[Here] Sea Cryptic! Danny cleans up beach after local vigilante explodes his plane over the ocean.
[Here] Sea Cryptic! Danny cleans the Gotham bay and does broke college student things.
[Here] Sea Cryptic! Danny extorts money from Batman for blankets.
[Here] Sea Cryptic! Danny makes a friend and calls Red Robin broke.
[Here] Sea Cryptic! Danny makes Batman a debtor and makes friends with the best vigilante recyclers in Gotham.
[Here] Tim asks Danny to introduce Tim to Danny, Jason has a post-zombie crisis.
[Here] Batman tries to adopt another kid, Danny gets Vlad flashbacks, and the Bats finds out that Jason is stinky.
[Here] Danny is violently against oil spills, Lex Luthor learns that the hard way, and Clark Kent is a messy bitch
[Here] Nightwing poaches Gotham's undead clean up, Danny trolls the bats again
[Here] "This you?"
[Here] Jason is a Magical Girl
Part one
"Dann-o” Jack spoke with his usual cheer whilst throwing his arms wide for a backbreaking hug.
Danny hugged him back just as hard, having grown up and out in the years since then. He almost matched Jack in every aspect, but was just a slight bit smaller and slimmer.
“How have you been, son?” They sat down at the low table in the hall. Ever since Jack had been transferred to a low level security prison they had met in person without a glass in between.
“Oh you know, same as always, job is stressing out, still being head over heels for Cass, getting called for the occasional Justice League duty. You know, the usual. Oh yeah here, look at this!”
Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out multiple polaroid pictures. The first one showed Danny in a well fitted suit that didn’t look awkward on him. He gave the cam a big grin and a small peace sign. Next to him stood Tucker, Dick and Damian.
The next one showed Cass, walking down the Aisle in a beautiful wedding dress, Bruce guided her down looking constantly at her with a mix of emotions on his face.
Jack flipped to the next one showing both of them standing in front of the Priest holding hands, it was followed immediately by the first kiss.
“Danno. I'm so proud of you!” Jack was nearly bawling at the sight. Danny just ducked his head a bit and scratched the back of his neck. “Thanks dad. Oh, there’s more.” He gestured to the pictures only to pause and listen to something only he could hear. He then got up rather quickly, “Sorry, I'd love to stay but something really important just came up and I have to go.” Danny nearly ran away before he hollered over his shoulder, “You can keep them! The guards already approved!” Jack didn't even have time to ask what was going on before Danny had left the visiting area.
Slightly dejected he sat back down, and went to look through the pictures again. There was cutting the Cake, the Dance, all of them being pretty wasted and then the final one he couldn’t figure out. It looked like a scan of something, but no matter which way he turned it, he couldn't figure out what it was supposed to show.
Cass was breathing hard. It had been a decent day so far, key word being so far, before Darkside decided he wanted to have another go at conquering the world. So here she, and the entire rest of the JL, stood and/or laid.
He had come at them swinging, literally. Superman had been knocked out within minutes of the invasion going on. They didn’t even have the time to give a general evacuation order and simply had told the speedsters to ‘do their best and be fast’.
She jumped out of the way of another parademon, used a batarang to cut tendons and then snapped its neck as it toppled. She felt sick, not just because she had to kill but also bec—Darkside slammed into the ground not two feet away from her, peppering her body with pebbles. Cass had just enough time to try and shield her face from the fist that will undoubtedly cave her skull in.
The punch was stopped dead in its tracks by a hand. “Cass, oh Anicents. I came as fast as I could. Are you okay?” Danny was suddenly there, holding Darkside back as if he was nothing more than a toddler.
The word confused didn’t even begin to describe how she felt. Darkside radiated the same emotion only to straighten out and assume his ‘better than you’ posture.
“And who might you be?”
Danny just threw a casual look over his shoulder, then went back to fussing over Cass. Getting her to sit down, and have her drink from a cold water bottle.
“I am speaking with you.” Darkside chimed, sounding more than a bit hacked off.
“Yeah, and I’m ignoring you. So shut.”
Darkside was taken aback by the blunt and utter dismissal from the boy, “Now listen to me—” “No. Go away you big lug, I'm busy.” Danny had even found a big rock where Cass could elevate her slightly twisted ankle.
Finally having enough of it Darkside stepped forwards, throwing a punch at Danny's head only for a Creature to jump out of his shadow. “Damn it, twerp. Can’t I leave you for a single day alone without you getting into trou—” “Dan.” Danny just cut the guys rant off. “Fuck him up.”
“HA! FINALLY AN ORDER I LIKE!!” ‘Dan bellowed before lunging at Darkside. He simply grabbed him around the waist and then hurled Darkside back only to fly right after him and start punching. Every Superhero watched as Darkside was pummeled by the being that had suddenly shown up.
Cass just looks from this ‘Dan’ to her sweet husband and back, “What.” Was all she sad. “Okay, look there might be some things I haven’t yet fully explained.” There's a loud ‘This is better than that time I killed Superman’ in the back. Danny just winces. “Okay there might be more than a few things.
Batman stalked over and glared at him. “Fenton, explain.” Danny turns to the masked man and pulls a face. “Do you want the long version or the short one?” “Hnn.”
“Look, I'm not fluent in Bat-grunt so you have to use words. Preferably English.”
Every Social media account of the Waynes posted the same set of pictures. Bruce’s Twitter account had a picture of him, bawling his eyes out whilst holding a newborn baby. Next to him was Danny, grinning like a loon and giving a thumbs up. On his other side was Dick, who was also grinning whilst holding up a piece of paper that had an arrow on it that pointed to Bruce, beneath the Arrow was the word ‘Grandpa’ in large letters.
Tim’s Account had him sitting in a Chair, awestruck as a second newborn held his finger. His face was somewhere between awed and babyface. Next to him was Daimian, who looked down with an incredible soft look on his face.
Finally Stephanie's Account had a Pic of her and Cass, who was in a hospital bed and giving a peace sign. Steph was grinning wildly, one of her arms was slung around Cass.
Danny’s Account had a picture of him and Cass, each holding one baby. The description of the post read ‘Dear Gotham, please welcome Thomas and Amber Wayne to the world.’
This is the first half of a continuation of the previous short story, even though it takes place before that part. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As Danny cradled little Eleanor —Ellie— gently in his arms, the newborn slept soundly, unaware of the chaos that had just unfolded. He’d taken her into his arms after everything had been sorted out at the hospital regarding her custody —Technus had played a key role, ensuring the process went smoothly and keeping everything under wraps; The old ghost had insisted this was repayment for Danny saving him from being ‘ended’.
Now, with Ellie nestled against him, Danny couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that gnawed at him. Jazz had given him a parenting book, and Technus had promised to keep the ghosts away from Amity Park for the week, claiming that the birth of a ‘ghost child’ was a momentous occasion —never mind the fact that Ellie wasn’t a ghost and Danny had no idea whether she’d inherited any of his powers. It was a small blessing, and he figured he should use the time to get a crash course in fatherhood.
But after that, what then? The ghosts would return to attacking Amity Park, of that he was certain. But how would he keep the city safe while caring for Ellie? And school —he couldn’t exactly bring her with him. Jazz would help for a while, but he couldn’t expect her to sacrifice her time indefinitely, especially when he wanted her to focus on her own life as well —He couldn’t keep asking her to look after Ellie while he was at school or off fighting ghosts. He needed a solution, and fast. Either he’d have to figure out a way to stop the ghosts from attacking altogether or find someone who could look after Ellie for him.
— Hey, Danny, -Jazz’s voice called, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned to see her standing in the doorway, her eyes softening as she looked down at the bundle in his arms.- Is that her?
— Yeah, -Danny replied, his voice quieter than usual.- Want to see her?
Jazz didn’t need to be asked twice. She quickly stepped toward him, and Danny shifted his arms slightly, just enough for her to get a better view. As she looked down at the tiny sleeping baby, Ellie frowned slightly, wriggling as though trying to snuggle closer to Danny’s chest.
— She’s so cute, -Jazz murmured, a smile tugging at her lips as she gently pulled the blanket aside to get a better look at Ellie.- Hard to believe she’s your daughter.
— Hey! -Danny chuckled quietly, but the tone was playful.- Watch it, Jazz.
He kept his voice low enough to avoid waking Ellie, though he couldn't help but grin at his sister's teasing. Jazz only smirked in return, unfazed.
She lingered for a moment, cooing at the baby with a warmth in her voice before reluctantly letting go of the blanket. As Danny brought Ellie closer to him, she settled back down, her frown disappearing into a peaceful sleep.
— I take it everything went well back in Gotham? -Jazz asked, and Danny nodded, looking more at ease.
— Yeah, Technus kept his word down to a T, -Danny replied.- The paperwork went smoothly, and he made sure no one would find out Stephanie’s her mom.
— I still don’t get why she wanted to keep that hidden, -Jazz said, her frown deepening.
— She probably just wanted to keep her safe, -Danny said, his tone serious.- With how unhinged the Joker and some of the other rogues of Gotham are, I wouldn’t put it past them to go after Ellie if they ever got their hands on Stephanie.
— Maybe, but something still doesn’t sit right with me, -Jazz replied, her voice laced with concern.- Anyway, have you told her you made it back to Amity safe? I know you still have her number on your phone.
— Not yet, -Danny said, bouncing his arms a little when Ellie started to fuss.- I’m waiting a bit longer—gotta make sure it fits with my cover story of getting Vlad to lend me his private jet.
— You could’ve told her you were a meta with portaling abilities, -Jazz said, a teasing glint in her eyes.- Wouldn’t have been that hard to keep up, right?
Danny frowned, not sharing her amusement.
— And how would I explain it when no meta records come up when we registered Ellie at the hospital? -He replied, glancing down at his daughter.- Besides, even though I trust Stephanie a lot, I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to find out about my powers. It’s safer for her that way.
Jazz gave him a skeptical look, but Danny didn’t meet her gaze. She didn’t push the matter further, but the doubt still lingered. Instead, she moved on to another issue.
— Sam and Tucker are downstairs, -Jazz said, watching as Danny’s head snapped up in surprise, his gaze sharp.- I managed to keep them occupied for now, but I think they suspect something’s going on.
Danny’s frown deepened, and he sighed.
— I knew I’d have to tell them the truth about my weird behavior over the last eight months, -He admitted, rubbing a hand over his face.- But I didn’t think it’d be this soon.
Jazz placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression sympathetic.
— Better to rip the band-aid off now than let it fester, -She said gently.
Danny took a deep breath, his resolve firming up.
— I know, -He said, eyes hardening as he squared his shoulders.- You’re coming with me, right?
Jazz gave him a soft smile and squeezed his shoulder lightly before removing her hand.
— Of course, -She said.- Did you really think I’d let you go through this alone?
— Never, -Danny said with a slight smile, his mood shifting slightly. He took a deep breath and headed for the door, his footsteps steady.- I guess it’s showtime, then.
The following story is based on a prompt I've made. The idea is the same, but the execution is different.
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— Alright Steph, we are all here now, how about you start explaining now? -Barbara said softly, her gaze kind. The rest of the Batfamily watched Steph with a mix of curiosity and subtle concern from their seats around the room.
Stephanie lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the floor as her mind raced. She had always known this day would come —it was almost a miracle she’d managed to keep the secret for as long as she had. But now that the moment was here, she had no idea how to begin explaining it all to them. She stayed silent for a few more seconds, letting out a slow breath before raising her head and running a hand through her hair. Her eyes met the faces of the people around her —not her family by blood, but at this point, they might as well have been.
— Alright, but just for the record, I swear I didn’t mean to keep this a secret from you guys, -She said, her voice tinged with guilt. She lifted a hand to scratch the back of her neck, glancing away.- For this long, anyway.
— So, you did mean to keep this a secret from us, -Damian said, narrowing his eyes at her, his frown deepening
Stephanie flinched at Damian’s words but pushed through.
— Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys about this sooner, -She said, her voice steady despite the tension in her shoulders.- But in my defense, it wasn’t any of your business. It was mine, and I had it under control. -She swept her gaze across the room, meeting each of their eyes in turn —Though her gaze lingered on Tim, Bruce, Barbara, and Dick a bit more than the others.- And be honest — if I’d told you all about it at the very start of my vigilante career, can any of you really say you wouldn’t have meddled?
Bruce, Barbara, Dick, and Tim exchanged uncomfortable glances, their silence louder than any admission. Alfred shook his head in exasperation while Selena shook her head with fondness, and Steph couldn’t help but let a small smile tug at her lips. If she had told them and they’d decided to meddle, she knew he would have quietly taken her side —even if both had wanted to meddle themselves; They were one of the rare voices of reason in the house, both were consumed by paranoia and actually knew when to step in and when to let things be.
— Anyway... how about we get back to your explanation? -Barbara said, gently steering the conversation back on track. She unlocked her phone and opened the gallery, turning the screen toward Stephanie.- When did this happen?
The image on the screen was one Barbara had found during her routine security check, making sure nothing dangerous had slipped into their devices. It showed a grinning Danny holding a baby girl —Ellie— who was beaming as she reached for the phone. The caption read: "Look how much fun I’m having, Mommy!"
— It... it happened back when I first started going out to stop my father, -Stephanie said, thinking back about those times.- I met Danny right after I found out the guy I was sort of dating at school was only with me because I was one of the few girls he hadn’t screwed yet.
The room fell into silence like a guillotine blade. The shift in atmosphere was immediate —muscles tensed, jaws clenched, and eyes darkened with barely restrained fury. Even Alfred, the eternal wellspring of calm of the family, had a cold, dangerous glint in his gaze that reminded everyone that he used to work for the secret services back in England.
— And who, -Dick started, his voice dripping with a sweetness so artificial it was venomous.- would this ‘guy’ be? -His smile was so painfully fake it might as well have been carved into his face.- I think I speak for everyone when I say we just want to... talk.
Around the room, heads nodded in grim unison. Damian, Duke, Bruce, Lucius, Alfred, Barbara, Cassandra, Kate, Harper, Selina, and Jason —each one radiating their own brand of barely contained rage in her steed.
— I’m not telling you his name, -Steph said, rolling her eyes, though the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.- As much as I don’t like him, I don’t want him mysteriously ending up in the hospital over something that happened years ago. Besides, -she added with a smirk,- I kicked him so hard in the nuts he probably still wakes up screaming, so you guys don’t need to get even for me.
— You went too easy on him, Brown, -Damian growled, voice low and brimming with malice.- Scum like that needs to suffer more. Pain is the only language they understand.
— Have to agree with the demon spawn, -Kate muttered, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.- He clearly needs a better lesson in how to treat women like human beings.
— Preach, -Cassandra, Selena, and Harper said in perfect, almost chilling synchronicity.
Their protectiveness genuinely touched Stephanie, but she had a story to finish.