Chapter Text
Phantom doesn't know how long it’s been now, weeks, months Years..? it lost track a while ago, it can’t remember what life without pain feels like, it used to count the ceiling tiles but now with its sight blurry, eyes regenerating from when they removed them last time they were here.
All it can see now is the white bright lights and the fuzzy shadows of the Fentons when they are here experimenting, cutting into him .
(-ImAlive-Please-ImSorry-BeliveMe-)
X
“Look honey! it’s trying to hide something here, right here behind the false heart” Maddie said pointing with her scalpel. Please no mom, stop! no No!!! “OH No Ghostie, you don’t get to hide that from us! ” Jack reached and grabbed the ghost core, slowly wrestling it out from its chest ghosty strings fighting to keep it inside. DAD! no stop, it feels wrong!!
(-Hurts-PleaseStop-ItHurts-)
All it can do is to try focusing on the before, when He was happy and ignore the now, ignore the hurt betrayal paiN̵͕̦̩͐ .̷.P a̴̖̟͕̞͗̂̍̕̕͜͠͝ I n̶͎̣͍̲̿̄̚̚ ̷̫̟̮͘.̵.̷.̶ .̵.̷.̸P̶̱͉̗̜̈́̈́̀ A̵͔̋̅̃ I̵̱͌ N̷̫̫͐̕.̵͉̳͑͑͝ .̵.̷.
(-..HelpMe-Please-help-anyone..-)
“Time OUT”
The Fentons frozen statues where they stand Mr.Fenton holding the core, the tip Ms.Fenton scalpel piercing the protective membrane of the core.
A being clothed in a long purple cloak, clock buried deep in his sternum, his form fuzzy as if in constant flux both old and young overlapping, appears above them.
Gently he takes the core from the man's hold and lets the softly glowing strings pull it back where it belongs and scab over oozing wound on its membrane.
Moving the scientists to the side the ghost floats closer to the boy “I should have noticed this earlier dear Daniel, this is not how it should have gone. I’m so sorry my king”
Clockwork said remorse heavy in his voice, carefully he held his staff out over Danny “Don’t worry Daniel i'll bring you somewhere you can heal” Danny's form is then swallowed up by a soft green light.
Once the light fades there is now a sleeping toddler where Danny was, his wounds now closed and fresh looking. Picking up the small child from the too big bindings and removes the too big muzzle from the boy's face.
He cradles Danny close to his chest. Wrapping the small boy in his cloak, Clockwork turns to leave “Come my child we have a friend to meet” He smiles sadly at the sleeping boy, from one second to the next they're gone.
“Time IN”
—
Near an abandoned alley stands a lone lady towering above the streetlights, dressed in shadows, eerie eyes glowing behind a black lace veil that covers her face just above her mouth. across from her a glowing green portal appears
“Greetings Lady Gotham, it has been a while” (-Hello-Friend-) Clockwork comes through the portal child held close to his chest.
“Hello old friend, it indeed has been quite some time hasn't it, is this the king? he’s so small..” (-Hello-Time-King-Infant?-Concern-) Gotham answered, frowning sad to see their king so hurt.
“ah.. yes it was unfortunately the only way to keep him from ending that i could find, I deeply regret not seeing it earlier to spare him all this pain, he can heal here yes.” (-Grief-Anger-MyFraid-Hope-) he sighs exhausted.
“Of course it would be my pleasure to house him within my city, my favored knight will keep him safe within his haunt” (-Promise-Infant-King-MyKnight-Safe-NewFraid-) grinning her sharp teeth glistened beneath the veil, ecstatic to be trusted with the hurt boy king.
“Thank you Lady Gotham, should all go well they will heal each other too” (-Gratitude-Exhausted-Trust-Shadow-) relieved he removes his cloak and loseley swaddles the little king, reaching out with long claws Lady Gotham carefully takes Danny from Clockworks protective hold. Smiling gently down at the child as he left, “Now where to place you? Little king.” swallowed by the surrounding shadows Lady Gotham and Danny disappear.
—
Phantom doesn't know how long it's been sitting here before it notices the lack of pain, or the smell. "eh wah…" Looking around sluggishly, head stuffed with cotton, Phantom takes in its surroundings, it's dark, damp and smelly. Scrunching his nose he spots two big metal boxes one right beside it and another closer to the entrance of the corridor? it seems to be in.
Trying and failing to move Pha n /D ny feels its his? body unmovable and his core uncomfortably tight and wrong, “What happened? wasn't I just in the..?” then it strikes HIM , he remembers explosion the GIW rushing, d- Jack, mo- Maddie, electric nets pain, the basement, G̵R̷EE̴N FLO W̷ I̸NG, SO̴ M UC H GR̵EE̸E̶N̵,̵ W̵H̶I̸T̴E̶ ̵H̵O̶T̴ ̷P̵A̵I̸N̷.
Everything becomes too much, he's too cold/warm, just Too Much. Tears streaming down his face Danny curls up behind the metal thing, he tries to get control of his breathing, throat hurting, core burning. (-Help-Stop-Please-MomDad-) Everything goes black.
— (Jason POV) —
Something big is coming Jason can feel it, the pits have been squirming all day luckily they have been easy to ignore. It’s been a quiet rainy night in the Alley so far a pathetic attempt to robb mr.Darcy's bodega, few unruly john’s and some other minor scuffles.
“Hey, Hood!” a voice calls up from the alley, looking down he sees Joe looking up at him, she's one of the matriarchs that looks out for the younger sex workers throughout the Alley, although she prefers to call herself an escort.
“Joe! What can I do for ya? Anyone giving you and your girls trouble.”
Jumping down to the alley below, Jason stands across from Joe, her cigarette in hand she sighs.
“Yeah you can say that again Hood, word on the street says that new faces are acting shady more homeless going missing, don't know much about any others but one of my girls Bonny’s missing, she's a new one, young too fifteen, last I saw her three days ago working a corner near the bowery.”
“Alright i'll look into it thanks for the info” nodding Joe puts out the cigarette and turns to head inside the building, “Hey Joe be extra cautious something ain't feeling right in the Alley today“ Jason calls after her “Will do Hood, will do” the door closes.
Grappling away Jason continues to patrol the rest of the night quiet just a mugging or two not much more, the pits getting more and more restless with each lap around Crime alley. “Gah!” The green that's been tinting most of his eyesight suddenly brightens, blanketing his vision mid grapple. Faltering Jason falls to his knees on a nearby rooftop cradling his head as a new and uncomfortable feeling consumes him.
Jason can’t discern what these feelings that erupted are, only that they feel like the nauseous green of the pit but not all the same. He feels frost creep up the back of his throat, lost in the pit as he is, everything else loses its importance Jason has all time in the world.
Crouching on the roof, static in his ears Jason stares blankly down at his hands “You okay there Hood?”
He absently noted that something was beyond the green, “Red hood answer me!”
There it was again he doesn't want it here, anger rises sluggishly from the green depth, why is it closer than before.
“Little wing!!” The something is on his shoulder… like lightning Jason is back in Crime alley, startling he attacks whatever is behind him, it dodges away “Hey hey Little wing it's just me” finally recognising the voice Jason stops his assault on who he now sees is just Dick as Nightwing standing a little ways away from him.
Straightening out from his ready crouch Jason crosses his arms, “What are you doing here Nightwing” raising his hands Nightwing takes a step back uneasy smile on his face “I was in the area, can’t I simply want to check on you Little wing you never answer when I call”
Scowling he steps closer to Nightwing “First of all don't call me ‘Little wing’ and try again what do you want Nightwing” he still feels the cold in his throat.
Tensing under his helmeted stare it doesn't take long for Nightwing to slump in defeat “Oh okay fine you got me Lit-Hood” Standing straighter he continues “There’s a new meta trafficking ring i've been following them for awhile now, but there annoyingly good at covering their tracks”
Tilting his head “Alright give me what you have on the ring, i'll take it from here” affronted Nightwing recoils “What no it’s my case” the familiar green is creeping back bubbling in his veins.
“And you know that I don’t want any of you Bats in the Alley”
Nightwing throws his arms out wide “C'mon it's not that big a deal to let me work in Crime alley this one time!” The pit boiling Jason feels like someone is standing on his grave.
“Well too damn bad I don’t want you in the Alley, now give me what you have on the ring or don’t i'll still take care of it either way you're still not gonna be in Crime alley” his hands hovers over his guns.
Finally backing down Nightwing huffs “Fine have it your way i'll send you what I got on the ring but keep me updated ok, it was my case first” he glares off in the distance.
“Good, now get out” pit receding Jason feels like he can breathe easier, Nightwing smirks his bad mood seemingly gone with the wind “Just one more thing Little wing! When are you coming back to the manor for family dinner?
The pit surges back into place he points the guns at Nightwing “No and don’t call me that, now get out” Jason can almost imagine the green glow of his eyes showing through his helmet.
Backpedaling, he holds his hands up in surrender “okay okay I’ll leave, but Alfred would appreciate you being there” Nightwing flips and grapples away “Fucking show off”
—
Making one more round patrolling the Alley, okay maybe two more rounds Jason ends up in one of his nicer safehouses that actually has a bed.
Frying some eggs he contemplates on the new pit because it can't be anything other than another but instead of ebbing and flowing like the ocean tide, it’s more concentrated behind his sternum.
Food consumed, Jason pushes thoughts and of the new pit to the side not like he can change it, this is his life has been his life for a long time now, constantly on edge with little to no respite.
He's asleep before his head hits the pillow.
— (Danny POV) —
The next time he wakes up goes better, “where am I?”. Trying to move, he notices the big purple blanket? that he is swaddled in. Wiggling free from the blanket was not an experience that Danny enjoyed, it felt like all of his body had been stuffed in a blender and then taped together.
Stumbling up from where he was leaning against a brick wall and one of the dumpsters, Danny wraps the giant blanket around his shoulders, absentmindedly rubbing the soft cloth between his fingers.
Now standing up everything is much bigger than it should be. Looking around Danny appears to find himself in an alley?