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confessedlyfannish · 7 months

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DP x DC Prompt #6

Phantom is sitting at the Batcomputer, kicking his legs back and forth. With the seat last set for Batman's height, his feet barely skim the ground. He's propped his head up with one hand, examining something he is holding between his thumb and forefinger in the other.

He is very casual for someone who has never been told the location of the Batcave.

"Phantom," Batman grunts. Phantom doesn't glance his way, likely having heard the Batmobile pulling in.

"Hi Bruce," he says. "I had a nightmare last night."

It's important to note that The Justice League does not know Phantom's true age, although there are several theories:

Theory One: he is a ghost dating back to several thousand BCE. The proof of this is sparse but present, through written record of beings with white hair and green eyes and uncanny likenesses found in artifacts proven to be authentic. Could these truly be Phantom? Yes. However, there is

Theory Two: he is a teenager, as his visual presence suggests. This could be true even if his existence is thousands of years old, as his mentality might not have advanced beyond that of a child aged fourteen to sixteen when they died. This is supported by his general behavior and advanced knowledge of memes. The few times he and Red Robin have interacted, Bruce did not understand a word of it without extensive googling. But worse, of course, there is

Theory Three: Phantom is the age of his first recorded appearance in modern times, only a few years ago. Phantom's recorded appearances in the past were sparse compared to his consistent existence in this century, which could hint at a timestream accident similar to Bruce's own, if they are real. And ultimately, this would not be the first time a two year old presented as a teenager in form.

Two out of three options propose Phantom is a child, and so Batman's tone is gentle when he says,

"Did you?"

"Yeah," Phantom says, words almost a sigh. Whatever is in his hand catches in the lamp light, shining green.

It's kryptonite. Phantom is holding a shard of kryptonite.

"Sorry." Phantom twirls his chair around to face Bruce. He holds the shard out in his palm. "I called you Bruce, didn't I? I know you hadn't told me yet."

"That's okay," Bruce says. He takes the shard calmly, his suit's layered biometrics disguising the fact his heart is racing. He recognizes this chunk from his stores, kept in the secure, deepest, impenetrable section of the cave coded to his DNA alone.

He's been aware Phantom's powers include invisibility and intangibility, but the ghost has been benevolent, honorable, and heroic since introduced and he had allowed his guard to slip. All it would've taken is being tailed one time, and now he must rely on that benevolence.

"And I'm sorry about that," Phantom says, nodding at the belt Batman has tucked the kryptonite inside. It will do nothing to stop Phantom should he decide to pluck it away again, but kept out of sight in a lead-lined pouch still feels safer than out in the open.

"I needed to make a point." Phantom says. The words are threatening but his tone is not.

"Oh?" Bruce asks, wary nonetheless.

"I'm really strong," Phantom says. "I can walk through walls. I can disappear. I can fly. I can blast and freeze stuff. I don't need to breathe. Traditional weapons don't really work on me."

"I can duplicate," a voice says from behind Bruce. He whirls around, batarang in hand, to see another Phantom rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "That duplicate will have all the same powers," the doppelganger says, apologetically. He floats back over to the Phantom sitting on the chair and the two merge.

"I have bad powers too, ones I don't like to use. I can scream at things until they fall apart, even buildings. I can...I can possess people, and make them do things," he admits, unable to look Batman in the eye. "It's not that all ghosts are like this, pretty much all of them aren't, it's just that I'm one of the stronger ones, and I'm only going to get stronger, and the stronger I get, the more powers I might get, and the less weapons even made especially to fight ghosts will work on me."

None of this is phrased as a threat, but rather a confession.

"Why are you telling me this?" Batman asks.

"I had a nightmare," Phantom repeats weakly. He reaches under the computer table and pulls out a purple JanSport backpack, cotton dirty and frayed with use. He unzips the front pocket and pulls out a small plastic baggy. He offers the baggy to Batman, his hand shaking.

Batman takes the baggy, examining the contents. Inside are six tiny little dots. They look like poppy seeds, but held up to the light are a deep purple in color.

"Phantom, what are these?"

"Hemo Prunus," Danny says, eyes stuck on the baggy. He's paler than usual. "Colloquially: blood blossoms. At the time they were grown it was believed they required drops of blood to grow, but a friend of mine who likes plants thinks it's more likely they actually just like a higher quantity of iron in their soil. You know, truths found in witch's tales and stuff like that. I don't know much about their care beyond that but I do know they were grown previously in Salem in the late 1600s, early 1700s during their summer seasons with some amount of success so perhaps you can mimic that environment and go from there. From what I've gathered they're incredibly difficult to grow, but I figure if anyone can do it it's you."

"I'm not exactly the gardening type," Batman says dryly.

Phantom laughs faintly. He looks like he's about to pass out, which should be impossible and is not the correct reaction to gifting someone a rare piece of flora.

"Phantom," Batman says again, slowly. "What are these?"

"They're my kryptonite."

Bruce closes his fist over the bag immediately, taking several steps back to put distance between himself and Phantom. "Are you alright?" he asks sharply.

"I'm fine," Phantom says, waving a hand. "As seeds they just sting a little, like nettles."

That's not the reaction of someone being lightly stung, Bruce thinks. Phantom looks like he needs the chair he's sitting in just to stay upright.

Then the rest of his words click together.

"You're giving me these," Bruce says.

"Yes," Phantom says. "For safekeeping."

"To grow."

Phantom's smile fades. "For safekeeping," he says, looking at Bruce's belt. Where he has stored the kryptonite.

The enormity of what Phantom is entrusting him with hits Bruce like a ton of bricks, and he finally realizes that Phantom is not sick but terrified. He is quietly, deeply, terrified. Bruce also realizes that a reaction like that is not born out of fear of the unknown but is the reaction of someone who has felt the sting of the bee and felt their throat close up. At some point Phantom has felt the blood blossom flower, and the sheer memory of it is enough to make the ghost go almost catatonic with terror.

And he has still handed over the one weapon that can hurt him to the Batman, and told him all he knows on how to make more.

I had a nightmare.

"Is this all of it?" Bruce asks, the question coming out brusquer than intended. Phantom blinks.

"Yes, I'm sorry, that's all I could--yes that's all," he stammers.

Bruce shakes his head. "I mean, does anyone else have access to it? Is anyone else growing this that we should be aware of?"

Phantom can't mask a sudden shudder, his reactions always woefully transparent (pun not intended). "No, that's the last of it. No. No. I don't think," his eyes grow wider, "I don't think so," he whispers, to himself, an attempt at comfort.

Way to go, Bruce, a familiar voice whispers, you just scared the kid harder. Bruce drops the packet on a table beside him and strides forward to put a firm hand on Phantom's shoulder.

"I'll make sure of it," he says. He'll pull Kal in and together they'll make sure, the same way they raided every GiW base across the United States four months prior. Phantom looks up at him the same way he did then, with complete and utter trust.

"Thank you," he says quietly. "But if you do...if you do find any more, promise me you won't destroy it. Promise me you'll keep it, the same way you keep the kryptonite. Please, Bruce."

He's not just asking him to keep it. Another weight finds its place, settling on the Bat's shoulders like the cape he wears. Another contingency for a hero he fears will one day be a dear friend.

"I promise, Phantom."

"Danny," Phantom says, "My name is Danny. A name for a name, right?"

"Danny," Bruce says, heart growing ever heavier. "I promise."

#I watched Epilogue from JLU right before this #can you tell #I'm in my feelings so hard rn #dp x dc #dp x dc au #dp x dc prompt #dp x dc crossover #my writing #batman #danny phantom

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uglyducklingofthe2000s · 2 months

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Bring Heaven To You - LN

Summary: Y/n had been dating Charles til he breaks up with her and when he shows up with a new girl less than a week later, Lando makes a move that he doesn't think is very disrespectful given the relationship ending, and he intends to show her what heaven really feels like in a relationship.

No part 2 requests please

Lando had heard the news, seen the announce of the "mutually agreed" ending to the relationship. He supposed it had been fairly obvious that the two were slowly growing apart.

Or more, Charles was losing interest in a woman too good for him anyway.

She's actually a neighbour of Lando's. Living in Monaco as some big millionaire's daughter, aka she doesn't pay for her living costs for Monaco.

"Hey, y/n. I was wondering when-are you ok?" Lando questions spotting her at the entrance, as he steps out and finds her very much looking a bit of a morning after mess.

"Yeah...just getting air. I don't feel so good." Y/n sighs as he sits down beside her. "Turns out drinking your problems away and sleeping with a millionaire isn't the way to go."

Ignoring the pang of jealousy that someone else got to be her rebound, Lando pats her knee.

"I would've thought millionaires would be exactly the type of people to fix problems."

"Yeah, well when you sloppily get drunk and he enjoys raw-dogging it. It comes with a lovely morning wake up of him telling me his assistant got me the morning after pill-actually two because apparently I'm a bit chubby and he doesn't want to risk it not working right because of dosage." Y/n laughs dryly then rubbing her hands over her face digging the heels of her palms into her eyes. "I almost want to credit him for knowing that woman who weight more need more than one pill."

Lando doesn't even know what to say, but his instinct is to find the bastard, take him in a choke hold and keep his head pressed under water till he feels like he levelled the universe's need for karma.

"I know what you're thinking." Y/n sighs but Lando can't help but mentally counter that she definitely doesn't. "This is not the right way to handle a break up. But this is the classic response isn't it? Drink, sex and wallowing."

"There's worse ways to handle it."

"Mmm...I could pull the ultimate move of manipulation by going to Charles and say if he doesn't take me back I'll kill myself." Y/n laughs then shaking her head. "I got dropped off here by the asshole's driver and I don't have the energy to move. Do you know how many rich people have drive past giving me the dirtiest looks? Safe to say any amount of self-confidence Charles didn't take has well and truly been washed away."

"Ok, as much as I want to respect you and respect Charles. Y/n, Charles never treated you right and that rebound was a fucking cunt." Lando states then standing up and offering his hands. "And if you're going to make be sad. Then you're going to have to fight me doing anything to get a smile out of you to do it."

"Sounds like the last thing I want to do is take your hands then." Y/n smiles lightly before shaking her head. "I need a shower, he might've given me the morning after pill but uhh...he didn't let me stick around to wash of the 4 drinks I spilled down myself or the sweat."

"Give me your hands y/n. You can shower once you're actually on your feet." Lando shrugs making her smile finally reaching her hands out and allowing herself to be pulled up to her feet. "You're freezing."

Y/n's body is only adorned in a slinky dress that is thin as hell with strappy heels on the floor. Presumably she hasn't worn them this morning. To put it lightly, she's not dressed for the coolness of a Summer night.

"It's October." Y/n smiles sarcastically then sighing as he pushes the door open. "You don't really have to stay with me. You were on your way to somewhere."

"Not to anywhere important." Lando shrugs making her smile sadly before he gestures for them to go ahead. "My apartment or yours?"

"Mine." Y/n laughs not really sure why they'd go to Lando's. "Are you going to be on y/n patrol or something? Make sure I don't go off the rails and throw myself in the ocean?"

"Well I am now." Lando frowns making her smile lightly at him.

They get up to her apartment Lando sighs taking in the soft vanilla scent that always seems to fill up the space. He's been in her apartment before. She keeps it much more full of stuff and life than he does with his. Not like it's cluttered but you can learn a lot about her if you pay attention to the details.

"If you just want to sit down or...wonder around, snoop in my stuff, just...if you go in my bedroom, possibly don't mention some of the stuff you find. It's embarrassing enough that you found me looking like this on the floor at the doorway of our apartment building." Y/n smiles then moving down her hallway into her bathroom.

"Fucking hell, make it hard for me." Lando whispers to himself while moving around to sit down on her sofa.

About 20 minutes later, y/n reappears with a towel that only just maintains her modesty as she does a spin.

"Improved?"

"You always look good, but I think for a full evaluation you'll need to remove the towel."

"And here I was about to praise you for not being a perv by being caught wanking with my underwear."

"Dirty or clean?" Lando questions making her frown in confusion. "Did you think the underwear I'd use would be dirty or clean?"

"You're disgusting." Y/n laughs picking up one of the cushions to throw at him before she moves back. "I'm going to get dressed. I won't be long."

Lando smiles sort of glad that y/n at least still has her sense of humour intact. Though it might be the residual alcohol in her system. Really Lando always thought she was too funny for Charles, he never seemed to understand her humour but Lando got it. That's why they got along even before her and Charles broke up.

When y/n appears clothed and layered up in some joggers and a sweater. From that Lando feels the urge to cuddle with her just from the sight.

He's never seen her so dressed down, presumably the image of Charles' girlfriend doesn't allow for it much even if Charles isn't the most fashionable person on the planet.

"You look cosy." Lando comments while she sighs. "I would offer to leave you with your thoughts but everything you've said till now tells me that's not a good idea."

"I'm not in a depressive episode, Lando. I'm just...single and had to tell the world it was a mutual decision, but really I said that so he didn't look shit in the media...I heard he's already with someone new."

"He'd be stupid if he gave you up and then moved onto someone new."

"Or I'm just that bad." Y/n smiles as she tucks herself up on the sofa and looks at him. "Being a good neighbour to you doesn't mean Charles though I was a good girlfriend. You never know what's going on that you don't see."

"You're being harsh on yourself."

"You're being too kind." Y/n mumbles gently kicking him with her foot though he quickly grabs it and uses it to yank her towards himself, forcing her to slide across the sofa.

"Maybe I'm not being kind. Maybe I'm dropping hints that you're not picking up." Lando states making her stop laughing at him. "You should come to COTA as my guest."

"Now you're just asking for trouble."

"I only stopped myself before because you're were in a relationship." Lando shrugs earning a laugh of disbelief from her. "Figure the best time to shoot my shot successfully is when you're still a little disorientated."

"I'm so stupid. I was dating some asshole who dumped me for someone better and now you're telling me I was so blinded by Charles that I didn't notice you." Y/n groans covering her face. "And now you want me at COTA with you."

"You can say no."

"I feel like I've already been enough of a bitch to you...especially when you're seeing me at my worst."

"If this is your worst, I'm not sure I even need to see your best." Lando smirks earning a pointed look from her.

"Were you always this smooth? Have I been deaf this whole time?"

"Yes."

Y/n felt oddly empowered walking into the paddock with Lando who seems to be proudly at her side.

Admittedly, she went all out making sure she had the perfect outfit, got her nails done with papaya French tips, sunglasses mask part of her face as the sun shines down on them.

"Y/n?" Carlos chokes out clearly shocked that she's not only switched from red to papaya but from Charles to Lando. "Has Charles seen you?"

"I don't know, why?" Y/n smiles sweetly since actually her heartbreak is long gone and she doesn't care in the slightest about Charles. It turns out when someone points out just how little you were valued by someone else, it becomes pretty hard to miss them.

"You-The two of you are together, yes?"

"Carlos, your concern is unnecessary...I know Charles is here with someone else. Why can't I be here with someone else who actually treats me like I matter?" Y/n questions making Carlos speechless but she can't help as she makes another comment with a slightly more hurt tone which makes Lando's head turn with a concerned expression. "Plus...you've been teammates with both of them. Tell me I didn't upgrade."

Carlos laughs not being able to deny that Lando has at least brought back the life to the young woman. He'd felt bad knowing that Charles was slowly involving himself with someone new while still in a relationship with y/n, who Carlos knows deserved better. He just never thought better would come in the form of Lando and certainly not the week after the relationship was announced as over.

"We should go." Lando comments making her hum and follow him giving Carlos a little wave as Lando flashes him a smile.

"You know, I am beginning to think I've risked it with this top." Y/n sighs as she uses her free hand to gently tug her top which is only held in place by string tied around her back. "It looks good but one quick move and someone is definitely getting flashed."

"You can borrow something from me if you need." Lando states earning a small smile. "I know you're already repping papaya on your nails, but if you need some extra layers for safety, McLaren will be more than happy to have you representing the team in uniform."

"You think?"

"As part of the McLaren family. I think I can speak confidently on the subject." Lando hums earning a small laugh from the young woman.

"In that case, if it gets a little colder. I may take you up on that offer." Y/n grins then moving around in front of him, forcing him to stop as she rests her arms on his shoulders. "You know you don't have to treat me this good just because-"

"I am treating you like this because you deserve it and it's how I treat the woman I want to be in a relationship with." Lando cuts in then grinning into a kiss as she leans in. "I don't know who is showing off more. You or me."

"I think it's nice that we're both showing off." Y/n shrugs her hand moving to cup his face, her thumb gently rubbing his cheek before she pecks his lips again.

There's a sudden gust of wind making her body shudder quickly before she finds herself pulled against him as he tries to protect her from the cold.

"Come on, let's get you inside. I think we can find you a jacket to keep you a bit warmer." Lando states then grinning as he picks her up in a big hug.

Y/n sighs looking at her phone tilting her head as she reads through the high amount of hate she's getting. There's a very few who seem to support her, them pointing out the difference between y/n and Lando now vs y/n and Charles in the past few weeks.

Some have also noted the new mystery girl that Charles appeared with.

"Charles wants to speak to you." Lando comments suddenly, appearing out of nowhere and sitting down across from her since she's in some of the outdoor seating in front of the McLaren unit.

"Mmm...I could get used to an F1 driver being my personal carrier pigeon." Y/n jokes then shaking her head. "Is it too petty of me to say that I don't really want to to talk to him?"

"No. I warned him that it's your choice and I'm not force young." Lando shrugs making her smile and move over sitting in his lap, closing the space between them as she makes her shameless public display. "I'd rather you didn't really."

"Then I won't. Spent too long wasting my time pleasing him anyway, why waste another second when I got you?" Y/n grins before placing several kisses around his face earning some loud laughter.

"Oi! Keep it in your pants kids!" Daniel exclaims passing the two with Max who is laughing pretty hard too.

"Not wearing any!" Y/n shouts back making both Max and Daniel trip over their own steps then both laughing while she grins and leans back on Lando resting her head on his shoulder. "I mean that by the way."

Lando hums sliding his hand just under the denim of her jeans and sliding it over the skin as if to check himself.

"Noted for later. For now, do you want to come to the garage with me? It's one of the safe places where Charles can't try to corner you for a chat."

"Oh my gosh, yes. That sounds so fun." Y/n gasps standing up and tugging Lando up before he has a chance to really process what she's saying.

Turns outs that y/n really couldn't avoid Charles forever and while he didn't catch her in COTA, he did catch her in Mexico.

"Y/n, please." Charles tries as she spots him nearing her and tries to rush to the safety of the McLaren unit but his voice rising in volume forces her to stop.

Her body slumps and she sighs slowly turning.

"I really don't want to talk." Y/n states making Charles look at her with those big eyes that really make her rolling her own and gesture for him to go ahead.

"Y/n, I'm sorry." Charles sighs making her sigh looking at him with a dead-eyed expression. "I should've never treated you the way I did, it was wrong and not fair. You don't have to forgive me but I want you to know I am sorry."

Y/n frowns, a little shocked. She expected possibly some jealousy of some anger saying that she shouldn't be dating Lando. But an apology is quite nice.

"You seem happier with him that you were with me." Charles adds making her sigh.

"Because he doesn't speak to me like I've always done something wrong...maybe do better with your new girlfriend...and don't cheat on her instead of just breaking up because you realised it wasn't the right fit." Y/n states trying to keep her tone as soft as possible since Charles isn't there starting fights. "Thank you for coming to talk to me."

"Thank you for not running off." Charles nods then swallowing. "It's nice seeing you so happy with Lando."

"It's nice being so happy with Lando. You could ask him for some tips." Y/n shrugs before feeling some pride in herself then she moves away. "This was a good talk, Charles."

He doesn't stop her this time and actually the witnesses to the interaction see a look of regret on Charles face as it seems to dawn on him how badly he fumbled with her. Especially when she's so clearly thriving with Lando which means it's not very likely she was the issue this whole time.

"I hope I don't have to fight him, I don't actually know who between us could take the other but I feel like he's got the upper had a little." Lando states as y/n nears where he was standing with Jon.

"No, I think I put him in his place without your help." Y/n states making him grin at her. "But thank you for your concern."

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