Duke: I Know I'm New, But Are We Going To Talk About The Thing Clinging To Alfred? Damian: What Are You

Two names that start with an ”A”

For Cosmic - who introduced me to the theory that inspired this short thing

Disclaimer: this work is not a mirror of my Personal feelings towards Riddle Rosehearts, it Is merely a mirror of, what I think, is early game Ace way of thinking in this au.

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Ace Trappola never liked to be constricted in his right to freedom. It started when he was mere days old, trying to wiggle out of his crib with wooden bars to ensure he wouldn't fall out and continued like this through his whole life. Primary school, middle school, home life, in all possible areas. So it came as no surprise, at least to his mother and brother when his magic manifested as wind. The element of freedom that blew freely throughout the World changing its course and finding no obstacles in whatever direction it wanted to go.

It would also come to no surprise, with that information, that Ace did not take the housewarden's Riddle collar all too well.

His freedom, his magic was constricted. It was confined to the very centre of his body, and couldn't even flow right beneath his skin.

Ace felt terrible.

Ace felt fury.

**

There once was a girl, a little girl who fell below, down the rabbit hole.

The little girl's name was Alice and she had a wonderful imagination.

Her imagination led her through wonderland, though everything that tried to take her freedom away from her.

Through everything that made Her blood boil.

**

Ace was becoming more angry by the minute. His hosewarden was a little tyrant that imposed crazy rules onto everyone. He ruled with fear and iron collars that took what every mage had and couldn't live without in the long run.

Riddle Rosehearts was everything Ace despised.

**

Alice met the Queen of Hearts and at first she tried to understand. Queen of hearts explained that Wonderland drove everyone mad, and that her rules were necessary to keep everyone from going insane. But in Alice's eyes, the Queen had everything she wanted, she was the ruler, had her kingdom, and her servants. There was nothing that stopped her from her freedom.

Yet she ruled with an iron fist and took what everyone needed to live.

She took not only their freedom but their heads. She kept taking the one thing that made it impossible to choose freedom, their Life.

The Queen was everything Alice hated.

Alice wondered if it was Wonderland who drove everyone insane or its ruler.

**

Riddle Rosehearts imposed crazy rules, he claimed it was for the need for discipline. He claimed it was necessary to grow and become the best mages they could become. Ace soon realised that Riddle lacked the one thing he kept taking from everyone.

Riddle Rosehearts lacked freedom.

Ace pitied him for it for a grand Total of five seconds.

Just then Little tyrant threw away their hard made tart.

And just like that Ace felt no remorse.

**

Alice saw what the queen was doing to her subject, she knew what madness she brought to her own queendom. She was beyond reason and so there was only one way to deal with her, direct confrontation.

Alice found herself in Court.

**

Ace may have been a bit harsh towards Hertsybull's house warden. He learned some new facts after the disastrous tea party from Trey, who turned out to be a childhood friend with the teapot tyrant. That didn't really change anything, in fact thanks to Headmage, Ace realised there was only one way to deal with him, direct confrontation.

Ace was going to challenge Riddle in a duel.

**

Alice failed to see one, quite obvious, point. Queen of hearts was a tyrant, yes but she was still The ruler of Wonderland.

And the Queen's word was absolute. So when she ordered card soldiers to grab her it didn't matter that they were in court. It didn't matter that they were having a discussion, it didn't even matter that she was supposed to have rights as a side in that proceeding. Nothing mattered as long as the Queen said so.

And so, when Alice was restrained and brought onto a platform with an officer meant to enact her final verdict, she knew no one would help her this time.

She glared defiantly at The Queen to the last second, until her head was forced onto the chopping block.

,,Off with Her Head!” yelled the ruler.

And in her last moments Alice woved, if there was a chance, if she could get a second one, she would never again fall to the tyranny of another.

**

Ace stared at his housewarden as they prepared for the duel.

Riddle Rosehearts was a sad, caged boy who craved freedom all the same he did, the difference between the two of them was, that Ace was never afraid to grab his, while Riddle choose to stay in a cage.

It was easier for read haired boy, it was his way of life, it was disgusting to Ace.

How could this boy, not much older than him bear being locked in a prison that had a lock and key on his own side. How could he delude himself into thinking that those restrictions were love?

“And how dare he take what he himself could have all this time?” hissed something deep within Ace.

Riddle could have everything, power, his rules, friends and freedom.

If only he wasn't a coward.

If only he wasn't like Her.

Ace looked at the boy as the headmage announced that he was to remove The collars.

Ace looked at him and saw a different figure, from a different time.

Ace looked and saw the Queen of Hearts.

He would never bow to the queen.

Not again and not ever.

Deep withing him something stirred, more pronounced this time.

Collar came off and it wasn't only wind magic that got released.

Ace smirk found itself on his face and as Riddle raised his arm to cast a spell, just as mirror shattered starting the duel.

Both of them raised their hand too.

,,Down with The Queen”

His unique magic, their unique magic swelled. Spell capable of dispelling other spells, spell created for a sheet want of freedom. Spell that allowed him to destroy everything that could confide him. Everything that could constrict his freedom, everything that included heart shaped collars.

A second of shock whas all they needed to send The burst of wind magic towards their opponent.

Ace and Alice grinned as one.

,Down with The Queen indeed’

BNHA AU where Izuku and Shigaraki, thanks to new LOV ally, who decides to frame them both into a difficult situation use her quirk on them. Now they are stuck in a different dimension where they are brothers apparently and The whole UA and their battles are only a tv series. As if their situaction was not complicated enough as it is, their quirks seems to come back slowly over time. Meanwhile they have to addapt to new reality without super Powers, find their way back and maybe bond over their brotherhood everyone is talking about.

You were supposed to be normal

DPxDC

Danny was adopted by the Wayne’s and they all thought he was a civilian in a bad home situation who got along with the family nicely. Danny knew full well that they were the Batclan of Gotham but he is enjoying being a regular teenager to much to care. The Bats thought they were going a perfect job with keeping their new family members in the dark about their nightly activities. They weren’t expecting to see Danny get flung through a wall at the beginning of dinner by a robot with a flaming green mohawk. They also weren’t expecting Danny to get up like nothing happened and launch himself at the attacker. And least of all they weren’t expecting Danny to win the fight.

Dead on Main au where Jason is of course Danny’s Fright Knight and like all knights do he has a weapon—except it’s his gun.

The batfam + justice league + everyone (except ghosts duh) don’t know that his normal average everyday gun is actually like a super powerful spiritual soul shooter that is, yaknow, capable of blasting someone into an alternate dimension where their greatest fears become real.

So imagine there’s like a big battle where a ghastly ghoul reigns terror on Gotham. The world sends their best hero’s—wizards and occultists are notably high highest in demand—to stop the ghost but, nothing works. All of the weapons and spells and chants fail.

But,

As the fights worsens and the heros scream for people to flee suddenly--

Loud squeaking footsteps echo across the ground. Jason yawns strolling into the battle zone in a ghostbusters t-shirt plaid pants bunny slippers--he strolls up in pajamas--as if annoyed at being woken up and cocks his fucking normal 'i could buy you at walmart' gun at the ghost.

His brothers screech at him yelling ”Are you insane” and to "get the hell out of here" in fear and panic because their idiot brother is trying to kill a real life ghost with a damn gun.

But then Jason shoots the ghost and it works.

The ghost fizzles down with a cry into just a little blob.

The young man then spends 30 minutes lecturing the spirit saying things like “you’re glad I’m not calling the big guy” and “you know our highness would not be happy learning what you’ve been doing” before taking out a thermos of all things and sucking the ghost into it.

Jason then sighs and walks away as if he hadn’t just defeated a hell raising ghost with a gun people can buy off a corner pawn store and a soup container.

Immediately the bat family swarms him with questions

Dick grabs him by his shoulders tense with worry, “Are you okay?”

“Um yeah—“ Jason tries to reply squirming in his hold

Damian cuts him off, “How the hell did your gun a physical weapon hurt that ghastly demonic spirit!”

“Uh that ghost is actually pretty chill you guys just pissed him off." Jason replies plainly

They stare at him with a look saying 'you did not call a ghost that has been decimating gotham chill' probably because he did just that.

Tim is the first to break out of the disbelief stupor as he very inteligently says, "What?"

Jason responds easily with a confused quirk in his brow, "Second, my gun affects entities of all sorts, perks to my job and all that."

"How did being a vigilante and also probably crime boss give you a gun that could do that?" Dick asks

Jason sends him a look saying "are you an idiot" as he replies, "Yea, sure, kicking petty thieves and druggies got me my all powerful spirit weapon--No you dumbass, it's from being the bodyguard of the King of the Infinite Realms! How the hell did you guys not think of that!”

Tim breathes in, then breathes out, then breathes in again and screams, "Why the HELL WOULD WE THINK OF THAT JAY?!"

"The--" Batman, suddenly beside them, chokes, "Bodyguard of T-the what."

Jason blinks at his family then his eyes widen, "Oh shit."

"What?!" His family screech in panic

"Oh fuck," Jason says with a growing hysteric smile, "Danny's gonna have a big ol' fucking laugh with this."

"Brother who is Danny!" Damian demands for an answer

Jason coughs into his palm, "Oh yeah you guys really dont dont know. So I may have forgotten to explain some... things."

Bruce levels him with a stare that says "you think?"

Jason chuckles nervously, "So y'know how I'm half dead?"

pause

Damian very eloquently responds for the suddenly dying screaming combusting members of his family, "...sure."

"Well I met the King of the afterlife which is like the Ruler of Everything and he was really cute--" Jason says distant in his own world

"Theres a afterlife?" Superman asks casually appearing beside the emotionally wrecked family

"Yea its pretty cool. So I start flirting a bit with the guy and we hit it off, I now im his zombie ghost knight boyfriend lover for all time. Oh and i got this sickass gun." Jason says with a happy grin

"That is a pretty sick gun." John Constantine nods

"I know right?" Jason chirps

"You wouldn't mind if I inspected--" John reaches his hand

Jason slaps it away, "Not a chance you soul whore. Y'know your basically the tax evasionist of the Ghost Zone right?"

John only sighs and leaves

"But yea so I'm like the ghost world equivalent to married with the king and became his knight and thats how I was able to stop that ghost guy." Jason reiterates as if explaining a simple question, "Y'guys get that?"

Tim is on the ground trying to decide whether; sobbing hysterically, interogating jason to find out all the things he doesn't want to know or sleeping would be a better use of his time.

Dick has decided to blame himself and has started to draft a reddit post in the middle of the street starting with "I (23 m) have a younger brother (19 m), who I used to resent but really regret now, he died and came back and doesn't even tell me about what goes on in his life anymore. How do I fix our--"

Damian is just staring at the gun and... Jason pushes it deeper in his holster and shifts to the side, better to be safe than sorry with this thieving shit.

As Jason adjusts his weaponry he hears Bruce sob in the background, "He didn't even invite me to the wedding! Am I that horrible of a father!"

Wonder Woman pats his shoulder reasuringly whilst the rest of the League seem to be trying to calm him down

Jason looks around tiredly at the mess he had created and decides fuck it

"Alright I'm heading out for the night, you guys get home safe!" He yells and without caring to listen to anyone and everyone voicing their confusion he zips open a green portal and stumbles in

He crashes down on an unbelievably comfortable bed

Danny blinks blearily before sending the young man a sleepy smile, "Hey Jay, what kept you up so long?"

Jason slipping under the blankets with a yawn says, "You would not believe the night I just had."

An old and homely grandmother accidentally summons a demon. She mistakes him for her gothic-phase teenage grandson and takes care of him. The demon decides to stay at his new home.

Phantom Park

Look, Danny hated clowns, he really hated them, but theme parks? He loved them, when one of the tours came to Amity his Rogues agreed with the feeling after having fun for hours.

And they offered a truce in exchange of forming their own thematic park for a while, and go over the world, wich sounded bad at first, he didn't want to leave Amity, but some vacations...

Ghost thematic Park it is

So, they created a lot of attractions, give Ember her own concerts, Skulker had a place showing how to hunt, Johnny and Kitty had fun with their motorcycles, Technus was administrating some cool games, Lunch lady was making some food for everyone and he had his own ice rollercoaster, they were having so much fun ¡they even made some money!

Now, if only the heroes stayed out of their business would be wonderful, this was the six time he was being "interrogated", they were traveling for god sake, they have a schedule, Batman didn't appreciate it

But Danny didn't care what Batman thought, they weren't metas, they weren't invading anything and everything was legal, the lord of vengeance could go sulk elsewhere, and he let him know, the six times he couldn't find anything

Really, it was not his problem if Harley, Ivy and Klarion liked the park, villains have free time too, his own rogues were having fun and Red Hood, Arsenal, Kid Flash and Nightwing were eating ice cream with them!

Is not his problem if they were too "bright" for the "heroes" or whatever, Flash was the only one with some respect at the end of the day when they passed his city

Seriously, most of the heroes were treating them like criminals, dealers or simple villains, which was starting to frustrate him a lot, his rogues tried to comfort him, but the brilliant and dumb heroes didn't understand, ¡This is a truce! his own "villains" (he never saw them as such) were laughing, playing, and completely peaceful without causing anything harmful

At some point in the interviews, Danny got fed up, did the heroes want to play this game? Fine, there's a reason people say don't treat someone like a villain or they'll see themselves as one, and even though Danny wasn't bad, none denied that he was petty, so at his next stop he decided, it was time to prove how haunted the park was and teach these guys a lesson

Family Dinners - dpxdc

"Holy shit, you're Bruce Wayne!" Danny gaped, jabbing a finger at the man sitting at the head of the table.

The bustling dining room goes silent as everyone turns to look at him.

"Danny, who did you think was going to be here?" Tim asks, disbelief plain in his voice and Danny feels his face flush red.

"Sorry, I, uh, I guess I just never put it together. Tim Drake-Wayne. Wayne Manor. It, uh, makes sense now." He laughs sheepishly and scrubs at his neck before slumping back down into his chair.

"Well," Tim says with an indulgent sigh, "at least I know you're not just friends with me for my connections."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, I just never thought about it, I guess."

Danny sinks lower as everyone around him laughs. Come to dinner, he said, the food is the best, he said, ignore the family, he said. Danny really wishes he'd listened to Tim and just ignored them—almost as much as he's regretting accepting the offer in the first place—but... he's having dinner with Batman.

Ancients, that's so weird!

The last time he saw Batman was in the future and, suffice it to say, it was not going well. There hadn't really been time for family dinners there.

Wait. Family dinners?

He peers around the table, openly gawking at everyone as it all clicks into place.

"Everything alright, Danny? Now realising who everyone else is?" Tim asks with a roll of his eyes.

"Uh... something like that..." Danny mumbles as everyone laughs again.

From further down the table, the smallest Wayne scoffs and clicks his tongue.

"I thought you said he was smart, Drake?"

"So, you all do it, too, then?" he asks, ignoring the jibe. Danny's only a little bit jealous as he thinks of how much easier they must have it, how much easier it'd be if his family had been on his side, too. "You all work together?"

"Nah," Dick says from across the table with a brilliant grin. "Tim's the only one that works with Bruce, we all have different jobs. I'm a police officer in Bludhaven."

"Disgusting." Danny blurts out without thinking—because seriously, what kind of self-respecting vigilante would also be a police officer?—before clapping a hand over his mouth. "Sorry."

The whole table laughs again, the loudest being the blonde girl a few spaces down from Dick. Look, Danny wasn't really paying attention to names when they were all paraded in front of him. Dick only gets remembered because his name is a joke.

Come on, Danny, recover!

"That's, uh, not what I meant, though."

"Oh?" Dick asks, cocking his head slightly to the side. Is it Danny's imagination or does his smile tense slightly?

"Yeah, I mean like, you know, in costume. It must make it so much easier to have everyone together like this."

"Costume? What do you mean?"

Yeah, Danny's not imagining it, everyone tenses up at that. It's really only now that he's realising that this probably isn't how he should bring up that he knows about their... night time activities. In fact, he probably shouldn't be bringing it up at all.

"Uuhhh..." Danny looks wildly around the table as he continues making his stupid noise. Think, think, think! There must be a way out of this!

"Danny?" Tim asks, looking concerned.

"Oh, Ancients, this isn't how I wanted it to go at all," he mutters, slipping even further into his chair. He's almost on the floor now and he so, so wishes it could just swallow him up.

His real first meeting with Batman was meant to be cool! He had planned to be Phantom, maybe save them from a tight spot, prove his worth as a mysterious and powerful ally as thanks for the help Batman gave him in the future.

"Danny, what are you talking about?" Tim starts tugging on his sleeve in an attempt to pull him back up from his pit of despair.

Eventually, Danny relents and sits up straighter, hiding his face in his hands and whining all the while.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't expect him to be here and it threw me off so now I look stupid and it's so embarrassing!" he wails, flailing his arms wide. "Why wouldn't you warn me that Batman was your adopted dad, Tim? Couldn't you have let me know?"

"I'm sorry, what? Danny are you alright? There's no way Bruce can be Batman, look at him!"

"Yeah," the blonde girl laughs from the bottom of the table, "look at him! That's a wet noodle of a man! Batman can actually do things, B is incapable of pretty much everything."

"Thank you, Stephanie," Bruce sighs, massaging his forehead.

It's... Those are the first words Danny's heard Batman say since everything went down and it's enough to knock him out of his embarrassment.

It's really good to hear his voice again. Especially now, when it's strong and healthy and full of personality—even if that personality is little more than a tired father right now—far better than how it had been, at the end.

Danny sits up, back straight, and grins. He's got this. He remembers it perfectly. Some people count sheep to fall asleep, Danny repeats his mantra to be certain that he'll never forget it.

"Gamma alpha upsilon tau iota mu epsilon, 42, 63, 28, 1 colon 65 dash 9."

Once again, the whole table falls into silence.

"Holy shit..." breathes the other D name (Duke? Danny's pretty sure he's Signal) from opposite Stephanie. "Isn't that...?"

"The time travelling code." The littlest Wayne says stiffly. "We have met in the future?"

"That's not just the time travelling code, Dami." Dick says, looking between Danny and Bruce. "That's the family time travelling code."

Danny's grin freezes in place.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"1 colon 65 dash 9." Dick explains, still flicking between him and Bruce. "It means you've been adopted into the family and we should all treat you as such, no questions asked."

"Tell you what, I'm about to ask a question." Danny says, dumbstruck. "You just told me it was a code to identify time travellers, not anything about being adopted! What the hell, B?"

Bruce looks about as shellshocked as Danny feels.

"We must have been close," he says finally, after opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water a few times.

"No! Not that close!" Danny reels back, taking a deep breath ready to refute it all, but... "Well, I mean, you found me when I first got stuck, and you helped me get better despite being... And then we fought together against the, uh, bad guy, before he, um, he... before you couldn't."

An uncomfortable beat passes while they all pick up on what Danny tried so hard not to say.

"So, you're not from the future, then, you travelled there and came back?" Tim asks, breaking the tension and leaning forward with a glint in his eye.

"Yeah, it was a whole end of the world thing, but don't worry about it," Danny says with a hand wave, "It's all kosher now, won't ever happen."

"What did happen?"

"Seriously, don't worry about it, we cool."

"How long in the future was it?"

"About ten years? You were pretty spry for an old man, B," Danny laughs, wishing they'd get off the topic of what happened and get back to the adoption bit.

Everyone shares degrees of a cautious smile as they relax out of the shock, and Dick—whose grin is the biggest—says, "No wonder you got the family code, you're already riffing on him like one of us. How long were you there for?"

"A week, before I managed to get back to my present and stop him then."

"A week? Jeez, B, that has to set some kind of record, seriously."

"Oh!" Danny says, sitting bolt upright and blinking in surprise before pointing at Dick and bouncing in his seat. "You're Nightwing!"

"What?"

"That's exactly what Nightwing said when Batman told me the code! Makes so much more sense now."

Dick laughs and claps his hands, delighted.

"You were not formally adopted?" The grumpy small one—Dami?—asks, his face pinched.

"I didn't even know I was informally adopted."

"And your parents? Are they alive or dead?"

"Damian, stop—"

"They were dead in the future, but they're alive now." Danny says, looking down. He fiddles with the tablecloth, twisting the fabric around his fingers as he fights down the pang of sadness that he always feels when he thinks of them now. He forces a bright smile on his face and hopes it doesn’t look too strained. "I just, uh, can't talk to them much, anymore."

"Damian," Dick warns, "1 colon 65 dash 9. Treat them as family, no questions asked."

"This is Damian treating him as family, the little turd has no manners." Tim scoffs, rolling his eyes, but he gently bumps shoulders with Danny to knock him out of his funk. Danny can't help but send him a watery smile.

"I have the most exemplary manners, Drake, unlike some people." Damian spits, crossing his arms with a pout. "I was merely ascertaining his status to see how he could possibly fit into the family."

"I know this is all a bit sudden, Danny," Bruce smiles, ignoring Damian and reaching out to lay a warm hand on his arm, "for all of us. But if I felt strongly enough to give you that code after spending a week with you in the future, then you are more than welcome in this family, if you so choose it. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we'd like to get to know you a bit more."

"I know a threat when I hear it, Bruce." Danny snorts. "But, yeah, I get it. I'm sorry this is all so weird, it really wasn't how I wanted to find you again, but... I'm glad I did."

"So are we, Danny." Dick says, with a warm smile. "And formally or not, 1 colon 65 dash 9 means you're family. Welcome to the fun house! No take backs or refunds, sorry. You're stuck with us."

Chills, literal chills

Walking in on a conversation that you’re not a part of

Don't Forget To Record

Vlogger Danny in Gotham

Danny moves to Gotham with Sam and Tucker and decides it would be a fun idea to record their journey from packing their things in Amity to recording how life is in Gotham.

~

The trio packing their things:

Sam: "Do we really need to pack so many weapons?"

Tucker: "I mean they have a very high crime rate so.."

Danny: "So? They're mortal we've handled worse on the regular."

Viewers: " Yo yeah.. what the hell are ya'll talking about?!"

~

Tucker holding the camera when Danny runs into frame

Danny: "Sorry I'm late I got jumped scared by some clown and accidentally snatched his wig!"

Sam: "I think you're still holding it in your hand?"

Danny lifting his hand into the cameras view

Tucker: "Uh babe? I don't think that's a wig.."

Sam: " Holy shit! Did you just scalp some clown?!"

Viewers a week later seeing the Joker getting arrested with a very fake looking wig just barely hanging on after fighting the Bats

Viewers clicking the subscribe button

~

The Trio vlogging themselves being their usual brand of Amity feral

Gothamites:

~

Just an Idea

So... when Jazz and her newborn baby were taken by a cult she wasn't... too worried. Okay yes of course she was worried about her baby in the hands of the people who knocked her out cold when they broke into her home and seem to want to use HER baby as a vessel for some evil entity to bring the apocalypse BUT she knows her husband's patrol routes like the back of her hand, knows when Jason likes to drop by to check on them (with maybe another bat or bird with him, he begrudgingly allowed cause they wanna see the littlest batbaby) and knows he and the rest of the batfam had been alerted and are on their way, she knows this. And if they don't come soon she has ways to get out of these bindings and saving her baby (no anti ghost things at all, so she's good with going liminal on them if need be)

HOWEVER Jazz stops when she realizes the summoning circle they're planning on using... and knows damn well who they're going to bring to this plane of the realms...

It's been a good long while since she saw her brother. And this will give her a chance to actually introduce him to his nephew/niece instead of just sending him pictures.

......

......

Jason really wasn't expecting, as he showed up to the warehouse the cult (THEY TOOK HIS WIFE AND KID. NO B, HE WILL NOT CALM THE FUCK DOWN, HES TAKING THEM ALL OUT FOR THIS! THEY'RE GONNA USE HIS KID TO BE A VESSEL FOR A GHOST KING) was using guns blazing, to find the cult members all frozen in solid chunks of ice that would make even Mr. Freeze envious of meanwhile his wife cheerfully chatting with a glowing, floating, blue faced with star like freckles being with a glowing crown and space cloak... whose making silly faces at his kid and playing peek-a-boo (by actually disappearing and reappearing)