Chapter Text
The six kneeling in front of him were a rather odd bunch, Danny thought, as one of the Observants droned on about the importance of political alliance. Three women, three men, three middle-aged, two looking early twenties, one that had the face of a forty-year-old but the rancid core of someone who’d lived millennia longer than they should have. Was that Batman in the middle there? One of the women also seemed to just be in pajamas. Clearly this wasn’t a scheduled outing.
Clockwork clasped his and down on Danny’s shoulder, making him jump slightly in his skin, too lost in his thoughts. “You must choose, young king. Who will be your suitor?”
Danny frowned. “That’s why I’m here? I thought I could pick my own partner?”
Clockwork morphed where he stood, from an old man to child. “You may, from our selection.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Your world will fall to war and be lost, and your people will lose faith in you.”
“So I really have to marry some random stranger?”
“At least they are human, the Observants wanted you to marry a true ghost.”
“Who are they?”
Before Clockwork could answer, one of the six suddenly sprang forward, ghostly bonds falling away as he lunged for one of the Observants. His eyes glowing ectoplasm green as he grappled the ghost into a hold, his arm around what could be called a throat on an Observant, just under its eyeball.
“Who are you?” the man demanded. He was one of the younger ones, looking maybe Danny’s age, his core even younger. Not a full core, a revenant, died and returned too quickly to be a full ghost, not fast enough to be a halfa.
Fright Knight was already at Danny’s side, as he always was when danger presented itself. Danny held out a hand to stop him from cutting down the revenant. The held Observant spoke first, sparing Danny the explanation.
“You speak to the high king of the infinite realms, ruler of all ghosts. Unhand me now, revenant, before you face the wrath of his court.”
“Eh, who says my court’s going to defend you?” Danny cut in, his quippy nature taking over as he settled into fighting mode, scanning the scene before him. He didn’t care all that much if the revenant pulled its head off. It would regrow and it would bring Danny some joy to see the Observants flail.
“You kidnapped us here to be some king’s slave?”
Clockwork floated over, his form shifting to one of a teen, flicking his hand so the revenant flew back, the Observant falling to its knees. “Calm down, Revenant, the consort of the king is a privileged position, one that many would kill for. Besides, the consort is equal to the king, and they share their time between the infinite and the finite.”
Danny frowned. “So this is a ploy to get me out of here half the time isn’t it?”
“A ploy is such a strong word, young king. Our realms are not built to have a king all the time, it must have some chaos in order to thrive.”
“So you ship me off half the year and then expect me to clean up the messes whenever I return?”
Clockwork smiled that pitiful smile he always had when he thought Danny was young and naïve. “As is the role of the king.”
“Pick me then,” the revenant piped up from his spot on the floor. Two of the other humans, still bound in the middle of the room, started thrashing against their bonds, more than they had been. Clearly not agreeing.
“You’re not evil or anything, are you?” Danny asked, scrutinising the soul in front of him. It was a little worse for wear, young and malnourished, but nothing in it screamed evil.
The revenant gave a little laugh, a pained one. “Not in my opinion, but maybe you should form your own. I am the Red Hood of Gotham, your highness.” The Red Hood gave a performative bow, the sarcasm dripping from his address.
Danny recognised it, the name. He was one of the vigilantes in Gotham, a crime lord he was pretty sure. He’d heard some about him before. Pretty good as far as Gothamites come, he used to be Robin too. And looking at him, Red Hood was very easy on the eyes. Danny was weighing his options between him and the others, and Red Hood was looking a whole lot better than rancid old man over there. He needed to marry someone, why not someone who already pissed off the Observants.
“Okay then, Red Hood, will you take my hand in marriage?”
“My liege, you cannot be serious,” one of the eyeballs cut in, “he attacked one of us! We can no longer support such a character as our king’s consort.”
Danny shrugged. “No take backsies. You said choose, I chose. Go slump back to whatever holes you live in.”
The Observant looked like it wanted to fight, but after a glare Danny reserved for when he was going to banish someone, it instead bowed stiltedly and headed out of the courtroom, its cohort filing behind it. Danny turned back to Red Hood, who was staring at Danny with a look in his eyes that he couldn’t quite decipher.
“Let’s get married then, ghost king.”
Danny gave him a thumbs up. “What now Clockie, do we have to get married immediately in ghost terms or can I at least tell my sister?”
Clockwork let his form start shifting and didn’t stop it, going from elder to baby to young man to child over and over, “Take your time, young king, marry in your world first, by the end of one of your months, and we will marry you here after.”
Danny nodded. “All of you fuck off then, and put them back where you got them, me and fiancé need to talk.”
Both Clockwork and Fright Knight bowed to him before disappearing in puff, the five remaining captives vanishing with them. Danny drifted down from where he’d been floating, his feet hitting the ground as he let his rings of light wash over him, shifting him from his kingly regalia back to his human form.
“Hi, I’m Danny, sorry for all this.”
Red Hood stared for a moment before stepping forward, holding out his hand. “Jason.”
They shook awkwardly, Danny giving what he hoped was a disarming smile while Jason appeared to be appraising him in a way that made Danny feel naked under his gaze.
“How old are you, by the way, you look a little young to be king?”
“Eighteen, I’m just chronically malnourished.”
“I’m nineteen, just turned into a brick shit-house when I died. So, uh, you’re a ghost?”
“Half. Half human, half ghost.”
“Huh.” There was an awkward silence as Jason kept up that scrutinising glare. “So. King’s consort, huh? Sounds pretty nice.”
“I’m gonna be honest, it’s probably going to be a lot of ghostly politics. Which sucks. Ass. I don’t want to scare you or anything, you won’t be in any danger, and you’ll have a lot of power. But by the ancients, ghosts are annoying.”
“Eh, sounds like my life already. I spend all my time playing politics.”
Danny nodded. “If you want, I can show you around, explain some of the infinite realms to you, or I can bring you back if you need to let people know where you are. We have until the end of the month to get married anyway.”
Jason nodded thoughtfully, tapping his leg for a few moments. “Take me on a quick tour, so I know what I’m getting into, my family can survive an hour or two, but if we take too long they’ll start trying for interdimensional warfare.”
Danny nodded, “Fair, let's start over here then, this isn’t my haunt actually, just the castle the last king owned that I’ve just shifted for my own use—”
Danny rambled on as they walked, taking him around the grounds, and Jason listened intently, committing each detail to memory in the bat-oriented way he’d been trained.
Jason didn’t know what he’d got himself into, but he had to admit, King Consort Jason Todd Wayne was one hell of a title.