#Pose jumped up outta nowhere and I said yeah okay

[hajihiko]

🚭don't smo- actually I think the other thing is also not good🚭

[evergreen-dryad]

thoughts about spook 65

...Although, it’s more like a stream of consciousness commentary. I try and fail not to make this too long as usual, so warning long post ahead.

Summary: Aidairo leaves us on that cliffhanger by giving us a break with tension-breaker Kou with his caring friends, more Mitsukou, and then dun dun dun they encounter a Wild Comic Relief of Universal Proportions Natsuhiko (poor fish and tarantula I hope they got back safe) and apparently Natsuhiko wants to capture No.6 like he’s the rarest pokemon of all and might have the secret key to the immortality fountain?? Will we ever know more about these mysterious man stay tuned next month. And oh yeah also No.6 always wanted to throw Aoi into the hole to rot away because he’s also a necromancer. Just great and swell here folks, don’t know how Nene and Akane are faring ~

whaaww Kou’s feeling really overwhelmed I mean this is a lot for like what a 13 year old boy

LMAO IS HE WIPING THE MOKKE OR DID HE READY A KERCHIEF FOR NENE

‘Teru-nii hasn’t been home recently’ -- hmmmmm? What’s he up to? Is he out on a journey to exorcise bigger fish out there?

...Or it could be just a field trip lmao

lol. out of context -- 👀

(I love that white-black juxtaposition between the two of them)

AWW WHAT GOOD BOIS

KOU HAS SUCH GOOD FRIENDS I’M MELTING HEREEEEE

ahahahahaha ofc Satou sugarboy here has his priorities right. ‘Get sweet drinks and sweets for us you simp’

awwww

I love it, we’re getting outside perspective from the supportive side characters. It’s the Arc for no1 Supportive Side Character Ao-chan after all!

ooooooohhhhh Satou’s the observant one here. Starting to love him now~

what a cheerful sandboy Yokoo is holding that carrot

oyo it’s Mitsuba but I’m just distracted wondering if those plants on the left side are mimosa plants, le touch-me-not

LMAO

MITSUBA YOU NEVER HOLD BACK

omg you just popped right outta the mirror like that. I would have screamed and flung my hands everywhere. Kou you have nerves of steel or in this case your brain is a steelwool scrubber right now

Yeah man that’s his job your man’s a ghost in case you forgot

AWW HE’S ALSO CONCERNED

MITSUBA DOING THE BLESSED WORK AROUND HERE HE JUST OUTRIGHT ASKED KOU WHAT’S UP

LMAO KOU

It is unbelievable to him since Mitsuba has always been such a prickly tsun before he’s probably never shown much common decency let alone common friend interaction like showing concern esp since Kou to him is a blokehead

Awww, Kou

(oh? oh? what was his wish again exactly, to be friends or for him to be human somehow?

and lmao Kou is going doki-doki when Mitsuba for the first time ever asks if he’s okay)

Aww, Mitsuba misses his Daikon-senpai, this is too cute guys I--

Nene your fantasy came true Mitsuba’s looking for you like a lost puppy

LMAO HANAKO IS THE BAD FRIEND IM SCREMINH BUT KOU HONEY YOU’RE RIGHT HE FIGHTS BEATS STABS PEOPLE UP AND INTRODUCES YOU TO PORN AND EVEN GOES YANDERE FOR AN ARC

really. why am I so intrigued Teru is gone. Where did he go. There must be a story somewhere.

oh whoa there goes Kou acting all otome ML again (callback to Hanako wanting Nene’s wish to come true too with the shoulder-clutching?)

HAHAHAHA YEAH HE DIDN’T LISTEN AT ALL. THIS SIMP. YOUR BI HIMBO. YOUR MORON.

Mitsuba’s face is sending me I swear

Yes Mitsuba he deserves that kick to the arse. Teach him to listen to you

There we go again~~ *Kou otome ML move count: 2*

A scream??? COULD IT BE---

BUGS AND TRASH PLS PLS BE OKAY

wow Mitsuba just suited up. our two superheroes on the move

AAAAAAAAAA

IT’S A FISH???? WHOSE LEGS ARE THOU TOO LONG?? DON’T TELL ME IT’S NATSUHIKO

also lmao these phat daikon arms. And these rando fish are all so cute. Look at this guy on the right. So smooth and chill like a seal

Ya jeez more and more apparitions are showing up y’all it’s becoming a yokai manga (I’m not complaining I love them all.)

Oh that dramatic foot in a spotlight, Natsuhiko you dramatic hoe, it’s you I’d know you anywhere (jokes aside I saw that Sailor Moon edit of him so)

HAHAH THE FISH LOOKS SO HAPPY. PEAK COMEDY THAT FOOT SILENTLY SLIPPING OUT OF SIGHT I--

HONESTLY HOW DOES NATSUHIKO KEEP GETTING INTO THESE SITUATIONS

Good shonen boy Kou finally jumping into action to the rescue, because god knows without Hanako around there’s no one to do the saving of damsels in distress around here

‘I want to join too’ -- AWWW LOL THIS IS SO CUTE

and off they go bullying a fish like it’s a game, so sad I liked that whalefrogfish

is it ded. rip.

oh wow Natsu you kissed fish gullet, look how red your face is wow. Also you really shouldn’t think that you’re too funny to let die. You survived being thrown into Nowhere, you’ll survive fish llke Jonah did. But fr did Sakura throw you into a fish trash pit or smth

LOL OH YEAH KOU DOESN’T KNOW AND YEAH HE IS THE NO1 AIRHEAD FOR MITSUBA NOT KOU LOL

OHMYGOD HE DID A DRAMATIC SELF-INTRODUCTION WITH THE FLASH STEP AND ALL I LOVE U YOU DORK. YOU HUGE SHONEN DORK OF INDESTRUSCTIBLE COMIC RELIEF PROPORTIONS

ohmygod he called himself an Onii-san. He wants Kou to call him Onii-san. I am crying. Teru come back your lil bro’s being propositioned (w hA T a tiME for YoU TO Be GonE eH)

HAHAH THAT IDOL POSE. NO WONDER SAILOR MOON I AM DECEASED

KOU BABY IS SUSPICIOUS IM CRYING YES AS YOU SHOULD BE HUN (that font is just perfect *chef’s kiss*)

Natsuhiko just awkwardly perched there in the background

Touchy touchy LOL MITSUBA YOU SAID WHAT I THOUGHT

and yikes Natsuhiko’s pulling the same moves as Nene to gain kouhais lolol, aaah I’m starting to see similarities between them

HAHAH OMG *Kou otome ML move count: 3*

ooh what a shady guy. Natsu what do u know tell us tell us tell us

omg y u like this. whY do you sound so threatening now. I take it back you’re not harmless

W H A T

Natsuhiko do you mean to tell me you’re immortal????? Is that why you survive all these ridiculous levels of eldritch horror????

Fml he really looks like a vampire in that lighting. Esp since I can like see all his individual teeth what on earth is this level of detail Aidairo for once Natsuhiko looks like the cool mysterious guy he was meant to be

Just realised he has like a dyed hair thing going on kinda like Tsuchigomori. Don’t tell me. Natsuhiko are you Tsuchigomori’s secret love child.

‘There’s a bad energy coming from here’ --- pFFFT. He sounds like he’s trying to be a fengshui expert now. A conman

hmmmm??? Oh that wasn’t a phone?? what is that it’s an onsen...?

wait that is probably a phone nvm. I’m just jumping at every little detail like 👀 

so huh I’m assuming Tsukasa can’t handle no6 on his own either, so....or possibly Natsuhiko is acting on his own??

Ooh cool blankets, everyone has different flowers!! (*squints* no stop you can’t go looking for flower meanings everywhere)

And yes that’s a phone. Naatsuhiko just canonically has an onsen symbol phonecase just to show he’s a Chill Bro

lol Mitsuba i don’t think you need to worry you’re not a whole soul anymore

D’AWWWW LOOK AT ALL THOSE LITTLE CUTIES (sheep, elephant, bunnies (multiple), rubber duckling)

You. Natsuhiko. You’re the one most like a cat.

omg what a braggart. what a chest-thumping man u are Natsu-senpai

OMG KOU NOOO WE WERE MAKING PROGRESS HE TAMED YOU ANYWAY

hahahahha I’m crying. Even Natsuhiko’s conscience is touched by Kou’s trusting naivete I can’t

oh my god. but thank god Teru-nii still comes first he still hasn’t completely seduced you over to the dark side just yet

awwww, Kou. Awww. He really, really wants to do his best to save them all. I--

Aw yay Natsu is touched to the point he’ll help!! Hopefully he wasn’t lying!! I hope there isn’t a sacrifice involved-

oh???

Onix (srsly I really love all the lotuses everywhere. really going Buddhist symbology there)

look at dat foot. it go.

oh!! we’re fresh at the battlescene!!

!!!!!!

IT’S ALIVEEEE

I guess these guys are too useful to let rot in the trashpit eh

?? For one moment I thought we were looking down into the trashpit at our missing 4 lmao. But why. No 6 you’re coming off as ...naturally innocent??? Dang. Let this cutie rest

I’m genuinely curious how on earth this no 6 is not a god on his own. (It’s funny to me that I’m coincidentally writing about a god like this as well at the same time.) How does he rank equal to the others. How is Hanako even his boss have they ever met before I demand a full show of Hanako’s powers one day. We’re not even sure what his boundary is. Or is it that he only has the power of life and death on those in his boundary?

(edit: just realised that if Tsukasa is behind Natsuhiko then no6 is basically Tsukasa’s dream power - necromancy. He could build all the Frankensteins his little heart ever wanted)

oof there go the minions. I love how they have little buds on their heads. Every minion of his is ‘living’! And they’re like the first with individuality I’ve seen...?

oh he thinks Aoi did this purposely? Pfft she got dragged in there

juijuirjfuerjcjkekerjckdediejdiedmwec. I am so worried. But fr this one panel of Aoi is so beautiful.

Huh the hole is a starburst shape? 6 points hmm --oh wait im dumb it’s closing up oh no

LOL KEIKAKU DOORI

But shiet really how did he see to that. By giving her power over those specific bugs?? Planting info of that hole in her?

IM SCREAMING THAT’S THE END OF IT THAT’S IT TILL NEXT MONTH

[evien-stark]

✧I Need You✧ Chapter 114

It was genuinely a lot to ask of you to keep your cool and not break down. But you were facing questions from police and had a child that was probably traumatized in your care- one that you’d brought into this dangerous situation- and- also- what if you and Tony had gone on vacation? Would all of these people there tonight have died because of you? And that man- being lifted out on a stretcher after the EMTs had called it- you’d had no choice- it was either him or Harley-

“Ma’am- are you still with me?” A detective just trying to do her job. Failing because she was dealing with a partially shell shocked Avenger. Must have not been an easy night for her. Everyone was struggling.

“I’m sorry. Where was I…?” Letting yourself speak but drifting again as you saw an EMT hand Tony his jacket back and drape a blanket over Harley’s shoulders in its place. They’d checked you out earlier and suggested you really needed to go to the hospital. An idea you waved off, telling them to just pack your wound with gauze and wrap some medical tape around it. 

The bullet had gone clean through and it would be looking better by tomorrow. Aside from that you had no time to deal with a useless visit to the emergency room right now. The guests that had fled were being placed back in the building just to keep them all in one place for questioning. They were all also trying to give you and Tony their heartfelt thanks for saving their lives- and of course their valuables. Almost everything being said to you was going in one ear and out the other. 

At least until you heard Happy’s familiar voice arguing with some of the police posted at the front door. “Get outta my way! I’m- do you not see my badge? I’m head of Stark security!” Looking up you waved with the arm currently not throbbing in pain, signaling the officers to let him through. He came barreling right up to you, though took stock of Tony and Harley sitting a few feet away. “I got here as soon as I could.” Putting his arm around you in a careful hug. 

One you were surprised at how much you appreciated. You half-returned it. “Thank you, Happy. Can you pull the car around back? I don’t want any press bothering us.” 

He nodded. “Yeah, alright. ...how’s the kid?” 

An unexpected flash of sadness and guilt hit you so hard it nearly knocked you off your feet. Moving your hand to cover up a hitch of a sob that seemed to strike from nowhere. When he reached out again you just shook your head. “I’m sorry- I just- I need to go home- I’m okay-” 

You had thought you’d been doing something good for Harley. By manipulating him into wanting to be here. The end goal was part of a greater good, so everything else was easy to excuse, right? Right? Wasn’t that what you were always telling yourself? In this life of extreme gray areas… where did it all stop? 

Happy stood there for too long a moment, staring at you. Feeling something quite terrible for seeing you like this. Maybe you were all suffering under the same strain. He then just nodded and walked away- saying a few quick words to Tony before exiting again. Yet your selfishness continued, as you realized your heart was weeping over the loss of a life you’d never have. 

This had just been a charity gala. And yet sinister people had invaded it and taken the evening away from everyone there. And a child you were looking after nearly paid the price. What if it had actually been your child? But it would never be your child. And this was why. You had no regrets falling in love with Tony, pairing your life so intimately with his. But that’s what this was. Your life with him was only this. It could only ever be this. 

You hoped it was fair to let yourself grieve just a little for the concept of maybe one day having a normal life, a normal family, having to be buried now. 

Get it together. The only thing you allowed yourself to think after, especially when you caught both Tony and Harley looking up at you. Trying not to make even more of a scene you carefully turned away, pulling out your cell phone. “LUNA get me Maria Hill, complete encryption.” 

The line rang twice before she answered. “Seems like you’re having a busy evening.” It was probably all over the news by now.

“Oh, you know. Just doing our jobs. ...listen, I know you said you need something a little more substantial. Can you take charge on Damage Control? I need some movement on this.” 

“Sure thing. Little bit early for a promotion, but it beats filing applications. What’s going on?” 

“We’ve got Hydra agents posing as SHIELD. They tried to blow up the building. I doubt they’ll talk to the cops. I also doubt this is the last time they’ll try and pull this stunt.” 

“And maybe you won’t be there next time. Yeah. Got it.” The disappointment in her voice wasn’t hard to catch, especially paired with the sigh she let go of. It was always something. “I’ll contact Coulson. He’s working with the last remaining live agents in the division.” 

You had a lot of questions about that… because it sounded an awful lot like SHIELD was still up and running. Just in a much smaller capacity. Now just wasn’t the time. “Okay. I trust you. Whatever you need to get the job done, it’s yours.” 

“Even better.” 

The goodbyes were quick after that. With the cops mostly finished taking all the information down you had to give, and now sufficiently distracted with everything else they had to clean up, you went back over to Tony and Harley. As he handed you your purse, found amongst things about to be entered into evidence and pilfered, “Happy has the car pulled around back. Let’s go home.” 

Harley, thank god, seemed a little less paralyzed and disturbed than he had an hour ago. “Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?” 

You served a weak smile. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” 

Standing, Tony slung his jacket over his shoulder and offered a hand to help Harley stand. “We’ll stitch her up back at the Tower, don’t worry.” Easily lying because… now was not the time to go into all that. “So. What did you think of your first fancy party? As bad as we promised?” 

Relief washed over you when Harley grinned, weak though it was. “The part before all the shooting wasn’t that bad. I still think you’re both being babies.” Resilient and tough. ...how lucky you were that was the case. When fresh chilly air greeted you around the back of the building, he looked up at you before getting in the car. “Can you teach me to fight like that?” 

Tony nudged his back. “She’s cooler than you thought, right? You can admit it.” 

The ribbing earned an embarrassed groan and a little shove. “Stop.” A whine, too, before Harley disappeared into the back of the car. 

With him gone, you allowed yourself a little bit of gentle reprieve, turning to wrap your good arm around Tony’s middle, burying your face against his shoulder. It was the best feeling in the world, having him hold you back with that steady squeeze. His voice was low when he spoke. “Thanks for saving the day.” 

“You, too.” Breathing both words out. 

You felt the hitch of his chest in a dry short one-note laugh. “I just pulled some wires. You cleared out all the bad guys.” 

“You pulled the right wires.” Easing up to press a kiss to his cheek. 

As you moved, he lifted his hands, cupping your cheeks in his palms. Gazing at you in that deep sort of way. “You okay?” Asked after another long moment. 

“That’s not really a discussion we have time for right now.” 

He dipped his head in a small nod. “Understandable.” 

...and yet… “...it was him or Harley.” Saying it. Saying it so that the universe understood. So that the thought would go away. 

Regarding you for another long moment, his thumb swiped just underneath your eye in a careful stroke. “It was.” He hadn’t even seen what had happened, but already he agreed. Already he was by your side. “Don’t beat yourself up over this.” 

Anxiety spiked in the back of the car so close to you, and you dropped your head. “Are you eavesdropping?” Raising your voice to Harley who most definitely was. 

He poked his head out of the car, sitting sideways with his legs dangling, head down. Hands pressed together. Thinking. “You’re talking about him- that guy- but you did what you were supposed to-” Struggling, same as you, with what had just happened. 

Dropping to a kneel you opted to try for comfort, laying a careful hand on his shoulder. “Harley, I did what I had to, not what I was supposed to. ...or even what I wanted to.” 

Confusion took him. “But- you’re an Avenger. You kill bad guys all the time.” 

“I don’t when I can avoid it. Taking a life should never be easy, Harley. No matter who you are. It isn’t for me. I know it’s not for Tony, either. Or any of the other Avengers. We do it when we’re locked into situations when there’s no other choice.” 

Who were you really trying to convince here?

He purposefully kept his head down. “It was my fault.” Avoiding your eyes as he squirmed with these terrible feelings.

“You tried to help me.” Even if he’d disobeyed- and, yes, even if it had been his fault- you couldn’t pin this on a child. Never. He didn’t have the cognitive ability to think something like that through. To assess the entire situation, to figure out all his resources- and, yes, even to follow orders. He sprung into action to do what he thought was best, to do what he could. 

Tony put his hands in his pockets. “We all make mistakes, kid. It’s not easy being under that kind of pressure. You jumped into action to help. That’s better than most.” 

If the Avengers had ever made an after-school special, you imagined it’d be exactly something like this. But it was important to… what was the phrase for debriefing a child? God- had it really come to that? Decompress and discuss, you supposed. But Harley very quickly hit his tolerance for learning a lesson and talking about all of this heavy stuff. His hands pressed together before he turned back around to sit a little more fully in the car. “Can we go somewhere and get dinner?” Deciding it was time to stop talking about this stuff. 

That was fine. Your nerves were wearing thin, too. But. You made a mental note to ask Deja for a list of child therapists later… “Sure. Anywhere you’d like.” Once he moved you edged down to get into the car with him. 

Tony was not far behind, and after he closed the door he held up a finger, “She means that literally. So don’t blow this.” 

“What about… Denny’s?” 

Putting a hand to his chest, Tony gave off an award-winning air of offense. “I’ve been slaving away every morning to make you breakfast- you get one chance to go to the fanciest place you’ve ever been in your life- and you pick Denny’s?” Two huge offenses in one. “You could have just told me you didn’t like my cooking. Would’ve been easier to swallow.” 

His antics seemed to lift Harley’s mood, probably precisely why he was going on about it. You gave him a little pat on the leg. “To be fair, you didn’t make pancakes with smiley faces on them.” 

“Is that the measure of a good pancake? I’ll remember this for next time. And not in a good way.” Huffing and puffing, though in the darkness of the backseat you caught the edge of his grin, when Harley found the courage to laugh. 

Reaching forward you gave Happy a little touch to his arm. “Do you know where the nearest Denny’s is?” 

“GPS says Brooklyn… we’re going all the way to Brooklyn for pancakes?” Looking up into the rearview, making sure this was real life. 

Easing back with a sigh, Tony put his arm around you. “Seems that way, doesn’t it?” 

                                                    ----

Full of two smiley pancake stacks and adrenaline of the night completely worn off, Harley was out like a light before the car even pulled up to the Tower. You had Happy make sure that not only would the restaurant be empty, but you established a dead zone a mile out from the Tower upon pull-up. And it was a good thing you did. Tony ended up having to carry a very passed out Harley all the way upstairs. 

It was hard. All of this was hard. There was a deep resonating pang that wrecked you so completely. It was strange, to feel such devastation, watching Tony carry a sleeping child in his arms so carefully- tuck him into bed so gently- after an evening that almost certainly proved you could never have this. Strange, too, when years before the two of you had given each other wide-eyed stares over a Plan-B cocktail-

Something of his own invention. Something he was so deeply used to that he’d had it at the ready the very next morning after things had gotten wonderfully hot and heavy. Had you wanted kids? Had you wanted kids with Tony? It didn’t matter anymore. This was all proof that that sort of life wasn’t yours to have. How could you knowingly and willingly expose a new life to this? 

Halfway through a too-hot shower you grieved. As quietly as possible so as to not disturb Tony in the next room. Grieved a life the two of you had only barely talked about, never really investigated, and would never have anyway. You could get by- you were fine with the idea that it was just the two of you. You loved him. Dearly. Desperately. Unfathomably so. Bringing another life into this world with him- that wasn’t everything. And it didn’t mean you couldn’t be a family, just the two of you. And Dvahli, of course. But… 

You must have wanted it. Somewhere in you… you must have wanted the chance to have that. For Tony to be a wonderful father. For you to nurture a small soul that only the two of you could have. And in knowing, now, you never could, it also put an end to wondering if life would ever be normal. You’d gone to a charity banquet that had had a bomb planted in it. And not so long ago aliens had attacked the city. 

There was no normal. It just didn’t exist. You and Tony had been handed- given- maybe even forced to own keys of heroism. The knowledge and the power to do the right thing. To help people. To take a stand. To save lives. There would never be a time when that wouldn’t be the case. It had never been more clear than tonight. You would have to make peace with that. And to do that… you had to grieve the loss of a normal life- the one you’d had, minutes before Pepper had said she was resigning. From that moment on…

 Everything had changed. Nothing was the same. You were burying your old notions, your old wishes- even buried as they were, your old… everything. You needed to grieve this loss of self and future. So you did. 

Tony’s sudden presence spooked you- when you’d gotten out of the shower after perhaps too long a time. He had his hand on the door frame, and the way he was looking at you said all you really needed to know. Eyes soft with a telling sheen of wetness, and a sad longing gaze. 

“Sorry.” Your voice was a weak murmur as you wrapped a towel around yourself. 

Bypassing you, he moved to the mirror cabinet above the sink, pulling out some bandages. The wound on your arm was closed, but angry and red still, not fully healed. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” Nudging you then to sit back on the counter. 

A motion you followed without thought, looking away as he carefully wrapped your arm back up. “I made you feel-” 

“I can have my own feelings, too, you know.” Quiet, not angry. But tight. Perhaps trying to hold that cracking wall at bay. That one sentence pushed you past your own selfishness. Because you were not grieving alone. Tony, clearly, had been thinking about this too. And probably had come to the same conclusion. “Mothering hasn’t really been an interest of mine, but… the way you are with the kid-” 

“Don’t.” Ejected out of you almost in a panic, reaching your other hand up to touch over his heart. It was his heartbreak that threatened to end you completely. The way he was looking at you. The way he was feeling. Deep blues just spilling out of him. “...you would make a good father, Tony, but… it’s so obvious now. We can never have that.” 

He finished tying off your fresh bandage. “Alright- well- first of all- let’s not start telling each other lies. I don’t exactly have the pedigree.” Flash of a hurt grin crossing him before he leaned in, resting his forehead against yours. “But... never say never.” 

“I am saying never.” There was no way to make peace with this unless you were both on the same page. Why was he being so stubborn? “I love you. This life is hard but… it’s good. The way it is. And it has to be. Because we can’t-” 

“Why can’t we?” The look he was giving you was just shy of pleading. “I told you… I’m working on something. Let’s get past the concept phase before we start offing possibilities. Alright?” 

You shared a long gaze with him, for about as long as you could. Then weakness found you, and you crumbled forward, wrapping your arms around him, hiding your face in the side of his neck. “...is this something you even want?” 

“What? A life with you? Crazy concept.” He huffed out a bitter sounding laugh, holding you back. Tightly. 

“A life doesn’t have to have… that.” Scared to even say it after all this. “We have a life right now.” 

“Yeah, and we’ll have a different one, when I’m done. Quieter. Better. And if… that fits into it… if it’s something you want…” His hands moved up to hold the sides of your face, if only so he could break your cowardice, lifting your head so the two of you could face each other again. 

You reached up, your own hands holding at his wrists. Just looking at him. Terribly bare to each other for this small moment in time. “...is it something you want?” 

His smile was a nice consolation prize. “Honey, we’re very soon going to enter into a feedback loop. And- I asked first.” 

A brief feeling of wetness graced your eyes, and you were having a hard time figuring out if they were good or bad tears. “You did not. ...but ask me again after this thing you’re working on is past concept and through launch.”

He seemed hurt- for barely a second- but there was no hiding it from you. Pressing his lips together, his eyes lowered with a nod. “Yeah. That’s… that’s completely fair.” 

The two of you held each other together for the rest of the night, perhaps as you always did, with small kisses, long embraces, and words of love. Filling in the cracks as best as you could right then. It was all you could do. 

                                                   ----

It was a true testament to just how worn down Tony was, and just how wound up you were, when early the next morning (a measly one hour after you’d felt yourself fall asleep) you were awake. And he was dead asleep. He’d more than earned the right to sleep in. So you got up as quietly as possible and resisted a loving caress at his temple or a kiss at his cheek. No matter how much you wanted to, scared you’d ruin one of the only truly peaceful places he got to be in. 

You were just as carefully silent as you rolled on some deodorant and then slipped into a pair of leggings, sports bra, and Stark Industries zip-up, taking your sneakers out with you. Harley was up. No surprise. Sitting on the couch watching what seemed to be a Pixar film- Monsters Inc? Or maybe it was the sequel… The bright lights pinged your temples, setting off a resonating pain. Or maybe it was just everything else that had a headache brewing.

You tried to ignore it as best as you could. What was a surprise- “You’re really still eating?” Asked as you sat down next to him on the couch, starting to lace up your shoes. This child had a bottomless pit for a stomach, munching on a bowl of cereal. 

Perhaps not even his first, considering the box of Captain Crunch and the jug of milk were sitting on the coffee table. He just gave a shrug. “What’re you doing up?” 

“I was going to go for a run and then get some coffee.” A good way to exorcise all this frantic energy and sour feelings. The treadmill would have been fine, but going out for some fresh air seemed more ideal. Then you’d waste it by amping up your caffeine. Solid plan. 

He quickly slurped up the rest of his cereal, testing your patience with how annoying a noise it was, and then set the bowl down loudly. “Can I come with you?” 

You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “You’ll barf in the first five minutes.” The kid was full of food and now full of milk, too. He’d never make it. 

“Will not.” Grumpy. “I can do it. Let me come with you.” There was a twinge of desperation here that you couldn’t place. He really wanted to go. You just weren’t sure why. Safest place for him was here in the Tower, so why did he want to go outside so badly? 

Finishing an extra tight double knot on your shoes, you sat up with a little stretch of your arms. “Why do you want to go?” Deciding to just ask rather than speculate. Sometimes that worked.

But he gave a shrug and looked away. “I dunno.” You made a pointed eye-roll and stood to stretch out your muscles and joints a little more. Staying silent. Waiting for him to either give in and answer or ignore you. In which case you were sure he knew he wasn’t coming then. How important was this to him? ...well… “...you do it. For training. Right?” 

Oh. “I like to stay fit because it helps, yes. But this is- ...I just want to go for a run. It’s not that serious.” 

He made a face at you. “What do you mean?” Clearly confused. “I hate gym in school- they make you run for no reason all the time. Why would you wanna do that?” 

“It just helps sometimes.” 

“Helps with what?” 

Gee-golly-gosh. You were suddenly rethinking last night’s sorrow. Kids were really annoying when they wanted to be. “It helps clear my head.” 

“Why? Of what?” 

“Okay, Harley. You can come with me. Go get changed.” 

He’d won this battle. And not in a way he’d like. 

                                                   ----

He barely made it ten minutes, in his pajama pants, no less. Seeing as how his little shopping trip with Happy had only resulted in tees, hoodies, jeans, and a single pajama set. ...too late now to regret not having supervised that trip. But his complaining, wheezing, and eventual falling behind had you slowing. And slowing more. And…

After that it eventually just became a comfortable walk through Central Park. It wasn’t doing you any favors of helping yourself, but Harley seemed to be enjoying himself so… that was important, too. Especially considering the heavy guilt you were still facing for getting him into all this mess in the first place. 

Conversation was trite yet not entirely meaningless. You found yourself fielding Avengers questions. Harley’s interest in the hero life seemed to have spiked infinitely after last night’s dealings. You supposed that was to be expected. 

“How come I never see anyone but you guys and Dr. Banner?” 

“Everyone else has their own things going on. They show up from time to time. It’s not like they’re hiding from you.” 

“Where’s Thor?” 

“Probably somewhere with Jane- Dr. Foster.” 

“Who’s that?” “His girlfriend.” 

“Oh. Gross. What about Captain America?” 

“Out on a mission.” 

“Black Widow?” “Same.” 

“Hawkeye??” “He went dark after SHIELD fell apart. I think he’s taking it pretty hard.” Honestly, you had no idea what the hell Clint was doing. He’d been entirely unavailable and Nat had told you to leave him alone. Considering she knew him better than you ever would… you couldn’t do anything but respect that. 

“What does going dark mean?” 

“It’s when an agent cuts all communication for a while and stays off the grid.” 

“What if he’s in trouble?” “He’s not.” 

“But how do you know?” 

“I-” 

Someone had sneaked up behind you. They’d been following for a little while now, but you assumed it was probably just paparazzi. Nothing to get worked up about. And certainly nothing to cause a scene over, especially with Harley right next to you. But while you were busy fielding endless questions, they’d gotten close enough to put a hand on your shoulder. Startling enough to kick your instincts into overdrive. 

With your opposite hand you reached up, pinning their wrist, and then slid your other arm up to trap their movements. Then you twisted their arm up and around, pulling them forward and holding them down in a lock. It was over in a matter of seconds. “Big mistake.” 

“Fuckin’- get offa me!” 

Harley had jumped back. You stayed steady. “You think you can just put your hands on me and get away with it?” 

“...dad?” 

If it wasn’t Harley’s shocking revelation, it was the fact that you noticed a reporter- wouldn’t you know it- a WHiH reporter- same one that had been following you the entire week- with his camera up. Recording this whole interaction. ...so that’s what they’d been doing. You released the man immediately, less fodder for them to say you attacked him. But you were quick and careful, stepping half in front of Harley. A little surprised, too, when he clung close, peering out from your side. You kept your attention focused forward. “What do you want?” 

“Me? Are you outta your mind? You steal my kid and you ask what I want? You’re something else.” He was raising his voice. Causing a scene. Very purposefully. This was not going to end well for one of you. 

“Harley came to us under our Internship program-” 

“What a buncha horse shit. His mamma didn’t sign no papers- and neither did I. So whose permission is he here on?” His fists were bunched at his sides. Getting over-dramatically angry. For the camera. And the people now stopping to watch. 

“How much is WHiH paying you? They put you on a plane? Bring you here?” 

He stayed stunned for only a moment. “That ain’t got nothing to do with this.” 

“Oh. Sure it does. But, that’s besides the point. I assure you we have the correct paperwork. Would you like to come look at it?” You had some, but you could always forge more, if need be. Didn’t seem like this family was really cohesive. You’d wager you’d win that court battle. Not that you needed it to go that far. “Or why don’t we cut to the chase, and tell me the payout you’re looking for.” 

“My kid’s worth more to me than money.” 

Before you could open your mouth, Harley’s hands were on the back of your legs, using you for stability as he craned over and shouted, “Since when!? Go away! No one asked you to be here!” 

His father pointed a striking finger his way. “You shut your mouth, boy. Do as you’re told. Get over here. Now. Or else.” 

It was the easy and heavy fear he struck in Harley’s heart that made your next actions easier. You stood much firmer. “You’re not touching this kid. Now we can settle this civilly-” 

“Fuck you and your corporate bullshit talk. You’re not taking my son for your little child-army. We’re gonna go to court and take everything you got.” 

This absolutely blew you away. “Is that the story WHiH thinks they’re running? Christine is out of her fucking mind.” Child army?! Seriously? That’s the best she could do? 

“Fuck you and your fucking company. And your fucking pussy-ass boyfriend and all your little pissant Avengers horseshit. You’re gonna get what’s comin’ to you.” 

You found yourself nodding. Okay. That’s how you feel? “You seem very angry. We really don’t have to do this. I don’t want to. I’d like to take you to the office and we can talk. But you’re just riled up aren’t you?” Projecting wave after wave, turning his ripples the nastiest red until he was shaking. Deep in that space you gave him a little shove. “Would you like to calm down?” 

 Attack me.

“Fuck you!” 

Reacting like an exploding volcano. One rush of footsteps with a fist extended. You side swept to keep Harley behind you, while catching his father’s wrist easily and twisting him down onto one knee. His sharp gasps of pain and subsequent begging did nothing to help him. Leaning in, raising his arm just to the point of breaking up on his back you kept your voice low and close to his ear. “Let’s try this again. And we’re going to do it my way. I expect some honesty. You know what that is, don’t you? Something genuine?” 

“I don’t understand- what the fuck do you want you crazy bitch-” He was panicking. 

But that was easy to turn into your advantage. “You ever put your hands on Harley?” 

“I- What’s that got to do with-” 

“Answer me. You’re in a very weak position. Some truth will do you good.” Convincing him was a snap. 

“Sometimes- yes-” 

“What about his sister?” 

“When she needs to learn a lesson.”

“Their mother?” 

“Yeah- her too- bitch has it coming more often than not-” You didn’t mean to break his arm. Really. Truly. But it sort of just happened anyway. Maybe it was minor. His yelp got you to stop fairly quickly, releasing him to let him stand. You stayed close as he swayed, clutching his shoulder. “You’re fucking crazy- you’re gonna pay for this-” 

“You attacked me.” Laying it out straight. But, unthreatened, you came close even as he stiffened and looked like he might try to strike again. When you were just close enough, you lowered your voice enough for only the two of you to hear. “Listen to me. Very carefully. I know it must be hard carrying around all that. Knowing you’ve been such a shitty person. I know you must feel terrible. Guilty. You feel awful. Don’t you?” 

“I… I…” He was fogging over. Faster than most. Easy to manipulate, seeing as there was very little in the space between his ears. 

“The weight of it is crushing you. What you’ve done. How you’ve hurt this family.” 

He shook his head. “It’s not… it’s not my fault… god- they just don’t fucking get it-” 

“Yes it is. And you know it.” Tears started. “God- I dunno- what do I do? What is...” “Here’s what you’re going to do.” Shoulder to shoulder with him then, you leveled a hard gaze on him, and in that bright space you laid your hand on him one more time. Imparting to him exactly this: “You feel the weight of your actions- so heavy it’s killing you. You’re going to turn around. And walk. Walk as far as you can until you can’t anymore. You’re going to stay away from Harley. His sister. His mother. Forever. Isn’t that right? You feel like that’s the right thing to do.” 

“I’m gonna… stay away- but… where should I go…?” 

“Let that guilt carry you. Help people, to make up for everything you’ve done. I think that’s a great idea. Let your guilt carry you all the way to some godforsaken place that needs help. Make amends there. And never come back. Do you understand me? But the first and last thing you should do is apologize to him.” 

Like an empty shell he simply nodded, taking in anything you were giving him to fill all the holes you’d just poked inside of him. Looking beyond you, to Harley, he offered something extremely pitiable. “Harl… I’m… I’m sorry. For… everything.” And then, half turning he started murmuring. “I’m leaving now… I’ll go…” 

You stayed. Watching. Waiting. But Harley suddenly running out a couple feet past you that had you nervous. “Where are you going!?” Coming to a dead stop, imploring as he turned to look at you. “Where’s he going? He can’t just fucking leave!” There was no correct answer. It was why Harley didn’t wait to look away from you and back to the retreating form of his father. “Hey! FUCK YOU. I HATE YOU.” And when that didn’t serve to make his father stop, he ran further and you found yourself chasing after. Coming to a stop just as he walked right in front of his father, putting his hands up to push at him. “Are you listening to me?! I fucking hate you! You ruined everything! I hate you- I HATE YOU-!” 

But his father no longer belonged to himself, and treated him simply like the obstacle he was. Shoving him. Hard enough to get him to stumble, but you moved in to steady him with a firm hand on his shoulder. “Harley… let him go…” 

He was shaking. Hands down tight at his sides. “I hate him- I hate him-... how can he just- how can just fucking take off- again- after all this- I HATE YOU!” Dropping to your knees, you tried to get him in a sturdier grip, but he was shivering violently, whipping his head from side to side. “I hate him- I hate him-!” 

“Harley.” Just a sharp enough call to break him free of this endless loop. 

But it punched through him completely. Caused him to jump and then well up with hot shame that then soon drowned in a sudden tsunami of pain. His hands went to his face as the tears started. “I hate him…” Voice pitching in a sob. 

He’d been holding on for so long. And it was all breaking now. Reaching up you did the only thing you could. You put your arms around him and drew him in. He fought for only a second before giving in completely. Just crying against you. Reaching up you pressed on one of your cuff earrings, while your other arm wrapped snug around him. “LUNA, get Happy. I need security on my location immediately.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

This was too much for anyone to handle, let alone a twelve year old. Last night, and now this. You could only imagine Harley had built this moment up- standing up to his father- probably ever since the man had come back. You also knew this was probably not how he thought it would go. Would any circumstance have lived up to it? Had you done the right thing? There was no changing some people. That man would never change. You were sure of it. Sending him away was merciful. Maybe mercy he didn’t deserve. But it was the best you could do. Now he’d never hurt Harley or their family again. And yet… 

Like everything else in your life, you just had to hope you’d made the right decision. Live with the consequences either way. And lose sleep over the ghosts of what-if...

[aggressivelyclueless]

Notice Me, Sam-pai

prompted by @fabnamessuggestedbytumbler

“Every time Ember comes to the human world, she can't help but notice Phantom's human friend... Sam, was her name? The sight of her makes her stomach do weird flips and she's always oddly anxious around the girl. It's not until one day when Kitty corners her about it that she realizes it- she has a crush on Sam.”

Words: 6042

Warning: excessive swearing. mostly a shitpost. had fun anyway.

      "I can't believe I blew it!" Ember shrieked.       Kitten watched an empty crate fly across the room, and phased through another one that would have otherwise hit her.  It splintered against the metal delivery doors behind her; when Ember was upset, the disused back room of the guitar shop was usually where she'd be found.  Sure enough, Kitten had heard the destruction from half a block over.  If she was honest, though - she was beginning to wish she hadn't asked.  "Ember," she said patiently, "It can't be that bad.  I've blown it before, too - we all have - "       Ember whirled on her, furious.  "Not like this, you haven't!  What do you know, anyway?  You weren't even there!"       "Well, maybe not," Kitten admitted, "but - "       "It was going off without a hitch, too!"  Ember shouted, "I had him this time - I really had him! - and I was gonna kick him into the dust for good!  It was gonna be awesome!"       "He's beaten you before, and you've never taken it this hard," Kitten noted with a frown, "Are you sure you didn't - ?"       "Fuck off!" Ember cried, ponytail flaring up again.  Tears of anger and frustration welled up in the corners of her eyes, and when they fell they took half her mascara with them.  "Ugh, stupid goddamned no-good piece-of-shit ghost bastard motherfucker!"  She swung her guitar over her head like an axe, decimating another crate.       "Hey, calm down!" Kitten exclaimed, taking a step back anyway in case Ember decided to take a few swings at her instead of the next doomed crate.  "We can come up with another plan - "       "I don't give a shit about the plan!" Ember roared, surrounding herself with flames.  "Fuck the plan!  Fuck the ghost boy!  Fuck you!  Fuck me!  Fuck everything!  Fuck!"       Kitten retreated to the doorway.  She knew Ember would burn out soon.  Her outbursts were hell but they never lasted long.  Still, it did make her a little nervous.  "Aw, come on, don't be so hard on yourself - "       "Like hell I won't!" Ember screamed in blind defiance.  She smashed another crate for good measure, but it didn't help.  She was burning herself out and she knew it; refusing to acknowledge it concretely, she opted instead to simmer down and wallow in self-pity.  She sank down into a heap on the floor, still fuming.  "It's all my fault, Kitten.  I blew it."       Kitten loosened.  She floated back to Ember's side now that she'd finished destroying things, and took a seat on the cold concrete floor.  "Ember," she started, in the most encouraging voice she could muster, "You'll get him one of these days - "       "Oh, shut up, Kitten," Ember groaned.  She wouldn't meet Kitten's eyes, glowering instead at the guitar which lay discarded by a pile of splinters.  "This one's on me."       "It is?" said Kitten, "What happened?  Won't you tell me - ?"       "I fucking froze up.  That's what," Ember snapped miserably, "I'm a damned rock star - I don't just do that!  There's got to be something wrong with me..."       Kitten could sense Ember's shift - the melodrama would start up any second now, and she couldn't see a way to prevent it.  She hesitated, but then asked anyway: "Why did you, then?  I thought you said - "       "Shut up!  I know what I said!" Ember barked, using up the last spark of anger in her.  "I meant it, too.  I was this close - " (she held up two fingers, less than an inch apart, to illustrate) " - one power chord away from kicking his stupid spandex ass into next week.  Then some human shows up outta nowhere and kills my style - god, I'm so useless!"       Kitten frowned.  "Some human?"       "One of the ones he hangs out with, I think - " (she sniffled loudly) " - which means I should have seen her coming - I should have known - but there I was like some sort of idiot - and next thing I know he's got that stupid fucking thermos, and - "       "Wait, hold on just a minute," said Kitten, frowning.  The gears in her head were turning - when they spat out an answer for her, her eyes flicked back to Ember to confirm what she was thinking.  "You stopped and stared, didn't you?"       Ember gave her an affronted scowl.  "No, of course I didn't, how stupid do you think I am - ?"       "No, hear me out, would you?" Kitten pressed, her eyes widening as she came to the full realization of what was happening.  "It's like when Johnny and I go out sometimes - "       "Oh, spare me," Ember interrupted, "I don't want to hear about your lame greasy boyfriend - "       Kitten glared.  "Hey, cut it out, I'm serious!  Sometimes we'll be out on the town and someone'll catch his attention - he always says they don't, but - "       "I'm not looking for anybody," Ember retorted, before Kitten had even finished, "That's stupid."       Kitten paused.  She thought about it for a moment, but then shook her head.  Her voice dropped to almost a whisper, as if anyone might overhear the conversation.  "That's the same thing he says too, but I'm starting to think maybe he is.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it yet, but - " she caught herself before she derailed too far - this is about her, not you.  Save it for later, Kitten.  " - look, point is I think I know what's going on.  I think you have a crush."       "What?  That's the dumbest thing - !"       Kitten crossed her arms.  "Well, she somehow caught you off-guard, even though you knew she was going to be there.  Tell me, Ember - what was she wearing?"       "What?" said Ember, "How's that going to prove anything - ?"       "Just tell me," Kitten insisted, "In case I see her sometime."       Ember was certain she was being baited; she glowered disapprovingly, but then relented with a defeated sigh.  "Black half-tank and combat boots.  Little ponytail, purple lipstick, and - oh, dear god..."       Kitten's expectant stare widened into a triumphant grin; her suspicions had been confirmed.  "I knew it!" she exclaimed, jumping up off the floor and doing a quick spin, "I so knew it!  You - " (she pointed one finger) " - have a crush!"       "Do not!"       Kitten wasn't having it.  "Do so!  You didn't just see her!  You stared long enough to notice her boots, Ember!  Don't you get it?  That means you love her!  You love love love - !"       "Quit it!" Ember exclaimed, a little more harshly than she'd meant to.  Despite herself, she could feel her face beginning to flush blue.  As if Kitten wouldn't notice, she turned away.  "I do not!  She's a human - and besides, the last time I had a crush on someone was when I was still kicking, remember?  I can't go and screw around with that stupid romance junk again - "       "You're in for a rough time, then," said Kitten, no longer grinning.  She returned to her spot on the floor in front of Ember, and gave her a serious stare.  "You can't ignore this stuff, Em.  That's not how it works."       "Okay, pretend for a second that maybe - maybe - I do like this chick," said Ember, still refusing to admit that she did, "What the hell am I supposed to do about it?  In case you haven't noticed - I'm a ghost!  The hell am I gonna do, knock on her door one night and ask her to dinner?"       "I can't figure this stuff out for you," said Kitten, trying to sound wise, "But I'd say maybe start by talking to her?  Find out what she likes.  Ooh, and find out if she's even single.  That helps."       Ember groaned.  Kitten might have been her best friend at the moment, but she wasn't the brightest ghost out there.  Great, she thought, I can't tell anyone else about this - all the advice I'm gonna get is gonna have to be from her. I'm doomed.

      The full moon gazes silently over the town.  The people sleep in peace, unaware of the horrors of the night that creep outside their doors.  The dead have risen, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight.  They could be anywhere - skulking around in the alleys, hiding in every shadow, waiting, ready to strike at any moment - they must be stopped.  Only one thing stands between them and the sleeping town of Amity Park, and that's me.  Danny Phantom, half-ghost superhero extraordinaire, ready to fight evil at every turn, and, um - wait - aw hell I ruined it -       "Is he doing that thing again?" Sam whispered from atop the roof of the apartment complex.  She and Tucker were up high enough to see half the town; there was a pair of Fenton binoculars between them (they'll spot a ghost two miles away! Jack had assured them - in plain fact, they were just binoculars), and they'd been keeping an eye on Danny's patrol for the past half-hour.  It had been unusually quiet tonight - his thermos was still completely empty, even after scoping out all the usual hot spots.       Tucker nodded.  "Yeah.  He's doing it.  Hey, quick - " (he shoved the binoculars back into Sam's hands) " - check it, he's doing the stupid pose and everything - "       Sam gave the dial a slight adjustment to bring Danny into focus.  Sure enough, there he floated, centered under a flickering streetlamp like he was on the poster of some mediocre haunted-house film, and his movements were comically dramatic.  He disappeared around the side of the corner store a minute later, and Sam handed the binoculars back to Tucker.  "You think we should tell him?"       Tucker thought about it for a moment but then shook his head.  "Nah."       Danny was almost finished.  No ghosts tonight - I can't tell if that's a lucky break or really fishy.  The alley ahead of him was a dead-end; he phased through the bricks, like he did most nights, and came out in between two shops.  Man, I bet Sam and Tuck are almost as bored as me.  Wonder what they've been up to?       His breath suddenly froze, and he paused.  Finally!  I was starting to wonder where -       A hand clamped over his mouth, yanking him through the side of the shop and to the darkened back room.  He pulled himself free and whirled around; there floated Ember McLain, ponytail ablaze and guitar slung across her back.       "Ember?" Danny exclaimed, "What do you want?  Didn't we just have this fight like four days ago?  What's with - "  he reached down, hoping to make the fight quick - he was having a lucky break, dammit! - but the thermos had disappeared from his belt.  He spotted it in Ember's hand, and made a grab for it.  "Hey, did you just - ?  Gimme that back!"       "No way!  Back off!" Ember demanded, holding the thermos up out of his reach.  She kept it stubbornly away from him as he made at least three grabs for it, and finally pointed the thing at him to make him float back and put some space between them.  "Would you quit it," she snapped, holding his glower for a moment to make sure he wouldn't come at her again.  "Look, if I give this stupid thing back would you cool your jets for a sec?"       "Me?" Danny cried, wanting to tackle her but keeping his distance anyway, hands raised, "You stole my thermos and you're still pointing it at me and I'm the one that's gotta cool my jets?"       Ember took a half-step forward.  Her glare hardened.  "Shut the fuck up!  I'll use this thing!  I mean it!  It's not comfy in there, y'know!"       Danny stiffened, seething.  She was probably right, he reasoned.  He couldn't imagine the inside of a thermos to be terribly roomy, especially on busy nights when they had to share space.  Reluctantly, his eyes turned from the open end of the thermos back to Ember.  "Fine.  I'm listening.  What do you want."       "Oh fucking finally," Ember loosened all at once, capping the thermos and tossing back in Danny's direction.  She floated down to the counter by a spare register and sat, elbows on her knees.  "You really don't understand anything, do you?  All I gotta do is show up and you wanna blast me to the next town.  I didn't even do anything, for fuck's sake - "       "I said I was listening," Danny snapped, returning the thermos to where it belonged thank-you-very-much, "Didn't say I liked it."       Ember sighed.  "Right.  Well.  This is gonna sound really fucking stupid.  Ugh, can't believe I'm telling you this.  You better not tell anyone about this, and I mean it - "       "Hey, I'm not promising anything!" Danny argued, a little more shrilly than he'd meant to, "You were gonna stick me in my own thermos - !"       "Shut up, dipstick!" Ember yelled, "Jesus fuck - !"       Danny gave her an incredulous look.  "Really?  You throw five fucks at me in a row and you still can't just call me dipshit - ?"       "Shut the hell up, I said!" Ember screeched.  Her ponytail had been relatively well-behaved until now but it was beginning to flare up again, and she gave Danny an agitated huff.  Only after he had actually shut the hell up did she open up her mouth again.  "Look.  It's about that friend of yours.  The cool one.  Now you gonna listen to me or not?"       Danny, against his better judgment, nodded.       "Great.  So after that big fight we had - I was talking to Kitten about it, and she made me figure something out."  Just thinking about it made Ember's stomach turn; she hadn't felt that in a long time, and she supposed that was just about the clearest sign she was going to get that Kitten had been right.  Out with it, Ember.  If he laughs at you then whack him.  "It's that friend - Sam, I think?"       "What about her?" said Danny with a frown.  He didn't really like where he thought this conversation was going, but listened anyway.       Ember groaned.  "I think I like her."       Danny faltered.  This was definitely not where he had thought this conversation had been going.  "What?"       "You heard me, dipstick," said Ember, abrasive even when she was doing her best to open up.  Attitude was a given; she was sixteen, after all.  "I know it's stupid as hell, but - "       "Yeah, it kinda is," Danny agreed before he could stop himself, cracking a small grin, "Dunno if you noticed, but you're a ghost - "       "You think I don't know that!" Ember snapped, not quite angry but still agitated, "I know how this sounds, okay?  You think I decided this was gonna be a good idea?  News flash, dipstick, it wasn't!  I had no say in this!"       "Oh holy hell, you're actually serious," said Danny, sobering in an instant, "You're not even a little bit kidding.  You actually for real like her.  That's - I'm gonna be straight-up honest with you here - that's not something I thought I was gonna hear tonight."       Ember shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his eyes.  "Yeah, no shit.  I didn't think I'd be the one saying it, either.  First time I saw you two I thought you were gonna end up together - "       "We're not together!" Danny defended, "It's not - we're not like that."       Somehow, that didn't make Ember feel any better.  "Look.  I can't believe I'm gonna say this - and I mean it when I say I'll kick your ass if you say a word about it to anyone - I might need your help on this one.  I know we don't really have the best track record - "       "You want me to help you set up a date with Sam," Danny said slowly.  Somehow, it didn't sound less ridiculous out loud - and now that he thought about it, that was also on the list of things he hadn't been expecting to hear that night.  "You know how crazy that sounds, right?  Why would I wanna help you out, anyway?"       Ember scowled.  I knew he was gonna say that, the little shit.  Good thing I've got the dirt on some people.  "Because if you do then I'll drop you the latest on what Technus has been working on.  One thing, though - he'd better not find out you heard anything from me or I'm never gonna hear the end of it.  I got enough shit going on, you know?"       Danny considered her offer.  He hadn't heard from Technus in a while - he'd dropped entirely off Danny's radar lately, and now that he thought about it that was probably a bad sign.  He turned back to Ember, his mind made up, and held out one hand.  "Can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah.  I'll help you out on this one."       The knot in Ember's gut dissolved.  Relieved, she took Danny's hand.  "Deal."

      Three nights later, Danny was able to give his parents the slip.  It had become somewhat of a hassle for him lately; after a major fight a couple of weeks ago, they'd caught him out past curfew and had grounded him.  His patrols were suffering for it.  He'd been keeping Sam and Tucker updated via text; if he went out, he'd ask them to meet up.  Most nights, they could.  This time, he slinked out of the house on his own.       The guitar shop was dark, but he knew as soon as he got close that Ember was there.  He slipped into the shadows, vanishing through the cracked window in the alley, and materialized on the concrete floor.  "Hey."       "About time you showed up," Ember remarked, with less than her usual amount of sarcasm.  If anything, she just sounded nervous.  "I kicked Kitten out an hour ago.  I didn't wanna tell her anything - she'd spread word to half the Ghost Zone by the time you got here."       "Were you ever going to tell them?" Danny asked, "I mean - if things work out, at least - that doesn't sound like the kind of thing that's really feasible to keep secret - "       Ember snorted.  "Yeah?  This from a ghost who comes from a family of ghost hunters - that doesn't mean much, kid."       Danny shut his mouth after that.  She had a point.       "So this Sam," said Ember, cutting to the chase, "What's she like?"       "You mean, as a person?" Danny asked, "Guess you don't really pay much attention - "       "I didn't until recently!" Ember said defensively, "I guess for a human she seems cool."       Danny nodded.  "Yeah.  She's the best.  Well, most of the time.  She's ultra-recyclo-vegetarian, you know - "       "What does she listen to?" Ember interrupted.       Danny paused.  "I - dunno, does it matter - ?"       "I'm a fucking rock star, kid," said Ember flatly, "If anything's going to give me the quickest answers, it's going to be what's on her playlist."       Danny thought briefly about it and then pulled out his cell.  "Hold on, lemme see if she's got - hey, cool, she's got a pile of stuff on Spotify - take a look at all this, would you?"  He dropped the cell into Ember's hands.  "I've never heard of half this stuff, but - "       "Me neither," Ember admitted, frowning.  "Man, I got a lot of catching up to do - wait, TSOL?"       Danny didn't follow.  "Huh?"       "Jesus, I used to listen to those guys all the time!" Ember exclaimed, "Holy shit, Bad Religion's still kicking?  Fuck me!"       Danny frowned.  "You've heard of that stuff?  I've never heard of any of it.  It's all either super old or super obscure - "       "Well, yeah," said Ember, still not taking her eyes off the list of songs on the screen, "The Damned, Bauhaus, Asp, Lycia, All Time Low - hard gothpunk, by the looks of it.  I'd bet anything she cares what people think a little more than she'll probably say she does - she's got anything that looks like it might be even semi-popular sorted out from the rest.  My guess is she'll only listen to the better-known stuff when she thinks no one'll find out."       Danny frowned.  "How can you even tell?  Why would she - ?"       "Because," said Ember, rolling her eyes, "She can't say she's a hyper-rebellious goth punk if she listens to anything that got too famous.  I don't blame her for liking it, though.  This shit's good."       Danny shrugged helplessly, still a bit lost.  "I mean, I guess you're right, but - "       "Hey," said Ember suddenly, setting the phone down, "This is gonna sound really crazy.  What if - what if I wrote her something?  No, that's cliche, I'm so stupid - "       Danny was quickly coming to the realization that he wasn't going to be as helpful as he first thought.  He knew Sam like the back of his hand - but he'd never really thought about doing anything like this for her.  Here was Ember, on the other hand - she'd just read Sam with a peek through her Spotify, for crying out loud.  "I dunno," he found himself saying, because he felt he had to say something, "What if you did write her - ?"       "It'd have to be really spectacular," Ember frowned, determined, "It'd have to be like nothing else she's ever seen in her life.  A whole live concert, maybe - fuck, I can't do this.  You're the one that hangs out with her all the time.  Throw me a bone here, would you?"       "I'm thinking!" Danny said defensively, "I've never to asked her out before either, you know!"       Ember groaned.  "Some help you are."  Whatever she decided to pull off - she was certain it was going to be embarrassingly inadequate.  Quit freaking about it, dumbass!  Just think!  Somehow, that didn't make her feel any better.  Staying on the topic too long almost made her dizzy.  How am I gonna impress her?  She probably hates me!  Finally an idea came to her all at once.  "Holy shit, I've got it."       "Got what?" Danny asked, interrupted from his own mess of half-baked ideas.  He glanced over at Ember for an explanation.       She turned to him, now excited.  "I'll give her a song, alright - and I know who's gonna back me up.  Lemme see that list again, would you?"       Danny reluctantly handed over his cell.  "What are you getting at?  Back you up - ?"       "Yeah, baby," Ember's grin widened, "Oh - oh, here we go.  She's got Hell on here.  This is gonna be amazing - "       "Hold up," said Danny with a frown, "Are you sure this isn't gonna turn into an evil plan or something - ?"       "No, these guys," Ember turned the screen to him, showing a group shot of six scrawny musicians dressed up like demons, complete with freakish horns and fangs, "Hell.  Looks like she's got everything they ever wrote - even the mediocre stuff.  These guys are all dead, too - she's never gonna see this coming.  Holy shit."       Danny stuffed the cell back into his pocket.  "You're going to bring a whole band back from the dead?"       "Not as hard as you think, dipstick.  I got connections.  Hey, listen - I gotta make sure this doesn't flop.  I don't even wanna think about if it did.  That's where you come in, kid.  So here's what I'm thinking..."

      It had been a long Friday, and Sam was ready for the weekend.  Class had just let out; she shoved herself in between two jocks to get to her locker and grab her stuff.  She shoved them an awful lot, and she supposed she'd feel worse about it if they ever decided to stand anyplace that wasn't directly in the middle of the hall.  She could see Danny coming down from the corner; Tucker would be at least another minute, since his last class of the day was halfway across the building.  She opened up her locker - just algebra for this weekend - and grabbed her textbook.  She didn't notice the neatly-folded envelope sitting on the shelf almost until she had slammed her locker shut.  She paused, frowned, and turned back.       It sat plainly in front of her.  The envelope itself was black as night, and the front read, in elegantly spidery red letters: Sam.  She picked it up, her frown deepening, and turned it over.  Even the back was impressively goth; blood-red wax sealed it shut, stamped with a stylized skull.       She glanced over her shoulder, as if anyone might have seen it, before giving it a second look-over.  It almost pained her to tear it open, but curiosity compelled her to.  She swore she caught a whiff of something as she pulled the note out, and a secondary sniff confirmed it.  Roses?  She opened the folded note.  It read simply: Crawl out of your coffin at sunset.  Meet me at the cemetery.  I've got a surprise for you.  Sincerely, a bleeding heart       Bleeding heart?  Sam could hardly believe it.  Did I just get a goth love letter?  She turned it over, hoping for a name, at least, but found nothing.  Who could have -     "Hey, Sam," said Danny, making her jump, "I was thinking we could maybe go and find a good movie tomorrow and - hey, what've you got there?"       "What, this?" Sam blustered, immediately shoving it behind her back, "Nothing!  Nothing at all - why do you ask?"       Danny opened his mouth like he was going to ask anyway, but then decided against it.  "Yeah, okay.  Tuck and I were gonna hit up the Nasty Burger on the way home.  Did you wanna come?"       "Yeah," said Sam, wholly distracted, "Sure, just - give me a minute..."  Her voice trailed off, and she barely waited until Danny had turned his back to stuff the letter - carefully, though - back into the envelope and into the side pouch of her backpack.  Her mind was suddenly abuzz; she knew most of the goths in school, and none of them had handwriting half that good.  Who sent me that note?  Part of her was scolding - you shouldn't really care, you know - but she couldn't help it.  She knew she'd be thinking about it all afternoon, at the very least - probably all the way until sundown.  She realized it hadn't even occurred to her not to go.  Why shouldn't I?  The cemetery's in the middle of Danny's route.  If anything happens, he'll show.       Well, she reasoned, he'd show if he wasn't still grounded.       With the note stashed safely in her backpack, she turned and trotted out the front doors of Casper High.  Danny and Tucker were already down the block, and it took her a minute to catch up to them.  "Sorry about that," she said absently, "Got held up by some stuff."       "Yeah?" Danny asked, sounding like he might not have been entirely listening, "Like what?"       Sam frowned.  You may as well tell him.  Just mention that it's not important.  "Would you believe me if I said someone sent me an anonymous love letter?" she asked in the most uninterested voice she had, rolling her eyes for good measure.       "What?" said Danny and Tucker at the same time.       Sam shrugged.  "They want me to meet them out in the cemetery later.  You think I should even bother?"       "Do it," said Tucker, before Danny could say anything, "That's just about the gothiest place in town."       "I mean, I guess, but - " Sam conceded, but then stopped herself before she said anything else.  Caring as little as she did took a surprising amount of effort, and it only took one misstep to let on too much.  She turned to Danny, determined to get a second opinion in order to appear to make up her mind - clearly because of how not-interested she was.  "What do you think?"       Danny gave her a deer-in-the-headlights look.  "Beats me.  Go if you want.  Come to think of it - the cemetery's on my patrols anyway.  I can stick around if you want, in case something happens."       Thank fuck.  She just nodded along anyway, her mind immediately turning back to puzzling over the note.  She'd never let on, but she was getting increasingly excited about it, and she found herself glad that neither Danny nor Tucker pressed the matter - that meant she had the entirety of the afternoon to wonder uninterrupted.       By the time she got home, it was still on her mind.  The sun still had another three hours before it'd even think about setting, and she got the feeling it was going to be a very long afternoon.

      The last ray of sunlight disappeared behind heavy clouds.  Fog had begun to collect in the lowest dips in the ground, and the air was deathly still.  Crickets chirped, unseen, and headstones cast shadows like crooked teeth across the hilly landscape.  Sam pushed the heavy iron gate open; it creaked quietly, and she let it swing shut behind her.  She had to admit, it was a good night to be goth.  She couldn't have picked better circumstances, even if it did set her a little bit on edge.  Don't worry about it.  Danny said he'd be around.       She spotted a shadowy figure perched on one of the marble gravestones.  That must be him.  She trotted closer, trying despite herself to make as little sound as she could.  "Danny," she kept her voice quiet, as if she might be overheard, "See anyone yet?"       Danny turned, meeting Sam's gaze briefly, and shook his head.  He floated off the gravestone and onto his feet, still silent.  He was glad that his ghost sense had gone off earlier when he'd helped Ember set up.  If it had gone off now, Sam would definitely have noticed.  Keep your mouth shut.  Don't you dare put that grin on your face.  Don't do it, don't - he turned away suddenly so that Sam wouldn't see it.  Get a grip, Fenton!  He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.  Fuck, don't ruin it.  He turned back to her.  "You ready?"       Sam frowned.  "Ready?  Ready for what?  Danny, what's going on - ?" Danny met her gaze, unable to fight back the shit-eating grin; he'd been waiting to use this line for most of the afternoon.  "We're gonna raise hell."       "Danny, what - "       It was too late.  Danny phased through her, vanished at once, and darted down into the grave where Ember was waiting for him.  "Tag," he said, giving her a tiny playful poke, "I'll keep an eye on you.  You got this."       "Cool," said Ember, psyching herself up.  She still couldn't believe she was going to do this.  She'd done plenty of shows before - but this one's for her.  What if I fuck it up?  She steeled herself.  No.  He said you got this.  You can't back out now.       Sam turned, now seemingly alone in the middle of the graveyard.  "Danny?"  Despite herself, her heart began to race.  Did he just ditch me?  This isn't like him - what's going on?  "Danny, where'd you go?  What's - ?"       Fuck it.  Here goes.  Ember struck the opening chord, parting the earth over her and sending a beam of ghostly blue light upwards into the sky.  She struck another; her spirit guitar kept her in control but from her place in the ground she was orchestrating blind.  Riff - stay focused - shit what if I fuck this up -       Sam froze, mouth agape, as the ground before her opened up.  What's he doing - did he even know about this?  One after another, the band ascended from the grave; their horns had become real since their demise, and their fangs had become somewhat sharper, but she could recognize them anywhere.  She realized a minute later: Hell.  He said he'd raise Hell.  Fuck's sake.       Ember's mind finally went blank.  She'd managed to convince herself that this was a rehearsal, and she'd slid into the Jamming Zone without any effort after that.  Her fingers knew what to do, dancing across the strings and the controls of her ghastly instrument, and it wasn't until she began to rise up out of the last grave that her senses came back to her.  Come on, you got this you got this you got this -       Sam just stood, completely dumbfounded.  Her mind slowed almost to a halt, and she let it.  This is all - for me?  She kept her eyes on the seventh grave; the figure emerged in a dramatic swirl of ghostly fog, hidden under a cloak as black as pitch.  It didn't occur to her that Danny couldn't play, or that the cloak was too long for him, or that he'd never heard of Hell to begin with.  She only watched.       Ember refused to meet Sam's stare, knowing it would ruin her.  Come on, you got this.  She spotted Danny, watching from another gravestone well out of the way.  He gave her a thumbs-up and a stupid grin, and she refocused.  Yeah, you got this, baby.  She struck the final chord and her hood fell back, revealing her, and she floated down to the ground as the graveyard slowly went quiet.       Sam stared, wide-eyed.  She realized as her mind began to process again that she'd expected it to be Danny, and she realized a second later that no, of course it wasn't.  Finally she just stammered: "Ember?"       Nailed it.  Ember took a step forward, her eyes now on Sam.  She stamped down the knot that wanted to form in her gut - don't you dare, bitch - and forced herself to stay focused.  "Bleeding heart, baby," she said quietly, her cloak flowing softly behind her in a ghostly breeze.       Sam took a half-step back, mostly out of instinct.  Realization crept over her, and her face hardened.  "Bleeding heart," she echoed, "That was you, wasn't it?"       Ember hesitated.  Despite her best efforts, she could feel herself going slowly numb.  Hold yourself together, idiot!  She nodded.  "Look.  I want to start over - all the way over, I - "       "What are you getting at?" Sam asked warily, "Why would I trust you about any of this?  You come after us practically every other week."       Ember flinched, as if struck.  Her eyes fell, and her face almost immediately flushed a brilliant cerulean.  Both hands disappeared back under her cloak so she could clamp them together in an effort to keep them steady.  Her mouth had run dry, but she forced herself to speak regardless.  "I know it's crazy, I just - I want to know you.  I saw you last time - the big fight, and I didn't think it at first, but - "       "You froze up," Sam realized.  She couldn't believe she was thinking this - that's stupid, you know she's probably hypnotized you - but she couldn't stop herself.  "That's what it was, wasn't it?"       Ember nodded, barely holding herself together.  She was certain she'd melt if Sam came any closer; she'd gone almost completely numb, and she was clinging desperately to the hope that her brain wouldn't fail her as well.  So far, it hadn't.  "I couldn't stop thinking about you - jesus, that sounds so stupid..."       Sam took a deep breath, clearing her thoughts.  "Ember, listen - things get complicated really fast.  I mean, you're a ghost, for starters.  That's - there's kind of an issue there, you know?  How could we even - ?"       "We can make it work," said Ember desperately, face burning, "I know we could."       "Well," Sam conceded reluctantly.  Fuck, you're not actually going to consider this, are you?  "What about Danny?  The fights between you and him - "       "Finished," said Ember, meeting Sam's eyes again.  "I said I wanted to start over.  I meant it."       Sam hesitated.  You and a ghost?  For real?  Her doubts slipped away despite her best efforts.  "You better be serious."       "Dead serious," Ember whispered.  Emboldened partially by the numbness receding somewhat and partially by Danny's silent but aggressive support in the background, she reached out and took one of Sam's hands.  Realizing her mistake too late to do anything about it, she went quiet as the numbness crawled up into her head and took over her completely.       Sam's mind turned slowly.  If Ember disappeared from Danny's feuds - what would be the harm, really?  She raised Hell for me, for fuck's sake.  That was, without a doubt, the most impressive stunt anyone had ever pulled - and for her!  Fuck, what am I doing if I'm not even going to give this a chance?  It wasn't like anyone would find out about it - aside from Danny and Tucker, at least.  Seeing a ghost was one thing; seeing a ghost was different entirely.  Jesus, and her parents were going to hate it.  She brightened and - for the first time - gave Ember a little smile.  "Why not," she said, "We'll figure it out, right?"

[hysterialevi]

cobblebats fanfic final part (this story is now on AO3!)

From Bruce’s POV

ONE WEEK LATER

With a clink of our glasses, Oz and I both threw back our drinks in celebration as we watched the news, smiling from ear-to-ear at each other. For the first time in a while, the news didn’t make me want to rip my hair out, and it also wasn’t about me. Or, at least, it wasn’t about Bruce. Batman, on the other hand, was still a common sight in the media because of what happened with Grogan, and Gordon was doing everything he could to hunt the vigilante down. 

I frowned at the thought. The past few weeks had blurred by in one, chaotic frenzy, and my mind had fallen into what was one of the darkest places I’d ever been in. The fact that--for a time--I was actually willing to kill someone...and that I did...made me hate myself. I was just glad that I was able to stop myself before murdering Lady Arkham. It’s not that she didn’t deserve death--I just wasn’t meant to be the executioner. 

“You’re doin’ it again.” Oz said, breaking me from my thoughts. I quirked a brow at him in confusion.

“Doing what?” I asked as he took another sip from his glass. He chuckled.

“Y’know, that bloody puppy-face you always wear. You’ve practically patented it. I mean, don’t get me wrong--it looks cute on you and all--but smile for once, for fuck’s sake.”

I chuckled back. “Sorry. I was just thinking about what happened in the catacombs.”

“Yeah, we haven’t really gotten a chance to talk ‘bout that, have we? So, tell me. Lady Arkham. ...is she...?”

“She’s dead,” I confirmed with a nod. “The catacombs started to fall apart after our fight, and a boulder crushed her before she could escape.”

“You didn’t kill her?”

I looked away from him and gazed at the floor, placing my glass on the coffee table in front of us.

“I almost did,” I admitted regrettably. “I was so close. Almost to the point of no return.”

Oz leaned forward in his chair. “Well, what stopped you?”

I tilted my head upwards, examining the portrait of my parents which hung above the fireplace. After everything I’d learned about them, it was impossible to see them in the same way I did before, and a strange, eerie nostalgia began to clutch my heart. I couldn’t tell whether or not it was a good feeling.

“...I didn’t want to become him,” I answered. “I didn’t want to become a monster...and so I walked away.”

I fell into silence for a moment, awkwardly staring at the floor as I fidgeted with my hands, until Oz reached over and grabbed mine with his own. He brought my hand into his lap and rested it there, still smiling at me.

“Listen, love,” he began, “I don’t normally tell people this--probably because I’ve never had someone to tell it to...but I...am so proud of you,” Oz flashed a wink. “...Billionaire Boy.”

I laughed. “Thanks. You’re never gonna stop calling me that, are you?”

“Nope.” He relaxed again, leaning back into his chair. “And actually, now that I think ‘bout it, why don’t you have any nicknames for me, hmm?”

I thought for a second, biting my lip in concentration. “...what about Ozzie?”

His face flattened playfully. “Yeah--no. It ain’t cute enough. Makes it sound like you’re talkin’ ‘bout Ozzy Osbourne.”

“You know what?” I teased. “Just because you said that, I’m gonna stick with it.”

“...I take back everything I said earlier,” Oz joked. “You’re an absolute monster, and a disgrace to your name, and I hate you.”

I pretended to get up from my seat. “Well, then...guess I’ll just leave.”

Oz pulled me back down almost instantly, wrapping his arms completely around my chest and snuggling against me as he rested his head on my shoulder. 

“Don’t you dare,” he whispered in my ear. “Don’t you even think about it.”

I smirked and turned around, kissing him and caressing the side of his face as the two of us cuddled in the plush chair. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured. Oz gestured to the TV with his eyes.

“Well, maybe not anywhere.”

Bringing my attention back to the news, I saw the same reporter as always--Jack Ryder--giving out the latest information on the situation with Lady Arkham. Didn’t they have any other reporters working there?

“The damage done by the Children of Arkham has left Gotham city in turmoil,” he announced. “Faith in those at the top has, perhaps irrevocably, been shaken. Acting Commissioner James Gordon has promised to speak out about the issue tonight during an emergency city-wide address.”

The screen switched to Gordon. He was standing at a podium, delivering a speech.

“...and I hope, despite the recent terror that’s gripped our city, that Gotham’s leading citizens will come out to show their support--”

The TV suddenly went black after Oz shut it off, placing the remote down.

“Gordon’s said that he wants Gotham’s most prominent citizens to back him up at the city address. Citizens like you. Normally...I’d suggest stayin’ away from the geezer, but I think you should go, Bruce. Show ‘em who you really are...like you did to me.”

I agreed. “This could be a fresh start. For both me and the city.”

“A fresh start would be appreciated. ‘Specially after all the shit we’ve been through. But you’ve done a lot of good for Gotham, Bruce. Your appearance at the speech would make quite an impact.”

Oz grinned. “Just try not to beat anyone up this time, all right?”

I shrugged sarcastically and rolled my eyes, exiting the parlor. “I don’t know, Ozzie. I’m a wild one these days.”

“I will actually fight you if you call me that again.”

I started heading for the front door, throwing my suit jacket on as Oz followed me from behind. “You’re just not very nice, are you? I’m hurt.” I remarked.

Oz pushed me out the door. “Okay, you’ve been ‘round me too much, mate. Stay ‘round any longer, and you’ll start to look like me.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?” I winked. Or, at least, I tried. 

“Don’t be stupid. You can’t go to the speech lookin’ like me. I can’t have Gotham thinkin’ I’m actually a good person.”

The two of us shared a quick laugh, standing by the front door as I took out my car keys and prepared to head out. The weather outside was quiet and peaceful today, and only a few clumps of fluffy clouds floated in the otherwise clear, blue sky as the sun radiated warm, golden rays onto the city. A cool, gentle breeze glided out from within the manor and caused Oz’s hair to softly sway, along with the collar on his coat. 

“Bruce,” he called out before I could leave, “on a serious note,” he turned away, blushing. “...thanks. For everything. I mean it.”

I nodded as a “you’re welcome,” and pulled him into a brief, but tight hug.

“No. Thank you. This is going to sound cheesy, but I genuinely don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Oz patted my back. “And you’ll never find out. Now get outta ‘ere, and make sure you get some screen time, all right? I wanna take a picture of you on TV so I can brag ‘bout it to my friends over in England.”

I chortled. “I’ll be sure to throw in a few poses for you.”

“And this is why I love you. Anyways, enough of that. You should get to the address before Gordon shines a light with your name on it at the moon.”

With one last, quick kiss, Oz remained at the doorway while I skipped down the stairs and into my car, waving him goodbye as I began to drive away. Rushing through the city’s streets, I couldn’t help but notice that something about Gotham felt...different today. Not calm or peaceful, necessarily. But rather, hopeful in a way. Hope was, unfortunately, a rare sight these days, and I was glad that Gordon decided to take a stand. Our personal problems aside, it was something that the city needed, and I was more than willing to help.

Before I could drive any further though, a sudden, all-too-familiar voice jumped out of nowhere and spoke to me from the car’s back seat.

“...I told you I’d see you again.”