#dpxdc fic

Between the brick walls, fluorescent lights, and old fashioned uniforms, stepping into the Gotham City Police Department felt like time travel. The whole building smelled like tobacco smoke and coffee. A gruff square faced detective led Danny through the station to the commissioner’s office. 

“Take a seat,” the detective said. “It’ll be a while.”

Danny did as he was told. The metal folding chair was about as comfortable as you’d expect. A simple clock hung above the door, ticking audibly as the seconds passed. 

The detective leaned in the doorway, watching the hall. He was fidgety, impatient. It made Danny’s own anxiety spike. 

After what felt like forever but was probably no more than five minutes, the detective cursed under his breath. “Look kid, I’d love to babysit, but I got a job to do. The commissioner will be here soon. Don’t. Move.” He jabbed a finger at him before taking off down the hall. 

And wasn’t that reassuring? Cold wormed its way up Danny’s spine. He forced it down. It couldn’t be Vlad. Steph said he was being held at Arkham, and that place was supposed to be secure. 

Moments later, the rush of boots against hardwood could be heard from beyond the hall. Shouts and ringing phones quickly drowned them out. A group of officers ran past the room led by the detective from before. 

“Close off all exits,” the man gestured with his cigarette for emphasis. “No one goes in or out!” he plucked the walkie-talkie off his belt as he moved out of sight. “Get those streets blocked off and buildings evacuated. Do not engage—”

Danny crossed the room to the door. Whatever was happening was serious enough to send the whole station into a frenzy. People in and out of uniforms rushed up and down the hall, some carrying weapons, others gripping papers like they were a lifeline. Sirens rang through the station. Somewhere, a child was crying. 

“They’re getting in touch as we speak,” An older man with a tan coat and graying hair approached the office. He paused when he saw Danny in the doorway. “I’ll get back to you once we know more.” The man who had been walking beside him nodded and bolted down the hall. 

“You must be Danny Fenton,” the man in the tan coat said and extended his hand. “I’m Commissioner Jim Gordon. Our mutual friend tells me you’ve been through quite the experience.”

Danny managed a smile as he shook the man’s hand. “You could say that.”

“Let’s get right to business, then,” Gordon said. He opened a folder on his desk and began flipping through papers. “According to evidence our mutual friend gave me, it looks like your godfather is a meta, is that correct?” 

“Yes,” Danny said. He had gone over the official cover story multiple times with Steph the last few days. 

Gordon nodded, frowning at the documents in his hands. “The evidence is well organized, and we have a few witnesses at our disposal. If everything goes smoothly, you’ll never have to worry about Masters again.”

“Vlad won’t go down without a fight,” Danny said. “He’s wormed his way out before.”

“Not this time,” Gordon said. “Not on my watch.” 

Danny still felt the need to warn him. But the determination in his voice gave Danny hope. Maybe it could work this time. They might finally be free of him.

“Now,” Gordon said. “The matter of custody. With Masters out of the picture, you will need a legal guardian.”

“I have an older sister,” Danny said. “She’s almost eighteen. Couldn’t she do it?”

“Eventually, yes,” Gordon said. “But if you want Masters’ connections to you severed as soon as possible, ‘almost’ isn’t close enough. You will need a temporary guardian until then.” 

Danny was afraid of that. He immediately thought about Steph. They were already living with her, so it wouldn’t be that big of a change. But would she want that? It wasn’t exactly easy taking care of two ghost kids. Sure, she was already feeding them and put a roof over their heads, but being a legal guardian came with responsibility and obligations. No, she was already doing so much for them. He couldn’t expect her to do this too. 

“Someone has already shown interest,” Gordon said. “They have a lot of experience in cases like yours, and have been vetted by our mutual friend. We can set up a meeting if you’re interested.”

It couldn’t hurt to have more options. Besides, Danny doubted anyone associated with Batman could be that bad. It wouldn't be forever. Just until Jazz could take over.

“Sure,” Danny said. “Whatever it takes.”

Gordon nodded and made a note. “How does tomorrow sound?” 

Too soon, Danny thought. “Perfect,” he said. “Can’t wait.”

“Good,” Gordon said.

Danny verified some of the information Batman had given Gordon, filled out some forums, and signed a small stack of papers. Gordon explained what the court process might look like. It wasn’t too different from what Danny had been through before. By the end of the meeting, he felt better about his chances. It wouldn’t be like last time. He had allies now, and they weren’t about to roll over to Vlad’s tricks. 

. . . . .

“You did what?” Steph shouted. 

Bruce sighed on the other end of the call. “They reached out to me first.”

“See, there’s this really handy word I think you’ll like. It’s called no!” She shouldn’t have been surprised. This is exactly the kind of shit he always pulls. “What happened to trusting me?”

“I stand by my word,” Bruce said. “If Danny accepts the offer, my temporary guardianship will only be on paper.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Steph asked.

“They’ll keep looking until he does.” 

The very real possibility only fueled Steph’s anger. She knew the situation would change, but she wasn’t ready to let go of the kids so soon. If someone else took custody and found out they were metas… Bruce’s offer seemed like nothing in comparison. 

“Only on paper, huh?” Steph considered it. They’d be required to keep in contact, and there would likely be mandatory visits. And financial support…. “Fine. But I have rules.”

“I am aware,” Bruce said. 

Steph didn’t like it. But the alternative was out of the question. 

“When is the meeting?”

“Tomorrow. We’re still finalizing the details. I’ll keep you updated.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted me to spy on you.” 

“Why would I do that?” Bruce asked. “The meeting is at noon.”

“Let me guess. Don’t be late?”

The tone sounded, signaling the end of the call. 

Starting tomorrow, Spoiler was back on duty. 

. . . . . 

Apparently, a sandwich shop on the second floor of a lounge in the Diamond District was the candidate’s idea of a public space. Danny supposed he should have been more specific about the location. 

All things considered, the shop wasn’t too bad. Floor to ceiling windows made up the entire front facing wall, turning the space into a drum whenever rain hit the glass. The space was more empty than Danny would have preferred, but not suspiciously so. Of course, the lack of crowds could be intentional. Gordon did say the candidate was high profile. 

Danny chose a table that overlooked the street below, giving him a clear view of anyone who entered the building. He tried not to fidget too much as he waited. For better or worse, he didn’t have to wait long. 

A man approached Danny’s table with a purpose and smiled when he caught his eye. “Are you Danny Fenton?” He was dressed in unassuming clothes, but the quality combined with his designer watch betrayed his status. 

Danny nodded, not caring to hide the suspicion in his expression. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the man said. “May I?” He actually waited for a response before he pulled out a chair, notably one seat’s worth of space away from Danny. 

Maybe the watch was misleading? Danny tried not to judge the man too harshly. He was recommended by Batman, after all. 

“How are you liking Gotham so far?” the man asked. 

“It’s…” Danny searched for a word that didn’t sound negative but came up empty. “Different.”

The man laughed. “It certainly has character, doesn’t it. Must be quite the culture shock.”

“I’m getting used to it,” Danny said. “It helps that I have a friend who lives here.”

“Good,” the man said. “When Gordon told me you were from Illinois, I was worried you’d be alone. I’m glad you have someone familiar to rely on.”

Danny nodded. Nothing about the man raised any alarms. There was a slight nervousness in his eyes, like he was anticipating something to go wrong. But he was careful not to betray it in his words. It was a little comforting. 

They made small talk. The man’s name was Bruce, and he grew up in the city. He had fostered a few kids already, and had four of them living with him. He didn’t talk about himself much beyond that. He steered the conversation back to Danny as often as possible. 

“Are you staying in the city?” Bruce asked. “Not in a hotel, I hope.”

“No,” Danny said. “I’m living with the friend I mentioned.”

“Oh, how is that going?” Bruce’s words didn’t feel condescending or prying like they might have for anyone else. If anything, he seemed genuinely curious. 

“Good,” Danny said. He braced himself as he continued, “I actually want to stay there. If it’s possible. I mean, I’m sure your home is great, but—”

“Done,” Bruce said. 

Huh. Danny expected that to be harder. His surprise must have shown on his face, because Bruce smiled. 

“It creates some extra steps,” Bruce said. “But if that’s what you want, I can make it happen.” 

That settled that. Danny felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The longer he talked to Bruce, the easier his choice became. By the end of the meeting, he was confident that it would be different this time. Better. 

“It was good to meet you,” Bruce said. “If you ever need anything, and I do mean anything, you can contact me.” He handed Danny a silver business card from his pocket. 

“I will.” Danny said. And he actually meant it. 

With that, Bruce left. 

Danny turned the card over. The company name stood out in sleek black text, and the name under it almost made Danny’s heart stop. 

Wayne Enterprises — Bruce Wayne 

Chapters: 1/11 Fandom: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types, Justice League Dark (Comics), Young Justice (Comics) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Danny Fenton & Jason Todd, Danny Fenton & Damian Wayne Characters: Danny Fenton, Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, Valerie Gray, Kirk Langstrom, Zatanna Zatara, Alfred Pennyworth, Various Character(s), Original Characters Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Older Danny Fenton, Ghost King Danny Fenton, Overpowered Danny Fenton, Canon-Typical Violence, Heavy Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Sobriety, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Time Shenanigans, Timeline Shenanigans, Sentient Gotham City (DCU), Empath Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton Has an Ice Ghost Core, DEO | Department of Extranormal Operations, Anti-Ecto Acts (Danny Phantom), Guys in White | GIW Organization (Danny Phantom), Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse Series: Part 6 of waiting for the sun to smile on everyone Summary:

Daniel Nightingale is missing.

This poses a problem on multiple levels.

Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, DCU, Justice League Dark (Comics), DCU (Comics) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Danny Fenton & Jason Todd Characters: Danny Fenton, Jason Todd, Boston Brand, Prince Aragon (Danny Phantom), Pandora (Danny Phantom), Captain Marvel, Vlad Masters, John Constantine, Detective Chimp, Zatanna Zatara, Kirk Langstrom, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Various Character(s), Original Characters Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ghost King Danny Fenton, Overpowered Danny Fenton, BAMF Danny Fenton, Older Danny Fenton, Timeline What Timeline, Sobriety, Canon-Typical Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Mild Language, Violent Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Empath Danny Fenton, Timeline Shenanigans, Time Shenanigans, Sentient Gotham City (DCU), Identity Issues, Identity Porn, Implied/Referenced Character Death Series: Part 3 of waiting for the sun to smile on everyone Summary:

With great responsibility comes great power, or so Danny's heard.

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Danny Phantom, Superman - All Media Types, Earth 2 (Comics), DCU (Comics)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Valerie Gray, Val-Zod, Danny Fenton, Michael Holt (DCU), Various Character(s)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Timeline What Timeline, Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Halfa | Half-Ghost Valerie Gray, Chronic Illness, Body Horror, Canon-Typical Violence, Valerie Gray Needs a Hug, Valerie Gray-centric

Summary:

Valerie’s life isn't perfect anymore, and she's trying really, really hard to be okay with that.

A-plus for effort, right?