#clark kent: disaster man

[3hobbitsinatrenchcoat]

A graveyard snip from my Superbat WIP

I cut this whole scene because it wasn't working but I want to preserve it somewhere because I like the Lois and Clark friendship dynamic.

For some context this is a fic where Clark started dating Matches Malone before he met Bruce Wayne or Batman. Matches has just shot down Clark's request to go to a work function as his plus one. Again.

Under a cut because minor spoilers for my fic XD

Clark’s halfway through throwing on his least terrible suit when his phone pinged three times in rapid succession and he finally decided he’d had enough. He picked it up, expecting to see Matches name splashed across the lockscreen, but felt the blood drain from his face when he’s met with increasingly furious texts from Lois instead.

Lois Lane: [one hour ago] Just a reminder that you signed up to help me organize decorations, so get here asap so we can start setup. Lois Lane: [twenty minutes ago] We have less than two hours before this shindig starts, get your ass over here. Lois Lane: [five minutes ago] Where are you? Lois Lane: [three minutes ago] I swear you better have a good reason for leaving me high and dry with these stupid streamers. Someone better be dying. Lois Lane: [now] That came out wrong. I hope you’re ok, wherever you are. But you owe me big time if you don’t show up in the next ten minutes.

Clark dropped his phone back onto his bed and scrubbed at his face with his hands. In his excitement to ask Matches to come with him he’d forgotten that he’d promised Lois his help. 

She knew him well enough that she’d take one look at his face and know something was wrong. Waiting would only make it worse.

“Damnit,” hissed Clark, snatching his phone up and pressing a few buttons before jamming it between his head and shoulder as he struggled with his tie.

It only rang once before Lois’s voice crackled through the speakers. “Clark! I’ve been texting you for an hour! Are you ok?”

“I..” his voice cracked and he knew trying to lie to Lois would end badly. “Physically, yeah. But… I think I fucked up.”

He could hear the odd stereo of Lois both over the speaker and in the distance as she pushed open a door, probably the one into the alley stairwell. A moment later her heels clicked down concrete stairs, confirming his suspicion. When she spoke, her voice was filled with concern. “What do you mean you fucked up?”

Clark let a bark of humorless laughter fill his voice as he slid open his bedroom window and climbed out onto the fire escape. “You know how I wanted to ask Matches to come to this as my plus one?”

“You’ve only been dithering all week,” Lois said. “Don’t tell me you waited until today to ask.”

Clark’s silence seemed to speak for itself and Lois made an exasperated noise. Even over the phone Clark could tell she was pinching the bridge of her nose. “Clark. That is not the kind of thing you spring on your partner.”

“Yeah, well, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway,” Clark bit out, glancing around to see if anyone was watching. No one ever was, but it didn’t hurt to check. “I’ll be there in a minute, Lo’.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered? Clark, what…” Clark hung up before Lois could finish asking. He didn’t think he’d be able to get to the Planet office safely if he had to answer over the phone.

Though… he’d hung up on Lois. He’d probably just traded one dangerous situation for another.

The flight across Metropolis was unmercifully quick, with no interruptions to delay the inevitable. Clark winced as he touched down in the usual alleyway, right in front of Lois and her thunderous, toe-tapping fury.

Fury that melted into frank concern as soon as she caught a glimpse of his face. 

“Oh Clark,” she sighed, stepping forward and cupping a hand to the side of his face, thumbing away the damp he knew still clung to his cheek. Her mouth thinned into a grim line. “I’m not above killing him for you.”

Despite himself, Clark chuckled. “I’d rather you not kill my partner.”

She relaxed a fraction, patting his cheek before stepping back and fussing with his lapels. “I’ll stick to some light maiming then. You’re still together? Over the phone it sounded like…”

“No!” Clark said a bit too loudly, then winced and dialed his volume back a notch. “No, he just said something stupid and I had to go cool off.” He ducked his head sheepishly. “I was out of cell range for a while there. That’s why I didn’t see your messages.”

“Out of cell… where the fuck did you go?” Lois followed his gaze as his eyes flicked upward and snorted. “Only you, Smallville.”

Clark quirked a lopsided smile and shrugged, shimmying past her to get to the stairs. Lois let him get as far as the door before she reached out and snagged his wrist, spinning him to face her. He could have stood firm, but instead he turned into her touch with amused resignation.

Her face had gone back to thin-lipped worry. “You aren’t getting away that easily. What did you mean ‘it wouldn’t have mattered’?” 

“He…” Clark sighed and slumped against the doorframe, staring away and into the dim stairwell. “Matches was never going to come with me to this. He said that putting a man like him in a room full of reporters was ‘throwing chum to sharks’. So I left before I could start yelling.”

[often-daydreaming]

An Ancient's Game

It started off small at first. A robbery in Metropolis. A missing persons case in Gotham. An 'accident' in Amity Park. None of it connected. Nobody thought to connect them. It was just another case after all. There would always be another case so sometimes things slipped through the cracks. It happened.

Even heroes made mistakes after all.

They overlooked things.

But in the end they messed up and someone had to pay and someone did when Clark Kent heard his wife and son’s heartbeats vanish off the face of the earth during a somewhat quiet afternoon while he was handling a disaster in France.

He was the man of steel though, he could have made it. He should have made it but he was a second too late. His family was gone and Metropolis felt the fury of the old gods as a being made of wind and storms ripped its way free of an unseen portal cackling with mad laughter as it devastated the city.

It was another distraction though.

A massive distraction that drew the Justice League's attention away from the real prize as nightmares descended on Gotham like shadows. They morphed from the darkness slipping out through the cracks like ghosts and only Oracle saw the fight as they swarmed the youngest Robin, the Dark Knight's youngest son vanishing under an endless tide of nightmares as Nocturn took control of Gotham's nightlife.

More distractions followed as more and more of the old gods, Ancient beings long forgotten returned to Earth.

Storms raged.

The ground quaked.

Creatures of myth and legend were free to run wild as reports of everything from dragons to even yetis flooded the Watchtower.

In the end it was Diana who found their first and only clue when one of her mother's messengers appeared warning them of Themyscira's fate when a portal was opened for Undergrowth deep within the island's jungles. They fought. They fell. Then they were turned into mindless puppets bent to the monster's will as the sounds of war subsided into silence within a matter of days.

Her losses gave them a name.

Undergrowth, a creature of the green who cheered the being known as Clockwork while Constantine explained its origin.

He told them of Cronos, of the pieces of him that had formed into a new life deep within the endlessness of Infinity.

And Fate opened the way.

The first thing the gathered heroes saw was a massive clocktower surrounded by gears and pistons twisting in every direction as they spilled out into an endless void. Each tenth of a second, the hands on the clocktower click one step forward.

A single tooth on one of the smaller gears is easily the size of the Watchtower and no matter how far anyone looked there was no beginning or end to the clocktower.

There was nothing except the click, click, click of endless clocks as they stormed the Titan's lair.

Nothing stopped them.

There were no enemies or traps.

In fact the doors were left wide open as if welcoming the Justice League inside and they soon discovered why when Shazam found them. Superboy stood on a scale across from Luthor, the same with Robin and Waller. They were frozen in time, trapped in a single second of a moment while in the very middle of the massive room was a kid, easily Jon's double sleeping on a throne made out of the void of space but that wasn't what had him worried.

What worried him was the silence, the sudden nothingness in his mind as the voices of the gods empowering him faded away in the presence of the cloaked figure of Cronos suddenly standing beside the throne.

Even as the other heroes flooded into the room he couldn't hear anything besides a soft click, click, click as Superman was waved away forced into a loop of repetition that began and ended with his first step forward.

Green Lantern fell next, rapidly aged into an old man unable to match a Titan's will.

Then Constantine collapsed clutching an invisible wound on his chest. It was his contracts forcing him to obey while Fate eventually faded under time's cold embrace.

There were only a few heroes left when Flash made a move blitzing the throne only to suddenly lose his speed. The others simply glitched, like static on an old tv leaving only Shazam, J'onn and surprisingly Lois Lane standing in front of Cronos as he declared a game to decide Earth's continued existence.

'Convince each of them you're worth another chance and I'll restore everything.'

'Who's them?'

I don't really know what I was going with here. I was just listening to some of the songs from Epic and figured why not let an enraged Clockwork have some fun. I'm blaming Vlad for everything cause I can and he's done it before and caused a ton of problems for everyone else so I'm just picturing something he did or tried to do backfiring badly enough that Danny got seriously hurt so now everyone's gotta pay.

[mae-kent]

Mae Kent & Kon-El Reading List/Timeline:

this is a list of all comics Mae Kent (pre-fusion) and Kon-El have a significant interaction in and a guide to their storyline!

- superman: the man of steel #23: mae decides to go looking for him under lex’s encouragement.

- adventures of superman #502: mae interrupts some of kon’s showboating. he stares at her chest. lex pushes her to invite kon over for dinner. kon says he never plans ahead and agrees to go. lex, kon, and mae have dinner later in the issue. kon agrees to join lexcorp easily before having to leave to meet tana. they agree to meet again the next day. rex & roxy leech then coerce kon into signing an exclusive contract with them, against what he’d previously informally agreed to with Lex and Mae.

- action comics #689: kon and mae work to manage a bridge disaster. kon vows revenge against the person who caused it. mae points out that they both have reason to hate the guy, and that with lex’s resources, tracking him down will be easy. that kon’s joining the team luthor family, and they’ll work together. kon then reveals his signing of the exclusive contract. ma and pa disapprove of all of this.

- action comics #691: lex attacks kon, shouting and demanding to know where mae has gone.

- superman #82: mae asks if the world can handle two supermen. kon says he’s not superman for the first time in response.

- adventures of superman #505: mae and kon rush steel & eradicator to safety. mae kisses steel on the mouth of his metal suit. kon says “hey— you never kissed me like that!” she says “you’d take it the wrong way.”

- action #700: mae confirms she doesn’t view clark or kon as brothers of hers. kon asks if she’s still dating lex, and when she says no, he invites her to a beach in maui. she says they’re too busy and they go back to dealing with the main plot.

trial of superman: this arc contains a lot of general superfamily content. i’ve listed most of the ones they both appear in, but i’ll only be elaborating on ones where they have specific interesting interactions.

- adventures of superman #529: marcus aelius invites mae, kon, and steel to help him save superman. mae and kon sit next to each other on the space ship

- action comics #716: kon teaches mae how to play magic the gathering.. with playing cards?

- superman: the man of steel #51: mae and kon are standing next to each other. then later while fighting, kon and mae begin to argue about whether or not alpha centurion is the cyborg superman in disguise.

- superman #107: mae and kon sit next to each other on some kind of rock-ship that steel created. they continue to argue about whether or not marcus aelius is a bad guy. they all climb into a tiny space ship they come across together. they then crash said ship and are confronted with the cyborg superman. the cyborg superman beats them up.

- superman: the man of steel #52: he leans in and makes a silly comment to mae after clark saves the day.

- superman #108: mae and kon watch together as clark seems to be launched to his certain death.

- adventures of superman #531: clark is shockingly not dead. they go home!

- superboy #28: kon implies he’d recognise mae’s chest anywhere. mae says she heard about the beached whales kon is helping from his friends she’s spoken to recently. mae brings up that she’s heard about kon and defending knockout. she says anyone wearing the S-Shield shouldn’t be evading the police. he brings up superman’s recent trial- she points out he isn’t clark and doesn’t have as long as history of doing good. knockout rushes in and attacks her. they start fighting. kon points out mae shouldn’t judge him for associating with knockout, because she dated lex luthor. she says that experience is how she knows kon is doing wrong. after some more arguing, she uses her telekinesis to rip the logos off of his suit and jacket. she says basically that if he’s not going to listen to her or the law, he shouldn’t carry superman’s symbol. she then flies off.

shortly after this, she would fuse with linda danvers in supergirl (1996) and would never lead a properly independent life again. her and kon never really got along after this.

[yall-batman-fanfic]

The Consultant: Morgan le Fey Case | Batman/Bruce Wayne x Magician!Reader ft. the Justice League

Synopsis: A collection of short scenarios of Vivian’s many encounters with the Justice League, whether it was to consult or to learn about bad news about Bruce. While Superman is the strongest in the Justice League, he never wants to be the one to break the news to her whenever Batman is injured from a mission.

Note: This is a long chapter with almost 15 000 words.

Ever since she regained her powers from the binding, Vivian has been called to the Justice League to consult on certain cases. As much as possible, they would go to their magical experts in the League but sometimes Zatanna and the other members of the Justice League Dark got their hands full, or the cases were beyond their knowledge. In this case, Zatanna was the one who told them that their best option was either John Constantine, who was currently hiding so well the JLA was unable to find, or Vivian Pryor.

“John’s a human mage, he knows more about dark magic than I do,” she decided to leave the fact he was infected with demon blood. “And Vivian, they were close. She may be homo-magi like me but her practices are influenced by John.”

“Because he taught her,” Wonder Woman concluded.

“Yes, and there is also the fact she’s a descendant of generations of witches that goes beyond the Salem Witch Hunt. Then there is also the fact that she’s a professor who studies symbols and icons, she also uses that knowledge in her magic. If there’s anyone who can deal with dark magic, it’s those two. It’s how they can stand the feeling of using dark magic I can never comprehend.”

Problem was, Batman just gave Vivian’s reply to the JLA’s invitation, which was a “thanks but no” – not her exact words but that’s how Hal took it. Knowing the Bat and how protective he was of his personal life, especially towards his family, it won’t be easy to ask him to have her help. 

Their best option was to approach Vivian themselves and ask her. 

They can’t go to her in their hero identity, so Clark and Diana approached her while in their civilian identities as Clark Kent, reporter, and Diana Price, museum curator. On this particular day, Vivian is working at Gotham Museum, making it easy for them to call for her without arousing suspicion from her colleagues. 

After asking for Vivian at the front desk, the two led to a certain part of the museum by the attendee and were brought to the Wayne Family Wing where Bruce Wayne stood in his suit, admiring the large painting on the wall.

Shit.

Of course, he would find out first.

The attendee told Bruce that the guests were there and then left, closing the wing’s door after him.

“Mr. Wayne,” Clark greeted him first.

“This was painted by a Gothamite artist back in the beginning of the 20th century,” Bruce began. “It was inspired by The Triumph Of Christianity Over Paganism by Gustave Doré. But instead of Christianity triumphing over pagan belief, the Gothamite artist placed the five founding families being triumphant over angels and demons. There has been a debate if the artist’s message was supposed to show the hubris of Gotham’s Founders, or the resilience of Gothamites over natural and supernatural disasters. Man killing gods. ”

“Bruce,” Diana started.

Bruce faced them, frowning. “Do you really think I wouldn’t know if you entered Gotham?”

“It’s important, Vivian is the only one who can help us and you know it,” said Clark.

“I may not like this but this is her decision to make.”

“Then what’s this whole show then?”

“To remind you not to go behind my back ever again. Especially when bringing my wife into this business.”

The sound of boots clicking on the floor caught their attention, and entering from the other closed door was Vivian Pryor-Wayne, dressed in her daily work outfit with her tweed jacket, turtleneck, and skirt. 

“I just finished my lecture,” Vivian informed them, “Sorry if I took so long.”

“They didn’t make an appointment,” said Bruce and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

“So, what can I do for you both?”

“Is there a place we can speak privately?” Clark asked.

“Don’t worry, the area is secured. I placed a spell to keep our discussions from leaving the room. No one will hear us, even if they try to listen in. So, what can I do for the Justice League? I assume it is the Justice League since you went behind Batman’s back to talk to me and failed. But good effort.”

“Morgan le Fay.”

“Ah! Good old Morgana.”

“We assume you've encountered her?” Diana said.

“Yes, I have. Not a very good encounter too. Especially with her son, Mordred. He's a bit of a mama's boy. What did the incestuous sorceress do now?”

Clark took note of the descriptive word Vivian used on the sorceress but decided not to mention it. Instead, he offered his mind to show the cases they have found recently. Using her magic, Vivian used one of the old mirrors in the exhibit display and had the memories appear in replace of their reflection. 

“Multiple accounts of bodies suddenly in that state were found in numerous places in London. Zatanna was the one to identify it was dark magic used. For the castor, Green Lantern was the one who saw the case and had to retreat when he too was almost…”

“When his soul and life force was almost sucked in by the sorceress,” Vivian continued, her eyes never leaving the mirror as she studied the scenes.

“Why wasn't I informed about this?” Batman demanded.

“You were busy in your own missions, Batman,” said Diana, as if it were enough to explain to one of the founding members of the Justice League. It wasn't.

“So, what do you think she's doing? A power-grab? Some tool she needs to power up for? Superman asked.

“No. Mortal souls cannot power any magical tool — unless you want to create the Alchemyst's Stone,” Vivian pondered aloud.

“You mean the Philosopher's Stone?” 

Vivian looked closer to the scene where Green Lantern got a good look at Morgana. Her face. “She's aging. Her immortality is fading… why?”

“You're the expert here, Viv.”

Vivian closed the mirror spell with a wave of a hand and turned to them. “I'll take a look at this. See why the old bat is getting old and try to reason with her.”

“How about you apprehend her?” Diana said.

“I'm not a member of the Justice League, and with good reason,” Vivian shoved her hands deep in her pockets. “There's an unspoken rule in our community. We don't mind each other's business and we don't find ourselves killed. It's either I leave you alone or I kill you. This is dark magic, we can't just hold hands and hope fore rehabilitation or hope for the system to do its job. People like Morgan le Fey do not submit to any kind of jurisdiction.

“The best I can do is to see what’s wrong, help her out so she stops this soul sucking gig she's started. If you want to apprehend her, do it after I do my thing make it look like I wasn't part of it.”

“That’s not how the League operates,” said Diana.

“It's survival. There's a whole world of dark magic users, and I don't want to be marked as a whistleblower. It's a one way trip to hell. The magical community is vast, Wonder Woman. We lurk amongst mortals without them nor the JLA knowing, but we know each other, and it's easy to find that one person who told the JLA about Morgan le Fey and helped them. If you want my help. Those are my terms. I talk to her, give her what she needs but I don't let you take her. For my sake and for Bruce and my family, I'll need to take you down too.”

Bruce smirked and turned to Superman and Wonder Woman, “Well? Do you still want her as a consultant?”

Reluctant, Superman and Wonder Woman nodded and said, “Yes. We'll agree to your terms.”

“Great,” Vivian clapped her hands and her work clothes changed to a pair of dark trousers, a white shirt, and a long, maroon coat that fanned around whenever she moves; and in her hands a thin and sharp hair stick appeared which she used to tie her hair. It was both an accessory and a weapon. “Let's go!”

“Just like that?” Superman said.

“Well, do you want Morgana to suck more souls?”

“No.”

“I'm coming with you,” Batman said. “I'll change in the car.”

“You brought the Batmobile?” Clark asked.

“No, but we're taking my car first and then meet the Batmobile somewhere,” said Vivian. “I don't suppose you two are coming along?”

“There's no space,” Bruce stated.

“It's a five seater, Bruce,” Clark stated. “I've seen Vivian's car.”

“There's still no space.”

“He's embarrassed to change while you're in there,” she teased her husband. “But this isn't turf, Superman. Your vibrant red and blue don't blend in with the darkness.”

“Robin wears red, green, and yellow, Viv,” Clark countered.

“It's more of a rank thing really. The baby bird isn't ready to blend in the night just yet.”

“I thought Jason was baby bird?” 

“He's grown out of it. Imagine calling a hulking man ‘baby bird’. So, I'll have Batman was my personal escort around — send him the details and I'll be sending you the bill right after.”

“Are you going to charge us?” 

“Kidding! Not really,” she whispered in the last part.

~*~

Driving into the crypts brought nostalgia to Vivian. These were the very same crypts that she and Bruce went to on their first mission together when Deacon Blackfire killed her agent and tried to kill her to bathe in her blood. After closing this part of Gotham, Bruce went back and made it look like the place was blocked away from  the public, but he actually turned it to a secret place for meet ups with the Batmobile.

“Not a stone nor dirt out of place,” Vivian giggled as she saw the gargoyles she summoned to life and protect Batman from Deacon's followers and cage them.  . “How sweet of you.”

Batman smiled. “Nostalgic?”

“Yeah, it was my very first case with the Batman.”

Bruce chuckled, he took Vivian's hand and caressed the rings she wore. Her engagement ring and wedding band. “Who would have thought a case involving a murder and Deacon Blackfire wanting to kill you for your blood would lead to this.”

“Who would have thought indeed,” Vivian got on her toes and placed a kiss on his lips. “Alfred's running late.”

Bruce wrapped his arms around her. “I don't mind.”

Grinning, Vivian brought him down for another kiss, this time much deeper and passionate –

“Well, this is…” Clark's voice echoed in the dark crypt.

Breaking the kiss, Vivian and Batman found the Kryptonian floating a few feet above ground looking at them. 

“What are you doing here?” Batman questioned him.

“Diana and I thought it would be best if I come along, incase of back-up.”

“I'm back-up.”

“No offense, Clark, but to be honest, I think J'onn would be more suitable for this mission. Or Dinah and Oliver,” said Vivian.

“What's the problem with having me around?”

“They're inconspicuous.” 

“Batman is a known founding member of the Justice League,” 

“Yeah, he blends in, and he's already built a name there.”

A years ago, during her and Bruce's date, they encountered a mystery of a wolf terrorizing Eastend. First problem: there were no wolves in Gotham. Second: if there was, there was no reports of the zoo losing one. Turns out the wolf was a man who was turned to a werewolf, and to help him, Vivian brought Bruce – who was in disguise as some random person – to one of the hidden clubs in Gotham that was run by a voodoo witch-doctor, Papa Midnite. It was there that Bruce saw the truth of the dark arts and the supernatural world. They were able to save the man who was turning into a werewolf by giving him a wolfsbane potion, which Vivian brew, and sent him back home to his family.

The Batmobile arrived, entering from the tunnels, and after parking beside Vivian's car, Alfred got out and greeted them. “Early shift, Sir?”

“Hi Alfred,” Clark greeted.

“There's a case that Vivian is needed by the JLA. Can you take her car back to the manor using the same route we took,” said Bruce.

“If I can drive that vehicle with so many buttons with half of it being a button to self-destruct or destroy a building, I'm sure I can manage a simple sedan,” said Alfred.

“Thank you, Alfred,” Vivian handed him the keys.

“Coffee, Mrs. Pryor?” the old butler handed her a thermos.

“You always know what I need,” she happily took the thermos.

“How many have you drunk since this morning?” Bruce asked. Vivian ignored him and got in the front seat of the Batmobile. “You're riding at the back.”

Clark sighed but smiled. “Figures.”

“And change, I have some civilian clothes there that would fit you.”

Superman floated to the back, sat down, and buckled in. Batman sighed and went to the driver's seat, he said goodbye to Alfred before closing the hatchet and driving away.

“So, that's the place you both met?” Clark spoke as he changed to the clothes Bruce mentioned.

“Not really met but where we ended the case,” said Vivian. “The first time I encountered Batman I was nineteen and just moved to Gotham. He saved me from some muggers who were about to… you know.”

“I see…”

“He was still clumsy then, too. Got stabbed a couple of times.”

“It was the first year, Viv,” said Batman. “You were nineteen then?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing. I just remember how younger you are than me.”

Vivian reached out and caressed his cheek to reassure him that it shouldn't bother him too much. “Then after that, some other cases, like Firefly burning a club — saw Batman there, he got everyone to safety. Not that I needed saving then because of my magic.”

“You were out of practice.”

Vivian shrugged. “Then the other time at the bank.”

“You seem to have gotten in the middle of the crossfire of Gotham's crimes too often even before meeting Bruce,” said Clark.

“It's Gotham City.”

“The first official meeting we had was during her book launch,” Bruce spoke. “But as Bruce Wayne, the first time I met her as Batman was when Gordon had her in protective custody in a house at Gotham Heights.”

Vivian smiled at the memory. It was the first time that someone gave her that sense of safety whenever her magic made her sensitive to the ghosts around her. “Oh, turn here,” she told Batman.

“We're not going to the club?”

“We are, but we need to bring something for him — a trade.”

Vivian got out and bought something from the shop. It took her a little while but she returned with a bottle of brandy and vodka. 

Arriving at the club, Batman parked his car in the alleyway and followed Vivian. He told Clark to keep his head down and follow their lead as they descended the sketchy looking stairs and stood before a bouncer that was bigger than him and Bruce.

“Pyotr,” she greeted.

The man, Pyotr smiled, and for a moment his eyes shone red. “Vivian Pryor,” he greeted with a thick Russian accent.

Vivian got out a bottle. It was vodka. 

Pyotr sighed and spoke in old Russian, “Rules, Vivian.”

Vivian replied in the same language, “Please. You let me do it the last time.”

“Consequences.”

“I'll handle, Papa Midnite. Please.”

Pyotr looked at her as she pouted and sighed. He messed with her hair, making Vivian snicker, and took the bottle. “But first,” he showed the card where two ducks sat on a cloud.

“Two frogs on a bench,” she replied.

Pyotr moved aside and opened the door for her. She, Batman, and a disguised Clark entered the club where an eternal night was. Music blared loudly and luminous lights flashed around. People – rather, creatures and immortal beings were inside dancing, drinking, or fucking on the benches. Clark wasn't sure what to react with what he was seeing, it was just too much for him.

“Easy, boy scout,” Batman teased him. “This is just the first floor. The ones below are much, much darker.”

“There's more?” Clark said.

“The lower you go, the more things get complicated and unconventional. Keep up.”

The two men followed Vivian to the guarded double door where she spoke to the two… vampires. They looked at her then to Batman and Clark. “They're with me,” she told them. “And Papa Midnite wouldn't want my or my guests' blood all over the floor.”

Reluctantly, the two moved aside and let them through. Behind those doors, Clark was surprised to find the room quieter and more civilized. There was a library inside and a collection of magical items. The further they went in, Clark found himself disoriented. Weren't they in the basement earlier? How come they were now walking into a shop that had the view of another side of Gotham.

“Vivian Pryor,” Papa Midnite greeted her. “Welcome back.”

“Papa Midnite,” Vivian greeted and showed him the brandy. 

The witch-doctor accepted the gift and placed it on his desk. “I see you brought Batman again, and another one.”

“JLA business — they asked for a consultation.”

“Then you're getting paid.”

“Their payment is getting off my back for a couple of months. It's about Morgana.”

“Ah, the King's half-sister.”

“And the mother of his living child, Mordred.”

“You're going to turn her in?”

“No. My concern is just her stopping with the whole soul-sucking business. And to do that I need to help her gain her immortality and be off my merry way.”

“Why not take every bit of power she has?”

“I can't do that –”

“Can't you? You can if you wish — Phoenix. Destroyer of Worlds. Creator of Life. The Ouroboros.”

“So, you know.”

“Everyone knows. We all felt it, just as we felt it found its host in you, Vivian. Like I said,” he opened the bottle and poured it into two glasses. “Welcome back.”

Vivian took the glass and clinked it with Papa Midnite's own. “John helped with controlling it. And he's teaching me.”

“That does not sound like Constantine,” Papa Midnite moved around to look for something in his study. 

“He makes me take him to a pub right after.”

“That sounds like John,” Papa Midnite returned with a vial in hand. “Blood of the demon.”

“She's already a monster, Midnite.”

“Which is where the Alchemyst's Stone is needed. Normally to use the Stone, a hundred sacrifices is needed, but with this demon's blood, one drop is enough.”

“Why go through that massacre?” Clark spoke for the first time since they entered the shop. 

“Because it is easier to get a hundred souls than to call and fight the demon Mictlantecuhtli.”

“People die before they can even finish the ritual. Killing is far easier then,” Vivian took the vial and hid it in her coat's pocket. “The Stone?”

“I do not have it.”

Vivian sighed. “Do you know where it is?”

“You know who to ask.”

“Right…”

Smiling, Papa Midnite gave her another thing. A gallow's rope. “Safe trip, Vivian Pryor.”

Vivian accepted the rope and led Batman and Clark out of the store. This time Clark was really, really confused. How did they end up back where they came from? Even the Batmobile was there!

“Where to now?” Batman asked her.

“I need to ask the Fates where the stone is,” Vivian replied. “But first, I need to gather my offerings.”

“Offerings?” 

“I need a snake.”

“There's a pet store not far.”

“And a crossroads.”

“Does the intersection work?” 

Vivian laughed. “How about somewhere that's not in the middle of traffic? We can head to the Estate. There's a perfect crossroads there. First, can you get the snake?”

Batman nodded and went to the pet store across the road.

Clark went to her side and watched as Batman went inside, like it was a normal thing to do in his uniform. “I don't think I'll ever get used to this.”

“The magic or Batman going to a pet shop because I said pretty please?” Vivian smiled as she watched Batman point to the large snake in the tank and paid the store attendant.

“Both.”

Not long, Batman returned with the snake in the tank. Vivian reaches inside and lets the snake crawl around her arm and into the pocket of her coat, surprising the two men. 

“That was a snake, Vivian,” Batman pointed out. “And I paid for the tank.”

“Then take it back and get your money,” she teased.

“I'm more concerned with the snake in her coat,” said Clark.

“It'll be okay.”

“My concern is mostly for you.”

“I'll be alright. Let's go,” she got inside the car and acted normally, as if she were not holding a snake in her coat.

Superman turned to Batman and said, “Do you ever get used to this?”

“No. Not really. It's what makes our marriage interesting.”

~*~

It was deep into the Wayne Estate that Vivian found the crossroads she needed. Using the tree she had the gallows’ rope tied to it, and in the middle of the crossroads she stood. It was getting dark now, and in any minute the sun will be gone, making it the perfect time for her to make the call. 

Not far from where she stood, Batman and Superman stood by the Batmobile, watching. The latter was completely confused as to why Vivian had all of these prepared and for what. 

“I see,” Alfred appeared. “Another summoning ritual, Sir?”

“Yes.”

“This isn't the first time?” Superman asked them.

“No, but this is different from the last,” said Alfred.

“The last time she summoned a ghost to speak for another case,” said Batman.

“This is beyond interesting, Bruce,” Superman muttered.

Darkness came to the skies and in the middle of the crossroads, where she stood, fire appeared, burning the grass to create the symbol. Kneeling on the ground, Vivian began the ritual, “Maiden, Mother, Crone, your child, your blood, summons you. I heed your aid in this trial I face. I call for the aid of the Fates. The-Three-Who-Are-One, The-One-Who-is-Three. The Hecate.”

Lightning flashed in the once clear dark skies, and mist surrounded the area making it hard for the three men to see her. 

From where she stood, Vivian saw the silhouette of three women appearing. One a Crone, one an older woman, and one a maiden. They flashed before her, slowly approaching until they surrounded Vivian. The Fates have arrived.

“Vivian Pryor, it's been a while,” said the Maiden.

“You've grown since we last spoke, love,” said the Mother.

“You were but a wee child clutching to her mother's skirts when we last saw you,” said the Crone.

“But we've seen you. Watched you,” said the Maiden. “Grew with you,” she had Vivian stand.

A hand was placed on her belly. “And grieved with you,” said the Maiden.

“And saw your imminent return,” said the Crone. 

Vivian kept her head bowed but she would peek at the Fates, humbled before their presence. “I was just a child when I saw the Hecate… it was you who gave my mother the answers to hide my power and how to hide me.”

“Do you wish to hide, child?” The Mother asked.

“No. I do not. I am in need of your help.”

The Crone scoffed. “Another request. Pryor women.”

“Calm now, sister-self,” said the Mother.

“Vivian has brought gifts,” said the Maiden.

“Vivian opened her coat and lets the serpent slither from the pocket and to her arm where the Crone's hand met hers. The Mother welcomed the serpent and let it enter her mouth. Swallowing it whole was the Maiden.

“You may ask us three questions,” said the Crone.

“And get one answer from each of us,” said the Maiden.

“Thank you,” Vivian bowed her head. “My first question: The Alchemyst's Stone. It was once owned by the witch-doctor, Midnite, where is it?”

It was the Maiden who answered: “It was last seen and bought by a wealthy man.”

For a moment, Vivian saw an auction take place and shown at the stage was the Alchemyst's Stone. The beautiful stone wrapped in gold and encased in glass. She sat in the back with the Maiden at her side and watched as a bald man raised the highest bid and bought the item.

“When was this?” Vivian asked the Maiden.

“Vivian,” the Maiden laughed lightly. “One question, one answer.”

They have returned from the scene and Vivian stood before the Mother. “Next question: The Arcana. Where can I find it?”

It was the Mother who gave the answer: “It has been in the possession of a Demon in the shadows.”

She watched from the corner of the room as the man wearing a green cloak place the Arcana back on the shelf. She didn't need to see his face to know who he was. 

A frown etched to her mouth, “Ras al Ghul. Where is he now?”

They have returned to the crossroads. “One question, one answer!” The Mother reminded her.

“My last question then,” Vivian said. “How did Morgan le Fey lose her immortality?”

It was the Crone who stood before her and gave the answer: “Bold question, child.”

“My last question,” she told the Crone. 

The Crone looked at her for a moment and answered, “Promises left unkept tires the patient son.”

“Mordred,” Vivian watched as the blond boy stood in his castle. “How did he do it?”

“YOU HAVE ASKED YOUR QUESTIONS, ONEIDES!” The Fates flashed before her, merging their forms until they disappeared as if they never were there, and taking with them the gallows. 

Returning to where the three men stood Vivian was met by Batman's question: “Did they come?”

“Yes, they did,” she replied.

“We didn't see them, it was just you we saw the entire time. Did you get what you need?” Superman asked.

“I did. I got names. Leads,” Vivian took a breath. “There are two things we first need to find. The Alchemyst's Stone is close by, problem is it's in the possession of someone you won't like.”

“Who is it?” Batman asked.

“Lex Luthor.”

“I'm not even surprised. What else?”

“The Arcana. You won't like the answer for this — rather, I don't like the answer. It's with Ras al Ghul.”

Batman frowned.

“And I know who took Morgana's immortality. But first those two things,” Vivian turned to Superman. “I can't just take the Stone, Luthor needs to give it to me.”

“It just so happens,” Alfred spoke. “Mr. Luthor has an event tomorrow night. You might be able to sway him to give the Stone. Mr. Luthor has shown his fondness of Ms. Vivian – apologies for my implication, Ma'am.”

“Well, you are right about that, Alfred,” Vivian shrugged. “Even if it creeps me out.”

“It looks like we'll be attending Luthor's event tomorrow night after all,” Bruce muttered. “I don't like this. Not one bit.”

“Neither do I… we'll call you once we got everything, Clark,” Vivian said to the Kryptonian. “Tonight, Bruce and I are just going to visit Damian's grandfather… do you think he'd like to come along? I mean, Talia will be there too.”

“I think it would be nice… do you want to stay behind?” 

“No. I wanna look Talia in the eye, and besides, Ras al Ghul will wonder what you need it for.”

“I'll tell him it's an errand for my wife.”

“I'm still going. Last thing I need is Talia doing something — she might get a piece of your hair and make another kid with you using that.”

“I don't think that's how…” Clark trailed off.

“You get the point!”

~*~

Sitting in the back of the Batjet, Damian Wayne awkwardly watched as his father and his surrogate mother sat silently through the whole flight. This was the first time they were quiet in a long while. He knew it had to do with the fact they were visiting his grandfather and his mother, and normally Damian wouldn't care but when it comes to Batman and Vivian, it was concerning. 

“Tell me again, why do we need to see them?” Damian asked.

“That's how shared custody works,” Vivian muttered.

Bruce sighed. “There's a book we need to get. Vivian thought you might want to see your mother and your grandfather.”

“I see,” his gaze went to the back of Vivian's headrest where he could see locks of her auburn hair peeking at him. “I'll keep watch on Mother. Make sure she does not do anything she's not supposed to.”

At the front, Vivian smiled. Reaching out, Bruce took Vivian's hand and filled the gaps between her fingers. He leaned down a little to meet her hand to kiss. A simple gesture but it was enough to defuse the tension. It made Damian smile. 

Arriving at the Headquarters of the League of Assassins. Batman landed his jet at one of the bases of the mountain and the three of them entered Ras al Ghul's tower using Vivian's magic. No need to sneak through the many guards when they have a shortcut.

Stepping inside, Ras al Ghul did not mind them until he's poured himself a drink. “Detective, nice of you to let me see my grandson,” said Ras al Ghul. When he turned to see them, he faltered when he saw Vivian. “I was not expecting your wife.”

“Ras al Ghul,” Vivian greeted.

“Grandfather,” Damian stood before him. “Where is Mother?”

Ras looked at them for a moment and then called for his daughter. A moment later, the door opened and a woman with brown hair and green eyes came. The same green eyes as Damian. 

“Damian,” Talia said, quite surprised at their presence. “Beloved.”

Vivian frowned at what she called Bruce.

“Talia,” Bruce said, coldly.

Talia's gaze then turned to Vivian. “You're here.”

“Nice to see you too, Talia,” Vivian muttered. Turning to Damian, she pulled down his hood and brushed her hand through his hair. “Go to her,” she said with a soft tone.

Damian gave Vivian a soft gaze and squeezed the hand on his shoulder before coming to see his mother.

“What is this visit about?” Talia questioned. “Have you grown tired of seeing our son?”

“I've accepted Damian as one of my own,” Vivian said.

“But he is not. He is mine and Bruce's. He looks so much like him, doesn't he? Our perfect boy.”

“Talia,” Ras warned her. Surprising his daughter.

Vivian turned away from Talia and approached Ras al Ghul. “I need to speak to you.”

“Of course,” Ras al Ghul bowed slightly. “Follow me, Phoenix.” He led her to another door which was his study. Closing the door behind him, Ras al Ghul said, “You trust me so easily.”

“I don't,” Vivian said.

“Yet  you easily turn your back to me.”

Vivian turned to him with a smirk. “But you wouldn't dare now, wouldn't you? You know what I can do before you can even blink.”

Ras al Ghul chuckled. “You are learning the ways of your husband… or the ways of your second son.”

“It was Jason who learned from me.”

“He has always been close with you — when he was revived from the Pit, the first thing he looked for was you.”

Vivian touched the locket that rest on her chest. “Dick is my first son, but I didn't really feel like a mother until he grew up and moved out. With Dick, he's someone I can count on. Someone who was there since the very beginning. With Jason, I got to be that. I got to be a mother.”

“What brings the Hostess of the Creator of Life in my presence?”

“The Book of Arcana. I am in need of it.”

“And you cannot have it unless I give it willingly to you,” said Ras as he went to the shelf where he kept the book for so long. “Here,” he handed the book to her.

“That easy?” Vivian raised a brow at him.

“Yes.”

“I thought there'd be like a negotiation or something,” Vivian took the book from his hold. 

“I have memorized its content. I have no need of it. And I think taking in the son of your husband with my daughter is painful enough.”

Vivian frowned. “Like I said, Damian is mine, just as Dick, Jason, and Tim are mine.”

“But there is still the bitterness, yes?”

“Towards Talia? Yes. Damian? None,” Vivian hid the book in her coat. “Thank you for that, we'll be taking our leave now.”

Ras al Ghul nodded and lets Vivian leave the room. In the previous room, she saw Batman still standing where he was while Talia sat on the couch with Damian standing at her side. The two were speaking but ended when Damian saw Vivian and said, “Are you finished, Mom?”

“Mom?!” Talia sneered.

“Yes. Let's go!” Vivian smiled and had Damian under her arm. “Say goodbye to your Mother.”

“That was quick,” Batman said to her.

“Ras was cooperative today,” Vivian shrugged.

“Until next time, Beloved,” Talia told Bruce, and ignored Vivian.

Bruce glared at Talia and called for Damian so they can leave. The boy did not wait and jumped out of the window, then used his grappling to catch him. When it was their turn, Vivian was about to levitate her and Bruce but he told her to wait. About to ask, Bruce cut her off with a deep and passionate kiss. She was surprised at first but then a smile crept to her lips and kissed back. When Bruce wrapped his arms around her, she cupped his face and tried to pull away but Bruce followed her.

“Bruce,” she said between kisses. “She gets the point.”

“Are you still pissed?” He murmured against her lips.

She shook her head and kissed him once, “No. Not anymore. Let's go home, my love.”

Bruce kept his arms around her and jumped them off the tower where he used his grappling to land them safely where Robin was.

“What took you so long?” Damian demanded.

“I said goodbye to your mother,” Vivian shrugged.

He raised a brow at them. “And what did she say?”

“She'll see you at Christmas,” she patted Damian's cheek.

“Really?” Damian turned his back to them. “Next time, make sure to turn off your comms before doing something so disgusting, Father.” He marched towards the jet and went inside.

“Please don't tell me…” Vivian muttered.

“Yeah, we all heard it,” Oracle spoke through their comms, which Bruce put on speaker for her to hear. “Hi, Viv.” 

“Hi, Barbara… patrol night?”

“Patrol night. The boys have a lot to say…” She turned back their comms and then voices overlapping each other were heard.

“FUCKING KILL ME AGAIN!” Jason exclaimed.

“THE FUCK WAS THAT SOUND! AUGH! IT'S AAAHHH!” It was Tim.

“Hey, Babs, don't hold it against me if I don't kiss you anytime soon…” Dick said with a defeated sound.

“How's Cass?” Vivian asked, quite concerned.

“Quiet. Really quiet. Spoiler's with her trying to explain what was… she's trying to get her back to the land of the living,” said Barbara. “And if Duke is a little off for the next few days, you know the reason. Kate might tease you about it, so will Harper. But definitely Kate.”

“Thanks, Babs,” Vivian sighed. “Sorry…”

“We're going home. We'll be in Gotham in a couple of hours,” Batman told her.

“DON'T BOTHER COMING TO PATROL! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'LL DO IF I SEE YOU! AUGH!” Jason exclaimed.

“Understood.”

“You think you got it rough, Todd? I'm the one stuck with them for hours in this flight!” Damian called out in their comms.

“Copy… Batman, out.”

Bruce sighed, but still took Vivian's hand and helped her climb the jet. Once inside, Vivian turned to Damian and saw him in a deep shade of red as he tried to distract himself with his video game. 

“Did you have fun seeing your mother and grandfather?” Vivian asked him.

“Excuse me if I don't talk to either of you during this flight. I was traumatized by hearing the sound of my parents eating each other's faces in front of my biological Mother.”

“Right, again, sorry.”

~*~

It was hard getting out of bed to get ready for Luthor's event. Since he came home early from Wayne Enterprise, Bruce immediately went to Vivian's study where she spent the entire day reading through the Arcana and watching Morgan le Fey's movements with multiple mirrors, and pulled her away from everything. He promised her he'll only take her from her reading an hour max, but Bruce took his time and made his mark on her for hours on end. 

He knew Vivian would never look at another man, especially Lex Luthor, but remembering the first encounter she had with Lex – which was when they were still dating and he took her to one of Luthor's events as part of his cover to get intel — he didn't like how the man held Vivian in the dance while he snuck around the building to find Lex’s servers.

Just thinking about it had him lasting longer with anger fueling him more and more. It made him want to bite down hard enough to leave a mark but knew better than to do so. He'll have to restrain himself. Vivian joked as they made love earlier, “If you want him to know that I'm yours, well done. Because I don't think I'll be able to walk later if you keep going this pace, my love.”

Bruce realized that he was being too rough, which Vivian liked, but after hearing that his pace became steady and more loving.

Now, in their bedroom, Bruce finished fixing his tie and putting on his watch. As he placed his earpiece, he tested it to see if Vivian had hers on.

“Do you hear me, Viv?” Bruce asked.

“Loud and clear, Bruce,” Vivian said through their comms as she stepped out wearing her blue gown with the blue velvet, body hugging gown with the cape-like effect of the chiffon fabric that were attached to her lowered sleeves. “Can you hep me with these?” She showed him the diamond necklace.

“I don't recall giving you this,” Bruce said as he took his place behind her and helped clasping the necklace.

“You didn't. Luthor did.”

He frowned.

“It was his wedding gift.”

“I thought wedding gifts were for the couple?”

“You know how he is…” Taking his hands, Vivian placed them around her and she leaned back on his shoulder. “Just for tonight… besides, after earlier, I doubt I'd look at another man,” she teased him.

Bruce hummed in amusement. “I hate the fact you're dressing up for him.”

“We need the Stone, Bruce.”

“I know.”

“Besides, the diamonds may be for him, but this,” she led his hands from her waist and up to her crotch, purposely letting him linger there, then up to her chest where his hands brushed over where her nipples were, and then one of his hands to her neck. “All of this is for my husband.”

“He's a lucky man.”

“I'm the lucky one.”

“Trust me, Viv. I'm the lucky one,” Bruce kissed her cheek. 

“It'll take us a couple of hours to get to Metropolis if we're driving. We need to go.”

“Just an hour,” Bruce said. “Depends on traffic. We're taking the car and the yacht.”

“You know, I always forget that you got a yacht that can fit a car.”

“We have a yacht, Viv.”

Coming to the sitting room where everyone was mostly at the moment watching some show before heading down to the cave and start patrol, it was Cassandra who first noticed them and tugged on Stephanie’s shirt and pointed at their direction. 

“Wow, you’re looking good, Viv,” said Stephanie.

“Thanks, Steph,” Vivian smiled as she accepted the faux fur coat that Alfred prepared for her. “Thank you, Alfred.”

“So, this is what you wear for covert operations, huh?” Kate smirked, teasingly. “Not bad, Viv.”

“Not always.”

“Just when you need to seduce and trick Lex Luthor to giving you a magical stone that requires a hundred-soul sacrifice to work?” Tim added.

“Yes, that. The thing with the Stone is he needs to give it to me willingly. No tricks or influences of magic. Or else…”

“Consequences,” they finished.

“Where’s Dick and Jason?” Bruce asked.

“They’ll be here in a bit, they just went out to get some snacks,” said Duke.

“But you’ll be on patrol in a couple of hours,” Bruce checked his watch.

“Hey, come on! We still got a couple of hours to kill. Might as well do something that’s normal. You should be proud of us,” said Stephanie.

“Wrong parent, Steph,” said Tim.

“Right. Vivian’s the cool-one. Bruce is the… yeah, he’s Bruce.”

The sound of the front door opening caught their attention despite the sitting room being far from the entryway, but Dick does know how to make an entrance. “Sorry, I’m late!” Dick called out as he and Jason came in with a bag of snacks. “Got caught in traffic. Couldn’t leave Jason there, could I?”

“You can and you should have,” said Damian.

“What the fuck is this?” Jason said when he saw Vivian wearing the dress that was too revealing for her in his opinion. “Ma, cover up!”

“Jason, I am,” said Vivian.

“Those, cover up those!” Jason removed his jacket and was about to throw it over her but she caught the thing midair with magic and threw it back at him.

“No. It took me hours to get the hair done and my make-up, you are not going to ruin it.”

Jason threw his jacket away and turned to Bruce with a menacing look, telling him to do something. But all he got from the man was, “The only thing I don’t love is the necklace.”

“Why?” Duke asked.

Dick had a knowing smirk. “Because that’s a wedding gift from Lex Luthor – and before you ask, remember the time when you both went on your honeymoon and I was left here with Alfred to fix all the presents?”

“But they were all still wrapped when we got back.”

“I called in a favor from Superman – it was Alfred’s idea really, so we could find if there’s anything that needs to be refrigerated or stored properly because who knows when you two were coming back. And Clark saw that with the congratulations card signed by Luthor… he said some other things too but let’s stick with the congrats.”

“Been keeping that for a long time, haven’t you? Waiting for the right time to tell us?” Vivian walked up to Dick and pulled his ear teasingly.

“Not really. I was supposed to bring it to my grave, but I guess after a decade in the marriage it’s a good time to tell. You didn’t even notice the missing whipcream there… oh shit,” Dick’s face fell.

Vivian smirked. “Let me guess it was Veronica Vreeland who gave it, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let that sink in, kiddo,” Vivian patted his cheek.

A mix of “Eeew!” and laughter from the others.

“Excuse me as I throw away the whip cream I bought for tonight’s junk food night…” Dick said his goodbye to them and went to the kitchen.

Turning to Jason, Vivian sighed and faced him with a sympathetic smile. She pried his arms from how they folded over his chest and held his hands. “Thank you, for always looking after me, and I am glad that there is still a gentleman inside this,” she poked at his heart. “There are just some things I need to do to get the job done.”

Jason sighed and reached for his pocket and pulled out a stylish hairstick. “This was supposed to be for your birthday but you might need it tonight.”

“What is that?” Tim, Stephanie, Duke, and Damian crowded over his shoulder to see.

“Get off me!” Jason told them and sighed once again. He went behind her and stuck it just where the pins were and was an eye-catching accessory with its sophisticated design of a snake. To Jason. “I found this in some warehouse from a man stealing some artifacts. It’s some old Nordic hairpiece. It’s made of bone, so it won’t sound an alarm. He tries anything, you stab him – don’t think just do.”

Smiling, Vivian reached out to Jason and brushed his cheek. “My sweet boy, always looking out for me. Thank you, Jason.”

“Yeah, yeah, and after doing the job — just cover up,” Jason muttered and looked away. “But you do look beautiful, Ma.”

“We better get going,” Bruce told her. “Kate, I’ll leave everyone to you, Dick, and Barbara.”

Kate saluted lazily.

“See you guys when you get back.”

“Alfred’s going too?” Damian asked.

“He’s the one whose going to bring home the yacht.”

Saying theri goodbye, Vivian and Bruce were about to leave the Manor when Damian called for them. The boy ran up to Vivian and wrapped his arms around her. 

“He does something to you, tell me. I’ll make him pay,” said Damian. “This is your first mission, Batman will understand if you accidentally stabbed Luthor at the neck.”

Bruce frowned.”Damian.”

“Right?” Damian glared at his father.

“It won’t come to that.”

“How lucky I am to have sons who are willing to gouge out someone’s eye to protect me,” she teased. She bent down and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Damian. We now need to go or else we’ll be late.”

Getting in the car which Alfred brought to the front, Vivian and Bruce got in the back and watched as their home grew distant from their gaze.

“We’ll be at the harbor shortly, Master Bruce. Traffic seems to be at our side,” said Alfred.

“Perfect, thanks, Alfred,” said Bruce.”

“And Ms. Vivian, there is something that I prepared for you under the seat. Master Bruce, if you please.”

Bruce reached down and pulled out the item. “Is this one of my taser darts?”

“Yes, and I fashioned it to look stylish for Ms. Vivian to wear. She will be doing this operation alone.”

“Aw, I feel touched that everyone is worried for me… how come you didn’t give me this when I had my other cases before?”

“With ghosts, and demons, and the creatures of the dark, you understand survival is necessary. You understand the nature of dark magic and the consequences it has. You follow your own code when in your element. But this time, this is not the darkness, here you follow the Batman’s code. Best to prepare tonight for something you are entirely new at. Not to mention you cannot use your magic.”

Vivian smiled. “Thank you, Alfred. This means a lot.” She slipped on the bracelet and turned to Bruce to say, “What’s next? Tim’s making me a mech suit and Damian’s giving me a sword?”

“I was thinking more of a uniform first to hide your identity,” said Bruce.

“Yeah… no. Not into the whole spandex and kevlar thing. I like my work clothes. It’s practical. Besides, John doesn’t have the cape and tights, so why should I? I’m a consultant, remember?”

Bruce chuckled. “I guess you’re right.”

The yacht ride to Metropolis was serene, and it would have been romantic if Diana have not called to inform them of Morgan le Fey’s movements. The sorceress was at it again and they still don’t have the stone. Good thing is, Vivian knew how to help Morgan le Fey regain her immortality, and who it was that took it from her. But she still did not say who. 

At Metropolis, Alfred drove the couple to New Troy, Metropolis where LexCorp headquarters was. Arriving at the venue, the butler commented how they were just right on time with how most of the people are now almost inside, giving the Waynes the spotlight they needed to capture Lex Luthor’s attention.

Thanking Alfred, Bruce opened the door and stepped out. He smiled and nodded at the press who were now turning their attention and their cameras at them, all calling for him to look at their direction. But Bruce ignored them as he reached inside the car to help Vivian out. More camera flashes came and Vivian forced a smile as she greeted them all with a wave. Bruce kept his hand on her back and acted as some sort of shield between her and the cameras, knowing how Vivian never liked walking down these carpets during events, while still giving her the spotlight she deserved.

Just as they expected, the crowd calling out “the Waynes are here!” caught the attention of many who were inside. There were those who came out to greet them and complimented the couple for their coordinated and stunning attire, and then there was Lex Luthor who met them halfway through the carpet and greeted them.

“Bruce Wayne,” Lex said first but didn’t offer a hand to shake, then he turned to Vivian. “Professor Vivian Pryor,” he took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “A pleasure as always to see you again. Ah! I see you’re wearing my little gift.”

“I thought it would fit the occasion, this is a celebration of your new division opening. Congratulations for the successful start on Luthor Foundation for the Arts.”

“You know me, Viv, I’m a man of  many interests and arts is one of them,” Luthor said.

“Right.”

Luthor was about to invite her inside for some drinks but Mercy came and whispered to him that the event was about to start officially and he was to give his speech. “Excuse me, Viv, I need to go. Maybe right after I give my whole speech, I can show you what the Foundation is about, and who knows, you might be interested in working there too.”

“Poaching my wife while I’m right here, Luthor?” Bruce spoke. “You really have no shame.”

“Doesn’t hurt to try,” Luthor shrugged and was already backing away to head back inside. “Come inside, there’s drinks, food, and the whole spiel abouf the plans for Luthor Foundation for the Arts, and something big!”

Luthor gone, Bruce made his hold on Vivian’s waist known to all as he leaned down and whispered to him, “The hand. Use Jason’s gift for the hand and Alfred’s token at his neck.”

Vivian chuckled, turning to him she placed a kiss on the side of his lips, making the press go wild and flash their cameras more. “I’ll keep that in mind. Let’s go, I’m kind of curious about what he’s unveiling.”

They entered the building and the noise of the press died down.

“Luthor is starting a division in Luthor Technologies that’s working on a top secret project. He’s hiring archivists around the world, and after that little attempt to get you to join Luthor Foundation of the Arts, he wants you – a renowned symbologist and iconologist – on his team.”

“What does Luthor Tech want archivists in there? A little odd don’t you think?” Vivian whispered.

“Take a guess.”

Vivian frowned. “Magic.”

Bruce nodded. “Looks like you have a new case coming up after this.”

“Looks like I do… and I have a feeling it has something to do with the Stone.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s wearing it right now,” Vivian watched the man of the hour on stage as he gave his spiel on LexCorp’s new projects. She didn’t care about what the man had to say at all, what she cared about was the brooch he wore. The red stone wrapped with a frame of gold. The Alchemyst’s Stone used a brooch.

A sacred and powerful magical item that was fought for, killed for, and passed on through generations until lost during World War II, was now being used as a brooch by someone like Lex Luthor.

“How about the neck with Jason’s gift and the balls with Alfred’s token?” Vivian said.

“Just make sure you’re a good shot to avoid major blood vessels, the spinal cord and airway, and aim for the part where there’s softer tissue.”

“Hold him down and I’ll find my mark.”

The main event ended with fireworks blasting in the skies. Vivian and Bruce were already at the bar by the time Luthor got down the stage, the former having her glass of chardonnay and the latter drinking his ginger ale. But whenever they ordered, Bruce would ask for the same drink as Vivian, and as Vivian takes the glass she does a little trick that transforms the chardonnay to ginger ale. 

“Don’t even think about making that joke in front of all these people,” Bruce told her as he saw the smirk on her face.

“What? That I performed a reverse miracle?” Vivian snickered.

Bruce chuckled but hid his smile behind the glass. “Funny.”

“This is taking too long,” said Vivian. “I’m going to speed things up.”

“How?”

“Sorry about the dress, but I promise I’ll fix it later,” Vivian timed it perfectly and did a little trick to have the walking server lose their balance a little and lose their hold on the tray of red wine, spilling all over her. Vivian let out a gasp of shock while Bruce jumped a little with the surprise.

“I am so sorry, Ma’am!” 

“It’s fine,” Vivian reassured them. 

“Please, let me take your coat — we’ll have it cleaned.”

“Vivian, are you alright?” Bruce asked her.

“I’m fine, Bruce, really. These things happen… too bad about the dress, though.”

“What’s going on here?” Luthor came to their little crowd. “What did you do?”

“Lex, please, it was just a mistake,” Vivian told him, hoping it would ease the heat on her victim. “These things happen.”

“We’ll take care of the bill with cleaning your dress, Mrs. Wayne,” said the manager of the server who arrived with Lex.

“That won’t be necessary,” said Vivian. “Please. I think I just need to clean up a bit.”

“Luckily for you, my penthouse is just at the top,” Luthor offered his arm to Vivian. “I’m sure Mercy can find something for you to change in, Viv.” When his secretary didn’t reply, he pressed on, “Right, Mercy?”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll be sure to find Mrs. Wayne something that would suit for the evening,” said Mercy.

“Bruce, please excuse us. I’ll be sure to return your lovely wife before curfew,” said Luthor.

Bruce frowned but said, “Thank you. Viv, I’ll wait for you down here.”

Vivian nodded and accepted Luthor’s arm and followed him to the elevator which went straight to his private quarters. It was a long ride, and she was thankful for the glass walls that gave them a view of Metropolis.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Luthor began.

“It is,” said Vivian.

“But I’m sure Gotham is still your home.”

Vivian chuckled. “Well, I do live there, Lex.”

“Tell me, how did Bruce react when you wore that necklace?” 

They have arrived at his floor. The elevator doors opened and Vivian stepped out right after him. His personal floor at the top of his business. If Lex’s excuse is because he’s a workaholic, then that’s just a lie. Bruce was a workaholic but he doesn’t have a penthouse atop of Wayne Enterprise —

Wait. The Batcave was right under Wayne Manor. Their home.

But that’s a  secret place, no one knows about the cave but them and the Justice League.

“I had to convince him that it’s only right that I wore this tonight. I mean, this is your event after all,” Vivian said.

Luthor chuckled. “I don’t blame him. Even I would prefer if you only wore my gifts.”

Vivian turned to him with a knowing smile. “Is that right, Lex?”

“Yes. I’m sure Wayne is fuming right now, especially with you up here with me.”

“Flattery.”

“Well, you are a beautiful woman, Professor Pryor. Intelligent too.”

Vivian hummed in response. 

“I would give you all the jewelry there is just so you don’t wear cheap old things,” he nodded at Vivian’s brooch. Jason’s locket. 

Vivian frowned. “This was a gift from one of my sons for Mother’s Day. It was the first gift I got, and it was the first time I celebrated. It’s far more valuable than any jewel there is.”

She heard Bruce chuckle at Luthor’s mistake, then he said through their comms, “Easy, Viv. Not too hot, you want to get him comfortable to get the stone.”

“Right, Jason,” Luthor muttered.

Vivian took a breath. “Speaking of brooches,” she nodded at the one on his lapel. “If I’m correct, that's the Alchemyst’s Stone. The real one, I presume.”

“Of course,” Luthor said, slightly offended. “You know?”

“Yes. I’ve read about it. History believes it was Nicolas Flamel who made the Philosopher’s Stone – the stone that performs transmutations. Transforming rock to gold – that kind of thing. Some claim it’s imbued with magic from Flamel’s wife, Perenelle Flamel. She was presumed to be a witch, you know.”

“I’ve read that as well. So, who was it that made the Stone?”

“Perenelle. Using her magic, she made the stone, imbued it with her magic and kept them alive for centuries. Until it was stolen from them. It was found in the Vatican at some point. By then, it was believed to have been violated by dark magic,” Vivian leaned on the table to get a closer look on the Stone, not realizing she was showing a bit too much of her chest. Which Lex noticed. “If you look closer you can see the markings on the gold frame which was used to alter the use of the Stone to something beyond simple transmutation. There, those runes,” she pointed at the mark on the gold frame.

“Impressive as always, Vivian,” said Lex. “I was waiting for after the event to call you here to discuss an opportunity, but after that little lecture, I can’t just let you go without giving you a spiel of what’s really happening in LexCorp.”

“And that is?” Vivian asked. She had a guess it was the case Bruce mentioned to her earlier.

“Alexandria. In one of my travels,” really it was his dealings with the right people, “I have found a scroll that holds a secret to a different kind of energy. One that can remove all of these fossils. One powerful enough to light cities.”

And weapons.

“It’s written in another language that’s why I’ve set up a team to start researching the language but they came across some bumps on the road. There are symbols there that do not follow the language’s way of writing. The researchers have been using your books to help them read through them but there is just so much that second hand knowledge could do. That’s why I want to offer you a position at LexCorp as the Head of the Archivist Division. You will be leading a team to decode the scrolls and be part of something big.”

“Lex, your pitch sounds great but I can’t just… Wayne Enterprise is a direct competitor of LexCorp, you do know that, right?”

“You don’t work for Wayne.”

“I don’t. I’m married to him. I can’t just do that —”

Luthor scoffed. “Please.”

“Lex. No, I’m not going to do that to Bruce.”

“But you want this project, right? The curiosity to know what’s in those scrolls is eating you alive. Isn’t it. Wayne wouldn’t understand,” Luthor crept closer to her  until Vivian was trapped behind the table. “He’s not a researcher, he’s not a scientist. He’s just someone who has a Trust Fund.”

Vivian glared at him. 

“Kidding! Wow, you are a tough nut to crack, Vivian Pryor,” Luthor then removed his brooch. He looked at it for a moment and then held it to her.

“What is this? A bribe?” Vivian sneered.

“No. Take it. See it as a signing bonus.”

“I’m not signing anything, Luthor.”

“Fine. But take it for now, and if you don’t want to work with me then give it back.”

Vivian looked at the stone and saw the pulsing red within. “So, you want me to have this?”

“Yes. I bought this at an auction just to piss off someone who got in my way.”

Vivian felt the pulse of dark magic from the Stone.

Lex continued. “Besides, I’ve read about you, Viv. Your family. Took a long time digging, but did you know you came from a long, long, long line of witches?”

Vivian’s blood ran cold. “All women who were different then are branded as witches,” she told him.

“I would like to think that this would be more of use for you than it is with me.”

“Is that right? Because of my blood?”

“I’m almost to his floor,” Bruce spoke through their comms.

“Who knows, it might bring out the little bit of magic that resides in you. So, you may have it as a reminder of the proposal. It is yours,” Luthor shrugged.

The transfer was complete. Vivian could now feel the Stone. Accepting the token, Vivian thanked Lex and said she’ll think about it and –

He leaned down swiftly and placed a kiss on her lips —

“AAHHH!” Luthor fell crumbling to the ground, clutching his balls as he went to a fetal position. “You just – did you just tase my –”

The elevators opened and Bruce walked in. “What happened?” He asked her.

Vivian walked to the cabinet and opened a bottle of scotch. “He kissed me,” she answered as she didn’t bother to pour into a glass and gulped from the bottle itself to rinse her mouth and spit it out at the sink, then drank another gulp.

“He did what?!” Bruce marched up to Luthor and grabbed him by his collar. Luthor tried to reason with him, he lied that it was her who kissed him, that she came onto him, but it only fueled his anger more and Bruce punched the man across the face. Twice.

Walking to her husband’s side, Vivian caught his fist before he could land a third punch. “That’s enough, Bruce,” she whispered. “Mr. Luthor will be reminded about this. Please.”

The elevator came back again, this time it was Mercy and a couple of security guards. “Mr. Wayne!” Mercy gasped at the sight of Bruce’s fists and a bloody nose of Lex who was on the ground. 

“Your boss got a little touchy,” Vivian spoke. “Luckily my husband had a feeling to follow us up here. We’ll taking our leave and won’t be telling anyone, we wouldn’t want to ruin Mr. Luthor’s night.”

A threat.

Mercy nodded and moved to the side. “A gift from Mr. Luthor, Professor Pryor.”

“No need, he’s already given me one. And the answer is no, Lex. Not ever,” Vivian led her husband to the elevator, passing security on their way. Once the doors closed, Vivian took his hands and cleaned the blood off them with a napkin from her purse.

“Did you get it?” Bruce asked.

“I did,” Vivian answered. “You got blood on your shirt,” she clicked her tongue, but nothing too hard for her to fix. One brush of her thumb and it was gone. “There, good as new… Bruce.”

“He touched you.”

“And you’ve shown him what happens when he does. My love, please,” Vivian had her hand on his nape and pulled him down for a kiss. “Better?”

“I still want to kick him off the building and tie his ankle to his bed.”

She kissed him again and this time it was long enough to stop the fueling rage. The elevator doors opened and they were at the event hall once again. Vivian asked for her coat from one of the staff but before she could get it, Bruce placed his blazer over her and carried her coat in his arm. Exiting the building, the Waynes met with Alfred at the front who saw the mood on Bruce’s face and sighed. He had a feeling something happened in this little operation. 

They went straight to the harbor where Alfred drove the car into the yacht and then the yacht to the waters, but they did not go straight to the path back to Gotham. While waiting for Superman, Bruce and Vivian changed out of their gala attire and to the Bat uniform and the red cloak, respectively. When Clark appeared, they bid goodbye to Alfred and mentioned where they were headed.

“I heard the commotion all the way from home, when I heard the jet I came straight here. You got the Stone?” asked Superman.

Vivian showed the red Stone that shone in her hands. 

“I heard what happened with Luthor too. How are you?”

“I tased his balls,” Vivian shrugged.

“Oh. So, you’re good then.”

“Disgusted but satisfied… I never tased someone before. I did stab someone but never tased them.”

“Good to know you're alright, Viv,” He smiled at her, relieved. Turning to Batman, he told the man that the latest place Le Fey attacked was at Glastonbury and she has not moved from there since.

“I'll hold her down in that place,” Vivian summoned the seals and the image of Morgan le Fey who has yet to do something in Glastonbury.

“So, do I carry you both there?” Superman asked.

Batman gave him an incredulous look. “Viv.”

“On it,” Vivian summoned a portal. “Bulletproof Kryptonians first,” she said.

“Of course,” Superman sighed.

Stepping in, Superman disappeared from the yacht then Vivian and Bruce followed suit and were met by the chilly early morning of Glasbury. Looking at her Wayne Tech phone that Bruce customized to be secured, connected to his personal satellite, and has a button to call Batman immediately, Vivian saw it adjust immediately to five hours ahead as it detected the new timezone. It was three in the morning now. The witching hour.

“The Phoenix is here,” Morgan le Fey's voice echoed in the night. “Vivian Pryor.”

Before she stepped out to find the sorceress, Vivian summoned circle around the three of them. Finishing the incantation, the circle burned on the ground with ambers continuously glowing. “Do not step out of this circle unless it is completely necessary,” she told them. Then she got out. “Into the light, I command thee.”

The Phoenix's power took form with her, transforming her appearance to don its sacred robes while still wearing her maroon coat but this time the coat glowed with flames, as well as the runes that were engraved in its lining. Her eyes turned to gold and magical essence exhumed from where she stood. 

“New tricks, Pryor?” Morgana appeared before her wearing her gold mask and robes. “Last I saw you, you were just an amateur witch trying to understand the Phoenix's power.”

“Last time I saw you, you were making out with my boyfriend,” Vivian shrugged. “And I burned your hair for it.”

“How is John?” 

“He's John, he survives. So, you've been causing a bit of trouble,” Vivian conjured two seats and a small table with a bottle of wine from their collection. “So much trouble that the JLA was forced to outsource.” She gestured to the seat. When the sorceress did ont move, Vivian added, “Either we sit down and chat like two grown women or I just do the same thing I did to you before.”

Morgan le Fey sat on the seat and took the glass of wine. “Turning on your own now, Pryor?”

“No. They know how I operate,” Vivian took a sip of wine. “I'll just be fixing whatever this is and then once I'm done, I'll give you a thirty-minute headstart before the big-S comes flying after you.”

Morgan le Fey chuckled. “Is that so? You will fix my problem and let me go?”

“If I give you up to the Justice League, every sorcerer, witch, mage, warlock, vampire, and magical and divine and damned being will go after me. The JLA understands my conditions and they will abide by it.”

“Then why is Superman and Batman here?” Morgan le Fey nodded at the two men far from where they were.

“Come on, Morg,” Vivian poured her another. “You know thirty-minutes is more than enough for you to head off your merry way. Superman is just here to even out the playing field.

“Like he can keep up.”

“You'll be surprised.”

“And Batman?”

“He's just nosy.”

She heard Bruce's disgruntled hum in their comms.

“Continuing the talks, Vivian said, “Soul sucking for immortality. You're not a demon, Morgana.”

“Aren't I?” Morgan le Fay cocked her head to the side.

“Well, I hope you're not. I mean, you're no Enchantress — she, I expect the soul succing. She is a succubus afterall, but you… what did Mordred do? I need to know so I can get you back your immortality and so you can stop all this.”

“My son has grown impatient. If there is a monster you seek, it is him not me… he has taken my power to take Camelot.”

“Camelot is gone.”

“He plans to take its place and build a new one, and rule the kingdom from there.”

“Caerleon then,” Vivian said. “Why does he need you out of the way?” Morgan le Fey raised her hand and showed to her the amount of magic left. “He has taken your magic and immortality.”

“He made a deal with those below. A tool that would grant him the power he needs to create his new world. His New Camelot.”

“Dealing with demons comes with a price… he knows better. There's always a catch.”

“But like you said, my child has grown impatient for his birthright.”

“One that's supposed to be expired by now considering Camelot was way back in the 6th century,” Vivian sighed. “Alright, I got what I need — and they got what they need,” she got up and stretched. “Batman, have Wonder Woman and Zatanna see Caerleon, they'll find Mordred there.”

“No!” Morgan le Fey got up. She was about to cast her magic to stop Batman but nothing. She was not able to do anything at all. “What did you do?”

“Binding spell. The wine,” Vivian nodded at Morgana's glass. 

Le Fey threw the glass to the ground after seeing the micro-carvings on the neck.

“Mordred will be dealt with accordingly. Don't worry, they'll return him to his mother… I can't say unharmed but he'll be back in your arms again. But the Justice League needs to deal with him first, and I need to finish my work.” 

Reaching into her coat, Vivian pulled out the demon-blood infused Stone and the Book of Arcana. “I keep my promises, Morgana. You’ll get your immortality back.” She let the book float beside her and open at the page she needed. “This can go two ways. I release this and you fly to your son with little power you have and die before you get there with your speeding age or we stay here, I return your immortality and the JLA stops him and brings him here. The clock is ticking, Morgana, with the amount of souls you’ve been taking, I say everyday your mortality is catching up on you. Even now I can see it.”

Morgan le Fey fell silent as she pondered.

“You can learn magic again but you can't do that when you're being used as petrol for my car.”

Morgan le Fey glared at her. Removing her mask, the sorceress finally revealed her aging face. With the robes she wore, Vivian couldn't see the fast deterioration but now she knew this was urgent. Any moment now the sorceress can literally turn to ash before her.

“Good,” Vivian helped the sorceress to sit and be comfortable on the leather chair. “Superman will come back with your son.”

Clark took that as a sign to leave and fly to Caerleon where Diana and Zatanna would be waiting. 

Vivian then held the Stone before Morgana and began the spell. Using her own glass, Vivian poured the demon's blood into the wine inside, with her hand holding the Stone she is powering with her magic, she cast the incantation, “Htiw siht puc, I nruter ot ym s'rotsac ega, I peek htaed ta yab.”

Flames danced in the wine's red color and died instantly.

“Drink and you won't turn to ash,” Vivian said and helped the old sorceress to take the glass. Drinking slowly until her body began to revert back to her old and youthful self. No longer was Morgan le Fay and crone, she was now back to her youthful self, just around Vivian's age now.

Finished with the incantation and the wine gone, Vivian conjured a mirror and showed the woman her face again. 

“You couldn't have made me younger?” said Morgana.

Vivian smirked. “I’ll take that as a thank you.” Snapping her fingers, the chairs, the table, the wine and glasses were gone. 

“Why help me, Pryor?” Morgana asked.

“I told you, the JLA asked me to intervene, and this is me intervening.”

“You could have killed me. That would be easier. Just like what you did with Mammon.”

“I erased him from existence. I kill him he’ll just come back up here.”

“Same question.”

“Survival has always been our way… who am I to judge a witch who has done so much to survive this world and give a life to her son. Despite the wrong things you have done and the obsession on taking back a kingdom that is far gone now, this has always been how we survived. We take.”

“Maybe back then, but this time you give.”

Vivian smiled. “Blame my husband, he has a way of rubbing off on people…”

“Bruce Wayne. Does he know?”

“Yes. He does.”

“And he does not mind?”

“No. And I want to do the same thing he does with the amount of power and wealth I have. He has Gotham as his project, maybe I can start here.”

Morgana scoffed. “A fool's dream. Dark magic is done with sinister deeds, Vivian. It cannot be stopped.”

“I know. Like you said, a fool's dream. But maybe with this you won't do something that would bother this realm for a while? Maybe spend the time to recover and ger your magic again?”

Morgana looked at her for a moment. “Fine. But that does not stop me from taking back our kingdom.”

“A century of peace is more than enough. Oh, look, your son's here.”

Floating down, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Zatanna came to where they stood and where Batman met them with Mordred beaten. The man still wore his dark armor and had a few injuries that needed mending.

“Your first project,” Vivian told Morgana. “Your son needs you.”

Morgan le Fey sighed and approached Mordred. She took him from Wonder Woman's hold and said, “We had a deal.”

Wonder Woman glared at her and released Mordred, letting Morgana take him. The Sorceress held her son in her arms and took one last look at Vivian's way before disappearing using the little magic she had left.

“Where did she go?” Wonder Woman asked Vivian.

“Diana,” Batman warned her. “She's abided with the terms, Morgan le Fey won't harm anyone while she regains her magic and helps her son. Peacetalks were established.”

“She will come back.”

“And when she does I'll deal with it. Then it will be on equal grounds,” Vivian said. “Let her recover and let her save her son. Besides, the JLA has something more important to deal with involving Luthor now anyway. I'll leave you to talk about it, right now I’m going home.”

“Back to the darkness, I command thee.”

The Phoenix form disappeared and Vivian was back to her normal appearance and was strolling towards the lamp post. “I'll stop by at my Father's before heading home! See you then, love!”

“Vivian,” Batman caught her arm before she teleported away.

“What?” 

“You did good.”

Smiling, Vivian got on her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Alfred said that I have my own code. And I do, but there are times when I also want to help out people in need.”

“Is that so?”

“My husband has a way of influencing people around him.”

Batman smiled softly.

“But I can't say with those vampires that we encountered, and the ones you saw in the club.”

“You can't kill what's already dead.”

Vivian had a lopsided grin, “I'll see you at home. Try to ease Wonder Woman to not hating me for letting Morgana go.”

“I will. See you at home, love.”

Stepping back, Vivian waved goodbye and teleported away and appeared at her father's gym where he was currently sleeping for some reason.

“Come on, Dad,” Vivian woke him.

“Vee, what are you doin’ here, love?” Adam woke up, still groggy.

“I had a consultation in the area and I wanted to see you. Let's get you home, okay?”

Adam nodded and followed his daughter to the portal she opened and helps him lay down in bed. 

~*~

Back in Gotham, Vivian was having a nice cup of tea at the garden with Damian when Bruce appeared with a surprise.

“What is this?” Vivian asked as she held up the black card with the Justice League logo at the middle. Flipping it over, she was met by an ID and Watchtower security access. It had the name The Phoenix over what she calls a mug-shot but with her face. Her base of operation, which is Gotham, with Universal access. And power level which is ranked Unknown. Then at the bottom was the word Consultant.

“No more going through the whole security system of the Watchtower,” said Bruce. “Also, did  you do something with your photos? Flash said that they were seeing different people whenever they developed the card.”

Vivian smirked. “I don't do masks, but the runes of my coat has a glamor that hides my identity. If anyone takes a photo of me or sees me, they won't know it's me unless I let you know it's me.”

A chuckle left Bruce's lips, “And when were you going to tell me that?”

“I thought you figured it out by now,” Vivian returned to her reading. “So do I get to add that in my CV? Consultant for the Justice League, my references are Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.”

“I'll give a good recommendation. But I'll put up a good fight to keep you from getting poached by other organizations.”

“Like the Titans?”

“What do you mean?” Bruce turned to Damian in question.

“Dick reached out to me to ask for help with Raven. He said if I was consulting for the Justice League, I should also consult for the Titans. I believe you remember her? Daughter of Trigon.”

“It was my idea,” said Damian. “Grayson should put his story straight.”

“I know and I'm proud that you're looking out for your teammates.”

“So, the Titans have poached you already.”

“Just for a consultation. You know, I should start putting fees.”

“No.”

“Kidding!”

[letsplaydcttrpg]

What's next?

Cover images and blurbs below the cut!

Swamp Thing in Racing With the Rats: "In the full-length solitaire adventure, Racing With the Rats, Swamp Thing is infected by toxic waste and plunged into a horrific hallucinatory world, where he becomes trapped in a deadly delusion. The player must try to maintain his grip on sanity long enough to reverse the damage and return to reality."

Wonder Woman in Strangers in Paradise: "Danger threatens the first cultural conference between Amazons and representatives from Man's World. In the serene isolated lands of Themyscira, discord burns fiercely, seeking to rekindle the sparks of prejusice and force the people of Earth to ever remain...Strangers in Paradise."

Jonah Hex in Escort to Hell: "When you were back in the Old West you knew what was happening and what to expect. It is the 21st century. You are surrounded by an alien and hostile world, yet you have survived; you have gained a reputation here as one who can hold his own. Now you, Jonah Hex, face the greatest challenge of your life as an Escort to Hell!"

Green Lantern in The Otherwhere Quest: "Once upon a universe... A century ago, the failed Green Lantern Corps was summoned to the mysterious dimension known as the Otherwhere, and called upon to save it from the tyrannical Subjugators. Protected for all time by the strange forcefield called the Forever Barrier, the peaceful Otherwhere had become vulnerable as the Barrier weakened, threatening an invasion of anarchy and terror. To stop the deterioration, the Green Lantern Corps had to locate the Harmony Beacon...the one object capable of restoring the Barrier, but hidden to all but those who were truly noble and pure of heart. Today...A call for help is heard again, for evil Subjugators threaten the peace within the Otherwhere once more. With only hours remaining until total annihilation, a single Green Lantern must seek the ancient Harmony Beacon to restore the Forever Barrier. Can he succeed alone, where it once took the strength of the entire Corps to win the day?"

The Flash in City of Fear: "A morning's jog through Manhattan at a leisurely 250 miles per hour turns into a series of life-and-death rescues for Wally West, the new Flash. First, a maniac starts randomly shooting at commuters on a subway platform. After stopping this killer, Flash is informed by the police of a terrorist bomb threat in the Wall Street area. Flash is caught in a race against time as he attempts to unravel a web of mystery and intrigue. Determined to live up to the heroic legacy passed down to him by his predecessors, Flash must uncover the truth in time to prevent a disaster which will transform New York into a...City of Fear."

Superman in Countdown to Armageddon: "Has this ever happened to you? You are flying over Metropolis when suddenly your super-hearing picks up five different distress calls from around the world. All are urgent, all deal with the lives of thousands of people, but which one will you pick? Find out in this exciting adventure that pushes Superman to the limits of his endurance. Can he keep the earth from falling apart, discover the fiendish plot behind it all, use his super-computer in the Fortress of Solitude to find a solution, and still make his 6:00 newscast as Clark Kent? Only those brave enough to play this adventure will know what it's really like to be the Man of Steel."

[puppetmaster13u]

You may regret this @phoenixcatch7 lol, what if I start spamming you /j

Less cryptid Batman in this particular WIP since it's semi-outsider pov lol (one of two outside person not unnerved by them lol)

🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇

   Clark knew Batman wasn’t human, even before that disaster of a mission where he had let it slip to the others. 

   He’d known for a long time, from one of their early meetups, when Batman had first referred to him as Clark Kent instead of Kal-El, and he had panicked. He hadn’t ever lied to his teammates when he said that the cloak prevented him from seeing his body, but his ears still worked. 

   He’d tried to listen to a heartbeat, to see if his at the time temporary ally was lying when he stated he wasn’t going to tell anyone and… Nothing. There was no heartbeat, no breathing, nothing even remotely human, and if he didn’t know any better, nothing even remotely alive about the silence. 

   He couldn’t help but to pay attention more, to seek out the strange almost silence-feeling that accompanied the Gotham vigilante each time he felt it. It was… almost comforting, like the swaying of branches and the rustling of cloth over stone. Familiar, compared to the hustle and bustle surrounding him in the city. 

   The first thing he had noticed, physically that is, was Batman’s ears. Previously he’d thought the man unemotional, what with the rough voice, expressionless white eyes, cloak-covered body and the gas mask covering a good chunk of his face. 

   Yet the longer he watched, even idly, the more he noticed that while the man’s face or body didn’t show much, his ears did. 

   While Batman could stay silent and still for hours, the long ears twitched and swiveled, catching on the hood that he’d always wear around them. They’d pin back sometimes, a near silent sound he couldn’t quite place accompanying the movement, while other times they’d twist a near full three-sixty, as though searching for whatever sound it had caught. 

   Sometimes, when he’d startled the other vigilante, there’d be rattling noise, like wood and metal clacking together before it was cut off. It was a strange sound, one he’d not heard anywhere else, except with his… friend. 

   Were they friends? He’d like to think so. 

   The next time he was reminded that his friend wasn’t human was when he saw him get injured. It hadn’t been a bad injury, even if the Gothamite’s head had hit the wall with a very loud cracking noise, but he’d still smelled what he’d eventually come to recognize as blood. There was an almost pickle-like scent to it though that wasn’t quite it either. 

   Honestly the closest he could think of describing it was some sort of formaldehyde. And once he focused, he could pick out other things beneath it. Maybe not flesh and blood in the traditional sense, but still. 

   There was always that scent of cloth and wood, but he could smell the black liquid, paint, a metallic thing underneath like iron and steel. No heartbeat, no breath, but life all the same. It was honestly beautiful in a way, like a part of the city the other vigilante called home had come to life. 

   And it wasn’t like Batman minded whenever his own human mask slipped. Clark may have been raised by his Ma and Pa, whom he loved, but it didn’t make his body any more human in nature. There were just some things that he couldn’t change, and it took effort to move like one all day as a civilian when his body wasn’t designed to do so.

   So he stayed quiet for the most part when their group of three grew, and people started to speculate. He diverted the conversations whenever it turned to him, lightly admonishing over the various rumors. 

   It didn’t matter if Batman wasn’t human, he was still his friend, their ally and teammate. Was he curious? Oh of course, he’d gone into journalism for a reason after all, but it was still his friend. If he wanted to tell, he’d tell, and Clark wouldn’t break his trust. 

[luciddaizey]

Clark Kent • Cursed Waters

Series Masterlist

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

Home Sweet Home

Kansas. California. Kansas? California?

Marleigh never liked the city, but going from spending her whole life in LA to suddenly moving in with her uncle in middle-of-nowhere-land Kansas was overwhelmingly strange. Not to mention, her uncle Mike was only someone whom she would hear stories about and see once a year at Christmas. Sure he was nice, but she didn't know him. not really.

Losing her mom was unexpected for everyone, but one thing marleigh knew for sure was that she wasn't going to live with her father. When Mike reached out and offered to take her in, she was surprised to say the least. The court case didn't last long, when her father didn't even show up to the hearing custody was granted to her uncle pretty quickly. And just like that, two weeks after her mother's funeral Marleigh was in the passenger seat of Mike's pickup truck, pulling onto a small farm in Smallville, Kansas.

"Your car should be here soon, tomorrow...I think? If you need to borrow the truck for anything before then I'll leave the keys on the counter for you."

When she found her mom that day, it was like a switch flipped in her. It was hard to explain. A month ago Marleigh was a talkative and outgoing girl. About as bubbly as it gets, but now? She felt so afraid of everything. Suddenly so timid and quiet, all she wanted to do was be alone. All the time. Grief does strange things, I suppose.

Suddenly moving in with a man she didn't know filled her with anxiety, but being willing to take someone else's child in as his own in a heartbeat gave her a good first impression. She knew he was trying, and probably just as terrified as she was. Not to mention she may have lost her mom, but he lost his big sister. So, she chose to give him the benefit of the doubt.

As Mike got out of the car and walked around back to begin grabbing her things, Marleigh stayed in the car and took in her surroundings. The house was small. Your average little farmhouse, but the property was beautiful. She looked over past the barn and horse stable to see another farm down the road, and another house just a ways past that. The second house wasn't a farm though, just a regular home.

Realizing she should probably give her uncle a hand, the brunette climbed out of the truck and made her way towards the truck bed as Mike was bringing three of her boxes up the porch steps. She heard him talking to someone, but she couldn't see over the car. Honestly, she didn't really care who it was.

It was hard to care about anything anymore.

"Marleigh, come over here there's some people I'd like you to meet!" Mikes slight southern accent called for her.

A deep sigh escaped the girl, not mentally prepared to be meeting people already. She pasted on a small smile, threw her backpack over her shoulder and made her way over. The young girl didn't look up from her feet until she was standing in front of them. A family.

"Marleigh, these are the Kent's. They own the property next door. This is my niece."

The middle aged couple introduced themselves first, shaking her hand firmly. She was glad they hadn't tried to hug her, she was afraid she would've flinched at the contact. She wrung her hands together, her fingers twisting nervously as she struggled to keep her thoughts in check.

"This is our son, Clark. He's about your age."

Marleigh looked over at Clark to find his eyes already on her. He was perfect, to say the least. Tall, tan, dark hair, light eyes and a big gentle smile. Normally she would have been far too stunned to speak, she was sure Clark had been just about the most good-looking guy she'd ever seen. But not feeling herself anymore, she didn't have the energy to care who he was, or what he looked like, or even what he thought of her. She felt like a completely different person, not caring her hair was a disaster and her outfit was ridiculous.

She smiled softly, keeping her teeth hidden. "If you ever need anyone to show you around, I'm here" his smile never flattened, and she appreciated his kindness. How often do you meet a 17 year old boy that's not a prick? Especially one that looks like that. She found herself wishing she could care more than she did.

"Thank you."

She kept it polite, sure she probably seemed absolutely terrified to her new neighbors. She didn't want them to think she was rude for not caring about anything at that moment, she really was trying. She hoped they didn't know why she was there. But just as she started wondering so, Mr.Kent spoke.

"Marleigh, I went to high school with your mother. She was an...extraordinary person. I'm so sorry for your loss."

Perfect.

Now she couldn't help but wonder if their kindness was genuine or out of obligation and pity. It hurt, knowing she was walking into a tiny town where she knew no one but they all knew her and the darkest part of her story. "Thank you Mr.kent."

"Please, call me Jonathan."

Sensing her timidity, Mike attempted to save her by making a comment about how excited she'd been about the horses. Sure, she loved horses. but it was hard to be excited about anything then. "Do you ride?" Mrs.kent's voice was soft; calming. It reminded marleigh of her mother's. "Not yet no, I wish." A small fake laugh came out of her mouth as she finished her sentence, in hopes to lighten the mood. Clark was quick to speak up, practically jumping on the opportunity to say something.

"Well I could teach you sometime, if you want?!"

Marleigh could tell by the look on his face that his words had come out more frantic than he had intended. He rubbed the back of his neck, his lips twitching into an awkward, forced smile.

she gave him a genuine smile for the very first time, in hopes to ease his mind. "That's really sweet, thank you Clark."

This is gonna be a long few weeks.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Its a bird no its a plane no (Its a romantic loser)

by Purple_Hyancith A story about how disaster incarnate woos the man of steel or rather tries to. Words: 1513, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 43 of All works, Part 7 of DC Stories, Part 1 of Superman/Clark Kent Fandoms: Superman - All Media Types Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M, Gen Characters: Superman, Clark Kent, Justice League (DCU), Batman, Bruce Wayne, Diana (Wonder Woman), Batfamily Members (DCU), Kon-El | Conner Kent, Original Female Character(s), Team Flash (The Flash TV 2014), Superfamily Members (DCU) Relationships: Clark Kent/Original Female Character(s), Superman/Original Female Character Additional Tags: Not Canon Compliant, Angst, Crack Treated Seriously, Angst with a Happy Ending, Misunderstandings, Dick Grayson is Robin, Early days Justice League via https://ift.tt/ivoqJdT

[wisteriahyacinth]

Just wanted to come on here and talk about the Superman movie. So like. I really want to be like a massive fan, but given all of the media and lore, I'd probably be like 70000 years old until i understand everything. That being said, i just wanna come on here and talk about the movie poster after this one tiktok I saw.

Basically, this guy was comparing 4 Superman movie posters, and Man of Steel was literally the only one that was grey. It genuinely looks like a Batman movie, and I haven't even dipped my toes into Batman stuff yet. That being said, there was this comment of this one guy dissing the other posters that were colorful and i dunno SUPERMAN-CORE? saying that the Man of Steel poster looks cool while the other movies look like comedies. Now this is where I get into my opinion and my view coming from a fairly new Superman fan. I am also fairly new to superheroes in the traditional sense (? Am i saying that right)

My favourite parts of Superman are his angst. But i refuse to even touch Man of Steel because they're getting his angst wrong, from my perspective. (should i try to watch it tho?) I like Superman because his angst comes from being who he is. He fears himself because of how strong he is and how he could potentially hurt someone. He fears how he doesn't belong on Earth. He wants to be human, to belong, but can not due to him being an alien. But the best part is when he learns that he does belong. Because yeah, he might be op, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't share the world that he lives in. Due to the simple fact that he lives on Earth makes him fully human and fully kryptonian at the same time.

Due to the fact that he doesn't want to harm people, he gets really upset when he accidentally does, or when people think that he wants to just because he has all that power. He gets hurt when people think he'd hurt them because he feels excluded. He hates it when people fear him, which leads me to one of my favourite interpetations(?) Of why he wears underwear outside of his pants. In Superman Smashes The Klan, a young Clark Kent goes to the circus with his parents and Lana Lang. Disaster happens, and he saves the strongman with his bare hands from a lion. He then talks to the strongman who asks him if Clark has ever performed, to which he says no because he is afraid that people will fear him. So when the strongman tells him to wear a funny costume to put people at ease, he takes it to heart. Superman is SUPPOSED to be funny and dumb and silly because he wants to be. He doesn't want to scare people with his powers. He doesn't want people to live in fear that one day, Superman will get bored and take over the world. So he becomes silly. He embraces the wackyness of it to makes people feel less threatened. He's like the opposite of a frog.

from the very limited media I've consumed about Superman, he is the complete opposite. Which is all you need to know about his character. He does good for the sake of being good. He is bright because he has to be. Silly, hopeful, goofy, kind. Because that is who he is at his core. Him being dark, edgy, and gritty feels like its missing the point of his character.

I love angsty Superman stories, but they shouldn't be gritty or dark or edgy. Because imo, Superman is a great example of positive masculinity but that's an entirely different post.

He is great because even in his darkest moments, he never once takes it out on anybody, he never becomes angry or broody. He becomes sad, yes, but he never hides it.

[faejilly]

@foodsies4me replied to your post:

I have no context for this fandom and yet I love because YOUR WORDS ARE ALWAYS SO PRETTY

on the one hand! Thank you! I am verklempt & blushing & I adore you!

on the other hand, the way in which this pairing smacking me upside the head is so Incredibly Predictable is kind of embarrassing

Like!

it's just

so incredibly (hilariously) me

for example

One of my favorite things, a frequently recommended old movie on which I imprinted as a bb!jilly, is Bringing Up Baby.

Upon watching it with the husband for the first time, he looked at the movie, looked at me, and went: they're kind of an extra goofy Lois & Clark aren't they?

And I went oh and shush you and we both laughed at my poor bared psyche 🤣

And then I watched Dimension 20's The Unsleeping City and went oh fuck

Ricky Matsui is literally described as Japanese Clark Kent in show! He is a gods-damned D&D Paladin! (He is a bit of a troll when people don't expect it of him because he is so sincerely nice! That he does by being completely honest about superhero shit when people don't expect it! That's a Clark Kent bit that most people miss!) He is a himbo which Clark Kent isn't but it's still such a good fit.

And then Esther Sinclair is brilliant and ruthless and cares so much and yells at people so they don't notice and she has no fucking clue what to do with the beautiful man making heart eyes at her and is the only person who overtly notices that Ricky is completely incapable of taking care of himself because he's too busy taking care of everyone else!

also I am a disaster about them thank you for giving me an excuse to !!! at my own obvious preferences and weaknesses.

😅

[somesortofitalianroast]

Of The Dark Knight, The Man of Steel, and Pesky Soulmates

Title: Of The Dark Knight, The Man of Steel, and Pesky Soulmates Link: AO3 Participant: SomeSortofItalianRoast Giftee: SoF/ @sofreakinmanyfandoms, for their donation to Razom for the 2024 Fandom Trumps Hate auction Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types, Wonder Woman - All Media Types Archive warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Rating: Teen and Up Pairing: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne Tags: Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Innuendo, Swearing Word Count: 5,523 Summary: Bruce narrowed his eyes before shaking his head. Clark Kent - the bumbling disaster of a polite corn fed Midwesterner - was not Superman. Clark Kent was not his Soulmate. It was far too ridiculous to consider seriously.

[youngmasterwisdomperson]

I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes for a legitimately helpful superhero who isn’t just a cop with superpowers and even less accountability for their violent actions, and I think it largely comes down to whether I would consider their approach to hero work as more like that of a firefighter or, well, a cop. Because the stereotypical thing for a superhero to do is like, fight criminals, stop muggers, foil bank robberies, that sort of thing, but not a lot of superhero media acknowledges that crimes are largely just symptoms of large-scale socioeconomic and political issues.

I mean, sure, if you’re bullet proof or whatever and there’s someone who’s about to get shot, then by all means stop the guy with the gun. But crime fighting in my opinion shouldn’t be the main focus of any superhero. A great superhero only fights crime in the sense that a fireman might “fight” things like arson and building code violations. The primary goal of a superhero should always be to protect people from danger and take steps to ensure any given disaster doesn’t happen again, or if it does happen again, to ensure that they’ll be more prepared for it the next time around. A great superhero should be fighting to create a world that doesn’t need them anymore.

Well-written interpretations of Superman are especially good at this actually, with a very recent example in the form of the show My Adventures With Superman. This Superman’s goal is never once to fight the bad guys just for the sake of it or because they’re committing crimes and he thinks they ought to be put in jail or anything. In fact, I’m struggling to think of any example in that show where Clark’s motivation in a fight against the villain of the week was anything other than to get civilians out of harm’s way and then save the human bad guys from themselves. This Clark doesn’t want to hurt or imprison anyone! He’s extremely aware of his overwhelming strength and power and capacity to break things by accident, having grown up in a world that may as well have been made of cardboard, and when we see Supes out and about doing casual Superman things, the help he provides is almost never about catching criminals. Most of the time, he’s rescuing cats from trees, helping lost children find their parents, saving people from getting hit by cars, stopping bridges from collapsing, catching people who fall from high places, rescuing people from burning buildings, that sort of thing. This superman is a firefighter type to his very core.

Even when he defeats Dr. Ivo, a man who Clark has been shown to despise for the ways he’s been using his wealth to uproot people from their homes (and for the way he treats women), he doesn’t turn him in to the police. Instead, he notes his state of critical health as a result of the side affects of the Parasite suit, and brings him to the nearest ambulance. Even objectively horrible people who have done terrible things aren’t exempt from Clark’s desire to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Fighting supervillains was never about fighting evil for him. The goal was always to bring people to safety first and foremost, then to de-escalate the situation, neutralizing the source of the threat without causing anyone unnecessary harm. That is what Superman is all about.

Moving away from MAwS for the moment and into the characterization of Superman as a whole, I think that all too often Superman writers who don’t understand the point of the character undersell the importance of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter in the ways Supes goes about helping make the world a better place. Far too often in media, superheroes serve only as defenders of an imperfect status quo. They prevent the villains from bringing about whatever change they have in mind that would make the world worse, but more and more often as of late supervillains have been written with pseudo-sympathetic goals and motivations. They’ll pay lip-service to real-world systematic problems and social issues, then proceed to immediately undermine the validity of their stated mission by attempting to fulfill their alleged motives through needlessly ruthless, violent and authoritarian means, which only serves to imply to the audience that any sort of societal change will only make things worse, and that the status quo is the best we can possibly hope for. A bad superman writer will have Superman help the world by punching bad guys really hard. A good superman writer will have him focus on protecting people and saving those in peril instead. But a great superman writer knows that Superman alone is not enough.

Saving people, while noble and righteous and something Supes alone could do to such an effective degree, is ultimately just a patch job. A great Superman fights for a world that no longer needs his help, and Clark Kent is a big part about how he does that. Systematic problems can’t be punched, and bulletproof skin can’t save people from it. Superman can’t encase police brutality in a block of ice, or cut systemic racism to bits with his laser eyes. The tools Superman uses to protect people in a direct, physical sense are therefore not the powers he needs to create real positive change. No, the only thing that can overcome that sort of monster is the spread of information. More specifically, the truth. That’s why out of all of Superman’s abilities, it’s his super hearing and X-Ray vision that offer him the greatest amount of power to enact positive change, because while both of those have their uses as the Man of Steel, they’re actually infinitely more useful to mild-mannered newspaper reporter Clark Kent.

Superman can take on pretty much any physical threat, which is why his greatest foes are always those who threaten the world with problems he can’t punch. Picture in your mind, if you will, Superman’s arch-nemesis. I don’t even have to say his name, do I? Sure, you might debate for a split second the importance of the more direct threats like Braniac, Doomsday, and Zod, but everyone knows who Superman’s true nemesis is, and it isn’t any of them. It isn’t anyone with special powers or the innate capacity to level entire cities, but instead Lex. Fucking. Luther. A human man. A rich CEO, a politician. The living personification of the problems Superman can’t punch. That’s why Clark Kent is so important. Because he’s a reporter for the daily planet. It’s his job to chase leads, seek out the truth and expose it to the world. And Clark hears everything. He knows how severely corrupt the police are, because he can hear them from his office. He knows how awful the prison system is, because he can see what goes on in there through multiple layers of concrete walls.

True, he has to hide his identity as Superman and thus can’t just tell his coworkers everything he sees and hears. And even if he could tell them, it would all amount to little more than hearsay. But Clark Kent can also just follow up on “anonymous tips,” or leave hints of a big story for his coworkers to find and sniff out for themselves. Honestly, being Clark Kent must take infinitely more restraint for Supes than being the Man of Steel, because if he follows up on too many tips or knows too well where to look for leads on too many scandals, he’ll draw too much attention to himself and lose his edge against the bad guys. Hell, even with ample amount of subtlety and restraint I wouldn’t be surprised if Clark came to earn something of a reputation around the office as the “spiders georg” of police corruption and political scandals. And all that on top of that one really good tumblr post about Clark cracking down on lead pipes in Metropolis. Like this man must be a journalism machine, the whistleblower to end all whistleblowers! Superman may be able to save the world, but Clark Kent is the one who can actually change it for the better.

Not to say Superman wouldn’t publicly speak out about these things as well of course. Save enough families from burning buildings and people are bound to start caring about what you have to say sooner or later. And what are the police going to do about it if fucking Superman calls them out? Shoot the man of steel? Arrest a guy who can melt through concrete just by looking at it? Call the fucking military to deal with a man who spends his time rescuing cats from trees and helping old ladies across the street? Superman represents everything that cops want us to think they are, and logically speaking he would fucking despise them. Because Superman stands for Truth and Justice. And all cops are bastards. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[ao3feed-superbat]

J'onn Just Wanted to Eat Oreos in Peace

by Puppetmaster13

This could only end in disaster, J’onn decided in slight dismay as he opened his package of oreos.

He understood where his companions were coming from, being curious about each other and each other’s lives outside the cape. He understood the fact they were engaging in small talk, but did they really have to ask that question to the one of two people whose planets were quite literally dead and gone? And while he could tell that they didn’t mean any harm in their question, it didn’t mean Clark- as he’d let it slip once before- would.

This couldn’t end well, at all. 

Words: 662, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of DC Works

Fandoms: DCU, Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: J'onn J'onzz, Clark Kent, Flash, Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, Black Canary (DCU), Justice League (DCU)

Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: batman doesn't join justice league, j'onn just wanted to eat his oreos man, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, How Do I Tag, Implied Relationships, the justice league share one braincell, Bruce Wayne Never Joined the Justice League, superman is here for the chaos, Clark Kent is Superman, the league knows he uses the name clark but not his last name, they just think it's similar to j'onn tryin to blend in with humans with a more human name lol

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/48670936

[stealingyourbones]

I’m sorry for just popping in here but I saw this and immediately thought of you

https://youtube.com/shorts/_tQ-MT1U00U?feature=share

“Daily Planet Co Workers Won’t let Clark Kent leave During a Disaster” sketch by Game Changer

Man I do love me some of that good good Dropout.tv. I truly love this sketch so much it’s absolutely hilarious. Ty for sending it to me my dude <3 :D

[whalehouse1]

The Separate RoTS Kon and Comic Kon AU

@thefaeriefeatherdark

So this AU is basically part of my own extended DC universe (we all have one and mine is still very much in development), where Connor (Young Justice Superboy), Kon (Comic's Superboy), and Maik (Reign of the Supermen's Superboy) all exist concurrently. Kon is the first clone but it is the one with TTK and Lex as the other father (all three technically are in this scenario), and it pretty much plays out with ignoring him getting erased cause I'm not playing that game with DC. After Clark finally gets used to him being around, they find out about Connor, who, unlike Kon, has more Kryptonian abilities, mainly what he has in the cartoon, but I think he deserves heat vision and ice breath because I like them and he deserves something too. Clark is a lot worse to him than he was to Kon, if only because how does Lex keep getting his DNA and Connor is a tad more standoffish and he didn't feel like he was ever part of Young Justice here because, well Kon was already there and you don't need two Supers (stupid hypothesis I know, but what can you do?). Also unlike Kon, he does age, albeit slower than most people. Young Justice does keep inviting him to join (the team being from their original run plus M'gann and Kaldur, but he thinks it's just pity and ends up on the Outsiders. He still ends up with M'gann though cause it's a cute ship to me. After they get married and Jon is around 10 (no Bendis time skip and the aging is different because otherwise Lois would be having Jon at 75, and a key point of this AU is to fill Ma and Pa Kent's outside table with family), is when Lex displays the newest "invention" of Lexcorp, Superboy. Now, I never watched Reign of the Supermen and have very cursory knowledge about it, so this will deviate a lot more than the rest. Superboy (here-fore referred to as Maik due to later reasons), is made basically act how the music industry used Justin Beiber when he was a child, and he is 12 because he looked like a 12 year old when I saw him. He is literally a marketing ploy for Lex to show off he can mass produce Supermen who are more obedient and humans can trust since they're American Made. Lex uses him literally to show up Superman and even has him fight the other three Superboys to show how much better the man made ones are, always during disasters. One day during a disaster, he fumbles it hard, causing more destruction than should have happened (ignoring that Lex caused the disaster in the first place), Lex takes him to the lab to euthanize him with a kryptonite syringe. Kara was having lunch nearby with some friends and hears Maik screaming and crying and excuses herself and busts into the lab and sees Lex trying to pin Maik down to kill him and she goes feral. She burns Lex's hand so he drops the syringe and then gets up close and personal. The end of the fight being that despite being at least 100' underground, Lex is lands outside the hole Kara made and she keeps going, horrifying the onlookers until Maik finally climbs out (only super jumping, flight comes later) and tells the crowd what Luthor tried to do to him, but obviously, a human being turned into a squeak toy by a Kryptonian isn't good for optics, despite the youth's pleas. Luckily, Lois and Jon heard the commotion and Jon throws a rock at Kara who stops and realizes what she's doing, spits on Lex, grabs Maik by the hand and flies off with him. Clark, Lois and Jon find them at the farm with Ma making them sandwiches to eat. Kara and Maik explain what happened and afterwards, Clark says they need a name for him if he's staying. Given he's 12 physically and less than a year old legally, he has to stay somewhere and since Lex has a boner for both Kal and Clark, they decide he should stay with the Danvers who are okay with the situation but scold Kara for almost killing a person even if he deserves it cause she was raised better than that. They say they need to name him something and Kara has been teaching Jon, Kon and Connor some Kryptonian and Jon suggests Maik El, which I don't know if there is a Krypotonian language that's actually made-

[letsplaydcttrpg]

What's next?

Cover images and blurbs below the cut!

Swamp Thing in Racing With the Rats: "In the full-length solitaire adventure, Racing With the Rats, Swamp Thing is infected by toxic waste and plunged into a horrific hallucinatory world, where he becomes trapped in a deadly delusion. The player must try to maintain his grip on sanity long enough to reverse the damage and return to reality."

Jonah Hex in Escort to Hell: "When you were back in the Old West you knew what was happening and what to expect. It is the 21st century. You are surrounded by an alien and hostile world, yet you have survived; you have gained a reputation here as one who can hold his own. Now you, Jonah Hex, face the greatest challenge of your life as an Escort to Hell!"

Green Lantern in The Otherwhere Quest: "Once upon a universe... A century ago, the failed Green Lantern Corps was summoned to the mysterious dimension known as the Otherwhere, and called upon to save it from the tyrannical Subjugators. Protected for all time by the strange forcefield called the Forever Barrier, the peaceful Otherwhere had become vulnerable as the Barrier weakened, threatening an invasion of anarchy and terror. To stop the deterioration, the Green Lantern Corps had to locate the Harmony Beacon...the one object capable of restoring the Barrier, but hidden to all but those who were truly noble and pure of heart. Today...A call for help is heard again, for evil Subjugators threaten the peace within the Otherwhere once more. With only hours remaining until total annihilation, a single Green Lantern must seek the ancient Harmony Beacon to restore the Forever Barrier. Can he succeed alone, where it once took the strength of the entire Corps to win the day?"

The Flash in City of Fear: "A morning's jog through Manhattan at a leisurely 250 miles per hour turns into a series of life-and-death rescues for Wally West, the new Flash. First, a maniac starts randomly shooting at commuters on a subway platform. After stopping this killer, Flash is informed by the police of a terrorist bomb threat in the Wall Street area. Flash is caught in a race against time as he attempts to unravel a web of mystery and intrigue. Determined to live up to the heroic legacy passed down to him by his predecessors, Flash must uncover the truth in time to prevent a disaster which will transform New York into a...City of Fear."

Superman in Countdown to Armageddon: "Has this ever happened to you? You are flying over Metropolis when suddenly your super-hearing picks up five different distress calls from around the world. All are urgent, all deal with the lives of thousands of people, but which one will you pick? Find out in this exciting adventure that pushes Superman to the limits of his endurance. Can he keep the earth from falling apart, discover the fiendish plot behind it all, use his super-computer in the Fortress of Solitude to find a solution, and still make his 6:00 newscast as Clark Kent? Only those brave enough to play this adventure will know what it's really like to be the Man of Steel."