Chapter Text
oh no, He's competent..- chapter two
Danny floated in the void of Space, Batman's contract, that the man had pulled from seemingly thin air, was surprisingly comprehensive including dates Danny was not to touch, a list of things Batman refused to participate in, including murder but did not include sex, which weird, but okay. It had taken him all of 10 minutes to go over the contract and sign it, the alarm on the Watchtower (and holy shit he'd been in space the whole time!!) had gone off not long after, and Danny had chosen to wait for Darkseid in the vacuum near Saturn rather than risk any harm coming to earth, and he was glad he did when the so-called God spawned into existence before him.
He laughed. Truely laughed as the being offered for him to join or die.
"Sorry, sorry," he huffed. "Its just, do you have any idea who I even am?"
"I am Darkseid, Lord of Apokolips, and you will swear allegiance to me, it matters not who you are otherwise."
"Well meet, Lord of Apokolips, I am Phantom, Lord of the Dead," Danny spoke, the joking tone falling. "You, Darkseid, have caused me much strife, you have upset the balance of life and death, however," he explained. "I am not allowed to intervene in the workings of other realms unless asked by their living. Which I now have, so go home, leave this place in peace, or you will become MY subject. Which do you choose?"
Darkseid began to laugh, he laughed and laughed right up until a fist drove its way into his chest, and it actually hurt! "I see you have made your decision Darkseid, shall we see which Lord is superior?" Danny asked, bringing his fist back to his side.
"You cannot survive me." Darksied said, playing off the pain in his chest as an aberration, he was a God, nothing could defeat him. "I am a God."
"You are a child." Danny replied, falling back into a fighting stance. Darkseid began to bend the space around him, and he held back a sigh, and simply moved it back, then felt him trying to freeze the time stream, Danny simply unfroze it. This was truely.....boring.
"I will not lose to you, I have defeated Superman, I have destroyed worlds," Darkseid raged. "I will be the supreme being in all realities and you will not stop me."
And here Danny stopped and contemplated this being before him. Watched as his Omega beams failed to leave a mark on him, as he tried again to twist time and space, to call his army, and none of it worked. Danny had grown much from his original dimension, he was no longer that little 14 year old, to terrified to tell his ghost obsessed parents that he was dead, he had lost so much, his sister, his parents, his friends, to the ravages of time and death, and tragedy, then he had grieved and forgave and moved on. He had his children, he had his kingdom, he was thousands and thousands of years old, he had learned patience, he was at heart a kind man. He was also an impatient one, he had a date, for the first time in what was surely centuries, and this child of a god was in the way of that.
"Look Darkseid," he started, before he was rudely interrupted.
"Silence! I will rule all, including you, when I have disposed of you and rule this universe, I will take yours next!"
"You could not hurt the weakest of my people." Danny roared at him, and for the first time, perhaps in his life Darkseid froze, no one had ever spoken to him like that before.
"A blob could destroy you!" Danny taunted as another beam passed through him. "My children could have used you as a rattle in their infancy! You think that you are a god? You think that you are special? What because you can bend time and space? I am the child of Time, and I am Space." Danny laughed. "In my presence they bow to no other."
Darkseid continued to try and fight only to be blocked at every turn, and Danny...well he had a Kryptonian to dress down, children to prepare for a move, and a man to hopefully tie down. "You are a fly, a harmless little fly," he continued to taunt, "a god perhaps, but you have eons to go before you step up to me boy. Perhaps had your brother was the correct choice for king after all."
His hand was wrapped around Darkseids heart, his powers covered his soul, and he pulled at every iteration of the being from across the dimensions, dragging them into a single being, before ripping a hole into the nightmare realm, "a few thousand years trapped in the nightmare realm will quiet your desire to own everything, and know that Suli is so very disappointed in you." He told him as he tossed him into the void of screams and pain, and the broken look on Darkseids face as he had invoked the only name that had any power to harm him was....not satisfying, but given that the man was a tyrant, Danny couldn't find it in himself to care that he had caused that look. At least, that's what he told himself.
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The group aboard the Watchtower was subdued, as they watched Darkseid throw attack after attack, none of which hit the Ghost King, and though they could not hear the conversation they could see the look if utter devastation on Darkseids face as he was thrown into a glowing void, it had taken Phantom less than 30 minutes to do what they had failed to all those years ago.
Across the control room, there were many different reactions, mostly stunned, some intrigued, others worried, but Clark was the first to speak, especially when he heard Batman's heartrate increase with every passing moment.
He turned to his friend, his best friend, "We can get you out this." he said hastily, "Constantine must have a way." he turned frantically to the magician.
Diana, on the other hand, saw something quite different.
Batman's heartrate hadn't increased out of fear as she thought, but instead, if that bit of blush coming out around the edges of his mask were to be believed, it was something quite different, not fear...no Batman did not fear this King, he desired him.
"Clark," she interrupted the frantic man. "There is nothing to be done, we are not so dishonorable as to back-out of a deal that saved every living being in this universe."
“That would indeed be tremendously ill advised.” Came a deep voice from behind them, it seemed that the king had returned, and he was glaring at Superman.
“Everyone have a seat.” He said, gesturing to the conference table before taking a seat at the head, while the league gathered around.
“I am going to tell you all a story,” he started. “I was going to do this in private, but I believe after that display everyone should understand exactly why I am cross with you.” Phantom said sending a glare at Superman.
Clark paled.
”I was not always the Ghost King,” Danny started. “I was born in a dimension far from yours, a very long time ago. I was born just an ordinary boy, no special powers, no abilities, just a love for space and a dream to become an astronaut.” He laughed. "As I am sure any speedster can tell you, lab safety is nothing to play around with, one thing led to another and tada!" he said waving his hands infront of him, "One halfa, created when the immense power of the Infinite Realms meets the body of a human who happens to be dying directly in a newly created portal." he skimmed the truth of what truly happened to him, though given the narrowed eyes of Batman he had not truly kept the trauma of the incident from his voice. "I was 14." Gasps flowed from the lips of several League members, sympathy that Danny waved away. "I won't get to into the details, many things happened but what matters here is that I am not the only Halfa to exist, at the time of my creation there was one other, Plasmius, who wanted me to become his son," he said with a shudder. "Rich Fruit loop, obsessed with me, created a clone, to destroy me or replace me. Sound familiar?"
"It should, but that's not the end of the story, is it?" he glared at Clark, "That clone became my daughter, my sweet El, who loved freedom, and had so much Hope. Sound familiar Cal-El? " He growled, his eyes starting to glow. "You know your family history, I know you do, i checked, because if it all been just a misunderstanding, had you not known? Well, a little visit, an explanation, that would have been fine and if you still hadn't wanted the boy, we always have room for a mirrorborn in the realms." He saw the moment it clicked for several of the members of the League but chose to explain it anyway. "My daughter, loves exploring, and when she came across a little out of the way dimension, with aliens and superpowers, she explored to her hearts content, until a krytonian caught her eye and she fell in love, and thus was born the house of EL. You wear her symbol on your chest, the symbol of a clone, of her hope, for love, for life, for understanding. How dare you sit there and degrade and denounce everything she is?!" he shouted, seeming to grow larger with every word. "You only exist because of that clone; you are fed by the sun because my daughter asked that I ensure you ended up somewhere you would be safe, your parents were hand picked for their kind and loving hearts, by my daughter, a clone, so that one of her last living decedents might be loved with no regard for where he came from, and now you dare to name her grand child an abomination?"
He knew he was shouting now, could feel the faint pull of his wail, would have continued to berate the ADULT, who could not do what he had done at 14, could not look beyond the violation to the scared child who only needed love, but he thought of her face, as she'd asked for this ungrateful brats safety, and took a deep breath. "I understand that you were hurt, that the...violation of your person is a heavy burden. However," he said, now back to his normal kingly size, the anger bleeding out of his voice to sympathy, and now determination. "I cannot allow any great-grandchild of mine to continue to be treated this way, Connor will be living with El, who has elected to move to this Realm, so that he may continue to live his life on his terms. He will receive a new Kryptonian name, (because how dare you!)."
"What is wrong with Kon-Els name?" asked Flash.
"Aside from the fact that it directly translates to abomination of the house of EL?" Danny asked quirking a eyebrow.
Black Canary groaned, "Superman you didn't!" A sentiment that was echoed around the table.
"You can't just take him." Clark scoffed. "He belongs to the League."
"I am the King of the Infinite; I can do whatever I please. OR we could make public his training sessions with you." he growled, as Clark went pale again.
Batman's spine stiffened, he did not like the things he was finding out from this meeting, he thought of all of his children, found in circuses and back alleys, the ones who tried to kill him, the one that found him, the assassins and the children of villains. He thought of the lives he had quietly ruined, the ones who talked shit about Dick, Damian, and Dukes skin color, the ones who called Jason a charity case. Then he thought of the man he had considered a friend, one whom had saved his life, whose life he had saved. How could that man call a child, clone or not an abomination, after all he had listened to Bruce lament about the attitudes toward his children? Then came the anger, hot and hard, and dark.
"I did not approve training sessions with YJ for you Superman." he growled. "And Conner does not belong to anyone. However, we would ask that his friends be allowed to visit, to make the transition easier." he glared at Clark, while addressing the king.
"And so you can insure he is being treated well, I assume?" the king said, drawing Batman's eyes too him. "That can be arranged, however electronic devises will have a hard time working without special shielding, so your bugs will need to be handed over for modification before you can plant them." the king smirked at him with sharp teeth.
Another lazy flush worked its way through Batmans system. "Understood." he said standing to hand over a communications device, "I need to return to Gotham, however before I go," he said looking to Diana and seeing the same anger in her eyes. "Superman you are suspended from Leauge duties until further notice. You clearly need help, and I do not condone child abuse. Be aware that we will be looking into the alligations of these 'training sessions' if there is merit to them than this will be a longer discussion."
"You ca-" Superman started, only to be cut off.
"I second the suspension." Diana said.
"Third." Black Canary growled at him.
"King Phantom," Batman turned, address the deity once more. "Our apologies for the oversight of one of your decedent's being harmed. Call me when the Princess has accommodations, I will oversee the custody transfer personally." he nodded as the king stood and ripped a hole into the fabric of the universe once again.
"Well Batman," Danny purred, winking at the man. "Looking forward to seeing you soon then."
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Stepping into his home, Danny went in search for his children.
Dante found him first. He was still shorter than Danny, consequences of being partially fused with Plasimus, however shortly, and it had left its mark on him.
"You're really going to let her do this?" his deep voice growled across the room, of course they had been watching, he thought. "She's going to get hurt!"
"This is what she wants Dante." Danny sighed. "To see one of her own, treat a child so poorly, it has already hurt her." he pinched at the headache building between his eyes. "I can no more stop her than I could stop you when it came to Jason Todd."
"You know about that?" Dante whispered, refusing to meet his father's eyes.
"Do I know that my son almost depleted his core bringing a child hero back to life, at great risk to himself? Or that he then became so weak that he was unable to give that child the guidance he needed?" he asked, walking over to his once future self, now his son, gently moving the flaming hair from his forehead. "Or do I know that you've been scared to ask for help, because you do not know if you can fix it?" he whispered pulling Dantes face up so their eyes met.
"I just, i did not tell you because, i didn't want to disappoint you." Dante whispered. "I've come so far, and to destroy someone's life as I have...It's not something you would do." he finished, twisting his fingers together.
"Dante, you are my child. I know everything you do or say, not because you need to tell me, but because your heart and mine and Els' beat together as one. Our cores harmonize not because we are the same person, but because we love each other." Danny said, cuddling his oldest into his chest. "You are not me, you are yourself, you made a mistake, because you wanted to do the right thing." He sighed deeply as he felt the thrum of Dantes fire core against his chest. "According to Clockwork, everything is as it should be. Everything is fixable my little love." he soothed.
"So old man," came El's lilting voice from behind them, and he turned to see her floating above them, "You pulled a Bruce Wayne by proxy? You're just going to move me to the human realm, after all this time arguing against it?"
"Hummmmmm," Danny murmured, staring up at her. "The time was not yet right, now it is." he informed her, still petting Dantes' hair as he floated them up to reach his daughter, pulling her in too.
She laughed as she folded into her brother and father. "You sound like Grandfather."
"There is worse thing to be." he muttered, lowering the three of them onto his throne. "I have already had Frighty procured you a home, smaller than the castle, but it will do, in Gotham because it will feed you well, the Lady has already signed off on it." he told them.
"This has nothing to do of course," Dante teased, "with the fact that you will visit often and Batman just happens to be there?"
"Dante," El sniped, "I have no desire to hear about his love life!"
"You are both a mess," Danny sighed. “Soon we shall have a new member of the family, we will welcome him, Batman assured me that as soon as you had a residence he would ensure the custody himself.”
The three continued to talk until the drifted off into peaceful sleep.
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Bruce pulled off his cowl as he stepped from the transport pad, it was pulled from his hands and replaced by a warm cup of tea, curtsy of Alfred Pennyworth, who greeted him with a stern once over and a small, pleased smile.
"Master Bruce," he nodded. "The children are waiting at the dinner table for you, please shower and change. I shall inform them of your arrival."
"Thank you Alfred, and if you could, call Mt. Justice, have Conner come over."
"Of course, Master Bruce."
A short shower and change later, and Bruce was sat comfortably at the head of his dining table looking out over what appeared to be all of his children, plus one confused half Kryptonian clone.
He quickly did a head count, as they shouted questions.
Dick: "You shouldn't have locked us out of the tower Bruce!"
Barbara: "-camera was completely off line, not even the com went through."
Jason: "The fuck took so long?"
Tim: "I couldn't even hack the cameras, Bruce!"
Stephanie: "What even is a Ghost King?"
Damian: "Father we need to discuss what happened!"
Duke: "Seriously? Are you going to say anything?!"
Cassandra: Quietly watching the chaos.
and Conner who sat quietly beside Tim, playing with his hands as he stared at the table. Unsure of his place here, and Bruce suspected, unsure of his place anywhere.
It was ultimately Alfred who called for quiet, his calm demeaner affecting everyone at the table.
"Thank you Alfred." Bruce nodded at the man who had become his father. "Now I am sure you are all wondering what happened, usually I would not tell you anything in a bid to protect you all, but I do not have the luxury of carrying this alone."
Over the next half hour, he explained everything. The news of Darkseid returning, the summoning of the King, the deal that was struck, "I ensure in the contract that he could not touch the day I met/adopted/fostered/conceived any of you." He was quick to assure Dick who had panicked at the news of the 24 hours Bruce had promised the Ghost King. He explained in excruciating detail the battle between the two god-like beings, watched Tims' eye twitch at something in the story, but continued on.
"Now we come to the reason Conner is here," Bruce started, as Conners' head jerked up at the sound of his name.
"Connor what do you know of Kryptonian culture? Or the history if the House of El?" he asked.
"Not much," Conner admitted. "Just what I've been told which isn't a lot." he shrugged his leather clad shoulders as if it was unimportant, but Bruce could see the hurt in his eyes.
"I am sure there is much to tell you, but the important bit of this conversation is that the Ghost King has a daughter, I won't tell her story, I am sure it is one she wishs to share herself, however her name is El, Sprite of Hope and Freedom. She is also the originator of the House of El."
Conner stared at him in disbelief. So, he forged on. "She has made it clear that she views you as a kind of grandchild and demanded that she take custody of you." he informed the boy.
"She wants me?" he whispered, sounding lost, as if it had never occurred to him that anyone ever would. "Does she know about the...the clone thing?"
Bruce stood and walked around the table, laying a hand on the boys' shoulder. "She knows, she doesn't care." he said.
"If this is what you want Conner, I will make it happen, if you don't, I will make sure it doesn't, but the choice is yours."
"I think..." Conner paused, before seeming to steel himself and looked at Tim, "I think I want to at least meet her." he decided, one last little spark of hope flickering in sky blue eyes, a spark Bruce vowed to protect by any means necessary.
The words had no sooner left the boys mouth than there was a soft knock on the door.
Not the door to the dining room, the big one that the family or guests entered from, but the door for the servant entrance, it opened in short order to reveal a familiar face, at least, a familiar face to Alfred.
"Greetings Wayne family." said the man in an impeccably neat butler's uniform, an older style than the one currently graced to be worn by Alfred but recognizable all the same, his grey balding head shined in the lights of the room giving him a strange glow. "I've a letter from the Phantom Family in regard to their new domicile, they bid I give it to you directly." he continued, passing the silver tray containing a single letter into Alfreds waiting hands.
"Thank you Father." Alfred said with a bow of his head, as if he conversed with his dead father on a daily basis.
"Of course, Head Butler Pennyworth." Jarvis said, a proud smile on his face as he looked at his son. "I shall bring tea while you discuss the letter, as they bid I return with an answer post haste." He informed the family before walking thought the door, literally.
"What the fuck Alfie?!" Jason shouted.
"Language Master Jason!"
"Language? Language? You're gonna talk bout my language when you dead dad is making tea in the kitchen?!"
"I am well aware of where my father is Master Jason," he said waving the topic off as he handed the letter to Bruce, who opened it quickly.
Warmth flooded through him as he read it. "They already have a house and are ready for inspection to ensure it is a safe environment for Conner," he informed his family. "They also invite..." he trailed off before showing the letter to Tim, "Isn't this-"
"Drake Manor," Tim said, furrowing his brow. "The sale was finalized last week; I just wanted rid it. This doesn't make sense, I vetted Mr. Knight 9 was to Sunday?"
"Mr. Knight?" Steph asked. "What was his full name?"
"Frigh T. Knight." Tim replied. "I remember thinking it was a weird spelling, but it made it very easy to find information on him."
Jarvis entered the room just as they were discussing the address.
"Do not feel to confused Master Drake," he said. "Frigh T. Knight is in the employ of the Phantom Family and would cause no harm to any in your family."
Bruce rolled his eyes, he did not believe in coincidences. "Anyway, King Phantom invites the 'Cauldron' to dinner on Saturday next." he hummed. "I'll go write a reply, what are the odds of convincing any of you to not go?"
"None." they replied as one.
"I thought so." he said as he left the room behind, leaving his children in the capable hands of the Pennyworths.
Tim watched him leave before leaning forward to address his siblings. "We have a problem." he announced.
"Ya think?!" Jason shot back.
"Umm, why do we have a problem?" Duke threw out.
"Phantom is competent." Tim threw back, causing most of the table to grown.
"Fuck." Dick sighed.
"Why is this an issue?" Damian asked.
Barbara glanced at the youngest among them, barely 14 and just sighed. "Bruce thinks competency is sexy."