#but I am saying read this instead of gotham war

[preciousthingsareprecious]

With volume 2 of Wayne Family Adventures freshly released, and as your local librarian and Batman nerd, I feel the need to let everyone know that Wayne Family Adventures has at least 2 more volumes set to come out!

So if you love this series as much as I do (and I mean, come on look at that family) go get volume 2 if you haven't, then pop volumes 3 and 4 on pre-order! It's a great way to let DC know just what content we love and want to see more of, especially in print! Also if you can't swing the books yourself, ask your local library to order them! It'll help share the amazing adventures with a whole new set of readers!

You can find all the associated pre-order links here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2289628/crc-payne

Now go forth and enjoy some fantastic family times!

[havendance]

Brainstorming the best points in canon for various bat-girls/women to get turned into cats for fic purposes (I am accepting suggestions):

Cass: One year later. She gets turned into a cat instead of the whole deathstroke thing. Tim finds her when he returns to Gotham and begs to be allowed to keep. Alfred says no though, so he calls in a favor with Barbara and Cass gets stuck with the OYL Birds of Prey crew and has to sit through Shiva and Barbara bitching at each other about a number of topics that also includes Cass herself seeing as she’s gone missing

Alternatively: That vaguely at the end of post-crisis setting so many fics have. She is recently returned to Gotham when she gets turned into a cat. Unfortunately for her, when trying to investigate, she gets stuck under Damian’s care as part of one of Bruce’s attempts to teach his son responsibility (unaware that the cat is his missing daughter). Neither of them are particularly happy with this but they grow on each other.

Helena: Post Birds of Prey #80. Helena has just stormed out of the Aerie post argument with Barbara when she suddenly gets transformed into a cat. She gets picked up by Dinah, who thinks she’s adorable, and gets stuck as the Bird’s mascot/pet. Helena would rather be a anywhere else but instead she is stick listening to Dinah grump at Barbara for how she handled the situation, and watching Barbara get the Braniac virus, and everyone keeps giving her head scratches and well maybe it isn’t that bad after all.

Barbara: Her Suicide Squad era. She wakes up one morning as a cat and has complicated feeling about how she isn’t paralyzed in this dorm. She then hangs around Suicide Squad headquarters listening in on people (and collecting pets) until Waller figures out how to transform her back.

Stephanie: War Games. Half-dead and staggering through Gotham after escaping Black Mask, Steph gets turned into a cat by a well-meaning magic user trying to save her life. Spoiler is presumed dead/missing in the gang war while Cat!Steph ends up hanging around either Leslie’s clinic or maybe Selina (I need to read more Catwoman comics), recovering and grappling with the results of her actions.

(Bonus) Bruce: His loser era (pre-Murderer/Fugitive). Sasha thought that that learning that Bruce Wayne was Batman would mean that he wasn’t able to ditch her anymore. Appearently not. Now she has to figure out where the hell Batman went, cover for Bruce Wayne’s disappearance, and also take care of the new cat he apparently obtained. She isn’t getting paid enough for this.

[flyingcatstiel]

SuperbatWeek 2024 fic recs

Day 7: FREE DAY!!! Superbat? | Superbat! | Superbat

a song came after by susiecarter [T, 4,500 word count]

It requires every ounce of will he can bring to bear to force himself to meet Clark's eyes. Clark looks shocked; the expression is undiluted by anger or dismay, though perhaps he simply hasn't had time to grasp what just happened. His eyes are wide, round, impossibly blue. Color is rising into his cheeks. His mouth is half-open, slack, with the slightest damp shine where— "That was," Bruce makes himself say, and then stops. Christ, what word can he use? What adjective is there that acknowledges his trespass fully? "Inappropriate." Inadequate, but it's the best he can do, and Clark needs to hear something, needs to know Bruce recognizes his own mistake for what it is. "I apologize. I—"

Comment - This fic starts where usually fics with a similar trope end. Bruce is out of the dream world where he lived happily with his husband Clark. For thirty years. Now he's to deal with the cold reality where Clark is not his beloved. Muscle memory is his biggest enemy.

Conflated by PamiGami [T, 31,900 word count]

“Are you sure you’re feeling quite all right, sir? I was but fairly sure the head hadn't been impacted.” “No… no, please. Listen. I’m in his body, but I’m not him. I can prove it.” Ill at ease, Clark rubbed at the back of his head, not stopping to think about the weird sensation of feeling not his own curls, but somebody else’s hair. The man continued to stare at him with piercing and scolding eyes. “I believe you.” He nodded. “Mister Wayne doesn’t say please this early in the morning.”

Comment - Somehow, Batman and Superman have switched their bodies, their apartments and their day jobs. Clark and Bruce are left to figure out what to do and why they're sharing a body with some random civilian. Identity shenanigans, full throttle.

Just a Formality by FabulaRasa [E, 4,600 word count]

Bruce and Clark get married, for reasons. And then they fall in love. Nope, it's not Victorian time travel! I am straight up about this.

Comment - Clark didn't know that some things on this earth could be as painful as kryptonite. Things like fake marriage.

Saudade by liodain [T, 20,400 word count]

It's midsummer, 2006. In the wake of his son's death, Bruce Wayne tries to outrun his grief on a cross-country road trip. When his car breaks down on a dusty road in the heart of Kansas, a friendly stranger stops to lend a hand.

Comment - A soft, melancholy start to a beautiful long distance friendship between a grieving father and a Kansas youth with a heart of gold. Also known as a fic where Bruce and Clark meet before the events of Man of Steel and it changes everything.

ship-to-ship combat by pomeloquat [M, 76,800 word count]

"Clark. What the hell is this," Lois asks, staring at Clark's Bruceman WIP folder. Clark's first instinct is to fly away, but that would still leave his fic on display for her to see. His second instinct is to blast a hole straight through his laptop screen with his heat vision, which isn't much better. Clark, in an attempt to make some spare cash, unintentionally stumbles into the world of superhero fanfiction, becomes a prolific writer for Gotham's OTP, and tries his best to fend off rival fans who want him to convert to superbat instead.

Comment - Triple identity shenanigans and a love letter to fandom and shippers. This fic has everything - heartbreak, heartache, unrequited feelings in double doses, self sacrifices and near misses, ship wars and RPF. And on top of that, it's the funniest fic I've read across many fandoms, hands down.

tell all the truth (but tell it slant) by susiecarter [M, 33,000 word count]

It takes a while for Batman and Superman to work things out, once Clark comes back from the dead. Pretending to date each other in order to explain why Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are in the same place so often? Doesn't help as much as you might think.

Comment - When Batman himself is organizing and micromanaging a fake dating narrative to keep their superhero identities secret, what could go wrong? Apparently, everything. It's the worst time of Clark's life, it's the best time. It's a love story.

And last but not least, some spicy superbat fic recs!

Caught In His Gaze by DontStopHerNow [E, 1,500 word count]

This was supposed to be a stakeout to be sure Clark Kent had not lost his mind due to Kryptonite poisoning. Batman gets more of an eyeful than he expected when Clark does what people do alone in their apartments, though. He cannot look away.

What's In A Name? by frozenpotions [E, 15,000 word count]

Clark accidentally walks— or rather, flies in on Bruce enjoying a private moment. He'd probably have an easier time moving past it all if Bruce hadn't been saying Clark's name.

take a pic, strike a pose by shipyrds [E, 5,600 word count]

It’s probably a good thing Clark’s in private, because when he does check his notifications he almost cracks his phone in half. Bruce has sent him a picture. He’s in the suit, in the Batcave, and there’s probably other things happening in the picture, but Clark can’t really see any of those, because Bruce is– posing? Or maybe the camera just caught him like that; maybe he just happened to be catching his cape one-handed, setting off the sinuous curve of his bicep, the Bat logo straining across his chest. -- Bruce sends Clark a pic. Unfortunately, it goes out to some other people too.

My other superbat fic recs are here.

Happy reading!

[zahri-melitor]

Recent Reads:

Barda (2024): I am always interested in judging what they do and don't put into the young adult stories. I thought this was a solid adaption of Barda's backstory and the Furies, to my mind. I'm not across all the versions, but it felt true to what I was hoping to see in the story, which included Barda's positioning both in terms of what it's like to grow up in Apokolips but also the harm she has done as leader of the Female Furies and complicity in torture.

I enjoyed it! It's worth seeking out.

Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler: well this sure was a comic written by Tom King and drawn by Mitch Gerads. Even if I had not looked at the title page I could have told you that from the specific way their collaboration lays out a comic.

It's a very Tom King prestige comic, with all that that implies. This one isn't openly hung up on the military. (His prestige work tends to be his best work. Don't fight me on this)

This is not even near my favourite conception of Eddie, though it's also not at the bottom either. Definitely trying to lean into him as a threat. It doesn't, however, show him having fun with his puzzles, and I think at the heart of all the best Riddler depictions he needs to be both cocksure and personally entertained by what he's doing. Even (especially) when it's particularly dark.

(if you want favourite characterisations, Cliff Chiang's Catwoman: The Lonely City and the way Paul Dini writes him, particularly in 'Tec #845 are highlights)

Batman: One Bad Day - Two-Face: Mariko Tamaki did a good job here. I particularly think she has a solid grasp on Steph's character, because she had Steph argue with Bruce over Harvey and whether he's worth redemption and second chances.

"I hate it when villains aren't just villains. Maybe it's not fair to the Dents of the world, but I like to think it protects me from the creeps."

Steph's whole thesis here is that they shouldn't be making an extra effort for Harvey, just because he was Bruce's friend, because villains are villains and they can't and won't change, and even when they do, they'll ultimately backslide. It's a very conservative view of criminalisation, and it's one Steph's had since her creation by Dixon, and which makes a lot of sense given her background and her problems with her father.

Bruce and Steph then have a fight over "Harvey isn't Arthur". What makes the fight particularly interesting to me is that Steph's arguing that if Harvey was committed to changing we would see it, and she hasn't, while Bruce still believes that Harvey can change and is trying to, because he's seen Harvey work on it. While Steph has absolutely no trust or belief in her father. And they're talking past each other here while having a conversation.

It's some great character work. Because Bruce at his core is fundamentally committed to rehabilitation and hoping that everyone can be saved. While Steph, for extremely good canonical reasons, thinks that criminals remain criminals, and that if they want to stop being criminals they have to show the work for people to trust them; because she was betrayed while growing up.

(The actual plot of this story was good too. But people like to say that Steph doesn't have any good characterisation post Flashpoint, and I'm here to point wildly at things like this and Tynion's 'Tec run and ask what their issues are, because this is another extremely solid congruent-with-pre-War Games-Steph story)

Batman: One Bad Day - The Penguin: I could definitely tell this was a John Ridley story. I think part of my discomfort with this was that it wanted to be canonical and non-canonical at the same time. It's very clearly set in approximately the 2022 present for Bat comics (Renee Montoya is Commissioner, Oswald has recently been kicked out of Gotham)...but it's also very much an alternate history, where instead of pretending to be dead, he's been replaced by "The Umbrella Man" who has stolen Ozzie's life. It's rather like a rerun of the Emperor Penguin plot except for the fact that The Umbrella Man is a random black man (yes, thanks Ridley) who points out a bunch of class disparity issues to Penguin.

It's just a very odd plot choice to run for an specific oneshot at this point in the storyline, because completely separately we are in the process of doing "Oswald vs his children who have killed all their siblings to inherit the Iceberg" in main continuity. Get a second Penguin plot please.

Mostly this is a parable about accepting who you are and not being a bully, or the Penguin will rip out your throat. Or something. It worked, it was just...really obvious nobody knows what to do with a Penguin plot. Just do mafia and black market stuff!

Batman: One Bad Day - Mr Freeze: I don't recognise Gerry Duggan? He's apparently done about 2000 Marvel comics and a whole 8 DC ones. Oh! But he wrote Arkham Manor! Oh my gosh so many things suddenly make sense, including the fact that the motif of this comic was Victor making snow angels.

I loved Arkham Manor and particularly the way Victor was characterised in it, even though that characterisation wasn't exactly standard Mr Freeze (it was comedy Mr Freeze). What we got this time was hmmmm a very self-absorbed Victor, where the plot specifically removed some of the pathos of Victor's devotion to Nora by showcasing a number of ways he was overly obsessed to the point of harming Nora before she passed away. It wasn't quite the direction of depth into Freeze we've seen other stories go recently, but it definitely committed to him being potentially quite harmless if you frame things around Nora in the right way to get him to focus how you want him to.

I have to say though, I don't think Duggan has a particularly good grasp on Bruce or even Dick. There were a bunch of moments where Bruce calls a completely random street thug an "irredeemable villain" and that "he belongs in the deepest hole we can throw him in". I'm sorry, did I pick up a Bruce Wayne comic or a Jason Todd one? Because uhhhh that's not standard Bruce personality. Alfred was even snarking at Bruce about how "Forgive me gentlemen, I must be suffering from a senior moment. I thought Master Bruce just said he though a criminal could change."

YES! YES HE DOES THINK THAT! THAT'S BATMAN'S WHOLE THING! HE BELIEVES HE CAN SAVE EVERYONE! HE BELIEVES THAT THEY CAN CHANGE! We literally just had the Two-Face story two titles before this be all about how Bruce is overcommitted to believing that Harvey can recover and trying to help him!

Okay poor Bruce characterisation aside, this was a fairly fun Year 4 setting for the story, and it was the requisite Christmas episode, which I did also appreciate as thematic for release date and chosen villain. Tiny Dick is highly amusing in how he thinks he might be about to get to drive the Batmobile for the first time...and then the autopilot engages. He really wants to drive and comments on how he doesn't have his learners yet (and 7ish years down the track he can end up amused and irritated that TIM got his learners at 14)

I assume Duggan got given a slot on the strength of his Marvel work, and that's fine, except...the off characterisation makes it pretty clear he doesn't have a particularly good or current grasp on at least one of the two main characters of the title. Which is just slightly important for a special high profile series on Batman and His Villains. And I'm saying that as someone who liked Arkham Manor, but enjoyed it for being a quirky offbeat, tonally dissonant story in the middle of the unending angst that was Batman Eternal.

Everyone else in this set has big set piece previous stories involving the characters to point to as why they got picked. Duggan seems to have scraped through on "Big in Marvel, has written one of the few focused on Victor Fries stories in the last decade".

[cuephrase]

What are some things introduced new52 to current day that you like and think are an overall net positive for batfam continuity? (As in, it's not uncommon for me to see fan things that mainly focus on post crisis/pre flashpoint stuff but still incorporate new comic aspects, such as slightly changed family dynamics/new developments, and it's interesting for me to find out what different people think is and isn't worth keeping from what got added after the reboot)

ooooh this is a fun question!!

i was going to say i haven't read that many n52 and onwards runs, and then i realized i have actually read most of the ones i want to, i just haven't read any batman/'tec/batgirl/or duke's runs yet. (i read like...half of We Are Robin, Joker War, and i've read batman from where zdarsky come in so like have also read Gotham War.) (might read Catwoman?? not the point.)

since we're sticking strictly to net positives, i'll include something that i like, even if i have criticisms of it, but i won't get into those criticisms so we can stay positive!! (future cue, so this is kind of a lie but i swear i didn't go overboard.) i'm going to include stuff as minor as like costumes bc why not. also nothing is going to be in order of like what i like the most to what i like the least, just fyi. also, probs not definitive, knowing me i will forget something lmao

New52 Era-

tim's red robin costume. that suit is *chef's kiss* imo. i love that he has wings. i...i don't know if i necessarily want it back rn bc i am sososososo in love with his current robin costume, but i do adore the n52 red robin suit

i personally like that they went ahead and made jason less villain, more anti-hero. i think him trying to reintegrate with the batfam creates some very compelling crises

dick as Agent 37!! which...okay, no criticisms nvm. michael janin's art tho >>> okay well actually maybe sometimes i wish this was like elseworlds/black label instead of mainline but

might be a bit of a reach, but i really enjoy the first handful of arcs in n52 b&r and the relationship dynamic they established for bruce and dami

i like that tim and jason are somewhat friendly. i think it makes sense. for a lot of reasons. this is a somewhat controversial opinion, which i understand. but this is where i stand

did i like anything else from this era specifically?????????

OH

DUKE!!!!!!! i loooooove him very happy he was added

Rebirth Era-

the outlaws, specifically jason's relationship with bizarro. (i enjoyed artemis a lot too!! tbh, haven't read these guys outside of this run tho so zero clue how accurate these portrayals are, so grain of salt?)

the return of dick's fingerstripes!!!!!!! best part of tom taylor's run /hj

TIM'S ROBIN COSTUME AHHHHHH. i'm sorry i love that suit way too much

love damian's current robin costume, although...does he have combat boots rn still? can't remember. if he doesn't, they should give those back

damian + jon's relationship, ik it gets obliterated by the stupid age up, but super sons is still very special to me

tim being bi!! now do kon dc you cowards

alfred's death. i refuse to elaborate. i could, but i shan't (this is not alfred hate tho i swear)

i'm forgetting something rn i know it

oh yeah, i do like tim being robin again. IK. IKKKK. no, i don't think he should be robin forever. no, i don't think dami is a bad robin/shouldn't be robin.

um...i liked dick getting shot in the head. the ric era is not how i would've wanted the aftermath but

i don't want to comment on anything super recent, but i do think there's stuff going on rn that could end up being net positives

the titans being reassembled. jury's out on their location but, i do like that they're back

i'm not counting yj because they're not doing anything with them rn, but they should ugh

i think...i think that's it? there could honestly be a lot more that i'm forgetting. i hope this was interesting!! if there's anything i didn't mention that you're curious about, or something i did mention that you'd like a more in-depth answer about, please feel free to ask!! i'm curious what you consider net positives anon, you should shareeee

[moider-time]

Don't be shy tell the public abt our Romeo and Juliet bruharvey au 👀👀👀

👀👀 oh y'all ain't ready lol tbh I doubt I'm gonna do this justice (and bestie I am so stealing some of your lines cause your writing?? so good)

Let's set the scene. We have the Dents (Montagues) and the Waynes (Capulets) who are at war in the streets of Gotham. Christopher Dent thinks he can try and step to Martha and her empire despite so many other people telling him otherwise.

Gilda and Harvey recently split and he's not really in the best mental space. Well he thought focusing on work was a perfectly good distraction but according to Ivy "trying to burn out your retinas by reading legal mumbo jumbo is not fucking healthy, Dent!" So Ivy and Martinez decide that he needs a night out so they drag him to a fancy dress party to de-stress. And that's where he sees him and knows he'll never be the same.

Now Bruce hasn't been on speaking terms with his parents for a while. Not since he saw his mama Martha shoot someone. He still remembers how their blood soaked the pavement, their chest stuttering as if not sure what to do. What hurt even more was seeing Martha blank-faced, not touched by the wriggling of the man in front of her. (This couldn't be the same woman who played Princes & Princesses with him - that dressed him up and made him feel loved. It couldn't be. Why is it her?)

So he leaves, gets a small apartment in well, not the best part of Gotham but it could be worse. He focuses on his passion for art and he's not struggling but his job doesn't lend itself to financial stability. Especially not when he has his babies to think about. He still keeps in touch with Harley and when she invites him for a night out with her and Selina and rightfully brings up him rarely leaving his apartment, he can't exactly say no.

So he makes sure Dick, Cass, Jason and Tim are tucked in, kisses them on the forehead, triple locks the door and heads out. He doesn't think he'll spend that long, just enough time to relax and spend time with his sister and friend. And of course it's at this party that he sees him.

Both Harvey and Bruce can agree that they never expected to see someone so pretty at this party. They see each other across the room but find it hard to push past the ever shifting masses so they can satisfy the attraction between them.

Harvey can feel the heat of eyes across his skin, his scars. He doesn't mind when people stare after all, there's no point in caring about something you can't change. He'll always be him, and people will always be people. And anyway, he'd rather have them judge the ones on the surface. The other ones; the scars he and Jessica shared from the tip of their spine to the belt of their waists, those were worse. Those were personal. Those you kept in the house.

When they finally meet, their eyes lock and their bodies graze against each other. Bruce acknowledged him with fascination instead of disgust. As if his scars were a physical trait out of the ordinary, like purple eyes or blue hair, but not inherently disturbing.

"I like your rings," he said, dropping his doe eyes to Harvey's hands. He hated them because they were silver. He started loving them again.

"Do you want one?"

Bruce smiled with his whole mouth, "Only if you take some of mine"

The music shifts so something soft and slow and as they swap rings, their bodies begin to sway and dance. Harvey carries Bruce's sapphire blue ring on a chain right above his heart. A silent promise of sorts. Bruce wears a small coiling snake with a white diamond as one eye and a black one as the other on his thumb and even then it's a bit loose. And doesn't that sight just leave Harvey breathless?

Neither of them know when they start to lean in, when their breath starts to mingle. Bruce, standing on his toes and asking if Harvey's ok with this. Saying it's alright if he isn't, that he shouldn't feel pressur- And Harvey leans down to connect their lips while they're moving to their own music.

Kissing Harvey felt like nothing else he could've imagined. Bruce had kissed a total of 3 people by his age of 29. Selina in middle school, bored and grumpy with having to act the damsel in distress in their school play. Oliver, when they were 16 and curious, scrubbing their lips until they bled and Khoa. The last lover, the love who outlived all Bruce was.

Harvey kissing him now undid 4 years of pain. It awoke romance from its graveyard sleep and spread something lovely and gentle but aggressive and savage in Bruce still. They floated through the music, not noticing or maybe uncaring of the footsteps approaching them. Bruce floated when Thomas dragged him out the door, a snake on his finger and whiskey on his lips. He hoped Harvey floated when Jessica did the same.

[thepenguinhbo]

the penguin review, tl;dr spoiler-free version: 10000/10. no notes. many thoughts. a fucking masterpiece. jesus fucking christ.

longer, not spoiler free version under the read more:

THE THEMES. THE MOTIFS. OSWALD NEVER CEASES TO BE AWFUL. his fucked up, oedipus complex meets boy mom meets wishful filicide relationship with his mother? absolutely revolting. i could not look away; and i am always a sucker for stories in which penguin's motivations all circle back to his family, one way or another.

victor always stood out like a sore thumb - he was too good, too nice, too kind. the way he and oswald met was a clear callback to the way bruce wayne met jason todd - and oswald and victor did not work as an inversion of the batman and robin trope. the two of them never worked well as a duo, and the fact in the end oswald killed him to avoid having victor become his weak spot....... POETRY.

batman is nowhere to be seen in this one, which also produces interesting points. point one - batman's absence is what lead to victor's demise, since in a different, kinder word he could be robin. he could be great. but instead, he became oswald's pawn - and it cost him his life.

point two: considering the shit that goes down in the show, with an all-out gang war between all major players....... what ELSE was happening to make THIS unworthy of bat's attention? it's an interesting thought, and it raises a juicy precedent for a gotham-centric story that does not focus on the bat.

the fact baby oswald killed his brothers by drowning them in rainwater, "heavy rain" style, feels like a very deliberate callback to the fact penguin's iconic design part is his umbrella. in my heart, he now uses an umbrella to protect himself from watery death.

i ended up warming up to sofia falcone after all. she's an interesting, complex, deeply awful character. hashtag girlboss. also the way her motivation stems from her deep disdain for her family works beautifully as a counterpoint to how oswald does everything to please HIS family; a fantastic, deeply fucked up chiaroscuro of wanting to kill your family vs wanting to be a good child. parents: can't live with them, but can't kill them either!

there was not a single bad acting performance anywhere across the board. everyone delivered, and colin's thick new york accent fucking gets me every time. oswald is no longer bri'ish; now HEY HE'S WALKIN' HERE. he's not watching birds, he's watching BOIRDS. he's WOIRKIN'. i had to turn subtitles on just to understand what the fuck is he saying. spectacular.

all in all, this is the show of all time. THIS is the penguin story i've been waiting for. oswald is cruel and selfish and ruthless and not at all good and he lies and he cheats - and yet, there are layers to his awfulness, layers to his cruelty. and under all these layers... there is gotham's true evil.

and frankly, i wouldn't have it any other way.

[gffa]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA SAME ANON AS BEFORE RIGHT HERE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REPLYING!!!!! I'll go check this issue out right this instant, though the whole Gotham War is kind of -- ehem -- STUPID AF gotta say I really, really loved what that page's just showed us ♡.

You're welcome! And hahaha I'm actually enjoying Gotham War reasonably okay so far? The set-up is flimsy as hell, anyone can spot the flaws in both sides' arguments (the ones that are being brought up and the blisteringly obvious ones that are being ignored because they would shoot holes through the storyline) but I remain convinced that Gotham War isn't actually about a war for how to fight crime, but is instead a story that's specifically designed to play on Bruce's building trauma and mounting mental health crisis. The build-up to this story has been about Zur-En-Arrh literally rattling at the cages of Bruce's mind (both in the storyline and in that whole "I Am A Gun" shorter story that Zdarsky did), the build-up has been about putting him through a run of really bad villains too close together (Insomnia, Failsafe, Red Mask, etc.) and how he's cracking under the strain of it. The first two issues of the bigger storyline are almost ENTIRELY about Bruce feeling like he's losing his mind and he's being stripped of everything that makes him Bruce Wayne instead of Batman--his home, his love interest, his kids, his city--all of it is eroding away from him when he feels like it's the only stable thing he has. Gotham War as a storyline about the crime argument is ridiculous. Gotham War about Bruce being broken down into a fractured thousand pieces and trying desperately to find things to hold onto, all while he's so bad at it because he's still dealing with unending amounts of trauma? A lot more interesting when viewed through that lens, for me. It's been playing on some very interesting struggles for him, to the point I'm enjoying him as a character on his own for almost the first time ever! (I'm usually "Ehhh, Bruce doesn't interest me unless you're having him play off someone else who is important to him. But you give him like five mental illnesses at once and suddenly I'm sitting up and going OOH TELL ME MORE. orz) So, I cautiously recommend the storyline (like my big long semi-defense of it 😂) but also no pressure, some people just aren't going to like it and that's fine, there's room for both views and opinions! But honestly I don't think it's as bad as I was fearing it was going to be, I've found a LOT of good stuff in the storyline so far! And I always want to offer conversation about why I liked something if someone wants to wander by and read it, so, you know, take or leave my views, but I actually kind of enjoy this storyline and I've got cookies made for anyone who wants to come join me. ;)

[apopcornkernel]

I dunno if Jason feels in character to me. I feel like after Gotham War an in character Jason would be desperate for proof of love (especially since Bruce asked why he shouldn't kill Jason). He isn't even crying. He can't be the emotional one but also the forgiving and calm one. In Gotham War he was criticizing Bruce but after Bruce fucked him over now they are chill? I dunno. Jason has a mean streak even if he will always choose Bruce in the end. (He definitely shouldn't be volunteering to die for Bruce after what happened in Gotham War, it feels like Bruce should be making it up to him but instead Jason is making it up to Bruce?)

Like, I am not convinced Bruce really cares about Jason at this point. (at least not in any way that matters.) So, I cannot see why Jason 'let me kill this guy to prove you love me' Todd would think so.

(He 100% should be running back to Bruce, as he always does, but he should be more violent and aggressive. Noticeably upset.)

i have no idea what prompted this ask since i havent talked about gotham war at all other than laughing at him dying again gsjdhdj but i do agree, anon!

i really don't like how zdarsky has been writing from what I've read of gotham war before & pages ive seen floating around. like, bruce essentially kills him (and that's AFTER the fear thing) and he's just okay with it?? it's beyond strange, i don't fw current batfam at ALL 😭 (<- saying that bc ive had other people argue that it's in character for jason to be more familial in this current era of comics.) the last part, absolutely. he can hold a grudge like nobody's business and if it's bruce?? even moreso!!!

[duskyashe]

NaNoWriMo Day #20

[masterlist] [part one]

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There wasn't outright panic. The League was too good for that, her father demanded nothing less. There were, however, a lot more frantic runners and assassins on guard. Somehow, someone had gotten through all their defenses, all their traps and trained sentries and her, and kidnapped the Demon Head's heir from right under their noses. And they had gotten away. No one even had any clue when the kidnapping had even happened; they hadn't discovered anything was wrong until breakfast, when Damian had failed to show after being summoned.

Talia Al Ghul stood in the eye of the deceptively calm storm that was the League of Assassins. One wrong move, one wrong breath, and everything she had worked for, everything she was, was liable to go up in flames. Her son was missing, and no one knew how it had happened. If she wasn't terrified for her own life, she'd have taken her fury at the sentries incompetence out on them already. It was their duty—

"Milady! The guest quarters are empty!"

No. He wouldn't. But he did, didn't he.

"Gather the troops, we're headed to Gotham," Talia snarled, stalking out of the chamber, barely hanging onto her temper by her fingertips.

I pray you're ready, beloved. Your son has declared war on the League.

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He tensed, stupidly, as soon as he woke up, more than half expecting pain to greet him. Instead, what greeted him was a poke to the face. Hard, but not painfully so. Screwing his face up in confusion, Jason opened his eyes, blinking furiously as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. There was a kid staring at him. A mini B, with darker skin and green eyes perhaps, but Jason had seen the older family pictures, the ones from before Batman was ever even a pipedream. The kid in front of him, who was staring at him with wary curiosity, finger still extended as though to poke him again, looked exactly like B did at three years old.

"Who are you?" Jason rasped, confused. He knew Bruce didn't have a kid, so where— "Where-wait-what—" taking the room in, really taking the room in, told Jason two very important facts. One, he wasn't with the League anymore, and two, where he was looked like any other apartment bedroom he'd ever been in. Well, except for the strange looking medical equipment, of course. How do I know it's—?

The door behind the kid that he hadn't paid attention to opened, and a guy about Dickie's age walked in. He looked like a cross between Superman and Jason, which was something he'd never thought he'd ever have to think about. Tall, strong, one heck of a presence, but with messy, unkempt black hair, clear blue eyes with caution in them, and freckles lightly dusting his nose and cheeks. He also, Jason noted as he distractedly noticed the mini B hopped down to hug the guy, felt safe. His presence, while intimidating at first, felt like a cool summer breeze while lazing about the manor gardens, reading his favorite book while B sat nearby reading a newspaper. He felt like a guiding hand, a comforting hug, a protective shield—he just... He felt safe.

"Hey, there," the guy said with a small grin. "Glad to see you awake. My name's Danny, this little guy is Damian, you're in my apartment in Amity Park, Illinois." Bright blue briefly flared pit green and Jason felt his own eyes flash back. "And though we're trying to get in contact with your legal guardian so we can explain some things, cuz I am not going to be like Vlad about this, I just gotta say, well, I've waited a long time to say this. Welcome home, Jason. Welcome home."

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I DID IT! TWO PARTS OF A FIC WITHIN A CALENDAR WEEK! WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER! AHHH THIS MUST BE A MIRACLE! *ahem* Sorry about that, I, ah, got carried away (⁠^⁠～⁠^⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ it's... Been awhile since I've done this, writing "chapters" of a fic and posting them as I write them, and it's been even longer since I've managed to do it within a week of each other... It's... Nice, in a way lol

This ficlet is dedicated to kyrianclawraith, whom I apparently cannot tag in this post, for giving me the motivation to actually write this continuation, like I'd been thinking about but not seriously considering yet. Thank you, friend, for your kind words! (⁠◠⁠‿⁠・⁠)⁠—⁠☆ You rock.

@draconicalvara, @fisticuffsatapplebees, @onyxlightdragon, and @sachabakkerr all asked to be tagged in the continuation, so here y'all go! Hope you liked it (⁠◠⁠‿⁠◕⁠)

Have a good morning/day/night!

[batfamdcposts]

Not to be back on my bullshit again, but I’m back on my bullshit again. SO! Who wants to hear my reasoning as to which Hogwarts House each of the the batkids belongs in?

Dick “I am 9 and will absolutely put myself in the line of fire to find my parents’ killer and make this city better” Grayson is a Gryffindor, hands down. He started it all. He set the precedent for actual children fighting armed adults on the streets. “I was practically born on a trapeze, jumping and flipping off of high places—try and stop me dad, I dare you.” His compassion and kindness are so, so admirable, but they don’t outweigh the insane courage and borderline recklessness that are at the core of his character.

For the LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, don’t try to tell me that Jason “I read Jane Austen in my spare time and value knowledge for the sake of it” Todd is anything except a Ravenclaw. Thank you. Ravenclaws can be agents of chaos too.

Tim “I stalked Gotham’s vigilantes from a young age, out-stubborned Batman into letting me adorn a name a child recently died in, and double-crossed Ra’s al motherfucking Guhl while simultaneously destroying another criminal organization” Drake is a Slytherin. He doesn’t value knowledge for the sake of knowledge, he values knowledge for potential future utilization. Sorry lads, he’s not a Ravenclaw. He’s a slippery little shit, that’s what he is. (affectionate)

Damian “I was raised to be a merciless killer, but I fight against that conditioning, protect my loved ones, still have enormous amounts of compassion, and try to adopt every animal I see” Wayne is a Hufflepuff, thank you very much. Hufflepuffs can be entitled and cranky too, and general demeanor doesn’t dictate the core of one’s personality.

Duke “my parents were permanently jokerized, but instead of hiding I choose to work hard to protect this city” Thomas is also a Hufflepuff, plus he looks great in yellow.

Cassandra “I couldn’t read or speak because others wanted the most effective living weapon possible, yet I try so hard to do good, save people, and grow” Cain has one of the most giant goddamned hearts I’ve ever seen. She uses her skills to help people even though she only got them by enduring so much pain. She’s unbelievably loyal to those around her and deserves to have that recognized. Congrats, it’s a Hufflepuff!

Stephanie “I didn’t even have a mentor like Dick did; despite that, I became a vigilante in my own right and brought my father down” is a Gryffindor. That takes so much courage I don’t even know what to say. Also, I love her, but my girl is as reckless as it gets. “I may have started a gang war that one time.”

Barbara “badass and clever as hell” Gordon is the information center of the bats, and she figured out a way to continue being a vigilante despite partial paralysis. I don’t think I need to continue explaining why she’s a Ravenclaw.

Thank you and goodnight!

[havendance]

I would say ‘Huntress’ as a gimme for you but honestly I think I already know that one; how about ‘Tec runs instead?

13. David Lapham -- I AM grumpy that post-war games instead of getting a tec run that engaged with the changed status quo and the fact that Batman was now wanted by the GCPD, we instead got a 12-part overly depressing and gritty flashback story (and then when we did get something engaging with the post war games status quo it was war crimes :/)

12. David Hine -- wrote a boring joker batman imposter war story that was ostensibly dickbats but really felt like a bruce!Batman story with the details sanded off. I do respect the Question Renee story in the annuals that I'm pretty sure he wrote, but I'm not counting that here.

11. Peter Milligan -- Idk if he really belongs at the bottom here, but I read his tec stuff way back when I was first starting to dip my toe into comics and remember approximately none of it.

10. Andersen Gabrynch -- He wrote some stuff I liked (Bruce buying Jim's old house and some of the pre war games Leslie stuff), however there is also the War Games and War Crimes of it all.

9. Alan Grant -- Honestly, simliar to Milligan, I don't remember a lot of his 'tec comics and didn't read most of them. I remember his Batman and Shadow of the Bat comics more, but he also has the advantage of me liking his other comics.

8. Ed Brubaker -- His tec run was short and not particularly memorable. I remember enjoying it well enough at the time and I have vague memories of pages that were satisfyingly full of explosions at the conclusion of the arc, but I can not tell you any more details than that for the life of me.

7. Chuck Dixon -- I've mainly read his 'tec run through event tie-ins and pre Robin getting a solo series and I don't have any real desire to go back and fill in those gaps. However, those event tie ins were always perfectly serviceable and he also gets bonus points for reintroducing Helena to Gotham and also Steph during it.

6. Scott Snyder -- I agree that his Black Mirror stuff is probably the best DickBats comic, and I really liked the first three issue arc. However, this run also introduced James Jr. (not counting Batman: Year One) for which fact I'm not sure if I can forgive it.

5. Mariko Tamaki -- Her 'Tec run was very fun. I like that she used Huntress. I'm not sure if I'd call it anything outstanding but it was solid and had good art and I appreciated the ensemble aspect in the Tower of Gotham storyline.

4. Paul Dini -- I really appreciate the Dini was like 'I'm going to write so many oneshots' and they were all good. Not sure how much I care about the Heart of Hush or House of Hush plotline or whatever he did at the end, but it was very much one of the highlights of my read at that time.

3. James Tynion IV -- I can really appreciate what Tynion is doing with this run. I like the ensemble, the arts consistently good, and I'll probably end up rereading it when I get to Rebirth in my read.

2. Greg Rucka (first run/New Gotham Era)

1. Greg Rucka (Second Run/Batwoman Elegy) -- It feels a little like cheating to have Rucka in both of these slots but these are two different runs and also it's MY ranking so. They're both very good and different aspects of them live in my head, but Batwoman: Elegy has J. H. Williams art and also Helena and Renee backups so it is the clear winner here.

[hood-ex]

I have read and am reading comics but it isn’t really clear to me how Jason went from trying to kill Bruce and Tim to kind of an ally. Could you explain this? And did other characters like Tim and Dick have something to do with it?

Sorry if you’ve already answered this.

(Completely separate from this but I just wanted to say it: I really love your fics and I absolutely adore your characterisations and how much they align with canon)

Right, so, Jason's relationship with the family didn't get positively rebuilt until the N52 reboot where parts of Jason's backstory were condensed to fit into N52's weird timeline. Babs summarized all the terrible shit Jason did before the reboot as "insane acts that he should be in prison for." She, rightfully, had a hostile attitude towards him.

However, Lobdell didn't write Tim with the same hostile attitude towards Jason despite the fact that Tim hated Jason in Post-Crisis. He had Tim and Jason feeding each other information instead (RHATO Vol. 1 #8). Jason admitted that he hadn't always been the nicest guy to Tim. Tim responded by essentially brushing off all the terrible shit Jason had done because Jason "had a lot to digest" after he'd been murdered/resurrected. Yeah, so, Lobdell basically had Tim wave away Jason's past crimes just to create some bullshit relationship between them.

On a separate occasion, Tim reached out to Jason and suggested that Jason should come help the family with the Court of Owls situation (AKA help them stop all the Talons from killing people). Roy, Kory, and Jason then ended up helping the batfam out. So Jason and Tim were given more of a positive relationship in N52 but it wasn't developed in a natural way that made sense. Lobdell just decided all the beef between them wouldn't exist anymore.

The aftermath of Batman: Death of the Family led to Jason being more integrated into the family. After Jason was hurt by the acid in his helmet, he and Bruce reconciled (RHATO Vol. 1 #18) enough to work together. That was why Jason agreed to go to Ethiopia with Bruce (Batman and Robin Vol. 2 #20). But during that mission, Bruce abused Jason's trust in order to get information to save Damian. Later, Bruce tried to gain Jason's trust back (and Babs and Tim's trust as well). It resulted in Bruce asking Babs, Jason, and Tim to protect Gotham while he went to Apokolips to resurrect Damian (Batman and Robin Vol. 2 #34).

After that whole mess, Jason was then seen working more with the other Robins during the Batman & Robin Eternal series and Robin War event.

So, basically, the events of Batman: The Court of Owls and Batman: Death of the Family are what led to Jason becoming more of an ally to the family. If you want an idea of what Jason's relationship with the family initially looked like during that time of rebuilding trust then I'd take a look at Batman and Robin Vol. 2 #10.

[stxleslyds]

Jason doesn't show up in DC's animated series (though the does "spiritually" show up as Tim Drake in Season 2 of Batman the Animated Series).

Jason has a strong presence in the video games, though. So what is your opinion on Jason's characterization for Arkham Knight? He is a DLC for the Injustice games as well. Judy be warned that I did watch some clips of Arkham Knight and the torture was too gruesome for me.

RED HOOD IN VIDEO GAMES.

Hey there friend, thank you for the ask!

INJUSTICE 2.

I had to do some research on Red Hood’s appearances in the Injustice games because I was never really in touch with that story. Here is what I knew about it, there are two games for PC, one of them is Injustice and the other is Injustice 2, the games also have the comic books that give context/background to the lore of the game.

I used to play Injustice: Gods Among Us on mobile phone, and I had Jason as a playable character there, I also found out way too late that “Nightwing” wasn’t really Dick Grayson, it was Damian because he took on the mantle after he and the rock killed Dick in the comic (forever mad at that ridiculous death and the kinda scary art that comic had).

I looked for information about Red Hood’s backstory in wikis and all that because I refuse to read an alternate universe book written by Tom Taylor, there are things that I am just not willing to do.

All in all, I think that this Jason was in surface level, the same as his canon comic counterpart up until the time of his resurrection. Given that the world was at war and the League of Assassins wasn’t working openly, he and the others had to live in the shadows, he seems to have been trained proficiently by both Batman and the LoA so he is a very hardcore opponent. There are some bits of his story with Damian and a place called Gorilla City that I do not understand because I haven’t read the comics but I am fine without it.

The thing is that this Jason is pretty cool, he sticks to his morals and fights for what he believes is right, he doesn’t look like the kinda guy that takes sides in this war which is probably the best idea. Both Batman and Superman seem to be on the wrong side of history with they ideals.

What I did see and I loved eternally was the ending to Red Hood’s story, I will link the video here! But I will also copy and paste all that he says there because I think it’s really important and where I was able to see more of his characterization.

"That. Felt. Good. Titanium composite hollow point bullets with a C4 kicker. Fastest, most explosive ammo in the world. I made them myself. With the invasion over, Bruce and Superman started fighting again. I wasn't down with either of them. On the one hand, the Regime's right. Scumbag murderers and rapists deserve to die. But on the other hand, I'm no fan of government authority. Especially the dictatorial variety.

So, while the world's finest fight each other, I fight for the people. The weak. The innocent. Anyone who can't protect themselves. When they cry out for a saviour, I'll answer. As for the criminals that threaten them? They need to know that their actions have consequences. That the Red Hood is coming for them.”

This is excellent, I absolutely love this, this Jason knows his morals and doesn’t bow down to anyone and in the end, he is truly a hero to the people that need heroes the most.

Him saying that he believes that some criminals have to die but that he can’t really join Superman’s side because he cannot associate with it because he isn’t a fan of dictatorial ideas, I love this man.

I feel like this is a fair characterization for Jason, I believe that if something along the lines of what happens in Injustice happens in current continuity then Jason wouldn’t join any sides, he wouldn’t be neutral per se but he will fight for his own ideals. And his ideals in most universes are protecting people and I think that’s great. I love to see a world where Jason is seen as more intelligent and put together than the Batman.

Something that I find quite funny and interesting from this game is the dialogues that characters have with each other when they fight, I found this video compilation where you can see all the dialogues between Red Hood vs Robin (Damian Wayne), they are so fun and I love the animations too.

BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT.

Oh, ArkhamVerse Jason, my beloved.

He is, to me, the epitome of this meme.

I have actually watched the whole game playthrough, several times, and Jason had a DLC as the Red Hood for that game (Nightwing has one too and I will talk about it later because I love this version of him). And, yes, the torture scene is very gruesome, it was incredibly sad and it made me feel bad. But I also think that they made it that way so it could support the kind of storytelling they were going for.

The reality is that this Jason suffered his whole life, and was constantly introduced to lifestyles that he never wanted to be part of. The world around this Jason wasn’t kind at all to him and there is a long list of people who did him wrong.

Although ArkhamVerse Jason didn’t die, like his comic counterpart did, he suffered the most. And his suffering really drove him to be the best version of an unhinged Jason Todd. But it’s clear, his brutality and murder intent isn’t laced with his Red Hood persona or at least not on the same level as it is with his Arkham Knight persona.

This Jason’s characterization works to perfection, but it only works that way because he was well developed within the game lore and the comics. This Jason was extremely well trained, he is probably the smartest version of Jason, his mind and his level of preparedness are unparalleled when it comes to other Jason Todd variants (a little MCU Loki talk right there).

I would go as far as to say that this Jason would be an excellent match to peak Dick Grayson from before New 52 in comics. Those two would clash so immensely, but man, it would be one hell of an intellectual and physical fight. Two Kings doing what they do best.

Anyway, for now take my word for how well characterized Jason is in the ArkhamVerse, I will make a post were I deep dive more on his character both in game and comics. There is so much to say about him, he is truly interesting and very complex.

Now, I will be a little cheeky and I will use this ask as an opportunity to talk about my man, ArkhamVerse Nightwing aka Pretty Boy.

I love him so much! In the game when you get to meet him (I will link the video here! it’s five minutes long, and worth the watch) you get to see both Nightwing’s and Dick’s personalities. Nightwing is fun and relaxed, he is a little bit cocky and doesn’t let Batman be a pain in his ass, he is truly a beast. Although he is never seen without the mask in a moment when he is alone with Bruce you can really see Dick’s personality shine through. He obviously has had issues with Bruce in the past but there is also this palpable respect coming from both of them to the other. Bruce wants to protect Dick but he acts like a jerk instead of telling him what is on his mind. Dick wants to help Bruce at all costs, he refuses to leave Gotham until they solve something that he was already working on before Bruce needed his help.

There is also this sort of goodbye scene between the two (I will link it here!) that is extremely sad because Dick doesn’t believe Bruce when he tells him that he is proud of him. Dick cuts him off just when Bruce was trying to open up and I think that scene speaks volumes about how rough their relationship was. Dick never finds out that Bruce was “dying” after being infected with the Joker’s blood/gas, so it’s very bittersweet.

There is also the Nightwing DLC, where we get to see Dick being the best of the best, he is so skilled and funny and smart. It is amazing how much this game made me love their Nightwing even though he doesn’t appear much, his dynamic with Penguin is just perfect, Dick literally makes Penguin’s life very difficult. All of the people working with Penguin kinda fear Dick a little bit, some of them are even impressed by his skills.

Oh and, when Nightwing gets captured at some point in the game, Penguin’s men are saying something along the lines of “I was sure Batman will come in” “how come?” “what’s tied up downstairs and getting the crap beat out of it?” “Oh yeah, Nightwing” and that is so true, if I were Batman, I will also risk my life for Nightwing.

I just love Nightwing, he makes me so happy! He is the best here!

Anyway, enough of me loving Nightwing uncontrollably, I will make a separate post where I only talk about ArkhamVerse Jason so, yeah, be ready for that one because I love that Jason too, he is hot.

[jinx-jade]

A little bird and his prey Chapter 2

“What do you mean Menagerie turned into a cloud?” Tim asks dumbly as Damian tells them about what happened in the warehouse.

Tim clearly hasn't had enough caffeine or sleep to be functioning. It was a miracle that Alfred hasn't sent him to bed yet.

Damian still gave him an annoyed look. Not caring how tired he was. If Tim was going to make him repeat the information then he gets to be a bit petty and say it in short 'can you understand me?' talk.

“Menagerie was trapped. She had plugged something into the computer. It beeped. Menagerie turned into a cloud. Grabbed the beeping thing. Flew outside the windows. Locked them all. Then flew away.” Damian repeated, clearly talking down to Tim, which earned Damian a glare from the offended vigilante.

“She just keeps getting weirder and weirder,” Tim claimed, rolling his eyes at Damian’s antics before taking another sip of his coffee.

“Ok… So her costume looked like some kind of dragon this time… And she could turn into a cloud… Anything else?” Barbara said as she typed in the information into Menagerie’s growing file.

“Menagerie used blades this time instead of her boomerang weapon from our last encounter,” Damian informs her, Barbara quickly adding the new weapon to Menagerie’s arsenal.

“Huh. Why’d we give the meta or magic-using, always changing, weapon master villain to Demon Spawn?” Jason questioned as he read over Menagerie’s file of the information they had been able to gather in the last five years.

Jason's question as to why Damian was the one in charge of Menagerie’s case was left unanswered in favor of reviewing the file for what must have been the millionth time.

“She’s been a mouse with a whip, a horse with a boomerang weapon, a black cat with a staff, a bee with poison darts, a dog with batons, peacock with war fans, and now a dragon with a blade. How many more animal-themed costumes do you think she has?” Stephanie asked no one in particular.

"How many more weapons does she know how to use?" Jason counters, earning him a thought full look from Stephanie, as if to say 'fair point'.

The room was silent in thought. If Menagerie hasn't shown them all the weapons she knows how to use and she's been in Gotham for five years, that was a bit worrying.

The silence was broken, surprisingly, by Cass.

“Matching,” Cass says, pointing to the blurry picture of the dog costume.

The other bats looked at the dog costume trying to see what Cass sees but weren't having any luck.

“What's matching?” Bruce asked his daughter.

Cass pointed to Menagerie in her dog costume again. “Dog.” She then pointed to the batons, “Stick".

Selina was the first to catch onto Cass’s observation. “Bird and feather, bees and stinger.”

Cass nodded her head to Selina’s words.

“Match,” Cass said again.

“Menagerie matches her weapon to her costume theme," Barbara says as she typed that information into her file.

"When she uses a costume and its weapon Menagerie never has any of her other weapons with her. Why?" Tim asked a bit more awake after chugging his caffeinated beverage.

"More importantly, does she have different meta or magic abilities based on each animal?” Dick questions, Barbara making a note with his questions.

“Next time you run into one of our magic users, ask them about Menagerie. She’s a magic-user after all, so they're bound to have heard something.” Barbara says before calling it a night. Waving everyone upstairs.

All of the bat family present moved from the cave to the kitchen, Alfred handing them snacks and beverages.

“What’s the real reason so many of you are home?” Damian finally asked, knowing that while the bored excuse could have worked for Dick, it didn’t excuse the rest of his siblings randomly coming home all at once.

The Waynes shared a few glances at each other.

“You do realize Halloween is coming up soon, right, Demon spawn?” Jason questioned with an amused tone.

Damian blinked a few times, realizing his stupidity.

“Nope. I forgot.” Damian claimed, before letting out an annoyed huff, having just remembered something else. “That means Menagerie’s off the grid till after January.”

“I, for one, am glad she disappears before Halloween. We don’t need another rouge running the streets causing more work for us.” Stephanie claimed, swinging her legs back and forth from her place on the kitchen island.

“Do you think Menagerie goes home for the holidays and that’s why she disappears?” Dick questions before taking another bite of his cookie.

“It’s possible? Menagerie isn’t insane like some of the other rouges, so the probability of her taking time off to hang out with friends and family for the holidays is relatively high.” Barbara claims not looking up from her computer.

The Waynes continue to talk about Menagerie for a bit before switching to Halloween plans and tactics. They talked about who’s patrolling what area, who’s teaming up with who, and what heroes or vigilantes are coming to help.

The planning only lasted so long and soon the Waynes were joking around and poking fun at each other.

At some point, Cass went stiff, looking out the windows as if looking for something.

“Something wrong Cassandra?” Bruce asked looking out the window to try and find what was causing his daughter’s stress.

“Being…Watched?” Cass signed a bit confused.

Shortly after Cass signed that everyone seemed to whip their head in the same direction to look at the moving shadow figure.

They let out a collective sigh when they saw that it was just a fox.

It was weird to see a fox this close to the manor, but they let it be since it is only looking at them. It was almost as if they were entertainment to the little fox.

The fox has bright blue eyes with a black coat. The coat seemed to shine blue when the kitchen lights hit its fur.

This started a new round of joking and teasing about how even the foxes at Wayne manor have the 'Wayne features'.

Alfred came back into the kitchen and shooed the Waynes off to bed.

He stopped to look at the fox.

Alfred let out an exasperated sigh.

He grabbed a few cookies placing them in a bag.

Alfred offered the bag to the fox, having remembered the fox miracle likes sweet treats.

The fox took the cookies after giving Alfred a small bow.

tag list: @henie04 @only-trust-fictional-characters @lolieg @Moon5608 @animegirlweeb @asrainterstellar @toodaloo-kangaroo @mystery-5-5 @dontbenddontbreak @jayjayspixiepop

[mxtantrights]

past lives | 7

a/n: we’re coming to the end. I wanna preface this, since this is a reader insert, I'm not gonna kill you off. I save that for my OCs (tee-hee) but then also you kinda did die didn’t you?, eh it’s kinda tricky but hey here’s the next part! enjoy!!

You looked at the new phone on your sleek white desk. It had been dropped off by someone this morning before you got into work. Someone who knew you needed a phone, someone who needed to be in contact with you.

You knew exactly who it was.

And if your intuition wasn’t enough, a text can through.

Gotham Academy. 1pm. Pick up the package.

It was close to twelve thirty according to the clock on your new phone. Which meant you had about twenty minutes to get to Gotham Academy, almost seven avenues away.

You grab your coat, bag and your phone and walk out of your office. In the hallway you run into Fallon. You tell them that you’re handling something for your Aunt and you should be back before three.

Even though Ra's al Ghul gave you orders, you had built a life for yourself. You couldn’t let it crumble. 

Into the elevator and down twenty levels, you jog out of the building. Outside you reach the sidewalk and wave your hand to hail a cab. It would be much easier than ordering a ride share and you could tip greatly for increased speed.

Sure enough a black bag pulls up.

You open the backdoor quickly and get in.

“I need to get to Gotham Academy. Quickly! I’ll pay you a weeks worth”

The driver wasted no time- not even to hassle you into putting on a seatbelt. You reach into your bag and take out your special debit card. It was only used in case of emergencies, and this was. 

You swiped it through the machine in front of you. You paid for the ride first.

“I make about 540, I don’t think-” the driver begins.

You then made out your tip to be 540, which should have been invalidated, but it went through. And the driver was the amount come up on his fare dial. He laughs a bit but he also increases the speed.

He doesn’t talk much on account of the fact that he’s speeding and trying to get you to Gotham Academy in the least legal ways. And he gets you there with five minutes to spare. 

When the cab comes to a stop you thank him repeatedly. You get out of the cab and see the academy at the end of the block. Making quick work you walk there, as to not appear suspicious and text back on your phone.

arrived

you get a response seconds later.

you’re ahead of schedule. good.

Someone calls out your name and you look around. You eyes look over the people walking past you until you land on a very short person in the middle of the block. Not a short person, a child.

Damian.

You stalk over to him. He’s wearing a uniform for the school, but he’s outside of the building during school hours? Did he say that he as home schooled during the interview?

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you homeschooled?” you ask.

“I am, I am working undercover and needed something from Gotham Academy.” he answers.

“Undercover for who?” 

“I can’t talk about it here. We should-” 

Before he can finish his sentence there’s a loud boom. Out of instinct from being close to Damian, you pull him closer and tuck him underneath you. It happens really fast. Up in a window of the academy, there’s a fire.  The sound of glass breaking and shattering. And something tells you that this wasn’t random. You being here, and Damian being here. 

You drag him with you away from the building and to the end of the next block. There are swarms of people chattering and looking up at the fire from above. You pull Damian away from you and look at him.

“No cuts right? You’re okay?” you ask.

He nods his head and swats your hands that are checking over him. “I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

“I was in the area. Did you have anything to do with that?” 

“No, I was on a recon mission not- we really shouldn’t talk about this here.” he says.

Before you can say anything more, he pulls out a phone from his jacket pocket and makes a call. He calls out Alfred’s name and shares his location. You take out your phone and look at it.

package acquired?

It was Damian. Of course Ra's lured you into this by using him but that was noe thing. It’s a completely other thing to refer to his grandson as the package you were acquiring. 

You put your phone away, “When was the last time you talked to your grandfather.” 

At that Damian’s eyes widen. 

“I will not go back.”

And at his words your eyes widen. He won’t go back. Meaning he left Ra's al Ghul and he’s not happy. On top of that he’s run away to his biological father. Yeah Ghul is not happy at all. 

“How long until Alfred comes to pick you up?”

“He went to pick up some things. So about ten minutes- give or take.” 

“We need to talk about a lot. But not here- here,” you take out one of your business cards and a pen, scribbling your address on the back of it, “make sure you come undetected.”

“Why?” 

You cleared your throat. How do you tell him that his grandfather is angry and most certainly on the war path to get him back to the island, and he enlisted your help without telling you much of anything. 

You did this.

“You’re built a life for yourself Damian, and I think someone is trying to ruin that.”

“Grandfather.”

You nod once, “I’ll see you later.”

-

Back at your desk you let out a breath. You had just sit down again after running to get a cab back to work. You were lucky that there was no one above you or you wouldn’t have been able to get away with it. 

You have your phone in your hands, text messages open.

negative.

You had texted that exactly ten minutes ago with no response. It couldn’t be good, but it’s not exactly bad. There was a reason he called on you to get Damian back. It meant that you weren’t low hanging fruit like you had thought.

Now you were thinking about that comment he made about Nyssa. Why did he throw that in your face? It was no secret that you and Nyssa were as thick as thieves. But she hadn’t reached out since you left. There was no real way for you to reciprocate if she didn’t want to be contacted. So how could she miss you?

The phone buzzed.

you will get another opportunity. do not miss it.

A knock came from the other side of your door. It was probably Fallon asking if you were okay. You didn't see them when you came back. 

“Come in!”

In walks, not Fallon. Instead you see Tim Drake. Your step brother? You wondered how that worked out. 

“I thought you were someone else. Sorry, come in Mr.Drake-”

“Just Tim.” he says.

He closes the door behind him and takes a seat across from you. Within the time he does that you shut your phone and shove it into your desk drawer. 

“So what can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to pay you a visit and ask how the article is coming along.” he says.

“You came all the way over here to ask about the article? I left my phone number with your father, you know?”

which now that you thought about could be ringing off the hook. You haven't gotten around to getting a new phone yet with the same phone number as the last few days have been a bit hectic. 

You had to get on that soon.

“Okay you caught me...” his pause makes you stare. 

Was he about admit to the whole paternity thing? Why would he do that right now? And why him and not Bruce? You watch as he straightens himself out in the chair, even his tie. 

“I’m here to poach some writers from you. Sorry. I read some of their pieces online and some of them are really talented.” he answers truthfully.

You let out a bit of a laugh. Oh wow you really thought that he was about to let the cat out of the bag. Speaking of which you were gonna ask Fallon about the Catwoman piece that was coming up.

“Oh you can try. But then I'd have to steal your pretty male receptionist.”

“Derek?” he asks.

“Oh yeah, I think he really liked my receptionist Kacey. You don’t watch out I’ll be taking him off your hands and Kacey will pull him in real quick.” 

Tim laughs at that. Full on laughs. And you join him. It felt good to joke about things that didn’t concern the league or Ra's, or your paternity. Even though you two weren’t ever going to talk about that. 

“I haven’t laughed like that in a while.” 

You can see the bags under his eyes. The way his hair looks kept but if you were to run your fingers through it it’d probably give away a lot of grease. At least he doesn’t spray himself with axe body spray to get away with his lack of self-care.

“Yeah. It’s kinda hard being a twenty something with such a demanding job,” you say and he looks at you, “I would know being deputy writer is truly the most grueling work of all time.”

“I bet.” he says in-between snicker.

His phone buzzes and you can see him tense again. You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself if you were Tim. To be so young and have so much on his shoulders. 

“If you ever need to talk, I’m here. Or- my phone kinda got dropped into a sewer outside the office but I’m getting a new one soon.” you say.

He gets up from his spot in the chair. 

“That’s great. I’ll take you up on that offer.”

With that he waves you goodbye and leaves your office. You want to forget for a moment that you have a text waiting for you in your desk drawer. That you’ll have another chance at picking up a package for the league. Picking up Damian for Ra’s. 

You thought to yourself about what normal could look like.