Constantine: I Hate To Say It. But We Might Need Help From... The Ghost King.

Amity Parkers moving to Gotham for college. Sam and Paulina pooling their trust funds together to buy an abandoned hotel and fitting it as apartments for everybody. They all train together in the courtyard to keep their skills up and just because it's fun. Suddenly an influx of super competent self-trained (or maybe ghost-trained) young adults.

Everybody having their little niches and suddenly they all have more free time that's not being taken up by ghost attacks so many of them started different YouTube channels with info they found out from the ghostly residents of Amity. Star and Paulina running a history of beauty channel going over makeup, hair styles and fashion, special guest Sam when going over alt fashions. Dash and Kwan running one on the history of sports. Wes and Mikey running a conspiracy theory podcast. Valerie running a martial arts channel. Danny just info-dumping about space and spacecraft in videos that range from 45 minutes to four hours. Tucker running a how-to channel for fixing tech and coding. Sam running a combination true crime and witchy channel. The Trio running a Let's Play channel.

Ghostly things happening in all of the videos and everybody guesting on everybody else's channels leads to everybody thinking it's all an elaborate ARG. Danny just floating through the walls half-asleep with a glowing shaker bottle in the background. Some of them when they're in the middle of a rant seem to forget to take a breath or their eyes or freckles start glowing. On a livestream Paulina snaps at somebody off screen and her eyes are suddenly glowing green. Danielle pops in during a charity livestream that the Trio are running and calls Danny-Daddy, Sam-Mom, and Tucker-Dad and is just floating on the back of the couch. Danny doing a stream to watch a rocket take off and suddenly a robe and crown flash and he disappears in a flash of green and the stream is just dead space until the rocket's about to take off and Danny comes running in and jumps over the back of his chair to watch it and cheer.

what do you mean elon musk did a nazi salute on live tv at the united states presidential inauguration twice and is now erasing the evidence off the internet by replacing the footage with the crowd cheering instead?

would be a shame if people reblogged this, wouldn’t it?

A DC X DP IDEA #28

My Beloved

Imagine dis…

You know, I like misunderstandings…

I saw a bunch of prompts that Danny is the mother of Ellie and Dan who is angry and will destroy the world in the future.

I also saw a bunch of prompts of Danny and Phantom separating themselves and acting like two individual beings but having to be in proximity or else there would be consequences.

But I didn’t see anything about combining the two things…

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

…

Daniel “Danny” Fenton knew that he had many powers, that kept on growing and appearing at the heat of the moment. He would sometimes forget how many powers he had due to his never-ending list. He has powers that he likes to use often, like levitation, flight, intangibility, his ghostly wail, and many more… But even he has a favorite, his duplication power.

Unlike Vlad who can create multiple clones of himself to do his bidding, he can only create one.

Now don’t go on and underestimate him just because he can only create one despite Vlad making multiple and who is also a halfa.

…

His clone is unique, when he first discovered this power of his he was all alone in the house full of guns to kill him when a passing thought passed his mind. Wes was getting on his nerves with how he adamantly tried to prove that he was Phantom. He knew the consequences when the people knew the truth, especially his parents, every time he closed his eyes it always showed him and his parents at the other end of the dissecting table.

He kept on saving them, poor animal ghosts who had just stumbled through the portal. He kept on stuffing his face with his pillows just to block out the screams.

He had just blinked, one moment he was all alone and all of a sudden another appeared in front of him.

He was startled at the notion while the clone looked at him with interest.

The clone was not human-HIM per se, but it was the ghostly-HIM aka Phantom but with more ghostly attributes.

Snow white hair that seems to sway, taller by a few feet, pointed ears, fanged teeth, skin so blue, and white freckles that seem to give off a faint glow.

He tried going ghost but was unable to do so, what he can do is a weaker version of flight, intangibility, and invisibility. While Phantom got most if not all of his powers whenever he went ghost.

At first, he was ecstatic with this new power of his not only he can throw people off who are looking too deeply into Phantom’s identity and put an end to Wes’s chatter but with this new power of his he can finally have some sort of normalcy.

But after a few minutes, he began to feel fatigued and nauseous, Phantom slowly moved towards Danny and merged himself with his human half causing a faint white glow all over his body that he got used to whenever he was going ghost.

It was a few minutes, Danny thought to himself, but it was enough to not only create a separation between the kid who always hides in the bathroom or disappears whenever there is a ghost attack and a ghost kid who looks the same age as he and only appears whenever he disappears.

But it was enough.

…

Everything was great, as Phantom was able to deal with the ghosts that constantly invaded his hometown but also, he is slowly bringing his grades up from where it was before the accident. He also created an alibi for himself so people will know that both Phantom and Danny and two separate people.

Both sides were able to go on separated from each other the more time they spent separated

…

After a few days, something also began to change.

Phantom would sometimes make a joke or a quip about death or even puns that made Danny laugh. Phantom would be more serious whenever they got too far from each other, small things that made both Danny and Phantom different from one another from an outside perspective.

Both made a mental connection to each other.

Not like romantically, but more of a deep platonic love for each other.

Devotion to each of their other halves. So deep that one might double-take whenever they saw the two.

Danny loves his friends and family but even they cannot understand him ever since the day of the accident. Jazz blessed his sister’s soul, who read every book in every existence known to man and tried to help him. But the thing is, those books are for humans, not ghosts, and especially not for someone like him.

He died and came back to life knowing instinctively that something was wrong with him. He stands in between life and death. He knew he died and felt every bolt of electricity that had killed him. He who had to sit still at the dinner table listening to their parents who were supposed to love them, listened in great detail to what they would do to Phantom when they had caught him. 

But Phantom, Phantom instinctively knew how he felt and heard his thoughts. When rough days came to Danny, Phantom quietly appeared behind him and offered his silent support.

Both needed each other to live, without the other one cannot survive on their own.

Phantom, when got too far and separated from his human for far too long got reckless, angry, cold, merciless, and ruthless. Nocturn got the burnt of it despite knowing that Phantom held back.

And Danny?

Got too emotional, and detached, and has that far-away look on his face. He would space out an entire war or destruction surrounding and he still would not notice.

Both are each other’s anchor and rock. And when both become one and become Phantom together then they will be unstoppable.

…

When Danny became the Ghost King it was clear they needed to separate often due to the amount of paperwork that was left pilling when Pariah Dark was in charge.

It became domestic, Danny thought as he paused for a bit when he was trying to write a book report from the Lord of the Rings courtesy of Mr. Lancer. Add the latest guests in his room he thought as he took a look at the sleeping and cuddled up Dan and Ellie who are now freshly de-aged due to some circumstances.

When Danny tried to explain to the two halves the reason why he and Phantom seemed to separate or why he was using this power of his almost every day.

Dan and Ellie seem the only two who didn’t feel weird at his new predicament. Both de-aged ghosts after a sudden bad melting episode and the start of someone’s redemption arc called human Danny is their mom while Phantom is their dad.

Danny at first surprised at the title given by the two but asked playfully to the twins why is he the mom. Phantom who was trying to cuddle the two de-aged ghosts whom he saw as his children at this point and his human counterpart mumbled about whether was it the time when he went and juggled flaming diapers or mastered the art of the 'mom stare' that could freeze a room?

Danny who is still in a bad mood from Dash’s bullying earlier snarked back at Phantom on how he got the dad title. Did he accidentally perfect the art of 'dad dancing' during ghostly gatherings? or accidentally stumble into a dad joke competition?

Sam, often would joke that if she didn’t know better, she would think the two would be lovers which would be found in Paulina’s A03 account and history.

Now that spread like wildfire, it spread faster than Wes could say Danny is Phantom. Now both GIW and his parents are out to get him for two different reasons… One Phantom mind controlled their precious son and now locked up Danny for his “own good” and two he was called a so-called “traitor” to his race as he fell in love with a creature who was not even sentient.

As things slowly went out of hand, Danny had to physically drag Phantom, who had been clawing and gripping to Danny like a lifetime ever since Danny told him to stay at the Infinite Realms for their safety, to a portal with the two children who have their eyes puffed red as they say their farewells to each other.

…

The JL is now confused, they kept seeing the same teen on the loose that appeared in various cities such as Metropolis, Central, Star City, and many more, with various government agents tailing him and trying to capture him.

At first, they thought it was another of Walker’s programs, in which they kidnap various kids who have a powerful meta ability to be part of a group that directly answers to the government.

But when it was revealed that he is another son of Bruce Wayne, it became personal.

Could it be another ploy to gain the Wayne enterprise through a much older and miniature appearance of Bruce Wayne, is it another ploy to gain Bruce Wayne’s wealth and money… They might never know.

…

Batman aka Bruce Wayne publicly announced that he had found another son who was rummaging in the trash of Gotham City, this way those mysterious agents could not publicly go after him as Danny had been publicly broadcasted and the manor is equipped with the latest security known to man.

Danny is very skittish the Batfam concluded, as if every move and twitch they made is something Danny should be wary of. Danny was too distracted to be sad, and have little to no energy to even join Dick and the rest of his siblings to bond over something.

However, that didn’t stop them from forming some sort of familial bond with Danny despite him being too guarded and too wary to get close to the family.

However, it all changed on a random day, as the entire noticed his change of mood. No longer the wariness, anxiety, and nervousness they encountered daily. Each of them began asking around within themselves if they were the one who made a change to Danny, even Alfred didn’t know who or what made him turn a 180.

Of course, when they tried to ask COUGH to interrogate COUGH Danny, he just kept quiet and smiled shyly.

..

Night comes and all the Bats are gathered at the cave to discuss what made Danny to be in a good mood before their patrol.

As they were just about to leave for their shift when Oracle notified them Danny leaving the manor.

Of course, all of them immediately followed him and followed him to a tall abandoned building with Danny sitting giddily on top of the said building. Of course, some of them have some dark thoughts about Danny sitting on top of a warehouse and seeming near the edge. One of the Bat broods is ready to interfere if Danny even makes any signs.

But all thoughts were thrown out as a crack seemed to tear through reality appeared behind Danny, Danny on the other hand looked ecstatic. As the tear/ crack opened up there they saw an underworldly being donned with a crown that is covered in various jewels, an outfit and cape fit for an emperor, and eyes that reminded them of the Lazarus pits.

Just as the moment they tried to calm their hearts down, Danny flung himself towards the unknown being and cried out beloved, the said being caught Danny and twirled him around.

Both are in their little world as they both keep laughing and hugging each other.

The Bat family who are still in the shadows kept their eyes on the two as they wanted to get Danny away from someone that made their instincts go haywire. Batman and Robin are both especially to grab Danny away from that thing.

Both the being and Danny finally settled down and began chatting to each other with little to no distance between the two. The being then summoned a basket that was full of unique and exotic food and then shared it with their new brother.

Then Danny suddenly asked about the kids, What kids!!! EVERYONE thought when suddenly two black blurs went and tackled Danny down, knocking the air out of him.

As the kids stopped hugging Danny, they all held their breaths, they looked like the perfect copy of Danny. Black hair and blue eyes, both kids exclaimed Danny as their mom while they pouted at the being and called him dad about hoarding their mom.

The reunited “family” began chatting about how they were at each other, more on the beings asking how Danny is especially doing.

Danny chatted about how the Waynes are too good for him and how he informed Batman since the Bats have a very close relationship with the Waynes. When one of the kids why mom needs to talk to Batman, Danny just casually reveals a bombshell on the Anti-Ecto laws, GIW, The Infinite realms...etc. So that both mom and dad could get together again, as mom aka Danny is trying everything to stop the war from the living world while their dad tries to stop the war from the Realms.

As they were chatting and catching up to one another, Danny looked at his wristwatch and told the kids that he had to get going or else the Waynes might notice that he snuck out. Both kids immediately cried and gripped Danny while the other being also known as dad didn’t even try to pry the kids off from Danny as he too wanted to stay with the human.

Of course, Danny gently pried off the three hands that were gripping and immediately one of the kids threw a tantrum at how Danny was not safe and might get him killed if he stayed there and Danny should just go with them. Of course, Danny shook his head and told the kid that Mommy was doing everything he could to protect both of them also he might not want to admit it in front of the Wayne but he did grow on them, like a fungus he can’t remove.

And so, the trio left the building after one last look and hug from Danny, Danny immediately lost the small life and cheerfulness that he had when he was meeting them and silently went back to the manor.

…

This made the Bat clan scramble to fix everything, all the while competing for the favorite uncle and aunt title while both Bruce and Alfred engage in their silent war for the grandpa title, when they showed their findings to the League both Booster Gold and the Flask stood up white as paper.

They claimed at the picture of Danny, that he may be the one who destroyed the future, but looked a little confused as some traits that they remembered were not on Danny which made them speculate that maybe he grew into. But when the two-time travelers explained in great detail his appearance, it matched the appearance of their nephew.

Is this the reason why Dan turned evil, humans have killed his family leaving him both angry and devastated that he let the world know of his pain?

…

PS: If someone out there wants to continue or make a fic about this you are free to do so, don’t forget to tag me though.

PPS: As you can see, I posted a bit early, I got a bunch of people to do and things to see. So uhh, bye-bye!

PPPS: This one got too long for my liking...

Oh, So We're Family Now?...

Now Playing: RedBone~ Childish Gambino

Vivica's Pov

Vivica adjusted her sunglasses as she pulled into the circular driveway of the Haden estate. It wasn't as imposing as Wayne Manor—few residences in Gotham were—but the sprawling contemporary home with its sleek lines and floor-to-ceiling windows spoke of understated wealth and impeccable taste. Just like its owner.

She hadn't seen Vivian in nearly three weeks, not since before her life had been turned upside down by Bruce Wayne's reappearance and the revelation of his nocturnal activities. Now that she and Bruce had finally reached an understanding, she was eager to reconnect with her oldest friend—the only person outside the Wayne household who might understand the complicated emotions she'd been processing.

Before she could even ring the doorbell, the massive front door swung open to reveal a statuesque woman with elegant braids piled atop her head, dressed in a crisp white pantsuit that complemented her rich brown skin.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Vivian Haden said, her stern expression breaking into a warm smile. "I was beginning to think you'd fallen off the face of the earth."

Vivica laughed, stepping forward to embrace her friend. "I know, I know. I'm the worst."

"You're forgiven. Barely." Vivian hugged her tightly before pulling back to study her face. "There's something different about you."

"Different how?"

Vivian narrowed her eyes. "You're glowing. And not in that 'I got a good night's sleep' way. More in that 'I'm getting fucked regularly' way."

"Via!" Vivica glanced around, mortified. "Your daughters could hear you."

"Please. They're all in the back, probably plotting world domination or another TikTok dance, I can never tell the difference." Vivian linked arms with Vivica, leading her into the house. "Besides, you're avoiding the question, which means I'm right."

Vivica couldn't suppress her smile. "Let's just say I've reconnected with someone."

Vivian stopped dead in her tracks, jaw dropping. "No. Wait. Bruce Wayne? You're back with Bruce Wayne?"

"How did you—"

"Girl, please. Who else could possibly put that specific look on your face? You've been hung up on that man since we were teenagers." Vivian shook her head, pulling Vivica toward the kitchen. "I need wine for this conversation."

The kitchen was a chef's dream—all gleaming stainless steel and white marble, with state-of-the-art appliances that looked like they'd never been used. Vivian grabbed a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator and poured two generous glasses.

"Spill," she commanded, sliding one across the counter to Vivica. "And I want all the details this time. No more of this 'we drifted apart' bullshit you fed me five years ago."

Vivica took a fortifying sip. She'd prepared for this, carefully considering how much to share with Vivian. The Batman secret wasn't hers to tell, but she couldn't lie to her best friend either.

"It's complicated," she began. "Bruce is... not who I thought he was. Or rather, he's more than I thought he was."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he kept parts of himself hidden from me when we were together before. That's why I left. But now..." Vivica traced the rim of her glass. "Now I know everything. And it changes things."

Vivian leaned forward, her expression serious. "Is he involved in something illegal? Because if he's dragging you into some—"

"No!" Vivica said quickly. "Damn. Nothing like that. Just the opposite, actually. Bruce is a good man, Viv. Better than I ever realized."

"But secretive," Vivian noted skeptically.

"Yes. Though he's working on that." Vivica smiled softly, remembering their conversations in the garden. "We both are."

Vivian studied her for a long moment, then sighed. "Well, you're a grown woman who runs her own tech empire. If you say he's worth a second chance, I believe you." Her expression turned mischievous. "Besides, the man is fine as hell and richer than God. There are worse second chances to take."

Vivica laughed, relieved. "Thank you for your blessing. Speaking of which..." She took another sip of wine. "I was hoping you and the girls would come to dinner at Wayne Manor this weekend. Meet Bruce properly."

"Dinner at the mysterious Wayne Manor?" Vivian raised an eyebrow. "That's a step up from the last time I saw him, when he was climbing out your bedroom window at 2 AM."

"That was twenty years ago!"

"Some memories are eternal," Vivian said solemnly, then broke into laughter. "Of course we'll come. The girls will be thrilled. You know they adore their Godmother Viv. Raymond is out on business so they missed you."

As if summoned by the mention of their names, the sound of arguing voices floated in from the back of the house.

"Mom! Tell Stona to stay out of my room!" a voice called.

"I was just borrowing a charger!" came the indignant reply.

"Without asking!"

Vivian rolled her eyes heavenward. "And here we go."

The kitchen doors swung open, and four young women spilled into the room in various states of agitation—until they spotted Vivica.

"Auntie Viv!" The youngest, Stona, rushed forward first, her curly hair bouncing as she threw her arms around Vivica's waist. Despite being fourteen, Stona still had the enthusiastic energy of a child, her bright smile lighting up her entire face.

"Hey, baby girl," Vivica said, hugging her back. "You've grown since I last saw you."

"Half an inch," Stona confirmed proudly. "I'm trying to catch up to these giants." She jerked a thumb toward her older sisters.

"Not happening, shorty," Malaysia, the second eldest at twenty-three, said with affectionate condescension. She towered over her youngest sister, her long, light-colored hair cascading past her shoulders in elegant waves. She moved to hug Vivica next, her grace reminiscent of her mother's. "We've missed you, Auntie."

"Yeah, where've you been hiding?" Corin asked, pulling Vivica into a quick, fierce hug. At twenty-five, Corin was the most direct of the sisters, her short, stylish hair and athletic build giving her a confident presence that matched her forthright personality.

"Working, unlike some people I could mention," Alieza teased, nudging Corin aside to claim her own hug. Twenty-one and curvy/plus size, Alieza had her mother's business acumen combined with a warmth that made her instantly approachable. "Don't listen to them, Auntie Viv. We know you're busy running your company."

Vivica laughed, surveying the four young women with affection. They were all so different from one another, yet unmistakably sisters in the way they moved, in certain expressions, in the deep bond that connected them even through their bickering.

"I've missed all of you," she said sincerely. "Which is why I came to invite you to dinner this weekend."

"Ooh, where?" Stona asked eagerly.

Vivica exchanged a glance with Vivian. "Wayne Manor."

There was a beat of silence, then four voices erupted simultaneously:

"THE Wayne Manor?"

"As in Bruce Wayne?"

"Are you dating him again?"

"Does he have a pool?"

Vivian clapped her hands sharply. "One at a time, for heaven's sake. You weren't raised by wolves."

"Yes, THE Wayne Manor," Vivica confirmed, amused by their reactions. "Bruce and I have... reconnected. And I'd like you all to meet him—formally, this time."

"Didn't we meet him at that charity gala two years ago?" Malaysia asked, frowning slightly. "He seemed..."

"Distant," Corin supplied.

"Arrogant," Alieza added.

"Hot," Stona said with a shameless grin, earning herself an eye roll from her mother.

"He can be all those things," Vivica acknowledged. "But there's much more to him than his public persona." She hesitated, then added, "He has four sons, actually. Adopted. Well, three adopted and one biological."

That caught their attention.

"Four sons?" Vivian repeated, eyebrows raised. "When did this happen?"

"During the five years we were apart," Vivica explained. "It's... another part of the complicated story. They're good young men. Different, but all special in their own ways."

"How old?" Malaysia asked, a hint of interest creeping into her voice.

"Dick is twenty-six, Jason's twenty-three, Tim's twenty-two, and Damian is thirteen," Vivica recited, watching realization dawn on Vivian's face as she noted the ages matching her own daughters—except for Stona and Damian, who were close but not exact.

"Well, isn't that convenient," Vivian murmured, lips twitching.

"What are they like?" Corin asked, trying to sound casual.

Vivica considered how to describe the Wayne boys. "Dick is charming, athletic, the responsible oldest. Jason is intense, a bit of a rebel but fiercely loyal. Tim is brilliant, thoughtful, tech-savvy. And Damian..." she smiled. "Damian is a force of nature."

"They sound interesting," Alieza said, exchanging glances with her sisters.

"Oh, they are," Vivica assured them. "So, Saturday at seven? I'll text you the address."

"We'll be there," Vivian confirmed, giving Vivica a look that promised a more detailed interrogation later. "Won't we, girls?"

Four heads nodded, with varying degrees of enthusiasm and curiosity.

As Vivica left the Haden house an hour later, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of bringing these two families together. Bruce's boys and Vivian's girls—it could either be a disaster or the beginning of something wonderful.

Either way, it would certainly be interesting.

---

"A dinner party?" Bruce looked up from his computer, expression somewhere between confused and alarmed. "Here? With people who don't know about..." He gestured vaguely toward the hidden entrance to the Batcave.

Vivica perched on the edge of his desk in the study. "Yes, Bruce. A normal dinner with my best friend and her daughters. People do this sort of thing all the time. It's called 'socializing.'"

"I socialize," he protested. "The Wayne Foundation gala last month—"

"Was work," Vivica interrupted. "This is different. This is personal. Vivian is practically my sister, and her girls are like nieces to me. I want the people I love to know each other."

Bruce's expression softened at her words. "Of course. I'd like to meet them properly." He frowned slightly. "Alfred will need time to prepare. And the boys—"

"I've already spoken to Alfred. He's thrilled at the prospect of cooking for guests who aren't wearing capes or cowls." Vivica smiled. "As for the boys, I thought I'd let you break the news."

Bruce leaned back in his chair, studying her face. "There's something you're not telling me."

She shrugged innocently. "I may have mentioned that Vivian has four daughters, all around the same ages as your sons."

Understanding dawned in Bruce's eyes. "Vivica..."

"What? It's just dinner." She leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. "Besides, your boys could use some normal social interaction with people their own age."

"My boys are anything but normal," Bruce pointed out.

"All the more reason." She stood up, smoothing her skirt. "Saturday at seven. Smart casual dress. No bat-talk."

Bruce caught her hand before she could walk away. "You're remarkable, you know that?" His voice was low, sincere.

"For organizing a dinner party?"

"For building bridges between my world and yours. For making space for normalcy alongside..." he gestured again toward the cave beneath them.

Vivica squeezed his hand. "That's the whole point, Bruce. They're not separate worlds anymore. Just different rooms in the same house."

As she left him to his work, she heard him mutter something that sounded suspiciously like, "Easier said than done."

---

The news of the impending dinner party received mixed reactions from the Wayne household.

Dick, predictably, was enthusiastic. "It'll be nice to have some new faces around here," he said as he helped Alfred polish the formal dining room's massive table. "What are they like, these Haden sisters?"

"Diverse in personality, but all quite remarkable," Alfred replied, having received a full briefing from Vivica earlier. "Miss Malaysia is the second eldest—poised, ambitious, currently finishing her law degree at Gotham University."

"A lawyer, huh?" Dick said, a spark of interest in his eyes.

"Indeed, sir. Miss Corin is an athlete—national level in mixed martial arts, I believe. She's a teacher."

Jason, lounging in the doorway and pretending not to listen, perked up slightly at this information.

"Miss Alieza is studying computer science and business, apparently quite the technological prodigy," Alfred continued, glancing meaningfully at Tim, who was setting out the fine china with careful precision.

"And the youngest, Miss Stona?" Damian asked from where he sat sketching the table arrangement, supposedly to help Alfred but mostly to eavesdrop.

"An artist, Master Damian. Painting and sculpture, primarily. Only nineteen, but already featured in several Gotham galleries."

Damian's pencil paused briefly on his paper. "Hm."

Bruce, observing this exchange from the doorway, caught Vivica's eye with a raised eyebrow. She smiled innocently in return.

The night of the dinner arrived with unusual tension in the manor. Bruce found all four of his sons in various states of preparation, each putting more effort into their appearance than he'd seen for formal Wayne Foundation events.

Dick had opted for a blue button-down that matched his eyes perfectly, sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms toned from years of acrobatics and crime-fighting. Jason, after much apparent deliberation, had chosen a dark red Henley that complemented his broader build, his usual leather jacket nowhere to be seen. Tim wore a forest green sweater over a collared shirt, his typically tousled hair actually combed for once. And Damian, most surprisingly of all, had abandoned his usual formal attire for a more age-appropriate outfit of dark jeans and a charcoal sweater, his hair meticulously styled.

"Not a word," Damian warned when he caught Bruce looking.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Bruce assured him, fighting a smile.

Vivica descended the main staircase at quarter to seven, stunning in a simple burgundy dress that hugged her curves. Bruce felt his breath catch, still not entirely used to the reality that she was here, in his home, in his life again.

"You look beautiful," he said, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs.

"You clean up pretty nicely yourself," she replied, straightening his tie. "Where are the boys?"

"Hovering near windows, pretending they're not watching for the arrival of your guests," Bruce said dryly.

As if on cue, the distant sound of tires on gravel reached them, followed by Dick's too-casual announcement from the living room: "I think they're here."

Alfred appeared with perfect timing, moving to open the front door as a sleek black SUV pulled up. Vivian emerged first, elegant in a navy pantsuit, followed by her four daughters, each dressed to impress in their own distinctive style.

Bruce and Vivica greeted them at the door, and Bruce found himself immediately enveloped in Vivian's critical assessment.

"Bruce Wayne," she said, extending her hand with regal poise. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," he agreed, shaking her hand firmly. "Welcome to Wayne Manor, Ms. Haden. I see you didn't bring Raymond with you. "

"Vivian, please. We're well past formalities, especially if you're back in my best friend's life." Her tone carried a subtle warning that wasn't lost on Bruce. "And, my husband is out on business. But, I'm sure my company would do just fine."

"Vivian it is," he said with a nod of acknowledgment. "And, of course, allow me to introduce my family."

The boys had materialized behind them, standing in an unconsciously defensive formation that made Vivica hide a smile. Bruce introduced each son with quiet pride, and Vivica watched the Haden sisters take in the Wayne boys with various degrees of interest.

Malaysia's gaze lingered on Dick, noting his easy smile and confident stance. Corin's eyes widened slightly at Jason's muscular build, her athlete's assessment unmistakable. Alieza and Tim exchanged shy smiles when their names were called, a silent recognition passing between them. And Stona, vibrant and artistic, openly studied Damian's serious face with undisguised curiosity.

"Shall we move to the dining room?" Alfred suggested after the introductions were complete. "Dinner is prepared."

As they filed into the manor's grand dining room, Vivica found herself grateful for Alfred's careful seating arrangement, which had naturally paired each Wayne son with the Haden daughter closest to their age, with Bruce and Vivica at the heads of the table and Vivian positioned between Dick and Jason.

Conversation started awkwardly, as Bruce attempted small talk with the practiced charm of his public persona. Vivica could see Vivian's skeptical expression—this was exactly the distant, artificial Bruce she'd warned her friend about.

But then Stona, uninhibited as always, changed the dynamic.

"So is it true you have a T-Rex in the house?" she asked Bruce directly, ignoring Malaysia's face "Stona! Shut the hell up!" Malaysia whispered yelled.

Bruce blinked, caught off guard. "I... yes, actually. In the east wing. It's a full-size replica."

"Can I see it after dinner?" Stona asked eagerly.

"We all can," Vivica interjected smoothly. "Bruce has quite the collection of unique items."

"Bruce is a hoarder with expensive taste," Jason added, earning a surprised laugh from Corin.

Just like that, the ice was broken. Conversation began to flow more naturally, breaking into smaller groups as the meal progressed.

Dick and Malaysia discovered a shared interest in Gotham's legal system, though for very different professional reasons—her law studies and his work with the GCPD as a consultant (his cover for Nightwing activities).

"The problem with Gotham isn't just corruption," Malaysia was saying passionately. "It's systemic inequality. The legal system was designed to protect wealth and power, not serve justice."

Dick nodded, genuinely engaged. "I couldn't agree more. I've seen too many cases where money determined the outcome more than evidence."

"Exactly!" Malaysia leaned forward, her eyes lighting up. "That's why I'm focusing on public interest law. Someone needs to fight for those who can't afford high-priced defense attorneys."

"The city needs more lawyers like you," Dick said sincerely, and Vivica noticed the slight blush that colored Malaysia's cheeks at his praise.

Further down the table, Jason and Corin had fallen into a spirited debate about fighting techniques.

"Traditional boxing has its place," Jason was saying, gesturing with his fork, "but in a real street fight, you need to be adaptable."

"That's why I cross-train," Corin replied. "MMA, Krav Maga, even some capoeira for mobility."

Jason's eyebrows rose with genuine interest. "Capoeira? Impressive. Not many fighters appreciate its practical applications."

"Most fighters are too rigid in their thinking," Corin said with a dismissive wave. "They stick to what they know instead of evolving."

"I know a training gym in the East End that has some excellent mixed discipline classes," Jason offered. "If you're ever interested."

"I might be," Corin replied, her casual tone belied by the intensity of her gaze. "I have to teach throughout the week, but we'll see if I have time."

Tim and Alieza, meanwhile, had broken all pretense of general conversation and were huddled over Tim's phone, discussing something in rapid technical terms that made Bruce glance their way with mild concern.

"It's a modified encryption algorithm I've been working on," Tim was explaining. "The problem is balancing security with processing speed."

"Have you considered a quantum approach?" Alieza asked, taking the phone to study the code. "There's some promising research coming out of MIT on quantum-resistant cryptography."

Tim's eyes widened. "You follow quantum computing research?"

"Follow it? I'm contributing to it," Alieza said with quiet confidence. "I've got a paper being published next month on quantum key distribution in urban environments."

"That's... wow." Tim seemed genuinely impressed, a rare occurrence for the brilliant young man. "I'd love to read it when it's published."

"I could send you an advance copy," Alieza offered, a shy smile playing at her lips. "If you're interested."

"Definitely interested," Tim assured her, their eyes meeting with mutual appreciation.

At the far end of the table, Damian and Stona were engaged in a conversation that had started with art but somehow evolved into a detailed discussion of animal rights.

"Father allows me to maintain a menagerie," Damian was explaining, his usual haughtiness tempered by genuine enthusiasm. "I have several rescue animals, including a cow named Batcow."

"Batcow?" Stona repeated, delighted. "That's amazing. I've been trying to convince Mom to let me volunteer at the Gotham Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, but she says I need to focus on my studies."

"Education is important," Damian said seriously, "but so is practical experience. Perhaps if you presented a structured plan demonstrating how the volunteer work would enhance your studies..."

"That's... actually a really good idea," Stona said, looking at Damian with new respect. "You're really smart."

"of course! I'm not a child," Damian replied automatically, then added with grudging acknowledgment, "but you're more intelligent than I initially assumed."

Coming from Damian, this was high praise indeed.

Bruce and Vivian, witnessing these exchanges, shared a look of parental recognition.

"They seem to be getting along," Bruce observed quietly.

"So it appears," Vivian replied, her earlier skepticism softening. "Your boys are... not what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"Entitled trust fund children," she said frankly. "But they're thoughtful. Engaged. They actually listen when my girls speak, which is rarer than it should be."

Bruce nodded, understanding the compliment for what it was. "They've had unique upbringings. All of them have faced challenges that taught them the value of listening to different perspectives."

Vivian studied him for a moment. "Maybe you're not what I expected either, Bruce Wayne."

By the time dessert was served—Alfred's legendary chocolate soufflé—the initial awkwardness had completely dissolved. The conversation had become so lively that Alfred had to clear his throat twice to get everyone's attention for the dessert service.

As promised, after dinner Bruce led a tour of the manor's public areas, including the famous T-Rex replica that had so intrigued Stona. The group naturally splintered as they moved through the mansion, each pair drifting toward areas of mutual interest.

--

As the Haden family prepared to depart, private numbers were exchanged with promises to stay in touch during the week. Vivica watched with amusement as Dick gallantly helped Malaysia with her coat, as Jason and Corin exchanged what looked like a firm handshake but lingered a moment too long, as Tim awkwardly attempted to explain something technical to Alieza while she smiled patiently, and as Damian formally presented Stona with a small sketch he'd apparently made during their tour.

"This has been illuminating," Vivian murmured to Vivica as they watched the younger generation say their goodbyes. "Your message this morning makes more sense now."

"Message?" Bruce asked, overhearing.

Vivica smiled mysteriously. "Just girl talk."

Once the Hadens had departed, with arrangements made for the following weekend, the Wayne household seemed to exhale collectively. The boys dispersed to their usual evening activities—Dick to call Blüdhaven and check on his city, Jason to prepare for a late patrol, Tim to his computers, and Damian to complete his homework before his own patrol with Batman later.

Bruce and Vivica found themselves alone in the study, the evening's events settling around them like a comfortable blanket.

"That went well," Vivica observed, kicking off her heels and curling up on the leather sofa. "Better than I expected, honestly."

"Your plan to introduce the boys to suitable young women their own age?" Bruce asked, his tone mildly accusatory but his eyes amused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Vivica replied innocently. "I simply wanted my best friend and her daughters to meet the man I love and his family."

Bruce sat beside her, pulling her feet into his lap with casual intimacy. "The boys seemed... affected by their visitors."

"I noticed," Vivica said, unable to hide her smile. "Jason was almost civil."

"Tim actually left his lab voluntarily."

"And Damian shared his artwork with a stranger. A miracle."

Bruce's hands began massaging her feet, his strong fingers working out the tension from hours in heels. "You're playing matchmaker."

"I'm expanding their social circle," Vivica corrected. "What happens next is entirely up to them."

"Mmm." Bruce didn't sound convinced. "And the remarkable coincidence that each Haden daughter happens to align perfectly with one of my sons in age, interests, and temperament?"

"The universe works in mysterious ways," Vivica said solemnly, then broke into laughter at Bruce's expression. "Okay, fine. I might have noticed some potential compatibility. But tonight exceeded even my expectations."

Bruce's hands moved from her feet to her calves, continuing their gentle massage. "Vivian approves of me now. Or at least, she's reserving judgment."

"High praise from Via, believe me." Vivica sighed contentedly as his strong hands worked their magic. "She's been my fiercest protector since we were children. Almost as intimidating as Alfred when she wants to be."

"I noticed," Bruce said dryly. "The 'I will end you' threat was particularly vivid."

"She means it, too."

"I don't doubt it." Bruce's expression grew more serious. "I'm glad you have her. Someone who looks out for you so fiercely."

Vivica reached for his hand, twining her fingers with his. "I have you for that now too, don't I?"

"Always," Bruce promised, raising their joined hands to kiss her knuckles. "Though I suspect our households are about to become much more intertwined than either of us anticipated."

As if to prove his point, Dick appeared in the doorway, attempting and failing to look casual. "So, uh, that Malaysia... she's studying corporate law, right? I was thinking I might ask her perspective on some Wayne Enterprises contracts."

"At ten o'clock on a Saturday night?" Bruce asked skeptically.

Dick shrugged, unembarrassed. "Legal emergencies don't keep business hours."

"Her number is in my phone," Vivica offered, fighting a smile. "But maybe wait until tomorrow to call? Professional courtesy."

"Right, tomorrow. Good idea." Dick nodded too enthusiastically before disappearing again.

Bruce and Vivica exchanged amused glances.

"One down, three to go," Vivica murmured.

Sure enough, within fifteen minutes, Tim had casually inquired about Alieza's publication schedule, Jason had mentioned offhandedly that he might check out the MMA gym where Corin trained, and even Damian had appeared to ask, with forced nonchalance, if Stona's artwork was featured in any currently running exhibitions he might evaluate "for technical proficiency."

By the time Bruce needed to prepare for his nightly patrol, all four Wayne boys had found transparent excuses to obtain more information about the Haden sisters.

"What have we started?" Bruce asked as he stood before the grandfather clock that concealed the entrance to the Batcave.

Vivica smiled, rising to straighten his collar before he changed into the Batsuit. "Something good, I think. Something normal alongside the extraordinary." She brushed a light kiss against his lips. "Be careful out there tonight."

"Always," he promised. "Don't wait up."

"I might," she countered. "I've grown fond of post-patrol debriefs."

Bruce's eyes darkened with appreciation. "In that case, I'll try to wrap things up early."

After he disappeared into the cave, Vivica made her way to the library, selecting a book before settling into a comfortable chair. The manor felt different now—warmer, more alive with possibility. The walls that had once separated Bruce's world from hers were thinning, allowing light to pass between them.

Her phone buzzed with a text from Vivian: *Whatever you're planning with these Wayne boys and my daughters, I'm onto you. If things go to shit imma beat yo ass!*

Vivica smiled and typed back: *No idea what you're talking about. But they'd make beautiful grandchildren, don't you think?*

Vivian's response was immediate: *You're terrible. See you next weekend. Bring the blue-eyed one who knew about Brandeis.*

As Vivica settled in to wait for Batman's return, she felt a deep contentment wash over her. Two families, each unusual in their own way, finding connection and possibly more. Bruce learning to balance his mission with moments of normalcy and joy. And herself, finally understanding that loving Bruce Wayne meant loving all of him—the billionaire, the vigilante, the father, the man—without requiring him to be only one of those things.

The night stretched before her, full of possibility, just like the future they were building together.

Danny's Daycare Part 1

      [Master List]

  Danny liked to believe he was a good person, with a good heart, but even he knew he’d decided to do this more out of boredom than anything else. There were a lot of places and people he could help with his powers and wealth but there were only two reasons he’d agreed to help Lady Gotham. The first being; she’d asked. Who was he to turn down a city spirit who’d come to ask his help? What reason could he have for turning her down? Well, he was busy with his kingly duties, but that was exactly why he had to do it. He was bored.

            Having graduated with his bachelor’s in the previous semester and the realms being completely calm and peaceful for the first time in a few thousand years, he’d grown bored. He’d honestly been considering finally dealing with the GIW on a more official basis (though he wasn’t sure he would be able to without overturning the Anti-Ecto Acts) but had ruled it out. He’d banned ghosts from Amity Park years ago and had discovered the GIW wasn’t doing too well for itself anymore.

            So….

            He’d agreed.

            Of course Lady Gotham had been entirely ambiguous with her request and thus he’d decided to take certain liberties in the way he chose to help. If he was being honest he thought his ideas were much more helpful than what she may have been expecting. He’d hung up his metaphorical cape and retired Phantom shortly after high school. As king, he was still Phantom, but he didn’t plan on ever flying around as a vigilante again.

            He wouldn’t have agreed to help if it meant he’d have to pick up his old mantle again.

            Teen hero Phantom had died on a dissection table and there was no amount of Ectoplasm strong enough to bring him back.

            Only a bit of research told Danny all he needed to know about Gotham and how he could best help. The birds and bats had rogues covered, they didn’t need Phantom anyways. But the thing that led to so many people becoming goons? To dealing drugs? To taking up crime? That was something neither the birds nor the bats were handling.

            So using an infinitesimal amount of his disgustingly vast wealth, Danny bought a decent sized building in the middle of the Bowery, bought and apartment building nearby, and packed his things. Moving wasn’t difficult considering his handle on opening portals to the infinite realms and the fact that he was currently living in his keep.

            Jazz had been… confused. She thought he was throwing away his freedom, shunning her hopes that he’d go for his PhD, but after he’d explained what he was doing  she was more than happy to help in any way she could. After all, she was interning as a psychologist at Arkham Asylum while finishing her PhD at Gotham U. Anything that got her little brother to spend more time with her was a win in her books.

            Getting the building ready for Danny’s plan was the most time-consuming part, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He took all the necessary precautions, had the building inspected and fumigated, installed heating and air conditioning, replaced the worn-out plumbing, and had Tucker create the best security system known to man- or ghost. He did all the same in the apartment building he’d bought (he also lowered the rent a fair bit without telling any of the current tenants).

            Once the building wasn’t literally collapsing, he had the carpeted floors replaced (there was no saving the blood crusted carpets) with hard wood floors and colorful area rugs. At this point people had begun to notice all of the work going into the building, they didn’t ask questions though, that would be very Gothamite of them. Danny had spent every waking moment working on the building, hadn’t stepped outside more than a handful of times, and certainly hadn’t met any of the neighbors.

            That was kind of the opposite of his intentions.

            So he’d looked around for soup kitchens in the area, found one that served dinner at a time that fit in his schedule, and started volunteering. A few days after contacting them about volunteering he got a call that he was cleared to start whenever, and he agreed to come the next evening.

            He arrived a bit earlier than they’d suggested but the woman in charge didn’t seem to mind too much.

            “I’m Molly, you’re early.” A woman much taller than Danny with broad shoulders and biceps thicker than his head, crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. “I assume you want to work?”

            He nodded, dumbstruck.

            “Good. This way.” He followed her without a second thought. He found himself in a large kitchen filled with the sounds of chatter, chopping, and music. A couple of the volunteers were singing to the music while cooking. It was overall, really pleasant. “You know how to chop vegetables?” Molly asked.

            He felt… condescended a bit but brushed it off. “Yeah I can chop.”

            “Good, Les! You’ve got a new chopping buddy. Lanky, take a break.” Molly shouted orders to the rest of the staff while Danny took over chopping from Lanky, apparently.

            A young woman -he assumed she was Les?- handed him the knife Lanky had been holding and pointed to a large sack of potatoes. “Chop all of those, then put them into the pot to your right.” She brushed a strand of light brown hair behind her ear and continued chopping carrots.

            The two chopped in relative silence, the sounds of the kitchen washing over them, until he finished the sack of potatoes he’d been working on. Danny was a lot slower than Les but she had more carrots than he had potatoes, so he finished first. “Done.”

            She looked up, finished what she was doing, and wiped her hands on her apron. “Good. Can you finish these carrots while I move the potatoes and see what else we need done?” He got to work on the carrots while Les ran around making sure everything was running smoothly. By the time she returned he had finished the carrots as well.

            “Good,” There was approval in her voice, and he fought off a blush. “Dinner is starting soon. We’ve plenty of people working on the food, you up for serving?” He nodded, wiping his hands on his own apron before following her away from the kitchen.

            “Wash up here.” She gestured to a sink beside the door leading to the eating area. While he washed his hands she explained what he’d be doing. “You’re just serving one dish, so it’s not complicated. One ladle-full per tray, no seconds, there won’t be leftovers as it is. Be kind and respectful, we have people if anybody gets rowdy so don’t try to be a hero.” It was a strange warning but… well, it was Gotham.

            He nodded obediently and followed her to the pot of stew that was already made which he’d be serving from tonight.

            “Service starts in ten minutes; we’ve already got quite a line. Someone will come to relieve you for a break in two hours. Dinner last four hours- I assume you’re here for the whole night?” He nodded again. “Good, you’ll get a twenty-minute break to eat and rest before going back to give someone else their break, understand?”

            It was a relatively easy job- though he tried not to think too deeply about some of the people he served. You can’t save everybody, Danny. Jazz’s voice echoed in his mind as he watched two young boys get food, refusing to make eye contact with any of the volunteers. The older boy muttered a quiet ‘thanks’ before dragging the younger boy away and finding a spot in the corner away from everybody else.

            He tried to put them out of his mind as he continued to serve the everybody else. He couldn’t. Danny found himself glancing towards the corner every few minutes to watch out for the boys, something about them reminded him of Jazz and himself- though he wasn’t sure why. Other than the overprotective older sibling thing, there wasn’t much to compare. Still, he felt a sort of… pull towards the boys.

            It wasn’t ectoplasmic, they just… clearly they needed help- two kids wouldn’t be in a soup kitchen if they didn’t but- You can’t save everybody, Danny. And you’ll kill yourself fully trying to. Jazz was right, like usual- of course he’d never tell her that but-

            “-nny? Hello?” Someone tapped his shoulder, his head whipped to the side, startling the newcomer. “Sorry man, just trying to send you on your break. You good?”

            Danny nodded, setting down the ladle and moving aside for the other man. He needed to clear his mind.

~~~

            He painted the walls. Pale colors that complimented the even more colorful posters he hung over top and went nicely with the rugs. He considered tuning it down a bit when it came to the furniture, but what was the point? Colors were fun- kids liked colors, right? So the plastic tables and chairs were yellow and red and green and blue and purple and any other color you could think of.

            And once the furniture was moved in he was able to buy toys. Toy boxes were filled with various brand new and colorful toys, shelves were packed with unread books in perfect condition, and crayon boxes with coloring books were laid neatly on each table. The cabinets were stocked with Sam-approved snacks, the first aid kit was over-stocked, and the closet was filled with a wide range of clothing for kids who might not have hats, gloves, coats, or anything else they might need. He'd buy more when he finally had kids to buy for.

            Lady Gotham hadn’t said a word about his plan, but she’d nodded resolutely, thanked him, and went on her way, and that was enough encouragement to continue.

            On one of the last days of constructions, Danny received a visitor.

            “So this is where you’ve been, eh babypop?”

            Looking up from the paperwork Danny had been poring over, he smirked. “I guess I missed living in a haunted town.”

            She rolled her eyes and sauntered closer. “So you’ve- what? Traded your throne for a plastic rainbow chair?”

            “I didn’t trade anything. Lady Gotham asked for help, and I had time. It’s not like I’ll be here forever. Just until Gotham is faring a bit better. Maybe I’ll find someone I trust to give this place to sometime down the line.”

            Ember leaned her hip against his desk and crossed her arms. “And you’re doing this alone?”

            He shrugged. “Jazz is in school and interning at Arkham, Sam’s in San Francisco with Val and Tucker, and who knows where Dani is.” He frowned at something on the paperwork before shrugging again and writing something down.

            “That wasn’t what I meant, kid.”

            “I’ve gotten really good at the whole duplication thing recently so, yeah, I was going to do this alone. Who else would help me? I mean, maybe I’ll hire some help down the line, but I’ve got to be established first.” Danny knew full well that his current plan would have him exhausting himself on a daily basis. Working long days, by himself, while duplicating himself enough to take care of an unknown number of kids would drain him.

            A hand grabbed his pen away before he could keep working on his paperwork and he looked up to try and snatch it back. Ember was leaning into his space, holding the pen away from him. “I was offering to help, Babypop. Actually, I’ve talked to a few people who are offering to help.”

            Frowning, Danny searched the desk for another pen. “You do realize this isn’t like the Infinite Realms, right? You can’t duel a kid, you can’t mind control children, you aren’t allowed to fuck shit up here.”

            “Wow, is that all you think I’m capable of?” The hurt in her voice was feigned but he wondered if there was a tiny bit of truth behind it.

            “That’s not what I meant, Ember. I- just- who wants to help?”

            She smirked.

            That was how Danny found himself surrounded by ghosts, going over rules and expectations if they wanted to help. Lunch Lady, Ember, Dora, and a few others he didn’t know as well, listened as he laid down the law. The safety of the kids came before all else. It came before their own safety, it came before Danny’s identity, it came before everything. If they were going to do this, they would be doing it the right way.

            “There is also the matter of the birds and the bats.” Danny sighed, leaning against his desk and facing his friends? Subjects? Fellow ghosts.

            Ember scoffed. “I don’t need that talk from you, babypop.”

            “No no- not the birds and the bees. The birds and the bats. Gotham vigilantes.” The ghosts nodded in understanding. “They are not to be messed with, understood? The Anti-Ecto Acts are still very much in play, and I cannot tell you what side the birds and bats will be on but presumably, the governments. Batman founded the Justice League so not only does he work for the government, but they failed Amity multiple times, I do not trust them.

            “First and foremost; Batman. He’s the leader of the birds and bats as far as I can tell. He’s been around for over twenty years, the world’s greatest detective, and keeps up with heroes like superman, avoid at all costs. His sidekick is Robin, a kid in green, red, and yellow, he has swords, and we all know that despite his age, he is probably pretty dangerous.”

            “Okay we get it; you beat all of us while you were a scrawny fourteen-year-old.” Ember scoffed.

            “Everyone else is listening quietly, Em.” He glared pointedly. “Anyway, next is Nightwing- he’s technically Bludhaven’s vigilante but he helps around Gotham on the regular. Wears black and blue, my understanding is he’s generally pretty friendly, but I don’t want to take any chances. Then there’s Red Robin, he’s said to be a tech genius and considering Tucker’s obsessed with him, I’d say that’s probably true. Despite that, he’s not chump, I’ve seen some videos, he can fight, and he fights dirty. He wears black and red.

            “Red Hood wears the bat emblem, but he works mostly on his own in Crime Alley. He wears a red helmet- I know, he should be wearing a hood, but whatever. Hood is the only one that I’ve heard a good deal about, I’ve heard whispers of him in the realms, spirits who are grateful to him for avenging them like to call him the avenger of the dead. I have a great deal of respect for him. That being said; Red Hood kills, he is the only vigilante in Gotham that carries guns- not dangerous to you, but still, avoid him at all costs.”

            “I don’t see the importance of such a warning, we cannot die.” Dora frowned.

            Danny nodded in agreement. “No, you’re right, you probably don’t need to be all that concerned. However, if they find out about us and what we are, there’s no telling if they’ll get their hands on ghost tech from my- from the Fentons.” Ember gave him a sympathetic look at his slip. “I don’t want them learning anything about us or the Realms for all of our safety.

            “Signal is the daytime hero, he wears bright yellow and my understanding is he’s also super friendly. I found a video of him teaching street kids how to do a backflip. I’ve also seen him punch goons into next week so again, dangerous. Spoiler wears purple, she’s a badass any way you look at it. She’s quippy, flippy, and intense. More intense though is black bat, who wears all black and doesn’t speak.” He took a deep breath and made sure he’d said everything already. “I think that’s everyone. Questions?”

~~~

            The daycare was almost entirely finished, Danny had been spending more time there than at his apartment, and he’d had Tucker craft fake identities for everybody who wanted to help out. With how stressful things had been Danny felt the need for an extra-large, extra caffeinated, heart attack inducing coffee. There was one coffee shop he loved in the Upper East Side that knew him well. He’d come by for a coffee every morning since moving to Gotham five weeks ago and the barista’s had quickly began recognizing the man who got a black coffee with seven shots of espresso and a disgusting amount of syrup. He imagined not many people got that kind of drink. (He hoped).

            Jesse smiled when Danny approached the counter and began typing his order from memory. “How’s the construction going, Danny?” They asked.

            Offering his own tired smile, Danny nodded. “Construction’s done, just finishing up some stuff on the inside and paperwork.”

            “That’s great!” Jesse accepted Danny’s card, swiping it through their register. “My uncle lives in the Bowery and he has a little girl. The daycare could really help a lot of people.” Their voice was warm and slightly sad at the same time. “I hope it works out.”

            Taking his card back and their words as a dismissal, Danny gave a nod and moved towards the hand-off plane to wait for his drink. He checked his phone; Jazz had been blowing it up with more ideas for his egregious wealth could benefit the people of Gotham. She’d mentioned a lot of ideas that were… well they weren’t bad per se, but Danny already had a lot on his plate with the Daycare opening in just under a week.

            He wrote each suggestion down in his notes app anyways. A lot of them were things Gotham already had; food banks, homeless shelters, etc. but some of them were more interesting. A mechanic who fixed up cars for free, a tutoring program for kids who weren’t in school but wanted to go back, classes on how to combat different kinds of gasses and poisons (specifically fear gas, Poison Ivy’s different toxins, and Joker Venom), first aid programs, and a whole lot more. Danny hoped to implement a lot of Jazz’s ideas at some point, but for now, he was just one guy.

            One guy who barely saved himself.

            Jesse handed Danny his drink and waved as they turned to help another customer. Moving towards the exit, Danny narrowly avoided crashing into a bigger man who clearly didn’t have special awareness but in turn crashed into a much smaller man.

            “Oh shit!” Danny’s drink spilled all along his front and onto his shoes and he cringed at the painful heat coming into contact with his sensitive scars. “I’m really sorry.” He sighed, looking over the other man to see he hadn’t actually spilled any of his drink on the other man. Thank Ancients.

            The other man, who was only slightly shorter than Danny, was pressing napkins into Danny’s shirt. “Don’t worry about it. Are you okay? That looked really hot.”

            Danny nodded, taking the napkins from the other man and wiping away what he could without rubbing his scars. “Yeah… it was. I’m just glad I didn’t spill it on you.” He froze. “I didn’t, right?”

            The other man shook his head. “I’m fine, thanks. Let me buy you another one- it was kind of my fault anyways.”

            “We both know I crashed into you.” Danny raised an eyebrow. He didn’t need anyone to buy his coffee, he was disgustingly wealthy, if anything, he should be buying the stranger his coffee as an apology for crashing into him.

            “Whatever, let me buy your coffee as an apology anyways.” Danny shrugged, following the man up to the counter. He was going to buy a replacement anyways; he might as well let this stranger buy it for him.

            Jesse raised an eyebrow at the duo. “Oh god. I was hoping you two would never meet.”

            Danny and the man looked at each other strangely before looking back at Jesse. “Why?” They asked in unison.

            “Two large hot coffees with seven shots of espresso and fifteen pumps of vanilla?” They raised their eyebrow, looking between the two men judgmentally.

            Danny turned to the stranger, who in turn did the same, both looked at each other before promptly bursting into laughter. “Oh my Ancients, you too, huh?” Danny pretended to wipe away a tear as the other man ran a hand through his hair.

            “A man of taste.”

            Jesse swiped the man’s card. “I’ll have them in a minute, Tim, Danny.” They nodded to each of the men dismissively and they took their cue.

            They took a seat near the hand-off plane and Danny realized he’d never introduced himself properly. “I’m Danny, sorry about almost dropping my coffee on your very expensive looking suit.”

            The man -Tim apparently- waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m Tim, sorry about making you dump boiling hot coffee all over yourself.”

            “Better my t shirt and jeans than your Armani suit.”

            “I save the Armani for special occasions.” Tim smirked. “So what could you possibly be doing that requires a level of caffeine that could kill an elephant?”

            Danny rolled his eyes. “Jeez, you sound like my sister. I’ve spent the last five weeks renovating a place in the Bowery and turning it into a daycare. Only a few days before it opens, and I’ve already got a couple of kids signed up, so I imagine I’ll be drinking this every day for the rest of my life. How about yourself? You must have a crazy job to be drinking that much coffee.”

            Tim looked surprised briefly before masking it. “I’ve got some business meetings today I’ve been putting off for a while. I usually drink a few coffees a day to get through all the bullshit the board likes to pull.”

            “You must be pretty high up to be dealing with a board. I know how much those meetings suck. I usually just fake an emergency- of course they start to catch on when you do it every single time- but you know- I don’t really care.” He chuckled thinking about the last council meeting in the realms when Frighty’d almost had an aneurysm from Danny’s antics.

            Tim’s head tilted. “Where do you work?”

            He hadn’t anticipated this question which was stupid because he was the one who’d brought up dealing with his own board, Danny was saved by Jesse. “Tim!” They called from the bar. Two identical coffees sat on the hand-off plane and the men moved in unison.

            Drink in hand, Danny turned to Tim. “Well thanks for the coffee, Tim. I’ve gotta get back to the daycare but it was nice meeting you!” He smiled, offering a hand to shake.

            Tim took it, holding his own coffee in his other hand. “You too, Danny. I’ll see you around?”

            “Unfortunately!” Jesse called from behind the bar.

~~~

This is a fic on AO3 but thought I'd post the parts here separately for anyone who wanted to read them on Tumblr

AO3 Link

Original Prompt from @glow-in-the-dark-death

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Hello this a long shot call, am a citizen of Palestine. I am here to request for your support to help get my insulin (Humalog), just an injection for today to save my life please I beg.I was diagnosized with type 1 diabetes and due to current situation in Gaza I'm unable to get my insulin injection as a result I'm here begging for little financial support to help me purchase insulin for this week. Am sorry if am sending you again this request, kindly donate any amount please. My donation link is in my pinned post🇵🇸

Thank you so much for reaching out to me and I’ll do what I can to help you out. I hope things get better for you and your loved ones.