Mini Phantom Invasion
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These chapters were inspired by this post by @blackfoxsposts
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Here’s two chapters! The first is a recap of the two years we skipped over and the second is Danny interact with some of the BatFam
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Chapter 13
Danny sighed as they stared out into the dark purple foliage of the forrest. They and Elle had been exploring the far reaches of the Zone for the last week, bonding and spending time together before things got busy again.
They would be returning tomorrow, to Phantoms Keep, as their eighteenth birthday was the day after. It was also the day of their coronation and the day they would officially claim Elle as their daughter. It was crazy to think that it had already been two years since they’d fled their old dimension.
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Danny and Dan had become the protectors of Japan, as a whole, during those two years. They had even trained with Katana every now and then, that had been an interesting meeting that lead to Dan working part-time with the justice league.
Danny themself preferred to remain in Japan and had only met the main members of the JL once, during their initial introduction. They and Dan had set up their head quarters in the village they had first started out in. It had now bloomed from a simple farming village into a small town that rivalled Amity Park in size. Though its main focus was still farming and the production of grains and fruit.
The area that housed the hot spring, their cave and both the big shrine and the smaller shrine had been left undisturbed and was still surrounded by forest, as it was declared the Holy Hunting Grounds and home to Japan’s protector spirits.
The small town had expanded in the opposite direction and its’ architecture and atmosphere kept to a historic aesthetic, their were no modern glass structure or tall buildings. Not that the interiors were devoid of modern facilities but, if one were to visit, it would seem as if you had stepped into the past. The Shrine stood as the tallest building and had been expanded to resemble a historic Shiro or castle. Their new symbol displayed proudly on its Tori Gate and above its entrance.
Danny and Dan had come up with a new symbol in their first month of actively protecting the town and before they started to include the whole of Japan as their haunts territory. It was now a circle with a white, up right triangle in the centre and a stylised version of the Kanji 幻 (maboroshi), meaning Phantom/vision/illusion/dream/phantasm. The Kanji and circle that adorned Dan’s suit were red to match the bracelet on his wrist, while Danny’s circle was red and the Kanji was Ecto-green.
Even Elle’s wore the new symbol, both the circle and Kanji were a slightly paler green. It had become their family insignia, similar to the Bats and Birds of Gotham. They still went by Phantom when operating outside of Japan but were now mainly known as Maboroshi to the people of Japan.
Over the last two years Danny had gone back to their old dimension a few times, at first it was to check in with Jazz, Sam and Tucker but they had started to grow distant the more he refused to return. Jazz understood, encouraged it even but Sam and Tucker didn’t understand, Sam viewed it as abandoning their duty and Tucker thought they were just over reacting, that they could just live somewhere else and things would be fine. It had all come to an end the last time the had seen them. The other reason they had returned, with Dan, was to look for clues about their mother.
They had spoken more with Pandora and the ghost they had learned was their aunt, she went by Rina, she had told them that their mother was the Mother of Merfolk in her home dimension and was known as Aqua Rigina, a goddess to those who live in the see. She had passed her title to her daughter, their older sister, before fading from her dimension to travel and explore with her new found freedom.
She had found a home in a new dimension, amongst a different pantheon and it was while traveling the dimensions, connected to the greek pantheon, that she came to care for a human. She new she would not be able to stay but she had hoped to be able to visit often. She never got the chance to tell him once she found out she was pregnant and well… they knew the rest.
They and Dan had made no progress on finding out who their father was nor what dimension he was in. They only knew that the dimension was connected to the Greek pantheon but that was hardly helpful when there were so many. Short of entering their DNA into every universes data base, which they did not want to do, they could only hope they bumped into someone who knew. Danny knew there was a chance that their father would want nothing to do with them but they still hoped, that small part of them that had never grown up, craved to be accepted by their family.
On the brighter side, they had met with their older sister and her husband, though they brought sad news about her mother. She had accepted and welcomed both of them. They had spent some time with them, getting to know them and the other Mermaids of The Seven Seas, they even learned about their mer powers. It had been fun to meet their sister, brother-in-law and niece.
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Danny had only just fallen asleep when they heard twig snap, they opened their eyes and slowly sat up, coiling their tail tighter around Elle, who had shifted to her creature form in her sleep. They kept their focus in the direction the sound had come from, pupils blown wide to peer into the unnatural darkness of the Ghost Zone forest.
Chapter 14
Danny continued to watch and listen, even as they slowly roused Elle from her sleep, making a low growling purr and and a short series of quiet clicks, warning her of the potential threat and to stay in her creature form. She was quick to go on alert, ears twitching, trying to find what had put them on edge.
They listened to the near silent footsteps, there were two, one significantly heavier than the other. As the two figures drew closer and they could just make out their forms, Danny released a long, low warning hiss. The figures paused, for a moment, at the edge of the forest, just out of sight. Danny stopped their hiss and watched, waited, for their response.
Minutes ticked by before the larger figure moved, slowly, forward and into the small clearing. The beginnings of a hiss was cut short when Danny recognised who was currently standing before them. Bruised and battered, cracks in their armour and an unconscious blue bird slung over their back. The smaller figure stepped forward soon after, revealing the hard to miss combination of red, yellow and red.
“Batman?” Danny was shocked and confused as to why Batman and two of his birds would be in the Infinite Realms, let alone how they had gotten in and so far from any of the main haunts. “Do you need help?”
The smaller bird shifted into a defensive stance but Batman placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “Phantom. Do you know where we are?”
Straight to business it is then, they thought wryly as the corner of their lips twitched in amusement, they motioned them forward and ignited the campfire. They watched as the three drew closer, Batman gently lay Nightwing on the ground and checked him over before taking a seat across from them, on the other side of the fire. Robin was hesitant but soon followed Batman’s lead and took his own seat.
Danny relaxed, leaning back, using their tail as a back rest. They pulled Elle onto their lap and held her close, letting out a calming purr as they silently let her know who the new comers were and that they weren’t a threat… to them anyway.
“You are currently in the Infinite Realms or the Ghost Zone to pit it frankly. It’s where those who died violent deaths, have unfinished business, a strong attachment to the living ream or were created by the culmination of a belief go when the die. You, though, are not dead.” Danny looked them over, they were definitely in rough shape but they were alive.
“So how, may I ask, did you end up here?” Danny started running their claws through Elles hair as they waited for a response. They knew Batman was weighing his options, they hadn’t worked together often, Dan was the one who had the most interaction with the JL.
“We were fighting against the League of assassins, you’ve had run ins with them before according to Maboroshi. Nightwing was knocked unconscious, Robin went to catch him before he fell into the Lazarus Pit but their line was cu by an assassin. I went after them, instead of being submerged in Pit water, we were transported here.”
“Hmm, how long have you been here? Maboroshi hasn’t made contact, so he must not have been informed of your disappearance yet. You are lucky I had been close by, I don’t normally venture out this far.” Elle chirped and repositioned herself, seeing as they were safe, she was quick to go back to sleep.
“Hnn.” Batman looked into the fire, no doubt processing the fact that they were in the land of the dead.
“Who is that?” Robin asked, demanded.
“Robin!” Batman was quick to give his version of admonishment.
“What, it is a perfectly valid point of questioning, they are an unknown.” Batman sighed as he turned back to Phantom.
“To answer your question, Robin, this is my daughter. We are on a bonding trip, though we will be returning home tomorrow.” He watched as Batman physically perked up at the mention of a child, Danny found it amusing that such a large and intimidating figure had such a soft spot for children. “Back to the reason you are here and how long has it been, since you entered the Realms?”
“It has only been a few hours but Nightwing needs medical attention, as does Robin.” Batman ignored Robins pointed gaze.
“And you, I assume, by the looks of your suit. Rest for now and do what you can to field dress your wounds. I’ve got extra food you can eat, its human safe. Once you’re rested and fed, I’ll bring you to the Far Frozen to get a proper medical check. I’ll also send out a message to Maboroshi, get him to let the other Bats and Birds you’re ok.” Danny slowly set Elle into the cradle of their tail, as the reached for their travel pack that contained their food. They had snacks and junk food mostly but they also had pre-made meals they could heat on a fire. Setting up the rack to hold the fire safe containers, they made sure the food wouldn’t fall before turning their attention to their accidental guests. “Once you’re cleared by Frostbite, I’ll bring you to Phantoms Keep and get you through a portal home.”
“Thank you, Phantom.” Batman turned his attention to tending to Nightwing as Robin continued to stare at them.
“How do you know we can trust them?” Batman sighed and answered before Danny could say anything.
“Phantom is a protector spirit, Robin, it is in their nature to protect those they deem as theirs and help those that need it. It is more complex than that but that is the gist of it.” Robin huffed but seamed to be satisfied, for now, with the answer.
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The clearing had been silent as the Gotham vigilantes ate, Batman continued to check on Nightwing, though you wouldn’t know it by just looking at his expression, Danny could feel the worry, guilt and pain, coming off the big bad bat, as they fussed over Nightwing and Robin. Much to the young boys annoyance but Danny could tell he felt comfort in knowing that Batman cared for him, along with his own worry for Nightwing.
Once the two vigilantes had finished their meals and everything had been packed away, Danny carefully picked up Elle and their travel pack. They floated up and shifted their tail to legs, before putting out the fire and upping their own natural glow to provide light for Batman and Robin. Batman picked up Nightwing, resettling them on his back and waited for Robin to join him before following after Phantom.
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