Politically arranged marriage (IDK how those work)
During a Peace talk between the USA Government and The Infinite Realms a US representative accuses that the King (Danny) could go back on his word anytime and they would end up defenseless against these monsters. A member of the king's court (I’m thinking Dorathea) asks if a union would convince them of their peace. The US gov is intrigued and think they could manipulate the King if he marries one of their citizens. The thing is… the US doesn’t have a monarchy.
Then one of the US reps has a brilliant idea. Bruce Wayne has been known as the Prince of Gotham for ages, they won’t have to fake any new articles or anything online to go back years. They could totally manipulate and have Brucie Wayne tell them anything they want to know without him even knowing!!! Danny’s (aged up to around Bruce’s age) like what the shit and quickly interjects. He says it’s improper to go straight to marriage (he’s trying to bs his way out of this) the same king's court ghost says ofc and they’ll have to court each other and both parties have to consent ofc, they thought that was a given.
Another of the king's court asks how this Bruce Wayne Prince of Gotham is even worthy of their king. Another rep tells him that Brucie is also known as the White Knight of Gotham. Another speaks up about his many good deeds and the children he’s taken in. They are all shitting themselves trying to think about how to avoid them finding articles about “Brucie Wayne gets drunk and falls into the harbor from his yacht-compilation” and they're trying to talk him up as much as possible.
Danny 100% knows about said article but he doubts Bruce is gonna accept to be a part of this (hello low self esteem) but he hopes to convince Bruce to play along long enough to keep peace and once everything’s settled down they can “break up”. He’ll go along with it to keep the peace he worked himself to exhaustion for, Ancients know his people wanted war.
Queue them both falling head over heels in love with each other and Danny getting too attached to both Bruce and the kids. He eventually does find out about Bruce being Batman but that just makes him like him more.
Those politicians are fuming they can’t get anything dirt on the Realms out of Brucie Wayne of all people!!! He’s talking and talking but he’s not actually saying anything! How does King Phantom stand him?!
Danny loved his job. It was an easy on call job he got rather on accident. But it paid well and gave him enough time to deal with ghost matters outside of scheduled work hours.
Though now he got stuck in a situation his Boss had not provided him with a script and or explanation how to behave for.
Danny was a simple Stand-in. Sort of like a Stuntman kind of job. His boss was paying him to simple take his place during public appearances, or meetings with no big decision he has to sit through just to listen. Or on the easiest of days, to just sit in his boss office so it appears that someone is there while his boss was doing who knows what. Danny doesn't question, that's why his boss liked him.
But again, no where in his contract was described how he was supposed to handle this situation. So now he was stuck having beat up a couple of wannabe kidnappers and some vigilantes talking to him all casually going on and on how 'Tim', his boss, wasn't supposed to do that to not risk his public image. Should he record this as evidence for his Boss? It sounded like these vigilantes were spilling some of his boss' secrets that shouldn't be known to the public.
Tim just needed someone to sit in his place to make it appear like he was there when he had cases to work through. Danny was the perfect hire for it and Tim liked very much that Danny doesn't ask questions, like he understood. Yet when Danny sent him a text questioning how he should behave as Stand-in in front of Gotham's vigilantes.... Tim wasn't sure if he should feel offended or highly amused about his siblings not realizing that the one kidnapped in public hadn't been Tim but his Stand-in Danny.
I saw a post a few months ago (and damn was it really months? In PLURAL?) that was a cracky dpxdc au where the LOS were making Damian clones but the clones kept getting snatched by ghost portals and dropped into Danny’s lap and Danny just goes “ok ig this is my life now” and takes care of each one until he has his own mini army of Damian Clones.
And I remembered it a few days ago, and now I've been thinking about it again. Because I love clone aus (see: clone danny au, the 'danny is thomas wayne' au) because it itches the part of my mind that loves exploring personhood and the exploration of identity and what it means to be clone.
(What do you do when nothing about you is unique? When your face, your eyes, your hands, your hair, your voice, all the way down to your heart, all belong to someone else?)
(When it comes to nature vs nurture what of you came from your environment and your experiences, and what of you was already programmed into you from the DNA that made you?)
(What do you do to make it unique? What do you do to make you unique?)
And if I could remember who made that post I'd @ them right now because it was their original post that inspired this, but I'm just thinking of if the au only had One Singular Damian clone that fell into Danny's life.
(a read more because im apparently incapable of making posts that are less than 1k words...)
One Damian who knew he was a clone and knew that he was to either bring the original back to base or kill him to take his place, who was being trained the same way but kept getting compared to his original over and over again. Like an older sibling who you can never match up to. Who is still a child who craves adult affection and validation and praise, and can't get it because nothing about him is original.
One Damian who, at six years old, in a twist of fate is sucked through a swirling portal and lands in Amity Park, directly on top of, in front of, or in line of sight of one Daniel Fenton, half-ghost extraordinaire and local hero.
What happens next?
Well, for one, Danny recognizes him immediately. He would recognize the face of Damian Wayne anywhere because his best friend was ranting about him all week about Damian Wayne's environmental stuff he does.
And for two, he would recognize that the Damian Wayne in front of him was not Damian Wayne. Because Damian Wayne was a teenager. And the Damian Wayne in front of him is a child. Six years old.
Getting this not-Damian but also-Damian to go along with Danny is not, not an easy task. The tiny Damian is aggressive, regal, and at this point in time, six years old, barely understanding english. He also has a sword.
It takes all day and a google translator to get this Tiny Damian to finally agree to go home with Danny. It's a miracle. Seriously. A tried and true miracle. And its also only when Danny has to fight a ghost does he finally agree, saying something in arabic that Danny doesn't understand.
Danny flies them both home, carrying Tiny Damian like a koala. The ensuing conversation in his room is not any better. It is tiring, long, and exhausting. Tiny Damian is six years old, and every single thing he says when Danny asks where he came from is met with a poorly translated "that's classified".
Danny keeps an eye on the news. There are no reports of Damian Wayne going missing, in fact he's been rather public. Bruce Wayne is not one to lie about his children going missing, and Damian's secretive behavior and young age draws Danny to one conclusion: Damian is a clone.
He doesn't know why Damian Wayne is being cloned. Frankly he doesn't really wanna know, because whatever organization that did it doesn't seem too pure-of-heart if tiny-Damian's immediate attempt of murder when they first met is of any indication. But he's too busy taking care of his city, that he doesn't have time to deal with whatever shady business Tiny-Damian was produced from.
In the end though, he decides that this Tiny-Damian is not going back to whatever place he came from. Tiny Damian disagrees. It is a long, nebulous problem of Damian trying to run away, Danny catching him, and Danny pulling him back home.
In that time, Danny downloads a language app and starts learning Arabic so that they can talk to each other properly. Damian slowly, slowly, starts picking up English.
In that time, Danny also has to inform his friends and his sister about Damian. Tiny Damian is not a fan of this. That is another argument they have. Tiny Damian does not like Sam or Tucker for a long, long while. He only really "listens" to Danny, citing something in arabic that Danny still cannot understand, but has a repeated use of the word "lieazir". It's the only word that Danny can catch in a sentence immediately, because its what little Damian calls Danny.
Tiny Damian, in that front, is very interested in Danny's powers and in his parents work. He finds tubberware of ectoplasm in the fridge once while they're down in the kitchen and calls it something with the word lieazir in it. The other word is something that Danny later learns means water in arabic.
It makes him feel even more uneasy of whatever place little Damian came from.
It takes weeks for little Damian to finally give up on escaping, and then a few weeks more for him to almost entirely lose his spunk. Danny isn't sure what started it. It was as if he'd been flipped with an off-switch.
(Damian had been so confident that the League would go looking for him after his disappearance. He was wrong, and he is crushed. He is still a child, alone, in a country very big and very busy, where nobody understands what he's saying. He feels powerless, helpless.)
(The lazarus boy who calls himself Danyal is nice to him in a way the league has never been, and he's making an effort to learn Damian's language. But he leaves for hours at a time and Damian doesn't have much else to do but wait in this house for him to come back.)
(He tried leaving, many many times, but he doesn't understand the street signs, the roads, the people. He doesn't know where he is, and he feels scared in a way that he's not felt in the League. Danny finds him every single time, hours later when Damian is lost somewhere in Amity Park)
(And he never yells at him. Never. The first time this happens, Damian puffs himself up and prepares himself for this strange lazarus boy to yell at him. Damian feels like he's tripped on the last step of the stairs when Danyal doesn't yell at him.)
(He can tell he's frustrated by the tone of his voice, but when Danyal lays eyes on him he just looks relieved. He gets scolded on the flight home, but Damian doesn't understand any of it other than Danyal just sounds worried. Not angry. He gets a proper scolding once they get back, with Danyal typing into the google translator and playing it for Damian to hear.)
(This happens every single time until Damian finally agrees to stop running away.)
It's with Jazz's help that Danny finally realizes that Damian was depressed. It's with her help again that Danny tries helping with it. It's like trying to get a stray cat to trust him. And with everything else they've done, it takes a long time.
And it is so, so worth it when it all works out.
Tiny Damian doesn't really like Sam, or Tucker, but he likes Danny. And he finally starts calling him his name. His full name, but his name nonetheless. Danny doesn't bother correcting him. He's not looking a gift horse in the mouth. And it's endearing hearing Damian call him Danyal.
Damian in this time, also begins to take more initiative into learning English. And they teach each other words they know. Danny buys flash cards and writes the english alphabet on them, and then finds a book on arabic to teach himself and Damian. Sam and Tucker and Jazz start learning as well.
And then when Danny knows enough arabic and Damian knows enough english, and Damian trusts Danny, Damian tells him he's a clone. It's a quiet moment, late at night when Danny takes Damian up to the ops center to look at what stars they could see through the light pollution.
It'd be very easy for Danny to tell him, "I know. I could tell from the start.". He doesn't, it's not the time nor the place, and Danny's matured enough to know when to open his mouth and when to keep it shut. He lets Damian, almost seven now, tell him that he's a clone of Damian Wayne. Lets him tell him why he was made, what his purpose was.
(Danny will need a minute later to process the fact that Damian Wayne originally came from some kind of... assassin league with an obsession with immortality. But he's focused on Damian.)
In the end, he puts an arm around Damian Wayne's clone and pulls him into his side. Thanks him for trusting him, it must've been hard to tell him, that he's brave for being able to. And if he wants to, they can find a way to get into contact with the Waynes and let Wayne know about him.
Damian hides his face in Danny's ribs and holds him tight, and tells him he doesn't want to. Danny leaves it at that.
Perhaps it would be more morally ethical to alert Damian Wayne that there was a clone of him running around, that his... uh, grandfather was making clones of him. Hell, Danny would have liked it. But little Damian has asked him not to say anything, and little Damian needs someone to rely on; someone he can trust.
And in the end, its not that hard of a decision to make. Danny knows little Damian more than he knows Damian Wayne, and while Danny likes to think he's a good person, he knows he's not a great one. Nor a perfect one. He cares more about someone he knows than someone he doesn't.
If Sam tries to argue with him about it, then Danny will just double down. If Damian doesn't want to tell Wayne about his existence, then it's not their place to say otherwise.
There's a lot more to talk about over Damian's cloning, like what he wants to do moving forward. But that's a long conversation not meant to be one taken late at night. Little Damian is falling asleep at his side, seemingly much more relaxed than he did before, and Danny wasn't gonna ruin that.
And later he's right, it is a long conversation, and a slow one. Talking with Jazz about it helps him figure out what to do moving forward, and their best bet is to let Damian figure out what he wants to do. So he sits Damian down at the dinner table the next morning and tells him before breakfast that he doesn't need to be Damian Wayne.
He doesn't need to learn all the same things Damian Wayne did. He doesn't need to do anything that Damian Wayne does. And little Damian is seven, and he's smart, but Danny still has to word it in a way that's not too complex for him to realize.
And in the end, what he says essentially boils down to "You are not Damian Wayne, you are just you. Don't be anyone else but you." and it'll take more time to drill that into his mind when all he's ever heard and learned from is that he was a copy of Damian Wayne, and he must act like Damian Wayne. But it'll happen.
It's a hard task when Danny's the only person Damian really trusts and he can't be by his side all the time, but he starts to warm up to the rest of Danny's family. The Fenton parents know of him, it's hard to keep a six year old child a secret for as long as Danny did without eventually having to come clean about it. His parents, much to Danny's relief, are very welcoming to Damian.
Damian figures out what he likes. Slowly. He's six years old, almost seven, and nobody expects of him to figure out who he is immediately. No child knows who they are right off the bat. So like any child he begins to explore. His english is better but still rough, and he struggles to read said language, but the Fenton family are happy to help even if Damian learns words that no normal seven year old does. (Many of them scientific.)
Damian realizes he likes stars, even if said interest is influenced by the association to Danny. Danny is all too delighted to tell him all about them, and in the process takes him flying out somewhere where the light pollution doesn't reach and showing him where constellations are.
Damian is six-almost-seven, so he doesn't find all of them, but Danny helps him figure out the easier ones. He tells him the scientific facts behind them, and then tells him about the mythos of the constellations. Later on they make their own constellations and make up stories about what they are.
(Damian adores Danny out of anyone else in the Fenton Family. The name Danyal turns to Dany. If anyone asks, Daniel Fenton is Damian's big brother.)
(He still refers to Jazz as Jazmine, and Danny's parents as Mrs. and Mr. Fenton.)
He realizes that, like his original, he loves animals, and he becomes vegetarian too. Sam is smug and Tucker is disappointed, but Damian doesn't super care about their opinions. ...he's getting better at liking them, even if he thinks Manson is a bit snobby and Foley is too much at times.
Its inevitable that the conversation of school comes into play. Damian can't stay home all day and he needs proper schooling. So after a long talk with Damian, they agree to send him to elementary school.
...And before they can do that the Fenton Family goes through with legally adopting Damian into the family as Damian Fenton. It takes convincing to get the administration to enroll him into the first grade without a proper schooling background.
(On his adoption form, Damian asks to change his birthday to the day he met Danny. Perhaps its not the most responsible thing to agree to, but Danny wants Damian to find himself. And its not like they know when his actual birthday was.)
And despite where he learned it from, Damian quite likes sparring. And he quite likes sparring with Danny in particular. Danny makes it fun, something that was foreign in his old league training, and Danny never hurts him. It's a lot like roughhousing.
Danny tells Damian how he got his powers, and how his parents don't know. Damian wakes up late at night to Danny sneaking out of the room (their house is not big enough to give Damian an individual room, and Danny agreed to share his) to go fight ghosts.
It's upsetting. Damian knows that Danny gets injured in those fights, even if Danny never comes home until after those injuries have been fixed up. He wants to help, and he voices it, and Danny shoots him down.
It becomes an argument, something that has happened less and less over the months.
Damian is experienced.
Damian is a child.
Damian knows how to fight.
Damian is mortal and fragile. He is a tiny, squishy human boy and the people Danny fights are ghosts who are near-indestructible. Who are intimately acquainted with death but also do not remember that humans are capable of it. Especially when they're fighting.
Damian says that Batman's rogues are capable of the same thing, that he lets his Robins help him fight.
And Danny says he is not Batman and he will not allow Damian to fight ghosts with him. Those ghosts will kill him and it will hurt. Dying hurts in a way that is terrifying and unimaginable and he will not risk Damian experiencing it. Not even Sam and Tucker help him in his fights most of the time, they are not able to. Not in the way Danny can.
Damian doesn't talk to him all day the following morning, but Danny does not budge on his decision. Damian tries to follow him out the next night, and Danny catches him and takes him back. Over, and over, and over again.
Until finally he gets intercepted by Skulker while taking Damian back home and is forced to fight him in front of Damian. (If it had been his choice, he would not have let Damian see it at all.)
It's not pretty. Skulker has new weapons, weapons that hurt, a lot. Danny is stuck between trying to take him down and trying to protect Damian from Skulker's attacks at him and from all the debris being created from the fight. It's with Damian's quick thinking and fast feet that finally helps Danny take Skulker out. But Danny is badly injured in the aftermath.
He doesn't have time to take Damian home and get medical attention. So he takes Damian with him to wherever he has his supplies stashed. He doesn't call Sam or Tucker or Jazz, and has to stitch himself up alone, with Damian watching.
Damian is quiet the entire time, he feels awful. Danny's not mad at him -- well, he is. But not because he had to protect him. He's just tired, and a little disappointed in him. Damian doesn't sneak out again. But he still feels helpless.
Danny tells him that that is why he doesn't want Damian to help him. Ghosts, his ghosts, are hard to fight. They are powerful, and his 'rogues' are mean. They will not care that Damian is a mortal child, if he picks a fight with them, they will fight back. And Damian is not immune to certain ghost powers like Danny is.
Damian is silent. He wants to help. But Danny is right: he is a squishy, mortal, living child. There is not much he can do to help Danny. Not without any gear to do it. Not without any powers to do it. He wants to help. He cannot.
Damian, almost-seven-years old, begins to cry. It is the last thing Danny was expecting, and for a moment he is at a loss of what to do.
Damian reaches for him -- in the Fenton family, physical affection is expected. Damian is getting used to it, but Danny is the only one he likes touching him -- and then stops, cringing away like he only just remembered that Danny was hurt.
He only cries harder.
Danny meets him halfway and pulls him into his arms, situating Damian between his knees from where he's sitting. Through his tears, Damian says he wants to help. He wants to help. He doesn't want Danny to get hurt anymore. He doesn't want Danny to fight ghosts alone anymore. He's scared that Danny will stop coming back.
Danny doesn't have anything to say to reassure him. Can't say anything to reassure him. It'll all just be lies. He's not going to stop fighting ghosts, he can't. He's not going to stop getting hurt, he can't. He's not going to bring Damian with him, he can't. He'd never be able to live with himself.
"I'll always come back." He says though, because that is something he can promise. Whether dead or alive, he'll come back.
When the tears finally stop, Damian doesn't say anything again. He sniffles, and presses his ear to Danny's chest, listening to the steady, slow heartbeat. If he puts his ear to his sternum and strains his ear, Damian would almost hear the low hum of Danny's ghost core, like a small dwarf sun.
"If you die, I'll drag you to the Lazarus pools myself." Damian mumbles eventually, his voice sleep-full. It's spoken in arabic, and Danny only understands half of it.
He laughs quietly, and smoothes his hand over Damian's hair. He hasn't had a haircut since he arrived, it's gotten long and there are curls beginning to form. "Okay."
Damian falls asleep shortly after, and with much consideration to his own injuries and Damian's sleeping form, Danny flies them back home.
It's hard to say, but not much changes in routine afterwards. Damian hovers close to Danny, more than usual. Danny still goes out at night, he still stitches himself up before going back, he still goes back home where Damian is waiting worriedly for him. Damian doesn't like falling asleep without knowing Danny is there.
Now the hard question is: when does little Damian finally meet the Waynes for the first time? There's plenty of ways to go about it, both easy and hard. Perhaps we go this way:
The Fenton family are visiting Maddie's sister in Arkansas. And Damian is dragging Danny around through the surrounding forest. It's his first time being in a forest this large since he moved in with the Fentons. Safe to say he is delighted by all of the nature, and he's dragging Danny along with him.
Danny likes the peace and quiet it gives him, he's found that he enjoys the rural area more than he likes the city. He's happy to let Damian point out every plant he recognizes, even if some of it is in arabic.
They walk around all day until Damian gets tired, and then at night when the sky is clear Danny and him go look at the stars. It's peaceful at first.
On the third day of their visit, Damian drags Danny out far from the house. It's slightly worrying, but Danny can always fly them back if it gets too late.
It's in the woods that Danny and Damian stray much too far from Alicia's house, and from there in the early evening that they run into Batman and Red Robin, both of them in rough 'just got out of a fight' shape.
Safe to say, it was the last thing any of them expected to run into. Damian and Danny had stopped at a small crik to rest, and the two vigilantes came through the tree line on the other side.
It was... quite the staring contest.
Damian, now seven years old at this point, forgot to mention that the Waynes were vigilantes when he told Danny he was a clone. But he was told that Batman was his original's father.
Before anyone can say anything, little Damian wraps his arms tight around Danny's middle and stares Batman and Red Robin down. His sharp edges have softened around the Fentons. But he makes no exceptions to anyone else outside of Danny's immediate social circle.
Danny's arm automatically goes around Damian's shoulders, and he looks between both Red and Batman uneasily. If they were here then it meant that there was something unsafe nearby. Danny did not fight the living, and he wasn't going to put Damian in the crosshairs of anything that does.
"Should... should we leave?" He asks, brows knotted together with a frown. He stands. "Is there something going on nearby?"
Batman suddenly grunts, and looks at him. "It's been handled." He says, and his voice is gruffer than Danny imagined it. Lower. Danny is not all that comfortable with that answer.
"Do you guys live nearby?" Red Robin asks, and Danny can't help but notice that he keeps looking at Damian. Warily. In fact, so is Batman.
He pushes Damian behind him slightly, and Damian's grip tightens on him. "Not... exactly." He says, his eyes narrowing slightly. "My family's visiting my Aunt and my brother wanted to explore since it's his first time out of the city, I guess we wandered too far away if we're running into you."
There's no visible indication of whether or not both Bats reacted to him calling Damian his brother. But he can all but feel little Damian preen at the title, it makes Danny's mouth twitch into a smile as his hand finds Damian's hair.
"Would we be able to go back with you?" Red Robin asks, startling both Danny and seemingly Batman, who looks at him instantly.
"Red Robin." He growls out, and Red Robin throws Batman a look of annoyance.
"We are lost, B. They jammed the comms and our trackers back there and it hasn't come back on yet, his aunt may have the signal we need to let the others know where we are."
They end up walking back with Danny and Damian. It's silent, and awkward, and Danny has Damian walking on his opposite side so he's not near the vigilantes. Red Robin is fiddling with a phone but still can't get a signal.
Batman is silently brooding.
Red eventually gives up and shoves the phone into a pocket on his belt, then turns to make conversation with Danny. "I never thanked you for letting us walk with you. Thanks, by the way."
Danny blinks at him, and smiles awkwardly. "No problem, man," he says, "I'm uh, Danny." He glances down at Damian, who looks up at him with big green eyes, and Damian nods quietly.
He looks back at Red Robin, and says, "This is my little brother, Damian." And Damian peers over his side and glares at Red Robin -- and Batman, who looks over when Danny says his name.
"He looks like Damian Wayne," Red Robin notes, head tilting like he's inspecting him.
Danny huffs dryly, "We get that a lot."
Red Robin smiles at him, its a tilted thing. It makes Danny uneasy. "Where did you say you were from?"
"I didn't," Danny says bluntly, and he really doesn't want to tell them where he's from. Not when Red Robin was acting strange, but they're vigilantes and notorious for their detective skills. If he's suspicious, they'll look into him. "But I'm from Amity Park."
Damian in that moment, peers around Danny again and scowls at Red Robin. Full on scowls at him, as if it were the first months when he met Danny. "You're being nosy." He sneers, his hand squeezing Danny's.
"Damian," Danny hisses, suppressing a smile. Damian jumps like he's been startled, and looks up at him with big green eyes. "He's just being curious."
(He lets his smile slip through briefly, just to let Damian know he's not that upset. A tension leaves his little brother's shoulders.)
"But he is." Damian continues, a whine leaking into his voice. Danny jabs him in the ribs with his fingers, and Damian jumps, swatting away his hand with a squeak.
"Would you rather have us walk in dead silence, Dames?" He goes for Damian's ribs again, a grin stretching across his face as Damian jumps back again and swats his hand. "Hm? Hm? We could just walk in awkward silence for the entire trip back, I know you just love awkward silence, little brother."
(It's funny, saying little brother always sounds so uncomfortable when he reads it in books and watches it on tv. But Jazz always makes it sound so natural when she does it, and Danny finds that he sounds the same too.)
Damian continues to bat away his hands, but it's not enough to prevent him from squealing with laughter when Danny gets a good hold on him and starts tickling him. Danny's grin only gets bigger, and he swoops Damian up with his arm and holds him like a football.
"Is that it? Huh? Me, you, and two vigilantes walking back to Aunt Alicia's cabin in complete, utter silence." He says, "You won't get to hear any of my amazing jokes."
Damian's wriggling, trying to pound on Danny's ribs, he's giggling uncontrollably. It's the best sound Danny's ever heard. "Your jokes are awful! Laeazir! Put me down!" He cries, grinning from ear to ear.
(From the side, both Red Robin and Batman tense up.)
Danny chuckles, and through a short series of flips, has Damian sitting on his shoulders. "I will not. You're sitting up in air jail for insulting my hilarious jokes."
Damian tugs on his hair in revenge, harrumphing at him but making no move to get down. Danny squeezes his ankles playfully, and looks back to Batman and Red Robin.
Both vigilantes look at him like he's grown a second head.
....Red Robin looks at him like he's grown a second head. Batman just stares, and then looks away. Danny tilts his head at them, his smile waning. "You guys look like you've seen a ghost or something."
(Damian tugs on his hair again. A silent boo at him.)
Red Robin jerks, "Oh, sorry." He says, not sounding all that sorry. "It's just... I've lost count to how many times I've saved Damian Wayne from the occasional kidnapping and he's always been very... serious. It's just weird seeing a kid that looks like him be... not serious."
From his shoulders he feels Damian hide his smile in his hair, that's another thing they can put on their "Things That Damian Does That Damian Wayne Does Not" list. It started as a joke, but it's been surprisingly helpful for when Damian is questioning himself.
However, Danny is not a fan of the comparison, and he smiles widely, perhaps a tad passive-aggressive. "It's a good thing that my Damian isn't Damian Wayne then." He says, giving him the slight stink eye.
Red Robin picks up on it quickly, and nods.
The rest of the way is spent in idle conversation. It's oddly casual, even if most of the conversation is Danny talking about himself. It's annoying, but he unfortunately understands the reason. Secret identities and all that.
Damian interjects a few times, some parts to talk to Danny, and other parts to throw shade at Batman and Red Robin. Mostly Red Robin, who seems begrudgingly used to it.
("I'm surprised you haven't asked me much about myself." Red Robin says at one point into the conversation. Over his shoulder Batman glares at Red Robin. "A lot of civilians do when they're able."
Danny stares at him. "You're a vigilante." He says, frowning, "Isn't it superhero 101 that you don't ask superheroes for their secret identity?"
"You'd be surprised."
"Huh. Well, no. I'm not gonna ask you about yourself. I quite like talking all about me.")
When they finally reach the cabin, it's late into the night and Danny has moved Damian from his shoulders to his front in a koala-like carry. Damian's fast asleep with his head on Danny's shoulder.
His family was also frantically searching for him, and Jazz sees him first. She immediately turns behind her and yells "I FOUND HIM!". And then sprints over to him, his parents thundering not too far behind.
Both vigilantes are subsequently ignored as Jazz dotes over him and Danny, and soon enough so is his mom and dad. They're all talking all at once, asking him where he was, they were worried sick, did he know how late it was.
He shushes all of them, loudly. And whispers that Damian is sleeping. His family then immediately quiet themselves, and go back to yelling at him in a more appropriate manner.
"Me and Damian walked too far by accident." Danny finally says when he can get a word in, and then he jabs his thumb in Red Robin and Batman's direction. "We also found two superheroes who need assistance."
The speed of which his family all snap their heads over to the direction he's pointing is almost comical. As is all of their expressions of shock.
His mother is the first to regain her senses, and she sighs at him. She sighs! "Only you, Danny." She says, and Jazz snorts into her arm.
Politically arranged marriage (IDK how those work)
During a Peace talk between the USA Government and The Infinite Realms a US representative accuses that the King (Danny) could go back on his word anytime and they would end up defenseless against these monsters. A member of the king's court (I’m thinking Dorathea) asks if a union would convince them of their peace. The US gov is intrigued and think they could manipulate the King if he marries one of their citizens. The thing is… the US doesn’t have a monarchy.
Then one of the US reps has a brilliant idea. Bruce Wayne has been known as the Prince of Gotham for ages, they won’t have to fake any new articles or anything online to go back years. They could totally manipulate and have Brucie Wayne tell them anything they want to know without him even knowing!!! Danny’s (aged up to around Bruce’s age) like what the shit and quickly interjects. He says it’s improper to go straight to marriage (he’s trying to bs his way out of this) the same king's court ghost says ofc and they’ll have to court each other and both parties have to consent ofc, they thought that was a given.
Another of the king's court asks how this Bruce Wayne Prince of Gotham is even worthy of their king. Another rep tells him that Brucie is also known as the White Knight of Gotham. Another speaks up about his many good deeds and the children he’s taken in. They are all shitting themselves trying to think about how to avoid them finding articles about “Brucie Wayne gets drunk and falls into the harbor from his yacht-compilation” and they're trying to talk him up as much as possible.
Danny 100% knows about said article but he doubts Bruce is gonna accept to be a part of this (hello low self esteem) but he hopes to convince Bruce to play along long enough to keep peace and once everything’s settled down they can “break up”. He’ll go along with it to keep the peace he worked himself to exhaustion for, Ancients know his people wanted war.
Queue them both falling head over heels in love with each other and Danny getting too attached to both Bruce and the kids. He eventually does find out about Bruce being Batman but that just makes him like him more.
Those politicians are fuming they can’t get anything dirt on the Realms out of Brucie Wayne of all people!!! He’s talking and talking but he’s not actually saying anything! How does King Phantom stand him?!
Young Tim getting the job as Robin in the best (confirmed canon) way possible. I honestly love that this happened in the comics, but as you can see, this is my headcanon and embellished. I did a rewrite of the original version of this.
Tim (13 at the time) chewed on a Pop-Tart he brought to Wayne Manor, along with a briefcase.
Alfred: Timothy Drake, Master Wayne and Grayson will be here in a second.
Tim ate his whole Pop-Tart and turned to see Dick and Bruce, mentally reminding himself to not freak out... That didn't work.
Tim: OH MY GOD, YOU'RE DICK GRAYSON!
Tim rushes and hugs Dick, burying his head in the man’s stomach.
Bruce: Um, why did you—
Tim: Give me a few seconds, other guy.
Bruce: Other guy? Ouch.
Dick patted the kid on the head, confused but enjoying the appreciation.
Tim (elated): This is the greatest day of my life, and I haven’t even gotten to my proposal.
Dick (confused): Which is?
Tim (clinging to the man’s body): That you, Dick Grayson, son of the Flying Graysons, are Nightwing, that you were the first, yes, first Robin, and that I’m hugging you! You smell like citrus fruit!
Tim smiles.
Dick: Thanks, I use a special body wash— What the hell did you just say?
Bruce shook with rage as Alfred took a seat with a plate of cookies, ready to watch the spectacle. Tim stopped hugging his hero and bounced eagerly.
Tim: You’re Nightwing, who was also the first Robin, before Jason was brought in, and my hero, Dick Grayson of the Flying Graysons! This is awesome!
Dick (noticing Bruce glaring at him): Good joke, kid. I have no idea what you are talking about.
Tim: Oh, don’t worry about Bruce; I know he's Batman too.
Alfred: I'm elated to be witnessing this.
Alfred ate a cookie as Bruce’s expression turned from rage towards his oldest son to shock.
Bruce: Hypothetically speaking, because you're not correct, what evidence would you have... child.
Bruce glared at Dick with the last word because of the fact there’s a young child who might have figured out their identities.
Tim: You want to see my evidence? Oh my God, I never thought I'd see this day coming! I've been holding onto this information for years!
Alfred chucklef.
Bruce (gritted teeth): For years?!
Tim (not noticing the obvious tension): Look at me; I gotta control myself. Fanboying like this. I’m so sorry! Let me get my proof ready.
Tim opened his briefcase. Dick felt an intense glare from Bruce.
Tim: You know the first suit you had was gaudy, but it worked for you. You are so cool, Nightwing.
Dick: I will tell Nightwing that, because he is not here… Bruce, please stop looking at me like that.
Bruce (whispering angrily): I will slap you like a pimp if we can't dispute the proof.
Dick (whispering): It could’ve been because of you.
Alfred (overhearing the two): No, it's not; he discussed what he found out before I got you two.
Dick took a few steps away from Bruce.
Dick: Hey, Tim, show us this disputable proof.
Tim: You remembered my name! This is going well so far. Okay, let me get my first piece of evidence. To start, I have this picture I got at the circus, the one with the mother-flipping Dick Grayson! I’ve had it for a time, but kept it in pristine condition. This wasn't what clicked in my mind; I was young at the time. I wanted you to sign it.
Tim passed Dick the picture and a Sharpie pen. Dick signed it with his exact signature that he would use for a Nightwing autograph causing Bruce to throw his hands up angry, already seeing what's about to happen.
Tim: I’m a big fan of the Flying Graysons, which Dick Grayson was in. Then he got adopted by Bruce Wayne after his parents died— so sad. For a few years, I couldn’t connect it since I was so young and naive.
Dick: How old are you now?
Tim (excited): Thirteen!
Bruce (in disbelief): You're… Thirteen?
Bruce slowly turned to Dick.
Bruce: Thirteen?!
Dick: He hasn’t proven anything yet.
Alfred kept chuckling as Bruce talked to Tim.
Bruce: Let’s pretend that I am Batman and... my soon-to-be-yelled-at son is Nightwing. How did you figure that out, young man?
Tim: Oh my God, I love this part. Four years ago, I was in town, and Nightwing stopped a criminal, and while being his usual awesome self, he did this really cool, stupendous trick that I’d only ever seen when Dick Grayson was in the circus. I kind of put two and two together after that. And I'm not even kidding about that! I was able to figure out that you had two different Robins, that you are Batman, and that Jason Todd—may he rest in peace—also was adopted by Bruce Wayne, who had adopted Dick Grayson who moved to bludhaven where Nightwing, stay with me now, lives!
Tim drank his ginger tea from his thermos, parched after unveiling all the information he learned.
Bruce (deadpan): That was a lot to process.
Dick (nervous): You said four years ago… Wow, is it time for my appointment—
Dick attempted to escape, but Bruce yanked him back by his ear.
Bruce: No, no, no, you need to hear how this fan of yours figured it out. The fan that four years ago—meaning that he was freaking 9 years old—figured out how you are Nightwing and also were Robin, and about to be smacked!
Dick: I could stay a few minutes because that’s circumstantial. That doesn’t mean anything. Tons of kids know that move.
Tim and Alfred: No, they don’t.
Bruce: I’m actually going to beat your ass. That’s for later though; continue your theory, 13-year-old boy!
Alfred (intrigued): Keep going, child; you’re doing great.
Bruce growled at Alfred to stop talking, but Alfred shrugged with a smile.
Alfred: The young man shouldn't be afraid to tell you how he figured it out. Go easy on him; he's not the one that’s about to be in trouble.
Tim (unaware of the tension): Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth.
Dick: Oh Lord, he’s so sweet too. Um, I mean this is circumstantial evidence, debatable if we could even call it evidence… such a coincidence! No way would I be that awesome and attractive! Look at me; I’m wearing khakis. I can’t be Nightwing. I am not that strapping Casanova with amazing hair who rocked that first suit. Thank you for that compliment, by the way… Nightwing will like to hear that.
Tim (hugging Dick again): Aw, Nightwing, you don’t have to be embarrassed. I was a fan of both of you, and learning you’re the same person… I just love it!
Bruce (chuckling dryly): That’s going to benefit him in the next 5 minutes when I’m screaming in his ear.
Dick: I doubt he has any other proof.
Tim: Wait, I’m not done yet. That’s how this picture returns to the play. When I met up with you as Nightwing two days after you stopped that criminal, I pretended to put myself in danger so you could save me. Then, when you did, I had you sign a page in my autograph book. You signed that and —I'll get to the picture itself.
Tim took out a small notebook from his briefcase and placed the photo on the table. Dick, Bruce, and Alfred examined the autographs. Dick futally attempted to sneak away but Bruce grabbed him by his arm and brought him back over.
Tim: It’s an exact match! Hm, last thing.
Tim removed the cap on the marker and scribbled a mask over young Dick Grayson’s eyes in the picture.
Tim: If you cover your eyes like this, it’s the exact same guy. That’s all.
Alfred clapped like a man at the opera. Tim's smile beamed at the appreciation. Meanwhile, Bruce and Dick's eyes widened, but Bruce became incredibly angry.
Tim: I sat on this info for a few years after that. Then Jason Todd—may he rest in peace—died. So here I am at Wayne Manor, ready to be Robin. Do I have to tell my parents about this? I don’t mind—they travel a lot; they’re the best! That’s why I was just wondering if it’s okay to tell them.
Bruce (chuckling, but in a manner hiding his rage): He’s not an orphan and doesn’t have a terrible home life. This is just great! A 13-year-old boy figured out YOU, not ME, are Nightwing! I told you… I told you!
Tim: You believe me? Please, believe me. I’ve done a lot of research.
Bruce shook from the cuteness intelligence of the child.
Bruce: You are right!
Dick: God damn it, yeah, you’re right.
Tim: Yes! I did it! I cracked my first case! I can be the new Robin! I can be your brother! I’ve never had a brother!
Tim hugged Dick Grayson, sobbing happily. Dick patted him on the head again, feeling Bruce’s glare.
Tim (blissfully ignorant about the tension): I have new designs and everything too. Because... I’m wearing pants in this. I need to stress that. I WILL be wearing pants.
Bruce: I hate to burn down this parade, but I’m still… adjusting to the fact my son is dead and not interested in any new Robins.
Tim: Yeah, but please, Mr. Wayne. I can be a great sidekick.
Bruce: How come I get Mr. Wayne when you call him Nightwing at every turn?
Tim (looking at Nightwing with a smile): He’s my hero.
Dick (sniffling): I... can’t be here.
Dick runs off; Bruce chased after him then walked back to his office, gripping the man’s ear.
Dick: Ow, Bruce! I’m sorry! Ow! I’m sorry! I thought it was foolproof! Let me talk to— Ow!
Bruce Wayne shoved his son into the office, then slammed the door shut behind them.
Bruce: In all my years as a hero, you’ve talked to me about telling a woman I’m Batman, yet you, Mr. Let me wear an eye mask and do acrobatics, got I.D. by a child! I'm livid, but also amazed at how you did not LISTEN TO ME!
Dick pouted, holding his head down, but it wasn’t because of Jason’s death.
Bruce: Don't you do it. Don't you cry!
Dick bursted into tears, sobbing like a child.
Bruce: Nope, nope, not falling for it! This is your fault! You had to do the stupid circus tricks, which I told you not to do.
Dick (between sobs): The kid seems really... smart, and my costume… was a good design!
Bruce: He figured out who you were when he was 9! He was in third or fourth grade when he figured out who you were! At least I only got Jason as Robin because he was stealing my tires!
Dick: Why are you yelling at me?!
Bruce: I'm not yellin—
Bruce took a breath.
Bruce: I’m not yelling; I’m talking sternly because… I'm angry, and it happens to sound loud!
Dick (whimpering): That's yelling!
Dick sobbed, covering his face. Bruce rolled his eyes. Alfred opened the door without knocking or asking to come in.
Alfred: You should look at his designs; they're pretty good and have pants.
Dick: Mine was a cute design!
Bruce: No, it wasn't. Alfred, just feed the child or something while I deal with my idiot.
Dick: Rude... Alfred, don’t leave.
Alfred closed the door, heading back to give Tim something to eat.
Bruce: I have to figure out something because I can't deal with another kid sidekick. It's not happening.
Dick (wiping his eyes): Because you miss Jason?
Bruce didn't respond, deciding to leave the office and tell Tim to leave.
Dick: Wait, Bruce, don't talk to him!
Dick tackled Bruce to the ground and tossed him back into his office, slamming the door shut, leaving Dick in the hallway.
Dick: I will handle this. Especially I missed Jason's funeral after finding out he died.
Bruce (behind the closed door): I had to carry his dead body!
Dick: It's not a contest!
Dick headed to the kitchen, where Tim was coloring his suit design with a red colored pencil.
Dick: Hey… Tim, want to get... ice cream together and chat about possibly becoming Robin?
Tim (trying to remain calm): I would... I would like that very much.
Tim dumped all his materials back into the leather briefcase, jumped out of his seat, and headed to the door. Dick sighed, pulling his car keys out of his pocket.
Dick: I'm never living this down.
Alfred: Not at all. Be nice to the child though.
Dick groaned, then forced a smile and took Tim out for ice cream. Bruce was going to be cold towards Tim, but Dick saw the vigor in that kid's eyes. Plus, he was a fan of his, and he needed that kindness at the moment.
It took some convincing and Tim saving Bruce's life, but the caped crusader reluctantly took Tim Drake in as his third Robin. At the time he was doubtful where things would go. Tim saw the pain the Batman was burying, he saw the man was at a breaking point and would either break his kill rule or kill himself and Tim didn't want that to happen.
He may have been a huge fan of Nightwing, but he respected Batman enough to aid him not only as a sidekick, but a son/friend.
And the rest... is history.
Phantom: *Kicks down the doors of the Titans Tower*
Titans core four: *Getting ready to fight"
Phantom: Which one of you is Superboy?
Kon:
Kon: Me obviously *gesturing to the large S on his chest*
Phantom: Cool. What custody days do you want?
Kon: You're going to have to explain
Phantom: *partially unravels the bundle of blankets to reveal a baby with kryptonian blue eyes*
Phantom: Congrats! You're a dad!
Kon: Oh god the card I got in the mail wasn't a prank
Phantom: Nope. Help me name him.
Tim: I have so many questions
Phantom: I have so few answers
Cassie: Thats not comforting
Phantom: I woke up in a mad scientists laboratory 200 years in the future to find out i have a clone baby with someone I've never heard of and everyone I knew and love is likely dead.
Kon:
Cassie:
Tim:
Phantom: If anyone needs comforting here its me
Nightwing: *the only adult in this situation* Okay, how about we talk about this. I'm sure the Justice League will be happy to help you and your baby
And started a massive pilgrimage to Amity Park.
It all started when a few people from Amity Park went on a field trip to other hero cities and got very confused pretty fast. - What do you mean people die here so often in hero fights? - What do you mean by buildings getting destroyed and not fixed? (blob Ghost do that all the time, they seem to love it!) Are your hero not doing their job!!!?
At first, the people of Gotham, Metropolis, Coast City, Bludhaven, or Dakoto City were pissed, but after the people of Amity Park just said they should stay a few weeks in their city, they would notice it. After one week in the new city, most people moved out of their city to Amity Park. While this city had once a week has a world-ending threat, that threat seems to just have fun with the child hero in a fight. And those people helped them. The Victims of Scarecrow actually got help from the Master of Fear Fright Knight, who fixed their minds.
Number 1 rule in Amity Park - Don't feed the tiny cryptid Fenton after 10 p.m.; the last time we had winter in the summer was because of that. - Yes, they are fangs, and they are real. Don't try to let yourself be bitten. When he slept, the last one almost lost their hand. + The other Hero in their cities didn't take long to notice it, that they have significantly fewer people living in their cities. Like most of their cities, they lost 30–50% of their civilians! And no one seems to want to tell them where they are, as more civilians are leaving!
"Danyal, its time to end this game and return with me."
Danny should had known Clockwork had something in mind when he sent him on this mission. He knew he should had been suspicious of the time keeper when he noticed the little 'this is going to be fun' smile on his face when he sent Danny off into the portal.
"Get back here you demon spawn 2.0!"
But how was he supposed to know that he'd wake up in this world version of himself in a pit full of corrupted (AND NASTY) ectoplasim at the tender age of five or that when he swam up to the surface he'd be meeting face to face with what was apparently a cult.
"-O just spotted him a block away! I'll try to cut itty bitty bridie off!"
An Assassins Cult his, new to him, loving yet a little insane mother was in charge of (though during the few months he stayed in the compound he heard rumors and gossip from maids and others alike that if his grandfather returned from the dead he'll take over once again, no doubt punish Talia for creating another heir after the failure of the last one, most likely was going to kill Danny and that... that was can of worms Danny didn't wanna deal with yet)
"Ten bucks says they try to stab RR when we get the feral thing home"
"...Losers bet...."
Danny had lived with his mother for a while after being brought back from the 'dead' for apparently the first time, it turned out training a five year old with an actual sword and a dumbass hidden revenge seeking teacher was a terrible idea.
"I swear if this one tries to murder me like the others I'm asking Zatanna if there is a curse on me."
He dealt with her high demands of perfection, the endless training, and the constant comparisons to his apparent older brother Damain... Who didn't know Danny, or rather Danyal existed.
Nor did his father (when Danny, using his powers he's kept hidden since 'waking' up in this Realm, he sneaked his way around the base and discovered how he came into the world. And tbh he couldn't blame his mom how she made him, she was an assassin first and foremost, being naturally pregnant would had painted a target on her for to long... but he also felt it was unfair and an asshole move on his unsuspecting father as well)
"As your elder brother I demand you to stop running!"
Now don't get him wrong, he did like his new mother (total badass assassin lady and all that) and he knew she loved him in her own... deadly way. But yeah, she really shouldn't be taking care of kids. He could tell she struggled with wanting to be a normal mother but her first instinct after so many years was to be an assassin first.
Something she was trying to engrave into Danny with as well.
"Ah, hello Beloved. I see you've learned of our Danyal."
"Talia. Back away from him and leave Gotham now."
"I can not do that. The League needs an heir and since Damian refuses to return... I have decided to create a new one and I shall not be leaving until he returns with me."
"Talia."
Hence why when Danny, or rather Danyal al Ghul had gotten decent control over his powers he decided to leave the League. Again nothing wrong with the life his mom leads, to each their own, but he... really, really didnt want to be an assassin. Or an assassin heir.
So here he was, after almost a year on the run, using his powers and training to out smart and out maneuver his mother and her many band of Assassins, in Gotham. One of the last places he ever wanted to run to cause he knew his father and brother lived here.
It was just his luck that his mother had managed to intercept his train ride that passed into Gotham for a few hours and forced him to run into the city...
Add her assassins into the mix and running into Robin, who heard from Oracle his mother had been spotted chasing a young boy across the city, that same night.
After that it became a full on "catch me if you can" chase for not only his mother but for the batclan as well.
And after two whole days of chase, it seemed like the final showdown was about to begin because everyone was on top of this rooftop, his mother and her assassins on one side, his father and the batclan on the other and Danny well... he was right in the middle of all of it.
He just had to hope no one would notice him once the fighting started...
What if when Tim went off to look for Batman when he was lost in time he bumped into Phantom.
They made a Deal
Phantom knowing CW helped him find Bruce and how to get him back safely, Phantom in return for reasons (hurt badly & recovering, or evolving in power) needed someone very ecto-contaminated (Ra's fault) like Tim, to be contained in.
From a magic user point of view, knowing very little of the GZ and how they work, Tim made a very powerful Deal with a powerful death being (High Ghost King Phantom: Hello!) and is now somehow pregnant (not really but they don't know that)
Danny while inside Tim inside his core can still hear the world outside normally and can share his emotions with Tim to communicate. Which looks a lot like Tim is speaking to his belly just like expecting parents do.
This could be angst or crack
or
my personal favourite, different genres for different pov's
Tim's would be happy, just regular getting his life back together being a total BAMF, coming of age type of vibe
The rest of the Batfam and other heroes pov would be angst, paranormal, psychological horror.
Misunderstandings galore
Dick regretting heavily his decisions which caused Tim to run away because he did not believe him and he has many Regrets.
Bruce feeling guilty that Tim felt the need to make such a decision as to make a Deal and end up pregnant just to bring him back.
Meanwhile the magic users have told the other heroes about Tim's situation and now think that he's going to give birth to the child of a very powerful death being and if something happens to Tim to risk the baby it would cause all of their worlds destruction.
so pretty much-
Tim-Girl Boss, Gatekeep, Gaslight
Batfam- Much Angst
Others- *panicked chicken noises*
~
Just an Idea
Leave any fics you can think of in the replies! Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments on the fics you read <33
Liminal Space by CalamityJam
It's Called: Freefall by Kgraces
Star Incline To Us by justalittlebean
Cataclysm by dandelionlily
I Don't Belong Here (I Wish I was Special) by BootyCrusade
The Drakes Spoiled Brat (I’m sorry dad) by Yellow_sprouts
Sometimes You Fly, Sometimes You Fall by z_Blast
Kindred by RubyRedRose25
Days of Future Past by Speechless_since_1988
A Family History Rewritten by MysticMalady, TheBestTinyDragon
Guide to Tim Fics
I had a crack idea that I was thinking of so you know in Dan is Klarion au I was imagining a au based off of that one where all of Danny's children are Klarion is like the robin thing for Batman it started off with Danielle when nabu insulted Danny as the Ghost King and Balance
Ever since Ellie decided that she needed to get back in blood so she made the chaotic antihero Klarion and and her suppose it familiar 'cat' Teekl the way to help out her mother and mess with Dr Fate/Nabu Teekl is actually a bear with an illusion on that makes him look like a cat in the human's eyes
Whatever since the anti-hero Klarion in The Phantom family has been passed down each of them giving their own flair to the persona of Klarion with a different animal every time that they had pretending to be a cat
Tell her to finally passed on to Dan it is an honorary sibling thing each of them has their own antihero name once they passed down the title of Klarion
Diana's query and takes after his father's style of dressing and his tickle is a phoenix
First of Thanks for the Ask! Inspirational as always! Helps with my writers block [insert awkward laugh]
Either way because this is split in two asks... you get two version! One focused on how it started and the other on the reveal! Though the might be some little Shorts... Also there is something really funny to me about a giant bear letting Illusionen into a cat... So Enjoy!
(BTW still thinking over the other ask... and working on it don't worry!)
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Ellie huffed as Danny reprimanded her for her actions. She just huffed crossing her arms. She was just helping Danny. Her mom got a lot on his shoulders and she as the sort of oldest saw that the best. Sure technically Dan was older then her but, he shrunk down to kid level again and now she was the oldest.
Well if she ignored her other brothers but they were only saved recently and still in treatment with Frostbite. So she was the oldest. End of story.
"Ellie you can't just go off like that you know that messing with an Ancient is not-"
"Mom, That Nabu-Guy was being a pain in the a- " - "Ellie!" - "A PAIN, babbling on to much about Order here Order there. How keeping Balance means keeping Order and bla bla bla!" She cut in stopping her mom before he could go on another rant about the Ancients, she needed to treat with respect.
"He doesn't respect you, the Ancient of Balance! You are the literal Symbol of Balance between Life and Death! Aside from being the Ghost King. So of course I had to mess with the one HE mentors!" Ellie added huffing as she crossed her arms.
Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ellie, you created an entire alternate persona!"
"Yea so?"
"You used an illusion spell on Fluffels!"
"And? Any good Anit-Hero needs a Mascot." Ellie shrugged once more looking up at her mom before looking over to Fluffels, her pet ghost grizzly that was pretty much double maybe even tripple her size and the fluffiest ghost grizzly you could find in the entire Ghost Zone, and the cutest.
Danny on the other hand groaned, wondering if he had done anything wrong while raising Danielle. Sure he had been a teen himself but good damit why the hell did Ellie decided messing with the Ancient of Order or rather his mentee was a good idea. "I am calling Jazz! You can explain to her what you were thinking!"
He was definitely to overworked and stressed to deal with Ellies mischievousness right now. Well she did call her alternate persona Klarion, Lord of Chaos. Nope! He was not dealing with this right now, so Danny did the sanest thing he could think of. Turning on his heel and walking away. Where to? Who cares maybe he would check in with his old man Clockwork and see what Ellie had actually been up to, instead of just reading through Nabu's complains.
Ellie on the other hand blinked watching her mom leave before calling after him. "Does that mean I have to stop, being Klarion?"
"Mom?!"
"MOM!"
------------------
"Well hello my lovely Amadillos! Long time not seen!"
Ellie shouted cheerfully as she twirled into appearing hair styled into a horn like form, black suit and she might have over done it a little with the black eyeliner but hey it was an iconic look wasn't it. She smirked as Fluffles growled which translated into a meow for the mortals before her thank to the illusion spell.
The mortal teen looked up at her surprised as she floated down her hand glowing with red ectoplasm (a color change from her usual green ectoplasm that had taken a while to learn from Pandora). Young Justice was currently transporting something of interest to her. Well of Interest for the Justice League, really but Doctor Fate was involved which meant Nabu was involved, which naturally meant she would get involved. It didn't hurt that she would also get to try to try some new tricks.
"You got something interesting there... and I want that." She grinned. Ellie didn't give them long before she acted using the new tricks she had learned.
"Woah! Hey there, watch the pointy and sharp thowies!" She laughed making a quick shield as she blocked some batarangs and arrows before blinking.
"Hey they look different. Robin, did you change equipment? Did you get a new haircut too?" She asked curious but didn't really receive an answer as they ignored her questions and shouted something about distracting her while the others continue the transportation. Still she bend down to pick one of them up twirling it between her fingers. "What gives didn't they have a different design before?"
In hindsight it was probably not a good idea to just abandon her original goal but Robin was making her curious. And she could always find a different way to mess with Nabu. Her mom had given her an indirect okay years ago anyway.
"Teekl!" She called out and only her eyes could see how Fluffles jumped at the call growling in response as he swatted away some of the more annoying Young Justice kids. To the mortals it probably looked like Teekl was using ectoplasm, or well magic, in their eyes.
She used that change to go up into Robins face smirking widely as she looked at the other more closely, trying to get a read on him. "You are different! You aren't the same Robin I meet before!"
She ducked in time avoid Superboy as she hopped back excited with a new idea for her family.
But first she would have to deal with the little chaos and mischief she was creating.
------------------
".....and that is how I learned that the Robin title is getting passed down. So I was thinking of doing the same!" Ellie broadly stated looking at all her younger siblings before her. "We all get pretty annoyed with the way Nabu treats Mom so there always has to be a Lord of Chaos to 'balance' Nabu out!"
She grinned at her siblings expecting the same kind of excitement she had and they didn't disappoint. Danny had been there for all of them, even going so far as in to find a way with Clockwork to save some of their lives. So of course they all would jump at the change to mess with the one Ancient that was badmouthing their Mother just because Balance didn't entitle Order the way they wanted.
After all Chaos was needed to Balance Order out.
This was going to be fun...
[Follow up part Linked here]