The Ghost King's Son

Tim wakes up in a hotel room in Vegas snuggled against a chest but he wasn't surprised.

He had been in the Sin City for a WE meeting and had brought Bernard along the trip since Tim's birthday was just shy a few days into it and well he wanted to spend time with his boyfriend since most of his family were off world (Dick, Jason, and Bruce all had important missions and they all apologized for missing out and Tim couldn't blame them he understood and he himself couldn't get out of the Vegas meetings no matter what he tried to do.) Or couldn't come to join him (Damian had school as did Duke and Alfred was taking care of them while the others were gone. Steph and Cass were out of country working with some important things with Babs and again he understood.) (Did it still sting yes but they all promised to make it up when they got back, Alfred even promised a coffee cake just for him)

So yeah, Vegas meeting trip turned somewhat birthday fun with his boyfriend. And since Bernard has always been good with encouraging Tim to try things it came to no surprise that during their stay he had managed to convince Tim to try drinking for the night.

Yes terrible influence Bernard was sometimes, but he did make a point. Tim was an adult now and sometimes it's okay to at least try adult dumb stuff, he didn't have to like it and could stop if he really didnt want to but he can at least say he tried it once. That it was okay for Tim to let go of his vigilante brain and just have fun in the one city that was made for it.

So try Tim did. Just for the night.

So yeah, Tim wasn't really surprised when he woke up the next morning, alcohol aftertaste on his breath, head pounding, nose scrunched up from the light of the sun peeking in from the curtains, and snuggling himself into a rather chilly chest...

Wait...

Chilly?

Tim opened his eyes when he realized that. Bernard never felt cold to Tim when they would snuggle, no he was always warm, like a warm heating blanket. It was why Tim loved snuggling him. Why was he-

Tim's eyes widened when he saw not blonde hair on the body in the bed with him but black hair. He almost flung himself off the bed from him startling awake and watched the one he had been snuggled next to mumble in his sleep and turn over.

Tim felt pure dread as he continued to stare, his stomach turning as his thoughts got bad, oh god..God... did he... oh no, no, no no. Oh where was Bernard- FUCK did he really-

Tim flinched when he heard a door open and snapped his eyes towards it. He felt his mouth go dry when he spotted his boyfriend coming out of what was the bathroom of the room and had just finished taking a shower from the sounds of left over dripping water and from the towel he was using to clean his hair.

Benard stopped in his spot when he noticed Tim staring at him before he gave Tim a very uneasy chuckle, his eyes darting towards the sleeping body on the bed "H-Hey, good morning T. I see you... uhh seen our guest."

Tim felt ready to cry, to beg for forgiveness, but the only sound that came out was a strangled sound because of course he fucked up and ruined one of the best things that ever happened to him and-

But before he could spiral further into his anxiety and dread Benard kept speaking.

"So ummm. Do you also remember meeting Danny at the bar, getting really tipsy, hanging out, having fun and then like going to a ghost bar with him so he could really drunk because he's like half ghost. And I mean like a legit ghost bar, like we saw Elvis and Marilyn Monroe there and they were like floating. Then we all got like super mega drunk and then... maybe kinda sorta got ghost married... because ghost marriage allows unlimited spouses cause you know, already dead doesn't matter and it's also almost permanent cause again the whole dead thing... Or did I hallucinate all that last night and we just brought in a random stranger to bed?" He asked his voice unsure as he looked between Tim and the stranger Danny in bed before lifting his hand up and showing Tim a glowing ring on it. "I'm pretty sure I didn't dream it up because I kinda woke up with this, and it refuses to come off."

Tim went silent for a moment, wide eyed as he stared back at Bernard before the pounding headache he had hit him harder than ever when the very memories of everything Bernard had said came flooding back to him. With a gasp Tim quickly looked st his own hand and sure enough on his finger was a matching glowing wedding band on it, his eyes snapped towards Danny... Danny Nightingale? Or was it Phantom? said his name was and spotted another matching one as well.

"B is going to kill us." Was the only thing Tim could muster up to say.

Prompts 228

"Dad."

"I am not your father, ghostling- and you cannot attempt to use that to take my sword."

"… Mom!"

"Oh Realms help me, No-"

“I can’t believe you’re squatting in an occupied house, Danny. That’s… actually isn’t that also breaking and entering? That’s a crime, isn’t it?”

“One, at least I don’t have to pay rent and/or utilities. Two, Tim let me stay. And three, I’m a vigilante. Breaking and entering is like the basics of being one. Also, they’re paying me now. This is a legit job now!”

Jazz sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Whatever, dumbass. Where is Tim, anyways?”

“He’s in bed.”

“Really?” Jazz raised an eyebrow and rested a hand on her hip. “Then what’s that?”

Danny whirled around, making eye contact with a frozen Tim.

“Ahah-”

Danny groaned, cutting Tim’s awkward laughter and no-doubt bullshit excuse.

“Kid, Tim, we talked about this.”

“It’s for the aesthetics!” Tim protested, the argument well worn, but obligingly stepping away from the window sill.

Danny shot Jazz a disgruntled look when she muttered, “Well, doesn’t that sound familiar.”

“It’s a school night, Tim.” Danny crossed the room, ushering Tim away from the door. The halfa could probably put down professional babysitter on his resume. If he could handle Tim “climb out of windows” Drake and Tim “sleeps in hard to reach places” Drake in the same day, he could handle anything.

Tim puffed up, like a disgruntled kitten. “Robin gets to go out on a school night! And he’s my age! Kinda! And at least I’m not fighting criminals!”

Again, this is an argument they’ve had multiple times.

“Not for a lack of trying,” Danny muttered, rolling his eyes when Jazz snickered. He made the mistake of looking down at Tim’s convincing little sad kitten act and sighed. “Alright, alright. We get two hours of batwatching, then you go to sleep.”

“Deal!” Tim cheered. Jazz grinned, mouthing ‘weak’ at Danny, who promptly made like his high school self and ignored her.

“Go get your jacket. And some thicker socks, you’re gonna freezing out there.”

“Okay!!”

When Tim was out of earshot, excitedly thundering down the lavish hallway, Jazz tilted her head back and laughed.

“Oh, shut up.”

“How the tables have tabled, huh, Danny?” Jazz snickered.

“You think you got jokes,” Danny pointed at her with a new mug of coffee. “Laugh it up, but don’t forget that you’re his older sister now too.”

Jazz paled. “Oh, shit.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Now you gotta deal with two of us!”

“Two of who?” Tim returned, bundled up in a fancy puffy jacket. Jazz cooed at him, kneeling down to zip his jacket up. Danny, echoing her, magically grabbed a scarf and wrapped around Tim.

“Us, her little brothers. Unfortunately, you’re now our little brother and that means Jazz is gonna mother you like you’re a baby duck.”

Danny ducked the half hearted smack Jazz sent his way, grinning at Tim. The kid had a self conscious smile on his face, bashful at the unprecedented (for him) attention and affection. Danny’s smile tightened when Tim looked at Jazz for confirmation (which she gave). If it weren’t for the fact that Tim loved his parents, Danny would have spirited (hah!) the kid away. He’s like a textbook case of neglect. It’s why he keeps trying to sneak out in ways that’ll easily get him caught. He’s trying to test if Danny would get mad and leave-

“Oh my god. I’m turning into you, Jazz.” Danny said, horrified.

“What?” Jazz narrowed her eyes once the statement sunk in. “What’s wrong with being more like me? I can actually process my emotions in a timely manner, thanks.”

Danny, stuck in the horror of understanding someone’s motivations and processing some of his own trauma, shuddered.

Danny picked up Tim and swung him onto his shoulders. “C’mon, Timmy. Let’s get out of here before Jazz gives us germs.”

“Oh, that’s real rich coming from the greasiest vigilante this side of the river.”

“Not true! Green Arrow’s greasier!”

“Eh, he doesn’t count. He’s in Oregon or something, right?”

“Who cares? I wanna see Robin!” Tim wriggled, placing his heavy ass camera on Danny’s head. “He’s a new Robin! The first one moved to Blüdhaven!”

“To be a cop, right?” Danny asked.

“Yeah. It’s… not great. And kinda ironic.”

“ACAB.”

——

Batman snuck closer to the glowing green figure that was glancing around the rooftops. He’s glad he sent Robin home hours ago, because variables in Gotham tended to be dangerous.

He dropped to a crouch behind the figure, who turned around as soon as he did, looking unsurprised. The being had enhanced hearing then, if not enhanced everything else.

“There you are!” The being scowled at him, but Bruce couldn’t detect any actual hostility. Only weariness. “I’ve been looking for you for ages.”

Nevertheless, he hadn’t survived this long by being careless.

“What is your business in Gotham?” He deepened his voice, adding enough gravel to sound mildly threatening.

The being shook their head, white hair unnaturally waving in the air. Like it was under water.

“I live here. I have a bone to pick with you.” Batman loosened his stance, readying to move.

“Can you keep Robin in on school nights?! If you can’t, can’t you make him go home sooner? My kid brother keeps trying to sneak out of the house to imitate Robin and it’s killing me! Do you know how many times I’ve had to stop him from climbing out of the window? We live on the third floor, man!”

A frazzled older brother. Batman-Bruce grimaced. He couldn’t stop Jason anymore than this being could. Also, “You live here?”

The being scowled, looking defensive. “Why, I can’t? Are you being discriminatory? Because I refuse to take shit from a grown man in a bat-sona.”

“…A bat-what?”

The being sighed. “Nevermind. Yes. I live here. My name is Phantom.”

“Don’t cause any trouble.” Batman warned before hesitating. The being was young, that was clear. He kind of reminded Bruce of Dick, and it made Batman’s tone soften. “And I will try. Robin is resolute.”

Phantom dropped his glowing face into his hands, a move Bruce often wanted to mirror.

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

——

Sorry guys I really like tired babysitter brother Danny and unnecessarily jumping out of windows Tim. This is before Tim decided to be a vigilante. This is after Dick moves out.

Bats on the road

Clark: Bruce that's illegal!

Bruce: there's no one else on the road, what do you want?

Hal: how is it that he doesn't have powers and yet drive like a suicidal maniac!

Oliver: Well bold of you to assume he's not a suicidal maniac.

Diana: that was reassuring.

Donna: oh for the love of gods, Grayson, stop that!

Dick *sprawled over 3 different titans eating the batburger and making a mess*: stop what?

Titans: Ughhhh...

Dinah: i'm gonna puke. If you don't stop this,i'm gonna puke right on your lap and i won't even apologise because it'll be your fault.

Barbara:

Barbara: you know what? Fuck you too. And i can puke on call, so don't think i won't get back.

Barbara: *speeds up on a switchback*

Jason: you stupid bitch, don't you see we have right of way?!?!

---

Jason: we're on a fucking highway! Stop driving like you're next to a kindergarden, you fucker!

---

Jason: what a dick! We should just hit him. This baby can take that!

Artemis: SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Roy: i hate to do that, but I agree with her

Tim: oh my god it's a... (insert a rant about a very specific model of a car that Tim dreamed of having as a 13 years old)

Bart: ...what?

Cassie: yeah, i have no idea what's going on too, buddy...

Tim, who is not Robin, but still feral

Okay, let's say Tim's parents decide that even if their child doesn't need a nanny, they want someone to check on their son's well-being. So Tim is required to go to the doctor once a week. And after he tried to bribe his first one to just tell his parents everything was fine. Janette decided it would be someone else each time.

Tim gets a car once a week that picks him up to see a doctor he doesn't know.

That way he doesn't have time to search for dirt, and he can't bribe anyone, since everyone drinks his mother more than him.

So after Nightwing turned Tim down (Dick later claimed the boy was black-haired and blue-eyed, but since he was often hallucinating Jason at the time, even he wasn't sure). The guy realized he couldn't go to Batman and insist on being Robin. The first fracture (which is 100% likely to happen in the early days of jumping on roofs and kicking angry adults) and the doctor would hand him over to his parents.

So Tim came up with a Plan.

Batman was angry, for a month now someone, every patrol, has been standing up for criminals. If he's lucky, he manages to land 5 hits (dude, your 1 hit can put a person in the hospital, Tim just has short legs, he still needs to run to the edge of the necessary roof) when someone distracts him.

Last time, they poured a bucket of paint on his head, it became almost impossible to see through the mask. Another time, they shot paintballs at his head until he left.

There was another memorable incident when something small landed on his head, and the next moment he was attacked by bats.

But today he finally cornered the attacker, it was a child whose face was hidden behind a mask that completely covered his face, and his hair was hidden behind a hood. He slowly approached the boy, he needed to find out who he worked for. Who decided that they had the right to interfere with him punishing criminals.

Only when Batman grabbed the attacker by the shoulder he felt dizzy and then everything around him went dark. Tim quietly patted himself on the head for the backup plan of the backup plan.

After waking up, Batman did not feel calmer, on the contrary, this meeting ignited even more rage in him.

How dare this child run around Gotham so carefree when his son was killed, how dare he protect criminals when one of them killed his son, how dare he..

That day, a file on a new criminal with high priority appeared on the Batcomputer, Alfred only reproachfully pursed his lips.

By the time Red Hood escaped from Talia (Yes, he escaped here, I don't know for sure, but I think Talia was pitting Jason against Tim to ensure her son had direct access to Bruce's legacy). Batman and Tim's confrontations became legendary.

Tim even had his own name and merchandise! Several names, actually, he was called Gotham's Whisperer, the Soul of Shadow, or Little Shadow. And in various Gotham stores you could find little figurines of him with various weapons that he demonstrated during this time.

Nightwing adored the little guy, although he had never met him in person. In fact, no one except Bruce had ever encountered the kid. And although Oracle never officially supported the boy, she never warned Batman if she saw a small dark silhouette through the cameras. Although Dick really wanted to know where the kid got the sniper rifle with tranquilizers, or how he hacked the Batmobile to put a sleeping Bruce in it and send him to the Cave, or how he got so many incriminating photos of Batman that he scattered all over the city when Batman didn't take one of his threats seriously.

Simply put, Nightwing was a fan, and had wanted the kid's autograph ever since the kid evacuated an entire alley, including Bruce, by playing the sound of a pack of rabid dogs approaching.

Batman, though he had passed the peak of his rage, still made Gotham afraid if he was spotted trolling alone.

Red Hood was furious, not only did his father not have the courage to avenge him, but he also dared to splash out his aggression on anyone who was not breathing smoothly on HIS Alley of Crime.

Does any horror story about small towns capture the vibe more horrifyingly than this paragraph on Wikipedia

This small farming community is known for its mob killing, its unsolved murders, its unsolved disappearances, and the annual pumpkin festival

Secret Boyfriend

Jason met his boyfriend in a rather peculiar way: he was doing his usual rounds, disposing of the dregs of society with a couple of bullets and offering shelter to hapless victims when one of his victims began to...revive?

The easiest way to put it was that the bastard turned glowing green, and Jason had collaborated enough times with Justice League Dark to know that something supernatural was coming.

Before the whole process was complete, however, another portal opened and out stepped a pretty pissed off guy. The spirit that had just been born was intimidated by the new spirit and Jason could only watch dumbfounded as the twink destroyed the former serial killer with scathing words and scolding.

He was instantly smitten and began flirting with the rabid spirit. It wasn't long before Danny reciprocated his flirtations and well, Jason could tell it was the best thing that had happened to him all year.

On the other hand, the Batfamily was worried about Jason's constant disappearances and his sudden calmness. Fearing the worst (and seeing that they couldn't leave a matter unresolved) they decided to investigate, much to the chagrin of the Crime Lord who responded to their interrogations with deflections and continued to hide his boyfriend as best he could.

Danny thought it was a fun game and just went along with it. Tim was stressed and wanted to get it all over with.

DPxDC #25

Part 1

Part 2

Whisper and Numbers have been living in an abandoned building in Crime Alley. Since Red Hood vouched for Numbers to the leader of the kids' gang, Pebble, many Crime Alley kids also live there. The duo stays out of gangs. It has become an open secret to the kids that the duo are some kind of Meta as they seem to know everything. But the streets will keep their secrets.

Many nights Numbers will tell stories to the kids. It started when Whispers asked to hear about the Evil Dragon Aragon and his sister Princess Dorathea. All the kids were enthralled to hear about it even the older kids listened. Even if they looked like they weren't. Numbers told edited stories about his prior heroism/vigilantism to the kids. He even shared stories told to him by the spirits. Little things about Gotham's history.

Some of the stories come from Whisper herself. Stories about Gothams' Bats and Birds are the kids' favorite. The kids believe they are fake and/or exaggerated. None of the stories are fake. Whisper has been told stories of the vigilantes since before she could understand the songs of the wind. She is happy that the stories she knows are being shared, thanks to Numbers.

The best story of the bats and birds is the one of the Second Robin who stole the tires off the Batmobile. And hitting Batman with a tire iron. The kids had such a good laugh hearing about it. Some of the more risk-taker kids took this as a challenge to try and steal tires off the assortment of bat vehicles.

The bats and birds have been going through it recently. Alarms keep going off on all their vehicles. Street kids have been seen running off right when they get there. Red Robin was the unfortunate soul who when he went to patrol, after finally getting sleep (after 72 hours awake), came to see his bike tires gone.

Whisper had known right away when the kids, Stitches, and Patches, were actually successful. Numbers and Whisper escorted the two with their treasure to Red Hood. The duo told them RH would buy the tires. The modulated sound of laughter coming from RH went on for several minutes. When he finally stopped, he asked why the kids took the tires.

Stitches: We wanted to be like the second Robin!! Numbers told us he stole the Batmobile tires and hit Batman. He's the best!

Patches: Yeah! But the Batmobile is a super hard target. So we got Red Robin.

Red Hood under his mask had gained tears in his eyes. Whisper and Number both stood silently with a knowing look in their eyes. RH paid the two a large amount but told them not to do that again. After the two ran off with their money to share the story with others, RH turned to the duo.

RH: You Know? Of course, the ghosts told you. I cannot believe you are telling those stories to the kids, Numbers. At least I can rub this in Replacement's face. And make him buy his tires back.

Numbers: They've all been heavily edited and the kids love the stories.

Whisper: *whispering* Happy, funny, embarrassing stories should be shared. We'll switch to Just Loser and Just Loser Dimwits stories soon.

RH always laughs when he hears how the duo refers to the JL/JLD. Even some of the other street kids have picked up the name.

Numbers calls the JLD, Just Loser Dimwits because as the magically inclined they should've been the ones to look after the Amity Situation.

Back at the Girl's Night Subplot

Tim: Ok Oracle just called and said that we need Bruce Wayne to have some plausible deniablilty about some currently illegal activities and Batman needs to either be chill about two new metas or be kept far away from whatever the girls are doing.

Jason: So he needs to be kept-

Tim:-away from the case. At least for now. If O's plan is what I think it is, it'll be beneficial to have Batman involved in the final stages.

Jason: How are we going to keep the old man from trying to figure out what his favorites are up to?

Tim: How do you feel about being a hostage?

Jason: How do you feel having both eyebrows?

Tim: It was just a question. Calm down, asshole.

Jason: Yeah, yeah. What about you, me, and the baby bat started just hanging out? That'll grab his attention

Tim: Elegant in its simplicity, but it might be too obvious a plot. Barbara said she knows I won't fail her, so it's got to be good. What if we both decided to be villains and started a terf war?

Jason: It has promise, but risks too much collateral damage this early on.

Tim: Right. We don't know how long we'll need to keep B distracted

Jason: Let's put that before calling Talia, but after a pregnancy scare

Tim:.....I need to call someone

Jason: Timmy, if you got someone pregnant, I will end you!

Tim: Shut up! I'm on the phone. Conner, do you remember Plan "abo"?

Conner: Is it time? Please say it's time. Because I'm at a very petty time in my life and I will ruin all of Krypton's reputation, just say the word.

Tim: Some details need to be ironed out, but yes, it's time.

Sewing Club (dp x dc)

This had all started when Frostbite had asked Danny why he'd never changed out of his hazmat suit. Danny had assumed it would've been useless to try since the one time he had put on any of his normal clothes on as Phantom, they had disappeared when he turned back human and when he went ghost he was back to the hazmat.

According to Frostbite, though, ghosts could change clothes, as long as they had been made by ghosts. At first Danny had been ecstatic, and he'd rushed to the nearest ghostly tailor where his hopes had been crushed. Because ghost clothes were apparently very expensive and very in demand, ten-year-long-waiting-list kind of in demand.

That was when Danny had had a brilliant flash of inspiration. He was a ghost! Which meant if he made his own clothes, they wouldn't disappear into the void! Which brought him back to today, taking sewing classes two states over during summer break.

"That's good, those stitches are looking neater," Alfred said as he passed by Danny's chair. The halfa smiled up to the older man before bending back down onto his needle and thread.

This was not how Danny had thought the summer would go. At least he got some free cookies out of it.