#and what is bruce wayne supposed to do without alfred pennyworth and selina kyle??

[afewnovelideas]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, DCU (Comics), Batman (Comics), Young Justice (Comics), Robin (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Kyubey (PMMM), Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Selina Kyle Additional Tags: Tim Drake-centric, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Alternate Universe - Madoka Magica Fusion, Soul Gems (Madoka Magica), Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Magical Boys, Origin Story, No Beta We Die Like Mami, Don't Have to Know Madoka Magica Canon, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent Series: Part 1 of Eques Magi: Originem - Magicka Knights: Origin Summary:

"The Labyrinths of Gotham City are so tightly concentrated, no human born here can escape the influence of at least one or two Witches, if not more. Despite the aura of despair and the constant work of the Witches' various Familiars, there are still those souls who persist in clinging to hope and will do whatever they can to try and make this city a better place, even though all their efforts will ultimately fail in the end.

"It's the perfect environment to find a new Magicka Knight."

---

"Have you ever seen an albino cat?"

Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, glanced over at Batman's newest Robin curiously. She hadn't been expecting to cross paths with him, but since it was obvious the Big Bad Bat was out of town and Nightwing hadn't shown up at all in the past week, she decided to keep an eye on the new kid for at least the evening. He certainly wasn't like the previous Robin. This thirteen-year-old boy was quiet and thoughtful, which had been quite a change from the previous brash impulsive kid Batman had been mentoring a little over a year ago before they were murdered by the Joker. 

She also noticed that this Robin was glancing over his shoulder at something on the rooftop on the other side of the street. "An albino, huh?" she said as she tried to follow his gaze. However, despite using her binoculars to zoom in on the far rooftop, she couldn't see any sign of any animal, feline, albino, or otherwise. "I've heard of them, but never seen one in person," Selina admitted casually as she put away her binoculars. "They are extremely rare." She smiled at Robin. "Have you seen one around town?"

Robin leaned against his bo staff thoughtfully. "I think so, but I'm not really sure." 

"Not sure?"

The boy looked up at Selina earnestly. "Y'know how a cat has two pointed ears about here?" Amusingly to the professional cat burglar, Robin made a vague pair of cat-ear shapes with his hand at the top of his head.  She smiled affectionately. 

"Yeah. It's kind of a defining cat trait, having pointy ears."

Robin pouted slightly at the teasing tone he caught in Catwoman's voice. Then he continued. "Well... This cat I've been seeing... It looks like they have a second set of ears too."

"A second set?" 

He nodded. He made a motion with his hands that seemed to make another vague shape that started at the base of where the cat's ears ought to be and downward along either side of its head. "Yeah. They kinda start out here and go all the way down there."

"Are you sure what you're looking at is an albino 'cat'? That kinda sounds more like a white rabbit to me."

"But it has pointy ears like a cat," Robin argued. "And its got a long fluffy tail, and its legs are like a cat's." The young teenager frowned slightly. "It's really weird looking."

"Well it does sound like a unique creature, whatever it is," Selina said thoughtfully.  "Maybe it's some sort of cryptid or mutant? This is Gotham after all." She smiled at Robin. "Tell ya what. If you can catch a photo of the critter, I promise I'll take a good hard look and let you know if it's a cat, a rabbit, or something completely different." Then she gave him an almost stern maternal look. "But be careful. Don't get too close. If it does turn out to be something 'not normal', it could be dangerous."

"Okay."

 ---

  It was two nights later and Tim Drake, fully decked out as Robin for another solo patrol, had just finished trussing up a pair of would-be carjackers. As soon as he placed the anon call to the Gotham PD for pickup, he glanced up to fire his grapple gun and froze.

There, on the rooftop above him, was a familiar white shape with two sets of ears and red eyes. The "cat" was peering down. He could see the animal's long fluffy tail swishing this way and that. Tim's breath caught in his throat. This was the closest he'd ever seen the animal come to him before. Rather than risk his grapple gun startling the animal and scaring it away, the young vigilante quickly indulged in some impromptu parkour up a garbage bin and a chain link fence to reach the metal fire escape attached to the side of the building. 

When he pulled himself on the rooftop, Tim was disappointed to find that it appeared to be empty. Not a trace of red eyes or white fur anywhere. He walked across the roof slowly, scanning the area for any sign of the small creature as he pulled out a small portable camera from his utility belt. "Hey there," he whispered softly. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. I'm not going to hurt you. C'mon out please. I just wanna take a picture." 

When no one came out of hiding, Tim tried a different tactic. He reached into another pouch on his belt and pulled out a small package of beef jerky. He shook the bag temptingly before opening it and setting it on the ground before stepping away from it. "Got some food here if you want. All for you."

"Thank you, but no. I'm not hungry."

Tim froze. Then he glanced around himself as quickly as he could before zeroing in on the form of the albino "cat" sitting on top of a large A/C unit just a few yards away from him, its white body practically glowing against the cloudy night sky of Gotham City. This close, Tim could see this was not a normal "cat".  It did appear to have two sets of ears, but the two longer rabbit-like ones had golden rings attached to them and were tipped in pink with red spots. Its tail also appeared to be unnaturally long as it swished back and forth casually.

"Did you... just... talk?"

The cat-like creature flicked its smaller pointy ears. "Of course I did!" it said in a childlike voice without moving its mouth at all. Its long white tail finally stopped swishing and settled into a question mark shape behind it. "How else am I supposed to introduce myself?"

 ---

  Tim Drake gave up caffeine for the rest of the week. When the boy returned to the Cave from patrol and declared that he was quitting cold turkey, Alfred asked about it curiously. All the old butler got from the thirteen year old was a confusingly vague answer about talking albino cats with pink ears and clearly not enough sleep with too much stress before marching himself into the showers before he would make his eventual way back to his bedroom. 

 ---

  Unfortunately for Tim, giving up his favorite sodas, teas, and coffee did not stop the appearances of the strange cat-like hallucination that had introduced itself as "Kyubey" and seemed hell bent on following him and talking to him both day and night, in and out of uniform.

"You think I'm a figment of your imagination?"

Tim sighed as he reached over the creature sitting in his high school locker in order to grab his workbooks for math and english. "I'm not talking to you here," he whispered as he slammed the locker door in hopes of locking the hallucination behind it.

"It's probably better that you don't, at least not out loud," Kyubey agreed, after reappearing on the top of the locker to look down on Tim. "If people catch you talking to something they can't see, they might think you're losing your mind."

Somehow, Tim managed to choke down the near hysterical giggle that wanted to bubble up at that matter-of-fact remark. Kyubey had made it quite clear that night on the rooftop that no one else could see them except Tim.

"Besides, why waste your breath?" Kyubey said as they trotted along the top of the lockers, keeping pace with Tim as he walked to his next class. "We can speak telepathically just fine."

Tim paused at the end of the lockers and glanced at Kyubey. "Telepathically?" he asked experimentally without voicing the word.

"See! Easy!"

"Oh my god, I AM losing my mind," he thought with a grimace before sighing and stepping into the classroom and tried to ignore Kyubey as best he could for the rest of his school day.

 ---

  "So why are you here?" Tim finally asked Kyubey after tossing down his pencil and finally giving up on trying to concentrate on his homework. "What is my subconscious trying to tell me?"

"I'm not your subconscious, and I'm not a hallucination. I'm a messenger of magic." 

Tim raised his eyebrows at Kyubey as he echoed incredulously, "A messenger of magic?"

The cat-like creature made themself comfortable on Tim's bed. "That's right."

The teen noted with a slight measure of concern that he could see the disturbance Kyubey's form made on his pillow and blanket, proving that, at least right now, they had a solid physical state. Still, he was not about to reach out and try to touch the creature. "I'm probably going to regret asking this, but why is a 'messenger of magic' in Gotham City, and why am I the only one who can see and speak with you?"

"I'm on a mission to find people with the potential to become Magicka Knights to fight Witches and save the Universe, and you have that potential."

"Seriously? Magical knights? Actual witches?" Tim shook his head as he scoffed lightly. "This sounds like the plot of some generic magical girl anime."

Kyubey titled their head to one side. "And you and your mentor go out at night in masks to fight criminals who can control plants, have freeze guns, are living clay, and are occasionally half reptiles. How is that more believable than Magicka Knights and Witches?"

Tim snickered awkwardly. "I guess I'm in no position to throw stones in glass houses."

"You really aren't."

 ---

  Finally! Bruce was back from his Justice League mission and he was going to go out on patrol with Tim. Batman and Robin flying through Gotham City for the first time in over two weeks.

At least that was the plan until a call came through from Oracle barely an hour into their patrol.

"A report of potential Joker gas exposure has been put out by the GCPD in Chinatown near the Dragon's Den."

Batman and Robin paused on the roof of St. Peter's Cathedral. Tim felt a weight settle in the pit of his stomach as he took in the tightness of his mentor's jawline. He knew what was coming next.

"Go home, Robin."

"But B--"

"It's the Joker. I need to handle this alone."

"You don't have to. I can stay out of the way and watch your back. Make sure no one gets the drop on you."

Batman shook his head. "Head back to the Cave, Robin."

The leather of Robin's gloves creaked a little as he clenched his hand into a fist and turned away from his mentor. "Fine."

Without even looking, Tim could tell when he was left alone on the cathedral's roof with just the gargoyles for company.

Then, he wasn't alone.

"He doesn't trust you?"

Tim looked up to see Kyubey sitting on the head of a nearby gargoyle. He sighed. "It's not like that," he said telepathically. No need to risk Oracle or Agent A overhearing him talking to Kyubey. Not like the mic would pick up the magical creature's voice anyways. Still, better safe than sorry. "The Joker is really dangerous. He killed the Robin who came before me. B just doesn't want to risk me being anywhere near him."

Suddenly, Tim heard a pinging from his comm link, a sign that Oracle was attempting to signal him. "Yes O?"

"I know B ordered you home, but do you think you could swing by Amusement Mile along the way? I got a report on a Mad Hatter sighting there."

Tim brightened visibly at the prospect. "Sure!" He reached for his grapple gun and loaded a cartridge. "Any idea what he's up to?" 

"There have been earlier reports over the last few months of missing girls fitting the Hatter's preferred victim profile. Children with long blond hair under the age of twelve. But since the children are usually street kids or runaways, most attempts to investigate by the police have been half-hearted at best. Those that have tried haven't found anything but dead ends."

"Well, that's going to come to a stop tonight." Tim declared confidently. 

"Be careful Robin," Oracle warned. "Focus on recon tonight. Don't engage Hatter unless absolutely necessary."

"Understood!"

 ---

  "What's this?" 

At Amusement Mile, Tim was just in time to stop a kidnapping in progress. While the sudden appearance of Robin was enough to send the Mad Hatter scurrying away into the shadows, the young vigilante reluctantly let him go in favor of caring for the victim, a child of eight or nine who appeared to be in a catatonic state.

However, nothing Tim did seemed to be able to wake her up. He was about to notify O to call an ambulance when he noticed a small red mark, like a tattoo, on the girl's neck, right above her pulse point. It was about the size of a quarter and looked like the symbol used in chess to designate the Queen piece. 

"Hey O. I found a weird tattoo on the girl. Sending you a pic now." Tim quickly snapped a photo and sent it electronically to Oracle. A moment later, he got a response.

"Are you sure you sent me the right photo?"

"What do you mean?" 

"There's no tattoo in the pic. All I see is a bare neck."

Tim opened the monitor of his camera and his eyes went wide. Even on the camera, the girl's neck had no tattoo. He took several more pics to be sure, but despite being able to see the crown icon with his own eyes, they defied being photographed.

"Not sure what's going on, but I can't take a pic of it," he told Oracle. "Maybe it's some sort of weird ink that comes up invisible on cameras?"

"That's not it."

Tim glanced at Kyubey, who was sitting beside the girl. The white creature sniffed at the tattoo. "That's a Witch's Kiss."

He felt his chest tighten a bit at Kyubey's words. Tim carefully masked the sudden nervousness he felt in his voice. "Can you call an ambulance to pick up the girl? I'm going to investigate the area and try to find out where Hatter ran off to."

"Will do. Be careful."

Once the comm was silenced again and after the EMTs came to pick up the rescued child, Robin backed into a secluded alleyway and hid within the shadows before addressing Kyubey telepathically.

"What's a Witch's Kiss?"

"It's a mark used by Witches and familiars to control the minds of their prey."

Tim felt a shiver run down his spine. Still he continued. "Is... the Mad Hatter a Witch?"

Kyubey tilted their head thoughtfully before shaking in the negative. "No. I think he's just a familiar being used to bring humans to a Witch's Labyrinth."

"Why? Why would a Witch want a human child?"

Kyubey sighed. "A Witch is a creature that feeds on misery and sadness," they said very matter-of-factly. "What could be more delicious to a Witch than the grief and fear of a kidnapped child? At least this one seems to prefer the despair of children in particular."

A sudden sensation of dread settled over Tim. "That's.... That's horrible! We can't let this continue!"

"But you can't stop them."

"Why not?" Tim's righteous indignation flared up. "Batman's stopped the Mad Hatter dozens of times. Why can't I?"

"Most likely it's because your mentor has never captured him near his Witch, and never within an actual Labyrinth." Kyubey stared at Tim with their round red eyes, their stoic tone never wavering. "You're just a human being, and so is he under all that armor. Even with all your training, there's no way your frail human bodies can endure the strain of fighting a Witch and their familiars in their own Labyrinth. If you get trapped in a Labyrinth, there's no way out until either the Witch is dead or you are."

Tim watched the retreating lights of the ambulance carrying the nearly kidnapped child away. Then he took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"Can you help me find the Witch's Labyrinth?"

"I can."

 ---

  He was going to die.

Tim leaned against the wall and watched helplessly as his blood flowed freely from beneath and between his fingers to pool on the floor under him despite the pressure he tried to keep on the wound in his stomach. The Witch's familiars, not just the Mad Hatter, but a March Hare and other fictional characters pulled straight from the story Alice in Wonderland, had been too numerous and too merciless for him to fight off alone. 

The Witch herself, in the guise of a twisted Queen of Hearts, shrieked for his head through the twists and turns of her Labyrinth. 

   ͙̹̫ͪ̆̏͝  "̶͚̜̪̣̬͇ͭ͑ͅOͩͫ̄͏̬͖̳ Ḟ̖̝̟̜͖̭͑͢ F̡̜̼̰͓͍̟͎͇̆̾̐ ̨͚̫̗ͮ̚ͅ W̐ͧ̑͏͍͎͍̖̤̥ͅI͓͙̤͔̺̦͌̓̌̍͠T̖͍͒͛͢H̡̳̪̭̹̺̒̓̿ ̹̥͉̟͙̝͓̅ͫ͝H̸̝̬̘͕̩͙̤͇̾ͥ͂Į̯͔̦͖̳̣ͥ̌͆̂S͆̑ͪ͏̦̥̭̺̞̳̪͔ ͙̪̯͗̑͞Hͧ͏̤̯̪̩ E̶̯̣̰͌̆ͨͯ A̬̦̻͍͒͝ͅD̖̹͂͒͟ !ͫͯ́͆҉̺̦̩̹̺

 ̠͓͈͎ͧͨ͡Ō̵̪̻̭̩̯F̣͙̲̖̈́̋͝ F̌̅̾̓͏̭̺̰͉̹̖̯ ̡̮͔͇͚̬͎̝͊̆ͪͅŴ͙̠̽ I̘̬͇̖͑͂̏̂͞ T̨̗̫̜͙̩̖̮͒ H̴̙̝̀ͥͣ̚ ̘̯̮̺̥ͣ̑̄H̻̭͇̮̮͕͗͗ͬ̊͠ͅ Iͮͪ͋͏̬̺̖̝̥̭̘ͅ S̵̝̖̙̿ ̛̬̳̠̪̰̑͗̽ H̸͙̟̱̝̳̰̄͑̃̊ Ě̳͓̝̗͎͟ A̴̤͖̬̖͓͇̖͗̆ͫ́Ḋ̜͚̬̐̋͟!̨͇͚̞̩͚̗̣̿                                        

                  Ơ͚̹̜̥ͮͥ͑̏F̴̯̤̮͉̰ͫF͈̱͍̌ͩͥ̍̕ͅ ̧͎͕̱͚͍̥͔̐W̩̦̯̹̏͊̏̌̕I͐҉͕̪͔̥̞̭͈̲T̖̝̖̪̑̿̓͢H̤̠͍̣̻̠͚ͧ̍̐̿͢ ̴̲̖̫̫̺ͭH̗̤̒̆͆͡Î̤͓̭̻̝Ș̵͉͔͙̗̝̌̍̍ͬͅ ͎̫͉̞̲͆͡Ḫ̨̪̅ͧ̏E̵̮̲̩̤͓̱̙ͦÁ̻̦̘̜̂ͩ͝D̸̯͖̦͔̲͕̠̜̓̓̆̚!̨͖̓̐̈́ͪ̏ͅ҉̬͉̰̫"̙̺̬̯̹̦͖͛͗͘  

  Her magic.. too powerful.

His… everything... too weak.

Trapped in this magical Labyrinth that resembled a scene from Wonderland, he couldn't even get a signal out to call for a rescue. He'd tried early on to call Oracle... Nightwing... Agent A... Batman... But the only thing he got for his troubles was static.

Tim felt tears flow down his cheeks as his vision became dark and hazy around the edges and his limbs began to grow numb. He could hear the sounds of his pursuers coming closer, searching for him, and he just didn't have the strength anymore to run. All he could do was hide and wait for the inevitable.

Batman was going to lose another Robin.

Dick was going to lose another little brother.

Jack Drake was going to lose his only son.

He was going to die.

"Oh dear. I was almost too late."

A set of dainty white paws walked into his sight line, contrasting starkly against the pool of crimson blood on the floor. Weakly, Tim lifted his gaze.

"Kyubey?"

The magical creature stepped closer to the fallen teenager and took a seat in front of him. They tilted their head slightly. "I tried to warn you. A normal human isn't able to fight a Witch. Only a Magicka Knight has the power to defend against a Witch's curses and attack them in kind."

"I know," Tim whispered. "I should've listened to you."

Kyubey titled their head to the other side. "It's not too late. You can still listen to me."

Despite the cold feeling in his limbs and the shadows in his vision, Tim did his level best to keep his gaze locked on Kyubey, on the one bright spot in his dying world. 

"If you enter a contract with me, you can become a Magicka Knight." Kyubey explained. "You'd be duty bound to fight Witches, but in return I can grant you one wish. Anything in the world your heart desires."

"If I become a Magicka Knight, I'll have to fight this Witch right away, right?"

"I'm afraid so. It's the only way to escape her Labyrinth."

"And there's no guarantee I'll win?"

"I won't lie to you. Turning you into a Magicka Knight is not a promise of victory. But at least you'll have a fighting chance."

Tim closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "Then I want to make a wish that can outlive me, in case I die." When he opened his eyes, tears slipped down his cheeks again. "I wish Bruce Wayne's son, Jason Todd, was alive."

Kyubey's round red eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness, and the twin gold rings that encircled their longer set of ears started to glow brightly even as Tim's vision finally faded into blackness. As his consciousness slipped away, he heard Kyubey's voice, as if it was very far away.

"As you wish."

 ---

  "Dinner was great, Alfred. Thank you." Tim set down his fork and watched as the kind old butler retrieved his dirty dishes.

"Will you be heading out with Master Bruce this evening?"

Tim got to his feet and placed the cloth napkin that had been on his lap onto the table, though he fidgeted with it a little before finally letting it go. "'Fraid not. B wants me to stay in and 'do my homework'."

Alfred gave him a knowing compassionate look. "I see. Well, if you want to take your dessert upstairs to have while you work on your homework, I'll allow it for tonight. If you need anything else, I'll be in the Cave on comms tonight..

"Thanks Alfred," Tim said with a smile and a quick side-hug. "You're the best!"

Tim made his way upstairs with a small plate of cheesecake topped with strawberries. Once in his bedroom, he closed the door behind him with a sigh.

"Bruce isn't letting you patrol again tonight?" 

The teenager glanced over and watched as Kyubey unwound itself from the fluffy white ball it normally curled into while it napped on Tim's pillow. Tim couldn't help the fond smile as his little friend stretched leisurely and indulged in a wide mouthed yawn. 

"Nope. He's still got his cape in a twist over Jason's whole empty grave thing." Tim shook his head before making his way to the window seat and making himself comfortable. "I think he just wants to make sure I don't wander off either, but it's still annoying! It's been nearly a month and B still won't let me go on any solo patrols." 

"Well, look at the bright side. Now you can get a full night of sleep and wake up early to go Witch hunting before school."

"I suppose."

Tim and his sullen mood weren't alone for long at the window before Kyubey leapt gracefully from the bed to his shoulder. The startled expression on Tim's face lasted only a second before it melted into one of amusement as Kyubey headbutted him affectionately against the cheek. Once they'd managed to wring a chuckle out of the boy, Kyubey hopped down to the window seat where Tim had placed the cheesecake and began sniffing at the selection. Tim watched as his friend picked up the reddest strawberry it could find and popped that into its mouth first, eating it with obvious relish. Then he looked out the window and thought back about the night he became a Magicka Knight, about the moment he set foot back in the cave after defeating his first Witch and claiming his first Grief Seed.

 ---

  "Where have you been?!" 

Batman had stormed up to him the moment Robin pulled up on his motorcycle into the Cave. Tim froze the moment he saw his mentor barrelling toward him. "You're back already?"

"The Joker gas was a false alarm," Bruce said as he pushed back his cowl and grabbed Tim by his upper arms, Tim was startled by the frantic way Bruce's eyes were darting over him. "Where were you?! Barbara sent you to investigate a Hatter sighting, then you didn't check in for hours! It's nearly sunrise. Where have you been?!"

Tim swallowed hard. "I... I got lured into a maze trap by Hatter," he admitted quietly. "The place had some weird interference so my comms were scrambled. Hatter got away and it took me forever to find my way out. I'm sorry."

"Are you hurt?"

Tim shook his head. "I'm fine B. Just... tired. It... was a really long night."

After another long moment of Bruce looking over him, the older man finally seemed to relax. He released his hold on Tim's arms and raked his fingers through his cowl-mussed hair. "Please don't go running off like that ever again, Tim. If anything had happened to you--"

"I know," Tim murmured, his eyes focused on the floor even as he wrapped his arms about himself tightly. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Master Bruce?"

Both Bruce and TIm turned to see a shaken Alfred coming toward them with a phone in hand. 

"What's wrong?"

"Commissioner Gordon is on the line."

Bruce and Tim shared a confused look. "Why is he calling at this hour?"

Alfred swallowed hard. "He needs 'Bruce Wayne' to come to the precinct as soon as possible. There's been a robbery."

"I don't under--"

"Someone broke into Gotham Cemetery tonight. They stole Master Jason's body."

As Bruce immediately went after Alfred as the old man gave him the phone, Tim stood in the Cave in shock before daring to glance at Kyubey, who had materialized at his heels. 

"My wish... It really came true?"

Kyubey curled their tail around Tim's legs in a comforting gesture. "Of course it did. We made a contract."

 ---

  "I wonder where Jason is," Tim mused aloud as he continued to stare out the window. "I thought he would've come straight home. Bruce has looked everywhere. I've looked everywhere..." He looked at Kyubey who had taken a delicate bite of the cheesecake itself. "Do you have any idea where he went after I made my wish?"

Kyubey looked up at Tim, a curious tilt to their head as they stared back at him with their round red eyes. "I was with you in the Labyrinth when the wish was made," they said matter-of-factly.

Tim shrugged. "Yeah. I know... I guess I was just hoping... Well, I hope he's alright, wherever he is." 

Quietly, Tim studied the new silver ring encircling the ring finger of his right hand as well as the green alchemical symbol of Mercury that was now on his fingernail. The small emerald gem inlaid within the ring itself shimmered with magic. With a smooth motion, Tim turned his palm up and the ring morphed before his eyes into a brilliant green gem encased in an intricate cage of gold, just like a faberge egg. 

His Soul Gem. The source of his power as a Magicka Knight.

For several minutes there was nothing but a comfortable silence as Tim watched the swirling glow of his Soul Gem and Kyubey ate their fill. Once the plate was empty and their paws and muzzle were thoroughly cleaned, Kyubey trotted onto Tim's lap and laid down comfortably. Unconsciously, Tim began to stroke Kyubey's soft whilte fur with his free hand. 

"I just hope Jason comes home soon," Tim said as he finally put his Soul Gem away, turning it back into his ring. "That way, he and Bruce can reunite, they can be a family again, and I can step away from being Robin so I can devote myself to being a Magicka Knight instead."

"In the meantime, it's not so bad for you to be both Robin and a Magicka Knight," Kyubey mused. When Tim glanced down at them, they continued. "You have to admit that nearly every night you go out on patrol as Robin, you stumble upon one or two Labyrinths. Even if we can't get to them immediately to flush out the Witch, at least we know where they are for later!"

Tim grinned. "Yeah. I guess there is a silver lining there." Impulsively, he picked up Kyubey and gathered them into a gentle hug. "Thanks for staying with me."

Kyubey nuzzled the underside of Tim's jawline. "Of course I'm staying with you. You're my Magicka Knight. We're in this together." Kyubey flicked their short pointy ears cutely. "Besides, it's not like Bruce or anyone else can separate us. You're the only one here that can see and hear me."

"I'm glad," Tim said. "It's nice to not be alone all the time." He smiled gratefully at Kyubey. "And it makes being grounded by Bruce easier to swallow when I've got you for company."

Then he glanced back out the window at the dark outlines of Gotham City's skyline when the appearance of the Bat-signal lit up the night sky above it. "Still--" he mused. "I really hope Jason shows up soon. I can't wait to meet him."

[anjuschiffer]

Amira Wayne - Chapter 14

Happy Halloween everyone! Here’s day 14 of @biodad-bruce-month that I’m catching up on QuQ

Chapter 14: Wayne Gala

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P.Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan

Tag: @vixen-uchiha @we-want-mini-mini @ramos123 @bluesimani @redscarlet95 @greatcatblaze @promiswords @fantasiame @corabeth11 @anonymously-odd @alexandriamw @officiallydarkgeek @galla02006 @maleive07 

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MASTERLIST | FIRST | PREV | AO3

Alfred looked at the teens in the back of the car that conversed in French, glad to finally meet the duo that were Amira’s latest addition to her circle of friends. 

While Amira called them mere conveniences, Alfred knew that they were anything but that. After all, she would talk about them during half of their weekly calls. 

Shortly before leaving for Paris, Amira had asked if she was able to do weekly calls with him, Alfred quickly agreeing and even giving her a private line for their calls.

Around two and a half weeks ago, Amira had told him about her two friends going to Gotham and asking if there was some way to ensure their safety. 

Amira suggested the family hosting their stay, in which Alfred found it to be a marvelous idea. 

  “If I may ask Miss Amira, why did you suggest this idea?”

“I need to make sure they’re safe.” She told him. “Paris’ Victims are one thing, Gotham’s villains are another. Seeing as I’m not allowed to even be near a gala until I’m officially introduced to society, I need to do what I can to ensure their safety...I don’t want to lose them.”

“Pardon me for suggesting this Miss Amira, but why don’t you just come to Gotham to ensure their safety? 

“As much as I know that I can, you know I really can’t. Paris needs me here. They need Ladybird to remain in Paris until the Hawkmoth threat is lifted. Until then, I am to stay here…”

 “M.Pennyworth, is this really okay with M. Wayne? In regards to hosting our stay, that is.” Chloé asked, feeling Adrien squeeze her hand. 

Despite already being teens, there were still habits the two still shared. After all, Chloé was the only other child Adrien knew growing up. She was his safety blanket during events they were forced to attend as kids... just like he was hers. 

She still remembers them as clear as day. 

“Have no worries about it, Miss Chloé, Master Adrien. Master Bruce and Master Dick were delighted to hear about the two of you attending tomorrow’s gala, Master Dick more so than Master Bruce.”

“Master Dick?” Adrien decided to ask. His father never told him about there being another Wayne. 

“Master Bruce’s son. Adopted, of course.” Alfred elaborated, not once taking his eyes off the road. "We have arrived. Welcome to Wayne Manor.”

---

Tim peeked from behind the doorway when he heard two accented voices join Alfred’s upon the manor door opening. 

Tim watched as the two blonds gawked at the manor interior, setting their luggage beside themselves. 

He jumped when a hand landed on his head, Tim turning to see Dick smiling at him with a tired smile. 

Tim frowned. 

“You should be in bed.”

“I have to make sure everything goes according to plan. For everything to work out as if he was here with us.”

“Dick, stop pushing yourself like this. You have to rest.”

Dick simply smiled at Tim as he chose then to approach the two guests. 

“Welcome! The two of you must be Adrien and Chloé! Marinette speaks so much about you two!” Dick cheerfully said, stretching out his hand towards Adrien. 

“You know Marinette?” Adrien asked, wondering- that’s right. He must know about her if Marinette knew Selina. “That must’ve sounded stupid. Marinette knows Mlle. Kyle, so it must make sense if you knew her as well.” Dick let out a chuckle. 

“Not at all! Sometimes we forget the connections we have with one another, so things like this tend to happen. Now, I’m pretty sure the two of you are tired from your flight. Alfred, if you would show them to their rooms?” 

With a bow, Alfred ushered the guests to their rooms, Adrien and Chloé taken aback by the massive portraits in one of the halls that they passed by. 

While the two wanted to ask Alfred who the smaller boy in one of the portraits was, they couldn’t bring themselves to ask when they saw M. Pennyworth look at it with sadness in his eyes. 

In one particular photo, Adrien couldn’t help but notice a small girl in the distance, feeling as he had seen that girl before. 

Or maybe he was just drawn to her bright smile that warmed up him as he walked through the chilly manor. 

“Here are your rooms, Miss Chloe, Master Adrien. I hope they are to your expectations.” Alfred said, signaling towards the two rooms across from each other. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

---

Barbara sat in class, tuning out her professor as he talked about the different sectors of the brain. 

That’s when she saw a notification on her phone, making sure to not let a sigh escape her as she read it. 

Grabbing her things, Barbara left the lecture hall without another word, dreading the fact that she is going to have to ask someone else for notes in her next class. 

Her finger hovered over the name of the person who was the subject of the text, wondering if this was a good idea. 

She was glad to know she was sent to voicemail. 

“Hey, Tim just filled me in. Are you sure this is a good idea? Please call me when you get the time.” 

With that said, Barbara pocketed her phone and directly headed to Wayne Manor, not liking the heavy premonition weighing in her mind. 

What were they thinking? 

Didn’t they realize that all of their secrets were in danger by having two outsiders within the manor?

Sighing, Barbara prepared herself for the possible danger that may ensue from this.

---

Chloe just couldn’t stand doing nothing, so when she asked Alfred what places they were allowed to roam in, she wasn’t expecting a gym as an option.

Of course, there was no way in hell Chloe was going to expose herself by going to the gym, so she asked to be guided to the manor’s library.  Adrien happily tagged along, talking about wanting to start on some of their homework before heading back to Paris in two days. 

“Chlo! I found us a place.” Adrien squealed, dragging her to a spot near the library windows where a perfectly placed desk with floor seats there, beckoning them to sit. 

Adrien quickly sat down on the tri colored one while Chloe hesitated to sit on the other one that was black with golden threads.

“This feels wrong.” Chloe ended up blurting out, quickly getting up from it. “I feel as if-”

“Chloe, you’re just nervous about being here. Just take a seat and do a bit of homework, it’ll take your mind off the uneasiness.”

But the uneasiness wouldn’t leave her. She felt as if they weren’t supposed to be sitting there...as if the seats weren’t meant to be used by anyone but those who usually sat there...

With a sigh, she complied. “I guess you’re right.” Maybe she was uneasy.

---

An hour passed until Adrien got up, stretching his legs a bit.

“ And where would you even get help? We can’t reach Marinette without using a phone from this home. Our phones don’t work here, remember?”  Chloe said, gesturing to her phone. “I totally forgot to get my other phone that works abroad. Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.”  She muttered, going back to doing her chemistry work. 

“We’re in a library Chlo. I’m bound to find something that could help us.”

Adrien walked off to the front of the library, going from bookcase to bookcase, baffled to not even find a single book on chemistry. 

It wasn't until he got to the second level where he found some chemistry textbooks, when a certain workbook caught his eye. 

Taking it off the shelf, Adrien opened up the French workbook, surprised to see full marks on every page. 

As he kept turning the pages, a photo slipped out, Adrien managing to catch it as it fell.

When he picked it up, the same girl from earlier smiled back at him as well as a boy her age. 

The two children were covered in grass and dirt, Adrien noticing how the girl looked oddly like Marinette. 

“Did you find anything?” 

“Oh. Um, yeah! Just one though.” Adrien fumbled, putting the photo and the workbook back into their place before grabbing the chemistry textbook he had found earlier. 

“ Just one?”  Chloé scoffs. “Some library this is.”

“At least it has one?”

“Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.”

Adrien smiled at Chloe’s antics, sitting back down, only for his mind to trail back to the picture he saw just minutes ago. 

Why did she seem familiar?

---

After a few hours of studying, the duo were called for dinner. 

The two managed to sit in comfortable silence, not questioning the fact that they were the only ones at the table.  

After all, Adrien was used to it while Chloé enjoyed not having to talk to any Wayne. 

Not having a Wayne meant a more at ease Adrien, meaning not having to listen to Adrien forced to butter up a rich man just to please his father. 

Stupid Gabriel. 

Thank the kwamis Chloé was never trained to do that. Then again, maybe she should have. 

Maybe it would’ve been a chance to learn etiquette from her mother…

Who was she kidding...her mother wouldn’t even waste her time doing such a trivial thing. 

Dinner lasted just half an hour and soon it was time to call it a day...or so Chloé thought. 

Chloe tipped toed out of the kitchen, Pollen having gone ahead of her with a napkin filled with some flowers she found in the kitchen. 

She had woken up with a jolt due to hunger and not wanting to bother Alfred so late at night, Chloe decided it was best to go herself.

Confident in herself, Chloe walked to where she believed her room was located, turning corners as she made her way back. 

She proudly stood in front of what she believed was her room, turning the knob and letting out a sigh of relief. She closed the door behind her, only to realize it wasn’t her room. 

After all, she didn’t have a wall filled with notes and photos. This was her first day at Gotham, this collection belonged to someone who obviously lived here for longer than a day. 

Turning to leave, Chloe did a double take on what caught her eye. 

Slowly closing the door with a soft thud, Chloe walked towards the wall, slowly making out the subject of the photos thanks to the moonlight seeping into the dark room.

As Chloe got a closer look at the photos, a giggling little girl in different frilly dresses were in each one, showing different milestones in her life. 

Her first steps, her first pet, her birthdays, a few displaying some drawings or baking.

In each one, Chloé couldn’t help but notice that it was only M. Wayne in them, never once the girl’s mother being there. 

As the girl grew, she began to resemble her father even more, the smile vanishing and now wearing a scowl on her face. Her midnight hair got longer by the photo, her emerald eyes sharper. 

The girl was always shown with the same uniform from Gotham Academy in these later photos, but the photos were always taken from different events. 

Assemblies, science fairs, art galleries, math decathlons, trips, award ceremonies...the girl was practically in every Gotham Academy event!

But then those photos completely stopped. 

Soon, two boys entered the picture and the perfect model student from Gotham Academy vanished completely. 

Whenever the two boys were in the frame, the girl was smiling, grinning, baking, running, in sport competitions, and just...simply being a kid.

There was even one where she was dripping blood from her nose as she was shown winning a dodgeball competition, the boy beside her holding it as well. Meanwhile, the teen behind them ruffled their hair as he, too, smiled at the camera. 

This toothy grins from the children cause Chloe’s chest to twist for some odd reason. 

As for the teen, he looked like a more younger version of Dick. maybe it was him.

But just like the other school photos, those soon vanished as well...or to be more honest, all the evidence of this girl growing stopped completely. 

There were no more photos on the wall, the wall barren.

Chloe noticed a photo album on the floor, picking it up. It was empty.

Looking back at the photos, Chloé wondered what exactly happened to the girl, to the boy her age. 

Deciding to take this as her cue to leave, Chloé noticed a photo peering from under the bed, only managing to see the tip of it. 

Upon picking it up, Chloé felt her heart stop. 

The photo looked back at her with an all familiar scene. 

A scene only Queen Bee and two others should only be able to see. 

Looking back at her, her favorite view of Paris was staring back at her. 

Paris at its most gorgeous view, from on top of the Eiffel Tower once the sun has set and the moon rises, stars that peppered the night sky. 

Chloé didn’t know how long she had been staring at the photo until Pollen poked her forehead. 

“My Queen! There you are! You had me worried sick when I noticed you weren’t behind me!” Pollen cried, hugging Chloe.

“Sorry about that. Got a bit distracted.” Chloe patted Pollen’s head, assuring her that she had meant what she had said. “We should probably head back. We got a long day ahead of us and we’re going to need our beauty sleep if we want to survive tonight’s gala.”

Smiling, Pollen agreed, Chloe placing the photo on the dresser before closing the door behind her, never noticing the pair of eyes that caught her leaving the room.

---

Chloe huffed as she tucked a loose hair strand behind her ear, regretting putting her hair into a messy low bun. Despite her bangs being in place, having the rest of her hair in a mess was ridiculous!

Then again, she wanted it this way, the only way she could think of wearing her hair tonight. After all, it paired decently with her black pantsuit. 

She couldn’t help but fall in love with the way the pantsuit fit snuggly, how she didn’t have to bother with worrying if she'd trip over the hem of a skirt or get it caught somewhere.

Now she got why her mother loved wearing these things.

Of course, her mother also wore a large sun hat no matter where she went, but Chloe wouldn’t dare wear such a hideous thing.

To think her mother called herself a designer and fashionista. 

Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!

“Chloe, Earth to Chloe.” Adrien whispered, Chloe looking at him from the corner of her eye.

“I know, I know.” Latching on Adrien’s arm, she plastered a smug smile on her face as she watched a few girls walk back from where they had come from. “To think this is the only reason why you want me around.”

“It’s not like that!” Adrien squeaked, pulling Chloe towards the punch bar. 

Chloe looked at the suit he was wearing, pursing her lips as she grabbed his jacket’s cuff. 

“M. Pennyworth wasn’t kidding when he said he was a jack of all trades. His embroidery is impeccable! And to think he did this in one afternoon.” Chloe couldn’t believe the detail on the golden design, how it was sewn so elegantly onto the black suit. It was just as professional as the design on her belt, just as precise as well.

A matching set.

Chloe let go of the cuff, holding her head high as they passed by a group of older teens.

“I feel bad for making him do it, but after considering what you had told me this morning, I knew I had to get it done.”

To prevent from other families trying to impose their children onto Adrien or Chloé, the two thought of making their wardrobe to match, to give the impression that the two were already an item with each other.

So far it was working, even though a few people didn’t buy it.

“There you two are. So, are you guys enjoying the gala?” Dick managed to snap the two of them from their french conversation.

“Dick!” Adrien said with a grin. “To be honest, it's kind of draining. Never had to run from so many adults wanting to introduce their daughters to me.”

“You’re telling me.” Dick said with a chuckle, cringing at the many times he had to talk to older adults who had once sneered at him when he was young. But upon hearing that he was to inherit all of Bruce’s wealth, they all tried to get into his good graces.

As if he would. Plus, love wasn’t in his mind at the moment.

Burrowing those unpleasant thoughts to the back of his head, Dick noticed a pair approaching them. “Chloe, Adrien. I would like to introduce you to my father, Bruce Wayne.” He gestured behind them before leaving the teens with the adults.

Turning around, Adrien and Chloe were faced with tonight’s host, Selina pressed snuggly against his arm.

“Good evening, Adrien. Chloe. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the two of you.” Bruce smiled at them, Adrien having to tilt his head back a bit. Chloe now understood why all the ladies of Gotham fell for him. “Care to join us for a drink?”

---

Tim watched as Amira’s friends stirred up a conversation with Bruce, the two blonds chatting as if they had known Selina for years.

“Shouldn’t you be there?” Tim jumped when he heard Barbara talking from behind him, almost falling out of the computer chair he was in. “Careful there! Wouldn’t want to give Dick a reason to scold you for being down here without one of us with you.”

“I could say the same to you. I thought you wanted to know more about the two Parisians.”

“Touche.” A silence fell between the two. “Come on, Tim. Bruce is going to come looking for us if we don’t hurry and make an appearance.”

Huffing, Tim straightened out his tuxedo and followed Babs out of the Cave, dreading tonight’s events.

On one hand, he had yet to tell Bruce and Alfred of what he saw last night. What would they say when he tells them of one of the Wayne secrets being exposed? On the other hand, he had to deal with seeing something he never thought Bruce was capable of doing.

How did Dick let him do this?

---

Adrien and Chloe were grinning from ear to ear as they listened to Selina’s retelling on how she beat Bruce in poker during their first date when Bruce’s attention was drawn to something across the hall. 

Selina managed to see what caused Bruce to become distracted, noticing that Adrien and Chloe also caught onto Bruce being signaled by Dick from across the hall.

“Seems like it’s almost time for the speech.” Bruce muttered, turning back to the two teens. “It’s been nice talking with the two of you. I hope to speak with you two soon.”

“Pleasure was ours,  monsieur .” Adrien said with a curt and a grin. 

“It was a pleasure meeting you and getting to talk to you. I can’t wait to rub it into my mother’s face the next time she calls. To think she has yet to talk to you while I have.” Chloe puffed out her chest as she took a sip of her drink, Selina laughing at her words.

“Please tell me how that goes. Can’t wait to hear how she reacts to that.” Selina said, giving her a piece of paper.

“I promise I will.” Chloe said, giving the woman a grin as she accepted the paper and stuffed it into her pockets. 

With that, Bruce and Selina walked away from the two teens, Chloe and Adrien watching as they were left alone for possibly the rest of the night.

They watched as they waved as they passed by people before seeing Bruce become a bit grim when he got to Dick.

Seeing Bruce’s face didn’t sit well with Chloe, taking a sip of champagne as she watched the Waynes walk together to the front of the hall.

Just what were they hiding? Did it have to do with the kids in the photos she saw last night?

Noticing that she was out of champagne, she turned to Adrien.

“Adrien, fetch me some more? I feel like I’m going to need it.”

---

“Are you sure you want to do this, Bruce?” Selina asked, giving his arm a squeeze as he got hold of a mic.

“Selina. He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.” Bruce tried to reason, but knew fully well that she had already seen through him. “Jason and I had prepared for this for months. What would he think if I couldn’t go through with our promise now that he was gone?”

Selina caressed Bruce’s cheek before pecking his lips.

“Just remember, if you need a breather or if you feel like you need a minute to compose yourself, I’m here.” Smiling, Bruce turned his attention back to the guests and turned on the mic. 

Taping on it, the sound gathered the attention of everyone in the room, Bruce possibly regretting doing this despite how much it hurt him to do so.

He watched as Dick soon left his side and walked right out the hall, watching as Barbara tried to bring him back in, only to fail. 

She looked at him with concerned eyes, only then noticing that Tim was looking at him with worry in his eyes.

Bracing himself for what was to come, Bruce plastered on a smile he hoped his guests couldn’t see through. 

“Good evening everyone. I do hope you are all enjoying yourselves. My name is Bruce Wayne -for those of you who don’t know me already- and this is my lovely fiance Selina Kyle. Yes, I’m sorry to disappoint, but as rumors already have it, I am to get married sometime next year.”

A series of mixed chuckles, cheering and sobs filled the room as Bruce awkwardly stood there.

“Putting that aside, I welcome you all to this year’s Wayne Gala.”

---

Adrien listened as Bruce continued to talk, growing a tad bored of the man’s roundabouts about the improvements on Gotham and the different charities the gala once was known for.

He was starting to sound just like the many people he had met during those stupid parties he was dragged to with his father. Hosts who would go on and on about their achievements and brag about their wealth.

Just your ordinary asshole.

But as Bruce started to transition to his next point, Adrien picked on the odd tone lining his words. His words were coated in guilt, sorrow...and love.

“This year, my son Jason and I decided to start a new foundation, the Catherine Todd Foundation. Now, as most of you have noticed, he’s not here. While tonight is not a school night, he does have other things to attend to tomorrow, so I made him turn in early today. You should’ve seen the pout on his face when I told him it was past his bedtime.”

The crowd laughed.

“Of course,” Selina picked up. “Just because he isn’t here to say it himself, doesn’t mean he can’t tell you all what this foundation means to him.”

Murmuring filled the room, Adrien picking up a new champagne glass for Chloe and turned to got back to her, only to freeze in place.

A screen protector had been lowered and there, on the screen was the boy he had seen yesterday.

“The boy from the photo.” Adrien muttered to himself, only then remembering that this boy was also in the family portrait he saw when he first arrived at the manor.

This boy...he is a Wayne...his name is Jason…

Jason Wayne...Bruce’s son…

Adrien listened as Jason greeted and thanked everyone who was able to make it to the gala. He went on how he had planned this foundation with Bruce, what the foundation would do. How the foundation who help to create safe shelters for the kids that lived in the slums, help create rehabilitation centers for those with addictions and more notably, create resources for those enduring domestic violence.

 Adrien listened as Jason went on a tangent on how these were the things he didn’t want any other person to have to go through, just like how his mother did.

 In honor of his mother who raised him and had to fight through poverty, addiction and abuse, Jason named the foundation after her.

To pay homage to the woman who he loved the most and allowed him to make it this far in life.

The video then ended with Jason thanking everyone again, the hall erupting into a large sound of applause, Adrien hearing a few sniffles here and there.

He didn’t know how, but he somehow found himself back at Chloe’s side.

“ I think I need some fresh air.”

---

Chloe wandered around the hall, exiting it and turned a corner, slumping against the wall.

“It was the same boy as the photos.” Chloe told herself, placing her head on her knees. 

The same one, there was no denying it. But the video felt off.

Looking at the half empty champagne glass in her hand, she chugged it down, tilting her head back to drink the last drop.

Something was wrong, and Chloe knew it. Despite Bruce telling everyone else that he was sent to bed early, she had yet to meet the boy.

She’s been here for two days and she had never seen him around the manor at all. 

Just what was going-

“What were you idiots thinking!” Chloe heard someone whisper yell, Chloe deciding to stay where she was, placing her head against her knees.

“Babs,” she heard the other say. So the first voice belonged to Babs. “Bruce said this was the only way-”

“Was Dick on board with this?” Babs asked, letting out a heavy sigh when Chloe assumed he nodded. “Tim...what the hell?”

“Listen, I wasn’t the one who-”

“I don’t care about who suggested it and who gave it a green light. I’m worried about Amira. What is she going to say when she finds out-”

Amira? Who’s Amira?

“Amira? She’s who you’re worried about?” 

“Tim, Bruce pulling a stunt like this isn’t going to sit well with her, especially not after the last time they talked.”

“What if she doesn’t find out? What if we don’t tell her? After all, she lives across-”

“Did you forget what happened last time? Just because she lives in Paris now doesn’t mean she won’t find out. She will and when she does...who knows what’s going to happen.”

“Babs, you’re-”

“I’m not over thinking this Tim because I know what might happen and that’s what is scarring me... What if she starts to hate us even more because of this? What then? Will she ever accept and forgive us? Tim...I can’t bear with this...I can’t.”

Chloe heard the woman’s voice crack, a few sniffles as well.

“I miss the days where the two of us got to share recipes, small stories of our father’s getting along, the days where Amira was able to be herself again, to be the child she was meant to be.”

I miss the days where Dick didn’t have a smile plastered to his face every damn second of the day. I miss the days where he let himself get angry, to become upset and frustrated without having to hide in an empty classroom.”

“Babs...I-”

“Is that too much to ask for? Is it too much to ask to get my two friends back? Is it, Tim? Is it?”

Chloe listened as the silence became unbearable with each second that passed.

“Barbara, you should know better than to wish for that. We can’t control something that we have nothing to do with.”

“But we can do-”

“If we do anything, we’ll make things worse. Or did you forget what happened a month ago?”

Babs went quiet. “Remember how she reacted when she saw us? How she  ran  when you called her by her alter ego? Do you really think we should be interfering with the Waynes’ family matters when we don’t have a spec of her trust?”

 Tim huffed. “I know you just want to make things right with her, but I suggest you wait until things get better before things turn out as bad as it did with the Justice League when they lost her respect.”

The Justice League?

“Wait, you know what happened between them and-”

“Of course I do. Did you really think Bruce’s passwords would prevent me from trying to find out what’s behind it?” Tim asked offendedly. “ Anyways, as for what happened, they thought it was a good idea to kidnap her before attempting to recruit her. They almost got her to join them until she found out they just wanted to keep an eye on her. Wasn’t onboard with them viewing her as an unfortunate child dealt with the burden of protecting Paris.”

Chloe froze.

Protecting Paris?

 “Wait, you’re rich?” Bee screeched out, looking at Chat for back up. “I mean, that would explain the burner phones, the equipment at the- you have the money to buy out an entire floor!”

“Yes Bee. I’m rich, although it’s my father who’s rich and was stupid enough to forget to take away my black card.”

 There was no way… but… didn’t the day she become Queen Bee...

“So that’s how they got banned from Paris.” Barbara muttered. “Does-”

“He does and wasn’t happy to know they did that to her. He-”

“So here’s where you two are!” Dick scolded. “Selina and Bruce have been looking for you two! 

“Sorry about-”

“There’s no time! Bruce needs you two to help look for Jagged Stone! He’s the opening act and you two-”

Chloe listened as the trio’s voices trailed away, Chloe lifting her head until it hit the wall behind her.

“So this is where you have been.” Chloe watched as Adrien crouched in front of her. “Come on Chlo! Jagged is about to-”

“I’m not feeling so well Adrien.”  Chloe whispered, slamming her head into her knees. “I think I drank too much.”

Helping her get up, Adrien didn’t question Chloe any further. Her face had said it all. Something went down and she needed more than fresh air to clear it out of her mind.

“I’ll make sure to tell Alfred of our early retirement. I just hope M.Wayne doesn’t feel offended by you being a total light-weight.”

“Oh shut it! You know damn well I resisted drinking too much because we’re considered underage to drink in America!”

---

The gala was a success, or so that’s what Dick told Adrien when the two literally crashed into each other when Adrien had walked into the kitchen that morning.

He also thanked Adrien for his father’s donation and to relay the thanks to Chloe as well. 

“Who gave the larger donation?”

“Bourgeois.” Dick said, grinning into his milkshake when Adrien let out a grin. “I’m guessing your parents are always trying to outshine the other?”

“Since they knew each other on the field.” Adrien had answered back before Dick had to leave for school.

On his own -since Chloe insisted on wanting more sleep- Adrien wandered through the manor’s gardens, roaming around and taking in the serene ambiance. 

After an hour of wandering through the shrubs and rose garden, Adrien stumbled upon a secluded gazebo covered in vines and daisies. 

As Adrien stepped onto in, the floorboards thanked him in the form of creaks and squeaks. A table and a pair of cushions that matched the ones in the library greeted him, Adrien noticing some greater wear in the black one than the other.

Was the tri-color one more recent then?

“So you found the old gazebo.” Alfred spoke up, Adrien having a heart attack from the elder’s words.

“M. Pennyworth, how long have you been there?”

“Just a few moments. I actually came here to air out the place.” Adrien let Alfred do what he said he had come for, watching him slowly and gently clean the dirt and dust off the table. Alfred gently beat the cushions a bit before carefully setting them back down in the same spot there were. 

“M.Pennyworth.” Adrien dared to speak up, feeling awkward being in the gazebo with Alfred. Something told him he should’ve left the moment Alfred had arrived. Watching him cleaning the place felt like it was something sacred for Alfred and Adrien didn’t know why. “This gazebo...it’s very important to you, isn’t it?”

The trees swayed in the wind as Adrien waited for Alfred’s answer.

“Yes. Yes it is.” Alfred stared at the cushions he had finished cleaning. “This was Master Jason’s and his sister’s favorite place to study whenever the day let them be outside.”

“His sister?” 

“Amira is her name. A sweet child she is, though it pains me to not be able to see her again.”

“Not see her? But she is Jason’s sister, so didn’t M.Bruce-”

“M. Bruce only adopted Master Jason. Miss Amira didn’t have the same luck as Master Jason you see. Another couple took her in and took her elsewhere after…” Alfred trailed, Adrien noticing the elder man stare at the tri-colored cushion with sorrow, the same way Adrien’s father’s eyes would look when he broke to him about the news concerning his mother.

“Please M.Pennyworth, you don’t have to tell me anything. Forget-”

“Even though it pains me to remember Master Jason, this is part of the healing process. This is part of my healing process of my grandson’s death.”

Adrien stared at Alfred with wide eyes.

“Jason...is dead?”

“Master Jason… he died in a villain incident almost a year ago.”

“But hold on a second. Wasn’t that video from last night-”

“Pre-recorded.” Alfred cut off. “Master Bruce insisted on doing that last night despite my being against it. Should Amira find out about it, it would be sure to-”

“Amira? As in...his sister?”

“And best friend.” Alfred added. “Those two were inseparable. Attached to the hip. Even after the two were taken in by different families, the two went to the same school and stayed together. But when Jason died, her parents took her with them to open up their business in Paris. To start anew and let Amira recover from his death.”

Adrien watched as the daisies swayed in the wind, watching as they continued to flourish despite the harsh fall winds.

“Well, look at the time,” Alfred said as he took out his pocket watch. “I have to start prepping on tonight’s dinner. If memory still serves me correctly, we have a few more guests tonight. Until dinner, Master Adrien.”

Alfred left Adrien to ponder in the gazebo, hoping that the boy was able to catch onto the hints he left for him.

“Continue being a friend for my granddaughter Master Adrien. I trust that you and Miss Chloe help to bring her back from the abyss of despair.”

It’s been three days since Bee’s and Chat’s departure. Tomorrow, they were coming back, but Ladybird told them to take the day off. No matter what happened tomorrow, they weren’t to make an appearance until the day after.

“So, is this goodbye?” Carapace asked Ladybird, watching as she huffed.

It was finally Carapace and Gris’ last night of patrol, Carapace wondering if this truly was the last one.

He had grown fond of his new role, even if it was for only four nights.

But he knew better than to try and ask Ladybird to let him keep his miraculous. After all, Chat Noir and Queen Bee were to return two nights from now. 

“Who ever said I wouldn’t need your help in the future?” Ladybird said with a smile, Carapace grinning at that. “After all, the end of Hawkmoth’s terror is growing near.”

At that, Carapace’s grin fell as did Ladybird’s. What irony.

“The final fight…” Gris muttered, looking at the tranquil Parisian night. “I wonder what awaits us when that day happens.”

The trio looked out into the distance, wondering what the future held for each of them.

For Ladybird, she hopes it brings closure.

NEXT

[avis-writeshq]

Damian Wayne x Reader: Bully Part 3

Thank you @strawbeari2 and anon for requesting! This series is going quite a long way >.<… this is probably gonna be the longest and the last part! Oh, I forgot to mention, this is also the first fic of the Christmas in July series. I haven’t gotten the prompt list out yet, but feel free to request something with that theme! xoxo

 Requested: Yes

Warnings: crap writing… and a lot of fluff *cough*

Pairing: Damian Wayne x Fem!Reader

Word count: 2,664

 Things you probably wanna know, for all you ‘x reader’ illiterates:

(Y/N): Your Name

(H/C): Hair Colour / Color

(E/C): Eye Colour / Color

(B/F/N): Best Friend’s Name

***

“I didn’t know you were into art,” you said as you walked around the art gallery. Each painting either had a strange burst of colour or was black and white in a depressing way. Maybe that’s why Damian liked art so much…

“It’s a way to express my… non-existent feelings,” Damian shrugged in a poor attempt to make a joke. To his surprise, you let out a giggle.

“Was that supposed to be a joke?”

“Perhaps.”

You let out a laugh, covering your mouth when a man gave you an irritated look. “What’s gotten into you today? Calling me nicknames, taking me to an art gallery, telling jokes… are you sure you’re not sick, Dami?”

“Why would I be sick?” He raised an eyebrow. “I am me, aren’t I?”

“Yeah… but you’ve never really seemed to enjoy talking to me,” you shrugged, offering a slanted smile. “I didn’t think we were friends.”

Damian could feel the guilt beginning to eat the insides of him. It was true; he didn’t want to enjoy the way you spent time with him. But you slowly began to grow on him. “Why wouldn’t we be friends?”

You looked up at him, biting your lip. “You’re right. It’s silly. Hey, why don’t we go check out the Christmas art edition?”

“Of course,” Damian nodded, gently holding onto your wrist. “Let’s go.”

***

Ever since the incident with the bullies 3 years ago, Damian promised himself that he was never going to go to his brothers for help. That was definitely a promise he could get behind… or so he thought. Truthfully, Damian had no idea about love or what a ‘crush’ even was. But there was no way he was going to be able to talk about it without another finding out. So, he decided to ask them all at the same time.

It was a peaceful evening at Wayne Manor, and for once they were all present for Christmas break. Well, Dick was in another room playing with Batcow. They sat at the dining table, all talking heartily amongst themselves. Well, Jason was on his phone while Tim and Bruce talked about statistics and whatnot. Just as Alfred was about to hand out the entrees, Damian decided to speak.

“How do you know if you’re in love?”

Silence. The whole room was filled with silence. They all gaped at him like he had two heads while Damian just raised an eyebrow at them. It was only when there was a loud ‘crash’ from the room Dick was in and a huge, “WHAT?!” did they start to freak out.

Dick came running from the next room, holding onto Damian’s shoulders while shaking him rapidly. “YOU’RE IN LOVE?!”

Damian scoffed, pulling away from his older brother’s grasp. “Who knows? Clearly not you, Grayson, considering the mountain of girls you brought home over the years. I don’t expect you to know.”

The older man pouted, shooting a glare at him. “I have fallen in love before…”

“Damian, what brought this along?” His father prompted, taking a sip from his wine. “Is everything okay at school?”

The green-eyed boy shrugged. “School is fine, Father. It was merely a question that I would like to be addressed. Surely you have felt it with Selina Kyle. Or Drake with Stephanie.”

“Well, Stephanie and I are definitely in the ‘in love’ stage by now,” Tim snickered from behind his hand. “But how do you know? I guess you just… feel it.”

Oh, Damian definitely felt it. Every single time you walked into the room, it felt as if his heart skipped a beat. And your smile? Dear god, he needed help. You were one of the most amazing things he has ever encountered. You were persistent, and it almost annoyed him in a weirdly adorable way.

“I’ve never been in love,” Jason boasted, a proud smirk on his face.

“Oh, really? What about Ari?” Dick raised an eyebrow, a teasing tone in his voice.

The gun enthusiast scowled, scooping pumpkin soup from his bowl.

“Right…” Damian said slowly. “Well, if I may be excused, I’m going to train.”

“You haven’t finished dinner yet,” Bruce pointed out, putting down his napkin. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine.” And with that, Damian left the dining room.

“Yeah, he’s totally in love,” Tim said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“But with who?”

***

The following weekend, Damian invited you over to the manor. Dick had just come back to Gotham a few days prior, and you definitely wanted to see the whole Wayne family in one go. You clearly didn’t know about their ‘nightly activities’, and Damian was perfectly fine with it. After all, there was no way he could risk your safety.

“How many times have I been to your mansion again?” You giggled, rolling your eyes as Damian listed off possible things that could happen during your stay.

“Too many to count,” he sighed, grip tightening on the bag of presents you brought. “But you know what they’re like when they’re all together.”

“Yeah, I do not want to re-live that,” you said, faking a shudder.

Last year when the whole family was back together, you decided to visit them during the Easter Holidays. Jason had come back from his holiday in Arizona (truthfully, it was nothing close to a holiday) and Dick was visiting from Bludhaven. It was the first time you’ve seen them all together, and it was much livelier than you expected. They all practically trampled you before you could even take a step into the household, and you were sure Tim was scared for life when he accidentally walked into the bathroom when you were doing your business. At least now you were slightly more prepared to see them all. Always bring three extra locks to the bathroom.

“Just be prepared, okay, (N/N)?” He sighed.

“When have I not?” A smirk played at your lips as you looked up at him innocently.

It was getting colder and colder, so you were relieved when you finally saw the familiar evergreen trees that were in front of Wayne Manor. Quickening your pace, you arrived at their doorstep, Damian right behind you. Pressing on the doorbell, you waited. It wasn’t even 5 seconds later when there was a loud ‘screech!’ and a loud crash. You were sure you heard Mr. Pennyworth let out a yowl as well.

“(Y/N)! We were… expecting someone else!” Jason said in a very straightforward way.

You raised an eyebrow, turning to Damian whose cheeks became very pink. And you weren’t sure if it was from the cold. “As much as I am curious to know who you were expecting, can you please let me inside? I have presents, and unless you want to miss out on them, I suggest stepping to the side.”

Almost immediately, all 3 of them took a step to the left and formed a straight line. “You’re the only one who can get them to do that,” Damian said, eyes glistening in admiration. “I’ll take your bags upstairs if you would like.”

“I can take them up,” you said softly. “But I am definitely taking the presents. Strangely enough, I don’t trust you.”

“That wounds me, (N/N),” the boy said, rolling his eyes and placing a hand on his heart.

You let out a laugh, poking him on the nose before snatching the plastic bag out of his hands. “Au revoir, humans!” You yelled, before climbing up the stairs, Damian watching you go.

Meanwhile, Tim, Jason, and Dick were watching your interactions, sly smirks growing on their faces. Tim was the first to speak up, “Oh, I see it now. You’re in love with (Y/N).”

Damian scoffed at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “TT, you really do surprise me with your idiocy, Drake. I assure you, (Y/N) and I are just friends.”

“So why do you call her (N/N)?” Dick asked cheekily.

“And why did you offer to take her bags?” Jason smirked.

“I thought you wanted me to have a better connection with (L/N),” Damian grumbled. “There’s just no pleasing you.”

 Later that night, you were seated in the dining room of Wayne Manor. From the corner of your eye, you saw Tim whisper something to Bruce who nodded. “Apologies, (Y/N), but we must leave for the night. There’s been an emergency at Wayne Enterprises.”

You frowned at these words. “On Christmas Week?”

“Unfortunately,” Jason said with mock sympathy. “We’ll be back before you know it, kid. Besides, Damian will be there.”

At that, the said boy almost dropped his fork, shooting a not-so-subtle glare at his older brother. “Of course I will be.”

“Oh…” you nodded in understanding, “well, have fun!”

 Before long, you and Damian agreed to watch a movie after he took a shower and got everything ready. While you waited, you scrolled through the news on your laptop. So far, nothing was interesting until your gaze fell at one particular article. ‘Batman and his Associates Spotted While Fighting Poison Ivy’. Curiosity overtook you and you scanned through the article.

‘At 7:48 on the 21st of December, Batman and his associates, Red Robin, Red Hood, and Nightwing were spotted fighting the famed villain Poison Ivy’. You furrowed your eyebrows as you read the first sentence. 7:48 at night? That was 10 minutes after Bruce and the others excused themselves this evening. And, hold on a minute, Nightwing was meant to be in Bludhaven, not Gotham. So what was he doing here? And where in tarnation was Robin, the vigilante who saved you months prior?

A salty feeling was left in your mouth. There was no way Bruce Wayne could be Batman, could there? And, if he was Batman, that meant Dick was Nightwing, Red Robin was Tim and Red Hood was Jason. But that meant… a chill ran down your spine. Damian, your Damian, was Robin? The vigilante known for fighting and putting himself in danger? No, that was impossible! Or… was it?

Your stomach lurched at the thought. Wait. You had to find some solid proof that they were the masked vigilantes everyone knew and (probably?) loved. The most questionable thing was: where was the Bat Cave? In their basement? You snickered at the thought. No, that was a little out of the ordinary. You would have seen it at some point. Unless…

Out of all the books in Bruce’s study, there was only one that didn’t have any dust on it. Curiously, you pulled the book towards you and in almost an instant, the wall opened up. You gaped at the hole in the wall, looking around to see if Damian was anywhere. He didn’t seem to be following you… using the flash on your phone as a torch, you slowly walked down the stairs. When your feet met even ground, you were met with a swarm of bats. Waving your arms around like a mad man, you ran around the bat cave multiple times, only to run into a very tall sturdy thing. Oh, wait. This isn’t good.

“What are you doing here?” Damian asked, looking down on you. You flinched. Now you were definitely scared.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were Robin?” Your voice was nothing but a mere whisper and you could hear the blood pounding in your ears.

“How did you find out?”

“I connected the dots,” you said coldly, regretting it almost instantly, “I know that Tim is Red Robin, Jay is Red Hood and Dick is Nightwing. And I know that Bruce is Batman.”

Damian shut his eyes tightly, wishing that this was all a bad dream. “You weren’t supposed to know.”

“Why not?” You countered, frowning at him. “I would have found out sooner or later. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to keep you safe.” The way he said it… your heart thundered in your chest as you looked up at his emerald green eyes. “I didn’t want to make you into a target.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” you muttered before letting out a dry laugh. “How do you think I feel? You’re the one running around putting yourself in danger.”

“I didn’t want you to worry about me, (N/N). You’re always putting people in front of yourself and it scares me sometimes.” His mind wandered back to the time he saved you, and from the look in your eyes, he could tell that you were, too.

“Well, you do that too, don’t you?” You gave a lopsided smile. “I’m sorry.”

“For finding out?” Damian shook his head, “don’t be. Now, come on, I prepared your favourite movie.”

“The Nutcracker?” You giggled. “I thought you forgot.”

“I never forget.” He offered you a hand which you gratefully took.

“Damian,” you said softly, looking up at him, “why do you care so much?”

Why did he care so much? “Because… because you didn’t give up on me.”

You smiled up at him, squeezing his hand a little tighter as you walked up the stairs from the Bat Cave. “I’ll never give up on you, Dami. You mean too much to me.”

“Likewise, (N/N).”

The movie soon became forgotten as you sat cross-legged on the couch, Damian sitting lazily in front of you. He was telling you about the latest heist at the harbour, when Bruce, Tim, Dick and Jason walked casually into the room.

“Hey, guys,” you said from the couch, pulling your attention from Damian for a few moments. “How was the mission?”

“Oh, it was good- wait, you knew?!” Dick gaped at you. “Damian, did you tell her?”

At that, the said boy let out a scoff. “You have no faith in me, Grayson. Of course, I didn’t tell her. She figured it out herself.”

You grinned in triumph at them, letting out a guffaw at their bemused faces. “I’m not that stupid, you know.”

“Right…” Jason eyes you wearily while Bruce was still wondering if he should scold you or congratulate you for the find. “I’m just going to pretend this never happened and leave…”

“For once, I’m going to agree with you,” Tim said, following him out the room.

You shrugged before turning back to Damian. “So, what happened to Two-Face?”

“He’s still in the Asylum, obviously. He’s going mad there, I presume.”

“Wait… I never got to ask.” At this point, Bruce had left the room in search of Alfred. “If you’re Bruce’s biological son, who’s your mother?”

The green eyed boy stiffened, shifting uncomfortably.

Your eyes widened in realisation. “Oh, I didn’t mean to pry…”

“No, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting the question,” Damian dismissed. “My mother is Talia Al Ghul, a leader in the League of Assassins. I was born from an artificial womb and trained to kill innocent people.” At that, he cringed. “It’s a lot worse than it sounds. When Father took me in, he taught me his customs. He taught me not to kill. But I don’t think he was the real reason I stopped.”

You frowned at him, cocking your head to the side. “Then who is?”

“You,” Damian admitted truthfully. “You never gave up on me and you were… pure.”

You let out a small chuckle, rolling your eyes. “I’m not that pure, Dami.”

The two of you were sitting closer together, and you never noticed how… beautiful Damian’s eyes were. They were an enticing shade of emerald green with soft blue accents. You bit your lip at each thought that popped through your head after.

“(Y/N)…”  Damian’s voice was a whisper and his soft minty breath fanned your face. “I think I’m in love with you.”

You smiled at him, (E/C) eyes twinkling. “I love you too.”

“May I kiss you?”

In your response, you hesitantly pressed your lips against his, smiling as you did.

In that moment, Damian learned what it really meant to love. And he vowed to himself that he was never going to let anything happen to you. Never.

//End//

Part 1 here Part 2 here

//Tag List//

If you want to be tagged, shoot me a message! <3

@nana-akishima @strawbeari2 @ it-is-burnt-sienna @dest-ai-ni (idk why these tags aren’t working ;-;)

[gobydana]

Amazing Quotes from the comics

Below are some of my favorite quotes from each person. Sorry this list is long. 

Bruce Wayne/Batman

- Death is powerless against you if you leave a legacy of good behind. Death is powerless against you if you do your job. My father saved the lives of over four thousand people, one at a time... with his bare hands and his mind. Death was with him the entire time.

-  Clark, I'm sure anywhere you go in the universe, you'll find stupid people.

-  You don't know how I question myself and everything I've become. The right of it. The wrong of it. Not allowing myself any reward for the good. Damning myself for every mistake. Thinking of everyone who's sacrificed themselves in my war. Everyone close to me. Everyone who cared.

- Our greatest glory is not in ever falling, but in rising every time we fall.

-  Sometimes it’s only madness that makes us what we are.

Selina Kyle/Catwoman

- Live fast. Love hard. Die young. Leave a good-smelling corpse.

-  A long time ago, before I put on this mask, I was afraid of everything

-  "Your ex-lover, a murderous psychopath who has repeatedly made our lives a living hell, nearly burns my new home to the ground and all you can say is 'gross'?!

-  Show a man what he expects to see, and he won't look beneath the surface.

Alfred Pennyworth

-  I fear sometimes, dear boy, that if you don't give this up, you'll have nothing. You can't have darkness and light at the same time, Master Bruce..

-  Everyone has a vulnerability

-  Hnn. At least when Master Richard snuck out, he had the decency to construct a pillow dummy.

-  Pirate Stories-why did I love them as a boy? Because at heart they're about children who rebel against their parents to create new lives for themselves. They're stories of defiance. But the trick is, when you look at them as a parent, you see, they're actually written as cautionary tales. The child comes home in the end, just before doom strikes the ship. But in this tale, Bruce, the one I've helped make for you, Batman...I worry it has gone on too long...that I've kept it going with you long past it's natural end. That's what I was screaming about when you were on the wrecked submarine. Not the ways you've failed me but the ways I may have failed you.

Kate Kane/Batwoman

-  You coming? Or do I have to smash this bitch in the teeth all by myself?

-  You think I'm afraid of you? Any of you? You gave me a bulletproof suit, you morons! What can you do to stop me?

-  You will never get these years with her back, and a daughter needs her mom. I know I did. And I would've done anything to have more time with her. I can't be the reason for doing that to another kid. I can't

- So there is someone new in town ... Who the hell wears white?

Luke Fox/Batwing

-  I really should lead with the knockout gas instead of conversation.

-  You're leading me around through this nightmare like it's business as usual. Like I'm supposed to accept the supernatural. I accept it, okay? And now I'm going to kick its ass!

-  This night sucks. And now I have no choice but to run and hide because "Mary Psycho Poppins" just handed me my ass.

Dick Grayson/Nightwing (including his time as robin)

-  With you guys, it seems like I'm hot stuff … a know-it-all … but I've been back with The Batman again, and next to him I feel like I'm a stupid kid repeating fifth grade … for the third time.

-  Try to understand our position here, Batman. You began training to be a hero as a young adult. For me and a lot of the other Titans -- like Vic -- that training shaped and influenced most of our childhood. Unlike the JLA, the Titans aren't just about a promise to the world -- it's also about a promise to each other … to ourselves. We swore on our childhood nightmares that we'd be there for one another. If I don't honor that I don't honor who I am.

-  Sometimes I'm surprised I can even stand on a high ledge after what happened to the Flying Graysons. Boss Zucco could have sabatoged Haly's Circus any number of ways to drive down business and get his protection money. Instead he gave the crowd that night a show they'll never forget. I know I won't. When my mom and dad died, attendance actually went up.

-  Okay Mom and Dad, your 'Flying Grayson' is about to take the great leap. Or as they say in French, Le Grand Saut. Down, down, and away. I'd say I wish you could see me now, but I know you're watching me - I can feel angels on my shoulders. And probably a bat too. You said some records aren't meant to be broken, Bruce. But more than anything, I wish you were down there right now watching with Alfred and Tim as I break this one.

-  I had a good teacher, except for the interpersonal skills and the ability to work with others. That was me.

Barbara Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle

- A little over a year has passed since my old life ended, since I died and was reborn. The shadows remain, but only to give contrast to the light. I am no longer a distaff impersonation of someone else — I’m me, more me than I have ever been. I embrace it, and the light, with a deep, continuing joy.

-  Gotham should be safe again. Well, until the next thing. There’s always another thing

-  Wait for a hero? Barbara Joan Gordon -- Be your own damn hero

-  I'll wake up, learn from my mistakes and ultimately win the fight. I always do.

Jason Todd (including his time as robin)

-  I'll be damned if my best friend is going to die ... because he was dumb enough to trust me

-  Someone tell me I'm not having a heart-to-heart with a reanimated assassin

-  Trust? You...? I'll... give it a try, guys. But I'll tell you right now... I'm probably going to screw it up.

-  I'm sorry, I'm never going to be the hero you want me to be. I have every confidence in you--that you'll stay the hero I know you are

Tim Drake/Red Robin (including his time as robin)

-  The weight of the future... all of our futures... it just presses on me sometimes. And lately, it's been crushing, and I've been too afraid to ask for help. But I need to, Bruce. So this is me, asking for help.

-  It’s not smart to blackmail the wrong people

- That’s what we are. Not just a team, but a family. One day we might be the Justice League, but for today we’re the Teen Titans. 

-  I had a plan. That plan just went to hell

Stephanie Brown/Spoiler (including her time as batgirl and robin)

-  How come every time I try to do this different than Batman, I end up doing exactly what Batman would do?

-  I am who I choose to be.

-  I just watch two guys stealing TVs run into one another. Sadly, both televisions were lost... On the bright side, they'll each have a friend in jail.

-  Here's the deal, I'm a 'punch first, ask questions later' kinda gal. Him? He's a stabber.

Cassandra Cain/Orphan (including her time as batgirl/black bat)

-  I don't kill. But I don't lose, either.

-  Gotham City. Gotham. City. That just... sounds right. Mailbox. Van. Razor. It's strange how naming... changes things. I've walked these streets... every inch of this city... but I never had the words. I never knew the names. Now... it's like it's all changed. All new. Or maybe... Maybe it's me that's changing.

-  A special ability to predict my opponent's moves. That doesn't begin to describe it. Time... ran together. The future... blending... into the moment. A blink of an eye... the knife thrust that follows... both one. It was like... like I could predict my opponent's moves. Okay, that does describe it. But it doesn't do it justice.

Damian Wayne/Robin

-  Father, I'm sure you'll be angry with me for disobeying you again but I don't care, I will not let you fight Leviathan alone. You need me and I will always be at your side. Because it will be hard for me to say these words face to face, I want you to know that Mother may have givenme life, but you taught me how to live. Love and respect your son Damian

-  I don't want to end up like Ducard... without a moral compass... I don't want to turn into a NoBody... I want to be like you. I've always wanted to be like you.

-  I'm sure you didn't leave your hole tonight thinking you'd get your ass kicked by a ten-year-old!

-  I'm not the one in a ship filled with alien freaks, so how about shutting up and letting me work on keeping you safe, father!

Duke Thomas/Signal

- Someone told me that the problem with youth is the inability to accept your own mortality. I wouldn't consider this one of my problems

-  Sometimes you're wrong. Sometimes there is a place for you at the table. Some mysteries may never be solved by you alone. Sometimes you don't have to prove yourself repeatedly -- because you're confident about your purpose. And sometimes you just have to get to work for everything to work out.

-  not to mention you tire stealing genius, i’m not robin!

-  My career of choice has crazy hours, bad benefits, and doesn't pay. But it's the dream I never knew I always had. Mom, dad... I'm going into the vigilante business. I hope I live to tell you all about it.

Harper Row/Blue bird

-  I want training. Proper training. Tim's great at the tech stuff, but so am I. I want to know how to karate chop someone in the neck so their eyeballs pop out. I want to know the cool stuff.

-  Sometimes all it takes is a few words to change your life. For me it took seven. Seven words, spoken in the dark.

-  And you thought "Oh, Hey, I'm going to just talk to the scariest-looking bastard in the Narrows and see what he thinks"?

-  I never had a choice - but only because this is what I want, more than anything. And I was going to do this. I've told you that, again and again

Jean-Paul Valley/Azreael

-  You aren't asking if I'm okay, Lucas. You are asking if I can fight. I am angrier than I have ever been in my life, and I am sharing my mind with one murderous AI, and another one modeled off the world's most dangerous vigilante. Yes Lucas. I am ready to fight

-  Nomoz...he’s the one who came for me...he’s the one who broke me. For the greater glory of God

Feel free to add onto this list. I would love to know everyone’s favorite quotes. 

[inappropriatefangirlneeds]

Gotham s5ep6 “13 Stitches” Personal Review

“I do hope whatever you came here for was worth your life.”    Warning spoilers below

“Born of Blood” Ah I take back the “boring”, Eduardo got on the program, like not a good or exciting one but the ruthless awful bunch of booted army criminals kinda starts to work for me. * Alfred Pennyworth know the unit by reputation. “They're a horrible bunch of bastards. They specialize in military coups, assassinations. They're certainly not the vanguard for humanitarian relief.”  * I loved that they had BRUCE WAYNE watch that one army guy needlessly mess with the FILES of some cops. Rude! And such a great little detail to establish where we are headed. Bruce testing the waters with asking them about the relief shipment was great to * “I insist” Bruce and Alfred just taking out the army guys nice scene * “What the people desperately need is food and medicine. Not just more guns.” Yes * “Are you insane? You can't just execute people.” “Do not question me.” RESPONSIBILITY Who is responsible for the murder, who is just a tool? Is following orders a good excuse? We continue that topic from 5x5 when Eduardo tells Jim that “It´s not your call, Jim” referring to the “cleaning the house” mission.  “All criminals in Gotham are now under a death sentence” Some Civilians were too, collateral damage is fine and Eduardo claims “ They were an acceptable loss for the mission.” “What mission, damn it?” And most prominent it´s in this line: “She made you her killer.” No, no, Jim. She's the killer. And you have no idea.”   And I´m sure in this tidbit there is also some orders vs responsibility meta: “Your recklessness got people killed.” “I don't know what the hell you're talking about.” “Ramirez? Johnson. Bolton.” “Their deaths were not on me.”  * “This hellhole is infested with criminals and terrorists. Sometimes you just have to clean house, you know?” I feel like there is some meta comparison in there to how Jim Gordon reacted to when NATHANIEL BARNES  arrived at the GCPD. * “Is that a RISK you're willing to take?” The line is about evidence about Walker´s involvement in the Haven destruction and Eduardo want´s to take it.  But it´s also about Selina kicking in the door in an explosive room, it´s her and Oswald somewhat trusting each other, Oswald getting over the weariness of having seen Selina just take a few fingers “Depends. What did they want?”  It´s about Bruce, Fox, Nygma, Kean working together:  TRUST one big thing is working together and once more knowing each other THE CREW and THE CRIMINALS Bruce Wayne worries “Are you sure about including Barbara Kean and Ed Nygma?” and Jim Gordon points out “War makes for strange bedfellows.”

JIM GORDON & EDWARD NYGMA “The thing that I want is revenge” It is Jim believing an Edward that just wanted to kill him a second ago, knowing that them messing with his brain puts value in his words, if not for his claim that he detests the destruction of Haven as much. JIM GORDON & BARBARA KEAN “Can't I just want to help?” “Not you, not usually.” Where does that come from? “What's it gonna take for you to trust me?” “After everything you've done, I honestly don't know.” I do think I need some reminder what Barbara did do? Going after Lee with a knife, I kinda excuse due to the Ogre trauma. Her Theo Galavan involvement  is a low point but after that she actively tried to made amends and caused good. And yeah she´s a criminal but so is Oswald Cobblepot and others and Jim is not as strict with them it seems?  JIM GORDON & LESLIE THOMPKINS I´ll complain about it below but it´s odd that they put Barbara unprompted telling Jim she knows how heavy this is on him vs. Jim telling Lee in her face how heavy this is on him and the next second claiming she knows this because she knows him despite she just got a tiny speed run through the whole situation, and while she also probably has a more pressing issue on mind than Jim´s feelings: her supposed complete memory loss and vulnerability but nooo she´s got to be the caring, understanding, supportive girlfriend? While Barbara gets to be painted the tactless bitch?

OSWALD COBBLEPOT & SELINA KYLE Have a partnership of convenience without it being convenient for any of them. Selina brings up Tabitha and Oswald tells her why he thinks she´d accept this on some level: “Because you believe in an eye for an eye. Hard as it may be to swallow” Does she?  So on the other direction of the line of mutual understanding we have Selina saying she wants the diamond as payment and as ridiculous as this may sound she points out reputation is more important to Oswald than a shiny thing. He agrees! This week they underline all the understanding of each other. Selina figures out there might be more to the diamond than Oswald claims: “You and your stupid revenge. The diamond isn't even worth anything in Gotham anyway. Unless …”  And then Oswald makes a wonderful show of looking the other way, being interested in everything else, trying to distract from the point but Selina says: The diamond is worth something on the mainland. Oswald WANTS TO LEAVE GOTHAM?!? Oswald claim he wants to because it got nothing to offer for him anymore. “Alexander the Great then looked upon his land and wept. For there was nothing left to conquer. I've done all I can in Gotham. Some things twice. There's nothing left for me here anymore.”  Selina wants to leave too:  “I don't want to be the person who killed Jeremiah Valeska. I just want to be myself. And I can't do that in Gotham anymore.” >> I wonder does Oswald really want to leave? The done twice line is a good one because they had him going up and down and all the ways round indeed but leaving Gotham? I totally expected some other grand scheme? Does he really want to leave? >> “All of the thieves I used are dead.” What did Oswald Cobblepot do exactly? What are his plans? It would be pretty anticlimactic if it was just getting money to leave Gotham behind? I mean it’s a good call, a reasonable one, go on do that .. but buuuuuut ...  >> How much is such a diamond worth? If it´s really about leaving Gotham this means he wasn´t after Magpie to protect his reputation (like what would he care if he´s gone) but because of the value of the diamond, and his vault didn´t really look like he would depend on that? Seems there was plenty of wealth, why would he bother? Also if, did he think he could just get out of his deal of giving Selina the diamond as payment for her help? >> If he really wants to it´s good timing. He wanted to leave after Gertrud, now that his revenge is done and over with having killed Tabitha there´s a similar point, soooo there´s that but ehh >> There is also a great PARALLEL with Selina, she too is at a point where she completed revenge. However killing Jeremiah didn´t give her some peace and making it possible for her to move on, it put stress on her life she wants to leave behind >> I wonder why Selina didn´t stay at the Sirens?? They celebrated her, did that just last for a couple of drinks? They even threw in the line about Barbara needing her people to protect her borders, and all those lines about her protecting her people, why couldn´t this include Selina? I mean I get it golden cage and everything, but even if she´s on the street it would help if people would know she was under Barbara´s protection. Also yes, I get it it´s likely not about the people hunting her at all but about how she feels.  Done and over with all that. * Selina kicking in the door of the room because Magpie said anything in the room not the room itself : Honestly if everyone would put that much thought in their words I´m sure things would be tremendously easier for me at times, but experience shows this distinction really probably was just coincidence. Or did I miss any lines before that established that Magpie was more careful with her words than her booooms? /Gotham language/ * Was there yarn in the bowl of Selina Kyle next to her breakfast?   * “resembles a goth chicken” One would think Oswald The Penguin Cobblepot could bond with Magpie just over shared bird aesthetics.  “Tell me, how many ex-fiancés do you have, anyway?” EDUARDO DORRANCE says while talking about Leslie Thompkins. Thing is, he´s also on the list, fandom established that well enough. But with this episode he´s also made it on the “PSEUDOCOBBLEPOT” LIST right next to new Barbara Kean: “It could have been like old times, buddy. You, me, together, making the world a better place.” Like wasn´t this all that Oswald Cobblepot wanted from Jim Gordon in Season 1?! EDUARDO Vs. LEE Sadly, Eduardo is not on top of the Exes list, like Jim looked so lost in the moment of seeing Eduardo with that piece of metal through his chest but the gunshots related to Lee make him snap out of it in an instant. If he had just gotten back to Eduardo, find out about the prison thing, and being caught behind enemy lines Walker wouldn´t have picked him up and got to establish the surely bigger mess that will happen. And I didn´t buy the helpless attitude Lee showed for a second, I wasn´t surprised she shot the guy, but like it´s  probably juuuust because I don´t want her to be that, she went places, she did good, she was a doctor, please don´t reduce her to a scared government tool, not even for half an episode.  * Another Thing about the Exes. Can we retire this Ogre plotline bullshit? We´ve had plenty of that already. How about the next time someone pulls out an Ex of their sleeve the person they try to  manipulate, threaten or hurt is like lmfoa just off them and make it slow they never did the fucking dishes they deserve it. Like it´s not like I´d like that because having a proper mature relationship to Exes es good and great but if this is continually being exploited for this kind of rubbish plotline something´s got to change.    * “Look around. This is all on you.” Another thing to retire for good please is criminals telling Jim it´s his fault. No you did that, take responsibility. Jim didn´t put that couple on the roof Jervis, you did, it´s not his fault hat you set that up no matter how slow or fast he runs. This time it´s about Haven. Jim caring for people is what killed them claims Eduardo. The almost sent in relive, believing having set up Haven means the criminal thing wasn´t that bad. Which means Walker had to get rid of Haven to justify the CriminalsBeExtinct unit. * “I expected more from you, Jim.” Eh I kind of did too. Eduardo called out the theatrics of the chip crumbling right away. But when Eduardo said “Always so emotional, that´s not how wars are won, Jim” I thought, first of all, Eduardo you are wrong, that´s exactly how Jim will win this, but also, you are double wrong because Jim surely has a plan. It can´t just be about seeing the carnage at Haven there´s got to be some strategy in it. But there wasn´t? Did I miss anything? His whole plan was tangle his Ex Eduardo into some banter and get them in a fight, while Lee gets shot in the background, what? * “Put a bullet in my mouth and shut me up” Okay that was hot. “No. Not a bullet. But I am gonna shut your mouth. Once and for all.” “Come try.” Okay, whose fanfiction did they copy there? You can put that dialog right into some smut scene.  * Alvarez is awesome: “We tie our shoelaces together, then we lasso the keys off the desk.” “And then what, Roy Rogers, huh? They surrender in awe? No harebrained scheme is gonna get us out of this.” * “Boom boom, we get it” * “Didn't think you'd miss a couple things. Couple things go missing all the time.” Well, she´s got a point, and it looks like Oswald´s collection would put Tutenchamun´s grave chamber to shame. * “Who the hell was that?”  Ah great Oswald line but also kind of what´s wrong with this season, they need more time to introduce and establish characters. Give them the time! I mean I complained about rushed things the past seasons too but this time we at least know they would have paced it out more and went more into depth than they got the chance to. * “You killed Jeremiah, you´re famous. Not so scary. I could be famous” I wonder what her line of thinking was there. Please tell me more about MAGPIE. * “Is that really the craziest thing you've ever heard, Barbara?” * “The human brain is not a plaything, Mr. Kean”   * “Bruce, status?” “One second.” * “Can we speed things along, please, Mr. Fox?” Ah Alfred is so polite. * Whoa there Chip!Edward calling Jim  “James” sounded so out of place. * Edward saying “Is that all?” after he asked Jim what he did during the blackout was hilarious. Like trying to kill Jim indeed is a “just” compared to blowing up civilians but I giggled. * “Is it not obvious, it´s a BOMB” Oh EDWARD NYGMA didn´t sound at all like he had fun with his grande entrance to the GCPD.  The “Not now, Bullock” had so much emotion. And damn how cute are pallid beach mice. I kind of expected that it wouldn´t be an actual math problem, but damn I didn´t expect Bullock calling it that it´s zero and they are extinct. “The next time I get a short straw, I'm just gonna walk into traffic.” Yep he had no fun, but does that mean they pulled straws to determine who goes into the GCPD? What where they gonna do, send Fox in with a riddle?  * “Where has LEE been this whole time?”  Barbara Kean looks suspicious and she is right to do so, they don´t know about the Strange parallel but she could be chipped (if they didn´t need a fragmented brain, psyche like Edward´s), also just for the sake of not wanting this, I don´t believe she was all lost and helpless the whole time. But I am worried they´ll make this about feelings, and emotions and girlfriends ugh. And in general, I share Nygma´s sentiment “I'm not gonna wait around to watch their touching reunion.” UGH she was chipped but it´s not like an issue at all just barely a nuisance. At least make her a proper threat like Edward. UGH A pregnancy. How about no. Also what even is this: Jim Gordon just pouring his heart out when he tells Lee about what happened. “It's been hard. Actually, that's not true. It's been hell.” People needs his help and he put on a brave face pretending that he knew what to do. “But you know me, Lee. I'm just a cop. And now I'm really lost.”  Okay Barbara just (arguably not quite nicely but still) called him out on that issue before their office sex, he didn´t confide in here she just called that issue unprompted, now Lee gets credit for knowing that exact titbit about Jim while Jim just told her that not having to know that at all. But I already ranted about that I´m out.  * “Sorry to disappoint” JEREMIAH VALESKA is alive. Alfred Pennyworth says “You hurt my boy and I will bite your face off.” Which is an odd line? Is it meant to be a reference to Jerome Valeska´s detachable face? If so it´s a weak insult, that didn´t really stop Jerome for a second. Anyway I have an Alice Cooper earworm now, and can´t get the picture of Alfred listening to him out of my head, like he sure tried to do the makeup too some time.

* MOREOVER Alexander the Great was gay

[batfam-headcanon-blog]

Where the Batfam can be Found at Galas

Bruce Wayne - smiling, talking to people, and generally doing the normal gala behavior while low key hoping his kids are doing something stupid like normal

Alfred Pennyworth - helping Bruce keep his cool with food, drinks, and telling him who he is talking to

Dick Grayson - when he isn’t flirting with someone he is showing off his dance skills and getting tipsy

Barbara Gordon - smiles and talks to who she has to but spends most of it trying to hide from people 

Jason Todd - trying to convince Dick or Tim or anyone to do something stupid (like see how many times he can ruin Bruce’s interview) and getting drunk

Cassandra Cain - plays the part of being a good daughter, talks when she is talked to, but mostly eats food and clings to Steph, Harper, or Damian

Tim Drake - eating food and taking photos of his siblings when they don’t notice and captioning them as something stupid. then adding the pictures to his snap story

Stephanie Brown - dancing and eating food. kinda loud because she didn’t realize the punch was spiked and drank some

Kate Kane - in between interviews and mingling, she is taking shots and looking at all the pretty girls

Luke Fox - does some of the shots that Kate does but for the most part mingles and does what you are suppose to do during a gala

Tiffany Fox - hiding underneath a table with a plate of food and her DS playing Animal Crossing or something

Harper Row - purposefully is drinking the punch because she knows it is spiked and dancing. constantly trying to get Cass to dance with her at least once 

Damian Wayne - does his interviews and mingles like he is suppose to (emulating his dad) stealing food off of Dick’s plate in the process. Dick convinces him to dance with him for a little bit but for the most part is mingling 

Duke Thomas - shows off his dancing and tries to dodge as many interviews or interactions with people he doesn’t know. likes to hide behind Alfred

Selina Kyle - loves the attention she gets and probably is posing for the cameras and using Bruce as arm candy. isn’t seen without a drink in her hand 

Carrie Kelley - spends their entire time at the dessert table probably only eating ice cream and then wonders why they are sick later that night

[j-diamond]

An Eventful Spring Break (Edward x Reader)

  You watch as the clouds zoom by, finding that the only way to solve your boredom. You sigh inwardly as you look down at the packet of paper.   “Choose a city, with a crime-ridden status. Go to their police department, interview one of their top performing officers. Make sure to ask conflicting questions.” You say aloud rereading it for what you assume to be the twentieth time. You shake your head, but smile as you finally see the sign welcoming you to Gotham. It literally took forever to get to Gotham all the way from Virginia. You stretch as you quickly see Gotham Royal Hotel come into view. You smile as the car pulls to a stop. The door is opened for you and you get out, still stretching. You catch yourself from falling and smile at the person next to you,

  “Follow me.” he says as another person grabs your bags. You walk into the lobby still following the man as the other person follows you. You look around, for a such crime filled city, this hotel was very posh. A young boy followed by an older looking man runs past you knocking you down. You groan, looking at all your papers sprawled everywhere. You sigh as you pick all the papers up and hurriedly run not to loose the man. He shows you your room and the other guy puts your suitcases on the bed, and he hands you the key. They both leave and you flop onto the bed. You look at the ceiling and smile, noticing that it was a painting of a galaxy. You turn around and eye the papers,   “This is not how I expected to spend my spring break.” you say to yourself. You sit up as you notice a few papers that weren’t yours, “Case papers?” You scan them for anything that could tell you who they were for, “Ivy pepper and Selina Kyle?” You shake your head, You could probably give these to the officers once you get to the GCPD. You unpack your suitcases and pull out your favorite book and a lollipop. You lay in your pajamas as you read with the covers tightly over you.

  “Okay so I have to take the bus to the station and from there I’d be looking for I think Gordon?” You say to yourself as you walk down the sidewalk, “and the bus comes in…” You look at your phone, but after seeing the time, you realized you’d be late. So you ran. You ran as fast as you could without trying to bump into people. Sadly you failed, and you soon found yourself colliding with the pavement.   “Oh dear!” a masculine voice says, “Are you okay?” You feel hands lift you up, but you kept your eyes closed, the pain in stinging your face. You sigh, as you keep rubbing your face,   “I’m so sorry.” you say to him as you look at the pavement, “I was in a rush for the bus,” You see the bus drive by, and sigh, “Which i’ve now missed.” You look up at him, and inwardly gasp, he was kinda cute.   “Oh…” he says as he looks at you, “I could uh.. Treat that… If you want me too.” He says and you shake your head,   “It’s okay.” you say as you remember why you were here, “I have work to do. I need to go to the GCPD.” You think about where it is. You’ve never really looked at a map. You look in the direction that the bus was going, well might as walk in that direction.   “I-I know where the GCPD is.” a voice says as you begin walking. You turn around to see the guy you had bumped into. You look at him skeptically,   “Um… I don’t know.” You say as you think about an excuse to tell him, “I’m in a bit of a hurry.” he smiles,   “Oh it’s fine.” he says, “I used to work there, I know the fastest route.” He smiles as he holds out his hand, “You want to get there or not?” You shrug your shoulders, there was nothing left to lose,  “Okay.” you grab his hand, “Let’s go.”

 “What’s nowhere but everywhere, except where something is?” he asks as he begins to slow to a stop. You look at him, but then think about it.  “Oh..” you say as you remember having heard this one before, “Nothing.” He smiles at you,  “Which is exactly what my schedule is full of later today.” he eyes you, “Unless of course you’d help me change it.” You look at him confused. At least until you realized what he was saying,   “Are you asking me on a date?” you ask baffled,   “Yes I am.” he says, “I, Edward Nygma, am asking you, Y/f/n Y/l/n, out on a date.” he smiles at you, “What does, the lovely y/n say?” You smile at him,   “Yes.” you say to him, wanting to scream in joy, even though you had just met the man.   “Tomorrow at 7.” he says, as he gives you a paper with an address, and then he is gone. You smile to yourself, but the sound of clatter rips you from your daze.   “Right…” you say as you walk into the GCPD.   “Oh hi.” you say as you come face to face with the person who you had met your first day in Gotham. You look at him and he just stares at you,   “Hello?” he asks, clearly confused,   “You knocked me over when you were dashing out of the hotel.” you say as a look of remembrance flashed on his face.   “Oh! Right.” he says, “I am so sorry I did not mean to.” you shake your head,   “No it’s alright.” you say, “But…” you look through your bag, “I think you dropped this.” you say as you hand him the case files you found in your stack of papers. He smiles upon seeing them,   “Oh thank you!” he says, “ I was looking for these. I assume you would like something as compensation.” You shake your head,   “No it’s really not necessary.” You say to him and he looks at you surprised,   “You don’t want my money?” he asks,   “Why would I?” you ask, “Besides how am I supposed to know if you have money or not?” The look on his face was indescribable,   “You don’t know who I am?” he asks and you shake your head,   “Am I supposed to?” you ask, “Besides this is my first time visiting. So I don’t really know anyone here.” He looks at you and smiles,   “Bruce Wayne.” He says as he holds out his free hand, which you shake, “And this is my butler Alfred Pennyworth.” You shake his hand also,   “I’m Y/n.” you say, smiling knowing you now had potential friends,   “We could give you a tour today.” he says, “If you’re free that is.”   “Sure,” you say knowing you could put it off until tomorrow, “But could you point me to which officer is James Gordon.” He nods and points to him. You quick take a picture so you could reference it later,  “Sure. Let’s go.” 

  “Thanks Bruce!” You say after you guys hug, “That was a fun tour. You must really love this town.” He nods,   “Yeah.” he says distantly, “I want to be able to protect it.” You smile at him as he walks off with Alfred. He’s a nice guy.  “I’m glad I befriended him.” you say to yourself as you walk up to your room. Once inside you repeat your nightly routine, and soon enough you’re tucked under the covers, in your pajamas finishing another book.

  “According to the statistics and a few newspapers, Penguin seems to be the reason that the crime is at an all time low. I think it’s one of the lowest percentages the city has ever seen. Doesn’t this peg the question on whether or not your jobs are actually necessary?” You ask and he looks at you shocked. He opens his mouth but then closes it.   “Well you see-” He starts but then is immediately cut off,   “No comment.” Another voice says, and you both look up who you assume to be Harvey Bullock, “I’m Harvey Bullock, Captain of this here establishment.” You roll your eyes at his statement and smile,   “So you’re taking credit of this?” You ask, knowing that he would be baffled, and as you suspected he was. He stared down for a moment, then at Jim then at you,   “No comment.” he says yet again, and for an unknown reason all three of you laugh.

  “There are really great people here.” you say over the phone, “Surprisingly.” You both laugh and you smile to yourself,   “Where’d you choose to go?” You ask b/f/n. You could hear them sigh over the phone,   “Detroit.” B/f/n says, “It’s pretty dope here though.” then they pauses, which you knew was for dramatic effect, “Surprisingly.” you shake your head,   “Really?”   “Oh yeah.” B/f/n says, and you could hear them gasp, “Wait.”   “What?”   “Don’t you have a date tonight?” They ask and you sit up on your bed,   “Oh shoot.” you say to yourself, “You right! I gotta go.”   “You go glen coco.” b/f/n says before you hear a dial tone.

  “Sorry I’m late.” You say as you walk up to him and he smiles at you,   “It’s okay.” he says as he kisses your hand, “I didn’t wait that long.” He smiles at you, “Shall we?” You curtsey overdramatically,   “We shall.” you say as both of you walk to the top of the building where a candle light dinner stood in front of you.

  “What’s green and then red?” he asks, after you finished laughing,   “Ummmm…” you think about it, “i don’t know.”   “Frogs in a blender.” he says and you’re laughing again.   “Okay um…” you say thinking off a riddle that he wouldn’t know, but then you sigh, “I can’t think of any that you wouldn’t know the answer to.” he smiles at you,   “Well i am smart.” he says. And you shake your head,   “No.” you say smiling, “It’s ‘cause you were such thick framed glasses.” You say and he looks at you,   “But…” he says but stops after you take off his glasses. You close your eyes then put them on, and open them,   “Woaaahhh…” you say looking around, “Why didn’t you tell me you were blind.” You look around only able to see outlines. You reach your hand out to touch Edward’s face.   “What…?” he asks, you could tell he was trying to stop himself from laughing,   “How can you see anything in these?” you ask as you caress him face. You see, what you think is his hand reach out to you. Seeing as how the glasses were being pulled off you figured it was indeed his hand. You rub your eyes and blink a few times, “Yeah… you keep them.” he chuckles, “You look better in them anyway.” He smiles at you and you smile back.

  “I don’t know why you think it’s funny.” you say as he laughs at the fact that you had never really been kissed before. You sigh as you stand in front of the hotel with him still laughing. He stands straight up then looks into your eyes,   “I can change that if you want.” he says and before you can respond his lips are pressed against yours. Once realization hits it doesn’t take you long to melt into the kiss.

[kl-writes]

Stable DC Timeline (Part 2/5)

At this point, I started thinking about what their ‘current’ ages should be. I see Flashpoint as the end of the initial DC Universe, so that’s the starting point for the stable DC Timeline’s ‘current’ era, or at least the point in time from where stories should develop and we start to put in new thoughts and ideas. Flashpoint takes place in mid-1974 (Unadj. 2011).

Batfamily:

Bruce Wayne: 55

·         Dick Grayson: 37

·         Helena Wayne: 27

·         Jason Todd: 26

·         Timothy Drake: 24

·         Cassandra Cain: 23

·         Damian Wayne: 22

·         Duke Thomas: 15 (Existence uncertain, he’s post-Flashpoint. His first appearance would be mid-1975, and we consider the current time to be 1974).

Selina Kyle:  55

Katherine Kane: 34

Barbara Gordon: 38 (Puts her at 16 at her first appearance)

Stephanie Brown: 23 (Puts her at 13 at her first appearance, and 17 at the birth of her daughter)

·         Unknown Daughter – Adopted by someone?: 6

Alfred Pennyworth: 75 (First appearance was in 1946. However, he was with the Waynes presumably during the upbringing of Bruce, so I used the minimum age of 20 at Bruce’s birthday, making his birthday 1899.)

Luke Fox: 19 (Post-Flashpoint)

Harper Row: 14 (Post-Flashpoint)

Speedsters:

Jay Garrick: 55

Barry Allen: 47

Wally West: 35

Iris West II: 3

Jai West: 3

Bart Allen: ??? (1966 would be his first appearance. Speedforce affected his aging, putting his birthday at 2 years prior, despite appearing to be 12. His effective age is about 20 as of 1974, so his civilian records likely have his birth year as ‘1956.’ These are fake, though, as he’s from the future).

 For a lot of the more modern comics, the ages of Damian and Timothy seem a bit too old, given their personalities. Even Dick seems a bit too old with this timeline. We can see that although the adjusted timeline works well for the oldest characters in DC, when it comes to legacy characters, the timeline isn’t perfect. It doesn’t help that in some stories, Dick and Wally are seen as young adult peers, and in others, Wally is seen as the father of a young family. This is where the stable timeline starts to change how characters are perceived. This is also why I wanted to minimize any changes to characters I might make to force them to fit the timeline, because introducing a stable timeline will force character growth and maturity.

Another thing I thought about was making certain character deaths permanent. Superman came back to life, Batman came back to life, and Jason Todd came back to life. My thought is, that unless their return created new stories (Like with Jason Todd), maybe they should just stay dead. This means that Superman died in 1965 (Unadj. 1992), Batman died in 1973 (Unadj. 2008), and Barry Allen died in 1962 (Unadj. 1986).

This doesn’t stop their stories. Wally West as the Flash has been thoroughly explored- in many ways, he absolutely trumped Jay Garrick and Barry Allen as the Scarlet Speedster. Dick Grayson as Batman was also interesting- he became Batman out of necessity, to stop the battle for the cowl. His dynamic with Damian was interesting. Given that Damian is “now” 22, perhaps Dick Grayson would step down from the role of Batman, and go back to being Nightwing. Damian always wanted to be Batman’s successor. Jason Todd, Timothy Drake, and Cassandra Cain all seem as though they’ve gone on their own paths of heroism now.

Superman’s permanent death would also be interesting. It was Superman himself that stopped the fighting of the supermen. Had he not intervened, perhaps Steel would have become Metropolis’s hero. Maybe constant battles between Lex Luthor and Superboy would have opened up new avenues- it’s not a straight Darth Vader, given that Superboy’s only a clone, but Lex Luthor has shown some affection for Superboy in the past. What would happen if Lex were able to establish a more permanent sort of mind control? What if he did so, and essentially took control of Metropolis’s ‘Superman,’ being able to play both sides of the board? There’s definitely a lot of room for stories like this.

Those were the biggest 3 deaths at the top of my head, but there were many others where the character came back to life, but didn’t necessarily have to. I’m not counting when they came back within a few months (Like with Wally West or Guy Gardner), of course, just the deaths that were “supposed” to stick- Bart Allen II, Supergirl, Hal Jordan, Martian Manhunter, Captain Boomerang I, etc.

Another thing we can do is look at deaths of minor characters, especially those around Final Crisis and Flashpoint, and determine whether we want those deaths to ‘stick’ or not. For example, Weather Wizard’s son, Josh Jackam, was killed off during Final Crisis. Owen Mercer, son of the first Captain Boomerang, was killed during Blackest Night. Both of these characters were potential ‘legacy’ characters. The Rogues don’t have many of these, so it might make more sense if they didn’t die, especially since their deaths didn’t have any lasting effects on the story.

Rogues (And kids):

Leonard Snart: 47

Lisa Snart: 37 (DEAD)

Hartley Rathaway: 46

Mark Mardon: 46

·         Josh Jackam: 5 (Dead?)

Sam Scudder: 46 (DEAD)

Evan McCullock: 31

James Jesse: 45 (DEAD)

·         Billy Hong: 17

Axel Walker: 24

Digger Harkness: 45 (Dead?)

·         Owen Mercer: 23 (Dead?)

Roscoe Dillon: 45 (DEAD)

Mick Rory: 44

Roy G. Bivolo: 35 (DEAD)

Owen and Josh are soft deaths for the reasons listed above. Digger came back to life, but he should probably just be dead-dead like Superman and Batman. Looking at this, it’s kind of depressing how many of my favorite characters, the Rogues, are dead.

If we were to look at a modern (1974) Rogues, we might also consider Wally West’s hallucination in the Flash v2 #140, with Cadet Cold, Mirror Miss, Heat-Whelp, Weather Whiz-Kid and Captain Slingshot as children of the Rogues. Cadet Cold would either be Leonard’s kid, or perhaps an unknown child of Lisa and Roscoe, who was perhaps sent to an orphanage. Mirror Miss would be Evan’s, Heat-Whelp would be Mick’s, Weather Whiz-Kid is more than likely Josh Jackam, and Captain Slingshot is Owen’s. Billy Hong, AKA Makhalli, with his magical powers, would likely become a superhero of some sort, if so, probably mentored by Hartley. But all of this is just speculation!

 The Luthors and the Supermen:

Clark Kent/Kal-El: 56 (DEAD)

Jonathan Samuel Kent: 1? (Existence uncertain, as he’s a post-convergence character who is the son of the New Earth Clark Kent)

Christopher Kent/Lor-Zod: 22

Kara Zor-El (Supergirl): 46 (DEAD)

Kara Zor-L (Powergirl): 39

Alexander Joseph “Lex” Luthor: 55

·         Lena Luthor II: 6

·         Connor Kent/Kon-El: 9, he was “born” in 1965 with the body of a teenager, so his biological age is anywhere from 22 – 28. (DEAD)

·         Jerry White: 32

Lena Luthor I: 45

·         Lori Luthor 17, high schooler. Honestly, this one could be anywhere from 14-19, she only appeared in one storyline before Flashpoint.

One thing that I didn’t realize before was that Superboy was yet another person who died and came back to life 3 years later. So my remarks earlier about the dynamic between Lex Luthor and Connor might not apply, depending on where you set the limit on how long until death becomes “permanent.” My initial thought was 1 year max, but maybe this should change. I’m not quite sure what to do with the two Karas, but it’s entirely possible that Superman has 2 cousins.

 The Marvels and the Sivanas

Billy Batson: Biologically 23/Chronologically 42

Mary Bromfield: 23/42

Freddy Freeman: 23/42

Thaddeus Sivana, Sr.: 56/75 (Assuming a starting age of 40)

Magnificus Sivana: 36/55

Beautia Sivana: 36/55

Georgia Sivana: 23/42

Thaddeus Sivana, Jr.: 23/42

The Wizard: 9000+

This is another special case. The original run was from 1941 – 1953, and due to a long story about legal issues, didn’t have another ongoing series until 1973, and after Crisis on Infinite Earths, in 1991. In 1973, Billy had been gone for 20 years without aging, due to being exiled by Dr. Sivana, placed into suspended animation. In 1991, the story was that the Wizard froze Fawcett City in time to protect it from the encroaching evils of the outside world. As a result, between 1953 and 1991, we can say that the Marvel family didn’t age. Even adjusted, that’s 1945 – 1964, or about 19 years taken from Billy’s life. Billy began Captain Marvel at age 7 – 14, depending on the version. If we aim low, and take into account the lost years, then in 1964 his age is still only 13, which fits him being a child hero for that series.

The Sivana family, like the rest of Fawcett, only lost 9 years.

Edit: Upon re-reading, I found that the sivanas also lost 19 years. I adjusted the ages accordingly.