Words From In Blackwater Woods By Mary Oliver

Words from “In Blackwater Woods” by Mary Oliver

batboys but they’re this specific cat pic

Headcanon that when Tim first started as Robin, he promised himself that he wouldn't die like Jason, and then proceeded to live out of sheer force of will.

He gets shot in the heart or blown to smithereens, and fifteen seconds later, he is picking himself off the floor like it's another Tuesday. Won't even acknowledge it happened. The type of guy to slap a bandaid on a stab wound and walked away with a flat line on a monitor.

He lives out of spite, solely so he can look at his siblings and go "Well, at least I didn't die" whenever one of them annoys him. With the amount of improbable stunts Tim pulls, Damian doesn't even think he is human anymore.

(Bruce loves his son, but sometimes he adds holy water into the coffee maker just so he can be sure Tim did not join the demon realm. Jason is less subtle about pulling Tim into churches to see if he will burn and melt. He does it a grand total of 7 times before Dick hosts an intervention about how loving your brother means you have to stop trying to exorcise him.)

Fic Planning for an overthinker. Also the dcu is a complex web of an entire planet contributing ideas forever because.

Alright so, Let's lay out what I want to accomplish here. Maybe bulleting out major prologue moments will help.

Turns out this is exactly what I needed to do. Hope y'all enjoy what is basically a prologue.

The Best Kept Secrets Are Ones No One Knows Exist

TBKSAONOKE: what a nightmare acronym,

BKS: alternate acronym option

Amity Park is a part of ______ Earth of the DCU. Activation of the Portal disconnected Everything within roughly a reasonable, but large number of miles out from the Portal itself. Both Elmerton and Amity were effected.

Major attacks that would have been noticed even with the Time delay were during major crisis events.

Danny experienced several weeks of paranoia the JLA was finally going to come to Amity Park after Technus took over the satellite, until Tucker helped him digitally backtrack its path and found it had been on the other side of the globe at the time.

Danny first meets Connor during Reality Trip. Between Florida and Gothapalooza Danny gets separated from Tucker and Sam. Danielle/Elle dragged him along to help.

"That's your dad!? He's like ten!" "I'm almost fifteen thanks and that's older than you!"

Connor thinks Danny and his friends are absolutely insane, but they also started parenting in his direction?

Sam is the one who talks to Connor about his flirting with older women (and women in general) and Connor learns he's actually uncomfortable with the way people talk about him sometimes.

"That's what that is?!" "Connor. Where does this Rex live? I just want to talk." "Danny No."

Elle is too excited about finding Connor and bonding over being clones, and is not subtle about it. Kon being so casual about it helps Elle come to terms with it much quicker herself, and it's not the coolest fucking thing.

"Danny?" "Y-yes Tucker?" "When were you planning on telling us Vlad was doing creepy cloning shit?!" "Uhhh..."

There's a lot of bonding by the time Reality Trip is over, there are only 5 people who remember it actually happened now. Connor now has a Dad, an Aunt, and an Uncle to go with the small ghost kid who adopted him as an Older Brother.

"Yeah, we're siblings by adoption now" *sniff* "They grow up so fast." "Danny stop being a dumbass" "Sam be nice to me, I'm developing empty nest syndrome as we speak."

Destabilized takes place a little differently as well. Connor is also falling apart, but not as badly as Elle.

Red Huntress Osiris Valerie is considered Mom by both clone children after this. Much to Phantom and Val's sputtered protests.

They come to an agreement on having a Permanent Truce and sharing custody. Val jokes about Child Support.

"Nu uh, These two have a Job." "They don't Pay Heroes, Phantom. I checked." "Uh, Connor has a manager, he and by extension Elle, absolutely get paid. Sam made sure of it." "None of us are old enough to sign a legal contract like that Phantom!" "Technically I'm considered over a thousand-year-old dead guy so.... also Sam is terrifying." "Point." "You are putting money in that account we made you both, right?" "Yes dad."

Valerie helps out when Undergrowth and Vortex take place back to back. Danny does NOT have to hang around Vlad because he bites a bullet and tells Valerie his secret, and they hang out instead with vastly improves his mood over all.

Val is also the one to point out maybe he's moodier lately because of the weather, like how he got all icy before Undergrowth.

Danny is still not happy with the implication his core is Malleable and adjusts to nearby threats, so he's better equipped to fight. Frostbite confirms Danny's core is what they consider 'Primordial'

This is not better

Unlike a regular normal average Plasma Core, Or a cool regular Specialized Core (Like Ice) this means it could take between five minutes from Now or twenty billion years to solidify into a final state.

"Oh ancients." "Ah, yes. One day you will join their ranks, I'm sure." "I refuse to unpack that. I am burning the suitcase. Thanks Frostbite!" "You're welcome, Great One! Do not forget to come back for another check up in six months time!"

This is when Danny learns about being Ghost Prince.

He is not excited. There IS good news!

He doesn't have to deal with that bullshit, bc Pariah is still technically "Alive" and so still King. So unless Danny goes through and Ends him or Pariah decides to Fade naturally into the next cycle of yadda yadda, he'll just be Heir to the Crown, Prince of the Realms.

Bad News, Danny still has to learn shit.

This is not Bad News, he fucking loves it. Danny tells his parents he's half ghost and a fucking Prince and wants to graduate early and do online classes, so he can also work on his duties to the Realms at the same time.

They work it out. Danny actually tests out enough when doing College Shit he doesn't have to take most basic courses and just has these credits.

Danny is confused how he's the most surprised person in the room about this. He did not expect it to go this well.

Surprise, Danny, you're a fucking genius from a family of genius'.

Vlad has been weirdly quiet.

There are a LOT of things Danny is able to do to help the Realms heal without being King. This is great! Sure he can't do official things like Declare War, or say, Deal with the Ancients Damned G.I.W but he CAN convince most of the rowdier inhabitants to stay in the Realms or within Amity Park.

This is Great. He's going to get a Good Grade in being Ghost Prince. Which is something you can achieve and perfectly normal to want.

The Box Ghost steals Pandora's Box.

Pros: Danny now has a giant six-armed Ancient, who's decided he's adorable and is going to learn combat and military tactics.

He now has a Ghost Mom.

Pandora and Maddie gang up on him if he skips meals or sleeping for any reason. They are a terrifying combination.

Jack, Technus, and Skulker are not allowed to be left unsupervised. (Tucker and Sam do not count as Supervision because Sam will test the contraption and Tucker will yell "Do a flip." right before disaster.)

Vlad is not found in Amity or Wisconsin.

Danny has his 16th Birthday/2nd Deathday.

The two almost cancel each other out, meaning Danny is stuck with severe Chest Pain for most of the day, but he doesn't relive the accident, and he counts that as a win.

It's still a gr8 day. The cake doesn't even come to life. (or the rest of the food, thank you Lunch Lady)

Danny wakes up sore the next day and finds his parents dead in the kitchen.

Vlad is still missing.

The investigation finds it was a normal murder. Someone shot both Jack and Maddie Fenton six hours before Danny woke that morning.

Their names are not found recorded in the Archives.

Danny and Jazz are slightly comforted that they didn't seem to have suffered, at least.

Jazz finds a journal in their mother's things. Their Original Birth Certificates are found in it and a photo of their parents, and an oddly familiar person that isn't Vlad, stapled to genetic test results.

Danny learns he's only half siblings with Jazz.

Wilder, the journal, lists the only possible person who could be Danny's biological match is the other man in the picture.

Vlad is still out there somewhere.

Tucker manages to drag Danny out of his Funk by breaking the tense quiet with; "Damn dude, you have, like, another half sibling and like six others adopted. We're lucky you haven't found more clones." "Ancients, is Empty Nest genetic?" "Excuse me! Elle found Connor and brought him home."

Danny fails to avoid thinking about the four others that he couldn't save before they melted into puddles.

He does manage to avoid thinking about just how many others before that there may have been.

An attempt is made on Danny's life.

Four Times.

The fifth nicks his core.

Danny doesn't make it home before he's attacked again.

Vlad finally shows his face.

Stalemate.

Vlad is his usual condescending self. Something Is Wrong. He's not gloating or going into a monologue.

Danny retreats and makes it in time for Jazz to activate the halfa proofed shield, but not before he feels something latch onto his back, between his shoulder blades.

The compact Plasmius Maximus activates. Danny is forced human.