Part 4.5: All Night

Due to his unrelenting determination to keep his town safe, Danny is bestowed a green lantern ring. Which on one hand: Yay! He gets to explore space full time. But on the other hand: Ew! he's a space cop now.

He had to rectify this immediately or he would never hear the end of it from his ghost friends. Or his regular friends for that matter. Sayyy, it'd be a shame if he.... bent a few rules. Maybe even broke some of them every now and again. And it would surely be a tragedy if say.... random pranks started happening around Oa?

I am trying to find a writing prompt from last year.

Basically Jason Todd teaching an online cooking class, that Danny Fenton is trying to learn from but keeps accidentally reanimating the ingredients and one day he forgets to turn off the microphone as he has to kill the reanimate fish. And Jason is then going to investigate what the heck fighting he just heard.

If anyone knows and has the link to it . Please repost it here. If not feel free to make up what you would think happens next here.

I think one of you guys reposted it. @arzuera @azulhood @bianca-hooks123 @dragonsrequiem @dcxdpdabbles @evilminji @fightmebissh @flamingpudding @hdgnj @hypewinter @im-totally-not-an-alien-2 @ourrechte-blog @starlightcat04 @stormikitty @zylev-blog

Chapter 3: The Bat Strikes Back

previous/next Masterpost

Danny had almost convinced himself that the incident at the café had blown over.

Almost.

Then, on his way back to his dorm, he felt it—a prickle of awareness down his spine. The same feeling he got when ghosts were watching him. But there were no ghosts in Gotham.

So that left one option.

Batman.

Danny picked up his pace. The sooner he got inside, the better. He could already hear Jazz yelling at him in his head. You were supposed to AVOID attention, Danny!

Unfortunately, his paranoia was justified.

The moment he reached his dorm building, a shadow dropped from above, landing silently in his path.

Danny skidded to a stop.

“…Oh, come on,” he groaned.

Batman loomed over him, unreadable behind the cowl.

“You threw deodorant at Bruce Wayne,” he stated flatly.

Danny swallowed hard. “Uh. No, I didn’t?”

Batman held up the incriminating deodorant stick.

Danny sighed. “Okay, maybe I did. But in my defense, Jazz told me to!”

Batman did not move. “Why?”

“Because she’s convinced you both collect traumatized teenagers like trading cards!” Danny blurted out.

Silence.

Then Batman exhaled through his nose, the closest thing to amusement Danny had ever seen from Gotham’s vigilante.

“Go home, Fenton,” Batman said, voice dry. “And tell your sister I don’t adopt random teenagers.”

“…Sure.” Danny took a careful step back. Then another. Then he bolted inside his dorm and locked the door behind him.

He was so calling Jazz.

Arthur: So you have magic?

Merlin: Uh… yeah?

Arthur: for how long?

Merlin: Since birth.

Arthur: And you’re a dragon lord?

Merlin: Yeah my father was and it gets passed down.

Arthur: Sounds like royalty.

Merlin: No? I don’t think so.

Arthur: Yes it is, that means you’re a noble, a lord. We can get married now.

Merlin: WHAT???

Younger Years Pt. 11

Masterlist

Summary: Damian gets temp de-aged to 6yrs old; cue him asking where his twin is. This is how everyone finds out about Danny's existence. Word Count: 1936

Everyone is still on edge from learning that Jason had been taken as well. After a bit of investigating though it seems Jason was actually taken a couple days before any of them knew anything. Which was an even bigger hit to his Father's already cracking emotional state. Especially since a day has already passed, and no helpful information about where Jason or Danyal are being kept has been found. 

Damian luckily doesn't have to be subject to it as Bruce is currently at the Watchtower having an emergency meeting regarding the GIW and the Anti-Ecto Acts. He had originally demanded that he be included in the discussion, but was quickly persuaded against it when given the task of investigating Danyal's friends and family. 

In hopes of figuring out why the GIW actually took Danyal. His friends have given them something to work with, but now they need to figure out the true story.

So now he is here sitting in the cave with Tim, Steph, Cass, and Dick going over what everyone has found so far. Duke is of course out doing his normal patrol, and keeping an eye out for any  movement from the GIW. 

“Danyal’s adoptive parents, Jack and Madeline Fenton, are ecto-scientists, inventors, and self-proclaimed ghost hunters. Their lives practically revolve around knowing everything ‘ghosts’ including how to get rid of them.” Damian is quick to start the conversation once everyone is settled. “Which does include Danyal based on his so-called ecto-levels.” 

“Do you think they could have done something to him on purpose; in the name of science and all that?" Steph immediately asks. The thought had crossed Damian's mind as well the more he read about the two. 

"Does that seem like something they would do? Making their son into the very thing they're hunting? What would be the point?" Dick counters with his own questions. A scowl on his face, clearly getting angry at the prospect, "To study him?"

“We’ve dealt with crazier and worse people before. With everything you know, do you really doubt that some parents would do something like that? It would give them the chance to monitor him through every stage of his transformation.” Tim has disgust on his face as he thinks about just how likely a situation like that would be. 

"The two said it was one of the parent’s experiments that caused his ecto-levels to rise." Cass reminds them all of Sam and Tucker's words. "That part was true." 

"Then what parts were lies?" Steph questions. 

"Alone." 

"Which doesn't disprove the theory that it was done on purpose." Dick says disappointedly at the fact. 

Steph cuts in immediately after him, "All this theory talks when it seems like his friends have all the answers, why aren't we just questioning them more about this?"

"Bruce, banned everyone from approaching them without him present." Tim flatley replies. 

Damian still couldn't believe his Father had done that; his anger towards that man only seems to be rising every day. He knows he could have gotten the answer they need from the two without any trouble. 

Batman went easy on them during that interrogation, and they all know it. 

“Let’s go ahead and move on to a different talking point than.”  Dick not so subtly redirects them to a different talking point. Knowing that if it continued Damian would not be able to hold himself back from interrogating them despite the order not to. “Does anyone else have any information they want to share?”

“Phantom, he’s a ghost hero that protects the town from other ghost’s attacks. The Fenton’s of course label him a menace, and have been attacking him since his first known appearance.” Tim announces as he pulls up a blurry photo of Phantom up on screen. 

While the image is distorted it is clear to see that the hero wears a black suit, and has pure white hair. What’s strange though is that Damian thinks the blurry figure almost looks familiar in a weird way. Like he’s seen it before. 

“So all ghosts can distort cameras then?” Steph stares curiously at the image. 

“Jason doesn’t do that though.” Cass notes, “Maybe the ecto-levels affect the cameras?”

“Which means Danyal’s levels are high enough to affect them.” Damian hates the implications of that. He doesn’t even want to think about what that could mean for Danyal’s health. If he loses his brother once more because of it, it might just break him. 

It would be cruel of the universe to give him the chance to have his twin back in life only for it to take him once again. 

Dick, who is always somehow aware of how he is feeling, looks towards him with worry. “Hey Dami, would you mind talking to me for a few minutes in the med bay area?” 

“Of course,” He knows that it is no use arguing right now, and honestly Damian isn’t sure he has the strength to right now,”lead the way, Richard.” 

The two stand and Dick waves off the others concerned glances. “You guys continue this; we’ll be back in a bit!” 

Silently, he follows Dick into the med bay watching as he closes the door behind them, efficiently separating them from the others. 

While sitting down on the cot Dick pats the spot on the bed beside him; a quiet offer to sit next to him. Damian almost refuses on principle, and probably would have in any other situation. Ever since finding Danyal in Gotham Damian has found himself not acting like himself.  He hates that he’s having these emotional outbursts. 

“Baby bat, I know everything has been crazy around here with everyone focusing on finding Danyal and Jason, but how are you feeling right now? How do you feel about … reuniting with Danyal?” Dick keeps his tone gentle and soft as he speaks. 

“Reuniting? I would be foolish to hope for that to describe what my meeting with Danyal will be like. At best it will be a brief acknowledgement of one another, and at worst a conflict.” 

“I’m sure that’s not true, Damian. It’ll definitely take some time for both of you, but I believe in the end you’ll both be able to heal from this together.” 

"Time is not always enough, sometimes you have to amputate to heal." He angrily retorts despite knowing that Dick is only trying to comfort him right now. "If that means by the end of this Danyal needs to never see me again then so be it. Just knowing that he is alive and well will have to be enough.” 

Dick sighs sadly and tucks him into his side; he allows it for now. “I will follow your lead when it comes to Danyal, but I do want you to know that it’s ok to want a relationship with your twin. Talk to him, show him that this is something you’re willing to try and rebuild.” 

Damian doesn’t say anything in response right away to that. He wants to believe everything will work out, but he knows the truth. While his twin was considered the kinder of the two it does not mean that Danyal wasn’t just as stubborn when it came to holding a grudge. Forgiveness might not be something Danyal will ever bestow upon him. 

“I- I will try.” 

“That’s all you can do, kiddo.” 

No words are spoken after that; just the two sitting in comfortable silence. Eventually though they do stand to make their way back to the others. There is much that still needs to be discussed after all before patrol tonight. 

Walking back into the main area Damian expects to find everyone in the middle of a discussion. What he finds instead is the three of them completely silent as they look at three images displayed side by side. The first is of Danyal outside of the planetarium, the second being a still shot of when Danyal was taken, and the other an image of Phantom. 

The others notice their approach, and share nervous glances with one another. Just before he can question what has them all in a twist Damian finally notices the differences and similarities between all the images. 

Despite all the shots being blurry it is clear to see that Danyal, outside the planetarium, and Danyal, being taken out of the alley, have very big differences. Absolutely none of the colors are matching up together. The biggest outlier being the stark white that does in fact match up with Phantom though. 

The flash of green from the alley. They had all assumed that it must have come from one of the weapons the GIW agents were carrying, but could it have been something different?

Could- could Danyal be Phantom?

That wouldn't make any sense though Damian thinks to himself, and yet the more he stares at the screen the more he thinks it must be so. 

His father's orders be damned, he's going to go to Sam and Tucker, and get his answers. Which is exactly what he planned to do until he turned around and saw his father, still standing near the Zeta tube, analyzing the three images himself.

Based on the frown growing on his face he'd guess that his Father has also come to the same conclusion as him. 

"Father, I demand we go to Manson and Foley for proper answers now!" 

Instead of answering him though Bruce looks towards Tim, "Report." 

"Upon looking into the Amity Park hero, Phantom, we came across a blog by Wes Weston who claims that the hero is actually Daniel Fenton. Investigating this further we started to review all the footage of Danyal that we have." Tim gestures towards the screen. "That is when we noticed the color change from when he enters and exits the alley." 

"The blog, how much of their evidence holds true." 

"It's been sent to Babs, and is being investigated as we speak." 

"Hm." Finally, Bruce looks towards him. "Patrol starts in an hour, we'll go to them later tonight. For now let's-" 

Bruce would have continued to speak, but an incoming comms call from Signal takes over the batcomputer. Immediately taking action Cass answers the call, and opens up his cowl cam as he speaks. "GIW van spotted! In pursuit from the rooftops." 

Once the cameras live footage they all watch as Signal jumps from rooftop to rooftop as he follows the vehicle driving below. Based on the building Damian would guess that he was on the edge of Crime Alley. 

"Signal continue pursuit, but don't approach." Batman orders. 

"Copy." 

After another twenty minutes or so the van finally enters the empty parking lot for a frankly plain looking building. Damian would have thought an organization like this would be more showy. Which means that it was a deliberate choice to keep things hidden in plain sight. 

With the van now fully parked in front of the building doors Tim takes control of the camera, and zooms in. Even getting one confirmed identity of someone who works here could unlock them all. 

Two individuals dressed in white spet out of the driver and passenger seat. Their faces are clear on display. 

Then the back doors open as well; two individuals. 

A man and woman dressed in orange; with smiling, happy faces. 

Jack and Madeline Fenton. His brother’s adoptive parents. 

As Damian watches them both freely enter the building he knows one thing for sure. Danyal being taken was no accident, and he’d bet that his twin’s so-called friends Manson and Foley are involved somehow as well. 

He’s taking them all down.

Surprise! Your brother is alive!

While Tim was working with the Ra's and the League of Assassins he learned that Damian had a twin that went missing a few years before Damian came to Gotham. This is information he took a mental note of for later as he was more concerned with find Bruce at the time.

It's something he honestly forgets about though, and it isn't until months had passed after the time stream incident that he even recounted it. When he does Tim decides that maybe finding out what happened to Damian's twin would help mend their own relationship.

Thinking that maybe the reason Damian is so angry is because he never got to properly bury his, at the time, assumed dead brother. Only Tim doesn't find something that needs to be buried; he finds Danny Fenton.

Now Tim knows that he should probably go and inform Damian and Bruce that their brother and son respectively is alive. But that would ruin the surprise reveal he was already planning out in his head so he doesn't do that. Instead, Tim travels to Amity Park with one goal in mind: Convince Danny to come back to Gotham with him.

Cupid

DeadTired Prompt:

Danny had not planned to be kidnapped while out on a simple grocery run, but here he is! Tied up in a random warehouse as the bad guys work in a make-shift lab across the room.

While he would have gladly just phased through the ropes, and disappeared, that wasn’t really an option with the other hostages sitting right next to him.

The only thing he could do right now is wait, and hope one of the Gotham vigilantes comes before Danny has no choice but to intervene. He’s not going to let anyone in here get hurt on his watch.

So far the kidnappers have given no insight into what they're making, or planning to do with them. Which does surprise him since he thought that was a requirement to bring a villian.

Luckily, a vigilante, Red Robin, shows up before they can complete whatever they’re making. What’s not so lucky though is when Red Robin is fighting the bad guys one of them throws the liquid they were working on directly in the vigilante’s face.

Stumbling back Red puts a hand over his face in an effort to wipe the liquid away, and when he looks up makes direct eye contact with Danny. Even with the white lenses he can feel the eyes borrow into him.

By this time a few of the other vigilantes are here fighting the rest of the bad guys while Red Robin starts making his way towards Danny; never for a second looking away. Even ignoring the concerned calls from his teammates.

Red Robin is now standing directly in front of him, and almost seems to be holding himself back from reaching a hand out, “I’m in love you.”

And the only thing Danny can think to himself is that he did not sign up for some love potion bullshit.

Ra's al Ghul, caught in a rare moment of weakness, is being pulled apart piece by piece.

A pair of mad scientists, just the kind of deranged he would hire normally, had built weapons that were...far more effective on him than he'd anticipated. Also, he hadn't been there to fight them at all. They were a true unknown, coming out of nowhere equipped to deal with the Demon Head himself.

Ironically, from what they had started shouting, he wasn't who they were hunting.

He'd been knocked unconscious by what could only be described as pure dumb luck.

He woke up strapped to a table, as those selfsame scientists started peeling him apart with scalpels.

His torture is interrupted when a young boy walks into the basement, sees what his torturers are doing to him, and screams.

Then the boy pivots, and off the top of his head, creates a distraction to pull his parents away from trying to see how Ra's works.

It's admirable; someone so untrained able to think so quickly. It's clumsy; the equivalent of a child pointing at something and screaming as a distraction.

It's just what was required for the boy to remove his restraints and hand him...a vial of the purest Lazarus Water he's ever seen.

"You're already like, really liminal, so it shouldn't kill you, just heal you. But you need to drink it fast, before they come back!"

And like that, it clicks.

The mad scientists are hunting someone as 'liminal' as him. Their son's eyes are glowing green.

Normally, Ra's would drink the Lazarus Waters and slaughter the scientists and anyone they were allied with.

But.

This is a debt.

He'd been waiting for the two scientists to leave so he could free himself, but this boy had stepped in.

Now he owes the child.

He can tell just by looking at the boy that killing his parents is not going to be considered paying back the debt.

However.

This boy is in clear and present danger with those two lunatics about.

So.

As the adult, is it not Ra's responsibility to make sure the boy is safe, whether he wants it or not?

Instead of killing the scientist parents, he knocks the boy unconscious and takes him to Nanda Parbat.

After all, there is nowhere safer than under the Demon Head's protection.

Just to be sure, he adopts the boy as his grandchild.

Now nobody will dare to touch the little hero.

~~~~~~

Danny wakes up in an assassin compound so soaked in Ectoplasm that he can't phase through it, and the ectoplasm in question is so contaminated that it's making him sick, so he can't punch or blast through it either.

He's trapped in a gilded cage by a madman who's insisting that it's all "for Daniel's own good", and his only chance at escaping is telling the little kid, Damian, stories about Amity. Stories about his friends and family.

Stories that he can't make obvious are cries for help, but entertaining enough for a kid to pay attention to.

Stories that will, hopefully, make it to the kid's father.

Who is, apparently, the Goddamn Batman.

Somewhere along the way, the kid starts calling them brothers. It sounds like the kid believes it with his whole heart.

And Danny...Danny's too selfish to correct it.

He lets Damian believe that Danny is his older brother by blood.

~~~~~~

Damian has an older brother, hidden away in Nanda Parbat, who is sickly and weak, and to whom the Demon Head himself is indebted.

Damian has always thought that Danyal was in the best place for him; away from the unnamed hunters that Grandfather said stalked him outside of the compound.

Recently, though, Damian is. Rethinking this.

Why was Danyal so sickly? Why did he always look so sad and desperate?

Perhaps it is time to tell father of his sickly older brother who physically could never meet Grandfather and Mother's standards to meet the Bat.

Billy’s Sidegig

Billy has a side gig. It’s something he’s recently cooked up as a way to get cash.

He’ll help ghosts pass on!

Now, granted, ghosts don’t carry cash, but! But, they can lead him to cash. Or food. Or safe shelter! Point is, it’s a very lucrative job. A job that Billy takes very seriously.

Female Ghost (FG):“Well, aren’t you just a dear?”

Billy: “Thank you, miss.” *takes out little notepad* “Now, can you tell me anything about yourself?”

FG: “Well, I was born in ‘09!”

Billy: “19?”

FG: “Yes, 1909. And I was a dancer when I was alive. The only thing I think I’ll need to pass on it for me to perform one last time.”

Billy: “I see, I see.” *scribbles down in notepad* “I’ll see what I can do, miss.”

Billy proceeded to get her a gig at a restaurant. It was safe to say she was floored when Billy corral her inside. She just thought the boy would gather a group of people and have her perform in front of them in the street. She didn’t think he’d get her anything professional!

Then there was a really fancy British guy. He’d been ran over by a train, and Billy could see his innards as he floated in front of him.

He wanted Billy to find a monocle. It left him digging for hours near a train track.

British Ghost (BG):“I believe it was a little further to the left.”

Billy: *digs around there*

BG: “Or was it the right…?”

Billy: *groans and digs over there*

BG: “Don’t groan at me. You are the one who decided to undertake this job, chap.”

It was three hours of searching until he found it. Thankfully, for all his trouble, the British man told him of a nice abandoned building that still had running water.

It was actually in the abandoned building that Billy got another job helping a ghost.

This time a ghost doggy.

Billy: “You want belly rubs?”

Ghost Dog: *barks and rolls over*

Billy: “Don’t mind if I do.” *tries to pet it but hands go through it*

It was through this that Billy went on an epic quest to find ectoplasm. He then dipped his hands in it and was able to eventually give the doggy belly rubs.

It passed on after giving a Billy a few licks on the cheek.

Billy didn’t get anything from the dog, but that was one of his favorite jobs ever.

Ridiculous Dead Serious idea:

Danny is in some kinda competition that Damian is also in, and they’ve been sniping at each other back and forth throughout the whole thing.

Until one day Danny goes, “You want me so bad it makes you look stupid!”

And Damian stops. Considers. Interrogates himself and his motivations like a good detective. Has a facial journey as he goes through the five stages of grief.

Danny was expecting a snide comeback and now he is legitimately worried he’s somehow triggered the snooty rich kid. Trying to decide if he wants to apologize or awkwardly make his way out of the room to give him time to recover.

Damian sorta hates himself because… yeah, yeah he does. He is attracted to the bratty little fucker and has been… pulling pigtails? Antagonizing to remain in his thoughts and field of vision, to watch his face get red and his breath quicken, to make him lean aggressively into his space and growl at him???

Damian is horrified. How did he misjudge himself so badly? Is this how mother felt when she discovered that Father was a complete mess and only fell more in love?

“Uh, dude? Are you… okay?” Danny reaches hesitantly towards him but doesn’t quite touch.

“No,” Damian says, schooling his face into a bland mask. “In fact, I may need you to support me.”

Panic flits across his companion’s face. He rushes to his aid, ducking against his side. His arm wraps around Damian’s back and a hand settles on his waist. Too gullible.

Damian mourns his own good sense.