Bruce dies in the Past

So! When Bruce was sent back in Time and got stuck in the Past, he was never saved. Tim failed to bring him back to the future, and Bruce was stuck in the Past for the rest of his Natural Life.

Then he died, came back as a Ghost, and regained his Lost Memories.

He didn't really know what to do, he was stuck Millenia in the Past, his Family won't be born for Literal Ages, and most of all he is Dead. He doesn't really have alot of options.

If you go with the Idea that Batman is a Liminal, then you could say that his Obsession was Protection. And that Obsession was focused primarily on Gotham and his Family.

So what is a Ghost to do when the object of his Obsession had been ripped away from him? He breaks a little. Bruce kind of goes Insane.

He decides that if he is going to he stuck in the Ghost Zone, he may as well protect it as if it were Gotham. So, he finds the quickest way to do that...by becoming the Ghost King.

So, he finds the Castle of the Ghost King, and challenges him to Single Combat. And he manages to Win. But the King needs to choose their Title, and he doesn't think he wants to include the name of Batman in the distant Past. It may affect the Future.

So, he chooses the name, Pariah Dark.

Bruce Wayne, is Pariah Dark.

He started as a Good King, but gradually he let his Broken Obsession get to him. Becoming King did nothing to fill the void in his Core, so he fell more and more into Insanity. It didn't help that he became the King in such a vulnerable emotional state. The sudden Power Increase caused his mind to fracture even more.

The Seven Ancients didn't seal away Pariah Dark just to save the Zone, they also did it to save Pariah himself.

Then one day, Pariah's Seal is Broken and he is presented with a Portal to the Human Realm. A Human Realm where enough time has passed that Gotham finally exists again. He may have gotten a little overexcited, he'll admit.

Thankfully, Danny was there to knock some sense into him.

He took the Throne and the power associated with it from Pariah, leaving him as just Bruce Wayne again. The existence of Gotham and his Family in the present world helped mend a few of the Cracks in his Core, and for the first time in Centuries Bruce Wayne felt somewhat whole again.

...

Basically, Bruce dies in the Past, goes Insane because his Liminal Obsession was broken, and becomes Pariah Dark when he takes the Throne of the Ghost Zone.

Unfortunately, his Broken Obsession was only aggravated by the sudden Influx of Power, and he went Insane. When Danny took the Throne from him, he took the power that was clouding Bruce's Mind and helped him heal a bit.

Thoughts?

Prompt 105

 A cult summons the ghost king. Except they don’t. Instead they get these tiny white-haired triplets of toddlers blinking at the summoning circle looking confused. 

 They’ve gotten the ghost princes and princess instead. 

 The very young princes and princess who are none too pleased and going to cause problems on purpose for both rogues and heroes alike. As godlings de-aged into their ghost age are like to do. 

 Meanwhile in the Realms, Pariah is staring down at where his trio of ghost toddlers that Clockwork had handed him when he had first woken up and was still groggy just disappeared from. He looks over at Fright Knight, his dearest brother, who looks just as shocked. 

 Clockwork is going to kill them both if they don’t get the kids back now. 

DC X DP PROMPT #18

Danny sometimes forgets that it isn't normal to let the ghosts of your dead best friends speak vicariously through you - especially as a totally normal human boy.

Danny is only confronted with this fact at the face of a very concerned hero. (You pick, just anywhere that's not Gotham because it is much funnier. I personally lean towards one of the flashes)

I love how BBC Ghosts once a series is like 'and here's a new flavour of Robin being the most tragic character you will ever see' and it brings me to tears every single time

I just thought of this but I’m pretty sure I also made a similar prompt on my old blog, but Danny as a payback for all the shit Vlad has done to him, makes it seem like Dani is their biological child and he’s a deadbeat.

This backfires spectacularly because Danny forgets that he’s not very forthcoming with information on ghosts to the JL so they believe he’s actually a 14 yr old, a mature one but a 14 yr old nonetheless.

Really it’s more of an inside joke that got out of hand, as Vlad started to be less of a fruitloop. After Vlad got help on his obsession (turns out having an unhealthy obsession is actually really unhealthy for a ghost) he started to mend what little relationship he had with Dani. And as her other biological parent, Vlad also started mending their relationship.

Ofc with Sam and Tucker they gave him the thought that since Danny took care of Dani while Vlad was being insane, he should be getting “child support for the years he was being a deadbeat”.

Danny lorded this over Vlad for years, a joke that never fails to make Vlad angry. Danny had some brain cells to realize that it would look real weird to outsiders but he always could just pass it off as ghost shit. JL were not convinced, and after replaying everything Danny has said about Vlad, had incriminated him even more in the eyes of the JL.

While Danny went to have a dinner with Vlad and Dani (as per their agreement, as Dani wants both of her family to sit down with her) (they both don’t really mind but each dinner usually ends before a fight can break out) he gets stopped by a JL member, asking him to follow them to a meeting room.

Danny’s met with an intervention, where the JL want him to understand healthy relationships and that he shouldn’t be with a man who’s hurt him before. Danny is absolutely horrified and at the same time laughing so hard he goes intangible.

Results from the ‘Who is the tallest MDZS Character poll! Thank you all for voting!

miscellaneous danyal al ghul things

specifically about the danyal al ghul from my post/prompt here and i wanna get my misc. headcanons/thoughts on him (especially in his early stay with the fentons) out here before i make any other danyal al ghul aus

list under the cut because whoops this got longer than i expected. which really i should have expected

the Fentons are unaffiliated with the League, which was perfect for Danny faking his death.

he struggles with empathy. Empathy was not taught nor encouraged while he was with the League, so it's a skill that's been pretty stunted. At 15 he's better at empathizing with people, but he still struggles with it. He's pretty bad at reassuring/comforting people and usually acts as an emotional rubber duck for Sam and Tucker to vent to if need be. He sometimes offers blunt and sometimes mean opinions, especially if its about another person.

Sam and Tucker do not know he's an ex-assassin, they are however, pretty positive that he used to be part of an eco-fascist cult with a focus on martial arts?? They've been helping him tone down some of his more,,, extreme views on humanity ever since they caught wind of his more extreme ideologies.

He and Sam are still avid environmentalists and feed into each other quite a bit. They spend plenty of time at protests and pestering the school into more eco-friendly options.

Dash is not dead on the sole fact that Danny knew he had to lay low in Amity Park and killing someone was not, in fact, 'laying low'.

he did, however, traumatize him when Dash first tried to bully him. Safe to say, Danny is not bullied at school and neither are Sam and Tucker.

Danny didn't make any friends in his first year at Amity Park. He was surly, grumpy, standoffish, more stubborn than Sam, and pretty self-important about himself. Jazz was trying to teach him against these things, but she is a 12 year old unaffiliated with the League. Danny did not respect her nor listen to a word she said. It wasn't until like, year two that he finally started paying to mind what she was saying and slowly started to improve on himself

Sam approached him first, he rebuffed her quite harshly, and then Danny approached her sometime afterward when he overheard her talking about environmental rights. Sam completely ignored him though when he agreed with her, and Danny had to later learn that he needed to apologize for being rude to her when they first met. He did so eventually, and they started to talk more with Tucker and Sam.

Danny's a bit more reserved than he is in canon, although he steadily learns how to act as a regular teenager when he's out in public. He's a bit more friendlier at least, although when he's around Sam and Tucker he drops the act. He still has a somewhat formal way of talking, it's just become more casual after a lot of ribbing from Sam and Tucker. When he's angry or annoyed he starts talking poshly though.

His humor is relatively the same as in canon, if somehow dryer and more insulting at some points

Those rare moments where he gets really pissed usually ends up with him insulting someone in arabic or any of the other languages he picked up from the league. He is the go-to for Tucker's Spanish homework. (Tucker makes that mistake and learns that Danny is a very strict teacher)

while Danny doesn't view the Fentons as his parents, even five years after living with them, he does respect them to some amount. He respects them enough at least that when Vlad Masters comes sniffing around, he is suitably offended on both Maddie and Jack's behalf. And when he finds out Vlad was the one who tried to kill Jack and tried to tell him to renounce him as his father/parental guardian, danny threw a suitably sharp object at him and insulted him quite horrendously

Vlad still wants him as his kid. In fact perhaps even moreso after this.

Danny trains with Maddie to keep up with his training. It's not quite the same but it prevents him from getting completely rusty

Sam and Tucker know that Danny has a little brother, but nothing else beyond that other than Danny cares about him quite a lot and that he got his facial scar from keeping him safe.

Danny cares about Sam, Tucker, and Jazz quite a bit, but he struggles to convey it. Especially early on when he realized he cared about them and like instinct started being harsher to them and more critical of their actions. This resulted in quite a few arguments with Sam and Tucker and Jazz until he got sat down and told outright that the way he was treating them wasn't okay. It's a process he's still trying to unlearn even at 15. He has become kinder towards them as a result, and has begun looking for what they did right rather than what they did wrong.

He harbors a lot of guilt over how he treated Damian in the League, and its a pretty big conflict he has with himself since he's torn between telling himself it was for the best to make sure Damian survived the League, and feeling like crap over how harsh/critical of Damian he was and realizing that he probably could have come up with a better way of training him despite being a child himself at the time. Danny comes to the realization that more than anything, that he just wants to apologize.

His ghost form, specifically is outfit, is a combination of his hazmat suit and his uniform from the league, and he carries a sword with him. He also doesn't know how to react to Dani, honestly. Although it is fair to say that he figures out she's a clone instantly because of her whole 'I'm your third cousin once removed' thing and he freaks out. She spills the beans pretty quickly after that. And Danny is pretty skittish around her - or the equivalent of skittish. Her being younger than him kinda reminds him of Damian, so he's uncomfortable by her presence but learns to warm up to her.

Prompt: The reason why most of the Batfam are so bad at healthy communication is because most of them have briefly died/have been near death enough times to become dead-adjacent.

For years they’ve each been trying to share their thoughts and feelings telepathically, as ghosts do, but because they themselves aren’t ghosts, or at least with a healthy supply of ectoplasm, they can’t get any signals. As a result they each subconsciously feel like they’re being very clear with what they want and how they feel, but constantly feel ignored in return.

Through whatever series of events, Danny is adopted into the family. At first they think he’s just really good at reading people. Then they realize that it’s not just Danny who’s doing it.

(Danny’s just trying to be nice. It’s helping shed all his excess ectoplasm, after all, and also feeding these obviously hungry developing Liminals. The fact that it’s repairing their family as well just makes it the perfect gift to thank everyone.)

omega3

Danny may be a Ghost Baby who feels like an Anicent, but his friends don't.

SO, we all know the Ghost Baby Headcanon by now right? The idea that Danny is literally a Toddler by Ghost Standards, but because of how powerful he is everybody else believes that he is an Ancient or a God who is hogging the Mortal World to himself.

But what about his friends?

They were right there when the Portal opened. No Hazmat Suits, no Cover, no Protection from the Dimension of Pure Energy that had just been opened right in front of them.

That has to have some kind of Side Effects!

And actually, we do know of a Character who was just standing in front of a Portal when it opened and still got affected by it. Vlad.

While Danny was turned into a Halfa instantly, his friends would be more similar to Vlad in that they are slow to transform.

It takes weeks, but eventually they become mini-halfas themselves. Except they didn't have an entire Dimension of energy pushed into them upon fully forming, so their Ecto-Signatures actually feel like the babies they are supposed to be.

So imagine this from the Ghosts perspective.

They meet this guy called Phantom, a Halfa who is Extremely Powerful, but nobody has seen him in centuries. He was known as a very powerful Protector Spirit for millennia, randomly showing up across history, but always helping others. And then he just vanished one day, not seen again for centuries.

Until recently, when he showed in the Mortal World, stopping any other Ghost from fulfilling their Obsessions with Humans. And by his side are 2 smaller Halfa's that feel like they must have barely formed. You can see where this is going.

They think Sam and Tucker are Danny's children.

It makes sense! A Powerful Ancient, known for protecting people, suddenly disappears for centuries and then shows up again with 2 baby Halfa's in tow? That sounds like a Protector Spirit who lost his will to fight, decided to settled down in the Mortal Realm, and then found out that 2 baby Halfa's were formed when a Portal was opened!

He isn't selfishly holding the Mortal Realm to himself! He's protecting the Fledgling Haunt of his 2 Babies! They must still have living Family, that's why he is so adamant that they don't hurt the Civilains in their battles!

Now they just feel like assholes for attacking the Baby's dad when he was just trying to protect their stuff.

Danny finds this both extremely infuriating, and also agonizingly hilarious.

a batch of assorted ghost au stuff i found sitting in my files:

self-indulgent crossover with @indigorithmic's (friendly!! and chill) exorcist / private detective oc piper. imo in a world where ghosts and exorcists are a well-established Thing, the doctor would be pretty eager to seek out expertise that might know what's going on with him:

two sketches are from a variant on the ghost au where the doctor dies during series 3, comes back as a ghost with no memories (as usual), and is eventually accidentally found by martha, who was brought back to earth by emergency program 1 and started working freelance investigating alien sightings. i think while tracking down some sort of psychic trace she ends up building a machine that can pick up the ghost doctor's voice, but she still can't see him. and he still can't remember. yeah:

DP x DC: My Brother’s Ghost

So there are a bunch of fics where Danny and Damian are twins and Danny eventually has to go to Gotham or Damian/another bat interacts with Danny as ghost king. But I do you one better. Danny faked his death because of failing a mission/he actually died and his mother brought him back. (Or maybe he revived on his own after constant Lazarus exposure over time and knew he couldn’t go back). Anyways, Danny knew that he needed to go to Bruce Wayne in Gotham if he ever needed anything but only as a last resort as they would expect him to go there. So he’s been monitoring Bruce from afar and immediately knew when Damian joined the bats. He clocked him as the new Robin and started following his hero career more closely. He was content to watch his family from afar. Even after the accident. Then something happens where Robin was said to go missing and when no news showed up after a few days, Danny got worried so figured it couldn’t hurt to do a quick trip to Gotham.

He dresses in all black and a hood made using an old ninja Halloween costume. Not nearly as much protection as his old league uniform but with his ghost powers he doesn’t really need protection. Just anonymity. He goes to Gotham in phantom form, making sure all his white hair is carefully tucked in the black hood so only his green eyes remain. He uses his old assassin training and finds Robin drugged and captured in an old warehouse by the court of owls. Robin clearly isn’t thinking straight but Danny puts him in a simple choke hold to knock him unconscious anyways. Better safe than sorry. He quickly frees the boy and drops him off in an area he knows the other bats are searching. After watching to make sure Damian is safe and a bat finds him, he leaves.

Damian could barely remember his capture but he thought he saw a figure in black with glowing green eyes. He could have sworn the future was trying to kill him but…he woke up looking at another bat (or maybe even the manor). Did his family save him?

Meanwhile, Danny can’t stop thinking about Damian. Despite his assassin training, he was drugged and hurt. Danny thought he could handle himself. He thought he would be safe. But what if this happened again? What if the colony of bats wasn’t enough? So Danny couldn’t help the occasional visit to Gotham to make sure his twin was ok. Most of the time he didn’t do anything, just watched. Sometimes, though, there would be an instance where Damian got out of a dangerous situation and no one knew how. A building collapsed, Damian appeared unharmed outside. A goon was about to get a lucky shot? Somehow the bullet missed or the goon got taken out when no other bats were nearby. Fear gas? Damian faintly remembers warm hands hugging him as he struggled. And while he thought it was weird he heard his brother’s comforting voice when it should be a nightmare, he chalked it up to the fear gas anyways since there was no other explanation.

Yet every time there is a particularly dangerous encounter, he swears he sees the figure in black. Damian sees the figure more and more yet none of his family do. They swore to keep an eye out anyways in case. You never know. Sometimes the figure becomes more clear and Damian has tried to chase them but always loses them quickly. One time the chase lasted at least five minutes and Damian managed to corner the figure in an alleyway only for them to pass through the wall.

The bats suspect that this could either be meta abilities or magic. The funny thing is, there were no traces. No one sees the figure except Damian. No one hears them, and there’s is nothing to indicate their presence, not even footprints. It’s like they were never there and no matter how hard they try, there is no footage of the figure. Sometimes cameras glitch out and sometimes they only show Robin, sometimes neither or they seem to loop on themselves. So the bats are leaning towards Magic.

They call Constantine to give Damian a thorough check and he declares that Damian shows signs of interacting with a ghost. And that stumps everyone. A ghost? If it was a friendly specter like Deadman then he would help everyone, not just Damian. If it was hostile, it would never help Damian. So why is this ghost only focusing on the youngest bat and why? Is there even someone that would come back from the afterlife to help the demon brat, let alone have the will strong enough to manifest a ghost that can affect the living? Damian was a former assassin after all and he’s hardly the friendliest bat. So who would help him that has already died?

Throughout this, Damian is silent. Because there is one person he knows to have died that might do this. One person skilled enough to avoid the other bats and evade Damian during a chase. One person Damian would acknowledge as having a will stronger than his own. But something was wrong…because he was sure that that person didn’t have green eyes.

So the next time the figure shows himself Damian attacks. Not just a chase but an outright challenge. Hand to hand combat. And as Damian punches and kicks, the figure expertly parries each attack. And as the fight goes on, Damian watches. And he knows those moves. Those dodges. Those blocks. He can read this figure’s fighting stance like the back of his hand because he grew up with it.

And Damian knows without a shadow of a doubt as the figure disappears into he ground, that despite the changed eye color, the tan skin, the increased height, his brother’s ghost has come back to watch over him.

And for the first time in many years, Damian cries. That’s how the bats find him.

buffy the vampire slayer | 1x12 → 5x22

hellooo, i love ur stuff and i wannted to see u write about how Simon, Price, Alejandro, and Rudy handle having a wife who is very head strong and such? Like the type of woman who was very successful and has a sharp tongue. A very badass woman in general. Thx<33

Hello! Thank you! I tried on this request as well, but people like that genuinely scare me ^^; I wrote this with a very hot headed person in mind because I'm not quite sure I understand what headstrong means, even when I googled it! It's probably a bit extreme, the way I wrote reader and it probably usually isn't that bad, but I barely know anyone who's like this!

Price, Ghost, Alejandro and Rodolfo with a Headstrong!S/O

Price: There are a few things Price is used to due to his occupation: People taking his orders without ever questioning them, and people, smart assed as they are, questioning his every move. Some differences could be settled quite peacefully, during others, harsh words had to be exchanged in order for an agreement to come between them. So it definitely wouldn’t be the first time Price had ever met someone like you. However, he can get along just fine with someone like that. You’re his spouse, not some soldier, therefore he can bite back from time to time if he needs to. However, if you’re about to do something extremely stupid where you will end up hurt, he will try to stop you, no matter how much you protest and snarl at him. He loves you for your personality, but sometimes some risks do need to be taken into consideration. He would sometimes get fed up a bit with you, especially if you keep doing what you do without really considering the consequences or yourself. At some point, he’d probably just let you do whatever it is that you want to do. If things go well, he’ll congratulate you, maybe reward you too depending on whatever it was, but if things go sour he would have to bite back a “told you so” occasionally. But other than that, he can appreciate your sharp tongue, always biting back at the people who are trying to belittle you. It shows him that you’re not someone who needs to be taken care of at all times and that you can handle yourself when it comes down to it. Don’t sass him too much, though, since he will also sass you back. But if that’s what you like, then go right ahead. 

Ghost: If he wanted to, he could insult you in a way that could destroy your sense of worth, and sometimes, when you are being a bit more difficult, he considers saying something mean himself. He never does, though, since he doesn’t want to ruin what the two of you have. While you being harsh with others and not letting them walk all over you is something he can appreciate, he will sit you down from time to time and tell you to take it down a notch or two, especially if you’re being harsh towards him. Communication goes both ways, though, so you’re also more than welcome to give him a piece of your mind. As long as you’re both being adults about it, he won’t mind. Like Price, he lets you do your own thing for the most part, unless you’re doing something extraordinarily stupid. He will try to change your mind, knowing fully well it would be futile, in a gentle manner, but if you don’t listen to him then that’s on you. He did try to help you. As much as he’d sigh at your antics, he would help you clean up your messes. Ghost isn’t much of a talker himself, saying the bare minimum when something needs to be said, so sometimes he’ll simply lean back and let you do the talking. Especially if the other person is being an idiot. You have a way with words that makes him snicker from time to time, especially if you’re a small and petite thing. The surprise on the other person’s face is such a delight, he can’t help but love it every single time. And if you’re a rather big and scary person then he’ll wordlessly watch the other person scuttle away. It’s nice, not always having to talk to people. He can be mean too, but he usually just rolls his eyes and walks away.

Alejandro: Alejandro is a rather passionate man about many things, therefore you would often come to butt heads. He used to be far more fiery when he was younger, so these days it’s not as bad as it used to be, but your arguments might end up with both of you yelling. Alejandro can be extremely stubborn and, unless you have some good arguments, it’s not very easy to change his mind either. Unless you start insulting him first, he won’t yell any insults at you either. He would absolutely never get physical with you, no matter how scary he might seem, though. Even in his heated moments, he values you more than anything and anyone else. In your eyes, you’re both right, and that might just be something you’ll both want to work on if you want your relationship to last in the long run. He is more than willing to do so, though, as long as you put some effort into it as well. May god save whatever soul has decided to wrong both of you, however. He will give them a piece of his mind, and so will you, meaning that person has twice the amount of people to be scared of. One of the many reasons you would come to argue would be you trying to do something that might be dangerous, with him trying to convince you it’s a bad idea. He’s a colonel, so he’s used to people taking his orders without very many questions. While Alejandro may not expect you to be his poodle, he does want to see you safe and sound. Ultimately, he knows telling you to not do something won’t change anything, but he’ll try anyway. Your safety comes before all else. Unlike Price and Ghost, he will tell you “I told you so”. Even when he tells you all the reasons why you really shouldn’t have done what you did, he will still patch you up and use his power to make sure you can continue being as successful as you are. So, even while mad he’s a sweetheart about and to you.

Rodolfo: Considering he’s a quiet man, he won’t usually talk back when you have something to say. Instead, he’ll force all of his emotions down. Very rarely, he might snap at you because of it, however. Again, you’ll both have to talk it out with each other, with you having to learn how to bite back something as well. Rodolfo isn’t nearly as feisty as Alejandro, so he’ll usually let you do the talking. Think the “he asked for no pickles” meme except Rodolfo could make his opinion known, but it’s more impactful when you do it. He likes to see you successful and in high spirits, even if he sometimes would wish you would tone it down a bit. Some bad potatoes at the farmer’s market aren’t the end of the world. However, he’ll barely ever voice such a thing, simply turning away instead when you’re getting too heated. He knows trying to calm you down will only make things worse, so he’ll wait it out. Out of everyone, he’ll be the most patient as far as your personality goes. If you’re ever trying something risky, he’ll make you aware of the risks, even if you do end up snapping at him, but won’t stop you. Again, it’s futile. While he may have enough faith in you to know you likely won’t end up hurt, you’re a smart cookie after all, he will sigh if things don’t end up according to plan. You’re probably too proud to do so, but you’re always more than welcome to come to him for help if you need it, he won’t mind. In fact, he’d prefer that over you getting hurt. If you’re both buying things, though, then he’ll let you be the one to haggle, you’re the most effective haggler he knows. In fact, if he ever needs something that requires him to bargain with people for anything at all, he’ll let you do it. You’re scarier than him, on the outside, so he’ll either get what he wants at a good price, or the other person will have learned a lesson. It’s a win-win situation either way.

everyone say congratulations to the first time homeowners!

edit: i may or may not have been inspired to write some headcanons based on this, if you're interested

Ghost Blood

Bad things happen to good people

------------------------------------

The Justice League and the Justice League Dark had met to discuss something extremely important and confidential: the end of the world.

While this was something they faced on a weekly basis, this time it was different. It had started when the chaos lords found an ancient ritual to gain power, and multiple villains joined them to complete the requirements. Klarion, who had noticed that the spell was going to end the world sooner or later, informed the heroes.

The problem was that the spell was already underway, and it was a process that could not be stopped. They had a couple of hours left before all the known horrors in the universe would take an interest in Earth.

The Justice League Dark was overworked, all of them looked extremely exhausted. Even Deadman offered to help but there was little he could do. As they discussed how to proceed, Constantine grabbed an old spell book he was leafing through and angrily threw it to the ground, catching everyone's attention.

"Bloody hell" the Brit glared at the ground angrily "so fucking close".

His companions asked him what was going on, to which Constantine informed them that there was a solution to their current problem. Some sort of powerful cancelation spell that would solve their problems. He saw their hopeful faces and sighed, he supposed he should break their hopes sooner than later.

"We can't use it" the Hellbazer said wearily.

"Why not?" Wonder Woman looked at him frustrated "if it's the only option, surely we can-"

"We can't use it because one of the ingredients doesn't exist!" Constantine blurted out, furious. He had analyzed all the options and that was the only one that might work, but the essential ingredient was missing.

"The spell requires ghost blood" John commented after calming down, desperation could be heard in his voice "but ghosts don't have blood, their blood is ectoplasm, it's impossible!"

Deadman had suddenly gone silent.

"There would have to be a hybrid or something but clearly they don't exist, it's too unlikely."

The League, which had previously perked up at the possible solution, sank back in disappointment. Zatanna, however, noticed the ghost's reaction and watched him curiously.

"...What if it's possible?" Deadman's voice was heard in the silence. Constantine had made him visible to the others during the investigation but the ghost was not used to the attention.

"It's not, it's not possible to combine life and death, the balance would have been broken one way or another" Constantine denied.

"John, what if it's possible?" Deadman repeated "what if a hybrid exists?"

What if the hybrid is the balance?

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Constantine observed his friend. Ghost blood was a myth, mentioned in many books but never used.

"Don't get too excited" the ghost warned "there is a hybrid with that kind of blood but he's not-, he doesn't trust humans anymore, for a very good reason."

"However, he does exist" Wonder Woman said in disbelief "can you tell us more?"

Deadman looked around at the nearly destroyed dimension and begged the Ancients for forgiveness for what he was about to do.

"He was born by the Realms and for the Realms, he's a good boy" Deadman sighed, revealing the secret he was never supposed to mention "but as you well know, bad things happen to good people."

The ghost thought of the communique that had reached all the ghosts. On how the Ancients had taken in a child, how they had demanded that he needed to be left alone.

"It's not my place to say what happened" and he didn't have many details either, though gossip traveled fast "but he doesn't trust anyone beyond his guardians, he hates adults and he's scared of needles and other medical instruments, I don't think he'll be much help."

"We have to try, there's not much time left" Batman frowned. Something inside him stirred at the mention of an injured child "Can you tell us where he is?"

"The Infinite Realms" Constantine replied instantly, lighting a cigarette, his hands were shaking "But who are his guardians?"

"The Ancients" Deadman replied "and if you want their help, you really must come up with a plan."

It was obvious that only the Justice League Dark had understood the implications of all this, they were pale and looked scared. Even Dr. Fate and Marvel looked like the end of the world had been confirmed.

"I can take you there" the ghost said, nostalgic at the thought of visiting the dimension "time doesn't work the same there, so you won't spend much time even if it takes weeks to get close, but you can't all go, you'll scare him off"

"We'll go" Captain Marvel spoke up, overcoming his fear "if it's the only option, we'll go."

Little did they know that from the Infinite Realms the Master of Time was watching them with a raised eyebrow. The Ancient shook his head, knowing he should prepare for visitors before heading to the couch next to his screens. Danny was reclining there, sipping hot chocolate and bundled up in one of his cloaks.

The halfa greeted him looking relaxed but Clockwork wouldn't be fooled by that (he could still see the boy, his boy, with his chest wounded, crying for help), he reached over to stroke his protégé's hair affectionately, thinking of ways to get rid of his visitors. While Danny was likely to want to help, he couldn't care less about what happened to that dimension.