#She is one of my favorite Batman series characters

[random-movie-ideas]

Batman Ally Movie Ideas, Part II: Batgirl

Batgirl is the second most recurring mantle as one of Batman's sidekicks. Originated in its most well-known form by Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter who took up the cowl, in most incarnations, to seek justice for her father. After being shot by the Joker and being left disabled, she takes up the name Oracle in more of a tech support role, and the mantle goes to Cassandra Cain, the daughter of two assassins who was raised to be non-verbal, and at times, was taken up by Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake's girlfriend who has taken up the mantle of both Robin and Spoiler in the past, having taken up the Spoiler mantle to stop her father from returning to a life of crime. I won't be covering Betty Kane, as that "Batgirl" has much more to do with Batwoman than the Batgirl we're more familiar with, and we'll be covering her later.

Origin Movie: I think the best way to start an origin with Batgirl is to start it more or less in medias res for Batman and Robin, already out doing their thing, and having Barbara come back to town, studying and learning about the vigilantes and the dangers of Gotham, getting herself into the action after her dad is injured or some other impetus gives her a strong enough reason.

Sequel Movie: If an origin movie starts you out with Batman and Robin already working together, Barbara coming along and joining up is a natural follower. By the same token, Cassie or Stephanie could be introduced in that origin movie I just mentioned.

Finale Movie: Same problem with Dick if you're trying to bring in all the various members of the Batfamily. She and Dick are both the originators of the mantles, with a natural flow to the order of their successors, so introducing Barbara in the finale basically gives Cass and Steph the middle finger. However, if that's not what you're trying to do with the series, Gordon being hurt is a natural way to make the stakes high for Batman and Robin, especially if he's been an important part so far, and that, of course, would be plenty of reason for Barbara to take up the mantle too.

Standalone Movie: The biggest issue, I suppose, here is that Batman's existence is kind of required to explain her costume and hero name, as she is intentionally paying homage to him, so if you wanted it truly standalone, it would probably have to be her investigating Batman's disappearance and taking up the mantle (so, the same plot as the Batwoman series?). One idea is to have it be a Cassandra Cain standalone, with Barbara acting as Oracle and taking her on, with Batman being missing or dead.

Overall, my rankings of them are:

Origin Movie: I'm kind of interested to see a movie like that, with Barbara as the protagonist and Batman and Robin already existing in the world.

Sequel Movie: A natural followup to an origin with Robin and the best way to get the ball rolling on introducing everyone.

Standalone Movie: That Cassandra concept is interesting, but otherwise, it's something we've seen before.

Finale Movie: I'd rather put in the work to bring in everybody, to be honest.

What do you think? Who should I cover next?

[allovesthings]

In my opinion, the butt jokes are incredibly incredibly tired.

So here are several fun facts about Dick that you can use for comedic effects/running jokes instead:

His hatred of Capes. Listen we are talking about Dick wore a yellow cape for 9 to 10 years in universe Grayson. The moment he changed his costume, he straight refused to ever wear a cape again, the only time he had to wear one, it was as Batman and it was very very frustrating for him.

You know that when he watched the Incredibles with Lian and Roy or Damian and Edna Mode came on screen with her hatred of capes, this was his reaction:

Someone else finally understand him. She instantly became his favorite character.

His tendency to put unknown substances/evidence in his mouth and being able to identify it by taste and his knowledge of what Heroin taste like (yep still not over it).

It's both impressive (the fact that he can actually identify something by taste alone is impressive) and gross and even his closest friends don't understand why he is the way that he is, Do we think it's the Bat training or do we think it's just Dick (tm)... I feel like it has to be just Dick, right ? considering everything in Gotham is a toxin of some kind ? How many heart attack do we think he gave both Bruce and the Titans with that ?

Dick Grayson namer of superhero things: Listen, I just learned that Dick named the Arrowcave and now I just kinda love the idea of a running joke that every time a classic superhero in contact with Robin has a goofy name for something superhero related, it probably comes from the 9 year old superhero who thought it sounded cool.

The Titans are never letting that go and Dick doesn't want to talk about it (but he secretly still really like the names, they were cool when he was 9 and pretty practical when you think about it, thank you very much).

Everyone has a crush on him (tm): Honestly it is pretty funny that everyone and theirs entire family have a crush on Nightwing (and also pretty consistent canon since Raven in ntt). The reaction of the batfam is annoyed because that's gross, it's Dick, theirs brother/son, and the Titans are amused (Donna, Vic, Garth and maybe Wally) or maybe sorta part of the people who have had a crush on him (Kory obviously , Roy, Raven).

You do need to be careful with that, but I think if you do the opposite of what DC is usually doing, you'll be fine.

Also you can also includes the disastrous first date with supergirl in that. She also had a crush on him and they date was so horrible that he considered changing superhero identity because it was so embarrassing (truly one of the greatest plot-point on Superman/batman world finest honestly and this series is genuinely my favorite modern/current series)..

His petty side when he doesn't like someone: Listen, Dick has a petty side, ask Helena circa Outsiders (2003), Talia (always), Jason circa the late 2000s (Morrison era) and Azrael (also always). When he doesn't like people but has to work with them, he is going to be a little shit because they have to know he doesn't like them. it's important. and the comedic potential of Nightwing, one of the most competent, known and admired hero of the community being so petty is excellent. 10 out of 10, I need him to work with someone he hates again just for the fun of it.

The last one is just an headcanon and do not have basis in canon as far as I know:

Sometimes, as an adult, Nightwing says Holy shit in front of a classic superhero and that superhero does a double take because they are so used to him saying Holy goly batman (and that include Batman).

[acid-ixx]

I have a question, well 2 questions to be exact that’s been rattling around in my head since I started reading platonic yandere batfam fics, why would reader stay in Gotham? I’d be sneakily stealing as much money as I could without getting caught as soon as I reach a “fuck these guys” mentality. Like, asking to have some money for groceries or something and just pocketing it so that I could get a bus ticket and leave the city. Would you do it if you were reader? It just makes sense to me “this place sucks, these people suck, I’ve gotten enough to leave”, this is with me assuming that reader has the means of course, if the reader doesn’t then okay, yeah that makes sense

And my second question, do you ever feel resentful towards Alfred when you read batfam photonic yandere content? I do sometimes, especially when the reader is neglected. I know this might sound odd but when I read these fics I recognize that Alfred could do more, out of everyone in the manner, I think Alfred’s word carries the most weight, especially with Bruce due to him raising Bruce. I also notice in some batfam fics that the reader doesn’t get mad at him due to him giving them attention, but idk it feels kinda like a slap to the face, knowing that I don’t have the power but he does and yet not exercising it until I’ve burned every last tie to that family.

I know my thoughts are a more “well you’re on the outside looking in” type takes, but idk, it hurts my heart knowing that if reader stays in that city, it will be far more easier for the batfam to find them, where if they were outside the city, they’d have a fighting chance to make a new life for themselves

On a side note, I think we are underutilizing the angst potential of reader legally changing their name and the batfam not knowing until months or even years later when reader leaves. Like Bruce and the fam would just have to sit and realize that reader hates/dislikes/doesn’t care about them enough to legally change their name from Wayne to whatever reader chooses. Jason was Batman’s greatest failure, but Reader would be Bruce’s greatest failure, and what a delightful public failure it would be if the tabloids were to somehow find out that one of Bruce Wayne’s biological children changed their legal name

I’m loving your batfam content btw, like it makes me want to create one of those “screw therapy, I need to fist fight my dad” tiktoks and tag Bruce Wayne, that’s what I can phenomenal writing!! And sorry for making this so long! Hope you have a great existence!

slight spoilers for future chapters.

this is one of my favorite asks... anon, you are so brilliant because your two questions tie into the reader's character so well and the flaws that they (you) conjured from years of neglect, so i hope my answers would suffice (i am answering based on the perspective of the reader from my series: again & again with a bit of my own perspective). tysm for sending this in, i actually really enjoy long asks and appreciate it when people take the time to send me these things!

why would the reader stay in gotham?

chapter one wasn't all the detailed about why they stayed in gotham. firstly, their self-worth had them reason that in no way, shape, or form would their family that basically estranged them would come running to them, especially not when the only time the reader could even stumble across them is by some miracle of coincidence. this also ties into their lack of knowledge about their family. sure, they know that babs is the oracle but do they know just how much access she has across gotham? not really. they know tim, like bruce, has a tendency to collect information about other people, but they don't know that they have contingency plans to be creeped out enough to get away from gotham and from their reach.

"it's not like tim or bruce or barbara considered you important enough to be stalked. hah, as if!"

and the third point is, despite bruce being a billionaire of some sort, it was stated that the reader was too well-behaved and quiet. how does this make sense? as you've stated, they wouldn't simply have the means to get out. seeing as they were sheltered by alfred and never really explored the concept of traveling far away, they never asked for money; the only advantage of being a wayne is having quite a lot of things served on a silver platter.

they have this sort of toxic bond for staying with the people who have hurt them and it materialized to them physically staying despite knowing it would only cause more pain than anything else, and they don't know that. plus, they'd rather not have the wayne name associated with them and getting money from cheques or credit cards would be too risky for the reader's safety.

they've only realized just how shitty their family is after more than 10-13 years of staying in the manor, and saving up to move to an entirely different place would be difficult, alongside college and the jobs they have to take. so the next best thing they could do is rely on any means of advantage they could get whilst also moving on to the path of self-discovery and recovery.

but that doesn't mean they're staying in gotham forever, definitely not. the moment the reader realizes that dick gained some sort of interest towards them, they're booking it out of gotham. preferably to metropolis or central city or even somewhere far, far away— they're naive, but not stupid. sudden interest towards them means danger rather than anything else. and they're aware that alfred is capable enough to pull strings, so that's why spoiler alert: they have a secret stash of money hidden somewhere and like any children of bruce, they inherited the capability to be smart enough to already back up their contacts and everything on their phone, buy a burner phone and even change their entire identity in one quick go right after they move into an entirely different city or country.

gotham is merely their practice course.

do you ever feel resentment towards alfred?

quite frankly, yes. the reader in the fic feels resentment towards everyone for a reason actually, but alfred's part was stated vaguely as to not spoil a future chapter that focuses on his perspective. they know that he has the more power inside the manor more than bruce has. everyone, and i mean everyone respects alfred, and it doesn't take a genius to know that if you mess with him, you're messing with an entire family of crime fighters.

it's not obvious, but the reader's narrative in chapter one is them trying so hard to delude themself into thinking things can be better until it's too late. so in a sense, there's false narrative coming into play.

"alfred would be too busy sometimes to attend your school ceremonies because he had to assist bruce with missions. of course, you understood his priorities. after all, he tried his hardest to make you feel less lonely inside the mansion, it wasn't enough but he was there at least."

at some point in time, alfred had also neglected the reader emotionally with the same reasoning as the others; he was busy with their father. and this all could've been avoided if alfred had tried to confront the entire family about it. i'm not delving deeper into this to really avoid spoilers other than pointing out some details in the first chapter.

just know that alfred relishes in your newfound favoritism towards him, and that he may or may not have pulled some strings himself from helping you become closer to the family.

the part about reading changing their name from (name) wayne to (name) (last name) is what made me so drawn to this ask. you have pretty much predicted one of the chapters that explored (name) wayne to the public eye. they're not so much of an internet celebrity because of their rare appearances in public, but that's what causes immense curiosity about their identity to uprise in gotham, and their fame was one of the means to get to you.

there was one news article published that was the reason that made bruce distant towards you.

but let's focus on what yan! bruce would've felt once he turns a full 360.

because the first thing he would do once he has you in his grasp is to change your last name back to his. you are not the child of a (last name), you are a wayne first and foremost, bruce's third child and his greatest mistake, quite literally. you were a product of a one-night-stand, and because he was drowning in despair from jason's death, he had failed to notice you. all his years of neglect, and he doesn't even know a single thing about you, simply because he refused to acknowledge your presence.

and you rightfully hated him, he should've accepted that. but your diary entries and the way you innocently thought of him destroyed any sliver of hope for a peaceful reconciliation. he hates how you were experiencing the same type of despair as him when it comes to battling your own monsters— you truly are a wayne at heart. he couldn't afford to let you get away any further. just like dick, he needs to fix it now or further sever the already broken ties you have with him.

it's not batman now, but rather bruce. bruce wayne had failed to save another one of his children, not as a vigilante, but as a father.

knowing bruce, he's quick to take into action and search for you.

holy shit, this is a really long post but i hope it does answer the questions ! im so grateful that you like my writing enough to write a really long ask, and i hope to see your messages more once the new chapters are published <3

[simpingforheros]

Bring Me To Life

Pairing: Arkham Knight!Jason Todd x Female! Reader

Summary: Destroy the Batman and get his companion back? Jason almost didn't believe Slade until... Warnings: Usage of female pronouns, Nudity (NO smut), Swearing, Character Death, Angst, Resurrection, Infantization ( I didn't know how to better describe this), Unhealthy relationship dynamics, Kinda Dark/Obsessive! Jason, Mentions Electroshock therapy, Implied Brainwashing, Slade being a creep, Mentions of Drug Abuse, Mentions of Child Neglect, Mentions of Child Homelessness and unsafe situations, SPOILERS for Death in the Family (Comic 1988) and Arkham Knight.

Author's Note: Hiya Everyone, This is the first fanfic I've written in a while and the christianing fic for this account. I may start a casual little series with this, but I don't know yet. Also any comic and game inaccuracies are either because I forgot or I adjusted it to fit the story.

Also while this post is mostly safe for work, MINORS DNF AND PLEASE READ WARNINGS. I DO NOT AUTHORIZE ANYONE TO STEAL MY WORK OR REPOST IT ON OTHER SITES.

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It was supposed to be him...

Those dark nights he had spent alone on the streets as a child didn't seem so bad looking back on it. Jason understood struggle even when he had lived with his parents who spent grocery money on alcohol and drugs. Living on the streets didn't feel so much worse, especially since he had... "Jason, Mr. Accetta gave me some scraps from dinner rush today! There's even a whole pizza in here!"

Her. His one friend had since he was thrown into this harsh world. She was the only person he knew at the time to never stop smiling or finding a positive outlook on things. He couldn't even remember when they met, but he could hardly remember them being apart.

Whether he was stealing or fighting, she was there as a faithful lookout or a willing accomplice. She taught him how to take tires off of cars like her granddad taught her and he taught her how to throw a punch like his dad used to throw. An unstoppable duo who ran the alley as well as two 11-year-olds could.

The harsh winter nights they spent crowding together were his favorite memories from that time. Even with the bite of Gotham's winds at their toes, his partner would never falter to talk about anything and everything as he listened. She would talk about her dead grandparents a lot and all the stories she had with them before they passed away, but his mind couldn't recall them at all. He just remembers the constant dream that she told him every night.

"One day, Jay, I'm gonna have enough money and get an apartment in Old Gotham..." Jason's nose turns up as he listens to his friend as he bites on his food. "Why Old Gotham? Isn't it just falling apart?"

She giggles as she pulls the oversized coat closer to her shivering body. The jacket was from a relative but the fabric lost those memories as its fibers were now bones. She still had it even after she left the streets...

"Because it's the most beautiful place in the world...I will get an apartment someday and you and I will live there. We can even get like a cat or something."

The familiar burn on Jason's face blooms as he asks, "Why would you want me there?"

"Because it wouldn't be my dream home unless you're there with me."

He wouldn't find out until a few years later that her grandparents used to live in Old Gotham until her grandfather died and her grandmother had to move as she would unknowingly follow her husband not even a year later...

Those nights in the streets melted into nights spent in the warmth of Wayne manor. As the two thieves became kings after a faithful night with the Batmobile, Jason was brought into the world of crime fighting along with his closest friend. As they trained and donned their capes, She would show a new side of herself to Jason. The overly happy young girl from the streets became an anxious teenager as he became angerier.

"Jason..." Her voice woke him up in the darkest of nights. His body ached from the nightly fights from the previous day as he turned to see a familiar sight.

A now 14-year-old Y/N standing in the crack of the door. Her fidgeting figure indicated all he needed to know before he raised his blanket as she scurried to get in the bed. This was a ritual that started when they moved in. Both would grow anxious at night as they went from the open streets to a large, confining manor. Alfred almost had given up on trying to scold the teens as they were found sharing a bed more times than being separated.

As she curled into his side as much as she could without hurting him, he could practically hear her mind tinkering as her E/C eyes stared into his chest.

There wasn't the need to discuss what was on her mind. At least not right now. She was concerned about the growing tension between Bruce and Jason. He was becoming reckless and Bruce was having none of it with her often getting dragged into the middle of the fights.

He hated that he never tried more...

It shouldn't have surprised him when all the conflict had finally caused a break in the family. Especially when Jason began looking for his birth mother. Y/N tried to be supportive of him as he investigated his leads. Those leads eventually led to Jason reuniting with Bruce as he investigated a possible arms trade in Lebanon. The reconciliation and the prospect of finding his mother left him blind to any form of common sense, but what kind of common sense could a fifteen-year-old make in the life they lived?

He should have listened to her concerns when they finally found Sheila Haywood, his real mother. Y/N had a bad feeling from the start but he dismissed her worries. Jason had no clue that the night he was supposed to meet with Sheila was gonna end up being one of the worst nights of his life....

"Jason, maybe you should wait for Bruce to be here so he can come with you." She suggested softly.

His eyes roll as he adjusts his costume. "Because it's none of his business. I'm just meeting with my mom and talking out some stuff..."

He didn't tell her about the blackmailing he witnessed earlier that day between his mother and the Joker. But, he would find out later that she already knew about it through Bruce.

Her hand reaches for his shoulder and pulls him around to face her. "I'm serious. You shouldn't meet with a woman you barely know in some fucking warehouse in the middle of nowhere!"

Jason can remember the hurt he felt when he heard her snap at him, Oh, how angry he got with her when all she wanted was to protect him. He remembers yelling at her the worst thing he thought he could say to her.

Why the fuck did he ever say that to her?

"I'm sorry your parents didn't want anything to fucking do with you, but I'm not gonna let your bitter ass ruin my shot to be with mine."

He remembers the hurt that filled her eyes and the string of regret pooling in his gut. With a fake smile on her face and tears pooling in her eyes, Y/N says softly,

"Okay...I'm sorry," The sharp sting in his neck as she pressed the vial of sedatives Bruce gave her into his veins. "I'm sorry to do this, Jason, but Bruce said you wouldn't go down that easily."

Jason couldn't remember what he said after the spark of betrayal hit him, but he hated himself that the last time he saw those eyes they were clouded with the tears he caused....

"Y/N! Please talk to me!" Jason begs into the coms as he rod on the back of the motorbike with Bruce.

He should have known. Her instincts are never wrong and he doubted her.

When Bruce found him unconscious and told him about how Joker was involved in all of this, Jason should have known that it was all a trap. His mother wasn't a poor blackmailed soul, she was a conniving bitch who profitted.

He also should have known that Y/N was gonna go meet with Sheila instead of him. Where the Joker was waiting for her.

"Y/N, please. Please be okay...." He begged to the coms as he can only think about what he said to her the last time they spoke.

"J...Jason...."

"Y/N!" Relief washed over him like a wave as he heard her voice. Her broken pained moaned of his voice made him sick as he tried to at least rationalized that at least she was alive. "Don't worry, honey. We know where you are and we're coming to help you."

He didn't know that she was laying battered and broken against the locked door as she stared at the bomb that was ticking away on the wall. Her labored breaths blocked out the ticking on the comms as she whispers out.

00:12

"Do you remember the apartment?..."

"What apartment? The one you talked about in the alley? Why are you-?"

She interupts him, he can hear the familiar curl of her smile in her pained voice as she whispered,

"I wanted it to have a window facing the east end...the stars always looked pretty over there..."

00:10

"Y/N, what are you-"

"I wanted one of those Tabby-looking cats like the ones we saw in the alleyway outside of Mr. Accetta's restaurant...Name it Frank after that old Italian fucker...I was hoping we could go back and actually buy dinner in that restaurant someday..."

00:08

"Are you okay? Why are you talking like this? We are almost there. I can see the building! We are almost here. I'M COMING TO SAVE YOU."

Jason's desperation was palpable as he heard his beloved talk like she was on her deathbed. His panic causes Bruce to drive faster as the Batcycle inches closer to the warehouse. "Jason"

00:04

"Jason, I love you...I have since I was 13..." She admits as her voice trembles. "I used to dream we would become the family we always wanted with each other...Thank you for being in my life and I'm sorry I let you down..."

00:03

"Y/N, I -"

00:02

"Wait!"

00:01

"Goodbye, Jason..."

.

.

.

It should have been him who died that night... It was supposed to be him. NOT HER.

Jason blamed himself for her death as soon as he helped pull her broken corpse out of the rubble. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't her. This wasn't his Batgirl. Not his best friend who would run around the manor with him or help him pickpocket pedo freaks on the street. This broken little girl that was in his adoptive father's arms wasn't his first love. She was a bright, kind light who protected her loved ones, not this broken shell who wore her skin...

But, it was her...

He blamed Bruce for it too. He was the one gave her the orders to keep Jason away from the warehouse. He had to have known that she was gonna go instead. Bruce should have known she was because she wanted to be wrong about Sheila so Jason could be happy...

He also blamed the Joker. He wanted that Clown dead... His opportunity presents itself after he tracks Joker down to an abandoned wing of Arkham trying to flee from blowing up a children's hospital.

Blinded by his rage and bloodlust, Jason went in alone and without any communication. Y/N would scold him in her grave as he fell for the trap, sealing him in a cycle of hell for a year.

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"What if I could?"

"Do what?"

"Bring her back. Would you be willing to work for Crane if I could bring back the little Batgirl?"

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He knew it was bullshit.

Bringing back someone from the dead was impossible.

Jason would have been satisfied if his pseudo-partner/ prisoner, Deathstroke, just told him that he would be able to kill the Batman and wipe the hell hole that is Gotham off the face of the earth. He already dedicated a full year after his escape from Arkham to building his army.

His only regret during this time was not killing Joker himself. Even after all the torture and pain that clown did to him, he regretted not bashing the Joker's skull in after their last encounter as Slade helped him escape. It wouldn't have mattered to him at the time that Slade would have killed him because it wouldn't have been revenge for his own torture.

it would have been for Y/N. For the hell she faced that night. After a few months in Arkham, Jason almost accepted his torture as punishment for not dying that day for her because he experienced everything she felt. Every day he experienced everything she had to feel those short agonizing hours for an entire year. She must have been so scared and Jason couldn't save her.

The only thing that kept him from giving up was the memories he had of her and the burning hatred for those who caused her light to be snuffed out too soon.

He just wanted to feel that warmth again...

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"If you can do that, then I'll burn the whole world to the ground for that fucking lunatic."

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"Please Jason. Let us help you!" Barbara Gordan begged from her cell as Jason snaps at her.

"THERE IS NO HELPING! I CAN FIX IT!"

Jason was manic. His men were being tugged around like dog toys by Batman and Slade had left him hours ago to attend some matter he didn't care to ask about. His time was running thin and he knows he needs to end this soon. It didn't help that those he didn't want involved are here as well like Barbara.

"Sir..." A militia soldier says as he nervously walks into the room. HIs men were already aware how stupid it was to come near him when he's in a crazed anger. Jason's head whipped at him like a feral man as he grits out.

"What is it?"

"Deathstroke is here...and he uh..."

Impatience reaches a boiling point as Jason raises his gun and shoots the militia solider in the head as Barbara shrieks. The red puddle of death fills the sterile room with lead as Deathstroke walts in. Jason turns his back towards him as places his helmet back into place.

"My, what a mess you made." Deathstroke mockingly scolds. The hidden smirk almost causes Jason to snap again.

"Where have you been? Batman is out there taking down my tanks faster than my men can repair them. You told m-!"

The Arkham Knight's monologue was intruppted as he turns to scold Slade by his heart dropping to his stomach at the sight before him. He swore that if he didn't hear Barbara's gasp and the whisper of fate's name, he would have woken up back in that dreaded wing of Arkham Asylum.

Slade chuckles as he rattles the chain in his hand as he says coyly, "What? Am I not allowed to go fetch your payment?"

Standing behind Deathstroke was a naked woman. Her tangled up (H/C) hair ran down her shoulders as her wide innocent eyes shined through the now white tendrils framing her face. Her body seemed more mature but all muscle mass she had was faded. Her face seemed aged but he recognized the curve of her nose and those lips he imagined smiling at him through his darkest moments.

"Y/N?" He helplessly calls out to her as he feels himself pulled towards her like a magnet.

If it wasn't for the stark white streak and gnarly, painful-looking scars on her body, Jason would have thought this was Scarecrow's fear toxin. It couldn't be possible, right? She was dead. He knew she was because he held her body. He felt how cold she was and watched how her lifeless eyes looked up to the ash ridden sky.

Those eyes now looked at him with no familiarity, but a childlike wonder as she naively smiles at him.

"How?" Was all the Arkham Knight could muster as he reaches to grab her. To pull her into his arms and never let her leave.

Deathstroke grabs the collar that was wrapped around her neck and yanks her back behind him as she chokes on her breath. He chuckles as he looks back into Jason's voiceless mask.

"The Lazarus Pit brought back her body." He explains as he hauntingly twirls the chain in his hand. "Of course, after you agreed to work with Crane, I brought her back immediately. Unfortunately, the poor thing suffered from Pit Madness."

A cruel smirk appears on Deathstrokes lips as he pushes the girl's hair back to reveal circular scars on her temples. Jason felt rage bubbling up in his throat as he recognized what those scars were.

Prolonged Electroshock Therapy

"You sick!" Before Jason could throw a punch, Slade places his gun on Y/N's forehead as he chuckles. The woman didn't even sense the danger as she continued to observe everyone with a curious eye. Jason immediately backs off as Slade continues.

"Of course. Her treatment did cause her to be cured of the madness but at the cost of her memories. She barely remembers how to take care of herself so you make it like that. Especially when you want to fuck her."

Jason was thankful for his mask as he would have killed him from his glare. To imply that she was just a potential fucktoy made him itch to bury this man in the deepest bowels of hell. As he quietly glares at him, Slade finally offers him the chain. The Arkham Knight accepts the chain as the assassin warns him,

"Now since you got your payment. You better keep your end of the deal..." His voice becomes threatening as he says.

"Because I can easily kill her just as I brought her back.'"

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AN: I was gonna write more, but I got exhausted so this is all I got. Let me know if it's a vibe or not.

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@simpingforheros fanfic. I DO NOT AUTHORIZE THE COPYING, STEALING, OR REPOSTING OF MY WORKS ON OTHER WEBSITES WITHOUT CREDIT.

[felassan]

PC Gamer interview with Mark Meer: 'I'm afraid you'll be forced to encounter me as Niftu Cal and Blasto and any vorcha you run into'

Mark Meer is a fan of Jennifer Hale too.

Excerpts:

""I occasionally get told by people, 'Oh, I've never played female Commander Shepard. I only play you.' And I'm like, why are you denying yourself the excellent performance of Jennifer Hale?" Meer says. "That's the thing about Mass Effect, it has so much replayability. I certainly don't mind though, if people are like, 'No, I just play Jennifer as Commander Shepard,' because I'm afraid you'll be forced to encounter me as Niftu Cal and Blasto and any vorcha you run into and various other things in the game." Before he was cast as Shepard, Meer was hired by BioWare to come up with soundsets for the alien species, which he describes as the audio equivalent of concept art. "Laying down what a typical krogan would sound like, a typical turian, that sort of thing." He not only ended up playing a bunch of different alien characters, he's the one responsible for ideas like the asthmatic inhalations of the volus—those heavy-breathing, wombly little guys in gas masks.  "Not rocket science," he says. "Obviously they're wearing some kind of breathing apparatus so I threw in that wheeze sort of sound. There are some alien races that I ended up playing all of, for example, the vorcha. I think I'm almost all of the hanar and have played a number of volus, I think I've done at least a few elcor and batarians certainly. So yes, I'm sprinkled throughout the games in a variety of roles." One of the most memorable of these is Niftu Cal, the drugged-up little guy who gets so high he thinks he's become a biotic god. "That was a lot of fun," Meer says, "and perhaps lesser well known but equally important, the pizza volus. And speaking of hanar I got to play Blasto, who is in some ways one of my favorite characters—no offense to Commander Shepard. But Blasto was a lot of fun, especially because it started as an audio in-joke." Blasto is a parody of action movie heroes like Dirty Harry and James Bond who you first hear about in ads as you're exploring Mass Effect 2. "Jennifer Hale played an elcor in that," Meer says. "She's playing the sister of Blasto's partner Bubin, who Blasto winds up having an affair with. Embedded as an audio easter egg is both commander Shepards having an affair—as a hanar and an elcor." Even before Jennifer Hale was cast, he was an admirer of her work as Bastila Shan in Knights of the Old Republic, and in various cartoons. "I'm a big comic fan," he says, "so I was a big fan of Justice League Unlimited and the old Batman animated series. I'd loved her work as Zatanna and she was the go-to Giganta and Killer Frost for the Justice League stuff.""

[source]

[alvindraperzzz]

Cassie Sandsmark Centric Fic Rec

Here are some of my favorite Cassie focused fics, in no particular order:

Orpheus Rising by ClockStrikesThree Cassie has lost more loved ones than she can count. When Tim dies, she can't handle it. She decides that enough is enough, and sets out for the Underworld to bring him back. Along the way she encounters monsters, sorceresses, and a god with a grudge. 

little things by sakuyamons Four times Cassie and Diana went to get ice cream together, and one time they didn't.

Blood of the Covenant by SoleminiSanction She doesn’t know if she believes him, but she does trust him. In which Cassie accompanies Tim on his quest to find Batman, and being together make all the difference.

Waiting For What Will and What Won’t by angel_gidget Five comparisons Cassie would come to regret, and one promise that made all the difference. Or, sometimes your dead friends come back to life and it takes awhile to adjust.

Collision Course by Cynder2013 Cassie has to run an errand for Hecate. She enlists Raven’s help. PJO crossover, part of the Young Hero Support Group series. 

As for all gifts by Teland Cassie thinks about how it feels to be a superhero, and all the ways she and Cissie differ.

Borrowed Time and Limina by D.L.SchizoAuthoress Cassie and Kit talk about dead people. Two short fics about the underrated friendship between Wonder Girl and Kid Eternity. 

Wonder Girl/Titans, Crack and Magical Impregnation by Anon Every character needs a good crack fic to their name, and this is Cassie’s. Cassie has been a hero for years now, and thinks she’s finally got a handle on how her powers work. Then she finds out the hard way that she unknowingly inherited her divine father’s ability to magically knock up people she’s interested in. 

Honey by neptunesenceladas The Teen Titans have just reformed after Graduation Day and between learning to be a team there is a moment of peace to mourn. Cassie helps Kori harvest honey for the first time since Donna passed. 

Who’s Afraid? by Cereal_Forks Twelve year old Cassie is sent to Watchtower County for the summer while her mother deals with issues at home. All she wants for her summer is to read comics or maybe have a little adventure, until she learns that Watchtower County is much more exciting than it appears, perhaps more exciting than she can handle. Core Four It au. 

[moonlit-imagines]

Preferences: the Avengers visiting you, the owner of the local bookstore

Avengers x reader

warnings:

a/n: i hope it ok i turned into prefs!! i think it made more sense with the interaction part <3

prompt: @groovy-lady: “May I please request headcanons of being the owner of a bookshop the Avengers all go to and how they all interact with you?”

Bruce is there quite often, frequently in the scientific section. He buys stacks of books at a time and is quiet and polite when checking out. You always comment on how smart he must be and he awkwardly laughs it off. After a while, you start pulling certain books you’d think would interest him, which melted his heart when he realized you thought of him. “I added a science fiction novel in there, too. I don’t know if that’s your thing, but it’s one of my favorites.” You told him and he smiled. “Thank you for thinking of me.” He said.

Clint bought a lot of kids books. “How many?” You asked. “Three. Two boys and a girl.” He told you. You admired his choice of books for his kids. Teen fiction, sci-fi, graphic novels, fantasy, and a few children’s books. “Lots of variety.” You commented. “Yeah, trying to get them into reading.” He explained. “Any recommendations? The older ones are preteens, a boy and a girl. The little one is just learning how to read.” You smirked and started heading towards some classics like Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games. “These are the most popular for their age group, and I love them, too. As far as your little guy, you’ve already got the right idea.” Clint was grateful and took the first book of each popular series, promising to come back if they loved them as much you you did.

Nat was a fantasy reader. She had no shame in it. “What do you have for me today, y/n?” She’d approach the counter and have a small stack waiting for her. You’d go down the list with a little synopsis of each. “I hope you like them.” You told her. “You haven’t let me down yet.” She said back. She also donates her books when she’s done with them, saying she wants someone else to enjoy them as much as she did.

Steve nearly picked your history section clean. “Catching up, Captain?” You joked, recognizing the Super Soldier as soon as he walked in. “I don’t even know where to start.” He admitted. You gladly slimmed down his pile of history books and replaced quite a few with some fantastic works that came out while he was on ice. “As much as I enjoy reading, you won’t learn everything from these. Make sure you aren’t missing out by trying to catch up.” You warmly told him. “That’s good advice.” You told him you try and rung him up, warning him not to go reading those all at once.

Tony was more interested in comics and graphic novels, you’d laugh when you saw him pick up the more risque comics and he’d give you a playful wink. “They’re not for me, they’re for Clint’s son, the three-year-old.” He always knew how to make you laugh. “Yes, Elvira is the perfect choice for Clint’s small child.” He said he knew you’d understand. He also admitted he likes comics because they give him a little break from thinking all day and some of the characters remind him of his own life. You told him he was like Batman, he disagrees.

Thor checks out Norse Mythology more often than not. He likes to see what is written about him and his family in the eyes of Midgardians. “Are you sure you don’t want to try something different this time, Thor?” You motioned to a different section. “There’s so much more to choose from, I’d love to give you some recommendations.” Thor declined, placing another Norse book on the counter. “Have you ever read about me? Or my brother, Loki?” You nodded, telling him you’ve read a book or two that had them featured. “Wel”l, maybe next time I’ll buy something with a little less…me in it. We’ll see. Thank you, y/n!”

Before the Darkhold, Wanda was actually quite the enjoyer of teen fiction. She begged you not to tell the others what she read, and you promised you’d never share her secret. Most of the time, she’d cozy up in your reading corner with a coffee and read her “secret” books away from the Avengers. “Wanda, this one just came in. I think you’d love it.”

taglist: @locke-writes // @captainshazamerica // @summersimmerus // @prettysbliss // @simp-legend // @wild-rose-35 // @nekoannie-chan // @beth-gallagher22 // @mymelodymia // @deanzboyfriend // @mr-mxyzptlk-1940 //

[maxwell-grant]

do you have any favorite batman henchmen?

I put a lot of stock into how a Batman work tackles the resident henchmen and assistants and organization surrounding any specific Batrogue and how those intersect with each other so yes, absolutely I have Bat-henchman opinions, and favorites per villain. I'm gonna about pick about one or two among my favorites and name a few honorable mentions, with one exception and that's Rhino, Scarface's muscle. I know he's sort of a package deal with Mugsy, and Mugsy's pretty good too, but Rhino's the one I love.

I have a huge amount of fondness for Rhino and Rhino specifically because of his showing in "Read my Lips", as one of my favorite musical pieces for the series is the leitmotif that plays specifically for Rhino's moments in the opening heist and his brawl with Batman in the climax, and frankly he earns a top spot for me solely on the basis that he has his own theme and it's a banger on top of that. Scarface is exactly the kind of Bat-villain you want funny stereotypical cartoon gangsters attached to, and the big dumb grunt archetype is always more fun when paired with a proportionally much smaller partner or boss. And in Rhino's case, not only is he a titanically strong wall of muscle taking orders from a hand-held puppet dressed like a gangster, but cowering in fear when said puppet gets angry at him and relieved when reminded that he's too stupid to betray da boss. They made a lot with very little out of a bit character and it makes me love the episode so much more, and again, he has his own theme song and it opens the episode even, pretty hard to top that.

Penguin: My favorite overall has usually been Lark, specifically the version of her that was introduced in Tony Daniel's run. Like with Rhino and Scarface, the tiny funny-looking Oswald Cobblepot having a tall, intimidating lady chaffeur following him around makes for good contrast, and although I didn't like "Bullies" much at all, I really liked that scene of them being on friendly terms with each other, how much Penguin trusts her with his life and what he does. I like she is not abiding by any kind of formal dress code, like everyone else who tends to work at the Lounge, she's got almost like a punk thing that really contrasts with Oswald's own outfits and I always liked that, her individuality.

A more recent favorite would be Lili Kwan from Penguin: One Bad Day, someone who is far more marginalized than Oswald, and someone who was marginalized and pushed aside BY Oswald, but who joins up with him because he is the best lesser evil she is going to get and because they have enough in common that he can relate to her and respect her and ensure she is respected, but she pointedly does not mince words around him and does not entertain Oswald's delusions and self-loathing. She kinda demands Oswald to be the better class of criminal he paints himself as, to learn from his mistakes and earn having her by his side because "a king can't have illusions", and that's an incredibly interesting dynamic to me, this person with a vision of what Penguin and his empire should be like and in a position to have Penguin listen to her about it, not just muscle by his side but a voice in his ear pushing him to get his head in the game, be someone who deserves the loyalty he has from the underprivileged and the outcasts he claims to be a part of.

Honorable mentions would be the Red Triangle Gang from Batman Returns. I don't think they would really belong in any other version of the Penguin, and I have some very mixed feelings on Returns still, but I like the history they have with this Oswald and I like them in the movie proper, my favorite is the Poodle Lady for no real reason. I would also name the Kabuki Twins from The Batman cartoon, and Mr Decondor from The Batman Audio Adventures.

Joker: I gotta go with Bob the Goon, the Number One Guy. He is not even called Bob the Goon in the movie, he's just become so emblematic a figure for goons everywhere that he earns that name, Bob the Goon. See, I actually don't think the Joker should employ clowns in his gang, I think if you have more than one clown going around doing crimes, then they're not that special individually, I don't see the Joker surrounding himself with people who look or act even half as outlandish as himself, and that’s part of why Bob works for me, this comically ordinary schlub grunt who nevertheless endears himself to our sympathies for putting up with the Joker, being endlessly loyal to Napier before and after his accident. We like him in no small part because the Joker clearly likes this guy as much as he's capable of liking anyone on the planet, which is why it actually lands when the Joker guns him down just to vent. Rest in peace Bob, an example to low-lives everywhere.

If I had to name another favorite, and one I think works better on a reocurring basis, it would be Charlie Charleyhorse, from The Batman Audio Adventures. Charleyhorse has the mannerisms of a smooth-talking wise guy and is the guy who handles the day-to-day businesses of the Joker, sweet-talking recruits and negotiating deals and convincing rookies to eat poison and even hosting his broadcasts, and in contrast to the other villain sidekicks in the show who provide comedic contrast he is this very efficient, very charming and dangerous man, fully cognizant of the cruelty he's assisting and the man he works for. To me he feels like a very organic way of establishing how much more dangerous the Joker is compared to the other villains, that he runs his disorganized crime with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, that behind all the chaos and mayhem there is an unfathomably brilliant mind at work and a smart, affable businessman to act as a conduit between that mind and the city, as if the Joker plucked the ghost of Jack Napier from his soul and found a sweet deal that lets them both happily exist.

Honorable mentions would be Prank, from The Batman cartoon. I think Joker gunning for his own Robin is an idea with legs (Harley never really counted in that regard), I really liked his design, a perfect combination of Robin aesthetics with a clown/jester motif, and I thought he had one of the more interesting set-ups for a "Joker corrupts people into extensions of him" story, definitely one of the better Joker episodes in that show. Other honorable mentions would be Jackanapes and Captain Clown from TAS, because the Joker getting unreasonably attached to a horrible giant clown android is a pretty funny concept to me.

Riddler: God, what a perfect character Miss Tuesday is. Pairing up the self-obsessed artist of crime with the harshest critic of all, the disinterested judgemental teenager, is such a perfect combo and it does so much to breathe new life into a very classic take on Riddler. The fact that she regularly stays in touch and coordinates stuff with other villain interns is amazing and part of the incredible worldbuilding The Batman Audio Adventures has in general. Miss Tuesday is this physical embodiment of ennui to deflate his cartwheeling histerics, manifesting every bit of self-awareness that the Riddler completely ignores, annoying him just as much as he annoys everyone else (her included).

It's punctuated by her being casually murderous to an extent that even surprises him, and the fact that she is just as smart as he is, so by the standards he lives his life by, he can't brush her off as another small-minded knuckle-dragging ignoramus like he does with everyone else, no, he can't tell himself that she simply doesn't understand what he is doing. She does understand him, she is just not that impressed by him, and Eddie will simply have to roll with the barbs and work harder if he is to prove himself. She is the closest The Riddler has to a conscience and thus her job is not to push him towards any kind of moral self-improvement or an approach to his work that doesn't involve murder and terrorism, but to dunk cold water on his head and call him cringe when he gets in too deep or for doing this instead of, like, making money off this crap or something.

The other candidate would be the Riddler's Followers from The Batman. They're not a concept I think would work for a more traditional version of The Riddler, but God they work SO well for that movie and that version of him, marking Eddie Nigma's transition from malajusted murderer into not just a supervillain with a city-destroying plot, not just the rise of supervillains as a thing Gotham is gonna have to deal with forever, but as a sickness aimed at the heart of the city, and a sickness that Batman is indirectly responsible for and that he must owe up to. I really like how The Riddler: Year One elaborates on them with "He doesn't trust people. But numbers never lie." His "henchmen" are numbers, numbers on a screen he never has to actually interact with, but can still send on to be proxies of him, embodiments of how much bigger this is than anything Batman could have imagined it being.

Honorable mentions would be the classic duo of Query and Echo, and much like Bob, we gotta bring up his henchgirl Molly from the Batman 66 pilot two-parter, who tragically died by falling into the Batcave's nuclear reactor. "What a way to go-go".

Two-Face: It's common for Two-Face to have twin sets of named thugs but I can't say any of them have ever been particularly memorable to me, but one that does stick out to me is Benny from Long Shadows. I'm of the opinion that if any Batman villain should be establishing a working relationship with a henchman/assistant, if any Batman villain really needs to be depicted putting in the work as far as convincing people to work for him, it should be Two-Face, the former widely-beloved District Attorney/politician turned crimelord who somehow stays a dominant player in the Gotham underworld despite everything stacked against him (his face, his reputation, his past being public record, the coin-based decisions, etc). I think Two-Face needs to be some degree of charismatic and conversational and convincing, he's someone with more tangential history in this world than the other villains and should be willing and able to engage with people at any level, even if, and especially if, he's going to betray or save them at the flip of a coin, and the closest anyone's ever come to capturing that for me has been Benny, this guy who's willing to question Two-Face's decisions and is smart and sensible and generally pleasant enough that Two-Face lets him do it (with some limits, of course) and lets him in on what he's planning. Being drawn by Mark Bagley, who can convey a lot of expression and personality on any character, is definitely a bonus.

Scarecrow: Not so much of a henchmen since this was technically a villain team-up, but Scream Queen as she was featured in that Brave and the Bold segment has literally nothing in common with comics Scream Queen as debuted in Scare Tactics to the point she is a new character in every way. I like comics Scream Queen quite a lot, and I wouldn't want her to be any kind of underling to Scarecrow, but BATB Scream Queen is a very cool design and concept and in general I think Scarecrow could stand to have some cool and inventive henchmen, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing BATB Scream Queen turn up again so long as she had a different name. I'm also extremely partial to the Strawmen and the idea of him employing former students and offering them teaching exercises mid-crime.

Bane: There's really only one form of Bane henchmen that matter and it's Bird, Zombie and Trogg, the Fabulous Five to his Doc Savage (I always felt like there could be two more members to actually make them five, I know it doesn't have to be an exact reference but). I like them as they are in regular canon but my favorite depiction of them so far has been in the Batman 66 comic by Jeff Parker, which retrofits Bane to fit the 66 aesthetic and tone by further emphasizing his lucha motif, and having his Fabulous Three all dress up in distinct masks of their own referencing existing iconic luchadore characters.

Black Mask: I think the False Face Society is one of the more interesting parts of Black Mask's concept and it really doesn't come up enough, and when it does it gets folded into just being a name for his gangster lackeys instead of the weird cult aspect it acquired when it was folded into his character, I'd like to see that stuff get folded back in.

Hugo Strange: Honestly I love all of Hugo's varied forms of henchmen over the years, all of them have their place in the grand tapestry of his designs (I'm not too big on Sanjay from Batman and the Monster Men, there is stuff to like about their dynamic but I don't think the pulp racial manservant is a thing deserving of the charming throwback treatment). The gangsters from his debut, the androids/mannequins, Night Scourge, the TYGER guards/troopers from Arkham City, the mind-controlled villains and inmates from his Deathstroke arc, and of course the Monster Men. I do prefer the horrific body horror kaijus from Night of the Monster Men, but I also like the mutated giants, especially when they dress up in oversized trenchcoats and slouch hats.

There are a few others but I'm lastly gonna say Mr.Freeze and his polar bears Notchka and Shaka, from Batman and Mr.Freeze: Subzero. I'm not opposed to Mr.Freeze having regular henchmen, or even ice-themed henchmen like in Batman and Robin, there are ways to have it make sense, but the polar bears I think have this sort of almost innocent fairytale logic to them that just fits Mr.Freeze and his imagery a lot better, abstract guardians of the concept of the arctic that Mr.Freeze claims dominion over. Even at their most benign, you can't extricate human henchmen from the inherent brutality of their profession, but when it's trained animals defending a master, it's easier to find innocence and sympathy, traits that fit well with Mr.Freeze. If there's anything in that movie I remember, it's the bittersweet ending where they walk off into a blizzard together, his sole two companions into this new life he's cursed with.

Does it really make any sense for Mr.Freeze's established skillset and character for him to have a duo of trained polar bears on call to do crimes with, the way Penguin and Catwoman have their own trained animals? No. Is it corny? Arguably yes. Do I think it's cool? Is it a cool image? Very much so, and when it comes to Batman, that tends to be the final word in things.

[theamityelf]

Okay, I'm trying to familiarize myself with Batfam stuff, because I lowkey think they'd be fun to write for. (Never seen any of the animated series or read any Batman comic with Robin in it.)

What I have so far:

Bruce Wayne. Obviously. That's a Batman. Parents killed in an alley outside a theater, he maybe trained with some assassins (and Talia al Ghul is a character who's related to that somehow I think; she might be an assassin), and he's Batman. I know who Batman is. He doesn't kill; that's his rule.

Alfred. Butler. Secretly really good at weapons? Just generally hypercompetent and would probably be killing people if not for Bruce.

There's a bunch of Robins, which I will list. It seems like a lot of them have straight black hair and blue eyes; if true, it's wild that they didn't vary that more. I hope the fandom does something else, lol.

Dick Grayson first. He's the circus one who got adopted when his parents died. He's good at flips and stuff because circus. Not sure the specifics of his parents' death, but I suppose it triggered Bruce? And so Bruce was like, "I gotta adopt this kid." And he later became Robin. And then he did Teen Titans (which I haven't seen, but one of my college roommates watched Teen Titans Go a lot) and dated Starfire. I think he's the one whose costume is sometimes blue? But I'm not sure. Personality-wise, I think maybe he's generally positive and responsible. This is the first Robin, so he's probably got standard Robin characteristics and grew up with the standard amount of superhero angst. Not too much, not too little. I feel like I'd like Dick Grayson if I knew the character well. Oh! He's also called Nightwing, right?

Jason Todd next. He's, like...a street orphan? And I think he's the one with the white in his hair. He got killed by Joker with a crowbar and then came back angry because Batman didn't kill Joker. And I feel like things remained tense with him after that in canon but fan works have them resolve things, but like I said, I have not consumed any of his canon. I'm just going on vibes. Personality-wise, I'm thinking rougher-edged than Dick. Um, Red Hood, right?

Tim Drake is next. I genuinely don't know if and when he was adopted, because I'm pretty sure everything I've consumed about him was just like, "No, he has parents. But he figured out that Bruce Wayne is Batman, so he gets to be Robin." But I also think he lives with them? I think he's more upbeat than Jason; he fully opted into all of this.

Wait, Barbara Gordon is somewhere in there, right? Probably before Tim. I don't know what she's really doing, but she's Jim Gordon's daughter and I think she becomes Batgirl. Does she get killed by Joker? Jim Gordon is like, Batman's favorite police guy. He's the one who's always lighting the bat signal.

Full disclosure, I know Stephanie Brown is someone, but I have no idea who she is or what she's doing or when she comes into play, and iirc I think I saw a Tiktok that implied she straight up lives somewhere else. I guess Barbara probably does, too. And I guess Dick probably moved out to do Teen Titans, although it would be very funny if he didn't. I'm sure a lot of fan works just have them all live together; if the Marvel fandom could put everyone in Stark Tower, the DC fandom can move everyone into Wayne Manor.

I know that Cassandra Cain is deaf, and I think she's a street orphan, too? And I feel like there was some connection between her and the kid from the Birds of Prey movie. Maybe same character; I feel like I remember reading criticism about her not being deaf in the movie. I also don't know when she comes into play, but I'm pretty sure she's one of the straightforwardly adopted ones. But I'm just guessing that because I'm not aware of any reason for her not to be.

Duke Thomas is the black one, and I think he was kind of on the Tim Drake track of figuring out the Batman stuff. I don't know how he came into play either. I think he's called Signal? Does he have an electricity thing, or am I mistaking him for a different character? There are a lot of black superheroes with electricity powers. Personality-wise, I think he's just generally cool and good-natured, but I'm not sure whether that's an actual canon thing, or if I've just consumed content that misrepresents his whole deal. Whatever the case, I'd probably love him if I knew more about him. I feel like I'll like all of these characters.

Damian Wayne, biological son of Bruce and Talia. (Though, if I'm mistaken about that, then that's really funny.) He's, like, an analyst type, which means we've got a lot of characters who are specifically characterized as analytical. (I hope knowing more about them will make it easier to vary the kind of intelligence. I want them to have different specific strengths and weaknesses. They probably do.) And I think he might have also been trained by the assassins, but I'm not sure. Personality-wise, I'm pretty sure he's distinctly creepy. Like, I think he's the creepy genius child trope, and all serious and formal. I like that trope.

[celaenaeiln]

What's the deal with fanon Tim bc I read some comics with Tim and I've seen him in cartoons but all I see people talk about is "haha coffee addicted nerd who doesn't sleep!" and that just seems weird and wrong. Like my view of Tim has always been "he's a nice and extremely smart guy who sometimes pushes things a bit too far and maybe a bit set in his own ways/Batman's ways" but now I'm not even sure of that because I really haven't read THAT much (mostly seen him in other series) lol

No you're right!! Anon you're so right!!!

What the heck is up with fanon Tim Drake??

The thing about him not sleeping is actually true though

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #937

Batman: Contagion Issue #11

(I agree with Catwoman, Tim is so cute)

So I understand where the coffee addiction in fanon comes from but Tim's not actually addicted to coffee in the comics. I actually don't recall him mentioning coffee at all. At some point he might have but if he did, then those instances are so little in the grand scheme of things it might as well be called negligible if it's trying to be called an addiction.

But more importantly, Tim is so much more than that!! My favorite Tim Drake aspect of him is how sassy and sarcastic he is, it makes him so endearing!!

UGH NO ONE APPRECIATES HOW MUCH OF A LITTLE SHIT HE IS!!

Robin (1993) Issue #58

CMON CMON CMON LETS TALK MORE ABOUT THIS!!

Tim, you little shit, you know exactly what they say - cause you did it!!

HIS SELF-SATISFIED SMILE!!!

In all honesty I find Tim the funniest of the entire batfamily to read because he's so-he's so wholesomely quirky in a mean way. That's such as awkward way to describe it but reading his comics, you just can't get enough of them because he's just too funny!

At one point he has a massive fever and stuck underground with a bunch of weird kids and one of the girls is just like "please get better, please get some rest!" as she's wiping away his sweat and Tim has like no breath or energy at this point. But with the last remains of will power, he uses his breath to push one last question between lips.

Robin (1993) Issue #70

And as the audience waits in baited anticipation we get this-

Robin (1993) Issue #70

It's actually a very valid question and shows his detective thinking and yada yada yada but THE COMEDIC GOLD OF HIS TIMING!!

Like his situation and his question there's a massive gap that's almost incomprehensible about it all which is why it's so fantastic!!

The way he sasses batman is top 5 fav moments with him.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat Issue #91

Thanks @paladin-of-nerd-fandom65 for finding it again <33

But Tim overall is just like a normal kid. He's what authors tried to do with Stephanie but failed. They were able to make him relatable to the audience because the way he acts, it's so quirky but funny. Yes, he's a boy detective genius but he likes messing with people, he likes solving crime, he likes hanging out with his big brother, he asks for relationship advice, he can get insecure, he can get upset without acting cold, he gets tired, he gets anxious, he's determined, and he's super dorky.

Robin (1993) Issue #25

Like really dorky.

But what I think really defines him is this panel

Robin (1993) Issue #48

This scene is probably what explains him best. Tim is someone who ponders a lot. He thinks constantly all the time whether it's about cases or his personal life, he just goes over the choices he makes constantly because he's just soul-searching alot.

He always means well even if he's awkward about it and he's just a diverse personality overall. The fanon interpretation of his character doesn't really do him any justice because it doesn't address how funny he is or confused or just a likeable, real person in general.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 10/22/2024

rare tuesdaypost with no fallow sections. i CANNOT find the exact image i am looking for (mouse-drawn person sitting on bar stool with ankles crossed and blushing with eyelashes) but i feel like i found a lot of things this week that charmed me immensely. rare many such cases of many interests intersecting.

listening

almost exactly a year ago i wrote about jolynn j chin's SHIFTED, a piano jazz piece where the time signatures change on every bar, which came with an explainer video that is, spiritually, a physics video.

she's done it again with OFF TIME and a full album of equally bonkers concepts. i have a brain that is fairly good at manipulating 2D things (yarn, fabric) into 3D things but i do Not have this kind of math brain. wild shit.

-

reading

thank you philip for overseeing the photography of this trio of DELILAH DIRK graphic novels from Tony Cliff. i saw these on the library shelf and went "holy shit i read one of these as a webcomic in high school".

very well-paced indiana jones and james bond adjacent pulp adventures, with a soupcon of steampunk conveyances for taste. delilah started life in 2007 when strong snappy female characters were far less common. this is particularly...not quite grating, but very notable in the first two books (published in 2013 and 2016 respectively). they are intended to be middle-grade (disney villain falling deaths, no tits or ass, etc), but they punch far above their intended age range. a particularly interesting reckoning with the long-suffering native guide trope. not a series overly concerned with historical accuracy, although it's certainly more grounded in real history than you might expect of a middle-grade pulp adventure graphic novel. more colonial political concerns than i remembered or expected.

the art is really killer in all three books. tony cliff really knows the effect of a good page turn spread.

he also has a very charming way of illustrating continuing action across a huge panel. all four shots are from The Pillars of Hercules (2018) bc it happened to be the last one i read and the one with by far the most ambitious art.

-

watching

tubi has acquired the streaming rights to most of the batman animated movies. i keep getting served ads on instagram for an upcoming animated film about batman and the yakuza, where the premise is that a portal from real-life japan has opened up over gotham and the yakuza are pouring through like a demonic horde. this seems to be a sequel to batman ninja (2018, dir. Junpei Mizusaki)

Batman, along with his allies and adversaries, finds himself transported from modern Gotham City to feudal Japan.

batman ninja includes the lines:

I’m going to rule this country and turn it into a kingdom of monkeys and rewrite the history of the world!

and

What am I going to do with you, Batman? You’ve destroyed a perfectly good giant robot castle!

i would describe this as more of a feature-length animation showcase than anything else. the haters on letterboxed didn't even give it an average of 3 but that's bc they hate fun. this is some real weeb shit. this is not a grimdark or particularly thoughful batman entry. this is an entry to clap your hands in glee at the giant gundam vs monkey army fight. they have once again done my favorite comics boy jason todd dirty but what the fuck else is new.

so much fun even on just the like tree field guide level of identifying the six or seven animation styles. plus everyone's feudal japan looks are sick as shit.

was it Good? no. was i delighted at nearly every moment? fuck yeah.

-

playing

EXCEPTIONALLY charming embroidery-based game jam game, Cross Stitched by Panzerr here for free on itch.io. made in godot. god bless.

(image from the developer) you've got your little baba yaga house gundam in the center constantly firing projectiles, and you have to keep these fucking birds back. you can WASD around the edges of the tapestry, and your health is in the top (i really love how it gets "ruined" dark chunks taken out of it as you lose health, like a piece of embroidery decaying) and the bottom black bar of motifs fills up as you make progress towards adding another level and another piece to your powerup level tapestry.

(following images from me) you do have to think about your placement and plan it out a bit, and you can't embroider over something you've already stitched. would not recommend surrounding your initial base damage motif with other motifs bc then you've sort of fucked yourself over. a really simple concept (a good bite size for a game jam) elevated by a very fun visual style and great music. really delighted me! i am so jaded by my time in the video game marketing mines that i forgot they can be fun actually!

-

making

unphotographable: too many bugs in my house! tried to replace the weatherstripping on my front door and discovering that both the front door and the storm door were installed incorrectly and should probably be replaced.

in better news, the newest pathetic little waif in the office bathroom has been freshly neutered and will be going to a nice cushy indoor home next week-ish. whenever he is fully recovered. the most polite cat i have ever had in this carrier: did not piss, shit, or throw up.

KO'd by six cc's of various goops. poor man.

[epiemy]

Jason Todd x Fem!Reader from our reality! Pt. 2

Warnings: just cursing (you’re a crazy bitch and Jason too)

Part 2 of 5 - Part 1

A/N: I missed this app so fucking much but I’m back :) hope you like this part of a series project.

Sorry for Grammar mistakes, enjoy!

"Oh boy, we are going to have a big job with this one." Words from a tired Jason.

“Hey, I’m still here, you know that?” You speak in disbelief. It still felt like a dream, where else would you get to see your favorite characters? You had never been able to shift before, so you faithfully doubted that was the case.

Jason just rolls his eyes saying “Unfortunately I noticed, you won't shut up for a single second” - and there goes your sympathy with him.

“Why are pretty people always jerks? - You're an exception Dick, shush” You say but stop as soon as you see Batman's cloak coming towards you, no longer able to control it, you end up smiling more than you've ever seen in your life, after all he was her childhood hero “My gods, Bruce Wayne? Batman? I could pass out!”

“Jason, no!” Dick speaks in warning before the youngest even opens his mouth, but even so he lets out a sneer and says:

“I could make YOU pass out” Jay mutters and you give him the middle finger “You already did that, idiot”, turning your attention to Bruce.

“Why is there a teenager in the cave, who apparently knows our secret identities? I'm only going to ask once” Batman speaks monotone and looks at the boys with his arms crossed and his mask removed.

“Ehm… well… funny story” Tim starts to say while scratching his head lightly, but Jason rolls his eyes.

“I brought her here, I heard some druggies talking about a girl falling from the sky and I went to check it out. I don't know how a demon can fall from the sky but there she is” He speaks ironically and you just stick out your tongue, murmuring that the only demon in this house was him. The boy continues “When I got close to her, she was cursing more than a sailor and had a fangirl attack shouting “Jaaaaason”, I erased her and brought her here. History end"

Bruce raises an eyebrow at Jason and sighs deeply, rubbing his temples. He honestly needed a break from all this, he couldn't take it anymore. “Currently, Barry informed us that there was a rupture of some barrier between universes caused by some meta, it turns out that she was brought from another reality and that is possibly why she knows our identities. Am I correct, miss..?”

“Y/n, and yes you are right. Finally someone with neurons- no offense Timmy” You mutter and the boy just shrugs, then continues talking “If the kid idiots had listened to me instead of fainting, I would have told them that in my reality you are all characters from a brand , so I theoretically know everything about each of you.” There was a silent pause “That seemed kind of scary, my bad.”

Minutes later, Bruce releases you from the place where you were tied up “As long as we don't know what happened, you are welcome to stay in the mansion, Alfred is already aware of this conversation and will prepare a room for you” He speaks calmly, you he just nods with a small smile in gratitude. He turns to his children “You. I want everyone in the mansion during this time, apparently you don't have an alternative version of her in this universe and she will have to stay here for some time, so we need to train her” He says leaving the Batcave.

“Soooo… Dick, can you and your nice ass show me my new room?” You say with a wide smile and you only hear Jason snort in the corner “What’s up, red bird? Do you want to show me instead of Richard? Come on come on, take me then” A hand sign is made by you, as you walk towards some stairs where Bruce had gone but Jason grabs your waist, changing the direction to the left “Oopsie, thanks kitty” You hear the laughter behind you.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Jason says, walking up the correct floors with you.

[forthegothicheroine]

How Other Great Detectives Would Solve the Riddler Murders

A series I do sometimes. This is based on The Batman (2022). I will be assuming that none of these universes have already established superheroes and supervillains unless it's also in that canon.

Sam Vimes: The Watch as a whole might solve the case, but Vimes is going to be in the wrong headspace. Carcer was bad enough as playful serial killers go, but a serial killer who liked Sam Vimes and wanted to be his best buddy? I think that would make Vimes need his own stay in Arkham.

Sam and Peter: This one is my favorite, it works so horribly well! The Riddler, having been a huge fan of American Vandal, addresses his messages to these two teenage goobers (and it is in fact in the form of vandalism.) Selina ends up saving their lives due to secondhand embarassment when she sees them trying to interview Carmine Falcone about whether he was on any Gothamite subreddits. (Oswald Cobblepot was happy to talk to them about it!) It all comes down to whether the pressure of stopping a serial killer causes the boys to bloom or break, and I'd like to hope it would be the former.

Phryne Fisher: I totally get why the Riddler would fixate on and write letters to Phryne, she's a very good person to fixate on and write letters to! (I've often said she's like if Catwoman were Batman.) Phryne sleeps with Selina and gets surprisingly flirtatious with Oswald. Having already taken down a cocaine ring, she knows enough to honeypot her way into the lower floor of the Iceberg, and very narrowly avoids death at the hands of Falcone. She can solve riddles easily enough, though I don't know if she'd put them together in time to stop the flooding of the city. I'll call this success with a similar casualty rate to Batman's.

Sammy Keyes: This one is a real dick move on the Riddler's part. Addressing your serial killer messages to a tween girl who'd been involved in catching other criminals, thus revealing she's living in an apartment illegally and potentially getting her taken away by social services? It's absolutely something he would do to make a broader social point, but still it's a serious dick move. I think Sammy is way out of her depth here but I want her to succeed because I love the idea of subsequent Sammy Keys books having recurring characters that include the one cop slightly sympathetic to her, the junior high mean girl, and the serial killer who sends her cryptic letters from incarceration.

L: I just know that somehow this is going to involve Edward Nasthon, Forensic CPA, being on the team to catch the Riddler and him and L having a vaguely but unconsumatedly homoerotic dance between friend and enemy. I don't think he'd want to kill L, though, since he'd rather have him alive to acknowledge him as the smartest coolest guy ever, so I'll give L the edge here.

Jane Marple: No matter how I twist it, I just can't see a scenario in which the Riddler would send serial killer messages to Miss Marple. Instead, I think Edward Nashton would just meet her at a tea shop, they'd have a friendly conversation about the novel she's reading, and then she'd call up the police and tell them she's found the Riddler.

Columbo: This isn't a great setup for Columbo, since his method of detection is all about catching people in their lies, which is hard to do with a killer who is a nobody and who keeps to the shadows. He would definitely put Falcone away in the course of the investigation, but I don't know if that's enough to stop the grander scheme in play. If he does catch him, though, he would stop the flood because Edward Nashton would be SO vulnerable to casual conversations about hypothetical approaches to crime.

Philip Marlowe: I think Marlowe would kind of work his way backwards here. He'd get deep into the grime of Gotham, end up stopping a plot to flood the city, follow that up by an investigation into the mob and unconsummated sexual tension with Selina, just barely escape getting murdered by Falcone, get hit on the head by Cobblepot and have hallucinations involving penguins with umbrellas, then finally catch Edward Nashton, the petty little nobody who killed people to make himself feel like somebody.

Dale Cooper: This is a good case for Cooper, lots of subplots that lead into other subplots, nothing overtly supernatural but a vague general feeling of curses and doom. He would find deeper meaning in all the coded riddles that pointed to dark truths about the universe, topped off with dreams of cats and penguins doing his taxes. I sure hope the Riddler is willing to wait for all that before flooding the city, because Coop works at his own damn pace.

Hercule Poirot: I can see Poirot fitting in to the art deco Gotham of the animated series, but the modernist urban grime of the 2021 film is viscerally unpleasant to imagine him in. He could solve the riddles and aid the police, certainly, but more than any of the other detectives, my mind is rebelling against my attempts to imagine these people in the same room at the same time.

Sam Spade: Selina Kyle hires him to help get her friend out of a jam at the same time as Cobblepot hires him to get a few murders discreetly solved before the cops get too nosy, and then Falcone tries to have him whacked when he gets too close on both accounts. The Riddler would take him completely by surprise, but I'm having so much fun imagining Edward Nashton looking up at him with big Peter Lorre eyes and babbling about what crime really means that I'll allow him to at least stick around for that. I think he can get out of this still alive, but it would be a close call.

Kinsey Milhone: Why her, she wonders? Sure, she's a detective, but she's hardly a household name. She goes through all her files to see if this could be connected to anything she's ever worked on, and lo and behold, back when she was an insurance fraud investigator, they always worked with a forensic CPA named Edward Nashton. Now, what could have ever become of that guy...

Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock Holmes either immediately solves this or fails utterly, and it all comes down to how quickly you think he could decode things using a computer.

[brujitaadinbo]

I'm back again with my crazy posts about DINBO parallelism and other iconic couples from cinema or any material. I have had a lot of things to do but I have taken the time to watch Batman content, because I love it, it is one of many favorite characters I have. Watching one of the cartoons of this character I saw a beautiful reference to Catwoman---Batman, in that connection that they have always had.

They are both wounded people, trying to move forward, healing on their own and then healing together, but the process is long and good, there is still a lot of development left (plus they are going to want to exploit Batman every time they can with more movies or series, ect)

Selina and Bruce are a magnetic couple and they complement each other, they don't need to be cheesy or be together all the time, because in their intimate moments, they show each other everything. The hero in the making and the antihero who seeks redemption.

Very much in the style of Din djarin and Bo katan; These two are more possessive of their responsibilities and more closed BUT they recognize well when they feel attracted, when they feel good working together and taking care of each other, sharing moments, living in the moment without labels.

It's something I love; in many comics and series such as Batman Rush Selina and Bruce understand each other very well, so much so that Catwoman and Batman also coincide and suddenly even their hidden personalities come to light. So they work as a team, their romantic dates destroy criminals and save the city, kicking ass.

It reminds me a lot of Din and Bo in their adventures with Grogu, solving problems together, traveling, having adventures, destroying imperials.

I love that Batman in his own way is protective of Catwoman but I feel like he can improve that, he is a very dense character and still has things to fix, just like Selina.

Something like Din; He doesn't talk much but he shows with actions that there are people he cares about and will protect them at all costs, just like Bo.

Din and Batman have as much in common, as do Bo and Selina.

And hey, I don't deny that they have a long way to go to become a healthier couple, but hey, with so much that they've been through, who would be completely fine?

Who is not sick in some way in their emotions???

For the same reason, I relate them to DINBO because both couples fight to be better, more balanced, even if they separate for a while or are together at another time.

I love that both Din and Bruce, although they don't talk much or don't express themselves well at all, when they do, they are very tender and know how to melt the heart of the person they are talking to with their words. .

Just like when they talk to Selina or Bo and they almost always leave them speechless, they don't know how to react. As much as to flatter them or to apologize to them and even an I love you like Batman says in the comics to Selina or a "I'll serve you" to Bo Katan.

And now to close this post; I love how Batman and Catwoman have that very particular and acid humor, their own silly jokes and she accepts them. Like when she gets pregnant, they don't know it yet and he offers her a "Bati bucket" for nausea or when they are already checking Selina and she tells him "it's cancer" he with a soft smile tells her "it's not." and she takes it with her typical humor LOL

It reminds me a lot of Din and Bo's humor, their own jokes "the element of surprise" and those knowing laughs. Or that Bo is ironic about the pog soup thing.

That Din tells her "that's what happens for stealing imperial ships" and she responds that way. Very consistent with their personalities.

I love it and I will continue sending DINBO, getting information and parallels as long as I can. And batman and catwoman are my roman empire.

this is the way.

[gothamite-rambler]

Books are the best type of apology gift

Context: Harley Quinn continues her mission to get Jason Todd to not hate her, but she can't keep following him, she needs to talk to those close to him.

Orphan (Cass) and Spoiler (Stephanie) take a break from patrolling and chat about cartoon characters on top of a building.

Orphan: My favorite character would be Patrick.

Spoiler: No way! He's so annoying. I'm a SpongeBob girl.

Orphan: Patrick is lovably dumb, SpongeBob is too loud.

Spoiler: So is Patrick.

Orphan: Not all the time.

Harley: I've always preferred Sandy!

Spoiler screamed in fear, jumping into Oracle's arm as she screamed as well.

Harley (loud): Stop screaming! It's just me!

Orphan: Oh, hi Harley.

Harley (annoyed): Jacy I understand but why are you screamin'? I jumped into the conversation so well and you're screamin'? You're masters of stealth!

Spoiler: Thanks, but-

Orphan dropped Spoiler to the ground once the terrifying moment passed.

Spoiler: Ow!

Spoiler stood to her feet, rubbing her back.

Spoiler: You sneaking up on me always unnerves me.

Orphan: I could hear your footsteps when you made it to the roof, Spoiler's screaming scared me. SpongeBob fan indeed.

Spoiler: Stand by what I said. Back to Harley, hey it's good to see you again, minus the screaming. Sorry.

Harley: You're fine, I should be used to it by now. Spoiler for you and the dark suited one, Orphan?

Orphan: Correct, it's nice to see you as well. You came here for a purpose. Your body language suggests you’re stressed, what is it that bothers you?

Harley: Geez Batman wasn't kidding about your body reading skills. You got me, I need some help with Jason. He hates me.

Spoiler: He kind of has a disdain for everyone. Except for Nightwing, Signal... and Orphan.

Orphan nodded.

Spoiler: Wait, you know his real name?

Orphan: She was there when he died, she remembers his real name from that. She calls him Jacey as an endearing nickname.

Harley (resting her bat behind on her shoulders): Yup, which he hates. I save the kid when he's tied up in a building, we fought Snowflame and I gave him a puffy cat sticka, but he hates my guts. I get it, but we're trauma siblings! We have a special bond that can only be fixed with fighting other baddies.

Spoiler gasped.

Spoiler: Trauma siblings! That's me and Orphan! That doesn't work on him?

Harley: No!

Harley planted her bat on the ground, groaning.

Harley: I offered my therapy services, too.

Spoiler (doubtful): Yeah, but you're not an actual therapist, you-

Harley (aiming her bat at Spoiler's nose): If you say I slept with a professor to pass college, I'll bop you in the arm. I am intelligent! Wouldn't have gotten with Ivy if I was a ditz.

Spoiler (lowering the bat): Sorry, dude. To be honest, I got nothing to help you with. It took me two years to have Jason talk to me for longer than a minute.

Harley shoulders slumped defeated, unsure what to do next. Orphan taps her chin wondering what advice to give.

Orphan: It took a year and a half to befriend him, you're off to a good start with being nice to him. I suggest giving him a better peace offering. He likes books, get him a book.

Harley: A book? What's he into?

Spoiler (guessing): Mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction.

Orphan (correctly answering): No, it's sci-fi not fantasy. I'd recommend something akin to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, historical fiction he's been wanting to read Lady Macbeth and the Bridgeton series, any book will work there. His detective book interests are random.

Spoiler (mystified): Sometimes I wonder how you know these things.

Orphan: Batman keeps a file on his interests so he can send him the best birthday gifts. He has one for all of us.

Spoiler: Wait, is that why he bought those boxing gloves for my birthday last year?

Orphan nodded in response. Spoiler's eyes lit up as she fist-pumped in excitement at this revelation. Meanwhile, Harley mulled over the new information. With some cash stashed away from selling items she had snagged from the Joker a few weeks earlier, she realized she wanted Jason to see that she was trying to be a better person.

Harley: If books are a way to show that I'm trustworthy—or at least likable—then I've got some shopping to do! Thanks, girls… but mostly you, Orphan!

Spoiler (waving her hand, annoyed): Hey, I suggested books first!

Harley: You got most of 'em wrong and no suggestions. She told me about Bridgeton.

Orphan (gentle nod): No problem.

Harley waved goodbye, pivoting on her heel and sprinting across the rooftops with effortless agility.

Spoiler: I like her. She's insane, but likable.

Orphan: Agreed. Now Squidward or Mr. Krabs?

Spoiler: Mr. Krabs, obviously.

Orphan: We've arrived at another impasse.

-----------------------------

The next day, after splurging two hundred dollars on books at a local shop, Harley stacked them neatly in Jason's car. Lacking the skills to pick a lock, she resorted to tossing a rock to gain entry. It might not have been the smartest choice, but then again, her critical thinking hadn’t exactly been sharp since she’d jumped into that vat of Joker toxin.

Jason arrived at his car that morning for a leisurely drive around town, only to be met with the sight of a broken window and shards of glass strewn across the front seat. He let out a resigned sigh.

Jason: Great, just what I needed.

He carefully wiped the glass off his seat while wearing gloves and then settled into the car. His gaze fell on a tote bag of books resting in the front passenger seat.

Jason: Why are there—who breaks into a car and leaves a gift?

His eyes then caught a note tucked within the bag.

Jason (reading the note): Jacey—Oh my God, how did she find out where I live?!—I bought a bunch of books I think you'll like, plus a few that helped me when I needed help, but mostly a lot of Bridgerton. I snagged the five new ones. I also found Lady Macbeth in a collector's edition. I paid for them with my own money, don’t worry, not stealing. I hope this shows I’m truly sorry for what happened to you.

Jason let out a long, exasperated sigh.

Jason: I hate that this is actually a nice gift.

He picked up the top book and realized it’s the latest Bridgerton novel.

Jason: God damn it, I didn’t even know this one was out yet.

With a mix of regret and lingering mistrust for Harley, he contemplated giving her another chance—after all, he had been given one himself.

Jason: She actually did something this nice? It’s a start.

Harley Saves Jason

[storyscribeforthesentiment]

the detective & the dark knight | chapter 4

Summary: Detective Marie Manning, investigating a series of brutal m*rders in Gotham, crosses paths with the mysterious Batman. As they work together, their mutual respect turns into a deep, passionate bond. Amidst danger and corruption, their unlikely partnership evolves into a profound love, forever changing their lives in Gotham’s dark corners.

Pairing: Batman/Bruce Wayne x f! main character

Author’s note: Prepare for soft Bruce getting in his feels over Marie. They go on a date, Marie overthinks their relationship (bestie needs to chill), and she nearly gives Batman a heart attack when she puts herself in danger. This is my favorite chapter so far! 

Word count: 4k

Warnings/tags: mentions of murder, mentions of police bribes, fighting

Marie Manning’s apartment was bathed in a warm, amber glow as she moved around, preparing for her date with Bruce Wayne. She hadn’t ever expected to find herself in this situation, but here she was, picking out an outfit and checking the clock every few minutes. 

The doorbell rang, and Marie jumped, almost knocking over a nearby stack of case files. She hurried to the door, smoothing down her satin dress and taking a deep breath.

“Hey, Detective Manning.” Bruce greeted with his signature charm, holding out a bouquet of tulips. “These are for you.”

Marie’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you Bruce, that’s really sweet. You definitely didn’t have to. Come on in.”

Bruce took a moment to truly see Marie, appreciating her as she was—without the gala gown or her usual detective gear. She stood tall, her long dark hair cascading in soft curls down her back, and her brown eyes, usually so intense and focused, now seemed to hold a softer, more vulnerable light.

He had recognized her beauty during their first encounter at the docks. There was a raw, captivating charm about her, a blend of strength and grace that made his heart ache with admiration.

Bruce stepped inside and took in the stacks of paperwork and case files scattered about. His gaze landed on Marie’s cat, lounging comfortably on a pile of files.

“You really do have a cozy setup here,” Bruce said, nodding toward the cat.

Marie laughed as she arranged the flowers in a vase. “‘Cozy’ is one way to put it. I prefer ‘organized chaos.’”

Marbles stretched lazily before heading over to Bruce and rubbing against his leg. Bruce smirked. “I see your cat’s already made himself comfortable with me. Is that a sign of approval?”

Marie grinned and gave Bruce a playful nudge. “Well, if Marbles trusts you, then I guess I can too. So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

Bruce’s smile widened. “I’ve got a nice place in mind. It’ll be much better than our last interaction together.” He was thinking about their recent meeting at a crime scene for the Red Lotus case, but quickly corrected himself. “I mean, way better than the gala.”

Marie raised an eyebrow. “You’d better live up to that promise, Wayne.”

“I’ve made reservations at this little bistro I think you’ll like. It’s quiet and quaint—perfect for a night away from the organized chaos.”

Marie nodded, grabbing her long overcoat. “Sounds perfect. Lead the way.”

The restaurant's ambience was intimate, with soft jazz playing in the background and flickering candlelight lighting up the area. They settled into their booth, and Bruce raised his glass with a grin. “To a night free from crime scenes and paperwork.”

Marie clinked her glass with his, chuckling. “And what would you know about crime scenes and paperwork, Mr. Billionaire?”

He laughed softly. “You’d be surprised. Even billionaires have their share of chaos.”

“At least tonight, we get to enjoy a break from it all.” Marie responded.

Bruce nodded. “Absolutely. Here’s to a peaceful evening.”

Bruce’s words carried a subtle irony. He savored this rare moment of calm with Marie, yet guilt tugged at him. While she saw him as just Bruce Wayne, unaware of his alter ego as Batman and the battles he fought, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of selfishness and remorse for keeping that part of himself hidden from her.

“So, Marie,” Bruce said, “Tell me about your first days on the force. I bet they were something.”

Marie’s smile wavered slightly. “Shit, where do I start? My first big case was a robbery-turned-shooting, and I was completely clueless. I remember stepping over blood and broken glass, and thinking, ‘Yep, this is definitely not a drill.’��

Bruce leaned in, fascinated. “That sounds intense.”

“It was,” Marie said, “I remember one night, a few months in, I was chasing a suspect. I tripped and fell, and suddenly, I was staring down the barrel of a gun. I just froze.”

Bruce’s eyes widened. “Did anything happen?”

“Yeah,” She said, thinking back to that night, “A patrol car showed up just in time to save my sorry ass. But that moment… it made me realize how real this job is. And how easy it is to feel vulnerable.”

Bruce listened intently, his expression thoughtful. “I can’t imagine how tough that must have been,” he said, offering Marie a reassuring smile. He continued, “You know, Marie, you’re one of the best detectives Gotham has. And one of the few truly honest people at the GCPD.”

Marie looked up, feeling grateful, but surprised. “How do you know that?”

Bruce hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Oh, you know, Gotham’s a city where corruption is... pretty evident.”

Marie smiled, “I guess that’s true. It’s nice to hear someone appreciate the hard work we put in.”

Bruce looked at Marie with genuine curiosity. “What made you choose law enforcement?”

Marie’s eyes clouded with a brief, distant sadness. Bruce noticed and gently placed his hand over hers. “It’s a bit of a story,” she began. “My dad was a detective. He was killed on the job when I was a kid, going after some small-time crook. It was shitty—really shitty. It nearly shattered my family. Becoming a detective was my way of making sense of it all and staying connected to him."

Marie took a breath before continuing, "He loved his work, and I like to think he’d be proud of me for carrying on.”

“I understand that more than you might think. Losing parents is something I'm familiar with. It’s different, but I get the drive to honor their memory.” Bruce said, feeling enormously grateful that Marie opened up to him.

She gave a small, appreciative smile. “It’s comforting to hear that. It’s not always easy, but it’s what keeps me going.”

To lighten the mood, Marie took a sip of her wine and leaned in with a playful glint in her eye. “So, Bruce, what’s your life like outside of the high society events? What’s the billionaire playboy up to when he's not dazzling everyone?”

Bruce looked slightly taken aback but quickly recovered. “Oh, you know, just the usual—business meetings, philanthropy, and the occasional quiet evening at home.”

Their plates of spaghetti arrives, and Marie began twisting her fork in the noodles. “Sounds pretty standard. But surely there’s more to it than that. What’s a typical day like for you?”

Bruce hesitated, his fork pausing mid-air. “Well, I... I like to stay busy. There are always new projects and challenges. But I also try to make time for things that matter.”

Marie nodded, “Like what? Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work?”

Bruce smiled, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I enjoy activities that get my heart racing. Keeps me on my toes.”

Marie laughed. “Adrenaline junkie, huh? Sounds like you have a taste for excitement. I can relate. I guess we both like to keep things interesting.”

Bruce’s smile grew, and he raised his glass again. “Here’s to finding balance, no matter how chaotic life gets.”

Marie clinked her glass with his once more, her eyes warm. “Cheers to that.”

They spent the rest of the evening lost in conversation, their bond growing stronger with each shared story and laugh. When they finally left the restaurant, the cool night air felt invigorating. Bruce walked Marie to her apartment, her hand wrapped in his.

They reached Marie’s door, and she turned to Bruce with a smile. “This was a lot of fun. I never thought I’d get a date with a billionaire.”

Bruce grinned. “And I never thought I’d get a date with Gotham’s top detective.”

Marie glanced up at Bruce, her fingers idly playing with the edge of his jacket as she gathered her thoughts. “Bruce, can we talk for a sec?”

Bruce raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Sure, what’s up?”

Marie took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of his jacket against her fingers. “I’ve really enjoyed tonight. You’re... well, you’re great. But I need you to know something before we get too ahead of ourselves.”

Bruce leaned in slightly, his gaze softening. “Okay, hit me with it.”

Marie fiddled with the fabric, struggling a bit with her words. “My job is... kind of all-consuming. I can get pulled into work at any hour, and some days it’s like working a double shift. I just wanted to be upfront about it. I know we’ve only been on one date, but—”

Bruce reached out, gently placing a hand on hers, stilling her movements. “Marie, I get it. You don’t need to worry about rushing into anything.”

She looked at him, feeling a rush of relief. “Thanks, Bruce. I just wanted to be honest about what you’re getting into.”

Bruce smiled, his hand still resting on hers. “I’m no stranger to unpredictability. My job can be like that, too.”

Marie’s eyes softened as she felt the warmth of his touch. “It’s really good to hear that. It’s nice knowing someone understands.”

Bruce chuckled softly. “I’m here for whatever comes next, whether it’s more of these nights or the craziness of your job.”

Marie's heart pulsed, “That means a lot to me.”

Bruce took a small step back, his hand lingering on hers for a moment longer. “I’ll see you soon, Marie.”

She nodded, feeling a mix of warmth and anticipation. “See you soon, Bruce.”

With a final, reassuring smile, Bruce turned and walked into the night. Marie watched him disappear, still in disbelief that she had just been on a date with Bruce Wayne. She lingered by the door, a gentle smile on her lips, savoring the moment before finally closing it behind her.

—-------------------------------

The next morning, Marie was back at the precinct, surrounded by the usual clamor of ringing phones and clacking keyboards. Marie and Gordon had taken a quiet moment in his office to discuss their next steps on the Red Lotus case. The blinds were drawn, casting long shadows across the desk, making the room feel calm amidst the usual unrest of the station.

Marie sat across from Gordon, fidgeting with the edge of a case file. She looked up, her expression uncertain. “Gordon, I need to talk to you about something. Something outside of work.” Gordon broke his focus from the paperwork on his desk and met her eyes.

“I’ve been seeing someone. Bruce Wayne. We went on a date, and it was… well, it was great.”

Gordon raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. “Bruce Wayne, huh? The billionaire playboy. I didn’t expect that. Guess you guys really hit it off at the gala.”

Marie sighed and rubbed her temples. “Yeah, it’s been... complicated.”

Gordon looked surprised. “I thought you said the date was good?”

“It was. The date was amazing. He said he wants to see me again.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“My job is a mess. Balancing it while being in a relationship is tough. I’ve never had time for anything serious before.” She felt a pang of insecurity upon revealing that detail.

She continued, “It’s not that I don’t want to be dating someone, but honestly, I’ve never even had time to download a dating app. And it’s not like I’m meeting guys while working late nights at the precinct.” Marie glanced out the window into the precinct’s lobby, where Harvey Bullock and a few other cops were hunched over, shoveling chips and sodas into their mouths. “Well, not any halfway decent guys, at least.” 

Gordon sighed, “Let me guess, you’re worried that work might affect this budding relationship with Mr. Wayne?”

Marie nodded, looking troubled. “Exactly. I could be on call at any hour, and I can’t just turn off being a detective. I’ve never had a life outside of this job. It’s like the moment I try to have something normal, it feels like it’s going to get swallowed up by work."

Gordon leaned forward, his tone firm but gentle. “Marie, this job will take everything from you if you let it. It’s a beast, and it’s never satisfied. But that doesn’t mean you should let it destroy everything else in your life.”

Marie looked up, surprised. “You think so?”

“Absolutely.” Gordon nodded, “You’ve earned this time with someone special. You deserve a balance, and you shouldn’t let the job dictate every aspect of your life. Hell, even I’ve had to learn that the hard way.”

Marie’s eyes widened. “How do you manage it?”

Gordon shrugged slightly. “It’s not easy. There’s no magic formula. But I’ve learned to make space for what matters, even when it feels impossible. You need to protect those parts of your life that give you happiness. Otherwise, you’ll end up a shell of yourself.”

Marie’s shoulders relaxed a bit, a small smile forming. “I’m just scared that if I let my guard down, things will fall apart.”

Gordon’s expression was encouraging. “You’re not alone in this. There’s no shame in wanting a life outside of this job. If Bruce is someone who makes you happy, don’t push him away because you’re afraid. It’s okay to let yourself be human.”

Marie nodded, feeling understood. “I guess I need to figure out how to make room for both parts of my life.”

Gordon gave her a reassuring smile. “You will. You’re one of the best detectives I know, but you’re also one of the best people I know. You deserve to be happy. Don’t forget that.”

Marie stood up, feeling a bit lighter. “Thanks, Gordon. I really needed to hear that.”

Gordon gave her a nod as she headed for the door. “Anytime, Detective.”

—-------------------------------

A few hours later, Marie was at her desk surrounded by a chaotic array of case files. The Red Lotus case had her on edge. Upon studying her most recent notes, she was convinced the next murder would occur at an old industrial plant near Gotham Hospital.

She found Commissioner Gordon in his office, packing up to head home for the day. “Boss, I need to get in touch with Batman. I’ve got a lead on the Red Lotus case.”

Gordon checked his watch before looking at Marie, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “It's awfully late, don't you have a cat that will miss you if you're out too late?"

When Marie's expression didn't change, he continued, "There’s a broken floodlight on the roof. It’s not exactly high-tech, but it’s how I usually get his attention.”

Marie’s eyes widened with curiosity. “Really? That’s… oddly brilliant. I’ll go up there and give it a try.”

On the roof, Marie fumbled with the old floodlight, trying to get it working. After a few awkward attempts, she managed to get the light beaming into the night sky, resembling a crude Bat-Signal.

She stared at the light, feeling a mix of anticipation and impatience. “Come on, Batman. I’m not exactly an expert at this.”

Minutes ticked by, and Marie’s anxiety grew. She muttered to herself, “Maybe he’s caught in traffic. Or maybe he’s just not into following broken floodlights.”

Frustrated, she decided to head to the industrial plant on her own. As she drove up to the location, she noticed the place was as ominous as she had imagined. The shadows and decaying machinery made it feel like a scene from a horror movie.

Marie approached the entrance, her nerves increasing with every step. The shadows seemed to stretch everywhere, and the dim, flickering lights cast unsettling shapes on the walls. Her stomach churned with a mix of anxiety and determination. She had expected Batman to show up by now, but he was still nowhere in sight. The unease gnawed at her; she felt exposed and alone.

As she neared the entrance, the sound of engines roared behind her. Marie turned to see black SUVs pulling up, their headlights slicing through the gloom. She braced herself as Falcone’s men emerged, their intimidating presence amplifying her sense of dread.

“Looks like we’ve got company,” one of Falcone’s goons said with a sneer. The man had a brutish face, a scar running down his cheek, and his eyes were cold and menacing.

Marie tried to steady her breathing as she faced them. “Falcone,” she called out, her voice wavering slightly despite her best efforts. “Let’s cut the bullshit. Are you behind the Red Lotus murders?”

Falcone stepped out of the shadows with an air of casual arrogance. His sharp, tailored suit seemed out of place against the backdrop of the crumbling industrial plant. He looked Marie up and down with a dismissive smirk, making her skin crawl. “Why would I be behind those murders?” he drawled, his gaze lingering uncomfortably. “I’m being set up. Someone’s trying to pin this whole mess on me.”

Marie’s eyes narrowed, her anger bubbling to the surface. “Framed, huh? For what reason? Why would anyone go through all the trouble to set you up?”

Falcone’s smile widened, a glint of malice in his eyes. “Well, darling, that’s a question for someone with a bit more brain power than you. But it’s definitely easier to pay people off than to deal with nosy detectives.”

Marie’s jaw tightened. “So you’re saying you’re just handing out bribes to keep people quiet? Sounds like you’re more worried about covering your tracks than finding out who's framing you.”

Falcone chuckled, shaking his head. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? But really, it’s easier to silence people than deal with the mess they cause. Especially when they’re poking around where they shouldn’t be.”

Marie’s patience snapped. “Enough with the crap, Falcone. If you’re not behind the murders, why are you trying to bribe me to back off? You’re hiding something.”

Falcone’s demeanor darkened. “Listen, detective, I’m not here to play games. It’s called ‘business.’ Sometimes you have to grease palms to keep things running smoothly. Doesn’t mean I’m behind every fuckin’ mess that happens in this city.”

She felt a surge of anger. “Business? Is that what you call it? Paying people off and getting away with murder? I’m not buying your bullshit.”

“I’m done with this, take her out.” Falcone announced, waving his fingers towards his groupies.

Before she could react further, his men moved in. One of them threw a punch, catching Marie off guard. She staggered, the blow hitting her squarely in the ribs. She gritted her teeth, trying to fight back, but the sheer number of attackers overwhelmed her. Each punch and kick seemed to blend into a haze of pain. She was able to land a few good punches before they overpowered her.

“Fuck you,” Marie gasped as another thug slammed her against the wall. A punch to her jaw brought the sharp, coppery taste of blood to her mouth. She spat the blood onto her attacker’s face, her struggle to defend herself growing more desperate with each agonizing second.

Just as the situation seemed dire, a grappling hook shot through the air, and Batman descended with a powerful landing that sent Falcone’s goons sprawling. The Dark Knight moved with expert precision, his strikes a blur of efficiency and force. Each of Falcone's thugs fell or fled under the relentless onslaught.

“Perfect timing,” Marie muttered bitterly, falling to the ground as Batman’s intervention ended the assault. The thugs were either incapacitated or running for their lives, leaving the grimy, derelict plant in an eerie silence. Falcone was nowhere to be seen.

Batman’s focus shifted immediately to Marie. He knelt beside her, his expression hidden but his concern evident in the harsh lines of his posture. He gently examined her injuries, his gloved hands careful but firm. His breath came in heavy, controlled bursts as he took in the extent of her bruises and cuts.

“This is what happens when you don’t wait for backup,” Batman said, his voice low but laced with frustration. “What the hell were you thinking, coming here alone? You could’ve been killed. This isn’t a damn game.”

Marie winced as he touched a particularly sore spot on her jaw. “I didn’t have time to wait,” she snapped, trying to mask her pain with defiance. “I was on a lead, and I needed to act before it got cold.”

Batman’s eyes narrowed beneath his mask. “You’re not invincible, Detective. You’re lucky I showed up when I did. What if I hadn’t been here? You were losing that fight. These guys will end you, and you'll never be seen again.”

Marie tried to sit up, but the pain kept her laying down. “You think I don't know that?" Batman didn't respond.

She spoke up, "Oh, and where were you when I used the floodlight? I waited, but you didn’t show up. You think I can just sit around and wait forever? What kind of detective would that make me?”

Batman’s anger was palpable. “I was following another lead. I didn’t realize you’d be in this much danger. This city is dangerous, and you should’ve known better than to come here without backup.”

Marie’s gaze was filled with pain. “Well, maybe if you were more reliable, I wouldn’t have had to face this alone.” Moments passed as Bruce continued scanning her wounds.

His voice softened slightly, though it remained stern. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been here sooner. But you have to be more careful. Gotham’s not a place for heroics without a plan or backup.”

Marie’s irritation didn’t wane, but she nodded, recognizing the truth in his words. “Fine. Let’s just get out of here. I don’t want to hang around for another round of thugs.”

Batman helped her to her feet, his arm securely wrapped around her waist to support her. Marie couldn’t help but notice the sheer size of his muscles pressing against her, and she felt a surge of irritation. "Great," she thought, "as if his stupidly amazing physique wasn’t already impressive enough." The tension between them was palpable as they made their way out of the industrial plant, Marie’s anger simmering beneath the surface.

Once outside, Batman glanced back at the ruined plant, his mind racing through the night’s events. His voice was quieter, almost softer, as if Bruce Wayne was momentarily taking over. “You need to be more cautious,” he said, struggling to articulate the depth of his concern. His words fell short, unable to fully express how much he cared for her and how deeply it hurt him to see her injured.

“I’ll make sure you get medical attention,” he continued, his tone firm yet caring. “Don’t think that you can keep doing this without consequences.”

Marie met his gaze, her own concern mirroring his. “I get it. I’ll be more careful. But remember, I’m not just another asset. I’m out here doing what I can to stop the madness.”

With a final, pained look at the darkened plant, Batman and Marie disappeared into the night.