#gotham city sirens reunion

[siconetribal]

Put it on My Tab 11

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!reader

Tag: @vbecker10 @wordsfromshona @harlequin-hangout @harpy-space @tild3ath @gone-batty-fics @princessbl0ss0m @dakotali

Warning: Frustration, Celebration, and Coffee Inhalation

Summary:

Everyone deserves time off, and the vigilantes of Gotham are no exception to the rule. The boys decide to take a weekend to let loose. Who knew a few drinks would lead to a stranger in bed?

Author Note:

A huge thank you and shout out to @harlequin-hangout for the amazing banners you made for me.

Please comment, like, share, and reblog! If you'd like to be added to the tag list, let me know!

If you’re new to the story, please check out the master post for the rest of the chapters or find chapter one here.

The apartment was silent, broken only by the occasional shouting, shooting, and sirens. For anyone living in Gotham City, especially the rougher parts, this was all white noise. A day of actual  silence was a blessing that no one dared to question. Today was not one of those nights. In fact, it was noisier than most, which usually meant trouble was closer than usual. None of that mattered to Y/N as she sat cross armed and cross-legged on the worn out sofa, staring down at her phone that lay on the coffee table before her.

Seconds had turned to minutes which quickly became an hour which was now nearing two as she sat there stone still. Since coming home from her shift, she had perched herself on the couch as if to judge the cellular device that was placed on the stand. There was now a new number on her phone. Nine new digits under the contact name: Your Hero and a message thread that held one text saying ‘hi’ from her phone to this person. 

The same person with the mesmerising blue eyes that looked like they held the secrets of life itself, tinged with sadness and pain. Tall, muscular but not overly bulky but certainly much bigger than her, with black hair that had a high contrast streak of white in the front. The same interrogative gentleman who saved her from the drink and Matias. The very person who had her drowning in 4k worth of debt to the hotel for room damage. Thrice he appeared out of nowhere and twice were to save her from serious trouble. The one and only silver tongued Wonder Boy who was into books and video games.

“Who just shows up to save someone on time like that? Is he really some sort of self-proclaimed hero?” She muttered to herself, unfolding her arms to rest her chin in one of her palms.  “What do I do now? Do I text him? Should I ask about the room? How do I even bring that up without him claiming I’m some liar trying to squeeze money out of him? It’s not like I knew he was a Wayne! I didn’t sit there and memorise all their faces, and just hoped to the high heavens one had a decent enough personality to save me. I didn’t even want to go to the reunion! Do I just wait for him to text me? He did say he was going to text me, but do I just believe that? When is that going to happen? What did I even say yes to?!” She threw her arms up in frustration and ruffled her hair. “What the hell am I supposed to do?!” She let out a heavy sigh of frustration, staring up at the dated popcorn ceiling as she slumped back into her seat, laying her head on the top of the cushion. Today is going to be a long day. She blinked a few times, fatigue getting the best of her. Forcing herself to stand up, she grabbed her phone and made her way to her bedroom. Sleep was the only answer after such a hectic night shift.

“Tonight, we celebrate, Magnus ol’ buddy!” Jason grinned, snapping the elastic band of the party hat under the stone chin. “Yours truly has managed to not only find her,” he walked away and paused for suspense, turning with ease to face his rock friend once more. “But also get her number and her name! Sure, I got it off her name tag, but I plan on getting it from her directly!” He grinned from ear to ear as he walked back, waving the lit up phone screen in its face as he leaned against Magnus. “Sorry I haven’t been around to update ya on things, I had to help with shit on the other side of the city for the last couple of weeks. At least it wasn’t boring. But that’s beside the point, I finally got something on her before she got on me! Man, you should’ve seen the look on her face! I left her speechless!” He puffed his chest with pride as he plopped down onto his usual seat by Magnus, opening up the rolled up paper bag.

He pulled out a large order of fries, setting it sideways in Magnus’ mouth for easy access before grabbing the burger beneath it, his drink set between them and his helmet just within reach. Batburgers were the perfect on-the-go late night celebratory food. He was not scheduled to be on patrol today, but no one told him what to do. He just merely agreed with decisions for the most part, today was just one of difference of opinion. Let the Batman rant and rave, Jason would not let anyone take away his victory.

“So, what was the last thing we talked about? Ah, right! Some mobsters were causing shit thinking I wasn't around to crack skulls. Fucking dumbasses,” he rolled his eyes and took a hearty bite of his burger. “The look of shock on their faces, you’d think they saw a ghost! I know I’ve died a few times, depending on what stories you follow, but I’m still flesh and blood. Of course, they tried to fix that, thinking they had a chance. They never learn, and that's why they always fucking lose. When I ran shit, I was smart about it. Throwing muscle mindlessly is a waste. You can't educate the brainless though. I had to make sure to do a proper job, and couldn't leave just anyone to send the message. Things should be quiet over there for a bit which gives me the chance to actually reach out to Y/N.”

“Y/N, huh? That’s a pretty name.” A familiar voice held an annoying lilt to it. Jason’s eyebrow twitched as he took a sip of his soda.

“Whaddya want, Dickwing?” He grumbled.

“What, can’t an older brother come check in on his AWOL younger brother?” Nightwing placed a hand over his heart and hung his head. “You wound me, little brother.” He frowned, noticing the party hat on the gargoyle. “And to have a party without inviting me? I am doubly hurt! Maggie has a hat and fries!”

“Magnus is important. He doesn’t say stupid shit like you are now.” Jason scoffed, taking one of the crispy golden potato sticks.

“Margrave can’t say anything. I still think you should see someone about this unhealthy relationship you have with this heap of concrete.” Nightwing knocked two knuckles against it before taking a seat beside Jason. “So, who is Y/N, and why are you texting her? Where did you meet? Should I be worried, and for whom between the two of you?”

“Shut up,” the younger former Robin grumbled. “You better not fucking do anything or I’ll kill you.” He warned Nightwing quickly raising his hands up in surrender. “She's the girl I was trying to find about the whole hotel fiasco.”

“The one where you broke the simple coffee machine and ruined the room, leaving her with a huge bill to clear?” He smirked as Jason scowled.

“Yes, that one. Keep it up, see what happens.” He grumbled.

“Alright, alright! So, you finally found her, hm? That's good, you can give her the money and move on finally. You won't have some rando holding that over you anymore. Did you get the money sent to her already?”

Jason knew that was what he needed to do and that was the whole purpose of trying to find her. Give her the money and move on. There was no use or reason to delay. The sooner he paid, the sooner she was free to move on as well. Being involved any more than necessary was a danger to her and a burden on him. And yet, the thought alone left a bitter taste in the back of his mouth. 

Y/N was witty and funny, easy to approach and talk to even if it was just nonsense. He wanted to keep talking to her, and not just through a computer screen. He wanted to know more about her day, the crazy customers, and the shenanigans of her and Citlalli. He wanted to sit and drink coffee or tea or whatever she drank and discuss books, plan little gaming raids, or just talk about life. He knew nothing about her. 

I could just look it up now that I know her name and place of employment. I could find out everything about her and clear up the mystery that is her, feed the curiosity and be done with it…but I don't want to. Not only that, but I want to hear it from her, organically. Even if I did read all there is, I'd want to hear it from her. 

“Earth to Jason, are you there?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. I’m just thinking.”

“You, thinking? Oh man, that isn’t good. Should I be expecting a second duffle bag incident?”

“Duffle bag what? No, that was one time, you guys need to learn to let it go!” He rolled his eyes.

“It’s pretty hard to just let go of the fact that your younger brother was carrying eight heads stuffed in a gym bag.” Nightwing scoffed. “Excuse me for being a little concerned.”

“It was one time!” He let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not some psycho serial killer or something. If you’re here to rain on my parade, you can fuck off! This is why I didn't invite you, Magnus knows how to read a balcony. It’s clearly a party.” He motioned to the shiny pointy hat on said gargoyle’s head. “Also, aren’t you on patrol? Quit slacking off and go.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll leave! I can tell when I’m not wanted!” Nightwing let out a heavy sigh as he stood up. “Unloved and thrown away like last week’s newspaper.” He sniffled loudly. “I see how it is!” He threw his head back with the back of his hand to his forehead.

“If you get it, then leave.” Jason grumbled, opening up the wrapper of his second burger. “Thanks, for the assist.” He mumbled before taking a bite. Nightwing had just barely heard the words, but smiled nonetheless.

“Anytime, Little Red,” he chuckled before vanishing into the night. 

Over the course of the next two weeks, Y/N picked up every and all shifts that she could possibly find to help clear the money owed. Citlalli was great in helping her find work, while away and on her return. The return of the boisterous and flamboyant Citlalli was like sunshine after weeks of doom and gloom rain, refreshing and much needed. Y/N had been keeping herself too busy to even think, and Citlalli’s return was a great distraction, but also a great sounding board on what to do. She had told her dear friend all about her encounter with her troublesome cousin and the return of her expensive hero. Citlalli was not thrilled to hear about her cousin’s antics, and had quickly informed their boss of what transpired. She also insisted that Y/N should wait for him to text, since that is what he said he would do. The task was simple enough, validating the decision she had been leaning towards as is. 

However, that was then. Two weeks and some days had gone by, and nothing. Utter radio silence from him. No sudden appearances, even though Matias did come by some times to try to get her attention. And her online gaming partner was also MIA. Arkham_Knight said it would be about a week, but there was no movement or notice from him either. It was driving her crazy to just sit and wait for both of them.

The next time I see him, I’m going smack him! How do you tell someone you’re going to message them and just don’t?! Especially after you made sure to get my number to send details, what details?! She wanted to scream, but she was on the clock. It was another graveyard shift and the café was dead. Everything had been cleaned spotless and anything that needed to be restocked was done. She even went through the inventory to make a list of what needed to be reordered soon. With nothing left, she took a seat on the stool and pulled out her book since there was nothing else to do.

As soon as she cracked it open, there was the sound of glass shattering. She reflexively ducked for cover as the window shards went flying everywhere. She could hear the sounds of a struggle at the crunch and scratch of the pieces, a muffled frantic voice followed by a calmer, more exasperated one.

“I told you we could do this the easy way or the hard way, you chose the hard way.” The young male voice flippantly spoke. “Now, tell me what I need to know. I can keep this up all night if I have to, I’ve got nowhere else to be.” 

And I just cleaned the whole place! Y/N scowled at her turn of luck, carefully closing her book and placing it aside. What am I supposed to do in this situation?! I can’t exactly greet them and ask what they would like to order, who knows what they’ll do to me. Wasn’t his place supposed to be ‘crime free’? So much for that promise, thanks for nothing Gotham politicians! She grumbled to herself, slowly lifting her head to just above the counter to see who was responsible for destroying the cafe. She was surprised to see it was one of the famous caped crusaders of Gotham City. Red Robin, here? With who? She tried to get a look of the captured person but her attention was caught by the sound of crunching glass and she ducked quickly for brief moment.

“Did we get it?”

Nightwing? Well damn, I know I said I wanted something to happen, but this was not what I had in mind. She slowly stood up from her hiding spot after shifting over to right so that the machines would help hide her for a little longer.

“Not yet, but looks like he’s just about ready.” Red Robin answered, looking over his shoulder at Nightwing, catching sight of Y/N’s hat in the process. “Looks like we have an audience.”

What do I do? What do I do? Y/N’s eyes darted from side to side trying to find a place to run, but she was boxed in and there was no way she would outrun one of them. With no options of escape, she slowly walked towards the register so she was more visible with both her hands up. “I’m unarmed, I’m just an employee here.” She forced herself to speak calmly and clearly.

“An employee here, where are we?” Nightwing quickly surveyed the location and realized they had come crashing through an actual business and not one of the under construction buildings. “So he ran here hoping to be seen by someone.” He muttered.

“See what? I don’t see anything, except for two potential customers debating if they want to order.”

“Smart girl,” Red Robin answered, turning to face her after tying up the guy on the floor. The two vigilantes walked up to the counter and looked up past Y/N to see what was available. While Red Robin realized where they were, Nightwing realized something else. She noticed and looked down to see it was at her name tag.

“Y/N, that’s a pretty name.” He grinned. “I think we will order something, Y/N. What do you say?”

“Red Eye with two shots of espresso and some steamed milk, large.” The order came out quick, a slight eagerness in the tone. Y/N could not help but stare at the younger of the two masked males.

“I’m guessing you like coffee, and strong at that.”

“It helps when working the night.” He stood a little straighter.

“Riiiight, I’m not judging. I work in a café.” She shrugged, dropping her arms since she needed to make the order. “And you, Mr. Nightwing?”

“Mead Raf for me, medium is fine.”

“To go, or did you plan on staying to chat? We’re a 24-hour café, though I suppose I need to have you leave, since I need to clean up all the glass.” She motioned to the floor.

“Ah yes, sorry about that, Y/N. We’ll have it to go so you can get to cleaning.” Nightwing chuckled, amused by how she was handling the situation. The two watched her as she carefully made the drinks, making sure no glass managed to find its way behind the counter or into the coffee. 

“One large Red Eye with two shots of espresso and steamed milk and one medium Mead Raf. Is that all?” The vigilantes looked between one another and nodded their heads. “Alright, here you go. Consider it a small thanks for doing your best to keep us safe. You sure you don’t want anything to eat? Or are you not allowed to eat on the job?”

“There are no rules about that, we just gotta keep our hands free as much as possible. Thank you, Y/N.” He smiled at her name. He noticed the corners of her lips tug downwards. “Is something wrong?"

“Hm? No, nothing.” I’m overthinking it. He’s probably saying my name to make sure I know that he knows my name now and if I say anything, it’ll be easy to find me. “I’m a snacker, so I guess not having something on hand seems a bit cruel.”

“It’s annoying, but we need to be able to react quickly.” Red Robin agreed, taking his cup and taking a rather big drink from it. She tried to stop him, but could only watch. He was not the first to drink burning hot coffee in front of her, but it was always strange to see. Nightwing was not as crazy, he waited for a bit before sipping his drink.

“Perfect,” he smiled in approval. “Thanks again, Y/N, and here, something for your troubles.” He winked, slipping something into the tip jar before grabbing the tied up man. “Until next time,” he flashed her a grin as Red Robin held the door open and the two walked out as if they had not just come crashing through one of the windows.

She looked down at the tip jar to see what looked to be a $100 bill and something else. Do they get paid to do this job, or is this from a day job? Where the hell did he even keep this money? I don’t see any room for pockets in his suit, but then again, it’s all black. Red Robin did have a belt, maybe he holds the change? Her focus then shifted her attention to the glass littering the floor and sighed, there was no way she was going to be able to run the rest of the shift like this. Locking the doors, she grabbed the cleaning supplies and called her boss, letting him know of the situation at hand. “Well, at least it wasn’t dull.” She muttered as she got to cleaning until her boss got there to have the window temporarily patched up.

[dc-and-arfrona]

Goodbyes

Jason Todd x GN!Reader

Word Count: 600+

Type: Angst

Based of this prompt: I didn't say goodbye, because I really thought we were going to see each other again. I didn't want to say goodbye to you. We did see each other again and you changed. I should have said goodbye.

Masterlist

------

Jason's heart raced as he leaped across the rooftops of Gotham City. Thoughts of the past haunted him, memories he tried to push away but always resurfaced when he least expected. It had been months since he left without a word, disappearing into the shadows of the night. But there was a reason for his silence—an underlying belief that they would meet again.

"I didn't say goodbye," Jason muttered to himself, the words carried away by the wind. "Because I really thought we were going to see each other again. I didn't want to say goodbye to you."

That night, the image of your face—those captivating eyes and the warmth of your smile—refused to fade from his mind. The connection he felt with you was unlike anything he had experienced before, and it terrified him. Jason convinced himself that distancing himself was for the best, yet doubt always lingered.

The streets of Gotham were just as dark and unforgiving as they had been before, but this time, something felt different. Jason prowled the city as the Red Hood, driven by a sense of purpose to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. As he rounded a corner, his eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the distance.

You.

It couldn't be a coincidence. Fate had brought you back into his life, but Jason couldn't help but notice the change. Your once radiant smile had become a faint memory, replaced by a guarded expression and distant eyes.

Jason hesitated, torn between approaching you and hiding in the shadows. But curiosity got the better of him, and he took a step forward. As he drew closer, he observed the weight you carried on your shoulders, the way your gaze shifted as if searching for something—or someone.

"We did see each other again," Jason spoke softly, hoping that his voice would reach your ears. "And you changed. I should have said goodbye."

The words hung in the air, the tension building between them. Jason searched your face for a sign, a glimpse of recognition, but uncertainty clouded your eyes.

Finally, you turned, meeting Jason's gaze with a mix of surprise and hesitation. Recognition flickered in your eyes, as if fighting against a flood of emotions. A torrent of questions lingered on the tip of Jason's tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to voice them. The unspoken words hung heavily in the air, a reminder of the time lost between them.

"Jason," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

"Y/N," he replied, his voice filled with equal parts relief and regret.

Time seemed to stand still as the two of you stood in silence, the weight of unspoken emotions threatening to overwhelm them. But Jason knew he couldn't let this opportunity slip away again. He reached out, hesitantly placing a hand on your arm, hoping for a connection.

"We have so much to talk about," he finally said, his voice filled with a mixture of longing and determination. "Let's find a quiet place and catch up."

With a nod, you agreed, and together, you walked away from the bustling city streets, ready to confront the untold farewells of the past and find solace in the bittersweet reunion.

As Jason and Y/N found a secluded spot away from the bustling city, a mix of anticipation and anxiety filled the air. They settled on a rooftop, the distant sounds of sirens and honking horns providing a backdrop to their reunion.

Silence hung between them for a moment, neither knowing where to begin. Jason studied Y/N's face, noticing the lines of worry etched upon it, a stark contrast to the carefree smile he remembered. He realized that their time apart had changed them both.

Finally, Y/N broke the silence. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye, Jason? I thought we had something special."

Jason swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on his hands. "I thought it was for the best. I thought I could protect you by staying away. But I was wrong. I regret not saying goodbye, not cherishing the moments we had."

Y/N's voice trembled as they spoke. "You don't know how much I wished for you to come back. I waited, hoping against hope that you would return. But you never did."

Guilt washed over Jason as he realized the pain he had caused. He reached out, gently taking Y/N's hand in his. "I'm sorry, Y/N. I should have trusted our connection, our bond. I didn't want to say goodbye because I believed we would see each other again."

Tears welled up in Y/N's eyes as they searched Jason's face for sincerity. "Do you still feel the same way? After all this time?"

Jason's grip tightened, his voice filled with conviction. "Y/N, my feelings for you have never wavered. Seeing you again has only made me realize how much I still care. I want to make things right, to cherish the moments we have now."

A mix of emotions played across Y/N's face—uncertainty, longing, and a glimmer of hope. They nodded slowly, a tear slipping down their cheek. "I want to believe you, Jason. But we have a lot to work through. Can we take it one step at a time?"

Jason smiled, relief flooding his features. "Of course, Y/N. We'll take it as slow as you need. I'll be here for you, every step of the way."

And so, on that rooftop overlooking Gotham City, Jason and Y/N began their journey of healing and rediscovery, ready to build something new out of the remnants of their past. Love and understanding would guide them, as they embraced the bittersweet beauty of their reunion.

[thefrequentdaydreamer]

"There were three things in this world that Bruce Wayne was terribly sure of.

One, the sun always rose in the east and set in the west, no matter how dark the night seemed.

Two, the truth always came to light, even if deceit seemed the victor at the moment.

And three, he was definitely, undeniably in love with Selina Kyle.

Many women had come and gone over the years, but somehow, he always found himself returning to Selina.

Because only Selina knew the pain that had driven an orphan like him to crime-fighting. She’d been the one to wipe his tears when Jason died – and when he inexplicably came back to life. She’d been the one to watch over his comatose form when he got his back – and his spirit broken – by Bane. She’d been the one by his side when Talia sent him a son he never knew he had and then disappeared without a trace.

She understood him.

But at times like this, Bruce wished he could understand her, just as she did him."

Interested? It's part of my fic featuring BatCat, Harlivy and Bruce Wayne learning about some pesky little thing called feelings, and communication.

Synopsis and link are here. Give it a look see!

After a fight, Selina slinks off to do hero shit on her own, and suffers because of it. When she chooses to turn to her friends instead of him, Bruce wonders just why Selina is so chummy with an ecoterrorist and an insane mallet-wielding maniac.

He doesn't understand, but in the tense days that follow, he will.

This is an examining of Bruce Wayne's morals and how he comes to understand just how twisted the words 'good' and 'evil' can really be.

Chapter 5 is now up!

[justrandomfanfictionskh]

A Blue Bird and A Black Cat pt2

Selina decides that Marinette would be better as the Cat than Adrien. Five years, later Dick is very confused about this Lady Noire

ao3 previous

Five years after the defeat of Hawkmoth...

Marinette took a deep breath looked up at the looming Gotham Museum of History from her chosen alleyway. It was a beautiful building in the daylight, and she loved sketching it. But under the light polluted Gotham smog filled sky, it was a black silhouette of edges and void. Her heart was racing in nervous anticipation, as she waited for the patrol car to slowly move past. As she waited she checked her compass again. It pointed directly at the museum, with such perfect stillness that the arrow might as well have been glued down. There was a miraculous in there, waiting for her. She was going to steal it and then crash a party. She smiled as she imagined her mentor's face upon their reunion. But first things first, she needed to focus on...liberating the ancient and powerful artifact that was technically hers. 

She closed her eyes, and found her Lady Noire persona. Lady Noire was calm and confident, because nothing effected her. Words, danger, laws they tried to drown her, but all they ever did was wash off her shoulders. She laughed as she jumped from buildings. She smiled as the cops chased her. She snickered when she got away without anyone being the wiser. She was a shadow in the night that reveled in the chaos she left in her wake. 

"You ready cupcake?" Plagg said with a mischievous grin, and an eager light in his eyes.

Lady Noire opened her eyes. A predatory smile flickered of her face as she looked over at her prey. She could feel the chaos energy rising within her, calling her to act, to run, to jump, to laugh. Chaos was not bound, and neither was she. She was as light as a feather, and ready to fly. "Hell yeah," she said, "Plagg! Claws Out!"

Nightwing lay on his back watching the sky, twirling his escrima sticks lazily as the warm Gotham breeze ruffled his hair. He was board. Usually his nights were a lot more active than this. But there was a new exhibit, which meant someone was going to try and steal something. Now usually smart money would be on Catwoman making an appearance, even though there were no cat pieces in this collection. However, Selina was with Robin tonight, attempting some mother and son bonding before the engagement party tomorrow. Nightwing was glad that that was going so well. Baby Bird had really come a long way. But Catwoman's shift from chaotic neutral to chaotic good didn't mean that no one would show up. Afterall the signature piece, a vambrace that had apparently been owned by Kublai Khan, was decidedly bird themed, which meant Penguin. So that meant someone had to sit up on the Museum roof all night and make sure nobody tried anything. And by somebody, they meant Nightwing. After all, he was the only one who wouldn't pitch a fit and leave halfway through the night (Jason, and Damian), or fall asleep from caffeine deprivation (Tim).

Although, he couldn't really complain, it was a nice night for a stakeout. If the city wasn't so bright, he might see stars, but that would require the clouds to disappear. But the breeze was nice, and at least it wasn't raining. Still he was so bored. Nightwing groaned and jumped up. He decided to walk on his hands for a bit, to get the blood pumping. He then did a couple of front flips followed by back flips, to keep his body awake. But that didn't change the soothing Gotham ambience of car horns, police sirens, and the distant peels of gunfire that threatened to put him to sleep. Jason's gang must be fighting Black Mask again, Nightwing thought absently. He didn't approve of his brother's ways, but he would never condemn them the way Bruce did. After all, he himself had killed the Joker. Of course B had...

Nightwing's thoughts were interrupted by a shadow's movement beyond the museum's skylight. He crouched down into the shadow of one of the eaves, watching the building below him cautiously. There were about ten displays in the middle of the floor, each surrounded by a field of intercrossing lasers. It was the light of the lasers that allowed Nightwing to see the signature piece surrounded by equally valuable artifacts. A gold vambrace, with a hawk embossed in the metal. Any one of those pieces would be worth millions of dollars to the right collector. But none of these things were what had caught Nightwing's attention, but the shadow wasn't there any more. Slowly, he pulled out his binoculars and zoomed in. He sighed. Nothing seemed amiss...except. He zoomed in closer. The motion sensors were disabled. And the cameras were off. That wasn't right. Where were the guards? This couldn't be Penguin. He wouldn't cut the security cameras. He liked making a spectacle. He'd crash into the museum on a tank if he could. So who had...

Nightwing froze. A shadow was moving again, silent and slow towards the lasers. Could it be the Shade, he thought, no it's too small...maybe-- Nightwing gasped as the laser light illuminated enough of the figure to see them. He blinked and looked again, zooming in his binoculars as much as he could. Confused he shook his head and pressed his coms. He flinched as Batman and Red Hood yelled at each other through the comms. They were saying something about a warehouse...Nightwing shook his head, that could wait, right now he had a very pressing problem on his mind. So he interrupted the argument with a firm, "Hey! Does anyone have a lock on Catwoman?"

The voices cut off in confusion as Catwoman purred, "Robin and I are just finishing up on 5th."

"Some filthy degenerates were trying to take advantage of some young girls," the curt and formal Rodin confirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, umm," Nightwing said not daring to take his eyes off of the figure. "In that case...I'm just going to say it...Catwoman, since when did you have a clone?" Confused and startled yelling berated him through the comm, but he left all of their questions unanswered. He really didn't know how else to describe what he was seeing. The figure who had melted from the shadows was a perfect carbon copy of Selina, except younger and perhaps with a more stylish costume. She had the same black leather cat suite, mask, and cat ears. However, this new Catwoman (Cat Girl?) had accented her suite with bright green piping, and she had forgone the cowl. Instead, her ebony black hair fell to a braid that was almost to her ankles, and she leaned casually against a silver bow staff as she studied the complex laser grid.

"There's no way she's going to get through those, with that braid," he vaguely thought, before once again he was startled out of his thoughts by what was actually happening in front of him. The woman had collapsed her staff, and was now flipping through the lasers with the elegant, and graceful precision of an Olympic gymnast. Nightwing's breath caught as he watched, her bend, flex, and spin through the lasers in an act, that Nightwing could only describe as pure artistry. He watched as her long braid twisted around her like a ribbon flicking through the laser lazily without ever touching them. He was so captivated by her performance that he almost didn't register what her dance was leading her to. But then she stopped, as she flipped into a catlike crouch in front of the signature piece. 

Nightwing stiffened as he watched Catwoman 2 flick our her claws. As she circled the glass display, with the golden vambrace glistening inside, he waited. It would be so easy to jump through the sky light, tripping the alarms, and stopping her right then and there. But a strange fascination, and curiosity over took him. He wanted to see how she got out of this. Would he get to see an encore of her laser performance, or did she have another way out? And how was she going to bypass the pressure plate in the display. His questions were answered when she scratched holes in the glass, in what had to be a Selina signature move. She then took some cord from her belt and secured the pressure plate in place. Then delicately, she removed the Falcon Vambrace, and put something else in its place. Nightwing zoomed in with his binoculars and had to choke back a laugh. It was a black cat plushie, with it's tongue sticking out. The plushie must have been weighted, because when she removed the cords, the alarms did not go off. 

Nightwing finally registered what his family was shouting in his ear, as Cat Woman 2 examined the vambrace. He cut them off by whispering harshly, "Yeah I said Catwoman clone, fake ears and all! She just snagged the Falcon Vambrace. I don't know how she plans to get out with it though...oh wait, never mind."

Nightwing watched in fascination, as the woman pulled out her staff again and braced it on the ground. Then silently, and gracefully she rose into the sky as her staff extended to an impossible height. Was it magic?, he thought, that would explain the hair. As the woman began fiddling with the skylight's hatch, a security guard passed by the room. He barely registered the brand new silver pole in the middle of the room. When he did turn around with a start, Catwoman 2 was already crouched on the glass, her staff collapsed to a baton size beside her. She tilted her head as the security guard, shook his head and carried on his way. When she did Nightwing had to stifle a gasp. Her eyes were green, completely green. They had no whites, and the pupils were slitted just like a real cats. Now that's dedication, he thought. And when he saw the woman smirk gleefully at the oblivious security, Nightwing could only stare in wonder at how much she was like Selina. 

As she rose, Nightwing knew it was time to move. He just needed to make the perfect quip to gain her attention. But as she stood illuminated by the contrasting colors of the moon and Gotham, his mind went blank. Everything he thought of just sounded corny and stupid in his head. But he needed to stop her, or at least stall her for a while. So as she admired the way the gold bracelet adorned her black sleeved arm, Nightwing decided to bite the bullet, as he turned off his comms. He had a feeling that he needed to focus for this, as he said, "You know if you have a magic staff that can extend to the ceiling, you really didn't have to do the laser dance." 

The woman spun faster than Nightwing thought possible. Her pupils were slitted, and her staff was extended. However, when she perceived him, she did something unexpected. She seemed to relax, and she straightened out of her defensive posture, with a sly smile playing on her lips. "Perhaps," she said in a light and playful tone, "But then that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun!"

God! It's scary how much she's like Selina! Nightwing thought. Or at least, she was almost exactly like the old Selina. The one he had met, when he was just starting out as Robin. The one who stole on a whim, and escaped with a wink and a smile. He had never understood why Bruce never caught her. Sometimes, it was like he didn't even try. Now...he had a feeling that if she kept smiling at him like that, and with that mischievous sparkle in her eye, he would start to understand. Immediately he became serious. The last thing he wanted was to be like Bruce. He didn't think he could take the emotional constipation, or the mocking of his siblings. 

"I don't think that belongs to you," he said glancing at the vambrace. 

"Oh?" the woman said almost innocently, "Strange. Then who does it belong to?"

"The Museum," Nightwing said slowly.

"Hmm," she hummed as she moved her head lazily from side to side, "No, that doesn't sound right. This most definitely belongs to me. After all, I am wearing it!"

"Doesn't change the facts Miss. So why don't you hand it over, before I'm forced to hit a Lady."

The woman threw her head back and laughed, "Sorry Blue Bird, but I can't do that. You see this lovely piece really does belong to me. And it would truly be a crime to just leave it there collecting dust. Besides you couldn't hit me even if you tried!" 

Nightwing smirked, "We'll see about that. By the way, stealing someone else's shtick, not smart. Especially Catwoman's, she's very protective of her image."

The woman's smile deepened as she said, "Oh I wouldn't worry about Catwoman. She and I have an...understanding. And if you don't believe me, you can always ask her once I'm gone. Tell her Lady Noire says high. I'm sure she'll fill you in." 

"You can tell her your self," Nightwing said, and he threw his escrima stick at her. She dodged both the throw and the rebound as she charged him. Nightwing caught his stick in time to block her staff, and the dance began. She swung her staff, he blocked. He swiped his sticks she dodged. Their movements were a fluid furry of kicks, jabs, and flips. and Nightwing found that their styles were eerily similar as they both blended skilled and perfected gymnastics with graceful and fluid martial arts. They both dodged more than they blocked, and each attack flowed directly into the next without hesitation or difficulty. Nightwing wanted to smile at the ease at which the moved together, predicting the others movements and responding with accuracy. But then he saw the way she was grinning at him, and he scowled. She was playing with him! This was a game to her, and for some reason he found that very annoying.

 Well, he thought, Two can play at that game! And he shifted his movements so that when her staff came round again, he dropped his escrima stick and caught her arms under his. He elecrified his second stack and swung it at her side. It was block by...her hair! He started, and she smirked as she collapsed her staff, and used both of her feet to push off him like a spring board. The force of her kick, made him hiss and release her arms. He stumbled back, as she did a back handspring. He stood clutching his side scowling, and she stood ginning like the cat that ate the canary. She extended her staff behind her and her braid flicked like a tail. 

Of course, he thought, She's magic. The staff's magic, and her hair is magic. I bet her eyes are magic too. He met her strange green eyes, and her smile widened. And just as she opened her mouth (probably to say something clever), Nightwing straightened and smirked. He held up the vambrace with two fingers, and he let his smirk deepen as he watched the flurry of emotions pass over her face, as she looked between him and her now bare wrist. Her gaze narrowed as he tucked the artifact into his belt. And before he could say anything clever, she attacked again. 

They fell into the same easy, violent dance as they played around each other. He swung, she dodged. She kicked, he flipped. He hit, she diverted. She swiped, and he blocked. Only now there was a new pattern to their movements. Lady Noire had shortened her staff, so that she was holding an escrima stick, and with her now free hand, every other attack was accompanied, by her reaching for his belt. He fended off her empty hand, with his empty hand, spinning her around into a stone wall, but she flipped out of his grip at the last moment. Their movements were a lot closer now as a result, but Nightwing did not have time to think about that as she was getting faster and bolder. The claws on her empty hand was out, and while she still smirked and grinned, it was clear she was no longer playing. He had taken something that she had deemed hers, and now she was going to get it. 

Nightwing couldn't keep this up forever, and he was certain, that Lady Noire had more than magic hair on her side, and he did not want to find out what. So he led their dance back towards the skylight and the repeating eaves. He waited, until he had the right angle, and then he pressed a button on his controller. His abandoned escrima stick flew into his waiting hand, fully charged and bristling with activity. Lady Noire dodged the flying weapon with another back hand spring, but this time she landed in a crouch. She watched Nightwing from atop the eaves with calculating green eyes that did not seem to blink. Nightwing felt the goosebumps cover his arms, as the mental image of a cat stalking a mouse flickered through his head. Nightwing fell into his most defensive stance, keeping his weapons elecrified. They held the tension in perfect stillness. Nothing moved except for the flicking of Lady Noire's braid. Nightwing loosened his grip on his weapon. Lady Noire extended her staff. He rose his weapon to attack. She coiled her muscles to pounce. He charged, and...

"Kitten!" Catwoman's sudden voice, made Nightwing trip on thin air as he stumbled forward. He turn the trip into a spin, so that he faced Catwoman, Batman, Robin, and Orphan, who were all watching them with varying levels of confusion and curiosity.

However, before Nightwing could say anything, Lady Noire pounced with a squealed, "Lina!" And she jumped into Cat Woman's open arms. The two women laughed and spun as they embraced, leaving the rest of the family staring open mouthed in wonder and confusion. 

"What are you doing here?!" Catwoman exclaimed, as she began smoothing Lady Noire's hair, checking for wounds, and generally mother-henning her, (or maybe it was mother catting her?). 

"Why I'm here for your wedding of course!" Lady Noire exclaimed. "You didn't think I would miss it did you?!" 

"But you never responded! I didn't think you got it, since I didn't know where you were, and--"

"And I was going to surprise you!" Lady Noire interrupted. "At your engagement party!"

"And here I was thinking, you just came to steal the vambrace," Catwoman laughed.

"Well," Lady Noire said with a devious smile, "That too." 

The two women laughed, as the Bats exchanged looks. Nightwing shrugged helplessly at Batman's questioning gaze, prompting the Dark Knight interrupt the little reunion by clearing his throat. "I hate to interrupt," he said gruffly, "But Catwoman, care to introduce us?"

"Oh of course!" Catwoman exclaimed, turning he young friend to face the others. "Everyone this is my protégé, Lady Noire! Lady Noire, these are the Bats. You met Nightwing! And that is Orphan, Robin. And this is my fiancé, Batman!" 

Lady Noire squealed and pounced. Even Batman's eyes widened in surprise when the small feline wrapped him in a hug that had her hanging off of his neck. He stooped to set her down, and as he did everyone heard her in the worst stage whisper, "If you ever hurt her I will turn you into dust!" And then in a regular voice she said, "I'm so happy for you! You're going to be so happy together!" And then in another stage whisper, "Because if she is not, then they will never find your body." 

When Batman pulled back, his expression schooled into a blank stare (which was the closest he ever got to showing alarm), Lady Noire laughed and tumbled away from him, her braid circling around her as it had when she danced through the lasers. When she straightened, she had something in her hand. She eyed it saying, "Ooo, what's this?" She pressed a button, and the Batmobile roared to life in the distance. A wicked grin spread over her face, as Batman began patting his belt, and the others stared at her in alarm.

"Give that back!" Nightwing cried. He lunged to grab the Batmobile key, before the wild thief could get any ideas. But Lady Noire only giggled, she spun around his arm brushing up against his back as they switched places. 

"But I like it!" She whined playfully, and Nightwing felt himself growl. He was so confused. One minute, she was laughing and teasing as if this was all a game. The next minute, she's threatening Batman! She just could not get a read on her. Was she an adrenaline junkie like the old Selina, who stole for the thrill of it. Or was she that deadly predator, that he had caught a glimpse of in the last moments of their fight. The threat might have been just a playful warning, her version of the shovel talk, but there was an edge to her voice, that made Nightwing think, She could do it. If B hurts Selina, which he won't, she could and would kill him. It was unnerving, and they way she just switched back to teasing and laughing, just made it worse. Which was the real her? Who even was she? What did she want? The questions swirled in his head, giving him a head ache. He just did not know what to do with this strange woman and it was...infuriating. 

Lady Noire continue to fiddle with the key, smiling at him deviously. But before he could lunge at her, Catwoman said coolly, "Kitten, play nice." Lady Noire fake pouted and then tossed the key to Nightwing before returning to her mentor. "So," Catwoman continued as if nothing had happened, "How long are you here for?"

"At least until your wedding," Lady Noire declared. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. But don't worry about me! I'm staying with Harls and Ives. And I'm already settled there, so no trying to guilt me into staying with you."

"Oh! But Kitten!" Catwoman whined, "I like worrying about you! Why won't you let me take care of you?"

Lady Noire laughed as she hugged her mentor, "You have taken more than enough care of me, Lina! I owe you everything, so please let me take care of you these next few weeks!" Catwoman hummed her assent as she held the young woman close. The Bats exchanged more looks of confusion and concern. But before any of them could interrupt, Catwoman jerked up and exclaimed, 

"Oh! You were in the museum tonight! How was it? Did you find what you were looking for?"

Lady Noire smiled. "Actually, yes! Tell me what do you think? I might just wear it to the wedding." She held up her wrist, and the moonlight glinted off the gold vambrace on her arm. 

Nightwing sputtered and stuttered, as he checked his belt. When had she taken that?! He wondered. He looked up, and she was smirking at him again. He scowled. and said allowed, "That doesn't belong to you!"

"Actually," Lady Noire said slowly. "I kind of does."

"It's true!" Catwoman declared, examining the vambrace. "This artifact does belong to her." 

Nightwing opened his mouth, but it was Batman who said in a much calmer tone. "If that is true, then there are other, more legal, way to recover your property."

Lady Noire smiled, "That may be so, but the museums would never give them up. Besides I don't like all that legal, paper work stuff. It's far to boring! It's much easier to...liberate them. and much more fun!"

"Still," Batman said gruffly, "We can not just let you walk away with a priceless artifact without proof."

"Of course you can!" Lady Noire declared cheerfully. "It's just a matter of you looking over there!" She pointed away towards Gotham with the most fake innocent smile Nightwing thought he had ever seen. Batman seemed to share in his son's annoyance, because he refused to follow her instructions, and instead chose to inflict her with the infamous Batglare. "No really," Lady Noire said again. "You should really look over their. Something is coming!"

"She's right love," Catwoman said lowering her binoculars. She handed them to B who looked briefly.

'Penguin," Batman sighed, already tried, even though he had barely done anything that night. Still he pushed on, giving out orders quickly and efficiently until he turned back to address Lady Noire, and...she was gone.

"Where did she go?!" Nightwing demanded. 

"Huh?" Catwoman said with mock innocence, "Oh! Don't worry, Nightwing, you'll see her tomorrow. If I know my protégé, she has plans to crash the party. Oh! I am so glad she's here. I've missed her so much!"

She then leapt off the roof to go and chase Penguin, leaving the rest of the family, to stew and follow at their own leisure. Nightwing was the last to follow, and he barely paid attention to the fight he was currently in. Not that anyone could blame him. After fighting with Lady Noire, everyone else just seemed like an amateur. He cursed himself thinking, "Stop that! If your not carful you'll turn into Bruce!"

Meanwhile on the far side of Gotham, a girl struggled, fought, and screamed as she was dragged someplace no one would "interrupt" them. Soon the bag was removed from her head, and the girl began speaking quickly and loudly. "You have to let me go! Please! I didn't do anything wrong! I---"

"Peace Miss. Rossi," the Judge of Owls said cutting her off. "Your powers do not work here, so do not attempt them, unless you wish to feel the wrath of the Talons." Lila Rossi looked back and forth between the council in front of her and the Talons behind. 

"What do you want?" she asked meekly.

The Judge smiled, though she would not see it under his white owl mask. If he did not know any better he might have believed her. But he did know better, and after taking some...precautions, Lila Rossi had no power over him at the very least. Still he answered her question simply and professionally. "You come highly recommended, Miss. Rossi. It is not easy to impress the likes of Vandal Savage and Lex Luthor. For that reason, we wish to hire you." 

Any semblance of the weak, helpless girl was gone in an instant. Instead there was a composed, professional, and hungry young woman waiting calmly, as one of the Talons, began untying her. The Judge could not help but respect the young woman in front of him. Once the woman's binds were gone, she straightened in her chair, and looked them over with a calculating look. She crossed her legs and then sat as if preparing for a work interview. The Judge could respect that as well. And he put a little of that into his voice, as he said, "We the Court of Owls, have many enemies, and competitors. Our goals are simple, but these weak minded individuals continue to hinder our process. We have curated a list, of our most obstinate obstacles. We do not want anything too drastic, just that you use your unique persuasion, to nudge them towards our understanding. Do you accept?"

A mindless thrall stepped forward with a tablet, presenting it to the woman. She stared at him and the tablet without touching it, and turned back to the Judge. "You are of course aware of my contract? Bound in blood and magic. Unbreakable. Swears you won't kill me if I fail."

"Yes," the Judge said. "We have seen the copy of Mr. Luthor's contract. And we find your terms more than agreeable. You will be payed according to how many of those names you will be able to 'persuade.' And should you fail, no harm will come of you by our hands. " 

Lila nodded. "In that case I must insist you sign, before I take your list. There are limits to my abilities, and I would rather we have our expectations clear before we continue," she said reaching into her bag once it was brought to her. She pulled out a thick stack of what appeared to be paper, but on closer inspection, was revealed to be very thin leather. 

The Judge was the first to sign his name, and the rest of the court followed suit. They needed this girl. When it was done, Lila smiled a deadly predatory smile and took the tablet. She scanned the names casually. However as she kept going, her eye brow raised higher and higher into her bangs. Finally she said, “With a list like this, you could take over all of Gotham, maybe even the world.”

The Judge’s eyes met Lila’s. And though she could not see through his mask, their expressions were a perfect mirror of each other as the Judge said, “Let’s just start with Gotham.

Next

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[ali-kitkat]

Strangeness and Charm

MGI 2021 One-Year Anniversary Gift Exchange

hello, im back for a little post for @khneltea you are the recipient for enemies to lovers and by gods i hope you like this! romantic, or well its implied, daminette enemies to lovers! also tagging @issaxcharlie as per requested in the server!

fic is under the cut!

Marinette understood that the bat team was sent to Paris to help her; now that it was just herself against Papillon, but she really wanted to kick Robin’s teeth in. She couldn’t stand him. He was a self-centered, entitled, little shit. How dare he come into her city and tell her how to do her job? 

The akuma attacks had been sporadic since she had revoked Chat Noir’s miraculous and the only attack that had occurred since Robin and the rest of the bats had arrived was Mister Pigeon. However, if she was being honest with herself that hardly counted as an attack in her or anyone’s books anymore. 

It took all of her self control to not throttle him on the rooftop, after she had cast the miraculous cure, when he said “If this is what qualifies as an attack for you, I would hate to see how you would fare against even one of Gotham’s villains.” She was livid, he had based his opinions on akuma attacks by one attack and one attack only. 

He had only been in Paris for a week and this is how he treated her, because of one little flare up by their resident akuma magnet? He had no idea what even counted as an attack in Paris nowadays.

Mister Pigeon? Definitely not. 

Siren? Absolutely.

Due to him being close to her in age, she had constantly paired up with him during her nightly patrols and she hated it. She wondered if this was his team's way of trying to get him to socialize or work on his people skills. If so, they were doing an absolutely shit job of it. 

At this point she really had debated whether or not being on Batman’s shit list would be worth dangling Robin from the Eiffel Tower by his ankles. She could do it. She knows she could, she had done it before in fact, to Chat before she took his miraculous away from him. In the end, she decided that it wouldn’t be worth the trouble it would cause her; but if she did accidentally hit him with her yo-yo while patrolling with him that night, no one would be the wiser. 

She elected to ignore the muttered curses and detoured from her usual route in an attempt to get away from the miserable bastard. Of course, Robin then scolded her for running away and being an inferior hero. At that point she decided to put even more distance between them, only to prevent herself from injuring a potential ally. If he could even be called that with his constant berating and demeanor.

It was then that she heard a scream, an akuma. Kwami, she hoped it wasn’t Sandboy again, especially since his usual appearances were during the night. 

She cast a quick glance at Robin and decided to leave him be. She took off in the direction of the scream, he was preoccupied by something on his gauntlet, if the blue light it was emitting was an indicator. Besides she had been fighting akumas for years now, the last thing she needed was Robin’s attitude and chiding rather than his help. 

He didn’t need to see her nightmares either if it was in fact Sandboy who was akumatized as well.  Sure, she wasn’t exactly the same thirteen year old girl she was when she first started battling akumas but Robin certainly didn’t need any more ammunition to use against her. 

He didn’t need to see that her nightmares were of herself, whispering in her ear, telling her to give up. That she was a failure, that she should just let Papillon have the miraculous. It would all be over, it wasn’t like she would remember that she was Ladybug anyways. Whatever wish he would make would erase the current timeline out of existence. She hated seeing it.

When she touched down on the street, the first thing she noticed was that it was empty. There was no sign of any akuma, no destruction or frozen bodies. There wasn’t anything, it was too empty, as if the people had just up and disappeared. It was incredibly unnerving. 

Casting another look around, she saw something dart into the shadows of an alleyway. She jumped to a neighboring rooftop and looked down. There it was, the akuma. They didn’t look like anything special, no obnoxious colours or outrageous outfits. Just someone in a simple, sleek suit in muted colours, their hair tied back in a dark braid and a drooping butterfly mask that looked like ruined eyeliner. 

They looked up and made eye contact. She flung herself back on the rooftop. The akuma’s eyes looked empty, there was no emotion or life in them. It was disconcerting. 

She looked back down into the alleyway to try to get another read on the akuma. They were gone. She rose to her feet and looked around again, just in case she missed something. 

“Well, well, well. Look at what we have here,” a low, gravelly voice called out. It sounded as if they had gargled glass. Marinette quickly turned around to see the akuma at the other end of the rooftop. “A little ladybug all alone. Let us see what kind of memories you hold, heroine.”

Then suddenly the akuma was in front of her, arm outstretched and their hand was pressed against her forehead. She watched as her memories played out in real time before her and the akuma. She watched as her memories played side by side, all at once. It was headache inducing. 

Marinette saw the first friend she made in almost a decade. She saw Lila threaten her and her friendships. She saw the day she had met Tikki, and the day she had received guardianship of the miracle box from Fu. She watched as flashes of her homelife flashed by, the few happy memories of her parents before the bakery’s popularity increased, before they began to neglect her. Before Lila’s honeyed words ruined what little she had left of them. 

She watched as memories of previous akuma attacks played out. Of how Chat Noir acted away from the crowds and cameras, how treated her like an object to be won rather than a person. She watched as she had scrubbed herself raw in the shower after he had touched her, as she scrubbed her teeth after he forced a kiss on her.

She watched as the attacks ended and her reunions with her friends had turned into screaming fits. The shouts of how she was flakey and that if she was just going to hang out with them only to ditch them halfway through their time together that they were no longer going to be friends anymore, that they were better off without her. She watched as Lila smiled from across the room, where she comforted her former friend. As Lila’s promises came to fruition.

She watched as her nightmares flashed by just as quick of her looking in the mirror, looking at the scars that the miraculous cure hadn’t healed. As her reflection had started to speak. That she should give up, let Papillon have the miraculous. That she wasn’t worth it, that she was all alone. As the whispered words of her former friends had joined in. She watched as images of Chat had appeared telling her that she was his and no one else’s.

She watched as she was left to pick up the pieces of her life.

Suddenly she was wrenched back and someone was holding her against their person. She could see one of the bat-themed vigilantes fighting against the akuma, it looked to be Red Hood with the way the streetlight was glinting off his helmet. She could hear herself breathing heavily and could feel the tears streaming down her face as she was swung away from the akuma.

When the person holding her landed on a different rooftop, she wrenched herself out of their arms. She hit the rooftop with a thud and scrambled as far away from them as she could possibly get; then she buried her face in her knees. She covered her ears with her hands, hoping to block out the unrelenting images of her memories and nightmares. She didn’t want to see or hear anything. She certainly didn’t want to see anyone’s pitying looks or hear their scorn. She just wanted to forget, this akuma was most definitely Papillon’s newest masterpiece. 

She flinched when a hand settled on her shoulder and tried to inch away from it, without removing her hands from her ears. Unfortunately, the hand remained, grounding her ever so slightly. Finally she gave in and looked up. Robin was watching her, but rather than disdain or pity, his face was pinched with concern. She huffed out a laugh, it was weak and made Robin flinch. She shrugged his hand off and stood; she held her head high and wiped her tears away. Ignoring his questioning looks, she tossed her yo-yo out. 

“Ladybug,” he said softly. 

“Don’t. Whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself. I don’t care,” she croaked. She didn’t want to hear anything he had to say, she just wanted to be done with this night and its horrors.

“Ladybug,” he repeated. “Regardless of whatever you might think or feel, you are not alone. There are plenty of other heroes who know exactly how you feel, who have been exactly where you are.” 

That stopped her in her tracks. Of course Robin of all people had seen her memories, her nightmares and her fears. She turned and glared at him, though she imagined it wasn’t all that effective. What with her tear streaked face and red eyes. 

“I know how you feel,” Robin sighed and she deflated. “That your best is not enough, that you, yourself are not good enough. I have been in your shoes. I have felt alone.”

“Well, you certainly don’t act like it,” she sniped bitterly, closing in on herself.

“I apologize,” Robin stated. 

“What?” 

“I am sorry,” he repeated. “I realize that I may have come off as too brusque and in doing so have diminished your accomplishments.” 

“Why?” she asked. “Why are you apologizing? You have nothing to be sorry for. You were right, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m just playing at being a hero. My villain just found out my identity and so did all of you and your team.”

“That being, it was not, nor is it, your fault,” he replied. “I made assumptions of which I am at fault for, and of which caused the predicament of which you have found yourself in. You cannot quit or give up because of several imbeciles, because if you do, you let them win. You do not strike me as a sore loser, Ladybug.”

Marinette let out a laugh and watched as Robin’s expression shifted. He no longer looked concerned, but was now smiling wryly at her. She returned the smile. “Thank you Robin.” 

“You are welcome,” he said. “Now I believe you have an akuma to take care of? Would you care for some assistance?” 

“I would,” she replied.

“I look forward to working with you more,” he said, “Marinette.” 

Marinette nodded, feeling her face flush at the way Robin said her name. “I do too Robin. I do too.”

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Catwoman #36 by Ram V, Nina Vakueva and Jordie Bellaire. Variant cover by Jenny Frison. Out in October.

“The Gotham City Sirens reunion no one saw coming! As Ivy senses Queen Ivy’s presence and her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Catwoman decides that she is too vulnerable to keep in Alleytown and a plan is hatched to get her out of Gotham. But to do it, she’s going to need the help of The Riddler—but even after Selina saved him from certain doom, can he be trusted? Meanwhile, the flickering assassin known as the Wight Witch, flanked by Magistrate soldiers, has arrived to return Ivy to Simon Saint! Harley Quinn and The Gardener join the fight against Wight Witch and the Magistrate! Also featuring…Ghost-Maker!”

[shiranui7]

Tell me about Ed & Jonathan's friendship!

Of course! Thank you!

Edward and Jonathan first interaction in Arkham happened because of their friendship with the Gotham city Sirens (Harley for Jon and Selina for Ed). They both didn't have a good impression of the other one: Jonathan couldn't stand Edward's ego and immature behaviour and Edward was totally pissed off by Jon's dismissive attitude towards his intellect. After part of arkham maximum security cell block got destroyed by an explosion, the inmates were forced to share a cell due to temporary overcrowding. Riddler and Scarecrow were problematic patients because no one wanted to be with them: the last inmate who had shared a cell with Crane had committed suicide and no one had been able to stand a single day with Edward without begging to be moved away. The guards decided to put them together because it was the only option and so hell broke loose. Edward's need for attention, praise and socialization clashed with Jonathan's aloof, uncommunicative and "no bullshit" demeanour and what were at first venomous verbal exchanges quickly escalated to physical fights. The guards enjoyed the scene. One day however, an enraged Edward tried to smother Jon in his sleep with a pillow but Scarecrow took charge and freed himself. He then beat the hell out of Edward and tried to choke him but the guards intervened and locked him in solitary after taking Ed to the infirmary. After their reunion, a vengeful Edward made the bunk bed fall on Jonathan and broke two of his ribs. This time they switched places: Edward ended up in solitary and Jon in the infirmary. After their second reunion, they realized that the guards were making bets on who would have survived their brawl and so they started to ignore each other in order not to give them the satisfaction of treating them like fighting dogs. After a week of silent treatment, Edward, in desperate need of social interaction, broke the silence and tried to engage Crane in a civil conversation. Jon, being tired of arguing, complied and they started to chat. After months, they became friendlier to each other, much to their doctors' surprise. In fact, they incredibly (and unconsciously) managed to smooth out each other's sharpest and clashing behavioural tracts in order to peacefully cohabit: Jon became a bit more social and less aggressive while Edward tried to keep his ego in check and not to provoke him. After they went back to their former cells, they still kept interacting with each other during rec time and so their unthinkable friendship grew. They even started to meet outside of Arkham, work together and ask for mutual favours. All of that led to their current situation, in which they often share a hideout and are really close. :)

[artxyra]

How about Damian being a part of Ms Buster's class when he was on a League mission and the class basically becoming a mini cult. They do all sorts of crazy stuff like make go-carts powered by karaoke machines, not leaving the builing when fires start because smores duh, and so much more.When his mission is over there are many tears and the cult disassembles. Years later the class gets a trip to Gotham and the city QUAKES when the cult reforms.Many chaotic shenanigans & crying at the reunion.

Marinette was only eight when her primary school life changed for the better. On that faithful day in Mlle. Gilbertine class, a new student was introduced under the precedent of a transfer from another country. His name was Damian, no last name was given to the teacher nor the students within the classroom. To her, Nino, Chloe, Nathaniel, and Kim, he was an odd boy as Damian stressed for no social relations with anyone. In fact, Marinette had caught several times engaging in lonesome activities when they were all together messing in the field. It was after that, Marinette made it her life’s mission to befriend the emotionless kid.

It was hard at first trying to trick the young man into dance battles, hopscotch, and simple games like red light, green light. He was very much against the idea until one day, Marinette decided on a shooting game with water guns and makeshift go-carts out of bike parts. It was the creation of that game that changed the young group’s lives forever.

Soon newer and crazier games began to take over the classroom of Mlle. Gilbertine. Nino would bring in his CD player and the moment music boomed out of the speakers everyone knew what was about to happen.

One day, when they were in the school pool area pretending to be sea monsters and attacking one another we kickboards and pool noodles, the group was then dubbed the “Premier Chaotique” cult as they were youthful and the stuff they come up with was chaotic than anything the future Hawkmoth could ever come up with.

Marinette and Damian were deemed the leaders as they were able to control and come up with the plans. Chloe, due to her father being in politics, was the person who decided on the locations and what would be the most chaotic method. The rest were their follower who cared much about Marinette.

Mlle. Gilbertine was determined to get the Premier Chaotique cult under control but they were slick and made plans at random, she remembers the day when tons of ice cup somehow managed to cover every one of her student desk and the odd appearance of snow sleds. It is rumored that the mini cult managed to keep their own little snow resort just using ice cream. It was a pain to clean up.

Marinette remembers the days where the mini cult would paint the city red with flowers and chaotic goodness. It is a miracle that the cops never brought their parents into the investigation. Then again with a child as pure as Marinette in the lead, people would fall over when they see her smile.

Their biggest achievement was when the school’s kitchen managed to catch on fire during a lunch period. While everyone else was being evacuated, the group somehow managed to slip through the adults and back into the cafeteria. Kim had brought marshmallows that day and when the firefighters enter to put out the flames, they were greeted with the sight of children with wood sticks eating smores and telling scary stories. It was their greatest achievement and the worst nightmare because only a day later, Damian had to go back to his home country.

Marinette fell into depression along with the others. After a month without Damian, they vowed to never speak of the best year of their life unless they ever meet Damian again. It was no secret that Marinette had a crush on the foreign boy, so the cult disassembles and never mentions Damian ever again.

Years past since that day, Chloe took it upon herself to bully Marinette as those who knew them in their younger days forget that they were ever friends. Marinette took on art along with Nathanial, but she went in the direction of fashion designing while he goes in direction of comic book styles. Nino stayed friends with all but Chloe and found his calling in music production. The name that used to strike fear in the hearts of the Paris citizens, faded away into a false memory.

Little did anyone know, the spirit of the Premier Chaotique cult lives on and would be awoken in just under two decades.

A sixteen-year-old Marinette works her butt off to make this trip a reality. It was not for the approval of her classmates, it was for her sanity. Three years of being Ladybug has put a toll on her and she plans to take advantage of the lack of akuma attacks going on. When the acceptance letter landed in her hands, her parents swear they saw a bolder be lifted off their daughter. She was smiling more and appeared less stressed than she ever been since finding out the school board decided to move teachers with their students as a handful of teachers left Paris, some even left France altogether.

Her closet allies were the first to know about the trip to Gotham before Mlle. Bustier was given the information. They cheered happily before anything bad could happen, dismantling everything Marinette has ever done.

After giving the proper miraculous to Luka and Kagami and convincing Kaalki to come with her to Gotham only to be used as an emergency, Marinette was set to leave Paris France and head to Gotham, New Jersey.

Upon entering the streets of Gotham, a cold chill runs down everyone’s spine aside from the former mini cult members. Too Mlle. Bustier, the chill was all too familiar bringing up memories of those kids that terrorized the streets before Hawkmoth. She looks around to see nothing out of place before promptly calling out her students so they could make it to the hotel.

Everyone who felt that chill had a right to be warry.

For the first day, everything seemed fine, but when you leave the original members of Premier Chaotique alone for a moment, well chaos was sure to happen. Chloe and Marinette had put aside their difference during the Lila era of the class reign took over and managed to stay friends after the liar’s reign ended. Plans were made but not yet enforced, it did not feel right, and they knew why– it was the lack of their leader Damian.

“Dams?” Marinette calls out when she saw the familiar sighting of the boy that was her first love. He hadn’t changed by much; he was still taller than her.

“Mars?” That nickname sent the French-Asian teen running into the arms of the Ice King himself. Time froze in that café for several reasons but the main one was definitely because they just witnessed Damian Wayne hugging someone willing.

“You look nice,” Marinette sways before a mischievous smirk tugs on her lips, “The others are here too.”

This time it was Damian who smirks bringing Marinette closer to him. “Mm, shall be bring Gotham to its knees?”

They share a smirk that was soon ended by an explosion.

Thus, the Premier Chaotique cult was reformed. They decided to meet that night. Dinosaur inflatable suits of various colors were brought. Music blared in the streets of Gotham nears hotel the class was staying out. The members of Premier Chaotique all strutting down in the middle of the streets dancing as Nino holds a boombox over his shoulder.

Jam Jams @crazyforbatsDid anyone else wake up to music and dancing dinos last night?

Kay @gokaykaer [A one-minute video of flashlights and six dinosaurs doing the Cha-Cha-Slide] I swear I just saw @thebloodwayne for a split second.

Twitter was blowing up the next morning with various videos and gifs of the events that happened the night before. The only people who weren’t affected by the popularity was the group who were apart of it.

Marinette and Damian spent the remains of that talking choosing which plan to do next. It would consist of bikes and a zip line from the tallest building to the smallest building possible.

Going to the Wayne household, Bruce could already feel a migraine coming as Dick and Jason plays the video over again in the main room. Damian shames his family members while the oldest complaints about why they haven’t thought of that for a family outing. It’s all about class, Dick, it all about class. Alfred mentally takes notice of the lack of emotions from Damian and the recent purchase from the teens account at a party store.

The next night, began the fears that every Parisian feared would happen.

Nino and Kim were able to find the buildings needed to hook the zip line to while Chloe set up the equipment with the help of Nathanial. Damian had to ditch his family members, and Marinette had to keep the class and others from finding out what they are doing. Once everything was ready, the Premier Chaotique enters their playground wearing hooded leotards (or bodysuits) with a latex match stretched their eyes. Kim went first down the zip line as Damian race down the streets on the bike. Originally, they were going to use the bikes as their way down, but the zip line could hold the bike and the person on it, so they turned it into a race instead.

Their fun ends when someone called the cops and sirens echoed loudly against their music. Gotham’s twitter users weren’t too happy that someone had called the cops on the bravest of things to ever surface on Gotham streets since Batman.

It was during the tour of Wayne Enterprise, that the Premier Chaotique learned Damian’s last name. He was an effing Wayne which then lead to some confusion. Marinette had asked Damian what his last name when they were eight and he replied with something along the lines of not being a Wayne until he was ten.

His brothers, in shock from seeing him interact with teens his age, begged Bruce to invite them over to the manor. This needs to go into the record books.

While it was a momentous occasion for Damian’s brothers, it was reality check for Mlle. Bustier. Her screams echo against the halls of WE as memories of the chaos are awoken. She stares at Marinette in denial, there was no way her prize student was about the cult that did so much damage all those years ago. Then on top of that having the entire crew in her classroom, Caline was beginning to feel faint.

Bruce, unknowingly, invited even more chaos into his household that night. Chloe and Marinette were able to convince Mlle. Bustier to let the five of them stay with Mr. Wayne for the night in hopes of “catching up” with Damian. After getting the approval from Mr. Wayne, she agreed secretly ecstatic that they wouldn’t be in her care for the next several hours.

“I’m bored, let’s play a prank?” Kim randomly shouts when they were all staring out the TV waiting for something good to come on.

“What do you have in mind?” Marinette asks as Damian pushes her off him knowing that she’ll use him as a throne.

“Hey Dams, do you own go-carts are something of a familiar nature?”

Damian thinks about it for a minute, “Tt, father wouldn’t dare let those things in the house. We can prank my brothers though. Scaring them shitless would bring me joy.”

“Well I have a few ideas, we can use.” Chloe states pulling out the book of mischief.

Let’s just say that prank will forever rule the day the Batfamily ever found out about the Premier Chaotique.

Permanent Tag List: @vixen-uchiha | @i-is-mysterious | @kuroko26 | @maribat-is-lifeblood | @marinettepotterandplagg | @loveswifi | @ladybug-182 | @novaloptr |

Unspecific Tag List: @g-arya | @jardimazul | @jeminiikrystal | @zalladane | @bluerosette23 | @dast218 |

[graphicpolicy]

Preview: Catwoman #36

Catwoman #36 preview. The Gotham City Sirens reunion no one saw coming! #Comics #ComicBooks #Catwoman

Catwoman #36 Written by: Ram V.Art by: Nina Vakueva The Gotham City Sirens reunion no one saw coming! As Ivy senses Queen Ivy’s presence and her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Catwoman decides that she is too vulnerable to keep in Alleytown and a plan is hatched to get her out of Gotham. But to do it, she’s going to need the help of The Riddler-but even after Selina saved him from…

[dccomicsnews]

Review: Catwoman #36

Review: Catwoman #36 [Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers] Writer: Ram V. Artist: Nina Vakueva and Laura Braga Letters: Tom Napolitano Colors: Jordie Bellaire Reviewed by: Carl Bryan       Summary “You’re asking me for favors now?  Weren’t we on a break?  Keeping out of each other’s business?” – Selina to Bruce Catwoman #36- The Gotham City Sirens reunion no one saw coming! As Ivy…

[dispatchdcu]

Catwoman #36 Preview

Catwoman #36 Preview #catwoman #cat #selenakyle #batman #gotham #alleytown #burglar #catburglar #thief #DC #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #comicbooknews #previews #reviews #amazon

  Catwoman #36 Synopsis: The Gotham City Sirens reunion no one saw coming! As Ivy senses Queen Ivy’s presence and her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Catwoman decides that she is too vulnerable to keep in Alleytown and a plan is hatched to get her out of Gotham. But to do it, she’s going to need the help of The Riddler—but even after Selina saved him from certain doom, can he be trusted?…

[ragingbookdragon]

Forging Paths PT. 1

Batsis Story!

A/N: OMG who wants to cringe with me as I repost my very first series?!?!?! This is a series that I actually don't hate. Enjoy! -Thorne <3

It had been a few good years since she’d stepped foot in her home city, but nothing had changed except for the weather. It was Mid-December with a temperature of -5 degrees and snow covered the city as far as she could see; she was glad she’d decided to wear her insulated combat gear. Crouching down on the gargoyle in front of her, she rested her elbows on her knees, interlocking her fingers in front of her mouth, as cautious eyes watched the nightlife in front of her. It didn’t matter how many times she left or came back, she still hated Gotham City with a bright burning passion, and nothing would ever change it. Sitting quietly for a few more moments, she tipped her head to the side when she heard his boot hit the ledge. “I figured I’d find you up here.” A smooth voice spoke out and she twisted her head and glanced over her shoulder, a shit-eating grin playing at her lips.

“Jay-Bird. It took you long enough, baby brother.” He took his helmet off and stood beside her, staring down at the city. The two of them had been through hell and high water together, and the moments when they lapsed into silence spoke all that needed to. He was quiet for a moment before speaking. 

“I assume since you’re in Gotham, you got my message?” She rolled her eyes and quipped back.

“Nah, just missed Gotham and the Big-Bat.” Rolling her head backwards to look up at him she raised an eyebrow. “So how is Daddy Dearest? He know I’m in ‘his city’ yet?” Jason snorted and responded.

“He’s still a major rager pain in the ass. And to answer your other question, probably.” She smirked at his answer, then remembering why she was called, her face dropped into a blank.

“So why am I here Jason? It’s not for a family reunion, I know that much.” He inhaled deeply, nodding his head.

“Yeah, I know, and I wouldn’t have asked you if it wasn’t important. But right now, Gotham’s gangs and the League are on a spiral towards full scale war, and we don’t have the capacity to deal with it. Bruce was even considering calling in the JL, but I asked him to let me try something.” Her face morphed into a mixture of anger and disgust as she spit out,

“So, you brought me here to play peacemaker with the League and gangs, all the while working with Bruce? Hell. No.” She rose to her feet and turned towards the ladder on the building. Gloved fingers wrapped around her wrist in a firm yet loose grip and she looked down at the fingers then up at Jason; steel blue eyes bore into teal orbs and she warned, “Jason. Let me go. Now.” Jason raised his head, imposing his height more than what it already was, and shook it.

“No (Y/N). Not until you agree to help me. We need your help. I need your help. This is bigger than your bitch fit with Bruce. And as much as I love you, I need you to put it away and work with him so we can end this before innocent people get hurt or killed.” Inhaling sharply through her nose (Y/N) once again looked at the open city. The fingers tightened ever-so-slightly and her eyes met his again. “Please (Y/N). If not for Gotham, then do it for me.” She sighed heavily, eyes rolling as she groaned out.

“Alright. Alright! I’ll help. Just stop making puppy eyes at me.” Jason’s fingers loosened and he let go of her wrist.

“Grand. Meet us at the house and we’ll talk more.”

He turned to leave, but (Y/N) reached out and, where his armor met his throat, she gripped. Pulling him down till they were nose to nose, she pulled the darkest glare she could manage and spoke heavily. “But if he says one word to me about my morality or my code, after the mission is complete, I will bust your ass like a bitch. You hear me, little brother?” His eyes widened a fraction and he nodded rapidly.

“Yeah. Totally. I got it.” (Y/N) released him and began walking back towards the ladder.

“See you at home Jay-Bird.” He called out to her just as you reached the ladder.

“Do you still hate Gotham City that much (Y/N)?” She turned around and leveled him with a smile.

“Only as much as I hate Bruce, Jason.” Next thing Jason knew, she was gone. He glanced back towards the city and ran his hands over his face, preparing for the shit storms about to take place in the Wayne household.

He reached for his cellphone, unlocked it and scrolled through his contacts. Hitting call, he waited, the person picking up after two rings. “Yello?”

“She’s back.” The person on the phone exhaled in surprise.

“You’re joking? You got (Y/N) back in Gotham City? How? How did you manage that Jay?” Jason rolled his eyes, biting back a smart-ass comment. He and (Y/N) had been best friends since he showed up at the manor; if anyone know how to work his older sister over, it was him. Instead he just answered with,

“I’ve got skills Grayson. Skills you obviously ain’t got. Be there when she gets there. We gotta keep the storm from breaking too early.” Dick made a sound of confirmation and responded.

“Will do. See you later Little-Wing.”

“Uh huh. Whatever.” Hanging up, Jason looked towards the city once more. Sirens could be heard as well as the usual thugs on the street corner. Turning to the ladder that his older sister used he started at it. “This is gonna be a long fucking week.” He muttered as he slid down.

[scienceninjaturtle]

CATWOMAN #36

Writer: RAM V

Artist: NINA VAKUEVA

Cover: YANICK PAQUETTE

Variant cover: JENNY FRISON.

The Gotham City Sirens reunion no one saw coming! As Ivy senses Queen Ivy's presence and her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Catwoman decides that she is too vulnerable to keep in Alleytown and a plan is hatched to get her out of Gotham. But to do it, she's going to need the help of The Riddler -- but even after Selina saved him from certain doom, can he be trusted? Meanwhile, the flickering assassin known as the Wight Witch, flanked by Magistrate soldiers, has arrived to return Ivy to Simon Saint! Harley Quinn and The Gardener join the fight against Wight Witch and the Magistrate! Also featuring...Ghost-Maker!

32 pages, $3.99, (card stock variant, $4.99), available on Oct. 19.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

In the Watches of the Night:

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3m5jogz

by TheLightdancer

After her reunion with Jason Todd, he convinces Death to take a step that she never anticipated taking.

As Death finds herself drawn into the strange patterns of the Bat-Family, she also finds herself reappraising the concepts of what it means for the Endless to love, or to be loved, and confronts both her manipulative sibling and elements unleashed by Desire in the shadow-haunted city of Gotham.

For the Bat-Family's own part, a very old enemy begins to stir again and the aftereffects of his passing lead to an unexpected alliance with the Gotham City Sirens for their own reasons.

Words: 1228, Chapters: 1/25, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Death and the Red Hood:

Fandoms: DCU (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Death of the Endless, Jason Todd, Desire of the Endless, Raven (DCU), Koriand'r (DCU), Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Dinah Lance, Lady Blackhawk (DCU), Zatanna Zatara, Birds of Prey Members (DCU), Gotham City Sirens Ensemble, Hugo Strange, Jonathan Crane, Roman Sionis, Talia al Ghul, Despair of the Endless, Delirium of the Endless

Relationships: Death of the Endless/Jason Todd, Koriand'r/Raven (DCU), Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel, Death of the Endless & Desire of the Endless, Desire of the Endless & Despair of the Endless, Desire of the Endless & Delirium of the Endless

Additional Tags: Lazarus Pit is not nice, Jason Todd is an asshole, But a fun asshole like Walter in the Big Lebowski, Death makes poor decisions, Death also doesn't understand people, Batfamily Shenanigans, Might as well write one Batman story and get it out of my system, Pfui, Top Jason Todd, Bottom Death of the Endless, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason Todd Rare Pair Challenge, Rare Pairings, Desire is an asshole, Despair and Delirium are too, But it's kind of in their names

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3m5jogz

[thatdarncatchronicles]

That Darn Cat | Issue No. 2 | A Hint of Pesto Aioli

Warnings | Mentions of blood, Canon-typical violence

Rating | K+

Genre | Friendship, Family, Snark (Is that a genre...?)

Guest Stars | Harvey Bullock, Ornell Sackett (OC)

Word Count | 1.7K

Summary: Help comes from an unexpected source when a suspect is kicking the snot out of Jim. Cue Agents of Shield references, a large dose of Harvey!snark, and a lovely dollop of protective!Harvey.

The third punch sent Jim reeling, stars and colors bursting behind his eyes. This was not how he had seen his day going. Pushing off the brick alley wall, he turned back to his assailant just in time to catch a meaty fist square in the face.

Ow.

He staggered and dropped to his knees on the rough pavement, blood spurting from his nose. Then a heavy boot connected with his chest and suddenly his cheek was pressed into the asphalt.

He grunted. He could hear Harvey's I-told-you-sos already.

The boots stepped into his field of vision, and Jim struggled to his hands and knees just in time to catch the kick in his side rather than his face. Flat on his back now, Jim watched as the surrounding buildings swam against the gray clouds of Gotham.

He knew another blow was surely coming, and he knew he should probably do something to avoid it, but he couldn't find the energy to move. When several seconds passed without any sign of his attacker other than an intelligent, "huh?" and a loud clonk, he wondered if he had been forgotten. There was another clonk, followed by a thud, and then footsteps.

Great. Another thug who wanted a piece of the imprudent GCPD detective. He should definitely do something now. He groaned, and was about to try to roll to his feet when this new threat interrupted his view of the Gotham skyline.

"Hiya, Detective." Selina Kyle stood leaning over him, hands planted on her knees and an insufferably smug smile on her face.

Jim frowned. Was he hallucinating? He didn't think he had been hit that hard. "Selina? What are you doing here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks, Cat! That guy was really kicking the snot out of me."

"Yeah." He shifted successfully, if painfully, into a sitting position and smeared at the blood still pouring from his nose with the back of his thumb. "That, too I guess." His halfhearted attempt to stem the blood flow ceased abruptly when his eyes landed on the fallen form of his attacker, spread-eagled on the pavement, a sizable welt already forming on the side of his head. "Did you just—?"

Selina pulled a large glass bottle from her coat and flipped it in the air, catching it with cat-like grace. "Lucky for you, the local booze joints dump right outside my digs."

"Huh." Jim gave up on his nose and rubbed experimentally at his jaw, instead. Ow. "So what brings you to this part of the neighborhood?"

She shifted her weight to one leg and crossed her arms. "I could ask you the same question, Detective."

"I feel like we've had this conversation before." He struggled to his feet with a barely suppressed grunt and gestured at the prone form beside him. "Ornell Sackett."

Selina smirked. "Well, he certainly sacked you."

"Funny. He's a suspect in a murder investigation." He pulled his phone from his jacket and dialed 911. "This is Detective Gordon, badge number two-three-six-seven-four. I have a suspect unconscious at 24th and Finley, in the alley between Sergio's and…" he glanced at the sign hanging above the second establishment's back door, "Arnold's Florals. Gonna need a bus." Returning his phone to its pocket, he reached back for his handcuffs and set about restraining the man in question. The last thing he needed was for Sackett to wake up and come at them again. Then he called Harvey.

"Hey. I got him in custody, but he's gonna need to be checked out by a doc before we can bring him in. Yeah. Okay. See you in a few." Flipping the phone closed, he looked up, somewhat surprised to find Selina still present, sitting cross-legged atop a trash can. "You're still here."

"That's quite the observation, there, Gordon. I see why you made detective."

He sighed. "Usually, when our paths cross in the city, you take off at the first opportunity—probably with my watch or my wallet. Or leave me in a sewer."

"That was one time." He raises his eyebrows and she shrugs in acknowledgment, amending, "And it probably won't be the last."

"Exactly."

A siren wailed in the distance, growing nearer, and Selina swung her legs off the trash can. "Well, as fun as this has been, Detective, I'm afraid I can't hang around long enough to see the touching reunion between you and your pals at the GCPD."

"Selina, wait."

She did, head tilted, eyes hard.

"Stay a little longer. Harvey'll be here in a minute, and he'll have seen that Fitzsimmons' food truck is parked two blocks away, which means as soon as he's allowed to leave the scene, he's gonna be dragging me over there. Eat with us."

"Yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll take my chances somewhere where there aren't a dozen cops waiting for an excuse to send me upstate."

"No one is going to send you upstate, Selina. Not on my watch."

"Sure. Whatever." She turned to go.

"Hey."

She paused with a dramatic sigh, back still towards him, her very posture oozing annoyance.

"Thank you."

She turned back just enough to meet his eyes, her own glinting with mischief as she gave him a two-fingered salute and darted away, disappearing into the maze of Gotham's underbelly.

Jim sighed, turning his attention to the ambulance that had pulled up at the entryway behind him.

A few minutes later, Jim watched, standing by with the two of the uniformed officers now on the scene, as the EMTs loaded the still-unconscious Sackett onto a gurney.

"I gotta admit, partner, I underestimated you."

Jim's eyes closed when he heard Harvey Bullock's voice behind him.

"I'm impressed! You takin' down a hard hitter like Sackett all by your lonesome. I gotta tell ya, I thought you were gonna get your—"

Jim reluctantly turned to face his partner.

"—butt kicked." Harvey's face went from amiable pride to shock to concern in record time, and he was he was at Jim's side in an instant, poking and prodding him to determine the extent of his injuries.

"Harvey—" Jim swatted at his partner's hands when he found a particularly sore spot. "Harvey. Stop it. Stop it, I'm—no, I'm fine. I'm okay."

Harvey eyed him suspiciously, but the fact that Jim was standing seemed to assuage his worry at least enough for him to stop his bearish pat-down. "You sure?"

"Yeah. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Well, that's good, cause it looks bad. Look at you—you got blood everywhere."

"It's just from my nose." Jim ran his blood-crusted hand under his nose again. It seemed to have stopped, mostly. Small mercies.

Ten minutes later, despite his protests, Jim was sitting on the ledge at the back of the ambulance as an EMT made sure he didn't have a concussion or fractured skull or anything. The bruising would be substantial, but the EMT pronounced him good to go and gave him a towel to clean up with.

Jim was in the middle of mopping the worst of the blood from his face when Harvey leaned against the ambulance beside him with a look that Jim knew only too well.

Jim sighed and accepted his fate. "Go ahead. Get it out of your system."

"I told you. I told you this was a stupid idea. Didn't I tell you this was a stupid idea?" He turned to a uniform passing by. "Didn't I tell him this was a stupid idea?" The officer shot him a quizzical look and kept walking. Jim offered her an apologetic smile as Harvey continued. "I definitely told you this was a stupid idea. But did you listen? Nope. Nobody listens to Bullock, do they?"

"Alright, alright. But you also told me this was a bum lead, and I found him, didn't I?"

"Yeah, sure, you found him all right. But got your butt handed to you—royally, I might add. I'm surprised you were able to see well enough to cuff him with that fat eye."

The EMTs rolled Sackett by, and Jim stood to let them load him up.

Harvey's eyes widened at the sight of the golf ball-sized lump on Sackett's temple. He whistled. "Dang, son, what'd you hit him with?"

"I didn't."

"What do you mean, you didn't? That thing's the size of a grapefruit!"

Jim expelled yet another sigh. It was going to come out sooner or later. "It wasn't me. Selina Kyle showed up with a bottle and...Well, you see."

"Selina Ky—hang on, let me get this straight. You're tellin' me a twelve-year-old kid with a beer bottle and a bad haircut took out a three hundred and fifty-pound murder suspect while you sat on your thumbs seein' stars?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. It was a champagne bottle. And you're hardly one to talk about bad haircuts. Or...any haircut, really."

"Hardy-har-har. Where'd that kid get a champagne bottle?"

"Some dumpster, I guess."

"Nice."

"Yeah."

Jim finished cleaning up his face while Harvey finished laughing.

When the guffaws had faded to the occasional chortle, Harvey slapped a hand on Jim's shoulder and began guiding him back to his car. "So, it's your lucky day."

Jim shot him an incredulous look. "Really? My lucky day, huh? How so?"

"How so? I'll tell you how so. You'll never guess who I saw parked a couple blocks down."

"Fitzsimmons."

Harvey didn't appear to have heard Jim. "Fitzsimmons! What do you say we get a bite to eat? I'd kill for a sandwich right now. Prosciutto and mozzarella—slap some buffalo on there, maybe a hint of pesto aioli, and…" Sliding into his seat, Harvey proceeded to make a series of sounds that Jim was embarrassed could come from a seasoned member of the GCPD.

No sooner had Jim eased gingerly into his own seat and Harvey finagled the key into the ignition than the back door opened and closed, someone plopping merrily into the seat behind them.

"Howdy, boys."

"Selina, what are you—"

"I said I didn't want to go upstate, Gordon. Never said I didn't want lunch."

A/N: So, this is super nerdy, but I didn't want the bottle to break when Selina conked the guy out, so I did a little research on the packaging of alcohol. Because the only time I have handled any was when I found a can of beer someone left on the beach and disposed of it. (It smelled terrible. 0/10. Do not recommend.) Annnyway. I found out that while most tall bottles, such as wine, are made of fairly fragile glass, champagne bottles are dense and heavy because of the amount of pressure the contents are under. So yah. If you ever need a large bottle to knock someone out with, champagne is the way to go, y'all. You're welcome.

Props to those who caught the shamless Agents of SHIELD reference, and double props to anyone who caught the more subtle Louis L'Amour reference.

Oh, hey! Lemme know what you thought of Harvey in this chapter! This fic definitely focuses on the grudging palship between Jim and Selina, but I'm excited about the opportunities for guest stars. :D Who would you like to see make an appearance in upcoming chapters?

Remember to follow my blog and #thatdarncat (no spaces!) to never miss an issue! If you missed issue no. 1, I’ve got it linked below. :)

Thanks for reading, beautiful hooman. Get your sleep, take your vitamins, drink your water, eat somethin’ :) I love you! *hugs*

Issue No. 1 | Of Spaghettie and Sneezes:

https://thatdarncatchronicles.tumblr.com/post/620372790294528001/that-darn-cat-issue-no-1-of-spaghetti-and?is_related_post=1

[lazykcdoodler]

Fixing the finale’s Laurel Problem: aka, how GA & the Canaries provides a very convenient loophole the writers never took advantage of

Ok, so while I think that Earth-2 Laurel is loads more interesting, that doesn’t stop the death of Earth-1 Laurel from being completely unnecessary and an insult to the character. Frankly, it doesn’t make sense for Oliver to have brought back Tommy without bringing Laurel back too, since I’d argue that both deaths were equally pivotal in the way they informed his decisions.

Here’s how I would’ve fixed it. We start off by having Sara take Earth-2 Laurel aside and begin to talk to her about the future of Star City, and Mia’s place in it. They enter a room inhabited by Tommy and Quentin, both commiserating over feeling the affects of remembering their past deaths.

While Sara gives Quentin a hug (and Quentin affectionately grouses about how “clingy she’s been” throughout her visit), Earth-2 Laurel meets Tommy for the first time, and noticed the ring on his finger. That’s when Earth-1 Laurel enters the room, fresh from a business trip to Central, memories restored by our favorite Deus Ex Martian.

While Sara and Earth-1 Laurel have a teary reunion (since Sara is the only one in the shot without any memories of the Post-Crisis timeline), E2 Laurel and Quentin have a version of the talk they had in the finale, with E2 Laurel being uncertain of her place in the world and her status as Black Canary, and Quentin telling her otherwise.

The Laurels’ talk serves as exposition, or maybe a flashback about E1 Laurel’s death and subsequent resurrection. Maybe she retired due to an injury in Post-Crisis S4, right before E2 Laurel came onto the scene. Idk. Post-Crisis E1 Laurel could’ve spent time in Nanda Parbat. She and Tommy could’ve moved to Gotham, where she became a founding member of the first iteration of the Birds of Prey. She had SO MUCH potential, and it sucks that the writers didn’t use it.

Anyway, E1 Laurel assures E2 Laurel of her growth, and how far she’s come since her days as Black Siren. Then they both get headaches, in line with the doppelgänger problems arising in Supergirl and Batwoman.

Sara talks to both of the Laurels about the state of future Star City. E2 Laurel volunteers to watch after Mia and guide her, since the present day has plenty of vigilantes, and it sounds like the future could do with a few more old hands. She thanks Quentin, E1 Laurel, and Sara for their support, but says that two doppelgängers from different Earths existing in the same place and time might not be a good thing in the long run, and time displacement might fix the problem and do the both of them some good.

Quentin tells her that he’ll miss her, and Sara admits that she’s been pushing the issue because, “every Queen needs a Lance at their side, and there’s no better Lance than a Laurel.” Or something cheesy like that.

The Laurel’s shake hands. E1 Laurel can pass the Black Canary legacy directly onto E2 Laurel. Or the two of them can share it, from 2020 and 2040 respectively. Then Sara promises to visit her family more and introduce them to her new one (the Legends), before popping E2 Laurel off to the future.

The rest of the finale can stay the same tho. Sorry for the long post, I’m just bitter about things like unnecessary fridging. I’m not sure if I’ll post a legit review, but if I blaze through it, I might have a comic strip posted by tomorrow.