gotham’s littlest haunting (part 2): the baby problem
(dc comics x danny phantom | baby danny wayne au)
the justice league does not panic.
they assess. they strategize. they prepare.
they do not panic.
—
“there is a fluctuation in ambient magical energy centered around gotham city,” diana says, calm but firm.
“it’s not just magic,” adds constantine, already halfway through a cigarette. “it’s… older than that. colder.”
superman looks at batman.
“…bruce.”
batman, completely stone-faced: “it’s handled.”
—
cut to:
daniel wayne, approximately six months old, hovering three inches above the ground while aggressively losing an argument with gravity.
—
“it is not handled,” green lantern says immediately.
—
the watchtower meeting gets worse from there.
because the reports don’t make sense.
crime is down. significantly.
magical disturbances are stabilizing.
lazarus-related anomalies have… quieted.
constantine hates that.
“i don’t trust anything that makes things better in this city,” he mutters.
—
they demand to see the source.
bruce, after a long pause, agrees.
—
the batcave has hosted aliens, gods, and interdimensional threats.
it has never hosted a baby.
—
flash is the first to break.
“…is that a onesie with little bats on it?”
“alfred,” bruce says, without looking away, “thought it was appropriate.”
alfred, from the shadows: “i regret nothing.”
—
daniel wayne is currently sitting on the floor surrounded by highly expensive, highly advanced equipment.
he is chewing on a batarang.
—
“that’s not safe—” cyborg starts.
the batarang phases.
daniel blinks at it. then at cyborg.
then giggles.
—
superman goes very, very still.
“he’s not human.”
“he’s my son,” bruce replies, which somehow answers nothing and everything at once.
—
diana kneels first.
of course she does.
“hello, little one,” she says softly.
daniel looks at her.
his eyes glow—just for a second.
green. ancient. endless.
the cave temperature drops two degrees.
every light flickers.
constantine swears under his breath.
—
then daniel claps.
and the feeling is gone.
—
“oh,” diana says, smiling now. “he’s delightful.”
—
meanwhile, in gotham:
poison ivy is having a moment.
because the plants are… better.
healthier. stronger. less strained.
she traces a leaf, frowning.
“…what did they do?”
—
oswald cobblepot has updated his rules.
no operations within a five-block radius of wherever the wayne baby is reported to be.
he enforces this rule aggressively.
—
edward nygma tries, once, to set up an elaborate puzzle-trap.
halfway through, every electronic component shuts down simultaneously.
the answer appears on his screen anyway:
NOT TODAY.
“…rude,” he says, offended.
—
back in the batcave—
daniel has discovered martian manhunter.
this is mostly because j’onn made the mistake of phasing slightly.
daniel lights up.
—
there is a blur of motion.
a tiny ghost baby launches himself forward.
goes intangible.
and collides directly into j’onn’s chest—
and stays there.
half-phased. perfectly content.
—
the entire justice league freezes.
—
“…is he—” flash starts.
“bonding,” j’onn says slowly, equally surprised. “i believe.”
daniel makes a happy noise.
—
bruce wayne, billionaire, vigilante, and now father of a small extradimensional entity—
pinches the bridge of his nose.
—
“he likes you,” dick says, entirely too pleased.
“he likes everyone,” jason mutters. “that’s the problem.”
—
because that’s the thing.
daniel wayne doesn’t just affect gotham.
he’s starting to affect everything.
—
magic settles around him.
ghosts quiet.
the dead… rest easier.
—
and somewhere deep beneath the city—
gotham hums, satisfied.
—
on the watchtower, later—
“we should monitor this,” green lantern says.
“we should absolutely monitor this,” cyborg agrees.
constantine exhales smoke.
“…we should not piss off whatever that kid grows into.”
—
superman looks at bruce again.
“…you’re sure you have this handled?”
—
cut to:
daniel wayne, upside down on the ceiling, invisible except for glowing eyes, laughing at something only he can see.
—
bruce: “yes.”
—
no one believes him.
—
and honestly?
they’re right not to.
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