#Maybe Joker was able to stand for himself in front of the bullies in a way Arthur couldn't ❤️‍🩹

[jokerownsmysoul]

Concept: when Arthur was 10 years old or so, he had Joker (apart from the murderous facet, I mean) as a imaginary friend. A clown like the ones he liked, only a little braver and stronger, the way at night he dreamed to be. Joker made him company during bad days, gave him strength and hope for a better future when things were hard, gifted him the sense of friendship he longed for. He made him laugh with original funny jokes, he made him dance with light on his feet, he believed in his dreams when no one didn't, consoled his innocent tears, and tuned down the world when the screams within the walls, both the wallpaper-covered ones and those made of concrete, were too loud and scary for a little boy like him, who could dream even just for a little while that he wasn't all alone.

[drabbles-mc]

Hurricane

Angel Reyes x F!Reader

Inspired by This Song and Day 26 of the July Prompts: hurricane

Warnings: angst, language, alcohol

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: I couldn’t separate the word prompt from the song so it ended up being a little bit of a mashup here for Day 26 lmao. I hope you guys enjoy it!

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Angel Reyes Taglist: @helli4nthus @angelreyesgirl @starrynite7114 @queenbeered @sincerelyasomebody @sadeyesgf @thesandbeneathmytoes @appropriate-writers-name @tomhardydallasstarsgirl @kelpies-shed @beardburnsupersoldiers @louisianalady @gemini0410 @paintballkid711 @chibsytelford @yourwonkywriter @sesamepancakes @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @plentyoffandoms @georgiaaintnopeach @twistnet @themoonandthewicked @garbinge @bucky-iss-bae @enjoy-the-destruction @withmyteeth @encounterthepast @lilacyennefer @rosieposie0624 @mylittlelonelyappreciationtoo @mijop @xladymacbethx @blessedboo @holl2712 @lakamaa12 @luckyharley1903 @masterlistforimagines @kkim120 @toni9​ @shadow-of-wonder​ @black-repunzel99​ @crowfootwrites​ @redpoodlern​ @punkgoddess-98​ @lexondeck​ @mrsstevenbuchananstark​ @berniesilvas​ @lovebishoplosamiguelgalindo​ @amorestevens​ @angelreyesisdaddy04​

You’d been going back and forth with your friends for the past few days. They desperately wanted you to come out with them, saying that you had spent enough time at home wallowing and now it was time to get back out into the world. You knew that it was coming from a good place, but you also didn’t really think you were ready for the bar and club scene again just yet. Plus, it was a small town and there was no guarantee that Angel wouldn’t be there with the guys.

The last time that you’d talked to them, you told them that you were sitting this one out, that maybe you’d be up for joining them next weekend. They weren’t happy about it per se, but they also knew that it wasn’t like they were going to show up on your doorstep and drag you out with them. So that was the end of the discussion, and the group-chat delved into other topics.

However, as the evening wore on and you were sitting on your couch at home, you couldn’t help but to rethink your decision. As much as you enjoyed your alone time and solitude, it might do you some good to go and be with your friends. It wasn’t like you had to get shitfaced, or throw yourself at the nearest available target. It was possible to just go out and socialize for a couple hours to remind yourself that you could still do it. With a sigh, you got up off the couch and made your way to your room to pull together an outfit. Something simple, but cute. You pulled your hair and makeup together and before you knew it, you were taking off out the door in hopes that the evening was going to go better than the scenarios in your head.

Meanwhile, Angel got basically bullied into going out with the guys for the night. Gilly was about one more argument away from strapping Angel to the back of his bike and driving him out himself. Angel was outnumbered and he knew that if the roles were reversed, he’d be ruthless with his friends as well. So even though he didn’t want to, he rolled out with the rest of them.

The relief that flooded through him when he walked into the bar and didn’t see you was immeasurable. His heart dropped into his stomach at first when he saw your friends, but once he realized that you weren’t with them, he was able to relax a little bit. He was still a little nervous as he approached the guys, not in the mood to catch flack from all of your friends, but they were surprisingly cordial. If you were there it might’ve been a different story, but he was taking his wins where he could get them.

He and the guys were locked into a competitive game of pool. Your friends had migrated to a different part of the bar, and it helped Angel breathe a little easier. Meanwhile, a few different women had begun to hang around the pool table, clearly trying to shoot their shot with Angel and the other guys that were with him. The guys were eating it up, and Angel wished that he could’ve been more enthused about it, but he had no real interest in entertaining any of it.

Just as he was about to take his next shot, the door to the bar opened and he instinctively looked up to see who it was. He wished that he hadn’t, though—the air immediately got sucked out of his lungs when he saw you walk through the door. You looked more beautiful than he remembered, if that was even possible. He could see it on your face that you weren’t totally committed to being there, the same way he was.

“Take your shot, bro, c’mon,” Gilly snapped him out of his daze.

“Shit,” Angel shook his head and tried to focus on the game, but his mind was already too far gone. He missed his shot, and it cost him and Coco the game. He didn’t even really notice EZ and Gilly celebrating their win as he put the pool stick down and headed towards the bathroom, needing a minute or two out of the noise and chaos to get his head back in order.

When he walked back out, he saw you standing by the bar talking with EZ. You sipped on your drink and nodded as you listened to whatever his brother was saying, and every single emotion that he had been trying to stuff down came back up. He clenched and unclenched his hands a few times, trying to steady them. There was no way that he was going to get out of this without talking to you, acknowledging you somehow. It seemed so effortless for you, like it cost you nothing to stand there and talk to Ezekiel, meanwhile just the sight of your friends earlier in the evening almost made him turn around and walk out of the bar.

Deciding that he couldn’t put it off any longer, he made his way up to the bar and landed next to EZ. You saw him coming from the second he walked out of the bathroom, but you chose not to make it awkward. You didn’t want to seem like a majority of your attention was really on him while you were talking to Ezekiel. However, now that he was standing in front of you, you couldn’t quite peel your eyes away from him.

“Hey, Angel.”

“Hey, Y/N,” he tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, “Didn’t think I was gonna see you here.”

“You almost didn’t,” you let out a quiet laugh, “Was a last-minute decision to join the party.”

He nodded, “Gotcha.”

EZ could feel the awkward tension in the air and he truly wanted no part of it. He had no problem talking with you, truthfully, he missed having you around. However, he wasn’t in the mood to have Angel lingering over his shoulder and into the conversation. So, with as much grace as he could, he excused himself and made his way back to Coco and Gilly. It left you and Angel standing there in front of each other, trying to figure out what the next move was going to be.

Letting out a small sigh, you sat yourself down on one of the barstools and nodded for Angel to join you, “Next round on me if you want,” you offered up a cautious smile.

His stomach was in knots but he took you up on the offer and ordered another beer as he sat down next to you. There was a small stretch of uncomfortable silence, neither of you really knowing what a safe topic to talk about was. Angel’s feelings were resting on the tip of his tongue, and truthfully you weren’t in much better shape than he was.

“I see EZ made it through his Prospect stint,” you finally broke the silence, “The full patch looks good on him.”

Angel laughed, nodding, “Yea, made that vote by the skin of his fuckin’ teeth.”

You smiled and shook your head, “Lemme guess, you were the one who almost didn’t vote him in?”

A smirk crossed his face, an expression that you had been missing more than you cared to admit, “Is it that obvious?”

“If it didn’t mean that he’d have to spend a whole ‘nother year prospecting, would you have done it?” you asked with a laugh.

“Maybe,” he took a swig of his beer as he watched you laugh and shake your head.

The sound of your laughter nearly brought him to his knees. He didn’t know how long it had actually been since the last time he saw you smile and laugh, but it felt like it had been an eternity. Muscle memory was trying to take over and it took every ounce of self-control that he had to not reach out and try to hold you, to kiss you. He watched the way you drummed your fingers along the sides of your glass and all he wanted to do was reach out and take your hand in his own. But he couldn’t. You were mere inches away from him but it might as well have been miles if he couldn’t hold you the way that he wanted to.

“I won’t lie,” you said, your expression sobering a little bit, “I almost walked out when I saw that EZ and the guys were here. I, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to see you.”

His felt his heart starting to beat faster in his chest, “What made you change your mind?”

You shrugged, taking another sip of your drink, “I miss you.”

Those three words washed over him like a tidal wave. It was everything that he had been wanting to hear from you for so long. He knew that it didn’t change anything or fix anything, but it suddenly felt a little easier to breathe.

“I miss you too,” he couldn’t even try to lie or downplay it—he wasn’t that good of an actor.

“Are you seeing anyone?” the question came out before you could stop it. You knew that it wasn’t any of your business, and that regardless of what his answer was it wasn’t going to change anything. But there was something in you that just needed to know.

“Nah,” he shook his head, eyes fixed onto his beer bottle, “You think I’d be out with these jokers if I was?” he nodded towards his friends with a laugh. There were a couple beats of silence before he asked, “You?”

You shook your head, “No.”

It felt like you should have some sort of a follow-up statement, but you didn’t. Part of you had almost wanted to lie and say that you were, just so you wouldn’t be confronted with the tension that you were now encompassed in. You were the one who called things off to begin with, and it felt wrong that you were so conflicted about it now, after so much time had gone by. It was too late to take back what you said then, or what you’d just told him now. You could feel his eyes on you as you looked anywhere but back at him. Part of you hoped that he would be smart enough, strong enough, to get up and walk away from where the situation was headed, but you knew that he wouldn’t be. You could spend the rest of your night staring at the glass in your hands and he would be next to you the entire time. For as much as you hated being away from him, he hated it even more.

“Do you still wanna be here, querida?” despite his voice being so quiet, you heard him perfectly through the noise of the bar.

You finally looked back over at him and shook your head, “No.”

He nodded towards the door, “Come on, then. Let’s go.”

“Angel, I don’t think we sho—”

“You could’ve gotten up and walked away when you saw me, but you didn’t,” he got up off his stool and stood in front of you, a pleading look in his eyes, “And I coulda walked out the second I saw you talking to EZ, but I didn’t. What’s the point in kidding ourselves here, hm?”

There was a slight tremble in your hands as you took in everything that he was saying to you. He was absolutely right. You’d been trying, unsuccessfully, to get your mind off of Angel for weeks. But no amount of distractions and keeping yourself busy was effective—your mind always went right back to him. You didn’t know who you were trying to kid by hesitating. There was no way you were going to turn away from him again, not after the turmoil the last few weeks had brought you when you tried to get on with your life.

He held his hand out for you to take. You paused for a moment, wondering if you’d have a sudden surge of self-control, but you knew yourself better than that. Setting your hand in his, you hopped off the stool, immediately comforted by the sensation of his hand clasping around yours. Tossing a few bills onto the bar to cover your tab, you let Angel lead you towards the door. You thought about touching base with your friends, but you knew that they’d know what happened. Looking at Angel’s expression, you could tell that he was having much the same thoughts about his own friends. But EZ had felt the tension and you knew that he’d put it together immediately.

Stepping out of the bar and into the night air, you let the breeze wash over you and cool you off as Angel led you towards his bike. Any last bit of resolve that you had in you was gone the second that you laid eyes on his bike. All of the long days and late nights out on the road with him came rushing back to you and a smile appeared on your face. Angel glanced back at you, and when he saw the look on your face, he couldn’t help but to pull you closer, cupping your face and pressing a kiss to your lips.

Your hands rested on the beat-up leather of his kutte, leaning your chest against his as you let yourself get lost in him. There was so much that the two of you should’ve been saying and doing instead, but that didn’t matter anymore. Feeling the way that his rough hands rested so gently on the sides of your face felt like coming home and you’d been away from it for far too long. You could feel the way his body started to relax as his lips continued to move against yours, trying to get all that he could while he had the chance, not knowing when this was going to get ripped away from him again.

When you finally pulled your lips off of his, you reached up and lightly trailed your fingertips though his beard. Forcing your eyes up to meet his, you could see that there were countless thoughts and feelings swirling around in them. There was a tinge of sadness, but mostly it was desperation, and you couldn’t say that you were in much better shape than he was when it came to that.

Letting your hands drop back down and interlock with his, you nodded towards his bike, “Let’s go.”

[ranger-jedi-knight]

Angel Wings Darken Chap 3

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26286832/chapters/64015168 ok so here is part 3 of @chocolate1721 prompt!! I hope you guys enjoy!

First up, the reactions of Paris after watching that live stream!!!

When news of a live stream coming from the Ladyblog came up, naturally everyone clicked on it to watch.

Why wouldn’t they?

The creator of the site, Alya Cesaire, told everyone she was going to America with her friends for a class trip. So they were curious what she would be live streaming. Gotham had its own villains. So they were curious.

But oh.

Oh.

They were not prepared for what they saw.

Ladybug in front of everyone dressed differently. Wearing a suit like Joker who was in the background fighting Batman. Deep red combat boots, a black dress shirt tucked into black pants, covered by a tux vest that was red with black polka-dots, her gloves were black with red fingers. Her hair was longer in higher-up pigtails, the tips dyed red and purple respectively. The only thing that remained of Ladybug was her mask.

But that just showed her ice-cold eyes.

It was like they were frozen over as they looked over the class in front of her.

Only warming up to that familiar warmth when they landed on a couple of people, the mayor's daughter Chloe and Bruce Wayne’s son Damian. They were the only two to get that warmth.

Everyone could only watch, shocked, as she-Bug she’s going by Bug now- slapped and kicked Adrien. It practically gave the people of Paris whiplash. She went from being gentle, kissing Damian’s cheeks as she spoke, to being harsh and violent by hitting Adrien.

The cackle leaving her lips had a chill going down their spines.

Sabine and Tom could barely breath as they watched the screen in their bakery.

Every time Bug yelled, it froze every Parisians veins. They have never heard her so angry before. And that was something. They’ve all seen her angry and annoyed. How could they not? Some Akuma battles were annoying or frustrating. Especially when they realized Chat wasn’t doing much work to help. He was sexually harassing Ladybug.

Everyone could see that.

Well, almost everyone.

That class Ladybug was yelling at didn’t seem to understand as they stanned the LadyNoir ship. But everyone else?

They could tell.

They could also tell that Ladybug was young.

And shouldn’t have to deal with it.

Everyone jerked when the saw her stalk toward Alya and rip the phone from her grasp to speak to the live stream.

“Hello, Paris. As you may have seen, it’s me, Ladybug,” she spat the name out. “But I've changed. I now go by Bug. And since they know, you get to know as well. In my civilian life, you know me as Marinette Dupain-Cheng and know Chat Noir as Adrien Agreste. these three people,” she turned the camera to Lila’s bowed form, Alya’s scared face, and Adrien’s red-hand shaped blotched face, “have been making my life hell. But oh, they had help,” she said panning the camera out to the rest of the class. “Those lovely sheep followed the Liar called Lila Rossi’s every word, never checking a single thing she spewed. You can thank them for turning me into this new me. I go by Bug now. I’m helping Joker. and Hawkmoth, Mayura, if you know what's good for you, leave your miraculous at my balcony unless you want to see what a protege of Joker can do,” she gave the camera a sinister smirk as she shoved the phone back into Alya’s grip.

The rest of the live-stream went by, but Paris barely paid any attention.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug.

AND HER CLASS DROVE HER INTO WORKING WITH JOKER.

Fear gripped everyone's hearts as they watched what happened on screen, not even listening anymore.

But no one had more fear in their hearts than Gabriel and Nathelie.

Well, maybe Tom and Sabine were close.

They just learned their daughter was Ladybug, and that they’ve been believing a stinking little liar instead of her. When the live-stream ended, chaos erupted.

Every news station was doing a piece on it and the French Government was scrutinizing Collège Françoise Dupont. The school board was close behind them, wondering what on earth was going on over there that allowed the Star Student to be bullied so hard she joined Joker.

They were also calling everyone they could in Gotham to get those students back and deal with them. They would leave Chloe there thou.

They couldn’t force Marinette back into France. So, they could only hope Chloe would help calm her down.

So the mayor texted his daughter and got the confirmation that she would do what she could to help Marinette but that there weren't any promises.

Within the day, the class was scheduled to come back to Paris.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Police escorted the class to the airport, wanting them out of the country quickly. Adrien  was walking fine, he just groaned softly when he breathed. Alya had her arm in a sling so that her shoulder could heal and not get agitated. Lila wouldn’t look anyone in the eye. Just stared at her feet as her nose throbbed. The lady manning the desk scoffed when she saw Lila, causing her to curl into herself.

They were seated in the back of the plane, many rows before them empty. Only the first class seats and a couple rows behind first class had anyone on them. One row halfway between the two had two officers seated, making sure no one tried anything. Adrien was sitting by himself, rubbing his ring finger which was burned and wrapped. His miraculous revoked, leaving a mark as a permanent reminder that he could never be Chat Noir again nor could he wield any other miraculous.

Alya was in a similar position. Nino thou…

Nino was hurt, but he knew, he understood. And he would do everything in his power to make it right. Unknown to them, Alix was also like that. She was fuming. The watch she had been given was taken from her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bug sneered at the group as they stood outside the airport. The class jerked at seeing her land in front of them. She smirked at that. Her cold gaze going over them, lingering on Adrien, Alya, Nino, and Alix. As Bug stood there not doing anything, people got out their phones to record, wondering what was going to happen after what happened the first time.

“Oh, you thought I was about to let you keep your miraculous, Agreste?” Bug said with a cackle. Adrien flinched, gripping the ring with his other hand as Plagg flew out of his pocket and went over to her.

“Plagg!” he shouted betrayed and the kwami just shrugged.

“Sorry kid. I gave you enough chances,” Plagg said before looking at Bug once more. “I’m sorry I let it get this bad, Bug. I tried, but I couldn’t get him to change,” Plagg continued sadly. Bug just cooed softly to the kwami.

“It’s ok, Plagg. I know. You tried. Agreste isn’t worthy, he doesn’t show the capacity to change,” she said looking Adrien in the eyes. “Adrien Agreste, as the Guardian of the Miraculous, I hereby renounce you as Chat Noir. You are no longer worthy of wielding Plagg and you shall never wield another miraculous,” She said, her voice seemingly multiplying as she looked down at Adrien when her head tilted back. A faint glow emanated from Bug’s eyes as she spoke.

Adrien cried out as the ring around his finger started burning. Everyone watched scared as Adrien scrambled to remove the ring but it wouldn’t move. But then after a bit, the ring flew off Adrien’s finger and Bug caught it with ease, a sneer on her lips as she watched Adrien on the ground curling around his branded finger. That brand will be a reminder and make sure he never touches another miraculous. She then looked to the other class members.

“Nino, Alya, Alix, step forward,” she commanded and the three couldn’t stop themselves as they stepped forward, Bug’s many voices ringing around them. She looked at the ex-couple with contempt, she only felt slightly bad for Nino, the boy was only following his girlfriend but paid for it when he asked about a couple lies that didn’t make sense. Alya broke up with him soon after. But he didn’t apologize to Mari or try helping her. So she didn’t feel too bad about what she was about to do.

“Wha-what do you want?” Alya asked, her voice trembling.

“Alya Cesaire, as the Guardian of the Miraculous-” she started and Alya interrupted her with a sob.

“No-no please-!” she sobbed out but Bug continued on like she hadn’t been interrupted.

“-I hereby renounce you as a Rene Rouge. You are no longer worthy and will never be worthy of wielding a miraculous,” she said and Alya gasped and sobbed as right were the fox necklace usually rested, a brand was marking itself. Bug then turned to Nino who bowed his head, his fists clenched as he waited.

With a wobbly voice he said, “I am so sorry Marinette. I deserve everything you dish out to me. Ii failed you as a friend and as Carapace. I’m sorry for being a failure. Please tell Wayzz I’m sorry for not being a good hero.” Bug watched as tears fell down Nino’s cheeks. Her face softened a bit, knowing how sincere Nino was being.

“Nino Lahiffe, you have let me and Paris down. As the Guardian of the Miraculous, I hereby give you this warning, if you are truly sincere in your remorse, you are being given one chance to make it up. Prove to me that you deserve to wield a miraculous again. Only when you have proven yourself worthy will you be able to wield a miraculous,” Bug said and Nino gasped as a mark in the form of a turtle-the same shape as the miraculous he wore oh so long ago- formed on his wrist. It didn’t hurt much, like what he imagined getting a tattoo would feel like really. He just gripped over the spot and took deep breaths, only wincing occasionally.

Bug then turned to Alix who had taken a step back in shock, trying to escape but unable to move. The other three were able to move back, being helped by their classmates as a medical personnel looked over the brands. Only Nino didn’t need anything besides some soothing lotion.

“Alix Kubdel,” Bug started going closer to the girl and circling her. By then, Batman was there standing back since he didn’t know how to proceed since she wasn’t exactly doing anything bad. Just marking them to never wield the sacred jewels ever again. “Your family was entrusted with the bunny miraculous. But with it passing to you, a grave mistake has been made. But it was always a mistake, for two bunny miraculouses have been in this time for too long. It’s time to remedy that,” she said reaching a hand out and the pocket watch flew from Alix’s pocket into Bug’s hand. “I cannot trust you to hold this without abusing its power to change history. It shall merge with it’s counter to become whole. But you shall never have it back nor wield any other miraculous,” she said and Alix gripped her hip as it burned. She then looked over the cowering class and scoffed. “None of you will ever wield a miraculous again if you ever did,” she said knowing a few others had used a miraculous but only once. While Alix hadn’t she wasn’t going to risk Fluff. She didn’t say anything while giving them a disgusted look before swinging away, flipping throu the air as she disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paris got to watch that happen from the many people that recorded it. Some live streamed it on Youtube, some put it onto Twitter, others Tumblr, and a few sprinkled onto other social media platforms. It was a shock to watch it. Mr. Kubel was especially pissed off. He just learned that he held a miraculous all this time and instead of handing it over to Ladybug, he gave it to his daughter who was a hot-head. But he couldn’t have known.

But he still felt horrible.

He should have known.

By the time the plane landed, Damocles was gone from office, a worker for the Board was waiting at the gate to give Bustier her pink slip, and several officers and lawyers were waiting beside them to take Lila Rossi, Alya Cesaire, and Adrien Agreste into custody.

Lila has done so many despicable things that are currently being broadcasted to the world. Alya harassed and assaulted Marinette and enabled Lila and Adrien and slandered many peoples names. Adrien, he sexually harassed Marinette, enabled Alya and Lila, and endangered citizens by negligence.

When they exited, the three were taken into custody and walked to a cruiser. Their parents-excluding Gabriel since the man barely ever left and they couldn’t blame him if he was embarrassed by his son-followed after the police. They watched as they got into two cruisers. Lila and Alya both had quite a few lawyers go to them while Adrien only had two.

After that, the parents got into their own cars and followed after the cruisers, calling for lawyers as they drove to the station. Parisians all sneered at the passing police cars throwing what they held at the backseats.

The occupants flinched every time when one hit.

But oh.

Lila was also pissed.

Everything was crumbling from underneath her. Her kingdom, gone. And it was all HER fault. She snarled and looked around hoping to see a glimpse of an Akuma. But she couldn’t find any, a soft growl leaving her throat as Alya looked at her scared. When they arrived at the station, Lila had to be held down by two guards and marched inside. She kept squirming and fighting, wanting to make a break for it and get what she deserves. She was going to get revenge.

She couldn’t stand losing to Marinette. She was afraid at the moment Bug appeared. But.

The next time she saw Bug, she was going to attack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next time Lila saw Bug was in court. Somehow, Chloe and Damian got Marinette to go to Paris. Marinette had the most chilling expression on her face as she entered the courtroom and walked up to the witness’s seat. She held open disdain for Lila and the others sitting waiting to be called guilty. The lawyer for them didn’t try hard to get them free or even a plea or deal. He was going throu the motions hoping they’ll get guilty and the worst punishment possible.

Lila snapped when she saw Marinette. With a snarl she shot up and threw her hands out to attack Marinette. Marinette smirked as Lila came at her.

Within seconds Lila was tied up in a yo-yo, face pushed against the tiles with Marinette standing above her with a smirk, pushing her down into the tile. Leaving Lila raving against the tiles, frustrated tears leaving her. “You bitch! I should have killed you in Gotham! Hawkmoth should have let me kill you, you little bitch! You won’t get away with this!” she shouted out and no one in the court dared breath at that.

“Hawkmoth is no more, Lie-la. Before I came down here I picked up his and Mayura’s miraculouses off my balcony. Your partner has abandoned you. He knew what was good for his health,” Marinette said with a smirk and Lila froze as she glimpsed their miraculouses in Marinette’s hands.

Marinette smirked as she watched the officers jerk Lila up and handcuff her hands and feet to keep her from fleeing. With a nod from the judge she’s cuffed to the seat so that they could continue the trial.

Lila just doomed herself to never see the outside again from her prison cell in Italy.

Ok, so here it is!! Paris’s reaction(and the parents to some degree) about what happened! The next chap will focus on Gab n Mari’s parents! So until next time!! -Love Wila<3<3<3

P.S. there MAY be another dark mari fic coming ur way~~

[the-ventriloquizt]

i was looking up adam's big backstory post, and i couldn't find it, so im going to try and gather all the info i've come up with for adam into one big old post!

adam ascott /aka/ easter info dump!

adam has a sorta complex motivation for his crimes, something that goes beyond 'getting money for trans surgeries' but somehow is exactly that... though it's hard for him to explain

it started during his childhood. childhood in metropolis while superman was there meant seeing the guy everywhere, and the expectation that you would look up to him too. adam was born anna, and his life was spent in fear of superman. it started with paranoia. you see, in metropolis, a big way that kids were made to feel safe was that superman would always be there, would always hear you. adam's bad childhood, what with bullying and a lot of victim blaming from his parents, warped this feeling into 'superman knows you're bad'.

once he started noticing he was a guy, suddenly the masculinity exuded by superman and praised by all the men around seemed threatening. this extra threatened feeling led to adam hating superman, and having awful, mean thoughts, and these mean thoughts  led to 'superman knows you hate him'.

adam tried to hide his transness for a while, kept going by anna, even though it made him ill. he began thinking of 'anna' as a different version of him, something still dying off so he could eventually pop out of her corpse, and he waited. he waited.

when he was trying to find a place for himself in metropolis after finishing high school, he was caught up in a bank robbery with some no-name creep that wanted superman's attention. since he was presenting rather femininely and seemed really vulnerable, the guy grabbed him up and dragged him all the way to the top of the bank, holding him to the edge with the threat that he'd be dropped if superman didn't come save him.

superman did show up, and the guy panicked, throwing adam off the edge to distract the superhero. someone in a building across the street took a photo, a photo of a long haired blonde person in a white dress falling to their death, doing nothing, not even screaming. superman caught him, but when he was set on the ground, superman asked...

'Are you okay, miss?'

adam screamed. it was all too much. he screamed, and he pushed away superman, and he ran past the cops, and he ran past the reporters, and he ran all the way to his shitty apartment his family got him while he was in his 'weird phase', as they called it.

'anna' had finally died. the fall killed her, and adam was still raw.

a popular tabloid would have that photo, the photo of 'anna' falling, on the front page. the article would talk about 'the mad woman of metropolis' and how adam screamed, how someone literally screamed after being saved by superman, in this day and age? what, did 'she' want to die?

adam couldn't get work after that. everywhere he went, people asked, 'aren't you that lady that freaked out after getting saved by superman??' and eventually, he couldn't stand it.

the last thing he did before he cut off his family and move away was take what money he could from his account and change his name. 'anna' had died so 'adam' took over.

not that this adam was complete. he still felt wrong when he looked at himself, new name or not. he was still a shell he needed to escape from.

in gotham, nobody asked if he was the 'lady scared of superman'. in fact, in gotham, nobody referred to him at all. he could finally wear his binder and refer to himself properly, and he could start his work. he began working in a bike delivery company during the day...

and when he saw a coded offer for a henchman for egghead leaving retirement for one last heist in the wanted pages, he decided to go for it. he was bad anyways, and he needed the money, and gotham was better. batman couldn't hear him. batman didn't know him. and it didn't matter what happened to this adam, because it was the incomplete adam.

he put on a rabbit mask, and wore some bright clothes, pastels, things he knew egghead wore. the rabbit mask was just what he had on hand, something he got while still in middle school.

the heist went horribly. batman showed up, and while he was distracted with egghead's upset rant about the bat ruining everything, adam ran. he ran, and he ran, and he ran, and batman apparently didn't bother going after him, because he ended up going home without a hint of the bat or his robin chasing him.

he didn't want the egg. the egg was an extremely valuable, priceless, last of it's kind egg, a piece of art. he had no use for it. he thought about selling it, but he didn't know how, or where to bring it. egghead was in jail. there wasn't anything he could do...

(he stashed the egg in a drawer, wrapped in the same white dress 'anna' wore on the day she fell. it was safe, and began standing as a motivation. finish yourself. finish yourself.)

the media ate up the idea of a rabbit running off with an egg while wearing bright colors. began calling him the 'easter bunny', and then eventually just Easter, since it was catchier. adam watched the media die down, and he fully accepted his title. he liked the idea, and realizing that he needed the gimmick if he was ever gonna get the money he wanted for his surgeries to 'complete' himself, began thinking more about what he needed to fully realize his new identity.

he began thinking about this new midpoint between 'anna' and 'adam' as 'easter'. easter was the point between what he had to be and what he wanted to be. easter would still be called adam during the day, but adam couldn't bring himself to actually count as that version of him.

he began playing with some ideas. he carried baskets with him when he stole things, and the best thing he did for himself was formulate his spring-heeled shoes, though the design was stolen off the internet. his boss let him borrow some tools from the shop, under the excuse that he needed to fix his bike up, and he made something that would help him with his escapes and break ins.

he isn't popular yet, but a few higher ranking rogues have borrowed him for a some tasks, including two jobs with the joker (one job to break into a judge's house and steal some family photos, and the other job to break back into the judge's house and replace the family photos, only now they had mustaches painted onto all of his family members. adam was payed in hollowed out carrots full of bills.) he's working on it. the rise in fame is a slow one.

and once he's complete, he's going to return the egg. thats a promise.

-

adam serves as a lackey for hire, specializing in in-and-out thievery and quick escapes, though he doesn't seem to care too much about the 'thrill' of it all. he has a hard time thinking of plans for hisself, and has an even harder time communicating, though if someone sets him on a task, he'll do whatever he can to continue it, even if he gets hurt.

he doesn't have much weaponry, throwing punches or using explosive eggs made specifically for opening safes if pushed, but he prefers to run from confrontation.

he lives in the wayne garden apartments, and does bike delivery for a delivery company during the day... though he's recently figured out that said company was owned by one warren white, who uses it as a way to transport the smaller goods he promises to his clients.

-

eventually adam is caught, not in some big blaze of glory, but confronted in his own apartment by the bat. even faced out of costume, adam still attempts to crawl out of his fourth-story apartment window, unable to figure out why the batman was able to figure out who he was... even though he hadn't really been hiding it so well.

he has a fairly long stint in arkham for endangerment of the self, where he ends up able to get the surgeries he needs for his dysphoria, though it's not as cut-and-dry as he thought it'd be. he'd bet on the surgeries giving him the epiphany of who 'adam' really was, but it wasn't as easy as that, so he still struggles with who he is...

the identity of 'easter' hasn't died yet, and adam often falls back on it when he feels unsure of himself, though after a good deal of therapy he's much less likely to recklessly throw himself off of rooftops... which is a great improvement, if you ask dr arkham.

post-surgery, adam still does heists for egg-themed objects for himself and some lackey work for others, trying to find some sort of balance between the life he'd lived up to that point and a future life.

-

the robin he most often goes up against is tim, though they fight less than they race, with maybe a little bit of teasing from easter’s side. it’s probably the only time he thinks its really fun to run

[justanothercheesecurd]

My pessimistic and slightly depressing fantasies; Leo version

So Leo Valdez is the joker/prankster of the group, and that's how he's been seen since square one. But in his flashbacks to the time before his mom died he was never depicted as such. He was kinda quiet, or at least he was seen from the reader's point of view that way. He wasn't depressed or anything, he was just kind of there, being a kid that thought some things were unfair, or sad, or comforting. Just having mild emotions and being a kid that didn't feel like standing out to the few people that knew him, content in being so. But after his mom died he was left with no one to love him and everyone to judge him. He was alone with a bunch of people who didn't know him or care to try. It hinted he was bullied, and it wouldn't be surprising if he was placed in some abusive or neglectful foster care, since he was in so many. He probably was faced with a lot of suspicion, given the unusual circumstances of his being orphaned, and the strange rumors that always surrounded him. He was most likely desperate to become someone who would be able to reflect that, protect himself, and maybe he liked for it. So he chose comedy. He talked about how it benefited him to become a joker, how people tolerated him more when he came with a few laughs, how it helped him hide away the pain. He might've stood in front of a mirror, practicing his smile, trying to even fool himself into being someone he wasnt, just so he could deal with the mess he was in. Eventually, he programmed himself into being that person, and all that was left of the person he was escaping was some broken pieces of a shattered being pushed away so he wouldn't even remember being that way. I think that if his mom didn't die, he would be a completely different, quiet and almost ntroverted. Not too energetic and more relaxed. He would talk more seriously about serious things and would be more willing to relay his feelings to people he cares about. He might not have been into pranking or jokes, and wouldn't be desperate when it came to someone he cares for, because he wouldn't be as aware of how much losing them can hurt.

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S2 Ep 26-27: Marik Also Tries Mind-Crushing, Except Literal and With A Very Large Storage Unit

Ah, Yugioh, where two children are possessed by ghosts and two other children are possessed by just some guy named Marik.

He’s still pretty sure he has a plan. To be honest, at this point it just seems like he’s desperate, but I have to hand it to Marik, that he’s doing more than just relying on a spooky golden maraca thing he keeps in the side pocket of his cargo pants. Something that a lot of shows do really wrong with villains (pointing fingers directly at My Hero Academia while I’m typing this) is that they rely too much on their fancy looking superpowers to show they’re a bad guy. It’s fine to have super powers but you gotta back it up with making sure you’re throwing your heroes into a psychological nightmare--at least once.

At least once, MHA, it is Season 3. Please. You have such a huge budget and the best animators in the world. Please. I beg of you.

Yugioh, on the other hand is like...when WON’T we be in a psychological nightmare?

And so Marik has decided, after the bandsaw murder clown incident, the blown up skyscraper 100 story fall to your death incident, and the spooky mime incident, that he was ready to just really go to town on effed up villain stuff today. It’s time to pull all the stops. He’s got Yugi’s BFF’s all ready to turn on Yugi, he’s got an abandoned shipyard...for some reason...

All in all, as much as I rat on Marik, I very much appreciate that he didn’t monologue in some Mahjong bar for twelve episodes about all the reasons he wants to do evil stuff, he just goes out and does it. Let me rephrase, he just goes out and makes other people do it, but at least someone is doing something in every episode. Can’t say that about all the TV I watch.

You do have to hand it to him he never does the same plan twice.

(read more after the cut)

So, spotting Joey from afar, Kaiba lands his helicopter dangerously close to him, and just walks out unarmed, his smallest brother standing next to him. Mokuba is still taking everything in from last episode apparently and he’s just really confused most of the time as Joey starts going off about himself in the third person to Yugi.

And Seto decides to just watch? He doesn’t call for help, he doesn’t use his crazy amount of leverage, and he doesn’t do the smart thing which would be to run the hell away, he just kinda soaks this all in and has decided that he lives here now.

So, Marik, who can do a lot of the dark magic stuff Pegasus and Bakura have showed us, decides to instead go old school and forgo magic for most of this fight (other than some possession of course.)

Like I said before, if you’re gonna write a villain, they gotta get in your hero’s head a bit. It’s villain 101. Should it ever go as far as a Yugioh villain on kid’s TV? I mean proooobably not necessary? But something this episode does is show that a villain does not need superpowers. All they need, is to test your hero’s greatest insecurities to the breaking point, which is something Marik does really well, and surprisingly a lot of shows I don’t need to mention, because I already have, don’t do. They kinda rely on “well he’s got evil powers, so he’s evil and they punch a lot” while not understanding that it was never the powers that gives a show that tension that villains bring.

Like, Yugioh does a lot of things wrong, but surprisingly, they know how to write a clearly evil villain who’s just overheard that Yugi’s big thing is this bond of friendship--which is really childish--but he goes with it anyway. So he makes this bizarre Joker-like card game scenario that is based on breaking those friendship connections. But leave it to Yugioh to have something really pure in theory but in practice turn into this screwball nightmare. Yugioh is kind of like a really simple chocolate cake but there’s a tire on it and it’s on fire.

I will say, it is odd that Seto got dragged here into the friendship battle, as he is the worst friend. So now he also gets to go through friend torture with some school mates he occasionally has class with. TBH, I don’t think Seto has even realized yet that he has also been 100% abducted since the moment he walked off that helicopter. Seto lives in a nice denial place.

So lets go over Marik’s Big Plan #7.

First, off you gotta put on these shackles, seen here:

I feel like Shackles are this seasons Maze Labyrinth. I mean I guess Yugi’s shackled to his destiny? Or at least the destiny of the ghost he’s attached to? Anyway, so many shackles this season.

And then these shackles and chains are connected to Joey as well as this anchor we see here:

What nice symbolism to illustrate that Yugi’s friendship will drag everyone he knows along with him--as it has for the past 2 seasons. Not really a big spoiler for everyone involved in this battle.

And then this was a thing Marik added just for kicks, which can be symbolic, too, but I don’t feel like diving into it:

I actually never thought these two would actually cancel a game. Mokuba decided against blowing his whistle at it though, he decided it was probably too late for that. Aaaaaand it was:

Yo, how do you sneak up on people with a 70 ft crane?

Honestly I was surprised that Seto cared enough about Tea to not move, but I guess he couldn’t kill Tea in front of Mokuba. And I dunno, Seto and Tea never really talk to eachother, so I guess I’ve never noticed that he thinks she’s decent enough to continue existing. He might like her better than anyone else on this show other than Mokuba. And I’m not saying that to ship them, although I’m sure it’s a fine ship sailing around out there, I’m just saying that it is notable when Kaiba accepts that someone else besides a Kaiba deserves to live.

And then one last touch:

I guess no one told Marik that Tea and Yugi aren’t actually dating? I mean how much would it suck to go on one date with a guy and then all of a sudden you’re dealing with all of his villains?

Accurate, actually, that is exactly how dating works. You go one date and then you casually run into him in an elevator and then all of a sudden he’s like “So my ex fiance took me to court over the engagement ring and it’s so unfair that I can’t get that money back when she’s gonna marry this other guy she’s only known for a month anyway.” and it’s like “You were engaged?”

But, for his credit, 2 weeks later I needed a date, called him up, and he was like “Sorry, I’m in the hospital because I got an ulcer removed because apparently there’s too much stress in my life pulling these allnighters for my classes, and my car died and it’s gonna cost 2k to fix it, and then my ex fiance visited me in the hospital which was hella weird because my Dad is here. Anyway I got a tube down my pee hole and it was the worst pain I’ve felt in my life including the ulcer they removed from my gut. But I dunno. When’s the date?” and I just assumed he was pranking me but turns out, the next day, my teacher confirmed the kid was in the hospital and as high as balls.

Anyway, Pharaoh isn’t the worst person in the world to date, I guess.

It’s nice that Yugi was able to find all of his accessories in blue leather and silver rivets.

The duel begins, everyone cries, except for Tea who’s just screaming from the sidelines that Joey needs to remember how much he loves Yugi. She reminds him to think of the experiences they’ve shared and it was like oh boy maybe skip the part where you bullied Yugi to to hell and then he got cursed with a ghost that lives in his body.

TBH, I feel like it would be bad to introduce Serenity to the fray? Like if I were Marik I’d be like “woah get Joey’s sister out of here, that’s gonna snap him out of it.” but it’s not like Marik gets the whole family love thing anyway, living with Ishizu.

In case you were wondering, yes Mokuba actually tried to explain to Tea what was going on, so the show went over what the hell was going on I want to say like 3 times. Which is something you kinda have to do when you’ve turned your card game into Mousetrap.

And so this is where the episode ended, and I was capping along and felt like this could be a two parter post for this weekend, so why not? Lets continue.

Ah, and it starts out with Marik on a boat.

That boat gets mysteriously bigger and bigger every time it shows up. How many Rare Hunters are there? Like 10? And do they have to rent an apartment on this boat, like how does this all work? And if they do rent an apartment on the boat, who’s cooking? Like Marik, obviously is not a cook since he’s a living disaster, but I want to know more about boat life. Did Bandit Keith ever make them a crunchwrap supreme? Is one of the Rare Hunters always playing Wonderwall? Do they tan on the bow? Why would this boat ever need to be this big?

And I know this isn’t any of the Yugioh spinoff shows, but if I were to write one it would absolutely be Marik’s Boat Life. That would be the name.

Anyway, Yugi decides to fly over Pharaoh’s shoulder like a little angel. It’s been kind of a while.

So like it’s foreshadowed pretty strongly that Yugi’s decided “why even bother, Pharaoh, we don’t need your card talent today. At least my life will end as I lived, short and very awkward”

On the other side of town, Tristan has to go up a group of these Rare Hunters, and from everything we know about Tristan, this shouldn’t be so difficult? Like he punched out Bakura and threw Double Spike Mullet over his shoulder at one point, but unfortunately, punches don’t seem to work. But do you know what does?

I completely forgot Duke Devlin was a character in this show. Surprised he’s not in this competition, but apparently his game he’s making alongside Pegasus is really panning out--which is kind of effed up because Pegasus is a murderer. But youknow...I guess that everyone in the show decided to overlook that?

Whatever, I spent an entire episode trying to understand that, lets get back to the friendship plot line. Yugi decided to play a card that lets Joey take a card from Yugi’s hand, which gives him an opportunity to show Joey’s dragon. But will Joey overcome Marik and take this very good card to use on Yugi? (bro just corrected me and told me this card is actually not good but wtv)

He takes a different card. Friendship triumphs over...this card that I should know more about but I don’t watch the card games so I’m just gonna wing it here.

And then Yugi plays it anyway, and the music swells and it’s meaningful again.

Because the Red Eyes is connected with his heart now. Not sure when that happened exactly but it apparently happened at some point.

Seriously, when did this happen? I ask a lot of questions rhetorically but feel free to answer that one. Did I miss something? S1 this card was just kinda there.

Pharaoh, sensing that Yugi has very well lost his mind and will be absolutely hit by a fireball, decides to take over. Remember that the last time Yugi got hit with a fireball, he passed out pretty much before it hit him. And then he died. Yugi died last time a fireball hit him (I’m pretty sure that was a fireball in the Pegasus fight? It feels like years ago). Mind, that was a shadow duel, but apparently that doesn't matter this season because all the cards are real and no one cares that this is a very big problem.

Pharaohs legs are either three times the size of his torso OR they’re wearing extremely high waisted pants. Both scenarios are good.

And he gets hit in the face with a fireball.

And doesn’t pass out. Good for him. He is about 15% alive though, Yugi is basically going to die if he gets hit with another fireball. Like his lifepoints still say 1000 but it takes him like ten minutes to walk all the way around this pier and give Joey this:

Luckily, Marik as Joey plays cards so slowly, that the ten minute walk was still shorter than a single turn in Yugioh.

Also this is a thing? Just anyone can put that on?

so this whole time anyone could have been wearing the ring to Mordor? Just anyone? OK then.

Anyway, next week, on Yugioh:

Does Marik have any lag on that superpower of his, because I feel like it would make this show make some more sense on his part? Did the mime just walk home? If they all did die this way--not saying the will or won’t because they’ve died so many times now, but if they DID--weirdest way to die, amiright?

And if you’ve stumbled onto this blog which is halfway through S2, let me direct you to this handy link, which gives you all the recaps in chronological order from S1

[thathalloweengal]

Christmas Eve at Wayne Manor (fanfic)

Bruce Wayne threw another log on the fire, it crackled angrily at him but its warmth soothed his weary bones. It was Christmas Eve and the newly renovated Wayne Manor had been decorated thoroughly, bright red and gold tinsel was draped from the oak staircase, a massive fern tree stood tall in the lounge and hundreds of tiny multicolored lights were hanging everywhere. The coffee table even had freshly baked cookies on it, still warm from the oven and spreading the smell of cinnamon throughout the house.

Bruce had one hell of a night, some idiot with powers called Gentleman Ghost decided to hold Mayor Grange and some city council members to ransom. When Bruce got the call it seemed like a cake walk but he didn't expect some damn councilman to be in on it. One maniac in a pig mask, two stab wounds and a pair of bruised ribs later, Bruce felt far older than he was. Ten years ago he would have been ready for them. The two newcomers to Gotham would have been taken down by what onlookers would only be able to describe as some kind of Bat demon, instead of that fifty year old playing dress up with kevlar.

"A dollar for your thoughts, Master Wayne?"

Not for the first time in his career, Alfred Pennyworth cut through Bruce's self criticism.

"Maybe when I was a kid, my thoughts are a little more expensive now"

"Damn inflation rates" Alfred sighed, sitting down in a nearby recliner and nursing a glass of what was probably cognac

"The guests should be arriving shortly" Alfred said after a moment

"Yeah they should be, you did a great job with all this by the way" Bruce nodded at the decorations and the tree

"Thank you sir, between being tactical support and stitching up near fatal wounds, I too believe that my calling lies in holiday planning"

"You didn't do it, did you?"

"Unfortunately I did not have the time but Mr. Allen thankfully stepped into my shoes"

"That kid's got a lot of heart" Bruce smiled

"Makes one remember brighter Christmases, doesn't it? I just wish he'd stop calling me Elfred"

"I always wanted you to have an irritating nickname" Bruce giggled

"Well bully for you sir, I suppose you are absolutely elated with Master Allen's choice for you?"

The look of confusion on Bruce's face prompted Alfred's reply "Bat Dad"

Bruce grimaced on the outside but deep down kept a slight warm feeling of contentment to himself, it had been a long time since anyone thought of him as a father figure.

"Any luck finding Curry?" Bruce asked

"Won't answer any communications but satellites have pinpointed him in a large stretch of ocean, near where the legendary city of Atlantis was once alleged to stand"

"More turkey for us" Bruce dismissed

A bolt of blue lightning sped into the room, carrying Barry Allen along it, he was wearing a sweater with a half eaten gingerbread man on it.

"Speaking of turkey, I don't know if you guys know this but I'm a vegetarian"

"Your dietary needs have already been catered for, Mr. Allen"

"You're awesome, Elfred"

Alfred rolled his eyes and took a long sip of cognac. Bruce decided to give his old friend a break from the young speedster by bringing back a Wayne family tradition.

"Barry, would you mind heading over to the cave and picking up the package beside the car?"

"The Batmobile?" Barry beamed

"The Batmobile" Bruce confirmed with a reassuring smile

Barry was gone in a flash, back into his blue lightning and out of the room. A few moments later he reappeared with a large crate as tall as he was, it had his lightning symbol on it.

"What is this?" Barry asked, slightly concerned

"Only one way to find out"

Barry raced around the crate, unbuckling straps and somehow removing screws, before finally removing the cover. Inside was a new costume, something that Bruce had his company create as a gift to Barry. Its design was much more refined than the current costume and had cutting edge Wayne Tech inside.

"Early present" Bruce explained

In the blink of an eye, Barry changed into the costume. It looked impressive on him, more like high tech armor than something someone had lovingly thrown together from NASA's dumpster. It's finish was a darker shade of red than Barry had previously sported and small holographic displays were already updating him on crimes around the city.

"Holy crap, this is so cool"

Barry superspeeded Bruce into a hug before saying something that sounded like:

"I'mGonnaTakeItForATestRunThanksBatDad"

Another blink and the blue lightning had once more carried Barry out of the room and through the front doors. Alfred smirked.

"That should keep him busy for at least a few minutes"

"Been getting under your feet?"

"Like you wouldn't believe, you are aware that he moved in upstairs?"

"Who do you think gave him the room"

Alfred chuckled a little before becoming a little more reserved.

"Does he know about the..."

Bruce cut Alfred off, immediately shaking his head, a matter of importance lay in the air between them.

"I wanted everyone to know" Bruce said softly "I'll tell them tonight"

Three knocks at the front door cut through their conversation.

"More of your unruly children, I think" Alfred grinned

Bruce got to his feet as Alfred topped up his cognac with a bottle from a nearby cabinet. Bruce pulled a massive door open to be greeted by a gust of cold wind, Clark Kent, Martha Kent and Lois Lane. Bruce took their coats and led them over to a sofa. He poured Lois and Martha drinks from the cabinet, Clark asked if he could get some hot cocoa instead, which Alfred kindly obliged, rising from his recliner and making his way into the kitchen.

"How's Perry doing?" Bruce asked, Lois and Clark's boss was an old acquaintance of his

"Same as always this time of year" Lois answered, taking a sip of her beverage "Santa hat on, singing Christmas songs older than the building, it's adorable"

"He's also very generous" Martha added

"But only to this one" Lois squeezed Clark's hand "He got the highest bonus that Perry has ever given anyone"

Bruce raised an eyebrow and Clark blushed.

"I don't think our cover story of how Clark Kent and Superman died around the same time and came back around the same time but definitely aren't the same person washes with Perry"

"He's too good of a reporter" Bruce replied

"We talking about the same Perry White that buries stories because they're too quote un quote invigorating for our readers" Clark spoke up

"Well he used to be a good reporter" Bruce said sheepishly "He rumbled me as the Bat a couple of days after he met me for an interview"

"How did you handle that?"

"Ever wonder how the Planet stays afloat despite hemorrhaging subscriptions and sales?"

The two reporters froze, no doubt wondering if Perry was blackmailing him or if Bruce was lying. It was unlikely that they knew they were talking to the secret owner of the Daily Planet.

Another knock to the door provided Bruce with the perfect moment to leave the three. Opening the door, once more, he found Diana arm in arm with a woman who must've been at least seven feet tall, they were both wearing stunning dresses. Bruce showed them inside and over to the Kents. Diana explained that her companion was called Mala, she was an Amazon and had just been exiled from their Island. They went back a very long time together and were now picking up their relationship.

Bruce had never seen Diana so happy, she was absolutely gleaming with joy, holding her partner's hand and joining in with the rest of them laughing at Clark's hot cocoa mustache.

A flash of blue lightning returned to the room, dropping off Victor Stone and Victor's father Silas.

"Look who I found outside" Barry announced, trying to hide his broken holographic displays and partially destroyed costume from Bruce

With one more flash, Barry changed back into his gingerbread man sweater and jeans. Bruce made a mental note to ask him about his misadventure later, but for the time being simply hugged Victor and shook Silas's hand, before pouring them out drinks.

The holiday party started well enough, Barry and Victor were talking about video games, Lois and Clark were sharing incredible "How we met" stories with Diana and Mala, and the sounds of jingle bell rock played throughout the old house. Bruce hadn't seen it this alive and full of love since his parents were there.

Bruce felt himself slipping into the past, he could almost hear his father telling him that he could open one present early. Feeling a little overcome with emotion, Bruce put on his coat and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air and to calm his nerves.

Bruce wanted nothing more than to be back inside, be with this new family he had helped create, but he knew that he would have to leave them soon enough. Why prolong the inevitable. Over the last five years, he had been through a lot, both mentally and physically. Jason's death, the fallout from the battle of Metropolis, his obsessive crusade against Clark and all of the guilt that followed after. Even helping to kill monsters like Luthor's creature and Steppenwolf didn't alleviate the demons and the damage inside Bruce.

The situation was made even worse by the fact that In the last couple of years Bruce found himself having nightmares, very real feeling nightmares. They'd always start differently, sometimes on a ruined Earth with soldiers wearing Superman's symbol, other times in an alley with Bruce himself snapping the Joker's neck. These dreams would have him being captured or buried alive or even breathing in the Joker's poison. They always ended the same way, regardless of if it was Clark, Joker or some mad man claiming to be his own father, Bruce would always be too slow, too beat up, too arrogant, Bruce always died.

Before he woke from these dreams though, Bruce would have a vision of Barry. Not the Barry currently in Wayne Manor, dancing terribly to the music of George Michael but an older, more tired looking Barry. He always gave advice and warnings before leaving. Advice that had helped calm Clark when he was brought back to life. He told Bruce that Lois was the key, had he not done that, Bruce expected things would have gone much worse than they did. Occasionally Barry yelled about being in the middle of a Crisis, about needing to correct something called a fractured timeline and told Bruce to be prepared for worse days to come.

These dreams and every night he patrolled Gotham convinced Bruce that he was seriously incapable of dealing with whatever the future held. Tomorrow as his friends celebrated, he would be on a plane to a city called Nanda Parbat, where he would seek the mythical Lazarus Pit it was infamous for. He hoped that it could heal his body and purge his soul of the pain that weighed him down.

Most people who looked for the Pit died climbing the mountain that hid the city, those who survived disappeared, never to be heard from again. That didn't put Bruce off however, he had inside information that the Pit lay somewhere within the palace of the Sensai, the ancient leader of Nanda Parbat. Bruce's only problems were getting to it through an entire league of assassins and any side effects the Pit might cause him. The only person he knew who had done this before wasn't exactly the picture of sanity, of course neither was Bruce.

"Only you would brood at Christmas" teased a voice approaching him through the snow

Holding a small stack of presents, Commissioner Jim Gordon smiled comfortingly at Bruce.

"Sorry I'm late, some damn fool decided to save the Mayor and tie me up in paperwork and reporters"

"Sounds like a real hero type" Bruce replied "A billionaire playboy like myself wouldn't know anything about that"

Bruce couldn't keep a straight face, Bruce and Jim embraced and kissed. His lips were chapped and he tasted of tobacco but it was Bruce's favorite feeling. When they seperated, Jim looked like something was troubling him.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked

"I was just wondering, will this be the last time we do that?"

"Hopefully not" Bruce said playfully but Jim looked somber

"I know that you have to go, that for you to stay fighting in a world of super crazies you need this elixir of mumbo jumbo, but I worry"

"That I'll come back different?"

"That you won't come back at all" Jim said, sadly "Bruce I care about you, I don't want you to end up dead in some snowy hell hole"

"Good thing I'm Batman then" Bruce said, taking Jim's hand in his own "One thing you can count on in Gotham, even a small time crook could tell you, when Jim Gordon stands on top of Police HQ and lights that big Signal up, the Batman comes running, might take him a while to get there but he'll always show up"

Jim looked like he was trying to suppress a smile but it quickly broke through.

"What will we do without you?"

"Oh I'm sure you'll cope for a while but just in case I did ask Dick to look in on you from time to time"

"You two are talking again?"

"I know it's a Christmas miracle" Bruce chuckled

"I'll keep your damn oversized nightlight running" Jim agreed "Might scare some superstitious cowards"

Hearing a commotion inside, Bruce and Jim glanced through one of the windows. Barry had supersped an Elf hat onto a sleeping Alfred, Diana was dancing with Martha Kent and Clark and Victor were playing Twister, though Bruce wasn't sure who brought it, Mala and Lois were refereeing.

"You going in?" Jim asked "I've always wanted to meet Superman" he grinned cheekily

"Only if you're my plus one" Bruce said, more cheesily than he had originally hoped

Bruce walked back into Wayne Manor, Jim close by his side. Bruce had no idea what Nanda Parbat would do to him but for now at least he was content sipping tea, giving presents and sharing this night with the people he cared for most.