#clark starts asking bruce about batman in interviews and he is worried clark knows his identity

[bbbbbbbbatman]

FMK becomes a popular game in the superhero community and everybody starts to notice a pattern where if Bruce Wayne is ever brought up, any and all of the batfam choose kill every single time, literally no matter who the other options are and refuse to give any kind of explanation, and the rest of the heroes are just like "damn, the bats have some serious beef with this Bruce Wayne guy"

[sicariodechinchulines]

Damijon headcanon: Dami doesn't flirt, he COURTS.

•We tend to forgot WHERE and HOW Damian was raised. He just doesn't get the concept "Highschool sweetheart". when he first mentioned that, they were at a gala.

"-Im not interested on playdates, that's a waste of time.-" and they nodded because that's SOOO him, but then... "-If someone is interested on my being and dare to ask for my hand, I expect them to be ready for marriage. If not, then is just to be mean a ephemeral game that I won't even bother to remember, they shouldn't either."

Unnecessary to say that reporters we're so fucking excited with that response, so much that they didn't notice Dick Grayson hanging from a chandelier.

• and yes, he had a girlfriend before, even shared some kisses with other ladies and acted like a gentleman for them, but the truth is: he didn't take them seriously.

• Dami was ready for living alone and single, that's not the big deal, but Jon appeared again, and things started to get weird... in an amusing and warming way. Jon was now a mature good looking man, strong and good-natured as always. The little naive and childish boy was gone, and now was a man; a man worthy of his attention, in any areas.

• Without saying ANYTHING about his feels, he started to court Jon in the way he learned was appropriate, the problem is: Jon Kent is not a lady.

AND IS NEITHER SINGLE.

• Flowers, luxurious gifts and expensive jewelry. People started to suspect if Jon became some type of sugar baby for Damian, but when is questioned, Jon unsuspecting, answer "I don't know, rich people are weird"

• yes, people, Damian does HOLD the doors open for Jon, while ignoring the people behind, usually ending on them smashing their faces with the door.

• They rarely travel on cars, but when they do, Dami open the door for him; the bats are BEWILDERED by that.

• Needless to say that Jay DOES want to beat the shit out of him. (I don't blame him, if a sort of Arabic prince- heir of one of the biggest fortune in the world- a fucking Robin is trying to conquer MY boyfriend, I would love to beat the shit out of him too.)

Even if he's mad at him, don't see the point on competing with a child, because after all he's not even 15.

• Everyone knows that this boy is weird in SOOO many ways, but waiting 4 years until the object of your courtship is legally able to touch you, is little to much... even for Superman, who lost his virginity in his late twenties.

• Clark never say anything about that matter, first because he doesn't want to feed rumors, and second..

Because if he ADMIT that he would be okay with Damian marrying his son, Batman will KILL HIM.

•Even if he is worried about the future that Damian and Jon hold as best friends or partners, he can't denied that Damian devotion to Jon is cute.

Sorry but Clark is a hopeless romantic who loves his wife DEEPLY

(and he doesn't like Jay at all, he doesn't knows him as much he would like, neither is happy with the amount of info about his son that is on internet now thanks to jay's activism... but this ray of sunshine don't talk about that because, wHAT IF HE IS BEING HOMOPHOBIC OR SOMETHING?? Don't want to stress his boy with that.)

• after the SHOW Damian Wayne gave at that gala talking about his expectations on a partner and the PROPER way of courtship, the rumors about the younger Wayne being a heartbreaker like his father were over. NOW, they love to talk about how amazing and romantic Damian would be as a boyfriend.

When in an interview, a reporter mentioned Tim Drake-Wayne the titular "The teens dream: A prince like Damian Wayne. His thoughts about dating and how court a lady" he dissociated for 1 whole minute.

• the worst-best come now. Still hanging from that titular a journalist did DARE to ask about PRE-MARITAL SEX. (yes, Bruce demanded that journalist, yes, Bruce won.)

"- Isn't obvious? I'm against it, at least for myself. I don't find shame on waiting the proper person to lost your virginity with... even if I fall in love with SOMEONE who isn't virgin anymore, I'll wait anyway."

And yes, that was a hint for Jon. Jon didn't get it, but the press did.

It was funny how teen boys were so spiteful towards him and how teen girls were so delighted. Damian set the bar so high for Gotham boys.

• even with all the gifts and flowers and food, Jon is the ONLY ONE who don't notice. His mother did, his father did, Batman, Redhood, RedRobin and Nightwing DID, even StARFIRE AND THAT'S A LOT. a night after a mission she just said "Correct me if I'm wrong... but the little Robin is courting Superman according his culture standards, isn't?" And the whole Bat Boys just stared.

"That's adorable... a little gentleman!"

• They usually cuddle. It was hard for Jon getting used to it after YEARS gone, but Damian was weirdly okay with it, even pleased Jon can say.

But there was something unsettling. He don't cuddle him as before, instead he do it in a way that makes Jon feel incredibly conscious about himself, but safe anyway.

Damian does it on purpose, holding Jon head close to his chest when they are on the couch, caressing the side of Jon's jaw and lightly touching his temple.

If Jon is being lucky and Damian too tired, he will press his nose against his curls and close his eyes, answering anything with a lazy "mmh"

• Bruce is worried. He's not Clark, he's not tHAT optimistic. He knows his son and how unhinged and dangerous he can be, and see this said devotion as a time bomb. What if Jon is not that good??? Or Damian manage to CONQUER the teen's heart and decide to guide him into a darker path???? Jon probed that he can DIE for him in most of one occasion, Damian is starting to act the same and is unsettling.

Sorry if isn't readable, my mother language is Spanish and i learned English from comics, translator and weirdly poetic AO3 p0rn. If you're that kind, please point out my mistakes or care to give me an advice so I can better my grammar, ty so much!!!!

[the-sprog]

I think a Batman/DetCo crossover would be perfect especially in the context of how fucking insane Shinichi's parents are.

I was thinking and I realized they're a mix of the Drakes (neglectful in the "never being home" kinda way, rich but it doesn't seem like their child sees a lot of that money) and Bruce ("how'd you learn how to shoot a gun" "my father spent a summer with me in Hawaii to teach me" what an insane scene that was. Not to mention the "yeah. It's a good idea to traumatize our child via fake kidnapping to teach him a lesson about stranger danger :)" and "Shinichi, dear, I know you're 6yo but come investigate this suicide with me sweetie") but they're also above worse (willing to falsify police and government documents for son).

Would Bruce love the Kudos or hate them? On one hand, Yusako definitely has them figured out. He's kinda like Alfred that way.

The Kudos get invited to an event, something like an award ceremony or some kind of cinema festival. They decide to bring Conan as a decoy for Shinichi related questions (usually they'd just use school as an examination why he wasn't there but they've been saying Shinichi is traveling for a case nowadays and it wouldn't do well to contradict that).

Bruce is the one that organized whatever event this is. I wanted the Drakes alive but I also want Damien to meet Conan. So. Sorry Janet and Jack. I'm going full Batfam for this.

Clark Kent is there, though he's technically a plus one. Cat is doing a piece for the event, specifically she wants to interview the Kudos, which is a feat as of late, and needed a last minute plus one (the Kudos are volatile and no one knew if they'd actually show up. When they did, Cat had to rush to get to Gotham before they decide they got bored and fucked off).

Of course, Cat immediately latches onto Conan's existence and assumes that he is why the Kudos have been out of the public eye. But not in the actual real way. She starts by asking general questions about them, their careers, and the event they're at at the moment.

And then she hits them with: "so. I see you've expanded the family. How does Shinichi feel about having a little brother?"

Which breaks just about everyone involved in the conversation.

Immediately Yukiko goes into actress gear. "Oh no he's- this is Conan, Conan Edogawa. He's our nephew. He's been staying with a friend of ours in Japan, but we thought he'd like coming back to the States for a bit!" All while smiling. Meanwhile Conan goes through all the stages of grief and is already building up the script for when he's gonna have to kiss ass to Ai for ending up in the Daily Planet.

Yusako senses this and tries to mitigate the situation a bit. "I'd appreciate if you didn't put him in your article. He's just a kid. And the focus is supposed to be on the event and our achievements, not a gossip piece about our private life"

But then Clark speaks up. Unfortunately he's been listening to the conversation and keeping track of everyone's reactions to everything. And he has a good memory. He has also listened to enough rants from Batman about the KID Thief to know more details than the average person.

"Aren't you the KID killer?" Everyone blanches. "I mean, that child from the KID Thief heists?"

"Uhm..." Conan is stumped. He's really bad at this. Of all the things his parents did, they never left him to deal with the vultures alone. But that also means that in his entire High School Detective career he had more of a "avoid at all costs" kinda mentality when it came to talking to the press directly. Sure they've made articles about him, but he's never met anyone interview him directly.

But again, Yukiko to the rescue. "I think that's enough. I hope you can respect our wishes." She puts her hands on Conan's shoulders as she redirects him away from them.

Clark is a little worried, a little suspicious. But he stops Cat from following them by reiterating that he's a kid and the Planet is not a tabloid newspaper.

Of course pt2, things go as things go when Conan is around a respectable amount of people and someone dies. Immediately Conan is on high alert, but so is Bruce who's worried about how someone could've managed to successfully commit a murder under his nose.

So, the investigation begins. On technically 4 sides. Yusako is doing his own detective work, but he's staying on the sidelines and letting the others be at the center of it all. Conan's special interest has been activated so he's in full inspection mode and putting himself in everyone's business. Bruce immediately contacts Commissioner Gordon, and starts distracting the people at the event while sussing out anyone who might have had a motive and/or opportunity. Clark has engaged his investigative journalism side and is already gathering evidence.

Meanwhile Damien is trying to convince Bruce to let him threaten people with unimaginable violence to make them comply and confess. But then he gets distracted by Conan and starts trying to babysit him but in a "I'm better than you tsk you're so immature" kinda way. Keeping him out of the way by yelling at him and dragging him away physically. Conan is not deterred.

All in all, it's a regular day for Conan, a particularly interesting day for the Kudos, a surprisingly weird day for Bruce, and a very annoying day for Damien.

[robinasnyder]

Omg! The idea of Jack being Kryptonian is amazing as shit.

My original idea is that Jack and Maddie found out about Kon. After they figured out what was going on with Danny, they started looking into everything. So they also found out about his clone, Dani. And in trying to find resources to help convince a clone child to live with them, they accidentally stumbled into information about Connor Kent.

Jack and Maddie went and talked to the Kents. They didn't want anything to keep the secret. They just wanted a safe place their son could hide if need be.

They have like a signal that gets pressed so Marth and Jonathan know that Danny's coming and can get a room ready for him. They just don't know what happened and their kinda really worried. They know that the government has made Danny's entire existence illegal, and even Jack and Maddie's (and all of Amity Park's) attempts to repeal it have gone nowhere. It seemed Meta and Aliens are allowed protections, but ghosts is where the government draws the line.

Martha and Jonathan give Danny the run down and he explains what happened and he looks enough like Kon that Danny can pass for a Kent cousin too for now. They introduce him to Kon and explain they also have a spot ready if Dani ever shows up too, which just makes Danny cry. Because his parents do love him and do put him first and have been trying to fix what they've done.

The Kents give Danny a day to calm down before they call Clark, ask him to bring Jon and Lois. They've been out of the loop, because the Fentons worried that sudden justice league attention would put Danny in danger by making the situation visible. But now Danny's in danger so the Kents are getting the rest of the family in on it.

Clark listens to everything with a frown. Meanwhile, Lois is ready to murder people. She starts working on a series of stories. She'll have to make some trips to Amity Park, but she can start her research and interview Danny from Kansas while Clark calls for back up.

See, Superman's good and all, but they're going to need money for this one. So while the Kents stay for a mini "vacation", Clark calls for Bruce to bring Tim and Damian for a "vacation" as well. They're trying to leave a normal paper trail, because they actually have the government on their ass and they don't want to reveal Clark and Connor in the process of shielding Danny.

So the Waynes show up. Bruce vaguely knew about the Anti-Ecto acts, but since Ghosts were mostly something they called on magic to deal with, and mostly seemed to be vengeful and not even tangible, he thought of the acts as nonsense. He's very, very serious when he realizes that not only are they deadly serious, but they were in many ways crafted to catch and experiment on a teenage superhero.

So the plan becomes the following: 1) Hide Danny. 2) Locate and hide all Fentons. 3) Locate and hide Dani. 4) Bruce and the rich of the League pouring money and influence as stealthily as possible into helping getting the laws repealed. 5) Letting Lois and Clark go to town on the Anti-Ecto Acts and the GIW in the press. 6) Clark as Superman preparing to take to the UN, cause they're all pretty sure this is going to be harder than fighting for Meta Rights, since there are way more Metas. 7) Getting Danny officially into the Justice League (eventually), and testing his powers/training him/letting him train them. Also, possibly 8) getting the Fentons hired at Wayne Industries or at least contractors so that they can 9) make lots of ghost gear for Batman, the Justice League and also major important buildings.

They have a lot of work ahead of them.

SHORT DP X DC WRITING PROMPT #6

(Had this idea and it wouldn't let go. If there's already a fic that exists with this idea, please link me!)

next →

✦

Danny's identity gets discovered by the GIW on one of Danny's patrols. They out him to his family when they go to capture him for experimentation and pretty much shoot him while he's sitting at the dinner table. His parents stand up for him and pretty much go to war with the GIW right then and there.

Jack hauls ass with an injured Danny in his arms while Maddie covers them from behind fast enough to barricade themselves in the Ops Center then turns to Danny to patch him up as best and quickly as possible. After him and Maddie do as much as they can, Jack then looks Danny in the eyes and tells him he needs to run. He straps a fully stocked travel backpack with plenty of extra bandages on Danny's back, hands him a prototype signature blocker, a map, and a location to go to. Danny is shocked at what the signature blocker means and his mom and dad reveal to him that they've know for a year or two already, at least right before Jazz headed off to college. They tell him they love him regardless of if he's alive, a ghost, or a bit of each.

They split up from there. His parents take the Ops Center and lead the GIW on a wild goose chase across the Midwest, while Danny secretly flies as fast as his injured state will allow. He tries to pace himself but anxiety and a sense of urgency push him to keep going and don't stop. When he finally finds the location his dad told him about he almost immediately drops from the sky and crash lands in a corn field in the middle of nowhere in the state of Kansas.

That's where he's found by a very distressed Mama Kent.

✦

Up to you to decide what Jack's, and therefore Danny's, relationship is to the Kents. Are Jack and Martha siblings? Cousins? Is Jack another Kryptonian? Is Danny half Kryptonian and half ghost? You decide!

[bruciemilf]

I so desperately crave a fic where Bruce forgets all about an interview he scheduled with Clark, specifically, with our boys in this portrayal

He's swallowed up by that ginormous red hoodie Jason always forgets at the manor. It's got a soft undertone of beer and pizza clinging to it, and knowing Jay, the chances of that changing are close to none.

It's Bruce's favourite thing to wear.

Below that, Dick's sweatpants have to be snaked tight around his waist. He's wearing Tim's ridiculously soft socks, Batman themed as well, a flock of bats starting from his calf and gathering into his famous cowl on top of his foot.

On his hands, he's sporting two bracelets that Damian and Cassandra asked him to help craft. He accepted, of course, because his little Damian looked astray, eyebrows down and eyes worried, scared of rejection.

They were both terrible at it. Cassandra had a great time. And Bruce's dark green and sunshine gold bracelets pleased Damian greatly.

But he had no time to shower that morning; His ribs were moaning still, every step he took feeling like Bane's brutal, sledgehammer punches, hitting him right in the gut.

And Dick stole all his conditioner, and Steph smuggled his skincare products, exfoliants, bath salts, and everything she could get her grabby little hands on, and gone she was. Tiny fingers, big damage.

But that was fine; He didn't expect anyone today. He'll just scarf some blueberries and yoghurt and gulp down four espressos before burying his nose in Jim's earliest case.

That's what he thought

Before modern day Adonis suddenly emerged I his living room.

This man, he's...He's... he's beauty. That's all Bruce can muster in his flustered mind, brain itself blushing, cheeks hot and soaring with a fierce flush. Which was impossible to miss with his paleness. God.

There you are! Got me scared for a moment there," oh no. He makes deep voices sound cute. Those pearly whites had no mercy on Bruce, neither did that boyish grin, glowing silver and warm. " Thought I'd fall through a secret door and straight into a shark tank. "

Say something. Say something funny, come on, he's joking with you.

" ... Why are you In my house?"

Fuck.

"This man, - Clark, Bruce knows who he is. Out of all the bad things that had to happen today, being surprised by his favorite journalist just had to be one of them, - blinks, some grin cut down, and Bruce curses in his mind.

"Um. Your father let me in. Did you forget,-"

" I forgot you were coming. I, uh. I," he stuttered; He hasn't stuttered since he was 16, and had to pitch that board meeting to a mile long table of greedy, silver artefacts in suits who wanted to snatch his company. " I, - Coffee. You want...Coffee?"

"...Sure. I'd love some."

Was it just Bruce, or did this report carry a note of amusement in those words? Bruce scrambled for the first cupboard he could see, " NO!"

Clark jumped on his feet, making a dash for him behind the kitchen island. Bruce almost choked, because up close, he could notice the buttons and seams on that baby blue plaid shirt fight for their lives. " What's wrong?!"

" We're out of coffee," he hissed, muttering a ' damn it, Tim, I TOLD you to replace it' but no matter. He had to find Clark something else. " Uh... Water? Juice? Do you like orange juice?"

He could see it, the corners of Clark's lips tugging upwards, " Orange juice is my favourite drink. But it's fine, really. I'm here to unbury your deepest darkest secrets, not have lunch," he smiled, then, most likely noticing Bruce simply froze in place, he added, " That was a joke!"

Bruce forced a laugh, " Of course. Why would I have something to hide? I have nothing to hide," Very well, that sounded entirely too suspicious. " I mean, not anything illegal. Just... Secrets. The normal amount."

Clark nodded, endlessly patient, this saint of a man, " I've had my share of that. Don't worry, Mr. Wayne."

" Oh, just Bruce. That's my name."

The taller man smiled, " I'm just going to ask you about your involvement in renovating Arkham and maybe Mr. Grayson's podcast, but that's all. I won't try to fish for information. I don't believe in peer pressure and bullying."

" I know," his mouth spoke without him, " I, uh, I know you. Your journalism, I mean! My youngest enjoys your online interviews. We watch you together. I'm a fan of your writing, thought. It's magnificent. "

Even if Clark blushed to be polite and thanked him quietly, Bruce wanted to dive off a building without a grappling hook.

" Uh... Bruce? You're murdering your orange."

True enough. The fruit was entirely empty in his clenched fist, spilling over his hand and pooling on the floor. Bruce cursed. Slamming the sad, deflated remaining on the counter, he simply said, " I'll cut this now."

" Okay." Nodded Clark, clear, perfect blue eyes fixed on Bruce and his hands. Bruce only prays his fingers won't tremble like his heart is.

He stabs the orange.

It squirts all over his hoodie, and Bruce offers no reaction. It's almost worth it, this pit of mortification slowly, tortuously devouring his body, to see Clark's impressive frame shake with laughter behind his giant hands, goofy glasses crooked on his nose.

" I'm sorry," he sounds as dead as he feels. " The orange has retaliated." That did it; Clark was full on laughing now. Humiliation burned like liquid fire over Bruce's face.

If Dick were here, or Alfred, he'd hide his face into their chests like a shameful child. But neither are there, so all he can do is slowly place the knife on top of marble, and stand there like a statue.

Coming off his high, Clark watches him closely, a speckle of mirth shining on blue. " You know, you're nothing like I thought you'd be. As much as I enjoy this, you should change."

" I'll try. I don't want to be like this, either."

Clark grinned. " I meant your clothes, Bruce."

" ... Yes. I should. I have a large collection of clean clothes. Because I do my laundry regularly. I know how to do laundry."

Why are you still talking?

Then, gone was that angelic, fond grin from Clark's Greek statue of a face. He smiled hotly, almost...Sultry? At Bruce now. Something saucy. Sweat was sticking to his skin. " Do you want me to pick something for you?"

"... Please?" He squeaked.

Twin steps went inside his bedroom, and they didn't come out for a long time.

[lazydoodlesandfanfic]

The Quiet Son (Bruce Wayne X Son!Reader X Justice League)

Characters:  Bruce Wayne X Son!Reader X Justice League

Universe: DC, Justice League

Warnings: None

Request: justice league meeting bruce oldest son for the first time

You had always been the mouse of your family, even when you were still an only child. You let your dad and brothers do all the interviews and deal with the press, and in your entire life you’d only actually talked to an interviewer once- that once being to ask them to give your family space not long after the death of Jason, which was significant, and so you were listened to. 

You were also quiet in the other side of your family’s life. While it made sense with your personality type to be behind the scenes working closer with Alfred, you actually had your own suit and alias, though you only did so occasionally when things were dire, or when your family were exhausted and needed a night off, but patrol was still needed. Your alias became a sort of boogeyman, and the reason behind your nickname: Myst. A sort of twist of the word Mystery and Mist, as basically nothing was known about you by the general public, and because of your dark attire and usually working quietly and in the dark, you were hard to see- almost see through, like mist on early, dampen days, which is a phenomenon in itself. But you continued to be quiet, keeping to yourself, and just doing your part. 

That was, until now. 

Dick was busy, Damian was sick and being watched by Alfred, Tim was covering some work for Bruce, and Jason and Bruce had just had an argument and weren’t talking, but your dad needed someone to come with him to meet with the Justice League as the Flash needed to talk to everyone about an issue he was having, and so you begrudgingly agreed to be the one to go with him. 

As you entered the meeting room behind your dad, you kept yourself tucked away mostly behind him, watching as the others in the room acknowledged Bruce. You’d never actually met any of the Justice League, either in suit or out, and as your dad was greeted, and then Clark noticed you first behind your dad and tensed up, you realised something rather important- you weren’t associated with your family’s alias’. 

“Batman, can you explain why you’ve brought The Myst with you?” Clark asked, his question drawing attention to you.

“It’s nice to finally meet you all.” You greeted- mostly to make it clear that you were here as a guest and not a threat. 

“He’s my son, Y/N.” Your dad answered Clark rather boredly. “The others are preoccupied so Y/N offered to come as my backup. What’s the issue, Allen?” 

“I wasn’t aware you were apart of this as well, Y/N.” Diane asked with a kind smile, welcoming you into the conversation, which helped you relax greatly. 

“Only when necessary, I prefer working behind the scenes.” You told her. 

“How many kids do you have, bats?” Arthur asked. “Because I’m starting to lose track.” 

“Don’t worry, I think you’ve met us all.” You humoured.

“Allen. What’s the issue?” Bruce huffed, just trying to get this all over with. 

“What? Oh yeah- uh, there’s an unknown threat and I need help figuring out who’s running it and what I’m up against.” Barry explained. There was a pause, before Bruce sighed, and turned to you. 

“Y/N, I think this suits you best. Are you up for it?” He asked you. You nodded in confirmation, and you caught sight of the excited grin on Barry’s face knowing he’s gonna get to be the first to hang out with the ‘new kid’ that everyone was curious about.“Alright, I’ll arrange a reason for you to be in Central in case you’re seen, you don’t need me telling you to be careful. Barry, if anything bad happens to my oldest son, you’re paying for it.” Bruce explained bluntly, before patting you on your shoulder and starting to make his leave. Barry’s face dropped. 

“Wait- when you say pay- are you talking about money or my life? Bruce? Bruce!” He panicked, his cries ignored by your father, and you tried to hide your smile, knowing he only said that to mess with him, and he was probably hiding a smirk as he walked away. 

Hope you like it! If you have any questions, please send them in! 

*Not my gif

TAGS:  @theplacewhererobindied  @rebellionofthecattle  @hello-love-youre-pretty @courtneychicken​  @graysonmalfoy​ @bellero​ @originalpottervengerlock​ @supernatural-pan​ @esoltis280​ @lady-of-lies​ @lenaswritingandstuff @macbetheliza @mandywholock1980​ @cdwmtjb8​ @caswinchester2000​ @determinedpines​ @huntheimpossible 

[gaitwae]

The Blessings of Damsels [|] Batman x OC

read on AO3!

Warnings: Slightly open-ended, hinted love triangle. 

Length: 8.4k

Summary: A short timeline of how Charlene Park got over Clark Kent and set boundaries with Bruce Wayne.

=-=-==-=-==-=-==-=-==-=-=

=-=-=

The wind felt exquisite on Charlene’s skin, calming her racing heart. It wasn’t every day where her life flashed before her — she had been left under a pillar near LexCorps, then saved by an angel named Superman. Her eyes, shut tightly and pressing away tears, helped her forget exactly why you couldn’t go back to Metropolis. It had been a week, and, yet, here you were. She was hiding from someone too important to her. Charlene was hiding from shaking buildings and crumbling roads and screams and glowing rocks and a reporter who kept disappearing every time that Superman kept showing up. 

She was done with the lying and the rejection.

She didn’t plan on jumping from the rail where she was standing. She didn’t want to hurt herself. She just wanted to see something else. 

So, in search of new scenery, of something alien to her, Charlene went to the most dangerous city in America. Albeit, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, it was something that at least distracted her. Central City was just too far to drive, and Gotham was supposed to be the sister city of her home. She could just forget about this man who had worried her sick, she could just relax and listen to the cars run and the flags flap and smell the sulfur and petroleum and the flowers in the box on the building beneath her. Way up on this rooftop, she let her surroundings melt away her fears.

Char sat on the ledge of the roof, setting her fingers under the concrete lip.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” a deep voice said, startling her. The stranger set a sleek, covered hand on her shoulder to secure her. “People jump all the time. I hope you’re not looking for an escape that way.” 

“Um,” Char started, trying to find her voice, “I wasn’t going to jump. I was just trying to get over someone.” She cleared her throat and dusted her clothes off. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Not that it’s important… but he’s kind of important in Metropolis. I had to leave.”

There was a hum from the man who was behind her. Char looked up, seeing a black cowl and stubble dotting a square jaw and set lips. There was a familiarity to him — not that she knew him, but that she had seen him somewhere before. Charlene felt… well, not safe, but there was something comforting about him. As she looked closer, she noticed a large silhouette of a bat was weaved into the fabric on his breast.

Batman.

“How important can he be? He’s not Lex Luthor, is he?” the vigilante asked. He sat down next to Char, setting his cape underneath his legs so it flowed beneath him. His lips twitched upwards, but not quite. 

“He’s one of the biggest writers for the Daily Planet newspaper,” she said, laughing sadly. She felt like an idiot. Why was she spilling her guts out to this stranger? “Clark Kent, such a dork, but he’s always in the building. I work with him. I’m a newscaster —”

“Charlene Park,” he filled in. He turned to look at her, bright blue eyes gazing into her own orbs.

Charlene blushed. She wasn’t surprised. This was the Batman. He was crazy smart. Who knew how much he knew about anyone at the Daily Planet. Rumor was, Superman worked there, so of course, he might have known something about it. “You know my name. Creepy.”

He gave a slight nod as if agreeing with her. “You said it yourself. You’re a newscaster. I make it my job to watch the news.”

“For Metropolis, too?”

What a stupid question, of course for Metropolis too —

“Yes,” he said, patient and friendly. “Superman lives there. I have to know if I ever need to interfere. If he was ever mind-controlled, I need to be able to step in and save the world. The other members of the Justice League aren’t capable.” Each word that came from his mouth didn’t seem arrogant or rude at all. Batman was almost… melancholy. 

“So… you’re all by yourself?” she asked.

“I have my kids. They’re trained pretty well,” he replied. He turned his gaze out to Gotham City. He had a firm stare, unwavering and determined. Her heart dipped, sorry for him, impressed by him, and so… so weirded out, too.

Charlene looked out at the city, too. “I don’t have kids. I don’t have anybody. My parents died when I was young, I was never adopted, and I don’t have siblings.” She scratched the back of her neck. “Clark was my friend back in Smallville. It’s just been so odd, recently. He hasn’t been around as much, he’s been tailing Lois Lane, and I’ve been breaking my own heart over and over.” She sighed. “Don’t get me wrong — Clark’s a great guy! But…”

“That’s why it’s hard to get over him,” the Batman supplied. He bowed his head. An understanding was hidden beneath layers of quiet. “I don’t know what it’s like to be in love with some kind of Clark Kent, but I know what loneliness is, Miss Park.”

“Char.”

“Char,” he corrected himself. 

She cleared her throat, unsure of what to say. “Do you still feel lonely? With your kids?”

He shook his head a little. “Not as much, no. There are times I feel lonely, but I’ve been blessed. Your blessings will come, Char.” He turned to look at her. “I hope that helps.”

“It does,” she said, smiling. “What makes you so sure I’ll have blessings? I mean, you coming to talk to me seems heaven-sent, but that’s not a guarantee.” Charlene twisted her hands together, now restless. The Batman took his time to collect his answer.

“You’re a woman in her mid-thirties who still pines over her high school sweetheart,” he started. “You had one good thing, and it either ended or you grew apart. You built others up instead of yourself. You’ve waited patiently for what you want — but not for everything. You let some things go for others. You fought for everything and you’ve sacrificed it all. The foster homes were nothing, and yet it was the worst thing to live through. A kid with no one made herself into a someone, even if it was half of a someone.” The Batman rested on his elbows. “You’re too scared to let people go, but you’ve accepted people letting go of you or setting you aside. Char, you’ve got to have something coming to you.”

Charlene was stunned. How did he know all these things? Was she that obvious? Was she an open book? Or was that the hero of Gotham doing his job, once more? Oh, she couldn’t tell. Her skin prickled from both his sheer guesswork and the chilling night air. She wrapped her arms around herself. “Wow. You got all that just by listening to me for a few seconds?”

“And from feeling it myself or seeing my kids struggle with it.” He unclipped his cape, standing up. He wrapped it around her shoulders. The Batman stood close, but not too close. This was all too surreal. Charlene didn’t know how to feel. This stranger was becoming less and less of a stranger. She knew he wouldn’t want to be too close, and it was foolish to think that they would be close. This was just a weird talk about Clark Kent on a Sunday night, on the ledge of a rooftop. Being in love with Clark Kent was the least of her worries, anyway.

“Can I ask you something?” she whispered. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t protest. She waited about thirty seconds before saying anything. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Her larynx didn’t want to cooperate. 

How to phrase this?

He set a hand on her head, signalling for her to continue. 

“If I wanted to talk to you again, how would I be able to do that?” she whispered. “I feel as if you’ve understood me more in ten minutes than my shrink has in years. Not to mention, you might be able to relate to me more than my shrink can. You said you felt some of this stuff yourself. Are you an orphan, too?” 

“That’s more than one thing,” he said. He looked down at her with a glint in his eyes. “Just go back to Metropolis. You’re needed there.”

Charlene stopped. Of course. Right. She put her palm to her forehead. “You’re right. I’ll have to just face Clark like normal.” She barked a laugh. “You’re a hero, Bats.”

“Good to know.” 

Char stood up. “You might want this back, won’t you?” She flapped the cape around her shoulders. She felt silly. She didn’t know this man. She knew nothing about him, and she was talking to him like she was talking to Clark. She wasn’t a writer; she wasn’t an interviewer; she was a reciter. This was all new to her. 

The cowled detective hooked a thumb in his belt. “I’ll walk you back to your hotel room — you can return it then, Char.”

=-=-= “The Batman Incident” was what Charlene came to remember that night as. It was fresh in her mind for weeks, as fresh as the minutes she had lived through it. Any time she felt crisp cool air on her neck, any time she was alone at night on her balcony, she was instantly reminded of the interaction. Charlene didn’t ache or wish or anything like that, but it didn’t stop her from trying to figure out why the moments felt so real compared to anything else she had been through. Out of all that, she had been now, instead of Clark’s hurt bothering her the most, it was the Batman’s words ringing in her ears. 

Char was sitting at Clark’s desk with the writer himself, now. He was leaning against it, scratching his head and playing with his glasses. Kent was antsy. He groaned, turned, then slapped his hands against the desk with a deep, deep sigh. “I can’t believe Lois caught an interview with Bruce Wayne. Wanna know the weirdest part?” he asked. He looked into Char’s eyes, pure confusion dressing his face.

“What’s ‘the weirdest part’?” she asked, repeating what he said exactly how he had said it. “She’s gotten interviews with the president of McDonald’s, before, Clark, I’m not exactly surprised. Lois is talented.” Char reached over the desk and grabbed a cup of coffee that had been nearly emptied, though had enough for her pleasure. She didn’t need to be an anchor, today. It was supposed to be her day off. She wouldn’t have even come in at all if Clark hadn’t asked her.

Charlene really needed to stop doing things because Clark asked. 

“The weirdest part was how he never accepts interviews. In fact, he asked if Lois still worked at the Daily Planet.” He shook his head, pinching his nose. “He asked if we could hold the interview here, otherwise it wouldn’t happen… oh, sometimes I think billionaires hate me…”

“Makes sense,” Charlene agreed. She propped herself up on her elbows. “Why wouldn’t they hate reporters and journalists? They could be talking with Superman or Batman or Wonder Woman.” 

Clark laughed dryly. “You have no idea how much I wish I was having an interview with Batman. Instead, I have to deal with Bruce Wayne.”

“Lois is having the interview with Wayne, Clark. Calm down. It’ll all be okay.” Char stood up, patted his back, then sat back behind his desk and took a long sip of his coffee. “Besides, Bruce Wayne can’t be that… scary…” She trailed off. She saw the elevator to the writing room open.

The man walking out of the elevator and toward her was not who she was supposed to be seeing. She might have been bad at recognition in general, but she remembered that square jaw, those blue eyes. She hoped against hope she was seeing things. “I take it back,” she whispered to Clark. Her old friend kept shooting his eyes back and forth between her, Wayne, and Lois Lane, trying to put the pieces together quickly. Charlene stood up, a smile tugging up her face at the sight of the man she wasn’t supposed to know. “He’s terrifying.”

“Charlene —”

“Mr. Wayne,” she greeted, speaking louder than Clark intentionally. “Welcome to the Daily Planet. How are you, this morning?” She extended her hand outwards to take his. Mr. Wayne took it, gave it a firm shake, then smiled broadly at her. 

“Charlene, right?” he asked, squinting his eyes and setting a hand on her upper arm in a friendly manner. His suit was about as straight as wrapping paper; shiny like it, too. He was just missing the Christmas bow.

“Yes!” she grinned. She set her hands on her hips. “Charlene Park: a lowly newscaster. I hope you like the Daily Planet and find some friends, here.”

Bruce smiled. “Then I suppose we’re friends already, Miss Park.”

“I guess we are,” she said. “Friends are life’s greatest blessings, aren’t they?”

“They are, I agree.” Bruce Wayne let go of her, moving back to Lois Lane. He kept his eyes on hers. He clapped his hands together lightly. “I have an interview to complete. It was nice meeting you, Char. I hope to see more of you.”

“Best of luck, Mr. Wayne.”

When Bruce Wayne walked away, Clark folded his arms tightly over his chest. “That was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen — and I’ve seen my dad in daisy dukes.”

Char cocked her head, trying to stifle a snicker. “Clark, c’mon. It wasn’t anything. I’m fine, really.”

The man fixed his tie, taking the empty coffee cup from his desk over to the office kitchen. As he walked past her, he said, “I’ll believe it when you don’t giggle at the billionaire.”

“Maybe he looks funny!” Charlene offered. 

“Har har!” Clark called. “I’m sure that’s it.”

=-=-= The interview with Bruce Wayne was done and over within record time. Charlene had never seen Lois so happy before. Bruce, on the other hand… Charlene had no idea someone could hide such a smile behind two eyes. 

She was shaking. She didn’t know if she was happy, mad, excited, or scared that she knew the man behind the mask all the way back in Gotham City. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what emotion she was feeling… or if she really wanted to know the man behind the mask in Gotham City. She kept replaying the Batman Incident in her head. She didn’t want to relive it. She didn’t want to have a vigilante smile at her and know exactly who she was pining for. 

Yeah, she still hurt for Clark. It wasn’t going to go away so quickly. But billionaire Bruce Wayne didn’t need to know that. 

She let her mouth run twice. She needed to keep a lid on it the next chance she got. To make sure she didn’t even risk it, Charlene packed up and left early. She was at home without another run-in with Bruce. 

Boy, did that make her feel worse. She felt terrible, cowardly. Running from her problems was just another thing Char found herself doing constantly. She had made herself some pasta, wrapped herself in a bathrobe over her T-shirt, and sat with a mug of sweet tea in her lap. 

Her newspaper clippings of the Batman littered her coffee table. Every award-winning article written by Clark was framed up. Her old dog was sitting next to her, chewing on his toy without a care in the world. For being a coward’s safe space, it was very comfortable.

“Real brave, Charlene,” she mumbled into the ceramic as she took a sip. She switched on the TV, hoping for white noise. “Just hope I was wrong about Wayne…”

“That depends on what you think you’ve found,” said the last voice she wanted to hear. Char exhaled through her nose.

“Come in,” she called. “Don’t just hang around in the shadows.”

The Batman slipped out of her bathroom door, cowl on and frown deep. He was regal and knightly, feet apart and shoulders taught. “Char,” he greeted.

“I was hoping you could tell me if I was wrong, actually.” Charlene sat up, putting her mug aside. She beckoned him over. He sat down next to her. “I just never noticed how similar the Batman is to Bruce Wayne.”

“Similar?”

“Like your eyes are the exact same shade of blue,” she reasoned. “And you wear the same aftershave, too.”

“Charlene,” the Batman said quietly, “anyone can have similar aftershaves and blue eyes.”

“Not everyone in Gotham knows who I am.”

“Not everyone in Metropolis knows who I am, either,” he countered. “Do you really want to know who I am?”

“I know Clark is Superman. Part of the reason I’m furious with him is that he lies to me.” Char made sure her emphasis was on lies. “The allegations would be too crazy for anyone to believe, trust me.”

“There are too-crazy people in Gotham that can’t know,” he answered. “I’m sorry. Even if I trusted you above everyone, your position makes it hard for me to tell you.”

“My position?” she repeated.

The dark knight looked at her as if it were obvious. It was, but she didn’t understand why she couldn’t at least hear the truth from him. “You’re a friend of Superman’s and a newscaster. I have responsibilities, a lot of them. My kids, my city, my assets.” He said assets, not money. He was a businessman at his core, even if he had the heart of a lion there, too. 

“Just tell me if Bruce Wayne can answer me, then.” Charlene stuck her hands under her arms. “Since the two of you already know I know.”

“Charlene,” he said quietly, roughly. She turned her head away. She felt insulted. 

It took her a second to realize it, but the Batman was pleading. He didn’t do it the same way Clark did. Clark would soften up, not set up defenses. Clark would take her hand, not give her space. Clark wasn’t anything like the Batman. He just sat, frozen, waiting his turn patiently. 

She had to be patient with him, too. She wasn’t a superhero. She didn’t know what this was like for him, but she could still be patient. So to help, Charlene waited, too, for what seemed like forever. She took his hand and squeezed it. He didn’t squeeze back, but he didn’t recoil. The hand was limp despite her grip and she couldn’t say that she blamed him for it; she was thankful he didn’t rip his fingers away so soon.

“Why did you agree to an interview?” she whispered. “And… and don’t say it wasn’t you. Lois doesn’t talk about me, I wasn’t wearing a nametag, and Bruce Wayne has no reason to be watching the Metropolis Daily Planet Newscast outside of the financial updates.” 

“I figured it was time for an interview,” he answered. The Batman didn’t deny it. Bruce didn’t deny it. He kept his eyes away from hers. “I remembered that you worked there. You owe me after that talk, so I came to collect.”

“You think you’re funny,” she said with a smile. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness… Lois will be grinning ear-to-ear for weeks because of you.”

“I was supposed to be meeting Clark, anyway. I figured the pitstop might be worth it.” Bruce’s lips twitched again. Char grinned broadly. He removed his cowl then faced her. “You could really tell it was me because of the eye color?” 

He seemed more at home in his bat armor. He was comfortable in this grey/black getup. When he wore the crisp suit, he seemed fidgety, but when he was sitting next to her, his muscles weren’t so tense. His eyes didn’t dart all over. He was at rest as the Batman.

“You do a good falsetto, but yeah, it was the eye color.” She stood. “Can I get you tea? Or are you going to disappear?” 

Bruce pressed his lips into a line. “I don’t know how long I can stay.  I have to drive home tonight… and I’m not the type for this sort of domesticity.” 

“I won’t tell anyone you’re docile,” Charlene promised, crossing her heart. She took her cup and went into the kitchen. “As long as no one knows about me, no one can hurt me or my family — there is no family to hurt.”

“You’ve thought this through?” he asked, footsteps not far behind hers. He stopped in the doorway. “May I?” He pointed to the kitchen wall lined with the cupboards and appliances. Charlene nodded. Bruce poked around her cabinets and her drawers, casually picking something up every now and again. She didn’t mind — he was getting to know her. He was a detective. She had nothing to hide, and he had everything to see. Win-win. “Impressive.” 

“I’ve been dying to see you, again,” she teased. “You could say I’m crazy for you.”

“Not really my type,” he mused. Char could hear items jangling around behind her. “Desperation isn’t my style.”

“But stopping a girl from jumping — when she wasn’t — is?” She poured another cup of tea, looking back at the dark knight. He was holding a spatula and studying it carefully. He pretended as if he hadn’t heard her.

“My son, Damian,” he started. He set the spatula down, digging for something else. “He wouldn’t admit it, but he would love to rescue a damsel in distress. I think he would like you.”

“I’m a damsel in distress?” she laughed. She set a teabag in the cup, doing a one-eighty to face Bruce. “Who are you? Some kind of prince charming?”

“The term is ‘knight in shining armor,’” he corrected. He closed the drawer he was meddling in. “The prince is the kid from Smallville, Kansas.”

“I’m from Smallville, Kansas.” Charlene walked over to him. Bruce was still standing rigidly. She didn’t know if he knew how to relax. Could he relax? Was it even physically possible for Bruce “the Batman” Wayne to relax?

“I’m from New Jersey.” He crossed his arms, rubbing his fingers together. 

“Hey. You don’t have the Jersey accent,” Char pointed out. She pulled his gloves off gently, setting them on the counter. She went to get his tea. “Let it steep for about thirty more seconds.” She set the mug in his hands. They were so large that the orange cup seemed like a plaything compared to a real item.

“I never said I interacted with New Jersey,” he said dryly. “I just lived there. I was raised by my butler.” 

“Does Detroit have any superheroes?” she wondered aloud. Bruce waved the tea under his nose, scrunching his nose upwards. He took a sip without glaring at the tea again. “Your butler sounds like a wonderful man. He raised you well.”

“I’m lucky.” He paused for a moment. “Aquaman, the Green Lantern, and Amazing Man live in Detroit. Why are you asking?”

Charlene patted his shoulder, throwing away everything he had just said. Truth be told, she just wanted to hear Bruce’s voice. “Not many kids are lucky.”

“Three of my boys are adopted,” he said quietly. He rubbed the mug that she had given him. “I give to adoption centers. It’s important to me to give kids homes where they’re loved. Clark Kent’s only known family’s love, and that’s what drives him. What drives me is the chance to make sure all sorts of people never have to worry about losing it.”

“I admire that,” Char murmured. “I wish I had a family of my own, but I just don’t have the time.”

“Someday, you’ll find the time.” Bruce gave her a smile. “I promise.”

Charlene smiled back. His small smiles were infectious. “I’ll hold you to that, Bats.”

=-=-= “Hey, Charlene?” Clark called from the living room. She was too busy combing her hair out and fixing her gown. She had received a letter in the mail (honestly, who does that anymore?) from Bruce, inviting her to a charity gala with him. She almost gave Clark a heart attack when she started laughing triumphantly at some paper. He wasn’t particularly happy that Charlene was going for a night on the town with Bruce Wayne, billionaire bachelor supreme. “Are you okay up there?”

“I’m fine, Clark!” she called back. “I’m just seeing a friend, tonight. Tell Martha and Johnathan I won’t be able to come to dinner tonight. I’m going to a foster care fundraiser with Bruce Wayne. I’d think you’d be coming to interview some of the guests there since you were adopted, too.”

“I can’t! I don’t have any way to get in. It’s private, Char.” Clark was starting to sound impatient. “Are you going to meet him or is he going to meet you?”

“He said he would pick me up!” she answered, finishing her eyeliner and walking downstairs. “Does that bother you, wonderboy?” She gripped the rail, fanning out her yellow skirt around her legs. She wore simple copper chains and glass earrings — nothing expensive, but classy enough that she didn’t look like a bum. Charlene knew Bruce liked his reputation (not a lot, but still) so she thought she would save him a few steps. No jewellery, no dresses. He would just have a friend tonight.

Clark’s eyes flew open wide. His cheeks colored. “Wow… you’re going like that?” He puffed his cheeks and took off his glasses. “You look…”

“Terrible?” she fretted.

“Like an angel. Like Wonder Woman,” he said quickly. He looked down at his lenses and quickly wiped them with his shirt like they were going to melt off his face. “You’re gorgeous. Wayne is going to love it, Char.”

“Thanks, Clark.” Charlene walked over and kissed his cheek. The writer wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against his chest. He felt warm, he felt like home. She never had to worry about being something more than she was around Clark. But Bruce knew how to take her walls down. Charlene was better off with a friend than with someone who had never noticed her. Suddenly, she got an idea and pulled back to see Clark. “You should ask Lois out! I heard she likes the boys in blue.”

He stopped. “‘Boys in blue’? She knows?”

After meeting Bruce a few more times, she finally gained the courage to confront Clark about the whole Super-gig. She made sure she wasn’t going to be blown off — so sure, Char almost confessed her years-old feelings to him. She couldn’t have lived through that, even with Bruce’s support. They had talked through the deception and somehow managed to build better trust between themselves. She almost forgot why she had originally left Metropolis for that fateful encounter with Bruce Wayne.

“Clark,” she scolded gently. “You haven’t told her?”

“Listen, I’m working on it —,” he started, holding his hands up in defense. His feet slowly removed themselves from the floor. Charlene set her hand on her hip, pinching her nose. 

“You promised she would know before she kissed you, again.” 

Another reason why Charlene absolutely could not tell Clark she liked him. Lois, caught up in the rush of being a damsel, kissed her rescuer unabashedly in front of half the staff of the Daily Planet. Charlene’s heart didn’t break for the first time; it didn’t mean it didn’t crack a teeny, tiny bit. 

“I know I did —” There was a knock at the door. Clark’s face fell into a scowl. He tucked his knees up to his chest, silently moving toward the door, and straightening his clothes out once he reached his destination. “Wait there for a moment, Char.”

Charlene crossed her arms. “Clark.”

Clark opened the door. Bruce was standing on the doorstep with a single pink rose. “Hi,” he said, giving his signature subtle smirk. “Is Charlene ready? Tim’s not too patient behind the wheel.”

“Hi,” Clark greeted warily. He kept his fingers curled around the door. His gentle manner was nearly nightmarish. Every breath was a slow calculation of how to kill a billionaire and get away with it. Charlene sighed deeply into her hand. Clark continued despite her wordless sass. “She’s ready. You better know that if you hurt her —”

“I wouldn’t do it without a positive benefit,” Bruce swore. “Besides, I’m not the one who’s dancing between two ladies. Save the shovel talk.” He pat Clark’s shoulder, pushing him aside and out of the way. When his eyes hit Charlene, his jaw dropped. She had never seen that reaction before, so her temples tingled from slight self-consciousness. “Char, you look beyond stunning. You’re shining.”

A nervous laugh bubbled up Charlene’s throat. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” She grabbed her clutch on the side table where Clark was standing. Quickly, she hugged him in a farewell. “Bye, Clark.”

Clark released a big breath, hugging her back once more. He set her back next to Bruce. “Bye, Charlene. Bruce.”

“Clark,” he responded in kind. “I’ll take care of her, don’t worry.” Bruce put his arm around Charlene’s waist. “There won’t be any need to play hero; if there is, I’ve got all I need within reach.” With that, Bruce took Charlene out of the foyer and into his limousine. 

“That was weirdly intense,” Char commented. With the knight’s help, she sat next in the back of the cab. “Did he make you uncomfortable?”

Bruce took her hand and set the rose in her grasp before sitting down next to her. “No. He doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”

“Okay. Clark is very protective; I didn’t want you in the hospital for saying the wrong thing.” Charlene played with the rose in her hands, resisting the urge to breathe in the sweet aroma. The cab of the limousine was warm, spacious, and smelled comforting. It took her a second to realize it smelled like Bruce: his aftershave, his cologne, and a hint of something metallic. Her cheeks heated at the realization. 

How close had she and Bruce become? So close she knew exactly what Bruce smelled like? So close that she wasn’t nervous about the speculations tied to being on a billionaire’s arm? She looked at the rose petals. The color always meant something — Bruce always meant something. Pink… Why couldn’t she remember its meaning outside of being her favorite color? Why? Did she just forget everything the minute Bruce smiled?

“Char?” 

“I’m fine,” she said, snapping out of her thoughts. She set the rose down next to her, clasping her hands over her lap. “I guess I got so swept up in the idea of an adoption charity… I forgot who I was going with.” She looked at Bruce with a half-smile. “Thank you for taking me to this. I have as much as I can give on me, tonight; I even sold some of my old pieces of jewellery for these kiddos.” Charlene laughed nervously. “It seems so little compared to what you have… will it even be taken? I’m not an elitist. I’m not even close to well-off.”

Bruce’s eyebrows drew together. Something in his eyes softened, but she couldn’t pin what. He held her hand. “It’ll be taken. It’ll help someone, and any help at all can go a long way. You don’t have to worry about earning a position to give.” He tilted her head upwards, locking eyes with her. “You don’t have to earn anything. Not with me.”

She laced her fingers with his to signal her acknowledgement. Char couldn’t form words. She kept opening her mouth to protest but no sound came with the action — she felt helpless, yet all the same, she knew Bats would understand. Bruce let go of her hand to favor her face, instead. She leaned into the touch with a shaky breath.

“I’m not Clark, Charlene,” he whispered. “I’m not going to keep stringing you along; I won’t compare you to anyone or make empty promises. You’re more than a comparison.” Bruce brushed her hair out of her face, keeping those electric blues trained on hers. “You don’t have to earn anything from me. You don’t have to earn me.”

“I’m not…” Charlene stopped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She didn’t want to talk about this; she didn’t want to beat around the bush, either. “Gosh, how do you know this stuff? Is it all estimation?”

“Observation,” he admitted. He kissed her forehead. “Cheer up. We don’t want your mascara to run just yet, do we?”

She nodded, taking a deep breath in to calm herself. She hadn’t realized her eyes were quite that full. “Bruce.”

He hummed, arching a brow. Yes?

“You don’t have to earn anything from me, either.” She kissed his cheekbone. The corners of his eyes crinkled, which made her smile. She rested her head on the dark knight’s shoulder. “You’re a good man.”

“But?”

“No ‘but,’” she hummed. “You’re a good man, and that’s all.”

=-=-= Saturday morning, three weeks after the gala, Charlene’s heart felt heavy and light at the same time. She couldn’t put the gala out of her mind: the party; the guests; the smiles on the Wayne boys’ faces; Bruce’s kindness. She was trying her best to think it all over. The waiters kept offering her champagne, but she declined every time. She didn’t drink out of anxiousness, yet the whole ordeal was a blur. Blurry, except the speech about the children, and the way Bruce’s smile widened every time she smiled back.

She was sitting at the window, holding a water bottle and gazing out into the street. It was raining. She had a few pink roses in a vase, all from Bruce. A note was attached, something like “Thank you for your support,” but it didn’t really matter to her. He was gentle in his own way. That was just the way the Batman was: gentle and swift, yet blunt and cold at the same time. How had she managed to stumble into his good graces? What if she brought down his reputation? What if she did the wrong thing?

The Wayne boys were very polite. Dick was making her laugh all night long, Jason knew how to talk old-money downlookers away, Tim was a good conversationalist, and Damian asked all the good questions. All the right questions. Questions like, “What’s your relationship with my father? Do you believe in this cause? Are you using my father? Do you know how to play Mario Kart?”

She almost couldn’t answer some of the questions. Were she and Bruce friends? Were they something else? Were they acquaintances? Was she being kept around because she knew who Bruce really was? When it came to Mario Kart and the adoption cause, she couldn’t say anything but “Yes!” enthusiastically. Every now and then, Bruce would come over to recharge. He seemed tired with all the interaction. 

Then there was the turn of the night.

The most vivid part.

Dancing with Bruce Wayne.

Charlene stopped herself from clawing over her heart. It was sinking deeper as she recalled the moment.

“You’re nervous, Char,” Bruce whispered into her ear. “Why?” The question was innocent, concerning. He kept a steady hand on the small of her back, swaying to the beat of the soft jazz band. He was a natural at it. Charlene did her best to hold onto him, gripping his shoulder and his hand. 

“I’ve never been to anything like this, before. Not even some kind of prom,” she laughed quietly. She looked down at their feet. Bruce was leading, but what else was new? The floor gleamed… Bruce’s shoes were worn, despite his money and status… Worn shoes said a lot about how he spent his money on himself. Oh! Beneath the suit, it was clear that he wore a compact utility belt — at least, it was after learning he wore one everywhere. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing, at all,” Charlene continued. “After talking with your boys, it just made me realize how scared I was to be jumping into this life with you.” She cleared her throat as she prepared to tell him exactly what was on her mind. “I know I’m just on a leash to keep you guys safe. You really don’t need to worry about me.”

The dance halted. No one paid any attention to them, keeping up with the music and circling around them. “Is that what you think?” he asked. Amusement lined his words, as well as a vague hint of hurt. “You’re just a liability?”

“I don’t know what to think,” Charlene had answered honestly.

As of right now, she still felt like a liability. Even though Bruce had promised her she didn’t have to earn anything, her heart was having difficulty believing it. She looked over at her vase of roses. Were those flowers from him? Or were they a product of manners?

Was she seeing things that weren’t there?

Bruce had been so quick to answer her when she admitted her insecurities. He had taken his hand out of hers. “You’re not a liability.” He ran his hands through her hair, pulling her closer. “If you were a liability, I would have used other ways to keep an eye on you.”

Char’s heart was racing faster by the second. “Ba… Bruce…” She wanted to call him Bats. She wanted to say so many things, just then. She wondered if Bruce could feel her pulse through that utility belt he had under his suit. His eyes fluttered shut before she realized what was happening. She didn’t want to believe it was real.

With a never ending, agonizingly slow quickness, lips met hers. Moving, soft, warm lips met hers and drew a gasp from her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to reciprocate the best she could without losing her cool.

Now, three weeks later, she hadn’t talked to Bruce about it. She hadn’t brought it up. He didn’t verbally acknowledge it, so neither did she. A kiss with Mr. Wayne meant nothing. Not in public. Not when he had a false reputation of being a playboy. A kiss between them would have meant the world… but that was in the middle of a gala; in the middle of a party filled with people Bruce was supposed to impress. 

So, even though she loved that kiss, she was still confused about Clark and she was miserable about the manner it came about. She wanted to know the truth. She knew if she asked he would have an obvious answer and call her a fool for believing him. 

“Hey, Charlene?” Clark called. Her ears pricked back at the sudden noise. She stood up and walked downstairs, rubbing under her eyes to make sure there weren’t any tears. She hadn’t cried, yet, but she didn’t want to start crying over it, either. “Come here.” 

“What, Clark? Can’t you see I’m busy moping about — …what is that?” she yelped. Clark was standing with his writing tablet facing outward, a glower painted over his features. She could hardly care about his nasty expression, however. There she was, her yellow evening gown and Bruce’s hands laced in her hair, plastering the first article of the month. Big, bold words read: 

“Bruce Wayne Finds New Lover — Will It LAST?” 

“Who took that picture!?”

“You’re saying this is real?” he asked angrily. He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. “Charlene!”

“I’m sorry!” she apologized, not really sorry. “We’re not lovers, anyway — it was one kiss. Who wrote the article?”

“You never kiss people you don’t know.” Clark turned the screen back to his face, scrolling down and shaking his head. “Jimmy wrote this one, I think, I recognize the alias. I should have known something was going to happen when I told him to follow you…”

“For the record, Clark, all I’ve ever wanted was to kiss you,” she snapped. “Bruce is just differe— you sent Jimmy to follow me!?” She was so engulfed in her defenses that she forgot she had just told Clark she had feelings for him. She didn’t even register the implication that they didn’t matter anymore. She was angry at Jimmy, and at Bruce, and at Clark. She grabbed a throw pillow and fluffed it furiously. She needed an outlet. “I can’t believe you.”

“It’s Bruce Wayne, Char,” he said. He set his tablet down on the coffee table. “He’s not exactly the safest guy to get involved with.”

“And neither were you! I appreciate the worry, but it’s misplaced.” She spun around to stick her finger at Clark accusingly. “For ten whole years I tried to tell you I was in love with you, Clark, so don’t even try to talk to me about what’s good for me! You hear? I can kiss Bruce Wayne if I want to.”

“You tell him, Char,” a small voice came from behind the TV stand. Charlene and Clark both froze. Charlene knew who that was. She did her best not to sigh.

Muffled, a much bigger voice complained, “Look what you did! Now we’re caught. Bruce is gonna —”

“Shh!”

Clark moved over and gently removed the TV stand. “Damian I expected, but you, Dick? That’s low. Spying on Charlene?” 

“She’s a friend of Father,” the young boy answered for his big brother. “After the gala, he went to brood in the Bat Cave and when he came up, he said she was going to be more involved.”

“I think he’ll be happy to hear you like him, Charlene,” Dick smiled. He extended his legs and sat like a toddler on the floor. “We came here on our own, by the way. We wanted to surprise you by picking you up and surprise him by bringing you to Gotham. We racked his schedule up with business meetings so that we could pull this off. Think of it as a rescue.”

“Surprise me,” she regurgitated. She wanted to cry, laugh, scream, and fall over all at once. “You wanted to surprise me.”

“Sure. Why not?” Damian shrugged. “But your friend, here, got in the way with all his mumbling and weird comments about our father. He’s scary but I could take him.” That comment made her smile. Damian taking on Clark. Dangerous, but it still tickled her mind.

“They were not weird —”

“Yeah, they were.” 

“Guys, guys,” Charlene interjected, “Bruce and I aren’t much more than friends. He’s just my knight in shining armor.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “If anything were to happen, it would be very slow.” She made sure each male looked at her. “Very, very slow.” 

“So he does make you happy?” Clark asked quietly. 

“He does,” Charlene confirmed. “It could be more with work. Relax, Clark. You’re not going to be walking me down the aisle so soon.” 

He squeezed his eyes tightly, confusion coloring his face. “So when you said you used to want to kiss me…”

“It’s mostly ‘used to,’ now, yeah.” Charlene’s mouth moved before she even filed how truthful the statement was in her brain. She sat down on the couch, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I hope that’s not an issue — I know you don’t approve of Bruce.”

Clark pursed his lips. He set his hands on his hips and looked at the two delinquents on Charlene’s floor. “The gala with you and Wayne wasn’t a full-on date. Was it?”

“He and I went to sponsor the same cause and spend time together as friends. It couldn’t have counted as a romantic date, anyway,” she said. “The boys spent more time talking to me than Bruce did.”

“I saw him kiss you, though —”

“Dick, shut up,” Damian hissed. “You’re not helping.”

Clark tried for a smile. “I just want you to be safe and happy, Charlene.”

Charlene nodded, feeling much better since the gala. She had made an impression on the Wayne family? “I know I will be.”

=-=-= Charlene, in the end, told the boys she wanted to stay at home and sent Clark back to the Daily Planet to do his work. She had a lot to think over. She took a seat in her loveseat and got comfortable. She had to sit there for a long while. A kiss with a billionaire, a concerned Kansas Chiefs fan, four young men who already looked up to her, and a melting pot of feelings. If this were a young adult novel, she would have already picked someone by now. She had roses in a vase that called her name. She had a heart that wanted her attention, too.

Her whole past screamed for her to let go of Clark Kent — she was learning to set those unrequited feelings aside. He had always looked out for her and been her friend. Sometimes friendship, in the end, was just friendship. Clark was in love with Lois Lane. By the looks of things, he was starting to grow closer to her. Stepping away from that, Charlene could see he was happy; for the first time in years, that didn’t sting as much as it had before. 

Then there was the new friendship: Bruce Wayne. He was more than a friend, but less than a romantic partner. His affection was a different brand than Clark’s in all the good ways. He brought some kind of freshness, a sense that she never had to pretend to be pulling herself together. She knew deep in her heart that Bruce would have a hard time being with her — she would find difficulty being with him, too. They had much in common, as well as a lot of differences. He saw through her, she saw through him. Charlene needed some kind of stability. She needed a friend that offered their hand instead of shared reliance. 

Clark was the bright summer’s day that you longed for in the winter; he was the smell of newly cut grass and the way a paintbrush head felt between someone’s fingers. He was khakis and ball caps and the colors in the sunrise. He had always been the simple pleasures in Char’s life. 

Bruce Wayne had already proved what he was. He was the necessity in life like the clap of thunder in the middle of the night or the hardwood floor on bare feet. Bruce was the crowded streets of Metropolis after dusk; he was petrichor after a much-needed rain, the thimble on your thumb, he was the flick of the light switch that you could never balance. He was the mundane, everyday wakeup call that life was buzzing everywhere around her.

That was the difference between Clark and Bruce. Charlene had always had Clark, but she could imagine life without him. When it came to the Batman, she had a hard time thinking about her life without the petrichor on concrete, the snippy wind on her ears, and the occasional clap of thunder. She didn’t need him, but he was her equal.

He was the equal. 

Not the hero. 

“I’ll have to tell him, then,” she sighed. Charlene buried her face in her hands. 

“Tell who what?” a gravelly voice came from behind her. His presence was close. Char leaned back and extended her hands. 

“You,” she said. Bruce pushed her hands back down, setting his own on the cushion behind her. “We need to talk about what happened at the gala, don’t we?” 

“I don’t see why,” he replied. “You know it was a public display of affection.”

“From the world’s Bruce Wayne,” Charlene countered. Bruce pressed his lips into a line. “Not mine.”

“I know. I figured if the world knew you were Bruce Wayne’s, it would give you a chance to find that time you wanted,” he said slowly. “The boys could teach you how to defend yourself. You’d always have a place at Wayne Manor.”

“But what about us?” she asked, turning to see him better. “C’mon, Bats, you know that kiss was a little more than just a well-rounded plan to turn me into a Bat-Person.”

The dark knight was still for a long second. “It was a moment’s weakness. Even if we wanted to pursue a relationship —”

“We both know we do.”

“— neither of us are ready for it.”

Charlene stood on the loveseat. She cupped Bruce’s face, holding his jaw with both palms. “I agree. I think we should take our time before we even worry about labeling this.”

“We cannot be involved.” He held her hands, prying them ever-so-gingerly from him. “You aren’t ready for the livestyles I come with. I’m not ready for that kind of —”

“Domesticity,” she said with him, nodding. “I know, I know. You don’t want to be a husband, I don’t want to be a wife. No, we can’t be involved, yet.” She rested on her forearms. “You can guess what that means.”

He smiled sadly. “You won’t come stay at Wayne Manor.”

“Not for extended periods of time,” she answered with the same bittersweet expression. Char stroked his cheek. He had been so open to her physical affection. “It wouldn’t really work the way we want it to.” 

“You mean Alfred will be asking about dress shopping?”

“I’ll be asking about dress shopping!” she teased. “Why are you here, exactly?”

“If I said that you no longer worked at the Daily Planet, what would you do?” he asked bluntly. 

Charlene stopped. “I would ask you to fix it, right now.”

He hummed. “You want Clark, still?”

“No,” she said defiantly. She crossed her arms. “I’m just not ready to date, yet.” Charlene was quickly learning how to own herself around Bruce. She felt at home, like he was at home in his spandex. Bruce made her feel like her own woman: strong, compassionate, and happy. If he could be her complement, she could do anything. Absolutely anything.

Bruce leaned in, smirking. Charlene hit him with a pillow, which he promptly caught. “Glad we’re on the same page.”

“Promise to try someday?” she teased.

“Maybe.”

[gaddaboutgriffon]

And I am waiting on an appointment, so Update! So some time skips.

For what ever reason Danny’s powers don’t start re-emerging until he is about five. (My head cannon is that Clark does a good job making him feel safe and doesn’t need to defend himself. Lex learns that feeling threatened is what triggers Val’s power too and gets less burns and bruises after that. He is So Damn Proud when she blasts Lionel away on sight. And worried his lawyers are working overtime on restraining orders to keep Lionel away.)

Anyway Danny’s powers fist show when that whole thing of Joker coming to metropolis and Batman officially meet’s Superman. And Superman uses x-ray vision to learn Batman is Bruce. Then later Bruce is seeing Lois home from their interview and gets to talking with neighbor across the hall Clark in a rather tense discussion. 5 year old Danny doesn’t like how upset this Bruce guy seems to be making his Daddy so he flies up and shoves Bruce into a wall. Leaving a sizable dent.

This is how both Bruce and Lois find out Clark is Superman. Mostly because Lois at first assumed Superman was Danny’s dad and was a dead beat that pretended to have died and pawn off Danny to his godfather Clark to raise. And as good a cover story that would be Clark sets the record straight with her cause that is not a public image he wants his alter ego to have.

Next time skip.

Four years later Bruce has adopted 8 year old violet gremlin Dick Grayson and has know idea what he is doing and turns to the only other single father that knows his secret identity. Clark’s advice only helps so much. On the bright side Danny and Dick become great friends. On the down side even with Clark’s help and advice Bruce can’t seem to get Dick to stop trying to go out after the Zucco’s and so Dick becomes Robin. And Danny now wants to go out crime fighting just like Dick does. It takes a few months of pestering and sneaking out on his own before Superman finally gives in and let’s Danny become Superboy. (Ok small note, the only powers Danny has remanifested yet are ones that are like Superman’s as he is going through a childhood imitation phase.)

Over the next five yearsDanny, Dick and Wally meet and became friends. They get the nickname Chaos Trio due to something called The Sugar Rush Incident that has become legendary in the justice. Though no one that wasn’t there can get the full story what happened. Flash and Superman grimace and Batman just scowls even deeper when asked. What they do know is that Superboy, Robin, and Kid Flash are not allowed to be together unsupervised. Ever.

But now has come the big day. Superboy, Robin, Kid Flash, along with Aqualad, and Speedy are going to see the Justice League Washington DC base for the first time! Their first step to becoming league members! (And also the first time all five known Sidekicks have been together at once.)

Then Speedy brings down the excitement by revealing that the DC base isn’t the real headquarters , the watchtower in space is. Which they aren’t supposed to know about. (Danny did actually already know about it because he had seen it in the cool expensive telescope “Uncle” Lex had gotten him for a birthday gift. And seeing it Danny tried to fly up to it scaring Clark be how high he had gotten into the atmosphere. He got grounded for a while and was strictly told not to tell ANYONE about the watchtower.)

Speedy quits over feeling like they are still being treated like kids. Then Green lantern calls in a report about a fire at Cadmus Labs, but local authorities were taking care of it. And something else about group of cultists trying to block out the Sun. The adult heroes say they will finish the tour later and the kids to wait in the lounge of the dc base, while they go deal with the cultists.

And you know from there Robin gets the idea for them to go check out Cadmus labs since Batman has had suspicions he has wanted to check out for awhile now. What better way to prove they are ready then by handling a mission on their own. One quick pep talk to get everyone on board and a hack on the computer for Cadmus’ location and they are on their way.

Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Superboy make it into Cadmus and find the hidden underground levels the same as in the episode. What is Different is they learn there is project KR, and projects JR 1 and JR 2. Fortunately all in the same room at the bottom level. When they get there they find all three projects are clones. KR of Superman, and the JRs of Danny . Though while aging up worked “fine” for KR, the scientists records state the JRs started to destabilize so they had to slow it back down to a more natural pace. Also they have no idea why one of the JR clones turned out female. (So they tried to clone Danny but Clockwork knew those clones would fail. And since Dani was being a pest and Dan a jerk he decided to get another ancient’s help to fuse Dani and Dan to those clone and stabilize them. Also getting to pests out of his hair.)

Danny took one look at the two years aged clones, and was immediately was thinking baby siblings! He turns to Robin at the computer saying, “I want them out. They are coming home with me.”

Robin jus shrugged as if saying whatever and opened the pods. Then Wally asked “So what about the big guy?”

Danny looked up from adoring the baby clones in his arms and said “I already have to convince Dad to let me keep two baby siblings. What’s one more.”

The other three share a look of doubt before Aqualad nods and says, “ Do it.”

Then like in the episode where the scientist orders the gnome to have Connor attack the young hero’s. He punches Danny first, and Danny still holding the toddler clones only has the thought to protect them. Curling his body to take hitting into the wall, only to instead go intangible for the first time. He flies through two walls before he gets his legs halfway stuck in a third one. He is Dan’s going holding the giggling toddlers trying to figure out how to get out.

By the time he gets out and has wandered around to find the others Superboy has changed sides and they all escaped together. Once the fight is over and they are safe outside Danny is excitedly talking with Superboy2 which he is calling Superclone, and is absolutely appalled that Cadmus didn’t give him his own name but also tried to steal Danny’s hero name. How Rude!

Then the adult Justice League arrived. Robin and Aqualad are handling most of the report. “We checked out the fire and found more than we bargained for. Including Superman’s clone,” Aqualad nodded at the teen(Connor) holding the little girl toddler. “And Superboy’s little clones.”

Danny hearing him held up the clone he had a little higher, and came over to Superman tugging Connor along behind him. “So you know how you said you wished I had sibling’s to keep me company as a kid? Well I got you three! One even comes pre-aged to teenagers, so he can already take care of himself! No need to thank me.”

Superman stood there opening and closing his mouth like a fish before chocking out, “What?”

“I couldn’t just leave them, and Superclone even helped us escape. So what do you say? Can I keep my new siblings?” Danny asked with big practically glowing puppy dog eyes.

Superman blinks a few times vaguely aware of green lantern whispering to ask someone if this is like the Sugar Rush incident all over again, flash answering that now the sugar rush was way worse. Finally he signed “We are going to have a very Serious talk at home. You kids disobeyed orders, hacked a league computer, and nearly got yourselves captured or killed. The others mentors will deal with their protégés but you are now grounded, I’ll figure out the rest of your punishment later but for now you are going to wait at the justice league DC base with your new siblings until I can finish getting this cleaned up.”

Well that is where I am going to end this update. I have more for the next couple episodes of the tv series but I think this is good enough for today. @confusedshades enjoy.

Super Phantom

Writing prompt #3

Danny reveals his ghost half to his parents and they took it well accepting him. As a result the doctors Fenton then backed out of the weapons deal they had with the GIW and are actively protecting Phantom from them.

The GIW don’t give up even after the anti ecto acts are being repealed and sabotaged the gas tank for Nasty Burger’s grill. This causes the explosion that would Kill Danny’s family and friends there for Jazz’s graduation celebration. Clockwork foresaw of a Dan event happening and froze time to take and de-age Danny, Jazz, Sam, Tucker and Vallarta. (Clockwork is a jerk and frankly blames Jack and Maddie for making the he portals that caused both Vlad and Danny’s halfa status and a lot more work for him. He is letting those two die.)

Clockwork then sends the Deaged to babies/toddler to different places in the Yong Justice cartoon DC universe. All the kids are liminal and have powers.

Jazz now a 3 year old is sent to Hippallita on Themescira. (Excuse my spelling) liminal powers make her strength on par with Amazons.

Sam, age 1 as well and sent to Giovanni Zattarra. Three year old Zatana gets a younger sister that also has the gift of magic. Especially nature/plant magic.

Tucker I had a hard time deciding but eventually chose Lucius Fox. (If you can think of someone better go ahead and make suggestions.)

Vallarie was Supposed to be sent to Ted Kord, but Lex Luthor was trying to tap into the watchtower’s zeta tubs but accidentally got clockwork’s portal instead. It cased he basket to be dropped instead of gently set down. Startled, two year old Vallarie instinctively activates her ghost tech armor. Now that is a curious unexpected asset Lex will find a way to utilize.

And finally deaged to one year old Danny is sent in a in a basket with a solar system print blanket with a envelope sitting on top. The portal opens and the basket is carefully set on the table with the note. Then clockwork places a folder thick with other papers of to the side. He retreats into the portal closing it behind him just as the apartment door is opening.

Clark Kent has just finished his third week of work at the Daily Planet, the evening patrol and even grocery shopping. Thoughts of the paper he needs to write and turn in the morning are on his mind as he enters his apartment in time to notice a Green glow wink out of existence from his kitchen door. He drops the now forgotten grocery bags when he hears the tiny heartbeat and rushes over to the basket on the table.

A sleeping baby. A baby! Wha- how had anyone. When his brain stops stalling he notices the letter. It reads:

Superman,

The boy’s name is Danny. You are the most likely to survive him learning to use his powers as they emerge. His parents died trying to protect him. It is not safe for him here.

I have already forged the legal documents naming you as his godfather and a cover story in the attached folder. Also three gold coins will be sent to you each month as child support. If anyone else looks at this letter the text will change to simply read that you are the godfather of this recently orphaned boy.

Clockwork.

Clark stood in shock rereading the letter in shock a dozen times. Before Lois snapped him out of it.

“Hey Smallville, it may not be Gotham but even in Metropolis you shouldn’t just leave your door open.” She called as she entered from the hall. Then she noticed the spilled bags of groceries on the floor. And came in. “Are you ok? You may be a klutz but you always pick u- Oh My God, That’s a Baby!”

Well that is enough for tonight. I will add on more later. Wonder how quickly this would grow if I don’t tag anyone? Eh just a few. @bloggerspam @confusedshades @hypewinter @zylev-blog @kizzer55555

[soulmate-game]

Part 1

After the Discovery, things didn’t change as much as everyone thought they might. “Everyone” being just Marinette, of course.

She got a lecture from Lois about worrying her, and then a joke from the older woman about no longer having another non-hero in the house to team up with.

“Wait, Dad,” Jon spoke up after that comment from his mom, bobbing up and down on his heels. Both him and Clark had long since changed out of their costumes, which didn’t take long considering both of them having super speed. “Does this mean Mari can meet Damian? And is she going to join a hero team—“

“I already have a team, Jon,” Marinette interrupted, soft but firm at the same time. Two months was more than long enough to know that Jon could talk forever if he was allowed to. “Chat Noir, Viperion, Bunnyx, and Ryuuko are all Miraculous users like me,” she had already sat down and explained the bare basics of her abilities and the Paris situation. Lois had known better than to scold her, no matter how gentle the scolding was, before Marinette had a chance to say anything.

Clark blinked, looking between both of his kids. And yes, Marinette was well and truly one of his kids already. He couldn’t hold back a soft chuckle. “She can meet Damian when school starts back up again, Jon. We don’t want to rush anything,” he started out by telling his son. Marinette was still very jittery. Two months was nowhere near enough time to recover from the trauma of watching your parents die, after all.

(In fact, Clark thought, for some people not even a lifetime was long enough. Batman briefly came to mind as an example.)

The girl still had nightmares almost daily, and panic attacks that resulted in brief spans of mutism at least once a week. Those, at least, had severely decreased in frequency, but it was clear that she was far from ready to meet very many new people. Especially people like Damian Wayne, who was hard enough for someone in perfect mental health to handle even on a good day.

“And Marinette,” Clark switched over to his pseudo-daughter. “If you have that many teammates, surely they would understand that you need a break,” when Marinette didn’t meet his eyes, Clark felt dread build up in his stomach. “Marinette, they know about your parents, right?”

The girl fidgeted. Clark closed his eyes.

“Nobody knows my identity,” She admitted after a tense silence. “I know everyone else’s, even though I only found out Chat’s by accident. But they don’t know mine, and I can’t ask them to give me time off anyway.”

“Why not, honey?” Lois asked as gently as she could, picking up on the beginning signs of Marinette closing herself off. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything any of them could do to stop it. Marinette refused to meet any of their eyes, and even before she spoke her new family knew that they wouldn’t get anything else meaningful out of her about the Paris situation, at least for the day.

“They need me.”

Clark and Jon traded a look. That statement felt a bit too familiar for them. It was something they heard from a lot of heroes who tried to justify overworking themselves. It was something both of them had said before.

But they let the topic rest for the night. Pushing Marinette wouldn’t do any good for anybody.

—*—*—*—*—*

A week passed. Lois and Clark were sitting on the couch watching TV when Lois caught her husband’s eyes darting up to the ceiling. Sighing, she turned the volume down a few notches.

“Did she leave for Paris again?” She asked even though she already knew the answer. Clark nodded grimly.

“Yesterday she didn’t get back in until almost four in the morning,” he admitted, running a hand over his face. “And now, it’s already eleven and she’s just now heading out. I know she doesn’t want me or Jon going to Paris because of Hawkmoth’s magic, but…” he trailed off with his mouth set in a deep frown. Lois could only sigh and lean against his arm comfortingly.

“I know,” she breathed quietly.

“She can’t keep working herself to the bone like this, Lois. Sometimes she’ll head right over to Paris after a nightmare, like she needs to remind herself of something, but she always comes back in less than an hour in that case. But this— when she leaves to fight HawkMoth or patrol Paris before ever going to sleep in the first place— it’s like she’s trying to avoid the nightmares by overworking herself too much to even dream.”

“I know,” Lois rubbed a hand on Clark’s back in gentle circles.

“It reminds me of Batman sometimes,” Clark said, his voice filled with uncharacteristic defeat. “Marinette doesn’t get violent like Bruce, but… never sleeping, throwing herself into heroism, she even refers to Ladybug as if they are different people, Lois. I can’t always help Bruce since he’s a grown adult and more than capable of shutting me out when he wants to, but Marinette is our kid now. I’m just not sure how to help her.”

Lois took a deep breath. “Well, she’s not Bruce so you can’t just bait her into a spar to sort out her feelings,” she mused with faint humor. “But how about we start with sending Jon to Paris the next time you guys hear her leave? The sooner we figure out exactly what the situation and her relationship with her team is like, then maybe the sooner we can find some answers.”

Clark nodded, and looked back up to the ceiling. “I know you heard that, Jon. Don’t get in the way, and come back if Marinette finds you and tells you to. We don’t want her to think we don’t trust her.”

A beat passed, and Clark rolled his eyes fondly.

“Don’t forget to go to bed as soon as she gets back, Jon. I don’t want to deal with two overly exhausted children.”

A thump.

“I’m sixteen!” Jon yelled back, clearly for Lois’s benefit as his mom let out a short burst of laughter.

—*—*—*—*—*

“Ladybug!”

“Look, it’s Ladybug!” “Woo! Go ladybug!” “Could you beat this guy extra fast, Ladybug? I’m late for a meeting!”

People in the streets were shouting in French happily, pointing up at their resident spotted heroine. Some people groused at her in mild or fond annoyance, asking her to beat the Akuma-of-the-day a bit faster for various reasons or jokingly calling her a slow poke. Most people just got pictures or videos on their phones of her as best as they could, watching her swing by in awe and admiration.

It was familiar. Too, too familiar, and Jon made sure to get it all on camera. His parents would want to see this. The pair of contacts he was wearing, a gift from Red Robin, translated everything that was being said for him into helpful little English subtitles.

And there was his sister. Marinette had been tough to pin down, and this was Jon’s third time trying to follow her in Paris. The first time, the day after that late night discussion between his parents, ended in less than five minutes. Marinette caught him and sent him home firmly, which was followed by a heart-to-heart with all four of them when she got home.

She still refused to tell them anything more than the basics about Paris’s situation. For some reason, she seemed extremely reluctant to talk about it. She had no problem comparing experiences and hero jokes with him and his dad, but the moment they tried to talk about Paris-specifics, Marinette clammed up.

It was the second of Jon’s attempts to follow Marinette, just a week after the first, that brought up a possible reason. Because Jon had watched a civilian that he hadn’t been able to get to in time get pinned under a thrown car and killed—only for Ladybug’s powers to reverse all the damage and bring the man back to life.

Jon had raced back home right after that, not even giving Marinette the chance to see him. After relaying what had happened to his parents, they all agreed to one last tail. The pieces were already falling together, and none of them liked the picture they were painting. They wanted to confront Marinette as soon as possible. So here he was, another week later.

Jon kept recording throughout the fight, watching as Marinette clearly led her team. There was no mistaking that all her teammates respected her and treated her word as law. Even Chat Noir, who was Ladybug’s deputy, always referred to Ladybug’s opinion before issuing any orders. Civilians didn’t always flee the scene, taking their time as they tried to record the fight. And when the Akuma was beaten and only Ladybug made a move to catch the corrupted butterfly, the final pieces clicked into place. Jon managed to stay still long enough to catch the crowd of fans running forward, trying to mob Ladybug with pleas for autographs or statements or interviews, before he left. Ladybug’s team had acted as a buffer between her and the crowd anyway, so Jon was able to leave with a clear conscience.

When he walked into his house, already changed back into normal clothes, he waved his phone with a serious look on his face as both his parents waited anxiously.

“Yeah. This is pretty bad,” Jon warned them as he hooked his phone up to his laptop, and played the footage for them.

—*—*—*—*—*

When Marinette got home, it was to a clear intervention. Nervously detransforming, she looked to Tikki and back to her new family. The Kwami, who had previously just been explained away as the source of her powers, gently nudged the girl forward. She knew her holder needed this.

Clark and Lois gently explained why they asked Jon to follow her, explaining that they were all concerned about how badly she was overworking herself.

“You’re getting only three hours of sleep, and that’s on the days that you wake up with nightmares,” Clark’s

voice was quiet, begging her to listen. “Every other day, you teleport to what I can only hope is Paris every time, and you don’t come back for hours. Even if you spend that whole time fighting Akumas, you still only get an hour’s worth of sleep maximum when you get back. Sometimes you don’t even sleep at all until you collapse of exhaustion,” he leaned forward over the table, worry etched in every line on his face. “Marinette, we’re worried. We wanted Jon to see what the situation in Paris was like, because we thought that maybe it would explain why you seem to care about it more than your health. We didn’t know if it was just you needing to keep busy, or something else.”

“And you’re gone during the day too,” Lois added. “And we get that. HawkMoth attacks whenever he feels like, and we all understand if you have to disappear at odd times to fight his Akumas. But this is more than that, isn’t it?”

Marinette’s hands were clenched into fists, and tears were starting to bubble up in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything. Jon slowly approached her, waiting for her small nod before laying one of his larger hands over her fists and gently prying them open before she hurt herself. He kept his hands there, holding hers for both of their comfort.

“I took a video, today,” he admitted gently. “Dad already erased it from the laptop and my phone, don’t worry. But they— we all— needed to see it. The way Paris treats you, Marinette—“

“It’s like how Metropolis used to treat Superman. How they sometimes still do,” Lois interrupted, trying to get Marinette to meet her eyes. “We all thought that Superman showing up was the end of our problems. That as soon as he showed up, the villain or criminal or whatever that was causing us problems was done for. That he could save everyone,” Lois’s eyes grew melancholy. “But we had to learn the hard way that he’s not invincible, no matter how much he might seem like he is. We had to learn the hard way that nobody, no matter how strong or how many powers they have, can save everyone. The kind of trust we had in him before is toxic, Marinette. It’s toxic to us, because we stop being as careful as we should be if we think he’s always going to catch us. And it’s toxic to him, too.”

“How?” Marinette asked, her voice impossibly tiny and her eyes glittering with unshed tears as she darted her eyes between them. “They need someone to believe in. They— I make them feel safe. I— isn’t that good?”

“You feel like it’s your job to be there no matter what, right?” Clark asked, meeting her gaze with a warm, but firm one of his own. “That you have to do whatever it takes to win every battle, no matter what it costs you, because they believe you will. You start feeling like everyone you don’t save is your fault. And that’s not okay,” he stood up and Jon slowly backed away, allowing their father to kneel by Marinette and clasp one of her shoulders. “It always hurts. You might never forget the faces of the people you can’t save, but it isn’t your fault. You told me and Jon that you don’t blame us for what happened to your parents, that it’s stupid to blame the hero for something that wouldn’t have happened if the villain didn’t attack in the first place,” his grip tightened slightly, trying to offer comfort when Marinette tended at the mention of her parents. “If you don’t blame us, even though we were the ones in costume and fighting that day, then you need to stop blaming yourself too.”

The tears finally overflowed, salty water trickling down Marinette’s cheeks and sloppy sobs ripping themselves from her throat even as she threw herself into Clark’s chest. He hugged her tightly, letting her cry.

“B-b-But,” Marinette stuttered in between hiccuping sobs. “My powers reverse damage, m-my powers bring people back,” she sniffed, burying her face deeper into Clark’s chest. “I wanted t-to help. I-I was. S-s-So close to tr-transforming and fighting with y-you, but I didn’t. I d-didn’t, so I c-couldn’t bring them b-back. I should have been tr-transformed, th-that way they would be—“

“Shh,” Clark whispered gently, rocking her in his arms. “It’s not your fault. Metropolis wasn’t your city. You were protecting your identity, and that was the right choice.”

“But—!”

“No, Marinette,” Clark interrupted, holding her just a little tighter as she continued to tremble and sob. “If you had transformed, someone would have figured it out. A French class comes to Metropolis, and one of their students mysteriously disappears at the same time that a French hero shows up in America for the first time? Maybe you could have brought them back, but none of you would have been safe. Our villains, the villains of Metropolis, of the League, they would have suddenly known about you and might have researched Paris. Maybe HawkMoth would have gained a new ally, or maybe a villain would attack you just because you’re a new hero to target,” Clark sighed, rubbing his hand gently over Marinette’s back as her sobs quieted into a few hiccups and sniffles. She was listening. That was a good sign. “So yes, maybe you would have been able to save them that once, but you could also have opened up a new can of worms that you might not have been able to handle. Things could have gotten worse, and Jon and I wouldn’t have even known to help you. You would have continued to shoulder everything on your own, but you don’t have to. You did your best, and your parent’s deaths aren’t your fault. And you have Jon and I now, and your team even if they don’t know who you are. You can rely on us a little. If you keep going on like this, though, you’re going to kill yourself Marinette,” this time his grip tightened for a whole different reason and Clark buried his face in Marinette’s loose hair. Even after only almost three months, the thought of losing her made him breathless. She was his daughter, even if not by blood, and he couldn’t stand the thought of her hurting herself like this.

“Please, Mari,” That was Jon, who had knelt down by their side and joined the hug. “Let us help you. I promise we’re not incompetent heroes.”

Marinette’s laugh was watery, and hysteric. She accepted a tissue from Lois, who was suddenly sitting down only a foot away from the three’s group hug. After a good nose-blow, Marinette took a deep breath.

“Maybe now’s a good time to give them a proper explanation, Marinette,” Tikki said as she floated down to land on her wielder’s head, giving her the best hug she could. Marinette gave another wet chuckle.

“Yeah, I agree,” she took a deep breath. “But it’s a long story.”

“Not a problem,” Lois assured the girl as she forced herself up and stretched her arms out. “I’ll get the extra pillows and blankets. We can relax on the floor and have story time, and then binge watch movies and have a sleepover in the living room. Clark, could you be a dear and move the couch out of the way?”

—*—*—*—*—*

“You have a rule against killing, dear,” Lois whispered groggily from where she was laying against Clark’s side. Marinette was sprawled in between him and Jon, safely in their cuddle-cocoon. Both of their kids were deep asleep. Clark grunted.

“Yeah, but he put so much responsibility on kids, Lo. Kids,” he whispered back, turning his head to try and lessen the chance of waking up Jon. “And he didn’t offer them any support for almost a year, made them figure out the whole hero thing and their powers on their own,” the clearing of a tiny throat made Clark stifle a snort. “With their Kwami,” he whispered, quietly appeasing the eavesdropping Tikki who was laying on Marinette’s chest pretending to sleep. “But a god isn’t exactly a replacement for an actual hero mentor, you know,” he shot at her, making the tiny goddess shrug in acquiescence. “And making her Guardian— he basically threw all his responsibilities onto kids, and ran away. And now Marinette has to heal from all the unrealistic expectations she gave herself. So forgive me if I’m entertaining a few more violent daydreams than usual.”

Lois patted his arm and kissed his cheek. “I’m sure they will be just as violent and gratifying to imagine in the morning. Go to sleep, Smallville.”

—*—*—*—*—*

It was another two and a half weeks before Marinette met Damian Wayne for the first time. She looked from the fellow teenager in a perfectly-pressed uniform and then over to her brother with a raised eyebrow.

“Does he fly in on a helicopter every day?” She asked him incredulously, making Jon grin and nod. She looked back over at Damian, who was clearly annoyed at her for speaking about him when he was right there. “I will never understand rich people.”

Damian scoffed, rolling his eyes. “And I will never understand simpletons. Kent, who is your friend?” He practically spat the last word, making the inner bully-detector in Marinette go off. Her interactions with Chloe and Lila kicked in, and sparked her old habits. Marinette flashed a bright smile, stepping in front of Jon before he could say a word and holding out her hand to Damian. Clark, who was talking to Bruce nearby, out his hand over his mouth to hide a snort. Bruce raised his eyebrows, paying close attention to the interaction now.

“Hi! I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Clark and Lois took me in a few months ago, and they said I’m already family. That means that I’m Jon’s sister now, which means that it’s my job to keep him away from bad influences. My hobbies include annoying bullies and not being a welcome mat. How are you?”

Damian blinked once. Twice, and then took her hand and shook it firmly even as a smirk spread itself over his lips.

“Damian Wayne,” he replied easily. “And I apologize for assuming you were a simpleton. I think we can tolerate each other just fine.”

As Marinette and Damian kept trading sarcastic quips with one another that got steadily less passive-aggressive as time went on (with Jon watching in dismay as somehow Marinette seemed to get along? With Damian? And they were scheming? This couldn’t end well.), Clark and Bruce watched the kids walk into their school building.

A moment of silence stretched, before Bruce finally caved and asked; “Took her in?”

Clark grinned slightly, knowing Bruce never would have been able to resist sating his curiosity over the new girl in his care.

“Lois and I practically adopted her. Technically her paternal grandmother has custody and only gave her to us to take care of while she recovers from her grief in a different country, but that’s only because trying to adopt her without being French citizens would have been almost impossible.”

“Grief?” Bruce’s eyebrows pulled down, and Clark’s smile grew somber.

“Remember the attack in late May, back in Metropolis? The one that actually had the first fatalities in months?” Bruce’s face went slack in realization, followed closely by his eyes snapping to the school’s doors. Clark nodded. “Looks like your penchant for adopting black-haired, blue-eyed orphans is contagious. She was scraping the skin off her hands and giving herself burns trying to dig them out of the rubble. When Jon and I realized that they were both of her parents, I had Lois look into her to make sure she had family to take care of her,” Clark sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The options were a grandmother who never stops traveling or a great uncle she barely knows who only speaks Mandarin when she doesn’t. So we pulled a few strings, and now she’s a Kent in all but name.”

“I hope Damian can avoid saying the wrong thing for at least a day before I talk to him later,” Bruce said with a sigh as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “At least she seems to have won his respect pretty quickly.”

Clark laughed. “Oh yeah, she tends to do that. No offense or anything Bruce, but I think it’s a good thing we were the ones that adopted her before you got the chance,” he turned and smiled at his old friend. “You wouldn’t be able to handle Marinette. She’s closer to a Super than a Bat.”

—*—*—*—*—*

@fantasiame @thestressmademedoit @amayakans @resignedcatservant @too0bsessedformyowngood @chocolatecatstheron

Part 3

This. Was. Supposed. To be. Fluffy. Damn it. But oh well, natural story progression calls for more hurt and comfort I guess? Maybe one part left in this story I think.

[four-color-words]

Oh right more thoughts

Dick was the first kid to start the whole sidekick thing. They can retcon in more (Lost Children is actually really really good and I need to finish it I love what I've read so far) and shift the timeline around so he and Bruce aren't as old as they should be, but. He was the first. And I think, adults being adults and thinking they know better than kids about anything and everything, they'd worry

It starts with Clark -- as Superman -- mentioning Batman's new ward to Lois, confirming the rumors that are flying about. Lois decides to leverage that into an interview, the next time the World's Finest are within arm's reach. Bruce does not want to participate or let Dick do it, but. He's a tired twenty-something trying to figure out if he's a brother or a dad, and Lois is determined to get this story. The interview gets set up

Dick is happily rambling away, downing juice boxes and cookies, talking about how much fun he and Batman are having. Lois asks if he ever gets scared, or feels like he's in danger.

Dick snorts and tells her that yeah, duh, he gets scared. He feels like he's in danger sometimes. He's eight years old and small for his age, and have you seen how big that giant stinky lizard guy is? But being Robin gives him a way to fight the fear. To protect himself and other people. To... Keep people from getting hurt. He's Robin, and that means he gets to fight the scary things.

I dunno, I'm still rolling it around in my brain. But I like the idea of an interview getting published in the Planet and then republished elsewhere a few times over the next couple years, winding up with something that ripples out to kids all over the country, telling them that they have the ability to fight for themselves when the grownups fail them

In-universe echoes of real-world effects

Debating writing a fic wherein Lois interviews Dick in his baby-Robin days because the public is high-key concerned about this ten-year-old vigilante (he's actually eight, Mizz Lane!) and she wants to make sure he's okay, but she ends up with a story about having to be your own help even though you are a very small child and it's hard to find grownups who listen

[ask-gotham-city]

We’re back! G’s still busy with school but we’re figuring out a balance for stuff.

I finally got some free time to finish my research on Mr. Wayne’s relationship history, so here’s what I’ve managed to find. I was actually able to make this pretty thorough, but that’s not surprising considering how long he’s been in the media spotlight.

High school:

Pretty vague overall. A few alleged girlfriends, but the media didn’t touch him too much until he came back in the mid 90’s from those few years off traveling.

College:

Besides the usual rumors of him sleeping around a lot, there isn’t much until his Junior year, which for those of you who don’t know, is when he was outed as bi.

I’m not gonna get too far into the details, because it was a pretty nasty media storm, but basically, some photos were leaked to the press of Bruce and his friend Harvey Dent that confirmed they were in a relationship. The media exploded, and there were a ton of generally really gross and homophobic allegations brought against both of them.

A prime example of this bullshit is when a group of conservative assholes pushed to have Bruce’s son Dick (who he had just adopted the previous year) taken away from him on the grounds that he was “an inappropriate parental figure.” This obviously didn’t take, and later that month Bruce made a statement to the press that was basically a very polite fuck off.

He and Dent continued to date until the accident in 2002 that resulted in Dent becoming the villain Two-Face. This was also when the Wayne Foundation officially started funding rehabilitation efforts for Gotham’s rogues, and Bruce has mentioned in several interviews since that he has hopes to see Harvey recover in the future.

2004-2009—Selina Kyle

This was a public relationship and confirmed by both of them in interviews at the time. Of course there were rumors of Bruce cheating on her, but nothing was ever proven beyond: he’s friends with other women. Gotham’s media is bullshit and both parties denied anything happening even after the fact, so it’s safe to say there was nothing.

They broke up privately sometime in late 2009, and it was widely speculated that this was over tensions regarding the passing of Bruce’s son Jason earlier that year.

They’re still good friends! They post pictures and talk about each other in interviews and just generally seem to be happy where they are.

2010-2012—Batman (kind of)

Oh boy, 2010, the year of the famous Batwayne video (you know the one).

Between the princess carry on their way out of the building and how Batman held Mr. Wayne’s hand while he was being patched up by the EMTs, it’s not a surprise that this rumor spread like wildfire.

Overnight, Batwayne was trending on most social media platforms and there were several morning news segments talking about the supposed relationship.

It didn’t help that Bruce had been publicly sponsoring Batman since 2002 (as a way to bolster villain rehabilitation efforts). As a result, the media and the public made the leap that they met through a business partnership, became friends, and started dating. Which like... I guess generally makes sense?

Bruce heavily denied it in interviews, but that didn’t stop the tabloids. They dug up really old footage of other saves, tracked Batman sightings along with Bruce’s public appearances, and found that the Dark Knight has never strayed far from the Waynes. More assumptions were made and the ball just kept on rolling.

Why is Mr. Wayne always the first to disappear in a conflict? Batman gets him out first before he takes care of everything. Why does Bruce leave Gotham on vacation every time Batman’s in a huge fight? He’s worried about his safety.

It was two years of a phenomenal public push that uncovered a lot of coincidences and connections between the two of them, and although his associates and kids never backed down from joking about it in interviews, this has never been confirmed. It did, however, deserve an honorable mention for the sheer amount of drama and coverage it got.

2012-2017—Clark Kent

Listen, this was the best time to be a Gothamite I swear. The media didn’t now how to handle Bruce going from dating Upper-Class-Super-Famous-Philanthropist Selina Kyle/The-Dark-Knight-Himself to... That-One-Reporter-From-Metropolis. They struggled.

The Daily Planet and other Metropolis news outlets tried to get in on the action, releasing the ever famous tabloid article where poor Mr. Kent gets asked if he “cleared the relationship with Batman first.”

Please, dear god, just watch any of the interviews from this whole thing, they’re so funny.

Besides what they released by choice, most of this relationship was private. They were spotted together in public a few times and posted plenty of pictures on social media, and overall they seemed super happy!

It’s unclear when, but it was confirmed by Bruce in an interview in 2018 that they split. They’ve both said it was mutual, and just like Selina they appear to have stayed good friends.

2017-Present—A Whole Lot Of What The Fuck

Listen, after Clark I couldn’t find any more confirmed relationships, but ohhh boy have there been a lot of stories. I’m just gonna rattle off a short list of ones I’ve found, because honestly these have been some wild years. These are all alleged, some crazier than others, so please take them with a grain of salt

Lois Lane

Wonder Woman

Superman

Selina Kyle again

Oliver Queen

Clark Kent again

A lot of one off dates that pushed the media to begin perpetrating the Bruce Wayne Sleeps With Everyone Under The Sun Idea

Basically every Justice League member at some point or other

Fashion model Diana Prince (this actually has a lot behind it but it’s only been public speculation so far so 🤔)

Lex Luthor (hELp)

Batman (that one’s never really went away)

And that’s all I was able to find. G helped me out with this a lot and I’m very grateful, so thanks dude! My overall take away from this is: the internet is a rabbit hole of weirdness and Mr. Wayne is just vibing in it. I support my queer icon and trash man of a boss and I hope he’s having a good quarantine.

-W

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

To Roast or Not to Roast

It’s been a hot sec since I wrote a DC fic but I got an idea about the batkids being asked to participate in a schwanky roast of Bruce and it turned into this! Some light internal angst with a happy ending.  Gen Rating: PG Words: 1856 AO3

Dick frowned down at the invitation. The thick envelope made of paper that cost more than most kids in Gotham paid for their notebooks had fallen out of the pile of bills and magazines and postcards when he’d grabbed his mail. It was heavier than anything else in the stack with the cardstock it contained and slipped right out when he’d grabbed everything. He had carried it as though it were likely to explode at any moment or contained deadly poison or was a carrier of smallpox and living in Blüdhaven and having a return address of Gotham those weren’t wholly out of the realm of possibility.

When he’d finally reached his kitchen Dick dumped the rest on the counter and just held the cream envelope in his hands, studying it with narrowed eyed suspicion that only increased as he read and reread “Gotham City Chamber of Commerce” in the upper left corner.

Finally, Dick opened a drawer, pulling a steak knife from within it and tore through the top of the paper. He slipped the invitation out and carefully read the script.

You are cordially invited to a night honoring Gotham’s great businessman and philanthropist Bruce Wayne

The night will feature a four-course meal and conclude with a roast of our guest of honor.

Please RSVP with the card enclosed.

Dick felt his eyebrows raise as he read the invitation again. A roast. Bruce was getting a roast. Bruce agreed to a roast. Bruce agreed to a roast after Alfred pressuring him into it and making the Chamber of Commerce agree to donate a rather large sum of money was more likely. And running his own investigation to make sure he wouldn’t wind up literally on a spit Dick was sure.

He chuckled and shifted the cards to find the RSVP and hope they hadn’t skimped on return postage when he noticed something odd. There was another piece of paper, nicer still than anything he had in his printer but not the same thick cardstock of the invitation. He unfolded it curiously and frowned as he read.

Dear Mr. Grayson,

We hope that you are well and hope to see you in attendance. We are writing to ask if you might consider being one of our special guest speakers for the night. As Mr. Wayne’s eldest son we thought that you might bring a unique and entertaining perspective to the stage. We have also reached out to Mr. Drake-Wayne and Miss Cain-Wayne and greatly hope the three of you would consider speaking.

We await your reply on the matter.

The Gotham City Chamber of Commerce Lucy Plumber Events Chair

As he finished reading Dick let the paper fall onto the counter. He went to collapse on his couch, fishing his phone out of his pocket. They wanted him to speak at Bruce’s roast. They wanted him to roast Bruce. Not that he couldn’t, he did all the time it was quiet easy after all these years and well brooding in a dark cave while dressed as a bat kind of made you an easy target. The question was did he want to roast Bruce in front of these people?

It was one thing to tease Bruce and make fun of him when they were in their masks because that wasn’t Bruce, that was Batman. Batman deserved it more often than not and had bigger things to worry about than Nightwing making fun of him in front of a gang of would be arsonists. Batman was used to having his protegee complain about him with various members of the Justice League and Titans, most of them had just about as much right to complain.

It was another thing to tease Bruce to his friends and family. They got it. They either grew up with the guy too or had been sidekicks themselves. There was a something that came from growing up in the shadow of heroes and really only people who had done that understood it. So yeah, him and Babs or Tim or Cass ragging on Bruce in the cave was allowed. They’d earned that right. Bitching about him with Wally or Roy or even Jason and Steph – when they were on speaking terms – was allowed too.

Standing up in front of a room full of Gotham’s elite and making fun of the man that, to them, saved Dick? Yeah, no. Ok, yeah he did save Dick that was true but he didn’t need a bunch of rich snobs thinking he was some ungrateful circus brat, he’d dealt with enough of that those first couple years after high school thanks. Besides, they didn’t deserve to hear Dick’s jokes. Not the ones about Bruce. They wouldn’t understand. He didn’t want them to understand. Those were personal.

Besides, what was he going to say? “You know how you grow up and people tell you you’re ‘one of a kind!’ and all? Yeah, Bruce never said that and for proof please let me point to the three others who are apparently just like me and even with changes to the costume some still think we’re a singular person!” Or, “People always tell me ‘you’re so well adjusted!’ and yeah I am for a kid who watched their parents die. For a kid who was raised and trained to fight crime by a man in a Kevlar furry suit? Well the verdict’s still out.”

Dick could just say no, he wouldn’t do it. Hell, Dick should just say no. It just… He didn’t know. It bothered him. Everything about being asked bothered him.

He kept playing with his phone, spinning it around in his hand, as he thought when he finally remembered why he’d gotten it out in the first place. He checked the time as he unlocked it and yup, Tim should definitely be awake by now. He hit the call button, lifted it to his ear, and waited.

“Nnngh. Whu?” Tim’s voice was muffled when he picked up and maybe Dick underestimated how late the kid could sleep in on a weekend.

“Good afternoon Timbers,” he couldn’t keep the tease out of his voice, not that Dick tried.

“’M on the west coast. ‘S still mornin’,” he protested. Dick winced a bit, he hadn’t realized it was a Titans weekend so yeah maybe Tim got some slack.

“Sorry.”

“’S fine. What’s up?”

“Well I was going to ask you about something interesting I got in the mail-”

“If Steph sent you a live bat it you should blame Jason,” Tim interrupted quickly and Dick paused.

“Um. No. What?”

The younger boy sighed and Dick could just see him scrubbing his hand down his face before pushing it back up to push his long hair back. It was a movement he did often and one that often prompted a remark about haircuts from Alfred. “I dunno. Harper got her and Cass really into Les Mis and then she and Jason ran into each other on patrol the other night and he caught her belting out One Day More or something? I really don’t know. She was talking really fast, you know how Steph gets. Anyways, they started talking and Jason told her something about how Victor Hugo sent his fiancée a live bat in the mail and she thought it was hilarious and well we all remember what happened when she found those websites were you could send people glitter and gummy dicks and poop.”

Dick had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He did remember that, vividly. Tim and Cass both had a fine coating of glitter over their apartments for weeks after that, though with all the pranks and Cass being Cass there was normally glitter coating their apartments. Dick had gotten the gummy dicks sent to him and work and truth be told they’d been pretty good. Bruce had received the elephant poop. At the office. And Tim had seen and told Kon who’d told Clark and then there was an article in The Daily Planet and Bruce had been forced to give an interview to a very amused Viki Vale about the whole thing when she made a very compelling argument about the failings of a Gotham paper not being able to report on Gotham news and the importance of the press and well there’s a reason she and Lois go toe-to-toe on scoops.

“There was no live animals, though that would have been preferable,” Dick admitted once he was sure he wouldn’t burst out laughing if he opened his mouth.

“What did you get then? A dead bat?”

Dick snorted. “No. At least not today. I got an invitation to a roast for Bruce. And to roast Bruce.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Apparently, you did too.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“Neither do I,” Dick admitted. “I don’t know what I’d say. I don’t know what I’d want to say.”

“You could say no,” Tim said levelly. “I haven’t even seen it yet but I’m probably going to. Too bad they can’t ask Jason since he’s legally dead and all, he’d love this. Or Barbara. Let her roast him, she’s good at that.”

Dick smiled and shook his head, imagining those two tag-teaming. It wasn’t hard, they did it on the comms some nights and it was some of the most vicious and scathing remarks he’d ever heard. Thankfully, it was rare they were levelled at him. There had been times though and those had been rough.

“I don’t think any of what they’d say is fit for the general public,” he said dryly.

Tim gave a noncommittal hum. “Steph and Harper. They’d just rip into him for being a rich white guy.”

Dick sat up straight. “That’s not a bad idea Tim.”

“What? Have Harper and Steph do it? Um, I still haven’t seen this thing but I’m fairly certain they asked us cause we’re his kids but not like an actual child like Damian.”

“No, I know exactly who it should be. Thanks. Have fun with your friends this weekend, I’ll come to the Manor for dinner sometime this week.”

“Um ok? Bye?”

“Bye!” Dick hung up with a smile.

He pushed himself up over the back of the couch and grabbed the letter off the counter. There was an office number under the signature and while there was a chance she wasn’t in today Dick figured that being Events Chair meant you worked weekends. Besides, it’s not like he couldn’t just leave a message.

She picked up on the second ring and Dick’s smile grew. “Hi Lucy,” he pushed as much charm as he could muster into his voice, “this is Dick Grayson. I just got your invitation to Bruce’s roast and while I’m honored that you invited me to speak I just don’t think I’m the right person for the job. However, I do think I could put you in contact with someone who is. Have you reached out to Bruce’s cousin? Kate Kane? She’s a delight and if her barbs at holidays are anything to go by I think she would be perfect.”

[dazebrasrecs]

Fic Recs: SuperBat (Detective Comics)

All fics are complete.  This list will be updated.

Abducted! by Mithen

Length: 4k / Rating: E / Genre: PWP / Warnings: BDSM

Summary:  Bruce Wayne is "kidnapped" for "alien experimentation."

Action and Re-Action by Mithen

Length: 24k / Rating: M / Genre: drama / Warnings: torture

Summary:  In the first issue of Justice League after the reboot, Batman told Green Lantern he had never met Superman before. This story takes that statement at face value--but what if Bruce Wayne had met him before?

Acts of Man by aintitnifty

Length: 19k / Rating: T / Genre: drama / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  It all started with a circus, a fall, and a boy...

Any Way You Want It by BuckinghamAlice

Length: 1k / Rating: E / Genre: PWP / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Bruce and Clark play a round of "lie back and let me make you feel good." Spoiler alert: everyone wins.

Bat Soup, Or: How Bruce Wayne Made Friends With Pleasure Before Business by bluestalking and feverbeats

Length: 18k / Rating: E / Genre: Drama / Warnings: Implied/Referenced underage sex

Summary:  “I suppose that finding out the nice Kansas boy is as strong as five hundred Batmans isn’t doing your mood any favors,” says Alfred.

Begging for Mercy by Mithen

Length: 2k / Rating: M / Genre: PWP / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Clark Kent is captured and being interrogated by some mobsters. What they don't know is that Batman's listening in via communicator--and whispering in Clark's ear the whole time.

A Change of Disguise by Emanium

Length: 5k / Rating: E / Genre: PWP / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Ever since Brucie outed himself as bisexual, he has had boy toys draped all over him in every minute of his social events. Clark finds it hard to not strangle these men.

Comfort by fishfingersandjellybabies

Length: 1k / Rating: G / Genre: Fluff / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  In which Damian has a nightmare, and his stepdad takes care of him.

Control Issues by Mithen

Length: 5k / Rating: M / Genre: PWP / Warnings: BDSM

Summary:  When Superman gets mind-controlled and tries to kill Batman every other week, it's probably inevitable he and Bruce would develop something of a kink about it.

Crossed Wires by RileyC

Length: 2k / Rating: T / Genre: Romance/Fluff / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  When Bruce shows up at the farm with a lead-lined box Clark jumps to all the wrong conclusions.

Dodi Li by TheResurrectionist

Length: 6k / Rating: M / Genre: Romance/Humor / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  the one where Bruce and Clark vacation with the batkids, everything goes wrong, and Clark is just trying to propose to his boyfriend, okay?

Duoing High-Level Content by Mithen

Length: 3k / Rating: G / Genre: romance / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Clark Kent got into playing an online multiplayer game in his free time to relax. But when he meets another player whose fighting style meshes perfectly with his own, he finds an additional reason to spend time in the virtual world.

Fake Empires by copperbadge

Length: 12k / Rating: T / Genre: Drama / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Bruce Wayne can't possibly be as dumb as he acts, and Clark Kent isn't as ordinary as he appears.

Four Days on a Farm in Kansas by FabulaRasa

Length: 28k / Rating: E / Genre: Humor / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Bruce comes to spend a few days at the Kents' farm. Clark tries to be all things to all people. Bruce is kind of an asshole. Does any of this really need saying? Featuring: tractors, misogyny, embarrassing parents, Ikea, awkward barn sex.

Gotham Serenade by cycnus39

Length: 15k / Rating: M / Genre: Drama / Warnings: violence

Summary:  The Joker has a gift for Batman...and Superman is the wrapping paper.

Habits series by haljordont

Length: 9k / Rating: M / Genre: romance / Warnings: N/A

Summary: It is not, he firmly tells himself, a habit. Maxwell Maltz said it takes a minimum of twenty one days to form a habit. This is only the eighteenth. He’ll stop before then and maybe he’ll confess that he’s been invading his friends’ privacy and Bruce will do that thing where he surprises him with how calm he is about it and–

His Untamed Heart by Mithen

Length: 4k / Rating: T / Genre: Humor / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  When Bruce Wayne discovers that the male leads of a variety of romance novels bear an uncanny resemblance to him, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

In Case You Were Wondering by RileyC

Length: 12k / Rating: M / Genre: romance / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  There was some Pink K, and it was good, except everything moved really fast, with no time for wooing and courting. Bruce decides Valentine's Day is the perfect time to make up for all of that.

Interview with a Batman by Mithen

Length: 7k / Rating: T / Genre: drama / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Batman offers Clark Kent a deal--an interview with him, in exchange for information about Superman.

 A Marvel of Kryptonian Design by Mithen

Length: 3k / Rating: M / Genre: PWP / Warnings: semi-public sex

Summary:  Superman arrives at the Fortress to find Batman designing something from Kryptonian crystal. It isn't quite what he expected, but he's willing to have a little fun with it.

Nor Ever Chaste by ren_makoto

Length: 7k / Rating: M / Genre: humor / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  "Are we going to do this at my place, or yours?" Clark asked. Bruce didn't change the subject or shy away, didn't even blink. "Mine," he said

Prolonged Eye Contact by SeaPlume

Length: 5k / Rating: T / Genre: PWP / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  "I'll have Malone pay you a visit. I'm sure you'll get along famously." It was all Batman's fault, really.

The Power Not to Do by Mithen

Length: 4k / Rating: M / Genre: PWP / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  After a close call being exposed to sex pollen in Gotham, Batman insists that he and Superman build up a tolerance to it. It's one of the more unusual first dates Clark has heard of...

Relinquishing Control by foxyk

Length: 22k / Rating: E / Genre: Hurt/Comfort / Warnings: N/A

Summary: Superman worries that if he lets go he'll injure his partner. Batman knows better. Batman worries that if he lets someone else in, he'll hurt them. Superman knows better.

Reservations by Lemonade_Garden

Length: 11k / Rating: T / Genre: Romance / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Bruce Wayne's kids make a high stakes bet to find Bruce a girlfriend. Clark is. . . not sure how he feels about this. What follows is a tale of romance, friendship, family, tractors, bullet wounds, Stephanie Brown's (frankly amazing) motorcycle, and too many PowerPoint presentation jokes.

Rest by mitzvah (Melting)

Length: 2k / Rating: T / Genre: angst / Warnings: mental illness

Summary: The little blue planet rotates slowly beneath the expanse of empty universe dark and limitless above. Batman stands in the privacy of his personal quarters and watches the celestial bodies move.

For hours. And… hours

Semi-Permanent Couplings by ren_makoto

Length: 10k / Rating: E / Genre: PWP / Warnings: infidelity

Summary:  "So, Bruce, how do you feel about one night stands?"

Silver-Blue by Mithen

Length: 4k / Rating: M / Genre: Romance / Warnings: N/A

Summary:   When Clark goes into "Kryptonian heat," Bruce is resigned to doing his duty

Stop, Don't Stop by BuckinghamAlice

Length: 2k / Rating: E / Genre: PWP / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Clark is spending the night at Wayne Manor and is determined to help Bruce not be quiet, no matter who may hear.

Strong as Gossamer by Mithen

Length: 2k / Rating: E / Genre: PWP / Warnings: BDSM

Summary:  How to restrain a Kryptonian effectively? Bruce has some unorthodox ideas...

Technical Knockout (TKO) by Pandamomochan

Length: 5k / Rating: E / Genre: PWP/humor / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  More often then not, Bruce is the only one leaving the bedroom feeling completely spent. Clark says he's satisfied, but Bruce isn't completely convinced. Now he plans to make it his personal mission to give Superman a night he'll never forget.

That Which We Call a Rose by arysteia 

Length: 12k / Rating: E / Genre: romance / Warnings: N/A

Summary: The course of true love never did run smooth. When Clark Kent met Bruce Wayne. And Bruce Wayne met Superman. And Superman met Batman. And Batman met Clark Kent. And Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne finally got their acts together...

Trust as an Alien Concept by Mithen

Length: 4k / Rating: G / Genre: humor / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  Superman is dating Batman; this means fun family times with Damian's two daddies, right? Damian begs to differ.

The Unbroken Circle by Mithen and Rai_Daydreamer.

Length: 5k / Rating: T / Genre: drama / Warnings: N/A

Summary:  A magical mishap gives Batman Superman's powers--with a twist. 

Vaster Than Empires by Mithen

Length: 17k / Rating: M / Genre: drama, action / Warnings: slavery

Summary:  A Zeta beam gone wrong strands Clark and Bruce on an alien planet in the distant past where Bruce must pretend to be Clark's pleasure slave.

The World's Greatest Detective Has a Belated Epiphany by Mithen

Length: 2k / Rating: G / Genre: Romance, humor / Warnings: N/A

Summary:   When Dick Grayson runs off with Roy Harper, Bruce Wayne is horrified--because he knows Clark Kent is on his way to the Manor to tell Bruce he's in love with Dick! Luckily, Bruce is ready to get through this with all the aplomb he usually has when dealing with interpersonal relationships. (Alfred wisely takes cover).

[its-filmfixer-blog]

Fixing ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)

The goals of this fix are as follows;

1. Use the same basic plot structure of Batman v. Superman to primarily fix the following issues with the original film.

2. Make the finished product primarily a Superman movie. 

3. Lex’s plan needs to make sense.

4. Feature more of Superman’s supporting cast.

Click below for the Fix.

The Fix;

The film opens “somewhere in the Indian Ocean.” Several small children go diving near one of the Kryptonian machines that Superman destroyed at the end of ‘Man of Steel.’ They fish out several large rocks and carry them to a man in a business suit standing on the shore. Using a rock hammer, he breaks one of the rocks in half to reveal a glowing, green crystal-like substance.

Flashback to the day of the attack on Metropolis. Bruce Wayne arrives on his private air-field and contacts the head of Wayne Corp’s Metropolis division, Michael Corben, to check on the status of the building’s evacuation. Corben is urged to leave by his son, John, but he refuses, claiming he has something to take care of first. Corben gets on a nearby computer terminal and informs Bruce that he is forwarding all research and plans for “Project Batwing” to Lucius Fox in Gotham. Just as the transfer is completed, Superman and General Zod smash into the building, destroying it and killing Corben. Bruce arrives at the wreckage and finds John Corben with his legs pinned under part of the building. They both look to the sky coldly as Superman and Zod streak across the sky towards their final confrontation.

The opening credits roll over a montage of various news reports detailing the world’s reaction to Superman and the suddenly rare appearances of Batman. Other reports show Bruce Wayne shaking the hand of John Corben, his legs now amputated at the knee, and Senator June Finch becoming the chief anti-Superman voice in Washington.

Eighteen months later, we arrive in a scene of panic as a small town is threatened by heavy flooding. Just when all hope seems lost, several people are rescued by a red and blue blur. A family of survivors on a rooftop look up to the sky and cheer as Superman descends to save them. While Superman checks on the survivors, some of them verbally attack the mayor (there to thank Superman for his help) and claim that he is responsible for the disaster since he cut funding to emergency operations for the town. Superman admonishes the mayor before leaving. In retaliation for the slight, the mayor testifies before Congress that Superman’s existence was the reason for the funding being “diverted,” since “who needs first responders with Superman around?” Senator Finch makes her stance on Superman clear; that she considers him a threat until she is fully convinced otherwise. When asked who she has working on possible solutions, she only smiles.

Finch arrives at LexCorp, a tech company and conglomerate that has become one of the top businesses in the world thanks to their rapid and advanced recovery of Metropolis. We meet Lex Luthor, the young, red-headed CEO of the company, one of the smartest men on Earth and someone who knows it. He is the person Finch has working on the “Superman problem.” He takes her into his research labs and shows off the elements his scouts located from the Indian Ocean. He has already deduced the crystal to be pieces of the Kryptonian’s home world and thus has named the substance “kryptonite.” So far, he and his scientists have discovered three varieties of kryptonite; blue (which seems to have no effect), red (which increases irritation and anger after prolonged exposure), and green (which generates a low level radiation.) Lex demonstrates on the salvaged arm of Zod’s female lieutenant that the green kryptonite can pierce the seemingly invulnerable kryptonian flesh. Finch wants to know how much Luthor wants to create a Superman deterrent, and the scientist demands access to the crashed ship in Metropolis and the body of General Zod.

In Gotham City, Commissioner Gordon meets with Batman on the roof of GCPD. He informs him that several of the low level criminals that have been brought in have no criminal records and show signs of being hypnotized to commit their crimes. Batman seems non-committal and makes a vague promise to look into it. As Batman leaves, Gordon observes that he’s changed since the Kryptonians attacked and he barely sees him anymore. Batman tells him that there are bigger threats now than thieves and muggers.

In a Gotham apartment, we meet Jervis Tetch, a neuroscientist and amateur hypnotist with a fixation of the works of Lewis Carroll. He’s been hypnotizing people off the street and using them to steal for him. He’s counting money and reciting Carroll when he gets a phone call from Metropolis.

Back in Metropolis, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are introduced to their new photographer; James “Jimmy” Olson. The trio gets to know each other as they head for the dedication ceremony for a new Superman statue. The ceremony is sabotaged by the crippled John Corben, who has graffitied the statue with anti-Superman slogans. He publicly blames Superman for his father’s death and is arrested. Clark is shaken and confides in Lois that he’s still trying to make up for not reigning in his powers that day.

While investigating Zod’s ship, Lex discovers and activates a latent AI in the database that identifies itself as the Brain Interactive Construct. When Lex challenges the AI to impress him, the B.I.C. hacks the LexCorp mainframe and solves the issues they’ve been having with a new nano-machine technology. After seeing Corben on the news, Lex bails him out of jail and asks if he’s interested in taking revenge on Superman.

Back in Gotham, Bruce sulks in the Batcave. Alfred pushes him to pursue the hypnosis angle, but Bruce shrugs it off. When Alfred leaves, Bruce returns to watching coverage of Superman.

Back in Metropolis, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy cover a gala to celebrate Lex Luthor’s contributions to the city’s recovery. While trying to conduct an interview, Lois and Senator Finch clash on whether Superman is a positive or negative. Finch notes that Lois seems to be able to talk to Superman whenever she wishes and extends the vicarious invitation for Superman to testify before Congress. Clark finds Bruce Wayne and they have their own conversation. Bruce openly states that Superman could be a bad thing in the long run, while Clark has the same reservations about the Batman. He tells Bruce how relieved he is that Batman seems to be phasing himself out and notes how irritated Bruce becomes.

In the labs below the gala, Lex uses the nano-machines on Corben. The machines quickly go beyond Corben’s legs and begin replacing more of his internal tissues. Corben’s heart gives out from the stress. Lex, at a suggestion from the B.I.C., quickly replaces the dead heart with a generator powered by a chunk of kryptonite. Corben wakes up and notes that he can’t feel anything. Lex says that it’s a temporary side effect and invites him upstairs.

Lex debuts Corben and his new legs as models for a new line of prosthetics. Bruce tries to talk to Corben but is ignored. He mentions to Clark that he hasn’t spoken to him since he left the hospital. He receives a call from Alfred about a hostage situation and rushes out. Lois declares her intent to investigate Senator Finch.

Back in Gotham, Batman arrives at an empty warehouse and finds no hostages. Jervis Tetch appears and plants a miniature hypnosis card in his neck, giving Batman a vision of a world conquered and dominated by Superman. When he comes to, Tetch is gone. Batman returns to the Batcave and decides that all resources will now be devoted to finding a way to stop Superman before the future he saw can come to pass. Hacking into the LexCorp database, he finds files on kryptonite. Several days later in DC, as Corben prepares to testify before Congress, Superman arrives to speak. He and Corben get into a heated altercation that leads to Corben punching Superman in the face… and knocking him across the room. With his new powers revealed, Corben brawls with Superman through the Capital building and across the National Mall. Once Superman gains the upper hand, the kryptonite in Corben’s chest is exposed and weakens him. Before Corben can strike the fatal blow, Luthor arrives and uses a device to render Corben unconscious. He makes a grand show of helping Superman to his feet while the crowd goes wild. Corben is taken back to LexCorp and stored for future use. When Mercy Graves, Lex’s assistant, asks why he didn’t just let Superman be killed, Lex confesses that this was only a test. Lex returns to the ship and, with the B.I.C., begins the process of reanimating Zod’s corpse, using Lex’s own DNA as a trigger.

While watching footage of Superman and Corben battling, Bruce notices the kryptonite and how it affects Superman. Bruce suits up, sneaks into LexCorp, and steals the green kryptonite. On his way out, he encounters Superman. Superman explains that he believes that someone is working against him and he asks Batman to use his detective skills to help him find out who it is. When Batman inquires as to why he’d do that, Superman admits that while he doesn’t necessarily agree with Batman’s methods, he believes that they’re on the same side. Batman disagrees and Superman asks him why. Batman explains the concept of escalation. He tells Superman that when he started operating in Gotham, he only faced the mob and low-level criminals. As the years went by, he began to attract stranger and more dangerous foes. He reasons that Superman’s strength will attract stronger enemies, and worries that Superman will ultimately be corrupted by his own powers. While Superman scoffs at the notion, Batman cryptically warns that he’s watching the Man of Steel for just that very purpose. The two part uneasily, with Superman noting that Batman should trust him “since I didn’t use my powers to see who you really are.”

Lois’ investigations into Senator Finch’s dealings lead her to a link between Finch and Lex Luthor. She and Jimmy confront Lex about his ties to the very anti-Superman senator. Lex explains that what he’s doing is for the benefit of all mankind. Mercy knocks Lois out, but Jimmy barely escapes.

Back in the Batcave, Alfred finds Bruce starting to weaponize the kryptonite. He makes one final plea for sanity, but Bruce angrily declares that Superman must be stopped at any cost. Heartbroken at what Bruce has become, Alfred abandons him. Back at the ship, Lex and the B.I.C. observe the gestating Zod. The B.I.C. warns that if the process is terminated early, the effects could be disastrous. Senator Finch arrives and confronts Lex, suspecting that he intended to have her killed by Corben. Lex laughs the suggestion off and tells her that she’s no use to him dead. Tetch reveals himself and hypnotizes Finch.

Lex brings Lois to the roof of LexCorp and throws her off, summoning Superman. Once Lois has been taken to safety, Superman asks Lex if he’s the one who’s been working against him. Lex stealthily exposes Superman to red kryptonite gas while claiming that it was actually Batman working against him this whole time. Blinded by rage, Superman spies the bat-symbol and blasts off for Gotham.

Batman is waiting, clad in special armor. Using various green kryptonite weapons and tools to even the battlefield, Batman goes toe to toe with the Man of Steel. The two titans do battle across Old Gotham. Superman’s attacks break through Batman’s armor and finally destroy Tetch’s chip with a barely deflected blast of heat vision. His mind suddenly clear, Batman weathers the attack until the effects of the red kryptonite gas wear off. The two quickly deduce that Luthor is behind everything. Superman heads off immediately, while Bruce returns to the Batcave. He finds Alfred waiting and the two reconcile with Alfred revealing the completed Batwing. Bruce dons one of his old costumes and blasts off to Metropolis. Lois has found and convinced Jimmy to join her in investigating the kryptonian ship. They accidently interrupt the resurrection process and escape just as Lex and Tetch arrive. They are confronted by the united Batman and Superman. Lex discloses his entire plan. He intended for Batman and Superman to kill each other, and then release the resurrected Zod to wreak havoc in Metropolis. Using a new power-suit designed by the B.I.C., he would defeat Zod and enshrine himself as Metropolis’ true Superman. Against the B.I.C.’s warnings that the process has been interrupted, Lex completes activates the resurrected Zod. The process has left Zod with chalky, cracked skin and a severely diminished mental capacity. He can barely remember his own name.

Lex: “Well aren’t you bizarre?” Zod: “Bizarre? Zod? Bizarre Zod. Bizarrezod. Bizarrezo. Bizarro! Bizarro!”

Batman tries to use the green kryptonite, but finds it actually strengthens Bizarro. The resurrected kryptonian attacks Superman while Batman pursues Tetch and Luthor. Tetch attempts to plant another device on Batman, but he reverses the attack and uses Tetch’s own tech to overload the chip. Tetch is driven mad and collapses into a laughing, sobbing heap.

Superman and Bizarro battle across the city. Seeing the terrified people, Superman does his best to keep the battle contained to unoccupied areas.

Batman catches Lex and demands to know why the kryptonite didn’t work. When Lex mentions the blue that seemed to have no effect, Batman gets an idea and races back to LexCorp. Bizarro is finally wearing Superman down. As he’s about to strike the killing blow, Lois and Jimmy intervene, drawing his attention. Batman arrives just in time with the blue kryptonite, weakening Bizarro enough that Superman can knock him out. For a moment, Batman considers ended the threat of Bizarro with the mineral, but his morals ultimately win out. Jimmy snaps a picture of the two heroes shaking hands and formally introducing themselves. The headline of the new Daily Planet? “WORLD’S FINEST.”

A montage reveals character fates. Tetch, now calling himself the Mad Hatter, is placed in Arkham Asylum. Lex is arrested but freed when a hypnotized Senator Finch confesses to everything. Superman takes the kryptonian ship and Bizarro to the arctic for safe-keeping. While observing the shell of the only other remaining kryptonian, Superman promises to find some way of helping him.

Back in Metropolis, Superman visits Lex in his office and asks him why he hates him so much.

Lex: “Because you don’t belong here! You’re not human! Your very existence on this planet taints us, pollutes us. You’re stifling our growth as a species! We have grown and evolved for hundreds of thousands of years, and we have done it all without a Superman. I will do what must be done, even if none of THEM can understand. If I have to spend every cent I have, break every oath I’ve ever sworn… if I have to scour the universe to find some way of beating you, then I will do it and I will bring you down! Do you know why? Because I am SUPER. I am super because I wasn’t BORN super. I was born weak, and that makes me strong!”

(Special thanks to Dan Harmon for the main thrust of that monologue)

Superman asks Lex to just confess and save them all a lot of pain. Lex reveals a new ring with a chunk of green kryptonite, assurance that Superman cannot lay a finger on him. After a tense moment, Superman departs, promising to always be there to oppose people like Luthor. The B.I.C., now stored in LexCorp’s database, asks if wearing the ring is wise (due to the radiation.) Lex again brushes off the suggestion. He sits at his desk and asks the B.I.C. if he has any other names. The B.I.C. notes that he was originally called ‘Brainiac.” As Lex remarks that “this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” he notices a clump of hair falling out of his head.

Batman and Superman have a final chat. Batman reiterates that stronger threats may be coming and the two of them might not be enough. They agree to seek out other heroes, but in the meantime they have each other’s backs. They part as friends, with each revealing their secret identities.

Back in Gotham, Bruce and Alfred share a moment in the Batcave. Alfred hints that his return to the spotlight might have lured back the few uncaptured bad apples. When Bruce asks what he means, Alfred reveals a puzzle box emblazoned with green question marks. They share a smile and get to work.

In Metropolis, Lois tells Jimmy that Superman appreciates his courage and gives him a gift from the Man of Steel; a signal watch to use if Superman is ever needed. Clark, Lois, and Jimmy have a warm moment together before heading out to cover a presentation at S.T.A.R. Labs.

In a mid-credits scene, Brainiac activates himself in Lex’s office and muses about finally being given the opportunity to finish what he started; eliminating the kryptonian race.

In the post-credits, the Mad Hatter is seen ranting in Arkham. As the camera pulls back, it reveals the incarcerated members of Batman’s rogues gallery, all “waking up” and chanting about the return of Batman.

THE END

This gives the DC Cinematic Universe a much more level launching point without throwing every character in the world at us from the very first moment. Wonder Woman is introduced in her own stand-alone film the following year. 2018 sees the release of ‘Man of Tomorrow’ (aka Man of Steel Part 3) and ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum.’ 

In 2019, we finally see the properly two part Justice League film.

So, did you enjoy this fix? Got comments, either good or ill? Let me know.

If you enjoyed this fix, please support my crippling milkshake addiction at http://ko-fi.com/thefilmfixer.

Until the next fix, I’m your friendly Film Fixer reminding you that there’s no such thing as a move that’s beyond repair.

[bruciemilf]

I so desperately crave a fic where Bruce forgot all about the interview he scheduled with Clark. With this portrayal specifically

He's swallowed up by that ginormous red hoodie Jason always forgets at the manor.

It's got a soft undertone of beer and pizza clinging to it, and knowing Jay, the chances of that changing are close to none. It's Bruce's favourite thing to wear.

Below that, Dick's sweatpants have to be snaked tight around his waist. He's wearing Tim's ridiculously soft socks, Batman themed as well, a flock of bats starting from his calf and gathering into his famous cowl on top of his foot.

On his hands, he's sporting two bracelets that Damian and Cassandra asked him to help craft. He accepted, of course, because his little Damian looked astray, his eyebrows down and eyes worried.

They were both terrible at it. Cassandra had a great time. And Bruce's dark green and sunshine gold bracelets pleased Damian greatly.

But he had no time to shower that morning; His ribs were moaning still, every step he took feeling like Bane's brutal, sledgehammer punches, hitting him right in the gut.

And Dick stole all his conditioner, and Steph smuggled his skincare products, exfoliants, bath salts, and everything she could get her grabby little hands on, and gone she was. Tiny fingers, big damage.

But that was fine; He didn't expect anyone today. He'll just scarf some blueberries and yoghurt and gulp down four espressos before burying his nose in Jim's earliest case.

That's what he thought

Before modern day Adonis suddenly emerged I his living room.

This man, he's...He's... he's beauty. That's all Bruce can muster in his flustered mind, brain itself blushing, cheeks hot and soaring with a fierce flush. Which was impossible to miss with his paleness. God.

There you are! Got me scared for a moment there," oh no. He makes deep voices sound cute. Those pearly whites had no mercy on Bruce, neither did that boyish grin, glowing silver and warm. " Thought I'd fall through a secret door and straight to a shark tank. "

Say something. Say something funny, come on, he's joking with you.

" ... Why are you In my house?"

Fuck.

This man, - Clark, Bruce knows who he is. Out of all the bad things that had to happen today, being surprised by his favorite journalist just had to be one of them, - blinks, some grin cut down, and Bruce curses in his mind.

"Um. Your father let me in. Did you forget,-"

" I forgot you were coming. I, uh. I," he stuttered; He hasn't stuttered since he was 16, and had to pitch that board meeting to a mile long table of greedy, silver artefacts in suits who wanted to snatch his company. " I, - Coffee. You want...Coffee?"

"...Sure. I'd love some."

Was it just Bruce, or did this report carry a note of amusement in those words? Bruce scrambled for the first cupboard he could see, " NO!"

Clark jumped on his feet, making a dash for him behind the kitchen island. Bruce almost choked, because up close, he could notice the buttons and seams on that baby blue plaid shirt fight for their lives. " What's wrong?!"

" We're out of coffee," he hissed, muttering a ' damn it, Tim, I TOLD you to replace it' but no matter. He had to find Clark something else. " Uh... Water? Juice? Do you like orange juice?"

He could see it, the corners of Clark's lips tugging upwards,

" Orange juice is my favourite drink. But it's fine, really. I'm here to unbury your deepest darkest secrets, not have lunch," he smiled, then, most likely noticing Bruce simply froze in place, he added, " That was a joke!"

Bruce forced a laugh, " Of course. Why would I have something to hide? I have nothing to hide," Very well, that sounded entirely too suspicious. " I mean, not anything illegal. Just... Secrets. The normal amount."

Clark nodded, endlessly patient, this saint of a man, " I've had my share of that. Don't worry, Mr. Wayne."

" Oh, just Bruce. Mr. Wayne was my father...And my grandfather too."

The taller man smiled, " I'm just going to ask you about your involvement in renovating Arkham and maybe Mr. Grayson's podcast, but that's all. I won't try to fish for information. I don't believe in peer pressure and bullying."

" I know," his mouth spoke without him, " I, uh, I know you. Your journalism, I mean! My youngest enjoys your online interviews. We watch you together. I'm a fan of your writing, thought. It's magnificent. "

Even if Clark blushed to be polite and thanked him quietly, Bruce wanted to dive off a building without a grappling hook.

" Uh... Bruce? You're murdering your orange."

True enough. The fruit was entirely empty in his clenched fist, spilling over his hand and pooling on the floor. Bruce cursed. Slamming the sad, deflated remaining on the counter, he simply said, " I'll cut this now."

" Okay." Nodded Clark, clear, perfect blue eyes fixed on Bruce and his hands. Bruce only prays his fingers won't tremble like his heart is.

He stabs the orange.

It squirts all over his hoodie, and Bruce offers no reaction.

It's almost worth it, this pit of mortification slowly, tortuously devouring his body, to see Clark's impressive frame shake with laughter behind his giant hands, goofy glasses crooked on his nose.

" I'm sorry," he sounds as dead as he feels. " The orange has retaliated."

That did it; Clark was full on laughing now. Humiliation burned like liquid fire over Bruce's face.If Dick were here, or Alfred, he'd hide his face into their chests like a shameful child.

But neither are there, so all he can do is slowly place the knife on top of marble, and stand there like a statue.

Coming off his high, Clark watches him closely, a speckle of mirth shining on blue. " You know, you're nothing like I thought you'd be. As much as I enjoy this, you should change."

" I'll try. I don't want to be like this, either."

Clark grinned. " I meant your clothes, Bruce."

" ... Yes. I should. I have a large collection of clean clothes. Because I do my laundry regularly. I know how to do laundry."

Why are you still talking?

Then, gone was that angelic, fond grin from Clark's Greek statue of a face. He smiled hotly, almost...Sultry? At Bruce now. Something saucy. Sweat was sticking to his skin. " Do you want me to pick something for you?"

"... Please?" He squeaked.

Twin steps went inside his bedroom, and they didn't come out for a long time.

[flowerpot101]

Superman Love

Clark Kent x Reader

Request: Reader is like Batman and is part of the Justice League. She’s engaged to Superman and one day she gets hurt which causes him to get angry/upset but then he takes care of reader.

Word Count: 2467

Y/N L/D or also known as Raven to the public of Metropolis. She was just like Batman but she wasn’t dark and gloomy like him. Unlike Batman, she came in the day not just the night. She usually teamed up with Superman, she was his eyes and ears on the ground or occasionally up in the skies.

She wasn’t always a partner with Superman; it used to be just her trusty gadgets that she had made over the years. But that changed one night when she was fighting a man who had just broken into a jewelers and it turned out he wasn’t all human. When it started getting bad to the point where she barely could stand on her own, she started to worry; she still fought, she was taught never to give up. The man landed a perfect right hook to the side of her face, her head shot to the side, still looking back to catch her breath. Y/N just waited for the next blow but that didn’t come. When she finally looked back up, Superman was floating just right above her a few feet a ways, there in front of her laid the man that she was just fighting moments ago unconscious and on the ground.

Y/N looked between the two, and said a quick thanks to the man and was off. She jumped on to the fire escape and started scaling it with ease, once to the roof she was leaping to one roof to another. Before she could go to the next, Superman landed right in front of her. She stopped in her tracks, “What do you want?”

He just looked at her curiously; he had heard about you from the news but never seen you in person. “You should’ve been more careful, that could’ve ended a lot worst for you.”

Y/N just looked at him and nodded while walking towards the ledge, “I know but I had you to save me after all.” That’s when she took a step off the ledge, Superman rushing to the side but when he looked over you were already gone.

                                     The next morning.

 Her alarm sounded off with a blaring ring, her arm came out and smashed the snooze button. She slowly rose from her bed, being careful of her aching bones and muscles. Once out of bed, she started her day like any other. She washed her hair, got changed into her black ankle length work pants, a white-bluish blouse and with her favorite pair of heels. She grabbed her breakfast which consisted of fruit and a muffin, reading the daily newspaper, when she finished she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on a settle amount of makeup. Then she was out the door and off to start her job at the Daily Planet.

Like any other day it was hectic at the office and on her desk were more news articles on the Superman. All she could do was scoff, she loved her job but everyone here in the office was overly obsessed with him. We needed news on him but there shouldn’t be an article every single day even when he hadn’t done anything for about a week. People seem to forget nowadays that news is about current happenings and real life events, not some fake news.

She was looking at one of the many articles on her desk revising them when Lois Lane walked in. “Perry wants us in the meeting room.” I nodded and set the paper on my desk before following Lois.

Walking in, Lois went to go sit by where Perry was, while the only other seat that was left for me was by the new guy, Clark Kent. He was a handsome man and a sweet guy, anyone would be lucky to have him. I never really looked closely at him before but looking at him now, he seemed overly familiar and he thinks the same when he sees her coming over and sitting by him.

Throughout the whole meeting, Clark and Y/N thoughts were on one thing and one thing only. Why in the world do they look so familiar? They thought and listened to Perry making sure to not make it noticeable that their brains were somewhere else. Before they knew it, Perry was calling the meeting and telling everyone to get back to work.

Clark was out of the door before her, Perry needing to ask how the editing is going and about other nonsense. She gave a curt reply and left for not her desk but for Clark’s.

Leaning on the barrier with both of her arms crossed on top, she looked down at him, “Hey, Clark.” He looked up at her before she continued, “Do you mind if we go to the roof? I need to ask you something and I don’t think it should be out in the open.” She could see Clark visually swallow before nodding hesitantly.

So they were off, once on the roof, Y/N walked around to make sure there was no one else. She walked over to the ledge and turned around leaning on the side, Clark just stood there looking around, looking like a nervous wrecking ball.

“I know you’re Superman, the glasses really change the look but not much.”

Clark head shot towards her and looked at her bewildered. Y/N left out a small laugh, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone, not after you saved my life last night.”

When he heard this, he was lost and confused. What did she mean by after I saved her life last night? It took a few moments before it clicked, “You’re Raven?”

“Sure am. I’m kind of shocked though; I never knew a guy like you could be such a badass.”

They both laughed, and talked about how they got to be where they were today in life. That day changed everything and it was for the better.

Over the next few years, Clark and Y/N got closer and closer every day. Everyone in the office could see that the two had feelings for them; they could all see the chemistry they shared. A year later and everyone saw the two of you walking in holding hands, no one was shocked. All of them were happy for the two, except for one, Lois Lane.

She was afraid that since Clark had Y/N now, that he wouldn’t be there as Superman for her when she had a dangerous interview to do. But that wasn’t changing at all and when Lois realized, she was grateful. It took her longer than the others to accept their relationship; she wanted to make sure that Clark was still going to be there for her as a friend and a savior.

They didn’t just get closer in real life but they even decided to partner up in the superhero life. Neither of them regretted that, Y/N was thankful to have back up and Clark was thankful that it wasn’t just him. With them together they were able to save more people and that made them the happiest.

Another year passed and they were asked to join a team called the Justice League. Clark wasn’t hesitant to join but Y/N was. It had always just been her and Clark no extra help and she didn’t know these people like Clark did. They all had fought together before over the years but sooner or later, Clark convinced her and so she joined.

Two years had passed; Clark and Y/N were still together and were still part of the Justice League. The only thing different now was that they were engaged. Clark had asked her to marry him on their fourth anniversary at their favorite diner they always went to after a long day of work. Y/N had even moved into Clark’s apartment and she was happy with the sight she got to wake up to every morning. His messy bed hair, the small scruff that was slightly noticeable, he looked so disheveled and cute; it just made her love him anymore.

Everyone was in the bat cave today; everyone had a day off from their normal day jobs. Bruce had thought it would be a good day to train with one another, to figure out more techniques and what one another needed to work on. And it wasn’t a bad idea until mid afternoon came and the League got an alert of a bank robbery in Gotham. So it was decided that Raven and the Flash would handle it since it was a basic job. So she and Barry got into their form fitting suit, his red and her navy blue.

Flash was to go in and get out so that he could get a look with what they’re dealing with. There were six guys in the front, three in the back; all of them holding guns. Barry took the front while Y/N took the back. She went into the air ducts, when she got to the spot where she needed to be, right above the three. She silently moved the piece to uncover the hole in the duct so that she could jump down. She was able to get one of the three down and unconscious. She quickly disarmed the second and started fighting him and making sure the other didn’t shoot her or his partner. No one needed to die today.

She was finally able to get the second guy knocked out, when she turned to the third guy, he was pointing his gun at her. She quickly launched for it with stealth. However, she wasn’t planning on him being trained in martial arts like she was. She didn’t plan on getting shot in the shoulder either. Before she could even blink, the third guy was out like a baby. She looked up to see Flash looking at her with worry, Y/N said a quick I’m fine and rushed to the front to finish the job.

It was another hour before her and Barry got back to the cave, her shoulder still with the bullet inside. The bleeding stopped which she was thankful for. Barry helped her to one of the benches even though she really didn’t need it and went to go grab the medical kit. That’s when Clark had walked in, he heard they were back and wanted ask how it went; not see his fiancé on the bench with a bullet hole in her shoulder.

“You got shot!”

Y/N head shot up when she heard the loud booming voice, she was shocked, she wasn’t expecting to see him quite yet. She knew this would happen if he saw her like the way she is now. Barry came back in with the kit and sat it right by her on the bench and before they knew it, he flashed out before she could even say a thank you.

Clark started walking towards her, his expression full of worry but most of all, anger, in the most calming voice she had ever heard, “You can’t be so reckless, what if next time it’s somewhere more fatal or where it could stop you from defending yourself?”

“I wasn’t being reckless.” Y/N scoffed before continuing, “The last guy turned out to be better trained then I had thought and before I knew it the gun went off.” Shrugging, she turned to the medical kit, getting ready to get the bullet out and stitch herself up.

She wasn’t planning on hearing a small sigh and Clark gently reaching for the supplies to do it himself. She just watched him grab the antiseptic cleaning her wound before he grabbed the pliers to pull the bullet out. That was the worst thing, she gently cried out, her mouth covered by her hand to muffle her cries. This was the first time she had ever been shot and she didn’t think it was going to hurt as bad as it was. She could see Clark grimacing whenever she let out a small whimper. The bullet was finally out and Clark started stitching the hole up. Before putting everything away, Clark cleaned it again then put a bandage over it. Y/N could still tell that he was angry by how tense his body was. He came back once he had put the kit back where it once sat. They just stared at one another, then his lips met her’s in the most softest and gentle kiss she had ever experienced. She could feel all of his worries and of his anger in the kiss but yet it was still so gentle.

“Please, don’t ever scare me like that again.” He took a deep breath and his body finally relaxed, it was no longer stiff as a board, “I can’t lose you yet, we still have to have our wedding, remember?”

I let out small giggle and nodded, “I promise, I never met to scare you, if I get hurt again, next time, I’ll call you.”

“Oh you won’t have to call because for now on, it’s going to be me and you fighting side by side.” You both let out loud joyous laughs.

Nodding, “I like the sound of that.” Your hand was on the right side of his face, thumb stroking back and forth feeling the smooth but rough texture of his face. You leaned in to give a small peck on his cheek.

“How about we go get some food now?” He gave you a small smile before nodding. Before you could jump off the bench Clark had swept you up into his arms, carrying you upstairs.

“I can walk it’s not like I got shot in the leg or anything.”

“Oh, I know.” You just gave a snort of a laugh.

You both lay in the bed of your shared apartment, side by side, looking up at the ceiling, talking and chatting while eating your favorite pizza. This is what Clark loved about you, how you always made a crappy day an even less crappier. He was happy to have you in his life and as were you.

A few hours later, all the lights were off the only light coming from the window. You had fallen asleep over an hour ago, your head resting in the crook of Clark’s neck, one of your hands on top of his bare chest, you legs slightly tangled with his. Clark was still wide awake; all he could do was look at the ceiling thinking of the day that was bound to come soon. He looked down at you when he heard a small hum fall from your lips; you had a little smile on your face. Soon Clark finally fell asleep too, with one of his own smiles upon his face.