#clark knows he is superior

[feyburner]

In ur version, does Batman or Superman even approve of Kon and Tim being together?

Lol sorry I’m sure you intended this as an art prompt but instead I used it as a silly little writing exercise.

Clark Kent (Daily Planet) »

Hi! Do you have a moment to chat?

« Bruce Wayne

That depends.

Clark Kent (Daily Planet) »

On what?

« Bruce Wayne

On the subject matter, Clark Kent, Daily Planet Reporter.

Clark Kent (Daily Planet) »

Shoot. hang on

Superman (Justice League) »

Hi! Do you have a moment to chat?

« B

How many times a day does that happen

Just tell me. I can take it

Superman (Justice League) »

Not… that many…

« B

How many records are we scrubbing.

This week.

Superman (Justice League) »

Listen

You are the one who chose to make secret phones that are identical to normal phones

I don’t know what you were expecting

« B

It’s precautionary. In case they get lost.

They’re not identical. The Batcell’s haptic interface hardware is superior to the iPhone’s.

Slightly bigger too.

0.3mm.

Superman (Justice League) »

I’ll refrain from the obvious comment

But know I am thinking it

« B

So there’s a visual difference.

You have x-ray vision.

Superman (Justice League) »

If you think I’m going to x-ray my phone to figure out if the haptic interface software is 0.3mm larger than an iPhones every single time I need to send a text you are nuts

That’s you

« B

Learning memes are we.

Superman (Justice League) »

That’s not a meme. It’s a reaction image

I think

« B

Doesn’t a reaction image have to be sent in reaction to something? By definition?

Superman (Justice League) »

I dont know.

« B

I don’t either.

Superman (Justice League) »

Okay.

« B

You said you wanted to chat?

Superman (Justice League) »

Yes

And let me just preface this with:

I am about to tell you something and I need you to be, with all due respect, so normal about it

« B

Jesus fucking Christ, what happened?

Superman (Justice League) »

Nothing!! bad

Nothing bad

« B

Where are you? Can you call?

Superman (Justice League) »

Ok calm down, I’m fine, everything is fine

I can theoretically call but I think this is the kind of thing you’re going to want to sit with, on your own, for a second

Maybe 30 full seconds actually. Maybe sit for 30 full seconds before taking any action

« B

Kal El, I am catastrophizing at the speed of sound.

Superman (Justice League) »

Then I bet it will be such a huge relief to learn that all Im going to say is I have it on good authority that Superboy has something to tell you, and normally I would never breach his trust like this, but again: I cannot emphasize enough that I need you to be so, so normal. When he tells you. Which I have reason to believe he will, imminently

« B

Alfred has just informed me that Superboy is on the doorstep.

On the doorstep, Kal.

Of my home.

Superman (Justice League) »

Huh!

« B

He’s asked to speak with me in the parlor.

“In the parlor.” Quote.

I forgot we had one of those.

What is this.

Superman (Justice League) »

Well

I think there’s a chance Kon is about to be very, very brave, to your face

And—keep in mind I’m saying this as someone who thinks the world of you and has boundless trust and faith in your ability to be kind, selfless, and accepting—

If he doesnt leave that house with a smile on his face and a spring in his step I will ruin your life.

« B

Jesus.

I know you’re only threatening me because of that, thing I said. Last time.

And yet, it’s still effective.

Superman (Justice League) »

« B

Yeah.

Superman (Justice League) »

Yeah?

« B

Yeah.

Superman (Justice League) »

:)

« B

:)

I have to go meet your kid. “In the parlor”

Superman (Justice League) »

Be nice :)

« B

I will.

I know what he’s going to say anyway.

Superman (Justice League) »

Oh?

« B

He, and coincidentally also Robin, needs to work on his situational awareness.

With an emphasis on remembering to scan the environment for CCTV cameras.

Superman (Justice League) »

Ok to be fair there are a lot of cameras these days

« B

The incident in question took place on the rooftop of Wayne Tower.

Superman (Justice League) »

I see.

« B

Yeah.

Superman (Justice League) »

Yeah.

Unrelatedly are you coming over later?

« B

So you can ruin my life?

Yes.

Superman (Justice League) »

See you then :)

« B

Yes.

Wait.

It’s not weird now that…?

Superman (Justice League) »

Holidays may get awkward but I’m sure we will all cope.

« B

Okay.

:)

Superman (Justice League) »

Tell Kon I said hi!

« B

I will.

*

« B

Hey it’s Batman. I fucked up.

Superman (Justice League) »

What??

« B

Not with Kon’s thing. That went fine. But we kept talking and I mayh ave let something slip and I’d liek to apologize in advance bc I htink he’s on the way

Superman (Justice League) »

Kons at my window???

« B

Sorry.

Superman (Justice League) »

I will ruin your life!!!!!

« B

Nuts.

[radiofreederry]

Something I feel should be part of Lex Luthor's characterization that I don't think is ever explored enough:

He has no interest in discovering Superman's secret identity.

He does not believe that Superman HAS a secret identity.

Why would he? Superman gives lengthy, tell-all interviews to the Daily Planet in which he makes it clear that his name is Kal-El, that he is an alien from the planet Krypton, and that he stays in a crystal fortress in the Antarctic.

Lex has no reason to suspect that Superman might even desire a normal human life, with a wife and son and office job in a dying medium. He's an alien from another planet with immeasurable abilities and strength. All that wholesome aw-shucks posturing is just an act; obviously Superman would never want to live among humans, he wants to dominate them.

After all, if Lex had Superman's power, that's exactly what he would do with it.

Lex is a narcissist! He can barely see beyond his own nose, and he would never, ever, for one moment suspect that Superman would actually be Clark Kent, that straightlaced, soft-spoken journalist who still wears double-breasted suits. Everyone knows his wife wears the pants in that relationship.

Even the fact that Superman is mostly seen in Metropolis wouldn't seem suspicious to Lex. After all, in his mind, he's the only person who has Superman's number, the single biggest threat to his unchallenged superiority over mankind - and he lives in Metropolis too.

[sweetbans29]

Overprotective - CC

Pairing: Caitlin Clark x Reader

Summary: 3 times you navigate her need to protect you (based on THIS request)

Warnings: Protective CC, mildly suggestive in the first one

Word Count: 3.5k

Sweetbans Masterlist

AN: Protective CC would be superior. Also used piece of a movie to help with one of the instances, see if you can spot it.

The First.

You don't know how you got here. Everything happened so fast, you couldn't comprehend the events that were unfolding in front of you. One second you were sitting at the lunch tables with your friends, the next you had milk going down your back and you see your best friend launch herself at whoever who did it.

See high school wasn't your friend. You remember all those movies about the outcast getting bullied by everybody who thinks they're anybody? Yeah, that's you. Walking through the halls of your school with a walking target on your back. A target that just magically appeared one day and has never left. Forget the fact that you were at a religious school, it was almost worse than if you went to public school. The girls here were a whole new level of mean.

There was only one thing that kept you sane and that was your best friend. That is your best friend and crush for the last 4 years. A crush that you swallow down and will take to your grave to never see the light of day. You had met the brown haired girl at an AAU tournament. You loved going to AAU tournaments and would spend a majority of your time in gyms with your mom was a coach and your older sister played. It was crazy how every bone in her body was athletic and every bone in yours was not. She took after your mom while you took after your dad. Going back to the brown haired girl, you were sitting and watching the team your mom coached when a ball came flying your way, hitting you straight in the head. The brown haired girl came running over, apologizing immediately. Once you got over the pain, she introduced herself and you did the same. Little did you know that the beginning of your friendship was a foreshadowing to the rest of your friendship.

Bringing it back to the milk running down your back. You were sitting in the cafeteria with Caitlin and a few other girls from her team when Stacy and her crew walked up to your table.

"Well look who we have here," Stacy says, eyes trained on you. Forget who you were sitting with, when Stacy had an agenda to humiliate you - she would do it.

You don't look up at the girl and continue eating your lunch. You see Caitlin's teammates sit up a little straighter, always keeping an eye out for you. What you don't see is Caitlin's fists clench as her whole body tenses up.

"Ignoring me now are we?" Stacy says. "Do we really think that is the best idea?"

Whenever you talked to your dad about what was happening at school, he would empathize with you. He would also tell you to not give them the light of day - show them that they don't phase you. And that is exactly the plan you had.

You take another bite of your sandwich and ignore Stacy.

"Why don't you try and ignore this," she says as she elbows her boyfriend Tyler. Tyler picks up the milk from Caitlin's tray and slowly pours it down the back of your shirt.

As much as you try to ignore the cold liquid running down your back, you straighten from the cold sensation and feel a lump in your throat form.

Another thing your dad told you was to never let the enemy see you cry, they feed off of you weakness only fueling them even more.

Before you can turn to say something, You see Caitlin stand. Before you can stop her, she has her fist connecting with Tyler's face.

You sit there in shock for a whole two seconds as you hear the whole cafeteria go silent. It's not like Tyler can hit back but you first thought was 'what if he did?'.

Caitlin's team is now pulling her away from Tyler and Stacy's group as Stacy is checking to make sure Tyler is okay.

When you come to your senses, you grab Caitlin's arm and drag her out and down the hallway to the nearest bathroom. The team stayed behind to let the teachers know what happened which you were beyond grateful for.

Once you got Cait into the bathroom you just stand there and look at her. You can see the rage in her eyes and you are sure yours reflect something similar.

How could she be so stupid, you thought to yourself. You look down at the hand that collided with Tyler and your whole demeanor softens. You walk past Caitlin and grab a paper towel. You wet it under the sink and take her hand.

The second the cool towel makes contact with her knuckles, she flinches, trying to retreat but you don't let her.

"Stop moving," you tell her. She lets out an exasperated groan.

You bring her hand up to examine it closer as you pat her bruising skin. She doesn't move and lets you run your fingers on top of her own.

"You're so dumb," you say knowing her hand is going to bug her for the next week days at practice.

There would be a lot that you didn't tell your best friend, worried that something like this would happen. You have seen Caitlin's temper and would fear it would lead to regrettable actions.

She looks at you in disbelief.

"If you think I was going to sit there and just let them do that, you are very wrong," Caitlin says. You didn't realize how close she had gotten to you but once you realize it, you feel the hair on your arms rise.

Caitlin is looking into your eyes, her hand that you were just holding is now on your neck. Her thumb grazes your cheek. You would be lying to yourself if you were to say you haven't thought about this.

"Caitlin," you say as she leans in and gently presses her lips to yours.

At first, the kiss is slow and sweet. Just getting to know the way each other's lips move. Once there is an unspoken comfortability, and Cait senses that, she deepens the kiss. Your hands come to wrap around her neck as hers find a home on your waist. She backs you up into the sink, using the gasp that escapes you to allow her tongue to explore yours.

Caitlin breathes you in like her life depends on it. She squeezes your hips and moans into you when she feels your hands tug at the hair on the back of her head. She wants you in ways she would never dare speak of, at least that was before her knowing you would kiss her back with as much need.

You feel her hands slip under your shirt and you are suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that you are still in the school bathroom. One of your hands comes to her chest, giving her a little push which elicits a low whine from the girl. As much as you want her, your first time together will not be in the confines of this wretched place.

"Not here," you say out of breath. She hesitates but nods. Your hand comes up to hold her face.

"You are beautiful," you say really looking at her features. When you say it, you feel her cheeks warm as she smiles. She leans in to hide her face into your shoulder and neck, a gesture you have learned she does when she is overly excited and or extremely content. She muffles something into your neck that you can't understand.

"What was that?" You ask. She lifts her head a little.

"You smell like milk," she says with a little giggle. You push her back and she is now full on laughing.

You remove your shirt and rinse it out in the sink. Caitlin comes up behind you wraps her arms around your middle.

"You're so much help," you say sarcastically.

"I know," she says, smiling at you through the mirror.

"Maybe I'll walk out there like this," you say referring to you being topless.

"Like hell you will," Cait says as she removes the sweatshirt she is wearing. She forces it over your head, causing your hair to get messed up. Not that she cared, the idea of you walking out for everyone to see blinded every other thought she had. She treats you like a child who can't dress themselves as she is pulling your arms through the sleeves one by one.

"There you go," she says content with herself.

"Promise me you won't do that again," you say as you take her hand.

"You know I don't make promises I can't keep," she says and you roll your eyes at the girl.

You thank her as the two of you head back out into the world. Later that day, after Caitlin is done with practice, she makes her way to your house. The two of you hang outside in your backyard, bundled up in your hammock. You talk about when each of your feelings started to arise for one another and what your lives look like together. She tells you how she tried to hide her hand from her coach but was ultimately outed. You grabbed her hand and took another look at the bruises that have developed.

"I still can't believe you punched Tyler," you whisper as you are looking at her hand.

"And I would do it again if he ever messes with you like that again," Cait says not missing a beat.

"I know you would," you say as you bring her hand up to your lips, giving it the most gentle kiss.

The Worst.

You are at home, book in hand, planted on the couch while wrapped in a blanket when the softest knock comes from the front door. You look at the clock, 10:42 PM.

Making your way to the door you check to see who it is. After spotting your girlfriend and one of her teammates you open it in a heartbeat.

The sight in front of you is one that you wish you never had to see.

Caitlin is being held up by her teammate who is doing her best to keep the beat up girl from hunching over.

"Sorry to bug you so late, I didn't know where else to take her," her teammate says and you go to help her bring Caitlin into your house.

"What happened?" You ask and Cait's teammate looks at you warily. By the look you already know. Your mind flashes back to lunch where you were humiliated worse than ever before.

Walking into the cafeteria, you are met with glances and muffled laughs. When you walk up to your usual table, you are met with Stacy and Tyler.

"Oh hey there," Stacy says with a wicked smile. You ignore her and go to sit when your eyes is drawn to something. Looking at the flyer on the table you see a photoshoped picture of your face on some model in a bikini.

You feel the blood drain form your face as panic sets in - looking around you see everyone has fliers in their hands and are laughing at you. The humiliation is sickening.

You turn to run back out out the cafeteria when you are met with familiar arms.

"I got you," Caitlin whispers as you hide your face in her. She looks over at Stacy and her gang, ripping a flier from a nearby girl's hand, taking a look at what they had done. All Cait can see is red when she crumples the paper and is about to go give Stacy a piece of her mind when she feels your shaking body.

"I got you," Cait says again, deciding to take you out of the situation. As she looks at Stacy, Caitlin's eyes show she will be back.

Caitlin takes you home and promises she will be back. You beg her to stay with you which she gives in and stays.

She holds you as you fall asleep in her arms. When you wake up, you are alone. You knew Cait had a game which is where you believed her to be. After checking your phone, you suspicions are right which is when you curl up with a book.

"I've got her," you tell Caitlin's teammate and they leave.

Caitlin is sitting on your couch, not a word spoken.

You grab arm and lead her up to your bathroom. it takes some time to get up the stairs but she manages. Once in your bathroom, she takes a seat on the counter as you grab your first aid kit.

Looking at your girl, you don't know where to begin. Putting the hydrogen peroxide down, you run downstairs to grab a few bags of frozen veggies and return with them. You place one on Caitlin's eye and another on her knee. The final bag you brought goes to her right fist and she flinches.

You start cleaning the cuts and scraps on her left hand, shortly moving over to her right. You clean and bandage all the open wounds you see. Caitlin shifts and winces.

You look at her with furrowed eyebrows as her hand comes to bring an ice pack to her abdomen. Moving her hand, you try to lift her shirt but she fights you for the first time. You shoot her a 'don't you dare' look and she slumps her shoulders and lets you lift her shirt. You don't need to lift it far to see her once porcelain skin painted with blue, green and yellow.

"Holy shit," you mutter as you go to gently bring her shirt over her head.

"Caity," you say with a sigh, scared to touch her.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she says trying to smile. You fingers come to graze against the blue parts of her stomach and she winces again.

Your concern for the girl grows as you continue to find more and more injuries.

You finish caring for her by cleaning up her face. There wasn't much to clean up, just her eye.

Once finished, you bring her head to lean against your shoulder.

The two of you stay like that for a while.

"I'm not sorry," she mutters.

"I know," you say. She lifts her head to look in your eyes. She leans her forehead against yours.

"Can I spend the night?" She asks. "Don't want my parents to see me."

You nod. You step back and help her off the counter, guiding her to your bed. After helping her lay down you begin to leave your room.

"Where are you going?" Cait asks.

"I'll be right back, babe," you say as you grab the bags of now unfrozen veggies. You return them to the freezer and grab some Advil along with a glass of water.

When you walk back into your room, you see Caitlin laying there with her eyes closed. You go and sit next to her and you watch her chest rise and fall. Your eyes can't help by travel down to her colored abdomen as you feel a pain in your chest.

"I wish you didn't," you say as Caitlin brings her hand to rest on your thigh.

"They can't think what they did is okay," she says, her eyes still closed.

"I don't care about them, I care about you," you say as your thumb begins to rub the skin right under her right breast.

Caitlin finally opens her eyes and you pass her the pain reliever.

You make your way to your side of the bed and lay down. Scooting close to her, you are too scared to lean on her.

"Want me to make the joke about seeing the other guy?" Caitlin asks trying to lighten the mood.

"Absolutely not," you say. You hear Cait chuckle, then feel her scoot closer to you so your arms are touching.

"Promise me you won't do this again," you breath out.

She is silent for a little before responding.

"You know I can't make promises I can't keep," she says.

The Last.

You are sitting in the bleachers of your high schools gym waiting to watch Caitlin play one of your schools biggest rivals. You watch the game intently as Caitlin dominates the court per usual.

Her team takes the win and you wait for you girl in the stands as she celebrates with her team first. As you are waiting you feel someone come and sit next to you.

"Hey there," someone says and you turn to see a guy from the other school. You give him a smile but don't say anything.

"I was wondering if you wanted to get out of here?" He asks.

"No thank you," you say as you stand and head down to the court to find Cait.

To your discomfort, he follows you.

"Hey, come back baby," he says as he grabs your arm. You yank it out of his hand.

"Is there a problem here?" You hear your girlfriend say as she wraps her arm around you.

"No," you whisper as you see the look in Caitlin's eye. It is the look of protector, the 'if you make one wrong move I will f-you up' look.

"Just trying to get this pretty little thing to leave with me," the guys says not taking the hint that you were in no way interested.

You feel Caitlin tense next to you and your grab her arm trying to get her to stop whatever she is about to do. You fail as you feel her lung at the guy.

"CLARK!" A voice booms. Everyones head whips to the origin of the sound to find Cait's coach.

"You swing, you are no longer on this team," Coach says as everyone turns their head to see Caitlin's arm wound up behind her. You see the dilemma in Caitlin's eye.

Your hand comes up to bring her fist down and she takes a step back. You know she can't afford to get kicked off the team - she is preparing to head to Iowa to play in college.

"Yes Coach," she says as she takes a step back. The guy now has a smirk on his face as if he didn't just dodge a bullet.

"Yes Coach," he teases and before you know it you are are the one swinging at the guy. You fist comes into contact with his face and you immediately regret it. Pain shoots from your right hand and up your arm.

"Oh shit," Caitlin says in awe of you.

Caitlin's coach shakes her head and walks away, she could stop Caitlin but has no jurisdiction over you.

The pain in your hand continues to grow.

"Cait, something isn't right," you say and she takes a hold of your hand. You let out a screech when she makes contact with you and shortly sees you fractured your hand.

Caitlin is the one to drive you to urgent care. You go and get your hand checked out, walking out with your hand in a serious wrap and follow up instructions.

As Caitlin drives you home, she is still in disbelief that you were the one to throw a punch. She parks in front of your house and turns her car off.

You sit there in silence, ashamed that you let your temper get the best of you.

"Babe," she says and you turn to look at her. The look in her eyes is something you have never seen before.

"I'm sorry," you say and look away from her. Her hand comes up to bring your face to look back out her.

"Don't apologize, my love," she says and leans in to press a kiss to your lips. "It was honestly really hot."

You giggle at her comment. You take a moment as your tone becomes more serious.

"Cait, you need to figure out a way to control your temper," you say playing with her hand. "No more hitting."

She is about to speak when you cut her off.

"I agree with your coach," you say and you look in her eyes. "I need you to promise me, no more fights. We will figure something else out okay? I can't have you going around fighting everyone, not here and definitely not in college."

You hadn't told Cait you were planning on going to Iowa with her. She knew you applied but she had no idea you had gotten in, not that she had any doubts.

She gives you the 'you better not be messing with me' look and you just smile at her. Her excitement overtakes her as she pulls you into her, burying her face into your neck. Your smile matches hers.

She lets you go and looks at you.

"I promise," she says. "I promise, no more fighting."

A stress in your releases as you have been waiting to hear those words fall from her mouth for over a year now.

"I love you," you say as you bring her face to yours.

"I love you more," Cait says kissing your lips.

AN: FIGHT ME. Not actually but I can see Cait bumping chest with someone as she yells that. Let me know if you see the same. And as always, thank you for your love and support 🤍

[punkeropercyjackson]

🌊Percy Jackson headcanons🌊

Inspo from @jellyfilledeyes !!

🌊Afro-dominican.Monoracial darkskin and super strongfeatured,he literally looks exactly like Poseidon the 'lightskin Percy' crowd is illiterate.Full name Perseo Isadore Jackson

🌊Autistic.He's also literally the protagonist of the neurodivergent abuse victims series,y'all's denial is deeper than the sea

🌊Transfem bigender.Any pronouns + A hoard of neos and was on estrogen for a while but got no surgeries for extra gender fuckery

🌊Afrosolarpunk and knows how to diy things that don't even exist,does activism/charity and goes to riots/protests,is a straightedge and listens to Mcr,Teezo Touchdown,Megan Thee Stallion,Alt Black Era,The Cure and Meet Me @ The Altar

🌊Cut ties with Annabeth by Boo.Percabeth is 'destiny' by virtue of cisheteronormativity and amatonormativity textually and book!Annabeth is a bad person who needs to leave her alone for both their own good's

🌊Weird/niche interests king.She's into obscure podcasts,indie games,underrated cartoons,cult classic movies and non-corny musicals

🌊Was a Warrior Cats and Bubble Guppies kid

🌊Huge Superfam fan.That's why they compared Jason to Clark Kent as a compliment and knows like all the lore

🌊Platonic soulmates by choice in every universe with Nico and Hazel.Them and Nico spent the year gap between Botl and Tlo bonding and in Son Hazel turned them into a trio and Sally legally adopts her like she did Nico.Percy is their eldest brother and pseudo-dad

🌊Super into kidcore as trauma coping and also due to autism

🌊Loves Cotton Candy Bang,double cheeseburgers with loaded fries and blue flan

🌊Queerplatonic best friends with Rachel and their connection came from her being autistic too and never meeting anyone like her before him.She's a trans punk like her too and helped her transition and she basically lives at La Residencia Jackson part time

🌊Sally opened up a family bussiness:Familia Jackson Beach Shack.That's where his money comes from

🌊Except for Nico's chronic pain meds and mobility aids,which he guilttrips Poseidon for

🌊And Hazel gets to live the happy friendfilled childhood he didn't with his help

🌊Lego lover,Animal Crossing and Pokemon understander and Hot Topic hater

🌊Only part of Marvel he cares about is Spiderverse and his favorite Spiderpeople are Hobie Brown and Gwen Stacy because they're too much like her not to be

🌊Nico got him into cozy horror and Hazel got him into MLP(his favorite ponies are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and he knows Flutterdash is real and Wendell & Wild is his movie of all time)

🌊Unironically plays Fortnite

🌊His piercings are a standard eyebrow piercing,forward helix on both ears,a spider bite and a tongue ring

🌊Sharks are superior in his opinion

🌊Killed Luke and slowly did a revolution in the greco-roman mythos world with that as what got to ball rolling but it really hit when he killed Zeus a year post Hoo

🌊Supposed to have been Special ED to make friends and school easier but had a such a big meltdown when Sally offered at his 9 years old because his internalized ableism was already so bad and to this day they both regret it and wonder what could've been

🌊Underground shows and parties Percy's beloved

🌊Goes on petty crime sprees for fun and letting frustation out

🌊If Rick wasn't a pussy,his girlfriend would've been a sugary sweet but powerful asf black pastel punk girl who's got the same of sense of humor as him and undooms him from the narrative against everyone's pressured expectations(Ichihime dynamic is perfect for Percy)

[toulousewayne]

Batfam Shenanigans Headcannons: Pt 6

When the League first took shape it was understood they should anyone need assistance in their own personal cities that someone would respond. By this point Superman and Batman had teamed up the most so it was understood that Batman Could work with others in Gotham he just prefer to bleed out first.

The first time the league met Robin it was kinda surprising. Batman entered the Watchtower and the League noticed the traffic signal dressed boy behind him.

“Spooky, whatcha got there?” Hal raised a brow.

“A dark Roast.” He drank his coffee.

“He meant the boy Bats.” Barry clarifies.

“I’m Robin.”

“….”

“…..”

“…..”

“Can you play games with your ring Mr. Lantern?” He beamed.

“We can keep him.” Hal replied.

The first time Green Arrow and Black Canary visited the cave they were met the a excited Robin who was happy that Batman let someone visit. Batman didn’t share the excitement.

During a mission Wonder Woman, Flash, and Hawkgirl visit the cave and come across the little gremlin that is Robin.

“Hello child, where is Bruce?” Diana beamed at the child. Dick munching on a cookie points behind him to Bruce hunched over at the Batcomputer. The group walk to him and he’s covered in bandages.

“You look like crap.” Diana pokes his side.

“I fought Bane and was thrown off the rooftop. But thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Is there more cookies?” Flash asks.

A few years later when Batgirl joins Bruce, she’s immediately taken in by Dinah.

“Right hook.”

“Remember your center don’t expose yourself to an opponent.” Dinah calls out to Batgirl.

“You’re a great teacher Dinah.”

“Very kind, but we still have much work to do little Bat. Are you up for it?”

“Bring it.”

It’s comical how some of the Robin will just appear out of thin air. Hal walks into his room to find Robin (Tim) studying the Lantern battery. “Lost kid?”

“No.”

“…you bats always like this?”

“Like what?”

Clark doesn’t notice a Robin clinging to his leg like a baby kola bear.

“Uncle Clark can we get—“

“Ahhhhh, oh it’s just you.”

“You didn’t know I was here?” Dick looks up at him.

“Sorry, kiddo. I’m think we should get you a bell.”

“Okie.”

“So, the bag of heads. Were they real?” Barry asks between bits of chili dog.

“…I was a little theatrical back then.” Red Hood hums.

“But they were fake, right?”

“….”

Ollie can’t go five feet with other Spoiler and Black Bat following him like shadows.

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to be honored or terrified.”

“Both.” Cass replies.

“Father says you come from Mars, I’ve been told your people were intelligent and superior race. I wish to learn about your home planet.”

“Very well.” J’onn nods at Robin.

The Question enters his room to find his last three unsolved cases, solved and a fresh cup of coffee. He knows it’s the third Robin. He would always sneak off and go over clues with him while Batman was busy with the others.

HawkGirl and Spoiler love sparring together. They both find it entertaining watching the other women push herself and learn from one another.

Bart and Konner are the least bit surprised to find Tim at the computer screen in the exact same spot. They spend the next forty minutes trying to get Tim to take a break because he hasn’t blink once since they left him to go watch Jon’s baseball game.

Damian and Jason spend every Sunday together. It’s actually funny because Damian will agree to plans with Dick or Jon and cancel last minute because he and Jason are reading the next several chapters of a novel and munching on Cinnamon rolls Jason baked that day. Alfred the cat is invited too.

Sometimes Cass likes to keep tabs on her family, she has been known to scare the Justice League by watching Batman from the shadows. She enjoys scaring Superman the most. Bruce enjoys this too.

Donna and Wally are Dick’s emergency contacts. Bruce finds this a little hurtful but doesn’t question it. Donna is also Dick’s Power of Attorney incase someone needs to handle important matters for him should he be unable to do so.

Out of all of Dick’s OG team Damian likes Garth the best.

Starfire and Babs had a rocky start to the relationship but no the two are thick as thieves. They go to little shops together and movies. And they truly do have a sisterly bond, Kori will berate stores for not including wheelchair access and providing disabled bathrooms. Barbara has had break two guys hands from trying to get fresh while Kori was clothes shopping. The two even have weekly movie nights at the Clocktower.

[welldonekhushi]

Call of Duty OC: Vasili "Bell" Sokolov 🔔

OLD DESIGN:

NEW DESIGN:

Finally, I came up with my Bell's bio-sheet as well! I abandoned him for nothing, but now I decided to give him some depth and character for good <3

GENERAL:

Name: Vasili

Full name: Vasili Mikhailovich Sokolov/Vincent Stephens

Codename: "Bell", Ворона (The Crow, by the KGB)

Alias(es): Vasya, Vince, Vasen'ka (by his parents), Adler's protégé (by Woods), Scary Old Man (by Sims), Major Sokolov

Age: [REDACTED]

Gender: Male

Nationality: Russian (as Vasili), American (as Vincent)

Languages spoken: Russian, English, Spanish, Italian, German and fluent in many other languages

Date of Birth: [REDACTED]

Place of Birth: Kamyshin, Russian SFSR

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: KGB (retired), Perseus Operative (formerly), MACV-SOG (currently, but after the true ending he leaves)

Status: Unknown

Universe: Black Ops: Cold War

Faceclaim: Danila Kozlovsky

Song: "Ostrov Nevezeniya" by Andrei Mironov

AFFILIATIONS:

Biography: Bell, unaware about his own existence and his past, sought to assist the CIA special agent, Russell Adler on the aim to hunt down Perseus. Every moment that passes, he starts gaining his lost memory back, which makes him question himself about what he truly is. Would Bell choose the right side of history, or choose his own?

Get to know about his parents too!

KGB (Committee for State Security)

General Anton Charkov

Major Dimitri Belikov (double agent)

Major Vadim Rudnik

Lev Kravchenko

Perseus Faction

"Perseus" (leader)

Arash Kadivar

Anton Volkov

Qasim Javadi

The Safehouse

Alex Mason

Frank Woods

Russell Adler

Helen Park

Lawrence Sims

Lazar Azoulay

Aleksandra "Aleks" Clarke R. (@alypink)

Yume Sieheart (@cyberghostdraws)

Koa "Hunter" Nikau (@islandtarochips)

Charles Moore (@deeptrashwitch)

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Weapon induced: Knife, MI6A1, M60, MP5, Type 63, LW3 — Tundra, AK-47, Throwing Knife

Fighting style: Systema, hand-to-hand combat, a little martial arts

Special skills: Has a good sense of observation and quick to react to the situation, can compose himself in many identities

Talents: Vasily could learn languages easily at a fast rate, even after getting brainwashed, he still retained those qualities within him

Shortcomings: Has frequent headaches, loses focus at times, not very confident when it comes to taking a decision, becomes absolutely dependent on his superiors

MOODBOARD:

PERSONALITY:

Myers-Briggs Type: ISTP (The Virtuoso)

Is aware of his surroundings: Because of his career as a special agent, Bell conceals himself in terms of his personal life in seclusion. Even knowing he's hunted everywhere, he intelligently makes himself invisible from the outside world which makes others difficult for him to locate or recognise.

Works in solitude: Vasili/Bell has always prefered to work alone, but it doesn't mean he doesn't mind going on missions with the team. But, as his habit of being a special agent, that trait normally came from him back in his days when he worked with the KGB.

Observant and intelligent: Vasili was able to survive any sort of situation because of his good observant skills, and his capacity to act quicker. He was able to learn a lot of languages as well, and posed himself in different identities, that made it harder for the intelligence agencies to track him down.

Is reserved and introverted: Bell really doesn't speak to anyone much, unless when it comes to planning or going for missions, he needs to form a sort of communication to keep it lively. He is seen being more comfortable with Mason and Woods, but never felt having a good vibe with Adler. It was odd on his part, but it was going to grow very obvious when the truth would have come closer to any minute.

BACKGROUND STORY

Bell, who first used to live under the identity of Vasili Sokolov, was born in a family who had an army background, where his mother and father, both served during the Second World War, and hearing their stories, it gave Vasili a motivation to support his parents legacy by joining the intelligence — which was the KGB, going under the codename "Crow".

THE KGB ARC [REDACTED]

When Vasili joined the organisation, he showed a remarkable performance as a special agent. Some say he was born to join the intelligence and make the country proud, or he was a gifted child who could learn anything quickly and successfully perform a mission by stealing info or destroying any plans that could harm his country, without any failure. He even pointed out possible mistakes while planning out a mission, and in the end they worked out efficiently. Alongside, he made himself a friend, whose name was Dimitri Belikov, and grew closer to each other and worked together as a team.

Sooner or later, Vasili's influence spread all around the world, especially during the Cold War, the enemies of the Soviet Union had a kill/capture on him. "Kill" because Vasili knew too much about them, and "Capture" because, they wanted him to tell everything he has with him, which likely created a risk for the KGB and they couldn't do so. With that, General Anton Charkov gave him the order to "retire" and stay hidden to protect himself along with the organisation. Disappointed, Vasili protested that it was the only thing that "kept him going", but having no choice, the agent decided to leave the KGB, under the General's orders.

PERSEUS ARC [REDACTED]

It was a matter of time, when one was going to collect him instead, realising he was now no longer affiliated with the KGB. Vasili was met with someone who called himself "Perseus", and requested him to join his alliance, since he knew about Vasili from his influence, and promised to give him full security, knowing he was hunted worldwide too. Seeing that as an opportunity, Vasili agreed to join in good terms, directly becoming Perseus's loyal agent.

As he continued his journey in the faction, he had shown his skills again which made Perseus as his most trusted agent, unlike the rest. But, at times Vasili has shown inner conflict towards his ideas. During the moment when he was explained about "Operation Greenlight" with the members, it left a strange feeling within his heart. He tried to protest, but he somehow couldn't refute his superior's words, and decided to acknowledge instead. Vasili had kept showing a remarkable performance, much to Arash Kadivar, one of the faction members, being envious of his relationship with Perseus.

Kadivar lures him to Trabzon Airport, where he takes Vasili, and explains that he didn't want any more "competition", resulting in him shooting the special agent in the car he was present in, leaving him to die and bleed alone. But, sooner or later, an attack situated on the airfield, unbeknownst to the dying Vasili who was growing unconscious every passing minute. Growing lost in his own thoughts, about Perseus that promised him to give him protection from the outer forces, but didn't recognise that his "own" people were against him too, as he questioned his existence at the same time.

SAFEHOUSE ARC

The voices echoed, and the man started to lose his breath.. until he woke up, and found himself in a strange place, where he couldn't remember anything of what happened. This is where, he encounters Russell Adler, a CIA agent who he curiously looks upon, having no idea. Unable to introduce himself, Adler briefed him about his name, being it under the codename "Bell". And this is where, all the very events of the canon game begin from here.

[ladykailitha]

Grief (A Friend Indeed) Part 4

Hey, guys! This story is coming along at quite the clip. I have part 5 already done. I have the specific plot beats mapped out and you are in for a wild ride.

Enjoy more Lauren being awesome, Steve being a history buff, and liking alt rock. A bit of tw for allusion to cancer. It's where Penny and Wayne talk so if you want to skip it just know that Penny isn't acting herself in this chapter and is handling the grief badly.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

***

Lauren tapped her lip thoughtfully. “I suppose I’ll grant you Robin being better than me on the sheer fact that she’s your soulmate. But it was this close.” She held her finger and thumb so close together they were almost touching.

“Platonic,” Steve assured her. Lauren raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m not her type,” he added with a shrug.

“That’s fair,” she said. “I hate it when people assume that just because you’re opposite genders that you have to be romantically linked.”

Steve nodded. “As if other types of love don’t exist.”

Eddie winced. Steve caught his eye and blushed.

“I mean you can love friends and family, that’s not romantic, right?”

When no one answered, he continued. “Like one of the kids I used to babysit, Dustin. The one that built the CV tower. God I love that kid like my little brother. But I’m not attracted to him for fuck’s sake. All I’m saying is love is more then just romantic. Hell, the Greeks had a half of a dozen or so types of love.”

Eddie leaned forward interested. “Yeah, like what?”

“There’s love for the gods, love for your brothers in arms, love for your family, romantic love, and sexual love,” Steve said, naming them and counting his fingers. “I think there are more than that, but I don’t really remember.”

Oliver frowned at Steve. “Aren’t romantic love and sex the same thing?”

Steve shrugged. “You’d have to ask them, I don’t know. But I never thought so. You don’t have to be in love to have sex and you don’t have to sex with a romantic partner.”

Lauren launched into music and her tastes to quickly change the subject as Penny was starting to frown about the sex talk.

Eddie started talking to Gale about how she liked school now that she had finished kindergarten and resurfaced to Lauren and Steve’s conversation a few minutes later.

“You can’t honestly believe that Speak & Spell is the superior album,” Steve groused. “It had one hit on it and I wouldn’t even call it that.”

“I just think the band lost a little something when Vince Clarke left is all,” Lauren murmured.

Oliver sidled up to Eddie and nudged him with his elbow. “Do you know what they are talking about?”

Eddie just shook his head, enthralled. He had seen Steve passionate about sports before but this was new.

“Some Great Reward has some of the best songs on it,” Steve continued, unaware he was being watched. “God, I remember the first I heard ‘Lie to Me’, it was like someone understood me for the first time in my life.”

Lauren snorted. “You just used that one because it was the one that would raise the least amount of eyebrows.”

Steve laughed. “Maybe a little, but I was serious about that song. I must have listened to it a dozens of times my senior year of high school. But yeah, I really connected with that album.”

She hummed. She had a feeling it had to do with that girlfriend he brought up earlier, but she would wait until there weren’t so many prying eyes and listening ears.

“I’ll give you Depeche Mode,” she said. “But please tell you don’t like Tears for Fears, please...”

Eddie barked out a laugh. “Stevie boy here has both of their albums.”

Steve just shrugged. “I’m not about to feel shame for liking a good band.”

Lauren opened her mouth to argue when her mother interrupted.

“Steve, Eddie?” Penny called out. “You will have to be sharing a room.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide as if he hadn’t considered that.

“It’s okay, ma’am,” Steve said with his most charming smile. “We’ve shared a room a couple times before, we’ll be fine.”

Eddie nearly choked on his own spit. While that was true, he didn’t think it was a wise thing to say in crowd of strangers.

Penny blinked at him. “Excuse me? You’ve shared a room with Eddie before?”

Steve batted his eyelashes at her innocently. “Sure. Often times when playing their D&D game it’ll go late in the night and they’ll end up sleeping over. My house has a lot of rooms, but not that many. So we’ll often double or triple up in a room.”

Gale looked up from her toys she was playing with on the floor. “Just how many rooms do you have?”

Penny shushed her. “We don’t talk about that sort of thing in mixed company!”

“In addition to my parents room and mine,” Steve said steadfastly ignoring her, “three other bedrooms, plus another room in the basement that could be converted into a guest room in a pinch if I had to.”

Penny turned purple. “That’s enough of that talk.”

Wayne stepped in before his sister threw hands with one of his boys. And yes, Steve was his. He just didn’t know it yet.

“It’s not a sin to talk about money,” he said. “Not talking about money is how those in power stay in power. It’s why I’m in a union at the plant. Steve can’t help where he’s from anymore than you can. The size of his house isn’t going to change just because you don’t want to hear it.”

Penny’s jaw dropped. She looked around at her children and then ducked her head. She got up and headed for the kitchen. Lauren got up to follow, but Wayne held up his hand and shook his head.

“I’ll deal with her.”

Eddie stood there with pursed lips trying not smile. But it was hard. Wayne rarely stood up to Penny because he had known for years that she was Grandma’s favorite and her kids were treated like royalty. Not like him and Wayne and in his early years, Al.

His grandma was a sweet old lady who loved him, but he knew that Penny and her kids got preferential treatment because they lived close. It was hard not to be at least a little bitter about that.

“Go Uncle Wayne,” Lauren said with a low whistle. “Classism goes both ways and Grandma would have had a fit if she had seen how Mom acted today.”

Eddie let his smile break through. “Who’s up for some cribbage?” he asked pulling a deck of cards out of his leather jacket pocket.

All three of the Nelson sibling bounced up and Gale ran to the hallway to grab a cribbage board. She pulled out four pegs and then looked at Steve.

He held up his hands. “I’ve never played before, so I’ll just watch.”

Eddie cocked his head to side. “You haven’t? Huh, I thought everyone knew how to play.”

Steve just shook his head.

“Tell you what,” Eddie said, sitting down around the coffee table. “We’ll play a couple rounds of cribbage and then we’ll play something you know how to play.”

“Do you guys know rummy?” Steve asked wiping his hands on his front of his jeans.

“Yeah,” Lauren said with a grin. “That’s a fun one. We’ll play that one next.”

The other kids nodded and Steve settled into to watch the weirdest card game imaginable played on a wooden board with little plastic pegs like rejects from the Life game.

*

Penny rounded on Wayne but the seeing the look on his face caused whatever argument she had to shrivel up behind her teeth. Her shoulders slumped and she ran her hands over her face.

“Fuck, Wayne,” she murmured. “I’m sorry. I just have all this rage inside. She could have tried to beat it. There were medicines and things she could have taken to give us a little bit more time with her and she just didn’t… take it.”

Wayne wrapped her in his arms and held her.

“And we almost had two funerals this year,” she continued into his shoulder, “and I’m just on my last raw nerve.”

Wayne nodded. It was touch and go for Eddie those first three days in the hospital and every was waiting on baited breath to see if he would come out on the other side.

Hell, his favorite moment that week was Eddie’s surgeon staring Sheriff Powell in the face and telling him under no uncertain terms was he allowed anywhere near her patient until she was sure he was going to live. And then by the time Eddie was out of the woods, the government had pinned the murders on someone else.

Eddie stayed under for another couple of weeks so he never got to see how bad ass his surgeon was. But Wayne did, Steve did and they were both very grateful.

“I know, Penny,” he murmured, holding her close. “It’s been such a rough year for us Munsons. How’s Danny handling it?”

Penny snorted. “You’d think it was his mama that died, not mine with all the wailing and carrying on he’s doing.”

Wayne laughed. “Sounds like our Danny.”

Danny and Penny were Hawkins High sweethearts that moved to Ashland to be closer to Penny’s mom when she slipped and fell.

“He’ll be home from work in an hour or so,” Penny said. “You wanna help me make dinner?”

“Whacha making?”

“Just chicken and rice,” she said, pulling things out of the fridge and cupboards.

“Sure.”

*

Steve tallied up the points from their five games of rummy and then threw the pen down.

“Fucking hell!” he hissed. “You’d think I’d be used to getting skunked by fifteen year olds.”

Eddie laughed. “Nah, I’m pretty sure Oliver just cheated.”

The teenager was on his feet in an instant. “I didn’t!”

Lauren put her hand on his arm. “They’re teasing you. Chill.”

Oliver sat back down.

Then the door opened and a man stepped inside. He had curly red hair, a barreled chest, and an easy smile. This was obviously Danny Nelson.

He spotted Steve right off and made a beeline for him. “You must be Steve, Eddie’s told us all about you.”

Steve stood up and shook his hand. “Thanks for having me so last minute.”

“I’m just glad Eddie’s got someone looking out for him,” Danny said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I can smell my wife’s delicious cooking.”

Steve nodded.

Soon they were all called for dinner and Steve was seated between Eddie and Lauren.

He could tell that whatever Wayne and Penny had talked about had sorted her out and she seemed a lot less hostile. But that could have also been the calming presence of her husband, Danny. He had tucked her into his side as they ate, and she leaned into his touch.

It made him grieve the lost of what his family could have been if his grandmother hadn’t died.

Maybe they still would have fallen apart, but maybe they would have been like this.

But he also knew that he had to be grateful for that money not because of the things he had gotten, but because it gave him the chance to find his own family in the monster-hunting party that were his friends.

***

Pt 5|Pt 6|Pt 7|Pt 8|Pt 9|Pt 10|Pt 11|Pt 12

And that's how my husband's family introduced me to cribbage too. It is sooo hard to follow.

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @messrs-weasley @goodolefashionedloverboi @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @emly03 @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @vecnuthy @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @gutterflower77 @genderless-spoon @hel-spawn @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer

[ao3sbatfamily]

Hey do you have any recs for fics where the batfamily does something that absolutely should not be possible and everyone is like wtf?

I feel like in most of the JLA meet batfam fics, the JLA focuses more on batman have kids and less on the fact that they usually did some terrifying shit. I went with cryptid batfam.

This was made into a series, so make sure to check out the sequels.

'Growling in the Shadows' by GayBatBoi

It was Martian Manhunter who interrupted his thoughts this time. “I have not met many humans who have met this Batman, but the ones I have talked to did not broadcast fear when thinking of him. In fact they seemed to feel more hopeful and safe when talking about The Batman.

“I don’t know, this just seems like a bad idea. Isn’t there anyone else we could try first?” Clark whined. He couldn’t exactly just say ‘I don’t want to go because I’m scared’. The others would never let him live it down.

“We all know that there are precious few heroes we can ask to join us, Clark. We must ensure that the hero we ask is as strong as possible to make up for our small amount of warriors.” Diana chimed in again, always the voice of reason. “A few strong teammates is far superior to many weak ones.”

“I’m still not convinced this Batman character is a good guy at all.“ He pouted, arms crossed like a child throwing a tantrum. He didn’t care. If Clark had to Gotham he could at least sulk about it a bit first.

“We could always offer him the position as a trial run. If he’s a good guy then we recruit him full time. If he’s a villain then at least we can keep a close eye on him and take care of it if we need to” Green Arrow took Flash and Diana’s side.

“I think it’s worth a shot. It is not as if there are many heroes to choose from and this Batman may surprise us yet.” Wonder Woman smiled.

[loneisland]

SYNOPSIS. At Whitman & Clarke, professionalism is at the heart of all work that leaves its doors. So when paralegals get assigned to ambitious and egoistical associates on high-stakes corporate cases, relationships stay cordial, work gets done, and most of all, the firm's reputation remains untarnished.

CONTENT. Chapter wc 2.6k, law firm AU, senior associate! michael kaiser x fem! paralegal! reader, age gap (kaiser is in his early 30s, reader is in her mid 20s), fem! reader, she/her pronouns used + reader wears makeup, skirts and heels, enemies to lovers, slow burn, angst, coarse language, legal lingo, kaiser is a reallll asshole and belittles paralegals (if you’re a paralegal ilu and none of the things said by kaiser in this fic are true 🫶)

CHAPTER ONE: ALEA IACTA EST — THE DIE HAS BEEN CAST

masterlist

Your heart sinks as you approach Michael Kaiser’s office with all the dread in the world. The door to his sleek office is ajar, and you can hear his confident voice, smooth and controlled, as he speaks on the phone. You knock lightly despite the entire wall setup being fully in glass, and push the door open. He glances up, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, as he motions for you to enter.

“Ah, there you are,” he says, hanging up the phone with a flourish. “I trust you’re ready to go over the case? ”

You force a smile, but your patience is already wearing thin. “Yeah, absolutely” you reply, taking a seat across from him.

Michael leans back in his chair, regarding you with an air of superiority that sets your teeth on edge. He’s dressed impeccably, as always, his suit tailored to perfection, his hair meticulously styled. You can’t help but notice the way his eyes gleam with a mixture of amusement and disdain, and it makes you want to knock a few teeth out of his mouth. Let’s see how much he’ll be smiling when his two front teeth will be gone, you internally grumble, more than ready to get this shitshow over with.

“The Greenwood Holdings case,” he begins, sliding a thick file across the desk towards you. “Corporate fraud, embezzlement… you know, the works. We need to get to the bottom of it, and fast.”

You nod, opening the file and scanning the contents. It’s a labyrinth of documents, emails, and financial records, each more intricate than the last. Your mouth curls in disdain and anger. ‘We’? He’s certainly not going to be the one to go through this entire thing. You’ll be doing all his dirty work, and get no recognition for it whatsoever. It’s what you’ve been doing, what you’re doing now, and no doubt what you’ll be doing in the future. Your mind races, already formulating a plan of attack. But before you can say anything, Michael interrupts.

“I’ll need you to handle the grunt work,” he says, his tone casual. “Go through the documents, highlight anything that looks suspicious, and compile a report. I’ll handle the big picture.”

“Grunt work? You do know I’m qualified for more than just spell checking, right?”

“If you’re qualified for more than just this, how come you’re still a paralegal, huh? How come you haven’t gone to law school?”

”I—“

“Listen, I don’t want your sob story. You’re not happy with this? Take it up with the managing partners. Take it up with Whitman, and get your ass kicked to the curb.”

You bristle at his condescension but bite back a retort. Stay as cordial as possible for the time being, you tell yourself. Once this case is over, you can tell him to go screw himself. Just not yet. Not yet. All in due time. “Of course,” you say, your voice tight. “Anything else?”

He leans forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Try not to screw it up, alright? This case is important, and I don’t have time to babysit rookies.”

With that, he turns his attention back to his computer, effectively dismissing you. You gather the file and leave his office, your blood boiling. A rookie? What kind of rookie has their own office? A paralegal with an office is unheard of. You are an asset to this firm, they need you and they value you. Who does this guy think he is, calling you a child? You’ve been here for 5 years. You’re no rookie. The audacity of the man, to treat you like an errand girl when you’ve proven yourself time and time again. You grit your teeth, and turn back to your desk. I’m gonna show him what a ‘rookie’ can do.

—

The first day is a blur of frustration and barely-contained anger. You immerse yourself in the mountain of paperwork, sifting through bank statements, emails, internal memos, searching for any inconsistencies or signs of fraud. It’s painstaking work, the kind that requires meticulous attention to detail and a sharp eye for anomalies.

As the hours tick by, Michael saunters in and out of the office, dropping all the more files on your desk with each trip he makes to your office, and a casual disregard for your growing workload. As if that wasn’t enough, Kaiser makes sure to pass on a snide and nasty comment, a thinly-veiled insult to grate on your nerves.

“Try to keep up,” he says with a smirk, tossing a stack of documents onto your already cluttered desk. “I need this by the end of the day.”

You bite back a sharp retort and force a smile. “Of course, Michael. I’ll get right on it.”

He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused by your thinly-veiled sarcasm. “Good. I knew you could handle it.”

You watch him walk away, your hands clenched into fists. He’s testing you, pushing your buttons to see how far he can go, but he can rest assured you won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you crack. Asshole, you think. Pure-breed, world-class, grade A, asshole.

You take a deep breath, centering yourself before diving back into the mountain of paperwork. The Greenwood Holdings case is complex, with layers upon layers of transactions that need to be meticulously reviewed. Each document you open feels like another brick added to the already heavy load on your shoulders.

The day drags on, your eyes growing tired from staring at spreadsheets and dense legal text. Stretching your upper body as much as you can while trapped in the tight space between your desk and your chair, you decide to take a brief break and step outside for some fresh air. No one would blame you for it, anyway. No one could blame you.

As you step outside the hellish building you’ve been spending an abnormal amount of hours in, the crisp autumn air once again fills your lungs, momentarily clearing your mind. You lean against the building, savoring the quiet moment, and clearing your mind of any legal bullshit that’s been clogging any functional part of your brain for the better part of the day.

Just as you begin to relax, Michael’s voice breaks through your reverie. “Taking a break already? I didn’t realize the work was too much for you.”

You turn to see him standing there, a smug expression on his face. “I’ve been working non-stop all morning, sir. I think I’m entitled to five minutes of fresh air.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “If you say so. I guess rookies do have to take a few breaks once in a while. Not that I would know,” he turns his head to you, analyzing your expression, “We don’t take breaks in law school.”

You roll your eyes and stomp your heel as he walks away, your frustration bubbling to the surface. He’s insufferable, and it’s only the first day.

Back at your desk, you relive the scenario that played out five minutes ago and try to deduce the glorious outcome if you had punched him straight in the face right away. Eventually, you determine it would probably entail a lawsuit, the loss of your job and perhaps community service for a few months, and decide not to dwell on it. So, with a renewed determination, you dive back into the given documents. If Michael thinks he can break you, he’s sorely mistaken. You pore over the records, highlighting transactions that seem out of place, making meticulous notes on everything that stands out. You lose yourself in the work, the hours slipping by in a haze of numbers and legal jargon.

Late in the afternoon, Michael reappears, leaning against your desk with a casual air. “How’s it going? Found anything useful?”

You look up from your work, meeting his gaze with a level stare. “I’ve identified several suspicious transactions. They all seem to trace back to a series of shell companies. I’m compiling a report now.”

“I want it on my desk in 10 minutes. And a coffee.”

“A coffee? Really? Who do you think I am?”

At your retaliation, Kaiser watches you intently, brows furrowed, and mouth corners curled downwards in displeasure. “I think you’re somebody who’s clearly not in my league and who answers to me. I think you’re someone who better get started on my coffee before I get you to pack your shit.”

Startled by his profanity and limbs paralyzed due to the sheer vulgarity he’s just employed to address you, you can’t help but nod, returning to your work as he saunters off. I will kill him. No, scratch that. I’ll report him to the founding partner, and then kill him. And then move to Oklahoma.

As the office begins to empty out, most of your colleagues heading home, their workday done, you decide to remain, determined to make as much progress as possible and show Kaiser just what you’re made of. The silence of the office at night is soothing, the hum of the fluorescent lights a constant background noise, until your friend, Anri, drops her bag near you.

“Lights out. Let’s go get drinks, you’ve had a long day.” she says, placing her hand atop your shoulder in compassion.

“Look I’d love to, ‘ri. I really would, but Kaiser is sucking the life out of me and if I don’t finish this right now, he’s gonna suck the life out of me tomorrow.”, you bury your face in your hands in exasperation, “And I can’t go and get myself out of this because he’ll get me blacklisted in the entirety of New York’s law firms and I just— Ugh. I can’t.”

”This is monstrous work. If he keeps going on like that, he’ll send you to the hospital. Look, if there’s any issue, blame it on me. He doesn’t know me, he can’t blacklist me.”

You look at her with all the hope in the world, but quickly come back to your senses. It doesn’t matter if Kaiser doesn’t know her, he’ll send her to hell regardless.

“I can’t let you do that.”

”Yes, you can, and you will. Come on,” she lifts up your arm in an attempt to pull you out of the chair, and you comply wordlessly. “Let’s go home.”

—

The next day dawns with a sense of grim determination. You’ve slept a daunting 4 hours and 36 minutes, and you’re pretty sure your brain was going into overdrive the entire time regardless. On top of that, despite your prospects of arriving at the office early, determined to get a head start on the mountain of work waiting for you, your resolve was tested almost immediately:

your cat had thrown up all over your new carpet, one of your heels broke on a hole on one of those damn manhole covers, and you missed your usual subway to your work building.

By the time you get to the office, hand in your hair in a desperate last attempt to look more presentable, Michael is already there, lounging in his chair, his feet propped up on the desk. He glances up at your sad appearance as you enter, a lazy smile spreading across his face. “Good morning. A few setbacks, I imagine ?”

You grit your teeth and nod. “Morning. What’s the plan for today?”

He gestures to the piles of documents on your desk. “Same as yesterday. We need to go through all of this and find anything that looks off. I’ll be working on the strategy, so don’t bother me unless it’s urgent.”

You nod curtly and get to work, your focus laser-sharp. You focus on the positive points: no Kaiser belittling you today.

Or at least, that’s what you thought. He drops by your desk every hour, dumping more work on you and making snide comments about your progress.

“Still working on that? I thought you’d be faster.”

“Don’t miss anything important. I’d hate to have to redo your work.”

Each remark is like a needle pricking at your patience, but you force yourself to stay calm. You know he’s trying to get under your skin, and you won’t give him the satisfaction.

But he doesn’t stop there. When he’s not adding onto your gargantuan workload, he passes his time by taking phone calls, right in front of your office.

“I actually, I was thinking more on the Upper East Side. Whaddya think?” He calls out with a wolfish grin in your direction. You don’t know what’s worse. Kaiser being a natural loud talker, or him doing it deliberately to get on your nerves.

Why don’t you check out the corner of 81st and kiss my ass, you grumble to yourself, staring at the pen in your hand. Maybe if you stabbed it deep enough in his neck, you could hit an artery or two and cut off his blood supply.

A few hours later, and you’re running on pure adrenaline and sheer willpower. The late nights and early mornings are taking their toll, despite the significant progress you’ve made uncovering several suspicious transactions and connections that could be key to the case. You’re clearly exhausting yourself to the bone, but Kaiser doesn’t seem to be able to care less. He sauntered over to your desk, glancing at your meticulously organized notes with a look of disdain. “Is that all you’ve got?”

You glare at him, your temper fraying. “These transactions are clearly fraudulent. If we can trace the money back to the source, we’ll have a solid case.”

He smirks, leaning in closer. “If you say so. Just make sure it’s airtight. I don’t want any mistakes.”

You nod, biting back a retort. “Understood.”

You try to settle back into your desk and concentrate again to get mentally prepared for another few hours of relentless work, when you’re summoned to the office of Mr. Whitman, one of the senior partners. Your heart pounds as you make your way down the hall, anxiety gnawing at you.

Mr. Whitman’s office is imposing, with dark wood furniture and shelves lined with legal handbooks. He looks up as you enter, his expression unreadable.

“Sit down,” he says, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk.

You sit, your nerves on edge. “Is there a problem, sir?”

He studies you for a moment before speaking. “I’ve been hearing good things about the progress you’re making on the Greenwood Holdings case.”

You nod, unsure where this is going. “Thank you. We’ve um,” For a moment, you wonder if you should mention the unbelievable amount of pressure you’ve been under for the past few days, but ultimately decided against it. “We’ve been working hard on it.”. Nevertheless, the mention of a ‘we’, despite the reality showing an urgent lack thereof is gnawing at you as well. Why are you even bothering to cover for him? Oh, right, he could fire you before you could even utter the word ‘trial’.

Mr. Whitman leans back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly. “How are you finding the arrangement with Michael Kaiser?”

The question catches you off guard, and you hesitate. “It’s... challenging, sir. But we’re making it work.”

He nods slowly, his gaze is piercing. “Challenging. That’s one way to put it. Are you satisfied with the way things are going? Is there anything you feel needs to be addressed?”

Your mind races, unsure how to respond. There’s a subtle undercurrent to his words, a hint that there’s more to this conversation than meets the eye, but you can’t quite decipher his intentions.

“I think we’re making progress,” you say cautiously. “It’s not always easy, but we’re getting the job done.”

Mr. Whitman’s expression remains neutral. “Very well. If there are any issues, don’t hesitate to bring them to my attention.”

You nod, sensing the conversation is coming to an end. “Thank you, sir.”

As you leave his office, you can’t shake the feeling that there was more to his questions than he let on. But for now, you push it aside, focusing on the task at hand. There’s still a long way to go, and you’re determined to see this case through to the end.

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reblogs and comments are most appreciated!

©loneisland 2024

[how-very-superbat]

Hi hi hi hi hi hi I have followed you for a while and omigosh the amount of Seratonin is so high- I am currently looking for recs about a pining Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne and just bad flirting and fluff and fics that I can LAUGH out loud to because they’re so silly and stupid and are too spooked to confess / misunderstandings - I am in my fluff era and can’t find enough, please if you have any recs I would greatly appreciate !!!!!!

Hiiii!!!!!!! Gosh I have just the fics for you, Superbat fluff is SUPERIOR. I hope you enjoy these!

I would also like to apologise for the crazy amount of time it took me to gather these together.

Enjoy some silly funny shenanigans :)

liquid courage by scarletazure (8k) It's Clark's birthday; he gets drunk. and really, who cares that there are other people in the room, or that he was worried about confessing in the first place for a reason? someone should tell bruce how much he's loved.

Taylor’s Version by ZIggy (3k) Bruce stumbles upon a song on the radio. It may be Taylor Swift, but it sure doesn't help him with previously undiscovered feelings.

Creation of a Bond by BatShitCrazy (27k)** Everyone knows the Bat of Gotham works alone. He’s standoffish to the League and won’t let metas into his City.  When Superman can’t prevent Batman from being seriously injured, he feels responsible. 

This one (Creation of a Bond) is a little less silly, and more angsty, but it's a banger so I thought I'd leave it in.

family made from fate by littlearrows (15k)** One time Dick walks in on Bruce and Clark having sex, and five times he walks in on them doing something else

find someone who will stand between your legs by amosanguis (4k)** Clark keeps finding reasons to stand between Bruce’s legs, a love story told in ten parts.

The Champagne Effect by JustAJellyfish & nabawrites (6k) Bruce gets drunk then goes out on patrol. The results are simultaneously hilarious and dangerous. When Alfred can't get him back on his own, and since Robin's away on Young Justice business, Alfred calls Superman.

matchmaker, matchmaker (make me a match) by Resacon1990 (24k) The team wants to get Bruce and Clark together and, at this point, Bruce knows he needs all the help he can get.

I only want you by Mawiiish (13k)** Bruce discovers a passion of Clark's that he never expected and now he can't stop thinking about Clark's hands in his hair. Good thing his stylist is on maternity leave. He's a creature of habit, he can't just find another stylist to fill in; he doesn't trust strangers - what's a poor billionaire to do?

To Bring Light Back To Your Eyes by GoldfishForHire (8k)** Months after the Justice League is formed in the wake of Steppenwolf's attempted incursion, Superman begins pulling away, becoming isolated and withdrawn. Bruce wants to help, but doesn't know how. He goes to Martha Kent for advice, and an offhand comment leads to a clumsy, though successful, outreach. Or, Bruce bakes Clark terrible pie to make him feel better, and Clark finds this very endearing.

[bloodyshadow1]

There's a comic where Superman gets depowered after infinite crises, I believe, for a year. Lex Luthor always boasted how if he didn't have to deal with Superman he would cure cancer in a year. For a year, Superman was powerless Clark Kent, and you know what Lex did? He spent the whole year trying to drag Superman out of the shadows thinking he's just waiting on his throne of alien superiority looking down at them. He spends so much money and kills so many people to because he is obessed with Superman, it was never about doing any good it was about trying to kill Superman. maybe it wasn't empty boasting, he's very smart, but whatever Lex claims, it was never Superman that stopped him from being the greatest philanthropist of the DC universe.

That's what it's like listening to Ludinus. He rants and raves about how dangerous the gods are, how terrible they are, but refuses to be confronted with the horrific things he's done. That he has hurt so many people just to get a fraction of their power. He's willing to destroy exandria and put it at risk by releasing a god eater just to spite the gods who have been behind the divine gate, something of their own creation, for at least 900 years.

Sure the prime deities aren't as unambiguously good as Superman, and Ludinus doesn't pretend like he's the good guy, just that the gods need to die. But the principle is the same. He had 900 years of being one of the most powerful wizards alive, one of the oldest humanoids, and he's still hell bent on releasing Predathos to finish off the gods who are behind the divine gate and can't physically walk on exandria anymore even if they wanted to. sure they can effect the material plane in some ways, but they aren't walking the face of Exandria anymore. He could have just let things go, but people like Ludinus are incapable of letting things go, and he wants and needs to make that everyone else's problem

[loveandleases]

The reactions to MC dating Ardent where *chef's kiss*. I was already going to romance the hell out of him, but knowing how much it will piss off MC's parents, Chris and Jade just adds to the hotness! Could you share the reactions to MC dating the Most Precious Boy Cam? Also maybe Cam's parents/Kara? (Your writing is so good- l've never been so excited for a demo before!!!!)

(Sorry if I sent this more then once- I’m sending this on my phone and it keeps saying no connection, so I wasn’t sure if it was sent!)

Dating Ardent will piss off so many people, probably even him. Hehehe. Is that his new pet name? Cute <3. Thanks' for the compliment anon, I'm glad you like it/looking forward to the demo. (it's okay anon, Tumblr has been messing with all of us) You ask and you shall receive, below the cut~ Link to Ardent version here.

💩 Chris - They have suspected something was up. Chris knew Cam had a thing for MC, honestly for a long time. They aren't surprised MC is with someone, but Cam really? He's not even the good one, not even the superior Clarke. What the hell could MC see in him? 💀 Jade - She isn't surprised by MC and Cam being together. More so surprised it took this long. Though really she thought you would go for someone other than Cam, someone who isn't related to Chris. Should she be as annoyed as she is about it? She was close to Cam too, and Cam never even made a move on her. (Pretty sure Jade has a theme song for her life in her own head.)

💢 The Clarkes - They are annoyed, why is Cam going for Chris' sloppy seconds, in fact, why is Cam putting Chris through this? Doesn't he understand this could be hard for Chris? Surely this is a line Cam shouldn't cross, and they won't hide those feelings.

💚 Kara - She is happy about it, the happiest one in the room. Cam is always different around MC, happy actually. She will be happy for Cam/MC, and congratulate them. Jokingly mention that she's the only one that MC hasn't kissed. To which Cam will happily mention it will stay that way.

Cam/MC reaction - Cam could care less about Chris and their reaction. He will be happy with Kara's reaction. Jade...the things Cam feels for Jade are not for polite company. Our precious one will struggle when his parents begin to mention his relationship with MC, tell them to fuck off. It will be at that moment that MC kisses him, for every single one of them to see. Because MC can calm him, with a touch, with a look, with a kiss.

[precious-little-scoundrel]

But then again I had a thought, yes, relationally she shoulda told the major but technically she is their superior. That was her shot to call. And it had blow back.

I think what makes this complicated though is how deep their friendship is. Like between the three of them but also their love for Smith

Right! Like relationally that’s complicated and hurtful for sure and she knows it. Also ends up being detrimental in the face of the SS jabs. But I also get why’d she try to be discrete for Smith’s sake.

I get that. And that’s what’s so yummy about this disagreement between the three.

I’m just wondering about her single superior, Clark, and what he thinks

[pseudo-hero]

I don't know if it's occurred to anyone recently, that the real/biggest reason that Lex Luthor felt like an alien while growing up in Smallville wasn't just that he was extremely intelligent (to an admittedly astronomical degree), but mainly due to the fact that he was hypersensitive, struggled to connect with people unless he felt they were very similar to him and was basically socially inept, all likely due to a possibly undiagnosed neurological condition (your guess is as good as any).

I feel like it's been heavily implied for a while now in certain Superman works that Lex may have literally been on the autism spectrum or have grown up with a related condition. Combine that with super genius intellect, a deeply ingrained sense of superiority and entitlement as well as emotional growth-stunting abuse, and you have a recipe for the perfect completely unstable, super villain catastrophe.

Likewise, I think it's been implied for a while now that Clark is also a representation of what being neurodivergent is like, but with the metaphor being made actual. Hence why he doesn't "feel like" an alien. He IS an alien. An alien that has had to mask what makes him different from others his entire life. With only those closest to him knowing the truth.

A perfect example of both of these concepts can be found in the first issue of the (technically...) on-going Superman miniseries Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor. (Same with its spiritual predecessor Superman: Birthright, if I'm being honest.)

What does anybody else think? It seems to me that only a few people at most have talked about any of this before, at least online.

[murmeloni]

What if the private school Damian goes to has some kind of life experience programme where you have to work somewhere for a while and earn a living to see how it feels (a school in my hometown has something like that) and he gets sent to live and work on the Kent's farm in Smallville.

Clark, being the nice guy that he is, offers to pick Damian and Bruce up and accompany them so they won't have to fly alone and can get a sense for what to expect before Damian is left completely alone in a different state (never mind that that's probably just a Tuesday for him; Clark doesn't know). Bruce accepts, but the night before Clark is supposed pick them up a breakout happens at Arkham and Bruce is up all night capturing and wrangling the escaped inmates back into their cells.

Which means he totally forgets about Clark and he's exhausted™ when Clark gets there. He wanders down into the kitchen an hour late only to find this big, muscly bear of a man with the kindest eyes sitting at the counter, listening attentively to Damian's rant about farm animals and why the cow is obviously superior to other species.

Clark, hearing the footsteps, looks up and finds himself face to face with Bruce. Who is only dressed in very tight boxer briefs and his flimsy pink robe. His hair is sticking up every which way and there are still pillow creases on his face. He's gorgeous.

Obviously, they fall instantly in love and Bruce visits the Kent farm so often that the principal of the school calls him and tells him that the purpose of this programme is to let the kids work and thrive without their parents' influence and how he can't just fly to Kansas anymore.

[maxwell-grant]

Could I hear more of your thoughts on Doc Savage and the archetype he created? How does it relate to modern superheroes more specifically Reed Richards? (I know that you dislike Doc Savage, so sorry if this bothers you.)

Sorta like this, if we take a look at how Doc's archetype was formed and consolidated, and how that affected the Superheroes and Reed Richards specifically. (also please don't apologize, you all can ask me questions about whatever, seriously)

"Doc Savage" is recognizable in lots of other characters but there is a difference between specific pastiches or tributes or parodies of Doc (Doc Samson, Edison Rex, Jonas Venture), and characters who are evoking Doc Savage as his own archetype to draw initial inspiration from (Tom Strong, Bane, Clark Kent), and if we pull at Doc's roots we're gonna get to prior characters like Tarzan and Sherlock who were the ones to introduce or codify much of what are now commonplace superhero traits or the ones to introduce much of what Doc was originally pulling from.

I wanna draw some lines in the sand separating what is it that these characters brought to the table, in the road to get to Reed Richards and what exactly is it that Reed and Doc have in common vs things they have that are mainly taken from characters before them/grandfathered in their respective mediums. So let's go over the Archetypes here:

The Sci-Fi Superman: Coined by Peter Coogan. Through some strange birth or scientific intervention, these characters have superhuman powers and abilities that set them irrevocably apart from humanity, nearly forcing them to usually fall into the roles of saviors, rulers, destroyers, or ostracized/self-imposed hermits. Unless they find a purpose requiring said abilites, they cannot be permitted to exist and usually meet a tragic demise or is stripped of said power. Formative example is The Creature from Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), and others include Hugo Danner from Gladiator (Phillip Wylie) and Bill Dunn from The Reign of The Superman (Jerry Siegel). Coogan considers John Carter the first wholly positive and heroic SF superman, which is disputable, but more on Carter later.

Pulp Ubermensch: The Great Man turned do-gooding adventurer with a prosocial agenda. A human who is physically, mentally, and/or morally superior to those around him as a result of training/upbringing, skilled at everything the story requires him to, who applies his talents and abilities near-exclusively to fight evil. Formative example is Nick Carter (created by John R. Coryell and penned by Frederick Van Rensselaer Dey), who established much of what would eventually become pulp hero and superhero convention consequently.

The Great Adventurer: I'm naming these as a counterpoint to The Great Detective, the fantastical globetrotting adventurer/explorer hero who can go anywhere and do anything, who takes to the world as the detective takes to the city. The idea of a wealthy, offbeat, yet good-natured pulp hero who goes around righting wrongs with like-minded assistants. Formative example here is Rocambole (Ponson du Terrail), in most ways a definitive early Pulp Ubermensch, and arguably the first proto-superhero to assemble a gang of odd companions with a variety of talents and backgrounds to aid him, which is what both the Fabulous Five and the Fantastic Four can trace roots back to.

Pulp Supermen: Offshoots of the Sci-Fi Superman as adventure protagonists in serialized stories, where their superhuman natures and status are alleviated and redirected by the need of their capabilities somewhere or in service of something, and thus they get around the ruler/savior/destroyer fate by being heroes with a social calling akin to the Pulp Ubermensch, dedicated to use their powers near-exclusively to fight injustice without rocking the boat of society by their presence (or if necessary, assert dominion ONLY in a setting outside of human society, such as the jungle or Martian civilization). Distinguished from the Pulp Ubermensch by their greater larger-than-life explicitly superhuman abilities, that they don't need to be morally/mentally superior to the extent of a Pulp Ubermensch, and by the fantastical settings and tone of their adventures. Formative examples are John Carter of Mars and Tarzan of the Apes (both created by Edgar Rice Burroughs), with Tarzan quoted by Lester Dent as a specific influence on Doc (there are others but we're skipping most of those not relevant here)

The Science Adventurer: A frequently-used name to describe Doc Savage and Doc Savage-alikes. Doc Savage can be described, in archetype word salad terms, as a Pulp Superman who calls upon the Pulp Ubermensch's great man-ness and urban social calling, and who combines a Sci-Fi Superman origin and physical traits with The Great Adventurer's explorer disposition, righteousness and band of companions. The main thing that sets him apart from the characters listed prior is his focus on scientific prowess, technology, reasoning and polymathic skills, the importance of the "Doc" part of his name as it where.

The Superhero: you already know what these are and how they relate to the above. I've written a couple of things about the differences between pulp heroes and superheroes and it's a subject I'm of constantly mixed opinions on even regarding stuff I wrote, so I'm linking these two written a year apart if you want an idea of where those differences are.

And so we get to Reed, who I'm naming a Science-Adventurer Superhero as a merger of the last two. Both Stan Lee and Jack Kirby mentioned several times that they read Doc Savage aplenty during the Depression and it shows in elements such as the Baxter Building (an expansion of Doc's headquarters in the Empire State Building - instead of just the 86th floor, The Four get the entire skyscraper), the specialized aircraft and vehicles, the fights and antagonism between the cantankerous and anti-social Ben Grimm and the smart-mouthed Johnny Storm mirroring the bickering spats between the bestial Monk and the silver-tongued Ham, and of course Beast from X-Men being more closeled modeled on Monk's ape-ish traits and scientific expertise (there's a fairly large argument to be made, that I think accounts for some of why Beast is, like that, in recent comics, that Ben Grimm and Hank McCoy both divided Monk Mayfair's every trait between themselves and ultimately flipped the script in the long run before taking it to the farthest extremes possible as polarized opposites of each other, with Ben initially getting most of the bad parts and making them the best ones, and Hank initially getting all the good ones and making them into the worst ones)

As far as I know, Reed Richards was not consciously modeled after Doc Savage (although Jack Kirby and Joe Simon's Private Strong used the origin story of a professor raising his son in a lab to be perfect in total isolation of other humans, which Lester likely may have pulled from Phillip Wylie's The Savage Gentleman to begin with), although it's commonly said that the direct precursors of the Four, the Challengers of the Unknown, were modeled after Doc Savage and the Fabulous Five's make-up. The members of the Fantastic Four are all based on 50s sci-fi archetypes, with Reed as the quintessential scientist, the grey-templed pipe-smoking patriarch frontman of the expeditions, and some creators over the years seem to have drawn upon Doc Savage as a model Reed. I'm thinking specifically of Mark Waid here, who openly named Doc Savage in his pitch bible:

The eternal problem with Scientifically Inclined Genius Adventures, the reason they don't ring true, is because in real life scientists spend all their damn time in the lab. Not Reed.

F'r pete's sake, we know he undertook all sorts of Indiana Jones missions as a younger man, we've seen that he actively enlisted in a war, and oh yeah, he stole a rocketship and tried to take it to the moon."

Tommy B put his finger on it when he suggested I stop thinking of Reed as the Professor from Gilligan's Island and instead think of him more like Doc Savage. When Reed encounters mental or logistic obstacles in his quest for knowledge, he thinks through them.

Doc Savage, of course, isn't the perfect model - he's a little more blood-and-gristle than Reed, more invested in the search for justice than for knowledge, and a little more "in the moment" as a general rule. Reed's more like Peter Weller as Buckaroo Banzai, they have the same aloof, detached nature. Unless active danger is staring him right in the face, Reed often seems a bit distant and not completely here because his mind is ten minutes in the future.

That addresses the Science-Adventurer aspect, which leaves us with the Superhero side of the equation.

With Doc Savage you of course have one of the, if not the, main archetypal pulp heroes, a character that both Superman and Batman would take a great deal from, and "pulp hero" in itself is a term that exists to define these characters more so in relation to superheroes than what they were actually like in their own stories, time periods and mediums. The superhero as a concept is founded on Superman and Batman and their dychotomy. Costumed Avenger vs Ubermensch, mortal and immortal, light and dark, Dayman and Nightman (AHH-ahhh-AAHHHHH!), and that dynamic is specifically a result of Superman and Batman being direct descendants from Doc Savage and The Shadow respectively, who were Street & Smith's (and by extension the American pulps) Big Two, the top dogs of 1930s hero pulps, and direct opposites to each other.

Doc Savage was created in response to The Phantom Detective (who was the first successful Shadow imitator and thus defined it as the thing everyone was gonna have to do or respond to) and was in many ways a modernized revamp-almost-copy of Street & Smith's Nick Carter during his heyday, in origin and first case and super strength and omnicapable skills and general Great Man-ness and gadgetry and mission statement and so on. Doc was co-created by the editor of Nick Carter Magazine, John Nanovic, and the first response to the Phantom Detective that S&S planned was a reboot of Nick Carter as a generic hardboiled detective, published on March 1933, the same month as Doc's debut, and obviously Doc would go on to achieve much greater success and thus would popularize those traits again with himself as the figurehead archetype of them (not unlike what Superman and Batman would later do).

Unlike The Shadow, Doc Savage does not operate under a secret identity or mask. He is not the hidden master of the city and has no division between his alter egos, and because he performs in broad daylight as a celebrity, is theorically held to social scrutiny, and is fully sanctioned and approved by law enforcement and works with the authorities with public transparency (minus the crime college but let's just, not, for now), it greatly upends and affects the approach he takes to fighting crime. He only has one identity, the greatest man of all time as the stories will remind you at every turn, by his author's own words he "manifests Christliness", and while not much separates Doc Savage's skills from Nick Carter's, he is explicitly and textually framed as superhuman (even a "superman", that term was deployed a few times), and he operates in a contemporary, urban setting that most Pulp Supermen cannot touch without veering into Sci-Fi Superman territory.

Within the hero pulp format that S&S started with Nick Carter and renewed with The Shadow, with the scientific explorer angle, you could argue Doc Savage, in almost exactly the same way as he does in his stories, worked out the solution to an unfixable problem: Turns out you can be as over-the-top super as you want, so long as you have a procession of equivalent super menaces to fight, don't upset society (and if you do it, not where the public where can see, keep it a secret that you can be blackmailed over by crooks you will inevitably silence okay look I'll stop now), have whatever incredible miracle cures and achievements and charity you do work on take place off screen where you never have to deal with them too seriously, and know how to pick your fights.

His service to others resolves the ruler/savior/destroyer conundrum. Savage aids individuals who face problems beyond their control, does great work in advancing medicine and science, and alleviates suffering through charity work, but he leaves the institutions of society in place.

He faces a never-ending succession of villains threatening society, an eternal frontier of gangsters and super-scientific menaces who play the role that Indians take in frontier narratives. The unresolvable nature of crime makes this frontier eternal, so Savage can place his superiority in service to the community and never risk turning into a ruler, savior, or destroyer because he can find challenges sufficient to absorb his energies.

The Savage solution—the hero position would be adopted by the creators of other prosocial supermen to come, including Superman, although only the adventures of Superman would be set in contemporary America.

Thus instead of marking an end to the bourgeois domination of society, as Nietzsche foresaw, the superman serves to protect that domination through myth-narratives. - Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre, by Peter Coogan

Reed Richards, in turn, is defined (INCORRECTLY, I say, feeling a plasma crackle barely miss my skull) as the smartest man on the planet, a mental superhuman who operates on a level above and beyond that of everyone around him, and a freak accident during a space travel grants him physical superhumanity to match, with his body able to morph and bend under his will. He alleviates the ruler/savior/destroyer conundrum Coogan described in much of the exact same way described above, kept busy with an endless procession of strange dimensions and aliens and supervillain challenges, and Mark Waid's famous confession scene in Fantastic Four #489 addresses the fate that looms over the Sci-Fi Superman directly, with the "very arrogant man who did something very stupid" pointificating to his toddler child just how necessary it was to ensure that the world would not fear and destroy the people he'd irreversibly mutated as a result of hubris, what is even the point of his grandstanding title and colorful outfit and public adventures and all that.

The life of superpowered adventurer celebrities was a necessity, and his superhero persona, Mr Fantastic, is a tabloid-catching act of penitence to mask his ultimate shame and to compensate the people he loves most. He lives for science, he craves discovery above all, but as far back as the Lee/Kirby stories, he still drags the team into awful intrusive press conferences none of them want to go but must, he sits through meetings with hardass generals to buy his team more leeway and trust, he takes the time to stretch across the city to visit sick children in hospitals and say hello to passing helicopters, he has to be the stick-in-the-mud dad who stretches himself thin to keep Johnny and Ben from ditching the team or seriously hurting each other (those first Johnny and Ben spats get way more violent than you'd expect), and he has to make difficult and even manipulative and harsh decisions even then to save the most lives he can. He carries a responsability to his family and loved ones first and foremost, and fashioning himself and them into superheroes is how he lives up to that responsability. It's what allows them to exist and thrive in-universe as much as out of it.

(We're not gonna play catch-up to the "why doesn't Reed Richards cure cancer" conversation but even that, in itself, is an extension of a thread that we can trace back to Doc and the Sci-Fi Supermen before him, when seams in the fantasy start showing with the introduction of consequence, a trend that particularly catches up to these scientist superhero characters who followed in Doc Savage's wake, and obviously caught up to Doc himself several times by now, for reasons @artbyblastweave describes as "a consequence of contemporary writers being Allowed To Notice And Unpack Things" and elaborates on very neatly here)

As a superhero, Reed Richards exists in conversation with Superman and Batman, same as every other character within the superhero "genre", which means he also exists in conversation with those traits borrowed from Doc Savage, and The Shadow, and all these other guys listed who were crucial in their development and a lot of others I'm leaving out of the conversation for now. A crucial part of that conversation and where the Fantastic Four figure into it is the fact that they were designed to not be traditional superheroes but to flip most if not all the conventions established on it's head, a part of that being their initial lack of uniforms (and when they did get uniforms they were just that, uniforms, rather than costumes), the lack of a secret identity, and the fact that the Four are scientists and explorers first, and crimefighting superheroes a distant second they're forced to frequently make a close second or first priority. Marvel made it's big defining pop culture splash with the Fantastic Four by turning superhero convention on it's head and doing as much as they could to do the opposite of what Brand Echh was doing.

And that's kinda the main reason they end up inviting similarities with Doc Savage and other pulp heroes, because they're going out of their way to imitate and subvert traits and tropes that Superman and Batman were already imitating and subverting from those guys in the first place, that they in turn were imitating and subverting from guys that came before them, and etc.

Archetypes are breakthroughs, and no breakthrough happens in a vacuum. In the end, a lot of these strands and connections between these characters are less specifically the result of writers consciously following in the footsteps of Doc Savage and those that came before or alongside him, and more so with the fact that there's only so many left turns you can take before you just end up in a circle, or reinventing the wheel as it were.