Saucy Wench

Danny and co: *being chased by an unfortunately slightly competent GIW*

Danny, in human form: "Fuck it, I've killed before" *aims for lethal shots*

Of course, there were the usual sounds: the motor, the wind, and sometimes the odd sounds from outside the car.

But everything else?

Silent.

the type of silence that wasn’t peaceful but the calm before the storm, the one that grew heavier the longer it lasted, until you could barely take it anymore. 

and Danny?

Danny could barely take it anymore. But he knew that if he broke the silence, the questions his friends would ask could be just as bad as the silence. 

Danny knew that he couldn't hide his past forever. Especially now, while they were on the run. 

“Soooo” Tucker's voice cut through the silence. “youre going to explain?”

fuck 

Danny couldn't do this

“you don't want to know”

fuck, danny. you stupid, fucking idiot. Why did you say that so flatly? Now you're even more suspicious. 

“Danny, explain.” sam’s voice was cold

which meant that she was about to explode from anger

fuck 

danny had to do this,

he sighed and turned his head to look out the window 

“danny we ha-” 

“dont” danny cut tucker off “i - i want to tell you”

and wasn't that shitty

because he truly did want to tell them

He turned his head to make eye contact with Tucker through the mirror, then with Sam who was right next to him. 

“i just- just need a moment.”

And the car was once again enveloped in an uncomfortable silence

but this time, it was worse

because how was Danny supposed to explain this? how could Danny explain to his friends that his past was- well like THAT 

he sighed wearily 

“i dont know where to start.” he stated, admitted more like. 

“I don't know danny,” sam’s still cold voice said ”maybe at the start of the story or maybe WHY? or WHEN?”

‘start of the story’ 

‘why’

‘when’

Danny could work with that.

he took a deep breath and let it out in a long exhale

“You guys know that the Fentons adopted me, right? ” he asked

“yea?” ”what?” both answers came simultaneously 

Sam looked at him weirdly. “The Fenton’s adopted you?”

danny laughed a little 

“Damn,” Tucker said, grinning ”I always forget that you came to Amity park after Danny. ”

“Yeah, I was adopted, it was kind of a big deal back then and I always forget that not everybody knows.” danny answered sam

“you should have seen him back then, he was such a feral little shit, tried to stab everyooo-” tuckers joyful tone trailed off as realisation hit

”danny”

"Yeah, Tucker?"

“what happened before you came to amity park?”

Danny laughed a humourless laugh. He didn't answer. 

Sam looked at him with wide eyes.  

because the answer was obvious by now, wasn’t it?

Amity park was a small town surrounded by other small towns. 

If Danny killed someone in Amity park or any neighboring town there would have been at least a missing person report.

There was only one person that went missing while Danny was in amity.

and she came back home a week later. 

which meant that Danny killed someone before he came to live in amity.

when he was a child.

“what-” sam’s voice wavered ”what happened?”

“dude you dont have to ans-” 

“shit sorry you dont have to answer that im so sorr-”

Danny smiled softly at his friends jumbled words 

“Well, long story short, I was raised in a cult.”

a beat of silence 

“an international assassin cult, actually.”

the car abruptly stopped 

right in the middle of the street

Well… at least they're on a random street in bumfuck nowhere, so there aren't any other cars.

Tucker turned around in his seat to look at him, wide eyes and Sam's mouth was moving, but no noise came out.

DP x DC Prompt

Danny has been the Ghost King for a couple of years now, and he's just trying to power through the almost endless amount of work that built up over the years after Pariah was sealed. He's been skipping out on sleep so he could have more free time, but it also leaves him to nearly grant everything he hears when he's summoned. He still has enough sense in him to not do any world conquering or other stuff like that in this state though.

He's got his fraid with him after they escaped their dimension, his parents had been working with the GIW and they barely made it out, Vlad is the only one they don't know the whereabouts of, as Danny sealed off their dimension to prevent any of his subjects from being captured and to stop the GIW and his parents from following. He doesn't want to drag his fraid into his Ghost King problems, as he already dragged them from a normal life.

When he emerged from another summoning in his big Naga form, he waits to hear the words that confirm he was summoned by cultists wanting him to destroy or conquer this world. When he does hear those words, he sends them all to Walkers prison. How ever, he is too tired to even return to his Keep, so he finds the nearest warmth to coil around and sleep for awhile.

“I think it- he is asleep?” RR responded back.

“He’s basking, seems even Nagas are reptiles.” Robin replied nonchalantly.

“Well the cultists are gone are we good to break out?” Jon asked.

“You haven’t removed your bonds yet?” Robin raised an eyebrow (in the way all the bats did behind their dominos). Jon looked around and saw that he was the only one still tied up despite the others not leaving the…snake nest?

“I don’t think we should move too much the being might not have fulfilled their demands but he did vanish them completely.”

“So 50/50 on them being on our side?” Kon joked.

“Are we sure he hasn’t like taken us as his?” Jon asked nervously eyeing the peacefully snoozing head.

“We were offered as payment, but he didn’t fulfill their request, supernatural beings are usually compelled to follow rules, it would be a violation of the agreement.” Robin added.

“I’m also not sure how…there the guy was?” RR muttered as he texted into his communicator. “What the guy looked completely checked out, he’s also already in REM and to fall so deep asleep so fast…it’s not voluntary.”

“Wow seems being exhausted to the point of collapse has for once benefited a situation.” Damian sneered.

“Don’t give him another excuse!” Kon threw his hands up. The giant naga shifted curling a little closer to the heroes.

“Let’s just hope our Dads show up with magical backup soon.” Jon grumbles.

Alfred Pennyworth has experienced many things at the infamous Wayne Gala's. He's found front page affairs in the bathroom, watched Master Dick swing from the million-dollar chandelier, and personally pulled out a shotgun at the Joker.

He has not, in fact, had one of the suspiciously young looking busser ask him if he's a captive to his employer and pseudo-son.

New opportunities every day, Alfred supposes.

"I believe you will have to elaborate, young man." He replied, crisply. It wasn't the most peculiar thing he had been asked, not even this month, but it certainly got his attention.

"You know. The thread between you and him. If he's holding you hostage or something, I can help you." The boy— yes, now that the man had gotten a closer inspection, it was certainly more child than man— gestured vaguely to something only they could see.

It took a moment to surmise his meaning, before Alfred's eyes narrowed.

Alfred was, although unnoticeable to the mortal eye, magical. He had been raised such, learned from gentle corrections and yellowed tomes of spells. When he had raised Bruce, still small and irate at the world, he had formed what one would call a bond. It bound himself to the boy, strengthening over the years, until he couldn't hide its existence like the others without concentration.

An untrained mind could easily mistake a cord into a chain. Heroic of the lad to ask, if unplaced and a touch dangerous.

"I am quite alright." He assured after a moment, and the relief that panned across the boy's face made him reevaluate his appearance. Short, skinnier than Alfred would prefer, and twitchy eyes and hair that had not been cut, leaving it stringy, hung over eyes too bright of blue to be normal. "Are you, lad?"

He looked uncared for in the way that raised the hairs on the older man's neck. A light probing for the busboy's tethers— whether to family, guardians or something else— came back with naught. His frown deepened.

It was imperative that children, until their brains fully developed and abilities settled, had something to anchor their magic. Families and organizations were remarkably protective of their young; for good reason: untended minors were easy pickings for cults and even more ill intents.

"Me?" His laugh did not strike as genuine when it came out. "Mister, I'm fine. I better get back to work though. Don't need them yelling at me, y'know?" A jerk of his thumb back towards the industrial kitchen areas beside the banquet hall.

"I understand, young man." Alfred did not in this situation; where were his guardians? "If I may— can I inquire your name?"

The boy's hand came to lift to the back of his neck. He did not need to be magical to read the mild anxiety radiating off of him.

"It's Daniel, er, Danny. Danny Nightingale." Was what the lad said, before pivoting and fleeing back to his work without another second.

Alfred supposed he had plenty of room if Master Bruce— doubtfully— wasn't fancying another addition to their ever-growing family.

AKA "Alfred Pennyworth comes across a young father clearly overwhelmed with his two children. Danny is just doing his best when somebody's grandpa basically strongholds him into brunch." Prompt idea! I feel like there's not a lot of Danny & Alfred content going around... lemme just squeeze in here and fix that.

Danny is way too young to be a father. He knows this, Dan's beady little 8-year-old eyes know this, even Ellie's constant babbling sounds suspiciously like you can't do this, you're basically a child yourself. Or maybe he's just hallucinating from sleep deprivation. He's attending Gotham-U because it was cheap as dirt, didn't look too close at backgrounds (which helped because Danny's school transcript was forged by Tucker), and there were already vigilantes so he could just focus on... everything.

He takes a deep breath and continues to stare at the back of a cereal box, absent-mindedly bouncing Ellie as she says "bear, bear, bear" over and over again.

"-so I'll be Bane for Halloween," Dan says. Which... what. Man, Danny really should've been paying attention.

"What? No, you're not."

Dan's thick eyebrows scrunch together in an (adorable) angry glare, looking all too much like Evil Dan. He insists, "Yes, I am."

Danny wants to be just as immature, say nu-uh, you're sure as shit not. Or maybe oh, yeah? Well, who's paying for that? Not me. But he's a father now. He needs to be reasonable. (Nevermind the fact that they've been eating cereal for every breakfast for the last 7 months and Danny hasn't cleaned their run-down apartment in at least 2 weeks. He's trying, okay. It's just... a lot. Too much, he can't do this.)

"Dante. I know you've got the whole doom and gloom vibe going on, but you are not dressing up as a well-known Gotham Rogue and serial killer for Halloween. What the hell, man."

"Should I dress in a leotard and pixie shorts, then?" Dan snarks.

"You can dress however you want as long as it doesn't paint a bright red target on your back, buddy. What's wrong with Robin? Lots of kids dress as Robin." Danny pats Ellie, who's now alternating between baba and bear like her life depends on it. She's getting louder. Danny pats faster and tries squishing her to his chest like a weighted blanket.

"Robin is a stupid child."

"You're a child, Dan-," Ellie practically screams, little body thrashing, repeating bear at a increasing decibel. Danny frantically pats her down and coos to calm her. Dan's arguing louder as Danny murmurs to Ellie, "C'mon, Ellie-belly, what's wrong? Huh? Shh, honey."

"Girl, are you the Riddler? Because you're saying stuff I don't understand and it's making me nervous." Danny tries joking. It falls flat after Ellie starts sobbing and Dan's yanking on Danny's arm. She's screaming, screaming, screaming, and now Dan's yelling over her, yanking at him, his head throbs and his vision blurs. (Oh, Ancients, he's gonna freak the fuck out-)

"Excuse me, young man. Would you like some assistance?"

Danny whips around at the sound of a calm yet firm British voice. An older gentleman in an honest-to-Ancients suit stands unobtrusively at his side. He holds himself like a solider, straight and tall, alluding the aura of I know what the hell I'm doing. A gloved hand is offered.

(Danny will later say it was a lapse in judgement that made him practically sling Ellie at the gentleman like a sack of potatoes. Or maybe just lizard hind-brain trust.)

All he knows is Ellie cuddles up in the old man's arms, patting his whitened stubble, and looks like she wasn't just on her way to a Phantom Wail-level tantrum. The man leans down and speaks quietly to Dan - Danny doesn't even hear it, the sudden absence of Ellie's screaming making his ears ring like tinnitus. But suddenly Dan has a sour expression and releases his death-grip on Danny's pant leg.

(He's magic. He's an Ancient or a God, something, there's no way this man just subdued Baby Evil Dan with words alone. What the hell??)

"Take a moment, lad." The old man-God says. He gently brushes his gloved hand over Ellie's white-blond flyaways like he's done it to a hundred children a million times. Maybe he has. Danny sucks in a breath he didn't realize he was holding, his chest unlocking for the first time in... well, 7 months.

"Thanks. I'm- it's been a lot, recently. My name is Danny, that's Ellie and this is Dante. Who are you?"

The older gentleman's eyes crinkle slightly in a very subdued smile. "I'm sure it has. My name is Alfred Pennyworth. It's a pleasure to meet you." His eyes sweep over the boxes of cereal and canned soup in Danny's cart before he continues, "My grandson is rather fond of Bat-O's as well, but I find a balanced meal is a fine start to the day. Would you join me for brunch? Perhaps I can share some simple breakfast recipes."

Danny stalls, his stranger danger fighting with the instinctual urge to trust the man. (And lay down for a much-needed nap. Who is he to say no to food and a babysitter? Besides, Danny is a Halfa, he could wipe the place with his guy if he tries anything.)

"Um. I don't know," Danny hums.

Surprisingly, the man nods. He probably wouldn't have given up so quickly if he was planning something nefarious, right? He offers Ellie back to him with a simple, "Of course."

And then Ellie's screaming, wailing like Cujo accidentally stepped on her little hand during playtime, and Danny backpedals so hard he's surprised he doesn't eat asphalt.

"Um, actually, brunch would be great! Yeah, thanks!"

“Dick, no,” Wally hissed.

“Dick, yes.”

All of them turned to look at Raven in surprise. She just shrugged and gestured towards the new hero, Phantom. He was talking with Specter. She said something that made him throw his head back in laughter. It showed off his sharp teeth spectacularly.

“Someone needs to… what was the phrase for it?” Raven asked, head tilted. “Ah, ‘hit that’.”

“Raven,” Wally gasped, aghast.

She gestured again at Phantom. His his drifted away like smoke and his legs were less than solid. He felt like storm about to break.

“Yeah, no, I’m with Raven,” Gar said. His chin was perched on his hand as he watched Phantom with what was basically heart eyes. “Unless he’s into sharing?”

“Oh come on, you have to at least let me shoot my shot!” Dick whined. “You two already have your whole eldritch thing. Leave some for the rest of us.”

“Dick, no,” Wally said, again. “I’m just trying to keep you in one piece.”

Dick pressed his hands together with a little gesture. “Counterpoint: he makes falling apart seem so good.”

all the replies: you're a fucking idiot

*after act 2*

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