#it then turns out that the dude is a halfa

[schwarz-san]

A Revenant for The Red Knight

Your typical Dp x Dc Summoning AU, but with a twist.

Jason is having a bad time.

The most of the family to be honest.

Why? Cultist. In Gotham.

One that worship some kind of All Powerful Eldritch Death Outer God from Beyond and plans to summon the Thing to this plane of existence.

The worst part? Most of the bats are being use as sacrifice. Wait no, the worst part is that Jason is the main sacrifice.

They did contemplate whether to use Jason or the Demon child, but end up deciding to use Jason instead. Something about being having essence of Death and the Multiverse in his veins and you know what? He's not gonna touch that with a ten foot pole. Nope.

The demon child is lashing out like the unvaccinated feral racoon that he is, Dick is trying to escape and so does Bruce as well as trying to make sense of the Summoning circle that the cultist were using. The replacement is snoring, the asshole.

Hah. Thats what he get for drinking five mugs of expresso instead of sleeping then gatting tranq.

Also, fuck Bruce for not calling Constantine or Zattana the moment they smelled something supernatural.

God, he hates magic.

The cultist started chanting by then, speaking in a language that no one understood—huh? Well look at that. He could apparently. He could hear them chanting in that unknown language and english at the same time, its over lapping. Weird, its like it was being translated especially for him since the others didnt seems to show any recognition with the words the cultist was using.

Except maybe the demon child, but the others? Nada.

"—Ruler of the inbetween, Heed our call. Defeater of the Dark Tyrant. Master of Space, The bridge between Every Realms, The Great One, The Balance—"

Thats a fuck ton of titles.

The circle began glowing green and fucking Lazarus waters began to pour out and thats not fucking good.

Pillar of unnaturally Neon Red Fire emerge from the Circle and destroyed the ceiling and shook the entire ware house.

A tall armoured figure emerge as the pillar of fire began to settle out. It was floating above the circle, looming over everything in a terryfing manner. Temperature began to rise as the being's Unnayurally white gaze fell upon them.

It was… a knight? A knight cross over a biker??? It also had guns which is weird and is that a fucking Bat Insignia on its chest?

Pressure from all side crash over them as the beings gaze intensified before vanishing all together the moment its gaze fell on jason.

After what seems to be eternity, the being finally spoke.

"Huh. His majesty was right, I really was that stinky and fuck up before he find me."

???

The knight biker then remove his helmet to reveal his own face with a domino mask with his color pallete just inverted.

The doppelganger then pull out his gun and began shooting down the cultist all against the other bats protest. One by one the cultist vanished in to tin air as if they didn't exist all together.

He snapped his fingers and the rope that tying the burst in the same crimson flames and vanished all together.

"What the absolute fuck is going on here?!"

Or cultist used kidnap batfam and use jason as a sacrifice to the ghost king to summon him.

They summon Alternate version of jason who is a halfa and work as one of Danny's Fright knight: Red Knight.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 159

Tucker is done. Absolutely done. Danny, this time it’s your fault, and not his, this time it wasn’t him who touched the magical weird artifact thing. At least Sam is there too, so they can complain together. 

Or they would, if not for the fact that their bodies are toddlers, and somehow stuck to freaking ghost-speak! And not even proper ghost-speak but like, toddler ghost speak! 

He can’t see his PDA anywhere either, which is downright heartbreaking. Patricia had been the best thing he’d made to date! And she was now gone! 

At least Danny is also stuck in the same situation as them and- Wait. Okay. Nope, he better not have just seen Sam float slightly. It would not be fair if she got ghost-powers too- holy realms his hand just went through the floor. Okay. Alright. 

They apparently all have ghost powers now. As toddlers. In some unknown place that had some sort of ecto-stream runoff thing. That wasn’t concerning at all. 

Oh, did he mention the gold-eyed figure staring at them from across said stream? Well they were across the stream, now they seem to be staring at them from like a foot away and maybe having a breakdown. Or a headache? They were clutching their head is what he was trying to say, but his stupid baby vision wasn’t the best at a distance. 

Yeah he’s blaming this one on Danny.

[vwoop-prince]

YJ S3 Dick, still in the midst of his fever dream, hides underneath the 'souvenir' instead of behind some boxes, and accidentally opens the airlock trying to take care of the Parademons. The others get it to close... but not before Nightwing is thrown into space.

There, he stares at the ship holding his friends and mentors. There, he wishes more than anything that he can, somehow, survive. There, he tries to live, if only so his family don't have to bury him like Jason.

There, Nightwing dies, wanting to save everyone, even with the cold seeping into his bones far too quickly for a regular section of space.

Then, Dick opens his eyes to... Earth? There's a little house, and grass, and trees, but there's a bubble of green over it all. Outside of that green was an entire castle, one that looked like it should have far more support beams than it does for even a hope that it stays standing.

And the sky was swirling shades of that same green. It makes him think of Lazarus.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day." He whips his head behind him, a bit too fast for Earth's atmosphere, but it doesn't hurt him. Past the bubble of green was a blue-skinned adult in purple robes, the insides of a grandfather-clock fitted inside their torso, and a black staff with a stopwatch on its top. Beside them was a man with snow white hair, glowing green eyes, a crown of frozen fire dancing above his head, and the most galaxy-like cloak Dick's ever seen clasped to his shoulders. He's wearing... a hazmat suit? Maybe? The twinkling stars and odd lighting of wherever he is were giving him a bit of a headache.

But in front of those two, within this bubble, was...

"DICK!" Wally shouted with unrestrained glee, a blur overtaking his spot for barely a heartbeat before Dick's stuck in a crushing hug that he reciprocates once his brain stops feeling like its melting.

He doesn't know how long it took for them to calm down, but the man with the crown spoke up after a time, as Wally was still wiping their faces free of tears. "Welcome to the Infinite Realms, Nightwing." Dick barely even registered that he was still wearing his suit, but now it felt suffocating. "I suppose you're the one Clockwork was holding out for; There shouldn't've been enough Ectoplasm around you to form a Ghost, and your physical body's still in space. I can see why you like this one, though, Clockie," he states flippantly, turning to his companion. Almost like he didn't expect Dick to pay too close attention to what he was saying.

"Either way, there's two options for you." The man didn't let Dick swallow his tears and question anything. Dick's not sure if he's grateful or not. "First: Stay in the Realms permanently. You'll see Kid Flash whenever you want and learn to be a Ghost with the denizens of the Realms. Maybe find your parents."

"But..." Dick pulls away from Wally, keeping him at arms length, eyes flitting between them. The two outside the bubble were distinctly... ghost-like, so the mentions of 'Ghosts' make sense. But Wally looked... alive. A bit pale, a bit thin... but alive. Dick can't see any of his own skin to see if it was blue or tinted that way, but the Nightwing symbol on his chest kept flickering between its own blue and this 'Realms' green. "But--What about the others? What about you? Why can't you come home?" The last two, he focuses on Wally, because now he can feel a heartbeat beneath his gloves. Wally's alive. He's alive.

His friend just shrugs. "Something about their portals not fit for the living? I'm meant to wait for someone to figure out a permanent portal, but they won't tell me how long that'll take." Wally glares at the... 'Ghosts'? There was a heat to it, but it also seemed like this was a well-worn argument.

"The permanent portal was always an 'if', Wallace West. And that is entirely dependent on if Richard Grayson takes the second option," the clock Ghost--Clockwork?--speaks up. But instead of the adult Dick was expecting, there was an elderly Ghost in their place. Still with the time motif. Was that... more literal than Dick took it?

"Yes, the second option..." The crowned man glares daggers at Clockwork. The temperature dips below comfortable. Dick tries to blink the spaceship and stars out of his sight, withdrawing his arms from Wally to try and warm himself. Tries to remember he's not in space. "The second option is that you return to your body... changed. You'll be able to protect Earth better, stay with your alive family, save the Lost Ones... for a price."

Dick doesn't know if he should ignore the plural in 'Lost Ones'. He doesn't know if he's reading too much into how, in this Realm, apparently only his parents were able to be found. Where's Jason? He doesn't dare hope, but...

"What's the price?"

The man smiles and a ring of blue forms around his waist. It splits in two and travels up and down his body, replacing the cloak and whatever clothes he was actually wearing with a NASA shirt, worn jeans, and red sneakers actually duct taped together. The blue tint to his otherwise tan skin fades completely. His hair turns black. His eyes turn blue.

He was like a taller, slightly slimmer, way hotter version of Bruce.

The man walks through the bubble, but doesn't disturb the grass beneath his feet. "You become the Ghost King's vassal." Dick flinches away and almost hides behind Wally. "Not my idea! But, well... it is either this, or your permanent death."

"What does becoming a vassal do to him?" Wally asks, gently trying to stop Dick from breaking his ribs with how tightly he was hugging himself. Does he even have ribs?

"He gains my powers. Ice, electricity, invisibility, intangibility, flight... He becomes a Halfa. He becomes what I was, in life. Just... needing to make offerings to me, now and then. Something like that, at least. I give him powers, he gives me a chunk of, I don't know, chocolate once a week. Like a warlock."

Wally keeps talking to the man, keeps getting information that he knows he should pay attention to, but something in his chest screams to accept this deal, and he can't focus on anything else.

Nightwing can protect. He can return to life and go back to Blüdhaven, be the Vigilante they need. He can visit Gotham every now and then, help with cases and stop criminals from harming others. He can see his brother. He can see his friends. He can eat Alfred's cookies, and have little get-togethers with Babs and the Team--hell, he can argue with Bruce.

And all he has to do is... give an offering to this guy? The Ghost King? Every once in a while?

"There's no other price?" The King turns his attention to Dick. His eyes had shifted to a blue-green that almost hypnotize him. The green swirls, the blue forms and melts like snowflakes, and he can't look away.

He takes another step forward and Wally steps to the side. There was familiarity between them. Wally deferred to him. Dick can't quite tell why. Though, with how Wally hasn't once looked at Clockwork, maybe it's because he's... grounded? Are all speedsters in trouble with, what, the Ghost of Time? That... actually makes perfect sense.

"I'll be honest, Nightwing: You've impressed me." The weight behind the King's words lifts the ones that've been on his shoulders since he was nine. "You remind me of myself. Maybe, if I wasn't a Halfa... If I had a mentor... I could've been like you.

"Despite Clockwork's insistence over the years that I get back in touch with the living, I've held off. When he eventually suggested that I help create another Halfa, I locked him in his tower for twenty years. I didn't want anyone to go through what I had. But, now... I see that you won't. You can't. Even if you hide this deal--our shared powers... You'll still have people by your side. Strong people. Smart people. You can already handle yourself. And I'd love to see what you can do--who you can save--with my help."

There was maybe two inches between their faces when the King finishes speaking. Dick roves his eyes across the other's face, trying to find the common and familiar ticks that show lies and deceit and manipulation. All he finds is sincerity and genuine care.

Wally plays with his fingers from the corner of his eye, gaze hopeful as he looks between the two of them. Wally, who was alive and breathing and able to leave if he accepts. Eventually. Somehow.

Dick Grayson sends a quiet apology to his parents and hopes they will forgive him for being a little bit selfish.

"I accept."

He flings his eyes open. Above him, domino mask too wobbly to be properly secured anymore, was Robin crying and begging him to wake up. His hands were sloppily placed over his heart. Batman was trying to drag him away, the firm set of his jaw screaming grief.

Nightwing gasps once he registers his lungs burning.

There's a large cacophony of noise, multiple bright suits and people hounding over him, and the distinct artificial taste of slightly-too-much oxygen that the ship with the Parademons had. That he flew out of and died. He was still too cold.

Someone moves their arm beneath his knees and shoulder and Dick passes out.

(Dick 'Nightwing' Grayson dies in space. Ghost King Danny Phantom likes this too-human Hero. They split their souls in half, take one piece of the others, and all they know is that Phantom is now Nightwing's Patron Deity. Danny uses ice, for electricity killed him. Dick uses electricity, for ice killed him. They are opposites, and yet so incredibly similar. Clockwork was looking forward to when Danny starts putting off his paperwork to hang out with his new 'friend'.)

[flwrkid14]

Ghosts of Gotham: Tim Drake is a Halfa

Danny wasn’t exactly sure what he expected when he met Gotham’s infamous vigilantes, but “Red Hood smells like death and swamp water had a baby” definitely wasn’t on the list. The moment he stepped into the room, Danny gagged so hard he nearly fell out of the air.

“Holy Ancients,” he wheezed, covering his nose. “What in the name of all things unholy is that?”

Jason, already not thrilled about the random glowing stranger showing up, tilted his helmeted head. “What’s what?”

“That! You! You smell like—oh, man. I can’t even describe it.” Danny waved his hand in front of his face like it might help. “It’s like if ectoplasm went rancid and then you rolled in it for three days straight. Dude, do you know what’s going on with your ecto-situation?”

Jason took a threatening step forward. “You wanna say that again?”

Danny floated higher, clearly not intimidated. “Oh, I’ll say it again. You stink. And not just like regular stink. Like ghost stink. Like, ‘this is a health code violation, and the Ghost Zone is going to fine you’ stink. How are you even standing there right now? Anyone from Amity Park would be side-eyeing you so hard you’d feel it in your soul—what’s left of it, anyway.”

Jason stared, his body language radiating murderous intent. “You are two seconds away from eating pavement, Casper.”

Danny, unbothered, pointed at his own chest. “Excuse me, Phantom. Casper wishes he could pull this look off.”

“Phantom,” Dick interrupted, trying and failing not to laugh, “maybe we could focus on the introductions first?”

Danny gave Jason one last look of pity and floated down. “Fine, fine. But seriously, Big Red, we’re going to have to talk about that. I’ll fix it later. No need to thank me.”

Jason looked ready to commit murder, but Bruce’s glare cut him off before he could say anything.

Once the chaos settled, introductions were exchanged, and things calmed down—relatively speaking. Danny, as it turned out, was impossible to fully calm down. He buzzed around the room like he had endless energy, chatting and throwing out quips that seemed to simultaneously amuse and irritate everyone.

Then Danny’s gaze landed on Red Robin, and everything shifted.

Danny tilted his head, his glowing green eyes narrowing slightly. For a moment, his usual chaos quieted, curiosity taking over. “Huh,” he said softly, almost to himself.

Tim stiffened, his body going taut as though preparing for impact.

Danny floated closer, peering at him with an unnervingly intense expression. “You’re like me.”

Tim’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stepped back, his movements sharp and jerky. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do,” Danny said, and his tone was too soft for the others to hear the shift in it. “You’re like me. You’re—”

Tim’s hand twitched at his side, as though debating whether to reach for something or retreat entirely. “Don’t,” he said sharply, his voice low.

Danny blinked, then realization dawned on his face. “Wait… they don’t know, do they?”

“What don’t we know?” Bruce cut in, his voice sharp with suspicion.

Danny ignored him, his gaze locked on Tim. “Oh, man. I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

Tim’s eyes darted toward Danny, his frown deepening as uncertainty clouded his features. He shifted his weight, his fingers twitching at his sides as if fighting the urge to bolt.

He took a step back, then another, his movements slow and almost imperceptible. His breathing quickened, shallow and uneven, as though the air itself had grown heavier. The space around him seemed to shimmer faintly, a distortion that matched the anxiety rippling across his face.

Danny reached out, concern etched in his expression, but Tim flinched. His lips parted as if to say something, but no words came. Instead, the shimmering intensified, and with each passing second, Tim grew more translucent, his form fading like a mirage under the moon.

By the time Danny blinked, Tim was gone, leaving only a faint disturbance in the air where he had been.

The bats froze, their eyes darting around the room.

“What the hell just happened?” Jason demanded, reaching for his guns. “Where’d he go?”

“Did you do something?” Damian snapped at Danny, his hand already on his katana.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Danny held up his hands, his eyes wide with excitement. “Not me! That was all him! Holy Ancients—he can turn invisible?!” A grin split his face as he practically vibrated in place. “This is awesome! Wait—does he shoot ecto-beams too? Or, oh, what if he’s got some crazy transformation I’ve never even seen before? This just keeps getting better!”

Bruce’s expression darkened. “You need to explain. Now.”

Danny sighed, his excitement fading as realization set in. “Okay, but first, I need to go find him. Because if he’s anything like me, he’s probably freaking out right now. So… bye!”

He phased through the floor before anyone could stop him.

———

Danny found Tim perched on the edge of Wayne Industries, staring out at the Gotham skyline. He floated over cautiously, his boots touching down softly on the rooftop.

“Hey,” Danny said, his voice quiet. “Mind if I sit?”

Tim didn’t respond, but he didn’t tell him to leave either, so Danny took that as permission. He sat down cross-legged, giving Tim some space.

They stayed like that for a while, the silence heavy but not unbearable.

Finally, Danny broke it. “Okay, so… not to ruin the moment, but can we talk about how you've had to endure Jason’s ecto-stench this entire time? Because seriously, that’s gotta be a health violation. I mean, I'm half-dead, and even I think it’s concerning. Someone needs to dunk him in a pool of purified ectoplasm or something. I’m gonna file a complaint with—”

Tim laughed. It was soft and brief, but it was real.

Danny grinned, leaning back on his hands. “There it is. I knew you had a laugh in there somewhere.”

Tim sighed, his shoulders loosening slightly. “You’re… a lot,” he admitted.

“I know,” Danny said proudly. “But I grow on people. Like mold. Or fungus.”

Tim huffed another laugh, shaking his head. For a moment, the tension eased, and Danny let the silence settle again before speaking more seriously.

“Look,” Danny said, his voice softer, “I’m sorry I outed you like that. I didn’t know. And if they give you crap about it, I’ll personally make their lives miserable. But… you’re not alone in this, okay? I mean, yeah, it sucks. A lot. But you’ve got me now, because there’s no way we’re not becoming best friends now, and I get it.”

Tim looked at him, his eyes glassy but steady. “Thanks,” he said quietly. He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Do you really get it? I mean, you know what it’s like to…” His voice trailed off, thick with hesitation.

Danny tilted his head, his tone softer now. “Yeah. I know what it’s like.”

Tim let out a breath, shaky but determined. “I died.. a few months ago.”

Danny blinked but didn’t say anything, giving Tim space to continue.

“Harley—she caught me. Took me, actually. I was gone for weeks. They—she—handed me over to Joker. It was like a… gift. She thought it’d fix their relationship or something, I don’t know.” Tim’s voice faltered, his gaze flickering to the floor as if the memories were too much to hold. “I held out as long as I could. I kept fighting, kept trying to survive, but…”

He shook his head, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “Weeks of it. Beatings. Electrocutions. I don’t even remember the exact moment my heart stopped. I just… wasn’t there anymore.”

Danny stayed quiet, his face a mix of empathy and understanding.

“Harley panicked,” Tim continued, his words tumbling out like a confession. “She thought she’d gone too far, that Joker would kill her next. So she tried shocking me back. Guess she half-suceeded? I only came back halfway.” He gestured at himself vaguely, his hands trembling. “I’m not the same. I’m not… whole.”

Danny nodded slowly. "You’re stuck between," he said, offering the words with quiet reassurance.

Tim nodded, biting his lip. “Yeah. Between.” He paused, looking up at Danny. “I haven’t told anyone because… how do you tell them something like that? How do you tell your family you’re not really alive? That their search was all in vain? That I still died, even though they looked so hard for me? I can’t make them think they failed.” His voice wavered. “They were so scared when they found me…”

Danny stayed with him in the silence, his presence a steady comfort.

Tim exhaled slowly, rubbing his face. “I thought I was weak. I thought if I told them what really happened, they’d think I was broken. And I didn’t want to be a burden.” He looked up at Danny. “I’m still not used to this. Not used to being… like this. I don’t even know how to control it—sometimes I phase through walls, other times I get stuck halfway. And the invisibility thing… I can’t even make it work without disappearing when I get too emotional.”

Danny’s gaze softened with understanding as he leaned in slightly, his voice steady but gentle. He hummed thoughtfully, “It’s a lot to handle all at once.”

Tim's shoulders slumped as he leaned closer to Danny, “I’ve been trying to figure out how to control it, but every time I get close, something goes wrong. And I didn’t want anyone to think I was weak or… freakish, so I kept pretending everything was fine. It was easier that way. Easier than explaining… all this.” He exhaled slowly, the exhaustion in his voice evident. “At least it was… until you showed up.”

Danny reached out, resting a hand on Tim’s arm in a quiet gesture of comfort. “I don’t think you’re a freak. You’re just different, like me. But that doesn’t make you broken. You’re still you.” He paused, meeting Tim’s gaze. “I know what it’s like.. to feel different, freakish, the whole nine yards. For what it’s worth? You're handling it a lot better than I did.”

Tim gave him a tight smile, the first real one in a while. “Thanks. It helps. More than you know.”

———

When they returned to the Batcave, Tim sat down with the others, Danny sticking close by his side. Tim took a deep breath and told them everything—about being captured by Harley, the weeks of torture at the Joker’s hands, the electrocutions that had stopped his heart. About how Harley had panicked and shocked him back to life, halfway. How he wasn’t entirely human anymore.

The family listened, their expressions ranging from horror to guilt to anger. Jason looked ready to kill someone, and Bruce’s usually stoic face betrayed a crack of regret. Tim hesitated as he explained why he hadn’t told them sooner, his voice faltering but honest.

Tim’s voice cracked slightly as he spoke, “I didn’t want you to think you failed… that you searched for me for nothing,"

Danny stayed quiet but stayed close, resting a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “For the record,” he said, glaring at the others, “if any of you give him crap about this, you’re gonna have to deal with me. And trust me, I will make your lives miserable.”

Tim gave him a small, grateful smile. For the first time, he didn’t feel quite so alone.

[wandixx]

Danny, the Young Justice member snippet nr 3 GIW made a lot of mistakes and the biggest one was going against Young Justice part 1

As you can see by the title (I need better ideas, you're all welcome to share yours), this is kinda part of "Danny, the Youg Justice member" but as something I have more of actual idea about. So while I encourage people adding their stuff to other snippets, please let this one be. I will be adding to it. It's even partially written :D

unrelated snippet nr 1, unrelated snippet nr 2

"Hey guys" Danny greeted clearly winded, phasing through the wall. Whole Team turned towards him, some giving him a side eye “Sorry I’m late” 

“You’re good, my dude” Wally answered, patting him on the back as soon as halfa landed, turning into his human form. They gave him a moment to catch his breath(just how fast he tried to fly there?) before grabbing their bags. Dick jumped and threw himself over the speedster's and halfa’s shoulders.

“Happy Harbour, we’re coming!” he yelled.

He fixed his grip when he caught Danny’s quick wince under the pressure as they left the headquarters. Judging by look on his face, Kaldur caught it too.

“So what’s on the agenda?”

“There is an amusement park in city, so we’re going to enjoy our free time there” M’gann explained with excited smile “I can’t wait to see it, I heard it’s fun”

Artemis nodded with a grin.

“I bet I can win more plushies than all of you. No powers,” she demanded after a moment, slamming her hand n a random tree for better dramatic effect.

“Stakes?” he asked, competitive like always. While blonde shared her idea of ‘no locker room duties for a month’, Danny explained all the questions M’gann asked about what even bet was and what stakes meant. Dick was sure she knew the answers to all of them but he didn’t say anything. He was trained well enough to catch Conner listening intently, despite his clear effort to hide it.

It turned into a whole Team competition.

It was going to be an aster.

***

M’gann was having a blast. Everyone already had two to four plushies, stomach full of unhealthy food and manageable nausea from the roller coaster. Wally and Danny were throwing popcorn to each other's mouths, Robin challenged Conner and Artemis to the next game. It really was fun just like she was told!

It was much less fun when literal blast shot a few feets away from them. Ground where it hit was burned. Halfa squealed, projecting a strong wave of distress. Without second thought he threw his hood on and changed his posture, frantically looking for a hiding spot.

Few children started crying, their families scrambling to get away before attackers started shooting again and hurt them. Workers, already used to working in less than ideal circumstances, quickly, but without panic warranted by recognised villains or outright invasion, shut down reinforced blinds and probably walked out to inform someone. At least they didn’t have to worry about potential civilian casualties. 

“Do you know who they are?” M’gann asked, quickly establishing the Mindlink.

“Don’t worry about it” he answered, putting on crazy big sunglasses that Wally won some time before.

“My dude, we just got shot at. We have every right to worry”

“Calm down, Wally. I got shot at, you’re just close by. I’ll handle it” With a ruffle of his hair and a piece of popcorn thrown in his mouth,he turned around, just moment after the next blast almost caught his arm. He plastered a smile on his face.

“Hey, I’ve seen guns like these in laser tag! But I’ve never found them cheap enough to get without selling my kidney!” he yelled enthusiastically.

When the rest of them turned around, M’gann saw ten people in sunglasses and pristine white, holding guns straight from the mad scientist’s lab. THey stood still, projecting surprise bordering on shock. She could also feel hunter's happiness underneath it, intense enough that she considered breaking the ‘don’t mess with people’s brains’ rule. As a treat.

“Don’t worry guys, they won’t harm you. Act like you  don’t believe you’re in danger. Like they're a bunch of LARPers or something” It was easier said than done, especially when Danny, who nearly always underestimated the danger, was so terrified. 

“Who are they?!”

“Wally throw me a bit of popcorn, please” Halfa asked, ignoring Artemis almost yelling in their minds. In turn, he was ignored by the speedster. Three of the men turned to check something on weird sort of scanner. Danny's false smile went from cheerful to embarrassed. 

“Dang me and my poor communication skills” he said, loud enough for men to hear but not enough to sound like he was talking to them, before asking louder “I meant to ask, where have you brought it and how much does it cost?”

This seemed to actually shake men out of their shock. They got furious.

“You won't trick us this time, ghost scum” one of the guys with a scanner snarled. Danny pursed his lips in childish gesture of displeasure.

“Rude much” he muttered as if he wasn’t shining with terror like a lighthouse. Robin perked up as if something got him curious.

“Wait, ghost? What do–”

“What are you cosplaying?” Artemis blurted out. Men got visibly angry but Danny smirked.

“Don't antagonize them,” Kaldur commended. 

“If shit goes south I'll get you out of there, half a second flat” Wally offered.

“Thanks dude. Good job Artemis, they hate to be treated like a joke they are” halfa praised but out loud asking:

“Ghostbusters? No, they had different uniforms. But who else got a thing for ghosts?”

“Quit joking around, we caught you Phantom! You ran far from Amity Park but-”

“Who is Phantom?” Robin interrupted rudely (they deserved to be rude to them).

“Where is Amity Park, Utah? Cali?”  Conner asked, adding fuel to the fire of chaos with barely contained glee. He liked messing with anyone even slightly resembling Kadmus staff and these guys marked almost all of the boxes.

“Illinois” provided chubby man who looked and felt like he didn't want to be there almost as much as they teens did. Danny relaxed slightly.

“Agent W you have no clearance to share this information“

“You were in Illinois and didn't tell me, Tommy?” M’gann finally spoke, jokingly punching his arm.

“I wasn't, I swear! I've never set a foot outside of this state in my life!”

“Quit messing around, you freak!!!” the guy, with the biggest ego and probably the leader, screamed.

“Can I please mess their heads up?”  M’gann asked, pushing hope through Mindlink as hard as she could.

“Again, rude. What did I even do to deserve that?”

“Like you–”

“Operative K, I think they really don't know anything “ Agent W, the nicest out of the batch, interrupted “Maybe it left some ectoplasm on this boy to throw us off?”

“They called you it, Danny” Conner seethed, looking like only Kaldur’s hand on his shoulder was stopping him from punching all of them straight to the sun. M’gann was already reaching for their minds.

“We need to run a scan to be sure. Come here boy”

“Now, who are you?!” Robin got defensive, sliding to shield Danny from asiliants. Conner and Artemis joined him, so clearly furious that M’gann almost retreated from Mindlink. She wasn’t any calmer, it just felt overwhelming to be backed up by five other people.

“It’s classified”

Kaldur took a photo with an obnoxiously loud sound effect. Wally appeared right behind Danny, ready to evacuate him. Artemis barely kept herself from tackling the nearest ‘agent’ to the ground.

“What are you doing, boy?” Operative K splurted, absolutely flabbergasted.

“Calling the police”

“Why?”

“Robin, throw some laws, please”

“Oh, that’s easy,” the boy jumped in gleefully “You assaulted our friend and refused to state why you would have credentials to do so or even who are you. You carry modified weaponry openly in public and I doubt you have a permit, carelessly use it  against minors, endangering innocent bystanders while we’re at it. You disturb public peace. I think that’s enough to get you arrested. Wait you know what, call ‘Supervillain emergency hotline’ instead, this is serious attack”

“Right ahead of you, already calling them”

It wasn’t that big of a problem even if someone tried to qualify this as spam. Young Justice Team was first to respond to all threats in Happy Harbour anyway.

Danny let out a low ‘uuuu’ with a smirk. Someone powered up a gun. Wally slightly raised halfa of the ground, ready to bolt.

“It’s okay young man,” the nice agent started, raising his hands in a placating gesture “We’re searching for a dangerous supernatural entity and may have overreacted. In our defense, Phantom is known to be tricky and we wouldn’t be surprised if it used human disguise to hide from us. Your friend gives off the same type of energy like what we use to track it so we assumed they’re the same. We’re sorry”

“Agent W you don’t have clearance to disclose that to-”

“Operative K, after the last few incidents we have to be more throughout before jumping to assumptions. Agent Gamma wouldn’t be pleased if your temper caused the next scandal,” Agent W look at them again, with a forced ‘warm’ smile “We’re really sorry for bothering you. We have reasons to believe Phantom is somewhere around but don’t worry about it, we will be on the lookout. If you see it, please contact us and we will take care of it” M’gann grabbed the ‘WANTED’ poster from man’s outstretched hand. She barely restrained herself from doing something irresponsible, like turning every man in white into a brainless vegetable.

“Later M'gann”

“But Robin…” she whined before sending a small laugh so they knew she wasn’t serious. She knew that Conner and Danny were anxious about this use of her powers.

Agent’s left and everyone relaxed. Wally put Danny back down and leaned back, jokingly rolling back his arms as if he got tired. Halfa stopped with a loud thump to sit on the ground. He was paler than usual.

Artemis shouted, alarmed.

“That was way too close” he started, aiming for a cheerful tone but missing by a mile “I’m fine, just need a moment to cool down. Sorry for that, guys. I thought I lost them over Ohio”

“That’s fine, personally I don’t care, we knew better than to expect a whole day without something going wrong, but who were they?” Wally asked, already back to eating popcorn.

Danny sighed, so deeply M’gann felt it in her bones even though she didn’t try to read him.

“I think this is the talk we should have in the Mountain”

[flamingpudding]

Little Snippets #3

"Okay most importantly stay quiet and don't touch anything." Jason commanded as he stealthy snuck into one of Bruce's safe houses that had a weapon stash. "We don't want to trigger an alarm and alert the old man."

"You're saying that to the wrong guy dude. I am Ghost I can't really trigger any of that-" Danny started but was then cut of by Jason.

"Don't touch anything. The old man is paranoid..."

"Again, me ghost, well Halfa." Danny pointed out exaggerating when pointing at his self.

Jason rolled his eyes under his helmet as he turned to break into Bruce's newest safety lock on the weaponry in an attempt to make Jason stop 'borrowing' from him. "We got a deal kid. Don't touch anything."

"Yea, yea, you blow up the likely very illegal governmental GIW facility and help me free the others, and I will agree to meet someone..." Danny mutters, staring at something interesting he kind of really wanted to poke.

"Kid." Jason said warningly, not even needing to look to know Danny was about to touch something he shouldn't.

"Relax." The Halfa waved him of. "I am a ghost. It's not like anything will-"

Alarms started blaring when Danny's finger touched the object of interest, and Jason facepalmed, his hand smacking against his helmet.

[methoughtsphantom]

halfas are the found family trope foster child

they all adopt each other. it’s the reason Vlad wanted so badly to have Danny as his son and the reason Danny immediately went with sure you’re my cousin now with Dani. it’s a survival mechanism from being so very few of their species. Sooo, halfa!Jason except he sorta isn’t yet cause Jason’s core is extremely ruptured from the lack of ectoplasm involved in his forceful resurrection. So when Danny finds Jason in his catatonic state he can’t quite tell the dude’s been dead and remains some, just that the guy for some reason seems very friend-shaped. Danny doesn’t mind his friend is braindead, and is also a john doe, he gives familiar vibes and that’s apparently enough for Danny to constantly find himself in the hospital doing his engineering homework on the room with the guy, and talking for hours about the updates on the absolute clusterfuck of the city and how he was from a freaking ghost town and he can almost even draw comparisons. he blabbers about how he’s not homesick enough times to even corner himself to talk about a ghost lore many times and how he’s just finding himself a little more prone to violence and in constant pain since none of the people he has adopted as his family are here with him and he can’t consider a place a lair if there’s isn’t someone of his in it.

But Danny could never drag someone with him just because of some it, after all it was Danny’s choice to come to Gotham to collage and not stay where at least his parents (good parents Jack and Maddie) were in Amity.

Ironically, Danny essentially can’t feel that his core has been spoon feeding ectoplasm to Jason. As months go on, the little ball of energy builds in anticipation practically vibrating in the waiting pulse of something (Danny doesn’t know but more often than not has he found himself laughing in happy confusion. it weirds him out in a good way) It’s really that he’s feeling the slow healing process of his friend (brother brother brother) ‘s core.Imagine it’s just about to properly, correctly heal when canon strikes back and Jason gets snatched by League assassins. Danny is left feeling like his core got torned out. His core had spend months helping another’s only to feel the other’s imprint and to not be able to protect it in return is— forget it being an obsession; thats like having your newborn baby being ripped out of your arms. An all assuaging feeling of helplessness that is devastating. Danny just beginning to feel like home lair when out of nowhere the rug is swept under him. Danny suddenly struggling to not flunk all his classes and beat every single liminal that he can feel crossing paths with him to the ground. Danny suddenly having his chronic pain (that hadn’t been so bad lately) dialed up to the point that there are just bearable and bad days.

The worse thing is he doesn’t know why.

Jason had only been a guy.

…

It’s only a three weeks before Jazz tells him she accepted a job offer in Gotham.

(and the guilt only makes him feel worse when he can feel himself feel better because of it)

…

now

whimsical time skip ���

Danny is now on his feet again and friends with a Wayne of your choice (or maybe they were friends a little before Jay dissapeared and it was badTM cause Waynes? liminal 🥲) Danny definitely didn’t enjoy snapping off to his friend like that. anyways it’s been a year since that and he and his friend are having a grand time playing civvies, uhh let’s say dick because I want them to meet while ice skating, Also Dick because he definitely turns a blind eye when Danny goes airborne for a second there yep. He’s just having too much fun.

anyways as alwaysTM Danny doesn’t clock celebrities and like why would he, Dick is just the random guy who’s was fast to turn Danny’s slow day in the ice ring into a competition one day and brighten when Danny matched up his puns. So he totally doesn’t get why the guy’s so gloomy one day, anyways as you can figure, it’s Jason’s deathday and Dick is a deprecating bean, Danny tries to cheer him up by having him remember his brother instead and Dick attempts to, but even skipping through some photos in his phone make his eyes burn.

It is because of that that he doesn’t notice Danny absolutely freeze up at the photo of his friend Jay (Jay because he’s a John Doe, but that’s just too impersonal and so the first letter is J *wink wink*)

Danny absolutely doesn’t know what to do with this information, barely catches himself from asking Dick how did his brother die. Most importantly when because Danny just saw Jay—Jason less than a year ago, and this somehow doesn’t feel too recent.

Annd that how we find Danny digging into the Wayne second son tragedy. Staring at the date of death while the knowledge that they met almost six months after burns his forefront of his mind. Danny spends a day going over all the questions running through his mind over how the fuck he couldn’t sense Jay was a ghost—err was… in past tense?? what the fuck?? Danny would really like a refund on his ghost sense.

Anyways Danny goes check out the grave (now that he knows there is one) and boom although intangible he somehow triggers those shitty ass sensors/alarms that somehow didn’t go off when jason was literally digging himself out.

Obviously the bats get in the case immediately. And boy are they absolutely enraged that someone would steal Jason’s body.

[iguessthisisanewobsession]

You know know those fics that make one of the waynes a halfa?

I’m just saying, do ectoblasts have the ability to be shaped to the wielder’s will?

Because if so..

——————————

“This is fucking stupid.”

Jason huffed as he tried to push out another blast from his palm.

“It only feels stupid because you’re not used to it.”

“Of course I’m not used to it. Pretty sure the people who would find this natural would be tamarans.”

Sweat was building under his brow as the green flickered in his palm as he braced his arm and took aim.

The glass broke with a shatter but more to the force of the new crater in the old car they were using in the junkyard than his aim.

Danny hummed as he inspected the damage, Jason plopped down with a huff.

“You’re putting too much of yourself into the blasts. You’re draining yourself with each shot.”

Jason raised a middle finger in the general direction of his compatriot,

“You said it was like the baster, when the things’ crappy battery fucks off I just kind of shove all the energy I can into it hope for the best.”

Danny felt gravity suddenly take hold of him as he jolted, with a quick dip into the ground he righted himself to gawk.

“What?!”

“What?” Jason parroted back, “what’s with that look?”

Danny brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a second before asking,

“Dude.. how have you not passed out yet?”

“Spite and audacity. Mainly spite.”

“No shit.”

Danny moved so that he was facing Jason with consternation,

“Jay.. how do I best explain this? Yes, you are the power source both, you do power both the ectobasts and the blaster. The problem is that you are not taking into account that you are not a blaster.”

Jason snorted,

“Yeah no shit I’m not.”

“No you don’t- wait let me just-“

Danny reached inside of himself and pulled out a wrist ray.

“So normally these guys only have about two shots before they need to naturally charge, what we do when we force our ecto into the battery is the equivalent of a super charge. The thing is, the battery has a natural cap to how much ecto it can take. If it didn’t it would just turn into slag.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Jay, you don’t have that cap because you are both the power source and the battery when you ectoblast. You don’t have a power cap other than what you can make at a time!”

Jason blinked for a second,

“So what you’re saying is i have basically been hail marry-ing it whenever I have been dealing with these stupid things!?”

“Hey this is good actually!”

Danny as he raised to his feet,

“you’ve been accidentally doing endurance training and nowww we know what was wrong. We just need to give you a better mental visual to help you! What’s a weapon you know that will make yourself limit your ecto? It’ll have to be a projectile and your ability to visualize it has to be almost instinctual, can’t have you fudging up because of a cloudy mind-“

And one would think that Jason’s mind would go to his guns. His primaries that he kept with him wherever he went.

But guns were complex things. How well maintenance, what types of mods, and the ammo; there was a lot of small things that went into a gun.

Further more how would he hold his hands to shoot?

No, his mind didn’t go to his guns.

————————

There was something new up red hood’s sleeve.

Something different.

It was green and didn’t come out often, but it was never a good day when they did.

When a gang had Hood pinned with limited ammo they thought they had finally did the impossible and toppled the crime alley boss.

Only to watch one of their associates get cratered into the nearby wall with a groan from the impact of a glowing blur.

Ted gaped at the fallen member and was only able to let out a confused,

“Was that a green batarang?!?”

Before all hell broke loose.

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Mistaken Identities (dp x dc)

Danny had been doing his thing, looking around, making sure he didn't alter anything in the past, minding his own business. Officially, this was supposed to be a trip to gather more blood blossom samples for Team Phantom to study, but he had ended up being a little sidetracked. Apparently though, puritan times made for beautiful forests, sue him if he was enjoying a moment of peace in his otherwise crazy life. So here he was, relaxing for the first time in way too long when this guy just barged into the clearing. Danny straightened up with a yelp which had the guy stopping in his tracks before he turned to look at Danny.

"Be not afraid, child. I mean you no harm," the man said.

Danny squinted as he looked up at the half-shadowed face of the man that seemed vaguely familiar.

"Boy?"

"Uh-" Danny managed as he realized he was supposed to answer. "Oh yeah, no problem, man."

The man tilted his head which directed Danny's attention to his weird buckle-hat. Sobering up as he recognized the clothes from his previous jaunt in the past where Sam had almost gotten burnt at the stake, he mentally congratulated himself for turning back into a human before his nap. He really didn't want to end up trapped in blood blossoms by witch-finders again.

"Are you lost?" The man said, as he edged closer. "Do you require aid?"

The halfa jumped to his feet. "Nope!" Danny said before letting out a nervous laugh. "No aid, I'm all good. Thanks though."

The man opened his mouth to say something before another voice, higher pitched stopped him. "You are back!" A woman wearing a simple dress, with a few birds fluttering around her like a Disney princess approached them.

"Annie," answered the man.

"Come," she said before leading him away with only a glance towards the teenager. The man let himself be dragged away, but not before a last few words. "If you are ever in need of assistance, please do not hesitate."

Danny waved his hand. "Yep. For sure, dude. Thanks!"

Then before the man had turned away completely, the woman grabbed his hat playfully which revealed his face completely to the weak moonlight, and coincidentally to Danny's view. The couple disappeared between the thick foliage as Danny sat, struck dumb with what he had just witnessed.

"Oh my god," he whispered to himself. "That was Bruce fucking Wayne."

Danny had seen enough rag magazines and newspapers with his face printed on the cover to recognize the billionaire for sure. What the hell was he doing in Puritan times? Then, it hit Danny like a brick. Natural portals. They weren't common, or stable and they'd been known to spirit away people randomly. Clearly, they also had some pretty severe side-effects including amnesia considering the old-timey speech pattern Mr. Wayne was using.

There was only one thing for it, Danny clearly had to bring Mr. Wayne back to the present. Not only because it was the right thing to do, but also because a missing billionaire was bound to attract a good amount of attention and if anyone connected this to the ghost zone... Well if the GIW was bad now, Danny didn't want to know what other kind of unsavoury people would pop up if ghosts were better-known. Just imagining the Justice League getting involved was giving Danny the shivers. No, the best thing to do was get Mr. Wayne back to his time and hope he wouldn't remember much of what had happened and wouldn't dig into it further.

Just as he was nodding to himself, he heard a scream coming from not too far away. He transformed before flying towards the noise, only to find the woman he'd seen before with Mr. Wayne being captured by a bunch of men wearing the same kinds of hat.

"She's a witch! Burn her!" He heard someone yell. "Hang her dead!" Someone else said.

This was giving Danny some major flashback to Sam's very own witch burning and without wasting a second, he phased the woman right out of their grips and flew them away from the angry mob.

As soon as he landed and let go of the woman, she turned to him and gripped his arm instead. "You have to help him!"

"Help who?" Danny asked, wincing.

"Mordecai!" she said, her grip tight.

"Is that the man who was with you earlier?" the teenager asked.

The woman nodded before pointing southeast. "He is in the caves, fighting the dragon!"

Danny didn't waste anytime before flying in the direction she had pointed to. Going intangible helped with speed, and he phased through the ground, going straight for the aforementioned cave. He just phased through when he caught sight of Mr. Wayne. As he got closer, he could feel some sort of energy radiating from the man. Just then, the energy started building up and Mr. Wayne started to go transparent. Panicking, Danny did the first thing he could think of and absorbed the mounting energy to himself. It felt like a shot of adrenaline except way, way stronger and for a moment everything blanked out, before the world came into focus again. When he looked around, he couldn't find a trace of Mr. Wayne, but from the energy left over he could tell exactly when he had landed. The Golden Age of Piracy.

"Goddamit!" Danny yelled as he once again felt Bruce Wayne slip through his grasp as he stole away the potent energy from the billionaire's body before it could follow wherever he was going next. First it had been pirates, then the Wild West and lastly it was 20th century Gotham, clearly the natural portal had been all kinds of fucked up for Mr. Wayne to have been dragged from time period to time period. It was a miracle he was even still alive, the poor man! Danny let out a harsh sigh as he parsed out through the information the energy had left him with. This time he'd gotten the information for the two next time-jumps, which meant, Danny could get ahead of this for once and finally catch Mr. Wayne before he could jump again.

With a steadying intake of breath, Danny took out the Infiniv-map and set his destination before he let himself follow through. As he got through he could hear a bunch of different voices, all talking over each other.

"-distortions mean what I think it-"

"-not fair!"

"-time is breaking-"

"-only leave his body once he's dead."

Danny paid no mind as he locked eyes on Mr. Wayne who was lying in Wonder Woman's arms, in a black bodysuit, looking worse for the wear. The same energy as before was emanating from him, though this time it was even stronger. Danny approached carefully, invisible before he put a hand onto Mr. Wayne's chest and concentrated on drawing all the energy into himself. It wasn't like the other times, the flow was faster and he was having trouble staying focused as more and more flew into him. His brows scrunched in concentration, and unbeknownst to him, the invisibility dropped.

All the heroes in the room turned to look at the suddenly appearing white-haired teen who had a hand on Batman's chest. As they stared in confusion, the teen started to glow. It grew brighter and brighter before everyone had to shield their eyes as there was a pulse of bright light that died down almost immediately after. Wonder Woman had to blink the spots out of her vision as she felt the weight in her arms start to shift and let out a groan. "Bruce!"

She set him down and helped him put his head between his knees, as she gently stroked his back. Superman settled on his other side while Red Robin just sat in front of him, still half-believing Bruce was really back.

"What happened?" Bruce mumbled. "The omega radiation, I thought-"

"I'd like to know that too," Green Lantern said before he turned towards the glowy kid who was still blinking his eyes as if to chase away afterimages.

"His energy signature is the same as Darkseid," Raven said, her own eyes having not left the teenager since he had appeared.

"You don't mean..." started Superman as all the heroes turned to look at the kid slowly. The latter finally looked up as if sensing he was the focus of many eyes and cringed as he met the combined stares of the Justice League.

"Yes," Raven answered. "This is Darkseid's son."

[clockwayswrites]

A Broken Sort or Normal, Epilogue

WC:1383, Masterpost

Danny glances up from his fight to fit the cufflink into the sleeve of his rich blue suit and smiles at what he sees in the mirror.

“You know, it’s supposed to be bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

Wally grins, easily, from where he leans against the door frame. “I’m the one in white so I think I’m the bride, in this case.”

“Oh, so putting the bad luck all on me?” Danny asks as he turns to appreciate how his fiancée looks. Wally really is stunning in his white on white tux. Danny hadn’t been able to stomach the idea of traditional black and white tuxes, not with Phantom still being such a raw wound. Wally hadn’t minded in the least going with a brighter color palette.

“Never,” Wally promises. “We’ll face whatever comes together.”

It’s a vow that Danny unquestionably trusts. Since the curse broke, Wally has been there for every step of it— and Danny has needed a lot of help with steps. Danny’s weakened core not only handicapped him as a ghost but as a living. Many days Danny is able to pass through it all relatively unaffected, other than the cold ache that has settled into his bones, but other days are harder. Other days Danny walks with canes braced against his arms. Other days Danny needs his wheelchair. Other days he can hardly get out of bed unless he goes ghost. And through it all Wally has done everything that he can to make things easy for Danny.

They have a house now, one story and carefully renovated so that on the days Danny needs the wheelchair he can still move around easily. There are electric blankets and soft pillows and this ridiculous massive bean bag that’s big enough for them to both sink into on the bad days.

And there are good days too. There are days where the aches are just a background note, days it all doesn't hurt so much, days where he can fly. Oh how Danny had missed flying. Of all the things that came with being a halfa, flying is what Danny had missed most– not because he could help or be a hero, he missed flying just for himself.

The first time he had felt stable enough to fly, Wally had whisked them out to that same field their first date was in and let Danny loose. Danny had flown for hours, darting around, doing tricks, and floating among the clouds. When he had come back down to earth, Wally had been there, picnic waiting and the biggest smile on his face.

So like everything in Danny’s life, it’s all a balance: the good, the bad, the effort… Danny loves it all.

He loves it not just because it reminds him of how much living means, but because of how deeply it shows that Wally cares. Wally’s love is one thing he can never question. It’s a certainty that Danny has needed through all of the aftermath.

Once Danny had been released from the Watchtower’s medical, he had started small dealing with it all. Coworkers were easy to reply to and he could trust that informing a few would spread the news to the rest. They didn’t push for more than he was willing to give, though he had known he would come back to questions and rumors.

Everyone else was harder.

He had set a video call with Sam and Tucker at the same time. It was maybe a little unfair to not give them each their own call, but he just didn’t have the energy for that. They weren’t kids anymore and hadn’t been for a long time.

“God, Danny,” Tucker started at the same time as Sam said his name.

He held up his hand and their mouths shut with a clack. His smile was tinged with sadness, but it was a smile. “Don’t. You two didn’t do anything horrible.”

“Dude,” Tucker said and for a moment Danny was back in high school. Tucker looked good, still in bright colors and with his hair expertly shaved on the sides with a little pattern. “We forgot about you.”

“We left you alone to deal with all that,” Sam said. Her hair was a more natural shade of black now and her smoky eye an expertly done wing. It was odd to see her lips red instead of purple.

“Because of a curse. You forgot because of a curse,” Danny said, “and then you just did what anyone does, you went on to have a future. It’s not like we had some big fight or anything, you both just moved on with your lives.”

“That still had to hurt,” Sam said.

“It did,” Danny said honestly. He didn’t see the point of pretending the past hadn’t happened. “But that doesn’t mean it was either of your faults. The last thing I want is anyone doing anything for me out of guilt, especially since in this case it’s misplaced. It’s okay that you both grew up. I did too.”

It hurt and it would always hurt, at least a little, but Danny didn’t want any false care now.

Sam chewed on her lip and Danny smiled a little at the sight of the old habit. “I’m still sorry.”

“Me too,” Tucker said.

“Thanks, that does mean a lot, but it’s okay, really.”

There was a level of peace from that talk. Sam and Tucker both asked if they could reach out sometimes, and Danny said yes but with zero expectations. They were different people than they were as children and Danny knew, because he had lived it, that without Phantom there wasn’t much for them to talk about. And Danny had no plans to talk about Phantom. That part of him had ended with a wish seven years ago. He didn’t want to rehash or relive it now, even with them.

Jazz… Jasmine was harder. Sam and Tucker losing touch was just part of growing up. His own sister ignoring him though, that wasn’t the same at all. If it wasn’t for his nieces, Danny didn’t know if he would even be trying with Jasmine, even as apologetic as she was. There were some things that were too hard to come back from.

“Are they here?” Danny asks and looks back down at his stubborn sleeve.

Wally steps forward and takes the cufflink from Danny. He’s gentle as he fits it into the slot and secures it. “They are. And all our friends are here too. Just remember that you don’t have to talk to them any more than you want to. It’s okay to be taking things slow. It’s okay to decide that you can’t do this with her. You know I’m with you whatever you decide.”

Danny raises Wally’s hands to brush a kiss across each set of knuckles. “I know. I’m so lucky to have you. Is it bad that part of me making an effort with them is so that my nieces have family other than their moms and our parents?”

“Nope. I think that makes you a really good uncle. I mean, where would I be without Aunt Iris? Family like that can mean a lot and if that’s the only reason you have for dealing with your sister, then that’s enough,” Wally assures him.

It helps Danny relax some.

“Okay, good. We’ll just… see how it goes. I’m not going to focus too much on them today, not when today is about me and you.”

“I think that’s all good. You’re just wrong about one thing though,” Wally says, his grin just a little mischievous. Danny loves that grin.

“And what’s that, Mister West?”

“Well, soon to be Mister West,” Wally says, “it’s that I’m the lucky one. I could have lost you so many times and so many ways and despite everything, today I get to marry you. I don’t think there’s anyone luckier than me today.”

“Well, not to have our first fight,” Danny teases, “but agree to disagree.”

“I think I can live with that.”

Danny laughs. There’s nothing funny about that, but the laughter bubbles up in him all the same, not from humor but from joy. “Living, that sounds like a very, very good plan.”

---

AN: Aaaaaah we are done!! Not everything is perfect, but Danny is alive and living and Wally is going to be with him for all of it <3. Thank you all for coming along for the ride on this! It's been unexpectedly delightful to write these two together and I'm glad to finally wrap it up with (hopefully) a nice bow.

And yes, this will be going up on ao3 but I need the brain functions to go back to the start and give it a good polish! I'll likely do it chapter by chapter weekly to give myself and my darling beta @mokulule time.

Until then or the next thing here, stay delightful, darlings!

[hugsandchaos]

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose.”So- let me get this straight…”

He looked down at the two teenagers who summoned him. One of them, the blue haired girl, was slowly taking steps to get behind the boy. At the same time, the boy was stretching his arm out to protect her. He narrowed his eyes at the boy.

“You have no one to take to some event where you need a plus one, and instead of either staying home or going with your friends, you decided to try summoning the ghost king to ask for help?” Danny asked. He was glad he wasn’t putting up with any crazy cultists this time, but moments like this are a reminder of why some adults dislike teenagers so much.

The boy smiled sheepishly and nodded.”Well… yeah?” He said.

Danny sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.”Well, you’re out of luck. I can’t magic someone to life, and I’m not just going to take someone and force them to be your date.” He said.

The boy turned around to look at the girl. The girl shrugged before her eyes lit up as if she suddenly had an idea and whispered something into the boy’s ear. The boy’s jaw fell and he briefly glanced back at Danny before turning back to his-- friend? Sister?

After a bit of back and forth, the boy cleared his throat and looked up at Danny’s hovering form.“Well…. What about you? Could you go with me? Your highness? Ghost-iness?” The boy asked. His cheeks turned red as he spoke.

“Excuse me?” Danny blurted out flatly.

The boy’s cheeks turned red. He reached a hand back to rub his neck.“W-Well, I mean… You are kinda handsome and I can’t show up dateless, so…. Will you go with me?” He asked.

This wasn’t the most insane thing Danny had been asked by summoners — one asked him to kill an entire bloodline — but it still felt like it.

Danny thought about it. He had a list of believable lies and excuses that’d explain his sudden disappearance to his parents. But did he really want to go?

“When is it and how long do I have to be there?” Danny asked. Both teens looked at him surprised. The boy’s blush grew a little more noticeable.”I don’t have all night. I’m busy.” Danny added.

The girl glanced at her watch.”In about thirty minutes. I heard it’ll only last an hour or so.” She said.”This dude is gonna talk about space stuff and his job as an astro-engineer or whatever.”

The halfa was immediately sold and sighed.“Alright. I’ll go with you.” He said. He floated down onto the floor and held his hand out.”Since we’re apparently going to be dates, you can just call me Danny.” He said.

The boy lit up and clasped both hands around Danny’s.”I’m Manny!” He said.

[mushyblushyredhead]

A Phantom Menace—Danny Phantom 👻

Summary: When Danny has another run in with Johnny 13 and Shadow, he thinks he’s in for an easy night. Until, Shadow makes a rather embarrassing albeit amusing discovery about the halfa that changes Johnny’s outlook about him from then on.

(lee!Danny)

Word Count: 5k

♡ Originally posted on my FanFiction!

This is a tickle fic. Don’t like? Don’t read.

A Phantom Menace—Danny Phantom

Halfa ghost hero, Danny Fenton, cruised through the night sky, patrolling Amity Park as usual for any possible ghost sightings. So far, all seemed calm and quiet. Satisfied, he was just about to call it a night when his ghost sense went off, sending a freezing chill up his spine.

The sound of a motorcycle cut through the silent air. Danny recognized that engine sound as a flash of green zipped past him. There was only one ghost he knew who would drive a motorcycle, especially so recklessly.

He soared through the sky, following the ghost’s trail. When he finally caught up, Danny could see it was none other than Johnny 13 and his creepy ghost shadow companion.

Danny gasped as he saw Johnny phase through a jewelry store, and snag several pieces of jewelry from a display case. “Really? Robbing jewelry stores now?” he asked himself. “This’ll be a piece of cake.” He smirked confidently, and floated next to the biker ghost.

“So,” Danny’s sudden voice made Johnny flinch and whip around. “Robbing jewelry stores now? Geez, are you that desperate to impress a girl so badly by pretending you’re a rebel?”

The biker ghost frowned. “Stay out of my way, ghost kid. You have no idea the pressure I’m under as of late.”

“Oho touched a nerve there, didn’t I?” Danny smirked.

“Just—“ Johnny sighed. “Look, kid, I don’t want any trouble tonight. I only came here so I could get something nice for my lady.”

Danny scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“Whatever,” Johnny spat. “To put it shortly: my girlfriend and I had a spat; Kitty’s been nagging about how I’ve never gotten her anything nice in the last two years we’ve been dating, but that’s so not true. We’ve only been dating a year and eleven months!”

Danny couldn’t help but bark a laugh. “Well no wonder she’s so ticked at you!”

“You just don’t get it. Our boyfriend-girlfriend relationship is complicated.”

Danny snorted. “Well, yeah. When you’re the boyfriend.”

The biker ghost scowled. The nerve of this kid! Johnny internally fumed. How is this brat seriously supposed to be the ‘Savior of the Ghost Zone?’”

“Just stay out of my way!” Johnny growled again. “I’m here just trying to find the things my kitten hinted that she wanted, and I’m not going to let some bratty 12-year-old stop me!”

“12? I’m 14! Get your facts right!” Danny spat as he fired his ecto-plasma rays from his palms.

Johnny revved up his motorcycle and bolted as the halfa pursued him. He kept dodging the ghost teen’s ecto beams until one struck him in the side, knocking him off his motorcycle.

Danny hovered over the older ghost, his hands pulsing threateningly. “All right, soon-to-be-single Pringle, give it up. Hand over the stuff, and I just might let you off the hook easy.”

Johnny let out a chuckle. “Wish I could, little dude, but heh…my pockets are empty.” Danny followed his gaze, and his eyes widened when he saw Shadow making off with the stolen goods.

He quickly flew after Shadow, who merely growled in response and hugged the jewelry closer as Danny caught up.

Danny fired ecto beam after ecto beam, growing a little more frustrated every time Shadow easily dodged his attack. Until, a blast struck Shadow hard enough for it to cry out in pain and collapse on top of the roof of a building.

It turned into a scuffle in the next moment as Danny wrestled with Shadow to get the stolen jewelry back. He was starting to lose his patience with this stubborn phantom, until he had enough. Grunting, he hurled Shadow towards an illuminated football field, and fired another round of plasma rays.

The combined power of illuminating blinding light and ecto-plasmic energy was enough to make Shadow screech in pain, and dissolve into thin air.

Danny swooped below and caught the jewelry before it could hit the ground. Feeling triumphant, his mood only increased when he saw the look on the older ghost’s face.

“Dang it, kid! Why do you always have stick your face in someone else’s business?!”

“Hey, you come into my world, wreak havoc, and I stop you. That’s how this is supposed to go,” Danny replied as he phased through the window display, putting the jewels back. “So unless you want me to stop ‘sticking my face in your business,’ how about not committing any crimes here?”

Johnny growled, angrily revving up his engine. "That's it! I have had it with you! I was being nice before, but not anymore! Shadow, keep him busy!"

Danny barely had time to register anything before he was thrown against a wall by Johnny's unlucky apparition companion. From the corner of his eye, he saw the biker ghost sped off. "Oh, no you don't!" He scuffled with Shadow until he blasted the dark apparition off of him.

Then, he raced after Johnny and saw him phasing through a closed Fresh Topic store. Danny sighed. "Seriously? I don't have time for this joker!"

The teen ghost was about to phase through the entrance, when Johnny whipped past him, making off with a pair of platform goth boots. "Hey! You have to pay for that, speed demon!"

He pursued Johnny again before appearing right in front of him, and snatching the boots right out of his clutches. "Ha! Too slow!"

Johnny had enough of this cocky kid. And his patience had run out. "Shadow, sic him!"

Danny yelped as his ankle was grabbed, and he was hurled against the roof of a building. He was about to get up, but realized he couldn't as Shadow had him pinned. He tried to go intangible but the second he tried, Shadow zapped him threateningly, making him cry out in pain.

Getting the message, Danny refrained from going intangible but still squirmed uncomfortably against the shadow's grip.

Johnny hovered over him again, sighing angrily. "Look, little freakazoid, hand them over. They're supposed to be a surprise gift for Kitty, and I gotta give them to her in time before she changes her mind about me."

"Wait, she's here, too?"

"Of course she is," replied Johnny. "That's why I brought us here. First, she says she likes some neat jewelry, but now, she wants these platform boots from Fresh Topic."

Danny's surprised look melted into a scowl. "Oh. Well hearing you explain that...changes nothing!"

"Dang it, punk! You really are a brat, you know that?!" Johnny scowled back. "Hand them over! Now!"

Danny hugged the boots closer. "Forget it!"

The biker ghost raised a glowing fist threateningly towards the teen's face, hoping to scare him into obligating, but Danny simply shook his head defiantly.

"Shadow, get me the stuff."

Obeying, Shadow made a grab for the boots. Grunting, Danny managed to dodge Shadow's grasps each time, making the black apparition growl in annoyance. It wasn't until Shadow's hand missed again, and ended up accidentally squeezing Danny's side as a result that made the situation curve. The reaction was instantaneous; Danny let out a squeak of surprise that startled not only him, but Johnny and his unlucky shadowy figure.

After a painfully awkward pause, Johnny finally asked, "Uh, what was that?"

"N-None of your bees-cheese, idiot!" Danny tried to keep his voice steady, mentally cringing at the way his voice cracked.

"Nah, that definitely sounded like something." Johnny turned his attention to his shadow. "Shadow, what did you do?" It shrugged in response, then repeated the action by squeezing the ghost boy's side again.

Danny wasn't expecting to be attacked in the same spot again, so he couldn't hold back the embarrassingly high-pitch squeak that came out of his mouth. Blush began coating the teen boy's cheeks, but he tried to mask it by grunting and squirming with vigor. "Let me go already!"

It took the biker ghost a moment to realize what was happening. But once he finally connected the dots, a wicked smile spread across his face. "Oho, I see what it is." He leaned down to Danny's eye level. "You're all jumpy because you're ticklish, right?"

Danny cringed at the word, squirming more. His blush darkened a little, and his eyes averted elsewhere. "What? N-No! No, I'm not. That's a dumb question, I'm not—I wasn't—I'm just not, okay?!"

"Geez, kid. It was just a simple yes or no question. No need to get your ghost tail in a twist." Johnny couldn't help but tease and relinquish in this newfound information. It felt refreshing to finally take the halfa down a few pegs. Normally, the ghost boy was so cocky and overconfident, but this time he looked so timid and defeated. Not to mention, vulnerable.

It was at this moment that made the biker ghost realize Danny Phantom was not just the halfa hero of the Ghost Zone, but he was just a kid. A kid putting himself in danger all the time when fighting with all these other older ghosts who wanted nothing more than to destroy him.

It made Johnny rethink for a moment: was fighting this kid worth it? Holding that grudge against him all the time? Sure, this kid got on his nerves from time to time, but he was still a kid. A kid who was also half human, and maintained a human life in the real world unlike the rest of them, who couldn't.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he noticed the halfa curled up on one side while shielding his other previously assaulted side with his free hand. A dead giveaway.

Johnny smirked. Why didn't he think of this earlier? It was so obvious. He briefly recalled previous memories of him smothering Kitty with ticklish kisses whenever she was pouty or refused to give him back his jacket, and it worked like a charm every time. Surely, this would work on the ghost child, too.

"Shadow?" Said entity perked up. Johnny flashed a devilish smirk towards Danny, who grew nervous at that look. "Tickle wreck this little squirt until he hands Kitty's gift over. And don't be merciful about it, either."

“What?!” Danny cried out, his voice cracking again. He squirmed with all his might, tried to go intangible, but his brain was already too flustered enough to concentrate. Out of all the things that could've happened to him, this was by far the worst. Even worse than the time seeing Vlad's computer screen composed of pictures of his mom.

In his flustered state, Danny didn't realize how his physical strength would be sapped quickly as Shadow was easily able to peel his arm away, and hold it up next to his head. As a last defense, Danny tried kicking the shadowy figure away, but it quickly caught his flailing legs with its sleek black tail.

Now fully secured and feeling more vulnerable than ever, Danny was a flustered stuttering mess. He wanted nothing more than to sink through the ground. Unfortunately, intangibility wasn't with him at the moment.

Seeing the flustered panicked look on the boy's face made Johnny chuckle. "Last chance, kid. Give me what I want, and I'll let you go. And you might never hear from me ever again.”

Danny shot him a glare. "Well, forget it! I know that's a big, fat lie!"

Johnny shrugged. "Suit yourself. Shadow, get 'im."

"Wait, no—! NO! NAAAAhahahaha! St-Stohohohohop!" Danny shrieked with high-pitched giggles as Shadow rapidly squeezed his side. "N-Nohoho! Cuhuhut ihihit out! Ahahahaha! I cahahan't tahahake it!"

"If you can still talk and form sentences, you can still take a lot more," teased Johnny. He had to admit, seeing the once fearless and quippy hero reduced to a puddle of child-like giggles was such an adorable sight to see. It almost made him forget why he was mad at him in the first place. Almost.

"Nohoho I ca—AAAEEEEEheeheehee! Nohohoho!" Danny squealed and giggled louder as Shadow switched tactics; moving upwards to ruthlessly dig into his ribs. He squirmed harder, his grip starting to loosen on the boots he was still clutching. "NoHOHOHO! Nohohoho! C'mon, nohohoho!"

"Y'know, you keep saying 'no, no', but you still don't wanna give me the prize and save you the torture." Johnny reached to grab the boots from the ghost boy's already loosened grip, but immediately Danny tightened his grip once more and shook his head defiantly. "Nohohoho!"

"See?" Johnny couldn't help but laugh at the reaction. "You're making this so much harder than it needs to be. Just give it up, squirt. I know you can't take much more."

"Go drihihihive ohohoff a clihihihihiff, moron!" Danny spat through his screechy giggles.

Johnny snorted. This kid sure had guts even in the position he was in. "Fine. Your funeral, you little brat." He cracked his knuckles for dramatic effect. "Make some room, Shadow."

The black entity scooched aside and opted to attack the ghost boy's stomach while Johnny went to work on his underarm. Johnny snatched Danny's free wrist and yanked it up, immediately digging rapid moving fingers into the exposed underarm. Danny arched his back with a loud squeal. Having both his underarm and now his stomach scribbled with no mercy made him screech with hysterics. "AAAAAHEEEEEheheeheeheehEEEEEK! NAAAAhahahaHAHAHAO! Dohohohon't—! NahaHAHAHA! StAAAAAhahahahap!"

"You know what to do to make me stop," Johnny said over the ghost boy's adorable laughter. "C'mon, kid!" he added, switching from scribbling all five fingers from his underarm to his ribs, making Danny jolt with another screech. "Kitty'll be here any minute! And if she sees me empty-handed, she'll make me double dead!"

Despite the unbearable ticklish sensations, Danny still found his sassiness. "S-SUHUhuhucks fohohor youhoohoohoo!"

Johnny gasped in offense, then hissed at his unlucky entity when he heard it chuckle at those words. "Still giving me lip, huh?" He pinned his wrist securely over his head and nodded to Shadow, who sat on top of Danny's legs, black claws wiggling threateningly over his torso. "Give up now before I make you double dead?"

Danny bit his lip and giggled, stubbornly shaking his head. "No?" Danny suddenly jolted with a squeak as he felt Shadow's claws slowly tug up the top half of his costume, exposing his belly. He shivered as the cold night air grazed his skin. Anticipatory tingles raced all the way from his fingertips to his toes. "How about now?" Gathering up what remaining courage—and sass—he had, Danny held his chin high and stuck his tongue out at the older ghost.

"Wrong answer," Johnny smirked. "Now, you're just asking for it."

Danny shut his eyes, bracing for the worst. But when nothing happned after a few seconds, he curiously opened one eye, only to shut it and burst into hysterics as he was mercilessly tickled again. "AAAAAAAHEHEHAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! NAHAHAHAHAHAO! NOHOHOT AGAHAHAHIN, PLEAHEEHEEHEEHEEHEASE!" He squirmed like a worm on a hook as he tried to arch away from the evil tickling fingers, but that proved to be futile. Johnny had his wrist securely held over his head while he scribbled and dug ruthlessly into his underarm while Shadow rapidly clawed at his belly, occasionally moving upwards to dig inbetween his ribs.

And now with his tummy completely exposed and no longer covered by his costume, it just made things even worse. Which, Shadow seemed to catch on, since it could clearly see this was a bad spot for the ghost boy. The dark entity took note of which actions caused which reactions. When it scribbled against the teen's sides, he scrunched his nose and giggled cutely. When it moved higher towards his ribs, his giggling got more high-pitched and he squirmed more rapidly, shaking his head. And when he focused the tickling against the center of his belly, that's when the halfa's reactions got more frantic and adorable.

Shadow noticed that softer tickles made Danny squeal like a baby hyena, and made his tummy twitch adorably. Rapidly digging and wriggling its claws into his belly caused him to screech like a girl, arch, and emit high-pitched cackles while he shook his head more frantically. And if Shadow leaned a little too closely towards his stomach, Danny's eyes would widen and he'd squirm more frantically, shaking his head so fast Shadow was sure he'd get a headache. That last reaction was a bit odd to the shadow. It almost seemed like Danny was afraid it was going to eat him alive.

Unable to contain it anymore, Danny began begging through hysterics. "PLEEEEEAHEEHEEHEASE! PLEASE NOHOHO MOHOHOHORE! I-I PRAHAHAHAMISE I'LL GIHIHIHIVE YOU BAHAHAHACK THE STUHUHUFF! JUST PLEAHEEHEEHEEEEASE! GEHET AHAHAHA—OFF ME! A-AND GET YOUR STUHUHUHUPID SHAHAHADOW OFF!"

Johnny peered up, and grinned as he watched his cheeky shadow reduce the ghost boy to near tears with the tickle assault on his tummy. "Death spot of yours?" Danny giggle-whined, blush darkening. "Alright, Shadow, I think he got the message." Shadow nodded, releasing its hold and ceasing the tickly torture.

As soon as Danny felt his limbs were free, he lay limply on the ground. He greedily gulped down air while brushing a few strands of hair away from his now sweaty forehead. When he got some of his strength back and fixed his suit so it was covering his stomach again, Johnny leaned down next to him. "C'mon, kid, hand them over."

Danny breathed a sigh before narrowing his eyes. "Y'know when I promised I'd hand these over..." he suddenly smirked. "I was crossing my fingers!" Then, he went invisible, and phased through the floor before dashing off.

“Oh, come on!” Johnny cried out in frustration. He shot a death glare at his shadow, who was laughing at the outcome. "Not. A. Word! C'mon, Shadow, go after him!" With a single nod, Shadow flew off to find the halfa.

Meanwhile, Danny quickly tried to locate the Fresh Topic store so he could sneak the boots back where they belonged. Okay, maybe there was a better way to handle that without sassing the older biker ghost. But it still seemed worth it seeing the look on Johnny's face when he phased out of there. Danny knew how much more trouble he got himself into for that escape move, but he still had a job to do. Whether a ghost was trying to fix their rocky relationship, he was not going to let them steal something from his world and get away with it!

But after barely recovering some of his strength from the brutal tickle attack earlier, Danny's sense of direction wasn't all that great. He nearly lost his balance in midair or bumped into billboards because he kept glancing over his shoulder to see if Johnny 13 or his shadow were right behind him. When he looked over his shoulder one last time, he didn't see the ghost that was in front of him, and bumped right into them.

The ghost in front of him cried out in a high-pitched tone. Danny opened his eyes, feeling like he recognized that voice. It was none other than Kitty, Johnny's girlfriend.

"Aah!" Danny yelped.

Kitty brushed some hair out of her eyes before her expression widened as she saw the rumored halfa in front of her. "Danny Phantom?" Her eyes fell on the pair of boots Danny was holding. "Is that my gift from Johnny?"

"Uh—well I—no!" Danny stuttered, hiding the boots behind his back. He was unaware of the creeping ghosts behind him until his ghost sense went off, but it was too late. Shadow wrapped around his limbs, startling Danny and making him yelp. Johnny took the opportunity to swoop in and snag the boots right out of Danny's arm.

"Hey!" Danny barked, squriming in Shadow's grasp. "Let go of me!"

Ignoring the ghost teen's protests, Johnny gave a kiss to his girlfriend's cheek and handed her the boots. "For you, kitten. I told ya I remember what you like."

Kitty happily accepted the gift. "Awww Johnny...thank you." Then her face grew serious as she noticed the struggling Danny Phantom still in Shadow's grasp. She placed a hand on her hip. "You were fighting with the kid again, weren't you?"

Johnny chuckled sheepishly. "Uh, well, now I wouldn't call it fighting…”

“You were, weren't you?!"

"N-Now, now, hold on, baby cakes. Let me explain!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Kitty scolded. "Stop jeopardizing our relationship over your stupid obsession with this ghost boy!"

"First of all, it's not an obsession," corrected Johnny. "And second, this ghost kid nearly ruined my chances of getting this gift for you! He's a demon!"

"Uhh you do realize I'm right here, and can hear everything you're saying, right?" an offended Danny piped up.

Kitty's expression softened as she floated towards Danny. She surprised him by gently squishing his face. "Aw, how can this adorable little ghost boy possibly do anything to ruin something for you?"

“He’s a demon!” repeated Johnny, glaring daggers at Danny.

"No, he's so cute!" Kitty booped Danny on the nose, making him timidly smile.

Johnny let out a huge sigh. Curse this dang ghost baby fever… “Okay, okay, fine. He’s a cute, little angel!” he said sarcastically. "Now can we get out of here with the gift that I got for you in the first place?"

"After you let him go, and promise that you'll stop trying to fight or hurt him."

"I wasn't even fighting with him!" Johnny objected. "The little brat was trying to make off with your boots before you got here!"

Kitty shot a confused look at the halfa, but Danny gave her his best puppy-dog-eyes-stare. (Courtesy of being the youngest sibling) Kitty felt like she was going to melt into a puddle of ectoplasmic goo. "Please. Like this cutie pop is capable of doing something so evil."

Johnny stuttered in disbelief. "But—But I—he–!" He facepalmed, then was suddenly struck with an idea as he saw Danny was still trapped in his shadow. Unlucky shadow. "Like I said," his voice was suddenly calm. "I was never fighting with him in the first place. I was actually doing something a whole lot differently, and the little guy loved it! Isn't that right?"

Danny pretended not to know what he was talking about. "Uhm...no?"

Kitty frowned. "Johnny, if you're lying, I swear..."

"Wait, wait, just let me show you, okay?" Johnny caressed her cheek before she would blow a fuse. "Shadow, hold him for me? Just like we did earlier?"

Danny yelped as he was now dangled upside down, his wrists stretched above his head, and his ankles held securely. "Aaah! Put. Me. Down!" He whined and squirmed, like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Ooh, he's so fussy," chuckled Johnny, turning his attention back to his girlfriend, who giggled in response.

Danny growled. "Quit talking to me like that! I'm not a baby!" He tried to knee the biker ghost in the face, but Shadow held his legs still.

Johnny hummed, standing behind the vulnerable ghost boy. "Mmm you sure about that? You did say you loved to play just...like...this!"

Danny shrieked with squeaky giggles as the older ghost spidered up and down his sides. But he quickly bit his lip, and tried to surpress his laughter. He didn't want to reveal his embarrassing secret to another ghost.

"Aww see? He's so shy, he doesn't want you to hear his laughter. But this should change his mind!" Johnny lowered his spidering hands downward to the ghost teen's underarms. Danny emitted a muffled squeal, and rapidly shook his head. Instinctively, he tugged at his wrists, wanting to protect his ticklish spots, but Shadow's grip on his limbs was strong!

"Awwww!" he heard Kitty coo. "I see what you mean about him being shy, but I still think it's super cute! And he's blushing! Awwwwh!"

Hearing somebody point out his visible blush just made Danny blush even darker. He felt his whole face grow hotter, and he tried to hide his red face against his bicep. That, in turn, made Johnny suddenly dig into his underarms, rapidly scribbling against the hollows.

Unable to keep it together, Danny let the dam of laughter break. "Kkthpbbfft..! PFFFAAAAAHAhahahAHAHAAA! NOHOHOHO! NAHAHAT AGAAAAHAHAHAIN!"

"Omggggg!" Kitty squealed. "That is thee cutest thing I have ever seen! Oh, he's soooo cuuuuute!"

"Oh, that's nothing," Johnny said over Danny's hyena squeals. "Shadow discovered something even more adorable about this little punk. Show her, Shadow!"

Shadow obliged, trapping Danny's wrists with one hand while the other pushed the top half of his black suit up to expose his stomach again. Danny gasped, frantically shaking his head while stuttering protests.

"Aww bad spot?" Kitty smiled.

"More like death spot," Johnny laughed.

Danny squealed even louder as Shadow slowly dragged its clawtips across his belly. He tried to arch and twist his stomach as far away as he could to avoid those evil claws, but it was no use. Shadow simply followed, and briefly dug into his belly as a warning whenever he tried curling on his side.

Desperate, Danny frantically yanked at his restrained limbs. His body was yelling at him to protect those ticklish spots now, but with the way he was pinned his brain was starting to melt to mush.

"PLEAHEEHEEHEEHEEEESE NOHOHOHO!" he begged. "IHIHIHIT'S SO—EEEEEEEEK! BAHAHAHAAAAAD!"

Danny screech-squealed when Shadow softened its touch; softly tracing and fluttering its claws all over his twitching tummy. Soft tickles were agony. They made him flustered beyond relief and made his brain short circuit.

When curious fingers fluttered over his bellybutton, Danny was sure he was going to double die as he screeched so loudly, then his laughter went silent.

Kitty giggled in amusement. "Okay, Johnny, let him go already. He looks like he's had more than enough."

"Fine, fine. Shadow, let him go."

Shadow ceased its tickly torture, and released the halfa. Danny was far too tired to stand up, let alone float, so he almost came crashing down. Thankfully, Kitty was quick to catch him in her arms as soon as he fell in midair.

"Aw, poor tired thing," she cooed sweetly as she gently ruffled the boy's now messy hair. "Maybe next time, I'll join Johnny and Shadow, and help them tickle you to pieces! You're too cute not to!" She playfully tickled Danny's still exposed belly with her long acrylic nails. Danny squealed, giggling madly while batting at the other ghost's hand.

"Nohohohoho! Noho mohohohore!" He curled into a protective ball, tugging his suit down to cover his stomach.

He received another hair ruffle from Johnny, which surprised him. "Stay out of danger, kid," he told him with a faint warm smile. "And don't think I'll forget about your little secret today," he smirked. "Try and cause trouble with me again, and I'll tickle you until you're double dead! Or better yet, slip the word to the Ghost Zone. Word travels fast there, y'know."

"N-No..!" Danny gasped between pants. "You...You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, I would. Imagine what all your other foes would think: all it takes to defeat the halfa hero of the Ghost Zone is a few tickles riiiiight here!" Johnny briefly tickled his belly one last time just to make the kid squeal like a baby hyena again.

"OkAAAAhahahahay! Okahahay!" Danny protested through giggles. "I wohohon't ehehehever cause trouble—EEEEEheeheehee! F-Fohohor you agahahahaaaain! Juhuhust pleaheeheeheehease STAAAAhahahahap!"

Kitty lightly punched her boyfriend in the shoulder. "C'mon Johnny, don't be mean."

"Relax, I was kidding," he replied, pulling his hand away. He turned his attention back to Danny. "My lips are sealed, Phantom. I promise."

Danny held up a shaky finger while he hugged his sore stomach with his other hand. "You...This...This isn't over..!"

"Mm, seems pretty over to me," smirked Johnny as he helped Kitty onto his motorcycle. "But just so you're not tempted to follow me with that tacky thermos of yours...Shadow, keep him busy while we get outta here."

"Wait, what?!" Danny paled as the shadowy figure flexed and wiggled its claws menacingly, grinning villainously.

The teen ghost gulped, feeling the anticipatory butterflies fill his chest again. He chuckled nervously, awkwardly floating backwards. "Uh, heh, listen...Shadow, is it? Y-You don't have to do everything Johnny tells you to do, right? Have some individuality! Be your own person—er, ghost!"

Shadow's expression morphed into confusion, as if it was considering Danny's words. But its face quickly melted into a playful grin as it towered over the frightened halfa.

"I-I'm guessing that's a no?"

Danny yipped and flew as fast as he could with Shadow hot on his tail. He was so flustered, he couldn't fly or think straight. And he couldn't stop the anticipating titters leaving his mouth, either. "Leaheeheeheeheave me alohohohone! I swear, I wohohon't bother you guhuhuhuys again!"

Shadow reappeared in front of Danny, making him shriek as he slammed right into the dark figure. Without wasting another second, Shadow secured Danny's legs with its ghost tail and held him upside down, while its free hands tickled him silly one last time.

The tickles were short-lived—much to Danny's relief—as he was placed down on the ground after a few agonizingly long seconds. With how tired he was, Danny immediately changed back into his human form. He slowly sat up, and saw that Shadow was gone.

Sighing, he starfished on the ground until his breathing returned to normal. When finally he caught his breath, he stood up, hugging his sore stomach and sides. "Well, that's just great. Worst. Night. Ever! Man, that was so embarrassing!" Danny sighed again. "Oh, well. So Johnny made off with some boots from Fresh Topic. They're for his girlfriend so I guess...that's nice?"

Danny shivered as the cold air hit him. He knew he had to get home. Luckily, his house wasn't too far from where he was.

After that whole embarrassing incident with Johnny and his pesky shadow, Danny wanted nothing more than to pretend that didn't happen. He just hoped Johnny would stay true to his word and not reveal his embarrassing secret to the Ghost Zone. He couldn't imagine what would happen if his enemies found out he was insanely ticklish. He would never be taken seriously by anyone ever again.

Still, a small piece of him had to admit that, despite everything, it was kinda fun to be caught in the middle of a playful attack rather than the usual painful ones he had to endure all the time. Who knew some ghosts could have such soft sides? It just went to show that maybe not all ghosts were bad, after all.

As Danny approached the entrance to his house, he quickly came up with a fib in his head if his parents questioned why he was late. If they asked, he was with Sam and Tucker at Sam's house watching movies.

And if they asked why he looked so flushed, out of breath, and red in the face...they were really funny movies.

THE END :3

[kokoa-la]

Paper Clips Make Good Lock Picks- part two

Part 1

"Still going to ignore me?"

...

"Okay okay you got me. Let's get out of here first. We have an hour and a half before another teacher comes in and watches us for the last 15 minutes."

"What's your name?"

Oh, Danny forgot to introduce himself huh? 

"Danny."

"No last name?" 

"You haven't made it far on the friends list"

"Wow friends already? We just met"

"You're breaking out of detention with me. You picked a lock for me, that's called being friends."

"Do you make all your friends by committing crimes together?"

"Only the best ones"

Danny smiled before walking out and checking the hallway side to side. All clear. 

He waved Tim over and out of the classroom. 

"You know this whole hallway is under watch right? There's cameras here." 

"They don't work."

"What?" 

Danny laughed a little before signaling Tim to follow after him against the wall. 

"You didn't know? After school hours certain cameras shut down. In fact, a lot of them are broken and they never paid to get them repaired. That's why they accept bribes. They lie about having proof of crimes, works every time."

"What are you talking about?"

Danny groaned. Of course Tim didn't know about this, he was one of the rich kids they'd exploit. Danny as well as the other kids who were here off of scholarships or special deals knew about the tactic and had ways to avoid it, but rich kids like Tim didn't need to avoid it. The halfa cursed at the unfairness of life. 

"Of course you don't know. The teachers here scam the rich kids. They accuse them of crimes they didn't commit and because their parents never care for proof, only reputation, they bribe them right away without even asking for the evidence. It's happened so many times and it's why when actual problems happen it's swept up under the rug."

"Are you serious?"

"Uh yeah dude. Usually kids like me try their best to avoid it. Meaning don't fight back, don't stay after school, don't go to the bathroom for anything other than an emergency, and don't talk back to any teachers at all. Those are the basics when you're not as rich as everyone else."

"So that's why you're so adamant on being framed, but couldn't you just ask them for proof it was you?"

"Not that easy. I don't have a guardian, I'm a 'charity case' as they say it."

He practically spit out that last part. Utter disgust in his tone. 

"No parents, no money, no dice. If I don't find proof myself and publicize it or threaten em with it, I'm stuck for a year. I have things to do you know"

"Like blowing up chemistry labs?"

Tim teased. Danny gave him a look over his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. You're so funny Tim! I wonder if Andys laughing in the hospital."

"He deserved it."

"And I'm innocent."

The two just stared at each other before Danny laughed and turned back around, continuing his walk. Tim chalked up the whole conversation as something to investigate later at home. His new "friend" was turning out to be a lot more interesting than he let on. 

"So this is you searching for clues? Have you gotten anything since you started"

"Well as I was saying earlier all the cameras in the hallway leading to the lab don't work at certain times, and the ones that were IN the lab are completely unsalvageable. And at the time of the explosion the usual delinquent students - Anderson included - were out of class."

"So they're the prime suspect, no chance of it being anyone else?" 

"Not many motives. If someone was using it for an outside project they didn't have permission, and other than that it's just the love of destroying and messing around."

Danny had led them through the school, taking twists and turns Tim couldn't recognize, eventually they had stopped at a roadblock. The hallway ended where a giant white tarp lay hanging from the ceiling. Caution tape was draped from each side to the other. 

"Where are we?" 

"The scene of the crime." 

Danny smiled before walking towards the plastic covering and picking it up from the ground and waving Tim over. Tim sighed before looking around and following after him, shaking his head on the way over. 

"Don't act all disappointed in me, you're literally following me"

"I may have just met you today but I'm convinced that it I left you alone you'd somehow either die or blow something up"

Oh how Tim didn't know the truth to that statement. Danny gasped and placed his hand over his chest all dramatically, taking false offense. 

"I'll have you know death cannot take me! It has tried and failed. Plus, we've been over this, I'm innocent!"

Tim didn't even want to unpack the first part of that. Logically it could be an exaggeration, but something about it felt a little too real to his senses. 

"Whatever, you felon."

"Delinquent."

"Fair, now let's get going" 

The roles had reversed as Tim took the lead instead. Danny let him despite having been here multiple times over the last few weeks. Maybe Tim would see something he couldn't. 

“So what are you hoping to find?”

“Proof of my innocence, or proof of their crimes.”

“Isn’t finding their crimes easier? Considering a lot of people already know about it.”

“Well yeah, but that’d turn back on me.”

“How so?”

God, Danny wanted to punch him. 

“Because they’d flip it on me and say how did I get the information? They’d accuse me of stealing and breaking and entering. They’d say that a delinquent child like me who hasn’t got good influences in my life would resort to just about anything to get out of punishment-”

“That’s a bit specific, don't cha think?”

“Well I’ve had similar things happen to me before”

Creepy boy with creepy powers rang in his head, he ignored it. 

“Anyways, how am I even going to get that stuff? The principal's office has all of that information and the cameras there are fully functioning and top quality. Plus, how am I supposed to get into their computer? I don’t know the password and I can’t hack shit for the life of me. Programming I can do, but that? Whole new haunt.” 

“Haunt- you know what? I’m not going to question that.”

“Good. We’re running out of time anyways. Choosing all the hallways that don’t have cameras or ones that work took a while. We need to wrap this up in 20 and then go back the way we came.”

Tim nodded and walked a bit faster towards what used to be the chem lab. There was more plastic screening in the way, but it was easily bypassed by the two. 

“There’s no one here.”

“They only do construction on this place during school hours two times a week.”

“Why? That’ll take forever.”

“Exactly.”

Tim’s questions were getting to Danny at this point. While the halfa acted all knowing in the beginning, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s actually clueless beyond what he discovered on his own. He doesn’t know why they’re prolonging the construction, it’s probably another scheme of theirs- or if they’re lucky, an extensive cover up. Danny, in all honesty, just wants to be able to go home to his little trash heap of a living space in Crime Alley and sleep. 

Tim moved forward, being way too careful. Danny knew he was oddly silent, but he could still hear the other, so he didn't question it. Superhuman hearing for the win! 

“Why is the construction flowing this way? The back of the room is close to being done, but the front is still in complete disarray. They shouldn’t be doing parts of the room, but the whole room in steps.”

Yeah, Danny couldn’t answer that one. At this point, he was just assuming that Tim had to verbalize his questions when answering them himself. He didn’t reply, and with the way the other didn’t ask again or even look at him, Danny was right. He was content to just let his detention mate do his thing, lord knows Tim’s smarter than Danny anyways.

Tim stepped forward cautiously. The ground was still slightly unsteady considering only like 15% of the room had the floors replaced. Now that Danny thought about it, that was weird. He may be clueless about anything other than ghosts and space, but even he knew that foundations were placed first. This is a dangerous and even unsafe way to do construction. Why repair one part of the room first and then bleed out? Was something hidden in that area? Plus, there was still debris from the explosion- 

“What do you think they’re hiding?”

“We’re about to find out.”

Wow, Tim was really invested now. Danny would have just gone back by now and visited tomorrow, but Tim is full on interested. 

All that was left to do was follow the rich kid further in the room. 

“Careful some of the paint is wet.”

Danny didn’t even want to ask how the other knew that from this distance. Danny could tell, but again, super human senses, Tim? Fully human. It didn’t really matter that much though, so he just followed him further and stepped around certain tiles. 

Tim started inspecting just about everything. Nothing was safe. Every piece of wood, every corner, every point in which two colors met- the guy even pulled out a leveler. Where did he get that? You know what? Didn’t matter. Danny was giving his best in minding his business. If it got him set free? He’d ask zero questions- consider his curiosity swallowed. 

“Tim, we have to go. We’re almost out of time.”

“Is it just me or is this cement not level, and doesn’t the drywall seem incorrect to you?”

Tim finally turned back to Danny, breaking out of his investigator mode. The halfa sighed before stepping over to where his new friend was, taking a closer look at what Tim was pointing out. He was right. The cement was uneven against the wall. It was strange considering Chemistry labs required tile flooring. The tiles wouldn’t go well if it wasn’t steady. Plus, the walls were supposed to be in levels: cement, then insulation, then final layer (could be anything really). The drywall set up wasn’t screwed in correctly, and Danny was pretty sure he could see the insulation in some parts. Considering special tiles or substances had to be used over the drywall to make the chemistry lab safe and usable, it wasn’t a good base. 

Okay, Danny will admit, maybe he did do a little bit of research into chemistry labs. It was a rabbit hole he couldn’t escape when listening to Mr.Lanch drag on and on about the 5 page essay due in a month. He was bored, sue him. He was used to being attacked by ghosts everyday, this place was tame. Sure, it was exhausting, but it was still interesting. 

“This isn’t right. The concrete has cracks in it.”

“So?”

“The school is supposed to use epoxy for the flooring, but for that to work the cement underneath it has to be perfect. This is far from that.”

“But they’re doing tiles, not resin.”

Tim gave Danny a look, and it honestly made him feel poor. Epoxy flooring was expensive- like really expensive- Danny has never seen it before that’s for sure. 

“Danny, the school has enough funding to make 20 of these labs with the highest grade. Tuition alone is insane amounts, even for the rich. The facilities the place offers should be of the highest quality. Even if the floors have to get replaced every few years, it states on the website that it’s supposed to be epoxy.”

Tim took what seemed to be a thousand photos of the area, getting every little detail. 

“Hmm, sounds like they’re cutting corners to cut costs. Leave it to the corrupt.”

“Alright, I got what we needed, let's head back.”

“Thank the Ancients. We’re gonna need to hurry, you know. We took too much time.”

Danny was quick to retrace the steps he took entering, ensuring no more tracks were left. Tim followed suit, and soon enough they were back into the maze of Hallways. This time with Tim leading the way. How the other knew it already when he’d only been through it once was beyond Danny, but again, he wasn’t gonna question it. 

Questioning others gave them a way to ask you questions in return, and Danny wasn’t too keen on answering anything personal.

.

.

.

“Made it!” 

Danny laughed as he slumped in the first seat, dead tired from the way they ran after seeing the clock. They were 10 minutes away when the clock showed they had 5 minutes until a check in. To say they ran would be an understatement. The way the two of them jumped down those stairs would surely raise many questions if Danny was keen to ask, but hey, maybe Tim was one of those ‘do every hobby known to mankind’ rich kids. 

Well his new friend was fit, at the least. Tim hadn’t even broken a sweat, only slightly breathing a little heavier. Danny wished. As a ghost he didn’t have such things as stamina, there was no out of breath when you don’t breathe. As a human, however, he was stuck with meager capabilities he gathered up from running away from bullies and fighting off ghosts with watchful eyes. Seriously, he needed to do whatever Tim was doing (just cheaper). 

Funnily enough, the second Tim sat down a seat away from him, Mr.Lanch entered the room. 

“I see you two have moved. I hope you didn’t cause any disturbances.”

He said while looking directly at Danny. Danny was sure to keep a tight smile on his face, hiding his clenched fist under the desk next to his thigh. 

“No way, sir. I just needed some help on that essay we have. You know I’m a little-”

“Behind, yes, I’m aware. Don’t distract Mr.Drake, he has well enough to do on his own. Am I clear?”

“Yes, yes. Sorry, won’t happen again.”

“Now apologize to Mr.Wayne for bothering him.”

“He wasn’t a bother.”

Tim interrupted, and Danny swore Tim looked annoyed. How come?

“Excuse me?”

“Danny wasn’t bothering me, Mr.Lanch, I was happy to help.”

There was an attitude in his tone, a bit of sharpness that Danny could pick up. He couldn’t for the life of him understand why.

“Yes, well, an esteemed individual such as yourself mustn't get too involved with the likes of him.”

Was this guy for real? Not even bothering to hide the blatant discrimination. Danny refrained from rolling his eyes, his fist clenching ever so tighter, making indents in his skin. 

“What may that mean, Mr.Lanch.”

“Mr.Drake, I’m sure you are well aware that people like… him are not the best influence on those such as yourself.”

Danny could feel the rage bubbling under Tim’s skin- being a sort of empath had its perks. 

“People like him? I am unaware as to what exactly you mean by that.”

Yeah, this was going to continue escalating. Danny cleared his throat, making both of them look over at him.

“I’m sorry Tim for bothering you earlier. It won’t happen again, don’t worry.”

“That’s better like it, now, I will return when time is up. Good day.”

And with that, Mr.Lanch left the room, making Danny sigh in relief. He sunk into his seat and rubbed his fingers over the crescents in his palm. 

“Why did you do that?”

“What?”

Tim gave him an annoyed look.

“Apologize.”

“It’s not that important, Tim. It’s easier on me if I just do what he asks. As long as I don’t get punished too badly it’s fine.”

“Didn’t we just return from trying to prove your innocence?”

“That was different from this. A year of detention and being banned from any labs for the rest of highschool is way too drastic to just take it. I have a thing called a job, Tim, I can’t be here when I could be working. Not all of us have people making food for them anytime they want.”

This was ridiculous. Seriously, Danny may care about justice and all that jazz, but he made a promise to- well- Jazz that he’d finish highschool and do it right. He couldn’t start problems when he already barely got in from this alone. Tim would be fine anywhere he went, Danny wouldn’t, and that’s just the truth. He couldn’t punch his way out of this one, and he accepted that the first month in. It really was Casper high part two, but instead of the treatment being because he was the weird kid, it was because he was the poor orphan. Not much better, now, was it.

Tim finally shut his mouth. Danny allowed himself to roll his eyes before putting his head down on the desk. 10 minutes until freedom. 

Day one was finally over. 

_______________________

Imma be real honest I actually hated part 2 which is why I never posted it, but i've been convinced bcs someone asked for the link to it so i avoided tumblr for a week because i thought itd be mean to show activity and ignore them- so i went back edited it and now theres a part 3 and im worried this will become a short story

anyways enjoy!

Koa out <3

[lexosaurus]

stained teeth leave the aftertaste of rot (part 1)

Here is my fic for @ecto-implosion! I was soooo pumped to get an art from @antleredweirdo which you can see [right here] (plz look at it cuz im VERY normal about this art piece)

Thank you so much to @lexiepiper and @ghostlyglimmer for betaing!

Characters: Danny Fenton Tags/warnings: minor character death, gore, ghost hunger Summary: Danny was just sick. It was probably some sort of ghost flu that was making his body heavy, his stomach hollow, and his eyes burn with fatigue. There was no way he was—no, he wasn't going to think about that. He wasn't. In the darkest corner of the room, something shifted.

[read on ao3]

[part 2] [part 3]

****

Danny sat behind his desk, staring listlessly out the window with heavy, half-lidded eyes. Sun beamed down from the cloudless sky, deceptively bright against the fresh spring air. The weather would warm soon, and birds would return from their winter flight to chirp from their tiny branches, but not yet. Not this early into the season.

He tapped his finger against his chin out of time with the droning rhythm of Mr. Lancer’s lecture, the motion about all he could muster to stay awake. His elbow supported his sagging body, nearly numb from the pressure of the desk. But he couldn't find it in him to care.

When he blinked, his eyes burned with sleep. They protested when he opened them, and really, it was so tempting to let his fatigue win. All he wanted was to let his head collapse on his desk, fold his arms into a soft pillow, and rest.

But he'd promised his parents he would try to do better in school this semester. Last fall had been more than a disaster, and if he repeated that again, he would have to do credit recovery over the summer. The last thing Danny wanted—or any teen for that matter—was to do more school over the summer.

So, he forced his head to turn to face the teacher and fought each lagging, burning blink as he pretended to at least appear like he was paying attention.

Even if behind him, his friends knew that he would be copying their notes later.

It wasn't his fault he was so tired. He was probably coming down with something. He didn't think he could get human illnesses, but that must have been what was happening because there was simply no other way to explain this sort of weakness that ached deep in his bones. How despite sleeping well the past week, each day his body felt more drained than the last.

Finally, finally, the bell rang. He stuffed his unopened notebook in his bag, nearly forgetting to zip it up before he tossed it over his shoulder, and dragged his useless body and feet forward, red shoes plodding one step in front of the other as he made his way to the door.

"Man, what a drag," Tucker said, falling in step beside him.

Danny had almost forgotten that Tucker was in that class too.

"I thought Lancer was gonna go on yapping forever." Tucker nudged him with his elbow. "Thought you were gonna nap at least five times, too. Seriously, you good? You look like you’re about to fall over."

"Yeah, fine," Danny said on reflex, then grimaced, amending with, "Kind of tired, actually."

"How many times have I told you to call us if the ghosts won't let up? We're your backup, dude!"

Danny stopped before his locker, phasing his hand through his lock and popping it open. Last fall, this sort of small, public usage of his powers would have been unthinkable. But he'd long since realized that one of the benefits of being invisible in the social hierarchy of school was, well, that he was invisible.

"It wasn't even a ghost this time. I think I'm just getting a cold."

Tucker leaned against a scratched red locker, folding his arms and pulling out his brick-like phone. One of those cases that doubled as an external battery, he'd said. To Danny, it just looked like one of Skulker's projectiles.

"You can get colds?" Tucker scrolled through what Danny could only assume was one of the many encrypted files he'd stolen from Vlad on halfa biology.

"Well, I don't know what else to call this."

"I do." Tucker clicked his phone off. "It's called wearing yourself out! Honestly, Danny, call us every once in a while."

Well, Danny couldn't exactly blame Tucker for not believing him about the ghosts actually letting him sleep for once. He tried rubbing the weariness from his eyes and grumbled, "Fine."

"I mean, seriously. I get that we can't fly or anything, but Sam and I are great with a gun. You know this."

"Yeah, I know."

"What are we mad at Danny about?" A voice piped up behind him.

Danny slammed his locker shut. "Nothing!"

"The usual," Tucker answered.

"Oh." Sam popped out beside him, slugging her ratty purple spider bag over a cropped black band hoodie. She tilted her head, and black hair fell onto her shoulders. "You didn't call us for backup again? Seriously?"

"No!"

Tucker ignored him, pushing himself off the locker to tap Sam's shoulder. "And get this! This idiot tried to tell me he's getting a cold."

"That's a bad lie, even for you."

"I'm not lying! I didn't fight a single ghost last night!" His protest was slightly louder than he'd intended it to be, and he could see the awkward glances from his classmates beside him, their judgment so loud he could almost hear them thinking about what a lame weirdo he was.

Ancients, this was really not a good day.

He lowered his voice. "Seriously, guys, I'm just tired. That's all. I've been feeling this way all week."

Sam and Tucker exchanged an agonizingly long glance.

"Really," he insisted.

Then, surprisingly, Sam was the first to break the silent exchange, rolling her eyes to look over at Danny. "Okay, fine. But seriously, if you have another busy night, then call us, okay? That's what we're here for."

"Sure."

"Now, come on!" Sam spun on her heel and began walking down the hall. "If we don't get to gym on time, Tetslaff is gonna make us run laps again!"

"Right behind you!" Tucker yelled, following after her.

Danny watched them from behind, his feet too heavy to try to play catch-up. There had been a blissful minute at his locker where he'd forgotten he had gym next. But, of course, that fantasy couldn't last forever, and now it was time for Dash and his cronies to pelt dodgeballs at him, or whatever other misery they'd think of.

Great, amazing. Just what the doctor ordered.

Part of him almost wished a ghost would appear out of thin air just so he'd have an excuse to skip. But, of course, the universe loved working against him.

Students passed by him in a blur, their voices twisting and swaying into a kaleidoscope of sound that evolved with each thundering footstep, each turn around the corner of another hall. His stomach panged. Not with hunger, or really with pain, but...something else. Something he couldn't quite place.

Maybe he was getting a ghostly illness? He hadn't ever heard of such a thing before, but it wasn't as though he had a plethora of ghost friends to ask questions to. Vlad certainly would never give him a heads-up about anything that would deter Danny from needing to grovel at his feet about later. 

But he did feel weird. And considering his baseline levels were already what a doctor might call both "weird" and "extremely concerning—Mrs. Fenton, how is your son even alive—" this was very likely to be something ghostly in nature. Maybe an ecto-flu.

Hopefully.

****

"Oh yeah, and why not?" The ghost sneered, his gray skin crinkling around acid-green eyes.

"Because!" Danny threw his hands up. "I've told you! You can't just start terrorizing people every time Kitty gets mad at you!"

Johnny 13 rolled his eyes in a cartoonishly exaggerated manner as if making sure Danny wouldn't miss it.

"I'm being serious. You know this."

"Yeah, yeah." Johnny folded his arms against the handlebars of his bike and leaned forward. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do? She left me, man. And she sounded really serious this time! I can't just let some punk take my girl!"

She wasn't being serious this time, Danny knew. Ghosts were nothing if not creatures of habit. Which meant, unfortunately, they were going to be having this fight and conversation again in another month.

That also meant that Danny had answered this question so many times before, he all but had a scripted response. "Maybe start by apologizing to her?"

"I can't just apologize to her for taking care of my bike! Kitty always wants to go on rides when my bike needs a bit of attention. Don't get me wrong, I love Kitty, but I love my bike too, and I godda make sure that girl is all taken care of so that Kitty and I can go on our rides across the Realms."

"Maybe, then, you can start by not calling your bike a girl."

"No way! I'm not riding a dude."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. Ancients, this was why he needed to stick to the script. "Well, I don't know, man. Just apologize to her anyway. You know Kitty! That's really all she wants."

Johnny 13 muttered under his breath, shifting his weight on his bike. Shadow appeared from under him—a little smaller than before, now that Danny had worn him out from the fight—and began curling up his legs and around his waist. He didn't speak, and Danny wasn't really sure if he could, but somehow, Johnny always seemed to know what he was saying anyway.

"Yeah, that really hurt by the way."

It took Danny a second to realize that Johnny was talking to him.

"You nailed my back with your stupid ice spikes."

"Well, you started terrorizing the public!" Danny shot back.

"Yeah, but I didn't try to stab anyone. Unlike you, Mr. Hero Shtick over there."

"Unleashing Shadow on a group of middle schoolers almost counts as the same thing."

Johnny raised a brow at him. "Middle schoolers? They can take it."

"Whatever!" Danny snapped. It was useless to try to argue with Johnny about what constituted a public nuisance anyway. "I didn't even hit you that hard."

"Yeah, you did." Johnny swiped a hand behind his shoulder and hissed. "Ugh—I'm fucking bleeding! You got through the leather and everything, asshole!"

Shadow made a throaty, warbling sound from beside him.

"Yeah, I know!" Johnny nodded furiously, apparently agreeing.

Shadow warbled again, and Johnny laughed sardonically in return.

Danny sighed, not knowing nor caring about whatever insult Shadow had just slung at him. He floated closer to Johnny, his tail lazily flicking under him. "Come on, let me see that."

"No way!" Johnny leaned away from Danny's outstretched arm.

They'd played this song and dance too many times before for Danny to back down now. "If you let me patch you up and go to the portal willingly, I won't suck you into the thermos. Then you'll have all day to find Kitty—who's probably in Ember's lair—and you can apologize to her and she'll instantly forgive you and then you two can go ride on your bikes into the sunset like every cheesy movie from the seventies. Doesn't that sound great?"

Johnny frowned, his blonde brows pinching together, and eyed Danny suspiciously.

But Danny meant it. He truly did. More than anything, he just wanted Johnny 13 and Shadow to go back to the Zone.

It was another win for Danny. He swooped behind Johnny and prepped some ecto-ice under his skin. He’d discovered that not only did the frost act as an adhesive to stop minor bleeding, but that other ghosts could slowly absorb the ecto-energy to speed up their own healing processes.

But then, he caught sight of Johnny's shoulder.

And froze.

It wasn't that it was a horrendous, gruesome mess that had Danny wondering how Johnny was still standing. In fact, there was hardly anything there at all compared to what Danny was used to seeing on himself. The leather had torn where an ice spike had hit him, and a small trickle of ectoplasm was leaking through.

But despite having seen the slow trickle of ectoplasm from scrapes and gashes a hundred times before, Danny still lurched back.

Because something was wrong.

The ectoplasm didn't look like ectoplasm anymore. It sparkled like a jewel and glittered like a mound of sugary syrup. It wasn't just ectoplasm, it looked...

It looked...

"Kid?" Johnny's voice snapped him out of his head.

Danny started, flushing as he realized in embarrassment, he'd begun to flair his aura.

Jesus, what the hell was that about? Maybe he really was under some sort of ghost cold or something.

"Sorry," he managed to say, averting his gaze and reaching out his cringing arm to Johnny's shoulder.

Something dark flickered at the edge of his vision. It must have been his imagination, though, because when his paranoid eyes snapped over to it, nothing was there.

"You don't have to fight the fucking ectoplasm back into my body, you know."

"I know," Danny grumbled. He felt like some toddler ghost who couldn't control its urge to establish dominance. "Sorry, I think I'm getting sick or something."

"Sure you are, kid."

Somehow, he managed to touch the wound—just barely—where he wasted not even a nanosecond before his ecto-ice was on his fingertips, coating Johnny's skin in a frost that would have given frostbite to a normal human, but to a ghost, was little more than putting a cool bandage over the wound.

"Thanks." Johnny 13 leaned away, rolling his neck.

"Don't mess it up."

"Yeah, yeah. I know the drill."

Oh no, did they have a drill?

Danny tried to avoid looking at the lingering ectoplasm on Johnny's back. "Okay, you're all good now so just go to Kitty, please? Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars."

"Sure thing, ghost brat!" Then, Johnny's expression shifted so quickly that Danny almost wondered if they were about to start brawling again. "By the way, you seriously need to recharge."

Now it was Danny's turn to roll his eyes. "Oh, jeez, recharging? I never thought of that!" He directed some ectoplasm into his eyes to make them glow brighter, snapping, "When the hell is a guy supposed to sleep when you all keep coming into Amity?"

"No, not that kind of—ah, forget it." Johnny waved him off. "You'll figure it out soon enough, anyway. Either that, or I won't have to worry about you anymore. Which, not that I'm wishing for your demise, but having you out of my way would be kinda nice."

"Not happening."

They stared at each other. Johnny, with his bemused expression, and Danny, with arms crossed and aura glistening in warning. Around the corner, sounds of children, blissfully unaware of the two ghosts in the alley, laughed as they played in the small park.

Yeah, like hell was Danny ever going to let these morons cause mayhem and disrupt innocent lives like that.

Johnny 13 was the first to break it, shrugging in that lazy way that Danny hated so much. "Well, have fun with your illness then. See ya!"

The motorcycle revving was never not obnoxious. A cloud of green ecto-smoke pillowed around them, following Johnny as he disappeared in the direction of Fentonworks.

Danny didn't follow him. Partly because he knew Johnny wasn't stupid enough to stick around. But also partly because his feet had frozen to the ground. The green motorcycle smoke was surrounding him, and he couldn't move. He didn't want to move.

It was simply too intoxicating.

When the smoke cleared and he couldn't feel any traces of ecto-activity around him, Danny finally let out a long, slow breath, his muscles releasing as he did. At his sides, his hands trembled.

But why?

That interaction was one he'd had a dozen times before. Why was he so rattled now?

What the hell had happened to him?

He must have been missing something, because when he replayed the events in his head, for a moment there, Johnny's ectoplasm...it had looked...he'd wanted to...

No.

No.

That wasn't right. No. He was misremembering it. He was sick. No. Something was off. He wasn't thinking clearly. He was a good person, he wasn't some freak who would—no, that was sick. He was just being paranoid.

He clenched his hands into fists, tucking them under his elbows and hugging his torso because he just needed to calm down. He just wasn't feeling right. He was tired.

His stomach felt empty. He must have been hungry too. Yeah, that must have been it.

But...he didn't feel hungry. Or, did he?

His body was too out of whack right now.

He needed to go home. Sleep. Yeah, that sounded good.

Sleep always had a way of fixing everything.

****

Danny lay in his bed, his stomach hollow despite the fact that he’d just eaten dinner. When he stared at the ceiling, a slight green glow reflected in the air above him.

Odd. His eyes normally never glowed in his human form unless he was upset or angry.

In the corners of the room, the shadows shifted.

He was afraid to look.

The tips of his fingers tingled.

Something was happening to him. Something that every time he tried to think about it, his brain slammed the gates shut.

So he didn't think. He kept clenching his fists. He refused to look at the shadows. He didn't acknowledge the emptiness in his stomach. He stared up, gazing past the green air to the glow-in-the-dark constellations on his ceiling. He breathed.

And breathed.

Up, down. Rest. Up, down. Rest.

For some reason, it was enough to distract him.

Perhaps, that was because breathing was human.

****

part 2 >

[sguidwards-bestfriend]

New Dimension, Who’s This?

Dp x dc thoughts and stuff

I did not expect people to like this stuff, but I’m glad you're here

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Danny POV

Danny was NOT having a good time. Dimension hopping should have been fun, but it was shit. All the ecto he'd found had been corrupted and even the human food tasted weird. That 8$ pb&j was a curse on both his tastes buds and his now empty wallet.

For almost a month Danny had been chasing down the most feint ecto trace, but it was the only one he could feel.

Living between Amity and the ghost zone meant he had a surpluses of that feeling, to the point that it became background noise. It being gone felt like loosing a sense.

He grumbled to himself as he floated to an abandoned mansion on a mostly empty road. He was so hungry it made him dizzy to walk so he floated most places. Which absolutely didn’t help him get any human food, since everyone who saw him ran.

He expected the small ecto signature to be a liminal being, like Cujo in his puppy form or one of box ghosts boxes. He hadn’t expect a guy who bolted the second he saw him.

He was definitely liminal, Danny could feel it, but this guy was crazy. A black car sped through the road, the man and the kid he was with jumped in and they left.

Just like that his food source was gone. Danny paused a second and decided he wouldn’t call the guy a "food source" next time they saw each other.

Which thankfully for Danny was only about 10 minutes later.

His actions really shouldn’t be a judgment of character, he was sleep deprived and starving.

...

Insulting this dudes dimension and his ecto signature was definitely not a great start.

At least he looked more human now, his kingly power automatically trying to make his subject more comfortable. Maybe he could convince them to get him a sandwich, or just ham, whatever really, anything at all.

A man in a butler outfit cleared his throat, "I'll get him a meal, don't destroy the furniture." Did Danny say that out loud... maybe the butler had magic.

After eating a decent, but ecto free meal Danny was introduced to Jason (food), Damian (might be food?), Tim (not food), and Alfred (not food).

He hadn't bothered saying a word until he'd finished his plate. Once he had he told them about the ghost zone and the earth he was from, which they very quickly realised was not the same one. He hadn't mentioned being king of said dimension, nor the sole hero of the latter.

They in turn told him about the many different heros that inhabited this earth and the various planets that some of them came from. Danny could tell they weren't telling him everything, but his kingly power did prove to him that they hadn't lied to him, at least Jason and Damian hadn't.

Explanations were cut short when Jason stood up and Danny bolted to his side. Just being near the dude helped, he definitely had a leak or something going on.

"Look man, I'm starving and you are spilling out ecto at an insane rate." Danny said with a hand on the man's shoulder.

Jason looked at him like he'd grown a second head, which he hoped he hadn't because that took more energy than he was willing to expend. "You gunna explain what the fuck you just said?"

Danny had been king long enough to have studied up on the few halfas that had existed. Most of them hadn't survived very long after forming, either becoming a full ghost or their ghost core shriveled away and left them human... with some minor side-effects. "You must have come back from the dead with an unformed ghost core, contaminated with bad ectoplasm. The bad ecto isn't letting the core close up, it's like you have a leak."

"The Lazarus pit goo!" Tim shot up from his seat and ran off.

Danny remembered the forth ecto puddle he had visited, "I heard that name, some fruitloop in a cape was yelling about one of the ones I emptied."

"You emptied them?" Jason said with a perplexed look on his face.

"I was hungry." Danny, ever the gremlin, let them stay confused as he continued. "Anyway, you weren't dead long enough to form a solid core, then the pit goo, as you called it, seeped into the cracks and kept you too alive for it to finish, but too dead for it to fade."

"So I'm stuck like this?" Jason's core started oozing out waves of fear, stress and uncertainty.

"No, no." Danny focused on feelings of ease and calm as best he could while trying to desperately feed off of him. "Probably not, your core wasn't tainted until later so it wasn't flash formed like mine, and you're alive. I'm mostly guessing, but I have two theories." Danny extended his hand to a nearby couch (how many couches did these people have?), they both sat and Danny continued. "Once the contaminated ecto goo is gone you'll fade back to being 100% human since you can't make your own ecto, or..."

"or?"

"Or your core can't keep you alive and you... die fully." Danny didn't look at his eyes as he finished. "I can't guarantee your core will survive that either. It'll have to starve from lack of ecto before we know if your heart and brain are alive enough to keep you going, and with a core so weak we dont really know how well that'll go."

Although Jason was good at hiding his emotions from prying eyes, even as a far off, mangled version of a liminal being he was still part of the ghost king's ruling. Danny didn't mention it, he seemed like he was going through a lot and mind (emotion?) reading tended to make those not used to it uncomfortable.

Jason breathed in deep, "Alright, what's the first step to finding out if my body works without ecto?"

Danny tried not to smile at his future meal as he said. "We get rid of the ecto faster than the bad ecto is coming."

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Tags:

@bjurnberg, @skulld3mort-1fan, @akikkobara @undead-bi-dinosaur, @amyheart19, @phoenixdemonqueen, @not-your-average-url, @seraphinedemort, @theywontletmeusetheoneiwant (I wasn’t sure if you saying “I’d read more” meant you wanted to be tagged, if not pls tell me and I’ll remove you),  @satisfactionbroughtmeback, @kyrianclawraith, @i-always-say-yea,

[amaramizuki666]

dp x dc crossover

   so danny just moved to gotham. he vibed with it pretty well. the worlds most dangerous city isn't very dangerous for a kid who is already dead. that being said there is a very frustrated clown holding a gun to the very tired halfas head. 

  “don't come closer hood, bats or i'll shoot the kid” the joker cackled. danny looked at the vigilantes then to joker “dude this is so cliche” he sighed. the people around him looked at danny like he just signed his own death order. the jokers grin dropped as he stared at the halfa “really, do go on” the clown pressed the gun harder into danny's skull. “you only see the bats as threats and dont stop to consider that someone else can take you out. it looks like you need a reality check,” danny says flatly. “and your the one whos going to give me the reality check brat?” the joker mused “no not me today, you see im late coming home and my partners wont be happy about this its supposed to be my day to cook” danny smirked “oh look there they are” danny raised his arm catching the boo-marang. joker turned only to be hit over his head with a batt. “danny you ok” a women dressed like a victorian goth walked over to the halfa slinging the bat over her shoulder. “thanks sam im fine, but did you need to send the boo-marang” danny joked. 

 the batfam are a few feet away staring at the scene wandering if the should go over there to collect statements.