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moonlightcycle571 · 2 months ago

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The Justice League mingling before their meeting

Captain Marvel, crashing through: CYBORG QUICK, I NEED YOU TO FIX IT

Cyborg: what?

Captain Marvel: SHES DOWN

Cyborg, palling: You don’t mean … *checkc* OH FUCK NO

JL, visibly concerned: What’s going on

Captain Marvel: HURRY DO SOMETHING

Cyborg, already has twelve laptops going through codes furiously: IM TRYING

Plastic man, bursting through the room: EMERGENCY, SHE HAS BEEN HIT

Cyborg and Captain Marvel: WE KNOW

Plastic man, gripping Batman: DO SOMETHING

Captain Marvel, slapping Plasticman: GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF SOLDIER

Green Arrow: WHATS GOING ON?

Captain Marvel: AO3 IS DOWN

JL: … what?

Green Lantern (Hal & Jessica): NOOOOOOOOOOO

Wonder Woman : … the fan fiction website?

Superman: that’s it?

Cyborg, dramatic gasp: how DARE-

Captain Marvel, dramatically holding him back: No my friend, they simply don’t understand

Green lantern (Hal): How am I supposed to get through monitor duty without my dose of SI field trip fics?

Green lantern (Jessica): How am I supposed to fly through space without my Percabeth podfics???

Green lantern (Hal): Aren’t John and Kyle currently in deep space right now?

A moment of silence for thé two lanterns in space

Flash: is this what’s got you in a fuss? Damn I thought someone died

Cyborg: SIX HOURS

Four Heroes proceed to cry in unison

Bonus:

After a gruelling 6 hour meeting, the heroes found themselves with their beloved writings again

Cyborg: SHES BACK BABY

Green lantern (Jessica): NO ONE TALK TO ME FOR SIX WEEKS I NEED TO CATCH UP ON MY FIC TIME

Captain Marvel: I CAN FINALLY POST MY NEXT CHAPTER

Green lantern (Hal): You’re an author? Let me see your works

The three look at Caps account: …

Green lantern (Hal): THATS YOU???

Cyborg: howwwwwww

Green lantern (Jessica): Oh shit, I’m a big fan of your work

Bonus 2:

Batman, in the BatCave: it seems this ao3 site has a great deal of influence. I might need to investigate this.

Batman: Captain Marvels work may also give me clues as to who he is

Ten hours later

Batman, knee deep in Gray ghost, Batfam and Danny Phantom fics: … I may have made a mistake

Bonus 3:

Lex Luthor: hey Mercy. Mercy. Hey.

Mercy: WHAT

Lex: wouldn’t it be funny if after ao3 starts working again, I mess with it some more. Making it go down so soon after the 6 hours are up

Mercy: that’s sounds cruel

Mercy: I love it

Bonus 4:

Lex Luthor talking to some villains

Lex: it seems that I was right, planting a bug within the reading platform brought forth a level of villainy i hadn’t truly imagined

Sivanna “got blamed and beat up for it”: THAT WAS YOU!

Cheetah “her furry and wlw safe space” : WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT

Killer Croc “same reasons above”: Oh I’m going to beat your ass

Harley Quinn, pulling out her bat and calling all the Gotham Rogues (who have been up in arms about it): IM WAY ON YA! YOURE DEAD

Lex Luthor, “just wanted to stop seeing himself get shipped with Superman”: I sense that I may have made a mistake

#in honour of the fallen (ao3)#and mix it with my boy #Billy Batson #because I enjoy giving him more reasons to crash out #what’s one more trauma on the list #there’s so many characters here that I’m not going to tag them all #mostly because I’m lazy #I just know the Lanterns are ao3 users #what tags you read define which ring you get #I also think most villains love ao3 #especially the Gotham rogues #something about them gives me that vibe #yes this incident did get most of the JL really into ao3 #I also know the younger heroes like the titans and YJ have been up in arms about it

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gothamite-rambler · 23 days ago

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Gun shop owner (bored): How may I help you?

Jason (21): I need to buy a gun!

Gun shop owner (suspicious): You have a permit?

Jason slapped that piece of paper on the counter with a grin.

Jason (proud): I'm certified. Took me many classes, but... Worth it.

Gun shop owner (eager he doesn’t seem to be a criminal): Holy Permit, this is real?! Alright! Let’s get started. It's not impossible to have a legal gun owner to enter this shop, but you know I live in Gotham.

Jason: Yeah, I get you. That's why I'm buying a gun... Many guns.

Owner (elated): Hold on, you're going to give me a heart attack.

Jason smiled with a nod.

*based off the scene from Women Who Kill*

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spacemammal · 16 days ago

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How About Breakfast in Bed?

Masterpost

This is my fist fanfic EVER sorry if its bad lol

I basically stole the entire idea for the inciting incident from a fanfic by Renee4567. Give it a read! here's the link:

Phantom's Hope

─ ✧ ─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─ ✧ ─

Part 1: Tired

Danny was so incredibly tired. The alarm blaring in his ears was giving him a piercing headache. Why did he even have to wake up? He reached to turn the damned thing off before his head exploded. His limbs ached and felt so incredibly heavy, he didn’t want to get out of bed. What was the point when it was just going to be the same as yesterday? He turned his head to look at the same grey walls he looked at every morning. He needed to clean his room but couldn’t find the energy. There were dirty cups everywhere that he hadn’t bothered to take back down to the kitchen. His clothes were in a scattered mess on the floor along with other junk. His homework was littered across his desk and room. None of it was complete. Why even bother doing it?

“DANNY!” his mom was calling him from downstairs.

“COME DOWN FOR BREAKFAST!”

He didn’t want to go. He wanted to skip breakfast, skip school, skip being shoved into his locker, and skip fighting ghosts. He just wanted to stay in bed and sleep the rest of his life away. He knew he had to leave the safety and comfort of his bed eventually. No matter how badly he didn’t want to. He dragged himself out from his warm, soft blankets and rifled through one of the shirt igloos on his floor for his binder. Getting dressed was the first step to the day ahead, so he dreaded it.

He gazed into the mirror, taking his reflection in. His hair was messy and slightly overgrown. His clothes were two sizes too big with the pants fraying at the bottoms. His under eyes were dark, accurately reflecting his tiredness. He wore long sleeves under his shirt to hide the constant injuries he got from ghost fighting. He looked like a mess, but he didn’t care enough to do anything about it.

He made himself go down the stairs and sit at the table. The food in front of him looked ok. He didn’t really have much of an appetite right now, but he knew he would suffer later if he didn’t eat right now. He wanted so badly to just go back upstairs and get back in bed. Instead, he looked around the kitchen and spotted the simplest thing to grab. A bagel.

“How did you sleep sweetheart?” his mom startled him with her question.

“I slept fine.” he mumbled the words through his bites. The bread was dry and cold, but he didn’t feel like warming it up or anything. It was a miserable meal.

“I’m still really tired though” as he said it, he looked up to see his mom already in a full on conversation with his dad about an ‘amazing idea’ to catch Phantom that she’d had. Great. Now he’d have to deal with that too. He didn’t even know why he bothered saying anything. Since Jazz left for college, this is basically how every morning went.

It was a typical day, getting shoved in a locker by dash, getting yelled at by his teachers, saving the school from another ghost, and trying not to notice how Sam and Tucker pointedly ignored him. They liked him before, hell, the teachers liked him before, but since Phantom, his grades have been dropping, his schedule’s been full. He’s learned pretty quickly that teachers only liked him if he had good grades, and his friends only liked him when he had time to actually be their friend without putting them in harm's way. So at school, he tried his best to stay out of his own head. Most of the time, that meant being on his phone. Even outside of school he was on his phone, it helped him not think so much. There were funny things that actually made him laugh. There was news that he wasn’t directly involved in. He liked to look at what the Justice League got up to, it made him feel a bit better about his decision to help.

He was laying in his bed like usual, this time he was looking through people’s instagram stories. They were all pretty boring until one caught his eye. It was about the Justice League. It said that they were coming to Amity? He wondered why they would come to a random county in Pennsylvania, so he looked up what it was referencing.

What. He sat straight up reading the JL’s official statement.

“We will be visiting Amity Park to investigate ‘Phantom’ as there have been multiple reports that the creature may be a potential harm to the residents.”

They were coming to investigate Phantom. Why did they need to investigate him? They should be able to tell that he’s trying to help. Those reports saying he’s a threat aren't true. He’s a hero just like them. He’s just… trying his best to help.

Well. There’s not really much he can do. He’ll just have to hope that they see past the reports. There’s no way he can handle dealing with THE Justice League on top of everything else.

─ ✧ ─

When the Justice League came, Phantom was busy. Way more busy than normal. He’d hoped to be able to catch them. If not to convince them he’s not actually evil, then to just get to see his heroes in person, but Vlad must’ve let out a ton of ghosts in hopes he wouldn’t catch a glance. So he was stuck fighting ghosts while people were telling the Justice League how much of a menace he is. They were recounting tales of how him causing property damage, injuries, and striking fear into the hearts of the innocent. All while he was fighting ghosts and trying his best to keep their town safe.

It wasn’t helping that he had the Ghost Investigation Ward and his parents hot on his tail trying to capture him. They shot their ecto-rays right at him, even managing to hit him every once in a while. It’s like they weren’t even trying to get the other ghosts anymore, it was just him. Luckily, he was able to get most of the ghosts fairly quickly and without major injury. He was almost done capturing them all then he’d be done. Luckily the box ghost was the only one left, and he had an easy time putting him into the thermos. As he secured the thermos’s latch, he was relieved to be done. Now he just had to return them all back to the ghost zone-

There was a sudden shooting pain in his shoulder. He fell to the ground and his vision was going spotty. He pressed his hand to where it hurt and braced himself on the ground, breathing heavily. His arm was stinging with pain and could hear his heartbeat in his head. What had happened? He pulled his hand from his arm to look at it as his vision came back. It was covered in ectoplasm. Where’d that come from? He heard people yelling behind him, but couldn’t make out their words. There was another pain, this time it was more of a knick in his calf. He looked behind him to see where this all was coming from and there was his parents. He looked back at his hand as he realized, this was his ectoplasm. He was bleeding. He was bleeding really badly. His parents were getting closer, they looked like they were ready to shoot again. His head was pounding, he had to leave quickly. He pulled himself to his feet, and started to haul ass. He was tired, so he wasn’t moving fast enough to outrun them, but he was moving. He just needed to go invisible and intangible and he could escape them.

He’d finally lost his parents, so he floated his way back into his room and collapsed. As he fell to the ground, his ghost form fell with him. He took a few breaths, clutching the fenton thermos to his chest, thankful that he hadn’t lost it when he was shot. He took another second to himself before examining his injury. His wound was deep and if he didn’t patch it up soon, he’d bleed out. When did ghost tech get so painful? He took out the med kid Jazz had made for him. She always thought ahead. When she first suggested it, he’d said no, thinking he wouldn’t need it. But in times like this, he was glad she cared enough to threaten him into listening to her advice. He couldn’t do stitches or anything, but with his ghost healing, it would be ok if he managed to hold his wound together. After disinfecting the gash on his shoulder, he pinched it together and secured it closed with band-aids. He’d been pretty sure he’d seen something like that in a doctor’s video or something? Whatever. He’d finished bandaging his worst wounds when he heard a commotion outside. He slowly peeked out his window to try and see what was happening. To his surprise, there was the Justice League. They’d been trying to interview people but it looks like it turned into a meet-and-greet of sorts. He’d thought they would’ve left by now, but they were answering questions and signing autographs. Maybe he could still talk to them. He pulled on a shirt that hid his worst injuries and headed outside, not realizing he was still holding the thermos.

─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─

This was going on far longer than it should’ve. Bruce knew it was a bad idea to all come here, let alone announce it. Now they were being swarmed by people who wanted autographs or to ask them pointless questions. It was all getting out of hand. He knew that they should’ve gone undercover. If this Phantom is a threat, why let it know they’re coming? Batman wasn’t engaging with the crowd like the others were. He was here to help people, not be a celebrity. The crowd was a mix of people, but they were all here for different reasons. Some were just gathered to meet them. Some were complaining about the ‘ghosts’ that apparently haunt this town. As he scanned the crowd, his attention caught on a teenager approaching the group. He didn’t quite hold the same energy as the rest of them. Where other teens were enthusiastic and happy, he was hesitant, almost scared. But there was a glimmer of hope there. It was a strange mix. He was a skinny kid with black hair and blue eyes. Probably around 15 years old. He was wearing a short sleeved shirt that exposed the scrapes and bandages running along his arms. He looked tired, and he had a slight limp to his walk. In his hand he was clutching what looked like a thermos. The grip was tight, but the strangely high tech object looked comfortable in his hands. The boy opened his mouth, about to say something before he was interrupted.

“ARE YOU GOING TO CATCH PHANTOM?!” The question came from the other side of the crowd.

They hadn’t been able to gather any real information on Phantom. Most of the people here simply didn’t like the ghoul. They had no evidence that the creature had any malintent at all.

Before Batman could answer, Superman replied to the question with a�� reassuring smile,

“We’ll do our best.”

Why would he answer without discussing it first? They were going to have to have another meeting about this.

With Superman’s reply, the crowd around them began to cheer. There was only one among them who didn’t. The beat-up teenager he’d been observing. He looked stunned, broken even. He looked like they had just killed all of his hopes and dreams.

─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─

Danny felt like he was going to barf. Superman had really just said that they would capture him? They believed he was a threat? No. No no no no he couldn’t accept this was happening. There must be some mistake. He looks at the heroes, trying to find anything. They’re joking, they have to be. They can’t seriously believe he’s bad, right? He searches their faces trying to find any hint that he had heard them wrong, that they’re faking it, anything. He’s been trying his best, they can’t think he’s evil. They can’t. He searches each of their smiling faces and he doesn’t see any sign that what they said was anything but the truth.

They want to capture him too.

Danny feels his world crumble as he loses all of the little hope he’d had. He began to give up. What was the point? Why even bother doing this? It was volunteer work that only ever left him injured and friendless. He looked down at the thermos in his hand. The smooth metal in his hand felt so familiar. He’d worked so hard to keep these ghosts from hurting people. He’d given his blood to keep this town safe. They still hated him. He was just a highschooler who was hurt and tired and just wanted to go to bed. Yet they still hunted him. How had he ended up like this? He used to do well in school and have friends and not feel like shit all the fucking time. He used to want to live. Now he was just wishing he could go back to before he half-died. He wanted his friends back, but they all hated him now. They didn’t hate him at first, but Sam got tired of making excuses for him and constantly helping him fight ghosts. Tucker was more or less the same. They’d left him. They didn’t want to fight ghosts. They’d realized what he hadn’t. The pointlessness of his mission. All that came of him ‘being a hero’ was him getting hurt. He was in so much pain he could barely move right now. So far he’d been able to avoid the GIW and his parents and Val, but… could he avoid the Justice League?

‘We’ll do our best.’ Superman’s words were echoing in his head. If they caught him, what would they do with him? Torture him? Kill him? He could feel his emotions bubbling up in his core. He was scared, but he felt a little more free. He wasn’t going to protect a town that didn’t want him anymore. Why had he been doing it for so long? To think that he’d fought for them, bled for them.

He laughs. It’s a hollow laugh. The crowd looked at him like he was crazy. Some people started backing away in disgust. On second thought, he didn’t think it was that funny. He was in so much pain and none of them cared. He found he was still staring at the thermos he held firmly in his hand. It was the thing he’d used over and over and over again to save the people who were now praying for his downfall.

“I guess I’m really not wanted here.” he said it quietly, almost a whisper, but it was still heard. He could feel his fangs peeking out from under his lips and his hair start to float as he started to lose control over his form. The sky, that was just moments before sunny and clear, was now dark and stormy. He tightened his hand on the thermos and before he’d even realized it, he pressed the button to release the ghosts. They were yelling and announcing themselves until they noticed Danny, stewing in his emotions. He stared up at the ghosts puzzling them out in his brain. He was so angry, and sad, and so many things he couldn’t sort it all.

“Oh shit” he recognized it as Ember’s voice.

“This seems like a bad time” This one was skulker.

Soon, all the ghosts fled, citing Danny as the reason.

He stared blankly at the now empty thermos.

“I just… tried to help” his voice breaks as he says it. Tears formed at the edges of his eyes, but they don’t fall quite yet. Something shifted in Batman as he looked at Danny, picking his every movement apart. The rain started falling and soon you could see his red blood seeping through his bandages and his shirt, exposed by the sudden water that was now soaking him. It gave his hair and clothing back the weight that it had so recently lost. Batman took a gentle step towards Danny. He looked up at Batman, searching for something that told him that the man didn’t hate him. He found nothing. His mouth was a careful, neutral expression. The rest of his face was covered by an expressionless cowl, so he found comfort in looking at the rough pavement instead. He wished so badly to not be here. He ached for the comfort of his bed.

“I’m just so tired.” as the words fell from his lips, he began crying. He couldn’t help it, just as he couldn’t stop himself from falling to his knees and transforming into Phantom. He heard a few gasps from the crowd that had backed far enough away to stay out of danger but still watch. His wound had reopened and it was bleeding again. He hated being so exposed and vulnerable. He was a spectacle for them all to gawk at. But he didn’t have the energy to hide anymore, so he simply sat there. Slowly, Batman swooped down towards him. Danny flinched, prepared for the worst. Instead of pain, or an attack, he felt warm, strong arms around him. He looked up and Batman, the vengeance of Gotham, had taken him into his warm cape.

“You did a good job” the deep voice that came from Batman wasn’t as cold as Danny had been expecting. His voice was compassionate and gentle. Before he had even realized it himself, Danny was sobbing uncontrollably into the rough fabric of the costume.

It was a while before he lost all energy and stopped crying.

“I can’t do this anymore.” his voice was quiet and he still clung to the cape as he said it.

“That’s alright.” Batman’s voice was reassuring.

“Did I…” he paused. Ancients, he was tired. “Did I really do alright?” He was looking at the cloudy sky when he said it. Wishing he could see the stars.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! He gasped for air and sat up straight as his alarm clock pulled him from his sleep. Oh. It was a dream.

─ ✧ ─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─ ✧ ─

This is just the first chapter! I promise it will get less angsty. Trust

Edit: I forgot to mention, danny's like 17 in this, he just looks younger (being trans'll do that to ya)

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ledesaid · 2 months ago

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Finding a place to live

ººººººººººººººººººººººººº

Red Robin: So you live here?

Billy: Yes, right below.

Red Robin: Crime Alley, eh?

Billy: Definitely.

Red Robin: And you smile a lot, don't you?

Billy: Of course, you're never fully dressed without one!

Red Robin: Moreover, you say you've never stolen or lied in your life...

Billy: That's correct! Like I told you, the landlord is very kind. He lets me stay in exchange for keeping my apartment clean.

Red Robin: The landlord?

Billy: Yes. Red Hood. A great man.

Red Robin: Sure... Totally. Totally.

Tim has some scars that say otherwise, but who is he to interfere in one of Jason's very common patronage cases?

#fanfic #cómics de dc #ao3 #billy batson #dc comics #shazam #capitan marvel #fawcett #dc captain marvel #captain marvel #tim drake #red robin #dc robin #jason tood #red hood #gotham city

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wishfulsketching · 9 months ago

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#my art #sketchy sketch #gotham #nygmobblepot #oswald cobblepot #edward nygma #jerome jumpscared us with a love rival ao3 hurt/no comfort episode and then left #why did they go through all the hoops to make sure ed and oz didn't become too gay I will never know #I do know #but still #I will ignore most of it and act like knew what he had and did not let it go #“please we're brothers” YEA OKAY UHH OKAY #anyway....its so late I should not write tags #I feel insane for drawing them so much but it's my hyperfixation ok!!??

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geekishfangirl · 10 months ago

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Seen so many Peter Parker in Gotham fics, and while I love them, I would love to see a Batfam in Marvel fics. Especially with the Richard Grayson is Richard Parker idea!

I like to imagine they somehow end up in Peter’s New York (idk how, haven’t thought about it that much) and in their attempts to find a way back to their home universe end up catching the attention of either SHIELD, the Avengers, or just Tony. They are confronted by whoever catches them and, maybe under duress or the idea that they don’t have the resources to get home alone, explain their situation. It all leads to them staying with Tony while they’re there and it all comes to a head when they meet Peter. Because that looks just like Dick! They start trying to spend more time with him to figure out if it’s just a crazy coincidence or not, and eventually realize this is the alternate universe version of Dick’s son!

I love this idea because it makes me wonder about so many things and I feel like it has a lot of possibilities. Like, the batfam is extremely cagey about who they trust, why and how do they end up telling the truth about what happened to them? If we’re talking the MCU (I honestly just like to pick things I like from each universe and make my own but whatever works lmao) Do they end up meeting the Avenger’s pre-Civil War or after? And if after, what would their thoughts on the Accords be?

How would they react to Peter’s story? He barely remembers his father, if he does at all. How would Dick react to the idea of his son growing up without him? To never meeting Bruce and his siblings (if they even exist in Peter’s world) and instead getting adopted by another family? There was never any Robin or Nightwing. He is DEAD in this universe and is watching his adult or near adult orphaned son look to a billionaire superhero as his father figure, just like he had! it would be interesting to highlight both the similarities and differences in the relationship of Tony and Peter to that of Dick and Bruce.

How would they react to Spider-Man and the snap?!

I need someone to write this honestly, there’s so much potential here, I can feel it in my bones.

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c-art00nish · 8 months ago

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LoF breaking a, years long, traditional art block in 4k (≧▽≦)

Thanks @erinwantstowrite and ur awesome, awesome, fic

Vers. with and without filter

#leap of faith ao3 #leap of faith #art #fanart #spiderman #spiderman fanart #spiderman fanfiction #batfam #ao3 fic #spiderman in gotham #artists on tumblr

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luciaintheskyainthi · 15 days ago

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Could we have a peek of what went through Dick's mind at the Zoo when he heard Peter's plans for World Domination with Dog or the research proposal for Ivy? Or heck, any of the bat family just randomly catching the strange plans he says out loud?

I was going to write something short for this, and then these 1500 words came out! (o′┏▽┓｀o) Enjoy the above scene from Chapter 14 Dick's POV! It was an interesting perspective to write from as it's been many years since I've read any Nightwing comics! It's also not a play-by-play because I can't abide writing like that 🙃

Peter Parker was a strange creature and not remotely close to the kind of person Dick would ever think to see Jason settle down with.

Then again, Dick had never really thought Jason capable of settling down. Though it filled him with guilt to even think it (especially when Dick knew that Jason wasn’t without his share of romantic entanglements), he’d always thought of his little brother as someone who sailed alone. Perhaps it was the death, or just something about the fleeting nature of Jason’s relationships, but Dick always got the impression that Jason wasn’t even interested in sex or romance. That was certainly what he’d heard from Rose.

And then along came Peter, and Dick was forced to reevaluate his assessment of his brother. Not only was he a man — when all Jason’s relationships, as much as Dick was aware, had been with women — but Jason was invested in him.

Like, actively invested in Peter. Forcing himself to spend time with the family for Peter’s benefit, even though Dick knew Jason would rather extract his own teeth. Defending Peter when their siblings toed the lines of appropriate behaviour. Worried over how he was meant to reach out to a man who apparently held himself in the harrowing space between an unspecified traumatic past and the present.

In a line-up of Jason’s relationships, Peter certainly stuck out like a sore thumb. Granted, Dick was well aware that he was ‘painfully hetero’ (Steph’s words), but by all accounts, there was nothing particularly special about Peter — besides his undefined meta abilities. He wasn’t a statuesque goddess like Artemis, nor did he have an air of feral danger like Rose. He wasn’t even close to the refined — but toothless — beauty of that air hostess Dick was ashamed to say he didn’t know the name of. Sure, Peter had a nice enough jawline, Dick supposed, but otherwise, he broke the mold when it came to the romantic interests of Jason Todd.

There was something… vulnerable to Peter Parker. A fragility to his expressions that gave the impression he was permanently on the precipice of shattering. It was a far cry from any of Jason’s past attachments.

But perhaps that was what made it work. The Jason Dick knew — before Joker got to him — on occasion would slip into a caregiver role, especially when out as Robin. In a way, Peter was the logical conclusion to that tendency. Peter was clearly in need of people on his side, and Jason oh so clearly wanted to be someone who was needed.

It was clear even now, as Peter clung absently to Jason’s arm, taking in the zoo with bright and clever eyes, and Jason held their umbrella aloft between them. Dick doubted Peter was even aware that Jason was making sure he was the one to enjoy the umbrella’s coverage, which despite it’s impressive breadth, still wasn’t comprehensive enough to shield two grown men from the rain. Water dripped steadily onto Jason’s shoulder, the waterproofed leather sending the droplets cascading in pearly beads down his sleeve.

Dick wondered if Jason was even aware of what he was doing.

Of course, in other ways, Peter fit right into that line-up. He was clever, for one. Exactly how clever, Dick was hesitant to say, but Peter was observant. It didn’t take long for him to notice there was something up with the zoo.

“Is it just me, or are these exhibits like, weirdly well-made?” Peter said. He and Jason were pressed so close together, their coats would have made a peeling noise if they were pulled apart. It was adorable. “Pretty sure those trees—” Peter pointed at the gibbons enclosure, “should not be as happy as they are in a place like Gotham. They’re tropical.”

The moment Jason mentioned Poison Ivy, Peter’s thoughts took an analytical turn. He studied the rainforest like it was a scientific mystery he couldn’t wait to solve. Dick was familiar with that look: he saw it all too often on Titans and members of the Justice League.

It must have been a terribly cruel thing for Peter to experience, to have been ripped out his home in New York and school. Dick knew Steph joked that Peter’s family got sucked into a cult, but Dick suspected it wasn’t far from the truth. Whoever it was that turned Peter’s parents against him, to the point that Peter had to run away… well, Dick definitely should have pushed a bit harder to know what Jason did to them.

Should have. Hadn’t.

… Wasn’t going to.

“That’s… a bad idea.”

Dick decided it was time to insert himself into the conversation. He sidled closer to the two lovebirds and nearly laughed when all he got for his troubles was a pointed look from Peter and Jason — a mutual ‘what do you think you’re doing?’ — before they were drawn back to each other. Yeah… Peter might not be the kind of person Dick thought Jason would gravitate towards, but when they were together they made sense.

Even the way they flirted, quips bouncing between each other in rapid fire, made the two of them seem like a perfect match. Jason’s sly grin made Dick’s chest ache to see.

“I just think she’d be a fascinating person to talk to!”

“Yeaaah. Not sure if Ivy’d agree with you there.”

“Poison Ivy?” Dick had to fight hard not to laugh. As much as he would have enjoyed stirring the pot, he doubted Jason would be very forgiving if Dick suggested Ivy would be happy talking to some random guy. “She’s… not particularly friendly. To men in particular.”

Peter’s face fell. God, Dick felt a bit like he’d kicked a puppy. “Oh… What if I approached her with a research proposal?”

“Do you have one?” asked Jason, mouth curled into an indulgent smile.

“No,” Peter scoffed. “But I could make one.”

“You trying to dip your toes in a little villainy, Pete?” Dick couldn’t help but laugh. Nevermind his earlier thoughts about Peter: if he was already thinking of ways to ingratiate himself to Ivy for the sake of science, perhaps he wasn’t that far from the pattern of terrifyingly competent women from Jason’s romantic history.

Jason, unseen by Peter, returned Dick’s knowing look with a vicious glare. Dick chose to retreat a little and watch them slip back into their seamless flirting.

Was Jason even aware of how he smiled when he spoke with Peter? Softly fond, eyes crinkling in a way Dick hadn’t seen from him since…. Before. That was his brother. Little Jay. Happy Jay. Cheeky, wry Jay. The Jay that had been stolen from Dick and Bruce.

And there he was, resurfacing for this — this outsider. Some guy who’d popped up out nowhere, bursting into their lives without warning.

Why Peter?

Why weren’t they enough?

You know why.

Irrationally, Dick suddenly seethed with jealous hate for Peter. He could tell from the easy air between them that the camaraderie between Jason and Peter wasn’t performative. This Jason was the Jason Peter got to see every day. A Jason with an even keel, never looking like he was a few bad waves away from capsizing. Dick loved Jason even as he was now; he was proud of how far they’d both come since Jason’s first, brutal return to the city. But that didn’t mean he didn’t miss Jay. Jay, who’d been stolen from Dick far too young, before Dick could even really get his feet under himself and step up to the big brother mantle.

It was a petty and cruel emotion. Dick forced it away as soon as it bubbled forth, but he didn’t think he managed to school his face to completely hide it from his brother. After Peter had been dragged off by Damian in the reptile house, Jason sidled up to him.

“Spit it out then,” he said, and for fuck’s sake, he was already on the defensive, shoulders squared up like he was bracing for a blow.

This was the Jason that Dick usually met, while Peter got friendly, happy ‘Jace’.

Dick was so fucking tired of the antagonism. So he forced on a benign smile and clapped Jason on the shoulder.

“I was just thinking you two are a good fit. Let me know when you go looking for a ring.”

Jason choked on nothing but air. Laughing to himself, Dick strolled sedately in the direction Damian had dragged Peter and Duke in, though they were long gone by now. Comforted by his little brother’s mortification, the unfair resentment towards Peter was a little easier to push aside.

Bruce, inevitably, would be concerned, but Dick was hit by a wave of aching optimism.

Maybe Peter was the person all of them needed. It certainly seemed he was the person Jason needed. And though Dick could hardly say he knew Peter, he hoped , at the least, that Peter was someone generous enough to share his Jason with the rest of them.

Dick thought he’d be happy with a compromise like that.

#spideyhood #existential crisis mode #peter parker x jason todd #spiderman in gotham #they're brothers your honor #fanfic #marvel x dc #i'll probs post this on AO3 when I can be bothered

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