Chapter Text
Danny stared at Clockwork with an indignant look in his eyes.
"Sorry, say again?" Jazz asked, crossing her arms. Even Dan and Dani looked just as confused and irritated as they were, though Dan's expression had a hint of amusement.
"You're telling me that the Observers say that I can't do be King because... I don't have experience?? How am I supposed to gain ruling experience?!" Then Danny paused and his expression lit up. "Wait, does that mean I don't have to be King?"
Clockwork gave him a dry look as Danny's siblings all chuckled at his enthusiasm for handing off his job.
"No. I have a plan that will not only give you experience with handling the souls of the dead, but also spite the Observers and give you a job that can, in some ways, be even more influential than being King. And you won't have to do it alone."
Danny and his siblings trusted Clockwork with their lives. It went without saying after all, since he had been the one who had given Dan a chance for redemption, solved Dani's dissolving problem and prevented her from dying, helped Jazz with her duties when she was acting as Queen Reagent, and of course, assisted Danny in all of his endeavors. Not to mention, with their parents' neglect and abuse, he had easily slid into their hearts as their guardian, mentor, and parental figure.
Without hesitation, Danny looked at him eagerly and grinned. "What do I need to do? What's needed?"
Clockwork smiled. "How about a train station?"
————
The Phantom Train Station, newly built and already an enormous hit amongst the dead, was a first rate source of transportation for the dead.
It not only increased popularity for the High King, but also made it easier for the administrators and reapers to collect and register new souls. With the train, not only did new souls find it easier and safer to transverse the Infinite Realms to enter the Ghost Zone, but also the afterlife, wherever it lead.
The idea was such a success that Danny basically quit doing all of the "traditional" work of a Ghost King and just went with his friends and siblings to work on the train.
As such, he had an enjoyable time as he acted as conductor.
Both Sam and Dan were the train engineers and also worked as a protection unit together. Jazz, Tucker, and Dani worked as train attendants, with Jazz's shadows and Tucker's mummy servants as added help. Valerie helped as the ghost police, traveling with the train to help in human and ghost troubles outside of the train.
Traveling on the Phantom Train made death easier, but the system was still very new.
It was not made anymore obvious when a 15 year old boy came onto the train with a suit of red, yellow, and green, and saved the existences of several different souls and Jazz and Dani.
————
"Last call for passengers! This is the final call for passengers!" Danny called.
He noticed a teenager that looked similar to his age stand alone on the platform, a silver and green ticket placed securely in his fingers.
Danny looked upwards, where Valerie stood as lookout for any trouble. She noticed his gaze and nodded silently before descending on her flying board.
He could hear her speak to the lone person.
"Hey. You aren't gonna board?"
"Who are you?"
"The name's Red Huntress. I work here as protection for the train. Why aren't you boarding?"
"... where am I going to go?"
"Jeez, they didn't tell you? What ticket did you even buy?"
".... I want to go back home. My-My dad is probably worried for me."
".... Listen, kid. It'll be okay. Get on the train. There's people that you can talk to there and they'll help you."
"Alright." And he began walking towards the train, boarding without anymore hesitation.
Danny beamed at Valerie, who put her hand on her hip and tilted her head. "You gonna get on your own train, ghost kid?"
"Not a kid anymore, Val." He said.
She hummed, looked him up and down and said, "I guess not."
Danny smiled further, blushing a little, but didn't say anything as he boarded the train and she jumped onto her flying board, ready to strap in and travel alongside them.
"All aboard!" He called, one last time, before they finally departed from the station.
When he came back inside, the kid from earlier stood still and was staring at him.
Danny nearly jumped a foot into the air.
Why didn't Dani or Jazz usher him into a seat?
"Are you in charge here?" The boy asked.
Danny inspected him silently.
He was wearing a ragged red and green leotard with a yellow cape, green gloves and shoes, and a sewn in patch on his breast that had the letter R on it. On his face was a dark green mask that barely covered the bad burns that stretched over his cheek and neck.
"Yes, I am," Danny said.
The boy gave a small smile. "I'm sorry, can you tell me about this place?"
Usually, Danny hated talking to people, but his appearance reminded him of when he had still been a hero within the mortal realm. Now, he usually spent all of his time within the Ghost Zone, but those times still made him nostalgic. This boy's soul energy was also light and beautiful, his soul song a light but powerful tune that sang of strength and kindness.
A very interesting sort of soul.
"This is the Phantom Train," Danny said gently. He felt a little like he was talking to Dani. "Here, ghosts and spirits can go to the afterlife or the Ghost Zone."
"Ghost Zone?" The teen asked, and Danny explained.
When Danny finished, the teen only stared at him and then nodded. "Thank you for telling me. This ticket... gives me tickets to the afterlife?"
"Yep. The destinations we have set are the Ghost Zone, the Elsewhereness, the Unworld, and reincarnation. I guess you can say that the Elsewhereness is like heaven and the Unworld is like hell."
The teen tilted his head. "Then would the Ghost Zone be limbo?"
Danny smiled. "Yes."
Notes:
These are a collection of DP one-shots that I made but I left them in my notes for a little too long, so I’m cleaning them out and presenting them to you!
Be warned that pretty much all of them are unfinished and are presented to you in how I wrote them :) so you’ll see large skips and then more pieces of writing bc that’s just how I do it. Some of them are really long and others are not very, but I hope you’ll enjoy!
I may or may not continue or finish these works based on the reception I get and the interest I have in the unfinished work, so please do not beg me to finish them.
Chapter Text
Selina was proud of herself for finding a kitten and saving him. She had nearly missed him if it hadn't been for his rumbling stomach that caused her to turn into an alley and notice the stray behind a dumpster, black wet hair over his pleading eyes.
Basically, she loved him the moment she saw him and a secret part of her adored just how easy he fit into her life, especially once he began to open up and chatter.
Speaking of, said kitten approached her as she was stirring the pot and peeked over her shoulder curiously.
"What are you making?"
"Fish stew." She said with a smile, lifting the spoon to his mouth.
Danny squinted at it and then gave it a couple of blows before he ate it. His eyes lit up and he said, "It's good!"
Selina smiled, pleased. She wasn't a great cook, but she was happy to be able to feed her little Kitten. She finished up the cooking and plated them as Danny scurried around the table to set everything up. Bastet and Sekhmet rubbed against her legs as she brought the food over and Danny could be heard from the other room, calling for the cats to follow. Freyja and Hecate scurried to Danny's side as Selina waited for her Kitten to come out and eat.
The sound of a door closing was heard before he walked silently to her and grinned. "They're in the room now. Can I come with you to your heist today?"
"How about we eat first?" Selina laughed lightly.
Danny nodded and then began scarfing down his food. Selina had the same feeling as looking at Hecate, who often ate too fast and needed to be fed like a chicken.
She wondered if Danny would be mad if she scattered his food on the floor to make him slow down.
The moment Danny finished eating, he immediately went to clean his plates. Seeing him clean was certainly an experience.
While he hated it like every average teenage boy, once he was finally bothered to get up and do his chores, he cleaned like a professional. He had griped and complained about the lack of industrial grade cleaning tools until Selina bought some for him and then her apartment had never seen a speck of dust again once Danny got his hands on a cloth and cleaning spray.
She had asked about it, of course. She expected him to be messy and a bit lazy, and it was only partially true.
He hated chores and he wasn't neat by any means, but the only reason why he had such a neat room was because he had so little belongings that it looked clean. He hasn't asked for anything for his room unless she was insistent on it. In fact, it seemed like he was used to little belongings.
It painted a morbid picture of his old home.
"Wash mine for me too, Kitten?" She asked and Danny nodded, obviously trying to butter her up for her permission to join her.
She pulled herself onto the counter and watched the rhythmic motion of Danny scrubbing at the plate.
Finally, as he was drying them, she said, "You can't join me for tonight, Kitten." Seeing his disappointed expression, she quickly added, "But next time, I'm willing to let you follow and help. For now, I want you to prepare your outfit for next time. Sound good?"
Danny frowned, silent for a moment. His sullen expression was cute, like a grumpy kitten. Then he finally said, "Can I be your guy in the chair?"
Selina laughed lightly. "Sure. Wanna help me get ready?"
Danny put down the plates and beamed. "Yes!"
————
Selina hummed to her kitten through her headpiece. She danced around the gems and antiques, happily taking what she could and putting them all in a large brown sack, feeling somewhat like a reverse Santa Claus. Danny answered her hums with his own, mumbling the lyrics back to her absentmindedly.
Danny was just full of surprises. Skill in hacking, coding, and building machinery?
She had truly picked out a diamond in the rough that night.
She carved a hole in a glass enclosure and freed the priceless ruby inside. She pulled an old painting off of the wall. She pocketed pearl necklaces and silver bracelets and gold encrusted rings. She slipped a sapphire crown on her head before there was a crackle and her kitten spoke up. "Bat's here. He has Robin too, they're in the east wing. ETA 3 minutes."
Selina liked Batman and she loved Bruce even more, but for tonight, she wanted an easy night where she could come home and then cuddle her kitten after showering him in gems.
She was going to teach him to appreciate sparkly things and she didn't need Batman to be disturbing them.
So she sighed and then took her whip to wrap around the overhead railings and then threw herself up and out of the museum. She spotted a bright red and black figure throw himself into the room before she darted away, chuckling to herself at the thought of Robin's fury.
Danny was quiet as she ran through the roofs of Gotham before he asked, "Hey, will I ever have to meet Batman and the Robins?"
"If you're going to be joining me, yeah." She paused for a quick breath, glancing around herself. "But don't worry, I'll keep them off of your back. You're my kitten and I won't let Batman take you away from me."
There was another moment of silence as Selina continued to run, heels clicking along the roofs. Then Danny sniffed and his voice came out small and weak, "Thanks."
"Of course, Kitten. I took you in, I'll take responsibility for you."
She continued to run over the roofs. She passed Crime Alley and wasn't surprised to hear the twipping noise of a grappling hook before Red Hood joined her.
There was a soft "Whoa," from Danny.
"Hey, Kitty," Red Hood said, his voice crackling from his voice moderator. "Whatcha doing?"
"Running from a Bat, what else? Isn't it your bedtime, kiddo?"
"Fuck off," he grumbled. "What'd you steal this time?"
"That's rude, Hood! Didn't your dad tell you that you shouldn't ask cat thieves what they steal?"
Red Hood was still on her tail but the both of them had slowed down enough that the chase was more like a leisurely jog. Red Hood paused enough for her to turn around and stare at him before he said, "Damn. Usually, you'd just tell me."
"I have mouths to feed, dear. I fear that Bruce this time might actually use video to incriminate me."
Red Hood hummed and then said, "Well, ain't my business. Good luck, Kitty Cat! Say hi to your Kitten for me!"
She allowed a smirk to cross her face. "I will."
"J-Jazz? Is that you?!" Danny stared dumbstruck.
His sister was dressed in muddy and torn clothes, wet from rain. There were some darker stains that he didn't want to think about, but what he focused on was her hair, which covered her face in an unkept manner.
She had a white streak in her hair.
Her eyes were empty, blank as they zeroed in on him. She began to approach slowly, stumbling slightly.
Notes:
In this AU, Selina gets her own version of the Batboys and it is Jazz who replaces Jason's role in Selina's life, bc I imagine her to have died after Danny ran away from home. Then she goes searching for him and gets taken in by Selina.
Chapter Text
Jason walked into the Batcave, taking off his helmet as he did so, and announced, "I have something to show you guys."
"Where's the 'hello'? 'How are you?' 'Hey, how's it's been?'" Dick grumbled.
"Yeah! You left for how long?" Stephanie said, looking up from her tablet.
Jason sighed and rolled his eyes. "It wasn't that long."
Bruce turned around in his seat, his gaze cool and hardened. "You've been gone for two months."
Jason just huffed. "I was investigating something. I just finished and I think we should all go check it out."
Now Bruce looked less angry, more curious as both Tim and Duke looked up from where they had been lying on the floor in mutual, sweaty exhaustion from a spar together. Cassandra leapt from the shadows and stood next to Stephanie. Even Damian moved closer, looking eager to know more.
With everyone's attention on Jason, he didn't falter.
"Two months ago, I found something. It's... hard to explain. But it helped me cure the pit madness."
Bruce's eyes widened.
"You found a way to cure your pit madness?"
"Jaybird!" Dick called out worriedly. "Are you serious? Are you okay? Why didn't you tell us?"
Jason put his hands in his pockets. Now everyone was looking at him with new gazes, realizing that his newfound pacifism wasn't because he was in a good mood, but rather because the root of the problem had been solved.
"Well, I'm telling you now, aren't I? Where's Alfie? It's something I gotta show all of you." He continued, and Bruce took one look at Tim before the cave went into chaos.
Several identity tests later and Alfred joining them within the cave, Jason threw his hands in the air and snapped, "Are you fucking done?!"
"Sorry, Jason." Tim said, scratching his nose. "Looks like you're you."
"Yes, it is me. Fuck you."
"Language, Young Master Jason."
"Sorry." Jason mumbled unwillingly. He said in a louder voice, "Come on! Let's go!"
"What's the rush? What's so important about this thing?" Stephanie asked.
"Todd, you are acting very suspiciously!" Damian said, narrowing his eyes.
Jason dragged his hands down his face and groaned loudly. "Oh my goddddd. Just shut up and trust me!"
"Okay, okay," Dick said soothingly. Jason glared at him irritably but thankfully did not pick up a fuss.
In a few moments, they all piled into the Batcar, allowing Cassandra to ride with Jason in his motorcycle as they drove out of the Batcave and into the city of Gotham. Jason drove in front, and guided them to the bridge that connected the coast to Gotham City. When they arrived, he slowed to a stop and waited at the beginning of the road. When they all left the car, Batman pressed a button and both car and motorcycle began self-driving itself back to the cave.
"So what now?" Duke asked. Tim and Damian were already inspecting the surroundings, as if waiting for a trap. Stephanie and Cass were having a more lighthearted time, as if they were searching for treasure.
"C'mon. Let's go under the bridge." Jason said and they all followed with skeptical looks but no hesitation. He went under the bridge and stared at the water for a moment.
They all stood in silence, watching him and waiting for some sort of reaction.
After a moment, he nodded to himself, and then stepped out into the water.
They gave cries of confusion before they realized that he had stepped onto the water and was now standing above it.
"Jesus?" Duke said in bewilderment, at the same time as Timothy said, "What the heck?"
Alfred glanced at Timothy warningly, and then turned to Jason. "Young Master Jason, what is...?"
Jason grinned at them. "Come on. The entrance is here!"
He took a few steps and reached the pier of the bridge. He pressed a hand against its surface and it sank through, moments before he fell inside as well.
There were cries of confusion before Timothy followed him first. When he also stepped on water and fell through the wall, they all followed.
Once inside, they blinked rapidly, dumbfounded at the change of their surroundings.
"This is some Harry Potter crap." Stephanie said, looking around at the subway-like halls around her. Except, instead of fluorescent lights overhead, there were glowing candle lanterns.
Jason snorted. "I know right? It changes too. Come on, follow me."
He continued to turn and walk. He lead them through the subway, which looked like a beautiful and expensive tunnel that had been abandoned with its subtly lavish furnishings covered in cobwebs and a green algae-like substance.
They ended at a door, which Jason pushed over.
Instantly, sounds, lights, and smells filled their senses as they gaped.
Jason grinned at their reactions. "Welcome to the Phantom Train Station."
People milled around the area, all sorts of any shapes, sizes, and colors. An example was a large green bear that lumbered peacefully past everyone.
It was a beautiful train station, an empty railroad cutting through the underground station into two neat halves, with marble walls and a ticket booth on both sides of the station. One side was sparsely populated, while the other was completely packed. The station was enormous, with high ceilings and wide walls, looking almost, if not bigger than Grand Central Terminal. The windows showed only pitch black light.
Jason beckoned them to follow and said, "Don't ask any questions yet. Do any of you want to go somewhere to revisit memories?"
Duke stammered, almost mumbling to himself, "They're spirits. T-They're all not human!"
Everyone in the family looked at him in alarm and then at Jason, who didn't look surprised. "No questions yet. Who wants to go somewhere?"
"Anywhere?" Stephanie blurted, but then shut her mouth. Then she said, to Jason's visible amusement, "How about back to Gotham?"
Jason smiled again. "When?"
Bruce frowned. "Are you...." He also paused. Then he changed his mind and said, "How about when you were still Robin?"
He stared at Jason's expression critically as everyone's breath hitched. "Master Bruce!" Alfred hissed, but Bruce didn't pay attention to him, only Jason.
Jason hummed. "Sure. Any complaints?"
Dick winced and said, "Jaybird... if you don't want to—"
"It's fine," Jason waved it off. "C'mon, we gotta wait in line.
He lined them up to a ticket booth. It didn't take long, despite the long line, and they soon found themselves at the front, where a shadowy person was looking at her nails. She had a distinct silhouette, but there were no features that could be seen from her, since all of her skin, hair, nails, and face was an inky black. She wore a dark green uniform and was making an audible blowing noise on her nails.
Peeking out of her black fingertips were shiny pink nails. When she noticed them through the glass screen separating her from everything else, she didn't even look up.
"Where to?" She asked in a curt tone when they all reached the front.
"Gotham City, Earth 0, on XX, XX, XXXX." Jason said, taking out a card from his breast pocket and sliding it into the slot.
The shadow person hummed. "You're just as crazy as I remembered you. S'that your family, Jason?"
"Yep. Brought them with me this time." Jason said politely.
"Hm. Any of them single?"
They all looked at Jason with side eyes. Jason's lips twitched and he said, "Sorry, but I thought you couldn't date customers?"
"Kill yourself." She said dryly. She gave another puff of air to her nails before the machine next to her spitted out tickets. She collected them and then slid them back to Jason. "You know where to go. If you see Phantom, give him a good review for me, 'kay?"
"See you, Paulina," Jason said instead of confirming what she said and picked up the tickets before pointing a thumb at the empty railway. "C'mon, the train's coming soon."
When Damian began to open his mouth, Jason stopped him with a hand. "Questions on the train only."
He lead them through the crowd and skillfully avoided hitting anyone.
They all stood in silence, some of them looking around at their surroundings, noticing the green light that covered everything and the sticky floors underneath their feet, others observing Jason, watching his calm and careful reactions.
The space around them was cold, and although it was crowded, it gave an odd sense of loneliness as nobody seemed to pay attention to them, despite their strange outfits and battle ready stances.
Though looking around, it wasn't too big of a shock. There were even people that looked as though they came from different timelines.
Damian, slightly afraid but unable to voice it, took the hand of Stephanie, who blinked but didn't react. She and Cassandra shared a look and didn't say a word, carefully observing the situation. Dick and Timothy gave each other looks too, but also didn't say anything. Duke was still looking around with wide eyes, while Bruce and Alfred watched Jason.
Finally, there was a faint noise, like something tearing open and popping before a loud screech of a train's brakes working. A beautiful black train moved in front of them before stopping. There was silence, before the doors began to open and people filled the once empty area. A figure stepped out of the train, on the side with Jason and his family.
Like Paulina, this person had completely darkened features, as if shadows covered his skin, while wearing a dark green uniform with silver trimmings. A big coat covered his shoulders as he adjusted his hat, which had the words 'CONDUCTOR' neatly written on a silver plate.
"Attention, passengers! The Phantom Train is now ready to board!" He called in a loud voice, and then people began to rush onto the train.
Jason didn't move. They didn't either, eyes trained on him.
"Todd?" Damian shouted, over the loud clamor of passengers.
Jason hummed.
"Are we not going?" He asked.
"Wait a moment." Jason said.
The train station began to drain, before Cassandra poked her father's side and pointed upwards. They all looked towards where she was pointing and stared at a red clothed figure that hadn't been there before. A woman clad in red stood on top of the chandelier, calmly looking down at the train station.
"It's fine," Jason said under his breath when he noticed what they were looking at, "she's the police of this world. Don't mind her." A few more minutes passed and he finally moved towards the train conductor.
Bruce had noticed that nobody else had come near the conductor, almost all of them seeming to have an instinctive avoidance. The conductor stood at a train door with a straight posture and hands behind his back. He gave off a sense of deep authority and coldness, as if speaking to him would be a crime unless he deemed it not so.
"Yo! Danny!" Jason called, and the conductor turned his shadowy face towards them, paused, before throwing his hands up in excitement.
"Jason! You rascal, where've you been?!"
"Collecting the family," Jason grinned. "How's business?"
"Oh, you know, the usual." The conductor seemed to have a smile in his voice, as the air around him warmed up instantly. "Jazz missed you a lot, you're here to see her?"
Jason froze as all of the children— ahem, young adults and Damian— went, "Ooooooh," in childish glee.
Alfred hid an amused cough behind a fist. Danny looked even more amused.
Jason's face turned red as he glared at the conductor, who's aura seemed to be giving off one similar to what they could imagine the Cheshire Cat to give off. "You're dead to me."
"Already am," the conductor grinned. "Come on, premium ride tickets, right?"
Jason was still glaring but he handed over the tickets. The conductor hummed and said absentmindedly as he handed them back, "Alright. Well, head inside, turn right and you can sit anywhere there. Jazz and Dani will come to attend to you and your family shortly."
The conductor turned to them, and chills ran down their spines. Although they could not see his eyes or his expression, his gaze seemed to look through them and touch their bones. "Welcome to the Phantom Train. We hope to do more business with you in the future," he said, with a neat bow, before Jason waved a hand and ushered them inside the train.
Unlike the train station, which was both luxuriously made and dirty like it was a haunted house, the train was completely clean and dimly lit. Jason lead them to a small section of the train and said, "Sit."
They all found seats near each other and sat. Stephanie tried to pull open a window, but it futilely stayed shut.
"We can't sit in the private compartments?" Dick asked, eyeing the rooms that they saw.
"You don't want to. It's not interesting and you don't get as much information because those spaces are blocked to any other customers."
Realizing that they could ask questions now, they grew excited.
"What is this place?" Stephanie asked.
"A liminal space, like the ghost kind. It's a space between the living realm and the ghost realm. By entering the train, you can safely travel between the infinite realms without any danger."
"Did you pay to do this?" Timothy asked.
Jason shook his head. "No. I can do this for free, but if most of you decided to do this, there would be a price."
"Why?"
Jason smiled oddly. "Because I died once. My soul had already made the journey to the ghost realm. Therefore, I'm half of a citizen and that grants me the ability to use the ghost realm's services." He nodded to Duke. "That's why you're seeing weird things. Most people on this train are dead."
They all pursed their lips, uncomfortable with the thought that Jason's death could give them this.
Damian, however, uncaringly asked, "Does that mean that I can use the train for free?"
"Yep. You, Stephanie, and maybe Dick."
Now Dick and Stephanie looked even more uncomfortable.
Bruce asked, "What happened that lead you to this?"
"I was in a territory war almost three months ago before I accidentally found a tear into the ghost realm and landed here. I bought a ticket and decided to see where it lead me. Turns out, I had already made a trip here before when I died, and somehow, I helped the Ghost King and earned his favor. Because of it, I had a pretty safe journey. After that, I left and then tried to find my way back. Two months ago, I was able to get back and then I started investigating the train."
He paused, looking at their blank expressions. "It's fine, by the way. It's been great and they got me help for the pit madness. The service is also clean, there's nothing shady or suspicious about it."
He paused again. "Though I guess you can't think of it with mortal standards."
"The Ghost King..." Bruce said. "Is he here right now?"
Jason nodded.
Alfred reached out slowly and put his hand on Jason's. His weathered face had a small, worried smile. "Have you been alright, Young Master Jason?"
Jason stared at him, before he grinned, bright and cheerful. "It's been great, Alfie. You'll love the people here."
They all relaxed a little at that. This place was uncomfortable, but clearly, it gave Jason comfort.
And besides, didn't it help him?
They all unanimously decided to keep their reservations to theirselves until something forced them.
"Also," Timothy said, "What else should we know?"
"Don't ever ask anyone how they died. Unless they give it to you freely, don't ask. It's rude and it gets you killed. In here, they're probably stronger than you unless you have ghost hunting equipment but if you made a fuss, you get thrown out or worst case scenario, Danny finds you and kills you." He gave a little shudder. "It happened once. A ghost of a serial killer ended on the train and when he began threatening another passenger, he fought back when Dani came to stop him and Danny was so mad that he erased his existence. Pretty terrible, but it was probably for the better."
"Danny and... Dani?" Stephanie asked.
Jason perked up. "Oh! Yes! There are around six main employees here that you should pay attention to. There's Dani, with an I, she's an attendant here. There's also Tucker and Jazz, who work with her. There's Dan who drives the train, Sam who helps him. And lastly, there's Danny. He's the conductor and the strongest here."
He paused, as if considering what to tell them. "Oh, and they're all ghost royalty."
Pandemonium.
"Jason, what the fuck!!"
"Couldn't you start off with that?!"
"Todd, you and your worthless reports—!! You're infuriating!"
"Children, please!"
Jason burst out laughing at their reactions and they calmed down after a bit. They all stared at Jason sourly, who grinned.
He continued without an apology for the terrible explanations, "Danny is the Ghost King, but his real title is High King of the Infinite Realms, which means he controls anything that isn't from the living realm. He's considered a god and a very fair ruler. Jazz, Dan, and Dani are his siblings and they also work here. Everyone but Jazz is considered a princess or prince. Jazz's title is Queen Regent, because Danny is currently too young. Tucked and Sam both have the title of Duke and Duchess, but for the most part, you can consider them as Danny's entourage and best friends—"
"The Ghost King is young?" Bruce asked, an odd tone to his voice.
"No more adoption," all of his kids said in unison.
Bruce scowled. "Just answer the question, Jason."
"Yeah. He's young. He was fourteen when he died and he's around Timothy's age in human years right now."
They all processed the information in silence.
Then Stephanie smirked and said, "So. Jazz is the person you like?"
Jason's face burst into red. "You!"
They all started laughing and Dick nudged Jason with an elbow, grinning widely. Even Timothy was joining in on the fun, as they all began teasing Jason for his crush. Thankfully, his pit madness was gone, otherwise he would've just started blasting lead everywhere.
An announcement came from overhead.
"Attention, passengers. This is your conductor speaking. The train is about to leave the station, please remain seated and stay away from the doors. Attendants will soon come meet your needs very shortly." There was a beep, and then the train began to move.
Jason gave them a few more instructions. "Oh, don't try to open the windows unless they say so. Sometimes, the worlds the train passes through can be a danger to see. The train stops every hour to pick up more customers, so don't be surprised by what you see. We'll get to Gotham City in.... eight, nine hours? Feel free to take naps, you're protected as long as you follow the rules and are passengers."
With that, he took out the tickets again and gave one to each of them. "Keep it close."
They all dutifully put the tickets in their pockets.
"Could we take off masks?" Dick asked and Jason nodded.
"There are no secrets in death." He said blankly, as if reciting something from memory.
They looked at him uncomfortably but began to take off their mask to allow themselves to breathe. Only Bruce kept his on.
They all sat in silence as the train smoothly left the station, only rocking ever so slightly.
Jason had closed his eyes in silence, before he opened them. Even Damian and Stephanie perked up, turning their heads. Everyone else followed their lead and turned to the front. Their train car was rather empty, filled with only them, so it was noticeable when the door rattled and then opened. A small dark figure bounced inside before cheering.
"Jason!!" The figure flew into Jason's arms, who grinned and laughed.
"Dani! Heya, squirt!" Jason said cheerfully.
"Jason! Oh my ancients, you wouldn't believe what happened the other day! We landed on the train station to Earth 3 and there was this guy who had scissors for hands! Like actual scissors! If Jazz hadn't—" she paused. "Whoa, is this your family?"
Jason nodded. "Yep. That's Dick, Stephanie, Cassandra, Damian, Timothy, Duke, Alfred, and my dad."
They all stopped to stare at Jason with wide eyes. Bruce said with a stiff voice like he was about to cry, "Jay..."
Jason gave him a bit of a look, but the person who was next to him bounced with excitement. Although they couldn't see her expression through the shadows, she gave off the feeling that she was grinning.
"Hello! It's so nice to meet you! Is this your first time here?"
They nodded.
"Wonderful! My name's Dani, it's spelled D-A-N-I. If you call me with intent, I will appear! I hope you'll enjoy it here!" She paused, as if trying to remember what else to say. "Oh yes! Any refreshments?"
"Can I get water?"
"Is this like airplane food? Will you feed us peanuts?"
"I'm a vegetarian and I would like options that reflect that."
"What do you have?"
Dani answered all questions and wrote down their requests in a notepad. She bounced on her heels and then said, "Jason, after I finish checking on the whole train, I'll come see you with Jazz, okay? Bye! Your refreshments will come out soon!"
She left the other way and the moment the door shut behind them, the door to the front opened again and a food cart rolled down the hallway, pushed by a big black dog.
Damian gasped in delight. "Todd! Can I pet it??"
"Go nuts." Jason said, pulling the food and drinks off of the cart as Damian leaped out of his seat to ruffle the dog's fur. The dog huffed and obediently allowed itself to be pet, seeming almost like it was an old lady who indulgently allowed her grandson to do all sorts of mischief.
Stephanie and Timothy reached out and pet its back and even Bruce reached a hand out to stroke its head.
"Who's dog is this?" Dick asked, holding a black paw in his hand, shaking it lightly with a smile.
"It's Jazz's dog. She has a whole bunch and they're her eyes and ears on the train." Jason said with a wry smile.
They all paused. Stephanie turned. "... are we allowed to pet them?"
A voice appeared, sounding as if it came from the dog's collar, "It's fine." It was a melodic voice and Jason perked up as his siblings jumped back in alarm.
"Hey, Jazz." He said very casually.
Although at first, his siblings had been nervous, the moment that Jason confirmed her identity, they all grinned evilly at him and didn't say anything as he glared at them sharply.
"Hello, Jay." Jazz said. Her dog's tail wagged. "I'll see you in a little bit. Tell your family that I'd love to meet them soon. Now excuse Buttercup, she has to go back now."
Damian rubbed the dog's ears one more time before the dog left with the car.
Duke had already opened a bag of pretzels and was chewing on one as he smirked at Jason. "I can't believe you got a girlfriend in two months."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Jason said adamantly. "We're friends."
"Okay," they all said in unison without losing their grins.
Jason scowled at them.
They ate through their snacks as they chatted and napped. Bruce and Alfred looked content to be in the midst of their chatter without speaking, while Timothy and Damian complained about the lack of wifi and Dick and Stephanie began to play guessing games. Cassandra and Jason joined a conversation with Duke about random debates before suddenly, the door opened.
They all turned and stared, at an enormously tall figure.
Like Danny, Dani, and Paulina, her skin, hair, and face were all a smooth black without any distinguishing features. However, they could still see the distinctly feminine silhouette and the long inky hair that swished behind her green uniform. She paused in the doorway before crossing it and then stepping over to Jason.
"Hello, Jason," she said sweetly, and Jason grinned.
"Hey, Jazz. How've you been?"
"Good, now that you're here."
Jason's smile grew wider at that.
Timothy and Damian gagged at the same time. When Jason turned to glare at them, Jazz also turned and waved a little hello.
"Hello. My name is Jazz, one of the attendants working here."
Bruce reached out a hand first. "I'm Jason's father." He introduced himself despite still wearing the mask.
Jazz tilted her head. "Ah, yes. Bruce Thomas Wayne, Batman and CEO of Wayne Enterprises, is it? It's nice to meet you, sir."
Dick raised an eyebrow at Jason.
Jason shook his head at the silent question. "Told you," he mouthed behind Jazz's back. "There are no secrets in death."
Seeing this, Bruce sighed and took off his cowl. "Yes, I'm him. What intentions do you have with my son?"
"Dad!" Jason cried out in embarrassment and a smile spread across Bruce's face as he ignored him.
Jazz chuckled. "Nothing bad. I just want to see where the two of us goes, I assure you."
"Is your only job to be an attendant here? What's your family history like? Your parents? Do you have an education?" Bruce interrogated her.
Jason looked like he wanted to melt into the floor and never reappear again.
Dick immediately lurched forward and covered his mouth. "Oookay, evil mother-in-law, let's not do that now. So! Jazz! How did you meet Jason?"
"Oh, I met him when he was fifteen. He saved me and Dani from a Night Snake and earned our favor since then."
"Fifteen??" Timothy gasped.
Jazz nodded. She seemed to give off the air of smiling. "Yes. He was so cute! I totally had a crush on him then."
"He was pretty cute," Dick acknowledged with a nod.
Jazz also enthusiastically nodded. "With the cutest curls on his head."
"Oh my god, right?! It was so fluffy too." Dick agreed.
"Yes! And he was so gentlemanly, it really made me surprised!"
"Of course, Jason was a good kid." Bruce butted in. "He used to do all of his homework before patrols."
"Young Master Jason also helped me in the kitchen." Alfred joined in.
Meanwhile, Jason had a bright red face as he tried to kill himself via suffocation into his jacket. "Damian. I'll give you everything I own if you kill me now."
"No," Damian smirked. "I want to see you suffer."
"Duke. Please." Jason begged.
"Can't and won't, dude. This is too good." Duke laughed.
"Cass? Please?" Silence. "Please?!"
"Give it up, Jason." Timothy said. "This is what you get. This is revenge for what you did to me the last time I brought Bernard home."
"You said this the last three times you got revenge!" Jason said complainingly, covering his face as Jazz turned to him.
She reached over and brushed the hair out of his eyes. They all went silent, staring wide eyed at the romantic side show in front of them.
"
————
A dog ran up to them, Jazz's voice already calling out to them.
"Quickly, cover your face. The next passengers for this train have a cultural practice that involves faces. Unless you wish to be attacked, cover your face!"
They all quickly put on their masks and then covered their faces for their with their gas masks.
An entourage of beautiful women walked through. They didn't wear clothes made of fabric, but something similar to feathers. It covered them like an exotic dress as they followed behind Danny demurely. The woman in front had long sleek hair and a slit in the middle of her forehead. She stared at her surroundings, glancing at Jason and his family before turning away, her gaze trained on Danny's back.
"Right this way," he said politely, "Just a few more cars before you ladies can have a space to yourselves."
"Why not this one?" The woman in front said. Her voice was beautiful.
Stephanie and Timothy shared a glance and secretly observed her.
"I'm afraid there's already a family here. For maximum comfort, rest in a separate carriage that we have prepared."
"Alright, My Lord. Thank you very much for your generosity."
Danny only bowed his head and continued to lead them away.
Notes:
This version was actually the first and better version, but I didn't feel like uploading it first.
They are so silly <3
Btw, the last part is a scene of one of the possible train attendants and the culture they practice was that they are a very beauty-oriented race. Since I think Phantom would be the most overwhelmingly beautiful, they were willing to follow his orders, but would fight or hurt anyone else who can compete with them or are uglier than them 🤷
Chapter Text
Nick sat back in his chair, mentally reviewing what he needed to do for the next few days. He needed to get Natasha close to Tony Stark. After discovering that he had handed over the company to Potts, it was imperative that he got to the bottom of Stark's behavior.
That was why he needed Natasha in a seat of power close to where Stark was.
The door was knocked on.
"Sir?"
"What do you have?"
"News on Stark, sir."
Nick sighed. "Come in. What news do you have?"
"Uh. The position that was available to Agent Natasha is now taken."
Nick blinked. Then he looked up. The agent in front of him straightened the moment he laid his good eye on him.
"Explain."
————
Tony hummed as he flipped through his blueprints.
"And you said you're from Legal?"
"Yes sir."
"And how old are you again?"
"Eighteen, sir."
Tony made a face. "Huh." He turned and looked up. It almost made him want to feel emasculated, but for the most part, it was just amusing how tall his new personal assistant was. The girl stared down at him, a politely awkward look on her face as Tony hummed.
"Why did I hire you again?" He asked.
"You said that the other recent hire looked like a honeytrap and you said that I looked like I knew what I was doing."
Tony nodded to himself. "Well, I think I chose pretty well for myself. Don't you think so, Jazz?"
Jazz, an enormously tall young woman with red hair and aqua green eyes, gave a small smile. "I sure hope so."
Tony smirked and slipped on his sunglasses. "Word of advice, sweetheart? Fake it until you make it. So pretend like you're the next coming of Virgin Mary, even if you're actually a Jezebel."
"You read the Bible?" She asked in amusement and Tony laughed with her.
"Nope! But what'd I say?! Fake it! Until you make it!"
————
"Hey! Jail bait! Get me a glass of scotch, will you?"
"Calling me Jail Bait is not only uncomfortable and inappropriate, but also weird."
".... Yeah, I can see why that's a tasteless joke. Okay, uh, Ariel, can you get me a glass of scotch?"
"No."
".... If I call you Kim Possible, would you?"
"That's still a no, Dr. Stark. It's only noon. If you want to drink, drink after finishing your work."
"... all of the women in my life treat me like a fax machine."
"A fax machine doesn't ask his eighteen year old assistant to get him alcohol."
"Ugh, I seem like an irresponsible person when you talk about me."
"You're an irresponsible person even when I'm not talking about you."
"JARVIS! Are you hearing this?!"
————
Tony decided that he liked Jazz very much.
Beyond being scarily intelligent, not unlike Pepper, she was also a bit of a buzzkill.
Just like Pepper!
In fact, Tony would've suspected that they were clones if it wasn't for Jazz's monstrous height.
"Sweetie," he said, as he looked up. "Don't you think you should stop drinking milk?"
"Why? To save some for you?" She replied. Her scathing remarks were also a lot like Pepper's, just a whole lot less serious and likely to cause him harm if he started a fuss.
"You are so rude," Tony huffed. "Where's the girl that used to quietly follow me and ask me not to drink? Now you just work together with JARVIS to plot my downfall."
"Making sure you get three meals a day and sleep at least eight hours isn't plotting your downfall."
"I must agree with Miss Jazlyn." JARVIS said, in a slightly judgemental tone. "Your behavior is horrendous."
"He's not wrong."
"I didn't pay you to sass me, young lady!" Tony said, waving a finger in the air as he collapsed over his work table. Jazz set his things beside him, already knowing what he wanted with the weeks they've spent together, and Tony almost wanted to smile.
Maybe this was why people had kids?
Despite all of the sass and talk back, Jazz was looking out for him. And something about Tony was that he had perhaps always craved human connection, especially something genuine and inspiring.
Jazz made him want to be better.
But...
It wasn't possible.
Because Tony didn't have much time left.
He groaned and dropped his head on the smooth surface of his workplace.
"Get me a drink, Red."
"I'll get you a ginger ale."
Tony just groaned as JARVIS began to guide her towards the mini fridge in his lab.
Hadn't his heart already learned from his mistakes?
————
"So. Jazz." He said. "What's that in your pocket?"
Pepper turned around, eyes wide and eyebrows already pointed downwards before Jazz laughed lightly. "It's something from my brother. I carry it around me so I can protect it."
Tony perked up. "Can I see?"
Pepper gasped. "Tony! You're so rude, oh my god!"
Jazz hesitated, but it didn't look like a bad pause, so Tony bounced on his toes and began to cajole her, smirking mischievously all the while as Jazz sighed exasperatedly.
The door opened and a gorgeous woman with dark red hair strode inside and handed Pepper several papers. She turned to stare at Tony, but Tony only gave her a glance before he was back to poking Jazz in the arm and begging to see the memento.
When the extra woman left, Jazz sighed and began to fish in her pockets.
Pepper said worriedly, "You don't have to entertain him, you know, personal assistant or not."
Tony gave a snort, because he could also see her lean closer in interest.
Jazz shook her head. "It's fine. Just... it's very precious to me. I haven't shown anyone in a long time." She took out a small pouch and opened it.
Immediately, the air around them began to chill but Tony barely noticed as his eyes caught onto a beautifully glowing stone. It was green, like the most fluorescent of lime greens and it was perfectly spherical. Pepper leaned in against his shoulder and asked softly, "Is there something moving within?"
Jazz chuckled. "Seems like it, huh?"
"What's it made of?"
"Not sure," she lied. Tony frowned but didn't call her out on it.
Jazz closed the pouch and placed it in the pocket of her suit jacket. She gave the pocket an absentminded pat, one full of unintentional meaning.
She addressed the two with a smile. "I never got to say thank you."
Tony blinked. "For?"
"For hiring me. I needed the money. And I needed it fast. I was desperate when I put in my resume. I never expected to be hired, so I just want to say thank you." Jazz gave them a beautifully sincere smile, her eyes sparkling like she was looking at a good person and Tony couldn't handle it.
Tony coughed to hide the ache in his chest, pretending it came from the arc reactor as Pepper stepped past him and gave Jazz a hug. It was a little comical because of the height difference, but they made it work.
"Oh honey. You don't have to say thank you for that."
Tony didn't reply, staring out the window as Jazz and Pepper hugged it out, almost the image of a mother and daughter pair.
Tony tried not to remind himself of his inevitably soon and slow death.
————
Tony was being poisoned. He checked his blood toxicity again, cursing under his breath as he struggled to get air within his lungs.
He wasn't going to last soon.
He had made Jazz his personal assistant only because of a whim. She was young, scarily so. When he died, would she be able to handle it? Would the authorities accuse her of something?
He threw back the chlorophyll and gagged.
"Shit! That's terrible."
"Sir, Miss Jazlyn has arrived."
The door opened and Tony snapped his head up. "Hey—! I never said that you could enter!"
Jazz stared at him blankly. Then she closed the door behind her before rounding the table and picking up the cup.
Tony's breath froze in his chest as Jazz inspected the cup before lowering it and staring at him with furrowed eyebrows. The room was silent, filled only with the faint whirring of DUM-E and the bots. Tony felt a warmth fill his face as he struggled to find something to say. Jazz placed the cup on the table gently and then pulled the bundle of papers out from under her arms before she set those on the table too.
"Miss Potts wants you to sign these." She said quietly.
Tony took the opportunity like a raccoon spotting food. "Yes! Right! Papers..."
He took them and had to blink rapidly to actually focus on the papers. Jazz didn't leave.
He chewed his lips before he slapped the papers on the table, startling her.
"Alright, out with it." He sighed, feeling the age and the exhaustion and the tiredness catch up to him. Usually, he ran from them with alcohol and drugs and parties, but sometimes, the effects of his life snuck into his bones and it made him weary.
Jazz grimaced and then said, "What's poisoning you?"
"How do you even know it's poison? What if I just want to go green for a bit?"
Jazz stared at him, unimpressed. "You said I could ask."
"Yes, yes! You can!" He snapped and then groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "Alright, whatever, it's poison! My own goddamn reactor is giving me palladium poisoning! There! Happy now?"
Jazz didn't speak as Tony rubbed at his face. When he spared a glance towards her, her expression was forlorn and quiet.
"No," she said. "I'm not happy. Does Miss Potts and your friends know?"
"I don't have friends," he grumbled.
"What about Mr. Hogan? Or Colonel Rhodes?"
Notes:
I actually really like this idea. It’s an AU where Jazz loses Danny but keeps his core behind so she could one day revive him, and she needed money to be able to do so. So then she tries to get hired by Tony Stark and succeeds. At the end, she basically becomes his daughter and Tony gets a whole bunch of adopted kids :)
I think it’s kinda funny how anybody who comments just sends in emojis. I think it’s really cute lmao
Chapter Text
Jazz smiled at Jack and Maddie brilliantly. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"
"Oh!" Maddie sobbed. "Our kids, already too old to stay with their parents! It was like yesterday that they were crawling around!"
Jack sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I'm not crying! And I definitely won't miss you both!"
Danny gave an amused sigh as he left the car and went to hug his parents. "Bye, guys. I promise to listen to Jazz and study hard! Remember the deal we made, you can't come visit us for a little while, okay? We'll get to New Jersey on the 14th and it'll take a little while before we can get our new apartment ready."
"But still, 6 months until we can see you? And two weeks for you to travel across the US? How will we know that you're safe?"
Jazz smiled. "I promise to keep us safe, Mom. Just trust us, okay?"
Maddie sniffed. "Okay. Did you at least pack some anti-ghost weapons?"
"Of course, Mom." Danny said with another sigh.
Jazz checked the time on her phone and then ushered Danny into the backseat of the car. "Well, we gotta go! Bye! We'll text you in two weeks!"
With that final note, they drove off.
Maddie and Jack comforted each other as they watched their children, now old enough to go off on their own, only a mere 18 and 20, drive off to see the world.
"Oh! Empty nest syndrome is already setting in." Maddie said miserably.
"Be strong, Maddie! For our children!" Jack finally shed a tear.
Maddie paused, however, eyes on the shrinking minivan in the distance. "Though I wonder... I wonder why they packed so much and still had so much space?"
In the car, the moment Jazz reached a certain distance with Danny's eyes looking in the rear view, he said, "Yeah, they can't see us anymore. Come out, guys."
Two presences materialized within the car. A large, muscular man appeared in the passenger seat while a young girl popped into the back seat, arms open to hug Danny.
"Danny!" She squealed. Danny laughed as they hugged each other hard.
"Hello, Jazz." Dan said with a small smile. Jazz grinned, taking quick glances to her side so she wouldn't take her eyes off of the road.
"Hey, Dan! How have you and Dani been?"
"We're well. The Ghost Realm is in order for now. Did you pack all of our things?"
"Yep, we got your things. We're all set!" Jazz said cheerfully.
The truth of this trip, wasn't just a small road trip for Danny and Jazz to go on before going to New Jersey for Danny's continued education and Jazz's possible job.
No, this was a trip for the two of them, as well as Dani and Dan, to spread their wings and learn about the world before going to Gotham City, where they would be able to live safely away from the GIW and their parents under the watchful eyes of the Batclan.
"Thank you, that's enough." Jazz said sweetly. Dani continued to put more tomatoes on her plate. "Thank you, that's enough. Thank you, that's enough. Thank you— that's enough!!"
Dani grinned unapologetically and then leaned over to bump her head against Jazz's cheek, not unlike a cat, and said, "Thank you, Jazz!"
Jazz grumbled but her expression was soft. Both Danny and Dan gave each other a look and then rolled their eyes.
Notes:
I love Dani, Dan, Danny, and Jazz as a family. It’s my absolute favorite.
This start of the fic was one where after the road trip, they travel to Gotham, get involved in some scheme by the Rogues, and then just settle there with the Batfamily :)
Chapter Text
Jazz curled around Danny, who's wispy form sparked and glitched like a malfunctioning computer screen. She purred, trying to calm him as he hiccuped sobs and stifled whimpering cries behind tightly pressed lips. Her own form, undoubtedly larger than his, covered him like she was a boa constrictor around a quail egg. She licked the white fluff on his head and continued to purr.
Memories of their human lives were nearly nonexistent, having disappeared with the passage of time,
All Jazz knew was that this little creature was her ruler, her protégé, her brother, her ward.
She was his guardian, his sister, his mentor, his subject.
She would protect him for the rest of days, come without fail. The door to their sanctuary opened and Jazz hissed, her teeth bared as one of the Observants began to glide inside, a careless mistake. Jazz opened her mouth and took one bite before his body slumped onto the ground, bleeding ectoplasm and twitching in the throes of their second Death. She swallowed the morsel of ghost flesh and licked her lips. Green liquid pooled until some of it reached Danny's side.
Danny stirred and began to lick the ectoplasm that flowed near him. He opened his eyes and blinked sleepily. "Jazz?" He muttered and Jazz gave a comforting rumble, nuzzling his head with her cheek.
He turned to her and blinked. "You haven't transformed back?"
She made another noise.
The human part of her, the part that remained, the part that was nothing but lingering morals, wanted to tell him that perhaps she didn't feel safe enough, she didn't feel assured enough to transform, and she wanted so desperately to tell him with human words but all that came out was an animalistic whine.
Danny looked at her with furrowed eyebrows as he reached over and pulled her head down to stroke her long, unruly hair. She laid her limp head in his lap as her body grumbled with broken purrs.
The door was opened again and another Observant came floating inside, furious. "Your Majesty! Your Highness! How dare you harm an Observant!"
"You know better than to enter this room without warning or permission." Danny snapped.
Sending his agitation, Jazz lifted her head and leered, swaying with the sudden desire to put her teeth to use again.
The Observant moved backwards and over the threshold again, but didn't leave. They pointed a sleeve at him as Jazz growled.
"Even if you are King, don't think that we won't subject you to the law!"
"The law states that unless the King brings irreplaceable harm to the wellbeing of all ghosts and the Ghost Zone, the King is allowed to do what they want."
The Observant hissed with rage and Jazz rose to her full height, neck extended as she watched the Observant flinch at her appearance.
She was monstrous.
A pale, gangly horrible thing with unearthly proportions, thin limbs like a spider's, with long blood red hair that covered a neck connected to a head that swung like a lantern. She was ugly and terrifying and the fear that her appearance caused fed her as she growled.
The Observant was afraid as he snapped, "You are only a boy, not even a King yet."
"Jazz is my Queen Reagent until I am of age." Danny said calmly, putting a hand on Jazz's skeletal flank.
"Ha! That thing?! The ectoplasm has turned it into a monster! It can't even speak!"
Danny glared, green forming around his hands. "I can understand her just fine. Now leave, before I get rid of you. If you require my presence, summon Clockwork. Otherwise, I'll take it as an act of trespassing and aggression. And you know what happens to those who act against me..."
Jazz growled to complete the effect.
The Observant spewed a couple of more insults and curse words before he fled. Danny sighed and slumped onto the ground. Jazz followed and curled around him, humming a little as he turned and smiled at her.
"I know, Jazz," he said without her saying a word. "I know that you don't feel safe. Thank you for protecting me."
He hesitated, as if he had something to say but then he decided against it. The door was knocked upon and Danny perked up, mood switching from gloomy to bright as he chirped, "Come in!"
Clockwork floated inside and smiled at the two siblings.
"Hello, Your Majesty. Your Highness. Have you two been well? I know it's a no," he chuckled to himself as Danny zoomed over and hugged him, Jazz extending her neck to bump her forehead against the old ghost. He turned back into his baby form and gave her a pat on the head as he slipped out of Danny's embrace. He cleared his throat and said, "I bring news. Your Highness, I am aware that you have been afraid since Danny's latest assassination attempt. I have consulted Pandora and Frostbite and we have created a plan for the two of you."
He opened up a small portal, where the smell of smog and ash drifted through, fear and hurt plagued the air with a choking sweetness. Jazz grimaced, peering at the dark city through her long hair.
Clockwork continued, as he transformed into a young man, "This city is called Gotham City, a city that exists in a separate world. Here, superheroes are abundant and they face incredible struggles and enemies everyday. Gotham is home to some of the worst villains you'll ever see, villains that will torture and kill for the fun of it."
Danny gulped. Jazz growled at seeing Danny's anxiety.
"What do you want us to do there?"
"Here, you two will be sent in to help the heroes of this city. Danny will hide his true presence and assist one of the younger heroes while Jazz can stay in her current form and feed off of the fear she creates with one of the older heroes."
"We're separating?" Danny said curiously.
Jazz jolted and then gnashed her teeth, her growl reverberating through the room with the force of her displeasure. She liked Clockwork because he was sort of like a grandfather to her but if she had the choice between Danny's safety and Clockwork's existence, she would've torn him apart and out of the spiritual plans without hesitation.
Clockwork raised an eyebrow, still amused and clicked his tongue as she snarled.
"It's temporary, Your Highness. You will still be in the same city, and Danny will be kept safe, I assure you. There are no Fentons in this world to threaten his safety and this is the only way. You will be able to grow stronger on your own and Danny can protect himself. Remember, he is an existence that triumphs over Life and Death itself and the only reason the assassination attempt was nearly successful was because the Observants did not warn us and the attackers used hostages. Your Highness, I assure you, an incident like that won't happen again."
Jazz nuzzled Danny with a low grumble but after a moment, turned to look at Danny who had wide, hopeful eyes.
"Please, Jazz? It's so stifling. I want you to get stronger. And I don't need you to smother me all of the time." He said sternly.
Cowed, Jazz relented and nodded her head.
Clockwork smiled and clapped his hands. "Well then! Your Highness, Pandora will tell you the plan. Your Majesty, come with me. You'll need a quick lesson to hide your presence within Gotham City."
————
————
Jason woke up to a cool bed, a room with too still air and a figure in the corner.
It alarmed him so badly that he slipped a hand under his pillow and immediately pulled the safety trigger before he shot at the corner. He had hoped that for a second, it was an hallucination caused by waking up too early but the figure lingered and the smell of gunpowder was very real.
Jason frantically threw himself at his nightstand and turned on the lights. There, hunched over on all fours, was some thing.
It was huge, taking nearly half of the room's space. It was hunched with abnormally elongated limbs like it was Slenderman's cousin and on its long neck was a head full of blood red hair covering a flat, pale face with solid color eyes.
Jason wanted to deny the fact that he shrieked like a stepped on cat when he saw it in full lighting but he would've been lying. He continued to shoot at the thing with increasing fear as the bullets phased through it. It was certainly alive, with its shifting head as it only made small movements like it was adjusting itself to be comfortable.
The moment Jason used up all of his bullets, he retrieved the other gun and barked out, "What the fuck? What are you?!"
The being shifted again, facing him head on. Through the waterfall of scarlet hair, he stared into two solid orbs of aqua green. It made Jason shiver and he flinched backwards as the being extended its closer, its head shaking like a rocking lantern. It tilted its head in silent inquiry and then it extended its limbs and began to move towards him. Jason's breath hitched as he scrambled backwards, eyes shifting wildly.
"W-Wait! Stay the fuck away from me!" He snapped.
The being halted, tilting its head the other way.
Jason didn't want to say he was afraid, but if this thing attacked him, he wouldn't be able to fight back, not in such a narrow space with this thing taking up so much room. Not only did he lack the space he needed to fight, it had claws that looked capable of tearing him apart and his guns didn't seem to be able to touch it. He glanced around himself and took a deep breath before he bounced off of the bed and then jumped through the window.
For a second, all he felt was weightlessness before something jerked him backwards.
He flipped out of the way but the hands came back reaching back and then he was securely trapped within the thing's long fingers.
He was placed back on the bed as the monster stared at him with unseeing eyes.
Jason could barely stop himself from shaking as the feeling of fear clutched his insides with a vice grip.
The thing tilted its head again and then it turned in a circle and curled up like a dog.
Jason stared, eyes wide as his heart tried to calm itself.
"What the fuck?"
Notes:
This one is almost basically completed?
Essentially, the idea was that Danny has a really cute appearance while Jazz is creepy asf, and that’s bc she’s all bark and no bite and Danny is the opposite. They also feed on fear and since Jazz is significantly weaker than Danny, she looks scary to compensate.
Chapter Text
Jason groaned, his body sore with bruises as he trudged home. He fingered his guns and breathed through his helmet, hating how the air inside made his face feel humid and he hated how disgusting and exhausted he felt in general. Today had been a chaotic day, with him leading his group in a coup to get rid of the rising gang within the other part of Crime Alley.
He was tired and sore and all he wanted was to go home and fall into a coma, his family's worry be damned.
Jason paused when he heard heavy, audible breathing behind him.
He whirled around, taking out his guns but for a moment, he didn't see anything.
That's when he looked ever so slightly downwards and jumped back, shocked at the enormous dog that stood before him. It was a deep black, with bright turquoise colored eyes set on a long snout. The dog was huge and skinny limbed, yet its fur was shaggy and long. It looked haunting and almost frightening as it stared at Jason with its tiny pupils and large frame.
In its mouth, however, was something white and limp, conspicuous in the darkness of the night.
The dog gave a low whine and then crept closer.
Jason tensed and didn't lower his gun.
The dog bumped its head against Jason's stomach and lifted its mouth towards him. It took a long moment before Jason slowly reached out and put his hand out. The dog gently let go of its bundle and Jason stared at a small white kitten, a fluffy looking thing that seemed to sense that it had landed somewhere and lifted its little head to sneeze. It had bright blue eyes on a cute little face.
To describe how cute it was would be impossible.
After that, it was kind of all a blur.
Jason might've lost all braincells from the cuteness of the animals, but he definitely kept some if he only came to his safe house, not his apartment, and immediately investigated the animals for possible implanted trackers or chips. They were, weirdly enough, completely safe. In the time that he took to investigate them, they were calm and even playful as the kitten nibbled on his gloves every time he approached.
Jason was perhaps going crazy. It was the only reason why he was currently calling Damian.
The moment he picked up, Jason was immediately met with a cold, "Todd. What is your reason for calling me at this hour? It better be worthwhile."
"I think you'll find it worth your time," Jason said idly. "I need your help with something."
"What? Why would I care?"
Jason lowered the phone to the kitten in his lap and said, "Meow, little one."
The kitten was silent for a moment, before it mewed loudly and clearly into the speaker.
Jason brought his phone back up to his ear, only to met with a loud rustling like Damian was quickly dressing himself.
In the distance, a voice asked, "Damian? Where are you going?"
"I'm going to see Todd! If any of you follow me, I'll skin you!" Damian said furiously before he picked the phone back up and shouted urgently, "Where are you, Todd?!"
The urgency in Damian's voice was so funny that Jason almost had to muffle his laughter but he managed to hold it back. Small mercies.
He gave his location and said, "It's not just a cat too, by the way. There's a big dog too."
"What?!" Damian shrieked. There was some distant thudding and then shouts. Damian cursed quietly and then there was the sound of a motorcycle turning on and running off.
Jason couldn't help how he was starting to grin before he brought his phone to the dog that laid across his feet comfortably and said, "Speak."
The dog's tail swished once. It didn't even open its eyes.
Jason was quiet, a little dumbfounded, before he said, "Please?"
The dog gave a loud, clear bark.
Jason grinned and reached over to scratch the hair on its ears. Its tail thumped on the floor and Jason couldn't help but laugh. The kitten mewed loudly and in the phone, Damian was cursing violently.
Barely a few minutes later, Damian knocked on the door. Jason, having never hung up the phone, asked, "Why didn't you just kick it down?"
"I do not wish to scare the two!" Damian said. "Now open your damn door!"
Jason put the kitten close to the dog and stood up to open the door. Damian walked in, eyes immediately drawn to the large black mass on his floor and he gasped audibly.
"How beautiful! A Russian wolfhound..." Damian slowly approached them, dropped to his knees, and carefully presented a hand. The dog, a Russian wolfhound apparently, turned its head and sniffed Damian's hand before gingerly placing its long snout into his palm.
Damian gave another little gasp and then reached over to stroke the long shaggy hair on its head. "Oh," he said, hushed, "he is lovely!"
Jason smiled. "The cat's under 'em."
Damian tried to turn his head curiously to see where the kitten was but the moment his body tilted, the dog licked him across the face. Damian yelped and then giggled. Jason had never heard such a childish sound from him. The dog opened its wide mouth and grabbed Damian by the shirt with its teeth, dragging him forward to smother him in its fluff. The kitten immediately jumped onto its new prey and joined the dog.
All through the while, Damian couldn't stop giggling and wiggling about.
Jason took a couple of photos and then a long video as both kitten and dog showered Damian in licks.
Then he sent it to the groupchat.
Jason: photo.jpeg
Jason: photo.jpeg
Jason: photo.jpeg
Jason: photo.jpeg
Jason: video.mp4
Tim: Omfg that was why he ran off
Dick: OMG JAYBIRD IS THAT A CAT AND A DOG OMG
Stephanie: WTF!!!!
Stephanie: I WANNA SEE THEM TOO
Cass: 🥹😍🥺🥺
Dick: WHY IS IT SO CUTE OMG I WANNA SEE THE CAT AND DOG AND DAMIAN LAUGHING TOO
Jason: Lol stay jealous
He chuckled to himself and watched Damian for a few more minutes before he said, "Damian, I called you over here because I have no idea how to take care of them."
Damian smiled brightly and uncharacteristically. "Done. First, we should give the dog a bath. Cats don't need to be bathed, but perhaps it'll appreciate it."
There was a moment of silence before Damian picked up the kitten and flipped it over. "Ah, a male."
The cat meowed loudly and then flew out of his hands to hide behind the dog. Damian and Jason both chuckled at the human-like action of embarrassment before Damian said, "Todd, go and pick up the dog."
"Gonna check them too?"
"I'm certain it's a male, but yes."
The dog waved its limbs as Jason lifted it up with a bit of a huff.
Damian checked and said wondrously, "Huh. It's a female."
The dog snapped her jaws at Jason's neck and gave an indignant bark before she wiggled and squirmed fiercely. Jason tried to let go gently but it was a struggle as the mass of fur and bones wriggled in his arms like a furious slug. When she was finally let free, she barked again and growled.
The cat mewed and the dog gave a huff before picking up the cat with her long mouth and then trotting away, tail swishing behind her in an almost furious manner, as if she was so affronted by them that she couldn't even look at them.
Damian cooed and walked over to her, hand reaching out slowly.
Despite the supposed attitude, the dog still gently bumped her head against Damian's hand, but growled when he tried to pet her further. The cat, very secure in her mouth, meowed again. Damian reached out to hold him and after a moment, the dog reluctantly let him go.
Damian cooed and then he waved Jason over to go to the bathroom. "Todd, go out and get some dog soap." He typed something into his phone and the back of Jason's pocket vibrated. "Also get the list of things that I sent you. Do you plan on keeping these two?"
Jason, for a moment, contemplated it. Then he said, "Nah." He didn't explain further. Damian would be able to guess.
From his gang life, his Pit Madness, his gun problem, his lack of time, his life with crime and crime fighting... there was an endless list of things to pick from to answer why he couldn't take care of a dog and a cat.
Damian frowned. "I can't keep them at home either. Father says that I have too many pets."
Jason snorted but he quickly left his safe house to grab the things that Damian needed. When he came back, Damian was furiously texting his phone while both the dog and kitten laid over his lap. The size difference between all three of them was so comical that Jason snapped another picture.
Damian whipped his head around and glared furiously. "How dare you send pictures of me to the group chat!"
"But Little Bat," Jason cooed, "you're so cute!"
Both of their phones began chiming with more messages from the others. Damian scowled at him as Jason just grinned.
It took a little while but both kitten and dog were finally in the bathtub. The dog was extremely docile, languidly laying her head on the edge of the bathtub as the kitten mewled and meowed pathetically. As they were being washed, Damian took care of the kitten while Jason was instructed to wash the dog. As Jason's hands sunk into soapy fur, Damian lectured him on animal care.
"Dogs and cats don't need washes as frequently as humans do. In reality, they need it very rarely and for Russian wolfhounds like that one, they need it rarely because their fur is thin and they can groom themselves, like cats. I believe this cat is a Turkish Angora, but they also don't need washes frequently either." He continued talking about the subject of caring for animals for so long that Jason was almost tempted to stop him.
But a small part of him, tired and weary from the day he had, endured it and secretly enjoyed his brother with him, and so he didn't say a word.
The night ended with two animals laying on the extra blankets that Alfred kept in all of their safe houses. Damian stayed with him and Jason collapsed on his bed. In the morning, he would bring the two to the animal shelter.
Jason stared up at the ceiling for a moment before he left his room. He squinted within the darkness and entered the kitchen. The moment his foot nudged something that shouldn't have been there, he jumped and nearly reached into the kitchen cabinet for his gun when he stared at reflective, blue eyes.
"You spooky little shit!" Jason hissed at the kitten.
The kitten meowed softly and brushed against his ankles. Jason picked him up, cradling him within his arms for a moment before he got his water. With another pause, he realized that the animals didn't get any water. He flicked the light on and grabbed a bowl before filling it with water. He placed it in a corner of the living room and brought the kitten to it.
"Here you go," he said softly. The kitten meowed and went to licking.
Jason watched him for a moment before he reached a hand out and stroked his back. The cat's fur was soft and fluffy. Jason smiled, unable to stop himself as the kitten continued to drink his fill.
The cat lifted his head and nuzzled against Jason's hand. Jason's heart clenched and he pulled away.
This moment of tranquility would soon end, and his life would resume its normalcy.
This was only temporary.
————
It was not temporary.
The girl working at the animal shelter gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, sir, but all of the shelters within Gotham are full right now. Robin has been helping the strays in the city by bringing them to us, so I'm afraid that it filled us up. If there a way for you to keep the two for a while until space is available? Or would you like to give them to us for us to find foster homes?"
Jason gave Damian a glare, who gave a little innocent whistle.
Of course the little shit's animal loving nature would come back to bite him in the ass.
Jason pinched his nose. "How long until space is freed up?"
"Uh.. maybe a week? At most, two weeks." The girl smiled apologetically.
Jason sighed again. "Well, it's alright. Sorry for the inconvenience, sweetheart, we'll get out of your hair."
She blushed and nodded. "No problem, sir! Call us anytime!"
They left the animal shelter and Jason aggressively shook his keys at Damian. "This is all your fault," he complained. Damian, who was holding the kitten in his arms, shrugged.
"Maybe so, but perhaps this is a sign. Perhaps this means that you must take care of these two." He gestured to the dog that placidly followed them and the kitten that was pawing at Damian's hoodie string.
Jason scowled. "You're just saying that because you want me to keep them."
Damian shrugged again but a smirk flitted over his face. "We'll see. But first, let's get the things these two need for a week's stay."
"Hell no!" Jason said vehemently. "I'll just get Roy to pick them up or something! I have no space or time for a dog and a cat!"
Damian gave a cold snort, his expression hardening. Jason reached into his pocket for his phone to call up Roy but kept his eyes on Damian. Damian was wily and he was deadly. He surely had a diabolical plan in his mind right now.
He was proven correct when Damian's expression broke into a wide smile. "Well, I'm sure you can call that useless deadbeat to pick them up. I'll go home and then tell Father that you were incapable of taking care of two animals for a week. Grayson will probably find out. Everyone will know that you're incapable of doing something so simple."
This little shit.
Jason's eye twitched and he silently pocketed the phone. The dog trotted up to him, bumping her nose against his stomach while Jason resisted the urge to reach out and strangle the little brat. Damian's face said it all, he knew exactly how he was riling up Jason and how it was working.
Jason breathed in deeply and then he said with a snarl. "Fine. Okay. I'll take care of them for a week. Nothing more."
The dog and kitten had already had their check-ups in the shelter, and they were declared healthy, both a little under or over the age of 1 year.
It would be fine.
Jason opened the side door and tried to usher the dog into the car.
Jason grumbled as he drove to the pet store, with Damian ordering him around on what to buy.
Both animals were pretty well mannered, which Damian kept praising them for. "Good girl!" Damian would coo everytime they passed someone with an animal and the dog didn't react much.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "She didn't even do anything."
"She is extremely well-trained for a dog with no leash. Animals are very perceptive and they can understand verbal tone and can even read the room. She deserves praise for being well behaved." Damian scratched at her head.
Jason frowned, quiet for a moment before he reached over and gave the dog a ruffle. "Good girl." He said, a little awkwardly. The dog licked his hand and they continued walking.
Damian pulled out packs of food, lecturing Jason on what to get all the while, while the kitten was let go to bat at hanging treat bags. Both dog and kitten seemed to understand their duties in remaining good pets because they were quiet and didn't wander off far from the two humans.
Damian frowned at them, however, after a while as the two were investigating chew toys.
"What is it?" Jason asked.
"They need names."
Jason hummed. "Well... I'm gonna give them away anyway. Why do they need names?"
Damian kicked him in the shin. "Tt. You're deplorable! Fine! Then I shall name them!"
"Hell no! I'm keeping them, so I'm naming them!"
Jason approached both animals and he patted the dog, the first name popping up in his head. "Your name is Princess," he patted the kitten, "and you're Spooky."
He turned back to Damian. "There."
Damian's expression couldn't be described as anything other than 'less than impressed'. Still, he said nothing and just went back to putting cat and dog toys into the shopping cart. Jason almost felt offended.
After getting beds, bowls, and so many other things that Jason could almost hear his wallet's crying, they ended up in the collar section. Princess and Spooky trailed after them, Spooky cutely placed on top of Princess' head, who didn't seem to mind the extra weight. Damian patted them both, stroking down Princess' back and Spooky's head as he cooed.
Jason looked through several options with Damian's advice in his ear, but eventually, he settled on a turquoise colored collar with red rhinestones for Princess and a dark blue collar for Spooky. It suited them both, Jason thought, and the two didn't seem to mind that much.
Jason paid for it all, and Damian immediately clipped on the collars the moment they reached the car. Damian beamed and nuzzled Spooky, who mewed. "You look dashing." He said. Princess gave a low bark. Damian laughed and scratched at her head. "You too, Princess, you look gorgeous."
Jason wanted to point out how odd it was that Damian was so good at complimenting animals but couldn't even voice the fact that Dick was his favorite, but he just kept his mouth shut. This odd peace that they had created between them was something that Jason didn't want to disturb, even if he inwardly wanted to protest at his own thoughts.
When he got back to the safe house, there was people inside. Jason paused at the door. Then he turned around and pushed Damian and Princess away.
"Quick, quick, let's get away—"
The door slammed open and a crooning voice called out. "Jay~!!"
Jason cursed. Damian sighed. Spooky, hidden in Damian's hoodie pocketed, meowed once.
The two, defeated, trekked back to the door, where Dick was grinning at them widely. "You two had a busy day, huh," he said with a laugh as he noted their large bags of pet stuff. Inside Jason's safe house was even more people, with Cass, Tim, and Stephanie, and even Duke.
"Goddammit, Dick." Jason said exasperatedly. "Did you invite everyone into my safe house?"
"I had to, since you weren't going to introduce us to your new pets." Dick said with a huff. Then he looked down and beamed widely at Princess. "Oh my gosh! What's your name?! Good boy, good boy!" He cooed and immediately began to ruffle her ears and fur.
"It's a girl, Grayson." Damian stated sternly. "Her name is Princess, and this is Spooky. He is a boy." Damian pulled the kitten from his pocket, who shook out his fur and meowed loudly. Cass and Stephanie sidled up to them quickly, hands already reaching out for the kitten.
"Let me see, let me see!" There was another round of introductions as Duke and Tim approached them. Jason grumbled and went back to his car to get the rest of the things they bought.
When he came back, Princess was on the floor, lazily accepting pets with only her wagging tail to show her pleasure, while Spooky was jumping and prancing at a string that Duke was holding.
"They're super cute, man!" Duke said.
Jason gave a snort. "I know."
Tim stroked Spooky, who was enjoying the newfound pleasures of having human simps. "Are you planning on keeping them?"
"It's temporary. Does Alfred know you're all here?"
Stephanie spoke up this time, "Yeah. We told him that you and Damian had some grocery shopping to do and we wanted in on the food you'd make. So can you make some food for us too?"
"You sly motherfuckers." Jason snarled, but a smirk still crossed his face.
They were conniving little shits but Jason allowed it this one time.
So while Damian had his fun ordering around the others to set up the pet things, Jason pulled Duke into the kitchen to help him cook some pasta. Compared to the rest of his siblings, Jason respected Duke the most and knew that he wasn't a complete disaster within the kitchen like the rest of them.
In the morning, Jason woke up to giggling and some very loud shushing. Immediately, he could already tell who was snickering and giggling. Timothy said in a stage whisper, "We know you're awake, Jason."
There was some more laughter and shushing.
Jason had an urge to grab the gun under his pillow and start unloading the rounds within, but when a small fluffy weight was placed on his throat, his eyes flew open and he was immediately assaulted with a kitten paw in the nose.
"Jesus fucking Christ—!!"
Spooky meowed loudly, purring as then he rubbed his back and head all over Jason's face. Jason groaned and then there was a sharp whistle, before the clicking of claws. Before Jason could even sit up in alarm, his eyes flew open as a weight slammed into his chest with a loud, clear “Boof!”
Notes:
The reasons why they are the animals they are was that I wanted Jazz to be a big scary dog, and borzois (despite their silly appearance) are known to hunt wolves and they do this by biting down on their necks before the humans come closer. They're also large dogs and are considered "the most cat-like" dogs. Meanwhile, Danny is fluffy and white because when he is Phantom, he is black and sleek. Angora cats are also known to be very "puppy-like". I just thought it would be a funny coincidence lol.
I've actually drawn a few pictures of this AU on my blog. You can see the pictures here and here.
Chapter Text
The rain fell down with endless sheets of water. The sky and surroundings were so dark that a person almost couldn't see in front of them, everything coated in the gray of a storm overhead.
A barmaid was trudging in the rain, trying to get to the door to her inn when she turned and spotted two black spots coming towards the inn with a terrifying speed. Surrounding the inn was forestry, since it was the first stop before entering the town behind them, but beyond the forest was a large and endless plain. The fact that she could see the two figures speeding through the forest was odd.
Confused, she entered the inn and pulled off the heavy waterproof cloak before she opened the door again, just as the two figures approached. Except, it really wasn't two people but instead, a boy and his cat. The two of them slipped inside the inn and the cat shook itself like a dog as the boy sighed and bowed his head in greeting.
From what she could infer about him, he was short if he was an adult so he could only be a teenager. His posture was straight and regal as he stood there.
Even more confused, the barmaid bowed her head back in greeting.
"Excuse me, but how much for a night?" The boy asked.
His face was hidden by his black cloak, which looked well taken care of and enchanted, as the barmaid noticed how the water glided down the fabric. Belts lined his waist with pouches and bottles and satchels. His boots were dragon hide and no one could miss the sword tied to his waist. Clutched in one hand, however, was a twisted staff with a mana gem on top.
The barmaid silently took a step back, intimidated.
The owner of the inn, a man with hair as gray as the rain outside, piped up at this moment and said, "Two silvers fer a night, three silvers fer a meal now an' breakfast 'morrow morning."
The boy bowed his head again in silent acceptance of the price before he began to dig into a satchel tied to his belt loops. The cat meowed and circled the barmaid's legs.
It was a cute kitty. Its face was sweet and its fur was a brilliant white. The rest of it was sleek and long furred, complete with bright icy blue eyes.
The barmaid cooed and crouched to stroke its still wet fur.
"Oh, what's its name?" She asked, glancing at the well dressed boy. Even crouched, she couldn't see his face underneath.
"Danyal." He said curtly, as he laid the proper coins on the table for the innkeeper to collect. The cat yowled loudly, as if offended and it pulled away from her fingers to scratch at the boy's boots. The boy laughed lightly, kicking out a foot to lift the cat by the underbelly, who meowed and then used the sudden flat plane to scale his leg and torso before wrapping around his throat.
The boy chuckled and continued, "But he goes by Danny."
The barmaid blinked and then smiled.
The innkeeper coughed and said, "Alright, Rieza. Go an' bring our guest ta his room."
Rieza, feeling like maybe he wasn't so scary after all, smiled and gestured towards the set of stairs that lead to the floor of rooms. "Here, sir. Please follow me."
She paused. "Wait, what's your name?"
The boy lowered his hood, revealing beautiful green eyes laid on a porcelain face with dark skin and even darker hair.
He smiled. Rieza could hear the sharp inhale of the innkeeper behind her as she stared at him with wide eyes.
"My name is Damian."
————
Damian stared out the window, the rain still coming in thick waves. It battered against the window and walls of the inn, rattling it and pulling Damian into a lull. Danny sat next to him, quiet and peaceful, fur finally dried back to its usually fluffy appearance. One hand was resting on his little head, absentmindedly scratching his ears as Danny purred.
"... how close are we?" Damian asked.
Danny butted his head against his fingers before he spoke. "Very close. I heard rumors that he was in this town. We will see our family again." His words were a quiet promise, a solemn vow that formed the basis of their relationship.
Danny was no ordinary cat. He was a demon, one that Damian had contracted some time ago in order to complete his goals.
Danny removed himself from Damian's hands and stretched, claws extending to knead and scratch at the bedding. Damian watched him as the cat yawned and then climbed onto Damian's lap, eyes already closing.
"Sleep." Danny murmured. "I will watch over you."
Damian repositioned himself and blew out the incense candle. Rosemary and sage covered the room in protective scent as Danny purred against his chest, a small yet reassuring weight against his heavy heart. Damian stared at the ceiling, which was lit only by the cool glow of the rain. Dinner had been a simple but still delicious soup and bread. His stomach was sated, his blankets were nice and warm, Danny was cool and soft, and they had a roof over their heads.
His eyes began to close. He turned on his side, depositing Danny next to him. Danny meowed angrily but didn't move away, just curling further into him.
"Danny?" He whispered.
In the dim, almost nonexistent lighting, Danny's ear twitched.
"Do you think... do you think we'll get them back?"
A flash of lightning lit up the room.
Danny turned and opened hauntingly blue eyes. His eyes glowed in the darkness and he stood up before laying himself over Damian's neck, a large and fluffy presence.
Damian resisted the urge to sneeze.
"Yes, Damian. I promised you, didn't I? We'll find them."
Damian finally closed his eyes with this reassurance and then fell asleep. In the dark, a pair of glowing eyes watched the shadows attempt to twist and curl around the boy, relentless and yet unable.
Danny hissed at the dark and then moved so he would be at Damian's side, rather than suffocating him with his furry weight.
The night passed without incident.
Morning came, with better and brighter hopes. Damian brushed Danny's fur and hummed lightly as Danny purred and kneaded his thighs. "Damian!" He chirped. "Ready to go?"
"Yes, yes." Damian said, his tone indulgent.
"Finish up your breakfast! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Danny bounced away from the brush and began to prance and jump around the room in a burst of excitement.
Damian couldn't help but laugh and he polished the rest of his breakfast, a grand and heavy tray of bread, sausages, bacon, eggs, and black pudding. Damian fed Danny a bite of the sausage before he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and began to pack. Danny's hope and optimism was getting to him and he desperately wished to go and investigate the town.
The sun cast its warm golden rays onto the world as if it was apologizing for the storm that was unleashed last night. Damian thanked the innkeeper and barmaid, ignoring the various gazes from the other guests.
He knew what he looked like. Young and rich, easy pickings for intimidation and robbery.
Damian left with an extra loaf of bread in his pocket. It seemed that he had endeared himself somehow with the barmaid and she looked happy enough. Danny received many pets and kisses before he finally felt embarrassed enough to climb into Damian's hood. Damian smirked but didn't face him. Still, Danny batted the back of his head with a paw so he most certainly felt Damian's smug and amused aura.
They trekked through the forest. Danny hummed songs in his ear and played with the strands of his hair. The ground was wet from mud and upturned roots and occasionally, Damian had to carefully jump from tree to tree to pass particularly messy areas.
As they reached the outskirts of the nearby village, Danny whispered, "Go and see the letters your grandfather sent you."
It was uncanny what Danny knew sometimes.
Damian paid the toll to enter the town and went straight towards the Aviary. He entered the door and ignored the screeching of the birds as they all caught a glimpse of Danny and went ballistic. He glanced around until he spotted the frazzled bird keeper and asked, "Excuse me, but have you seen a large thunderbird around here? One that is perhaps in adolescence, with black and blue feathers?"
Nervously, the bird keeper nodded and said, "He wouldn't let me see what he had in his claws."
"Excellent. Show me the way."
Damian was lead to an inner room, probably where the messenger birds were free to come and go, and he immediately spotted the beautiful bird. The bird, Atlas, gave a sharp trill when he saw him and he unlocked the cage with a clever claw and then flew straight towards him, landing right on his shoulder. Atlas pushed the message-laden foot towards Damian as he bent over and began to preen Danny, who mewed in pleased surprise.
Damian took the letter and opened it, his grandfather's elegant handwriting meeting his eyes.
'Dear Damian,
All is well in the household. Do not worry about us. Alfred and Titus and all of your pets are being fed.
Come and visit me soon. My back cannot handle the strain of caring for the cow.
Sincerely, Pennyworth'
Damian smiled.
He scratched Atlas' neck and let him go. He gave a loud cry but then quickly left, flying through the opening of wall where other birds were flying through. As he left, there was a clap of thunder.
No wonder the storm was so intense.
Damian pocketed the letter and paid the bird keeper a fee before he left again. He let Danny down from his shoulder and watched the cat sniff the roads before following an unseen path. Trusting in his companion, Damian followed him without much thought. He still watched their surroundings with careful eyes but in the end, he trusted Danny's ability to keep them safe and on the right road. They had traveled together for many months. Damian trusted him.
They left busy streets and entered shady alleys soon enough and Damian pulled up his hood again, hand tightening on his staff. Danny continued to move without pause, not even hesitating as he slipped through a crack in a wall. Damian sighed and tapped the stone bricks, watching the bricks shuffle into a hole just for him before he entered and let it close behind him.
Further along the alley, Danny meowed tentatively, blue eyes watching him.
Damian gave him a small smile and then ran to follow. Danny allowed him to chase and off they went, past several gray and worn buildings. Damian felt fleeting eyes on him, as if there were people lurking in the darkness but too afraid to approach the hooded boy.
Damian's own eyes were on Danny, however.
"Where are they, Danny?" He whispered roughly. "Where's the bastard that took my family away from me?"
The two of their breaths were synchronized as they continued to run. Then, with a yowl, Danny skittered to a halt and then jerked to the right, where he ran down a smaller alley and then pounced on a stranger with a black hood. Damian threw out the hand holding the staff and immediately cast a spell.
"Seize!" Thin black ropes materialized out of his staff and shot towards the man, who shrieked as Danny clawed at his face. Damian approached as the ropes tied him down and he kicked the hooded man's side until he turned over. He was met with a pasty white face, though it lacked the characteristic smile of the Laughing Demon.
"Where is your master? Answer me or I will skin you alive, you yellow-bellied bastard." Damian used his free hand to unsheathe the dagger by his thigh. He played with it, using the hand holding the staff to slam against the man's gut, smiling menacingly all the while.
"So? What's your answer, you worthless trash? Tell me if you wish to keep your organs to yourself."
The man didn't speak, just smiled.
Damian grit his teeth and then brutally kicked him. The person slammed into the wall, grunting before Damian crossed the alley to him in one stride and then kicking him again, using the heel of his boots to hold the man up to the wall.
"Speak! Speak or I'll kill you!" He roared, taking his dagger and then pressing the sharp edge to the man's throat. A bead of blood slipped down to his collarbone.
Damian could hear nothing but the rush of blood in his ears and he wished that he could feel something beyond the hot fury in his veins and the rising fear.
It had been two years.
Just how much more time did he have before he wouldn't be able to see his family at all?
"—ian! Damian!? Damian, listen to me!"
Damian blinked back hot tears and turned, where Danny sat at his feet, wide eyed as he pawed at his leg.
"Damian!
Notes:
I drew a lot of art for this idea :3
You can see them here, here, here, and here. Or search up “cat demon and mage” on my Tumblr at Demonic0Angel.
Chapter Text
Dick stared at the door, where his one-night stand from several months ago stood, arms wrapped around a tiny, bundled figure as he sullenly avoided his gaze. He was alone, except for the infant in his arms.
Dick stuttered, "S-Sorry... what?"
His one night stand, Dan, sighed and said, "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, but truthfully, I thought it wouldn't have been appreciated if I had come. But I'm here now and this is your child."
Dick nodded, like he understood.
He did not fucking understand.
"I thought you said you were on birth control...?" Dick said awkwardly, gaze flickering down to the baby. Their face was still a little red, exactly like that of a newborn's, and for a moment, Dick was lost in sudden sweetness and awe.
A baby.
His baby.
Dan shook his head. "What I said was that I couldn't get pregnant, but clearly, I was wrong. That was my fault. I'm sorry for the sudden drop-in. I will not force you to be in her life. I only wanted you to know that she existed, since my siblings insisted." He muttered the last part under his breath.
Dick stared.
"What's... uhm, what's her name?"
"Marillyn Nightingale. But her nickname is Mari."
Mari. Like Mary, his mother's name.
Dick melted and he suddenly realized that they were still standing at his door, so he stepped back and said, "Please come inside. Let's talk there."
Dan eyed his messy apartment and refused with a sneer, "I'll give you a few minutes to clean up first."
Damn, how the hell did Dick forget how bossy he was?
Exasperated and slightly abashed, Dick immediately went to cleaning his tiny apartment.
When he invited him back inside again, Dan stepped in and beelined to the couch.
Dick trailed after him, eyes on his daughter, who was still held within Dan's arms. Dan watched him with keen eyes before he said, "Would you like to hold her?"
Dick startled. "Can I?"
Dan immediately walked over to him and with one hand holding their daughter, he used the other to position Dick's hands before gently placing Marilyn inside his arms.
Dick tensed.
She was tiny. She was so small, with pink cheeks and a tiny nose and pinched eyes and a little tuff of black hair on her head.
Oh god, Dick was falling in love.
Dick cradled her close, feeling as though he was holding the entire world in his hands as he barely even breathed as he held her.
When he looked up, Dan was watching them both with half-lidded eyes, clearly thinking of something. Noticing Dick's gaze on him, he smiled and Dick asked, "So... what now?"
"She remains in my custody. I only brought her here so you would know that she existed. She'll stay with me and you can... continue to do whatever you were doing before. The two of us will leave you alone, and you won't have to deal with child support either."
"No!" Dick said, suddenly panicked. "Please, I'd like to be in her life. If it's money, I can pay child support. I want to be with her."
Dan watched him with his sharp, hawk-like eyes. Dick had always thought he was beautiful, with an elegance to him that was both alluring and terrifying. Like now, as he crossed one leg over the other, staring at him and almost making Dick wonder if he had actually given birth just some time ago.
Dick felt like his life was on the line as he allowed Dan to judge his worth. In any other moment, he would've felt pissed at the audacity of someone who just planned to come into his life, show off his daughter, and then leave without another word.
But the thought of this sweet girl in his arms, his precious daughter, prevented him from getting angry.
Dick wanted to be in her life. He wanted this. He had always wanted a large family, and his siblings had helped, but making his own sounded too good to be true.
Notes:
Marillyn is a combination of Madeline (from Maddie) and Mary as well as Mar’i. For some reason, when I plan the next generation of DPxDC heroes, most of the Batfamily have daughters as their first born 😭 is this projection? /j
The rest of the story would have Dick and Dan coparenting until they fall in love and Dan reveals his identity as prince of the Ghost Realm. The Phantom family are super obsessed with their niece, just like the Batfamily.
Chapter 10: Jazz and Danny Move to Gotham
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Danny didn't know how it happened. One moment, he had been fighting Skulker when the next, his parents were shouting and screaming, violently attacking him with a fervor that frightened him, demanding him to give their baby boy back.
He flew away from home, dodging ray blasts. Underneath him, he could see his parents load themselves into the car and driving after him, his mother aiming a gun at him as his dad drove madly, visibly gnashing his teeth. Danny hid behind a dumpster, barely escaping their notice now as he called the only adult he could trust.
He recalled the sight of his parents' faces, their furrowed eyebrows and hard set mouths, as they readied their guns at him.
His hands shook as he held the phone to his ear and tried not to cry.
The moment Jazz picked up, he couldn't help but keen from all of the hurt inside of his chest, all of the frustration and fear finally escaping his mouth in one pained noise.
"Jazz!" He sobbed. "Jazz, I made a mistake! Mom and dad are after me— they found out my identity!"
He couldn't breathe— he couldn't breathe—
He felt like he was suffocating himself as he gasped for air.
"Danny?! Are you alright? Where are you right now?"
"I-I'm on the street across from the theater. Jazz, please, I-I don't know what to do. I have to leave. I need to leave or they'll catch me, Jazz." He choked on his words, almost sobbing. He scrunched himself up further against the wall, wishing that he could've used his ghost powers to phase through, but the shake in his body betrayed him and resisted the change.
Fear hindered him from transforming again, but rationality barely allowed him to control himself from a full blown panic attack. He ruthlessly controlled his breathing into something manageable, but it still remained relatively fast.
He had known this would happen, sooner or later.
Sooner or later, his parents would've found out about Phantom's identity and then would've tried to kill him.
It was normal. Natural, even.
Still, why did it hurt so badly?
Jazz was silent, a faint crackling on the other line that signaled her steadied breathing before she said. "No, Danny. If you're going, I'm going too. We're in this together, alright? Wait there. I'll get my keys and I'll drive us to the airport. I know where to go."
Danny blinked back stinging tears. "How long have you been planning this?" He didn't ask whether she had been planning it, or when she had thought of this idea. He just knew that she had.
Jazz chuckled a little. "A little too long. C'mon."
And in the next hour, she had come to get him with hastily put together luggage and they were boarding a bus to Texas.
He messaged his friends as people continued to board the bus.
The Cabbage Merchant: Are you sure you're okay?
Technus ain't got nothing on me: yah tell us if sumthing comes up we got ur back
Wayne Kid Wannabe: of course
Wayne Kid Wannabe: i'll miss you guys
Technus ain't got nothing on me: ofc us too
The Cabbage Merchant: Danny, we'll keep Amity Park safe. You can rest assured
Technus ain't got nothing on me: got val 2 help us too
Technus ain't got nothing on me: luv u bro
Wayne Kid Wannabe: bro <3
Technus ain't got nothing on me: bro... <3
The Cabbage Merchant: Omg stop this
Danny smiled at their messages, as Sam and Tucker began to argue.
As Danny clutched his sister's hand and laid his head on her shoulder, he knew that while their new life wouldn't be easy, it would be enough as long as they had each other. Jazz squeezed his hand and whispered, "We'll make it through this."
And for the first time in a long time, Danny relaxed and handed over his life to family.
————
When they arrived, they had stopped by a port city named Houston. There, Dani was quickly found and informed of the circumstances.
"What! Why— How did that happen?!" She shrieked. She clapped a hand over her mouth as nearby customers stared at her with judgement. The three were sitting in a Denny's booth, Dani paying for their food. Pancakes and waffles covered their table as Danny and Dani ate their weight in food.
Danny miserably hung his head. "I don't know. One moment, I'm fighting Skulker and then getting home, and the next, the GIW storm inside and are telling mom and dad that I'm Phantom. I didn't know what to do. I just ran for my life and called Jazz."
Jazz nodded, a hand reassuringly placed on his shoulder. "I immediately went out to get him."
"So what's the plan?" Dani asked. Danny turned to Jazz, because she hadn't said a word about her plan to him either.
Jazz gave a smile. "First, we'll get a bit of a makeover. Mom and dad aren't... that observant, so a pair of glasses and a haircut will fix that. Next, I'll get us tickets to Louisiana, where we'll go by train then, to New Jersey."
Danny's eyes widened, a piece of knowledge that he suddenly remembered rising to the front of his mind. "Wait a minute. Three months ago, you said that you wanted to try working in... Jazz, you gotta be kidding!"
Dani blinked. "What's she kidding about?"
"I'm not kidding." She leaned closer and whispered, "I am planning to work at Arkham Asylum."
"... Sis, you're insane." Dani said. "Danny's right. That place is a wackjob magnet. There's no way you can work there."
"I appreciate the concern, but I will anyways. If there's a chance I can help, I want to. Besides, this is the perfect plan. They'll never find us at Gotham. Danny can be hidden safely there and I can make the money to support us." Jazz smiled, clenching a fist.
Danny looked at her with wide, vulnerable eyes. His heart swelled and ached with the force of his emotions. He was so, so, so glad he had Jazz by his side. He didn't know what he would've done without her. "How much money do you have?"
"A few thousand. I sneak some out of Vlad's account anytime he comes visit."
Danny smacked his forehead. "I should've done that."
Jazz snickered. "Too slow, little brother! But don't worry, we have just enough to get a new start. In the meantime, Dani, where are you planning to go? Want to come with us?"
Both Jazz and Danny looked at Dani expectingly, but Dani only shook her head sorrowfully. "Sorry," she said, "I want to look around the world some more. I'll travel with you to Louisiana but we'll go on our separate ways from then on, okay?"
Jazz and Danny sighed in disappointment but smiled at her softly as she beamed. They finished their food and then they both went shopping.
They got their hair cuts and new clothes, as well as a pair of glasses.
Danny had many thoughts on this.
"Jazz, these glasses will never work!" Danny frowned, wrinkling his nose and shifting his glasses.
Jazz frowned and took off her rectangle glasses, squinting at her reflection. "I know, but we still have to try."
Danny and Jazz didn't look too different, but they were still far too distinct in his opinion.
His eyes were still the same piercing blue behind the round lenses Jazz bought him and his hair hadn't even changed that much from its usual spiky quiff. His sides were faded into an undercut but beyond that, he had no other changes.
Even Jazz couldn't— and also wouldn't— change her appearance too much. While she chopped her classic length hair into a manageable shoulder length, she refused to dye her hair and all that was different was the pair of rectangle glasses that sat atop her nose. She still had that monstrous height too, which admittedly, she couldn't change.
Danny stared at his sister and himself in the mirror, feeing silly and even more anxious than ever. Jazz put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. Dani stood next to them, bumping shoulders against him with a smile that promised safety.
Danny returned the smile.
Jazz huffed and then said, "Come on. Let's buy some things for us to go."
"You're in luck," Dani said. "Texas is really cheap."
Danny pulled up the Gotham survival subreddit and smiled as his sisters groaned, seeing the website. "I have a few ideas."
In only a few hours, they were on a bus to Louisiana as they waved goodbye to Dani. Danny eventually closed the window when he couldn't see Dani anymore and he pressed against the seat, sighing.
Jazz gave him a small smile. "Sleep. We need all of the rest we can get before we get to Louisiana."
————
Two figures stood in the rain, close to each other. The taller figure held a black umbrella over their heads, the small space making it a tight fit as the smaller person looked around the two with critical eyes. The train station was sparse, as the rain continued to pour.
"Hey. Stop looking around, you look suspicious." The taller figure said, a distinctly feminine tone.
".... Okay," the smaller figure said, stilling into a fidget. "When is the train going to arrive?"
"Just a little longer, little brother. Just a little longer. And then we'll be inside of Gotham." And true to her word, just in an hour, the train picked up the two siblings for their final destination: Gotham City.
They traveled in silence. The woman watched the train comparent's few occupants, while the young male fidgeted on his phone. The moment they entered the city, Gotham pinpointed their appearance. The two figures eventually left the train station with their meager belongings.
Gotham raised her buildings, her murky skies churning as she sensed the arrival of the King into her arms. His presence was muted and beside him was the princess as the two walked through her streets, yet Gotham could sense the roiling power off of him. He was young, but he would grow into his power and role.
Gotham could hear them argue with a landlord as gunshots rang across the town, accompanied by the arrival of a new Gothamite child in the hospital a few miles away. Gotham's skies moved quicker, bringing rain for the blood to wash away as an elderly couple chatted in their apartment. The people in her city skirted along the edges of her shadows, always with a sense of anxiety, always with a sense of fear.
She fed on it, even though she hated it.
The King and his sister finally acquired an apartment and as they settled down with their measly possessions, Gotham smiled. Finally, finally, her chosens would have the help they needed to rid Gotham of its most stubborn stains.
The clouds overhead rumbled as Gotham watched over her people, her gaze on the King and his sister, and on her own little family travelling through her roofs. As she watched the Bats stalk the night and subdue the worst of her occupants, she finally settled in wait, for the moment that the Ghost King would meet the Bats.
————
She cried softly. Her breaths came shallowly a tears trickled out of her eyes. She let herself cry, just wishing that perhaps in another world, she could’ve helped her brother more. Perhaps her parents could’ve been smarter, loved him more than their work. Perhaps their lives would’ve been better, if she had been able to talk her parents through.
A breeze ruffled her hair and moonlight scattered its beams across her bed and face as Jazz flicked her eyes upwards. A figure crept into her room through the window and paused.
“Hey. Why are you crying?” Red Hood moved closer to her. “Who did this to you?” A tinge of anger cut through his voice with steel, and yet his tone was still soft and gentle.
Jazz and Danny were sort of silent criers. Of course, Jazz had her moments, but as she got older and life became harder and grim in the Fenton House, she learned to cry silently so Danny wouldn’t worry for her and so her parents wouldn’t bother.
In this moment, Jazz just let the tears come and she sniffled and said, “Nothing, Red Hood. It’s nothing.”
He was silent, before slowly taking a step towards her. She didn’t move, just laying in bed, cheek pressed against her wet sheets as she watched him through faintly blurry eyes.
“How about we go get some food and I’ll show you around the city, Princess?” He said, voice growing tenderer by the second.
Was it pity? Jazz didn’t believe it was. But she couldn’t muster up the energy to get offended or humiliated or even answer. She turned her head the other way so she wouldn’t have to look at his tall, sturdy figure, which suddenly looked so dependable.
It took a moment as they just breathed.
Red Hood rested a gloved hand on her head, hesitant. Then he stroked her hair and said, “What do you say, Princess?”
“… Later,” Jazz answered.
————
His phone kept ringing. Tim’s smile became strained. Danny paused in his passionate speech and tilted his head. He held the two shark plushies under his arms and said, “You gonna take that?”
Tim wanted to say no so bad and get back into their conversation. Danny brightened up his day, but the constant ringing made him so irritated that Tim finally moved away from Danny and opened his phone, snapping out a short, “What.”
“We need you back here, Tim.”
His eye almost twitched. “I told you that I was going to be unavailable today.”
“No excuses.” Bruce was using his Batman voice, which would have been funny any other time. “You need to be here in the next ten minutes or you’re benched.”
Tim hissed through his teeth, rage clogging his throat. He hung up without a word but he knew he would have to go. He turned to look back at Danny, who was browsing through more stuffed animals before he turned around, meeting his eyes. Danny smiled and said, “What’s the matter? You gotta go?”
Tim grumbled but said, “Yeah. My dad’s calling. I’m sorry to have to leave so early.”
“No, it’s no problem! Be safe, yeah?” Danny’s expression was light, but Tim could see the disappointment in his eyes.
Tim felt like an utter asshole having to ditch Danny in the middle of the IKEA store. Even after Danny reassured him that he had a ride, he felt like an utter dick and he was so, so pissed at Bruce for forcing him to leave Danny behind.
He drove through the streets of Gotham like a man on death row, but he got to the cave just in time. The whale sat next to him, buckled in and when Tim arrived, he hesitated for only a moment before deciding to bring it in for moral support.
Tim stormed into the Batcave, seething as he said, “What.”
He held the whale plushie close and even as Jason and Duck snickered and cooed at him, it only made him even more angry as Bruce gave him an unimpressed stare, looking disappointed.
“Bruce.” Tim pronounced his words carefully. “What did you call me for?”
“… we have a case—“
“That needed my attention so badly?!” Tim didn’t mean to raise his voice but Jason and Dick both shut up, staring at him with sudden wariness. Even Damian raised an eyebrow. Bruce frowned at him.
“Tim, any case that we have is important, you know this. What were you even doing that needed your attention more than this?”
Sometimes, Tim understood why Jason and Dick were often so angry with Bruce. He clutched at the whale and snarled, “I was with a friend.”
“Who is this friend? What’s their name?”
Confusion took Tim for a moment, before rage entered his eyes again. “You are not going to investigate him!”
Tim stormed off, feeling ridiculous but also too hot tempered to be of any help. He ignored Bruce’s calls and the other Robins ran after him, though he shook off their concerns. It made him happy, in a dissociative way, that while Bruce could be a jerk, his brothers always had his back. Stephanie eventually followed him and he allowed it, the both of them entering his room together.
“How was your date?” She asked teasingly. Tim groaned and mashed his head against the soft stuffed animal.
“Give it a rest, Steph.”
She giggled but didn’t say anything for a moment. The silence was broken by her asking again, “Was it fun?”
Tim blushed and hugged the whale. “It was great.”
“Ooh, what’d you do?” She sat on the bed, smiling. Tim flopped down beside her and couldn’t help but relax, recalling his and Danny’s excursion into IKEA.
“Well, I brought him out to eat and then he needed furniture for his sister, so we went to IKEA for it. We bought each other stuffed animals and… he was trying to convince me buy the IKEA shark and whale, but then Bruce called and… ugh.”
Steph made a sympathetic noise.
————
Deliriously, Jason made grabby hands at her. Jazz stared at him but didn’t move, and that was complete and utter blasphemy.
It was obvious that she hated him and despised his guts, he could tell just from her actions.
Of course, in the next moment, as she carefully maneuvered herself to pull him close to her and into her lap, he forgave her instantly. Jason sighed and placed his head on her chest, just content to lie there and he would’ve been happy if he had died then and there, head cradled on her bosom, her arms around him as he sat in her embrace.
“I wish…” he started slowly, mouth fumbling with the words, “that I was small enough to go into your purse. Then I’d use your receipts as blankets and you could carry me everywhere so I could be with you all of the time.”
Jazz chuckled, her laughter like soft bells. “That’s a cute thought. I’d love to carry you around everywhere with me.”
Encouraged, Jason grinned, nuzzling his chin into the dip of her cleavage and looking at her with blurry eyes. Still, she was radiant and lovely. “Would you feed me and keep me forever?”
“Forever and ever. I’d give you a block of cheese and a cracker and that would be your lunch,” she said, a hand reaching over to delicately slide down the bridge of his nose. “And for breakfast, I’ll feed you a crumb of toast with some jam and for dinner, I’d make you soup.”
He closed his eyes, imagining it. In his delirious head, it made perfect sense.
“Would you give me little kisses?” He asked, just because he wanted to know. He rubbed his feverish cheek against her warm skin and shivered from the cold. Her arms wrapped around him further before she pulled away just enough so she could see his face.
“Yep! Like this!” And she layered kisses all over his cheeks and face and Jason giggled helplessly like a little girl, tickled by her soft smooches and by the warm, gooey feeling in his chest.
How was he so blessed to be with such a woman that was so intelligent and ruthless and yet so affectionate and generous?
He must’ve pleased some god with his death by the hands of joker.
————
“I was reading a story. And the hero was backed into a corner. He’s being hounded by police, mercenaries, even civilians. He needs to make ends meet because he got fired from his civilian job but he’s a superhero that everyone wants to unmask. He’s a good guy, but all he has is his aunt and everyone wants to ruin his life by trying to find him and his identity. He’s being threatened by mercenaries and it scares him.” She closed her eyes, another tear falling. “Sorry. I couldn’t sleep and it’s making me emotional.”
————
Tim bit his lower lip and then hid inside of an alleyway. He found the bag he had hidden behind the dumpster and began to quickly layer a set of civilian clothes over himself. He took off his mask and weaved a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. A thrill ran through him from the secrecy of what he was doing. It was the vigilante stuff he did every night.
This was definitely not allowed by Batman.
He ran out of the alleyway and immediately spotted who he was looking for.
A forlorn looking Danny nodded his head along to the beat of the drum and cymbals as his eyes followed the secession of lions and performers, but looked far too lonely in a day of festivities like the Lunar Festival. Tim snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder.
“Boo!” He called. Danny jumped and whirled around, lightning fast before his eyes lit up. Tim felt his heart flutter at the look of pure joy on Danny’s face as he recognized him.
“Timberly!” Danny teased and Tim couldn’t resist the smile on his face either. “I thought you wouldn’t be here!”
Tim tilted his head, a little confused by that statement but he didn’t pay attention to it. “Well, you’re wrong! Wanna hang with me?”
Danny smiled, eyes sparkling like the stars he loved so much and he said, “Of course! C’mon, let’s go!”
Tim grinned and took his hand as Danny broke off into a light run, following the train of lion dancers and music players. Underneath the red lights with pounding music in his ears, Tim couldn’t describe the feeling that washed up inside of him as he stared at Danny’s back. The cold air wasn’t even noticeable amongst the heat of the crowd and if Tim was worried about Batman’s reaction, he completely forgot about it as Danny dragged him here and there, making him buy skewers from the street booths and cute, matching key chains.
They clipped them to their belt loops and continued exploring with the festival as their background music. Tim swallowed back his words when he saw their hands still held together throughout their time spent with one another as though they couldn’t bear to separate. Danny didn’t point it out either, and Tim was shamefully aware that he didn’t want to pull away.
He was eating an egg roll with one hand as he carried a bag with their boba milk teas in his elbow when his phone in the back of his pocket buzzed. He ignored it.
The buzzing switched from an insistent vibrating to a ringing, complete with the ringtone of Black Parade. Tim’s heart dropped. Deja vu overcame him as Danny turned and raised an eyebrow.
Tim sighed and then picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Timothy. Do you know where my tie is?” Batman’s quiet, somber voice came through.
It sounded like the Devil’s.
Tim resisted the urge to curse and scream, but all he said was, “No. Have you checked your drawer?”
The silence was damning.
And then—
“Tim.” Batman’s voice came again, angrier. “Why did you leave patrol?”
“…. No reason.”
“Are you at the Lunar Festival?”
“….”
“Timothy. If you don’t give me a reason right now, I’m grounding you. No patrol, no cases, no leaving the house.”
Tim chewed on his lip as he turned and stared at Danny, who flitted around the stalls within his vision. He turned and then flinched a little when he noticed Tim’s gaze before he hurriedly turned around again. Without thinking of it, Tim smiled and he muttered, “I had civilian things to do.”
“Like what? If you did, you could’ve just told us. Why did you take off your comms too?”
“… it’s personal.” He said.
He could almost hear Batman’s teeth grinding. “Don’t tell me you’re on a date.”
Tim’s silence was enough of an answer.
“Who is it? Who the hell is pulling you away from patrol? Timothy, lives could be at stake while you’re frolicking with a civilian. Do you know that? People could be dying while you’re doing nothing but dating.”
Tim knew that. Of course he knew that.
But just once, did he have to be the perfect son who would sacrifice himself over and over?
He didn’t want to have to prove himself to be a part of the Batclan.
He understood, of course.
He, who had forcibly intruded upon their lives. He, who had blackmailed Bruce and Dick into letting him become a Robin. He, who took Jason’s and Damian’s rightful place. He, who had caused problem after problem for his family.
But for once, he didn’t want to the boy who had to fix his mistakes and crawl his way to their favor.
For once, he didn’t have to be the boy who bludgeoned his way into becoming Batman’s unwanted sidekick.
For once, he was just a boy with a crush on another boy.
“I know,” he said quietly, but his voice was steady and firm. “But that’s why I called Jason to take up patrol for me.”
Batman’s rant stuttered to a halt. “Jason?”
“Yeah. He’s willing to put away the guns for awhile for patrol. Apparently, he has a sidekick of his own, you’ve heard the rumors.”
The rumors of a tall red haired woman that followed Red Hood like his own shadow had reached the ears of the rest of the Batclan. No one could get into contact with Jason long enough to ask him about.
————
“Fuck,” one of the performers cursed. “Tommy is sick. He can’t perform.”
“Do you want me to do it?” Another asked but Danny perked up at hearing this piece of news amongst the murmurs of a disappointed crowd.
Danny stepped up and asked, “Do you guys need a hand?”
Tim blinked. “You know how to lion dance?”
“My friends have convinced me to do a lot of crazy things for volunteer work,” Danny explained with a smile before he jogged over to the performers who quizzed him on what to do. They were desperate enough that they eventually just handed over their uniform for Danny to put it on. He slipped the fluffy pants over his jeans and then put the cloth around his waist.
Tim watched him in interest, slipping past the two performers who shooed everyone away.
“You’re amazing,” Tim murmured.
Danny’s face was red when Tim looked up to look at his face, though it probably could’ve been because of the lanterns.
“Shut up.” Danny grouched. “You’re amazing too.”
He swiftly picked up the large lion head and put it over himself, throwing the back of the lion head behind him as another performer quickly entered through the back. Tim couldn’t help but smile as he watched Danny mutter to his partner over the sound of the drums. The drum began to play, combined with the cymbals, and Tim backed away, just as the lions began to leave their shadowy corner for the performance.
Tim felt the music crash over him and he smiled as he ran along the parade. The performers eyed him, but he didn’t make a disturbance so they let him be. Danny jumped and moved to the music. The rhythm of the music changed and expertly, Danny shifted his movements, embodying the lion he was pretending to be.
Tim smiled and although his head pounded from the music, he felt light. Eventually, the main lion dancing performance ended and it was basically time for the kids and parents to give money to the lions and take pictures. Tim trailed around the crowd, keeping himself hidden and out of sight until the people around Danny’s lion began to disperse.
He approached him and patted the fluff lining the lion head.
“You did great, Danny.” He praised.
Danny paused, the head turned in his direction before he swung and Tim saw darkness.
Before he realized that Danny had put the mouth of the lion head over his and they were now sharing the same air inside of the head. Tim’s eyes widened as lips pressed against the corner of his in a messy, blind kiss and then Tim saw light again.
He stared in wonder as Danny quickly moved away before he pressed a hand to his face and felt heat.
————
“B-But what about our mortgage? The kids! Tim, please!” Danny cried out in anguish, clutching at the lapels of Tim’s clothes.
Tim looked off into the distance, as if apathetic to his wife with whom he had a loveless marriage with. “I’m having an affair with a woman at my office job and I’m going to leave you for her.”
Danny wailed and pretended to cry on his shoulder as Tim dispassionately ignored him, despite the fact that everyone could see the corner of his lips rising slightly.
Bruce stared at them both with wide eyed, astonished looks.
————-
“I’d grab the moon from the sky for you if you asked.” Tim said seriously.
Danny turned and raised an eyebrow. There was a mischievous smile on his face, charming and sly. “Okay, Gru .” He snickered, bumping his shoulders against his as Tim’s face flushed.
“Shut up.” Tim couldn’t help but mutter, his stomach doing quadruple front flips from Danny’s teasing. He really couldn’t handle it. Danny just knew exactly which buttons to push to drive him crazy. Here he was, trying to be romantic and Danny was bullying him for it.
Honestly, what possessed him to get such a cute, cheeky boyfriend?
Danny’s body shifted towards him and he wrapped his arms around his neck. Their bodies pressed close together. Silently, Tim curled his arms around Danny’s waist as he pouted, Danny still chuckling from his humiliation.
“Steal the stars for me, okay, Boy Wonder?” Danny murmured, his breath brushing over Tim’s lips.
————
Tim can’t help but break down. Danny reached over and just cradled him, cradled him like a child, like the child that he really was.
————
“Alright, Jay. Come here, right where you belong.” She patted the spot beside her.
Jason practically leapt onto the bed, diving into her arms as she securely wrapped her other arm around him.
Right where he belonged.
Was it even possible to love a woman so much?
It encompassed him for a moment, a moment where he almost couldn’t breathe under the weight of his love for her, a moment where he could almost float into the sun from sheer contentment and adoration.
He knew, that if Jazz asked him to pluck the moon off of the sky, he’d jump and grab the stars too, to make a necklace for her.
————
The Joker hummed as he flitted about the room. “Oh, Jazzy!” He chirped, “I’m so glad we get to spend more time together! But I like this way better— therapy is so overrated!”
Jazz can barely form her own thoughts.
All she can think about is the look on Jason’s face before the van doors had shut. He had looked broken, like this had been the final push to shatter him across the floor.
Jason needed her. Jazz silent stood up on shaky legs, her hands
Joker grabbed her by the hair and began to drag her. Jazz shrieked, stabbing pain coming from her head before he let go and she tumbled to the ground, her scalp throbbing.
“You’re ruining all of the fun, Jazzy!” Joker snarled.
Jazz stood up again, blinking away pained tears.
In her pocket, just before Joker had gotten to her, was a pistol. Jazz breathed hard as she and the Joker met eyes, slowly starting to circle each other like tigers. Jazz grit her teeth and ignored the most prominent pain in her side, the hot sticky mess reminding her that she was still bleeding to death.
“You’re a fool if you think that your plan will work.”
Joker snickered. “It’ll work!”
Jazz glanced at the door. Joker followed her gaze and smiled sickly sweet. “You won’t get out of here, Jazzy. I’m going to get rid of you and that witty bitty Robin I killed will make sure Batman is miserable for the rest of his life!”
Jason.
Jazz huffed a laugh. Her mouth tasted like blood. She straightened as much as she could, her body protesting as she used her left hand to press against her side. She left her right hand free, wiggling her fingers as she controlled her nerves.
“Like I said. It’s not going to work.”
Joker grinned. “You won’t get out of here, Jazzy.”
Jazz returned the smile. “The Batman won’t love you, Joker.”
The Joker blinked.
“You want his attention? You’re so jealous of his sons that you’ll do anything to make sure he pays attention to you, won’t you? You’re pathetic. The Batman won’t care for you more than his own sons.”
His eyes widened in rage and offense. Jazz smiled tauntingly.
“Did you really think that by killing me that it’ll make Batman pay attention to you? No, it’ll only push him into trying to soothe Red Hood’s rage. He’ll ignore you for his family. You and I both know that Batman loves his family far more than he’ll ever love fighting you.”
The Joker snapped. “How dare you! Stupid, stupid, stupid! You’re wrong! I should just—“
Jazz whipped out the pistol in a flash and shot both of Joker’s legs, making him crumple to the ground. A flash of fear entered his eyes before he sneered and then moved to stand up again. Jazz snarled, remembering just how insane he was.
Jazz fired another shot and then spat, “The Batman is the hope of Gotham. If I kill you… do you really think he’ll care?”
Joker’s legs became too weak in that moment. He collapsed again and stared at her in fear.
“No, no… Jazzy, let’s think about this again, okay? Surely— surely, you won’t kill me? That’s a crime! You’ll be jailed! You— You’re a good person!”
Jazz smiled mockingly. “Oh Joker. You’re a compulsive liar. You’re a narcissist, you’re a psychopath with severe antisocial personality disorders, and you suffer from BPD.“
Notes:
This one is really long and also really mismatched. I had planned on making it a series, but in the end, I didn’t.
The idea was that Danny and Jazz get Superman-level disguises (💀) and then travel to Gotham where Jazz works at Arkham and Danny goes to school. The both of them meet and fall in love with Jason and Tim. Tim gets a character arc where he grows past being Batman’s Robin and Jason gets a character arc where he finally feels loved and saved. The Joker captures Jazz at the end and she kills him for Jason and then it’s a happy ever after.
Chapter 11: Duke and Danny Are Just Good Friends
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It was four in the morning when Tim crept down from his room to get another drink of coffee. When he entered the kitchen, he paused, wide eyed and bewildered at the sight of Duke and Danny sitting at the kitchen island, sharing some sort of pancake dish together. Their heads were pressed close, the both of them quietly muttering to each other as they ate.
Tim stared some more before he said aloud, “Is this a dream?”
They both looked up with shocked expressions before Danny relaxed and chirped, “Hey, Tim! Wanna try some? I made it!”
“Uhm. No but thank you. Where’s the coffee machine?”
Danny shook his head. “You’ve been awake for too long, Tim.” He still pointed to the coffee machine however, which had been tucked away for cleaning by Alfred.
“Have not.” Tim said, gliding over and starting up the machine, caressing its smooth exterior with dreamy adoration.
“First of all, you know what happens when you get sleepy, you start making mistakes on patrol. Second of all, all this coffee is going to give you caffeine poisoning and the last time that happened, Jason had to make Jazz help you even though she’s a psychiatric doctor, not a medical one and lastly. I’ve been here every night to make sure none of you suffocate in your sleep, and Timothy, you’re never asleep. Therefore, that tells me that you’ve been—“
Duke neatly put a forkful of pancakes into Danny’s mouth, shutting him up instantly. Danny immediately sulked, but closed his mouth to chew.
Duke smirked at that and said, “Ignoring the fact that he told on himself and said that he watches us sleep, Tim, you need to go to bed.”
Danny nodded rapidly, still chewing on his pancakes.
Tim rolled his eyes as the coffee machine poured out his liquid ambrosia.
“Whatever, I’m fine.”
“You definitely are not.” Duke said. He fed Danny another piece of pancake, making the half-human purr loudly. A dopey smile crossed over Duke’s face as he fondly wiped off the sticky residue off of Danny’s face.
Tim nearly dropped his cup.
See, it all started with Jason dating an Arkham psychiatrist. Then the psychiatrist turned out to be the Princess of the Infinite Realms and when her brother arrived to Gotham to hang around, he was discovered to be the King. By the time they found out about that, Jason was head over heels in love with Jazz and Danny had integrated himself into the Batfamily so seamlessly that rejecting him would’ve been like pulling out teeth and taking out limbs.
Basically, the two were family now. No ifs, ands, or buts.
That meant that both Jazz and Danny were extremely close with the Batfamily, so theoretically, if someone other than Jason formed a romantic connection to a Fenton sibling, it wouldn’t be impossible.
Actually thinking about it, it made sense. Danny kept Duke company more often than anyone else due to his meta abilities. The both of them balanced each other out too, with Duke’s doubt of his own abilities and Danny’s confidence, Duke’s calmness and Danny’s rashness, Duke’s gentleness and Danny’s lack of restraint.
So really, Tim shouldn’t be surprised that they were dating.
“You never told me you two were dating,” Tim said absentmindedly.
Both Duke and Danny choked on their pancakes. Duke’s eyes went wide while Danny turned bright red. “We’re not dating! We’re just good friends!”
Duke gave a firm nod.
Tim took his coffee cup, staring at them with raised eyebrows. “I… see.”
He did not see. In fact, he wondered if they were being willfully obtuse or purposefully hiding their relationship.
He shook his head, deciding to think about it later. He still had cases he had to investigate. “Well, good night, guys. Don’t stay up too late.”
“Says you!” Danny said.
As Tim exited the kitchen and walked towards his room, he shook his head as he thought about the conversation he just had.
“Good friends”.
Yeah right.
————-
Jason took a sip of his tea. Next to him sat Jazz, who laid limply across his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling as she grumbled but didn’t move away. The morning was soft and ripe for the taking but Jason was in no mood to get up and disturb Jazz from her light dozing.
Both she and Danny had made a home of his apartment and he loved it. There was nothing quite like waking up in a home with the people he loved and was learning to care for.
The window in his kitchen opened and a yellow and black figure crawled through.
“Sorry, lemme just…”
Jason put a finger to his lips and Duke nodded quickly as he finally landed on the floor and sneaked off.
Jason took another sip of his tea and silently read the news on his phone with the other. Jazz nuzzled into his shoulder for a moment before she spoke, “Did he just go into the direction of Danny’s room?”
Jason froze.
Wait a damn minute!
Jason turned to Jazz, who lifted her head and stared at him with half-lidded eyes. “Go and take a peek at them for me, will you?” She asked, reaching over to grab his cup of tea and taking a sip.
Jason kissed her forehead before he stood up to track down his adopted brother and see what the fuck he was doing to his brother-in-law.
The moment he saw Danny’s door, he leaned closer to the wood and tried to see if he could hear anything.
Nothing.
Even more suspicious.
Jason contemplated opening the door quickly and not giving them a chance to hide themselves but he thought of what Jazz would do so he knocked.
The door opened and Danny’s messy face stuck out, blinking owlishly. “Yeah?”
“It’s morning, c’mon, we have plans today, remember?”
Danny blinked slowly again. Then he nodded.
He closed the door.
Jason stared at the shut door for a long moment before he turned and then went back to Jazz, who seemed begrudgingly awake and relaxed instantly at the sight of him. Jason pointed behind himself and said, “Jazz, I think they’re fucking.”
Jazz giggled. “Jay, they’re still kids.”
Jason opened his mouth to correct her and tell her what he was really thinking, but then he paused because nothing he could say would sound appropriate in any way to her response and he stopped. Then he closed his mouth and didn’t say anything.
Jazz laughed and cooed.
Both Duke and Danny finally came to the kitchen. Jason moved away from Jazz to bring him a plate of eggo waffles and scrambled eggs. Seeing Duke was there, he went to prepare another plate. In the meantime as he toasted the waffles, he got the pan ready for another batch of eggs. He watched Duke and Danny interact.
Danny was feeding Duke pieces of eggs and both Jazz and Jason shared a look.
Fucking they were not, dating they could be.
Jason spoke first, “Did you two fuck yet?”
Duke and Danny, long since used to his crude language and blunt wording, didn’t react quite like he wanted them to, and said, “No,” in deadpan, monotone unison.
Jazz giggled again.
“Are you two dating?” She asked gently.
This time, the two of them flushed under her gaze, acting shifty as they sputtered and stammered their responses.
Good cop-bad cop routine, it always worked.
Duke said, almost nervously, “No, we’re not dating. We’re just good friends.”
Both Jason and Jazz shared another look. Jason’s expression said very clearly, ‘Are you seeing this shit’ while Jazz’s expression read, ‘DO NOT SAY A WORD’.
Just good friends?
Jason would believe them if he was an infant.
But thinking about it, he could believe it.
Duke was practically sunshine and Danny was his starlight.
The two were the most wholesome in their entire family, and also the most oblivious despite having high EQ.
Still, he didn’t say a word as he served up a plate of breakfast to Duke. The two of them also shared this plate, eying both Jazz and Jason as if they were also going to say something but they didn’t. Jason sat next to Jazz, setting another cup of tea to her while he scrolled through his phone for more news.
For now, he wouldn’t say anything.
He’d just wait for them to get their heads out of their asses and then start dating.
Then when that happened, Jason decided that he was gonna rub it in their faces.
—————-
Damian was not stupid. In fact, he prided himself on being one of, if not the most, intelligent of all of his siblings.
While people could argue that he wasn’t, he could say that yes, he was because he had the most amount of common sense combined with basic emotional and intellectual intelligence. If it was averaged out, he would be high above the rest. Therefore, he was the superior.
“… what are you two doing?”
They both turned to him, looks of faux innocence on their faces.
“Hm?” They said in unison.
Damian was incensed. “Do not pretend! Why were the both of you kissing just now?!”
They both startled and then turned to Damian with ruddy cheeks, as if embarrassed that he had caught them.
“N-No—! We weren’t— we’re not—“
If Damian wasn’t so angry that they were trying to lie to his face, he would’ve laughed and been proud of having caught them in the midst of a scandal.
“Do not lie to me, Daniel. You and Thomas have been committing affairs behind our family’s back and you think you can get away with it by lying so poorly?!” Damian said.
Notes:
This was actually an excerpt for the DPxDC Pride 2023 event, but I never got around to posting it.
I did draw this picture for it tho!
Chapter 12: Dead Serious Snippet
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Vicki Vale smiled upon seeing the two Waynes. "Ah, Damian! How are you?"
Damian Wayne turned and gave her a short bow of his head. "Hello, Miss Vale. I'm doing well."
As always, he didn't return the question. Vicki would've been offended if she hadn't been there as he grew up and seen all of his flops in high society. The person on his arm, however, giggled and pulled away from Damian to lift a hand on her direction.
"How are you, Vicki? It's been a while, huh?" Vicki gave him her hand. Danny Wayne gave a sweet smile and kissed the air above the back of her hand as she indulged him.
Vicki smiled and said, "I'm fine, of course. How are you, Danny? Have you recovered from your accident?"
Danny laughed lightly. "Yeah, my leg's all healed up. I'm happy you remembered, though!"
Vicki eyed Damian, who was sliding his gaze across the room in boredom, but she knew better. She was sure that he was listening in on the conversation. After all, he clearly loved Danny despite what others would say. If Damian truly disliked his husband, would he have stayed the moment Vicki stopped addressing him?
Danny slid his hands back around the crook of Damian's arm, smiling as the pearls on his ears and neck glinted. The Wayne jewels suited his dark hair and bright, icy eyes. "Sorry, Dami has got to go. Let's talk later?"
"You owe me an exclusive interview, Mr. Wayne," Vicki winked at him and Danny laughed again before Damian pulled him away. The couple flitted around the room and Vicki watched them, a hint of pride in her chest.
She had watched Damian Wayne grow from the sour faced, ill mannered boy of his youth to a man who could expertly socialize and speak to anyone. She knew that if there was anyone he disliked, he would never allow them to touch him or be in his presence. She had once seen him viscerally dissect someone with just his words until the other person broke down into tears and had to leave the event. The press had a field day with that one, but Damian did not fear the cameras nor the gossip.
Basically, she knew better than to think that the Wayne family had picked up a random person to marry to Damian. Even if they had, everyone knew that they were protected by the Bats. If the Waynes hated Danny, it would've been obvious. If he wasn't loved, then why was he wearing Martha Wayne's pearls?
Damian escorted Danny around the room and eventually, they broke off together. Danny mingled with the younger and new money men and women, while Damian chatted quietly with the old money lords and ladies. Like a cool glacier and a whirlwind, they divided and conquered.
Vicki eventually stopped watching them. She talked to a few of the friends she made within the upper class of Gotham and chatted with acquaintances. One of the ladies, a married woman, muttered behind a primly placed fan, "Damian has grown up so well. It's a pity that he was stolen away by a country bumpkin."
Vicki glanced over her shoulder to stare at Danny, who was entertaining a couple with his stories. His hands gestured as he spoke and though it was indecipherable, his voice was still quite audible.
"I agree," another lady spoke. She swished the wine in her glass. "There's been rumors, have you heard?"
"It's old news," one woman said. "Everyone knows that the slander about his husband is false. Bruce Wayne even organized an entire press conference for it!"
The same lady spoke again, harsher this time, "It's blackmail! That Danny has blackmailed the Wayne family into marrying their youngest. After all, Damian is the only one by blood, and Bruce cherishes him the most. I just know it, that boy somehow dug up some dirt on them and blackmailed his way into money!"
A few women seemed convinced by this and shook their heads, clicking their tongues.
Vicki sighed. "Ladies, what proof do you even have? How do we know for sure that their marriage is forced?"
"Damian Wayne is a cold blooded man! As if he could fall for anyone!" Someone said.
Another piped up. "That's right! I tried to arrange a meeting between him and my beautiful little girl— he called a fat, ugly broad! The nerve of him! The day he falls in love is the day hell freezes over!"
The conversation descended into cursing out Damian's behavior and Vicki fought a laugh back, though she felt exasperated at the same time.
She took another glance behind herself again and watched Danny amble around the food table, sneaking pieces of canapés to himself, not even bothering with a plate. Only a few feet away was Damian, who was also putting food onto a plate as he talked with a group of men. Damian excused himself and then discreetly handed the plate to Danny before guiding him to a secluded table, talking inaudibly with him before Danny sat down and Damian left once more.
This scene went unseen by nearly everyone.
Vicki resisted the urge to take a picture and write a report. She knew that the only reason she received exclusive information from the Waynes was because of Bruce's lingering affections and their trust in her.
Instead, she turned back around and tuned back into the conversation, which had moved on from Damian and into the latest trends in the Diamond District. Vicki sighed but then inserted herself into the conversation.
After all, she still needed a scoop.
————
Damian held Danny close to him, his face pressed against his hair so he could inhale his scent. Danny had fallen asleep, snoozing peacefully on his chest as his hands gripped the fabric of Damian's suit tightly. If it was anyone else, Damian probably would've pushed him off.
But it was Danny, and Damian was nothing but beholden to his wants and desires.
If Danny wanted the world to burn, Damian would've happily lit himself on fire to help start the flames.
Damian closed his eyes as he remembered how they met.
————
"You—!! What have you done with Grandfather?!"
"Ah... you're the grandson of this guy? Come to think of it, the both of you smell like ectoplasm..."
"What are you talking about?! What have you done with Grandfather?!"
"Nothing! He's fine, I'm just removing the dirty ectoplasm out of him!"
"Dirty?!"
————
Damian hid his smile in Danny's hair again.
Their first meeting had been a disaster. Danny had risen from the waters of the Lazarus Pit and cured his grandfather of Pit Madness. But at the time, he hadn't known that. He had gotten so angry that for the first time in months, he had lifted his sword to kill.
Danny easily oppressed him.
After all, no one could beat the Ghost King, especially no regular mortal.
————
"Unhand me! I swear I'll arrest you!"
"You were just about to kill me though? Besides, you're just gonna hurt me again."
"Foul spirit! Get! Off! Of! Me! You monster!"
"Now that's just mean."
————
Danny mumbled something in his sleep and quieted again. Damian kissed his hair, then trailed down to kiss his cheeks and temple. Everything about Danny was lovable to him. Although Danny had been nothing but a nuisance at first, later, he would become one of Damian's most trusted confidants and eventually, even his lover.
————
"Danyal."
"Call me Danny."
"... Danny."
"....."
"Are you... uh, free this Thursday?"
"What's this, a date?"
"If you wish it to be."
".... Stop beating around the bush. What do you want?"
"I would like to be given the opportunity and fortune to court you."
"Pfftt! What's with that fancy language? Yes, Damian, yes. Let's go on a date. I'll give you the chance to "court" me."
"Tt. You're insufferable."
"And you're taking me on a date~."
————
The car stopped at Wayne manor. Damian opened the door with one hand, using the other to secure Danny to his chest. He stepped out and quickly strode through the gate, sighing softly as he spotted Titus across the manor grounds, where he was playing with Alfred the cat. Danny was still asleep, his cool breaths blowing over Damian's neck as he reached the door and opened it. It was quiet, save for the soft rustling noises.
"Alfred?" He called.
"Master Damian," Alfred said, turning to stare at him. His form was green and ghostly, a byproduct of Danny's resurrection of him.
It had been one of the courting gifts Danny had given to Damian.
Notes:
Honestly, I think I just wanted to write a one-shot with Danny as Damian's boy toy. He got to wear the Wayne Pearls bc Damian begged for it from Bruce.
Chapter 13: Whale!Jazz and Marine Biologist!Jason
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jason hurried down the stairs and to the front of the building, where two helicopters were pulling something enormous out of a crate.
That something was a whale Mer, large enough to make the helicopters shake as they slowly brought the Mer into the building. The top half was human, but the bottom half of the Mer's body was similar to that of a whale's. Everything was colored a dark bluish gray, and she had a headful of long, red hair. With how she was slumped over in the slings, he could not see her face.
He panted and then turned to his father, who had his arms crossed and was staring at the whale Mer being transported with an ugly expression.
"What. The fuck. Is this?! What the fuck is this, Bruce?!" Jason shouted the moment he caught his breath. "Are you crazy?! How did you find a whale Mer?! And why on earth do you think that we have the capabilities to hold her?! Our largest aquarium is not enough for her!"
"She has enough room to stretch. That's all she needs," Bruce said blankly.
Jason felt red hot fury crawl up his spine and he clenched his fists to resist the urge to punch him. This was not the first time he felt this way and it wouldn't be the last.
"Bruce," he growled, unable to say another word but emphasizing enough venom into the name that Bruce turned to stare at him.
"I can't do anything about it. She was sick and beached herself. I was contacted and I took her. I'm not sure what else you want me to say."
"What I want is for you to find a better place for her to stay! She's way too big to be stuck in a place like ours! She'll suffer!" Jason argued.
He and Bruce worked at a marine research laboratory, one that was equipped with enormous aquariums in order to house the specimens and samples that they needed in order to investigate aquatic life. However, their specific field of study was one that ran in the family, and definitely didn't conform to the public eye's view of aquatic life.
Specifically, Jason and his family studied Mers and their behaviors.
The largest aquarium they owned was only a little smaller than a football field. Judging by the size of the whale Mer, she was probably larger than a humpback, and wouldn't live confortably in the aquarium they had available. By choosing to take her in, Bruce was condemning her to unhappiness and recovery in a cramped up box.
"She'll be fine," Bruce said firmly.
The wind from the helicopter blew across Jason's face and cooled down his rage for a moment. He pressed a hand to his face and sighed, rubbing at the crease in the middle of his eyebrows.
Thankfully, Dick was not here because he would probably tell him that he would get wrinkles if he kept frowning and then they would just goad each other in punching the daylights out of Bruce. With only himself here and a whale Mer on the line, Jason could keep himself from exploding.
"Bruce." He grit his teeth. "Take her somewhere else. We can't keep her here."
He stared at his father's face. His strong jawline, high cheekbones, pepper and salt hair, his deep blue eyes, everything was familiar to him.
But sometimes, Jason felt like he could not recognize the man that was his father before he was fifteen.
Bruce finally turned and looked at him. There was a distant noise and Jason quickly glanced away to see the the ceiling of part of the laboratory break away and the whale Mer being dropped inside of the tank that was placed there. The ceiling closed and the whale Mer was shut inside, trapped and contained in a tank that could not hold her true beauty.
Jason felt suffocated. His throat closed up and he couldn't help but press a hand to his heart, as if to get rid of the pressure on his chest. For a moment, he wondered if she would also feel the same when she finally woke up.
Bruce answered, "No one will take her. She will have to stay here until she recovers."
Jason ground his teeth together as the all-familiar rage filled him again.
"Sometimes, I can't tell what you're thinking," Jason spat before he strode away. Before he left, he turned and demanded, "Make me the lead in charge of her."
"Done." His voice was quiet. It was almost sad but Jason ignored it and walked away, his anger hardly wetted by his father's random bouts of self-deprecation.
He quickly entered the laboratory again and ignored all of the other people working there as he walked through the labyrinth-like halls to get to the whale. When he finally found the door to the laboratory, he was stopped.
Tim and Stephanie approached him curiously. Stephanie looked especially eager as she approached and asked, “I heard we had a new Mer! Can we see her? Or is it a him? Can we see them?”
Jason shook his head. “Go and talk to Bruce about it. We have a problem about the Mer’s size and the size of our tanks. She won’t be comfortable here.”
Tim and Stephanie blinked. Tim asked, “What species is she?”
“Whale. I’m not entirely sure what kind yet. Ask Bruce to be placed on my team. I'm going to go inside and check up on her." After he said that, he then unlocked the door and quickly shut it in their faces.
Once inside, he paused as he stared at the form of the whale Mer being half submerged inside of the water, her human side flopped over the edge of the tank and onto the tiled ground, dripping water.
Jason immediately felt like his stomach was being turned over.
She was beautiful, but it was expected. All Mers were born beautiful, and she was obviously no exception.
Jason stared at her crimson hair, her smooth and healthy skin, her whole fins, and he couldn't help but think that she was extremely well taken care of for a whale in the wild. It was just... how had someone like her gotten sick and beached?
She was enormous. One of him was barely as big as half of her face.
Jason crept closer, ignoring the water that wet his shoes as he approached her.
The whale Mer was unconscious and could not be moved further. He would have to find a way to wake her up on her own.
Jason looked towards the tank and mentally made a list of the things that he needed. The tank was the size of the football field but it was made vertically, and a large part of it was underground. The entire thing was made of glass and mostly visible to any observers, since it was used as an observation tank.
————
"Are you crazy?!" Stephanie screamed. "Don't you know what that dolphin did to Jason?!"
Before anyone could listen to her say another word, the walls started shaking and there was various thumping noises. Everything rattled like an earthquake was rumbling underneath their feet.
Jason knew exactly what it was. He immediately broke into a run and bolted to the lab. There was screaming and cries of panic but he only focused on the lab, where his precious Mer was.
J-11211946 may have been small, but he was smart and vicious. It wouldn't have surprised Jason if he had somehow snuck in a weapon. Now, he dreaded what he would see. Like him, would she also be scarred and scared? She was a timid whale, more bark than bite and he felt the urge to throw up as the closer he came to the lab, the more the ground trembled underneath him and the thumping grew louder, like she was thrashing in pain.
"Princess!" He called. He didn't know if she could hear him, but he desperately tried anyways. "Princess! I'm coming!"
He finally saw the door and skittered to a halt before wrenching the door open.
The moment he came inside, the thumping relaxed. He saw the pool of water turn pink with dyed blood and Jason gasped for breath as his heart immediately sunk into his feet.
"No... No! Princess, please!" Jason raced to the edge of the tank, peering over the turbulent waters as if he could somehow see her underneath.
He sank to his knees and desperately tried to find any sign of her as the tremors died down.
He almost had the urge to throw himself inside but he barely held himself back. Something burned behind his eyes, threatening to spill over. Loss and grief were emotions he felt rarely, but hated the most. What would he do if he lost her forever? If his carelessness had caused her to be hurt and die?
Extremely quickly, the ice cool sorrow in his veins suddenly turned into red hot rage. He was furious by his own helplessness, by that intern's carelessness, by Bruce's own lack of clear morals and boundaries, unable to avenge his son but unable to resist hating all Mers despite persistently saving the one that tortured his son.
Jason felt all sorts of emotions, like a ship being thrown into a stormy sea.
The door was quickly opened and his family poured inside, Dick, Damian, Tim, Stephanie, Cass, even Bruce. They all surrounded him as he stared at the water on his knees and Dick immediately raced over to pull him up.
"Jason! Oh my god, are you okay?" He asked.
Jason immediately turned and swung a fist at Bruce, who dodged it.
There were several cries and then Stephanie and Dick immediately grabbed him and held him back.
Bruce frowned.
The carefree, almost casual expression on his face made Jason even more furious. His Princess was still in the water, possibly injured and probably dying from that damn hellspawn dolphin. If Bruce had taken a stand earlier, had been braver and more assure of his feelings, she wouldn't have been injured at all.
He immediately shouted, "It's your damn fault! If you hadn't been a spineless bitch, she wouldn't have been injured right now! That fucking dolphin should've been put down the moment it took a 15 year old boy into the water and started torturing him! You're a coward of a man and an even worse father! She would've been okay if it wasn't for you!"
Dick's and Stephanie's grip loosened from shock.
Bruce tensed and his face darkened. "Jason, you're being irrational."
Jason bristled and immediately knew that he would possibly be going to jail tonight. "I'll show you fucking irrational, you motherfu—"
The waters moved violently and then there was a soft, deep hum.
Jason froze and they all turned around to stare at the tank, where his Princess stared at them with half lidded eyes, her brilliant hair fanning across the water. Blood streaked across her face, sticking to her skin as she slowly rose from the waters. She cooed and Jason nearly collapsed from relief.
"Princess!" He called and she gave another deep hum. One hand moved to hold herself against the tank and the other had something its clutches. They all moved back as she lifted herself from the water and leaned onto the floor, spreading herself out. Jason immediately moved closer when she settled and he brushed a hand against her cheek, checking over her condition.
Despite the fact that she was relatively bloody, she was not visibly injured.
Then did that mean...?
A premonition rose in Jason's mind.
"... whatcha got there, princess?"
She smiled, her pupils enlarging as she stared at Jason. She opened that closed hand and out came a pile of bloody flesh, squeezed and beaten to a pulp. It fell from her palm onto the ground, splattering with spittles of blood and gore.
They all stared in silence.
Damian gave a dumbfounded, "My god."
Jason couldn't help the twitch to his mouth as he tried not to smile.
"Princess," he said in a soft admonishing tone, "your hands are going to get dirty."
Slightly louder and more appalled at Jason's indulging voice, Tim said, "Oh my god."
The whale Mer completely ignored everyone else to stare at Jason and cooed. She pointed a webbed finger at the tank water.
"Do you want it cleaned?" He asked.
She tilted her head and smiled.
So yes, but not exactly.
Then, Dick blurted out, "Is he still in there?"
Everyone turned back to the blob of minced meat on the ground. It was still oozing blood, but even through all of the torn muscle and meat, Jason could tell that it was only the bottom half of a Mer since it lacked hair.
Had she ripped him in half?
Jason couldn't help the full blown, sadistic grin that came over his face. "Can you bring the rest of him up, Princess? I wouldn't want him contaminating your water."
She nodded with a smile and then slid back into the water.
Immediately, everyone looked at Jason with wide eyes. "What now?!"
"She just killed the Joker... what are we doing to do?"
"Do we even need to care? We can say it was a territorial fight between two Mers. Happens all the time!"
"Bruce?"
They all paused and turned around to look at Bruce, who looked like he was a mixture of constipated, bewildered, frightened, and extremely enraged.
Jason sneered.
His whale Mer came back in that moment, holding a spine that was still attached to a twitching dolphin Mer between her fingers. The Joker made some noises of pain, but it was clear that he was weak and dying. Blood flowed from his severed torso and he swayed in the air from being held up by the whale Mer. She smiled at Jason in that moment, a hint of pride and expectation in her eyes and Jason laughed.
"Drop him. You did good, princess. Good job at defending yourself."
She beamed and let go carelessly, ignoring the muffled splattering noise as the Joker dropped onto the tiles as she rose out of the water and crawled to Jason.
Stephanie and Dick gave her a thumbs-up and she smiled sweetly. Tim patted her on the head. "Good job, princess."
She cooed. Even Damian looked approving. Cass didn't seem that thrilled but she looked a tad satisfied, not as angry as Bruce looked.
Speaking of Bruce, he was staring at the mangled remains of the Joker and glancing at the whale Mer with a hard look every so often. Jason noticed his looks and he sneered.
"Feeling conflicted?" He mocked.
Bruce growled. "J-11211946 was a valuable specimen to the study of Mer behavior."
"Go tell yourself that, asshole." Jason snorted. "Everyone knows that he's an anomaly that shouldn't be counted towards the sum of all dolphins' behaviors."
Bruce crossed his arms. "F-11151988 is a danger to the laboratory. She killed one of our specimens. We can't contain her."
Damian frowned and spoke up, "Father, this is unbecoming behavior. While I believe that all Mers should be protected and kept safe, it was the Joker that deliberately provoked Princess into attacking. How can you say that she is a danger when she defended herself?"
"Whale Mers have timid personalities. Clearly, something is wrong with her. And mind your manners, you have no business poking your nose into our matters."
Before Jason could say a word, Dick grabbed Bruce by the arm and pulled him outside with a glare. "I'm calling Alfred and we're having a talk. Jason, go and take care of Princess! The rest of you, help him!"
Jason immediately relaxed when he saw that Bruce was gone. He huffed and muttered, "Am I the lead or is he?" but he still looked back at everyone and started giving directions.
Only Damian remained by his side.
Jason glanced at him.
Damian finally said, "Are you surprised that I defended you?"
"Not really," Jason said. Despite how Damian was more often than not on Bruce's side when there were family conflicts, Damian knew what was right and what was wrong. He wasn't surprised to see that Damian would defend his whale Mer when everyone knew what the Joker had done to him and how he was volatile.
Notes:
This short story was written a year ago for MerMay, but I missed the chance to finish and post it. And then this year, Jazz got revamped as a whale shark instead of a blue whale so… I just never posted it… 😟
The story is basically about Jason being a marine biologist/scientist who was once almost drowned and tortured by Joker the dolphin within the facility that he used to help Bruce in. Instead of putting down the Joker, Bruce kept him safe and only shipped him to another place. Bitter and angry, Jason stayed, only to discover Jazz later on, a very large blue whale Mer that can barely fit within the tanks there…
The idea is about Jason and Jazz finding love and protection from each other, despite the species, language, and size differences. His entire family is against this relationship, especially Damian and Bruce. However, by the end, I imagine that Jason and Bruce reconcile and Jason and Jazz gets into a relationship despite the crazy size difference (Jazz as a blue whale is around 100+ feet tall) and then three more dangerous black and white orca Mer get shipped in…
You can see my posts and artwork for mermaid!Jazz and Jason here.
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