart from the others—aside from her biological claim to Bruce Wayne. Even then, Damian seemed to command most of the media’s attention. She wasn’t the only daughter either—Cassandra Cain existed, thrived, and even had a legacy of her own. She didn’t even carry the infamy of a black sheep like Jason Todd.

Melissa Wayne, for all intents and purposes, was a ghost.

A presence overshadowed.

Leaning back in your desk chair, you considered her.

She never even said what tea she liked—maybe she didn’t like tea at all, just being polite. But why? Politeness only makes sense up to a point, then it’s just—what? Habit? A performance? Maybe she just didn’t like coffee. You’d get that, it’s an acquired taste. Or maybe she thought it was too late for coffee, but then, tea has caffeine too, so—what was the point?

You closed your various tabs and looked around.

What about her room? It must have been massive. You’ve only seen the Wayne manor in pictures, but even then all of it seemed a bit much. Did Melissa’s room have that amount of muchness? Maybe it did or maybe it didn’t– you’re not sure which you would prefer. A barren room, filled with nothing but hope and loneliness, or a clustered room filled with everything that had not been acknowledged?

Thinking of both simultaneously made you dizzy so you settled into bed. That is, not before sending a text to her, “12 o’clock, diner on mainstreet. I’ll be there.  Will you come?”

You woke up the next morning to the reply, “Yes, I will”

Melissa, seemingly, didn’t know how to dress casually.

Sitting in the tiny hole-in-the-wall diner, fondly dubbed "The Second Cup," you spotted her before she saw you. Her sharp, polished look—a polo tennis dress paired with a diamond bracelet—clashed awkwardly with the diner's cozy, unpretentious charm. Yet, despite the elegance of her attire, her expression was anything but composed. Simpering, demure—almost out of place. Then, her sad, puppy-dog eyes found you. She took a seat across from you. You wisely ordered only ice water for the table.

“You’re here” She started, carefully.

“Yes? I asked you to come, remember?”

“I know. I just thought–” She cut herself off, “Never mind.”

“Sorry about last night. I haven’t cried since I was five, y’know? But it’s not fair when I’m the one crying”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“Still, you didn’t even get to meet them. M-Your family, I mean.”

“Mmhmm, I knew it wouldn’t be right away. It’s a lot to take in”

Humming, you stirred your drink with a straw.

“That’s no good, y’know?”

“What is?”

“Acting like that. It’s too stiff– like you gotta understand everything and everyone all the time”

“I don’t understand”

“Look, this is kinda messed up, right? You got a right to say that,”

“I…I know”

“If you know, then come on. Say what you feel. I can’t be the only one thinking this is crazy.”

Melissa’s balled hands clenched on her lap.

“No…it is crazy….awful really”

“Yeah?”

“It’s awful and I’m upset, but also…”

“What?”

“I’m relieved”

You leaned back in your chair.

“Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, who would want a family like that?”

Melissa looks up, and you think she might defend them for a moment. Instead, you saw a flicker of resentment.

“No one would”

At that moment you could only think a single thought.

‘How cute’

But it left you blinking confusedly at yourself. What an odd thought. Regardless, you reached over and took her tightly clenched fist in your hand. Gently unwinding her tense digits, you held her hand in yours.

“Hey, you don’t have to do this right away. And you're not alone. I promise, I’ll be here”

Melissa looked down at your hands.

“...Okay”

In the end, she didn’t tell her parents.

“I don’t want to shock them. It’s not the right time” She reasoned.

You didn’t argue with her. Rather you suggested she come to dinner that evening.

“You’ll get to know them and they’ll get to know you. I won’t tell them. But it’s your choice, alright?”

You sounded so sure, that it was hard to say no. So she said yes.

A/N: I tried to make Reader like Bruce with their habit of adopting people, but I'm not sure if that was too obvious or too subtle. Anyway, I update sporadically so sorry for not be consistent.

[flamingpudding]

You need an adult. - I am an adult!

Danny in human age is an adult. He was a 24 years old adult that only recently started working in the Arospace Department of Wayne Enterprise. Human wise he was by all means an adult, with the paper trail to support it.

The only problem was. His ghost form.

Despite his human side having aged just fine and giving him a fine, build like a Brickhouse, body that came close to Dan's hulking ghost form. His ghost side was still stuck on looking like his fourteen years old self, small and build like a twig. Pandora, Frostbite and Clockwork had tried teaching him how to manipulate his own ectoplasm so he can finally adjust his ghost looks. But so far... that was a skill he has yet to master successfully.

Now, usually, that wouldn't be a problem. But considering he only recently found out two of his bosses also worked with the Justice League who happened to know him as Phantom, it spelled problems.

Because the Justice League was convinced he was a forever 14 years old dead ghost hero who is using one of his many powers to appear like a human adult. He only went human on them like twice for undercover missions. He saw no problem in them knowing about his human half. Ancients all his rogues and the entirety of the Infinite Realms knew of it already anyway.

But you make one to many jokes about deadly situations or act just a bit to childish one to many times with them and you are seen as child forever! Go figure why Danny had so many problems with authority figures is whole life.

They were the once thinking his human half was just another power! He never said it was!

And now here he was, sitting in the office of one of his bosses. Faced with the two of them trying to clear up the misunderstanding of a decade. Ancients they are convinced his paper trail is fake just because Phantom had Tucker on his team. A team that had already established their talents years ago, when they worked with the JL for the first time.

Wait.... why was Bruce Wayne pulling out adoption papers?

I dont need an adult! I am an adult!

[caffeinatedvigilantewriter]

Dani as one of the bats.

Bruce finds a white haired girl floating above Gotham, talks to her, realizes she doesn’t have a home, and decides to take her in temporarily when she accidentally admits that a government branch is after her. And quickly realizes that she is half human.

By the time that Bruce takes down the GIW, hes attached, and decides to officially adopted Danielle Fenton- now Danielle Martha Wayne. The headlines reads ‘BRUCE WAYNE ADOPTS ORPHANED GIRL’. A rumored new hero called the Green Ghoul hit the streets, and Gotham has never been safer.

When Dani turned 13, he took her to Haley’s Circus and they came back with Dick Grayson. Robin enters the chat. Batgirl follows soon after.

Jason was brought to the manor when Dani was 21 and Dick was 16. Dick was not pleased. Dani was. Jason reminded her of Jazz. And new Robin dons the mask and Bludhaven gets their very own hero. When Jason died Dani she went to the Infinite Realms to look for him. She didn’t find him. Jason was alive.

Dani was 24 when Bruce gets another Robin. She’s very supportive of Tim, he reminds her of Tucker. She’s not mad about Robin, she knows Jason’s alive.

Dani convinces Steph to train with them, and Spoiler suddenly has new high tech equipment.

Barbara gets paralyzed when Dani is 26. The Joker is never seen again. No one can prove it was her, but they all know.

Dani is 27 when Jason returned, and his reintegration into the family is smooth with weekly health checks with Frostbite and ghost therapy.

Cass follows soon after, and Dani gets another sister. Soon Black Bat is Gothams most feared vigilante

She’s 28 when Damian joins the colony, all mighty and proud. Dick is desperate to have a good relationship with him. Dick is not the one who takes the cowl. Dani is.

Bruce returns and Dani all but throws the cowl at her. Green Ghoul is back on the streets.

Duke joins and Signal is grappling from rooftops. When his powers form, Dani is the one training him.

Just Dani as the eldest bat :))

Bonus!

Dani so 30 when a five year old Danny stumbles into her apartment. Rouge GIW agents have gotten ahold of him. Soon, the papers are printing ‘ELDEST WAYNE GIRL HIDES SON FOR FIVE YEARS’

If you use this idea plz tag me and comment :)))

[celestialgalaxyglow]

Batfam and Danny, Part 41

Damian: Alfred why didn't you ever marry?

Alfred: ...Straight forward as ever Master Damian.

Dick: No he has a good point, why did you never marry?

Jason: We've seen pictures of your younger self, you could have had anyone you wantted.

Alfred: In all honestly I never married because I never found anyone to marry.

Steph: How?

Alfred: I've never found anyone endearing, to me everyone is just meh.

Cass: So you're aroace?

Alfred: I do belief that's the term you kids would use now adays to refer to those like me, yes.

Tim: Does that mean your a- Tim cut himself off.

Alfred (deadpan): No Timothy Drake-Wayne, I am not a virgin, I have partaken in intercourse with women and men. Mostly experimenting but nothing ever came of it.

Duke: Could you have a kid running around?

Alfred: Doubt it, I always took the proper precisions.

Danny: He doesn't.

Dick: How you know?

Danny: The soul can tell you a lot about a person, including how many biological children a person has, Alfred has zero.

Alfred: Well I already doubted I had children but it's reassuring to get confirmation. Though I did think about adoption once. Thomas and Martha were supportive of the idea, said I could continue to stay at the Manor and raise the kid here. But that plan went out the window after they died... I took over as Bruce's guardian and well thought him as my own.

Bruce (walking into the room, his arm in a arm sling, a bandages around his head): I am yours.

Alfred: Bruce Wayne why are you out of bed? Didn't I tell you to rest after your fall last night?

Bruce (sheepishly): But-

Alfred: Don't make me call Clark, Diana, and Selina. You know they'll be here in a split second to take care of you.

Bruce (terrified): Please don't...

Everyone looked at Alfred.

Alfred: Fine, Bruce is my son.

Bruce (slightly red): The first time I called you dad was so embarrassing.

Cass: What happened?

Alfred: This happened when Bruce was 16. Bruce was sick, and was burning up a fever, and in his delirium he called me dad, before falling asleep. I was shocked and just adjusted his blanket before going to my room, not sure how to feel about it. I slept and had a dream where I felt like Thomas and Martha would be ok, no happy, that Bruce would have me as his dad. The next morning when I checked in on Bruce he was being quiet, avoiding looking at me directly, so I knew he remembered what he said and told him that I was ok with him calling me dad.

Bruce: I was so happy.

Jason: Danny?

Danny: Sometimes when ghosts feel strongly enough something, that can influence the dreams of people those feelings are about. So I would guess that Thomas and Martha are happy that Bruce sees Alfred like a dad.

Bruce: See dad, dad and mom are ok with me calling you dad.

Alfred: Well I'm sure that they don't love that you're out of bed while injured. So go off to bed.

Bruce (smiling): Ok, love you dad, love you kids.

Alfred: Love you too son.

The Kids: Love you dad.

Danny: Love you gramps.

(Master Post)

p.s. I am aware of Alfred's cannon daughter, Julia Pennyworth, but she is does not exist in my AU.

[thevoidstaredback]

Part 2

Danny had counted himself lucky that no one had been in the Manor when he'd arrived. It gave him time to stew in the silence about his unwilling occupation of the apartment sized room he'd be staying in. As soon as Alfred and Damian had left earlier with a threat to come and get him for dinner, he'd locked the door and pushed the dresser and bed in front of it.

Just because he was stuck there for the next three months didn't mean he had to interact with anyone. He'd live up to his half status as a ghost and be nothing more than a passing thought for the whole summer.

Now if only everyone else had gotten the memo to stay away.

Apparently, at some point between his arrival and where he now finds himself, Damian and/or Alfred had announced to the rest of the household - former and current - who Danny was and that he'd be staying with them. Luckily, they'd been so kind as to give him a room far away from the others. Unfortunately, that meant that he was only a floor above them all.

Someone had tried to open his door barely and hour ago, calling to be let in so he could introduce himself. Danny ignored him, not saying a word. Eventually, the guy left. About ten minutes later, someone else tried to get in through one of the windows. Danny hadn't been able to do much more than lock those and close the blinds. Though, he had to admit that Bruce Wayne spared nothing on his home security.

Ever since, he'd had several people come to his door, calling for him to open it, that they just wanted to say 'hi'. He studiously ignored all of them, even going so far as to lock himself in the walk-in closet. It wasn't too big a space, thank god, but it was just enough for him to comfortably curl into the fetal position in the back corner of the top shelf.

Being a clone gave him the advantage of having the same memories as whoever he'd been cloned from. While that didn't extend to muscle memory, that had been easy to rectify, Deathstroke and Talia had both made sure of that.

Being half dead gave him the extra advantage of powers to hide better.

Ever wonder why, in the stories and myths, people are almost never able to see a ghost by looking head on? It's because ghosts don't like to be seen. They use a mix of intangibility and partial invisibility to redirect attention from themselves. Rattling chains, opening and closing doors, pushing things off shelves, that's all just to get attention away from them so they can hide.

So, Danny's hidden himself in the farthest corner on the top shelf in a medium sized closet with the lights off and the door closed. The room proper has the windows locked and covered, the door locked and blocked.

He doesn't need to eat, so long as he stays a ghost. And if he doesn't consume anything, then there's no waste for his body to get rid of. And, because he's comfortable, he could totally just sleep the entire summer away.

That is, if he can get himself to relax enough to actually close his eyes for more than a blink.

One of the windows shattered, likely spreading glass all over the floor.

"Danny?" While all the others had been male voices, this one was female. A smooth alto. "I broke your window."

He almost snorted. How very observant of this person.

They, because he wasn't going to assume based solely off of how their voice sounds, were getting close to the closet. "That's a good hiding place you have there. Though, blocking the door was a bit much. Why'd you stick around if you so obviously don't want to be here?"

Because he'd rather not have the League of Assassins on his trail for leaving his 'vacation' early, thank you very much. He didn't say that, though.

The door cracked open. "Y'know, I used to hide in the closet in my room all the time. From what Dick tells me, so did the others." They giggled. "It's kinda like a rite of passage."

Danny cringed, though he didn't move. This was nice spot, no matter what Alto over there was implying.

The door opened fully, revealing the person who'd broken in. They had black hair cropped to their chin, a blue tank-top and black leggings. "My name's Cassandra, but you can call me 'Cass'," they said, "Can I come in?"

They weren't looking at him, but he shook his head anyway. They'd found him, so they could probably see through walls or some shit.

They closed the door, sitting on the floor with their back to it. "Damian told us that you're his brother-"

"He is not my brother," he hissed, "Not in the way they want us to be."

Cassandra leaned her head against the door, looking up but not at him. "Hm. Want to explain?"

He didn't speak.

"Okay. You don't have to." A pause. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Piss off," he growled.

"Okay, okay," their tone aggravated him. Why weren't they getting angry? They didn't leave.

Danny settled deeper into the corner. He'd spent way to long waiting to be beaten at a contest in stall tactics.

Though, even he knew when to recognize a good competition. This was going to be a long night.

Part 4

[luminatricky]

Vampire? In Gotham! (part 2)

Summary: Danny arrives, sees something Concerning, meets Batman, tries not to fight Batman. Nope not going to rogue it up here, no thank you.

Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Danny Fenton, John Constantine & Danny Fenton

for context, phenes are letters in Ghostwriting, and you can do necromantic magic with them if you know how

As soon as he's within a five mile vicinity of Gotham, Danny has to stop and deeply consider his afterlife decisions.

PhantomMenace: what the FUCK is wrong with this place.

PhantomMenace: John.

PhantomMenace: I know you know how many generational curses are set in the very foundations. And not the abusive cycle kind.

PhantomMenace: who had the goddamn PATIENCE for this

PhantomMenace: who carves THIS MANY phenes into THAT MUCH wet concrete??

PhantomMenace: we'd have to blow up the whole city to unfuck this!!

PhantomMenace: when I find whoever did this I don't know if I'm going to kill them a second time, or make out with them immediately

PhantomMenace: they've clearly ascended to levels of spite I can only dream of, I've to at least respect that

God's Favorite Whore: For my sake I hope you kill them. Gross.

PhantomMenace: 💚

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

Night time in Gotham is beautiful, even without the view of the stars.

Danny finds himself exploring from the rooftops. Old Gothic architecture spins for miles; spidering out from the tallest buildings are gargoyles reminiscent of what he knows of cathedrals. Below him, the city comes alive in a flurry of motion.

The cars slow to a trickle, but foot traffic picks up. Well-dressed people in their 20s hit the bars, swaying and laughing with their friends. Danny takes note with a smile that they're all armed, and at least one person in each group seems to be as sober as a stone. Keeping safe and having fun.

The night workers hit the streets, and little skinny kids of all ages weave in between bodies like leaves in flowing water. Handing off things Danny can't see to the people on the street corners, laughing and joking and pushing each other, never straying too far to allies or the side of the road. Not ever being without at least one other. It's sad to see they have to protect each other like that, but that's life, and it seems they're living it.

Blob ghosts make unseen mischief. There's a second layer of traffic - blobs spinning a foot in the air above everyone else, catching stray emotions and fat and happy off the ambient ectoplasm. Danny's never seen any blob in a color other than radioactive green, but the ones in Gotham are all different shades of red. He wonders if the curses here might be a factor. And if his condenser will be stained red from now on.

Danny spots something strange the longer he looks. He slips off the edge of the building, walking down its side to the alley below. He slips into partial invisibility to not startle anyone not already looking for him, and peaks out the mouth of the alley.

Shades walk down the streets side by side with the human Gothamites. They give the human-looking ghosts a wide berth, but otherwise no one acknowledges them. He tracks the figures with his eyes, hating the blank look in each of them. He's sure that they're not even properly looking at anything. They go through anyone and everything in their paths intangibly. He sees several people shiver and look around confused, before walking off, visibly more tired looking than before.

Danny unclips his condenser from his belt to check if his dinner's ready. He startles a bit at the unfamiliar red, but shrugs. He's hungry. The blobs are having a blast despite how evil the air is. He should be fiiiine.

Taking a deep gulp, Danny returns his attention to the Shades, wary of what this new behavior means. He quickly does a rough count of humans, and then the strange Neverborns in the street. And oh boy. He does not like how the math is mathing.

In a normal, healthy population, there should only be one Shade per fifty humans. In Gotham? It's nearly one to one. He's never seen or heard of this. Danny wonders exactly how many people get mysteriously sick, or die of "natural causes" here.

Once he gets settled in, he'll have to go looking for the cause. Even in a crime ridden big city this isn't normal.

Danny takes another sip as he tears himself away from the mouth of the alley. He becomes fully visible as he steps into the shadows. He means to float up to the rooftops again, but a dull thump behind him has him zipping around on instinct.

Between him and the exit, a broad shouldered man rises from his feet. At first Danny thinks he's covered in shadows, but as his eyes quickly readjust to the level of light, he realizes that the man is just wearing a long dark cloak with a cowl. It covers his head and half his face, with two white beams of light staring impassively at him. It hurts to look at to be honest.

Danny tenses like a springtrap. John never gave him descriptions of any of the rogues, OR the bats. He doesn't know what he's dealing with right now, and he'd really rather not get into a brawl tonight. Humans don't do that to be friendly.

"Where did you get the blood?" The man demands. His voice is obviously modified to be deeper, but Danny thinks it might be naturally growly and inflectionless, as the man's body language or expression doesn't change.

He doesn't really think before he responds. The question throws him, okay? "Uh? Synthesizer?" Danny shakes his condenser some. It's only half full, so it only sloshes thickly against the sides instead of spilling. Suddenly feeling self-conscious about it, Danny caps it and reclips it to his belt.

He extends a hand to shake. "Name's Dante Nightingale. But people call me Danny."

The incredibly rude man doesn't shake his hand, OR introduce himself. All he gets in response is a minute head tilt that in other circumstances he would find adorable.

He rolls his eyes. "This is the part where you introduce yourself. Like a human."

The man grunts in acknowledgement. After an awkward moment, the man extends a (clawed!) hand from under his cape and grips Danny's own. "Batman."

Danny relaxes a smidge. "Nice. Cool. Heard about you and your Fraid. I'm told you're good people. thank you for not being a sentient shadow here to rob me." He lets go of the man's warm glove.

"Fraid?" Batman parrots, vaguely suspicious. Or curious. He's not sure.

"Um. It's like. Well, found family is the default in my culture, so we got a whole word for it. I didn't want to assume blood relations." Danny explains. "You've got a strong grip. Are the claws part of your suit or?" Danny flashes his own claws playfully.

"The suit." Batman says simply. "Why were you watching people from the alley?"

Danny leans back on his heels, clasping his hands behind his back, swaying back and forth. "Just flew in to town, I don't really know my way around yet. So I've been exploring on the rooftops so no one has the bright idea to mug the newbie." Danny stops swaying and folds his arms over his chest with a frown. "Then I noticed something wasn't right. Well. Other than how cursed you guys are. Actually? Might be related."

Batman's headlights narrow in a very convincing glare, so Danny tries to elaborate. "Shades really shouldn't be literally crawling through the streets. The non-physical, non-sentient psychic vampires? Yeah. I don't know if you can see this, but they're walking around in groups besides and through people. Which. They don't group up, and they don't typically go for crowded places. Shades thrive in privacy. They mimic whatever person accidentally made them, and lure loved ones alone. This whole thing is weird and probably not good."

Batman grunts again, head tilting slightly the opposite way. The little bit of silence lets Danny briefly contemplate if Batman is neurodivergent and not actually trying to be a brooding asshole. The older man's tone and facial expressions are flat, he doesn't seem to pick up on social cues, and he favors nonverbal communication. Danny makes a mental note to figure that out later if they ever meet again.

"What can we do?" Batman asks. Danny shrugs. Technically, it's not his problem unless they can't handle it themselves. "Justice League Dark this, I guess. Find me if they can't help. I'll give it the old college try if you ask."

Batman taps the side of his mask where the ear would be underneath. A quiet sound of static fills the alleyway. Batman full-body flinches at the sudden loud sound in his ear. The older man whirls to glare at Danny. The Halfa nearly chokes under the creepy, suddenly hostile gaze of the pinpricks of light.

"What did you do to my coms?" The man full on growls. The cloak is brushed aside as Batman takes out two throwing blades from his (bright yellow?) belt.

Danny's heartbeat races at the prospect of a brawl. Green light fills his vision and starts to cast a strange glow across the alley. His biology reacts, but his mind is screaming at him to put on the brakes. Do not fight the vigilantes! He's not being friendly! Do not the rogue!!

So he puts his hands up in surrender. "Woah woah woah! I can't control this, electronics just fritz around me! Hold on, just, I'll leave and they should be fine? I need to get back to my hotel anyways. Nice meeting you!"

Without waiting for a response Danny turns ghost tail. Which is to say, he turns invisible and flies through the building in the vague direction of said hotel. He flings himself into the soft, soft pillows, and tries to calm his ass down. No. No fighting. He does not need to be put in Arkham on his first day, or whatever.

Elsewhere, the coms crackle back to life.

"-atman?!"

"Oracle." He confirms.

"What happened? The boys are on their way, what's the sitch?"

"There's a vampire in Gotham."

[dcxdpdabbles]

Hi Drabbles,

I wanted to ask if you still do prompts and if you do can you do the one below?

So Danny is the Ghost King and was friends with Bruce’s parents so he felt when they died. They could become ghosts but I’ll leave that up to you. But either way, Danny feels their death and assists Alfred when he can to raise Bruce. Due Danny’s visits and Bruce’s holidays in the infinite realms they (Bruce and Alfred) became very Liminal. So they have slight powers. One day, Danny comes over with Ellie and Dan (who are like siblings to Bruce as both we deaged/destabilised and Danny raised them) but Bruce forgets he never told the newer kids about them as Danny hasn’t come over in a while. Dick has meet them, Jason has heard about of them but the rest don’t know about them.

There were three strangers in their house. Usually, that would be okay, as multiple people came and went through Wayne Manor. It was customary to hire random crews to help set up for a Gala, or maybe some representatives from the various charities they helped would come over for dinner or a meeting.

Sometimes, a few of Bruce's old party buddies would pop up to get him to stop being a dad and return to his party boy days. They've all learned how to dance around visitors and hide their identities.

The thing was, these strangers were kept from the main parts of the manor. Their rooms, the sitting lounge, Bruce's Office, Damian's art studio, Jason's library, Tim's game room, Cass' dance studio, and Duke's music record room were all inaccessible.

Bruce would always ask if someone attempted to sneak away and stop them. There was a time when paparazzi disguised themselves as crew members—the three idiots even got jobs at the cleaning company—and tried to see if they could find a scandal on the children.

Brucie Wayne was seen crying hysterically on the news that night for accidentally pushing down a piano on them. He was trying to take it up to the Music Room as a surprise for Duke and wanted to avoid bothering the cleaners to have them help him. He had no idea the rope he was using to drag the grand piano up the stairs would have snapped and rolled backward onto the paparazzi, who had previously been taking pictures of Cass practicing without her knowledge.

People told him not to feel bad, as Bruce had cameras in the hallways of his home due to the last time someone broke in, and it was obviously not his fault. Some people said they deserved it, but Bruce wouldn't hear it. He paid for all their medical bills and gave them enough funds to tie them over for three weeks while they recovered.

Everyone shook their heads at poor Bruce. After all, the piano had fallen so far that the only real harm was that each of them got a few bruises and a broken arm, but that was all.

The point was that no one went up there that shouldn't be.

Yet here, standing in the middle of the Gaming room, were three strangers who were all aggressively battling it out on an old remaster shooting game.

"This is way harder than I remember," said the oldest one, who seemed to be Alfred's age.

"That's cause you always sucked at games," The woman taunted, but her words were countered by the other man shooting her down. "Hey!"

"Ha!" Barked the last man from where he was twisting his elbows, moving alongside his running character. "I'm unstoppable!"

Tim turns to his siblings, about to ask them how they want to play the dramatic scene where they would throw these people out, but his words catch in his mouth upon spotting Cass' expression.

Her narrowed, guarded eyes watched the three with the same amount of steel she had reserved for only the worst of their enemies. Whoever they are, they set off so many alarms in her. She knows they're dangerous.

At once, this minor inconvenience turned into a severe risk to his health. He snaps back towards the strangers, tense and ready for battle. Around him, the rest of his siblings are in similar stances, quickly signing how they would attack.

What kind of message were they sending if someone on Cass's danger scale was able to break in undetected and choose to play with their things? Was it a show of what they could do? Claim that they could beat the Bats without really trying?

The woman's eyes snap towards them so fast she could have been a speedster. He had even noticed her turning around; one second, she was back to them. The next, she was half-turned, staring at them. It looked like a poorly edited video. Everyone jumps, but all she does is smile. "Hey, it's Bruce's kids! Anyone want to call the winner?"

The older gentleman drops his control, turns around to fully face them, and gasps. He puts one hand on his chest and the other right above his mouth. "Look at them! There are so many! Alfred must be so excited to be a grandfather. Why aren't you two giving me grandbabies?"

"Ugh, not this again." The man sighs, continuing to play despite the fact that the other two are no longer paying attention.

"It's fine time you find someone nice." The other protested.

"I'm not nice," Countered the player. "I highly doubt someone would want to find me."

"That's not true, Dan. Most of my co-workers want your number, " the woman chirps. "Also, stay away from my office. It's gross."

"Aren't half of your office married?"

"That's why I said most, you idiot."

"Just for that, I'm going to your office dressed like a romance novel protagonist. The modern professor who goes home for the holidays and finds his humanity again. I'll have a trench coat and everything."

"How dare you. Then I'll strut by your friends in a bikini."

"That's mean. It's not Halloween; there is no need to scare them."

"I'll kill you-"

"Enough! Honestly, you two, you're in your late thirties. Stop bickering."

"No matter how old we are, Dani will always be my little sister."

"Aw. " Dani poses the same as the older man—hand on chest, hand over mouth—and looks close to tears. "I love you too, you big waste of space."

Cass creeps into the room, somehow vanishing from view as the three strangers chat. Tim is still determining where she is, but he figures she'll strike when she has the opening. He feels Duke palm the knife in his pocket, and Damian lowers himself in preparation to throw a ninja star.

Dan snaps his head up with a laugh. "Wow, you're fast. A little too loud, though. Make sure to flatline your heartbeat when sneaking up on people."

Cass drops down over him, but Dan only laughs. Her blade goes right through him, and her fast place kicks do nothing. She accidentally cuts the controller in half, stopping the man's laughter.

"No! I was winning!"

"Ha!" Dani barks, uncaring the ninja star that goes through her right shoulder and flies through her body to exit on the other side. "Dan forfeits!"

"How does this count as forfeiting-"

"Guys, the children are trying to kill us." The older man cuts in. He levels the Waynes with large, grandfatherly eyes. "Children, why are you trying to kill us?"

He says it the same way someone would as a child why they were putting things in their mouths.

"Not kill. Just harm," Duke responds, voice low and dangerous. " Why don't you answer our questions. How did you get in here?"

"Alfred, let us in. He said we could make ourselves at home while he stepped out." The old man frowned. "He went to get Bruce from his office."

"Who are you?" Tim demands next, filing away the claim that Alfred let them. The butler would have told them days in advance if someone would have access to the game room.

"I'm Danny Fenton. These are my children, Dani and Dan." Danny introduces, eyeing the crowd. "We're close friends of Alfred and Bruce."

"How-"

"It's so good to see you all again!" Dick cheers, running down the hallway and still in uniform. He jumps over his siblings in an impressive flip, not breaking stride to race into Danny's arms.

The older man holds them open seconds before they crash together. "Dick! Look how big you've gotten. Oh, it seems like only yesterday you were waist-high!"

"Ha ha ha, it has been a few years, Granpa Danny. Hi Auntie, Uncle! How are you?"

"Dickie, my sweet pea, look at you!" Dani squeals, leaning in for her own hug. She passes through a confused Cass like a ghost. "So handsome! And Tall! Who told you that you were allowed to grow taller than me?"

"Seeing that you are barely over five' six, everyone," Dan laughs, clapping Dick on the shoulder. "It's a shame we're twins, so I'm no taller."

"Um, Dick?" Tim calls as his brother breaks in fast-paced, reassurances that no matter how tall he is, he will always be open for hugs from the shorter adults. "Who are they?"

"Oh these are Fentons. Danny helped Alfred raise Bruce, so their like our extended family."

Tim blinks, wondering if this feeling of confusion is what his classmates mean whenever they joke about being at family functions and people who last saw them as babies walk up to them like they should know them. It's an odd feeling.

"Oh, them?" Jason says from behind the hallway. He peeks in casually, lowering his gun and raising the soda can in the other hand. "I heard about them but never met them. They have level purple clearance."

"Of course we do! We build that stupid cave for Bruce." Dan scoffs. "He got stuck down there as a kid and thought it was safe just to make an entire headquarters in a hole. Honestly."

"At least Bruce has a career and children," Danny says pointingly.

"Please don't compare me to my cousin." Dani groans. "It's exhausting."

Yeah, this is definitely extended family.