#REMEMBER HOW RA'S AL GHUL IS THE BEST BATMAN CHARACTER TO HAVE EVER EXISTED. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

myriahkamm · 4 years ago

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I live-blogged watching BvS and Justice League on FB earlier; here are my unedited thoughts. :P

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

I'm watching Batman V. Superman (because bad movie night I guess idk), and during the opening scene rehashing the Waynes' deaths (for what feels like the millionth time in cinematic history--seriously, y'all, we can be done with that for a while and definitely don't need a 5 minute slow-motion scene about it), when Thomas says Martha's name as they're dying, I burst out laughing because (i) I didn't remember that he said her name during this scene and (ii) is this supposed to be some kind of foreshadowing for the really dumb crux of the movie where Batman and Superman stop fighting because omg their moms have the same name? I literally can't stop laughing. This movie is such a joke. 🤣

Having the Robin costume in this film with absolutely no context is just stupidly pointless fanboy pandering. Anyone who actually gives a crap about Batman lore should realistically hate that.

Lex Luthor, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, bitching about not having power is definitely on brand, but I am just super *not* a fan of the quirky, kind-of-nerdy-and-awkward Lex Luthor this film decided to go with. The hardcore businessman Lex Luthor from the 90s and 00s will always be the Lithor I like best. Y'know, the one based at least in part on Donald Trump. That one.

This Jesse Eisenberg version is way too much of a Mary Sue. Businessman *and* scientist *and* awkward nerd? Yeah, Jesse Eisenberg played Mark Zuckerberg, but I'm not sure Lex Luthor should be Mark Zuckerberg.

Ugh, I totally forgot about the Darkseid-foreshadowing dream that's never going to go anywhere because, let's be real, DC is never going to do a live-action film with Darkseid (and it would be awful even if they did). Also, Batman using guns in that dream is a thing I'll never be cool with. I don't care what kind of world he thinks he's living in in that dream; Batman has established principles and pretty much only goes against them in alternate universes.

Jesus, I forgot about the whole Flash-from-the-future scene, too. DC wrote a lot of checks we're never going to be able to cash in this film. Promising an Injustice-esque Superman-is-evil kind of storyline that they're never going to do anything with...why would they do that?

So in the dream, Darkseid-related stuff is going on (which, in Justice League, does sort of happen with Steppenwolf) and Superman says "she was everything to me, and you took her away from me." Then future-Flash says that "Lois is the key". Are they implying Batman has premonitions? Are they giving him a superpower? 🤣

Oh, that's right, they blew up the U.S. Capitol in this movie. 🤣 These scenes that are supposed to be really serious and filled with tension just keep making me laugh.

Why did they decide Batman needed to make a kryptonite spear? I mean, other than plot reasons so they could use it later against Doomsday. Batman uses projectiles and his fists; he rarely uses swords or spears or whatever.

Why did they decide Doomsday had to be created using a mixture of Kryptonian and Luthor's DNA? In the comics, Doomsday is an experimental clone based on ancient Kryptonian DNA. Why (in my opinion) make Doomsday so much more pathetic by adding human DNA into the mix? Freaking weird decision.

"Mm." What a weird quirk to add to Luthor's character. "Mm" every other sentence. What's that all about?

Luthor manipulating Batman into fighting Superman is...so unbelievable. Luthor manipulating Superman to hate Batman, waaaaay more believable. But no, that's not what they went with. They went with Luthor manipulating Batman for two years into wanting to fight Superman. Superman just randomly came to hate Batman on his own and only got manipulated into fighting him at the end. They could have just gone with hey, Batman's suspicious of everyone and would naturally be suspicious of a superpowered alien, especially with the whole setup they did at the beginning that coincided with stuff from Man of Steel. But nope. Nope, they went with the dumber plot.

Doesn't Luthor have way too much info about all these heroes' secret identities? Are we just pretending secret identities don't matter anymore? That's too 90s or something?

Why does the kryptonite spear make an "omg I'm a glowy thing" sound? 🤣

And now we're at the stupid Martha part that makes no sense because if you were about to die, you wouldn't say "save [mom's name]"; you would just say "save my mom!" 🤣

Batman would totally save Superman's mom even if their moms didn't have the same name. It's just such a stupid, stupid plot point and lends itself to endless mockery. 🤣

I *do* like this fight scene where Batman is making his way through the goons to get to Martha. The choreography is really good. Reminds me a lot of the Arkham video games.

Man, this Doomsday just...doesn't really work on a fundamental level. What makes comic Doomsday so powerful and terrifying is (i) it's not just a mindless monster, but is actually intelligent and can plan and strategize; (ii) iwas created through such extreme experimentation that it was repeatedly destroyed and then remade again over and over and over to give it endurance and formidably; (iii) and it's pretty much unstoppable from all that experimentation and uncontrollable because of its intelligence.

Also, what's with this explody thing Doomsday does in this film? A monster can be terrifying without being able to blow up a bunch of stuff. I'm not sure what the point of explody Doomsday is other than lazy writing.

The military hit it once and came to the conclusion that not only does it get more powerful "every time we hit it," but also that it's unkillable? Okay. More lazy writing.

And we're back to one of my biggest issues with Man of Steel: Superman just not giving a shit about collateral damage. Even if the island they're on is uninhabited, that doesn't exactly mean he should just be fine with blowing a bunch of shit up in the course of this fight. Sheesh.

How did Lois know they needed the spear again? She had no reason to go underwater to try to get it. This whole "let's make Lois useless time and again so Superman can save her" thing is really annoying.

Superman's "death" scene carries so little weight if you know (like pretty much everyone should have known, let's be real) that he's not really dead. Like, sure, for the characters it means something because they don't know he'll be back, but for the audience? At least for me, it doesn't make me feel a whole lot.

So all the soldiers at Superman's funeral--do they know they're carrying an empty casket? Just curious.

The dirt rising off the casket at the end for a split second is soooooo dumb. For anyone naive enough to think he *is* really dead, just let them think it. Just let that be a thing. Come on. (Also considering that he doesn’t just come back on his own; it takes a charge from a Mother Box in Justice League for him to come back. That makes this end scene a lie, too.)

Ok, BvS is done. Need another drink and a snack, then I'll move on to Justice League. 😅

Justice League:

Haha, obvious Superman facial CGI right off the bat, omg, I forgot how horribly obvious it is. 🤣

Also forgot that we're starting off with parademons right away. Sheesh.

Do all of Snyder's films have to have gratuitous slow-motion scenes at the beginning? Ugh, dude.

Everyone just throwing Bruce Wayne's name around in relation to Batman all the time. Secret identities are dead, y'all. No superhero can have a real life, I guess.

Ugh, I forgot this film pushes Batman/Wonder Woman pretty hard. 🙄

"It's cool if I show a bunch of Amazons with their midriffs showing as long as they have visible ab muscles, right?" Idk, Snyder, is that how armor realistically works? 🙄 Also, is it necessary for them to have lipstick on? That doesn't even exist on Themyscira, ffs.

The multiple (as I remember; only one so far) innuendo-based jokes really bring this film down, imo. "Clark said you were the thirstier woman he'd ever met." Really? Ugh. 🙄

The plot of this film is so LOTR. Amazons, Atlanteans, and Men all get Mother Boxes, sort of like the various rings of power. There's plenty you can pull from comics, y'all. You don't need to pull from other stuff.

Flash as comic relief I'm okay with. I'm not sure how I feel about *this* Flash's comic relief. I'm not a huge fan of the writing.

Break time because Je'von wants to go out on the balcony lol. 😅

And we're back. So can Steppenwolf breathe underwater? Is that a thing?

I guess it's supposed to be super funny that everyone disappears except the fastest one of them? Sigh. The writing in this film is just so awful.

Cyborg's CGI also isn't great. I really wanted more for Cyborg because he's awesome. Sigh.

Snyder must have loved being able to do stuff with Flash. All the slo-mo he could want.

I'm not a fan of neurotic Flash, afraid of pretty much everything. He can be funny in so many better ways, but instead let's just have him be afraid of everything and make sexual jokes every now and then. 🙄

"Let's keep having Cyborg wear sweatpants and a hoodie so we don't have to spend so much on CGI. It totally won't look ridiculous." 🤣

Batman making the argument to use technology he doesn't understand to try to bring Superman back from the dead is just so out of character it's not even funny. First of all, Superman didn't need technology to come back in the comics (whether or not his "resurrection" was silly is irrelevant). Secondly, Batman literally has an enemy (Ra's al Ghul) who resurrects himself on the regular, and Batman (i) knows it's a bad idea because it messes with Ra's's sanity and (b) would never consider using the Lazarus Pit even though he has a relative understanding of how it works. This film just literally disregards established character traits in favor of it's stupid-as-hell plot. Ugh.

Superman is vulnerable to magic, idiot writers. He shouldn't be able to fight Wonder Woman's lasso. Uuughhh. Have any of the writers of this movie ever actually read any Justice League comics? 🤦‍♀️

Well, those cops definitely know Superman's name now. Since you all keep saying it in front of them.

Superman hasn't even been gone for that long (seemingly; I mean, it's hard to tell, but S.T.A.R. Labs is still doing research on the Kryptonian ship in the same genersl area as in BvS, so idk), so all this talk about what he does or doesn't remember seems...weird.

Why not wait until you defeat Steppenwolf to let your mom know you're back, Superman? For all you know, you could die again. Wouldn't that just be harder on her after seeing you back?

Why was the lasso just sitting on the Batmobile instead of with Wonder Woman? Plot so that Aquaman could say some *super funny things*. 🙄 That's not even how the lasso works, you dumb writers. Someone has to direct another bound by it to speak the truth. Seriously, do some research. Ugh. It's not that hard.

"So your plan is dying? You really are out of your mind." "I'm not the one who brought a pitchfork." See, the writers prove that they can be actually funny if they try. *If* they try.

The "everyone trying their best to hold off the big bad until Goku gets there" vibe is super strong in this movie. 😑

Part of the reason the Justice League is a thing is because no one hero can do it alone. That means it all shouldn't be riding on Superman's shoulders. If you actually know how to write the Justice League, that is.

Don't know how I feel about everyone getting perks due to nepotism now that they know Bruce Wayne...must be nice to be buddies with the richest man in the world. 😒

The Flash vs Superman race at the end is more pandering. Ugh. It would be better if Flash was less pathetic as a character in this film. Super awkward is just not very funny, y'all. Write actual jokes instead.

Okay, that's over. What a trip. Both those movies are still pretty much garbage. 🤣 The question is, will I ever watch Man of Steel again? Probably not; I hated Man of Steel more than both those movies, actually. Wrote a 3-page rant about how awful it was after seeing it in theaters originally. $3 was still way too much money to spend on that crap. 😅

Oh, side note for the after credits scene: will they ever actually go anywhere with that? They might do an okay job with a Justice League vs. Legion of Doom (or Injustice Society or whatever villain team incarnation they would decide to go with) film. That might not suck.

#myri's thoughts #live blogging (sort of)#Batman v Superman #justice league #dccu #omg the awfulness is just wonderful #if you read carefully you can tell when i start getting drunk lol #WW is the only real saving grace in either of these movies

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crimenight-a · 6 years ago

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ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ATTRIBUTES ASSOCIATED WITH BATMAN is his seemingly uncaring & stoic nature. it’s also one of the generalizations i openly despise; the more recent batman media has shaped our understanding of his person in the wrong way. while i agree that he does seem cold at times, it’s not for the reason most people immediately think. so, in this meta, i’m going to walk you through bruce’s story & explain why he is the way he is.

first, i want to address the general perception concerning his emotional state. readers/watchers, alike, think bruce’s apathetic nature is related to his trauma. they’re only half right, for it did indirectly lead him to change his outward expression of self, but it’s not the direct reason. even characters in the DC universe comment on bruce’s apparent lack of distress-like emotions:

❝ your ward & my daughter are in mortal danger ! indeed, batman, they may already be dead ! yet you show no signs of agitation– nor do you exhibit any curiosity concerning my humble self ! have you no feelings ? ❞ -- batman (1940) #232

ra’s al ghul says this upon meeting bruce for the first time & enlisting his help in saving his daughter, talia al ghul. we see many variations of this repeat with superman, wonder woman, green lantern, the flash, & many more. so, it’s not only the general public in our world that thinks batman doesn’t feel anything, that thought process is also preserved in characters from within DC’s universe. another type of media that’s to blame are the comedic types. there’s so many cartoons & comics that depict a younger bruce to be very stoic & cold, batman’s voice & intimidating nature are ridiculed by many heroes ( i’m looking at you, mcu tony/peter ). i won’t deny that these moments are very funny ( especially when DC retaliates like in that batman lego movie where batman screams ‘IRON MAN SUCKS!’ ), but in actuality, it still adds to this prevailing idea that he really feels nothing. i won’t lie & say i thought differently before i made this blog, because i didn’t. much to my surprise, however, it only took me a few issues from detective comics/the original batman run to understand that we’ve been wrong all along.

you may now be asking, ‘if he’s not truly uncaring, then why does he act like he is ?’ well, let me point you to this single issue that i wish i could have every one of these new writers that dc hires read, it’s detective comics’ (1989) second annual issue ( if you’re interested, you can read it here ! although, a quick warning that this issue deals with the K/KK & it’s displayed as such on the cover; be careful if you decide to read ). it follows a young bruce, only seventeen ( already quite buff & skilled, might i add ), who asks to shadow a famous detective in what i believe is rural new jersey. harvey harris was hailed to be one of the greatest detectives on the east coast, there was nothing he couldn’t handle. at that point, bruce didn’t really know how he was going to go about waging a war on crime ( he juggled with options like the FBI, GCPD, district attorney, more legal positions ), but he knew detective work was something he’d probably have to do no matter what he chose. so, he sent a letter to harris, asking to shadow him under the name frank dixon, harris accepted with a warning that the case he had on his hands was incredibly violent & horrific. throughout this issue, we see many instances where bruce lets his emotions get the better of him & it ultimately leads to harris’s demise ( indirectly, yes, but this is a pattern in bruce’s story. if he did just one thing differently, he could have saved his parents, harvey harris, & COUNTLESS more people. the fact haunts him to this day ). bruce & harris eventually track down the person who has been killing people in that small rural town, & he sees that he’s in the process of another murder. i’m sure you can guess what bruce did, he screamed & lunged for the man in a hot flash of rage, the man pulls a gun. bruce knocks him out in one swift punch, but the gun still goes off & it, unfortunately, hits harris. in his dying moments, he tells bruce something that sticks with him still to this day:

❝ i never tried to teach you detection. you already got the mind for it. but when you let your emotions take control, you just go blind. i don’t know where you’re headed from here, bruce, but wherever it is, remember… you gotta control that anger. when you get that into your head– really know it– then ol’ harvey will have done right by you. ❞ -- detective comics (1989) annual #2

harris had been commenting on bruce’s anger for the entire time they’ve been together, & we can really see how bruce struggles with understanding his own emotions through his many warnings:

❝ nice spottin’, by the way. now, if we could just do somethin’ about that temper.. ❞ ❝ son, it’s rare i see a man who carries such rage so close to the surface. ❞ ❝ harvey was right. because i was a hothead.. ❞ ( bruce says this )

the thing is, bruce had been incredibly polite to mostly everyone. the only times he lost his cool is when people didn’t cooperate with him & harris on the case, or if they made fun of him for being a “pretty, city boy.” most of the time, harris had to physically hold bruce back from doing something he’d quickly regret, such as picking a fight with grown men twice his size ( i would like to proudly add that bruce beat these guys shitless, but they trashed his fancy red porsche :/ ). i know i’m spending a lot of time on this single annual, but it’s SO important when you realize that bruce really does have anger management issues to the point where he can’t hold back his own outbursts. let’s compare that younger bruce to the one we know today, there’s quite a stark difference, isn’t there ? the batman we’re familiar with would never jump into anything without thinking about it many times over. that’s because bruce took what harris said to heart, & he worked damn hard to implement his advice:

❝ i had a crazy hate, too. but unlike carr, i refused to let it blind me to reality. to the truth. i went over the entire case eleven times, in each instances extracting more & more of my emotional involvement. & on the twelfth pass through–a coldly logical pass–i saw what had been bothering me. & i knew that it wasn’t over. ❞ note: carr is the murderer that bruce lunged at & the one that killed harris.

for us, removing our emotions & thinking about something logically can range from being impossible to incredibly difficult. imagine, then, the mental strength bruce, a boy who had always been obnoxiously transparent with his feelings, had to exert in order to go through this case without feeling some immense distracting rage ( this ties into one of his character’s core ideas: batman’s will/willpower is insurmountable compared to even other superheroes ). he eventually found out that carr was nothing more than a human weapon that someone else had been manipulating, but the point is: bruce realized through this issue that he wasn’t good at solving cases because he could never separate his own emotions from the victim’s. from then on, he tried his best to be “coldly logical” with every case he comes across, & he eventually adopted this state of mind when he was in the batsuit regularly. being batman requires a ridiculously high amount of awareness & general perception. if he’s constantly angry & jumping to rash conclusions, he’s not going to last long.

however, this doesn’t mean that bruce doesn’t slip up & let his emotions get the best of him even as an adult. one of the most apparent examples of this is when jason dies. i think most of us know how terrible that was & how bruce blames himself. in order to keep this meta from getting unnecessarily longer, all we need to take away from that arc is that bruce quite honestly drowns with guilt because if he had chosen to go after jason instead of go after someone else, jason would still be alive. with that anger directed at himself & at the world in general, he recklessly starts to fight anyone he sees while in the batsuit. even petty criminals would be beaten within an inch of their lives, he’d make mistakes that he never did before, & come home with horrible injuries. he had no sense of self-preservation, all he cared about was his anger & guilt. notice how throwing caution to the wind puts bruce in considerably more danger, thus this supports my point that bruce struggles with his emotions, but learned to suppress them for the sake of helping & saving people.

it actually surprises me when people don’t seem to realize that bruce is empathetic almost to a fault. he holds onto hope, & he always had, even if it’s foolish to do so. hope that someone is still alive, hope that someone still had good in them, hope in his own abilities. there was once a case where the entire bat-family understood immediately that a boy had killed his own parents, but bruce clung to the hope that maybe it wasn’t him, maybe it was some other greedy politician or hired gun. bruce knew he was wrong & that he was chasing essentially no one, but the sheer hope that the boy was innocent kept him going in circles. i wholeheartedly believe that bruce is an empath, someone who is incredibly sensitive to another’s emotions, with how quickly he understands how almost everyone feels. there are times where bruce will show compassion before he shows anything else. yes, he aims to scare people with his dramatic antics:

❝ gotham city is hell. we are all in hell. & i am the king of hell ! ❞ -- batman: legends of the dark knight #6

but the purpose of his promise was to make sure nothing like what happened to him ever happens to someone else again. i’ve said this before, & i’ll say it again: BATMAN IS A GLORIFIED BABYSITTER. really, scarecrow said this & i stole it from him, but he wants to care for his city. that’s why he funds all these free health clinics throughout gotham, it’s why he opened new soup kitchens & funded existing ones. he revolutionized gotham’s orphanage system, he forced wayne enterprises to make new jobs, he single-handedly dropped gotham’s unemployment rate by a substantial amount. he hands money & opportunities to struggling families, he sits with them & helps them through their pain. he does all of this against his playboy persona, i remember how most of gotham was confused when he was starting his charity projects since he was immediately said to be ignorant or even uncaring towards gotham’s poverty & crime issues. he started the ‘rebuild gotham’ project(s), he funded arkham. he’s in active member of the gotham’s & new jersey’s political scene, influencing massive changes. his infamous ‘no killing’ rule can be attributed to the fact that bruce doesn’t know what led someone to doing the horrible thing that he’s chasing them for; HE TRIES TO SEE THE GOOD IN EVERYONE. i know that comes as a surprise, mostly because bruce openly despised superman ( despite clark being one of the kindest people anyone has ever met ) in that batman v superman movie, but this blog has never taken any inspiration from those films, so we’re going to ignore that & i ask you to do the same when you’re referencing my portrayal.

bruce would never go to such lengths to bring gotham back from its dark days if it wasn’t for how much he cared for its people. & he wouldn’t care at all if he seemingly felt no emotions. yes, a part of him doesn’t know how he’d deal with his trauma if he hadn’t passionately pursued something like this, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that bruce is a fundamentally compassionate man. the way he takes care of the victims in each case, personally comforting them ( hugging, etc. ), accommodating them in any way he can. there’s times where he gets so angry after seeing certain victims, that he finds it hard to control himself even after decades of training his willpower; THAT’S how vehement his emotions are.

seeing the good in everyone & personally feeling everyone’s pain are both very emotionally taxing traits, & he doesn’t suppress these qualities. he allows himself to feel guilt & practice empathy because it keeps him going when all he wants to do is collapse. bruce has never denied feeling emotions, he never does it to intimidate his allies, he just has a harsh way of looking at things because, again, he removes his own feelings from the mix. most other superheroes, like in the justice league, sometimes marvel at how bruce almost never gives into his anger during important decisions. i keep repeating my main points & this is all quite the speel, but it’s INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT that you understand that bruce has never not felt his emotions just as strongly as everyone else, if not stronger. to end this off, let’s see what bruce said in response to ra’s al ghul’s earlier question ( this is something i find that summarizes what i’ve said in this meta really well ):

❝ plenty of them ! but it won’t do me any good for me to allow my emotions to gain control… not while there’s a job ahead ! for years, i’ve trained myself to concentrate on the thing at hand– later, i’ll cry… if i must ! ❞ -- batman (1940) #232

& because i know how hard tumblr’s tiny font is to read, here’s a link to this same meta, but on google docs ! read whichever version you want !

#* 𝘽𝙒 ⸗ ▋ ❱ archives.#yeah i call my headcanons/metas 'archives'#it's in character!#anyways this was fun.. but the formatting wasn't omg please #read the google docs then come back and like this post (if you genuinely liked the material) because idk how y'all read long things #with tumblr's tiny font.. i could have made it bigger font yes but.. shh ignore that #regardless.. please read! it's very important to your understanding of my portrayal and even just canon batman

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nightowldaylark · 6 years ago

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[Fic] Sins of the Father [Talia/Bruce]

Title: Sins of the Father (a/b/o verse)

Pairing: Talia/Bruce

Characters: (Alpha) Talia Al Ghul, (Beta) Bruce Wayne, (Alpha) Ra’s Al Ghul, (Alpha) Alfred Pennyworth. Cameos by (Beta) Dick Grayson and (Omega) Damian Wayne.

Summary: If you love something, set it free. Talia tries, but no Al Ghul can ever truly escape Ra's' grasp.

Author’s Note: An attempt at merging the 1987 Son of the Demon with the background Morrison came up with for Damian set in an alternate alpha/beta/omega universe. Most interactions are based on Son of the Demon but some characterisations come from more modern interpretations.

I realise this is incredibly niche, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

AO3 Link

It is said that in the beginning was the alpha man and omega woman. It is from their loins that we all descended, and even now it is the alpha man and the omega woman who represent the purest of humanity.

From the perspective of outdated beliefs, Talia, as an alpha woman, is little better than the abominations that betas are supposed to be. An alpha man perverted by femininity, taking on their form and their ability to give birth when mated with an alpha man in rut. Were it not for an alpha woman’s ability to go into rut herself, she would likely not be counted as an alpha at all.

Despite his sophistication and ability to adapt to the ever-changing social mores of the passing times, Talia knows that is how her father sees her. To an alpha man like Ra’s Al Ghul, she will always be an imperfect heir. The part of her that betrayed him is buoyed by it, validated in her feelings and actions to know he will never truly accept her. The part of her that loves him still hurts from it.

It is that part of her that rules Talia whatever she might wish otherwise. It is that part of her that makes her heart clench when she chases a lead to her mother’s murderer to Gotham.

The city of her Beloved. The city of the only beta that has ever come close to overcoming Ra’s’ prejudices. Another complication in a relationship that is built on complications. Any fondness for Bruce is tainted by the knowledge that it is exactly what her father wants - an alpha son from their joining that will finally be the heir he always craved - and yet she is happy anyway, that he approves of the man she loves.

Though it is difficult to remember that Bruce is a capable beta man that Ra’s considers worthier to be his heir over all the alpha men he knows when Talia’s investigations find him crumpled in one of Gotham’s filthy alleyways, injured and vulnerable.

A quick check shows the wound is not life-threatening, though the smell and damp clinging to his suit means it could still happen very easily. Talia makes a face as she gathers Bruce’s limp body to her; Gotham is such a dirty place. For all that she understands loyalty to causes that may not deserve it, she will never stop feeling that Gotham is unworthy of her Beloved.

Still, resting in the high tech base beneath Bruce’s childhood home, even Talia can admit that there are some positives to the place. As if summoned, Alfred interrupts her vigil at an unconscious Bruce’s side with a tray of perfectly brewed tea. Talia accepts a cup with a smile and a murmur of thanks.

“It is I who should be thanking you,” Alfred says with a regal shake of his head. “Who knows when I would have been made aware of Master Bruce’s plight otherwise?”

“He shouldn’t worry you so.” Talia purses her lips, then takes a hearty swallow of the tea. “You are much too good to him.”

“It is my job,” Alfred replies simply. As if there is anything simple about their relationship. Bruce may pay his wages, but considering what Talia knows about Bruce’s relatives, Alfred is more family than those that actually share blood with him. For Talia, whose strongest ties are to her father, it is strange to think that the most important people in Bruce’s life are not his flesh and blood. Which brings her to another point…

“It has been surprisingly peaceful down here this time.” Talia sweeps her eyes around the main cavern exaggeratedly. “Not a peep of disapproval that the great Batman’s secret headquarters is being sullied by my presence.”

“Master Dick is not here presently, if that is what you’re asking.” Alfred’s mustache quivers minutely. Talia hides her own smile in the rim of her cup and takes it as a victory. “He is out with friends.”

“Friends,” Talia repeats drily. “The kind of friends that deserve quotation marks and secret identities?”

Alfred shoots her a sharp look that expresses louder than words exactly what he thinks of questions like that.

Talia is undaunted. This man just served her food with mating season just around the corner; her instincts have marked him as ally the moment she accepted what he offered. “Does this mean I must gird myself in preparation for his displeasure when he returns?”

“That depends, Miss Talia, do you expect to be here three months from now?”

Talia blinks. “I am surprised Bruce would allow his ward out of his sight for so long. Isn’t the boy only...ah, of course, he is fourteen now, isn’t he?”

“Indeed.” There is not a hint of censure in Alfred’s bearing. Talia isn’t sure she would be able to notice if he feels any in the first place.

“Betas.” Talia sighs, still trying to gauge Alfred’s mood from the corner of her eye. The alpha man is frustratingly opaque, and unlike most alphas she dismisses, Talia has a feeling Alfred would not be any easier to read even after mating season is upon them. “I do not know how they have the energy to go at each other all year round. And fourteen is such a volatile age; are three months going to be enough to stop them from being at each other's throats?”

“Master Bruce and Master Dick are assuredly capable of controlling their baser instincts. There is nothing for you to concern yourself with, Miss Talia.”

And there was the censure, though aimed at her not Bruce or Richard. Talia shrugs, unrepentant. While she does not believe in the inherent inferiority of betas like her father, she is not blind to their faults. There is a reason betas make up the majority of her father’s League; their heightened aggression - especially in close proximity to each other - all year round makes them much more useful subordinates than alphas or omegas who only reach such emotional states during mating season, and is much too distracted by the actual mating part to follow orders well.

Of course, like Alfred says, Bruce and Richard are both exemplary specimens of their dynamic, and Talia knows well Bruce’s ability to rein in his emotions when needed. That ability is enough to impress her father after all, despite all the years Ra’s has lived. Though apparently not enough that a beta newly in the throes of puberty like Richard does not need to leave the nest for a while to calm down.

“His absence does explain this bout of recklessness.” Talia tries to look conciliary as she nods over at where Bruce still lies unconscious, hoping Alfred would take this change of subject as an olive branch. “He is usually above such rashness when Richard is around.”

Alfred inclines his head slightly, but, like the best of servants, does not say anything that may be construed as criticism of his master to an outsider like her.

Soon enough, the tea is finished, and Alfred returns upstairs to cook something more substantial while Talia is left alone to her vigil again. It is the greatest sign of trust she has received from the manservant, and Talia lets herself enjoy it while she waits. This rare moment of peace cannot last once Bruce wakes, and she will need her wits about her to convince him to rest - especially when she herself is itching to set off on the trial of her mother’s murderer once more. But Bruce would not appreciate her acting without his supervision in his city, and loath she may be to admit it, she will need him to accomplish her goal. Not just Bruce, but maybe even her father. It is not every day that all three of them are working towards a common objective; she would be a fool to let this chance slip away.

It is said that betas are more aggressive, more emotional, than alphas or omegas due to the instability of their standing. Unlike an alpha whose place is to sire children, or an omega whose place is to bear children, a beta may sire or bear the child of any beta any time of the year.

A beta can also bear the child of an alpha in rut or sire the child of an omega in heat, but that is rarely brought up as evidence for or against a beta’s nature. It is only right for an alpha to sire and an omega to bear even if it is with a beta. In fact, doing so supposedly aligns betas with the natural order that their very existence diverges from. It is a flawed mentality, but Talia is well aware that is what Ra’s hopes for from their union. That if he could not bring himself to make Bruce his heir due to Bruce’s dynamic no matter how suitable he may be otherwise, then to wed Bruce to his daughter is the next best thing.

Another person might rankle at that - that her wishes, her choices, do not matter - but Talia is relieved. She is used to making the best of her circumstances. She knows all too well how important it is when fate allows her father to want what she wants.

Most of all, she is happy that it is what Bruce wants as well.

Talia knows it is not a simple matter of Bruce finally bending to Ra’s’ will. As she had surmised, they need the League of Shadows and their resources to go after Qayin. They all know this. It is why Ra’s has been so accommodating, proclaiming Bruce his son-in-law and even permitting Bruce to teach his League non-lethal ways of fighting. For Ra’s, this will be the best chance he has to bring Bruce into the fold in a long time.

It is a measure of how foolish Qayin was to involve Gotham in his plans. Bruce would never stand for such meddling in his city, and now he knows of Qayin’s plot against the world. But Talia does not mind that it is these less than romantic reasons that drives her Beloved to her; Bruce is an honourable man, he would not have lain with her during her rut had he not meant his commitment to her. Perhaps he will not stay with the League after Qayin is neutralised, perhaps he expects their new bond to finally cleave her from Ra’s for good, it does not matter. Right now, they are united in a common goal, the three of them together and stronger for it, leading the League of Assassins to greater heights. Right now, her life is all she could ever wish for.

And with the dismal failure to stop the launch of the weather satellite, as well as the loss of Donal, it will be some time yet before they can worry about what comes after Qayin. Talia sweeps a critical eye over the dispersing troops that had gathered for the mission, stopping on Bruce leaning tiredly against the far wall. There is much to do, to rally their forces now that they have proof of Qayin’s connection with Golatia, but something about the way Bruce slumps uncharacteristically into himself prickles at instincts deep within her.

Keeping her eyes on Bruce, Talia waves imperiously at Dr. Weltmann as she passes by. It has been over a month since Talia and Bruce arrived at the Demon’s Head, since Ra’s had revealed the criminal Bruce is chasing and her mother’s murderer are one and the same, since Bruce agreed to join forces and stop Qayin together. Over a month since Bruce and Talia had come together at the onset of her rut as proof of their commitment to each other.

Conception for a beta during an alpha’s rut is almost a certainty.

“Miss Talia, what can I do for you?” Dr. Weltmann asks, her manner deferential but distracted, eyes sweeping around the hanger.

“I need a moment of your time,” Talia replies, trying to keep her tone just as polite.

“Of course, are my services required?” Dr. Weltmann’s eyes flicker intelligently over Talia’s face, then slides to where Bruce is without prompting. She is just as aware of the timing as Talia is.

“I need you to conduct some private tests,” Talia says softly, letting her own eyes fall on Bruce as well.

It is all the confirmation Dr. Weltmann needs. “I see,” she breathes out quietly, her gaze drifting away nonchalantly as if there is nothing of interest in Bruce’s direction. “Discreetly, I presume? I promise you will be the first to know.”

The second, Talia thinks cynically, watching Dr. Weltmann pick her way towards Bruce. Whether she tries to keep it from him or not, Bruce will know the moment she does.

“I dare say our Dr. Weltmann will have her hands full trying to keep the results from our Detective until you can be informed,” Ra’s says drily from over Talia’s shoulder, a space she could have sworn was empty until now.

Tamping down the urge to start, Talia whirls around with as much poise as she can. “Father. Do you know?”

“I suspect.” The corner of Ra’s mouth quirks up. “The same as you.”

A rush of emotion sweeps through her, too tangled for her to discern just what exactly she’s feeling. Relief perhaps, that Ra’s doesn’t know anymore than they do. Apprehension, that Ra’s’ plans are finally coming into fruition, and her child may be the key; that her child may be the alpha boy Ra’s desires, or that they may not be. And, finally, tucked deep within her, happiness, that Bruce might be with child at all, their child.

“Congratulations, my daughter.” Ra’s smiles at her, full of pride.

“It is still too early to say,” Talia demurs. What if we are wrong? What if I get my hopes up for nothing? What if what I fear does not come to pass?

“There is no need to be so cautious,” Ra’s says dismissively. “But there is always next year if you are worried.”

“Next year,” Talia repeats in an uncharacteristic lapse of self-possession. She cannot imagine Bruce here next year; he would never leave Gotham that long. Ra’s may try to keep them forever, until he has his male alpha heir and after, for he truly does hold Bruce in such high regard. But Talia cannot imagine a Bruce content to stay and bear child after child for the Al Ghul cause.

Ra’s shrugs languidly, either unaware of her discomfiture or uncaring. “I suppose there is still enough time left in this mating season if you wish to stop your suppressant regime and try again now. But this mission was merely a preliminary venture; it gave us proof of a link between Qayin and Golatia. Now we plan for a strike on Qayin’s base. That will be the crux of this operation. The Detective may have Qayin, and we will have the satellite.” Ra’s stares across the room, at where Dr. Weltmann is leading Bruce deeper into the stronghold, a proprietary smile on his face. “And until then, there will be plenty of time. You will have next year, and perhaps even more.”

Talia presses her lips together. A million replies coalesce and die unsaid. It makes sense for Ra’s to prolong their undertaking against Qayin; whatever he can do to aid in tying Bruce to them as long as possible. Talia knows it will not work, but to Ra’s it is worth a try. At least it is worth a child or two from their joining, any one of which might be an alpha boy.

Her silence must have dragged on too long. Ra’s turns back to her with an elegant raise of his eyebrow. “You do not agree?”

“Bruce will not take Qayin’s life,” Talia says finally. Out of all the possible responses she can give, it is the only one that feels safe to utter.

“You do not think he would break his code for you? The sire of his child?”

Talia scowls. “You know he would not break it. Not for anyone. Not for anything.”

“Perhaps not,” Ra’s acknowledges with a sigh. “But he will want Qayin; it is why he is here. I’m sorry, Talia, but you understand why we must. We will have the satellite at least. It is more important to our plans.”

It is more important to your plans, Talia thinks resignedly. Qayin is the reason why she is here too; the whole reason why she brought Bruce here, so they can go after Qayin together. But to her father, avenging her mother’s death is already not a priority - if it ever had been. Bruce will have Qayin, to keep his opinion of Ra’s favourable, and Talia will have to be content with having Bruce and their child. For however long that can last.

It is said that just as an alpha woman is an alpha man perverted by femininity to a lower place than they deserve in the world, an omega man is an omega woman with designs for a place above their station. Not content with bearing the children of alphas and betas, but siring children themselves on omega women in heat.

Conventional wisdom group omegas together because both omega men and women go into heat during mating season, just as alphas are grouped together because they both go into rut. Physically, however, an omega man’s wider shoulders and narrower waist make him more similar to alpha and beta men in form, while their reproductive organs are functionally no different from alpha women. For unborn children, it can be quite difficult to tell what they are without invasive tests that many feel are unnecessary when they can be done with much less fuss after the baby is delivered.

Bruce hadn’t wanted to know what their child is at all. Neither did Talia. She still doesn’t know if she wants the child to be an alpha boy or not, not when Ra’s wants it so badly. Perhaps that’s why Bruce had not allowed them to do the tests. Ra’s could have forced the issue, but in this as in many other matters he had been lenient, allowing them their self-indulgence. They would all know soon enough.

Except Qayin strikes while Bruce is still in the midst of his pregnancy, having finally wrested their location from poor Donal, and Talia might have lost her baby before ever finding out what they could have been.

Hours after the attack was repelled, hours after Bruce was taken into Dr. Weltmann’s private lab - with the most advanced medical equipment still operational in the damaged base and the good doctor’s personal attendance, after hours of Talia waiting uselessly outside the medical facility, it is the first thing Dr. Weltmann tells her when she emerges.

Her baby is alive.

Her baby is an omega boy.

Talia’s legs give out under her, and she slides down to the ground in a daze. Staring down at her hands as they lie limply in her lap, she wonders if she should be happy or sad. Surely she should be grateful that her son survived such a premature delivery. Surely she should be disappointed that he is not the alpha heir Ra’s coveted for so long. Surely…

“Bruce,” she croaks out. “How is he?”

“He will recover,” says Dr. Weltmann soothingly. “He is strong, and the procedure went off without a hitch.”

A sigh rushes out of her. Talia feels herself relax for the first time since their base was breached. And now that she has, the full implications of their foolishness hit her all at once.

They had waited too long. They should have decamped as soon as they realised they had lost Donal. But the news of Bruce’s pregnancy had weakened her. Weakened all of them. Their safety hinged on Donal’s ability to hold out, to commit suicide before Qayin can wring their secrets from him, and all of them were too concerned with the effort of moving Bruce in his first trimester to look at the situation objectively. Instead, they had exposed a beta six months pregnant to a concentrated assault on their stronghold from the very man they were hunting.

A man is never such a fool but twice, in mating and in conception, Talia thinks bitterly. How true that old adage is, for all of them. Of all people, Bruce would have been the first to force them to move once the aftermath of the failed mission had been dealt with, but of all of them Bruce is the most compromised by his pregnancy.

Unbidden, her mind recalls how...timidly Bruce had fought during the attack, overly cautious of the precious burden cradled in his swelling belly. Which is understandable, but he had also been overly cautious for her.

It’s his instincts, she knows. Not his instincts as a beta man, if he even had such a thing, but his instincts as a protector. Because when Bruce fights, he fights to protect. Always. And now his instincts are pulling him in two different directions. The urge to protect their then unborn child, and the urge to protect their unborn child’s father. Nevermind that protecting her is what put him and their baby in danger.

A hand reaches up absentmindedly to brush against the dark gems spilling from her throat. It seems only yesterday that Bruce had brought them to her, to celebrate the news of his pregnancy. She had laughed at the idea of him gifting her a necklace when he is the one with child, but he had been undeterred. You gave me a far greater gift, he had said, the gift of a baby growing in me. It had made her weak. She had promised to wear it always, when she should have been promising to keep them safe.

Had the destruction of the Lazarus Pit not robbed Qayin of his objective, would he have been willing to leave, licking his wounds? The thought had tortured her the entire time she waited. It could have been too late.

Talia forces herself to take a fortifying breath. Now is not the time to think of what could have been. Her baby survived. They all survived. And now they must live on. She turns steady eyes on Dr. Weltmann. “Who have you told?”

“You are the first to know,” Dr. Weltmann replies calmly. She returns Talia’s look with a firm one of her own. She is the most loyal of Talia’s people here, there was no need to ask; nevertheless, Talia can leave nothing to chance.

“And I will be the last,” Talia tells her, decision made almost without her conscious thought. But the moment she says the words she knows this is the only way. She needs to keep them safe.

Dr. Weltmann��s eyebrows furrow lightly. “That is easily done now when the only artificial womb still operational is the one in my private lab, but what will you do in three months when the baby is to be brought out?” There is no condemnation in her tone. Even though she must understand what Talia is implying. But as an omega woman, Dr. Weltmann understands better than most what her baby’s fate would be as an omega boy in the League of Assassins. Many in the League would not consider it a bad fate, it would not be that different from Talia’s own after all, but Dr. Weltmann will support her decision.

“I will deal with it then,” says Talia, forcing her voice to stay even. “Right now, this baby is our biggest weak point. The less anyone knows about him, the better.”

“Including his own mother?” Dr. Weltmann points out drily, the closest thing to a criticism she would utter.

Talia gives a sharp shake of her head. “It is too dangerous. For both of them. Bruce is stuck in his ways, he will want to protect us his own way. It will not be the best way.”

Inclining her head submissively, Dr. Weltmann sighs but says nothing more.

Talia picks herself back up; there is no more time for wallowing. “When will he wake?”

Dr. Weltmann checks her watch. “Not for hours, not with the sedatives I gave him.”

So he will be waking soon, or might even be awake already, Talia rectifies to herself, striding toward the doors leading to the medical facility. “No one disturbed you during the entire procedure?”

“No,” Dr. Weltmann replies, hurrying at Talia’s heels. “Everyone is still busy dealing with the aftermath of the attack; many of the wounded are still being treated. No one else had the time to be in attendance, I made sure of it.”

Talia stops in front of the small door that leads to Dr. Weltmann’s private lab, one of several places in the medical facility whose surveillance system is still down. “No one questioned you for cordoning off your private lab for the procedure?”

“The son-in-law of Ra’s Al Ghul and his unborn child is of course to be afforded the best care and resources,” Dr. Weltmann says primly, unlocking the security on the door with deft hands. “No one would dare gainsay that.”

It is a good cover story, especially since it’s true. With no witnesses, no one knows what happened inside except Talia and Dr. Weltmann. As long as they can keep the baby hidden, Ra’s will never suspect the truth, and neither will Bruce. It will only be until the baby is safe to be brought out of the artificial womb, Talia consoles herself. And then...then there will be another choice. Except it isn’t one, not really. There is only one way to keep the baby truly safe from all of them.

It is said that a beta’s physiology validates the supremacy of the alpha man and omega woman. All betas may have the same reproductive organs, and be indistinguishable as children, but as they undergo puberty their form grows into the age old split of male and female.

The splitting of betas into male and female is an old practice, stemming from a time when the world still believed alpha men and omega women were all that mattered. Reproductively, there is no difference; unlike alpha women and omega men, who share genitalia but go into either rut or heat during mating season, nothing bars a beta man from the same sexual role as a beta woman. In the modern world, numerous betas choose to eschew from labelling themselves as either, no matter what their secondary sexual characteristics may be.

In another life, Bruce may well have been one of them. Talia has never met a beta so uncaring of their gender identity. But Gotham high society has very strict views about the roles of each dynamic. As strict as Ra’s in some ways. Had Bruce an alpha sibling, he would not have been the heir to the Wayne fortune even as the firstborn. They also believe in strict demarcations between men and women, and Bruce’s broad shoulders relegate him to the role of beta man. A role he puts up with as Brucie for the sake of his precious civilian identity.

A precious civilian identity that could have been in jeopardy had the pregnancy continued as planned. It would have been difficult to explain why Bruce Wayne had borne Talia Al Ghul’s child. Not impossible - the Al Ghul name is a prominent one, and not just in the underworld - but not easy to make up a believable interest Ra’s could have in an airhead lush no matter how much the Wayne family is worth in Gotham.

Now, it will not matter. Not if Talia’s plan works. It will be harder than convincing the world that Ra’s Al Ghul can have legitimate interest in Brucie Wayne, but it has to work, she needs it to work, the baby needs it to work, and so it shall. All she needs to do is convince the World’s Greatest Detective, and everyone else will fall in line.

It is warm inside Dr. Weltmann’s private lab; quiet, except for the soft beeping of machinery tracking the life of what’s most precious to her. With the lights turned down, the room feels like a secret, like safety. That does not deter Talia from sweeping her eyes through the area as she enters the sanctuary unaccompanied, making the checks that come naturally to her after a lifetime of paranoia. The artificial womb is nowhere in sight; Dr. Weltmann must have concealed it before she left to find Talia.

There is a faint stirring on the cot laid out in a clear space at the centre as Talia walks further inside. Her calculations were right; Bruce is waking up.

“Beloved.” Talia hushes him, laying a gentle hand on Bruce’s forearm before he can pull out the IV. “You must lie still. You are still not recovered.”

Bruce reaches down to his belly, then looks at her, face falling as he reads the sorrow and despair Talia doesn’t even try to hide. The emotions are real, even if they are not for what Bruce thinks they are; that’s what makes it believable. Bruce’s breath hitches once. “Where…?”

Talia shakes her head and allows the tears to fall. “I’m sorry, Beloved.”

“No…” Bruce whispers, shattering apart before her eyes. Is this how he looked on that fateful day when he lost his parents? It sounds foolish now to say that she had not thought through what it would mean for Bruce, to lose the baby he wanted so badly. Looking at him, Talia finally realises the true magnitude of her choice. There is no coming back from this.

Bruce stares at her wordlessly. He does not cry. Somehow that makes it worse.

“I’m so sorry,” Talia says one more time, flinging her arms around those slumped shoulders and squeezing the gently trembling body to her chest. She is sorry, more sorry than he can ever know.

“I am the one who should be sorry,” Bruce says brokenly in reply. “I lost the baby. Oh, Talia, I lost our baby.”

“No,” Talia shouts, folding Bruce deeper into her embrace. No, this is the true magnitude of her choice. “It isn’t you, Beloved. You did nothing wrong. I should have- Father should have- Qayin is the one who attacked us!”

“I should have been more careful,” Bruce continues, as if he doesn’t even hear her words. “I was planning to take you away, before Qayin attacked us. Take us back to Gotham. I can protect us in Gotham.”

Gotham, where all of Batman’s enemies gather. This is why it has to be done. There is nowhere that is truly safe from Bruce’s enemies, from her enemies, from her father. There is no way that he can truly protect them. Talia weeps into his hair. “I know, Beloved. I know.”

“I need to go back to Gotham,” Bruce says bleakly, pushing Talia gently away from him. “I need- I need to talk to Alfred, have him prepare for my return.”

“Beloved, I…” Talia trails off at the faraway gaze of Bruce’s eyes; he is no longer looking at her, already retreating into the protective shell of the Batman where his personal tragedies are the fuel that allows him to keep going. It is easier this way, she tries to tell herself, he is too distracted to notice her lie. It is better this way. The illusion of them as a happy family is just that. It was never meant to be.

There is no coming back from this.

Bruce blinks, and Batman’s piercing eyes focus in on her face. “What about Qayin? What does Ra’s intend to do?”

Talia wipes a hand over her eyes. “A counterattack, of course. The satellite will reach optimum orbit soon. Qayin will be sure to try to hijack it once it activates. We have to stop him now. He has lost a lot of men with this assault; there is no better time.”

“Let Ra’s know I will be joining them,” Bruce says crisply in Batman’s cadence.

“You still need time to recover,” says Talia with a frown, reaching out a hand to him.

Once again, he gives her a gentle push. “He won’t be leaving today. I will be ready when he does.”

“But-” She can’t help but to keep trying, even though Bruce is slipping further and further away with every word.

Bruce shakes his head sharply. “Go find Ra’s, Talia. Tell him. I need to contact Alfred.”

Talia presses her lips together in defeat. She walks slowly to the exit, trying to hold her head high, but Bruce does not once call her back. Without conscious thought, she stops at the door, turning towards Bruce to find that his attention is fully on the communication device in his hands.

“B!” Richard shouts tinnily from it, just barely audible where Talia is. “Where have you been?? A. says you left soon after I did, but I’ve been back for months and you’re still not here! Apparently you got knocked up by Talia Al Ghul?! What-”

Talia can’t see any expression on Bruce’s face from her angle, but there must be something there that startles Richard into silence. After a long pause, Bruce stirs. “Dick...there is no baby…not any more...”

“Oh, Bruce,” Richard says, stricken. “Oh no, I’m so sorry.”

Talia whirls back around; the necklace is a heavy weight against her chest, her guilty conscience threatening to choke her with her lies. She can’t keep listening any longer. Behind her, the last thing she hears is Bruce’s soft, even voice saying, “I’ll be home soon, Dick.”

It is said that the alpha man is the protector of the family; the one who sires but can never bear life. All alphas go into rut during mating season, as all omegas go into heat, but it is the alpha man who owns those months between September and November. He is the head of the household; his word is law.

“Father,” Talia says evenly, sweeping into the room without pausing to acknowledge the attendants hanging back against the walls. She tilts her head respectfully when she reaches where Ra’s sits, but makes sure not to lower it too far into obeisance. Ra’s Al Ghul must be honoured as the head, but no alpha child of his can lose face by giving ground. It is a fine line to walk, but one Talia has perfected over the years.

“Talia,” Ra’s responds with the same tone of voice, but well honed instincts warn her that he is displeased. Talia tenses unwittingly, only years of living under Ra’s stopping her from making any rash movements when he summons one of his attendants forward with a wave.

There is a small bundle in the attendant’s arms, one that is starting to stir as the attendant unwraps it. Watching the small face being revealed, Talia is startled by her first reaction, you can’t cover a baby like that, what if it suffocates?

There are far more vicious dangers for a baby in the League of Assassins. Suffocation might be an easier way to go, for all that she balks at the thought of a child’s death.

Talia is so caught up in her thoughts, it takes her a moment to realise why the baby looks so familiar. It’s not until the necklace wrapped around that tiny exposed neck is revealed that the truth crashes down on her. She could not have kept her breath from hitching if her life depended on it. Even though her baby’s life does depend on it.

“I do not understand why you would do this, Talia,” Ra’s says in a deceptively sorrowful voice. “He was found with a civilian couple, one without even the ability to conceive their own children. An ordinary household, who have not even taught him to walk unassisted despite him having already reached one year of age. Why would you do this to him? Why would you cripple one of the Al Ghul blood?”

She is pinned in place by Ra’s’ unblinking eyes as he proclaims his judgement. There is no justification she can make. None that will satisfy him.

“Is it because he is an omega? Despite all the values I have sought to instil in you, do you believe the outdated mentality that your son is not good enough just because he will go into heat every year?”

“No!” The word bursts out of her, riding on the wave of all her emotions that she dare not identify. Talia takes an abortive step forward before she can stop herself. “Never!”

“Then why would you cut him off from us? There is so much we can give him, so much we can teach him; as an Al Ghul, he deserves the world we shape. He deserves to be a part of that shaping. Everything I have ever given you, my daughter, would have been his. Will be his.”

That is the problem, Talia doesn’t say. For all that she doesn’t regret how she was brought up, Talia does not want this life for her son. And yet, isn’t Father right? The opportunities that being an Al Ghul gives her, the resources, the teachings, even Batman. What would she have without being Talia Al Ghul? What would she be without her upbringing? Is it not selfishness unbecoming of a father to deny that for her son? Faced with her father’s implacable condemnation, it is difficult to remember why she made that decision over a year ago. “He wasn’t safe…”

Her father’s face crumples in grief. “Oh, my foolish daughter, how short sighted you are.” He waves again, encompassing both the baby and the attendant. “He would never be safe. If I can find him so easily, then so can so many others. Here, we can protect him, we can teach him to protect himself. What protection could those civilians have given him?”

Unbidden, Talia’s eyes are drawn to the necklace again, and what she had thought at first was a dark shine over the gems are actually, she finally realises, splatters of blood. She is overwhelmed by the absurd urge to swipe the necklace away, and scrub all traces of blood off that vulnerable little neck. The blood that she had put there, because of her choice. She had thought an omega child wouldn’t matter to Ra’s, that he would tolerate the loss of someone who could never be his male alpha heir. But of course Ra’s would never abandon his family.

“You know your Beloved would say the same,” Ra’s intones, the final nail in her coffin. “Send his son away? To be brought up by strangers? He would never agree to such farce.” Ra’s smirks, the cold triumph on his face sends familiar tendrils of icy panic running down Talia’s spine. “But that is why you never told him, did you? Such a momentous lie, could he ever forgive you once he knows? But I am merciful, Talia, I am willing to give you one more chance. Name your son as an Al Ghul, accept him as one of us, and I shall help you keep this secret even from the World’s Greatest Detective.”

The attendant steps forward, holding the baby out. Talia lurches towards them instinctively, taking the precious bundle into her arms. This is the first time she has held him; she had not dared to, watching Dr. Weltmann prepare him for the orphanage after his removal from the artificial womb, it had not seemed fair when Bruce never got the chance. Looking down at a frown that seem too old for such an innocent face, Talia realises that she doesn’t know what name Bruce would have wanted to name him; like everything else they were putting off until the baby was born, this too had become a lost opportunity. Bruce might have wanted a name that honoured his parents, likely Thomas, but Ra’s will not be satisfied with that. “Damian. I name him Damian Al Ghul.”

“To conquer, to tame.” Ra’s nods. “A good name. With all here as my witness, I accept Damian Al Ghul as my family, to be afforded the same rights and privileges as any of my line. He will be taught by the best of the best, to help us in the shaping of the world for our ultimate goal. And one day, when a male alpha is born of his womb, I will accept his son as my heir.” Ra’s lays a gentle hand on Damian’s forehead as he speaks. Talia locks her joints together so that she will not give in to instinct and pull away. “It will be the greatest honour I can bestow him.”

Talia forces herself to take deep breaths. There is nothing to fear. The life Damian will lead is the life she has lead. She has no regrets; neither will he. But the hand on his head seems to have roused Damian from his earlier grumpy contemplation of the world. His face wrinkles up, and a choked whimper passes his lips.

Ra’s frowns. “There is, of course, much training to do, and bad habits to unlearn.” His hand leaves for a moment, and then returns in a harsh slap that cuts off the beginning of a cry.

Damian’s eyes widen, mouth pursing together as if...as if he has already learned the consequences of making noise. Talia’s entire body is rooted to the floor, has been since she saw Ra’s raise his hand in the air, only her eyes are free to dart to the attendant, who stands with bored eyes staring into the distance.

“It will be your job to keep him quiet from now on, Talia,” Ra’s says firmly, turning away now that Damian has fallen silent.

Finally, with her body hers again now that Ra’s has dismissed them, Talia pulls Damian in as close to her as she can. Hunching over him belatedly as if she can protect him from the threat that has already passed. “Of course, Father, I will make sure he meets your standards the next time you see him.” I will make sure he is kept from you for as long as I can.

This time, Talia keeps her head down as she sweeps back out of the room, Damian clutched in her arms. She walks swiftly down the corridors, only long practice stopping her from breaking into a run and revealing her turmoil to everyone she passes.

Talia stares down at the red print already darkening into a bruise on Damian’s face. What could you have been without being my son?

A/N: The beauty of an AU, of course, is that I don't necessarily have to follow canon. Maybe Talia says screw it after this last scene and goes straight to Bruce. It won't be easy revealing that she lied about their son dying, but Bruce will be sympathetic to her wanting a better life for their son away from all the dangers their lives entail. He'll take Damian in, and Ra's will leave them be because he at least trusts Batman to educate an Al Ghul more than two civilians. Talia will try to stay away because of the guilt, but Bruce keeps her updated with each milestone Damian reaches and keeps offering visitation and eventually she makes regular trips to Gotham (I guess the Lexcorp arc could happen at some point around here earlier than the comics though Lex Luthor wouldn't be President at this point). Dick is gonna hate her for life for the trauma she put Bruce through though.

OR Instead of sending newly Lazarus Pit-ed Jason off on his own while she distracts Ra's, Talia jumps the cliff with Jason because she's worried that Ra's will take Damian away from her with this disobedience (since in this universe Ra's already has grounds to be suspicious of Talia's upbringing of Damian). Basically, the moment she decided to put Jason in the Pit she's decided to bring two sons back to Bruce. This might actually be the timeline that's hardest for Talia; on one hand you've got Jason as fucked up by the Lazarus Pit as Lost Days canon and wanting to kill Batman just as much when he finds out Joker's still alive, except this time you've got Talia and Damian along (just the three of them because of Talia's people she either doesn't trust them with both kids or doesn't want them caught up in Ra's anger) so Talia has to keep trying to descalate Jason before they get to Gotham while fighting the worry that to protect Damian she might have to kill Jason again and not knowing if she can actually go through with it, and on the other hand you've got Damian all jealous that Talia had been spending time with this other guy instead of him, and this guy knows Batman! Has been chosen to be Batman's son! And Batman's Robin! While Batman doesn't even know he exists! Talia probably seriously wonders whether she should even take them to Gotham, since Bruce'll surely never forgive her for both making him think two sons of his are dead and now she's bringing them to him while both are pretty murder-y, but Ra's is still on her tail to take Damian away from her because he no longer trusts her with Damian's upbringing (and probably wanting Jason dead too since he's so murder-y now) so she doesn't have a lot of choice. At some point I suppose she tries to stall Jason like in Lost Days and Egon happens and she has hope again. Maybe Nyssa still comes after Talia (a bit earlier than the comics again I guess) and helping stop her is what gives Jason that push.

OR Talia hides Damian from Bruce all the way until the resurrection of Ra's storyline because the longer she keeps Damian from him the harder it becomes to come clean and also Death and the Maidens screwed with her mind like in the comics. But with Damian in danger of being taken over by Ra's as his host body, and Talia losing control of the League of Assassins because of Ra's' return, she has no choice but to go to Bruce at last. Bruce is probably the least welcoming to her in this timeline because she didn't choose to come to him, but was forced to because of circumstances. Also she set Jason on him. But at least it's not as bad as having to deal with Jason's issues and Damian's issues all by herself while trying to keep away from Ra's. Meanwhile Jason strolls in because he heard Talia's in Gotham only to find that while she had been acting all chummy with him she was keeping secret that she has a son with Bruce, and he doesn't miss the fact that he and Damian are both omegas and now he's wondering if that's why Talia saved him...And Tim is upset about the whole situation because he still gets captured with Damian and almost gets used as Ra's' host body even though neither of them are even alphas (the drive to survive is apparently enough to make someone set aside their sexist views), and also Damian keeps threatening to kill him/Dick/Jason once he finds out about that guy to prove his true son-ness, but at least he doesn't have the chance to actually try like in canon. Dick just hates Talia for life for making Bruce think he miscarried and then 10 YEARS of keeping up that pretence, and also training Bruce's kid to be all murder-y and hiding Jason's resurrection from them and inadvertently turning HIM all murder-y too.

Man, Dick hates Talia for life in all of these.

#batman #brutalia #talia al ghul #bruce wayne

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jacksgreysays · 7 years ago

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I've been really loving "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" by We Were Promised Jetpacks and "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons lately. I feel like there's a thematic link there (obvious in the song titles), but the songs themselves are quite different. Do you think you can do anything with them (together) as a prompt?

I love both of these songs, lionheadbookends! I never really thought to compare them even though, as you said, their titles are similar. I suppose it’s because of when I encountered the songs (years apart, that is) and again, as you said, the feel of them is quite different; but I’ve given them both another listen with the lyrics in mind and I think I’ve got the link.

Thunder by Imagine Dragons is more easily understood as a song–not that simplicity of meaning makes it less musically entertaining–but as a piece of literature it’s fairly straightforward. An age old story of a kid from a (small) town who doesn’t quite fit, who is going to leave and make it big even though no one really believes in them. It’s almost the same idea behind a hero’s journey–an internal call to action that differentiates the protagonist from the others in their hometown who are satisfied to stay behind.

In Thunder, it’s the vocalist vs the rest of his town/the world, but in a way it’s also the vocalist vs his own determination–can he keep going and achieve his dreams despite all the negativity trying to bring him down.

It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning by We Were Promised Jetpacks is more difficult to parse. Frankly, I’m still not sure how many people are involved in the story. There’s definitely at least two people: the vocalist and whoever the vocalist is going to guide home. That person is probably also the person whose body was black and blue. But there is probably a third person who is threatening to punch out the vocalists lights.

So as a narrative, this song might be about two teenagers dating and one of them has an abusive parent. Unless it really is just about two people in a rather disastrous relationship. But regardless it’s not really about the story so much as it is about the feeling: there’s chaos and violence and fear and at some point the vocalist decides to leave not out of an actual desire to do so but out of necessity, out of survival and desperation. And on top of that, the vocalist is not entirely sure if outside is more dangerous–it’s night and there’s a storm, no guarantee of safety, but at least it’s not where he is now about to get beaten. Bleak, yes, in comparison to Thunder which is uplifting.

In Thunder, the thunder and lightning is a good thing–a goal to be reached, to become so great that you change the sky, everyone looks up to see you, everyone listens; no one can beat you down. In It’s Thunder and Lightning, the thunder and lightning is neutral–force of nature which the vocalist decides is a better fate than the closer, human violence.

Ultimately what connects these songs, besides their titles, is the theme of leaving a toxic place–maybe to follow one’s dream towards a bright future, or maybe just to escape, braving the unknown to get away from the known danger. Moving on to bigger if not necessarily better things because to stay is to stagnate, be victimized, and die.

But you’re not here for an essay analyzing these two songs, you’re here for what I can make from the analysis as a prompt.

—

Frankly, lionheadbookends, whenever I see lightning (or thunder) my brain immediately goes to Tetsuki because she’s… well, she’s it for me. Maybe also Kiyoshi Utsugi–who has Lightning natured chakra as well–but given her specific circumstances it’s hard to apply prompts as easily to her.

Tetsuki is my go to OC–my everywoman, if you will–and this prompt could not be more suited to her. But it’s a very different side to her than I normally explore because it’s, well, less fun?

For me and for her, I think.

Because except for her “first life” that is, Trailblazers in KHR, Tetsuki doesn’t really have a toxic home life either because a) her families are kind if not loving or b) she has no home/family.

In her first life, Tetsuki’s parents were neglectful if not outrightly emotionally abusive. They might have possibly also been physically abusive earlier on–leading to Ryohei and Tetsuki taking up martial arts–but nothing that continued for long.

Were I to ever write Trailblazers properly, there would be a scene where, for the first time since the mafia madness started, Tetsuki’s parents came home (they travel a lot, mostly, hardly ever in Namimori which is why she can get away with so much but also where the neglect comes from) and suddenly the badass, cool senpai who will throw herself into this world of Flames and danger is just a teenaged girl who trembles whenever her parents raise their voices.

There would then be a point where–primarily the Sasagawas, but also the rest of the Family–remind her that she isn’t what they say she is, that she’s more than just a burden or an incompetent or whatever they say of her. And she leaves, probably to live with the Sasagawas properly (whose parents have always been quietly preparing for this day, pretty much have everything but the paperwork done to make her their third child) or, depending on the timeline, to a full-time member of Vongola.

So while it’s similar to the prompt idea, unfortunately, that’s not quite enough.

For this prompt I would probably go with a Viridescent–though I’m not yet sure what fandom would best house this particular episode–in which Tetsuki has the memories of her previous lives but none of the powers.

Which isn’t a combination I’ve yet done, I think. I’ve done powers and memories (Externality, Multiphenomenal, the Power Rangers Viridescent). I’ve done limited powers and limited memories (Iron Will). I’ve done powers but no memories (Deuteranomaly). But I haven’t done no power with memories.

I think I might have tried something like that previously in Big Hero 6 but I’ve put myself off of that fandom, unfortunately, and it wasn’t very good to begin with…

Because here’s the thing. In a new world where she has the memories but none of the powers, then that really brings the validity of the memories into question. If she could just randomly manifest lightning in her hand, that’s close enough to proof for the rest of the odd things in her life. But if she only has the memories and no way to prove it than what is inside her own mind, then there’s no way to tell if maybe it’s all just a delusion.

… which perhaps means it’s an Inception fic?

Hrm… but unless she encounters the characters, there’s not much point in her being in Inception given that it’s basically “the real world” but with mental espionage. And considering that, the memories themselves would give her powers as related to everyone else because she would have the best security ever if not also thorough forges or intricately physics-breaking architecture.

Ah, shit, that actually sounds pretty cool though.

So perhaps the fill to your prompt would be the “prologue” to this Inception Viridescent: like, Tetsuki is born in a “normal world” to awful parents who are, perhaps, so similar to her original, awful parents that it puts the rest of her memories into doubt. Maybe there never were any reincarnations or any fantastic powers, maybe it was just a desperate, over imaginative dream of a girl in a terrible situation.

Maybe she tries to run, tries to go to Namimori only to find it doesn’t exist. Maybe her grandmother was actually named Hisae Kaiza, but she passed long ago and certainly wasn’t a calligraphy/magic teacher. Gotham may very well exist, but there’s nothing on the level of the superheroes she knows (Nolan'verse Batman might very well be a real thing, given all of it is ~science~ and, possibly, Ra’s al Ghul’s “immortality” is him doing a pre-PASIV mind restructuring such that his consciousness gets passed onto a newer, younger body).

As far as she can find, none of her memories are real, and yet… she’d rather try to scrape out an existence out there, which may never be as good as the lives she remembers, than go back home which she knows for certain is worse.

And then maybe it gets worse. Maybe she is snatched–this is an awful world, but a lone teenage runaway who thinks she’s more powerful than she actually is will not survive long–and gets experimented on (there’s a new technology and different countries/companies are eager to be the first ones to crack it). She’s a fascinating subject, but hard to break, and so they get her addicted to Somnacin thinking that will let them control her.

Maybe she escapes anyway, learns of extraction (and inception), of weaponizing dreaming and imagination, and turns her weakness into her strength.

I’m not saying she eventually ends up as Saito’s on-call secret keeper (extractors learn to fear the shadow of this mogul, the one whose mind can’t be broken into) but that is one way of getting her to interact with the characters. Maybe instead of him being “the tourist” it’s her.

Or maybe she’s just another professional dreamer in the world of Inception, dreaming of worlds and lives that probably don’t exist.

Check out the Ask Box Advent Calendar!

#jacksgreyson #prompt response #lionheadbookends #ask box advent calendar #brainstorm #fanfiction #katekyo hitman reborn #inception #trailblazers #viridescent #tetsuki kaiza

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wantedladybug · 5 years ago

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Things on Earth

"But I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger strangling the grief, until the memory of your loved one is just poison in your veins. And one day, you catch yourself wishing the person you loved had never existed so you'd be spared your pain.."

-Ra's Al Ghul (Batman Begins)

Alya scrolled through her blog at the list of questions that had been piling up for a while now. Ever since story broke about how Ladybug stopped a bus jacking and then dropped the criminal responsible off a roof, her blog had been overwhelmed with people asking the same thing: why? And she wished she could answer their questions. She was the girl who'd gotten to personally interview Ladybug more than once, including taking photos of her activities around Paris.

But she couldn't get Ladybug on demand. And Ladybug had practically disappeared afterwards. No one had seen her since. People had sighted Chat Noir, but always without Ladybug. And if he was asked, he could only say that she wasn't answering his calls. All of her journalistic instincts told her to look into it more. But how could she focus on this when her best friend was in need? Especially today? After all, today was her mother's funeral.

...

"Marinette? It's almost time to go. Please...get ready," her father called from beneath the hatch into her room. She reached for her phone from under the covers to find messages from her friends saying they'd be there soon. She'd been dreading this moment. Today was the day of the funeral. Time seemed to just be passing her by and she hardly noticed. Her father added, "I'll be waiting in the living room. I'll check back on you in a few minutes."

"You really should go Marinette!" Tikki said.

She didn't want to go. She had to. This would be the last time she'd see her mom. Ever. She had to be there. It took a moment for her to find the energy to get out of bed. It took a moment longer to find the will to get some clothes together and head for the shower. All through her shower and getting dressed, she felt nothing but drained. It was only with help from Tikki that she was able to make herself look presentable. Once she joined her father in the living room, she found her friends there waiting: Nino, Alya, Alix, Rose, Juleka, Myléne, and...Adrien?

She was surprised by his presence, but was barely able to get a smile out for them. There was an awkward silence between them as they helped her outside.

The funeral was quiet - only a few family members and close friends. Even though it was supposed to be a sad day, the sky was bright and clear. In movies and TV shows, they usually set funerals as somber against the rain or cloudy skies. But this was a day like any other. Bright, sunny, birds singing in the air playfully. It was like the world was mocking her by being happy on this day of all days. If it weren't for Alya there beside her, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it.

Then came the time to see her mom's body one last time before they closed the casket. She seemed so peaceful, so calm. But seeing her brought back memories of her mom's horrible, painful death. Then the gunshot, the loud bang, echoed in her mind. Again and again, followed by memories of her mom laying at the bottom of the stairs. Her heart raced and tears swelled. She couldn't do this. She couldn't be here.

She had to be here. For her dad. To say goodbye to her mom.

It took all she had to keep from running away. If Alya didn't take her hand and squeeze it, she was sure she would've. When the time came to finally bury her mom, she buried herself into Alya's shoulder. It was becoming too much. Her mom was gone now.

...

After the funeral, all of Marinette's friends accompanied her and her dad back to the bakery. She still couldn't bring herself to talk to them or to say anything to them. Remembering her mom died reminded her that she'd thrown a man off a roof. And she still had his phone in her room. What was she going to do with a phone number?

Her friends spent the afternoon to make sure she was okay, and she could hear them quietly wondering if either of them would be the next Akuma. That thought drowned out anything else they said. Part of her wondered if being Akumatized would make this hurt stop. She still couldn't bring herself to talk to them. In fact, by the time she heard what they were saying, it was because she realized Alya had been hugging her from behind, "Marinette, you know you can talk to us. We're your friends. We're here for you."

It was only now that she realized her Adrien was kneeling in front of her with a hand on her knee. The look he was giving her was pitying. It was ironic. She'd always wanted Adrien's attention and now that she had it, it seemed like it was only because he felt sorry for her. And meeting his gaze hurt. What would he think if he knew what she did?

Her eyes went down again to avoid their gaze. Then she heard music - a happy beat. It was her favorite song. Nino had brought over some speakers and was playing her favorite song on them. He pumped his arm in the air, "Aw yeah. Here we go. You've been so down lately, Mari. Thought you'd need something to cheer you up!"

"What, like a dance party? Hardly the time," Alix answered.

"That's not a bad idea, though," Alya said, approaching the console and starting it up, "How about a round of Ultimate Mecha Strike III?"

She nodded. Alya passed a controller her way and they started playing. At first, she felt nothing - mindlessly pressing the buttons as her character fought on screen. Normally, winning would've come naturally but this time she was out in the first thirty seconds. Alya cheered, "Alright! My win!"

Marinette looked from her cheering friend to the tv and smiled, "Rematch."

"Oh, it's on girl!" Alya said. They played a few more rounds while the boys cheered them on. With each round, Marinette got a little bit more of her confidence back until she was playing on at least even ground with Alya. Alya still beat her but Marinette was at least lasting longer than she normally would. And, for the first time since in a while, she found herself laughing and giggling with her friends. She felt happy, in a way she hadn't felt in a while.

...

That night, Marinette lay in bed - thinking of the day her friends gave her and quietly wishing it didn't have to end. Even Tikki noticed, "You're smiling again, Marinette."

Was she? She looked at the mirror and hardly noticed a difference. Then again, she was feeling more motivated after the day she had with her friends. Despite the sad beginning. Then her attention turned to the mountain of school work piling up because she couldn't bring herself to do it. The longer she ignored it, the bigger it would get. It wasn't due to laziness but a lack of any motivation to actually do it. Or anything.

But how long could she just sit around feeling sorry? She couldn't do it forever, could she? What would her mom say if she were here? She'd encourage to get up and do it. Maybe now was the time to do just that. She sat at her desk and began her work while Tikki asked, "Marinette? Are you thinking of going back to school?"

"Tomorrow…or maybe the next day," she said quietly, beginning to go through the papers. She noticed Tikki smiling at her fondly, "What?"

"I'm just happy you're not moping in bed any more," Tikki said cheerily, "I'll help! Here! Let's start with this one. I think it says history?"

History…is that all that happened was? History? Something so long ago that she could just forget? Then the fire returned. The bitter resentment.

"Or maybe not."

She noticed Tikki hanging sadly and took a deep breath to calm herself down, putting on her biggest smile, "No, I'm sorry Tikki. Let's get started."

...

Marinette left early to finally go to school and be on time for once. She felt nervous going back, and the school never seemed so far and so big before now. When she finally arrived at the steps, the sight of it daunted her out of walking through. She'd been coming to school here for years but she felt like a stranger standing outside the school.

"It'll be okay," Tikki said from her purse, "Don't run. I'm right here."

Marinette nodded. She could do this. She was Ladybug, after all. So why couldn't she take that first step. And why were the steps so high? Just as she was about to break out into panicked sweats, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and a soft voice, "Marinette?"

She jumped, not expecting to encounter Adrien first thing in the morning, "Welcome back."

"Hi," she smiled nervously, now feeling more anxious than she had been before. But the fear that would normally have compelled her to stammer her words and run in a panic instead froze her where she stood. Adrien offered her a calm smile, "Here, let me walk you inside. Everyone's going to be so happy to see you back."

Before she could say anything, Adrien took her hand and pulled her up the stairs and through the school entry way. Her heart started to race as all of her senses focused on the warmth of Adrien's hand, the smoothness of skin, the gentle way he held her hand.

"MARINETTE!"

She broke away from warm thoughts of Adrien's touch to see Alya throwing her arms around her in a big hug, "Welcome back!"

She hugged Alya back, relieved to see her and feeling calm now that she had her there. It only lasted a moment when she saw the rest of her class coming to see her: Nino, Rose, Juleka, Mylène, Max, Ivan, Nathaniel, Kim, and Alix. Even Sabrina and Chloé approached although they kept their distance. Then there was Lila - she was saying something about being sorry and how she could talk to her if she needed to. She wasn't sure exactly what but she could tell it was a front for the others. And whatever it was suddenly got lost in a sea of noise.

They all started talking to her and it made her heart race. Her head spun. There were too many people talking at once. Too much noise. There was too much going on. Breathing started to hurt. She was suffocating. There were too many people. She wanted to go away. She would make them go away. She only snapped out of it when Adrien and Nino pulled her back, "Whoa dudes! Give her space!"

"Come on. I'll walk you to your locker," Alya offered, helping to push her out of the crowd. She was glad she had them. She would've had no idea what she would've done if she stayed there.

...

Adrien watched Marinette ascend the stairs with Alya to the lockers, wondering aloud, "Do you think she came back too soon?"

"Yeah, bro," Nino adjusted his hat to better glimpse them as they disappeared. She hardly stumbled or tripped as she made her way to her classroom. She was not okay. Marinette had always been…awkward around him. But the way she'd been the last few days…especially now, freezing up in front of the school and now having a panic attack around her own friends. That cemented it in his mind. She was not okay, "Maybe someone should talk to her?"

"I can do it," Lila offered. Adrien wasn't sure she was the best choice - she and Marinette didn't really get along. Having Lila of all people talk to her, especially now, might make it worse. He pocketed his hands, "I was thinking I should."

"Don't waste your time Adrikins," Chloé said, tapping her foot impatiently. That remark took them all of guard and even Sabrina had to call her on it, "Chloé, that was mean."

"It wasn't mean. It's the truth," she stated matter of factly, becoming annoyed at the dirty looks she was getting. She rolled her eyes, "Look. Her mom was killed in front of her. She's not okay. What she should do is get her stuff and head back home. It's for her own good. And before any of you get mad at me, Sabrina and I weren't the ones who smothered her. Maybe you should all think about how you're acting before you get mad at me. Maybe you all should be more considerate! Hmph!"

She crossed her arms and turned to walk away, stopping only to wait for Sabrina to catch up. It was a rare thing for Chloe's snobbish and rude remarks to be so on the nose. There was a still calm among them until Alix grunted, "She's such a brat."

Max adjusted and added, "She's correct, though. Marinette has experienced a traumatic and life changing event. And she's still recovering mentally. We may want to shower her with affection to placate her distress but recovery comes at its own pace. It would be best to give her space until she's ready to be approached by us."

Adrien glanced towards the lockers one last time before sighing and making his way up there. There he found Alya helping Marinette sort out the things she would need for class that day. He did the same, trying to avoid bothering her as he sorted through his own stuff when there was a loud slam behind them. Marinette gasped and jumped, locking up in place as her breathing got heavy. Alya tried talking to her to calm her down while Adrien looked towards the offending noise to see Kim shrugging apologetically, "Sorry."

He'd closed his locker too hard. Adrien could only imagine what must've been racing through her mind. Max was already trying to drag him out of there despite his protests so that he could apologize but it wasn't helping. Adrien finished grabbing his things and gently closed his locker, making sure not to startle her before helping to push Kim out, "Let's go."

"Come on! I said I was sorry!"

...

The noise echoed inside her head over and over, bringing back the memory of that night. It just seemed to get louder with each shot, the image of her mother lying in a pool of her own blood coming back to her. It only stopped when she felt someone's arms around her and she heard Alya's voice saying, "Marinette! It's okay. It's okay! Everything's okay!"

It took her a moment longer to become aware of her surroundings and she realized she squeezing her locker door so hard that her knuckles were white. As white as the phone she squeezed in anger. She let the locker go and Alya said calmly, "I'm right here. Everyone's safe."

She nodded her understanding, closing her eyes and taking another moment to calm her thoughts, "I'm okay."

"Girl, you're not okay," Alya said, "School hasn't even started yet and you've locked up twice! You should head home!"

"I'm fine!" she insisted, closing her locker slowly, "Let's just get to class."

She was fine. She would be fine.

They made it to class before the bell rang and she noticed right away that everyone seemed to be trying their hardest to pretend she didn't just freak out in the main area. Trying because everyone kept glancing at her, if only briefly. Whether it was out of concern or morbid fascination, she wasn't sure. She wanted to ignore it, but the staring just made her more uncomfortable. It was like trying to ignore a blinding light staring her straight in the face. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she shouldn't have come. It was obviously too soon and she wasn't well enough to come back.

"It can trace a phone number backwards and find the point of origin of the call!" Max said ecstatically, "It's still in early beta but Markov and I think it's very promising. Of course, the only reason we're researching this is for phone number masking. You know, stop those annoying robocalls that come from one person. After all, you can only do it so much if they can all get traced."

Marinette looked over her shoulder at Max. He could trace phone numbers? She could feel the wheels turning in her head as she gave it a lot of thought. She knew what she wanted to do…but should she? Would she? No, she needed to let it go. And she needed to get after them. Was this right? No, of course not. But what if she did nothing and someone else died? Could she live with that? No! Of course not. She assured herself that this wasn't revenge. This wasn't payback. It was taking action to prevent more death. She was Ladybug. That was what a hero would do.

#Miraculous Ladybug fanfic #Ladybug Public Enemy AU #Chapter 5 #Marinette Dupain Cheng #Adrien Agreste

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constantviewings · 5 years ago

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The TV Show Trials - Batman: The Animated Series

Batman: The Animated Series is an animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski and produced by Warner Bros Entertainment.

Bonus review of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm at the end!

Batman and Robin, a pair of caped crusaders, battle crime in Gotham City.

Almost Got ‘Im

In a bar, a collection of Batman’s enemies chat about their failed attempts to kill him.

This episode is formatted as a clip show, providing four stories on top of the main plot of the episode. This episode was a great filler as it showcased so many villains including The Penguin who I, unfortunately, didn’t watch a whole episode dedicated towards.

Heart of Ice

Batman must stop a vengeful Mr Freeze from fulfilling his vendetta against a callous business man.

Heart of Ice was the first episode I watched and I think it was the perfect starting off point. I only found this out while writing this review, but this episode depicts an entirely different origin story for Mr Freeze compared to his debut; though the storyline depicted in this episode quickly became canon in all other media portrayals.

Two-Face

Thought the ever calm Harvey Dent puts on a happy face in his bid for re-election as Gotham’s District Attorney, he can’t still supress the psychopathic split personality of ‘Big Bad Harv’.

I really enjoyed this pair of episodes and how easy it is to sympathise with Harvey Dent and, to an extent, Two-Face. This series also includes my favourite, and perhaps the most iconic, design of Two-Face.

Robins Reckoning

When Robin discovers that the thug who murdered his parents is back in Gotham City, he recalls the vents of his life as a young circus performer and the tragedy that made him an orphan.

There are an awful lot of dead parents in the Batman franchise aren’t there? I loved seeing Robin take centre stage in these two episodes and watching how he came under Bruce Wayne’s tutelage.

Harley and Ivy

After a failed heist, a frustrated Joker boots Harley Quinn from his gang and leads her to form a partnership with fellow criminal Poison Ivy. Both The Joker and Batman set out to stop the amazing duo. Little do they know, no man can stop Harley and Ivy.

I loved this episode. Besides The Joker, Harley and Ivy were the only other Batman villains that I had decent knowledge about and I loved seeing this iconic pair work together. The Queens of Crime being foiled by another woman was a nice twist that subverted expectations, especially for this series.

Over the Edge

Batman and his allies have their secret identities exposed and are now being hunted by the Gotham City Police.

Now don’t start complaining that this is from The New Batman Adventures and not Batman: The Animated Series, but given the fact that it was mentioned on eight different lists of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes; it counts. I’ll be honest, I was somewhat confused during the first half of this episode, as I feel most first-time viewers would have been, but I am a sucker for the ‘it was all a dream’ trope. Though my only issue with this episode was seeing Nightwing with long hair; gross.

The Demon’s Quest

Robin is kidnapped, and Batman unexpectedly joins forces with Ra’s Al Ghul, whose daughter Talia has also been taken.

I didn’t really enjoy this pair of episodes; that is the only time I will say this. By half-way though the first episode, I found myself to not being paying any attention and ended up leaving the episodes on in the background; so much so, that I don’t remember anything that happened.

Beware the Grey Ghost

Gotham City is struck by a series of remote activated bombings as a warning to a ransom demand. Batman realizes that the pattern of the recent bombings is based on an episode of an old television show, the “Gray Ghost”. Seeking information, Batman visits the actor who played the TV hero, Simon Trent.

This episode revolves around an interesting narrative device that shows both a young Bruce watching The Gray Ghost and present Bruce solving the crimes. Another feature that I only discovered upon writing this review is that Adam West voiced The Gray Ghost.

Joker’s Favour

An everyman schmo named Charlie Collins insults the wrong super villain on the road, leaving the terrified loser at the beck and call of The Joker. Two years later, he crashes in with Collins, who desperately tries to find a way to alert Batman to his master’s evil scheme.

This is an interesting episode, with the focus being on an everyday citizen who gets caught up in the crime world. Featuring Mark Hamill’s iconic performance as The Joker being the icing on top of a well written and entertaining episode.

Perchance To Dream

After being knocked out in a mysterious warehouse, batman wakes up in an alternate existence that’s seen Bruce Wayne lead a fulfilled life with his family and fiancée Selina Kyle. But Wayne’s inability of live the dream reveals his mind to be in the thrall of The Mad Hatter.

I quite enjoyed this episode, especially as it highlights how much of Bruce Wayne’s personality and purpose is taken up by Batman. I don’t know much about The Mad Hatter and his ‘abilities’ so which did leave me somewhat confused, but it didn’t effect my viewing experience.

Zatanna

When the glamorous magician Zatanna is framed for a robbery during her act, Batman swings to her defence. Zatanna is grateful though a little puzzled by the Dark Knight’s commitment to prove her innocence, but the two heroes unite and use the skills her father, Zatara, taught them to expose and combat an evil illusionist.

I loved this episode, particularly the relationship between Bruce and Zatanna when they were younger. I don’t remember much of this episode outside of that.

Trial

Gotham’s deadliest criminals, The Joker, Two-Face, Mad Hatter, The Ventriloquist, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy among many others, kidnap Batman and put him on trial in Arkham Asylum. The Dark Knight’s only hope rests with District Attorney Janet Can Dorn who, despite her anti-atman stance, is forced to defend the Caped Crusader’s life as well as her own.

Another villain-filled episode I really enjoyed. I’ve always enjoyed the aspect of superhero media that delves into the moral and justice-based side and this episode fully satisfied my craving. That, combined with the story of a DA coming to term with Batman’s presence in Gotham makes for a great episode.

If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?

After being fired from Competitron; Edward Nygma takes over the identity of The Riddler in order to get vengeance over his former boss Daniel Mockridge. It is up to Batman and Robin to decipher the riddles that Nygma has been placing for them in order to save Mockridge from Riddler’s vengeance.

While writing this review, I did happen to confuse this episode with another episode featuring The Riddler; take of that what you will. Apart from that, I really enjoyed this episode.

The Cat and the Claw

Catwoman and Batman join forces in an attempt to foil the evil forces of a terrorist by the name of Red Claw.

The pairing of Catwoman and Batman has always been a great one and this episode proves no different.

What is Reality?

When the Riddler traps Commissioner Gordon’s consciousness in a virtual reality device, Batman must enter the villain’s construct to save him.

The only negative aspect of this episode is the dated understanding of Virtual Reality technology. Looking past this, this episode provides a great viewing experience.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

I never thought Batman’s origin story could get more tragic, but alas, this film proved me wrong. Featuring great animation, a compelling story, a darker tone compared to the animated series and a compact runtime of only 76 minutes, Mask of the Phantasm is a fantastic film that covers ground untouched by the animated series.

Rating: 4

After watching Batman: The Animated Series, I now understand why it is held in such high regard by Batman fans. Its compelling stories combined with iconic characters and performances make for a viewing experience unlike any you will find among any other Batman media.

Did I like this show? Absolutely.

Will I continue watching? I would love to watch the entire series from beginning to end, but that’s for another time.

Artist Credits

George Caltsoudas

Phantom City Creative - Justin Erickson

Ken Turner

#The TV Show Trials #Batman: The Animated Series #Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

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panharmonium · 7 years ago

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crime is doomed

@brambleberrycottage, here’s the long long reply to your message! and i’ll tag @padmerrie too, because she’s asked me for my batman recs before, and now I can just send her this!

Full disclosure, I actually stopped following comic books sometime in 2011, when DC did their big reboot (or one of many reboots, I guess, is more accurate). I’d already had a love/hate relationship with comic books for years, and the reboot kind of just made it worse - it essentially was DC saying “we’re starting the whole universe over (ostensibly to make it easier to draw in new readers); the characters you’re used to now have new histories/timelines; everybody’s younger, the stories you read before didn’t necessarily ever happen, characters no longer have the same relationships with each other, etc.” And it’s whatever, you know, comics are gonna do their thing, but some of my favorite characters got erased from existence, and the others weren’t the same people anymore, and I was just exhausted from trying to care - being a comic book fan felt like being constantly jerked around on a chain swinging around Dan DiDio’s head. I stopped reading when the reboot started, and to be honest I’ve never looked back.

This isn’t to say there aren’t things to love about comics; it’s just that I think you have to approach them with a certain mindset to stay happy, and said mindset is, for me, the following: read what you like and ignore everything else. Literally. Just pretend it didn’t happen. Because it didn’t, probably, or it won’t have, eventually, and even if it did, no one is ever going to remember it. Comic book continuity is impossible to keep track of; there are too many writers and too many years of stories out there for us to really have one consistent Story, but for some reason the people in charge of DC think this is a problem? Editorial teams’ hapless attempts to organize continuity in a way that Makes Sense Across The Board are half of what drives me nuts about comics - they result in reboot after reboot of trying to line up everyone’s storylines and make the universe cohesive, but really what happens is that readers just get completely fatigued by trying to keep up with constant new realities. Case in point - that reboot universe from 2011? Already getting re-rebooted by 2016, because - surprise! - the 2011 reboot reality was apparently just Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen messing with the timeline and erasing 10 years from everyone’s lives, and now they have do undo the 2011 universe by rebooting the reboot - it makes me want to kick a telephone pole.

It’s just...so unnecessary. I don’t care if the timelines don’t add up; I don’t care that there are a million conflicting stories in the canon. Who cares that Batman hasn’t had a birthday in 30 years? We don’t need a way to explain characters staying young - it’s a comic book. Suspension of disbelief is fine. We are all pretending that we can tell infinite stories about these people, and time passes, but doesn’t pass - it’s all make-believe. I just want to read a good story about good characters. Keep it simple.

Because of that, I tend to be a very spotty reader, because I pick bits and pieces of stuff I like, and then ignore literally anything else. It’s the only way to survive comic book hell, for me.

So yeah! Things I have liked:

I grew up during the Nightwing: Vol. 2 run of Nightwing’s solo series, 1996-2009. It runs from issue 1-153 and is completely collected into trade paperbacks, starting with A Knight in Bludhaven and ending with The Great Leap. Quality obviously varies between writers and according to your own tastes, but it’s my go-to for Nightwing material.

I remember liking Batman: Prodigal a lot as well. Nightwing is filing in as Batman while Bruce is away…doing something, I forget what. I think it’s after Bruce had his back broken by Bane, which is an older classic Batman story. At any rate, this book has a great scene at the end between Bruce and Dick, and you get to see a lot of Dick hanging out with Tim (Robin #3) as well.

I like the Robin: Year One trade paperback a lot as well. I don’t know that it’s exactly a “canon” story, technically (but like I said, canon means nothing in comics; everything is canon if you like it enough) and I liked reading about younger Dick Grayson. I taught myself to draw by copying pages of this comic in my sketchbook when I was a kid.

My favorite ensemble arc growing up was the Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive storyline. The batfamily (the configuration that I grew up with, at least - Dick, Tim, Barbara, Cassandra, and Alfred) have to work together to prove that Bruce didn’t murder a reporter in his home - and convince Bruce to let them help him.

I also love a bunch of the storylines in the Gotham Knights series - these tended to be more character-driven, which is what I go for. I especially recommend #18 (Cavernous), #16-17 (Matatoa Parts 1 and 2 - huge character milestone for Bruce and Dick), and #8-11 (Transference).

I know at some point I also read Batman: Cataclysm and Batman: No Man’s Land, both of which are long ensemble stories dealing with an earthquake that hits Gotham City.

There are also a lot of animated shows featuring the Batfamily as well: Batman: The Animated Series is the oldest - it’s classic and QUALITY; so well done. Probably the best animated intro to the Batman universe.

I enjoyed Young Justice a lot, though it’s *definitely* not canon and doesn’t comply with the comic book universe - they change a bunch of characters’ ages so young Dick as Robin is on a team with a bunch of people he’s not really contemporaries with in the comics. I still liked watching it, though.

Damian appears in three animated movies - Son of Batman, Batman vs. Robin, and Bad Blood. I’ve only watched Bad Blood, and I don’t remember a lot of it, so I can’t comment too much on how good it was.

Now, to respond to your request for Dick and Damian -

I’m not sure how much you already know about them, so just in case - Damian made his big appearance in 2006 with the Batman and Son storyline by Grant Morrison. Damian is Bruce Wayne’s biological son (though Bruce doesn’t know he exists until this 2006 storyline, when Damian is like…ten years old? idk). Damian was raised by the League of Assassins, which his mother, Talia al-Ghul, and grandfather, Ra’s al-Ghul, are in charge of.

This is a VERY abbreviated summary, but Damian is basically dropped off by Talia to live with Bruce and join Batman’s fight on crime (to ‘take his place as Batman’s rightful heir,’ technically), but he’s a little shit with no social graces and a horrible attitude and also he wants to murder bad guys, which is not the Batfamily’s modus operandi. Granted, Damian has not had the best upbringing, so it’s understandable, maybe, but it makes things difficult.

Damian was almost universally reviled as a character when he was introduced. However, things got more interesting when Bruce “died” during the Final Crisis event in 2008. Dick Grayson (Nightwing, formerly the first Robin) took over the mantle of Batman, and with it, he assumed responsibility for taking care of Damian. (Aaaaand this is where the story becomes a lot like Obi-Wan Kenobi and young Anakin Skywalker, except Dick Grayson is far more cheerful than Obi-Wan and Damian is way more of an asshat than Anakin).

Being partnered with Dick, whose easy personality, sense of humor, and ability to roll with the punches made him very well suited to dealing with “a ten year-old pain in the ass,” humanized Damian in a way that previous comics hadn’t been able to do. Under Dick’s guidance, Damian actually started to become much more likable. He still acts like entitled royalty, but it becomes far more endearing. I love the way his relationship with Dick develops, and how Damian, for all his snippiness and attitude, really comes to respect Nightwing in a way that he doesn’t respect - or like, even - anybody else. Bruce, at one point after he returns from being (not)dead, describes Dick’s ways with Damian as “near-miraculous” - Dick is the only person who is really able to get through to him.

So for those two,

Batman: Long Shadows collects stuff from when Dick first takes over as Batman. I really forget a lot of stuff in this book, but I do remember very clearly the awesome scene with Dick ranting to Alfred about how heavy the cape is and how much he hates wearing it.

The next 5 trades in the Batman series (Long Shadows, Life After Death, Time and the Batman, Eye of the Beholder, and Gotham Shall Be Judged) - I don’t honestly know that I’ve read every one of them, but they catalogue Dick’s time as Batman, so I assume Damian is in there somewhere.

You can definitely check out Batman and Robin, Volumes 1-4, which ran from 2009-2011 (Batman Reborn, Batman vs. Robin, Batman and Robin Must Die!, and Dark Knight vs. White Knight) for four books whose entire focus is Dick and Damian working together :)

After this, the 2011 reboot happened, and everything got weird for me, and I stopped reading. Damian ended up dead at some point, which was a big thumbs down in my book, but then he more recently came back to life (comic books, good lord), but my ability to recommend things for you to read about their relationship fails after the 2011 cut-off.

But anyway, that is my list of recs - I am sure I’ve read and enjoyed other things, and there are lots of things out there I haven’t read which I’m sure are good, but this is about as much as my comics brain can handle. XD Hope it’s helpful!

#batfam #long post #brambleberrycottage #ahh comics it's been a while #reference

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tessatechaitea · 8 years ago

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Detective Comics #952

The Bat Gang versus an army of Talons! I mean shadow ninjas!

Are we really still a society that is fascinated with giant apes? I feel like the 20th Century was America going through its twelve year old boy phase. We were into rockets and giant monsters crushing cities. The seventies and eighties were the discovery of boner magazines. The nineties were like a full decade spent hyped up on sugared cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons. And then we hit the 21st Century and things had to change. Nobody wants to keep on being a twelve year old boy forever. But we were totally into playing soldier at that time, so we couldn't change yet! Just one more decade, mom! I felt like maybe we were growing once Obama became president (well, some of us. One particular ideological political group insists on remaining twelve year old boys. It sucks they're in charge now). I thought maybe we were going to mature into a woman that just turned twenty-one. Oh, sure! There are some issues that go along with that too! But at least we wouldn't be obsessed with boobies and monsters and war and giant apes, right?

Ugh.

I really don't get the fucking appeal of King Kong. Maybe Hollywood really is just a seer's crystal ball spamming portents of the future into the minds of the masses. This is just proof that the twelve year old boys are back in control and we're all fucked. This reminds me. I should probably send out letters of apology to everybody who knew me when I was twelve. I don't know how I wasn't just slapped across the face constantly. Yesterday, I experienced two moments that brought me unbridled joy. I heard Ookla the Mok's song "Viewmaster" for the first time. And then while walking back from the store (where I'd heard the song on my Shuffle), I watched as three crows followed the mailman from house to house to house down the block. I fucking love crows. But because they're birds, I often forget and leave them out in my lists of favorite animals. I usually just say cats, goats, and raccoons. Poor little corvids always get left out. The Review! For any fangenders wondering how powerful the League of Shadows are, they can stop wondering because James Tynion IV opens this comic with proof of how bad-ass they are. Not that it was needed. If you're a comic book reader, you know how it works. The current threat is always the most dangerous threat ever to be faced ever and will only be out-threated by next month's threat. It's why comic book story lines have escalated into this untenable place where every fucking conflict has the fate of all reality at stake. Okay, maybe it's not always that great. I mean, this is a Batman comic book so things need to remain a little more at street level. What Tynion does to prove the League of Shadows are a threat like no other the Batman has ever faced (aside from the Court of Owls but you should forget about them because they were New 52 and this is Rebirth and, anyway, they're nothing at all like the League of Shadows!) is to have Ra's al Ghul track down Shiva and practically beg her to keep her League from killing his League. But she's all, "No way, French name that rhymes with Jose because we're in France!" So Ra's attacks her with a small army. Now, you might be thinking, "Whoa! That is bad-ass! Even Ra's's League of Assassins can't beat the League of Shadows!" But if you are, you've jumped the gun! Because that isn't the part that proves how dangerous Shiva's League is. It's the page after the small army attacks Shiva!

Holy shit! She defeated the small army in ten seconds! Whoa!

Oh, also, Cassie is Shiva's daughter. I'm not sure if we were already supposed to know that or not. It's news to me! But then the story could point out that Tim Drake died recently and I'd be all, "Oh? Did he? I really wasn't wondering at all or caring about where he got off to." Back to the present where the Bat Gang have been ambushed by League of Shadows Sleeper Agents, Tynion reminds everybody that Cassie Cain is the baddest ass motherfucking bad ass ever ever. Even badder assier than Shiva (whom, if you remember from a few seconds ago, he just showed was a complete bad ass!). I'm using the phrase "bad ass" so much that I might be overdoing it. I'm certainly not being consistent with it being hyphenated or not. Cassie defeats most of the Sleeper Agents in one panel. She also knows that she's being watched. People know that's not a thing, right? You can't actually feel being watched. You can notice out of the periphery of your vision that it looks like somebody is staring at you but that's not the feeling of being watched. That's noticing somebody is fucking watching you. The "feeling of being watched" is a feeling that exists not because somebody is watching you but because you're fucking paranoid. And if you look up and around and make eye contact with somebody (who noticed you looking around and so glanced over), you feel vindicated in your paranoid feeling. Oh, but this is comic books! In comic books, you can totally feel you're being watched otherwise heroes often wouldn't be able to advance the plot. They'd just beat up all of these Sleeper Agents, dust off their hands, and say, "Well! That's that! Good work, everybody! Let's end this adventure and go home." Then the reader would be all, "Why is this comic book seventeen pages of ads?" Cassie might be doing okay because she's the best that ever was, having been born and bread into killing. But the rest of the Bat Gang are having trouble, what with being stabbed in the back and in the front even.

Don't worry! None of these people will die from these wounds! Although if they do, not Batman's fault! They should have found better doctors. And even if the medical bills bankrupt them and the only way to continue to exist is to continue a life of crime and they die trying to get out from under their medical bills by any means, still not Batman's fault. And it's not like it's Batman's fault if they die from an infection since he sterilizes all of his batarangs before sticking them into the chests of criminals. If they die from an infection, it's their own fault for wearing grimy clothing.

While Clayface turns into a bunch of Clayfaces to defeat the League of Shadow Ninja Sleeper Agents, Cassandra Cain sneaks up on Shiva. That's another bit to bolster Cassandra's reputation. But just in case the reader is too dumb to understand what it means (being that the reader is a comic book reader and probably of below average intelligence), Shiva says, "Nobody sneaks up on me." I don't think she means that in an offended way like "How dare you sneak up on me?!" I think she means it literally. Shiva and Cassie fight for a bit until Shiva grabs her by the throat and does that thing where a comic book character mentions something they shouldn't know about but obviously do because they're so remarkable. Shiva is all, "I know you see the hits!" Meaning she knows how every time the reader sees an assailant from Cassie's perspective, they have little hit boxes around their most vulnerable places. So Shiva is all, "I know you see the hits!" As opposed to just saying something like, "You aren't hitting me in places that would actually hurt and possibly kill me. Why are you holding back?" No. She says, "I know you see the hits. You see each of them, don't you?" Because that's the way Cassie's vision is shown to explain it to readers, Shiva expresses it in the same way. Whatever. What do I care?! This is the kind of thing that is written in a way that completely annoys me at the most superficial level. But it's the type of thing that, when you complain about it, fangenders will argue around the actual thing being said to explain how it makes sense. Like I just did. We allow it because we understand the bottom line. We understand what is meant by this. Shiva fights Cassie and realizes Cassie is holding back. But I don't care that we, as readers, can become lawyers for the writing so that we ultimately understand it. I still think the writing shouldn't be a fucking barrier to me enjoying the comic. But never mind all that! That's hardly a complaint at all, really! My real complain is that this is another fucking comic book dealing with killing versus not killing. I'm so sick of that philosophical debate being the backbone for so many fucking stories. It's practically 90% of the television show Arrow (the other 10% is Oliver fucking every female character on the show because why else would a female be part of his world if he wasn't fucking her?). It keeps cropping up in The Flash TV show too, even though Barry is the least likely person in the DC Universe to kill somebody. He's such a putz! And the stink of the constant and never ending philosophical debate is all over nearly every comic book in the DC Universe. Now we've got Cassie Cain trying not to kill anymore (mostly because she feels bad about killing Spoiler's mom and because Batman won't ever hug her again if she kills) but her mother, Shiva, is all, "You're pathetic! Killing is the best!" Anyway, I guess I get to read more of this shit in this Court of Owls story. I mean League of Shadows story! Batman comes to the rescue after Shiva gives Cassie the Five Fingers of Death (which isn't as sexy and incestuous as you're definitely thinking it is). It's a move that gives Cassie thirty seconds before she dies. I know that move! I also know a move which gives the victim one week before they die but I need a VHS tape to pull that one off.

This is another great way to make a character more powerful than the reader remembers. Just pretend they always lost on purpose in the past. Now Shiva is suddenly Batman's greatest foe and he didn't even know it! Surprise!

Shiva tells Batman she could kill him but she doesn't because she must be weak. I thought killing was good, Shiva! Later, when you think back on how Batman kicked your ass and destroyed your League of Shadows, you're going to regret not killing him! Just like superheroes constantly regret not killing villains and then I have to read another fucking story about whether or not they should kill! If you're into killing, you should fucking kill, dum-dum. When the League of Shadows disappears in the proverbial smoke bomb, Batwing and Azrael go with them. Oh darn. Too bad. I'm so upset. Could you tell by my punctuation and short, terse sentences that I wasn't really upset at all?! Oh, meanwhile? The Gotham City Police want Batman's head for the murder of Mayor Hady. So that's another cliché Tynion is forcing down my throat. No, I say, no! I don't want this! I don't consent to another story about how a hero is framed and turned into the enemy because the police are ignorant barbarians who are easily manipulated into hate and violence. We have enough of that in the real world. Later, Cassie gets a hug from Batman. That should make everything better. The Ranking! -1! Too many clichés for my tastes. And I generally love them!

#Detective Comics #Batman #James Tynion IV #Christian Duce #Fernando Blanco #Alex Sinclair #John Rauch #Allen Passalaqua

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aion-rsa · 8 years ago

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Rebirth of Cool: Snyder On Defrosting Mr. Freeze in All Star Batman #6

SPOILER WARNING: The following interview contains major spoilers for “All Star Batman” #6, on sale now.

Scott Snyder has delivered some masterful stories since he arrived at DC Comics six years ago for the start of his now epic run with Batman. So much so that the publisher now has the New York Times bestselling writer teaching its next generation of talent for its DC Writers Workshop. Snyder’s latest effort involves a prose-style approach for “All Star Batman” #6, which features art by his long time collaborators Jock (“Wytches,” “Detective Comics”) and Francesco Francavilla (“Detective Comics”).

While the story — featuring a terrifying Mr. Freeze and his equally chilling army of Dreamers — certainly stands apart, it’s actually part of a longer story arc, called ‘Ends of the Earth,’ which will also include classic Batman rogues Poison Ivy and Mad Hatter.

In a conversation with CBR, Snyder discussed the reason Batman understands Victor Fries’ ice-cold ideals and why his ultimate goal separates him from other supervillains like The Joker and Ra’s al Ghul. Snyder also shared how stories and arcs are generated for “All Star Batman” with a specific artist in mind for each one and then constructing the action and adventure around his or her strengths to showcase the art and the collaboration.

CBR: I’ve been a fan of your work on “Batman,” “American Vampire,” “The Wake,” “A.D.” — “Wytches” was a little too scary for me, but this might be my favorite thing that you have ever done. Powerful, powerful stuff.

Scott Snyder: Thanks, man. It’s one of my favorites to be honest. I’ve been thinking about it a long, long time. It was one of those ones that was a joy to write, especially having Jock and Francesco [Francavilla] doing the art. Those guys are like family by this point. It was really one of those experiences where I was like, “I wish comics always worked this way.” [Laughs] Everyone contributed ideas and everyone was going back and forth. I’ve been really lucky with that experience on “Batman” with [Greg] Capullo, and it becoming easily that sort of relationship. And it worked the same with Rafael [Albuquerque] on “American Vampire” and Jock on “Wytches.” I am lucky in that regard.

When you can do a one-shot like this with Tula [Lotay] or Giuseppe [Camuncoli], I am getting to know them from the beginning and there is a tremendous excitement about that. I can’t wait for you guys to see “All Star Batman” #7 and #8. They are two more of my favorites. I completely stand by them as two of the best things that I’ve done. But it’s also a different sort of challenge because you’re getting to know an artist from the start. And that’s exciting. It’s like a first date. That’s what keeps me young as a creator. And then there is also a tremendous sense of freedom to work on something like this with Jock and Francesco, because I know them so well. I can push boundaries in my own writing in ways that only happen when you have a foundation of trust that has been there for a long time. And with Capullo, we just talk in shorthand now. “If you do this, I can try this.”

And you did try “this” in “All Star Batman” #6, because this issue is done in prose with no word balloons or classic comic book narrative. I love the prose approach. Is that something you want to do more of? Because it’s also a part of “A.D.”

I don’t know. [Laughs]

What I am trying to do with “All Star Batman” is make every story unique to the villain and the artist. The reason that this style felt exciting for this issue is because it gives it this almost other-worldly, distant, remote, kind of glassy, analytical feel. It feels “under glass” in some ways for me, to hear the story narrated in third person prose as opposed to the immediacy that comes with dialogue and captions that’s often done in the conventional way — that felt right when you’re telling a story about somebody who is trying to restart the world and is living up in the permafrost. Especially when it’s this kind of final battle between these two characters that is centered around these two forms of death: the hot death of passion, and the cold death of hopelessness and cold paralysis. It just felt right for Mr. Freeze.

The next issue takes place in Death Valley, where there is no plant life whatsoever, and in that way it’s hot and stifling and empty, so there is no narration whatsoever. It’s all just dialogue. And the final issue of this arc with Mad Hatter, I’m totally spoiling everything but that’s okay, which takes place down in the Delta, Batman is trying to prevent himself from believing what the Mad Hatter is telling him so the narration becomes a maze and something that attacks him. He actually climbs through it at one point. It’s a completely different approach to the writing for me, which is thrilling. That’s what I meant by saying I get to bend my own style of writing and challenge myself in each issue of this series. It’s harder to do when you are telling a story with one consistent artist like “Batman” with Greg as much of joy that series was.

The Robert Frost poem at the start of the issue is haunting and really works for Mr. Freeze and his seemingly endless attempts at cheating death and saving his wife, Nora.

I remember reading that poem in school. The way “All Star Batman” works is that I have ideas about all of these villains, like Hatter. I wasn’t going to spoil it right now, but why not. [Laughs] With Hatter, I wanted to know what kind of madness is really interesting for right now. Is it mind control? I think I’ve seen it. What’s interesting to me is the way in which people clamor for subjectivity – remaking the world as they want to see it. I hinted at it in the first arc when Harvey, as a young boy, says, “One day there is going to be lenses where you skin the world however you want.” The super-structure of the world will be there, but if you want there to be dragons in the sky, you can. And that’s kind of the madness that Hatter offers in a way that I think is pretty scary.

The point that I am trying to make is that I am trying to reconfigure each villain in a way that’s scary to me personally and represent anxieties that I think are present in the zeitgeist now. The real joy with “All Star” is being able to do that stuff and move issue to issue, while still making one big story, while also making every chapter feel unique. I have a notebook with ideas for each villain, and I’ll approach an artist and say, “Who do you want to work on? What’s your feeling?” The only stipulation is that it has to happen outside of Gotham, and I try to construct the story in a way to showcase the art. In that way, it’s a real different sort of thrill.

We talked about Two-Face when “All Star Batman” launched, and discussed the impact Tommy Lee Jones’ portrayal in “Batman Forever” had on the character. I have to be honest — it’s hard for me to think about Mr. Freeze without thinking of Arnold. I am wrong?

By force of will, I have definitely expunged those images [from my mind]. [Laughs] But seriously, the only way to write these iconic characters is to imagine them as your own. Mr. Freeze has these blue veins, he’s seven-feet-tall, he’s extremely creepy, he’s pale. He’s like someone who walked out of the frozen past. He’s very scary, with red eyes behind the goggles. I see him that way, the same way that I see Harvey, with his face almost molten on one side, black, with blood coming out of the cracks. Making up your own version in your head is the only way to feel ownership of these characters because they belong to everybody and it would be really intimidating otherwise.

This interpretation of Mr. Freeze is certainly not Arnold – he is freaking scary. And his latest attempt at saving his wife – and humanity – includes awakening those who have chosen to be cryogenically frozen. He calls them Dreamers, but this is more like a nightmare scenario.

Exactly, but there is a fantasy there, too. That’s part of what’s interesting about the character. Two-Face says, “Look at me! I can turn back and forth from evil.” There is something liberating about not having to follow the restrictions of social norms and become the person that is all id. But for Mr. Freeze, for all of the nightmarish sadness that forever surrounds him, he needs diamonds to stay alive. He also doesn’t have to fear death. He’s trying to bring someone back from death and exists in a subliminal state somewhere between life and death. The idea of cryogenic preservation is that you can go into ice and be reborn, eventually. You can come out of the ice one day. There is something wondrous about that. That’s partly what I was trying to get at here – the notion that his plan is not just diabolical evil. There is a kernel of something wondrous in it as scary as it is.

If I am reading this right, when Batman sets off on this adventure, it appears that he is actually traveling to Alaska to save Mr. Freeze, not just stop him. Is Mr. Freeze different than other Batman rogues in that Batman feels that he can actually reason with him because there is some humanity left in that cryogenic suit?

Completely. I think all of Batman’s villains exist on this interesting scale. The Joker is black. He is the one character that Batman doesn’t believe that there is any redemption for. He is not supernatural, but the embodiment of evil. There is no glimmer of hope in that black hole of a person. And then there’s Ra’s, who is maybe an inch up from that, and then all way up through the Penguin up to characters like Poison Ivy and Catwoman, who exists in this real grey area. I think Freeze exists below that, in a darker place, but is something that is quite redeemable. Batman understands his motivation. I just think that Fries is ultimately selfish. He cares the way that the dad in “Pet Sematary” cares. He’s obsessed with the possibility of brining back somebody that he lost. And in doing so, he will hurt anyone that gets in his way to make that happen. And he becomes sort of an abomination of love. And Bruce is someone who will sacrifice anything for the greater good. And I think he sympathizes with what Fries is going through and but ultimately see it as a perversion of it all.

When I spoke with you and Jeff [Lemire] about “A.D.,” I asked you about taking a magic pill that guaranteed life extension and staved of death. And you said, no way, mostly because of your loved ones. I assume you are not lining up behind Walt Disney and Ted Williams for cryogenic preservation either.

[Laughs] I worked at Disney World, and there were always rumors of Disney’s frozen head being somewhere in the park. I think that notion has always loomed large for me – coming back from the ice and how freezing preserves. Meanwhile, you have the idea of the cradle of life with a caveman coming back to life. I think ultimately, the thing that is fascinating to me about all of these theories about life extension or being cloned or being uploaded, there is this weird thing with being out of context with your own life – being alone, being away from the people that you enjoy yourself with and care about it. There is something much worse about that than just being gone. As terrifying as being gone is, the idea of waking up to a world that is entirely alien with no relationship, nothing, to me is a different form of purgatory. There is something there that is almost enticing because you get to go on in all of these forms but then there is something cold and worse about it. You have to be careful of what you wish for – the underbelly of all of it.

“All Star Batman” #6 is available now.

The post Rebirth of Cool: Snyder On Defrosting Mr. Freeze in All Star Batman #6 appeared first on CBR.com.

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