#'man my other self SUCKS just look at robin! he's got anxiety!'

[the-priestess-of-dawn]

we NEED to discuss more how fallen chrom would interact with his younger self. There's so many different takes that you could have on it and with each take, it's all angsty

Truly there are SO many possibilities. I'm fond of "seething hatred for those idiots who talk big about love and bonds but are going to FAIL just like him sooner or later" to match Grima's seething hatred for all the Robins who dare to try to fight for a different fate,

However, driving that seething hatred is surely, like, jealousy and longing for his life to have gone like theirs, and there's also the possibility that he might be too exhausted to maintain hatred... Maybe he just watches them from afar and Pines...

But then, on the other hand, there IS a chance he takes the whole "go warn the us in the other world of the danger" thing to heart. Now, I still stand by "that should not have happened," because that was not supposed to be the Future Past and there should not have been a Robin 2 in the first place, and frankly the interruption didn't really seem to change Fell Chrom's broken worldview anyway, BUT it does provide for interesting opportunities for Fell Chrom to try to reach out, like he was technically ordered to, ESPECIALLY to someone like, oh I don't know, Groom Robin, who is looking SO lonely and Grima-y... And maybe it wouldn't be so bad to resent Groom Robin's Chrom, since he so ~obviously~ doesn't know how to take care of his tactician right.

[bearly-writing]

So that gunshot wound fic you wrote was AMAZING. While savoring every word, I was thinking that I’d really love to also read something with older, Red Hood era Jay being protective of Dick. So, if you don’t mind, could I request the Burns square for Dick with Jay??

Thank you very much for such a lovely compliment! I am so sorry that this is taken SO long to write! I hope that it’s at least slightly what you were looking for and that you enjoy it :)

All of my prompts have now been requested! Thank you everyone who’s requested something - I know I’m getting through these painfully slowly, but I promise I am getting through them! :)

Under The Skin

Fandom: Batman

Prompt: Burns

Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne

Warnings: Violence, Blood and Injury, Gun Violence, Gore, Burns, Acid burns, Torture, Permanent injury, Career-ending injuries

Summary: This is exactly what Jason means about Gotham’s villains. Two-Face can’t just shoot Dick, or beat him, or, hell, mutilate him a little. It has to be a fucking performance. It has to be totally goddamn insane.

Read it on AO3 here!

There will be a second part to this. I’ll add the link in here once it’s been posted!

The problem with Gotham, Jason thinks bitterly, is that everyone has a fucking gimmick. No one seems capable of doing anything in this city without putting on a goofy outfit first: Freeze, Catwoman, the Riddler, the Joker – fucking Batman can’t fight crime without his fur suit. It wears thin after a while. Jason is tired of the overwrought jokes and the overly-contrived crimes. What happened to the good old-fashioned thugs? What happened to a classic get-your-hands-dirty beating? Jason would take that over Batman’s rogue gallery any day. He would take a punch to the face over sitting here listening to Two-Face rattle on about chance and probability and rolling that fucked up coin between his fingers in a heartbeat.

“I’m a fair man,” Dent is saying, the coin flashing beneath the glare of the bare bulb above them: warehouse-torture-room aesthetic at its finest.

Jason snorts and Dick throws him a look that’s almost physical. It’s easy to ignore, though – Jason’s had plenty of practice.

“If you want it to be fair, then untie us and fight us properly.”

That earns him a cold look, but not much else. One day that sort of goading will work – until then Jason will have to make do with tugging fruitlessly at the cuffs binding his hands behind him again and snarling.

“I’m a fair man,” Dent repeats. He smiles with the side of his face that isn’t mangled flesh and exposed bone. “You’ve both been poking around where you shouldn’t be. I should kill you for that, but I want to give you a chance.”

Flash, flash, flash, goes the coin. Watching it makes Jason feel dizzy and he has to shut his eyes to stop the room from spinning, has to tighten his throat against the anxiety that’s slowly expanding in his stomach. A 50-50 chance. That’s Two-Face’s shtick. Not the most inventive gimmick in the world, but with a face like his, Jason supposes there aren’t many other options. Except not becoming a homicidal maniac, of course, but then, Jason doesn’t have much room to judge on that count.

Footsteps, loud against the concrete floor. A shadow falls across Jason. When his eyes snap open, almost automatically, Two-Face is standing over him, leering down at him. Jason tries to jerk away but there’s not much space to put between them whilst he’s tied to a chair.

Two-Face grins. Scarred fingers grip Jason’s chin, tilting his head up. “You first, I think.”

Flash, flash, flash.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason can see Dick’s face, pale and tense, attention focused like a laser-point to the press of fingers against Jason’s skin.

“Red Hood doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Dick snaps, because he’s too stupid and self-sacrificing to not draw attention to himself. “If you really want to be fair, you’ll let him go.”

Because that has always worked for them.

Two-Face ignores him, of course.

“This side –“ The coin stops spinning. Two-Face holds it up between his fingers, the smooth side facing out. “- and you get to go unscathed. This side –“ A twist, then it’s the scarred side facing them. “- and I leave you with a little reminder of exactly why you should stay away.”

Jason rolls his eyes. Which came first, he wonders? Is it Batman’s fault that all of the villains in Gotham are like this? Or is Batman a product of whatever chemical is clearly floating around in the air too? He wishes Two-Face would let go of him. Wishes that he and Dick hadn’t crashed the villain’s party in the first place.

“Get on with it,” he snarls, because he can’t figure out how to get out of his bonds with Two-Face standing so close, and he’s been sitting in this chair for long enough that his ass has gone numb.

The coin flips up into the air and Jason tightens his gut to prevent his stomach from doing the same. It lands in the palm of Dent’s hand with a soft thud. The villain glances at it, and Jason struggles to read his face, but it’s difficult to parse an expression from the mess of scars. Then the coin is extended towards him. Shiny side up. Jason breathes a soft sigh of relief. Beside him, Dick strains in his own bonds, trying to get a look at Jason’s fate.

“Lucky,” Two-Face murmurs, but he’s smiling that creepy half-smile. Jason can’t tell if he’s angry or not. At least he lets go of Jason’s face, finally, if only to stalk across the warehouse towards Dick. “Your turn.”

“Let Red Hood go first – that was your bargain.”

“No,” Jason snaps, because he’s tired of feeling so out of control here and he’s tired of Dick throwing himself on the fire every fucking chance he gets. Jason doesn’t need anyone to coddle him, and he definitely doesn’t need Dick martyring himself for his sake – if only because the others would never forgive him for letting golden boy get hurt when Jason’s here to take the punishment instead. “Take that as Nightwing’s toss and do mine again. Or better yet, let us go and fight us properly.”

Two-Face just shakes his head, still smiling. The effect is unnerving – that bright flash of teeth that shouldn’t be visible even in the widest grin.

“Cute.” He stops in front of Dick’s chair. The vigilante glares up at him with a surprising amount of venom. “You both get your own chance with fate. Then you can both go free when I say you can go free.”

There’s another flash. The soft thud of metal against flesh. Jason can’t help straining forward, even as he works desperately at the cuffs around his wrists whilst Two-Face is distracted. The metal is digging painfully into his flesh, scraping the skin raw. Something warm trickles over his hands – blood probably, but Jason doesn’t have time to care about that. If he can just get the leverage he needs to break his thumb…

“Oh dear.”

One hand stretches out towards Dick. For a long moment, Dick just stares into Dent’s face, gaze locked resolutely on his. Then, as if he can’t help himself, he looks down. Dick recoils. It’s not hard to guess which side came up.

Shit.

Shit, this is bad.

“You cheated,” Jason manages, voice a low, gruff growl. It makes him sound uncomfortably like the Batman, he knows, but he can’t soften his voice when his anxiety is crawling up his throat and choking him. “You fucking cheated.”

Two-Face is on him before Jason even registers the movement. An arm slams hard into Jason’s throat, jerking his head up and rocking him backwards. Pain spears from the point of impact, racing down his spine, setting alarms blaring through Jason’s head. He tries to gasp a startled breath but he can’t suck any air past the press of Harvey’s arm. Pain and pressure lock his throat tight.

“Say that to my fucking face,” Two-Face snarls, inches from Jason’s nose.

Jason struggles. Gasps. The chair is tilted back dangerously, threatening to spill him onto the floor at any moment, but Jason can’t pull himself upright with Two-Face holding him down. Can’t drag in enough air to get the words out.

“Hey! Red Hood goes free. That’s what the coin said. You can’t touch him. Hey!”

Even through the fog of panic, Jason can hear the fear in Dick’s voice. It sends his heart rocketing against his chest. Has his pulse throbbing beneath Two-Face’s arm.

For a long moment, the villain doesn’t move. Then, finally, he pulls away. Jason rocks forward at the release of pressure, gasping in a solid breath of stale, dusty air. Instinctively, he tries to reach for his throat, but the cuffs hold him just as helpless as Two-Face had.

“You’re right,” Two-Face says, calmly, smoothing down his suit, as if he hadn’t just launched himself across the room to strangle Jason. As if he isn’t holding them captive in a sketchy warehouse, threatening them, hurting them. “The coin has decided you go free, Hood. But don’t test me. I can always flip again.”

Jason’s throat is still too tight to manage a scathing reply. He settles for baring his teeth, glaring as darkly as he can manage. Two-Face seems entirely unconcerned, turning away from him to focus his attention back on Dick.

“You’re not so lucky, huh?”

One hand braces against the back of Dick’s chair as Two-Face leans down until he’s right in the vigilante’s face. Dick doesn’t react, just stares back evenly. It’s hard to tell if the confidence is fake or not. Jason knows that Two-Face scares his brother. Knows that Dick still has nightmares, sometimes, from when the villain had beaten him senseless with a baseball bat well before Jason’s ill-fated turn as Robin. Jason understands that.

“Cat got your tongue?” Two-Face smirks.

Scarred fingers twist through Dick’s hair and jerk his head back, forcing his neck into a painful-looking arch. Dick snarls, teeth flashing, the muscles of his arms bunching as if he’s tugging on his restraints. From where he’s sitting, Jason can only see half of his face. Something cold and frightened blooms in Jason’s chest, an awful paranoia born of Two-Face’s proximity, Two-Face’s threats.

“Don’t touch him,” Jason snarls, and Dick’s head jerks, as if he wants to look over despite the hand in his hair holding him still.

Two-Face straightens but he doesn’t let go.

“Stop me,” he says, mildly. “If you can.”

Jason yanks harder on his restraints, feels the skin split beneath unforgiving metal. Snarls. There’s no more give than there was before. As hard as he struggles, he isn’t getting out of these cuffs.

A smirk. “That’s what I thought.”

***

This is exactly what Jason means about Gotham’s villains. Two-Face can’t just shoot Dick, or beat him, or, hell, mutilate him a little. It has to be a fucking performance. It has to be totally goddamn insane.

“This is a joke right?”

Jason tugs harder on the cuffs. It won’t get him anywhere, but it makes him feel a little better and it’s the only thing he can do with Two-Face standing behind him, scarred hand resting heavy on Jason’s shoulder.

He isn’t in the chair anymore, although they haven’t untied his hands. Instead, he’s kneeling on the ground, cold concrete leaching the heat from his knees. There are about fifteen of Two-Face’s men milling about, waiting for the entertainment, and Jason had been stripped of his helmet and most of his gear before he’d been strapped into the chair, but he thinks he could still make a good go of it, if he could just get his hands free. Or even without his hands, if Two-Face wasn’t holding a gun, resting it casually against the back of Jason’s head.

Dick won’t be much help either, and Jason isn’t sure he can take on sixteen people on his own. His brother is more securely bound, ropes wrapping tight across his chest, winding around his arms and cinching his legs together, tethering his ankles to his bound hands to render them immobile. Oh, and he’s also dangling in the air above a wooden platform covering what Jason strongly suspects is a vat of goddamn acid.

Honestly, Gotham. Sometimes Jason feels as though he’s fallen down the fucking rabbit-hole.

“I don’t joke,” Dent says from above him, voice mild, as if he’s commenting on the weather rather than someone dangling over a vat of acid. “I do like to keep to a theme though.”

A theme. Fucking hell.

“You would think you’d stay away from acid,” Jason says, nastily. “Don’t want to fuck up the rest of your face too.”

Two-Face doesn’t rise to the bait. Jason wonders if the theatrics are just for them, or if he’s always like this. There certainly hadn’t seemed to be any themes involved when Two-Face had shot Jason’s good-for-nothing dad dead. Just a short fuse and a gun.

But then, a thug is a thug – maybe caped crusaders require more pizzazz.

“He’s obviously jealous of my good looks,” Dick interjects, surprisingly calm for someone who’s good looks are in imminent danger.

Jason sneers – his skin feels too tight to manage any other expression, pulled taught across the bones of his face. “Well, you could always scar the other side Harv – if you’re looking for a way to improve that mug of yours.”

The gun presses hard into Jason’s skull, rocking his head forward until his neck aches, chin pressed into his chest, staring down at his own lap. It’s an uncomfortably vulnerable position.

“Shut up,” Two-Face orders, voice still mild. There’s no hint of the snarl from earlier, although Jason feels the phantom press of an arm against his throat all the same.

Jason kind of wishes he would lose his temper – Jason can work with anger, particularly if it’s aimed at him. Anger makes most people sloppy. Makes them react without thinking. All Jason needs is the opportunity. But Two-Face has pulled cool and collected Harvey Dent to the surface like a flip of the scarred coin that had doomed Dick earlier.

“My boys have been promised entertainment. The coin has decreed a punishment. Nightwing is taking a little dip and you’re going to sit here and watch it. Isn’t that right boys?”

There’s a ragged cheer. The pressure against Jason’s head lessens. For a moment he doesn’t look up, just keeps his eyes fixed on his legs, feels his heart punching against the curve of his neck. If he can’t see it, maybe it won’t happen. Maybe this is all in his head.

Except, when he finally lifts his head it’s all still there: Dick’s still dangling from that fucking rope like a rat caught in a trap; the vat of acid is still sitting underneath him; the goons are still milling around, watching Dick with hungry eyes. The gun is still hovering close behind Jason’s head.

There’s a flash of light at the edge of Jason’s vision. That stupid coin turning over and over in Two-Face’s fingers. What Jason wouldn’t give to snatch it out of the air, toss it down a drain or bury it under the earth, or maybe throw it with enough force to bury it in Two-Face’s head.

“Take him down,” Dent says. He could be closing a case in court, listening to his voice, rather than sending an innocent man to his death.

Or maybe there’s not such a difference there after all - Jason’s never much liked lawyers.

Across the room one of Two-Face’s goons closes their fist around the lever connected to the winch system Dick is dangling from. There’s a metallic clank. A suspended moment where even the air feels still, as if not a single person in the room is breathing. Then there’s a jolt as the rope holding Nightwing in place starts to unravel, dropping Dick down towards the vat.

“Stop!” Jason snarls.

Panic shreds his voice to something rough and painful. He strains against his bonds, against Two-Face’s looming presence, against the fact that this is happening. A heavy hand layers over his shoulder, pressing him down as he tries to struggle to his feet. Dick drops steadily downwards.

“It’s fine, Hood. I’m fine.”

Because Nightwing is a martyr to the end. Because even as he’s being lowered to his death, he can’t keep his mouth shut, can’t let a moment go by without nobly sacrificing his own wellbeing.

“Shut up,” Jason snaps.

Behind him, Two-Face chuckles, a low, awful sound. If Jason can just get out from underneath him. If he can slip his cuffs and get across the room and pull that fucking lever back up.

“Don’t do this, Dent. You bastard. Let him go.”

As if begging has ever helped anyone. Two-Face ignores him. He’s breathing heavily, fingers pressing savagely into Jason’s shoulder without the protection of his leather jacket between them. Around them, Two-Face’s men jeer and laugh as Dick inches ever closer to the acid beneath him.

His brother’s face is tight with fear now, that strange calmness completely gone, eyes huge and dark. He’s struggling, trying to gather enough momentum to swing himself out of the path of danger, but he’s bound too tightly to have much success. By now, his knees are almost touching the surface. Dick tries to pull them up, to curl them safely against his chest, but the rope between his wrists and ankles pulls taut, holding him in place.

A hollow, frightened sort of hope carves out a space behind Jason’s ribs. It’s the same sensation he had felt, through the agony of his broken bones, his ruptured organs, as he had leaned against the locked warehouse door, waiting for his father to rescue him. It’s stupid. It’s childish. Jason, of all people, should know that you can’t rely on a last-minute rescue, knows that even Batman can be too late. If they’re going to get out of here, Jason can’t rely on the bat. The only person he can rely on is himself.

“Wait,” Dick shouts. The whites of his eyes are bright against his dark skin. “Stop, please! Don’t-“

Batman isn’t going to make it. Jason isn’t even sure if Batman knows they’re here. It’s down to him. No one else is going to save them.

There’s a sharp crack as Jason’s thumb gives way. To Jason, it might as well be loud as a gunshot, but it’s mostly lost beneath the jeers of Two-Face’s men and Dick’s terrified shouts. Jason’s heart is punching so strongly against his throat that it feels a little like it might leap right out of him. He can feel the frantic throb of his pulse in his wrist. There should be pain, Jason thinks, numbly, as he slides his damaged hand out of the cuff, but instead there’s only adrenaline, bunching every muscle in his body, setting his heart ricocheting against his chest.

Two-Face isn’t looking at Jason. Instead, he’s focussed on Dick, exposed teeth and eye gleaming in the harsh light. Jason doesn’t spare any time following his gaze, or hesitating, or waiting for a better opportunity. He acts. Sweeps one leg out to catch Two-Face by the ankles. Rocks him back. Surges up to catch his flailing wrist. The arm in Jason’s grip gives with a satisfying snap beneath the pressure of his elbow and Two-Face howls. Jason lifts one leg and plants his foot solidly against the villain’s chest. The kick sends Two-Face flying, crashing to a groaning, hurting heap against the far wall.

In a matter of seconds, Jason’s arms are free, Two-Face is across the room, and Jason has a gun in his hands. When he spins to face the rest of the room, Two-Face’s men are staring stupidly, attention drawn by the sound of their leader’s scream, but no one has reached for their weapons. No one is prepared for Jason hefting the gun in his hands and opening fire.

There’s green crowding close at the edge of Jason’s vision. A wavering, blurry quality, as if Jason is under water. As if he’s back in the Lazarus pit, drowning in toxic green, water in his mouth, his nose, his throat, pressing in against his eyes. There’s a roaring in his ears, a swelling wave of noise crashing against him. And underneath that, the sharp rapport of gunfire – his and the thugs who haven’t yet been dropped like flies.

“Hood!”

The cry cuts through the strange, tinnitus-ring in Jason’s ears, the green-tinged fog in his head. He blinks. The voice is frightened. Someone’s in danger. There was something Jason was supposed to do.

Then Dick screams and Jason slams back into his body with a jolt like an electric shock.

The lever. Jason needs to get to the fucking lever, now.

Jason isn’t sure if he’s ever moved as fast as he does now, launching himself across the room. He gets a flash of a white, terrified face - the thug’s mouth dark and wide as Jason barrels towards him - before they collide with a force that knocks the breath out of him.

That terrible, agonised scream cleaves the air in two. Jason fumbles. His hands are slick with sweat and blood. They slide hopelessly against the rusty metal of the lever.

Beneath him, the thug struggles for his gun. Jason smashes his fist into his face. Ignores his gurgling cry - barely hears it under the siren-pitch sound of Dick’s pain. Reaches. There’s metal under his hands and something gives and somewhere in the distance Jason hears the rattle of mechanical movement and please, please let that be Dick being pulled free.

The thug is limp beneath him. Jason pushes himself upright in a sort of daze, feeling both very far away from his body and yet strangely present at the same time. The world seems to spin around him. Some of Two-Face’s men are still standing, but no one is firing at him. Most of them are on the floor, lying groaning in pools of blood, or clutching wounds, or crouching in fear.

Above them, Dick is writhing on the end of his rope like a worm on a hook. The black material of his suit is dark around his knees. Liquid drips off of his legs in a slowing stream, splattering across the wood and concrete as he jerks and twists in his restraints. The scream has tapered into a high, choking keen. It’s...it’s a noise unlike anything Jason’s heard before. It pours icy water down his spine, tightens his skin until he feels claustrophobic in his own body, twists cold fingers through his gut.

Dick was dunked - that much is obvious. Dick is hurt. That’s acid clinging to the weave of his suit. Acid darkening his legs. For a long moment, Jason feels paralysed by the realisation. Dick is hurt, Dick is injured, and Jason doesn’t know what to do.

Get him down. That’s the first thing. Jason needs to get him safely on the floor and away from that goddamn vat. He moves almost without meaning to, as if his brain is trailing behind his body, still caught up a few seconds ago. One of the goons, startled by Jason’s sudden movement, fires off a shot. It goes wide, splinters the wall somewhere behind him. Jason doesn’t turn to look. He doesn’t care. If the bullet had ripped through his shoulder, he’s not sure if he would even have noticed.

The gun in his hands comes up automatically to return fire, but Jason doesn’t stop to aim or to check if it hit its mark. He keeps his eyes fixed on Dick. There are a set of shallow steps leading up to the platform. Jason scrambles up them. His whole focus laser-sharp on Dick, his world narrowed to the dark shape of him, the contorted twist of his legs. The rest of the room might as well not even be there. But no one fires on him.

Jason has nothing. Nothing but the gun and his own hands - his jacket, his knives, his fucking boots are all in the other room. Jason could shoot him down, but the acid is still beneath him, and if Dick falls…

But it’s not like Jason has any other choice. If he doesn’t get Dick down now, who knows what could happen. He’ll just have to catch him. He’ll haveto.

Jason launches himself at Dick a second before his gun goes off. For a breathless moment, Dick is free falling, dropping like a stone towards the acid below him. Then Jason collides with him, hard enough to knock the breath from both of them, sending them both crashing to the wooden platform.

Beneath him, Dick makes a choked, breathless sound of pain. Jason rolls off of him as quickly as he can. Fumbles with the ropes holding him tight. Doesn’t look at his legs even as he frees Dick’s arms and torso. Carefully avoids touching where the rope is damp and already falling apart.

Dick writhes. It’s hard to tell whether he’s trying to free himself, or just too caught up in the pain and fear and confusion. His eyes are wide and white, his mouth dark where it’s stretched around the awful little sounds of pain he’s emitting. When he finally frees his arms from the ropes, he reaches automatically for his legs, blindly, and Jason catches his wrists and holds them tight.

Dick’s pulse thrums like a desperate bird beneath his fingers. Jason’s own pulse is beating almost as hard, a sick, throbbing rhythm at the hollow of his throat. When Jason finally glances down at his brother’s legs, his heart almost leaps right out of his mouth.

The fabric around Dick’s knees has melted away almost entirely, leaving ragged, bald patches in Nightwing’s uniform. The skin underneath is already blistering. The flesh is raw and wrinkled, pink and wet in some places, bone white or blackened in others, as if the skin is already dead. Jason has to swallow bile at the sight of it. Feels acid burn at the base of his throat.

Water. He needs water. Needs to get the acid off Dick’s skin. He should cut the uniform off too, get the contaminated fabric away. Or should he? Would removing the fabric, practically melted onto Dick in some places, only make the wound worse? He doesn’t know. He can’t remember. Jason knows that Batman taught him this - knows that first aid for burns was one of the first things he had learned. But the fog in his head is too thick and he can’t think.

Not that there’s much Jason can actually do. There isn’t exactly a handy water source in the middle of the huge concrete warehouse and all of Jason’s gear is piled in the other room: his comm, his jacket, his gloves. Jason is scared to touch Dick’s legs. Scared to hurt him and scared to disable himself. The last thing this situation needs is Jason with acid on his hands.

All he can seem to do is clutch at his brother’s wrists and stare, helplessly. Dick’s face is white, a wet sheen of sweat glimmering in the bare orange light. His mouth is just as wet, parted around his ragged breaths. Each exhale comes out as a whimper, little helpless noises of pain.

“Hood.”

Dick’s eyes roll sightlessly. Jason can see the whites all around them. The words are pressed out between gritted teeth.

“Hurts. Fuck. Fuck. Help. Jay, it hurts.”

It trails off into a high whine. Dick jerks, all of his muscles tightening, knocking his head back against the metal floor of the walkway. It looks a little like he’s having a seizure, his entire body tight and twitching. Jason tightens the fingers around one wrist and tries to cushion his head with his other hand.

“You’re OK, N,” he babbles, feeling useless. Panic draws his stomach tight, a hard, heavy ball in his gut. “You’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna...B will be here. He’ll come. It’s OK.”

It’s all meaningless, but Jason doesn’t know what else to do. They can’t rely on Batman, as much as Jason might want to. Batman’s only human. It’s Jason who needs to get Dick out of here. He needs to get water. Needs medical attention.

His hands flutter over Dick’s legs, his chest, too frightened to land. Dick moans, a low, rattling sound. Jason could get him under his arms, but the last thing he wants to do is drag Dick’s ruined legs across the ground.

“Who’s cheating now?”

The voice is surprisingly close. Jason hadn’t heard Two-Face get up. Had missed the soft thud of his footsteps beneath the sound of Dick’s pain. But the voice comes from right behind them - as if Two-Face is standing over them, and suddenly Jason is painfully aware of the fact that he had slung the gun onto the floor beside him in his haste to get to Dick. That he doesn’t have any of his gear and Dick is incapacitated and not all of Two-Face’s goons are out of commission.

He crouches low, trying to cover as much of his brother as he can. Beneath him, Dick writhes, staring blankly up at the ceiling high above them. Two-Face steps closer. Jason can feel the heat of him against his back. He tenses.

There’s an ear-splitting crash - splintering wood and glass - and a huge, dark shape barrels through the boarded-up window. In that moment, Jason understands exactly why so many people are terrified of the Bat - his almost mythical status. Because now, a shadow against the shattered window, cape spread wide, face grim beneath the cowl, he could be a demon. A nightmare. Despite knowing that Bruce is on his side, for a moment Jason is terrified.

He ducks and Batman flies over his head. There’s a dull thud as he collides with Two-Face, then a garbled cry as the two of them shoot over the edge of the platform. Jason doesn’t turn to watch. Beneath him, Dick’s face has gone slack, his eyes half-lidded and Jason is too preoccupied with fumbling for Dick’s pulse. It’s too fast. Too weak. But it’s there, still, threading beneath his fingers.

“What happened?”

Jason starts at the sound of Batman’s voice. It’s low and strained, even gruffer than normal. Jason recognises it as panic, although not many people would. It touches Jason’s own fear, sharp and bright in his chest.

“Acid,” Jason murmurs. “Two-Face dunked him. I got him out before...but his - his legs…”

A hand lands on Jason’s shoulder, warm and firm and reassuring, and Jason hates how grateful he is for that small touch. Hates how, despite everything, Jason was relying on Bruce showing up.

Batman crouches beside him. There’s a water pouch in one hand, drawn from the recesses of his cloak. His mouth is tight and pinched as he pours most of its contents carefully over Dick’s legs.

Jason can’t help himself. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

Batman ignores him. Reaches up to touch the comm hidden in his cowl before sliding a knife out of his utility belt and slicing it carefully across the ruined fabric covering Dick’s legs. Batman’s gloves are thick black leather. Jason wonders if it’ll be protection enough, or if Bruce just doesn’t care.

“Agent A?”

Jason can’t hear Alfred’s reply without his own comm but it must be immediate, because Bruce launches right into the situation with barely enough time to draw breath.

“Nightwing is injured. At least second degree acid burns, possibly third degree. Basic triage applied.”

The knife slices through fabric like butter. The dark exoskeleton of Dick’s suit peels away beneath his hands. The flesh underneath is raw and wet - an awful, gory mess. Jason has to stare hard at Batman’s hands to keep from gagging.

“We’re heading back to the manor, but we’ll need an ambulance to meet us there. I think this is beyond our capabilities.”

Can Alfred hear the muted terror in Bruce’s voice? The little tremble? The low rasp at the back of his throat? Probably better than Jason can, but Jason hears it well enough to have his skin prickling, to have his heart rocketing against his chest.

Most of Dick’s suit, from the top of his thighs to his ankles, is stripped now, lying in tattered, half-melted shreds around him. Some of Dick’s flesh had gone with it, adhered to the fabric in a way that has bile surging up the back of Jason’s throat. Dick is still unconscious, thank God, face loose, chest rising with too-shallow breaths.

“Help me with him,” Batman murmurs as he rinses his gloves with the last of the water. Then he unclips his cloak, tucking it carefully around the open wound that is Dick’s legs.

Jason moves dumbly as Batman orders him. Hooks his arms under his brother’s armpits. Batman cradles Dick’s legs as carefully as he can, fumbling to find a spot that isn’t as badly damaged. Still, when they lift Dick into the air it must hurt, because he jerks back into consciousness as if electrocuted, eyes white and wide and rolling in his head. Jason tightens his grip to stop Dick writhing right out of his arms and Dick lets out a punched-out little noise of pain.

“Calm down, Nightwing,” Bruce orders, voice a low growl, and Dick goes still and quiet with a strangled whimper, as if he can’t help himself obeying.

“B? Hurts. My - my legs -“

“You’re OK,” Batman reassures - or maybe that’s an order too. Maybe if Batman says it sternly enough, Dick will be forced to make it true.

“Told you B would get here,” Jason murmurs. His own pathetic reassurance.

Batman’s head jerks up. Through the flat white lenses of his cowl, it’s difficult to read his expression, but Jason thinks that’s something like grief in the tight lines around his mouth. Something like guilt in the way he ducks his head.

“I’m here,” Batman agrees, although it’s clear that Dick isn’t listening. “Hold on Nightwing, we’re getting you home.”

[dottie-wan-kenobi]

I loveeee all the songs u chose for Tim!!! Can u maybe do a post or smth explaining why cus it’s so interesting seeing the choice behind these songs

Hi yes I can!! I’m not gonna do all of them here (I can def do the rest if you’d like!!) bc that’s just a Lot all at once lol. Also I might have typos and I apologize but dkjsfhakh I have bandaids on my fingers and it’s hard to type :^/

Disclaimer: some of these songs fit a lot better than other ones

Hard Times by Paramore

I chose this song bc it’s abbout being sad, but the tone is upbeat and happy. Something I’ve noticed abt Tim is that he is (usually) functionally depressed. Like, I read an article about high functioning depression, and it said that a lot of people who have it have a hole in their life – that they can have a job (and Tim does, being either CEO or Red Robin or both), a partner (who I like to think of as Kon), and be part of a family, maintaining this happy/upeat facade, but if you ask them what they do for fun…they usually can’t answer that. And I don’t think Tim can. When he was younger, he could, but what now? 

Fave Lyric: “Walking around / With my little rain cloud / Hanging over my head/ And it ain’t coming down / Where do I go? / Gimme some sort of sign / You hit me with lightning! / Maybe I’ll come alive”

Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons

I chose this bc I can picture Tim, during a low moment like when Kon or Bruce died, just falling apart and thinking he’s not going to survive it, isn’t strong enough, had something to do with their deaths happening,,, etc. Also there’s a line that references anxiety and like lmao that’s Tim!

Fave Lyric: “Tremble for yourself, my man, / You know that you have seen this all before / Tremble, little lion man, / You’ll never settle any of your scores / Your grace is wasted in your face, / Your boldness stands alone among the wreck / Now learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck”

Heroes (we could be) by Alesso feat. Tove Lo

I chose this bc Tim needed a happy song and also because this has such Young Justice vibes !!!! This is Tim and his friends having fun, roaming around, kicking bad guy ass together!! Actually upon looking at the lyrics again, it’s both YJ and Batman & Robin. It just encompasses Tim’s early days of being a hero I think, the happy carefree nature and the bravery and the hope

Fave Lyric: “Everyday people do everyday things but I / Can’t be one of them / I know you hear me now, we are a different kind / We can do anything”

Burn The House Down by AJR

Tbh I mostly chose this bc its a bop and I think he would sing along to it. BUT I also think this kind of represents his life as a public figure/celeb??? And if I wanna go even further, I think it could represent him when he’s older and more confident, with a better self esteem and maybe a lil less depressed (which I hope is in the cards for his future). Also it talks about lying a lot???? I’m sorry, I don’t have a good analysis for this one lmao

Fave Lyric: “Way up way up we go / Been up and down that road / Way up way up, oh no / We gon’ burn the whole house down / Watch me stand in the line / You’re only serving lies / You’ve got something to hide / We gon’ burn the whole house down”

Don’t Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers feat. Daya

I chose this bc it reminded me of Tim and Dick. I’m of the opinion that Tim getting fired from Robin was the right choice and that Dick wasn’t being cruel or anything like that at all, but I also think that Tim probably saw it that way which is valid. So it’s like, to him, Dick was his big brother who was basically always there for him, and then suddenly… he’s not. And everything else going on in his life starts to suck dramatically, and not having his big brother makes it worse, and he feels betrayed. Meanwhile Dick really is on his side, life is just also terrible for him too so they can’t be as close as they were when Tim was Robin. It can also be about Bruce or Kon tbh – just, wanting one of them to be there and they’re not.

Fave Lyric: “Crashing, hit a wall / Right now I need a miracle / Hurry up now, I need a miracle / Stranded, reaching out / I call your name but you’re not around”

More under the cut!!

Don’t Play by Halsey

This…. I chose this bc I really love the celebrity versions of the Bats, and also how competent Tim can be, and this song brings both of those together. Lol this could also be like…what other people think the Bats/Tim think like?? “Don’t play with me, I’m rich and will fuck you up” kinda thing. This is one of the ones that fits less well than the others but I still get Tim vibes from it so I’m keeping it

Fave Lyric: “Tryna take back what you say to me / I don’t give a damn what you say to me / There ain’t no time for games with me”

Over My Head (Cable Car) by The Fray

I get the feeling that after bad shit happens to Tim, he feels the way this song shows. I haven’t read much YJ so I can’t be sure, but I get the feeling that Tim, no matter what the truth is, feels like he’s alone and there’s no one who will help him. Obviously that can be tied back to his childhood and how he had to take care of himself, and so when there are people who actually do wanna help him he doesn’t see it?? And he’s down on himself so he’s probably thinking “they don’t want to help me, and I can’t blame them”

Fave Lyric: “But that’s how it’s got to be / It’s coming down to nothing more than apathy / I’d rather run the other way than stay and see / The smoke and who’s still standing when it clears” 

Icarus by Bastille

Okay not so much the drinking aspect of this song but EVERYTHING ELSE. I even used one of the lyrics for a fic title. Basically my thoughts here are: 1) everyone looks to the Robins and sees how much they do and it’s just A Lot, 2) Tim knows Jason died and so he probably thinks that’s in his future too even if Dick survived, and 3) Tim is doing a lot and feeling a lot and trying to protect himself and his feelings, which is hard work especially for someone so young

Fave Lyric: “Living beyond your years / Acting out all their fears / You feel it in your chest”

Needed Me by Rihanna

Again,,,, the Competence. I love that shit. I love BAMF!Bats, and tbh I think this could apply to more than just Tim, but I picked it for him bc of the first lyric!! This is also one of those ones that doesn’t fit super well but djkhfjkdshah I think this could really fit an AU Tim where he’s like. More morally gray. Not necessarily a bad guy but just more confident, more arrogant maybe, and more jaded from the hero-ing life

Fave Lyric: “I was good on my own, that’s the way it was, that’s the way it was / You was good on the low for a faded fuck, on some faded love / Shit, what the fuck you complaining for? / Feeling jaded, huh?”

What I’ve Done by Linkin Park

Okay I think this fits a lot of different things: his actions after Kon’s death, his and Damian’s relationship, the lies he’s told (to ppl like Steph, his dad, Tam?), his relationship with Bruce maybe?? I can also see it as him thinking on who he was as a kid – a stalker basically lmao, but ultimately harmless – versus who he is now – a skilled vigilante who’s definitely not harmless. Stark difference there. Also he’s forgiving himself, which is something I think is important for somebody with a low self view

Fave Lyric: “In this farewell / There’s no blood / There’s no alibi / ‘Cause I’ve drawn regret / From the truth / Of a thousand lies”

Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato

I chose this because I think Tim is fucked up by the neglect he suffered in his childhood. I think parts of this song can be directed at his parents, the Batfam, his partner(s). He’s afraid that they’ll leave him and he needs the reassurance. Whether or not he gets it is another matter but kdsjfjkdsah. Really, I think this is all just what he’s thinking, and NOT what he’s saying. He needs the reassurance, yes, but he’s not actually asking for it because he doesn’t know how

Fave Lyric: “Bad at love, no, I’m not good at this”

bellyache by Billie Eilish

When I first added this to his playlist I somehow didn’t realize it was about a murderer but dkjfhkjshjkah whatever I’m keeping it. Let’s just go with this is a song about being fucked up (in whatever sense u wanna take that as) and it’s not happy? But like the first one, it’s upbeat and positive. I think the happy sound hiding the less pretty truth is something that explains Tim a lot. Also its a bop and he might sing along to it

Fave Lyric: “Everything I do / The way I wear my noose / Like a necklace / I wanna make ‘em scared / Like I could be anywhere / Like I’m reckless”

Migraine by Twenty One Pilots

Just Another Song About Tim’s Abysmal Mental Health

Fave Lyric: “Behind my eyelids are islands of violence / My mind ship-wrecked / This is the only land my mind could find / I did not know it was such a violent island / Full of tidal waves, suicidal crazed lions / They’re trying to eat me, blood running down their chin / And I know that I can fight or I can let the lion win / I begin to assemble what weapons I can find / 'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind”

Fake Love by Drake

I hate Drake but kjdsfkjdsfhajh this goes back to a few things. His celebrity and how he’s seen/treated differently by others because of it, his low self view and the paranoia that people aren’t really there for him no matter what the truth might be, how he sees things others wouldn’t, his relationships with people like Damian and Bruce. I think he’s more forgiving than this song would imply, so maybe this is also for that AU Tim I mentioned above???

Fave Lyric: “I’ve been down so long it look like up to me / They look up to me / I got fake people showin’ fake love to me / Straight up to my face, straight up to my face”

Six Feet Under by Billie Eilish

TIMKON TIMKON TIMKON. Post Kon’s death TimKon and Tim is grieving and trying to forget bc it’s so painful!!!!!!

Fave Lyric: “Our love is six feet under / I can’t help but wonder / If our grave was watered by the rain / Would roses bloom? / Could roses bloom / Again?”

Flaws by Bastille

Idek, I feel like this could be how he could view his relationship with Steph, Cass, Damian, Bart, Dick??? Anyone? Just feeling like he hides his flaws and how he feels, and they don’t really (or at least, he thinks they don’t), and he likes that.

Fave Lyric: “There’s a hole in my soul / I can’t fill it, I can’t fill it / There’s a hole in my soul / Can you fill it? Can you fill it?”

do re mi by blackbear

I’m mostly joking when I say this but this is how he feels about Ra’s al Ghul. It doesn’t fit exactly, bc Tim and Ra’s were NOT together ever at any point, but this song is about being annoyed by someone you have a history with and wishing you’d never known them. Which is how I feel Tim should feel about Ra’s. lol

Fave Lyric: “If I could go back to that day we met / I probably would’ve stayed in bed / You wake up everyday and make me feel like I’m incompetent”

Bored by Billie Eilish

I really think this is Tim talking to his parents. Like, when he’s a kid, or when he’s older and looking back, he’s thinking “I did everything I could, it wasn’t enough, and I know it’s not fair but I can’t do anything about it.” I think this song is supposed to be romantic but I’ve never heard it that way skdjfkjsdhakjh I just always think about Tim, home alone and thinking about his parents.

Fave Lyric: “I’m not afraid anymore / What makes you sure you’re all I need? / Forget about it / When you walk out the door and leave me torn / You’re teaching me to live without it / Bored, I’m so bored, I’m so bored, so bored”

Rose-Colored Boy by Paramore

This one is like… everyone else seems to have an easier time being optimistic and positive than Tim does, in his mind. Idk I don’t have much to say kdsjfhsdjkah

Fave Lyric: “Hearts are breaking, wars are raging on / And I have taken my glasses off / You got me nervous / I’m right at the end of my rope / A half-empty girl / Don’t make me laugh, I’ll choke”

King of the Clouds by Panic! At The Disco

This is mostly because it’s a bop and Tim would like it. But also…this is a song about dimensional travel (apparently) and having ambitions that seem lofty, both of which I think Tim can definitely understand!! 

Fave Lyric: “And when I fall to rise with stardust in my eyes / In the backbone of night, I’m combustible / Dust in the fire when I can’t sleep a wink, I’m too tired / This old world, this old world”

[yukiwrites]

Two Dragons and A Human

Thank you so much for commissioning me again, @breeachuu​! The time has come for Nidra, at last! I hope you like it ;D

Summary: The arrival of a foreign dragon in Ylissean lands alarmed Nidra into flying to the castle, but the news that awaited there weren’t simple pleasantries with Chrom’s longtime friend, but her meeting with someone very special to her...

Commission info HERE and HERE!

The night the Forgotten Dragon had been defeated still hadn't ended yet when Kamui felt some sort of distortion approach her and Xander's tent -- as though she could feel the very air of that strange land called Valla now that its self-proclaimed ruler had been extinguished.

"How odd," the soon-to-be Queen tilted her head to the side in confusion, barely out of her armor and into her sleeping gown. She looked down at her own hands, a strange power tingling at the tips of her fingers.

"Little Princess?" Xander inquired, wearing the armor’s under clothes as he peeked at his beloved from behind the folding screen.

Frowning, Kamui lifted her hands towards a nearby magical fire, seeing the air itself distort around them. "Look, Xander; it's like a strange power is being absorbed by me... Can you see it? When I move my hands, there's this after-image..."

The soon-to-be King followed his betrothed’s expression, walking towards her in worry. "Can this still be Anankos' doing?" He gently took her hand in his, slipping another one behind her waist.

"Hmm... I don't think so. This power is mine," she skimmed her fingertips at her beloved's large hand, her own almost stinging with an urge to just... open something. She flicked the air with her free hand, surprising them both with what followed: the very atmosphere in front of them warped inwards, then softly imploded outwards, a soundless thud followed by a constant whirring sound produced a silver and blue portal right in front of them.

"Oh!" Kamui said simply as Xander quickly grabbed her hand and shoved her behind his back, readying his sword at the harmless doorway.

"What manner of sorcery...?! Was this your doing, Little Princess? Can you now open portals at will?" He narrowed his eyes at the opening, unwilling to touch it with the tip of his Siegfried lest it sucked them both in.

The princess looked at her own hands in surprise and delight, then back at the strange-yet-familiar portal. "I might? But more importantly, I think I know where this leads to! Can we check it out now? Oh, I so do wish to talk to Chrom and the others again!"

"Do not be reckless, Little Princess-" Xander started his lecture, which Kamui was sure would last the whole night if she let it, so she simply ducked under his arms and put two hands inside the portal. "Kamui!" He hissed, grabbing her shoulder. "Do not be brash- wait, don't enter- Kamui!" He stuttered, almost flustered as his beloved grinned whimsically while she entered the jelly-like texture, pulling him with her.

"C'mon, I'm sure this doesn't lead to a bad place! Let's go, already!" She giggled, hugging his entire arm as they both slipped inside the substance, being dragged to somewhere else entirely.

Taking a late-afternoon nap, Nidra's body shivered with a familiar sensation; signaling for her to wake up, now!

"What is this that I feel?" The manakete shot her draconic neck upward, almost hitting a low branch of the tree she had at her house's backyard, at the outskirts of Ylisse. Her voice was groggy still with sleep, her eyes only open due to the shock. "It is as though another dragon has entered the realm, though they're not quite a manakete either... What could this mean?"

"Ohh, you had a nightmare or something, Ni-Ni? You woke up so suddenly I fell over from the window I was watching you sleep from, nyaha!" Henry patted the dirt away from his clothes, all the way back at their house -- watching his wife sleep had always been his favorite past-time, and even more so if she woke up suddenly because she sometimes would hit something so hard the ground would shake. Well, this time he was the one hitting something (the ground itself), so there's that.

"There's this strange... itch I feel." Nidra ignored Henry's remark of watching her sleep (after telling him a thousand times to wake her up instead of simply watching, she gave up trying), walking in her dragon form towards their house as her husband went to her at the same time.

The dark mage laughed loudly. "I can't scratch your scales, though!" He made claw gestures with his fingers. "Unless you transform back, then I know I can reach a LOT of places, nyahaha!" He winked, receiving a bashful whip of her tail in response. "Ouch, hey!"

Nidra cleared her throat, the sound it made somehow resembling a loud purr of an old and very large tiger. "It's coming from the castle," she frowned, as much as dragons could frown, sitting up on her hind legs so as to stretch her neck and look at the far-away Castle Ylisse up at the opposite hill they lived in. "Though this presence does not seem evil, I worry." She glanced at the tower she had spend the better part of the previous two years taking care of the young princess Lucina, thinking of the little one and her mother, Robin.

Nidra's thoughts of the past, of holding a little baby and longing for one of her own were interrupted by Henry climbing -- or trying to, really -- her back.

"What're we waitin' for? Let's fly!" He pointed to the sky, balancing himself over one of Nidra's wings as he tried to reach her neck so he could sit.

"Oh, Henry..." She snorted, almost blushing in her dragon form. She put herself on all fours so her husband could adjust himself on her back and opened her wings. "Hold on tight!"

"No need to tell me twice!" He wrapped both legs around her large neck, grabbing the glossy accent scales with everything he had right before she took off.

They soared.

It had been only four months since Robin had returned -- things felt as though they were 'back to normal', but there was still much getting used to be done: Young Luci, of course, took to her Mother wonderfully, as though she had never left; both Future Lucina and Morgan enjoyed their days with the Mother they never had back at their time, making sure to do as many of their chores as they could at her presence. And Chrom...

Well, Chrom would be lying if he said he was over the separation anxiety -- being away from her for half a day already made him feel like he would never see her again, which would make him run around the castle in search of her just to put his mind at ease -- but it always helped to introduce Robin as his wife to everyone he met.

Especially to old friends like Kamui.

"You disappeared as quick as you showed up that day; we barely had time to thank you!" He grinned as he guided the princess and her sullen husband to a changing room -- her companion (called Xander, if Chrom remembered correctly) found that it was inappropriate for her to be in such a public place (at the company of another man, no less) in her nightgown, as modest as it was in its ankle-high length.

"I KNEW the portal led to here! See, Xander? It turned out to be fine, after all!"

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, squeezing the hold he had on his beloved's hands just a tad more to show off his displeasure. "It was still a reckless move, however."

"Honestly!" Robin bobbed her head to the sides in accordance, her arms crossed. "Pardon my rudeness, your highness, but your companion is right -- what if the portal led to the middle of the wilderness instead of our backyard? There hadn't been any Risen sightinings in years, but one can never be sure once the darkness covers the land!"

Chrom scratched his cheek, silently agreeing with Kamui with her impulsive decision, but choosing not to voice such thoughts lest Robin's scoldings fell on HIM (though he wouldn't mind that either... he rather missed her scoldings, as well). "Hey, at least they're safe now, yes? We're going to give them something to wear and they can get to know the castle- oh, I have to show off our children to you, Kamui!" He turned to his friend, walking backwards. "You'll see how much they resemble Robin."

"Heehee," Kamui giggled bashfully, softly caressing her thumb on Xander's hand. "You already have children! I can't wait to have mine, as well..."

Xander cleared his throat so silently quite no one heard, though if they looked up at him, they would see the faint shade of pink covering the tips of his ears.

"Well, the circumstances are a bit special, but they are our children, alright." He smiled softly, a father's love oozing out of his proud mien.

"So much must've happened! I can't wait to hear it all!"

"It's no small tale," Robin tapped her husband's shoulder so he could walk straight, sneakily taking his hand on her as well, "but one both of us are proud to be part of -- and to share with you two, of course."

Panting, Nidra arrived at the western gazebo of Castle Ylisse only to find Chrom and Robin chatting happily with two strangers, the very air around them somehow distorting. She could feel the draconic presence oozing out of the silver-haired woman.

"The dragon...?" She landed mid-transformation, holding Henry bridal style before putting him on the ground.

Kamui gasped so loudly it was a wonder she didn't lose her voice there and then as Xander simply widened his eyes. "YOU'RE A DRAGON, TOO?!" She shot herself up of her seat, banging both hands on the table.

Nidra blinked with the other woman's eagerness, watching as she looked from Chrom to her companion, then back at Nidra. Xander instinctively got up so as not to leave Kamui standing on her own, placing a placating hand behind her back.

"Your manners are lacking, Kamui. Honestly; you're a future Queen." His words harsh but his tone soft, Xander smiled at his wife-to-be. Robin nodded, understanding Xander's feelings all too well; though her own husband was already Exalt. Still, she looked at him with fondness.

"O-oh, forgive me for my rudeness, um..." Kamui awkwardly curtsied, her clothes and her companion's of ylissean made, as Nidra noticed.

"Nidra, my lady." The manakete replied, curtsying back as she walked towards the gazebo.

"Oh, I'm all too pleased to meet you, Nidra! I'm Kamui!" She circled the table, walking with both hands extended so as to take Nidra's in hers. "I never thought I would find another dragon-shifter so far away from hom- eek!" The moment their hands touched, they felt as though something inside of them somehow regurgitated the contact, making both of them pull away instantly.

Nidra gasped, suddenly feeling very ill. She immediately reached for her stomach, protecting it lest she fell with her front. Her vision darkening, she barely noticed her husband holding onto her waist once she didn't feel the impact of the fall.

"Gotcha! Geez, what's gotten into you? Dragon illness or something? Let's lie you down here," Henry's voice sounded high-pitched as usual, though with a hint of somberness as he carefully sat Nidra on the grass, her eyes unfocused.

Kamui, on her part, also felt dizzy, though it was Xander who ran to her side and supported her before she fell.

Both women -- both dragon shapeshifters looked into nowhere in particular, their eyes unfocused as their minds rushed. Both of them reached for their stomachs, as though something inside of them had rejected contact with one another to protect themselves.

"Siegbert." Kamui's mouth ran before her head could process what was happening. She raised her head to look up to her beloved, her crimson eyes wide as they could be. "X-Xander, I'm-"

"Meliodas." Nidra gripped at Henry's sleeve with her free hand, the other one securely protecting her stomach. She felt a warm tear itching down her cheek. "H-Henry, I can feel him- the contact with a foreign dragon made me feel the very familiar one I'm-" she choked a sob, "I'm nurturing inside m-m-me..."

Henry froze, his eyes wide open (for the unaware onlooker, it only looked like they were half-open, but that was simply how thin they were), his mouth midway to words. "Meli-" he stuttered.

You know, Henry had always been used to not having a family -- the closest thing to one he had ever had were the animals that raised him in the woods. The day he realized his love for Nidra, he started nourishing a new thought inside of his heart: that he would build a proper family with her -- that he would give everything the kind animals gave him, but this time for someone of his own flesh and blood. Unlike the ones who birthed him did.

He had never been very good at this 'feelings' business; he had told his wife as much. But this, this extreme warmth that he felt in his chest, that increasing urge to scream, to throw Nidra in the air, to spin her until both of them couldn't stand anymore; to fill her with kisses and hugs and to talk to her stomach like a lunatic... This feeling, he recognized.

It was love. Such a deep, deep love!

His smile grew slowly, his entire face reddening with excitement. "MELI!" He laughed loudly, picking Nidra up from under her armpits and twirling her around. "Hah! He's on his way!"

"Oh, Henry!" Nidra giggled happily, digging her face in her husband's shoulder as he twirled them around. She cried large tears, her body trembling with joy, with happiness; with fulfilment. "A family; oh, how I've longed for this!"

Watching both couples enjoy their most private moments of happiness, Chrom and Robin sneaked a hug themselves, the Queen closing her eyes to enjoy her Exalt's heartbeat as he caressed and kissed her hair.

"I'm so happy for Nidra -- for the both of them, really. I myself can't wait to... well, to be there for young Morgan. This time I won't allow my child to grow up without a Mother."

Chrom enjoyed his wife's smell, leaning his back at a column so as to accommodate her better in his arms. "You were there for Luci; from the moment she was born until this day -- she just couldn't see you. Your actions made it possible to have her grow up safe and sound."

Robin circled her hands from Chrom's chest to his lower back, her eyes burning. "M-mhm. Thank you for believing in me all this time, Chrom. Believing that I would come back. I'm sure that's the only reason I was allowed to."

"And I never will stop believing. Or loving you, for that matter," he said with a shy smile, leaning his chin at the top of her head. She snuggled closer to him, comfortable in his chest. "I think this long-awaited meeting with Kamui and her husband will have to wait for a while longer... I'm sure they need to say the good news to their family."

Robin nodded, "indeed; but let us let them enjoy their moment for a while longer. We, too, need to enjoy ours."

"Well said, my Queen."

If left alone, Nidra would have cried for three hours straight, then a few more every time she remembered it. But Robin was eager to also share a hug with her friend to congratulate her on achieving what she wanted to the most, for as long as she could remember.

That made Nidra cry a little bit more, but that wouldn't stop her from squeezing Robin to the bone-shattering point.

Still, the manakete managed to at least bid farewell to her fast friend, Kamui, before she happily jumped inside the portal to her own world, eager to share the news of her pregnancy with her family. Strange as their meeting was, and short-lived as well, Nidra felt that that wouldn't be the last time they would see each other. No, she could tell that this foreign shape-shifter would come back, bearing equally or even better news.

She absent-mindedly caressed her stomach, wondering how it would feel to have it fully grown; to live day by day and watch it nurture her little boy. Robin's warm hand touched Nidra's, an understanding look in her eyes.

Nidra smiled widely, her eyes thinning out under her cheeks. "It's my boy, Robin. My baby. My own."

"Mhm."

"Oh, I can't wait to meet him..." Her voice shook, ready for another crying session.

Robin snorted, pinching her friend's cheeks. "I know. You're sure you don't want to move back to the castle? I'd love to be there with you throughout your term..."

Cupping her friend's hands on both of hers, Nidra nodded, looking at a nearby window, to the faraway mountains. "I am, my friend. My dragon blood compels me to the outside; to the greatness of the wide sky -- and I want to show my baby just that, even if he's still inside my belly."

"Of course." Robin nodded, squeezing Nidra's hands. "I understand. I won't be a stranger -- I'll visit when you least expect it!"

"What honor! To have the Queen herself visit me at my meager home!" Nidra giggled, stealing a chuckle out of her friend.

"I see that Henry's rubbing off on you!"

"Oh, Divine Naga, he is. And I am all thankful for that; to think that only five years ago -- such a short time! Barely a day in my long lifespan -- I would not be able to tell such joke. Imagine!"

"You're happy, Nidra. Everyone can see that, too; and that makes me happy in turn. You'll make the most wonderful mother in the world, I know it."

Nidra hummed happily, bobbing her head to the sides. "You are a close second, hmm?"

Both women dissolved in giggles, spending the night away in girly and motherly talk.

The following day, both manakete and her husband went back to their home after divulging the news of their family's growth to their children from the future.

Meliodas reacted very much like Henry, though he hugged Nidra by the legs and lifted her up, laughing right up on her stomach. Cynthia hopped around excitedly, making plans of teaching young Meli on how to mount so she could have him as her partner before her younger self was born.

"Nyaha, but we won't take that long for lil' Cyn to roll aroun- ouch! Nyaha!" Henry was midway to a naughty remark when Nidra elbowed him in the ribs, though still smiling widely.

"Of course you can teach him, Cyn. You'll be able to teach him anything you want! We'll have all the time of the world."

"Wooohooo, I won't be the only little sister anymore!" She yelled atop of her lungs. "I can't wait to see baby Meli!"

"I cannot wait either, Cyn. I simply cannot wait." Nidra smiled softly.

Over the course of the next month, Nidra made sure to stay in her human form for as much as possible -- since she never met a manakete pregnant with a half-human child, she didn't know what transforming could do to the fetus. It would be probably fine as she still transformed once in a long while, but still. She worried.

As Robin said before, she did come to visit, as early as the next moon itself! She came during the late morning, wearing her hood up so as not to be recognized by the populace once she crossed the city. Nidra welcomed her friend with open arms and a few yawns due to her most recent nap.

"You look radiant, Robin! What's happened?"

"Oh, Nidra, I must confess something..." The Queen looked down in distress before even entering her friend's humble home.

A sudden chill ran down Nidra's spine. "Robin?"

"The truth is, I may have been overworking myself as always-"

"Robin!" Nidra hissed, pulling her friend inside so as to shove her on the couch. "We talked about this-"

"Wait, wait, hear me out!" Robin couldn't hide her smile; pretending the news to be dire ones wasn't working very well. The manakete crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow.

"Proceed."

"So, I collapsed. Yes, I know it's not good for my health and, trust me, I WILL watch out from now on more than ever... You see, when the doctor came to check up on me, we found out... Well," her smile grew more and more, then she looked at Nidra's stomach, then to the general direction Meliodas' room was at, "let's just say that young Meli will have a friend around his age to play with."

Nidra almost squealed. "Morgan!!"

"Yes!" Robin covered her face in delight, red as she could be. "I can't believe we're pregnant at the same time!"

"Oh, Blessed Naga!" Nidra hugged her friend, but now mindful of her condition. "Blessed be this day and the others that'll follow! I cannot believe these words!"

"Yet, they are true!" The Queen took the manakete's hand, placing it over her stomach. "I was told that I'm almost at my fourth month! I can't believe how I didn't notice it before!"

Nidra pinched her friend's hand, narrowing her eyes after she yelped an 'ouch'. "You must take better care of yourself, you hear? If not for you, for the baby -- the one you have inside you and his sister back home."

Robin's shoulders sagged, a resigned smile growing by her lips. "Indeed." She caressed her stomach. "This time, I'll do it right. He'll grow up with his Mother and Father by him; as will Luci. And, of course, Morgan and Lucina, as well. They are my true children."

"As are Cynthia and Meliodas for me. Let us all share these moments together, my friend. I cannot wait to compare belly sizes with you!"

[justanoutlawfic]

Taking Back My Life: Chapt. 3

Story Summary: Hook stayed in the Underworld and Emma refused to find a way to move on. When Regina saves her from the Wish Realm and she runs into that Hook, she brings him home. With the help of her family, she slowly realizes that this isn't the man she fell for...and maybe that's a good thing. Slowly, Emma learns how to let go of her toxic relationship and focus on herself.

Chapter Summary: We learn David and Snow’s true feelings about their daughter’s late boyfriend and her actions over the past few weeks. Meanwhile, Rook is conflicted between his true self and not breaking Emma’s heart. Regina also forms an unexpected ally.

Also on AO3

Emma was looking at this new version of Hook as if he hung the moon.

 It scared the shit out of Snow.

 She could remember the first time she had met Killian. He was pretending to be the sole survivor of a massacre-one that he had helped orchestrate. It wasn’t long before Emma saw through his bullshit. He left them for dead and nearly caused them to not be reunited with their family. He had put them through so much pain, just barely helping at times. Sure, he had assisted with them getting Henry back from Neverland and Baelfire had sent him to get Emma from New York, but that didn’t make up for all the pain he had caused.

 A month ago, she had faced the reality that she was going to die. She was going to miss out on her son growing up, just as she had her daughter. Killian had marked them all for death, all because he was angry at Emma. He was going to kill her, her husband, even her grandson. Emma would be left alone to raise Neal, the darkness still plaguing her heart. He sacrificed his life for what he did and that seemed to be a proper ending for him. Snow’s heart broke for her daughter’s sadness, but she wasn’t that sad to see Hook go.

 Yet, Emma wanted to fight for him and Snow had gone along with it. She had thought about David, all she would do to save his life, all she had done. She had risked her life-Neal’s life-to bring him back to life in the Enchanted Forest. It had been reckless and she didn’t regret it for a second, but she realized the impact it had on her daughter. Snow hadn’t been able to let go, so how could she expect Emma to?

 When their mission failed though, she assumed that Emma would find a way to move on. They’d convince her to see Archie, they’d do anything. There was so much hope in her heart when she moved out of that house and back into the loft.

 Now, here stood someone that would get in between her daughter’s healing process, even if he didn’t realize it.

 David slid his hand through her own. Regina and Robin had gone home to their kids, leaving the two of them plus Neal, Emma and Wish Hook outside Granny’s. They shared a heart, but even long before they had, he could always tell what was on her mind. He had the same fears, the same guilt.

 Killian had never been his favorite person and he never thought he was good enough for Emma. Things were complicated, though. It wasn’t like she was a teenager, a child he had raised. She was a 30 year old woman by the time she started dating Killian, old enough to make her own choices. He played the role of the overprotective father and many thought it was that he didn’t like her with any man, but that wasn’t true. Sure, it was hard to blink and see his daughter have another man in her life, but he had accepted that.

 He had liked Baelfire, he had hoped maybe they could work it out not just for Henry’s sake-but their own. Emma had told him about Walsh and the kind of man he had been before he turned into a flying monkey and if that had been real, he would’ve approved of that too. No, this wasn’t because Emma was his daughter and he didn’t want her dating…he didn’t want her with Hook.

 Much like Snow, though, he sucked it up and respected her choices. He had followed Emma to the Underworld not to save him, but to help her. He had a feeling it wouldn’t end well, but knew she would need her father if something went wrong. It was partially why he changed the grave so Snow could head home early. He knew that Snow could comfort her just as well as he could, but she had always been there to do that. It was his turn.

 Emma had betrayed them in the name of Hook. It hurt and they’d never tell her that. She lied to them, told them that they failed when they couldn’t remember. The truth was, they had let her down a lot since she came back from New York. First, Snow’s reaction to her magic and then how they lied to her about Maleficent. They had failed her and were trying to be better parents. They spent so much time feeling anxiety over what they had done.

 But it was all a lie, a way for Emma to hide what she had done to Hook and what he had done to Merlin.

 They never thought they would say it…but they were disappointed in her. They had forgiven her since then and weren’t angry, but that betrayal had run deep. They never thought that Emma could hurt them so badly. She knew she had learned her lesson, she had admitted everything she had done was a mistake. They thought they could all move on and heal.

 Now, here stood a version of Hook that was alive, well and possibly different.

 What were they going to do now? How was she supposed to move on when a man who looked just like the person she gave up everything for?

 “I don’t think that the loft has enough room for you,” Emma said, interrupting their thoughts.

“We still have the Jolly Roger,” David pointed out. “Perhaps, you’d feel comfortable on there, Hook.”

“The bunks are so small.” Emma made a face. “I know, I never actually sold my old house. I still have it, you can stay there. I still have the other Killian’s old clothes there.”

 Hook looked unsure. His face had lit up at the thought of being reunited with his Jolly, but clearly he didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Emma had brought him back here and was vowing to help him, how could he turn her down?

“That sounds good,” he said, finally, though his face said something else entirely.

“I’ll go with you, help you get settled in.”

“Emma…” Snow gave her a gentle look and bit her lip when Emma looked confused. “Are you going to be coming home tonight?”

“I’ll probably stay with Killian tonight, he’s new here, the toaster would probably scare him.”

 Snow and David wanted to tell her no, demand she go back to the loft, prevent any more pain. Then they remembered what Regina said, she had to figure this out on her own.

 “Okay,” David said, finally. “Well, if you need us, you know where we’ll be.”

Emma nodded and kissed his cheek, doing the same for her mom and brother. “See you guys later.”

 They watched her walk off to her bug and felt a sinking feeling in their stomachs. It didn’t feel right to let her make this mistake, but what else were they supposed to do?

Killian sat in the weird metal carriage as Emma drove him through the dark streets of Storybrooke. He had been to many lands throughout the centuries he had lived, but none had been as strange as this.

 They passed the beach and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the docks and his ship…or in this case, the one that belonged to the other version of him. He would try to find his way there that night, once Emma had gone to sleep. She was being so nice to him, but he had to see it. He had given his own to Smee after Alice was born and after they were separated, Smee was gone…and so was his ship.

 Soon, they reached a big blue house. It wasn’t as large as the palaces he had seen, but it definitely had something on the small inns he had crashed in over the years. Emma lead him inside and up a flight of stairs. Flipping on the lights, she showed him a rather large bedroom. It had a four poster bed and bunch of boxes spread out.

 “We never got the chance to unpack,” she explained. She walked over and rooted through them, pulling out a pair of pajama pants and a worn t-shirt. “Here, this should fit.”

Killian nodded. “I appreciate all your help, Emma.”

“It’s no problem.”

She was looking at him in a way no one had in quite some time. It was different than the adoration that Alice once had for him, something akin to how Milah once had. She was in love with him…or at least who she thought he was. Yet, he wasn’t him. That version of him never gave up his mission for revenge and had nearly killed her entire family.

 After Alice, he vowed to only treat a woman how he’d want her to be treated. How could he let her down gently? The woman in front of him had lost so much, she was fragile.

 “I um, better change.”

Emma snapped out of it and nodded. “Right, of course. I’ll be in the room next door if you need anything.”

 He watched her leave and changed. He waited an hour until he heard the soft snoring come through the walls and snuck out of the house, down to the Jolly. It looked the same and he was hit by all the memories, good and bad. Making his way down to the lower deck, he found a journal sitting next to an unlit candle. Fumbling around with his good hand, he found a match and lit it.

 It wasn’t spying if it was himself, right?

Regina pulled her Cadillac in front of Zelena’s farmhouse. She had visitation rights to Bryony, her and Robin’s daughter, but this wasn’t one of those times. In fact, Regina wasn’t there to see her sister. No, she was there to see her new roommate.

 According to Archie, when the Queen had kidnapped him, this was where she had taken him. She’d have to talk with her sister about aiding such crimes, but that was the least of her problems in that moment.

 “Come out, I know you’re watching me,” she said once she had gotten out of her car.

The Queen emerged from behind a tree, smirking. “I had a feeling you’d be stopping by.”

“I know that Wish Realm was created by you and Emma’s wish.”

“Not necessarily,” she said. “That realm has always existed. There’s an alternate reality for every version of events. I did slightly alter it by sending Emma there.”

“Including having a younger version of Hook?”

The Queen looked bewildered. “No, that’s one thing I made sure of. Emma wished for a world where she could be the person that Hook wanted…but I didn’t want them together. I made sure he was an old man.”

“Well, something happened because he’s back here and younger than ever.”

“That can’t be right.”

 Regina saw something in her other half that she hadn’t since they split: caring for someone. That’s when she realized that this part of herself still harbored hate for Snow, but cared deeply for her daughter. After all, this was still their best friend.

 “Well, it is. How is Emma supposed to move on with this other version of Captain Guyliner running around?” Regina asked.

“I don’t know,” the Queen admitted.

“I know you want to get your revenge on Snow, but can’t you see what’s important here? Vengeance only turns you into what the other Hook became. Please.” Regina stepped closer. “You know deep down that we’ve changed. We can help this Hook…and Emma.”

 Conflict flickered over the Queen’s eyes, but eventually, she let out a sigh.

 “I’ve waited decades to kill Snow White, I suppose it can wait a little longer.”

 It was a start and that was all Regina could ask for.

[sadlyescapismatitsfinest]

Gala (Jason Todd x Reader)

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader, little bit of Dick x Kori because I ship them really hard

Warning: Fluff, implied sex, swearing, inner monologues, sneak peak of a jealous Jason 

Summary: You have to meet the batfam at a gala and you (more than) slightly freak out. 

A/N: I know the dress is on a skinny person who is Caucasian but I think the dress is very pretty so I used it. I don’t mean for it to be bias toward the body type or race. I’m actually full Asian with short black hair and a bit chubby, so I honestly try to keep it as ambiguous as possible. Also, none of these pictures or gifs belong to me. 

God, you were stressed. Your secret friend for years slash stupid boyfriend for 7 months wanted you to come to a gala. A fucking gala for rich people and nice clothes and all the stuff that you weren’t down for. He wanted to introduce you to his incredibly wealthy family who probably have high standards and exquisite taste, so being thoroughly freaked out was what you’re rolling with. You felt stupid and insecure about how you looked and dressed. 

A snotty lady with a thick diamond necklace strode past you with her nose turned up while basically throwing her her invite to the doorman wasn’t helping. If you weren’t such a nice person you’d so beat her with a stick and run away with her pompous jewelry…

Anyways! 

You thanked the man as you handed him your slip from the small clutch in your hand. After entering that door you gave a nice lady your coat revealing your silk dress. You started to rub your arm in anxiety and take a large breath before entering the main event. Did you look okay? Could people tell how you didn’t fit in? Interrupting your thoughts a lovely waiter offered you a glass of champagne that you gladly took. Bless alcohol. 

Then you heard clearing of a throat– once… twice… you turned to the noise. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t have a lozenge but you should try some water.” The tall male laughed trying to be charming to your degrading smile.

“You’re witty, I like that.” The clearly ‘hot’ spoiled rich kid looked down on your frame.

 “Thank you.” You spoke blandly and continued to look for your very handsome, hot-headed boyfriend who would probably kill this spoon-fed imbecile. 

“What are looking for, babe? The answers to your prayers are right here.” 

Oh my god, someone stab me. 

Jason wasn’t nervous. You are the probably best person he had ever met. But he was worried about you and how tense you were (even though you tried to hid it). He wanted to pick you up and take you here himself but the secret life of a vigilante called. Thankfully, you knew about him being Red Hood when he showed up 5 years later after disappearing to have him collapse on you. You wanted to be mad from the years of distress he put you under but decided that he’d been through enough. So, you took him in cleaning his wounds and the two of you clicked back into place like magnets, kissing and crying finally making up for lost time. 

Now searching for your wonderful frame, he almost chocked on his champagne when he saw a silky dress clung beautifully to your skin. He was stumped staring as you peaked through the crowd nervously drinking from your lipgloss stained glass. You turned slowly revealing your gorgeous back, it took all his self control for the tall man not to do many vulgar things not meant for the public eye.

As Jason was admiring you, Bradley– a grade A douche walked up to you and from where he was standing, he could see the brunette’s terrible advances. Of course this made the scrappy batson very angry. No one hit on his girl, especially not a sleaze ball like the child currently hitting on you. 

“I’m sorry but a women’s life in not fulfilled by a man or in your case a boy. So, if you’ll excuse me, my respectful boyfriend who would surely kill you if I didn’t just do so, is here. Have a good evening, Bradley.” You handed the flabbergasted player your empty glass as you linked arms with your brooding lover whose anger was slowly defused. 

YAS BITCH, YAS I AM QUEEN SUCK MY DI-

You couldn’t walk too far from the gapping buffoon when a smirking raven haired man stopped in front of the two of you. 

“When you said she was a hell of a woman I didn’t think she could beat all our asses, too.“ A couple other good looking dark hair men and one strikingly tall woman followed behind. 

Shit. Say something witty.

“Oh sugar, all woman can kick a guy’s ass and from what I heard, you should already know by now.” You wink at the man holding on to his red haired girlfriend. The whole family laughed as the acrobat flushed from your words. 

Nailed it!

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Bruce.” The tallest and eldest stuck out his hand. 

Well duh. Everyone know the rich and famous Bruce Wayne. 

“Thank you for allowing me to come. I’m Y/n, I’ve been stressed about meeting all of you.” You gave a wonderfully nervous smile. 

“I’m Tim and the person you just embarrassed is Dick.” You shook both their hands. 

“I’m Kori, Dick’s girlfriend. I love your dress by the way.” The gorgeous woman looked down on you with her genuine smile making you a bit insecure. 

Who the fuck sculpted you? Frikin’ Da Vinci? Did someone finally create one of those bring your dream girl to life machines?

“Oh gosh thank you, and you’re absolutely beautiful, wow. Thanks for the heads up Jay, I should’ve tried harder.” You laughed making the others slightly chuckle, except the man by your side who frowned at your masked insecurity. 

Kill me. I got the pity laugh. Can someone stab me with a fork? Please, have mercy on meeeee. 

“And you must be Damian, you know I’ve heard a lot about you.” You turned towards the rather tall child. 

God. Why is everyone so tall? And pretty! 

“Nothing good I bet.” The little Wayne sulked. 

“Despite what you may think, behind Jason’s asshole-ness he cares about you a lot.” The made both of the boys’ eyes widen. You winked again as you settled back next to your boyfriend. 

“Sorry to cut this short but I have to speak with some people before the toast. It was nice meeting you.” He gave you a dazzling smile and his son an approving nod. 

“We’ll stop harassing you as well. Good bye, Y/n.” Tim dragged the little robin with him. “But-!” 

“It was very nice meeting you. Don’t let this guy break your heart, you’re too nice for that. Hope to see you again very soon.” The first Wayne child spoke fondly leading his equally good looking counter part away. You let out a heavy sigh and dropped your head on Jason’s black suit. 

“Ughhhhh.” A deep chuckle vibrated his chest. 

“That didn’t go half bad.” Your head snapped up. 

“Half bad? I was so nervous. What was I even saying? Everyone was so good looking and nice and- and his girlfriend! I mean, come on! How is she even possible? She’s literally flawless!” You freaked out some more as your boyfriend laughed some more. 

“You’re beautiful… and you in this dress is really something.” His voice got low and close to your ear as he gripped your smooth, exposed back and sneaking his hands past the silk folds of the dress. His thumb caressed your waist softly in a soothing motion.

“If you think this dress is nice, you should see what’s under it.” Your mood changed instantly as he pressed you closer to his muscular body. 

“Is that an invitation?” He hummed suggestively in your ear. 

“Maybe, you’ll just have to find out… after the gala.” The pause allowed you to slip away teasingly as you glided further from your very sexually frustrated boyfriend. 

[eriseclipsenuiwitch]

The Outcasts- chapter 10

Since Adamai brought Lady Echo new allies/soldiers/prisoners/pets (delete what You want), it has been a week (and three days). Kira was quite fast in teaming up with Kalmia, Robin and Lucky. They frowned at the fact that their new acquaintance did not want to give up her religion, but Kira claimed that death was the only sure thing in life. Yaga, besides conducting the sparring with the demigods (apart from Echo, Adamai, the Iop and a small blue-eyed girl), was involved in the production of some sort of specifics that, as she claimed, kept her alive ("You have two options, my dear. You will agree and I will be a good, nasty reptile, or you will not agree, I'll end up drugs and I will die, and it's hard to find another shit of my species"). There was also suspicion that she was doing some mysterious rituals there (but for who?), but no one caught her during the act yet. And Qilby...

"AAAACHOOO!!!!" The Eliatrope sneezed with such force that the hood of the protective mantle slipped off his head, scarcely taking his hat down also, and the laboratory glass clattered on the shelves and tables.

"For God's sake, go to a medic or something!" roared Yaga with all her kindness while sitting in her new lab, right next to (of course) the Count's laboratory (now Qilby's).

"I can't!!!" Qilby screamed equaly kindly as he put his hood back "I've got a job to do!"

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important, Yaga sighed mentaly, and she said aloud:

"They don't acknowledge a sick notes here?!!!"

"Go back to your task, woman!"

"Go to a medic!"

And the show was going on, over and over again.

---------------------------------

After the next three hours, Qilby was completely frozen and couldn't even tease with Yaga. Fortunately, it alarmed her, because it could have been much worse. With the force she entered to the lab (the Masqueraider guarding the scientist happened to disappear somewhere) and carried Qilby on her back to Robin's cave, where at least was warm.

Robin, Kalmia, Lucky, the "Nameless" Maskarad and (recently) Kira were one of the many Brotherhood's operating teams and, as one of the most effective ones, were given a small set of egg-shaped caves under the Cursed Citadel, which served as their sleeping quarters with large central grotto as a living room.

Yaga lifted Qilby on her shoulders to release one hand and knocked to the round wooden door.

"What?!" snarled Kalmia from other side.

"A bowl of broth, for a poor, unfortunate soul!" Yaga replied.

"Bleah" announced Qilby, who scorned a broth as an dishonor to the noble art of preaparing a meat.

"And a little water with soap, for the other, sweaty soul could wash herself..." Then the door opened wide and there was Robin smiling wide.

"Be our guest*," said cheerfully the dark-haired Cra.

--------------------------------

In some places, magic is extremely anxious and sensitive to the emotions of beings able to contact with Her. It was therefore logical that by the presence of so many demigods and the burning anger of the one ivory dragon, the energy in the Cursed Citadel was... unstable. Lady Echo did her best to neutralize this 'hiccup'. She began to send some demigods to other hideouts or to the Tower of Dreams, something like the Brotherhood's headquarters. But the most pressing problem was Adamai. Whoever was his mother, this whole Goddess, gave her offspring a big, raw power that slipped out of control, mainly thanks to the young dragon's relative. Qilby and Adamai hated each other and any of them intended to give up. The wisest way out was to teach the ivory dragon greater self-control. Something that Grougarolagan and Balthazar apparently neglected. But who said that all dragons are reasonable?

"Focus, brother Adamai," whispered Lady Echo, while the multicolored ribbons of magic flowed between her and the young ivory dragon. They sat together on the floor of her office and tried to master the magic of the Eliatrope Goddess in body of one from her sons. "Calm your emotions, control anger. The key to full control over your power, yours and your sisters and brothers is serenity. Complete serenity..."

"Lady Echo!" A guard with a bandaged head came into the office (it was the same one Kira knocked out last week) with a scroll in his hand.

"What now?!!!!" the furious woman roared, spreading her unmatching wings, and her yellow eyes glowing scary.

"I'm-... I'm-... I'm sorry, my lady!" The unlucky soldier crouched before the daughter of the goddess Eniripsa. "But an important report from the South came and...!

"Which post?" Echo interrupted him, trying to calm herself down and hide her emotions, but a note of anxiety crept into her cool voice .

"Dragon Mausoleum," the man rasped and handed his Mistress a scroll sealed stamped with wax seal with the post symbol. The wax was black, which, according to the Brotherhood's findings, meant the highest priority information. The last time they used these markings in the news was when Master Joris set out to look for the six Eliatrope Dofus.

Lady Echo quickly opened the message and began to read. With every sentence her eyes grew wider and wider. No, that could not happen... Not now! But He warned her that something like that exists and might reveal itself sometime. And their spy in the Suffokatian research team just confirmed this. But why now? Now when Pandora's Box was almost complete?! That could change completly force arrangement!

"We are the closest," she whispered, then looked at the guard and worried Adamai, "Brother, I have to talk to you in private"

The guard quickly escaped, and Echo made sure no one was listening near her door.

"It has to stay between us, Adamai," the woman said softly. "It can be a very bad turn of events..."

--------------------------------------

"Bleah" snapped Qilby, sending a bowl of broth on his lap a particularly disgusted look.

"Eat, not complain" Yaga jagged washing her neck "Or I plug your nose like a little brat's and I pour this soup right into your throat"

"Just try it" the Eliatrope bared his incisors, but he reached for a spoon and began to eat slowly (of course, making faces). Yaga's face filled in with a triumphant smile.

"Tell me..." Robin sat down next to the dark haired "With Kira we explained the Thing... And I'd like to know... how is it with you and..."

"If you're wondering if I'm inclined to come in with you in a more intimate relationship that's likely to end up with some kind of party on your mattress..." Yaga sighed heavily like the person who had been in such a situation so many times that she could calmly guess what Robin wanted to say to her even before he will think about it "the answer is no."

"Damn, woman, are you refusing everyone?" now Robin was pissed when he suddenly remembered something "I'm too low in the hierarchy for You?"

"That I was trying to seduce your boss-lady doesn't mean I was planning to go to bed with her!" Yaga snapped "That was a joke. When I see someone as rigid as an accountant in a gypsum I must mock! Loose the atmosphere! Otherwise I would go crazy. Now you follow?"

"Okay, good, you wanted to make a fun of Lady Echo... But what about me? What are your reasons to say no?"

"Put it that way... I have no problem with your appearance. You are also likable person, or at least I see you so... But I am temporarily resting from relationships. We understand each other?"

"Oh... Was he mean? Abusive?"

"First: it was she. And no, nobody hit anyone. It just... it didn't work out"

Robin may not have noticed this, but Qilby sensed a slight tremor in her voice. Contrary to what she said, her forward relationship didn't just 'work out'. Something went wrong, terribly damn wrong.

"Get up!" screamed, who suddenly appeared at the door. Everyone jumped up. "Robin, prepare your ship! Rest, pack up! You too, Traitor" here he looked with disgust at Qilby.

"Wait, what?!" Robin approached the young dragon with a sharp resentment on his face "What 'prepare the ship'?! This is my property and I will tell you when it can go on a cruise!"

"That's an order, not suggestion" that was the dragon's last word in this case and he walked away "You have one hour"

------------------------------

* Sorry, Guys, I couldn't stop myself! XD

Finally, a next chapter I promised You to add shortly after my return from Italy. Well, I hope I manage to do this before deadline, which Your patience gave me. Next one will be rather short. I will also try to add some parts focused on other characters, because I suck when I have to deal with too many characters and guess what I'm doing EVERY. F*CKING. TIME. When I'm writing something. I create more characters than I can handle.

I'm some kind of goddamnit masochist.