#his side characters change but Bruce doesn’t

[weirdo-from-bonesborough]

Someone on Twitter confused Jason for Dick and asked why he was going grey before Bruce and I can NOT stop thinking about it

[morverenmaybewrites]

wait r we allowed to send these in for characters u write for? :o

cuz i’m curious abt this one “What freaks them out the most in a relationship?” for jason

Yes, please do!

"What freaks them out most in a relationship?"| Jason Todd

Honestly, I think Jason Todd is afraid to love again, simply because of the way he loves. He tends to love wholeheartedly, without reservation, often to the point of self-destruction.

Remember that this is the man who endured at least six months worth of torture just so he wouldn't betray his father. Not a lot of people are capable of that sort of loyalty. 

To add insult to injury, it's very likely that he never got to experience any sort of positive reinforcement when it comes to loving a person.

In my Arkham fanfics, Jason's father was an abusive drunk and his mother was a junkie. While he learned to avoid his father, I'd like to think that he did hold some sort of love for his mother. He tried, in his own way, to take care of her, keep her safe.

He'd put a blanket over her when she was lost in her heroine-dreams, he'd wipe the drool from the side of her mouth, he'd leave stolen food next to her sweat-stained mattress for when she woke up. And all it ever got Jason, I imagine, was an absent-minded sort of affection. Perhaps she'd give him a vague smile, her eyes bloodshot and glassy, as if she wasn’t really seeing him, perhaps she'd ruffle his hair.

And for a long time, he'd think that was love.

Something rare, something small, but something that kept him warm all the same (for East End was a cold place), and he'd sip it like rainwater between his cupped palms, because it was all he'd ever known.

But then he gets adopted, and suddenly his perspective changes. 

Love, he realizes, can be patient. It can be his father Bruce, who somehow never got angry at him during those early days, when hope had warmed the inside of his chest like a swallowed star.

Love can be easy, he learns. It can be something as simple as Alfred, waiting up for him after a long rainy night, bringing him towels that were somehow always warm. It can be warm soup on the days that he woke up with a sore throat and a fever burning through his skin (and even to this day, he marvels at the idea that in Wayne Manor, food can come so easily--without stealing, without a fight).

But, he'll also tragically learn (or so he thinks) that love has to be earned.

I've always had this idea (and I stand by it) that Bruce did love his kids, deeply. But because of his own issues, he couldn’t love them in a way that they needed to be loved (and isn’t that true of most parents?).

It is the way Bruce never smiled at him when he was Robin. 

It is long nights of training just for a hint of his father’s approval. 

It is the constant comparison to another son, one who is faster, smarter, and better in every way. 

It is the way he thinks–and becomes terrified–that if he doesn’t earn his place in Wayne Manor, if he doesn’t earn his father’s love, he will be back in that cold place in East End where nothing can ever keep him warm again. 

And then Joker happens.

And then Joker happens. 

And no matter how strong he tried to be, how silent, no matter how much he tried to endure. 

He breaks (clean in two, a crack so wide it will never heal, you can trace the fractured seam of him and find the exact place where his heart was broken). 

Even worse, Batman breaks: he leaves Jason for dead (or so he thinks).

And a part of him will always think: is it enough? Was I not enough? 

Was it not enough to endure? To stay silent? To keep his father’s secrets?

Had Jason somehow, through some fault in his won, not done enough to earn being loved, being saved?

(Is he always going to be that small child in East End, and all he will ever know of it are vague smiles through bloodshot, glassy eyes? Was this his punishment for hoping for more? He can drink and drink and it will never be enough, the rainwater will always slip through his palms). 

And then there’s you. 

And at first he thinks it’s easy (as easy as warm soup on days when he’s feeling sick, as easy as a towel after a night in the rain), because you are brave and reckless and you are quite pretty when you smile. And it has been so long since he’s had a friend. 

It’s easy because you’re easy to be with: you read into his silences, you calm him down when he falters and you are braver than he gives you credit for (and there are days when he wishes that you are less brave). 

It is easy until one day, Jason realizes what’s happening and the first thing he thinks is that he can’t go through this again. 

He cannot be that child in East End, who follows his mother for crumbs of her affection like a dog starving for scraps.

He cannot be the boy in the Batcave, practicing over and over just so he’ll finally get to see his father’s smile

He cannot be Robin in Arkham Asylum, with a bullet hole in his chest and a brand burning on his face

And yet, and yet, Jason does not know any other way to love. 

He does not know of any other way it does not end in tragedy (and hurt and pain and betrayal). 

Oh, he is terrified. He thinks he fears you more than any other living thing in Gotham. 

To love you, he thinks, is to give you the chance to destroy him all over again. 

And he can’t, he can’t go through that again. 

(But oh, there are days Jason thinks you will be worth it.). 

[vinelark]

in honor of his birthday i would like to ask if you, as a master of a pangy fic writing, have any pangy jason fics to recommend

❗️ you’ve given me a quest! i do indeed have pangy jason fic recs, and here are some of them:

pre-death:

Not All Kidnappings are Bad by @cdelphiki

a “bruce finds jason early” au, featuring 9 y/o jason’s understandable trust issues, bruce’s terminal awkwardness, and slow-burn family. the identity reveal here is also one of my favorite moments.

we’re released pushing daisies by shoutowo

jason starts acting strange out of the blue, and bruce is fraying at the seams trying to figure out why. i love how the pov is so deftly navigated here; the reader knows almost exactly what’s going on, even if bruce never does, and we still get a little catharsis.

these words you can’t say by glaciya

a short, excellent, gut-punch of a fic in which jason is figuring out his place in the family, and dick takes out some of his bruce issues on jason (but does his best to fix it later).

A MOMENT THAT'S HELD IN YOUR ARMS. by orpheusaki

possibly my fav early days jason pang fic of all time; jason and bruce are stumbling toward learning to communicate, and bruce runs headfirst into one of jason’s (understandable) misconceptions.

Safe Space by Cerusee

the summary puts it perfectly: “Turns out, Bruce and Jason aren’t quite on the same page about who’s parenting whom.” feat. some exploration of jason’s past + trauma around being a caretaker to a parent figure.

post-resurrection:

the only way out (is as a carcass) by @silk-scarlet-ribbons

red hood gets mentally rewound to his robin days, and has A Time. this fic also delves a bit into jason grappling with the major changes his body went through since he was robin, which is a particularly compelling pang to me.

all my love and terror balanced there by @burins

in which jason and bruce have a conversation, and i cry. (this line has lived in my head since i read it: "I lost you too," Jason says. "You always forget that. And I never got you back.")

Tap Out by @coyote-nebula

jason gets poisoned as a civilian, which kicks off a character study of jason & bruce + trying not to hurt each other. one of my favorite jason povs!

The Cold Like Coming Home by cabezas_de_vaca

jason rescues bruce wayne from a kidnapping across the globe from gotham. this one made me experience the full spectrum of jason & bruce emotions, pangs and all.

butcherbird, fly away home by e_va

unrelated to the previous fic, but: jason rescues bruce wayne from a kidnapping across the globe from gotham. here, bruce doesn’t know jason’s alive yet, jason doesn’t tell bruce the truth about what happened to him (at first), and they both Go Through It before eventually going home.

It Doesn’t Look Bitter on You by ManURonaldo

a story about jason’s food insecurity, with some really excellent pangs in both the past & present timelines. (also comes with a side of tim pangs, as a treat.)

[huiyi07]

hey so do you guys ever think about how often Diluc is referred to as the ‘uncrowned king of Mondstadt’ since he’s like the only male heir to the noble families and like it or not, where Jean is the authority of the nation, he’s pretty much the symbolic face of Mondstadt and the values the nation projects— and despite his temperament, Diluc has learned to embrace it wholeheartedly. He’s charismatic, extremely righteous, and he blazes bright and gives the people of Mondstadt a fire that guides them in the dark, quite literally. Like he’s literally Bruce Wayne lmao

But he doesn’t want this, no, and here’s the proof- maybe he did, once upon a time, before everything happened— but he doesn’t really care about wine, he only cares about the winery because of the people in it and his father. He’s righteous but doesn’t give a damn about the rules and the knights of favonius. After what happened to him, he’s clearly a rebel at heart now, not some charming superhero who does everything expected of him, unlike before. In summary, Diluc was someone who was quite literally ready to become an (uncrowned) prince, pretty much royalty in every way except title- and on surface level, he still is, but he throws that mantle away in secret whenever he can.

And then look at Kaeya, his brother who’s always lived in his shadow. It’s easy to see that now, people don’t really project Mondstadt’s values onto Kaeya the same way they do onto Diluc, since lots of people hardly even remember that they’re brothers. And yeah people still think kaeya is reliable and nice, but also because of how Kaeya built his image after Diluc left— an excessively over the top personality that pretends to be sadistic, mean, and at the same time dripping with false charm. So despite that people still find him approachable and nice as expected of a knight, hardly anyone would call him befitting of a prince.

But Kaeya is actually so painfully and authentically ‘princely’ and kind, deep down— the way he deals with children, his fierce loyalty and willingness to protect people at all costs, his self sacrificial tendencies that most often appear for Diluc’s sake. Even the tidbits of lore we get about him scream aristocracy- his ‘ceremonial’ bladework, Alberich family secrets that reveal just how central they are to the kingdom of khaenriah. This is kinda obvious to any player who’s bothered to learn anything about kaeya, but to the characters in game, there are very few that know that side of him.

And whereas Diluc is forcibly projected the title of royalty and secretly rejects it, Kaeya was actually born into it- his family is very important to Khaenriah, and much like how he does with anything related to his past and heritage, he loudly and outwardly rejects anything to do with ‘royalty’. Diluc outwardly rejects what Kaeya shows (a darker, more ‘means justify the end’ nature), and Kaeya tries to hide what Diluc projects (a sophisticated and aristocratic upbringing).

Honestly? It’s as if they were swapped at birth. Kaeya’s real hidden nature, even after everything that happened to him, remains to be so unwavering and people-oriented, while Diluc’s true personality changed drastically over time. Not that Diluc isn’t unwavering or whatever, but Diluc mostly actively rejects relationships and prefers to do everything alone, obsessed with the idea that he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt, whereas Kaeya always, always yearns for companionship and for people to be by his side- solidarity.

Diluc is the poster image of royalty, but his brother who hides in the shadows is a real king. They complete each other, balance each other out, represent the parts that the other hides. I don’t know if hoyoverse always meant them to be that way, but damn they basically represent each other’s parts of themselves that they lost. Yin and Yang, two halves of the same whole.

[airas-story]

Wrong Number (The Right Person)

“Hello,” Stephen said, half asleep as he answered his phone. He squinted at the clock. 4.19.

Who the hell was calling at four in the morning?

“Bruce. I figured it out,” the words on the other side of the phone were rushed, eager. “The serum is supposed to rebuild on a cellular level. I just—“

“Who the hell is this?” Stephen asked, annoyed. “Because I’m not Bruce.”

The voice cut off. “You’re not—“ A quiet curse and a distant, “JARVIS!” echoed over the line, before a faint click indicated the end of the call.

Stephen blinked tiredly as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He shoved his phone away; he’d deal with that tomorrow. Or later today.

Whatever.

Stephen eyed the number on his cell. He had the vague memory of someone calling and waking him up. Which normally didn’t necessitate anything from Stephen as long as they only did it once. But he had the faintest recollection of the words ‘serum’, ‘rebuild’ and ‘cellular level’ which… all right, Stephen would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious.

He called the number.

It rang for a moment before someone was answering. “Who are you and how did you get this number?”

Stephen arched an eyebrow. “You called me, that’s how I got this number,” he said. “As for who I am, this is Doctor Stephen Strange.”

“I called—” the man on the other side of the phone spluttered. “I did not call—” He cut off. The next words were distant as though someone was covering the speakers. “I did? Really?” A pause. “And you didn’t stop me?” A moment of silence, then the person was back. “So, apparently I called you. It looks like I do not have Bruce’s number memorized the way I thought I did.”

“Clearly,” Stephen said dryly.

“Right, great, so…” the man on the other end of the line paused. “Wait, why are you calling? Did you call to make me apologize? Because that’s a waste of your time. I’ve got to say, apologies aren’t my strong suit.”

Now that the man mentioned it, an apology really would be a good place to start. Stephen hadn’t been planning on asking for one, but he had to admit that, now that he’d been denied one, he was rather peeved with the notion.

“The ability to apologize shows good character,” he said. He took a moment to be grateful that Christine wasn’t around to hear him say those words. She would never let him live it down.

The man scoffed. “What makes you think I care about having ‘good character’? But if that’s why you were calling, I’m going to—”

“Wait,” Stephen interrupted before the man could hang up. “You said something about a serum last night. You also mentioned rebuilding on a cellular level.”

“Okay, hanging up—”

“I work in nerve regeneration,” Stephen interrupted again. “It’s a special focus of mine.”

There was no immediate answer, but the phone wasn’t hung up, either, so Stephen took that as a win. “Whatever you're working on sounds… well, impossible, but like it will change the world of medicine. I want to be involved.”

The silence lingered a moment longer.

“Doctor Stephen Strange, you said?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“Columbia. Top of your class. Got your MD and your PhD at the same time. Considered one of the top neurosurgeons in the field at the moment despite the fact that you only recently finished your residency.” The man let out a low whistle. “Got to say, you look good on paper.”

Stephen didn’t ask where he’d gotten that information. “That doesn’t come close to what I’m capable of,” Stephen said.

The man hummed. “You know what, why not. I’m going to send over an NDA. If you want in, you sign it.”

“Done,” Stephen said quickly. He’d read it through, of course, but this was rebuilding on the cellular level. That was the sort of research that he wanted to be involved in. 

The man laughed, but he sounded almost confused, as though he wasn’t quite sure how they’d gotten here. “All right. Well then, I’ll get that NDA to you. Once you sign it you can come to my lab and we can talk.”

“Where’s your lab?”

The man paused. “Right, I guess we never covered that part. Stark Tower.”

Stephen had once heard that SI had a tendency to hire the best in their fields. That was a promising sign for his future collaborator. “Do I get a name to go with that?” Stephen asked. “If I’m asking the receptionist—”

He got a second laugh at that. “Tony,” the man said after a moment. “Tony Stark.”

Stephen froze. Wait, what?

The man—Tony Stark—let out another laugh, as though he knew just how Stephen had reacted. “I’ll see you in a few days, Doctor Strange. I look forward to working with you.” The phone clicked with the end of the call. Tony Stark had just hung up on him, but Stephen could only spare that fact the slightest bit of his attention.

Tony Stark.

Well, this was sure to be interesting.

[emptyultimatum]

GOOD GIRL

Avenger Loki x gender neutral!reader In which Loki changes things up a little

~ SMUT!! [ fingering, praise, light breast play, light oral, references to vaginal s3x ]

~ TW!! [ character injury but mild ]

I meant it as a joke, you thought to yourself, half ruefully, half gleefully. But as the quivering, spread legs before you revealed a dripping, fluttering cunt, you could hardly call your thoughts regret. 

It all started with the mission. Twenty-four escaped convicts, an easy night out for the Avengers. Technically, it was below Avenger status (not exactly world-saving, after all), but Tony was trying to make a good impression on the U.S. government, so the superhuman heroes spent a lot of time running errands for the White House. You and Peter were on it, an easy fix. Honestly, either one of you could’ve done it alone. 

You went left, Spider-Man went right. There were supposed to be an even split, but the numbers changed too quickly to communicate. You soared over the frigid treetops, angel wings beating the air, when a harpoon speared through your feathers. You crashed to the ground, keening with pain. 

Six criminals got away. Peter handled the other eighteen, but the damage was done. They sent Vision after the last six and helicoptered the two of them back to Stark Towers. 

Loki, as one can imagine, was distraught. 

“What happened? Parker, who did this to her? She needs medical assistance—”

“What do you think I’m trying to do, Curlicues?” Tony Stark gestured to the corner with his chin. “Go over there and sit like a good girl.”

An unfamiliarly dangerous spark lit Loki’s features. You cocked your head curiously through the pain, but Tony blew him a kiss. Loki hissed through his teeth, but backed off, letting Tony scan your gaping wound.

“You know, I always wondered if these things were illusions,” Tony mused, tapping on his holographic screens. “They appear out of nowhere, it doesn’t make sense, unless—” 

“Pocket dimension,” you gritted, as Bruce Banner and Tony snapped their fingers in unison. 

“That does make sense,” Bruce said brightly.

A red syringe-shaped arm popped out of the side of the medical bed. It blasted freezing nanoparticles over the gash in your wing, then retracted. Enhanced healing patches were placed over the bruises and road rash along your arm and thighs, and Tony gave you a jar of skin-repair salve for later. A few adrenaline injections to the arm later, and you were feeling much better. 

“Can I see my boyfriend now? He might tear a hole through all nine realms if you don’t let him check on me,” you rolled your eyes, beckoning Loki over. 

He pushed past Tony, elbowing him out of the way. “Darling, are you okay?”

“You’re welcome,” Stark said. “No problem. I’ll just go over here and lick my ass, I guess.”

“Yes, do that,” Loki muttered. Tony winked at him, deadpan. 

“I’m much better,” you reassured him, flexing the wing and drawing his attention. “I heal quickly, remember? The worst was the pain, but it won’t linger.” 

“Good. Then let’s get to your bed. You need rest.” Loki scooped you up. The world wavered in a flash of green, blinding and strong, and suddenly they were back in their old, cozy room. A sweater lay, forgotten, on a chair. A few snack wrappers and… other kinds of wrappers lay scattered about the floor. 

“Oh it’s a mess,” you smacked your forehead. “Good thing they healed me in the med bay and not here.” 

“I’ll clean it up, don’t worry,” he assured you, his eyes sincere. “Just take it easy, dearest.” 

“What’s got you all worried, Lo?” you laughed, cupping his cheek. “I’m fine. I’ve been hurt worse before.” 

“Yes, but that was before we were together. Additionally, I fear I’m facing some… insecurity, as it were.” He glanced away, cheeks pinking. 

“Insecurity? About what?” 

“I- nothing. It’s no matter. We shall discuss later,” he brushed you off, standing. “Please, let me clean for you.” 

You grinned up at him. “If you say so. Thanks for cleaning for me, Loki. You’re such a good girl.” 

You put a growl on it, a low, sultry purr. The tone of voice you usually said good boy or beg for me in. You meant it as a joke, a demeaning one, a call back to Tony’s patronizing snub. 

Instead, you saw something liquify in Loki’s eyes. That same look he got when his cock was in your hands, or your teeth were sinking into his skin. 

And being yourself, you capitalized on it. 

“Do you like that?” you cooed, arching an eyebrow. “Do you want to be my pretty girl, Loki? My good little obedient princess?”

Oh, you had him cornered. His bottom lip trembled with thinly held control, his eyes darting back and forth, warring with himself. 

You reached up, pulling him back down, so that he kneeled before her. You locked his gaze with her own. 

“If you want to be my good girl,” you said gently, “You can.”

Loki shuddered, and slowly, his shoulders began to slough down and round off. His frame turned slighter, more slender, and his chest swelled. He was daintier, but still with the shoulder-length choppy hair and wild silver eyes. He was no he at all. She was Loki. A tall, wiry, masc Loki, with a dripping mess between her legs. 

Loki whimpered as you laughed aloud, running your hands through that silky black hair. “Oh, you pretty girl, so many tricks up your sleeve! Why don’t you strip for me, so we can see what pretty trick you have up your pants.”

You had never seen Loki undress so quickly. 

And so, here you were, Loki breathless and growling beneath you, your fingers sliding into Loki’s slippery, throbbing mess. You curled your fingers acutely, and Loki bucked up into your hand. 

“Naughty,” you cooed. “Bad girls don’t get to cum. Stay still.”

“Please, love,” Loki begged, her cheeks flushed red. “Please let me cum.” 

“Behave,” you scolded. “And maybe I’ll consider it.” 

Loki let out the prettiest keening sound you’d ever heard. You giggled, leaning forward, wrapping your lips around Loki’s pulsating clit. You sucked, hard, and she moaned again, her legs clamping around your head.

“Is this the insecurity you were dealing with, pet?” you asked, stroking the pad of your thumb over Loki’s sensitive, aching clit. “Were you lost?” 

She nodded, eyes screwed shut with pleasure and humiliation. “I wasn’t sure how you’d —fuck— react.” 

You smiled, running your hand flat up her belly, cupping a tender breast, and squeezing. “Pretty girl. I’d never want you to be anything less than yourself.” 

Her eyes opened, beautiful and silver as always. Loki smiled up at you, holding your hand over her breast. “Sweet love,” she murmured. 

“Besides,” you gave her a sharklike smile. “Now I get to fuck you. Spread your legs.” 

With a whimper, she complied. 

[batbabydamian]

The Boy Wonder #3 by Juni Ba rambling about how cool this series would be to read in a single sitting...it's all so connected!!

rambles for issue #1 and issue #2!

i don't have as much personal interpretation for this cover besides it being a solid piece of art in shapes and silhouette! ALSO. bi bg lighting lol. Damian's "X" posing of his cape and swords parallels with Tim's "X" chest straps + the Robin emblem in the center. Tim's closed Red Robin wings frames Robin's own outstretched cape wings; and on top of that, the shadows cast inside the wings nicely frames Damian's demon mask.

Joe and Merle's dynamic has been so fun, especially with the mutual enthusiasm over the storytelling 🥺 Joe also opens up about his circumstances that led him to this moment, which perfectly sets up the setting of this issue! Even his very first introduction becomes a relevant detail when a fancy rich couple drops a champagne glass, uncaring of the people literally below them, saying “some poor sap down there’ll appreciate it” when it bonks Joe’s head.

it all comes around!! and tbh this issue proves how much this series would slap to read in a single sitting (GET THE COLLECTED EDITION)

Going beyond first impressions seems to apply to the color palette in this series. From #1 in the first page of Gotham, we see the gold of upper society to the blue of the downtrodden → from issues #2 and #3, it’s the warm gold of inner Gotham to the cold blue of the rich. there’s a sense of community displayed among the poor - even part of Jason’s intro avenging Bill, a generous man mourned on panel by many. The rich gives off a sense of individualism, celebrating themselves and their excess.

With the change in scenery, this issue steps into the more civilian side of things through a spy theme - fancy suits and lil gadget intros! Going down the civilian route with Tim feels very fitting since it's what makes Tim's run as Robin so charming!

i love that Talia’s taught Damian to be conscious of the rich’s effects on society, especially in the following page of small panels zoning in on the details of wealth and overindulgence. but also LIL DAMIAN. HIS LIL ROUND EYES AND HANDS 🥺

Damian’s aware of the facts, and his disgust is clearer after having just been through lower Gotham and seeing firsthand the poverty directly caused by the wealthy (also not sure if that old lady is the same one from #1 with similar hair and clothes, but pls she can't a break…)

i mentioned Damian’s “inciting incident” for this journey to be the intro of a demon for Damian to prove his worth but i’m correcting the use of that term!! the intro of the demon is more the beginning of plot, whereas the actual inciting incident is beheading the thief!! it’s the main reason he’s in this situation where he felt the need to prove himself, and atone. Most notably is that the beheaded thief is a consistent character that quite literally haunts Damian every step of the way.

The statue of Batman’s head being popped off becomes a significant visual, because while Damian started this journey to prove something to Bruce, the only one that really seems to have (quite literal) eyes for Damian’s journey is the thief. Why does he make more of an appearance than the actual Bat? Even his statue’s head doesn’t make a figurative presence; whereas the only one looming over Damian is the thief. Guilt over killing him may be driving him just as much as his desire to be worthy. Alternatively, it could be that Damian needs to reexamine his motivations since the thief is really getting in Damian's face now.

Damian is proud to be a positive influence on Tim, but the moment is short-lived. It’s an ironic moment to me because Damian doesn't even know the impact he's had on Jason just in the previous issue!! 😭

Damian's so desperate to prove his worth, yet he's been making choices in every issue to help others!! Helping the old woman up in #1, being vulnerable with Jason in #2, and now sacrificing himself for Tim!

The Ra’s "Weakness" panel has been reoccurring since #1, but it's the first time Talia has been included. Being great figures in his life and mind, their silhouettes consume Damian's, similar to a few of Batman's appearances below. This latest disappointment was such a blow to Damian, that Talia (who he might have the most respect for) becomes an added voice in his head.

Final thoughts!!

Like Rok, does the thief actually have a connection to the al Ghuls or is this beard just in fashion at the moment.

Lex is clearly referencing one of the Underwell warehouses that Joe and Merle are presently, so wondering if whatever he and Tim discuss here will be affecting them later.

Ending with Talia’s cover for extra hype!! i’ll probably go back to this for the next ramble, but i’m already gearing myself up to wail about Talia just based on this cover. The Mary and Jesus imagery (more prominent with Damian’s lil crown as a “prince”) but most importantly Talia weathering the flames for Damian…her own shroud/shawl wrapped around Damian and burning… oh boy

[clockwayswrites]

Like Betta Fish Do Part 27

Wc:3213 Masterpost CW: Hospitalization, discussions of temporary character deaths

The hospital was pure chaos. Reporters were at the door, police were at the reporters to stay back, and the Waynes were pacing.

None of them had wanted to be left behind, not with this, so as soon as those who had been playing hero changed, they all headed for the hospital. Bruce had met them in a waiting room that had been cleared out for their use. There were benefits to having a wing named after one’s father.

“Clear,” Babs said as she and Tim finished typing on the tablets that they had brought from WE. “CTV cameras will just loop past this room.”

“There are no bugs. I’ve activated scramblers for parabolic mics or anything, not that they should be able to get to us in here anyways,” Tim said.

“What happened?” Steph asked, looking to Bruce.

Bruce looked to Dick. The rest of the eyes followed.

Dick sighed.

“It’s not my secret to tell.”

“I believe we are past that, Richard,” Damian snapped.

“Why don’t you start with a debrief of tonight,” Bruce coached.

“I was almost in suit when Babs came over the comms, telling us they took Danny. I started to look for suspicious vehicles given the time frame. I wasn’t successful at spotting anything before the…” Dick was really glad that Jason was back with Danny and not here listening to this. “…before the trap went off. I saw one of the buildings go dark.

"Cass joined me. We took out the henchmen at the van and leading into the building. Based on intel, I headed straight for the basement. The place was flooded an inch or two deep. They broke the sprinkler valve, I believe. Danny was tied to a metal chair bolted in the middle of the room. A wire had been tapped into the circuit breaker and was at Danny’s feet. His shoes were off.”

Dick swallowed hard and let his arms drop to his side. That urge to punch something was still there. He flexed his hands and then purposefully relaxed them.

“I was sure he was dead, but when I called out his name he moved. I made sure the circuit breaker was off, disconnected the wire, and went to him. He was…” Dick snorted, shaking his head. “He was making jokes. He was conscious but not fully lucid. Confusion, slurred words, panic. He didn’t want to be taken to the hospital. He thought they would cut him open if ‘they knew’. I was able to convince him to come by saying we’d get Leslie and that we’d protect him.”

Damian scoffed. “Of course we will.”

“Case?” Cass signed, face scrunched up in question.

“And asked Alfred to bring a case, one that Jason put in the Cave that Danny gave him,” Dick confirmed.

“What’s in it?” Tim asked.

Dick just shook his head.

“He’s a Meta, isn’t he?” Duke asked. The question was quiet, but it felt loud in the tense air of the waiting room. He wasn’t staring at the ground rather than any of them. “Something new. Maybe something dangerous or, worse, something useful. It’s why he’s afraid they’ll cut him open.”

Steph cussed and turned to punch the wall only to be stopped by Tim.

“Is he?” Tim asked.

It seemed like there was no getting out of this question. “’Close enough’ was the way it was put when I stumbled in on… the secret.”

“Are his powers electricity based?” Babs asked. “Is that how he survived?”

Dick laughed. The bitter sound made a few of the others flinch or grimace.

“No, opposite, really. He’s weak to it. I think they only got him because they used tasers and it really knocks him out.” I’m so sorry, Danny, Dick thought. “Danny… Danny’s been electrocuted before when he was a kid. It killed him, however briefly. Really… I’m not sure if it didn’t actually kill him again tonight.”

This time Tim didn’t stop Stephanie from punching the wall.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Dr. Thompkins said as she peeled off her gloves.

Danny just glared at the IV in his hand that had been carefully tapped down and put under a mesh glove.

“It’s like she doesn’t trust me,” Danny whispered loudly to Jason.

“She’s right not to,” Jason said.

Danny pouted at him.

“Fish,” Jason said with a wet chuckle. He ran his hand through Danny’s hair again, which seemed to soothe him. “You said loudly and repeatedly that you were going to go out the window as soon as she stopped watching you or if she took your blood or if she put the IV in.”

“She did take it,” Danny whined.

“I did,” Leslie said, “and I also promised you no one else would get a hold of your blood and I meant it. I need a baseline for you though. It’s my job now to make sure that you’re well.”

“And no clones,” Danny said.

“And no clones,” Leslie said.

She shot Jason a look who just shrugged helplessly. He didn’t know enough about what went down with that to answer her questions.

Leslie gave up with a sigh. “You really went and found someone who fit right in with the family craziness I see.”

“Nah, Doc, he goes above and beyond.”

“Well… that should make for an interesting file.”

Danny flinched at that, hard enough for Leslie to notice and stop what she was doing.

“Danny, listen to me,” Leslie said. She waited until Danny met her eyes to continue. “No one else will see the file. It’s encrypted by Oracle, Batman’s tech person, and that’s understating them. I need to keep a file so that I can treat you and keep you healthy, that’s all.”

“No experiments,” Danny croaked.

Jason wanted to punch someone again.

“No experiments,” Leslie promised.

Danny gave a little nod, turned away from her, and all but climbed into Jason’s lap.

“Make sure he doesn’t pull that IV out,” Leslie ordered and went back to making her notes.

Not long after Jason had gotten him and Danny settled into the hospital bed, there was a knock at the door. Jason’s hand went immediately to the scalpel that Leslie had generously pretended not to notice Jason palming earlier. It didn’t matter that it was a knock Jason recognized, he wasn’t taking any chances with Danny right then.

Jason only relaxed when Dick had stepped fully through the door alone.

“Hey Danny, how are you doing?”

“Leslie took my blood.”

“Yeah, she does that,” Dick said. He was smiling, words cheerful, but Jason could see the cracks in his brother’s facade. “Alfred is going to be here in just a moment with the case. Can I send him in when he arrives? Or I can bring it myself? Or any of us. We’re all out there.”

Danny turned his head enough to be able to peer at Dick with one eye. “You’re worried.”

“Yeah, little fish, we’re all pretty worried. We care about you,” Dick said gently.

Jason resisted the urge to kiss Danny’s pout away as he shifted his gaze from Dick to Leslie.

“Can they come in?” Danny asked.

Leslie pursed her lips. “Only for a half hour. After that, it’s only Jason and one other allowed at a time and that’s only because I want Jason to try to get some rest too. Whoever else is in here is on a minimum two hour shift so not to wake you up every five minutes.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dick chirped.

“And tell them to keep it calm,” Leslie called after Dick as he slipped back out the door. She sighed and shook her head before focusing back on Danny. “Now, there will be nurses who come in.”

“Noooo,��� Danny whined.

“Yes,” Leslie said. “They’ll just be taking your blood pressure, which they’ll know to expect to be low, and changing out your saline and pain medication. I’ll be back in the morning myself to check on your burns. Everyone who steps foot in this room will be approved by Bruce and I. Someone from the family will be with you the whole time, you’ll be safe in every way.”

Danny’s pout deepened before he sighed heavily and seemed to deflate. “Fine.”

“Thank you, Danny. Now please try to rest after the group leaves, both of you.”

“Sure, Doc,” Jason answered and sent her a smile. He’d have to do something to help her clinic out soon, she really went above and beyond for them tonight. He managed to get Danny turned around so that his boyfriend wasn’t buried face first into his pecs before his family invaded.

It seemed like everyone was really trying to listen to Leslie and they all filed in orderly and tucked themselves onto the couch and chairs and each other. Bruce and Alfred stayed standing.

“Hi guys,” Danny said with a wobbly smile.

Some of the family flinched at how ruined Danny’s voice sounded. The flinches weren’t obvious to be noticed by anyone by a Bat, except maybe for Duke’s, but they still happened and Jason noticed. They all looked wrecked, really, in various ways. One would almost think they had been the ones kidnapped and murdered tonight.

It was Jason’s turn to flinch at his own thoughts. Greedily, he soothed himself by pressing a kiss to Danny’s temple.

“Hi Danny,” Duke said back. “How are you?”

“You know, feeling a little extra crispy,” he joked.

The room seemed to lose all the air for a moment before Tim groaned. “God, there are two of them now. No wonder you’re dating Jason, you have the same morbid sense of humor.”

The tension in the room broke and Barbie even laughed. (They all ignored how the laugh was a little too tinged with hysteria to be truly happy.)

Alfred cleared his throat and stepped forward. “The case, Master Jason.”

“Ooh, is that…” Danny asked, zeroing in on the case.

“Yep,” Jason confirmed, popping the ‘p’.

Danny held out his arms, making grabby hands at the case. Alfred raised a brow, looking to Jason for permission, before he moved forward and handed over the case. Jason rested his hand on the lid before Danny could open it.

“So,” Jason started. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “no one freak out, okay? What’s in the case isn’t what it looks like. And… and we’ll explain?”

He wasn’t sure if they would.

He wasn’t sure if they could afford not to.

“We’ll explain,” Danny confirmed.

“Okay, Jay-lad,” Bruce agreed, though Jason could tell he didn’t know what he was agreeing to, other than trusting his son.

Jason took a breath and removed his hand. Danny flipped the lid open. It was innocuous at first, a simple black padded case. Then Danny plucked out one of the glowing, Lazarus green ectoshots and the stances of several Bats shifted.

“That is—” Damian started.

“Nope,” Jason interrupted.

“Jay—” Bruce rumbled.

“I’m sure,” Jason said. He glanced at Cass. “Really.”

“What are you going to do with it?” Tim asked, sounding a little strangled.

“Drink it,” Danny answered.

“Drink it?!”

Danny’s nose wrinkled. “Does everyone in this room have issues with that— what did you call it— Pit water?”

“Pit water or Lazarus water,” Jason said. He calmly ran his fingers through Danny’s hair as he made sure to not have a reaction to the ectoshots. Danny needed to drink them, he couldn’t have any of it spilled from misplaced panic. “And a lot of us, yeah. It’s… been a thing. My situation didn’t help any.”

Tim frowned at the vial, clearly itching to get his hands on it. “If that’s not Lazarus water, what is it?”

“Ectoplasm,” Danny sing songed and then just downed the vial to the wince of the room. A shudder ran through his body before he slumped bonelessly against Jason.

Jason plucked the empty vial from Danny’s limp fingers, pressed a kiss to his temple, and put it back in the case. “From best we can think without getting our hands on Lazarus water, they’re a bit related, but ectoplasm is a pure source where as whatever Lazarus water is, it’s fucked up. Beyond that, I think…”

Jason sighed and buried his face in the top of Danny’s head. He didn’t know how to explain the next part to his family. He didn’t know how to tell them he was still, at least a little, dead. He didn’t want to hurt them like that.

“Ectoplasm isn’t a miracle cure, not like it sounds they use Lazarus water for,” Danny said around a jaw cracking yawn. “Doesn’t work for normal people.”

“Does it work for you because you’re a meta?” Duke asked. The sympathy in his voice was hard to hear.

Danny’s laugh wasn’t any easier to hear. “Nope! I mean, like, sure how you count Superman as a meta I’m a meta, I guess. More a different species.”

Steph made an incredulous noise. “You’re an alien?”

“I wish,” Danny snickered. “I’m dead.”

“That is not funny, Nightingale,” Damian snapped.

Jason peered up at his bristling little brother. Demon brat really was already attached to Danny. “He’s not trying to be funny, Dami. Danny is half dead or, rather, half ghost.”

“Okay, which of your parents fucked a ghost?”

“Miss Stephanie,” Alfred chastised.

“Sorry Alfie,” Stephanie mumbled under Danny’s snickering.

At least having almost died (again) tonight saved Danny from being admonished too.

“Ancient, no, my parents hate ghosts,” Danny said.

“But you’re half ghost,” Babs pointed out, gently.

“Yeah. And there’s a reason that I changed my last name and don’t talk to them anymore, not that they know,” Danny said. He stretched out his arms, arching like a cat. Clearly the ectoshot was starting to have an effect. “No, I’m half dead ‘cause I died and then didn’t.”

“You’ve died before, Danny?” Bruce asked, voice carefully gentle in that way he used only when talking to his kids or those who were basically family through his kids.

“Yeah,” Danny sighed. “It was, um, don’t like talking about it. It’s a ghost thing. But my parents built a portal to the ghost’s realm to try and study them. It didn’t work, not at first. I stepped in it, tripped, hit the on button and bam… ten thousand volts of electricity later and I’m dead.”

Tim and Cass both reached out to stop Steph from moving.

“Thing is, the portal turned on,” Danny continued. “So I also got pure ectoplasm shot right through me. It brought me back, kinda. I’m a halfa; half ghost and half human. Half dead and half alive.”

“You’ve died by electricity before,” Bruce said into the silence of the room.

“Probably died again to it tonight,” Danny said with a casualness that had Jason tightening his arms around Danny. Danny just giggled. “But like I told Dick, I’m immune now.”

“You know,” Barbie said. She narrowed her eyes as Danny shrugged before she glanced to Dick. “And you knew.”

Dick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Little wing?”

“Go ahead, Dick. I’m pretty sure you’ve connected all the dots now,” Jason said. Maybe it would be easier, no, smoother if Dick explained it. He was better at hiding his anger.

Though by the way Dick had to shift on his feet, maybe not. “I… I think I have. Then you’re…?”

Jason nodded.

“Fuck!” Dick twisted and paced to the door and back again.

“Master Richard!”

“Don’t be so harsh, Alfie,” Jason said. He couldn’t make Dick be the one to tell them; that had been a selfish hope. “Dick just put two and two together that if the ectoshots only help Danny because he’s dead—”

“Part dead,” Danny chimed in brightly.

“—then that means I’m still part dead too.”

“Jay-lad?” Bruce prompted after a tense moment, voice rough.

Jason just smiled sadly. “The Pits healed me. It sorta… filled in the cracks, but it couldn’t fix that whatever brought me back didn’t bring all of me back… or couldn’t bring all of me back. I think that’s part of why the Pits had such a hold on me. Not that it’s an excuse, but just… whatever. Point is, I’m a halfa too, even if I’m still healing enough to be a proper one.”

The family practically curled around each other in grief. Dick tucked Damian against his side. Tim slumped into Steph and Cass. Steph reached out to squeeze Bab’s hand. Bruce took an aborted step towards them. Even Alfred raised a hand to his mouth.

“I’m alright,” Jason assured them.

“You’re still dead!” Dick snapped.

“I’m half alive, that’s more than I was before,” Jason pointed out.

Dick hunched into himself at that, prompting Damian to give Dick an awkward looking hug.

“What all does that mean, being a halfa?” Bruce asked. He held up a hand as he paused and took a measured breath. “I don’t mean that as an interrogation. Right now, what’s important for us to know to make sure you’re both healthy? Or is there anything that we should avoid doing?”

Jason snorted. He appreciated the clarification, the attempt at being gentle, he did, but, “I know you want to know more than that.”

Bruce smiled, though the expression was more mocking himself than anything. “Of course I do. You know me, chum, I don’t do good with only pieces of information, but right now I’m not the important one. I can deal with some… unease so that we can focus on you and Danny.”

“Danny should drink at least another ectoshot in a bit. They help us heal as halfas. Dick knows because there was an incident where I got stabbed. Danny sensed my distress and showed up to give me an ectoshot. I had called Dick already. Which means Danny also knows about everything.”

“Danny sensed your distress?” Tim asked.

“It’s a ghost thing,” Jason said with a shrug, unsure how to really explain it. “It comes from ghosts having cores which are sort of their central organ.”

“You core?” Cass asked, clearly struggling to verbalize right then with how her nose wrinkled.

“I do. Or, I’m getting more of one. Because the Pits put me back together badly I was really messed up.”

“It’s coming in well,” Danny said sleepily. He yawned wildly (a little too widely) and turned to bury his face into Jason’s chest. “Pretty lava core too. It’s good to have close for healing. It’s warm and lovely.”

Jason snorted and kissed the top of Danny’s head. “Go to sleep if you can. You’ll need lots of rest.”

Danny huffed a mumbled protest, but Jason could tell that Danny was fading fast.

“We’ll talk more later, Jay-lad,” Bruce said as he finally let himself come close to help Danny and Jason better settle into the hospital bed to sleep.

“Yeah,” Jason said as he fought his own yawn as the head of the bed lowered. “Have to have Danny show you his ghost form, it’s really something.”

Tim echoed ‘ghost form’ quietly in the background as Alfred murmured something to the group.

“Do you want myself or Dick here for the first shift?” Bruce asked.

“Stay?” Jason asked. His eyes dropped closed as his dad ran a hand through his hair.

“Always.”

---

AN: a very tired taaaaaada. They got the bulk of the explanation! Though still things to learn and talk about. I was going to put in more bits, but this felt full the way it was! Next chapter more answers, more questions, and someone shows up.

I no longer tag people but you can subscribe on the masterpost.

[silhouetteonpaper]

Playing With Time

Summary: Traveling through time is something you’re used to. Hopping from one century to another, causing some chaos, then moving onto the next year--only to repeat the same routine all over again. You’ve been to New York numerous times, but never in the 21st century. And what’s waiting for you on the streets of NYC have the chance to change your entire future…no, past…wait--present? Natasha Romanoff x Reader WC: 3,493 Warnings/Themes: Angst, major fluff! A/N: I’ve been working on this one for a while, I hope you all enjoy :)

“There’s a signal picking up in the city… some kind of anomaly…” Natasha scans the large screen mounted on the wall, the team crowding around Tony’s lab in Stark Tower after hearing reports of unusual activity in New York.

A small yellow dot pulsates in the center of a city street map, its tiny area suddenly growing into a consistent blue dot that seems to move on its own accord. “What are we looking at here?” Steve asks Tony, who’s looking through online files to try and decode whatever’s just entered the city.

“This anomaly isn’t a what… it’s a who,” He answers, pulling up a city camera of an average looking person wandering the streets. But it’s not just any ordinary person, it’s you.

The team is all staring at the screen in confusion. “They don’t look all that threatening.” Clint states from the back. They watch as you walk up the street, eyeing the tall buildings and taking in your surroundings. An average person would assume you’re a tourist, but the Avenger’s know better than to assume.

Tony runs a search through every single New York Citizen he has on file, his computer scanning for a match to try and find out your identity. The screen eventually displays a red text reading ‘no match’, causing everyone to see the true threat behind your unassuming character.

“There’s no file on this person, no name, no records. Nothing.” Tony explains. Bruce steps forward, crossing his arms as he continues to examine the security footage of you, watching the blue dot on the side of the screen travel upwards.

“So what you're saying is… this person doesn’t actually exist?” Bruce questions, the entire group turning their gaze to Tony now. He nods wearily, unsure how that’s even possible.

“At least not in this timeline,” Wanda comments. All eyes turn to her and she simply shrugs. “Strange would be able to tell if she’s from a different timeline, it’s definitely possible.”

“I’ll call him up. In the meantime, you bring her here and assess the threat.” Tony instructs, leaving everyone else to nod and slowly peel their eyes away from the map. No one knows what to expect from an innocent looking girl, but they’d soon find out what they were dealing with.

—————

You casually walk up the street, trying not to draw too much attention as you take in the old buildings. For this era they may not be old, but to you they were historical. Just a few moments ago, you traveled from the year 5043 to the 21st century.

New York looks a lot different in this time period, leaving you in awe as you wander the city. The buildings where you’re from have a lot more windows, and are mostly made of shiny materials. But here there’s a vast variety of textures, from brick, to wood, to glass, to metal. It all ties together nicely, and you’re enjoying it more than usual.

There’s something about traveling time that exhilarates you, seeing all these different perspectives that formulate throughout the years. But after a while, you’ve gotten used to the ability and have grown bored. You’ve seen all there is to see, and there’s no reason to stay in any specific time period.

Your home time period, 4201, is of little interest to you. You haven’t been back in ages… although it’s hard to keep track of time when you’re constantly jumping from year to year. Sometimes you feel like there’s no true era you belong in, leaving you hopelessly searching for a purpose as you travel to more and more periods across this universe. But for today, you stroll the streets of 21st century New York taking in the beautiful scenery.

Your peaceful walk is interrupted by a screeching van, nearly running you over as it parks right in your path. Not only are you still getting used to old cars like these, but you’re unsure as to what this van is doing on the sidewalk.

A handful of people climb out, a few pointing weapons directly at you. You tilt your head in confusion, did you do something wrong? “We’re going to need you to come with us,” The woman in the black bodysuit speaks. For a group of demanding people, they sure are dressed funny.

You hesitate, looking each of them up and down. They’re clearly afraid of you, but you aren’t sure if it’s because of your abilities. After all, how could they possibly know? “Uh, can I help you?” You ask, unbothered by their firm combat stances, just merely confused.

“Come with us, and no one gets hurt,” The tall blonde one says. You eye the metal shield he’s wielding, fighting back the urge to laugh at its gimmicky colors. Knowing you’ve got nothing better to do, you agree with a shrug.

“Okay, but only if I can try one of those,” you point to the large ad on the window of a store, a delicious looking pizza slice calling your name. You’ve only seen pizza in a few eras so far, but have never had the chance to try it. And this one looked especially enticing.

So, there you sat in the back of the van, sandwiched between the blonde guy and the black-suited woman while biting into your fresh slice of pizza. “Are people in New York usually this quiet? What—do I have something on my face?” You ask as all eyes suddenly turn to you. No one responds, leaving you to finish your pizza in silence.

They guide you out of the van, keeping you surrounded on all corners as they walk you up to the large white building covered with windows. There’s a familiar feeling to it, like something you’d see in the 43rd century. There’s no time to appreciate it though, as you’re quickly ushered inside.

“What are you doing in New York?” Steve questions as you’re seated in a chair. The room they have you in is bare, a white walled area with a singular glass panel giving view of the hallway.

“Enjoying the warm weather,” you respond sincerely. What exactly are these people looking for? Something tells you they’re powerful; this building has some of the closest technology you’ve seen to the future. “Now let me ask you a question,” you don’t waste time for them to agree, “who are you?”

They all exchange unsure glances, but seem to believe you truly don’t know who they are. “We should be asking you that,” Steve starts, “We’re the Avengers. Earth’s mightiest heroes.” You scoff, waving your hand in an apology as you begin to laugh.

“I’m sorry, but that can’t be true if I’ve never even heard of you.” You voice. Natasha raises an eyebrow.

“So she is from earth, but is it this earth?” She asks her friends. You raise your eyebrows at her. “Could be a different multiverse,” she goes on. Shaking your head, you decide to clue the group in a bit more.

“I’m from this earth, just not this year. What’s a multiverse?” You ask nonchalantly. The entire group goes quiet, suddenly staring at you. “What? You’ve never met another New Yorker before?”

“We’ve met plenty of New Yorkers,” Steve hesitates, “but never one that’s traveled through time.” You nod awkwardly, still confused on what a multiverse is. But there’s no time for answering your questions as the group continues onto more pressing matters.

“What year did you come from?” Natasha questions.

“4201. This building actually reminds me a lot of that era.” You point out, eyeing the man with the glasses that talk, somehow with a British accent. Tony nods in appreciation.

“Thank you, that was my inspiration.” He smiles. You offer a smile back, but Steve doesn’t seem too happy.

“Are none of you concerned how she got here in the first place?” He breathes. You can tell he’s getting worked up about this whole conundrum—but frankly, you’re enjoying it. You haven’t had this much fun since… well, since 1810.

Deciding it’d be best to calm some of the tension, you attempt to speak up. “I travel through time a lot, don’t worry—I know what I’m doing.” You assure him. Natasha raises her eyebrow, and you realize that’s not what they’re worried about.

“How do you do it?” Tony asks. You like him, he isn’t treating you like a criminal; he treats you like a fascinating object, which in turn might be better? Because of that, you consider the options before you. Telling them about your ability, or wasting their time. Although it’s fun to keep messing around with the stoic looking bunch, you’re getting bored of it.

“I was born with the ability.” You shrug. “Ever since I found out I can jump to any year, I’ve been living across any timeline I want.” The Avengers all exchange confused glances. Unbeknownst to you, the entire team is all wondering one thing: how? A girl with these abilities is something they’ve never seen before, and frankly never thought about handling.

Although a million more questions are racing through each hero's mind, Natasha continues first. “What about your home? Don’t they care that you’re gone?” Your sudden silence makes the Widow understand completely; you don’t have any family, or a home at that. It’s easy to see Natasha’s demeanor change, and suddenly she’s commanding the whole operation.

“Alright, guys. Give me some time with her, I’ll keep you updated.” The other Avengers look at her like she’s harboring a fugitive, which you don’t necessarily blame them for.

“Nat, she could be dangerous.” Steve whispers, yet it’s still loud enough for you to hear.

“Trust me, it’s fine.” Natasha nods, watching as the others slowly file out. The room is left in silence for a moment as she closes the door, and you’re already watching her every move.

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t kill you even if I knew how.” You try to lighten the mood, finally drawing a smile out of such a serious looking Avenger.

“Good to know,” She lends out a hand toward you. “C’mon, let me show you New York.”

The corner of your lips curve up into a smirk, the drastic change in attitude making you intruiged. Something about her entices you, yet you can’t put a finger on it. You’ve seen every angle of New York; every era, every year, every season—but you’ve never seen it with a certain red-head guiding the way.

You accept her hand, letting her lead the way back out onto the bustling city streets. The loud, chaotic pattern of people and cars weaving about makes Natasha glance at you every so often, but only for her to see you smiling. Any usual girl might be overwhelmed by the commotion, but not you. Especially in this era, you’re finding it to be all the more fun. Maybe, just maybe, you could get used to this.

“Here’s the Rockefeller center. It’s a huge tourist trap if you ask me. In a few months they’ll turn this whole thing into a skating rink.” Natasha gestures out to the large open area one story underground as you both stroll past. She’s not wrong about it being a tourist trap—hundreds if not thousands of people are crowding around the area, and it’s not even an ice rink yet.

“Have you ever skated?” She asks while guiding you further into the city. The answer to that is yes, you’ve skated numerous times. From the lake in 1910 to the floating ice track in 3842, you’re well versed in anything having to do with gliding across ice.

“Yeah, a few times.” You save her the explanation, not wanting to dwell on your powers. Right now you’re trying to enjoy the journey, instead of focusing on what to do next. Besides, you’re having a great time with Natasha; a part of you doesn’t want it to end.

Eventually, she brings you to an even more crowded area. It’s a viewing deck where the breeze blows your hair lightly, a large body of water lapping for miles. You see what everyone is staring at, a large green statue. “Have you seen the Statue of Liberty before?” Natasha asks. Your face immediately lights up as you realize this is the same statue you visited a few hundred centuries ago.

“Oh, yeah. I saw it in 1886, it was brown back then though.” You furrow your brows, taking in the new look of Lady Liberty. Out of all things, the drastic difference in the statue’s color makes you really consider how much things change over time. If only you’d ever stick around long enough to see life slowly shift.

Natasha’s laugh keeps you focused in the moment, right as your mind attempts to spiral into the crisis of what era’s next. You try to stop thinking about it, but you’ve never not had a plan. During each adventure, there’s always some idea of where you’ll go next. But right now, you’re at a blank, and you have no clue why.

As the two of you slowly stroll back to the tower, you can’t help but gaze more at the ground than the buildings. In contrast to your gawking earlier, Natasha easily realizes something’s up. “What’s next for you?” She breaks the silence, pulling your gaze up from the sidewalk.

Your demeanor drops as you realize she’s not keeping you here. A part of you was hoping they would, considering they were so adamant about you being ‘dangerous’. You’re obviously not a threat, but it would give you something to do. It would give you a reason to stick around in this era for just a little longer.

“I’m not sure, maybe surf the next few decades, see where that takes me.” You shrug, not sounding too confident. Natasha’s quiet for a moment, and when you glance over you realize she’s thinking about something.

“Why don’t you stay the night? I’d hate to see you go after you just got here.” She offers. Your eyes widen with surprise, did she really just invite you to stay? You’ve never been asked to stay somewhere before, not like this.

There’s no need to consider her offer, you’re already eager to settle down in 21st century New York. “I’d love that.”

—————

When you agreed to stay the night, you didn’t really think about the rest of the team—or how much they don’t trust you. After a drawn out conversation consisting of hushed voices, Natasha finally convinces everyone. She guides you to a spare room as the various Avengers stare you down, some more menacing than others.

Finally out of view from the group, you take in the modern bedroom. It’s cozy, yet sleek, just like the rest of the building. There’s even a large window taking up nearly an entire wall, letting you see the picturesque New York skyline under the blanket of night.

“Do you have pajamas?” Natasha asks as you admire the view outside. You weren’t originally planning on staying here for long, so you didn’t pack a bag or anything. Usually between eras, you’d steal clothes and food—then time travel to avoid any trouble. But there was no way you were going to do that in front of a superhero.

“Oh—uh, no.” You respond. Natasha smiles.

“That’s alright, you can borrow a pair of mine, I’ll be right back.” She exits the room, leaving you in silence. But it’s not an uncomfortable silence, like you’re biding every second until she gets back. It’s a peaceful silence. 

Lately, you’ve felt like you’re on the run. Constantly moving, switching eras, adventure after adventure… with no purpose in sight. Every time you jump across millenniums, there’s no guarantee when it’ll be the last time. Something inside of you almost hopes there will be a pause, no longer a need to consistently change places. Would it be so bad to settle down somewhere?

“Here you go,” Natasha’s entrance brings you back to the present… well, your physical present. She hands you a pair of pajamas as well as some other toiletries. “Thought you might need these too, considering you didn’t really bring anything.” 

You smile at her in thanks. She stands there for a minute after returning the smile, and once again you can see the gears turning in her mind. “Well, have a good night. If you need anything, I’m just down the hall.”

“Night.” You nod, watching as she turns to exit the room, but not before pausing once more.

“Oh, and if you want to travel through time again, I don’t blame you. But I wouldn’t mind seeing you tomorrow.” The smile is almost plastered on her face as the door clicks shut, leaving you alone in the comfortable silence. She wouldn’t mind seeing you tomorrow, the words cause a new feeling to creep up inside you. Hope? Desire? You’re not sure, but it’s all the more reason to keep staying in this century. For once, you’ve stayed somewhere long enough to find a shred of purpose—at least for one night.

As your head hits the pillow, you can’t help but replay today’s events. Starting with nearly getting kidnapped, to walking through the city with Natasha, you’re more than satisfied with this adventure to New York. But you still want more. In your tired state, you attempt to shut your eyes and sleep. At least for tonight, you have a place to stay—and even better than that, an era where maybe there’s someone who cares about you.

—————

The sun would have woken you up, but your thoughts did first. You’re still at the Avengers Tower. In the fog of your grogginess, a part of you is surprised you survived the night. Not from being exiled, but rather giving in and jumping to the next era that entices you. Because now pondering it, no other era has excited you as much as this one.

But that’s all thanks to Natasha, and you’re not sure if she—or the other team members—will be too keen on extending your stay. As you get dressed and washed up, every possibility races through your mind. It’s not until you exit your room and see the entire team gathered around the kitchen that you start to really worry.

“Good morning.” Natasha smiles from behind the counter. You stare at them with a confused expression.

“Uh, hey,” you respond awkwardly, shuffling to find a spot amidst the crowd. All eyes are on you, and suddenly you don’t feel as confident as you did five seconds ago. It’s unclear as to why everyone is here, let alone staring at you. “What’s this all about?”

Natasha chuckles, surveying the entire team before turning back to you. “We were just talking about you, actually.” You raise a brow, wondering if it was a conversation about what to do with you. “We want to offer you a position on our team.”

Her words render you speechless. A place, a purpose, in the era that has made you feel joy for the first time in ages. An Avenger—and even better than that, a teammate to Natasha. It takes everything in you not to blurt out a ‘yes’ right then and there.

“We could use someone with your abilities on the team,” Steve says, a hint of reluctance in his tone. But his words are genuine, you can tell by his smile. “Besides, if Natasha thinks you’re a great asset, we all trust her opinion. The choice is yours.”

You look up to Natasha, asking for an answer with your eyes. Do you stay in this era for good? The idea of not being able to run scares you, and Natasha can see that hidden in the glint of your eyes. A wall within her breaks down, letting you past the intimidating superhero act for the first time. “It’s up to you, but I’d love to have you here with us. We all would.” Her words are soft and enticing; that’s what convinces you fully.

“I’ll stay, I’ll be an Avenger.” You don’t realize the words came out of your own mouth until everyone’s faces light up with joy—especially Natasha’s. She crosses over to you, meeting you eye to eye.

“Welcome to the team, we have a lot to teach you about this era…” She trails off, thinking of what this would entail. You’ve lived in the future and past for so long, she wasn’t really sure where to start. You sway to the side to catch her gaze, her green eyes so full of excitement and life.

“Hey, as long as you’re the one showing me, I’m not worried about it.” You smile, seeing the worry leave her expression completely. Here with Natasha, you have a place to stay once and for all. You have a purpose that keeps you in one era for many nights to come. All with a redhead that makes you excited for what the present has to offer.

[dcoasis]

Usually the reactions to this comic are “lmao this is so weird” and I’m so used to comic books deaths that I accept it as such and then you just-

“Today, live as though you have no enemies.”

“Call your loved ones.”

“What can any of us do when forced to confront the fact that death is random and cruel and sudden?”

“Sometimes being brave is knowing when the fight's been enough.”

I’m never looking at this comic the same again

And they talked. For hours. And I wonder what they said. We know Batroc didn't reform but I think...I think he made a promise to Steve, even if only in his own mind. Batroc has both feet over the line. He's a villain. But he can see the light without straining, and he will go no further. No action he will take will do harm to those who do no wrong, no blood shall he spill or heartache shall he spread. That's the promise Batroc made, I think. He swears to only ever be the villain of a better world, a kinder world. The kind of enemy Captain America deserves. Captain America 443

[zahri-melitor]

I want to go on more about The Boy Wonder #3, because it’s just really on top of aspects of the Tim and Damian problem without taking sides or getting aggressive.

Damian’s failing in it is that he is so ready to misread Tim’s intentions that he doesn’t stop to think that Tim is equally undercover like he is and overlooks what he knows about Tim’s skillset. (Someone here is jamming your signal, Damian? What a mystery who that could be)

Tim’s failing in it is that he doesn’t bother to explain the plan to Damian, doesn’t expect Damian to listen to him and follow his lead, and he doesn’t trust that Damian won’t betray him, so he plans around him.

BOTH of their plans don’t consider the other as active participants, but Tim’s is able to adapt on the fly to take into account Damian’s actions, while Damian with a lot less experience in team environments cannot.

I can tell you feel bad about killing that guy. But do you feel bad because you hurt someone...or because you were punished for it? Do you only feel bad because you got found out?

And yeah, that’s the thing with early Damian.

Tim’s mistrust is completely understandable. Even as he grants Damian grace - “I know you feel guilty about it” - he points out he doesn’t know the reason for the guilt and that also has meaning to Tim, because he doesn’t know if the growth associated with the regret has happened.

Damian's actions that Tim sees do fall into this valley of 'why are you guilty'. Whereas Dick and Bruce both see Damian's growth and attempts to make amends, Damian's prickly enough that Tim largely does NOT see that and instead gets Damian who doesn't trust him, who reads the worst intentions into Tim's actions...and so Tim does the same.

They even out! You can see it on page in places! But 'doing the right thing because someone else wants you to' and 'doing the right thing because YOU want to' are two different steps, and we watch Damian go through both, and early on he is definitely not yet at appreciable self motivation.

And when Damian does demonstrate this growth for Tim in the story:

You stuck with doing what was right, even when it was hard. I appreciate it.

He acknowledges it and takes it into account!

And look part of the misunderstanding here is definitely that Tim doesn't slow down and explain his plans to Damian. He's used to working with Bruce or Dick where he wouldn't need to, he's also had bad responses when he's explained to Damian before, so he treats him as an obstacle or a spoiler in the mix that he plans around and uses as a distraction but doesn't bother to explain his actions to.

(Also Damian is just. so young. in this. He can't tell that Tim's playing along to let people tell him the information he wants)

Just an hour ago, the prince had seen this same brother abuse his gifts for personal gain...hadn't he? And yet here he was, setting that aside to join the prince in doing what was right. A reminder you could indeed start wrong and course-correct. It's never too late to act better.

If he had inspired his brother toward such a change, maybe he could live up to his father's expectations after all.

Ahahahahaha Damian. Baby. Tim was schmoozing Oswald Cobblepot and Lex Luthor and Veronica Cale for a purpose! Tim does not think they are good people to work with! He was trying to get information out of them! He needs to know what they're up to for the family company! Tim is not going to trust Luthor or Cale!!!

And yet baby Damian here is still telling himself a parable that he saw growth in Tim so he can also live up to that growth. He 'inspired' Tim.

Character centred storytelling at its most hilarious. But also quite sweet - because it's just another level of 'the problem between Tim and Damian is they misread each other and exist in the other's blindspots', so the resolution STILL having Damian with that giant blindspot but working it through in his head to put Tim into a slightly better light is actually a creative and interesting way to approach the growth.

Also funny. SO funny.

[rubydubydoo122]

They always try to give the characters the backstories of the Robin they now are, so like

Damian gets Dicks childhood

Tim gets Jasons

Steph is usually a throw away who’s barely mentioned and so is Duke

Jason gets Tim’s Role

And Dick gets Damian’s

That just changes the characters too much though And I hate that they do that because it’s just the same as canon just the characters have different names

Like their personalities we’re definined by the things they went through as Robin

For Damian, becoming Robin was redemption and if you wanna do a reverse robins au, make him quit the hero life entirely because he realizes that he doesn’t need to fight, he needs to live his own life

Tim was the Robin who decided Batman Needs a Robin otherwise he goes over board. Maybe Bruce was extra careful while Damian was Robin to set a good example, but now that Damian’s not by his side, He’s getting carried away

And don’t kill Tim off, he’s the only Robin who hasn’t died. Keep it that way Make Tim be kidnapped by Ras or give him an injury that stops him from fighting.

Dont take away Jasons death, but you can have Bruce training him twice as hard and not letting Jason out of Gotham because of what happened to Tim

And like everyone agrees with Bruce because they can’t have their little baby brother flying the nest In the end it’s what pushes Jason into doing just that to look for his mother on his own Because ‘Bruce would be all smothering”

And then Dick comes along, this Tiny circus child who brings light back into Bruce’s life after Jasons death

Like, I need someone to do a reverse robins au right, and I need someone to include Steph, Duke and Cass in their Reverse Robins AUs too

[briarmoon1015]

I think I’ve already confessed that I’m not a big birdflash fan, but there is something I really gotta point out because it’s bothering me.

I see a lot of people use specific comic panels to try and show how close these two characters are, but completely miss the whole point of the comic itself.

For example, I’ve seen a lot of people use panels from The Flash 1987 210, in which Wally reflects on his relationship with dick.

The problem with this is they are literally cutting out the next part of the page that explains that they have drifted apart

Wally is extremely different from dick, and once he takes up the flash mantle, it becomes clear that these two characters are on different paths. Wally wants to uphold the legacy of the flash, dick desperately wants to escape the legacy of Batman. Wally has a wife, three children, and a stable job. Dicks life changes at a moments notice, one minute he’s broke, one minute he’s rich, sometimes he has a job as a police officer, sometimes he’s dating one of his many red headed girlfriends, he’s the opposite of stable.

And that’s not to say the different characters can’t be friends or be together, but as this same comic shows, these two often struggle to understand one another once adults

Wally, after zoom caused his wife Linda to have a miscarriage, went to Hal as the spectre for help, which no one liked, including Dick. He is somewhat miffed Wally didn’t come to him, be he also sides with Bruce about how reckless and stupid the action was

He definitely empathizes with Wally’s situation, but he’s not really there to give support. Later on, dick does start to get the point, and the two take down gorilla grod. Dick apologies for his actions and both agree to stay in touch more. Obviously every good friendship is going to have some moments of tension and disagreement, but I think this really shows why Wally and Dick fell apart as adults.

And this really is the crux of why I’m personally not a big fan or birdflash. These two characters are inherently different and it’s so rare for me to see any birdflash content that acknowledges this. They can be together in a way that acknowledges and builds off of this, but it really hasn’t been done.

More importantly, I’ve noticed that to make burdflash work, a lot of fans completely erase Wally’s character to ignore these differences. His own goals, his own backstory, his own relationships, are just gone so he can be with dick. There is never any acknowledgment of the canon of Wally’s own motivations, such as living up to the flash mantle, or any mention of his connections to characters outside of Dick.

Even more so, I think erasing the presence of his wife and kids from his life so he can be with dick is really hard on the character. Linda is so essential in Wally’s life. She is the character in which speedsters learn the importance of having a lightning rod. She is the one to often push Wally to keep going. His kids redefined his life. He literally broke the source wall in order to keep them in his life. These are essential relationships that are just erased from Wally’s life.

As someone who truly prefers Wally over Dick, it hurts to see a potentially good pairing erase the good aspects of Wally like this. There is plenty of erasure done to other dc characters because of how popular the Bats are, and this ship, at least to me, is one of the worst examples. These characters are different, and often times it makes it hard for them to understand each other. Ignoring that issue doesn’t make the ship good in my eyes.

Anyways, I really don’t want to poop on birdflash as a whole. It is by no means a bad ship, I personally just don’t really like it. It has a lot of qualities that bother me. Despite all of this though, I do love seeing people’s art of it and I actually do think it can work a bit better when they are young and apart of the teen titans. I also know as a halbarry shipper I’m throwing rocks in a glass house lmao. But please ship what you like, I really don’t care, I just needed to shout into the void about my feelings around it :)

[deliciousbasementtrash]

Playing Nurse for the Batfam

From Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #67-69 on Webtoon; Artist Inker Starbite

Summary: you are a nurse working for Gotham General Hospital. Batman has offered you a job. You are meeting the whole family for the first time. What could go wrong?

Pairing: Slowburn Jason Todd x reader, (maybe a why choose with Dick Grayson as well?? Idk tell me what you guys want)

Warning: Adult language, knife injury

Word Count: 1.5k

Note: These characters are not my own they belong to DC. The only character that is 'mine' is the reader. I am going to be as nondescript as possible for the reader as well for physical attributes. This is a continuation series; I’m not sure how long it will be. Also for some reason, my replies to comments are not showing up. I’m not ignoring your comments Tumblr won’t let me respond :( But please, please comment I live for it 

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

Part Four: Dinner and a Show

Anxiously, I took the napkin from the table and began twisting it vigorously. I felt Alfred leave his seat as he rose to meet his family. I swallowed hard, not wanting to look at all of the people that were entering the room. They just seemed to keep coming. How many people were in Bruce’s family? 

Before I had time to register it a hand was outstretched near me. It nearly made me jump. The stranger cleared his throat and smiled, “Hello, I am Dick Grayson. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

In an ungraceful motion, I put the napkin on the table and stood up to greet him properly. I took his hand in mine and firmly shook it. His hands were large, calloused, and a little clammy. It was almost like he was a little nervous to meet me. But that couldn’t be right. 

“Nice to meet you, Dick Grayson. I am y/f/n y/l/n,” I said, trying to make eye contact with him. Dick was an extremely handsome man. He was almost achingly pretty. With his soft blue eyes, dimples, and dark curly hair, he could definitely charm the pants off anyone if he really wanted to. 

His smile grew when our hands met. He just stood there for a moment looking at me, and then he pivoted to the side. He introduced Tim Drake and Duke Thomas. Tim was cordial and did the customary new person greeting, Duke was somewhat rambling. 

“Your powers are truly something to be admired, thank you so much for everything you have done,” Duke said as he excitedly shook my hand. 

I smiled at him and rubbed the back of my neck, “It’s really not that big of a deal but thank you, Duke. You guys are the ones that make the real change.”

Duke opened his mouth as if he were going to disagree, but a red-headed woman with glasses wheeled up to us and joined the conversation. 

“You boys are hogging her. Hello, I am Barbara Gordon. This is Cass, she doesn’t say much, and this is Stephanie, she says too much.”

I greeted them both, slightly overwhelmed by the amount of new people. I was trying my best to act ‘normal’ and be as social and charming as I could be. A younger boy who strongly resembled Bruce stood far away from me. He surveyed the room, taking in the reactions. He seemed so serious for his age. I wasn’t sure if I should make the introduction or not. 

“Where is Jason?” Bruce asked the room. 

“He is running late,” Dick said, “he said he had some ‘other shit that needed to get done first.’”

Faintly, I saw Bruce tense, but just as quickly as it came, it went. “Alright, everyone leave y/n alone and go sit down.”

On my right, there was Alfred, who felt my anchor to the world. On my left, there was Dick Grayson, who felt like he was trying to get me to smile and laugh every chance he got. 

The table soon became loud with conversations that finally were not about me. However, I felt eyes on me the whole night. Damian Wayne was across from me, staring at me the whole time like I was an intruder. 

“So, you are a healer,” Damian said, skeptically. 

I swallowed a bite of food and nodded, “I am.”

“What can you heal?” Damian asked, twirling his dinner knife in the air. 

“Flesh wounds, broken bones, blood loss, head injury, organ injury,” I trailed off not knowing what else to say. 

“How does it work?” His eyes narrowed at me.

“I’m not really sure. It’s as natural for me as breathing or blinking.”

“What are your–” Damien asked but then Bruce interrupted. 

“Son, you do not need to vet our guest. Let her enjoy herself.” 

Damien was suspicious of me and curious I wanted the boy to feel comfortable, “It’s okay, Bruce. It’s natural to be curious about it. What other questions do you have for me, Damien?’

“What are your limits?” Damien asked.

I felt the table go quiet. They all were curious and wanted to know my weaknesses. I instinctually did not want to answer, but I knew that if I wanted to be accepted I would need to be vulnerable and honest. 

“I cannot heal a majority of terminal illnesses. Spinal injuries can go one way or the other it depends on the severity. I cannot heal tumors. And…. and healing is draining. If I am not smart about it, I can make myself sick.”

“Sick how?” Dick asked, leaning in. 

“Well, it’s hard to explain. When I healed Bruce, it was after my shift at the hospital, I barely ate that day or slept the night before. So, when I put all that energy into healing him, it was exhausting. I nearly passed out on the ground next to him. When I got home, I slept for 16 hours straight. That is a more mild case though, it can get more… severe.”

“I wasn’t aware of that,” Bruce mumbled. 

The boyish charm on Dick’s face vanished, “How severe can it get?”

“Oh, you know tremors, fever, bloody noses, vomiting, seizures. It can get bad. I’ve learned my limits the hard way, but I’ve learned them. Growing up my limits were more extreme. I couldn’t heal a paper cut without getting a headache. Small stuff like cuts and bruises doesn’t bother me at all now though. It barely scratches the surface of my limits.”

“Prove it,” Damien said. 

“Excuse me?” I asked, annoyance filling my tone. I can handle his constant questions, but being told to prove it vexed me. 

“You say you can heal cuts and bruises without it ‘scratching the surface.’ Prove it. Prove you’re not a charlatan witch.” It was a movement for a boy too quick for his age he took his dinner knife and sliced along his own arm.

“Damien!” Barbara yelled. Dick leaped across the table but it was too late, blood was already pooling. Bruce and Alfred cursed. 

“Why did we allow Damien to have a knife at dinner?” Tim asked over the yelling. 

“Tim, do you really think we gave him that knife?” Bruce asked, incredulously. 

Anger surged as I slowly made my way around the table full of people yelling until I was in front of Damien. I glared at him as I rested my hands just above his cut. The room became silent as I healed him. The cut closed, and I replenished the blood that he lost. 

Damien looked at me, dumbfounded. The whole room did expect for Bruce and Alfred.

“It’s one thing to hear about it, but to see it… you really are a miracle.” Duke said the words and I flinched from them. 

I looked at Damien and let my anger show through. “I will not heal you if you pull something like this again. I don’t care how much your father pays me. I am not a monkey that will dance for you on a whim. Do not harm yourself to make a point or prove something again.” Damien angrily ripped his arm away from me. I didn’t care. It was unacceptable. He should never hurt himself intentionally like that just because he knows I can heal him. I turned and faced the room, “It was lovely meeting all of you. I hope you all have a nice evening, good night.”

And with that, I turned around and left for the night. Maybe I shouldn’t be as mad as I am right now, but I know I need a moment to myself. I heard light footsteps beside me as someone lightly jogged to catch up.

“I’m sorry about Damien we are still house-training him,” Dick said, trying his best to lighten the mood. 

I didn’t crack a smile, “It’s okay, Dick, really.”

“He can be intense sometimes, well we all can,” ever so lightly he reached up and grabbed my elbow, turning me so I faced him. “We are a lot. We are loud. We are sarcastic. We all think we are right all the time. We fight. We can be obsessive, protective, and socially inept. You will constantly have to patch us up–”

I shook my head, my eyebrows pinched in confusion, “Why are you telling me all of this?”

“You need to know exactly what you are getting into. It won’t be fair to you if you don’t know,” he said, absent-mindedly his thumb stroking the inner part of my elbow. He probably didn’t even know he was doing it, but I was acutely aware of it.

I just nodded, “Thank you for telling me. I appreciate the honesty. Besides, if I can handle my family, I can handle yours. Good night, Dick.”

“Of course, good night, y/n.” It looked like he wanted to say more, but I didn’t have the energy for it. 

I walked toward my room, suddenly so exhausted. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms, and accidentally ran into a wall. 

“Um excuse you,” a deep voice said.

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@soundsfunbutno

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[robjn93]

How do you interpret Tim's lack of mourning for Steph compared to his dad or Kon, such as not trying to clone her like he did with Kon or changing this costume?

i interpret it as ‘misogynistic editorial office’ lol. in a world where stephanie’s death is properly acknowledged and actually written by having in mind enriching her character, there’s no way tim wouldn’t mourn her. her death was written as a way to get rid of her because didio had a gigantic stick up his ass and hated her, so ofc he’d make sure tim would have the slightest bit of reaction and then ‘back on schedule with the robin stuff’.

the best interpretation i can make (it’s not canon at all, it’s the interpretation i have of this to make myself feel better) is that tim feels guilt for letting bruce throw steph in the crossfire and making her wear the robin costume so he doesn’t feel like he deserves to mourn her. so he allows himself to remember her but it’s more like a ‘blade on his side that reminds him of his sins’, of what neglecting his duties by prioritizing his personal life over robin does to those he loves which, to me, is pretty in line with how red robin evolves later and also kinda explains tim’s behavior towards steph after she ‘comes back to life’. again, not canon at all. i would say it’s an headcanon of mine because nothing about steph’s canon ‘death’ should be used as indication of how tim feels.

[lemonsbesour]

As much as I enjoy reading a few fanfics featuring pit madness, I really hate when people use that as the cause of Jason’s issues with Bruce.

Because like… Jason has every right to be pissed. He died and it changed nothing. The Joker still is wreaking havoc, and Batman is still chasing him with a Robin by his side. He was tortured, beaten, then murdered and Bruce still refuses to just kill the Joker. While we the audience can understand why Bruce doesn’t kill, if I was Jason, I’d be livid. He really doesn’t need some magical insta rage thing to justify his crimes or his anger. To me, it just takes away Jason’s agency and makes his character hollow.

Part of the reason he’s so enjoyable is because he is so personal to Batman. He is “Batman’s greatest failure”. A happy child who died to a severe act of violence, and whose death ultimately meant nothing.

Saying the whole reason he is angry, wants revenge, and wants to change Gotham is just because of pit madness is just… boring? Insulting, almost?