#and it would've been really really nice if Batman was the one who did it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thevoidstaredback · 23 days ago

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"Don't you find it suspicious?" Barry asks Wally.

"Hm?"

"The attendees. It's such a weird hodgepodge of people."

"Really? Everyone here is well known in their fields of work."

Barry doesn't seem to believe him. Rude.

"It's true!" he insists, "Everyone here has at least two articles written about them."

"And how would you know that?" Bart asks.

"Because I actually read the news?" Wally says. That, and Dick let him in on the whole plan that's been cooked up. He's upset that he wasn't brought in earlier, but he's more than excited to watch the security footage from 'Phase One'.

Iris gasps mockingly. "You do? I don't believe it!"

Wally sniffs. "Believe it or not, Iris, I don't live under a rock."

"Could've fooled me!" Dick snorts from behind him.

Whirling around, Wally grins at his best friend. "Dick!"

"Hey, loser." He directs his attention to the other three at the table, "Mister and Misses Allen, it's nice to meet you. I'm Richard Grayson, but everyone calls me 'Dick'."

Bart snickers. "Unfortunate."

Dick grins and ruffles his hair. "What's your name, little man?"

"'m Bart Allen!"

"Nice to meet ya, Bart." Crouching down, Dick stage whispers, "Can I let you in on a secret?"

Bart nods.

"If you go back out the doors, turn left and there's another room there."

Bart playfully glares at him. "Try'n to get me to a secondary location?"

Dick shakes his head. "Well, if you want to hang out here with the boring adults..."

"Bye, Barry, Iris!" he calls, running - though it's closer to a slow jog for a non-powered person - off, leaving the room.

"You guys set up another room?" Wally asks.

Dick shrugs. "I know, when I was a kid, that I would've done anything to get out of this stuffy atmosphere."

"That's fair."

"Sorry to interrupt," Iris says, "But where did you two meet?"

The duo share a look. It's Dick who says, "I met him when he was visiting Bludhaven a while back."

Wally nods. "Yeah, he's with the BHPD; He got me outta some trouble while I was there."

"Trouble?" Barry almost laughs, "What happened?"

Wally blushes, clearly embarrassed. "Let's, um, not get into this right now."

Iris smirks. "Now, Wally, what do you have to be so shy about?"

This was not a story Wally wanted out. Fortunately, Dick was on his side. For now, at least.

"As much as I'd love to tell you how much cocaine got popped over his head," -he ignores Wally's indignant shout and punch to his shoulder- "I've got a few other people to meet. It was nice meeting you both. Please, I hope you enjoy."

***

There's a group surrounding Bruce, as is normal for galas, though it isn't intentional this time. Most of them are the One Percenter's that were invited to shift suspicions, but there are a few heroes and their families with him. Lois and Clark Kent being the most notable, though Oliver and Diana are here, too.

He's got eyes on his kids, too, making sure they're all okay. Like before, they all have comms in, but they're all umutted unless something happens. The noise, otherwise, would've been too much and obvious to the Supers.

Dick's just finished talking with the Allens, excusing himself and heading over to Donna Troy and Jackson Hyde are talking. Wally looks to be trying to follow after him.

Jason's off talking to Roy and Lian, though Dinah has her eye on them while Oliver's distracted.

Damian and Jon Kent are already walking out of the room. Because dinner's been served and eaten, he doesn't call his son back.

Tim and Duke have been gone for the past few minutes. They'd both left the ballroom as soon as they could, probably off to the room they'd set up away from the boring monotony of the gala. Most of the teen heroes were gone, too.

Cass and Steph are oth talking to the three reporters, though the two from social media seem more interested in online gossip than the Daily Profit reporter.

"Mister Wayne!" Lois greets, pulling his attention back to the group around him, "Are the rumors about you and Batman true?" There's a gleam in her eyes as she speaks. She knows something. She probably knew his secret the second she saw the wax seal. Good. More things to hold over Clark's head.

Bruce smiles at her. "What rumors?"

"That you hate each other." she says, "You've said, on record, that you think Batman does good for this city just in the wrong way; and there's rumors that he's said that you do good work, too, but he just doesn't like you."

He fakes hurt so obviously that everyone can tell he's either joking or he doesn't care, "Batman doesn't like me?" Shocking information, that is. Imagine that.

"That's only speculation, Mister Wayne."

"Please, Mister Wayne was my father, just as Misses Wayne was my mother. Please, call me 'Bruce'."

"Alright, Bruce. Would you mind explaining your thoughts on Batman? He's Gotham's hero, so why don't you like him."

"What is this, an interview?" he jokes. It falls flat, though the people around him chuckle, as social rules demand. "Miss Lane,"

"Please, it's 'Lois'."

"Lois, then. You're here as a guest, so why do you insist on working?"

She smiles sheepishly, though she doesn't back down. "I'm a reporter through and through, Burce, I can't help it."

He chuckles, "Well, then I guess I can help you put these rumors to rest." He pauses for a moment, feigning putting his thoughts together. "While I do think that Batman is doing good for Gotham, I can also see the flaws in his design. After all, he's only one man."

"Oh?" one of the others in the crowd around him asks, "Have you met him?"

"Only once; he saved me when I had been kidnapped a few years ago," the Gothamites in the crowd nod knowingly, though Luther - who's sneering not-so-subtly - shakes his head, "just after Robin appeared, I believe. And I think that's the thing I hate about him the most."

"Hate?" Oliver, who's near the back of the group, wonders. Diana must recognise his voice because she looks over at him and doesn't look away. Point Bruce.

"He never should've brought a child into his line of work. I can never forgive him for that." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Dick and Jason both share a look. He's speaking loudly, so he isn't surprised they hear. He means it, though. "Back to what I was saying, though! Batman does good work, but there are other solutions he's either overlooking or choosing to ignore."

"Such as..?" Lois prods.

Such as murder. That goes against his Code, but he's considered it. Though he walks a gray line, Kal is there as his moral compass. It wouldn't do to upset his best friend like that. Torture is also a solution, but that's also off the table, though Diana is the reason for that.

"Now, now, Miss Lois, I think it' time we leave this discussion for now. It's been a while since I was last in Metropolis; how's your own city's hero doing?"

Subtle, Bruce.

Lois looks deeply into his eyes, and whatever pieces she'd been missing click into place. She laughs, "He's doing well, though I haven't been reporting on him lately. That's all Clark."

"Have you met Superman?" Miss. Crowne asks, pulling the conversation along.

Clark shakes his head. "Only once, but not nearly long enough to get a comment." Luther looks slightly upset. Loser. "Though I'd love to talk to him some more. Have you ever met Batman?"

The answer is no. Batman makes a point to avoid civilians who aren't victims or Commissioner Gordon. However, Miss. Crowne says, yes, she has met Batman, though he didn't stay long for a talk. She seems to be proud of [not] meeting Gotham's resident cryptid, though her wording entices Oliver to speak up.

"Cryptid?" Oliver asks.

Miss. Crowne nods enthusiastically. "Yes! No one knows where he came from or where he goes at the end of each night. One day, he just showed up, and he's been here ever since."

She continues to spin a fantastical tale about what Gothamites think about Batman and his Birds. Bruce smirks behind his drink. This reveal is going to be really funny.

***

Down the left hallway from the ballroom, by the bathroom, is the sitting room that was chosen as the 'kid's room'. As soon as dinner had ended and the mingling had started, the Wayne children had spread the information about the second room to all of the heroes that had kids with them. Arguably, this room was much more fun than the ballroom.

Tim and Duke had been the first two to leave the ballroom, mostly so that there was actual security in the sitting room. Duke didn't have a team affiliated with the Justice League, so he mostly floated between the sitting room and the ballroom, like Cass and Steph, but Tim was almost a permanent fixture in the sitting room.

The entire team knows who Kon and Bart are, so thy stuck pretty close to each other as the only familiar faces in the party aside from their families. They left the ballroom soon after Tim and Duke did.

Cassie came in a few minutes later, Andy Curry toddling after her, though it didn't seem like she'd noticed.

Tim meet Cassie at the snack table. "Cute kid," he said, looking over her shoulder, "She related to you?"

Cassie didn't jump, though it was a close thing. She turned to Tim before looking behind her. "Nope."

Humming, Tim crouched down to pick up the toddler. Andrina 'Andy' Curry. Arthur and Mera will be missing her soon. "My name's Tim Drake," he says to both Andy and Cassie, though he coos, "What's your name, hun?"

Andy giggles as e boops her nose before picking her up and standing. "A-dy!"

"'Andy'?" he repeats, "Where're your parents, Andy?"

She points to the door. "Dat way!"

"That way?" Cassie says, also pointing to the door, "Why'd you leave them?"

Andy stuck her tongue out. "Bo'ing!"

Tim stifles a laugh. "Can you tell me your last name, sweety?"

"Cuwy!"

"Curry?" Cassie guesses.

"Yeah!" Andy nods happily.

Tim nods. "Let's get you back to your momma, okay, Andy?"

"Boo!" she shouts, gripping his shirt tighter. Cassie laughs.

Shooting his friend a small glare, he says, "You gotta tell your momma where you are or she's gonna worry!"

Andy's face fell, distraught. "Momma sad?"

Seeing the tears, Tim hurries to say, "No! No, no,no! Hunny, she's not sad, but she will be if we don't go say 'hi', okay?"

Andy nods, her eyes still watery, but she wasn't crying, so Tim would take the win."

Cassie follows as Tim leaves the room. "You're pretty good with kids."

"You think?" Tim chuckles. It was part of his Robin training.

"Yeah, though I don't know how you're going to find her parents in a room of people."

Tim looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I memorise faces pretty easily," he says, "And I made the guest list, so they should be easy to spot. Especially if they've noticed Andy here missing."

He nods at Duke as he passes into the ballroom. Cassie waits outside for him.

Just as he said finding Arthur and Mera Curry was pretty easy. They were talking to Dinah Lance, Mister and Misses Elliot, Jason, and Roy and Lian Harper. It didn't seem like they'd realised Andy was missing yet, so this was going to be a fun conversation.

"Excuse me?" he said, placing his hand on Arthur's shoulder, "Sorry to interrupt, but Andy here was wandering off on her own, so I figured I should bring her back to you."

Mera turned, gasping a bit, though it was probably mostly for dramatics. "Andrina!" Gently, she takes the toddler from Tim's arms, "You were supposed to be with Jackson! Why did you wander off?"

"Bo'ed." Andy huffs.

Arthur chuckles. "Thanks for bringing her back, ..?"

"Tim Drake," he offers his hand for a handshake, "I'm Jason's little brother."

"Squirt," Jason acknowledges, "You sticking around?"

He shakes his head. "Nah. I'm gonna go back to the sitting room."

"What?" Roy chuckles, "Too important to stay with adults?"

Tim raises his eyebrow challengingly. "Andy had the right idea. You adults are pretty boring."

The entire group laughs as he excuses himself, leaving the room quickly. He meets Cassie just outside the door.

"I'm Cassie Sandsmark," she says, holding her hand for a handshake.

Tim accepts, "Tim Drake."

"I know. You're pretty famous, y'know?"

He groans. "Don't remind me, man."

"Not all it's cracked up to be?"

"Not even close."

Cassie laughs and Tim joins her. It'll be a weight off his shoulders when his team finally knows him in and out of costume. Though, he knows they'll be hurt at first, they'll more likely find this prank hilarious, especially when he shows them the Cave footage of Phase One.

He and Cassie find Bart and Kon in the same corner as before, though they both have food and there's more people in the room.

"Hi," Tim greets, "I'm Tim Drake. I'm glad you could make it!"

"Connor Kent," he then points to Bart, "That's Bart Allen."

"Cassie Sandsmark," she says.

They all shake hands and merge conversations. For a moment, Tim can imagine that there's no secrets between them.

Eventually, the conversation turns to the Gotham Vigilantes.

"You know the rumors, don't you?" Tim says.

"What rumors?" Kon asks.

He watches his teammates for a seconds before glancing around the room and leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. They lean in as well. "That the Bats and his Birds aren't human."

There's a pause.

"Excuse me?" Cassie blinks.

Tim nods. "No one's quite sure where or when Batman showed up. And the others? None of them seem quite human. Some people think that Batman was created by the sheer amount of magic that's cursed the city."

Bart tilts his head to the side. "Gotham's cured?"

"Yep! Didn't you know that? Can't you feel it?"

"Drake," Damian says from behind the three heroes, startling them, "What are you doing?"

Tim shrugs, leaning away from his friends, "Telling my friends about the magic in Gotham."

"Tt. Baseless assumptions."

"Half of the rogues in the city are undead."

"What?" Kon half exclaims.

"The other half have PhDs in different fields." Damian refutes, "Your point?"

"Yeah, that's fair." Tim agrees, "Konnor, Cassie, Bart; this is my little brother Damian. Damian, this is Konnor Kent, Cassie Sandsmark, and Bart Allen."

"Pleasure to meet you." He was not convincing in the least.

"Nice to meet ya, little dude," Kon smiles.

Damian scowls. "Do not call me little."

"Aww!" Bart coos, laughing, "He's so cute!"

Damian bristles like a cat. "I am not-!"

He's cut off by Jon Kent throwing an arm over his shoulder. "Dami!" he smiles, "You've met my uncle now!"

Cassie does a double take. "You're an uncle?"

Kon shakes his head. "Yep."

"Jon," Damian says, significantly calmer now that his friend is here. "Remove your arm from my shoulder or I will remove it from yours."

Tim clicks his tongue. "Don't be like that, Dami. Who's your friend?"

"This is my nephew, as your heard," Kon introduces, "Jon Kent."

"You're Clark and Lois's kid, huh?" Tim asks.

"You know my parents?"

"'Course," he shrugs, "They've covered quite a few of the events that I've been to."

"You say that as though that's something to be proud of," Damian snarks.

"Shove off, Baby Bat."

If anyone asks, the slip was purposeful.

The group freezes.

For a long moment, their little corner is silent.

"No fucking way." Kon swears. "Red?!"

Tim barely hides his snort. "Surprise."

Damian sighs. "Nice going, Drake."

"Oh, shove off, brat. I was gonna tell them anyway." Quieter, he says, "Though, the meeting I was arranging is redundant now."

"Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Bart interrupts, 'What's going on?"

Sighing, Tim leans against the wall. "B decided it was time to tell our teams our real names, but, in true B fashion, he's being dramatic about it. We've pranked the Justice League, and I have the footage if you wanna see."

Cassie holds up her hand to make him stop talking. It works. "You're Red Robin. Which means you're Robin."

"Yes." Damian confirms.

"That means that Batman is Bruce Wayne." she says. It takes a second for her words to really sink in. "What the hell!"

"Are you gonna keep freaking out, or do you wanna see what we did to the Justice League last month?"

"Are you bribing us?" Bart asks, almost apauld.

"Is it working?"

"Yes."

Part 15 Part 17

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downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le · 9 months ago

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Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 2

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 5030 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up.

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together.

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazonians' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

(6 Months Later)

Dick Grayson looked up at the Carr family home from his car, apprehensive to open the door just yet. It was a nice home, and from the research Dick did, a nice family lived there too.

His eyes trailed to the apartment situated above the garage, imagining the people who were inside. How were they going to react when he told them what he was there for? Scratch that, how were they going to react when they saw him?

'Should I go take a nap or are you going to man up and go inside at some point?' Oracle's sarcastic voice came through the car's bluetooth.

Dick clenched his hands around the steering wheel. Barbara - newly named Oracle - was right. It didn't matter what his friends were going to say. He needed their help, and he needed to man up.

Dick finally unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. 'I'll call you when I'm done,' he said, then ended the call before Barbara could sneak in another witty remark.

He made haste running up the Carr's driveway, then up the stairs to the apartment above the garage. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, he heard laughter and lively chatter that made him pause. An overwhelming sense of guilt and shame and longing surged through him. Was he really going to break up the joy beyond the door? Once upon a time he would've been glad for a party, for a break from work and his vigilante duties.

His mind flashed back to that first party him and his friends had in Mount Justice. It was Wally's birthday and he had been lapping up all the attention, especially from M'gann, who had made him a cake and had in fact organised the whole party. This was before Wally realised him and Artemis were meant to be, same with Connor and M'gann.

But Y/N had known, had even pointed it out to Dick as they sat in the corner just the two of them, watching everything play out.

'They're all so thick,' Y/N said, taking a sip of her lemonade, trying to hide her knowing smile.

'How so?' Dick asked.

Y/N rolled her eyes. 'Can you not see?' She grabbed Dick's chin and guided him to look at Connor and M'gann interacting awkwardly but in a cute way, then Wally and Artemis "fighting", matching wit for wit with every snarky comment they threw at each other. 'Connor and M'gann are so into each other, and you could cut the emotional tension between Wally and Artemis it's so thick. They are all crushing hard.'

Dick watched the two couples interact a little longer and realised Y/N was right. 'Well would you look at that,' he said, turning back to Y/N. 'You're quite the observer, aren't you?'

Y/N chuckled. 'Dick, we've been best friends for three years now. If you're just figuring that out now, then you're just as thick as the rest of our friends.'

'Hey! I am not!'

'Are to.'

'Am. Not!'

'Are. To!'

The two fell into hysterical laughter, gripping onto one another so they didn't fall to the ground.

Y/N's smile came to him then, and the longing in his chest ached even more. She was more than likely beyond the door too, laughing and smiling without a care in the world. He suddenly had the thought that he couldn't go through with it. He couldn't possibly ask them - couldn't ask her - to help him. Not after what he'd done...

Before he could chicken out completely, he forced himself to knock lightly on the door.

'I'll get it,' M'gann's sweet voice called out to whoever she was with, and Dick prepared himself as he heard her walk to the door.

M'gann opened the door, and she was smiling, the remnants of laughter twinkling in her eyes. She was in her human form, but it had changed since the last time Dick saw her. Her ginger hair was now cropped just under her ears, and her features were sharper, more refined than that of a young adolescent. She wore a flattering white blouse and casual jeans, not bothering for shoes in her own home.

She was grown up. In just two years?

Her brown eyes locked with Dick's blue ones, and immediately her smile dropped as shock froze her face.

Dick offered her a small smile 'Hi, M'gann,' he said softly.

'Dick...' was all she could manage as she continued to look at him, eyes raking over him as if she were imagining things. 'What are you doing here?'

'Honey, who is it?'

Dick's guilt deepened at the sound of Connor's voice. The Superboy himself came to the door when M'gann didn't answer, and stopped in his tracks as soon as he laid eyes on Dick. But he didn't stay shocked for long.

Connor furrowed his eyebrows and stepped up behind M'gann, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. 'What are you doing here?' he asked icily, eyes solely focussed on Dick.

It hurt to see such distrust in his old friend's eyes, but Dick somewhat expected that. 'Nice to see you too, Connor,' he said, slipping into his casual, carefree persona easily. If there was one thing Dick was really good at, it was putting on a mask. 'I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd swing by. It's been a while.'

'Why don't you answer my question first before you start acting like nothing is wrong,' Connor suggested, his voice taking a deep threatening tone.

'Connor, please,' M'gann said, seemingly getting over her initial shock. She placed her left hand over Connor's on her shoulder, and that's when Dick saw the shiny diamond ring on her finger. 'He's our friend.'

Dick didn't think his guilt could worsen at those three words.

M'gann opened the door wider and offered him a small smile. 'Come in, Dick. We'd love for you to join us.'

Dick flashed her a grateful smile. 'Thanks,' he said as he ducked through the doorway. He then looked from M'gann to Connor and back again. 'Congratulations, by the way.'

M'gann looked confused for a moment, then a joyful twinkle flashed in her eyes as she looked to her ring, a soft smile gracing her features. 'Thank you, Dick,' she said. 'That's what we're actually celebrating. Come on, there is food and drinks this way.'

M'gann walked back towards the party, but Connor and Dick remained in the entrance, staring at one another.

Dick took Connor in. Because of his clone genetics, Connor never actually aged. Not physically anyways. He'd changed ever so slightly from when Dick first broke him out of Cadmus, only growing a centimetre or two every year or so. His muscles had toned more having entered his theoretical twenties, and but his face still held onto those baby features he'd had since being replicated as a teenaged Superman.

Dick sized himself up against Connor and shockingly found that, for the first time, they were looking at each other eye to eye.

Connor seemed to scan Dick, too, coming to the same conclusion that Dick had changed too since they last saw each other. Dick waited for Connor to say something, but when Connor was done he gave Dick a stone cold grimace then turned to follow M'gann.

'What a warm reunion,' Dick mumbled under breath as he followed Connor down the hallway.

The hallway opened into an open-floor plan that held the kitchen, the dinning room and the lounge. Dick expected a few more people to be waiting for them, but he only spotted Kaldur lounging on the couch, drink in hand. Being the vigilant person he was, Kaldur immediately recognised Dick and placed his drink on the coffee table as he stood up.

'Dick,' he said, teal eyes wide with surprise.

'Hey, Kaldur,' Dick greeted awkwardly, ready for the same cold treatment as Connor.

Instead, Kaldur's face broke into a warm smile as he manoeuvred around the furniture to make his way to Dick. 'Old friend,' he said as he embraced Dick. 'It has been too long.'

'It sure has, buddy,' Dick responded, returning his friend's embrace.

Kaldur released him, but kept his hand on Dick's shoulder as he scanned over him. 'Look at you! You seem to be healthy and strong.'

It was true. Dick had noticed he'd muscled up a little more since leaving the team, though still keeping towards the leaner side of muscular. He certainly wasn't has bulk as Connor, or Kaldur for that fact, who Dick noted also had more muscles and toned features. Kaldur certainly filled out the black button-up he wore. But, as it was with Connor, Dick was happy to see him looking directly in Kaldur's eyes as they spoke, not from slightly below as it had been since they were children.

'Thanks man,' Dick said. 'Been working out. I see you've been doing the same, Aquaman.'

'My King left some large shoes to fill,' Kladur admitted humbly. 'But thank you.'

'So you know of Kaldur's promotion, but couldn't contact him to say congrats when it happened?' Connor interjected from his place in the kitchen.

M'gann scolded him as she placed some plates on the dining table, but the mood had already changed to tense and quiet.

'Connor's right,' Dick admitted, addressing his three friends. 'I'm sorry. These past two years... I should've stayed in contact. I wanted to. But every time I went to, I convinced myself that you didn't want to hear from me. That it would be better to leave you all be while I try to figure out myself again.'

'Oh Dick,' M'gann started, walking around the table to pull him into a hug. 'Of course we wanted to hear from you. You're our friend and we missed you. But we understand that after Wally died, you had to take a break from everything.'

M'gann pulled away and then pointed an accusatory finger at him, looking extremely cross with him. 'But if you ever do anything like that again, I swear I will hunt you down and kick your sorry ass into another universe. Understood?'

Dick nodded vigorously. 'U-Understood.'

M'gann's sweet demeanour returned and she walked back to the table to continue setting it. The three men looked at her quietly as she went about her work, until Dick turned to Connor and said, 'Your fiancée is scary.'

Dick expected another glare from the Superboy, but he was gladly surprised when the dark-haired boy nodded in agreement, face slightly pale. 'You got that right.' He then shook himself out of his frozen state of fear to help his fiancée dish out their meal.

'Give him time,' Kaldur said quietly to Dick. 'You know how Connor can be with expressing his emotions.'

'Well, he's not as emotionally constipated as he once was, I'll give him that,' Dick said. 'Unfortunately, I don't think I have time.'

'What do you mean?' Kaldur asked.

Dick went to explain but quickly decided against it. Kaldur was in the Justice League now. Dick couldn't really explain what he was planning to do. Not yet, anyway.

'Forget I said anything,' Dick said instead, flashing his charming smile and wrapping an arm around his old friend's shoulders. 'For now, why don't you tell me everything I've missed. How is it being Atlantis' new champion, first starters...'

For the next hour, it was like old times. The four of them ate and laughed and swapped stories about what Dick had missed in the last two years. They recalled some of the good times they all shared when they were on the team, and Dick convinced himself for a brief moment that they could all stay like this. Happy, carefree, young.

But Dick had come to Connor and M'gann for a reason.

Once they'd had enough of dessert, Connor offered to wash up and Dick saw his chance.

'I'll help wipe up,' Dick offered, taking his and Kaldur's plates to the sink while Connor filled the sink with soap and water. Dick waited until M'gann and Kaldur were in deep conversation over on the couch that Dick decided to broach his intended subject. 'So, how is the team going?'

'The team is doing okay,' Connor answered flatly, never lifting his eyes from his work with the plates in the sink. 'I just try to help M'gann as best as I can. We're down a few numbers since your old man decided to take half of the Justice League and our team with him in his little stunt.'

Dick winced. He recalled getting the call from Tim about it about five months ago. It had been an orchestrated walk out from over half the Justice League and their protégés, all of them wanting to go back to their vigilante ways as the League and the team had become somewhat irrelevant. Those that remained never saw it coming.

'I'm sorry about that,' he apologised, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Just felt appropriate.

Connor looked at him briefly, hands pausing in the sink as he did, and then released a sigh of defeat. 'Don't be sorry, Dick. It's not like you had anything to do with it.'

'No,' Dick agreed, 'but I should've been there at least. I should've reached out to see if you were okay. We started this team together, I shouldn't have just left it all to you.'

'Well, I know the rest of the team would really appreciate it if you came back now,' Connor said, his tone hopeful. 'That is, if you're ready to come back.'

Dick's heart lurched at the thought of going back to the team, both with want and terror. He liked Barbara, he really did. But, if he were being honest, he'd missed being a part of something bigger than himself and his own agendas.

'Connor,' Dick started softly, looking to see M'gann and Kaldur still locked in deep conversation before continuing, 'I would love to come back. Please know that. But you should know I haven't just been idly moving about the place the last two years. I've been conducting undercover missions of my own with Barbara in relation to the meta-human trafficking crisis.'

Connor's eyes widened and Dick saw he was about to raise his voice so leaned in close and hurriedly whispered, 'Keep your voice down, please.'

Connor took a second to register what Dick had said before whispering harshly, 'What do you mean you've been working on your own? You should've come to us if you were getting involved.'

'First of all, I just said I had Barbara helping me, and secondly because the team and the Justice League are full of public figures now. The missions wouldn't work if they got involved. But I've actually come here to ask you for your help on a mission, Connor.'

'Me?! Why would I-'

'Let me explain. First of all, it'll be you, me, Artemis-'

'You've pulled Artemis into this too?! Where the hell has she been, anyway?'

'Would you stop interrupting me for one second?' Dick hissed, wiping up a plate or two before returning to the conversation. 'As I was saying, from our intel, Markovia's Princess Tara has been found dead. Killed by a meta human supposedly, and I have a sneaky suspicion someone has been testing on people with the meta gene, turning them into extreme versions of their meta abilities. I need your help to find out who. As I said before, I've convinced Artemis to help already, and I was looking to you, Jefferson, and Y/N to make up the rest of the team.'

Dick looked around the room, looking at how empty the couches were around M'gann and Kaldur and sudden thought struck him. 'Speaking of which, where is Y/N?' he asked. 'I would've thought she'd be here celebrating the good news.'

He'd forgotten to keep quiet that time, and so Kaldur and M'gann looked at him alongside Connor, all looking as if Dick had sprouted three heads.

'What?' Dick asked, patting around his face. 'Do I have sauce on my face?'

'You don't know?' M'gann asked, sounding almost on the brink of tears.

That's when Dick realised something was majorly wrong, and his gut twisted with fear. 'Know what? Where's Y/N?'

'Y/N, she...' Kaldur started, then took a deep breath before continuing, 'Y/N left the team, Dick.'

'What?' Dick said, almost dropping the plate he held. 'What do you mean she left?'

'She left about six months ago,' Connor answered, washing up the last plate and emptying the sink. 'Before everyone else left. She felt like she wasn't doing enough with us anymore, so she just... left.'

'I've sent her plenty of messages,' M'gann said, 'but she hasn't answered any of them. And I can't sense her at all in the country. Even the Watchtower couldn't find her.'

Dick couldn't believe this. Y/N was gone? 'So Wonder Woman doesn't even know where she is?'

'Wonder Woman has been busy running the Justice League since Batman resigned,' Kaldur answered. 'Even if she did know where her daughter was, I don't think she'd like us to know, and I would have to agree.'

'Why?' Dick asked, suddenly very angry at Kaldur for not being as concerned as he was about Y/N. 'Do you know where she is?'

Kaldur shook his head. 'Regrettably, no. But when we last spoke, she sounded like she didn't want to be found. That she would come back to us when she was ready. I think we should respect that.'

Dick shook his head in disbelief. 'No, that's not like Y/N. She wouldn't just leave anywhere without telling anyone.'

'What, you mean like you?' Connor asked, and that cold stare was back.

'I mean she is loyal and empathetic. Surely she would know how her absence would affect the team,' Dick continued, ignoring the personal dig.

'She was loyal, Dick,' Connor countered. 'She was loyal, and stuck around with M'gann, Kaldur and I until the team got back on its feet. She held the team together when we were on the brink of falling apart. But you wouldn't know that because you weren't here.'

Dick wanted to argue but found that he couldn't. What he had thought was the best for the team turned out to be the complete opposite. He could sense it now; his relationships with his oldest friends were no longer as they were.

'You were gone for two years,' Connor continued. 'You'd be surprised as to how much a person can change in that time.'

The day Dick left flashed in his mind, and he recalled the pain in Y/N's eyes when he left her behind. He remembered how she'd held it together, but he knew she would probably cry about it later because she'd done it some many times before, always going to him to cry on his shoulder.

But he wasn't there that time. He'd left her all alone to dry her tears.

You're my best friend. Always have been. Always will be...

Dick looked to his friends again, but they could barely meet his eyes. Kaldur was disappointed, Connor was angry, and M'gann was just sad. An apology bubbled up in Dick's throat, but he didn't think it was sufficient enough for what he had done to them.

'I have to find her, then,' Dick said into the quiet room, and finally they all looked to him.

'Did you not just hear Kaldur?' Connor asked. 'We should leave her alone like she wants.'

'We don't necessarily know that,' Dick countered. 'Besides, this isn't about bringing her back. This is about me making things right with her.'

'But what if Kaldur is right?' M'gann argued. 'What if she doesn't want to be found. Maybe the right thing to do is leave her alone?'

Dick shook his head. 'She's my best friend, M'gann. I can't accept that she wouldn't want to see us ever again.'

'Maybe she doesn't want to see you, have you considered that?' Kaldur asked, his voice taking on a protective demeanour. 'The bottom line is, Dick, that you left her behind without a second thought. And she respected that, even if it killed her inside knowing that you would rather abandon her - abandon us - than face the pain of losing Wally together. She missed you every single day, and yet she still fought and trained and guided the team without faltering. And now, when she finally finds the courage to do what's best for her for once, you want to shame her for it?'

Anger surged through Dick, fiery and hot. 'I am not shaming her for anything. Do you not think I didn't think of you all every single day?'

'If you did, you didn't do anything about it, did you?' Connor mumbled, but Dick heard him just fine.

'Look, if you guys don't want to help me find her, fine,' Dick said, looking at all three friends pointedly. 'But I will find her. Because she needs to know that she was right. That I was wrong to leave and I am a terrible best friend.'

His expression softened as he looked down at his hands, imagining how long ago him and Y/N would link their pinkies. How simple friendships were back then.

'If she never comes back,' he continued, quieter this time, 'then I won't blame her. But best friends don't give up on each other.'

It was quiet for what felt like an eternity. Until Kaldur walked up to Dick and grabbed his shoulder comfortingly.

'You may be a terrible best friend,' Kaldur said, a small smile warming his face. 'But that doesn't mean your heart isn't in the right place.'

'Thanks, Kaldur,' Dick said, patting Kaldur's hand upon his shoulder.

Kaldur dropped his hand and the four of them sat down on the couches. 'Y/N didn't tell me where she was going,' Kaldur started, 'just that she needed to find out who she was again.'

'I don't follow,' Dick said.

Kaldur chuckled. 'Don't worry, I said the same thing to her when she told me. But she also said something along the lines of, "I need to find out where I've come from to find out where I will go.".'

'What the hell does that mean?' Connor asked.

'Again, not sure. But when I asked her the same question, she said she had to go back to her roots,' Kaldur elaborated. 'Something to do with where it all started. And her mother...'

Dick contemplated all of Kaldur's recollections, juggling each statement over one another to try and make sense. It was so vague, but Dick could sense there was a blatant truth staring right at them if they just looked hard enough.

Where it all began... Where she's been... Her mother...

The answer hit Dick like a brick wall.

'Themyscira,' he said softly, then more confidently. 'She's gone to Themyscira.'

'The Island of the Amazons?' M'gann asked. 'Are you sure?'

Dick nodded. 'It has to be. That's where Wonder Woman is from, and Y/N mentioned all the time when we were kids how much she wanted to go visit it one day.'

'But isn't it hidden?' Connor interjected. 'I mean, that's why they haven't gone back right? Anyone who leaves the island can never find it again.'

'Wonder Woman must've had something to help her remember,' Kaldur offered. 'Or at least guide her back home. I would suggest we go ask her, but again, I doubt she would tell us anything.'

It was like nothing had changed. The four of them had slipped back into theorising and planning and bantering as if no time had passed, as if no one had left or been promoted. It warmed Dick's heart at the thought that they all wanted to help find Y/N, even bring her home.

But Dick shook his head in dismissal. 'You guys don't have to worry yourselves over this. It sounds like I'm part of the reason she left in the first place, so it's my responsibility to find her and make this right on my own.'

'While I agree that this is partially your fault,' Connor said, earning a slight slap from M'gann beside him that he barely flinched at, 'Y/N's our friend too. The least we can do is help you find her.'

Dick smiled gratefully at his friend, who gave him a nod in return which was a start. 'Okay then...' Dick brought his watch up in front of his chest, clicked a few buttons before bringing up a large holographic screen with Barbara on it. 'Can you see us, Babs?'

'In quality HD, as well,' Barbara replied with a witty smile. 'Now, what can Oracle do for you?'

'We're trying to find Themyscira,' Dick explained. 'But it's not on any maps that we know of. Anything in any history records? Sailor sightings while out at sea?'

'You're asking me to find a mythical island from greek mythology that is meant to be hidden from Man's World and is forgotten by any who leave it?' Barbara asked incredulously, but then began typing ferociously on her end. 'Yeah, sure. No problem.'

Dick and the others waited in silence as Barbara worked her magic, files and maps and illustrations of the island popping up all over the screen around her face. After a minute or two, she spoke again.

'Okay,' she began, 'according to maps, you're right, the place doesn't exist. Even old sailors from Ancient Greece don't have any records of the place. However, I did find some similar tales being published in short stories of greek mythology and sailing journals. And all of them mention a couple of times sailing near what has now become the mouth of the modern Terme River in what we now know as Turkey, and having a strange sensation wash over them about danger. Each and every one of them have been convinced there is danger ahead and have turned away.'

'But they're just stories,' Kaldur argued. 'How can you be sure that what they speak of is the Island of the Amazons?'

'Ease up, Aquaman. I'm getting there.' A few more clicks and taps and Barbara brought up a picture of a very odd looking fish. 'Do you recognise that at all?'

Kaldur stared at the fish for a moment, contemplating its odd structure. 'I don't recognise it as a species,' Kaldur said. 'But I do recognise parts of it. It is like... different fish species have been spliced up and put back together to form this.'

'Exactly,' Barbara said, tap and clicking fervently again. 'This is a fish that has been found not near Turkey but close enough, and on multiple occasions. Now, if we isolate all these fish types... and then map out where each species usually resides... then find the crossover point for all of them...'

Dick watched diligently as Barbara isolated the fishes, highlight on the world map which species resided where, then drew lines horizontally and vertically, then zoomed in on the section the two lines crossed over.

'And there you have it,' Barbara offered proudly. 'The mouth to the Terme River in Turkey. You're welcome.'

'That makes sense,' M'gann said, looking up at the map, intrigued. 'If Themyscira is supposedly this pocket of space no human can find, then it makes sense that sea creatures of different genetic combinations would be able to breed there in peace, more than likely living there except for the stray pod or two that wander off into the open ocean.'

'I would have to agree,' Kaldur said, fascinated by it all as well. 'Who knows how many sea creatures live in harmony there.'

'Well, I'll be sure to find out when I get there,' Dick said as he stood up. 'Thanks Babs.'

'Any time,' she said, then the call ended.

'Wait, you're leaving now?' M'gann asked as Dick made his way to the front door.

'This cannot wait, M'gann,' Dick insisted, opening the front door. 'I have to speak with her as soon as possible.'

'Hey.' Dick was forced to stop when Connor grabbed him by his bicep, bringing the two of them close enough Dick could feel Connor's breath on his cheek.

'Are you really doing this for Y/N's sake, or for yours?' Connor asked in a hushed voice. 'Because whatever mission you think you need her for, I can assure you it cannot be more important than your friendship. Do you understand?'

Dick didn't quite understood what he meant, but he nodded anyways, and Connor let him go.

M'gann and Kaldur stepped up beside Connor as Dick made his way down the apartment stairs and back to the car. M'gann wrapped her arms around Connor's waist as he embraced her with one arm over her shoulder.

'Good luck, old friend,' Kaldur called out. 'May your journey be safe and successful.'

Dick chuckled as he waved farewell. 'I know you've always been well-spoken, but is it now a job requirement as Aquaman to sound like Gandalf?'

Kaldur pulled a face that Dick and M'gann laughed at, and Connor cracked a smile at the slight burn. Before he could psyche himself out of it, Dick hopped in the car and took off towards Wayne Manor.

'Call Alfred Pennyworth,' Dick spoke loud and clear, and the car immediately began ringing.

After a few rings, Alfred promptly answered the phone. 'Master Dick, what a pleasant surprise.'

'Hey, Alfred. Is the Batwing free at the moment?'

'I've just given it a deep clean now. Why?'

'Excellent. Could you please prepare it for take off by the time I reach the Manor? I have a little excursion I have to go on.'

'Will that excursion bring the Batwing back in one piece, Master Dick?'

'...I'll be there in twenty.'

Dick promptly ended the call, not waiting to hear a scolding from Alfred. Those were never fun.

Truth be told, he wasn't sure what to expect when he went to Themyscira. But Steve Trevor did it once, surely it could be done again.

Either way, it was a risk Dick was willing to take to get his best friend back.

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

Tag list:

@valiantbouquetcloud | @epicy0n | @tyrannosaurexrex1300 | @lunaizhere

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forwards-beckon-rebound · 1 month ago

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batfam fragrance hcs pt 1

ft. bruce, dick and jason

bruce

as brucie? my man is old money, he's screaming penhaligon's to me

they have a very long history (est 1870) seems like the type of thing where like his father would've used it and so he picked it up

probably has a few from them, i'm imagining when he's trying to lean more into the billionaire playboy aesthetic he goes for the dandy

the dandy is an homage to endless nights. vintage whiskey from the oak barrel swims above a fruity finish of bergamot and raspberry. a woody celebration blended with mischief.

for more formal business settings, i imagine he'd go with the tragedy of lord george

yes, the irony of the name is not lost on me, especially when i think this would be more similar to what thomas wayne would wear

you can't tell me this doesn't look like it could be found in wayne manor

from the reviews, seems like it gives off 19th century gentleman's club, woody and warm with heart notes of tonka bean

noble patriarch, paragon of masculine elegance, lord george welcomes with a scent of shaving soap and warming rum. But what secrets hide behind tradition?

as batman? i don't think he'd wear any cologne just so that there's no identifiers

like imagine if his secret identity got found out because of his cologne, i fear THE batman would have already planned for that

if anything he probably sprays one of those like scent neutralizers so you don’t smell like anything

i think he would just smell like leather and metal from his suit and gadgets, that's' it

that goes for all of the batfam tbh bc bruce trained them better than that

dick

fresh, i feel like like out all of them he'd have the least offensive cologne (or maybe i’m just saying that because i hate the majority of men’s fragrances)

probably pretty light too, like mostly citrus, and fresh notes

imagine it's unisex but still leans masculine

so basically in the least weird way possible he smells absolutely delicious

i think he’s so acqua di parma coded, like very bright, complex blend of citrus. just evokes bright sunny days in the mediterranean

but i will say that some acqua di parma perfumes are almost a bit too citrus forward? and the ones that aren’t i don’t think really fit him, like colonia which is their signature is nice but feels a bit old fashioned for him

especially bergamotto di calabria, which has nice top notes of bergamot but also an interesting hint of ginger that sets the fragrance apart from other citrus perfumes on the market

i feel like it’s a very dick grayson thing to have a twist to his cologne

bergamotto di calabria is characterised by effervescent top notes of bergamot fruits. at the heart of this eau de toilette, accords of red ginger and cedar wood bring a calming note while the base is rounded off with a unique combination of vetiver, benzoin, and musk.

jason

i fear he would use axe body spray

JK but like i feel like growing up he did not have time to care about that type of stuff so he would just smell like whatever deodorant was the cheapest. and then once he got adopted by bruce, he was too busy juggling school and being robin

i personally subscribe to the hc that all of his senses were heightened by the lazarus pit. i also know that in the comics as well as canon there have been discussions about things that might trigger his panic attacks (or if they’re not canonically panic attacks, as someone who has them they certainly feel very panic attack coded) and i think one of those triggers might be certain smells for him

jason todd whose throat closes up when he smells smoke or burning wood. who can’t stomach the metallic tang of blood on iron so he wears the helmet to limit his sense of smell

anyways! so yeah i think like dick he doesn’t want a reminder of his patrols but for a different reason

some sources also recommend focusing on 5 things that you can sense around you to help ground yourself so i could see him seeking comfort in a familiar scent

sad stuff aside THIS LIT NERD WOULD LOVE IMAGINARY AUTHORS

for the uninitiated, they’re a niche fragrance house that specifically has a story around each perfume

so like the notes are meant to evoke aspects of the story

in their “about us” they literally say that they view each fragrance as a book. each bottle’s side is literally designed to look like the spine of a book. jason would eat that shit up and you can’t convince me otherwise

i think o, unknown! would be a really good fit for that situation

notes of black tea, musk, and sandalwood that is both sweet and soothing

i think it would remind him of his days spent at the manor, having afternoon tea with alfred

tea time on a train, the powder room at a lavish gala, something so familiar yet you can’t quite put your finger on it. this is the story of a man grappling with the meaning of life as he grasps at life’s last vestiges

i think the cobra and the canary would really suit him as well

for more day to day stuff

likeeeeeee he just screams woody spicy to me

in theory it has lemon (according to the creators) but it’s definitely more leather and hay funnily enough than anything else

very biker core are we surprised

leather, lemon, asphalt, hot summer road trips, visions of your dad back when he was cool, crossing state lines with your sidekick, slicking your hair back and getting in a metaphorical knife fight with your old self

each stop finds the friends inventing new pseudonyms and personas for themselves, their innocent game hurtling them into the throes of decadence and desolation

not to show my obvious bias by making jason’s section way longer than everybody else’s butttttt i also quite like aesop for him

i feel like they are a bit strong so i don’t know if he would like that part (even for somebody who does not have the most sensitive sense of smell i can say they get a bit overwhelming)

but if you can tone them down i think they’re quite nice, technically unisex but a lot of them lean more masculine since they’re more earthy and musky

most of them have vetiver which just seems very jason coded to me

i think hwyl especially just seems like it would fit him

also process of elimination, he would probably go for woody, which is basically every single aesop perfume. citrus and floral notes don't really fit him that well (ik i mentioned cobra and the canary but it's not as citrus forward as the aesop citrus perfumes), and nothing opulent or too musky either

but honestly a lot of aesop perfumes are fairly similar but will just react to your skin's chemistry differently, so who knows

an intriguing fragrance with a hint of eccentricity. reminiscent of a Hinoki forest, smoky notes descend into subtle spice and dark green, earthy accords

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edledamianfan · 2 months ago

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Ride homes late at night sure is a feeling, especially on a high way going at a fast speed on the way home. Looking at the window and u see the whole city below you. The lights and everything, it's just a feeling, fleeting moment that last with u for a lifetime.

I wonder that's what dick felt when he was Robin on the Batmobile. Every single night on the same roads, highways, going out, going back back after fighting crimes.

But there is something missing here.

Having music playing would've been nicer.

It would distract him from his thoughts.

Bats doesn't really do music ... but it doesn't hurt to ask. Well he did say no at first but after dick mentioning his thoughts about his parents and stuff. He reconsidered and ends up approving it.

Spooky decides picks the music until he realised he know nothing about today's music. So it look him a while until he found a playlist he seemed to find nice.

So the next time they're in the Batmobile, when the coast is clear and the night is saved and all they gotta do now is head home. Bats plugs in the USB for the songs and plays them.

Dick knows some of these songs. It's pretty popular in his time and there are some songs that he's not familiar with. But it gets him away from his thoughts so it's somewhat worked. He'll have to listen to it as this now their daily playlist.

The USB then stays there for a while even when dick is no longer here with Bruce, out doing his own thing. He didn't want to remove it.

And then a new Robin comes along. Jason asking what is that USB and Bats offers him if he wants to hear the playlist. He said yeah ofc.

1 min in he's thought to himself that Bats listens to popular songs, although these are kind of old. I guess he's somewhat the same like everyone.

And then Jason died.

USB was not touched again for a while until tim came along. Batman was pretty much on edge during this time, although curious about the USB Tim decides not to pry on it - directly to the man. Instead he sneak in back to the Batmobile during bed time just to see what's the USB is about. And then caught by Bruce himself.

Well he was mad at first but after realizing he was just curious what is in the plugged USB. Bruce decides to just show it for himself what it is about. Tim was definitely not expecting it to be a playlist. Bruce then asks if he wants to play this playlist. Tim just rolls with it.

Then Stephanie came along. She was pretty much straightforward asking what was in the USB. But Bruce was real defensive about it for some reason so Stephanie just shrinked back. He then realized his mistake and offers if she wants to hear the playlist. She happily accepts.

This time Bruce died.

Dick is now stuck with a kid he is not sure on how to handle. Stuck back in Gotham. Stuck in the costume he was trying to get away from.

He wasn't sure on how to do anything but he needs to do so anyways because he's the only one who can do it. This that happens and so the new dynamic duo was formed.

They then got in the Batmobile. And there Grayson is greeted again by that familiar USB. He thought he forgot, Bruce had changed Batmobiles a couple of time and with all that is happening he didn't think that he would remember to bring the inessential USB playlist into the new ride everytime.

He felt his warm all the same again.

Maybe a bit emotional.

But it maybe the inessential USB playlist gave him all the motivation and courage he needed at that moment.

He then stepped on the gas, drive out of the cave.

Into the night.

End note:

This was my playlist I was thinking about. U can check it out if u want! These are most of the songs I remembered that used to be on the car USB. Uhhh this ended up being longer than I thought I was gonna do like a short silly idea but hi if u reached the end 😅

#batfam #dick grayson #bruce wayne #batman #dc robin #jason todd #dc comics #batman and robin #dynamic duo 2.0: what would you do without me?#dynamic duo #tim drake #stephanie brown #damian wayne #okay why did this become a whole ass fanfic???#shout out to my dad #self indulgrent somewhat

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inverted-typo · 1 year ago

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After drawing my last pic I can't stop thinking about them having to sneak out to see each other:

Maybe Raven isn't with the Titans and instead was taken in by Constantine. She spend her time living between the House of Mystery and an apartment Zatanna owns in Gotham. She's the most junior member of Justice League Dark.

Batman is already a little weary of her as she basically just showed up one day, but add on her demonic heritage and let's just say he isn't the biggest fan. However, in an unlikely team-up with Constantine and Batman, Raven and Robin meet. "She's harmless!" Constantine insists, completely aware of her world-ending abilities.

Damian is injured on this mission in a way that only magic can truly relieve him. Despite Bruce's hesitancy Raven saves him; thus creating that empathetic bond. Batman is grateful for saving him, but that doesn't shake his distrust of her in the slightest. Damian is told to keep clear of her and that they won't be collaborating again.

Clearly that doesn't happen. The two can't stop thinking about each other after that. When they dream, they see glimpses into the memories of one another. They can feel what the other is feeling when those emotions are too intense. It becomes impossible to ignore. After doing some digging in the Bat Computer, Damian learns as much as he can about her. He learns her human alias, he learns about her history, what limited knowledge they know of her powers. He learns about Trigon. He learns about how the Justice League refused to help her. Further investigation proves it was Batman who was the first to opt for not helping her.

Something ignites in Damian and suddenly he just realizes he needs to see her again. It's been like two months since that first and only encounter.

If she would have lived across the country in Jump City or somewhere further, he would've happily stolen the jet. But, thankfully, he noticed the local address and hoped she was home. (Damian would be fucked if she lived only in the House of Mystery)

Thankfully, she was home. Then things just snowball from there. Usually Damian sneaks out of his house to meet with her, because well, it's fun. But mostly, it somehow seemed more dangerous for Raven to suddenly teleport into Wayne Manor.

She's been told by Constantine and Zatanna that this newest Robin was not friendly and was extremely loyal to the Bat, so for her own sake it was probably best to keep her distance. She had briefly brought up that she thinks she made an empathic connection when she healed him. It was more the circumstances that kept them worried rather than the principle. Plus, Constantine thinks he's a prick so she'd be wasting her time anyways.

Despite both being superheroes, they rarely ever saw each other in costume. Raven never patrolled in Gotham, only lived there sometimes. Her business was usually in much more mysterious places. Damian on the other hand was hard to spot. The bats really did take to the shadows. Although from her room balcony, Raven could swear she'd occasionally see a familiar flash of yellow and red darting across rooftops a few buildings away.

This goes on for months. Raven was nervous she'd raise suspicion when she started spending a majority of her time in Gotham instead of the House. Sometimes, Damian had to actively act more brood-ish than he was actually feeling to keep his father's intuitive gaze distracted.

Damian has definitely used the "I'm patrolling with Jon" excuse when he didn't have a good opportunity to sneak out.

When they were feeling risky, sometimes Damian would deadass show up on her balcony in his costume (or not). Usually this was after a particularly bad day. Raven never teleported to the Wayne manor except for once, when she too had experienced something so bad she just needed to see him.

The nice thing about having a girlfriend who can teleport you literally anywhere in the world and beyond, is they got to have movie nights in New York, dinner dates in Italy, or simply a walk on the beach in Jump City. Despite the lavishness of their dating, they sometimes wished they didn't have to sneak around so they could just lounge together at home, order pizza and fall asleep to trash TV.

They're both sure their parents probably knew about it, but their lack of beratement from said authorities seemed to contradict that theory.

In a turn of events they are set up to work on a mission again and they’re reintroduced.

“You remember Raven yes?”

“…Yep.”

#damirae rambles

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sol-consort · 11 months ago

Note

Yes the space hamster is a Boo reference lol. At some point in 3 Shepard will tell the hamster to “go for the eyes” like how Minsc tells Boo. Also I don’t know if New Game Plus severs connection to ME1 save I never did New Game Plus. Honestly I didn’t even know it existed until you started talking about doing it for ME1. I’m still so surprised that you see Jacob as not wanting a romance because from everything I heard he comes on pretty strong to FemShep to the point that it’s one of the reasons people don’t like him. I can’t say the other reason because it’s spoiler for 3. Also I wouldn’t worry about doing the DLCs early there’s not really a reason to do them late game other than personal continuity. However there’s a Citadel DLC in Mass Effect 3 that you should do right before the last mission so you’ll get the all content out of it so ignore Anderson if he ever tells you about an apartment.

Oh don't worry, I plan on doing a lot of Anderson ignoring in the future.

And Jacob? Comes on pretty strong? I'd sooner believe Miranda abandoned Cerberus. He is definitely the least enthusiastic out of all romance options, he deliberately ignores your personal questions and answers it as a soldier. You have to call him out on it every time so you'd get a personal answer.

After one conversation, this is all you get after Horizon from him until you do his loyalty. Hell, even before Horizon, too.

"Let's not push it" ?????

No what???????????

Cut the middle sentence, and you get a perfectly nice line. "we've got a good thing, Shepard. We'll talk again later."

Fuck you mean let's not push it?

Saying how he has no time for relationships, he just wants something casual. My experience with Jacob is him failing at being playfully hard to get and instead coming off as uncomfortable and awkwardly rejecting me.

Why did I even continue his romance? Curiosity.

You initiate everything, you always make the first move, you always flirt and he only compliments you with basic words at best.

This is his answer if you ask for something more serious.

But the game does push him on you a bit strongly. You can see a video of him working out without his shirt, you can hear Kasumi talk about how hot he is. The game wants you to get with Jacob and gives you all the correct signals, Jacob himself is unsure and uninterested unless you do all the work.

In the shadowbroker base, the game even states he was deliberately put on the team just for Shepard's stability. While Miranda was chosen for her skills.

He was there for you and he wasn't even aware of it.

This is his reaction after Shepard's tells him how hard it's been having their friends act like strangers and how dying for two years made them stay the same while everyone moved on

"You know what's more important? Everything."

FUCK YOU MAN, I'M TALKING ABOUT MY FEELINGS HERE YOU STONE COLD BITCH.

It would've been a nice gesture, the first person to actually ask Shepard how they felt, wasn't it for the fact he only brought it up just so he gets to avoid talking about his father. He is more scummy than he appears to be, definitely fits into Cerberus and not the honourable fallen from grace hero his plot tries to make him be.

At stage three in the offical relationship, you can ask him if he wants to vent again because yk, he is your beloved and you worry about seeing him down.

This is his reaction.

"Don't invent problems"

"Even if you were right"

"How little do you get me"

*Breaks up with you immediately *

Now you must think, what the fuck did I say to get this reaction? Insult his mother? Piss on his dad's grave? Call his dick small?

This, this is all Shepard said.

I'm losing my mind someone get me the sledgehammer.

He is like a discounted batman without any of the money or angsty charm. He is this one bundle of constipated emotions and baggage and lashes at you whenever you suggest that maybe he should trust you a bit and talk about it.

You know who doesn't do that shit? Jack. No matter what she actually appreciates you letting her vent, especially with how much she associates it with weakness and hates feelings. She realises she needs to do that to move on.

Jacob is a massive hypocrite who keeps covering his ears and screaming about how you're wrong and he isn't living in the past and he will yell at you for it.

His flirting is really lame too oh my god- it's like he is trying so hard to appear cool and chill but instead it comes of as emotionally constipated. He always deflects and when you try to talk about his father he turns it on you instead.

This is all the flirting you will ever get from him.

"I'm impressed 😎 "

"Keep it up 🤓"

"You're a soldier that's why I like you🗣🔛🔝"

His loyalty mission was so clear either, obviously that person is a bad guy, he was a monster not just a bad guy so Jacob's choice never even seemed that hard.

Meanwhile, Miranda actually did step into grey morality. She kidnapped a child. You stop for a second and realise how far the lengths are that she is willing to reach. With Jacob the choice to shoot his dad was the easiest by far it was so disappointed.

Like there wasn't even an argument if "but did his dad love him?" No the fuck he did not. If his dad at least treated him kindly and wasn't scummy then it would've been a harder choice. Jacob finally has the loving father he wanted but can he turn a blindeye on the monster he is deep down just so he gets his own happy ending?

But it wasn't like that was it? His dad was a monster inside and outside. At least with Miranda you had to consider the fact she never knew poverty and is it worth it to keep her sister with a rich parents just so she never may feel hungry? Do you stay with an abusive father to keep a roof over your head or do you risk being homeless? To add more layers to it, it wasn't even her own life she was making the decision for but her sister's! He baby sister.

They feel like they should've been mirrors of each other.

Oh and if you break up with him? This is how he reacts.

"I hope you've got a good excuse for this one"

Who the fuck

WHO THE FUCK.

WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE???

Look, either we throw him out of an airlock or I fight him, there is no middle option.

Also alien racism! The thing Ashley got burned for, yay <3

Once a Cerberus bitch always a Cerberus bitch huh.

#☆jacob slander

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 4 months ago

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(RE)Review #105: Batman

Nolan's Batman series, revisited and rereviewed.

It's currently 1:58am, I've just finished The Dark Knight, and I must sleep for tomorrow so this (re)review has to be short.

I can't remember exactly how it started, but it took me just one tiny Batman reference for the desire to rewatch the entire series to ignite in a split second. It was then I realized that I actually hadn't watched the first film yet - Batman Begins. And so it began.

I actually really enjoyed Batman Begins. The next day, I tried to rewatch The Dark Knight but couldn't, so I rewatched The Dark Knight Rises instead. Then tonight I finally had the chance to rewatch The Dark Knight. Below are some quick thoughts on each film.

Batman Begins (4/5)

I really enjoyed the film and its story as a whole. It took me through the journey in a very natural way. I wasn't thinking to myself, oh, here's the next act. Here comes the climax. This must be a third into the film. I was fully immersed in the story world.

I always seem to love the training sequences in films. I loved it in this one too, just as much as I loved (and still love) the training scene in The Dark Knight Rises. It was really fun watching Christian Bale and Liam Neeson train together. Speaking of which, I was actually shocked when Liam Neeson turned out to be the master villain. I genuinely was not expecting that, and I felt the betrayal full on. Batman saved you!

I was appalled at Rachel's words and actions and found it hard to swallow the fact that Bruce's one and only genuine friend would say such thoughtless, brutal words to him, and even slap him on the face. She seemed like the kind of person I would never befriend or keep close in real life. I thought to myself, that's probably the kind of character a film needs. It's not realistic and those kinds of words and actions wouldn't result in such a happy ending in real life. I've also started trying to detach my values, morals and just me myself in general from the story and characters in films. I realized that I have to view them as roles in the film, rather than suddenly turn into judge of morals and character.

That's probably the biggest fault I've made with each and every film viewing and reviewing. The inability to see the characters as characters in their own right, with their own lives, stories, experiences, morals, and constantly judging them from my own morals and life and experience and making conclusions about whether they're a "good" character or "bad" character.

Rachel in the movie was a harsh person who had no filter, but she was also incredibly brave and mentally strong. That's just the person she was. And being the person she was, she said those words to Bruce and acted that way to him.

I said I'd keep this short, and here we are, still talking about the first film. So yes, I did like almost everything about this film.

However. If I had to point out some parts that I didn't exactly buy, the first one that comes to mind is the scene where Bruce has his final initiation, with the ninja-like fighters surrounding him and constantly changing places. I found that scene incredibly... bland. As I watched, I thought to myself, this is so unexciting. It felt like a show. I couldn't believe this was the final initiation. It would've been nice to have had that scene a bit more exciting and thought out. I don't mean it has to have violence smeared all over it - not exciting in that way - but I really think it could have been more... smart and suspenseful.

The Dark Knight (5/5)

I still really like this film. I haven't yet read my original review of it, but I'm guessing I gave it 5 stars and gushed about how amazing it was, especially the high stakes.

I still stand by that. The high stakes, the no-nonsense consequences, are still the top highlight of the film. I think I gushed a lot about Harvey Dent's two face and his coin back then, but tonight the scene that stood out to me the most was when the big buff criminal comes forward, talks the officer into handing him the detonator, then just nonchalantly throws it out the window without a blink of an eye.

The Joker is still the best villain I've seen, with a stellar performance. This was a rewatch, and I was still on the edge of my seat, minimizing my screen and lowering the volume from time to time (ㅋㅋㅋㅋ). That's how chilling he is. He's so no-nonsense, and I love that about him. You know he'll do anything he wants and he'll make it happen. He's also incredibly smart, and we all love an intelligent villain that can create situations that force characters to make the most difficult decisions.

After watching Batman Begins, I grew somewhat attached to Katie Holmes' Rachel and had a hard time accepting Maggie Gyllenhaal as the new Rachel. I still wonder what the film would've felt like if they got to keep Katie as Rachel. I think the emotional depth would have been different. For some reason, I had a hard time with the new Rachel's personality / performance. This is something I'll have to dive a bit deeper into and sort out my thoughts.

The Dark Knight Rises (3/5)

It's past 2:30am so I really have to keep this short. I'd say this is my least favorite film out of Nolan's Batman series. The only scene I truly like is the scene where Bruce gives up the rope and jumps. That scene affected me hugely during my first watch and it still does.

This time round though, I wasn't as convinced by a lot of the scenes in the film. If it was so easily to smash the TV, why put it there for Bruce to watch? It doesn't make sense. Bane wanted Bruce to be in mental turmoil for a long long time, which was why he placed the screen there, but after one dose of mental turmoil, Bruce smashes the TV. It was that easy? Meh.

Batman's mouth. Or, would it be Christian Bale's mouth? But I didn't have a hard time watching Bruce Wayne talk, so it really must've been Batman's mouth. For some reason, I found the Batman's lines in The Dark Knight Rises incredibly cheesy - much more noticeably so compared to the other two films. I didn't really feel this way with the other two, but suddenly in this third one I found myself sometimes feeling queasy when he delivered lines and moved his mouth while doing so. I don't know. It was just uncannily cheesy.

Little things. Like, when Miranda (Talia) dies in that car after crashing. Catwoman, Gordon and Batman all stand around her and listen to her talk for so long about her life story until she dies and THEN they turn to the BOMB, which has been on a timer all along. Really? It was hard to believe they'd really do that. These are the things that get to me - when a film acts too much like... a film. When it makes it obvious to its audience that it's a film, it's all a script, made up and fake. No, as an audience member I want the film and the script to feel so real that I don't have to be pulled out of the story world again and again. I want to be fully immersed for the entire time frame. With The Dark Knight Rises, I found myself pulled out again and again by these little things.

I did love the ending though, and I had actually completely forgotten that Talia was the little child and Bane was the protector. I loved how I'd forgotten that, and I loved the surprise I felt when it was revealed. Until then, I had believed that Bane had been the child. Talia and Bane's relationship deserves a post of its own so I won't dive into that here, but I have to say I was amused when Talia called him "friend" while she left him to his death and saved herself. I do think Bane's love for Talia was incredibly unconditional. However, obviously not in the 'this should be shown as an example' kind.

I loved how the officer turned out to be Robin! I honestly did not remember seeing this part during my first viewing, so it was a very, very pleasant surprise. I also enjoyed seeing Bruce with Catwoman nodding at Alfred at the cafe. The ending was the perfectly satisfying wrap up.

#review

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thefangirltreehouse · 1 year ago

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spider-man two, thoughts (spoilers below).

this is literally just spit-balling

harry as venom isn't a plot i hate. the way insomniac likes to craft their stories primarily around the emotional baggage of established relationships that peter (and miles) has. fighting for and against your terminally ill best friend with pretty bleak execution results is far more interesting to me than fighting a character who's no more than a missable footnote in the original game. harry as venom isn't something i'm gunning for in the comics but it works for insomniac.

i'm so glad that insomniac really leaned into peter and mj's dynamic and it was nice to see her as more than just the doting girlfriend.

i mean, darin de paul is just a national treasure. in what world does the man that plays ardyn izunia play triple-j.

speaking of final fantasy xv, king regis you bitch! how dare you stab peter. i cannot believe we have two caelum's in one spider-man game.

i'm so happy they integrated hailey into the main supporting cast (also playable?!) but when did she find out about miles?

mj i get, but i feel peter moved on far too quickly from the fact he nearly killed his girlfriend. and on that note, literally just stands and watches the scream transformation. i know they're trying to keep it together considering peter's experience with the symbiote but like, i would've been pissed at harry.

rio and miles dancing at the gala was the most adorable thing. (especially as someone who grew up with a single-mum).

they literally don't explain how venom gets his name

"show them your manhood!" / "yes sir - wait, what?!"

young peter's look just confirms disney / marvel wanted the face change to represent the mcu because that is literally tom holland's face.

i actually didn't think yuri's performance could get any better, it did especially once peter has the symbiote off.

the music during the venom fight with peter at midtown is incredible.

i obviously knew he wasn't going to die but i legit cried when pete got stabbed.

i understand insomniac really want you to use the symbiote suit but peter's lower-level unlocked suits are low-key hot garbage. even as someone who doesn't mind the militarized, tech suits the choices were so mid. i didn't get the suit i really wanted until after i bet the story. i ended up using the raimi suit which i never used in the original game as i don't like that suit but it was the only normal looking suit that wasn't native to insomniac as i don't like their peter suits.

miles' were better but a lot of them seemed to blend together. his endgame suit is actually my favourite (but with the red, purple and blue ombre lining - which i'm annoyed i couldn't even use the swatch in the finale).

had quite a handful of restarts and crashes in 23hrs play-time.

kinda wish we could've seen young!mj with peter and harry.

miles telling harry that he doesn't care if he's peter's best friend, he's still going to kick his ass was great.

i feel like the plot beats for this game overall were kinda predictable in that kraven was the early game bad guy, pete gets the symbiote suit from harry, harry takes it back and becomes venom all with the end result of norman being pissed at spider-man(s) for harry's probably bad outcome. that said, i genuinely have no guesses for structure of the next one and i doubt they're going to make harry a 'villain' again.

i don't think they'll use carnage in dlc, especially when yuri said it might take "years" to track him down, but i also don't know if he'll be enough for the finale as it might - at least gameplay and conceptually - feel like a venom rehash.

this just me on a tangent so feel free to skip. based on what i said, as someone not super familiar with carnage outside of specific media, the problem i have with him in relation to venom is the same problem i have with 'the batman who laughs' it makes the former feel less threating in direct comparison (which will happen when you cut to carnage after immediately having venom as a main antagonist one game prior), especially when venom is brock rather than peter as the host, because there's internal conflict with peter (which can be argued with tbwl's to some extent). carnage, in basic terms is bat-shit venom with zero redeeming qualities and i worry that for a medium like this he will feel derivative. the joker and the venom shouldn't feel less dangerous, especially now that it feels like venom has taken on anti-hero and carnage has become what venom was. like what happened in cruella. disney tried to make cruella likable, so emma stone basically played 'disney: harley quinn' and emma thompson played cruella.

this is oddly specific but i feel laura bailey is like the only woman in gaming that goes for the scream. and i always watch these games (cyberpunk in particular) and i'm like "girl scream, let out that guttural scream because i know that's exactly what's i'd be doing in that situation because this shit is terrifying." the only other time i've properly seen it done was also by laura bailey when she played fetch.

i actually don't know if we'll get another in-between game because i feel like the "play as miles'" itch has been scratched. meaning there's no need to fill that void as until his spin-off we couldn't play as him, now we can.

but if we do, could potentially see a silk, miles team-up to take down carnage.

mj's stealth missions are terrifying. her section under the tunnel with peter should’ve been longer

gutted there's no ng+ yet.

my bisexual queen is thriving.

getting the spider-bots was really the only fun thing to collect.

we’ll probably see gwen in the next game.

the sheer amount of detail on felicia's face

i can’t not hear wally in any of jason spisak’s roles.

“i don’t know what it is, but i just love this spider-bot.” - peter (about the spider-girl spider-bot)

vulture, electro and shocker really didn’t need to be killed completely off-screen. but i feel like they might’ve lost their rating if they weren’t. it’s just a bit strange that nobody noticed, especially pete that multiple high-profile raft inmates went missing?

people are being weird as fuck about cindy and peter. the girl is clearly a minor.

i booted up the first game to replay it, yeah. i still don’t like peter’s new face.

felt like there was half an act missing. could’ve done with one more agent venom mission, perhaps they can’t save vulture or electro. kinda felt like they needed a ‘he really is taking them out one by one.’

could’ve done with venom’s arc being a little longer.

miles’ arc was incredible and i loved watching him team-up with mj.

the black suit with the blue and red highlights from the nineties cartoon?!

speaking of, mj’s outfit during the zoo mission is also a call back

reed richards is defo getting a cameo in the next game and maybe tony on a phone call. i’d also love a nudge-nudge side-quest for deadpool.

i know it’s an emotional scene but i spat out my drink when i saw they changed the pic of harry from the old game to his new design in peter’s garage.

“i think we should get them” the line delivery on that is immaculate, like thank you captain obvious.

i’ve had a bit to linger on this but, there’s a bit of a disconnect between harry wanting the suit and getting it back. i think there had to be just a bit more push with peter specifically. i get he’s a nice guy but we needed to see a bit more passive aggressive harry brewing in the desperation for the symbiote.

watching a playthrough i realised venom got his name from oscorp / dr. connors as there’s a container with the name “vnm” when peter turns connors human again.

i don't want a venom spin-off and it feels like the only people who do want it is to take venom for an hour's joy-ride (until the gimmick wears off) or eddie brock stans that feel jilted by insomniac. i'd much rather get straight to the finale because i don't want to have to buy a playstation six just because some randomers want an eddie simulator first.

chameleon is absolutely going to be dlc.

how did mj get her motorbike back from the tunnel?

predictions for the next game:

electro isn't dead, primarily due to the fact that max may have became pure energy to escape kraven.

cindy, miles and black cat team-up mission.

may is hinted at towards the end of the game.

madame webb is getting something.

if carnage is in the third game and not two's dlc, he'll be the opening act villain (pseudo-kraven).

they'll tease hobgoblin - harry or not. (i could genuinely see harry becoming hobgoblin to help take down otto and green goblin, if it's norman).

peter might die, but i doubt it.

if harry dies, it'll be half-way through the game. i will actually kill myself tho.

i low-key want spot to be in the game or dlc but i don't think they'll do that purely because of spider-verse but you can tell a lot of insomniac grew-up on the nineties show, so it might be a possibility. (most of my knowledge for spider lore exists in that show and the various film franchises because the only spider comics i own is one 'noir' trade and a handful of 'the superior foes of spider-man'.)

i mean, they also could have miles go after spot, which could be fun.

HOLY FUCK! WAIT! HARRY AS GREEN GOBLIN COULD BE AN HOMAGE ARC TO MARY JANE IN LIMBO BUT EVEN MORE ANGSTY CAUSE THAT SERUM IS DEFO GONNA MAKE HARRY PSYCHO - I ACTUALLY NEED TO SEE IT BECAUSE THAT EPISODE IS LITERALLY ONE OF MY CORE MEMORIES.

the delivery of “i think we should get him” is immaculate

someone mentioned this on tvtropes, but stark industries bankrolling f.e.a.s.t is not a bad idea.

fisk will probably be back in side mission capacity or dlc.

#Spider-Man 2 #marvel’s spider man #Spider-Man ps5 #peter parker #miles morales #mj watson #harry osborn

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imbecamiel · 2 years ago

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Fic and Art Masterpost

My AO3: Imbecamiel

Recent Fics:

Cutting Teeth (DC, Batfam)

“Huh. Just when I thought this family couldn't get any weirder.” She shook her head. “I mean, good for you, but also I'm sorry? If I'd known I would've brought you a teething ring or something for a get-well present.” “Steph…” Tim sounded pained. “Yeah, Steph, be nice to Jason,” Dick said, most of his attention still on his phone. “Teething makes him grumpy. You know how it is.”

Or: After the Pit, Jason can re-grow teeth. Sometimes this comes in handy. Doesn't mean it's pleasant.

Down, Downed and Drowned (DC, Batfam)

When Jason Todd was six years old, he nearly drowned. He never did learn how to swim, after that. Until it was too late. The Lazarus Pit didn’t feel like floating, like a warm bath, like a new chance at life. It felt like drowning, over and over again with no hope of rest even in death.

Displacement (DC, Batfam)

“He’s dead,” Tim said, blankly. “Look at me.” Jason ducked his head to catch Tim’s eyes. “Hey, look at me. You didn’t kill him. You just shot him. No big deal, right? You’ve injured lots of people. Just part of the job. Doesn’t matter it was with a gun this time. Doesn’t change anything. I’m the one who killed him. You’re fine.”

Aftershock (DC, Batfam)

Tim woke with a desperate heave, like surfacing after a long dive. He couldn’t remember what the dream had been, this time. He didn’t need to. They were all variations on the same theme, these days.

Tourniquet (Follow-up to Displacement, DC, Batfam)

He'd been a tourniquet for an open wound, keeping Bruce from bleeding out. But the thing about tourniquets is that they’re meant to be temporary. An urgent solution for a dire problem, and one that can cause issues of its own, especially if applied too long. Anyway. Tim had been thinking about them lately. Tourniquets.

Combustion (DC, Batfam)

Tim might’ve said things started to really go off the rails around when he got stabbed. And honestly, that sucked, yeah, but it was well within the bounds of normal-bad for a night like this. No, things started to go seriously bad when Jason’s helmet got hit by the mini-EMP device the gang of thieves had been using to try to take down the bank’s security systems. If he hadn’t lost his helmet, everything that happened afterward would’ve been so much less awful.

Reciprocation (DC, Batfam)

Jason frowned. “How long have you been sick?” “After lunch.” “Food poisoning doesn’t usually leave people passed out on the floor, Dick. Not after, what, a few hours? If there’s something else going on here you need to tell me, now.”

Correlation (DC, Batfam)

“We do not hurt family.” Todd all but snarled the words, his eyes blazing. Despite that fury and the tight hold he had on Damian’s forearms, his grip was carefully controlled, not hurting yet but a firm reminder that he could. “This isn't the League, and you'd better get that through your skull fast.” “He is not my family,” Damian spat back. (Or: Damian’s arrival in their lives is rocky, but things play out differently with Jason already reintegrated into the family - and very protective of Tim.)

Counterpoint (DC, Batfam)

Damian’s early days at the Manor, as the rest of the family figures out how to adjust. (Companion piece to Correlation.)

The Tooth Fairy Cometh (DC, Batfam)

“It’s not about frickin’ money, B,” Jason grumbled, readjusting his ice pack. “Yeah, B,” Dick put in, lighthearted, teasing. Rescuing the emotional tone as usual, when he wasn’t the one who was angry with Bruce himself. “It’s not about the money. It’s Robin tradition. You can’t renege now.” “You want me to be the tooth fairy. Again. For you,” Bruce said, slowly, still looking at Jason.

Another Turn on the Roundabout (DC, Batfam)

The "Pit Rage" isn’t actually a side effect of Jason’s dip in the Lazarus Pit. Or… not entirely. It’s a tool that Ra’s carefully developed and deployed to targeted effect against Batman. Unfortunately, its intended results wore off too quickly, once away from his influence. This time, he plans to get it right.

Down for the Count (DC, Batfam)

“So we’re agreed that all of them are going to the hospital tonight, right?” Tim’s voice was tight with false calm.

A New Year's Eve gala turns into a hostage situation and Bruce is injured. His children are not pleased.

Alternative Means of Acquisition (DC, Batfam)

Sometimes negotiations hit a stalemate and creative solutions are necessary.

Or, Bruce Wayne arm wrestles Lex Luthor.

Hello Batman (DC, Batfam)

“I like your kitty ears.” Bruce stared at the girl blankly for a moment before reaching up to touch one of the points on the cowl. “Thanks,” he rasped, then coughed, clearing his throat. “It’s actually a bat, though. Like this.” He pushed back the edge of the cape to give her a better look at the symbol on his chestplate.

Recent Art:

Spoiler Fanart

Jason and Cass art

Batman Animation

Cassandra Cain (Also available on my AO3)

Batman

Batfam Silhouettes (Masterpost with links to all the individual posts for the pieces)

Hope and Endure (Batman and Superman cityscapes - links to individual pieces in post)

#art #artists #artblr #my art #writing #writers #writeblr #fic #fanfiction #batfam #batman #dc #masterpost #pinned post

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thevindicativevordan · 3 years ago

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On Kong Kenan/Super-Man

It should've been him. He should've been the Superman of 5G/Future State/right now not Jon, and he should be the one getting an HBO Max series not Val. Hell he should be getting a movie!

God this dude is literally the best legacy character Superman has ever gotten, wholly his own person with his own lore and status quo while still building on the idea of "Superman". I am so pissed at DC for essentially just dropping him after his ongoing ended, what the hell Lee? You keep trying to make the Wildstorm characters happen, I need you to get my man Yang another Kenan book.

Have to admit I was a bit nervous at first about whether or not Kenan would be a worthwhile character. Yang's New 52 Superman run had been a disappointment to me overall, with only the the arc where Superman has underground wrestling matches against forgotten gods really sticking with me. Now he was introducing a brand new Superman? Didn't feel like he had "earned" that yet. But from the first issue I was hooked on this new character.

Kenan was unlike any other member of the Superfamily. He wasn't kind or sweet, he was an asshole! He was a bully! He was fantastic! Right from the start Kenan was set up to undergo a very different kind of character journey than the other members of the Superfamily. Empathy, humility, respect for people weaker than himself, these are all traits most heroes wearing the S-shield already posses by the time they first don the crest, but not Kenan.

Like all bullies he was even a bit of a coward himself at first, trying to bail on the experiment meant to give him Superman's powers right as it begins. After "saving" Lixin (the kid he bullies and steals lunch from every day) from Blue Condor he demands all the money Lixin has on him as payment. He's not courageous or selfless either at the start, Kenan is as much of an opposite of Superman as you can get short of being Bizarro. Learning the appeal of these traits formed the basis for his growth over the course of his series.

Seeing Yang bring in a lot of recognizable "Superman" elements in the series, but with a twist, was also great. Kenan is the one who bullies "Luo Lixin" rather than the traditional Clark/Lex friendship of Pre-Crisis and Birthright. Initially Kenan develops a crush on intrepid reporter for Primetime Shanghai, Laney Lan, but she dismisses him as too young and Kenan eventually ends up pursuing Avery Ho (Flash) instead. Baxi the Bat-Man of China has a similar relationship with Kenan as the traditional Superman/Batman in terms of being vitriolic best buds, however Baxi is the one who has the most respect for authority while Kenan is the rebel. Kenan is a part of the "Justice League of China" which does not meet with the approval of the already established Chinese superheroes, the Great Ten. That contrasts nicely with the good relationship the Justice Society and Justice League have, as well as seeing Yang lampshade the "Chinese copy" trope and incorporate that into his storytelling.

One of the funniest differences is how Kenan chooses to immediately reveal his identity as Super-Man to the world by taking off the compliance visor he was forced to wear, contrasting with Clark's choice to hide his identity. He was so eager to impress people that he never gave any thought to the danger he could put himself or his family in by revealing his identity until it was too late, something Clark is well aware of and has taken great pains to keep his identity secret. Was a missed opportunity for DC to have Kenan comment on Clark copying him for once when he outed himself under Bendis.

But one of the most poignant differences between Clark and Kenan is the gulf in separation between their relationship with their parents. Clark has a loving relationship with Ma and Pa Kent, trying to live up to their lessons as best he can. In contrast Kenan's mom was believed to have died in an airplane crash when he was just a child, and he never really knew her. His father was distant from him after that and the two weren't really close despite Kenan's attempts to impress him. So Kenan lacks that strong connection while still clearly loving both of them.

Pa Kent's death is one of the most tragic examples of Clark's love for his parents, and I've always been a fan of takes where Clark promises his father to fight for the powerless on Pa's deathbed. Kenan gets a similar scene at the start of his career, his dad "dies" (after being exposed as Flying General Dragon, a pro-democracy "supervillain" from the Chinese authorities perspective) and wants Kenan to promise he'll fight for Truth, Justice, and Democracy. But because Kenan's dad never really bonded with him, Kenan doesn't know what those mean, and can only promise that he never wants to see people die, something his father takes comfort in at least. In classic comic book fashion it's revealed that Dr. Omen, Kenan's "boss" and the one who gave him his powers, saved Kenan's father, because she is Kenan's mother! Kenan's relationship with his parents forms a lot of the crux of his character arc, and seeing how Yang utilizes the classic Superman concept of family kept the storytelling exciting.

Yang's brilliant exploration of the concept of "Superman" through the prism of Chinese culture was a great way to differentiate Kenan as well.

I absolutely freaking love how he tied to the concept of Qi to the S-shield in particular. Connecting the shape of the shield with the way Kenan has acquired his powers along the path of the Bagua (eight trigrams used in Taoism that represent the fundamental principles of reality), with his octagon S-shield outline representing all eight principles together, was mindblowing! So was the idea of restricting Kenan's access to his powers unless he was actually acting in a Superman manner, that tied his character growth to his power growth in an entertaining manner. There were so many characters and concepts that meshed Chinese and DC lore together, like how Emperor Super-Man was Kenan's "Doomsday", they even recreated that iconic dual kill shot! The Chinese Wonder Woman Peng Deilan, being based on the Chinese Legend of the White Snake! There was even some Korean mythology referenced with the Aqua-Man member of the JLC "Dragonson".

Yang also managed to do a Superman Blue/Superman Red story with Super-Man Yin/Super-Man Yang!

Shameful that it took me a while to realize what Gene Yang was doing but once I caught on I was touched. You can tell how much Yang loved Superman and his mythology, and how he was excited to incorporate as much from Clark as he could, while still using it in a way that was solidly Kenan's. And not just Superman's mythology, but the history and lore of the entire DC Universe. I-Ching got to be brought in, fleshed out, and used as Kenan's mentor! The "Yellow Peril" villain from Detective Comics #1, the comic DC gets its name from was brought in and revamped as I-Ching's twin brother All-Yang! Hats off to Yang for taking a racist caricature and attempting to make him into something more.

This series was a beautiful attempt by Gene Yang to build a space for Asian heroes and villains where they could be more than stereotypes, Kenan himself being a defiant mold-breaker in every regard as the complete opposite of most Asian characters in Western media (a jock, a bully, loves his dad but not on great terms with him, a powerhouse as a hero, etc). So much thought and hard work was poured into this by Yang and his team of artist collaborators.

Especially the costumes, man Kenan had so many great looks. From his starting outfit (which is my favorite Superman variant not worn by Clark himself), to the one with the Yin/Yang shield he acquired later on, to his Super-Man Yin & Super-Man Yang outfits, Kenan looked damn cool. Part of me is bummed they didn't go with the Chinese character shield they toyed around with, but I loved how Yang used the "s-shield" as a plot point, so I'm not too broken up over it.

All that great work Yang did to build that space up has been more or less forgotten sadly. It was nice to see Kenan in the DC Asian Month Celebration issue. Avery is going to be in Justice Incarnate at least (unsurprising considering she was created by Williamson). So fucking bummed that Superman Family Adventures cartoon didn't happen, they were going to have Kenan and John Henry Irons in it! Would've been a dream come true for me to see Irons in animation again, and Kenan making the jump to outside media! Maybe that would've encouraged DC to let Yang keep writing New Super-Man, or at least encouraged them to use him elsewhere instead of allowing him fall into Limbo.

Unfortunately I'm not sure what the future holds for Kenan. Jon is being pushed as Clark's replacement in the comics, with DC keeping all the other contenders such as Kon benched. Calvin is leading the Justice Incarnate team likely due to the upcoming Coates reboot that will make Clark black. Val will probably get something once Taylor leaves Jon's book or once they officially announce the HBO Max show is happening. So where does that leave Kenan, my new favorite PoC legacy hero? Currently my only hope is that Yang is working on something for DC involving him. Yang left Batman/Superman, where I was hoping to see a Baxi/Kenan team up, to go work on "exciting other opportunities" per his Twitter. So fingers crossed that there's something in the works for Kenan!

One day I hope he gets his day in the sun again.

#kenan kong #new super man #gene yang #justice league of china #superman #dc comics

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thebookwormfairy · 4 years ago

Text

Captain the Retired Police Dog and His Puppies Part 4

The puppies are here!!!!! The puppies are finally coming!

Captain Masterlist

Part 3

After that Marinette spent the day with Harley, Ivy, and Edwin it seemed they popped up around the Manor more often

Usually it was just to say hi, and in Edwin's case to flirt with Marinette

Not that she paid the flirting any mind she was very happy with Damian and only saw Edwin as a friend

And Edwin was respectful and backed off when Marinette said he had gone to far

And finally it was time!

Ace was having her puppies!

And Marinette was alone!

It was a little past midnight when Marinette woke up to find Damain gone and Ace in labor and Captain freaking out

Marinette jumped out of bed and rush over to the 2 german sheperds

Marinette: Hey it's okay. Calm down

Marinette rubbed Ace's head to comfort her

Captain still freaking out: What should we do Marinette? What should we do?

Ace: Darling you are freaking out more then me. Calm down.

Captain sitting besides Marinette: You're right, you're right. I have to he strong for our children

Captain sunk down and place his head on top of Ace: But what if something happens

Marinette: Dont worry you two I'm sure whatever villian Damian is beating up right now can wait.

Marinette frantically dialed Damian's number

It turns out that the bat fam were in the middle of a taken down one of Penguin's lesser skeems

Robin was literal beating up a henchman when a song about angles blasted from his pocket

It caught everybody so off gaurd that everybody good and bad paused and stared at Robin

Robin: Sorry, I have to take this

Robin pulled his phone out and hit answered

Robin: Hey Ang-

Marinette: ACE IS HAVING HER PUPPIES NOW!!!!

Robin putting his phone on mute: Bathound is having her puppies?!?!

Jason: The puppies are coming?

Marinette: YES! Can you finish what ever Robin business you're doing and come back?

Marinette eyes widen when she realized that she let it slipped that she knew about the Wayne family's nightly activities

Damian's eyes also widen before a now common lovesick grin spread across his face

Robin: Of course you figured it out Angle

Marinette blushing: Sorry I was going to wait until you were ready to tell me.

Robin: It's okay Angle I'll be there soon this really isnt a big deal I've just been playing with this guy anyway. He's completely incompetent

Henchman: Hey that's rude

Robin didn't listen to

Robin: Batman I will be leaving now

Redhood: I'm going with him!

Red Robin: No fair I wanted to sse Bathound give birth too

Batman sighing and turning to Penguin: Any chance we can cut this short?

Penguin: Yeah besides this jewel isn't worth the trouble if we don't

Batman: Thank you sorry about this

Penguin: No problem bats, I do request a picture of the puppies after they're born

Batman: I'm sure the children will make sure everybody they see has pictures of the puppies

When the Waynes got back and changed they rushed to Damian's room to see Ace giving birth to her third puppy

Marinette looked up at the sound of the door opening

Marinette: I'm so glad y'all came back in time. So far we have 3 healthy puppies

Damian rushed over to Ace to do a quick look over of the puppies that were already born making sure they were all okay

Marinette: So far so good they've been coming pretty quickly

Damian grabbing Marinette's face and kissing her: You are truly amazing Angel

The Wayne family and Marinette watch in fascination as 5 more puppies came in to the world in the span of 3 hours

Marinette: I can't believe it 8 puppies!

Captain nuzzling Ace: 8 puppies! Can you believe it my Love 8 puppies!!! You did fantastic! And all our puppies are absolutely beautiful!!!

Ace exhausted: That's wonderful Darling

Captain: Rest now my Love I'll watch over our children

Ace falling asleep: Thank you dear

Captain started sniffing his children nudging them towards their mother so they can stay fed and warm

Tim: They are so tiny! Can we keep them Bruce?

Bruce: Jason we can not keep 9-10 German Sheperds, a Turkey, cat, and cow

Jason: You also shouldn't be able to keep half the kids you adopt yet here we are

Bruce pinching the bridge of his nose: We'll have to see

Marinette: Dont worry Jason even if you don't keep all of them we'll find good homes for them

Harley:We heard the puppies have arrived!

Harley and Ivy burst into the room carrying balloons and plush dog toys for the puppies

Marinette: Harley! Ivy! What are you two doing here?

Harley: Alfred was a doll and called us! Edwin would've been here too but he's hanging out with friends for the week

Damian whispering to Marinette: Thank goodness

Marinette gently elbowed Damian in the ribs: Be nice

Harley: Oh my goodness Iv look at this one!

Harley gently lifts one of the puppies who had brown fur half way up all his legs

Harley: Omg it looks like his paws were dipped in Pudding! Can we keep him?

Ivy: We don't even know if they're up for adoption

Bruce seeing the future if he doesn't find the puppies a home: Please take one

Harley: Awesome! But we'll have to wait 8 week right?

Damian: That's right

The next day after everybody got some rest as the new parents spent more time with their puppies

And Marinette sat down with the Waynes

Damian was sitting besides Marinette as she fidgeted with her fingers

Marinette: So I know you are Batman, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Robin

Tim totally unconcincing: What?! No... That's impossible....Where would you get an idea like that...

Eveybody in the room gave Tim an unimpressed look

Tim: Okay I'm not fooling anybody. You are good Marinette

Marinette: Thank you

Bruce: I trust that you won't be telling anybody about this

Damian: Father!

Marinette: It's okay Damian. You can trust me Mr. Wayne, because I have my own secret. I'm also a super hero called Ladybug

Waynes: What?!

Tikki flew out of Marinette's pocket

Marinette: Let me show you, Tikki?

Tikki: Ready Marinette

Marinette: Okay, Tikki Spots On!

As Marinette transformed the other inhabitants in the room stared as the girl transformed into her hero form

Damian with a love struck smile: Just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore Angel

Marinette: Tikki Spots Off

Marinette detransforms, but Tikki stayed out were the Waynes could see her

Tikki: Hi my name's Tikki I'm Marinette's kwami

Kaalki: Does this mean I can finally stop hiding my beautiful self

Kaalki came out of Marinette's other pocket that held her miraculous

Marinette: And this is Kaalki the kwami of teleportation

Bruce: I feel like you have a lot to tell us Marinette

Marinette: That is correct but first. I as one of the heroes of Paris officially request assistance from the Justice league with the situation in Paris

Damian: What situation?

@felicityroth @northernbluetongue @mystery-5-5 @sidefrienda @tbehartoo @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @sonif50 @t-nikki10 @dawnwave16 @nach0

Permanent taglist

@immafangirl @alysrose-starchild @myazael @labschaos @meme991001

#Captain the Retired police dog #maribat #daminette #Captain the Retired police dog and his puppies #pet headcanon

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