#dad danny

masterpost no editing or concrit please, tis a bad body day

“Danny! Danny,” Damian called he skittered into Danny’s classroom.

Danny was human more than not those days, sustained by the close proximity to ‘the pit’. It was effort, more than was perhaps wise to expend, but it was worth it to watch over Damian. It was worth it to see these rare moments of Damian acting like the child he was.

“Yes, Damian?” Danny asked. He didn’t try to hide his amusement as he turned to look at the little lord.

“Danny,” Damian said again before gulping in a huge breath. “There is another child here!”

Well, I figured I would doodle what I think Vlad looks like as a kid.

masterpost. please no editing or concrit <3 I'm on new medications for my apparently fibromyalgia and maybe lupus and they're kicking my ass with fatigue and brain fog. I didn't want to make y'all wait too long though if I could help it. <3

The ornate grate cracked and splintered under Danny’s talons—hands—talons. He was sharp and soft and feathers and skin and none of it mattered. He would become the Void itself if it would mean saving his hummingbird.

My hand slipped. I miss read a post about Batman needing to take Danny from Vlad, as Batman needing to take Vlad from Danny... soooo Here is the result lol

Summery: Danny who thanks to a natural ghost portal, gets trapped in the wrong time period, ends up the unexpected caregiver to a young Vlad Masters.

The clone that overshadows Danny in kindred spirits never comes back out, until months later when lbm comes out instead.

Title: A Royal Thank You

The Justice League had barely caught their breath.

In the days following the rooftop incident, Earth had seen a seismic shift in ghost-related politics. With the Ghost King’s declaration echoing through both the Realms and Earth’s dimension, the Guys in White found themselves publicly exposed, internationally condemned, and—thanks to the League’s swift action—systematically dismantled.

Every black site was raided.

Every illegally detained ghost or hybrid was freed.

And every dirty record connected to the GIW’s shadowy ops was handed over to the UN’s paranormal oversight committee, now assisted by a rather smug Constantine and a very pleased Martian Manhunter.

But amid the diplomacy, legal dismantling, and fallout from Phantom’s appearance, one thing stood out in Dani’s mind:

They tried to help her.

Even when they didn’t know who she was, even when she was just a scared girl in pain—they came.

Back in the Ghost Zone, Dani tapped her foot impatiently as she floated near the central portal hub of the citadel.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Danny asked from behind her, arms crossed but not unsupportive. “You know Batman’s gonna be suspicious the moment you show up.”

Dani grinned. “Suspicious? Please. I’m adorable.”

Danny narrowed his eyes. “You say that like he doesn’t carry Kryptonite and a backup plan to take down literal gods.”

“I’m a thank-you card with legs,” she said, puffing her chest with pride. “I’m just gonna pop in, say thanks, and not let Batman scare me into bolting. Easy.”

Danny smiled softly, pride obvious in his glowing eyes. “You’re really okay?”

She floated backward and tapped her chest. “Core’s solid. Healed up. Got some wicked scars—might glam them up later. But yeah, I’m okay.”

Danny hesitated. Then leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

She blinked. “Okay, that’s new.”

He shrugged, sheepish. “You called me Daddy. I’m gonna be annoying about it for a while.”

“Yeah, yeah…” she muttered, cheeks red. “Alright, open the portal before I lose my nerve.”

Watchtower – Justice League Central Command

The team was mid-briefing when a soft hum filled the room—faintly green, faintly cold. Instantly, Batman and Superman straightened. Wonder Woman reached instinctively for her lasso.

A portal spiraled open just above the conference table.

And Dani floated through, hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay! Peace! I swear!”

Hal Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s the ghost kid. Wait—are you the scary one or the adorable one?”

“Depends on the day,” she said, smirking. “Today’s adorable, promise.”

Dani touched down lightly on the table, then reached into her jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It shimmered faintly with ecto-energy and bore the Ghost King’s seal in soft silver.

“I, Danielle Phantom—heir of the Ghost King and officially Not Screaming Anymore—just wanted to say… thank you. For trying to help me.”

There was a pause. Diana stepped forward first, her eyes soft.

“We were too slow,” she said gently.

“You came,” Dani replied, shrugging. “That’s what matters. A lot of people don’t.”

She handed the letter to Superman, who looked surprised but touched as he took it carefully.

“It’s got King stuff in it too,” she added. “Like, Danny made it all official with thanks from the Realms. I didn’t read that part. It’s got too many fancy words and titles like ‘Defenders of the Mortal Gate’ or something. But I made sure it also includes drawings of you all as ghosts. In crayon.”

Flash perked up. “Wait, me as a ghost?”

“I gave you a cape.”

“I don’t wear a cape!”

“Now you do.”

Batman stared at her, arms crossed, unreadable.

Dani stared right back.

“…You remind me of someone,” he said at last.

“Yikes. That better be a compliment.”

To everyone's shock, Batman gave the barest twitch of a smile.

Dani grinned wider. “Well, I should go. My dad’s waiting and he gets twitchy when I’m gone too long. He’s still new to the whole ‘terrifying ghost father thing.’”

“I can relate,” Superman muttered.

Dani floated back toward the portal.

Then she paused and looked over her shoulder.

“I hope I never need saving again. But if I do… thanks for being the kind of people who’d show up anyway.”

And with a final flash of light, she was gone.

The room was silent for a moment.

Flash blinked. “So we’re friends with the Ghost King now, right?”

“More like allies,” Batman said.

Superman smiled faintly. “And we’ve got the official ghost crayon drawings to prove it.”

The Infinite Realms pulsed with gentle light.

Far from Earth, in the heart of his floating citadel, King Phantom walked the halls in silence. His cloak now hung lazily behind him, his crown dimmed to a soft green glow. No longer a furious storm of rage and retribution—just Danny again.

Inside one of the palace chambers, Dani lay curled on a bed of weightless mist. The Ghost Doctors—ancient shades sworn to serve the crown—had healed her, layer by layer, until her core stabilized and her body stopped flickering. She was sleeping now, finally at peace, pale lashes twitching as if she dreamed.

Danny sat beside her, elbow propped on his knee, hand half-covering his mouth.

And he was grinning like an idiot.

He tried to stop. He really did. He ran a hand through his hair. He even made it a full two minutes without chuckling.

But then the memory hit him again.

“DADDY!!!”

It echoed in his mind like music—raw, desperate, real. She hadn’t said Danny. She hadn’t said ‘clone’ or ‘big bro’ or ‘boss’ like she sometimes teased.

She’d said Daddy.

And it had ripped through him like a sunburst. Something in his very core had awakened—something warm, protective, ancient. The part of him that ruled death itself had dropped everything because that little girl had called him.

A warm hum vibrated through his core, resonating softly across the realm. Ectoplasm stirred, glowing a little brighter. Doors eased open like flowers. Somewhere in the castle, a ghost hound rolled over with a happy sigh, tail thumping once.

Danny blushed so hard his face glowed.

“Oh Ancients, I’m a mess,” he muttered, covering his face with both hands. “I turned into a giant death god and screamed at the Justice League because my kid said ‘Daddy.’”

His kid.

His core hummed louder, proud and smug.

“…She’s not even technically—well, I guess technically she is my clone, but also, like…” He trailed off. “Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter at all.”

She was his. She had called him.

And he’d never let anyone hurt her again.

He looked over at her sleeping form, a little smile tugging at her lips even in rest. His chest felt too full. He floated off the ground a little without meaning to.

“Dani,” he whispered. “I got you. I promise. Forever.”

She stirred, just slightly, and in a whisper barely audible over the hum of the realm, she murmured, “…Daddy…”

Danny’s core gave a full, joyful pulse that lit up the chamber like sunrise. The walls sang. The crown flickered back to life.

Danny just laughed softly, wiping a tear from his cheek.

He was a king. A protector of realms. A force of balance.

But more than anything else…

He was a dad.

Let Go of My Daughter

The battle had been brutal. Debris lay scattered across the ruined street, buildings groaning from the damage, smoke rising from the craters left by the fight between the Justice League and the alien war machines that had descended without warning.

From a nearby rooftop, Dani watched with awe, her white hair glowing faintly in the dusk light. She wasn't supposed to be here—Danny had told her to stay away from trouble. But curiosity had a grip on her soul like gravity. These were the heroes she’d only heard about in stories, seen from the shadows: Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern—fighting together in a blur of power and purpose.

Then came the hum. A too-familiar mechanical buzz that made her hair stand on end.

Dani turned. Too late.

Agents in white armor, cold faces under dark visors—the Guys in White. They hadn’t come for the alien invaders.

They had come for her.

She bolted, ducking low, turning invisible mid-leap, but they were ready. A glowing ecto-net shot out from a launcher, wrapping around her mid-air, sizzling with power. She screamed as it struck her core, her body flickering between ghost and human, pain tearing through every atom.

“No—NO! LET ME GO!”

Her thrashing only made the net constrict tighter, burning her. One of the agents barked an order, and the voltage increased.

“Subject is destabilizing. Contain or terminate!”

A sickening jolt surged through her.

Her screams echoed across the battlefield. At first, the Justice League didn't realize what they were hearing—amid the chaos, it was just another sound.

But then Superman paused. His ears twitched. He heard the difference. Fear. Pain. A child.

Wonder Woman turned toward him, already running. “Where?”

“North rooftop!”

Batman was ahead of them both, his grappling hook already in the air.

The GIW agents didn’t see them coming—not until a batarang shorted out their generator, sending Dani crashing to the rooftop, gasping and shivering.

The agents turned in surprise, only for a red and blue blur to knock two of them flying into a wall. Wonder Woman’s lasso whipped through the air, tangling up another pair. Lantern constructs snapped the rifles from their hands and crushed them under emerald fists.

But it was too late.

Dani was curled on the rooftop, panting, hurt, and bleeding ectoplasm. Her wide eyes glowed bright green, tears cutting down her ash-streaked cheeks.

Then she screamed—a raw, primal cry from the deepest part of her.

“DADDY!!!”

The world held its breath.

And then… the sky cracked.

Clouds spiraled unnaturally. Wind howled. The sun dimmed under a sudden pall of swirling green light. Lightning arced across the horizon—green lightning.

From the center of the storm, a figure emerged.

A black cloak whipped in the wind, edged with silver chains. A massive glowing crown floated just above his brow, held in place by raw ectoplasmic power. His white hair streamed behind him like a comet. The air warped with his fury.

And his eyes—normally calm and glowing green—were now blood-red.

Phantom.

No longer just a boy.

Now, the Ghost King.

“LET. GO. OF. MY. DAUGHTER.” His voice was not a shout. It was a command from a being who ruled death itself, echoing through time and space.

The GIW agents who were still conscious dropped their weapons instantly, paralyzed by sheer instinctual dread. One tried to run—only to be caught midair by an invisible hand and slammed into the pavement.

Danny—King Phantom—descended to the rooftop. He didn’t even touch the ground; power thrummed beneath him like a living storm. The League took a cautious step back, not out of fear—but respect.

He knelt beside Dani, rage turning instantly to anguish. “Dani… I’m here.” He gathered her up, cradling her close. Her eyes fluttered open, and a weak smile touched her lips.

“You came…”

“I always will.”

Batman stepped forward. “Who are they?” He gestured to the crumpled agents.

Danny didn’t look up. “Government ghost hunters. Illegal operations. I’ve shut them down before.”

“They attacked a child,” Wonder Woman said grimly. “They’ll answer for it.”

Danny stood, still holding Dani. “Not to you. To me.” A portal yawned open behind him—green and swirling like a rift into another realm.

One of the agents began to beg. “You don’t have jurisdiction here!”

Danny looked back over his shoulder, red eyes gleaming.

“I’m the King of the Infinite Realms. Jurisdiction is what I say it is.”

He stepped through the portal, Dani safe in his arms. The sky rumbled one last time—and then the clouds dispersed.

The rooftop fell quiet.

Green Lantern let out a low whistle. “Well. That was something.”

Superman crossed his arms. “We’ll need to talk to him. If they’re hunting children like her, this isn’t over.”

Batman was already scanning the data from the agents’ suits.

But all of them, for that one moment, stood in the quiet awe of a simple, terrifying truth.

Mess with a ghost girl… and you’ll answer to her father.