#he isn't nightwing

[llillilholillill]

so i’ve been thinking... here’s some snippets for arrowverse!jason that i’ve been craving.

please don’t steal my work and/or put it on other platforms w/o my permission this will result in a block + report.

¹

Jason knows something is wrong the moment Talia does not pick up the phone. He suspected something was up when he did not get a call as soon as he left All-Caste. And that makes him pause just long enough to see the news. He is not really concentrating on grainy and shaky footage of ruins of Starling City, no. His attention focuses on the caption below that has absolutely nothing to do with whatever happened in the city.

‘Gotham’s city billionaire Bruce Wayne has been missing for over two years. GCPD refuse to give any comments.’

His blood runs cold.

It cannot be true. It... It is just some weird plan. A ploy to lull rouges into false sense of security, so it will be easy to catch them at once and throw back to prisons that are just as efficient as paper towels against the flood.

Talia does not pick up the phone. Twice. In a row.

Jason calls the manor. Alfred. Alfred is going to answer and he will know it is just a fake piece of news.

No one answers.

He calls again.

And again.

And again.

The sense of dread is so overwhelming it even dulls the burning hungry feeling of bloodlust that has been nagging him ever since he came back. And Jason can think without the constant desire to take someone’s life for the first time in almost four years.

²

Gotham is still a shithole. But not that kind that has paranoid old bastard in a furry batsuit as her vengeful protector. The kind that has been stewing for far too long without any supervision.

The manor is... For Jason it has always looked empty, no matter what Alfred tried to do. But now. Now it is truly abandoned. Jason can feel chills running down his spine. The flames of his soul that make All-Blades are the only thing that keeps him from shivering in his All-Caste uniform. Everything inside is covered in dust.

The cave is dark. It is silent. Jason realises there are no bats here when he switches on the lights. He looks around. Nothing is out of the place or broken. Everything is just the same as it has been when he wore stupid traffic light costume. The one that... His gaze falls onto the glass case with it torn and bloody inside and right above it is a golden plaque with ‘In Memory of Jason Todd — Robin — A Good Soldier’. 

Of fucking course.

³

Jason sits on his favourite roof with his gargoyle friend, fidgeting with the phone. Gotham’s sky is still as smoggy at night as he remembers it to be.

He calls Barbara’s old phone number. It disconnects. He tries calling the last known one, the one from Bruce’s database. It does as well.

He calls Dick, muscle memory typing in the number Jason used that day four years ago before going to Ethiopia. It goes to the voicemail. Fucking again. Jason shakes himself out of the flashback.

Why did the call come through? Dick has new number now.

He calls his new one, hoping the rumors he has heard about some crazy guy in black costume with blue bird on his chest are true and not just a ghost stories. It disconnects.

No.

Fuck.

No, no, no.

Without any hesitation Jason types in the emergency number, the one Bruce has said to only use when there was no other option. The call goes to the voicemail.

Jason stands up, walking away from his gargoyle, and punches the brick wall of the roof entrance.

“What the fuck!” He yells, wishing for all this to just be a nightmare. Jason even promises to himself he will throw away his stupid revenge plan and go back to the manor, to Alfred, to Bruce, to his dad. It was an idiotic plan, he knows, he fucking knows, why is not he waking up?

⁴

Commissioner Gordon lights up Bat Signal every night. And every night no one answers.

⁵

“Was I really just a soldier to you, Bruce?” Jason is in the cave again. He cannot stop going here, cannot stop torturing himself, cannot stop staring at his old Robin uniform and at the empty mannequin near the changing area.

No one answers him.

It is already a pattern he has grown familiar with.

⁶

He cleans the manor. All of it. Until it fucking sparkles.

⁷

Jason is walking through Crime Alley when he hears a whistle. Not the Robin kind. But the one some of the gangs used when he was a kid.

Actually, he tilts his head to the side, there was only one asshole who preferred it more than anything else.

Another whistle. This one is shorter.

Seems like Black Mask decided to expand his business.

Whatever.

It is not his problem. Jason needs to find Bruce. Or at least find out if Dick is in New York or not. If someone stole Bluebird from his brother and if yes who is he killing.

⁸

Joker escapes Arkham.

Gotham is ghost city for the next three days. No one even dares to open the curtains. Then there is a live broadcast with a teen dressed in a cheap Halloween Robin costume tied to a chair. She has blonde hair and looks so tiny Jason thinks she must be twelve, but then Joker gleefully tells:

“This little birdie here is just as old as the last one I killed! What a day it was! Magnificent! My dear friend was on a roll beating that brat for not having any manners with me! How sad she can’t join us today and that we have to play with dollar version of the real deal, who doesn’t even know how to fly, but don't ya worry folks, we’ll still clip her wings!” Joker is holding a crowbar.

Joker is holding a crowbar ready to strike Robin.

‘The party’s just got started.’

Joker is holding a crowbar ready to strike a kid.

‘...this is going to hurt you a lot more than it does me.’

Joker is holding a crowbar ready to kill a kid in Robin colors.

‘What the Batman doesn't know can't hurt me!’

⁹

Batman may not know but Jason does. He does and he is in his All-Caste uniform. He does and he is no Batman. He does and he has absolutely no moral code when it comes to shutting down the livestream and beating Joker to death with the crowbar that has child’s blood on it.

Jason stabs him with the All-Blades, burning Joker’s soul with magic he is yet to fully grasp just so no one ever will be able to bring this fucker back.

“Fuck..ing... end h...him,” the girl’s voice is barely audible amongst the sickening crunch of bones being methodically broken and screeches of bloodlust in his head.

¹⁰

Jason goes on his first patrol four months after he moved back to Gotham. He is not wearing Robin uniform or even Bruce’s classic Batman costume. He has bright red bat on his chest; it is the exact shade as the one that has been used in his Robin costume. Scarlet muzzle and domino mask of the same color connected to it. He added a hood to the cape after some thinking.

He does not have guns on him. But he hides small daggers, a lot of them actually, while batarangs are safely tucked in the utility belt.

¹¹

“You aren’t Batman.”

“Kid, be careful with the bo, I’m not gonna fight you,” Jason raises his hands, standing in front of the Batmobile, — can it even be call that now? — he cannot really get inside because the kid with quite expensive looking bo is blocking the door to the driver’s sit.

The kid hits him on the head with the metal bo. Then he squeaks, realizing who exactly he has just hit. And yet Jason can see he has not lost determined look in his eyes, even though he is clearly terrified.

Jason laughs. His head hurts.

“Are you hungry?” He is going to buy this scrawny teenager a burger.

Fuck. He even has black hair and blue eyes.

¹¹

“No.”

“But—”

“I said ‘no’, Tim.”

“You were Robin when you were my age!”

“How'd—” Jason looks at the kid, teenager, closer. “You're that stalker kid obsessed with first Robin. I even bought you a milkshake and you said I still wasn’t your favourite,” Tim’s face goes bright red, he tries to hide behind his burger. “You know who I am under the mask.”

“I figured,” Tim says in a small voice. “You were Robin.”

“And I died, Tim, I’m not going to let you—”

“I’ll help you find Mr. Wayne! And... And I almost found out where Mr. Grayson lives in New York!”

Jason chokes.

“Dick’s alive?..”

Tim lowers his gaze, taking a large bite.

“I think. There is Bluebird in New York for sure. But I’m not certain if it is your brother.”

“Where are your parents, kid?” Jason sighs.

“In Egypt, they'll be back in two months for three days.”

“The fuck?”

¹²

“You should answer Bat Signal.”

“You should go to sleep, it’s past your bed time.”

¹³

“Jason.”

“No, Tim.”

“Just... Just teach me how to defend myself?”

Jason rolls away from the Bat computer, staring intently on Tim who is holding his collapsible bo in hands.

“You’re telling me you’ve got no idea how to actually use it?”

“Um. I know. In theory. And I took self-defense classes! I just haven’t really used bo before.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jason stands up, going to the training area. “C’mon, kid.”

“Not a kid.”

“Uh-huh.”

¹⁴

“Are you going to answer Bat Signal?” Tim asks in his comms.

“Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

¹⁵

“Why the fuck they call me Red Bat?”

“Are you dump or really don’t know?” Tim pointedly looks at the emblem on the chest of his costume.

“Oh, shut it, you know that rumors about Batman shouldn’t change or—”

“—or people would realize story isn’t a hoax,” Tim ponders it for a second. “You think, it'll be bad? If people knew you were real? Gotham is different. But Starling is shitty and they know Arrow or whatever that guy calls himself is real.”

“You said it yourself, Timmy, Gotham’s different,” Jason runs a hand through his hair. “And Oliver Queen has some agenda on top of whatever’s going on between him and the league. I’m just trying to protect Gotham as best as I can,” he knows there is bitterness in his voice, but he cannot do anything about it.

“Found out who he is?”

“Please, as if it was hard.”

¹⁶

“I’m skipping patrol,” Jason declares.

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m teaching you how to make cookies and after that we’re watching movies.”

¹⁷

“It was you. You killed Joker.”

Jason stops on the rooftop, all his attention is focused on Tim’s words.

“I thought you knew?”

There is silence.

“I... you... Batman doesn’t kill.”

Don’t I fucking know that.

“I wasn’t Batman. And I wasn’t gonna let that fucker go after what he did to Stephanie,” the girl’s name feels heavy on his tongue, he was almost too late to save her, he was too late to save the child she was carrying.

“Do you... Are you still?..”

“I’m not gonna kill while you're in my ears, kid.”

“Not a kid, Red.”

“Then choose a codename if you insisting on bothering me throughout the night.”

¹⁸

“My parents had to leave earlier can I stay at the manor? It’ll be more effici—”

“Get inside, I’m rewatching ‘Home alone’.”

¹⁹

“Red Bat, stop!” Tim’s voice brakes the blissful haze that bloodlust always cocoons him in. “Red, you need to stop please! You’ll kill him, you... You promised not to—”

“Where’s GCPD?” Jason zip-ties the pimp he has almost beaten to death; it reminds him of the day. The day Batman decided he became too aggressive to be Robin.

“ETA two minutes,” in a slightly shaky tone Tim informs him.

Jason leaves the guy on the ground, finding an access to the roof.

He breathes in cold winter air, stinking of something distinctly Gotham. It grounds him.

“I’m sorry, kid,” finally says Jason.

“You were dumped in Lazarus waters, weren’t you?”

And Jason wants to use it as an excuse. To pretend he has not killed by his own choice. To assure Tim he is not truly a monster who kills because he wishes to do so, but because he came back fucked up.

But it will be a lie, will it not?

His silence is the only answer Tim gets.

“I thought it is impossible to snap out of the—” there is typing on the Tim’s end, “—bloodlust.”

“Ra’s not a mindless monster high on it all the time,” Jason points out.

“You know what I mean. You were as you said ‘high’ and you stopped.”

Jason chuckles. He wants to laugh, loud and hysterical.

“Go dress in your pjs, we’re watching ‘Pride & Prejudice’,” he tells Tim.

“Not again,” he groans in response.

“Yeah again.”

²⁰

Jason is still shivering, his heart beats in his throat, and everything is in the sickly tinge of yellow from Fear Gas. His white knuckle grip leaves dents on the table.

“Tim, why are you wearing Robin suit?”

“I—”

“I told you ‘no’.”

“Yo—”

“Many times, Tim,” Jason’s voice shakes, he does not know if it is from the lingering terror or from anger. “You could’ve died!” He shouts.

Tim’s gaze shines with steel determination, he squares his shoulders, his neon yellow on the inside cape flutters with the movement.

“You would have died! Again!” Tim screams in response. “I saved you! You can at fucking least say thank you, asshole!”

“Ti—”

“And just so you know. If you did die, I would go and wear this,” Tim jabs red bat on his chest, “and do all the reckless stupid things you stop me from doing!”

Jason sighs deep through his nose.

“Where did you get this costume?” It is not Dick’s or one of his. For starters it has actual pants.

“Remember you were wondering why you were spending more on other stuff for the last six months?” mumbles Tim, his face goes as red as the upper part of Robin’s suit. “And I am an heir to Drake estate.”

²¹

“That’s so cool!” Tim, Robin, flies above Gotham’s dirty alleyways.

Jason, Red Bat, is right behind like a protective shadow.

²²

“They call me Red Robin,” Tim smirks, shoving Jason. “You started a trend, old man.”

“Hey, I’m not that old!”

²³

“Who the fuck are you?!” growls Bluebird, it is Dick, it is his big brother, shoving his escrima stick under his jaw with his fingers on the button, ready to zap him.

“I thought you were smarter, birdbrain!” Tim jumps from the shadows, distracting Dick with the neon yellow color of his cape just enough to throw one of his birdarangs at him. “I liked you more because of it!”

“Did you just call me stupid?!” Jason pushes Dick on the ground and takes off his face mask. “Hey, hey, Dickiebird, it’s me,” he smiles unsurely.

“Little Wing?.. Jay... Jason? Wha?.. How?”

His face gets scratched.

“What the fuck was it for?”

“You’re not Clayface.”

“Since when Clayface calls you ‘Dickiebird’, dickface?”

— end of the season one —

[theerurishipper]

-

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-

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I tried something new

Part 1 -> Part 2

Masterpost

[inkpotsprite]

Jason (buried underground): *panic, clawing, digging, catatonia*

Dick: *sings the beatles*

[farshootergotme]

I believe Dick views acrobatics the way artists view nude art.

Outsiders will be talking about how 'sexy' or 'hot' it is. Many sexualize it because they have all the inappropriate thoughts about his flexibility and body. The muscles, the curves... Some will think he does it on purpose. Such a tight costume? Of course he does it on purpose, right?

But it's nothing like that to Dick. He enjoys it like an artist does painting. He sees beauty in the art of acrobatics and performs with every movement. It's what his parents taught him, what's been part of him practically his whole life. You don't think of exotic something you see as natural. It's not erotic when it was never presented to you with that purpose. You don't think of double meanings when it only means one thing to you.

[ehliena]

Tim: My stomach's been feeling off lately.

Dick: Maybe you're pregnant.

Bruce: Don't be ridiculous. Clark has never impregnated a male, there's no chance Conner could.

Tim: Clark didn't have TTK either, but look at Kon.

Dick: *chokes*

Bruce: ...HN.

[racingwest]

i think it's pretty clear who's who

[tragedyliker]

Batfam in the new batman ninja trailer

[damian-al-ghul-wayne]

She's sweet. I agree.

Richard has not answered my messages, so I would like to add in my 2 cents and say,,

Count your days, Richard Grayson.

⭐️🔥

Ahlan. It has been awhile since I have posted any of my artwork. I decided to ask my siblings on what I should draw, and of course, one of them had told me to draw Starfire. I assumed it was mainly out of his... own liking... but, I agreed only because I wanted to do my facial study.

Here's the sketch. /ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ

[mysterycitrus]

my other thought for today is that i know there's this predisposed fixation on all the bats being Freaks™ but in my mind there are only three that are certifiably freaky on the inhuman scale

cass is the obvious, borderline inhuman combatant freak. the body is a language that she and only one other person truly speaks. she can win against any human on earth, and sees herself in every killer. she makes me crazy. imagine being the world's greatest killing machine and literally taking a life for the first time and reading that pain in the body. that's crazy. 10/10

babs is the actual mega-genius freak in gotham. there's no competition. she's out-hacked brainiac. her online persona has an almost physical presence. she got a law degree in her spare time. her ability to process information is almost unparralled, even among superhumans, and her vast swath of allies just makes her more dangerous. toxic girlboss freak behaviours

dick grayson is a trigonometry and spacial awareness freak. this is probably the more controversial take but i do think that based on his feats and abilities his ability to calculate how to land and where to fall isn't comparable to anyone else. he was an acrobatic prodigy by the time he was four. he jumps off buildings and out of planes with no gear for a good time. he can fold himself up like a pretzel and crawl into the batcave through a hole in the ground. freak!

bruce is an honorary fourth freak but just because he's Like That

[littlefankingdom]

Justice League meets the Batfam, but they already knew about them because of Batman ranting about his kids.

In the comics, Batman has implemented that Nightwing should be in charge of the Justice League if something happened to him BEFORE he had adopted Dick (so, when his only legal son was Jason). When Dick is called to help, he learns that people think he's Batman's son because of how Batman speaks about him, and how he is proud of nothing in his life but the man Nightwing has become.

So, let's imagine the batfam thinking they are so secretive and mysterious, and "B, it's time for you to trust your friends and colleagues more", and going to the JL to officially present the Batfam, only for them to cut them and be "You're Batman's kids, everyone knows that. He doesn't shut up about you."

Bruce doesn’t realize he does it, btw. He didn’t clearly stated that they are his kids, that he is their dad, he just starts to talk about them and how proud he is, and how competent they are, and how much he cares about them, when the discussion seems appropriate to do so. But for the rest of the JL, Batman talks about three things: the mission, his kids, and his interests if you are close and it's useful rn (him starting to rant about dinosaurs to Hal when they face dinosaurs is cute). They probably tell new recruits "Batman may seem scary, but he is really just a protective dad. Soon enough, you will hear about his kids".

[nightmare-foundation]

Nightwing is not the favorite child, he's the favorite soldier. Dick Grayson is the golden child turned scapegoat. Everyone needs Nightwing but no one needs Dick. In this essay I will-

[valcove]

Okay, hear me out

Imagine with me. Batman, pedaling as fast as he physically can, on this children's bike, chasing a rogue. It was the only option he had, and he knows he'll be made fun of later by his kids, but he has a mission at the moment, so he can't be bothered to care

And then passing him is Nightwing riding a segway (Nightwing themed, of course), Red Hood wearing heelies, Red Robin on his normal motorbike, and then Damian on a little classic child tricycle.

As it turns out, someone (Alfred) had hidden all the normal vehicles for a prank war, left only Red Robin's motorbike to frame him (because who would suspect Alfred??), and was currently receiving pictures from Barbara to add to a photo album.

Alfred knows he's safe from retaliation, even when they figure out who did it.

[erinwantstowrite]

the discowing suit was not THAT bad and i will die on this hill

people who hate on discowing just can't see the vision 💔😔

also i fully believe it's because artists could not figure out how big to make the popped collar and that RUINED the design. it's fine when it's short but it got fucking ridículous in some issues

like look at this. if you edit the popped collar to be chill again then it's not half bad and i think it really fits the fun of the 80's

[too-much-tma-stuff]

Never Love Another

It was no secret that when Jason came back he came back wrong. The violence and pit rage were the most obvious ones of course, but now that it had faded other little things had started to surface. He had noticed this deep loneliness and homesickness for something he couldn’t remember or name. He didn’t know what to do about it besides, well maybe try to find someone who could sooth the loneliness. But it wasn’t working, if it wasn’t for how bad he wanted a romantic connection he would have thought he was aromatic now because he never, Never felt a spark at all, with anyone.

He actually talked to Dick about it, and let him talk Jason into therapy, but that didn’t help, and when Tim found out about it the paranoid little shit started doing tests. And that was how fucking Bruce found out, and he was even more paranoid so they would not believe it was a coincidence or anything and more tests were done. No answers were found until Batman called in a favour from JLD, Jason tried to insist it wasn’t worth it but Batman said his happiness was the most important thing, which made Jason shut up and make a face like he’d bitten into a lemon.

Now he was just trying to avoid admitting that they were right. “What the fuck do you mean cursed?!” Jason demanded from Constantine who shrugged and lit a new cigarette from the butt of the last one.

“I don’t know mate,” He said with a shrug, taking a drag. “While you were dead you must have pissed off some pretty powerful bastard because it’s Not a petty curse either, not the sort of thing I or Zatanna can break. Looks like it’s to ‘never love again’ or something like that, I don’t know it’s not exactly written in words.” He explained and Jason dropped his head into his hands with a groan.

Of course, why wouldn’t this happened? Honestly though as the literature nerd he was he had to think whoever had cursed him must have been of a similar temperament, given how melodramatic is was.  He wished he could remember what the fuck he had done to get cursed like this?

“So how would we break the curse?” Batman asked, ever solution oriented.

“Don’t know Bats,” Constantine admitted with a one shoulder shrug. “I think you’d have to find whoever cursed him and convince them to lift it. They’re a seriously powerful denizen of the Infinite Realms so we could try a summoning but there’s no guarantee that is would work, and if not you’d have to go to them which would be veeery risky. I’m not sure it’d be worth it honestly, I mean it’s a bit of a blessing isn’t it? Not like our lifestyles really lend to romance,” He snickered and everyone ignored him.

“How long will it take to arrange a summoning,” Nightwing demanded with a frown, why he had to be here too Jason didn’t know but… he was privately a little grateful that he was.

“Mmm A couple of weeks, we have most of the stuff required and the unique ingredients aren’t that hard to find,” the magician hummed thoughtfully. “I’ll remind you, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to work,” he reminded and even though Jason hadn’t looked up he could practically sense the twin scowls Dick and Bruce were shooting John.

“We’re going to try it,” Batman growled and Constantine hummed.

“Sure, whatever you say, I’ll start setting it up.”

------

Those two weeks were plenty of time to panic about who it might be, what Jason might have done to cause this, and what the being might do if they answered the summons. They had a lot of preparations to do, but when Jason tried to say they shouldn’t do this Bruce and the others insisted that they needed to know ho had it out for Jason if just in case they decided to cause more problems. There was discussion about if Jason should be present, but he really wanted to be if this was happening, he wanted to see the monster that had cursed him.

Constantine and Zatanna were both there the day of, as well as Batman and Nightwing, and superman, just in case things went horribly wrong. The spell was… stressful for Red Hood, the portal it opened made him feel like he was staring into the Lazarus pits again, even if it was missing the feeling of rage.

It felt like they were all holding their breath for a few long minutes waiting to see if the summon would be answered. Jason was just starting to think that no one was going to answer when a white booted foot stepped through, followed quickly by the rest of the body.

Jason blinked, staring uncomprehendingly at the being that had answered the summons, not because they were some incomprehensible monster, but for the opposite reason, because they looked so human. Not normal, their ashen skin, pointed ears, and white hair that disregarded gravity, made sure of that, but he looked human other then that. A head or so shorter then Jason, lean and agile looking with unusually wide hips and soft curves for a man. His ears were pierced three times, two having studs like planets and a set of dangly ones shaped like a sun and a moon which glinted in the light of the glowing crown on his head. It looked like ice that had trapped the northern lights within them, it was beautiful, it took his breath away.

He had a vague feeling that the others present were talking, but Jason and, it seemed, the spirit, were not hearing them. Jason couldn’t tear his gaze away from the creatures Lazarus green eyes, why did he feel so familiar.

“Jay,” The being breathes, a bright smile spreading across his face, revealing little fangs that shouldn’t have been so adorable. “How did you, you shouldn’t have called me, I don’t… You don’t remember me do you? You shouldn’t,” He breathed, the smile dropping as the initial joy at seeing Jason overtaken by worry.

“We want to know why you cursed my son!” Batman shouted, suddenly cutting through the odd, tunnel version they’d both been trapped in and sending them both reeling. Jason had been leaning forward and ended up stumbling.

“Oh,” The creature sounded, his brows furrowing as Jason finally looked around and noticed how Constantine was cowering.

“Batman! Don’t yell at the fucking king of the Infinite Realms!” Constantine practically squeaked. The king?! How had Jason pissed off the king?! “We’re so sorry for disturbing you your Majesty, please don’t destroy us,” the wizard said, sounding like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

The being still in the circle cackled and crossed his legs under him, sitting on air at the odd cape that looked like it was made of the night sky billowed behind him. “Don’t worry I’m not planning on it, honestly, I am happy to see you again Jaybird,” He said with a soft smile, his gaze going back to Jason like he wanted to drink him in. “You’ve grown so much pretty-bird, are you happy? Do you like being alive again?” He asked worriedly. “You’re always welcome back-“

Nightwing read that as a threat that this supposed King was going to kill Jason again and yanked him back, standing between Jason and the stranger, even though he was shorter and slimmer then Red Hood. “He’s not going anywhere! Why did you curse him?” Nightwing demanded again.

“It wasn’t a curse, it was a price,” Phantom said with a frown. “I would let him go, but not to love another.”

“Love, another?” Jason asked this time, his voice harsh and soft. God how his heart ached, why couldn’t he remember something that made him feel so much longing and pain?

“Another,” Danny said, his voice softening again. “While you were in my realm we were… Close, very close. But you couldn’t let go of life, you weren’t ready to give yourself to me, not fully,” Danny bit his lip for a moment. “It hurt, but I only wanted what was best for you Jay, so if you had unfinished business… well, I let you leave. I did! I let you go, but-but maybe I was selfish, I was going to be waiting decades for you and-and I couldn’t stand the idea of waiting that long only for you to have fallen in love again with someone in life and, even after dying and remembering me, choosing to stay with them! So that was the deal, you get to live again, but only if you don’t love again, and you come back to me when you’re done. You agreed.”

There was a long silence as everyone processed what the king had said, it was Constantine who reacted first, rounding on Jason. “You dated the King of the Infinite Realms!?” He demanded, flabbergasted.

“Ugh, just call me Danny, I’m the king sure but I don’t care much for the title,” The bring in front of them corrected with a grimace.

“Danny,” Nightwing said, holding out his hand in a sort of placating gesture. “Can you… change the price?” He asked uncertainly.

“NO!” Danny said instantly, his voice echoing in a way that made those present flinch. “No, the deal still stands. I let him leave my kingdom, but I won’t completely give him up. I can’t, I can’t,” Danny said and Jason could swear he saw Danny’s eyes glimmer with tears.

“It’s alright,” Jason said, softly as he could, Danny’s pain called to him in a way he couldn’t explain. “It’s just, I’ve been lonely, I’ve felt like I’ve been missing something since I came back. I thought it was love, but now I think, I think it’s you. I’ve been homesick, for You,” He said, stepping closer again and holding out his hand. John yelped when Jason broke the circle, but he was being ignored.

Danny’s eyes widened in shock, then welled over with tears as he reached out and took Jason’s hand, his feet landing back on the ground as he stepped closer. “I’ve missed you too Jaybird, I’ve missed you like you wouldn’t believe,” He practically whispered. As he stepped over the line a white ring ran up and over his body, leaving a- well, for all appearances a human man with similar features and inverted colours, maybe a little younger then Jason. “I’m sorry you’ve been lonely, but I wanted to let you live your life. If you want, I could visit more? I would be happy to put in the work to, start over, let you get to know me in this life?” He laced their fingers together, taking Jason’s other hand as well, standing chest to chest and looking up at him through dark lashes, framing beautiful clear blue eyes.

“I would love that,” Jason breathed. Startled by a sound of disbelief behind him, he’d forgotten Nightwing was there and he glanced back. “What? It solves the problem of me being unable to love, it turns out I was just trying to love the wrong people.

[glitter-stained]

After a mission together, Jason takes one look at Dick's posture as he stares down at the city, and takes him to one of his favourite rage rooms.

Jason finds the dead body of a child he tried but couldn't save. Dick watches Jason punch a wall and tear at his own hair and manhandles him on a chair, shoves an icepack by his ribcage and teaches him to breathe.

It's okay. Your anger is not shameful. You don't have to be afraid of it, and there's no need to laugh and hide while it's boiling under your skin. You have a right to your own rage.

It's okay. Your anger is not violence, your emotions have not doomed you to be the worst version of yourself. You were not made for all this blood. You can live through the rage without letting it consume you.

[charlietheepicwriter7]

Why is it always Hellva Boss earworms that make me come up with ideas?

So, during the whole Freakshow thing, it wasn't true mind control. Danny was definitely affected, but it messed with his self esteem and emotions to the point where he damaged all of his relationships and is considering running away. Freakshow, who was a little bit smarter in this, then reveals that he knows Danny's a halfa and hey, why don't you join my ghost circus while you figure some things out.

So Danny becomes a clown because he's always liked clowns, and if you've seen the new episode, you know what happens next

and over the course of a few years, Freakshow isolates Danny from his family and friends, indoctrinates him into the crime side of business, and gaslights Danny into thinking he's nothing without him. Danny loves performing, but is so beaten down that he thinks he can't leave even if that's what he wants. Danny's a famous performer at this point, even if no one knows his real identity. The other ghosts aren't really a comfort since they're mind controlled.

The Justice League, specifically Young Justice, already know that Circus Gothica is a crime ring, but have no evidence to get them arrested bc the ghosts (who they think are just metas) are too good. The leader during the thefts (Danny) is the only one they've ever been able to get close to. Maybe at some point, Tim!Robin and Danny get trapped and Danny has a panic attack for failing Freakshow? Something happens that makes Tim convinced Danny isn't a criminal willingly, but he can't convince the others.

Danny and Klarion somehow end up dating. Freakshow joins the light, probably, and the two work really well together. Klarion asks Danny out, and Danny was really reluctant since he hasn't had... anyone, in years, but they date and it's just another thing for Freakshow to hold over his head.

Eventually, Freakshow gets the inkling that Danny isn't working as hard as he should be so he puts "Greatest Clown in the World" contest, and tells Danny that all the clowns who don't win will be immediately killed.

Danny is horrified, but he can only care about himself right now, so he's working his ass off.

(Meanwhile, in Gotham, the Joker tried to join, but the Batman broke in, stole all his bones, and left him in the hospital for a few months)

So Danny's putting his all into this performance, but Young Justice finds out about the murder bit and infiltrates with, IDK, disguised Nightwing? Klarion is also there to support his man.

Danny ends up tying with Nightwing, and the tie-breaker is a three minute performance and whoever's more entertaining wins. Danny has a panic attack during Nightwing's performance and Tim and Klarion team up to talk to Danny.

Danny's convinced he will be nothing without Freakshow (literally, he might fully die), so while Klarion helps him feel better about his skills, Tim finally gets the deets about Danny's whole situation. Tim logics that Freakshow mindcontrolling this other dimensional species + Danny is half this species = Danny is being mind controlled, pissing off Klarion while Danny thinks back to what happened when Circus Gothica first came to town.

His irrational anger at family and friends, his desperate need for approval from Freakshow, how he never even considered going independent, how he thought he was immune to the mind control staff despite being half ghost.... He's pissed. He wants to quit.

So he tells Tim that YJ needs to get the staff during his performance; without it, Freakshow wouldn't be able to mind control anyone. And he goes on to give his performance.

As for that... look, 2 Minute Notice is an amazing song with amazing choreography. the only thing i would add would be a quad somersault during the trapzee part.

Danny proves himself as an amazing clown, Freakshow gets arrested since Danny is willing to testify against him, the ghosts are free, and Klarion later murders Freakshow in a cell because that's his boyfriend, you pathetic excuse of a warlock.

"Freakshow, you sad sack of shit! Fuck you!"