#<- my reaction after calling it clark kent

[bittersweetstargazer]

me when I look at the calvin klein logo and accidentally call it clark kent because i'm an idiot

[acid-ixx]

tell your baby, that i'm your baby. (a loving family, an unpalatable desire drabble)

ft. yandere damian wayne x gn! neglected spouse reader x yandere superfam

reblogs and interactions are encouraged and appreciated.

— masterlist !

this is written in regards to one of my drabbles, i can't help but sigh at just how good the angst is for damian in this series.

because in loving family, unpalatable desire, you pretty much exclusively nickname him "dami, baby," from day one right after meeting him. you say it not in a way that you wish to overstep your boundaries at simply being his stepparent - you're aware, despite the ache in your chest admitting it, that you'll never come quite close to talia's standing in his heart, it's simply impossible with how she raised him her entire life before being dropped off in bruce's care - but because you find the boy adorable if you look past his intent at trying to murder you at every passing glance.

or maybe it's just you trying to cope with the pain of your situation, that you consider them all your beloved children, yet never being once called their parent throughout your entire marriage that breaks apart the illusion of a happy home life, that this wasn't the marriage you wanted at all; that you'll never bear a time in your life stuck in the manor seeing their genuine smiles directed at you even if you attempt to approach as patiently as possible in hopes your presence might be accepted— even if it results in awkward laughs at your cringy jokes at the dinner table, or one of damian's weapons nearly plunging the side of your head.

maybe, it's such a struggle to keep the flicker of light alive in your body whenever all your hardships fail, and all throughout you find your husband with lipstick stains all over his white collar every time he comes home that your mind forces itself to believe that with enough trial and error, maybe one of them could eventually tolerate, rather than pity you.

unfortunately, you chose damian, the one who you're convinced arguably despises you the most, of all people living or visiting the manor to run the test.

so in all the instances you chirp out his nickname, so fondly, so eminently heard across the walls of the manor, even in the spacious expanse of the gardens could your voice be heard from miles away, all because you wish to bond with him, praising his artworks with your grating voice, to give him intricate gifts you know will be discarded in the trash in front of you; you'll be met with a stubborn glare and mean comments about how he'll never consider you his parent, to relinquish your delusions at thinking he'll even let you past his walls, and how he'll never follow through the orders of a scum like you.

which is what you're forced to deal with every single day, coupled with harsh reminders of their happiness without the need for your presence beside them.

sometimes, his reactions could be his typical harsh comments, you've grown accustomed enough to differentiate what is harmless and what borders on violence; it's enough to know when to stop bothering him despite your best efforts. other times, it would be as intense as running a sword through the strands of your hair until he chops it at the end with a threat to cut off your tongue right after if you dare call him that putrid nickname again that cuts deeper than any wound.

with every trial of becoming closer to him, results in an even widening crack in your relationship with the young boy. and eventually, with enough sighs under your breath and harsh glares from him, you'll come into terms that you'll never form a cordial bond with the young boy. it's just impossible with how he views you, sheltered and undeserving because of your family's reputation of being money laundering scum.

at that period of time, you instead chose to strengthen your relationship with the reporter who saved you one day from the paparazzi's cruel interviews, the cute man from the daily planet whose name is clark kent with an even more adorable son, jon, who welcomed you with open arms and a tight hug on your stomach, muttering about how he's so excited to meet his new parent, just when you first stepped on the doors of your affair partner's home; that was enough to relinquish any anguish you felt at the manor replaced with absolute joy at what seems to be the first time you're considered the parent, part of a family, in a completely different household.

it helps erase the shadow of doubt that you may be cursed to never be accepted into an established family with just how bright, how comparable jon was to an overexcitable golden retriever, bonding with you since day one unlike all the other insufferable moments crammed into a jam-packed dinner table— only for your voice to be discarded and overpowered by others.

you start to call him your baby instead, completely in awe at the cute freckles littering his sun-kissed skin and the country boy accent he adopted from his dad. you couldn't help but hold his cheeks in your palms and kiss all over his face whilst you kneel to his level, laughing along with the giggles erupting from his throat that creates this harmonious melody in clark's ears, who watches you scoop the boy into your arms just to swing him back and forth in cuteness aggression, just how it always should've been with you.

clark pictures the moment together, capturing jon's smooshed face shadowed by your hair whilst you look at his, no, your son with inexplicable joy, eyes crinkled and shining brightly under the halo of the sunset.

and clark doesn't even have to see just much jon loves and cherishes you at first glance.

he wouldn't even dare compare you to his late mother, never once calling you a replacement or a homewrecker, placing you upon a pedestal you deserve to be instead; because let's face it, you simply live in the manor, but your true home is where clark and jon, and ma and pa kent are at. pictures of your little family are framed in your shared bedroom for you to graze your finger upon whenever you wish to reminisce the blessings bestowed upon meeting your affair partner at just by chance.

but you shouldn't have forgotten about damian that quickly, not when jon all-too suddenly shoves that photo of you in his wallet in front of his face, it made damian's mind go off in a tangent, in both curiosity and frustated yet unstated interrogations at your sudden disappearance (your grating voice don't call out to him anymore, and suddenly, the manor is quieter; he despises that feeling of emptiness more than he does of your nickname for him) then reappearance as jon's, funny, hah—!

jon's parent.

and in moments of careful investigation does he realize—

when you're with jon, his best friend, when he spies in on you at the little farm you now live in, currently alone with someone whom you call your true son, that he comes to realize just how much that nickname means so much to him, as your voice, with that soft tone, scold his friend with that familiar warmth you always used to direct at him with the softest of gaze, an angel unlike the sea of rich bastards he meets at the galas who only communicate with him to form connections, advantages by being associated with a family of the wayne's.

it's only when you're stripped away from him that he realizes how much he relishes your sweet occupancy into his heart, how there's always been an unbidden, forbidden chamber in his heart that beats for the love you offer him that was unlike the harsh environment he was born in.

he's never been adorned with such a delicate title that portrays him the opposite of what he's raised to be; damian has always been the blood son, son of the bat and heir to the demon king's throne, but never something as fond, as unforeseen as someone's baby.

it just thwarts the spark of hope in his heart and extends the lump in his throat at the scene that plays before him, the loving nickname you oh-so carefully address him now relinquished and graced to another boy, his friend no less— who you considered yours, who he's aware is way more deserving of being called your baby rather than him, who had always denied you from the very start.

"jon, baby, you help me clean the windows tomorrow, alright, young man? it's stained with all your fingerprints!" you scold him as assertively as you can, kneeling down to his level and pinching his cheeks all while grinning at the boy. jon retorts with a tongue out his lips and a scrunch of his nose. it garners a laugh from you, one damian swore he's never heard sounded so desirable until now.

why are you calling jon your baby?

"not my fault, mom/dad! i get so excited to see you come home every time you have to return there!" damian seethes at the scene of jon's pouting and puppy-eyes looking up at you, that should've been him.

"can't you just stay here? forever?"

damian despises how he engraves the melody of your laughter in reply to jon's words, right into his eardrums, but omits the disgustingly sweet chirp in your voice calling jon, not him, your baby. his mind nips away at the memories at all the moments you addressed him too, and how he always rejected and corrected you to call him by his name like a proper person rather than a maniac pushing themself into his life.

he doesn't want to ever hear you address him, if it means it's not by his nickname that you now call jon.

damian couldn't even deny how the huge grin that stretches across your face at the sight of his best friend scalds him with bitterness, he wasn't even aware you're capable of such enjoyment, not when back at the manor your hesitant with even displaying a tinge of happiness— as if you're capable of doing so, not when he knows he's one of the main contributors for being the reason of your current affair.

and yet he wishes he could lie and say he didn't miss it, miss your expectant stare at him, the contrast of talia's comfort compared to yours, when the hugs you offer him, the gifts carefully curated to his preferences, the palpable love that never once wavered for your family that you could never call yours, they all seem like a distant dream now that you're away from them; from him.

it hurts watching you two communicate even further, for once it's him in the background watching like an outsider instead of you. for once, he understands what isolation feels like, what foreboding desires fester deep into his scarred soul that could only be cured with one of the softest cuddly hugs, the sweetest, flutter of your lashes as you stare oh-so fondly at jon like he meant the world to you, like it was only the two of you in the world embracing the light filtering through the windows, side by side, inseparable.

if there was one wish he could conjure, a desire he was trained to forfeit himself to feel that creeps its way into the depths of his guarded heart— it's that once you put jon into bed - even if it takes hours, even his heart feels like it's being squeezed out of blood watching your nightly, affectionate routine with jon; reading him bedtime stories, eating together, laughing lightly at the dinner table while you feed him your share of the plate, moments he never thought he felt compelled to spend with you - once he strikes at the perfect opportunity to talk to you, to confront your blunder of choosing them over him, of his woes towards your relationship—

he wishes, with unceasing faith, that you still love him enough to call him your baby once more.

a/n: let this blow up and i might just actually fix my schedule to give more updates. anyways, more damian wayne and jon kent content! one of my fave runs is with supersons and i love fluff paired with angst too so this is a win-win. pls leave in some comments about this series, since ngl i didn't give it as much love as i did for a&a 😭 so yes! mitski inspired chapter with more conflicting feelings. i'm still working around writer's block but everyone's undying support helps motivate me a lot!!!

taglist:

@starrydollita, @vellichorandhiraeth, @chericia, @queenofspades403, @naina326, @neerathebrightstar, @lilyalone, @sweetconnoisseurgardener, @nickey-diano, @tsuniio, @ssak-i, @kore-of-the-underworld, @lollipoppersposts, @peptox, @kdjhubby, @weirdcore-fantasy.

[wonderjanga]

Solomon Outing Everyone

It’s not Billy’s fault Solomon does this. It’s just that the old man will blabber before he even has a chance to register and now he’ll know people’s identities.

Like the second time he met Batman. The first time the two met was when there was a giant alien invasion. That was the day the Justice League formed. Billy didn’t join though due to the fact he left almost immediately after so he could start clearing rubble and looking for injured. He wasn’t apart of the “Hey, after this, let’s meet up at a certain place and discuss becoming a team” discussion. See, the second time they met, was when Bruce Wayne was in Fawcett scouting for “potential locations to open another branch of Wayne Industries in.” He was actually scouting for Marvel. He wanted to see how the Captain was doing as a hero and if the man would consider joining the Justice League.

Bruce: *walking around, asking about Cap and just looking for the man*

Marvel: *flying in the sky*

Solomon: “Oooh one of your little friends is here, Billy.”

Marvel: *pauses his flight* “Who?”

Solomon: “The Man of Bats. Batman.”

Marvel: “Mr. Batman Sir?” *looks around* “Where?”

Solomon: “Look down. You’ll see a lavishly dressed gentleman.”

Marvel: *looks down* “There’s like five lavishly dressed gentlemen.”

Solomon: “The one everyone’s gawking at.”

Marvel: “Oooooh. That makes sense.” *flies down*

I’m gonna tell you right now, more than ten people have gawked at Bruce when he walked down the street, not because he’s Bruce Wayne, but because they think he’s Patrick Wayne. (Bruce’s grandpa) Let this be connected to my C.C. and Great Grandpa Wayne post from a long while ago.

Marvel: *lands in front of Bruce with a big smile* “Mr. Batman! What’re you doing in Fawcett?”

Bruce: *face shows no reaction but his soul nearly left his body* “Captain Marvel.” *grabs Marvel’s arm and leads them away from public eye*

Marvel: *confused, lets him lead him away*

Bruce: “How did you figure out my identity?”

Solomon: “Easy, they’re body language is the same.”

Marvel: “Your body language is the same.”

Bruce: *someone who carefully crafted a persona to be the complete opposite of the Batman* “Hn. I’d like to you to elaborate on that statement in a few moments, but anyways, the Justice League would like to speak with you-” *starts rambling about the JL and how Marvel should join them*

After the rambling…

Marvel: “I’d love to join!”

Batman: “Really? That’s it? No second thoughts whatsoever?” *wondering how the other man gave this no thought yet also found out his secret identity in a short interaction*

Marvel: “Nope, count me in.”

Batman: “Huh.” *stares for like a second* “Alright then. I’ll reach out to you when we have a comm available for you.”

Then there was Clark. Now see, Marvel had met him first, but Billy had met him second. Mr. Morris introduced them and they worked together for a bit and Billy thought the man was nice. They were even on first name basis! (Clark was practically begging him to stop calling him Mr. Kent.) Then unfortunately, their little partnership ended and they went their separate ways. Solomon couldn’t say anything because Billy was Billy, not Cap, so the chat was muted. Two’s third interaction was when Solomon started running his mouth. This happened soon after he got his comm and went to the Watchtower for the first time.

Marvel: “It’s wonderful to meet you Mr. Superman Sir.” *shaking his hand*

Supes: “You as well, but uh… Please just call me Superman.”

Solomon: “Isn’t that the Kent boy?”

Marvel: *pauses mid handshake to stare intently at Clark because there’s no way that’s true- oh my gods it is* “Clark?”

Supes: *actually shows on his face that his soul also nearly leaves his body* “Wha- I- uh- Clark, who’s that?”

Marvel: “You? Or at least I thought you were.”

Solomon: “Thought he was? Billy you know it’s him.”

Marvel: “Yeah, I thought so. I can’t believe you’re a superhero, man. That’s awesome.”

Supes: *dumbstruck and fumbling for words*

Marvel: “Say, does superheroing help with getting stories-”

Supes: “Okay!” *pushes him into a nearby room so no one will here them*

Marvel: *lets himself be pushed*

Supes: “How did you find out my identity?!” *sounds super panicked*

Solomon: “His body language. And his face. Mostly the body language.”

Marvel: “Mostly your body language.”

Supes: “Wha- We’ve met one time before this!?”

Marvel: “So?”

Supes: “So?!” *pauses to take a deep breath* “Look, just please don’t tell anyone about my secret identity.”

Marvel: “You don’t have to tell me twice. A secret identity is a secret for a reason.”

Supes: *sigh of relief* “Good. But uh… I gotta ask, how exactly do you know my civilian identity? I don’t remember ever meeting you or someone like you.”

Marvel: “You’ve met my civilian identity.” *shrugs*

Supes: “Oh really?” *slightly surprised* “Who are you? Do you work at the Planet?”

Marvel: “No, and I can’t tell you who I am.”

Supes: “Why? You know me… somehow.”

Marvel: “I know, but my identity is kind of a problem.”

Supes: “Are you a criminal or something? Batman told me of a villain who became a hero, if that’s truly the case with you, I won’t judge.”

Marvel: “No, no, no, it’s not that. It’s just that my identity is just a flat out problem. That’s it.”

Supes: “Well that’s really specific.”

Marvel: “Sorry.” *feels bad*

Supes: “Don’t apologize.” *feels bad for making him feel bad* “You shouldn’t have that mentality about your civilian self though.”

Marvel: “I try not to.”

Also any shapeshifters? Solomon clocks it’s them immediately. Also also, him and Cassandra Cain are constantly in tune too. Same with him and Martian Manhunter.

[cloudyzeusy]

top male request 😝

I wanna see some like big dude, gym bro reader that drools like a damn dog in bed. Idk who or maybe like who you think would like this the best. Or like some good reactions y'know.

Clark Kent dropped his bag at the door after coming home after a call to save a bank. He made his way to find me in the living room working on a project.

He sat on my lap I paid no attention until he started rubbing himself on my crotch humping me. "Clark if you want me to take care of you just say that." I said gripping his waist stopping his actions as I forced him to look at me.

"Take care of me then." He grinned I lifted him up carrying him to out bedroom. Which is funny as he's the definition of built and spends his time in the gym.

We both fell back onto the bed as I kissed him deeply. I felt around his pants ripping away his skimpy gym shorts exposing his hole. Impatiently I revealed my cock not in the mood for foreplay.

I pushed the mushroom head in his hole stretching him out. As I bottomed out I grinned at his expression Clark loved my cock alot.

I turned him around gripping his hips tightly as I pounded him making him take it all. "[Name] it's to deep, fuck " He moaned gripping the sheets as he tried to take me out.

I moved his hand anyway thrusting harder fueled by his moans. I could see his face buried into the pillows mouth open as he was forced to take it. I spanked his ass enjoying the way it bounced turning red.

My tip brushed against his prostate making him squeal embarrassingly . His cock had made a small wet patch from where his cum laid. I reached under tweaking his hard nipples.

I groaned lowly as I felt myself tense up close to my orgasm I turned as around to be in missionary. Staring at his flushed, drooled face he trying to look away as he couldn't face me.

I grabbed him forcing him to look at me and touched where my cock had indented him. I pushed all my length into him cumming in him as we watched his stomach bulge up.

He turned around laying face down shy as I took myself out. I stared at his ass leaking my cum and forced myself to look away.

He was so fucking sexy.

[toast-on-dandelioms]

Hello, I really a fans of your work and always waiting for the updates. I have a question, what happen if Y/n just ignore the batfam as Y/n also turn to superfam becoming their family. It also assuming Alfred A-Okay with it. Oh, also Y/n might be have relationship with one of the superboys and she love to cuddle with the lover. Well, that's just my wild imagination thinking about.

Oh well, I hope you have great days.❤️😘

Thank you for liking my work! If you're asking for part 4, it will come out soon and probably by the end of next week!

Well, I don't think Alfred would be totally a-okay with this and after a bit he would act to 'fix' the situation.

He wants you to stay at the Manor and be appreciated too by the Batfam even though they don't even know you exist.

He has tried before, talking about you to Bruce and the others but they always dismissed him with the excuse of being busy or forgetting about you the next day.

And seeing you giving up on being with your real family and finding love in another family that actually accepts you and he can't accept that.

You're supposed to be with him as the rest of the Waynes not with some alien family.

He would act like he supports you whenever you come to visit him since you mostly live with the Kents nowadays and come to the Manor to grab the things you needed since you were moving your stuff from the Manor to the Kents house.

After a while you start to come home, to come back to him even less before you just visit him maybe once a month before it turns into no more visiting him since you're busy with school, dance classes and the vigilante role you still have.

And Alfred hates it so he decides that he can't stand to watch his boys obsess over your vigilante persona when they can't even bother to notice you weren't living in the Manor anymore.

So he decides to call a family meeting without your knowledge and explains everything, who you were behind the mask and how dissapointed and ashamed that the people he raised didn't even acknowledge that you existed.

Their reaction, which were mostly of confusion before realisation bothered him but he stayed silent and used their reaction to manipulate them, make them think you weren't in the right place with the Kent family.

And after a week from that meeting, you started to receive texts from all the batfam and also kept seeing them everywhere, with Bruce at school or when you were patrolling the city.

He would always try to talk to you, which you ignored or gave him the finger while swinging away, preferring to not engage in his tries to connect with you.

Plus he would show up at your dance recitals when you never said anything to Alfred about them and he would always be right in first row with a smug smile since he knew you couldn't do anything.

Plus you already knew they knew who you were behind the mask, they said your name when you had your mask on so many times you wanted to punch their faces.

You had to skip a few days of school because Tim and Damian started to show up at your same highschool and sitting next to you in class, to which no one would say anything and it frustrated you since highschool was one of your safe places but not anymore.

You tried to ignore Dick and Jason's attempts at stalking you, not because it was noticeable since you never saw them but the spider sense made you aware you were being watched and after a bit you were able to notice them following you.

Yes you did feel proud since you didn't have any detective training like the others but still knew who was following just by using the things around you.

You vented your frustrations with Clark and Conner and they did help by letting you skip school and everything but you had to go back to school or it would affect your attendance and damage your reputation and curriculum for future colleges applications.

But one fateful day, you went to a mission with Conner and Clark since they needed a third person but couldn't bring Jon since he was busy with school, so you went in his place.

During the mission you got ambushed, Conner and Clark were at disadvantage since the attackers (not sure on the term, the people that attacks) somehow had kryptonite weapons.

Plus you were also fighting, using the tasers and also the objects around you like rocks or trees.

Yes, you did throw a tree at a group of them and you also got Clark telling you not to do it again. Did you listen though? No.

As you were fighting you suddenly got stung by something in the leg, and when you touched the spot where it hurt you saw a small dart there.

You opened your mouth to call for Clark or Conner but someone covered your mouth and held you as you fainted while Clark and Conner had to flee since the attackers were too strong with the kryptonite.

The last thing you saw was the smiling face of Dick before completely giving in the drug you got injected in your body, not hearing them fight about who was gonna carry you in the batmobile.

[bonewaryreblogs]

I know it's very soon after my last post, but I think I've mostly got a working timeline

There are more specifics I could get into, but I tried to limit the info in this particular timeline to what's super important and identifiable. Like, I have a whole other post I could make about the Justice Society of America and how it led to the creation of the Justice League, or how Amity Park was founded and by whom, but trying to put it all here would be too cumbersome.

My main sources for general info is whatever I can find on the DC Fandom Wiki, as well as my experiences watching various DCAU media growing up and my favorite Batman show, The Batman from 2004 (good god, I didn't realize it was that old). I tried to fit Young Justice in here too, but it actually conflicts with the first two timelines more than I thought it would, so I might just use it for story ideas for after Danny gets adopted. The Wayne Family Adventures webtoon mostly just supplied the template for how I want them to end up by the time Danny enters the picture, leaving the "how did we get here" up to me, which this timeline hopes to solve.

Also, I couldn't find a good source for it, but supposedly Danny Phantom might have taken place in 2014? Which would've been the future for when it came out in 2004. I considered going with that, but ultimately I decided that DP happens in 2004, taking Danny about a year to establish himself before he gets adopted by 2005.

A big part of why I made this timeline in the first place was to make sure I know how old everyone is when things happen, which is why I put their ages everywhere.

1920s - Martha Clark and Jonathan Kent are born sometime in this decade.

1939 - Alfred Pennyworth is born.

1940 - James “Jim” Corrigan (30) “died” and became the Spectre with Aztar, the Vengeance of God. The Justice Society of America is formed, though they are sometimes called the All-Star Squadron when working with those not formally inducted as members of the JSA (including those with and without superpowers).

1952 - The Kents (~30s) are told they cannot have children biologically. Shortly thereafter, they find the Kryptonian baby Kal-El, rename him Clark Kent after Martha’s maiden name, and adopt him as their own son.

1957 - Alfred (18) joins the British military.

1960 - Bruce Wayne is born. Vlad Masters is born.

1961 - Jack Fenton is born. (Google says his birthday is October 2, 1971, but that would make him like 10 when the Ghost Portal Prototype fails, so I’m just gonna set it back an extra decade lol)

1963 - Maddison Elliot is born. (Google says her birthday is March 16, 1973, so same deal as Jack)

1964 - After many misadventures in England, Alfred (25) takes over as the Wayne Family’s butler from his late father. (Bruce 4)

1968 - 8 year old Bruce’s parents are killed. (Alfred 29)

1970 - After 2 years of flailing, Bruce (10) decides to travel the world and learn martial arts, among other things.

1971 - Barbra Gordon is born.

1974 - Dick Greyson is born.

1977 - Jason Todd is born. Superman (25) debuts in Metropolis, inspiring Bruce (17) to change his plans to become a superhero rather than a crime boss. Obviously there were other superheroes around at this time, but none gripped Bruce like Superman did. He will never, ever admit this.

1978 - Superman (26) is quickly inducted into the Justice Society of America.

1980 - Stephanie Brown is born. Cassandra Cain is born. Bruce (20) returns to Gotham and starts his career as Batman. He begins cutting through red tape to regain control of Wayne Enterprises. Meanwhile, Vlad (20), Jack (19), and Maddie (17) are all at the University of Wisconsin and build the prototype Ghost Portal, which fails catastrophically, causing several important chain reactions; Vlad is blasted with Lazarus Water, the Ghost Zone comes into existence, Vlad falls ill, Amity Park’s Lazarus Pit dries up, Pariah enters the Ghost Zone and declares himself Ghost King, etc.

1981 - Tim Drake is born. Disenchanted with the JSA, Superman (29) starts figuring out how to create his own, international superhero team.

1982 - Bruce (22) adopts Dick Greyson (8) after his parents die publicly.

1983 - Vlad (23) discovers he has “ghost powers” and starts figuring out how to use them. Dick (9) discovers Bruce’s (23) secret and Bruce begins training him.

1984 - Bruce (24) finally lets Dick (10) join him on the streets as Robin. Batman and Superman (32) meet for the first time (which plays out similar to how they meet in “The Batman”).

1985 - Bruce takes over Wayne Enterprises just in time for his 25th birthday. With the company secured, Bruce no longer has to prove himself as responsible and plays up his image as a playboy philanthropist to throw off rumors that ditzy but well-meaning Brucie Wayne couldn’t possibly be the dark and brooding Batman.

1986 - Superman (34) approaches Bruce (26) with his plan for the Justice League, hoping Wayne Enterprise would agree to be the “secret” benefactor. Bruce says he’ll think about it. Barbra Gordon (15) takes the name Batgirl for the first time. (Alfred 47, Bruce 26, Dick 12)

1988 - Jasmine Fenton is born. Cass (8) kills someone for the first time, is horrified, and runs away from her assassin father.

1989 - Duke Thomas is born.

1990 - Daniel Fenton is born.

1991 - Jason Todd (14) tries to steal the Batmobile’s tires after his father is sentenced to prison time, putting him on Batman’s radar. (Alfred 52, Bruce 31, Dick 17, Barbra 20)

1992 - Dick (18) decides to strike out on his own as Nightwing. Jason Todd (15) catches the eye of Talia Al Ghul. Shortly after, Jason’s (step-)mom dies of a drug overdose while his father is still in prison so Bruce adopts him, making Jason the second Robin.

1993 - With Nightwing (19) established and able to take over many of Batman’s (33) responsibilities in Gotham, Bruce asks Clark Kent (41) if he’s still interested in his Justice League idea, which he’s now had 7 more years to refine. Global threats had become more common (which threatened Gotham vicariously and he wasn’t confidant he could take them on by himself) and the JSA had become too entangled with the USA government for anyone’s liking. Now was prime pickings for upcoming talent that had grown up with the idea of superheroes as a necessary force in the world that could see the limitations of government funded (and therefore government controlled) superhero teams.

1994 - Stephanie Brown (14) became Spoiler to “spoil” her father’s criminal career as Cluemaster. After his capture and imprisonment, Bruce (34) “convinced” Spoiler to “retire”, though Barbra (23) kept in contact, as did Dick (21) and Jason (17) to a lesser extent. Steph continued to train on her own, planning to rejoin the hero scene when she was a bit older. The Justice League debuts, led by Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, along with half a dozen other members, though their ranks would quickly expand.

1995 - Jason dies at 18. Talia Al Ghul seduces the grieving Bruce (35) to get Jason’s body, accidentally-on-purpose getting pregnant along the way. Jason had unfortunately been dead for a few months by then; however, he was too angry and stubborn for his spirit to move on, which allowed him to be revived via Lazarus Pit. He still came back pretty zombified, though, so Talia used magic to help restore the connection between his mind/soul and his body, and had him train with the League of Assassins to keep him sharp. Part of Bruce’s grief spiral was to throw himself into Justice League work. (Alfred 56, Dick 21, Barbra 24)

1996 - Bruce (36) is spiraling from his loss when Tim Drake (15) basically forces himself onto Batman as the third Robin.

1997 - Cassandra Cain (17) arrives in Gotham, trying to keep a low profile but couldn’t help but save Commissioner Gordon from her assassin father, putting her on Batman’s (37) radar. After Barbra (26) is paralyzed and forced to retire as Batgirl, she asked Bruce to offer Cass the title in her stead, taking on the role of “man in the chair” with the name Oracle. Barbra also pressures pretty much everyone to train with Steph (17), since she can’t anymore.

1998 - Jason (21) returns to Gotham as the Red Hood. (Alfred 59, Bruce 38, Dick 24, Barbra 27, Tim 17, Cass 18)

1999 - Cass (19) takes on the name Black Bat, giving the title Batgirl to Steph (19) as she (re)makes her superhero debut.

2000 - Settling into more of an anti-hero role after getting rid of (most of) his hatred for Bruce for not avenging him, Jason (23) has turned his sights on Crime Alley, doing whatever he feels is necessary to make it safer for the families (but especially the kids) that are forced to live there. He unknowingly is fulfilling Bruce’s original plan of becoming a crime boss and dissecting Gotham’s crime problem from the inside out. (Alfred 61, Bruce 40, Dick 26, Barbra 29, Tim 19, Cass 20, Steph 20)

2001 - I’m going to modify his story, but Duke Thomas (12) ends up on Bruce’s radar.

2004 - Danny Fenton (14) has an accident that gives him “ghost powers”. (Vlad 44, Jack 43, Maddie 41, Jazz 16)

2005 - Damian Wayne (10) becomes the fourth Robin, pushing Tim (24) to move out and become Red Robin instead. (Alfred 66, Bruce 45, Dick 31, Barbra 34, Cass 25, Jason 28, Steph 25, Duke 16, Danny 15, Jazz 17)

-

Damian’s first, big, world-ending crisis is barely a month or two after his arrival, when Cris Allen enlists the Batclan to help him fight Pariah Dark and they join Danny Phantom’s resistance.

I haven’t quite decided what will happen next but Batman figures out Danny isn’t fully dead like the rest of the inhabitants of the Ghost Zone and looks into it after Pariah is defeated. From here, I want it to take less than a year for Danny to be in Bruce’s custody. Duke (at 16) is recruited around the same time as Danny (still 15), so both of them begin training together. I’m sure Bruce wouldn’t mind pulling some strings to get Jazz (17) into a college in Gotham, potentially getting her to study under Barbra/Oracle.

[drewharrisonwriter]

Donor | Drabble | Superman

Masterlist | Part 1 | Part 1.5 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Pairings: Bestie Henry Cavill x OFC

A/N, Warnings: 18+, this is a drabble for my Henry Cavill fic Donor. English is not my first language.

Summary: Henry's kids find out he played Superman.

"Paaaaaaapaaa!" Mari's excited call echoed through the house as she dashed down the stairs, with Henry rushing to meet her at the landing.

"Mari!” Henry exclaimed. “What's happening? Is everything alright?" he asked with a touch of nervousness, preparing himself to catch his thirteen-year-old daughter in case she stumbled while descending the stairs.

"Papa, were you actually Superman?" Mari's eyes shimmered with a blend of astonishment and curiosity.

"Good grief, Mari!" Henry exclaimed in relief, closing his eyes briefly and running a hand down his face, while the other rested on his waist. "You scared me half to death. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Mari asked with bubbling enthusiasm, bouncing on her heels.

"Well, it's not like it's some top-secret information," Henry replied, guiding his daughter down the hall toward the kitchen.

"What's all the fuss about?" You called out from the kitchen before Henry and Mari entered.

"Your daughter just unearthed the fact that her papa is the son of Jor-El," Henry responded with faux exasperation, causing you to snort. Henry and Mari settled onto bar stools across the kitchen island, where you were meticulously frosting the first of three batches of cupcakes that Sisi needed for school the next morning.

"Really? Nobody thought to mention that papa was Superman?" Mari inquired, still puzzled and amazed by the revelation.

"Why is this such a surprise?" You asked, not taking your eyes off the cupcake you were skillfully frosting. "Your father is an actor, after all."

"Yeah, but Superman? Ma, we've been living with Clark Kent all this time," Mari quipped, lowering her voice conspiratorially for the latter part, as though sharing a closely guarded secret. You laughed hard at your daughter’s reaction. 

"Thirteen years, darling. Took her thirteen years to find out.” Henry chuckled and you giggled.  “Who spilled the beans, anyway?" he asked. 

"Uncle Charlie did! And I knew you were a bit of a nerd, pa, but I had no idea you were enough of a nerd to be cast as Superman," Mari teased, prompting exaggerated gasps of shock from both Henry and you.

"Oh goodness, actors!" Mari groaned, rolling her eyes at her playful parents.

"Young lady!" Henry exclaimed, still maintaining his mock shock, with a hand dramatically placed over his chest.

"For the record, I’m a singer/songwriter. And you might call him a nerd now," you began, shaking your head with a mischievous smirk, "but he's the hottest and sexiest Superman. Ever." You cast a teasing glance at your daughter and playfully wiggled your eyebrows.

"Ew, ma. Stop it," Mari responded.

"Thank you, darling," Henry smiled at you, his expression still a bit theatrical.

"So, wait…" Mari began, a mischievous glint in her eye, "You mean to tell me that you had to fit in that Spandex?" She magically had promo photos pulled up on Google on her smartphone, then showing her parents a GIF from over 20 years ago.

"We're home!" Sisi's voice echoed from the front door as it swung open. Vivi, Savi, and your youngest and only son, Teddy, trailed after her. 

"In here!" Henry called out. 

"What a dish!" You exclaimed with a playful groan as you stared at the photo on Mari's phone, as if it were a mouthwatering treat. Henry burst out laughing while Mari grimaced in sheer disgust, and Henry joined in with an exaggerated groan.

"I no longer look like that," Henry said, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment and nostalgia.

"No, you don't," Mari chortled, and Henry playfully smacked her on the arm.

"Of course you don't, Hank. You're hotter now. Total DILF," you said, walking over to Henry, playfully wiggling your eyebrows before leaning down to kiss him.

"Ew, please. I beg of you both. Stop it!"

"What's a DILF?" Sisi asked with a scowl as the kids flooded into the kitchen, giving their parents each a hug and a kiss.

"Please don't ask them, you don't want to know," Mari answered.

"Yes, I won't say either because the last word is a curse word," Henry snorted.

"How was school?" You asked your kids as they all settled down, and you began bringing out their afternoon snacks of cookies and milk.

"Oh, I thought we were having cupcakes!" Vivi said disappointedly.

"That's for my bake sale tomorrow," Sisi quipped.

"Can we at least have one each, ma?" Teddy asked, and who were you to say no to your husband's mini version? 

You handed out a cupcake to each of your children while Henry began pouring milk into their glasses. 

When everyone was happily eating and chatting, Mari filled her younger siblings in about their dad's (not-so) secret, and all your children gave their Papa surprised and then disgusted looks, resulting in a few more laughs.

Henry leaned in to whisper in your ear. "Do you mean it, darling?"

"What?" you asked, playing coy.

"That I'm a total DILF?" He raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his lips.

"Of course I do, Superman," you giggled, and he groaned before he kissed you, twirling you around as if you were dancing. The kids started groaning in fake disgust at their parents' display of affection.

Tag list:

@jyessaminereads @summersong69 @itsrubberbisquit @sweetandgentlecreature @kingliam2019 @leaveitbythewave @mrsevans90 @evansabove1981 @bascmve01 @shellyshellshell @iamsana @foxyjwls007 @one-sweet-gubler @henryownsme @angelcavill66

[p1nkshield]

Welcome to chapter five! Sorry it’s been a minute! Hope you enjoy!

Damian sat at the kitchen counter, quietly observing the trio as they began to cook.

“Okay!” Sam began, “the cauliflower needs to be roasted for the sauce, potatoes need to be peeled and boiled for the gnocchi.”

Danny surveyed the kitchen like a battlefield with what looked like, from what Damian could glean, instinctual observance. As if he expected the fruit to sprout teeth and bite him.

Danny seemed to notice his gaze.

“Uh, I can prepare a spice mix for the cauliflower!” Danny offered.

“Cool” Sam said as she cut the cauliflower into quarters. “What about you short stack?”

Damian bristled at the nickname.

“I am not short, I am the ideal size for stealth.” Damian added a sniff to add to the validity and aloofness of his statement.

To his dismay however he was met with a chorus of laughter and awwws.

“Okay then what should we call you? My name’s Sam!”

“I’m Tucker!”

“And I assume you know my name since you held a knife to my throat lol”

This was not ideal. The goal of this was to scope out Daniel’s allies while instilling fear so that he stops his snooping.

That was the goal.

Not to eat food that sounded delicious.

“My name is Damian Wayne. The blood son of Bruce Wayne and protector of the Wayne family name.”

“…”

“…”

“How very intense.” Danny remarked.

Damian smirked at this acknowledgment, not catching the amusement in Danny’s tone.

“Well Mr protector of the Wayne family name, can you peel potatoes?” Sam asked.

“Yes of course.”

Damian has never peeled potatoes in his life. He’s seen Alfred do it though so how hard could it be?

By the third potato Clark had run out of bandages. Despite his determination to finish his duty was confiscated.

“At this rate the dish won’t be vegan anymore!” Sam teased as she expertly peeled the remaining potatoes.

“Don’t worry man you’ll get a handle on your knife skills!” Tucker said in an attempt to soften the blow.

This comment did quite the contrary.

“My knife skills are superb! My own mother practically trained me since birth to wield a blade! Grayson also complimented my proficiency after I nearly beat him in a sparring match! How dare you imply a lack of skill!”

Damian’s outburst was met with silence and he immediately realized he had said too much.

“Trained since birth?” Sam echoed with concern etched in her face.

“You had to fight Grayson? Like Dick Grayson?” Danny said slowly approaching the boy.

Damian’s face began to resemble a tomato. His temper had gotten the better of him! What about these people made him forget all his interrogation training?

“I… no!” He said shielding his face from their prying gazes.

“That was a lie! I have never held a sword!”

“THEY GAVE YOU SWORDS?!?” They all asked in unison.

“NO!”

The silence hung thick in the air. The only thing that cut through it was Damian’s stomach growling.

This was beyond embarrassing.

“We should just finish this. Damian signed up for gnocchi not an interrogation.” Sam said, causing the boy to sigh with relief.

They returned to their work and the previously easy tone. Complaining about the five page essay they had to write the class of one Mr. Lancer.

“Dude I cannot even begin to understand what he means by ‘the wallpaper represents Amelia’ it’s wallpaper!” Danny began.

“That I understood.” Sam began. “During the time this was written green wallpaper was colored with arsenic. Specifically this was the time where people knew it was poisonous but still used it anyway.”

“What does that have to do with Amelia purposefully destroying all of her relationships?” Tucker said incredulously.

“…”

“…”

“Oh.”

Todd would have gotten a kick out of this conversation.

They finished rather quickly. Setting the table with six place settings.

Damian looked at them quizzically until the front door opened.

“SURPRISE!”

“Oh!” Clark exclaimed startling back into the doorframe.

Damian knew that was a fake reaction. Kent could smell cookies baking in Utah from L.A.

“These are my friends Tucker and Sam! Also we made a thank you dinner for being so nice and welcoming to me and my sister.” Danny finished his sentence rather sheepishly.

“Awww! Thank you so so much! I’m sure it will be great!” Clark said with one of the brightest smiles Damian had seen in his whole life.

Damian had made a very good decision about staying. The meal was very good. Maybe because he felt pride in being a part of making it.

He yawned. No good. His guard was far too low. At this rate he will never intimidate Daniel. He blinked for perhaps a bit to long for the next moment he found himself in his own bed at the manor.

Father must have come to get him.

Curses!

Next time Daniel.

You will rue…

The day…

His eyelids slid shut once more.

@bushbees

[hedgiwithapen]

My Adventures With Superman: Sam Lane, and an eight year old Clark Kent.

General Lane holstered the newest prototype he’d been given for the mission, surveying the debris.  The ship had been less armed than anticipated. He’d overprepared, but that was always better than underpreparing. The field around him, the farmhouse, the dark ship that had haunted his nightmares, lay in ruins. “Well?” Mandy asked over the com in his ear. “Did you locate the last ship?” “I did,” he said. “This one was smaller. Mostly intact. It must have slipped past the sensors during Zero Day.” “I’ll send backup. How many robots?” “There was one. It’s taken care of.” “Any tech salvageable?” “Some,” he reported, looking back at the …creature…at his feet. “Something else, too. Sleeper agent.” “Pickup’s a minute out. We’ll find out what it knows.”

The new headquarters was nice, a far cry from the tents pitched around cornfields of seven years ago.  It was secure, with rooms for gear, for recreation, for combat practice. And rooms for prisoners. Finally, after years, they had one. General Lane stood at perfect attention, his spine rigid, his arms locked, his eyes still, concealing the racing in his brain. It looked human.  When he’d followed his scanner leading to one of the Invader ships, he’d expected more of the robots, killing machines made of non-earth-metal, sleek and calculating.  What he’d found instead looked like a human, like a child. Seven or eight, the part of his brain that was unhelpfully pointing out how much the invader’s dark hair looked like Lucy’s, how the way it had tucked both arms around its knees looked like Lois, sitting up in bed after a night terror.  He told that part of his brain to shut off, stand down, stop. He wasn’t sure it was better than remembering the sight of the battlefield, the fire-furrowed cropland, the scorched bodies. It was easy to keep his voice hard. “When is the invasion?” “I don’t know,” a tiny voice replied. It yelped when the collar sparked red, answering Mandy’s remote.  “Who are your people? What are their plans for Earth?” Amanda Waller stepped in. General Lane bit back the advice that one question at a time would be better. It wasn’t only his call. And this wasn’t a human child.  He’d follow Mandy’s lead. “I don’t know,” the invader whispered again, his bright blue eyes shining. It was a clever trick. “I want to go home.” “Where is home?” General Lane asked, sharp. “How many of you are there?” It shook its head again. “I don’t know, just me, I--I was home, you took me.” “That wasn’t your home. You came from that ship. Why?” “I don’t know,” it repeated, hugging its knees closer.  General Lane forced down the twinge of sympathy. It was probably calculated for just such a reaction, but knowing that didn’t make it easier. It was all too easy to imagine this…thing sitting at a school lunch table with his daughter.  “I swear,” the voice crept higher. Waller waggled the remote. The invader stared up at her, cringing backwards as far as chains would allow. “Your people sent you here. When are they coming back?” “I told you, I don’t know. Please, you can ask M--” it cut off, tears flowing again. “I don’t know anything.  I don’t remember anything.” “Hm.” Waller looked at the General. “Maybe it’ll feel more cooperative in the morning.” she turned on her heel, trusting him to have her back. Trusting the tech in this cell to prevent any need for him to. General Lane followed. “So, what do you think, Sam?” she asked him as they fell into step down the hall. He sighed, a little heavier. “It can’t be old enough to have been part of the invasion force.  Sleeper agent, maybe a decoy. But I don’t… I think it was telling the truth about not knowing.” “You’re probably right,” Mandy sighed right back at him. “But at least we’re not back to square one.  When Nemesis Omega comes back, we’ll have a weapon to use against them. Or a hostage. Either works. I’m sending you back out. We need to be sure there’s no more of them waiting.” “Right.” Sam said, swallowing his doubts. “Mandy. You don’t need me to tell you, but… if we want it to be our weapon…” “You’re right. I don’t need you to tell me. This is my side of things, Sam. Let me handle it. Go home. See your girls.” she paused midstep, a rarity, and her voice softened, ever so slightly. “I am sorry. I know civilian casualties are hard for you. But it’ll save so many lives. I hope you can see that.” Sam nodded, though he couldn’t. All he could see was himself, in the farmers’ faces.

[linkspooky]

Superman vs. All Might

Hello, this is a post comparing My Hero Academia to the comic books it was inspired by. Despite the title of this post, this is not going to be about the power levels of the individual characters. Rather, a comparison between what kind of heroes Superman, and All Might are respectively, and how All Might compares to the all-American super hero.

1. With Great Power

It's pretty obvious All Might takes his influence from Western / American ideas of superhero comics. He studied in the USA before returning to japan as a part of his training. He wears red, white and blue and shouts the names of American states before his attacks.

Before we begin have you heard about Superman? Really, never? That's kind of unlikely. If you want to read more about him though, there's this post with several recommendations of short comics that help you get the idea of his character. I personally recommend "All Star Superman" which is only twelve issues and is it's own self contained story.

There's also "Superman the Animated Series" which I believed watching just the first few episodes will give you everything you need to know about his character. I also recommend watching the Justice League episodes "Patriot Act", "War World", "Hereafter" and "For the Man Who has Everything" to get a glimpse of his character. I'll be referencing a line from the series finale of Justice League later on in this post, though I don't reccomend watching that because all the above are one shot episodes and the finale has spolers obviously.

So, All Might like Superman the single strongest superhero in his country. The only one of them that could truly be called "Superhuman", to the envy and amazement of others. There's an arc in My Hero Academia Vigilantes, where every single hero struggles only to fail to save a building full of people from collapsing. Only for after an entire arc of more minor heroes completely failing to stop the building from falling down, across the street All Might hears about it and arrives at the last second saving everyone inside and a couple of cats too.

The basic concept of All Might and Superman is basically the same, they are both the respective strongest heroes in their world's, and they are both defined by the fact they use their great power entirely altruistically. They work themselves to the bone saving other people.

In fact, in comparison to Superman All Might overowrks himself so much it can be considered a flaw. It's shown in the overhaul arc that All Might used to have a sidekick who was devoted to him, who quit and left him entirely because he could not stand to see how much All Might was ruining himself to help others.

I wouldn't say Superman doesn't work himself to death, or risk his life just as often, because he is a character with a long history, there are times he's been overworked and in crisis, heck he's even died before (Google: The Death of Superman), but working himself to the point of self destruction is not really a character flaw of superman's the way it is for All Might. I wouldn't say it's because Superman is any less selfless than All Might, though.

Rather, it has to do with the underlying difference in their motivation is. Now I said above, they are both people who use their powers to the best of their ability to help the others around them, but that's their actions not the internal motivation that drives those actions.

I've been calling him "Superman" so far, but that's not really his name. Everyone, meet Clark Kent. (This is from Superman: Secret Origin).

Wholesome geek from Smallville Kansas. He was adopted by Ma and Pa Kent, and raised on a farm, with no clue that he was an alien orphan from outer space until about his teenage years when he began all of a sudden to develop superhuman powers. What was his reaction to learning he has those powers? That he's something stronger than any other human?

He didn't want them. Clark Kent didn't want to be different from everyone else, and he never saw himself as better than them. He only comes to term with his identity, when he realize that these abilities are a gift, the same as any other gift, like being a fast runner, or being good at math, and Clark can use these gifts to help others.

This is essential to understanding Clark's character, he sees himself as gifted yes, but he's never seen himself as superhuman, or better than others. Clark is not superman, Clark is Clark.

He's a reporter at the Daily Planet who helps the city by writing expose articles with his colleague Lois, and who occasionally hears about disasters and puts on his pajamas to save people from a burning building, or catch Lois when she's flying out of a window. Being superman is community service for Clark. Clark never makes himself out to be a savior.

This all comes from Clark's fundamental desire, to be normal, to be a part of the planet that adopted him, and to feel connected to the world. Clark, unlike All Might values both parts of his identity (This is from Superman: Birthright).

There's a lot of things I can tell you about Clark Kent, he's a farm boy, he has a home life, a wife, however I could not tell you anything about Toshinori Yagi, both his past, and what he does when he's not being All Might.

The quirkless Toshinori Yagi may as well have stopped existing the moment he inherited One for All. As for why he has no identity outside of the costume he puts on, and why he devotes everything to being a superhero, it all falls back to that idea of motivation and origin again.

Superman never wanted to be a savior or a symbol, but that's exactly what Toshinori wanted to be, to become what the world needs him to be at the expense of everything including his own identity. Toshinori is not allowed to be human, because he needs to be superhuman. Once again, that makes it seem like Toshinori is more selfless, after all he sacrificed everything. They're both gifted with powers yes, but Toshinori doesn't let himself have anything resembling a normal life because he must be what the world needs him to be.

However, this is where I want to point out, that self-destruction is never a good thing. It's you know, destructive, hence the name. I think one of All Might's greatest flaws is not just that he's "So nice, and so selfless that he always hurts himself helping others", but that he genuinely began to buy the fact that having superhuman powers made him superhuman. He didn't overextend himself just because he was genuinely that selfless, but because he believed HE was the only superhuman with the power to do so and therefore HE had to do it.

We see shades of this in the Dark Deku arc, where this complete selflessness ends up veering into egoism. "I'm the only one in the whole world who could possibly do this, you all are too stupid and slow to catch up."

All Might is known for always flying solo, to the point where he only ever had one sidekick who quit on him because he refused to accept help. Clark cooperates with other heroes all the time, watch literally any episode of the Justice League cartoon.

All Might believes he has to become a superhuman symbol in order to help people, but then he starts to genuinely believe he is superhuman and that's where all the differences between them start to branch out. Superman wants to be a part of the world he wants to be with everyone, All Might wants to stand above everyone as a superhuman symbol. Yes, his motivations are still altruistic, he does it because he wants peace for the general population, but it's still a toxic attitude on his part.

Superman is a character who grapples with his own ability to help everyone too, because someone with his abilities should be able to do just that. (Superman: For all Seasons)

However, unlike All Might who pushes himself further and further away from his own humanity, when Superman reaches his limits, he instead goes back to his humanity instead. Superman's friends and family remind him, he may be strong, but just like anyone else in the world he's not capable of doing anything.

Clark's the kind of guy who when facing a crisis in the big city, comes home to talk with his small town parents, and then is deeply touched and learns a lesson from his father talking about growing corn, because to Clar, his father's efforts at growing corn are the same as him being a hero. They're both just trying to do the best they can do with the skills they have. That is the difference, Clark is rooted in the people around him, and his community, and is basically human in everything but biology.

Toshinori crumples under the expectations of being the perfect symbol that he places for himself, because he has no connection to the world outside being a hero. For Clark, what makes him a hero is the farm boy raising and the good values that his mother and father gave him as a child. For Toshinori, for a long time in the manga at least, he genuinely seems to believe that powers are what make him a hero. (Superman: Brainaac Action Comics #866).

Somewhere down the road, All Might began mistaking power for morality. You know, "All Might Makes Right." This could be partially because All MIght's not entirely based off of superman, Horikoshi has gone on record saying that My Hero Academia is like an exploration of two kinds of heroes, Spiderman and Goku.

Goku being the kind of reassuring hero who always wins a fight. So, All Might himself has two different distinct images, he's someone who's powerful enough to always beat the bad guy, and he's also someone who shows up to save everyone. All Might never really reconciles those two sides of himself though, and because of that he ends up representing a lot of Hero Society's Toxicity.

2. All Might Makes Right

So, I hope the lengths I went to establish "Superman does not think he's superhuman, All Might does, or at least expects himself to be..." have convinced you, because now we're moving onto the more toxic parts of All Might's nature.

All Might set out to do good, yes, but he also inspired a lot of the toxic parts of quirk society, the idea that the only people who can be heroes are people with strong and flashy quirks, the idea that defeating evil is just brutally punching a villain in the face. All of this because, at some point down the line All Might seemed genuinely convinced it was his superhuman powers that made him capable of saving so many that made him the hero.

Hence why we get scenes like All Might whining in front of his All Might Statue that he can't be ahero anymore, because he's too injured to continue fighting on the front lines.

Stain even compares himself to a god, that has now fallen upon the earth and became mortal. Superman was never superhuman or above anyone else, Toshinori can't really cope with being stripped down to having the same powers as everyone else, because he thinks his power lies in showing up to fight the villain.

The one time he's called upon to stop Deku from the same self destructive spiral that he went on, he can't, because All Might hasn't really overcome his own self destructive mentality that being a hero requires him being superhuman.

It's not just self destructive though, All Might clearly believes in the ideal image of a hero that the rest of hero society supports of an overly strong hero, bashing the brains in of a completely evil villain. He never stops to question himself, or the other people who imitate him. To quote League of Legends Arcane of all things, he's so busy worrying about greatness that he doesn't stop to ask himself if his actions are good. Every time we see All Might fight a villain, no matter who it is, it's a complete and absolute beat down.

"A hero's always ready to smash his way through trouble, tell me villain do you know the meaning of, plus ultra?"

All Might himself might have brought in AFO alive despite him being the worst villain ever and kept him in prison without executing him, but he's inspired an entire society of top heroes who are in fact, totally cool with brutalizing villains. Heroes who when they hear the only way to fight the Nomus is to kill them, and killing them is completely okay, are actually excited and find it fun.

"Oh wow, we can kill them? Cool, that's way easier!" All Might himself might not kill, but the attitude he promotes that a hero is someone who punches his way through a villain no matter what, promotes this line of thinking.

I could go through the manga and nitpick All Might, like how he never had any reaction to finding out his close personal colleague abused his own family, how he called Dabi the child Endeavor abused a maniac right in front of his brother's face, I bring these up but they're nit picks, I don't think they're in the spirit of the argument. Horikoshi is not trying to say that All Might is cool with child abuse, I'm nitpicking inconsistencies in the writing there. However, the dual nature of All Might's influence on society and the double nature of heroes themselves has been a long running plot thread.

All Might is completely unaware of the toxic influence he has on others, and also refuses to self-evaluate and look at his own flaws because as I stated above he mistakenly believes that All Might needs to be Superhuman in order to be a hero. Therefore, he can't have flaws. All Might seems to believe it's his ability to perform superhuman deeds that makes him a hero, unlike Clark Kent who's greatest ability is his sense of right and wrong.

Clark also, does not support the brutalization of villains in any way. If you want to watch the animated series, there's an episode called "When there's Smoke" where Superman meets a villain who's the victim of government experimentation, and spends most of the episode trying to talk her down, and de-escalate the fight.

Clark: Don't do it volcana. I can help you. Volcana: No thanks. These days I can help mysrlf. Clark: Listen, nobody will blame you for what you've done, but the stealing has to stop, now. Clark: You have to trust me, Volcana. Volcana: DO you know how many times I've heard that? From my parents before they shuffled me off to the institute? From the institute just before they turned me over to the feds. And from the government just before they took away my life.

At the end of the episode, he doesn't even hand her over to the feds or the government because he knows they're going to experiment on her.

Superman usually attempts to de-escalate first, whereas All Might always skips step one. In fact, one of Superman's most legendary animated scenes in the DCAU is a scene where he shows just how much he always holds back in a fight.

"That man won't quit as long as he can draw breath. None of my teammates will. Me, I've got a different problem. I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard. Always taking constant care not to break something, to break someone, never allowing myself to lose control even for a moment, as someone could... die. Now, you can take it can't you big man? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose, and show you just how powerful I really am."

Clark is constantly concerned that if he doesn't hold back perfectly he might hurt someone more than he intended to, even a bad guy, whereas All Might is always going Plus Ultra on those purse snatchers. When Shigaraki brings up the possibility that All Might might be just as violent as the people he fights, he just laughs it off and pounds Shigaraki into the pavement.

Here's another clip where superman disavows violence. Quoted Here:

"Yes, they did see. They saw the ugliness as a solution and it frightens them. It frightened me too when I decided to cross that line and do what you do. It's so easy, anger, vengeance. *Fake punch* Luckily, I'm not you and I never will be." [...] "You think that's it. It's not over you poncey twit. If you think I'll just go to jail and rot you're living in a dream world." "Good, dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us into something better. ANd on my soul, I swear that until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice are the reality we all share I'll never stop fighting, ever..."

Clark deliberately holds himself back from violence, because he knows he's a role model other people look up too and he doesn't want them imitating him.

Clark does not think his powers make him a hero, which is why he is so mindful of them. While I don't think All Might is convinced that powers make you a hero, to the lengths that say Endeavor absolutely seeps convinced that being a strong hero, and having strong powers should make him good.... I do want to compare how Clark and All Might act when they're called to save someone in a situation where their powers don't help.

Shigaraki Tomura, the villain of the manga is the grandson of All Might's mentor Shimura Nana. At her request, he never looked for her son after Nana decided to abandon him for his own safety, so they could remain hidden. As a result, when Shimura Tenko lost control of his own quirk and killed his family, no hero came to save him. Not only was All Might unaware of the situation because he was keeping his promise to his old mentor, but in the society that All Might created, Shimura walked the streets for days and not a single person stopped to help him.

Tenko is the child that All Might cold not save. However, upon learning of his existence, that All For One kidnapped the grandchild of his mentor, and then raised him for years into a villain and twisted him as a pawn to use against All Might... learning those circumstances All Might still doesn't try to go after him.

When All Might learns there was someone he did not save, someone he also has a personal connection too because his grandmother abandoned her family in order to raise him up as a hero, his reaction amounts to "Shucks, what can you do?"

"Shucks, what can you do?"

To compare All Might's dilmena with Tenko, the child he could not / did not save, there is a superman comic called "Superman: Up in the Sky" a six issue self-contained story, about Clark as he attempts to save a single girl who was abducted from earth and taken to space.

It examines the morality of such an action, Clark leaving the earth and going out of his way just for the sake of one person. After all, Clark is the most powerful hero. If Darkseid, or Brainiac shows up, you're going to need Clark fighting on your team.

The comci doesn't brush over the fact that Clark leaving just to save one little girl's life means he won't be there to help whatever natural disaster people need saving from, in fact Clark himself said it was a reason he shouldn't go, and Clark during the comic has constant hallucination and fear sequences of someone on earth dying because they needed his help and he was off saving a little girl.

Clark even has the option of leaving the search of the little girl up to the Green Lantern Corps, who are basically the universe's police with magic rings that let them fly practically anywhere and far more members than Clark, but he doesn't.

And his reasoning is simple. "No, I can't save everyone but maybe I can save her."

Superman even has a crisis of conscience with the two halves of himself, while hallucinating on an alien planet, the human half of him that wants to save one little girl, and the superhero sdie that's responsible for guarding earth from threats.

The alien himself says he only kidnapped her because she was a nobody, because she's someone who would never come after, because she's not worth that effort.

This is the defining scene which makes Superman, Superman. He came to save her, because superman isn't a set of powers, superman isn't a guy who fights bad guys, superman helps people.

Which is why I think All Might is just too different a character from Clark to really be comapred to him in the end, he's too wrapped up in his society's toxic ideals of heroism and too unwilling to bend from it. After all, if All Might had learned something, wouldn't his final stand be doing what Superman did in this comic? Giving everything he had left to save the child he failed to save? Instead, what do we see him do? Go to fight All for One in a giant robot suit.

The child who most needs to hear "I am here" is Shigaraki, but All Might's essentially already given up on him. "Shucks, what can you do?" Indeed. I want to point out in this same chapter though, All Might gives a very touching motivating speech to Todorki, reminding him he doesn't have to beat the big bad All for One, and it's okay for him to go after Dabi, and reassure his family and everyone else as a hero. THAT is the hero All Might could be, even without his powers. THAT is the hero who could try to talk to Shigaraki and bring him down, who could make an effort to be there for him now because he wasn't in the past. All Might's genuine altruism, and his moments where he uses his words and idealism to inspire people shows us what he could be, if he just divorced himself from this toxic notion that being a hero means standing up against a bad guy and beating them up.

However, we have not seen him do that yet. Because in the end All Might is no Superman. And he's DEFINITELY no Clark Kent.

[ettraxx]

Kara Kent Part 2

Kara’s day was not turning out as she had expected. Instead of getting herself caught up on Dr. Hamilton’s current projects, she is sitting in a conference room with her boss, the owner of the company, the owner’s assistant, and a lawyer in a three piece suit more expensive than Kara’s entire wardrobe. Checking her phone from this morning it was a message from Clark. He was informing her that his flight from Kansas City was delayed. 

She responds with a frowny face emoji, and a short message that her day was a mess. Lena covertly scans Kara’s phone from over her shoulder. The FBI agents who assumed command of the investigation decided to observe the quartet and interview each of them one by one. Lena’s assistant Jess is the first and the lawyer is right by her side. 

“This probably wasn’t what you expected on your first day.” States Lena as she sits down next to Kara. 

“No, but I’ve come to expect the unexpected since moving to National City.” Responds Kara swiftly pocketing her phone. 

“Boyfriend?” Asks Lena with a smile that suggests she’s fishing for information. 

“No, I don’t have one of those.” Responds Kara feeling entirely too at ease with the woman. “My, brother is coming to stay with me. Our folks are getting on in years, and everyone thought it would be better for him out here in National City than in rural Kansas.” 

“Oh.” Responds Lena her smile growing softer. “I didn’t expect that from you. Not that I know you well enough to expect much of anything beyond your work.”

“It’s okay, I’m mostly an open book.” Scoffs Kara side eyeing Amelia as she crosses her arms and looks away from the two. 

Her boss looks especially annoyed with all of this. In fact, if Kara didn’t know any better she would say Amelia looks downright upset. Then again if she was dead set on making medical miracles happen, and all of this interrupted, she might be frustrated too. Then again her eyes narrow whenever she looks at Lena specifically.

Looking back down at herself, Kara spots a singed hole in her suit jacket. Just barely hidden by her lapel, no one else has noticed it yet causing Kara to remove her jacket and fold it over her arm. Her sky blue blouse with its frilly material hides any additional holes much more easily. Her attention returns to Lena at her side. 

“How old is he?” She asks with a relaxed grin. “Your brother.”

“He just turned 14, but he’s probably smarter than all of the kids he’s about to go to school with.” Responds Kara hearing the approaching foot steps of Jess and the agents. 

“If he shares any traits with you, I’m sure he is.” Responds Lena with a faint twinkle in her eyes.

Jess is ushered back inside, and Kara is called out by name. She stands and walks confidently towards the waiting agent. Lena watches Kara leave and turns her attention to the chair she was just in. Sitting in the corner of the chair, she spots a glinting piece of metal. 

*****

Siting in the makeshift interrogation room, Kara has flashbacks to Monday night’s at the Kent farm. Sitting down after dinner and watching NCIS with Pa. She didn’t really understand Jonothan Kent’s interest in the police procedural, but the character interactions could be fun. And Danvers and Henshaw definitely have a DiNozo and Gibbs kind of vibe.

Agent Danvers doesn’t have the same kind of charm as DiNozo, but she was definitely the more friendly of the pair. She has more of a big sister kind of energy about her. Henshaw embodies the cold and stoic persona, and she’s sure he would make a great bad cop. The two ask all the big standard questions, and the lawyer only steps in when he needs to. 

 They beat around the idea that Kara might be behind the assassination attempt. The two are obviously fishing and trying to gauge her reactions. Unfortunately for them she is not as nervous as they want her to be. The pair are definitely hiding something, but Kara is not sure what it could be.

Do they know more about the would-be assassin? Do they know why Lena was targeted? Or perhaps they know about her? She keeps her cool and maintains her control, just like Ma helped her learn to do. 

After 42 minutes almost exactly, she is told she could leave. She is ushered back to the conference room, and Doctor Hamilton is requested next. Lena is immediately looking at Kara with a different air about her. She is still outwardly friendly, but her eyes are harder and more focused. 

It was the same kind of look Kara had when she was solving a puzzle. The CEO is now keeping her distance and observing everything that Kara does. Nervously Kara pours herself a glass of ice water and drinks the whole thing. Only after she was finished did it register that Jess was gone. 

“I sent her home for the day, with pay.” Responds Lena with a knowing smile. “You’re welcome to do the same, you wouldn’t want to miss your brother’s flight.”

“Uh, thank you mam.” Responds Kara now on edge.

“Please, call me Lena or Miss Luthor.” She responds though her voice has a slight edge to it. 

“Then please, call me Kara.” She responds standing and holding her hand out to Lena. 

The CEO hesitates momentarily, and her heart rate speeds up. Lena suspects something. Hopefully she only suspects that Kara is behind the assassination attempt. That one is at least easy enough to prove wrong. Lena herself applies much more force to her grip, and Kara instinctively matches the pressure. 

*****

Kara left work and made her way to her favorite comfort restaurant. Noonan’s makes the closest meatloaf to what Ma Kent makes, that she has ever tasted. She notices someone following her to the restaurant, and assumes it’s another fed. She sets about enjoying her lunch and leaves as much of a tip as she ever has. 

Instead of returning home and changing, she sets out for National City International Airport. The usual long and arduous wait is in store as Clark’s plane lands and sits for almost an hour. Clark practically looks like a sixteen year old already. His shaggy black hair and thick glasses were designed to help him to blend in. 

The hug they share is a long and warm one. Nothing like she would have ever shared with him back ‘home’. But then again almost everything is different on Earth than back on Krypton. The pair ride back to Kara’s apartment, well, their apartment in the back of a musky smelling taxi. 

Clark initially rolls his eyes at the idea of taking a taxi. He does, however, text a few times along the way. He’s not super impressed by her apartment, though that’s because he’s seen it before. He likes his new room, what with it last being cluttered with boxes, even if it’s a bit sparse now. 

With a burst of super speed, he unloads his suitcases. A flurry of flannel, jeans and T-shirts fly into his closet and drawers. He only packed enough clothes to last a couple weeks, as he didn’t want to overstuff his suitcase. He intended to quite literally run home to the Kent farm and gather anything else he needed over the weekend.

He and Pa had even built a fire-resistant chest for him to use just for the trip. Friction didn’t usually bother him and his clothes, but if he lugged anything else around at super speeds it could be disastrous. He even brought along a few photos and keepsakes, to make it really feel like home. Prominently he has two photos on display. 

The first from the beginning of summer is of Clark, Kara, Ma and Pa in front of the farmhouse. The second, from a few weeks later, is of Clark, and his best friends, Pete Ross and Lana Lang. The three of them were hanging out at the lake in between his and Lana’s houses. 

Clark steps out into the main floor after he hears the doorbell.

Kara had ordered a massive takeout dinner for the two. Pizza’s, potstickers, sliders, and dozens of appetizers. He shook his head with smiles as Kara scrunched up her face with a joyful smile. Clark couldn’t help but share the light hearted smile.

“Surprise!” Announces Kara as she sets up the spread. 

“You do still remember how to cook right?” Asks Clark with a smirk as he removes his glasses and glides over to join her. 

“Of course, but I wanted to celebrate you moving in.” Dismisses Kara with a forced shrug. “And after today I really wanted potstickers.”

“Good day or bad day?” Questions Clark with a raised eyebrow taking a seat upon a stool. 

“A bit of both.” Responds Kara thinking of the best way to gloss over what happened. “My new bosses both seem nice, but work was, interrupted.”

“Yeah, an assassination attempt can do that.” Retorts Clark with a knowing smirk. “News reported on it while I was waiting on the plane.”

Clark’s phone buzzes in his pocket and he instinctively answers it while shielding the screen from Kara’s sight. His soft chuckle and accelerated heartbeat are unmistakable to Kara’s ears. As soon as he’s finished with his response, he taps the power button and the screen goes black. He grabs three slices of meat lovers pizza and half of the fried cheese sticks. 

“So how’s Lana doing?” Asks Kara as she bites a potsticker in half.

“How did you… she’s fine. She misses me, but she’s looking forward to Smallville High.” Responds Clark trying desperately to hide his faint blush. 

“How do you feel about her being so far away?” Kara asks her smug grin warming into a genuine loving smile.

“It’s not like she’s actually, that, far away. It’s a five minute run or a two minute flight.” Responds Clark trying a little too hard to be cool. “But I miss her being able to visit me in the loft.” 

“You’ve got it bad Kal.” Teases Kara with a sparkle in her eyes. 

“It’s not like that, she’s my best friend. She was my only friend for so long.” Responds Clark continuing to blush.

“You two practically grew up together.” States Kara bluntly. “It’s like all those movies Ma loves to watch.”

“Shut up!” Defends Clark forcing anger to his face to hide his red cheeks. “It’s not like that, besides she likes Whitney Fordman.”

“She’s settling for Whitney. Wait, isn’t he the one whose dad owns the tractor supply store?” Asks Kara with a slice of pizza in hand. 

“Yeah, Pete’s been working there over the summer.” Responds Clark finishing off another plate of food.

“How is Pete, and I thought he was your best friend?” Asks Kara observing her brother as he responds. 

“I mean Pete’s cool and all, but I told Lana everything.” Clark silences himself after that admission. 

Kara catches his meaning, and she takes a few moments to respond. “You told her everything?”

“Yeah. She noticed me using my strength and trying to hide it.” Admits Clark with a half smile. “I told her everything, and eventually showed her our pods. To prove it all.”

“Our secret isn’t something we should share with anyone. It puts them in danger as much as us.” States Kara with a tone of authority and disappointment. 

“This is why I didn’t tell Pa.” Scoffs Clark all but inhaling a slice of pizza. “I mean you must have shared the secret with someone.”

“No. I’ve never told anyone.” Responds Kara with more than a little pain in her voice. 

She could tell Clark about Kenny. About how he found out her secrets, about how he died protecting those same secrets. Clark was too young to remember the boy, and that was for the best. Telling Clark would only hurt him, and she promised so long ago to protect him from harm. 

“Not even Bart?” Asks Clark getting her college friends name wrong on purpose.

“It’s Barry, and no I didn’t even tell him.” Responds Kara with a smile showing that she has no hard feelings. “

*****

Across National City, Lena Luthor is in her private lab. Long gone are the ineffective federal agents, and the equally ineffective police. She already reprogrammed the security system for the entire building, replacing all current security codes. Now she’s on to studying the spent round she recovered. It would be much easier if she had the deformed round recovered from the wall, but the police don’t need to know that she has a second round. The police still believe that the exploding alarm was struck by the second shot.

The agents were less than thrilled with her dismissal of the would-be assassin. The police couldn’t seem to care less. Lena knew that her resources would be able to find every bit of evidence leagues faster than the disinterested police, but she was limited in her ability to investigate. The first round was most likely destroyed after shattering the bullet resistant glass, and then hitting the reinforced lab wall. 

The recovered round is completely deformed. Having struck something that absorbed all of its kinetic energy and did not yield. It takes her a while before she recovers a couple of fibers from within the warped tip of the bullet. One dark blue and one sky blue, confirming Lena’s suspicion that Kara stopped the bullet. But that confirmation only raises questions. 

How did Kara Kent survive the gunshot? Does she have a hidden bulletproof vest? Does she have a personal forcefield device? Or is she what Lex’s notes call a Meta Human?

Lena lets out an involuntary yawn and decides she’s done enough for tonight. She seals her findings away on her private computer. She seals her lab behind her, and locks down her office. Frank is dutifully waiting for her with her black limo. The drive to her penthouse is as short as ever, and she refrains from drinking any of the scotch on the ride.

Entering her sparse penthouse she quickly double checks her personal security system, before stepping into her kitchen. She contemplates eating a quick salad before grabbing a bottle of her good scotch. She pours two fingers before looking at the blinking number on her answering machine. Taking a sip and then the bottle with her, she steps up to the machine. 

The first message is from her mother. “Lena, I heard there was an attempt on your life. You never should have gone off on your own. There is still time to accept your brother’s offer and rejoin the company...”

Lena has heard enough and erases the message. The second comes from Sam. “Lena, you need to call me. Why did I hear from your mother, that someone tried to kill you? Just call me, if for no reason other than for Ruby to hear from you.”

She swallows a gulp of her scotch and picks up the phone. “Hello Sam, I’m fine. Yes, I will talk to Ruby, But first you need to look into someone for me.”

So i was originally going to just wait until i was finished with part 1 of my story, but because so many seemed to like it hare's the next part while i hopefully finish the full chapter this weekend.

[thirstnotes]

| Rivals to Lovers - Clark Kent - Part Nine - No Strings Clark |

Pairings: Clark Kent x AFABBlackPlusSizedReader

Warnings: jealous Clark, Clark Kent in love, language, dirty thoughts, typos, more smut eventually, minors DNI, morally gray Clark, a little angst, thirst, mutual pining, fake dating

Ya'll, I've been both busy and unmotivated. I'm so sorry this update took so long. But I hope ya'll enjoy it all the same!

If you don't like it, don't read it.

That night was too satisfying to be real

You were deliciously sore from being in positions you hadn't been in for months

Farm boy had some moves

Sorry

Superman*

You woke to the smell of breakfast. Bacon and coffee specifically. Your tummy rumbled as you rose, running the details of last night through your mind over and over. It was a simple equation, but you just couldn't comprehend it:

Clark wanted you.

+

Clark was Superman.

=

Superman wanted you.

It lingered in your mind as you took a quick shower. What even was this? Had Clark been making a statement, or was he just horny after all the kissing, touching and pretending at class yesterday? You didn't know what to think.

Even if he did have feelings for Lois, what happened last night was clearly an explosion of shared tension between you. It was an explosion of something.

The heavy feeling of irony hit you as you walked quietly up the hall and caught sight of him standing at the stove. It felt so domestic and normal. Which was the last thing you thought a morning with Superman would be.

He didn't look up, but his lips twitched into his usual smirk as he plated the rest of the food.

It was quite the spread

French toast sticks, pancakes, bacon, eggs, donuts from your favorite bakery

It was like he was trying his best to put his best foot forward

It was kind of odd to see him so eager to please someone other than Lois

It almost made you want to forget how annoyed you were with him for not telling you his secret sooner

almost

But you weren't sweating it too much

After all, you understood why

It didn't stop you from being annoyed

But you understood

"I didn't know what you might want, so I made a few options," he said with a shrug, eyes flickering between you and the table.

So cute.

You bit back a laugh, not wanting to seem rude.

"It's...a lot. But it's fine," you half-joked, reaching for a piece of bacon. He watched your reaction quietly, pleased when you hummed in approval and took another bite.

"Sleep well?"

"You tell me," you shot back, rolling your eyes, though your small smirk betraying you. You couldn't stop smiling and you knew he noticed.

"I'd say you did, but I think that'd be bragging to some degree, wouldn't it?" he sassed, pouring some orange juice and adding it to the table.

You laughed as you sat down, a hint of hoarseness in the sound also betraying your reaction.

"Maybe a lil bit. Where'd a nice dude like you learn to use your mouth like that anyway?" you asked, feeling an ache between your thighs at the mention of his mouth.

"The truth? Eating peaches," he laughed saucily, taking a bite of a bagel.

You couldn't help but cackle at that. "Seriously?"

"Mmh. Very similar," he hummed, taking a sip of juice. He paused, as though remembering something important, and dug something from his pocket. Your phone--correction--your cracked phone, was vibrating as he handed it to you.

"Oh shit, I totally forgot," you gasped, inspecting the damage, "Thanks."

Last night was such a blur, you'd forgotten you'd even dropped it

He must have gotten it after you'd fallen asleep.

"Someone's called you three times, back to back," he said, his eyes rolling back to his breakfast, "Gonna assume it's your boyfriend."

You felt your heart leap a bit. It was unclear if it was guilt or excitement. Maybe it was the way he said it. "He's not my boyfriend."

His eyes met yours again. "Does he know that?"

You couldn't confirm to be honest, but you didn’t want him to know that. "I'm pretty sure he does. We never agreed to a relationship."

"I'm no expert, but I think tickets to Prague is a pretty solid step in that direction," he said, sipping water this time. You gawked at him with an astonished laugh.

"Okay, Mr. Man of Steel. First of all. No more using your powers to spy on me."

"Noted," he said, arms folded, smirk still solidly in place. It wasn't a confirmation that he wasn't going to, but at least he knew it annoyed you. He watched you patiently for the next item on the list and you scrounged your brain to find it.

"Second. Bruce is not my boyfriend." He rolled his eyes at that, but you continued anyway. "Even if I do go to Prague with him."

"Whatever helps you sleep," he laughed again with a skeptical snort that irked you.

“I- You know what? Why am I even explaining this to you?!”

“Beats me,” he shrugged, getting up and rounding the table. His eyes held yours as he did so, and he seemed a lot like a predator stalking his prey.

You kinda liked it.

He loomed over you, propping his hands on the back of your chair and the edge of the table, dipping in just low enough to hover just beyond your lips. “Maybe you’re getting defensive because you feel like you’re cheating.”

You looked like a goldfish, trying to find your will to argue. At the last minute, as he pulled back with his irritatingly sexy smirk, you’d found it.

“I just-It’s not cheating if I’m not dating anybody.”

He hummed at that, rounding your chair and walking over to the tv to switch it off. "You don't have to convince me. I agree. In fact, I personally feel like the further you are away from that guy, the better.”

You had to wonder why he hated Bruce so much, but you decided against asking, since you probably weren’t going to get a straight answer anyway

Besides, your mind was more preoccupied with how sinful he looked in a simple tee and sweats

“But,” he continued, sitting back across from you, taking another generous sip of water, “I support whatever you wanna do. It’s your life. Whatever you two do is your business.”

“I appreciate that,” you said, glad he wasn’t trying to tell you who you could allow in your life. Because Superman or not, he would’ve caught it. Still, the aesthetic of Clark being jealous made your body simmer with a little bit of excitement.

“That said, whatever happens between us is our business, right?”

He looked at you expectantly and you had an eerie sense of deja vu from when he'd asked you to be his fake girlfriend in the first place.

"I guess."

A chill ran up your spine and your mind raced with many curious thoughts that fought to stay inside.

A few of which had to do with whether he was trying to fuck you purely to annoy Bruce

Or if he legit felt something for you

Then again, what if it were both?

What if Bruce was making him jealous?

In the incredibly slim chance that he liked you beyond being a fuck buddy

It was stressful not knowing

"You have a question," he said, matter-of-factly, eyes lowering to his breakfast again. He ignored the startled look you gave him in favor of another bite of eggs.

"What makes you say that?"

"I just know."

That was an odd thing to hear

But it made sense considering who you were talking to

He was probably used to that kind of thing

But the fact that he knew you so intimately and said as much so nonchalantly, was kind of strange

But also kind of hot

"Okay...Fine. You're right. I do," you said, now suddenly conscious of the occasional thud in your chest. His pretty blue eyes met yours again curiously and you nearly melted. It was your turn to look back to your breakfast, which you didn't really feel like finishing.

"So is this Lois thing a lie...or did you just change your mind?"

His eyes drifted off to the side as if trying to carefully word it. "I love Lois, yeah. I probably always will," he said and you felt your heart drop a little, hopes a bit dashed.

It wasn't anything new from what you'd thought in the first place

Still, it still stung to hear him say it aloud

Even if you were sitting across from him in nothing but his t-shirt

He continued, but your phone rattling on the surface of the table startled you. Clark's eyes rolled to the side as you checked it.

"Oh."

"Bruce again?"

He gave you a look before you could even ask how he knew that and you were pretty certain that "he just knew".

"Yeah, I just. Finish your thought?" you shrugged, really wanting to hear him out. He paused, taking a deep breath.

"I just really like you," he said, the lingering pause between you making you wonder if there was something more he wanted to say. The way it made him sound like an awkward dork afraid of rejection made you tingle inside. You bit back a laugh and rolled your eyes.

Quite a bit more flustered than you let on

It wasn't LOVE

You didn't have a hold on him like Lois did

But he liked you

You had your answer

For now that was enough

Both of your priorities were clear now

He was comfortable with you like you were with him

"I like you too, Clark," you admitted genuinely. It was a relief to say it directly to him even if it was the understatement of the year.

"What did he want, anyway? Bruce, I mean?" he asked and you were finally back on track with your thoughts.

"He's gonna be in town a few days longer and wanted to know if I wanted to hang out today," was all you supplied. Though you wondered how much more he knew.

A small smirk played at his lips and he sipped his juice. "You wanna take off soon?"

He did say "soon"

It wasn't as if he were hurrying you off or anything

Which was good because you weren't in any hurry to leave

"Actually...I was thinking I could hang out with you today," you said, not really fully knowing yourself where you were going with this.

The implication didn't go over his head either. Even if this was a convenient arrangement for the both of you, that didn't mean you couldn't both enjoy it. His smile grew.

"What'd you have in mind?"

(Part 10) (Part 8)

[idabbleincrazy]

Some corset clex:

Standing at the top of the steps, Lex had to stifle the gasp of surprise that filled his throat as he looked across the loft, sure that the moonlight streaking in through the open window was causing his eyes to play tricks on him. Surely, Clark Kent was not standing at the other end of the loft, in front of a full length mirror, shirtless. In leather pants. And holding a red and black corset to his chest.

Blinking, waiting - and dreading - for the image to disappear, he watched Clark wrap the leather corset around himself, muscles straining as he tried to tighten the stays. The image never vanished, and after a minute of watching the impossibly erotic struggle, Lex took pity, brushing aside all the why's and how's, and took a step further into the loft.

"Need some help?"

Clark yelped in shock, dropping the corset as he whirled around to face the unexpected intruder into his sacred space.

"Lex! Wha-what are you doing here?" His voice was caught somewhere between fear, fury, embarrassment, and indignation, fluctuating from squeaky to gravely and back again. Lex watched his foot out of the corner of his eye as it tried to kick the now offensive garment into the shadows of the room. "Why are you here?"

"Well, you haven't been answering my calls, texts, or emails, Clark, and I figured you probably wouldn't appreciate me giving the town gossips more fodder, so I decided to cancel the skywriting. If Mohammed won't go to the mountain…" Lex trailed off with a shrug, trying to keep his face blank of the arousal he felt coursing through him, thickening his cock. He nodded his head at the pile of fabric on the floor. "Your secret's safe, by the way."

There was enough light in the room to see the deep blush that darkened Clark's golden skin, the flush traveling enticingly from his cheeks to his neck, and down over his chest. Lex's eyes followed the rise of color, down over the expanse of exposed skin, gaze soon distracted by the reminder of the existence of leather pants, fabric stretched so tight across broad thighs they looked like they were painted on. His brain didn't know what to do with the fact that the groin area was bulging slightly out, and so simply refused to acknowledge it.

Apparently angered by his own reaction to Lex's soft comfort, Clark let out a snort of derision.

"Yeah, right. Safe. Where is it safe, Lex? In your private little stalker room?" Clark stepped forward, hands clenching into tight fists at his sides, and Lex couldn't help a shiver, of fear, of arousal, not when the evidence of all those surmised muscles were actually bared to his sight. "Gonna take a picture, Lex? Add it to your collection of me? Bet it would make a nice addition to that digital scrapbook you've got going. Or, wait, maybe you could take the corset with you, put it on display front and center, next to that bullet-mobile."

Lex pinched the bridge of his nose, his erection still not deflating despite the beginnings of a headache. This was exactly what he didn't want. He came here to make amends, not start the same argument all over again.

@leatafandom

[thedupshadove]

Lois + Clark roleswap AU (interpret this however you will)

Kala Jor-El lands in rural Colorado, only a scenic drive away from the U.S. Army base where General Sam Lane happens to be serving...

After bringing her back to their residence, Sam felt it was his duty to alert Washington to this clear extraterrestrial presence, and hand the baby--and the shuttle that brought her--over to Area 51 for further investigation. His wife Eleanor had to rather strenuously argue him out of it. What neither of them knew while having this discussion was that one of the abilities granted to Kryptonians by a yellow sun is near-perfect infant recall. After this initial reaction gave way to a childhood of overall better treatment, Lois does love her foster-father. She supposes. But she'll never entirely trust him.

It was also Eleanor who pulled a few favors from her own mysterious circle to have the remains of the shuttle moved to somewhere safe until Lois was old enough to claim it.

Having been raised in crowded environments full of brusque, no-nonsense people, Kala's mask didn't develop in the same way that Kal's did. She tends much more toward overt charisma and force of personality, because surely no one so in-your-face could be concealing anything about herself, right?

If anything, it's Superwoman who's the less assertive persona, since a woman known to be able to crack mountains with her bare hands has to carry herself carefully if she wants people to react with anything other than fear.

Given her renowned beauty and staggering list of accomplishments, it's unsurprising that Superwoman has received romantic overtures from some of the most rich, famous, and powerful men on the planet. But she doesn't want any of them. She wants Clark Kent, the sweetheart of a Kansas-born sci-fi nerd whose overall lack of physical prowess never seems to stop him from trying to talk down a mugger, or pull a child out of the remains of a building ruined by Brainiac.

"I'm not brave, Clark. Nobody with my inbuilt armor and arsenal can be called 'brave'. You've got nothing but your fragile human skin, and you still faced down a squad of Lexcorp goons in the name of letting people know what Luthor's 'charitable donations' were really going to. That's brave."

Clark's background is mostly the same, save for being Jonathan and Martha's biological child. Not needing to hide his powers or cultivate an easily-overlooked persona might make him a little less timid and stammery, but he's still a farm-boy in the big city for the first time, still ridiculously kind-hearted, and still an absolute dork. Also the glasses are real in this version.

Rather than chasing after Superwoman and ignoring Lois, I think the conflict here is that Clark is deeply smitten with both Superwoman and Lois, and his moral code won't allow him to be with either of them while he knows his heart would still be drawn to the other.

As a stepping-stone before telling the truth, Lois might suggest that they go the polyamory route. Clark is skeptical, but says he's willing to try it...as long as the three of them can meet to make sure everyone is on the same page. Whichever persona didn't make the suggestion has to feign unwillingness in order to keep the secret from crashing down too soon.

Lucy would take the role of the Imperiled Civilian more often, I think, now that her position relative to the hero has gone from "My girlfriend's sister and my best friend's girlfriend" to "My sister (and my best friend's girlfriend)". Clark, Jimmy, and Lucy probably get Damsoled about equally (Lucy knows the secret; the other two don't).

[jessilynallendilla]

MY ADVENTURES WITHSUPERMAN REACTION

EPISODE 1: 

Why is child Clark wearing glasses? He has no identity to hide yet unlike in Birthright. Other than that Baby~ and the S! 

His alarm clock has a rooster on it 

He’s a bumbling, nervous klutz because of his powers not because he’s trying to hide them. Being an adorable nerdy dork is just a bonus

“I had to save a cat” The writers understood the assignment 

Clois meet cute 

Look at Babygirl trying to flirt 

Lady, you work with food, you shouldn’t put your shoes on the counter 

Clark is such a Babygirl~ eating three dozen donuts so often the bakers got him his own bib 

Little park Roomba 

Ok I’m still not onboard with the whole race swapping Jimmy and Perry but I will give them this they made Jimmy an oblivious conspiracy theorist (why does our alarm clock keep exploding) at least it’s a personality besides Superman fanboy and Perry’s personality is spot on 

 Every buyer or fencer disappeared, wonder why that is? 

Patty, I love you 

If you're trying to be inconspicuous don't have a convoy of garbage trucks run a bunch of red lights

So, Metropolis is an island in this earth 

Clark calls Lois out on using people and lying about it, and she admits she was wrong and grows as a person 

Is Clark infused with nanotech? 

Oooh oooh animation error his tie is in the rubble when Clark stumbles into frame he isn't wearing one but after Lois hugs him and apologizes it’s miraculously there 

So, there’s no police or media coverage for the giant mech fight destroying the docks? And Perry has no interest at all? 

EPISODE 2: 

So, the baby sized pod grew under the fields, is it using the natural minerals in the earth? I mean it's been there for decades and nothing grew there

“I don’t think that’s a language from earth, son.” It sounds like a bunch of romance languages put together so Esperanto?

I don’t blame baby Clark for being scared that shit would be terrifying to a child 

Flamebird, I understood that reference 

What eyewitnesses at the dock, no one else was there but you 

Jimmy trying to set up Clark and Lois together 

Jonathan feigns stomach problems to get out of dodge, so that’s where Clark gets it 

“It grew” so the spaceship is getting bigger, how big, will it take over the whole farm, the entire state of Kansas? 

“I need to find out who I am, Ma.” “I know who you are, you’re my son.”   oh my heart

Well, that’s different from a bunch of crystals 

Jor El’s reaction when Clark says he doesn’t know him 

Magical Girl nanotech transformation suit 

Ma Kent getting Clark pants so his dick won’t show 

Deathstroke is giving Lotor vibes not old bitch that gets his ass kicked by teenagers 

Where was Leslie hiding those shoulder pauldrons?  

Is Leslie fused with Krypton electricity nanites or something?

So, Leslie’s tech was also Kryptonian and that means those “military” mechs were also alien in origin and that spaceship battle and giant portal opening in the sky was pretty ominous, was that Clark’s wormhole or something more sinister? And does Clark just have a connection to all Kryptonian tech since he’s presumably infused with nanites? And does he still get his powers from the sun or is it the nanites, or do the nanites just enhance it?

Amazo billboard, is that just a reference or will the android show up later? 

Clark cleans up his mess because he’s a good boy 

So, it’s not going to be a Magical Girl transformation, he can change it like normal clothes 

Dammit Jimmy they were about to kiss

Cat Grant, a gossip columnist, stole the byline of the downtown anime fight, so the rivalry begins 

Les-Lie Willis

Oh, shit it’s Amanda Waller 

now to wait a week for Episode 3

[bluejaysandblackbats]

It Takes A Village

Fandom: YJ98, Flashfam, DC Comics

Summary: After witnessing Bart murder someone, his friends scramble to cover Bart's tracks and stumble upon an international scandal as a result.

(Minor background: Bart took a gap year, and Conner did two years of community college. This starts shortly after Bart's 19th birthday. So, Conner and Jenni are 20, Bart and Cissie are 19, Tim and Cassie are 18, I made Greta 17 for the sake of the fic, and Judy is 15. I decided to make Owen 22 and Thad 16 for plot reasons. Clark and Conner are brothers in this fic, and Clark is 12 years older for the sake of this fic, so he's 32.)

Chapters: 4/?

Characters: Bart Allen, Conner Kent, Judy Garrick, Jay Garrick, Joan Garrick, Cissie King-Jones, Cassie Sandsmark, Tim Drake, Greta Hayes, Jenni Ognats, Thad Thawne, Owen Mercer, Meloni Thawne, Clark Kent, Wally West, Linda Park, Courtney Whitmore, President Thawne

Relationship(s): KonBart, CissieCassie, WallyLinda

Additional Tags: Serial Killer AU, No Powers AU, Angst, Dark Comedy, Bart Allen Kills in This Fic, Minor Thad Thawne, Separated in Childhood, Some Smut in This

Chapter Four: Unburdened

Bart sat in the waiting room with Judy, bouncing his leg and checking his phone. It would’ve seemed like average nerves if he hadn’t locked and unlocked his phone six or seven times in under a minute. Bart insisted on driving Judy, so they’d have time to talk. When the time came, though, Bart had nothing to say. Judy touched his arm, worried that she’d pushed him past the limits of what he could handle by dragging him along. “If you don’t want to go in—.”

“I’m okay,” Bart lied. It was such a strange shift from the peace he had received the night before. The ire he’d suppressed clawed its way to the surface, bubbling over, boiling in his stomach, and sitting on his chest. It was much harder to hide. 

“Bart, you’re rocking back and forth,” Judy whispered. 

With a sharp inhale, he crossed his arms, tucking his hands into his armpits, shutting his eyes tight, trying to sift the anger and the fear he felt. It was like sifting cornstarch and flour through a sieve. There was nothing he could do to filter the two. Fear was anger and anger was fear and his heart... His heart beat so fast. 

“I’m fine… I have to—.” 

“Find a lie,” Bart thought, “Hurry up and lie.” 

“I have to pee… And I don’t want to leave you alone. That’s all,” Bart lied. 

“Oh… Well, you can go. We have ten minutes. Go down the hall and turn left. That’s where the boy’s bathroom is,” Judy replied. Bart smiled and nodded. 

“Are you sure? Are you okay? Text me if you need me,” Bart whispered urgently. Sometimes he wondered how people could take things he said at face value. Lying felt like a third language to him. It helped that he was sober and what he said was so mindless and embarrassing that it seemed real. He walked quickly to the bathroom to splash his face and come to his senses. His ears rang, and he shook his head. He ran the water over his fingers until it was near-scalding. Bart walked down the hall and took his place next to Judy. 

“I was just speaking with your girlfriend—.”

“Oh, no. She’s my sister,” Bart sweetly interrupted.

The older woman nodded. “Oh, I’m sorry. It must be your eyes. They’re so different from hers. You have a lovely sister. Just a doll,” the woman replied. 

“Thank you. I think so, too,” Bart beamed. 

“Ms. Garrick,” the therapist called. Bart looked up, but he didn’t stand. He examined the short woman, her hair hidden by an intricately tied scarf, and the bright colorful patterns of her clothes. Judy reached for Bart, grabbing his hand and tugging him along through the doors. When they stepped into the office, Bart shut his eyes, retreating further into himself than he’d ever gone. But this time, he didn’t lose time. He was fully aware of the scene and his reaction, but he couldn’t be bothered to step back into his body. He could see himself crying—. No, sniveling. Bart was sniveling. 

“ Bart, is my voice quiet or loud? ” the therapist asked. 

“ Quiet ,” Bart answered. He looked around the hospital room, shaking at the similarities between the playroom back home. Every room in Bart’s childhood home slash prison had three walls and a mirror, a one-way mirror. He didn’t know that because he had no reason to know. It was easy to get lost in the memory because it was more familiar to him than anything he’d experienced in the past seven years. Bart could almost smell the latex gloves. He could almost hear the screaming. The sirens. Flashing lights. Dark stairwell. Dank, damp. Grandma’s hand. It was the first time she ever touched his hand. Loud pops. 

A gentle reassurance in both English and Interlac. “ You’re safe now, Sweetheart, ” Iris whispered. Then the same words in English. He doesn’t understand. It took him years to understand. The more he understood, the worse he felt about it all. 

“Bart, what do you see?” the therapist asked. 

“I see—. I know I’m here with Jude. I just—. I keep thinking about home. Where I come from. Not—. I can’t be here—.”

“Bart. Bart, would you prefer that we go outside?” she questioned. 

“Yeah, I can’t—. I—.”

Judy took his hand, leading him out into the sun. “Bart, are you okay? What happened?” Judy whispered. Bart held his bangs out of his face. The sunlight helped him come out of the fog, waking up from a dreamlike state. 

“Sorry, I lost it for a second,” Bart answered. He took a shaky breath. “God, I don’t—. I’m sorry. I’m not this messed up all the—.”

“It’s okay… I’m worried about you,” Judy replied. Bart felt cornered. He had no choice. He had to tell her something true. The therapist introduced herself as Lucille but asked that Bart call her Lucy. They sat down, and Lucy asked if Bart felt comfortable talking about how he felt. 

Bart sighed. “I didn’t know I was a prisoner until I—. I grew up as a test subject, and I was told—. I was made to believe I was sicker than I was. I don’t think it’s fair of me to be upset because I had a lot of opportunities that other kids didn’t have, especially in my home country. I got special treatment, but I can’t help but feel like—. 

“I was twelve the first time my grandma hugged me. She wrapped her jacket around me, hiding my face, so I couldn’t see the violence all around me. I’d been in the facility most of my life. It was all I knew. I wanted to go back. I couldn’t understand why my grandma would take me out of a place where I had everything to take me to a place where I couldn’t even—. I love my grandma, and I understand it now, but I—. 

“I grew up looking at her with a layer of glass between us. I grew up seeing a sadness in her eyes that I thought everyone had. The hugs and our hands locked together… I had it for such a short time. Then, I was thrown into a world filled with people I didn’t know. People who expected me to understand their social cues and the nuance of human existence. I was used to getting everything I wanted at a moment’s notice. I was used to people answering my questions when I asked them. I was used to saying exactly what I thought. I learned that people prefer that you suppress your true nature. You have to be palatable. Easy to digest ,” Bart paused. He hadn’t looked up at either of them. He mumbled something in Interlac. 

“Is it safe to say you see the people here as physically free but emotionally repressed?” Lucy asked. 

“I know they are. People smile when they’re sad. They say things are fine when they’re angry. They sit through agonizing conversations to be polite. The niceties require so much emotional restraint. I understand how some of it makes sense. It’s better to be kind than to say something hurtful and true… But why should I lie to my detriment? Why do people ask you how you’re feeling if they don’t care? Do you care? Or do you want to calm me down to make yourself more comfortable with my presence?” Bart asked. 

“Bart,” Judy whispered.

“No, I understand. There’s a lot of nuance to communication. It’s difficult to determine someone’s intentions if you know that most people mask their true thoughts… But I will tell you, Bart, I do this because I care,” Lucy reassured him. Bart nodded. 

“I’m sorry… I—. I’m here for Judy. I’m not here to talk about my stuff,” Bart whispered. He wanted the attention off of himself. “I don’t want this to be about me.” 

“It is about you,” Judy replied. 

Bart squinted at her. Judy chewed her lip and looked away. “What do you mean by that?” Bart questioned. No answer. “Judy, did you trick me into coming here?” 

Judy nodded. “I didn’t think you’d come if I told you I was worried about you,” Judy replied, “Please don’t be mad.” 

“Judy, I came because I—. I’m not mad at you. I’m—. I’m overwhelmed. I don’t want to be the object of anyone’s attention anymore. I spent my whole life being observed, and I just—. I wanna be normal. Isn’t it enough that I care about you? As long as I have people I care about that want me around, I will be there. I’m not leaving you,” Bart replied to put the focus back on Judy. He tried to be as gentle as possible, masking the emotions that manifested physically from head to toe. His stomach hurt, and his limbs screamed for him to fidget or stand up. 

“Yeah, but what do you see me as? I’ve heard you tell some people you’re my cousin and then you tell other people I’m your sister,” Judy replied. 

“It’s all arbitrary, but you can be whatever means the most to you. It doesn’t make any difference to me because family is family to me. I love you like I love Jenni. I love you like I love Max. I love you like I love Grandma. I’d do anything for you. Why should it matter what I call you?” Bart asked. Something soft. Something true. 

“I don’t know… I guess I—. I’d like it if you saw me as your sister,” Judy stammered. Bart nodded. 

“Okay. That makes sense to me… And Judy… Thanks for asking me to stay when you came back home. I would’ve left if you wanted me to, but I—. I’m glad I didn’t have to,” Bart smiled. 

**

After Judy’s family therapy session, Bart took her out for bubble tea. “Wanna try mine?” Judy asked. Bart nodded. He switched cups with her. Judy took a sip of his drink. “I should’ve gotten this one.”

“You can have it. I like my drinks sweet like this one,” Bart replied. Judy looked at him, frowning as she sipped her drink. “What’s wrong?”

“You always say what I went through was worse, but I was gone for three years. You were a prisoner for twelve years,” Judy whispered. 

“Ten, but it wasn’t a prison… I mean, it was more of a wing of a building, like an observatory. A doctor’s office that was made up to look like a home. That’s not really—. I didn’t expect to react like that. I don’t know why that bothered me the way it did. You won’t tell Jay and Joan… Will you?” Bart asked. Judy shook her head. 

“Jenni told me that her mom and your dad were twins… And that Wally knew them.” Judy changed the subject, but it made things worse. 

“Mhm…” Bart took a sip of his drink. 

“Do you look like your dad?” Judy questioned. Bart shook his head. 

“I look like my mom. Thad looks like me but blonde like the president,” Bart replied. He never referred to his paternal grandfather as his grandfather. It was always the president or Him. “I have another brother.” 

“Really?” Judy asked. 

“Nice,” Bart thought to himself, “Maybe she’ll forget what we were talking about.”

“Mhm… I’m right in the middle. Owen has a different dad. We haven’t met, but I talked to him on the phone once. He hung out with Thad a few times. He said he might drive out to see me soon now that I’m moving to the East Coast,” Bart replied, “It’d be nice to get to know him a little better. It feels awkward texting a brother I’ve never met before.”

“Did he come here with his dad?” Judy asked. 

“No. Mom sent him with a woman from here. She adopted him… But she passed away a few years before I moved here. He’s been looking for family ever since,” Bart answered. 

“Do you think he’s worried you won’t like him?” Judy replied. 

“I’m more worried that he won’t like me. I always wonder what’ll happen when people meet me and get to know me. I remember when Jay and Joan got the call telling them that you were alive. I packed up and cleaned the room. I didn’t want you to know I was here… And then I got the call from Jay and Joan when they told me you wanted me to come to the hospital,” Bart whispered. 

“I’m glad you came. I didn’t expect you to sit there every day with me until I was discharged. I appreciate you describing the plot of every TV show you saw for the past three years. That was great,” Judy laughed. 

Bart grinned. “I was sure you were sick of me, but I was so nervous. I couldn’t stop talking,” Bart chuckled. 

“I thought it was interesting. I’ve never met anyone who could quote full seasons of a show before. It was nice to have a distraction,” Judy smiled, “I—. Will you tell Greta I said hi?” 

“Of course… I’m sure she misses you. How’s Courtney? Is she still helping you get ready for that placement exam?” Bart asked.

“Yeah, but it's the math portion. I just can’t get it,” Judy replied. 

“Well, you can call me anytime you like. I don’t mind helping you whenever I’m free,” Bart offered. “Um… Do you want something to eat before we go?” 

“No… I think I wanna have a piece of cake at home,” Judy answered, “And you probably want to get back before Conner leaves.” 

“He’ll understand if I spend a little more time with you. Are you sure you don’t wanna get a mini pizza? I’m paying,” Bart whispered. Judy hesitated before smiling and nodding. 

**

Bart fell asleep on the couch that night. Conner left before he returned, and he couldn’t sleep in his room. The weather took a turn that night. The wind picked up, thunder rumbled in the distance, and Jay came out of his room to check on Bart. “Hey, kiddo?” Jay whispered. Bart didn’t move. “Bart?” Nothing. 

Jay sighed and draped a blanket over Bart. He wouldn’t be asleep for long. Jay could hear Bart at night, wandering the house in a feeble attempt to tire himself out. Jay turned to walk away, and Bart stirred. “Jay, about last night… I don’t remember anything between talking to Jenni outside, and our conversation… Was I weird?” Bart mumbled. 

Jay sighed. “Scoot over, Bart,” Jay whispered. Bart obeyed. “Are you okay?” 

“I don’t know… Sometimes, I—. I think I scared Judy this morning. And I—. I wonder if there’s something I’m doing that I don’t know about. Do you have any idea what I did during that time?” Bart questioned. 

Jay rested his hand on the back of Bart’s head and nodded. “Jenni came in twenty minutes before you did. You came in alone, and Roy pulled you aside and said something to you. Then, Linda showed you something on her phone. You sat with Linda for a long time… A few people talked to me and asked if you weren’t feeling well. You weren’t strange. You were just—. There’s a distance there sometimes,” Jay answered. 

Bart ran a hand over his face. “I keep waiting for you to be mad at me. Why aren’t you?” Bart asked.

“Because you’re a kid… I don’t think you’re in danger. I just—. I want you to talk to me if it gets to that point. Joan’s convinced that I worry too much, but I can’t help it. I had to put it out there yesterday for my sake. I needed to see where your head was at,” Jay confessed. Thunder rumbled, and lightning struck in the distance. Then thirty seconds of silence between them. Boom. Crackle. Flash. 

“How do you know I’m okay?” Bart asked. 

“I can’t explain it. There’s still a light there. Still, a special something in your eye that lets me know you’re still there,” Jay answered, “Need some company out here?”

“Sure,” Bart whispered. Thunder. Brighter lightning. 

“The power might go out tonight… Do you want me to ask about what happened in therapy this morning?” Jay questioned. 

“I don’t know… It was a lot. I don’t know if I wanna do that again for a while,” Bart answered.

“But you would do it again… Wouldn’t you?” Jay smiled. “I hated it the first time… But it’s not that bad. Take your time with going back if you’ve gotta… And I’m sure you’ve got some friends in Happy Harbor who know a good therapist.”

“Do you think I need one?” Bart whispered. 

“I think we all need one,” Jay replied. 

**

Thunder shook the house, making the shutters knock. It woke Bart up, and he checked his phone. Six text messages. 

OWEN: any chance your awake???

TIM: Have you heard the new Creachur King podcast? It’s on the White Thang of Alabama. Thought you’d like it. I know you’ll be up any minute now. Let me know when you hear it. 

GRAMPS: proud of u!!! lmk when ur done settling in! grandma says hi too!

HELEN: Can’t wait to see you! Miss you! 

CASSIE: Wanna watch something Friday night??? You can pick, Cissie says she’ll watch whatever. Conner said no more sci-fi

CONNER: can’t stop thinking about you <333

Bart smiled, deciding to text Owen first. Thunder rumbled and the lights finally flickered on. 

BART: I’m awake. How’s it going? Have you talked to Mom?

OWEN: nope. hoping you would give her my number… see if she wants to talk to me

BART: She does. It’s hard to catch her when she’s awake… I think it’s noon for her right now

OWEN: can you text her first for me

BART: One condition… Drive up for the weekend. I’ll have my room together by then

OWEN: fine :/ text her and see if she wants to talk to me

BART: :) ok!

Bart cursed under his breath, frowning at the thought of texting her. He hoped the next time they spoke it’d be in person... So they could all be together. He would've done anything to have that.