DPxDC #25
Part 1
Whisper and Numbers have been living in an abandoned building in Crime Alley. Since Red Hood vouched for Numbers to the leader of the kids' gang, Pebble, many Crime Alley kids also live there. The duo stays out of gangs. It has become an open secret to the kids that the duo are some kind of Meta as they seem to know everything. But the streets will keep their secrets.
Many nights Numbers will tell stories to the kids. It started when Whispers asked to hear about the Evil Dragon Aragon and his sister Princess Dorathea. All the kids were enthralled to hear about it even the older kids listened. Even if they looked like they weren't. Numbers told edited stories about his prior heroism/vigilantism to the kids. He even shared stories told to him by the spirits. Little things about Gotham's history.
Some of the stories come from Whisper herself. Stories about Gothams' Bats and Birds are the kids' favorite. The kids believe they are fake and/or exaggerated. None of the stories are fake. Whisper has been told stories of the vigilantes since before she could understand the songs of the wind. She is happy that the stories she knows are being shared, thanks to Numbers.
The best story of the bats and birds is the one of the Second Robin who stole the tires off the Batmobile. And hitting Batman with a tire iron. The kids had such a good laugh hearing about it. Some of the more risk-taker kids took this as a challenge to try and steal tires off the assortment of bat vehicles.
The bats and birds have been going through it recently. Alarms keep going off on all their vehicles. Street kids have been seen running off right when they get there. Red Robin was the unfortunate soul who when he went to patrol, after finally getting sleep (after 72 hours awake), came to see his bike tires gone.
Whisper had known right away when the kids, Stitches, and Patches, were actually successful. Numbers and Whisper escorted the two with their treasure to Red Hood. The duo told them RH would buy the tires. The modulated sound of laughter coming from RH went on for several minutes. When he finally stopped, he asked why the kids took the tires.
Stitches: We wanted to be like the second Robin!! Numbers told us he stole the Batmobile tires and hit Batman. He's the best!
Patches: Yeah! But the Batmobile is a super hard target. So we got Red Robin.
Red Hood under his mask had gained tears in his eyes. Whisper and Number both stood silently with a knowing look in their eyes. RH paid the two a large amount but told them not to do that again. After the two ran off with their money to share the story with others, RH turned to the duo.
RH: You Know? Of course, the ghosts told you. I cannot believe you are telling those stories to the kids, Numbers. At least I can rub this in Replacement's face. And make him buy his tires back.
Numbers: They've all been heavily edited and the kids love the stories.
Whisper: *whispering* Happy, funny, embarrassing stories should be shared. We'll switch to Just Loser and Just Loser Dimwits stories soon.
RH always laughs when he hears how the duo refers to the JL/JLD. Even some of the other street kids have picked up the name.
Numbers calls the JLD, Just Loser Dimwits because as the magically inclined they should've been the ones to look after the Amity Situation.
Politically arranged marriage (IDK how those work)
During a Peace talk between the USA Government and The Infinite Realms a US representative accuses that the King (Danny) could go back on his word anytime and they would end up defenseless against these monsters. A member of the king's court (I’m thinking Dorathea) asks if a union would convince them of their peace. The US gov is intrigued and think they could manipulate the King if he marries one of their citizens. The thing is… the US doesn’t have a monarchy.
Then one of the US reps has a brilliant idea. Bruce Wayne has been known as the Prince of Gotham for ages, they won’t have to fake any new articles or anything online to go back years. They could totally manipulate and have Brucie Wayne tell them anything they want to know without him even knowing!!! Danny’s (aged up to around Bruce’s age) like what the shit and quickly interjects. He says it’s improper to go straight to marriage (he’s trying to bs his way out of this) the same king's court ghost says ofc and they’ll have to court each other and both parties have to consent ofc, they thought that was a given.
Another of the king's court asks how this Bruce Wayne Prince of Gotham is even worthy of their king. Another rep tells him that Brucie is also known as the White Knight of Gotham. Another speaks up about his many good deeds and the children he’s taken in. They are all shitting themselves trying to think about how to avoid them finding articles about “Brucie Wayne gets drunk and falls into the harbor from his yacht-compilation” and they're trying to talk him up as much as possible.
Danny 100% knows about said article but he doubts Bruce is gonna accept to be a part of this (hello low self esteem) but he hopes to convince Bruce to play along long enough to keep peace and once everything’s settled down they can “break up”. He’ll go along with it to keep the peace he worked himself to exhaustion for, Ancients know his people wanted war.
Queue them both falling head over heels in love with each other and Danny getting too attached to both Bruce and the kids. He eventually does find out about Bruce being Batman but that just makes him like him more.
Those politicians are fuming they can’t get anything dirt on the Realms out of Brucie Wayne of all people!!! He’s talking and talking but he’s not actually saying anything! How does King Phantom stand him?!
the total drama style is so fucking fun to draw yall have no idea anyway look at my crackship
Refuge
Danny was not retired, technically he came when people needed him, he helped or protected them as the case may be. It just turned out that over the years they stopped needing him.
And that was fine, it meant humanity could take care of itself, it meant they were safe. That was what had to matter, no matter that deep down, the halfa was hurt by the information.
It was harder to accept change when you weren't part of it. Danny was immortal, eternal, and powerful, things that no longer fit the world. Not with all the heroes and wizards running around, not with Amity Park fading away, becoming nothing more than a part of his memories.
He fit in perfectly in the Realms, sure, but he knew that if he stayed there too long he'd stop feeling human, and that was dangerous.
So, no, Danny wasn't retired. But he lived in a simple house in Metropolis, though sometimes he got tired of Superman being able to hear literally everything and moved to his house in Fawcett. He used to switch between the two houses frequently, not that it was difficult since he had figured out how to make portals.
He had a few friends, like the orphan boy who lived at the train station and Conner, a teenager who sometimes just needed a house to stay in when he couldn't stand his father.
Neither Conner nor Billy minded his age, which was comforting, although they both got curious when he visited the other house. Danny didn't know how to explain that Eternity Rock and Superman made him nervous if he stayed too long (he didn't like feeling watched), so he just shrugged and told them he had two houses.
Neither of the kids understood but they accepted it. They both had a habit of calling him "Uncle", Danny thought it was odd, given that his appearance wasn't exactly...adult, but it seemed they were comfortable with that, and he left them alone.
Apparently his house (occupied or not) had become a haven for them. Danny always greeted them with a sandwich, or cookies, even though he felt like a grandmother doing so. He smiled for the first time in years, feeling happy to fit into someone's life.
That's why it was quite disconcerting to find the Justice League outside his door asking him to join them. Danny chuckled internally, because the current heroes actually believed they could force him into something, but he accompanied them anyway.
Superboy and Captain Marvel scowled at the League as soon as they entered the Watchtower, when they were told they were bringing in a "dangerous individual" they didn't expect to see their unofficial uncle.
When young ghosting are extremely tired or have exhausted their core too much, whether it be from fighting or just using up too much ectoplasm, they can merge with their parent in the ghost zone. The core of their parent and the welcoming warmth it gave often allowed for fast recoveries. Dani was too weak even with her eco-shots and Danny allowed her to rest inside him until she was one hundred percent again.
One minor thing was that even with the core, there's still a bit of a change that's physically noriceable. And while ghosts and those of the Infinite Realms understood, humans often didn't.
Which was why Danny was met with mortified and angry gazes when he appeared to the next Justice League meeting with Dani resting inside of him. It didn't help with how bad he explained the situation either.
Okay well maybe he's cool in the way where you want to study him, but NOT in the way that makes you want to be his eternal cuckoo bananas roommate!
Danyal returns to league, he was sent to the Fentons for a mission and after gathering all that they know about lazarus/ecto he figured he was in an unique position. Either he revealed himself and was accepted and after that would have to do what he could to keep the league off his back. Or he'd be rejected and he could simply finish his mission and return to the league. Sadly for Danny. The second option ended up happening, and with crushing disappointment and new hardened resolve he made his way back to Nanda Parbat.
At first he's surprisingly at peace with the situation, he misses his friends and Jazz but this is sadly how it's meant to be.
Damian isn't there, he has been sent to train under their biological father. Or at least what mother says. Perhaps now that he's successfully finished his deep undercover mission he'll be allowed to know the truth and go as well.
Ra's doesn't want that, for body snatching reasons. But he doesn't know that Danny is half dead. Nobody at the league does.
It's basically the only secret Danny keeps. After having to stay quiet about it and the explosive aftermath with the Fentons it just doesn't occur to him to speak up about it anymore. After all, here he has everything to lose.
And he feels vindicated when he finds Respawn. Tied up, hanging, looking so much like him and Dami, but wounded, with damning white hair and when he opens his eyes and notices Danny it's only the green green green he sees.
In Danny's mind the league must know, they are bidding their time or... or Danny was always meant to end up like he did or this is yet another damn clone someone made of him.
None of Danny's thoughts about this are good, and it figures, he's aware of what this place is. Jazz did a good job deprogramming him. So perhaps the thought that things would be better here was laughable. But somehow, for some reason he thought blood relation meant something.
So far all parental figures are bad, the Fentons. Vlad, now Ra's and Talia. So what does that mean for his twin, what does this mean for Damian?
Well, at the very least finding out who his biological father is and where he lives isn't hard with ghost powers. Neither is freeing Respawn.
And after that all that's left to do is making sure Damian is safe.
And by the ancients, may the gods help Batman if it turns out he's not.
Tim Drake my beloved!
Tim Drake and !Anti-Hero !Teen !Masc Reader
Was this supposed to happen? No. Did it happen? Yes yes it did.
TW:adrenaline junky, gang affiliation, dangerous activity, cussing
Red Robin watched as his friend danced on the rooftop. Why was his friend dancing? Well they had just successfully taken down a drug ring. And how better to celebrate than dancing on a roof and eating ramen noodles.
Honestly Red should have turned in the anti-hero months ago but he was attached now. Mind you this guy was chaotic as fuck and barely needed a drop of caffeine. They were opposites but they balanced the other out quite nicely.
“Hey Red I should probably be going.” He piped up
“Yeah I figured. Don’t get caught. And want to meet up out of costume later?” Red asked
“Sure! Can we go to your house though? I may or may not have forgotten to get food and I’m to lazy and would rather raid your pantry.” He said glancing around at the buildings around them
“Sure but my brothers will try and stop you.” Red answered relaxing against a wall
“I’m not scared of them Red.” He said nonchalantly
Red stayed on the building and watched and his friend jumped from building to building disappearing into the night. Red waited till someone told him to come in. He relished in the mild peace of the night.
———————————————
Tim sat at the table already on his second cup of coffee this morning. Dick and Jason were here today because it was the weekend. Wally and Roy would most likely make an appearance at dinner and if the demon had it his way Jon might be having dinner with them as well.
Usually this would mean Tim would bring Conner over but not tonight. Conner was busy but someone else wasn’t. (Y/N) in all his sleep deprived glory was almost always free. Which was perfect for Tim.
“Oh hey I’m not bringing Conner to dinner tonight. He’s busy. Is it ok if I bring a school friend?” Tim said looking at Bruce for an answer
“I don’t see why not. Is it someone we already know?” Bruce asked not looking up from his newspaper. Usually Dick, Jason, or Damien would pipe up at something like this but they were to in grossed in an argument.
“No but I’ve done school projects with him and he hangs out with me and Conner sometimes.” Tim said
“Well it’ll be nice to meet someone who isn’t involved in the family business.” Bruce said taking a sip of his coffee
Tim about laughed at that though. ‘Only if you knew’
————————————————
When everyone dispersed from breakfast it was chaotic. Dick, Jason, and Bruce immediately went to the cave. They had to do stuff at the WatchTower.
Damien went out back. Most likely waiting on Jon to get here. Alfred left to go grocery shopping and to meet up with Babs, Cass, and Steph for their weekly tea date.
Tim pulled out his phone to text (Y/N) hoping the idiot was awake.
Chicken Shát
Yesterday 9:37pm
LAMO
Do not make fun of me
But it’s so easy!?!?
Today 10:07am
Hey wen do u want me to pck u up
Tim turned off his phone and headed up to his room. He’d just have to wait till (Y/N) decided to respond.
———————————————
(Y/N) was mulling over a file that was mildly annoying when he heard the tell tale ring of his phone. The only problem he did not know where his phone was.
After a good 15 minute search he found his phone discarded in and empty takeout box. It was the phone he normally used and not a burner which meant civvies not the fucked up hoodie mess that was his gear. Thank whatever god for that. He looked at the phone and it was from Tim. Ah what joy the annoyance and joy of his life.
Tim Shim
Yesterday 9:37pm
LAMO
Do not make fun of me
But it’s so easy!?!?
Today 10:07am
Hey wen do u want me to pck u up
Whenever works I’m already awake
Did you even sleep?
If I say yes does it make it better?
No!
Then no I did not sleep at all
Dumbfuck
Says the guy who lives off caffeine
That was mean :(
Oh well :]
He turned off his phone and concluded he definitely would need to change before Tim got here.
It took a bit of searching but he was able to find a graphic-tee that had the RedHood emblem on it a decent pair of jeans. It wasn’t his best look but definitely not his worst.
Tim Shim
I’m outside get your ass down here
What would your father say to that language?
Blame it on Jason
He laughed and headed out making sure he locked his apartment. Gods know he’s made that mistake one to many times.
Tim was waiting in a Sedan of all things. Honestly seeing a billionaires son in a sedan was funny as fuck because it’s just not something that you see a lot.
“What’s with the car?” He asked as he sat in the passenger seat
“Bruce won’t let me drive anything nice without supervision after the Mustang incident.” Tim said. And honestly (Y/N) agreed with Bruce. Tim was a horrible driver. But oh well (Y/N) didn’t drive.
——————————————
(Y/N) and Tim ended up playing way to much Mario Kart for any sane person. Even as the family and whoever they decide to drag with them came the two ignored and continued the stream of berating the other when they lost.
At some point Jason decided to sit and watch and by default so did Roy. They wanted to ask Tim about his friend but they would probably just get mad at them for interrupting their gaming.
In all honesty it was nice to see Tim act like a normal teen. Jason decided the kid was a good influence and needed to stick around. Also he was insane at Mario Kart.
Other trickled in doing things in the lounge area but leaving the two teens glued to the TV alone.
Dick wanted to coo at his little brother but restrained himself. New friend meant Tim would kill them if they didn’t give him time to adjust to the crazy family.
——————————————
Alfred called them for dinner and it was an absolute hoard of people.
Dick decided to bring Wally and Kori. Jason as per usual had Roy. Damien dragged Jon around who smiled and didn’t complain. Babs, Steph, Duke, and Cass came as well. And then Bruce decided it was a great night to bring Selina.
So all in all Tim was nervous. (Y/N) may be a vigilante but he was also the average teenage boy. This was either going to go great or horrible.
“So your Tim’s friend?” Dick asked
“Yeah I’m (Y/N) if Tim hasn’t told you. You must be Dick? Tim talks about you all a lot and I can promise it’s all good things!” (Y/N) said with a cheeky smile
That was the same smile he had when he had a plan he knew would work. He was winning over the family and Tim was impressed.
“He talks about us? Awe Timmy!” Dick gushed making Tim blush and bury his face in his arms
“Can we save the gushy cute stuff for after dinner?” Tim pleaded
“I think you embarrassed him.” Jason said pointing his fork at Dick
“How did you meet Drake?” Damien said practically glaring at (Y/N)
“We have the same Science and PE. He sucks at PE but is amazing at everything else. I’m only good at PE and science. I asked him for some study tips and well he asked for help in gym and it went firm there.” (Y/N) explained leaving out the fact they also mainly became friends because he was a vigilante who saved him from dying.
Damien was buying it but hummed that he was ok with the answer.
For the most part dinner was smooth after that.
——————————————
After dinner they went to the lounge and talked and played games for a bit. (Y/N) was in the middle of beating Jason at chess for the 3rd time when his phone rang. Not the normal. The burner. Great fun night ruined.
“Sorry I have to take this.” He apologized getting up and heading out the door to the hall
“Nitro you owe me still after you know what. Go to the pier at 10 o’clock their will be a case bring it to the warehouse on the corner of Fog and Nolace. After that we are even and I’ll leave you alone unless you want another job.” Then the guy hung up. He was a real dick and (Y/N) still had no idea why he ever agreed to work for that dick but one last job and his debt is payed.
“Hey I need to leave something came up also Tim I need to text you about some of the extra curricula activities. Just need a second opinion but I still think football is a horrible idea all of them a brain dead because of concussions. Anyway catch ya later.” (Y/N) said leaving before anyone had much time to process the sped talk of the teenager
Tim on the other hand had to keep his composure because that was a code that him and Tim used in public to warn the other they were potentially going a suicide mission.
——————————————
Shit this was bad that meant. It meant it probably had to do with some people (Y/N) got tangled up with before him and Tim met.
This was bad really really bad. He couldn’t tell his family without revealing (Y/N)’s identity so usually he’d send Connor but Connor was busy.
“Hey I’m tired to I’m actually going to go to sleep before patrol for a bit.” Tim said standing up
“Tim actually sleeping? Hell froze over we’re all going to die.” Jason said with mock fear
“Ha ha real funny. Bruce told me he’d take me off the case if I didn’t get some sleep.” Tim said flipping them off and leaving but not before hearing Jason mutter about how he only took care of himself when patrol was threatened.
But what they didn’t realize was their brother instead went and grabbed his spare suit. It would only give him a bit of extra time but hopefully enough to help his friend.
——————————————
Thank you for reading! If you find any grammar mistakes please tell me!
Danny wanders down the street, confused.
A few minutes ago, he had been sure that the tour guide and his school group were only a few feet away. They were on the last day of their three-day field trip, covering the history of one of the oldest cities in the USA.
It's not the oldest, but the closest Casper High could offer. Gotham City is much bigger than Amity, but it didn't have anything really interesting about it besides having more things to do. Its only claim of fame was how old some significant buildings were in Old Gotham.
Still, for some students who have yet to leave the small town of Amity Park, Gotham was a thing of wonder. Danny couldn't wait to explore with Sam and Tucker tomorrow on their free day. They were going to walk around the plaza market and the mall.
Gotham's mall had five floors. Five.
Then Danny noticed the hotdog cart just a few feet away from the guide informing the group about the large theater, the first public building in Gotham. He hadn't cared for how many balls were held there or how, a few hundred years later, the building gained a stage and seats.
He gestured to the cart to tell Sam he wanted to buy one. He turned to Tucker, but his friend was genuinely interested in the history lesson and shook his head. Danny figured they would cover for him, so he stepped to the side to buy a hotdog, keeping Tucker and Sam in his provisional vision.
He had just finished putting the ketchup on his food when he realized the sounds of the busy city had shifted. It wasn't that it went silent or anything. It was more like sound traveling from one headphone to another.
But he wasn't wearing earbuds, which made the shifting noise extremely alarming. He looked up and around, but everything seemed to stay the same, except there was less traffic, and the sidewalk wasn't as clean as he initially thought. Also, what happened to the sun? Where did all these clouds come from?
Danny turned to ask Tucker and Sam if a freak storm was supposed to happen, but they were gone. So was the Amity Park group. Swinging his head back and forth, he attempts to spot them in the moving crowd, but he can't spot a familiar face.
How did twenty-seven people move that quickly and silently?
"Hey! You need to pay for that!" The hotdog vendor on the other side of the cart shouts. "The ketchup isn't free!"
"But I just bought these two from you." Danny raises his food so that the man can see the logo of his own cart. The man's eyes widen when he sees it. "I just paid-"
"You little thief! You stole from my cart!" The man sneers. Danny reels back, surprised by the accusation as much as the rage in which the man yells. It seems like an overreaction to the student.
"No, I literally just handed you seven dollars for-" Whatever Danny is going to say is cut off by the man cocking a gun, now aimed at his face. Nearby, a woman screams, and the walking crowd breaks into a run, almost as if it's practice clearing the street in seconds.
Wow, it's a much better reaction time than the people of Amity Park. He would have been impressed if he hadn't had a gun aimed at his face.
"What are you doing?"
"You damn street rats are the reason good upstanding citizens like me are struggling! Go back to your county!" The man hisses, and Danny is confused by the sudden attitude shift of what he previously thought was a friendly vendor to take the gun in his face seriously.
The guy wasn't even that scary, not with that pathetic stance. Danny had learned a better stance by the time he was five, and his father had pointed a gun at him in a more threatening way that one time he was dressed as a rubber duck than this.
Scowling, Danny pushes the gun away with the tips of his fingers. "Rude. See if I give your food any stars."
The man makes the motion to pull the trigger, so Danny moves his hand into a strike, knocking the gun from his grip. In one quick turn, he turns it around and points it at the gawking man with a bored expression.
"I'm going to walk away with my meal now," He tells him, watching sweat gathering on the vendor's forehead. The pulse in the older man is rapidly bouncing around his neck, making Danny smirk.
Hotdog man goes sheet white but shutters out, "Alright."
Danny keeps the gun aimed at him even as he gathers his two dogs in one hand and backs away into the street. It's only when he turns a corner, out of sight, that Danny lowers his weapon.
He texts his friends in the three-way chat they have, asking where they went. When a few minutes goes by without the little read sign next to his words goes by, Danny tries calling them. His phone, however, claims his services are out, making him wonder if his Dad forgot to pay the bill again.
Jack could afford it, but the bill deadline always slipped his mind, and he would like to have to wait till Monday to turn it back on. Sighing, Danny decides to head back to the hotel where the school is staying, thinking it would be better to wait out for Mr.Lancer than get lost in the big city.
He strides down the street, following the same path the group took from the Hotel. As he does so, he notices something odd.
Gotham seems wrong. Darker somehow, and the previously friendly people had all vanished as everyone around him gave him dark, mistrustful glances. Not everyone smiles back when Danny says, "We're strangers, but this is a quick, friendly acknowledgment" smile.
It couldn't be the gun. Danny hides it in his pants, the same way he hides his thermos. No one should be able to tell what he's carrying.
It is strange. He's so busy trying to figure out what happened that he nearly misses the fact that the previously well-kept streets have been replaced with closed-down, decrypted buildings. He does notice that the hotel he was staying at for the past two days was boarded up, looking like it's been years since someone last used it.
"What?" He whispers, checking the large sign twice. It's the same name, but three letters are missing.
"That's what I want to know." A man grunts behind him, causing Danny to wirl around and stare in horror at the approaching police officer. "What are you doing with here?"
"I was staying at this hotel." He tells the other man, too disorientated to notice how silent the street had become. He can spot some people watching from the alleyway despite broad daylight. They were hiding. From what?
"Were you? And how much do you have on you?" The cop asks casually.
"Of what?"
The man rolls his eyes before he suddenly kicks Danny in the stomach. The boy is knocked to the floor with a soft grunt of pain. A stomp on his hand has him screaming in pain, but what really makes him angry is the fingers moving around the back of his hands until they close around his wallet.
Nah, was this cop trying to mug him?
Danny throws up a hand, using the palm of his hand to slam it against the chin of the mugger. The man's head is knocked back, and he tilts over, falling into a dead heap. Danny stands, dusts his clothes, and kicks the cop once.
He looks back to the hotel.
Where should he go now? A few seconds go by, and he can see the people in the alley cautiously start to climb out of their hiding, and he thinks it's better to try to find a phone to call home.
He twists on his heels and marches down the street, unaware of the man in yellow watching from a nearby roof.
The man reaches up to his ear, clicking on his communicator as the stranger looks confused despite knowing where he is going. "This is Signal. I found the guy that triggers the Nest's alarms. He seems trained but can't be, at most, sixteen. He also just took down Jeff, the one Gordon was talking about. Let's keep an eye on him. He looks like radiation grew legs and took the shape of a human. "
@Luckeykasper
WC: 547
Depending on who and when you asked someone, the Speed Force and Clockwork could be many things to each other: friends, enemies, lovers, brothers, each other, or the very same person. They were both, after all, masters of Time and that had to bring some sort of a connection. On the other hand, they both handled Time very differently from each other which more often brought conflict. Throughout all of their different labels and ever shifting moods one thing was true: the Speed Force and Clockwork were gossiping old biddies about everything and everyone that ever was or would be.
(And, if occasionally, they came together in way that no mortal mind could ever comprehend, well, then that was their business and no one else’s.)
The gossiping old biddies part is what was important in that moment. Not to most people, of course. Most people didn’t have the constitution to be aware of temporal fluctuations, and, even if they had, the current wibbliness of time really only mattered to two people: one Wally West and one Daniel Fenton. Or by other names which might matter more at the moment: Kid Flash and Phantom, the Speed Force’s chosen and Clockwork’s cog, and, most importantly, beloved pseudo-grandsons.
It’s just, the Speed Force sighed, or came as close as a cosmic entity could manage to a sigh, Wally keeps falling instantly for people that he knows are unattainable.
They sounded young right then, like a dramatic teen, and Clockwork unconsciously shifted his form to match. “If they’re unattainable, why does he fall for them?”
Because they’re unattainable. I think he’s afraid to fall for someone he could have because… because of me.
Clockwork snorted. “Isn’t that a bit egotistical?”
The space around them sparked with static. No!
“Really?”
Really! He’s afraid because of what I’ve given him! He’s not simple a person anymore— he’s a cosmic force! The static faded to a sad sputtering and then stopped. All of existence seemed to drag around them. And how often is he going to run into someone who handle that? He’s afraid of trying, my poor boy…
Clockwork nodded in commiseration. His form aged and shifted until he floated hunched over himself. “I see. Danny has become like that as his power has grown. He has pulled away from the living and dead a like. I have concerns about his bonds if it continues.”
The Speed Force jolted, reality spinning in a sudden whirl. That’s it!
“Stop that,” Clockwork ordered, wrenching things back into control with a firm hand. “What are you on about? What silly idea do you have now?”
Danny is cosmic.
“Yes,” Clockwork agreed dryly.
Wally needs someone who understands cosmic! Danny needs someone who has strong ties to the world! Wally’s whole self is saving the world. It’s perfect.
Clockwork actually took a moment to consider the thought.
You know I’m right.
“You’re never right.”
Bitch.
“But,” Clockwork said slowly. The Speed Force buzzed in anticipation. “This might at least be worth a try.”
I told you!
“They can’t suspect it’s a set up though,” Clockwork admonished quickly.
Of course not, too damn stubborn. But… it wouldn’t be too hard to make their paths cross, now would it?
“No,” Clockwork grinned. “No I don’t think that it would.”
---
AN: Okay, so we didn't actually get to Danny/Wally but this idea got in my head and lol. Idk maybe I'll continue this one at some point down the road!
Let's combine your most common AUs
Instead of a teddy bear, 5 year old Danny has a plushy eastern dragon when he has his portal accident
Alternately, teen Danny gains the power to turn into a bear. Maybe an Ursa from MLP:FiM. Aragon probably still wants him for being a magic star bear in that case
Forgive me for the late response.
Hm, a two in one that I'm not sure which to do, so why not both!
Danny's favorite mythical creature was the eastern dragon, so much so that he begged his parents for a plushy of one for his birthday, they ordered one, and then he got one.
He's only ever been so happy when he found out about the wonders of space.
Despite his parents multiple attempts at trying to get him involved in Ghosts, he's just been spending his time playing around with his plush imagining both of them flying through space on super dangerous missions or exploring.
Of course, the one time he was interested in one of his parents inventions was because they said that the place they were trying to get too was basically like space.
As in, they meant the vastness of it and the unexplored territory.
But Danny took it as that it actually was space, and got extremely excited over it, much to his parents glee because he was finally showing interest in their work.
None of them could have guessed the fate that would befall such an interest, however.
An amount of time later, when his parents and sister were dead asleep, Danny sneaked his way down into the lab. Bypassing the security systems by using the methods he watched his parents do, not that they were sneaky with it, but they probably didn't expect him to remember them either.
So, in the dark of the lab, flashlight in hand, dragon plush in the other. He approached the portal. His parents said it was incomplete, but looking at it he didn't really see anything wrong with it, something about a power source and a few kinks they had to iron out that he booted from his mind. So, Dany stepped inside, just to look around, then he saw a random hole (where a button is supposed to be) and then, with his brilliant 5-year-old mind and under zero adult supervision, stuck his flashlight inside it to look around.
Such was the case of it somehow turning on, zapping Danny, his plush, and his flashlight all at once and remaking him into the body of a plush dragon boyo.
He was ecstatic at first when he found himself his plush toy because its cool, confused the next because he was glowing, even more so confused when he looked around and saw green and floating islands.
This wasn't space.
He didn't know how to get home, so he went exploring to try and find one.
===
Never has Danny so hated yet loved an ability of his.
Turning into a bear was never on his list of things he thought would ever happen to him, despite having fought an alternate him from a different timeline. Danny just, never thought that far about things like this.
Of course, an instant plus for him was that there were literal stars floating around inside his body and, if he concentrated enough, he would be able to form any constellation he wanted to!
The size was another plus, along with the physical strength that came with it. He could literally look down on anyone he wanted to, which is always good in his opinion.
Of course, the part he hated came in the form of an enemy previously forgotten and discarded, coming back for round 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. Trying to force him into a marriage.
Recently, he's just been slapping the guy around for a bit because leaving. But Prince Aragon was many things, surprisingly persistent was one of them, even if Danny could always be sure of his victory, it was annoying to the farthest reaches of space and back how many times he keeps coming back.
Of course, Danny had to vamoosh as soon as Prince Aragon came close to beating him even once, which is way too many times in his opinion. Hell, he even got Vlad of all people to help him cover for him when he went on the escape (how Jazz managed to do it, he would never know).
He eventually ended up in some random mountain, that's surprisingly furnished as if someone lived here, yet also extremely dusty and rundown as if it was abandoned. Then he decided, hey, why not just live here?
He just needed to fix it up a bit, which was require him to be human-ish (same as Dragon Danny, except this time with the bear paws, ears, tail and that) to get at the places that need a smaller and more dexterous hand.
Eventually, he did manage to clean up the place to relatively working order! Maybe replace some things, like that TV, but all in all he's happy with what he did!
What he wasn't happy with however, is these random people pulling up to his place and calling it their base.