It was a cruel joke, and an even crueler fate.
A protector spirit harming innocent, good people.
Danny would leave as soon as he could. Go in, mess up people's whole lives, and leave. It got worse each time. The ache in his core left him drained, tired, and broken. Literally. His core was cracking.
He felt it when he gave an illness to a beautiful woman, just so her husband would try to save her. Do what Danny should be doing. He took a happy life from that couple. A couple that reminded him of his parents.
He felt it when he ruined an actor's dreams, burning his acceptance letters, making him trip, stumble, space out. Watching his go from sadness to anger, and become a monster just to try to have what Danny took from him. Danny took a happy life from that man.
A special boy was born with unique features. His mother survived the birth, even with some complications, and loved him despite his differences. Danny made her weak and frail, made her incapable of taking care of her son. Her son went to his alcoholic aunt, who called him lizard boy. He took a happy life from that boy.
A mayoral candidate was well accepted, and supported. No one has major vendettas against him, enough to do something drastic. So Danny stepped up, and did something drastic; mutilating half his face. He took a happy life from that man.
A small Villian, Redhood, was being pursued by Batman. He would be saved, and re-hibilitated. Danny tugged on the back of his shirt, and he fell. He fell backwards into a vat of accid. Danny took a re-formed, happy life from that man.
A boy at the circus was doing an act with his parents, living happily and freely. Danny frayed a rope, just enough for 2 extra casualties. His parents died. Danny took a happy life from that couple, and gave a different, but still happy life to a kid. But Danny made him a child soldier, gave him a life with more trauma.
A physcatrist was living her dream, working at helping people. She was successful in her career. Danny messed with paperwork and transferred her to work with a man he had already ruined. Danny took a happy life from that woman. That woman that reminded him of Jazz.
A rich family was doing well, and a man was happily raising his daughter. Danny led him to a casino. He got addicted to gambling and lost his money. He killed himself, leaving his daughter behind, and she eventually became a cat burglar. He took a happy life from that man and his daughter.
A woman was happily experimenting wth plants, exploring her passion. She made a large discovery that would make the world a better place. Her boss was jealous and meant to fire her. She would have won the court case and gone on to be a great interventionalist. Danny talked her boss into killed her, but he failed, and resulted in her gaining powers, and anger. Danny stole a happy life from that woman. That woman that reminded him of Sam.
A man came up with a great invention, and his boss was supportive. But Danny wasn't. He whispered, and he lied. Creating lies and distrust. Enough for backstabbing betrayal. He ruined that man's life. That man who reminded him of Tucker.
Sabotaging a man's research, infusing a corpse with ecto, allowing the relms to leak and create a diseased pool, and so, so much more.
It hurt. It ached. Danny cried. But Danny did what he must. He was only a human- was only a ghost. Was only a child.
When he was done, he retired to his throne. To the coffin of sleep. He never aged, and never matured. He was stuck in time until his core healed. A child. For years. Had it been hundreds of years? Thousands? Who knows.
He was just about healed, a tiny crack in a sphere where there had once been a pile of shattered glass. He was healing, slowly. And he was almost done. Frostbite was monitoring him, but he was finally let out, and was helping the denizens of the realms. It was slow, but he was better. He was getting better.
And then the summoning happened.
