Bravery
For @sanders-sides-a-spec-week prompt crossovers
Summary: Virgil has ended up in a relationship due to his fears of abandonment, but between meeting the Doctor and fighting sontarans he might just find the courage to come out and change that.
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Fear is a normal feeling for Virgil. He fears being alone, fears abandonment, or people thinking that he's weird. He worries about whether he'd upset someone he didn't intend to or whether the positioning of his furniture is dangerous.
It's something he's used to listening to and trying to avoid his fears becoming reality.
And there's a lot of things that Virgil has done or agreed to because he didn't want to be abandoned any more than he wanted to ride that dubiously safe ride at the fair.
Including this relationship, and coming on this date when really he needs a break from people after a horrible day.
At least he's laughing now, finding humour in something that Anton seems horrified by, if the spluttering words about it being nowhere near Halloween and what the hell do people think there doing is anything to go by. Honestly Virgil thought it was brilliant, and he'd almost ask to join in with this out of season spook fest. Halloween definitely needed to last longer anyway.
Although the costumes were definitely not something he'd ever go for. Two guys with like paper mache puppet masks on that looked like they'd been made over a baking bowl or something and some plastic attempt at battle armour. Frankly Virgil couldn't imagine what kind of monster the teens, and from the size of them, they couldn't be older than early teens, maybe 15, were trying to be, especially since they had blue guns, because of course the weapon has to match the armour, what soldier doesn't do that?
The gun being fired by the left one and taking out a chunk of ceiling over their heads and getting them both covering their heads and ducking away. “So not just bad costumes, you also painted real guns to look fake!” Virgil yelled, sharply glancing around the cafe as he shoved Anton down under the table.
There was a door not far behind them, and another the other side of the teens with guns, which some blonde was coming through, whacking them both on their necks, with a yell.
“Hey, you two okay? Was anyone else in here?” The woman asks, leaning over the table a moment later, getting Virgil's attention from where he was trying to keep Anton calm enough to escape as well as figure out without popping his head too far over the table to see if the guys in plastic armour were actually unconscious and decide if this new person was any safer.
“Two staff, I think they both waitress and cook, went out back not long ago. I think they had a delivery or something.” Virgil explained quickly, not sure why he trusted this person, but at least she wasn't holding any weapons, not even whatever she'd hit the gunmen with.
She smiled. “We'll go that way to find them then. I'm the Doctor, who are you?”
“Virgil, this is Anton. Shouldn't we do something about the teens in costume?” He asked, standing now since she was acting as if it was safe to do so, and pulling Anton up with him, who immediately wrapped himself around him, hiding in his neck.
“Not in costume. That's just what a sontaran looks like. They'll be fine where they are for now. It's not like we have anywhere safe to imprison them or anything.” She explained, rooting through her pockets. “And I think my rope must have been left beside the console, damnit.”
It was very easy for Virgil to ask, “Console?” expecting some comment about a computer game console, but no reply came as the Doctor was hurrying away, only just avoiding running because she kept looking back as if trying the check if they were following her.
*
Anton was screaming again.
Of course that might be because Virgil had just launched himself out from the gap they'd sheltered in, racing straight towards the sontarans the Doctor had asked them to keep an eye on, a broken chair leg in his hand.
It was still very distracting that Anton was screaming, apparently not just to Virgil since the sontarans were trying to shoot at both of them, none of them just picking a single target. At least that left Virgil the opportunity to start whacking their necks.
“Much easier to keep an eye on war mongering aliens when they're unconscious.” Virgil decided, tearing the apron he'd found in one of the backrooms up into rope to tie them up and taking their guns away at the same time. “Plus it means none of them can go back to their ship or pods while we don't want them to.”
“I really want to kiss you right now. That's what heroes get after pulling shit like that off.” Anton stated, trying to turn Virgil to him.
He didn't turn, pushing a gun into the hand on his shoulder. “Only when they aren't potentially still in danger. I'm staying vigilant until I know whatever is going on is finished.”
*
“So it looks like they were the starting force to come in. Scouts, not an invasion.” The Doctor sounded like she was halfway through a conversation when she walked back in, looking over her shoulder. “There should only be the five that we've already... You've already captured. Was this a spontaneous plan, or had you already decided to knock them out before I left?”
Virgil glanced at the now angry and awake sontarans for a moment, “They spotted us. It seemed easier to keep an eye on them if I could get them tied up instead of run away from them.”
“I could have sworn that you said everything scares you when we were getting those cooks free. This is impressive.” She looked at the collection, waving when a few hurled insults such as vermin at her.
“Also said I have survival instincts and no desire to face my worst fears today. These guys do not stand up against those fears at all.” He stated, “What kind of alien race doesn't figure out a way to protect their weakness? If you're going to make armour, include a cover or something for a feeding vent that can knock you unconscious.”
The Doctor looked him over again, before checking on Anton. “And how are you holding up? Still coping with-”
A laugh from one of the sontarans had her turning. “We prepared for your interference Doctor. This place will explode and kill you along with us if you continue trying to thwart our plans. Release us and the people in this building may be spared.”
“Or we could leave you tied up, set of the fire alarms in every building we can get into to evacuate them and let you be the only mortalities of your actions?” Virgil offered, getting a sharp disapproving look from the Doctor.
“A warrior's strategy. Not as weak-hearted as the Doctor. You'd make a fine sontaran.” The sontaran replied, nodding in approval.
The Doctor held up her hands. “And not one we're going to do. I've locked your ship. It's co-ordinates are set and you're getting back on board it now! Whether that's awake or unconscious is your choice. We've got shopping trolley's.”
*
“So you both seem very concerned but not at all touchy with that boyfriend of yours. What's this fear that's more terrifying than aliens trying to kill you?” The Doctor spoke conversationally, even if she was huffing a little from the effort of pushing a trolley with two sontarans in it.
Virgil glanced at her, scowling slightly. He would have shrugged to dismiss his fear, if he wasn't also pushing a trolley of 2 sontarans through a muddy forest. “Abandonment, loneliness, however you want to describe it. Had enough people turn their backs on me, I really can't face anyone else doing that.” He decided to indulge her curiosity, if only because Anton was further back and couldn't go into a rant over how it's the least interesting inspiration for any creator to have and list about 20 artists Virgil had only vaguely heard of who overused loneliness as a theme in their works.
“Is that why you're dating him?” She asked, as if the connection was easily made. “It's just, you don't seem to actually want to be, even if it's like utterly obvious you love him. I've had friends like that before, always platonic and half the time letting allusions of romance happen meant I lost them sooner. But that's my life; travelling, surviving, changing my face to cheat death. I don't think it needs to be yours.”
“Don't make it seem like he's threatened to leave me to make me date him.” Virgil glared now, before smiling over his shoulder when Anton yelled to check if they were okay.
The Doctor waved back as well, “Wouldn't dare imply it. Just think you should try talking to him about what you want your relationship to be, and if that's not romantic at all, then he deserves to know.”
“Still scary. Let's deal with these guys and whatever bomb is in that cafe first.” Virgil ended the conversation there, putting more effort into his strides to go further ahead.
*
They failed to stop the bomb. There were people in a car park across the way from multiple businesses, all counting staff numbers and checking with customers that had been evacuated to see if there was anyone known to be missing. Virgil had heard a few people wondering over how fire alarms went off for no fire just in time to save them from a bomb. Anton had actually shaken hands with a security guard who'd tried to stop him setting the alarm off in a bar that was a few doors away from the cafe.
The Doctor's words from when they were taking the sontarans back to their ship were ringing through Virgil's mind still, and he realised that perhaps she was right, to some degree. Perhaps he could tell Anton the truth and still keep his friend in his life.
That was why when Anton came over, seeking comfort and the kiss he'd offered earlier, Virgil tugged them away from the crowd, closer to the still smouldering remains of the buildings.
“Anton, I know we've just been through, well, whatever that was, but there's something else we need to talk about.” Virgil exclaimed, barely turning from where the Doctor was clearly trying to get him to go over to her before he was focused on saying words he'd held back for months.
“About something other than aliens trying to kill us, destroying the entire building but somehow able to be taken out by baseball bats? You seriously think I can focus on anything other than how close to death you've insisted on staying following that mad woman around?” Anton ranted, gesturing wildly, flinging his arms back at the burning embers behind them.
Virgil shrugged, “Gotta speak while I'm still feeling brave, I guess, cause I don't wanna date you. I just don't want you to disappear from my life. Including apparently being killed by psychopathic potatoes. You're like brilliant, but I'm aro, aromantic. This dating isn't for me, hell sometimes it's completely uncomfortable and stops me relaxing with you. Before you wanted to date, you weren't people. I loved being around you even when all the pressure of society to have relationships wore me out, but with this dating relationship hanging over me, even while I'm scared of you leaving, I need to escape you sometimes.”
His boyfriend froze, blinking, turning around to the remains of the cafe they'd started the evening in. “Umm, okay, I knew you weren't entirely comfortable in our relationship, but you're talking like this is the most dramatic or scary thing of the entire evening. Chill, I'm definitely not letting the guy who saved my skin, even if that was by running towards the guys with guns, stop being in my life. We'll go back to being friends and I'll process heartbreak alongside nightmares over baked potatoes. Platonic love still?”
“Platonic love still.” Virgil nodded, before snickering, “Also who are you to decide what scares me? You get freaked out by special affects that reveal how they were done. Rejection is far scarier than guys who kept shouting their planets name.”
“Their planets name? Really, that's what sontar-ha! Is about?” Anton laughed now, looking skyward to yell, “Your war cry is stupid! Get something more interesting than your home's name, Dumbasses!”
Virgil snickered with him, patting his shoulder before finally heading over to the blue box the Doctor was waiting in front of.
“You going to be okay here? I know this stuff messes with people.” She asked, seeing his approach.
“Well, I'm not getting left behind by him; the rest, I guess, can't be as threatening as those guys.” He shuddered a little now, the thought of what could have happened beginning to properly settle into his mind.
The Doctor smiled, “Or you could come with me if you like?” She offered.
“Nah, I'd just be more terrified of normal life by the time you get me back. No need to give my social anxiety more power, right?” He declined, smirking still as he realised whatever she needed to invite people to join her, she'd seen in him.
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(DCxDP) Drowning in formaldehyde (Pt. 1)
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Tw: one instance of canon-typical violence (DC), vivisection mention
Will be crossposted to AO3 eventually
(Prologue) - (Pt. 2)
(Subscription post/masterlist)
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Danny has been working for Mr. Cobblepot for over a month now.
The first few weeks he was in the Penguin’s company, he couldn’t do much of anything. Instead, Mr. Cobblepot made sure that he was well-rested and beginning to recover.
Danny cried a lot in the first week that he was there.
He cried when he ate for the first time in years; the GiW had kept him on IVs and a feeding tube, so they wouldn’t have to move him from his surgical table.
He cried when he was given his own room to stay in, when he was brought clothes to wear, when he was given a bodyguard to protect him.
He cried when Mr. Cobblepot’s doctors told him that the damage to his vocal chords was likely permanent, and that he would never sound the same again. That he would find it hard to speak at any volume above a whisper.
Apparently, he had a lot more damage to him than he had thought.
The doctors said that the scarring in his brain stem suggested his entire brain had been removed and had regrown. Danny couldn’t really disprove that, and it did line up with a pretty substantial gap in his memory, but if that was the case then why couldn’t his voice recover too?
The scarring and incredibly new tissue that showed up in scans of several other parts of his body suggested that the GiW had done the same thing with most of his organs, as well as a few limbs, and all of the fingers on his right hand.
Danny could remember that. He just didn’t want to.
Perhaps it was the feeling of pity that kept Mr. Cobblepot so understanding of Danny’s slow recovery. That didn’t really matter much, though; Danny’s energy was focused on keeping his place here, ensuring that Mr. Cobblepot didn’t decide he was no longer worth the effort.
As it turned out, there was an easy enough solution to that.
Danny was the only one who knew how to properly operate and modify the weapons and inventions stolen from the GiW.
And so, Danny had a niche he could occupy. He could be useful, useful enough that Mr. Cobblepot couldn’t get rid of him, even if he wanted to.
And, as it turns out, Danny remembered quite a lot of the theories he heard while he was on the cutting board.
As soon as he had enough muscle control of his arms to do so, he was working away at the machinery created by the GiW and his parents.
No, not his parents.
Doctors Madeleine and Jack Fenton.
Regardless of their creators, he was able to understand them quite intimately.
Maybe it was because the ectoplasm flowing through the weaponry was his own, maybe it was because he had nothing to listen to for three years other than the excited chatter of his vivisectionists as they cut him open. Maybe it was because they were both simple weaponry without a purpose.
Danny found working on the machines soothing in a way that nothing else was.
The smell of oil and grease, the sounds of mechanical clanking and metal joints squealing, the feeling of cold steel beneath his fingertips.
The first thing he did to the machines was replacing the paint, from shiny white to a matte black. That way, they were recognizable as his own modified creations.
It was only a bonus that he didn’t catch his reflection in the metal surfaces this way.
Still, his reflection was starting to become more familiar to him. It was still strangely off-putting to see, but his face was beginning to plump out from consistent eating, and his skin was beginning to lose its unhealthy pale tone, going back to a more natural pinkish color.
His eyes still looked devoid of life, but that could be ignored as long as he didn’t look at himself for too long.
Danny sighed, leaning back in his chair as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He was working on modifying the ectoblasters so that they could properly hit humans, as per Mr. Cobblepot’s orders.
He probably should feel some sort of moral conflict over it, but really, Danny couldn’t find it in him to care. Maybe it was some sort of deep internal flaw, or maybe it was because he knew that they wouldn’t be shot at anyone without blood on their hands. Either way, he didn’t have any qualms with what he was doing.
As Danny reconnected the circuitry within the gun, the indicator lights on the side of the muzzle blinked to life, a familiar neon green.
Danny would have to change that color too, he thought. Maybe red would be nice instead, or an icy blue?
He was pulled from his thoughts by the door to his temporary workshop opening. Danny looked up, and smiled when he saw that his bodyguard was the one standing in the doorway.
The man, known only as Derringer, was 6’2”, built like a tank, and known for his love of unusual firearms. He was also a big fan of card games, and had been teaching Danny how to play Blackjack during their meals.
He gently closed the door behind him, strolling into the workshop.
Danny hopped out of his seat, hugging the man tightly. Derringer laughed, patting Danny on the back as he clung to him like a koala.
“Good to see you too, kid,” the man said, his deep voice rumbling in his chest, “you just about done in here?”
Danny nodded, letting go of the bodyguard. He picked up the gun on the desk, handing it to Derringer, and pointed to the target resting in the far corner of the room.
Derringer glanced down at Danny, shrugging before aiming the gun.
He pulled the trigger, and a large scorch mark appeared in the center of the target.
Derringer whistled appreciatively, walking over to inspect the damage.
There was a deep dent in the center of the metal target, around an inch in diameter, and a large scorch mark surrounding it. The metal of the dent was white-hot, and the area around it was somewhat warped.
“That’s real nice, kid,” Derringer said, “don’t know how you do it.”
Danny grinned, baring his teeth at the man. He smiled back, ruffling his hair.
“The boss is gonna go forward with the Arkham raid soon, so long as your guns are ready,” he said, “he’s eager to try them out for real. You think you’re up to talking to him?”
“Yes,” Danny signed, nodding to the man.
“Good,” Derringer signed back.
Mr. Cobblepot, not wanting Danny to be limited in his speech by the damage to his vocal chords, had ensured that all of the people who interacted with him knew at least the basics of ASL.
When he wasn’t working on the ectoblasters, Danny was practicing his ASL with a dedicated tutor, or with Derringer, who learned the language when his mother had gone deaf.
“Can I eat first?” Danny signed, “I forgot to.”
“You forgot, or you didn’t want to leave your work?” Derringer asked, signing as he spoke, the corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement, “and yeah, the boss wants to talk to you in thirty minutes. You’ve got plenty of time before then.”
“Thank you,” Danny signed, “let’s go.”
“Hey, just a sec,” Derringer said. His face had dropped into something unusually serious.
Danny nodded, tilting his head as he signed a quick “what’s wrong?”
“You’re a good kid. Even after what you’ve been through, you’re…you’re a really sweet kid,” Derringer said, looking away. “But you…you can’t keep being sweet to everyone. You gotta act tough, alright?”
“Why?”
“You just…” Derringer sighed, combing a hand through his thick, curly hair, “a lot of the guys think that you’re too weak to be here. They’re calling you the Penguin’s pet project, and the problem is that they’re not really wrong. You gotta be scarier to survive, alright? Gotham’ll eat you alive if you don’t. Just make up a persona and roll with it.”
Danny nodded slowly, processing his words for a moment.
“Like a mask?”
Derringer laughed, a bittersweet smile on his face.
“Yeah, like a mask. Just don’t start fighting crime while you’re at it.”
“Okay,” Danny signed, his movements slow. “I can do that.”
“Good on you, kid,” Derringer said, ruffling his hair once more, “now let’s go get lunch.”
The two of them ate quickly, Danny’s mind on Derringer’s advice the entire time.
He was right, and Danny knew it. He’d seen the way that some of Mr. Cobblepot’s men had looked at him.
He wasn’t anywhere near big enough to pull off the looming intimidating look that Derringer did; his doctors back in Amity had told him that he would grow to be over six foot, but his time in the GiW seemed to have stunted his growth significantly. He was only around 5’6”, and it seemed that he was going to stay that way.
In the same way, he wasn’t nearly frightening looking enough to pull off the terrifying stares of the smaller individuals working under Mr. Cobblepot. He just couldn’t get the glare right; his face would always fall back to a blank, dead stare.
Though, maybe if he played into that…
A few minutes before they had to leave, Danny excused himself to go to the restroom. He stared into the mirror, looking into his cold, dead eyes, and let his face drop.
When he adjusted his stance, and kept his eyes a bit wider than usual, he looked downright unnerving.
Danny had already noticed that most of his mannerisms were…unusual, after his stay at the GiW base. Put simply, he had forgotten what it was like to be a human.
He had noticed that most of the people around him would avoid being in his presence, and had begun mirroring their body language as much as he could to seem more normal.
Maybe, though, it would be better for him not to.
He could lean into the whole thing. An unstable young adult, experimented on by the government for years.
Danny looked into the mirror, and wide, icy eyes stared back at him.
Danny left the restroom. Derringer turned to greet him, jolting when he did. After a moment, he nodded.
“That your new look?”
“Yes. Is it good?”
“Yeah. Freaky. Gonna take some getting used to, but yeah. Now,” he said, getting up from his spot at the break room table, “let’s go see the boss.”
Danny felt anxiety bubbling up in his chest, his entire body beginning to twitch. If Mr. Cobblepot didn’t approve of the weaponry, or if he thought they were underwhelming, would he be thrown out? Would he be tortured again, or killed?
Danny shivered when they came to a stop in front of the door to Mr. Cobblepot’s office. Failure wasn’t an option. He had to make sure this went well.
“You’ll do great, kid,” Derringer whispered, pushing the door open.
Mr. Cobblepot had been talking with a few other people, but their conversation died out when Danny and Derringer entered the room. Danny’s skin crawled.
“Ah, Danny! Just the person I wanted to see,” Mr. Cobblepot said, a large smile on his face, “Do you have one of your guns with you?”
“Yes,” Danny signed, nodding.
“Wonderful. I was just telling my associates here about your work. Do you mind giving a demonstration?”
“Where should I shoot? Do you have a target?”
Derringer was quick to translate. Mr. Cobblepot nodded, gesturing for a hired hand in the corner of the room to pull out a small wooden board, holding it up in the air.
Danny paled. He would definitely burn the man’s hands if he hit the target, even if he aimed for the furthest corner of the board.
Still, he was more terrified of disappointing Mr. Cobblepot than he was empathetic towards the man, so he drew a blaster from the holster on his leg and aimed carefully.
The blast hit the center of the board. The man holding it howled in pain, dropping the target and drawing his hand close to his chest. The nauseating smell of burning flesh filled the room.
Danny breathed shakily, in and out.
Mr. Cobblepot, for what it was worth, looked like he couldn’t possibly be happier. He and the others inspected the board on the ground closely, ignoring the hired hand as he ran out of the room, still cradling his damaged hand.
A large hole had been blown into the board, and a good portion of it had been incinerated.
“Look at that, ladies and gentlemen! I told you that Danny would deliver, and deliver he did! Imagine if that had been a person instead! Danny, what would you say would happen?”
Danny paused, trying to wince when he realized that the question wasn’t hypothetical, and Mr. Cobblepot actually wanted an answer.
“It would give them S-E-V-E-R-E burns,” Danny finger spelled the word that he didn’t know the proper sign for, “mostly S-U-R-F-A-C-E. It can’t P-E-I-R-C-E, because there is no bullet, just energy.”
Derringer translated for him.
Mr. Cobblepot frowned, and Danny frantically continued, “but it can be L-E-T-H-A-L! Burns on the head kill fast. Burns on the body make S-H-O-C-K, and kill. Strong I-M-P-A-C-T, too.”
“So they do still kill, just not instantly?”
“Yes,” Danny signed, “they’re fast. They hurt bad. Bad way to die, hurts a lot.”
“Well,” one of the other men in the room piped up, “I guess he’s not completely hopeless.”
“Of course he isn’t,” Mr. Cobblepot replied, fixing a terrifying glare onto the man, “it was my idea to bring him in, after all.”
“Danny,” Mr. Cobblepot said, turning his attention back to him, “we’re going to be collaborating with these fine individuals in the future. I’m going to need twenty guns ready for use in a week. You can handle that, can’t you?”
Danny nodded frantically.
“What kind?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Mr. Cobblepot said, waving his hand dismissively, “semi-automatic is preferable, but handguns and shotguns also work. Just make sure they work perfectly.”
The room was silent for a moment.
“Well, that’s all. You can leave now, and I’ll finish discussing the details with my associates.”
Danny nodded, signing him a quick “thank you, goodbye,” and slipped out of the room alongside Derringer.
They made their way back to Danny’s workshop in silence. Once they were inside, Derringer heaved a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his hair.
“You really think you can make that many guns that quickly, kid?”
“Yes,” Danny replied, “but I need your help.”
Derringer groaned, a smile on his face.
“Of course you’re putting me to work. I should’ve expected it. Now, what do you need me to do?”
“Well, first, hold this…”
—
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