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awhitehead17 · 2 years ago

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Whumptober 2022: Day 27 - Pushed to the limit

Prompt: Stumbling

Summary: Bruce has had a long few days and it’s catching up with his body. Unfortunately rest isn't an option yet because he’s got to make his way out of the maze he's currently trapped in no matter how much he wants to go to sleep instead.

Enjoy! :D

When he hits the wall for the umpteenth time Bruce finally takes the hint and stops moving. Slumping against the cold concrete he forces himself to take a deep breath and tries to get his bearings together.

He’s been going non-stop for what feels like years but in reality it must be close to four days. He’s had very little sleep, next to no food and water and he’s now running on his reserves, feeling completely exhausted and ready to drop at any second. That also being the reason why he keeps smacking into walls as he walks, he can barely stand up right let alone walk in a straight line. He’s staggering around like he’s a lost drunk unable to make his way home at the end of a night out.

He wishes that was the case. It would certainly be better than the reality he’s facing.

For just over two days his attention was focused on Gotham, rumours of an underground drug ring had spread and while looking into it Bruce found out that some of Gotham’s socialite’s were involved with the ring. So not only was Bruce working on the case at Batman but he also ended up getting involved in the case as ��Brucie Wayne’ too. His time had been completely occupied and he didn’t stop until he solved the case with Commissioner Gordon and moved on.

Naively he thought he may get a day’s break after that. Of course he was wrong. He didn’t even get to go bed before he got a call alerting him how the Justice League is needed for an emergency happening in Buenos Aires. The last two days have been constant running around, figuring out and talking battle strategies and always being on guard.

Bruce ended up chasing one of their prime targets into an underground labyrinth. Being at the disadvantage and not knowing where he was going, paired with the fact he’s completely exhausted, Bruce ended up losing sight and track of the target. Frustrated with himself and at the situation Bruce didn’t have any other choice but to start trying to make his way out of the maze he was lost in. Regrettably he wasn’t Theseus and he didn’t use a string to guide his way through the endless corridors meaning he walking blind until he reaches topside. How long he’s now been underground for he has no idea, but it’s certainly not helping his drained body and mind.

After a moment he prepares himself to get moving again. Taking a deep breath he pushes himself away from the wall and starts the treacherous journey back through the maze. Unsurprisingly his strength doesn’t last long, within moments he’s tripping over his own feet and crashing into the wall yet again.

Maybe he shouldn’t stray away from the wall. Isn’t there a rule or something saying if a person keeps their hand on a wall and follows it they’ll eventually make it out of the maze, even if it takes you on a horribly long route it’ll help you to escape? Using that as his excuse Bruce leans on the wall for support and continues on with his journey, hoping to get out of the maze as soon as possible.

Bruce loses track of time as he wonders. Everything becomes a blur and it takes all of his willpower to keep going instead of stopping and sliding down the wall to rest.

“Batman!”

Bruce grumbles to himself. Great, he’s got to that point in his exhaustion where he’s begun hallucinating. Thinking about it, he’s surprised that it hasn’t happened before now.

“Batman! Can you hear us?”

Huh. He doesn’t know if it says a lot about him as a person, or a father, that the voice he's imagining is his eldest son’s voice. He has no idea on what that could mean.

“He’s here!”

Suddenly it’s not just voices he’s imagining anymore, it’s developed into him hallucinating actual people now.

He blinks rapidly as he tries to work out what he’s seeing. In front of him was his son, Dick dressed up in his Nightwing gear. Movement happening behind him grabs Bruce’s attention and when he looks over his son’s shoulder he blinks again and finds… is that Clark? Not only is he imagining Dick but he’s now imagining Clark too. He’s not telling anyone about this once he’s out of the maze.

“Batman are you injured?”

Dick’s voice pulls his attention back onto his son. He frowns, regarding the question. He’s not injured, just severely tired. “Are you actually here?” He ends up blurting out, apparently the exhaustion means he’s got no filter.

“Yeah Batman we are.” Dick answers with a frown of his own. “After you didn’t come back we followed you down here and have only just found you, we’re not far from the exit.”

Bruce grunts, slowly accepting the fact that maybe he wasn’t hallucinating after all.

“The target?”

Clark comes into his vision again as he steps up beside Dick in front of him. “We got him. When you came down here we knew there had to be another exit somewhere above and searched around, coincidently we were right next to the passage when he appeared. We apprehended him with no trouble. That’s when we came down after you when you didn’t return as soon as we expected.”

Bruce hums thoughtfully before letting out a long sigh. At least the target is captured and Bruce’s journey through the maze hadn’t been for nothing.

“Are you hurt Bats?” Clark asks him, his eyes roaming over his body, which of course was covered by his suit anyway.

“I’m fine,” he grunts and starts to make a move to push up off the wall. He’s got company now, he can’t afford to be looking as bad as he feels. “Let’s go.”

Bruce doesn’t make it more than three steps before he’s having to lean against the wall again. He’s quick to put a hand up to stop his companions from closing in on him when he senses them move after he reached for the wall.

“Batman…”

“B…”

Bruce waves off their concern and takes a deep breath to steady himself. After a few seconds he pushes away from the wall again and this time makes it six steps before he’s falling to the side. Instinctively he puts a handout to reach for the wall but he never touches it because another body is pressing up against his side instead. An arm wraps around his waist while the other takes his own arm and throws it over their shoulders. Even in Bruce’s addled mind he can make out that Clark’s come to support his weight.

Not having the energy to care or to protest against it, Bruce allows the man of steel to help him walk. He most definitely draws the line at being carried, but walking he can do. He also becomes aware of Dick hovering nearby as they make their way out of the maze.

As soon as he’s out of here he’s finding the nearest hotel and crashing, everything else can wait and anything that can’t, Clark or Diana can deal with it. The world can deal without Batman for one damn night.

#Whumptober 2022 #day twenty seven #Stumbling #bruce wayne #dick grayson #clark kent #exhaustion #tired bruce #caring clark #concerned dick #Bruce is grumpy #he isn't drunk #he's just tired #mazes #fanfiction #dc comics #batman #superman

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batfam-rewrites · 3 years ago

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Batfam During Quarantine One Year Special

On this date last year, I posted the first Batfam During Quarantine post and since then this blog has become more popular than I ever thought it would be (my expectations were honestly pretty low). As a thank you for all of the love you have given me, (I legit get a dopamine rush whenever I get a notification on my phone) here is some stuff that was cut out from earlier post along with notes of why I took some of these bits out! Thank you so much for one year on this particular story, I wouldn’t be posting as much on here without you guys!!!!

27 Minutes

Cass: I don’t think Bruce has slept.

Steph: Does Bruce even sleep anyway?

_____

Dick: I’m heading out to the store! *walks out wearing assless pants*

Bruce: *spits out his coffee* FUCK NO YOUR NOT! CHANGE THOSE PANTS!

[Note: I felt like this was a little too much effort for the possibility for a slight laugh to the point where it wouldn’t be funny.]

_____

Dick: I help him a bit. It's been so difficult acting like a grown up. I actually had to fight with Tim to get him to stop drinking so much coffee and that didn’t go well.

Barbara: What happened?

Dick: He threw a mug at me and said “Fuck you, I could stop when I want to!”

Barbara: Right, he definitely sounds like he has it under control.

[Note: Didn’t feel like this was as funny as sleep deprived Bruce.]

_____

Selina: So you and Tim seemed very coy during Dick’s meeting.

Stephanie: Yeah, Tim is awesome and everything but I don’t know if he feels how I feel. Plus he’s been a bit oblivious to everything.

Cassandra: With how much he brags about being just as smart as Bruce, you’d think he’d know.

Stephanie: Exactly!

Selina: Then again, Tim has a lot on his plate. He’s trying to help Bruce and doing patrol every night longer than he should.

Stephanie: Good point. Last night I saw him fill 3 flask with coffee and still looked extremely tired last night when I met up with him.

Selina: Damn.

[Note: I wasn’t too happy with how I wrote the first two Batfam During Quarantine post. When I was writing “27 Minutes” I realized how I wanted the relationship between Tim and Steph to play out and I wanted it to be more subtle with my hints on them getting together in “Retirement?”. Once I finish up every story that I want to tell I plan on going back to re-write what I originally wrote down, maybe add some more stuff, but one thing I definately want to change is the subtlety of the lead up to Tim and Steph getting together. That was why this was cut.]

Training Day

Kate: Please, I’ve been training much harder than most of you guys since I was 6.

Dick: That’s debatable.

_____

Dick: *embraces Tim in his arms* Tim, once when I was Robin, I stayed up for five nights. At the time I was trying to balance being the leader of the Teen Titans, being Bruce’s ward, competing for my gymnastics team, and trying to balance high school. I became so tired that on the fifth day I started to hallucinate. It didn’t help that at the time we were facing Scarecrow and he sprayed his fear toxin everywhere. With how weak my immune system was, I failed to fight off the fear toxin and ran away from Bruce. Because Bruce didn’t want me to hurt myself so he chased me and sent me to the batmobile. Three people died because I distracted Batman. When the toxin wore off, Bruce ordered me to go to sleep. I refused and he said that I am now suspended from patrol for two weeks. After a long conversation, not only was I suspended but I finally slept.

Tim: So what’s your point?

Dick: The first one is that change is going to happen whether we like it or not. It’s not what happens that shapes who we are but how we react to the changes that occur in our lives. The world is never going to be the same after this pandemic is over, so you could either adapt, or repeat your mistakes. Second is that it’s okay to not be okay. You are not alone, you have all of us at the mansion to talk to. Third is that people are going to die, and sometimes there is nothing we can do about it. All we can do is learn from what happened to stop it from happening again. And the most important one is to sleep. I know you are under a lot of stress right now, we all are, but how can you expect to save others if you won’t take care of yourself. You need to sleep because if you don’t you’ll eventually die in the field because of the lack of sleep.

[Note: Too wordy. I lost my own attention trying to read this when I originally wrote this.]

Avatar

Jason: Sh ta ta ta ta. *presses his finger to Selina’s lips* Don’t speak, I know just what you’re sayin’, so please stop explainin’.

Selina: Really Jason? How long have you been waiting to use that one?

Jason: *breaks into a dance* All night long, all night.

Stephanie: What is going on with you Jason?

Tim: I know right? You don’t ever listen to Lionel Richie, let alone pop music.

Jason: It’s his fault! *points at Dick* Him and his stupid playlist!

Dick: You said you liked my playlist!

Jason: I only like some of the songs on there! Everything else is trash!

Dick: *gasp* You take that back young man!

Jason: You’re not that much older than I am!

Cassandra: Guys!!! What is The Last Airbender?

Retirement?

Dick pulls up in front of the apartment that Barbara and her family lives in. He takes out his boom box and sets in a cassette tape. He sets the volume to the maximum setting. He holds the boom box over his head as Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” starts playing.

Dick: BABS!!!!

He waits out there for a few minutes until she opens up the window and leans out of it.

Barbara: You Dick!

The song ends and starts playing “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” from Aerosmith.

Dick: BABS! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! PLEASE TALK TO ME!

Neighbor 1: GO HOME!

Dick: I’M DOING THIS FOR LOVE!

Neighbor 2: LOVE IS DEAD YOU SCHMUCK!

Dick: YOU’RE HEART IS DEAD!

Neighbor 3: SHUT THE FUCK UP KID!

Jim Gordon: DICK, IT IS 5 AM! GO THE FUCK HOME!

Dick: FINE!

The next night

Dick walks up to the door to the Gordon family’s apartment. He knocks on the door and Jim opens the door.

Dick: Hey Jim, I was sorta expecting Babs to open the door.

Jim: *looks at the cards in Dick’s hands* Just take a hint kid. You’re making this harder than it needs to be.

Dick: I’m persistent, it’s part of my charm.

Jim: Whatever. *shuts the door*

A minute late Barbara opens the door.

Dick: *holding the cards*

Barbara: *arms folded* They’re facing you.

Dick: *looks down and flips the cards around* “Babs, I know I messed things up by *flips the card* not telling you Helena was staying at the *flips the card* mansion. I want you to know that you are *flips the card*

Barbara: *shuts the door on Dick*

Dick: I still have twenty-something cards left. At least finish reading them.

The next night

Dick walks out of his car carrying a blue french horn. He presses the buzzer for her place and walks back out on the grass. Barbara opens up the window again to see Dick holding the blue french horn. She then shuts the window.

Dick: So can I come in! Come on it’s a Smurf penis!

Neighbor 1: SHE SAID NO KID! GO HOME!

Two days later at the grocery store

Barbara is walking down the aisle looking for food. The music playing over the speakers as a voice replaces the music.

Dick: You’re just to good to be true. Can’t take my eyes off of you. You'd be like Heaven to touch. I wanna hold you so much.

Barbara starts looking around the store for Dick and sees him leaning against a wall with one of the phones.

Dick: *notices Barbara and points to hear and then makes a heart with his hands* At long last, love has arrived. And I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you. *plays the instrumental part on his phone*

A store employee now spots Dick and heads towards him.

Dick: I love you, baby. And if it's quite alright. *struggles to keep possession of the phone* Get away, you’ll sing next. I need you baby *still fighting for the phone* To warm the lonely night. *starts climbing between the wall and the refrigerated section* I love you, baby. Trust in me when I say.

Barbara starts walking away embarrassed.

Dick: Oh, pretty baby, wait Babs, where you going? Babs? Babs? BAAABBS! LET ME ME LOVE YOUUUUU!

[Note: I felt the “How I Met Your Mother” reference would have either not been noticed or wouldn’t be as funny (if you don’t know which one I’m talking about it’s the smurf penis one) so I cut it out.]

_____

Dick: Okay, while things are a bit peaceful now, they’re not going to stay that way forever. Let’s try to plan ahead now and see if we can recruit any former members of Batman Inc. Tim, Steph, and Duke, you guys need to try and convince Luke to come out of retirement.

Duke: Can I have new partners?

Tim: Hey, Steph and I are amazing partners!

[Note: Not subtle.]

_____

Nightwing: Yeah, but as Red Robin, not Tim Drake.

Stephanie: Oh, because what you did the the other night was a total Red Robin move.

The other night

Nightwing: Hey, Spoiler, check this out! *jumps off the roof of a building* YEAH I’M FREEEEEEEE! FREE FAAALLLLLIIIN’! *fires his grappling hook across the street*

Present

Nightwing: You’re point is?

Duke: *mumbles under his breath* I need to find a new family.

_____

Nightwing: *singing as he swings* Arabella's got some interstellar-gator skin boots. And a Helter Skelter 'round her little finger and I ride it endlessly. *arrives at the apartment door and takes out his earbuds*

_____

Dick: *singing karaoke* And I won't listen to your shame. You ran away, you’re all the same. Angels lie to keep control, Ooh, my love was punished long ago, If you still care don't ever let me know, If you still care don't ever let me know!!!!

[Note: I felt like this wasn’t going to be super noticeable, especially the Slipknot one (last one). On top of that it felt like way too many song references just to say that Dick listens to a wide variety of music.]

Swear Jar

Dick: Everyone, please let us take some of your time to head down to the gym right now. The time has come to watch Jason fail a basic pommel horse routine!

Jason: Shut up!

Tim: Wooo! Let’s see Jason eat mat!

Stephanie: I don’t know what to expect but this should to be interesting!

*Everyone else walks in*

Bruce: Okay, lets see it!

Duke: I’ve seen this for the last few weeks so this could go one way or another.

Jason: All of you shut up!

Cassandra: *takes out her phone and records*

Jason: *steps up to the pommel horse and competes a whole routine and falls on his back during the dismount*

Duke: Ooofff.

Dick: *whispers to Tim* Well, your feet separated on the magyar.

Tim: You forgot to salute.

Jason: *salutes with a his middle fingers sticking out* How’s that?

Stephanie: *laughs*

Alfred: Jar, Master Jason.

Tim: Plus, your hands must be as straight as a knife.

Dick: You actually pressed into the handstand.

Jason: Are you guys seriously scoring me?

Damian: *smirks*

Tim: The loop on pommel was piked, legs were bent on you scissors.

Dick: And you didn’t stick your landing so we give you a score of...

Tim and Dick: EAT MAT!!

Bruce: *smirks a bit* Come on boys, be fair. You’re cutting him too much slack.

Dick: Yeah, his toes weren’t pointed, his butt hit the pommel.

Jason: HOW ABOUT YOU EAT SHIT!!!

Alfred: Jar!

[Note: Debated on sharing this one because this one was really just for me. Wasn’t sure if you guys would have liked it. Long way of saying Dick and Tim know gymnastics.]

_____

Tim: Hey, my mom is calling. Dick, you answer the phone.

Dick: Okay. *answers the phone* Hello, Tim isn’t here right now, would you like me to find him?

Tim’s Mom: Yes!

Dick: Okay, let me put you on hold *sings the Mii channel theme*

Dick: *taking a breath* Tim, your mom wants to talk to you. *goes back to singing*

Tim: Obviously I can’t. I’m working.

Dick: Okay, *stops singing* I’m sorry for having you on hold for so long. I can not find Tim so I would assume he is working! I am sure though he will either call you or text you at your earliest convenience. I mean his earliest convenience.

Tim’s Mom: Okay.

[Note: This actually happened but I felt that it was funnier in the moment then written down.]

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Tim: YOU DID NOT SEE ERIC CLAPTON AT THE HOTEL 3 YEARS AGO!!!

Jason: YES I DID!!!!

Tim: HOW, YOU WERE DEAD!!!!

Jason: MAGIC!!!!!

_____

Damian: *knocks on the door*

Jason: *opens the door with a box of Reese’s Puffs* What demon seed?

Damian: Give me back my Reese’s Puffs, Todd!!!

Jason: I don’t know what you’re talking about! This is my box! *finished eating the box of cereal and walks through the house towards the study*

Damian: I NEED MY CHOCOLATEY PEANUT BUTTERY CEREAL!!!! GET ME A NEW BOX!!!!!

Jason: You know how to drive, get it yourself! *moves the hands of the grandfather clock and enters the batcave*

Damian: Father won’t let me.

Jason: Boo hoo. What would you ever do. It’s not like you have a brother who will literally do anything if you give him a hug or another one who you could annoy into getting you some.

Damian: THEY DIDN’T EAT MY REESE’S PUFFS!!!! YOU DID!!!

Jason: You have no proof that I did. *throws the box away* Now piss off! I’m going on patrol! *hops onto his motorcycle and drives to his safe house*

Jason: *opens the door*

Damian: Liar!

Jason: AHHH!!! SON OF A BITCH GET THE FUCK OUT!!!!

Damian: GET ME MY REESE’S PUFFS!!!!!

Jason: FINE!

Damian: YAY!!!

Jason: *drives to the store then to the batcave* Get off!

Damian: Thank you, Todd!!!

Jason: Go fu-

Dick: Jason! Censor yourself!!!

Jason: Whatever *drives back to his safe house and opens the door. turns on the tv and puts in Rent in the dvd player*

Jason: *sighs and sits on the couch* Finally!

_____

Damian: Before you tell me anything, Todd already told me about sex and how I’m a freak of nature because my mother didn’t want to carry me for nine months.

Bruce: JASON!!!!!!!!!

Jason: WHATEVER IT IS, I DIDN’T DO IT!!!!! UNLESS YOU HAVE PROOF THEN I STILL DIDN’T DO IT!!!!!

Thanksgiving

Dick: Smart, toit. Okay I am thankful for Nickleback.

Tim: What the hell!

Duke: *to Bruce* Where did you go wrong?

Jim: *to Barbara* I think it’s time to let go of Dick.

Dick: Hold on, hold on. I am not thankful for Nickleback. If anything they are something I am least thankful for. It’s just what Alfred and Julia said was super serious I had to say something stupid. I’m truly thankful for this pandemic, because I feel it has brought us closer together as a family.

[Note: Not as funny as I thought it was when I thought of it.]

That is most of it. Yet again I hope you guys still enjoyed this and thank you so much for a whole year of this! I probably would have delayed more of these stories until who knows when if I didn’t know that there are people who actually read this! So thank you for a year and thank you for actually making me think of a deadline for all of this!!!!

I’m still working on a story that is going to be pretty long so it’s going to take a while before I publish that, but I have a few smaller stuff that I will try to spread out before I publish the larger one. I will also be posting a more organized version of each of these stories and post the cold open for the next story as a thank you for one whole year!!!

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daringyounggrayson · 6 years ago

Note

“You can’t stay in bed all day” or “Maybe you should sit down” for Dick and Bruce?

Great suggestion! I was able to work both in, I hope you like it :)

of happiness and guilt (AO3)

The lights go out and three noises sound across the tunnelsimultaneously: a scream, a thump, and a hiss. Dick knows the causes, too: thekid he was supposed to be rescuing, a kick to his knee that forces him to theground, and a canister full of fear toxin being released.

Dick instinctively pulls his cape over his face. Feet arepounding down the tunnel, but Dick can’t go after them, he needs to get the kidout. He presses his comm. “Batman.” He holds back a cough and wobbles as hetests out how much weight his knee can take. “Found Scarecrow. He’s gettingaway.”

“Tracking your location now,” Bruce replies calmly. “Thechild?”

“With me, getting him out now.” He clicks his comm off whenBruce gives his grunt of approval and starts limping toward where the scream hadsounded. “Travis? I’m Robin, I’m going to get you out of here.”

His throat burns and his eyes are starting to water. Thefear gas will kick in any moment.

“Get away! Get away! Get away!” the kid screams at him as hegets closer, causing him to gulp down even more gas.

“Dick.”

Dick ignores the almost-sweet hiss in his ear—a hallucination, not real, just a hallucination—andholds his hands up to show he means no harm. “I know you’re scared, buteverything is going to be okay. I promise.”

The kid is fighting against the handcuffs, and each slapagainst the bar echoes throughout the space. “No! No! No!”

“Look at me, Dickie. Don’tyou want to see Mommy?”

“I’m going to give you something,” Dick warns the kid as hepulls out his last dose of anti-toxin. “A quick pinch, and then we’re out ofhere.”

“No, Mary, he doesn’t.Why would he want to see us when he doesn’t even miss us? Look how happy he is—he’sprobably glad we’re dead.”

“Momma! Momma, help!”

“We’ll go get Momma next.” Dick grips the kid’s arm, holdingit steady so he can do the injection. “Good job,” Dick says when he’s done.“I’m just going to get these cuffs off, then I’ll take you home.”

The kid whimpers at him.

“I know you’re scared, but everything’s going to be okay.”

The kid latches on to Dick’s wrist with fierce urgency.“Don’t let it take me,” he begs in a trembling voice.

“I won’t. I promise.” Dick smiles at him and cuts the cuffswith a quick snap.

“Look at us!”

He gets the kid situated on his back and slowly stumbles outof the tunnel. His knee hurts and protests every step, but there’s nothing tobe done about it. At least the kid isn’t fighting him.

It takes too long to get to where the police are waiting,but when he gets there, Travis’s mom is with them. She plucks her boy up with ateary thank you and buries her face in his hair.

“I used to hold youlike that. Do you remember that? Do you miss that?”

“Or did you findsomeone to replace that too?”

“Hey kid, you listening?” a hand on his shoulder makes himflinch, the flinch makes him stumble.

Dick looks at the officer, tries to focus on the present insteadof the rotting faces of his dead parents and their bent necks. “I’m fine.”

“Where’s Batman?”

“I’m fine,” Dick repeats, the actual question not processinguntil after he’s already answered.

“Being replaced isn’twhat hurts the most, though, little Robin. No, of course someone else would filla needed role. It’s your preferencethat’s the problem.”

He squeezes his eyes shut and curls in on himself, slappinghis hands over his ears even though some part of his brain tells him it won’tdo anything. He feels sick, like he’s going to puke. Maybe he already did.

“If you could changethings, you wouldn’t, would you? You’d keep us dead—murdered. If you went backin time, you wouldn’t say anything. You’d watch me fall. You’d let me and yourmom fall. You’d watch with a smile and then happily run to Bruce.”

Hands are on him against—realor fake? real or fake?—and they make him feel trapped, they make him feellike he’s burning. “Maybe you should sit down. Take a few breaths, yeah? It’sbeen a long evening for everyone.”

“Robin.”

Dick snaps his head up at that voice, and for a second, hegets some clarity and the fake hands are gone. He steps toward Batman and theofficer removes his real hands.

“Would you miss him ifhe died? What about four years later? Or would you just forget him and findanother replacement?”

“I think he got some of that fear gas, Batman,” the officerwarns.

“I’ll take care of it.” Batman puts a hand on Dick’s backand Dick gasps, stepping out of his reach on shaky legs; Bruce doesn’t try totouch him again. Instead, he presses a button on his belt to call the car.“Scarecrow is subdued; tell Gordon to search the tunnels.”

“Okay, what about—”

Tires screech as the Batmobile comes to a sudden stop. Heand Batman both jump in, and then they’re racing away seconds later.

“How bad?” Bruce asks immediately.

“We always knew whensomething was wrong. We cared. We loved you. And this is how you repay us? Byreplacing us with a man who puts your life at risk every night?”

Dick is leaned forward on his knees, hands in his hair.“Fine.” Just ghosts. Just voices. Just guilt.

Bruce nods. “Did you take something?

“You’re a terribleson.”

Dick shakes his head. “I ran out.”

“Hnn. We’re not far.”

When they get back to the cave, Alfred is waiting with themed bay prepped and one of the antidotes sitting on a tray. They do theinjection first, then Alfred examines his knee. His parents sit by him thewhole time, reminding him what an awful person he is for moving on andforgetting them. Bruce just reminds him that it can take ten minutes for theantidote to fully kick in. He tells him to focus on his breathing, but Dick can’t because it’s being drowned out byhis parents’ accusations.

Normally, Dick would distract himself by talking, especiallyafter a night like tonight. Scarecrow had been on the run wreaking havoc foralmost a week, and tonight he kidnapped the son of the lawyer who helped puthim away. Dick saved the kid all by himself and he helped Bruce track downScarecrow, who is now heading back to Arkham. It should be a victory, but noneof it means anything to him.

(Lately, nothing means anything to him.)

He doesn’t talk tonight—just nods or shakes his head whenprompted—and instead chooses to focus on his knee. It screams at him with each painfulthrob, almost as loud as his parents. It doesn’t work as well as he knowstalking would, but it’s better than counting the lengths of his breaths.

Alfred forces ibuprofen into his hand and puts some ice onhis knee. All of his tendons and ligaments are in place, it’s just sprained andbadly bruised. It will be back to normal in a week or two, but he’ll have towear a knee brace for a few days and ice it until the swelling goes down. Twentyminutes later, Alfred takes the ice away and helps him into a knee brace beforesending him to bed.

“Can you make it?” Bruce asks as Dick slides off the gurney.

His knee hurts, but it’s not as unstable. He’ll test hisluck with the stairs. “I’ve got it.”

“The antidote is working?”

“Uh-huh.”

“If you need anything.” Bruce rests his hand on Dick’sshoulder, looks him in the eye.

Sometimes, after nights like this, Bruce will sit with himuntil he falls asleep. But the ghosts he’s carrying wouldn’t be happy to seehim seek comfort from the stand-in parent, and frankly, neither would Dick. Asmuch as he wants comfort, it would only make him feel worse right now.

Dick tugs away. “Night.”

oOo

He forgets to set his alarm. This happens. Alfred knows thisand there’s a system in place. His alarm not going off is not a reason for himto be late for school.

“Dick, come on, we’re going to be late.” Bruce is in here.Alfred sent him in.

“I don’t feel good,” Dick mumbles from where he’s buried in blankets.

“So Alfred tells me. He also said you didn’t have a fever.”

“I didn’t say I have a fever,” Dick says, scowl evident inhis voice, “I said I don’t feel good.”

“The fear toxin should be out of your system by now.”

“It is.” And it’s the truth. It just left him with a bittertaste, some things to think about.

“What you saw—are you still on edge?”

Dick ignores him.

Bruce sighs, and Dick can picture him scrubbing his handover his face. “You know that sometimes recovering from the effects can take aday or two. If that’s the case, you need to tell me.”

It’s not the gas. It has nothing to do with the gas and everything to do with Dick. And right now, Dick wants Brucenowhere near him.

“Go away.”

“Did something happen at school then? Is someone … is someone bullying you?”

Dick rolls his hidden eyes.

“Dick, just tell me what’s going on.”

“I told you: I don’t feel good.”

A rush of cold air hits him as Bruce loses his patience andrips Dick’s sheets away from him.

Dick flips over and glares at Bruce as he pulls his blanketsback over his head. Bruce looks mad. “I’m not going today. You can’t make me.”It’s childish, but today it’s true. Not even Dick could make himself go if hewanted to.

“We leave in five minutes. Put on some clothes; maybe Alfredwill fix you something to eat in the car.”

Dick does not end up going to school that morning. Bruce andAlfred talk in passionate, hushed tones in the hallway, but Dick can’t be botheredto pay attention to them. Bruce comes back in, calmer this time, going for whatDick expects to be a more sympathetic tactic. But there is no tactic. He justsays that Dick can stay home and that they’ll talk later. Dick doesn’t look athim, keeps his face shoved in his pillow so that Bruce can’t see the silenttears starting to spill onto his face.

Bruce sighs and runs his fingers through Dick’s hair beforeleaving. Once Dick is sure he’s out of earshot, he lets himself cry as loud andas hard as he can until he has no more tears left.

It’s ironic that’s he’s crying like this, because the thingis, Dick is happy. Really happy. Andit’s been making him guilty for a while now.

oOo

At 4:27, there’s a knock on his bedroom door.

“Hey, chum.”

The anger Dick was feeling earlier that morning is gone. Nowhe mostly just feels apathetic. He forces, “Hi.”

“Alfred says you haven’t moved or eaten anything since I left.”

That isn’t exactly true: Alfred kept coming in every sooften to insist he elevate and ice his knee, forcing Dick to flip onto his backeach time.

He tells none of this to Bruce. Had he been feeling better,he would’ve openly done so with a cheeky grin. Now, he just says one word witha tone of indifference: “So?”

“So, we’re concerned. I’m concerned.”

Dick just shrugs.

“How about we go for a walk on the grounds and talk for abit?” Bruce suggests. “Some light movement will be good for your knee.”

“Pass.”

“What about a pull-up contest then? If I remember correctly,you were wanting a rematch.”

There’s a very long pause. When it’s clear Dick isn’t goingto answer (and Bruce has thought of something to say), he tells Dick firmly,“You can’t stay in bed all day.”

Isn’t that what I’msupposed to say to you? “It’s been working so far.”

Bruce sighs, and the bed creaks as he sits down on themattress. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say here, kiddo.”

Dick doesn’t know either, so he stays silent. Maybe if he’sstill and quiet enough, Bruce will leave. Maybe Dick will disappear.

“Dick, if you won’t talk to me, I can’t help you.” Bruce islosing his calm, sympathetic tone. His patience is running low, but Dick’s isrunning out faster.

“If you really wanted to help, you would leave me alone.”

“I’ll leave as soon as you tell me what’s wrong.”

Dick snaps into a sitting position, yells, “Nothing is wrong!”

Bruce’s eyes tighten as they meet Dick’s, but his tone isn’taggressive. “Clearly something iswrong, and I know whatever it is has been bothering you long before lastnight.”

“I already told you,” Dick says, and his eyes are fillingwith hot tears again. “Everything is fine. I’m happy. Don’t you get it?

Bruce reaches out, tries to grab Dick’s shoulder, but Dick putshis arms around himself and curls away. Bruce lets his hand fall back down, headmits, “I don’t follow.”

“I shouldn’t be happy!”Dick says, hands gesturing wildly to emphasize his point. “I don’t deserve it,it’s wrong.”

Bruce grabs his hands and pulls them down. “Of course youdeserve to be happy. Why would you think otherwise?”

“Because—” He debates for a second on what he should say.“Am I a bad son?”

“Where the hell is that coming from?”

“My parents are dead, Bruce, and I’m happy.” Dick tugs his hands away from Bruce’s and looks everywherebut Bruce. “Everything is great and I, I don’t miss them anymore. I mean, I do.Of course I do, but I don’t—not likeI used to. I like my life the way it is now and I don’t think I’d want it tochange.”

Bruce’s face falls as he understands what Dick is gettingat. “Dick.”

“And I’m forgetting them,” Dick continues in an almostdesperate, rambling confession. “Like, I still remember them in general, but Ican’t remember what they smelled like or what their voices sounded like or theway they moved—all the details are disappearing. And I never got to really knowthem. I only knew them as parents; I’ll never know who they actually were.”

Bruce wipes a tear from Dick’s cheek with his thumb.

“After it happened, I used to wish for them to come back,but I don’t do that anymore. It’s not that I want them dead or that I’m happy because they’re gone, it’s just—it’sjust that—"

“You’ve moved on,” Bruce finishes for him. “You went througha great loss, but you worked through it and rebuilt. That’s a good thing, Dick,and it doesn’t make you a bad son at all.”

Dick’s lip trembles as he looks up at Bruce with big eyes.“But I replaced them. I’ll have more years of you as a parent than I did withthem, you’ll make up almost all of the memories. It’s like I’m erasing theirexistence just by being here.” Here withyou.

Dick’s words hang in the air, making the room thick withtension. Dick is so lost in it that he can’t process Bruce’s voice.

“Do you think I replaced my parents with Alfred?”

“What?”

“I said: Do you think I replaced my parents with Alfred?”

“N-no.”

“Good. Because I didn’t, and neither did you. People can’tbe replaced, even if we want to replace them—which I don’t think you did. Andjust because new people come into our lives doesn’t mean we have to get rid of otherpeople to make room, dead or alive. Do you understand?”

Dick nods.

“I’ve told you that I’ve had mental health problems since I wasyoung, and they got worse during my teens.” Dick nods again. “I used to feelguilty about this kind of stuff too. Survivor’s guilt. I saw a therapist forit, and maybe it’s time to consider having you see one.”

Dick lets himself fall into Bruce’s shoulder, and Bruce holdshis head there with his hand

“You can’t grieve forever,” Bruce says quietly. “Justbecause they’re gone doesn’t mean we have to force ourselves to be miserable. Theywould want us to be happy and live our lives.”

“I don’t want to forget them,” Dick says. “I love them, andforgetting is like losing them again. What am I supposed to do if I loseeverything?”

Bruce pauses for a long moment, then rests his chin onDick’s hair. “Tell me something you do remember.”

Dick thinks for a minute, eyes going to the ceiling as hetries to focus in on something tangible. “They never made their bed. I would pointit out whenever they told me to make mine, and then my dad would say that they werejust saving it for me to do.” Dick gives a small, breathy laugh. “Then he wouldlook to my bed and stage-whisper that I clearly needed practice.”

“What else?” Bruce prompts, and Dick tries to tell himeverything.

oOo

One day after school, a few weeks after Dick’s talk withBruce, he walks into his bedroom to find a giant box sitting on his bed. Hedrops his bag on the floor and goes to open it. On the top is a card thatreads, “A celebration of John and Mary Grayson.” Inside of it, he finds journals,a few VCR tapes, photo albums, and letters. He smiles and his eyes well up withhappy tears. He shakily grabs the first photo album.

There’s a sticky note on the front that reads: Photos aretreasures in themselves, but they’re even better with context –Bruce

Dick frowns a little but flips it open anyway. As expected,he finds pages full of pictures, but each one has a little notecard explainingwhat was going on and when. There are photos ranging from when his parents wereyoung all the way up until they died. As Dick reads through the notes, herealizes just how many people Bruce must have tracked down for these. They alltook place at Haley’s or during that time, so they’re probably from people whoworked with them. Haley probably gave Bruce contact information as a startingpoint, and then maybe the Bat-computer to supplement that, but still. It musthave taken a lot of time.

The videos are all labeled, but there aren’t many and nonehave notecards like the photos. One says “Dick’s first steps,” another says“Dick’s first flight (Trapeze).” Others seem to be general family videos andfilmed trapeze routines. One is a wedding video.

The journals are more planners than journals, mostly filledwith show and training schedules. But every few months, there’s a real journalentry and update. They’re filled with both rants and excitement, and one pagehas scrawl all over it that slightly resembles the letters R-I-C-H-A-R-D. It’scircled with a note that says it was the first time Dick wrote his namecorrectly. Other pages have doodles on them, drawings that must have beenDick’s. They’re surrounded by better drawings, clearly drawn by one or both ofhis parents.

Then there are the letters. Some are notes that his parentsleft for each other in passing and then saved. Other letters are written forDick by people who knew them. They talk about good memories, what kind oftrouble they got into as kids, what kind of people they were, their hobbies andinterests outside of trapeze, and always how much they loved Dick.

There are a few other miscellaneous items in the box. Some ofit is merch from Haley’s back when the Flying Grayson first made their debut, andthen there are a few books. Most of them were used by Mary and/or Johnthemselves, but one or two are new copies of books they had loved. The rest areC.D.s and a few cassette tapes, all with notes saying who liked them and whenor what their favorite track on it was. There was one cassette tape from aRoger who said he had gone on a road trip with Dick’s parents back when theywere all teenagers. The attached tape had apparently gotten stuck in the playerand it was all they were able to listen to for the rest of the trip.

By the time he’s pulled everything out and flipped throughsome of it, two hours have passed and there are itchy lines on his cheeks werehis tears had dried. He packs his box back up and slides it under his bed forsafekeeping—it’s time to find Bruce.

Luckily, Bruce isn’t hard to find. He’s in the den with abasketball game on, but he’s looking down at his phone, probably at a news report.

Dick runs over to him, falling over the back of the couch tohug him as tight as he can. “Thank you, Bruce. I loved it.”

“Anytime, chum.” Bruce ruffles Dick’s hair. “Anytime.”

#dick grayson #robin #bruce wayne #batman #batfamily #fear toxin #hmmm it's almost one in the morning #elizabeth writes

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schweeeppess · 6 years ago

Note

Oh oh oh, H (hallucination) and K (kidnapped) with a character of your choice? (You can ignore this if you want 😂)

(continuation to the last request I posted, per request on ao3)

He woke with a start, mouth curling open in a silent scream as fire laced throughout his body.

Dick’s brain was way too slow to catch up to his consciousness, so he was left to wildly look around and heave for air when the fire turned off, blinking to clear his vision rapidly. Where was he? What happened? Did fire just turn off now? Dick was pretty sure that technology wasn’t invented yet, right? You can’t just turn fire off like that?

Well, like, unless you had a lighter maybe.

But wait. The fire was all over his body. You couldn’t just turn that much fire off like that.

…could you?

No. No, he was missing something.

Forcing his eyes open again–when had he closed them?–Dick looked around, trying to focus harder this time.

One of the first things he noticed was that, geez, his head was trying to start an aneurysm with a headache, and the rest was that his ribs were probably broken, his ankle was definitely broken, so was his arm, and he had a small cut that itched on his jaw.

It itched.

Like, a lot.

Dick made a face, trying to relieve the itch some. But it didn’t work. His face still itched.

Moving on, Dick looked around, brain catching up to him and bringing with it memories of what happened before.

Ohh, yeah. The headache was his fault. Damn previous Dick.

Ha. That was funny.

Which, yeah, it was, but Dick was supposed to be focusing and trying to get himself out.

He blinked and shook his head (which was a bad idea he regretted immediately) to look around for the third time goddamnint.

So, he was two things.

Number one: trapped and kidnapped. Which, yay, these are always fun.

Wait that probably came out wrong. He meant fun dryly. Not like, excitedly. Fucking–he was moving on.

Two: Fucking screwed.

Directly in front of him was a gun, laser sight pointed straight at his forehead (which he could only guess, since he tried crossing his eyes to see to only worsen his headache, hell), and timer ticking down happily behind it.

According to the bright blue numbers Dick only had five minutes left to live.

Funnily enough, he couldn’t really muster up a reaction for that. He just, kind of, stared.

…and pouted. Because, that was either a figment of his imagination, or fucking Bruce was standing there, arms crossed, facing the gun.

Not Batman, though. Bruce.

So, yeah, he was probably hallucinating.

Joy.

Well, at least he had company for the–

Four, it was four minutes.

At least he had company for his last–wait now it was three minutes, whoops–few minutes left alive.

Dick hummed, because Not-Bruce was so much like actual Bruce in the way that he didn’t say anything, and it occurred to him that he probably had a concussion. It didn’t really seem like a big deal, though. He was dying anyways. He heard you didn’t have to deal with stuff like phantom pains when you were dead, which, actually, didn’t make sense.

Phantom. Aren’t they those things that are like ghosts? So shouldn’t they feel pain too?

He wasn’t sure. Dick could be wrong.

A-ha. Another funny thought. Dick was wrong. Haha.

Wait he probably looked crazy.

The thought made Dick pause and sober his expression, for a minute at least.

Then he was cracking up, both inwardly and outwardly.

According to that little timer he had a whole minute left to live–what did he care how crazy he seemed? He was about to die. Who the fuck gave a shit?

Not him was who.

Dick watched the timer tick lower and lower and a thought had him wondering if Jason felt like he did or worse. Concussions tended to make things weird. Did Jaybird have a concussion before he blew up?

Well, Dick wasn’t blowing up. He was getting shot through the skull. So maybe it was a different feeling. But maybe not because both things ended in death, anyways, right? Did Jason die immediately? Dick would.

Maybe he’d come back to life too, like Jason did, but Dick doubted it. It would be funny though, for Jason not to be the only zombie in their family.

Or, Damian was one too, technically, right?

Jason should have started a dead Robins club. He’d have been the spokesperson, and Damian the senior board member. Ha. What a morbid and exclusive club.

Hey, there were only thirty seconds left. Why did he hear screaming coming from behind him? What was behind him? Dick tried to look and realized he was laying on a bed. The gun was above him, pointed down, which made sense now. That was why his back was cold.

Except, was he naked? Damn it. Why did everyone want to see him naked? Even that doctor chick in Spyral saw him bare-assed. Dick was tired of being naked.

Which he realized he wasn’t when he noticed his butt wasn’t as cold as his back was.

Cool. He’d die with some dignity then.

The timer tick, tick, ticked, and Dick closed his eyes.

He’d be seeing his parents sooner than he thought.

Requests: Open

Tags: @mizmahlia @boosyboo9206 @an-all-write-life @lovelywally-deactivated20181210 @avengerdragoness @crazyfreckledginger @red-balistic @solis200213 @emmadevr @tomscaprisun @queen-fighter @jaybird-rednerd @shirokokuro @aaren-27 @osejn @v01d-ch1ld @angstytodd

#my writing #my work #my fanfiction #prompt #request #an-all-write-life #Sunbeam #ma sis #tumblr fam #Dick Grayson #Nightwing #Whump #Angst #I hope you enjoyed it!

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phantom-le6 · 3 years ago

Text

Episode Reviews - Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 (5 of 10)

Our next instalment of episodes from Batman: The Animated Series season 1 will bring us to a major highlight episode of the series, but first we begin with an introduction to another Batman’s various foes.

Episode 27: Mad as a Hatter

Plot (as given by me):

Wayne Enterprises scientist Jervis Tetch has been neglecting development of microchips to enhance the potential of the human brain, focusing instead on similar technology that acts to allow one person to control others. While Bruce Wayne is accommodating to Tetch, his supervisor Dr Cates is far less understanding. Tetch is comforted by co-worker Alice Pleasance, with whom Tetch is smitten but unable to obtain due to her having a boyfriend.

In private, Tetch contemplates either leaving Alice alone or using his mind control devices on her, but neither option appeals to him; he can’t give up on her, but he doesn’t want her to be a mindless shell either. However, when he learns Alice has had a fight with her boyfriend and the relationship is over, Tetch decides to woo her. He takes her out for a night on the town, dressing himself up to resemble the Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and using mind-control devices to make other people serve him, creating the impression he is a man of great reputation in Gotham. Along the way, he uses two of the devices to stop two muggers and tells them to jump off a bridge.

The attempted suicide draws the attention of Batman, who saves the criminals and recognises the technology involved as Tetch’s work. The next day, Tetch is infuriated to learn that after his ‘date’ with Alice, her boyfriend apologised and proposed to her, resulting in them becoming engaged. At the same time, Cates informs Tetch that Wayne wants to see him. As a result, Tetch takes control of Cates and leaves, then takes control of Alice’s boyfriend to make him break their engagement off. That evening, Tetch tries to woo Alice again, but he is confronted at her apartment by Batman. Forced to even greater extremes, Tetch sets two mind-controlled henchmen dressed as the Walrus and the Carpenter on Batman, then puts a mind control device on Alice before fleeing with her.

Examining one of the Mad Hatter-style mind control cards and learning the card component came from Storybook Land, a literary-based park, Batman goes there to confront Tetch. Battling his way through an army of mind-controlled people, among them Billy and Dr Cates, and overcoming various wonderland-themed obstacles, Batman finally subdues Tetch. Billy removes Alice’s mind-control headband, freeing her while Tetch watches brokenheartedly from where a Jabberwock statue has him pinned.

Review:

The Mad Hatter is apparently a Batman villain who has been around for a long time according to Wikipedia, going right back to an initial appearance in comics back in 1948. However, unlike some of Batman’s other rogues he doesn’t get draw as much attention when it comes to adaptations. Certainly, his only appearances in Batman films have been the animated direct-to-home-release ones, but he’s managed to make a few good showings in TV show adaptations, this one included. The basic elements of his character, namely an obsession with the works of Lewis Carol in general and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in particular, and mind-controlling people are both incorporated into this episode. However, the episode incorrectly shortens the book title to Alice in Wonderland, doubtless due to Disney and others shortening it in adaptations before this.

It’s a decent introductory episode, and while we can initially empathise a little with Tetch over the unrequited love aspect of his story, his increasingly disturbing use of mind control to win the day for himself swiftly puts his creep factor through the roof. While his motives remain understandable throughout, his methods simply make him someone you’re not going to really feel for by about half-way through at the latest. Overall, I’d give the whole thing 8 out of 10.

Episode 28: Dream in Darkness

Plot (as given by me):

Batman is trapped in a cell at Arkham Asylum, restrained in a straitjacket and not being listened to by the doctors as he warns them of imminent danger to Gotham. A few days before, Batman interfered with someone’s plans to poison the water supply of a local spa, and in the process was exposed to some kind of gaseous chemical. Initially believing himself to be unaffected, Batman later began to experience terrifying hallucinations. Batman later gained confirmation that he was affected from Dr Wu, the hospital doctor treating the would-be saboteur. However, as treatment would put Batman out of action for too long, the dark knight proceeded to Arkham, having deduced the gas to be the Scarecrow’s work.

Crashing the Batmobile due to another hallucination, Batman has now been admitted to Arkham, where the staff are clueless to Scarecrow’s escape. However, when a check of Scarecrow’s room reveals he has escaped, Batman deduces he is actually beneath the asylum. There is a river running through the caverns under the asylum that provides Gotham with water, and Scarecrow is going to put his fear chemicals in the water; the attempt on the spa was a test-run for this. The doctors try to stop Batman due to him still being affected by the fear chemicals, but he is ultimately able to overcome them and get to the caverns.

In the caverns, Batman battles the Scarecrow’s men and his own hallucinations to foil Scarecrow’s plan, and in the process, Scarecrow is exposed to his own chemicals. While Scarecrow is returned to the care of the asylum, Batman finally takes the treatment back in the Batcave and sleeps.

Review:

This is an ok Scarecrow episode whose plot mirrors part of what would end up being the overall story of the 2005 film Batman Begins. It’s also kind of interesting to see Batman being treated as an asylum inmate, although the episode doesn’t really explore the premise as fully as a live-action Batman show might. In fact, this is a key reason why I’d like to see someone do a live-action Batman show instead of a Bruce Wayne/Jim Gordon prequel like Gotham or a spin-off character show like Batwoman. Batman is a character that makes for better TV fodder than film fodder, but sadly no TV show fully does him justice. Even this series, iconic as it is, falls short at times because of its animated and supposedly child-friendly nature. All in all, I’d give this episode 6 out of 10.

Episode 29: Eternal Youth

Plot (as given by me):

As Bruce Wayne angrily threatens to fire one of his executives for making a deal with a slash-and-burn company, he and Alfred stumble upon a video invitation to the ‘Eternal Youth Spa’ in Bruce’s mail. The video invites Bruce for a free weekend at the spa, but Bruce declines. Instead, Alfred is convinced to go along with his lady friend Maggie. At the spa, they are welcomed by scientist Dr Daphne Demeter, who has imbued everything at the spa with a restorative chemical she called Demetrite. Alfred is sceptical at first, but changes his mind upon sampling the spa’s food and water.

Meanwhile, Batman learns a number of corporate executives have disappeared, and when he investigates, he finds one has received the same video invite to the spa that he did. He calls Alfred, who claims the executive in question checked out some weeks ago and has seen nothing untoward, but Batman remains unconvinced. When Alfred returns, he becomes something of a green fanatic, continuing to consume Demetrite and filling the Batcave with plants. However, when Alfred collapses, Batman grows even more concerned and begins an analysis of the Demetrite. Batman’s analysis reveals the chemical can turn human plasma into plant matter, and when he tries to warn Alfred, he finds that his butler has left.

Alfred and Maggie have been drawn back to the spa, but soon find themselves transformed into trees. When Batman follows, it turns out Dr Demeter is actually Poison Ivy; she has been luring corporate executives to her spa to turn them into trees as punishment for business decisions that caused devastation to plant life. Apparently, Alfred and Maggie were targeted in Bruce Wayne’s absence due to the brief-lived deal with the slash-and-burn operation, but Ivy explains her victims are only covering in a tree-like exo-skeleton at the moment; a full transformation will take months of additional spraying.

Ivy then tries to have Batman transformed, but he’s coated his uniform with a herbicidal antidote. He quickly subdues Ivy’s henchwomen, but in trying to tackle Ivy, the chemical enzyme is spilled and causes a massive tree to grow, pinning Ivy to the roof of the spa’s greenhouse before crashing through. In the aftermath, Ivy’s henchwomen are arrested and her victims cured, but Ivy herself is missing. Later, Bruce tries to cheer Alfred and Maggie up with the ill-chosen gift of a plant.

Review:

Out first Poison Ivy episode since she was introduced very early in the series, and to be honest it’s not a great follow-up. Again, we have a mystery that isn’t really a mystery because Ivy’s involvement is given away very early on, making it a boring slog as you watch Batman try to catch up with what the audience already knows. We also have the random one-off character of Maggie as a possible love interest for Alfred…why? Based on my knowledge of the comics, not only does she seem to be a one-off character for the show, but in the comics Alfred had a bit of a love interest in Dr Leslie Thompkins. To my mind, putting both of Bruce’s surrogate parents would have made far more sense. I’m giving this one a meagre 4 out of 10 and hoping for better on the next episode.

Episode 30: Perchance to Dream

Plot (as given by me):

Batman pursues some criminals into a warehouse, but is then knocked out. Coming to back at Wayne Manor, he finds that everything has changed; the Batcave is gone, he’s engaged to Selina Kyle and his parents are still alive. Even stranger, while Bruce is talking with Selina at Wayne Enterprises, they both see Batman intervene in foiling a jewellery heist. Going to see Dr Leslie Thompkins as the only doctor he can trust, Bruce is lead to believe his life as Batman was a disassociation fantasy, something he created to compensate for his hollow life as a rich playboy.

Bruce is ready to embrace this until he tries to read something and finds all the words are jumbled and make no sense. Realising this is all somehow linked to the Batman, Bruce runs away, picking up supplies at a sporting goods store but then abandoning them to escape the police. Finding his way to a belltower he knows to be part of the Batman’s nightly patrol, Bruce confronts “Batman”, and discovers Jervis Tetch, AKA the Mad Hatter, behind the mask. It turns out Bruce, the real Batman, is in a dream machine created by Tetch. The machine reveals nothing to the outside world, so Bruce’s dual identity remains safe; its purpose is to create an ideal reality the occupant of the machine won’t want to escape.

Bruce deduced that he was in a dream based on his inability to dream, claiming that reading was a function of the opposite side of the brain to the one generating dreams. He refuses to live a lie and further deduces that killing himself in the dreamscape will awaken him in the real world. To that end, he hurls himself from the top of the bell tower, and reawakens in the warehouse as Batman. Quickly defeating Tetch’s henchmen, Batman demands to know why Tetch put him in the dream machine. Breaking down into tears, Tetch reveals he was so desperate to have the Batman not interfere with his life, he was willing to give his foe any life he wanted.

Review:

For the first time since the early episodes of this show, we have a Batman villain making a return appearance only a few episodes after they initially show up, and unlike the recent Poison Ivy episode, the mystery isn’t revealed too early. It takes a while to discover what is behind Bruce suddenly not being Batman, but even then, the episode isn’t quite as well-executed as it could be. Part of this is based on an episode of Justice League Unlimited, which used a similar concept but to better effect. However, a far larger part is based on a graphic novel in the Justice League series entitled ‘Divided We Fall’.

The graphic novel in question occurs right after ‘Tower of Babel’, a story arc in which contingency plans created by Batman for taking down his fellow heroes were stolen and used by Ra’s Al Ghul. In the climax of the follow-up arc, an energy-based being known as Id was altering reality based on the wishes of people it encountered. One wish, made by Superman, was that the members of the Justice League didn’t have to have dual identities that made it difficult for the team members to trust each other. As a result of that wish, those members of the league who had dual identities became split into their separate identities.

The split didn’t last because the members found that each half of themselves stabilised the other, and in Batman’s case, the Batman persona was a vessel through which Bruce Wayne could direct his aggression and frustration over being helpless to save his parents. Now granted, that story came to the comics years after this episode, but for me it’s the definitive idea of how Bruce would react to not being Batman if you didn’t go back and change history to achieve that. Bruce would never come close to accepting not being Batman in any situation where he had any memory, any awareness of being Batman, and as such I can’t buy into even the brief moments where he ends up being ok with it. It’s just not who he is, plain and simple. My end score for this episode is 5 out of 10.

Episode 31: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy

Plot (as given by me):

When bearer bonds ear-marked for humanitarian aid are coerced from a diplomatic courier by means of a death trap, Batman suspects the involvement of one Josiah Wormwood, also known as The Interrogator. To confirm Wormwood is in Gotham, Batman visits Baron Wacklaw Josek, an associate of Wormwood’s, and tries to intimidate him into leaving Gotham for a while. Later, Wormwood meets with Josek, who asks him to obtain the Batman’s cape and cowl. Wormwood wants to know why Josek wants them, but Josek will only reveal this if Wormwood will tell him who hired him to steal the bearer bonds, something Wormwood refuses to disclose.

Batman is later summoned to Gotham Police Headquarters by Commissioner Gordon via the Bat-Signal, where he learns one of Wormwood’s rhyming riddle invitations has been left. The note leads Batman to Traintown, a heritage railway park where Wormwood tries to use the trains as a death-trap. However, Batman is more resourceful than Wormwood expected and escapes, forcing Wormwood to prepare a second trap. This time, he sets the death trap at DeLarue’s Wax Museum, and this time the trap proves too much for Batman, forcing him to hand over his cape and cowl. As a precaution, Batman has a secondary mask under his cowl, so his dual identity is not revealed.

At Josek’s office, Wormwood makes his delivery and his desire to know what Josek will do with the cape and cowl prompts him to finally explain the bearer bond theft. At this point, it is revealed that the Josek Wormwood dealt with was really Batman in disguise; the real Josek left Gotham as Batman had earlier insisted. Wormwood tries to escape with the key that is required to retrieve the bonds, but Batman battles him and ultimately defeats him. The bonds are recovered and Wormwood sent to prison, where Batman sends him his cape and cowl with a rhyming riddle-clue note of his own.

Review:

After a stretch of several proper Batman rogues, it can be nice to get an episode that takes a break and does something different, but this episode isn’t the best break the show could have gone for. The riddle-style clues, while meant to be more rhymes than riddles, shouldn’t have been just because they’re a hallmark of the Riddler (who the show had yet to introduce its version of) or Cluemaster (a more lucid professional criminal who copied the Riddler’s M.O. in the comics to avoid suspicion). I also don’t like the ending where Batman sends his own riddle clue in return; it’s too silly an action to come from a character like Batman, which just makes me think no one took this episode seriously. It seems to just be a ‘let’s put Batman in a bunch of death traps because we’ve not done enough of these’. People, for goodness’ sake, if you want a show about a DC superhero getting out of death traps, make a show for Mr Miracle. I give this episode 4 out of 10.

Episode 32: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 1)

Plot (as given by me):

A stake-out at a construction site results in Batman and Robin tackling a gang of protection racketeers in the bones of an incomplete skyscraper. Capturing one of the criminals for interrogation, the dynamic duo press him for the name of the person running the protection rackets in Gotham. The criminal gives up the name of Billy Marin, which prompts Batman to dismiss Robin to grab the Batmobile, using the time alone with the criminal to extract more information. Batman then returns Robin to the Batcaver before leaving again, refusing to explain his sudden shift in attitude.

Suspecting the mention of Marin’s name is what caused Batman’s sudden change in attitude, Robin looks up the name on the Batcaver computer, and learns that Billy Marin is an alias for Tony Zucco. Robin then flashes back to his childhood; back then he was Dick Grayson, one-third of the Flying Graysons trapeze act at Haley’s Circus. His parents were the other two-thirds of the act. One day, the young Dick saw Tony Zucco arguing with Mr Haley, who refused to pay protection money to Zucco, prompting Zucco to threaten Haley in return.

That night during a charity event for the Wayne Foundation, Dick’s parents fell to their deaths as a result of Zucco sabotaging the trapeze ropes. Having been in the audience, Bruce Wayne remained behind and learned from Jim Gordon that the boy had no family, and while the circus folks wanted to take Dick in, his status as a material witness to the crime meant he could be in danger. As a result, Bruce offered to take Dick into his care at Wayne Manor. Dick was given the room that was Bruce’s as a child.

Meanwhile, Batman experiences his own flashback to the same period in time. Leaving Dick in the capable hands of Alfred, Bruce went out looking for Zucco as Batman. Going undercover to some back-alley street gambling, he learned Zucco was being sheltered by his uncle Arnold Stromwell, and proceeded to press Stromwell on the matter as Batman. Leaving behind a bug, Batman listened in as Stromwell disowned Zucco, but he was then discovered by one of Stromwell’s guard. In the ensuing conflict, Zucco made his mistake. Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred convinced Bruce to give more time to Dick, and the two orphans bonded over their shared loss.

In the present, Robin radios Batman in anger, demanding that he be allowed to be in on finally apprehending Zucco. Batman refuses and cuts the radio link, prompting Robin to head out on the Bat-cycle. Alfred tries to convince Robin that he should listen to Batman, but Robin states before leaving that he can’t do that this time, and maybe never again.

Review:

It’s been a long time coming, indeed too long in my view, but finally we have a Robin origin episode, and it’s a two-part story as well. More to the point, it’s the origin arc for the original Robin. By this time in comics, Dick Grayson had left the role of Robin behind to become Nightwing, Jason Todd had been introduced, revised via the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ reboot event and killed by the Joker, and Tim Drake was the third Robin, and it would have been very easy for the series to play to the times as they had incorporating elements from the Tim Burton films. However, the series made the smart move and stuck with the longer-standing original, and apparently the part 1 instalment resulted in the series winning an Emmy award.

The episode is great on a few fronts. Not only does it really honour the classic origins of Robin, but it also takes some visual cues from major works in Batman’s comic-book history. There’s also a solid effort to keep the origin story flashbacks consistent with the series by incorporating crime boss Arnold Stromwell from a previous episode. The censorship standards for the show also forced the series to depict the deaths of the Graysons in a stylised manner that makes the scene more effective, and on top of that, you have the contrast of the strained present-day relationship between Robin and Batman, and the earlier, more caring relationship between Bruce and Dick.

Throw in the show’s usual high-quality voice-acting and it’s an episode that I can understand the award-winning status of. At last, we’re back to an episode where I can hand down full marks, even with a pesky part 1 in the title. 10 out of 10 and on to part 2.

Episode 33: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 2)

Plot (as given by me):

Robin attempts to follow Batman to Zucco, but Batman detects this and cuts off whatever means Robin was using to do this. Refusing to bow out, Robin reflects how he managed to find Zucco unaided once before. Some days after Bruce and Dick began to bond with each other, Jim Gordon informed him that Zucco might be trying to skip town. If so, it might prevent Zucco being brought to justice, but could also ensure Dick’s safety as his material witness status would mean nothing without a suspect to charge. Overhearing this, Dick decided to take matters into his own hands.

Running away from Wayne Manor, Dick tried to track down Zucco on the pretence of Zucco being a relation. After saving a prostitute from her abusive pimp, and being treated to dinner at a diner to repay him, Dick learned Zucco was seen coming and going from an abandoned building nearby. Heading to the building, Dick learned Zucco was packing to leave and tried to call the police, but accidentally tipped Zucco off to his presence. Zucco was prevented from harming Dick by the arrival of Batman, and in the ensuing scuffle Dick fell into a channel of water. Batman opted to save Dick over capturing Zucco, then took Dick back to the Batcave, revealing himself to be Bruce Wayne in the process. This signalled Bruce’s intention to have Dick stay with him and become his apprentice.

In the present, Robin cold-calls Zucco from the home of the arrested saboteur to obtain Zucco’s address. However, Zucco is already paranoid from his run-in with Batman years ago, and when he hears noises overhead, he strafes the ceiling of his apartment with machine gun fire. It turns out the noise was Batman, and when the gunfire causes the ceiling to collapse, the dark knight badly injures his knee upon landing. However, Zucco’s panicked firing has made him run out of bullets, and Batman escapes under cover of a smoke bomb.

However, Batman does not get far and is soon pursued through the abandoned boardwalk carnival nearby by Zucco and his men. Zucco, scared to insanity after several years looking over his shoulder, prepares to fire through his men on the carousel in order to get Batman, but before he can, Robin appears. Using the Bat-cycle, he drags Zucco down to the end of the pier, where he then gains the upper hand over the gangster and begins to smack him around.

Batman calls out to Robin to stop, causing Robin to angrily yell that Batman can’t know what he’s feeling. However, the moment he says this, Robin realises Batman knows precisely how he feels and apologises. As Zucco is finally taken into police custody, Robin concludes Batman tried to keep him off the Zucco case because he was worried Robin would cross the line and try to kill Zucco. However, Batman reveals that he actually tried to keep Robin away out of fear Zucco would kill Robin. Making amends, the two heroes head home.

Review:

Part 2 of this episode does a good job bringing part 1 to a decent, satisfying conclusion for the most part. Like the show’s makers, however, I feel more should have been worked in showing Dick actually becoming Robin and seeing him grow up, but sadly this episode doesn’t deliver on that, and nor do any subsequent episodes. Frankly, I think that’s a pity, and it would be nice if Warner Brothers and DC could put together a film or series set between this episode’s flashback and the present day of this show detailing the early years of this Robin. That aside, it’s a good part 2 episode, but the lack of young Robin moments means I can’t quite give it top marks. This time, it’s only 9 out of 10 that I’m prepared to bestow.

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nightwingism · 7 years ago

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New Comic Book Day!

October 11, 2017

Trying something new here, and i’m gonna start reviewing comics that I pick up at my local comic store, which may or not be Nightwing related. I figured this is something different, gives me something to do, and I just think it’d be fun. But enough about the why, let’s get into the comics!

Spoiler Alert

1. Action Comics #989

Part three of the Oz Effect! I figure this is gonna be weird starting a review right in the middle of so many comics, but recapping is a real thing. Anyways, this comic kept the action flowing, not so much of a one-on-one dialogue anymore, and we get to see Jor-El in action! The ending was a giant cliff-hanger and I can’t tell if they are supposed to be the LoSH or not. But this interaction between Jor-El and Jon, heck even with Lois are remarkable, and is something I never knew I wanted to see in a comic until now. Though, thus far this story-arc has been very dialogue heavy, and not very action packed. This biggest reveal isn't even the fact that Oz was Jor-El, but the fact that Oz wasn’t Ozymandias, which in retrospect was a little far-fetched and too on the nose. Anyways, I’m excited for the next issue, and excited for the ramifications of this story.

2. Wonder Woman #32

Part two of the Children of the Gods! The previous issue was mainly from Hercules point of view, serving as the primary narrator of the story, and of his death. This time around, Wonder Woman was front and center. I wasn’t expecting too much from his comic to be honest, ever since Rucka left my excitement has dwindled. But Robinson isn’t a bad writer, and I trust the guy to do these comics well. Jason was revealed at the end of the issue, which i was actually very surprised of, and I thought he was gonna be saved till later. But he’s here, very cut like David’s Michelangelo’s. I’m curious to see how his story unfolds, and what kind of role he’ll play in the future of Wonder Woman comics, if he survives this story that is.

3. Mister Miracle #3

This was probably my most excited new comic that came out this week. If you do not know, I love Tom King’s writing. It’s a slow burn type of writing that excels in large overarching stories, like a novel. The way this story is unfolding is getting me excited. Because you KNOW there is something more going on in the story than what is stated. The way it started, how quickly things went downhill, the way the characters talk to each other. Conspiracy theory is that whatever pills he took is actually making him hallucinate this whole thing. But I feel like that is too simple of an answer, and I feel like King will play into the Jesus = Mister Miracle symbolism, with Highfather = God and Darkseid = the Devil. The way Kirby intended it. I’ve also really enjoy the flow of the comic, with the action sequences and the more down-time. In this kind of comic, it’s strange, which plays perfectly with the outlandish nature of the Fourth World. I’m really excited for the next issue, and the rest of the series.

4. Detective Comics #966

Part two of A Lonely Place of Living! I honestly did not see this comic unraveling the way it did, and I’m actually really excited for it. It’s a mix of the Geoff Johns “Titans of Tomorrow” storyline with a Back to the Future kind of vibe. The reveal of “Who the hell is Conner” was so heartbreaking. I’ve wrote a dream pitch for how I’d bring Conner, and the rest of the Young Justice team, back into the mainstay DC Universe, and thus far, it can still go through. Future Tim plays into Present Tim’s thoughts, and addresses them how Tim would probably address himself. I love when time paradoxes play out in the “I know what you’re thinking, because I thought the same things when I was you listening to me.” way. It gives the audience the idea that time is a fixed predetermined path that can’t be wavered from. But we all know that not to be true. We know Present Tim will somehow find a way to beat himself, even though Past-Future Tim couldn’t beat Future Tim. That didn’t make sense. Oh well. I’ve enjoyed this story, and series really so far, and I’m glad Tynion is on this series, being the 90s fan he is, bringing in all those fascinating characters back into the fold, arguably the best time to be a Batman Fan.

5. Red Hood and the Outlaws #15

Part two of Bizarro Reborn! So I haven’t actually read the first part of this comic, with the last RHatO comic I read, besides the annual, was issue 11. So I’m behind. But I can extrapolate the idea that Bizarro came back due to Lex Luther, granting him super intelligence, much to the dismay of his teammates. But it seems to be a temporary thing. I don’t know why the Belfry team thought it was some kind of an attack, or why they are fighting Red Hood at all, but they are. I would have thought Bruce would have told everyone that Jason was on their side. But I just remembered that Jason has to work outside the family on a normal basis, to “infiltrate the bad guys” for Bruce. I think Jason is the last member of Batman Inc, which is very ironic. Artemis is in the story, still great chemistry with the team, and I still really like the idea of this Dark Trinity, it’s execution has been so awesome since day one, and I can’t believe I’m actually excited for the next issue.

6. Batgirls and the Birds of Prey #15

Part one of Manslaughter! Finally a comic that is just beginning it’s story arc. Whew. The Benson sisters have been doing a great job in this comic thus far, giving us great characterization for the main three, and most of their guest stars. This story serves as a “gathering of the troops” setup. We address the problem, identify it, and then gather some people to counter it. The problem is that there is some disease that can potentially kill all the men, which is something, as a man myself, find hilarious and fitting for this comic. Every character has their own reason for trying to fight the disease, with Dinah having Ollie, Babs having her Dad, Helena with Dick, Selina with Bruce, Harley with the Joker (so she can kill him herself), and Poison Ivy just because she wanted to (basically), the rest of the Gotham squad, which includes Batwoman, Spoiler, Orphan and Gotham Girl (whom I’m glad is getting screen time), and last but not least Wonder Woman herself. I think this story is going to be a fun girl-power story, and I’m curious to see who is behind this dastardly attack, and what their motive is.

7. Dark Knights: Metal #3

If Mister Miracle was my most excited story, this is my second. Metal and all of it’s tie ins have been such a treat. It’s a Batman centric story, without shoving in a Bat-God into our face. The threats are on the planetary level, and it’s gonna take everyone to save the world, even bringing in people who haven't been seen in comics in ages. Dick, Clark and Damian have a moment together, that is very in character for everyone, something I respect Snyder for doing so far. The subtly in this comic is mind boggling , how many hints were left behind in Snyder’s past comics, and just in the series alone. I don’t really care too much about the other Batmen though, and am only really curious about what the heck The Batman Who Laughs deal is. Snyder and Capullo are literal Rock-stars in this series, and I’m cheering for an encore -- which may come when this is all over.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man #789

The Fall of Parker! Spinning out from Marvel Legacy and Secret Empire is a more status quo Spider-Man, but with a twist. People love Spider-Man, as much as New Yorkers can, but hate Peter Parker. It’s an interesting twist on such a simple and main staple in the Spider-Man mythos. I’ve always been a fan of the “Down on his luck, penny to his name” Parker, who was street level but with the drive and passion for the big league. With the previous run, I felt like it was just Ironman with a Spider-Man costume on, but now this is some good old fashion comics. I like his relationship with Bobbi, and I think the two are cute together, but I hope Harry and MJ make their return to the supporting cast. The art is also phenomenal, but what can you expect when Stuart Immonen is providing. Even though there wasn’t much of a villain, or a story being told. It kind of seemed like a one-shot to me, with dangling threads that can be picked up later.

9. Daredevil #27

Part two of the Land of the Blind! Not get caught up with Marvel Legacy, Charles Soule continues his fantastic run of Daredevil. Last we saw, Matt was tracking down his once partner, once blinded and once friend, Blindspot. It was all a trap! This story serves as a “secret origins” of Blindspot, as we see his transition from the farm lifestyle in China, to moving to the city, to the United States. This story takes place over days, weeks, and we can see the passage of time from the look on Matt’s face, and his ever growing beard. I really like this twist, and that it was Charles himself to do the twist, and I’m very curious to know if this was his plan all along, or if it was just something he came up with in recent times. Whatever it is, the main thing I can say about this comic is that I love that the red costume is back, and the fact that Ron Garney is providing art. His style compliments the story of daredevil so well, I’d love to see him do a Nightwing book. I’m hoping that Charles continues this fantastic run when he makes the transition to the Legacy side of Marvel.

10. Runaways #2

When they announced that they were making a show about the runaways, I was very curious on many things. One of the things though, was not who the hell are the runaways. I actually read the original series, and I was up to the moon when they announced that this series was coming back. The story, thus far, has been very dialogue heavy, with action sequences being either in flashbacks or just not present. I don’t mind it too much, since they really have to explain a lot to all the new readers who are jumping on due to the announcement of the show, I just hope it picks up soon with the action, and it seems it will with the glowy cat eyes following Molly. And I was a little curious on why we didn’t get a shot of Molly’s grandma, maybe there is something up with that too. Whatever the case is, I’m enjoying this series so far, and hope the next issue fills the action void that I crave.

11. Defenders #6

Part One of Kingpins of New York! Technically this is part of Marvel Legacy, but it’s weird since Matt is still wearing his black suit, when he has already switched to the red one in his main series, which takes place before Daredevil legacy does. But this issue itself is really just the end of the previous arc, so it doesn’t really seem like the beginning of a new arc. I enjoyed the court scene, and the banter between Daredevil and Luke Cage, especially Luke’s comment that “he knows a thing or two about the law” to DD. I hope he reveals his identity to the team again soon, as I think it gives the team a much more grounded approach. Less flashy superheroes, and more of just street vigilantes. Men and women. I don’t really know why Black Cat is so heavily featured, when I feel like she doesn’t serve too much to the story, but she’s there. I just think BMB likes writing her ever since his Superior Spider-Man run. But that can be brushed aside with his characterization of the main team, something I look at with these team books. I like the idea of the Kingpin being a “Defenders” bad guy, with the addition to Spider-Man of course. Maybe in season 2 of the Defenders? Anyone? Anyone?

#Nightwingism reviews comics #nightwingism irl #Action Comics #Wonder Woman #Detective Comics #Mister Miracle #red hood and the outlaws #batgirl and the birds of prey #dark knight: metal #runaways #defenders #daredevil #the amazing spider-man

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