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dontcallmecarrie · 6 years ago

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Blurred Lines

aka the incredibly niche and self-indulgent AU that spawns alternative timelines every time I so much as blink

Fandoms: Doctor Who [I haven’t been caught up since it got removed from Netflix; 10′s era and some fixits for 11′s run, too], Sherlock [playing fast and loose with canon here, and goes wildly AU after the end of Season 2]

Warnings: canon-typical violence, mental health issues at least partially stemming from an incredibly traumatic period, relationship problems, writer’s salt about Martha Jones being underappreciated

With how much the universe had been making and remaking itself, a chaotic and tangled mess, was it really that hard to believe that several wires had gotten crossed?

In this particular case, the line between fiction and reality got...smudged, and Martha’s journey didn’t end when she left the TARDIS.

However, this particular universe is even more convoluted than that— after all, this is also a universe where Moriarty and Mycroft exist alongside the Doctor and UNIT, but that’s a story for another day. [Mostly, anyway.]

This particular story, however, begins and ends with Martha Jones.

Martha Jones, the medical student who had hoped for an adventure and got a war zone during her travels with the Doctor, whose steadfast loyalty had her walking the Earth. Martha Jones, who entered the TARDIS a doctor in training and left it a battle-hardened soldier who’d faced down Weeping Angels and madmen alike. Martha Jones, who, alongside her family, had experienced an incredibly traumatic event—the Year that Never Was—and now, all she could do was carry on with her life, burdened with the knowledge of a could-have-been that wasn’t.

Suffice it is to say, Martha’s not exactly in a good place.

The aftermath of the Year was ugly, on a number of levels, and it affected her relationship with her family—but that’s not it. Her time with the Doctor’s changed her on a fundamental level, and everyone who ever knew her can see it. Martha has a very hard time wrapping up medical school, because of it, but in the end becomes a doctor.

She joins UNIT mostly as a way to get an excuse for some of said changes, because right now everyone’s just seeing a medical student with shadowed eyes and a habit of checking for exits and—well. Being able to say she’s a reservist neatly explains several questions Martha wouldn’t know how to answer otherwise. That she went on several intense and highly-classified missions just prior to re-entering as a civilian is just par for course, really.

[aka Afghanistan still happens, only things went to hell in a different way]

Martha goes back to life as a mostly-civilian doctor, with the conditional that she’d be on-call for if UNIT needed a discreet presence to look into things, and is just generally trying to carry on with her life despite the severe PTSD she’s got going on.

Incidentally, she’s also looking for a flatshare.

Meeting Mike Stamford was a happy accident; he’s a friend from medical school, and as they’re catching up her living situation gets mentioned, and...huh. Apparently Martha’s not the only one looking for a flatmate.

Mike ever-so-helpfully volunteers to introduce them, and here’s where things diverge.

See, if it’d been John Watson, he'd take one look at Sherlock—at the man whose wit was sharper than his cheekbones, who’d gotten a read on him in the span of five minutes and was basically a force of nature—and he’d be enthralled.

However, in this universe, Martha Jones is filling his shoes, and she takes one look at Sherlock—at the tall, dark-haired man who burned so, very brightly, who effortlessly commanded the attention of everyone in the room—and all she can think is: ‘oh, no. Not again.’

Here, everything that drew John to Sherlock is everything that’s pushing Martha away; the parallels are so, so blatant it’s ridiculous.

Every shred of common sense tells Martha to run. And yet.

Martha can’t help but be drawn in. He’s so, so brilliant, and he’s so similar and yet not to the Doctor, and...it’s been a while, since she left the TARDIS, since she last had an adventure like the one this man is promising.

But Martha’s still on the fence, because of obvious reasons. Her biggest issue is that Sherlock doesn’t seem to be human, [because last time that happened she’d ended up seeing her world burn] and it’s not until she’s pinning a murderous cabbie and talking about the pills that she finally lowers her guard because it turns out that for all that he pretends otherwise, Sherlock isn’t that bad.

And once Martha’s guard is down, the two get along like a house on fire.

No, really, it’s actually pretty unnerving, especially for the crew at NSY, or just anyone who’s ever known Sherlock. In the days and weeks and months that follow, it quickly becomes evident that one of the mysteries of the universe is, “just where on Earth did Sherlock find this woman?” because...well.

At first, the confusion had been of the general “who the hell can stand living with this guy?!” variety, and more than a few people, up to and including Mycroft, are actually slightly concerned by the fact that Martha Jones can listen to even the fiercest of Sherlock’s diatribes and not even blink before shoving the grocery list at him as she heads off to work, and whose only reaction to Sherlock’s most gruesome experiments had been to yell at him for using the good saucepan for it. [Really, it’s almost like Martha’s dealt with someone like Sherlock before.]

It’s not until later on that things really start piling up, however, and here’s where things get...interesting.

It’s not just the way Martha so easily falls into step at Sherlock’s right side, anymore; it’s the way Sherlock’s actually slightly less standoffish at crime scenes, and the first time he actually thanked someone for something Lestrade nearly spilled his coffee down his shirt while everyone else gaped, and that’s also right around the time the rumors start.

Ah, yes. The rumors.

Because apparently, a man and a woman moving in together automatically means they’re a couple to some people. Martha and Sherlock quickly develop a routine of saying, “we’re not together”, thanks in no small part to Mycroft’s smirking after bringing up how fast they were moving in their ‘relationship’.

Martha, who’s just been recovering from being the rebound from last time [hi, Rose], and Sherlock, who’s on the asexual spectrum [I’m leaning towards demi, for this particular AU, but really it depends] do not appreciate these rumors. Well, tough, because the more time goes on the more everyone around them ships it, because these two are very clearly good influences on each other: Sherlock has yet to pass out of malnutrition [a new record, by Mycroft's standards], and the shadows in Martha’s eyes recede as time goes on, and she makes friends among the NSY crew. [She makes an effort to befriend Molly Hooper, and helps her get over her crush.]

The more time goes on, the more annoying the rumors get. Martha’s irritated because she’s finally starting to look into dating again [and also because she’s self-aware enough to know that pursuing a relationship with Sherlock, especially at the moment, would be a Bad Idea because of the parallels she’s still occasionally seeing—plus he’s not interested anyway, so].

Meanwhile, on Sherlock’s end, he may or may not be starting to quietly panic as he’s starting to experience his first crush in god-knows-how-many years because he did not sign up for this crap, nope, where can he uninstall this weird feeling he gets when Martha smiles at him?

Also because he thinks she’s not interested in him, and he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship.

Other than that, though, things are going great: Sherlock and Martha make one hell of a team, and Mycroft’s teasing [...and basically everyone else’s, for that matter] just get more ammunition as time goes on as they’re photographed tiredly leaning into each other after particularly long cases, etc.

Bits and pieces of Martha’s past come up every so often: some rather niche trivia here, a textbook takedown of an armed suspect there, the way her bag seems to hold everything from granola bars to the better part of a pharmacy. However, they’re few and far between, and typically only end up raising more questions than answers. Sherlock’s taken it as a challenge, but even he ends up stumped sometimes because really, where the hell did his flatmate learn to handle a knife like a Black Ops commando? He’d be very annoyed at not having figured Martha out sooner, except it looks like Mycroft’s stumped too.

But for the most part, canon ensues, as the continue with their daily lives. They go on cases, fight crime, and try to ignore the increasingly-annoying rumors.

The appearance of Jim Moriarty marks the beginning of the end.

Martha’s at the of her rope, trying to hold it together when she’s seeing this huge, epic showdown between genii. She’s trying not to lose it, doing her best to carry on when Sherlock’s acting differently, and people are dying, and...well.

Suffice it is to say, Martha’s not a happy camper, even before she gets kidnapped as the last hostage. Incidentally, she also accidentally got Moriarty’s interest because of the way she reacted to said hostage situation; the way she stoically deals with the vest is a marked contrast with the way she’d viciously fought a squad of armed personnel not an hour before, and that? Is just intriguing.

...and canon marches on.

They escape, and Sherlock’s not the only one who’s alarmed by the way Martha just. Breaks down laughing, after the fact, after having seen two genii facing off against each other and having faced certain death.

Time goes on, things proceed as per canon. Everyone’s starting to suspect Martha’s an unconfirmed living saint, and the rumors only get worse and there’s now a betting pool as to when they’ll get together—and then Irene shows up.

Which, awkward. Everyone expects Martha to be jealous but really she’s just protective about boundaries, and that she’s unruffled by Irene’s blatant flirting is just raising more and more questions, even after the Woman sauntered out of the picture.

Time passes, and canon ensues. They have more adventures, Martha’s journal [because she’s too private to have a blog, in this one] gets more and more pages filled in, and things are looking up.

Cue Reichenbach.

Martha’s guard skyrockets after Moriarty’s reappearance, and trying not to panic even as the fiasco feels exactly like a deja vu of the showdown she’d seen between the Doctor and the Master. She’s scrambling for a peaceful resolution, scrambling not to lose it but it’s so, so hard because the parallels are right there and as if that’s not enough, there’s Weeping Angels running around. The entire time she’s at the end of her rope, things are looking bleak and in so many ways it’s just like last time and—and then, Sherlock dies.

Sherlock dies, and she had to watch him fall.

And with his fall, she backslides like never before, every last scrap of progress she’s made with her PTSD erased in one fell swoop, and [just like last time,] Martha Jones walks away.

Ices over, packs up her things, and only sticks around long enough for the funeral before shipping out for a UNIT mission. Only keeps in touch with a few people, whenever she has the time—a phone call here, a quick visit when she’s on leave there.

Martha throws herself into her work, to forget. And with time and distance, she starts to pick up the pieces. [Again.]

Her career is going places, and things start to settle down again. There’s been an effort to clear Sherlock’s name, but she doesn’t follow what’s going on because she’s not sure her heart would be able to take it. Besides—she’s got other things on her mind, what with the whole mess with the Sontarans and all.

cue Doctor Who canon and fixits

Somewhere along the way, Martha meets Tom Milligan [again, outside of a time that would never happen], and they hit it off. Slowly, because Martha’s still quietly grieving for her best friend and they both travel a lot for work, but...they click.

aka yep Tom’s kinda filling in Mary Morstan’s role

...and then the Earth gets stolen, and a lot of things end up going down very fast.

Using a highly-experimental device that had a good chance of killing her? Okay, came with the territory. Meeting the Doctor again? Sure, why not, this type of mess was right up his alley. Having Sherlock show up as they’re trying to figure out how to fix it, though?

Let’s just say the reunion’s...interesting, and the only silver lining in all this is the face the Doctor made when he heard her ex-flatmate’s name.

Cue fixit that doesn’t end up with Donna’s memories erased, manages to take care of the Daleks, and also manages to explain just why Sherlock Holmes is running around in 2013. Things get squared away, and there’s a happy ending for everyone as they all head off to their next adventure.

Here’s my main issue: there’s just so many ways this AU can go, so many potential spinoffs and ships possible that finding one ending is next to impossible.

The Moriarty AU is a personal favorite, for instance, but even just the original has me torn between Martha/Sherlock, or Martha/Tom Milligan [aka yep he’s kinda filling in Mary Morstan’s role in this, or Sarah], or a mix of both via queerplatonic relationships—and then there’s the fixits, because there’s some things I had an issue with in the original [the way Irene got handled by the writers, for instance] and the list just goes on.

Just—expect varying levels of crack and self-indulgence, because of Reasons. And the odd ship, too, because why not.

Also: for those curious about what happened to John—his deployment was unusually quiet. It didn’t help that troops got recalled after something went down with the new Prime Minister [hi, Mr. Saxon] which meant his convoy didn’t get ambushed and he didn’t get shot and sent home. Sure, he still has some PTSD, but not as bad as he might have otherwise, and that his hand doesn’t have a tremor means he quickly gets a job as a surgeon once his deployment’s up, and he settles back in as a civilian without having too hard a time of it. Along the way he meets and falls for Mary Morstan, and they have a happy ending living a quiet life because this is supposed to be a fixit AU and if I can minimize the angst and body count, I will.

#Blurred Lines #fic ideas #fic idea #My writing #original outline #Doctor Who #Martha Jones #Naught rambles

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garageradios-blog · 6 years ago

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Murdoc Surfer AU Character Page

Murdoc Niccals: Gorillaz co-founder/bassist

Basic Information:

-In this au, Murdoc is very calm and collective, he keep to himself often, but if he needs to stand up for himself/his bandmates he surely will

-He’s 24 years old, he lives in his own apartment, which he bought as soon as he was able to move out of his dad’s house

-He has a very good relationship with all his bandmates, though he's still depicted as the snarky/sarcastic one

-He and Noodle have a frenemy dynamic, she’s the one who keeps him in check most of the time. They're the ones who bicker the most but its usually nothing but playful arguing

-There’s no abuse between him and 2D, they're very chill and close with each other, they often write music and watch horror movies together

-Russel is like the brother he never had, they live in the same apartment building which was the cause of them meeting each other and spawning the idea of Gorillaz.

-He spends all his time on Gorillaz when he's not selling weed/working at a gift shop to pay rent, he's very passionate about the band

(backstory under cut)

Backstory leading up to the current events of the au:

Murdoc had a decent life in his early years. His mom and dad were happy together, and he had an older brother, Hannibal, who he spent lots of time with. Though that all changed when Murdoc and his mother got into a fatal car accident. Murdoc came out fine with nothing but a broken arm, but his mother died in the crash.

After this incident his father started isolating himself and would rarely leave the house. He spent most nights getting drunk and sitting in his room, but then soon escalated to verbal and physical abuse toward both boys. This is what caused Hannibal and Murdoc’s relationship to fall apart. Hannibal began to blame Murdoc for their moms death, and their dads abuse, he would refuse to speak to him if he didn’t have to.

While getting over grief and distancing himself further from his family Murdoc discovered his love for playing bass when he found his dad’s old guitar while cleaning out the garage. He began to dabble with it, and taught himself to play by listening to ACDC, KISS, and Ozzy Osbourne cds and repeating what he heard and found he was particularly good at it. Playing bass was one of the only times he felt content and happy at home

The abuse and neglect soon became routine over the years to the point where it would be strange to think about if their mom were still alive. It went on all through elementary and middle school, and would continue through high school. High school was one of the toughest times for Murdoc because he was experiencing difficulty with finding his sexual preference. All his life he thought he'd been attracted to girls, until he suddenly develops a crush on some guy.

His dad and brother are openly against the lgbt community and he knows he can't talk about what he’s experiencing with anyone. The years of abuse finally catch up to him around this time and he begins developing bad habits like smoking, drinking, aggressive behavior, staying out late, etc. After lots of time thinking things over he comes to the conclusion he’s gay and is terrified at the fact that he is. But then soon after the decides that’s what he identifies as he develops feelings for a girl at school and is even more confused.

Despite him skipping school a bit, Murdoc got decent grades and ended up gradating high school. As soon as he did he moved away from his dad and brother into a small apartment a few miles away. But he’s still confused about his identity, an active drinker, and practically a hermit even after graduation.

After a night of drinking and wandering around, Murdoc finds himself on the side of the road, close to being unconscious. He damn near passing out until some guy helps him to his feet and walks him to a car, he really doesn't have the energy in him to protest so he just lets the guy take him to the car. He waked up the next morning on a couch in some random house. He tries sitting up but a splitting headache hits him like a bus and forces him back down. A few minutes later a tall dude with strange blue hair and black eyes comes hobbling toward him with a limp.

Murdoc soon discovered the stranger was the same guy who picked him up the night before and his name was Stuart Pot, or more commonly Stu. He explained to Murdoc how he just saw him laying there and couldn't just leave him. Muds found it weird that Stu would just pick some random up off the street, but was grateful he did anyway. The two bonded quickly and began hanging out more frequently. Murdoc was the one to give him the nickname 2D after he learned the reason for the two dents in his head were from two separate incidents which caused 8ball fractures in both his eyes.

As they grew closer Muds did eventually tell 2D about how he moved away from his dad and brother, how the abuse affected him, and how he’d been questioning his identity since he was 14. He told him he had no idea what was wrong with him. 2D was very supportive and became a total shoulder to cry on for Murdoc and was the one who told him about how its alright to not have a preference and that there wasn't anything wrong with him at all.

2D had a huge impact on Muds and helped him learn to let go of what happened in the past and accept himself much more than he would've if the never met. He also helped him out with cutting down on drinking, getting a job, and Murdoc developed so much because of him.

Once he got back on his feet he decided to use the extra money he'd been earning to buy his very own bass guitar and amp since the one he always used he never bothered to pick up at his dads house. It was his literal pride and joy and he would play it constantly.He played so much that he started writing his own riff and playing them. He especially loved playing in the late hours of the night but neighbors, not so much. He'd gotten many complaints from his neighbors about the noise but he really didn't care, until one night while he was jamming out he heard three harsh knocks at the door, followed by three more not less than 3 seconds later. Murdoc opened the door and there stood some guy in a gray, baggy hoodie, ripped jeans, and a Run DMC snapback. But the strangest thing about this guy were his eyes, they were ghostly white and vacant. Muds was expecting to get hell from this guy but was surprised when the giant of a man standing in front of him uttered

"I like what your laying down man"

He walked in Muds' apartment without another word and introduced himself as Russel Hobbs, he explained he was a musician himself, a drummer, and gifted one at that. Murdoc showed him more of the things he was working on and Russel loved it, they eventually began talking more and Russel brought Muds to the warehouse where he kept his drum set (since thats WAY too loud for an apartment) and played a few quick things, and he was beyond impressed. They soon began collaborating and came up with the idea that they should start a band and gave it the name Gorillaz.

All they needed now was a guitarist and vocalist. While walking around posting ads for a guitarist, Russ and Murdoc found a young woman playing an acoustic guitar on the corner of a strip of shops near the beach. Her case was open and full of money from admirers passing by. She'd gathered a small crowd and was playing a complicated series of tabs and chords neither of them could depict, they new they had their guitarist. They stuck around until she began packing up her stuff. They approached her with the guitarist ad in hand and explained their interest in her skill. She was totally down for the idea, and told them she'd definitely contact them, and soon learned she went by the name noodle

They had a guitarist, bassist, and drummer now all they needed was a vocalist. They were getting nowhere with finding a singer so Murdoc decided to ask 2D and see if he knew anyone who'd be interested. 2D was fascinated with the fact his friend was starting a band and told him he could be the vocalist. Murdoc was hesitant and doubted him at first because 2D's voice wasn't exactly the smoothest, but 2D insisted he let him at least show Murdoc what he can do, so he agreed.

Murdoc then got Russel, Noodle, 2D and himself in his apartment to introduce everybody. From the looks on Russel and Noodle's faces Muds knew they thought the same thing he did when 2D first asked him if he could join, but nonetheless they wanted to give him a shot.

They showed him a song they were working on and gave him the lyrics, he scanned through them with a very focused look on his face and they started playing and he started singing. Once he sang the first few verses everyone stopped playing and stared at him wide eyed. 2D sounded incredibly smooth and his range was perfect. They decided then and there that they had their vocalist.

#murdoc #surfer au #surf starchie #gorillaz #murdoc niccals #character page #important #seb

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bluboothalassophile · 7 years ago

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Give Me Back My Mind!

One Road Trip to Hell, with Fries Please

It was after breakfast, on the road, at a gas station, filling up his car, when Jason remembered why he didn’t do the family crap in life.

“Hurry up!” Jason shouted at the locked door of the bathroom. “Or I’m leaving you demon brat!”

“Your brother?” a woman mused which had Jason turning to look at a civilian smirking.

“Yes,” he grounded out. And the truth never tasted more bitter on his tongue as he leant up against the wall and scowled. The woman merely chuckled before she was gone, and he looked over at the convenience store to see Raven picking up a pair of sunglasses. Sighing he pushed off the wall as he walked up silently behind Raven as she paid for the glasses.

“Find something you like princess?” he murmured by her ear and smirked as she stiffened before she shot him an icy glare over her shoulder.

“Don’t call me that, and yes,” she said as she picked up the sunglasses and he walked with her to his car which was still at the pump.

“Mind telling me what convenient lie you spun so Bats isn’t hunting us down for abducting his precious Prince of Assassins?” he asked indifferently. Truthfully this was something he should have asked way earlier, but he hadn’t out of fear. Fear of her not having something in place to deter the Bats which would gladly hunt him down and gut him. Jason knew for a fact that his faked death only worked as long as they thought he was dead, and he enjoyed being the unknown guy on Dick’s shit list, but Jason wasn’t willing to have it blown to hell by having Damian around. Also, there were people in the League of Assassins he’d rather not have finding him and dragging him back.

“Meditation, I said I was taking him to work on calming his anger and controlling his emotions. He’s got an explosive rage,” Raven explained as she leaned on the hood of his car and he propped himself up beside her.

“My kind of rage or just natural?” he asked; true he’d been angry and dangerous before the Pit, but now… Now he knew the difference between his rage and the Pit’s.

“Natural,” Raven replied. “It’s been earned though, his grandfather was Ra’s al Ghul, twisted him up, then his mother dropped him on Bruce, and you know how emotional Bruce is, also Bruce has blatantly shown very little trust in Damian, and while Dick tries there’s only so much you can do for a child who’s been dropped by his parents, who has busy adopted older siblings, and twisted up by his grandfather. It’s why Damian is with us, Dick wants him to have friends and help.”

“If you want to help the brat you’d get him out of the sidekick business, it’s murder,” he grumbled.

“It’s all he’s got left, Jason, and I’m not taking it from him.”

“Then what are you doing with the kid?” he asked.

“I’m trying to be his friend,” she sighed. Jason frowned. “He just… he needs family, and someone who isn’t there to judge him, and someone who can guide him. I don’t know if it’ll help him, but… I’m trying. He just needs to know he’s not alone.”

“Good luck with that,” Jason flatly told her as he pulled a cigarette and lit it, taking a smoke.

“You could help, perhaps not as Jason Todd, but as Jason, He can use a supportive older brother other than Dick,” Raven murmured and he looked over at her.

“No. I don’t do the family shit; wrong kid. I’m the bad kid, the black sheep, the cautionary tale for the others, I’m not family material,” Jason growled out lowly. Raven merely gave him a bland look.

“I have a feeling you’re very good at family shit,” she countered.

“Nope, now, we’re going to take the 80 to Newark, stop there for the night, then we’ll head to Gotham,” he explained.

“Why Newark?”

“Because… it’s the worst possibly fucking place to go and I’d rather be shot than go to Gotham County, or Gotham, or in the vicinity of Gotham,” he stated flatly. Besides, Newark was a cultural shock on the world and the brat could use it.

“I could just teleport us there,” she said.

“After you passing out yesterday, and still being grayer than normal, I’d rather you not little bird,” he muttered.

“I have a name,” she snapped.

“I know, I just like the other names better,” he cheekily replied.

“Then I’ll call you Red, for both Red Hood and Red X,” she growled lowly.

“You already do, so please continue,” he mused. He wondered if she had even noticed that she called him Red this morning, even at breakfast in that crappy diner.

“I hate you,” she muttered.

“Feeling is mutual,” he lied.

“So, Red, in Newark, what are we to do?” she asked.

“Not get shot,” he stated as he flicked the cigarette away.

“Those will kill you,” she pointedly looked at his cigarette butt.

“I stress smoke,” he chuckled.

“That is the worst excuse for a horrible habit,” she monotonously stated.

“Oh, so it’s not a disgusting habit?” he inquired after hearing so many lectures about his ‘disgusting’ habit.

“Gar licks himself, I think that trumps smoking on a scale of disgusting,” Raven dismissed. His head felt back as he laughed then.

“You’re hilarious!” he wheezed.

“That’s a first, I can now die saying I heard it all,” she stated, whilst looking indifferently bewildered. Jason just stared at the deer in the headlights look on her face and thought it was priceless. She might have been the Ice Queen, but she was expressive, only idiots would miss that.

“So, my smoking is a bad habit?” he mused.

“Very,” she scrunched up her nose and he continued grinning as he looked to the store.

“You know this mission is bound to end in disaster,” he soberly reminded her.

“Only if I don’t retrieve or destroy that book,” she sighed sadly.

“You can’t seriously be doing all this for a book, sunshine, so what aren’t you telling demon brat and I?” he asked, his eyes watching the store as he saw Damian selecting a few snacks.

“You wouldn’t believe me, even if I told you, and it’s just really important we get that book back,” she muttered as she looked at her clasped hands.

“You don’t tell Bats about me and I’ll do whatever you need,” he shrugged.

“Really?” she mused skeptically.

“I don’t like double crossers, and I was double crossed,” he pointed out, his eyes narrowing on her.

“Fair enough,” she shrugged.

“Got everything!?” he shouted at Damian.

“You do not command me, thief,” Damian growled.

“Let’s hit the road now, I’m thinking Big Belly Burger for lunch,” he stated as he stood up, Raven got in the car and Damian clambered in. getting behind the wheel he mentally checked everything before he started the engine and pulled out.

“I am a vegetarian,” Damian huffed. “Don’t you feel bad for the animals?”

“Damian, I respect that you don’t eat meat, and we will get you a vegetarian lunch, but respect that we do,” Raven calmly cut off a coming argument.

“You sound like you have this argument a lot,” Jason chuckled as Damian grumbled and leant back in his seat.

“I’ve been having it since I was thirteen and started living with Garfield, I don’t recommend tofu,” Raven said calmly as she opened the map he handed her and kept his eyes on the road.

“The animals are tortured, and mistreated before they’re butchered!” Damian shouted.

“Damian, I will go with you to three animal rights protests, of your choosing, and help you advocate for the animals if you leave the meat eating habits of Jason and I’s, alone,” Raven offered.

“Really?” Damian perked up.

“Yes, and I will help you talk Dick into getting a puppy,” Raven compensated.

“You drive a hard bargain, I’d take it kid,” he chuckled.

“Very well, I find that acceptable.”

“So that thing from earlier?” Jason inquired.

“It helps,” Raven shrugged. “Next exit.”

“You’re not too bad sunshine,” he decided. And he meant it, he was finding Raven’s company to be the best he’s had in years. It was almost like having a friend.

Shaking his head of such wistful thinking he continued to merge with traffic. Damian and Raven were talking, and he slowly tuned them out as he watched the road. He liked this too much, he needed to get that book back for Raven and leave her and the Demon brat at the Manor and never look back. There was a reason he worked alone, and a reason he tried to stay away from friends and family scenarios, he liked it too much. However, it never stayed.

Whoever was with him never stayed, it was for the best to leave first so he didn’t get used to this sensation.

Jason glanced at Raven and Damian in their discussion and he smirked. He was on the highway to hell with the demon spawn of his former guardian and an actual demon. This could be an interesting trip. However the sooner he was away from this little environment of… comfort, the sooner he’d feel normal again. Also, there was the matter of him envying the demon spawn of Bruce’s, Bruce would definitely do anything for a blood son. Even kill the fucking Joker.

Immediately Jason shook the thoughts from his mind as he tried not to think about Joker; it would trigger a violent black out.

~~~*~*~*~~~

“What’s so important in Newark, if the book is in Gotham we should just go get it!” Damian snapped.

Raven sighed, but then there was an overwhelming flood of bloodlust which seemed suffocating to her as she refrained from gasping. The pain, the brutal feelings of pain and betrayal, and envy were drowning her, overwhelming her, and it was so powerful it was almost breaking her shields as she looked at Jason who was glaring at the road.

“Red!” no response, but there was a faint green glow in his eyes.

“Jason,” she repeated his name firmer and then his gaze snapped to her as the glow receded, and the turbulent storm of emotions started to dissipate.

“Huh?”

“You alright?” she asked.

“Just a ray of sunshine, Rae,” he grinned easily but she could still feel the receding pain in his emotions.

“Alright, and why are we going to Newark?” she asked, hopefully Damian hadn’t noticed any of what was going on with Jason. But then again he was a Bat and they were annoyingly observant; even Jason was.

“I have a place there we can crash, go over battle plans, and get ready. We’re not charging into a house blind or without a plan,” he stated.

“That is logical,” Damian conceded.

“Did Demon Spawn just give me a compliment?” Jason demanded in a teasing tone.

“It sounded like it,” she mused, Damian glared murderously at them then and she chuckled.

“I did not! I simply stated that it was logical!” Damian hissed.

“It sounded like a compliment to me, what about you?”

“Agreed,” she mused.

“I will slit your throats,” Damian’s empty threat was hanging there and Raven chuckled.

“Ah, but the baby bird loves us, right, little bird?” Jason cooed.

“Big Belly Burger,” Raven pointed.

“Trying to change the topic will not dissuaded me from reveling in the fact I got a compliment from the Prince,” Jason informed her.

“I figured,” Raven shrugged. “But I’d rather not be a wreck.”

“You’re no fun, sunshine,” he chuckled.

“I like being alive,” Raven stated.

“I can second that,” Jason murmured softly.

“Me too,” Damian decided.

“Alright, we’re ordering lunches, so what’ll it be kid?” Jason asked as they started pulling through the drive food. Damian insisted on a vegetarian burger, Raven shuddered in disgust. She’d accidently been tricked into eating one of Gar’s veggie burgers; well, now there was a reason Raven did not eat on nights Gar cooked. Raven liked real food: real meat, real milk, real eggs, real! food, not soy or tofu.

“A double with cheese, grilled onions, everything on it, a strawberry milkshake, no drink, and a side of fries,” Raven ordered.

“You’ll eat all that!?” Damian gaped at her.

“I am a demon,” she pointed out.

“Alright, make it three doubles with cheese, grilled onions, everything on them, three strawberry shakes, three sides of fries, a veggie burger with everything on it, a side of onion rings, one Diet Coke, and one Dr. Pepper,” Jason ordered.

“That’s a lot of food,” Raven mused.

“I’m a big guy,” he pointed out and Raven actually noticed for the first time just how large Jason really was. He wasn’t out of shape, just… Batman big. Though she was willing to bet he was a bit thicker in the shoulders than Bruce was, and perhaps just an inch shorter. Dick was on the leaner side at about five ten in height, and Tim seemed to have stopped growing at five six, and Damian was almost taller than her. However, Jason was huge, and she was wondering how she had missed it.

“You should consider being a vegetarian,” Damian said to Jason sharply.

“I will get you a puppy just to piss off the Bat clan and Bird Brains one through four if you shut up and never tell me to be a vegetarian again,” Jason stated.

“Really!?” Damian perked up. Raven chuckled.

“Really,” Jason deadpanned.

“Careful, you might end up buying him a zoo if you’re not careful,” Raven mused feeling genuine excitement rolling off Damian for the first time since Garfield had adopted a kitten three months ago.

“Will it irritate Bats?” he asked seriously.

“Yes,” she and Damian answered in unison.

“Then I might, if you behave, do your homework, eat your vegetables, don’t kill me, do exactly what Raven tells you to do and I’ll consider,” Jason conceded.

“I will consider the terms then,” Damian contemplated seriously.

“Can’t the circus freak just take him to the circus to see the animals?” Jason asked.

“Be nice,” Raven warned.

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved off as he started looking through his wallet for the money. “Wrong guy to be asking to be nice.”

“I still do not like him,” Damian muttered to her. Raven just sighed.

Families were complicated; well, unless it was hers’, hers’ was rather straight forward. However, until Raven had become friends with Victor, Kori, Gar and Dick she had thought families to be loving. Wrong she was, they were complicated as hell.

And the Bats family won the contest of complicated; hands down, it was not even a competition in her mind as to who had the most complicated family. Bruce had collected children and tried his best, but Raven knew where he went wrong and she knew how it complicated each Wayne in their own way. Jason would be no exception, except that he wished to remain dead to them, and them dead to him. It was frustrating, and hilarious to her that Damian refused to trust his second eldest brother, not that he knew that Jason was his brother.

“Well, until this is over and that book is back in little bird’s hands we’re stuck together,” Jason countered before she could sooth Damian. “And trust me, this is the last thing I wanted to be doing.”

“Both of you will have to get along, else I’m sending you back to the Tower,” she pointedly looked at Damian as Jason took the food and set it in between them before he started driving.

“So you will not punish him?” Damian accused.

“No, I’ll destroy him if he double crosses me,” Raven shrugged as she started sorting through the food and handed Damian his share.

“That seems adequate,” Damian decided.

“I’d rather not be destroyed, just speaking from personal experiences here, little bird,” Jason mused as she handed him a partially unwrapped burger.

“No doubt that’s your preference, and should we get the book I can assure you that you will remain in one piece,” she promised.

“That’s promising,” he grinned before taking a massive bite of his burger. Raven just gathered hers’ and started munching on her own burger, savoring the consistent goodness of Big Belly Burger. It was amazing how it was delicious no matter where in the States one had it. Absolutely fucking delicious. Raven loved it.

“It should be, I wanted to annihilate you the other morning,” she pointed out and he chuckled.

“You’re too much of an angel to kill me,” he pointed out.

“I’m a demon,” she countered.

“Does it matter?” Damian finally asked and Raven looked at him; after her months of trying to get him to accept her as herself she was shocked to hear such a childish question from him.

“Not really,” Jason answered for her. “It’s just another label and a part of who you are, like I’m a thief, you’re Robin, it’s all just a part of you. Right, angel?”

“Don’t call me that, and yes, it’s just a part of who I am,” Raven agreed.

“Then you’re a Titan,” Damian shrugged and Raven hid her grin in her burger as Jason smirked.

“There you go, you’re a Titan,” Jason agreed.

She wanted to tell him he was a Bat then, but she didn’t as she sat there staring out at the road. Absently a tune on the radio caught her attention and she hummed as she ate. It was the most peaceful she had felt in a while, neither Jason nor Damian were draining her emotionally and she felt calm. It was a pleasant realization for her as she ate her burger and hummed with the radio.

Damian and Jason did the one thing Dick couldn’t do and she found it a breath of fresh air as she rolled her window down and let the breeze wash over her.

These two Bats did silence.

Not the thick heavy, thinking, awkward, brooding silences, just silence, and Raven found it peaceful. Passing the fries back to Damian she tossed the burger wrappers away and handed Jason his. It was kind of fun, just feeling normal, like she was on a road trip. She’d done a few with Victor, and those were fun but this was kind of relaxing in a strange way.

“For Shadowcrest, it’s magically protected,” Damian started. “Do you need anything?”

“I packed all the essentials,” Raven assured him. The boy nodded and pulled out a sketchbook as he started drawing.

“And if you need something, angel?” Jason prompted.

“Don’t call me that, and if I should need something then I will go collect it. The magic world isn’t all that large, at least, not with the serious sorcerers and magicians,” Raven dismissed.

“Zatanna is a serious magician,” Damian pointed out.

“I know,” Raven assured them. “And let me worry about the magic.”

“I hate magic,” both Jason and Damian muttered, she smirked as she took a bite of her fry.

“Not your jurisdiction, boys?” she mused. They both glared at her.

~~~*~*~*~~~

“We are not having this argument again!” he snapped at his older cousin as he shoved his stuff in his bag. He’d never be good enough for them, not for the great John Zatara; now Dr. Fate or his perfect daughter, Zatanna Zatara and he hated it.

“This isn’t about that Zachary!” she shouted back.

“Then what is it!?” he demanded.

“Please, just… just stay the weekend, I’ll talk with Batman, and Dick and we'll… if…” she sighed. “If it’s that important to you then I’ll help you get there.”

“I shouldn’t be stuck in your shadow!” he snapped, his frustrations rising. He hadn’t really wanted to join the Titans, no, but it was the fact he’d never been asked which was really pissing him off. It was the principles of such matters, he wasn’t just someone who could be shrugged off!

“You’re not! You’re not in my shadow!” his cousin argued.

“I’ve been locked away, no one cares or knows my name, I say I’m a Zatara and it’s 'Oh, you know Zatanna!” he shouted.

“Zacharay please, just the weekend,” she sighed.

“If you don’t talk to them I’m walking,” he warned as he stalked past her and up the stairs.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Damian looked at Jason and Raven; his current models, and he watched as they talked. It wasn’t a chatty sort of talk, no, they were talking about books. Nerds. Not that he was surprised that Raven could talk books, he’d peeked into her room before and even managed to sneak in once before he was thrown out; the woman had more books than his grandfather and father. Which was saying something. However, what was a surprise was that Jason talked books like Raven did, it was a bit odd since Damian was still certain that Jason could not be the nefarious Red X. Jason was just so… abrasive, it was offensive really, and not to mention the man was about as educated as a fly; but here he was having a serious talk with Raven about books. Books! Classic novels to be specific.

Currently Raven and Jason were debating which piece of Charles Dickens was the greatest, not that it really interested Damian. Sighing he continued his drawing of them in the front seat, the light was a bit off, and he found it vexing that it wasn’t perfect. However, he was too bored to start a new drawing so he continued the drawing. Moving to add himself in the backseat; it was kind of fun.

“Alright, we’ll agree to disagree,” Raven sighed.

“Best revenge story?” he asked.

“Count of Monte Cristo,” Raven replied.

“That’s a good story,” Jason chuckled.

“You ever actually read it?” Damian finally asked as he looked up from his sketch.

“Actually, yeah, I did, in French too, I have a first addition safely tucked away,” Jason replied with a smirk. Damian blinked.

“Really?”

“And I even bought it, shortstack,” Jason chuckled.

“Really?” Raven asked then.

“I don’t steal everything! Take this car, I bought and restored her myself, and same with all the weapons,” Jason defended.

“I was unaware that you were civilized enough to buy things,” Damian pointed out. Jason just smirked and looked out at the road.

“I buy things, help the little people, small businesses as it were, and there’s few things in life worth buying; good books, good weaponry, good armor, and good vehicles,” Jason stated.

“And food,” Raven piped up.

“You can’t cook,” Damian pointed out.

“No, I can’t, but Victor can, I buy the food, he cooks, we don’t starve,” Raven pointed out.

“You can’t cook, little bird?” Jason asked.

“She tried to poison us my first week there with unidentified gooey brown things,” Damian stated. Raven frowned.

“Pancakes, no they weren’t great, but it wasn’t that bad,” she defended.

“It exploded and landed on the ceiling where it remained until Grayson noticed it last week,” Damian flatly informed her and Jason just burst into laughter. Raven shrugged.

“Beats tofu,” she muttered.

“Can the demon brat cook?” Jason finally asked.

“He’d burn water,” Raven maliciously smirked at him and he gaped.

“That is not possible! Water cannot be burnt, it evaporates,” he huffed.

“It’s the silver spoon, love, he’ll never be able to fend for himself,” Jason whispered conspiratorially to Raven.

“I have never had a silver spoon, and I have been fending for myself very well since I was a small child,” he snapped.

“Smaller child,” Jason countered, Damian growled lowly. He hated how familiar Jason acted with him, and more than that he hated how comfortable he was around Jason. It was like being around Grayson or Drake or Brown or his family! It was frustrating and it was nice.

“I will kill you,” he snarled.

“Do it after we get to the hotel,” Jason dismissed. “So if he can’t cook either, what’s he complaining about your cooking for?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged.

“Because we were in the infirmary,” Damian reminded her.

“Unrelated, I checked you myself,” Raven waved off. Damian frowned.

“Where are we staying in Newark?”

“I got a safe place there; though after this job I’m ditching it so feel free to memorize where it is and tell Bats, I’m sure he’ll just love being eight steps behind as usual,” Jason sniggered.

“I will tell father, and I will tell him your name,” Damian triumphantly stated.

“Which one? I have so many.”

Damian scowled; he wasn’t going to be thwarted, he would beat the Red X and drag him to Grayson for his punishment. Red X would no longer elude them.

“I’ll give you a week’s head start, if we get the book back,” Raven shrugged.

“You are a dear, little bird, but I’ll just need an hour to lose the Bats,” Jason shrugged.

“You’re confident about that,” Damian observed.

“I’ve earned the confidence,” Jason pointed out and Damian continued his sketch then.

“I could sketch father your face,” he pointed out.

“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled about that, take a picture when you do show him that sketch and send it to me,” Jason maliciously smiled like a shark and Damian furrowed his brow. This was… unusual. Jason was so candid about showing his face and being himself, he was completely relaxed, and it was a bit off putting to Damian. Shouldn’t there be some fear?

His father was the world’s best detective and would find Jason, and yet, Jason didn’t seem overly concerned about it. Raven didn’t speak up either like she knew something about this he didn’t and once again Damian found himself irked about trusting people he didn’t know or who didn’t care to tell him the whole story.

“And if I were to show Grayson the portrait?”

“Also take his picture and send it to me, I’d love to see that reaction,” Jason chuckled.

“You’re infuriating!” Damian grounded out through gritted teeth.

“I try.”

“Damian, worry about capturing Red after we get the book back, else I’d have just arrested him when I found him,” Raven informed him.

“As if you could,” Jason snorted.

“Do you doubt my abilities?” Raven challenged coldly and Damian looked up as the air in the car drastically cooled and the shadows danced a bit.

“No, but I just happen to know my own and know that you can’t capture me,” Jason stated flatly.

“We’ll see about that,” Raven grumbled darkly.

“I have no doubt about that,” he mused. “After this is all over you and I might need to go a few rounds, no kid gloves and after proper sleep.”

“Maybe,” Raven passively agreed.

“I’ll fight you!” Damian grinned then, he would love to fight this Red X guy if he was as good as Grayson made him out to be. It would be a true challenge and Damian rather liked a challenge.

“I’ll consider it, kid, but I’ll warn you now I will not go easy on you just because you’re a kid. I’ll give you hell because you’re a Bat too, if you can handle that I might consider fighting you, next time,” Jason shrugged.

“Why not now?”

“Because, sunshine here needs us in one piece to retrieve that book of hers, right?” Jason asked Raven.

“At this moment, it is preferred if you two are in one piece, after this everything is up for grabs,” she shrugged.

Damian liked that as he leant back in his corner again and resumed his doodle.

“Classic romances,” Raven decided.

“I’d say Jane Austen, but…” Jason started and Damian pulled his earphones out as he enjoyed the music, the car, the pencil and the paper and continued to sketch the moment with Raven and Jason and himself now. It was soothing, it was nice, and he liked where he was for the first time in a long time. For the first time in a long time he liked exactly where he was, the last time it had happened was earlier this year when he’d been hanging out with Grayson before the Court of Owls and the Titans and before father had stated that he didn’t trust him. Before he felt alone again.

~~~*~*~*~~~

They pulled into the neighborhood in the late half of the afternoon after a delay because of an accident. Raven winced at the sight around them as she felt the hostility rolling off everyone, and felt the danger of being here. Glancing back she noticed that Damian was sound asleep and looked at Jason.

“You’re certain about being here?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m not thrilled about it, but I’m sure about being here, the safe house is on the corner, I have supplies there,” Jason said as he pulled up to the curb. Raven looked up a horrible, creaky building which should be condemned and sighed.

“I’ll wake Damian,” she decided as she twisted around and used her powers as she pulled all his weapons out of his reach. Jason was out of the car gathering the stuff out of the trunk and Raven tapped Damian’s shoulder lightly.

The young boy bolted up with a roar as he grabbed for a weapon.

“We’re here,” she calmly pointed out as she felt him relax before she levitated his weapons back to him and stood up as she got out of the car. She moaned as she stretched, properly for the first time in hours, popping her vertebra before she walked to the trunk and hefted up her duffle and her backpack. Damian appeared beside her as he grabbed his own gear, Jason locked up and they followed him.

“Home sweet home,” he chuckled and Raven sighed sadly. It was the comfort and familiarity she felt off him as they walked through a place which felt like a warzone which saddened her.

“Alright, tomorrow night you’ll teleport us to Shadowcrest, that should be enough time for us to get everything ready to go,” Jason said as he opened up the stale safe house.

“That’s fine,” she managed. She wanted to get the book now, to retrieve the Nevermore, but she was aware that charging into the lair of a Zatara with no plan was both foolish and suicidal.

“Demon brat, don’t destroy the place any more than it already is, and I’ve got to go talk to a man about a few things. Stay here,” Jason growled the last part low and in a warning tone.

“I do not take orders from you, troglodyte,” Damian snapped.

“Good one, but stay here if you want to stay alive, I’ll be back after midnight,” Jason waved off as he shut the door and locked it.

“Time to get to work,” Raven sighed as she slowly lowered her bag and shut up the dingy apartment’s windows.

“What are you going to be doing?” Damian asked her.

“The Zatara family are renowned magicians, they practice a form of light magic, and they are very good. I do not practice light magic, so I am preparing for whatever I might run into,” Raven said calmly.

“What’s the difference between your magic and this light magic, isn’t magic magic?” Damian challenged.

“Not quite, magic is energy, I’m half demon, I have a natural affinity for the Dark Arts, it’s as easy to me as breathing, however I can perform light magic, and soul magic as well, but not as well as I can perform dark magic. It’s about energy,” Raven swiftly explained as she pulled her books out. “It’s all complicated, but mostly I practice the Dark Arts.”

“Why? Isn’t that evil?” Damian asked.

“Magic is not that black and white, Damian. Nothing ever is, however, my Magic is natural to me, but to other’s there’s a price to be had for practicing such powerful, dangerous magic, usually in the form of a soul or life or time,” Raven shrugged.

“Then why practice it?”

“Because, I am the Gem of Scath,” Raven shrugged and she levitated the books she had brought and sat lotus style in the air. “Rest Damian, everything will be fine.”

“I’m not worried about it,” the boy snapped.

“Damian, I am an empath, and I am telling you not to worry, I do this all the time,” Raven shrugged.

“And what’s the cost of your magic?” he murmured, he looked so vulnerable and small and then he looked away as if ashamed of his question.

“Damian,” she coaxed softly until the boy was looking at her again. “I’m the daughter of Trigon, I’ve already been condemned to an eternity to Hell, I would not worry about the cost of my magic.”

“But…!” he started.

“I’m a demon, now go rest, everything is going to be alright.”

The boy reluctantly yawned before he walked to the mattress and settled swiftly into a light sleep. Raven took a steadying breath before she focused on centering herself and opening her mind.

~~~*~*~*~~~

“'Ello!?” a sleepy voice answered the phone.

“I need a favor,” he said calmly.

“Ah bloody, buggering hell! Can’t you learn to not play with magic! Or practice it yourself if you need it!?” the grumpy voice snapped.

“Well I would, but you and I know that I don’t have a drop of magic in me,” Jason chuckled.

“Fucking Lazurus Pit is magic! And miraculous resurrection counts as magic as well!” the voice snapped.

“Not my worry, anyway, I need your help, and we’ll consider this even or an I.O.U.,” Jason shrugged.

“We’ll be even?” the older man questioned skeptically.

“Or I’ll be in your debt depending on how you take this favor,” Jason decided.

“What do you want?”

“You know your ex…” Jason started and by the time he was done all he received was;

“Bloody Hell, I’ll be there in an hour.”

Sighing Jason let his head fall back as he stared around the shithole of Newark and rubbed his brow. Life would be easier if he could just stay dead! Then again, he was having fun fucking with the Bats, and winding up the Bird Brains.

On the bright side, Jason chuckled, he was free, free as a bird so to speak. However returning to Gotham for something other than killing the Joker was weighing on him. it was tiring really. He was enjoying his second life; well, once he’d escaped the League of Assassins, left Gotham, stolen the Red X suit and taken up the life of a contractor. It wasn’t a great life, he knew that, however, he was enjoying his second life as he stood up and started walking through Newark to a dive bar where he’d meet up with John.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Standing over the map of the country she growled, he was in country, there was no way he had the resources to get out of country fast enough, at least, she doubted he had those resources. Picking through his safe house had revealed very little about him, other than Jason was very creative with where to hide his weapons.

Sighing she rubbed her brow and checked her computer; it was running an algorithm for known aliases for Jason Todd, and possible aliases. She was going to find him, and she was going to kill him, and then she was going to murder a certain Titan.

Briefly Talia toyed with the idea of stopping in Gotham to say hello to her beloved and inquire about their child; though she knew her son was already with Grayson at the Titans. It was disappointing to say the least. She looked up when a man walked in.

“My sister send you?” she asked indifferently.

“She heard about your miss,” the older man shrugged. She frowned.

“I was unprepared to kill a Titan,” she defended. “But I will not mess up again.”

“Nyssa’s sent me because it was a Titan the deserter was with,” the man smiled maliciously.

“I will handle the problem, Deathstroke,” she warned.

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