#god DC I’m begging give him a different hero name

[primthegreat]

Felt inspired

All this was drawn at like 1am and then I fell asleep, then woke up at four and lined it with pen before getting ready for school (ignore my awful handwriting I’m sorry)

I was trying really hard to figure out how to slutify his costume before I remembered how batshit insane Gotham is and that he is a human so he gets to show ONE arm off and that’s it.

I was gonna add a boob window but I decided against it bc that’s way to important of a body part to protect you cannot have nothing there to block bullets and stuff

His arm tat is super rough but it’s just a bunch of robins bc I’m funny like that

Mask helmet thing was very inspired by that thing Jason wore and also modern plague doctor masks

Sticky note is to cover my sins (it was a really bad doodle)

This was a sketch of what I was going to do before logic over took the funny haha of it

Boob window, sides and thighs EXPOSED

He is asking to be shot at this point smh

Tim realizing he can get as many goddamn tattoos and piercing as his heart desires as long as his costume covers them up

[in-tua-deep]

Are you into my hero academia? What about an AU or crossover with tua?

UHHHH I am technically, like, peripherally? I watched some seasons of the show like two or three years ago and since then have simply absorbed all content through osmosis, reading fanfiction that has canon events, and my sister telling me about the arcs of her fav characters lmao

so a crossover hmmm

First of all you'd have to like, establish whether bnha is an alternate universe or just The Future If No Apocalypse with quirks being traced back to the descendants of the kids born without mothers

So let's say it's that - the glowing baby was the "first quirk" but the truth is people had powers before that. But - well, the Umbrella Academy was obviously a marketing gimmick to those in the future! There were even comics based on them

In the future, you might find some of those comics in museum exhibits dedicated to depictions of powers in the pre-quirk era, but they're just fun depictions and much less popular than, oh, DC or MCU comics which are also in the exhibits!

End of s2 doesn't happen I guess in this au?? No sparrow academy at least lmao. So, the Umbrella Academy stop the apocalypse (again) and the Commission threat is? Neutralized? Whatever. They decide to jump back to the future

Five warns them that time travel is a crapshoot, that he has no fucking idea when they'll land beyond some nebulous "future" because Five can at least control the direction if not exactly how long

Also, Five is like. Super tired. Incredibly tired. Homeboy still has a healing gut wound, time traveled twice, has been jumping all over the place, gotten even more injured, experienced paradox psychosis, and managed to undo time all in the space of like, two weeks. There actually more than that but we don't have time to get into how fucking tired Five is from his ~Month of Hell

Like genuinely this is like putting someone almost delirious from lack of sleep in the driver's seat of a car and expecting to get to your destination in one piece

But hey, the siblings are like "do it uwu" and Five has sacrificed everything for them already so why not get behind the wheel again

So Five jumps them, and of course something goes wrong because Five has pushed his powers like a great big rubber band and honestly it was only a matter of time before he lost his grip and it snapped back to hit him

So here be the umbrella academy: spilled out into the future like a cup of bad coffee.

Five probably isn't in too good of shape tbh, like they're hundreds of years in the future (but hey at least confirmation of no apocalypse am I right) in a world full of superpowers and Five is like. bleeding from his ears and nose probably idk

Let's handwave a little bit - Reginald made them all polyglots so the squad all speak varying levels of Japanese. Allison is the best at it, Five is second best but tends to use more archaic words bc he had missions in Japan back when he was with the commission, and Klaus is third best.

(Ben is the worst bc he decided when he was 16-and-dead that he didn't have to do anything regarding lessons and maintenance and hasn't given a shit since - but also he's dead so)

So you have a bunch of weird adults with a bleeding child in like, an alley who have appeared from nowhere

so of course heroes get involved

Anyway, the squad get taken in and Five is conscious but like, barely? And he's not going to let himself get separated from his siblings again fuck-you-officer and there is a lot of confusion

anyway detective tsukauchi ends up getting involved and ends up having to hear this batshit story and be like "...truth." which sends all kinds of people scrambling because fucking time travel? Like yeah, it's been theorized to be a possible quirk but there's no recorded cases of any sort of time travel that is for more than 24 hours let alone hundreds of years

"I'm an adult." Five says sourly, "I just happened to be returned to my 13 year old body when I time traveled one time."

"True." Tsukauchi says, feeling his soul leave his body, but like. absently. the way he does when he's called in at 2am after getting off of work at midnight.

"I'm 58." Five says.

"Lie." Tsukauchi says, because this is a headcanon hill I will die on.

"I'm probably 58, but it was hard to keep track. I'm at least 50." Five corrects.

"True." Tsukauchi sighs like these six (seven? they keep referring to another sibling and Klaus said 'ghost' like that was fine and it registered as true and Tsukauchi is not nearly paid enough for this) are not giving him a migraine by just existing

on the bright side there's like, probably protocols in place for individuals who are Legally Chronologically Adults but thanks to quirks are Not Physically Or Not Mentally Adults with tests to determine if the individual needs a guardian or not

though i'm gonna be honest idk if Five would pass the test bc he literally cannot take care of himself at all, has never paid taxes or understands how to exist legally, and also his emotional maturity is stunted as all hell. also like. we don't actually know how much being in his thirteen-year-old body affects his mental state but yeAH Five is vibing

anyway Tsukauchi probably phones a friend on this bullshit because Time Travel Child alone is probably enough for the Hero Commission to be like "find a way to control and use it or nuke it from orbit" and that's not even touching whatever the fuck Klaus is doing (shit gets real once 'dead men tell no tales' stops being true) let ALONE Allison's whole deal

on the bright side like, at least Vanya isn't getting side-eyed that much bc Big Destructive Quirks aren't exactly unknown? if vanya wanted to i guess quirk suppressors exist for that until extensive training on how to control a super powerful quirk happens

Tsukauchi in the group chat: Aizawa please I am literally begging you to take this bullshit on

Aizawa: in this economy? with my class?

RatGod: lol we'll take them ;3c

Aizawa: no

Anyway they probably end up having to live at UA while Five insists on trying to get them home still and everyone else is like "oh hey we used to be child soldiers as well! (:" and Aizawa is like "i hate everything about this and everything about all of you but also like nedzu is making me interact with you so :/"

nedzu is out here vibing like "lol i just don't want the hero commission to get their little paws on these time traveling fuckers, i think you should make then teaching assistants or something"

honestly the siblings are probably like. figuring out how to function in the bnha universe and getting like, legally registered and stuff while Five ferally refuses bc that's like saying he's giving up on getting them home and he can do this

Recovery girl tries to heal him a little when he arrives and he passes out for two weeks like, immediately bc homeboy is running on fumes and spite at this point

also i think on principle it would be REALLY FUNNY if the squad got to tag along with the class bc like. Five is thirteen and the class are all 15. this does not sound like a large age gap. anyone who has interacted with teenagers know that the class would squint at Five and be like "who is this sassy lost middle schooler."

I feel like when I was a sophomore we were still like "freshman... babie" even though we were literally only one year older.

i think the difference between the umbrella academy and school kids would be pretty funny like. objectively the bnha kids are lowkey child soldiers?? like they're 15 and fighting villains but like, there's all this red tape and laws and stuff but,,, deku still be breaking his limbs in a child fighting ring against equally superpowered children for like. entertainment and sponsorships sooo

but also like Five would be like "oh cool when is the experimentation class"

"the what"

"you know, when your powers are pushed real hard by putting you in different terrible situations while your dad and sibling stand by with clipboards writing down the exact voltage it takes before you can't use your powers anymore when being electrocuted"

"hound dog's office is right there. therapy is available to you at any time. i need you to know this."

all might calls Luther "my boy" like one (1) time and Luther just breaks down crying probably because he is starved for positive attention

klaus and midnight get along like a literal house on fire, aizawa tried his best to keep them apart for as long as possible but god damn

(klaus: your name is shimura nana??

all might: immediately dies choking on blood)

i feel it absolutely necessary to point out that aizawa, present mic, and midnight are all like, 30? and the umbrella academy are all between 29-early 30s? they are PEERS but like. the umbrella academy are more chaotic due to childhood trauma

the umbrella academy probably get offered to like. also train to be heroes. i mean,, there HAS to be some sort of track for people who change careers right?? you don't have to cement your future as a hero when you're 15 i'm sure there must be something and the squad already have experience if they want to go be legal heroes

diego probably does at least?? diego just vibes honestly. diego gets momo to make knives during a team exercise and they just go feral on everyone else and it ends with diego highfiving momo and someone getting way to close to being stabbed for comfort

Five might just be. legally enrolled as an Actual Student? But also i think it's funny to picture the entire squad just. all in the back of the classroom with luther trying to fit into a high school desk as they take notes on the laws of The Future surrounding heroics

every word out of the umbrella academy's mouths just make everyone more concerned on principal but like, five and klaus are probably the worst offenders. Klaus just says whatever comes to mind with no filter and Five doesn't get what people would consider to be abnormal anymore like

Five: yeah our dad bought us when we were babies and experimented on us throughout our childhood in order to make an elite team of child soldiers superheroes, it happens

Todoroki: ...have you heard of quirk marriages?

izuku probably has an aneurism bc he's is the only person who might recognize them from the comics because you know ya boy extensively researched the idea of heroics in pre-quirk eras (batman was an inspiration alright???) and might dredge up a memory of a less popular comic series

Five: I can time travel but it is very hard, which is why we are hundreds of years in the future. And why I look like a child.

Kaminari: so are you a kid or not?

Five, serenely: whatever is most convenient for me at any given moment

Mina: hell yeah game the system

they have a brief lesson on astronomy and Luther raises his hand like "ooh! i was isolated on the moon for four years and did SO MUCH research" and then just gets up and starts infodumping like way too much information on the moon

Izuku sitting there like "damn if quirks hadn't popped up we could have achieved so much in terms of space travel. please tell me more giant man who lived in pre-quirk era."

Vanya finds out about the quirkless and is like "oh mood that genuinely sounds like my childhood, being ordinary in a house full of extraordinary people, and then i found out that i did have powers but only much later in life after i had already been emotionally scarred by the experience"

deku: vanya we have so much in common

iida and uraraka: concerned noises

aizawa: hound dog. therapy with hound dog for all of you.

there's probably some conflict with like, the hero commission wanting to get their hands on the time travelers?? but probably especially five and klaus as a) time travel and b) ghosts (the hc def has bodies they would like to stay buried)

five has a pavlovian reaction to anything with 'commission' in the name and hates them on site, probably plays into his age in order to become a ward of UA or something to protect him from the commission a little bit.

(this makes nedzu Five's legal guardian. aizawa has his resignation papers all prepped in a drawer marked 'in case of emergency' but let's be real, if nedzu wants to take over the world aizawa should probably be on the rat-bear's side of things :/)

five: ah, i do recall the inhumane experimentation that we were subjected to

nedzu, who was experimented on: haha same hat! want me to dig up the location of reginald hargreeves's remains so you can spit on them?

klaus: nah no worries we dumped them out in the courtyard unceremoniously like, a while back. how long ago varies for each of us because of time travel!

luther: you said hound dog's office was down the hall and to the right?

on the bright side, Luther probably feels like. way less self conscious about his body, partially bc of his fighting and all that in the 60s but also bc !! now he genuinely doesn't feel like a freak. no one even gives him a second glance. one of the teachers looks like a slab of cement with a face. gang orca looks Like That. there is literally a student with an entire bird head and goth aesthetic. Luther does not stick out at all

allison and shinso bond over having "villainous" voice-based quirks

allison and shinso having worn muzzles at some point in their youth as punishment 🤝

aizawa probably helps train vanya as well with the whole, being able to erase a world ending quirk safely thing he's got going on which makes for a very nice safety net

i don't think vanya would want to be a hero at the end of things though. maybe the assistant teacher in the music class or something?? all vanya wants is to be able to not end the world

i feel like as time goes by, five brings up trying to get home less and less. part of that is because like,,, genuinely what do they have to go back to?? Allison has Claire, but like. I'm 100% sure the first thing she did in the future was try track down Claire's records and found out Claire was like. fine. became an adult, had a family, probably became the ancestor of the first "quirked" kids who officially popped up after light baby. had a good life, died at an old age etc. etc.

they start settling into the bnha world with like, "we can always hop aboard the five express into where the fuck ever" as a plan Z if things go completely pear shaped (again)

i'mma be real, five himself doesn't give a fuck as long as there is a) no apocalypse and b) his family is alive. Like that's it. His bar is so incredibly low and yet his life keeps fucking trying to limbo under it

i just think it would be funny to have like, Five trying to get along with his "peers" and make friends while the siblings do the same but like, in the staff room

also think it would be funny for five to just walk into the staff room and get coffee occasionally.

a teacher: why is a student in here -

Five, sipping coffee: i'm an adult

nedzu like "what kind of guardian would i be if i didn't teach my new son all the tunnels around ua so he can pop out wherever"

five like "hey new dad can i put stashes of supplies all around ua of weapons, money, food, and other assorted things that might be useful if one needed to fight or make a run for it" and nedzu is like "haha just put your list of what supplies you want in your go bags on my desk and i'll critique it later!"

anyway a bnha/tua crossover would be incredibly chaotic but probably very funny

[aion-rsa]

Superman & Lois Episode 4 Review: Haywire

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Superman & Lois review contains spoilers.

Superman and Lois Episode 4

One of the most tired arguments in comics is about whether or not Superman is too powerful to tell good stories with. The plethora of exceptional, meaningful, moving Superman stories out there should put that argument to bed for good, but if they haven’t, feel free to direct anyone making it to “Haywire,” the fourth episode of what’s shaping up to be one of the best Superman arcs ever.

To my mind, the key Superman conflict has nothing to do with his power level and everything to do with the fact that he can’t be everywhere at once. He is a man who wants to help everyone, but has to prioritize where he can be and how much time he can stay there, and those choices all have consequences. That’s basically the thesis statement of this episode: Clark is being pulled in a thousand different directions at once, with his father-in-law climbing on his back about not being seen enough in Metropolis; an Intergang prisoner transfer going down; Morgan Edge about to close the deal on a mine outside of Smallville and Lois trying to run headfirst into Edge; and the boys trying to navigate school and also one of their classmates developing super speed.

But the thing that makes this episode, and the show as a whole, such a good Superman story isn’t necessarily the content of the story. It’s the storytelling, too. Superman & Lois excels at showing and telling. It weaves the three storylines – Clark, Lois and the kids – in and out, contrasting points against each other by bouncing from scene to scene to heighten the point. There are two spots this week where this is really well done.

The first is about midway through the episode. Lois’ big Morgan Edge expose in the Gazette has been spiked by a lawsuit threat – turns out Lois, a star reporter at a major metropolitan newspaper, had a noncompete WHODATHUNK (note: see the mailbag for who indeed thunk). So she pushed it off on Clark, who, as a well known mediocrity, had no such legal conflict, and was planning to bring up the issue in the big town meeting where Smallville was voting on granting Edge’s Intercorp mining rights to the party spot from the first episode.

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense was moving a super-prisoner out of town because Superman’s lack of presence in town was making the authorities skittish about keeping him in town. And at the same time, Sam Lane was giving the kids a hard time about being too needy now that they know their dad was Superman, because the rest of the world needed him more. 

Of course, nothing works out right. Superman takes way too long on a wild goose chase, so Edge wins the town vote nearly unanimously, while the stuff with Jordan and Jon takes some time to blow up. 

The performances really carry this sequence over. Hoechlin’s Clark agonizes over missing the vote and practically begs Tulloch’s Lois to be mad at him, and their argument is so natural and honest feeling that it’s immediately relatable. 

Later, when the family finds out what Sam said to the kids, there’s an argument in the farmhouse that is also immediately recognizable and yet perfectly performed. Clark is pissed at Sam, but Superman’s anger is so often played as some world-ending threat, with glowing red eyes and menacing body language, yet here Hoechlin plays it completely straight – as an angry dad dealing with a shitty in-law. I’m sure we’re going to keep talking about this as the show goes along, but the amount of acting Hoechlin and Tulloch do with only their body language, and the way it conveys exactly who Superman and Lois are both alone and in relation to each other is a HUGE part of the mastery of this show. 

The only problem I have with the episode is how it’s all a path to Sam’s radicalization into creating Project 7734. This is pretty BS for a couple of reasons: first, there’s no way the shady-ass government doesn’t already have a similar contingency plan (or 6) for dealing with a rogue Superman; and second, I know the episode is all about what a terrible parent he is, but I really can’t wrap my head around turning on Superman because he’s spending too much time with your grandkids. Maybe that’s what makes Sam a villain, but it’s also what makes this Superman the best he’s been so far in an already great show.

Metropolis Mailbag

Thaddeus Killgrave is a weaselly little shit created in the 1980s as a weapons designer for Intergang. The Killgrave we see on screen bears little resemblance to his comics version, where he was almost childlike in his stature. Instead, this bearded, bedraggled, mouth-noise-making character actually looks a lot like his creator, John Byrne.

Superman’s call sign when he’s working with the Department of Defense is “Bishop 6.” So…uh…does Sam Lane work for Checkmate? Checkmate is one of the various super-clandestine services operating in the DC Universe (along with Task Force X/Suicide Squad, Spyral, Kobra, Argus, the D.E.O., and on and on and on). Checkmate was first seen in Action Comics in the late 1980s and has counted among its members any number of famous DC heroes, from Deathstroke to Alan Scott and Mr. Terrific.

We have confirmation here that Morgan Edge is running a company called “Intercorp.” The Inter- prefix usually has connotations with Intergang (which is also present in the show), a gang of thugs organized by Bruno Mannheim, usually working for Morgan Edge in some capacity, and all functioning as a subsidiary of Apokalips. Intergang was created by Jack Kirby when he first started on Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133, recently reprinted in a gorgeous absolute edition which is worth every single penny.

Calling the mines “Shuster Mines” is a nice touch, especially when they get bought out by a big company and filled with Superman’s only weakness. 

Speaking of callbacks to Grant Morrison’s run, Glenmorgan Square is likely named after Glen Glenmorgan, a minor throwaway villain from the very beginning of Morrison’s Action Comics. 

It’s not really an easter egg or anything, but I want it to be known that when Lois walked into the local paper’s office, I texted someone else watching and said “she definitely has a noncompete.” I’m glad the show also remembered this so I could be proven correct.

X-Kryptonite is a deeeeeep cut. Supergirl originally created X-Kryptonite as an antidote for green k. But she made it wrong, and it ended up being able to give anyone powers who was exposed to it. Including her otherwise normal Earth cat, Streaky. Yes this was 1960, why do you ask?

Tag’s emerging powers are a lot of vague references all in one. The super healing and the fast movement are pretty clearly emerging speedster powers, but he doesn’t have any other characteristics of Flashes. Besides getting his powers from a mysterious energy discharge hitting a bunch of weird chemicals. That said, Sam was probably talking out of his ass when he blamed phosphorus for Tag’s powers, considering they were partying on top of a pile of power-giving crystals when it happened. 

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Sam also says Tag is being sent to a “special school” for kids with powers, which…it’s weirdly early to be introducing Titans Academy to the TV shows, isn’t it? That new feature of the Infinite Frontier DCU is the only school for gifted youngsters I can think of that would fit the bill, but sound off in the comments if you know what he’s talking about! God I hope it’s not HIVE…

The post Superman & Lois Episode 4 Review: Haywire appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/38O74tS

[the--sad--hatter]

Name Changing (4)

FANDOM - MARVEL MCU, X-MEN, DEADPOOL

PAIRING - BUCKY X READER (female reader, no physical descriptions)

WARNINGS - ALL OF THEM, SMUT, VIOLENCE ANGST

DESCRIPTION -  Sequel to Name Calling

After merging with your bloodthirsty alternate personality things start getting a little dicey. You’ve got two decades worth of anger to sort through, a feral mutation to figure out how to live with, a biological father who you hate trying to teach you control and if your wedding planner suggests teal for the bridesmaids again you might just eat her liver.

Luckily you have Bucky Barnes by your side, helping you figure things out. What Bucky doesn’t know is that you have found an outlet for the uncontrollable rage, one that absolutely nobody can know about. If your friends and family knew that you were out slaughtering people in the dead of night while they slept, they might be a little annoyed. Wade Wilson is happy to keep your secret though, so long as you keep bribing him with Mexican food.

For as long as you could remember, all you had wanted was to be good. Now you’re seeing the temptation in the darkness.

                                         A Stark Reminder

                       Read the Exclusive Interview with Deathwave

                      Interview conducted and written by Kara M Pierce

Since her very public debut as the long lost daughter of Tony Stark, she has been the subject of much curiosity. Her story is a dark one, yet it’s also one filled with hope.

It quickly came to light that Miss Stark was far more than she first appeared and while she is in fact Tony Starks daughter, it is not by blood. Though after just a few minutes in her presence I am wondering if that is true. She exudes the same confidence and charm as her father, not to mention the same sharp wit. Having interviewed Mr Stark in the past I can confirm that both Starks harbour the same respect and fear for Pepper Potts as one look from the CEO can make either Stark fall into line.

Thank you so much for agreeing to sit down with me today Miss Stark.

Bold of you to assume I had any choice.

Thank you so much for convincing her to sit down with me today Mrs Potts.

She’s very happy to be here.

I imagine you are quite busy, does being Deathwave take up a lot of your time?

It does but apparently the bad guys have no concept of acceptable work hours. Someone should really start a labour union for them or something.

What’s it like being an Avenger and is it different from being a secret Avenger?

I used to just have to deal with Hydra and Vernichtung agents attacking me, now I have paparazzi as well but apparently I’m not allowed to blast them into smithereens.

Other than that, it’s not actually very different. Not having to wear the mask makes it a little easier, that thing was kinda warm.

How well do you get along with the other Avengers?

Sam Wilson, The Falcon is my best friend. When I first arrived at the compound he sort of took me under his wing. Sam is an excellent cook and he loves feeding people He’s also a great listener, he really cares about what you have to say and if you need advice he’ll do his best to give it to you but he knows when you just need to vent.

Plus have you seen the muscles on that man? Who doesn’t want to cry on those shoulders?

It sounds like you’re writing a dating profile for him. Are you trying to get him a date Miss Stark?

No... Maybe. Not that he needs my help, the man is handsome, charming, has the thighs of a god and is a superhero. He's also single. Just saying.

What about the other Avengers, are you close with them?

Well I am engaged to one so yes? We’re a family, all of us. I trust them with my life and they trust me with theirs. When we’re out there in the field our lives and the lives of the people we are fighting to protect rests in each others hands. That tends to form some close bonds.

So does that mean you’re close with Loki, the man who once led an attempted invasion?

Yes, I am. Loki was not responsible for that, and despite being controlled he managed to manipulate events so he would lose the battle of New York. He did the best he could with limited control of his own mind.

Loki was instrumental in helping me defeat Docherty, he helped us win the Second Battle of New York. He’s a hero, an Avenger and a friend and anyone who says otherwise can take it up with me personally. I’ll be happy to educate them on the difference between a hero and a villain.

You seem to have a protective streak, not just for those you know personally.

Was there a question in there?

I was wondering where that protectiveness comes from?

My father. He protected me. And I owe it to the world to follow in his example. He made a lot of mistakes along the way to becoming the hero he is today and he owns up to them and not only learned from them, encourages me to learn from them as well.

Speaking of your father, there’s been much speculation about your biological family.

Are you referring to the rumors that were leaked about Docherty being my grandfather?

Yes, those rumors have been circulating. Is there any truth to them?

Yes.

Would you like to elaborate on that?

Not particularly. Biologically, I was his granddaughter. He was evil, I stopped him. End of story.

What about the rest of your biological family? Do you have any desire to know about them?

What makes you think I don’t already know? My mother is dead, Docherty killed her. My father didn't know I existed until recently and he... he and I are working through our issues but that’s a private matter.  If his identity comes to light at any point I just wanted people to know he didn't know about me or Docherty. It wasn't his fault.

That’s fair. Onto happier subjects Miss Stark, you won’t be Miss Stark for much longer. Are you excited?

You’d assume I was excited about my upcoming nuptials or I wouldn't be getting married would I?And the Stark name was the greatest gift I ever got, I’m not giving it up. I’ll be Mrs Stark-Barnes.

How did the romance between you and Sargent Barnes happen? Who made the first move?

(Miss Stark is trying to contain a laugh at this point, Mrs. Potts giving her a warning look.)

He made the first move. He followed me about for months, begging me for a chance. It was getting quite sad so I took pity on him.

What about the photo’s that appeared to show you on a date with Captain Rogers?

Well, Cap was my first love but he’s too good, too pure. I had to downgrade.

So you settled for Sargent Barnes?

(The laughter dies and the expression on Miss Starks face is one of love and conviction, it is clear her feelings for Sargent Barnes are very real and very powerful.)

James is the only man I have ever wanted to be with and the only man I ever want to be with. He’s my partner in every way, he supports me even when he doesn’t like what I’m doing, he challenges me when I’m being an idiot, he forgives me when I mess up, he holds my head above water when I’m drowning. He is the love of my life I know how lucky I am that I get to spend the rest of my life returning his love.

What about the blurred photographs that appear to show you in the company of the Vigilante and Mercenary known as Deadpool?

Deadpool is a menace to society. It is my personal mission to hunt him down and give him exactly what he deserves.

Quite a turn around from the woman who once refused to sign The Sokovia Accords.

My refusal to sign wasn’t about the accords themselves but rather the way they were being used. Secretary Ross is a slimy rat and I would never cow to his perceived authority. (There is a short argument between Mrs. Potts and Miss Stark but Miss Stark insists we can print her opinion on Secretary Ross, though it must be noted that the opinion of the interviewee do not necessarily represent the views of this publication.)

Colonel Rhodes is a man who knows the value of bureaucracy and the importance of the accords and balances it with the public's need for protection. The Sokovia Accords are no longer used as a power play but are in place to protect the people who signed as well as holding them accountable for their actions.

It’s at this point in the interview I informed Miss Stark I had some fan questions that had been sent in and she immediately perked up.

I like the fans, they’re just normal people who like me for some reason. It’s always strange when they come up to me and ask for a selfie or an autograph but it’s inspiring. Hopeful. It reminds me that there’s a world out there that I get to help protect.

From Jess on Ao3: How did you decide that you wanted to be good, despite the evils you’ve encountered?

I decided I wanted to be good because of the evils I encountered. My earliest memories are of cruelty and you’d think growing up that way might have given me a twisted sense of morality but I knew the way I felt was horrible and I didn't ever want to be the reason somebody else felt that way. There was a guard when I was really young, he slipped me chocolate through the bars of my cell. He was killed for it when they found out. That's how I knew they were evil, even if I didn’t know the word. And I knew I didn't want to be that way.

TaraStudiesaLot: Are you are interested in any art form? Photography, painting, film or music? Like, does do enjoy any of these or are they still foreign to you?

Steve tried to get me into art but I’m more made to appreciate it than make it.

I like to take pictures though, nothing special, just little moments from life. I like being able to look back at the photo’s, they help ground me and remind me of the good things I have in my life.

Phoenix-whiskey-Tears: What kind of music are you into?

I hadn’t even been out of the cage for a full day before my dad introduced me to AC/DC. So I kind of associate 80’s rock with freedom I guess? I’m also partial to big band music from the 40’s. (It should be noted that at this point, Miss Stark is doing her best to hide her blush.)

Firefly-in-darkness: I wanna know more of your habits and little simple things like your favorite colour, movies, books, etc?

Red. My favorite colour is red. The Iron Suit was red, red is the colour of freedom, of salvation, justice.

Books and movies? I don’t have favorites per se, it’s still exciting and thrilling to see and read them, even bad ones.

HoneyBadger: What advice would you give to abuse survivors? And do you think you’d ever take on a protege or sidekick?

Well first of all, I have a sidekick. Bucky Barnes.

To abuse survivors I would say this, you already did the hard part. You survived. You are already winning that battle by fighting it and I know it’s a long battle, one you’ll be fighting every day for the rest of your life. That thought is depressing and exhausting and overwhelming.

But it’s worth it. The world is still out there waiting for you, use the pain you have experienced to see the world differently. See the beauty in the mundane and normal because after your suffering you deserve every single tiny bit of happiness and calm you can grasp.

What happened to you shaped you yes, but it does not define you. You are so much more than what they did to you. Their evil does not leave a stain on you and your future is not dictated by your past.

You’re warriors, Kings and Queens who deserve so much more than life gave you. Life and people can be cruel and it’s up to you now, to take what you deserve from the world. Be amazing, you’ve already proven you have it in you. Support one another, hold each other up and never ever forget that we are a thousand times better than those who tried to put us down.

Pydia Packmaster: What keeps you going despite everything you have been through?

Life goes on, the world keeps turning. And everything I endured can be used to help me make sure others don’t have to go through the same thing.

All the bad things that happened to me are being used as a force for good now. Like I once said, I was created to end the world but I’m going to save it.

Beansy: if you had the ability to change anything in your past, what would it be and would you?

I wish I had known I had a mother, maybe I could have saved her before it was too late. Maybe I could have known her. But what’s done is done. My whole life I didn’t even dare to imagine that I would have a future but now I do and I won’t waste it by living in the past.

ToastLuvr: If you could choose an actress to play you in a movie who would it be?

Jack Black. Next question.

BuckityBarnes: Who’s your Avengers Crush?

Black Widow... Obviously. If Nat would have me I’d drop Bucky in a heartbeat. Have you seen that thing she does with her thighs? That’s how I wanna die.

Sitting down with Deathwave was just as inspiring as I had expected. Since the details of her past were revealed to the world she has become a symbol of hope to people everywhere. She is a hero, of that there is no doubt but what truly makes her an inspiration is the fact that she reminds us all of what we can be.

Who you are and where you came from doesn’t decide where you are going to go. That choice is up to you and you alone. No matter the challenges you face in life, big or small, they can be overcome.

Setback only set you back, they don’t stop you. People will stand in your way but they can be moved. You are the hero of your own story.

We are all the heroes of our own stories.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AUTHORS NOTE

This was mostly fun to write but there is a lot of of it that came directly from my heart. I’ve made no secret about how Docherty was based on real people who hurt me so the advice Baby Stark gives to abuse survivors is what I would say to those of you who it applies to and I mean every fucking word. 

If you are or were in a situation of abuse, be it mental, physical, sexual or other then please consider my inbox a safe space to talk if you ever need it. 

@nerdandproud-86 @harrison-shot-first@thejourneyneverendsx @thelostallycat @inquisitor-selvala@the-corruptor @iovher @kendrawr-kitkat @phoenix-whiskey-tears @the–real–wombat@buckitybarnes@fairislesheets@angieptt @meganjonezzzz@dugan365@fluffeh-kitty@memanda17 @krystallynx@theonelittleone@piscesbarnes@free-as-fishes@tarastudiesalot@captainamericasbeard@dropthepizza346@jaynnanadrews@likes-to-smell-books@drdorkus @life-wanderer@metalarmlover @animegirlgeeky@jsmith509@chipilerendi@nerdy-bookworm-1998@ericasabe@gravedollie666@madlykpopfan@l0kisbitch@mywinterwolf@sassysweetstories @life-wanderer @jessieray98@littledeadrottinghood @firefly-in-darkness @demonlover87 @jessieray98 @pinkisokay @chipilerendi

[melyaliz]

Feeling Good

Fandom: DC

Pairing: Jason x OC 

Notes: crack ships continue....

You all can blame @speedypan

Ok but can I first say these two took like FOUR PAGES to get going? And it wasn’t even like cute sexual drama? It was Faith NOT SHUTTING UP.

Also I feel like I’m cheating on Tim. Like a lot. Because now I have a pre-fic and maybe a post-fic idea too.

I don’t know why but this one was hard to post. Let’s all just pretend When you see Faith you are really seeing Y/N.

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive Connect with me! AO3 / Instagram / Pinterest

——————————————-

"Does it always hurt the first time?”

Jason choked on the flask of water Faith had given him. Water filling his lungs from the short breaths he was now gasping. Of all the crazy and weird things, Faith had ever told him this wasn’t something he had expected.

They were just relaxing after a rather crazy gang takedown. Sitting on the roof of his small safe house. Just enjoying the comfort silence until the younger hero had broken it.

“Ok wow, you don’t have to act so shocked.” Faith said rolling her eyes. “It was a simple question.”

“Not if they are doing it right.” Jason coughed again letting his lungs settle after almost being downed.

They lapsed into silence again. Jason had known Faith as a kid running the streets of Gotham. Back then A two-year gap was felt much bigger when you’re 13 and she’s 11.

But when coming back as an 18-year-old with a 16-year-old women.

Well… things had changed.

Not that Jason had noticed.

It wasn’t like Jason had caught himself admiring how Faith had filled out. Sure she was still -and probably always would be- a petite girl, but her once gangly body had filled out and toned from her years of dancing.

It wasn’t like Jason felt his pulse quicken just a bit when she would touch him. A simple hug or a sparring match didn’t sometimes leave him a little more flustered then it should.

Or it wasn’t like he would EVER admire her beating down a bad guy thinking about how rough she could get in bed.

Nope, not at all.

“So why do you ask,” Jason asked glancing over at Faith who was now swinging her legs back and forth over the side of the safehouse roof. “Planning on popping the cherry of a certain boy in red.”

It was no secret that Faith and Tim had SOMETHING going on. Or had long before Jason had come back. He was stepping into some tangled mess he knew he didn’t belong in. While Faith had never been once for fluffy romance her frequent missions with Tim and the way she would light up when he spoke wasn’t hard to miss.

Although, as time had passed she had started to go on more missions with him. Opting for more local heroism.

And sometimes when she flashed him that mischievous smile and asked him to help her take down a gang of shit bags Jason couldn’t help but picture him celebrating with Faith just a little harder than normal.

“No,” was her simple response, “He’s dating Stephanie and… I don’t know.” she turned to him, her hazel eyes soft, “I think it was like this thing we had before was then. But now we are different, older? I don’t know I’m not a words person.”

Jason laughed, “so if it’s not Tim catching the interest of the Guardian Angel of Gotham who has her thinking about first times?”

“I don’t think it’s any one person…” Faith’s voice trailed off, “I think it’s more something one of my classmates said. About first times never being as good as it’s built up to be and that it actually kind of hurt. I had never had an idea of what a first time should be so I never thought about it as good or bad but if it’s going to hurt maybe… I don’t know it’s not like I need to have sex.”

“Woah now! Don’t just swear off sex!” This earned him a light laugh and something in his stomach made Jason feel like he was a kid again crushing on Dona or Barbara.

“Didn’t realize you were so invested in my sex life Jason.”

“Well, you came to me with this problem so now I am invested. Faith, your first time doesn’t have to be bad, in fact, it shouldn’t be. It's about talking to your partner, going slow, building up the sexual tension. It’s about going with what feels good, listening to how your partner is reacting to what you are doing… it’s about…” he paused realizing how close Faith was. As he had spoken it was as if his words had drawn her closer to him. He could smell her as a breeze gently blew around them. That sweet musky vanilla jasmine scent that always seemed to linger around her.

Shit.

“You can’t just pound one out.” Jason wrapped up quickly.

Faith burst out laughing sending shivers down Jason’s spine once again, “Pound one out? Ok but we just did that.”

“ Wrong kind of pounding, trust me.”

“Yeah well, the way you pounded those bad guys I would never want you pounding me.”

“Oh trust me, if I pounded you, you would be begging for more.”

The words had just slipped out. He hadn’t meant… fuck.

“Do they all beg for more while your on top of them like that guy with the weird beard today. Oh Jason, just smash my face in Jason.”

“If you're so curious let me show you.”

Another laugh, “Are we getting one of those busty chicks you go home with to come over? Do I watch and take notes? Sounds kind of kinky.”

Oh my god, she was SUCH a clueless virgin. This is why Faith, this is why you don’t get laid. Trust me, he had seen the men lining up for her while she blissfully just walked by. “No,” Jason said leaning forward, closing the gap between them, his face now only a breath away from hers.

“Let me show you.”

He was gentle, soft, asking permission with his actions as his lips touched hers. Ready to pull away at the moments of hesitation. Any sign she really wasn’t ok with this.

But to his pure delight (maybe a little too delighted) she leaned forward. This obviously wasn’t her first kiss because FUCK she was good. Her lips meeting his soft touch with a light tongue dancing across his lips. Teasing and gitty giving him slight butterflies in his stomach. Giving him feels he hadn’t felt in years. Stealing a kiss behind the school with some cute classmate or in an alleyway from a grateful citizen.

But he was here to teach her not reminisce about childhood days long gone.

Although that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy himself.

He always forgot how much bigger he was than her, maybe it was her “large” personality, but as he gently moved over her, her petite body seemed to get swallowed by his. Curling up under him as her arms wrapped around his neck playing with his hair.

She let out a soft giggle as she moved sharply for a moment under him causing him to pull away.

“Sorry” she muttered pulling the flask he had gifted her from behind her back. “Was kind of poking my ribs”

“Well now that we have gotten the kissing part out of the way, come on.” he took her hand and she raised an eyebrow, confused. “I’m not letting you have your first time on the roof, we are at least doing it in a bed.”

“Ok” was her simple response.

He lead her down off the roof never letting his hand leave hers. Unsure if that was for her comfort or his own. As if he let go he would wake up and realize she had skipped away off into the darkness of the night to find someone who wasn’t as… broken, as he was.

Now, Jason, we aren’t marrying the woman, we are just showing her the meaning of the term “making love.” he reminded himself as he closed the bedroom door behind him turning to Faith who was looking up at him expectantly. Those large eyes blinking up through thick lashes.

Holy shit.

His heart was suddenly racing, those giddy feelings washing over him. That smile, it always did weird things to his head.

“So…” she started to say but he kissed her again, this time with more force.

“Shhhh, these are the rules. You let me know if I do anything that hurts you or makes you feel uncomfortable. If you like something go with it, you can say it or just moan, I’ll know. Let me do the work ok but if you want to try something say. And PLEASE,” he paused studying her, searching for that hesitation, “If you want to slow down or stop say it or just pull away. I won’t think any less of you if you. I want you…” he was rambling now. Running off the tracks… he couldn’t stop.

“Ok so now your just killing the mood.”

Her words cut him off with a jolt, bit of thrill went through him as he caught that spark in her eye, it was the same one she would get when they were about to do something stupid. Something crazy.

Something fun,

He kissed her again, this time deeper. His teeth slowly dragging across her lower lip. His rough hands slowly going under her shirt brushing against the bottom of her sports bra. Faith pulled away raising her hands so he could pull off her shirt. He did so before pulling off his own as well. Faith let her fingers run over his chest gently brushing over his scars. No hint of judgment in her eyes, use to these scars, may of her own littered her body.

Gently he scooped her up kissing her again. She was so light and small, her legs barely making it around his large torso. Her airy giggles sending shivers down his spine. Excitement. Those hidden feelings. The ones that he had tried to bury deep away, telling himself she was just his friend, just a partner burying away to pure excitement that this little (for lack of a better word) Angel was in his bed.

Pulling out a condom he places it next to him on the bed. Better not forget that. Then he turned his attention back to her.

She looked up at him from his sheets, eyes bright and excited. That beautiful smile. That mouth. Oh he was going to make her scream his name from that mouth. He was going to make her cum a million times laughing with pure pleasure.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he whispered before his lips met hers.

“I’m going to kiss you” his lips met her jaw.

“I’m going to kiss you” her collarbone.

“I’m going to kiss you.” her bra

“I’m going to kiss you.” that little pink scar that ran across her rib cage.

“I’m going to kiss you” Her pants line.

His fingers gently undid the buttons of her pants. She had propped herself up on her elbows watching him.

“I’m going to kiss you here” his eyes never left hers as he kissed her pelvis. To his delight, her eyes fluttered and she took a sharp intake of air. Thrills, running down his spine at the sound. Now, what would she do if he went just a little lower…

“Oh…” pleasure, it was beautiful, just a soft sound escaping her lips. The power he had over her in the moment spent his mind into a spin. Oh, he was going to make this girl sing tonight.

“So you like that?”

She nodded mouth slightly open, “Again?” she muttered. His fingers danced over her core playing with the fabric of her panties causing her to grunt biting her lip. Unsure how to act to these new feelings he was giving her.

“Hummm I don’t know,” Jason hummed, “do you like how this feels better?”

“Yes? I… uh huh…” she was gasping now pupils blown wide as blood rushed to her core. She tried to thrust toward him but he stopped her with the flat of his palm pushing her into the bed. Digging into her getting another “ohhh” out of her before pulling fully away.

This earned him a soft disappointed whine.

And that whine, that was what did it for Jason. The power he had over this girl. What had happened to that confident Faith. The one who had headbutted him when she had thought he was the villain Red Hood. The little whirlwind who he had watched in awe charge into danger 5 times her size and take it down.

That Faith was a mumbling mess with a few touches.

He kissed her then, she kissed him back. Heated and ready. Pleading for him to continue and confused why he wasn’t.

Better not keep the lady waiting.

His fingers dove into her panties, gently sporking her entrance.

She choked in surprise “Wow Jason” his name, so soon and he had gotten his name in a broken moan. Honestly, her shock at his skills was such a beautiful stroke to his ego.

Much like the stroking, he was doing how.

“Yeah… hummmm” she was holding back slightly. Was his little chatterbox was trying to play it cool?

“Oh just let it out.” Jason said bringing a second finger to her core, “I want you to yell, moan, cry,”

“Ahhhh” she let out a cry of pure delight as he moved back and forth, “It… it feels so good…. Oh...ohhh.”

She was so wet. Oh so wonderfully wet.

He needed to get out of his pants. They were getting too tight. Those noises she was making. That squirming. The way her breasts were rising and falling. Oh god, Jason was HARD. His thick cock was throbbing against his leather pants begging to be set free.

Not yet friend. We are just getting started.

But that didn’t mean Jason’s bestie couldn't at least get a bit more… room.

Bending down Jason replaced his fingers with his mouth. His tongue delving into her folds.

And she let out the most beautiful moan, thrusting into him.

He could barely concentrate enough to unzip himself. The taste, so wonderful. He had always wondered while lying in bed alone playing with himself. Wondered if that pussy was as sweet as that laugh.

But it was better.

Once his cock was free he was able to concentrate on his little angel. Hands traveling up to her hips he pulled her forward forcing himself deeper inside her letting out a long moan as she got wetter in his mouth. Tongue stroking just the right places.

And then she laughed. Soft and breathy, pure delight. Hands going to his hair pulling on it slightly. Jason let out a moan of enjoyment letting her know he liked that. The sound vibrating through her.

“Ohh!” she squealed more giggles and she squirmed with pleasure. “That’s right little one,” Jason through as his hands moved up her sides, “Dance for me”

Hands reaching her bra as he continued on her pussy. Playing over the fabric for a moment he tried to think of a way to get inside that damn…

Faith’s hand moved from his head to her bra pulling it up over her boobs giving him full access.

Good girl.

Callous hands brushing over her nipples, getting more sounds, mixes of pleasure, giggles, and something else… confusion.

Interesting.

He pulled on her nipple and got the sound again.

Had this girl never had her tits played with before?

One more time.

“Yo… yeah.”

Ahhh there it was, she likes that.

Jason couldn’t help himself as he pulled away from her pussy giving her tits special attention with his fingers, “Do you like that too?” she nodded a slightly blissfully look on her face.

“Yeah, Jason… it’s really nice.”

“Hummm what about this?” he lazily licked her other nipple.

“Ohhh OH” his teeth grazed her and she let out a gasp. Pulling away he was about to ask...

“Again… please… can you do that? Harder?”

FUCK.

She was going to be the death of him.

He played with her as he moaned, “Yes, yes…. Yeahhh” He could have paid those beautiful breasts attention all night he didn’t get a soft hand on his shoulder.

“Can… Can I…” she was so out of breath. A giggling silly mess. He had done that to her. He had made her that way.

“Yeah Angel?”

“Can I maybe try sucking you?”

At the mention of maybe getting some special attention, his cock throbbed.

“Have you ever?”

She shook her head pulling away enough to look at it. He pulled himself up so he was kneeling, cock presented before her. Showing her what she had to deal with.

“You’ll tell me what to do?” she asked looking up at him large eye blinking up at him. She was doing it on purpose, he knew it. Those large eyes, that voice. Fuck him he wanted that mouth on his cock so bad while he bossed her around.

“Yeah, why not start by… oh FUCK.”

She giggled as her hands brushed up the length of it. He was more ready for her than he had thought. “Oh you got to warn a…. Hummmm” she ran her thumb over his tip causing him to moan and lick his lips.

“Yeah honey… that… now stroke down…. Oh yeah girl… like that… hummmmmm” He sighed eyes rolling back in his head as she pumped him. Back and forth.

“What if I…”

Jason’s breath hitched in his throat as she licked his lip. “Oh Fuck Faith! Yeah do that again…. More more more more.” shit it was like some horny teenager. What happened to him being the….

Oh

My

God

She had just taken him.

Sucking back and forth.

His head was spinning.

“Oh Faith, dear god.”

She giggled, adding to the pleasure. He was having a hard time focusing. No Jason not now. You can’t cum now. Oh her tongue was covering the rest…. Oh god…

His hips where trusting slightly, he knew she couldn’t take him yet but… he needed to get some control back before… before.

Oh those lips pulling out and back on. You beautiful little thing you, how did you get so dirty?

She was enjoying this.

He looked down at her and her eyes met his and he really did almost cum come. That glimmer in her eyes. Excitement.

His hand went to her pussy two fingers pushing into her pumping in and out.

She gasped in surprise pulling away for a moment “What…”

Using his free hand he pushed her down onto the bed. “J…. Jason?”

“I’m going to take you now,” he said pulling the condom he had grabbed earlier and slid it onto his dick. “Are you ready for me?”

“Yeah… please…. Ohhhhhhhhh”

His dick slid into her and his own moans matched hers. “Oh you feel amazing” he moaned.

“Yeah? Yeah….” she sighed as he slowly moved back and forth. In and out.

“Feel good?”

“Don’t stop… please” she begged moving with him “Hummm Jason….”

“Oh Yeah Faith….” he groaned “I want you to move at your pace. I want you to cum.”

“How…. oh that…”

“Yeah just follow the feelings. Feels good go with it. Ohhh you like that?”

“Yeah move like tha… oh Jason Oh oh oh.”

“Yeah take it, take my cock angel. Ride it.”

“Jayyyy” her voice dragged out eyes fluttering and rolling back. Her whole body lighting up with excitement “Oh that… yeah yeah yeah” breath getting lighting shallow. Hips moving deep. So deep.

Jason thrust hard and she let go “OH JASON” Crashing around him.

But he was already coming, so hard. “Yeah baby yeah. Oh man I’m cuming girl… Oh yeah Faith FAITH….” he fell onto of her gasping for breath as his cock throbbed happily inside her slowly coming down from the high.

Slowly he pulled out taking the condom off before throwing it away. Faith looking up at him. She was beautiful, hair mussed, eyes bright, lips swollen.

“That didn’t hurt at all.” She said, her huge mischievous smile spreading across her face.

-------------

-GET TAGGED!-

Tagging: @royslittleharper  @the-shadow-of-atlantis @coffee-randomness @daisyboobear @werewitchling  @jason-redhood @hello-i-lovespiderman-blr @ocelysium @pinkwitch21 @tomhncharliep @jesaigne

[sassycassie-s-writing]

Flashpoint Inferno

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): DC, BatFam - Jason Todd/Red Hood

Rating: PG-11/T- (mild violence, mild language but not really)

Original Idea: In Flashpoint, Jason never meets Bruce and becomes a Catholic priest.

Notes: (Masterlist)(By Character)(About Me) Okay, first off: I know VERY LITTLE about catholicism. I’m Christian, but not Catholic. If I got something egregiously wrong, I’m sorry. (You can lmk if you want and I’ll try my best to fix it though.) @welovegroot @batboys-and-other-messes

^^^^^

Jason snuggled behind me in the Batcave, his body armor pressing against my heat-resistant suit. “Doin’ okay, darlin’?” he murmured in my ear, voice low and full of concern. I wrapped one arm around him as best I could, rinsing the char off my other hand.

“Fine,” I said. “No one’s going to trust me. The more I do and the more I screw up, the more they’ll whisper that I'm a villain. Heroes in Gotham don’t have powers.”

“It doesn’t matter what they think,” he said, pressing his face into my hair and neck. “You are a hero. A much better one than me.”

I turned to face him. “That’s not true. You have the best heart I know.” I tilted up onto my tiptoes and kissed him. My hands found his bare arms where his suit sleeves were cut off. There were goosebumps on his skin. But, of course, he’d never mention if he was cold. He was too tough for that. I smiled into the kiss and heated up my hands. Not enough to make them burst into flames. Just enough to warm him up. He smiled too.

“Ugh. Get a room you two!” Tim complained.

I pulled away from the kiss. “C’mon, Red Hood. Let’s get outta here,” I whispered.

Jason grinned. “With pleasure.”

^^^^^

“Welcome, my child. Do you seek forgiveness from God?” the priest asked.

I rubbed my nose, which was running from the cold outside. “I'm, uh, not Catholic. But I wanted somewhere spiritual to pray,” I said.

The priest noticed me trying hard to cover my arms with my tatty jacket. “Well, child, you are welcome here. All of God’s children are. Feel free to pray. If you would like to talk, my name is Father Todd.”

Todd. That name rang a bell. Why did that name ring a bell?

“Thank you,” I said.

I went into the chapel and sat in one of the pews, right next to the aisle in case I needed to take off. It was warm in the cathedral, so I slid out of my jacket. The burn scars on my forearms shimmered in the light of the lit candles. I didn’t know how Catholics prayed. I’d never learned The Lord’s Prayer. My religion was different. Didn’t Catholics light a candle? I glanced over at one that was unlit and blinked. A bright cheery flame spring up on the wick.

I shook my head to clear it, folded my arms, bowed my head, and began to pray. It had been a while since I prayed in a church. And I’d never done it in another religion’s church. It felt strange. I could hear Father Todd busying about the chapel: moving books, dusting off pews, murmuring quietly to himself in a low voice that seemed to resonate familiarity in my ears—and my mind—but I kept praying. I wasn’t even sure what I was praying for. Or what brought me here, to another religion’s church, to pray.

After my, “Amen,” I stared ahead at the altar. There was something peaceful about the chapel. Quiet. Calm. Safe. It had been a long time since I felt safe. The burns on my arms attested to that.

Father Todd approached and sat on the pew in front of me. “I never caught your name, my child,” he said.

I leaned slightly away out of habit. “Fern,” I said—I lied. “And please don’t call me child. We’re probably the same age.”

“My apologies. But we are all children of God and I am the father of this parish.”

I cleared my throat. “… Right.” I shifted in my seat. “I'm sorry for disturbing you, Father Todd. I don’t know why I came here.” I moved to get up.

Father Todd held up a hand to stop me, but didn’t touch me. “Don’t worry, Miss Fern,” he said. “Those seeking sanctuary are always welcome. Perhaps God guided you here today to fill a hole in your life.”

“I'm already pretty devoutly Christian. Just not Catholic. I don’t think it was for that.”

“You never know. The Lord works in mysterious ways.”

I nodded, rubbing a scar. “I know.”

Father Todd’s sharp blue eyes took in the scars on my arms. “You look like you’ve seen trials,” he said.

I pulled my jacket back on to hide them as best I could through the holes in it. “I have,” I said. “Too many.”

He gave me a sympathetic smile. It was one that felt familiar but at the same time… not.

“May I… can you tell me your first name?” I asked. “Your given name, I mean?” I didn’t know much about Catholicism. Were priests’ first names a secret? Probably not, right? That seemed a little… strange.

His grin changed from sympathetic to amused. “Jason,” he said.

Another bell gonged in my head. Loudly. But for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why.

The big heavy doors to the cathedral flew open. “Father Todd!” someone greeted, voice dripping with false enthusiasm and fake friendliness. I turned around to see who it was. The voice seemed to strike a chord.

I bristled. I knew the newcomer. He was the Mob enforcer—strictly low-level—who threw me off the docks the other night. Rude.

Father Todd and I both stood up. He gently took my arm and encouraged me to stand behind him. I moved automatically, trusting his touch on instinct even though I definitely should not have. I didn’t know this guy—this priest—I shouldn’t trust him. I never trusted people I didn’t know so what was it about this priest that seemed so familiar? Familiar enough that I let my guard down?

“Brother Ricci,” Father Todd greeted, friendly but taut. I recognized the tension across his shoulders. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Collection day,” Ricci said. Nice to put a name to the face I disliked so much.

I peered out from behind Father Todd’s tall figure to glare at Ricci while Father Todd said something about religious exemptions that I tuned out.

Apparently, Ricci did too, because he smirked on realizing who I was. “Harboring street rats now, Todd?” he joked. “This one’s dangerous.”

“She is a child of God like all of us,” Father Todd said.

I stepped out from behind him, turning my palms toward Ricci and glaring. “The Catholic church shouldn’t have to pay protection money to the Mob,” I snapped. “Or any church, really. Leave now and tell your bosses this church is under my protection and I won’t pay you back for the indignity you made me suffer the other night.”

Ricci tutted. “Sweet child, thinking you can scare me,” he cooed. I clenched my jaw and flared my nostrils. I was really getting sick of the child thing. I was an adult. “It’ll take more than a cold glare and an attempt at an intimidating posture to frighten me. You’re so small.”

True. I was short. That didn’t help me be intimidating. “I make up for my height with an extra foot-and-a-half of attitude,” I said. “Leave the churches alone and I’ll let you live. I won’t turn you into an example for your bosses.”

“Mmm… I don’t think you could. Your display on the docks the other night was less-than-impressive,” he purred.

“I was holding back,” I spat.

“Miss Fern,” Father Todd tried, setting his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be reckless.”

“That’s a good one, coming from you,” I said, not looking away from Ricci, who was still amused more than scared. I had no idea where the words came from. The word reckless in his voice triggered the automatic response of hypocrite in my head, but that didn’t make any sense. He was a priest I’d never met before. How would I know if he’d been reckless at any point in his life?

“I beg your pardon?” Father Todd asked.

“Listen to the man, little girl,” Ricci said. “He’s right. You’re too reckless. And that’ll get you killed.”

“I shoulda burned you to a crisp when I had the chance,” I snarled under my breath.

“Fern,” Father Todd said, more strictly now. “Stand down.” His voice sounded quivery. Like he didn’t know where his words were coming from either.

“Yes, little missy. Stand down and run along.”

“NO!” I shouted. I thrust one hand forward, a stream of tightly-controlled fire exploding from my palm and surging right for Ricci.

Who shrieked and scampered toward the door. I strode forward, following him. “METAHUMAN!” he cried out in terror.

“Tell your bosses that the churches are off-limits and anyone who tries to enforce otherwise are going back to the big-shots as ashes,” I shouted. Ricci took off out the door. I stopped the fire. It dissipated immediately, leaving only a few wisps of heat behind. Nothing had caught.  Whew. I was getting better at control.

I exhaled sharply, feeling suddenly rather exhausted.

Father Todd caught me as I wobbled. “That was foolish,” he said.

“Tell me about it,” I muttered sarcastically. He supported me back to a pew and sat me down. I sank down gratefully and put my head in my hands. “I haven’t used that much in a long time.”

“What was that?” he asked curiously.

“Pyrokinesis. I'm a metahuman. I can control and manipulate fire,” I panted. “But it’s stronger than me and takes a lot of effort to control.” I rubbed my nose. It came away bloody. Wow. I really had overdone it and I’d barely put much effort into it. “I'm sorry, Jason. I—I mean… Father Todd.” Where had Jason come from? We weren’t on a first-name basis!

“Don’t worry yourself, Miss Fern,” he said consolingly.

“No. I just… I probably just put the parish in even more danger.” I sighed. “Oh that was stupid. I just saw him and got so mad for pushing me into the harbor and hoping it would kill me that I wanted to give him some payback. But I wanted to do some good with it too but now…”

Idiot. I was such an idiot.

Father Todd was thoughtful for a moment. “He called you a street rat,” he said.

“I am a street rat,” I said. “I’ve lived in the gutters of Gotham since my parents kicked me out for having powers. I wouldn’t have survived without my powers.”

“I was a street rat once too,” Father Todd said. I stared at him in alarm. Seriously? This guy? A street rat? Not frickin’ likely! “I found salvation here. This cathedral, and the people in it, saved my life in more ways than one.”

“That’s nice—I’m not becoming a nun.”

“No, no. I wasn’t suggesting you should. Though, perhaps you should stay here for a few days. Just in case Ricci comes back with… higher-level officers.”

“Good point. Are you alright if I stay here?”

“Of course.”

I nodded. “Then I’ll stay. Thank you… Father Todd.”

“You are not a member of my parish. Jason is fine.”

“Okay. Thank you Jason.”

^^^^^

“Everything alright, ‘Fern?” Jason asked as we sat on his fire escape, looking out over the skyline. Our armor was abandoned on his floor inside, leaving us in the tight under-armor we wore under it.

I ran my hands up and down my clothes, warming them up. “Fine, I just… something’s changed. Something feels off.”

“Let me guess. Time to call the Flash and see what time-travel shenanigans he’s gotten into?” Jay asked, already reaching inside his dark apartment for his helmet.

“Yeah,” I said.

“How can you always tell when something’s happened?”

“I don’t know. Intuition? The universe just feels… off.”

Jason rested his head on my shoulder. “My love, you are the most incredible woman.”

“Thanks Fa—Jason,” I said. What had I been about to call him? Fa? Like Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do? Or something else? What on Earth just happened with the universe?! I took his helmet from him so I could call Barry. I really needed to figure out what happened to the universe.

[hcourageous]

It’s come to my attention that amidst the glory that is Wonder Woman many people are saying “This is what a DC movie should be like” and that godforsaken article “the dceu is in trouble everyone liked Wonder Woman” all the while blatantly ignoring the vivid and prominent parallels between Wonder Woman and the other DC movies, specifically Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, because they seem to be at center of all the vitriol. Some of these aren’t parallels necessarily, just things BvS and MoS have been criticized for that magically no one mentioned about Wonder Woman.

Let’s start out with the most obvious, yeah?

1. Wonder Woman was FUN!!!

No. It wasn’t. Let me explain, I had a blast in this movie, it moved me, it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made my blood pump and while I am so blown away by seeing a movie directed with the female gaze and with all these amazing female warriors, this isn’t a FunTM movie. It’s set in World War I for god’s sake. It never shies away from the atrocities experienced by the citizens and soldiers in this war. It shows realistically what PTSD looks like through Charlie. It brings up interesting and complex ideas and hard facts about racism, politics, sexism and the arrogance of mankind. There are light moments for sure, but it isn’t bouncy happy fun all the time. I would say it isn’t humorous or light the majority of the time either. It’s a very serious movie, it expects you to take it seriously and you do. The thing is, Batman v Superman and Man of Steel are the SAME way. There’s humorous moments, light moments, but they are serious movies with complex ideas about heroism and being an immigrant in a strange world and how the darkness can corrupt even the most justice and moral driven of heroes. I had in watching them. I had amazing experiences. So did many others. But none of these movies are “fun” movies. They don’t shy away from sacrifice or darkness. They acknowledge that. You can have fun experiencing the movie, and laugh at its humor, but it isn’t a lighthearted film.

2. Colors!!

I mean, we’ve all hear the terms “dark and gritty” and “lacking color” when talking about the DCEU, which is frankly bullshit but I digress. Wonder Woman wasn’t really “colorful” either. Themiscyra was, but I mean it’s a magically hidden island of Amazons from ancient times. But as soon as they leave the island, the world is grey and dark and dismal. Diana calls it hideous. But this didn’t seem to detract anyone from enjoying the movie or following the story. Diana’s suit isn’t even that brightly colored, something Henry Cavill’s Superman has been criticized constantly about. Both movies use color and the lack thereof, shadows, darkness, to help tell the story.

3. Mental health/Triggering

Both Wonder Woman and Batman v Superman tackle PTSD in very real, pointed ways. Each depicts scenes where characters clearly struggle with nightmares, triggers, and outbursts from what they’re experiencing. Both did so in a compelling and realistic way and yet one was mocked relentlessly and one was not. Batman v Superman lingers on the mental health issues the characters are experiencing more, but they are central parts of the story and how it progresses. Bruce’s PTSD is what allows him to be manipulated by Lex’s games. Charlie’s PTSD is real and heartbreaking, but he is surrounded by friends and people who understand, Bruce is largely along besides Alfred who honestly doesn’t now how to help anymore.

4. The name game

So something I heard over and over as a criticism for Man of Steel was that no one calls him “Superman”. People said Zack Snyder was afraid to use the name, despite the fact this was an origin story and he wasn’t Superman yet. Despite the fact that Captain Ferris calls him Superman by the end of the film(and I agree Ferris, he’s totally hot). Yet Wonder Woman was not called by “Wonder Woman” in the film and no one seemed to have any problem with that.

5. Stories about sacrifice

This one really gets my goat. Man of Steel ended in the destruction of Metropolis, but the hope we could rebuild. Batman v Superman ended with Clark’s death, but the idea that men are still good, justice is coming. Wonder Woman ended with Steve’s death, but that love is the most powerful motivation for heroism. All three of these things are important, and yet BvS was trashed for implying that heroism requires sacrifice and Clark should have just given Diana the spear. Well, as Wonder Woman also expertly showed us, sometimes, you can’t do everything. Diana told Steve whatever it was, she could do it. But she couldn’t. There was no time. He could save the day, but she needed to save the world. In Batman v Superman a similar situation unfolds: a creature from another word. Batman has the gas, but he’s a weak human compared to Doomsday. Diana is strong, but she’s holding Doomsday back with the lasso. And there’s Clark who knows that he has to do something. He has the spear. When you can do something you have the responsibility to. That’s what being a hero means. So he does. In both cases that sacrifice reminded the heroes of what heroism really is about: hope, love, the fact that humanity is deeply flawed but worth fighting for. This lesson is also demonstrated in Man of Steel when Clark has to kill Zod to save a family.

6. The Hero loses faith

When Batman v Superman came out Superman/Clark was heavily criticized about the fact that he has a crisis of faith, right after the bombing and before Doomsday it really looks like Clark is going to give up. That he’s going to hang up the cape and give up the dream of being the people’s guardian. Diana has a similar experience. After fake-Ares is killed and she sees that nothing stopped, she has an absolute breakdown. Her entire worldview, everything she was taught was shaken and uprooted. Steve tries to convince her that people are worth believing in, and when he can’t he goes back to doing what he must do. He must help save people. In both situations, the heroes are put to the test when people they love are put in danger and face real doubts about heroism and themselves. In both cases, each hero makes the choice to continue the battle. Diana saves Doctor Poison, choosing to believe in humanity and and take down Ares. Clark does his best to reason with Bruce, who he considered a violent vigilante, to stand down, and even after the fight goes beyond his control he begs him to save Martha, he doesn’t care if Bruce kills him first, as long as he saves her. He puts his trust in Bruce’s humanity and THAT is why they are able to put their differences aside to help fight Doomsday. In both cases the crisis of faith were important developmental moments, showcasing to the audience how grueling and disheartening being a hero is sometimes. Sometimes people don’t understand, they vilify you, they mistrust you. Sometimes you don’t win, and those failures have a high cost. Do you keep going? Both these movies answer yes.

Listen, I’m really not asking you to like the other DC movies if you liked Wonder Woman. They are different movies and each film had different strengths and weaknesses, but I am saying that as a whole MoS and BvS have gotten some pretty unfair criticism due to largely what I think comes down to Zack Snyder. Some people don’t want to like his films, so they don’t. But in the light of all that Wonder Woman is getting praise for, which it deserves, that both the other films did well along side it is hypocritical. Patty and Allan did an incredible job, but I would like to remind people that Zack casted Gal Gadot, not Patty, and Zack, along with others, helped write the story that Allan adapted into a screenplay. This movie was a team effort in a grand scheme of films that had its own wonderful unique qualities while sharing the ideals and driving force that its predecessors did.

[justasmallbloginabigklainefandom]

The Great ATOG Reread; Grey part 9

Part 8 ended on a kind of cliffhanger? I just had to stop myself from continuing, but here I am. I read all the remaining chapters today and I’m, as the kids say, shook. 

I once again read 7 months long fic in four days. 

Anyway, since this is the end of this verse, thank you for reading my mumbling.

Chapter 29

Oh god, they have fucked up. Oh god they have fucked up so badly, to get to here, how could they get to here?

Aftermath. Draxie and BB are discussing Ghostly, and Blaine is once again realising what he’s done. I can’t really blame him, since he had a lot on his plate too. This entire fic was heavy because as a reader, you saw how helpless they both felt.

Kurt thinks he’s dying. Blaine doesn’t want him to die.

Normally it’s Blaine who thinks he’s about to die, but then again, problem 1 has been happening for a long while.

To no one’s surprise, the Phalanx rollercoast is making a lot of rounds today (especially with what’s waiting for them).

He has no fear of forever if 'forever' just means that they're both ghosts now.

Blaine’s thinking about solidity. He’d forgotten that Kurt had given him some sense of solidity, and now he wants to do the same for Kurt. Kurt thinks Blaine’s wasting his time. Kurt’s about to die, so why stay?

But why leave?

So while Blaine’s out looking for that sense of solidity, Kurt’s problem 3 is kicking his ass. The Ghost of New York City has started to become a stranger to Kurt, or is it the other way around? Fuck knows.

It’s time to leave.

UNLESS AGENT SYLVESTER HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE KNOCK KNOCK MOTHERFUCKER, TERRORIST!

People should realise that it doesn't matter if it's day or night, this city is always haunted. The Ghost lingers in its concrete and metal and glass, the Ghost is the memory of why you don't fuck with New York City. So long as the Ghost does exist, he's never letting it be known that New York is open to attack. No time even to change his underwear. That is how much he loves his city.

Time for probably the most horrifying moment in the entire fic.

You know, I love the Flash. It’s one of the reasons I started reading this fic. I thought “hey, superheroes aren’t as bad as I thought” because of the Flash. Fuck, Flash, I owe you.

Why am I telling you this? Because I stumbled into the CW DCTV verse without any knowledge about these comics. You can do the same for ATOG/Grey. You can read it without having to watch glee, but you will miss references and some depth.

(Small Flash season 2 spoiler ahead) When Jay introduced Caitlin to his Earth-1 döppelganger, he told her he’s called Hunter Zolomon. (End spoiler)

I moved on. I knew something had happened, but I moved on until I later googled the name, but if you see reaction posts and videos of diehard DC fans, you see people losing their shits. They got that reference, I didn’t.

And the same thing is happening right now.

The Ghost - looks at him. Phalanx stares back and sees incomprehension in the Ghost's eyes on his for a long second before it breaks, before something else surfaces, some awful realisation as the Ghost squeezes his hand and whispers heavy and sick, "Oh god." "Oh - oh god what, he - they knew? They knew, they had us in files? When did they -" The Ghost presses his hand and says in a fast stumble, "Phalanx they've known - I thought you knew, I thought we - I thought we just weren't - I thought you knew -"

Remember how I used to think Sebastian was a bad plot device? The first time I read this, I yelled: “I TAKE IT BACK HOLY FUCK I TAKE IT BACK” because I really did not see it coming. And he emotionally destroyed every single one of them with one sentence.

"So we have the full team, isn't that exciting?" Sebastian says brightly. "I've been reading about how pathetic you all are for so long, it's almost like I've actually been despising you in person the whole time. So you must be Noah Puckerman, just to clarify, Noah, no-one ever will see you as anything but a monster, because that's what you actually are. And Artie Abrams! Who will never spend a day of his life not dependent on someone else! And you must be Brittany Pierce, and I'm sorry to tell you Brittany but you never will understand because you actually are exactly that stupid, and that is all everybody else thinks about when they look at you. And your delightful partner Santana Lopez -" Cheer Girl, face white, is holding Incendiary's arm, far too tight for Incendiary to get at him; Incendiary is whispering under her breath, not even blinking, "Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you -"

"- I'm afraid abuéla will never think of you with anything less than stomach-turning revulsion again for as long as the evil old bitch lives, Santana. Which means that she's Quinn Fabray, and, Quinn? You will never see her again, because why the hell would they ever let someone like you fuck up her life?" Quinn is pale but silent. Only her fists at her sides shake, a little. "Sam Evans is the one who worked for the mob, so I'm sure he knows exactly what he has to remember when he can't sleep on a night because really an awful lot of blood paid for what he is now. And that brings us to -" "- no no no -" Phalanx whispers as Sebastian's eyes land on his, and the Ghost's hand is hurting his. "Blaine Anderson, Blaine," Sebastian leans a little forward to speak down to him, as Phalanx's every sense jars, "he never will forgive you, because you stood by and let that happen to him, and you're the selfish asshole who walked away whistling from something he has to remember every step he'll ever take." no no no no no he'll throw up Sebastian straightens his back, and looks at the Ghost, who stares back, silent and still and head held high, and eyes fixed on his. Sebastian says, like it's a joke, "Kurt Hummel." The Ghost breathes out, only a little hard, through his nose. Phalanx can see the way it shifts his chest. Unmasked in front of everyone he stands there still, not afraid, shoulders back and jaw set solid, and holds Phalanx's hand, and keeps his eyes fixed proud on Sebastian's, and if Sebastian has known his whole life to pick through the worst parts the way he did to them - Sebastian curls his lip. "Maybe you should just be grateful that anyone can look past your face and want to fuck you instead of crying 'rape' all the time."

As a reader, you know some of those people, but as a glee fan, you understand the pain they’re going through right now. I tried making Lloyd read this, since he’s also into the hero trope, and I know he won’t feel the same. I won’t have to fight to throw up. Again, some stories are ATOG only, and it’s just Sebastian showing off that he knows who they are.

But Quinn.

Santana.

Brittany.

Jesus Christ. Why does this have to happen to them? To make matters worse, a) Wade and b) Sebastian is a super who copies other supers.

Sebastian makes you sick. He’s sick. Fuck. How he uses the desperation of a man begging for his lover’s life, only because Sebastian doesn’t agree with the way he’s living his life. The Ghost once told Phalanx after the entire “oh shit I can kill people” thing started, that he’s seen people beg for their lives and how awful it is to see them lose their last glimpse of humanity.

I guess the Ghost never thought he would end in a similar situation, because he’s not losing his shit while begging for his life, but while begging for Phalanx’s life. Phalanx is dying. AGAIN. 

The Ghost knows terrorists. He knows he can’t risk it, because they’ll shoot him without a second thought.

And sure, Mercedes Jones, actual superstar, saves him some time, but it’s still too late.

The haunting grips every muscle in a tight, cold hand. Oh, he thinks, as the fists on his muscles let go, as his body folds into the dark. Oh, I know this feeling . . .

Chapter 30

puckzilla! \o/

Really?

The Ghost knows his powers like no other, and sure, this sucked, but he’ll get over it. He knows haunting. He owns haunting. For now, all seems okay. He and Phalanx are out of the crossfire, and with Mike and Agent rent besides them, it’s time to take a fucking breath.

Only.

Phalanx has different ideas.

"Um," Blaine says, and fiddles with a compartment on his utility belt, and then opens it. "I'm - not just kneeling because I'm concussed, you know."

Fuck glee 5x01, this is a dream proposal. Sure, it is a bit random, but this isn’t like the shit they pulled in canon glee. This time, it’s not rushed, or stupid, or shit writing. This is love.

This is Blaine offering Kurt solidity.

And yeah, Kurt is still trapped in the mindset of problem 1. He can’t have it, so why bother, but Blaine doesn’t give a flying fuck about problem 1 right now. Sure, Kurt might be dying and sure, their days together might be numbered, but he still wants to spend those last remaining days by his side.

"I want," Blaine says quietly, since Kurt isn't arguing anymore, since the fight is dumbed in Kurt, "to be your husband for every second I can get. I want to know that. I want something to hold on to, whatever else happens, something to be sure of. I want you to have that too. I want you to know that I love you, I want you to actually understand it, everything you do I want you to know that I love you while you're doing it. I want you to actually believe it. I know sometimes it's like you - it's like you understand it but you can't really feel it but, Kurt, you're a miracle to me, I feel it, I always will, whether you believe in it or not, I just, I just wish you knew that I'm in awe of you, that you're my hero and you always will be and I'll never be ashamed of that, you're the best part of my life. I wish you knew that you're allowed to want this from me because I want to give it to you. I want you to remember and trust in that every day, that I love you, I do, whatever else happens, anything, nothing will ever break this, not ever, I'll love you until I'm dead. And I'll try to make you believe it, I'll work at that, if you'll promise to try to believe it." He turns the ring in his fingers, twitches his smile a little. "I believe in ghosts," he says. "And I'm not afraid of them. I think it's - beautiful, that some things can stay. I would - like." Little breath, the way his chest expands, Kurt knows his body better than his own and he feels that breath in his own fluttering, aching ribs. "I would like to be the thing that the ghosts believe in, maybe."

(Really, fuck glee)

And everything is right in this world.

Until, of course, it isn’t. Mike, Sebastian, and to Phalanx’s dismay, Wade are entering the room. Sebastian is after the Ghost, and he’s willing to kill. The Ghost is not in the mood.

"You want me dead or you want my powers." he says, looking Sebastian steady in the eye and the Ghost might be the one looking through a mask but the mask is who he is, there's no lie in him, all the strength he's got is his. "So come and get me."

He once told Agent Sylvester he’s tired of playing games.

Boo, asshole.

While Sebastian is chasing after the Ghost, Phalanx is left alone with Wade. And wow, Phalanx is fucking terrified. Sure, he’s been shot, he’s been hurt, he’s been drugged, he’s been beaten, but no one has fucked him up as much as Wade did and he didn’t even come near Phalanx.

Again, whereas I got why Wade was upset, he was really frustrating. Rachel is never willing to listen, and so is Wade. He took his own stupid conclusions from a conversation that’s not comparable to the usual conversations the Ghost and Phalanx have about this matter.

Wade felt alone.

Just like that one super did. You know, the one that caused a major wankfest on the internet. Sometimes I wonder if they’re the same person.

But is this really the solution? I get that he didn’t want to be alone anymore, but is joining a group of fucking terorrists who don’t even care about him the solution? Is he less alone now? No. Of course not, but still, Wade chose this.

I like that Phalanx and Wade got to talk normally. I love that sometimes compassion and a good conversation can help people. Wade is afraid of Phalanx, Phalanx is afraid of Wade, but in the end, they have nothing to be afraid of.

"I needed you to be distracted," Wade says, still turned towards the corner. "I needed you to all . . . I gave everyone's mind exactly the same suggestion, all I do is nudge, it's you who -" "How was that the 'same suggestion', what 'suggestion' - ?" Wade stares at him, almost like he's afraid of him (He's afraid of him?) and says, "Something that would never happen." Phalanx stares back. The thing in his throat feels like wet old rope, too long knotted to ever come undone. Something that would never happen. Something that would never . . .

Relief.

It’s one of the best feelings ever. Phalanx get the confirmation that, yes, he would never do this to Kurt.

Because of that relief, Phalanx finally finds the strenght to see Wade for who he really is: Unique. Phalanx realises why the Ghost, from all people, has seen Unique from the beginning. And because of that, Phalanx can do it too.

The tension disappears and both Phalanx and Unique see each other for who they really are. Unique sees Phalanx, a man who is always willing to help her, and Phalanx sees Unique, the confident woman she is.

It’s okay.

It’s all finally over.

Except, in this verse, you know it’s not.

"Top story," the newsreader is saying, as Phalanx can only slowly make himself understand what Unique has just told him, "'the Ghost of New York' has been unmasked as Mr Kurt Hummel, twenty-four, we are unable to reach Mr Hummel for a statement but we'll bring the news as it breaks, 'Phalanx' has been unmasked as his partner, Mr Blaine Anderson of -" Mike has dropped to sit in the desk chair at the computer, like he can't hold himself up anymore. And when this sinks in, Phalanx thinks desperately through the welling, swelling confusion inside, the numbness of his inability to grasp something still in the process of growing too big to be contained, when this sinks in, when it does, I'll feel just as horrified as him, won't I . . . ?

Just like Mike, I felt like I couldn’t hold myself up anymore. Just like what Wade (now Unique) made Phalanx see... I knew it was coming and still, I felt like I was punched in the gut. That’s an understatement.

The Ghost is unaware of the fact that his worst nightmare has come true, and luckily so, because he needs to take Sebastian, what a bag of dicks, down. It’s interesting how Sebastian seems afraid of fear. 

The Ghost... all he needed was love and the solidity of the ring on his finger.

The solution was so simple. 

And just like Phalanx, that doesn’t make his struggles and pain unvalid. This must’ve been some of the worst months of his life, and even though all the pain goes away in less than five minutes, the pain will not be forgotten. 

Sebastian will never understand love the way the Ghost does. The Ghost knows now that Phalanx has shown hims what love means. To Sebastian, love is a prize, an object, you can win. 

But he’s about to loose.

You realise that you're gay, in this world, and you're afraid. Your powers come in and all you feel towards them is fear. Everything is secret, everything is scary, everything is shadows and you on your own - But you can embrace it, the Ghost thinks as he takes his silent step and Sebastian spits, "He only wants you because you're the only guy even more pathetic than he is, he only wants you because at least next to you he gets to feel like a man for once -" You can embrace it. You can embrace it second-hand, you can pass your power on to other people until you see how not-scary it is because it saved them. You can embrace it by following superhero blogs and feeling your stomach flutter, someone like you, until you know what you want to do too. There are lots of ways to come to terms with and embrace the part of you that will never be normal but still is you, is still the same gift that life is, all the same. Or you can embrace the fear.

He’s paranoid, and yet, the Ghost feels a bit of sympathy for him because he is the Ghost of New York City and that is what he does.

And really, after everything Sebastian has done to him and Phalanx, he is not fucking around.

At some point in his life, Kurt has believed every single word that Sebastian is saying right now. But when Sebastian's eyes hit the Ghost, the paler shape in the dark and Sebastian's blanched face freezes, he doesn't believe a word of them. He understands now the fear those lies are built from, he knows that fear is easier than the truth, it is so, so hard to swallow the fear down and reject a lie for what it is when the lie is so huge and the truth is only a ghost, the promise of a presence, something so intangible and so important. Fear will always be so, so much easier than the ethereal, invisible, untouchable truth.

Chapter 31

It’s over.

But it’s not.

The Ghost just thinks it’s over.

. . . it never is simple. God, he knows that, the Ghost lives in the grey spaces; it never was his single decision to put a mask on and help people that led to this. It was Blaine in Ohio ashamed and afraid, it was Karofsky dealing with his own agony by inflicting it on the only person he felt he could, it was Kurt's dad deciding to love Kurt whatever happened - it was Kurt's mom gone and Kurt taking care of himself, and his father, and never asking why he had to - it was Kurt's powers dormant in his child-body, Kurt learning the world before he learned himself - it was this world, this world that forces you into the confines of the tick box test, this world denying Kurt all of his grey spaces, this world chipping away at him and everyone else from the moment they came bewildered and afraid into it. It's a boy! means an entire life already chosen, and is not a statement of fact, Kurt knows that. It's a threat. The world looks at him every day and wonders why he can't live up to what he ought to be. He has to live every day of his life knowing what some people would do to him to 'teach him a lesson' when he already knows all of it, really, he really, really does.

The Ghost slowly starts putting the pieces together. Jesse, Tina’s show, Schuester... it’s all connected. Even though he and Phalanx were a bit occupied with their problems, they still wouldn’t have gotten it. Oh, how clever Sebastian was.

Was he?

"Dad." he says, and sniffs, and dabs his eyes off a little, balls the tissue in his hand as he takes a little breath. "Blaine asked me to marry him." Silence, for a second. Kurt can hear the news still on in the background on his dad's end, the murmur of some voice through the TV. His dad says, "What'd you say?" "What do you think I said?" "Like any of us ever know what you're gonna do about anything, Kurt." "I'm not stupid." He sniffs his breath in again, and squashes the used tissue into an empty belt compartment. "I said yes." "Good. I'm glad. I'm happy for you both." "You're coming to my wedding." "You couldn't keep me away." "So stay away from the windows and don't let anyone in." "Jesus, Kurt."

Of course, they’re up against Will Schuester, probably the most pathetic man ever. While Kurt and his father are fighting for who gets to put his body in front of that gun, Schuester fucking misses.

He misses.

Oh my god.

His dad is safe, Carole is safe, Finn and Rachel are safe, Mike and Tina are safe, and now people want to speak to the Ghost.

It’s sickening. It’s awful. Just like the Ghost, you cannot believe that people want to use the Ghost like this. And these are the people that you should trust.

It quietens in him, and he lowers his hand, and he speaks only softly because how much he means the words makes them heard. "Don't you ever dare bring anything like this to him. He's not that kind of soldier. He protects people. He shields people. He doesn't take orders, he does what he knows is the right thing to do. Don't you ever dare even try to make him into a weapon too."

You’ve seen the Ghost angry before, but he always has some way to stay calm and collected. Not now. He’s high key losing his shit.

The Ghost is in a vulnerable position, but then he sees Agent Sylvester and for the first time he gets what’s been happening and she’s been doing to him.

'Use your power wisely'. She didn't say powers. She said . . . It's not enough for them to be afraid of what he might do. He's very small, compared to them; he doesn't even know how huge they might be. But he has more power than just walking through walls now and then and his breath leaves him slowly, and that woman really might be the best and worst thing that ever happened to him.

Those people might be the big scary men, wearing expensive af suits, but never ever underestimate Sue Sylvester. No matter what version of Sue Sylvester you get, never fucking underestimate her.

Because those men don’t know him. Neither does Agent Sylvester, but she knows enough to see that the Ghost is one of the smartest people in the world.

He finally stares up at her, and she shrugs. He spits into the basket again, takes a tissue from his belt to wipe his mouth distastefully and drops it in the trash. "You," he says, slowly, a whole different sort of nausea spiralling heavily up from this realisation, "you've been manipulating . . . me, and Phalanx, and that team - and those men, your employers, the US government -" "Yup."

By the way, how is Phalanx doing?

I guess he’s somewhat okay.

Honestly, to Phalanx it’s all a bit confusing. His family is safe, but it’s not the same. Burt Hummel tried to throw himself in front of a shotgun to protect his son, but Phalanx’s parents?

They’ve never cared.

Phalanx, Blaine, cracks his eyes open, looks wearily up at him. Cooper's grinning. He looks across at his parents - sitting on opposite sides of the aisle, heads down, paying no attention, and he thinks . . . He doesn't know what he thinks. He doesn't think that they know what they think. His dad seriously just couldn't seem to get it, was still asking when this would be over when the plane touched down, like his son's being unmasked as a superhero is inconvenient but it'll blow over soon enough, and Blaine . . . Blaine knows, knows that this is the rest of his life now. He lifts a hand but doesn't touch the mask on his face, because he remembers that he's not wearing it. He unpeeled it in front of his mom. She looked back at him like she didn't understand any of it any more than his dad.

It’s so sad, honestly. They do love each other, but it’s more obligatory love. It’s more “oh well, we’re family so we love each other” love. Phalanx sure as fuck is relieved to see that his parents are safe, but if it were the other way around, would they feel the same?

Like... Burt Hummel tried to take a bullet for his son.

Mr. Anderson doesn’t seem to notice that something’s wrong, even though the US Government is holding them.

"I'm never going to be a physical therapist, am I?"

This is also the first moment where Blaine realises that his old life is dead. He no longer is Blaine or Phalanx. He’s both.

Yes, life is fucking shitty at this moment, but Kurt problem 3 just fucking disappeared.

Chapter 32

("What did you say?" Blaine had said urgently, and Kurt had looked so tired with the mask off, drained almost beyond sense as he mumbled, "I think I quoted The Wire at them.")

Just as Kurt, Blaine is fucking livid. How dare those people try to use Kurt like that.

Also, as a reader, something interesting happens. I just wrote that Kurt problem 3 is fucking gone. During most of the fic, you see Kurt, Blaine, the Ghost, and Phalanx as four different people. That stops.

Kurt is the Ghost.

Blaine is Phalanx.

End of story.

Even with their masks on, they are Kurt and Blaine.

It’s time to keep on living. Their secrets are out and everyone’s waiting for them to say something. The media are cruel and gross.

Don’t get me wrong. I fully agree with Meryl Streep that the press is the best thing that has ever happened to us and that we need to protect it (now more than ever since the US has a president that makes up a fucking terrorist attack in Sweden, and when Sweden tells them nothing has happened, he calls them liars), but that’s politics and business and economics.

This is showbizz, and let’s face it, showbizz media have always been ugly. Kurt and Blaine’s old lifes no longer exist. From now on, they only live for the media/public’s gaze and entertainment.

They have to continue living like this, and they start with the safe house. People are being contacted. Kurt is overjoyed that Robbie, Sophie, and Chandler are so kind. And yes, his aikido teacher knew.

Blaine, on the other hand, feels like he’s got hit in the face because of Paul.

Well. Fuck him.

Kurt’s adjusting. Like... he’s on the news and so is Blaine. Like I said, media are vicious. They’re trying to dig up as much as they can find so that they can use it for their own popularity. Even other people turn their backs on Kurt and Blaine in the hope of those fifteen or thirty minutes of fame.

His life really is just too surreal to deal with, sometimes; Mercedes Jones just invited herself to his wedding.

He realises that some good things have happened. Mercedes Jones has found her self-confidence, and to Kurt’s biggest surprise, the team mates are his friends. 

He leaves his phone, goes through to check on his lover, his fiancé, his partner. He's just waking in the bed as Kurt ghosts through the door, stretching out on his side in the sheets, eyes closed and face happily screwed up with the bliss of being in bed, and Kurt can't stop the smile, no mask in the world could hide that smile. In the dim Blaine's made of muted gold, in the dim his skin looks coffee-warm and he looks across, smiles for Kurt, and Kurt's thumb touches the ring to his skin. Eight million souls in this city, and he is the luckiest one of them all.

And.. problem 1 is done with too. They don’t understand what has happened, but do they have to? It’s over. That’s all that matters, and Kurt finally feels the relief Blaine felt when the Ghost jumped of that building.

Life really goes on. They go out to do their fucking jobs and well... can you blame them? Sure, people are reacting differently towards them and it bothers them, but they’re still superheroes. Nothing has changed.

Same goes for fandom, and my love for Ghostly cause HOLY FUCKING SHIT. HER MOM DIED AND THEN.. BB... AND.... I CRIED WHEN BB CAME OUT OF THAT TAXI AND I JUST????

Ghostly understands them like no other.

They return to you from the grave, the heroes at the heart of our fandom. They are now truly ghosts. What they have faced is loss, not just death but murder; they didn't ask for this outing, they did everything they ever could to avoid it. They face every uncertainty of loss and grieving. Their old life was murdered, everything they knew and lived is killed. Their *selves* are dead and yet they remain, as we the living do after each death - they are the gray murdered ghosts standing shocked on their own graves - and what I ask you for fandom from what shallow depth of my exhausted heart I can scrape down to right now is just *compassion*. Their lives are over, and they still have to live. The world bears down on them. They will have no privacy for their grief, no sacred space of the mourner for what they have lost, they have every news station in the country and half of them in the world tuned in to dismembering the corpses of their old lives and dangling the pieces from their gibbets. Grieving is *hard*. It hits you *hard*. I don't doubt that they're being strong, but I respect their right to feel weak under this onslaught. They were never our dolls. They were always those two young men - my god, barely more than children, we always knew and never could really face that fact (Blackbindings informs me that they're older than she is; Blackbindings, my angel, everyone is older than you are) - they were always real people, themselves, just themselves, doing what they could. If you could never view them as truly human before then *please* try to do it now. Their lives are being hung, drawn, and quartered by salivating journalists for *our* consumption, and we're supposed to be on *their* fucking side.

Damn Ghostly, back again with those dolls.

Please. If you won't do it out of compassion then do it because you *know* what we owe them: respect them. Give them their space. Let them breathe, and be. Don't greedily gobble down every butchered piece of them that the blood-maddened media will serve to you. Remember that to those who can make money out of it they will only ever be *things*. To us they are people; people who don't deserve to be turned into dolls, people we have no entitlement to own, everything they ever gave us was a gift. The only entitlement at work here is their entitlement to your respect. You do owe them it. They are as mortal and human and beautiful as any of us: *let them be that*.

(Sorry for that meme usage)

Let them be human, in this moment. Let them be not superheroes, not symbols, not dolls, not angels. Just let them be human, so they can put themselves back together again, after all that's been broken these last few days. Let yourself be an angel, for once. Be a bearer of quiet wisdom. See what it feels like to actually be on their side.

Sure, as a die-hard Spring Awakening thing, the ‘become an angel’ thing kind of freaks me out, but you get what she means, because from all people in this Earth, there are only three people who fully realise that Kurt and Blaine’s old lives have died and don’t matter anymore, never to come back: Kurt, Blaine, and Ghostly.

And yes.

Nice things do happen.

She says, "Are you wearing a-" He blinks, and her eyes are stunned on his finger, and he cups the ring protectively close in his other hand and says, "He, um, he, asked." When she screams there's a thudding scramble from outside and Blaine bursts in, shields a shocked green flicker crowding the room, the front door bangs open and three armed agents race through, and Kurt holds her arms as she hugs him by the head and he's not crying, he's laughing.

Rachel gives them another reality check: life has ended. You need to start anew, and since she’s Rachel, she demands that they let her help. The mail... it kind of freaks me out? Sure, good stuff happens like the Make-A-Wish thing and children sending drawings, but it fucks me up that Cheerios and Calvin Klein want to sponsor them.

Like I said, the media are important, but the showbizz ones are disgusting.

"Cheerios want to sponsor us." "What? I am not wearing an advertisement on my cloak. Oh my god Leviticus does not say that, if you're going to send hate mail at least do the reading." "Calvin Klein want to know your waist size." "What? Why?" Rachel shrugs a duh. "So they can send you lots of free underwear and then tell everyone that superheroes wear their stuff?" "Well they can mind their own damn business on my waist size." Kurt snaps back. Then Blaine sees the hesitation in him, because free stuff is a bit of a pull, but then Kurt takes the letter off Rachel and dumps it in the 'shred' sack anyway.

Not only this, but the tabloid stories have started. Juicy gossips about sex and life are happening, and there’s nothing they can do about it except for calling a lawyer. Really, their lives no longer exist for them. They’re for the entertainment industry now.

There’s only one way to make them shut up for now.

Rachel.

See, you are useful after all.

There's a dark-eyed boy on his laptop in the corner, but otherwise the coffee shop is empty and strangely calm, a lull in the world's air after all the rush and worry out there. And there, in the doorway in front of the man behind the counter, they fade into sight, quite slowly, two young men, holding hands, the shorter smiling hopefully, the taller looking the man behind the counter in the eye from underneath a nervously cocked hat. The young man on his laptop looks up, and smiles. Mr Conti wipes his hands off on his apron, and puts his proud-beaming head high. "What did I tell you. Leave the cape a night, bring a boy. Always welcome!" Their hands squeeze and hold, and from under the shadow of the hat, he gives him the smallest and most perfect ghost of a smile.

Chapter 33

You guys ever watched Avatar: The Last Airbender? There’s this episode where they recap the entire show, and it’s done in such a wonderful format. The characters are going to see a play about their own lives.

This is also a wonderful format, because who’s been there through all the hell, and fic, and fanart, and wank, and h/c, and BNF, and Dat ass, the fanmixes... fandom.

Oh fandom.

The first time I read this, I was kind of shocked to see that there’s been a time-jump, but it’s so brilliant.

It’s so weird people on the internet call them Kurt and Blaine now.

KH: He liked it. BA: I put a ring on it.

BLESS.

Since like everyone got unmasked all at once given That Photo leaking, that's l to r Blaine, Joy, Vanessa, Emily, and Kurt, or as we previously knew them, Phalanx, Draxie, She Who Must Not Be Named, Blackbindings, and the Ghost, all smiling, all happy <3

All wedding happiness aside, it’s so great to see how much they have progressed in five years. Kurt and Blaine have grown, and the fandom has too. Sure, it’s probably still wanky af, but that’s fandom. Draxie, BB, Ghostly... they’re all happy, and that means a lot to me. Draxie has kids! BB and Ghostly are together! BB is a professor! Ghostly writes!

KH: You got shot! BA: - I had completely forgotten about that. WHAT FUCKING LIFE DO YOU LIVE THAT FORGET GETTING **SHOT** JESUS FUCKING CHRIST

Really, the beginning is all fun and games, but the fact that they’re somewhat forced to do this is so sick. Just like Rachel, the whole world is about to find out what has traumatised them so much... it led to this. 

I love that after the interview aired the guy totally did get back in touch with him and now they're BFFs again, it was just one of the most 'uhhuuuhhhhhh ;____;' things…

This makes me happy though.

But. Fuck.

Not even Burt Hummel knew.

I respect him so much for saying that it's not easy. Because it would have been so easy for him to give the same narrative of 'I'm a survivor, I'm a fighter' but instead he tells his *own* truth which is 'I still live with it, it never wrecked me yet and I love my life now but yeah it's difficult'. People want sexual assault victims to fit into a box that would make it easier for the rest of us to deal with it, like fitting sexual assault perpetrators into a box so it's only obviously *evil* people who do it so we don't have to deal with actually 'normal' people doing it, but they're always really just people and it's *difficult*.

When all that is gone, time for more light hearted stuff.

BA: I was a fan. I am a fan. I'd been following him on the internet for - there is no non-weird way to explain this, Kurt stop - He's almost hysterical, I know some of it's release of tension but a lot of that is just 'MY BOYFRIEND IS MY BIGGEST FAN CANNOT STOP LAUGHING' I fucking love that he's one of us ;_; The fact that one of the biggest superheroes in the country turned out to be an epic geek must have done *so* much for so many kids reading comic books on their own . . . Just like the Ghost of New York turning out to have serious opinions on cravats and hair care meant so much to so many queer kids out there <3 BA: I have a blog. The four most beautiful words in the entire interview XD

JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL.

I guess it's the best we could have expected of fandom that people did hold off for a whole two weeks before someone outed his blog and the entire internet swarmed on it. And then like, he didn't go near the thing for a month because why would you. But I love that without any wanring or fanfare he just started using it post photographs of his boyfriend like 'yeah we all know why you're really here look at how pretty he is!! <3' and to chat about life in NY like it's no big deal. And now it's the best way we have to remember that they're *them*. cause the news might be all hostage situations and bank heists and supervillains and bomb threats but he just blogs 'Kurt made waffles best morning ever!! \o/' and you kind of get what their lives actually are to *them*, now <3

Oh yes.

BA: I still think 'what would the Ghost do' whenever I don't have a clue. KH: Blaine . . . BA: What? KH: Half the time he panics and looks for you.

OH MAN.

I AM LIKE THE FANDOM RN.

Speakin of them...

The first and only time he actually looks at the camera, for all of half a second Blaine keeps making eye contact with it like he wants *us* to feel included, Kurt looks like he just really can't. I know he's more used to it now but my god, back then, I mean we always thought he was *shy*. He has fucking PTSD. He was *terrified* of us. a lot of the way the media pulled them apart then was just sick He's scared of people judging him, not listening to him, just *judging* him. We really could have hurt him, when this happened, I'm so glad for all the people who *were* on thier side. Every minor thing about them got dragged out like it was some great psychological proof of something, the way people talked about them *like they couldn't hear it*, it was *grotesque*. I actually dumped friends over that, and I still think I did the right thing. They still deal with it now. They do so with really just remarkable grace, all things considered <3

Yeah kids, y’all fucked up.

I think for the most part phandom behaved really well. They tended that shrine outside their building and got into a lot of fights defending them online from everyone else, and actually once the Ghost's history came out I think some of the conversations about how we'd been using his image all along really did help people *think* about stuff I pulled a couple of dubcon pieces of fic after that, it just sat really bad with me. Been thinking about that ever since. he's trying to protect him. he knows how hard all this is on kurt and he's trying to protect his boyfriend from *us*. that really made me realise how powerful what we do is, we can hurt *superheroes* with this, we have to make sure we do it right :/ I love that phandom actually is really protective of them. The only public photograph there's *ever* been of them kissing was some long range pap shot through a window and it never gets reblogged, you just never see it, because everyone knows that was fucking wrong and neither of them would be OK with it. You know someone's not really a *fan* if they're OK with that.

I think that Kurt and Blaine did the right thing by outright showing that sometimes fandom’s entitlement is problematic. They all know by now that Blaine is amongst them, so they can’t pretend they don’t know that it doesn’t affect them.

Ghostly has told them so many times, but fandom always kept putting it aside. “They won’t see it anyway”

Well knock knock, y’all, Blaine’s seen it all for almost seven long ass years. He knows what you guys can do. He’s the press guy for a reason because he knows how to deal with it, since he basically lived in that fandom. 

Ghostly has told them. And now Kurt and Blaine have too.

BA: . . . sometimes when you're really engrossed in a book or your sewing machine I leave the mustard out of the fridge just to make you pay attention to me. omg I LOVE his face there BLAINE TELL ME YOU DO NOT DO THAT BLAINE THE MUSTARD IS SRS WE DO NOT JOKE ABOUT LEAVING THE MUSTARD OUT BLAINE, *WHY*

(I love this little running gag that started in ATOG)

In this interview, Kurt and Blaine show the world who they are. They basically tell others to fuck off with the showbizz, because this is Kurt and Blaine. That’s it. They’re just two guys who love coffee.

They have lives, and friends, and families... they’re just two guys. This was just a wonderful chapter and I really started tearing up at the end of it. They mean so much to the fandom, how crazy it might seem. 

In those past five years, they’ve done so much for this world, and this is just like the last chapter of ATOG where people finally thank them for it. You realise how much they can do. Idols aren’t just some obsession. For some people, they’re the reason they’re alive.

And yes, you should thank them for that. We love them for that. I guess that fandom gets that like no others. I was kind of crying while reading their stories, but of course, I ended up laughing. Why?

he belongs with puckzilla :(

Chapter 34

"Sheet," she greets them with. "Mop."

I love you, Agent Sylvester.

"This way. Pleasant journey?" "You don't care," the Ghost says, Phalanx walking easy at his side after her. "No I don't." she confirms, striding on ahead of them. Five years on, they still don't really know how to navigate life under the unpredictable aegis of Agent Sue Sylvester.

You now get Kurt and Blaine’s POV of the last five years (not the musical), and it’s a bit different to them than to the fandom.

Five years on almost to the day that Blaine asked Kurt to marry him and Kurt, unpredictable, unimaginable Kurt, the man whose existence remains a mystery and miracle to Blaine every single day, said yes. Five years since they became Kurt-the-Ghost-Hummel, Blaine-Phalanx-Anderson, five years since their masks became a matter more of symbol than of safety. Five very long years of late nights and busy days, because they mean too much to people to ever be allowed to just be themselves, now; five years of all the politics of being super and gay in America today, five years of interviews and campaigning and photographers never leaving them alone and never being able to bring themselves to say no to charity work, five years of the tabloids and Twitter almost more dangerous to them than supervillains, five very long years in which they've worn each other's rings and never doubted their decision, not once, because the possibility of death every single night - and a slip of metal on the finger to confirm what actually matters - really keeps their priorities on their minds.

Like I said, their old lives are dead.

This is life now.

Let’s make the most of it, eh?

Three years ago, the night that both Blaine and Burt Hummel had been waiting for ever since they both found out that the person underneath that cloak was Kurt. Three years ago the night that they got separated but they knew what they were doing, they weren't panicking, Phalanx didn't rush to be back at his side. Three years ago that they interrupted a gang fight, and the Ghost found that the only thing he had to put between a fourteen year old kid and a gun was himself.

So much has happened in five years. The Ghost has been doing it for 12 years now, and Phalanx for 7. 

"You could have told me," was the first dry cracked thing he managed to whisper out, while Blaine stroked his cheeks, and watched his face from so urgently close, his still-here husband, alive in his hands. "What, angel?" he'd whispered back. Kurt swallowed, awkward with difficulty, and mumbled, "Being shot hurts." and then his breath of a laugh kicked him into a cough and Blaine told him not to and wanted to cry.

Yeah, life is weird, but everyone’s somewhat okay. They’ve managed to make it work. Their families are protected, their friends are working, the complex still exists.

He's Kurt's press guy. Even when he thinks he can't he still handles it, for him. When Kurt needs it, he always finds enough strength to still be his shield.

And family... it’s important. They’re about to find out why.

This marriage, and he knows it, is the best and most solid thing in both of their lives, those rings on their fingers trail the ghosts after them everywhere they go of the things they can never forget, the thing they can never forget, that nothing else can ever mean more to them than the other does. Blaine wants Kurt to haunt him forever. Blaine wants him to haunt him until they're both ghosts, nothing less will ever satisfy the hunger in his heart for him, the always-way he every day needs him, the ever ever ever of the after that he needs . . .

So many quotes, but they all matter.

Family.

Matters.

"Julio," Kurt says, very quietly. Blaine has to swallow down something so sore to say, because he does know that someone has to say it, "We ought to talk about this." "Mm," Kurt says, shifting his arm to hold Julio more securely to his chest. Both of them already know that that's all the talking about it that they'll ever do.

Kurt and Blaine... and Julio.

It’s right.

It all feels so right, like wow fuck. Kurt’s a different man now, and different enough to even talk to Will fucking Schuester of all people. But just like Incendiary all those years ago, the Ghost knows people need to talk sometimes.

Will looks back at him, face very still. Kurt wonders how many times someone has genuinely thanked that man, in his life.

Julio.

He’s theirs.

Rewind such little time and it was him and Blaine, dressing in their costumes, summoned to the complex for something almost inevitably dangerous and draining. Rewind such little time and he was marrying him, love of his life, making the two of them a we, forever. Rewind such little time and he watched him from underneath a dark hood, so afraid of what trust might cost him, so afraid of how that man could hurt him, so afraid . . . Rewind such little time and he was just a boy, alone, with no idea what he was doing except the things he had to do. Now he looks up and Blaine is looking down at them, hand on Kurt's shoulder just in case - he always trusts him to ghost him if he needs it - and the way he's looking at him. At them. At Kurt and Julio. At Kurt and their baby.

I am very emotional about this, okay.

Most grandparents get some warning. They know about the pregnancy, adoption is discussed, they get some warning. Kurt never does what's expected. Burt knows he could take his time but like hell he's going to take his time, he's a grandparent, just like that, his son is a father. Only thing he stops for on his way to the airport is the toy store; it's still a few hours before he's finally driven to that creepy base of theirs by agents, kind of nervous now, anxious, he remembers doing this in a hospital, waiting for the first glimpse while she gritted her teeth and snarled the scream and squeezed his hand so tight that his bones still remember it .

KURT SINGING BEATLES.

Biology couldn't make Kurt love that baby more.

I guess that this touched me the most. As someone who’s adopted and also spent a lot of time today thinking about adoption (I blame the wonderful girls of the Hearing Verse: Mei, Maddy, and Li), this just hit me a lot.

"We called Santana because we want him to grow up knowing Spanish and neither of us are fluent, and she yelled at us a while about how we can't just adopt a baby without thinking about it but then she went quiet and hung up I think to tell the entire rest of the team so they might all turn up tomorrow, we don't really know what's going to happen, we kind of - I put a statement out for the internet, we just went into a baby-bubble, he's really full-on, I think we'll kind of get more time to do other things when Kurt can stop needing to watch him sleep all the time like that? Because then we could sleep which would be -" he starts yawning again - "- amazing -"

Same for this, okay. It means so much to me that Kurt and Blaine still want to give Julio some connections with his past and his culture. Yeah, I tried learing Chinese, and I gave up, but it is so nice knowing my parents gave me that option in the first place (and I’m thinking about picking it up again).

And just like that, the story ends. In the best way possible, it ends with the internet.

A photograph of his back, hood down, head turned just slightly to the little dark baby's head tucked to the cloak over his shoulder. Only his eye in the mask watching the baby's face is visible; it's still obvious how he's smiling. Paternity leave. We'll let you guys know when we're back when we have half a clue ourselves. The family is very, very, very, very, very happy :) Blaine touches his back as he climbs into bed, sees the tired cracking of his eyes and kisses him on one to make him close it before it opens, and gets the lamp; and all around them, unheard in the silence, unseen in the dark, the ghost of the internet roars.

I know, judging from rainjoy’s long author comment, that some thought this ending was not what they expected and that it’s kinda heteronormative, but I agree with rainjoy.

Why do only straight people get happy endings like this?

Why are happy endings like this automatically seen as heteronormative in the first place?

The ending is quite open, because you really do not know what’s going to happen next. The Ghost and Phalanx are unpredictable and the story ends on a high note, but on an open one too. 

Another thing I liked from the author’s note is that rainjoy admits that there’s no given reason for Kurt’s problem 1. Just like Kurt and Blaine, you will never find out why this happened.

But just like Kurt and Blaine, you make peace with that.

I could say more about that author’s note, but really, all of that has been said before by me. This story... just... holy shit.

I wish I could find the words to describe this. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Grey is the only fanfic I call literature.

I want to be more elaborate, but I can’t. Maybe, after all this not toned-down stuff, I should just use the words of the fandom: OMFG I CANNOT EVNEJ FC I M CRTINGG????? PLS SEND HELPPP