Unpleasant Revelations - DPxDC Ficlet Idea for the Stillborn Au
"Have you met my youngest, Damian, Mr. Masters?"
Its only from twenty years of long, hard experience and practice that Vlad doesn't increase the room temperature from 'borderline uncomfortably cool' to 'unbearably hot' the moment Bruce Wayne pulls his youngest and "only" biological son out in front of him.
He puts only in quotations because twelve year old Damian Wayne looks scarily, uncannily like one Daniel Brown. Jack and Maddie's foster son, second victim of their foolishness, and only other halfa in existence. Second only to him.
It's nauseating how similar they look. From the scowl and terrible glare on the young boy's face, to his brown skin -- which was only a few shades lighter than Daniel's, the shape of his nose, and even the strange winged edge of his eyebrow. Something that Vlad has long since come to find endearing on the child he considered a son of his own. The only difference was that Damian had dark, sharp green eyes.
Daniel's eyes were blue. The same glacier shade as his father's, who stood behind Damian with a proud, oafish smile on his visage.
It was infuriating how similar they look. Vlad might not have rapidly swung the room temperature from one extreme to the other, but he can't stop himself from letting the fury burning within his core from slipping out and raising the temperature up a few degrees.
Because it really only meant one thing.
Damian Wayne and Daniel Brown were related.
Damian Wayne and Daniel Brown were brothers.
Standing in front of him, it was clear as day. He can already picture a phantom image of Daniel standing beside Damian, the same scowl written on his face, the same glare carved into his eyes. The only difference being the dark, exhausted circles beneath them that seemed to be permanently painted onto his skin. The only thing missing being the permanent loneliness and vigilance permeating his being like a scar.
This, if revealed, would be enough to ruin Bruce Wayne's reputation. Or, at the very least, darken it quite a bit. The great philanthropist Bruce Wayne with another secret blood child? One related to his youngest? One that had been put into foster care? Seemingly thrown away?
It would be a firestorm.
One that Vlad is not keen on starting.
It would ruin Bruce Wayne's reputation, yes. But it would hurt Daniel in the process -- the harassment he would face alone might just be enough to break that fragile child completely. That was just not something he could allow. Or, even worse, bring him into his biological father's care and custody -- something Vlad was even less willing to allow.
It's not out of kindness to Wayne that Vlad will keep mum about this.
His grip on his champagne flute tightens, just a bit. He's still aware enough of the world around him to not let it shatter in his hands. His plastered, pleasant smile tightens around the corners, and he forces his focus to slide from Damian to Wayne.
"The resemblance is uncanny, Mister Wayne." He says, slanting his smile to the side slyly. Although he's not talking about the resemblance between Wayne and his son. Rage simmers beneath his skin, burning coal and embers in the core of his chest, nestled between his lungs, as he meets the man's eyes.
Wayne swaggles his head proudly, his ditzy smile widening as he squeezes his son's shoulder affectionately. Bastard, Vlad wants to spit.
He breathes in through his nose, and exhales out through his mouth. The champagne in his hand cools, and stops its unusual bubbling.
The Damian boy scoffs under his breath, his mouth still coiled upward into a scowl. With the revelation of his blood relation to Daniel evident, Vlad's not sure if he should find it endearing or not.
He is not Daniel, so he decides that it's just simply irritating. He decides to ignore it.
"And you said he was your only biological son?" He asks, voice lilting and head tilting. He knows its a suspicious question at worst, insulting at best. But considering Wayne's past proclivities, he can hardly call it an unexpected question.
Damian puffs in great offense, face twisting angrily. It reminds him of Daniel when Vlad insisted that he was wrong about something or other, and for a moment his heart swells, fond.
But this is not his child, and so the feeling quickly crashes and burns, simmering back into rage. This was not Daniel -- this was his replacement. A replacement that Wayne was free to keep.
Wayne chuckles, idiotically, as if he'd said some funny joke. Vlad's other hand, the one gripping his cane -- something he's required ever since he was dispatched from the hospital all those lonely years ago -- tightens instead. He grinds his teeth -- him and Jack Fenton would get along like a house on fire, he hates it.
"I can understand why you'd ask that, Mister Masters," Wayne says, squeezing Damian's shoulder again, "but yes, Damian is my only biological son. Although that doesn't mean I don't love my other children any less."
Bastard.
For all his posturing and flouncing about caring for his city and his children, Vlad never would have thought the Prince of Gotham capable of abandoning one of them.
But, well.
They all have their dark secrets.
And what one man throws away, another man picks up. If Bruce Wayne didn't want the treasure child that was Daniel Brown, then Vlad Masters was more than happy to take him instead.
"I see."
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thinking about akane kurashiki's hypocrisy. like, not just her telling delta "only god gets to decide who lives and dies" but also her bringing quark into the ab game.
it's okay when akane brings a child in a game where he's in danger, where he dies. it's different for her, she has grander goals than hongou ever did. it's different.
it's okay when akane gets to decide who lives and dies, after all everyone who matters lives in the end. isn't that what matters? the timeline where everyone important is okay? it's different.
it's okay when akane is zero. she had to do it, she had to survive and she had to adhere to the time loop. she has to live. it's different.
akane is already such a fascinating character to think about, she's the world's worst heroine. she cares and loves very much, she genuinely wants the best for those she cares about. she wants to save humanity even. she's genuinely justified with her actions in 999, how can you condemn them given the circumstances. and she's a hypocrite because of it all. no matter how justified or self sacrificing her actions are, it doesn't change the fact she's still a hypocrite. how utterly fascinating of a character.
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Stillborn danyal al ghul au incorrect quotes - dpxdc au
Vlad and Danny, fighting for the nth time this month:
Danyal, exhausted: hey if i call you dad will you like. Stop. I have a test tomorrow.
Vlad, has a parental bone in EVERY part of his body: *immediately stopping*
Vlad: What do you mEAN YOU HAVE A TEST. WHY DIDN'T YOU LEAD WITH THAT--
Danny: BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL DR. FENTON AGAIN, VLADIMIR.
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Danny, flopping into bed facefirst: i need sleep or rehab. again
Tucker (maybe?? I haven't decided yet who he's friends with): i thought you were clean
Danny, into a pillow: not if this keeps up.
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Tucker: favorite superhero go
Sam: Wonder Woman
Danny: the Flash
Tucker: Okay Sam's is obvious but, Danny I would've thought you'd say like, Martian Manhunter or Superman or Starfire. But Flash??
Danny: i had a foster in Central City for a few years and met him, he's a really nice guy. He made me promise to invite him to my high school graduation and is part of the reason I made it to rehab and ended up getting rehomed and picked up by the Fentons.
Danny: I have a hoodie with his logo on it in my closet, i saved up to buy it and its the first thing I got with the allowance the Fentons got me
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Danny wearing three layers and a scarf in the middle of summer: *shivering*
Sam: how are you cold you're literally made of lava
Danny, hissing: lava cools at contact with the air and I'm trying to keep my body temperature at a reasonable level, SAM.
Tucker, touching Danny: you feel warm to me
Danny: to YOU
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Danny:...i could eat lava
Tucker:
Sam:
Danny:
Tucker: do it. no balls
Danny, getting up: bET--
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Danny:
Dash:
The Both Of Them: *under the bleachers to smoke/vape*
Danny, smokes: I wont tell if you won't tell
Dash, vapes: ....deal
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Danny, breaking into Vlad's lab: YOU FUCKER QUIT-- what the hell is that
Vlad, working on his newest invention: Language. ....And it's something I'm working on, go away
Danny: what? no, fuck you. You're trying to kill Jack again and this looks interesting. I was gonna come beat you but now I'm curious what the hell this is
(Vlad spends a good hour explaining what he's doing before they start arguing and Danny starts a fight)
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Danny laying on the ground staring the ceiling, feeling like shit:
Jazz, popping by his room: ,,,what'cha doing, Danny?
Danny:
Danny, internally: 'Jazz says i should be more open'
Danny: considering the benefits of relapsing
Jazz, immediately stepping into the room: oh okay so lets talk.
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Danny, meeting Robin as Phantom for the first time unaware of his identity and his own birthright:
Robin:
Phantom:
Phantom: fuck you
Robin, a 12 year old: fUCK YOU
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Vlad: Jack Fenton iced me out of my early adulthood and got you, his foster son, killed by his own invention. He is a danger to society and I personally want him dead.
Danny: okay, cool motive still murder.
Danny, louder: I DONT NEED YOU TO TAKE REVENGE ON MY BEHALF
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Vlad, grabbing Danny's shoulders: aren't you tired of being nice
Danny:
Vlad: don't you want to go apeshit
Danny, in the american foster system since infancy, was in rehab at 11 years old, has been fucked over metaphorically, emotionally, physically, ten times over:
Danny: i feel like we need to have a talk
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DP/Regular DPDC Vlad: *gripping by the shoulders*
DPDC Vlad: how
Stillborn Vlad: what
DP/DC Vlad: how are you getting him to like you.
Stillborn Vlad:,,, well first off i don't torture him so jot that down
Stillborn Vlad: second of all, like is a strong word.
Stillborn Vlad: Daniel only likes me on tuesdays and when i show him how to make fireballs
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