#fox-news/media/fox-news-flash

[buckets-and-trees]

Red, White & True: Kansas to Tucson [10/13]

Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x curvy Millennial Female!Reader Word Count: 6.5k Summary: The fallout from the interview with Oprah comes immediately, but with it is an unexpected attack that rocks you to your core.

Content/Warnings: discussion of women's health issues [notably pregnancy and abortion], deep fakes, political maneuvering, marriage of political convenience, slow burn

Notes: This takes place in a post-Endgame scenario where Steve stays and generally most of TFATWS happened.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Please pay attention to the content/warnings for this chapter. Thematically, we're going to get into some discussion about family planning, and I do think and hope I've given it the care and respect I think it deserves, but KNOW YOURSELF and know whether or not you have the bandwidth to read this without judgment. That said, if you've read the story to this point - a tenth chapter - and been okay with what I've included politically, I don't think you'll be shocked or offended by the discussions had here.

Previous Chapter | Series ↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

[OCTOBER 12 - KANSAS CITY TO ATHENS]

The next morning, you are eating breakfast on the plane with Steve and Bucky in the private cabin on the Rogers campaign plane on the way to Tucson. You’re trying to hold off on being too tense or apprehensive, but a lot has already happened over social media while you slept. You’ve already done a lot of scrolling of your own and Jake and Lisa have already gone over the landscape of things so far with you and Steve and the core campaign staff.

The negative voices are loud. The hashtag #FakeFirstLady is trending on Twitter/X, along with countless memes mocking your relationship.

The headlines are brutal:

"ROGERS CAMPAIGN BUILT ON LIES: Captain America's Marriage a Sham"

"AMERICA'S GOLDEN BOY TARNISHED: Steve Rogers Admits to Political Marriage"

"CAPTAIN AMERICA OR CAPTAIN BETRAYAL”

But there are some people are praising the honesty, calling it a refreshing change from typical political marriages - and typical marriages, even, pointing out that a partnership built on shared values from the beginning over sparks or chemistry is a sensible and inspiring approach.

TikTok already has shops selling shirts and stickers that say “Blipped and Back,” people are clipping and posting their takes on parts of the interview, and BookTok is eating it up with many creators asking, “How long until we see the book based on this plot?”

You’ve been on BookTok, and so you know they’re speculating over more than that but aren’t surprised the sordid details weren’t included in the professional briefing.

You're trying to focus on your breakfast, but your mind keeps drifting to the swirling media storm.

You can't help but glance at your phone again, scrolling through the flood of notifications. The mix of support and vitriol is dizzying.

"You might want to put that away for a bit," Bucky suggests gently, noticing your furrowed brow. "It's not going to do you any good to keep reading all that right now."

Steve reaches over, taking your hand in his. "We knew this wasn't going to be easy," he says, his voice steady and reassuring. "But we're in this together, remember?"

You nod, squeezing his hand gratefully. "I know. It's just one thing to know it in theory and another to see it all playing out in real-time."

Just then, Jake enters the cabin, his face serious. "Sorry to interrupt, but we've got a situation developing."

Sophia, Lisa, and Sam enter swiftly right behind him.

Your stomach drops as you brace yourself for more bad news. "What is it?"

Jake grabs the remote from the side table and turns on the large flat-screen TV mounted on the cabin wall. The Fox News logo flashes across the screen as the sound comes to life.

"...and that's why this revelation about the Rogers' marriage is so troubling," a stern-faced commentator is saying. "It calls into question everything we thought we knew about Steve Rogers and his values."

Your heart races as you glance at Steve, whose jaw is clenched tight. Bucky leans forward, his eyes narrowed at the screen.

Another panelist, a woman with perfectly coiffed blonde hair, nods in agreement. "Absolutely, John. And let's not forget their non-answer about having children. When Oprah asked about their plans for a family, Mrs. Rogers was notably evasive." She refers to you as ‘Mrs. Rogers’ with so much sarcasm it’s mortifying.

The first commentator, John, picks things right back up. "Speaking of which, we may have an answer to whether or not Mrs. Rogers wants children from some information sent to us this morning."

Your heart stops as the first image fills the screen.

The woman continues, her voice dripping with sensationalism, "Our sources have provided us with some shocking photos that seem to show Mrs. Rogers entering a Planned Parenthood clinic from two years ago. And as you can see in these images, she appears to be visibly pregnant - probably five or six months along.”

The screen splits to show a second photo - the same woman, a slightly different angle - entering the clinic, and you don’t even know how to react because these images are such high quality you would believe they were real.

"According to our anonymous source," John jumps in eagerly, "Mrs. Rogers was there to terminate the pregnancy. If true, this raises serious questions about the Rogers' values and their fitness for the White House."

“We reached out to this Planned Parenthood clinic for comment, but they would only confirm that Mrs. Rogers had been a patient there.”

“That’s enough,” Steve nearly growls, and Jake mutes the screen.

The cabin falls silent, the tension palpable. You feel like you can't breathe, your mind reeling from the accusations being hurled at you on national television. Steve's hand tightens almost painfully around yours, but you don’t protest because you’re clutching it like a lifeline.

Jake turns to face the group, his expression grim. "I know we're all shocked by this, but we need to address it head-on. We've got to get ahead of this story before it spirals out of control. We've all read the opposition research file on you," he says, gesturing to the team. "There's no record of any pregnancy or abortion in your past, and I won’t judge you either way, but did you ev-"

“Wait a minute, Jake.”

It’s Sophia who takes a step forward, her voice sharp as she says, “She shouldn’t have to answer that question to us or anyone else, period. With the negative coverage that has reared its head since last night, the bulk of it is not being directed at Steve. The fire and the big guns are being directed straight at the woman in the situation - which is unsurprising, but ridiculously unfair.”

Your eyes burn and your throat aches as tears threaten to burst out of you, but you fight to keep them in. You’re gutted by what you’ve just seen on tv, angry at the reality Sophia has pointed out, but also moved by her fierce defense of you.

You take a deep breath, steadying yourself. "Sophia's right. I shouldn't have to answer that question. But I will, because I want there to be no doubt." You look each person in the eye as you continue, "I have never been pregnant. I have never had an abortion. Those photos are fake."

Steve's arm wraps around your shoulders, pulling you close. "We need to shut this down immediately," he says, his voice tight with barely contained anger.

“There will be no shutting this down completely; it’s out there,” Jake counters, already typing furiously on his phone. "But we do have a press corps traveling with us who are going to want statements as soon as possible. I suggest you make them as soon as possible as it’s the most powerful option available to you to have any voice in the direction this narrative will go.”

Jake turns to you directly, and his voice softens. “Sophia was right to check me,” and at this he glances at your assistant. “I’m not going to step back, but I want to step right in line behind you and have you work directly with Lisa on what you want to say now that we’re stepping into this arena. You have a lot of power in this moment to direct the attention of this situation. And I think we all know this man,” he nods at Steve, “will back whatever you choose.”

You take a deep breath, trying to center yourself amidst the chaos swirling around you. The weight of the moment settles on your shoulders, but you feel Steve's steadying presence beside you and draw strength from it.

"Thank you, Jake," you say, your voice steadier than you feel. "And thank you, Sophia." You lock eyes with your assistant, conveying your gratitude for her fierce defense.

Turning to Lisa, you nod. "Let's draft a statement. I want to be clear and direct."

Lisa sits and pulls out her laptop, ready to take notes. "What key points do you want to hit?"

You consider for another moment, then begin, "First and foremost, I want to set the record straight. Those photos are fake - but rather than saying I’ve never had an abortion, I only want to say I’ve never been pregnant. A woman’s reproductive choices are her own, and I don’t want to elevate or disparage whether or not a woman has been or wants to be pregnant, nor whether or not she’s had or wanted to have an abortion. They’re all deeply personal choices and can change over the course of a woman’s life.

"Second, I want to confirm that I was indeed a patient at Planned Parenthood, as the report stated. But I want to use this as an opportunity to educate people about the wide range of essential health services they provide," you continue, your voice growing stronger as you speak.

“This is an excellent start,” Lisa affirms, her fingers flying across the keyboard of the laptop screen as she types. “We can tie into Steve’s healthcare plans with this, too,” Lisa says.

Twenty minutes later, you’re standing at the front of the press cabin, addressing the reporters, podcasters, and bloggers with Lisa and Steve standing just off to the side of you. After making your first point that you’ve never been pregnant and that any choice about whether or not to have children is deeply personal and can change over the course of time, you move into expanding on the value of Planned Parenthood clinics since you know they’re often misunderstood, misrepresented, and that they provide beneficial services some don’t even know about.

"When I was in college, working part-time and struggling to make ends meet, Planned Parenthood was there for me. They provided me with affordable, compassionate care when I needed it most."

You pause, glancing around the cabin before continuing. "I received my annual well-woman exams there, including pap smears and breast cancer screenings. They provided me with birth control and counseling on reproductive health. Planned Parenthood has been a crucial healthcare provider for me and millions of other women, especially those who are uninsured or underinsured.”

You take a deep breath, feeling the weight of every word. "These clinics offer vital services beyond what many people realize - STI testing and treatment, prenatal care, and even primary care and mental health care services in some locations. They are often the only source of healthcare for many women in underserved communities."

A reporter raises her hand, and you nod for her to speak.

"Mrs. Rogers, how do you respond to critics who may say your support of Planned Parenthood conflicts with traditional family values?"

You meet her gaze steadily. "I believe that supporting women's health and reproductive rights is entirely consistent with family values. Healthy women build healthy families. Access to comprehensive healthcare, including family planning services, empowers women to make the best choices for themselves and their families."

"As for the doctored images being circulated," you continue, your voice growing firmer, "they are a blatant attempt to mislead the American people and distract from the real issues at hand. This kind of dirty politics has no place in our democracy. We should be focusing on healthcare reform, economic policies, education, climate change, and how we can build a stronger country.”

As you finish your statement, a flurry of hands shoot up, reporters eager to ask follow-up questions. You field a few more, your responses growing more confident with each answer. The cabin buzzes with the rapid-fire clicks of laptop keys and the occasional flash of a camera.

After about ten minutes, Lisa steps forward, gently touching your elbow. "Thank you all for your time," she addresses the press corps. "We'll be releasing a full statement shortly with additional details."

As you turn to leave, you catch sight of a young woman in the back, her press badge identifying her as a reporter for a small Midwestern paper. She's not raising her hand or shouting questions like the others, but there's an intensity in her gaze that catches your attention. You make a mental note to speak with her later, sensing there might be a story there.

Steve's hand finds the small of your back, following you back to the staff area of the plane, and the buzz of excited chatter from the press corps fades behind you as the door closes.

Back in the relative quiet of the staff cabin, you let out a long breath, feeling the adrenaline slowly ebb away. This cabin, usually a hive of activity, seems almost serene now as some of the staff move around, working on the transcript of your press statement and the questions you fielded, jumping on social media, preparing for the events you’re all headed to once you hit the ground in Tucson.

“You did well,” Jake says.

You glance at Jake, grateful for the praise but still feeling the weight of the situation. "Thanks, but this is far from over, isn't it?"

Jake shakes his head. "You’re right. But you've given us a solid foundation to build on. Your statements were clear, compassionate, and hit all the right notes. We can work with this."

Steve, who's been uncharacteristically quiet, finally speaks up. "I'm proud of you," he says, his voice low and intense. "You handled that with grace and strength. But I can't help feeling responsible for putting you in this position."

You turn to him, seeing the guilt etched on his face. "Steve, we're in this together, remember? We knew there would be challenges. This is just... a bigger one than we anticipated."

Bucky, who's been watching the whole scene unfold, chimes in. He hesitates for a moment before speaking. "I was just thinking this might be an opportunity to do more than just defend ourselves. We could use this to push the conversation forward."

Jake nods thoughtfully. "Bucky’s right. It’s like I said earlier, we've got the nation's attention right now. What do you want to do with it?"

You consider for a moment, then turn to Lisa. "Can we set up a series of interviews and speaking engagements focused on women’s health and the lack of comprehensive knowledge and education? The US has one of the worst - if not the worst - maternal mortality rate among developed nations in the world, if I’m remembering correctly.”

You turn to Sophia. “You’ve been mentioning that I should be thinking about one or two causes I want to truly champion if I were to be elected. Looks like I’m locking in on one for sure.”

Steve pulls you into a tight embrace. "You are incredible," he murmurs into your hair. "Thank you for being so strong."

You burrow into him for a moment. His praise and reassurance bolster you in the moment, but you feel the tightrope you’re walking on getting higher and higher. You can only hope you won’t fall.

Once you pull away from Steve's embrace, you notice his gaze shift over your shoulder. His brow furrows slightly, and you turn to follow his line of sight. In the corner of the cabin, Bucky and Jake have their heads close together, engaged in an intense, hushed conversation. Their expressions are grave, and Bucky's metal arm whirs softly as he gesticulates, emphasizing whatever point he's making.

Steve clears his throat. "Hey, you two," he calls out, his voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of concern. "What are you two strategizing?"

Bucky and Jake exchange a quick glance before Bucky straightens up, his steel-blue eyes meeting Steve's. "We were just discussing the photos," he says, his voice low and determined. "I want to see if I can track down the source."

The cabin seems to grow quieter, as Bucky continues. “Somebody doctored them, and they doctored them for a reason.”

Jake nods, his expression serious. "Bucky thinks he might be able to trace the origin of those photos. I’d like to know who we’re dealing with - they aren’t amateurs, and I doubt they’re officially on the campaign team of either of your opponents, but they have an agenda, and I want to get ahead of it."

"Is it even possible?” you ask. “And is it legal?"

Bucky's lips quirk into a small, wry smile. "I have some unique skills from my past that might come in handy. As for legal... well, I won’t cross any actual lines."

Steve looks conflicted, running a hand over his beard. "I don't know, Buck. We can't afford any more scandals right now."

"Which is exactly why we need to get ahead of this," Bucky argues. "If we can find out who's behind the root, we can potentially stop them before they escalate further."

Steve's jaw clenches as he mulls it over. "What exactly did you have in mind, Buck?"

"I've got some contacts from my previous line of work. They can trace the digital footprint of those images, maybe even identify the software used to create them. It's all above board, I promise."

You and Steve exchange a long look, a silent conversation passing between you. The weight of the decision hangs in the air, but after a moment, you both nod almost imperceptibly.

Steve turns back to Bucky, his voice low but resolute. "Alright, Buck. Go ahead. But tread carefully. We're walking a fine line here."

Bucky's face is set with determination. "I'll be discreet."

Bucky pulls out his phone and steps into the private cabin to make some calls.

Steve steps across the cabin to where Sophia is conferring with Lisa, their heads bent over a tablet as they likely discuss the upcoming schedule adjustments.

“There’s a Fox News reporter on the plane in our press group right now, isn’t there?” Steve asks Lisa. “I want him out as soon as we land,” Steve declares, his anger dialed back, but still palpable.

“Yes,” Lisa confirms, “Ryan Jackson. But he’s been a reasonably fair advocate for coverage of your campaign up to this point, and he’s actually the one who tipped us off about this before it went live, said his producer gave him an advance about ten minutes before with the instructions to get a response from you.”

Steve's brow furrows as he processes this information. "He tipped us off? Why would he do that?"

Lisa shrugs. "Not everyone at Fox agrees with their editorial stance. Some journalists there are just reasonable conservatives who still believe in fair reporting."

You step closer, joining the conversation. "If he's willing to give us a heads up, he might be an valuable ally."

Steve looks at you, his expression softening slightly. "You're right. I let my anger rush my judgment." He turns back to Lisa. "Can you arrange a private conversation with Ryan once we land? I'd like to thank him personally for the warning."

Lisa nods, making a note on her tablet. "I'll set it up."

You take a seat next to Sophia so you can weigh in if they need you, and Steve crosses back over to talk to Jake. The initial flurry of activity in the campaign cabin has settled into a focused hum, with staff members working diligently at their laptops or speaking in hushed tones on their phones. The plane's engines provide a steady background noise, a constant reminder of your journey towards Tucson and the challenges that awaits, and you try and steel yourself for what’s coming.

[OCTOBER 12 - TUCSON, ARIZONA]

You’ve often felt like days on the campaign trail are equal to three or four days of real life, but by the time you get to the hotel that night, you feel like you’ve lived a full week in this day from hell. The fake photos, the impromptu press conference, the endless strategizing throughout the day in pockets between the campaign events that had already been scheduled, and more interaction with the press corps - and public - as the day unfolded all blend together in an exhausting blur.

Two notable developments changed the trajectory of the day, as well. Once you hit the afternoon and had been asked some of the same judgmental questions - that would never have been asked to a man - you had shot back with your disappointment that once again, double standards were at play. “Beyond fake photos,” you had said, “this is just another display of how women in politics are treated, especially when they dare to challenge the status quo. Shots are fired at women because we’re not given equal footing with men - we’re viewed as expendable targets in a continual hunting season."

That had rattled a lot of cages and been received as a battle cry, as well.

And around dinnertime, Bucky had come back with confirmed evidence that the doctored photos had been given to Fox News by the Coalition for Strengthening the Families of America Today* (CSFAT). He had not discovered yet who gave the photos to CSFAT, but their staff had bypassed checking their validity and wanted to get the word about you out immediately. And though the Coalition for Strengthening the Families of America Today hadn’t worked with their campaign staff at all, CSFAT - as it turned out - were huge contributors to the Republican candidate’s campaign.

Bucky was still working to find out who had created the images and given them to CSFAT.

But Lisa had worked used her superpowers to masterfully reveal Fox News’ source and suggest further commentary and investigation of the matter.

After that final briefing with the press, there had been a meeting to debrief the day and strategize for tomorrow, and then you had quickly and quietly snuck away as quickly as you possibly could and escaped to your room, desperate to get away from everyone and from the nightmare of the day.

But you had only dropped your phone onto the small coffee table in your room when there was a knock on your door.

You shut your eyes your shoulders slump. The last thing you want to do is answer that door.

But after another few moments of your reticence, whoever’s on the other side knocks again, and you know instinctively they’re not going away before they talk to you.

You drag yourself to the door, steeling yourself for another round of strategy or crisis management. But when you open it, you find Steve standing there, his broad shoulders filling the doorframe. His face is etched with concern, the worry lines around his eyes more pronounced than usual.

"Hey," he says softly, his blue eyes searching yours. "Can I come in?"

You nod, stepping aside to let him enter.

Steve moves into the room, his gaze taking in the untouched bed, your jacket tossed haphazardly over a chair, the room service menu lying unopened on the nightstand. He turns back to you, his expression softening.

"You haven't eaten, have you?"

You shake your head, suddenly realizing how hungry you are. "No, I… I guess I forgot."

Steve's brow furrows with even more concern. "Let me order something for you," he says, reaching for the room service menu.

"Steve, you don't have to—" you start to protest, but he cuts you off gently.

"I want to," he insists. "You need to eat. And... I thought maybe we could talk. If you're up for it."

You hesitate for a moment, then nod. "Okay," you agree softly.

“Why don’t you take a shower, and I’ll order us some dinner.”

You nod, grab your bag, and Steve is already picking up the phone as you step into the bathroom.

When you finally emerge from the bathroom, comfy in a pair of silk pajamas, you find Steve sitting in the armchair by the couch. He's shed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, looking more relaxed than he has all day. The room service cart is beside him, covered dishes waiting.

"Feel better?" he asks, a soft smile playing on his lips.

You nod, managing a small smile in return. "A little, yeah. Thanks."

You sink onto the couch, feeling the full weight of exhaustion from the day. Steve stands and moves to the cart. He passes you a set of utensils wrapped in a cloth napkin, a drink, which you set on the end table next to you, and then finally a plate of food that makes you gasp.

“How did you know?” you ask, smiling up at him.

“That it’s your favorite? I pay attention,” he answers simply.

Steve sits beside you with his own plate, close enough that you can feel the warmth radiating from him.

The two of you eat and talk - though only a little bit, as it’s evident you were both incredibly hungry. But once you’re both done, plates are set aside, and Steve shifts, angling himself to face you better, and you do the same, tucking your legs up to be more comfortable.

"How are you holding up?" he asks softly.

You let out a long sigh. "Honestly? I'm not sure. It feels like we're in the eye of a hurricane, and I have no idea what's coming next."

He nods, understanding in his eyes. "I know. It's been one hell of a day."

Steve reaches for your hand, enveloping it in his much larger one. His touch is warm and comforting.

"You've been beyond incredible," he says, his voice low and earnest. "The way you handled everything today - the press conference, the interviews, the constant barrage of questions - it was nothing short of remarkable."

His thumb traces gentle circles on the back of your hand as he continues, and you look up into his blue eyes, which are locked on yours. "Your strength, your composure, your eloquence - it's been awe-inspiring. You didn't just weather the storm; you stood up to it and turned it into something powerful."

Steve's words, filled with such genuine admiration and unwavering support, begin to chip away at the walls you've built up throughout the day. The compassion in his eyes, the absolute confidence in his voice - it hits you like the sun, and it’s warm and powerful, but after the day you’ve had, wearing a brave face of poise and power that took more strength than you even thought you had, it’s too much.

Your breath hitches, and before you can stop it, a sob escapes your lips. Tears spring to your eyes, blurring your vision as they spill down your cheeks. Your shoulders shake as you try to hold back the flood, but it's no use. The weight of the day, the constant scrutiny, the vicious attacks - it all comes crashing down on you at once.

"I'm sorry," you choke out between sobs, "I didn't mean to-"

But Steve doesn't let you finish. He pulls you into his arms, cradling you against his broad chest. One of his hands moves to stroke your hair while the other rubs soothing circles on your back. "Shh," he murmurs, "You don't have to apologize. Let it out. I've got you."

And with those words, the floodgates truly open. You cry for what feels like hours, your tears soaking into Steve's shirt. Steve holds you through it all, his strong arms a protective barrier against the world.

As your tears begin to subside, replaced by hiccupping breaths, you realize this has been the hardest day of your life.

When you came back from the Blip to find Jeff had moved on, it had been devastating. But that pain was private, shared only with those closest to you. You could grieve in the safety of your own home, away from prying eyes and judgmental whispers. And you also weren't alone in the world - millions of others were going through the similar losses, a shared trauma that bonded you all together.

But this? This was different. This was a targeted attack, aimed squarely at you, broadcast to the entire world. Your name, your face, your most personal choices - real or fabricated - were splashed across every screen, dissected not only by the media but the millions and millions of people with access to the internet and had decided to commentate as well.

You pull back slightly, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand. "I'm sorry," you say again, your voice hoarse. "I didn't mean to fall apart like that."

Steve gently cups your face, his thumbs brushing away the remaining tears. "You have nothing to apologize for. You're human," he corrects softly. "And you've been through hell today. You're allowed to break down."

You take a shaky breath, trying to steady yourself. "I knew it would be hard, but I didn't expect this. The lies, the scrutiny, the judgment. It feels like the whole world is watching, waiting for mistakes."

Steve nods, his expression somber. "I know. And I'm sorry. I never wanted to put you through this."

You shake your head. "No, Steve. This isn't your fault. We're in this together, remember?"

He smiles softly at you. “And you’ve been so strong through everything - not just today, but every day since I met you.”

You feel a sudden rush of emotions, as if the floodgates have opened. The dam that held back your fears and insecurities has finally broken, and everything comes pouring out at once.

"I've been trying so hard to be strong," you whisper, your voice trembling. "To be the person you need me to be. The person America needs me to be. But sometimes, I feel like I'm barely treading water. Tonight, I feel like I’m drowning."

Steve's brow furrows in concern, but you continue before he can speak.

"You're Captain America, Steve. You're a hero, a legend. And I'm just... me. I worry constantly that I'm not good enough, that I'm going to let you down somehow."

Steve's arms tighten around you, and you feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against your cheek. It's comforting, grounding you in the midst of your emotional storm.

“You could never disappoint me,” he says quietly, but with a fervent power that seeps into you. “You may not see it yet, but I see how people look at you. With such hope, such admiration, because you’re so real to them. I got a super soldier serum that changed my life. You showed up in your life every day and worked hard and built relationships - people see that and they resonate with that. They could do it, because you could - because you are.”

You take a deep, shuddering breath, Steve's words sinking in. The sincerity in his voice is palpable, and you find yourself clinging to it like a lifeline.

"I just... I don't want to let anyone down," you whisper, your voice barely audible. "Especially not you."

Steve pulls back slightly, his hands moving to cup your face. His blue eyes lock onto yours, intense and unwavering. "Listen to me," he says, his voice low and firm. "You could never let me down. Ever. You've already exceeded every expectation I could have had."

He pauses, his thumbs gently stroking your cheeks. "When we started this, I thought I was just getting a partner to help me navigate the political landscape. But you've become so much more than that. You're my rock, my compass. You keep me grounded when everything is moving a thousand miles an hour around us.”

You feel the tension in your shoulders start to ease, your breathing becoming steadier.

"You're not just keeping up," Steve continues, his voice soft but intense. "You're leading the way in so many aspects. The way you've handled yourself, the causes you've chosen to champion, the connections you've made with people - it's all been incredible to watch."

You take a shaky breath, feeling overwhelmed by his praise. "I'm just trying to do what's right," you murmur.

Steve smiles softly. "And that's exactly why you're perfect for this. Your moral compass, your compassion, your determination to make things better - that's what this country needs. That's what I need."

You surge close to him again, but this time wrapping your arms around his neck. He returns your embrace, his strong arms surround you completely, holding you firmly to him.

You stay in Steve's embrace for a long moment, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest against yours. His warmth and strength envelop you, providing a sense of safety and comfort you didn't realize you desperately needed. For the last three years, you’ve done life on your own, and you’re strong and independent and more than capable. But to be held, and in being held have someone hold part of the emotional battle with you… you didn’t know how much you needed that.

When you finally pull back, you meet Steve's gaze. His blue eyes are filled with concern, but also with something else - a warmth and tenderness that makes your heart skip a beat.

"Thank you," you say softly. "For everything. For being here, for listening, for... for just being you."

Steve's lips curve into a gentle smile. "Always," he replies, his voice low and sincere. "We're in this together, remember?"

You nod, managing a small smile in return. "I do."

A comfortable silence falls between you, and you find yourself studying Steve's face. The worry lines around his eyes have softened, but you can still see the concern etched in his features. It strikes you how much he's been carrying too.

"Steve," you say softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. "How are you holding up through all of this?"

He lets out a long breath, leaning into your touch. "I'm alright," he says after a moment. "It's not easy, seeing you go through this. Knowing that my choices, my campaign, have put you in this position."

You shake your head. "We've been over this. It was my choice too."

"I know," he sighs. "But that doesn't make it any easier to watch. And then there's the constant pressure, the scrutiny. I do still wonder if I'm cut out for this. Fighting Thanos almost seems simpler in comparison."

You can't help but let out a small laugh at that, and Steve's lips quirk up in response.

"At least with Thanos, the enemy was clear," he continues. "Here, my opponents aren’t my enemies, but they have enemies attached to them - like we saw today.” He runs a hand over his beard, before he continues. "I've been in the public eye for a long time, but this is different. More personal. And I hate that today you're bearing the brunt of it."

You reach out, taking his hand in yours. "We're in this together, remember?" you echo his words back to him, squeezing his hand gently.

Steve smiles softly, squeezing your hand in return. "We are."

For a moment, you both sit quietly, the weight of the day settling around you but softer and lighter now that it’s shared between you. The room feels like a sanctuary, a quiet bubble away from the chaos of the campaign trail.

"You know," Steve says after a while, his voice thoughtful, "I've been thinking about what you said earlier. About feeling like you're drowning sometimes."

You look up at him, curious.

"I want you to know that it's okay to feel that way," he continues. "This isn't easy, and I want you to know that I see your strength, even when you don't."

His blue eyes lock onto yours, intense and sincere. "You've faced every challenge head-on and your support has sustained to me than you know on days when I’ve quietly doubted myself, too.”

The sincerity in his voice, the intensity of his gaze - it's almost overwhelming. You've spent so much time focusing on being strong for him, for the campaign, that you hadn't realized how much you needed to hear those words.

"Thank you," you say softly, your voice thick with emotion. "That means more than you know."

He smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I meant every word."

Steve's hand reaches up, gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. His touch lingers, and you find yourself leaning into it almost instinctively. And then you yawn.

He laughs softly. “Come on, it’s late. Let’s get you to bed,” he says, and stands, scooping you up in his arms bridal style. You hold on around his neck, resting your head against his shoulder for the short walk into the bedroom area of your small suite.

Steve carries you to the bed, his strong arms cradling you gently. He sets you down carefully on the plush mattress, the soft sheets cool against your skin.

With tender care, Steve pulls the covers up over you, tucking them snugly around your shoulders. His movements are slow and deliberate, as if he's savoring each moment. Your eyes are drooping closed, but you still notice the way the lamp on the bedside table casts a warm, golden glow across the room, softening the angles of Steve's face as he leans over you.

He brushes the hair from your forehead, his touch feather-light. Then, with infinite gentleness, he presses a soft kiss to your brow. His lips linger for a moment, warm and comforting against your skin. Then he places another soft but quick kiss to your cheek, and murmurs, “Goodnight,” as he pulls away.

“Mmm, stay?” you mumble in reply, reaching for him.

Steve hesitates for a moment, his fingers curling softly around yours. You can almost see the internal debate playing out behind his eyes. But then his expression softens, and he nods, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Alright," he says softly, "I'll stay."

You hear the soft thud of his shoes hitting the carpet, followed by the rustle of fabric as he removes his dress shirt and slacks, leaving him in only a simple white undershirt and his boxers.

He turns off the lamp next to you, then moves around to the other side of the room. The mattress dips slightly as he slips under the covers behind you. You can feel the warmth of his body immediately radiating through the thin fabric of your silk pajamas.

Steve's arm drapes over your waist, pulling you gently back against his chest. You can feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing, a soothing rhythm that begins to lull you towards sleep. The cotton of his undershirt is soft, the scent of him so comforting.

Outside, the distant hum of traffic and the occasional siren serve as a reminder of the world beyond this room, but here, in this moment, it all feels far away.

Steve's breathing evens out behind you, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm against your back. His arm is a comforting weight around your waist, his hand splayed protectively over your stomach. You can feel the calluses on his palm, testament to years of fighting and sacrifice, now a source of gentle comfort.

As you drift off to sleep in Steve’s arms, you know everything is far from fixed, but the chaos of the day fades enough, replaced at least for the night by a sense of peace and security you haven't felt in a long, long time.

next part: TUCSON

Thoughts? Feelings?

thank you @stargazingfangirl18 for helping me to work out some of this chapter - you know what you said/did 😎

I had said there were only going to be 12 chapters, but I think we might need to push it to 13, if there are no complaints...

*The "Coalition for Strengthening the Families of America Today" is a name that I made up - or at least I tried to! I Googled just to make sure I didn't use the name of a group that already exists.

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

I do not do tag lists, but FOLLOW @buckets-and-stories and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to be updated any time I publish a new work!

[souurcitrus]

Batfamily Time-line

Decide to do a quick timeline for Batman's core family, since it seems like the Comics writers don't know how old the characters should be, and with the stories being due between New Earth and Prime Earth, things get even more confusing.

I don't really like the New 52 and most reboots irritate me, so I made this timeline based on old Batman stories. Anot all information are correct, and some is more speculation based on the Comics.

(Edit: Changed Jason's age.)

1939 -

• August 16th - Alfred Pennyworth was born.

• (His age is never specified in any type of media, but it seems like he was at least on his 30s when he became Bruce's guardian).

1962 -

• Bruce Wayne's birthday is officially February 19th (though I don't remember when the exactly year).

1970 -

• One night, while returning from the Monarch Theatre, the Wayne family was approached by the criminal, Joe Chill, who murdered Thomas and Martha and fled.

• Bruce (age 8) was left in Alfred Pennyworth's care (age 31).

1971 -

• January 26 - Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne's cousin, is born.

1975 -

• September 23 - Barbara Gordon is born.

1976 -

• At age 14, Bruce Wayne's eyes were opened to the level of crime in Gotham and he was determined to do something about it, swearing to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives.

• He left Gotham City and spent his youth traveling the world, training himself to intellectual and physical perfection and learning a variety of crime-fighting skills, including chemistry, criminology, forensics, martial arts, gymnastics, disguise and escape artistry.

1978 -

• March 20 - Richard "Dick" Grayson, son of John and Mary Grayson, two acrobats from The Haley Circus.

1984 -

• (Batman: Year One, Batman #404-407)

• Bruce Wayne (22) returned to Gotham and began acting as a vigilante, taking on the title of Batman.

• Bruce named Lucius Fox president of Wayne Enterprises and brought him, Alfred Pennyworth (45) and Leslie Tompkins their plans.

• Along with James Gordon, Sarah Essen and Harvey Bullock, Batman faces corruption and crime in Gotham.

• August 16 - Jason Todd was born.

• (Catwoman: Her Sister’s Keeper)

• Selina Kyle was inspired to become a costumed thief when she sees Batman in action and becomes Catwoman.

• (Batman: Shaman, Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5)

• That same year, other rogues appeared, before the Joker even existed: Man-Bat, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Riddler.

1985 -

• (Batman: Year Two, Detective Comics #575-578)

• Batman inspired the vigilante movement, leading to the arrival of the likes of Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Black Canary and his old friend Oliver Queen as Green Arrow.

• January 26 - Cassandra Cain, daughter of Lady Shiva and David Cain, is born.

• (Batman: The Man Who Laughs, Detective Comics #784-786)

• The first appearance of the Joker.

• (Batman: The Long Halloween #1-12)

• Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent worked together to bring down the organized crime syndicates led by Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni.

• They also had to investigate a serial killer named Holiday that had been killing mafiosos. Gotham's new breed of criminals was replacing the traditional gangsters.

• This was the first time Batman met Selina Kyle dressed as Catwoman.

• After a long investigation, Maroni was brought to a trial, during which he threw it at Dent's face, leaving him scarred. Later, Harvey reappeared calling himself Two-Face and shot Falcone twice in the head.

• He was accused of betraying the things he believed in and arrested.

1986 -

• (Superman, vol 1 #76; Superman/Batman annual, #1)

• Superman and Batman meet for the first time, as Superman came to Gotham and they work together tracking the dangerous psychopath Magpie. They both gained respect for each other, although they doubted, they would ever work together again

• July 19 - Timothy Drake is born.

• (Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity)

• Clark later introduced Bruce to Wonder Woman while chasing "The Purge" led by Ra's al Ghul.

• Already a hero to Gotham, Batman (26) became a hero to the world when he and six other heroes fought Brainiac's invasion and formed the Justice League of America.

• August 11 - Stephanie Brown is born.

1987 -

• (Detective comics, vol 1 #37 / Robin Annual #4 1995)

• July 15 - Bruce (27) watched the Flying Graysons perform an acrobatic act and continued to watch as they plummeted to their deaths due to the act being sabotaged by Tony Zucco, leaving only his orphaned son, Richard "Dick" Grayson (9).

• Upon learning that Dick had no living relatives, Bruce saw himself in Dick and adopted him. Dick discovered the Batcave and convinced Bruce to train him to be a vigilante.

• (Alfred's age: 48)

1988 -

• (Robin Annual #4)

• Due to his acrobatic skills, Dick Grayson (10) already had a foundation to build on and so Gotham's Dynamic Duo was born with the first appearance of Batman and Robin, beginning the era of young heroes.

• Barbara Gordon (13) becomes an orphan after her parents tragically die in a car accident. Her uncle, Jim Gordon, adopted her and took her to live with him and his wife Sarah in Gotham City.

• November 18 - Harper Row is born.

• (Alfred's age: 49; Bruce's: 28)

1991 -

• (Detective Comics, vol 1 #359, 1967; Batgirl: Year One, 2003)

• Barbara Gordon (16) debuts in an improvised costume as 'Batgirl' and is nearly killed. Eventually she is accepted by Batman and joins the "Bat Family", being Bruce's new apprentice.

• Duke Thomas is born. (Couldn't find his birthday)

• (Alfred: 52; Bruce: 29; Dick: 13)

1994 -

• (The brave and the bold, vol 1 #54-60; Teen Titans vol 1 #53; Teen Titans: Year One)

• The formation of the Teen Titans happened mainly due to the kids' mentors making them feel inferior, which they quickly realized was not right about them.

• Dick Grayson (16), along with Wally West / Kid Flash and Garth / Aqualad teamed up; later, Donna Troy / Wonder Girl (13/14) joined the team along with Roy Harper / Speedy (14).

• Together, they cured the heroes of their mind control; later, their mentors (Batman, Flash, Aquaman and Wonder Woman) supported the idea of ​​the teenagers becoming a heroic group, the Teen Titans!.

• (Alfred: 55; Bruce: 32, Barbara: 19)

1996 -

• When Jason Todd was a child, he lived in a very poor neighborhood with his father Willis and his stepmother Catherine. As his wife was suffering from an illness, Willis became a criminal and started working for Two Faces to pay for her treatment.

• Willis was killed in a shootout after betraying his boss and Jason was left to care for his mother alone, resorting to also getting involved in crime to get money.

• (Teen Titans vol 1 #53)

• The Teen Titans split up and follow different paths in their careers

• Dick divides his time between working with the Titans in New York and working with Batman in Gotham.

• (Batman and the Outsiders, vol 1, 1983)

• Batman (37) leaves the Justice League and forms the Outsiders.

• (Batman and the outsider's, #32; Justice League, vol 1, 1987)

• Batman leaves the Outsiders and joins the New Justice League.

• (Alfred: 57; Bruce: 34; Barbara: 21)

1997 -

• Bruce Wayne (35) begins to notice that Dick is growing up and moving around, living between New York and Gotham. Afraid of being left alone, he fires Dick.

• (Detective Comics vol 1 #495)

• Dick Grayson (19) goes to Hudson University and leaves after the first semester in July.

• Meanwhile, Jason Todd (13) cared for his mother Catherine until her last breath.

• After his death, legally an orphan, Jason lived in his father's apartment in an abandoned building in Crime Alley, where he turned to crime out of necessity. Jason has become highly skilled at stealing tires from vehicles.

• (Batman #408-409, 1987)

• Jason tried to steal the Batmobile's tires, but was caught by Batman, who decided to take Jason in and began training him to be the new Robin.

• Six months after Dick left Gotham, Jason's training was complete and he stepped in as the new Boy Wonder.

• (New Titans, vol 1, 1980)

• Dick Grayson (19) then formed the new Teen Titans with Raven, Wally West/Kid Flash, Donna Troy/Wonder Girl, Koriand’r/Starfire, Victor Stone/Cyborg, and Garfied Logan/Beast Boy.

• (Nightwing: Year One, #101-106)

• However, his identity as Robin no longer suited him and he soon adopted a new identity: Nightwing.

• (Alfred: 58; Bruce: 35; Barbara: 22)

1998 -

• Bruce (36) leaves another Justice League.

• Barbara (23) starts working in a library and has much less time to be Batgirl.

• (Batman: The Cult #1-4)

• (Batman: The Caped Crusader Vol. 1, Batman #417-430 and Batman Annual #12)

• Some Batman stories with Jason (14) as Robin, this collection does not include "death in the family ".

• (Alfred: 59; Dick: 20)

1999 -

• (The killing joke; Batman Chronicles #5; Oracle: Year One)

• At some point, Barbara Gordon (24) is attacked by the Joker.

• The criminal broke into her apartment and shot her, leaving her paralyzed, in an attempt to drive her father, Jim Gordon, crazy and prove that anyone can be as crazy as him if they have just one bad day.

• As he grew older, Jason Todd proved to be a challenge for Bruce (37), despite being skilled crime fighter, he was very rebellious and often disobeyed Batman.

• (August)

• Jason turns fifteen years old.

• (Batman #425-429, A death in the family)

• Batman decided to remove Jason from his duties as Robin to allow him to grieve the death of his parents.

• Jason discovered that the woman he knew as his mother was his stepmother, so he decided to find his biological mother.

• He found her, Sheila Haywood, an aid worker in Ethiopia. She proved to be the right person and she and Jason had an emotional reunion.

• However, unbeknownst to Batman and Robin, Sheila used to run illegal operations in Gotham and was recently blackmailed by the Joker, to whom she handed over her own son (now in his Robin costume).

• The clown brutally beat him with a crowbar. Robin was soon unconscious in a pool of blood. The Joker then left him and Sheila in the warehouse with a time bomb.

• Batman arrived too late to save them as he was stopping the Joker's venom from reaching the city and they died from their injuries.

• Batman pulled Jason's body from the rubble and took him to Gotham City, before he called Wayne Manor to deliver the news.

• (New Titans vol 1 #55, 1989)

• Dick (21) received the news too and returned to Gotham to look after Alfred and Bruce.

• (Suicide Squad vol 1 #23-28, 1989-1990)

• A mysterious Hacker, called Oracle, starts working with the Suicide Squad.

• (Batman: A lonely place of dying, Batman #426-429, #440-442, and New Titans #60-61).

• Some time later, Timothy Drake (13) discovers the secret identities of the Wayne family and tries to join them. He uses Jason's old costume to save Dick (21) and Bruce (37).

• Orphaned by organized crime, Tim was placed in the care of Bruce Wayne. Tim asked his new caretaker to allow him to train as the third Robin, but Bruce refused due to the fact that he was still grieving the loss of Jason Todd.

• Discovering the breadth of Tim's intellect and deductive genius, Alfred opposed Bruce and began training Tim in secret.

• (Detective Comics #618-621; Batman #480-481)

• Tim's mother is murdered and his father is left in a coma, from which he eventually recovers.

• (Robin: A Hero Reborn, Batman #455-457 and Robin #1-5)

• Tim Drake's first missions as Robin, where he heads to France to study specialized fighting techniques under an old master.

2000 -

• Apparently, Jason was dead for six months, so he should be back to life somewhere in february.

• (Batman: Birth of the Demon)

• Bruce discovers the origin of Ra's Al Ghul.

• Helena Bertinelli became Huntress and also began fighting crime in Gotham.

• (Detective Comics vol 1 #647-649, 1992)

• Bruce hears about a young girl named Spoiler causing trouble around town.

• Stephanie Brown (14) wanted to anger her father and began following in Batman's footsteps.

• The mercenary Bane discovered that the effects of Venom increased his physical strength. He arrived in Gotham with the aim of defeating Batman, who he thought owned the city.

• (Batman: Sword of Azrael)

• Bruce met Jean-Paul Valley (18), a student who was being controlled to become the dangerous vigilante Azrael, and then took him in as his new protégé.

• (Robin III, 1992)

• Tim start dating Ariana Dzerchenko.

• (Batman: Knightfall)

• Bane invades the mansion when everyone is away and, being extremely tired, Bruce is unable to face him. Bane breaks his back with one blow and takes control of the city.

• Out of options, Bruce gives Jean-Paul Valley the mantle of Batman.

• (Robin vol 2 #3-5, 1994)

• Spoiler also joins them and gets closer to Tim.

• Bruce, still with a broken back, travels across Europe on a healing mission with Dr. Kinsolving. Alfred despairs at how little he is taking care of himself and resigns in protest.

• Meanwhile, Dick and Kory's relationship becomes worse. They almost get married, but decide to separate and the Teen Titans are disbanded.

• In the months that passed, however, Jean became an extremely cruel and aggressive Batman, distancing himself from Robin and going against Bruce's request.

• He even manages to defeat Bane and tries to break his back, but Robin stops him.

• (Batman: Knightfall) comes to an end. (According to the comics, this arc last at least 6 months)

• Before more damage was done, Bruce recovered and realizing the mistake he made, faced Jean and returned to being Batman in the conclusion KNIGHT ’END.

• (Batman: Prodigal)

• Bruce decides he wants to go on vacation and Dick becomes Batman, with Robin following him.

• Barbara Gordon (25) finally returns to work with her family, revealing herself to be the mysterious Hacker, Oracle.

• At this time, Cheshire became more distant from Bruce after Alfred moved to London and became more busy with the search for Ace and the others from Royal Flush.

• (Nightwing: Alfred's return)

• Dick (22) goes to London to try to convince Alfred to return to Gotham.

• (Batman: Contagion; Batman: Legacy)

• A plague spreads across the city and Batman, Azrael and Gordon try to find a cure. Robin meets Catwoman and reluctantly joins her to also find the cure on a super long journey.

• Nightwing and Huntress deal with rioters in Gotham, and Tim becomes infected when a sick looter spits in his face.

• (Alfred: 61; Dick: 22; Barbara: 25; Bruce: 38; Tim: 14; Stephanie: 14; Jean Paul: 18)

2001 -

• Batman (39) and Azrael (19) go out again in search of a cure.

• Gordon and Mayor Grange fight to keep the city from panicking.

• Batman is forced to leave the city and reluctantly puts Huntress in charge. Helena interrupts a Penguin's plot to cause chaos.

• Batman and Robin (14) travel with Nightwing (23) to the desert and discover that the person behind the virus was the "Immortal" who is revealed to be Ra's al Ghul, who plans to exterminate 90% of humanity so he can dominate the world. world.

• Batman eliminates the virus by blowing up the Aventine Casino.

• Vaccines are distributed and Gotham is saved. Despite Wayne Enterprises exhausting their resources in the relief effort, Bruce is shocked to see the large number of dead bodies.

• Batman, Nightwing, Huntress, and Robin feel guilty for the lives they couldn't save, but Alfred reminds them that every citizen of Gotham would be dead if it weren't for their efforts.

• (Nightwing vol 2)

• On March 20th, Dick turns 23 and moves to Blüdhaven.

• (Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey, 1996)

• Barbara (26) begins working with Black Canary, eventually forming the Birds of Prey.

• Dick and Helena form a romantic relationship in (Nightwing/Huntress).

• (Robin Plus Impulse; World's Finest Three (Superboy/Robin); Young Justice: The Secret)

• Tim meets Superboy and Bart Allen / Impulse and then saves a mysterious girl named Secret.

• (Justice League of America: World without growth; Young Justice vol 1)

• They form Young Justice.

• (Batman: Cataclysm)

• There is a huge earthquake that passes through Gotham City, destroying many buildings and tearing up the foundations. With the chaos caused by the earthquake, many criminals are released, the city is completely isolated from the rest of the world.

• (Robin vol 2 #57, 1998)

• At some point, Tim breaks up with his girlfriend Ariana to be with Stephanie, who realizes she is pregnant, so tosses the mantle of vigilante aside for a while.

• (Batman: Aftershocks)

• In the weeks that pass, Gotham tries to recover. However, Bruce's efforts to help the city are futile when the world decides to turn its back on Gotham.

• (JLA/Titans #1-3; Titans vol 1)

• Dick returns with the Teen Titans.

2002 -

• (Batman: No man’s land)

• After the US government's declaration, Gotham City became a No Man's Land, which effectively quarantined the island. Bridges were destroyed and any other means of entry or exit were guarded by the Army.

• Although the Justice League did not assist in the quarantine for ethical reasons, they were so busy preventing outside forces from conquering the city that the internal situation was left to Batman and his allies.

• According to Barbara Gordon (27), it has been 93 days since the quarantine began and "Gotham is still dead."

• Batman disappeared all this time, and when he returned to the city to reconquer it, he saw that the criminals had already taken over.

• During this arc, Bruce reclaims the city, meets Cassandra Cain (17), daughter of David Cain, a former mentor, Barbara hands over her Batgirl mantle to Cassandra, Lex Luther hires Bane to destroy Gotham's gallery, so he can take control of the city, and James Gordon's wife is killed by the Joker.

• (Alfred: 63; Dick: 24; Barbara: 27; Bruce: 40; Tim: 16; Stephanie: 16; Jean Paul: 20; Cassandra: 17)

2003 -

• Eventually, thanks in large part to the financial and political machinations of Lex Luthor, Gotham City was liberated and rebuilt, and became part of the United States again.

• (Batman: Evolution; Batman: Turning Points; Batman: Officer Down)

• Ten weeks after No Man's Land ended, Commissioner Gordon is shot and retires.

• Alfred (64) goes with Tim (17) when he starts studying and isn't talking to Bruce.

• (Batman & Huntress: A Cry For Blood)

• Helena Bertinelli is being accused of murder and, while avoiding the GCPD and the Bat-Family, she revisits her childhood with The Question in hopes of trying to uncover the true culprit.

• (JLA: Tower of Babel)

• Ra's Al Ghul steals Batman's plans to defeat the Justice League of America.

• Dick (25) goes to the police academy. He and Barbara (28) start dating.

• Tarantula debuts as a vigilante (ew)

• (Batgirl vol 1 #3-6, 2000)

• Cassandra (18) continued as Batgirl moved into Barbara's Clock Tower.

• (Robin vol 2 #87; Batgirl vol 1 #20)

• Bruce tells Stephanie (17) Tim's identity and begins to train her.

• Jean-Paul (21) has established a base of operations near Gotham.

• (Gotham Knights #17, #20-21)

• Bruce (41) finally adopts Dick (25) as his son.

• (Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Bruce Wayne: Fugitive / Consequences)

• When Vesper Fairchild is found dead at Wayne Manor and Bruce is imprisoned at Blackgate with Sasha Bordeaux, the other members of the bat family try to help break the case.

• However, Bruce has had enough and escapes from prison announcing his intention to do away with Bruce Wayne's identity, and exist solely as Batman.

• Some members of the Family continue to doubt Bruce's innocence in Fairchild's murder, as it appears he has truly crossed the line this time.

• They undergo an extensive investigation as Bruce struggles with identity complications from fighting crime on the streets.

• Eventually, they discover that Vesper's real killer was the ever-devious David Cain, who was hired by then-President Lex Luthor to destroy Bruce.

• (Batman: Broken City, Batman #620-625)

• Batman embarks on a journey of self-discovery that forces him to reflect on the life he has led and the choices he has made while hunting the killer of a young boy's parents.

• (Azrael: Agent of the Bat, vol 1 #100)

• Azrael (21) ended up being killed in a fight with his two biggest enemies, Biis and Scratch, after an attempt to frame Azrael for various crimes. Azrael was hit in his armor and fell from a balcony.

• Although his costume was recovered, his corpse was not.

• (Batman: Hush)

• It's a hell of a mystery that lasts at least a whole week or more. Jason is not here, it's fucking Clayface.

• (Arkham Asylum: Living Hell)

• (Batman: Tabula Rasa / Veritas Liberat)

• Bane (41) discovers that Thomas Wayne was close to his mother before his death and goes to Gotham, demanding that he and Bruce take a DNA test. He stays at Wayne Manor for a while, and there he and Batman fight crime together, with Bruce trying to convince him to be less aggressive.

• When the DNA test arrives, it becomes clear that he and Bruce are not related, he is devastated and lost.

• Some time later, Bane meets his father, the King Cobra, Sir Dorrance, but they do not get along and Bane, who has developed a small respect for Batman, protects Bruce from being shot and almost dies, but Bruce throws him in the Lazarus Pit.

• Bruce lets him leave Gotham a free man.

• (Batman: Death and the Maidens, 2003-2004.)

• Ra's al Ghul dies

• (Titans/YoungJustice: Graduation Day; Teen Titans vol 3; Outsiders vol 3)

• A team-up between Young Justice and the Titans goes horribly, resulting in several deaths, and both teams breaking up. Tim ends up joining the latest version of the Teen Titans, and Dick is reluctantly convinced by Roy to join the new Outsiders.

• (Birds of Prey vol 160.)

• Huntress joins the Birds of Prey, and things are finally looking good for her.

• (Nightwing vol 2, #83 and #95)

• In Blüdhaven, Dick's life is terrible, including Barbara breaking up with him, his old circus being burned down, and his building being blown up, culminating in Blockbuster's death.

• It's a bad time.

• (Robin vol 2 #127-128)

• Soon after, Tim's father discovers that he is Robin and forces him to retire. Stephanie temporarily becomes Robin before Batman takes the mantle from her again.

• (Batman: War Games)

• Immediately afterwards, the War Games begin – Stephanie starts a gang war to prove herself to Bruce and is murdered.

• (Identity Crisis)

• A few days after Stephanie dies, Tim's father is murdered.

• Barbara's Clock Tower is destroyed.

• The police are against the vigilantes

• (Robin #132, Batgirl #58, Robin #133, Batgirl #59)

• Tim, mourning his father and girlfriend, and a little tense with Bruce after the Stephanie stuff; and Cass is mourning her best friend; they move to Bludhaven, where they begin a stronger friendship.

• During this period, Tim placed himself in the custody of a fake uncle, after rejecting Bruce's offer to adopt him.

• (Nightwing vol 2 #107-115)

• Dick left Bludhaven and Gotham, working briefly with the mob in Detroit, and then with Deathstroke.

• (Birds of Prey vol 1 #74)

• Barbara moves to Metropolis with the Birds of Prey.

• (Batgirl vol 1 #66-73)

• Cassandra goes on a personal quest to discover her mother's identity, is caught with the League of Assassins, is killed, thrown into a Lazarus Pit and comes back to life.

• (She doesn't seem to tell anyone about this.)

• (Batman: Under the red hood; Teen Titans #29)

• Jason Todd (19) goes back to Gotham, kills some guys, tries to kill Tim (17), does his whole sad thing and leaves.

• While Under The Red Hood is happening, Dick (28) leaves the name Nightwing and becomes Renegade.

• He chooses to work with Deathstroke of his own free will because he is in a bad place mentally and thinks that Deathstroke can help him with his goals.

• (Infinite Crisis)

• Tension between superheroes and villains increases. Bludhaven is blown up and Dick returns to Nightwing, but does not return to Blüdhaven.

• (Alfred: 64; Dick: 25; Barbara: 28; Bruce: 41; Tim: 17; Stephanie: 17; Jean Paul: 21; Cassandra: 18)

• (Jason is 19 now, he died when he was fifteen.)

2004-

• Bruce's last paranoid spy turns bad and almost kills everyone, Superboy dies, Dick almost dies and the universe semi-explodes again.

• Bruce decides to take Tim (18) and Dick (26) on a fun trip around the world.

• When Cassandra (19) returns from her spiritual quest, she takes over Gotham in their place.

• Also during the holidays this year, Kate Kane (33), Batwoman, appears for the first time, although she actually has a lot less connection to the main Bat-family than you might expect.

• (Alfred: 65; Dick: 26; Barbara: 29; Bruce: 42; Tim: 18; Stephanie: 18; Cassandra: 19; Jason: 20, Kate: 33)

• (I don't know if Kate's age is stated at any point. And I don't know if the writers know either.)

2005 -

2006-

• (The events of "One Year Later" begin)

• Jim Gordon comes out of retirement to be commissioner again, for reasons that will never be explained.

• (Nightwing #118)

• Dick returns to NYC, where he has an unpleasant - but brotherly - encounter with Jason, who is still an anti-villain.

• (Batman vol 1 #654, 2006)

• Bruce offers to adopt Tim again, and this time Tim accepts and moves into the mansion.

• (Outsiders: Five of a Kind, 2007)

• Dick (28) leaves the Outsiders, and Bruce takes over the new team.

• (Batman and son, Batman #655-658, #663-669, #672- #675, 2006)

• Bruce discovers that he has a biological son with Talia, Damian Al Ghul (10) and takes him in. But Damian wants to be the only Robin so he tries to kill Tim and no one likes that so he apparently dies along with Talia.

• (Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul)

• Ra's tries to steal the Damian's body to revive him. Things don't work well, he ends up in a different body and Talia and Damian disappear again.

• (Titans vol 2, 2008)

• Dick and company reform the Titans once again.

• (Robin #170-174; Robin/Spoiler Special, 2008.)

• Stephanie makes her return to Gotham.

• Tim is initially thrilled to see her, but this becomes an uncomfortable tension as her fake death takes hold.

• (Batgirl vol 2, 2008-2009; Batman and the Outsiders vol 2 #2)

• Cassandra returns to live in the mansion, Bruce adopts her and his daughter.

• At some point, Damian returns to Gotham and tries to reconnect with his father. He starts to live in the mansion with Bruce, Alfred and Tim.

• (Batman: The Heart of Hush)

• (Batman RIP)

• The Final Crisis happens and Bruce "dies" aka is lost in time.

• Dick returns to Gotham because someone has to keep this city and his family intact. And the Teen Titans split up again.

• (Batman: Battle for the Cowl, 2009)

• Tim convinces Dick to become Batman, with Damian as his new Robin.

• (Red Robin #1-4, 2009)

• Tim doesn't like Damian being Robin, and he also believes Bruce is alive so he becomes Red Robin and goes on his murder mystery tour.

• He also doesn't believe Bruce is dead and searches for him.

• (Batman and Robin vol 1)

• Dick, Damian and Alfred move into Wayne Tower, living in the penthouse and working in the underground bunker below.

• (Batman: Long Shadows, Batman #687-691)

• Dick becomes the new Batman. It doesn't take long for the city's criminals to put him to the test.

• (Batman and Robin, Vol. 2: Batman vs. Robin)

• (Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol. 1: Hush Money)

• Hush tries to pretend to be Bruce Wayne but Dick, Damian and the Outsiders put him under control.

• (Batman: Streets of Gotham – Vol. 2: Leviathan)

• (Batman: Life After Death)

• (Batgirl vol 3)

• On Bruce's posthumous orders, Cassandra gives the mantle of Batgirl to Stephanie. After she leaves the Outsiders and Gotham, she is later revealed to have gone to Hong Kong.

• Dick joins the Justice League as Batman. • Stephanie returns as Batgirl. Dick tries to bring Jason back and he refuses, preferring to remain an anti-hero.

• (Red Robin vol 1 #10-12)

• Tim returns to Gotham now as Red Robin, now having proof that Bruce is alive, he also becomes president or something of Wayne Enterprises.

• (Alfred: 67; Dick: 28; Barbara: 31, Bruce: 44; Tim: 20; Stephanie: 20; Cassandra: 21; Jason: 22, Kate: 35; Damian: 10)

2007-

• (Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne / Bruce Wayne: Road Home; Batman: The Return)

• Bruce returns to life thanks to his allies and family. Dick returns Batman's mantle to him.

• (Batman and Robin, Vol. 3: Robin Must Die!)

• (Batman & Robin: Dark Knight vs White Knight)

• (Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol. 3: The House of Hush)

• Tommy Elliot cracks under the strain of living as Bruce Wayne and plots his ultimate revenge against Dick Grayson, Selina Kyle and other members of Bruce's friends and allies.

• Cassandra becomes Black Bat in Hong Kong.

• (Batman and Robin vol 1 #23-25)

• Jason (23) escapes from prison, works with Damian (11) and Dick (29) then disappears.

• (At this point Tim and Stephanie should already be in college, right? Let's pretend they are!!)

• (Batman: The Black Mirror)

• Dick, as Batman, has to deal with James Gordon Jr.

• (Batman: Eye of the Beholder)

• (Batman: The Night of the Owls)

• (Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls)

• Bruce meets Harper Row (19), who becomes the vigilante Blue Bird. She doesn't have as many appearances as she should and is soon left aside in the comics.

• (Batman and Robin: Born to Kill)

• The killer Nobody goes after Batman and Robin (Bruce and Damian). This is the first time we see Morgan Ducard and Titus, Damian's dog.

• (Batman and Robin: Pearl)

• Damian tries to prove to Bruce that he is worthy of being Robin just like his older brothers.

• (Alfred: 68; Dick: 29; Barbara: 32, Bruce: 45; Tim: 21; Stephanie: 21; Cassandra: 22; Jason: 23, Kate: 36; Damian: 11; Harper: 19)

• (I don't know if Harper's age is stated at any point.)

2008 -

• Jason (24) joins the Outlaws.

• Dick (30) sees that Damian (12) needs to make friends and develop compassion, to curb his harsh ways. He then takes Damian to Titans Tower, where Damian, despite not being a teenager, takes steps to become the leader of the Teen Titans.

• After dealing with his first mission, which at first was a disaster but ultimately went well, Damian leaves the Titans.

• Upon returning to Gotham, Dick notices that his brother has become more patient and less likely to use his weapons.

• Damian infiltrates Gotham Academy, where he meets Maps Mizoguchi (13), a big fan of Batman and Robin, who becomes his friend.

• (Supersons)

• Damian becomes friends with Jon Kent (10).

• (Gotham's Most Wanted; Batman and Robin: Requiem)

• They happen a little differently. Let's not make Talia the worst mother in the world, please, I hate what they did to her in these comics.

• Robin dies and Bruce is expelled from Gotham. One of the differences here is that since Azrael is dead (since we ignore the New 52).

• (Robin: Son of Batman 2015—2016)

• Damian meets Maya Ducard (Nobody).

• (Batman: Urban Legends Vol 1 #1)

• Jason Todd (24) is reinstated into the Wayne family.

• (Joker: Endgame)

• The Robin war begins.

• (Batman Vol. 10: Epilogue; Batman #51-52, Batman: Futures End #1, Batman Annual #4)

• Bruce tries to recover from the events of Joker: Endgame. Duke Thomas (17) joins the Bat-Family as the vigilante Signal.

• Gotham and Gotham Girl debut.

• (Let's just ignore most of I am Suicide, I am Bane, I Am Gotham and all that shit. Alfred is immortal and stays alive after this, please :'].)

• (Alfred: 69; Dick: 30; Barbara: 33, Bruce: 46; Tim: 22; Stephanie: 22; Cassandra: 23; Jason: 24, Kate: 37; Damian: 12; Harper: 20; Duke: 17)

2009 -

• (The Next Batman: Second Son)

• Jace Fox becomes Batman.

----

According to the comics, Damian is like 14 right now (and we ignore what the comics did to Jon), so Alfred should be 71 (since we pretend he doesn't die), Dick is 32, Barbara 35, Bruce 48, Tim and Stephanie are 24, Jason is 26, Cassandra is 25, Kate is 39, Harper is 22 and Duke is 19.

Bruce has been Batman for 20 years :)

[jtl-fics]

new kings please!

11/20/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | New Kings AU

“Oh Riko, I didn’t know that you tried to headhunt the Fox’s hottest freshman.” She says looking between the two hand up to her mouth as if this was some juicy juicy gossip.

Which… Neil supposes it would be kind of juicy gossip but it isn’t like Neil was the first person to turn Riko down for a spot on the Ravens. He struggles not to look out through the crowd to where Andrew was sitting.

Riko recovers himself quickly, media prepared smile flashed at Kathy, “Yes, we saw his tapes and offered him a spot with us but after we met in person we didn’t mesh particularly well,” he says. Still, he shows his fluster in that he skips over shaking Seth’s hand as he makes his way to the chair. Seth himself seems unbothered by the snub but Neil can see Kathy scent blood in the water.

[max-nico]

Today I offer you an unbreakable bond ficlet from that celeb au that I've mentioned. Tomorrow? Who knows.

Note before you read: Sonic is in a band, Tails is a child prodigy as well as a revolutionary inventor, they are best friends

Tails thinks he's much too old to be scruffed. He's turning thirteen this year, there is no reason that his best friend is currently scruffing him. Well-there is a reason actually, just a dumb one that doesn't matter anyway, so that basically means there's no reason.

He was only doing his job as Sonic's best friend and honorary younger brother; defending him to the media. They're nothing but vultures who try to tear him down and he's just so tired of it. So what he bit a reporter? They shouldn't've gotten so close to his teeth if they didn't wanna be bit.

This is stupid. Sonic is stupid. Friendship officially over.

"If you don't wanna be scruffed, then maybe you shouldn't bite people." Sonic says flatly, tightening his hold on Tails as he flails in his grip.

"Maybe you should just let me go, you're being dumb!"

"I'm being dumb?!"

"Yes!!!"

"Tails, please do me a favor and repeat back to me what you did today."

Tails scrunches his face and crosses his arms, trying to plant his feet into the ground so Sonic stops dragging him.

"Well?"

"I fought for your honor!"

"You bit a reporter!"

"He was talking crap about you right in front of you! I should've ripped his arm off!!"

"Tails!?"

"What, I'm right and you know it!!"

Sonic facepalms, a large huff exiting his muzzle as he turns Tails to look at him. He has a face of pure exhaustion that makes the fox feel a little bad, but he has no regrets. That guy had it coming. He could sue Tails for all he's worth and he still wouldn't regret it.

"You act like you wouldn't do the same thing for me." Tails tries to fight his way out of Sonic's hold again, he fails.

"I wouldn't."

Tails growls. "Don't scruff me and lie to my face at the same time, it's poor manners."

"Don't talk to me about manners when you still have someone else's blood in your fur."

Then he's being dragged across the floor again, fighting the entire way down the hall. Stupid Sonic. Stupid reporter. It's not even like it's a lot of blood, he's had worse from biting his tongue too hard.

Sonic completely lifts him from the ground and places him on a chair in the back of the venue. The hedgehog whips out his phone as Tails snarls at him, harmlessly clawing at the air in front of him.

"No, stop." Sonic says, "Your parents are on their way."

Hurt flashes in the foxes eyes, the burning anger from just a second ago nowhere to be seen as he looks at Sonic. His head is tilted down and his face is screwed up like he ate a sour lemon. "You... You told them?"

Tails feels like his heart dropped onto the floor, and he can feel his unwanted tears clogging his throat. He promises he was joking before, he didn't actually want to end their friendship. He doesn't actually think Sonic is stupid he was just upset. Sonic is basically the older brother he's never had.

"What? No! They watched the news!" Ah, that makes more sense. "No matter how angry I am would never do that to you. Do you understand?"

Tails nods, but he doesn't feel more reassured. Honestly, he's a few steps from throwing up. All he really feels now is nausea and regret for arguing with Sonic, still not for biting that guy though, he would do it again if he could.

Tails just wishes that he didn't spend half of his last few moments here arguing with Sonic and instead of making up, because now his parents are coming. His parents are coming and if he thinks being yelled at by Sonic is bad, being punished by his parents is ten times worse. Tails would rather Sonic yell at him for the rest of the day than be with his parents for an hour

"Listen bud," Sonic sighs, crouching down to Tails' level. "It won't be all bad. We still have the whole brand deal thing going on, so you'll be right back with me again tomorrow? I'll even come get you myself."

Tails wipes his eyes and sniffles, the gesture makes him feel like he's a lonely five year old all over again. Determined not to cry and just as scared as he used to be, but he really does try to take Sonic's words to heart.

Just one night back at home. One night with his parents. One night on punishment. One night. Just twelve hours.

Taking a deep shaky breath, Tails gives Sonic a lopsided grin. He can do one night, because his brother has taught him not to dwell on the now and keep looking forward. He can do one night, because tomorrow he gets to see Sonic all over again.

And isn't that exciting?

Three non related posts in a row wow guys. I think I might be with the kids call a "sigma" (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

Anyway, I also have a drabble for Amy and Cream somewhere as well as one about Sage and Mika (instead of Miku.. I couldn't help myself), I have one about Tails and Kit in my Google docs and one about how Sonic and Tails met, I just love my little guys in my head what can I say.

Instead of writing for this au in the past month I have a bunch of fake Twitter posts for them so maybe I will post those at some point 😭🤚🏾

Anyways uhmm.... Come jump in my ask box if you want. I love talking to people

[orange-foxes]

Social Media

📱 The Truth Behind It by wematch (3k)

Neil finally makes a Twitter account the year after he leaves the Foxes. His PR has been nagging him about making a social media account since he joined the team but ultimately he uses it to annoy Andrew. Of course things escalate and the rumours of a rivalry between the two form, that is until Neil clarifies everything.

📱 Catfish by likearecord (22k)

There’s very little Andrew likes less than being tricked, but not knowing things does make the cut. He stands, throws his messenger bag over his shoulder, grabs his coffee, and stomps over to slide into the chair across from the guy. He looks up at Andrew with a flash of calculated flight or fight in his eyes, but he quickly smooths this over and affixes a look of polite interest on his face. “Can I help you?” “Are you on Grindr?” Andrew asks. Bluntly.  “Uh,” the guy says, looking more confused. “I don’t know. What is it?”  “It’s a hookup app gay men use.”  “Oh,” he says, frowning. “No, I’m definitely not on that.”  “Because you don’t do gay men?”  The guy shrugs. “Because I don’t do hookups.”

📱 Funky Happenings with the Fox Family by dobbypussypopper (29k)

naughtygayweedcrime: did I rlly just see neil say woke naughtygayweedcrime: what a surreal timeline we live in dumbfool: allison is trying to teach me how to meme so I can get hip naughtygayweedcrime: bless your poor soul davidwymack: sometimes I regret living davidwymack has muted exyllent, damnwilds, + 7 others for 30 minutes

📱 The societies we despise by This_Witch_Writes (5k)

Technically it all started because of two cats. Andrew’s phone number had been leaked and he was waiting on a new sim card. So when Neil saw the cats, one black and one ginger, play fighting beside the Chicago Bean, he had tweeted the picture to him instead of texting it. An innocent enough tweet on the surface, tagging Andrew and adding the caption “us”. To Neil, Andrew and their family, an obvious and even uncharacteristically sappy statement of long-held affection. To exy fans on the internet, a declaration of war.

📱 Reputation by lemonicee (8k)

The rise and fall of the Minyard-Josten Rivalry. Usually when Neil starts shit in a post-game press interview, he does it on purpose. This time, he really just meant for it to be a joke. “How do you feel about the possibility of ending up on a team with a former Fox teammate?” is the next question. “Great,” Neil answers, sincere. “I would love to play with Matt or Kevin again.” “What about Minyard? Would you sign with Atlanta?” Neil says, “Andrew? He’s a nightmare.” He knows it’s a joke. His team knows it’s a joke. Andrew will know it’s a joke. The press does not seem to know that it’s a joke.

📱 likes: exy by djhedy (32k)

Allison: ok look I have an idea Neil: oh no Allison: you’re not going to love it Neil: I already said oh no Allison: we should sign you up to tinder! Neil: …how do you leave whatsapp

📱 all that i’ve been dreaming of by bazookajo94 (5k)

Exy fanboy Neil Josten stumbles across roleplaying Twitter accounts. Lonely and curious, he requests one for literally any of the players from the professional exy team Palmetto State Foxes. Someone calling themselves rp_aaaaaminyard03 responds. Andrew Minyard, bored with life, the universe, and everything, makes a fake roleplay account on Twitter. He is roleplaying himself. He is rp_aaaaaminyard03.

📱 In Which Neil Josten is a PR Nightmare by CoverYourEyes (14k wip)

Eve was not the best person in the world. Sometimes she didn’t hold the elevator open when she saw people rushing to catch it from the other side of the lobby. Cutting the line at Starbucks was a semi-regular action. But Eve did not deserve to be Neil fucking Josten's publicist. ********** Or, the one where Neil does what he wants, picks fights with reporters, discovers Twitter, breaks the internet, and really shouldn't be allowed out of his house. Andrew does nothing to discourage him.

📱please tell me it's just the fandom freaking out by OneSweetMelody

Neil Josten @neiljos10 Sadly @ajminyard isn’t too excited about that face off Neil Josten @neiljos10 Maybe @ajminyard will learn how to block an offside bouncer before then. Or any shot.

📱 Talk All Night for Nothing by ipromisetostaywild (20k)

Andrew Minyard is a vlogger on YouTube, doing quite well for himself despite the fact that he never shows his face to the camera. He may just change his no-face policy, however, after meeting a certain vlogger who wants to do a collaboration. OR Andrew edits other people’s videos, makes his own, & becomes totally smitten with a blue-eyed boy.

📱 We Never Go Out Of Style by dancingongasoline (28k)

“Allison is pretty famous around the younger celebs,” Renee said when she saw Andrew’s eyes linger on the mass of people slowly filtering into the room. “There’s a lot of people here; didn’t think it was this anticipated.” Andrew murmured, leaning closer into Renee’s side. The woman hummed, her eyes straying from row to row. “It’s probably because Neil is gonna walk.” Andrew had heard that name before. Neil Josten. Or Neil is a supermodel at the height of his career, and Andrew is a famous actor from the Marvel franchise.

📱 We'll Make It Happen by honorarystar (2k)

“Why would I want to share pictures of my personal life with strangers though?” Neil slumped down in his seat on the lounge couch. He wished that he had waited for Andrew instead of getting to practice early. This could have been avoided. “It’s Instagram. Who cares?” Allison was looking at Neil like he was the insane one for not grasping this concept.

📱 POV: Your best friend is Neil Josten by NeilsStrawberries (3k)

Allison Reynolds is not only a talented Exy player and renowned fashion designer, but also an extremely famous blogger. A little while ago, she started a new trend: POV: Your best friend is Neil Josten. * Or, a sequence of videos recorded by Alliso

[usafphantom2]

8th Fighter Squadron Honors F-117 with Striking New Matte Black F-16 Flagship

The 8th Fighter Squadron has unveiled a new flagship: an F-16 painted matte black to resemble its iconic predecessor, the F-117.

David Cenciotti

8th Fighter Squadron flagship

The new flagship of the 8th FS (All images, credit: A1C Michelle Ferrari)

On Jun. 12, 2024, the social media account of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, posted on Instagram the first photos of the new flagship of the 8th Fighter Squadron: an F-16 Fighting Falcon (or “Viper” as the type is nicknamed within the fighter pilot community) sporting a black color scheme that is inspired by its iconic predecessor at the unit, the F-117 Nighthawk stealth jet.

Indeed, the aircraft, an F-16C Block 42 #88-0517, is primarily painted in a matte black color, giving it a stealthy appearance. The nose cone/radome and the underside of the fuselage appear to be painted in a lighter gray. The tail features the emblem of the 8th Fighter Squadron, also known as the “Black Sheep.” This is depicted by a graphic of a black sheep standing on a white thunderbolt.

The tail of F-16 #88-0517.

The tail code “HO” is visible, indicating the aircraft is based at Holloman Air Force Base. The top of the tail has a tail flash with a stylized F-117 and the text “Black Sheep” written in yellow on a black background, which is part of the squadron’s identity.

Overall, the combination of dark and light gray tones as well as the unmistakable squadron markings, give the aircraft a unique appearance.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holloman AFB (@hollomanafb)

The F-117-era

“The Nighthawk was transferred to Holloman in 1992 and was here longer than any other base. If you look at the history of this amazing aircraft, you’ll see why we’re so excited to honor its legacy,” says the text accompanying the photos of the new 8th FS’s flagship.

The 8th Fighter Squadron is still today an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 54th Fighter Group under the Air Education and Training Command, and stationed at Holloman AFB. The squadron currently operates F-16 and its role is initial training, transition training, and instructor upgrades on the Viper.

In 1992, the 8th FS, depending by the 49th Fighter Wing retired its F-15A Eagles and received the first Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighters from the inactivated 416th Fighter Squadron.

After converting to the F-117A in May 1992, the 8th deployed fighters and crews to Southwest Asia in the 1990s for Operation Southern Watch, supporting UN weapons inspectors in Iraq and enforcing the no-fly zone to curb Saddam Hussein’s WMD programs. In 1998, the squadron’s F-117s were sent to the Gulf during Operation Desert Fox to enhance strike capabilities against high-value targets, although the operation concluded before their arrival due to the long flight from Holloman AFB to Kuwait.

On February 21, 1999, the 8th deployed F-117s and crews to Aviano Air Base, Italy, and Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, for Operation Allied Force, a NATO mission to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. The squadron’s Nighthawks played a crucial role in the initial airstrikes against Yugoslavia’s air defenses.

But on March 27, 1999, “VEGA 31“, the F-117 Nighthawk #82-0806, flown by Lt. Col. Darrell P. Zelko, was shot down by SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missiles while returning to Aviano airbase, after a strike mission against a target near Belgrade. A US search and rescue team recovered the pilot a few hours after the crash. This incident marked the only loss of an F-117 in combat. Following this, Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered 12 additional F-117s to join the operation, bringing the total to 24.

After Allied Force, F-117s of the unit were also involved in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), during which the stealth jets deployed Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, and supported the invasion’s opening night, targeting a bunker believed to house Saddam Hussein. Despite not eliminating Hussein, the strike allowed the coalition to gain a strategic advantage, and the EGBU-27 bomb became the F-117’s primary weapon.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, F-117 pilots flew over 80 missions, deploying nearly 100 enhanced guided bombs against key targets. Approximately 300 personnel supported these missions.

In 2006, it was announced that Holloman AFB would cease to host the F-117A, with the aircraft retiring by 2008. The planes were sent to Tonopah Airport, Nevada, for long-term storage due to the continued classification of their stealth technology. The last official flight of the F-117A was carried out in late April 2008, leading to the inactivation of the 8th Fighter Squadron after 67 years of active service on May 16, 2008. As we have explained in details for several years now, the retirement of the F-117 was not final and 16 years later, the Nighthawk still flies.

F-117 landing (Image credit: U.S. Air Force)

Viper unit

The squadron was reactivated and equipped with the F-22 on Sept. 25, 2009. In May 2011, the squadron ceased its operations, and on July 15, 2011, the 8th Fighter Squadron was officially deactivated. It was reactivated once again, at Holloman AFB, on Aug. 4, 2017, as an F-16 unit under the 54th Fighter Group, which at that time was a geographically-separated unit of the 56th Fighter Wing from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

In October 2018, the Fighter Group was realigned under the 49th Wing when Holloman was assigned to the Air Education and Training Command (AETC).

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

[iwanthermidnightz]

*parts of this article was written previously and then recently updated*

Taylor Swift isn't just a pop icon anymore; she's the next great American dynasty, singlehandedly steering some of the country's most vaunted brands and institutions.

Why it matters: She already fueled the nation's economy for much of the summer and drove thousands to register to vote. Now, she's a beacon of opportunity — and cash — for both the NFL and Hollywood.

The NFL: Swift was spotted cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs alongside Donna Kelce, mother of Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, during last Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.

Throughout the broadcast, Fox panned over to Swift nine times throughout the game and social media was abuzz over her attendance.

The NFL flashed images of Swift in their game day graphics throughout the game, released 10 TikToks on the official NFL account — which changed its bio to read "9/24/23. Taylor was here' — and NFL on Fox even ran an ad capitalizing on her romantic link to Kelce.

Kelce is also a recipient of the halo effect. In the 24 hours following the game, he gained over 300,000 new social media followers, saw a 400% increase in merchandise sales and his podcast ranked #1 on the Apple charts.

By the numbers: Her attendance did in fact drive ratings, particularly among young, female viewers

The Chiefs vs. Bears game drew 24.3 million viewers, making it the most-viewed telecast of the week, and female viewership in the key 18-49 demo saw a 63% increase.

What they're saying: "This buzz around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift isn't just about speculation about their relationship, it's about the Halo Effect at work - where one person's influence boosts the appeal of others around them. Suddenly, football is more than a game; it's a stage for pop culture," said communication expert Molly McPherson.

"It isn't just an academic theory; it's a savvy marketing move. When an All-Pro tight end like Travis Kelce invites Taylor Swift to a game, he's essentially inviting her entire fan base to tune in as well. Swift, Kelce, the NFL, and the Kansas City Chiefs all come out ahead. There was only one loser in Sunday's game, and it was the Chicago Bears."

Box office: With Hollywood mired in the depths of dual labor disputes, this fall's movie slate was looking pretty bare for theaters — until Swift delivered an unexpected jolt with the surprise announcement of her "Eras Tour" film, set for release this month.

Swift and her family directly negotiated a distribution deal with theater chain AMC, leaving out the traditional studio middlemen via an agreement that could upend how concert films are released in the future, per Puck's Matthew Belloni.

The concert film is tracking toward a $100 million opening weekend domestically — and likely much higher, according to Deadline, with one analyst calling it a "unicorn."

Its announcement also forced a last-minute jolt of Hollywood's release calendar, as Blumhouse head Jason Blum moved up the release of the forthcoming "Exorcist" sequel by a week, declaring "#TaylorWins."

The big picture: Swift has so much influence, clout and engagement for a reason.

She has won over the trust of her fandom — referred to as Swifties — through authentic and direct communication across social media and through fan experiences.

Her penchant for hiding clues and Easter eggs throughout her communiques is so well-known that she took over Google Search to reveal new song titles last month.

Music accolades aside, Swift gained even more respect from her fellow musicians by challenging the way artists were compensated across streaming platforms.

What's next: Swift is expected to attend this week's Chiefs vs Jets game, which could continue to bring more eyeballs, more chatter and more money to the NFL.

The bottom line: When Taylor Swift gets involved, the only blank space that matters is on the checks that'll inevitably be cashed.

[elliottjpg]

LUPIN III - THE FOURTH

There's more of them. Oh God they're everywhere-

If I'm gonna pretend this is an actual movie, I might as well draw the supporting cast too. (I'm also planning to draw a poster. I may have a problem.)

(see the introduction of The Fourth's Gang)

Lupin the Third's Gang! No introductions needed.

(True love is getting color-coordinated outfits with your partners in crime)

ICPO! By the time this "movie" happens, Yata's gotten to Inspector, and he's in charge of the Meiwaku case.

The Meiwaku Gang! They are composed of:

Naomi Motosuki: swordsman, Goemon's former apprentice, Jigen's niece. Hides her chaotic personality behind a special interest on Bushido. Regularly has to debunk the media's claims that she's Lupin the Fourth.

Hiro Kimura: hacker, ninja. Usually the brains of the operations. Pretty chill, you wouldn't peg him as a troublemaker, until you find him sneaking in your vents.

Milo Clarke: medic, getaway driver, holder of the braincell. Very sweet but won't hesitate to punch a bitch (and apologize afterwards). (belongs to @whosayscrimedoesntpay)

Kanako Misuki: explosive expert. Her personality matches her skills. She used to be part of a biker gang.

A lone wolf - well, fox. Renjiro is Jigen and Goemon's adopted son, and he's mostly doing his own thing. He has no interest in Lupin's legacy. He occasionally works with Meiwaku. (belongs to @whosayscrimedoesntpay )

.

How do they all tie in with Lupin the Fourth?

Maki has heard the rumors that Naomi is claiming the title of Lupin the Fourth. So on her first heist with her gang, she hacks into a TV channel to make her announcement on her gang's claim on the title - and to issue a challenge to Naomi.

(The TV channel tech guys are panicking.)

Naomi sighs. Not this shit again, he thinks. Before he even has to ask, Hiro's already hacked into the TV channel so Naomi can make his official refutation. No, he is not claiming the title of Lupin the Fourth, never has been, but he would love to meet Maki & co over tea and biscuits, and shit-talk Lupin together have a nice chat among people of the trade.

(The TV tech guys are freaking out, the journalists are overjoyed.)

The TV buzzes. Static flashes. Lupin the Third is hacking into the channel.

(The tech guys are quitting, the journalists are losing their shits.)

"What the hell are you guys doing???" he asks. "You can't be Lupin the Fourth! I'M NOT RETIRED!!!" (Jigen, Goemon and Fujiko are laughing their asses off in the background.)

More static. Rebecca Rosselini appears. "Oh, tesoro, you didn't know? I adopted them! They're all legally Lupins now. Ciao!"

Rebecca logs out, and all hell breaks loose.

A couple of days later, the news come of another guy, in a fox mask, who no one's ever heard of. "I'm Lupin the Fourth," he says.

The media once again lose their shits, and Maki begins preparing an official invitation to duel.

"What the hell are you doing," says Naomi to their cousin, the guy in the fox mask. "You've never cared for Lupin's legacy!"

"Unless it annoys a whole bunch of people," Renjiro replies.

"You are right," says Naomi. "I AM LUPIN THE FOURTH TOO!"

Lupin the Third is blowing a fuse trying to tell everyone he isn't fucking retired, Zenigata and Yata are having a stroke, and Jigen Goemon and Fujiko are 0.5 seconds away from also claiming to be Lupin the Fourth.

In the end, Lupin III snaps and claims he's Lupin the Fourth as well.

[hendolish]

Hiii🫶

It’s me again eheh. May I ask for some Madders/Chilly headcanons? 🤍 I have mine but I’ll love to see your ideas and thoughts about them since I managed to take you on the other side 🥰

james maddison/ben chilwell tattoo headcanon ♡

madders totally gets a tattoo related to his and ben’s relationship because he loves to get tattoos for things that are meaningful to him (fa cup win, harry potter etc.) and well, ben means the most to him so in his mind it just makes sense and he gets it done pretty spontaneously when his tattoo artist is round his house to touch up some of his other tattoos.

it’s a fox dotted with blue flowers, small and tucked away in the crook of his arm. it’ll be months before the media notice it and if anyone does he can just say it’s a reminder of his time at leicester, rather than his time with ben, but he makes sure ben knows who it’s really for.

he doesn’t tell him immediately. ben comes round a couple weeks later once it’s mostly healed and madders simply waits for him to notice, refraining from slipping on his hoodie even when it gets chilly in the living room and stretching out his arms so often that ben probably thinks he’s trying to impress him by flexing or some shit.

when ben finally notices, madders has almost forgot all about his underlying plan, swept up in the excitement of simply spending time together. ‘is that what i think it is.’ ben asks slowly, spying the new flash of blue on tan skin as madders pulls ben against him on the couch, hooking an arm across his shoulders. ‘it’s —’ for me? madders knows what he’s asking. he nods. of course it’s for ben. everything is.

and the next thing madders knows he finds himself pinned against the back of the couch as ben ambles into his lap to kiss him deeply and properly, his hands weaving up into his hair as madders beams against his lips, guessing that it’s safe to say that he likes it too.

♡

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Plague Dogs (1982)

Although The Plague Dogs is often crushingly sad, I could actually see someone calling it their favorite movie. It isn’t exactly the kind of animated film you’d randomly watch but it’s so skillfully made it becomes uplifting despite the dour subject matter. Animal lovers beware, this one will likely have you in tears.

Rowf (Christopher Benjamin), a labrador-mix, and Snitter (John Hurt) a smooth fox terrier, are used for experimental purposes at an animal facility in the Lake District of north-western England. When they escape, they have to face the difficult realities of life in the wild: not only do they have to find food and shelter, but their former captors are after them.

Based on the novel of the same name by Richard Adams, The Plague Dogs makes its agenda clear from the start: vivisections and animal research for its own sake are morally wrong and needlessly cruel. The first scene shows Rowf paddling in a tank of water until he is exhausted and falls down into the water to drown. He is then revived by the “white coats” and brought back into his cage. The humans comment on how long the dog took to succumb to fatigue. Immediately, the scenario you just saw flashes through your mind over and over. We don’t know how many times Rowf was subjected to this experiment but it’s enough to have given him a phobia of water. At least you can sort of see why the scientists put Rowf through - in theory anyway. Not so much for Snitter. A brain operation performed on him makes him prone to sudden blindness and hallucinations. More than once, he is unable to discern whether the room he’s stepped in is a new place, the home of his former master (whose death he blames on himself) or the laboratory he escaped from. What purpose could that procedure serve?

You’re starting on a downer with the two emotionally or physically damaged animals. Then, they escape. You think maybe the film will get a little lighter in tone… but it doesn’t. There are very few- if any - moments of respite as the dogs contest with the cold and hunger. We’ve seen many films with talking animals. Most of the time, if you really take a long, hard look at these stories, you’ll see that the animals are not real animals. They’re merely people in costumes given ticks that make them resemble our four-legged friends. Not here. When Rowf and Snitter see snow, they don’t understand what it is. When they encounter other dogs, they struggle to comprehend why they watch over sheep. There is so much about the world they don’t understand that you doubt they’ll make it through the winter - even with the help of The Tod (voiced by James Bolam), a fox who agrees to teach them to hunt in exchange for a share of their kills.

There's a glimmer of hope in The Plague Dogs. It has to do with the protagonists' escape and what it will mean for the animals remaining in the facility. As Rowf and Snitter encounter people, rumors that they carry the bubonic plague (hence the title) reach the media. The longer they evade capture, the more unwanted attention is directed toward the laboratory from which they escaped. It’s not much and writer/director Martin Rosen even doubles down on the tragedy by changing the ending of the book - in what I would call a good move because it feels truer to the story.

Before you start thinking that this film isn’t for you, that it’s too much of a downer, know that The Plague Dogs does not lump all of humanity together. Several people are very sympathetic towards the dogs. It’s just that unfortunately, their hands are often tied or that they are unable to do anything but leave the animals alone. Also, understand that this film was made in 1982. This is a movie that's been seen and that has moved people. This guarantees that things have improved significantly since.

The Plague Dogs is likely to make you cry. At the very least, it will make you sad and upset. On the right day, that might be exactly what you’re looking for. On every other, it’s a well-made film that makes you think and that ending - it’s unforgettable. (On Blu-ray, January 20, 2023)

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — May 07-13

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

05-07 → A Weibo account posted photos of Zhang Sanjian, claiming that they had had a “chance encounter” with him at a night market in Thailand. Two Twitter accounts also posted similar photos. None of these accounts belonged to fans. 

→ The Instagram posted an animated music video.

→ Yang Yang posted four photos of himself and Gong Jun from the previous day’s livestream.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted nine photos from Go Fighting! episode 4. Caption: “The journey to the forest begins, and the boss @ Gong Jun Simon turns into a northwestern wolf and strikes bravely. Lock on #Go Fighting!# at 9 o’clock tonight, let’s set off towards the ‘King of the Forest’!”

→ BesTV posted six photos of Gong Jun from Go Fighting! episode 4.

→ Go Fighting! season 9 episode 4 aired. A link will be added here once it becomes available.

05-08 → Hogan posted two photo ads featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian) Gong Jun posted these to his Xiao Hong Shu shortly after. 

→ Deeyeo posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ The Instagram posted a sample of another fake song, this one entitled Believer and sung entirely in English.

→ W magazine posted a short video of Gong Jun getting ready for the 04-29 Louis Vuitton event.

→ Gong Jun posted the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Chinese release poster to his Instagram. Caption: “The formula remains the same We are groot! ! !”

05-09 → Shortly after midnight, the whalers’ Supertopic was set to private, meaning only accounts who were already following it were able to post in it.

→ Weibo Fashion posted a video interview with Gong Jun from the 04-29 Louis Vuitton event. 

→ The Instagram posted ten photos of “Zhang Zhehan” rehearsing. In the hours following, some “paparazzi” photos and videos of the inside of the venue being set up were posted to Chinese social media.

→ Peng Lihu’s fake Golden Shield Weibo account was suspended. 

→ The Instagram posted seven more photos of “Zhang Zhehan” rehearsing at the venue site. The face is only partially visible in four of them. 

→ #ZhangZhehanBangkokConcert trended on Twitter and would continue to do so throughout the following two days.

05-10 → The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted a new trailer. Caption: “Accompany each other, join hands side by side, interpreting the game and heartbeat; head against the wind, dare to venture and fight, and unswervingly move towards the future.” Shortly after, they posted nine promotional stills from the show, including one of Gong Jun. Caption: “Start against the wind, and meet your opponent in love. Move in the game center and move forward in the company.”

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a video (flashing lights cw) of behind the scenes footage for a Fox Spirit Matchmaker photoshoot. Caption: “Elegant under the sky, and his elegance stands in the world. At the beginning of the month @ Gong Jun Simon looks back at his travels, and he was a gentleman, with love for the common people.”

→ Gong Jun also posted the trailer for Rising with the Wind. [subbed video] Caption: “Quietly moved, boldly favored, Xu Si advances and retreats.” This was reposted by his studio with the added caption: “Advance, strive for ideals; retreat, get ready to go.” and by the Rising with the Wind Weibo, caption: “Meeting against the wind, and walking side by side persistently, Xu Si's heartbeat came quietly!”

→ Gong Jun posted two promotional images for Fox Spirit Matchmaker. Caption: “Love originates and leads, it is Tu Shan.” His studio reposted this with the added caption: “The red thread is leading the world. At the beginning of the month @ Gong Jun Simon held a blazing break through ten thousand rounds, and he will surely become famous.” Three hashtags related to the show got on Weibo hotsearch. 

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a douyin of a shorter cut of the earlier Fox Spirit Matchmaker photoshoot. Caption: “Floating in the air, flawless and fairy-like, at the beginning of the month @ Gong Jun Simon is on the right path, galloping through the world.”

→ 1Zhenguoli posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ The whalers’ Supertopic was closed.

→ The Instagram posted a photo of “Zhang Zhehan” from behind on stage.

→ The first day of the Zhang Sanjian concert was held. [Full post about both days] tl;dr Multiple impersonators, prosthetic makeup, and paid audience members. Likely also deepfakes used for the screens, but so far I have not seen clear enough fancam footage to confirm this.

→ #Primordial Theater# appeared on the general Weibo hotsearch for exactly ten minutes before disappearing again. Undoubtedly bought, though its disappearance is very interesting. 

→ The Weibo administration account made a post warning about celebrity impersonation fraud.

→ All of the photos of the “concert” posted by Ranyi to Weibo were removed; Ranyi’s account was later banned for violation of community regulations. Photos and videos posted by Xie Yihua were likewise removed.

05-11  → Zhang Zhehan’s 32nd birthday! 🥳 Below are collected fanworks created in celebration, if you made something that I didn’t include please feel welcome to DM me!  Art: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25 (nsfw)] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] Charity Drives: [1] [2] Fanfiction: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Fan videos: [1] [2] [3] New Subs: [2021 birthday livestream] [2021 birthday concert] Offline Events: [1] [2] [3] [4] Photo edits: [1] [2] [3] [4] Public screens: [1] [2] [3 (flashing lights cw)] Misc.: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

→ #ZhangZhehan and #HappyBdayZhangZhehan trended on Twitter.

→ The Go Fighting! Weibo posted the trailer for episode 5.

→ Fresh posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ Yahoo! Taiwan posted an article talking about the Zhang Sanjian concert, referring to Zhang Zhehan as an “artist who insulted China”.

→ BesTV posted two extended clips of Gong Jun from Go Fighting! episode 4, [here] and [here].

→ The Instagram posted photos of “Zhang Zhehan” rehearsing and a really ugly figure the scam is selling.

→ The second day of the concert was held, see the link above for more info. Things were far more quiet during this day than the first, with many attendees giving excuses for not posting photos or videos. Many of the photos Xie Yihua posted were again removed by Weibo. (As a note, photos of the real Zhang Zhehan have by and large not been removed by Weibo for quite a while now.)

05-12 → #ZhangZhehan continued to trend on Twitter.

→ Gong Jun reposted a post in rememberance of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Added caption: “Remember the pain and pay tribute to the rebirth. Bless Wenchuan, bless the motherland!” His studio did the same, added caption: “May the dead rest in peace, the country and the people are safe!”

→ The Instagram posted eight photos from the concerts.

05-13 → HBW, an anti who significantly participated in 813, made a post supporting Zhang Sanjian and said his friend had attended the concert. 

Additional Reading: → There is a Twitter space being held tonight to recap birthday events and announce giveaway winners. → Much of what happened with the Zhang Sanjian concerts seems to be directed at targetting CPFs. It’s been noted that many fans of other celebrities and accounts unrelated to c-ent have been claiming the concerts’ legitimacy and trying to hostilely engage with CPFs about it; ignore and block.    Some elements of the concerts themselves also were clearly intended to appeal to CPFs: some background dancers wore the white Givenchy lock jacket that Gong Jun wore the matching jacket to in Dream Garden, and in some of the “chance encounter” photos Zhang Sanjian was wearing the tshirt Gong Jun wore to the 2022-09-16 LV fashion show.    A reminder that CPFs have so far been the largest faction arguing against the scam, they have reason to want to divide us. 

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

[youllalwaysfindyourwaybackhome]

I cannot get over how much is packed into four words with the line "camera flashes, welcome bashes", it is one of my favourite lines in fots. this idea that in this moment the invasive, distracting presence of photographers - the media? general public? fans? - is welcome, that the flashes of their cameras feel like bashes, like a physical blow each time a picture is taken - and it's a theme that runs through other songs; 'they are the hunters, we are the foxes', 'and your secrets end up splashed on the news front page', 'I knew there was no one in the world who could take it', 'these hunters with cell phones', 'outside they're push and shoving' - but here the attack is welcome, she's fresh out the slammer and blinking in the light and it's all raw and painful but preferable to what she left behind

[muj0]

Preparing for Banishment

It rises to the level that asks. This poor soul, even Wick could not save him, Once a VIP, now a broke grouse Two spills don’t make a full glass, bucko. The story is fast news, twitch and a shoe drops, My eye does as well. Yell all you want, But for the sake of entertaining media. No one gave me lemons, So I took donuts from cops, And gave them to pimps. Tik Tok don’t wanna see your haul, Relax and have a taco. Dot net is over bro, It can’t compare to these, Dank flash games. So lover, cut the wires, Let the workers make out. Prepare for the new ear buzz. What’s your aptitude captain? Swinging sausage on Fox news, Eager to lift this heavy weight. Rub one out for the holy senpai. Mafia is switching to Ford This online quiz tight Says I’m a busy het lump The tao of fecal tape Sasquatch toys for boys, In the gutter, With the Sponge Bob cucks This pink sexy suit something fugly Key snapped when my baby leg up

[birboon]

CIRCUS BOY

ACT 1 - Chapter One

PAIRING: Peter Parker x Dick Grayson

WORD COUNT: ~4k

ㅤㅤㅤDICK GRAYSON ADORED the spotlight. How could he not? It was what he'd grown up with. The tabloids had gone crazy when Bruce Wayne first took the newly orphaned boy beneath his wings, irrationally conservative newspapers sprouting unsavoury rumours on the 'truth' of his adoption. Coupled with some scarily intimate knowledge of the twelve-year old's life that journalists had no place in revealing, it made for a spectacle. But that's what came with being the ward of America's most eligible bachelor.

And having spent his earlier teenage years pent up inside to avoid the stalkers and paparazzi being thrown from the grounds of Wayne Manor, Dick relished in the attention. Mostly. The excitement had calmed down as he got older, but the public's interest never did: The gaggle of people gathered on the private landing slip awaiting his and Bruce's arrival proved just that. No doubt they were waiting for some fiasco, a slip up; the flash of the brilliant Wayne smile that the young Grayson had taught himself by copying Bruce to go with a quick scoop for the celebrity columns.

How they'd caught wind of their trip to Washington was beyond him, though. He'd kept it tightly under wraps but apparently modern media was the force that refused to quit. Dick's idea to visit the nation's capital had been a home run in his mind – a couple days away from the gloom and doom of Gotham that just so happened to coincide with his own agenda. He was there for a photoshoot: Teen vogue had been overflowing Bruce's spam with pleads for Dick to be on the cover of their Summer Edition and after a while he had tiredly given up ignoring them.

Of course, Dick had been the one to give the company his email. But what the man didn't know couldn't hurt him.

And, pure happenstance (though some weaseling with Lucius Fox didn't go awry), their little trip to D.C clashed with the grand opening of the new Wayne Enterprises' Washington office. Let Alfred never say Dick never did anything for him. Bruce Wayne was about due another public scandal. In hindsight... maybe it wasn't so hard to anticipate their coming here.

"I still don't see the point in me being here," Bruce grumbled as he straightened his cuffs, peering tiredly towards Dick. The jet lurched as it touched down on the airstrip and the boy grinned easily back at him, fingers gripping the leather arm-rests.

"It's your company, Bruce! The tower's been built with your money and your company's name plastered all over it," Dick condescended. "Which means you need to be there."

The man snorted, muscles shifting beneath his tailored suit as he stretched in his seat. "You're evil, conspiring with Alfred against me."

The boy kicked him indelicately in the shin, fishing a shiny phone from the pocket of his jeans: "It's hardly conspiring if we're both in on it. Here, hold still – I told Alf I'd let him know when we landed." He held the device up towards Bruce, tongue poking from his lips as he captured the man's confused glance in high definition.

"That's exactly what conspiring means, Dick," he said, a gentle frown gracing his handsome face as he watched the boy's rapid thumbs tap out a reply to one of their dear butler's sarcastic quips. "Is that Snapchat? How are you typing so quickly?"

"Do you know how old you just sounded?" the teen chortled, snapping another picture of the man's blank face.

"I'm only thirty."

"That's a poor argument," Dick replied, ducking his head as Bruce reached forward to comb through his dark locks roughly. He chanced a peek through one of the jet's windows, eyeing the bustling crowd poised and waiting outside. Bruce followed his gaze, and Dick watched the slight narrowing of his eyes, the tightening of his shoulders. He stared into the man's outwardly impassive face. "Relax, B. It's just reporters."

"You know just once I'd like to go somewhere and not be hounded," Bruce complained, features taut, and Dick took a mental note of the irritation in his voice. The teen shrugged, releasing his seatbelt. He tilted forward, tugging on the billionaire's tie with a charming grin as he spun into the aisle.

"what did you think this was gonna be? A vacation?" Dick asked jokingly, observing the careful adjustment of the patterned fabric. Bruce cast him a sharp look, a warning, sapphire eyes shadowed. Dick frowned. "I mean, it could be if you wanted –"

"We don't have time for a vacation," Bruce said, voice carefully guarded, and the teen's fingers twitched for something to do as he watched the man perfect his appearance. The billionaire smoothed out the invisible creases in his blazer before rising to his feet.

"I wouldn't mind, y'know. Spending some time together... away from it all."

"Gotham needs us. Like I said, we don't have the time," came the resounding sigh, and Dick's frown deepened further.

"We could make time," he insisted steadily, creeping forward. Bruce shook his head, hunching his shoulders to get a clearer view through the port windows of the bobbing heads gathered just beyond. "Batman could afford a day off and- you need to get away. Maybe the league –"

"The league has strict instructions to stay out of my city, Dick. The less meta-humans seen there, the better."

"Okay, then Ollie! He's like us, he could cover for a few days and we'd be back before you eve-"

"No," Bruce growled, turning towards his ward. He had that look in his eyes, the one he always got when his mind was made up. Dick's face mirrored his guardian's, stern and protected from any clear emotion.

"But Bruce –"

"I said no, Dick!"

The boy stared at him. At the faint rings beneath his eyes, covered by layers of make-up, at the slump in his shoulders and the slight preference he had for his right leg. Their life – their real life – was eating the man alive. Dick was tempted to retort, spit something mean to get his point across and scold the man just like Alfred would. But it would be too obvious to the press that they'd argued on the plane, and they couldn't risk the coverage.

"You should have gone with the teal," he said finally, words emotionless, and Bruce flinched ever so slightly. He gestured to the man's tie: "Red washes you out."

The Wayne pursed his mouth, meaning to reply, and the deep-set guilt in his eyes was setting Dick on edge for one of his 'you have to understand' speeches – as if the boy didn't get it. Like he was still the sniveling child Bruce had first knelt beside in the blood-soaked sands of the circus ring. "Dick, please –"

"Mister Wayne?" someone interjected softly. A pretty woman with cropped brown hair approached them gingerly, almost tiptoeing on eggshells as she made her way from the crew's quarters at the back of the cabin. Bruce's mouth snapped shut instantly. "The pilot says we're ready to disembark."

"My dear your timing is impeccable," came the man's guttural reply moments later. He winked playfully towards the hostess, eliciting a confused blush on the woman's face. "My hero."

"Let's just get this over with," Dick sighed, folding his arms across his chest as the two of them watched the blonde walk away. There was a sway in her step that hadn't been there before and he sniffed resolutely.

"You'll have to save me again sometime," Bruce called after her.

"And what, exactly, did she save you from?" Dick hissed. "Finally expressing your emotions?"

Bruce turned his attention to his ward, crystal eyes glittering. The switch between his personas was seamless, as usual. Dick always hated it; Brucie Wayne was the biggest pain in the ass imaginable. The teen held up a hand to silence the playboy immediately upon seeing the corners of his mouth twitch into a tricky smile.

"I'm not done. This - " he gestured between the two of them irritably. " - is not done. Don't think you can hide behind the idiot to escape me."

"Dickie, I could never hide behind you, you're far too small."

Dick Grimaced, drawing back against the velvet interior at the lop-sided grin sent his way. The socialite's mask was plastered firmly on. "You know what? Let's put a pin in this conversation," he muttered, spying the way Bruce's eyes lit up with the knowledge that he'd won. For now. "How about we give the public a surprise? Let's arrive fashionably early for once."

ㅤㅤㅤ

DICK COULD SENSE Bruce was mad at him, and a mad Batman in a confined space was trouble. Especially when you were trapped with him for the next seven miles.

The conversation on the plane had rattled the man. It was almost as if he didn't think the boy would notice that he was trying to work himself to an early grave. Dick had half a mind to turn their visit to Washington into the vacation Bruce was so scared of just to spite the man...

It may also have something to do with what Dick had dubbed the 'interview incident'. The newest scandal in a long line of similar mistakes the teen had made.

The original meeting had happened so long ago that he'd forgotten all about it - until one of the reporters that greeted them on the airfield brought it up again, thrusting Dick back into the unfortunate limelight: An interview with some moderately popular internet blogger had asked after some of the Wayne heir's hobbies, and it was safe to say they'd been satisfied.

The perfectly executed anecdote on 'that time he'd gone spelunking in South Africa' had seemed funny at the time, but now it was back to haunt them in all it's glory because Dick had tried to see the venomous sparkling in the interviewer's eyes as admiration rather than execration.

The blog just had to resurface now, didn't it?

Bruce was on his phone, sat at the opposite end of the limousine to Dick, scowling as he always did when reading the articles that the teen was involved in:

' 𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙲𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝚈𝙽𝙴 𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙾𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷 𝚁𝙸𝙳𝙸𝙲𝚄𝙻𝙾𝚄𝚂 '𝚂𝙿𝙾𝚁𝚃' '

"What were you thinking?" the man asked, exasperated. Dick slid down into his seat, looking away as Bruce threw his top of the range WayneTech mobile harshly onto the leather beside him. His eyes burned into Dick's head from across the way. "'My harness broke, it's lucky Bruce was there to catch me'? Really, Dick? I'm already deemed irresponsible enough, there's no need to rekindle a raging fire."

Dick winced, rubbing his thumb along the grooves of the plush seats awkwardly. "It makes you sound like a hero?"

"Bruce Wayne isn't a hero."

"He is to me," Dick asserted, chancing a glance up through his eyelashes to spot Bruce running a hand over his face. "What?"

Bruce let out a disgruntled growl, levelling the boy with a dangerous stare. "I'm not a good role model, Dick. We've established this."

"No, you established it. I can't help thinking you're cool."

"Oh for the love of - can you stop? What's wrong with you today, Dick?" the man demanded, brows furrowed. He looked furious, but Dick wasn't so sure the anger was directed towards him.

"Jeeze, Bruce, I don't know! Maybe it's just hard to watch someone you care about suffer," the teen snapped, gritting his teeth. Blue eyes widened momentarily, a splash of light quickly drowned. Bruce shook his head.

"If you're struggling with your duties as Robin, I can -"

"God, are you even listening to me?" Dick cried, aghast. "I'm worried about you, Bruce. We all are, hell even Clark said -"

"You've been speaking to Clark?"

"That's not the point! Everyone's worried about you Bruce. Alfred, Babs, Me, the League - you need a break from being in the dark all the time."

"So you arranged this trip?" Bruce concluded, settling back against his head rest. Coal black locks brushed against the roof of the limo. Dick nodded unsurely as the tension in the car reached it's breaking point. "I should have seen this coming."

The boy chose not to reply, instead observing the minute changes in his guardian's expression as he collected the facts in his head. Why it was so hard for Bruce to understand that there were people out there who loved him, Dick didn't understand.

He played with the thin gold chain hanging around his neck, an R-shaped pendant dangling from the end: Bruce had given it to him when Dick first came to live at the Manor. Had said it was in his father's possession when he'd died - an early birthday present they'd intended to give his son after the show.

"You know," Dick began in an effort to break the strangling silence threatening to overcome the vehicle. "Spelunking gives a pretty good excuse for the bruise on my back."

"What bruise?" Bruce asked, eyes snapping to his ward. Dick shrugged, focusing on pulling the rest of his shirt free from his jeans. Having it tucked in was so last season.

"From where that guy got the drop on me a couple days ago. By the harbour?" the boy continued, feeling the palpable stress in his veins begin to release at Bruce's willingness to move towards a different topic. "I think they were one of Penguin's."

"You never mentioned any injuries that night."

"I talked about it in the mission's write-up, I swear. I described it as 'disturbingly floral'!"

"Floral?" Bruce muttered, amused. He ran a hand vapidly through his dark hair. "I think I'd remember reading that one."

"Barbara probably deleted it to get me in trouble," the teen hummed non-committedly, gaze trailing towards the system's electronics piled beside the car's windows. "Hey, what'dya think these do?"

Bruce watched him carefully, a single eyebrow raised dramatically. "Don't break anything I'll have to pay for."

"Poor you, how could you cope?" Dick snickered, unbuckling himself so he could investigate the mismatch of buttons with a new-found fascination. Bruce grunted disapprovingly.

The Grayson boy was automatically drawn to the largest switch, one with a suspect symbol plastered atop, and he instinctively pushed it. A miniature disco ball descended from a hatch hidden in the roof, sending blinding orbs of light into Bruce's eyes as it reflected the pink and purple strobe LEDs accompanying it. The billionaire squinted, shielding his eyes and sending Dick a vexed glance as the boy let out a relived breath. He grinned haplessly towards his guardian: "Oh thank god. I thought it might've been an orgy button."

Blue eyes dulled with parental fear, though Bruce's lips couldn't quite seem to decide whether they wanted to grin or stay stern and resolute. "Don't use words you don't know the meaning of," he chided, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards ever so slightly.

"I know what it means," Dick reassured, grinning immaturely as Bruce's face twisted into horror-struck regret. "It's when a bunch of people get naked and -"

"Alright that's enough of that," the man admonished, and just like that their previous argument was all but forgiven and forgotten. He leaned over to turn the switch off and the disco ball receded, lights evaporating into a boring white glow. Dick laughed brightly, copying the look of disbelief on Bruce's face.

The billionaire took a sip from the champagne flute in his hands - diet ginger beer, Dick could smell it - lifting it away from his lap as the limousine sped downtown, the wheels squealing at a sharp right corner. Bruce was watching Dick through carefully narrowed eyes, a mixture of peaceful alarm making its way across his face as the boy opened his mouth to speak again:

"Have you ever had an orgy?" Dick asked. There was a beat between his words and Bruce's reply as the man swallowed back the rest of his carbonated drink. The silence spoke volumes.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to, buddy," the man said carelessly. Dick wrinkled his nose as he caught wind of the guilt in the his disapproving stare, cheeks flaring up. Bruce's deep laugh rung in his ears as he turned his head away, unable to keep looking at the man. "You'd make a terrible journalist."

"I'd still be better than Clark," said Dick nonchalantly and Bruce smiled gently. The teen stared out of the blacked-out windows watching the world blur past, tinted in shadow.

"Still better than Clark," he agreed lightly. Dick threw him a contagious smile as the car began to slow, pulling up in front of a tall corporation building. Bruce returned it wearily, checking his watch as the engine rattled to extinction.

Dick crawled along the seats towards his mentor, throwing himself onto the man in an awkwardly positioned embrace. One arm was slung around the billionaire's shoulders, the other hanging limply off the edge of the chair, and Bruce let out a breath of surprise as he rested a hand between the boy's shoulder blades.

"This is my stop, B," the teen drew back with a grin, squeezing the man on the shoulder. "I'll see you later."

"Have fun, Dick."

"Without you?" the teen replied as the door slid open. He ducked from the limo with a boisterous thanks to the valet. "Never!"

He winked to Bruce as the door closed behind him, feeling the smile face from his face at the despondent look on the man's face. Great. He was still mad. Dick really thought he'd gotten off easy with the orgy stuff.

He beelined for the pretentious revolving doors, sliding into the lobby. Was it the right building? All signs pointed to yes - it was certainly rich enough to be the type of venue Vogue would hire out for their photoshoots - but the mass of people milling at reception was somewhat alarming. They were all wearing some weird blazer, so maybe they were here for a group shoot. Otherwise... Dick just hoped they weren't fans.

"Hi, could you tell me what level the teen vogue shoot is on?" he asked quietly, keeping his voice low to avoid attracting attention his way. The receptionist spun to him, blinking owlishly in recognition.

"Oh! Dick Grayson! What a pleasure, they said you'd be dropping by today," he said excitedly, and Dick withheld a sigh as a few heads snapped towards them. "You're looking for level two. When you get out the elevator it's the first door on the right."

"Uh, great. Thank you." One of the blazer-clad people - a teenager, a little younger than him by the looks of it - stepped out of their group towards him as he leaned away from the help desk.

She looked nervous - nice, but nervous - and her hesitation made Dick pause despite himself. He did love the spotlight, after all. With a wave, he beckoned her over.

"Holy- Hi, my name's Liz," she said excitedly, running a hand down her ponytail. She stumbled closer as one of her friends pushed her forwards. "I'm a big fan. I mean, wait is that creepy? I'm sorry, I -"

"It's fine, see? Not creeped out." Dick grinned as he gestured to himself. "Did you just want to say hi or...?"

"Oh! Could I get a picture? Is that okay?" She asked unsurely, and Dick shrugged. He cast a glance towards the elevator - it was on the fourth floor, he had time.

"I don't see why not!"

"Oh wow, thank you!" Liz pulled out a sleek iphone and Dick pressed closer to get in frame as she held it in front of them. It was always fun, stopping for a selfie. And the girl seemed sweet enough; as long as the entire group didn't want one there was no harm done. A quick press of the screen and Dick was already pulling away. First floor. Still time.

"It was lovely meeting you," Dick disengaged softly as he began to sidle away, and Liz nodded, holding her phone to her chest with brilliant eyes as the rest of the blazer gang gathered around her, whispering. The Grayson boy shot the girl a wink for the fun of it, beaming as her cheeks darkened and the giggles of her companions filled the room. The elevator was on the ground floor.

Dick stepped into the metal cube as soon as the doors began to open, holding a finger against the button for the second floor as if it would make it go faster. The cheery elevator music reverberated from the mirrored walls, and Dick stared into his reflection thoughtfully.

Liz had been nice. Some of the self-proclaimed 'Richard Grayson' fans out there were pretty weird. And he'd met a few. He'd read a few of their tumblr blogs, too. Creepy stuff. It was always nice to find a genuine admirer who was more interested in him than feeling up his ass. Although, her hand had drifted pretty low...

The second floor was just a little too grand for his taste. Very bare. The doors to the think-box slid open with a chime and Dick shimmied between them. He was greeted by an empty coffee shop, with wide panel windows overlooking the streets of Washington below and the same amount of chairs as there were trees in a square meter of desert. It was barren and it was sad and Dick couldn't remember what direction the receptionist had said to go. Left or right?

There was a random kid curled up on one of the mauve velvet sofas, feet dangling over the edge precariously close to a mug that had been placed on the oval coffee table without a coaster. If Dick did that sort of thing at the Manor, Alfred would throw a fit.

"Hello," he said, alarmingly loud even to his own ears, and the couch's occupant shot upright instantly as Dick strode towards them. His eyes flickered to a yellow blazer discarded to the side - the same that Liz and her friends had been wearing . "Are you here for the shoot?"

"Uh..."

"Were you on your way to the studio? I could use some help finding it."

Dick slumped down on the plush chair opposite the boy, raking his eyes over him. Messy brown hair, cute nose, pretty eyes - definitely a model. "I didn't know there was a - what even is this theme you're going for here? Looks like a school-kid thing, field trip maybe."

"I- I am on a field trip..."

"Already in character. Nice. That's strong, man, I salute you," Dick grinned. He reached forward absently, lifting the cup of now-cold hot chocolate to slide a coaster beneath it.

"Character? What are you talking about - who are you?" The model-boy asked and Dick detected a hint of concern in his quaking voice. He frowned, settling back against the sofa.

"Dick Grayson," he replied curtly, watching for recognition to wash over the boy's face. He didn't get what he was looking for. Dick was beginning to think he'd gotten the wrong impression. "You're here to model right? For Teen Vogue?"

"M-model? Vogue? I- No!"

Dick pursed his lips awkwardly, tapping at his thigh as he and the not-model boy stared at each other. "Oh."

"Right," the other boy agreed. "Oh."

"This is, uh, this is my mistake, It's just I saw your group downstairs and Liz was pretty and you're pretty so I just assumed..." Dick climbed to his feet, wiping his mysteriously sweating palms on his jeans. He was usually smoother than this. 

The boy's face flushed a rosy pink: "I'm not... you know Liz?"

"Uh, not really... I met her downstairs though, she was nice," Dick said slowly, debating whether or not he should just leave. He'd made a big enough fool of himself already. The other boy made an odd sound of agreement, turning his eyes to the floor, and Dick struggled to think of something else to say. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Bruce in the car: surely there was something from that interaction he could string together to make this one more bearable. 

Boy, was he wrong. 

There was only one thing flooding his mind - one thing that didn't involve alter-egos and stressed out men in capes. Unfortunately, his brain didn't filter it out as a no-no for conversation starting. If anything, it ended them before they even began. 

"Hey," Dick started desperately, trying to avoid the slight crackle of his voice. His throat was itchy, was that normal? The other boy peered up at him sheepishly, a faint blush powdering his cheeks as he caught sight of Dick's stare. "Have you ever had an orgy?"

[chapter 2]

[thoughtportal]

I should not know who David Zaslav is. I didn’t know who any of the big media CEOs were back when I was a happy little child, and I shouldn’t have to know who any of them are now. I should be able to fire up HBO Max, see that it’s still called HBO Max, treat myself to two horrible, horrible hours of a “Batgirl” movie, and then read a satisfyingly catty review of it in GQ.

Alas, I’m not that lucky. Because Zaslav is the man in charge of frankencorp Warner Bros. Discovery and, in an impressively short period of time, has managed to f—k up nearly everything within its considerable portfolio. Freelance writer Jason Bailey attempted to note all of those f—k-ups for posterity just this week, when he wrote an article for GQ excoriating Zaslav for his pathetic stewardship of WBD. It noted all of Zaslav’s lowlights, which I will repeat here for reasons that will soon become evident. 

Zaslav wrote off that “Batgirl” movie rather than formally release it. He did NOT write off and bury “The Flash,” even though its titular star was an allegedly choke-happy asshole and the movie itself was something that even McG wouldn’t have put his name on (it tanked). He hired a clearly in-over-his-head Chris Licht to oversee CNN, only for Licht to destroy morale within that company even faster than Zaslav could have on his own (Licht has since been fired). And it’s not like CNN was my favorite news source in the universe prior to this. You have to really try to make CNN more inane than it already was. Zaslav did.

FILE: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav visits “Mornings With Maria” at Fox Business Network studios on April 10, 2019, in New York City. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

All of these changes were not only unwelcome but also NOTICEABLE. Same as if Dan Snyder owned your favorite NFL team. That’s why Zaslav got booed by students at Boston University while trying to give a commencement speech. It’s why striking Writers Guild of America writers, myself included, have made him the face of studio bosses who want to reduce TV and film writing jobs to gig work. It’s why Zaslav’s crimes against both art and basic consumer preferences need to be put on the record. It’s why Bailey wrote what he wrote, and why he was right to do so: posterity, so that we all know who’s to blame for this f—kery and why they deserve to be remanded to a space prison.

This was a damning blog post but also still just a blog post. All damning stuff but all easily ignored if you’re a captain of industry. Lord knows such men have capably ignored similar attempts to own them online.

FILE: David Zaslav attends the 2022 Time 100 Gala on June 8, 2022, in New York City.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME

Knowing this, GQ could have, should have, stood by its reporter, especially given that he was a freelancer just trying to earn a living. Maybe if former Editor-in-Chief Jim Nelson was still in charge of the place, it would have. That GQ was both thorough and undaunted. But Variety just reported that current Editor-in-Chief Will Welch is attached as a producer on an upcoming Warner Brothers film that’s based on a GQ story and that he was one of the editors Zaslav’s stooges complained to. So it’s not hard to connect the dots as to why his GQ would abandon its journalistic principles just to please Zaslav. (Multiple sources within GQ told SFGATE they weren't even aware of the controversy until it became public; Bailey politely declined to talk to me for this piece.)

As someone who adored working at GQ, I cannot begin to tell you how much all of this disappoints me. I worked for Nelson. I also worked for the people who annihilated Deadspin and just published their first post written by a bot instead of an actual person. I know the difference between these two leadership styles, and it is stark. You can see it right in the product, and you can see it everywhere in Zaslav’s leadership. Not only is this man a terrible CEO, but he’s also an imperious coward who’s more than willing to swat down anyone who dares question his authority. Our worst kind of rich person.

Maybe Zaslav was able to get Welch to back down from public criticism, but my bosses here at SFGATE won’t be similarly cowed. So, for the permanent record, let me state all of this again flatly: David Zaslav is an eel who sucks at his job. He’s destroying HBO. He’s destroyed what bare credibility the DC Universe had left with moviegoers. He’s forced GQ to willingly debase itself. He’s destroyed TCM. And while he couldn’t get Licht to destroy CNN, he’ll find some other pair of docksiders to finish the job. 

It’s a fact that, in an age of mass consolidation, no one person could possibly run all of a billion-dollar entertainment conglomerate effectively. But David Zaslav has distinguished himself not only by being unable to run ANY part of one but also by being such a brazen coward about that fact. I shouldn’t know who this man is. But here he is, and now he should deal, in full, with what he’s wrought. He’s a parasite: a terrible CEO, an enemy to artists, and a lousy, horrible graduation speaker to boot. I hope he’s strapped to a chair and forced to watch “The Flash” on repeat for the rest of his pathetic little existence. And no, I’m not deleting this.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jesse Duquette, The Daily Don   ::  [Scott Horton]

* * * *

How Murdoch steamrolled Tucker

LUCIAN K. TRUSCOTT IV ::  APR 25, 2023

Rupert Murdoch is 92 years old, and everyone just finished making fun of his brief engagement to conservative radio host Lesley Ann Smith, the ex-wife of California railroad heir John B. Huntington.  The engagement lasted just two weeks.  Murdoch has been married four times, the last time to Jerry Hall, model and ex-wife of Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger.  That marriage lasted six years.  Murdoch reportedly told Hall he was divorcing her in an email.

Murdoch’s marital history is particularly interesting when you consider his recent divorce from Fox host Tucker Carlson.  That’s the way I think of Carlson’s departure from his seven-year career at Fox.  When Rupert decides it’s over, it’s over.  Here’s an excerpt from his email to his former wife: “Jerry, sadly I’ve decided to call an end to our marriage,” The Guardian reported. “We have certainly had some good times, but I have much to do.”

You get that?  It was good while it lasted, six years with those cameras flashing at the world’s wealthiest media-mogul with his supermodel on his arm, but now he was finished.  Moving on.  Busy man.

You don’t want to get on the bad side of Rupert Murdoch.  You don’t even want to be on his good side, because as his marriages and latest engagement prove, once he decides it’s time to pull the ripcord, you’re in the wind.

It’s been the same with his business empire.  It’s easy to forget that Murdoch was once just an Australian newspaper owner with big eyes to get off that gigantic island-continent and make his way in the wider world.  His first big move, way back in the 60’s, was to expand into Great Britain, buying the News of the World and the Sun.  Next was New York City, where he established a beachhead in 1976 by buying New York Magazine and the Village Voice in a hostile takeover.  I wrote about that battle for the late-lamented New Times magazine, and I have to say that I watched slack jawed as Murdoch steamrolled Clay Felker, the magazine genius who had created New York Magazine and then combined it with the downtown alternative paper I had worked for, the Voice.  Murdoch charmed, threatened, and walked over or past the board of New York Magazine, getting one after another of them on his side until he was able to, in a single sweep of paperwork and investment banking magic, make Felker’s mini-empire his.  The New York Post was next, followed by his purchase of the prestigious London broadsheet, The Times.

He became an American citizen in 1985 and set out on another buying spree, this time buying Twentieth Century Fox.  He used the Fox brand to buy up a small television network, Metromedia, which he transformed into the Fox channel.  In the early 90’s, the Fox channel began carrying original programing.  Then he formed the British broadcasting company, BSkyB.  In 1996, Murdoch started Fox News on cable, and in 2007, his holding company, News Corporation, bought the Wall Street Journal, which he had coveted since the days when he took over New York Magazine.

If you owned anything that published in print, made movies for the big screen, or broadcast shows on network or cable television, you were a target.  Murdoch hit more than he missed.  By last year, he was worth $21.7 billion and was the world’s 31st wealthiest man.  

Fox News became a cash cow for the Murdoch empire, taking in about $12 billion a year in recent years.  It’s money Murdoch earned by feeding a ravenous horde of conservative viewers a steady diet of right-wing red meat around the clock.  Fox News long ago ceased being a real news network and simply went into the business of raw propaganda with its wink-and-a-nod motto, “Fair and Balanced.”

Tucker Carlson became one of the channel’s biggest revenue generators with his nightly spew of conspiracy theories, racist garbage like “the great replacement theory,” paeons to authoritarianism with his worship of Hungary’s Victor Orban – Carlson even took his show there for an entire week in 2021, and produced a rabidly antisemitic documentary on the country last year called “Hungary vs. Soros: Fight for Civilization.”

All of this was fine and dandy for Rupert Murdoch as long as Tucker kept the bucks coming.  Carlson warmly embraced Trump’s Big Lie, beginning when Trump lost the election in 2020.  The Big Lie was a feature of his show almost nightly for the next two-plus years.  Carlson’s show featured many of the right-wing loons who made the allegations against Dominion Voting Systems that were defamatory – Rudolph Giuliani, Sidney Powell and many others.  Tucker sat there and listened to them spew their lies night after night, nodding and giving his patented look of puzzled curiosity.  But asking questions and looking puzzled wasn’t a defense when Dominion sued for defamation.  That lawsuit ended up costing Murdoch a whole lot of money, $787.5 million to be exact, when Fox News settled the suit without a court fight last week.

There has been a ton of speculation about why Carlson was fired yesterday morning, much of it settling on emails written by Carlson that were revealed by the Dominion suit.  Many of his emails were embarrassing to the network, and thus to Murdoch, as Carlson wrote repeatedly that he didn’t believe a word of the garbage he was putting out on his show about the Big Lie that Trump won the election.

The L.A. Times reported yesterday that sources inside Fox say that Murdoch himself was upset by some of Carlson’s emails that were not released by the Dominion lawsuit because they didn’t bear on its defamation claim.  These emails instead gave an insight into what Carlson thought about Fox management, according to the L.A. Times.

“Fox management” is one man:  Rupert Murdoch.  Carlson is said to have written some nasty stuff about lesser Fox figures such as CEO Suzanne Scott.  Murdoch doesn’t care about Suzanne Scott.  He doesn’t care if Tucker Carlson thinks Scott is incompetent or unlikable.  What Rupert Murdoch cares about is being considered a Big Man Media Mogul and making money.

The Dominion lawsuit, much of it caused by the statements made on Carlson’s nightly show, brought Murdoch low in the eyes of his Big Man Media Mogul contemporaries, the guys – and they’re almost all guys – who show up every year at Herbert Allen’s Sun Valley Conference of media Big Men.  It’s a kind of summer camp in the mountains of Idaho for media moguls, among whom Murdoch was arguably the biggest.  Herbert Allen is the CEO of the investment bank, Allen & Company.  Murdoch goes way back with Herbert Allen and his investment bank.  He and his company handled Murdoch’s takeover of New York Magazine way back in 1976.  Murdoch doesn’t like it when you do something that lowers him in the eyes of “Herbie” Allen, as he is called, or any of the other media Big Men.

And he especially doesn’t like it when he can put a name on a loss of $787.5 million.  That name is Tucker Carlson, who thought that he was a Big Man because of the adoring hordes who watched his show every night and the millions he was paid for attracting them.  But he wasn’t a Big Man.  He was a worker bee in the sprawling Murdoch media empire, and now he’s a worker bee who got squashed by the Murdoch steamroller, as so many have been squashed before him.

Murdoch still owns the Fox empire.  Tucker Carlson owns his trust fund check as an heir to Swanson Frozen Foods, however much he managed to put away when he was riding high in the 8 o’clock slot on Fox News, and whatever he can squeeze out of Fox in his so-called exit package.  And he owns the stack of bills that are piling up from lawyers representing him in the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Fox producer Abby Grossman, because there is no doubt that in firing him, Rupert Murdoch severed Fox from Carlson in the Grossman lawsuit and is no longer paying his legal bills.

I often see businessmen like Murdoch referred to in the press as killers.  But Murdoch isn’t a killer.  He’s a taker.  He sees something he thinks he wants, like a magazine or a newspaper or a studio or a network, and he takes it and then he takes all the money it brings in.

Murdoch paid the legal fees for his four ex-wives, but he wasn’t married to Tucker Carlson.  Murdoch was once his employer, and he was happy to take the money Tucker earned for him, but he’s a busy man, and he moved on.

[Lucian Truscott Newsletter]