Chapter Text
Danny had a lot of names and titles. Phantom, King of the Infinite Realms, The Great One, The Keeper of the End, Welp, Danny Fenton, and the one name he buried deep into his memory and never once said out loud after he died. Daniel Al Ghul.
He didn't want to remember that name. That name was connected to a brother he lost and would never see again. A brother who was by now a perfect soldier for Ra's and beyond saving.
Danny didn't think about his twin brother at all during most of the year. Except their birthday. He celebrates for Damian. Celebrating Damian for living on when Danny was stuck at ten.
He would have known if Damian died. Damian would haunt him forever. Plus he didn't feel Damian's soul in the Infinite Realms.
The Fentons didn't know about Damian or his past with the League. He kept it secret from them and didn't even tell Jazz or his friends.
As much as he missed his brother, he couldn't speak about him.
His throat closed up and he had a pain in his chest. It was too painful to remember. To even think about a past he'd rather leave behind him, and he intended to leave behind him.
It was their fourteenth birthday when everything changed. He felt a tug of a summoning spell and he didn't want to go but with the reminder of his brother and the pain in his chest made him give up. He answered the summons without his usual flair.
They wanted the Ghost King but Danny wasn't going to give them the Ghost King. Danny was going to go as Danny Phantom, just a small ghost who held a grudge against anyone who dared summon him.
Danny tugged himself through the poor summoning portal and just lied on the floor too tired to see who summoned him. He heard fighting and banter around him and sighed into the cold stone below him.
"Hello? Are you the Ghost King?" Someone asked and Danny sighed then reluctantly sat up.
"No, I'm Phantom." Danny introduced himself too exhausted to take on his kingly duties today.
"Right, are you okay?" Someone else asked.
"No." Danny answered still not looking up.
"Can you go back to your realm?" Someone with a deep voice asked.
"I could. Don't feel like it though." Danny said finally looking up and observing the people around him. Danny eyes widened in surprise when he recognized Batman and a few other members of the Justice League.
"Why did you guys summon me?" Danny asked them in confusion.
"We didn't, there were cultists." Superman explained.
"Can I go back to sulking now?" Danny asked them not getting up.
"Why are you sulking?" Batman asked him.
"It's my birthday today." Danny admitted sighing sadly.
"Ghosts mourn their birthdays?" Wonderwoman asked in a whisper to her teammates.
"Can you stay here for a moment until our expert comes?" Superman asked and Danny frowned.
"Expert? He better not make me leave. This is a nice cold floor." Danny said peeved that they wanted to remove him.
"He won't make you leave. You can enjoy the floor as long as you want." Batman was quick to reassure him and Danny relaxed. No one spoke for a while as the Justice League had no idea what to do but left him alone to sulk in peace. Danny smelled something foul then looked up and saw a man who's soul stank of impurity like it's been through hell many times over.
"You stink." Danny told him.
"I get that a lot." The man said and Danny huffed.
"Constantine as you can see we have no idea what we're dealing with." Superman told the stinky soul.
"Well, give me a second. What's your name kid?" Constantine adressed him and Danny sighed.
"Go away. I don't want to talk." Danny complained, crossing his arms and looking away from him.
"The kid said it was his birthday." Wonderwoman informed Constantine.
"Oh..." Constantine said then slowly approached him and sat beside him.
"What do you want?" Danny asked sadly.
"Nothing, just thought you could use the company." Constantine said and Danny chuckled.
"You're weird." Danny said relaxing and letting himself lean against Constantine. Constantine shivered at the contact but didn't pull away.
"I'm well aware of that." Constantine chuckled, forcing himself to relax.
"Do you want to go home or just stay in this dark and dingy cave all day?" Constantine asked him. Danny considered it.
"I want to stay here." Danny said after a while.
"Okay, just promise me you'll go home tomorrow?" Constantine asked him and Danny sighed.
"I promise." Danny said smiling a bit.
"Good, do you want someone to stay with you?" Constantine asked. Danny nodded after a bit and Constantine nodded.
"Okay, who's staying here with Casper?" Constantine asked the JL.
"I'll stay." Batman said first.
"Great, tell me if he doesn't want to go home tomorrow, I will see you all then." Constantine left without another word. Danny felt a little uncomfortable with Constantine gone but then Batman sat beside him and Superman sat across from him. The other members of the Justice League left after nodding at each other. They sat in silence and after a while Danny went back to thinking about his lost twin brother.
"Hey, Batman. Can we get cupcakes?" Danny asked shyly.
"Of course, Flash we need cupcakes up here stat." Batman said into his communicator and after a few moments Flash brought in some cupcakes for them.
"Thank you." Danny thanked then noticed Flash brought candles too. Danny made a cupcake for himself to celebrate staying ten again and one for Damian for turning fourteen.
"Who's that for?" Superman asked in curiosity. Danny didn't answer just lighting the candles and put Damian's cupcake in front of him.
"Happy birthday." Danny whispered then blew out his candles. He then held Damian's cupcake and closed his eyes searching for his soul in the living realm. Danny felt Damian's soul shine bright and still alive.
Danny could tell he was happy and felt himself start to cry.
He didn't want to believe that Damian moved on from his death so easily but he knew Damian probably had to move on.
"Happy birthday Dami." Danny whispered and blew out Damian's candles for him. Batman froze beside him and Superman tensed. Danny didn't notice at all though because he was too busy wiping away his tears.
"Phantom, who's Dami?" Batman asked gently. Danny went silent unable to answer.
"Hey, before you leave how about you meet Robin?" Superman asked and Danny didn't respond just sighing sadly.
"I'll call him." Batman said and left the cave. Superman stayed with him and Danny chose to ignore him. Danny instead went back to sulking and enjoying the cold stone floor. After a while Danny shifted into a cat and curled up to ignore everything and just sulk.
"What happened?" Batman asked entering the cave again.
"I don't know, one second he was a boy and now he's a cat." Superman explained.
"He turned into a cat?" Batman asked sounding puzzled.
"Yes." Superman answered shortly.
"What do I tell Robin now?" Batman asked in confusion. Superman shrugged and Batman huffed in exasperation. It wasn't long until Robin showed up with all of the other bats.
"What was so important you needed to interrupt today?" Robin asked sounding very ticked off. Danny could feel his irritation and opened one eye to look at him in curiosity.
"This is Phantom, he's a cat right now but he's also..." Batman trailed off as Robin immediately approached Danny and crouched down looking at him in interest. Danny gazed up at him then tilted his head as a pang of hurt went through his chest.
Why does Robin look like Damian? Danny knew it wasn't his brother. It couldn't be. Damian was still with Ra's.
Robin held out his hand and Danny reluctantly let himself be pet by this brother look a like.
"Can I keep him?" Robin immediately asked and Danny sighed just letting Robin pick him up.
"He's a ghost, he has to go back to his home." Batman said and Danny hissed at him.
Batman will not tell him what to do! Danny can do whatever he likes! He's the King of the Infinite Realms!
"I think he disagrees with you Father." Robin said pleased.
"But he's not a cat." Superman spoke up.
"Just because he is a ghost cat doesn't make him less of a cat." Robin said and Danny chuffed.
Technically true but Robin doesn't need to know that information.
"He's a boy." Superman tried again.
"I know that." Robin said and Superman looked at him in doubt.
"Robin, he used to be human." Batman said it more clearly.
"Did someone make him a cat?" Robin asked.
"No, he did that on his own." Superman said and Robin contemplated that.
"Can we at least keep him until he turns back into a human?" Robin asked.
"That or he leaves, but I'm not even sure if he wants to come home with us. He really likes this cave." Batman said and Danny wasn't really listening anymore just getting comfortable in Robin's arms and dozing lightly.
He misses his brother and will gladly stay with this brother look alike. He can almost pretend Robin is Damian.