#flash gordon parks

[jessequinnfirstofhername]

I love your “This Relationship’s Off To A Bang”! Can you write a continuation story, in which Nightwing comes to CC and continues to flirt with Hartley? And Wally is stuck in the middle between James and Nightwing

Filled!

[emacrow]

Master post links

Danny the caretaker link here <-

Lilith, Mistress of Fear link here <-

Aquaman And merbaby danny link here<-

Siren song link here <-

Misunderstanding between Klarion and Danny link Here<-

Danny is klarion's soulmate link Here <-

Danny's aggressive admirer link Here <-

Justice League wasn't expecting this meeting the ghost king link Here <-

Young Justice League and the labyrinth link Here <-

Ghost in the watchtower vent link Here <-

Ghost in a box link Here <-

Babysitter klarion link Here <-

Justice League found a crystallized casket in the space link Here <-

Danny avoids ghosts trying to get him adopted link Here <-

Alfred adopted a baby link Here <-

Damian was left alone in Amity Park for a 10-minute link Here <-

Clockwork was once Kronos link Here <-

Here lies danny in what was left of Mars link Here <-

Tucker got kidnapped in Egypt link Here <-

Realm of Phantom board game link Here <-

Tim deprived of coffee led to desperate actions link Here <-

Danny the immortal babysitter link Here <-

Fairie danny link Here <-

Alfred's new apprentice link Here <-

Selina new stray link here <-

Cass new banshee friend link Here <-

Danny and the search for his dead bodies link Here <-

High infinite relam king is missing link Here <-

What that on your cape, superman? Link Here <-

Diana and her twin link Here <-

Let danny sleep dammit link Here <-

Danny wasnt the first contaminated with ectoplasma, Jazz was link Here <-

Jim gordon and the ghost link Here <-

Orphan's baby link Here <-

Danyal's favorite animal was a moon rabbit link Here <-

Damian, its not funny! link Here <-

Riddler's distant family link Here <-

Alfred's day off link Here <-

Superman, that a feral child on your cape link Here <-

Mini dannies link Here <-

Cass get used a sacrifice but with a twist link Here <-

Alien danny link here <-

Phantom of the Abandoned Opera link here <-

Clark visit his cousin too late link here <-

John constantine died, his soul became a halfa link <-

Raven saved Amity Park link here

Riddler, the stay at home uncle link here

Welcome to Starlight toy Galore and Repair center link Here

Ma and pa farm link here

Oracle's elderitch husband link here

The baby god link here

Hey did you lose this? Link here

Tim didn't know how he got here. The link here

Possible of being made into a story down below

Flash is being stalked here <-

Ma and Pa kent here <-

Jazz always wanted a little brother link here <- -> ao3 story link here

Jazz was the first to be contaminated with the ectoplasm link here <-

[urdreamydoodles]

Bat-Family x Fem!OC

How they handle your relationship with your dog

Characters: Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne (aged up), Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas, Selina Kyle & Kate Kane

The return of the great, the beautiful, the unique... Mr. Pickles!

Jason Todd aka. Red Hood

- Jason was initially skeptical about your small, fluffy dog, Mr. Pickles. He wasn’t the kind of man who saw himself as the “cute dog” type, and the idea of having a pet that couldn’t fend for itself felt foreign to him. Yet, the moment he met Mr. Pickles, his gruff exterior cracked. The little fluff ball waddled up to him with wide, trusting eyes, and Jason, against all odds, melted. He let out a grumbled “You’re lucky you’re cute,” as the dog pawed at his boots, earning a chuckle from you.

- Over time, Jason became surprisingly attached to Mr. Pickles. He’d grumble about how ridiculous it was that the dog needed sweaters in winter and would roll his eyes at the sheer number of toys you’d bought. But you’d catch him sneaking pieces of his dinner to Mr. Pickles when he thought you weren’t looking, or lying on the couch with the tiny dog curled up on his chest while he read.

- Jason found humor in Mr. Pickles' lack of brightness. He’d mutter under his breath about how the dog walked into walls or barked at his own reflection, but you noticed the fond smile that tugged at his lips every time. “He’s not the smartest, but he’s got heart,” Jason would say, scratching behind Mr. Pickles' ears, his rough hands gentler than you’d ever seen.

- With you, Jason handled the balance between teasing and indulgence. He pretended to groan when you insisted on bringing Mr. Pickles on outings, but he’d always make sure to carry an extra bottle of water and snacks for the dog. “You spoil him,” he’d tease, but he was no better—making sure Mr. Pickles’ leash was securely fastened and standing protectively between him and any potential danger.

- On quiet nights, Jason would sometimes watch you and Mr. Pickles with an almost wistful expression. Seeing the two of you together softened the jagged edges of his life. “You two,” he’d murmur, pulling you close, “make me believe in good things.” And with Mr. Pickles snoring softly between you both, Jason found a rare kind of peace.

Dick Grayson aka. Nightwing

- Dick was utterly delighted when he first met Mr. Pickles. “This is the fluffiest dog I’ve ever seen!” he exclaimed, crouching down immediately to introduce himself. The dog responded with enthusiastic tail wagging and jumped into Dick’s lap without hesitation. “Looks like we’re already best friends,” he grinned, flashing that signature charm that made your heart flutter.

- He had a natural knack for handling Mr. Pickles, easily matching the dog’s playful energy. Whether it was throwing a toy across the room or initiating a game of tug-of-war, Dick seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with the little fluff ball. He’d even create obstacle courses in your living room, guiding Mr. Pickles through them with patience and encouragement, clapping like a proud dad whenever the dog completed a “challenge.”

- Dick adored how much joy Mr. Pickles brought into your life. He’d often catch you giggling at your dog’s antics—whether it was the way he tumbled over his own paws or barked at a falling leaf—and join in your laughter. “He’s got your energy,” Dick would tease, pressing a kiss to your temple while the dog rolled around on the carpet, blissfully unaware.

- Despite his easygoing nature, Dick was fiercely protective of both you and Mr. Pickles. He’d instinctively pick the dog up when crossing a busy street or shield him from larger, more boisterous dogs at the park. “What?” he’d say when you teased him about it. “He’s family.” That simple statement warmed your heart more than you could express.

- On lazy mornings, you’d often wake to find Dick sprawled across the bed, Mr. Pickles snuggled into his side. He’d glance at you, sleepy but content, and say, “I think he likes me more than you.” You’d roll your eyes, but the sight of the two of them—your energetic, kind-hearted partner and your adorably clueless dog—made you feel like the luckiest person alive.

Tim Drake aka. Red Robin

- Tim’s reaction to Mr. Pickles was a mix of curiosity and mild awkwardness. “He’s…very fluffy,” he said when you first introduced them, his hand hovering hesitantly over the dog’s head before finally giving him a gentle pat. Mr. Pickles wagged his tail enthusiastically, oblivious to Tim’s initial uncertainty. “Does he do tricks?” Tim asked, trying to find some common ground with the little dog.

- It didn’t take long for Tim to warm up to Mr. Pickles, though. His analytical mind led him to research everything there was to know about small dogs. “Did you know their sense of smell is 40 times stronger than ours?” he’d say, sharing random facts as Mr. Pickles sprawled across his lap during one of your late-night movie marathons.

- Tim’s patience with Mr. Pickles was one of the things you loved most. Whether it was dealing with the dog’s clumsiness or his tendency to bark at inanimate objects, Tim never lost his calm. “He’s just trying to protect you,” Tim would say, crouching down to reassure Mr. Pickles after a particularly loud outburst at the vacuum cleaner.

- With you, Tim’s interactions around Mr. Pickles were quietly endearing. He’d bring home small toys or treats he thought the dog might like, and he always made sure Mr. Pickles had a comfortable spot when you were all relaxing together. “He’s part of the team,” Tim would say with a shy smile, and you’d feel your heart swell with affection.

- Late at night, when the world felt still and quiet, you’d find Tim at his desk, working on a case. Mr. Pickles would often be curled up on his feet, a tiny, fluffy sentinel keeping him company. “He’s a good dog,” Tim would say when you came to check on them, and in those moments, you realized just how seamlessly the two of them had fit into your life.

Damian Wayne aka. Robin (Aged up)

- Damian was, predictably, unimpressed when he first met Mr. Pickles. “What is this…creature?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as the fluffy dog sniffed curiously at his shoes. Despite his initial disdain, you noticed the slight softening in his expression when Mr. Pickles wagged his tail and licked Damian’s hand. “Tt. It’s not very intelligent, is it?”

- Despite his aloofness, Damian couldn’t help but form a bond with Mr. Pickles. You’d often catch him sneaking small pieces of food to the dog under the table or letting him sit in his lap during quieter moments. “It’s merely tolerable,” Damian insisted whenever you teased him, but the way he gently scratched behind Mr. Pickles’ ears told a different story.

- Damian approached caring for Mr. Pickles with the same precision and discipline he applied to everything in his life. He insisted on taking the dog for walks, ensuring that Mr. Pickles received proper exercise. “If he is to remain under our care, he must be healthy,” Damian explained, but you knew he secretly enjoyed their outings together.

- When it came to you, Damian’s interactions around Mr. Pickles were surprisingly tender. He respected how much the dog meant to you and went out of his way to accommodate him in your shared life. Whether it was ensuring Mr. Pickles had his favorite spot on the couch or making sure his water bowl was always full, Damian’s subtle acts of care melted your heart.

- Over time, Damian began to regard Mr. Pickles as more than just a pet. He’d occasionally refer to the dog as “our little knight” and even crafted a tiny, makeshift cape for him. Watching Damian interact with Mr. Pickles—his guarded nature giving way to moments of unguarded affection—only made you fall for him even more.

Barbara Gordon aka. Oracle / Batgirl

- Barbara’s face lit up the moment she saw Mr. Pickles. “Oh my gosh, he’s adorable!” she exclaimed, crouching down to let the dog sniff her hand before scratching behind his ears. Mr. Pickles responded with an enthusiastic bark and an attempt to climb into her lap. “Looks like I’ve got a new best friend,” she teased, winking at you.

- Barbara was a natural with Mr. Pickles, effortlessly balancing playfulness and care. She’d create little games to keep him entertained, laughing as the dog chased after a toy or tried (and failed) to catch his own tail. “He’s like a tiny tornado,” she said one evening, watching as Mr. Pickles zoomed around the living room.

- Her warmth extended to both you and Mr. Pickles in equal measure. Barbara loved how much joy the dog brought into your life and always made sure to include him in your plans. Whether it was finding dog-friendly cafes or suggesting walks in the park, she embraced Mr. Pickles as part of your relationship.

- Barbara’s tech-savvy nature even came into play. She designed a custom GPS tracker for Mr. Pickles' collar, “just in case,” she said with a smile. You couldn’t help but marvel at how thoughtful she was, always going the extra mile to ensure the dog’s safety and your peace of mind.

- On quiet evenings, Barbara loved curling up with you and Mr. Pickles on the couch, a warm blanket draped over the three of you. “This,” she’d say, her voice soft as she rested her head against your shoulder, “is my favorite kind of night.” And with Mr. Pickles snuggled between you, his little snores filling the room, you couldn’t have agreed more.

Stephanie Brown aka. Spoiler

- Stephanie instantly fell head over heels for Mr. Pickles. The moment you introduced them, she squealed, scooped up the tiny fluff ball, and spun around the room with him in her arms. “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! How did I not know about him sooner?” she gushed, her bright energy matching your dog’s boundless enthusiasm. From that moment on, Stephanie declared herself Mr. Pickles’ honorary co-parent.

- She treated Mr. Pickles like he was her little sidekick, even going so far as to create a tiny “Spoiler” mask for him out of purple felt. “He’s ready for action now,” she announced proudly, setting him down to watch him stumble adorably over the mask that partially blocked his vision. “Okay, maybe not crime-fighting material, but he’s got the spirit!”

- Stephanie loved to narrate Mr. Pickles’ every move, often giving him a dramatic inner monologue as he wandered aimlessly around the house or barked at nothing in particular. “Oh no, the vacuum is attacking again! Must defend my humans at all costs!” she’d say, mock-seriously, while you laughed at her antics. Her playful approach brought endless joy to both you and your not-so-bright dog.

- Her bond with Mr. Pickles only deepened because of how much he loved you. Stephanie often teased you about how Mr. Pickles followed you around like a little shadow, but she found it endearing. “I don’t blame him; you’re pretty lovable,” she’d say with a wink, curling up next to you and pulling Mr. Pickles into her lap.

- On your lazy days together, you’d often find Stephanie lying on the floor, nose-to-nose with Mr. Pickles, whispering secrets only they seemed to understand. “He’s telling me he wants more treats,” she’d say, feigning innocence when you caught her slipping him an extra snack. Watching her interact so lovingly with your dog only made you love her more.

Cassandra Cain aka. Orphan

- Cassandra’s first interaction with Mr. Pickles was cautious but curious. She approached the tiny fluff ball with quiet grace, kneeling down and extending her hand for him to sniff. Mr. Pickles wagged his tail enthusiastically, and when he licked her fingers, a small smile crept onto her face. “He likes me,” she said softly, as if surprised by the dog’s instant affection.

- Cass quickly grew attached to Mr. Pickles in her own understated way. While she wasn’t as outwardly playful as others, she showed her affection through gentle gestures—carrying him when he got tired on walks, petting him in slow, deliberate strokes, and sitting cross-legged on the floor so he could curl up in her lap.

- She had a knack for understanding Mr. Pickles’ needs, almost as if she could read his body language. Whether it was realizing he wanted a belly rub or sensing he was anxious during a thunderstorm, Cass was always there to comfort him. “He’s brave,” she once said, cradling the trembling dog in her arms during a storm. “Like you.”

- Cassandra adored watching you interact with Mr. Pickles. She often sat quietly nearby, her dark eyes soft with affection as you played or cuddled with your dog. “You’re good with him,” she’d say, her voice filled with quiet admiration. Seeing your kindness with Mr. Pickles deepened her love for you in ways she couldn’t always put into words.

- On peaceful nights, the three of you would sit together in serene companionship. Mr. Pickles would curl up between you and Cass as she leaned against your shoulder. “He’s family,” she’d whisper, her fingers brushing against yours, and in those moments, you felt an unspoken bond between the three of you that words could never capture.

Duke Thomas aka. Signal

- Duke was instantly charmed by Mr. Pickles’ fluffy, carefree demeanor. “Okay, I wasn’t prepared for this level of cuteness,” he admitted, crouching down to pet the dog. Mr. Pickles responded by jumping on Duke and licking his face, earning a laugh that made your heart skip a beat. From then on, Duke was completely on board with having a small, slightly clueless dog as part of his life.

- Duke was a natural when it came to keeping Mr. Pickles entertained. He’d play fetch with boundless energy, chase the dog around the yard, and even teach him a few basic tricks—though Mr. Pickles’ limited intelligence made it a bit of a challenge. “He’s trying his best,” Duke would say with a grin as Mr. Pickles spun in circles instead of sitting.

- He often used his downtime to bond with both you and Mr. Pickles. Whether it was watching movies with the dog sprawled across his lap or taking long walks with the three of you together, Duke treasured those simple moments of connection. “This is nice,” he’d say, his arm around you while Mr. Pickles sniffed happily at every blade of grass in sight.

- Duke loved how happy Mr. Pickles made you. He’d often point out how your face lit up when your dog did something particularly silly, like chasing his tail or barking at a shadow. “He’s a reflection of you, you know,” Duke teased, nudging you playfully. “Adorable and a little ridiculous.”

- On quiet evenings, you’d often find Duke lying on the floor with Mr. Pickles curled up against his chest. He’d glance up at you with a warm smile and say, “I think he’s claimed me as his favorite.” You’d laugh, but deep down, you knew Duke had a special way of making everyone—dogs and humans alike—feel loved and safe.

Selina Kyle aka. Catwoman

- Selina’s first reaction to Mr. Pickles was a mix of amusement and mild disbelief. “You have a dog? And this is it?” she asked with a smirk, crouching down to inspect the fluffy little creature. Mr. Pickles barked excitedly and pawed at her, and to your surprise, Selina scooped him up with practiced ease. “Well, aren’t you a little charmer?”

- Selina’s bond with Mr. Pickles was as playful and mischievous as she was. She’d dangle toys just out of his reach, encouraging him to leap and spin in an attempt to catch them. “He’s got spirit,” she said with a grin, watching as the dog tumbled over himself in his excitement.

- Despite her teasing, Selina was fiercely protective of Mr. Pickles. She’d glare at anyone who so much as looked at him the wrong way during walks and once threatened a stray cat that hissed at him. “No one messes with what’s mine,” she declared, scooping Mr. Pickles into her arms and stroking his fur to calm him down.

- Selina loved to spoil both you and Mr. Pickles. She’d return from errands with fancy dog treats and designer accessories, joking that “even the fluffiest member of the family deserves to look good.” Seeing Mr. Pickles prance around in a tiny leather collar she’d picked out always brought a smile to her face.

- At night, Selina loved to lounge with you on the couch, Mr. Pickles nestled comfortably between you. “He’s got good taste,” she’d say with a sly grin, watching the dog drift off to sleep in your lap. “But then again, so do I.” And as she leaned in to kiss you, you couldn’t help but agree.

Kate Kane aka. Batwoman

- Kate was initially indifferent about Mr. Pickles, more focused on you than the small ball of fluff at your feet. “He’s…cute,” she said diplomatically, her sharp eyes softening slightly as Mr. Pickles sniffed at her boots. When the dog barked happily and wagged his tail, Kate let out a reluctant laugh. “Okay, maybe a little more than cute.”

- Her affection for Mr. Pickles grew quickly, though she’d never admit it outright. You’d catch her sneaking him treats when she thought you weren’t looking or giving him gentle pats while pretending not to care. “He’s your dog,” she’d insist, though the sight of him curled up at her side told a different story.

- Kate’s protective nature extended to Mr. Pickles in surprising ways. She’d insist on accompanying you to the vet, making sure his leash was secure during walks, and standing between him and any potential threats. “He’s small; someone’s gotta look out for him,” she said gruffly, though her soft smile betrayed her.

- With you, Kate loved to tease about how spoiled Mr. Pickles was. “You know he owns this house now, right?” she joked, watching as the dog sprawled across your bed without a care in the world. But her playful remarks were always accompanied by a warmth that made you feel like your little family was complete.

- On nights when the world felt too heavy, Kate would sit with you and Mr. Pickles in comfortable silence, her arm wrapped around you and her hand resting lightly on the dog’s fur. “This,” she’d say softly, her voice low and steady, “is what makes it all worth it.” And in those moments, you knew she meant every word.

[incorrectfabfifteen]

Hello, welcome to Incorrect Fab Fifteen, a blog about all things Silver Age Teen Titans! I've come up with the term Fab Fifteen to broadly refer to all of the members (which I'll explain below) as well as a natural expansion of the Fab Five (plus, it's better than just calling them the OG Teen Titans or the 70s Team).

For DC newcomers, don't be afraid of some of the comic terminology present, they'll make sense with more exposure.

Introducing: The Fab Fifteen!

Dick Grayson

Full name: Richard John "Dick" Grayson

Alter Ego: Robin I, Nightwing, Batman III, Red X

Birthday: March 20th

Love interests: Bette Kane (Pre-Crisis), Princess Koriand'r, Barbara Gordon, Helena Bertinelli (DCYou), Bea Bennett [There's probably more, feel free to send an ask so I can fix this]

Reading recs: The Judas Contract, The Cheshire Contract [collected as Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies], Nightwing Vol 1 by Chuck Dixon, Batman & Robin, The Black Mirror, New 52 Nightwing by Kyle Higgens

Wally West

Full name: Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West

Alter Ego: Kid Flash I, The Flash III

Birthday: January 16

Love interests: Donna Troy (Pre-NTT), Rachel Roth (🤨?), Frances Kane, Linda Park, Jesse Chambers

Reading recs: Born To Run, Savage Velocity, The Flash by William Messner-Loebs and Greg LaRoque, The Flash by Mark Waid, Flash Forward, The Flash by Jeremy Adams (especially The Return of Wally West and One-Minute War)

Donna Troy

Full name: Donna Hinckley Stacy Troy

Alter ego: Wonder Girl, Troia (Who Is Wonder Girl? until Total Chaos; JLA/Titans until Infinite Crisis; No Justice onwards), Darkstar (Zero Hour until Meltdown), Wonder Woman IV (Who Is Wonder Woman?)

Birthday: April 26

Love interests (oh boy): Dick Grayson (FORMERLY), Wally West (only during the Silver Age + some weird thing during DC Rebirth), Garth (Titans 2018 + Titans United), Roy Harper, Kyle Rayner

Reading recs: Who Is Wonder Girl? [Collected in The New Teen Titans Who is Donna Troy?], Wonder Woman By John Byrne Vol. 3, The Return of Donna Troy, Wonder Woman: Who is Wonder Woman?, Titans: The Spark and Into The Bleed

Garth

Full name: Prince Garth of Shayeris

Alter ego: Aqualad (also legal name until Crisis), Tempest

Birthday: March 6

Love interests: Donna Troy, Tula Marinus, Dolphin, Lilith Clay (temporary)

Reading recs: World's Finest: Teen Titans, Death of a Prince, Tempest by Phil Jimenez, Aquaman by Peter David, JLA: The Obsidian Age, Aquaman: Underworld

Roy Harper

Full name: Roy William Harper Jr.

Alter ego: Speedy, Arsenal, Red Arrow

Birthday: November 1

Love interests: Donna Troy, Jade Nguyen, Kendra Saunders

Reading recs: Snowbirds Don't Fly, The Cheshire Contract [Collected as Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies], Arsenal by Devin Grayson, Outsiders 2003, Justice League of America 2007, Infinite Frontier, Green Arrow 2023

Lilith Clay

Full name: Lilith Jupiter-Clay

Alter ego: Omen

Birthday: Not stated but her debut was November 18

Love interests: Gnarrk, Donald Hall, Garth, Bette Kane

Reading recs: The Terror of Trigon, Teen Titans by Dan Jurgens, Teen Titans: Life and Death, Titans Hunt (2015), Titans Rebirth

Mal Duncan

Full name: Malcolm Arnold "Mal" Duncan

Alter ego: Guardian (Pre-Crisis), Hornblower, Herald (Post-Crisis), Vox (Infinite Crisis until Flashpoint)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Karen Beecher

Reading recs: Silver Age Teen Titans, Titans Hunt, Titans Rebirth, The Other History of the DC Universe #2

Fun fact: Mal Duncan was featured in the first interracial kiss in comics history with a goodbye kiss between him and Lilith!

Karen Beecher

Full name: Karen Beecher-Duncan

Alter ego: Bumblebee

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Mal Duncan

Reading recs: Silver Age Teen Titans, Titans Hunt, Titans Rebirth, The Other History of the DC Universe #2, Doom Patrol by Keith Giffen

Don Hall

Full name: Donald Hall

Alter ego: Dove

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Lilith Clay

Reading recs: The Hawk & The Dove, Silver Age Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths

Hank Hall

Full name: Henry "Hank" Hall

Alter ego: Hawk, Monarch (Armageddon 2001), Extant (Zero Hour until JSA)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Dawn Granger, Ren Takamori

Reading recs: The Hawk and The Dove, Hawk and Dove: Ghosts & Demons, Hawk and Dove (1989), Birds of Prey (2010)

Dawn Granger

Full name: Dawn Marie Granger

Alter ego: Dove

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Hank Hall, Sal Arsala

Reading recs: Hawk and Dove: Ghosts & Demons, Hawk and Dove (1989), Birds of Prey (2010)

Duela Dent

Full name: Duela Dent

Alter ego: Joker's/Riddler's/Penguin's Daughter, Card Queen, Harlequin

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Earth-1 Dick Grayson, Earth-3 Dick Grayson

Reading recs: Silver Age Teen Titans, Teen Titans: Titans East

Bette Kane

Full name: Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane

Alter ego: Batgirl (Pre-Crisis), Flamebird (Post-Crisis, current mantle), Hawkfire (N52 Batwoman only)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Dick Grayson (Pre-Crisis)

Reading recs: Teen Titans Vol 1 #50-53, Hawk and Dove Vol 3 Annual 1, Beast Boy (2000), DC's Legion of Bloom

Charley Parker

Full name: Charles Edmund "Charley" Parker (human name); Ch'al Andar (Thanagarian name)

Alter ego: Golden Eagle, Hawkman IV (Rise of the Golden Eagle)

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Kendra Saunders (I think?)

Reading recs: Hawkman: Rise of the Golden Eagle,

Tula

Full name: Tula Marinus

Alter ego: Aquagirl

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Garth

Reading recs: Tempest by Phil Jimenez, New 52 Aquaman, Mera: Queen of Atlantus, Aquaman by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Aquamen

So a special note: despite Beast Boy being a part of the Titans West (as well as appearing in the above photograph), they do not count as part of the Fab Fifteen, mainly because he's already part of the New Teen Titans. Also note that this acc won't be using the New 52 version of Duela Dent (although the Gotham Knights version is fine so feel free to send in any hcs about her)

Also you maybe be asking why Gnarrk's entry is below instead of with everybody else. That's because Gnarrk was never a Titan in the first place. Sure, he appeared as part of the title and was there when the Titans West was formed but he never actually joined the team at all. Gnarrk becoming a Titan became a thing when he was introduced following the New 52.

Gnarrk

Full name: Unknown

Alter ego: Caveboy

Birthday: Not stated

Love interests: Lilith Clay

Reading recs: Titans Hunt (2015), Titans Rebirth

Uhh, yeah, so that's the Fab Fifteen! Again, don't worry about this technical jargon if you're a newcomer and you just wanna look at the other posts, we're all here to have fun.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: You're Cordially Invited to the Nesbitt-Gordon Wedding (Tomorrow!)

Date: February 14th Venue: Isle of Volpe National Park in Henford-on-Bagley Dress Code: default formal attire

It's finally happening! More details after the cut...

Technically, it's a weekend full of celebrations! The wedding ceremony is tomorrow, Conther's wedding album (and a poll!) posts on Saturday, and Sunday is the wedding reception, also in Isle of Volpe Park.

The portrait above is of the Gen 3 cousins - all Founder Daisy and Neal Nesbitt's current grandkids in one place, soon to be joined by Heather and Conrad's nooboo! (l-r: Lavender, Ash, Tetra and Betta Bell, and Samuel and Michael Nesbitt)

They were all posed together with various toddler/child poses from the Siblings posepack by @katverse, and I love how well they worked side by side. Not perfect but I love marking time with family portraits and this one was actually an outtake from the rest of the photos coming this weekend! (But not so much that the photo didn't make it on Heather and Conrad's wall at home!)

Tune in to see this photo without the stupid flash, and much more from this long-anticipated yet hastily-planned day! Time to outright break a Gen 2 challenge rule! Even with everything they have going on, they're making time after almost nine years together. It is time.

And yes, those are buttercups on the wedding invitation. Made in Canva by combining styles from these two templates.

[taxi-cab-to-slowtown]

I saw a version of this that was antiship so I thought I'd make a proship one. All ships welcome <3.

Edit: I'm sorry I forgot Sladedick 🤦

[sparkletastic-cookiedough]

Link Library

Literally just a link collection of all my tumblr writing.

Favorite Posts

Films that don’t exist

Batman: Killer Croc has an egg. Bruce Wayne is the father.

DPxDC: Danny Phantom fan Damian, best friends with Dash. (they hang out at an arcade, also BATNIPPLES)

DPxDC: John Constantine is Danny's comfort human

DPxDC Dick Grayson is investigating a travelling circus (my favorite prompt, but it's just a prompt)

DPxDC: Vlad masters is a lion? Completely centered around Zeke Morris, an OC.

DPxDC: Danny does his taxes.

DPxDC: Cardboard Danny AU

Danny Phantom: Jazz Fenton Gaslighting People (Short)

DPxDC: The Tangerine Pimpernel (Long)

DPxDC: Danny is applying for a grant with Wayne Enterprieses (The best dramatic irony)

DPXDC: Constantine taking care of baby Danny

DPxDC

Danny and Superman: inedible food buddies (NEW) (Short)

Demon Twins: Danny has trauma, Zatanna and Barbara Gordon are dating, and Damian meets a death cult. (NEW)

Entirely dead Danny’s grave is discovered. Sam meets Bruce Wayne, Jazz is suffering.

Danny texts Jason by accident. Technus is behind everything.

Batfamily is infinite realms royalty, Damian tries to take advantage of that and fails.

Psychology Teacher Jazz Fenton vs Joker

Mr Lancer goes to a bar while his students visit Gotham.

Battle Coliseum

Danny in a Maid Dress

The Phantom Cafe (Short)

In Love With The Speed Force : Barry Allen is obsessed with a god. Also the Justice League gets high in this one.

Bartender Dan has a no bats policy.

The Justice League investigates Danny's box selling business. (Featuring the Bodacious Vibes detector)

The Titans discover Danny and Dani are different people

Danny has access to dead knowledge

The Fentons make arrows for Green Arrow (Short)

Trans Danny, mourned by Bio-sibling Damian

The one where Team Phantom destroys all conflict in the Batman universe

Dani is in Hally's Circus, Dick thought she died and now she's back

John Constantine "rescues" Danny from the ghost zone

Steph plans to prank Batman

Bodyguard Danny

Danny vs Plastic Man vs Nightwing: Who would win at Twister? (short)

Wes Weston gets ghost powers, Flash is concerned

Riddler kidnaps Danny, Batman has to answer a riddle to save him

Team Phantom produces a fictional movie on Amity Park

Danny is traumatized, the Batfam is traumatized, everyone is sad and traumatized. (short-ish, hurt/ comfort)

Danny can predict the future, thus Flash yells at god (again, more of a prompt than a full story, cause sometimes I only write the beginnings.)

Dani pranks the justice league

The DC universe is about to collapse, Danny has to herd them out. (Prompt, as I am addicted to beginning stories and never finishing them)

Danny's family reincarnates (yet another prompt.)

Tim has infinite spleens

Jason can see through the fourth wall, and is not down for this Phantom of the Opera nonsense.

The Bats investigate Jazz

Wes is investigated by Superman, Magical shenanigans occur.

Catwoman steals an artifact that has a ghost in it.

Danny putting on his own Brucie Wayne act as Bruce's secretary

Jazz as Damian's Babysitter

Zatanna interacting with a Liminal Gotham

Danny is Batman's Clone (Dramatic Irony, my beloved)

John Constantine accidentally adopts Danny

Jason is dating Jazz, gets Tim and Danny to meet (mostly just Jason and Tim fluff)

Dash Baxter, Metropolis Cop (short)

Queer Platonic Relationship Fluff with Tim and Danny (features a prompty cliffhanger that goes absolutely nowhere)

Danny runs over Kori with a car (featuring yet another cliffhanger prompt ending that goes nowhere)

Clone Adoption Agency

Tim gets his spleen back from Cujo

Danny runs a daycare in Gotham

Maddie is Jim Gordon's Sister (short as heck and not great, but it's the first one I wrote, so it's special to me)

Batman Crossovers (No Danny Phantom edition)

Batman and the Muppets

Miraculous Ladybug: Marinette in Gotham (Fic itself is short, use of ai by another user in the beginning, more of a prompt than a post)

Batman x Game Changer: Robins do Robin trivia

Batman x BNHA: Batgirl gets isekaied into BNHA universe (Like the first chapter of a hypothetically longer fic)

Just Batman (and other DC characters)

Superbat Ship: featuring Batfam Fluff.

Jason can see through the fourth wall (short, more of a prompt than a post, and a continuation of the AU from an above DPxDC post.

Batfam tries to steal the watchtower (based on art!!!)

Matchmaker Tim Drake (again, more of a prompt)

Neurodivergent Batfam Moments

Hero Swap (Based on ART!!!)

Bruce Wayne time travels (short)

Bruce wearing his kids merch (short)

Clark Kent covering Bruce Wayne's drama

Superbat ship stuff (Short)

Percy Jackson

Percy Jackson & Harry Potter Crossover: Percy Jackson Vs Potions Class

Percy Jackson Gods react to Hadestown (Short)

Percy Jackson and Danny Phantom Crossover: Nico wants the Ghost King as his twitch username, but it's taken.

Other Fandoms

Gravity Falls: Levity Rises - the portal incident.

Gravity Falls: The Stans end up College professors.

Just Danny Phantom: Jazz dealing with trauma (a bit of a character study, based on art)

Danny Phantom x BNHA crossover: Jazz and Nedzu meet.

BNHA: All Might and All for One completing to be the best dad. (Plot outline.)

BNHA: Izuku becomes a cult leader. (Plot outline)

Beetlejuice: cartoons episode plot outline based on someone’s art.

[dcpolyampolls]

SHIPS!!

1. birds of prey polycule (barbara gordon/dinah lance/helena bertenelli/zinda blake)

2. hard traveling heroes (dinah lance/hal jordon/oliver queen)

3. helenareneekate (helena bertenelli/renee montoya/kate kane)

4. pennywaynes (alfred pennyworth/thomas wayne/martha kane)

5. birds of prey polycule two (barbara gordon/ dinah lance/helena bertenelli)

6. stephcassharper (stephanie brown/cassandra cain/harper row)

7. timstephlonnie (tim drake/stephanie brown/lonnie machin)

8. timstephkon (tim drake/stephanie brown/connor kent)

9. stephcassmia (stephanie brown/cassandra cain/mia deardren)

10. stephrosecass (stephanie brown/cassandra cain/rose wilson)

11. we are robin polycule (duke thomas/riko sheridan/isabella ortiz/daxton chill/dre cipriani)

12. helrenkatejulia (helena bertinelli/renee montoya/kate kane/julia pennyworth)

13. young just us girls (anita fite/cissie king-jones/cassie sandsmark)

14. dickroykori (dick grayson/roy harper/koriand'r)

15. core four (tim drake/cassie sandsmark/kon-el/bart allen)

16. superwonderbat (bruce wayne/diana prince/clark kent)

17. gotham sirens (selina kyle/harley quinn/pamela isley)

18. dinlobabs (barbara gordon/dinah lance/lois lane)

19. supersteel 13 (cir-el/natasha irons/traci thirteen)

20. cloissteel (clark kent/ lois lane/ john henry irons)

21. dinahshivababs (dinah lance/sandra wu-san/barbara gordon

22. wallykyleconnor (connor hawke/kyle rayner/wally west)

23. timkonbart (tim drake/kon-el/bart allen)

24. jasonkyledonna (jason todd/kyle rayner/donna troy)

25. koriroydonna (koriand'r/roy harper/donna troy)

26. halbarryolliedinah (hal jordan/barry allen/oliver queen/dinah lance)

27. dinahdianabruce (dinah lance/diana prince/bruce wayne)

28. fab five (wally west/roy harper/garth/dick grayson/donna troy)

29. the ENTIRE justice league..?

30. roywallydickkory (roy harper/wally west/dick grayson/koriand'r)

31. poly flash rouges (leonard snart/mick rory/james jesse/mark mardon/sam scudder/digger harkness)

32. dickhelenababs (dick grayson/helena bertenelli/barbara gordon)

33. babsdickkory (barbara gordon/dick grayson/koriand'r)

34. clexois (lex luthor/clark kent/lois lane)

35. o7 (clark kent/ bruce wayne/diana prince/ hal jordan/ barry allen/arthur curry/ j’onn jones)

36. jimmyclarklois (jimmy olsen/clark kent/lois lane)

37. piperflashpark (hartley rathaway/wally west/linda park)

38. halsincar (hal jordon/carol ferris/sinestro)

39. halbarryiris (hal jordon/barry allen/iris west)

40. four corpsmen (hal jordon/guy gardner/john stewart/kyle rayner)

41. halj’onnclark (hal jordon/j'onn jones/clark kent)

42. donnakoryraven (donna troy/koriand'r/rachel roth)

43. cloishal (clark kent/lois lane/hal jordon)

44. cloisbat (bruce wayne/clark kent/lois lane)

[thewritermj]

cameras flashes, that's how we crashed

battinson!bruce wayne X reader

part 1

summary: on a press conference, bruce finds a journalist who's up to his standards

warnings: usual gotham violence, quick discrimination of a serial killer, not actually smut in this, but in the future so NSFW MDNI

a/n: forgive any grammatical mistakes, english is not my first language!!! Bruce lives in the manor instead of the Wayne Towers cuz I like the manor vibe more, also I kinda picture Jim Gordon from the Gotham Tv show, cuz I love that version but it doesn't really matters lol. (nothing said above is useful for this reading but I just thought you should know) also, this takes place one year after the movie

Bruce sat quietly on the car, the ride was awfully short. He wished he had more time to mentally prepare to his first press conference. He was a recluse for most part of his life, but after the scandal about The Gotham Renewal Program, people deserved to know the truth. And the idea of continuing his family legacy of charity and philanthropy wasn’t all bad and kept Alfred out of his nerves for a while.

And even tough Bruce Wayne could crack a fake smile to the cameras, throw charity galas and events, the true help came at night. The only possible salivation Gotham could have, the real way he could help the city was as Vengeance. The Batman. He didn’t think of himself as a hero, or a vigilante, more of a necessary evil; all the violence and anger, the rage and the darkness of his work, his project; people would be outraged if they found out they were the same man.

“We’re here, Mr. Wayne” The driver announced.

Alfred, who as sitting across from Bruce on the limo closed the papers he was reading and smiles softly.

“Ready, master Bruce?”

Bruce sighs.

“Not really”

The car parked inside the underground garage of the Wayne Enterprises, Bruce and Alfred made their way to the elevator, not a word was said.

Bruce stole a glance at his reflection on the mirror. A black suit Alfred picked for him, a W embroidery on its lapel, his hair was short now, shorter than he liked, all slicked back by hair gel, but nothing could hide the dark circles under his eyes or the lack of sun colour on his skin. Sometimes, just sometimes, Bruce wishes he didn’t have to wear normal clothes, to comb his hair, ties his bottoms; he wishes he could live inside the Batsuit. He felt like the suit was his own skin, her armour, him and Batman were on, there was no Bruce Wayne without Vengeance, they were bonded forever and could never be separated from each other. He wish they could, he wish he could be Batman alone; no press conferences, no reports, paparazzi, no “Bruce Wayne crowned prince of Gotham.”

The elevator stops and the door open. Alfred goes our first and greet some people outside, telling them where to go.

“You have 10 minutes, Bruce.” He warns, “I’ll get them stared and you wait here till I call you”

Bruce nods.

He sits down on a leather couch and waits, starring at the glass doors. All the reports and journalists waiting for him, men and women, from Gotham and other places of the world.

He’s nervous. Not nervous like he is before a fight, nervous he will be put on a corner, that he’ll be catch on a lie, nervous someone knows. It’s like someone in the next room it’s just waiting for him to appears, to stand up from their chair and ask ‘Are you the Batman?’

“Ladies and gentleman, Bruce Wayne” Alfred announces from the stage and glances at him.

Bruce works on his better smile he can put on and enters the stage; he’s received with thunderous applauses and blinding cameras flashes. He waves and sit on a chair, in a wooden desk in front of him is a glass of water and a microphone.

“Let’s get, started then” Alfred said, pointing to a woman in a grey dress standing with a microphone in her hand.

“Mr. Wayne, why did you decided to throw a press conference after years of reclusiveness?”

Bruce leans into her direction a bit.

“Well, I think all the events of the past year made me realize how much the Wayne Foundation means to Gotham and I’ve been a little reckless with that matter”

It was a good answer, he thought.

The following questions were easy too, “Mr. Wayne, how do you plan on taking care of the raised money? To prevent anything to happen again”, “What’s the difference between the Wayne Foundation and the Gotham Renewal Program?”, “What projects do you have in mind?”, and of course, some shallow questions, “What brand is your suit?”, “What car do you drive?”, question he almost laughed at. Did people actually wanted to know that?

Bruce was thinking how the conference was going well, easy, almost, not as he had pictured it before. Until…

“Mr. Wayne, what do you think about The Batman?”

He flinched for half a second, he opened his mouth but nothing came out.

Another woman asked something he didn’t quite hear with all that was going on inside his head, but the word Batman was also there. And then another, and another…

“Mr. Wayne, what do you think about The Batman?”

The room turned into a complete circus. Grown adults talking over each other, fighting for a turn on the microphone.

You rolled your eyes. This happens every time, someone thinks about the name Batman and suddenly everyone has something to say. What does it matter Bruce Wayne’s thought of the Batman? There were so much important questions to be asked, so much more to discover about that man’s life and projects than a simple opinion.

You were begging to regret the moment you accepted the offer to come to this conference. You weren’t a regular journalist, you didn’t know how to write an article about the weather, fashion trends, social events, you wrote about thing most journalist didn’t want to, thing that most people were scare to read. People scared of the truth. You weren’t. You would dig and dig until the raw verity came to surface, it didn’t matter where or who you had to dig.

The man who had introduced Mr. Wayne appeared again and announced the press conference. No fucking way, no without the answers you wanted, you didn’t take this job to watch other people ruin it.

Slowly, you got up from your sit and walked towards the person who as holding the microphone and gently pull it away from his hands.

“Mr. Wayne…” but the voices around you were too loud.

You gave the head of the mic a flick, the loud keen sound made the room come silent.

“Sorry.” You apologized. “Mr. Wayne, why did you felt the urge to re-open the school project at the marginalized neighbourhoods of Gotham after your father failed attempted?”   

The men was halfway leaving, but he turned around reluctant, staring right at you. Those piercing blue eyes roaming your face.

“Well, I believe the project needs a second chance. Children and teenagers should be given a chance to have a good education, it helps getting them out of the streets.” He answered, without the microphone his voice was low, but the silence of the room let you hear him loud and clear. “Who do you write for?”

“The Gotham Gazette” You answered proudly.

Mr. Wayne whispered something to the other man and sat back at the chair.

“Do you have any more questions, Miss…?”

You smile politely and told him your name.

“Would you say that the Wayne Foundation has an impact outside of Gotham?”

A ghost of a smile appeared on the man’s lips. You shook the urge to smile back at him.

You could tell he was a bit nervous, but he had answered the questions with manners and the right words, maybe he didn’t notice, but he’s quite good at it.

“Yes. I think the work we do on the Foundation inspires people to do the same. If it works out, we can show the world that if there was hope for Gotham there’s hope for them too”

“Do you think there’s hope for Gotham?” You asked, out of spite, because you didn’t write it down before the press.

His lips contracted to a thin line and he thought of it for a few seconds before answering:

“Yes. As long as people like me and you care about what happens here, there’s still hope for the city”

You smiles.

“People like me?”

“You seem to know a lot about the charity work, and you care enough to show it to the world”

Your smile grew bigger and you felt a hint of warm rushing through your cheeks.

Mr. Wayne answered a few more of your questions before the press conference was over.

You were, oh, so proud of yourself. The information you gathered was perfect for what you had in mind and for sure, you could make it a good article. An admiring of the Wayne legacy, that’s what you called yourself. It has always called out to you what that wealth family did; they had no obligation to do it, to donate not just money, but time and resources to help those who couldn’t have what they did, to make Gotham something to be proud of. It’s a shame they never lived long enough to cure it, to heal it. However, you hoped that, maybe, Bruce did. At least he sound determined to.  

You gathered your things and your purse, but as you made your way to the elevator, a woman dresses on formal clothes approached you with a clean, sharp smile that made her look like a dental paste commercial.

“Excuse me, miss. Would you mind, following me?”

You frowned.

“Ahn…What for?”

“Mr. Wayne wishes to speak to you” She explained and her smile somehow grew wider.

Standing there for a few seconds, all you could do was nod as you followed her through a long corridor. What was happening right now? He wants to speak to you? Bruce Wayne wishes to speak to a journalist in private? And more important, to you.

She opened a door to a breath-taking office.

Right in front of you was a full wall window, a panoramic view of Gotham in all its “glory”, skyscrapers, apartment buildings, the clock tower, the bridge of the river, the field behind the road, you could see everything from up there. There was a wooden desk in front of the window, quite empty, and a chair that looked more comforting than any other you had ever sat.

When the woman closed the door behind you, your attention changed to the man standing on your left. Bruce Wayne was staring at you dead in the eyes with a facial expression of someone who just saw a ghost.

This guy seriously need some sunbathing. You shook that thought out of your head.

“Mr. Wayne. You wanted to speak to me?”

“Yes” His raspy voice responded. “Sit, please”

You took a seat on one of the chairs in front of the chair and he sat opposite of you, behind the desk, diving completely into the velvet chair. He crosses his fingers and stares at you again. It made you a little uncomfortable, he did that a lot, like a hunter watching its prey.

“So…”

“I’ve searched your work. You’re really good.”

“Thank you, sir”

“You won a Pulitzer, am I right?”

“Yes, a few years ago”

When did he get the time to read all this information? It’s not like you’re super famous, even the Pulitzer wasn’t a very known prize if you didn’t know the industry.

“For a book about a serial killer in Detroit” He said, a voice that verged into an interrogation tone. “The Divine Move?”

You blinked a few times.

“I…Yes. Nathan Walters.”

He lifted his eyebrows just an inch, telling you to continue the story.

You cleared your throat.

“He uh, he used to be the altar boy of the neighbourhood church and he chose his victims based on the sins he supposed they’ve committed.” You’ve shorten it, you couldn’t understand why a billionaire was asking you about the modus operandi of a criminal who was thousands of miles away.  “Why are you asking me this, if I may ask, Mr. Wayne?”

“You’re an investigative journalist. Why are you attending press conferences of a random billionaire?”

You supressed a laugh. Random.

“I grew up here, sir. I’ve always admired your family work, I took the opportunity when it was offered to me.”

“You seem to know a lot about my family history.”

“Like I said, I’m just an admiring. Although, I once thought of writing a book about the Wayne Legacy. Your legacy, sir.”

“Your legacy, sir”.

Bruce looked down at his cufflinks, the W prominent on a silvery material.

His legacy.

He once thought the Wayne Foundation was his legacy. But now he knew, his true legacy came in a bat shaped suit and sleepless nights; it came on purple coloured bruises and blood stained clothes.

“Why didn’t you?”

“Well…it’s very hard to write about something when you only get superficial information.”

You were nervous, he could tell. You kept staring at the view behind him, or at your shoes, tanking a little too long to answer his questions. He wondered how could a journalist gets nervous, almost shy.

He gave you a puzzled look, not using any words to express his question. But you understood it.

“Using material that was wrote by someone else. All the records and stories about your parents have already been wrote by someone else before me, so I couldn’t say it was my work, could I?”

He hummed.

Bruce took a sigh. Maybe. Maybe this was a good idea, it could keep him in a good status with the press, plus, he’d be able to hide even further down his secret identity, having a journalist with him every day? No one would suspect his the Batman.

“There are stories and details that haven’t been told.”

You bit your lower lip.

He stared at you.

“What are you implying, sir?”

“If I tell you the stories, would you write it?”

“If I tell you the stories, would you write it?”

You almost passed out.

Would you?

Who could say they had a proposal like that? Dig into the secrets of the Wayne family?

“Yes”.

___________________

a/n2: aaaah this is actually so boring I'm so sorry, also I think I made bruce a little more talkative than I would've but anyways I may change it yet.

a special thank you to @preciouslandmermaid for inspiring me to finally write this!! <3

[weirdowithaquill]

Traintober 2024: Day 25 - The Last One

Thomas Never Thought About His Classmates...

Thomas is a tank engine who lives on his own little branchline on the Island of Sodor. He's a cheeky little engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome. He’s always been that way, no matter how young or old he is – it’s part of his charm!

The little blue tank engine has always lived on Sodor, almost since the day he was built. He doesn’t really remember those early days, down in the South of England. He vaguely remembers meeting a couple shunting engines that taught him the absolute basics, and a couple bigger engines who snorted about the Big Station by the works and ordered him about until he snapped back, but little else. In the back of his smokebox, he knows he has siblings – his first driver called him a ‘modified E2’, and his second driver had once shown him a picture of one of his siblings that he’d taken while down there on holidays.

But Thomas never really thought of them. They existed, sure, but when Thomas thought of siblings or family, he thought of Toby, Gordon, Percy and the other engines on Sodor, especially the early seven.

Then, something odd happened. On a crisp, cold February morning, Thomas was on his first run of the day, making his way up the branchline, when he thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. He was passing by the Toryreck Dairy, and a glint of the most unsettlingly familiar umber livery caught him off-guard. He blinked, and looked again – but there was nothing. The closest thing to the umber paint was the reddish-brown of the squat brick building, and even then it was most entirely the wrong colour.

Thomas thought nothing of it and completed his run. The day progressed as usual, and Thomas forgot about it quickly enough, putting it down to sleep still being in his eyes. Months passed, and Thomas completely forgot about the odd umber colour and how it twinged something in the back of his mind.

And then it happened again.

Thomas had been shunting the harbour, pushing trucks into their proper places for the barges to pick up. He cursed out Percy quietly, peeved at how the little green engine had gotten out of this duty in favour of a delivery to the Big Station. As he moved back, he spotted the shape of an engine, shadowed by the bridge that carried the mainline. Thomas stared, confused. “Who’s there?” he called. The engine didn’t look like Percy or Toby – and it wasn’t Duck either. But he couldn’t tell, the shade was making it near impossible to make out the engine’s shape. Thomas puffed back to investigate, when there was a loud bang! Thomas jolted as he bumped into a line of trucks – and when he looked up again, there was nothing there. The brilliant orange of the October leaves just cut a striking contrast to the dark red of the bridge.

“Maybe it was a shadow of a big engine?” Thomas thought aloud. “It could’ve maybe been Donald or Douglas…” But even that sounded wrong. Still, there was nothing there, and none of the others had heard of a new engine on the island. Thomas decided to do his best to forget about it, and keep going.

But then it happened again the next month – one moment, there was a flash of umber in Percy’s berth at the sheds, the next there was nothing. And then it happened in the hot summer of the next year, when Thomas thought he saw a whole tank engine in a deep umber paint scheme shunting trucks around the harbour when he passed over the bridge with his coaches.

No one else saw the engine though, and Thomas was left to believe it was nothing. It had to be nothing… right?

As the boiling summer passed into a cool September, Thomas did his absolute best to forget about the odd umber brown paint and the weird shadows that seemed to stalk him. He took a trip to the Big Station with one of his usual passenger runs, and fussed away into the carriage sidings to look for a suitable spot to park his beloved Annie and Clarabel. As he puffed along one of the sidings, he thought he saw two whole tank engines behind a long row of express coaches, painted that same rich umber livery. Both seemed to be… watching him, even though he couldn’t be sure.

Thomas wasn’t sure what was going on, but it left him feeling very uneasy.

October rolled around, and this time it was a duo of funnels peaking out behind Gordon’s express as he rocketed by. For a brief moment, Thomas thought he saw a weird, wrong version of himself staring back – but when the brake coach cleared the platform, there was absolutely nothing there.

Thomas decided to say nothing about it to the other engines. Percy would laugh at him and Toby would probably believe him but also pity him. And Thomas absolutely refused to be pitied. Pity was for pitiful engines, and Thomas had his own branchline! He had books named after him; Thomas was not pitiful. His pride wouldn’t allow for it.

So Thomas said absolutely nothing, even as the sightings suddenly stopped right as winter set in. The new year rolled in once again, and Thomas was distracted from the weird umber engines by other matters. Stepney had been and gone, Thomas being dazzled by his stories of their former railway and its really useful engines. But neither Stepney nor Thomas mentioned Thomas’ siblings, in some weird twist of fate.

Instead, the little blue tank engine was once again distracted by his own branchline.

And then it was April, 1963. The day started normally enough, Thomas setting out with Annie and Clarabel to do his morning run. But something felt… off. Thomas wasn’t sure how to describe it, but the air felt… electric. As if something big had happened, something he should have been aware of but just wasn’t. It left him on edge as he made his way down to the Junction. As he pulled into the platform, he felt eyes on him from the goods shed, piercing glares boring into his bunker.

“Is something the matter?” asked Annie. Thomas considered, not quite sure what to say.

“Is there anyone in the goods shed?” he eventually asked. Clarabel looked over, and frowned.

“There’s some vans – and maybe a pair of dark brown engines shunting them? I can’t quite tell. They’re – oh, maybe I was wrong.” Clarabel fell silent, trying her best to peer into the gloom of the darkened sheds. Annie and Thomas waited for an answer, but none was forthcoming.

“Clarabel?”

“My eyesight must be going,” complained Clarabel suddenly. “There’re no engines I can see.” Thomas raised an eyebrow, and looking forwards again – and his boiler went cold. There, at the very edge of the horizon where the mainline turned away from the coast and behind a cutting, was him. Only, it wasn’t him. It was maybe one of his siblings? It looked like it – but they had shortened side tanks, and a dark scowl on their face. Thomas went to call out to it, but then it vanished.

“Driver…”

“Yes Thomas?”

“Have you got any news on the other engines of my class?” Thomas’ driver pondered the question, amazed at the unusual request from the tank engine who had never mentioned the other E2 engines. He promised to check in with the Fat Controller when they reached the Big Station. Thomas felt a little better after that.

But his driver had bad news for him after speaking to the Fat Controller. “I’m really sorry Thomas,” sighed his driver. “But… they cut up the last of your siblings yesterday. You’re the last one.”

To his surprise, Thomas didn’t feel anything at that. Perhaps a little sadness, but it was mostly just distantly removed, as if he had just found out a tragedy had occurred in some faraway, distant land he’d never heard of before. It felt a bit wrong, but also just natural. Thomas had had classmates, and now he did not. He had always been unique, and now he was just a little more unique. “Thank you, driver,” Thomas said kindly. “That’s… all I really needed to know.” Thomas’ driver raised a worried eyebrow, but said nothing more.

Thomas continued on, this new information being quietly tucked away to the back of his smokebox where it festered for only a few minutes before being washed away by every other thought in Thomas’ mind. Percy was due for an overhaul soon, and Thomas would  need to cover for him; Gordon had been getting uppity again recently, and he would probably need to knock the big blue idiot down a few pegs again. Thoughts of Mrs Kyndley and the farmers and Terence complaining about roots in his field all pushed the news of his classmates’ death down deep to the back of Thomas’ mind and eventually he stopped thinking about it.

“It’s so odd,” his driver muttered to the fireman. “I just told him all his siblings have been cut up, and he’s more interested in what Mrs Kyndley is having for tea!”

In the shadows, eyes glared at the oblivious blue engine; furious eyes, emotions swelling as rage and anger overtook everything.

Thomas finished his last train of the day, parked Annie and Clarabel away, and settled in the sheds beside Percy. The little green engine was already exhausted, having spent all day shifting stone for a major project on the mainland – and he was not interested in conversation. Toby was equally tired, and with no reason to stay awake chatting, all three were quickly closing their eyes, yawns stifling their last few words as they said “good night”.

Thomas fell asleep, and thought nothing more of his day.

He awoke to the hiss of steam, of metal scraping against metal. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, as if Thomas had been dragged into the deepest pits of a scrapyard while he slept.

Thomas opened a sleepy eye, and screamed in terror.

“You!” snarled the engine standing buffer-to-buffer with Thomas. “You forgot about us!” Thomas looked around – there were ten engines surrounding him on all sides; Percy was gone.

“Where—where’s Percy?” demanded Thomas, his fear replaced instantly by worry. The engines all hissed at him, their blood-red eyes boring into him.

“We’re your classmates, and you’re more worried about someone else? We DIED!”  Thomas felt a bump from behind, and suddenly he was moving forwards.

“Hey! Stop that! Let me go!” he snarled, trying in vain to struggle against the force propelling him slowly forwards.

“You got all the glory, all the love!” they accused, all rushing forwards to bash into him and leave him lurching violently. Thomas winced and gasped in pain, feeling his buffers bend under the strain. “You never thought of us! You never loved us! Where were you, when we were being scrapped?”

They began to pick up speed, Thomas yelping in terror as he was forcibly shoved out of the yard, his wheels screaming on the points. He felt yet another slam against his bunker, his entire frame shuddering violently as it was assaulted from all sides.

“Failure! Traitor! You took all the glory and never looked back!” Thomas’ siderods were a blur as he was forced down the branchline as frightening speeds, his frame groaning as he felt the curves send jolts of searing pain along his axles.

“No! Stop! Please!” begged Thomas, as his entire frame shuddered again. It felt like it was going to snap. Thomas could feel the cracks beginning to tear their way along the metal, putting even more stress on every inch of his body. His wheels screeched in agony as he rounded another bend. The tunnel loomed ahead. Thomas screamed as his sidetanks scraped along the sides, scratches and deep cuts left behind by the brick.

“We’ll show you the pain we suffered,” snarled the engines. “We’ll make you feel it! Make you feel worse! You will regret forgetting us, Thomas!” Thomas couldn’t take it – his axles were overheating rapidly, the burn already beginning to settle in and leaving him gasping for air as the pain overtook him—

“Thomas?”

Everything stopped.

Terence stared at the little blue tank engine from in his field, standing in wait while his owner went to drag out seeds for planting. Thomas was in tears – everything hurt, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to move. “Oh Terence!” blubbered the little blue tank engine. Something clanged deep inside him, and then there was silence.

“Are you alright?” asked Terence slowly. He looked around, trying to see where Thomas’ crew had gotten to.

“No,” admitted Thomas quietly. “Everything hurts. I… I don’t know how I made it this far. Please call a breakdown train.” Terence was stunned silent, immediately agreeing. Thomas never spoke like that. He never sounded so… hurt. Small. Scared. It was wrong, and Terence feared whatever had left Thomas in such a state.

The breakdown train came up from the Junction, headed by a quiet Edward. The kindly old engine stopped short of the tank engine, and looked around. He thought for a moment that he could see red eyes glaring from within the tunnel, and scowled at it.

“It’s alright Thomas, we’re here now,” Edward said kindly. “Let’s get you checked over.” The men looked all over the blue tank engine – but there was no signs of anything being wrong. The brakes were on, his motion was perfectly fine – there wasn’t even a hint as to what had sent Thomas flying down his branchline. His frames were fine too, when Thomas finally worked up the courage to ask. There weren’t even any signs that he’d left his berth at all.

But here Thomas was.

Edward moved to buffer up to the blue tank engine, when Thomas flinched. Edward’s eyes widened, and he paused short. “Ok Thomas, I’m going to buffer up now. Nice and slowly, keep your eyes on me.” Edward very carefully helped his old friend back to his shed, finding both Percy and Toby deep asleep. Edward parked Thomas in his berth, then shunted away the works coach and took up guard on the line in front of the little blue tank engine. Thomas shot him a grateful look, but still neither got any sleep.

The next day, Thomas quietly asked his crew to erect a memorial to his classmates at the back of the sheds. Confused, but happy that their engine was finally showing an emotion about his siblings that was more than vague sadness, his crew obliged. Edward watched them put it together, then looked over to Thomas.

“Hopefully, it will be enough,” he murmured. Thomas didn’t reply, but Edward already knew enough.

Back to the Master Post

[clarktooncrossing]

DIDN'T WANNA FEEL OLD IN 2025? SUCKS TO BE YOU!

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

Y'know what's funny? All last year peeps kept liking my 'Didn't Wanna Feel Old' journal from 2023. One commenter said I should make a new one for 2024. Jee, ya' don't say? Guess you missed how that was already a thing. Was nobody interested in seeing what all reached a major milestone back in 2024? Ghostbusters, Ninja Turtles, Transformers, they all celebrated their 40th Anniversary, Lion King had its 30th, a lot of cool stuff got that much older. Shame nobody seemed to notice. Ah well, maybe 2025 will be better. Especially when a certain someone is celebrating his own major milestone this year. When, exactly? Read to find out!

Key

Movie

Television

Music

Video Game

Theme Park ride

Comics

Date of Debut

Anything from 1975 turns 50 this year, including...

"Low Rider" by War

Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom) - January 15th

The Jeffersons - January 18th

"Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, & Fire - January 21st

Barney Miller - January 23rd

"Mamma Mia" by ABBA - March 12th

Terror of Mechagodzilla - March 15th

"Sister Golden Hair" by America - March 19th

Disney Springs - March 22nd

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - April 3rd

Microsoft - April 4th

Super Sentai - April 5th

Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic - April 8th

Bronze Tiger (DC Comics) - May

"Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell - May 26th

"Fame" by David Bowie - June 2nd

Chicago - June 3rd

"One of Those Nights" by Eagles - June 10th

"That's the Way (I Like It)" by KC and the Sunshine Band - June 10th

"Why Can't We Be Friends?" by War - June 16th

Jaws - June 20th

The Apple Dumpling Gang - July 1st

Moon Knight (MARVEL) - August

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - August 15th

The Great Grape Ape Show - September 6th

The New Tom & Jerry Show - September 6th

Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here - September 12th

Ben Reily (MARVEL) - October

Saturday Night Live - October 11th

The Wiz - October 21st

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen - October 31st

NBC's Wonder Woman - November 7th

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - November 19th

Lady Shiva (DC Comics) - December

Anything from 1980 turns 45 this year, including...

X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga / Emma Frost / Kitty Pryde (MARVEL) - January

Dazzler (MARVEL) - February

Hobgoblin (MARVEL) - March

"Funkytown" by Lipps Inc. - March 11th

Game & Watch - April 28th

Taskmaster (MARVEL) - May

Friday the 13th - May 9th

"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" by Billy Joel - May 12th

The Empire Strikes Back - May 21st

The Blues Brothers - June 20th

Herbie Goes Bananas - June 27th

Missile Command - July

PAC-MAN - July

Airplane! - July 2nd

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie - July 18th

Caddyshack - July 25th

Xanadu - August 8th

"Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen - August 22nd

The New Teen Titans (DC Comics) - October

The Creature Commandos (DC Comics) - November

The Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo - November 8th

Alligator - November 14th

Flash Gordon - December 5th

Magnum, P.I. - December 11th

Popeye - December 12th

9 to 5 - December 19th

Anything from 1985 turns 40 this year, including...

Ice Climber - January 30th

Brazil - February 20th

"Crazy for You" by Madonna - March 2nd

Moonlighting - March 3rd

"We Are the World" by USA for Africa - March 7th

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears - March 15th

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning - March 22nd

The Care Bears Movie - March 29th

Casey Jones (TMNT) - April

Crisis on Infinite Earths (DC Comics) - April

Web of Spider-Man (MARVEL) - April

Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? - April 23rd

Commando - May

Mogo (DC Comics) - May

Rambo: First Blood Part II - May 22nd

John Constantine (DC Comics) - June

Silver Sable (MARVEL) - June

The Goonies - June 7th

"The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News - June 17th

Return to Oz - June 21st

"Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits - June 28th

St. Elmo's Fire - June 28th

Secret Wars II (MARVEL) - July

Back to the Future - July 3rd

Red Sonja - July 3rd

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - July 10th

Ghosts 'n Goblins - July 17th

Day of the Dead - July 19th

The Black Cauldron - July 24th

National Lampoon's European Vacation - July 26th

R.O.B. - July 26th

Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird - August 2nd

Weird Science - August 2nd

Pee-wee's Big Adventure - August 9th

Teen Wolf - August 23rd

"We Built This City" by Starship - August 26th

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo - September 7th

Ewoks - September 7th

Star Wars: Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO - September 7th

ThunderCats - September 9th

Super Mario Bros. - September 13th

Adventures of the Gummi Bears - September 14th

Care Bears - September 14th

Golden Girls - September 14th

Little Muppet Monsters - September 14th

The Wuzzles - September 14th

Spider-Man: The Death of Jean DeWolff (MARVEL) - October

Commando - October 4th

Gauntlet - October 15th

Re-Animator - October 18th

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge - November 1st

Rocky IV - November 27th

Santa Claus: The Movie - November 27th

Young Sherlock Holmes - December 4th

The Color Purple - December 18th

Anything from 1990 turns 35 this year, including...

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III - January 12th

The Hunt for Red October - March 2nd

"Vogue" by Madonna - March 20th

Pretty Woman - March 23rd

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film) - March 30th

Snake's Revenge: Metal Gear 2 - April

Ernest Goes to Jail - April 6th

Twin Peaks - April 8th

In Living Color - April 15th

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light - April 20th

Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue - April 21st

Barney & the Backyard Gang: Waiting for Santa - April 30th

The Muppets at Walt Disney World - May 6th

Back to the Future Part III - May 25th

The Witches - May 25th

Barney & the Backyard Gang: Campfire Sing-Along - May 30th

Total Recall - June 1st

Universal Orlando - June 7th

Dick Tracy / Rollercoaster Rabbit - June 15th

RoboCop 2 - June 22nd

Gremlins 2: The New Batch - June 15th

Gambit (MARVEL) - July

Die Hard 2 - July 4th

Jetsons: The Movie - July 6th

Ghost - July 13th

Arachnophobia - July 18th

"Blaze of Glory" by Jon Bon Jovi - July 21st

Dr. Mario - July 27th

Pit-Fighter - August

DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp - August 3rd

Barney & the Backyard Gang: Barney Goes to School - August 15th

Darkman - August 24th

Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories - August 25th

The New Adventures of He-Man - September 1st

TaleSpin - September 7th

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (TV show) - September 8th

Tom & Jerry Kids - September 8th

The Disney Afternoon - September 10th

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - September 10th

"Thunderstruck" by AC/DC - September 10th

Law & Order - September 13th

Captain Planet and the Planeteers - September 15th

Goodfellas - September 19th

Wing Commander - September 26th

Mega Man 3 - September 28th

The Secret of Monkey Island - October

Beverly Hills, 90210 - October 4th

Sega Game Gear - October 6th

Troll 2 - October 12th

Night of the Living Dead - October 19th

"Freedom! '90" by George Michael - October 30th

Child's Play 2 - November 9th

Home Alone - November 16th

The Rescuers Down Under / The Prince & the Pauper - November 16th

Rocky V - November 16th

"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by C+C Music Factory - November 18th

It - November 18th

The Nutcracker Prince - November 21st

Predator 2 - November 21st

Super Mario World - November 21st

Edward Scissorhands - December 7th

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure (Disney's Hollywood Studios) - December 17th

Kindergarten Cop - December 21st

The Godfather Part III - December 25th

Anything from 1995 turns 30 this year, including...

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (MARVEL)

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight - January 12th

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - January 16th

Star Trek: Voyager - January 16th

Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable (EPCOT) - January 21st

The O.J. Simpson Trial - January 24th

"This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan - February 6th

The Brady Bunch Movie - February 17th

blink182's Cheshire Cat - February 17th

What a Cartoon! - February 20th

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland) - March 4th

Star Wars: Dark Forces - March 8th

Chrono Trigger - March 11th

Discworld - March 17th

Major Payne - March 24th

Mega Man 7 - March 24th

Tommy Boy - March 31st

Mortal Kombat 3 - April

Disney's Blizzard Beach - April 1st

Bad Boys - April 7th

A Goofy Movie - April 7th

The Pebble and the Penguin - April 12th

Super Bomberman 3 - April 28th

"Mr. Boombastic" by Shaggy - May

Die Hard with a Vengeance - May 19th

Braveheart - May 24th

Tales from the Hood - May 24th

Casper - May 26th

Congo - June 9th

Batman Forever - June 16th

Pocahontas (nobody's favorite Disney movie) - June 23rd

Apollo 13 - June 30th

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie - June 30th

Comix Zone - July

A Day in the Park with Barney (Universal Orlando) - July 11th

The Indian in the Cupboard - July 14th

Castlevania: Dracula X - July 21st

Waterworld - July 28th

Tekken 2 - August

"Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio - August 1st

Babe - August 4th

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - August 5th

"You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson - August 15th

Mortal Kombat (film) - August 18th

Phantasmagoria - August 24th

Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest - September

Rayman - September 1st

Xena: Warrior Princess - September 4th

The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa - September 8th

Earthworm Jim (TV series) - September 9th

Freakazoid! - September 9th

Pinky and the Brain - September 9th

The Mark Walberg Show - September 11th

The Drew Carey Show - September 13th

Seven - September 22nd

Showgirls - September 22nd

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers - September 29th

Little Bear - October 7th

Street Fighter: The Animated Series - October 21st

Goosebumps (TV series) - October 27th

Leaving Las Vegas - October 27th

Dumb and Dumber: The Animated Series - October 28th

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - October 31st

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls - November 10th

Twisted Metal - November 10th

Me - November 13th

GoldenEye - November 17th

Worms - November 17th

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - November 21st

Toy Story - November 22nd

Mega Man X3 - December 1st

Warcraft II - December 5th

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - The Animated Series - December 13th

Jumanji - December 15th

Dracula: Dead and Loving It - December 22nd

Final Fight 3 - December 22nd

Tom & Huck - December 22nd

Anything from 2000 turns 25 this year, including...

Malcolm in the Middle - January 9th

"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down - January 18th

Jack of All Trades - January 22nd

Scream 3 - February 4th

The Sims - February 4th

The Tigger Movie - February 11th

Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue - February 12th

Reindeer Games - February 25th

Disney's The Weekenders - February 26th

An Extremely Goofy Movie - February 29th

PlayStation 2 - March 4th

Whispers: An Elephant's Tale - March 10th

Final Destination - March 17th

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes - March 23rd

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - March 24th

Leprechaun in the Hood - March 28th

The Road to El Dorado - March 31st

Between the Lions - April 3rd

American Psycho - April 14th

"With Arms Wide Open" by Creed - April 18th

Mega Man Legends 2 - April 20th

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - April 27th

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas - April 28th

Excitebike 64 - May 2nd

Gladiator - May 5th

Battlefield Earth - May 12th

"It's Gonna Be Me" by N*SYNC - May 16th

DINOSAUR - May 19th

Perfect Dark - May 22nd

Shanghai Noon - May 26th

Clerks: The Animated Series - May 31st

Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption - June 7th

Gone in 60 Seconds - June 9th

Titan A.E. - June 16th

Even Stevens - June 17th

Chicken Run - June 23rd

Deus Ex - June 23rd

Me, Myself & Irene - June 23rd

Diablo II - June 28th

Mortal Kombat: Special Forces - June 29th

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle - June 30th

Final Fantasy IX - July 7th

Scary Movie - July 7th

X-Men - July 14th

Thomas and the Magic Railroad - July 14th

Mario Tennis - July 21st

Nutty Professor II: The Klumps - July 28th

Paper Mario - August 11th

Dora the Explorer - August 14th

Come on Over to Barney's House - August 15th

Maggie and the Ferocious Beast - August 26th

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman - August 29th

Spider-Man - August 30th

Clifford the Big Red Dog (TV series) - September 4th

Pooh's Hunny Hunt (Tokyo Disneyland) - September 5th

Jackie Chan Adventures - September 9th

Teacher's Pet - September 9th

MTV Cribs - September 12th

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - September 15th

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (yuk) - September 19th

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - September 19th

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn - September 21st

Remember the Titans - September 29th

Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers - October

Jackass - October 1st

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command - October 2nd

Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders - October 3rd

Meet the Parents - October 6th

Spyro: Year of the Dragon - October 10th

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 - October 27th

Charlie's Angels - November 3rd

X-Men: Evolution - November 4th

Half-Life: Counter-Strike - November 9th

The Grinch - November 10th

Little Nicky - November 10th

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - November 17th

Rugrats in Paris: The Movie - November 17th

Tomb Raider: Chronicles - November 17th

Hitman: Codename 47 - November 19th

Banjo-Tooie - November 20th

102 Dalmatians - November 22nd

Unbreakable - November 22nd

Grinchmas at Universal Orlando - December

Evil Dead: Hail to the King - December 5th

Dungeons & Dragons (film) - December 8th

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker - December 12th

Dude, Where's My Car? - December 15th

The Emperor's New Groove - December 15th

Cast Away - December 22nd

Be My Valentine Love, Barney - December 26th

Aqua Teen Hunger Force - December 30th

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law - December 30th

Anything from 2005 turns 20 this year, including...

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson - January 3rd

Zoey 101 - January 9th

Resident Evil 4 - January 11th

Elektra - January 14th

Racing Stripes - January 14th

American Dragon: Jake Long - January 21st

Are We There Yet? - January 21st

Playboy: The Mansion - January 25th

Power Rangers S.P.D. - February 5th

Aloha, Scooby-Doo! - February 8th

Pooh's Heffalump Movie - February 11th

YouTube - February 14th

Constantine - February 18th

Son of the Mask - February 18th

Robot Chicken - February 20th

Avatar: The Last Airbender - February 21st

Star Wars: Republic Commando - March 1st

Robots - March 11th

"We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey - March 15th

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody - March 18th

God of War - March 22nd

"Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani - March 22nd

The Office (US version) - March 24th

Krypto the Superdog - March 25th

Doctor Who, Revival Era - March 26th

Grey's Anatomy - March 27th

"Beverly Hills" by Weezer - March 28th

Lego Star Wars: The Video Game - March 29th

Sin City - April 1st

Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama - April 8th

Deadliest Catch - April 12th

Popeye: Rush for Spinach - April 19th

Psychonauts - April 19th

The Muppets Wizard of Oz - April 27th

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith - May 19th

Madagascar - May 27th

Hell's Kitchen - May 30th

House of M (MARVEL) - June

Cinderella Man - June 3rd

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - June 10th

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D - June 10th

Tarzan II - June 14th

Batman Begins - June 15th

The Buzz on Maggie - June 17th

Breakfast with Bear - June 20th

Battlefield 2 - June 21st

Destroy All Humans! - June 21st

Herbie: Fully Loaded - June 22nd

Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds - June 29th

Fantastic Four - July 8th

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix - July 14th

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - July 15th

So You Think You Can Dance - July 20th

Mario Superstar Baseball - July 21st

Sky High - July 29th

Worms 4: Mayhem - July 29th

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - August 4th

"Photograph" by Nickelback - August 8th

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch - August 30th

Go, Diego, Go! - September 6th

The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King - September 8th

Hong Kong Disneyland - September 12th

Evil Dead: Regeneration - September 13th

Supernatural - September 13th

Johnny Test - September 17th

Loonatics Unleashed - September 17th

How I Met Your Mother - September 19th

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks - September 19th

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge - September 19th

"My Humps" by Black Eyed Peas - September 20th

Everybody Hates Chris - September 22nd

Ultimate Spider-Man - September 22nd

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - October 14th

The Batman vs. Dracula - October 18th

Quake 4 - October 18th

Shadow of the Colossus - October 18th

Call of Duty 2 - October 25th

Nicktoons Unite! - October 26th

The Legend of Zorro - October 28th

Star Wars: Battlefront II - October 28th

Saw II - October 28th

Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures - November 1st

Chicken Little - November 4th

Guitar Hero - November 8th

Zathura: A Space Adventure - November 11th

Shadow the Hedgehog - November 15th

Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie - November 17th

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - November 18th

Super Mario Strikers - November 18th

Rent - November 23rd

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - December 8th

Brokeback Mountain - December 9th

The Phantom of the Opera - December 10th

Kronk's New Groove - December 13th

Peter Jackson's King Kong (aka the best version) - December 13th

The Producers - December 16th

Kingdom Hearts II - December 22nd

Ben 10 - December 27th

Mulan II - December 28th

Smash Mouth's The Gift of Rock

Anything from 2010 turns 15 this year, including...

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep - January 9th

Mass Effect 2 - January 26th

Star Trek Online - February 2nd

Dante's Inferno - February 4th

BioShock 2 - February 9th

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - February 12th

The Wolfman - February 12th

Aliens vs. Predator - February 16th

Heavy Rain - February 18th

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - February 23rd

Mega Man 10 - March 10th

Alice in Wonderland - March 5th

Pink Panther and Pals - March 7th

God of War III - March 16th

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - March 19th

Just Cause 2 - March 23rd

Hot Tub Time Machine - March 26th

How to Train Your Dragon - March 26th

Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - April 2nd

Adventure Time - April 5th

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated - April 5th

"Teach Me How to Dougie" by Cali Swag District - April 12th

Fruit Ninja - April 21st

Generator Rex - April 23rd

A Nightmare on Elm Street - April 30th

Kick-Ass - March 26th

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands - May

"I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias - May 3rd

"California Gurls" by Katy Perry (and Snoop Dogg) - May 7th

Iron Man 2 - May 7th

Red Dead Redemption - May 18th

Shrek Forever After - May 21st

Super Mario Galaxy 2 - May 23rd

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - May 28th

"Dynamite" by Taio Cruz - May 30th

Marmaduke - June 4th

The A-Team - June 11th

The Karate Kid - June 11th

World of Color (Disney's California Adventure) - June 11th

Toy Story 3: The Video Game - June 15th

Inception - June 16th

Jonah Hex - June 18th

Toy Story 3 - June 18th

Transformers: War for Cybertron - June 22nd

Grown Ups - June 25th

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 - June 25th

The Last Airbender (ew) - July 1st

Despicable Me - July 9th

Predators - July 9th

The Sorcerer's Apprentice - July 14th

"Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars - July 20th

Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry - July 23rd

Limbo - July 21st

MasterChef - July 27th

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty - July 27th

Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You - August 2nd

The Expendables - August 13th

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - August 13th

Metroid: Other M - August 31st

MAD (TV series) - September 6th

Regular Show - September 6th

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! - September 6th

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions - September 7th

Amnesia: The Dark Descent - September 8th

Halo: Reach - September 14th

Alpha and Omega - September 17th

Easy A - September 17th

FЯED: THE MOVIE - September 18th

Pokémon Black and White - September 18th

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - September 22nd

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole - September 24th

The Social Network - October 1st

Shantae: Risky's Revenge - October 4th

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - October 10th

Just Dance 2 - October 12th

Fallout: New Vegas - October 19th

"Firework" by Katy Perry - October 26th

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II - October 26th

Megamind - November 5th

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - November 16th

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX - November 17th

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 - November 19th

Donkey Kong Country Returns - November 21st

The Nutcracker: The Untold Story - November 24th

Tangled - November 24th

Epic Mickey - November 25th

Tron: Evolution - November 25th

Transformers: Prime - November 29th

Black Swan - December 3rd

Doritos Crash Course - December 8th

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - December 9th

Tron: Legacy - December 17th

Yogi Bear - December 17th

Anything from 2015 turns 10 this year, including...

Strange Magic - January 23rd

Grim Fandango: Remastered - January 27th

Life is Strange - January 20th

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water - February 6th

The Lego Movie Videogame - February 7th

Evolve - February 10th

Fifty Shades of Grey - February 13th

The Order: 1886 - February 20th

Five Nights at Freddy's 3 - March 2nd

Helldivers - March 3rd

Critical Role - March 12th

Mario Party 10 - March 12th

Cinderella / Frozen Fever - March 13th

Transformers: Robots in Disguise - March 14th

The Late Late Show with James Corden - March 23rd

Bloodborne - March 24th

Star vs. the Forces of Evil - March 30th

Archie vs. Predator - April

I Am Bread - April 9th

Marvel's Daredevil - April 10th

Mortal Kombat X - April 14th

Monkey Kingdom - April 17th

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 - April 17th

Secret Wars (MARVEL) - May

Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1st

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood - May 5th

Mad Max: Fury Road - May 14th

Pitch Perfect 2 - May 15th

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - May 19th

Tomorrowland - May 22nd

Splatoon - May 28th

Jurassic World - June 12th

Lego Jurassic World - June 12th

Inside Out - June 19th

Batman: Arkham Knight - June 23rd

Terminator Genisys - July 1st

Magic Mike XXL - July 1st

Minions - July 10th

Ant-Man - July 17th

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! - Jully 22nd

Five Nights at Freddy's 4 - July 23rd

Pixels - July 24th

Angry Birds 2 - July 30th

Descendants - July 31st

"Hotline Bling" by Drake - July 31st

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation - July 31st

Fant4stic - August 4th

Fear the Walking Dead - August 23rd

Until Dawn - August 25th

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - September 8th

Super Mario Maker - September 10th

Undertale - September 15th

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games - September 17th

Skylanders: SuperChargers - September 20th

The Muppets - September 22nd

Lego Dimensions - September 27th

Hotel Transylvania 2 - September 25th

The Martian - September 30th

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - October 5th

Goosebumps - October 16th

Assassin's Creed Syndicate - October 23rd

Jem and the Holograms - October 23rd

Spectre - October 26th

Supergirl - October 26th

Halo 5: Guardians - October 27th

Ash vs Evil Dead - October 31st

The Peanuts Movie - November 6th

Fallout 4 - November 10th

Marvel's Jessica Jones - November 20th

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar - November 22nd

The Good Dinosaur - November 25th

Krampus - December 4th

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip - December 18th

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens - December 18th

The Hateful Eight - December 25th

Other Interesting Milestones

The Band Concert, the Mickey Mouse cartoon that inspired me to become a cartoonist, turns 80 on February 23rd

Pinocchio and Fantasia turn 85 on November 13th

Disneyland Resort turns 70 on July 17th

Popeye, Tintin, several more Mickey Mouse shorts, and the song "Singing in the Rain" falls into the Public Domain

Did seeing anything on this list make you feel old? Was there something I forgot to mention? Feel free to let me know in the comments. And what are your resolutions for 2025? Here are mine:

Finish what I start.

Beat Epic Mickey at long last!

Draw 2-3 DUDELZ of the Damned every month.

Post something new (mostly) everyday.

Bring back the 12 Days of Clarktoons this December.

Make money off my artwork somehow.

Get in shape and cut back on the soda.

Run a Dungeons and Dragons campaign based on Wizard of Oz!

Have an awesome year before turning 30!

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[brokehorrorfan]

Artwork from Gallery 1988’s "Crazy 4 Cult 18" exhibit is available online. I’ve highlighted 15 of my favorite pieces:

Little Shop of Horrors by Kyle Blair

Alien vs Predator by Dan Mumford

Jurassic Park by Naomi VanDoren

Blood Rage by Travis Falligant

Gremlins 2 by Michael Stiles

Shin Godzilla by Keith Noordzy

Teen Wolf by Kyle Frink

Deep Blue Sea by T. M. Wong

Fallout by Sean Segarra

Edward Scissorhands by Paige McMorrow

Tetsuo: The Iron Man by Mark Borgions

The Ninth Gate by Shane Lewis

The Holy Mountain by John F. Malta

Flash Gordon by Stephen Andrade

Phantom of the Paradise by Pashur

[demifiendrsa]

“Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League” New English subbed PV

Additional Japanese cast

Wataru Takagi as The Joker

Rie Kugimiya as Harley Quinn

Ayane Sakura as Green Lantern

Akio Otsuka as Aquaman

Nobuyuki Hiyama as The Flash

Romi Park as Wonder Woman

Kazuhiro Yamaji as Ra's al Ghul

Previously announced Japanese cast members

Koichi Yamadera as Bruce Wayne/Batman

Yūki Kaji as Robin

Kengo Kawanishi as Red Robin

Daisuke Ono as Nightwing

Akira Ishida as Red Hood

Hōchū Ohtsuka as Alfred Pennyworth

Masaki Terasoma as James Gordon

Staff

Director: Jumpei Mizusaki, Shinji Takagi

Screenplay: Kazuki Nakashima

Character Design: Takashi Okazaki

Music: Yugo Kanno

Animation Production: Kamikaze Douga

[gumnut-logic]

This is a very old WIP that I thought I would post for @idontknowreallywhy as she likes to drop things on Scotty.

I blew him up and Virgil was not impressed.

Warning for very much not finished WIP from 2020 that probably has been read by some of you before, possibly several times. Also, everyone gets whumped.

-o-o-o-

Scott Tracy had an amazing smile. His dimples were legendary and those blue eyes of his certainly added their own sparkle to the equation.

And the commander of International Rescue, President of Tracy Industries and all out billionaire was very much aware of the power he wielded with that simple facial gesture.

He was a ladykiller.

Well, perhaps not quite a ‘killer’. More a ‘I’ll do whatever you want if you will just keep smiling at me’ lethal mouth muscle wielder. Or so Gordon claimed.

Gordon’s descriptive skills weren’t one of his strengths.

It was also an excellent tool out in the field. Male or female, when that smile was directed at a person in charge, they either melted and did whatever Scott wanted them to do.

Or the opposite.

The ratio of the non-receptive vs receptive to that smile was definitely a low number versus a much higher one, but unfortunately, today they had encountered one such person.

And they were being a real pain in the ass.

Virgil would have been on Two, but no negotiation on Scott’s part was convincing the mine manager that International Rescue knew what it was doing.

They were down to technical facts and time was growing shorter by the moment.

Two was hovering above with Gordon on board while Virgil rappelled down to discuss engineering concepts with this idiot and convince him that the great Thunderbird was not going to make the situation worse.

Scott was steaming.

Virgil appeared to be nearing boiling point himself and that was quite a feat on the manager’s part. Virgil had battled Fischler without a blink, for crying out loud.

The conversation had slipped into engineeringese quite early on and most of the concepts were beyond Scott, leaving him edgy and worried about the miners trapped below.

Thunderbird One was parked not far away and his eyes wandered in that direction before skipping back to the mine entrance.

Just in time to see someone slip under the warning tape and start climbing over the collapsed debris.

Scott was moving without thought. “Hey! Get out of there! It’s not safe!”

The suspect turned, saw him and disappeared inside the cliff face.

What the hell?

Scott made it to the tape before the manager started yelling.

The commander ignored him and poked his comms. “Thunderbird Five, can you give me an updated scan of the mine. An idiot just entered-“

A flash, and the rock face exploded.

The blast hit Scott face on. He didn’t even have a chance to scream.

-o-o-o-

Virgil did.

The shockwave knocked him of his feet, the mine manager landing on top of him, but they were far enough away to only be pelted by the edges of the explosion.

Something solid hit Virgil’s left arm, numbing it from the elbow down. Beside him the manager screamed as a large chunk of rock landed on his foot.

Far above, Thunderbird Two deviated from her hover, banking off to the north only to circle back and begin her landing sequence nearby.

He felt her in his bones and it was only then he realised his eyes had fallen shut.

He forced them open.

Scott.

Scott had been closer.

Virgil struggled to his feet. The manager was writhing next to him, a rock pinning his ankle. A rock that would need his exosuit to move it.

Scott first.

Scott had been closer.

“Virgil, status!”

Virgil was running. He thumbed his comms as his legs closed the distance to where his brother had been. “John, I need Scott’s location.”

“Five metres to your left.”

There was rock everywhere, dust and haze obscuring everything. “Scott?”

A stumble and a flash of blue.

A gloved hand lay limp. Virgil skidded in beside it.

Scott hadn’t been wearing his helmet. After all, he was only negotiating Virgil’s entrance into the mine.

Dirt and blood on pale skin.

Medical assessment. “John, Scott’s unconscious.” His own gloved fingers touching dusty dark hair, gently searching for the source of the blood and the damage level. “Head injury.” His fingers encountered a dip in his brother’s skull that should not be there. “Possibly serious.”

His brother was breathing, his pulse strong, and Virgil thanked whoever or whatever protected their family for that mercy.

Gordon joined him, first aid kit in hand, while Virgil was inspecting the rest of his brother’s body for injury.

“What the hell happened?”

Virgil peeled back a gash in Scott’s uniform at his thigh to reveal another injury.

“I don’t know. Scan him while I get the exosuit.”

Gordon frowned at him. “What about you?” Carnelian eyes looked him up and down only to settle on his limp left arm. “How-“

“Worry about Scott. I have another victim to attend to.” He brushed his fingers across Scott’s baldric and stood up.

“Virgil-“

“The man’s pinned, Gordon. Time is of the essence. Look after Scott.”

He didn’t miss Gordon’s glare, but he did ignore it and with an indrawn breath, broke into a run towards Thunderbird Two.

-o-o-o-

He ended up taping his left arm into his exosuit. It was slapdash and done in a hurry using some of the electronic insulation tape he kept for emergency repairs. He could lift his arm, but his fingers had no strength or coordination. It was only for a matter of minutes. He had to lift the rock off the injured man. That was all.

His arm didn’t like the added weight in the slightest.

He’d live.

He ran from the module back to the pile of rubble dragging a couple of hover stretchers behind him. He tossed one in Gordon’s direction

By the time he reached the mine manager, Virgil’s numb arm was no longer numb. In fact, it was hurting like hell with every movement.

Lift the rock and he could shed the suit.

“What the hell have you been doing?!”

“Hold still, Mr Ginley.” Fortunately, it was his right hand that controlled the largest claw, but unfortunately, he had to use his left to steady the load as he lifted.

Ginley’s cry of pain as the rock was shifted hid Virgil’s own.

Sweat broke out on his forehead as the engineer let the rock fall harmlessly to one side. He found himself panting.

“It’s bleeding! It’s bleeding!” Ginley was pointing at his foot where the rock had gashed the bare skin of his shin. The man was wearing steel toed boots and the rock had apparently only pinned him rather than doing any extensive damage beyond grazing him.

“Thunderbird Two?”

“Yes, John.” Virgil stumbled back towards the stretcher and grabbed the medkit.

“I’m still reading one life sign within the mine.”

Virgil blinked. One.

There had been five. Plus the person Scott had tried to stop from entering

All that time talking.

But then he and his brothers had been underground during that explosion…

“How far down? Mole or exosuit?”

...

[cursedbanalities]

Zechariah 14:12-13 (A Horror Story)

Index | Next Chapter ->

CW: Blood and gore

“And the Lord will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.”

“...What the hell?”

Ethan flips the note around to look at the fake five dollar bill he’s been given as a tip. He should’ve known that it was a fake tip; it feels like cheap printer paper, but he was trying to hold onto hope that driving this far into the country to deliver a pizza would’ve given him some sort of restitution.

“I guess not.” he thinks, crumpling up the paper and throwing it into the back seat of his car. People have been so edgy lately. As Ethan drives away from his subpar delivery, he thinks of the recent news stories covering a new virus that appeared in Singapore, and with that, the constant speculation that it’s going to be the next Covid. However, since Singapore’s government hasn’t said anything more about it, a nervous note has hung in the air ever since the announcement. It’s no wonder the religious nuts are being extra crazy, Ethan thinks. Always trying to find some way to say the apocalypse is just right around the corner. Having lived through Covid and not getting sick, Ethan can’t help but not care that much. At least he’ll get a couple of weeks off from his college classes if it does come to the United States. Ethan turns up his car radio and bobs his head to his favorite song, Add it Up, immediately forgetting about the fake bill and possible viruses, and mimicking the ways that Gordon Gano sings— nasally, and full of angst:

“Don’t shoot, shoot, shoot, that thing at me,

“You know you got my sym-pa-thy

“But don’t shoot, shoot, shoot that thing at me!”

Ethan speeds down the country road, aiming to make it back to the restaurant before it gets any later. Thankfully, it wasn’t a busy day. His delivery to the bible thumper was the first they had in a while, but he wasn’t looking to stay for any longer than he needed to. He drives past a large open field, where twinkling lights from the only airport in the county lights up the sky.

A 747 lands on the tarmac just as another takes off. It's weird how slow it’s been, especially for the summer. The town Ethan delivers in is on the coast, and is the biggest in the area. While it’s a small town, the summer tends to inflate the area with tourists and rich people in their summer homes. That being said, Ethan doesn’t mind a slow day every once in a while. It gives them a breather from having to bust their asses every single night.

Ethan speeds up, accelerating until he sees red and blue lights flashing ahead of him. He brakes, not trying to get a ticket. As he drives by, he sees three police cruisers with their lights on parked in the driveway of a farmhouse. A group of them are walking towards the house with their hands on their guns, illuminated by the headlights of the police cruisers.

Huh, weird, Ethan thinks as he passes the farm, speeding up now that he’s safe from being pulled over. He’s never seen that many cops in one place around here. Usually it’s so slow they “call in backup” just to waste time, so having three cars indicates a serious crime. Oh well, not my problem, he thinks.

Ethan comes up on a curve, taking it fast. A little too fast, from the way that his old Ford Focus starts shaking, but that was quickly forgotten when, up ahead, he sees a woman walking along the side of the road.

Well, walking was a nice way to put it. She was stumbling, barely able to stay on her feet. As Ethan got closer, the headlights illuminated more of the her: she was filthy, wearing a pink shirt and running shorts with short dyed red hair. She walks into the path of his car, and before he could react, Ethan runs into her.

The woman’s head smacks against the hood with a loud ka-thunk! She rolls over top of the car and crashes onto the pavement hard. Ethan’s eyes widen with shock and he slams on the brakes, screeching to a halt. He sits in his car, panicking. What the fuck is wrong with her? Is she drunk, or high on something? Oh god, did he just kill her?

He looks in the rearview mirror and sees that she’s up again, walking towards his car. Well, she’s definitely on something, he thinks. That’s gotta be some crazy shit if she’s back up already. He throws his car into park and steps out, leaving the door open. Ethan flings his arms up and yells at the woman.

“HEY! What the fuck were you thinking?”

The woman just walks towards him.

“HELLO? Are you listening to me? What’s your problem?”

The woman continues walking towards him, his car’s tail lights illuminating her. A spattering of blood covers her chest and mouth. Her blood-covered teeth glow a dark red as she bares her teeth at Ethan. She also has what Ethan thinks is a large gash in the shape of a crescent on her neck, just above her shoulder. Her eyes are bulging, as though she’s either trying to contain herself, or she’s in horrible pain. The woman groans at Ethan.

“Oh shit,” he mutters, taking a step back. She’s way worse off from getting hit than he expected. He puts his hands up and says, “Are you okay? I... uhm-- I gotta get back to work, but I can drive you to the hospital or some shit. That looks really bad. Seriously, I ca--”

The woman lets out a scream. The kind of scream that’s full of phlegm and tears at her vocal chords; animal-like in its nature. As she screams, she pushes her chest up and arches her back, standing on her toes with her hands pulled close to her chest and a stream of spit and blood dripping from her mouth; it's like she was having a standing seizure. Finally, she stops, and, after a beat of silence, launches herself at Ethan, her bloody mouth flicking strings of red spit. He flinches, and tries to move out of the way, using his hands to redirect the charging woman. He’s too slow, and moves his hands a little too high as she connects with him, almost knocking him to the ground. His hands push at her face, trying to get the woman away from him, and she sinks her teeth into the webbing of his hand- just between his thumb and index finger. Ethan lets out a yelp, and immediately slams his fist into the side of her head. She breaks free from his hand and falls to the ground, bouncing her head off of the asphalt.

“WHAT THE FUCK LADY?” Ethan screeches, holding his bitten hand. “You bit me, you bitch!” One of her teeth got deep enough for blood to start oozing out of the gash. He runs back to his car and speeds off, covering the wound with an extra napkin he brought from the restaurant. He sees in his rearview mirror that the woman was back up and sprinting towards his car, but he didn’t care. He accelerated, trying to get back to his workplace as soon as he possibly could.

Ethan gets closer to town and stops at an intersection. His heart is beating hard enough he can feel it in his throat. He looks around. There’s nobody on the streets, and it looks like he lost that "crackhead" back there. Ethan pulls out his phone to call 911, holding his bleeding hand against his thigh to help staunch the bleeding. The call goes through, and Ethan’s greeted with a busy line.

“Ugh, fuckers. Of course.” Ethan mumbles under his breath. He steps on the gas, and beelines towards Eugene’s Pizza.

***

Pulling into the delivery driver’s parking lot of Eugene’s Pizza, a square brick building with two large windows in the front of the store, Ethan rushes to the backdoor of the building. The napkin is starting to bleed through, and he wants to get to the first aid kit as soon as possible. Walking around to the back door, he sees two of his co-workers sitting on metal folding chairs and sharing a joint. The first one, a tall, blonde man with shoulder-length hair named Andy, takes a couple of puffs and passes the joint to his friend; a shorter man with olive toned skin and a goatee named Cameron. Cameron has his phone out while he takes a few hits. He's telling Andy about a new gun he bought.

“Yeah man, she’s a real beauty,” he says, showing Andy a picture. “See that grip? I had that shit custom made. You gotta see it in real life though. And shooting it, man?” He does a chef’s kiss, and smiles.

“Daaaayum. Yeah, bro!” Andy says, taking another hit, and letting out a slight cough. “You free this weekend? I’d love to take that bad boy out to the range.”

“Hey, maybe! I only have a clip’s worth of bullets right now, but once I get some more... we’re gonna have some fun, baby!” Andy and Cameron both laugh, and give each other a fist bump.

Ethan pushes by them and throws the back door open, and some of the smoke starts to seep inside of the restaurant.

“Hey man, what the hell!” Cameron exclaims, “I don’t want the inside smelling like a skunk’s ass!” Ethan ignores him.

He walks past the kitchen, his manager for the night was running around cleaning up the toppings area while tending to the couple orders they still have. He’s about 45 years old, and is wider than he is tall. Greasy black hair shines from underneath his hat, and the smell of menthol cigarettes waft from him. A hand-tossed pizza reaches the end of the conveyor-belt on the pizza oven, and he cuts it into slices with a large, machete-looking pizza slicer. He looks up at Ethan as he walks by.

“Hey! Can you please get those two dipshits inside? I know it’s slow, but I’m tired of doin’ everythin’ back ‘ere.” He says with a gravelly voice.

“Yeah, yeah. Sure, man.” Ethan says, only really half listening as he finally makes it to the first-aid station-- or rather, a white metal box fastened to the wall. He starts pulling out gauze and antibiotic cream and setting it on a nearby metal table. His friend, another delivery driver named Hunter, is scraping the sides of Eugene’s Pizza’s deep dish pans.

“Damn, what the hell happened on that delivery?” He asks Ethan as he scrapes.

“Some fucking crackhead bit me.” Ethan spits, focusing on dressing his wound.

“What the fuck? Are you serious?” Hunter lets out a stifled laugh, “Hope she didn’t give you AIDs or something.”

“She didn’t give me AIDs.” Ethan chuckled, despite himself. “If she did, though, I’ll pass it on to you! I’ll bite you or some shit.”

“Yeeeah, whatever man.” Hunter laughs. “Like I’d let you bite me.”

Ethan shrugs and nods. Hunter’s easily half a foot taller than Ethan, and weighs a bit more than him too. If they were to get into a fight, Hunter would 100% destroy him. Johnny comes out of the kitchen and sees Ethan bandaging himself up.

“Holy shit, what happened to you?” Johnny asks, mouth open and eyes wide.

“Oh, you know, I got bi--”

“Some lady gave him AIDs.” Hunter said, cutting Ethan off. Jonny laughs.

“Yeah man, what he said. I think I have to go to the hospital. I might as well get checked out, right?” Ethan says, and Johnny comes up to get a closer look at the gash the woman’s tooth left behind.

“Meeh, it doesn’t look that bad,” Johnny says, ignoring the blood pooling out of Ethan’s hand. “An’ even if you do have AIDs, there’s nothin’ you can do about it now. I think you’re fine to finish closin’ up.” Ethan opens his mouth to say something, but Johnny turns and walks back toward the kitchen. Muttering under his breath about how maybe he’ll bite him instead, Ethan finishes wrapping up the bite and puts the first-aid supplies away. While he was focusing on treating his wound, he didn’t even realize that they were down a driver.

“Hey, where the hell’s Mason?” he asks.

“Yeah, some asshat called in a delivery while you were gone. He left before you got back.” Hunter replies, and Ethan groans. “At least it’s not busy, right? We should be out of here in no time.”

“Yeah,” Ethan says with a shrug. “Let’s hope so.”

He and Hunter start cleaning the back of Eugene’s Pizza. Hunter finishes scraping the pans and pours ladles full of corn oil into each of them. Once he’s done, Ethan douses the table with a foul smelling degreaser that makes him cough, wipes it up, and starts sweeping the floors. Andy and Cameron run to the back to grab some cleaning supplies and, much like Johnny, their eyes widen at the sight of Ethan’s bandage.

“Yooo, what the fuck happened to you man? Cameron says, chuckling with a relaxed smile on his face and squinted eyes.

“I got bit by someone on my last delivery.” Ethan says, showing them his bandaged hand and scratching at it. “According to Hunter, she gave me an STD or some shit.” Ethan digs his nails into his hand, turning the area around the bandage red.

“I dunno man, from the way you’re scratching at it it’s prolly a super STD or some shit.” They all laugh. “Seriously though, did you call the cops?”

Ethan cocks his head and squints at Andy, confused. “Whaddya mean?”

“Bro, some bitch bit you and you didn’t call the cops?”

“Well, right before that I saw a bunch of cops with their lights on outside of a farm, or something,” Ethan says, shrugging. “I kinda just figured they were after her. Besides, when I called them all I got was a busy line. I figured they had bigger issues to deal with or something.”

“Wait, you said the line was busy?” Hunter asked. “That’s fucking weird. You'd think they'd be able to answer. Noting ever happens here.”

“Man, between that shit in Singapore and Ethan getting bit, maybe people are just getting spooked,” Cameron scratches his goatee shrugs. “Maybe they think there’s a zombie outbreak or some shit.”

“I did get some freaky ass bible quote instead of a tip.” Ethan says in response. “I can totally fucking see that.” Everybody laughs and makes remarks about Ethan’s misfortunes of the night before dispersing and continuing to clean up the store. Hunter finishes the final dishes of the night, wiping out the walls of the dish sink. Andy and Cameron join Johnny out in the kitchen cleaning the counters and sweeping the floors. Ethan’s sweeping too, finishing up the back of Eugene’s Pizza.

As Ethan sweeps the floors, he scratches at his wound. For whatever reason, his hand is tingling. It’s almost like he was slowly getting his feeling back after his arm went numb. Pins and needles poke at every nerve in his hand, especially around the bite, making it unbearably itchy. No matter how much flexing or scratching he does, it doesn’t go away. If anything, it gets worse. He suddenly feels dizzy, and his stomach growls loudly.

“Damn, you hungry? I know I could go for something.” Hunter asks, looking up from the dishwashing sink. Ethan didn’t expect him to hear his stomach growling, and looked up with a start. He was pretty hungry.

“N-Nah, I think I just have to use the bathroom.” He says instead. He wants to look at his wound without hearing any more comments from the rest of the staff; plus the pins and needles are gradually moving up his arm.

“Alright man, have fun.” Hunter says, turning his attention back to the dishes.

Ethan quickly walks towards the back door, and Mason walks in-- A shorter man, with a skinny build and freckles. Short, ginger hair peeps out from underneath his Eugene’s Pizza hat. He starts to ask about Ethan’s delivery, but Ethan pushes past him as he rushes to the employee bathroom. The itch is getting worse. It's starting to burn.

Closing the bathroom door behind him, Ethan rips his bandage off and digs his nails into the back of his hand and forearm, searching for the sweet release from the horrible itching from his wound. He looks down at the bite mark. The skin around it is a bright red, with deep cuts from his nails covering the back of his hand and forearm. Blood oozes from the self-inflicted gashes, and Ethan stares at them as they flow like crimson rivers down his arm and onto the floor.

His stomach growls again.

God, he’s so hungry.

***

[[Hey guys! Thanks for reading this piece-- I wrote this in early 2023 while I was a delivery driver. Pizza-making is a theme in my works, since most of my career since going to college has involved making those delicious, greasy saucers. There was some contempt I had with some of my co-workers that might've slipped into the piece, but I think I still gave them plenty of time to shine both in this chapter AND those going forward.

[[Hope to see you guys in the next chapter!!]]

______________________________________________________________

Index | Next Chapter ->

[thealmightyemprex]

List of some Sci Fi DVD's I have ,Each mutual gets to pick one for me to review

Rules simple, if your a mutual you get to pick one DVD and I will watch and review it .YOu also get to ask me 3 specific points to talk about(These points can vary fromserious to silly, just be specifc . ) though you can waive that

The Fly 1986

Soylent Green

Alien Nation

Logans Run

Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy 2005

Ghostbusters

Day the Earth Stood Still

Star Wars

2010 the year we make contact

Jurassic Park

To Boldly Flee (Claimed by @ariel-seagull-wings)

Robocop

Dune (Claimed by @minimumheadroom)

Flash Gordon

Adventures of Bukaroo Banzai Across the Eigh Dimension

Men in Black

20 Million Miles to Earth

Planet of the Apes

Star Trek 2009

Pitch Black

@ariel-seagull-wings @the-blue-fairie @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @angelixgutz @minimumheadroom @amalthea9