#Cheap Villain's Presentation On The Importance Of Road Safety

[sweepingboy]

“Please,” Feng Xin whispered again and now his hand was resting on top of Mu Qing’s head, fingers gently smoothing down the fly-away strands of his high ponytail. “Please don’t qi deviate.”

little fengqing sketch for @grungiiuvu inspired by the latest chapter of Cheap Villain's Presentation On The Importance Of Road Safety🥰

[wearerats]

Here's just a couple of sketches for a fic that captivated me, the characterization of Mu Qing in it made me want to weep, he's so precious.

He's and asshole, but he's my favorite little shit, the care he is so reluctant to give just made him more familiar to me, there's something so vulnerable about his aggression.

Because there is vulnerability in that sort of insecurity he shows, he himself can't acknowledge it, others can see it, they confront him about it, he just refuses to dignify a responses.

Anyways the amazing author @grungiiuvu deserves only the best and I wish for health and prosperity. Thank you for depicting a character that touched my soul, his dysphoria with the skin he resides in is probably the most... Idk I like that he's conflicted about, I like that he cares.

Honestly it makes me want him to be ace, ik there's eventually romance but, god he's just full of too much baggage rn

Anyways thank you author!

I love this work of yours!

[grungeeuvu]

Hello sweetheart, have some sketches from the last chapter <3

AHHHH I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!!!!

Mu Qing and his little angry face, he looks so pretty!! No wonder he won so many P-points <33

dude, i love your art SO. MUCH. it's just the cutest thing ever!! And Feng Xin, omg, poor guy, he is so whipped I love him!!!!

TYSM DUDE IT'S THE CUTEST THING EVER!!!

[grungiiuvu]

Redacted factor notes, i spent the last 6 hours gathering! May have missed some things

Redacted factor gets first triggered by the bath scene in chaoter 6

Decreases when: 

MQ says he doesng care about FX’s words, chapter 8 (decreases less than the protagonist satisfaction). 

Chapter 15: increases and decreases simultaneously (see chapter 15 notes in increase)

MQ calling FX useless, chapter 15

MQ says he doesn’t need romance cause he has his sect siblings, chapter 18

MQ mentions SQX, chapter 27

MQ explains the ribbon Deal to FX, chapter 29

Increases when: 

MQ wears a dress. 

FX reveals that MQ went “missing” (bandits), chapter 11. 

MQ insults FX, again, chapter 11 (also edits Feng Xin’s wiki). 

MQ shows affection to his horse, chapter 13. 

Chapter 14: FX sees MQ in a dress, hua cheng calls FX MQ’s dog, and MQ insults FX

MQ and FX “finally agree on something” , chapter 14. 

Chapter 15: MQ or rather, FX’s reaction to MQ, gives the system whiplash, saying he doesnt see FX as an equal causes the redacted role to BOTH increase and decrease at the same time, creating conflicting info and is eventually cancelled out by the system. 

MQ correcting FX’s stance, chapter 15

FX sees MQ with flowers in his hair, chapter 16

In chapter 17 but im not fully sure what triggered it. MQ refered to FX as shixiong, but also insulted him. Could be either one, or both.

Big increases when MQ is observing (ogling) FX when he’s training. Happens 3 times over, at least. Chapter 18

Two MASSIVE increases when MQ calls FX handsome (good job MQ), chapter 18.

Increases twice in chapter 20, when MQ asks Feng Xin to take a conversation seriously (did feng xin think much qing was gonna confess maybe..?) 

Big increase when MQ tells FX they’re still friends, chapter 20 (ANOTHER EDIT TO THE WIKI! But this time, Qing’er’s wiki is updated too!)

Small increases when MQ stays close to, and walks with FX, chapter 21

they hold hands! (Dear god, they hold hands), chapter 21

when fx (and pei ming) come to save Mq and Xl, chapter 22

When Mq tells Fx he can do better he just needs to try harder, chapter 22

Increases when Mq teases fx, and mq punches him, chapter 23

Multiple increases when Fx calls mq his prize, chapter 24

Mu qing smiles, chapter 25 (twice)

Mq calls Fx his dog, chapter 25

Mq calls himself an angel. Chapter 25

Mq falls asleep on fx, chapter 25 (the factor upgrades again!)

FX calls MQ a wildcat, and MQ hits FX, chapter 26 

THE ENTIRE CLOSET SCENE WITH FX’S “DAGGER”, chapter 27

MQ being bossy, Chapter 29

Updates to the factor:

Chapter 14! A side quest with a redacted title shows up! Accompanies XL’s wife plot quest. dont think that all the instances of redacted words are about the same words. its mq’s own wife plot quest?. Also, in chapter 14 the factor is upgraded, implying levels to this factor.

With chapter 15, we unlock P points, confirmed to mean Pretty Points (anqelbean being the first one to guess that correctly) They advance the redacted factor, and narrative role more than b points, so the redacted factor has some sort of beauty aspect to it. The narrative role for Mq’s beauty was, as we know, to spark insecurity in XL, but that’s likely changed 

Chapter 18! The conditions to the factor get edited, after a discussion about nicknames, and MQ says he’s hard to impress.

Chapter 21. We can probably say that its not Romantic Rival, due to how the system talks about it

Chapter 22. The Redacted side quest reappears, when MQ (and xie lian) get captured again! Im pretty convinced that it stands for Be wife Plotted or something to that effect. the redacted factor gets edited when MQ says he doesnt want to wait around to be rescued. 

Chapter 23! Big update. Quoting the system

“Achievement, ‘[REDACTED]’, has been unlocked. Plus 50 B-points! [REDACTED] Trope Convention unlocked! [REDACTED] Factor increased by 30 B-points. Excellent work, Host!! We’ll make a [REDACTED] out of you yet! q(≧▽≦q)””

A redacted achievement, a trope convention, and “we’ll make a X out of you”. (The system singing “I’ll make a man out of you” but its about the redacted factor

So many questions. And confirms that there are multiple redacted words, probably.

You also say that the whole “punching in the gut, and going “good luck, i hope you fail” is the most Redacted thing MQ has done.

Chapter 26 and 27

The factor leveld up to level 3! MQ earns two [Redacted] badges.

“Some good Redacted”

And ANOTHER Redacted badge (convinced this one is related to sexual interest because dear god the closest scene)

One of the three redacted badges levels up

Cryptic ace, chapter 6: “something like hotness”

AroVibes, chapter 11: “Plot? Drama? God potential? Angst? Sexiness?”

ButterflyDreaming, chapter 11: “FQ affection points”

otaku_lady89, chapter 11: “SECRET MASOCHISM”

reinvanteal, chapter 11: “Sexiness”

anqelbean, chapter 14, and chapter 15: “degradation kink”

oxytocarb, chapter 15: “related to how attracted feng xin is to mu qing”

hailpyre, chapter 17: “wow FX do you have a degradation ki—//bonked”

Imraekio, chapter 18: “romantic points”

anqelbean, chapter 18: “Love Interest Factor”

ButterflyDreaming, chapter 18: “Love Interest points? Or Romance Protagonist points?”

oxytocarb, chapter 18: “how attracted they are to each other?? romance sub-plot progression or smth”

thetowerofbabel, and ButterflyDreaming chapter 23: “tsundere”

SillyRinnie, chapter 23: “"wife" or "protagonist"”

Writesforfun (that’s me :3), chapter 23: Rivals to Lovers

Pink_Muffins, chapter 24: “potential love interest” “prime love interest”

OOC out of Mind (guest), chapter 24: romantic appeal

septemberme, chapter 24: "Oops accidentally turned Feng Xin on" points

Kresnik, chapter 24: waifu factor

Pink_Muffins, chapter 27: “‘eye candy’ or ‘fanservice’”

l1ls4y0, on Tumblr: “mating factor”

I..... idek what to say to this. Holy shit, bro. That's a lot of hours you've spent reading my semi-crack fic.

Actually, i might just pin this. This is incredible. Holy shit dude, I don't even have a joke for this. This is a LOT of shit you found oml

[bumblebeetunas]

 (人´∀｀)．☆．。．:*･

fanart from a fanfic that i’m reading! link here!!

[grungiiuvu]

i couldnt not try put him on here lol

do you all see my vision here

[whatmoredoyouwangfromme]

Fanart for @grungiiuvu ‘s fanfic “Cheap Villain's Presentation On The Importance Of Road Safety”

(I really hope i did that imbed link thing right!)

And the alt

[anqelsrolltheireyes]

Imma add in a few as well!!

Cheap Villain's Presentation On The Importance Of Road Safety by AnxiouslyShipping (multichapter, ongoing)

Heaven? No, that was unlikely. He was already a sceptic about its existence. If it truly did exist and he was welcome, he’d rather go down to hell just to save his face. Thankfully, that didn’t seem necessary because this was not Heaven. No matter what sick and twisted god was out there, it would take a new kind of evil to make sure Heaven greeted you with the worst harem protagonist of all time. Xie Lian was kneeling before him, bringing Mu Qing’s attention to the fact he was lying down on a bed. "Mu Qing,” he repeated, sounding worried. “Are you feeling alright now?” - After his miserable life was cut short in a car accident, Mu Qing wakes up to find himself in the body of an even more miserable side character in the worst danmei love triangle novel to ever curse the internet. Stuck as the third-wheel soon-to-be forgettable villain, he has to push through watching the Mary Sue protagonists flounder and flail in their sticky mess which he keeps ending up in the middle of, thanks to the novel's eventual endgame love interest... The bland, angry, stupid and absolutely infuriating Feng Xin. Mu Qing wishes the System had just let him die.

This one is my friend's fic and it is wonderful!! It's an SVSSS-inspired FengQing AU where Mu Qing transmigrates into the body of a canon fodder villain of the danmei novel he was hate reading, and he has to stop himself from horrifically dying by the hands of the novel's main love interest, Feng Xin. Too bad the characters around him start to act far too OOC...

The Scent Still Lingered by Tyelperintal (oneshot)

Mu Qing is still dreaming when he walks into his kitchen in the morning, blinking back sleep as he crosses to the refrigerator. —tries to, anyway. He knows he’s still dreaming, because the way is blocked by the heroic love interest of his latest novel, in full and sculpted detail. Dark brown hair swept back from his high forehead and tied with a ribbon of yellow silk, brown eyes swimming with golden light, gently tanned skin like a wheat field in autumn, broad sculpted shoulders… “What,” Mu Qing mumbles, his throat suddenly drier than it was a moment ago. He really needs to get to the fridge so he can grab some soy milk.

I have fanbinded this one! It so so SO good. Hurts in all the right spots. Hopeful ending, very bittersweet.

i'll take you gladly by absolutefuckery (oneshot)

“I wish I was dating him, just so I could dump his ass.” Xie Lian’s eyebrows nearly shoot off his face. “You wish you were dating him?” “So I could dump him.” Feng Xin doesn’t see what Xie Lian isn’t getting here. - Mu Qing has an exceptionally bad day. Feng Xin cares way more than he expected to.

This one is hilarious and very well written!

Alkaline, Mirrors, and Other Fragile Things by monki (oneshot)

Funny how he expected a brief late-night confrontation and, instead, finds the most obnoxious creature known to man on his doorstep. Mu Qing. It’s Mu Qing. (Mu Qing stumbles into Feng Xin's apartment in the middle of the night. He's drunk as shit. They haven't talked in five years. Feng Xin finds himself bathing one very drunk Mu Qing.)

This one has JUST the right amount of angst, it's incredible.

Cause Fur Concern by Anonymous (oneshot)

"What the fuck." Mu Qing says, eyebrows twitching as he stares at the frankly ginormous brown wolf staring up at him from where it's slouched over his living room floor. "Um..." Xie Lian manages quietly, "Feng Xin?" . . . Feng Xin has a bad day and transforms into a wolf 3 days early. It's a lot more domestic than it sounds.

Modern With Magic AU! Werewolf!Feng Xin ends up having a bad day and transforms into his wolf form too early— in the middle of Witch!Mu Qing's apartment no less! Now this prickly witch is saddled with dogsitting a very affectionate puppy.

i feel you've ruined me forever by annemari (oneshot)

Mu Qing grits his teeth and tries to push himself to sit up. His head swims, his joints screaming at him. Feng Xin grabs him, his fingers digging into Mu Qing's arms. "What the fuck happened?" Feng Xin asks. He takes hold of Mu Qing's face and turns it towards him. The pain vanishes. Mu Qing ends up cursed. Feng Xin helps.

The Hurt/Comfort in this one is very sweet,,

tastes like strawberries on a summer evening by khrys (oneshot)

“You’re supposed to eat the cake, not stare at it until it jumps into your mouth.” Mu Qing spares him a glare. “I’m evaluating its visual aesthetic.” He holds up his plate of chocolate cake for emphasis. “It doesn’t matter if it tastes good if it doesn’t look good to start with.” Feng Xin only manages to stifle a long sigh by shoving a forkful into his mouth. “Not everything is about looks. Just eat the fucking cake.” — (or, Feng Xin and Mu Qing pretend to be engaged for free food.)

Classic "let's fake being engaged for free cake" fic. Except fancier? Wonderful nonetheless!

Hope you enjoy!

does anyone have fengqing fic to rec

[grungeeuvu]

🎃🦇🎃🦇Trick or treat !!!!🦇🎃🦇🎃

Cheap Villain!Mu Qing meets our beloved Shizun. I'm sure they'll get along ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Happy Halloween, hope you like the treat!!!

[grungiiuvu]

Question about svsss

do you have a favorite ship?

Yeah, it's bingqiu. I'm a sucker for it haha.

But, honestly, I prefer the platonic dynamics a lot more than the romantic ones. It's very rare for me to prefer romantic ships over platonic ones, which is probably why so many of my fics have loads of deep friendships (see SQX and MQ, MQ and XL, MQ and LW.)

[grungeeuvu]

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

I have 18 :)

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

My total is 412,016!! It's going to increase tomorrow tho once I update lol

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I write for Haikyuu and TGCF! I'm hoping to post my KNY and SVSSS wips soon, so add them to the list of behind the scene things

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

-1 Theseus Never Falls [DSMP, 887 kudos]

-2 Fashion Disaster [Haikyuu!!, 650 kudos]

-3 Cheap Villain's Presentation On The Importance Of Road Safety [TGCF, 293 kudos]

-4 Wide Enough For Two [Haikyuu!!, 210 kudos]

-5 Not Your Typical 'Damsel In Distress' Story [Haikyuu!!, 198 kudos]

5. Do you respond to comments?

Pretty much always!! There are a few I sometimes forget to or just have no clue what to say but otherwise I always try to say something :))

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably my (very shitty) Sanders Sides Remile oneshot, which ended in major character death.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That's a bit tough lol - I think that it would most likely be my Haikyuu KogaGoshi oneshot! Most of my fics have happy endings but none are really finished lol

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've once received a really shitty comment about how I wasn't updating enough but that was it ://

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have never written any smut but I am beginning to warm up to the idea of it? I think?

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Never written any particularly crazy crossovers, or any at all, I don't think...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I've had a screenshot of one of my wattpad fics uploaded on pinterest without my knowledge or consent but that's it (as far as I know). However, I have been accused of stealing one of my own fics!! lol

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, a few! We never got round to finishing them tho

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

OOOH THAT'S TOUGH!!! Either FengQing, BingQiu or KyouHaba, I think. I can't choose between those three

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I really REALLY want to finish my 'Come Lie With My Bones' or 'Spells And Slipups', but since they're both a series of fanfics, I don't know if I'll be able to :(

16. What are your writing strengths?

Comedy and dialogue! Apparently my angst is rather good too :D

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'd say action and plot - I struggle at sticking to plots and action I feel I draw out too much

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'm not against it, but I'd probably have to use google translate or latch onto an online friend for help (I'd state in notes if I used google translate).

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Sanders Sides! I wrote a book/trilogy called Fantasizing A War back in lockdown :) It was ✨shit✨ but popular lol

20. Favourite fic you've written?

I think that's Another One Bites The Dust, out of loyalty. However, my WIP, The Intrigue Of Galactic Professors, is seriously growing on me haha

Tagging @astrowaffles, @spacejammie-eimmajecaps and anyone else who'd like to join :))

20 Q's for Fic Writers

Another tag from @assorted-candy, thank you!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 

193 as of now! Wow that's more than I thought I'd have.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

1,537,974! That's about what I expected actually xD

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Well I got dragged into the Danny Phantom fandom recently as I'm sure you all can tell. The show was actually a really big part of my childhood, but this is the first time I've been actively in the fandom, go figure! Of course I'm still in the Sanders Sides fandom, and I'm back once again in the Phineas and Ferb fandom, still chipping away at that long fic I've been working on for a while.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

These aren't too surprising to me, as they're also my fics with the most hits.

5. You Just Didn't Notice with 349 kudos (dear god please don't go find that one it's from so long ago I can't bear to look at it).

4. Warm with 356 kudos! I think this is the touch starved light sides au I wrote! Yeah I'm still fond of that one

3. By Any Other Name has 365 kudos! Still think fondly of my time writing that one, it was so fun.

2. Consequences with 420 kudos! Honestly I'm a little surprised this one is in my top 5 I guess a lot of people just really liked it.

Protector! Yeah, no surprises here. This one seriously blew up on me, it's got more hits than any other work I've ever posted on AO3. 504 kudos!

5. Do you respond to comments?

Sure do! I make an effort to respond to every single one I get if I can, unless I just cannot for the life of me think of anything to say. And I do read all of them, rest assured that even if all you get is a "Thank you!" that I loved and appreciated your comment, and that I mean those "Thank you"s every time.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Honestly, I'm not sure, most of my fics tend towards happier endings, even if the time before that sucks ass for everyone involved. I could pick any number of one shots from series, but I'm not sure those count as complete stories, since most of one shot series do actually tell a story. Oh you know what, I'm looking through my stuff and it's "Denied Reconciliation" for Roleslaying With Roman. Yeah nothing's getting better in that one.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

This might sound weird for anyone who's read the fic, but in my mind I think it might be Protector? I listen to "Carry On" by Fun whenever I think about the ending for that fic because it fits the vibe so well, and because that's what the ending is about. Everyone is going to move on and live their lives to the fullest. Not everything's going to be sunshine and rainbows, but the characters don't want that anyway. They get to work to fix things and they have a chance for a really good and full and fulfilling life coming for them. What's happier than that?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really, actually, I'm very fortunate in that everyone seems to get that I'm just trying to share stories I love writing for fandoms and characters that I love. Thanks to all my readers, y'all are the best!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope! Not necessarily because I'm completely opposed to the idea, I have technically written a couple makeout fics, but when it comes to smut I feel like I'm too ace to know what I'm doing xD

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I don't, mostly just cause they don't scratch my brain in the way that inspires writing for me. I've read some really amazing ones and I definietly come up with some in my head from time to time, but I'm not sure I'll ever actually write one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Thankfully no, or at least not that I know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yep! I'm currently writing and co-posting Defense Mechanisms with VorpalGirl on AO3, and I brainstorm enough with her and with my QPP @mishiitake-mushrooms that I end up putting them in the author's notes with credit quite a bit, and in my mind, that counts!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Honestly I don't ship nearly as much as I used to. This may be a bit of a cop-out answer, but I find myself getting way more invested in sibling dynamics lately. I'm loving writing about Phineas and Ferb and Candace in my long fic, and Danny and Jazz in my new AU. Even in Sanders Sides, I'm tending more towards Roman and Remus lately, and of course brotherly dukexiety will have my heart until the end of everything. If I had to pick one, it would probably honestly be Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice? Kind of an out of left field answer, but I love how much both of them change in the book and I love how their romance is handled. Jane Austen is good at romance, I know, hot take.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a Light Side Virgil AU where Virgil was a light side from the start that I still absolutely love, but I'm not sure I'll finish at this point. I still want to, I've just got so much going on that it's going to be a while if I ever get to it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and plot! Sometimes I write what I jokingly refer to as my "stick two characters in a room together" fics where I do exactly that and just let them talk to each other. It's some of my favorite writing to do, actually. And I absolutely adore getting to plan and figure out plots and watch everything as it comes together as I write. Story epiphanies are the best.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I struggle a bit with action scenes, since character and dialogue are my strong suit writing characters just doing a whole bunch of stuff is difficult (especially if it's a fight scene, woof.)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I am definitely not strong enough in any languages other than maybe French to pull it off, but I think it's really cool when people do it!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I was 12 no you can't see them.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I'm not sure I have one, honestly? I have this thing that happens where I put all of my excitement and energy into whatever fic I'm currently writing xD

I do definitely have a couple that are very close to my heart for various reasons, though. Protector was my first fic that went over 100,000 words, and for that as well as numerous other reasons I'm very proud of it! Hope With Me turned out almost exactly how I pictured it in my head which is, like, crazy to me. I did a shit ton of math I'm really proud of for Three Minutes Less. I did coding for Seeking Advice. I wrote a bit about how I think aplatonicism would work in Friendship is Magic in Same Conclusion, which is the one MLP fic from me you get to see.

I don't know, I don't really want to name a favorite fic I've ever written, that takes away the possibility that I could still write it in the future! And yeah, I get the question is really asking "favorite fic so far," but... I don't know, I like too many of my fics for different reasons. I hope that's not too much of a cop-out answer.

Tagging @anxious-mess19, @sometimes-love-is-enough, and @prince-rowan-of-the-forest again, still no pressure!

[stripesthesupervillain]

The Mad Hatter’s Guide to Happiness: Chapter 11

<<- First

<- Previous

Next ->

Summary:  Batman takes an interest in the two villains' week out, deciding to get personally involved. Scarecrow and Mad Hatter find a place to stay after the day's events.

Don’t want to read this on Tumblr? Read it here! (I’ll add links to more chapters tomorrow.)

“As of now, police are unable to locate the two criminals, Jervis Tetch and Jonathan Crane, better known by their criminal personas as the Mad Hatter and the Scarecrow.”

Bruce Wayne was drawn away from his phone call upon hearing the two familiar names on the television. He raised a brow, initially confused as he watched the news report., he leaned back on his chair, paying more attention to the woman presenting herself on TV rather than his friend on the other end of the line.

“With a count of twenty-one confirmed kills by the pair, including twenty SWAT and the chief of police, Walter Paloozi, the town now lives in fear every waking hour of the night. No one knows why they’ve come to the small town, nor why they have decided to join forces, but one thing is for sure: they won’t slow down if they aren’t stopped.”

“Hey, Lucius, I'm sorry, but something just came up. Yeah, trouble. We'll talk about the device later. I’m gonna have to call you back,” Bruce sighed, quickly hanging up the phone and rising from his chair. “Alfred, turn up the volume.”

“We’ve had several reports that the kill count is higher than originally expected, with two new bodies having appeared so far fitting Tetch’s MO. Without the town's personal Batman to stop them, and the police force showing to have been a poor match for them, it seems that anything can happen at this point, and we can only pray for their safety as they are forced to adapt to Gotham's special breed of crime. Stay tuned for more as the story develops.”

The two stared at the TV as they quickly flashed images of the criminals, both in costume and out of costume. “It seems that I may have to work out of state, Alfred,” Bruce sighed, turning off the television and heading to the bookcase that hid his biggest secret. Alfred followed after him dutifully, standing by as they waited for the bookcase to shift out of the way to reveal the entrance to the Batcave. “Usually I wouldn’t suggest having other states outsource your services, Master Bruce,” Alfred sighed, “as you are only one man. However, this seems to be a different matter altogether, so I suppose there's no point in trying to convince you, is there?” Bruce gave a curt nod as he trotted down the stairs, the floodlights to the cave activating to shine down on the complex series of computers and vehicles he used for his secret hobbies. “Usually I would let them solve their own problems, Alfred, but this is Scarecrow and Mad Hatter we’re talking about. While Tetch's predictability is limited to the Lewis Carrol books, he's still a deranged schizophrenic and still a threat, and Crane is a sadist with enough fear gas to bomb an entire country. I need to go to Georgia and stop them before they can hurt any more people.”

“Master Bruce, these two are not your responsibility,” Alfred reasoned, following at a steady pace as Bruce got onto the batcomputer to get the coordinates for the last known location of the masked men. “Maybe not,” he replied, “but I am responsible for helping to protect this city, and I let these Crane and Tetch slip under the radar. I didn’t even realize they were gone until literally three minutes ago, Alfred, and now another town is paying for this mistake,” he sighed, going over to begin putting on his infamous batsuit. Alfred didn’t reply, merely watching from afar as he occasionally checked the computer for updates. Wayne had just put on the chest plate and had begun to fit on his boots when he stopped, considering a thought. “They killed over twenty people, Alfred,” he murmured, clutching his mask in his left hand in simmering anger. “If there is a chance I can stop them before anyone else just to save a few more lives, I’m more than willing to go any distance.”  

Once his mask was on and he was fully suited up, he moved over to the computer, collecting any information that he would need. “I’m going to need to use the batmobile,” he told his butler, typing into the computer in order to see which roads he would need to use to get there the fastest. “I’ll have to go at full speed if I want to get there quickly. There’s no time to plan anything else.”

“What do you expect to do once you get there?” Alfred questioned, watching him as he began to head towards the batmobile. “Find them. I’ll have to set up a few crime scenes and check for anything they’ve left behind, and once I get ahold of them, I'm bringing them back to Gotham,” Batman informed him. “I know them, Alfred. Crane isn’t one to just run away from his problems, and Tetch loves Gotham too much to move away.”

“Not a common interest between Englishmen, I can assure you,” Alfred commented.

“They came there for a reason, most likely of Crane’s own interest. From what the computer says, Tetch has no connection with Georgia, much less even stepped foot in it. Crane must be after something. Something important, I’m sure. I’ll make sure he won’t get it. Check the computer for any linking factors between Crane and the town. Make sure you hit all bases, including profession and personal life. Oh, and make sure Robin keeps the city safe while I’m gone.”

“Understood, Master Bruce,” Alfred nodded as Bruce hopped into the armored vehicle. “Stay safe, sir. You’ve stopped several villains at once before, but there’s always a risk.”

“I’ll be home before next week, I can assure you,” Batman said confidently, lowering the roof of the batmobile and revving up the engine. It was going to be a long couple of days, he was sure of that. Even as he drove off, he couldn’t help but wonder why these two criminals would travel such a far distance to wreak havoc.

Little did he know, someone else was wondering the same thing, and they were determined to figure out this little enigma.

The Mad Hatter and Scarecrow were more than overjoyed by the time they broke through the line of trees, their run slowing to a steady walk. Breathing heavy, Scarecrow was still laughing lightly to himself, still a bit animated after the day’s events. Bits of blood was still visible on his costume, but neither of them really seemed to care. Jonathan would care when he would have to wash the damn thing, but that's for another time.  

“Oh, I honestly wish I could have recorded all of that,” Scarecrow chuckled, one hand on his scythe and the other on the duffle bag slung around his shoulder. The two were still in costume, of course, attempting to find a good point to where they were safe to change. “You’ve said that at least three times,” Mad Hatter grinned, looking up at him. “I have to say, I’ve never seen you look so spirited about anything before.”

“I enjoy a good adrenaline rush every now and again,” Scarecrow murmured, calming down as he looked over the parking lot they had come across, sparsely populated by only a few cars. “It beats sitting in an office and listening to the problems of everyone else. Now, which one should we pick?” They surveyed the area. While it was still the black of night, street lights were able to illuminate the area and give them a clear picture of where they were heading.

“Oh, I like the red one,” Hatter pointed out, gesturing to a small red car that would perfectly seat the two of them. It looked cheap and rather plain and unnoticeable, which was perfect for them. “The red one it is,” Scarecrow declared, beginning their trek through the lot. “So how many of those cards do you have left?”

“Quite a few,” Hatter replied, not bothering to check his bag. “I always bring a chess set’s worth.” They stopped at the car, where he watched Scarecrow skillfully break in and begin to fiddle with the wires. “So how much toxin would you say you have left?”

“A few canisters,” the taller villain replied, grunting as the wires didn’t seem to be connecting. “So I’d say enough to break at least a hundred minds. In case that fails, I still have a scythe and an axe, whereas you don’t have a weapon of any kind.”

“Well, I usually I have other people do my bidding who usually have weapons,” Hatter huffed, watching him move the wires in the obviously wrong places. “Er, Hare, I don’t believe-“

“I know what I’m doing,” Scarecrow spat, before cursing when one of the wires gave him a little shock, although it wasn’t felt through the gloves. Hatter rolled his eyes, grabbed the other’s arm before he could protest, and ducked under the steering wheel. Within seconds, the car came to life. When he came back up, he dusted his dinner gloves on his coat. “I suggest you leave the technology to me. Hares don’t climb trees and haberdashers don’t live in burrows. It’s just not practical,” he chuckled, going and getting into the driver’s seat. “Says the one in Wonderland,” Scarecrow scoffed, getting into the passenger seat. Normally he wouldn’t let Hatter drive the car, as it was akin to trusting him with his very life, but he decided to let him have it this time. With a sigh, he pulled off his hat and mask as they began to pull off, revealing unusually unkempt red hair and a man with a stupid grin on his face, which slowly faded with time.

“Ah, Wonderland seems to be more exciting than usual, doesn’t it?” Hatter sighed, adjusting his hat. Jonathan knew he wasn’t going to take that thing off until he was asleep and didn’t bother to tell him off. “It sure does,” he muttered, now feeling more worn out. “Let’s just find a place to stay for the night and get out once daylight hits. I don’t want to spend another second here.”

“How about one of the neighborhood houses?” Jervis suggested, looking at an intersection that led to a cluster of houses. “That’s risky,” Jonathan replied, shaking his head. “We don’t want to wake any neighbors. They’re probably already high strung as it is.”

“Well you lived here, didn’t you?” Tetch said, looking over at him. “Where do you suggest we stay, then?” Jonathan had to think about this for a good few seconds, going through his terrible memories for any place they could stay that the police wouldn’t check out.

“On the next intersection, turn left and keep driving until you hit Duley Road,” he instructed. “There’s a small plaza that used to be filled with vacant shops. With any luck, a few of them may still be empty.”

Jervis nodded, beginning to follow as instructed as he began to rest against the car seat. He felt more tired than usual, which was understandable. Today was undoubtedly the third most eventful day of his life. He nearly died several times, so it was at least in the top five. Today was a good day, he’d say.

The car was filled with silence, with Jonathan now quieted and recounting the day’s events with a small smile. Jervis couldn’t help but become curious about some words shared several minutes earlier.

“Hey Hare,” he hummed, only receiving a grunt in response as a sign that he had his attention. “Do you really prefer this life over the life you could have had?”  

Jonathan paused, looking over at him silently. Tetch took this as a sign to keep going. “It’s the question we all ask ourselves, isn’t it? If we could go back in time and stop ourselves from become this, would we?” He glanced over at the unamused Crane, who only let out a sigh after a minute and shook his head. “Tetch,” Jonathan sighed, “as much as I appreciate the conversation and attempts to keep away the silence, I really can’t bear any more questions for today. Save it for tomorrow.” Jervis let out a small titter of amusement, but nodded in understanding. If Jonathan was sick of questions and answers, it must have been a really long day for him. He just hummed a tune to himself and kept driving.

They soon came to the plaza his companion had mentioned, looking around the dimly lit area in search of anyone. Besides one lone car, there was really no one there. Sure enough, a few of the stores were empty, the signs torn down and the windows covered to show there was no longer any occupants.  

It only took a few seconds and the door was soon opened, thanks to Catwoman’s helpful lessons. They trudged in with their things, locked the door, and took a look around. Jervis noticed the wallpaper still clinging to the interior was a light green with the occasional flower print. There was also an area where things were clearly meant to be on display, with lights and nozzles for misting water hanging above each display.

“I believe this place may have been for floristry, Hare. Oh, you know how I enjoy flowers,” Jervis mused, before frowning. “Except daisies. Those are always irritating to listen to.” Jonathan emerged from another room, now in his more citizen-type clothing, looking rather normal except for the unkempt hair. “It doesn’t matter what this place is for,”  he scoffed, peering out the small cracks visible between the coverings of the windows. He could already see the red streaks of dawn starting to make their way towards the center of the black sky. “What matters is that we get some rest. News travels fast, Jervis. I’d rather not take the chance of Batman taking interest. Get some sleep.”  

Tetch gave a curt nod, but gave a quick knowing smile to the doctor. “No pills, right?” he chuckled, watching as Crane turned to give him a small glare. He just shrugged it off. He soon found a good place to take a rest, before setting his hat to the side and nearly passing out then and there, not bothering to change out of his dirtied costume. Jonathan did the same, sitting nearby as he finally began to relax for the first time today. Well, the first time that didn’t involve being drugged. That time didn’t count. He let out a soft yawn, noticing it was becoming even brighter outside. He just grumbled in annoyance, turning away from the windows and closing his eyes.

Once they woke up, they would immediately head straight back to Gotham and nowhere else. He was already sick and tired of this town after just two days of being back. No one would stop them, and soon he would be back to terrorizing the people of Gotham. Those thoughts gave him some comforts as he began to rest up and drift off to sleep.

However, he would have to stay up a bit more, as soon enough, the phone rang.

Jervis audibly groaned in vexation, covering his ears. Jonathan just sighed and ignored the ringing until it finally stopped. Whoever it was could wait a few hours.  

Of course, when the phone rang again, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep without answering it. Even if he wasn’t called again, just not knowing who it was would be enough to keep him up a good hour or so. He angrily snatched up the phone, noticing Jervis sit up with an expression of both curiosity and slight annoyance. Jonathan recognized the caller ID as being from his base back in Gotham. It was Rockwell, most likely. Anyone else wouldn’t be a good sign. He let out an annoyed huff and answered the phone.

“Yes?” he greeted, going into an impatient stance as he leaned against a counter. “Whatever it is, it must be pretty damn important, Rockwell.” He could hear his henchman clear his throat in a nervous fashion. Something else could also be heard in the background, but he couldn’t identify it. It almost sounded like a voice.

“Well, Mister Scarecrow, sir,” Rockwell began, “I caught this guy sneaking around the base. Messing with all your chemicals and notes and stuff before I caught him. You know, the things you told me never to touch unless I want to end up in an Asylum?”

Jonathan furrowed his brow in initial confusion, before quickly becoming angry once again. “An intruder? Messing with my things? Well tell me you at least killed the imbecile.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Rockwell replied. “I was going to, but he told me to cal you specifically. Told me I would regret it if I killed him. Called me a bunch of things, too.”  

At this point, Crane was simply puzzled at the situation. “Who gives a damn who he is?” he scoffed. “What sort of brainless halfwit would even think to intrude upon my lair? If he was caught by you, he obviously can’t be of much importance. I won’t be shedding any tears, trust me on-“

That’s when he heard it. Whatever voice that was in the background soon became loud and clear.

“HALF-WIT? I’ll have you know that I was able to find both your base and figure out the access code in a mere hour, not an easy task for a mere simpleton. If it’s anyone lacking the brains of the bunch, it’s you for only hiring a single guard to protect the supplies that are integral to your potato sack visaged alter-ego!”

Jonathan had to pull the phone back in order to not damage his ear drums. He blinked in surprise, looking over at Jervis, who had heard the yelling man on the other end. Both recognized that voice clear as day, but both seemed unable to make sense of it.

“Is that…?” Tetch murmured slowly.

“It is…” Crane replied.

They looked at each other and back down at the phone. They practically said it at the same time, equally as confused.

“Nygma?”

[grungiiuvu]

Happy chapter 25!! Cheap Villain has updated once more, so you all get to see this mostly accurate doodle I made for it :DD

[grungiiuvu]

I've started writing more again in my spare time but idk whether to stick for a usual 4k to 5k update or see if I can push it to 10k, as an apology.

Idk when I'll be able to next update, sadly, since I'm so busy atm, so I'm leaving this to you all!!

[grungiiuvu]

hitting my head into the table because i FINALLY have time to write cheap villain again and my keyboard shortcut to the system's kaomojis has broken

[grungiiuvu]

Shi Qingxuan: DONT FUCK WITH ME, I HAVE THE POWER OF GOD AND ANIME ON MY SIDE

shi Wudu: wait-

shi qingxuan: AAAAAA

Am i understanding correctly?

You are understanding perfectly, now picture it as 18 yr old Shi Wudu looking at his 10yr old sibling in horror