#atbucud

[watchtower-feed]

BatDragon

Batfamily ✧ 1 ✧

     The fight had run long and everyone is exhausted. While Bruce is away on a top-secret intergalactic League mission, all of his wards decided to work as a team to take down Black Mask and his men. Only because it’s been a particularly unusual job, unusual even for Gotham. Black Mask had outsourced manpower from Bane himself to protect his precious cargo, a single chest the size of a serving platter. It was enough for all of them to be cautious and actually work together.

     The Red Hood is making sure every single hired muscle is tied up and unconscious. “Damn. Black Mask sure gave us a fight for this one.” He rubs his gloved hands together while he walks toward the chest. “Makes you wonder what’s inside.”

     Nightwing, Robin, Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan, and the Signal have been circling the cargo as well. Scanning it. Observing it. It’s not made out of gold or silver, just a metal chest with a few dents on it from being roughly handled and eventually dropped during the fight.

     Finally, cautiously, Robin and Red Robin squat down beside it to examine the locks. It’s nothing advanced. In fact, they were just multiple bulky old-fashioned locks. Quietly, the two of them worked together on opening it.

     The tension and anticipation are so thick in the air until Spoiler couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “What is it?” She asked as soon as Robin’s gloved hands are holding the lid and lifting it slowly.

     Red Robin is the first to see a glinting sheen. “Some kind of precious stone?” he remarks. When Robin has the lid all the way down, all of them could see the thing that’s inside. “Not a stone--”

     “An egg,” Robin finishes.

     “Ohmygod,” Nightwing interrupts, “Are we doing Eragon--”

     His mouth hangs open. All of their eyes are glued to the egg in front of them as it rocked in its place and then the sound of a tiny crack echoed inside the harbor warehouse and made their hearts stop. They watch the small intermittent ruptures extend until it finally formed a jagged piece. A piece that’s pushed out by you.

     “It hatched.”

     Your small black claws grip the edge of the egg as you slowly peak over the opening. There are seven gigantic figures crouching down and looking at you closely. They blink. So you blink.

✧ ✧ ✧

     “Who did she look at first?” Jason’s chest rumbles when he speaks and you find the vibration soothing. “Because she’s definitely imprinting on me right now.”

     Tim rolls his eyes as Jason secures you more firmly in his arms and against his chest. You nuzzle the tip of your mouth against the soft thin fabric of his undershirt. “After hatching from the egg she needs to be incubated. It only makes sense that she’d latch onto you ‘cause you’re the one with the strongest body heat here.”

     Your soft claws dig into Jason’s bear arms after hearing Tim’s voice, another soothing sensation to your newfound senses.

     Suddenly, a golden curtain sneaks up on your vision and you’re met with another one of your giants. “I have body heat, too,” she whines. Then, with a gentler voice she speaks to you, “Hey, little you. Wanna come to mama? I bet I’m a lot softer than this rugged old man.”

     Jason tries to tuck you away from her but you’re already crawling towards Steph. She snorts in victory as you settle on her chest. Her bare skin is a lot gentler on your soft scales.

     Two other heads lower down to look at you and you welcome them both by flicking out your tongue and touching the tips of their noses. Cass laughs at the wetness while Dick pouts.

     “How come she’s not acting like the dragon from the movie?” He reaches for your featherless wings, “She hasn’t even opened them once--” and tries to pull on them, causing you to hiss in fear.

     He quickly retracts his arm and spouts rushed apologies. From the few hours they’ve known you, they at least know that you do not like your limbs being pulled.

     Damian walks in with a scowl on his face while nursing his bandaged hand. “What did you do?” he accuses Dick right away.

     “He tried to pull on her wings,” Duke spits out right away. Everyone shifts their glares at him because he still hasn’t gotten rid of his instinct to tattle, a habit that’s gravely unwelcome among Batman’s wards.

     “Tsk.” Damian walks up to Steph to examine you closely, making sure you’re unhurt. He’s also close enough for you to lick his nose. Your smallest giant. The giant who helped you climb out of your egg and onto his harm.

     Damian was so curious at your mysterious physique that he couldn’t help running his fingers along your trunk and then pulling on the spiked ball that was the tip of your tail. So you bit him.

     Everyone shouted and Duke swatted you away making you fall on the ground. Scared and helpless. But it was Damian who extended his other hand again and picked you up to take you home.

     You’ve been staring at him long enough that Steph gently hands you to him. Damian carries you with both of his hands. You may only be a little longer than his forearm, but you easily extend beyond his embrace.

     “I’m taking her with me to Nanda Parbat.”

     Angry gasps fill the room and you watch tensely as your bigger giants quickly surround him. 

     “What?”

     “Give her back,” Steph’s the only one who stomps toward Damian.

     Damian doesn’t step back. “The manor is no place to raise a dragon.”

     “But it’s enough for a demon,” Jason quips, “and we’ve survived.”

     “The League of Assassins is centuries old. My family is the greatest source we have to find out more about her species.”

     “Good lord.”

     Everyone turns and freezes the moment they see Alfred in his robe and nightdress. His hands are shaking while he ties his robe around his waist and stares wide-eyed at you. You blink at the new older giant who’s standing underneath the doorway. He doesn’t blink back.

     “Alfred, we can explain--”

     “You brought home a baby dragon…”

     Finally, once the absurdity of it all has been voiced out, Bruce’s wards can finally feel the gravity of this single night.

✧ ✧ ✧

     Batman is too far out in another galaxy to be reached and his wards didn’t want the League to know about you. In their eyes, your giants are still children and they would take you away from them.

     Instead, another family member was called.

     When Ra’s Al Ghul makes it to the manor’s front door alongside his daughter, he stops. They turn to each other and wonder if they should just break-in. But they didn’t come here to intrude. Damian had invited them over and so they knock and wait.

     There’s nothing more surreal than the Al Ghul’s having tea with Alfred and Bruce’s wards, everyone out of their costumes and combat gear. Well almost everyone.

     “Why aren’t you guys in costume? That’s Ra’s Al Ghul,” the Signal whispers behind his cup of tea.

     “‘Cause he’s Ra’s Al Ghul,” Tim answers. “If anyone knows who we are, he would.”

     Jason leans in and gives the Signal his own two-cents, “Plus, they came to the manor and not the cave. That should’ve been your heads up.”

     Frustrated, he takes off his mask and sinks into his chair, letting the previous silence continue to grow in the Wayne sitting room.

     Then Dick breaks it, “So Damian told you and you came here, huh?”

     Talia smiles while her father continues to drink his tea with his eyes shut. “Wouldn’t you?” she teases, “I’m sure even beloved himself would come down from his perch if you had told him there’s a dragon in the manor.” Talia watches in amusement as Bruce’s wards swallow. She turns to Jason for confirmation. After having been raised by Talia after his resurrection, he knew he couldn’t lie to her so he looks away. “So you truly haven’t told him.”

     Finally, Damian walks back into the room with Steph who’s been holding you gently against her chest while you slept. When you pick up the new scents in the room, you immediately wake up and turn to them.

     To everyone’s surprise, Ra’s Al Ghul quickly stands. He stares at you. And very slowly he walks forward to meet you. He gazes down. Old ancient eyes study you deeply while you stare at him and blink.

     Of course, a living breathing dragon would be something the League is interested in-- something he’s interested in. After centuries on this Earth, he has never seen one and has at least once wondered if they truly exist. But today his grandson offers him that experience.

     Only to be disappointed.

     “This is nothing but a lizard.”

✧ 1 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧

[hains-mae]

Five Hargreeves x Dolores

(Just a little context for the mini comic above: Dolores runs away from the Griddy’s Donuts shop cuz she hears the fight Five and the commissioners were having. Then she leaves the mannequin when Five shows up cuz she thought it was a security guard.)

@disco-tea​ and @klaus-is-the-real-number-1​ made these adorable mini drabbles about Five and Dolores. If you’re a fan of the ship, or just want to read something cute/angsty please consider it: Dancing With Your Ghost by klaus-is-the-real-number-1 (can be considered as Part 1) and Part 2 by disco-tea!

I was so inspired by the both of them which resulted in the past FivexDolores doodles and now THIS.

I’m gonna be posting the rest on my Patreon soon! So for those who wanna see the whole story unfold in illustration form, keep a look out for my next post!

(You’re gonna have to read them in order to understand this fully… but I’ll try my best to summarize…)

Summary (which will be based of mine, @klaus-is-the-real-number-1, @disco-tea​, and @atbucud​‘s head canons):

Five jumps into the future and finds himself lost in the aftermath of an apocalypse. He feels scared, and alone, until he finds “Dolores” – the mannequin. Little did he know about the sweet ghost who stuck around to keep him company (in a way), and the way she would speak to him through the doll.

“What’s your name?” he asked her. 

“Dolores.” she answered through unmoving lips. 

“Dolores, huh. What a pretty name.”

Five grows up in the barren wasteland. He learns how to live on the scraps he finds. His relationship with Dolores deepens too. Little by little they learn more about each other.

The Handler comes on an unexpected day. She offers Five a deal he cannot refuse, and Dolores is conflicted. When the time comes to say goodbye, she hugs him tight. The blue light encompasses her, and that’s when Dolores realizes ghosts can time travel.

Dolores follows Five as she normally does, and watches as they create the perfect killing machine. He hates it. Her non-existent heart aches for him as the days in the commission goes by. 

Finally the day comes where he thinks he has the equation all figured out. He goes over it one more time before deciding to make the jump. Only, his calculation must’ve been wrong – because he comes back to 2019, as his 13 year old self. (If only he knew that his beloved ghost was the calculation he overlooked.) 

Somewhere in the city, a girl jolts up from her sleep.

Dolores is back. She’s alive – again.

[superhero--imagines]

A/N: Happy Halloween kids! (Because I feel very old lol). So this imagine was requested by the lovely @atbucud​ who is probably the best beta reader/editor/fan/person I’ve ever known.

This imagine is going to be like the premise, and at the end you’ll have a {Love choice} and get to pick an ending. Endings will be linked and posted next week on Halloween! Hope you like it! Also let me know if this format is annoying/troublesome. I like to think it’s more interactive, but if most of y’all find it a hassle then it’s not worth it. 

Oh, and Damian Wayne is 18 in this. 

* First off, you’re rollin’ with some pretty rich kids, so you while it’s possible you go to some Jank Halloween party at someone’s house

* You’re probably going to a bougie charity gala that “the Wayne” foundation puts on every year

* “Let’s draw” Stephanie states triumphantly, placing a large glass bowl full of torn pieces of paper in the table in the middle of the living room at Wayne manor.

* Jason only raises an eyebrow, turning his attention back to his phone

* “Draw for what?” You ask, notching everyone’s disinterest

* “Costumes for the gala of course” Stephanie says it’s like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

* Damian sputters

* “Why would anyone do that?”

* “Because it would be funny” she grins, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes

* Tim flashes her a look

* “There’s no way any of us are going along with whatever crazy costumes you’ve put in there”

* Besides it’s already bad enough that they even have to go at all

* Jason would rather watch Dick clip his toenails

* Damian just wants to spend the night with Titus and watch movies with you

* Tim was hoping to go to his favorite local coffee shop’s Halloween party

* Dick would rather go to the block party his friend invited him to

* Cass just wants to stay home and pass out candy

* Barbara’s smart enough to be “out of town”

* And you’re just happy to be here tbh

* Stephanie’s not deterred by their lack of enthusiasm though, a mischievous smile curling onto her face.

* Her hand are suddenly resting on your shoulders, her face pressed against your hair

* “Aw, that’s too bad. I was really excited to see what costume our lovely (y/n) would pull out.”

* She’s feigning despair, but as soon as the words tumble out it’s like all five of their ears perk up.

* “Out of curiosity,” Tim starts, setting down his laptop. “What are some costumes in there?”

* You aren’t facing her but you can picture the mischievous glint in her eyes.

* She’s got them now.

* “Oh you know, the usual: Wonder Woman, cat woman, Zatanna’s costume-“

* You shrug, so far those seem pretty tame. The bat family seems to reflect your opinion, visibly deflating.

* Jason will be honest, you in a Wonder Woman costume does sound pretty sexy

* But it’s not exactly taboo, if he hung around you long enough he’d get to see you in it eventually.

* Dick and Cassie think you would look pretty cute in Zatanna’s costume, something about that magicians outfit hugging your form just seems right.

* But like Jason, they think they’ll see you in something similar eventually. No point in going along with Stephanie’s antics.

* Damian thinks it might be kind of nice if you were Wonder Woman, and he was Superman, that way you could both match

* But the chances of you both drawing those exact options are low. He would rather just take his chances and ask you if you would want to match.

* Tim’s bright red at the thought of you on a car woman outfit, the tight suit leaves little to the imagination

* But he’s oddly possessive and he doesn’t want anyone else to see you like that.

* So basically it looks like a bust so far

* “- and robin, nightwing, red hood, red robin, and batgirl of course.”

* All five of their heads pop back up, Stephanie grins

* Got ‘em

* The thought of you in their costume is bewitching

* “I mean it only makes sense, they’re the costumes we have in house after all”

* You know it makes sense, and it’s practical, but their collective gaze makes you blush and look away.

* But if you’re being honest there’s a certain someone you want to see in a certain costume too.

* “I guess it takes the pressure off of choosing” Jason grumbles

* “It might be funny.” Cass shrugs, but you catch the slight blush on her face

* So you all sit in a circle the bowl at the center.

* Alfred enters with a tray full of drinks and snacks, takes one look at the seven of you, and promptly walks back out.

* He’ll just..... come back later

* “Shortest stick draws last” Stephanie says.

* Which is coincidently you.

* Jason gets to go first

* “I got-Clark Kent?” He frowns, it’s not the worst, but he’s confused. Does this mean he’s supposed to be Superman?

* “Oh, I put that in for fun, easy costume, just need glasses and a white shirt”

* Jason sighs, well it could be worse

* “Batman in a recession?” Dicks eyebrows are threaded together

* Jason holds back a laugh, he could be Dick.

* “What the hell does that mean Steph?”

* Stephanie shrugs

* “Like you know, instead of a bat mobile you have a Prius, and instead of those bat-erangs you have like, knives idk get creative”

* Duck huffs, you better get robin after this

* “Raven” Cass says. Praying no one will notice that her piece of paper says “the penguin”

* To her relief everyone passes right over her, she crsuhes the slip of my paper in her hand, and breathes a sigh of relief

* Tim spends several minutes shuffling his hand around in the bowl

* “Tim just pick one!”

* “I’ll pick one when I’m damn ready, I’m not getting Wonder Woman dammit!”

* The moods pretty tense, so you say-

* “Idk I think you would make a cute Wonder Woman Tim!”

* Cue Tim.exe failing to work, his hand shooting out of the bowl

* “Catwoman, well, I guess cat boy in your case” Stephanie reads off the paper from his hand and Tim only blushes darker

* Damian’s hand shoot into the bowl, pulling out a scrap

* “A tennis player” he reads in a deadpan voice before scowling. “Brown that isn’t even a superhero”

* “You watch Serena Williams win another championship and then tell me what she does isn’t a superpower.”

* Stephanie’s hand dips into the bowl

* “Dolly Parton.” Stephanie shrugs, she pit it in because she thought it would be funny if one of the boys got it, but she actually pretty pleased

* Stephanie’s sure she can make a pretty hot Dolly Parton

* All at once their eyes turn to you.

* There’s still a handful of scraps in the bowl, but you feel a bit of pressure under their gazes.

* You look down at your hand.

* “A cheerleader for your favorite superhero?”

* Stephanie had put that one in as a joke too, imagining Damian with clip on ponytails and Pom poms.

* “Yeah, just like it sounds. You get to pick which superhero you’re rooting for” she grins, this should be pretty interesting

* “So who will you go as?”

* You gulp, to be honest there’s only one person you’re really rooting for

{Love Choice}

Who’s the number one hero in your heart?

Dick

Jason

Tim

Cassie

Damian

Surprise 1! 

Surprise 2! 

I like marvel better

A/N: on Halloween next week you’ll be able to pick which ending/character you want! I’ll add the links in to each choice for the imagine. This is not a voting situation. They’ll all be written (probably)

[thewaynemanner]

Tag Game

Tagged by: @primeemeraldheiress 😁

Rules: tag 9 people you would like to know better/catch up with!

Last Song: Piel by Arca (On Repeat because I can't and won't stop)

Last Movie: Shrek 2

Currently Watching: Bruce Lee's Warrior.

Currently Reading: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski, Harleen by Stjepan Šejić

Currently Craving: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Tagging: @nightwingvixen23 @birdy-bat-writes @stevieraebarnes @jason-todd-rh @atbucud @epistemologys @elareine @bitterleafs @behindtherobinsmask

[superhero--imagines]

Y’all hype me up I’m thirsting for George .... like more than usual

Tagging @atbucud because I forgot to lolololol

Etsy Store Here l Ko-Fi l Commission Info I Instagram I Zine

Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here! / <This is Part 3!>

A/N: I'm on a HP writing roll also that picture of Oliver Phelps is too cute. Drop those requests and Oh, and if you are in the market for some cute pro-Weasley shirts, check out my 'Weasley Suprmeacy' shirt here!

- George whistles a cheery tune as he walks down the street

- All around him are couples madly in love, gazing upon everything with rose tinted glasses

- And for once

- George is one of them now too

- No more watching Ron and Hermione giggle over some inside joke like a couple of schoolgirls

- Or watch Fred and Angelina Johnson make eyes at each other from across the room while all he could do was wonder what he had to do to get someone like that

- Because now he has you

- And he never has to spend Valentine’s Day alone again

- He’s so caught up in the joy of having someone, and his pride in not being one of those morons who wait until the last minute to make a reservation, that he doesn’t notice the line wrapped around your store

- He doesn’t notice until he walks inside and sees the chaotic state

- “Ainsley will you pass the ribbon?”

- “Henry get the customer will ya?”

- “Boss we’re out of the red roses!”

- “Get some red food coloring and put it in the water of the white roses!”

- So he probably won’t be needing those reservations

- “Oh George,” you notice him standing at the door after several long minutes of him watching you frantically move around the shop trying to fill orders

- You stand in front of apologizing profusely

- “I’m sorry I know we’ve had tonight planned out for so long-“

- “I didn’t think we would be so busy-“

- You usually do appointment only for Valentine’s but... your bills came in a little higher this month and your landlord is talking about a rent increase

- And so you kind of need this money

- Still, you thought you would be able to manage, but you seriously underestimated how many people would require your services last minute

- George listens to your carefully, only speaking after you say you're final: “I’m so sorry, I promise I’ll make it up to you”

- He nods and you think that will be that

- And then he glances at your apron, a finger gently picking at one of the straps that sit on your shoulder

- “Have you got an extra one of these?”

- And so that’s how George spends his Valentine’s Day

- In a bright pink apron collecting muggle money and placating customers at your store

- And it’s not how he quite pictured it- but he’s got the biggest smile on his face because he’s with you

- Watching you scamper around is oddly cute too

- Besides helping here isn’t all the difference then working at his shop

- He just can’t use magic

- “Oh I thought we were out of red roses?” You say when he brings you a dozen roses from the backroom

- “I found a few hidden behind some pink ones” he lies

- Well, he can’t blatantly use magic

- It’s 10:17 when you flip the shop sign over, bidding your employees a happy Valentine’s Day

- You don’t bother finding a chair, sitting on the ground, and letting out a relieved sigh

- Finally, it’s over

- George settles on the floor next to you, sporting a similar expression

- You laugh

- “I’m guessing this falls into your top ten worst Valentine’s days”

- Now it’s George that laughs

- “Not even close, I think the worst one was when I was at school, all of us single lads passed around a box of Bertie Botts”

- “What’s Bertie Botts?” You ask

- Oh bullocks, is that not a muggle thing too?

- “They’re like jelly beans, but there are a few gag flavors thrown in like rotten egg and freshly mown grass”

- “That sounds like a very teenage thing to do,” you say with a laugh

- Oh good looks like you bought it

- “Second worst then,” you say and shakes his head with a grin

- “It was actually really fun,” his smile softens when he looks at you, your eyes meet his.

- “It’s always really fun when you’re around.”

- And from any other man, you would think they were empty words.

- But George’s warm eyes and that soft expression he has as he gazes at you with nothing but adoration tells you it’s all completely genuine

- And you fidget, clearing your throat

- “Well the least I can do is treat you to a meal”

- “Want to beg the restaurant to take us even though we’re-“ he looks at his watch “3 hours late?”

- “Not quite,” you say laughing

- You tip the pizza boy in flowers, who seems ecstatic with the bouquet in his hands

- “My significant others going to love these thank you!”

- You practically crawl up to the rooftop of your shop where George has already set up a makeshift table with your bare minimum patio furniture, lit candles at the center

- “I’ll have to apologize, I didn’t bring a bottle of wine so all I have is this”

- George holds up a silver flask

- You don’t hesitate to take a swig from it when he offers

- You cough almost immediately

- “What was in that?” You’ve never had anything like it

- It almost tasted like fire

- “Fi- I mean, cinnamon whisky,” George says and you offer him a small smile

- “Well bring a bottle next time, I like it”

- You grin, eating pizza side by side while watching the city lights

- George has to keep himself from grinning

- Best Valentine’s Day ever

[watchtower-feed]

All in Your Head (Part 5)

SSA Main ✧ Batman ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧

    You turn to Bruce and he’s already glaring at you. He’s already put two and two together and summed up the rest of your story.

    You gulp before telling him, “She wants to help the Justice League stop Luthor but… in exchange for a big favor.”

     You slept early. Earlier than Bruce. You pace quickly in the black space as you wait for him to arrive, all the while grasping the replica of your phone. The screen’s brightness shines in the darkness like a floodlight.

     When Bruce finally arrives, his bat suit blends in with the empty dreamscape and you don’t see him at first. But you hear his thoughts as he freely lets them loose, foregoing all trained inhibitions because he’s now with you. Then you find out that he already knows.

     Your head whips around harshly and you’re glaring at him. “You read her message.” 

     Bruce stops mid step and stations himself on the spot. He’s feeling the air with both your subconscious in it. You know this. You expected it. Without ever having to tell you, you know he keeps watch of you outside of this safe haven. His diligence tripled after Luthor and Crane’s stunt.

     He’s too far away to personally keep you safe and keeping you close would only put a larger target on your back. He knows you understand why. But now he’s trying to figure out why you’re on edge.

     You shake your head. You can feel him filtering through your swimming thoughts. 

     “Did you find her?” you ask.

     Ah. There it is. He realizes that this isn’t about the two of you. This is about Luthor and his soulmate. This is about you worrying after she had sent you that message. Thanking you for helping her get in touch with the Justice League and apologizing for all the trouble she’s caused. She also promised to keep Luthor in check as much as she could.

     “No.”

     “You have to find her, Bruce. What if she’s in danger?”

     Bruce continues walking toward you. As he walks, the air shifts, and the space is slowly forming.

     “Green Arrow saw her follow Luthor willingly,” he answers her.

     You almost couldn’t believe it. When she asked them to take away Luthor’s memories of her, her resolve was unwavering. She was willing to give Luthor the life he’s always wanted even if it meant she’ll never be in it. 

     Bruce is standing next to you now, while the two of you are on a farm, under a big tree, and looking out at a big pile of ashes on the ground. He takes off his cowl. “We took care of Luthor’s labs and took all his research and artifacts connected to the soulmate links. They’re all in League custody. We also searched his past residences in case he kept something sentimental connected to her.”

     That’s when you hear it in the air, the unspoken information that you’re standing where Luthor had grown up and where they had met. Bruce fills your subconscious with short notes about the ashes that had once been Luthor’s house. He keeps them short and factual to avoid overloading your emotions.

     “And did he?” you ask.

     Bruce purses his lips and doesn’t answer. He does it when he knows you won’t like hearing the answer. But you think he does it because he doesn’t like it either. He changes the dreamscape back to darkness. 

     “But he has his memories back?” you ask even though you already know the answer. It’s the only reason why she would follow him. That means Luthor has finally accepted her as his soulmate. But you need to hear it from Bruce to be sure, to be hopeful.

     “Miss Martian reported an anomaly in his memory bank. It was well organized and clearly labeled–”

     “A trap.”

     “A distraction.” You stare at Bruce with a puzzled look. “Luthor’s brain was overwhelming. Miss Martian would have found it too taxing to verify each and every memory and thought. She had to trust that everything was labeled accurately.”

     “And you let her,” you interrupt, “That means you already knew that Luthor was aware of the plan. He had a failsafe.”

     Bruce hums to himself and you could feel his thoughts swimming around you before he speaks, “It had to be a single memory. Short enough to hide from a telepath but strong enough to incite every other memory he’s ever had.”

     Bruce doesn’t say anymore but you stop feeling his buzzing subconscious in the air, no longer analyzing relentlessly, as if he’s figured it out.

     “It was a memory of her, wasn’t it?” you blurt out. Bruce doesn’t respond. He’s not sure whether the answer will make you happy or not. 

     Instead of answering, he shifts the space into the batcave and walks toward his computer. But he doesn’t miss the twitch of your fingers and the way your knees lock in place once the space has fully formed.

     “Maybe–,” you start to say but the screams, gunshot, and maniacal laughter in your head echo loudly. You want to be anywhere but here. You want to ask for a different space but there’s no need to say anymore because Bruce quickly shifts the surrounding into the Watchtower.

     “I’m sorry,” he says as he walks back to you.

     Bruce may relive his nightmares every night but not enough time has passed for you to forget what it was like to feel like you’re dying. You think no time will ever be enough to forget the guilt and sorrow you felt when you were dying in front of Bruce. His hopelessness and desperation. They were heavy in the air and it suffocated you, pushing down on your chest. It felt like Bruce’s mind was willing you to death.

     Bruce holds your hand and squeezes it. You can feel his own dread weighing in the air. You don’t want that. There’s more than enough of it in here and out there. You try to cheer up while looking around the Watchtower.     

     “So all and all, everything turned out alright.” You sigh in relief, giving yourself time to dispel your own negative thoughts. When you turn to him, your smile is genuine, “I’m glad.” But he squeezes your hand again. “Oh!” you exclaim, taking your hand away to bring it to your face. You want to change the subject. “The Fate sister! Is she…”

     Bruce purses his lips and narrows his eyes. He studies you for only a second before he sighs. “With her sisters,” he answers while he turns to the Watchtower screen. It turns on to show you a clip of the Fate sisters and their reunion. “The League wanted to hold her for questioning. So we can be better prepared next time someone targets the links. But she’s still a civilian so we let them go.”

     You’re relieved to find him irritated. It’s very subtle. Narrowed eyes with pupils slightly moving side to side as he prevents himself from rolling his eyes. No doubt a mannerism he had in his younger years and Alfred had conditioned it out of him. 

     You snicker, “I’m sure her sisters were ecstatic. Cryptic but ecstatic.”

     “They were… helpful.” Bruce takes a moment before he turns to you and plants a  scene in the middle of the Watchtower lobby. “They let us keep the cauldron and the scissors.”

     Bruce replays his memory of what happened at Luthor’s private lab where Luthor severed his link with his soulmate. You watch his soulmate beg for her memories and notice how she continued to caress him as they stole his. You hear and witness everything and your knees are suddenly weak but your soulmate holds you.

     Bruce speaks as the scene dissolves in front of you. “Some links automatically stop once the soulmate’s meet. But they’re still tied to each other.”

     Then, you feel it. A question hangs in the air and it’s so heavy you feel your muscles straining to keep you standing. With wide eyes and quivering lips, you turn to your soulmate. Bruce asks you something he’s wanted to ask you for the longest time. Ever since the first night, you appeared in his nightmare.

     “Would you like to stop meeting here?”

     You knew it was coming but you’re still stunned. No thought fills the air. He watches you closely to figure out your answer before he hears it. But he doesn’t. So he furrows his brows and his mouth curls down when he looks at the ground.

     You know it’s not because he doesn’t want you. You know perfectly well why he’s asking if you want to sever your link. This is the dreamscape where your subconscious runs freely. There is no room for misunderstandings here.

     Bruce’s voice is lower when he speaks again. “We have the means to cut our link and dream on our own again. No more nightmares, Y/N.”

     You frown. You frown so deeply and your eyes water as you watch the lines on his brows grow more prominent and the way his eyes twitch as he stares hard at the stark grey floor. You reach out to touch his cheeks and make him turn to you. Your lips quiver when you speak and you hold him in your hands to keep him right where he is.

     “There’ll always be nightmares, Bruce.” You lean forward until your forehead touches his and you close your eyes. “Whether it’s yours or mine, at least we’ll go through it together.”

     Bruce opens his mouth to speak but his jaws are shaking and his teeth are clashing. Instead he kisses you on the forehead. His lips press firmly against your skin and too soon he pulls back.

     “You shouldn’t have to,” he whispers.

     You grit your own teeth and your tears are still falling. “No one should.”

     You grip the hem of his cape and pull him close until he’s pressed against you. You clutch tightly, afraid he’ll disappear from your dreams, afraid he’s not real. But he is. He’s here and you feel it. You feel it when he wraps his arms around you and how his hands grip your shoulders. You feel it when he buries his face in your hair and lets out the shaky breath he’s been holding.

     You let yourselves stay in this peaceful moment, without words and without thoughts. Until it’s broken by a familiar song. You throw your head back with a laugh, tears still in your eyes when you finally speak, “Rick Astley?!” And Bruce thinks he could never be more enamored by you than in this moment. “Is that your alarm?” you ask in disbelief.

     He shakes his head and surprisingly he gives you a small smile and turns away slightly. “It’s my communicator at the manor. Dick changed it.”

     You immediately stop laughing but you try to keep up a small smile as you disentangle yourselves. “So the work continues,” you tease and Bruce replies with a small nod. You can tell he’s composing himself because once he wakes up, he’s no longer just your soulmate but the dark knight of Gotham City. “You need a break.”

     Bruce turns to you and finds you smiling impishly. He returns it with a smirk of his own. “I do.” His attention turns to the large monitor displaying the Justice League insignia.  “Most likely, the League will force me to file for one sometime soon.”

     You laugh and eye him curiously. “Where are you gonna go?”

     Bruce looks at you, one eyebrow raised and there’s a subtle glint in his eyes. “Would you like to see the Watchtower in person?”

END.

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧ 

[watchtower-feed]

All in Your Head (Part 4)

SSA Main Story ✧ Batman ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5

    “Master Bruce,” Alfred says gently, “It appears to be an alteration of Scarecrow’s fear toxin.”

    Bruce groans as he drops down from the table, “What kind of alteration?”

    Alfred doesn’t answer him right away. Instead, he stares at Bruce and from the way he looks, he might already know, “It’s a lot milder. Mild enough to not affect your consciousness…” he let his words hang as he watches the slow recognition dawn on Bruce’s face. “And only affect you while you’re unconscious.”

    Bruce clenches his fists and suddenly finds it hard to swallow.

   “They know.”

     Bruce tried his best to avoid sleeping for the next two weeks until the fear toxin was completely out of his system. Even then, he doesn’t see you in his dreams for almost a month. He doesn’t think it’s because you’re not sleeping. His best guess is that you bought link blockers from the black market and took them.

     Incredibly irresponsible but a smart move. If you had been in the dreamscape with Bruce’s subconscious, you would have died a thousand different ways in the hands of a different villain every night. Just like he did.

     Bruce Wayne can handle his own death. He’s prepared himself for it before he first took up the mantle. He visualizes it every night and he always dies alone.

     He doesn’t want the people he cares about to get hurt. Not just physically. He doesn’t want anyone to see him die and have to carry that image throughout their lives. He loves his parents but sometimes he wishes he would stop seeing their faces in the darkness. He wishes he didn’t have to live through it over and over again, every single night.

     The alley light flickers over their dead bodies and Bruce looks up at the sight of a shadow walking into the light. He knows it’s not you. He knows the you in front of him was made by his own subconscious. A perversion.

     You kneel down, your bare knees crunching the gravel that pokes at your skin, but you’re smiling as if it doesn’t hurt. As if his parents aren’t dead behind you.

     You touch him, your palms pressing against his cheeks and lifting his face to look at you. To turn away from the bodies and only look into your eyes. Gentle and warm unlike the cold and stench of Crime Alley.

     Your thumb brushes his cheekbones and it makes him weak. Bruce wishes this made him sick to his stomach but he misses you so much he lets this poor copy of you pull him into an embrace.

     Its arms cling around his neck. It snuggles its nose just below his ear. One of its hands cup the back of his head and tangle its fingers in his hair. Mimicking everything you do, exactly as you do it when you embrace him. A perfect replica of everything Bruce remembers about your touch.

     It’s only when Bruce wakes up that he feels the repulsion of what he’s done.

     One night, after a difficult mission with the League that brought them no closer to uncovering more of Luthor’s plans, Bruce enters the dreamscape and finds himself in the main hall of the Watchtower.

     He wonders if he accidentally went through the zeta tube instead of his bedroom door. But then he sees you staring out the window. He tries to make you go away and you feel the push of his subconscious.

     You turn around and stare at him. Bruce is startled, one foot raised in midstep like a burglar caught red-handed. You narrow your eyes at him.

     “You’ve been spending your nights with a fake me.”

     You didn’t need to hear the answer because the guilt already made its way around the creases of Bruce’s face. 

     “We promised.”

     Bruce walks toward you slowly. He takes your hand in his and kisses the back of it. “Forgive me.”

     You watch Bruce hide his face from you, bowing down before you. You gently retrieve your hand and hold his cheeks in your palms. As you lift his head, you look at him with your brows furrowed.

     “Have you been lonely?” you ask. Bruce closes his eyes and presses against your touch. You pull him closer until you can hide your face in his chest, hiding the creases of your own brows. “I’m sorry, too.”

     Your soulmate lifts your head from his chest and kisses you.

     You have always expected the things in the dreamscape to be surreal, after all, they only resemble what could be. But whenever you kiss, it feels so warm and all-consuming that you know in your heart this is what Bruce’s kiss tastes like in the waking world.

     He pulls away and gives himself just enough space to look at you. To memorize every contour, every bump, every sunken skin on your face. Bruce knows his subconscious could never replicate your perfection.

     You smile at Bruce and then suddenly grab hold of his cheeks too quickly, making a slapping sound in the dreamscape. 

     “Bruce! I have good news. Great news!”

     While Bruce mimics your wide eyes, yours from excitement, his from your pseudo-slap, you alter the Watchtower lobby into what looks like a cramped temple with small Greek columns. 

     “You went to the Fates,” Bruce assumes immediately. He’s frowning.

     Despite his growing fondness for you and your link, Bruce detests the whole soulmate business and the Fate sisters. He believes anyone who’s not willing to cooperate with the Justice League has something sinister to hide.

     “I didn’t plan on going to them,” you turn to your soulmate with a sheepish look and playful smile, knowing what you’re about to say is much worse. “I was at the black market--” Bruce knows but just hearing your confession made him narrow his eyes. “But you wouldn’t believe who I met there--”

     An apparition of you enters the small temple, following another figure who places an offering at the atrium and calls out to the Fates.

     “That’s Lex Luthor’s soulmate.”

     Bruce almost can’t believe what you’re saying. He doesn’t understand why you’re smiling. “Y/N--”

     “It’s not what you think,” because you already know exactly what he’s suggesting. Being in each other’s subconscious has made both of you more sensitive to each other’s tells. “His soulmate wants to helps us, Bruce.”

     “How do you know she’s Luthor’s soulmate.”

     “Because she knows who I am,” Bruce narrows his eyes, trying to think deeply while listening to you. “They have a memory link, one of the rarest. It plants the soulmate into someone’s memories so it feels like they’ve been together their whole lives. One of the memories she was in was when Luthor found out about our link and hired Scarecrow to make your fear toxin.”

     Silence suddenly filled the dreamscape and all figures have stopped. Even you and Bruce. You haven’t talked about your last night together. Everything that transpired. Haunting memories relived. You dying.

     You’re startled by the hand that holds you. Bruce squeezes your hand until you look him in the eyes. His gaze is gentle. His eyes are almost glistening.

     “Luthor could have put her up to this,” he says softly.

     “He didn’t.”

     “What makes you so sure, Y/N?”

     Bruce only ever calls you by your first name when he’s being his most affectionate. When you’re hiding in your whispers, under the sheets, or crying to wakefulness. He says it now because Bruce Wayne is genuinely fearful of what might happen to you.

     “Because I met her, Bruce.” Before he could say another word, you hold up your hand, a gentle tell to let you continue. “I could tell that she loves Luthor. That’s why she wants to help us stop him.”

     Bruce is shaking his head, “I don’t understand, Y/N.”

     You smile at Bruce and turn back to the apparitions in the temple. Two more figures enter the room. Two old women in grey loose tunics that flowed down to the cobbled floor. Luthor’s soulmate bows down to pick up her offering and hands it to them.

     The scene continues silently and you lean in to whisper to Bruce, “She’s asking for their forgiveness because Luthor kidnapped one of their sisters a few years ago.”

     Bruce’s brows furrow, connecting the dots in his head, realizing how Luthor has been able to do the unthinkable with the links. “He’s been planning this for years?”

     “According to his soulmate, since he was 17. Ever since he found out about their link.” You suddenly had the urge to wrap your arms around Bruce as you continue to look into the temple.

     Bruce rubs the small of your back. “I take it that he wasn’t very happy about the arrangement.”

     “Ever the detective,” you tease but without heart.

     You watch the scene continue. Luthor’s soulmate straightens up and addresses each of the sisters.

     “I just want to know if Lex’s plan will work. If it’s possible that he can use the links’ power to alter destiny itself.”

     Bruce grits his teeth. “So that’s his endgame.”

     The Fate sisters turn to each other. The tallest and wisest one answers her, “Child, there is no such thing as destiny. Not the one you think of. The only real destiny is death. Even for those who think themselves immortal.”

     You chuckle a little despite the atmosphere. It’s one of the things Bruce has loved about you. “Makes you grateful you don’t have to talk to them for League business.”

     Bruce smirks.

     “But I need your help! We have to stop him or more people are going to lose their links and get hurt. Don’t you want your sister back?”

     The smaller sister, the compassionate one, touches her arm, “Our sister will survive. We’re not the ones to help you. You know this.” The sisters said their goodbyes and left the atrium. Luthor’s soulmate turns to you before the dream vanishes and returns you and Bruce to the Watchtower lobby.

     You turn to Bruce and he’s already glaring at you. He’s already put two and two together and summed up the rest of your story.

     You gulp before telling him, “She wants to help the Justice League stop Luthor but... in exchange for a big favor.”

SSA Main Story ✧ Batman ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5

[watchtower-feed]

Death Do We Part (Part 15)

SSA Spin-off ✧ Jason Todd ✧ Physical Link ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧ Words: 2,700+

     You rest your head on your knees as you look at Tim. Your lips tremble as you watch him struggle with his thoughts.

     He stares at his hands with narrowed eyes before you hear his broken voice.

     “... I don’t know if I want to be Robin anymore.”

     The morning dragged on agonizingly slow with Tim hiding in your room, Bruce nursing a drink in the kitchen, and Alfred sitting beside him. But when Bruce’s phone rang and the hospital told him that his son, Richard Grayson, was just admitted into Gotham General, everything sped past like a blur.

     The city traffic buzzing through the car’s window. The loud reporters hounding you at the entrance. The doctor’s mouth moving in silence as he reads from a chart, explaining Dick’s condition. You were only picking up words like critical and surgery.

     The first thing you became conscious of was Alfred’s hand on your shoulder. “Y/N. He’s going to be okay.” You didn’t even notice your tears until he was wiping them away.

     It’s past midnight in the hospital room. Tim is sleeping on the couch. Alfred is  in an extra bed. Bruce had just stepped out for coffee. And you’re still awake, curling up in the armchair closest to Dick. You’re holding his hand and looking at the fringes of his hair lying on his forehead. Slowly you loosen your grip to brush them back, but Dick’s fingers curl around yours.

     You’re too busy staring at his hand when he opens his eyes.

     “Hi…”

     You cover your mouth to trap the sob that’s lodged in your throat. “Dick--”

     He smiles. “H-hey hey. I’m okay.” He sounds exhausted but he still tries to laugh. “It’s just-- what? Like broken ribs again?”

     You frown at him, “One punctured your spleen, Dick. They had to stitch it up during surgery.”

     Dick chuckles, “Another one? Man. I swear I get one every other month. I probably passed out on Jason.”

     “You were with Jason?” your voice hitched a little but you lower it right away and check on Alfred and Tim.

     “Oh yeah… we had a nice little chat…” Dick’s looking at you now while frowning. “So… you’re leaving.”

     You pause and then look down when you answer, “I don’t know. I haven’t heard from Jason since yesterday morning.”

     Dick raises one eyebrow and teases you, “The morning after?”

     “Shut up,” you snap at him in a whisper, making him snicker quietly. You blush but you can’t help give a small laugh as well.

     Dick smiles at you.

     “He told me you were leaving and I was hoping to charm the two of you into staying.” He gives you a look, one that’s both sad and disappointed. “But I don’t really think that’s an option, huh.”

     Dick squeezes your hand and your voice is a lot softer when you answer, “He killed the Joker, Dick. In front of Bruce.”

     “Yeah. He told me.”

     “And you almost died, too.”

     Dick laughs, “Ye of little faith in me, Y/N. I had those guys--”

     “But the bomb. That one was real--”

     Dick shushes you. “Jason’s friends got me off the bridge before it went off. Guess you guys were too busy watching Jay and Bruce’s fight.”

     Dick slumps back against the pillows and stares at the point where the ceiling and the wall meet. “I hate to say it but Jason thought of everything.”

     Tim grumbles in his sleep and you both turn to him. Once the rise and fall of his chest becomes even, Dick speaks again.

     “This must be hard on Tim, huh?”

     Tim has been tossing and turning in his sleep. When he was in your room, he checked on his wound and was surprised to find that Jason had changed his bandages when he was unconscious.

     You watched Tim’s surprised look slowly morph into one of anguish. He didn’t know how to believe that Jason and the Red Hood were one and the same. Or is he just a persona Jason created to do what he can’t do. To protect the hard truths he wanted Bruce to realize.

     You close your eyes and slowly climb into the bed next to Dick. He makes room for you and you carefully curl up next to him.

     “He told me he didn’t want to be Robin anymore,” you whisper.

     Dick pats your head and hums to himself.

     “If I was Jason and Tim-- I was them. I was Robin and I always thought… I always saw Bruce as more than just Batman. He was my dad and my friend. He was my protector.”

     When Dick’s hand stops moving, you wrap your arms across his chest and hug him tightly. You can feel the even breaths he’s trying to maintain but failing.

     “But after what Jason did--” you can hear him clenching his teeth as he speaks, “After realizing that Bruce will always be Batman--to everyone-- more than anything else in the world… it shatters something in you, like you’re not special...”

     Before your life turned into this living tragedy, you always thought Batman was just a myth. You’ve seen him sure, leaping and gliding over rooftops from your window and from the streets, but you always knew he was just a man playing pretend. Maybe a police officer finally fed up with the red tapes and the joke that is the Gotham justice system.

     You always thought Batman was just another Gothamite who just got sick of being battered and bruised.

     “It doesn’t mean I agree with Jason, though.” Dick’s voice is a little lower. He’s giving you a long look with the same sad and disappointed expression. “His heart’s in the right place but Y/N, he’s the one who doesn’t understand.

     “When Bruce first brought me in, my parents were murdered by this guy-- Tony Zucco-- just a typical low life mobster in Gotham you know-- no one like the Joker. But when I became Robin, Bruce’s greatest concern was whether I would seek vengeance against that guy.”

     Dick’s gaze strays away from you. He’s looking somewhere past his feet, seeing something that’s not there.

     “I had him, Y/N. I tied him up and suspended him over a ten-story building, half hoping he would die, or break every bone in his body from that height and live out the rest of his days as a vegetable.

     “Then Batman came out of the shadows. He didn’t stop me. He didn’t talk to me-- he just put his hand on my shoulder the whole time, while I stood there and held this man’s lifeline in my hands.”

     Dick closes his eyes and takes a deep breath but he doesn’t open them again. The skin at the corner of his eyes crease and there are folds in his brows. When he speaks again, it’s rushed and he sounds exhausted.

     “In the end, I couldn’t do it. I dropped him from the third floor. He broke a few bones and that was it. It didn’t make me feel better. Killing him wouldn’t have brought my parents back-- it also wouldn’t prevent another family from ever being murdered…

     “Jason thinks he can get rid of evil in the world by killing criminals but he can’t. Because everyone is nursing evil inside of them-- I have something evil inside me.”

     Dick’s lips are quivering when he opens his eyes again.

     “Batman is the only one that doesn’t because all he wants to do is protect... everyone.”

     Bruce has heard enough. He’s been standing outside the hospital room with his hand on the handle when Dick started talking about avenging his parents. Desperately, he wants to go in there and join you and Dick. But the writing on your arm pushes him to visit the rooftop instead.

     He steps out to meet Gotham’s foggy air and reaches the end of the ledge when he calls out, “Worried about Dick?” He doesn’t turn around. He doesn’t hear Jason’s footsteps approaching him from the shadows, but he knows he’s there. “You should be. He’s here because of you.”

     Jason stops abruptly and clenches his fist. “Wrong. He’s hurt because of your self-righteous courtesy toward the psychotic filth of Gotham.”

     Bruce turns around. Jason doesn’t have his helmet or his mask. He’s wearing a black trench coat but Bruce can still see the Red Hood symbol peeking from his chest. Bruce lifts one corner of his lips. “How does it feel?”

     To Jason it looks like a smirk on its ways to becoming a snarl. Any semblance of a smile on Bruce is unsettling.

     Bruce faces him fully with his hands in his pants pockets. “Now that you’ve killed half of the inmates in Arkham, how does it make you feel?” He watches Jason and lowers his brows and his mouth turns into a straight line. “Like it’s not enough. Right? Like there’s still a few more loose ends-- and you just have to be sure.

     “I know you went after Penguin and Dent after the club last night. I also know you’re still after Harley.” Bruce eyes his clothes.

     Jason tips his head to the side and replies to Bruce with a small smile.

     Bruce tries to control the urge to arrest Jason then and there. He tries to stop being Batman for just one second before he loses his son for good. He takes in a breath and releases it like a sigh. He takes out his hands to gesture to Jason.

     “If I could give you one last piece of advice. As a father. As a friend. Ask yourself if this is the type of person you want Y/N’s soulmate to be. Do you want her to be with a murderer?”

     Jason didn’t expect that. He was ready to have another go at Bruce, maybe their last showdown before he leaves town, but now he just feels insulted.

     “Fuck you, Bruce. I just want her safe-- To do a better job than you did for me. Be better than you.”

     Bruce shakes his head. “You can do that without taking another person’s life, Jason. Killing people will only put your lives in more danger.” He points to Jason’s chest. “And you-- the Red Hood-- are a testament to that.”

     Jason looks down, the crimson symbol on his chest peeking at him from his loose coat. The Red Hood is supposed to be just a means to an end. A myth strong enough to withstand the Bat’s. A new player to hook in the Arkham villains. Not someone who’ll join their ranks.

     Jason looks back to glare at Bruce.

     “I didn’t come here for a lecture.”

     The pause Jason gave didn’t go unnoticed to Bruce.

     “I assume you’re here to see Y/N,” Bruce replies. “She’s talking to Dick. She hasn’t noticed your message yet.”

     Bruce walks up to Jason and sizes him up. Jason watches as his demeanor changes. Bruce stands taller, his shoulders seem to go wider. Jason doesn’t need to see the cape to know who’s standing in front of him now.

     “Leave Gotham before sunrise.” 

     Jason can see himself reflected in Batman’s eyes. He suddenly looks like a child. The kid sleeping on the streets of Gotham. Scavenging in the garbage just to get by. Stealing to survive. 

     Bruce sees his own reflection in Jason’s and it terrifies him. He relaxes his shoulders and leaves his eyes half-lidded. Slowly, he lifts his hand and places it on Jason’s shoulder.

     “Take care of each other, son.”

     Bruce takes back his hand and starts walking to the door but Jason slaps something against his chest. Bruce looks down and sees that it’s an envelope. He looks back at Jason but he’s looking away from him.

     “Give it to Alfred… please.”

     Bruce smiles. He gives Jason a small nod before he takes the letter and leaves the hospital rooftop.

     When Jason hears the doors close shut behind him, he lets the panic settle in. He first feels its claws scratching at his throat on its way up to his mouth, prying it open, making him gasp for air. Jason jumps when the door slams open.

     You see your soulmate standing on the rooftop.

     “Jason?” 

     You run to him and wrap your arms around his shoulder, as far as you can reach. He bends down and you hold him tighter. “You’re okay!” you exclaim against his coat. “I passed Bruce on the way here and I thought--”

     “Y/N.”

     Jason’s voice is shaky. You pull away to take a look at him but he holds you tight against him. You feel it now, the way his lungs are expanding rapidly and his heart is beating hard against his chest. He’s gripping your clothes as he pulls your body closer to him, afraid to let go. Afraid you’ll let go.

     “I want to stay…”

     The Joker had killed him and it killed you. The League had planned on using you against Jason. Scarecrow poisoned you. But now they’re gone. Dead. The Joker. Scarecrow. Black Mask. Bane. Croc. Clayface. Penguin and Dent.

     Jason killed them all.

     “You told me to find a better life. Away from all of this, remember? And I wanted that.” Jason hides his face on your shoulder and you can feel his tears seeping through your shirt. “I wanted that for both of us. But how could I do that if we have so many enemies? How could I do that if they can come after us at any second?”

     Battered and bruised.

     Dick’s wrong. Jason doesn’t have evil inside of him. None of them do. Everyone is just broken. Cracked under the pressure of the city’s heavy fog and manipulated into playing a never ending game of survival.

     You glare at the horizon of the drab cityscape. Yellow lights left on all night. Sirens blaring at every corner. Sewer stench wafting toward the roofs. If Gotham hasn’t broken you yet, it will tomorrow.

     You hold on to Jason tightly.

     “It’s okay, Jason. Everything’s going to be okay.”

     “It’s not, Y/N. We can’t stay-- I can’t stay.”

     “I know…”

     You rub Jason’s back to soothe him. 

     “It’s not just the Joker,” you whisper. “Gotham did this to us. It’s taken something beautiful from us-- our link-- and used it to abuse us. It tore us apart and made us forget who we are.

     “We can’t stay here. We need to leave Gotham not because we’re not welcome. But because we need to heal, Jason.”

     Slowly, you pull away from Jason to take off his coat. He watches as you unzip his kevlar vest and lets you take it off of him.

     You stare at the symbol in your hands and silently thank it. Then you drop it on the floor. Jason is too stunned to stop you when you reach for one of his guns inside his coat. You fire two shots into the vest.

     This is something you feel you need to do. Jason got to kill the Joker, the phantom menace that has haunted your dreams and waking moments. You only get this. The barrel is still smoking when you return it to him.

     You pick up the vest and walk to the ledge of the roof. You pull back to gather as much momentum as you can and throw the vest out and down into the busy streets. You watch the Red Hood fall to its death until you can’t see it anymore.

     Jason holds your hand and you turn to face him. He watches the look on your face, determined and unmoving. As if you hold all the cards and you know exactly where to go. He’s never seen such an expression on you.

     He squeezes your hand

     “I’ll go anywhere with you, Y/N.”

     Just before the sun rises over, you’re already on a bus heading West, far enough away that even Wayne tower’s shadow can’t reach you. You pat the bag on your lap that has some clothes and your new identities.

     As the bus crosses the bridge, Jason is watching the subtle pink and orange light peeking over the ocean that meets Gotham harbor. It’s a rare sight and one you’ll both miss. He turns to you.

     “Hey,” Jason calls. “Look at your arm.” He takes out a pen. You watch as Jason writes on his arm and finally finishes his last words to you.

     I love you.

END.

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧

[secretsandwriting]

Current au tag list:

@meraki--mei @audioshoes @fandomsaremylifeline @fake-id-69 @annoylinglyaries @huskygreatdane @rainbowmagicpixecorn @multifandomdoodles121 @firstpieplaidturtle @otchae @scentedfriendmakerzine @this-is-what-makes-us-fandoms @loxbbg @shadyfox242 @thesuitelifeofafangirl @dybalalover10 @thebloodrobin @mykuronekome @ximaginx @selenaloveheart2 @grey-water-colors @wordsfromshona @lexyartem @mili1337 @thatguppienamedbae @electro-ty @distressedearie @darkqueenhyde @lyralefay @call-me-prodigy @zphilophobiaz @zechie-spams @http-cherries @hxney-bunches-x @professor-hibiscus @mazarinqueen @robin-obsessed @philosopher-of-fandoms @am3l1a-24 @satan-s-ass @sassydepression @malfoys-demigod @readingfanficismyhobby @an--angel--can--fly @unadulteratedlyunique @atbucud @cabin6hailhaydra @lunna-does-real-doodle

Part 11/?

Y/n a computer genius, got bored and decided to hack everything she could of Batman's. Turns out, all of his firewalls needs to be updated...

Series

Forever taglist:

@isthataladybag @fuzzycloudsz @truly-dionysus @ornebiglia @ironspiderstark @harleyq127 @goingwiththewind @goingwiththewind @mirdy47707 @batlover1303 @marbles-posts @ophelia-t-starks @theshippinglion @spoonful-of-sugar8 @cecedrake2217 @iwanttobeforgotten @y0u-should-be-scared-of-me @dreams0304 @caffineandanime @miniarchangel @hadesnewpersephone @marvel--unsolved @cipheress-to-k-pop @greek-meth-ology @humaneleanor @a-daydreamers-day @babybatjason @walkingdiaryforhumanity

[watchtower-feed]

Nightwing Cheated

    “Can’t believe I’ve been havin’ somebody’s sloppy seconds this whole time!” your boyfriend yells out as you exit the club and enter the silent alley.

    “Wow,” you answer indignantly. You poke him in the chest and glare at his upturned face. “I felt bad about cheating on you before, but now--” you throw your hands up and shout back, “not anymore, Derek!”

    “Give me your wallets!” Both of you turn to the robber with a gun whose hands are shaking and his aim shifts between the two of you. “Hands up and give me your fuckin’ wallets!”

    You run your hand down your face, “Are you kidding me?”

    “Can’t a couple have a fight in peace in this fuckin’ city?”

    “A couple?” you snap, “Oh no, buddy. We’re over.”

    “What! Ya cheated on me and yer dumpin’ me?”

    “I’m glad I cheated on you and your sexist ass. If I had known you would react this way, I would have done it SOONER!”

    While you continue to fight with Derek, Nightwing slinks from the shadows and taps the robber from behind. He stares at Nightwing with wide eyes. When the hero nudges his head to the side, the robber makes a break for it. Before Nightwing could make his own exit, your now ex spots him.

    “Oi! Nightwing! Got ‘nother one for ya here!”

    “You fucking serious, Derek?”

    Nightwing takes a sharp intake of breath, making a low hissing sound, “Not really the kind of criminal activity I fight against.”

    “I cannot believe you right now--”

    “So yer condoning cheating?”

    Oh. Big words. Nightwing tries to laugh it off and shrugs his shoulders, “I wouldn’t join a parade for it--”

    “But ya won’t stop it either?”

    “Un-fucking-believable--” you grab a bottle from the ground and hit Derek over the head with it. You were too fast and a little too far for Nightwing to stop you. The two of you watch Derek fall over and lie still on the alley ground. You’re still holding the jagged bottleneck when you turn to Nightwing, “You gonna arrest me for this?”

    Nightwing weighs his options. It’s been a slow night but not so slow for him to want to deal with you. He also didn’t want to hand you two over to the GCPD tonight. He’s still on their shit list from last week’s souvenir. “For what?” he answers.

    You nod at him and throw the bottle away. Then you kneel down and start rummaging through Derek’s pockets. Nightwing watches curiously until you fish out a set of keys.

    “Oh hey-- now you’re stealing.”

    “Borrowing. I’m getting my stuff from his place. Forgot my spare key.”

    You quickly stand up and start walking. Nightwing doesn’t have a lot of time to think. Ugh! “Wait wait!” Nightwing picks up your ex, throwing him over his shoulder and strides up to you near the end of the alley. He motions for you to lead the way. You roll your eyes at him but continue walking.

    “Either you’re makin’ sure I ain’t stealing or your heart of gold can’t just leave that piece of shit where he belongs.”

    “So I take it you two didn’t date long?”

    You sigh. “Four years.”

    “Wha- what?” he sputters with a laugh.

    “Ever been in a relationship that long, Blue?” You sneak a look at him and he looks like he heard you but he’s keeping his mouth shut and his eyes straight ahead. “Booooo. Not like I can find out who you are just from you dating history-- Unless...“ You stop with a hand on your hip and an accusing finger pointed at his chiseled chest, “You one of my exes?”

    Nightwing shakes his head and laughs. You smile and shrug your shoulders and continue walking. You pass a whole block before Nightwing couldn’t take the sudden silence anymore.

    “So why’d you cheat?”

    “Does it matter? It’s over. Good riddance to both of us.”

    Nightwing didn’t expect you to answer on reflex. “Just thought you might want to clear your name.”

    You snort and whistle, “Look at you! Heart of gold indeed!”

    Nightwing quickly tenses. “Just trying to be nice.”

    “You new here or something? Filling in for the real Blue? Cause no one in Gotham deserves being nice to. Maybe the kids. But not us.”

    “Ouch. Makes me feel like I’m doing all of this for nothing,” he chuckles lightly.

    “Oh, we appreciate what you do for us, Blue. You and the Bat and the rest of you costumed vigilantes. Saving us from the rest of the crazies and terrorists. But just…” your voice goes softer, “Not with this. Things we deal on our own. Have to.”

    Nightwing doesn’t look at you and keeps the silence stretched. It’s not the first time he’s heard something similar from a Gothamite. It humbles him. Reminds him that his job only does so much for the people.

    After another block, he speaks up, “Is his place nearby?” He shuffles Derek’s weight on his shoulder. “Not really the skinniest guy on the block.”

    You wait until you passed the last building and point into an alley, on the side of an apartment building. “Just up through that window. Doubt you’d want to--” You hear the grappling hook hit the fire escape and see Nightwing propel himself and Derek up to the window. “... use the front door,” you mumble.

    You shake your head and enter the building. When you make it to Derek’s apartment, Nightwing is already gone and Derek unceremoniously dropped on his couch. As far as these things go, this might be your easiest job yet.

    You look around the apartment from where you’re standing. You didn’t actually cheat. Didn’t really date that long. The only thing you own in this apartment was the bra you left last week. But tonight, you’re leaving a little richer and Derek-less.

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧  

[watchtower-feed]

Steph’s Promposals TM

Disclaimer: This fic was inspired by Chapter 35 of Tamen De Gushi by Tan Jiu and Tim Drake’s vigilante life ruining his school life in Robin: Wanted. This was supposed to be last week’s fic but it’s wordy... Words: 2,587

     When Tim comes home from one of Wayne Industry’s covert labs, he finds his whole family in his room. They have rummaged through the suits in his closet which are now laid out for viewing on his king-sized mattress. Before he can ponder whether he should ask or just leave, Dick spots him.

     “Tim!” Dick holds up two suits, “All-black dinner suit or grey summer suit?”

     All eyes are on him now and Tim wonders if the family’s invited to the Gazette’s upcoming charity gala next month. But they never prepared for those things, asking for recommendations on suits or dressing each other. Unless it’s for a mission, they never prepare at all.

     “Wouldn’t a white-polo black jacket dinner suit be more appropriate for a gala?” Tim has moved toward his desk to empty the contents of his bag, while his family turned to each other with raised brows.

     Suddenly, Damian scoffs loudly and ceremoniously punches Jason in the arm.

     “Ow!”

     “I told you Drake didn’t know. Pay up.”

     “Tim,” Bruce says softly, “aren’t you going to your prom?”

     Tim’s hand slips from the table. He stays stunned in midair as he repeats Bruce’s question in his head. His last prom is the day after tomorrow but he’s never gone to a single one. So why are they concerned about it now?

     Tim slowly turns around and is almost insulted by the pitying looks his family is giving him. Dick looks like he’s about to cry and Cass smiles at him with sad eyes. Alfred is pressing down the non-existent creases of his jacket. The ends of Jason’s lips are pulled down. Damian’s smirking. And even though Bruce is trying to hold in his reaction, Tim can see the slightest furrow of his usually-apathetic brows. They’re staring at him like he’s dying but he doesn’t know it yet.

     “Why would you assume I’m going?” he asks warily.

     His question only made his family’s expressions graver. Finally, Bruce gives him the deepest sigh Tim has ever heard.

     “Father,” Damian steps forward with a grin on his face. “Allow me.” He takes out a small red automatic umbrella from behind him. “Grayson asked if he could borrow your umbrella this morning and you threw him this.” Damian tosses it to Tim.

     Tim holds it in his hands and vaguely remembers what happened before he left the manor this morning. He’s seen the umbrella before but never used it. He sort of remembers it being a gift from a good friend last year, who also started ignoring him out of the blue.

     “Open it.”

     Tim doesn’t want to take orders from Damian but no one else in his family is speaking up and at this point, Alfred has sat down to brace himself while peering at Tim through folded hands.

     “No. Open it as if it’s raining. At the ceiling. So we can see your reaction.”

     Damian is being especially specific and Jason’s frown has slowly been replaced by an eager smirk. There seem to be some theatrics planned and Tim hasn’t figured out where this is going so he decides to play along.

     He points the umbrella toward the ceiling and pushes the button. There, on the inside of the umbrella, written in black bold letters is the question: Will you go to prom with me?

     Tim’s jaw drops. His wide eyes are punctuating each letter as he reads the message over and over again. No matter how many times he repeats it in his head it’s not changing.

     A flash hits Tim in the face and he glares at Jason who’s laughing silently with his mouth open.

     “Todd, you were moving too much. I should’ve taken it.”

     “No, Dames-- haha-- I got it alright.”

     “Sons. Please.”

     Bruce’s voice drops as he closes his eyes while massaging his temples, unsure which boy he’s most disappointed in at the moment. At this point, Dick has made his way to Tim and clutches his shoulders, fingers pressing desperately, “At least say you remember who it’s from.”

✧ ✧ ✧ 

     It’s the day before prom and just like last year, you don’t have a date. It’s no big deal, really. You had fun with your friends last time. But it’s just that, this time of the year is bringing back awful memories. Maybe you shouldn’t go to school?

     You sigh. There’s still school the next day.

     You get up, get ready, and drag your feet all the way to the front of your school. Your friends greet you near the steps and suddenly thoughts of last year have been forgotten. It’s not like you talk to him anymore. You’ve done a good job of avoiding him and he never made a move to apologize or patch things up with you so… really. It’s no big deal.

     “Isn’t that--”

     “Tim Drake?”

     You didn’t want to look. You weren’t planning to. But you have been staring at him since you walked into the school because Timothy Drake is waiting by your locker. Holding the red umbrella.

     He sees you and it’s too late to turn back. Your friends all know about the failed umbrella and they’re already marching up to him.

     “The audacity.”

     “You’ve got some nerve, rich prick.”

     “Woah,” Tim quickly holds up his hands. Suddenly realizing he’s way over his head. He should’ve accepted Dick’s advice when he offered it last night instead of slamming his door shut on his family. He was embarrassed. But now, he would take Jason’s help with your friends, even if he’ll just end up being a soundboard for their insults.

     “I can explain.”

     Your friends scoff as you slowly walk behind them where you can only see glimpses of Tim’s face.

     “Explain then.”

     “I…” Tim stutters. Then he bows his head slightly and his free hand travels to the back of his neck as he sucks in through his teeth. He sneaks you a crooked smile while his eyebrows try to meet at the center. “I only opened it yesterday…”

     Silence. Incredulous eyes and held breaths. Then a collective groan and one of your friends slaps their forehead.

     Tim nervously chuckles to try lessen the tension, “Actually it was my brother--”

     “Okay. Stop right there,” You’re blushing furiously and you are furious. You rush forward and cover Tim’s mouth with both of your hands. “Please stop.”

     Tim peeks at you and your cheeks heat up at the sudden proximity. You quickly pull back your hand and nudge your head toward the end of the hall. Tim follows you, still clutching the red umbrella in his hand.

     You stop and quickly snatch it from him. When you reach the corner, you wring the umbrella with your hands and refuse to look at him.

     On his part, he doesn’t know what to say. He knows he should apologize but is that enough? It’s been a year. You’ve been mad at him this whole time and he was too clueless to even know why.

     “Clueless is an understatement,” you say.

     Tim gulps as he realizes he’s been speaking his mind. His tendency to mutter his thoughts has always been a nuisance to Jason and he always complains about it. But then again it’s Jason. He thought his brother was just making something up to annoy him about.

     “Is oblivious more accurate?” he teases.

     You turn to him then. Glaring.

     “Not the time. Sorry!” Yeah. Second greatest detective my ass! Tim swallows. Where’s Steph when you need her?

     You sigh. It sounds a lot like Bruce’s from last night. “Tim, we should get to class.”

     “Okay. Okay,” he says in a rush. “I really am sorry. I was an idiot-- am an idiot.” You tap your foot on the tiled floor, not really wanting an apology. All you wanted was his answer. A rejection would’ve been better than this. “So I was wondering if I can make it up to you by taking you to prom this year?” he asks sheepishly.

     The hair on the ends of your skin stand up. It’s not goosebumps or nerves. It’s pure rage. You stomp your foot at Tim, making him jump. “How dare yo-- NO.” You quickly turn and start to walk away but Tim grabs your hand.

     “Y/N, wait--”

     You snap at him, imitating his tone, “ ‘Make it up to you by taking you to prom’ God, Tim! I cannot believe you right now! You don’t ask a girl to prom like it’s some sort of favor!”

     “How…” Tim hesitates, eyes narrows below furrowed brows, “How do I ask a girl to prom?”

     You realize then that Tim isn’t just oblivious. He’s worse than a newborn calf. You slowly brush off his hand. The two of you stand awkwardly in the hallway.

     You sigh for a long time with your hands running down your patience. “Look, Tim,” you start, “I’m not mad.” You stop, puzzled that it’s not a lie. You sigh again, softer this time. “Really. I’m actually a little relieved now that I finally know why you never answered me--”

     “I--”

     You hold up your hand, “So many reasons I came up with on my own. All bad ones. And I was imagining how I would give you such a hard time when you finally apologize.”

     Tim tries to speak again but your gaze has softened and he suddenly doesn’t feel the need to explain. You understand. You’ve always understood him better than anyone. But he hurt your feelings, despite not knowing, and you deserve to be mad at him.

     The bell rings and you wait until the halls have cleared before you continue, “But you know, after a year of not talking, I realized something.” Tim gulps when you look him in the eye. A light blush coats your cheeks. “I miss my friend.”

     Tim stares at you before his lips slowly curl into a small smile.

     You chuckle away the sudden nerves, “I miss my dumb oblivious friend who doesn’t know anything but academics and video games.”

     His voice comes out low and breathless, “Yeah?”

     You finally return his smile. “Yeah.”

✧ ✧ ✧ 

     Steph’s laughter booms loudly over the gunshots on the rooftop. She’s wheezing and Tim is glaring into the distance, but not missing a beat when he sidesteps a thug and slams the barrel of his rifle against his nose.

     “You’re an idiot.”

     “Thank you, Dames. I didn’t just get that from Steph’s obnoxious snorting.”

     “So that’s a yes, right? You’re going to prom?” Dick asks through the comms.

     “Yeah, I guess so.”

     Steph stops abruptly. Cass looms on a gargoyle perched above Tim and Steph, checking for any more movement. When she finds that they’ve subdued every single one, she joins Steph in staring at Tim. There’s a sudden eerie silence throughout all comms, as if the boys have instinctively picked up on the tension. It’s Babs who breaks it. “Steph, do the honor--”

     “How in the holy hell do you figure she said yes to being your prom date? Come on, Timmy. Enlighten us. Please.”

     Tim gulps and suddenly he couldn’t even hear his brothers breathing through the comms. His voice is low when he answers. “She said she missed me--”

     “Because you haven’t hung out for a year!” Steph cuts him off then crosses her arms with a huff. She rapidly taps her feet, daring Tim to answer.     “... She was avoiding me--”

     “Because you didn’t even have the decency to use the umbrella she gave you! Ugh--!” Steph throws her hands up and kicks the ground. “Everyday this past year, I can’t believe my greatest promposal idea was soiled by your cluelessness.”

     Tim’s eyes widens and he shouts indignantly at Steph, “It was your idea? Then why didn’t you just tell me!?”

     “We had a bet going,” Babs interferes. “Nightwing party of three on your left. Robin en route to assist from overhead.”

     “He’s coming in from the ceiling?!”

     “Wait,” Tim cuts in, “Who else knew?” Cass raises her hand when Tim turns to her.

     “Might I remind everyone,” Bruce cuts in through all comms, “that we are on a high stakes mission tonight?”

     “Yes. Best postpone this discussion until tomorrow. Can someone please find out where Red Hood has been taken to?”

     Cass immediately leaps off of her vantage point and leaves Tim and Steph on the rooftop.

     Tim sighs under his breath, “... but prom is tomorrow.”

     Steph comes up behind him and drapes her arm over his shoulders. “You’re so lucky you have me.”

✧ ✧ ✧ 

     You make it through the school day just like any other. It’s even better now that you’re friends with Tim again. You took your shot and you crashed and burned. But at least now you can salvage your friendship.

     Except that prom is tonight. Despite the awful memories, you still want your last prom to be unforgettable. More than half the school already ditched during lunch period. Now you only have a few hours left to get ready.

     “Okay,” Steph whispers into her comms and Cass nods from beside her. “She’s leaving the classroom. Red, make it rain.”

     From the roof, Jason quickly releases the folded firehouse in his grasp and aims it at the sky. The water splits as it comes down and blankets the small entrance of the school with fake rain. Jason grins as he watches high school kids scramble about in search for quick cover.

     You’re watching from the top of the steps, looking down at the people running from the sudden rain. Strange, you think. It’s so bright out.

     “Red 1, did you take Y/N’s umbrella?”

     “Affirmative.”

     Steph watches you rummage through your bag. “Okay. Red 1, go.”

     Dick comes up from behind you, wearing an oversized coat to disguise himself, and opens his red umbrella halfway down the steps. You were going to ask if you could walk with him to the bus stop but the writing on his umbrella suddenly caught your eye. It has your name on it.

     While you watch him walk away, Steph speaks into her comms again. “Red 2, go.”

     Damian clicks his tongue at his codename. He only agreed to assist in this scheme because Steph let him write the next line.

     A child too young to be in high school is also wearing an oversized coat and holding a red umbrella. He opens it at the foot of the steps and stays there. Waiting for you to read what’s written in angry bold letters on his umbrella: I’m sorry I’m a clueless idiot.

     You blink at the words. Stunned. “What’s happening…” you mutter.

     Steph turns to Cass, “Ready, Red 3.” Cass nods and the two of them come up from behind you. Cass opens her red umbrella first: It’s our last prom but my first one...

     “Steph?” you call out.

     Steph gives you a wink before she opens her own red umbrella: … and I want to spend it with you.

     Steph and Cass count to two before they start walking away into the cover of the fake rain over your school.

     You’re about to run after them when Tim suddenly shows up next to you. You’re staring at him with wide eyes that immediately turn to the red umbrella he’s holding in front of you. He unclasps it and opens it over your heads.

     You look up. Inside it says: If you want to.

     Tim takes in a breath before he speaks, “Do you want me?” His voice is low and shaky. “As your date I mean.”

      ✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧  

[watchtower-feed]

Until Death (Part 5)

SSA ✧ Red Hood ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧

    Jason frowns at the sound of his alias escaping your lips but don’t see it. You turn around and swallow a sob before you walked away.

    “Damn, Jason! How heartless!” Roy has been giving Jason a hard time for the past half hour in Roy’s apartment since Jason told him what happened between the two of you. “The girl goes out of her way to search for you, gets chased by bad guys, falls off a roof, and then you just tell her you never wanted to meet her?”

    “What?” Jason snaps back, “Should I have lied? Tell her I’ve been dreaming about the day when we’d meet?”

    Roy rolls his eyes to the side, a small smirk playing on his lips,  “Weeell…” Jason stares at him as he waits. “Before you, you know,” Roy makes a gesture of cutting his throat with his thumb, making Jason glare at him, “you did brag a lot about the day you’d meet your soulmate you know. When you were still a Titan--”

    Jason physically shuts Roy up by covering his mouth with both of his hands. He glares at him with wide eyes and raised brows but Roy can see the blush covering his cheeks, “That was years ago.”

    Roy removes his friend’s hands from his face, “That was three years ago and that was you. At least one type of Jason.”

    Jason turns away from him, “I’m different now.”

    Roy doesn’t believe him one bit. Three years is a good time to change a person but not enough to completely forget who they were. “And you’re scared she won’t like you?” Roy stares at Jason who stubbornly makes a show of lying down on the floor and staring at the ceiling instead of him. “How are you going to know if you never try~” Roy lets his sing-song voice echo in the room but Jason doesn’t budge.

    Then Roy stops abruptly and Jason watches him close his eyes. He waits for a while before Roy opens his eyes again.

    “Your soulmate?” Jason asks.

    “Yeah, she’s done with class. Sorry, bro, duty calls.” Roy kicks himself off his bed and packs his last-minute-superhero-bag-disguised-as-an-ordinary-gym-bag. “She took military science this semester and I’m helping her write a paper on reconnaissance.”

    Jason frowns, “Don’t tell me. You’re letting her experience it first hand?”

    Roy chuckles, “You’re skeptical. I see that but once you meet her. Oh, boy. You’re going to wish you have her for backup.”

    Jason watches as one of his closest friends hum while he packs away more gadgets for his trip. “How do you do it, Roy? Having somebody else’s thoughts in your head?”

    Roy pauses at the sudden seriousness of Jason’s voice, more serious than usual. “It’s not all bad. You know when you’re thinking to yourself, trying to find answers to life’s dilemmas?” he asks and waits for Jason to respond but he doesn’t so Roy scoffs. “And then suddenly someone actually answers you. It’s like God answering your prayers or something. It feels good talking to somebody.”

    “Sounds just like having comms on a mission.”

    “Exactly. And life’s a mission, Jay.” Roy teases as he opens his door and steps out. He leans in gives Jason a goodbye kiss in the air. “And you better get on with yours.”

    Roy shuts the door to his own apartment and leaves Jason lying on his floor feeling miserable and antsy.

    Later that same evening, it doesn’t take long for Jason to track you down. No, not all because much to his displeasure, you are still looking for answers regarding his death. Now that you know he’s the Red Hood, it has lead you to even deeper shit than you can imagine.

    “Lookie here, boss. One just came straight to our lap.” One of Black Mask’s goons drops you on the floor like a garbage bag and you land on your wrists tied behind your back.

    You bite against the cloth wrapped along your jaw and you glare hard at the crime lord standing tall and menacing in his diamond-clad black suit. He squats down and stares at you with his face only a few inches away. You can smell the tobacco and scotch in his breath mixed with the stench of the black paint of his mask.

    “Gutsy,” he turns back to one of his goons, “Definitely has enough spunk to be a soulmate of one of those do-gooders.” Black Mask looks you over from head to toe making you tense under his gaze. “What does she have?”

    One of his men steps up and harshly grabs your wrists to show his boss the faded timer on your hand.

    He frowns, “Timer link, huh. Luthor would have paid big money for you if your timer hadn’t run out.” He turns his eyes away from your wrist and looks back at you in the eye, “Seems you’ve met your soulmate then.”

    “She was walking around asking people about the Red Hood.”

    Black Mask’s eyes widen and fill in the sockets of his mask. He stands up quickly and smacks the man who spoke. “You idiots!” he bellows at them. “Get her out of here!”

    The man holding you quickly let you go and backs away. You quickly stare in shock as you and the rest of the men in the warehouse watch the Black Mask trudge along the ends of the table spouting rushed instructions to his men. “Do you all want to die tonight?”

    Then one loud bang of metal hitting the cement floor steals everyone’s attention. You turn your head away from the Black Mask and find the Red Hood with his knees bent, head down, and an AK-47 in his hands.

    “Yes,” he says as he straightens his posture and rests the assault rifle on his shoulder, “It does seem like you want to die tonight.”

    The men are inching away from the Red Hood and Black Masks grits his teeth as he tries to keep still against the table. “Here for your girl, Red?” Black Masks snarls at him. “It doesn’t look like you’re here to save anyone with that gun you’re carrying.”

    You stare at Jason. Black Mask has a point. The rifle isn’t the best gun for a rescue mission so he must be here more for an assault. Less for you. Or not at all.

    The Red Hood laughs with his chest, making the Black Mask flinch. “Oh,” he says as he straightens up and leans forward, “I’m just the appetizer.”

    You feel the vibration of the whole warehouse before you heard the crash of the ceiling on the other side of the warehouse. You cower until all of the debris has fallen and then you quickly take a look and find Superman floating down from the gaping hole. Much faster, you see a familiar broad-shouldered silhouette glide in and land right onto Black Mask’s face.

    You’re too busy watching the Justice League round up Black Mask and his men that you instantly flinch at the feel of someone touching your wrist. It’s the Red Hood. He raises his hands, “Are you hurt?”

    You stare for a moment before you look down, “I-- I think one of my wrists is broken.” You hear him click his tongue and hear a switchblade slice through the ropes around your arm. Gently, he helps you take them off. You rub your wrists and confirm that one of them is definitely broken.

    “Does she need medical attention?” the sudden presence of Wonder Woman startles you.

    “Not critical, but her wrist is broken.”

    “I-I’m fine,” you utter in sudden embarrassment. It’s not a feeling you’re used to, being fussed over. Especially by a whole league of heroes.

    Batman approaches the three of you and he immediately kneels in front of you. He holds out his hand and tentatively you offer up your broken wrist. He takes out a makeshift wood splinter and lays it under your palm.

    “I can do it,” both you and Batman quickly turn to the Red Hood. He’s already squatting down and holding out his hand. Batman hands you over and gives him a roll of medical tape. You watch as the Red Hood slowly aligns the wood along your forearm. He takes one end of the tape and presses your fingers down on it with his palm.

    “I saw the look you gave me back there,” his voice suddenly jolts you and he has to align the wood again before he can start wrapping. When he spoke again, he sounded like he was pouting, “You didn’t actually think I would put you in harm’s way, right? That rifle was just in case I had to break my way through some of his guys but mostly it was just for show.”

    You stare up at his mask and wonder what face he’s making underneath. You look back down and watch in awe at how gentle he’s treating your arm. “I’m sorry,” you blurt out, making Jason stop.

    After a moment he starts again, “What the hell do you have to be sorry for?”

    You try to fake a laugh, “For putting myself in danger and then having to have you and the League get involved.”

    “First of all, are you dense?” He uses his head to point towards the League escorting Black Mask and his men out of the warehouse and towards the incoming police lights. “This is exactly what heroes are supposed to do. I was looking for you and Batman told me Black Masks’ men had you. So he and the rest of the League got involved.”

    You suddenly go quiet and sharply turn back to the Red Hood, making him flinch. You wanted to ask why he was looking for you but you’re thinking too much and all you got out was one word. “Why?”

    The Red Hood sighs, bored as if he’s just de-briefing on a mission, “Someone’s been targeting superhero soulmates, kidnapping them, and then having their links stolen or broken. It’s what happened to Superman and his soulmate.”

    Your fingers tense as he finishes up wrapping up your wrists. Would he want that? You wonder if Jason would have been happy if they had been successful. Your voice comes out as a whisper, “You said you never wanted to meet me. Do you wish they could have taken away our links before we met?”

    You can tell he’s watching you under his mask.

    “I doubt they could have. Not even death kept us apart.”

    Quickly, he stands up and offers a hand, “Can you stand?”

    You were completely phased by the sudden change of topic and his non-answer. You resorted to stubbornly staring at him and remaining rooted on the warehouse floor. The Red Hood groans under his mask and then squats back down, with his back facing you.

    “I’ll take you home and then I’ll give you my answer, deal?”

    Again that surprises you. He pretty much answered you, right? If he didn’t want to meet you he would have just said no right away like he did weeks ago. Slowly you climb onto his back. As soon as you secure your arms around his neck and his arms wrap around your thighs to hold you up, he says, “I’ve wanted to meet you for as long as I can remember, Y/N.”

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧

[watchtower-feed]

Losing My Mind (Part 3)

SSA Main ✧ Luthor ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧

   The air moves and both Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian appear beside you.

   You watch Lex’s eyes widen and turn from one alien to another. Once they’ve entered his mind, his eyes start closing. You lean down and whisper, “A courtesy, my soulmate.”

     You stay close to Lex, laying his head on your lap while Miss Martian lies near you, her eyes glowing an effervescent light green and Martian Manhunter holds her hand. You panic when Lex’s brows crease and his eyelids flutter.

     “It’ll be okay,” Martian Manhunater’s deep voice echoes in the near-empty dome of the lab. Everyone had been cuffed and escorted out. It’s just the four of you in the middle and Batman and Green Arrow on the side keeping watch.

     “Miss Martian is the best telepath I know. She won’t hurt him.”

     You purse your lips and your hand on Lex’s shoulder cups around his skin, pulling him a little closer. “How do I know his memories of the links are the only thing you’ll take?”

     Martian Manhunter’s face doesn’t know how to show emotion. So he tips his head to the side. “You came to us for help because you trust us.”

     “No,” you answer in reflex and blush in shame. You turn away from him to look at Lex. You want to say that you asked for their help because they’re the only ones that would help. You couldn’t even count on the Fate sisters so who else was left but the enemies of your soulmate?

     When Miss Martian starts blinking and moving, Martian Manhunter gently helps her situp and the other heroes start walking toward the center. You check on Lex and find his features calm and his breathing even.

     “He’ll be… asleep for a while…” Miss Martian’s voice is ragged. She grunts and takes a long breath before she speaks again. “Batman--” he’s already handing her a piece of paper and pen. She slowly scribbles down a list. After she’s done she hands it to you.

     “We need to destroy all physical evidence that might trigger his memories. Can you please write down any locations that might not be there?”

     “What do you mean they might not be there?” Batman asks.

     Miss Martian frowns, “My powers are strong but some human minds have their own kind of strength. Especially for someone like Luthor. It was like… a filing cabinet?” she turns to Martian Manhunter, unsure, before she looks back at Batman. “Everything was well-organized and easy to find, and all in one place.”

     Batman turns to you, “Like a trap.”

     You glare at him and cower a little closer over Lex.

     “If it is, she’s not involved,” Martian Manhunter interjects and then turns to you, “I’ve read your mind. Batman asked me to.”

     Batman grunts, making Green Arrow smirk.

     “This is Luthor we’re talking about, Batman. He’s probably had this as a contingency plan years ago when my unc-- I mean Martian Manhunter joined the League.”

     Batman turns to you and you wait for another accusation. But he nods toward the list you forgot you’re holding. You look at it and carefully read each location. Safehouses. Lairs. Secret meeting spots. Deposit boxes. Storage containers. You’ve been to most of them but there are some missing. Locations only you would know. You write down the dorms and apartments Lex went to in college, his foster house in Metropolis, and just in case, you write down the location of the Luthor farmhouse.

     “They’re not secret locations but these would be the last places Lex would go to and his enemies would expect the same.” But Lex is smarter than his enemies, you wanted to add. But you still needed their help. You still needed them to make sure Lex forgets everything.

✧ ✧ ✧ 

     You’re standing in front of the big tree on Luthor’s farm and holding the piece of paper with a list. You’re scrunching the paper in your hand. Every location has been crossed off except this one.

     Except for the ones you listed down, every single location had endless records and evidence of Lex’s research on the links. As well as copies and backups of each one.

     But you’re disappointed because there’s not a single written record about you. Not a single file that acknowledged your existence. Your name wasn’t even written down on a loose piece of paper tucked haphazardly between pages or thrown in a trash bin or shredded.

     Lex had erased every single trace of your existence in his life. He had been prepared to lose you completely. No. Get rid of you.

     Flash taps you on the shoulder. “Looks like no one’s been here since the fire took down the farmhouse. Where to next?”

     You keep your back to him but your voice breaks when you answer, “This is the last one.”

     Flash quickly tenses and turns to Batman and Green Arrow for help. It’s Miss Martian who approaches you. “Y/N,” she holds your shoulders and tries to look you in the eye with a half-lidded gaze. “If you want, I could also--”

     You quickly shake your head and bite your lips to keep the tears from falling.

     No. You want to remember. Despite everything-- Despite the man he’s become, you still want him in your memories.

✧ ✧ ✧

     You stayed in Gotham for a couple of weeks, against your will but you were ready to do anything to get Batman off your back. He wanted to keep an eye on you, to make sure this wasn’t all part of an elaborate move against the League.

     While Superman continued to monitor Lex in Metropolis, you weren’t allowed anywhere near the city nor Lex. But you had no desire to be.

     The Lex you saw on the news wasn’t the one you know anymore. He wasn’t the child you grew up with, the teenager you fell in love with, nor the man you devoted your life to. Because that is what you did. Your whole life has revolved around him and now he’s gone.

     Finally, it’s time to start your own life. After Gotham, you move back to Star City to be with your family and be reacquainted with the life you could have had. You suddenly don’t need to keep running and hiding anymore.

   Not even Batman could keep an eye in Star City 24/7. But a month later, Green Arrow stops by your house to check on you. It is his city after all.

     “You can tell Batman I’m still being a good girl and to the League, thank you again for your help.”

     Green Arrow laughs. “I’m not here because Batman told me to.”

     You raise your eyebrow and try to suppress the smirk playing on your lips, “So you heroes just do monthly checkups on every citizen you’ve saved--”

     “--and worked with,” he finishes with a gleaming smile. While Batman had intimidation going for him, Green Arrow uses his charms to lower his enemy’s guard. Lex didn’t particularly applaud the cunning in it. But he did make note of it.

     So you keep your mouth closed but give him a small smile. Both of you wait a while.

     When the silence suddenly gets too awkward, Green Arrow coughs, “Well I should get going then-- Oh!” he fishes out an envelope from inside his jacket and hands it to you.

     It’s an invitation to Oliver Queen’s mayoral campaign tomorrow night at the Star City Plaza Hotel.

     “He’s one of the good guys.”

     You’re too baffled by the sudden situation that you keep staring at the invitation. “Well if he has the League backing him, he can’t lose,” you say mindlessly.

     “Actually,” Green Arrow chuckles. “It’s just me… on the down-low.” Of course. If vigilantes started publicly endorsing politicians, they’d lose the people. You nod.

     It takes you the whole day to decide whether or not you should go. There are still so many things you had to do to get your new life started. But that also meant that you aren’t particularly busy. Suddenly not having a life’s mission is enough to make you go to a mayoral campaign of all things.

     It’s actually not so bad. Good guy or not, Oliver Queen knows how to throw parties for his people. His people being the upper class. You see a few big names show up, all smiling for the camera while they shake hands with the new potential mayor of Star City. All for show.

     You find yourself spending most of the night at a table near the stairs, deflecting conversations of who you are, and who they are. Is this the life Lex wanted? To be among these kinds of people?

     No, he wouldn’t. He cares less for these social gatherings than politics itself. You snicker silently as you think about how Lex would show up only if he had to be on stage and then leave the rest of the night to his secretary.

     You’re picturing this in your head that you almost don’t get surprised to see him across the room shaking hands with a stiff Oliver Queen. But then you remember you’re no longer linked and he’s no longer your soulmate. So why is he suddenly here?

     He catches you staring at him. You watch him turn back to Oliver Queen and mindlessly excuses himself but the mayoral candidate holds Lex’s hand in his grip and seems unwilling to let his company go.

     You quickly take this opportunity to slip away and blend into a small crowd headed down the stairs toward the lobby. You wait until they reach the bottom steps before you break off toward a deserted hallway. You lean against the wall and try to catch your breath. If written words on a piece paper could potentially unravel everything Miss Martian erased, then you had to get out of here.

     “Leaving so soon?”

     It’s as if destiny still has strings on you.

     You turn around. Slowly. You try to smile. You try to keep your feet planted on the floor and your hands behind you. “Not really my scene.” 

     Lex raises his eyebrow and places his hands in his pockets. “So you’re here for work then. Star City Sentinel?” he asks, “or Gotham Gazette?”

     He thinks you’re a reporter but that’s not right. He’s not one to seek reporters. He runs away from them. 

     “Uhh, no,” you answer. “I’m-- filling in for a friend.”

     “A friend, huh?” He raises his eyebrows in amusement.  “Anyone, I know?”

     You suddenly don’t like this. You don’t know what this Luthor is thinking. You narrow your eyes at him and push yourself off the wall, about to walk off. “Probably not. I don’t even know who you are.”

     He laughs, “Really, Y/N?” It makes you stop. “Was that the best you’ve got? Everyone on this planet with access to TV and the internet knows who I am. I thought you might have been able to play this little game a while longer.”

     You turn to him then, standing too close and within his reach. Your eyes are wide and he stares back at you with a calm exterior.

     "Did you really think it would be so easy?"

     You couldn’t move. Your words come out like a whisper with only disbelief pushing them out. "H-how?" 

     He hums. "You're not the only one who's employed a mindreader.”

     His hand reaches out to hold yours. He turns it around in his hold, seeing and feeling your skin touching his. Then he squeezes it. He points his head to the exit and you follow him while he brushes his thumb on the back of your hand. At this point, you’ll follow him to the ends of the earth.

     You almost hear Oliver Queen yelling after you as you get in the passenger seat of the town car. Almost.

     Lex drives and there’s only silence inside. Your hands are on your lap and they’re shaking. Now that you’ve had time to think, you don’t know what to think. “Lex,” you mutter, “Please. Explain what’s happening.” You slowly turn to him but he keeps his eyes on the road. “If you remember, then why-- why aren’t you angry?”

     Lex finally turns to you. He can’t help the smirk that lifts the corners of his lips and the mischief curling his eyebrows down. “Aren’t I?”

     You don’t reply to him. Your eyes hold his gaze until the playfulness finally disappears from his features. He briefly closes his eyes and sighs.

     “I knew our memories would be erased once we meet,” he starts and you hold your breath, “And when I succeed in taking control of the memory link, any lingering feelings would've been obliterated as well.”

     Your lips quiver as you listen and your words come out a whisper, “Isn’t that what you wanted--”

     “But I found,” he interrupts, “Over the years, I found that there was one memory I couldn’t forget."

     Your eyes widen because it suddenly feels as if time had stopped. 

     "Which... which one?"

     He suddenly smiles sheepishly and his voice goes lower, "The ceasefire."

     You remember it so clearly. The rarest of days when Lex suddenly appeared in front of you, distraught, angry, annoyed, and just as surprised to see you as he was to find himself under a big tree, on a hill, in an orchard in Florence.

     "Where am I?"

     At first, you pondered about ignoring him but then you realized that would make him harder to tolerate and you don’t know how long he’s going to be staying.

     "Italy," you answered nonchalantly.

     He whipped his head around, as if not taking your word for it. Then he turned to you and raised one of his eyebrows, "What are you--"

     "I needed a break,” you interrupted. You stretched your arms and then sat down on the blanket you had just laid before Lex arrived. “I found out a while ago that immersing myself in a familiar environment keeps me from wandering into your memories."

     This happened during the third year of your decades-long game of cat and mouse. You were still testing out the possibilities and limitations of the links. But Lex, at the time, was still rejecting it completely.

     You watched him close his eyes and you can tell he was willing himself to disappear. But to no success. "Ugh!"

     You snickered. "You look like you could use a break, too. Tough day at the evil lair?" you teased but he doesn’t turn to you. He rubbed his palms down his face in aggravation. You rolled your eyes at him, "Since you're stuck here, we might as well be civil."

     "You could walk away," he snapped at you with a fake smile.

     "No way! I was here first!” You sounded like a child and Lex almost laughed. Instead, he managed to contain it to a small smirk but it was enough to embarrass you. “Whatever,” you grumbled and leaned back with your arms supporting you. “I'm not leaving this spot."

     Lex scowled and rolled his eyes. He tried to look for the nearest town or guesthouse. But there were only acres of trees on the horizon. He grimaced because it reminded him of the farm. "What's so special about it?"

     You were surprised to hear his questions. Was he actually trying to be civil? You tried your best not to sneak a look at him and kept your gaze up.

     "It's nice to see the light trying to pass through the leaves. When the wind comes, the leaves and branches rustle so the specs of light look like they're dancing."

     Lex was looking at you while you talked and he saw them dance on the contours of your face, making you smile. Again, it reminded him of the farm.

     He finally sighed and unbuttoned his suit jacket. He draped it over your shoulders and then lied down on the blanket with his head resting on your lap. He felt you tense up.

     "I need a break,” he declared with his eyes closed.

     Slowly, your body relaxed and you sat up so your fingers could run through his hair.

     "Is this an intermission?" you tease softly.

     "Hmm,” he frowns. “Call it a ceasefire. Your vocabulary hasn't gotten any better. You must be wasting your time in college instead of studying."

     You glared at him. But then you saw the small smirk that played on his lips and it reminds you of his room in Metropolis. 

     You leaned down to hover above his head. Your shadow forced him to open his eyes and look at you.

     "I miss you, Lex."

     A strong gust of wind swayed the leaves to reach for the sky, and the light was dancing wildly behind your head. Without thinking, Lex's hand reached up to pull you down for your lips to be reunited.

     The two of you have been quiet for a long time. You’ve been wringing your wrist with your fingers trying to figure what to say next. But Lex knows it has to be him that speaks first.

     “I believed destiny made a mistake linking you to me.”

     It’s not what you expect and your heart hurts a little to hear it. But you’ve always known that.

     “Then,” he pauses. His mouth closes and opens a few times before he could finally continue. “You proved me wrong.”

     Your hands stop.

     “While I cowered away and tried to ignore our link--”

     You look at him to make sure he’s not lying to you. 

     Lex is staring straight at the road but there’s a hint of excitement in his eyes. “You adapted!” he said proudly, almost breathless. “You lived in my memories for days at a time and fit into the background as if you were actually there.”

     He turns to you suddenly, eyes wide and mouth grinning, “For god’s sakes, Y/N, you found out Batman’s link and planted the information in my head, making me believe I was the one who discovered it.” He scoffs, “And then had me ask Scarecrow create a fear toxin that only worked in his dreams. Tell me-- Why?”

     His excitement is contagious. You found yourself leaning a little closer and wanting to tell him everything. “I knew it would make his soulmate visit the black market for blockers. I needed her to get the League’s help.” He laughs. “How-- how did you know I planted the information?”

     “I found out when we finally met. When the link cleared my head of memories of you.”

     Your own excitement takes a sudden dip. What you did was wrong. You knew it was before you even started it. But Lex had been making more progress in his plans and you were still figuring out how to get the League to trust you.

     It was pure coincidence that you found Batman’s link as if destiny has been pushing you down this road the whole time. It was your roommate’s sister. She visited and you overheard them talking about the links. She was talking about her neighbor in Central City who had the strangest sleeping schedule and often called out Bruce Wayne’s name in her sleep. “Imagine having a subconscious link with Bruce Wayne? I’d die every night catching him with a different supermodel in a wet dream.”

     You knew who Bruce Wayne was. Having existed in Lex’s memories, you knew the identity of every single hero and villain, even in other galaxies. Truly, something was helping you pave the path to your success.

     Lex reaches out to hold your hand, stealing you from your thoughts. His voice comes softer now but you could still hear the mirth in it, “You uncovered my plans and used it against me. Erasing my memories and planting fake ones about a happy childhood where my parents lived until I finished college-- Only you would've come up with something twisted and wrapped it in a bow.”

     You suddenly have the urge to pull your hand back. Instead, you pinch him. He flinches but keeps smiling.

     "I was impressed. The things you could do. The lengths you went through--"

     "For you," you answer in a whisper. You squeeze his hand and you speak a little louder. "It was all for you."

     His smile softens and there’s no longer excitement or mirth there. Just affection. "Yes. For me."

     He lifts your hand to his lips and kisses it. "Forgive me, Y/N. Perhaps destiny has truly blessed me."

END.

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧

[watchtower-feed]

Death Do We Part (Part 11)

SSA Spin-off ✧ Jason Todd ✧ Physical Link ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧ Notes: (NSFW) This is looooong overdue. I hope I made the wait worth it. It’s not smut though, I don’t think. I wanted it to be... softer? romantic? special? Words: 3,100+

    Where are you headed?

    You run a couple of blocks before you hide in an alley and close your eyes. You’re immediately met with a piercing sensation on the back of your hand. You feel Jason take out what was lodged and blood oozes down from your new wound. Then the muscles on your legs are extending and retracting, he’s running away.

    This is the hard part but you have to get this right. You grew up in these streets. You know Gotham about as much as you know Jason. You pay attention to the smell, the noise, and the direction of the wind because you need to know exactly where Jason is running off to.

    It takes you an hour to finally figure out where he’s going. You’ve been following his trail as best you can. He’s running through streets with the same amount of foot traffic as any other bad part of Gotham. But it’s only when you hear the siren on his end and it’s in tune with the same siren that passes you in the street, that you look around to finally take in where you are and now you’re sure which building he’s in and which unit.

    You walk up to the Todds’ old apartment and stand stiff in front of their door that’s been left partly open. The lights are off inside and you don’t hear anything. 

     As if acting on its own, your hand pushes the door until it’s swung all the way out, giving you a full view of a slightly furnished apartment, with Jason sitting on the floor, his back resting against the back of the couch, tending to his wound. 

     He doesn’t look at you but the lights from the hallway flood in and illuminate him. He knows you’re there.

    “Don’t worry, Y/N. The bleeding will stop soon. Gonna hurt like a bitch for days though.”

    Are you dreaming? Have you fallen asleep in the safe house and your mind is only giving you what you want? Or is there still fear toxin in your body and this is actually a nightmare waiting to happen.

     Slowly, you take one step at a time until you’re standing in front of him. 

    Jason snorts and raises his eyebrows but he keeps his eyes on his hand, “Took you long enough to find me.”

     You kneel on the floor, making him pause what he’s doing. Finally, he looks at you and stares with half-hooded eyes and the smallest hint of a pout. He has aged, gotten taller and bigger, broad shoulders and bulging muscles, but he still wears the same expression on his face whenever he thinks he’s about to be scolded.

    Gently, afraid he’ll move away or suddenly disappear, you bring up your hands to touch his face. The instant you’re holding him, he leans into your touch, with his eyes closed and brows creased with so many lines.

    You tear up at the sight of him. His pain and fear and relief are all mixing together. You touch your forehead to his and he places his hands over yours.

    “You’re not mad?” he whispers.

    You laugh like a long sigh, loud and breathless, “Of course I’m mad. Exasperated. Downright blood boiling, fist-clenching mad, Jason.”

    He smirks and nuzzles his nose against yours. “You know, it’s easier to fucking swear.”

    16 when he died. 17 almost 18 now. Jason is a killer. An assassin. A Gotham criminal. But he’s also still so young. He was a teenager when he died. A teenager when he came back to life. And right now he’s still a teenager teasing you while your hands are bleeding through his badly done bandages.

     You kiss him.

     The moment your lips touch Jason takes you in, pushing his lips harder against yours, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you in until there’s no more room in between. You tip your head to the side and kiss deeper. His tongue finds yours first and you never knew until this moment how much you really missed Jason.

     It’s like coming home after running in the darkness for so long, almost forgetting what it was like to be in the light and then suddenly being overwhelmed by its intensity and heat.

    You part but only enough to catch your breaths. Your foreheads and noses are still touching. Your hands are still framing his face and you feel his laughter vibrate from his cheeks before you hear it. “You know, on paper, this is technically incest, Robin Wayne.”

    You instantly bring down your eyebrows in frustration, “Jason, please. I finally have you back. Don’t make me murder you.”

    He laughs and it fills the old apartment. You can feel the heavy weight in your heart lifting every time his chest vibrates against yours. You laugh as well. You’ve always known that Jason hides his fears behind humor, and right now he’s terrified.

    “The infection will probably get us first,” he looks at the back of his hand from behind your shoulder and you see your own hand still bleeding. Grudgingly, but only slightly, you pull back to bring his hand down and tend to it. You wrap his hand tightly and secure it while he stares at your focused eyes. He wants to apologize. 

     It’s not just for this wound. It’s all the other wounds he’s accumulated through the years. As Red Hood. As a League assassin. As Robin and as Jason Todd. He wants to mend everything. But you’ve always been the one who’s better at taking care of both of your wounds.

    “Thank you, Y/N.”

    You blush. He said it before but you weren’t listening then. You haven’t heard him say your name in years. The way his voice always softens when he’s saying it, how his lips curl at the ends after the last syllable, like he’s gloating that your name is something only he can say.

    “Ja--”

    There are so many things to say. So many questions to ask. Things to clarify, to get off your chest, to shout, to scream, and to whisper. But this universe is shit and you have so little time. Less time than you know and it always only takes a second to change everything from bad to worse.

    Your phone rings in your pocket and Jason takes it out far quicker than you. A single bat symbol greets him on the illuminated screen. He quickly stands up and walks over to the window looking over the road.

    “Jason, what--”

    He waits for a car to come by and then throws the phone on top of the roof with the least pressure he can muster to keep it functional. If it breaks, they’ll go to the last location recorded. If it looks like you’re on the move again, they won’t look for you here. 

    When he turns back to you, he’s gritting his teeth and clenching his fist. “Are you an idiot? Batman always puts a tracker on our phones.”

    You know that. You’re stunned, stuck between staring at Jason’s seething demeanor and wondering why. Why would that bother him? It’s there for your own safety.

    “Jason…” you pause, wondering if you actually need to ask this, “do you not-- are you not coming back?”

    Jason’s eyes widened, “Back to what?!” He paces by the window. “Back to the manor, to Bruce? Back to Batman and his new Robin?” He suddenly stops pacing and glares down at you, “Tim.”

    You shudder, “That’s not fair.”

    “I know,” he retorts, mocking you while rolling his eyes, “I heard you. Crying and screaming like you didn’t mean it--”

    You stand up quickly, “What about Talia, huh?! You had sex with her, Jason!”

    He scoffs, “That didn’t mean anything--”

    “Oh, that’s rich! You fucked her, Jason!” You hit his chest, hurting you more than it did him. The pain makes you angrier and you’re shouting now. “We’re soulmates and yet you slept with her!”

    Jason stares you down with a steely gaze, “Why does that matter? It stopped mattering to you.”

    “No, it didn’t--!”

    “I know you, Y/N. Ever since we were younger I felt the little flutters in your chest and the small heat on your cheeks when you watch me, when you’re falling for whatever stupid thing I’d do.” He pauses then leans down closer so you can see it, the hurt plainly screwing up his face, “I felt it when you were with Tim.”

     You stare at Jason and wonder if he’s serious. If he really thinks you stopped loving him. Didn’t you? He had Talia. You had Tim. Jason on this warpath that’s gotten you and Alfred hurt. Really hurt.

    What if he’s the one who stopped loving you?

     “I may have slept with Talia but I didn’t love her or like her. But you--”

     “Jason.”

     You want to look away from him, to stop seeing the despair and distaste he’s feeling right now. But life has proven to be too short to dwell on anything other than the present, the only moment that truly exists for the two of you.

    “Tim was there for me when you weren’t. Like you had Talia--” Jason looks like he wants to interrupt but you raise your voice, “But it’s finally just us here.”

     You look into his eyes and with effortless sincerity, you speak your truth. The only truth that matters now.

    “I love you. More than anything in the world, I love you. Please understand that.”

    Jason’s face immediately shifts. The sides of his mouth twitch as his eyes soften and turn to the floor.

     You reach out to touch his face again and to your relief he lets you. He hangs his head so you can reach him with ease. His hair covers half his eyes and they’re staring at you. Jason takes a step forward and slowly embraces you. He rests his weary head on your shoulder and you bury your face against his chest, inhaling every last scent.

     You stay like that for a long time, just resting and touching, but the moment you start feeling him move again, it’s too soon.

    “It’s almost dawn. You should go back.”

    You clutch harder to make him stay and you frown against his shirt. “You’re really not coming back with me?” you whisper.

    Jason sighs but he answers you in the same hushed tone, “Y/N, I can’t. Not yet. There’s still something I have to do--”

    “Kill the Joker?” 

    Jason presses his face harder on your shoulder and you feel his lips move against your skin when he speaks, “It’s not just that. Please, Y/N.” His hands move to the sides of your neck and gently push you back until he can look you in the eye. “I need to do this.”

    Your lips quiver at all the things you want to say, the words you want to convey to make him go back with you. But fear is overpowering, fear of not knowing is consuming. You have to ask. “Scarecrow hit me with the fear toxin. I’m sure you felt that. I need to know Jason, did you send him? To the cave? To us?” Jason's eyes are narrowed and his brows are creased in concern like your words are hurting him physically. “Alfred got most of it.”

    “Is he…”

    You shake your head and look down, “He’s okay now. He was sleeping before I left.”

    There was a pause before Jason spoke again. “I’m sorry. I really am.” You know that’s all he’s going to say. None of his plans, nothing of what happens next. Even if you ask, he’ll tell you it’s for your safety not to know.

    “Once this is all over,” he uses his thumbs to prop your chin up so you’ll look at him, “I promise to come back for you and we’ll go wherever you want us to go. We’ll be together all the time, grow old, and have the most ill-mannered kids. I promise.”

     You laugh even though Jason is serious. You’ll definitely hold him to that promise.

     You lean your forehead against his and your lips hover in hesitation and frustration before he finally kisses you. It’s not like before. This is a lot softer, more mannered, but it also feels more desperate.

    Slowly you separate and Jason’s hands limp down as you turn to the door. He watches your back and clenches his fist to keep himself from stopping you.

    But you do stop in front of the doorway, your hand unmoving on the handle. You stand there for a while before you finally close the door and lock it. Then you turn around and march back into Jason’s arms, kissing him deeper.

    He welcomes it and embraces you before pulling away. “That’s some goodbye kiss,” he comments and then takes your lips back in full.

    You pull back and you shake your head. “It’s not a goodbye kiss. Close your eyes.” You wait until he does and then you close your own. You focus on your own feelings, the way your face is heated, your heart is pounding in your chest, and how wet you are.

    He immediately opens his eyes and narrows them, “Y/N, no.”

    You’re taken aback. Your brows furrow instantly, pulling your body away from him. “It’s Talia, isn’t it?”

    “No, Y/N. No, it’s not. God no--” he steps back and harshly drags his hands down the sides of his face. He looks up at the ceiling and closes his eyes, “I’ve always wanted our first time to be special, okay?” His arms shoot up as he gestures around the room, “Not in this shitty apartment where there’s not even a shitty bed.”

    You stare at the blush that’s slowly enveloping his face. You don’t feel the same bashfulness anymore. Life and death have shown you how the world works and nothing ever happens the way you expect it to.

    You hold on to his shoulders and wait for his eyes to meet yours. “Make it special later. I’ve lost you more than I should have to. And right now I just-- I want to feel like your soulmate.”

    “You are,” Jason cups the sides of your face and stares back intensely, “Not because of our stupid link. But because I want you in my life for as long as I can. And I’ll make sure it’ll be for the longest goddamn time.”

    “I don’t care about tomorrow or any future,” you retort. “Right now, I want to be with you, Jason. Now is ours.”

     You lean in until your lips are inches apart. His ragged breath dances on your lips until Jason finally closes the gap. He kisses you gently and carries you in his arms, making you squeal into his mouth.

     Unfazed, Jason lays you on the couch and slowly undresses you until his hands will only ever touch your skin. You sit up and reach for him. He lets you take off his clothes, pulling his shirt over his head, unbuckling his belt until they drop to the floor, and pulling down his pants along with his boxers.

     He kicks off his boots before he hovers over you with his arms framing your body. You both take in each other’s forms and start counting scars, and bruises, and wounds that mimic each other, falsely disguising that you’ve lived your lives together as one.

     You touch Jason’s arm, tugging until he finally leans down and kisses you. Your hand travels down his back, to his side, and down to his crotch. He grunts when he feels your fingers wrap around him and you moan when you feel it, too.

     Jason dips his fingers inside you, making you gasp. He closes his eyes as he moans at the same time. You touch his face and wait until he opens his eyes to look at you. You nod your head and brace yourself as Jason shifts his body until his tip is touching the lips of your pussy.

     When he slowly pushes himself in, your fingers dig into his back and your mouth hangs open as a never-ending gasp escapes you. Your back arches off the couch, grazing your clit against his hip bone and you both yell out at the same time.

     Jason looks at you with wide eyes and a hint of confusion, wondering if that was the kind of intensity you would always feel when you do this, when you’re one like this. He kisses you while he waits for your walls to relax around him. When he feels your hips moving beneath him, he starts moving again.

     It’s the most sensational feeling either of you have ever felt. All this time, all you’ve known in your life is pain and fear. Endless nights of suffering that you’ve thrown away all hope for anything else. But right here, right now, your bodies are being consumed by the electricity skittering on the tips of your skin and flames pooling at the depths of your stomach and blazing up and down your spines.

     You’re moaning without inhibitions and Jason drags down his kisses and takes out his frustration on your neck. He sucks and bites and licks it all better before starting all over on a new patch of skin.

     As your voices go louder, your bodies move faster until you can hear skin slapping against each other. Finally, Jason’s name escapes your lips as you cum. The feeling is far too much for him and his body quivers soon after yours.

     You’re taking in ragged breaths as you wait for the electricity to leave your bodies. With as much effort as he can muster, Jason lifts you with one hand so you can lie on top of him on the couch. Your head rests on his chest with your arms draped over his torso. Your legs tangle themselves with his and Jason kisses the top of your head.

     “We’ll make it special later,” he says breathlessly and you cry softly. 

     He uses his thumbs to wipe the tears from your face and you want to tell him that this is special. Every moment he spends with you is special.

     “I don’t want to go back,” you whisper and it pains you just to say it. The thought of disappearing from Bruce and Alfred and Dick and Tim, and the idea of walking away from Jason now is tearing you apart.

     He hums against your skin and continues to massage your cheekbones with his thumb. “We’ll be together soon. But for now, you’re safer with Bruce.”

     “We can go home together. Just imagine it, Jason. How shocked and happy they’ll be to see you walking into the safe house with me.” You watch as Jason closes his eyes, picturing the scene you’re dictating to him. You can see the lines creasing around his forehead and you know he wants it too but he doesn’t believe in it.

     His lips press harder against your forehead, urging you to stop. More tears stream down your face and it’s you who wipe them this time.

     You lean forward and kiss Jason on the lips. Then you watch as the soft light of a new day stream down his features. You have to go.

     Jason kisses you again, holding on to your face, and then grudgingly lets you go. He lies on the couch with his hand draped over his eyes as you gather your clothes and get dressed. You kneel beside his head and say his name.

     “I can’t, Y/N-- If I see you, I won’t have it in me to let you walk out of here.”

     So you kiss his cheeks with quivering lips and your tears warm his skin before you leave the Todds’ old apartment.

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧  

[watchtower-feed]

Death Do We Part (Part 12)

SSA Spin-off ✧ Jason Todd ✧ Physical Link ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧ Notes: We are close to the end! This series was supposed to be just 6k words max. What happened?!? It’s a novella! Words: 2,300+

     Jason kisses you again, holding on to your face, and then grudgingly lets you go. He lies on the couch with his hand draped over his eyes as you gather your clothes and get dressed. You kneel beside his head and say his name.

     “I can’t, Y/N-- If I see you, I won’t have it in me to let you walk out of here.”

     So you kiss his cheeks with quivering lips and your tears warm his skin before you leave the Todds’ old apartment.

    A block away from the safe house, Dick is already standing at the corner glaring at you with his arms crossed. Jason’s touch is still lingering on your skin, making you carefree so you giggle.

    Dick is not amused. “Where have you been?”

    “Out,” you retort and pass him quickly before he can stop you. You can feel him glaring at your back as you walk into the safehouse. When you open the door, all the giddiness leaves you as you realize the yelling has already started long before you arrived.

    “-- master Bruce! What will?” Alfred is towering over a cowl-less Batman that’s leaning against the counter. Alfred quickly shifts his attention to you, making Bruce turn around as well. “Where in the world have you been, young lady?” Dick crosses his arms behind you. “And you, too! What are you doing bringing her with you into the middle of this madness!”

    “What-- She wasn’t with me--”

    “I told you, Alfred! She opened my wound and left on her own.” Tim is peering over the couch. He glares at you.

    Defiant and still feeling the rush of being with Jason, you glare back and narrow your eyes at Tim. “I was looking for the Red Hood.” You turn to Dick this time who’s walking around so he can urge Alfred to sit down. “I knew where he was going and I needed to confirm it--”

    “You’re not part of this mission, Y/N.” Bruce interrupts you. “You don’t just go out on your own and blindly chase leads--”

    You interrupt him with clenched fists by your side, not being with Jason at the moment suddenly reminds you of how Bruce’s existence has been a plague in your lives, “Who made you the law?” You can only guess that Tim and Dick’s eyes are staring wide and glued to you but you’re too busy trying to return Bruce’s piercing gaze. “Just because you’re Batman? Dick didn’t listen to you either!”

    “Woah there. Bruce didn’t exactly tell me I couldn’t go out last night.”

    “It was implied, Dick. You, me, and Y/N were supposed to stay here with Alfred.”

    “The Red Hood is dangerous. He would’ve killed you on the spot--”

    “No, Bruce! He wouldn’t--”

    “Bruce is right, Y/N.”

    “Dick, if you just listen--”

    “ENOUGH!”

    Alfred stands while heaving in loud breaths even as his legs shake from exhaustion and frustration. “You are all unreasonable human beings! Every single one of you has a death wish! All the crime and the bad guys will continue to be there every single night! Just one night--” Alfred grits his teeth and raises a finger in front of Bruce’s stunned face, “One night was all I asked, master Bruce. All I’ve ever asked.”

    He stares at Bruce before he speaks again with less volume but still delivered as a reprimand, “Your family almost died yesterday and your response was to leave us and go back out there. Why? Because it makes you feel useful? Like you’re actively doing something instead of sitting around, hashing the trauma that your family just went through?”

    Bruce’s lips quiver before he looks down and hides his face from all of you. “We need you here--” Alfred’s voice breaks and you couldn’t keep watching him stand alone. You embrace him and let him use you as his support. His hands quickly clutch onto your shoulders. He looks at you and slowly brushes your hair.

    Softly he says, “Master Jason may have risen from the dead but let us not forget he died on the job... Or we will be mourning another one of you so soon.”

    The silence in the room feels like an anvil slowly getting heavier on your shoulders. You tighten your hold on Alfred and look into his grey old eyes with desperation before you whisper, “Jason is the Red Hood.”

    You watch as Alfred’s eyes slowly widen. “What?”

    “He was waiting for me at their old apartment-- he was tending to his wound--” you show them your wounded hand and look at Bruce, “Something you threw.”

    Bruce quickly recalls the batarang he aimed at the Red Hood’s hand. You watch the recognition dawn on Bruce’s face. Then there’s a quick myriad of emotions ranging from shock, guilt, sadness, and confusion.

    Dick’s eyes are wide and he’s the only one staring at your neck. “Ohmygod. Is that a hickey?” You immediately slap your hand on your neck as everyone looks at your neck. “You-- with-- Jason!”

    “I d-don’t think that’s really anyone’s business right now,” you say quickly. Your cheeks are flushed and you can feel Alfred’s grip on you tighten.

    He’s looking at you with a gloss over his eyes and you can see the hundreds of questions he wants to ask you. Where is he now? Is he okay? Does he still remember me? But Bruce beat him to it.

    “How-- How is he?”

    You don’t expect Bruce to stutter, to sound hesitant and eager at the same time. You finally realize that you’re their only tie to Jason right now, Jason who they last saw as a corpse in a casket.

    Before you could give any answer, Dick pipes up with the biggest grin you’ve ever seen. “What are we waiting for! Let’s drag that boy back here and ask him ourselves.”

    “Wait,” you call out. You stare at the floor as you brace yourself for what you’re about to say. Regrettably, you free yourself from Alfred’s hold and turn around. “Bruce. Jason is going after the Joker. He’s going to kill him.” You watch as Bruce’s eyes widen and his mouth hangs open. 

    He knows. Ever since he found out that Jason is alive, Bruce knows going after the Joker would be one of the first things on his son’s mind. And then ask him why he hasn’t done it.

     But all this time, Bruce has been living in a fantasy where he would find Jason before that. So he can take him home, apologize to his son, and make him feel safe again.

    “I think you should let him.”

    Bruce’s face quickly clams up. He glares at you with purse lips. Then answers you through his clenched teeth. “Do you hear yourself?” 

    “He won’t stop.”

    “You want Jason to be a murderer.”

    “I don’t like it any more than you do! But as someone who’s been through what he has, I can understand why he wants to be the murderer instead of being murdered this time around.”

    Bruce's eyes narrow as he stands in front of you. “It won’t happen. I am not going to let the Joker-- or anyone go after him again.”

    You don’t back down. “You can’t promise that. Bruce, we were just attacked-- not just me and Alfred but Dick and Tim, too-- with you!” You close the gap and place a hand on his shoulder. With effort, you lower your voice, “You can’t always protect us, Bruce. Maybe Jason’s way--”

    Bruce takes your hand off his shoulder and starts putting on his cowl. “Stay here. Stay with Alfred and monitor.” You’re shaking your head but he won’t look at you anymore. “If you feel anything--”

    “Bruce, stop--”

    He grits his teeth.

    “Either help me stop this or go to him, Y/N.”

    Silence permeates the distance between you. You stare at the broad shoulders of the man who saved you from your grave. The man who took you into his home without questions or strings, and made you feel safe. The man who won’t even look at you right now.

    Dick steps up, “Woah, Bruce--”

    “You’re asking me to choose between you and Jason.” Your voice rings out and echoes in their ears. That is what he’s saying, right? Either you help him or you’re helping Jason.

    “If you’re not here to help us, why did you come back?”

    You grimace as you look away.  “I thought we were a family. I thought… ” you whisper, not loud enough for the walls to hear. When you hear him open the door, you speak louder, “Why didn’t you kill the Joker?” He stops but he doesn’t turn around. You watch his grip loosen on the handle but he still doesn’t look at you. “You don’t need to answer me. But you should at least prepare yourself when Jason asks you that.”

    “That’s enough. Please,” Alfred grips your shoulders and you find that you’re the one who feels more stable in his hold. “One day. Missions and murders aside, can we please just have a day to breathe--” Alfred’s sudden pause grabs everyone’s attention. You watch his eyes sweep the open area of the safehouse before he stares at Bruce with widely terrified eyes and speaks in a small voice, “Where on Earth is master Tim?”

    Bruce and Dick spend the whole day searching for Tim at his usual spots but never found him. You and Alfred stay at the safehouse and watch all of the surveillance footage you have access to. The first thing you find out is that Tim had gotten up after Dick pointed out the kiss marks on your neck. He then walked out the door when Dick talked about bringing Jason back. He left silently and hasn’t returned.

    “Maybe he’s just letting off some steam,” Dick says reassuringly as he and Bruce drive to Arkham Asylum in the dead of the night. “You know because of…” he points to his neck.

    “I can hear you and I can see you,” you say as you watch their feed.

    “Or Jason could have taken him,” Bruce answers as they cross the bridge to Arkham. At the end of it, a lone figure stands in their way and they stop slowly.

    Dick whistles, “Even though I know he’s our Jason, I still can’t believe it-- He used to be so small and scrawny--”

    “Focus.”

    As their engine stops, a sea of shadows slowly emerge from the fog of the darkness behind the Red Hood. You watch on the edge of your seat as you take in the amount of manpower Jason has gathered in a manner of weeks? Months? How long has he been planning this?

     “Sorry, Batman! This part of the city’s closed for the day! Public execution and all!” Jason’s unmistakable voice filters through the feed.

    Alfred grips your arm, not wanting to believe that the boy he’s raised is the one he’s seeing. “Y/N.” He doesn’t know what to ask you. He doesn’t know what he wants. So you hold his arm and brace yourself.

    You don’t know anything either. This isn’t the Jason you were with this morning. He’s not the one that brushed your tears away with his thumb or kissed your forehead with shivering lips.

    You want to talk to him, ask him what he’s doing, what he’s planning. But you know that Jason’s senses are completely closed off to you right now. All of his focus will be on Bruce and the Joker tonight. You grip Alfred’s hands and feel yourself fall into the same feelings of uncertainty and nervousness.

    Who’s going to die tonight?

    “How do we do this, Bruce? It’s not like we can take Jason headon-- He’s connected to Y/N. We’ll hurt her.”

    Bruce keeps his eyes ahead, roaming the bridge. Suddenly a massive shadow is vaulting through the darkness over their heads until Bane’s figure breaks through the fog and lands between Jason and the batmobile.

    “Jason knows that more than anyone.” Bruce starts quickly supplying his suit with gears and throws some at Dick. “He got others to do the dirty work for him.”

    Dick’s too busy watching other familiar figures step out from the crowd. “Bane, Killer Croc, Clayface-- Son of a bitch! He’s got the big guns front and center.”

    “He’s vying for time. That means he hasn’t cracked the code to get into the Joker’s vault. Yet. Get ready.”

    With not enough time to comprehend what you’re watching, the feed to the batmobile gets cut off, leaving you and Alfred stunned and helpless, echoing your time in the cave just a night ago. Within the next second, it’s replaced with feeds from Batman and Nightwing’s masks.

    “EMP,” Dick calls out. “You guys good over there?”

    “We’re fine, master Dick.”

    You turn to Alfred hesitantly, “Won’t that-- What about their weapons?”

    Alfred shakes his head, “The car was made with Wayne tech while most of their gears were fashioned by master Bruce himself.” He sighs and stares at the screen, watching Bruce and Dick fight their way through the big three with the infantry of hired guns keeping them in the ring. “Master Jason knows that. So his main objective must have been to take the car out of the equation. Vastly decreasing their artillery.”

    You watch them take out a few of the thugs, only for Batman to be hit by Bane through all the confusion. He was plowing through the hired guns just to get to Batman and you can clearly see the devilish grin on his face.

    Your voice almost breaks when you speak, turning away from the fight, “You don’t think he plans to--” you stop, not wanting to finish that thought. “I was with Jason and he didn’t seem... He even said sorry to you.”

    Alfred looks down at his wrinkled palms and slowly closes them, “If he wants to kill the Joker, I understand. But if master Jason kills or hurts--” He turns to you with an apologetic look, like he’s the one in the wrong here. “If he hurts them, I don’t know if I have it in me to ever forgive him, Y/N.” 

    You suddenly can’t meet Alfred’s eyes, as if you’ve played a part in Jason’s plans.

    “I see him! He’s headed for Arkham Asylum! Batman, I’ll give you an opening!”

    “What about you--”

    “I’ll be fine. Just--” You watch Nightwing take a hit from Killer Croc’s tail. He’s winded but he recovers mid-air and expertly lands on his feet. Batman hits Killer Croc with a jolt of electricity to slow him down before he could come after Nightwing again.

     As soon as Batman reaches him, Nightwing pushes him away and yells at him, “Just bring him back this time!” Batman stands still and Nightwing urges him to move. “Go!”

    You bite your lip as you watch Bruce leave Dick behind, fending for himself against Killer Croc and Clayface. You’ve never seen them handle this kind of fight before, this big and dangerous. You don’t know if Dick can handle those two on his own. You don’t know what Bruce will do when Jason kills the Joker. You don’t know if Jason has Tim. You don’t know anything.

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧

[watchtower-feed]

Losing My Mind (Part 2)

SSA Main ✧ Luthor ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧

    “I want you out of my head, Y/N.” He turns to you, “Now.”

    You scoff, “Do you think I love seeing you hurt people? We can’t control it Lex. The links are a sealed deal.”

    He smiles, a knowing smirk, his tell when he’s got an idea playing through his head. “You said you know of my plans.”

    You narrow your eyes, “Everything you’ve done is only temporary. I’m your last piece and I’m going to make sure you never find me.”

    Lex shakes his head lightly. He walks up to you and you tense. He holds his hands up by his side for you to see. Then slowly he leans in and leaves a peck on your cheek. He moves his mouth close to your ears and whispers, “Remember, Y/N. I don’t need powers to find you.”

     “I do not understand.” Dr. Fate’s eyes stare intently at the man you’ve known your entire life.

     “What’s not to understand?” he mocks. “It’s simple. Really. Even old brains can comprehend it.”

     “I don’t understand why I’m here.” Dr. Fate’s tone is a lot more stern. His eyes are glaring from within his golden helmet. “The Moirai are Greek. I am not.”

     “Hmm.” Your soulmate pretends to mull this over in thought. “Yes. But you’re both ancient divine beings, aren’t you? From what Savage has told me--” he pauses to turn to the immortal hero in the room, expecting his icy glare to turn more hostile. “You’re much older.”

     Dr. Fate presses his lips together.

     “Listen, Nabu.” Lex stresses the name, Dr. Fate’s mortal name. “You have a new body now-- an immortal body thanks to me. And we both know I don’t do favors for free.

     “But surely it’s fine if you don’t want to repay me. I’ll just fail at my plans and turn myself in to the Justice League. Then I’ll tell them everything I’ve been up to. Including that body you’ve been using.”

     Silence fills the room and your soulmate’s smirk irritates Dr. Fate to the point of victory. The Justice League member walks up to where the Fate sister is lying on the floor, unconscious. Next to her is a cauldron. The ancient artifact that once held every living being’s past, present, and future.

     Dr. Fate reaches down to touch the Fate sister’s forehead with his hand. Where their skin meets, a golden glow peeks from in between. It dimmed away when Dr. Fate stood up.

     “Well?” Lex asks without patience.

     “The cauldron once held destinies before an Olympian god had spilled its content down to Earth. Zeus was alerted the moment it happened. There was enough time to prevent our destinies from falling into our own hands.”

     Luthor purses his lips, “And instead placed our destiny in the hands of other people.”

     “Your other half.”

     Luthor clenches his fist. He’s thinking about his parents on the farm and the foster family that tried to take advantage of him. But Dr. Fate was right. There is also you.

     “Do I have enough energy from the ‘destinies’ I’ve collected?”

     “No. To wield more power than the gods, you need every single link in existence.”

     Lex purses his lips, “I assume that includes the links of every single baby being born by the second.”

     Dr. Fate doesn’t nod or shake his head. He stares at Luthor with the same standing position he’s assumed all this time. “For what you desire, you only need one last link.” He strides forward until he’s looking down at Lex from inside his golden helmet. “I know what you truly want even when you haven’t realized it yet. So be reminded.” He leans down to match Lex’s eye level. “Gods are not to be threatened.”

     Your soulmate’s fingers twitch, making Dr. Fate look at them. Then he disappears, leaving Lex alone breathing out slowly until he can find his voice again, “And yet.”

     He turns to the cauldron and touches the rim. Despite being a man of science, he could feel the ethereal energy emanating from it. It’s the same feeling when you’re around.

     “Did you enjoy the show, soulmate?”

     You step out from the shadows and approach the cauldron. There are no images of gods and mighty heroes embossed on it but only of a creature with four legs and four arms.

     “See how close I am?” Your soulmate’s eyes are wide and filled with excitement. His hands almost clapping, forcing himself from committing a habit he used to do with you.

     He steps forward and holds your face in his hands. You suddenly feel weak. Like all you want to do is melt back into his touch. Go back to the past together and stay there.

     “All I need is our link, Y/N.”

     Suddenly there’s that prickling feeling in your chest. You grab his hands and squeeze them with your trembling fingers. You close your eyes and push back your tears with the anger boiling inside you. Then you finally look back with a steely gaze. “You’ll never get me, Lex. You’re not the only one with friends.”

     You disappear while Lex’s hands remain in the air, still feeling the press of your fingertips, but holding nothing.

✧ ✧ ✧

     You finally make it to the rendezvous point in Gotham City. You reach an unusually quiet alley at the East End and Batman steps out of the shadows to greet you.     

     “Were you followed?”

     It’s not like you’re here to exchange pleasantries but you had at least hoped to see his soulmate with him. “No,” you answer.

     “Did you take the link blockers?”

     “Yes. Two hours ago. I brought enough for the next 24 hours.”

     Batman nods. He has been suspicious of you since day one. Of course, he wouldn’t allow his soulmate to be any more involved in this. Not when it’s your soulmate you’re plotting to take down.

     “Flash will take you to the safehouse. Another team will be staying with you while the Justice League raid the labs.”

     You’re surprised. Even though this is your plan, you’re not allowed to know the specifics in case Luthor makes it in your memories. You did ask Batman to only tell you what you need to know.

     Batman is backing up against the wall. “Stay close. Stay alert.”

     Suddenly, everything was a blur of red with small streaks of yellow. The only thing stable you can see is the jawline of the fastest man alive. He’s carrying you in his arms and he steals a quick look at you. “Are you really Luthor’s soulmate?”

     “Yes. Why would I lie?”

     “Why would you admit you’re his soulmate?” he asks with a raised brow.

     Suddenly you feel no sympathy for the speedster. “I love him.”

     “Oh,” he mutters, shoulders slacking but only for a moment. “So why help us? He had my soulmate kidnapped but didn’t take her link.”

     You stare at him and realize this is why he’s the one taking you to the safehouse. He volunteered.

     Since the Fate sisters refuse to see any hero or villain, meta or human, the Justice League knows very little about the links. And since you share a memory link with Luthor, you’re the closest expert they’ll ever have.

     “Ever wondered why there are so many types of links?” you ask and Flash only replies by raising an eyebrow. “It’s all the same energy, divine energy from the Greek gods--” 

     “They’re real?”

     It’s your turn to raise an eyebrow, “You have an Amazonian on your team.”

     “Right,” he chuckles sheepishly, “Sometimes I just forget-- Continue.”

     “When the energy turns itself into a link between soulmates, in order to completely seal their bond, it changes itself into one that will perfectly suit them.”

     Flash scoffs. “A tracker on a speedster. That’s not even clever.”

     “Lex thought so, too. So he went to Eobard Thawne--”

     Flash skids to a stop. The inertia against his grasp might leave light bruises on your arms and legs. “Thawne gave his soulmate link-- his tracker-- to Luthor? That means he really is after just one of each link.” Flash is staring down at the ground and you see his eyes widen before they turn to you. “That’s why his real targets have been League members-- powerhouses.”

     You eye him curiously. You had told Batman and his soulmate all you know but it looks like he didn’t share that with the Justice League. Or maybe the League isn’t even in on this after all. Maybe no one else is in on this. Not Martian Manhunter nor Miss Martian.

     Your nerves have gotten hold of you and you didn’t notice when you’d started running again. You want to ask the Flash, to make sure Batman trusts you enough to try your plan. But you stop.

     “Something’s wrong,” Flash says, tightening his grip on you as he looks around inside an empty warehouse near a loading dock. “Someone from the team should’ve been here by-- AAARGH!”

     A bright blue light hits Flash’s back and he throws you away before it reaches you, too. You watch him quickly turn to ice as you fall against the hard floor. You used your arms to brace your fall and protect your head, grazing them and the stinging feeling makes you weak.

     A pair of black shiny loafers settle in front of you. “I told you, Y/N.” Hearing his voice for the first time-- the first real time feels different, like listening to the lyrics without the instruments. As if it’s the only sound that’s ever existed. He bends down. “I don’t need powers to find you.”

     You look up and the moment your eyes meet with his, every single memory you’ve shared flashes in your mind. An album of recollections. A film reel of everything you’ve been through. Every single moment of being together but not.

     The moment it’s over, you close your eyes shut and massage them. Lex has been wiped from the memories you’ve once shared but you still remember the feeling of him being there, as well as every single conversation you’ve ever had. The good and the bad. 

     When you open your eyes, Lex is still massaging the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. You watch tears slip through his eyes and only then do you notice the warmth on your own cheeks. 

     You reach out and wipe away your soulmate’s tears. At your touch, his eyes snap open and he stares at you. It’s as if he’s truly seeing you for the first time. He touches your cheek and your skin is warm and soft. He can finally tell the difference, that every you in his memories had been a lie.

     You watch Lex narrow his eyes at you before he stabs your arm with a tranquilizer. It acts quickly and your whole body gives in. Your consciousness fades as Lex catches you and carries you in his arms.

✧ ✧ ✧

     You didn’t know what to expect once you woke up but the sudden feeling of loneliness wasn’t even a guess. You sit up from the armchair you find yourself lying in. It stands out from the bland interior of yet another Cadmus lab.

     There are scientists and guards littered about. Computers humming lightly in the background. In the middle of the room is the cauldron surrounded by a few scientists with tablets and Lex.

     Suddenly the loneliness fades. But you realize why. Lex had taken your link.

     You rise up and almost sprint. He turns around and you grab him by the collar and push him back against the cauldron. But your own strength is meager compared to your soulmate’s. Even that fact infuriates you.

     Tears are streaming down your face and you’re glaring at your soulmate. You scream at him, “You took it away!”

     Lex is staring at you with a puzzled look before his eyes narrow and his expression becomes bored. “Not yet.”

     Your eyes widen and Lex sees himself completely reflected in them, looking back. He gently removes your hold on his collar and holds both of your hands in his. “Much like the timer link, Y/N, our memory link disappears when we meet.”

     Your eyes narrow as if you’re in pain. Lex’s thumb brushes the skin on the back of your hands. “And just like with every other link--”

     “The souls’ links still exist,” you finish, suddenly remembering what you know. The fear of losing your link has made you lose focus and lose sight of the plan.

     “Now,” Lex lets go of your hands and turns to the cauldron. “I suppose this is the part where I tell you my plans.”

     You wrap your arms around you with the sensation of his touch still lingering. “I already know,” you whisper.

     “Humor me,” he answers. He turns to you with a familiar smirk he hasn’t worn since he was a teenager. “One last time.”

     Being so close to losing him forever and knowing that this will truly be the last time, you turn away and stare at the cauldron. It’s no longer empty. It’s filled with an ethereal hue of gold and silver lines stirring around inside. Touching it might feel like cold air or soft clouds.

     “Guesswork is never enough for you,” you start and Lex hums in agreement. “You wanted proof that the souls’ links still exist. And Dr. Fate was your first-ever customer.

     “You found a couple with the immortality link. You took away their link using the Fate sisters’ scissors-- another experiment you needed proof of. Then you offered the woman to Dr. Fate as an immortal magical host.”

     You grip the ends of the cauldron, unfazed by the metal’s warmth.

     “I was there when he brought the woman back. She was older. Dr. Fate believed you did something wrong and you let him believe just that. But you knew--” your eyes narrow as you stare into the cauldron. Lex watches as the ethereal energy’s light dances across your features. “With her soulmate dead, his soul lingered around her, causing her to age. Alone.”

     Lex sighs, “Even in death, destiny haunts us. How inconvenient.”

     You’re so close to your boiling point. You turn to Lex and you’re shouting, “But that wasn’t enough for you! You found another couple and offered another sacrifice to Nabu while keeping their soulmate in eternal captivity!”

     Lex lazily waves a hand without looking at you. “You’re getting off-topic, Y/N.”

     You clench your teeth and take a swing at your soulmate but it’s weak. Lex is able to block it and hold your wrist. “Tell me. What am I planning?”

     You lean in and your voice is laced with spite, “You’re after what you’ve always wanted, Lex. Control.”

     Lex stares at you before he smiles and lets go of your hand. You take it back and this time there’s no lingering touch. “You want control over your own life and that means control over everything. Everyone. You want to use the divine energy from the links to fuel the Fate sisters’ cauldron and be in charge of the world’s destiny.”

     You laugh but it sounds empty and forced, “But like Dr. Fate said-- like I’ve been telling you, it’s not going to work.”

     Luthor raises an eyebrow at you but he’s smiling, “My. What a spy you’ve grown to be.”

     This irritates you more and you stomp forward, “You can’t change what’s already been done, Lex! The past has passed, and the future isn’t in your hands.”

     Lex rolls his eyes at you, “Don’t try to be the smartest person in the room, Y/N. It’s embarrassing.” He signals to one of the scientists before turning his attention back to the cauldron. “With every single link in existence, I would’ve become the god that decides everyone’s destiny. And you know what, Y/N, I never wanted that.”

     The shock of what you heard made you take a step back.

     “Becoming a god would’ve made me into the very thing I hate. Superman. Metahumans. Aliens. Extraordinary beings that hold our lifelines with the tips of their fingernails. I have no desire to be one of them.”

     The scientist walks up to Lex carrying a suitcase.

     “You’re right, Y/N. The past has passed and we can’t change it. Not completely. But what is within my control are people’s memories. The only proof that the past even existed.”

     Lex opens the suitcase and inside is a pair of old and damaged scissors, rusted and bent. He takes it out of the suitcase and holds it in one hand.

     “The gods have controlled our lives using these links and I intend to do the same using ours. I’ve collected every single memory link in the world, Y/N. Being the rarest and limited, it wasn’t all too hard. Especially with a god on your side.

     “The only one missing is ours.”

     You suddenly press your arms against your chest but your soulmate doesn’t advance toward you.

     “By erasing my past and altering people’s memories, I can finally peacefully live in a world without soulmates and links. I’ll erase everything we know about them and chalk them up as anomalies with no sense nor purpose.

     “It’ll be the perfect world. A world where I’ll be whatever I aspire to be. All without you burrowing into my brain like a parasite. Forcing my hand into killing my family and going on about an imaginary lover--”

     “Lex, don’t do this. Please. You can’t--”

     “I can.”

     You’re starting to take a step back and guards are approaching you. Lex waves them away and he holds out his hand to you. He’s asking you.

     Your eyes narrow and you beg him not to do this.

     “Please. I… I don’t want to forget you. I don’t want that! This link has brought you uncertainty and muddled memories but Lex, every moment we shared was real. I was with you in every single one. I felt your happiness and sadness. I’ve seen your anger. Just because we weren’t there physically, doesn’t mean they were imaginary.”

     Lex doesn’t answer you. He takes a step forward and lightly touches your hand. The gentleness he’s suddenly showing keeps you from pulling away.

     “Lex, please. The world be damned, let me keep my--”

     Don’t worry, YN.

     “Don’t worry, Y/N,” he holds your hand and his thumb brushes your skin.

     There’s no mistaking it. Lex’s words came with an echo that vibrated inside your mind. They’re here. Batman followed through.

     “I’ll make sure both you and I will forget everything. You won’t have to get hurt anymore.”

     You force yourself to focus back on your soulmate. There’s no lie or sarcasm or pity in his voice. This is Lex offering you his sincerity for the last time, showing you that a part of him still cares and might love you.

     It almost makes you wish this didn’t have to happen. That maybe you’d be satisfied with playing cat and mouse for the rest of your lives. But your soulmate isn’t just destroying your link, he’s willing to take away everyone else’s.

     And your memory link is gone. Losing your souls’ link is a small sacrifice for the love of your life, to keep him from spiraling into darker places where he can’t come back from.

     You raise your hand and offer it to him. He smiles at you but you refuse to look. He presses his palm up against yours and makes sure your pinkies are touching and aligned. Then he takes the scissors and snips at the invisible string tying you together.

     The moment it snaps, you see the golden thread burst from thin air. Lex holds it with the scissors and turns to the cauldron.

     But before he can drop it in, you rush forward until you’ve tackled him to the ground. The scissors fly across the room and opens, and your link disappears in midair.

     “No!” Lex turns to you and tries to push you off but stronger pairs of arms are also holding him down. “What--”

    The air moves and both Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian appear beside you.

    You watch Lex’s eyes widen and turn from one alien to another. Once they’ve entered his mind, his eyes start closing. You lean down and whisper, “A courtesy, my soulmate.”

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧