What If Jazz Replaced Dan In Another Timeline?

What if Jazz replaced Dan in another timeline?

CW: attempted murder via strangulation

Also on AO3 here :)

"Could you leave me alone?!" Danny shouted. "Stay out of my business!"

Jazz looked affronted. "How can I stay out of your business if I'm also part of your business?!"

Sputtering, he cried out, “Just— Just leave me alone!”

“No! You’re not taking the proper safety precautions! You’re going to get hurt one of these days and I’ll laugh in your face! You’re always so reckless! It’s not my fault that I have to watch over you!”

His eye twitched as he crossed his arms. “I’m not a baby anymore! You can’t control me like you used to when I was a kid! I’m a teenager and I’m way more powerful than you! I don’t need you to watch over me!”

“Danny! Don’t be so stubborn!” She insisted. “I’m just asking you to be safe!”

“I said. I. Don’t. Need it!!”

Danny had enough and stormed away from her. Jazz cried out, "Get back over here!" but he ignored her and continued walking.

He ran into his room and threw himself on his bed. He stretched out his hand, went partial ghost, and then locked his door. However, Jazz didn't follow him inside.

Danny groaned, burying himself in his pillow. He loved his sister, but sometimes, her love for him was just too overbearing! He couldn't stand the feeling of being watched over and babied like she had always done since he was a child, but he quickly realized that he had probably overreacted. Danny grimaced, realizing that he would have to apologize to his sister soon, but he was mentally exhauated.

Just as he pushed the idea of apologizing to her to later in the back of his mind, his phone rang. He picked it up with an exhausted, “Hello?”

“Dang, Danny, what’s going on with you?” Tucker asked, sounding concerned and also amused. He was holding his camera in one hand while the other held the phone to his face.

Danny groaned. “Jazz is being a total control freak again! I can’t even go out without her having to force more equipment onto me! I’m sick and tired of her always being in my business!”

“Dude, that sucks, but she’s looking out for you! Cut her some slack.”

“I know, but it’s so annoying. I wish she could understand that I’m not a baby anymore.”

Tucker hummed. “Mhm.”

Danny huffed and although Tucker’s expression didn’t show it, he realized that he was bringing down the mood somewhat.

“How’s Boston?” He asked.

“It’s cool,” Tucker said with a smile. “Do you want a pen or a keychain for your souvenir?”

“Oh screw you!” Danny laughed, pretending to be annoyed by the lackluster presents.

The phone beeped again, and Sam jumped into the call. “What’s up?” She said, a pair of sunglasses on her nose while a wide brimmed sun hat covered her face in shadows.

Danny sighed, reminded even more of the fact that his two and only best friends were on vacation. Even Valerie couldn’t spend time with him, too busy working for an internship under her dad.

Danny’s own parents were in Virginia, trekking on the Appalachian mountains to find more ghosts.

So basically, Danny was alone. With his sister.

Great.

“Oh! Sam! How’s Greece?”

“It’s great. I’ll bring you guys here in a few weeks,” she promised, turning her camera around so they could also take a view of the busy streets.

Tucker put his hands together and pretended to pray to her. “Oh, great Sugar Mommy Sam, please deliver us to Greece soon.”

“Never mind. Tucker, you’re staying home. I’m taking Danny and the two of us are going to eat souvlaki and seafood, look at Ancient Greek monuments, and learn about the lives of the fallen gods without you.”

Tucker gave a cry of pretend panic and Danny laughed too, already comforted by the sound of his two best friends and putting away the thought of Jazz.

They chatted for a few more minutes before Sam and Tucker had to leave, although not before promising to bring him souvenirs.

Danny laughed and smiled but when they left, it slipped off of his face. He sighed, pressing his head down onto his pillow again, dropping his phone carelessly.

Was a single summer without anyone bothering him too much to ask?

After a while, as Danny lazed about, he finally got up to get lunch.

When he went down to the kitchen, Jazz was sitting at the table, a book open in front of her alongside two plates of food. The one that wasn't directly in front of her was underneath a Fenton™ heating lamp.

Now the guilt mixed together with the irritation.

He knew that he was supposed to apologize, but he couldn't help the hostility that rose up in him. No matter how much he felt guilty, he refused to back down. Danny stomped to his seat, pulling back the chair and taking the plate. Then he began eating without saying a word.

Jazz peeked at him from behind her book a few times.

Danny scowled before looking up. "What?"

She hesitated, and then finally said, "Danny, you know that I love you, right?"

Oh Ancients, here she went again.

Danny loved his sister, but he couldn't stand how she tried to act better than him simply because she had more "experience" than him living in the world. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't truly relate to him and his experiences.

"... just get out with it," he snapped, putting down his fork and slumping back in his seat.

Jazz's eyebrows furrowed, disapproving but she didn't say anything about his disrespectful appearance.

"I know that you think I'm controlling, but I'm doing this for your own good. You're only a kid, and you're being forced to fight against ghosts. Of course I worry! We can never know for sure if you can beat up everyone you see... so I just want you to be safe. That's why I—"

"Jazz." His voice was hard. Jazz startled at the sound of it, looking shocked. "I'm not a baby. I'm my own person, and I don't need your help! You putting your nose in my business doesn’t help me!"

Jazz flinched and then glared back at him. "Well, I wouldn't have to, if you would listen and be careful!"

"I'm plenty careful! I'm literally the most careful person you'll ever know!" Which wasn't true, but Danny was incensed enough to say anything.

"Don't you lie to my face! Danny, you are so—!"

That was when there was the sound of something popping and the both of them turned to the door in confused silence. The sudden appearance of a pair of slow, clacking heels against the floor made the both of them tense.

No one should've been home but them.

So who was this?

With his hands underneath the table, Danny transformed halfway, ready with a ghost ray if it was an enemy. His ghost senses told him that it probably wasn’t a ghost, but he still had to be careful. Jazz picked up her plate, ready to toss it at a moment's notice.

The person who entered their home stopped at the door to the kitchen.

The first thing Danny noticed was that she was tall. Freakishly tall. His dad was the tallest person he knew, and this person wouldn't even be completely dwarfed by him if she was standing next to him.

The second thing he noticed was that she looked just like Jazz, only older. Her facial features were all the same, the same sweet smile, the same heart shaped face, the same long hair. The only thing that was noticeably different were her eyes, which shone with a light that he had never seen before and watched with a focus that almost unsettled him. She was dressed in a trench coat and a dark dress shirt. Her heeled boots clicked on the floor, drawing attention even further to her monstrous height.

This woman, this older doppelgänger of Jazz, paused at the doorway, studying them before she gasped and then rushed forward to pull Danny into her hug.

"Danny! Oh, it's you!" The Jazz lookalike cried, and her hold was tight and warm, pressing him against her chest like she was trying to absorb him through her skin. Danny stumbled and then just stayed in her embrace, dumbfounded. Her hug felt familiar, just like the hand that cradled the back of his head and the other that rubbed at his back.

"Jazz?" Danny blurted, eyes wide.

The Jazz clone pulled him back, smiling through teary eyes and nodded. "That’s right. It's me, Jazz."

Jazz was probably as confused as Danny, but she didn't hesitate to stand up and take a closer look. The older version of Jazz continued to hug Danny while Jazz flitted around them nervously. The two of them sank to the floor and it took a moment for Danny to understand what was happening before he pulled away, bewildered.

Something flashed through the Jazz clone's face too quickly for him to decipher.

"I'm sorry, but what? What's going on? If you're Jazz then... why are you in the past?" And why had Clockwork not said a single thing?

The Jazz before them pressed a hand against Danny's cheek. Her skin was gloved, and the coolness of the leather against his skin made him shiver. The look in Jazz's doppelgänger's watery eyes was intense and focused, her lips pulled into a small smile. "I am Jazz Fenton. I came here in hopes of finding a world where I could live."

Both Danny and Jazz became excited immediately.

"Wow! You're so beautiful! You're really me?" Jazz asked excitedly. "What do you do in the future? What's our job? Do we have a partner? How is everyone in the future?"

"Jazz! Let her breathe!" Danny felt a small sense of vindication for correcting his sister. However, he also looked at the older version of Jazz eagerly, wanting to know if he remained a hero and if their city was alright, if he got married to Valerie, and if Sam and Tucker were still his friends.

The older version of Jazz paused before she pursed her lips. "I'm afraid... it's not great in my timeline. That's why I came here. To escape." A flash of a strange smile crossed her face but it disappeared before Danny could try and decipher it.

He blinked, his stomach dropping as he tried to understand what she was hinting at. "Are you saying... that some of us are dead?"

The older Jazz smiled sadly. "You're all dead. I lost you, Danny. I lost you, Mom, Dad— I didn't even have Sam or Tucker. Everyone is dead. Humanity has been almost completely wiped out. I'm the sole survivor of our family in that world."

Both Danny and Jazz were dumbfounded.

A pit immediately formed inside of Danny's stomach as his blood turned cold.

The sole survivor? Humanity was almost wiped out? What on earth had happened in that world??

"Wait... you mean everyone? Like everyone everyone?? What happened?" He asked desperately. "Wasn't I a hero? How did I let this happen??"

How could this have happened? How could he have been so careless as to let everyone but Jazz die? A small part of him was a little happy that Jazz of all people survived, knowing that she was resilient and strong, but the larger part of him just felt sad. His core ached with the thought of her being alone in a possibly devastated world.

"Everyone died after you died," older Jazz said in quiet resignation. "People started dying in droves... there's only me left in the entirety of America."

Jazz clasped her hands over her mouth in horror, while Danny clenched his fists. "How did we die?"

"You... our family was at the Nasty Burger, when an accident occured and then the entire place exploded. You were on your way there when... you also got caught in the accident. Even your powers weren't enough to keep you alive when you were in the middle of such a large explosion." She looked down, her expression twisted in sorrow. "I was at home when it happened. And then... I was alone."

Danny's stomach twisted itself into knots. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and he didn't know what to say.

Jazz whispered, hushed, "... it sounds like Dan."

Danny had to agree. However, older Jazz looked at the two with confusion.

"Dan? Who's that?"

Danny blinked. "You don't know...? Oh, it's because your timeline is different. Er, Dan is an alternate version of me. He's kind of like you, but more evil."

Jazz sighed and explained, "Danny from that timeline watched us die at the Nasty Burger too and then he started killing everyone. He's a little similar to you that way. But then he went to our world to try and kill us all again, so we trapped him in the Fenton thermos."

Older Jazz stared at them, her mouth open in shock before she burst out into laughter. The sound of her bell-like laughter was sweet, but the context was jarring and Danny and Jazz couldn't help but share a look of 'what the heck?'

Older Jazz eventually quieted down and she said softly, "How interesting. You're saying that he also had his family killed and then he killed everyone in his world?"

Something was definitely wrong but Danny didn't know what. Jazz was the one who replied, and she nodded slowly, "Yeah."

"You defeated this Dan?" Older Jazz looked at Danny with bright eyes.

Danny slowly nodded. "He's in the Fenton thermos."

Older Jazz smiled, her eyes narrowing into crescents. "How quaint. I know it's a bit presumptuous, but could I stay here for a little?"

Jazz startled and said, "Oh! Your world is destroyed, right? Yeah, y-you can stay if you want!" Then she flushed red at her stuttering.

Danny raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as he turned to the Jazz from another timeline. "We should find you another name. Something like... Minnie?"

"From Jasmine? If you say so, Danny," Minnie said amicably. "Call me Minnie then, to avoid confusion."

"Are you hungry?" Jazz asked. Minnie shook her head and stared at her with half lidded eyes.

Jazz noticed the look and asked, "What?"

"Nothing. You're just so innocent."

For some odd reason, it didn't sound that nice coming from her mouth.

However, Danny wasn’t that concerned about it, more preoccupied with the presence of his big sister from a post-apocalypse world. They pulled her to the kitchen table anyways and thus, Minnie joined the duo for the summer.

————

Minnie spent a few days with them. As the only actual adult in the house, she quickly took control over the house's chores and Danny was relieved to know that he wouldn't have to do his daily chores with her around. Jazz had griped about it, but Minnie laughed it off.

She seemed to enjoy the domesticity of their daily life, content to be doing anything, even something as mundane as folding clothes as long as Danny was within her sight.

Losing him must've hurt her a lot. He understood. He had, after all, also gone completely crazy after losing his family in another timeline.

She had many similarities to Jazz. However, she was also different from Jazz in that she was far more capable. When she was worried about him on his patrols, she would just follow him out instead of nagging him. With her long legs and advanced technology, she was able to keep up with him and even catch a few ghosts herself. Even when he flew over the city, she could find him wherever he was and defeat ghosts along the way.

Minnie soon proved herself to be a more advanced and grown up version of herself very quickly. She was mature and patient, with a quiet confidence to herself that didn't come as naturally to Jazz. The age and grief that she had experienced had surely attributed to her mature personality, but it couldn't be denied that Jazz would grow up into an awesome person.

It kind of made Danny proud in a way.

Look at how cool his sister was!

Like now, Minnie was tinkering with her watch, a sleek and black piece of technology that she used to get here. Danny and Jazz had learned that Minnie taught herself bioengineering and weapons manufacturing in order to cope with her stress and depression. Apparently, she was currently learning how to program robots in her world.

If Tucker was here, he would probably fall onto his knees to beg her to take him in as an apprentice.

"Is that what you used to fight in the future?" Danny asked, pointing at the watch. The two of them sat in the kitchen, both in their own little world.

Minnie hummed, taking a screwdriver to take apart a piece. "No. I had something else helping me."

He blinked at the wording. "Oh. Can I see it?"

"I'm afraid not," her tone was very kind and she stopped working to pat his hair, "It couldn't come with me."

He didn't pay much attention to her after that, just soaking in the attention before she went back to work.

He laid his head on his arms, closing his eyes to the sound of Minnie fiddling with her machinery as he thought about the past few days.

Minnie had been a welcome addition to their household, not only because she took over the role of the adult in the house, but also because she was a calming presence between Jazz and Danny. She had quickly become a mediator between him and Jazz. Their fights had lessened in quantity because of Minnie's presence, but the quality had definitely gotten worse in animosity. And while he and Jazz weren't getting along, Jazz and Minnie were the exact opposite.

He didn't really know what he had expected, but he had thought that Jazz and Minnie's relationship would be as hostile as his with Dan's. Instead, the two of them were friendly and Jazz even had a bit of hero worship towards Minnie. Which was a bit narcissic, but he could understand it.

"Where's Jazz?" Minnie asked suddenly.

Danny opened his eyes. "She's in her room."

"Did you two fight again?" She asked, putting down her tools to raise an amused eyebrow at him.

Danny frowned.

"It's not my fault!" Ever since Minnie had arrived, Jazz had grown even more overzealous with her overprotectiveness. Danny was completely over it. He was a growing boy! He didn't need to be coddled any longer!

He didn’t like fighting with his sister either, but was he so wrong in believing that he could be on his own? Jazz had her own problems fo worry about. It was just like his childhood, when she would disregard herself and the opportunities given to her to take care of him. It infuriated him, saddened him, and made him ashamed all at once.

He just wanted to prove himself. He wanted to be seen as an adult, not a little kid like she believed.

He unleashed his grievances to Minnie, who was quiet and thoughtful the entire tale.

As he was finishing up his complaints, he huffed. "I just want to be taken seriously."

"She just loves you. I would know, I also love you very much," Minnie said.

Danny blushed pink at that but he continued to insist, "I know! But I'm a superhero! I need to be able to take care of myself without my big sister hovering over me like a helicopter mom!"

Minnie laughed softly. "Maybe you just need to prove to her that you can take care of yourself. We did grow up taking care of you after all."

He just groaned.

Minnie looked at Danny with a small smile for some time. “Danny,” she began softly, “how would you feel if I stayed here indefinitely?”

Danny blinked, a little bewildered by the topic change, but he then returned the smile. “That’d be nice. You could help us out around the house! I think we could convince mom and dad to let you stay. And you and Tucker would probably get along, since you two work with technology!”

Minnie stared at him with that ever present smile on her face. The way her bright eyes peered into him was intense with its color and piercing scrutiny.

In some ways, she was even more haunting than him, who was an actual ghost.

Minnie then chuckled a little. “That would be nice. But I can’t exactly stay in a place that already has a Jazz Fenton.”

Danny blinked. “Really? Why?”

Minnie replied, “We’re both alive, that’s why.”

Then she paused, tilting her head.

“Do I need to be worried?” Danny asked.

Minnie shook her head slowly. Her expression was considering, like something had just popped into her head to make her think. She was thoughtful, before she finally smiled even wider.

“I’ve forgotten how smart you were,” Minnie finally murmured, reaching some unspoken conclusion.

Danny tilted his head, asking a silent question.

Minnie smiled, a flash of her pearly teeth enough to get his hair rising. “But that’s alright. We’ll soon have all of the time in the world for me to relearn your habits.”

And from then on, she wouldn’t answer any of his questions. No matter how much he pressed, she did not say a word. Danny was hesitant, but in the end, he let it go.

He had begun to realize that Minnie had a darkness to her that was sometimes really unsettling. She didn’t seem like she noticed it or purposely kept it down, but it was quite creepy to see it when it rose in her eyes. Sometimes, he wondered if she knew that she couldn’t hide it and if she knew that it made Danny’s skin crawl when he saw it.

However, he wasn’t too concerned about her inner darkness or whatever she was talking about.

No matter what, he knew that any version of Jazz wouldn’t intentionally harm him.

He’d probably find out soon anyway.

————

The day ended quietly and night began quietly. It was still early dawn when Danny crawled back to his bed after a long night of patrol around Amity Park. Although he was exhausted, he was filled with a sense of pride and happiness from protecting his city once more. His muscles ached and his eyes stung from being awake for so long, but he knew that because it was summer, he could sleep the whole day away.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, there was a bang and a knocking sound, like something had fallen to the ground.

Startling away from his light doze, Danny sat up from his bed. Rubbing his eyes, he trudged out of his room to investigate what it was.

He poked his head out of his room and called out to her. “Jazz? Are you alright?”

The sound seemed to have come from her room.

There was only some muffled noises.

Had she fallen down from her bed?

Not entirely that concerned about what Jazz was up to, Danny called out again, “If you need help, just call Minnie! I have to get some shuteye!”

He began to close the door, but then paused.

His core was tingling slightly, a bad feeling rising up in his throat.

Danny sighed, cursing his own Obsession before he went to Jazz’s room and then knocked on her door. “Are you okay?” He asked.

There was another faint noise but Jazz didn’t seem to be replying.

Danny sighed again, now a little more annoyed, before he opened the door.

There, on the floor, was Jazz. Straddling on top of her was Minnie, her hands wrapped around her throat and mouth, pressing down at her throat with an unsettling smile on her face, like she wasn’t trying to kill Jazz at that moment. Their red hair was scattered around and the room looked like there was a bit of a struggle.

Jazz was still struggling, muffled noises coming out of her as she wriggled underneath Minnie, but Minnie’s weight and frame kept her settled as she began to choke the life out of her.

The two of them paused as they stared at Danny. Although Jazz was wide eyed and still trying to twist out of her grip, Minnie didn’t look alarmed and only smiled sweetly.

However, in this moment, she looked just like the Devil.

Danny stared, dumbfounded for only a split second, before he immediately reacted and transformed, blasting at Minnie with his ghost rays.

“Get off of my sister!!” He shouted, his heart nearly choking up his throat as he noticed Jazz’s weak kicking.

Minnie laughed quietly and her watch flashed, lighting up instantly with a shield that rebounded Danny’s ghost ray. Jazz whimpered and knocked her head against the ground with her flinch.

Danny didn’t relent, shooting out more and more beams as he desperately flew over in an attempt to throw Minnie off.

The shield bounced him back, making him land painfully onto the wall. His vision shook and his bones felt like they were rattling inside of him. His breath was punched out of him in an instant and he gasped, blinking away the stars in his eyes from the pain.

“What the—?!”

“Oh, Danny,” Minnie crooned. “I’m from the future. You think I don't have the technology to defeat halfas like you?”

Danny gasped, struggling to find air, and hit her with an energy ring in desperation. The shield blocked it once more.

“Minnie!” He tried to reason urgently, “You don’t have to do this! You don’t need to do this!”

How could he have trusted her so much?

How had he not know that Minnie's darkness wasn't just from grief? That her darkness actually came from the killings she had probably done and that she wasn't as simple as she looked?

Had Danny's underestimation of Minnie caused Jazz to be hurt?

Minnie smiled, and the expression on her face was mocking and sweet. It made Danny’s blood curdle in his veins and he clenched his fists, knowing that he had to find a way to bypass Minnie’s shields and save Jazz.

He had to find a way to buy some time!

“But I do. I can’t stay if there’s two living versions of Jazz Fenton in one world. We’ll pull apart the fabric of his universe. If I want to stay, I’ll have to get rid of her.”

Her hands slipped down from Jazz’s mouth to press against her throat.

Jazz began coughing, tears filling the corner of her eyes as she clawed at Minnie’s hands. Her face was almost looking blue as she tossed her head around in an effort to get away. Her fingers could not even pull at Minnie’s watch. Her legs kicked weakly and she tried to buck off Minnie, but it was useless.

Danny had never wanted to curse the fact that Jazz grew up to be such a strong woman more.

Danny couldn’t watch this anymore.

“Please! Please, we can find another way!” He pleaded, almost getting on his hands and knees as he begged Minnie to spare Jazz’s life.

Anything.

He would do anything as long as his big sister got to live.

“There is no other way,” Minnie’s voice was impossibly and jarringly gentle. “I want to stay with you. So I’ll just have to kill her. But it’s okay. You’ll still have me after she’s gone.”

The thought of it made Danny sick.

Jazz struggled weakly as Minnie’s grip seemingly grew in strength.

Danny was full on panicking now.

“No! No, please, you can’t! You can’t do this!”

“It’s alright, Danny. I’ll still be here, even if she’s gone. I’ll still be your big sister,” Minnie said soothingly, but it only frayed his nerves even more.

He would lose it if he lost Jazz. If Jazz died, he really would go crazy!

“W-W-Wait.”

Minnie paused, just as Danny threw himself at the shield again, only to be thrown off. In that moment as Minnie was distracted by Danny’s self-sacrifice, Jazz was able to get the barest amounts of air into her lungs to speak further.

“I-I have an idea.”

Suddenly feeling like Jazz was going to make the stupid decision of letting her psychopathic doppelgänger kill her, Danny cried out, “No!!”

Jazz ignored him. Minnie similarly took her eyes off of him to inspect her younger counterpart.

“Y-You’re lonely, right? What if… what if we give you Dan? The one from the other dimension? He’s also Danny and you could go back to your world with him…”

Minnie looked at her with a considering gaze, her hands still wrapped tightly around her neck.

“You’re saying that I take Dan off of your hands?”

She tilted her head. She didn’t seem adverse to the idea.

Danny could not believe that Jazz was genuinely negotiating with the crazy version of herself that was actively trying to kill her.

Jazz nodded weakly, tears being squeezed out of her eyes as her lips turned white. Her feet scrabbled on the floor slightly as she struggled to speak.

Danny couldn’t breathe either.

“Yeah,” Jazz said hoarsely, and Minnie watched her struggle for a little longer as she thought about it.

Danny wanted to drag her off and he nearly did so, but Jazz seemed to have a plan and he didn't want to ruin it. However, he thought to himself that if he saw any sign of Minnie finishing the kill, he would tear her apart.

Minnie was still, her hands continuing to press into Jazz’s windpipe. Then she let go and got off of Jazz with a beaming smile. She dusted herself off as Jazz finally caught her breath, coughing hoarsely, and Danny couldn’t do anything but stare at the two of them in horror. Standing on top of Jazz, Minnie then reached down with a hand to help her up.

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, her voice calm and sinisterly sweet, “I shouldn’t have overreacted.”

Jazz shivered hard and turned to Danny with wide, wet eyes. Danny felt his heart drop in his chest and he had the overwhelming urge to push away the despicable clone that was on top of his sister.

“D-Danny, go and get Dan.”

Immediately, Danny wanted to refuse.

He looked at Minnie, who didn’t look offended as she watched the two of them with interest. Her hand was still stretched downwards in the air, waiting for Jazz to take it, like a demonic entity that was waiting for her to sell off her soul. She just stood there, tall and long-limbed, like some sort of skeletal grim reaper.

The worst part of it all was that he couldn’t fight back against her. Dan was full ghost, and he was able to be fought off. However, Minnie was human, and she had built the technology necessary to combat him.

How could he have forgotten that she was an adult with all of the time in the world to create the tech needed to take him down?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Danny was still weak and it was the worst feeling in the world for that realization to sink in.

Even worse, Minnie was his sister.

Danny could fight himself all day and feel no remorse— which would give him another therapy session if he ever told Jazz this— but his sister? His big sister, who had cared for and protected him since the day he was born? His big sister, who had taken care of him more than their parents? His big sister, who despite all of her shortcomings and his flaws, loved and cherished him?

He couldn’t.

He was scared.

Even though Minnie was probably evil incarnate, she was still his sister. His big sister who he also loved with all of his heart.

Danny looked at Jazz again and despite how she was shaking and teary eyed, she gave him a hard look and ordered, “Go!” before she turned her head around and took Minnie’s hand.

Danny took off.

He raced down to the basement, immediately blasting the cabinets open with his powers. If he could have focused, he probably would’ve opened it a little less destructively. However, his sister was still in the same room as her evil doppelgänger and he couldn’t think. His chest heaved with his hurried and quick breaths, his vision felt blurry, he was a mess.

He needed to hurry.

He needed to get back to Jazz before anything else could happen to her!

Danny grabbed the Fenton thermos that contained Dan and then flew back up to Jazz’s room, immediately slamming the door open. Jazz sat on her bed, shivering, with Minnie standing beside her, tall and impossibly towering.

Danny threw the thermos towards Minnie, who caught it with a gleam of delight in her eyes as her lips stretched further. She cradled the thermos to herself closer, and smiled.

“Thank you very much,” she said softly, nails tapping against the metal like she was testing its durability. She looked down at the thermos and the way she held it was like how a mother would hold a baby, careful and affectionate.

It only sent chills down Danny’s spine.

He could not forget the image of her choking the life out of his sister.

Danny grabbed a blanket and threw it over Jazz, pulling her closer to him. Jazz squeaked but didn’t say a word. Danny glared at Minnie, shielding Jazz with his body as he snapped, “There. You have the thermos, so leave.”

Minnie smiled. “Alright,” she said. “I will take this with me. Would you like a replacement for it?”

“Just leave!”

Why did she insist on acting so kind despite having no problem in killing others?!

Danny was freaked out even further by the contrast in her actions and her words, and he clutched Jazz to himself, glaring at Minnie with all of his might. No matter what, she had to leave. He wouldn’t stand for this psycho to be anywhere near them again!

Minnie paused and then smiled. She walked closer and Danny immediately blocked Jazz from her view, fear rising once more as he tensed like a hostile cat. All of his hair rose and he couldn't help the growl that climbed up his throat.

Minnie reached forward and Danny immediately blocked it. She dodged past the weak move and reached... behind his ear.

She pulled away something small and black, making Danny freeze.

What?

What was that?

Why was it attached to him?

Minnie chuckled, looking amused by his reaction. She pocketed the small device and then with a zap, she pressed a button on the watch on her wrist. A blue-green portal opened up, flickering with sparks and little lights. Something dark and shadowy writhed within, unable to enter but the sight of it made Danny's skin rise with goosebumps. Jazz gasped when she saw it, but Danny didn’t let go, not until he knew for sure that Minnie was gone.

Minnie held the thermos in one arm as she said, “I’m leaving now. Thank you for your hospitality. Oh, and another thing… be careful, Danny. I’m sure you don’t want what happened to me to happen to Jazz, after all.”

The smile on her face was eerie, a calm and simple smile that made her eyes narrow and her expression even more insidious, like she was cursing them. Horrifyingly enough, Danny could recognize the love in her eyes. She loved him, and this love paired with her grief made her this way. Despite everything, she loved him and it made Danny’s blood go cold and his chest feel warm in unison.

Suddenly, he couldn’t help but wonder, “What did you do in your dimension after I died?”

Minnie chuckled, a foot already stepping over the edge of the portal, disappearing into its depths.

She smiled at them both, her expression radiant.

“I killed everyone, of course.” Her tone was so cheery that Danny didn’t have time to truly process her words before Minnie then went through the portal and disappeared completely.

Both Jazz and Danny remained silent.

Danny was suddenly struck with another epiphany.

Minnie and Dan were exactly alike, weren't they? Two siblings who lost each other and then decided to go on a killing spree to vent their anguish.

Danny was overcome with the sudden, overwhelming fear that he and Jazz were destined for unhappiness.

Then slowly, Jazz reached out and touched his hand, which clutched at her shoulders, unknowingly shaking.

“Danny, you alright?” Her voice was a croak, beaten raw from being squeezed out by Minnie’s hands.

Danny immediately dropped onto his knees onto the bed, pulling open the blanket to look at Jazz’s throat.

Around her neck was a ring of dark bruises, already turning a deep purple and red, spotted with the imprints of Minnie’s fingers.

A bloody taste filled Danny’s mouth as he bit his tongue to suppress his rage, and he felt the urge to open up a portal so he could beat up Minnie, screw her identity being his older sister from another timeline!

“I should be asking you that!” He cried, hands tremblingly tracing the marks. “Are you okay??”

Jazz didn’t reply, just reaching out to pull him close. Danny slumped against her hold and returned the hug, holding her tight. He hated it. He hated how powerless he was, how he could do nothing against Minnie. Even now, he was powerless as she held him. He couldn’t even do the right job of comforting her. If anyone else saw this, they would’ve thought that he had been the one who was attacked instead.

“Are you okay?” He asked again, voice weak. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m okay,” she whispered. She put her head on his and they sat in silence for a little while.

Danny felt sick. His shame and self-blame all mixed inside of him and he couldn’t help thinking that he was useless.

He hadn’t even been the one to save her. She had done that all on her own.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, after some time.

For being mad.

For being weak.

For dying and leaving her alone in another world.

Jazz hummed. “It’s okay, little brother. I forgive you.”

Danny clutched at the fabric of her shirt and said, “I-I’ll try to keep myself safe. I’ll take care of myself. Then we’ll both live long lives and by the time we’re 90, you’re going to wish one of us dropped dead so I could stop annoying you!”

It was a promise.

Jazz said, “I wouldn’t think that.”

Danny buried his head into her shoulder, careful to avoid her fragile neck and he felt something hot rush to his face, threatening to leave his eyes.

He clutched at Jazz like she was a lifeline as he said in a small voice, "I-I... we'll always be together, okay? You'll always be my sister and I'll always love you, even if you annoy me. You'll love me even if I'm annoying too, right?"

"Even if you're a pain in the butt, I won't ever leave you," Jazz promised, laughing a little.

Already feeling the mood brighten, Danny perked up and said mischievously, “We’ll see about that. I’ll chase away all of the boys and girls that come near you.”

“Even the girls? I’m not sure if I should be proud of you for being inclusive or annoyed that you’ll be keeping me single,” Jazz joked, and the two of them laughed.

Jazz rubbed her cheek against his hair when their laughter finally died down.

"I'm sorry for being too controlling. I'll... I'll try to keep it cool, okay? But promise me that you'll be safe. And that you'll try to come back to me no matter what, even if you lose the fight."

Danny nodded in silent acceptance of her apology, clutching at her shirt again. Oddly enough, he was reminded of when they were children, when Jazz used to be the only other person in his life.

He had Sam and Tucker now, but sometimes he wished that he was still a child, tucked into his big sister's embrace while she chattered on and on about nonsensical things that only toddlers could care about, when everything was normal and kind and made sense.

Danny loved Jazz. He loved all of his friends and family. His Obsession was one that formed around protection, but most of all, it formed around his family. He would still be happy and whole if his family was with him, even if the city they lived in was different. Dan and Minnie were just different facets of their reality. They had lost their family and in their grief, they took it out on the innocent lives around them. Like them, Danny's Obsession lied with the ones he loved, not the place where they lived.

But he was different from them.

His family wouldn't be the first ones to die and leave him.

In many worlds, Jazz and Danny lost their family and lost each other.

But in this world, they were still together. Blood continued to tie them together, and they were still a team of brother and sister, protecting and caring for each other.

In this world, their family wouldn’t be so tragic.

And that was a promise.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Would you guys like a short continuation for Dan and Minnie? :3

I need to write more sibling fics for these two, I’m kind of obsessed. I love codependent relationships and I think I nailed it in this fic, but sometimes I wonder if it's too sickly sweet 😅 this fic is full of the headcanons that I have for dp, can you tell?

I hope that any of you won't dislike Danny for being a kid. Both he and Jazz have their character flaws and I hope it shows within this fic :)

In Minnie’s world, Jazz was the sole survivor of the Nasty Burger incident, and she lost her mind right after she was taken in by Vlad. After that, she began to create biological weapons and unleashed them on the world. She killed all of the scientists that could oppose her and then she just watched the world die. She’s 100% insane but you won’t notice it bc she’s trying to convince herself that she’s normal. As such, she acts calm, pretends to be pleasant, and her only noticeable abnormality is that she doesn’t react to things like a normal person. She has endless amounts of patience for a lot of things bc she spent most of her years watching people die slowly. Inspired by this tumblr ask I got

Minnie actually had a plan to kill Jazz, but a weapon was too messy so she planned to drag Jazz to a portal and then kill her in a different place. However, Danny was approaching and Minnie changed her mind to just choking Jazz in the little time she had left. That’s why her plan seems a little amateurish. (Otherwise, Jazz would actually die and that isn’t the point of this story 💀)

DPxDC Writing Prompt??!!

I know this isn't my usual fare but I just... It popped into my head and I'm going to release it into the wild and see if anyone wants to play with the idea!

After Danny becomes a Halfa and keeps having weird problems with his powers, his parents catch on in like 3 days. HOWEVER their first thought absolutely has nothing to do with ghosts! They just think he's a Meta and start trying to figure out which of them he got the gene from and whether they can activate it in themselves.

They get less and less obsessed with ghosts and become non-evil Meta enthusiasts. They just want to know more! They try and start a website like Ancestry.com to try and track where Meta genes come from and offer free DNA testing kits and shit.

This ends up with a huge misunderstanding and someone from the Justice League goes to Amity assuming they're up to no good and plotting to track down and experiment on the Metas who order their kits.

Bonus if they break in and find Danny in the lab and think he's being held prisoner or something.

Green thumb (dp x dc)

“Why won’t you grow?” Danny asked the little corner of fresh dirt he’d been allocated when he’d signed up for the community garden project. Sam had been the one to suggest it, and with significantly less ghost-fighting to do now that he’d moved away, it had seemed like a great new hobby.

“I gave you water, and all the other things Sam said to do, what more could you have wanted,” Danny said as he poked the desiccated stalk despondently.

Somewhere far off, there was the echo of screams, and something like a crash. Danny paid it no mind, thinking it might be an event or something starting. Gotham was a big city, and there was always something going on.

“I can’t tell Sam about this,” Danny sighed as he put his face in his hands. “She’d laugh at me.”

He sat in front of his failed tomato plants for a while longer before getting to his feet with a sigh. As he did, he turned to walk away, only to see a woman with bright red hair and greenish skin standing a few paces away. Behind her there was something like a cloud of something and Danny immediately stopped breathing.

Not having to breathe was definitely his favourite power ever, he hated hay fever.

“Hey,” Danny said with a little wave.

In response the woman raised an arm and a thick vine-looking thing shot out of the ground.

“Holy shit!” The halfa exclaimed. That was pretty cool. Controlling plants was seriously an awesome power, and majorly underrated if one listened to Sam’s rants.

Wait, controlling plants?

“Can you revive my tomato plants?” Danny asked the woman enthusiastically, before remembering himself. “Uh, please?”

The woman stopped moving and frowned.

“It’s just that I really tried to keep it alive, but this is the first time I’ve taken care of plants and I was really looking forward to fresh tomatoes,” the halfa babbled.

She tilted her head.

“Please? I can get you a smoothie in exchange, I know a great place, they also do ice cream.”

The woman’s lips twitched and then she waved her hand and continued walking.

Danny turned around to find his tomato plant green and alive.

“Oh my god, thank you!” He yelled, but she was already leaving.

Danny owed her the best smoothie in town.

DC x DP: The Real Blood Son

It's a year after Damian came to live with them that he decides it is an excellent time to bombard Bruce with his news.

"I had a blood brother." He says to Tim after the other commented how important blood meant to Bruce-ie, not enough to make him get rid of his other sons. "He was the first from the artificial womb mother made with Father's DNA; however, he was disposed of once his heart condition became known. I highly doubt you will last even twice as long Drake-"

"What"

Bruce didn't know that he could make his voice that cold. That dead. What in the world does he mean disposed.

Damian goes still. The kind of still where he isn't sure if he just earned a punishment and is trying not to react to the fear. "My elder brother. Did mother not inform you?"

"Damian," Bruce struggles to level his tone at Dick's hard stare. "She hadn't even informed me of you. Please, can you explain more about your brother."

The youngest nods. "He had no name, but he was my biological brother. He was forced to grow to age of three before they realized he was defective. Grandfather had him sacrificed to the pit."

Jason growls "what do you mean?"

Damian looks confused- as confused as he can with his league training kicking in. "The Lazarus pit is made from the bodies of young virgins. No older then ten. They are sacrificed in exchange for the Infinite Realms' power to sink into the water. The children are not aware of what is happening to them until the very end. They do not suffer."

Bruce feels sick.

They talk a bit more, on how certain followers throughout history were more then happy to offer the great Ra's their own children to renew the pit. How Damain had watched three children when he was seven be sacrifice- it happened every five years- and how the children were given the best week of their lives.

They purposely given the most joy they could feel before the blades to make the Pit as pure as possible. He talked a lot about watching the youngest- five years- be laughing and splashing in the Lazarus water before his mother cut him down, his screams drowning in the green liquid.

"They say the Pit absorbs the last emotion of the sacrifice. Grandfather hopes the children realize the importance and honor they have to be ended for a glorious cause, but occasionally a few are disloyal. When Todd had taken a dip, the previous Renew, had a brilliant girl who figured out what was happening and attempted to escape. She failed, of course, and her arm was amputated in a mission, but she died angry. That's why Todd had such strong madness compared to-!"

"SHUT UP!" Jason roars suddenly, eyes glowing green, and for a brief moment, Bruce swears he hears an undertone of a young girl in his scream "SHUT UP! YOU DONT KNOW ANYTHING! YOUR OWN BROTHER IS IN THERE"

Damain scowls "it's a honor. My brother's body was defective. But he at least had aidded in a glorious ritual."

Bruce can't help it; he leans over the BatCave Railing and hurls his dinner. Damian finally realizes that something is wrong.

They host a funeral for his three-year-old son, who died without a name, and place his gravestone next to his parents. They explain to Damian why the Renewal ritual is horrific but Bruce feels it take years before his son can see that.

Jason, went out into Crime Alley to let off some steam and had been going on a rampage against the underbelly of Gotham. He can't find it I'm himself to stop him.

Bruce asks Constantine to come over and do a small ritual, to hopefully unbound his child and let his son soul move on. Constantine warns that with the kid's name it may not work and that they could only free souls they share blood to but the English man tries anyway.

They send his son their prayers, and hopes. And they try to put him to rest.

Across the Infinite Releams to three dimensions to the right of the Wayne's soul resting ritual, The Fenton's adoptived son, Danny Fenton jolts in his English Class.

The strange stabbing scar above his heart- which is why he never takes off his shirt- burns then cools as if someone had tried to place the temperature-changing ointment. He rubs his best, confused.

What was that?

He'll have to check with FrostBite. Maybe his heart condition is acting up again. It happens every five years even though no doctors his parents have taken him to could figure out what it was.

Until Frostbite. The yeti claimed it had something to do with dark arts, but he's unsure what type.

Frostbite is still doing more testing.

"I wish you had lived, brother. I wish I knew you name"

The wind whispers, and Danny feels a flash of deep longing and grief before it's gone. Yeah, he needs to talk to Frostbite.

Twin Damian and Danny.

The LOfA have fountain tellers. As babies they are ordered to look into what will be their fate.

Danny first as the oldest Ra is told he will one day rule over him. Ra will be forced to bow to him.

Ra won't have that and has him dealt with. Only the person does have heart. And just leaves him somewhere he knows the baby will be found.

Toddler jazz to the rescue.

Years later Danny is king

The elderly fortune teller who probably was told to dispose of baby danny, would had place him in a straw baby carrier, putting him somewhere in Illinois forest where a couple of people were hiking. She wasn't doing this for the child safety but for Her own selfish reasons and one of those reason was to see Ra being forced to ruled over.

She wanted desperately to see the look of horror on his face like in her visions, for all the grief, the pain, and the horror he had put her family through for her and her sister talents of foreseeing visions. She hated him to her very soul, after what he had done to her, her beloved..

This wasn't the time for tears as she placed the babe safety nearby, only taking once glance before disappeared between the trees.

Only for 4 year old Jazz to find a baby in a basket in the middle of the woods on her crazy family reunions. Bringing a baby to the reunion seem like a good idea at first...

As she became a attached to her lil adopted brother, and help him grow along the ways, saving the town occasionally as she later found out that he was danny phantom to saving the world from pariah king and evil Dan grasp. To see him be crowned as high King of the ghost Zone but later on known as Infinite Realms.

She stood by his side wearing the fright knight armor during one of his duty of sealing the nasty Ectoplasmic seeping into dimensions, watching as he made a mass groups of assassin and their derange leader bow due to being liminals and apart of Danny's kingdom, as she slashed Ra's chest with her Nightmare Sword, sending him to the very nightmares realms until Warden get his hands on him later for all the crimes he committed.

DC xDP idea: Misplace Baby

Danny makes a mistake.

He was messing around in Clockwork's lair-specifically the one with all the various clocks- when he accidentally broke a glowing gold hourglass on himself. It was the size of a house, so as the sand practically drowned him, he didn't notice his body shrinking until he dug out of the shimmering sand.

Danny stumbles on chubby little legs, panicking when he notices his clothes are suddenly too big and his hands are tinny. He fumbles to one of the old grandfather clocks to check his reflection in the glass. A small three-year-old stares back at him.

Danny screams, pushing away from the old clock. His actions cause him to trip over the leg of his pants, and he falls. Just as he tries to catch himself, the clock starts to ding.

Danny briefly recognizes the old melody of a Westminster before the clock's glass case swings open, revealing a portal, and he falls through. He catches a glimpse of Clockwork with a hand on his forehead, shaking his head in the doorway as he falls.

His face is dragged against the carpet as the Westminster chime rings behind him in the otherwise silent room. Groaning at the burn on his nose and cheeks, Danny sits up.

He turns around, watching in horror as the portal closes.

"No! No, no, no!" He opens and closes the glass door, but all he sees is the slightly swinging pendulum. Repeats his actions again and again. "Clockwork! Help! Clockwork!"

His mentor does not answer, and Danny can't feel him in the air. Can't sense his new father figure's gentle control over the flow of time. If he's learned anything in the last year he's been working as his appearance, this means Clockwork isn't in charge of this timeline.

He's in a universe so far from his original that not even the god of Time is the same. Moby Dick, he's gone and goofed now.

"Who's there?" A voice demands, and Danny whips around to see a startled man in a suit. A fine black two-piece suit that looks more expensive than Danny's house and car. Oh no, a rich man.

The man's blue eyes soften when he sees Danny. "Hey there, chum. What are you doing in my study?"

Danny blinks up at him as the man walks closer. At the closeness, the halfa's body betrays him. He starts to sob. Strong, painful sobs that wreck his whole body, and he can't breathe from how much he's crying.

The man's arms are around him in seconds. "Oh, Chum, it's okay. You're okay."

He lifts him up, pressing his wet face against his neck as he pats Danny's little back. It is humiliating, but Danny can't help but cling to the strong shoulders and curl against the warm chest as he cries. His tears and snot are all over the man's suit, but he doesn't seem to care as he comforts Danny.

Eventually, he cries to sleep, tear-stained face still pressed against the stranger's neck and his little head leaning against a strong shoulder. The rich man carefully tilts his head to ensure the toddler is fast asleep.

Once confirmed, he takes the small boy to the guest rooms. He needs answers- who is the boy? Where did he come from? Is he the son of one of the Gala attendees? What had the boy been doing at the clock guarding the Batcave?- but he will find those later. Right now, he needs to tuck this small child into bed.

"Master Bruce, your guests are waiting for you to give the speech," Alfred says, catching him at the stairway. The butler's eyes zone in on the small child in Bruce's arms before nodding. "I shall inform Marster Dick to speak for you. Who may this young lad be?"

"I'm not sure. I just found him crying in the main study." Bruce tilts his head to the upper floors. "I'm going to tuck him in."

"I'm afraid I only prepared the room next to Master Damian in preparation for Master Jon's visit. Thankfully the lads would not be opposed to sharing a room for the night if I request it of them."

"Thank you, Alfred. I'll be down as soon as I-"

"Who's child is that!?" Jason demands, stomping his way up the stairs. He's missing his suit jacket, and there is a nasty red stain on the front of his white shirt. Likely he's come for a change after "accidentally" dumping it on himself to get away from the Gala.

The toddler's nose wrinkles, indicating his sleep may be interrupted. Quickly, Bruce pats his back, humming a lullaby before the child can wake. The boy settles after a small sigh. He gives Jason a warning glare that the young man has the decency to look remorseful.

"Jason," Bruce starts, voice hushed. "I found him in the main study. He looks distressed, but a few minutes ago, I got an alert that someone had gotten into the manor. When I followed the motion detectors, it led me to this little guy."

"A baby broke into the manner? That's hardcore." Jason replied, peering at the sleeping child only to gasp. "It's another mini-you!"

"No," Bruce tells him, but secretly he thinks the same when he first finds the little boy in the main study. He had already taken a lock of the boy's hair. Just, you know, in case.

"Nice try, old man." Jason pulls out his phone, his thumb flying over his screen. A soft ding comes from the pockets of Bruce and Alfred. He doesn't have to look to know his son has just told all his siblings about the child.

A series of dings follow shortly after.

Bruce sighs, choosing not to answer, nodding to Jason and Aldfed as he quickly goes up the stairs. At least Alfred delays Jason from following by scolding him over the red stain.

Once the boy is safely placed into the bed, he carefully changes him into a pair of Damian's smallest pjs. They are still far too big for the boy but better than the jeans and white shirt he wore. He's happy to find that besides the red on his face- it looks like carpet burn- and a small bruise on his knee, the boy is unharmed. He places a stuffed octopus in the toddler's arms- smiling as the little one automatically clings it to it - before rushing down to the Batcave.

There he runs the DNA tests just as he reviews the camera footage. There he catches the toddler walking out of the woods, pushing himself through a small gap in the metal fence and wandering around the manor until he finds an open window and crawls in.

The window was opened by one of his Gala guests taking a smoke break. Bruce felt a small annoyance that they didn't follow his "no-smoking" rule even when he had explained on multiple occasions it was due to Tim not having a spleen and being worried about his health. He'll have to blacklist that man.

The child had not gracefully fallen into the manor, and Bruce winced as the boy slammed against the carpet floor as tripped. It explains the marks on his face. The boy had then cried for a few minutes- his cries must have been drowned out by the music of the Gala- but then he must have realized that no one was coming for him, so the baby had gotten up and wandered through the house crying.

He had found himself in the main study, where a few minutes later, Bruce had seen him.

Rewinding the camera, Bruce's eyes narrowed at seeing a piece of paper pinned to the boy's clothes. It looked like it fell off when he crawled through the window. Checking on the DNA test, Bruce left the cave to look for the paper.

He found in the hands of Cass, whose eyes were going over the words with fascination. She looks up at him, unsurprised by his approach- no one could sneak up on Cass- and smiles widely. "Baby brother?"

"What?"

She hands him a letter. It's short and to the point; it claims to be an old fling that gave birth three years ago, but she doesn't want anything to do with the child. She's sending the boy to the manor and is out of the country by the time he arrives.

She leaves no name.

Bruce can't remember anyone with whom he had a fling three years ago, so he knows it's a lie. Still, he would rather not find her if the child was abandoned like this. He's not sure he wouldn't break all her bones.

"I don't think he's mine," Bruce tells Cass. She tilts her head with a frown, staring at him with a soft glare until he sighs. "But I won't mind keeping him."

She beams.

The two make their way to the Batcave and find Dick already there. He's staring at the screen displaying the DNA results with a stupefied expression.

"Chum?" Bruce asks, but Dick doesn't respond. He only gapes at the screen. Cass skips next to him before she, too, freezes, and Bruce is slightly worried about what he will find.

There is a match between the boy and someone in the manner alright. But it's not with Bruce.

It's a match with Dick.

"Holy rapid-ranging ravens, I'm a father." Dick gasps.

Clockwork runs his fingers through his idiotic son's hair three floors above them. Kronos stands guard at the door, arms cross as he watches the visiting time god carefully whip the dimension travelers' memories.

Kronos is in charge of this universe timeline, but when he was approached by Clockwork asking for a favor, well, it was not hard to shift some events and make Danny a legit background.

He was now the son of Dick Grayson and Stacy Quinell. One was a boy who had been born in a circus but was forced to leave it after the death of his parents. When life got too rough, the boy would join the circus for short trips under the name Dan Danger.

The other was a girl whose parents were so determined to control every aspect of her life and were going to force her to marry a man twice her age she left home at sixteen.

She joined a traveling circus-Haley Circus- where she had a fling with Dan Danger. The night Dan was meant to go, she had seen him without his mask and learned it to be Dick Grayson.

Upon discovering her pregnancy, Stacy feared being kicked out of the circus, so she took a short break, gave birth to the boy, and kept him until he was three, thus demeaning him old enough to be without his mother.

She took him as close as she could to Wayne Manor and left. She intended to return to Haly's Circus, unaware of the fate that waited for her. Unaware of the Cout that needed new talons.

"Are you sure about this?" Kronos asks, "I'm all for discipline, but having the boy forget everything about himself for going into the timeline room?"

"It's not a punishment," Clockwork says. "It's a gift. Danny had lost so much when his parents learned the truth. His sister died trying to get him out of the house. His best friends were crippled when trying to hide him. His town was blown to pieces when his parents decided that no one in Amity Park could have a family if they could not have their children. Danny had spent years wishing to forget but mostly wishing to be a normal child. I will forever be grateful if a lifetime here grants him that."

Kronos frowns. "You have no power here. You do not know what awaits him."

"True, I know not of the trials and tribulations Danny will face, but I know you do. And you would not let anything happen to him, won't you." Clockwork looks at Kronos through his lashes and the other god of time swallows.

"Of course, my love. I will protect him. But unlike you, I can not get involved with mortals as easily. I will not be able to shield him."

"His new family will," Clockwork says, pressing his face against Danny's hair one last time to breathe him in. It will be a lifetime before he can hold his son. "The bats have faced worst odds."

Kronos tilts his head in agreement. "They have rewritten fate on numerous occasions. Even the Flashes have only been able to overturn fate but never truly go against it."

"The Court of Owls?"

"Danny will deal with them in time. His new mother is on her way to becoming a Telon. He will erase them from the timeline once he learns what they have done to her." Krono answers, eyes glowing as events of the future play before him. He watches a glowing figure battle against the king of the dead, his white hair shining brightly. "He seems to take the throne from the king of dead even here. Remarkable."

"My son is the most remarkable being around," Clockwork says proudly. He flouts from the bed, leaving behind a child with only memories of three years and a few false imprinted glimpses of the circus trailer his mother hid him in. He presses a kiss against Krono's lips. "I find myself wishing for another child. Will you assist me with that love?"

Kronos snaps them out of existence just as Danny opens his eyes and feels a small loss. It's quickly forgotten as his new father runs into the room to gasp. "Hey there, buddy, do you know who I am?"

Danny Grayson is introduced to his uncles and aunts later that night. He also meets John Jones and his niece Megan Morse who ask him a few questions about his past. Danny gets a funny feeling around them, as if someone was running their fingers through his hair but inside his head.

Thankfully they find everything to be alright.

And a new generation is born.