#damian is a serial adopter | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

remosdeerica · 8 months

Text

Summary: Jade has brought Lian to the only person she could think of to protect her now that Roy is dead: Damian al Ghul.

[Context: this is set in my AU where Damian has adopted a bunch of Villain's kids. The 11yr old mentioned is Zoe Lawton.

TW: there are allegations to postpartum depression and abortion but nothing explicit.]

"You can't be serious. Nguyen, this is insane."

"There is no one else. She is not safe with me."

Damian took a sharp breath through his nose in frustration as he stared Cheshire down. She looked ragged. Tired in a way he had never seen her before, though unless you had known her for as long as he had you would never be able to tell.

In her arms was a bundle. Small, wrapped in a pink fuzzy blanket. Damian knew what that bundle was, and as he had just stated, it was asinine for her to have brought it to him of all people.

"What about, Queen? If the child is truly Harper's like you claim her to be, would it not make more sense for her to be with her adopted Grandfather?" Damian tried to reason.

Jade gave him a hard look. "Do you truly wish me to entrust the safety of my only child to Oliver Queen?

Okay, Damian could at least concede that Queen being given access to an infant was a horrible idea. Especially so fresh after he and Canary have split for what he assumed was the umpteenth time.

"I just don't understand why you would bring her to me. I can not be your first choice."

"Of course not," Jade snapped. "My first choice is dead."

Damian could admit he felt a modicum of guilt at invoking the thought of Roy Harper's demise. Especially as he was seemingly to be given the privilege of being the first to meet his daughter, when by all rights it should have been him.

"You aren't even my second choice," she continued.

"Who was?"

"Jason."

"Todd?" Damian asked.

It would make sense, he supposed. From what he understood he, Harper and Jade had all had some form of… arrangement. Harper being the focal point. Damian had only witnessed Jason and Harper together once, but they had looked so disgustingly in love that he made sure to never have to be in the same room with them again, if he could help it.

Grimly, he thought that would no longer be a problem.

But the problem with Jason being her second choice is that shortly before Harper's death, he and Father had some falling out in regards to the Penguin and he went off grid. Damian wasn't even sure if he knew his lover was no longer living.

"Yes, Jason." She said, "but though hard as I try I can not find him."

Damian sighed. "I'm not surprised. When Todd wants to disappear he makes sure that even Father can't find him. But I still don't understand the logic of me being your third choice."

Jade laughed bitterly. "Do you not understand, Little Prince?"

Damian winced. She had not called him that since they had been in the League.

"You are not my third choice. You are my only choice. There is no one else. I have no one else to trust."

The pair shared a long look amidst the silence of the cold night air.

"The Justice League would help you, Jade." He said, softly. It was not often he showed others this kindness. But he knew deep in his bones the hysterical and bitter feeling of having no one to trust. No one to rely on. It was part of the reason he had gone about collecting his little band of misfits. So at least he could be someone to trust, even partly.

Jade scoffed as she tightened her arms around her daughter.

"Please," she spat. "Like they protected Roy? Or Jason? Or you?

Damian had to look away from her glare.

"The Justice League can not even protect their own children! I can not- will not- entrust them to protect mine."

"But why me?" He shouted, demanding to know what the woman was thinking. "I'm seventeen. I live with a handful of other teenagers and an eleven year old. We don't even stay in one place for more than a few weeks. Not to mention that said eleven year old is also being hunted because of her connection to her father. Your child will not be any safer from your enemies with me, Jade."

"Perhaps not. But she will be safe from me."

Damian felt a growing sense of unease as he saw a deep hollowness take over Jade's eyes. He didn't have to wait long for her to elevorate.

"Sometimes she just… cries. And cries and cries and one night I- I almost- I could have-" she took a shuddering breath. Damian had never seen her this shaken. " I thought I could do this. I thought I could love her enough to be what she needed. But I'm not… I'm not built for this. For the… softness that she needs. It's just not in me."

Damian felt his heart twinge as he watched a single tear trickle from her eye.

"I tried. We're she anyone's but his… I would have terminated. But I… I couldn't bear to bring myself to kill the last part of him that remained in this world. I tried for her, for Roy, but… I'm just not built to take care of anyone but myself."

Damian opened his mouth to say something. What, he didn't know. But he felt she deserves to hear something.

She, however, interrupted him.

"But you are," she said, her voice nearly more than a whisper. Then stronger, " I have known you since you were a boy. I have witnessed you in many parts of your life. And what you have always demonstrated, without ever giving it conscious thought, is your ability to care for those you consider under your protection. Those you consider your own."

"My brother's would very much disagree with you."

Her lips twitched upwards. "You are a good man, Damain al Ghul. You always have been. Even all those years ago. I know that you will guard my child with your life. And that you will take the life of others in her defense, should you find it necessary."

Damian felt his shoulders sag in defeat.

"I still don't think this is a good idea. What exactly is your plan?"

Knowing she had won, Jade drew her shoulders back.

"Find Jason," she said, authoritatively. "He is who she has left now."

"And if he won't take her? Or if… he can't?"

"Do whatever you have to do to keep her safe."

Damian sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. "I supposed that's all I really can do."

He lifted his arms towards her to take the child.

#serial adoption is hereditary AU #fanfic blurb #long ish post #damian wayne #jade nguyen #lian harper #fanfic

33 notes · View notes

wrongwiredmind · 2 years

Text

No sure if someone noticed, if it was done on purpose, or if I'm just bored and noticing patterns where there are none, but the batboys are literally following each other,

I'll elaborate my weird thought process, the first letter of the surname of the older is the (almost) the first letter of the first name of the younger,

Like Richard (Dick) Grayson followed by J(G)ason Todd,

Jason Todd is followed by Timothy (Tim) Drake

And Tim Drake followed by Damian Wayne

R G => J(G) T => T D => D W

If we continue on the same fashion, we could predict that the next kid's name will start with a W.

William (Billy) Batson, anyone?

#batboys #dick grayson #richard grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #billy batson #bruce wayne #bruce wayne is a good father #Bruce seriously adopts a lot #He's a serial adopter!!

147 notes · View notes

currant-owo · 1 year

Text

You know, the fake relationship cliché can have a completely wrong and flawed reason in the context of Batman.

Imagine that someone (hero, anti-hero, civilian or whatever) calls on one of the Batkids to enter into a feigned relationship with them in order to... Avoid adopting Batman/Bruce Wayne or both of them (in the form of one person or not - you decide).

Having secret identities gives you a lot of story options, both for which part of Serial Adopter™ will be after you, and who you're dating (Wayne's child or hero) and who you are (civilian or non-civilian) in all of this madness.

Bonus points if the character asked Damian to help and he agreed because "Father already has enough kids and doesn't need another one."

To be honest, dating him feels like heavy artillery. I don't think anyone would consider adoption now when your most reclusive child has stated that you can't adopt his romantic partner.

#Yes I still can't stop thinking about it #In fact Damian has more advantages besides maintaining the current number of family members #Dick and the others can no longer reproach him for his meager social circle and lack of any kind of romantic relationship #You can get rid of a noisy company/ family/another gala #under the pretext of a date and instead of enduring a crowd of not always pleasant people #endure one more acceptable person #Batfam #Batman #Serial Adopter Bruce Wayne #damian wayne #dc #my post

19 notes · View notes

thek1ngtalks · 2 years

Text

Levi sneaks into Wayne Manor because he heard from a friend that selling anything from that house is an easy grand. He hasn't eaten real food in a week so he may as well try.

He's not dogshit at stealth but this is a rich man's home and the security is fucking airtight. Levi manages to break in by pure fucking luck because some idiot left a gate unlocked and he thought fuck it, I'll walk right in.

So he's carefully hiding around corners and shit trying not to be seen. He shoves a few small but expensive looking things in his bag and finds himself in the fucking kitchen somehow.

Now Levi's not an idiot but it's a prime opportunity for some food and, again, he hasn't eaten in a week so he just walks over to the fridge and starts grabbing shit. One of the sandwiches has a sticky note on it with "the blood heir" and he has no clue what that means but it pisses him off enough that he just starts eating it. Hopefully they won't notice.

But it's just his fucking luck that Bruce fucking Wayne himself waltzes through the door, looking like hell froze over. Levi freezes, Bruce walks past him without a word.

He's still frozen when Bruce looks up. Immediately the man squints, looking Levi up and down slowly. Then he says "Damian's not gonna be happy you took his sandwhich. I thought we talked about this... Tim?."

Levi blinks. He mentally goes over his own appearance in his head, comparing it to the famous Wayne Enterprise CEO Tim Drake. They have very similar shades of black hair, blue eyes, and noses. Levi's shorter though, because malnutrition is a bitch, with a softer jaw, tanner skin, and not half as filled out. He nods anyways and Bruce just grunts before face planting onto the table.

And then he just manages to walk out the door because even when he passes Tim Drake himself, they hardly seem to see him, just grunting (in a very similar tone to Bruce) "out of the way demon brat" before faceplanting directly next to Bruce.

Levi does not think twice and just books it out of the house while he still can

(It quickly becomes apparent when his (also black hair and blue eyed) friend tries the next day, that the waynes will think you're one of them if they're tired enough. Never the butler, though he'll feed you anyway.)

#k1ng writes #this is a shitpost #shitpost #dc #batman #bruce wayne #damian wayne #tim drake #alfred pennyworth #dc batfam #bruce is a serial adopter #walk in and they will assume youve always been there #i wrote this because im bored insult it and ill make sure your bloodline ends with you

8 notes · View notes

oldmannapping · 9 months

Text

HC: The Batfam’s secret identities keep nearly being exposed through dumb mistakes, and citizens all over Gotham are constantly signing NDAs printed on ridiculously formal Bat insignia letterhead.

Tim: Used his Coffee Club rewards card for a free espresso as Red Robin, forgetting it was linked to his civilian identity because it was 3am and he was running on 42 hours without sleep.

Steph: Used her personal phone to tap-and-pay at Batburger with Cass. Bruce got pissy but she’s like, “Who accepts cash in a post-pandemic world, Mr Out Of Touch?” Used the experience to bargain a work phone out of Bruce.

Dick: Poses the exact same way in selfies with fans as both Nightwing and Dick Grayson. “What? Is it a crime to know my angles? I’m not apologising for having a good side!”

Damian: Constantly threatening people in League dialect as Robin and at school. It’s like a super niche language. People notice.

Jason: Grabbed one of his Red Hood jackets because it was cold and accidentally pulled out two grenades and a gun when asked for ID at the bar.

Duke: Straight up used his Signal powers to find something at the back of his locker at school. Like just lit up the hallway. “I thought I was alone!”

Cass: Took out cash from the ATM as a civilian for Batburgers with Steph, and paid as Black Bat. Someone at the bank traced the serial number of the bill and ATM surveillance footage. Batman declared that this wasn’t Cass’s fault and gave her another $50.

Alfred: Outsourced some of the superhero suit laundering to a professional company because he’s ONLY ONE MAN for god’s sake, and sometimes he needs an afternoon off.

Bruce: Literally just keeps adopting kids who look exactly like all the new crimefighters who help Batman. Has a massive public profile and just. Keeps syncing up families with Batman? People are like uhhh is he expecting us not to notice, or?

And all of them have accidentally posted to the wrong social media account at some point.

10K notes · View notes

artemismoorea03 · 9 months

Text

DP x DC: Original Serial Adopter

When Bruce adopted Dick Grayson the Media was in a frenzy. The billionaire and playboy adopting an orphan after some kind of freak circus accident? Nobody expected it to last more than a month. The media called this action an "Act of Charity".

Then a few years later he adopted Jason Todd. Jason was much more scrappy and after a while some media started calling him the "Wayne Stray".

When he took in Tim after Jason's "accident" they called Tim a rebound. But instead of a relationship Tim was just being used to fill the void that Jason left. The media eventually called him "Jason Todd's replacement."

The media got much more suspicious when Bruce adopted Cassandra and crossed lines with their speculations that resulted in a lot of lawsuits. Though nobody in Wayne's circles believed the rumors for a second, so rumors were wiped out pretty quickly. The least offensive of these things called Bruce a "Bleeding Heart" when the media saw the scars Cassandra had.

Stephanie was never officially adopted - at least legally - but anybody who saw her with the family knew that Bruce had adopted her as a daughter. Like Cassandra she got some negative comments but they learned after the first time. "Another Wayne Joins The Manor".

When Damian came into the picture the media exploded. Comments along the lines of "The Bastard Child" which made Bruce's blood boil but kept quiet. Damian had only known violence and aggression growing up, and while his mother loved him she had exposed him to a life he didn't need to see. Bruce wasn't about to make everything worse by loosing it on the media for being jackasses.

When he fostered Duke the media exploded again. Showing the ugly side of human ignorance but Bruce and Duke were both able to ignore it (while Tim and Oracle found ways to rip every person apart who dared make a comment against them).

Bruce didn't care what they said, because at the end of the day he had children who he loved with all of his heart and was learning to do the best for. Sure, he made plenty of mistakes but he tried to learn from his mistakes.

Though the rumor about Bruce being a "Serial Adopter" was one that would be one that would never leave him.

But he had to learn it from somewhere.

A fact that was ignored until Alfred showed up back to the manor after a shopping trip with a scrawny child walking hesitantly behind him, carrying some of the groceries'. He was prime "adoption bait". Underweight, messy black hair, blue eyes that were just a bit too blue, and bruises that were in view despite the kids best attempt to cover them with his hoodie.

A large hand print bruise around his neck, scraped knuckles, and a bruise peeking out from under his hairline might as well have been ink in the pen that Bruce was going to use to sign that kids adoption papers and sign the receipt for the shovel he would buy to bury the bastards responsible.

After the groceries were put away Alfred properly introduced the kid. His name was Danny and after a series of unfortunate events while Alfred was shopping Danny had been forced to jump in and help him. Bruce thought that maybe Alfred had been in danger and never called them but when it became clear that luck just wasn't on his side and that he was never in danger for anything despite being late it made Bruce even more concerned about the teen that currently was eating his third apple as though he had never eaten anything in his life.

He stayed small, stayed silent, looking around the room anxiously. He clearly kept tabs on every window. Every door. Every exit but hardly paid any attention to the valuables. He was scared but not a thief.

Finally they have to ask about Danny's injuries. Was he safe at home? Did he have a place to stay? Why was he so thin? Did he need them to call somebody.

Danny was quiet for a long time.

"I don't have a home to go to. The bruises are fine, I'm just clumsy. I don't need a place to stay. Thanks for the food and the hospitality but... I don't feel like being kidnapped and tortured by another millionaire so if Alfred doesn't need anything else I should go."

Danny tried to get up and move, the pain obvious but before anybody could say anything else Alfred simply said.

"Sit."

Danny hesitated, then sighed and sat down again.

"You promised you would allow me to treat you before you left. I am a man of my word so as soon as you finish your apple I will bandage your wounds and you will be free to leave if you wish."

Classic Alfred trap.

One that worked flawlessly.

Fresh bandages, a full stomach, warm clean clothes and a cup of hot chocolate on the comfortable couch in the living room was all it took to lull the injured teen to sleep.

Alfred continued this trend for three more days managing to trick Danny into helping him with minor tasks around the manor, offering him another meal because he 'made too much and didn't want to waste it' and countless other things.

It wasn't until day four when Danny seemed to accept his fate and allowed them to help him. Which prompted Cass to point at Alfred.

"Original Serial Adopter."

Making the entire table laugh while Danny just looked increasingly confused.

#dp x dc prompt #my prompts #dc x dp prompt

3K notes · View notes

theerurishipper · 25 days

Text

I feel like people really underestimate the importance of Dick being the first Robin. Like, reverse Robin AUs are interesting and such, but I just hope people realize that in the context of canon, they would never work. The reason Batman and Robin ever works is because the first Robin was Dick Grayson specifically. Because Bruce would never have taken in any child if Dick's tragedy hadn't specifically happened to mirror his own experience. Dick Grayson was the only one Bruce truly saw himself in first, because the fundamental event that defines them is the same. And he sees the opportunity to help someone the way he was never helped, to make sure that Dick didn't go down the dark path he did. So, my point here is that the only one Bruce actually made the choice to take in, the only one who could kickstart it all, is Dick Grayson, because he is the only one with whom Bruce could immediately empathize and connect with.

This never happened with any other Robin. He took in Jason because he missed Dick, he took in Tim because Tim forced himself into the role, he took in Steph because he was trying to make Tim come back to being Robin, and Dick made Damian Robin. Of course, he loved all of them, and they all have their unique relationships with Bruce that are very important and inform their characters, and he does need them too. But he specifically formed this connection with Dick that made Dick the only person he ever considered taking in. It took a very specific set of circumstances in Dick's backstory that made Bruce commit an impulse adoption that just isn't really present in any other Robin's story. And the reason Jason or Tim or Steph or Damian or anyone else whom Bruce has taken under his wing even got that chance is because of the work Dick Grayson put into Bruce Wayne.

Before Dick, Bruce was reckless and didn't care at all about himself, to the point of almost being borderline suicidal. He was more brutal, more violent, etc. The reason all this changed, is because of Dick Grayson specifically. He was the one with whom Bruce opened up, with whom Bruce was forced to grow up, to take responsibility and learn to take care of both Dick and himself. Dick, to Bruce was the one who brought "color to their [his and Alfred's] monochrome lives." Dick Grayson's specific brand of happiness and joy changed Bruce for the better. Dick gave Bruce hope. This is true for other Robins too, but only because they followed the precedent that Dick Grayson set, only because they slid into his role (they have their own interesting relationships with Bruce, but this specifically is from Dick that other Robins carried on. A legacy, if you will). Dick Grayson turned Bruce into the kind of man who would become a serial adopter.

Without his influence, without his precedent, there would be no Batfamily, because Bruce would never have gotten to the point where he would be able or willing to take in someone else and care for them properly (It took living through his trauma again to get him to take Dick in lmao). Hell, there would be no Batman because Bruce would have gotten himself killed a long time ago if Dick hadn't helped him learn self-care. Dick knows Bruce best, because he understands him on a fundamentally deeper level than anyone else in the world. And he's the only one who can make Bruce open up at his rawest, most downtrodden state. He is the only one who can give Bruce at his lowest that kind of hope. There is no Robin without Dick Grayson. It's literally a tribute to his parents, using their colors and the name his mother called him. He created that identity as a symbol of hope. He helped Bruce become the kind of man who could and would let other people that he had to care for into his life. Without Dick Grayson, you can simply forget about any other Robin or the Batfamily as a concept even existing.

431 notes · View notes

brucewaynehater101 · 19 days

Note

In your opinion how would have affected the family if Bruce hadn't return as soon maybe Tim didn't find the picture and Bruce come back by himself 2 or five years laters. Dick made such a huge impact in Damian's life in the short time they were together. How different would have been if they had spend more time together and how would the others come around. Dick wanted to adopt Damian in canon but never did it because Bruce came back and he was afraid of taking that role. Would he adopt him and would that change how Damian sees Jason and Tim? and the same for them. Do they see him as his brother or like his brother's son? Also, how would Bruce react to all of this changes. Would Dick return to bludhaven and if he did would he take Damian with him. Also, what changes would there be between Tim, Jason and Dick relationship in this scenario.

Dick would have definitely adopted Damian and good for them.

How Jason and Tim would treat Damian depends on what their relationship was like before Bruce died. If someone works off of the "Jason and Damian met in the League" idea, then they probably would still be brothers regardless of what their respective relationships are with Dick. Sometimes, family isn't always clear cut to have labels make sense. I personally consider my stepsiblings to be more like cousins than siblings.

Tim and Damian probably wouldn't see each other as family for a while. I've seen a few fics that address how their tension and fights lead to them not considering each other as brothers until they become closer. Laws don't dictate relationship statuses. Effort and communication do. After Damian gets Robin, Tim probably distanced himself from the family. If he doesn't find the portrait, he probably still moves out of the house and keeps low contact with the other Bats. Maybe he joins Cass for a bit. Maybe he takes over WE. I like to think that he either claims a section of the city like Jason does, or he does specialty cases (like rogues, serial killers, rings, etc.) instead of patrolling with the Bats.

Dick is overwhelmed with being Batman and with being Damian's parent. He'd eventually get the hang of things and then start to reach out to the other Bats again. It would take time, but they would probably get there.

Maybe Tim and Jason start getting along, or maybe Tim even takes Jason up on that offer to join him. Either that, or they mutually avoid/ignore each other unless they have to interact.

Now, Bruce in canon wouldn't have lasted too much longer in the timestream. However, in this AU, maybe he's just chilling on a beach in time, or maybe he just gets shot two years into the future.

When Bruce returns, that fucks up the established dynamics and the peace the family was slowly moving to. Dealer's choice on how Bruce reacts. If he's a good dad, he'll understand and try to navigate the new relationships. Bruce and Dick would share parenting. If he's a shit dad, he'd go nuclear and fuck Dick up.

If you want me to expand or anything, let me know!

#dc comics #tim drake #dc universe #jason todd #dick grayson #damian wayne #dc au #thank you for the ask!!!!

77 notes · View notes

thisiswhereikeepdcthings · 1 year

Note

Jason: Hey, B? Remember when I was nineteen and just starting to reconcile with the family?

Bruce: Yeah?

Jason: And I kept yelling about you somehow getting two kids while I was out of the picture, and you said you didnt get a say in it?

Bruce: I remember, yes.

Jason, with eight+ children super gluing themselves to him: I understand now.

Damian is sitting there watching this entire interaction and judging both of them so hard

Also he WILL be the best uncle, he’s going to make sure of it

#jason todd #bruce wayne #red hood #batman #damian wayne #batfam #bruce wayne and his serial adoption tendencies #Jason being the most similar to Bruce in this aspect

1K notes · View notes

serialadoptersbracket · 1 month

Text

Round 3, Match 1: Bruce Wayne vs. Pascal

Submitted kids:

Bruce Wayne: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian and Athanasia al Ghul, Cassandra Cain, Jarro, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon, Terry and Matthew McGinnis, Helena Wayne, Harper and Cullen Row, Duke Thomas (Arguments promised)

Pascal: Village children

Propaganda under the cut!

Bruce Wayne:

1. “Man can't deal with empty nest syndrome and cannot look past an orphan child without adopting them. He takes in Dick when Dick is 12 (he eventually does adopt Dick after Dick is already an adult), after being one of many people to witness Dick's parents die. After Dick went off to do his own thing he met Jason who was living on the streets after his Mom died. After Jason died, Tim shoved his way into Bruce's life saying that Bruce needed a partner in crime solving after Jason's death (Tim still had parents who were alive at this point, they did eventually die and was taken in by Bruce). Cassandra's circumstances I'm not fully clear on but she was raised by her bio dad to be a living weapon and she ran away (from my understanding at least) and Bruce took her in. Duke was taken in after his parents were hospitalized due to a Joker attack and were/are unlikely to recover. Bruce also mentors other children heroes including Barbara Gordon and Stephanie Brown, both are close to his kids and are sometimes seen as under his wing as well, but neither see him as a parent.”

Link to the rest here!

Pascal:

“not putting all of his lore here be of the pg-13 rule but he's this robot who is the sweetest guy imaginable, he is pretty smart cares a lot for his kids (again, cant get TOO into that but he is v/ protective of them) and also is a pacifist who rlly just peace between the androids & machines even tho thats pretty fucking difficult (he even is an ally to the android resistance and trades w/ them frequently!)

from his unit data (because im Bad at describing things lol):

‘A pacifist machine lifeform that despises conflict and strives endlessly for peace with humanity.

This unit possesses incredible intelligence, as well as a deep interest in the history of both humans and machines.’”

#bruce wayne #batman #nier automata #nier pascal #dc comics #nier #batfam #batdad #drakenier #serial adopters bracket #round 3 #tumblr polls #tumblr tournament

75 notes · View notes

phantom-0-writer · 8 months

Text

table of contents

regular boy: daniel wayne (ao3)

baby swap au

danny is bruce's bio-kid

ghost-king danny au

nightwing the cosplayer

what even is ur life danny

prompt 01: gotham academy's mentorship program

danny and damian turned danny and batfam

crack taken seriously

but also kinda fluffy

danny gets assigned to be damian's mentor at school

scene 1: damian's not-so-very-bad day scene 2: tim's arch nemesis scene 3: get in loser, we're going shopping scene 4: after school activities for normal kids scene 5: to win a war, fight the battles

prompt 2: tim's birthday present

tim and danny adopted siblings pre-batfam

dimensional shenanigans

the case of the serial killer (3729 words)

dick and danny

mystery

one- shot

second chances don't come for free (7652 words)

demon twins au / demon siblings au

one-shot (?)

prompt 3: angry colors

biodad dick

empath danny

5 times jason was terrified to be a dad and 1 time he thought he might be okay (ao3 link)

biodad jason

halfa danny

5+1

operation mousetrap (9207 words) (ao3 link)

cadmus project danny

dick bio-brother

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

my asks are open ;) my ao3: diamond_rozie

388 notes · View notes

ailithnight · 1 year

Text

After this chapter, I will no longer be doing a taglist. Sorry folks, there's just too many of y'all and I'm on mobile. Please subscribe on AO3 for updates, or follow the tag A King in Arkham.

A King in Arkham

Chapter 4

AO3 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Danny. I understand you don't want to go with your godfather. Is there a reason for that?

Can't go with Vlad!

If you know something we don't about him, you need to tell us. Otherwise he will win custody.

It's.. He'll.. he'll make me.. turn me.. his fault!

What's his fault, Danny?

His fault. All his. All.. My.. no, my fault. It's all my fault...

Danny?

IT'S MY FAULT! I KILLED THEM! ALL DEAD! Because of me...

Now Danny, I'm sure that's not true. What happened at the Nasty Burger-

I made it happen.

Corporate negligence-

He knew. I knew. Dan knew what would happen. Dan made it happen. He knew the sauce was gonna blow. He knew Lancer would arrange the meeting there. He cheated. He lured them there. He bound them up so they couldn't escape and ran the time out until they exploded! Dan did that and Dan was me, so I did that.

Daniel...?

I murdered them. I murdered everyone.

Da-

IT'S ALL MY FAU- *static*

Tim started talking after the audio cut to static.

"What you just heard is the last, partially recovered therapy session of Danny's in Chicago. The cameras were beyond salvaging. No one except Danny knows what happened after the audio cuts. What is known is that nearby witnesses heard what they claim sounded like a 'screaming moan' coming from the therapy room. When doctors and staff went to check; the therapist Mrs. Alders was slumped against the wall, appearing to have been forcefully pushed, with minor head trauma. Danny was curled up on the other side of the room, panicking and muttering about a Dan.

While Mrs. Alders mostly recovered from the incident, she does not know how she ended up slammed against the wall. Once this audio was recovered, it was turned over to the police. Given the severity of the... confession... in conjunction with the apparent assault, the courts decided to move Danny to an asylum for the criminally insane." Tim paused in the debrief, letting the information sink in. After a moment, Duke raised his hand. Jason scoffed at the action.

"This ain't kindergarten kid, say your bit."

"I just, that explains why an asylum in general. But why Arkham?" Tim nodded, pulling up a picture of a document.

"Kid's godfather, business tycoon and multimillionaire, Vlad Masters. Insisted that if his godson should have to go to an asylum, he'll go to the- and I quote- 'Best in the country.' Made a deal with the state that he'll foot the bill while he continues fighting for custody. Apparently didn't do his research enough to know that 'Best Known' and 'Best' are not the same." Bruce had the next question.

"So, Master's doesn't have custody yet?"

"Nope." Tim popped his 'p', pulling up more documents. Investigative reports. "Given Danny's reactions to him, CPS started investigating. Found a lot of shady shit. Narcissism, anger issues, control issues, coercion tactics.

One agent said he tried to bribe her with a rather large sum of money, which she might have taken if she wasn't well enough off from a family inheritance and mostly doing this work for the kids. Of course, same agent also said he had 'Rancid vibes' and 'tried to posses' her, but her 'Grammy's necklace protected her' so her credibility was deemed iffy.

Still, there's enough there that it's unlikely Masters will be able to gain custody any time soon. So if Gotham's favorite serial adopter with a good track record for helping troubled kids, Brucie Wayne, were to step in..." Tim's smirk is infectious and makes its way around the table. Bruce's lips twitch ver briefly into a fond smile, before dropping back into a frown.

"What do you make of the... confession?" Jason doesn't even try to hold in his groan.

"Seriously, B? It was survivor's guilt or some kind of psychotic episode or something." Damian frowns.

"I would not discredit him so quickly, Hood. After all, his ghosts are real apparently."

"Hnn." Bruce gets that look on his face. The almost constipated frown that means he is going to have to do something unpleasant like host a gala or attend a business meeting or, "I will have to call Constantine to verify what the entity we are dealing with is."

Jason lets out a gleeful snort. "Have fun with that one, B. In the mean time can I go break our kid out yet or what?"

"Actually, Hood," Jason turns a glare on Tim, who is once again holding his hands up placatingly. "That still leaves us with the issue of making him an escapee and you an accomplice."

"Well fuckin Brucie Wayne can't exactly just walk up to Arkham and ask if they've got any blue eyed black haired boys for him to adopt."

"Not exactly what I'm suggesting here." Batman sighs.

"What are you suggesting." Tim pulls out a case he had tucked under the desk, a truly devious smirk painted across his face.

"Just a little temporary theft. Only long enough to put the kid's face on the news for Brucie to stumble across." He opens the case, sliding it over to Jason. Inside, a replica of a relic from Tim's own past; resized to fit his bigger, broader brother. "You remember Red X, don't you?"

The green that had been tinting Jason's vision the whole meeting finally subsides, giving way to wicked mirth.

"Oh, hell yes."

Batman sighs.

"You don't get it do you? I'm still here. I still exist. That means you still turn into me."

Another night, another nightmare of a memory jolting Danny back into the waking world. His chest is tight, a high whine suppressing itself in the back of his throat. Danny's eyes dart around his room, searching for the shadowy void of his most frequent visitor. But Spectra isn't there tonight. She hasn't come back since she was seen by Banana Bat.

It's strange. Danny had gotten used to waking up with her there, towering over him, shadowy clawed hand resting somewhere on his body as she feasted on his misery. He didn't mind, really. He had plenty to give and she didn't even rough him up too bad. Just enough to keep the psyches concerned. The last 3 days without her presence had been... not lonely. Danny was already lonely. But emptier. Like the one good thing his continued existence was doing for someone had been ripped away.

Truly, Danny felt he had nothing left in this world. Nothing to give, nothing to gain. But he couldn't die. Couldn't unleash full ghost Phantom on the world again. That's what created Dan. No, this was what he had to give. All he had to give. To stay human so that Dan never becomes ghost. To live, as the least burden he could be, so that Dan never died.

Clockwork must have known what would happen if Danny fully died. That must be why he spared him. The Observants sentenced Danny to death. But Clockwork was smarter. He sentenced Danny to life. And really, it's such a small price to pay for the sins of his other self.

Despite what the others say, Arkham isn't hell. The only issue Danny's had was the clown and that's not really anyone's fault. It's just, Danny looked at the Joker and he saw Freakshow. And he saw that stupid staff. And he heard that grating laugh. And all he could think about was how that was the only thing that could still turn him into Dan. If the clown took control again. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't! Not becoming a Dan, not becoming a problem; that's all he could do now! He couldn't he couldn't he couldn't...

Danny was broken out of his spiraling thoughts by the now familiar buzzing echoing clanging sound of another break out. He closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. Then, suddenly, he was lifted up, hoisted onto someone's shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"Damn kid, do you weigh anything?"

Danny's eyes flew open, his body subconsciously tensed for a fight Danny wouldn't actually fight. The voice, clearly modulated, sounded high and breezy. His head turned to look at the person now forcefully evicting him from his room. Black body suit. White mask. Red slashes in a stylized X. Built like his Dad... Danny had no idea who this was.

For a moment, Danny felt a twinge of fear. He had no idea who this was. They obviously weren't with Arkham. They had just stolen him from his room and, holy shit they were flying now. No. Not flying, grappling. And running. Moving very fast towards the exit. With Danny. For unknown reasons.

Holy shit, someone was kidnapping a teenager from an insane asylum. That, probably wasn't good. Any normal or sane person would be scared for their health and wellbeing. But, well... Danny was hardly normal. And sane was becoming increasingly questionable.

And this guy, well he didn't trigger Danny's ghost sense. No chilly breath escaping his mouth. So he was human, not a ghost. It's not like a human could kill Danny. Not with his ghostly healing factor. Sure, they could make his life a living hell. Beat him, violate him, enslave him. But a human couldn't turn him into Dan so... Danny doesn't think he really cares.

"Um, why are you carrying me?"

"Taking you out of here."

"Clearly, I meant why?"

"Owe someone a favor." That was mildly concerning. Danny could think of one person who would stoop to this.

"Did Vlad send you?"

"Master's? Nope. He couldn't afford my services."

"Oh. Okay." As long as it wasn't Vlad. They were almost to the main gate now. There was screaming behind them, now. Danny loomed behind them as the person grappled up the wall and vaulted them over. Danny caught the barest glimpse of the twink in a burlap sack mask striding out the door, leaving a noxious cloud in his wake.

Then they're gone, grappling to then moving across rooftops. It's not a bad feeling. Kinda fun even. Flying as a ghost was nice. Really nice. But different from this. Gravity literally didn't touch you if you didn't want it too. But this? Danny could feel the pull of the earth, the force of every swing. Gravity was still there, exerting its influence, but they were defying it.

For a tiny moment, Danny felt the ghost of a smile on his lips. The good feeling was fleeting, like all his feelings these days. But it was there and it was enough to shock a small "Oh." from Danny.

"Oh what, runt?"

"Nothing, just. Never grappled before. S'nice."

"Oh." It was such a soft thing, Danny once more found himself pondering the intentions of his kidnapper.

"Do I get to know where we're going?"

"Safe house for the night. I'm your baby sitter."

"And tomorrow?"

"We'll see."

"...Okay."

The next morning, Vicki Vale stumbles across the story of her career (so far) sitting dazed and confused in her office. A prepubescent boy in an oversized Arkham uniform? The day after a breakout where Scarecrow and only one other inmate escaped? Oh this is bound to sell.

Okay, I know the show pretty heavily implies that Teen Titans Robin us Dick.

But

What if it was Tim?

#A King in Arkham #DP x DC #my writing #will taglist later #bedtime

473 notes · View notes