#JL are more scared of teen Bruce than Batman

[toobytoobs]

Have some de-aged Batman.

You can’t convince me that Batman wasn’t a angsty teen full of spite and anger.

———

Superman: “so, in the future you become a vigilante named Batman!”

Bruce, sitting cross legged in the corner of the room refusing to go near any of the JL: “I fucking hate bats, I swear those little flying rat-like shits want to kill me”

Flash, a look of pure shock on his face: “Batman was scared of bats?!?!?”

Green Lantern, wheezing with surprised laughter: “BATMAN WAS SCARED OF BATS!!!”

———

Bruce, staring at Green Arrow: “Ollie”

Green Arrow: “Bruce”

Bruce, looking Green arrow up and down with a judgmental look on his face: “you’ve aged-”

Green Arrow trying to finish his sentence: “well?”

Bruce, completely deadpan: “no”

Green Arrow: “…”

Bruce: “…”

Green Arrow turning around and speed walking away: “Okay! Bye!”

———

Bruce, pulling out a cigarette from nowhere and then lighting it with some random lighter.

Superman, nervously walking up to Bruce because he doesn’t know how to act around him: “hey Bruce? You shouldn’t be smoking in the watchtower… or like, anywhere”

Bruce just staring at him now: “…”

Superman, practically sweating now: “y’know, cause you’re… well… 16?”

Bruce, with a look of complete seriousness: “I’ll stop smoking when I inevitably smash a hole through one of the windows and let myself —and hopefully everyone else— get sucked into space to freeze and die”

Superman, backing away while trying to figure out if he was joking or not: “okay I’m just going to go now…”

———

Bruce: “so you can make anything with that ring?”

Green Lantern: “yep! Anything”

Bruce: “can you make a crowbar?”

Green Lantern, thinking he’s bonding with Bruce and conjures up a crowbar: “yeah”

Bruce, grabs the crowbar without warning and throws it at Green Arrow’s meeting chair, effectively making a huge dent in it.

Bruce: “cool” *walks away*

Green Lantern: *horrified and confused*

[faeriekit]

War of Succession: dp x dc

"It's simple, really," the Ghost King smirked, the purple bands around his eyes widening as he narrowed his gaze. "You release me from this circle. I give you a promise to never return, and you get an influential hostage from my side. Easy breezy. Can't get any simpler than that."

Diana, Clark, and Bruce shared a look.

On the one hand, a hostage would be a good way to ensure that the threat to stay away from their dimension would actually stick. This particular Ghost King had been known for sweeping through the whole length and breadth of at least one dimension, and leaving only charred wreckage behind. A fight against him would waste precious time and resources that they should be using to solve the problems of the dimension they were already in—

—And based on Constantine's projections, a fight with this monarch would be a fight they might not even win.

Wonder Woman grimaced. Batman and Superman carefully did not do the same.

Wonder Woman was the only combatant who willingly and purposefully executed the occasional opponent; she was the only one the Ghost King seemed to respect in some manner, even if he occasionally pointed wary red eyes at the Bat behind her. Still, Diana faced him head on, eye to eye.

"No harm will come to your hostage, assuming that they do not challenge us. Leaving our custody would become a declaration of hostilities between us. Do you agree to this contract?"

The Ghost King's fanged smile was bloodthirsty. His smugness was palpable.

"Deal. I swear it on my crown."

There was absolutely something up his sleeve. It was too bad that there was no time for Bruce to decipher his motives.

Diana held her bare hand out, expression grim, back straight. The Ghost King leaned down— his green-tinged face was blank as stone, his black-gloved hand broad and wide.

Wonder Woman was unafraid. She took the hand.

One of the presiding JL Dark members hissed; Diana was fairly sure it was Captain Marvel, given his age—

Green swept through Diana like high tide, like a riptide, like waves buffeting her left and right until water was forced into her lungs and tried to sweep her off her feet.

She held fast. Diana was the child of gods and a Leader of her people. Of course she held fast.

...The waters slowly ebbed. Diana blinked green out of her eyes and saw the Ghost King did the same, wincing and cracking his shoulders the way Batman might after a hard battle.

Zatanna, Captain Marvel, and Constantine eased back on the circle beneath the monarch.

—And then the Ghost King was gone.

No light. No smoke. No sound. Just gone.

"...Uh," said Clark. Bruce swiftly shushed him.

A lime green tear ripped its way open where the circle had been drawn only seconds ago. Diana thought she heard some sort of voice shouting, and then a deeper, thicker voice growl back—

—And a teenager was punted straight into the arms of a baffled Captain Marvel. Billy quickly swerved to catch him safely, just as shocked as the teen in his arms was.

The teenager had the same white hair as the Ghost King, a similar Black jumpsuit that bore the same emblem, the same sharp fangs in his gritted teeth...and a smaller, but identically designed, floating black-iron crown. Was he smaller in frame? Absolutely. Was he also clearly terrified at the realization that he was surrounded by foreign combatants?

His eyes were so wide. So green. So scared.

His form flickered as he tried to disappear from sight. Zatanna's preventative spellwork stopped the invisibility from taking hold— and his panic clearly increased as he tried to scrabble up and over Billy's shoulders.

The Ghost King had thrown them his heir. Diana swallowed. Worse, she feared, there was reason to suspect that doing so was more to his benefit than their own.

A battle for succession was rarely bloodless.

Diana did not look forward to this...aftermath.

[spooky-z]

Bombshell AU

The Bombshell Dupain-Cheng plot that shouldn't exist. But I have no chill, so...

Long post!

Marinette appears totally different in Paris, after 3 months gone and everyone is shocked.

We have seen all of this in the one-shot/prequel (HERE), so we’re understood so far.

But what happens to make this drastic change in Marinette's look?

Well, let's go back to when Fu makes Mari a guardian for good and loses the memories of the miraculous, in addition to finally meeting his love.

And here the canon dies. RIP

(Going to the current plot.)

Mari is losing her shit, having lost the only adult person who supported her in heroin life and who helped (poorly) in the most complicated situations.

So here it is: Marinette Dupain-Cheng, 13, collège student, part-time heroine, aspiring designer, class representative and now guardian of very powerful magical jewels.

AH! And a nanny. We can't forget that!

The poor girl doesn't have a minute's peace in this house.

She won't even talk about ugh, Lila, because at that moment the Italian was just a fly on the pile of garbage she had to deal with.

So, she turns to the only possible person in this situation, even though she is afraid of previous behavior.

Chat Noir. Yeee

And she's like, "chat, we need to talk." And he: “omg she will confess”

In the end Ladybug tears up Chat Noir and manages to make the hero understand her side, promising to help.

Marinette spends a few months testing the cat, to see if he slips, but to her relief (because she loved that kitty, even if she didn't say it) he remains steadfast.

They reveal the identities and awkward moment omg

Adrien may have screamed a little like a fan with his idol

Mari may have passed out.

(not that any of them will confess that)

They have a heart for a heart.

Mari no longer in love with Adrien and Adrien trying to overcome Ladybug at that point.

When hawkbeetch decides to attack harder, the two agree that they needed help permanently.

Alya was cut off as soon as the idea was put on the table.

The first ones chosen are Alix, Luka and Kagami

Over time Max and Kim also came back

There was uncertainty in choosing who had been chosen before, but magic was able to supply the uncertainties, since when transformed they were no longer the unmasked heroes

The situation with Lila and because of Alya, Nino is also cut.

So, Chloe makes a 160, apologizes to Marinette looking really sorry and wanting to change

Félix also returns to study at Dupont, after Adrien complains to him about Gabriel forcing Lila into the teenager

With that, the team closes on 9 permanent heroes, but that not all of them always appeared in the fights.

They manage to deal with akumas-hawkdude for a while, but when mayura appears more and more in fights things get worse

It was Max's idea to contact JL for help and so they get batfamily's attention

Batman sends Robin and Red Robin to help closely, while the rest were helping from Gotham

There were some disagreements between Ladybug and Robin, since the vigilante was very... annoying. Not to say worse, she had no patience to put up with the boy's arrogant ass.

As for Red Robin, everyone loved him.

(Max may have had some personal discoveries after meeting the guy)

Time passed, Robin became Reynard

And even with the help of the batboys, finding out who the mothman was became increasingly frustrating.

Everyone came to the conclusion that the magic was much greater in camouflage than they thought before

In that they reach half of the Lycée without any advantage over the villain

Alix and Chloe dating since 14

Marinette and Luka started dating when the girl turned 15, Damian joining the relationship a few months later after pining (of the three)

Félix and Kagami only started to see themselves as something more than friends after they turned 16

Kim and Max being the youngest to start dating, at 13

Adrien only met Jon after identities were shared between the team, he was 16 years old

The identities being shared were entirely accidental. All of them having used their powers and without time to hide from each other, the transformations fell

Finding out who the batfamily was, was easy after that.

Things continued at an impasse until Marinette found Diana Prince on one of the galas in Gotham.

And worlds were opened for the little guardian.

"Oh." The woman murmured; her eyes fixed on Marinette.

Bruce had introduced them both after Diana showed curiosity about the two people with Damian.

"Guardian."

Marinette released the woman's hand as if she had been shocked. Panic running through her veins. Damian and Luka stood up alert.

"What- No. My name is Marinette." She replied nervously.

Diana noticed the girl's behavior, as well as that of the other two boys, and relaxed her posture in a more friendly one.

“My apologies, Marinette. I didn't mean to scare you like that.” The woman took the girl's hand again in hers. A kind smile on her face. "I could feel the power in you since my mother was the former bearer of the goddess Tikki."

The three teenagers gasped in surprise.

"Rreally?" Marinette sighed; her eyes wide.

Diana laughed softly, finding the girl cute. "Yes." But the smile gave way to a confused expression. "But you shouldn't be surprised, since you're the guardian."

"Ah..." Marinette was suddenly shy. The eyes across the room, except for the woman. “I didn't get to finish my training. Master F- the former guardian was obliged to pass on his duty before training me.”

Diana's face contorted in regret before her eyes lit up with an idea. A wonderful one.

"Marinette, I believe I have the perfect solution for this."

And the girl felt her heart race with hope.

With that, Diana offered training to her and the other miraculous heroines in Themyscira and Mari accepted after talking to her friends.

Arthur Curry, at Diana's request, also appeared offering training for the boys and a plan was formed.

They just needed a little more luck... or money.

Bruce, managed to put Dupont as a priority on the Parisian government's reform list

And with more help, Zatanna agreed to stay in Paris to stop Hawkmoth from attacking.

I'm not going to explain this part much here because I'm writing a fanfiction about it. So let's go to some headcanons about this plot.

In this AU I will be working with the hypothesis that the miraculous have limitations, because the heroes have not yet matured. Whether in age or mentality. They are still "children".

That wielding jewelry has side effects like: slow aging. Too slow. Which ends up affecting teenagers, since most were children/pre-teens when they became heroes.

Kwamis are, in fact, the first gods in the world. They are the origin of the universe.

Each miraculous has a true owner in each generation.

Jewelry, kwami and suits can change forms according to the holder. For example: if Plagg wants to, he can take the form of a normal black cat.

In the case of jewelry, I had this idea because of the monkey's miraculous. It is impossible to use without drawing attention, so here the jewels can change shape at any time. If the holder wants to.

As soon as a true holder wields the jewel, when they are in their majority, the miraculous mark is "tattooed" on the person's skin. (Between the shoulder blades, being more specific). I did a shitty editing on my cell phone. HERE.

If a person who is not a rightful holder should use the miraculous, magic corrupts the person as a form of protection.

Alya, Nathalie, Gabriel and Emilie are examples of this.

There is only one exception to this rule: if the Guardian allows use.

Speaking of Guardian, here, they (Mari) have powers over the box and jewelry.

Tag? let me know in this post.

@saays-bitch​ @xxmdsxx​ @nicknnie​ @iamablinkmarvelarmy​

[ohmy7hearts]

Being the daughter of Diana Prince and Damian Wayne’s significant other includes:

A/N: I just love the idea of a Mini Trinity and Wonder Woman's daughter dating Robin so here you go. This will be the first part of the headcanons cause I got a lot more heh

next

Drabbled based on this.

Being the youngest superhero he first met after living with Bruce

You were only a year younger than him but had been in the superhero gig longer than he had

You being the sunshine you were when you first saw him but him being a stuck-up know-it-all

So your demeanor changed from that of a gentle Amazonian princess to a fierce Amazonian warrior because your mother had raised you to take no shit from no one no matter who they are

And Damian was intrigued by how you handled him so he reasoned himself that you were not that bad and was tolerable enough

Considering how Diana and you live in Washington and the Waynes in Gotham, you both didn't see other frequently

So you guys grew up meeting only when Diana and Bruce dragged you both along to the watchtower or when Diana brought you along to Gotham when she had to discuss Adult Matters™ with Bruce

There was an ongoing bet among the JL members on whether you two would actually get together when you're older

Bruce merely sighed in resignation because that was the least of his worries but Diana being amused at the thought of you two together

You both spent a significant amount of time sparring and Damian being a sore loser because he could never beat you but neither could you

He low key admired you for being such a badass but also a pure ray of sunshine

Him getting so comfortable with you that it became so natural to him to always share his problems with you ranging from when he fought with Bruce to what Drake did that annoyed him

And you always knowing what to say to him even though he didn't want to face the truth

So when he was forced to go to school and was complaining to you about it, you comforted him and told him it wouldn't be that bad and he admitting that it would be much tolerable if you attend the same school as him

You hugged him out of sheer happiness and him tensing up but after a few seconds, he just relented and hugged you back

Him thinking to himself that you would be the only person that he allowed to touch him because it felt so comforting and he didn't know why but he had no complaints

When Damian first met Jon, you weren't around but you heard from your mother about Damian getting into a fight with the son of Superman

You were so excited to meet Jon and were so ready to lecture Damian that violence isn't the way to make friends

You flew right in front of Jon when you first saw him with Superman and introduced yourself and Jon couldn't help but felt so welcomed because of the excitement in your voice and how you were so happy you were floating in front of him

Ho ho ho but Damian was feeling the total opposite because how could you and Jon hit it off so well? He didn't know the emotion he felt and was not in the mood to deal with it so he merely kept quiet while glaring at the both of you

You, being observant of his behaviour after years growing up with him, roped him into the conversation easily

However, you and Damian were bickering over his treatment towards Jon and Jon wondering to himself that he wouldn't mind hanging out with the two of you more

Your parents watching the three of you interact and they couldn't be happier. Or not as emotionally stoic Batman could be when in the cowl

You being left out on all the mini adventures because you live in DC but Damian did not actually forget you so he would update you on what happened before he went to sleep and him always stating that Jon would be more tolerable if you were around

But fret not because when you reach the age of 13, and Damian was leading the Teen Titans, you got to see him way more often

This leading to you and him working on a lot of superhero cases together and you being the  person that he could work best with so you would always partner up with him when need be

The other Titans secretly betting on when both of you will get together because Beast Boy tried getting to you but then there was a batarang purposely missed lodged right in front of him when he tried

Damian huffing and lying saying it was because you were his best friend and only those deemed worthy would be allowed to date you. Beast Boy totally didn't take any offence.

The Titans saw through his lies but didn't say anything but that didn't stop them from teasing him

Words got to his brothers and Damian swore that death would be much better than listening to his brothers’ attempts at poking fun at him for being so close to you and apparently being in love with you

Hence, he felt compelled to put some distance between the both of you because he was getting annoyed at all the merciless teasing but deep down he knew that there was truth to their words and his mother words echoed in his head that feelings cause one to be weak

You being confused on why he was avoiding you so you turned to Jon for help and Jon advised you to talk to him because you can do miracles when it came to Damian Al Ghul-Wayne

And so you forced him into sparring with you after jabs at him being scared of losing and lose did he and now he was trapped underneath you with the rage fueling in your eyes and determination set on your face

He admitted to you about his brothers after threats of you using the lasso and the confusion followed by the flicker of hurt and pain on your face after his confession felt like he was punched in the gut

You meekly asked him if he was embarrassed to have you as a friend and the insecurity laced with your words had him felt like throwing up

The moment of silence was taken differently by the two of you; you saw it as him admitting that yes, he was embarrassed to call you a friend and him wondering how you, Daughter of Wonder Woman, Princess of Themyscira and Amazon Warrior, could ever be so unsure of yourself. You who held the galaxy in your eyes and the world at your hands with a heart of gold and a smile that put the sun to shame could ever second guess yourself

Before you could run away successfully, he got a grip on your wrist and pulled you in for a hug because the gut-wrenching feeling would only get worse if he allowed you to think of yourself so lowly

From then on, the both of you understood what you meant to the other but never explicitly state it

[bluboothalassophile]

Give Me Back My Mind!

No, You Can’t Kill Them...

Raven felt stretched thin at the moment as she held up a shield between her team, the new kids, and their mentors. The sweat beaded her brow, sliding over her skin slowly as she continued her focus, she could feel it all slipping and then there was a smashing of rocks near where she was and everything snapped. Raven could no more contain it in time than she could prevent it as she felt her Rage-self slip through her control and the excessive power surge through her as the air cooled several degrees and the shadows bended to their mistress.

"ENOUGH!" she roared, her second eyes coming forth as she bared her fangs at the children who had been about to start a war here at the entrance, everyone gasped as they scrambled back, and their fear bombarded her.

"Rae!" Cyborg shouted, she turned as she shoved her rage aside and her feet hit the ground, her eyes narrowed on Terra, Jaime and Damian who were all standing there trying to look unruffled by her outburst but weren't hiding it well. Sighing she walked over to Damian and Jaime who had never seen her demon before and placed a hand on both their shoulders, both boy flinched but looked up at her.

"I'm sorry that I lost control, and you reacted well if this had been a threat," she assured the boys.

"Whoa! Did you see those eyes, and the fangs!" a boy blurted out gleefully and Raven looked at the young man dressed in a speedster uniform, white and red though, his crop of messy brown hair was sticking up at odd angles. "She totally scared you!"

"Shut up Impulse! I was not scared!" the other youngster of the group protested, but Raven saw the look in his father's eyes as Superman glared down at her.

"What's all the alarms for, it's too early for the bad guys," Beast Boy grumbled as he walked out.

"Welcome to Titan Tower!" Star barreled over everyone and everything as she released the blondes she had been holding back. "I am Starfire, this is Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven."

"It's Changling!" Beast Boy shouted indignantly.

"Get used to no one calling you that dude," Jaime snorted.

"I think this was a bad idea," Superman said suddenly and Raven sighed as she prepared to hear this rant about her demon heritage, but the Batman slipped through the group and looked down at her. Raven was very used to the 'Bat stare' she received it a lot from Dick, Tim, and Damian.

"We still require the apprentices to work with us," Batman said.

"Well yeah man," Cyborg said.

"You are free to come whenever you please, no one in this tower is held hostage," Raven said blandly.

"Good, Red Robin, Robin, Batgirl are all here for training, keep in touch," Bruce said as he handed her a communicator and then he walked away.

"Wait Batman! You cannot seriously be leaving them with that demon!" Diana shouted after him. Raven hid the pain in that statement, she knew that it wasn't often her temper got the better of her, but she also knew how this first meeting looked to the Justice League members; like she was an out of control monster.

"Raven is in perfect control of her emotions, and she'd never hurt us," Starfire quipped which had everyone's eyes landing on the orange Tameranian. "And we are here to help teach, Raven is very good at the teaching."

"I'm staying," Impulse shouted then zipped over to Blue Beetle and Robin. "So, doIget to beapart of thisteam? Whendo we havebreakfast?I'mstarving!Wheresmyroom?..." the kid gradually sped up to the point of being incomprehensible. Raven blandly looked up to Impulse's mentor.

"Does he always talk this fast?" she asked blandly.

"He always talks, and he's always hungry," Flash chuckled when his communicator buzzed. "Flash, Go. Uh-huh, on the way. Well take care of my grandson!" and with that the man was a blur of red and wind.

"I don't like this…" Superman muttered.

Cyborg did most the talking as Star herded the kids into the Tower so they could start their breakfasts, and the laying out the ground rules. When it had just been her, Nightwing, Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg it had been pretty simple. But now she knew they were adding in an element of teenagers, and drama, and hormones, and more than likely unspoken rules would be broken.

Before, the rules were as followed:

-Respect personal boundaries.

-No prying.

-Team training was not negotiable.

-And NO ONE entered her room.

Mostly, no one entered her room after the thing with Beast Boy and Cyborg getting sucked into the Nevermore, and the few times the others had accidentally ignited some magic in her room and it reacted poorly. Raven practiced Dark Magic, she was very good at it and she rarely had mishaps in what she practiced. However, like all Magic, Dark Magic was temperamental and expressive, it was a force of all it's own, and her particular Magic didn't take too kindly to others invading or touching and was known to react by locking others in other dimensions. Poor Garth, he'd been traumatized after his stint in another dimension. Raven had warned them though, and the last person to try to enter her room was Damian; she gave the boy credit for making it all the way to Malchoir before her Magic had activated and flung him out of her room. Foolish boy, he still tried to break into her room, but her Magic steadily held up against the little assassin.

Thinking of the assassin she pulled his unsheathed sword from his grasp as she tucked it into a pocket dimension.

"Raven!" he shouted at her in anger and she lifted a brow at him.

"If I cannot hurt them then you cannot kill them, and no weapons at the table," she warned as she walked past him. The boy growled but gave up arguing with her. Raven knew she had won, after Damian had tested her for his first month of coming around the Titan's Tower with Dick he had learnt she won every argument she got in.

"Alright, we will begin the introductions!" Starfire announced gleefully once all the teens were seated at the table.

"After we eat breakfast we'll start training, and testing, then dividing you into teams according to strengths and weaknesses," Cyborg announced.

"Upon Dick's return we will consult with our leader, do a reassessment of these teams," Beast Boy shouted. Raven just sighed internally, opting not to speak because she knew that no matter what the assessments revealed she was stuck with Damian, Jaime and Tim. The reason for this deduction was actually very simple: Damian trusted her and if it was anyone outside of Dick, Bruce and her he didn't listen (to anyone, and he barely listened to them as it was). Jaime's armor was fond of Victor, and Victor was Raven's second in command; and since Jaime's armor had had a few adverse reactions to Star or Nightwing, he wasn't switching teams. And then there was Tim, and the main reason she was in charge of Tim was simply because he and Damian needed to learn to get along and not try to kill each other all the time.

Everyone else was up for grabs though.

"I'm Jon!" the Superboy piped up then and Raven saw him take the initiative as the other teens carefully followed his lead.

Over all there were a lot of them.

"I refuse to take instructions from a demon," the new Wonder Girl spat when it came to her turn.

"That is not nice!" Star shrieked.

"Star, it's alright," Raven surrendered though she sensed the Bat kids tensing at this statement as Raven stood. "I do not expect you to like me, Cassandra Sandsmark, I do not care if you like me or not, but you will respect me. If only for the reason that I am senior here."

"Raven is one of the founding members of the Titans, she's more than earned your respect," Cyborg said softly as the quite fell over the table.

"Testing is in thirty minutes, finish breakfast, Jaime, you're on dishes," Raven said as she left the bombarding emotions and she left the children behind her as she took a steadying breath. They were just kids, they didn't know any better, and it didn't matter. She was a demon's daughter, but she was also human.

Funny how everyone overlooked the human part of her heritage.

Walking into her room she gingerly shut the door.

Careful not to let her emotions get the best of her Raven tried to center herself as she flicked her wrist to light all the candles in her room, filling it with a sweet aroma as she walked to her bed and collapsed.

She wasn't a monster.

She was just going to have to prove this all over!

Groaning she buried her face in her pillow and wished Trigon had managed to kill her for she hated having to continuously prove herself.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Bruce knew the JL questioned his decision to send the 'sidekicks' off to learn with a demoness as their mentor, but in truth Bruce had seen the footage of Raven's battle with Trigon (there was nothing he didn't have regarding the Titans for the safety of his own children), and for a fourteen year old she had shown far more power and restraint than he had ever thought possible. He also saw a bit of Jason in her, the misunderstood, alone, and desperately seeking a place in this world.

Dick described her as reserved, as a calming, logical force who could have him seeing things in a new light.

Tim thought her to be a mystery worth unravelling, but Raven had always held steadfast against Red Robin's constant digging.

And Damian, Damian who did not like anyone, found her admirable, and trustworthy, she was also patient with him.

Bruce had figured out six years ago that Raven was a good force, and he was trying to get the other Leaguers and their children to see that. Bruce had hopes that if he could get her to be seen in a different light, by most of the League members, then he could possibly persuade her and Cyborg to come up to the JL. Cyborg went with Raven, Dick had made that very clear and the few approaches the JL had tried on Cyborg, the young man stated as much.

Raven would be an excellent addition to the League though, her abilities, and her knowledge… she'd be an excellent magic consultant along with Zatanna, Constantine, and Dr. Fate, and the few other odd magicians the League had acquired.

However, the prejudices against the young woman, while understandable, were getting a bit out of hand. Which was a part of the reason Bruce had asked for the Titans to become more of a mentoring program than the JL.

Also… it was Bruce's sincerest hope to prevent another Jason. He didn't want anyone in the League to feel the anguish which came from burying their child because they weren't fully ready. And despite all of Jason's skill and fineness he hadn't been ready. Jason had also had that darker edge, and Bruce had never quite figured out how to curb it or dull it. Even when Jason had been Red Hood, he hadn't known how to get through to the boy.

And Bruce was seeing a few more kids like Damian and Jason being taken in by other Leaguers and he really wanted to prevent a death here. Dick had agreed to help, and by opening up the Titans as mentors; because most of them hadn't had mentors, it was a chance for productive growth.

Anyone who could connect to Damian, Dick and Tim could not be completely evil!

Then there was his personal reason for wanting his group of kids to be here rather than in Gotham. But he'd worry about it later.

~~~*~*~*~~~

He was a bit relieved that with his equipment and view of the Tower, he was able to see what the ruckus was all about from his living room, and he was a bit relieved for having delayed his plans a bit. All the adults had been there, and while the adults didn't scare or intimidate him, he wasn't overly fond of the idea of encountering his former mentor or running into a pissed off Kryptonian.

Though he had a feeling that the Kryptonians were unavoidable now, he counted two for sure, but one he suspected to be a Kryptonian or an Amazon.

It wasn't much of a problem, not really, but it just made a bit more work for him as he watched the Tower for a bit.

His phone buzzed and he picked up the voice modulator as he answered.

"You know she's got some bloody, and brilliant magic, right?" his contact droned.

"Just tell me you have it done and I can pick it up," he replied as he continued examining the Tower for signs and hints as to what was going on there.

"Yeah, yeah, it's not going to keep you in her room if she put serious wards in there, but it'll be enough for you to get in and get out," the other man sighed.

"That's all I need," he smirked.

"We're even now," the other cockily declared.

"Not even close, just put it in the usual drop box, I'll pick it up tonight," he smirked and hung up the line. The thing about making friends in low places was that they sometimes had good uses.

Now he just needed to steal some Kryptonite…

The Titans would never know what hit them.

~~~*~*~*~~~

"Now that everyone is settled in with their rooms there are rules," Star spoke up as the kids, now dressed in training gear rather than uniforms all stood in the Titan's massive, multilevel gym. It was set up for gymnastics, flying, aerial combat, sparring, working out, and most importantly power use; which was tricky to engineer, but worth it.

"Raven, if you would," Beast Boy gestured to her and she frowned; of course, being second in command of the Titans would mean she'd have to talk about the rules Dick had given her.

"Rule One: boys are not allowed in girl dormitories, and girls are not allowed in boy dormitories. The legal age for this to change is eighteen at which point you will be moved to the upper living quarters, if you should choose to stay with the Titans for more learning. And do not think you will be able to get around this rule, I set up the wards myself, and none here are versed in Magic so do not try to tamper with them.

"Rule Two: there is to be no physical fighting within the Tower outside of the gym and the agility courses and training, if I catch anyone, (Damian), trying to instigate a fight anywhere but the gym or the O course, your life is mine.

"Rule Three: there will be a chore rotation set up, do not think for a minute that you can get out of your chores. Everyone will be doing chores, including the founding Titans when we're here.

"Rule Four: No One is to enter restricted access areas, (Tim, Stephanie, Damian), trying to hack them will be cause for punishment, and do not think you can escape without being notice; Barbara is setting up our security, short of the Oracle or Overwatch or Cyborg hacking in, you're not getting in.

"Rule Five: on missions, you will listen to your team captain and their second in command. We are not your mentors, we are not your guardians, and showing off is not tolerated on any level here. your mentors aren't here to bail you out should you need it, and we, the founders, aren't willing to die so you can prove to your mentor you're ready, (Damian).

"Rule Six: language will be appropriate, school work will be done, mentors will be checking in, and bathrooms are to be clean. No exceptions, no arguments, and should you not follow this rule we will be washing your mouths out with soap, benching you from all Titan's work, send you home with escorts, and be handing you toothbrushes for cleaning. This is Dick's rule and don't think it won't be enforced.

"And Lastly Rule Seven: Absolutely, NO ONE Is Allowed In MY ROOM. If I should catch you there it will be cause for immediate dismissal from the Titans, if you survive my room and my wrath. DO NOT test me," she growled the last rule lowly which had several kids looking confused but Raven refused to have to deal with some idiot teenager dying, getting sucked into another dimension, or blasted because they were messing around in her room. Been there, done that, she'd prefer not to have a repeat if possible.

"Now that that's over," Cyborg smiled. "We're now going to test your abilities and decide who goes to what team."

"I thought we were working with Nightwing," Superboy grumbled and Raven lifted her brow at the boy who was glaring pointedly at Damian.

"No, Nightwing is the ultimate leader, but the two teams we will be dividing into are Raven's and Starfire's, with Beast Boy and myself as second in commands," Cyborg explained.

"Why are the girls team captains?" Impulse blurted out.

"Because Raven is second in command of the Titans, and Star's older than Beast Boy," Cyborg chuckled. Raven softened a bit seeing her green friend scowl at this revelation. "And I'm always Raven's second in command."

"I see, this is alright then," Cassandra shrugged as she leant back and smirked at the group. Raven could only see coming troubles.

"Now let us begin!" Star gleefully bounced. "Joy," Raven sighed.

"How are you testing us?"

"You will be sparring us," Beast Boy smirked then and she swore she saw several malicious looks thrown around the room.

"All at once? No offense but we're League apprentices and we can kick your butts," Supergirl said.

"Let us test this, Damian, Terra and Jaime will be sitting this out, we know what you can do and we don't need someone accidentally dead," Cyborg chuckled.

Raven saw Damian scowl but sensed the boy's disinterest. He was far too well trained to find any of them a true opponent, and after his run in with Talon and the Court of Owls, he was trying really hard not to be lethal. It would be best not to tempt him, but Raven knew he'd want something to do, but she couldn't think of anything so she watched him go.

"So, who wants their butt whooped first?" Victor smirked once they were down their kids.

~~~*~*~*~~~

It was well after midnight when made his way to the drop spot he had with his contact. Picking up the package he inspected it carefully then lifted the note.

'No promises, but it should last for a minute.'

He tucked the package in his jacket before he was again straddling his bike and he tossed the note as he rode through the city. It was so quiet here, it was a bit eerie, the fog was rolling in and the cool night air filled his lungs as it cleared his head.

He was making his move tonight, it was the only time that made sense because of the numerous kids there now. Well, they weren't kids, but they weren't Titans either and while he was all for a fight, he knew there were only so many hits from a Superbrat he could take before he was K.O.'d, and that wasn't pleasant.

Also, he knew that whatever his contact had sent him wasn't likely to last long; Magic was tricky this way but Jason was coming to accept it as a part of his life. There was much in these many worlds which was more Magic based than science and it was an unknown. Besides, after half the shit he'd seen he couldn't not believe in Magic, though he knew it was harder for the Bird Brains and Bats to accept.

Pulling into his hideout he slid off his bike as he started changing. He'd modified his brother's costume over the years, mostly because he felt ridiculous in spandex and shit. Also, he was not bullet proof and in his line of work, bullet proof was a necessity.

Pulling on the black gear, the red X on the armor he did a double check. The utility belt wrapped around his hips, other weapons and necessities he'd accumulated were tucked away in extra pockets on his cargo pants, and his boots were tied securely. As Bruce had taught him: he might not be the strongest, or the fastest, but he sure as hell was the most prepared.

Once he was satisfied that none of his gear would leave a lucky spot for a Titan to land a lucky blow on him he grabbed his black leather jacket and pulled it on before grabbing the skull mask he'd modified into a helmet. Straddling his other bike, he did a double check again and then he revved the engine before roaring out of the garage.

Slowly he pulled his bike to the outside gate of the Tower, in a blind spot he was surprised hadn't been fixed and looked at the time.

It was three in the morning, all the lights in the tower were off. Pulling out his package he looked it over before he slowly opened the envelope open and found himself looking at a red x necklace. Grumbling a bit, he slipped it over his head and tucked it under his jacket, here's hoping that the magic worked and didn't get him killed, he thought before standing.

His eyes narrowed on Raven's room and he took a steadying breath before his hand fell to the belt.

~~~*~*~*~~~

By midnight the teams were decided and would be finalized when Nightwing was here to look them over and approve.

Exhaustion had her stumbling to her bed and collapsing. She was already emotionally strung out and her mental shields against all the emotions around her were already wearing thin by the time the end of the day had come. Fucking teenagers! She remembered why she didn't like them, and she also remembered why she wasn't overly fond of League brats.

Every one of the super strength ones had come at her with everything they had, Raven felt fairly certain that they were all taking something out on her for her heritage or something, and she didn't care. Their prejudices were out of hand and they all made their contempt for her known. Frankly it annoyed her that no one looked at her and saw her, they just saw the demon Zatanna said she was.

Sighing Raven rolled onto her back and stared up at her ceiling.

She'd gone to the League about her father first, she reminded herself. Zatanna had driven the League's dislike of her, and at twelve Raven hadn't had the courage to fight them. No, she'd bolted, immediately, her empathy had sensed all their hostile attitudes and rather than having to deal with them she had run.

It had brought her here, and about a year later Dick had shown up and he was making an unintentional team, she'd been pulled in by the warmth, the joy, the care, and the laughter there. They formed the Titans, and she was accepted, demon and all.

The League had disliked her, but Dick and her friends had steadfastly held up against the League and made her second in command of the Titans. It was a big deal and it had royally pissed of Zatanna.

Now Raven was dealing with the backlash of a pissed off Magician and teens who were making their dislike of her known. Sighing Raven closed her eyes as she let sleep drown her and the welcoming darkness consume her.

She'd take a shower in the morning.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Lightly landing in the general area of Raven's quarters he felt the X around his neck start burning. Hurrying towards a door he knew was raven he slid it open before soundlessly moving through her room.

She had a ton of books, he wasn't surprised honestly, but he felt this could be problematic as he felt the X burning hotter. A muffled moan from the bed had his head snapping over to there where he saw her sprawled out. Tensing for a moment he waited, she didn't wake, he turned his attention back to finding the book.

The picture he had already told him what he was looking for but the question was where she'd put it. His eyes scanned over the shelves swiftly, and then he looked around them just to make certain. Turning back to the giant bed he noticed the books on the nightstands and he cautiously moved to inspect them.

Not here, moving to the other stand, the one which put him closer to Raven he found what he was looking for.

The X was searing hot now, and he could now feel pushes against him; he was assuming it was her magic.

His hand grabbed the book and he looked over at her.

Dark eyes were wide and staring at him, he tensed.

~~~*~*~*~~~

She had woken up feeling a push on the magic in her room, an invasion of urgent emotions on her open psyche, and now she was staring into a set of white optics on a skull mask with a red X slashed over an eye.

For a moment, her brain was stunned to even see him; she'd thought he was dead, but then the fury built up that he was in her room.

"Miss me sunshine?" his cocky modulated voice asked as he grabbed her Azarath book and bolted.

The exhaustion she felt flew out the window as she tore after him in her pajamas. Fuck! Was her only thought, her powers surged through her as they went to the roof.

"STOP!" she roared, her fear of her book, and what it held filling her as the shadows came to life, X turned to her and gave a mock salute as he fell off the side of the building, she ran and dove after him.

He couldn't get away!

The Nevermore was in that book!

She watched him disappear in thin air but her empathy was latched onto him as she flew low to follow where he reappeared.

[dg-outlaw]

@meara-eldestofthemall -- no hate at all, in fact, I completely agree.

While I'm fine with elseworld and other random iterations of Batman like WFA, I feel like there are also a lot of random Batman runs that seem to mix and match canon and it's hard to tell what's what. Is Bruce Mr. Nice PTA dad watching Damian play soccer, is he in space with the JL, or is he hijacked by Failsafe and having an identity crisis while beating the crap out of his kids, allies, and rogues? DC's answer: Yes!

What even is canon anymore?! And god forbid anyone try to write fanfic that incorporates canon!

The silver lining is that random internet debates over canon start to lose steam, because it's all canon and nothing makes sense.

I also agree that DC has lost sight of Bruce as a character and I think part of that is our modern and collective animosity toward the rich. Is Bruce even a billionaire anymore? (see above about canon chaos)

I get that comics are often a vehicle for social commentary and reflecting our modern world, but they're also fiction, escapism, and fantasy. So why not have Bruce be a good billionaire (even if that's an oxymoron), and definitely let him be a decent person... even if he has angst. Ultimately, would Ma and Pa Wayne approve?

Ultimately, he needs to be a symbol and a beacon. He can be flawed, angsty, and lost in his own shit, but that's where the rest of the Batfam come in. Yes, Batman is the leader, father, and mentor, but part of the dynamic is how they help him too. It's a push and pull. (more on this below with Robin)

This is also where I agree with @paladin-of-nerd-fandom65 in letting Detective Comics and other Gotham-centric stories revolve around more of the other characters. Often DC will give these characters one or two stories spanning several issues, and if they don't sell like hot cakes then it's back to the shelf they go. Instead, they should opt for shorter stories, team-ups, crossovers, etc. and allow readers to get to know and fall in love with those characters. The Detective Comics run with Robin (Tim), Spoiler, Orphan, Batwoman, etc. and the Outsiders run with Signal, Black Lightning, Katana, etc. were both really interesting IMO and it gave other characters a chance to shine while still having Batman in the background. This then allows him to still make appearances (for sales) and be more of a mentor, guide, or ally when needed.

As far as Damian goes, I'm not against him being "a" Robin, but as Batman's Robin, I agree that his dynamic is very different than with the previous Robins. See above about Batman needing allies, especially a Robin.

While I think Tim is stuck in this state of arrested development in being "Robin but not Robin" (partially because they can't really age up Bruce too much more), I used to think he needed that next evolution like Dick or Jason into his own unique character. But given the storyline of his future Batman self and how much that scares him, I think there's a part of Tim that needs (at least in his mind) that safeguard of not being solo or the one to call the shots. I think he does well with the Teen Titans or Young Justice, but when trying to decide between Damian or Tim, I agree that Tim is the better choice as the emotional anchor and light for Bruce, whereas with some maturity (which Damian has had over the years) Damian might be a better choice for a team.

While Damian was previously with the Teen Titans, I think that run pushed Damian too hard as the "does not play well with others" character. It was a decent idea, but had him alienating himself from the team too much. I think another go could have him be more like Dick and Tim when they've been the Robin on a team--a leader, friend, sometimes lone wolf, but who ultimately needs the team just as much as they need him (see animated 'Teen Titans' and 'Young Justice' for reference).

I also think Damian has come a long way since his debut as the angry, little murder ninja, and future versions of him have shown his maturity and evolution in being a good Batman and in some ways a better Batman than Bruce. So I think showing some of that growth within the gap of his youth to some undetermined future would be interesting.

Also, DC needs to do some timey-whimey magic or something and bring back Alfred. I feel like that would at least fix half the stuff going awry with Bruce. Is he perfect? No. But he's another one of those touchstones that sort of keeps things afloat.

What's your biggest comic book unpopular opinion?

Thanks 😊

Batman….WAY TOO MANY BOOKS, mainly books directly starring him

Both canonical/maninline and elseworlds, he’s got too much. This isn’t 1989 or 2008 anymore. There’s not that strong of a Batmania going on anymore

Cut back the amount of books starring him to his solo and Detective Comics, and even then for Detective Comics he’s not the only star. Make it a freaking anthology for the rest of the Batfamily or even other pulp/detctive based heroes including the Question or even the GPD

@confusedhummingbird Thanks for the ask, it’s appreciated XD