Gotham was not a city known for its kindness. Rain slicked the alleyways like a second skin, and shadows crept where sunlight dared not linger. Alfred Pennyworth had seen a great many things in this city. Muggers, monsters, and masked madmen were just part of the nightly routine. What he hadn't expected, however, was to be saved by a ghost.
Or something very much like one.
It was supposed to be a quick errand—a quiet evening walk to clear his head. But halfway down Burnside, three desperate men with more bravado than brains cornered him. Alfred had been ready to disarm the first and disable the second, but he never got the chance. A blur of white and black swooped in, accompanied by the distant, bone-deep hum of unnatural power. The muggers were down in seconds—one frozen to the wall, another knocked out cold, and the third suspended midair by a glowing hand that flickered green.
The boy was there and gone just as fast. Alfred barely had time to register the tattered hoodie, the hollow cheeks, the white hair and green eyes that didn’t seem quite human.
"Wait—!" Alfred had called, but the boy was already gone, melting into the shadows like smoke.
The encounter would’ve ended there—just another strange chapter in Gotham’s nightbook—if it hadn’t kept happening.
Twice more, the mysterious young man appeared. Once to stop a purse snatcher near the theater. Another time to drag a lost child out of a crumbling building during a fire. Always fast, always silent. Always gone before Alfred could properly speak to him.
And always too thin.
It was the kind of thin that spoke of long nights without food. Hollow cheeks, knobby elbows, a belt cinched too tight around jeans that barely stayed up. It reminded Alfred of the early days—of Dick, of Jason, of Tim, of Damian. Of boys who had learned to survive instead of live.
Alfred Pennyworth had a rule: no one went hungry on his watch.
And so began his campaign.
At first, it was subtle. A wrapped sandwich left behind after one of the ghost-boy’s heroic appearances. A thermos of hot tea left conveniently near a rooftop perch. A backpack, clean and durable, filled with protein bars and fresh socks. Most of it vanished, though Alfred never saw it happen.
Then came the note, scrawled in messy, tired handwriting:
“Thanks. You didn’t have to. I’m not sticking around though. It’s safer for you if I don’t.”
The next day, Alfred left a response tucked in the same spot:
“You are not a danger, young man. I’ve seen far worse, and fed far worse. If you insist on continuing your streak of rooftop chivalry, I insist you do so on a full stomach.”
He added a slice of quiche. It was gone by morning.
Bruce raised an eyebrow the first time he caught Alfred baking two loaves of banana bread instead of one. Tim said nothing when the supply order mysteriously included a half dozen extra protein shakes and thermal gloves in medium size. Damian made a snide comment—something about stray ghosts haunting the pantry—but Alfred didn’t dignify it with a reply.
Then came the night it changed.
A patrol gone wrong. Batman caught in a collapsing parking garage. The comms went dead. Nightwing was too far. Red Hood was tracking Penguin. The only one nearby—untraceable, unregistered, and undeniably powerful—was the boy Alfred had been feeding for weeks.
He left the beacon on the rooftop.
“Help him. Please. –A.P.”
Within minutes, Bruce stumbled through the Batcave entrance, soot-smudged and breathing, but alive. Behind him, almost hidden in the shadows, was the boy. White hair. Green eyes. Shivering slightly, but still on his feet.
“I didn’t do it for favors,” the boy said. His voice was hoarse, too young for his haunted face. “I just... couldn’t let him die.”
“I know,” Alfred said gently. “Which is precisely why the offer of dinner still stands.”
“…I shouldn’t.” But his eyes drifted toward the warm lights of the manor beyond the cave, toward the smell of fresh bread and something sweet baking in the oven.
“No one escapes me forever, dear boy,” Alfred said with a small smile. “Not even slippery ghosts.”
The boy stared at him for a long moment. Then finally, like a candle burning out, he sagged.
“…Okay. Just for tonight.”
“Of course,” Alfred said, already turning toward the kitchen. “We’ll start with soup.”
Behind him, the boy whispered a name like an afterthought—like something long buried finally being said aloud.
“Danny. My name’s Danny.”
“Well then, Master Danny,” Alfred said, with the same fondness he reserved for all his wayward sons, “welcome home.”
The Observants keep saying that, per the "rules", Superman has to stay there unless he can find a way to break out on his own.
The problem is that Danny doesn't think he's gonna do that, because Superman found a boy that he apparently adopted at some point during a previous breakout attempt and isn't gonna let that kid go any time soon. And the kid is bound to the Ghost Zone.
Clockwork isn't saying anything, just looking at Danny expectantly.
Danny...
Danny has a crazy idea.
"I'm formally adopting Superman. I'm Superman's dad now, and that kid's grandpa."
"...You do not even know 'that kids' name."
"Irrelevant, my main objective here is adopting Superman. If that kid is his kid then I guess he's in for the ride too."
"To what point and purpose is this circus act, Phantom?" One of the Observants asks, sounding tired.
"I have permission to leave whenever I want, cuz I'm a denizen. If Superman is my son, and by extension that other kid is my grandson, then they have the same rights. Cuz they're denizens now."
The 'suck my dick' part of that explanation was greatly implied, and by the glares being sent his way the Observants had sensed the implication.
"You cannot adopt someone in the Infinite Realms without a higher being blessing the..."
"I approve."
Everyone turned to stare at Clockwork, who just sat there.
Smugly.
"...Very well. Superman, also known as Clark Kent, and his adoptive son, Christopher Kent, are hereby formally acknowledged as the son and grandson of Phantom, also known as Daniel James Fenton."
"Why you gotta doxx us like that?" Danny asked, voice smaller than he would have liked.
He had NOT intended to find out Superman's super secret identity.
~~~~~~
Clark had gotten sucked into the Phantom Zone, and actually managed to find Chris. But he couldn't get out, and he had to go back; his family was counting on him, the world was counting on him, and he missed everyone.
Enter, Phantom; a newer hero, a ghost that looks like a child.
Phantom adopts him and Chris both, and gets them out.
Jon is, of course, thrilled to have a little brother. Chris is cautiously happy to have a big brother.
Clark's just happy they're trying to get along.
He'd been worried Jon would be defensive or angry, but it seems to be working out.
There are other things to worry about.
For instance; Clark has, ever since the adoption, been able to see ghosts. Not a big deal, and a trade off he's willing to accept if it means getting out of the Phantom Zone and keeping Chris.
No, seeing ghosts isn't a big deal at all. (Maybe a little, he did get to see Pa again, after all. But it isn't a bad thing, is what he more means.)
What is a big deal, Clark thinks, is searching the name the eyeball people had given and finding out that Daniel James Fenton is very fucking much alive.
He really is only fifteen. It's not a ghost that looks fifteen, he is fifteen. He is a kid.
This kid lives in Amity Park, his parents are ghost hunters, and Clark would really like to know how a fifteen year old got separated from his soul and still manages to function.
Billy is really good at voice impressions. It helps with his radio show. A funny voice here, and a funny voice there, can really add to the bit even if it’s just a little.
Mary: *sweeping* “Billy, who was that girl on your show?”
Billy: *also sweeping* “Whatdya mean? There wasn’t a girl on my show.”
Mary: “Yeah there was. Every now and then, a girl would switch in with you.”
Billy: *was switching between the voices just to see how long it would take for someone to signal for him to stop* “That was me.”
Mary: “Huh…?”
Billy: “That was me.”
So yeah, it’s safe to say he’s pretty good at it. So imagine the ways he uses it as Captain Marvel.
Marvel: *chased a goon to a dark room*
Goon: *hiding behind some crates*
Marvel: *pitches up his voice to sound like a little girl* “Come out come out wherever you are.”
Goon: *confused at the little girl coming out of nowhere*
Marvel: *still doing a little girl voice* “I know you’re here. I can hear you breathing.”
Goon: *shits himself*
Billy was not happy to have to take the goon to the police station after that.
Police Officer: *covers nose* “God, what is that smell.”
Marvel: *puts the goon on the ground* “He soiled himself. My bad.”
Police Officer: “What did you do?”
Marvel: *shrugs and starts to walk off*
Police Officer: “Wait, what did you do?!”
He stole that line from a horror movie Freddy and him watched when they snuck into a theater. He scared the shit out of Freddy a day later when the power went out in his apartment.
He also uses this to scare the other heroes every now and then.
Flash: *doing something he shouldn’t be doing*
Marvel: *walks up behind him and does a Batman voice* “Flash.”
Flash: *AH—” *startles and turns around* “Dude what the hell?!”
Marvel: *laughing at him with the Batman voice*
Flash: “That is so freaky…”
or
Batman and Marvel: *hiding behind a wall*
Harley Quinn: *tied up next to them*
Joker: *looking for Harley*
Marvel: *clears his throat and mimics her voice* “Mista J! Come quick!”
Batman: *bewildered because he didn’t know Marvel could do that but thankfully the cowl masks it*
Joker: “There you are, Harley!” *runs over*
Batman: *decks the Joker as soon as he gets close*
Nightwing gets a sidekick introducing: "Batboy"
Continuation of this post: "Danny has Bat wings"
|Next|
Dick tries to tell himself that he's better then Bruce. He's not going around taking young orphaned boys with unique abilities willy-nilly. No, he very careful. Besides this is first- well second sidekick.
He's doing a public service anyways. You can't have a kid with giant bat wings just falling from buildings. If Nightwing hadn't stepped in to stop those goons trying to catch the kid and sell him then who knows what would have happened. What if they tried to cut off his wings and turn the boy into a bloody trophy for the Bats?
There are many villains in Bludhaven who'd take the boy out or take him in. Dick already had a sinking feeling that Heartless would try his hand at killing the kid after all he targets the weak and helpless like a coward.
It was easy enough to convince the boy to be his friend. Dick did have natural charm and charisma after all. All it took was a meal from batburger and a fruit cup to get the kid to open up.
Danny (apparently his family gave him a normal name) didn't live with his family anymore due to ideological differences. That difference was that they thought he shouldn't exist anymore and wanted to turn him into an experiment. Poor kid didn't even get to finish his freshman year of school before he had to leave. He was a small town vigilante for a few months before the incident.
Dick saw an opportunity but was subtle about it. He invited the kid to live with him until he got his education. Its also totally ethical because the kid was a vigilante already.
Everything kind of went by quickly. Dick had done everything possible to hide Danny until he could come up with a plan of how to tell everyone.
True Dick didn't "need" a sidekick but come on, look at him! He's a boy with bat wings! Dick could put a little cowl on him and dress him up like Batman. I mean he's not a dog but it would be funny. The irony there, the bird-themed hero now had a bat-themed sidekick. That is the universe's way of sending a message.
After training Danny Dick learned that the kid had an endless supply of energy and ADHD that rivaled his own at that age. The kid also couldn't fly, it was actually closer to gliding which was still useful but he kind of looked like a flying squirrel when he jumped off ledges.
The term issue with taking Danny in was that Dick was still a Wayne and while he could hide the kid while he was swinging through Bludhaven, Dick Grayson could not.
Danny could hide his wings like they weren't even there whenever he wanted to look human. Which was a start, next he needed a new identity. One that wouldn't tip anyone off.
Dick needed to pull some strings without alerting Barbara or Tim. A new name was forged: "Daniel Nightingale" (Dick patted himself on the back for that one).
With that Dick was ready to let Danny out in the field. For the most part, Danny was as reliable as any Robin if not a bit crazy. Danny was way too charming for his own good but also completely feral. The public adored the domino-masked kid in his green and black costume. Danny didn't wear a cape because of his wings so he used them as a cloak.
When citizens saw them in public they'd offer the kid fruit cups and candies just to get close enough to see his wings. The people of Bludhaven were also excited to have their own version of Robin since Gotham had so many. Also, the kid was so marketable. Look at the way his wings flapped when he was excited.
Danny's or more specifically "Batboy's" presence would not go unnoticed.
Well, this can't end well.
Welp. Dick should have expected this. He couldn't even be upset. He doesn't regret anything that he's done.
Danny was still in bed, actually it was a hammock which was more comfortable for a bat. Dick wondered if he could sleep upside down. The kid was comfortable here and probably better off here than in Gotham. Once the adoption goes public however things will get complicated. Danny may end up Bludhaven's sweetheart or outcast. He'll probably end up fine...probably.
DP x DC prompt:
A youtube channel called Spooky Gotham, secretly run by Danny as a fun little hobby.
The channel heavily features cutesy sheet ghosts and cartoon bats in the thumbnails, but the videos themselves display how fucking unnerving a city like Gotham is.
The most viewed video is recorded on a smartphone, and is about eighteen minutes long. It shows an utterly abandoned downtown city street, completely silent except for the distant sound of sirens, a slight wind buffeting the phone's mic, and an automated voice repeating that the city is under total lockdown due to an Arkham breakout.
It's unclear if the video takes place at night, or if it's just that dark downtown due to the abundance of skyscrapers and smog. Most of the street lamps are out, but some illuminate empty cars with their doors still open, shopping bags full of crushed purchases left behind by their owners, and the occasional abandoned shoe.
There are bullet casings in the gutters, and the person recording the video pauses long enough to focus on a batarang partially embedded in a brick wall, suggesting a violent conflict ended not too long before the start of the video. Despite this, there is very little actual damage to the street or store fronts.
Despite the low level of other sounds in the video, and that the person recording is walking through a street full of clutter, there are no footsteps heard the entire time. It ends with a muffled "Oh shit," and the camera focusing on the distant shape of a figure in black and red emerging from the mouth of an alleyway.
Other videos are shorter.
Two minutes of footage in a dark alley, the focus a pair of featureless white eyes peering down at the camera, as though from atop a wall.
Five minutes of indistinct shapes moving through a glowing green mist, overlaid with the sound of a gas mask hissing.
Nine minutes of the person holding the camera surrounded by a crush of people, everyone moving hurriedly but wordlessly in the same direction, and an automated voice blaring directions in the background. It is interrupted by the occasional dull thund of distant exposions.
Four minutes of what looks to be the back of a green woman with red hair screaming wordlessly at someone off camera, roots and vines lashing at the surrounding buildings, and then suddenly dropping to the ground.
Twenty two seconds of the camera panning over the city from high above, fires silently raging in the streets, with a text overlay reading "Audio removed due to sensitive content."
Behind the scenes, Danny is rather proud of catching these moments on film! He has a lot more of the local vigilantes confronting him for entering dangerous areas, goons shooting at him, and shocked supervillains, but most of those aren't really "spooky," more "humiliating for getting spotted again." His biggest viewers are his friends and family back in Amity, and he really doesn't need to give them the idea that he's getting into trouble with the locals.
The rest of his viewers are other "horror" youtubers looking for inspiration, urbex enthusiasts, and what he suspects are the private accounts of the Bats.
He knows at least one of his viewers is Jonathan "The Scarecrow" Crane. The guy isn't subtle, and swings wildly between berating Danny for his silly aesthetic choices (the aforementioned sheet ghosts and cartoon bats), and praising him for the cognitive dissonance it causes. Talk about mixed messages...
Danny is a new technician at a rebuilt star labs. He didn't want to at first because Danny thought it would cut into his undead superhero/prince duties. Eventually though Clockwork (bullied) encouraged him and as it turns out, the lab is pretty lax about sudden "trouble at home". Plus, Danny can help set things back together when one of the Flashes messes up the timeline AGAIN.
(Flashpoint is what allowed Dan to come back as quickly as he did in the first place.)
The flash family, for lack of a better description, are straining. They're all putting up painted smiles that Danny knows aren't happening with his coworkers. Danny wants to be friendly with them but they're keeping him at a constant arms length away.
Barry, wally, Bart, and the rest of the flash family are freaking OUT. Why wouldn't they, their new technician caused the apocalypse. Granted they only know this because of an old speed scout from Bart. But it didn't have the time to tell them anymore than the name and some powers of one Dan phantom before fading. The timeline line the one man disaster's from doesn't exist anymore so they can't even check what happened or why the Dan destroyed everything. They can't even get rid of him because what if that sets off the guy!
It's getting to the point where he opened his mouth to sing in the shower, and he cracked the wall with his voice.
If he tries to use it in human form, it physically damages him. It's a "ghost form" only power, now.
To mitigate any potential incidents, he starts to talk less and less.
The school, usually uncaring of anyone not an athlete, notices.
They assume abuse.
How could they not? Bruises he refuses to explain, developing selective mutism, shying away from his parents?
Danny's horrified when Social Services is waiting for him in the principals office one day, and even more horrified that they're accusing his parents of abuse.
They aren't!
It's just his stupid body!
Thinking fast, he scrambles to write down a bullshit excuse, and lands on;
'I'm a meta like Black Canary, but way, way stronger! I can't talk or I'll hurt someone! The bruises are from like my parent's inventions and also me throwing myself into walls with my power! They don't know!'
Which leads to some uncomfortable talks about whether or not he feels safe enough at home, if there's a reason he didn't tell his parents, etc.
Then there was the whole thing of asking if he was lying, and Danny, annoyed and tired and ready to prove a point, just said
"No I'm not." In a normal voice, promptly bursting a few eardrums and shattering any glass.
Eventually he and the Social Workers come to a compromise; he does feel safe enough to tell his parents, and he will, and also Social Services will reach out to the Justice League to see about getting him some training from an official hero, especially if his Voice is that dangerous.
And that's how Danny ends up as the only civilian allowed in Titan's Tower; his access card sends out an alert so all the teen heroes keep their masks on, he has a zeta installed in Amity just for him, and he has to train with them. He also has special training instructions from Black Canary herself.
Sir Leon casually mentioning that he threw some noble in the dungeon in his report.
Arthur: Wait what did he do??
Leon: Oh right. He gifted Merlin sweets and asked if he wanted to have a picnic with him, Sire. But his family is an important ally, so I had to refrain from executing him.
Arthur, now very confused and trying hard not to let his jealousy show because he wants to be a good, just king: Leon courting Merlin is not a crime
Leon confused as well: Well of course it's not written down like that. But courting the kings... Uhm *clearing his throat and staring at the floor awkwardly* lover is quite disrespectful.
Arthur now blushing furiously sputters: Merlin?! My lover?!
Leon: Uh Sorry I didn't mean to offend you... Or him! I just thought you wanted the marriage to stay secret. I mean yes he always is carrying Queen Ygraines sigil with him but I just-
Arthur: LEON! Merlin is my servant. I'd never- I can't- He's just my servant nothing more. Please tell me you haven't told anyone of this crazy assumption of yours
Leon, disbelieving after a loooong moment of silence: My CRAZY assumption!?!? Wha- YOU'VE BEEN UNDRESSING HIM WITH YOUR EYES EVERY TIME YOU TWO ARE IN THE SAME ROOM!!! I didn't have to tell anyone!!!
Arthur: So who else thinks-
Leon: EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Damian is always annoyed when he has to deal with kidnappers wanting to make some quick cash hoping to ransom him back to his father. As much as he wants to just fight them, and be done with it he knows that he can’t. Father had told him repeatedly that in order to maintain cover he couldn’t deal with these types of issues when he was supposed to be nothing but a regular civilian.
Someone from the family should be showing up soon though as Damian had pressed the distress beacon as soon as he noticed that he was being followed by some very obvious criminals. That are only going to be referred to as idiot A and idiot B in his mind.
Which is why he mostly complies as they grab him from the van and proceed to drag him inside an old rundown building where two other criminals, idiot C and idiot D, are already waiting with grinning faces. What immediately sets Damian on edge though is when they notice their entrance those smiles instantly disappear.
Idiot A and B don’t seem to notice their fellow criminals' sudden shift in attitude though.
“It seems we were the ones to find the Wayne brat after all boys! Bets a bet fellas, and I’m expecting payment in the form of dinner.” Idiot A dragging him farther inside announces to the room before noticing the other two don’t seem to be sharing his excitement. “Come on guys just because Jakob and I won the bet doesn’t mean we’re not all getting paid today! No need to look so down.”
“But we won the bet? Damian Wayne is already tied up in the other room.” Idiot C says as he confusingly looks between Damian and a door off to the side. Whoever was confused for him is mostly likely on the other side then. Great, another thing he will have to worry about while he’s here.
Idiot B grabs his shoulder and even shakes Damian as he speaks, “No, this is Damian Wayne!”
All four of them are now staring at him before Idiot D speaks up, “I still think the other kid is the real Damian.”
“It doesn’t matter which one is the real Wayne kid. Our plan still works; we can still get our money! Just- just tie this one up, and put him with the other one. We still have a schedule we need to stick to.”
Now, Damian knew that when he saw the other boy being held here that they would probably have similar features, but he wasn’t expecting to actually see his own face looking back at him. More correctly though his long thought gone twin brother’s face.
He’d recognize that face anywhere; he gave Danyal that scare after all.