#┆ ╰ ❀ ╮ ┆ the psychiatrist gotham needs. (batman)

[jessilynallendilla]

DPXDC FENTONS IN GOTHAM AND MISCELLANEOUS

TITLE/LINK RATING COMPLETED-WORD-COUNT SERIES

DP FIC REC HOME POST

let me know if the links aren't working and feel free to suggest any

FENTONS WORKING IN GOTHAM 

Stalling  T 2,363 

Just a perfectly normal conversation between Arkham's newest psychiatrist, and its most troublesome resident. In the staff parking lot. During a jailbreak. How she walks out of this alive is a question even the Batman himself wants answered. 

Who's Afraid Of Who?  G 611 SERIES 

Someone gives Jazz the wrong interrogation room number. Now she goes to visit a certain Dr. Crane...The station officers realize the error in the files when visiting the other resource, 1 hour later it's too late. By the time they arrive at the interrogation room, they find...Dr Jasmine Nightingale became an expert on the mind to help people. That included almost all of Gotham's worst offenders. Dr Crane, aka Scarecrow, is about to find out more first hand. 

Danny The Intern  T 

Danny decided to intern at Wayne Enterprise. He's always so helpful, and polite, and gets the job done. He gets REALLY confused when his co-workers start acting weird: they would either pull him into another room; or make him do some outlandish task so far away, or a group of people suddenly surround him. It’s as if they are trying to hide him from someone. Meanwhile, there is an unspoken agreement amongst the employees: Rule #4: DO NOT LET ANY WAYNES SEE HIM. Otherwise, they are going to lose their most helpful intern (and hopefully a permanent employee) because of those damn Wayne’s adopting addictions. Though of course, it wasn’t long until they messed up Rule #4. 

Trivia Night  G 

Danny gets a job at some underground bar as one of the tenders there. The problem? He wasn’t informed that Gotham’s most dangerous villains would frequently go out for drinks, using said bar to do so. And naturally, through the power of tired college student and brunt-out hero, he manages to gain favor of all of them. So much so that they begin including him on planning heists, kidnappings, etc 

Just Another ̶L̶A̶ Gotham Devotee~  T 

Danny didn't expect much after leaving Amity and his vigilante career for a job at Wayne Tech R&D. All he wanted was a decent roof over his head, non ecto-contaminated food in his fridge, and maybe to stop getting thrown into buildings so often. Hell, he'd even negotiate that last point if it kept the Bats of his back. Unfortunately, fate has never been kind. Ancients, he needs a vacation. 

Specter Of The Month  T 

Far from Amity and those who'd follow, Danny does the only sensible option to make money and watch over his sister. Apply to become an Arkham Asylum security guard. When breakout rates drop and Penguin's released spouting rumors of a ghost haunting BlackGate, a certain Tim Drake grows curious. 

Gotham's Ghostly Bartender  T 

Danny after revealing to his parents he is Phantom and taking his place as King of the Infinite Realms, decides to try his luck as human opening a nightclub in Gotham. It´s going great until he attracts the attention of the Bats because he can´t help going feral on the Joker everytime he finds him on the city 

Help! My Teacher's A Mad Scientist  NR 

wherein Danny is a metalwork teacher at Gotham academy and ends up subbing for Tim's chemistry class. Measurements are just suggestions. 

Pitch-Dark Shades  T 

Danny Fenton is trying to build a new life in Gotham after closing up the connections to the Ghost Zone. Not that all connections are entirely broken, still being able to perceive shades and give them strength when he connects to one of their prized objects. Tim Drake is trying to find his own place in the world, focusing on becoming a better detective by solving cold cases in his spare time. When Tim and Danny meet, a new (begrudging) partnership starts to bloom to solve even the hardest of cases. Or it would if only they told each other the truth. 

New Job, Who's This?  T 8,000 SERIES 

Danny has an interview with the Engineering Team at Wayne Enterprises. He gets a job, but not where he expected. 

Those Who Serve.  T 

Alfred Pennyworth sees a homeless teen who looks like he'd fit right into the Wayne family and decides to take matters into his own hands. It's not like he's just going to leave this very sad, possibly meta teenager alone when there's more than enough space in the Manor to house one more child in need. 

A Matter Of Opinion  M 13,096 

Jasmine Fenton goes down a different path in her attempt to care for her brother. Unfortunately, she could not stop her parents from taking her brother apart. Now, his core is slowly rebuilding his body from infancy, and someone has to pay for letting the Anti-Ecto Acts exist. When she bites off more than she can chew, she learns how to grow bigger teeth, and hunts down bigger prey. 

The Curious Case Of D. Grayson  T 

Dick Grayson gets a job in Wayne Industries as an electrical engineer, or so is the word. Except it's not Dick who gets the job but Danny Grayson, half ghost and professional disaster. Of course, because nothing is ever easy for Danny, the world mistakes him for the prolific first child of Bruce Wayne and therefore rumours start Dick Grayson got married in secret. What could possibly go wrong, am I right? 

Penny Two  T 6,822 

Alfred decides to hire Danny Fentom as an assistant butler. Bruce is uncertain about having a new person in his house. 

He Can See Ghosts Because He’s A Medium, Obviously  NR SERIES 

But no, what convinced him he’s in a different dimension are the ghosts. They’re nothing like the ghosts from the infinite realms, more like stereotypical ghosts kids who were raised normally believe in. The ones no one can see except in the flickering of lights, something falling when it shouldn’t, a strange noise or even sometimes a shadowy figure. But not for Danny, cause of course he can’t be normal. To him these ghosts look like every other living person around him. Or Danny gets trapped in the DC universe, specifically Gotham, and decides since he can see ghosts here he may as well use it. Or or Danny the medium! 

Ghost In The Morgue  M 

There's something off about the new Medical Examiner for the Gotham City Police Department. Danny Fenton, now working for the G.C.P.D. is good at his job. Very good. His reports are always done promptly and accurately. Scarily accurate. His "unofficial reports" even more so, listing details the medical examiner shouldn't know. He's an oddity, and oddities in Gotham attract Bats. 

Mondays, Am I Right?  T 2,681 SERIES 

There was a long silence. He heard his sister breathe in, breathe out, like she was mentally preparing herself to say something. “I… I heard, from other interns I talked to, that guard positions are always open. And that it’s super easy to get in.” 

Unnerving  T 

There's a new doctor at Arkham Asylum, and with the new doctor came a new security guard. Or, Jazz decided to work in Arkham and now it's everyone's problem. 

Arkham Phantom: The Cryptic Security Guard  NR 

Danny becomes a security guard at Arkham. 

Graveyard Shift  NR 

He moved slowly through the dark hall as the alarms blared and flashed, his eyes cutting through the dark. Where. Where did he go? He pauses at a sound, glancing down the left hall as a masked group crouches and goes still. Not paying them any mind, he pays more attention to the blue smoke that finds its way out his throat, curling around his face before trailing off down the hall. He starts walking again. He has someone to find. With barely a thought he slowly fades from the visible spectrum as he continues down the straight hall. 

Shrike  T 

Danny Fenton starts a new life in Gotham but ghosts keep following him, forcing him to return as Phantom to try and keep them in control. The Bats are trying to hunt down the new meta due to the destruction he causes. In his civilian life, Danny finds himself being questioned about his background and knowledge of technology when he wins a full ride scholarship and fellowship from Wayne Enterprises. Both sides of his life ends crumbling before him. 

DANNY IN GOTHAM 

Wait, I'm A What?  T 

after Clockwork dropped of Danny in Gotham he tries to make the best out of the situation which includes helping out some people. Except along the way that led to rumors that he was an up-and-coming crime boss. A rumor he was largely unaware of. 

Wait! I’m A Cartoon Over Here!?!  T 

A new vigilante group had been working the rounds. Every rogue or villain they came across for the past week got defeated in seconds. Bruce has been aging like a fly due to the stress of trying to catch them. Everyone else wishes to meet and get their autographs. While Damian and Dick can’t figure out why this group's actions, tools, and abilities feel so familiar. That is until Damian gets saved by a teen with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes. Damian just got saved by a cartoon character Dick and he watches regularly. Meanwhile, Danny and the gang got dumped into the DC Universe. They are familiar with the comics, shows, and movies, they know what’s up, and they can survive! They plan not to draw too much attention. Maybe help a person here or there? get an autograph or ten? But, definitely find a way back home.  That plan fails immediately, and now, they’re a vigilante group with a dumb name. But, as long as they stay in the shadows, they should be fine! That all changes when Danny saves Robin and learns something very important yet terrifying. 

Cry Of The Mourning Dove  T   

Danny's made it this far from Amity. An alley way, somewhere in Gotham city. He had a goal, but he's so injured... He's not sure he's gonna find who he needs to find. Red Robin and Red Hood find him first. A kid. Bleeding green. With Bruce Wayne's face. 

Bus To Nowhere  T 

Is it running from your problems if your problems consider you to be a dead imprint of consciousness that killed their son? Yes, but Danny tries not to think about how his nightmares of his parents trying to kill him came true when they found out he was Phantom. After being on the run from his parents and the government for a couple of months, moving from town to town, Danny ends up in Gotham City and decides to risk staying in Batman's territory. He'd take the wrath of Batman over live vivisection via beloved parents or being studied and torn apart by the government. Besides, he's not a meta. Being dead is a medical condition. 

Change In Management  T SERIES 

Desperate for energy to sustain herself and her city, Gotham tries to consume Phantom but loses and instead bequeaths her mantle to him as she destabilizes. This has some interesting consequences as Danny now finds himself inexplicably linked to a crime-ridden city in another dimension. 

In The Dead Of Night  T 

Danny's life has never been normal. One night he is thrust into a situation he never wanted and certainly didn't ask for. Now lost, alone, and injured in an unfamiliar city, he must rely on the help of strangers in the forms of Gotham City's vigilantes, and the family of Bruce Wayne. In order to survive and keep himself out of the hands of an insane cult that is desperately seeking out a power far greater than anyone should have. 

Thirty-Odd Days Of Chasing An Enigma  T 

Danny and the Batfam play hide and seek and tag, all on the palm of Danny's hand, while he tries to gain some much needed balance after a reveal gone bad. 

Anarchic  T 5,585 SERIES 

Danny Fenton is set free on another world, he really should've taken the "No consequences" claim with a pinch of salt 

Hatred At First Sight  G 1,304 

The residence of Gotham were used to rogue attacks and most didn't bat an eye to the extravagance that was the Joker even as everyone watching as he live filmed his assault on the bank in a numb kind of horror that you could only acquire through exposure. He was holding a bunch of hostages, asking the watchers what he should do with them with a wide unhinged smile and maliciously gleeful eyes that watched his many victims squirm in terror. Until he looked at the skrunky kid in a ratty hoodie that looked like he could be a Wayne adoptee. And both froze for a good minute. And like some kind of demented switch got flipped the kid snarled and (still with his hands tied behind his back mind you) launched himself at the Joker. 

Danny's Guide To Not Dying Alone On The Street  G 

After his parents chase him out of the city, Danny finds his way to Gotham to stay out of the eye of the GIW or any other ghost hunters who might be interested in him. After he accidentally shows his powers in a very public setting, can he avoid the ghosts of his past and the ever-increasing number of Gotham Vigilantes interested in him? 

Run Ghost Run  NR 

Danny escaped from the GIW and his parents, but he had to keep running. If those in the infinite realm found out what happened war would happen. Clockwork said to follow the birds and bats whatever that means. For now, he would just hide in Gotham. No one would look for him there. 

Gotham's Haunted  G 

Five times Danny Surprised a Batkid and that one time he was forcefully adopted by Bruce Wayne. 

No Laughing Matter  NR 

Danny kills the Joker, not knowing of the kill switch set to release Joker gas the moment Jokers heart stops beating 

Taking Flight  T 

Danny decides to tell his parents the truth. It doesn't go so hot. Fleeing Amity Park for his life he decides Gotham is the best place to fall through the cracks. Sadly as a black-haired blue-eyed teen with a strong sense of morality the adoption papers were half filled out. Unfortunately for Bruce, Danny has a thing about rich guys with secret identities who want to adopt him. 

Death Is Not The Enemy  T 

Danny gets summoned into a new universe, makes some friends, becomes part of the most powerful vigilante clan ever, punches a bunch of satanists, finds the meaning of family and gets a chance at dreaming big. Definitely not in that order 

Concession To Realism  G 

Clockwork sends Danny to a universe where he'll be safe until he can take up the mantle of Ghost King, a dimension far away from the Fentons and other ghost hunters. Danny is less than thrilled, especially when he starts developing a soft spot for some local bats. 

And So It Ghost   T 65,805 SERIES 

When Danny Fenton is invited to a Technology Fair in Gotham he hopes it will help open doors to a good college. What he doesn't expect is an attack by a technology obsessed ghost, or a visit from the Batman himself. Can Danny keep his identity a secret while also scoring a spot at Gotham University? Or will everything come crashing down around his ears like usual? 

MISC 

A Vigilante A Day Keeps The Government Away  M 11,158 

Lucius Fox gets a phone call he'd never expected from a source even more unexpected. Now, he's got to figure out what to do with a betrayed child, a traumatized nephew, a protective son, and an adoption-prone Bat. 

I Can Be Both Even If It's Hard (And It's Hard)  G 52,999 SERIES 

Sam and Tucker ran to get Jazz and didn't see Danny come out of the portal. By the time they return Danny has transformed back. This changes things. 

-=INSERT TERM=-  T 

“It's probably just identity theft” Tim looked up from his laptop in the corner as he said it, a courtesy Jason didn't return. “Maybe” he sighed, reading through the document in front of him again. Apparently a kid had cashed in his government trust fund, two years after his death. “I don't know why you care” Tim continued, returning to his screen. Originally Jason hadden’t, had even been offended when Bruce handed him the file with instructions to ‘look into this’. However, the more he did look into it, the more he realised this wasn’t really about the trust fund at all. 

Dull Residue Of What Once Was (A Shattered Cloud Of Swirling Doves)  T SERIES 

Danny didn't expect to become Ghost King. He definitely didn't expect or want to become a target for summoning because of it. He's pretty annoyed at this point. But hey, at least he gets to meet some of his favorite heroes! The Batclan meets King Phantom. It's very alarming. 

Of Course It's A Cult  T 2,696 SERIES 

Danny did not sign up for kingship. Nor did he sign up for random summons by crazy cult people. Fortunately, the sacrifices for this one are still alive and are slightly familiar. 

The Historian  NR SERIES 

I have even documented some stories claiming that the Bat is a living person. Of course, these claims are preposterous and should be immediately discounted. What living person would willingly choose to dress as a bat to fight crime? 

Dead Men Don't Bleed  M 

Dead men don't bleed. When the body begins to break down, the blood settles and congeals in the veins, clotting and preventing them from being able to bleed like the living. This, of course, isn't an issue, so long as your corpse stays dead. 

Tape 01  NR 

Daniel "Danny" James Fenton wasn't just a normal young adult and while everyone seemed to accept this fact, nobody was able to understand it. That's the point, where all his problems started to evolve into something much bigger. So nobody noticed when he disappeared... 

When The Clown No Longer Laughed  M SERIES 

Things have been going well for Arkham Asylum. There haven't been any breakouts in a while, a new team of Psychologists are starting to make a breakthrough with the residents, and Gotham is starting to heal. But with the recent suicide of one Mr. Freeze, Batman decides to look into what is happening in Arkham Asylum. Dr. Penelope Spectra talks about the good she is doing for the inmates, and how they are finally being rehabilitated. But Batman knew something was deeply wrong. When the Clown no longer laughed. 

Time Traveler Code  G 1,486 

Danny has to (re)introduce himself to Batman and his family after meeting them in the alternate Dan future. He has a few other big pieces of information to break to them, too 

[violent138]

In Gotham, therapists need therapists to help them get over their mistrust of therapists.

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Oswald: You betrayed me!!! So as your final words I want to know why??? What was that Bruce Wayne had to offer that I didn't?

Jonathan: *sound unimpressed* You need to learn some calming tecniques, Mr. Coobleppt. The mind has a strong power over the body and stress can kill someone, specially someone with your age and occupation.

Oswald: STOP BEING STRESSED? STOP BEING STRESSED WAK WAK! DENT WAS MINE! YOU STOLED HIM FROM ME.

Jonathan: Between you and Bruce Wayne I should have noticed sooner Dent's inclination to join man who have an unhealthy obcession with him. It adds another layer for how easy it was to turn him into an obedient puppy. But I'll answer your inquiry, Mr. Cooblebot, Wayne had The Second Skin.

Oswald: He had a what now?

Jonathan: The Second Skin? *Oswald looks puzzled* Basil Karlo legendary last movie?

Oswald: *even agrier* YOU SOLD ME FOR A MOVIE??? With what I was paying you could've made your own movie!!!

Jonathan: I understand you don't have the finese to recognize the artistical importance of The Second Skin. There's only a single copy avaliable all the others were destroyed and the movie was never fully saw. It's said that on it's first and only exibihition all the executives watching put their own eyes out. It's a horror masterpiece.

Oswald: All I'm hearing is that you though a movie was worth more than the benefits of being loyal to The Penguin and for that you'll pay, Crane. Unfortunally my partnership with our friends from Santa Prisca won't help here as they are too occupied with bringing me both Joker's and Batman's heads right now but I found just the right monster to destroy you. He is new on the industry but weird creepy monster is an ever growing market here. CLAYFACE!

Basil Karlo: THE MONSTER IN YOUR NIGHTMARES CAME FOR YOU FROM THE BELLY OF THE NIGHT AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO MEET YOUR DOOM!

Oswlad: We already talked about your antics.

Basil: But the artistic presentation is fundamental preparation for a good murder. Don't the victims deserve to feel the drama and horror before the final touch?

Oswald: *rolls his eyes* This type of non-sense talk reminds me of that Scarecrow fella who is still to respond to my generous offer about being only a manufaturer and paying me to act as distribuctor of his drugs.

Jonathan: Maybe he didn't respond because that's a shitty deal that ignores completly why he is on the trafic bussisness to begin with.

Oswald: Oh what do you know? Anyway I have things to do, Karlo, kill him.

Jonathan: *re hinding his secret fear toxin spray, pupils dilated in pleasant shock* You said Karlo? As in Basil Karlo? I did though this creature sounded a lot like him and the speech was from Dread Casttle... Are you also a fan?

Basil: A fan? I AM Basil Karlo. I merely evolved to being the perfect monster outside the screem as well.

Jonathan: Oh that's wonderfull! *genuinally confused for once in his life* But may I ask: why work for Penguin? You must have a fan cult to rivalize Joker's!

Basil: *sadly* That's not the case yet. But I'm new. For sure with time Gotham will recognize my superior talent.

Jonathan: As they should. Your movies changed my life! To observe the impact they had on people, the fear they inspired, it made me realize who I wanted to be!

Penguin: I should not be letting this go, I did pay for a long brutal murder and that's not it. But still I need to ask: you became a psychiatrist because of horror movies?

Jonathan: ... Sure. Let's go with that. Anyhow, can I have a final wish, Mr. Cooblebot?

Penguin: You can ask, but don't expect me to accept it wak wak.

Jonathan: Would you not take from Karlos pay if he first gave me an autograph? Nothing would make me happier.

Basil: *before Penguin could open his mind* Absolutly. Anything for such a dedicated fan.

Jonathan: *who may be planning to fear toxin everyone but also DOES have the biggest celebrity crush ever on Karlo and truly is his biggest fan* *squeaks happily* *does a tiny hroo hraa*

Basil: *who really likes still having fans and is less and less wanting to violently kill the first person who apreaciated him in ages* *also who keeps a pen on him waiting for this particular moment and was starting to doubt it would happen* Where do you want it?

Jonathan: *frantically looking into his pockets for some piece of papper* Shit, shit, I let my notepad with Wayne so he could read Dent's entreances.

Basil: Don't worry *takes a papper from a blank piece on Oswald's accounts book that's on the tabble, at this point Oswald is regreesting everything* For my biggest fan?

Jonathan: *almost jumping with excitmenet* Doctor Jonathan Crane!

Basil: I hope the fear I inspired stays with you forever. Here it goes.

Jonathan: *taking the papper in pure joy* Thank you!

Basil: Look, Cooblepot, I can't kill him.

Oswald: What because the FAMOUS PSYCHIATRIST is using the most basic manipulation tecnique? I bet he doesn't even know your movies.

Jonathan: Seriusly? We are literally here because I sold you out for one of his movies. Also I wouldn't go so low as to pretend to be a fan, is too easy, too boring. It tells me nothing about my target... patient... I didn't knew yet.

Basil: He does seems honest.

Oswald: No he doesn't. He isn't really your fan. But I? I'm proving it. I'm helping you recover your fame ain't I?

Jonathan: I'm sure Scarecrow would do the same except he would actually care about the art and not see it as a way to trick someone he only sees as a weapon and not an artist.

Oswald and Basil look confused at him.

Jonathan: What? He does little references to Karlo movies all the time, I bet he would adore a new movie to torment his subjects with.

Oswald: *raises and eyebrown*

Jonathan: In my professional opinion of course. : )

Oswald: Do you do this psychiatric party tricks with all of us, Mr. Crane?

Jonathan: I wound't call my doctorate on psychiatry wich by itself needs an M.D and my minor in psychology party tricks, but yes. Gotham criminals just as it's crime fighters are fascinating. It would be a waste not to try to understand their minds at least a little bit. You for once is completly obcessed with control likely from extreme bullying paired with high expectations that created an extreme fear of failure and a low notion of self that materialize in a quasi compulsive need to have the control you never before had so you can force the connections, love and adoration you long for Is sad if not pathetically clichê. Also your real laugh is normal you just thinks "wak wak" fits nicely with your presentation *Oswald opens his mouth* and now you will insist I'm wrong because you refuse to admit that as much as you loathe your nickname you do identify with it... Penguin. Again boringly clichê. Now if you excuse me, I have better things to do. *gets out as if Oswald doesn't have a gun and a Claymonster and a lot of determination to kill him* It was an absolute honor Mr. Karlo and I'll treasure your autograph with my life and while I'm not in any position of giving you life changing advice right now, I'm certain that Scarecrow would be extemely happy working with you and treat you waaay better than Penguin. *waves to a short circuting fumming Oswald cause he is extra*

[savanir]

DP x DC prompt [3]

during one of the final psych evals at Arkham right before he gets to be released, the whole thing wrapped up so tidy, just a little relapse which involved a robbery. Getting sent back to Arkham, but he got to stay at the asylum so long that he no longer has to serve a prison sentence, score!

But during that eval his overseeing psychiatrist recommended him to have a change of scenery, some fresh non polluted air.

Riddler was rather convinced the guy was making this recommendation to everyone in Arkham in their own weird way to convince them to just leave Gotham and become someone else's problem. should he notify Batman about it somehow? nah, it’ll be more interesting to see how this is gonna turn out in the long run.

But can he leave the state? Can he even leave the city? he never really bothered to look into it, at least not legally, up until now if he felt he needed to leave for one of his plans he just did it.

Turns out he can, it’s a whole hassle and a half though, first a judge and then a probation officer and he’s pretty sure both were like “what the hell is this psychiatrist guy thinking!?” but at the same time, shrink probably knows what he’s doing (WRONG) so he’s allowed to go visit out of state family or whatever.

he had to wear this nice ankle monitor though, Wayne Enterprises™ tech, not overly bulky but still very present. real fancy, and a fun extra challenge heh.

now as for a good reason to leave New Jersey he’s going to need distant relatives, and he finds some, great grandpa walker also has a son, who had a son who had a daughter Madeline, who married some guy Jack Fenton, and she lives somewhere out in the boonies Illinois. great he’ll visit her.

far enough away in all sense of the word that there is no way she knows anything about him. it would be best to call her first though, be polite about it.

“hello, you have reached Fenton works, this is Maddie speaking” 

“Riddle me this-” ah whoops, habit, oh whatever, “we don’t share parents, but certainly a part of your life, from laughter to strife. Who am I?”

there is a pause …  he’s going to be a bit disappointed if she hangs up if he’s honest.

“cousins~” comes the cheery reply.

“correct! the name is Edward Nygma, we are distantly related you and I and well-”

“oh you simply must come visit!” 

well this was rather easy, perhaps a little too easy, but she lives in the midwest so maybe just going with whatever some guy says over the phone is normal there? stranger danger not really a thing in a small town where everyone knows everyone?

things start to make a little more sense once he gets there and he’s starting to think some things might run in the family. like a preference for the colour green and weird hyperfixations and genius bordering on insanity. Though that remains to be seen, Jack does not seem like a very bright light after his very enthusiastic welcome.

their kids however are observant and sharp. young Jasmine is wasting no time trying to psychoanalyze him. and the boy, Danny, he had not really meant to and he swears he’s sticking with calling the kid Danny so he wouldn’t seem overly familiar, but he might have called him little bird a couple times now.

but that’s all whatever, he’s playing nice here. and he doesn’t even have to worry about his eccentricities tripping him up because this place is insane.

There actually is a local teen vigilante active but he seems about as loved as he’s disliked. and the ghost boy’s enemies are basically all his own kind, which another crazy thing to now know about. ghost. they are real actually, how is Gotham not completely overrun? and how do they even work? and where do they keep coming from?

Edward might be getting a little sidetracked here. He had fully intended to sneakily get his next big game plan underway all the way out here, ankle monitor be damned. but he hasn’t made any progress at all.

Instead he’s been listening to Madeline and Jack to maybe figure out what the deal is with these ectoplasmic entities, he has to know, at this point he might go crazier if he doesn’t. 

He’s making Jasmine promise him not to get her doctorate in Gotham, he’s going back and forth with space riddles with Danny.

so yeah the whole thing kinda just became a vacation, maybe the psychiatrist had the right idea after all? hmm nah, probably not. but this is fun. He’s thinking about recommending this place to some of the others.

It's different enough to get the vacation feel, but enough crazy shit happens to make it all feel like home.

it is not until Maddie wants to talk with him about potentially switching the position of godfather of Danny to him rather than some weird rich friend of theirs that Edward realizes he might have lost the plot somewhere

Apparently the little bird basically begged them with a powerpoint presentation on how he likes Edward so much more than that Vladimir guy. 

And honestly, the fellow sounds like a Dracula Lutho so even if it’s kinda sad Edward can understand why he’d be considered a better option. Even if the guy has more money and a huge company that makes him said money. And it’s not like the Fentons know about his Riddler activities.

Thinking it over, Edward does think that Danny would like Gotham and Wayne has that space program thing right? The kid is definitely smart enough for that (Nygma certified), and yeah Edward does quite like their space themed back and forth. So, fuck it, why not, what is the worst that could happen?

He doubts Maddie and Jack are gonna kick it any time soon anyway out here in the boonies, it’s just a title thing, a stamp of approval or something.

he should have known he was going to eat those words later… he had this whole beautifully elaborate trap set up for the whole Batclan, and he was just getting to the good part when his phone went off.

Had to put the whole thing on pause cause that particular contact wasn’t gonna get ignored. He did promise to be available.

If the whole thing he had planned now went tits up he could at the very least laugh later at the reactions of the bats as he told them to “hold up one second, I have to take this.” while they were all in various perilous positions. 

Sadly he did have to go, he had a very distressed godson to pick up.

[spacedace]

So I've seen a lot of "Jazz works as a therapist at Arkam" in the dp x dc fandom, and while I like the concept, I also feel like Jazz would take one look at the place and immediately be like "what the absolute fuck" at just the everything of the place.

Like, she either nopes out after the tour during the interview or quits not too long afterward starting there, not because she can't take it but because she's so appalled by what's going on there and can smell the corruption rolling off the place and knows no one sent to there is ever actually going to get the help they need.

So Jazz decides to open a private practice instead while still being absolutely determined to work with the various rogues in the city, she is here to help and nothing is going to stop her.

So she just starts showing up at known hangouts of rogues and during their heists/schemes/sprees, and even fights between them and the batfam, just like

"Hi! It’s so nice to meet you! My name is Dr. Jasmine Fenton/Nightingale/whatever last name she’s using and I was hoping we could talk!"

Casually kicks a baterang away without looking because she's being polite and professional!

"I understand that your experience with therapy through Arkam has been nothing but atrocious and that you are rightfully -"

Kicks Batman away without breaking eye contact or a sweat.

"Suspicious of attempting therapy again, and Idon't want to force anything on you, therapy should be on your terms after the experiences you've had but -"

Grabs Robin out of the air as he leaps at the rogue she's talking to and tucks him under her arm, ignoring his feral hissing and all attempts to break her hold.

"-I really think that you'd find it beneficial, even if I'm not the right therapist for you."

The rogue in question is having the time of their life and takes Jazz's business card - and a few extra to pass around - not really intending to actually ever book a therapy appointment with her but way too entertained and excited to share this madness with everyone else.

But then one of the rogues actually looks up Jazz's website and sees all the various safe guards she’s put in place to ensure that any villians that come to her will be protected while seeing her - soundproof therapy room, regular sweeps for listening and tracking devices, the most insane firewalls and protections anyone has ever seen on her network, and ooh she provides snacks and drinks!

So someone finally books an appointment with her, half convinced she's either going to turn them in or is a villain herself intent to experiment on them, but then it’s actually really nice??? And they feel a lot better afterwards?? She doesn't even say anything to indicate that she wants them to stop being villains, she just wants them to be okay??

So more and more rogues start going to her, and Batman was already losing his mind about this woman before - Oracle can't hack her system?!? And her background check shows a totally normal Psychiatrist?? - but now half of Gotham's heavy hitters and a dozen or so other minor league villains are seeing her regularly and every time he tries to get info on any plans the rogues might be scheme via her office it fails utterly. Nightwing got knocked out with something called a creep stick and when he tried to break in himself to get answers she just appeared out of no where and gave him the most scathing lecture about doctor-patient confidentiality before bullying him off her property and threatening to sick her brother on him if he tried again?

And because she's become such a figure in the Gotham underworld, she gets the attention of Joker.

And everyone, rogues and Bats alike, are terrified that she’s going to try and take him on as a patient like she has so many other villains in the city and that's just a recipe for tragedy.

But then the Joker is on his way to the hospital with two broken legs and the fear of god beat into him babbling about eldritch nightmares and whenever anyone asks Jazz what happened she just shrugs and just says things like "I refused him as a patient, he's not my problem." Or "My brother doesn't like clowns." And just, does not elaborate.

Batman is losing his mind over it all. Jazz is just happy to be able to actually help the rogues. Arkam is less happy about how she absolutely destroys their reputation.

[hanihazeljade]

Therapy

Tim has been seeing a therapist, and he decided to listen. Finally.

Disclaimer: I am not a psychiatrist and I just heard on Tiktok about the therapy part of this drabble. The tiktok account was from Dr. Julie.

(Warning: swear words)

Tim knows he is a messed up human being. Being a child crime fighter and then being an orphan is really cool, and depressing at the same time.

Tim has witnessed a lot of stuff that will put people in a lot of trauma. He just quirky like that. But one therapy session definitely change a lot of his thoughts.

It started as a casual therapy of Timothy expected and when she pull out two fish tanks and a toy fish, he was impressed.

"Timothy, pretend that this fish is you." his therapist said as she crank the toy and dropped it in the water tank. "Imagine that this fish tank is your life. When you were born, it's clear and not a single dirty thing in it, but once you grow up, problems starts to create and it can be toxic to you." she explained as she dripped a bottle of brown liquid to the tank. "If the fish is living in a toxic environment, the fish will eventually get sick." she said as she pulled the fish out of the water.

"You pull out the fish of that toxic environment and put in a new clean environment," she said as she dropped the fish to the clear water, "...and it helps. It gets better. But once you return the fish to the dirty tank, it doesn't matter how clean the water in the other tank, it will eventually wear down the fish."

Timothy can see where this is going.

"The fish is you. You were neglected in your younger years and then everything got taken away from you. With everything got stacked up in your life, it gotten more and more toxic, you need to change your environment, Timothy. Take a break for a week, be selfish for a moment and see if it can help you." she said and they end the therapy there.

Timothy should not even thinking about getting a vacation, crime doesn't stop just because you are depressed. But her words echoed through his mind, "Be selfish for a moment." and he filed for a leave of absence and he doesn't wait for it to be approved as he took a flight to Melbourne. He is insane for taking a flight at the other side of Gotham, but he felt it, the electrifying sensation that he once felt running around the Gotham taking pictures of Batman.

He felt thrill and adrenaline in his veins and he found himself smiling at this feeling.

+++++

Melbourne is amazing, except for spiders and the fucking city was almost called Batmania, fucking hell.

That week was spent on sleeping and just sight-seeing and honestly, he wanted to take a break from now.

But just like what his therapist said, no matter how clear the water during his break, now that he is in the toxic tank, he was already tired.

The glare that he got from Bruce and Dick is a little degrading and Alfred's disappointed face was the last string that snap that made him finally realise that he doesn't need them to be happy. He doesn't need a 'family' that the reason of him to go to the therapy.

This is the muddy water for him. Not just the Wayne Manor but the whole Gotham.

He was still in the middle of a lecture of Bruce's when he whipped a white envelope with his resignation letter on it. He is resigning to everything that has connection to Gotham or even the America itself. He just smiled at Bruce and left the cave to go to the garage of the Manor where his Jaguar is.

He sort of black out what happen because the next thing he knew was that he was in a plane to Taiwan. He has no idea but he have a suitcase and himself. He smiled at himself and he is letting the fate be his navigator in this chapter of his life.

[house-of-slayterr]

Jonathan Crane Headcanons:

Tag: @kados-of-chaos @keffirinne @myers-meadow

As I’ve said in a previous head cannon I do believe Crane has some form of OCD. Something he’s fully convinced he can treat himself as he doesn’t believe in seeing the other psychiatrist in Gotham, let alone his colleges he views an inferior at Arkham. He easily grows obsessed with patients, much more quickly than Harley ever did with Joker. But he doesn’t fall in love with that, his obsession is much much darker. His compulsion drive him to devour every part of his patients psyche, learn everything about what makes them tic, he’s gonna as far as to steal items from his favourite patients or visit them once they’re “good” enough to leave Arkham. His patient obsession helps to distract him from his Batman obsession, and he uses both to avoid the intrusive thoughts he hates so much. Most of which are about his father.

Because of this, it’s not far fetched for you to become an object of his obsession. Jonathan will learn every inch of you body, lurk in every corner of your brain. Jonathan will be sure you’re as obsessed with him as he is with you. He believes this is healthy, and will resort to giving you Stockholm syndrome to make you fall in love with him. He needs control in his relationships, he’ll only hurt his darling little bird if they break his rules, but he fully believes it’s for your safety. Jonathan would kidnap you and steal you away form everyone he thinks is poisoning you without hesitation. Even using some drugs from his job or his own fear gas if he has to, in order to program you.

I believe Jonathan enjoys more than just psychological tortures. The man loves to see red, but he’s less interested in it being by his hand specifically. To keep up his rouse he likes to “save” people, but little does everyone know he always orchestrated the situation anyways. He’s driven many patients to kill before, he finds it amusing how weak and easy they are to push over the edge. Then they get caught for doing his biding and he gets to hide in plain sight. But he’s also convinced patients to turn the blade on themselves before. Partially if you were his darling, he’d drive you to carve his name into your own skin. Do things to prove your dedication to him. He finds your devotion to him amusing and will reward you after. But he will make you worse before he lets you get better, there’s no way he’s letting you out of his care, even if it means breaking you mentally.

He cares a lot about his public imagine and what the people at large think about him. His suits, his hair, his face is always impeccable. Never a spot on his glasses or a wrinkle in his suit. He must look perfect when leaving the safety of his home or lab without his scarecrow mask. Which, by the way, is always on him or close by, he can’t be without it for too long. Once he’s trapped his darling little bird, he’ll do the same to you. He’ll fuss over hair, makeup, general appearance, he’ll even iron your clothes for you if you refuse. He won’t be seen with you unless you look as adequate as he does. He knows people like to stare when you go out, might as well give them something to stare at. But people should be careful not to stare to long or they be visited by a certain scarecrow at night, defending the honour of his favourite bird.

Jonathan I believe would be a very sexual man, he pretend at work to not be interested in anything of the sort, most people not even used to seeing the doctor dating anyone. When he’s single, his sexual fantasies play out much darker. But once he has someone to share his desires with, the man becomes a feral animal. He’s gone as far as to beg for more before, addicted to your touch, taste, sound, it’s all that distracts him now form the intrusive thoughts. He loves to tie you up, see you helpless, roleplaying as your psychiatrist or doctor is his favourite. Doing things to you he’s not allowed to do to patients. He’d never dare taint his fingers with their feeling, or his mouth with their taste. If his mind wonders, his body is still only yours. He growls a lot during sex and loves if you dig your nails into him and leave mark he has to hide. He finds it scandalous and exciting to have your little secret written all over him. Jonathan doesn’t like children, but that doesn’t mean you’re free from his breeding kink, he’s obsessed with the idea of getting you pregnant. Even if your AMAB it wouldn’t stop the filthy words from pouring out of his mouth, of how much he wish he could claim you that way. He’s certainly a dom, but he can switch between hard and soft. He’s willing to be more gentle if you need but some nights he needs to be rough, use you to get out his pent up frustrations. Usually after he comes home defeated by the Batman. He will have you at his will for hours whenever he can. Not letting up no matter how much you squirm.

Surpassingly, he’s a cat person. He’s not a big fan of dogs as most people don’t train there’s, but cats, you could convince him to rescue a few. But they must be as put together as they two of you. He will brush and groom them frequently, make sure they’re healthy and put them in little outfits for family photos. He’s much softer to them than he is to people. He’s very gentle and reassuring if an animal passes away, as he knows what to say to grieving people. He’ll not leave your side until you’re ok again.

He loves to be of service if you’re sick, tacking care of you is his top priority. Especially if it’s something serious that causes you to go to the hospital, he will be there everyday to check in for hours unless he’s pulled away from a work emergency. Even then he doesn’t leave you happily. He will nurse you back to health and bow to your every whim until you’re on your feet again. Because he knows you’d do the same for him.

No matter how tempested he is, he won’t experiment on his darling unless they ask for it. He wants to break you from your fears the same way his father freed him. But he knows how painful the process was and won’t put you through that unless you agreed or he truly thought it was for your safety. He will however get you used to his fear gas so it can never backfire and be used against him to hurt you. But don’t worry, if you scared he’ll hold you close and help you sleep at night.

Jonathan is not one to share, he won’t let any other villain in Gotham lay a hand on you. Not without consequences. He’s willing to take out the others or even work with Batman to do so just to keep you safe. He doesn’t view the other villains as his friends or colleagues and will crush them if they get in his way. Or try to hurt his little bird. Jonathan also goes feral when you wear his clothes or cologne because of it. He loves when you smell like him, it makes him happy. He never gets mad for long if one of his favorite shirts or blazers goes missing when he finds you fast asleep wearing it. He loves to show you off but makes it clear you’re just for him.

An: lol I got bored this morning idk if any of these make sense.

[gothamite-rambler]

Scarecrow being a Decent Psychiatrist

Two years had passed since Tim lost both parents, but with the support of his family, he had begun to adjust to life more effectively. He felt prepared to confront Scarecrow, who had teamed up with the Joker to unleash fear toxin across Gotham.

Scarecrow wasn't heavily invested in this team-up, though. Spraying his fear toxin and giving people horrendous nightmares was enough for him. That was what he enjoyed about being a villain: making people lose their minds. It was chaos in its purest form, unlike the Joker's more planned madness.

As he walked around, moving his sprayer back and forth to ensure even distribution of his fear toxin, Scarecrow began to sing softly to himself.

Scarecrow: Only love, only love can hurt like this, only love can hurt like this, must've been a deadly—

His singing was abruptly interrupted when he spotted Red Robin fighting one of his hired goons, now wearing a face mask. It was a change from the last time he had seen the young hero.

Scarecrow (walking over): Hey! Robin, over here.

Red Robin (punching a goon unconscious): Um, me?

Scarecrow: Yeah, hey mate. Good to see you again.

Red Robin (confused): Um, same to you. Last time you saw me, I was walking through your toxin fog. That's embarrassing to think about now.

Scarecrow (with a jovial British accent): Hey, it's in the past. Honestly, I kind of respected you for that. I thought I was the only one who embraced the nightmares. Not much respect since you’re still stopping crime, but you know… I’m impressed.

Red Robin: Thanks… what’s happening right now?

Scarecrow: Nothing serious, mate. You're back to work, fighting crime. When I was in Arkham, I heard you were checked out on life. Everything with you better?

Red Robin (keeping a safe distance): Sort of. I’m not as depressed as I was months ago.

Scarecrow: That’s good. You’re not catastrophizing or sitting in burning buildings like I heard you were before. I’m oddly happy you’re mentally better.

Scarecrow patted Red Robin on the back, and the young man rubbed his arm bashfully.

Scarecrow: Hey, don’t tell Joker this, but I was worried you’d snap and become him. A mini Joker? That thought concerned me. That type of insanity I could never tolerate. It’s like that arsehole, the Mad Hatter, and his mind-control chips. Not how insanity should be.

Red Robin: Right, you’re not into artificial or Joker toxin-induced insanity.

Red Robin kicked another goon away as Scarecrow nodded, turning off his sprayer.

Scarecrow: You understand. Fear needs to be genuine, buried in the deep recesses of our minds.

Red Robin (eyeshifting, worried Batman might be around): Right, for clarification, I do not agree with what you do; I just get why you think that. I’m not insane or turning into the Joker.

Red Robin laughed nervously, holding his head down, concerned at the idea.

Scarecrow (reassuring tone): Don’t you start worrying about what-ifs, kid. Knowing you’re not off the bloody deep end leaves me relieved. You should be proud of yourself. When I see people going insane, I want them to live—whether from slow madness or this nonsense you do.

Scarecrow sighed, taking in the insanity unfurling around him while Red Robin maintained his distance, perplexed that the man who thrived on people's mental breakdowns was being genuinely nice to him. It felt strangely akin to talking to Batman… sort of.

Scarecrow (continuing): My apologies for rambling. Seeing you come close to ending it made me concerned. You’re not living to your full potential. Don’t waste it, mate. Not at such a young age.

Red Robin (hand on his heart after incapacitating another goon): That was the nicest thing you've said to me.

Scarecrow (shrugging): Eh, you’re not Batman… or my father.

Red Robin: Thanks. I think. But, um, I have to stop you.

Scarecrow: Nah, Batman can deal with me. I’m helping out Joker—crazy, right? It’s a living. When we meet up again, you can try to take me down. Either way, handle him yourself—it’ll be a booster for you.

Red Robin (sniffling): You’re right!

Batman (on comms, stern tone): I wanted to fight the Joker! You stay there and arrest him!

Red Robin (pressing his comm button): Let me have this!

Scarecrow chuckled as he restarted his fear toxin sprayer.

Oracle (on comms, amused tone): The British failed psychologist is making you sniffle? Really?

Oracle cackled over the comms.

Red Robin (pressing the comm button): One moment, Scarecrow—Oracle, he may be insane and British, but he earned that psychology degree! Batman, you can handle him! I'm taking down the Joker!

With determination, Red Robin ran off, leaving a satisfied Scarecrow to continue spraying fear toxin.

Scarecrow (walking through the streets and noticing the panicked bystanders): Great job, Jonathan, still got it. A bloke who acknowledges my degree as well? Damn, he is a good hero—would’ve made a great lackey. I swear that kid is a ticking time bomb… reminds me of myself when I killed my father. Good memories. I have to respect that about this Robin. If he ever goes insane, though, I’m going to see if he needs a mentor.

Pt 1

[lily-radiance]

Picture Perfect Psychopath

Doctor Jonathan Crane/ fem reader.

3.9k words

(So far, this is just a drabble, but I do have an idea of where this story could go. I've been watching The Dark Knight trilogy and got inspired. Reader works at Arkham Asylum as a psychiatrist, sharing the field of study with Scarecrow and old flame Harley Quinn. Likely not canon-compliant. Kinda merged various movies since I'm no comic book expert.)

Arkham Asylum is a cesspool of depraved criminals, as it has been for the past few years. Typical people who are suffering from mental illnesses and were sent away without care were obvious. This institution was the cheapest and easiest way to lock up the sick, even before the creation of the vigilantes. Everyone in Gotham City knew to keep their eyes on the ground and act as if crimes were invisible. If you cause a fuss in any shape or form, don't be surprised if you get dragged away in a body bag. You hated the mere thought of disregarding the pain of the city, but what could you do if no one would listen? Criminals, no matter the type, always have a story to tell.

“Bruce, the next time you interrupt my work for a house call, I'm stealing your Batmobile!”

You've been sitting in Wayne Manor for the past two hours, all because your friend wanted to “check-in” on the status of the newest patients. On any other day, you might have given him leniency, but he's been siphoning you for information without a decent break. Now, you not only have to write and submit a few dozen reports before sunset, all while juggling Bruce Wayne. The billionaire rolls his eyes but smiles, enjoying a day where he can loosen up and act as a person instead of a shadow.

“Nice try, but the garage is foolproof. I learned my lesson when you took my ride for a spin last year.”

You sip the cola in your hand, amused at the memory of speeding around the house and getting the vehicle caked in dirt. You apologized to Alfred when realizing the butler had to clean it afterward.

“Too bad, I was hoping to test the maximum speed,” you said with a chuckle, “I'm kidding, of course.”

“Sometimes, I worry about your coworkers. Do they know how much damage you can cause when bored?”

You glare at him from the couch. Work was something you liked to keep separate from life; he knew that very well. After all, if someone identified Batman successfully, then Wayne Enterprises would crumble in on itself.

“Do you know how much damage you cause when I'm not around to cover your tracks? Honestly, you may give Alfred a heart attack.”

The butler frowns at your humor before taking your empty glass. You notice the lipstick mark left over, reminding yourself to reapply the makeup. Psychiatric professionals do their best to look formal, and this habit has followed them since college. When you consider the many polished individuals at the facility, one is always at the forefront of your mind: Doctor Jonathan Crane. No matter the time of day, his appearance is that of near perfection, or you like to think so. Today, you have a briefing with him, and the idea has prompted you to dress to impress; the shade of cherry red on your lips is a testament to that.

“I'm always careful, (Y/N). I have Gordon, Alfred, and Lucius for that very purpose. You know Arkham is filled with lunatics and, more specifically, the worst villains.”

“We've had this conversation before, Bruce. I'm good at my job, and the people you lock up are kept in the deepest parts. Plus, I always hear exciting stories, which makes time fly by!”

He gives you a stern glance, not happy with your unbothered attitude. You drop the smile and sigh.

“I know you think I can't handle myself in that place. You get up close and personal with villains more often than I do. Every floor has a ton of security guards, not to mention cameras and passcodes in each room!”

Eventually, he gives up the protective demeanor. If you needed his help, he was the first in line. If not, he would be prepared for the future.

“Right, I know you're responsible and cautious, (Y/N). It's still the institution with the most significant number of patients in Gotham, so I want you to stay alert. Tim and the others are patrolling tonight if you run into trouble. Remember, the GCPD is conducting investigations on a possible new perpetrator.”

You nod to his speech, tapping your heels underneath the coffee table. He is about to give you another piece of information, but the sound of the front door opening and hurried footsteps is your cue to leave. Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake, and Jason Todd enter the room, waving a synchronous greeting in your direction. Your phone beeps in your jacket pocket, and you fumble the device when the caller is listed. Barbara notices your excitement and chuckles, watching as you answer the phone.

“Hello, this is (Y/N) (L/N); how may I help?”

“It's Dr. Crane, as you probably knew judging by how quickly you answered. The administration got caught up in other matters, so it's just you and me. Don't be late.”

The voice catches you off guard, your heart beating too quickly regarding the abrupt message. You lose your ability to speak, and like everything else, he's already caught a glimpse of it.

“Doctor—what about the meeting on security clearances? We still have much to discuss with the board; isn't this important?”

“I've already taken care of most of the concerns. Currently, my priority is talking to you about your individual endeavors regarding Arkham. Do you have an issue with this?”

As he asks, you know he's not looking for an honest answer. You swallow your pride, although tempting to draw on this further.

“No, Doctor. I'm on my way right now.”

“Good, I have high hopes you'll be fascinated by my newest work.”

You have nothing else to add as he hangs up, an annoying habit you wish didn't leave you bitter. Barbara steps over, raising a brow in examination. Your behavior, coupled with the alluring cosmetics on your face, indicates an attention to detail made to attract. The young woman tilts her head, examining your efforts, and pauses. She prevents your curiosity by grabbing a maroon scarf hung on the hat rack and placing it on your neck. As she wraps the fabric loosely around your collar, she discreetly whispers, “In case whoever you see leaves a mark or can't keep you warm. It also matches your lipstick.”

The redhead winks at you, knowing that finding worthwhile men in Gotham is a rare treat. If only you knew who you were falling for, maybe someone else could have turned your head. The likelihood of your coworker getting obsessed with another pretty face was nonexistent, especially when he knew every method of pushing your buttons.

Gotham weather stands to be frigid regardless of the season, and the cold water on your cheeks proves it. Hurriedly, you head to your car, jumping in the driver's seat and turning the hot air on. You flip the sun visor down, using the compartment mirror to double-check your appearance. You smile, wink, and perform other expressions to understand if this is too much. It's not like you dressed yourself in fancy attire, but the makeup sensation tells you this is different—the scarf clings to your shoulders, adding an extra layer of comfort.

The City appears as dreary as ever, with gray clouds looming over the skyscrapers. You knew this landscape was not as picturesque as the Bahamas, but it was familiar. In this place, you felt like a necessary presence, that your actions were genuinely helping people live. Others complain that they think soulless thoughts and have no purpose in a city of thugs, but they don't see the possibilities. No, you appreciated the constant ebb and flow pattern because it meant everything was up to chance. Unlike Harvey Dent, you had no interest in flipping a coin to decide your fate; if you wanted something and could achieve it, why worry about the downfall? Bruce told you to avoid trouble, and maybe if you tried harder, you could, but curiosity always took control. The night turned Gotham into a place of both dreams and nightmares. When the streets glow amber and the windows shine with the moon, the law is subject to change.

Rain slams against the windshield, the downpour forcing you to drive at a snail’s pace. Common sense doesn't stop other drivers from taking risky turns; some cars cut in front despite your right of way. You honk your horn at the reckless speeding, internally regretting this venture. At least twenty minutes have passed since you left, and yet you're still running late. Luckily, most security guards let you pass immediately, while one or two demand identification. If you weren't so anxious, you would see the multiple faults that made Arkham’s reputation. People were lazy, some slacking without a care. Others were too busy dealing with life changes to support this institution.

The repetitive sound of your heels clicking on the tile floor draws someone's attention. Unfortunately, you can barely avoid this girl regularly, so it makes sense that she would be another obstacle.

“Woah, pudding, you getting ready for the runway or something? I haven't seen you wear red in a long time. It makes a girl wonder, what's the occasion?”

Harleen Quinzel stands in her cell, dressed in a jumpsuit that does her no justice. Her usually dyed hair is unkempt and faded, now a dirty blonde with pigment spots. Despite her living situation, her personality is still bubbly. She holds a bent cigarette and takes a drag, then tosses the leftovers underneath her boots. The woman approaches the metal bars, wrapping her hands around two and leaning through the gap. A stream of smoke is exhaled into your face, the delinquent playfully puckering her lips.

“I have a critical meeting with Dr. Crane, and it was supposed to be with the rest of the board until something got in the way. I'm running late, and if I don't get to that office in time—”

Harley raises her index finger, pressing against your lips to stop your words.

“That does sound like a pretty jumbo deal, dollface! From one doctor to another, rescheduling an administrative meeting is unnecessarily convoluted!”

She moves her hand to cup your jaw, tilting your face in multiple angles to glimpse your handiwork. A smile spreads across her lips, her tongue licking the front of her teeth. It makes you nervous, and she knows it.

“I mean, he said he ‘took care of it,’ but I don't know if that necessarily means it was rescheduled. The board could have discussed several possibilities, so I can't guarantee anything.”

You don't know what she's trying to prove.

“Something tells me your lover boy isn't inviting you for a simple coffee. No, with a mind as unpredictable as his, I bet you'll leave here with more than a headache. That is, if you leave at all, dollface.”

Her voice digs further into your mind, higher-pitched as she giggles to herself. You adjust the scarf to distract yourself, but she won't let this topic rest.

“Harley, as much as I appreciate what I assume is a concern, I know what I'm doing.”

“Sure you do, pudding. You think he's all sweet and charming, right? Doctor Jonathan Crane, who wears a nice suit and never gets his hands dirty? He probably compliments your work and swears to get back to your questions. I'll even bet he holds your hand a little too long when he shakes it, and you don't say anything because you want his hand on yours.”

She sees the blush rising to your cheeks and continues to torment you. You can't breathe clearly, not when your lungs burn like this.

“Oh, I bet you want him to do all sorts of things to you. When he holds your hand, do you imagine it somewhere else on your body? Do you think he'll have you by the waist while his other hand traces your neck? Will he squeeze your throat and bruise the pretty skin, rubbing his tongue up and down? Will you let him devour you as I did? I bet you'll have his handprints on your thighs for weeks, the dirty little secret that you keep to yourself?”

She plays with the ends of your hair, curling the strands around her fingers. You haven't been this close to her in years, and your proximity reminds you why. Getting close to villains is a quick path to insanity. You step away from the cell, regaining your focus. A pair of footsteps echo down the stairwell, slow and precise. When you turn, your coworker is impatiently waiting, a scowl etched onto his features as he stares between you and Harley Quinn. The blonde enthusiastically waves at him, earning a glare.

“Come along; we have lots to discuss and little time to waste. I thought I clarified that I wanted you in my office five minutes ago.”

You follow his figure, a knot in your stomach at his unusual mood. The doctor could be a pain when it came to protocols, but you two got along reasonably well. He gave you criteria to follow, and more often than not, he liked to debate your findings. You hoped this was a quick conversation, but then it didn't make sense that he instructed you to take a ferry for something he could have said on the phone.

“Yes, I had to drive through the rain and rush in traffic. I wasn't counting on the weather to be so awful or for Harley Quinn to pull me aside.”

He waits by the top of the stairwell for you, watching as your heels tap the concrete. It amazed him: the concept of walking on elevated stilts that could snap like a twig. You don't miss how he scans your legs or how the muscles in your calves tighten. He extends a hand, presenting the cordiality that made you admire him in the first place. You hesitate with trembling fingers, muttering a quiet “thanks” as he holds your palm. He's warm, and it gives you too much satisfaction. Instead of letting go, he merely continues walking, carefully trailing his fingers over your radial pulse. Each thrum of your heartbeat is now in his possession of knowledge, tipping him off on your anxiety. The door to his office is down a corridor, only accessible to visitors and himself.

“Had you considered wearing gloves, Doctor? You might want to invest in case the temperature drops. If you can't use your hands, I suppose the mind is sufficient, but exhausting yourself unnecessarily is no good to anyone.”

You sit in one of the two chairs, removing your scarf and placing it in your lap. Crane takes his place behind the desk and falls into the chair, folding his hands on the flat surface.

“Believe me, if I could grab a few extra layers, I would have. I was visiting a friend when you called, and since you requested I hurry, there was no point in going home to change. I've lived in Gotham for a long time, and a storm isn't enough to stop me from doing my job. Anyway, you said there was something you needed me to examine?”

He slides a manilla folder towards you, numerous papers spilling from the seam. You take the hint to inspect the documents, flipping through the pages and absorbing the content. MRI scans, coupled with test results and psychological jargon, cover the sheets. You wrinkle your nose in focus, recognizing the highlighted areas of the brain as the amygdala and the frontal lobe. The human brain structure separates information based on its importance, using the amygdala for the fear response and the frontal lobe for rational thought. If one of these locations is compromised, whether by neural chemicals or injuries, the body cannot regulate its reactions to stressful environments. You continue reading, wholly fascinated by the hypotheses listed. The last few pages are still being worked on, primarily blank except for messily written notes. While your train of thought is still understandable, you remove a pen from your coat pocket and begin scribbling. He stares in amusement, pride blooming at your coinciding wonder.

“Doctor Crane, this is beyond incredible! If you were to develop this drug, who knows what group might want it? Not to mention the possibility of designing a formula with the opposite goal of annihilating fear entirely!”

He doesn't bother to hide the smirk on his face as you supply him an ego boost. Initially, he worried you would have an adverse reaction given your good-natured spirit, but those doubts were put to rest by the sight of your smile. The longer he allows himself to relax, the more his eyes are drawn to your lips. Red was a beautiful color on you, contrasting the dim aura of this hospital. As you revel in this energized state, you do not anticipate the foreign sensation of his mouth against yours. Recognition dawns on you as the scent of his cologne lingers, and the papers fall to the ground. You cautiously lean into his touch, grasping his shoulders to bring him closer. The fabric of his shirt bunches as you dig your fingers into the material. He has no qualms with your proximity, but he recognizes the trepidation in your movements for what it is: the worry that you'll scare him away. It's ironic, and it tells him that the only way to disprove your doubt is to make sure you know that this encounter isn't based on the heat of the moment.

He kisses you harder, pushing his tongue inside your mouth. You gasp in surprise, allowing him additional access, as well as the ability to overpower you. Never had you thought that the absurd fantasy of him kissing you would come to fruition, and certainly not in his office over research data. This was supposed to be a dull day of filing paperwork and overhearing business, not the instance where your co-worker, technically your boss, would be sharing saliva. His lips travel to your cheek, then your jaw, trailing down your neck. He has to remove the scarf and unbutton your collar to reach the desired location. You tilt your head back, moaning as he grows closer to your carotid vein. Similar to your earlier encounter, he locates your pulse, biting and sucking the skin as your heart rate increases. You admittedly have no idea what you're doing, but you do know that the image of him making out with you is extremely hot.

Yet, rational is a demon that you cannot leave behind. You're a scientist through and through, which means taking time to analyze the effects of this situation is necessary. Gently, you press against his chest, halting his actions and putting space between you. He looks down at you quizzically, adjusting his glasses that had fallen from the bridge of his nose.

“We could keep going with this course of action, not that I would complain, but maybe we should consider what we're getting ourselves into. I mean, we work together, and if we pursue a relationship, that could cause an entire slew of issues. Let’s cool our jets and think about this objectively before getting too deep.”

You feel a new weight on your chest as you try to analyze his expression. Most days, you could guess his emotions based on small talk, if he even spoke to you. Unfortunately, he's again acting like a blank slate, unreadable as the silence grows longer. Somehow, this enigma of a human specimen has become a magnetic field, drawing you in despite your better judgment. It's not that you don't want to see where this night goes, but the idea of committing to him, especially in the workplace, sends a chill down your spine.

“I see what you are getting at, (Y/N). It's not a problem if you want to think this over. Honestly, I prefer my opinion, but I see no fault in mulling it over. We wouldn't be scientists if we didn't leave decisions up to logic, would we?”

He seems calm enough, and that takes some of the pressure off. You breathe out a sigh before stretching your neck, still a bit unsure of what to do. Another beat of awkward silence follows before you work up enough courage to face him. Blue eyes catch your thousand-yard stare and dart back to the ground.

“It's getting late. D-do you need anything else from me, Jonathan?”

He is not expecting you to refer to him by his first name despite the circumstances. The sound of your hesitancy is still cute, and he wasn't expecting his name to sound so good on your tongue.

“No, I have everything I need. Do you want me to drive you home? The weather is still raining cats and dogs. Not only that, but Gotham is dangerous already, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt.”

The offer seems adequate, and you know precisely the dangers lurking outside. If not for crime and insanity, you wouldn't have a job, but that doesn't mean you want to get caught up in legal shenanigans.

“I drove to the docking bay with my car, so assuming you drive, that would leave one of us without our respective vehicles…”

“You're partially correct. I take a taxi to get around town most of the time so that I won't abandon my car here. Then again, if I drove your car, I would still have to call a cab at one point or another.”

His analysis has you pondering the options until you decide to wing it. You've already made out with your boss, how much worse could it get?

“Screw it, I'll call you a taxi myself. If the weather gets too bad, you can stay at my place for the night.”

You pick up your scarf from the chair, throwing it around your neck in preparation for the cold air outside. The hallways are still empty, and for once, you're glad since the quiet gives you space to think. All that's left is to descend the stairs, pass security, and get the hell out of there. You place your hand in your pocket to grab your identification card but pause as your co-worker is two steps ahead of you, already swiping his badge across the checkpoint. That's right, he has a higher security clearance than you; no wonder he's always early to the office.

“There ya’ are pudding! How'd that meeting go—”

Harley Quinn wastes no time in asking questions as soon as she sees you approach. The doctor next to you gives her a scowl like last time, but the reason behind it is different. Before, he was irritated by her peppy attitude, and now it's jealousy. The blonde’s expression turns into a frown, but covers it with her usual distaste for nitpicky professionals. You would find their disagreement amusing if not for your fresh taste of humanity from the critical doctor, his shell still rough around the edges. You let your mind wander, barely recognizing the arm around your shoulder until you feel the support of his body against you.

These moments are the ones that make your heart race and your mind split. You know this guy, right? He has to be one of the good men in this rotten city. If not, what would you do anyway?

If you like this check the updating version on ao3: Click

[klbwriting]

Broken Prism

Chapter 4

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Toddxfemale!Reader

Warnings: none

Summary: Jason reflects on his return to the city and you come face to face with Batman

After returning to Gotham six months ago Jason started to relearn the ebbs and flows of the city right away, like he hadn’t been gone for almost seven years. He started by patrolling the same routes he and Batman once had, seeing what Batman and his replacement were up to. He followed their path, seeing how it changed or stayed the same. He was trying to assess their patterns and maybe get an inkling to what happened when he died. He could remember a decent amount about his past, prior to the pit and the league. Five years of spending nights trying to stay awake, avoiding nightmares of cold steel and screeching, gave a person a lot of time thinking and thinking led to remembering. The only thing he couldn’t fully put together in his mind was how he had actually died. He figured it had something to do with Batman, why else would he dream about a bat attacking him so much? He wasn’t a psychiatrist, but he figured it wasn’t that hard to put those pieces together. However, after following the Batman and his new protégé for a few weeks nothing sparked except more memories of patrols just like they were doing. Taking out bad guys, helping innocents, the usual good vigilante stuff. He noticed Batman still didn’t kill and it sickened him. He had studied more than his fair share of villains in his time with the league and if any of those ‘people’ deserved to die it was the ones living in Gotham. After he had learned all that he could he had turned to part two of his return scheme. Money, territory, power.

While following Batman and new Robin he had noticed that they didn’t pay too much attention to the lower-level criminals like drug dealers. Honestly, between Penguin, Mr. Fries, Two-Face and the rest when would they have time? So he had gotten to work. A couple hours of beheading lieutenants and meeting with the bosses he had a whole little crew of dealers, 40 percent of their sales, and no one dealing to kids anymore. If they did it was a bullet between the eyes, no questions asked. A few challenged him, not paying up or still dealing around the schools. They were soon found by GCPD, a bullet in the brain and maybe some extra cuts and bruises for when Jason felt extra annoyed. The cash the dealers gave him supplied him well enough to establish some safehouses, get extra gear, and make sure that enough cops were paid to stay away from him business.

Once this was finished Jason decided to check out Arkham, see who was actually locked up and who was just rumored to be in the asylum. He stalked the halls, quiet like Batman taught him to be, using shadows and the old architecture to his advantage. He found Two-Face, Calendar Man, Clayface, Hush, all locked up. He was heading down a part of the old wing when he first heard the laugh, or was it sobbing, or maybe screaming? It sounded like a horrible medley of all three. As soon as it hit his ears he froze, encased in shadow and in the past. That laugh, a crowbar, a bomb. The Joker. Jason’s heart raced, the read out on his helmet said that it was getting too high, he needed to calm down or risk a panic attack, a heart attack, death by laughter. He started breathing too fast through his nose, hyperventilating. His eyes flashed around, frantic. He needed to leave, get out of this place as fast as he could.

He wasn’t 100 percent sure how he had escaped unseen but he didn’t stop running until he was knee deep in the river, the realization that his pants were wet making him snap out of his trance. Joker had killed him. Hours of torture, bones broken, scars that the pit psychically healed but would never heal in his soul, then a bomb, the fire and the light to end everything. Why was it that Jason had died but that motherfucker was still alive? Batman had to have known who had killed him. Who had taken him from this earth and put him inside of it. Why hadn’t he killed him? Did Jason really matter so little that Batman had just wandered off, letting Joker keep his breath and just replacing him with a newer model Robin? Jason saw green, snarling like an animal. He stomped back to where he had left his bike and headed into East End. If there was anyone who deserved a few bullets, maybe some broken skulls, they would be there. Jason needed to kill and to think. Now, months later and still no where less pissed off about Batman’s ridiculous no kill rule Jason watched his former mentor stalking the city, looking for something. Probably that woman who had showed up at his house and stolen his car. His soulmate. Jason still couldn’t believe that he had a soulmate, and she still must be his since his world was still colorful. He could see the bright neon signs, all pinks and oranges and greens, see the attempts the city made of parks and flowers and landscaping in lush yellows and blues. And he saw how the red of his helmet gleaned when he walked by a window, too bad not everyone got to see these things. He couldn’t remember the world in black and white and gray, that seemed like a lifetime ago. He supposed it was. Jason still had his mission on his mind, taking down the Batman, killing Joker, all of that, but her eyes had distracted him momentarily. He wanted to know what Batman was going to do to her, wanted to make sure she was safe from the lies that Bruce Wayne tells those he thinks he can manipulate and use. She wasn’t going to be a pawn for his bullshit.

Jason perched on a fire escape overlooking a back alley. He could see her window across the street, she was in the apartment, probably her bedroom, at a desk typing. The rain was blurring her face a little, but he could still see that she was focused, and he wished he knew on what. He wished he knew her thoughts, her likes, dislikes, he wanted to know her favorite color now that she could see them. And he wanted to know her name above everything else. He knew he could go figure it out, use the records database and find her name based on her address, but he wanted to hear her tell him it, hear her voice say her name, say his name. He could see why Batman had thought he had been too young for a soulmate. This drive to be around her was becoming all consuming and Jason couldn’t tell if it was because she was just his soulmate or if it was because a soulmate meant that he still had a soul, something in him might still be worth saving to someone. If she had known him, would she have killed Joker? Did she mourn him when her world had gone back to black and white? Had she been confused to see the color return? So many questions and he was too scared to get his answers. He heard the familiar sound of quiet settle around him, Batman was lurking. He looked around, keeping himself silent as he used his helmets readout to track the vigilante on the roof of her building. He scaled down the side of it, effortlessly opening the window to what was probably the living room, disengaging the alarm that was there. He knocked on her bedroom door, making her get up and answer, clearly confused and worried, she pulled out a switchblade from her pocket before opening the bedroom door. Jason turned on his enhanced hearing device to listen into the conversation.

“What the fuck?” you said, hearing someone knock at your bedroom door. You had roommates but they were out of Gotham for the weekend, escaping the dreary city in search of sunshine that lasted more than five minutes a day. No one should be in your apartment, let alone knocking at your bedroom door. You took out the blade you carried, flipping it open, ready to start stabbing, opening the door quickly, throwing your weight against the intruder, knife pressing and…breaking. You frowned, feeling the stone muscle of armor, shoving uselessly against it. The blade of your knife had broken and gone flying off onto your bed. You looked up and swallowed. Batman, well fuck, he must be mad you stole his car.

“YN YLN?” Batman said, voice graveled, but you could hear the lilt of Bruce Wayne’s fancy rich tone underneath. You stepped back, breathing deep as you calmed down. He probably wouldn’t kill you, wasn’t that his rule?

“Bruce Waynes?” you mocked back, mimicking his deep bass. You thought you saw the uptick of his lips into a smirk, but it was gone fast enough that you could have imagined it. “I left your car in a nice part of town, I’m sure it's already back in your garage.”

“I’m not here about a car,” he said. You weren’t entirely surprised. “Can we talk for a minute?” At least he was polite after the breaking and entering. You motioned to the living room, wanting to get his hulking mass out of your safe space. He went back to the living room, standing in the middle. It wasn’t a big room either, but it was enough for you and your two friends. You felt strange sitting down as he stood so you got up again, busying yourself by tidying up. It didn’t need a lot of picking up, you were clean by nature, keeping mostly everything in place, but you needed to do something with your hands.

“So what do you want?” you asked, putting away a book before going to the small kitchen area to do the few dishes in the sink.

“Why did you ask about Robin?” he asked. You looked at him. “Who are you?”

“You replaced him, you replaced my soulmate,” you said. You knew he had fancy gadgets to see if people were lying so you figured why bother? Not like him knowing this truth would matter. Robin may have been alive out there but despite your best efforts you hadn’t been able to find anything about him, just that Joker had killed him in some other country almost seven years ago. You were able to see a subtle sign of surprise on Batman’s face, his lips thinning out at the revelation.

“I didn’t replace him,” he said, but it sounded lame, an excuse. “There were others who needed my help and I need help for them.” You felt white hot anger course through you.

“You replaced him because you were too weak to save him! You couldn’t even kill his murderer, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why isn’t Joker cut up into pieces and decaying at the bottom of some endless pit somewhere?” you demanded, throwing a glass at him. He deflected it and it shattered into pieces. “Where is that Robin now?” You assumed Batman must know about the return of his former partner. The silence stretched out.

“J-…”

“Don’t say his name, I don’t want to hear his name from anyone but him,” you said, holding up a hand. The silence went on again.

“That Robin is dead, you said it yourself,” Batman replied, clearly confused. You froze.

“You don’t know,” you said. He had no idea that Robin was back, somewhere in the world, he was alive. You had assumed he would return to Gotham, find Batman and join back up in the cause, or maybe get some type of revenge. But nothing, nothing except for that new guy, the one no one could figure out. The one they called Red Hood. The one who had fled at the sight of you. Your brain was whirring and you were worried Batman would hear the gears turning. “Get out.” You left no room for argument, and it appeared he wasn’t exactly sure what to say to you next, so he left the way he came in. You fixed the alarm and closed the window, cleaning up the broken glass and going back to your room. You needed to figure out how to contact the Red Hood. Either he knew about Robin or…or he was Robin.

[docgold13]

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Rupert Thorne

A powerful and ruthless crime boss, Rupert Thorne muscled his way into the Gotham City and swiftly took control over a large section of the criminal underworld.  Edging out former kingpins, Arnold Stromwell and Salvatore Valestra, Thorne’s enterprises ranged from narcotics to racketeering, money laundering, gambling and weapons smuggling.  Although his criminal endeavors were well known to the public, the corruption within Gotham's justice system kept Thorne in his penthouse and the authorities off his back.

District Attorney Harvey Dent was determined to put an end to Thorne’s grip on the city.  Dent’s dogged pursuit of Thorne became even more relentless as he was campaigning for reelection as District Attorney.  Dent was getting close and Thorne became desperate to put a stop to it.  

Thorne attempted to blackmail Dent after his agent had pilfered the medical notes from Dent’s psychiatrist.  Dent was contending with rather severe psychological difficulties and Thorne threatened to expose this to the public unless Dent agreed to drop all investigations into his enterprises.  Dent refused and a scuffle broke out wherein Dent was caught in an explosion that terribly scared half of his face.  All this resulted in the creation of the villainous Two-Face.  And Two-Face would prove an even greater threat to Rupert Thorne than Dent had ever been.   

A new breed of criminal was encroaching on Thorne’s territory.  Villains like Two-Face, The Penguin and The Joker were substantially cutting into his profit margins and The Batman was a near constant threat to his whole organization.  Determined to wrestle back control, Thorne hired the mercenary known as Bane to break the Bat and ostensively reseat Thorne atop the criminal empire.  

The plot failed, Batman triumphed over Bane and Thorne’s hold on power became even more tenuous.  In desperate need of cash, Thorne agreed to pool resources with The Penguin and the mob enforcer Carlton Duquesne in a venture to sell high tech weapons to the war-torn nation of Kasnia.  

The operation was taken down by Batman along with the mysterious new heroine, Batwoman.  Duquesne was convinced to testify against Thorne and the once untouchable gangster was sentenced to life in prison at Stonegate Penitentiary.   

The wonderfully intimidating John Vernon provided the voice for Rupert Thorne, with mobster first appeared in the sixth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, ‘It’s Never Too Late.’  

[whisconsun]

From her internal monologue, it seems like she's a psychologist and not a psychiatrist. Why did she tell Batman she's a licensed psychiatrist? I have no clue. He mentions that her license can't still be valid, which assumes it ever was in the first place.

So Harley is either lying, stupid, or the Gotham medical licensing board is on crack.

Top, Harley Quinn (2021) #1, p. 15. Bottom, Harley Quinn (2021) #2, p. 1

DC, do you even know how psychology degrees work?

[abrakuxas]

I watched the Penguin and it's a cool crime drama and all that, it's just... Not about the penguin. And what sucks is that it's clearly intentional up to this point. Everything I hear from the guys behind it is how much they want to get away from the comic book aspects of this.... Comic book adaptation.

I don't know why the fuck it has become the norm that Batman should not follow the comic book at all?

New Batman cartoon? No batfamily, they are random kids with two lines in a single episode. Every character is either not the character you know or a very diluted version of them (I'll ignore Harley on this one since her creator is the one behind it and I'm not gonna argue with how he deals with his OC)

A series about the stylish Mafia Boss supervillain, famous for his monocle, tophat and umbrella? Well, we kept the Mafia part but everything else has to go INCLUDING HIS FUCKING NAME!! Not only the moniker but the ACTUAL name. He can't be called Cobblepot because that's too much for this adaptation of a supervillain. The most they could do is give him a limp and a purple car. Yay! Let's work now on a prestige tv series about darth vader except he is actually an astronaut and maybe he could hold a red pen at some point so we can show how much we pretend to love the character idk. Maybe if we're feeling bold we might make him breath funny in a scene.

What sucks is that the show is not bad. It is objectively well written, well directed, it is good television, it just never had to be about the fucking Penguin. Just write a show about crime with your oc. Can you imagine if The Bear was sold as an adaptation of Sponge Bob "just more realistic and with less cartoony stuf. We deal with the life of Bob Stevens (we thought 'Sponge' didn't sound too real) dealing with the dramas of working on a kitchen and his traumas after being abuse at the 5 star restaurant 'Krusty's'".

It would be stupid as fuck and it's stupid as fuck for Batman as well, but it has been done so much that we're literally going to watch the second part of a Joker origin story film where Harley Quinn is Lady Gaga. Which is so fucking funny to me because not only the best Joker stories define him as a guy with a very ambiguous past and origin but Harley is very specifically her psychiatrist turned insane by abuse. That's the story. What you are showing me isn't that, it's just a story about a random loser dressed as a clown. Telling me this is Gotham and name dropping people won't make it an actual adaptation. It's not adapting anything, it's an oc, you're just making ocs and telling an original story.

Every single Batman thing has the "Pokémon is just Ashe in a coma" vibe now and I hate it idk.

I loved The Batman it really worked for me as this promise, this big change in the status quo of crime. Things are getting crazier, the quirkiness are showing and now the old face of old crime is busted giving the chance for actual supervillains to show up and take the city giving Batman a need for new partners and shit like that. I really thought it was a story that wanted to jump from that year two, early batman vibe into actual batman vibe. But now with this first episode of Penguin and even knowing that Reeves is involved with Caped Crusader I just lost any hope of it being actual Batman and I guess we'll just get yet another realistic Batman universe with solo Batman dealing with "the Scarecrow", a regular drug dealer who works with "Poison Ivy" she is the one who plants their weed. Don't forget about "Clay Face", a very ugly henchman to "Oz Cobb", the new regular crime boss. Idk, unless this series changes into actual supervillain territory I very much lost any interest in this universe.

[riddle-me-ri]

Congrats on 500 followers Ri!!! You deserve all the love and support!! ヽ(⌒▽⌒)ﾉ

For the event, I know he's a little...restrained, but I was wondering how an Arkham Visit would go for Zero Year? Maybe from a psychiatrist or nurse instead of a friend? It's up to you!!!

Congrats again, 500 is a big number and it's awesome that you've got there!!!

A/N: Aww thank you so much Terri! I appreciate it! Ohhh, ooohhhh ZY Riddler would looveee a cute wee nurse to torment while he’s suspended in the air asddfgg

Word Count: 548

Zero Year/Capullo Riddler - Arkham Visit

It really is unfortunate for you that you’ve found yourself assigned to tend to Edward Nygma. A recently caught evil mastermind and terrorist that reduced the city of Gotham to a ghost of a city overrun by nature and a mad man. 

To say you were still somewhat resentful wouldn’t be entirely false. You try to undermine him, his persona, The Riddler.

Edward Nygma is just another patient. He’s just another patient in an endless list of patients; faces and identities you have encountered and have yet to encounter.

Edward leered. “Hello…nurse.” 

You could hear the slimy grin on his slimy face. 

“Afternoon, Mr. Nygma.” 

“Oh, so formal…you can call me Edward…and I’ll even permit you to call me Eddie.” 

“I’d rather keep it formal…Mr. Nygma.” You said his surname through barred teeth. 

Ed scoffed. “How disappointing…you’ll come around.” 

You rolled your eyes, you’ll come around when he’s in another facility.

Once your cart was set up, you walked over to where a steel lever stuck out of the wall. When you pulled it, it allowed Edward to lower down to the ground. 

“Tell me, how’s Gotham doing? Now that the citizens no longer have to face a battle of wits because Batman conveniently rescued them from using their brains?” 

“Gotham City’s doing much better.” You steal a short glance at him. “Thriving even.” You stated vehemently. 

“Oh please…thriving is a stretch.” 

“I’ll take it if it means I’m not cut off from the country.” You began prepping some gauze with antiseptic.

“I did stump Batman, even for a brief moment. I’ve done what others couldn’t!” 

He continued more enthusiastically, “think of it! All the different ideations! The different-”

“Mr. Nygma-”

I need you to shut up. “I can’t properly remove these stitches and disinfect the wound if you keep speaking.”

“Aren’t you capable to manage a moving patient?” 

“Aren’t you capable at following simple instructions?” 

You two locked eyes, waiting for the other to say their next quip. 

“What’re you going to do,” Edward grinned. “Gag me?”

You leaned back away from him. Appalled and agitated, but the offer was appealing. 

“If the patient requests…”

It was hard to keep down the chuckle in your chest at his surprised expression.

“Hm, funny. You do have a sense of humor…I knew you’d come around.” 

“Well, the alternative is I leave your bruises and sutures exposed, get infected, and cause much larger issues later for you. Maybe even cause some damage to that oh, so big brain of yours.” 

Probably could have omitted that last statement, but your patience was weakening.

A beat of silence. 

“So, you think I have a big brain?” 

“Mr. Nygma-”

“Edward…”

You groaned. “If you continue to obstruct my attempt to tend to you. I am authorized to sedate you.” 

“Oh…you wanna watch me sleep?”

You walked over silently to your cart and grabbed a syringe. 

“Fine! Just…do what you need to do.” 

You allowed your smile to grow proudly on your face. 

You put down the syringe. “Thank you…Edward.” 

The rest of procedure went off without a hitch, minus some miffs and grumbles from Edward. 

Riding high off the victory, as you left the room you looked back at Edward. 

Fully restrained and fully suspended up in the air. “Have a good night…Eddie.”

[nyhti]

Oh! I forgot to respond! Anything would be cool for you to share. I love your headcanons for Scarecrow so anything like that?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I'm more shy about sharing Hugo headcanons, because we get very little canon information about pre-crisis Hugo (the Hugo I base my version on). With characters like Jonathan, who got an actual backstory, hobbies outside their gimmicks and what not, you have something to build your own headcanons around. You can come up with something, that wasn't in the original text, but that makes sense given what we know about the character. The headcanons are plausible and connected to canon, even if by a very, very thin thread. No such luck with Hugo. Because we know nothing about him, nearly every headcanon feels like it was pulled out of nowhere. It's not based on anything, because there's nothing to base it on. Coming up with headcanons for Hugo doesn't feel like expanding on an existing character, it feels like coming up with an OC.

So I'm a little shy to share the headcanons that are ”out there” to me (i.e. things with no canon basis), but I guess I can scrap together something lol xDDD I'm sure we all remember the iconic quote ”I am a model of mental health!” from Gotham Knights #8-11 ”Transference.” Even if you haven't read the story, you have surely seen this panel floating around:

And I like it. It's a funny line, but then there's also this exchange from Batman #356 ”The Double Life of Hugo Strange”:

Of course these are two different continuities, one pre- and one post-crisis, but it's still interesting how differently two people can write, what is supposed to be, the same character. The attitudes the different versions hold toward their mental health are like night and day. Usually in moments like this, I would simply pick one of them for my own verse, but this time I loved them both so much, that I just couldn't choose and so for a while I wondered how I could somehow have them both. I solved it by deciding that over time, Hugo's attitude toward the subject would change. It goes from ”I am a model of mental health!” to ”Does it matter?” In my verse, he begins to struggle with his mental health around his twenties. Back in the day, I used to headcanon he didn't start having symptoms until in his fifties, around the time we meet him in my verse, but I figured it works much better, if it started at a younger age. So, he has manic episodes. In his twenties, they weren't very severe yet. He did have a couple short hospital stays a few times when it all started, but symptoms really cleared up after finding the right medication. The hospital stays, however short they were, were not easy for him, though.

At first, he would try to deny there was anything wrong and that bringing him to the hospital was a mistake. The doctors would disagree, though, and after a week or two on medication, Hugo too would start to see that the way he had been acting wasn't normal. This is all very difficult for him, because he's a high achiever, a perfectionist. He needs to be the smartest, the strongest, the most powerful. He needs to be in peak psychical and mental condition at all times. He had a lot of great goals in life that he wanted to accomplish and ending up at a psychiatric ward most certainly wasn't one of them. It was a huge blow to his self-esteem. It really shook the mental imagine he had of himself. I'm sure he thought that mental illness is something that happens other people, people below him and so this was a bit of an identity crisis. I don't think he ever even thought about the pain the actual symptoms had cost him, all he ever thought about, was the pain to his ego brought on by the stigma of mental illness. I think another element that made his stays difficult, was that he was in med school at the time. It felt wrong to be the patient. This is not the position he had been studying for years to reach. I can just imagine young Hugo screaming at his psychiatrist: ”I am a model of mental health!”

Over time, however, especially after the medication proves so effective that Hugo can almost forget that he ever had episodes in his life, he would begin to accept the diagnosis, but only as a thing of the past. Something that he beat. He would still not be open about the diagnosis. If anybody ever asked him where he had been during those hospital stays, he would think of some convenient lie. Regardless, I think it is his own experience with mental illness combined with his general interest in the human mind that inspires him to specialize in psychiatry. I also think that he's stance on mental illness and mentally ill people would also soften. It has to, really. If he thinks mental illness only happens to those below him, does that mean he himself has now sunken somehow? Become less because of this? No, that can not be, he has to be the best, so clearly mental illness can in fact happen to anyone. Even the best of us. (I am now going to talk about how his illness developed and affected him later in life and for this, you need to keep in mind, that my verse is build upon pre-crisis continuity, so before deciding he wants to be Batman, he was a ”regular” criminal mastermind, only after money and power. He is sent to jail once Batman caught him and it is only years later, that he ends up in Arkham.)

In his late forties, when Bruce has become Batman and Hugo is arrested for the first time, his symptoms would start breaking through his medication. In these stressful situations his episodes would become more severe and start lasting longer. Since Batman was the first person to expose him and bring him down, he makes it his next goal to destroy him. It's really the only thing he can do. There simply cannot exist a person better than him, because he has to be the best. Also, he cannot let someone who humiliated him so live to tell the tale. And on a more practical level, he simply can no longer pull any larger jobs in Gotham City with Batman around, so getting rid of him becomes a necessity. It's during these fruitless struggles to beat Batman, that he starts experiencing psychotic symptoms for the first time. Around this time he also discovers Batman's identity and dons on the cape and cowl. At this point, he is about 50 and is admitted to Arkham for the first time. Ending up in prison was bad enough. His license to practice medicine was taken away, he was exposed to the world as a criminal and a heinous person, but it was still only prison. Prison couldn't take a way his believability among other criminals. Arkham is different, though. Ending up in the city worst ”nuthouse” not only made him lose respect and status among criminals, but also in his own eyes. It was an incredibly hard blow to his ego. Twice as hard as ending up at a psychiatric ward in his twenties.

At this point, he had been a psychiatrist for many years. If it was difficult for him to be the patient in med school, imagine how difficult it is for him now, especially when he now finds himself the patient in the exact field he specialized in.

And just as in his twenties, he would have to re-think his opinions on mental illness, and once again, the re-thinking comes from necessity. After the new medication helps him see things clearly again, there is no denying the fact he had been experiencing psychotic symptoms. What kind of a psychiatrist would he be, if he still tried to deny it when it was all so clear? He really came up against a wall here. His only options were to lie down and die or accept it and move on, to ask the world, to ask himself: ”Does it matter?”

[kittythelitter]

Batman AU where Bruce's parents survive and he ends up being a psychiatrist (after seeing many to recover from the trauma of his parents being shot in front of him) with a passion for improving infrastructure in Gotham because of all the things that went wrong and almost killed his parents that night.

He can't clean the police but he can find good people to do psych evals and push for them to be More frequent.

He can't adopt every kid he sees but he can make sure there are safe homes for them and register as a foster parent so he can take care of kids who need extra help.

Like the girl who can't speak. And the neglected child next door. The traumatized son of murdered acrobats, and that one fiery kid who tried to steal his tires.

He gets all his kids, some just temporarily.

He still has Damian because he known for being brilliant in the field of psychology but also as someone with great economic and social influence who isn't a politician but Gotham might as well be his kingdom with the way he runs it.

He's also still in fighting shape.

Maybe not as much as most Bruce Waynes but in a world where Alfred pennyworth didn't have to raise Bruce Wayne he became sort of a fun honorary uncle (who was maybe dating his parents) even after he quit being a butler. And as Bruce Waynes fun uncle he taught Bruce all his special forces moves in the hopes of helping a scared little boy feel a little safer and more able to defend himself. This of course sparked a lifelong love of martial arts.

In this world Bruce is a doting parent, a powerful social influencer, a leader in philanthropy and vocationally, a psychiatrist.

Though most of his time is not spent with patients. He teaches workshops. So many. Mental wellness, aiding people with mental illnesses, helping your child cope with trauma.

He teaches several workshops that are mandatory for Gotham police and some that are highly sought after by social workers. Hes also a popular guest professor at GU.

Aside from teaching he has helped create, revamp, and strengthen Gotham city's publicly available mental health resources like clinics, support groups etc. But his most impressive work is the one day each week he spends treating the patients at Arkham Mental Health Hospital and Rehabilitation Center (formerly Arkham Asylum).

Anyway. This Bruce Wayne accidentally falls into another universe, finds out about all the Batman. And starts dedicating one day a month to being a therapist and mental health educator to that Batman and one or two weeks every few months to going to other universes and trying to see if he can add other batmen as patients.

"Who better to help you with this than a you who is internationally renowned in this field. I might not be Batman but i am you and i went to college for 10 years on this exact subject so I'm objectively better informed in this than you while also being one of the only people you can trust to help you. "