#Thinking about Bruce going after a missile instead of going after his son. If you were a normal non-Batman parent you wouldn’t be in that

[kittykatninja321]

Is it possible for superheroes to be good parents (or lovers or friends or anything else)? If you’re truly going to martyr yourself for the pursuit of justice doesn’t that mean that at some point you’re going to have to choose the world over your relationships? Yes it’s for the greater good but what mean for the people you love? Did they agree to that sacrifice? (Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t)

[dasweet]

Aunt Le

Synopsis: You're working part-time, especially after having your son. Your husband... He renovates houses. And I'm the cool single aunt. Somehow, we build our life.

Author's Notes: My first time writing here, so please be patient with me. Also, inglish is not my native language. be patient with me x2

Fluff

Afghanistan was a mess – that was one of the only thoughts around Yelena’s mind since the US government sent her squad to support the armed forces there. Shelters were built. People were taken off the street. Bombs were detonated, too. Yelena swears she can still hear the noise of explosions in her ears, even though the jet’s noise was the only real sound she heard in the last thirteen hours of the trip. And she tried to sleep. Tried to rest. But as a soldier who is constantly on the field, she has lost the ability to nap peacefully in public spaces (a disturbing ability that saved her life and dozens of others more times than Yelena can really count).

Still, at times like this, she wished she had this talent.

The last six months on a mission, rarely alone, rarely resting, constantly rescuing people from high-rise buildings and battling extremists has taken a toll on her nervous system. Thirteen hours of travel and a time-zone break didn’t do much to help either. But none of that matters. Not the incessant pain in her musicians, the aching twinges in her back that still can’t handle the jet’s seats, the heavy dark circles under her eyes that Yelena swears have already become a natural tattoo set. No. When she parks her car and the first thing she sees beyond the manicured yard, with neatly trimmed green grass and a red tricycle near the porch steps, it’s like the last few months hadn’t existed. Her heart swells up like a wet cotton ball and she opens the car door. A smile coming when the front door is flung open and a human being’s project passes through it faster than the speed of light.

“Aunt Le!” Hux squeals happily, shooting in her way like the small energy missile he is. Yelena leans over to catch the boy in mid-jump, ignoring the thud her suitcase makes when it hits the ground. She squeezes the boy a little tighter and is squeezed back in a death hug. His scent of baby shampoo and blackberry syrup has never changed.

“Hey buddy” She hums under her breath “How’s my champion doing?”

“Good.”

“Good, huh?”

“Yes.” Her smile grows even softer when she notices Natasha on the threshold, sneering affectionately as she does whenever Huxley is near his aunt. You see, since the boy learned to walk, he doesn’t let anyone pick him up. Except for Yelena.

“Put me down!”

For a short time, of course.

Yelena laughs, putting the child back on the sidewalk.

“Nice hat.”

“You think? I asked Mom for a soldier’s helmet like yours, but she thinks I’m too young for that.” He shares, tidying up the aluminum colander he’s currently wearing as a military helmet to hide his father’s inherited black hair.

Yelena peers at Natasha under her lashes before leaning in to whisper. “I’ll let you use mine if you promise you won’t tell mom.”

Huxley smiles excitedly. A toothless smile, crooked teeth and wrinkled nose, while half his view is blocked by the barrier of the colander . Yelena barely has time to melt before Natasha finally approaches.

“Stop corrupting my son.” Her hand lands on Yelena’s shoulder with a firm grip and for a second, loneliness and emptiness are filled with shared brotherhood affection. "Моя младшая сестра, it’s good to see you.”

They’ve never been very fond of prolonged physical touch, so their affection is portrayed with looks. Right now, Yelena is sure hers is mushy as hell when she nods positively, holding the older one’s elbow to acknowledge the touch. “Come on. Lets go in. You need to eat and get some rest. Looks like you came out of a war.”

“Ha!” She says, catching the irony of that choice of words in the air. Natasha rolls her eyes. “Where’s Bruce?”

“Mr. Gardner needed help fixing the roof.”

“Are the kids still causing problems?”

“It’s Halloween, Yelena.” Natasha shakes her head heavily “The kids have their trick moment and the neighbors deal with the damage for the rest of the year. Just the usual.”

“Rude. Hey, here, let the aunt-“

“No!” Huxley protests “I take.”

His version of help consists of dragging her bag across the floor, since he doesn't have the strength to lift and carry it in his skinny arms.

"Want help bug?"

"No Mommy! I'm fine!" Shouts the boy back.

Yelena doesn't have time to think that she'll need another suitcase until the end of the trip when Natasha comments something in Russian about how this vacancy for a physical education teacher at the school where she works is open and how nice it would be if Yelena could reconsider her plan of career. Stay in Ohio longer. Yelena rolls her eyes, too in love with her profession to give it up to live a simple life in the suburbs, with a husband, kids and furry pets that would probably make her raise her kids on antihistamines.

She doesn't even like people that much.

"But I could think about the dog" she confides as she crosses the Hall "I want a dog."

Behind them, Huxley pulls her bag up the stairs.

+++

She wakes up the next morning with a tiny body scaling her waist and her reflexes, too fast for her slow mind, kick into action before she can think about it. Her body tenses in preparation for a fight, but instead, all she sees is Huxley's toothless grin and her extra-large helmet unbuckled along the kid's jaw.

“Look, Aunt Le! It fit!"

[peppersonironi]

Batfam/Avengers Crossover Chapter One: Arrival

Yo, this has been on Ao3 for a while and people seem to really love it, So I thought I’d post it here! Chapter below the cut.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Category: Gen Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types Relationships: Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Natasha Romanov & Damian Wayne, Clint Barton & Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tim Drake & Duke Thomas, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Dick Grayson/Wally West, Roy Harper/Koriand'r/Jason Todd, Characters: Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon, Justice League (DCU), Alfred Pennyworth, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Clint Barton, Thor (Marvel), Bruce Banner, Peter Parker, Alfred the Cat (DCU), Bat-Cow (DCU), Goliath (DCU), Selina Kyle's Cat Isis, Kate Kane (DCU), Duke Thomas, Additional Tags: Batbrothers (DCU), Avengers Meet The Batfam, MCU/Batfam crossover, Crossover, no beta we die like robins, rated T for Jason's language, I bleeped it out though. Just to be safe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, canon? What's canon?, Deaf Clint Barton,Deaf Character, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Happy Batfamily (DCU), Birdflash and joyfire are implied/referenced,

Summary:

The Avengers find themselves in an alternate universe where none of them exist. Instead, there is a different group of heroes: The Justice League. They decide to work together to get the Avengers home. But not not everything is instantaneous, so the Avengers need a place to stay. The only place available is Wayne Manor.

Que Batfamily shenanigans!

Multi-chapter fanfic, with some one shots that go along with the plot thrown in.

Notes:

This is my first time writing anything with the Avengers - especially a deaf!clint - and the Batfam, so I apologize if anything is doc. Constructive criticism is appreciated!

This is mainly comic DCU with Movie Avengers (Set after the first avengers movie, plus Spiderman, cause I can ;-)

Crack! Bang! There was a flash of blindingly bright light, followed by a huge explosion.

"Wha- where are we?"

Tony Stark looked over to Peter who had been the first to speak. Crap, the kid had come here too. But wherever here was, he did not know.

Tony, Steve, Hulk, Thor, Clint, Peter, and Natasha stood in a loose clump at the center of a smoking crater. The sky was cloudy  and dark, and they appeared to be at least five miles outside of a big city, judging from the buildings in the distance. There was also a highway filled with streaming cars a couple of miles to Tony’s right.

“This isn’t right,” He muttered, opening his faceplate. Where were the sunny tropical trees that housed the compound of Anagnorisis - weird name, he knew - who was some D-list villain who thought some slightly advanced tech made them a world-conqueror. But Tony was beginning to think that those guns were a bit stranger and more advanced than he had previously believed.

“Tell me about it,” replied Steve. “Any idea where we are? Was it some sort of teleportation gun that was shot at us? This looks nothing like the Amazon.”

Before anyone could speak, Tony received a notification. Multiple incoming objects were approaching, fast . With the exception of the second fastest, they seemed to be airborne. “Multiple incomings, perhaps hostile. Most are flying. And they aren’t missiles. I think people ? But -”

“Who are you?”

Suddenly the first object arrived, and Stark was right. It was a black haired man in a blue skin tight suit with a red “S” on it and a flowing red cape. It would look ridiculous if he wasn’t glaring daggers at the group while flying .

He was joined almost immediately by another man, this time wearing an all red bodysuit with a lightning bolt on the chest and cowl. He was not flying though. He stopped in front of them swinging his arms as lightning dissipated. He had run there.

Next came a woman dressed in the colors of the american flag, with golden cuffs, tiara, and lasso by her side. She came with a man in a green, white, and black skin tight suit with some sort of symbol - perhaps a lantern? - on his chest. He also wore a green ring and black domino mask with white lenses on his face. They were both joined by another, a split second later. This was by far the strangest arrival. He was completely bald, with green skin and red eyes. He wore navy blue pants and cape, with only a red “X” over his chest. All three were floating.

“Who are you?” The blue and red man repeated.

Tony scoffed. Was this guy serious? “We’re the Avengers, obviously.”

The group shared a look. “Is that some new kind of villain group? I swear to all that is good and holy if I need to deal with another group who think they can rule the world, I. Will. Quit.” This time the man who spoke was the runner.

Steve replied, confusion clear on his face. “We’re not villains! We’re the Avengers; Earth’s mightiest heroes!”

Instead of coming to their senses, the strangely dressed newcomers laughed .

“You do realize you are speaking to members of the Justice League?” The woman spoke, her lips pursed.

“The who now?”

“Be quiet Kid, we don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Tony spoke to Peter. He was getting more worried by the second. Something was seriously wrong.

“Dealing with?” The green dressed man frowned, clearly suspicious of the Avengers. He started to fidget with his ring. “Well, since you don’t seem to know, let me enlighten you.” He gestured to each of his companions. “Superman, son of Krypton. Wonder Woman, Amazonian Princess. The Flash, fastest man alive. Martian Manhunter, well, a martian. And Me, Green Lantern. Member of the Green Lantern Core.”

Well, that explained everything. Not.

“We do not know you, strangers.” Thor spoke this time. “Perhaps you leave us be, our green friend over here gets frustrated easily.” He pointed to Hulk, who was breathing heavily.

The green man - martian, apparently - spoke for the first time. “Not until you tell us who you are and why you are in a smoking crater near His city.”

“His?” Clint clearly did not like the way the martian spoke of this character. To be honest, Stark didn’t either.

This got the most surprised reactions from the five. They looked at each other, and Tony could have sworn there was a hint of fear in their faces.

“Oh, He is so not going to like that.” Green Lantern said.

“Combined with the fact that we ditched Him.” The Flash cringed. Then looked worried again. “Yo, green grape, you okay.

The Hulk’s breathing was growing heavier, his face contorted into that of utter rage.

“Uh-oh,” Steve said.

“I . . . Not . . . GRAPE!” Hulk roared as he charged the The Flash who nimbly dodged. Superman went down to intercede, and just got punched by the Hulk. Though it did not seem to physically bother him, he was clearly angry.

Tony shut his face plate and moved forward, intending to stop the fight, but he only got attacked by the martian. Peter jumped forward to help, and soon everyone was fighting.

Thor was pitted against the Wonder Woman, and they seemed evenly matched.  Black Widow was against The flash, and despite his incredible speed she seemed to be almost winning. Both Hawkeye and Captain America were battling Green Lantern.

No one seemed to have the upper hand, which worried Tony. These people were tough. If they couldn’t beat them . . . he didn’t know what would happen.

Peter didn’t seem to share his worry though. He instead seemed to be having fun. Tony could tell the kid was smiling beneath his mask, and his body language screamed hyper and happy. He seemed to get that way whenever they fought together, and a small part of Tony was filled with a sense of parental pride.

The fight seemed endless, no one gaining traction. Until something incredible happened. Thor threw Mjolnir directly at his opponent, and instead of being knocked down like everyone else, she caught the hammer. Every Avenger - even the Hulk - immediately froze, catching the attention of the newcomers.

“This is a very well crafted weapon, though a bit clunky,” Wonder Woman said as she tossed the hammer from one hand to the other. She paused, seeing their reactions.

“You are worthy.” Thor spoke with disbelief and a tint of resignation in his voice.

“Pardon?” Superman spoke, his frown apparent.

“Only those worthy can lift Mjolnir - my hammer. She clearly can, which means that you are trustworthy.”

*****

Five minutes of somewhat confused conversation later, they had reached an uneasy truce. Neither spoke much at first, but they soon began to compare notes. Apparently They both believed themselves to be the protectors of Earth, which brought on a bout of argument before Peter stepped in.

“Woah hold on, calm down. Something is clearly up, so there’s no need to argue!”

Wonder Woman looked contemplative. “How old are you boy, you seem young.”

Peter bristled. “I’m 15, and I’ve been a superhero for a while now, so I’m not inexperienced!”

Green Lantern laughed. “That’s not what she met, kid. We aren’t going to tell you how old you need to be to fight crime. The amount of we work with, and some even younger than you . . .” He shook his head and laughed. Then he realised how he had sounded. “I mean, we don’t force them, it's up to each individual to make that choice for themselves. Well, with the mentor’s approval of course.”

Natasha furrowed her brows. “How young are some of these kids?” Tony knew she had a thing against child soldiers, so he wasn’t surprised she was disapproving.

Green Lantern looks to the Flash. “How old is Robin at this point? 9?”

Flash laughed. “Naw, that little devil is 11. He was very adamant on that fact when he threatened me with his katana.” He shook his head.

Green Lantern laughed. “Yeah, most of the others are teenagers. Robin is the youngest, and I’d say most deadly, but Red Hood . . .”

“The Dark Knight really does have a problem,” Flash said.

His last comment made Green Lantern freeze. They both looked at each other then turned to Peter.

“Kid, stay away from The Dark Knight.” Green Lantern says.

“Yeah, if He sees you, there’s no way you’ll ever leave.”

“He’s the most dangerous man on earth,” Green Lantern adds.

“Guys, stop. You’re scaring him.” Superman looks disappointedly at the two heroes who Tony pegged as the trouble makers of the group. This idea was further cemented in Tony when they started laughing. Despite this, he decided to keep Peter as far away from this supposed Dark Knight as possible.

“Speak of the devil, he’s on his way.” Superman says this with a smile, then he cringes. “And we’re going to get an earful alright. Ten minutes ahead of him is a big deal apparently.”

In a moment. Tony got an alert that something was approaching. Fast. Soon he saw a large black military type armoured car fly down the highway from the city and off the road. It zoomed toward them.

It was a sight indeed to see the menacing black car swerve and expertly stop a few yards from the group. The top opened and a dark form shot straight up before landing in a kneeling position in front of them. The figure rose, and Tony got the first good look at him. He was a tall man with a broad chest and shoulders, dresses in complete black. There was a bat-like symbol on his chest, also in black. He wore a cape that flowed around menacingly. His face was covered by a cowl with pointed ears, like that of an owl, or perhaps a bat. The only part of his costume that was not black was the dark gold utility belt at his waist. Altogether, he was utterly frightening.

Tony took a step forward, effectively blocking Peter, who scoffed.

“Batman,” Superman said, a smile on his face.

Batman fixed the most impressive and terrifying glare upon the man that Stark had ever seen. “You broke protocol by going ahead of me. You are in my territory Superman. And you know that I cannot fly or run at the speed of sound.” He fixed his glare on the rest of his group who all reacted with either flinches or sheepish shrugs.

Batman grunted before looking at the Avengers. He sized each of them up, staying longest on Stark. Tony felt as if his entire being was being stripped away under the scrutiny.

“Alternate Dimension jumpers, not by choice I’m assuming.”

He spoke so simply that it took a minute for Tony to react. Even then, the man was already on his way back to his car.

“We’re near Gotham, let’s regroup at the Cave.”

Tony didn’t know what this Cave was, but he wasn’t sure he liked it. “Are you the Dark Knight?” He asked, before he lost his nerve.

The man looked immediately at the Flash and Green Lantern, who looked both scared and amused. Their sheepish smirks and chuckles dissipated when Batman looked away and back to Tony.

“The Dark Knight, The World’s Greatest Detective, The Caped Crusader, The Batman. All are titles I have earned. See you at the cave.”

And with that he hopped in his car and sped off back toward the gloomy city beyond.

[batarella]

The Commander - Part 12 (Arkham Knight x Reader)

We’ve reached the point where the events take place in the Arkham Knight video game!!! I found these more difficult since I wanted to stay true to the source material. The timing isn’t perfect but I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY.

WORDS: 3239 WARNINGS: BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT SPOILERS, ARKHAM KNIGHT AUDIO LOGS SPOILERS, VIOLENCE, JASON FLUFF, AND A LIL ASS GRAB

Masterlist

THE COMMANDER - MASTERLIST

-----

The Arkham Knight to Ace Chemicals.

Deathstroke to Stagg Airships.

And Deadshot, the Militia Commander, to the abandoned Killinger’s Department Store. The Arkham Knight Headquarters.

Five trucks and two choppers surround the building. Crates for the weapons were being unloaded, drones being dropped off by the helicopters, some driving off into the tunnels and the rest through the main entrance.

The Commander held a gun to a police officer’s forehead, who was on his knees, his hands behind his head, and was trembling. Five others lined up beside him. They were found in the mall before any of the soldiers got there.

“Call off your reinforcements. Now.”

They looked up at the Commander’s chilling white mask, at the red gun optics where an eye hole was supposed to be. She looked positively terrifying. The police officer gulped, then lowered his hands to pick up his radio.

“What kind of army are you?” the officer beside him asked. The Commander pointed the gun at him. “You be quiet.”

He saw this as a chance. Instead of a radio, the officer quickly pulled out his pistol and fired at the Commander. Everyone else flinched at the gunshot.

The officer dropped his gun, then his whole body fell to the floor. His blood leaked out of the bullet hole right out where his nose was supposed to be, and smoke came out of the second pistol the Commander quickly pulled out before the officer had even moved.

She pointed the two guns at the remaining cops.

“Any of you want to do it?”

The one in the middle swallowed hard, finally thinking it right to pick up his radio.

“Commissioner, this is Officer Chang.”

A ball of sweat poured out when the commander clicked the trigger.

“Call off reinforcements to Killinger’s Department Store.”

He turned the radio off, then threw it to the ground.

“All your weapons. On the ground,” the commander ordered. All of them did as told. “Sergeant. Make sure they don’t escape. Anyone see us?”

“None so far. We’re good to go.”

“Get all the trucks out of here. Make sure no one finds us.”

Cameras. They should be here. Somewhere.

Even with the building abandoned, she could feel some where staring at her.

At the far end, on a street light. Deadshot raised her arm and pulled on the gun on her wrist. The optics on her eye flashed its signature. The camera exploded and the lights flashed red, yellow, and green at the same time.

There was another one. By the building across them. Her optics picked up the movement and she fired at it before it could fully turn at her direction.

The last one could be ignored. It was ten stories up, by a skyscraper. It only barely got a glimpse of the entrance to the shopping mall.

But she wasn’t taking the chance.

From such a distance, Deadshot raised her arm and fired from ten stories down, right at the almost microscopic security camera installed at an office ceiling.

The glass window blew up and there was a flash of light coming from the building, until her optics detected nothing more than just ceiling bulbs.

Done. It was safe.

She watched the officer’s dead body being taken away. He had a family. A daughter like Zoe. A niece like Y/N. They were waiting for him to come home.

The Commander walked over to the entrance. Sentry guns were being placed, her men marched to the elevators and some passed through the tunnels. She pressed the communicator on her ear.

“Knight. We have the base.”

“Batman is in Ace Chemicals. He’s about to go after Crane. Did they get Barbara Gordon?”

She looked over to the final truck unloading by the entrance. A red-haired woman confined to a wheelchair was being wheeled down to the elevators. She was gagged, laying unconscious while she was taken to the undergrounds.

“Arrived just now. What do we do with her?”

“Just keep her in the base. Crane and I will get there as soon as we can.”

“Copy.” The gates were being pulled down and the lights switched off. The Commander walked into the elevator with the captive.

He said Barbara Gordon worked for Batman, that she was a crucial part in his operations, and that he used to know her when he was still working with Batman.

“Keep her alive,” she said, as the elevator pried open and Barbara was wheeled into the underground base, into a secluded room which she thought used to be a large clothing store. Its window was overlooking most of the base, and she could see what went on outside.

How many innocent people has she hurt? How much guilt did she have to push back her whole life?

“Clear everything. This will be the control room for the drones and the communicators. Take Gordon to the back.”

She went with them to the offices, and just then, the generators turned on. They left Barbara in one of the rooms.

“Knight. Are you here?”

“I’ll come up in a few minutes.”

She told Lieutenant Whitman to wait in front of the closed door, walking back outside where the computers were being set up just outside.

Scarecrow walked in, just as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. He looked at her, head to toe.

“Commander…”

“Crane…” she snarled. She took a seat at the center of the long table and pulled up the camera footage of outside the mall.

No one was outside, and the entrance remained dark. The tunnels were closed, and the Batman was nowhere to be seen. She sees Jason pull up in his motorcycle by the entrance, hiding it behind a dumpster.

“Commander,” she heard her comms buffer while watching the Knight with his hand up to his ear. “I’m at the base.”

“Just walk in to the elevator. What happened at Ace Chemicals?”

“Batman blew the whole place down. But we got what we needed.”

“Good job,” she smirked. “I’m looking at you right now from the control room. I’ve destroyed every other camera and installed new ones from all over the command points and watchtowers going online.”

Jason looked around, finding the camera and looking straight at it.

“Everything looking good?”

“Yes,” she said. “Looking good indeed. That ass looks phenomenal.”

The Knight chuckled under his visor as she watched him walk into the mall. “I’m coming down.”

“You know where to find us.”

She turned her communicators off, then glared at the sergeant looking at her funny. He quickly looked away.

Finally, this was where it all came to be. The bases were all online. On the screen newly set up in front of her, she brought up the live footage from the serpent drones flying above the three islands. Everything was in place.

But one of their bomb mines in Miagani set off an alert.

“A bomb has been hacked, Lieutenant. Send the drones to the coordinates.”

“Yes sir,” her comms spoke into her ear. Tapping onto the controls, she sent a serpent drone to hover above the scene.

And fucking hell, was it something she didn’t expect.

It wasn’t a car. Batman had a fucking tank. Bigger than any of their drones, and so much more than any of them expected.

She sent every drone close to the location to ambush the Batmobile. “Open fire.”

The drones fired their missiles. Rattlers, Diamondbacks, Mambas, and even a Boa, all firing at him. One by one, a drone went offline, and she wanted to rip her hair out from her scalp. “Why did no one tell me about his fucking tank?”

The Batmobile just went on and on, and it fired a 60mm canon right at a Boa, blowing it up after just two shots. She could only watch on, locking onto five different drones and clearing the ambush without so much as a dent. When every drone went offline, the bomb mine hacked, the Commander fell back to her chair.

She suddenly didn’t feel so good.

The Knight came up to the control rooms. He took more time down the elevator than Batman did blowing up all those drones. “Commander.”

“Knight.” She stood up. “Gordon’s in that room.”

He didn’t say anything, and the Commander realized he was looking at her new suit. “Nice job with the HQ.” Jason walked over to the back. “Where’s Crane?”

“He went in there with Barbara.”

“That son of a- Get the hell away from her!” He screamed at Scarecrow just as he swung the door open. Crane shot up, but he took his time.

“Soon, you won't be able to choose who lives or dies from your own doings, Knight.”

“I said get out.”

“Crane,” the Commander said. She walked over and grabbed him by the arm, but Scarecrow shook it off. “Remember what we talked about, Commander…”

He left the room. Commander Y/N looked over to Jason.

“Commander. Can you leave us?”

She looked at him, then at Barbara. Nodding, she left the room, but kept her ear close to the door.

“He’s gone. Did he hurt you?”

“Spare me the good cop, bad cop routine.”

So he cares about her. Fair enough.

He talked about Batman, the same things she’s already known about how he was betrayed, how he kept talking to the Joker hoping it would give him enough time to come rescue him. How he never did.

But then she heard his visor turn up, then it was Jason’s unfiltered voice, screaming at the captive.

The Commander kept at the door.

“Jason, we can fix it.”

“I can fix it! I know now what to do. I take all this pain. All this blackness. And I put it all in a bullet. And I put it right between Bruce’s eyes.”

His voice was breaking as he spoke. She wanted to go after him. But Scarecrow’s boney hand touched her shoulder. She flinched away.

“She’s ready. Be at the undergrounds in fifteen minutes.”

The Commander just watched Crane barge into the door, calling for the Knight to prepare the Cloudburst.

“Someone put a gag on her. Anyone hurts her, they’re a dead man.”

She was the only one nearby. The Commander walked in, took a gag from her pockets and placed it on Barbara’s mouth.

“You’ll be okay,” she whispered to her. Gordon stopped struggling, and a soldier came in bearing a gun.

“Watch over her,” the Knight ordered. At the control center, Scarecrow took a seat. And he brought the camera logged into the Cloudburst up on the screen. “Ten minutes, Knight.”

He nodded at Scarecrow, and the Commander trailed behind him as they headed for the elevators to the undergrounds. The one that lead to a tunnel up to the streets in Founder’s.

The cop’s blood was still probably spilling on the streets. How many people did she hurt by killing him?

Jason pressed the button, and the elevator roared in a twitching buzz.

His silence only pained her. She wanted to hold him tight, but if he wanted that, he would’ve pulled her close himself. Jason inched himself to the corner, his arms shielding his chest. He didn’t want to be bothered.

Nothing has meant more to him than putting an end to Batman’s reign over Gotham.

But what happens then?

What happens to Jason after he’s done what he wanted? When he has Gotham under his feet, when all else has been destroyed?

Y/N watched the walls outside the elevator move up, until suddenly there was a loud crash and the whole thing stopped moving, the lights dimmed out and the noise from the gears came to a halt.

Jason cursed every swear word he knew. “These fucking generators. They’re all over the place.”

“It should be fixed in a few minutes. Don’t worry.” The Commander leaned against the wall. “Are you alright?”

No. He wasn’t. Since they arrived at Gotham the dark cloud over his head just grew darker and stronger, knowing his path to kill the Bat was coming to a close. The Commander stood right beside him and brushed her arm against his larger one.

“Take that thing off. It’s only me.”

Jason pushed the button, then his hand immediately wiped the tears that had been sitting on his cheek. Y/N fell ill, taking off her own mask and pushing her shoulder against Jason’s.

“Talk to me.”

He faced her. “You already know everything.”

“But you’ve never told me yourself. I only had to find out.”

“I’ve told you enough.”

“No,” she said, taking his face. “I don’t think you have.”

He no longer flinched when she did that. Instead, the corners of his mouth curved up, taking her hand and squeezing it. He pulled it away from his face, but kept running his thumb over her fingers.

“I waited for him to come for me. Even after so many months. I never lost hope. But Joker…” he choked. “He just kept beating that hope out of me. He kept me in an abandoned wing at Arkham. No one ever found me. He paid one of the guards to let him in, beat me with a crowbar, tied me to the ceiling, strapped me to a chair, called all his friends to help torture me, did this to my face..”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “I went in there a boy with so much wonder to look at in the world. And when I came out, I was nothing. Emptied out. I only knew anger. I hated everyone around me. And there was nothing I wanted more than to kill him.”

The Commander looked up at him, and he craned his head down so his face was nearer to hers.

“I think I would’ve gone clinically insane without you.”

A kiss to the lips. Already he’d calmed.

“How ‘bout you? How are you holding up?” he asked.

“I’m trying not to think about him. For tonight, at least.”

“You know you can just sit back if you like-“

“I’m fine. I can rest after I take out the Cloudburst.”

He shuffled his arms and took his hand away from hers. “I was meaning to talk to you about that.”

“What about?

“I should be the one to go out there. I want to take him by myself.”

“We talked about this,” she said. “I can blow a tank.”

“And I know you're going to say you’re so much better than me at it.”

“I’m not saying that.”

“With what just happened, with you, your uncle, it’s better if you stay upstairs.”

She just looked annoyed by then. “Jason, I’m taking the Cloudburst.” Jason didn’t answer and kept his head craned down. The Commander scoffed. “You’re not paying me more than a million dollars tonight just to stay behind at the control room.”

“Fine,” he stood in front of her. “Five Cobra drones will be at your escort and I’ll come along in a Serpent when the time comes, or if you need any help. Also, I forgot to give you these.”

He pulled out an earpiece. “This communicator only links to mine. It’s a second one. We have our main, which Batman probably has access to. And this. He wouldn’t be looking for it. Not even Crane knows about it.”

She took it and placed it on her ear. “I’ll be fine.”

“Be careful out there.” His voice was soft.

He wasn’t talking to the Commander. He was talking to Y/N.

Jason slowly held her hips, pulled her close and finally managed a small smile. He kissed her, harder as if saying goodbye. She hugged his neck and leaned in even closer.

At the midst of a city wide apocalypse, she was his only light. And it was true. If not for her, he’d be so engulfed in his own darkness, there’d be no escape, not even if he wanted to climb out of it.

After he kills Batman, he’ll need her more than anything else. He’ll need something to level his ground, to bring out the humanity still left in him.

She knew first hand what it was like killing someone she had a terrible grudge on. It wasn’t the same as killing someone you never knew. It ruins you, drags you to every circle of hell until there’s no where else to go. She had to climb out of that deep pit by herself. And it wasn’t an easy task.

It was partly the reason why she couldn’t bring herself to go to Arkham.

When you thought your life would be a much lighter weight to carry, it only adds to the pain. Jason didn’t need to be told that.

The elevator finally started up, then the lights turned on. He slightly pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers for as long as he could. The Commander held the side of his face and closed her eyes.

“By the way,” he whispered. “I love the new suit.”

His hand grabbed her ass. She jumped up, playfully pushing his arm away. Her laughter was the last thing he heard when the doors pushed open and they pulled away.

The Knight flashed his visor back on. It was there.

She was ready.

The Cloudburst. The beautiful monstrosity that was Scarecrow’s most beloved weapon. The Nimbus Tech was in place right at the front, and it had the much of the toxin, enough to drown a person before they’d even get a glimpse of their fear. The front flashed a dark blue, much like the eyes on the Arkham Knight’s visor, and the gun optics, the Commander couldn’t help but revel in it.

It was the best tank she’ll ever get to man in her life. And she’s been through quite a number.

The gates slowly rolled up, and a soldier stepped out the hatch. It was time. She took one look at Jason, even through the visor.

She wasn’t afraid. She knew she wasn’t going to die tonight.

But she should’ve told him she loved him. Even for the just the slightest chance she might not come back. He deserved to know.

So she had to come back. For him. She still had so much to look forward to. A life outside the militia. A life with Jason. And she had to make sure he’ll be okay. That he wouldn’t have to claw himself out of the darkness, that she’d be there to hold him up. He needed her. Just as much as she needed him.

‘Breathe in. Breathe out.’

She closed her eyes, then climbed up to the hatch.

The gate was fully open, and the five Cobra Drones have been driven out the tunnels. The Commander closed the hatch, settled herself in, and pulled on the lever.

‘Always breathe. Don’t let the world touch your focus, Deadshot.’

Y/N looked onto her scope, still after so many tries. Floyd kneeled down next to her, and brought her hand further out closer to the muzzle. She knew she should have just hit the birds.

At the pull of the trigger, her eyes closed shut. She didn’t want to look. She waited for Floyd’s hand on her shoulder again, or another piece of advice that only did so much to help.

‘Bullseye,’ her uncle said. And she shot up in the air and cried in joy.

It was steak night, tonight. That was what Floyd promised.

-----

THE COMMANDER - MASTERLIST

----

  Taglist: everyartistwas-firstanamateur  @sarcasmismyfirstlove @damned-queen-of-gotham @idkmanicantenglish @wunderstell @birdy-bat-riya @get-loki@everyday-imfangirling @comic-nerd-dc @multifandoms916 @icequeen208@offendedfishnoises @egdolan @xemiefx @arkhamtoddler @elsenthal@mythicbitchx @supremehaunter @ burning-alive  @lucy-roo

[penpatronuswhump]

WHUMPTOBER 2020

No. 17

Fandom: Avengers

Whumpee: Peter Parker

Caregiver: Tony Stark

Title: Blackmail, Bullets, Blood

By: PenPatronus // PenPatronusAooO 

Steve was so concerned about Tony that he followed him one night. Tony walked to a small Stark Industries warehouse eight blocks from the Tower at two in the morning. Peeking through a dusty window, Steve watched as Tony loaded wooden crate after wooden crate into a white Stark Industries van. When Tony went to leave, when the garage door opened, there was Cap standing there illuminated by the headlights with his hands at his hips, looking like a mother who just caught her son’s hand in the cookie jar.

 Tony stuck his head out of the driver’s side window and shouted, “Out of my way, Rogers!”

 “I can’t do that, Stark,” Steve called back. “Not until you tell me why you’re sneaking out missiles in the middle of the night.”

 “It’s none of your damn business where I’m going with my own inventory, Rogers,” Tony spat back. Tony jumped out of the van and pushed Steve in the chest. “Now get out of here!”

 Steve caught Tony’s wrists when Stark went in to push him again. “Where are you taking those missiles? I thought Stark Industries was done with arms dealing. Who are you selling these to?”

 “Selling them?” Tony laughed. He put his hands on his knees and laughed harder. “Selling them…”

 In the bright light, Cap noticed that Tony’s skin was white and shiny with sweat. He appeared to have lost a few pounds and the crescents beneath his eyes were darker than usual. “Tony, what’s wrong with you?”

 Tony wiped his eyes with his flannel shirt sleeve. “Nothing.”

 “You’re upset and you’re hiding something from me.”

 “I’m hiding a lot of things from you. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Tony…”

 “Cap, I really need to get going.” Stark checked his watch. “I can’t be late.”

 “Fine. I’ll go with you. I’m driving.” Steve went to pass Tony, but Stark grabbed him by the shoulders.

 “Listen to me. Just… Just listen, Steve. I can’t get you involved in this. Nobody can get involved in this. It’s just between me and…”  Tony sighed.

 “Tony, I’m your friend.” Steve put his hands on Tony’s shoulders. “I just want to help.”

 “You can’t help me,” Tony whispered. “This is the only way. This… This…” Tony’s face crumpled. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. “He took the kid.”

“Parker? Who?”

 “Klaue. Ulysses Klaue, the arms dealer. He has Peter. And if I don’t keep giving him missiles, he’ll kill him.” Arms fell away, and Stark took his phone out of his pocket. He opened an app Cap didn’t recognize, and showed a live feed of a prison cell. In it, a very skinny, very disheveled, very dirty Peter Parker sat in the corner with his arms around his legs, staring at the wall. “Klaue gives him one bite of bread and one sip of water for every missile I give him. And if I don’t get there soon, Peter won’t have anything to eat in the morning.”

 “He’s practically starving him,” Cap said. His face turned red. “Tony, we’re getting him out of there. Right now.”

 Stark shook his head. “Klaue said that if he sniffs even the slightest bit of trouble, he’ll kill the kid without a second thought. If one security guard sees us, if one alarm goes off – Pete’s dead.”

 Steve nodded. He gave it some thought – eyebrows frowning. “We’re going to need some help, then, aren’t we?”

 “Steve, no, I…” Tony put his face in his hands, then suddenly whirled around and punched the truck with his bare fist. “I can’t risk the kid! This is the only way to keep him alive.”

 “Tony, Klaue will eventually kill him, no matter what. We gotta get him out now.”

 Tony took three deep, settling breaths. “You’re right,” he decided. “You’re always right, Cap. So… What do we do?”

 “What we’re gonna do,” said Steve, “is rescue Parker and take down Klaue at the same time. And, fortunately, we have some very Ninja-like assassins who can get the kid out before Klaue even knows we’re there.”  

 ----------

 Tony stood on the dock outside Klaue’s seaside warehouse and watched the arms dealer’s men unload the missiles from the van. The only light was the moon over the water and one flickering snot-colored lightbulb above the entrance. Tony pulled his baseball cap down and folded his arms against his chest. Autumn was just about to exit the stage, and the East Coast had been promised an extra cold winter.

 Klaue emerged from his office wearing a pit-stained white button down shirt over dirty jeans. He had a toothpick in his mouth and an assault rifle over his shoulder. “Mr. Stark,” he greeted, “my most loyal supplier. I’m told you’re five missiles short today.”

 Tony held up his palms. “My own supplier let me down, Klaue. But I brought you something to make up for it. Look in the back seat.” Klaue nodded at his henchmen. One opened the van and an unconscious, tied-up, beat-up Steve Rogers came tumbling out, rolling across the wooden dock.

 Klaue clapped his hands together. “Quite a gift!” he exclaimed. “I know some underground scientists who will pay quite a lot for a specimen like this.” He motioned for his henchmen. Tony expected Klaue to order them to take Steve inside but, instead, they lifted him to his feet. Klaue approached Steve, said, “I know you’re awake, Captain,” and smacked Steve across the face. Cap coughed and spit out a tooth.

 “Let me guess what your plan was,” Klaue said, attention back on Tony. “I put Rogers in the same cell with Parker, together with their combined strength they break through the bars, and then they sneak out – escaping from under my nose, yes?”

 Tony pursed his lips together so hard that they turned white. “Listen, Klaue, I just want the kid. I’ll give you whatever you ask, just give me the kid back.”

 “We all want things, Stark. I want to own a Caribbean island. And, I’m only five mil short of it. And now, here you are, interfering with my dream, trying to take it away.” Klaue shook his head. “Tisk, tisk,” he said, waggling his forefinger. “I told you I’d kill the kid if you interfered. But, I think I’ll do you one better. I think, right in front of your eyes, I’ll kill all four of them.”

 “Four?”

 A garage door opened and a half dozen henchmen wearing thick jackets and caps over their faces exited with a very bloodied, very beat up Peter, Clint, and Natasha. Klaue gave the order to stand them next to Cap, then he ordered all four of them to their knees. His goons pushed them down and aimed guns at their backs.

 “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark,” Peter whimpered.

 Tony shook his head. “I let you down, kid. I’m so, so sorry.”

 Klaue was soaking up the moment like sunshine. “This is lovely. Half the world wants you all dead and here I am, little old me, holding each of your lives in my hands. I really should sell tickets to this.”

 “Enough, Klaue,” Tony barked. “I want my team free. I’ll give you anything, anything you want.”

 “Anything, huh?” Klaue tapped his chin. “What if what I want is for you to see your friends die?” He nodded at his henchman. “Kill Barton.”

 “NO!” Tony screamed. He was too late. The henchman shot Clint in the back. Barton collapsed forward onto the dock. He didn’t move.

 “Clint!” Nat sobbed.

 Klaue suddenly cocked and aimed his weapon. “Who’s next?” he asked, aiming the gun first at Peter, and then at Natasha, and then at Steve. “Which one of your friends is next?”

 Tony saw movement in his peripheral vision, and it took all his concentration not to look at the roof of the warehouse. “Klaue?” Tony said, his posture straight now, his classic smirk back on his face, “would you like to guess what happens when a warehouse full of volatile weapons gets hit by a bolt of lightning?” Tony looked up at the roof.

 Klaue followed his gaze. Thor waved down at the crowd, then raised his hammer.

 “Get him!” Klaus screamed, and he and all his henchmen turned to fire. At that precise moment Bruce Banner, who’d disguised himself as the very goon who shot Barton in his bulletproof vest, pivoted and hit Klaue in the shoulder with a bullet. Klaue tumbled backwards off the dock and into the water. His rifle spat a half-dozen times as he fell.

 Natasha flipped to her feet. Barton rolled over and somersaulted backwards. Steve broke out of his bonds instantly. While those three kept the henchmen from shooting Thor, Peter sprinted into Tony’s arms. Stark caught him and lifted him off his feet, so happy was he. “Into the van, kid,” Tony ordered. “Everyone in the van, now!” he shouted. He could feel the dock rumbling as more of Klaue’s goons were heading their way. Barton, Banner, and Rogers dove into the back of the white van. Natasha got in the driver’s seat while Tony pushed Peter into the back seat. Tony yanked the door shut and shouted, “Heads down!”

 Outside, Thor rose into the air, summoned lightning, and slammed it down into the weapons compound. The place exploded in a massive mushroom cloud. But seconds before it did, Thor picked up the van and flew it out of danger. He set it on the street six blocks away and opened the door, revealing his disheveled but whole friends. “Sorry I was late,” the god said. “I was with Jane and I didn’t get your message and... Why didn’t you wait for me?”

 “Because we had to get there by a deadline!” Tony shouted at him. He sat against the far door with his arms around Peter, who was leaning back against him. “You cut it pretty damn close you big Norse piece of—” Tony felt something warm on his shirt. He looked down and saw dark liquid against his shoulder. It was blood, blood that wasn’t his. One of Klaue’s shots had hit a target.

 “PETE!”

 Peter had gone limp. He fell back into Tony’s arms, smearing blood from his shot up shoulder down the rest of Tony’s shirt. Stark tossed his hat away and adjusted Peter’s body so that the kid was cradled in his lap. “Nat! Hospital! Now!” Tony shouted.

 A tear slid down Peter’s cheek. “Thanks for coming for me,” he said between hitched breaths. “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

 “Kid, hang on, we’ll get you some help in a second, in just a second, all right?”

 Peter licked his white lips. “It hurts,” he whispered.

 Tony’s heart clenched like a fist. He looked at his wide-eyed friends who were just as helpless as he was. “Hang on, kid,” was all he could think to say. Adrenaline burned through him and his face flushed. “Just hang on, Pete.”

 ---------

 May exited Peter’s hospital room with a fake smile that instantly disintegrated once she was sure she was out of her nephew’s eyeline. Tony stood up from a hallway bench and she hugged him. “He’s so brave,” she sobbed in his ear. “He’s incredible.”

 Tony nodded. He sniffed, and then held May at arm’s length. “He is. He’s an incredible kid.”

 “He wants to talk to you.”

 “Ok.” Tony took a deep breath. “Ok.”

 The kid was asleep when he walked in, so Tony had time to sit in a chair beside the bed and relive every moment of the “rescue.” He should’ve done better. He should’ve acted faster. He should’ve this, he should’ve that…

 “Mr. Stark?”

 Tony shot to his feet. He leaned over the hospital bed and smiled at Peter without showing his teeth. “Hey, kid. How ya feeling?”

 Tears sprung to Peter’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” he cried. “I’m so sorry. None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for me. The others – are they all right? God, Mr. Stark, I’m so sorry. I deserve to be—”

 Tony held up his finger and made a sound that resembled a game show buzzer. “Don’t,” he ordered softly. “Don’t do that, kid. That’s a dark road I’ve traveled, and I won’t let you go down it. None of this was your fault, you understand? None of it. And the others are fine. You’re fine. Everything’s fine.”

 Peter frowned at him. “Mr. Stark? Are you fine? You’re—you’re crying.”

 Tony didn’t even realize it. He wiped his eyes dry. “Joyful tears, kid.” Then, without thinking about it, he leaned in and kissed the kid on the forehead. “Glad you’re ok,” he whispered, “so glad, Pete.”

 The End

[batsupes-love]

My DC Fanfics

Ancient Age - Joker x Batman. Omegaverse.  WIP -  Rated: Explicit Summary: Memories of ancient days long since passed are triggered. Memories one man doesn't want to remember and that confuses another. Memories stir of long ago when monarchies did reign before that of a lovers woe his wrath unable to contain did the blood of enemies flow his anguished cry full of disdain for they'd dealt a fatal blow and so he grew beyond insane Shining in the Dark - Joker x Batman. Elseworld AU. Omegaverse. WIP -  Rated: Explicit   Summary: Bruce Wayne, too, has survived the world after a missile attack though he was buried alive - unknowingly - by one of his superfriends that doesn't stop him from his quest. Simply survive and learn all that he can about his new world despite the pain of loss. However, there is the little thing niggling at him. If there are no Omega's who survived, a protandrous individual like himself might just wind up in trouble he never imagined he would. His Unsettling Demands - Joker x Batman. WIP -  Rated: Explicit   Summary: Bruce Wayne gets a disturbing call from the new director of Arkham Asylum in regards to The Joker. When The Joker makes his demands known, what lengths is Bruce Wayne really willing to go to, to ensure The Joker does not escape? Voyeuristic Gals - Ivy x Harley. COMPLETE Rated: Explicit Summary: Poison Ivy and her lover Harley Quinn have stolen some very private videos featuring The Joker and Bruce Wayne|Batman. The two lovely ladies delight in each other's bodies while watching and commenting on the rather risque video footage. Unsettling Urges - Lex Luthor x Superman. WIP -  Rated: Explicit   Summary: Superman, after a minor argument with his friend Batman at Nightwing's twentieth birthday party he returns to Metropolis with Lex Luthor on his mind in a way which confounds him. Then overhearing a strange conversation he decides to pay his arch-nemesis a visit, and follow through on his Gotham friends out of the blue suggestion. Unsettling Riddle - Riddler x Nightwing. WIP -  Rated: Explicit   Summary: After helping out with renovations at Arkham Asylum, where The Riddler helped keep him from injury, he's decided to offer a hand in friendship, or... is it more? Unsettling Shores - Black Manta x Aquaman. WIP -  Rated: Explicit   Summary: After a late evening meeting with the Justice League and the 'strange' events that took place there, Aquaman decides to take refuge on a small deserted beach and give himself some time alone having been aroused thanks to the 'display' of a certain pair of couples that just didn't seem able to keep their hands off of each other. Though his interest isn't in them they did set off something. Unsettling Pursuit - Lobo x Kon-El. WIP Rated: Explicit   Summary: Conner goes for a flight after getting an eyeful of his friend Dick Grayson and The Riddler during one of their role-play sessions. He's feeling a bit embarrassed and just wondering about the Kryptonian side of his biology when the space traveling bounty hunter who rides a space-hog descends from the sky to speak with him. Is Lobo hitting on him!? Cruise Calamity Capers - Batman x Superman. COMPLETE -  Rated: Explicit   Summary: When a new owner purchased The Daily Planet, Clark Kent is sent on a five-day cruise. It wouldn't be so bad if an Alpha hadn't been booked into the same cabin as him while he's nearing his heat. And not just any Alpha, but a well-known playboy. But Clark finds he's not as terrible as he thought. Unfortunately, there happen to be trouble afoot and more secrets than that of hiding an omega status.

Caught by Surprise - Batman x Superman. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit   Summary: Clark has been married for some years now. But his spouse doesn't know he's Superman and decides to punish him. Which makes things awkward at the Watchtower when it's just him and Batman's turn for Monitor duty. You’re My Destiny - Batman x Superman. Sequel to Loved You to the Last. WIP Rated: Summary: Clark Kent didn't have a soulmate, or at least he didn't think so, because he didn't have a soul mark. The humans of Earth were born with their soul marks. He hadn't been. None of his relationships lasted. Humans wanted their soulmates.Bruce Wayne was born without a soul mark. He thought it was because the Universe knew what would happen to his parents and so he didn't deserve one for not being able to save them. But then one day a mark appeared. Instead of being elated, he cursed the Universe for its bad joke. Loved You to the Last - Batman x Superman. COMPLETE - Rated: T Summary: Clark Kent loved Bruce Wayne. It was a Universal Truth. Except for as long as the Earth's Sun was Yellow, Clark could not die. But Bruce was never far from Clark's thoughts throughout the eons he lived until finally the sun turned Red. Take My Hand - Batman x Superman. COMPLETE - Rated: T Summary: Before the horrid evening in which Thomas and Martha Wayne lost their lives, their son Bruce was told of a decision his father had made which would change the course of part of his life. And so began his yearly summer vacation at a farm in Kansas. Brighter Than Gold - Batman x Superman. COMPLETE - Rated: T Summary:  Even though they're now engaged, Bruce still has some reservations. Clark isn't too happy about this and asks some difficult questions. To Dream Again - Batman x Superman. Omegaverse. WIP - Rated: Explicit Summary: Lois has just dropped a bombshell on Clark after five years of marriage and the miracle that is their son, Jon. Unable to stand the thought of going to their apartment even during his week off of work, he visits Wayne Manor where Jon is being babysat by the Wayne family and his elder adopted siblings. A Sky Full of Stars - Omegaverse. WIP - Rated:  Summary: The King of Krypton and his family find themselves in dire circumstances as one of their top Generals turns on them and orders an assassination. Only the King's brother may be able to help keep the young prince's safe by leaving the lands of Krypton for those outside the veil. Gotham, one of Earth's great kingdom's soon faces a tragedy of it's own and it's two young princes will have to learn how to deal with the nightmares the traumatic scene instilled in them. But can they let it go, or will the thirst for vengeance be all that keeps them going? Feel Again - Batman x Superman WIP - Rated: Summary: Superman is visited by his future self who asks him the impossible. Of course, he decides to go along with it, until he doesn't. His path takes a very different direction than that of his other self, or even what his other self had planned. Will he manage to befriend Batman, or just make things worse? Ultraman’s Dilemma - Owlman x Ultraman. WIP - Rated: Explicit   Summary: Ultraman had no idea what was happening, until he did, and then he was filled with rage. Not that he could do anything about that rage. Of course Owlman had to take advantage of his weakness. And there was only one way Ultraman could think of to get back at the bastard. Mine Tonight - Batman x Superman. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit   Summary: Superman is tired of denying his feelings for Batman. It doesn't matter that they don't know each others identities. When he makes up his mind to confront Batman with his needs, he finds Batman has found some incriminating evidence. I’m in Love with an Angel - Batman x Superman. WIP - Summary: Clark can't believe that Bruce is being taken away from him. Again. However a chance is soon offered to him that will keep him in Bruce's life. But he learns some unexpected details along the way. Legend of Valors Echo - Batman x Superman. WIP - Summary: Clark Kent has entered the game, Legend of Valors Echo, and one of it's long time players who preferred to do just about everything alone needs help with a quest. Paranormal Phenomena Investigators - Bruce Wayne x Clark Kent. WIP - Summary: Bruce Wayne, a doctor who works for a government agency has just been assigned a new partner after years of not having one. Just, why did it have to be someone with eccentric beliefs?Clark Kent has no idea about who, or what he is. He's just a rookie at a government agency who just happens to be interested in all things not of the Earth. Potential Disaster Averted - Bruce Wayne x Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: M Summary:  Bruce wakes up and discovers he's not alone. But it's who is in his bed that has him wondering what happened. Invisible Chains - Bruce Wayne x Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: E for Explicit Summary: With Jonathan "Pa" Kent gone, they can't make the payments to the bank. But the bank is now owned by a notorious mafia family. The boss of which is visiting the Kent family farm household and when Clark walks in, things spiral out of control from there. Written for Superbat Week 2020 Day 7 Prompt, Mafia AU. Taking Chances - Bruce Wayne x Clark Kent. COMPLETE -  Rated:  Summary: One hero decides it's time to take another chance on love. Another hero is the target of his heart. Written for Superbat Week 2020 Day 6 Prompt, Blindfold All of You - Bruce Wayne x Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: Co-written with Leo_Our_Queen. Clark has been hiding something and Bruce is determined to get to the bottom of it. But once Bruce learns what it is, he just can't help himself from invading Clark's privacy. The whole ordeal leads to serious confrontation but an understanding revelation. Written for Superbat Week 2020 Day 5 Prompt, Free Day.

Backward in Time - Bruce Wayne x Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: T Summary: Batman finds himself two years into the past. Before one awful eventful day. What will happen to his determination to put an end to the alien threat as new lessons are learned? Written for Superbat Week 2020 Day 4 Prompt, Time Travel.

Only For Master - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: They do not fall to their knees for a villain, only for their master. Together he and Master thwart the villain and reassert their roles in the privacy of one of their lairs. Written for Superbat Week 2020 Day 3 Prompt, On your knees.

Cutting the Red Tape - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: T Summary: Bruce Wayne, in order to cut through some red tape is in need of a relationship, but no one he currently knows seems suitable. That is until he bumps into someone who may be just the ticket. Written for Superbat Week 2020, Day 2 Prompt - Fake Dating.

Nightbright Brothel - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: One member of the Justice League thinks there's something shady with the latest brothel to popup on the outskirts of their city. What they learn is something unexpected and they're not sure if they like this new information or not. Day 1 of Superbat Week 2020 - Day 1 - A/B/O

For Your Sake - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: I helped Leo write a portion of this. It was so fun working with them. Batman has discovered something affecting the health and wellbeing of Clark and seeks answers to help him. The knowledge he gains leads to him giving into instincts he may otherwise have tried to ignore. Got You in My Sights - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. WIP - Rated: Explicit Summary: Omega's have gone extinct upon the Earth, but one may wonder if that is truly the case and if it is, why? But no matter how one lonely Alpha tries to find a reason for it, and even a cure, he's got other responsibilities. His mission. And one of his missions is to see to it that a certain extra-terrestrial wasn't going to become a problem once it came to light that there was one among them. Close Enough to Kryptonian - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: Kal-El was sent on a diplomatic mission to Earth. He hadn't expected to receive the call he had, or to go into heat while away from home. Written with JusticePlague who did the majority of the writing. Temptation at the Gala - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: This was written for the Batsupes Secret Valentines Exchange event of 2021.1. Prompt: DCEU: BVS - Bruce and Clark bang in an empty room at Luthor's gala *Rating of Fic Preferred: * Explicit Up to Four Deal-Breakers: Bottom Bruce, choking, deepthroating I especially enjoy: Daddy kink, d/s dynamics, mirror sex, rough sex Reward for a Good Man - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: Clark's day was horrific, but he hadn't expected to meet someone with some integrity at the place he'd wound up. Child From Another Universe - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Teen Summary: I was a Batsupes Secret Valentines Exchange pinch-hitter for the following prompt.12. Prompt: There‘s a child that looks suspiciously like them and the kid says they fled from a universe where their parents died and now need a new home???? Rating of Fic Preferred: any and all! I enjoy whatever! Up to Four Deal-Breakers: I especially enjoy: fluff, seeing my favourite characters cry, bruce and clark actually being able to show feelings..... (if you decide to go for smut, I do enjoy some of the more harmless/usual kinks. Bondage, spanking, daddy, stuff like that. Generally stuff that makes people feel /safe/ and /loved/, too, by giving them attention.)There is also the addition of the Bottom Clark 2021 prompt for Day 54 which is "Grief". Good End to a Bad Day - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Mature Summary: After a soul-wrenching search and rescue due to a natural disaster, Superman overhears something he wasn't meant to. One Dark Valentine Night - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Teen Summary: Clark wished he'd known at the beginning of Bruce's visit. When Idiots Give Flowers - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: Clark just wanted revenge, how did it end up like this?Or:That time an idiot gives another idiot flowers in the most annoying way possible. So the other Idiot must get revenge and it blows up in his face. Written with JusticePlague. Concerned and Caring - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Teen Summary: Batman watched in horror as Superman plummeted from the sky, and is determined to help in regards to recovery. Not Really a Boyscout - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary: Clark flustered Bruce. Bruce couldn't ever let Arthur win. Really, they had Barry to thank. JusticePlague wrote the majority of this one. It Started as a Simple Netflix ‘n’ Chill Date - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Teen Summary: Batman watched in horror as Superman plummeted from the sky, and is determined to help in regards to recovery. Happy Ironing - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Teen Summary:  Bruce has a rather important reason to take a break from being Batman. He has to do something while hiding at home. At least Clark is there, when he's not called out on a mission himself. Romantic Date Plans Gone Wrong - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary:   Like it says on the tin, any romantic plans Bruce and Clark have had of late have just gone wrong for one reason, or another. That doesn't stop them from trying again of course. Hot Coffee Break - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary:   During Bruce Wayne's coffee break a surprise visitor drops on by and things get a bit out of hand. There's also the surprise news his visitor can't wait to tell him. Love at Second Attempted Murder - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Teen Summary:   Batman and Superman have a problem with each other. It takes an inopportune moment due to worrisome news for them to learn that neither is as bad as they seem. Consummation - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary:   Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent begin their new lives together. Shooting Stars - Jonathan ‘Pa’ Kent/Martha Kent COMPLETE - Rated: Gen Summary:  The night the Kent’s dream came true. Caw Rok - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary:   When Superman starts hearing strange things the closer Samhain approaches, he speaks with the league and Batman decides that the two of them should investigate. Little do they know what tests they'll be put through. If they fail they may forever be trapped, or worse, lose their very lives. What Has to be Done - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary:   When they meet a discovery is made that may just keep the people safe, though it is not without its cost. Gotham’s Lost Hope - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. WIP - Rated: Explicit Summary:    Gotham, a living entity decides to give their most favorite a gift, only for that gift to be lost and with it the hope of the city. Moonlight - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Mature Summary:   Underneath the Moonlight a pair of lovers meet. Trapped - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Mature Summary:   Superman is trapped by his arch-nemesis. It's up to someone else to save him from whatever plans said arch-nemesis has in mind. Proposal on Ice - Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent. COMPLETE - Rated: Mature Summary:   Clark is nervous at the ice rink, because he has an important question to ask, but that doesn't mean he'll get the answer he seeks, does it? After I Win - Darkseid/Suprman. WIP - Rated: Explicit Summary: Darkseid sets his eyes not on Earth, but on its mightiest guardian, Superman. A Superseid fic. Engulphed - Batman/Suprman. COMPLETE - Rated: Explicit Summary:  Clark tries to hide in the Fortress of Solitude when things get a bit strange, but they only get weirder. Luckily for him there's someone willing to stick it out with him despite any oddity he might find he has.

[is-it-madness]

My Glorious Purpose | Loki x OC Chapter 5

A/N: Well, well, well. If it isn’t the author who lied to you about having the second part up quickly. I am honestly, so, truly sorry. I’m not going to waste your time with excuses, but let’s just say that life has been whooping me for the last month. I’m so sorry, but here it is! The latest installment, I hope you enjoy it!

Pairing: Loki x OC  (Tera Digitalis)

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Battle, mentions of blood

Chapter 5: The Battle of New York: Part 2

(Tera’s POV)

I nod at him and we soon re-engage in battle. Steve uses his shield, while I pick up the blaster Nat dropped earlier. I begin firing and slicing away. Tony soon comes to join us. Steve lifts his shield and Tony reflects a repulsor blast off the shield, taking out the surrounding warriors. I jump out of the way, crouching behind an overturned car. Tony then flies up the side of a building, hitting more warriors as he gains altitude.

We continue fighting. I see Chitauri falling out of the sky seemingly for no reason, but I know Clint is up on some rooftop, firing at them. 

I’m soon cornered by two aliens. I blast the first one, but before I can face the second, he has me in a headlock. I lose the blaster when he grabs me, I’m out of ammo for my pistol, and I can’t reach my knives.

“STEVE!” I scream for the Captain, but it’s no use. He’s on the ground, holding off a Chitauri trying to impale him. I feel the grip on my neck tighten.

“Steve!” I barely manage.

“Hold on kid!” He pushes the warrior off and onto sharp debris. He picks a blaster, but before he can shoot, a green light hits the warrior in the face. I feel his grip loosen and he falls to the floor in a crumpled heap. I fall to my knees, holding my throat, coughing, trying to catch my breath. Steve and I both look up, trying to locate where the light came from, but all we see is the Chitauri army flying through the sky.

We suddenly hear Clint’s voice through the earpiece. “Captain, the bank on 42nd, past Madison. They cornered a lot of civilians in there.”

“We’re on it.”

We jog towards the location Clint gave us.

When we reach the bank, Steve jumps through a window and begins to fight as I follow suit. He snaps the neck of one and throws him into the pit.

“Everyone clear out!” Steve orders.

I jump the balcony and land in the pit with the hostages.

“Everyone follow me!”

I lead the way to the doors only to find them blocked by an alien. They’re really starting to tire me.

“Get down!” I yell as he begins shooting. I run towards him, with my knives drawn, dodging his blasts. When I’m close enough, I roll between his legs and stand up behind him. As soon as he turns around to face me, I slice my knives across his throat. He falls to my feet and I wipe the blood off my blades. I push the doors open to let everyone out.

“C’mon! Quickly! We don’t have time!” 

People run past me. As soon as everyone leaves, I go looking for Steve. He’s standing next to a car that has a suspicious looking dent in it.

“Hey Cap, your mask is gone.”

“That’s okay,” he says out of breath.

We join up with Thor and resume our battle. We hear Natasha saying that she can shut the portal down.

“Do it!” Steve answers her.

“No, wait.”Tony commands.

Steve replies, “Stark, these things are still coming!”

“I got a nuke coming in, it’s gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it.”

“Stark, you know that’s a one way trip.”

“No Tony! You won’t make it!” I yell at him. But he doesn’t respond.

He flies over us, holding on to the missile. Tony redirects the missile, barely missing his tower, and pushes it up towards the portal. We watch on with fear and anticipation. He disappears inside the portal, still carrying the missile. We hold our breath. There’s nothing. Then out of nowhere, the Chitauri warriors begin to collapse, and the Leviathans fall from the sky, crashing into buildings. Thor, Steve, and I look around as they rain down on us. I look back up at the portal, waiting to see Tony come flying out.

I hear Nat whisper, “Come on, Stark.” 

“Close it.” Steve tells her.

I grab his arm. “But Tony! He’s still in there!”

I receive a solemn look in return. 

We look back up to see the portal shrinking rapidly. We watch, knowing that Tony won’t make it out. I suddenly feel a hollow sense of loss. Sure, I barely know him, but I feel like I just lost someone important to me. He sacrificed himself for us. None of us were supposed to die in this mission. 

A split second before the portal closes, we see something plunging to the ground. A red and gold deadweight.

Steve smiles. “Son of a gun!”

I laugh with joy, “He made it!” I say, hugging Steve.

“He’s not slowing down.” Thor calls out to us.

He prepares to fly at Tony when the Hulk grabs him out of the air, slides down the side of a building and crashes to the ground in front of us.

Hulk throws Tony off him and we run over. Thor pulls off the faceplate and Steve listens for a heartbeat, we look at each other when we notice the arc reactor fades out. 

“Tony,” I whisper, turning and burying my face in Thor’s chest. I can't look at him. I sob quietly and Thor holds me tighter. Suddenly the Hulk roars and beats his chest. I hear a shocked gasp and turn around to see Tony open his eyes. He looks around, shaken.

“What the hell? What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me.”

I laugh, wiping my tear-stained cheek.

“We won,” Steve tells him, relieved.

“Alright, hey. Alright. Good job, guys. Let’s just not come in tomorrow. Let’s just take a day. You ever tried shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I wanna try it.”

“We’re not finished yet,” Thor remarks, looking up at Stark Tower.

“And then shawarma after?” Tony asks him, hopeful.

We sit him up and quickly make our way to Stark Tower. 

As we make our way towards the stairs, Tony cries out, “No, no, no, no,” We turn to look at him. “We just fought off several hundred monsters, we’re all bleeding and in pain. We’re taking my personal elevator. C’mon.”

We follow him to a set of doors, you wouldn’t even know that they were there. Maybe because Tony hid them behind a painting of himself. I roll my eyes.

“I saw that kid!”

I grin at him sheepishly.

We make our way up to the penthouse and we find Nat and Clint already waiting for us.

“Nice staff,” I tell her.

“Nice gash,” she responds before pulling me into a tight hug.

“We did it Nat. We won.”

“Not yet.”

We all turn to face Loki. He crawls over to a stair and turns to see us surrounding him. Clint with an arrow drawn and aimed at him, Natasha holding his scepter. He flinches slightly when he sees the Hulk growling at him. His eyes land on me. I see a flash of dismay cross his face, but it’s gone as fast as it came. He’s probably disappointed I didn’t die.

“If it’s all the same to you,” he says breathlessly to Tony, “I’ll have that drink now.”

I try to hold my smile and I can see Tony with an amused look on his face. Thor grabs him and places cuffs on his wrists. 

“Let’s go,” he growls at Loki.

We enter Tony’s elevator after telling Hulk he had to use the stairs. He punches the doors in anger when they close, but we already begin our descent.

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

 The Avengers, Dr. Selvig, and I walk to the center of a footbridge in Central Park. Tony is carrying a briefcase, Thor has Loki in a muzzle and handcuffs. Clint, Nat, a de-Hulkified Dr. Banner, and I walk from our cars. Steve joins us from his motorcycle.

Dr. Selvig takes a glass cylinder out of a truck. Tony opens his case, which is on the ground. Dr. Banner holds the Cube with some tongs and puts it into the glass cylinder Dr. Selvig has. Thor gives a nod to Steve, Tony, Clint and Dr. Banner. He takes Nat’s hand and kisses it. He turns to me and pulls me into a hug.

“I have enjoyed fighting with you.” He tells me. “You are a brave warrior for such a small child.”

I smile at him. I decide to let it slide this time.

“It was an honor to fight by your side,” I say.

He gives my shoulder a squeeze and smiles as he turns to shake hands and say goodbye to Dr. Selvig. I walk back towards Nat and Clint. Clint is currently staring Loki down. As Loki looks at Natasha, she whispers something into Clint’s ear that makes him smile. Loki looks away from her and starts looking at me instead. I stare back, but he keeps looking. Feeling uncomfortable at his stare, I feel myself blushing again. I detect a smile from under that muzzle. I quickly turn away to find something else to look at. I see Thor holding the cylinder that has the Tesseract in it. He gestures it to Loki, who grabs one end of the cylinder and Thor has the other. He nods to us and twists the device, which lights up. We watch the two brothers vanish into the sky. As we turn to leave, I see Tony and Steve shake hands. Nat takes a duffel bag out of the backseat of a S.H.I.E.L.D. car. She hands it to Bruce as Clint heads to the driver’s seat. I realize I don’t have a way back home. Steve wants to travel, Bruce is moving in with Tony, and who knows where Clint and Nat are going. This isn't the first time she’s left me - I’m used to her disappearing for days on end and then suddenly showing up again. But this time, I’m not on the helicarrier. I walk to Nat to ask her if she can somehow tell Fury to come pick me up, but she’s busy rummaging in the trunk of the car with Clint. Steve left already, so I turn to Tony. He’s sitting in his car, with Bruce next to him.

“Hey Mr. Stark, I uh, I was wondering if I can ask for a favor? Do you- do you think you can ask Fury to pick me up? I don’t really have any way of contacting him, and I kinda wanna go home.”

He lowers his sunglasses at me and raises an eyebrow.

“You don’t have to,” I quickly say, realizing that I might’ve annoyed him. After all, who would WANT to actually call Fury. “It’s okay, I’ll just, um, I’ll-”

“Wait.”

I shut my mouth.

“You’re telling me that the helicarrier is your home? You actually live there?”

I nod.

“What about your family? I thought you live with them?”

I clear my throat. “No sir… I don’t have a family. I’ve been living on the helicarrier since I was 16.”

There is a long pause.

“Get in.”

“What?”

“Get in. You’re coming to live with Bruce, Pepper and I.”

I take a step back. “Oh, no Mr. Stark. I - I can’t do that. I don’t want to be a bother.”

He rolls his eyes, steps out of his car, and opens the back door.

“Get your butt in, before I push you in.”

But I still don’t.

He walks to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “You won’t be a bother. Have you seen my building? And besides, Bruce is coming to live with me, and you know how he gets when he’s mad.”

“Hey!”

I laugh.

“Just c’mon kid. I don’t want you living in that flying hunk of metal your whole life. You’re still a kid, for crying out loud! You shouldn’t be up there all the time. Plus, you don’t really have a choice. Everyone left.”

I turn around. Sure enough, Nat, Clint, and Steve are gone. 

I turn back to face Tony.

“Okay,” I answer quietly.

“Good, now c’mon. Let’s go home.”

We both get in his car, he turns the ignition, and he drives to Stark Tower.

Part 6

[natashaashleymarvelromanoff]

I’m so glad you’re back - Chapter 14

Chapter 1  chapter 2  chapter 3  chapter 4  chapter 5  chapter 6  chapter 7  chapter 8  chapter 9  chapter 10  chapter 11  chapter 12  chapter 13  chapter 15  Epilogue

so were getting closer and closer to the end!! enjoy this chapter guys because this is what you've all been waiting for!!!

It wasn't even a few seconds before their enemies started to turn to dust right in front of them.

Each one blowing away with the wind until Thanos was the last one left. He looked defeated as he stood watching his army disintegrate and then as he looked down to his arm, where the gauntlet was placed upon it, where the stones should have been, his arm started to turn to dust.

The avengers stood hand in hand as they watched the destruction of their enemies all around them. But as they watched on, they started to let go of each other's hands, not realising they were giving back a bit of that power they had shared to tony.

As each person let go of the chain the power started to consume tony a little bit each time until the power was too much too handle. carol was still holding tony's hand when she felt the energy getting stronger, she looked up and down their link to see people letting go, but if people were letting go it was good for her friend. Shooting her eyes to tony she sees his eyes start to flutter shut, the exhaustion catching up to him.

“Tony!” at the scream of his name, everyone around them starts to look back, just catching a glimpse of the iron man as he collapses to the ground.

Immediately rushing after him carol rips the metal off his suit, leaving a rip in the nanotech and leaving his hand bare. The torn glove now laying on the ground.

Tonys' eyes start to wander as if he is looking for something that isn't there, his pain overtaking him as he leans against a rock.

Peter Parker swings down quickly to his injured mentor, his young brown eyes quickly filling up with tears. He bends down until he's on his knees and leans his hand against tony’s shoulder.

“Mr Stark? It's okay Mr stark we've got you. Your gonna be okay. Mr stark?” as the water trickles down his cheeks peter starts to break down, not even believing his own words even though he wants to believe them.

Coming up behind him, Natasha grabs peters shoulders and gently pulls him away from her oldest friend.

“Tony, its gonna be okay, pepper will be here in a minute.” the redhead swallows, trying to think of what she should say.

“Thank you, for everything you did, for me, for-for um.” Natasha bit her tongue as she was about to mention her son's name. His father was right behind her trying to console the young teenager. This wasn't any way for the father to find out.

A tear falls from steves eyes as he watched the exchange between Natasha and tony. He never even got to apologise or make amends.

Landing on the ground next to them is pepper. She instantly runs to her husband, falling to her knees at the side of him.

“Tony. its gonna be okay, I promise it to be okay, well be okay.”

Their team is now gathered around as they witness the last moments of their friend's life.tony was probably the only one who managed to affect most of the people around them. He had met the guardians before any of them, and now they were watching as they lose him.

Pepper held Tony's hand as they waited, his arm was charred and damaged, probably beyond repair and his energy was starting to fade out. There was nothing they could except wait.

But then running over as quick as she could, Shuri interrupted the silence.

“Wait! We can help him, I just need to get him back to my lab.” hope stated to shine in peppers eyes at the young girl's words. Everyone's eyes lit up. Doctor strange stepped forward-leaning in towards Shuri and tony.

“Your lab? You can help him?

The Wakanda nodded quickly, her eyes straining at the seriousness they portrayed.

“Okay, pepper you and T'Challa grab him.”

The next few seconds were a blur, T'Challa and pepper had grabbed tony and made sure he was secure in their arms as they took him through the portal doctor strange had conjured, nebula had also left with them. Her friend, the friend she was stuck in space with for 3 weeks, the first friend she had made was dying. If there was anything she could do to fix it she would.

The rest of the Avengers and their allies just watched with hope as the 5 people left for Wakanda. The country was famous for its advanced technology and medicine. There was a great chance they could save him.

But before pepper had left, she quickly pulled Natasha to her to ask the redhead to go back to her home. Where both of their young children still were. Happy was there to look after them whilst she and Tony had joined the fight but they needed one of their parents right now, pepper new that morgan would be fine with Natasha whilst she stayed with tony. As much as she wanted to see her daughter, she knew morgan was okay. Tony needed her right now and if anything happened and she wasn't there, pepper would never forgive herself.

And then the avengers stood with 6 fewer members as they carried on.

….

Walking through the portal from the destruction into the clean white lab, T'Challa and pepper pulled Tony's body on top of the medical table. Wakandan doctors and scientists rushed to his aid, quickly administrating sediments and attending to his injuries. Nebulas had watched them sceptically, not trusting them to save her friend, but she had no choice but to let them carry on. And now shes thankful she did.

Shuri soon realised that tony's arm would be irreparable, the tendons and skin damaged beyond repair, even for Wakanda medicine. Their only option would be to remove the arm altogether. Even strange agreed with the assessment, but nebula suggested a different approach. Instead of taking the arm off they could repair it with their technology. She was part cyborg after all. Between herself and Shuri and also the scientists, within a few hours, they had drawn up plans and started to build the pieces they needed to fix tony's arm.

But once they fixed it, it would forever be part technology. Forever a part of tony, just like his reactor used to be.

Even with their advancements, the Shuri and strange both agreed to put tony into a medical coma, just for the next few days until the biological parts accepted the Vibrainuim implants.

….

Once tony, pepper, nebula Shuri T'Challa and doctor strange had left, the rest of the team started to do what they could to help others that were injured and even clean up some areas of mess. They soon called the emergency services too, firemen showing up to put out flames and explosions that the missiles had caused. Paramedic helping the injured as best they can. Jets and choppers with help and even press were instantly on the scene clearing up the rest of the dust and smoke in the air, revealing the oncoming orange hues of the sunset. Their first sunset with everyone back. And it was beautiful.

After making sure all of her friends were okay, Natasha approached thor, taking him to one side so they could speak with at least some privacy.

“Thor I need to go. James and morgan are still at toys and I'm more than sure happy is worried sick. They need me.”

The blonde pulled Natasha in fro a hug, completely understanding what she was implying.

“Its okay Tasha, I understand, were more than capable of taking care of things here now, you should go back to them. And you should take steve with you.” his lips curled slightly in the corner, giving her a smile. After they both pull away, Natasha agrees with him about steve and then heads over to the soldier who was talking to one of the firemen.

“Steve, I need to go. Toyn and pepper… they had a baby when you were gone, her names morgan. Shes with happy right now but I need- I need to go to her and look after her until they can get back.”

“They had a kid? Wow, Okay don't worry, we'll catch a ride from one of the officers and get them as soon as we can. I'll go ask one now.”

“You're coming with me?”

Steve smirks at the redhead and walks closer to her until their inches apart.

“I'm not letting you out of my sight.” Natasha's eyes sparkle at his sweet talk. God she missed him, she missed this, their playful banter, his whispers of sweet nothings. She nods, but before he walks off she tells him one more thing.

“There's something else too. But I have to tell you when we get there.”

Steves brows furrow for a second in worry but he trusts her enough not to be worried. She simply nods and then walks off to find an officer that will take them to the house.

Sam and Bucky watched a few feet away as the two reunited lovers left in a cop car. Sure they knew they had just been reunited but running off together seemed strange, especially after the battle they had just fought. But upon seeing their confused looks, the large green, now intelligent professor hulk they knew as Bruce explained. He explained everything.

About Tony and peppers daughter, about how Natasha had been pregnant when the snap had happened and that she had been raising her and Steve’s son this entire time. Then he explained that’s probably where the soldier and spy had been going.

And strangely enough, after everything they had been through during their years of combat, Battles and war, even this battle with a mad Titan and his alien army. Steve and Natasha having a son shocked them the most. But it did leave them feeling saddened as well. Their best friend had missed out on his own son's life for 5 years. Even though there was no way to help or change what happened they knew Steve would feel guilty about not being there.

….

Once the cop car pulled up on the dirt road along the side of Tony’s house, the two avengers thanked the officer and made their way towards the building, but Natasha froze. Steve had carried on walking not noticing until he looked to his left and realised she wasn't there.

Swivelling in the grass, steve turned back to see Natasha stood a few feet away. He didn't hesitate to walk back over to her, grabbing the sides of her arms gently and searching for her eyes. Steve was confused, he had been lately since returning. He'd been gone 5 years and didn't have a clue what had been happening, but Natasha had confused him the most. It was like she was holding back from him. Biting her tongue. But instead of trying to rush her, he waited until her eyes met his and her hands grabbed onto his own, linking them together.

The spy took a deep breath before she spoke. She had thought about how she would tell him, she had hoped that one day she could, and now she was.

“Listen before we go in, I need to tell you something. The same thing as I needed to tell you before.” her voice was quiet as she titled her head to speak. The soldier just tightened his grip on her hands, letting her know he was right here for her and he wasn't letting go.

“Okay, is everything okay? What is it?”

This was it. The moment she had dreamed about for 5 years. The moment they should have had back then. Natasha took a deep breath, slowly letting it back out as her eyes started to well up slowly.

“Back when Thanos came, in 2018, after he snapped his fingers and you disappeared. We tried for weeks to find a way to bring you guys back and it wasn't until after we got tony back from space that we finally found Thanos. He was on another planet, living out his retirement, we confronted him about the stones he said he'd destroyed them. I was distraught when we came back. It was the worst day and also one ill never forget because I found something out that saved my life. that night when we got back...I found out I was 2 months pregnant.”

Steve listens intently as she explains her story but then His face drops with the eventual realisation of what she was saying to him. She was pregnant? Steve's eyes widened with hope but he was still confused, well more shocked than anything.

“You were pregnant? Wha- why- how is that poss- 2 months? you were pregnant?” Steve stutters his words out, trying to ask too many questions at once but then ultimately asking the one question that mattered.

“Yeah, I was. And he's the best thing that had ever happened to me. And I don't know what I would have done without him.” As she spoke the tears that had welled in her eyes started to fall, tickling her cheeks as they came down. It was true what she had told him, if it wasn’t for James she had no idea what her life would have turned out like. She had lost Steve, Wanda, Sam, half of her life. And she feels guilty to admit it, but during that ride home from Thanos's farm back to earth, after they found out the stones had been destroyed, she didn’t think she had anything to live for. There was nothing left for her. But then she found out about James.

Steve's eyes mirrored hers, tears making their way down his cheeks. He still couldn’t believe it. He had no idea how she managed to lose him and their friends and raise their child and keep going. She was devastated when he had dusted but she did it for their child.

Pulling on Natasha’s hands, Steve pulls her closer to him until their foreheads are touching and his neck is leaned down to meet her height.

“Him? It was a boy? Is-is he here?”

“Yeah, he is.” Natasha smiled at his reaction with her eyes sparkling and the orange sky making them glow. She was holding onto him so tight that she didn’t realise her fingers were practically digging in his skin. She just didn’t want to let him go after finally getting him back.

“Oh god, I have a son, we have a son?”

at his sudden shock and frightened face, Natasha just laughed and bit her lip.

“Yeah we do”

“What’s his name?”

“James, James Samuel Clinton Rogers” the soldier let out a huff of a laugh at his son's name but also smiled at hearing the name of his oldest friend.

“Really, all three of them?”

Natasha shrugged her shoulders and cocked her head to the side as she grinned at him.

“I couldn’t pick, but I knew I had to name him after them, I didn’t even consider anything else”

“You know bucky is never gonna let sam forget this? James? Wow.” Steve is in awe, he hasn’t even met the little boy yet but just hearing his name and what he meant to Natasha was all that he needed for him to know that he loved James with all his heart and being. And having Natasha back at his side again reminded him just how much he loved her too, and learning that she had their child made him love her even more if that was even possible.

Before she can speak he pulls her in once again so he can meet his lips with hers, only sharing their love for a few seconds before they're pulled apart by the sound of a small voice shouting.

“Mommy?!”

Steve’s head instantly shoots up to the sound, his blue eyes falling upon a set of green ones.

On the edge of the porch stood a little boy with blonde hair and green eyes. He pushed on his feet and ran as fast as he could towards Natasha.

Upon hearing her name being called, Natasha gave Steve a content smile and span on her feet, matching her little boys run to meet him in the middle of the grass, until she caught him in her arms and spun him around, pressing kisses over his little face as she held him in her arms.

It felt like forever since she had held her baby in her arms. But it was only yesterday she had brought him over for a sleepover with his best friend. Natasha held him extra close, practically squeezing him, not daring to let another moment go by where she didn’t remember or appreciate it enough.

She would forever be in debt to Clint. He had given her the chance to be able to hold her child again, to be here for him when she came back. Sacrificing his own chance at holding his children and laura again once everyone came back.

“I’m so happy to see you, baby, did you have a good time with Morgan?” His laughter filled the air as she covers his faces in quick kisses but it quickly died down once his mother asked him about his sleepover with his best friend.

‘Yeah, it was great! But uncle Tony and auntie pepper went to fight the bad guy happy told us about so we were scared for a bit but then happy helped us colour!” James’s eyes had not once stopped sparkling as he told his mother about his day. The boy adores his mother, Steve could tell. He reminded him of himself as he watched on. Ever since Steve has been born it has just been him and his mom, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit he had been a mommy’s boy the entire time until the day she died. And now it looked like James was the same.

“I see, well I’m glad you had fun with Morgan baby but you don’t have to worry about uncle Tony.” Natasha’s eyes flicker slightly when she heard that he and Morgan have been sacred when Tony and pepper had gone to fight. But she knew everything would be fine. Shuri was the best and they had Strange and Nebula. Tony would be just fine.

As the young boy looked at his mom he noticed another person stood across the grass. Reaching its golden hour, the sun was shining on the man, making him look more clear for James to see.

“Mommy, who’s that?”

Natasha furrows her eyebrows at James’s question. And turns to look at her soldier.

In James’s little head he thought he knew who it was but he couldn’t be sure. he’s only 4 and a half and had only ever seen pictures of Steve from years ago when the avengers had still been a team and the solider has been clean-shaven and blonder. The man stood a few feet away had a beard, his hair longer and darker, but he looked familiar.

“You don't know who that is?” His mother asked softly, she was just as confused. She had always told her son about his father. Always. Natasha would tell James story’s at night to get him to sleep about her and Steve. Their missions and even when they were off duty. James has loved to hear it, hearing about the brave soldier that his dad was. She had even shown him photos of Steve. From both public files and her own. Pictures from her old phone when they ran missions together, pictures they had when they lived in the tower, she always made sure James knew who his father was, so why didn’t he recognise who he is now?

Seeing the confused look on Natasha’s face is the only thing that has made him feel better about the little boy not recognising him. He knew she would have told James about him. He knew it for a fact. But something must be missing? Natasha was confused too.

“I think I do but he looks different.” Then Natasha smiles sweetly at James finally understanding what he meant. He was so innocent.

“Aah, He looks different huh? Then Why don't go ask him and make sure?”

Natasha leaned over and let James jump back on the ground. He was a bit shy at first but once he looked at the man again he made a move to step forward, his little legs taking him longer to reach Steve.

Watching as James shuffled on the grass to come over to him, Steve bent one knee so he was just a little taller than his son's height and so he could look at him properly. Once James reaches him, his green eyes look up at his. Steve could have gasped, he was the spitting image of him when he was younger. And if Steve’s mother would have been alive she would have thought the little boy was her own son. But even though it was like looking in a mirror or seeing a younger version of himself in the flesh. His eyes were all his mothers. Bright green that sparkles in the light of the sunset.

James kept opening and closing his mouth, a little shy to talk.

“You look like my daddy in the pictures my mommy shows me. But you look different because of your hair and beard”

So that’s why James didn’t recognise him. Smiling at his son who was shuffling on his feet as he spoke, Steve chuckled and played along.

“I do? I guess I'll get rid of my beard and get a haircut then so you always know who I am James.”

“so your really my daddy?” James's eyes lit up at the sound of his name. His dad knew his name!

“Yeah, bud I am.” But then James’s sparkling eyes were replaced with confused ones. He started to bite the inside of his cheek and swayed on his feet. This was his dad! But his mommy had told him that his daddy was gone and uncle Thor told him that he was in Valhalla which was like heaven for heroes like his dad.

Steve’s head whipped up to Natasha when James started to curl into himself again when he was confused. The mother quickly walked over and met her son at his height by kneeling on one knee like Steve. She wrapped her arm around his small shoulders, moved the long bits of hair in his eyes to the side and pulled James into her, comforting him as she tried to explain.

“See James, when we went to fight, we brought everyone back, you know from the incident a few years ago? About how lots of people disappeared because of Thanos as I told you?”

James’s hair flops up and down as he nods.

“Well when we brought everyone back, we got your daddy back too. This is him, James, I know he looks a little different than the pictures I show you huh?”

“A little bit. But it’s okay, I like it” He looks at steve again, reaching his small arm out to touch the hair on his dad's chin. Natasha couldn’t help but keep smiling as she watched her son. To be perfectly honest, it was her favourite look on him, god she had missed that beard.

“Me too”

Suddenly James pulls his arm back from Steve and jumps into his arms. Steve was nearly knocked over by the sudden hit of the little body crashing into him. James wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck and tightened them together so he was clinging on. And Steve was more than happy to return the hug with just as much power. It felt amazing. Having his son in his arms for the first time and his son accepting him too. He didn’t even know he had a son until a few minutes ago but he knew the instant he found out that James would be everything to him. Both James sand Natasha meant the world to him.

“I’m so glad you’re back daddy, mommy missed you a lot.” Steve huffed out a laugh as he stroked the back off James’s hair. Tears running down his cheeks. It was surreal, it really was.

“I'm glad I'm back too bud. And I missed her just as much.” Steve looked towards Natasha as he spoke to James, trying to tell both James and her that he had missed her. The soldier unwrapped one arm from around his son and held it out for Natasha to come closer and join the two in a hug, which she gladly does. After Steve has both Natasha and James in his arms, he places a gentle kiss to each of their foreheads. Savouring the moment in his memory forever. His first memory of both Natasha and James, and the three of them together.

[itsshortfurball20]

Percy Jackson, The Avenger

A/N: This is already posted on Ao3 and ff.net but figured I’d post it here as well. Enjoy.

Summary: Percy has an encounter with Nick Fury. A year later, he’s being called on to help protect the world… again. He’s not alone in this Avengers Initiative. A genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist; a super soldier; a green scientist; a Norse god; and two secret agents. What could go wrong?

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson nor Marvel (Just wish I did)

This is unedited.

This chapter has 3,032 words

1 – The Pegasus wants a Donut

The week had been a long one for Fury and it wasn’t showing any signs of stopping. Even the week after the incident in Budapest hadn’t been this tiring. Just within the span of a few days, the director of SHIELD was dealing with unmovable hammers falling into deserts, General Ross pestering him about the manhunt for scientist-turned-fugitive Bruce Banner, and dealing with Tony Stark who was just being… Tony.

And then he got the call about the horse.

“You’re telling me that you saw a horse flying around the base?”

“Yessir,” the agent said on the other side of the phone. “At first, we thought it was some type of missile, but it moved too fast. Once I figured out what it was, I ordered for it to be tranquilized and brought to the labs.”

Fury pushed aside the paperwork he had been working on and picked up a file that he had been the topic of many debates with the World Council recently. Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. He knew a flying horse was called a Pegasus from Greek mythology. Was this some kind of sign for them to go ahead with the project? A warning to stop?

“Give me the lab number.”

Fury knew that whatever this was, it was just the beginning.

\~*~/

Percy silently cursed Blackjack down to Tartarus and back. He’d had a demigod dream of the pegasus getting captured, prompting the demigod to go and rescue him in the middle of finals week. Not that he wasn’t glad for the excuse to get away from the mind-numbing hours of sitting around and studying, testing, and eating too many snacks and not enough meals, but this wasn’t the break he was looking for.

He was outside a huge, government-looking facility. The building was big, with a guard monitoring the gate that allowed people in and out. It had been hard to find. The place was in the middle of nowhere, with only a single road leading up to it. Surrounded by a forest and hills on all sides, the only way in or out undetected was through the sky.

Schist.

He wished desperately that Annabeth was with him to help him come up with a clever plan to get in, but she was too busy taking tests this week for her to accompany him. And now Percy was glad that she didn’t come. On the high chance that something went wrong, she wouldn’t get dragged down too.

Percy fiddled with the pen in his pocket. Several ideas were racing through his head. He could always crawl through the vents, spy style. Or come up with some kind of lie that would get him into the building. The son of Poseidon wished he could shadow-travel like Nico, or that he could have Mrs. O’Leary jump him in there, but Percy figured that having a hellhound larger than a tank appearing out of nowhere might cause some trouble, even if the mist made her look like—

A new idea hit Percy like one of Tyson’s hugs.

There were several things that were missing, like what he would do once he got in, if he got in, but it was the best plan he had and would manage to come up with. Now all he needed was a car.

\~*~/

Fury thought he had seen everything. He should've known better, working in this line of work, that even when you thought you've seen everything, there was something new lurking around the corner.

Including a horse with wings.

The pegasus seemed relatively unharmed. One of its wings was folded over its stomach, which rose and fell steadily. The other was spread out behind it, showing its massive wingspan.

Fury stood behind a glass panel staring at the sedated equestrian while scientists ran around, prepping blood tests and taking DNA samples. He motioned over the head scientist.

"Give me a full report."

"Well we, uh, we, um..." She fumbled over her words.

"Get to it."

"We don't know. All tests so far have been inconclusive. No one knows what it is. It isn't a horse or bird—the DNA doesn't match. It's its own breed."

"It's a pegasus." Fury told her.

“Well, yes. But the thing is, pegasus don’t exist.” She started explaining.” Their fairytales, myths, something you tell your kid in their bedtime stories. Nothing before today has shown any indication of the existence of a pegasus species so for one to just pop up out of the blue… it has to be the result of experimentation, but nothing is adding up.”

Fury watched the pegasus. "So you mean that no one can tell me anything about it?"

“No sir, but we're working hard on it." She amended. "We'll have results by the end of the day."

"I want them in an hour."

He gave one last look to the pegasus before leaving the lab, not seeing the stressed face of the scientist.

\~*~/

If anyone were to ask Percy, the official story was that he got in, got Blackjack, and got out without a hitch.

He wished it had happened like that.

Things started off smooth. He'd gotten the car and driven his way up to the road, wondering the entire time if his idea would work or if he’d get hauled away. There was only one way to find out.

He approached the gate, rolling his window down. Percy tried to look confident. The guard eyed him warily. “How can I help you?”

Percy had never really used the Mist before, but he figured he could wing it. He looked the man in the eyes, focused really hard (he hoped he didn’t look like he was about to fart), and snapped his fingers—making a loud, clear snap. Mustering his most confident voice, he told the guard, “I forgot my key card. You will let me in and not tell anyone about me.”

There was a tense second where Percy was sure that the man was about to haul him away, but then a calm expression settled over his face and he pressed a button. A second later, the gate rolled open. He contained his jump of joy and instead nodded at the guard and drove off.

Percy felt a little bit of relief. Using the mist had been a bit of a wild card, the last time having used it, it didn’t work. But that was just the first part, he reminded himself as he saw people dressed in suits and business outfits. He felt underdressed in his Camp Half-Blood shirt and jeans.

It was after he snuck in through the maintenance door that things started getting rough. The building looked bigger on the inside than it had on the outside. Before him laid a maze of halls, designed to trap anyone who didn’t know their way around (maybe not literally but either way it felt like an attack on Percy). Somewhere inside the mortal version of the Labyrinth was Blackjack, alone, probably scared, and most likely wanting a donut.

And Percy had to find him.

\~*~/

It wasn’t too long after Percy had set off in the building that Fury became aware of the intruder. Video feeds showed a young man manipulating the guard at the front gate to let him pass. After talking to the guard who had no memory of the incident, Fury ordered for the man to be brought to him so he could interrogate him.

Percy couldn’t tell something was off. He was wondering the halls, searching for Lab 28 where he had figured out a knocked-out Blackjack had been brought to. It made him furious to think that his pegasus was being used as some sort of lab rat.

He was in the right area, if the BLA sign had been any indication (and that’s all science sounded like to him anyway—bla, bla, bla).

I can’t believe they gave me this horse crap. A faint voice entered Percy’s head. I need sugar cubes at the least.

Blackjack? Percy tried reaching out. Blackjack? Can you hear me?

Boss?

Definitely Blackjack.

Blackjack, thank the gods. Stay put, I’m coming to get you.

 Thanks boss. I couldn’t’ve moved anyway. They have me tied to a table. They also gave me this stupid hay that horses eat. Can you believe that?

 Percy followed Blackjack’s voice as a homing beacon. It got steadily louder and louder.

Blackjack, you look like a horse. You are part horse.

You wouldn’t happen to have donuts with you, would you?

The son of Poseidon opened a door. Blackjack looked over at him, kneeling on the floor.

No donuts, I see.

“This is a rescue mission,” Percy told him as he moved to free the pegasus from his restraints. “Why would I bring donuts with me?”

Percy got the first latch undone and started working on the second one.

Maybe we can get some later then.

“Sure. Later. After we get out of here. I almost got you. Just another minute and—”

Behind you!

Blackjack had shouted the words too late. Something hit his back, causing a burning sensation to flow through him. He fell to the floor with a thud and was unable to move. Percy could see Blackjack struggling to get his attacker, but he couldn’t hear him or anything else. His own heartbeat was too loud. The last thing he saw was a pair of boots stepping in front of him before his head fell to the floor and the world faded to black.

He couldn’t tell how long he had been out, but judging from his stiff shoulders and the small ache in his neck, it had probably been a good while. Percy tried to make himself as comfortable as possible. His hands had been cuffed to the table, which didn’t surprise Percy, but the addition of gloves did.

It wasn’t much longer before the door opened and a man walked in and hold up. The first thing Percy noticed was the spy/pirate-ish look—a black trench coat, don’t-mess-with-me attitude, and, as the final touch, an eye patch. Percy hoped that the man knew Halloween had happened seven months ago.

“Mr. Jackson,” the man said in a way that made him hate the name almost as much as when monsters called him Perseus. “I must say, it was a surprise when I was alerted that someone had broken into a facility more secure than the White House.”

Percy swallowed uncomfortably. “You might want to update your security.”

“We will. And this time, we’ll take into account mind control.” The demigod frowned in confusion. He couldn’t mind control peo… the mist. Looking down at his gloves, he realized that these people thought that he could manipulate people. “But I’m not here to talk about that.” The pirate-man continued. “What I want to know is how you knew about this.”

He slid a photo of Blackjack across the table. Percy couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen to his pegasus now that his only shot at rescue now needed rescuing himself. “Why should I tell you anything?” Percy eventually told the man.

“I’ve had a long week, and the sooner you’re gone, the sooner I can get back to other, bigger problems.” The man explained. Percy was surprised that the man was going to let him go, and suddenly thought that this might be a trap. But the chance that this man would actually let him free seemed like a better deal than he would get otherwise.

“I had a dream,” Percy said lowly. “That may sound strange, but I swear to Hades its true. I saw—”

“I’m gonna stop you right there,” Pirate-man held up his hand to stop him. “Did you just swear to Hades?”

Percy froze, realizing that he had messed up. “Well, uh, you see, it’s—” he started back-pedaling, but the man wasn’t paying attention to him anymore.

“First the pegasus, then the mention of Hades,” Pirate-man mumbled under his breath. “Let me guess,” he turned his attention back to Percy. “The Greek gods are real? Hades, Zeus, Apollo—all of them?”

Percy wondered if he could get away with saying no before remembering that the man could probably give him some truth serum if they had any and he’d be forced to tell him. His shoulders slumped. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Yeah, they’re real. That pegasus you captured—” he pointed to the picture of Blackjack. “he’s mine. So when I had the dream of you guys capturing him, I had to come rescue him.”

The man stared at Percy, trying to determine if he was really telling the truth or not. Percy started to grow uncomfortable when the man dropped his gaze and rubbed his head, like soothing a headache. “If the Greek gods are real,” he started asking, “why haven’t we seen any proof of them?”

“The mist,” Percy answered. “It’s a mystical force that stops mortals from seeing our world. I used the mist to get past the guard at the front gate. Some can see past it, like my mom. It’s how she met my dad.”

“And your dad is…”

“Poseidon.”

“And that makes you what. A god?”

“Demigod, actually. Half mortal, half god.”

The man was taking this all exceptionally well, Percy thought. A sudden thought struck Percy. “Hey, uh, this doesn’t change our little agreement, right? About you letting me go?” When the man didn’t respond right away, Percy’s fear grew. “Please, I gotta get back so I can take finals tomorrow, and if I don’t my girlfriend’s gonna kill me and nothing, not even you, could stop her.”

Pirate-dude held up his hand. “I’ll let you go,” Percy’s shoulder’s sagged in relief. “Just on one condition.”

And there’s the catch. There’s always a catch.

“I’m assuming you can fight,” When Percy nodded, he continued. “If ever needed, I want you to come fight for us.”

Percy paused. “Who’s ‘us’?”

“SHIELD.”

The son of Poseidon considered the offer. On one hand, he really didn’t want to fight anymore. He’d seen and done enough fighting to last him a lifetime. The thought of fighting for this government agency or whatever they were didn’t sit too well with him.

But saying no didn’t sit well either. Saying no meant he wouldn’t get to leave, and Blackjack would be stuck here. He couldn’t fail his family, who were so excited for him to finally be at college. Percy couldn’t fail Annabeth, who was waiting back in New Rome for him.

“Okay.” He said a beat later. Percy wasn’t sure if he was ever going to regret that, but right now, he knew it was his only choice.

The man nodded. “Now that that’s settled,” he reached over the table and unlocked Percy’s handcuffs. Percy rubbed his wrists a little and took off the gloves. “I’ll have someone take you to your… pegasus.”

“Aye aye.” Percy mocked saluted the man whose glare seemed to grow. “Oh, I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me. Aye.”

“Let’s hope you never meet Stark.”

“Who?”

The man ignored him and led him out of the room. A woman was waiting, tapping away on a pad. She looked up when they walked out, eyeing Percy. Percy gave a small wave. She tilted her head a little before addressing the man. “Director Fury, your plane is waiting.”

Pirate-man, or Fury, nodded. He started walking away, leaving Percy with the woman. “Wait,” Percy called. Fury paused and turned around. “You wouldn’t happen to have any donuts, would you?”

\~*~/

When Percy arrived back in New Rome, the sun had started setting. Blackjack took his time, moaning about how awful his day there had been. The woman, whose name Percy didn’t get had led him to Blackjack who was happy to see him (especially with a box of donuts in his hand). Before they left, Percy had asked the woman if they needed his contact info. All she had said was “We’ll find you” and left, which didn’t exactly reassure the demigod.

Blackjack dropped Percy off on the street in front of his apartment. “Stay safe buddy,” Percy told him. “Don’t get caught by any more secret government agencies.”

I wasn’t plannin’ on it boss.

The son of Poseidon smiled. “Alright. Now go get some rest,” Blackjack gave the demigod one last farewell before taking off towards the stables. Percy waited until Blackjack had flown out of sight behind the buildings before heading inside.

Annabeth was waiting on the couch. She had notes spread out all over the coffee table and on the cushions next to her. Percy remembered that she had her final test tomorrow, and it was her one for her major architecture.

She looked up when Percy entered. A smile spread across her face as she rose to greet him. “How’d it go?” She asked, giving him a small peck on the cheek.

“Without a hitch,” Percy lied. “Blackjack’s fine, he’s off to the stables right now to rest.”

“Wonderful.” Annabeth’s smile made Percy feel guilty for lying to her, but he told himself that she didn’t need to be concerned for him. If SHIELD ever decided that they needed him, then he’d cross that bridge when it came time. But for now, as far as Annabeth would know, everything was fine. “Come on, I know you might be tired, but you have your final tomorrow and I want to test you.”

Percy let her lead him to the couch while she quizzed him on Marine Biology. Soon, the thought of SHIELD left his head as he started worrying about his final tomorrow and reassuring Annabeth that she would do fine and that she didn’t need to be worried.

On the other side of California, Nick Fury was looking up research on Greek Mythology. He looked down at the two files that sat next to him. One was Percy Jackson’s file, filled with every school he had attended, who his friends were, even if he had a dental plan.

Next to Percy’s file sat another, thicker file. This one had the SHIELD logo stamped across the front.

And underneath it were the words AVENGERS INITIATIVE.

2

[the-insomniac-cat]

ENDGAME BIG SPOILERS

Complete synopsis of the entire film below the cut.

If you want spoilers but not the whole shebang, scroll down to my other Spoiler post.

Why post this? Because some people want to know, either before they go, or instead of going, or to decide whether to or not.

Look, if you don’t want to know, then use the tag filter. In case you didn’t set it up, then I’ve put in the ‘keep reading’ cut. So you should be covered. So please, no more anon hate! (Haters are so brave when they go anon!)

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT MY SYNOPSIS. I HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM (and won’t) THIS IS FROM A REDDIT USER. BECAUSE LOTS OF SPOILERS OVER THERE ARE BEING TAKEN DOWN, I DECIDED TO CUT AND PASTE IT RATHER THAN JUST GIVE A LINK.

People who HAVE seen the film have been adding comments to this post on Reddit, saying it is ‘correct’, or ‘basically correct’.

CREDIT:  Reddit Posted byu/Wico90

12% credit to Brontcrab24 and others

First Scene is actually Hawkeye losing his family to the snap. He doesn’t actually see it happen as he is facing the other direction. We then get the Tony/Nebula sequence (paper football, etc). Tony records his message to Pepper. When he falls asleep, Nebula takes him to the front of the ship and sits him in the pilots seat. He wakes up and sees something glowing outside the window. Captain Marvel helps them return to Earth. Pepper, Rocket, Steve and Rhodey all come out to greet him. Tony is very shaken, particularly about losing Peter.

Movie starts with the Avengers trying to find Thanos. Steve wasn’t to know where Thanos is and asks Tony, but Tony says he doesn’t know, They argue. Nebula knows of Thanos’ garden he said he would once go to when he completed his goal. They found him because of the energy he released using the gauntlet. Thanos is alone, and tells them he used the gauntlet to destroy the gems. He is weak and Thor, angry, decapitates him.

Title Card and five years later.

Natasha is now basically in charge of what's left of the Avengers is talking to them via holograms. Basically the world is in ruins and they're trying to salvage it. Carol is there via hologram with a new haircut and uniform and tells them that she's covering thousands of planets and won't be able to come back to Earth for a "long time".

Steve and Nat talk about how the Avengers are family. Inside a storage shed is Luis’s van. A rat is crawling over the Quantum controls and activated the switch which brings Scott out. He’s now locked inside the cage but starts waving at the security cameras. A guard lets him out and he is walking the streets confused as to why everything is so overgrown and run down. He finds a memorial which lists the names of the ‘missing’ on large stones. He starts reading them panicking that Cassie might be listed on them. But she isn’t. He sees her at home, as an older version of herself. Scott drives to the Avengers facility and Nat and Steve let him in and he tells them about the Quantum realm and how they might be able to build a time machine to go back to the past before everything happened. They visit Tony, but he doesn’t want to help. He’s happy with the way that his life is, with Pepper and his daughter Morgan. They leave and to visit Bruce who is now Professor Hulk.

The plan becomes to start looking for the gems in the past. Initially Banner builds quantum time machine and sends Scott back to test but it is faulty, Tony refuses to help at this point, however, he returns Caps shield and they make up. He tweaks Banners Quantum Machine, The catch is that they need quantum particles for it to work.

Natasha goes to Japan to get Clint. He is mourning his family and is not certain of the plan. Rocket and Hulk go to get Thor who is drinking and playing video games with Korg and Meik. (Funny joke involving an online video game troll)

Finally the team then all suit up and discuss their plans to get the stones. They make it clear that they can not mess up because there is only enough Quantum particles for one trip for each of them.

Tony, Scott, Steve and Bruce go to the Battle of New York. Hulk meets the Ancient One at Dr Stranger's future home. Ancient One refuses to give the Time Stone to Bruce but relents when Bruce tells her that Dr Strange will give the stone to Thanos.

Cap, Iron Man and Scott tries to retrieve the Tessaract after Loki surrenders. SHIELD/Hydra agents Crossbones and that bald guy with glasses in Winter Soldier retrieve the brief case containing the Tessaract. Past Hulk funnily has to walk down lots of flights of stairs as he can't go on lift due to maximum capacity. Cap meets with Crossbones with the briefcase in elevator along with other Hydra agents. He convinces them to give him the briefcase containing the staff when he utters two words: Hail Hydra. Cap gets the briefcase. Tony in disguise as a SWAT soldier tells Scott to disable his past self's chest reactor to give him a minor seizure while his past self meets up with Alexander Pierce who demands the Mind Stone and Loki. Present Tony retrieves the briefcase but past Hulk accidentally knocks out Tony and Loki uses the confusion to teleport out with the Tessaract. Present Cap accidentally meets with his 2012 self, and 2012 self thinks he's Loki in disguise. They fought and 2012 has present self in chokehold when he tells his past self that Bucky is alive. He then taps his past self with staff to knock him out.

In Asgard, fat Thor and Rocket plans to retrieve the Aether out of Jane Foster's body. Thor's mother meets his 'son' and know he's from the future. Rocket retrieves the aether out of Jane by prodding her off screen and gets chased by guards. Before Thor leaves, he retrieves Mjolnir!

On Morag, War Machine and Nebula stays on Morag while Clint and Nat goes to Voromir via a ship that Rocket miniatures for Clint. Unknown to Nebula, her past self's nervous system and databanks are connected to each other and Thanos finds out where the stones are and how he meets his fate.

Cap and Tony transport back to 1970 at the SHIELD training site seen in Winter Soldier and goes underground to retrieve that era's Tessaract. Tony retrieves the Tesseract while meeting his dad. He calls himself Howard Potts. Cap makes a prank call to young Hank Pym and sneaks into his office to steal 4 vials of Pym Particles. Cap also sees Peggy. Cap and Tony teleport back to present.

WM and Nebula knocks out Quill during his dance in intro of GOTG. They got the stone and WM and Nebula was meant to teleport together but WM only succeeded. Present Nebula and past Nebula meets and fights and past Nebula takes her place to go back to present.

On Voromir, Clint and May meets the Red Skull as seen in Infinity War and is told how to retrieve the stone. Clint and Nat fought each other. Clint jumped off cliff but Nat catches him and held on by grappling rope. She falls off and dies like Gamora. Clint now has the Stone.

All members went back to present and everyone is devastated by Nat's death. Tony and Bruce constructs the Infinity Gauntlet and Thor wants to wield it but Hulk goes instead as he's the strongest one and the stones emit gamma radiation according to him. He wields it and snaps his fingers restoring all life lost. Clint's wife calls him on mobile. Hulk suffers extreme pain in his right arm due to IG. Past Nebula activates the Quantum teleporter and summons Thanos' warship and blasts the Avengers HQ to ruins with missiles.

Hulk lifting up rubble similar to Secret Wars cover where he lifts up a whole mountain except this is less in film lol.

Clint finds the gauntlet and is being chased by Outriders creatures in last film. He kills them and is met by past Nebula. Gamora and present Nebula meets up and Nebula kills her past self.

Cap, Tony and Thor teams up against Thanos. Thor is losing against Thanos even though he has Stormbreaker and Mjolnir. Thanos is about to kill Thor with SB when:

Cap lifts up Mjolnir and beats Thanos with hammer and shield.

Thanos uses his double blade weapon to break Cap's shield in half.

Thanos summons his whole army including the Black Order and some new creatures. Cap is all by himself against a whole army.

He hears Sam's voice and he turns around and see EVERYONE who has vanished PLUS huge armies of Wakandans, sorcerers and Asgardians (no signs of Warrior Three). Wong, Valkyrie, Wasp and Pepper Potts as Rescue turns up as well. Ant Man becomes Giant Man.

Clint plays American Football with IG and passes it to Black Panther then Spidey. Quill meets past Gamora and gets hit in the balls, not believing he is the one she loves lol. Scarlet Witch overpowers Thanos but Thanos orders missiles to hit everyone including his forces. Captain Marvel shows up to destroy Thanos' flagship and gets the IG and dashes towards the goal. There is a bit where Hope and Scott goes to the van with the Quantum teleporter in the middle of battlefield. Was lost in the moment so forgot why they doing that, sorry.

All female Marvel characters fight Thanos. Spidey's armoured suit goes autokill mode with the extra arms.

Thanos tries to take the gauntlet off Marvel by headbutting her but didn't phase her.

Thanos retrieves the gauntlet away from Stark and he snaps his fingers. Nothing happened. The stones went to Stark and before he snaps his fingers, he says 'I'm Iron Man'.

White flash of light.

All of Thanos' forces turn to dust including Thanos himself.

Tony dies from using the gauntlet. Everyone mourns.

The battle is won but at a cost.

Holographic Tony gives a message to everyone present including his daughter.

A wreath with Tony's chest reactor is laid to rest at the lake near Tony's hut.

Everyone is present including GOTG, Peter, Maria, Ross, Nick and Hank and Janet.

Thor, still fat designates Valkyrie as Queen of New Asgard in Tonnsberg. Thor is now travelling with GOTG to find Gamora and maybe more Asgardians. Quill and Thor are about to fight for leadership lol.

Scott, Cassie and Hope are together again. Wakanda is back with his King.

Cap goes on a mission to put back the stones and Mjolnir to their proper places. Hulk says to Sam and Buck that he should be back in 5 secs. He didn't. Sam sees a old man at a bench and it's Old Man Steve (who looks like Clint Eastwood now but less wrinkles and bit younger than he is lol). Steve has wedding ring and passes his shield to Sam. Sam is honoured.

Ending shows young Cap dancing with Peggy at their house. That's it.

Credits music is set to 1930s music then shows all cast members. The main cast is shown with their signatures on it.

There is NO post credit scenes which is a first for a MCU.

Stan Lee cameo is set in 1970s where he is shown in his 70s younger self driving a car with a woman, driving past a army base where Cap and Tony retrieves the Tesseract there.

[kittykatninja321]

Ok piggybacking off the idea that Bruce has to choose between being a hero (doesn’t kill) and a father (should avenge their sons), one thing I enjoyed about the utrh ending is that he fails at being a parent AND at being Batman. The Joker got away and he slit his son’s throat, just FLOPS all around. Also I do think that Bruce prioritizes being a hero over being a parent because that is just naturally what is required to be a Hero. Like if you’re going to altruistically dedicate yourself to the abstract concept of justice, doesn’t that mean that everything comes second, children included? Even when you go back to the events directly leading up to Jason’s death we see him having to run after after a missile or something instead of running after Jason

[afrogden]

*endgame spoilers*

i’m just sad because tony stark deserves the world. i was first introduced to him when i was around five. he was just a guy who’s movie i went to see because there wasn’t any other good ones at the nearest theater. and i fell in love with him. i wanted to grow up and be him someday. he was a man that learned to put the world before his own ideals. he was kidnapped by terrorists, faced open heart surgery without anesthesia, and built the first iron man suit with virtually nothing in a cave he wasn’t sure he’d ever get out of. and he did.

and he was iron man.

and then he was happy, i think. he had steve, nat, clint, bruce, and thor. he had harvey and pepper and happy. eventually, he even had peter. he was saving the universe one badass mission at a time. i mean, really, this man flew a missile into space. and then it was all taken away because, in trying to put the world before himself, he forgot that his captain was also his friend. and because he forgot, he lost him. and he lost his family. and he never stopped losing.

then the day solidifying his nightmares happens. but maybe it isn’t all bad. he meets a nice doctor and the doctor is snatched from under him and he winds up in space with a stupid kid just to save him. he meets this new team with no common sense and knows they can’t win. because this isn’t his family.

and he’s right. they lose.

he loses the closest thing to a kid he’d ever had because he couldn’t take thanos on alone.

he then gets stuck on a ship a million light years away from earth, teaching a robot to play table football, starving to death and thinking he’s gonna lose his own life.

but he doesn’t. and what happens next, he thinks, is so much worse.

he comes back to earth and regains most of his family, even his wife is still alive and pregnant, but instead of feeling happy, he’s furious. because steve said “we’ll fight together”, but they didn’t. and maybe that’s why they lost; because steve lied.

but then, they find thanos. and, despite not being able to go with his family, he feels a little bit of hope. maybe he’ll be able to get the stupid kid and nice doctor back. maybe he can feel okay.

but the only way he’ll ever get them back has been destroyed.

and five years go by.

he pretends it’s okay. and maybe it almost is. he has a daughter (named after Pepper’s eccentric uncle, exactly what he wanted), a lake house, pepper, a normal life.

but normal has never really worked for him, has it?

then, during lunch one day, his family comes by and tells him there’s a way to make his pain all go away. there’s a way to bring everyone back. but it’s impossible.

and then it isn’t.

because tony stark is a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and if there’s even a chance, a 1/14,000,000 chance, that they can bring them back, that they can win, he’s gonna take it.

and they do.

the worst part is, it almost works.

and in the grand scheme of things, maybe he should have seen it coming. maybe he should have stayed home with his wife and daughter and just kept on pretending. who knows? maybe one day, he wouldn’t have to pretend anymore.

they go back in time. as expected, it doesn’t go quite to plan and steve and him jump back once again. and, of course, tony sees the one person he never thought he’d see again. howard stark. his father. they talk for a bit and he finds out his dad wanted him to be better. his dad wanted him to be more than he could be. his dad loved him. tony learns that, no matter what he told himself, his dad really did care about him. he can’t tell if that hurts or comforts him.

“no amount of money can buy you a second of time.”

they get the stones. they have a way to get back their lives. and it works! it really works! everyone is back, they can feel it. but disaster strikes just as soon as it seems to leave.

thanos comes back. the avengers, tony realizes, have collected the stones for him.

tony, going into this final fight, accepts that it’s a losing battle. he whispers his goodbyes to FRIDAY as he runs at his nightmare yet again. but then there’s an all-too familiar voice. “on your left” it says.

but it’s more on steve’s left.

everyone tony’s heart ached for is suddenly standing right there. and there’s that wizard doctor. and there’s that stupid kid.

maybe they won’t lose after all.

he hugs the kid. and maybe it hurts at first because the last time they hugged, one of them was dying.

he sees the magician.

“tell me this is it.”

“if i tell you, it won’t happen.”

he fights thanos. he gets the stones.

holding them doesn’t kill him like it should.

“i. am. ironman.”

he snaps his fingers and it all goes silent. he can’t see for a moment.

the world around him begins to turn into dust.

this time, it’s not the people he loves leaving him... but he knows before the dust even clears he’s leaving the people he loves.

he sees rhodey. his best friend in the whole world. one of the many people he couldn’t save. the man he taught to walk again. the first one he ever fought along side of. the first one he ever called his friend. his ally. his brother. rhodey is begging him to stay with him, but he’s barely holding his eyes open now.

this is the endgame.

he sees peter. the stupid kid. the one who should have just stayed home. the eager to learn know-it-all with a desperate need to prove himself. his intern. the man with a plan because he’s seen too many movies to keep his head straight. the 15 year old who is now technically 20 with a brighter future than anyone tony’s ever met. who can piss him off or make him cry in 20 second maximum. spider-man. his family. his son.

“please don’t go, mr. stark. please. i’m sorry.”

this is the endgame.

he sees pepper. the woman he loves and will always love. the blonde CEO of stark industries. the person who keeps him grounded. that helped replace his heart. that pulled him out of panic attacks after panic attacks. that made sure he ate and drank. that made sure he didn’t do anything stupid. that helped him keep it together. the woman he chose to have a child with. the woman he chose to have a life, a real life with. the woman he thinks of when he drifts off to sleep.

“it’s okay, tony. you can rest now.”

[hysterialevi]

Lotus Final Part (Arkham Ending)

Author’s note: Oh man yall. I still can’t believe that after this chapter, Lotus will officially be done. I’m kinda sad tbh lmao. I have considered possibly writing a sequel in the future, but it would take some time for me to get the plot and everything else together. For now, I hope you guys enjoy the third and final ending to this story, and as always, thanks for reading :)

Side note: Just out of curiosity, what was your favorite part of the story?

From Alfred’s POV

CRIME ALLEY

Staring at the man sitting in front of me, I grew horrified and appalled by what Bruce had become as I slowly got tangled into my own thoughts, pondering the question of Lazarus’ fate.

This whole time, I had been tearing myself apart with guilt and regret for fighting my own son, only to realize at the very last minute...that Bruce was already dead. 

The real Bruce died way back when the Joker attacked Wayne Enterprises, and it took an entire week of endless fighting for me to see that. I had been so desperate and filled to the brim with false hope of rescuing my son, that I couldn’t even consider the idea that, perhaps...he was already beyond saving. 

But after witnessing Lazarus’ horrendous crimes here today: taking Tiffany’s family hostage, murdering innocent civilians, planning to destroy Gotham with missiles, and even attempting to kill me...I knew there was only one solution to this madness. 

That solution...was called Arkham Asylum.

Keeping the rifle aimed at Bruce, I cautiously approached the man as he studied my every move, devising some unknown plan within his corrupted mind.

“I won’t kill you,” I clarified. “Murder isn’t justice, and the last thing I want to do is shoot my own family. But you have to answer for what you’ve done. You have to face justice. You belong in Arkham.”

Bruce let out a dark chuckle in response and gave me an sinister grin, revealing the bloodied teeth behind his twisted lips as he sat upright.

“Home sweet home, eh?” He stumbled to his feet, struggling to support himself as blood continued to leak down his limbs. “...So be it.”

Despite having been defeated, there was still an unsettling aura of confidence radiating off of Bruce, and the fact that his surrender was silent only made me worry more. Usually, the man always had something to say before being dragged off to prison, but this time...it truly seemed like he had accepted his loss.

Bruce extended his arms out in front of him, holding his wrists in a position that told me he wanted to be handcuffed. 

He gave me a cold stare. 

“Funny, isn’t it? The padded palace that Thomas Wayne condemned so many souls to...will now cage his very own son. I wonder what he would’ve thought about all this.”

I secured a pair of cuffs around his wrists, shoving the man in front of me as we headed back to the police station.

“Thomas was far from a saint,” I said, “but he was still human. And more importantly, he was still your father. He would’ve been heartbroken if he saw us today.”

Bruce laughed at that, looking at me over his shoulder as he spoke.

“Humans are the most vulnerable to corruption, and my father was at its core. If I had taken his place on the night of the murder, you’d be slapping cuffs on him today instead.” Lazarus sighed morosely, glaring at the bronze plaque embedded in the street.

“Ah...but that’s the price you pay when you wage war against fate, isn’t it? You realize you can’t.”

From Waller’s POV

ONE HOUR LATER

GCPD

“Any updates on Alfred?” I asked. Agent Harrison gave me a concerned look.

“Nothing,” he replied. “None of us have heard from him since he confronted Lazarus on the top of that building.”

I dragged a hand down my face out of frustration.

“That old butler better be safe, otherwise there’ll be hell to pay when Lazarus returns.”

Harrison hesitated for a moment, clearly not confident in our success.

“...Ma’am, what if we don’t--”

“We will catch Wayne,” I reiterated.  “We have to. All of Gotham is counting on us right now, and it’s our job to keep these people safe. Failure is something we can’t afford. Do I make myself clear?”

“...Yes, Director.”

“Good. Now let’s stay focused on the task at hand. What about Agent Blake? Have you heard from him?”

Harrison’s expression froze with remorse, and the sudden change in his tone told me something was dreadfully wrong. I paused.

“Is everything all right, agent?” I questioned. Again, he said no.

“...I’m sorry, Director, but Blake’s...dead. I...I thought you knew. He was beaten to death by Bane, and his body was located near Park Row not too long ago. As for Bane himself, the beast ran off after the attack. Our men are still trying to find--”

“Dammit!” I cursed, causing Harrison to jump slightly. “First, Avesta, then Montoya, and now Blake. This is why I say we have to capture Lazarus. Far too much blood has been spilled already. We can’t let this go on any longer.”

A third voice jumped in, bringing my attention to the door.

“And we won’t.”

Turning to see who had joined, Harrison and I were greeted by a rather roughed-up Alfred...along with Bruce Wayne himself in tow, restrained by a pair of handcuffs as he studied us with empty eyes and limped in front of the butler.

“Well, I’ll be damned...” I breathed out in disbelief. “...You actually got him.”

Alfred pushed the man forward, entering the office.

“Not among my proudest achievements, but hopefully Gotham will finally be safe now. At least, for a short while.”

I crossed my arms and glared at Bruce, eyeing him up and down as if I could scan him.

“...And what are we to do with the perpetrator? Have you made a decision?”

Alfred nodded grimly. “I have. He’s going to Arkham.”

I fell silent for a minute, somewhat surprised at the outcome.

“Arkham? I’ll admit, that’s not the decision I was expecting. But he is your son, and if you think that’s what’s best for him...”

“I do.”

Exchanging looks with Harrison, I gestured over to the phone before glancing back at Bruce, unable to tear my gaze away from his marred face.

“...Very well. Harrison, give the people at Arkham a call, would you? Let them know they’re getting a new arrival.” I glowered at Bruce. “And make sure they lock him up tight.”

Lazarus smiled wickedly and remained calm, obviously not threatened by his fate.

“Arkham couldn’t trap me before,” he recalled in a belittling tone. “What makes you think you’ll be safe now?”

I stepped up to Lazarus, grimacing at him as my brow furrowed in anger.

“I’m here.”

He snickered at that. “And I’m sure Agent Blake appreciates it. Enjoy the peace while it lasts, Waller. Lazarus will return...and just like before, you’re going to wish you had put a bullet in my brain when you had the chance.”

I scoffed. “Well, unlike you, I still have my humanity.”

Bruce turned on his heel and prepared to leave with Harrison as he was escorted out, the pair of them headed for the asylum. 

He gave me one last grin.

“And that’s why I’ll always be on top.”

From John’s POV

THE NEXT DAY

ARKHAM ASYLUM

“...Despite the Agency’s victory against Lazarus yesterday, and the arrest of Bruce Wayne,” Jack Ryder said in a regretful tone, “Gotham is still in a state of mayhem. Reports suggest that the murderous luchador called ‘Bane’ has been sighted rampaging around the city, and there have already been numerous casualties -- including both police officers and civilians -- and the GCPD has yet to catch the culprit. It seems that when Gotham rids itself of one problem, another inevitably shows up.”

Jack pushed his glasses up his nose, gazing at the camera in a worried manner.

“I hate to constantly be the bearer of bad news, but I’m afraid Gotham’s days of chaos are far from over. Even when they’re teamed up, there’s only so much the Agency or the GCPD can do -- and I would advise everyone to be extremely cautious in the upcoming weeks. Lazarus may finally be behind bars -- thank God -- but peace...is still a distant dream for this city. In the end, all we can do is take it one day at a time.”

Giggling to myself at the news, I brought my doll close to my chest and snuggled with it in my chair, smiling widely in glee as the other inmates occupied themselves with the activities in the rec-room.

As always, Zsasz was destroying some poor soul at chess and being accused of mind-reading, Wesker and his, err...“pal” were minding their own business on a nearby couch, and the orderlies of the asylum lazily guarded the gates, bored to death by their maddening routines. 

So in other words, it was just another day.

Tidying up the doll’s hair, I held the toy in front of me and proudly examined it, admittedly still in love with the person it resembled.

“There you go, Brucie,” I said, patting him clean. “Spick and span, as usual. You’re always so handsome -- it’s nuts, really.” My tone grew darker. “I just wish the insides were as charming. Maybe I’ll spill them out for you...!”

Stopping myself before I could tear the doll apart, I took a calming breath and placed the doll next to me in a sitting position, suddenly feeling somewhat guilty as the other inmates stared at me in confusion.

I lowered my head in shame. 

“...I-I’m sorry, Brucie,” I apologized under my breath. “That outburst was uncalled for, but Doctor Leland says I have a hard time letting things go...and you really hurt me when you gave me up to the Agency. I thought we had something special, you and I. But maybe I wasn’t good enough. Or maybe I hurt you, too. After all, it is my fault you became Lazarus. I...I can’t deny that I miss Bruce Wayne. Things just aren’t the same without the billionaire playboy...y’know what I mean?”

Changing my mood within a matter of seconds, I picked the doll up again and chuckled at it joyously, shrugging in a dismissive way.

“But gee, what relationship doesn’t have its ups and downs? Sure, you’re a little rough sometimes, but I know you really love me. Or...have I been wrong this whole time? Maybe you’ve moved on. Maybe you’ve found another light. Meanwhile, I’m trapped in this asylum -- way back at the beginning. I guess Harley was right all along. A guy like you? You’d never be friends with a guy like me.”

Interrupting my thoughts, a strangely familiar shadow approached me from behind and completely tore my focus away from the doll, causing my chest to tighten with anxiety.

“...You don’t really believe that, do you, my dear?”

Hopping out of surprise, I whipped around in my chair and practically hid behind the piece of furniture as I observed my intruder, only to be greeted by someone I never thought I’d see again.

I peeked my head above the chair’s back, widening my eyes in shock.

“...B-Bruce?” I whimpered. “Is that you?”

The man towered over me like a predator and caused the entire room to fall silent with his mere presence, his damaged skin wrinkling as a freakish smile spread across his face.

He opened his arms in a “welcoming gesture” and prowled towards me, capturing all of the inmates’ wary attention. 

A morbid sense of pleasure glinted in his eyes.

“Well, who else could it be?” Lazarus answered simply. “Did you really think I’d leave you alone, John? I’m hurt you’d doubt me so easily. You know I love you...don’t you?”

Despite the anger I held for him, I found myself mindlessly rising from the chair and straight into his arms like a fish on a hook and embraced him, resting my head on his chest as everyone stared at us in bewilderment.

“You’re right, Bruce,” I conceded. “I’m sorry. It’s just, you really broke me when you threw me to the wolves...but I’m a forgiving guy, and I know I’ll always be your light outside of Arkham, no matter what. Isn’t that right? Buddy?”

“Of course.” Lazarus replied, pulling me closer. 

He leaned forward, whispering into my ear as he tightened his grasp possessively.

“...Too bad we’re on the inside.”

[comic-movieheroesranked]

Cinematic Comic Characters Ranked! (Year 2011) Part III

This year I think has the most characters ranked so far, and all from movies introducing brand new characters. X-Men franchise gets a reboot with X-Men: First Class; The MCU welcomes the additions of Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger; DC Comics introduces Green Lantern, and we also get The Adventures of Tintin, Cowboys & Aliens, The Green Hornet, and Priest. Here’s #40-21!

*SPOILER ALERT FOR THE HIGHLIGHTED MOVIES ABOVE*

40. Erik Selvig (Thor)

"Anyone who's ever going to find his way in this world, has to start by admitting he doesn't know."

Erik is a wise man of science who helps Jane work on her projects. Despite not believing Thor's story one bit when the god arrives to Earth, he still helps Jane rescue him and even leaves some words of advice to Thor that helps him understand what it means to be a king. He's a good guy so it sucks to see that by the post-credits scene, when he's talking to Nick Fury, he's been possessed by Loki himself.

39. Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (The Adventures of Tintin)

"Nothing I do is an accident!"

A villain on a quest for revenge in his great ancestor's name. Sakharine had every move and action planned out to find the lost treasure of the unicorn but didn't quite predict Tintin's involvement. Despite all his efforts, he's unable to complete his mission and loses to Haddock just like his ancestor did.

38. Benjamin Chudnofsky (The Green Hornet)

"My gun has two barrels. That's not boring."

The big bad villain of the film, Chudnofsky is just a crime boss who is going through a mid-life crisis. Turns out that being scary means a lot more than just killing everyone who crosses you. He learned the younger generations want something a little more flashy. He tries but it's kinda like when a father tries to hang out with his teenage son at a party. It just doesn't work. However, he's still a violent being who takes out a lot of people but in all honesty, he can't be that impressive when he couldn't even kill Britt on his own. Sure, Britt had Kato, who managed to deliver the killing blow to the crime lord, but if he was as bad as wanted to be, he would've had no issues.

37. Lenore Case (The Green Hornet)

"If you even look at my ass again I'll sue you for sexual harassment."

Geez how did this girl even want to work as Britt's assistant after finding out what a complete douche he was? His attempts at flirty were so pervy you just couldn't help but feel bad for Case. Kato didn't really help either and if I were in her shoes I'd let the cops take them both down. But for some reason she helps them and decides to continue to help them keep the city safe by the end of the film.

36. Azazel (X-Men: First Class)

"Damn it."

In my opinion, Azazel is Shaw's most dangerous assassin in the Hellfire Club. Not only can he teleport but he's also a master at wielding a long blade. The combination of the two really shows when he kills most of the government agents protecting the X-Men by himself. His combat skills are so impressive that he's able to take on Beast and Havok at the same time. He apparently can't take a punch though, as it only takes one from Beast to knock him out. When everything's said and done, Azazel joins Magneto's Brotherhood.

35. Thaal Sinestro (Green Lantern)

"Are you afraid?"

With his mentor dead, Sinestro seems to be the strongest member of the Corps alive, but he's faced with a lot. Even with his skill he can't seem to defeat Parralax, who keeps destroying planets with his powers of fear. Worse, he strongly feels like Hal isn't fit to be a Lantern so in an act of desperation turns to the Guardians to find another source of power to defeat his foe. The source is fear, the opposite force of willpower, the very essence of what it means to be a Green Lantern. Despite Hal proving willpower can overcome fear, at the end of the film, Sinestro still puts on the yellow ring, becoming the first member of the Yellow Lanter Corps.

34. Black Hat (Priest)

"After all, if you're not committing sin then you're not having fun."

Black Hat used to be a priest who was taken down during an attack on a vampire hive that went wrong. Instead of killing him, the vampire queen feeds him her blood instead and turns him into the first vampire-human hybrid, containing the skills of a priest and power of a vampire. This makes him dangerous as he leads an overwhelming army of vampire to kidnap Lucy, Priest's daughter, and destroy towns full of humans. He also proved his power by killing three priests on his own as well as nearly taking out Priest towards the films climax. However, Priest had help in the form of Hicks and Priestess and was able to see Black Hat burn up in flames at the last second.

33. Laufey (Thor)

"Go now, while I still allow it."

Man was this guy a huge let down. I truly thought Laufey was going to be the big bad villain of the movie, but turns out he was just another pawn in Loki's ultimate plan to rule Asgard. King of the Frost Giants, he's definitely not to be messed with, but he puts his faith in his son and when he goes to kill Odin in his sleep, Loki betrays him and blasts him to dust.

32. Hector Hammond (Green Lantern)

"How wonderful that all it took for you to grow up was the end of the world."

I almost did want to feel bad for all the crap Hector seemed to be getting from his dad his entire life, but all of that went out the window when the first thing he does when he sees Carol is sniff her hair. The dude is weird, jealous, and entitled so of course he ends up getting possessed by Parralax and granted these psychic powers that comes with a disturbing physical appearance. He gets his revenge on his students, his dad, even Hal for a bit before the other male manages to trick him into wearing the ring. The ring doesn't recognize him and backfires on him and when Parralax shows up and sees him wearing the weapon of his sworn enemy? Yeah Hector died real quick after that.

31. Thomson and Thompson (The Adventures of Tintin)

"To be precise, you are under arrest!"

These two are pure comedy. Not only for how they exchanged words with each other, but because they were absolutely horrible at doing their jobs yet, oddly enough, seemed to be at the right place at the right time to help Tintin save the day. I mean the two were literally at the house of the kleptomaniac they were after and were arguing AGAIST him on how he wasn't their suspect. If that isn't what you call a pure comedic mess I don't know what is.

30. Britt Reid/The Green Hornet (The Green Hornet)

"Everyone knows, you corner a hornet, you get stung."

I hated Britt. He's almost exactly like Bruce Wayne when it comes to being rich, having dead parents, and then deciding to become a superhero, but his arrogance, rudeness, and in-capabilities with mental and physical prowess proved this dude could never be on Batman's level. There was just so many times that he would screw everything up that you just wanted him to fail because it was frustrating to see someone as annoying as him save the day.

29. Parralax (Green Lantern)

"Once I have devoured your world I will have all the strength I need to defeat the Corps and destroy the Guardians."

A former Guardian, Parralax wanted to use the power of fear instead of willpower, making him an easy enemy of the Green Lantern Corps. After his first defeat, he returns stronger than ever, devouring planets through their inhabitant's fear. He nearly destroys Earth as well until Hal manages to fight him off, tricking him into being pulled in into the sun and burns away. His legacy in fear lives on though, once Sinestro slips on the yellow ring that is fused with his powers.

28. Woodrow Dolarhyde (Cowboys & Aliens)

"Get off my plains!"

At first Dolarhyde seemed like a huge asshole that let his son terrorize a town just because he was rich and that he was actually going to be an obstacle Jake would have to face during his war with the aliens, but the latter never happened. Dolarhyde was quick to band together with the others, only really showing disobedience when it came to working with the Native Americans which, granted, was only because they had just taken him prisoner. He proves to be a good shot during the final fight and even saves Jake's life at the last moment inside the ship. I would have preferred Percy dying instead of Colorado and then Dolarhyde officially adopting Colorado to be his son but instead he gives Percy exactly what he wants again but at least Percy kinda stopped being a dick.

27. Alex Summers/Havok (X-Men: First Class)

"Whatever."

Havok seemed to be the member shrouded in the most mystery when he first joined the group. He was very hesitant about being around everyone and they quickly knew why, his energy blasts are out of control. After the death of his good friend Darwin, he decides to focus on his destructive blasts but still can't manage to do it. Even though he mocks Hank to no end, the brilliant scientist helps create a device that helps him control the blasts. He holds his own when the X-Men go up against the Hellfire Club and he officially stays with Xavier after Magneto kills Shaw.

26. Carol Ferris (Green Lantern)

"You don't think I would recognize you because I can't see your cheekbones?"

Carol Ferris is a strong fighter pilot, a smart businesswoman, and Hal Jordan's ex-girlfriend. While it's clear she still cares about him, she just can't take him seriously. She's even smart enough to realize the Green Lanter is Hal, but I mean she makes a good point on him not really having a big disguise. Her bravery matches her brain power too, when she saves Hal from death by blasting some missiles at Parralax and giving him the opportunity he needs to save the day.

25. Johann Schmidt/Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)

"Hail, HYDRA."

This guy takes having a God complex to a whole other level. He wants the world at his feet and in order to do so he needs power. So he creates HYDRA and joins Hitler and the German Nazis to find it. He becomes the infamours Red Skull when he tries to take the super soldier serum and his body rejects it. Even though he's really intimidating at times, he never really accomplishes anything. When his plan fails and Captain America defeats him, he grabs the tesseract and it seems to kill him with it's sheer power alone.

24. Ella Swenson (Cowboys & Aliens)

"I won't be around for very long."

Yeah Ella's true identity as another alien being was definitely a plot twist I didn't see coming but after learning who she really is you really got to admire her selflessness. She literally lost her entire race of aliens like her yet still went out of her way to warn and later help the humans before they were wiped out as well. She manages to help rescue all the kidnapped humans from the alien's captivity but her real shining moment comes when she sacrifices herself to detonate a huge bomb that destroys the entire alien ship, killing every single one of them. We did see her come back to life earlier so who knows if she actually stays dead this time.

23. Moira MacTaggert (X-Men: First Class)

"You're your own team now. You're X-Men."

Moira is a great CSI agent. As soon as she discovers that the Hellfire Club is full of mutants, she goes and finds herself an expert on one. She holds no prejudice like most humans in her era which is probably why Charles starts developing feelings for her. Despite being the only human on the team, she does her best to fight Shaw and even Magneto when he proves to be a huge threat, firing several bullets at him, one of which ends up paralyzing Charles from the waist down. Afterwards, for the safety of him and his students, her memory is wiped clean for when she's interrogated by the CSI.

22. Sif, Vostagg, Hogun, Fandral (Thor)

"We must find Thor."

Sif and the Warriors Three are some of Asgard's greatest warriors and Thor's best friends. They're loyalty is shown all throughout the film when they travel with Thor to confront the Frost Giants and when they disobey Loki and travel to Earth to bring Thor back to Asgard after his banishment. They each have their own unique qualities and abilities that brings something good to the table, but it's only when they all work together that they really become a strong force of Asgardian warriors.

21. James 'Bucky' Barnes (Captain America: The First Avenger)

"This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war!"

Steve's best friend who's looked out for him his entire life before he joins the army. He reunites with Steve after he becomes Captain America and rescues him from a HYDRA facility. Bucky really becomes that sense of home for Steve, but I couldn't help but feel a little hint of jealousy in him? I mean I think he was so used to being the better man and then all of a sudden Steve is the face of the US army. Don't get me wrong, I think he cared about Steve one hundred percent but I think it was a hurt ego that made him try to rush that giant machine with Steve's shield before he gets blasted away and falls to his apparent death.

[inawickedlittletown]

Walking The Wire (159/163)

Summary: Tony Stark always knew about Peter Parker. He didn’t know that Peter was going to get superpowers and become Spider-Man, but he always knew about Peter because Peter was his son.

This will span from pre-Iron Man up through the rest of the MCU (eventually including Infinity War) and will be for the most part canon compliant except where I’ve taken some liberties and interpreted canon a certain way.

Pairings: Pepper/Tony, Tony/Steve (endgame), Tony/Mary (past)

A/N: If you want me to tag you when I post new chapters let me know. This fic is also on AO3

I used Collider’s MCU timeline to stay canon and the title of this fic is an Imagine Dragons song that is just so fitting for Peter and Tony

@findmeinthestarss

Masterpost

Chapter One Hundred Fifty Eight

-

The axe didn’t hit Thanos. Instead, it was thrown aside as if it weren’t a weapon wielded by a god and when it fell on the ground it clinked and fell heavily. In the next moment they were all thrown aside by Thanos and the Power Stone. Tony felt it like a blow as he flew into a wall. The purple light was blinding and when he opened his eyes again Thanos was on his feet and his house was all but destroyed and then there was lighting in the mix coming in through the roof to hit Thanos directly. Thor was flying just above them, eyes completely white and blue. He looked powerful and for a moment Tony had expected for the gauntlet to be visible, but it wasn’t. This was all Thor and he was more magnificent than Tony had ever seen him before. Then, Stormbreaker flew to Thor’s extended hand and Thor directed lighting at Thanos. It hit him and it was obvious he felt it, and he definitely felt it when Carol reappeared and shot him with an energy blast. But it wasn’t enough to keep him down and Tony didn’t know if that was to do with the Power Stone or if it was because Thanos on his own was that powerful and strong. 

The only way that they could probably deal with him was if they all attacked him at the same time. He saw Carol be thrown aside again just as Rhodey shot him with a few missiles which, at least when they connected, seemed to actually hurt Thanos. Scott was somewhere in the mix too, too small to see, but strong enough to get a few hits in. Nebula tried to go at him with one of the knives Tony had gifted her when Carol was back on her feet and had him distracted, but he grabbed Nebula by the neck right out of the air and threw her aside like a rag doll.

Gamora cried out and rushed to get sister’s side and Tony stood in front of them, keeping an eye on them as Thanos seemed to pause and stare in their direction. Bruce took the moment to run at him and with Thanos distracted managed to take him right through a wall. Debris fell around them and the roof looked like it was likely to collapse. Natasha and Steve had told him all about how bad at piloting the Hulk Buster armor Bruce had been in Wakanda. He’d gotten some practice in since then, but they all could have used the Hulk instead. 

Carol flew after them and Rhodey followed. Tony made to go too, but Gamora grabbed his armored arm. From outside, Tony could see more purple light and Carol’s blasts too. 

He turned to look at Gamora and he let the nanotech pull back from his face. “What is it?”

“I know what we have to do,” she said. She looked serious and maybe a little distraught. 

“Kill Thanos...isn’t that what we’re here to do?” No, they’d really come to be sure he couldn’t stop them from reversing the snap. He clearly still had the Power Stone, but Tony suspected that he had actually scattered the rest. Maybe they didn’t need to fight him at all. 

“That was the plan as far as I was concerned,” Rocket said, stepping forward. He had some sort of huge gun over his shoulder. “Or are you having feelings because he raised you?” Rocket asked. 

Scott appeared next to Rocket, then, getting back to his regular size. “What’s the plan?” he asked. 

From outside the house the sounds of fighting travelled and Tony knew they didn’t have much time before something went wrong out there. Thor seemed hesitant to jump in mostly because he was in possession of the stones. It was probably also because of how the fight in Wakanda had gone. 

“Shut up, Rocket. No, it’s this, the Soul Stone let me go because your Steve sacrificed himself and took my place,” Gamora said. “To get him back, we need to give the stone someone else. That’s the only way to get him out.”

“Thanos,” Natasha said at once. 

“Yeah that’s all -- yeah, that’s -- how?” 

Gamora stared at Tony for a long moment. “You, Stark. You’re the master of the Soul Stone.”

Carol was thrown back into the house and Thor caught her before she went too far. She looked at them with a raised eyebrow. “So, you lot think you’re going to help or what?” 

In that same moment, Tony heard a sound he hadn’t thought he would get to hear any time soon. Hulk yelling. It didn’t sound like anything but just sounds, but Hulk was back. 

---

“Sam says you have a crush on your friend MJ,” Steve said and Peter could immediately tell that he was trying not to show how amused he was. 

Peter shook his head at once. “No. No. I don’t. I really don’t...or, well, I don’t think I do? And when did Sam even tell you any of this? Because I’m pretty sure that I’ve been with you since you arrived and he’s been teasing me about this for a while now--”

“You were talking to Quill and his tree friend. Groot, was it?” 

He had gone over to talk to Quill for a moment because Quill was all depressed about Gamora disappearing still and Peter had tried to point out that Gamora was probably out of the stone and so it wasn’t a bad thing. 

“Yeah, Groot,” Peter said. “I wish I actually understood him.”

“So, MJ?”

Peter shrugged his shoulders. He felt weird talking about it when he had absolutely no idea what he was doing and when he didn’t even truly know how he felt. MJ was a good friend and she was quirky and different and she kept his secrets with only minimal teasing but Peter didn’t know if he liked her like that or just missed her and Ned. 

“I don’t know. Maybe? I -- she’s a really good friend and she knows about Spider-Man and she knows about dad too so there’s all of that but I just...Steve, I don’t know. I don’t exactly...I have no experience with any of this.”

His only real experience was probably with Liz and that hadn’t exactly started or ended particularly well. He’d just been so absolutely awkward -- probably would never stop being awkward. Then, of course, her father had turned out to be The Vulture and abandoning her at Homecoming was maybe just overshadowed by how her father had ended up in jail but it still didn’t make things any better for Liz. 

“My best advice,” Steve said, “is to not waste time overthinking things or waiting too long. There’s so much that can happen, Peter, so--”

“So figure it out and tell her once everything goes back to normal?” Peter asked. “Maybe I just have to see her again. Maybe then I’ll know.”

Steve tilted his head in a sort of nod and Peter sighed which made Steve laugh and lean over to ruffle his hair. “You know, Peter, you are still quite young.”

“Yes and I’m a mess.”

Steve laughed. “Everyone is sort of a mess when they’re a teenager. Just ask Bucky--”

“Yeah, he told me you got into so many fights.”

“I’ve never liked a bully.”

It was no wonder that he was Captain America. 

“Yeah, me either,” Peter said. 

---

The stone came to Tony when he reached for it. It was just him and Thor while the rest had gone to help The Hulk and Carol. They were trying to make this go quick. The stone was warm and it glowed a little in his hand, but Tony could feel the power and he knew that it wanted to be used. Back when he’d picked up the stone in Vormir, Tony hadn’t allowed himself to think about the stone or consider what it felt like to hold it. He’d been too distracted by the loss of Steve to notice the stone at all. He’d been so numb to everything, then, but now he felt the stone. 

The stone wanted his attention. It wanted to be used and it wanted Tony to go inside it and it was tempting. There was a sort of giddy excitement coming off of the stone and Tony was suddenly aware of how right Gamora was about him being the master of the stone. It beckoned him to go inside and it was more than tempting especially knowing that Steve and Peter were within it. But Tony couldn’t get distracted. He needed to exchange Steve and Thanos and--

No, they couldn’t do that. 

At least, not until everyone else was out of the stone because they couldn’t put Thanos in there with everyone that had been dusted. He would lash out and innocents would be hurt. 

Thor had been watching him as he held the stone, and met Tony’s eyes when his head shot up. “Thor, we have to reverse the snap,” Tony said. “Thanos doesn’t have the stones anymore -- at least it doesn’t seem like he does and I can’t send Thanos in there if everyone else is still in the stone.” 

“No, we can’t do that,” Thor said. He made the gauntlet appear again.

Tony put the stone back and he could sort of feel how reluctant the stone was to leave him and yet how glad it was to join the other stones. 

“Are you ready?” Tony asked and he could tell that Thor looked a bit nervous at the prospect.  

“Ready,” Thor said. 

Tony had no idea what was going on with the others and Thanos aside from what they could hear but he was sure the others could handle it. He took a few steps back from Thor as the stones shone and just like the first time that Thor had put the gauntlet on his arm glowed with the power of the stones. In his free hand Thor held Stormbreaker and lightning surrounded him, crackling in the air. He looked like a proper god and Tony stared on in awe. 

Tony watched as Thor lifted the gauntlet just in front of himself. Thor took a deep breath and then he snapped his fingers…

---

“So, all you seem to do around here and sit and do basically nothing,” Steve said, smiling a little. 

Peter was braiding Bucky’s hair which was strange enough because Peter knew how to braid hair, but also Bucky was so comfortable with Peter and Peter with Bucky that it was something they did. The result, Steve supposed, of all the time spent inside the Soul Stone. It was proper Uncle and Nephew behavior as far as Steve was concerned and it made him warm all over. 

“Basically,” Peter said. “Not much to do here is there? There are only so many stories Bucky can tell me about the newspapers in your shoes.” 

Steve reached over to ruffle Peter’s hair and Peter leaned into the touch. He was sort of like a cat. 

Steve had no idea how much time had passed since he arrived, only that it felt like quite a bit had. Sam had explained that time moved strangely in the stone and that they didn’t know if it was slower or faster or if it existed at all. 

“It doesn’t make sense,” he said, “and it’s not like we need to eat or sleep or even use a bathroom in here. We’re in some sort of weird limbo.”

It was strange. Cosmically strange. Steve was really kind of done with odd and strange things. He kind of just wanted normal life back. He glanced over at Peter and he was concentrating hard on whatever it was that he was trying to do to Bucky’s hair. Bucky looked relaxed and at peace -- he was more and more the Bucky from his past. Steve smiled watching them. Despite everything and despite how much he missed Tony, it was easier to not dwell on that…easier to not think about what might be going on outside of the stone and instead let himself be. He didn’t want to think about the future, either, because it was so distant and because Steve couldn’t let himself imagine that he would actually make it out of the stone. But Peter would. Bucky would.  

“Is the kid giving me some weird hairstyle?” Bucky asked, grinning at Steve. 

“I’m not,” Peter said. 

“Looks a bit girly to me,” Sam said with a smirk. 

“I have no idea what he’s doing,” Steve said with a shrug. 

“It’s a surprise,” Peter said and then after a moment. “Actually -- I don’t know what it’s called but it’ll look cool.”

“Hey, Pete, when did you learn to braid hair?” Steve asked. 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “I used to...I used to braid May’s sometimes when I was younger.” 

He looked a bit sad talking about May, but then they all got that way when anyone that was still out there came up in conversation. Steve hadn’t really told him about how upset May had been when they went to tell her what happened and he felt it was for the best -- Peter probably already knew anyway without Steve having to tell him. It was better left unspoken.  

“It was fun,” Peter said, smiling a little. “I haven’t done it in a long time…”

Steve sat back on his elbows and stared up. Everything was so orange and yellow. He was staring up for a while, like watching clouds move because the colors sort of swirled and came and went. It was easy to get lost in watching it. The stone felt differently all of a sudden. It was warm. It was -- could a stone be happy?

When he looked at the others they didn’t seem to have noticed the change. 

“Stevie?” Bucky asked. 

Steve couldn’t explain it. The stone was sentient -- all the stones probably were, considering, but for a few moments it felt happy and excited and Steve didn’t know how he knew, but he knew Tony was near. 

“You okay, man?” 

“Yeah,” Steve said. “Yeah.”

Peter looked at him with some concern but Steve smiled his way and he sat back up. The warmth faded a little and Steve let himself imagine that out there Tony and the team were up to something. 

“Finished,” Peter said. 

Steve looked over at Bucky whose new braid made him look just a little weird. But Peter seemed pleased with himself. 

“Now, if we had a mirror,” Bucky said. 

“No, I don’t think you want to see it at all.” Sam said and he was laughing. 

“Hey! I worked hard on it,” Peter said, but he was laughing and then the laugh turned into a gasp. 

Peter looked from side to side, his face paled. Steve moved closer to him, reaching for him even as he felt like everything was changing. 

“Peter?” 

Peter’s eyes met his and Steve reached him, 

“I think we’re--” Peter’s voice trailed off and then he was gone. 

Everyone was gone...except for him--

He was all alone.

-

Chapter One Hundred Sixty

[tessatechaitea]

New Titans #111

The mystery is who thought sending Arsenal into space was a good idea and also who shit his pants?

If your superhero team needs spacesuits to survive in space, maybe send a different team of heroes on the space mission. It just makes more sense to leave Batman and Aquaman on Earth while Superman and Supergirl solve all of the space crime. I couldn't think of any other heroes that could survive in space. Hell, I'm not even sure if we're currently in an era where Superman is allowed to survive in space. Remember when DC thought it would be a good idea to reduce his powers so that even Superman had to wear oxygen when in space? Although even a Superman who can survive in the vacuum of space retains considerable plot problems. Sure, he can survive in space if he's within range of a yellow sun because that's how he gets his powers. Or was it simply that he lost his powers under a red sun and was just fine under any other sun? The 1986 Who's Who doesn't clear things up as it just says that Superman's Kryptonian cells act like solar batteries under a yellow sun. It doesn't distinctly say that the red sun weakens him so I guess he just grows weaker away from a yellow sun as his cell battery drains. Then again, I'm sure things changed after The Man of Steel series. And then again after Millennium. And then again after Zero Year. And then again after Infinite Crisis. And then again after The New 52. And then again after Rebirth. And then again after Doomsday Clock. And then again after whatever the fuck Bendis is doing. Why the fuck am I talking about Superman?! I'm not even sure he knows the New Titans exist! As I begin reading the first page of this comic book that shows Kory once again dressed in fraying threads, I remember that I already ranted about sending the Titans into space! In comic books, sometimes your last hope truly is the last hope. Nobody in the 90s wanted to have to rely on the Titans to rescue them. The Terraist's satellite blasts the Brazilian rain forest as a means to get Brazil to stop razing their rain forests. I suppose it's a pretty good plan because if the forests are burned to the ground, Brazil won't be able to burn the forests to the ground. Reporters all over the world are asking the tough question: "Will governments give in to the Terraist's demands that they stop destroying the Earth before the Terraist destroys the Earth?!" My guess is that they won't because the Terraist's plan is fucking ridiculous. I wonder if the Terraist is also a landlord? "If you won't put up smoke detectors, I'm going to burn the fucking house to the ground. You have three hours!" To save the world, the New Not-So-Teen-Anymore Titans have all crowded aboard some kind of space rocket.

The way Erlich is gripping that throttle and reaching for a wedge of cheese on the dash makes me horny.

You might have noticed Gar sitting in the back thinking while everybody else crowds around the controls in what I'm assuming violates several safety regulations. Gar's grieving his boring friend Cyborg. Red Star notices because Gar has made sure to do the contemplative hand on the chin while looking at an unfixed point in the distance pose. Nobody else notices because, I'm assuming, they're capitalists. It's a touching scene of a friend mourning the loss of another friend that isn't actually touching at all. But it does highlight Gar's mullet! I'm not making fun of Gar's mullet at all. There was a time when we, as a society, accepted the mullet as a valid hair style. But then enough people began making fun of it that everybody had to back off and pretend that it wasn't a valid aesthetic. Maybe it had just too broad a base of people who generally wore the hairstyle. I mean, if you saw somebody with a mullet from afar, how were you supposed to know whether they were a working class butt rocker, a hockey player, or a lesbian? Red Star brings up how the Titans have lost many friends.

Those friends are Terra (not a friend but a mole), Dick Grayson (not lost), and Starfire (also not lost). Would it have killed him to actually think about Jericho, Raven, and Danny Chase?!

Marv Wolfman intrudes on the fiction, musing about how this comic book is still fucking selling, with the line, "Sometimes I wonder why we're still even here." Me too, Marv! I was 22 and still buying this shit! Although there really was a time in my life where one of my main existential dreads was dying before seeing how different comic book stories ended. Imagine being so naive as to think any of these fucking things would ever have an actual ending! Red Star says, "If we gave up, then our friends will have died in vain," without ever once thinking about one of their actual dead friends. Also without acknowledging that their friends died in vain. Maybe they wouldn't have died in vain if the Titans looked at their deaths and thought, "You know what? We aren't fucking helping anybody! Jericho was killed not saving the world but battling his father. Raven was killed not saving the world but being consumed by her familial darkness. Maybe we should stop fooling ourselves into thinking we're helping the world rather than harming it and just hang up our capes! That would be a fitting tribute to our dead friends!" Garth interrupts the emotional stuff by pointing out that the Terraist's space station just launched a missile at them. I'm glad Garth, the undersea hero, is pulling his weight up in space by observing shit. The scene shifts to the Terraist's satellite where I discover I'm not entirely sure if the bad guy is named The Terraist or Teraizer. What I am sure of is that his right-hand man is named "James." The Terraist states that public reaction is still on their side and I have no idea how that's possible. He's burning the fucking rain forests in an effort to save the rain forests. How the hell is anybody supporting this...oh fuck. I just remembered Donald Trump is president and the Republicans are burning this entire country to the ground in order to line their own pockets. Never mind. I totally buy it. While Starfire flies toward the space station, she philosophizes about freedom. She's all, "It's ain't free, bitches! Some motherfuckers are going to have to die!" I'm not sure what this story has to do with freedom. It's more about saving the world from the most wrong-minded ecoterrorists to ever threaten to chop down the tree they're hugging. Maybe she's still hung up on her relationship with Dick and how she was never free while with him because he of his constant moralizing. Meanwhile back in the burning rain forest, Dick Grayson comes to terms with his father/son relationship with Batman. Is this the exact moment Dick Grayson began to become a compelling character? Is this when he truly becomes Batman's equal? Instead of the whining brat trying to distance himself from Batman, he finally embraces what Batman represents and what Bruce taught him, both as a son and sidekick. I fucking hated Dick Grayson for so long because of this comic book, because Marv Wolfman needed to concentrate on the drama of teens rebelling against their parents and/or parental figures. But this might be the moment Dick matures. Which didn't mean I was ready to like the ungrateful turd. But I can see this as the experience needed before I could begin to change my mind about him. Also, it probably helped when Dick began being written by writers other than Marv Wolfman. The Terraist blasts Starfire into unconsciousness so it's up to Red Star to save her. Mostly because none of the other Titans have any real helpful super powers. I mean, Garth might try to summon a dolphin, or Roy might shoot an arrow with a rope tied to it, or Gar might transform into a space bunny rabbit. But mostly that shit would just waste time.

Look. I don't need my comic books to absolutely adhere to believable scientific standards, but what the fuck is Kory breathing?

The Titans invade the space station and defeat The Terraist as he inevitably winds up revealing that he's not interested in saving the world at all. He just wants cash. And since most of the world supported his terrible scheme, Starfire uses his camera link to the world to scold everybody on Earth. That probably won't help the Titans' reputation. Although she scolds them while practically naked, so my guess is not many people turned off the broadcast. New Titans #111 Rating: D. The Terraist concocted this entire plan to make money. Why couldn't he be happy with the billions of dollars he apparently already had?! I'm fairly certain you can't build a space station of death while employing dozens of trained killers without having a pretty hefty bank account. It would make more sense if he did care about the environment even if his plan was completely contrary to helping the environment. Anyway, I hope the Titans decide to take care of his cat. That cat didn't choose to be owned by a huge dickhead.