#bruce saving clark’s secret identity

[superbat-love]

Teacher: Hello Mr Kent, this is Mrs Smith speaking, Jon’s teacher. Will you be picking your son up from school?

Clark: Give me half an hour. I’m just…caught up in something urgent right now. [someone screeching in the background]

Teacher: [alarmed] What was that? Mr Kent, is everything all right?

Bruce: Oh, he’s probably dealing with that nasty pest problem. [takes the phone and puts it on speaker] Clark, it’s me. Do you need help?

Clark: No, I can handle it! Take that! [more screeching in the background] Bruce, there’s more of them! The spiders are pushing us back!

Bruce: Just as I suspected, a spider infestation. [sounds of explosions on the phone] Large spiders. HUGE. Well, you know how big spiders can get in Kansas.

Clark: [incomprehensible yelling]

Bruce: Hang in there Clark, I’ll call the pest control. Jon can stay at the manor tonight with Damian, don’t worry about it. [ends the call and hands the phone back to the teacher] Come on, boys. Good day, Mrs Smith.

Jon & Damian: Bye Mrs Smith!

Teacher: [looking shell-shocked]

Superbat Family Fics

[frownyalfred]

Dick is probably the nicest civilian ever when he’s in Bludhaven and all the little old ladies who bring him baked goods and his coworkers at the station have no idea he spends the night beating criminals half to death with his escrima sticks, has the kind of insane family & family loyalty you can’t buy, and would have the entire Justice League at his side with just one phone call.

[kizzer55555]

Oooh! What if Danny wasn’t the one who told them that if they speak of the curse, he’ll die. Danny just wanted to get out of the situation with Batman so just used what worked before. Batman brings up Danny’s possible curse and Danny dies. Only, Batman keeps finding him. Every time Batman brings up the ‘curse’ Danny ‘dies’ to get away and now Batman has it in his head that the reason Danny keeps dying is because he keeps bringing it up and informs the Justice league about this. So Danny never outright states that saying the curse out loud will kill him but he finds it hilarious so he doesn’t correct them.

Danny is an immortal being, forever stuck in the form of a teenager. As such, he never really “grows up.” This leads to many shenanigans, one of which involves him faking his own death at the slightest inconvenience. Most of the time, people don’t really notice.

Batman suddenly showing up at his front door, his arms full of files filled with information from his “past lives” is the first thing in a long time that Danny can’t simply die to get out of.

[palmanatomy]

No one asked for this but basically heres a list of fics that have been living in my head rent free.

brilliant (like a confession) - by kathkin. This is a clois fic that I am OBSESSED with. Basically, Lois realises after 8 years that she is in love with her coworker Clark Kent and who does she turn to for advice? Superman. I love it. Anything with secret identities I adore.

Speaking of secret identities and Clois, Third wheel - by Unpretty is so good. The character voice is so on point and Clark and Lois' dynamic is something I love. Bruce Wayne visits to Metropolis and starts dating Lois. I love it. I think theres smut in it? If there is, I think its pretty limited.

Another secret identities is buy back the secrets - by sundiscus. Its a Timkon wip that is literally amazing. Every time I reread this I'm just blown away. Its a 5+1 of times that Superboy saves Tim and one that Tim saves Superboy and I love it.

Young Justice: A Little Help From My Friends - by Hayleythewriter is another Timkon one but with more of a core 4 dynamic. Its an interesting spin on Young Justice where it starts out like the TV show but uses the original line up from the comics I really love this one and I love Tim and Kons relationship. Any fic by Hayley is written in a way that just makes you fall in love with it and leaves you wanting more. It is WIP but don't let it discourage you. I'd honestly recommend all of her fics.

This is a oneshot that I'm obsessed with. I wanna save that light - by suzukiblu is an incredible, heartwarming one. Kara arrived at earth with a baby Kal and both of them stay with the Kents. Its so beautiful yet painful and I'd 100% recommend.

This is a little different but In This or Any Other Universe - by wildsofmarch is an incredibly bittersweet story where Nightwing from the DC comics lands in The Batman 2022 universe. I love it, I love the ending, and it nearly made me cry.

Thats all for now.

[the-batblog]

This is probably a hot take but I don't think anybody actually cares who Batman is outside of the GCPD and conspiracy theorists.

When Batman first shows up he's a friggen poltergeist. He's a cryptid. For a second there maybe people thought he was just a creepypasta.

Then when people start to think… actually it kinda seems like he's a guy…? Like, he's a real…? Person…???

Then the GCPD is like, 'Okay, well, then he's breaking laws.'

But your average schmo is like, 'And? Yeah he's a guy; he gave me fifty bucks to get home last night. Right after he saved me from an acid piranha pit.'

But the thing is, Bats has his own personality. He's a whole person as the mask. People don't ask who Superman's secret identity is because, as far as they're concerned, Superman is just Superman, and when they can't see him, it's because he went home. It would be the same with Batman. They probably think he sleeps or hangs upside-down all day.

I think Gothamites like him as Just Batman; he's the city's pet monster, and they like it that way.

I think we get super caught up in the, "Batman's secret identity might be revealed! 😱" because Batman's secret identity is famous. But if someone unmasked Clark or Barry or Hal it would be like

"…I have no idea who this is."

And they expect the same of Batman.

GCPD wants to know so they can arrest him, conspiracy theorists want to know because they wanna know where he fits into the machine, gossip columnists want to know so they can get catch some drama, and real-person fanfic authors wanna know so they can accurately describe him when he takes his mask off to kiss Bruce Wayne.

[such-expensive-mistakes]

Superpham AU (part 7)

Masterpost

A short one today, but I thought this section was funny (until it got sad again).

-----

It’s a quiet evening in the Lane-Kent household: Lois is trying to turn her notes into an article, Clark is going over Jon’s math homework, and Jon is watching a show Lois is only half-following.  It features lots of gunfire and explosions, though Lois’s— unfortunately extensive— experience with witnessing real violence makes the version on TV look cartoonish.  She suspects that is part of the show’s appeal.

Danny is paying about as much attention to the TV as Lois is, engrossed in something on his phone.  At least he’s in the same room as the rest of them, instead of sequestering himself away.

“Hey Lois?” Danny suddenly asks.

Lois looks up from her work.  “What’s up?”

“Did you know the internet thinks you’re Superman’s girlfriend?”

Lois knows that if she looks at Clark, he’ll be turning red, the way he always does whenever this particular subject comes up.  Lois herself is barely holding back a laugh.  Jon’s wrinkling his nose, looking thoroughly embarrassed by his parents.

“Well, I am,” she says, barely keeping herself composed.

“No, I mean—” Danny begins.

“You mean people say that I’m dating Superman and married to Clark?”  Lois glances at Clark, who is now hiding his face in his hands.  “Someone forgot to check for cameras after rescuing me a few years back, and we got caught kissing on film.  It was let people think Superman is a homewrecker or let them think I’m in a polyamorous relationship with my husband and his alter ego.”  

“That’s… really weird.”  Danny is giving her the kind of judgmental look only teenagers can give.  

Lois does laugh at that.  “It is, a bit.  But it helps protect Clark’s secret identity, so I don’t mind.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Clark finally says.  “There were other ways to handle that situation; she just thinks this is funny.”

“Even your parents think it’s funny,” Lois says.  Clark just sighs, faux-aggrieved.  

“It’s not even the weirdest thing on the internet about Superman,” Danny says.  “It’s just the weirdest thing everyone agrees is true.”

“Please do not tell me what else you’ve found,” Clark says.  

“You can tell me,” Lois says.  “We can just make Clark leave for a bit.”  Reading conspiracy theories about Superman is her guilty pleasure, though if anyone asks, she does it to keep tabs on anyone who might have a viable way of hurting him.  

Danny just laughs, and something in Lois’s chest seizes up.  Is this the first time she’s heard him laugh since he came back?  She thinks it might be.

She doesn’t want to call attention to it; like as not, that would just make him pull away again.  Instead she says, “Superman doesn’t even get the best conspiracy theories.  Those are all Batman.”  That’s because Bruce purposefully cultivates them, of course, but that’s not important.

“Which one is he, again?” Danny asks.  

It’s not that Lois ever forgets that Danny has spent most of his life in another dimension.  But little offhand comments like that… they really drive it home.  There are plenty of superheroes, even Justice League members, that most of the general public has never heard of— but Batman is not one of them.

She's saved from answering by Clark.

"You'll meet him eventually," Clark says.  "He's a good friend of mine.  And Jon and Kon are close to his two youngest sons, Robin and Red Robin."

Danny nods thoughtfully.  "Right.  I think Red Robin's in the group chat Kon added me to."

Lois reminds herself to thank Kon next time she sees him.  He and Danny seem to have connected, and Kon seems to have made it his personal mission to keep Danny from slipping too far into one of his funks again.

"Speaking of Kon," Clark begins.  "Ma and Pa want to know when we'll be able to make it to Smallville to visit."

They've been trying not to overwhelm Danny by introducing him to too many new people at once, but maybe that was the wrong choice.  Maybe they should be pushing him to get out more, to connect with this dimension.  Besides, Kon spends most of his time in Smallville, and they already know that he and Danny get along.

Lois re-evaluates the article she’s been working on.  Perry would probably appreciate it sooner rather than later, but if she turns in a smaller article this week, she can probably swing a weekend off.  If not, she can always work on it from Kansas.

“This weekend should work,” Lois says.  “If that’s alright with you, Danny.”

Danny looks a little surprised to be consulted.  “I— yeah, that works.  Not like I have anywhere else to be.”  He laughs a little, but the joke falls flat, and Lois resolves to double down on helping Danny connect with more people here in this dimension.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

do you have any tips for writing realistic superheroes? A character like batman for instance

Writing Notes: Superhero Fiction

Superhero Fiction - a style of fiction that focuses on protagonists with superhuman capabilities.

Typically the superhero main character exists in a version of our present day world, only with carefully chosen fantastical alterations.

This produces a natural overlap with the genre known as urban fantasy, which combines fantastic worldbuilding with grounded gritty elements of today’s world.

Necessary Tropes

You generally need superpowers — although of course Batman got around without them. But then, some might say that his Crazy-Prepared abilities, superhuman level of easily accessible monetary wealth, and alleged company favouritism are superpowers in and of themselves...

At very least, then, we can say that you need characters who have abilities that are above and beyond those of most average people.

Even Badass Normal superheroes such as Batman and Iron Man still have such abilities as near-genius level deductive insight, martial arts skills and engineering genius that sets them apart from everyday civilians.

Superheroes also generally require the Secret Identity - a public superhero identity and a private civilian identity.

This is not uniform, however, and there's many superheroes who only have one (and even for those who have both, sometimes it's the civilian identity that's the mask, and the Superhero form is the real "them").

Costumes and code names are also iconic for the genre.

Common Plot Elements of Superhero Fiction

No two pieces of superhero fiction are quite the same, but many common elements connect the touchstones of the genre. Here are a few iconic superhero tropes:

An urban metropolis setting based on New York City. New York was America’s capital of culture and media during the Great Depression and World War II, just as comic books were surging to life. As such, many superhero comics were set in New York or in very close approximations such as Gotham City.

A superpower, often enabled by a specialized item. Superheroes can do things that ordinary humans cannot. Often these superpowers are made possible by fantastical items, such as Superman’s cape or Iron Man’s mechanized suit of armor. Not all superpowered items are clothing-related, but capes are a common element of superhero fiction.

A dramatic origin story. Writers of superhero fiction take pains to explain how their protagonists attained their powers and why they’ve chosen their path in life. Some superhero origin stories are tragic, like that of Bruce Wayne losing his parents before becoming Batman. Others are more circumstantial, like the story of Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider and becoming Spider-Man.

A secret identity. Many superheroes lead dual lives in the everyday world, surrounded by people who never suspect their vigilante alter ego. Whether it’s Superman moonlighting as newspaper reporter Clark Kent, or Batman hiding behind the character of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, a superhero’s “normal” persona includes a carefully concocted mix of similarities and differences from their heroic alter ego.

A supervillain adversary. Superheroes have fantastical powers. So do their adversaries, who commonly categorized as supervillains. In some cases, supervillains are just as famous as the superheroes they fight. The Joker, Loki, and Magneto serve as examples. Some of the best superhero books feature adversaries that are in fact anti-heroes—misfits with a renegade ethos like Catwoman who thrive on misanthropic behavior. Just like the heroes, most of these bad guys also employ a secret identity. For instance, most of the time, Spider-Man’s nemesis the Green Goblin is industrialist Norman Osborn.

An iconic sidekick. A hero can rarely save humanity without some help. That’s why Batman has Robin and Captain America has Bucky Barnes.

A superhero story can take on many forms, including superhero novels, superhero movies, and the hallmark of the superhero genre, the comic book.

Many literary historians consider the Great Depression and World War II era to be the golden age of superhero comics. Audiences enjoyed their escapist plots, their strong moral ethos, and the books’ affordable cost.

The comic book boom continued into the Cold War era, which also spawned comic books’ close cousins, graphic novels.

Superhero filmmaking is now enjoying its own golden age, as the first two decades of the 21st century have been dominated by Hollywood blockbusters adapted from classic twentieth century comic books.

In one way or another, we've enjoyed stories about superheroes for centuries.

Tales about men and women blessed with extraordinary powers and abilities using those gifts to champion the innocent and battle the forces of darkness have circulated throughout mythology and literature since ancient times.

However, the idea of what we today think of as the superhero has its origins in the pulp magazines and comic strips of the 1930s, and its genesis with the 1938 debut of Superman, who over 80 years later remains in regular publication as a comic book as well as the subject of cartoons, films, TV shows, and more besides.

Sources: 1 2 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

You can find more tropes in this genre here to help you create your character. And more tips here that provides a guide on the common themes, possible subversions, and pitfalls when using these tropes. Hope this helps with your writing!

[vague-shadows]

"Word's Gonna Get Around"

Part 3 of How We Went From "Something's Missing" To "A Family"

Batman - All Media Types; Superman - All Media Types - Established Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne

Read on AO3

"Are you sure that you’re giving the right weight to the risks?" Clark asks. "I want to be there for Jason; you know I do.  I just…don’t think you really want an entire town to know that Bruce Wayne is dating Superman, do you? That seems like too big a risk by your usual standards.”

“I don’t understand,” Bruce says.  “I’d be publicly dating Clark Kent, not Superman.”

Clark gives him the look he saves for the moments when Clark thinks the World’s Greatest Detective has missed something obvious.  Bruce takes a moment to process the conversation again.

“Wait…” he says, praying that he has somehow reached the incorrect conclusion for once.  “Are you telling me that the entire town knows your secret identity?!” 

[were-wolverine]

batfam/dc fic recs

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34594006/chapters/86113789 birdflash, batfam, yj & titans team, talon!dick keeps adopting people

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35671243/chapters/88939798 batfam, dick is taken by william cobb, good brother jason todd, pov jason & dick

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42905253/chapters/107791386 batfam, time travel, 15y/o and 20 y/o jason swap places, all the batkids (minus duke), discowing

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30951686/chapters/76441190#main batfam, jason is magically turned 15, jason & bruce, jason & dick

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21071939/chapters/50129498 batboys, birdflash, damijon, alt reality with no batman, villain au but not really, dick jason tim & dami centered (fav of mine)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40843479 minor birdflash, batfam, dick kills the joker in arkham, jason pov

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29812065 batfam, talon!dick saves robin!jason

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17024694/chapters/68542389?view_adult=true batfam, talon!dick, coffee shop au

https://archiveofourown.org/works/840565?view_adult=true birdflash, time travel shenanigans, wally time travels w/o warning all the time but always to a version of dick

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33840772 birdflash, talon dick grayson, young justice!dick, batbrothers tim and jason

https://archiveofourown.org/works/525987/chapters/931106 batfam, the team, birdflash, gotham academy, young justice!au

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15756108 batfam and bruce’s bathroom, superbat

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18329522/chapters/43390649 batfam, superbat, batkids calling bruce ‘dad’

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16599113 superbat, bruce gets turned into a kitten, clark takes him home

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14159745/chapters/32636481 jayroy, neighbors au, single parent roy, secret identity & miscommunication

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37824247/chapters/94444957 birdflash, white collar au, wally west is neal caffrey, dick is a little shit

https://archiveofourown.org/series/2724655 birdflash, white collar au, soulmate au, dick grayson is neal caffrey

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15919062 superbat, JL bbq and identity reveal

https://archiveofourown.org/series/2096913 birdflash + batfam stuff, no capes au

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20699210 birdflash, nightwing!dick & civilian!wally

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18942745 mini-robin being chaotic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17470007 birdflash, fix-it, soulmate au (bruises&scars)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45381850/chapters/114180319 talon!dick, young justice au, open ended (my fic 😅)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37157692 batfam & in-laws, birdflash jayroy timkon etc. (another one of my fics 👉👈)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37462546/chapters/93491716 robin!dick & harley quinn, yj!dick & hq show!harley, harlivy (last one i swear, aka it’s also mine)

[ggomos-maribat]

4 | in which a boy becomes jealous of his niece

Part 4 of No Mr. Wayne You Can't Adopt Me! | Masterlist

When Bruce heard that Diana and Clark were both in the city for work, he decided to kill two birds with one stone and invite them for lunch and a meeting in his office. He even had Tim in attendance, so he could give his opinions for the League-related discussions. They were deep into intergalactic affairs when a knock rapped on the door.

"Mr. Wayne?" Marinette called out from outside.

Bruce wondered why she was knocking, since she knew he had guests over. Marinette never disturbed him if he had guests. Is there an emergency?

Tim was quick on his feet as he opened the door for her. Marinette's head peeked out, looking a little shy. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've got something to show you urgently."

Bruce gave an apologetic smile. "Can it wait until later—"

Tim cut in, "It's a casual meeting, B, let the girl in."

With Clark and Diana's gazes on him, he conceded and motioned for Tim to let his assistant in. The girl carried her tablet inside, setting it up on the table in front of them. "There was an intruder last night in your office. I managed to extract the audio feed and sync it up with the video footage."

The glint in his son's eye already gave Bruce a foreboding feeling. Tim gasped dramatically. "An intruder? How scary!"

"I'd like to show you so you can confirm his words." Marinette pursed her lips. "Batman visited last night."

"Batman?" Clark's gaze wandered off towards Bruce.

The assistant nodded solemnly and pressed a key to play the video. "He came in late at night to 'retrieve something' but I did suspect he was stealing."

Like the nosey coworkers they were, the two League members immediately slid towards either side of Bruce to get a glimpse of the screen. Bruce's encounter with the knife-wielding Marinette was caught clear as day on the camera—he started to feel heat rush to his cheeks.

Tim attempted (and failed) to mask his laughter with a cough while Diana didn't hold back at all, letting out a chuckle as they watched.

"I think that's enough of—" Bruce stretched his arm to pause the video but Clark moving to hold back his wrist was faster.

"No, it's important to see the whole thing, Bruce," his sly friend told him, "This is a security breach."

"He's right, Mr. Wayne." Marinette's eyebrows furrowed. "He slipped in so easily; our security system must be faulty if he was able to go inside without triggering alarms."

Bruce bit on his tongue and wished he could say something. But his assistant's blue eyes shone with so much innocent concern and worry that he couldn't stay firm. He leaned back and let the video finish, with amusement clear on Clark and Diana's faces and Tim wheezing behind him.

He cleared his throat. "Thank you for bringing this up, Marinette, but Batman is right. We had a prior agreement so he's allowed in the office."

"But why associate with Batman at all?" She tilted her head. "Is he one of your lovers?"

Bruce was pretty sure Tim just choked on air.

"We both save the city, in our own ways that is." Bruce internally cringed at his explanation. "I think we both have the same goals and I'm happy to help him if it means Gotham is safe."

"No offense, but he's a recluse. You can do better, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce glanced at his two fellow founding members. "I'm sure he's got some friends of his own."

"I don't know." Clark pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I've talked to Superman a few times and according to him, the Bat is a weirdo."

Marinette's eyes widened. "Weird how? Oh, that reminds me . . ." She pulled out something from her pocket: the same Batarang Bruce had thrown at her. "He pinned my sleeve to the wall! It's going to take forever to mend."

Bruce looked away guiltily.

Clark shook his head in faux disappointment. "That's awful. Superman says he's always like that—cold like a stone wall, very grumpy, and protective over his secret identity."

"It seems that Batman was very much caught off by your presence, Marinette," Diana added.

Tim was already silent-laughing by Bruce's desk, knocking his fist on top of it while holding his middle.

"Sorry, Marinette, we have other things to discuss here." Bruce forced out a smile again. "I'll tell Batman not to come unannounced again. Thanks for telling me right away. If you'd like, I can pay for your blazer to get fixed."

Marinette pocketed the Batarang and picked up her tablet. "Sure, but to be honest, I'd rather have a personal apology."

"I agree, Bruce, he should show some remorse." Clark nonchalantly sipped from his drink.

"I'll—I'll make sure he does that."

***

Bruce was sitting in his office's lounge with stacks of binders and envelopes scattered all over the table. Sat across him was Marinette, who was helping him organize the upcoming hectic schedule for the company. He pointed to an empty spot on the paper calendar. "What if we put the grand opening on the sixth? That would give us enough time to prepare."

Marinette spoke slowly. "Why on the sixth?"

"It's free, isn't it?"

She decided to continue to stare at him wordlessly, waiting for something to strike him. He only stared back dumbfoundedly at first but after a few beats, Marinette saw the exact moment the realization dawned on him.

Cue the panicked Bruce Wayne.

Marinette went back to scribbling on her notebook. "How can you forget the birthday of your only grandchild, Mr. Wayne?"

"It slipped my mind." Bruce visibly gulped. "I haven't prepared a gift yet."

"It's a week away."

"Yes . . . yes I'm aware."

She gave her subtle but pointed look. She should've predicted this, in all honesty—Bruce seemed to be extremely swamped both inside and outside work the past few days. But she expected him to have the date marked on his personal calendar at least.

"If I start on the handmade gift tonight, there should be enough time for me to finish by the sixth," she told him.

He pursed his lips, "No, I can't possibly ask that from you. It wouldn't be a gift from me if it's you making it."

"Do you have other ideas then?"

Bruce came up with a blank. He shook his head, clearly in distress.

"Then allow me to make it, Mr. Wayne," she insisted as she clicked her pen. "If you're the one to pick the design I'm sure she will love it."

He breathed out, practically slumping on the sofa. "Thank you, Marinette, you're a lifesaver."

"That's not the magic word."

"I'll pay double your—no I'll pay triple your salary. That should cover the materials cost and work for it."

Marinette nodded in satisfaction. Triple was already a lot more than her usual commission prices. She looked over the scheduled events and tried to work out another suitable schedule. "I'll have the design options ready by tomorrow—I'm thinking of a thick cardigan—so please get her measurements from Mr. Pennyworth."

***

Marinette was running in heels. Sweat clung to the nape of her neck as she caught her breath in front of the manor gates. The rude taxi driver had dropped her off a good distance away from her destination, making her horribly late for the party when she had an important package to deliver.

She stared down at the gift bag with a neat little bow hanging from her wrist. Bruce had told her that he was going to be late to the birthday party and tasked her to get the gift there first . . . without much excuse for his tardiness. And when there was a flimsy excuse, it only meant that he was attending to something Batman-related.

After fixing her appearance and checking her reflection through her phone, she ventured into the back garden where the Wayne family had set up a modest party: a few family friends had been invited, standing around the long banquet table with finger foods and there were some picnic blankets laid around. The weather seemed to be in good favor just for Mar'i Grayson, who squealed and jumped into Marinette's arms the moment she saw her.

"Marinette!" The girl beamed. "You're here!"

Well . . . Marinette wasn't invited in the first place. She was there thanks to Bruce. Behind Mar'i, she saw Dick whispering to Kor'i with a frown, probably voicing out his disappointment that Bruce wasn't there yet.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiled back.

Mar'i looked around. "Where's grandpa?"

"Uhh, your grandpa's running a little late today but he had me deliver this!" Marinette held up the bag, drawing out a look of wonder from the child. "Happy birthday, Princess."

The girl was already bouncing on her heels. "What's in it? What's in it?"

"Why don't you open it to find out?" A new voice said.

Marinette hoped no one heard her sigh of relief. Bruce had just appeared, but his tousled hair and wrinkled clothes indicated that he dressed himself in a rush.

"Grandpaaaaa!" Mar'i ran to her grandfather and he easily lifted her up.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart. I'm sorry I'm late." Bruce tapped the tip of her nose.

The girl giggled. "It's okay, there's still cake for you!"

"Why don't you open up your gift?"

Marinette moved aside and watched with anticipation as Mar'i peeked into the bag. She couldn't help the smile tugging on her lips when she saw green eyes lighting up in delight. Mar'i held out the soft pink cardigan adorned with patterns of a figure resembling Silkie, along with a little crocheted bag in the shape of a star.

Even though Bruce nearly forgot the date, he picked out a fitting design.

"I love it!" Mar'i gasped, immediately slipping the cardigan on. "Thank you, grandpa!"

With her job done, Marinette retreated towards the refreshments table where, to her surprise, Damian offered her a glass of water. His gaze seemed to be trained on the gift, which Mar'i was proudly showing off to the other guests.

"Is that your handiwork?" He asked.

"Do you want one too?" Marinette teased after she downed the whole glass. "I'll make one for you on your birthday if Mr. Wayne forgets yours too." 

He snorted. "I didn't say that. And Father will not forget my birthday."

"You sure about that?"

"You will be reminding him either way anyway." Damian sipped on his own drink. "You didn't have to make the gift for the sake of covering up Father's mistake."

"He paid me well, so it's fine."

"Still, he should've been the one who made the effort."

"He's right, Marinette, you didn't have to." Dick came up to them, handing a slice of cake to Marinette. "Old man's tendency to forget isn't new."

Marinette gave a grateful smile as she took a bite of the pink-and-purple frosted cake. "It's alright really. I wouldn't have offered to help but I didn't want Mar'i to celebrate without a gift from Mr. Wayne."

"It must've been a lot of trouble." Dick briefly looked at the wrist brace around her hand.

"Ah, this isn't from making the cardigan. Don't worry," she lied.

"I heard he only asked for the cardigan," said Dick. "What about the bag?"

Marinette's gaze traveled towards Mar'i again. The girl was stuffing her new bag with candies from Roy as her mother fixed her hair. "Just an accessory to match the cardigan. Consider it a gift from me."

"Thank you, Marinette." Dick nodded, looking at his daughter with a soft expression. "And I'm sorry for all the trouble on behalf of Bruce."

When Dick left (presumably to pull Bruce to the side and talk to him), Marinette noticed the side-eyes Damian was giving her. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You strained your hand making the cardigan didn't you?" he asked.

She put a finger up to her lips. "Let's keep that a secret between us." 

[bwabbitv3s]

It is not even that Clark is not careful enough, uses to much force, or is not aware of potential risks, just that when rescuing people even the most careful help can hurt them. When it comes to rescuing people Superman is one of the gentlest, most careful, and precise hero out there. He also is able to rescue people in situations or from accidents that otherwise would have been fatal. From places that normal rescue workers would be unable to reach.

The type of accidents where body retrieval would have happened as almost no one else could have done it. It is why people don't really talk about it. As while suffering bad fractures, whiplash, losing mobility in a limb, or paralysis is awful they are alive. No one blames Superman when their Aunt needs to use a wheelchair now after being saved. As if Superman had not been their to pull her out of the car as it was falling off a bridge she would not have made it. It is not seen as a failing of him as a hero, or as someone to blame, but as part of that accident.

Bruce's has never had to have NDAs signed or even try to smooth things over with family members or the injured. The funds to help people with medical bills is not seen as a bribe to stay quiet. It is the silent understanding that the care is going to cost them a lot of money and they don't need to worry about that. That let them help with this so it is not a burden on them.

Clark is always careful and uses his powers as best he can, but he can't always be as gentle as he wishes he could and still rescue someone in time. Sometimes the choice he makes is to cause the least harm while saving them. It does not make it hurt less knowing that someone will have scars or life changing injuries from his rescue of them. No that always hurts. He always strives to learn to be better when it comes to rescuing people. Why he is always the first to sign up for rescue courses and lectures at the league.

What allows him to keep doing it and not freeze up when the time for those decisions are the letters. They are uncommon and often long after the event. Long letters that explain lots of things or ramble about nothing and everything. Small notes that are just a couple sentences. Some are types up and others hand written. Children tend to send him pictures drawn in colourful crayon or pencils. He even has a couple that included photos taken of them getting home for the first time after the hospital. All of them thanking him for helping them make it home to those they love.

Clark keeps it a not secret per say, but makes sure to not mention it to Bruce. As he just knows that if he were to mention how he checks in on as many of those he rescues it would drive him mad. Knowing him it would be seen as an undue risk to bring his identity to check in on them so much. That if it were to be noticed as a pattern that his enemies could use it against him. Yet he does his best to check in at lest once, if not in person then by going through records. He is just lucky that his job as a reporter means it is not seen as suspicious.

There’s a pretty high chance that Bruce secretly, under pain of death, pays for and conceals all of the people and innocent bystanders Clark accidentally injures or kills.

Because those super powers result in injuries and deaths, undoubtedly. Buildings topple and people are caught in blast waves. Clark’s laser eyes aren’t always accurate enough.

But he doesn’t know. Clark doesn’t know that Bruce quietly pays for rehab and funerals and long term care. Clark doesn’t know that the woman he saved last week suffered a fractured vertebrae because of how fast he pulled her out of that burning car. He doesn’t know that Bruce quietly paid for a million-dollar hospital stay because of her subsequent paralysis.

Bruce doesn’t tell Clark about them. He pays off bills and long term trust funds for patient care. He hides what he can from Clark because if Clark knew, he wouldn’t be able to go on being Superman.

And maybe, one day, when Bruce dies, he learns exactly what his best friend was doing, all these years. But at that point, there’s no Superman anyway. Not without Batman.

[docgold13]

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Clark Kent

Heralding from Smallville in rural Kansas, mild-mannered Clark Kent is a reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper of Metropolis.  Smart, quiet and unassuming, Kent is the civilian identity of Superman, a hero possessing awesome powers that he has used to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of justice.   

Kent met Bruce Wayne while writing about a joint venture between Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp.  Although Wayne had primarily traveled to Metropolis because he suspected The Joker was planning on using a large cache of Kryptonite to kill Superman.  Utilizing his X-Ray vision, Superman was easily able to discern Batman’s secret identity as Bruce Wayne; and Batman returned the favor, using old fashion detective work to determine Superman’s alter ego as Kent.  

Putting aside their differences, Batman and Superman joined forces to take down the Joker and save Metropolis.  Despite getting off to a rocky start, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne would go on to be lifelong friends and allies.  

Actor Tim Daly provided the voice for Clark Kent/Superman, first appearing in the debut episode of Superman: The Animated Series.

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Recs 54

More Superbat than Batfam fics this week!

Champagne Problems by SalParadiseLost - Superbat, wip. Omegaverse! More of bad at math Bruce who accidently bought 3 kids because he doesn't know how adoption works. Clark is trying apologize to Bruce for saying some Dumb Things to him. Bruce agrees to listen to him, but makes Clark Suffer™ :)

tenderhearted by pomeloquat - Bruce centric, complete. A 9+1 fic, but with kisses Bruce has received throughout the years. Cute and bittersweet.

Perfect Disguise by TheCreativeCasseroles - Batfam, complete. Some universe/time travel with the Batman Beyond verse. Grocery shopping and pink mustaches are involved :)

Zoom by Speechless_since_1998 - Superbat, complete. Little Timmy's stalking tendencies leads him to finding and getting pictures of Superman and Batman together late night on a roof. Superman discovers him and starts to question why a nine-year old is on a Gotham roof by himself. You know what happens next :)

La clarté dans la confusion by the batandtherobe - Superbat, wip. More of the love tangle that is Bruce and Clark and their secret identities.

Know Me Well by merryofsoul - Superbat, complete. A 5+1 fic! Clark learning new things about Bruce :)

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat and Batfam, wip. More of the mer Bruce fic! We unlock more of Tim's tragic backstory.

Conflated by PamiGami - Superbat, complete. BODYSWAP with IDENTITY PORN?!? Sign me the fuck up! I love how Bruce learns to deal with Clark's powers and Clark learns to deal with Bruce's aches and pains (and lack of alcohol tolerance).

the river for which you might stay by susiecarter - Superbat, complete. Takes place after the Justice League movie. Bruce and Clark figuring each other out after the whole save the world thing, and what forgiveness looks like.

Happy reading!

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The Justice League Awards Night

by lemonlimemadness Clark calls it ‘teambuilding.’ Bruce calls it a ‘waste of time.’ Bruce is expecting ‘Most people saved’, ‘Most popular hero’, ‘Best costume design’, etcetera, etcetera, other standard-type awards, official sounding ones with corresponding gilded trophies, the kind handed over after large disasters requiring large amounts of aid. He reclines in his chair, fully expecting to be disappointed. Which is why Bruce is not expecting the words, ‘Best Thirst-trapper’ to show up on the screen. The Justice League holds a mock-awards night. As expected, everyone goes insane about it.   Based on Alpharad’s youtube video I Hosted an Awards Show for Friends who don't deserve any Words: 2069, Chapters: 1/7, Language: English Series: Part 4 of fueled by coffee, spite and kirby music Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Alfred Pennyworth, Clark Kent, Diana (Wonder Woman), Barry Allen, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Arthur Curry (DCU), Oliver Queen, Batfamily Members (DCU), Justice League (DCU) Relationships: Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Diana (Wonder Woman) & Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen & Bruce Wayne, Justice League & Bruce Wayne, Batfamily Members & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Team building by making fun of each other, Justice League as Family (DCU), Awards, Awards Presentation, The Watchtower (DCU), Based on Alpharad’s yt video, Teambuilding, Batfamily Shenanigans (DCU), One week of shameless self promotion, Social Media, Twitter, Batfamily Social Media (DCU), Secret Identity, Humor, Sorta POV Outsider, Timeline What Timeline, DC stands for Disregard Canon, featuring: shameless self-promotion, Do the butts match and inconveniently timed alien invasions, Hello and welcome to the Justice League awards night via https://ift.tt/f7VtHTa

[suzukiblu]

join, scent, sorry

"Wait, so you just . . . ditched Superboy? Like right after he got out of Cadmus?" Captain Marvel sputters right in the middle of a League meeting, looking startled. "Why?"

"Batman is handling the Superboy situation," Clark says as neutrally as possible, resisting the urge to grit his teeth or rub at his temples or glower over at Bruce or just–anything, just anything. He isn't Superboy's father, though, and five minutes into this nightmare he's already more than sick of people making the assumption that he should be. He didn't volunteer for anything or consent to anything or even just make a mistake; he had his DNA stolen by people who built a weapon out of it, and just because that weapon's aging process got interrupted and it therefore currently looks like a minor, Clark is supposed to . . . supposed to what, exactly? Sell out his secret identity and his family and his whole damn life to something that only knows what some deluded mad scientists and enslaved genetic experiments thought it should know?

They're not even sure if Superboy is actually a real person. If the personality that's been presented so far is anything more than programming or puppetry or . . . or who knows what, exactly.

Clark can't take that home with him. Can't introduce that to Lois or Ma and Pa or hell, even Jor-El's AI or Krypto. He just can't trust that.

Who could?

And building a weapon that just so happens to look like a kid in a lab and conveniently getting that weapon found and broken out "early", and having that weapon be so eager to join the good guys despite its origins and education and so eager for specifically his attention, so eager to learn about specifically his powers and all the best ways to use and abuse them straight from the source, to try to make specifically him feel some kind of . . . of attachment or affection towards it . . .

Well, Clark's seen much more convoluted and improbable plans from supervillains than that, frankly. They don't know if anything they've been told about Superboy is true. They don't even know if the files Cadmus let them access are accurate or unredacted. They know nothing.

But everyone else seems to think that Clark shouldn't care about that, and that it shouldn't be making him crazy to see his dead birth family's crest in blood red on the chest of a weapon who won't answer to any name but "Superboy".

.

.

.

Dubbilex is a null and doesn't ever scent anyone at all, but sometimes Rex will give him a quick little scruff of approval or Tana or Roxy will give him an affectionate pat or two, and Knockout likes to find excuses to flirt-scent him whenever they end up having a throwdown or whatever, but none of it's ever . . . it doesn't ever . . .

It's embarrassing, but Superboy doesn't–he appreciates it all, obviously, appreciates anyone thinking he's worth any kind of scenting, but it's not what he really wants. He wants something–deliberate. Purposeful.

Lasting.

He wants something heavy, and steady, and certain. Something committed.

Or Superman's attention, just for a minute or two.

He wants to belong to somebody. He's not a real person anyway; he's a thing more than anything else. And if he has to be a thing, it's not fair that he . . . that he isn't a thing that belongs to anyone.

At least, not anyone that he wants to.

Technically speaking, he's Cadmus's IP. Technically speaking, he belongs to Cadmus. There's paperwork that says he does. A lot of it. Cadmus has "custody" of him, legally speaking. He's . . .

He doesn't want that.

He hates that.

.

.

.

"It wasn't . . . it just never felt like–like the right time to tell you, that's all," Kon stutters, feeling like an idiot, and Clark looks . . .

Clark looks pained.

"You mean you never felt safe enough to tell me," he says quietly.

Kon . . . swallows.

Because–that's true, yeah. He's trusted Clark to save his literal stupid life before, but . . . but he never felt safe enough to tell him this.

That's kind of fucked up, isn't it.

"I'm sorry," Clark says, and that suddenly Kon is too bemused to do anything but stare at him. "I should've made sure you knew you could tell me things like that. I shouldn't have just assumed you would."

[roughentumble]

ok wait angst concept: clark kent and bruce wayne are dating. they have no idea about each other's secret identities. but it's BvS bruce, so he hates superman. he finds out about clark, and instead of confronting him, comes up with a plan. he calls clark out somewhere remote, and clark goes thinking it's a romantic date. and when clark arrives, batman appears from the shadows and stabs him right in the chest with kryptonite. clark is caught off-guard, slips right through his defenses. he scrabbles at the knife in his chest, slowly poisoning him as blood leaks into his lungs, and his first thought as he starts to weakly fight back is "whoever this is, i have to save bruce from them" because he doesnt even know yet that it's his own boyfriend under the mask