#cass is standing in the background alongside bruce

[a-deck-of-cards]

Bruce: So, who broke it?

Bruce: I’m not mad. I just want to know.

Dick: I did, I broke——

Bruce: No, no, you didn’t.

Bruce: Jason?

Jason: Don’t look at me. Look at Tim.

Tim: What? I didn’t break it.

Jason: Huh, that’s weird. How’d you even know it was broken?

Tim: Because it’s sitting right in front of us and it’s broken.

Jason: Suspicious.

Tim: No, it’s not.

Duke: If it matters—— probably not. But Steph was the last one to use it.

Stephanie: Liar! I don’t even drink that crap.

Duke: Oh really? Then what were doing by the coffee cart earlier?

Stephanie: I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles. Everyone knows that Duke!

Dick: Okay. Let’s not fight. I broke it. Let me pay for it.

Bruce: No.

Bruce: Who broke it?

Tim: Bruce… Damian’s been awfully quiet lately.

Damian: Really?!

Tim: Uh, yeah, really.

[Indistinct arguing]

Bruce: I broke it. It burned my hand so I punched it. I predict 10 minutes from now, they’ll be at each other’s throats with war paint on their faces and a pig head on a stick. Good. It was getting a little chummy around here.

[havendance]

Okay, I am still thinking about Cass and Claire.

It's like: they both admire Batman and they came into Gotham as vigilantes because of that. Cass was searching for redemption. Claire was born of a reenactment of Bruce's tragedy, only one where he was able to stop the worst from happening. Claire doesn't have that life on her hands as a catalyst.

Then there is the deal they make: power for a life. Claire's powers use her life up when she wields them. Cass makes a deal with Shiva, in exchange for her previous capabilities, she will fight her to the death. To Cass, it is a death sentence because she refuses to kill. With Claire, I get the impression that she makes her deal as much because Hank does it. Because she admires her brother and follows his lead. But also she makes the decision because it gives her the ability to do more and to help more people. Cass makes her decision because she can not do what Batman does without it, but also because she can not stand to be less than what she was. To spend years relearning what once came so easily to her.

In a way, they both need to make that deal to fight alongside Batman.

Then there is there relationship with their coming death. I'm still working my way through Tom King's Batman, but Claire seems to me that she isn't thinking about her coming death. She feels young, a teenage who has an easy immortality. Death is a lifetime away even if it is closer to her than most. I think that if she did think about it, death would scare her though. Fear is a thread throughout her both in her part in her and her brother's origin, and then with Pyscho Pirate. Cass knows what death is. She knows what it looks like. It does not scare her, in fact, part of her wants it.

Finally, there's the way that they interact with Batman. Both of them are more powerful than him in their own way; they each have capabilities that he can never have, but the differences in the way he interacts with them is striking. Part of this, I'm sure, is due to differences in authors and the times of their introductions, but you can see some of this even in the comics where they run parallel to each other. Cass is far more isolated in her relationship with Bruce. It's focused entirely on her abilities as a crime fighter. In her Batgirl series, she doesn't learn his identity until she figures it out for herself. Bruce doesn't take her to the cave under Wayne manor, he gives her a satellite cave of her own.

After the incident with Psycho Pirate, Claire is brought back to the Batcave, and brought up into Wayne Manor. Part of that is likely due to the state she was in, but it doesn't change the fact that she is brought into the secret of Bruce's location and identity far sooner. This also is also likely because of there being less of a focus on secret identities in newer comics, but the difference is still striking.

Even in Cass's concurrent appearances in Detective Comics at that time, she doesn't have that same closeness to Bruce. She is on the team headed by Batwoman. While there is a sweet moment where Bruce is like "We should do something with Cass outside of vigilantism", the bulk of her connections are with her teammates and not Batman.

(Once again, different authors, the fact that Detective comics is more of an ensemble cast while Batman is more focused, changes to Cass's backstory etc etc. Still, I think the point stands.)

I also have thoughts about the idea that Bruce sees different parts of himself in each of them, different potentials for their parts in his legacy. Maybe it's simpler for him to connect with Claire in a more holistic manner due to her ordinary background, her relative innocence compared to Cassandra. When he starts separating Bruce Wayne from Batman, which part is better and which is worse? But, I need to think more about how to articulate that…

[awhitehead17]

Hmm... There was a Grandfather day few days ago, so maybe, for the prompt, batkids planning a surprise for Alfred and making Bruce distract their grandpa so thay could prepare the surprise?

This was a fun one to write! Thanks for the prompt and I hope you enjoy it! :D 

“Right, what ideas have we got so far?”

The silence that follows the question stretches on for far longer than it really should have. When it became clear that no one was going to speak up, Dick sighs and rubs a hand over his face before giving those gathered a pointed look.

“Well we need to come up with something!”

Five blank expressions stare back at him which makes him sigh again. There’s six of them all together and yet they still can’t come up with a decent idea on what kind of surprise they could give Alfred for Grandfather’s Day this year.

It’s not a usual day they celebrate but after everything that the elderly butler has done for them, he deserves some loving and care for once. They’d all be dead twice over if it weren’t for that man. Well, for Jason maybe three times at this point.

Dick and his siblings have decided that they would give Alfred a pleasant surprise in a way to show their gratitude, however no one can seem to come up with a decent idea on what they could do.

To his right Jason opens his mouth to speak up but Dick cuts him off before he could even voice anything. “We are not giving Alfred weapons as a present!” Jason instantly shuts his mouth and slumps back in his chair wearing a defeated pout.

Adjacent to Jason, on the left side of the table, Tim suddenly perks up and Dick cuts him off with a glare. “Alfred has no use for a state-of-the-art laptop. He’s often expressed his dislike for that kind of technology, we’re not getting him a laptop.” Tim opens his mouth a second time and Dick continues before the teen could say anything. “Not even if you make it yourself.”

Just as Jason had, Tim slumps back in his seat sulking. With little hope left, Dick looks over at the other three bodies sat at the table, wondering what kind of ideas they’ll stir up.

Steph wasn’t even paying attention, she’s busily typing away on her phone while twirling her hair around a finger. Cass happened to be staring at him, blinking slowly but otherwise not moving. He has no idea what she’s thinking. Finally Damian looks constipated, he’s staring ahead with his hands clasped in front of him thinking really hard about something. Dick hopes he’s not imaging what kind of kill or even pet Alfred would appreciate the most.

“Look Bruce has already agreed to help out with whatever we can come up with so financially there’s no problem. However we don’t have an idea yet!”

Silence continues throughout the room and Dick stands at the head of the table looking over his siblings impatiently waiting for someone to suggest something. Just as he’s about to give up and walk out of the room Damian pipes up from his seat.

“I may have a suitable surprise we can gift Pennyworth with.”

In that moment Dick couldn’t help but see how innocent Damian looks, just like any other pre-teen does with the last of his baby fat that’s yet to be shed and the self confidence that’s building up. But then he blinks and remembers that Damian is no ordinary pre-teen.

“Does it involve killing?”

Damian scowls as if the idea is preposterous. “No.”

Well one could never be too sure with that kid. “Any animals?”

“No.”

“Very well, please share your idea…”

It was the following weekend they decided to set up the surprise for Alfred. When it was actual Grandfather’s day they happened to be busy with a giant gang war across Gotham so it had to be delayed. Nonetheless they’ve managed to finally pull it together and set it up.

Damian’s idea had in fact been a fantastic one. Something they could all chip into and share ideas and how they could go about preparing it. Once they had it put together they shared the plan with Bruce who immediately agreed.

That Saturday Dick walks alongside Alfred and Bruce down the corridors of Wayne Manor heading towards the library. Dick had a feeling Alfred is suspicious and is aware something is happening but doesn’t know what it is. Dick and Bruce keep him distracted as much as they could as they walk by discussing random things, it reminds him of the time when he had been a child and it had just been them three at the very beginning.

They eventually get to the library where the doors are closed and Dick stops them just before they enter. He turns to Alfred trying his best to suppress a smile. “Alfred, the man of many talents and loving carer to many. We wanted to do something special for you to try and show how much we appreciate everything you do for us. Of course what we produce can’t even begin to replicate how special you are but we hope you enjoy it anyway. So surprise.”

Before Alfred could speak up Dick and Bruce swing the library doors open and suddenly there was a loud chorus of ‘Surprise!’.

Dick watches as Alfred takes in the scene. All of his siblings were surrounding the main table which had a large spread over the top of it. Scones, sandwiches, spreads, cakes, biscuits, tea, coffee and hot chocolate cover the table on a beautiful tablecloth and some special plate and silver ware.

They’ve done their best to replicate a British “Afternoon Tea”.

There were some old tunes playing in the background from an old record played that Alfred adores and they had the fire going which gave the room a warm comfort to it.

After a moment Dick checks in with Alfred, finding that the old butler hasn’t said anything yet. “Alfred you okay? Is this okay?”

Alfred brings a hand up to his mouth in a rare action of the man being shocked. “I don’t know what to say.” He says after a moment. Dick’s heart then skips a beat when Alfred wipes at his eyes, now clearly getting emotional over the scene. He quickly moves in and wraps Alfred up in a hug.

“Don’t cry Alfie! We just wanted to surprise you!”

Alfred takes in a deep breath and Dick lets him go. “Oh my boy these are certainly happy tears. I have to admit I knew something was going on but I wouldn’t have predicted this! It looks wonderful. I’m speechless.”

“Well that’s certainly a first.” Bruce teases lightly. He then nudges Alfred forwards. “Enjoy the afternoon Alfred, the kids have all worked hard on creating this.”

Dick watches as Alfred moves into the library and as he is immediately swamped by his siblings all chatting to him and pointing out various of items on the table. A hand landing on his shoulder gets his attention and he finds Bruce smirking at him. “I’m proud of you all, for putting this together for Alfred.”

Dick smiles back feeling pride course through him. “Alfred deserves it. Though what’s the chances this is going to end in blood shed? The unity between them all isn’t going to last.”

Bruce rolls his eyes and runs a rough hand through his hair, making him squawk in protest. “Better enjoy it while it lasts then.”

Bruce then moves into the library and Dick follows closely behind. He slides into the scene easily and watches as Alfred takes it all in stride. He’s glad they’ve been able to put this together for him because he certainly deserves all the love and appreciation he can get.

[ao3feed-jaydick]

Steady On Forward

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/25699081

by JayseHasNoGrace

Dick Grayson's life has never been easy, but he'd like to think it's been going better lately. He's been operating mainly out of Gotham again for almost a year, and has been in a steady relationship for just over. He knows where he stands with crime-fighting, and the family is all on pretty good terms, considering.

Things are really going pretty well.

Unfortunately, the balance doesn't last long, and old horrors from Dick's past end up dredged up alongside new ones.

This is a story about love and family, but equally so about trauma and healing from it. Please heed the warnings in the preface.

Words: 6093, Chapters: 3/?, Language: English

Fandoms: DCU (Comics), DCU, Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, and the rest of the batfam but those are the ones who get the most screentime, duke babs cass steph & alfred are all there too, harper row and kate kane even show up, and roy kory wally donna and the JL

Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Everyone, past dick/babs mentioned, past dick/kory mentioned, past dick/roy mentioned, Minor or Background Relationship(s)

Additional Tags: Batfamily (DCU), Established Relationship, platonic co-sleeping, lots of platonic affection, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, i mean he kinda fucks up a lot but he's trying and he loves them all a lot, Pseudo-Incest, just in case. but the bats dont see it that way bc of how things shake out in this universe, obv dont read if its still gonna squick you tho, Angst, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, some explicit smut, lotta saucy suggestive stuff, tags are too long but there's a whole bit in the beginning for content warnings so pls heed those, shouldnt even have to say this bc its comics but jic, this is a lot of picking and choosing from different canons, and its all spackled over with my own shit, So yeah

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/25699081

[ao3jaydickfeed]

by JayseHasNoGrace

Dick Grayson's life has never been easy, but he'd like to think it's been going better lately. He's been operating mainly out of Gotham again for almost a year, and has been in a steady relationship for just over. He knows where he stands with crime-fighting, and the family is all on pretty good terms, considering.

Things are really going pretty well.

Unfortunately, the balance doesn't last long, and old horrors from Dick's past end up dredged up alongside new ones.

This is a story about love and family, but equally so about trauma and healing from it. Please heed the warnings in the preface.

Words: 1748, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: DCU (Comics), DCU, Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, and the rest of the batfam but those are the ones who get the most screentime, duke babs cass steph & alfred are all there too, harper row and kate kane even show up, and roy kory wally donna and the JL

Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Everyone, past dick/babs mentioned, past dick/kory mentioned, past dick/roy mentioned, Minor or Background Relationship(s)

Additional Tags: Batfamily (DCU), Established Relationship, platonic co-sleeping, lots of platonic affection, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, i mean he kinda fucks up a lot but he's trying and he loves them all a lot, Pseudo-Incest, just in case. but the bats dont see it that way bc of how things shake out in this universe, obv dont read if its still gonna squick you tho, Angst, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, some explicit smut, lotta saucy suggestive stuff, tags are too long but there's a whole bit in the beginning for content warnings so pls heed those, shouldnt even have to say this bc its comics but jic, this is a lot of picking and choosing from different canons, and its all spackled over with my own shit, So yeah

[cursed-to-be-a-sidekick]

DC Ladies and Why They're so Awesome

Barbara Gordan: So of course Im going to start of with a good part. Babs is probably one of the smartest people in the entire DC universe. She graduated high school early (at like sixteen) and went to college. She got her masters degree so she could be a librarian. In her 20's she became a congresswoman but apparently was too liberal to get re-elected. On top of this all she was batgirl. When the Killing Joke happened the DC universe thought they lost Babs. Not only did Babs stick around she became stronger. Babs used everything she had and built up the Birds of Prey using her quick thinking and computer knowledge to keep her team safe. Not only that but as Oracle Babs was the information keeper for the Justice League. She had every single superheroes number easily accessible and knows them all personally. Also Babs became a Green Lantern! Like thats awesome. Babs has been at war with the Calculator for forever and has won every time. You can not tell me Babs isnt one of the best DC characters hands down.

Diana Prince: Okay I bet you're all surprised I didn't start off with Diana. I love Wonder Woman so much and there's so many reasons why. First off Wonder Woman defied her Amazonian sisters and went out to the real world. She didn't know what was out there and didn't really care. She wanted to promote peace and be a diplomat and that's what she was at least for a while. When Diana killed Maxwell Lord she regretted it so much that she decided not to be Wonder Woman anymore. Even though everyone told her that her reasoning was just (cause like yeah it was). Wonder Woman has this huge sense of responsibility and like how can you not love her for it. Also the fact she's more powerful than most of the Justice League and the Justice League knows and admires it. Yeah that's definitely a plus.

Mary Batson: Okay I love Mary and honestly I don't know much about her but I'm going to take a stab. Mary carries this sense of responsibility, she wants to be a hero and she's damn good at it too. When she lost her powers around Countdown she was devastated. When she got them back and become "Black Mary" that absolutely sucked. But she came back became Mary Marvel again and built herself back up. Mary is a key part of the Marvel family and I don't know what Billy would do without her. She's also still a kid. Like an actual kid. A teenager and she's out helping save the world. Yeah I have respect for that.

Kara Zor-El: Of course Supergirls on this list. Why would she not be? Okay supergirl has an interesting story. She's the sole survivor of not one but to planets. When she arrived on earth she knew nothing about the planet at all. She had to trust her cousin knew what he was doing to help her. She wanted to build a whole life away from being a superhero too. She just wanted to be a normal kid. She has her ups and downs but ultimately Kara is probably one of the best characters because she's realistic. She's written to be an angsty teenage girl who is still trying to figure herself out. Sure she's chronologically 30 years older than Superman (depends on what story you read) but that doesn't make her any less of a kid. Also she fought Darkseid and Lex Luthor while still figuring out her powers, she single handedly took down the entire Justice League and she's more powerful than Superman. I think that's pretty cool.

Dinah Lance: The Black Canary's name has belonged to like three different Dinah's at this point. But that doesn't make her any less awesome. Dinah is trained in all forms of martial arts and is thought to be the second best martial artist in the world. Yeah the entire world. Dinah is hot heated and can be moody at times but she knows what she's doing. Even after losing her Sonic Scream she continued to kick ass with the Birds of Prey. She did get her Sonic Scream back later while in the birds but she never seemed to rely on her powers, she always just used her gut instincts and quick thinking. At one point Dinah adopts a child who was being trained to be an assassin. She kept this child and even stopped being with the birds to settle down with Oliver Queen and have a family. Dinah is undoubtedly one of the best ladies in the whole DC universe.

Helena Bertinelli: Okay not only is Helena a superhero known as the Huntress shes also a school teacher. Helena originally was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman but at some point during Crisis she became a vigilante who was the daughter of a mob boss. After her whole family is murdered in front of her she vows to end the underground crime ring in Gotham. Shes pretty good at it and almost succeeds. Sure her methods arent well liked by Batman but she gets her job done. She joins the Birds at one point and actually gets a family. Babs gets her a job as a school teacher and Helena is happy again. Towards the end of the original Birds run Helena manages to take over the underworld and Gotham and manages to (almost) take it down.

Stephanie Brown: Okay Steph is the daughter of some low class supervillain called the Cluemaster. She becomes Spoiler as a way to make up for all the things that her dad did. She literally built herself up from nothing and became an amazing superhero. Steph might have never had a major standing in the comics but she was there in the background spoiling everyones plans. Also Steph got pregnant as a teenager. Like thats really hard to deal with. And she did it mostly while continuing to be a vigilante. Steph maintained a good friendship with Cass and when Cass ditched the title of Batgirl Steph took it up. While Batman never approved of her actions Steph did everything she could to be an accepted member or the batfamily. Plus she was briefly Robin which is really cool.

Cassandra Cain: Okay daughter of assassins is already cool but the fact she can speak solely with body language is amazing. Cass never learned how to speak and was trained to be the worlds best assassin. When she did learn how to speak she spoke few words. Despite that she maintained a great friendship with Babs and Steph. Babs trained her to be the new Batgirl and Steph ended up being her best friend. Cass is even better at fighting than Batman and she took down the Joker her first time fighting him. Not only did she break the Joker out of Arkham she beat him and sent him back just as easily. Cass had a great character arc and I just love her character. She really brought the name Batgirl to mean something entirely new and when she dropped it and gave the name to Steph she did it with honor. Cass did at one point leave to go run the league of assassins but she eventually came back to Gotham.

Talia Al Ghul: I dont know much about Talia but I think I know enough to write a paragraph about her. Talia is the heir to the demon. She trained as a child to be an assassin alongside her father Ra's Al Ghul. She also fell in love with Batman. But thats probably the least cool thing about her. I mean she is an assassin who will potentially inherit a whole army of assassins and be immortal. Like I dont know about you but I think thats pretty friggin awesome.

Selina Kyle: Okay Catwoman is amazing. She trained to fight under Catman which is pretty cool. Also like she controls part of the Gotham underworld. Selina is an amazing woman who is a great thief and she also has morals. She doesnt do killing (most of the time) and shes even been a hero for a while. Catwoman became a hero alongside Batman but at some point she decided to return back to crime. She's worked alongside the Birds of Prey a few times and at one point was even a member. Selina also decided not to marry Bruce because she knew marrying Batman might give him a reason not to be Batman anymore and she knew people needed Batman more than she needs Bruce. Also Selina helps girls on the street. Like thats a major thing. Helping kids who dont have much. Like thats great. Lastly she feeds and takes in stray cats and thats just wonderful.

Harley Quinn: Okay while I wouldnt consider Harls a hero persay (shut up new 52 and rebirth) she is still an amazing character. Harley is a genius, she blew through med school and became a psychologist. She built herself up from working at Arkham from the bottom all the way to working with the highest class psychos. Harls was also an amazing gymnast and she had tons of medals. After falling in love with the Joker she did some regrettable things but the fact she managed to get herself and she started to redeem herself shows a lot about. Harley now just wants to help people she wants to fix what she did wrong. Harley has a big heart and wants to do right and while she knows her methods arent that great shes trying hard. She just wants to please the people she loves and cares about.

Pamela Isley: Okay Ivy is a tricky character. She doesnt really have a set backstory or anything that I really know of. Ivy was a scientist and something happened that changed her physically. She became connected to the green. Now Ivy isnt really sure who she is. She became the Batman villain known as Poison Ivy and became an ecological terrorist (at least thats what I think they call her). Ivy really just doesnt know her place in the world. Ivy is wicked smart and she has patented a lot of biotech stuff and she made Harley the antidote that made her immune to toxins. She does end up re-entering the field of science a few times and is genuinely trying to turn a new leaf and become a better person. At first she didnt really understand that what she did was wrong she just wanted to help out the plants because she saw all these terrible things happening to them. For the most part Ivy is a misunderstood person who is trying to find her humanity.

Kara Zor-El (Earth Two): Okay Power Girl is a tricky character to figure out because she has so many different backstories due to the destruction and then reformation of the multiverse. Anyways Karen Starr is from another Earth specifically Earth 2. When she arrived on Earth 1 she learned there was already a Supergirl. She took on the name Power Girl and founded a company that focused on software (I think.) Shes older than Earth 1s supergirl and is kind of like a big sister figure at times even though her and Kara are the same person. The two also didnt start off on the right foot with eachother. Karen for a while led the Justice Society of America which is really flipping cool. Karen knows whats right in her heart which is what makes her like Superman in a way. Because like her cousin (even if the two arent really cousins on earth 1) she wants to help people.

Donna Troy: The original Wonder Girl will always hold a special place in my heart but I kid of want to focus on her time as Wonder Woman and also as simply just Donna Troy. When Wonder Woman quit being Wonder Woman Donna took her spot and she made a pretty great Wonder Woman. She doubted herself a lot and didnt think shed ever be as good as Diana she pushed herself up to the top and did it. As Donna Troy she was an amazing Teen Titan and she even cheated death. Her spot in the multiverse has been looked over a few times but her Roy and Jason last I heard were all kicking ass together.

Rachel Roth: Ravens a weird character Im not going to lie. Shes kind of mysterious. Rachel was a key addition to the Teen Titans, her powers are unmatchable in battle a lot of the time. Also shes the child of the demon Trigon. Rachel herself never really knew what to do with herself but while growing up she knew she had to do something and that she has to save people. She spent her teenage years with the Titans and continues to be with the Titans even if shes technically supposed to have aged out by now.

Kate Kane: Kate is one of my favorite characters of all time. Batwoman adds so much to the story and it covers a lot of things Ive never even thought of. Kate was kicked out of Westpoint under Dont Ask Dont Tell. The story talks a lot about her experience with PTSD, being gay and also being in the army. Kate runs a major business and is Batmans cousin. Kate literally gives zero craps about what Batman says and she does what she wants even if he doesnt approve. Kate has a big heart and ultimately she just wants to save her sister. After being kicked out of Westpoint Kate became a party girl and an alcoholic becoming Batwoman changed all of that for her. She became the woman she was meant to be.

Maggie Sawyer: Maggie Sawyer is a badass cop. Shes also Kates girlfriend and shes a mom. Being a cop in Metropolis is one thing but since moving from Metropolis Maggie has joined the GCPD. Being a cop in Gotham versus being a cop in Metropolis are to completely different things. Maggie can do it all and she works well under pressure. Shes an amazing cop and deserves so much more credit that what she gets in the comics.

Renee Montoya: Renee Montoya started out as another Gotham City Cop well until she became The Question. Also one of Kates ex girlfriends Renee has taken up Vic Sage's mantel and become the Question. She's a cop turned vigilante who is trying to do everything she can to keep Gotham safe.

Zatanna Zatara: So Zatanna is a magician. An actually magician with real magic and also a performing magician for kids. She does a lot of volunteering and loves showing her magic to the kids. Shes part of Justice League Dark and her powers are probably some of the most powerful in the whole DC universe. Zatanna can literally do anything just by saying it backwards. She doesnt get as much credit as she deserves but Zatanna is a kid with a big heart and deserves a lot more than she gets. Also did I mention she once climbed Mount Everest?

Courtney Whitmore: Not many people know much about Stargirl but this teenage girl is a key part of the Justice Society. Stargirl is a nobody without her Cosmic Staff but with it she is one of the greatest members of the JSA. Courtney has befriended Supergirl and has run around on all sorts of adventures before she could even vote. Her friendship with Supergirl is strong even if it isnt seen too often in the comics. Stargirl is just another kid who wants to change the world and who does manage to do it.

Lois Lane: Supermans girlfriend has ring to it enough but pulitzer prize winner Lois Lane is so much more than that. Shes an investigative reporter who strives to find the truth no matter the cost. Time and time again she goes undercover and risks her life for her job. She has no powers and no fighting skills just faith and a keen eye for a story. So sure while she's Supermans girlfriend she so much more than that. She's a woman who's going places and will always be independent. (Bonus: the first time Clark meets Lois she's yelling at some guy at the phone for being sexist)

Lana Lang: Supermans other girlfriend. Lana kind of got abandoned for a while but trust me she's still great. Lana takes in Kara while Kara is still struggling to figure her life out. Lana is the most supportive and loving person there is. She really cares about Kara and treats her like a daughter and as a best friend. Her friend ship with Lois Lane is amazing and Lana had an amazing story arc when she became possessed. Moral of the story never mess with any of Supermans girlfriends because they will fight back and theyll fight back hard.

Lady Shiva: If it wasnt for Lady Shiva Black Canary would be the best martial artist in the world. Lady Shiva is a long time Batman villain and not even Batman himself can beat her. Shes said multiple times that the only time he did she let him. She just wanted to know how worthy of an opponent he was. Shiva and Dinah trained under the same sensei together and have a mutual respect for eachother. For a short period of time Shiva even took Dinah under her wing to teach her new techniques no one else in the world even knew.

Mia Dearden: Speedy is hands down the best Green Arrow sidekick. And no Im not talking about Roy I really do mean Mia. Mia was living on the streets for the longest time and as a teenager. Constantly in the comics she talks about what it was like as a teenager being homeless on the streets, doing drugs and even selling her body just to stay alive. She became a great fighter while training with Ollie and Dinah and becomes the second Speedy. Mia is quick thinking and knows how and when to act. Later in the comics before she joins the Teen Titans she gets diagnosed as HIV +. That was the first time the DC universe made a character be HIV + and it hit hard for a lot people. Her backstory is really sad but its meaningful and really tells a lot about things that nobody knows anything about. Mia is a spunky kid with a lot of personality and she wants to help people.

Emiko Queen: Emi wasnt really around until she become the Red Arrow in Rebirth. She had her ups and downs but she stay devoted to Ollie throughout all of it. Emi is a tough character who really wants to be just like her big brother. She does at one point join a cult but then she breaks away from the cult to save her brother. Emi really admires Dinah and their friendship is great. Her story is still just starting to develop and its really cool to see where its going.

Zinda Blake: Lady Blackhawk has been no where in sight since New 52 hit. Im not really sure if theyll bring her back but I hope they do. Zinda is a hotheaded pilot who thinks more with her fists than she does with her brain. Shes a key member to the Birds of Prey and a true hero. After somehow re entering the continuity despite having to have originally been in WW2 Zinda has begun to fit right in with her weird accent and odd slang. I really hope she gets put back in soon.

Charlie Gage-Radcliffe: Misfits not really a well known character but shes a good one. Shes a spunky kid with an obsession with Batgirl. She takes on the mantel of Batgirl briefly before the real Batgirl, Barbara Gordan, stops her. Babs takes her in as one of her Birds and trains her. Charlie is just a kid and Babs knows it. Charlie doesnt get to see much action throughout the series but her character really grows a lot and she molds into this amazing character. Misfit is pretty impulsive and her mind (and body) tend to bounce all over the place. Charlie is just like any other teenager and she does everything she can to look on the bright side of every situation

Cassandra Sandsmark: Cassies Wonder Girl is what got me into Teen Titans. Cassie knows what she wants and knows how to get it. She can be short tempered but she had a really good heart. Her friendship with Supergirl is one of the best friendships in the whole DC universe. Cassie ultimately just wants to impress Wonder Woman. When she's not roaming around with the Teen Titans or on Paradise Island she's like literally every other teenage girl. Sitting at home argueing with her mom. Her power for her lasso comes fron her anger which she seems to carry a lot of. Shes still figuring out how to be Wonder Girl but shes become a valuable asset to the team. Cassie is a really relatable character and I love her for that. Her and Diana are a great pair and seeing them together is amazing. (Bonus: In New 52 Teen Titans she can put up a fight against basically anybody including Tim Drake and she hates the name Wonder girl)

There are more characters but this took me about two hours to write so Im going to cut it here. If anyone wants me to add any more characters let me know in the notes and I'll edit this. Also special shout outs to characters who I didnt have enough info on to put on here but are still equally as awesome: Martha Kent, Director Cameron Chase and Linda Park.

[squiddybeifong]

A Page Turner

Fun fact: if you go to @ravensflockofrobins and search Bette’s name, there’s one (1) post at the time I’m posting this. And it’s not even a shippy thing rip this drowning paper boat

--

She didn’t know what compelled her to take a quick vacation, exactly.

Maybe it was the lack of crime. Maybe it was the disgustingly scorching heat that summer brought. Maybe it was that she needed a break before she accidentally zapped the TV and the horrid romance movie that Starfire was playing.

Whatever the reason, Raven made up her mind. opened her eyes and moved Silkie off her lap, teleporting to her room. She considered her options and started a particular spell, one that she’d admittedly used many times before. One of the few (very few, incredibly miniscule) perks of being Trigon’s daughter: interdimensional travel.

Sliding through the dimensions as easily as flipping pages of a book, a particular timeline called to her. It smelled of bookstores and crumpled daisies and Raven blinked as she stepped into this particular universe.

The Golden Age, she reminded herself, taking in the not-so-golden scenery around her. The world around her was the sheer definition of nostalgia: the colors muted in the most charming of ways, the whimsy of the backgrounds (she simply took the buildings fading into space at the edges as a perk), the blocked off rectangles where additions would be written.

Surely more of a comic book feel than the animated life she knew, but it felt right.

What didn’t feel right was the lack of yellow. Sure, some of the stores had signs with bold letters the color of pineapple flesh. And, yeah, the lemon paint job on some of the cars was impressive. But aside from the sprinkling of pollen from the just barely blooming flowers, Golden Age Gotham wasn’t the most golden of scenes.

Honestly, with such a heavy title this ‘golden age’ was falling flat.

Raven pulled her cloak around herself and sunk into the shadows, casually setting out to explore. She avoided the areas she already knew and delved into the thick of the city, grateful that their emotions didn’t press on her as strongly as her own dimension’s did. Food vendors, students clamoring on the sidewalks as they got the most of that wonderful time between school being let out and their parents calling them in for dinner, even some rats who scurried out from the sewers, all but sunbathing as they dragged dropped pieces of food and cigarette buds back to their hovels.

Not too different from the Gotham Raven knew, but she still stayed hidden, watching all that she could. A pout involuntarily curled her lips at the sight of her favorite pretzel food-truck, replaced with a dual newspaper and ‘shoe polishing on the go!’ stand.

There was a simultaneous groan from all the kids as a clock rang, their disappointment mingling with the adults’ sighs of relief.

Raven felt the muted mix of their emotions, her lips quirking up at how similar people were in their complaints, dimensionally different or not: “Man I can’t wait to get home,” a mustached man breathed as he observed his freshly polished loafers and tucked the afternoon paper under his arm; “What? You’re betting on the Yankees? Get outta here, ya freakin’ jag!” an incredulous teen cried at his friend, shoving his shoulder in horrified disbelief; “I swear, Debbie, all he ever says is ‘Aspic’s lookin’ good as you.’ Not tasty, or even pretty, but good! That carrot cake looks good but my aspics are gorgeous. The nerve of that man!” a big-haired woman bemoaned to her pencil skirt-clad companion.

Raven’s head tilted in confusion; what was aspic?

Before she could dwell on whatever food trends she obviously wasn’t privy to, the Bat symbol lit up the sky. At its appearance the crowd seemed to hustle home even quicker, the conversations muting to a murmur as the clouds darkened over Gotham.

The symbol was bright against the sky; one flicker, only a simple fix if this dimension was the same as her home. Raven hummed at the sight and melted even further into the inked on shadows, following the panels as she landed just beyond a bank.

An explosion sounded halfway across the city.

Half of the officers hesitated and the other half jumped into their cruisers, speeding towards the pillar of smoke. The rest glanced among themselves and followed. Raven frowned at them; it was probably a diversion.

Sure enough, she felt the giddy nerves of the bank robbers inside a few seconds later. The Titan laid her cheek in her fist and merely watched as they scrambled about, her head turning as she felt Batman’s unmistakable aura enter the page. A brow raised at the youth of his visible face, then her eyes widened to a comical size.

Oh. Oh.

The demoness froze in her spot, watching as Batman went gliding over the rooftops. But Robin wasn’t by his side. Neither was either of the Batgirls that she knew. No, this one must have been one she’d never met. Surprisingly, she didn’t display the Bat symbol on her chest at all; in fact, her crimsons and emeralds were a stark contrast to the rest of the comic, but her fit was odd.

Not quite made for being Batgirl, but inexplicably belonging in this golden age. How odd.

But her hair…

Raven swallowed the air in her throat. Well, that certainly answered why this place was the golden age.

Admonishing herself at the beginnings of a schoolyard crush that she could feel starting, Raven shifted in her spot. This wasn’t her dimension, she could potentially indulge with screwing everything up, right?

So, despite wanting to keep a low profile as she watched them fight, the empath turned into a bird and phased in just behind them, watching as this Batgirl fought. Not quite as endlessly sarcastic as Steph, not as eagerly critical as Babs, not as intense or skilled as Cass, but as excited as any Batgirl for the ability to fight alongside the Batman.

She didn’t even seemed fazed when bolded words popped up in unison with their punched and kicks. Both she and this Batman slid along the BAM!s, BIFF!s, POW!s, and WHAM!s that described their attacks without any hesitation, and within a few pages all the bank robbers were apprehended.

The blonde nodded at the police as they cuffed the men, tossing her pine cape over her shoulders. “Aw, too bad Robin missed this,” Batgirl grinned up at the cloaked vigilante, her bright smile making Raven’s heart flutter.

“We should team up more often, Batman!”

He glanced down at his sidekick for this fight, “Batwoman needs you far more than I do.”

The rejection didn’t deter her, although her grin did falter. Her hands went to her hips, “Then at least until Robin’s arm heals up. You shouldn’t have to fight alone.”

The dark knight’s head tilted in silent agreement.. “Hmmm, very well.” His masked eyes took in the groaning bodies and the sound of approaching police sirens, “Go continue patrol while I find out what these robbers know about that explosion.”

“On it!” She gave him a salute and sprinted off, a flash of blonde hair and christmas colors. She got a block away without trouble, her eyes glancing at the police as they zoomed by and her fingers curling into fists as she noted a bird following her.

Batgirl frowned. She zig-zagged through the panels but no amount of speed lines or ducking into the fading buildings stopped the little avian. So, the Gothamite dove just behind the city’s library. The secluded setting made the bird sloppy and the hero tossed two smoking batarangs, leaping and pinning the raven in place. There was a shift like one page flipping to the next and the bird’s eyes turned red. Batgirl gasped and jumped back, her fists up in a fighting stance as the bird morphed into a woman.

Blue eyes blinked, skeptical and amazed at the plum cloak and stunning lilac eyes. No, not a woman. A teenage girl, just about her own age. But Batgirl didn’t let this mystery girl’s looks perplex her for too long; she immediately sized Raven up, carefully watching how the shadows followed her every move.

This little excursion certainly wasn’t going to plan but something in the Gothamite’s face made the demoness decide to be honest, consequences be damned. A sigh escaped, then she awkwardly met the blonde’s gaze, “Uh, hello. I’m Raven.”

A stormy glare was her answer, then a terse introduction, “Bat-Girl.”

They both jumped as the Bat’s comm blared out. The empath let out a sigh, her words a bit strained, “I promise I’m not a threat.”

Bat-Girl narrowed her eyes and took out her comm. She kept the mystic out of the screen’s view as she nodded at Batman’s instructions. She noted how Raven paused as she quickly gave Batman her report, her stoic features blanching at the sound of the hero’s voice.

Raven bit back a shudder at how young the dark knight was, Certainly not quite to the point of being the gruff, sandpapery tough guy that he was in her dimension. For the first time Raven wondered if the Golden Age was on the same age basis as her reality was.

Bat-Girl signed off and tucked her comm away, muffling the one link back to the BatCave under three layers of pockets. Raven shook her head at the familiar sight, quietly musing to herself, “Figures Bruce would still be so obsessive this early on.”

She just barely dodged the kick Bat-Girl aimed her way, strands of black magic swirling around them and pinning the mortal to the bricks. Raven stayed out of arms’ reach and narrowed her eyes at the hero, trying not to spend any time taking too much stock in how defined her bare forearms were.

Refocusing, amethyst eyes searched the vigilante’s face. Raven crossed her arms over her chest, making sure that her magic didn’t squeeze the blonde to the point of discomfort. “Does Robin exist?”

A derisive snort was her answer, “You mean birds?”

“I mean Dick Grayson.”

Bat-Girl’s eyes glared behind her mask, the muscles in her arm twitching. Raven took that as an invitation to speak, “I’m a part of his team.”

“In the future?”

Raven shrugged, “Something like that.” She considered pulling back but the pulse of Bat-Girl’s emotions kept her close. The demoness raised a brow, “You don’t seem too surprised.”

“This is the golden age,” Her voice raised half a pitch as she let out an exasperated laugh, shifting under the tendril of magic pressed painfully snug to her throat. “We still get a narrator during our fights sometimes.”

She looked her animated visitor over, “Didn’t think Richie would team up with a…” She paused, taking a moment to consider just what kind of powers described Raven. “A spirit of some sort--no…” Her lips spread as she guessed, “A demon?”

“You’re perceptive.”

Blue eyes rolled but Bat-Girl didn’t stop the cocky grin from brightening her face, nonchalant to the hold she was in, “And you aren’t a threat.”

“I’m not.” The shadows that held her slunk away, “Dick and I are heroes in our dimension.”

She could feel the concern seeping out of the heroine, but still the blonde let out a sigh and rolled her fingers. If this Raven character really was a teammate of Richie’s, then perhaps she could let her guard down just a little. Although Batwoman and Batman would be disappointed in how quickly she was trusting this pretty face.

Bat-Girl rolled her jaw, “Well in this dimension I’m Bette. Bette Kane.”

Recognition lit up amethyst eyes but Raven didn’t speak and Bette didn’t question her. In fact, the not-yet retconned hero seemed to be opening up to the prospect of Raven being in her dimension, if just for a visit.

So the empath decided to test her luck. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, “Would you mind showing me around, Bette? I’m not used to having to turn the page.”

“Pfft,” Bat-Girl snorted and Raven got the impression that she realized her words weren’t a metaphor. Instead, the teen readjusted her mask and motioned for Raven to follow, “Already got one sack of feathers to look after.”

“Well this one can take care of herself just fine.”

Her sleeved shoulders straightened at Raven’s words, affronted at the mere idea of not helping someone she could, “Doesn’t mean you should.”

“Spoken like a true bird, Miss Kane.”

Bette raised a brow, the movement moving her mask. But Raven didn’t explain and she shrugged, “Anywhere you want to see?”

“Anyplace with you there is fine with me.”

Bat-Girl ran a tongue over her teeth at the demon’s shameless attempt at flirting, trying and failing to keep a straight (hah!) face. An idea came to mind and her eyes lit up, watching as Raven’s gaze flicked to her mouth.

“You’re okay with other birds, right?”  

When the superpowered teen merely shrugged she continued, “There’s a bunch of nests over on the gates around Wedgwood Museum. Gotham Academy’s music class has been holding their practices out in front.”

Raven smirked at that, “Taking advantage of tourist season?”

“Hey, tubas are expensive!” The blonde chuckled as she motioned for the Titan to follow her, the two of them easily gliding past the stiff backgrounds. Bette grinned at her flying guest as a flick of magic kept her grapple hook from falling out of a crumbling rooftop.

The sound of music got louder as they neared the gated house. Violet eyes shut as she tried to place where she’d heard that jazzy tune before, her attention on Bat-Girl as she murmured, “But they’ve really been getting better. Sometimes I like to listen in, feed some birds when crime is pretty low.” 

Raven clicked her tongue at that. “Well I have some free time for a picnic, if you’d want.”

She glanced at Bette from the corner of her eye and felt that urge to be honest curl in her stomach again. A breath quickly escaped her before she was reminded of Batman’s instructions, “I read ahead. Apparently the robbers bought off the Riddler for a few of his bombs. Just a classic distraction case so they could get away clean.”

Bat-Girl tilted her head as Wedgwood came into view, lengthening her grappling hook until she skipped onto the ground. The two made their way towards the house in silence as Bette mused over her words, the mage’s shadows mingling with the tree’s shade to keep them from being spotted by any civilians.

“A picnic does sound nice,” Bette aimed a lazy smile Raven’s way, fiddling with the green triangles that adorned the ends of her sleeves. A gasp escaped as a disk of black magic appeared under her feet, lifting them up and levitating up to the large tree that hung just outside of Wedgewood’s gates.

Bat-Girl leaned against the mystic’s shoulder as they got settled just beyond the tree’s branches, hidden by the tulip tree’s waxy leaves. The tuba-heavy refrain started up again and Raven let herself get comfortable, clinging to the calming nerves that washed out of Bette. Her eyes slid open at the wave of nervousness and she turned to the Gothamite, “Is something wrong?”

She started to pull away, horrified that she might have made Bette uncomfortable. Bat-Girl’s hand wrapped around her wrist, preventing her from going too far. The blonde licked her lips, her words coming out faster than normal, “No, this is okay. But do you have to go after this?”

“Yeah, it’s probably getting late back at the Tower.” The cloaked teen sighed, sliding her hand down until her palm pressed against Bette’s. She weakly smiled, a lilt in her voice, “But I can always come back.”

Bette squeezed their hands, “Just to see me?”

“Just to see you.”

“Hmm,” Bat-Girl felt her smile widen as she guessed, “Perks of being a demon?”

She felt a heat curl up her face as Raven’s eyes flicked from her eyes to her lips and back again, “Something like that.”

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Steady On Forward

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3frVtRM

by JayseHasNoGrace

Dick Grayson's life has never been easy, but he'd like to think it's been going better lately. He's been operating mainly out of Gotham again for almost a year, and has been in a steady relationship for just over. He knows where he stands with crime-fighting, and the family is all on pretty good terms, considering.

Things are really going pretty well.

Unfortunately, the balance doesn't last long, and old horrors from Dick's past end up dredged up alongside new ones.

This is a story about love and family, but equally so about trauma and healing from it. Please heed the warnings in the preface.

Words: 6093, Chapters: 3/?, Language: English

Fandoms: DCU (Comics), DCU, Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, and the rest of the batfam but those are the ones who get the most screentime, duke babs cass steph & alfred are all there too, harper row and kate kane even show up, and roy kory wally donna and the JL

Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Everyone, past dick/babs mentioned, past dick/kory mentioned, past dick/roy mentioned, Minor or Background Relationship(s)

Additional Tags: Batfamily (DCU), Established Relationship, platonic co-sleeping, lots of platonic affection, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, i mean he kinda fucks up a lot but he's trying and he loves them all a lot, Pseudo-Incest, just in case. but the bats dont see it that way bc of how things shake out in this universe, obv dont read if its still gonna squick you tho, Angst, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, some explicit smut, lotta saucy suggestive stuff, tags are too long but there's a whole bit in the beginning for content warnings so pls heed those, shouldnt even have to say this bc its comics but jic, this is a lot of picking and choosing from different canons, and its all spackled over with my own shit, So yeah

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3frVtRM