Can't stop rereading @dcxdpdabbles 's Adopted Son, gotta draw fanart before chapter 8 is posted <333 everytime I reread it , I hurt even more and I love it.
Song I was listening to on repeat whilst drawing this <33:
Jason would try to date Danny to piss off Bruce but Tim WILL actually fall for his stupid ass.
Danny: Come out with your hands in the air!
Batman: *stepping out of the shadows of the doorway*
Danny: Go inside with your hands down!
Batman: What?
Danny: I don't know. I panicked. I thought if I said the opposite, it would work like a uno reverse card.
Batman: ....
Danny: .....
Batman: How old are you?
Danny: Old enough to respect your mother!
Batman: What?
Danny: I would take her on a romantic date, have her home at a reasonable hour and not expect a kiss until the third date!
Batman: Are you on something?
Danny: No, I'm just like this.
Batman: ....There have been rumors of a strange meta wandering the streets of Gotham. They say he spends his time offering to walk old people across the street, clean up litter and help kids with homework.
Danny: So what if I am? You won't make me join any gang if that's what you want. My mother raised me right! My dad taught me manners! My sister made me a valuable memeber of society! I HAVE MY RABBIES SHOT!
Batman: I'm actually here on Bruce Wayne's behalf. He wanted to offer you a safe place-
Danny: I already told that man no! Just because I fought off a kidnapping attempt on him doesn't mean we're chums. If he asks again I'll date his sons!
Batman: what
Danny: I'll romance them all. I'll take them on romantic candlelight dinners and make so many homemade heart-felt gifts. I'll be their number one support through thick and thin. Don't think I won't!
Batman: Are you sure you're not on something?
Danny: I'm too cool for drugs đ
Batman:...... Bruce Wayne doesn't have to worry about his sons dating you. Not when you say things like that.
Danny Fenton gets sent to Gotham by a worried FrostBite who thinks he's overworking himself. Danny will do no hero work for an entire year on his Yeti doctor's order to let his core heal from overuse.
He was even shipped through a portal to a similar universe with almost exact ectoplasm levels so that his usual foes would not bother him. The plan was to hide as a human in Gotham, letting his poor core get the much-needed rest.
Frostbite's contactsâwhoever they wereâmanaged to set up Danny's fake identity, complete with a home to call his own.
It was a somewhat run-down place, but it was isolated from the rest of the city due to some gas leak a few years back. It was safe to move into, but no one wanted to face the memories of the tragedy. Danny lives alone in the far corner of the city and loves it.
Danny is also told to try to avoid any high-stress-inducing work, so with that in mind, he finds himself applying for a job at the public library. He's a just age out of the system orphan who moved to the big city to try and make a new life for himself.
Every day, he skips onto the city bus, which stops just outside his street; he rides towards the center of Gotham, picks up a latte and some new pastry at the cafe near his work, and spends days filing away books. He gossips with his co-worker Barbara about his nonexistent love life and starts to feel normal for the first time since he was fourteen.
Danny giggles with Barbs about the most eligible bachelor under forty list two months into his medical retreat. He is swooning over Bruce Wayne- though Babs makes a face - when the door to the library is kicked open.
The two librarians gasp as a group of men wearing question marks march in a group of tightened people at gunpoint. Danny doesn't have time to react before two barrels point at him, and a man yells for them to join the group.
He is forced to kneel alongside random citizens unlucky enough to have been caught on the street. Babs is knocked off her chair to the ground. The man laughs as she tries to drag herself closer to the group, which causes Danny's core to flaar in rage.
Two hours go by, with everyone on their knees, surrounded by guards. They are hostages, but what for, Danny doesn't know. All that he can pray for is for everyone to stay calm until help comes.
Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case when a baby wakes in his mother's arms and won't stop crying. The guards quickly lose patience with the panicking woman until they drag her away from the group and rip her child from her arms.
Danny can't stay by and watch anyone, not with the gun being pointed at a little one.
He ignores the ache his core thumps with as he prepares to change into Phantom and save everyone. Yes, Frostbite will be angry, which may set back all the healing he's done, but Danny doesn't think he has a choice.
"I'm going-"
A crash from overhead interrupts his battle cry as a figure drops down on the main guard. Danny watches, amazed, dumbfounded, as the person does some quick flips, kicks, and punches, dancing out of the way of bullets and taking down the kidnappers one right after the other.
They didn't even use powers. Just some form of martial arts. It was amazing.
Soon, the figure stands, surrounded by bodies, and really, this should be on a poster; it's such an excellent shot. The person, now that he's not a blur bouncing around the room kicking ass, looks like a man with a with a metal staff. He has a red and black costume, with a long black cape on his shoulders.
He walks over to the woman, handing her back the baby that he managed to save mid-punch. She clunches to her child, sobbing so hard she shakes and the man carefully offers her some comfort.
Danny might just be in love.
"Is everyone alright?" a new voice asks suddenly, right in the middle of the circle of hostages, causing Danny to release a scream. Seeing as everyone stops to turn to him, he is not proud of the fact. Danny glances at the newcomer who spoke, feeling his face heat up.
This one is mostly in blue, but his outfit is obviously made from the same material as the bo-staff man. He has an amused smile on his lips, which should be illegal.
"Don't mind, Danny," Babs says as someone helps her back into her chair. "He's not from Gotham. This is his first Bat encounter."
Everyone nods like that makes sense, no longer staring at him like he lost his mind. More and more Bats eventually show up, having defeated the Riddler- apparently a man who regularly kidnaps people to make riddles out of?- and everything gets sorted.
The Bats stay long enough for the police to show up and haul the goons to jail. Witness statements are taken. The medics treat anyone injured, and in all the chaos, the Bats vanish.
Babs closes the library early, sending Danny home with a relieved smile and the next two days off. At that time, he finds out everything he can about the Bats, and he is amazed that a whole clan of them is running around saving Gotham.
Danny quickly realizes that he doesn't need to be Phantom here. The city already has heroes keeping her safe.
Instead, he becomes the Bat Clan's number-one fan. Buying a laptop just to join fan forums, watch old footage of the Clans, and join the BatBurger loyalty program.
By the time the Libary reopens, Danny caved into the urge to write fanfiction. He uses Phantom as his username, figuring no one would ever know. He may enjoy his yeti orders a little more now.
Meanwhile, Babs is showing Tim the fanfiction about Red Robin falling in love with a civilian. She laughs at how much Tim gets into it because Danny really does have a talent for the written word.
"Has he written anything else?" Tim asks once he catches up with the latest chapter.
"He just posted a new story about Batman falling in love with Bruce Wayne," Babs says, watching the numbers on his views rise. "It's only five chapters so far, but apparently, the world-building is amazing."
"Phantom wrote that the Bats were a ghosts of some kind." Dick yells from where he is also reading the Red Robin fanfiction, "Frankly, I'm flattered by how hot he made Nightwing sound."
"You sure he's not a threat?" Tim asks, clicking open the new fic with barely concealed glee.
"No. Danny has a weak heart. Per his doctor's orders, he can't be in any stressful situation. He's just a sweet kid who became our fan after the save from Riddler." Babs says, "I highly doubt we'll see him near the cape scene."
DpxDc AU: Tim as a child was never given a lot of information regarding the scribbling messy handwriting that appeared over night all over his arms- naturally he came to his own conclusions.
Tim Drake was home entirely alone at 9 years old and was about to go out for the night to test his brand new long exposure camera lens when he sees the writing on his arm. Itâs not English, like he assumed it was at first, but it was using the alphabet to represent⌠Tim isnât bad at math but this formula is complex for his little genius brain.
Looking at his camera, he decides he can spare a moment to look it up, solve it, and get back out into old town Gotham in time for Batman and Robinâs final patrol lap. He does just that, finding the problem to relate to some aerospace engineering and then quickly deduces what laws and theorems need to be applied. He finds a pen, writes down his findings in much neater handwriting onto his arm, and goes out. Itâs barely a remarkable night at all. He gets a much more memorable photo of Robin roundhouse kicking a hench person.
Things just continued on that way. Tim would find some complex math, physics or chemistry prompt on his arm (surrounded by various question marks or notes or sad faces)- heâd answer it as best he could and move on with his life. Perhaps his parents were manifesting these pop quizzes? Perhaps his subconscious felt guilty about abandoning his studies for more Bat related pursuits? Tim really didnât care to think much about it once he became Robin- there was too much on his plate and too many peoples problems for him to fix.
Notably, however, after the attack at the Tower, the pop quiz appeared and Tim wrote back that he wouldnât be able to find an answer to this one. It was the only time Tim questioned the markings appearance and it was because the next thing that appeared was âHope you feel better soon.â
⌠his parents wouldnât include that on a pop quiz. Cursed then. Tim decided it must be a curse, whatever, heâd deal with the implications later in life.
Tim then has the worst year of his life, hes 15, no longer Robin and the questions from his curse are getting less math oriented and more⌠philosophical. A lot of mentions of death that, in hindsight helped him actually grieve, and a lot of theories about dark matter and souls. Tim answers back as best he can but heâs drained and his answers arenât very good in his opinion. He gets minimal feedback.
It all comes to a point that heâs at a family dinner, Bruce is at the head of the table, Jason has promised just to stay for dessert, Damian hasnât thrown a single insult his way and Steph was laughing at him- when a new theoretical model appears on his arm.
âYouâre just as bad as Bruce, Timberly. Hiding a soulmate from all of us, how fucking typical.â Jason points out, while watching Tim scribble back some math with a question mark onto his arm.
âA what? No, this is just a curse. I get pop quizzes every now and then.â Tim bats away Steph who rapidly approaches and began to analyze his arm (the rest of the family isnât far behind).
âDrake. Explain how you came to this conclusion.â Damian seems more curious than anything, if his lack of insults was anything to go off of.
âSince I was young Iâve had at least weekly math check ins, I never had a parent or anyone else around so I assumed my parents had me cursed to ensure I stayed on top of my studies. Sometimes itâs physics or chemistry, for a while there it was a ton of philosophy and behavioral psychology.â He shrugs his shoulders.
âMaster Tim, I believe the lack of adults in your life has led you towards a false conclusion. That is most certainly a soulmate mark. The individual to whom you are responding is undoubtedly your other half.â Alfred attempts to calm the room before explaining to Tim. Tim isnt sure if he believes the butler, though Alfred only very rarely lied, so he grabs the pen once more. He writes his first question back: âWho am I to you?â
The room waits in anticipation and within moments a brand new line appears on Timâs arm and he is vindicated: âWe do math together???â
ââ
The reason Danny is failing English is because his built in homework helper sucks ass at metaphors and has apparently never read any classic literature. The tutor on his arm is great at puzzles and math tho.
Danny gets a reply back one night that he wasnât expecting (Who am I to you?) and he mentions it to Jazz. Who goes insane that Danny didnât even question it and just went with âmeh, probably hauntedâ as his explanation for the phenomenon for all these years.
Apparently, if Jazz was right, he had a soulmate who was uh, super fucking smart. That was an overwhelming thought.
The next day Danny is in crisis mode and writes back âWait, WHAT AM I TO YOU??? Can I help on your homework??â
Danny gets vindicated when the writing on his arm presents a shit ton of dates and information for an unsolved Gotham cold case. See, Haunted.
âââ
Eventually between Danny becoming the top candidate for astrophysics at Wayne Enterprises and Tim Drake being outed as having contributed tips to the GCPD that solved cold cases- they meet and realize just how dumb theyâve been.
DP x DC prompt:
A youtube channel called Spooky Gotham, secretly run by Danny as a fun little hobby.
The channel heavily features cutesy sheet ghosts and cartoon bats in the thumbnails, but the videos themselves display how fucking unnerving a city like Gotham is.
The most viewed video is recorded on a smartphone, and is about eighteen minutes long. It shows an utterly abandoned downtown city street, completely silent except for the distant sound of sirens, a slight wind buffeting the phone's mic, and an automated voice repeating that the city is under total lockdown due to an Arkham breakout.
It's unclear if the video takes place at night, or if it's just that dark downtown due to the abundance of skyscrapers and smog. Most of the street lamps are out, but some illuminate empty cars with their doors still open, shopping bags full of crushed purchases left behind by their owners, and the occasional abandoned shoe.
There are bullet casings in the gutters, and the person recording the video pauses long enough to focus on a batarang partially embedded in a brick wall, suggesting a violent conflict ended not too long before the start of the video. Despite this, there is very little actual damage to the street or store fronts.
Despite the low level of other sounds in the video, and that the person recording is walking through a street full of clutter, there are no footsteps heard the entire time. It ends with a muffled "Oh shit," and the camera focusing on the distant shape of a figure in black and red emerging from the mouth of an alleyway.
Other videos are shorter.
Two minutes of footage in a dark alley, the focus a pair of featureless white eyes peering down at the camera, as though from atop a wall.
Five minutes of indistinct shapes moving through a glowing green mist, overlaid with the sound of a gas mask hissing.
Nine minutes of the person holding the camera surrounded by a crush of people, everyone moving hurriedly but wordlessly in the same direction, and an automated voice blaring directions in the background. It is interrupted by the occasional dull thund of distant exposions.
Four minutes of what looks to be the back of a green woman with red hair screaming wordlessly at someone off camera, roots and vines lashing at the surrounding buildings, and then suddenly dropping to the ground.
Twenty two seconds of the camera panning over the city from high above, fires silently raging in the streets, with a text overlay reading "Audio removed due to sensitive content."
Behind the scenes, Danny is rather proud of catching these moments on film! He has a lot more of the local vigilantes confronting him for entering dangerous areas, goons shooting at him, and shocked supervillains, but most of those aren't really "spooky," more "humiliating for getting spotted again." His biggest viewers are his friends and family back in Amity, and he really doesn't need to give them the idea that he's getting into trouble with the locals.
The rest of his viewers are other "horror" youtubers looking for inspiration, urbex enthusiasts, and what he suspects are the private accounts of the Bats.
He knows at least one of his viewers is Jonathan "The Scarecrow" Crane. The guy isn't subtle, and swings wildly between berating Danny for his silly aesthetic choices (the aforementioned sheet ghosts and cartoon bats), and praising him for the cognitive dissonance it causes. Talk about mixed messages...
Jack Fenton answered.
Jack Fenton sounds so much like Bruce at first listen if someone is tired and emotionally wrecked that Dick started going on his tangeant, pleading to come home.
Jack Fenton doesn't mind more kids at all! Neither does Maddie!
Jack tells him to come home and gives him the address to Fentonworks, and gets the guest room set up and ready to go.
Dick, finally arriving three days later, still sleep deprived and not all there, stares at the blimp on the building and starts to think he may have dialed the wrong number.
He doesn't have time to cry and go back, though, because Jack and Maddie Fenton whirlwind their way out the door and corral him into his new bedroom, treating him like he's always been their son and he's just been gone for awhile.
And Dick...Dick needs this. He's three steps from a mental breakdown, can't think past two sentences worth of planning, and he hasn't slept in who knows how long. He can regret later, right now, he'll take it.
He allows them to tuck him into bed, allows himself to fall asleep, and leaves the freaking out to a more awake him.
Danny, meanwhile, is having a little chat with a few of the ghosts that regularly follow Dick Grayson, and goes invisible and intangible to just...fly over to where this guy had been and steal the info he was after.
Because holy shit, that dude looks like he needs a break.
Or: Dick gets adopted as an adult by the Fentons instead of Bruce, and gets a really weird support network.
When Amity Park left the Infinite Realms it didnât reappear where it had been before, instead it seemed to land in the ocean. Water all around them, a landmass barely on the horizon. Phantom flew to take a look and when he came back told the people of Amity Park that they were not in their universe. He had seen dragons and other creatures that definitely didnât exist on earth.
Amity Park was now an island. Sandy beaches surrounded the once land-locked city and a row of problems arose faster than solutions could be found. They had food in the supermarkets, the mall and some smaller stores, but the fridges and freezers needed electricity. It took the Fentons and a few electricians to find a solution.Â
That was the start of the Fenton Ecto Battery, while the Fentons themselves had already used ecto to power their inventions they now had to find a way to build a battery big enough to power the whole city and then somehow find a way to connect it to the existing lines under the city.Â
There was also the problem of money, while people had money, the bank itself didnât store all of the money in cash. There was no internet or phone service, they were transported into a time before in their minds.Â
âWell, the portal still works, canât we just go back?âÂ
Phantom had to explain that he couldnât transport the whole city, he was already busy using his ice until they had power again. Not to mention that the whole city now knew that Phantom was Fenton. And Danny also helped with the F.E.B.
Tucker and Technus were the ones who took on the problem, they had already been working on multiverse phones, so Tucker and Sam could reach Danny no matter where he was, in the Realms or not.Â
People who had worked outside of Amity Park were forced to find new work inside the city, retirees came back to work to help as well with knowledge how to do jobs without the modern comforts.Â
They were lucky an old man had retired and moved to live with his daughter after a lifetime of building ships. Thanks to him the Amity Parkers actually had a chance at fresh food. Phantom was eventually send out to look for cows, chickens, whatever he would find that could be taken care of for food later on.
The first year was plagued by problems the people had to slowly work out, as well as the struggle of the entire town being heavily liminal due to their three-day-exposure in the Realms. Getting used to people floating suddenly, or phasing into the ground from one step to the next as well as suddenly being a lot stronger and faster were a lot.
The second year slowly worked better, people were used to their new abilities, their new way of life, the ghosts that had attacked them before were now helping them out. Ghostwriter had taken over a big chunk of teaching after he found books about the worldâs history and different cultures.Â
It wasnât until their fifth year, now rather used to this life, that they saw a ship coming their way for the first time. The ship carried with it a diplomatic party. In the years Danny had flown over to the continent again and again, learning about animals, seeing the land that was nearest to theirs and thus had been chosen to talk to the newcomers.Â
When the diplomatic party had been led through the town they were in awe as well as scared. These people lived not far from the most dangerous forest and yet they had incredible technology. Carriages with now animals to draw them, silently rolling or some even flying through the streets. Streets made from one big stone it seemed while living in equally big stone houses. It was this expedition's quest to visit the land behind the forest. They couldnât go through the forest, so they had taken a ship, only to be surprised that an island was on the horizon.
It was risky to change their route to the island instead of around the forest, but it would be best. Either they found new lands, or they found new people to trade with. The king was in a desperate situation while trying to build up a poor kingdom he inherited from his father who had run the country into the ground.Â
The island was big, and on it was a city bigger and taller than anything they had ever seen, the people living on it were not humans, they had glowing eyes, fangs, long ears. Identifiers from elves and demons, yet they didnât own the same coloring of the demons or the lithe statue of the elves.Â
Nothing about this city had prepared them for the person they met to talk to. The people living here could talk in their language in a broken and heavily accented way, but it was made clear that whoever they were to meet was important. So they stared at the big house and strange contraption on top of it, pressing a button and a sound came from inside the house. The door was opened by a tall woman, she invited them in, inside was more colorful than they had ever seen aside from palaces.Â
The house was not big enough for a palace, yet the inside would not lose out in itâs fancy design new to them. The woman told them to wait as she got someone to talk to them, when she reentered the room she was followed by a man even taller than her. Long dark hair braided back, even in the dirty clothes he was wearing and with dirt smeared on him he gave an imposing aura.
âAh, hello.â Of the group of outsiders a man at the front took a step forward and bowed before answering.
âGreetings, we are the delegation of the kingdom of Root. In the name of his majesty king Jovic the first of his name we would like to open trade with your kingdom.â Danny scratched his cheek, making eye contact with Jazz for a moment. She nodded.
âWelcome to Amity Park then, we arenât really a kin-â Jazz smiled as she stepped on his foot.
âI mean⌠Iâm Phantom, High King of the Infinite Realms.âÂ
âIâm Jasmine, his sister.â She turned towards what the group now knew as this islandâs king and started to talk to him in another language they had heard spoken by the people of the island. They seemed to discuss something before Jasmine took out a small device and proceeded to tap her finger on it, before putting it away.
âYou must be tired from the long journey, please follow the guard to your resting quarters. We will talk again tomorrow.â They were led out by the same people who had taken them to their king. When they entered the even taller building they were led to and brought up to a floor filled with doors and given keys with strange symbols on them they were confused.
âThe number on the key belongs to the number on the door.â A young woman said and showed them that the key would only work on the door with the same numbers on them. âSomeone will come and bring you food, they will knock on the door. Rest for today, tomorrow Phantom will send somebody to lead you to the town hall for talks.âÂ
The food they were served later in the day was incredible, spices were used freely as well as meat and a meat-free option. The rooms themselves were fit for a palace and came each with their own bathroom. There was flowing water coming from a pipe above a basin and the tub! Each room had it! They talked together until late in the night, they would need to ask for the technology tomorrow.
In Arkham they don't allow outside media in fear of the rouges getting any ideas. This leads to them treating the staff like their own personal TV show, this leads to a level of parasocial obsession that can often be detrimental (See Harley Quinn as a notable example). So when DR. Jazz Fenton comes in with subtle hinting of government conspiracies and a 'i've seen worse' attitude they are INVESTED. Meany of them are staying just for the show, their plans can wait they NEED to know this woman's backstory.
"hey it's been awfully quiet"
"Yeah, new hire at Arkham, it happens sometimes"
*3 months later*
"sooo"
"yeah something's definitely up"
DpxDc AU: Tim as a child was never given a lot of information regarding the scribbling messy handwriting that appeared over night all over his arms- naturally he came to his own conclusions.
Tim Drake was home entirely alone at 9 years old and was about to go out for the night to test his brand new long exposure camera lens when he sees the writing on his arm. Itâs not English, like he assumed it was at first, but it was using the alphabet to represent⌠Tim isnât bad at math but this formula is complex for his little genius brain.
Looking at his camera, he decides he can spare a moment to look it up, solve it, and get back out into old town Gotham in time for Batman and Robinâs final patrol lap. He does just that, finding the problem to relate to some aerospace engineering and then quickly deduces what laws and theorems need to be applied. He finds a pen, writes down his findings in much neater handwriting onto his arm, and goes out. Itâs barely a remarkable night at all. He gets a much more memorable photo of Robin roundhouse kicking a hench person.
Things just continued on that way. Tim would find some complex math, physics or chemistry prompt on his arm (surrounded by various question marks or notes or sad faces)- heâd answer it as best he could and move on with his life. Perhaps his parents were manifesting these pop quizzes? Perhaps his subconscious felt guilty about abandoning his studies for more Bat related pursuits? Tim really didnât care to think much about it once he became Robin- there was too much on his plate and too many peoples problems for him to fix.
Notably, however, after the attack at the Tower, the pop quiz appeared and Tim wrote back that he wouldnât be able to find an answer to this one. It was the only time Tim questioned the markings appearance and it was because the next thing that appeared was âHope you feel better soon.â
⌠his parents wouldnât include that on a pop quiz. Cursed then. Tim decided it must be a curse, whatever, heâd deal with the implications later in life.
Tim then has the worst year of his life, hes 15, no longer Robin and the questions from his curse are getting less math oriented and more⌠philosophical. A lot of mentions of death that, in hindsight helped him actually grieve, and a lot of theories about dark matter and souls. Tim answers back as best he can but heâs drained and his answers arenât very good in his opinion. He gets minimal feedback.
It all comes to a point that heâs at a family dinner, Bruce is at the head of the table, Jason has promised just to stay for dessert, Damian hasnât thrown a single insult his way and Steph was laughing at him- when a new theoretical model appears on his arm.
âYouâre just as bad as Bruce, Timberly. Hiding a soulmate from all of us, how fucking typical.â Jason points out, while watching Tim scribble back some math with a question mark onto his arm.
âA what? No, this is just a curse. I get pop quizzes every now and then.â Tim bats away Steph who rapidly approaches and began to analyze his arm (the rest of the family isnât far behind).
âDrake. Explain how you came to this conclusion.â Damian seems more curious than anything, if his lack of insults was anything to go off of.
âSince I was young Iâve had at least weekly math check ins, I never had a parent or anyone else around so I assumed my parents had me cursed to ensure I stayed on top of my studies. Sometimes itâs physics or chemistry, for a while there it was a ton of philosophy and behavioral psychology.â He shrugs his shoulders.
âMaster Tim, I believe the lack of adults in your life has led you towards a false conclusion. That is most certainly a soulmate mark. The individual to whom you are responding is undoubtedly your other half.â Alfred attempts to calm the room before explaining to Tim. Tim isnt sure if he believes the butler, though Alfred only very rarely lied, so he grabs the pen once more. He writes his first question back: âWho am I to you?â
The room waits in anticipation and within moments a brand new line appears on Timâs arm and he is vindicated: âWe do math together???â
ââ
The reason Danny is failing English is because his built in homework helper sucks ass at metaphors and has apparently never read any classic literature. The tutor on his arm is great at puzzles and math tho.
Danny gets a reply back one night that he wasnât expecting (Who am I to you?) and he mentions it to Jazz. Who goes insane that Danny didnât even question it and just went with âmeh, probably hauntedâ as his explanation for the phenomenon for all these years.
Apparently, if Jazz was right, he had a soulmate who was uh, super fucking smart. That was an overwhelming thought.
The next day Danny is in crisis mode and writes back âWait, WHAT AM I TO YOU??? Can I help on your homework??â
Danny gets vindicated when the writing on his arm presents a shit ton of dates and information for an unsolved Gotham cold case. See, Haunted.
âââ
Eventually between Danny becoming the top candidate for astrophysics at Wayne Enterprises and Tim Drake being outed as having contributed tips to the GCPD that solved cold cases- they meet and realize just how dumb theyâve been.
"There he is," Tim whispered, looking out from behind the library bookshelves. Besides him, Bart, Kon, and Cassie lean over him, stacking each head on top of each other so they can adequately see who Tim is pointing out.
Across the libary, Babs shales her head with a sigh but doesn't call them out. For one, it would be unnecessary loud and another....well, she enjoys having blackmail on her vigilante coworkers and the Young Jutice team climbing on top of each other to stare at a random civilian was the good kind. She turns back to her list of books to stamp and scan back into the system.
Tim had mentioned seeing someone he wanted to recruit for his and his teammates' fake online clothes store. It was the cover the teens had come up with, for an explanation on how they all had such different backgrounds but had still become friends.
The other bats thought it was a mere cover, but Babs knew how seriously Tim took his fake store. It was mostly due to Tim's team making very realistic cosplay outfits that are commissioned to their site. Since they catered to such a nitch community Tim wanted each job to be perfect. (Also he's a nerd like that)
Or maybe it had everything to do with Tim's not-so-secret adoration of photography.
Bart made the clothes, Cassie and Conner modeled and Tim took all the photos. It helped that the speedster was used to making clothes in the post-apocalyptic future, but no one could deny his master of the needle. Cassie and Conner were both rather good looking, and they seemed perfectly fine with showing off this fact.
The thing is, their store is starting to gain traction. If it weren't for the fact, Bart could move as fast as he could, Just Us fashion would be behind orders for months.
Tim was worried someone would catch on and figured they should attempt to hire a co-tailor. They attempted to reach out to fellow heros but no one their age was interested and they seemed rather put off by the idea of asking a adult.
Everyone was still tense from the last time Young Justice asked the Justice League for help.
Tim then decided to attempt to find a civilian who would help them with smaller pieces. Or maybe someone he could throw in front of a camera and pretend Conner or Cassie had taken a step back from modeling to help out with the orders.
His team allowed him to search for someone since they had no idea where to start. Tim scouted through all of Gotham, and ended up landing on Danny Fenton.
Babs had looked into Fenton's background as a favor to Tim and to satisfy her own curiosity. There wasn't much to the boy. Born and raised in a small town in Illinois, Fenton dropped out of high school to get his GED around his junior year. The notes on his file by his English teacher, principal, and school counselor indicated he was bullied out of school.
He passed the exam on the first try and, within a year, moved four states away to join Gotham School of Arts with a major in fashion. His parents were certified geniuses with a family company working in security and "ecto-entities." His sister was going to Gotham University for a physiology major.
The Fentons are a comfortable upper middle class family with no criminal history; the only blemish on their record is Jack Fenton's speeding tickets.
Fenton lived in the better parts of the city, paying his way through college and his own expenses by working as a remote tech support for various companies. It seemed he had inherited a knack for computers from his parents.
Barbara wasn't sure what about Fenton stuck out to Tim. The boy barely participated in public events when it came to his fashion. He only turned in assignments, and unless Tim made a habit of walking through the school of arts, he would have never seen his work.
"Wait, is he wearing-?" Conner whispered, squinting at Fenton, who was tapping away on his laptop. "He is! That's Flame-Flame battle pants!"
"No way." Bart gasps, standing on his toes to lean closer. "They look so good! Where did he get them?"
"He made them," Tim says with a certain lift to his voice that Babs recognizes easily. Aw, her little computer partner has a crush. "He makes all kind of fandom merch that can be worn out in public."
"Tim, we got get him on the team. Look at that Flame-Flames sweatshirt! I need it" Cassie hisses, rocking in place. She nearly causes Conner- who was leaning on her- to tumble over. "Go talk to him."
"I can't"
At that, Babs glances up. She's never heard Tim be nervous to speak to anyone before. Yet that's what she finds as the Young Justice team disappear aroudn the coner surrounding a red face Tim.
"What do you mean you can't? Why not?" Conner asks
"Look, I already tried to recruit him but messed up my pitch." As he admits, Tim kicks his feet, not bothering to look anyone in the eye. When he locked eyes with me, I choked on my spit midsentence."
Cassie slaps a hand over her mouth, but she is not fast enough to hide the snicker that slips through. The glare she gets from the only regular human could have sent her to her uncle Hades. "I'm sorry, you choked on your spit? Mr. CEO of WE? Mr. Suave? Mr. New Lover, every other Tuesday?"
"Shut up you don't get it! He was dressed in a really cool outfit of the Ninjas of Konoha, okay!? I wasn't prepared."
Barbara glances at Fenton as the team attempts to tease Tim. Rather loudly. It's like they forget they are in a really old building, so the acoustics pick up their voices really easily.
Based on his blushing face and hunched-over form, Fenton can obviously hear them. He keeps sending short glances to the shelf the other teens hide in. Fenton glances at his computer screen before rapidly fixing up his hair and straightening his clothes.
He fixes his scattered papers just as Tim rounds the corner of the bookshelves, looking rather nervous as he scoots to Fenton's desk. Babs watches the remaining young juice team whisper and shout encouragement as Tim stands next to Fenton.
Fenton's face, if possible, go even redder, and much to Babs' shock, he even starts to twirl the end of his ponytail around his figure as Tim starts talking.
This is cute. She thinks, aiming her camera phone at the pair. Taking three different shots, each displaying Tim's fumbling mess and Fenton's obvious interest, she quickly sends it to the bats with an evil smirk. And sort of pathetic.
She gets answers instantly, almost everyone teasing Tim or making "They grow up so fast" comments. The messages make a warm feeling of the family burn in her chest, reminding her of all that they argue about; the Bats truly care for one another.
It's Bruce's thoughts that shatters the chat with a simple text.
Why is Tim flirting with the Ghost King?
Babrbara stares at the words for a long moment before she types
Babs: What do you mean? Who's the Ghost King?
Bruce: That's the Ghost King or his human form. He rules the ghosts and our flip dimension. The Justice League Dark has him marked as a level 15 threat.
Damian: I beg your finest pardon? There are only five other beings on that threat level.
Bruce: Exactly. Tim knows not to speak to him.
Steph: Ugh Bruce none of ous knew that.
Bruce: He was in the yearly safety warning PowerPoint. You all said you reviewed it.
Jason: That thing is nine hours long! Of course, not all of us would actually look through it.
Bruce: I worked very hard on it. :'(
Duke: Guys? Shouldn't we worry about Tim? I mean is the Ghost King going to hurt him
Bruce: No, he's known to be very benevolent. Just as long as you don't accidently insult him.
"I'm not a whore!" The voice cuts through the air like a bullet. Barbara glances up just in time to see Tim backing up with a panicked expression as Fenton sneers.
He quickly gathers his things with a flick of his wrist, having all left in a bright green glow, and pushes by the shuttering vigilante. He stomps his way out of the library with an inhuman growl.
Tim throws his face into his hands with a wail of dispair. "I should have never listen to Dick's flirting advice!"
Barbara slaps a head over her forehead before texting the rest. So Tim may have called the King a whore.
Bruce: This is why I ask you to read my safety PowerPoint.
She/They. Old enough to be legally allowed to drink anywhere.
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