Read It: DPxDC

Damian, raising his eyebrow, unimpressed: What about them?

Jon: Well, you know a lot about them so...

Damian: Spit it out, dancing around the subject, as you are, is unbecoming!

Jon: Th-Theres a guy I really really like and he loves dogs, and is even looking into adopting one or getting one from a good breeder, and I offered to help him because I just wanted an excuse to talk to him! But I don't know anything about dogs! I mean, there's Krypto but does he even really count as a dog? I guess also Titus and Ace but I'm only around them when I'm with you, and all I ever do I pet them!

Damian: You can not be serious.

Jon: This dog thing is really important Damian! Apprentantly he couldn't have any pets when he lived with his parents, but there was this wild dog that he would play with sometimes. He, like, really loves dogs, he gets so excited when he so much as catches a glimpse of them! His eyes get all soft and his smile is so-so bright! And he is, like, obsessed with Krypto whenever Krypto is around, its so cute!

Damian, less judgemental: You are serious.

Jon: I just want his experience with his first dog to be perfect, yaknow? Sorry, I know I'm being unreasonable.

Damian: What is he looking for?

Jon: Huh?

Damian: This guy, what is he looking for with a dog? Does he have a specific breed in mind? Any allergies? What is his house like? Does he have a yard or live in an appartment? Does he live near a park or forest if he doesn't have a yard? Does he have any physical limitations? How much time can he alot to grooming? If we're going to help him, we need to know this information so we can help him properly.

Jon, tearfully: Damian! You're the bestest friend ever!*hugs him*

Damian, embarrassed: Unhand me!

Robin, Young Justice cowering behind him: We're so sorry Phantom! It was an accident, I swear! We were just-We were just-

Phantom, voice tight: Robin, silence.

Robin: *shuts his mouth*

Phantom: Right now, I am á̰̘̠̺͎͖ͤ͂n̴̵̘̲̳͚̠ͣ͂g̶̪̤̗͍ͭ͌̋̔ṙ̶̻͖͒͂̍̉y̸̖̝̻̞̾͛ͫͤͣ̍͋. However, instead of ruining the timeline by personally "escorting" you all to the Realms with my b̷̏͗͗ͨ͗̔͗̃a̸̞̦̫̹̜ͪ̑͂r̵̷̦̹͔̪̬͍̙ͦ̆̅͛̂ͮ̋e͎̞͇̥͛̀ͣ̋ͯ̓̅ h̸͕͙̣̼̖͈̗ͧͩ͋͆ͧ̋͛a̸͕͖̍n̷̶͎͈̖̟̮̙͎̆͂ͧ̔͋͛d̷̥͔̙̙̲̃ͣ͐ͅs̵̨̻̺̫͈̭̬̯͒̃ͭͪ̑ͅ like I so desperately want to, I am instead going to the Realms to brawl with my fellow ghosts. I do not know when I will be back, but until I am: S̶̻̞͋ͥ͂̌ͤ͗ͣt͍͇̞̰̘̜ͦ̏͊̆ͧa̶̦̰͍̙̍ͭ̽̀y̵̨̠͍̺͛̑̏ͅ o̰͍̻̪̭̞̹̠ͫ͌͛ͨͬṵ̝͙̫͉̣̰ͮt͓̲͗̇ͧ̏̉ ō͖f̴̴̫̝̩͎͇ mͧ̽͒ͪ̂̌y̴̶̬͕̞̥̯͛̀ͦͥͪͅ ṛ̶̶̪̯̰o̶͌ͨͮ̏̏o̷̧m̷̞̍̅̃͒̾ͦ͋!̨̗̳̇̌̍̆ͨͣ̽͒ Understood?

Young Justice: *gulping as they all nod their heads frantically*

Phantom: Good. Now get ǫ̷͚ͯu̝̘̟̫̮̪̳̜ͧ͒ţ̶̥̹̌͌̃͗ͤ͊́̎!̴̵̱̻͉̗͔̞̥̳͌͑ͩ̍ *shoves them out of his now trashed room and slams the door behind them*

Kid Flash: Well, that went well.

Young Justice: *groans*

The rest of the town gradually begins to see it and slowly change how they treat Danny and "Phantom". Nobody says anything, they just change how they behave. Slowly phasing out the bullying, extending due dates on assignments, redo's on tests, discounts when he eats out or extra appetizers on the house.

He is the towns secret hero so they will try to protect him since they already failed him once by letting him die. How else would he be able to turn into a ghost hero if not because he died at least once. He dies every time he does hero business and gets shot at by his parents so the town adults have become very protective.

When the Justice league shows up they give them the runaround because Phantom hid as soon as he registered who the visitors were. They leave after giving some autographs (the towns folks collected them for Danny/Phantom from the alien heroes because they know how much he likes space) but then the Bats come into town and the town is surprised when the Bats immediately identify Phantom as Danny. The natural ecto camouflage doesn't work on them since all of their deaths and/or contact with the pits made them liminal.

"We don't want to fight heroes-"

Batman correcting them mid speech. "Vigilantes."

"-but we will if you want to hurt Phantom." Adults armed with anything and everything from novels to pitchforks.

"This is all a misunderstanding, we came here to check in on him and offer a fellowship for young heroes." Red Robin who has a crush on Phantom for his determination and on Danny for his engineering and would definitely like to see more of him.

Dani brandishing a spear Pandora gave her just for these occasions "The red one wants to marry Phantom! get em!"

Bruce: Excuse me?!

Tim: What?!

Dick: *murdered walrus sounds*

Danian: Alfred the car! Please! Let's go!

Bruce, running after him: W-Wait Damian what babie?! What babies?!

Car: *Speeds off*

*15 minutes later*

Damian, hushed voice: Am I too late?

Danny, shaking his head: She has only pushed out one so far. *points into a welping box*

Welping Box: *a large black dog with big ears, large curling goat's horns, a lion-like tail, and glowing fire-like eyes lays inside the welping box, panting with a round ripping belly and a single litte white puppy suckling*

Damian: Amazing. It doesn't have horns yet?

Danny: Urco grow their horns as they age, isn't that right Pearl?

Pearl: *Whines and lays her head on Danny's hand*

Danny: Such a good girl, strong girl. Sorry for calling you so suddenly, I hope your family isn't worried.

Roy: This is where the coordinates say to meet him. I'm sure its fine, Wally wouldn't ask us to go somewhere dangerous.

Dick: That's complete bull and you know it!

Roy: Wait, do you hear that?

Dick: Hear what?

*from the dark a huge white tail darts out wrapping both of them tightly in its coils*

Phantom, his torso connected to a 20 foot white snake tail: And who daressss trespassss in my nessst? *forked tongue licks the air showing off sharp fangs*

Dick: Can't breath!

Roy: Can-Can't move! It has my arms!

Wally: Woah Woah Woah! Phantom its okay! They're with me!

Phantom: Oh? I'm sssorry then. *carefully and slowly unwinds his tail*

Dick, wheezing: Wally, what-what the heck?

Wally: Sorry, I got sidetracked and kinda forgot about this meeting. *clears throat* Ahem, this is Phantom. He helped me out on one of my missions! Hes a half ghost cursed to be a Naga. Phantom, this is Roy and Dick, they're some of my friends!

Roy: What?

Phantom: Well, thats the sssshort of it I ssssuppose. Thissss form wasss actually meanr to be a blesssssing but considering I can no longer live among the living in my human form, it ssssure feelssss like a curssse. *wraps around Wally, and rests his chin on Wally's head* Alssso the essss sssound issss annoying. All the sssame, itsss nice to meet you.

Roy: That's all well and good but you attacked us!

Phantom, rolling his eyes: I wasssn't going to harm you. I wasss going to ssscare you and let you go. Itsss not sssafe down here for the living. Wally isss only here becaussse he hasss my protection.

Wally: See?! Phantom's cool!

Nightwings: Hold on, there's a civilian running around. Early twenties, black hair, super pale and kind of sickly lookin. He looks panicked, like hes looking for something or someone, I'm going to check in, in case its a child.

Nightwing: Excuse me sir, are you alright?

Danny, pressing a hand to his chest in pain: So-Someone broke into my-my appartment when I was at work and-and they left the door open, and now I can't find Mittens!

Red Robin, over comms: Seriously? All this drama over a cat?

Red Hood, over comms: Who actually names their cat "Mittens"?

Oracle, over comms: You two are so stupid.

Robin, over comms: I agree, shut up. This is serious, that poor animal could be injured.

Nightwing, helps Danny sit on a nearby bench: Hey its alright man. I'll have the others keep an eye out for her okay? What does your kitten look like.

Danny, releived: Mittens isn't a kitten, shes a puppy, really tiny girl. She's a Bully Kutta, and she's mostly white but has black unclipped ears and some black splotches- here I have a-a picture. *pulls out his phone with shakey hands and shows Nightwing a picture of Danny and Mittens in their new appartment, Mittens goes up past his hips*

Nightwing, stunned into silence: . . .

Red Robin, over comms: That is "tiny" to him?!

Robin, over comms: Stunning.

Oracle: Found him. Daniel Fenton moved to Gotham with his Service Dog in Training, Mittens, two months ago. He works at Gotham's Space Museum, and writes Parnormal Fiction stories on the side, and he apprentantly visits Middle schools to do presentations. Mittens is 15months old and is set to graduate very soon. She has high praise from all her trainers, but it seems Danny's employers at the Museum are pushing against him bringing her to work once she graduates, Danny seems to be fighting with them about it a lot. Jerks.

Batman, over comms: What does he need her for?

Oracle, over comms: Heart problems, and mobility issues caused by an accident when he was a teenager, as well as Anxiety, and PTSD. A lot of his file is sealed because he was a minor when it happened, I can snoop more?

Batman, over comms: No, that amount is fine.

Nightwing: Well, the others know, and will keep an eye out for her. You're still shaking pretty bad, how about I see you home.

Danny: I appreciate it. I'm sorry for keeping you back, being a hero is- seems like an exhausting job.

Nightwing, joking: You speak from experience?

Danny, eyes distant: No, I was never a hero.

Robin, over comms: Mittens spotted near the Museum!

Nightwing: Hey, Robin said he spotted Mittens near the Museum.

Danny: She went looking for me, of course she did. If she won't go to Robin by name, have him call her "Vöttr", I'm the only one that ever calls her that, so it will catch her attention.

Nightwing, nodding: Robin call her Votter.

Red Robin, over comms: Old Norse?

Nightwing, eyebrow raised: Old Norse?

Danny, shrugging: Its a hobby.

Robin, over comms and sounding very excited: Target secure. . . . May I pet her?

Nightwing, snorts: Robin wants to know if he can pet her.

Danny, amused: As much as they want, as long as I get her back.

Robin, over comms: Understood, we will reconvene at Fenton's appartment.

Nightwing: Hah that kid. He said he'll meet us at your place if thats okay.

Danny: Sounds good, I'm just happy that I didn't loose her.

Blackbat, over comms: Sad, remorse, upset.

Red Robin, over comms: He does seem interesting.

Batman, over comms: Hmm.

Steph: Too late! *barges into the dorm room* So this is Duke's dorm room. I thought it would be smaller for some reason.

Tim: Looks like he hasn't unpacked yet. What's with the glowing green cat plushie on the couch?

Damian: Tsk, why am I here?

Dick: We're here to be supportive and wish Duke a good first day at collage!

Tim: And why is Jason here.

Jason: *flips him off*

Dick: To wish Duke a good first day! And I gave him two hundred dollars.

Steph: Aren't you crime rich?

Jason: I just like taking money from Dickie.

Danny: *walks out of the bathroom with damp hair, and a towel around his waist, pausing and blinking at the civilian bat kids who are randomly in his dorm room* Um...

Steph: Hello nurse~

Cass: *huffs in amusement before putting her hands over Steph's eyes and looking away*

Jason: *whistles but respectfully looks away*

Damian: *brows furrowing in confusion at his siblings reactions, but looks away all the same.

Tim: Who who who- what are you- I mean-

Dick: *covers Tim's eyes so he can reboot* Oh my, um, what are you doing here? Who are you?

Danny: My name is Danny, I am rooming here for the semester.

Dick: But-But this was-

Danny: If you're looking for Duke Thomas, he's one room over. Room 209, this is 208.

Dick: Oh my god we're so sorry! We thought- I swear we thought this was his dorm!

Danny, chuckling: Yeah I kind if figured.

Dick: We'll just leave- again I am so sorry- come on out out out!

Jason and Steph, theatrically: Boo~

Dick: Again I am so sorry! This won't happen again!

Danny: No worries, though when we do meet again I hopes its when I have more clothes on.

Tim: I don't.

Dick: Timothy!*shoves the last of his siblings out the door before shutting the door as fast as he can*

Danny: *bursts out laughing until something brushes against his leg* Hey Cleo, good nap? Let me get dressed then we'll go to the realms for some dinner, yeah?

Cleo, the ghost cat: *purrs as Danny pets her*Murrow~

after a while Red Hood is nearby and, obviously, hearing a kid in such clear distress in the middle of the night means he checks it out, and upon landing nearby and asking what the fuck is going on, the bats have to watch as baby-Damian notices the shiny red of Hood's helmet and armour, instantly recognises him, and crawls over to him to sob and clench his tiny little fists at him in an ask for uppies. and Red Hood obviously takes one look at the baby at his feet, goes 'shit wait- Dami?' and bends down to cradle him like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Hood then has to explain that he knew Robin in the league and helped care from him when he was really little, which is probably why Red Hood is currently the only person in the city that baby Damian recognises/views as safe, and Bruce is left with the annoying realisation that the only way to both keep Damian safe and happy while they figure out how to reverse the de-aging and get his son back to normal, is if he brings the Red Hood back to the cave with them. a man who is supposed to be his enemy and whom none of them realised Damian even knew, because clearly that little shit has been lying about some stuff.

for lack of a better solution they end up cautiously bringing Hood back to the cave, which Jason easily goes along with because the second he clocked baby Damian his paternal/protector instincts took over and he doesn't currently care about anything but keeping Damian happy. so there's a period of time where the bats are working as hard as possible in the cave to figure out a way to get Damian back to normal while also warily keeping an eye on Hood to make sure he doesn't try snooping around/go up to the manor/start shit, and Jason is just. not even clocking that this is a worry for them. he's genuinely just zeroed in on Damian like an activated sleeper agent, humming lullabies and changing diapers and even letting the baby clumsily try to take off his helmet because he wants to see Jason's face. Jason lets him, because he still has the mask on underneath, but it's still the first time any of the bats have seen under the helmet and so Dick and Tim end up on the other side of the cave watching with dropped jaws as Jason lets Damian play in his helmet -which he's like. small enough to sit in.- like... is that a fucking teenager under there???

Bruce finally figures out how to get Damian back to normal and when they fix him he comes back really disorientated and not really understanding what the fuck's been going on, so when he blinks open his eyes all dizzy and trying to gain his bearings he clocks Jason's face as one of the first things he sees and without thinking he just goes 'wait- Jason? what the fuck happened, where am I?'

all the bats turn in unison to stare at Jason in question and Jason just freezes in place. like. 'god i wish you'd just stayed a baby.'

Damian: I am already regretting this.

Jon: How did Tim and Kon start dating?

Damian: Why are you asking me?

Jon: Because every time I ask them, they give me a different answer.

Damian: That is because Drake finds misinformation amusing.

Jon: Yesterday Tim said they met because Kon "fell out of the sky and into his life."

Damian: Technically accurate.

Jon: Then Kon said they bonded through "mutual emotional instability."

Damian: Also technically accurate.

Jon: Then Steph said they were "professionally obsessed with each other."

Damian: Again, technically accurate.

Jon: None of these answers help.

Damian: Welcome to the family.

(Across the room...)

Kon: Babe.

Tim: Yeah?

Kon: Jon's trying to figure out how we got together.

Tim: Oh.

Kon: Should we tell him?

Tim: Absolutely not.

Jon: WHY?!

Tim: It's funnier this way.

Damian: Drake.

Tim: Fine.

Jon: Finally.

Tim: It all started—

Kon: When I stole his coffee.

Tim: No.

Kon: Right. Wrong story.

Jon: WRONG STORY?

Steph: There are like... six versions.

Cass: Seven.

Steph: Seven?

Cass: Jason made one up.

Jason, from the kitchen: IT WAS BETTER THAN THE REAL ONE.

Tim: It really wasn't.

Jason: Agree to disagree!

Jon: Can someone just tell me what actually happened?

Kon: We became friends.

Jon: Then?

Tim: We kept almost dying.

Jon: That's... concerning.

Steph: Pretty standard for them.

Kon: Then we got really emotionally attached.

Jon: Okay...

Tim: But neither of us noticed.

Steph: They were the last people to notice.

Cass: Last.

Damian: Grayson noticed first.

Dick: I DID.

Tim: You imagined it.

Dick: Timmy, you looked at Kon like he hung the moon.

Tim: That's ridiculous.

Kon: *smiles*

Tim: ...

Steph: He's doing the face.

Jon: What face?

Steph: The one.

Cass: Soft.

Damian: Revoltingly so.

Tim: I am making a normal face.

Jason: You absolutely are not.

Kon: Keep talking about me.

Tim: No.

Kon: Please?

Tim: ...Maybe.

Steph: THERE IT IS.

Jon: Wait, he actually gets like that?

Damian: Drake becomes significantly less irritating in Kon's presence.

Tim: Thanks?

Damian: It was not intended as praise.

Kon: I think it's cute.

Damian: Of course you do.

Jon: So who confessed?

(Silence.)

Jon: Guys?

(More silence.)

Jon: ...Guys?

Steph: This is my favorite part.

Jason: Oh, this is hilarious.

Dick: I have the screenshots.

Tim: Delete them.

Dick: Never.

Kon: In our defense—

Tim: There isn't one.

Jon: WHAT HAPPENED?

Dick: They accidentally confessed.

Jon: How do you ACCIDENTALLY confess?

Steph: Oh, just watch.

Dick: Kon texted Tim—

Kon: I meant to text Bart.

Tim: Important distinction.

Kon: I sent Tim a message that said, "I think I'm in love with Tim."

Jon: ...

Jon: YOU SENT THAT TO TIM?

Kon: Yes.

Jon: ON ACCIDENT?

Kon: Yes.

Jon: WHAT DID YOU DO?!

Kon: I threw my phone across the room.

Bart, appearing out of nowhere: He screamed for like five minutes.

Kon: Thank you, Bart.

Bart: You're welcome!

Jon: Tim?

Tim: I stared at my phone.

Steph: For twenty-three minutes.

Tim: Twenty-one.

Steph: Twenty-three.

Tim: Whatever.

Dick: Then he texted me.

Jon: What did he say?

Dick: "Hypothetically speaking..."

Everyone: OH MY GOD.

Tim: I PANICKED.

Steph: He opened with "Hypothetically speaking, if someone accidentally confessed their love for you..."

Jason: "...what's the etiquette?"

Bart: I still laugh about that.

Jon: WHAT DID YOU REPLY?

Dick: I said, "Do you love him back?"

Jon: Logical.

Dick: Tim disappeared for another fifteen minutes.

Tim: I was thinking.

Steph: You were blue-screening.

Tim: Also true.

Kon: Meanwhile, I was digging my own grave.

Bart: Literally.

Jon: Literally?

Bart: We had shovels.

Kon: It felt appropriate.

Jon: This family is exhausting.

Damian: Correct.

Jon: So then what happened?

Tim: I went to the Kent's farm.

Kon: I assumed he was there to reject me.

Tim: Which is insane.

Kon: In hindsight, yes.

Tim: I knocked.

Kon: I opened the door.

Tim: Then I forgot every word I'd ever learned.

Steph: Canonically true.

Tim: I had a speech.

Jason: He absolutely did.

Tim: It was gone.

Kon: So we just stared at each other.

Jon: For how long?

Bart: Long enough that I left to get snacks.

Jon: ...

Bart: I came back.

Jon: ...

Bart: They were still staring.

Tim: It wasn't that long.

Bart: I microwaved popcorn.

Steph: Twice.

Tim: Details.

Kon: Then Tim finally said—

Tim: "Hi."

Jon: THAT WAS THE SPEECH?

Tim: NO.

Kon: Then I said "Hi."

Jon: ...

Jon: THAT'S IT?

Kon: Then we stared again.

Damian: I have never witnessed two supposedly intelligent individuals fail so catastrophically at communication.

Cass: Cute though.

Damian: In an embarrassing sort of way.

Tim: Eventually I said—

Kon: "I think I'm in love with you too."

Jon: FINALLY.

Steph: Then Kon started crying.

Kon: A little.

Jason: Like a lot.

Kon: A reasonable amount!

Tim: Then I started crying.

Jon: YOU?!

Tim: It had been a stressful day.

Steph: They both cried.

Cass: Hugged.

Dick: Bart cried because they were crying.

Bart: It was emotional!

Jon: That's it?

Steph: That's it.

Jon: You made it sound like this huge dramatic story.

Dick: It was.

Jon: No, it wasn't.

Bart: You had to be there.

Kon: Best day ever.

Tim: Yeah.

Kon: Love you.

Tim: Love you too.

(The room goes quiet.)

Damian: I take back everything I have ever said.

Jon: Really?

Damian: No.

Steph,painting Jasons nails (lost a bet): i saw him on the cave couch when i was down there, that what about an hour ago so idk if hes still there.

Dick: yeah but i was just down there and Bruce was napping there.

Jason: where else would he be? have you tried calling his phone?

Dick: he never answers his phone, he has some freaky mind powers for knowing when something is an actual emergency .

they sit in silence for a minute

Cass: wait you said Bruce was napping on the couch? didnt he just get off patrol with a heavy concussion?

more silence

Steph realsing: OMG

Jason,also realising : rip Timmy, concussed 210 pound Bruce decides when the hug ends

.

in the cave on the cave couch.

Alfred: you alirght in there master Tim?

Danny Phantom, who has very explicitly stated before that he is infact a ghost.

Justice League, who have somewhat been exposed to Boston, and know he can possess people with ease.

Phantom, who speaks before thinking.

Danny: *gasp, slams hand over mouth* ……….oh my god…

Leaguer of your choice: ????????

Danny, still gaping: do you guys think I’m possessing someone?!

Leaguer: you’re not??

Danny: NO! WHY WOULD I DO THAT?!

Leaguer: IDK YOU’RE A GHOST

Danny: YEAH but possession is, like, super uncomfortable I can barely hold it for five minutes jfc I can’t believe you thought I’d DO that—

Leaguer: WHAT?!! THEN WHO’S THIS?!!

Danny “Didn’t Think This Through” Fenton: A MEATSUIT, LITERALLY— IT’S GOT NO ORGANS, IT’S JUST FLESH I CLONED OFF MY OLD BODY WHAT THE FUCK MAN YOU THOUGHT I’D POSSESS SOMEONE?!!

Leaguer: UHHH YEAH KINDA

Danny: oh my god I can’t believe you let me do this mission thinking I was possessing some random civilian you’re a fucking monster what the fuck

Behind him, Phantom floated a few inches off the ground, arms crossed and with a scowl that was much less intimidating than the Bat's, but had some promise (no one doubted that he would pick up a Bat-level scowl over time.)

"I am going to preface this by stating that I am disappointed in all of you," Batman began. "Not one of you bothered to conduct the proper research, or to question the evidence before you."

"Why would we bring it up?" Flash asked, tone vaguely desperate, "you didn't say anything."

The look Batman gave him could freeze the sun.

"And if I was compromised?"

Everyone was silent as everyone contemplated the damage that could be done if Batman was possessed... and if no one bothered to make sure he wasn't.

"Ok," Phantom broke in, stepping forward "I get it, security breach, dangerous for the team, yadda yadda."

Most people expected Batman to tell him to stand down, but the Bat simply stepped aside to let the teen speak.

"You all thought that I was possessing someone?" Phantom asked. He was no longer scowling, but instead, an expression of hurt and betrayal had overtaken him. "And you didn't even ask? Don't you all know me better than that? You could at least ask instead of thinking that poorly of me."

Aaaand there were the kicked-puppy eyes.

Every member there averted their gaze, and there was no doubt that this would not happen again. Diana, watching Batman, noted that he was watching Danny with the slightest hint of a smile pulling at his lips.

Lick a switch, Phantom’s kicked puppy expression flipped to fuming rage. “You’d let me take a civilian’s body- one you assumed was possessed without consent- into a potentially dangerous situation? With nothing more than a side-eye and a passive aggressive warning to be careful? WTF!”

Danny: Dude, I'm walking around with a cane. I have obvious medical issues. You think I have money?

Mugger: Shut up! If you don't do what I say, I'll sell your organs!

Danny: Again, medical issues. Who would buy organs that were already failing?

Mugger: Fine! This death is on you-

Batman: *dropping onto the mugger and beating him to pulp*

Danny: Ancients beyond! *pick up dropped gun* Sir. Sir, he's unarmed now.

Batman: Drop that or you get what he's having.

Danny: Oh. *puts gun down slowly* Thanks for saving me. I'm just gonna-

Mugger: HELP ME

Danny: What you want me to do? Fight Batman? I have serious medical issues! I can't beat him.

Batman: Go home.

Danny: I'm going home.

Mugger: No! DON'T LEAVE ME! WHAT ABOUT GOTHAM UNITY!?

Danny wobbling away rapidly: I'm sorry! I have to put myself first! I only moved to this city because of Wayne's medical forgiveness program.

Batman: Is that so?

Danny: *wobbles faster* Please dont take a interest in me, sir! I have enough problems as it is!

Batman: ....

Danny rounds the corner as the screams of the mugger increase: I have to put myself first. Don't look back. He belongs to the Dark Knight now. There was nothing I could do.

Three days later:

Jazz: Danny! This is a miracle!All of your medical bills were paid!

Danny: What!? By who!?

Jazz: Bruce Wayne! Apparently, Batman told him about you.

Danny, in a low whisper of terror: Give back the money.

Jazz: What?

Danny: Give it back. I do not want Batman's attention. He's a menace. Im unarmed 90% of the time, and he will not care.

Jazz: What?????

Danny, closing the blinds: Do you think he knows where we live!?

Jazz: Are you scared of Batman?

I love it when an outside perspective comes in and just goes Nope! This is nuts. Very uncomfy. You are not ok sir- I’d rather you not save me if it’s all the same to you. Please go away and forget my existence. I’m begging you just like that mugger did.

Danny and Jason knew each other as kids and did a little kiddie wedding as children like to do- playing at getting married. They didn’t like the traditional vow of “till death do us part” so they changed it. Only it is Gotham and somehow their little ceremony ends up being actually magically binding.

Years later life has separated them the way Death no longer can. Danny’s family moved away. Jason got adopted. They drift apart. Emails becoming shorter and less frequent until the media blackout around Amity Park stops them altogether. Friends fall out of touch. It happens.

They meet as little kids in Gotham and have their puppy love romance until life drifts them apart. Then Jason dies and Death lures Danny into the portal to have the accident so they can meet again as ghosts.

Phantom and ghost Robin have a whirlwind romance- maybe even deciding to ghost elope until for some reason the portal gets shut down with Jaybin stuck in the realms. Danny is heart broken but eventually tries to move on. But unbeknownst to him, the portal closing means Death had to let Jason go back to life because Death cannot be what parts them.

Danny somehow ends up back in Gotham and he and Red Hood get together. But then Danny sees Damian Robin and mistakes him for Jaybin and decides he needs to get a ghost divorce so he can pop the question to Hood. Jason doesn’t remember his time as a ghost so there’s shenanigans as Phantom is seen as a crazy new rogue calling himself Robin’s ghost husband.

Bruce stared. He knew. To be fair the strange little... Ghost(?) was turning longer as he wrapped around his eldest son's chest and started purring. The little vest he wore with the glowing words "Emotional Support Ghost! Working, please don't disturb" were lightly vibrating.

"Alfred...?"

"Yes, Master Bruce?"

"I think I'm hallucinating."

"Not at all. Master Dick has found the little ghost in a dumpster and has taken him in. He takes his work very serious." Alfred sounded proud and happy. Bruce understood, seeing any of his kids happy would always make him filled with love and happiness too.

It was still strange even if the little ghost was cute. (Until he bit Damian when his youngest tried to stealthily pet him)

A peace that is ruined by someone dropping to the ground next to him. Danny Masters. He’s a grade above than Bruce, but by age he should be two. Bruce has never spoken to the other boy before, but memorizing the student body at a place like this was easy. Danny stretches his long legs out in the grass before he holds out a plastic glove full of ice.

Bruce eyes it warily.

Danny shrugs. “Couldn’t find a plastic bag.”

Bruce doesn’t say anything.

“Look, I get it.”

Bruce scoffs. As if someone—

“I killed my parents too.”

—oh.

“Not just them. My sister. My best friends. They’re all dead because of me.”

Bruce stays quiet, but he takes glove full of ice and presses it hard against his lip. He ignores the way Danny is looking at him. Danny just hums. The sound mixes with the cicada calls.

“Bruce Wayne.”

“I know. Danny Fe… Masters.”