#i would've turned into the joker

[magnuspanoptes]

regret not listening to the podcast while it was airing, would've loved to get cancelled for posting jonelias comparatives in 2019 or something

[archduchessofnowhere]

I'll admit long before "The Empress" existed I got confused on two of Sisi's sisters being named Maria Sophie (or Marie Sophia?) and also Sophie. I know, I know, but honestly did confused me. If the show can pick new names, I think Maria Sophie's third name Amelia (pronounced in the more Italian version of Amalie/Amélie) would be my own choice.

Hi anon! Honestly I think that, if on top of every inaccuracy in that series, they had also renamed Marie as Amalie, I would've become the Joker jfkf.

Ok for real, up to a level I understand wanting to avoid repeating names, specially with such a small cast. Calling Franz Karl just "Karl" is not the end of the world, specially since they didn't write Karl Ludwig into the series. He was a very minor character in season 1 anyway.

But "Princess Marie" is simply inexcusable bad writing. You're creating a series about Elisabeth of Austria and decide to include her brother-in-law Maximilian as a prominent character. You know that Maximilian will get married in 1857 to a Belgium princess called Charlotte who is just as known as him if not more, they're a basically package deal. You expect, I assume, to get multiple seasons. I would also assume, then, that you are planning in covering several years in those seasons. So you know that, eventually, you will have to write said Charlotte into your series, you signed up for that when you included Maximilian in the first place. You also want to keep things simple in your series, so simple in fact that you refuse to repeat characters' names. Ok, fine, those are your rules. Now tell me, with all this in mind, why, just why would you give a fictional minor character the same name as a character that will be far more prominent in the next season of your show?

It just betrays such a lack of planning that it makes me mad. If they didn't want to repeat names for fear of confusing the audience, then "Charlotte" should've been off the limits since the beginning. At first we speculated they were calling Josephine Thiesen's character "Princess Marie" to keep it a secret and make a big reveal. In reality, they were calling her that because instead of just having two Charlottes, or start calling the ficctional Charlotte by her title to tell them apart, they decided to rename the real woman. It's just so, so dumb.

And Marie's character ended up suffering from this mess as well, because she also had to be renamed to accommodate to the "no repeating names" rule. Now going back to what you proposed, that was also not possible for these screenwriters, because the redhead lady-in-waiting that Leontine kills in season 1 was called Amalie. So yeah I guess Mimi was the best they could came up with lol.

[petr1kov]

My ideal Petrigrof endgame would be kind of like the Bubbline route taken in Obsidian: together again, just working through their shit together with to to grow

yeah tbh i did wish they were given room to work things out in their relationship in a relatively normal, non-catastrophic way. i mean, they obviously had their issues, mainly due to miscommunication, but i still stand by the fact that what truly ruined their lives were situations that were outside their control (simon getting cursed and the apocalypse happening). for all that they were/are obsessed with each other or whatever, we can't really ignore the fact that 'letting go' of one another means, on their case, moving on with their lives while knowing that their partner is suffering under a magical curse, like, right now, at this exact moment. i'd say it's a bit hard to just shrug that off, so it's no wonder that they were never able to 'get over' each other

[warriorprincesstramp]

went back to rachel's first appearance not to watch because it would be unbearable the way they write her but just to see exactly how she gets introduced (I remembered she had a break up but not much else) and apparently she got a scholarship into YALE. and then the guy dumped her. and THEN she had to love with those losers for two years. she's entitled to financial compensation seriously

[yeonbam]

it's the way he carves out pieces of himself to mend the wounds in others whether he made them or not...

Just Hoy seeing right through Joke for a second.

[spite-and-waffles]

(alt included)

Link to Video. (Please help Panda make money.)

Video description and transcript under the cut.

Description: TikTok video by The Panda Redd. Re-enactment of final scene of Under the Hood. All roles played by Panda (a tall, well-built young white man with a mohawk, wearing a grey hoodie). Setting is a dark basement lit only by a hanging light bulb.

Transcript.

Jason: (holding gun on Bruce) "Bruce, I forgive you for not saving me."

Batman: (glares silently)

Jason: "But why? Why on God's Earth—" (hits Joker across the face)

Joker (tied to a chair): *cackles*

Jason: "—is HE still alive??"

Joker: "AHAHAHAHAHHAHA!"

Batman:

Batman: "I'm sorry, d'you want me to be serious here or—?"

Jason: (in disbelief) "YES, Bruce! I want you to be serious right now! If he had done what he did to me to you, I would've done nothing but search the earth for this pile of death-worshipping garbage!"

Joker: "I love you too, Sugar Plum."

Batman: (holds hands up) "Okay, yeah, I get that, totally, I get that. Um. Have you tried?"

Jason: "Excuse you?"

Batman: "Have you tried to kill him yet?"

Jason: (to Joker) "Is he being serious?"

Joker: (also confused) "I'm gonna be honest with you, Junior. I don't know."

Jason: "Got it. Great." (turns back to Batman) "What the fuck does THAT mean?"

Batman: "Okay, so no, you haven't. Cool. Do it."

Jason:

Jason: (lowers gun) "What."

Batman: "Do it, cap his ass. Shoot him."

Joker: (finally rattled) "I'm gonna go with Junior here, and say...what??"

Jason: "You want me to shoot him?"

Batman: "I want someone to shoot him! Give me the gun, I'll do it!"

Jason: (mutters, brain blue screening) "What is going on right now? This should a lot harder than it is."

Batman: "C'mon, son! You decapitated like eleven people three days ago! Fuckin' do it!"

Joker: (turns to Jason quizzically) "This has gotta be some sort of test, ri—"

(BANG! Jason fires. Joker lands on the floor lifeless, eyes still open.)

Jason: "There, you happy? Jesus. Was that so hard? All of this time and it was THAT easy!"

Jason: "What the fuck is that supposed to—" (looks down at floor where the Joker was lying)

Batman: "I don't know what you're talking about 'easy'. There's nothing there." (nods at floor)

Floor: (is devoid of Joker)

Jason: (stares)

Floor: (continues to be sans anything but carpet)

Jason: "What the fuck?"

Batman: "Yeah."

Jason: "WHAT THE FUCK?"

Batman: "Take as long as you need with this."

Jason: (looking around frantically) "I just shot him! He hit the floor! What the f—" (turns back to the floor)

Floor: (is just vibin')

Jason: "Where the fuck did he go??"

Batman: "See that shit? That shit right there happens every fucking time!"

Jason: "There's not even a blood stain! It's just gone!"

Batman: "Yeah, like two days after you died, I chased him into a helicopter where he got shot like six times. The helicopter exploded and crashed into the ocean. And his body was gone before Superman could find it."

Jason: "Oh my God. I don't understand how this is even fucking possible!"

Batman: "He's like a cryptid! I don't fucking get it!"

Joker: (disembodied laughter) "AHAHAHAHA HAHAHA!"

Jason: (freaked out, turning in circles trying to find him) "Oh my God!"

Batman: "THAT OMINOUS SHIT HAPPENS TOO! I DON'T KNOW, DUDE!"

Jason: "Dude. Fuck whatever's going on here, that's some fucking bullshit."

Batman: "Thank you! Finally someone gets it!"

[acid-ixx]

prequel: again &. again. (platonic! yandere batfam x neglected! gn reader)

directory: prequel, chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four, chapter five pt 1, chapter five pt 2,

read until the end for an author's note.

what hurts more when it comes to neglectful batfam that adopted you after jason's death (that eventually turns a 360 after you have left) is probably the fact that they always had time for you, it's just that they never chose to spend it on you; an extra burden to their family rather than an addition. if they had time to spend, they spend it on anything or anyone else but you. it's not that you don't share interests with them, it's just...! they have way more priorities that push you further back into their list of 'to do's'; though you know you'll always be the last of that list.

bruce has to juggle so many tasks as the billionaire playboy "brucie wayne", a father of an ever growing family, and gotham's dark knight vigilante but somehow, you're aware he could easily fit in one or two more children into his already booked schedule— he just never seems to consider you worthy enough apparently. or maybe it was because you were too silent, you set boundaries compared to your other family who are outspoken about what they want, what they need— but there's one thing for sure that sets you off from your siblings; you're not a vigilante.

you were merely a child of a one night stand; a child raised too well. you were behaved, you never complained, and you were just, you. and being normal (at least in their level of extraordinary talents were you a mere droplet) amongst a family of talented individuals makes you easily a ghost. was bruce to blame with his neglect? definitely. if he was able to balance his life so easily, then maybe as the world's best detective would he notice you packing your things day by day without update. maybe that was why you never once hesitated the moment you stepped outside the manor, permanently.

dick's excuse would always be "sorry, baby bird! but i promised to spar with damian today. ah, but you can watch from the sidelines!" or he would be too busy saving bludhaven to even acknowledge your presence. sure, he smiles at you with those shiny teeth of his, but despite him looking at you, he never notices you for more than a second, right after he would skidadle his way to another sibling's room, bothering them to spend more time with him, never you though. it occurs to you that he has only entered your bedroom once, and that occurrence was years ago. even then, he didn't last a minute inside there before running away once more.

family matters more than anything to dick. hell, he was enraged at the announcement of jason's death and even beat joker to a bloody pulp when he realized tim fell into his hands. he's ready to defend damian, barbara, steph, cass, and duke with his life. it's his duty and obligation as the family's eldest brother, of course. but were you considered family to him? were you considered a sibling in his eyes, or were you just the resident roommate of the mansion? you question that endlessly because everyone, family and friends, seem to be smitted with dick, but you eventually gave up trying to vye for his attention. it's fine, really, if you were just another civilian to him, because he was just another person to you too. just like in a circus, you would always be the intermission rather than the main event. and with that, you take your leave.

jason was the most forgivable to you, second to tim. he was never there, and he would've probably put effort into spending time with you if not for the fact he despises bruce and the mansion and wouldn't and couldn't last a second stepping into it. he never met you when he was robin, it was only right after his death did he discover were you taken in and that added fact alongside tim being his replacement turned him bitter with resentment. though his hatred for you receded over time, he wouldn't really be caught taking a minute with you because he always sneaks inside the mansion and crime in gotham never seems to lessen. because of that, and your unwillingness to become a vigilante to kick ass with him and the others, he wouldn't be able to fully take an hour with you.

casual talks are unavoidable, though, when at the dead of the night he would be caught sneaking in to eat some leftovers and you were conveniently awake at the same time as him. he'll recommend you some classic literature he read or 'cafes/restaurants that criminals visit the least' lists, but before it would turn into a full conversation, jason would already be wearing his signature mask again, and with a pat on your head and a "talk to you soon, can't guarantee it'll be tomorrow again though, only here for alfred's meals of course," and he'll be gone. you shouldn't have let your hopes high, you wished you didn't because, duh! he wasn't there to talk to you, specifically. you were just there to bide his time! wiping tears away from your eyes, and with a heavy heart, you book an apartment away from the wayne manor with your own atm card; hope irreversibly dead and unable to revive a sliver of faith, even if it was dipped in the lazarus pit would it never come back as the same.

tim drake is always tired. just like bruce, his days are filled with investigation, crime fighting, and worst of all; high school. that's of course that least of his worries the moment he drops out. tim was never the guy to talk much. he only does when he needs to make an impression for others, or when he needs to manipulate people for potential information. his life revolved around fighting, from when he solved the case of bruce wayne and dick grayson being batman and robin respectively, up to his current identity as red robin and occasionally robin. he'll often be found in the batcave working with babs on a case or working alone in his room.

it's no mistake that you were the most distant to him, never once knowing about his interests or even hobbies and vice versa. it was a given that at the very moment you pass a glance at him, you knew it was a 'mind your business' type of relationship with him. if you were a mere ghost to dick, then you were just a spec of dust to tim. it was unfair to assume he would never care for you, he does! only in a way where you were another person to save if you ever were endangered, but would that be enough to stalk you to the point he gains every insight about you? not really. you weren't one of his friends, like kon who he would spend weekly video game challenges with; and you probably don't exist as his sibling in his own little world filled with coffee and computers. yeah, your feelings about leaving him weren't as bitter as the caffeine he drowns in his system, but you were still hurt either way.

damian wayne, from his birth, was taught and raised to prioritize his mission as an al ghul, to be the one continuing the legacy and to shed blood on anyone who opposes. when he was given over to bruce, it took a hell lot of effort to turn a new page and become the next robin. it was, with no doubt, that despite his 'redemption', he would be a tad bit crueler to you than the others. unlike tim, who he persistently bothers, you were untalented, worthless, and a stain on the reputation of the wayne's. even jason, his father's greatest mistake, had more value than you.

maybe it was fine-tuned jealousy, maybe he was mirroring his father and dick's actions towards you with his own sick twist of violence. either way, you would rather avoid the boy, lest you face the wrath of his sword. it wouldn't be wrong if you came to hate him, actually you do, but despite your endless game of cat and mouse with you as the unwilling victim of the chase, your poor heart couldn't fathom the thought of not excusing his actions as that of a child's. you tell yourself everyday, 'just ignore it, he was raised like as to be a menace after all' but you can't deny the bitterness and the clenching of your teeth whenever you stumble upon a room and see your father and your younger brother watching a movie together. the resentment eventually builds up until you blow up and just, give up. within your final moments in the manor, you figured to leave some belongings that you collected overtime that were supposedly memorabilias that you wish to show off to your family. like his pieces of art, you could only explain your life in the family as black and white and as bleak as the streaks of charcoal that rubs against the pages.

when dick was jogging through the desolate halls of the manor, he noticed the place seemed to be more... empty of some sort. and he knows pushing that feeling into the back of his head would only result in more questions than answers. so he decides to enter the spare rooms one by one until he comes across your room (he doesn't know it was yours, though), turning the knob without knocking.

that was when his eyes seem to dilate. his nose catched a faint whiff of bleach (was the room deep-cleaned?), vision seemingly closing in on the few furniture left alongside a diary and other boxes left neatly on your bed, with other smaller trinkets left untouched on your bedside table. he didn't remember you mentioning anything about leaving, hell, he doesn't want to admit his lack of memories about you but—

wait...

didn't he promise to take you out for dinner months ago...?

reblogs and interactions are encouraged and appreciated.

a/n: this is one of my favorite pieces of writing i have ever done and i like it a lot so i hope whoever reads this likes it too. if you all want to read more of this, then please leave a comment or reblog because i heavily appreciate it and it motivates me further to write this type of content! the reason i have come to a long hiatus is because, as stated, the lack of interaction with content. like i said, i will still write for genshin but i am open to expanding my fandom list. (p.s. i hope you like the way i had to connect their interests or a part of their past to the reader.)

heavily inspired by @klemen-tine's work: Glass Bones and Paper Skin, @gotham-daydreams' work: Not [], and @onmyyan's work: Ain't No Sunshine.

[emacrow]

Thank you for accepting the courtship.

Raven was using an ancient forbidden ritual to Pariah King of the infinite realm to stop Trigon and Darkseid to stop them from taking over this universe. The proper gift in term in the book for the ritual to be accepted said to be her firstborn whenever she were to have one, and it seemed the ritual was accepted.

She expected some old man in dark ancient armor to come out of the summoning ritual portal, except it wasn't Pariah King who came out.

A aurora crown floated upwars, then a white blob emerged only to be white long hair that kept going upward, growing longer and longer tall silhouette nearly 12-14 feet tall.

Hundreds of thousands of tiny stars in the white hair swirling toward the face with pointed ears, forming into three glowing yet dull green eyes with darken specks of stars underneath the eyelids and cheeks, a blackish blue like breaking open like a tear to reveal sharp gleaming white teeths, a dark blue tongue.

The clothes that this entity form beneath that resemble 1980s hazmat clothes that flickered from and to a royal clothes with jewels of tiny planet yet unnerving as if it haven't decided which to be and out of place that nearly made Raven's eyes wanted to avoid looking at it.

She didn't falter nor didn't flinch as this being glanced at the ritual symbols, tilting his head as if interested before before the three eyes looked back at her that made her heart wanted to stop as the used to be dulled eyes sparkled a bit.

Then, the being grew smile that would've made the Joker cry, Much to Raven's inner horror and nearly every empticlones in nevermore screaming at her to run and hide.

"I, Phantom, Prince and Savior of the infinite realms from the Mad King, Defender of Pandora's box, Balancer of Time, accept your gift." The voice was barely a whisper that almost sounded rich smooth as velvet, yet loud enough to hear clearly to raven.

With a simple wave of his long, arachnodactyly fingers as if waving off an annoying fly before shrinking slowly with a gleam of white light evenly enveloping to reveal a 9'4 foot tall lanky bat adoption bat guy.

Black long-haired, put in a clumsy doubled braided with blue and red flowers, held polka dotted scrunchies, girly hair clips with unicorn themes, soft blue eyes that were redish in the corner and a soft delicate face that Raven definitely wasn't ogling in her nevermore mindscape.

"Thank you for accepting the courtship."

"Your welcome."

....

....

Raven's mind blanch a bit realizing what he just said.

"Wait, What?"

...

...

Danny was doing just fine, just fine indeed as he was sitting in Jazz’s house, his niece rebraiding his hair as he shoved another giant handful of Fudge brownies into his mouth.

Ellie was moving into her boyfriend six month ago, and there was nothing Danny could do seeing his little girl move on without him.

Empty nest syndrome Jazz and his parents told him. Sam suggested another online dating, but being a famous, well-known Savior of Earth after Disasteroid came a lot of girls and even boys who see danny as a hero or for his fame and fortune instead of Danny.

Not to mention the ghosts, the stupid eyeballs trying to present another candidate for him to Wed which he refused.

He has used raising ellie as the common excuse that turned into actually doting parenting, but now..

He couldn't go back to his haunt castle after she moved out without burying himself in her childhood room, holding her old worned out red beanie hat that she didn't wear anymore.

Kids grow up and move on from their parents, but they always come back when in need.

He did something out of impulse due to his empty nest syndrome, which was going a bit haywire by the day and Sam, Val and Tucker won't let him bring them over to hang out especially when they are busy.

He made a ritual with clockwork help that randomly appeared in any other dimensions, then his own to pick the right person to court at the right time.

Now all he has to do is wait.

(I got inspired by this post here <- )

[demonic0angel]

Joker is being held in Walker's prison for crimes against humanity, reality, and a bunch of other stuff.

Turns out it's really hard to keep this clown locked up.

"Sir," one of his men said as he floated into the room. "The Joker has escaped again."

Walker slammed a fist down on his desk in frustration. Humiliation still burned within him from the meeting with the King just now.

Being brought before a group of humans, the Justice League, in order to make his case and almost beg His Majesty to allow him to use heavier methods to keep that clown maniac within his prison—

It made him shake with rage just at the memory of it.

"That whelp—!" Walker hissed. "He's worthless as a King! If he doesn't have the mental fortitude to do what's necessary for peace and safety within this realm, then he should've left the throne to his sister! At least then, she knew how to handle matters like this! We can't keep that damn psychopath in our walls if we aren't allowed to use specific methods!"

'Of force,' went unsaid.

"Sir, be careful, that's lèse-majesté," another one of his men said worriedly. "Remember that Her Highness has decreed that if there are any offenses towards His Majesty, the law will not protect the person who insulted him."

Walker snarled. "If he wasn't so much more powerful than all of us, I would've lead a revolt by now and put his older siblings on the throne! The nerve to be kind to a criminal like the Joker! 'Treat him like a human as he deserves.' What idiocy! The boy is much too—"

Before he could spout more treasonous words, the door opened again.

"Sir! A letter from His Majesty!"

Walker frowned heavily and then took the letter. He opened it and then paused.

There was two pieces of paper within and as he read them, he suddenly laughed.

"Hah! Maybe I was wrong..."

"Sir? What's in the letter?"

Walker hummed. "A decent enough check to pay the cost for the containment of the Joker once more, and a letter from the King himself, telling us to do what we can to keep the Joker as long as it's kept out of the Bat's eyes. See for yourself."

And true to his words, the letter was from the Ghost King, short and efficient. There was a brief apology for his public humiliation, but he cited a need to make the League trust him, since Ghost Zone culture differed from mortal realm morals.

After the explanation, the rest of the letter could then be summarized as, "The Joker just needs to stay in jail. Do whatever you want but don't let Batman see."

Walker grinned broadly. "Maybe he is his sister's brother after all. Alright, boys! Let's go catch a certain clown and show him what happens when someone breaks the law!"

Cheers rang through the air.

The Joker would finally be learning the ghost way of how they punished evildoers.

[phossiii]

｡𖦹°‧⭑ monsters: chapter ten

synopsis: batman comes for a visit. and phosphorus makes a rather "heartfelt" confession.

cw: reader is a monster, mature themes, violence, profanity, innuendos, phosphorus is phosphorus

a/n: anon... this is for you ;) you know who u are

One month later.

"Let me get this straight... you want to stay here in Belle Reve?"

"Yes."

"And you don't want to go back to Arkham?"

"Nope."

Taking in a deep inhale, Batman let out a long exhale through his nose.

"I don't suppose this has something to do with Alexander Sartorius?"

"Whaaaaat? What makes you say that?"

His brows flattened, and you realized his gaze wasn't on you, but rather on something outside of the window behind you.

Warily, you turned around, only to see Phosphorus fighting against a swarm of guards trying to detain him.

"You're not taking her back to Arkham, Batman!" he exclaimed, using his head to bang against the glass since his hands were cuffed behind his back. "I'll burn this whole place down!"

Your eyes shot wide.

"Don't say that, you idiot! They'll add to your time!"

"I don't think a few extra years is doing much to his triple life-sentence..." Batman assured in a monotone.

You could practically hear the judgement in his voice, its presence distinguishable from a mile away.

With a sigh, you turned around, leaning back in your chair and crossing your arms over your chest.

"Alright... maybe it does have something to do with him... so what?"

"He's psychotic."

"It wasn't too long ago that the shrinks at Arkham thought I was psychotic."

"Demonic possession is not recognized by any court in this country. It was either that or be declared as legally insane. And if that were to have happened, they would've—"

"Locked me up and threw away the key? Believe me, I know."

With a huff, you slumped slightly in your chair, your gaze falling to the floor, before slowly gliding up to him.

"He's charming."

"Most psychopaths are."

"Do you think I would be anywhere near him if I thought he was a threat to me?"

"Love can make sane people do irrational things, (y/n). I've seen it before, and I've seen the road it leads to."

"I am not Harley Quinn."

"And he's not Joker?"

"This seems very hypocritical considering you-know-who..."

At the mention of Selina, Batman cleared his throat, quickly shifting the conversation by sliding a manila folder across the table.

"This is not what I came here to talk about."

Glancing at the file, your eyes quickly landed on the JL insignia printed boldly on the cover.

"...You're joking."

"I think you would be a good addition to our ranks."

"You gonna open a Belle Reve chapter of the Justice League? Start recruiting inmates?"

"You're not an inmate. You haven't committed a crime."

"I've murdered and cannibalized hundreds of men, women, and children."

"That wasn't your crime."

"Oh, yes, civilian! Let me save you from this burning building! Oh, no! I bit your arm off. Try again next week?"

"According to your psych evaluation, the demon has repressed herself with no signs of returning in the near future."

"Mahalat may be docile now, but I can't promise that when the stakes get high, she won't return to her old ways," you stated, seriously. "I may have placated her into not eating everything in sight, but that doesn't mean she won't eat period. And with the Justice League's no-kill motto, I'm sure I'd be nothing but a social pariah."

"You shouldn't have to spend your life behind bars because of the mistakes your parents made."

Slowly, a small smile cracked onto your lips, heart warmed by the hero's declaration.

Batman had always been so kind to you, no matter how frightening or menacing you could be.

He made it a point to make sure you were well-taken care of, covering everything from your legal fees to your original, self-admitted stay at Arkham.

He was a gentleman—with nothing but your best interests in mind—and the kindest person you had ever met.

"I'm a danger to the public, Bats... And myself," you started, softly, resting a careful, reddened hand over his gloved one. "If staying in here means I don't harm another innocent person, then I'll do it, no questions asked."

Expression firming, you stood from your seat.

"But I'm no hero."

Memories flashed behind your eyes, images of dead bodies, half-eaten limbs, screaming children.

You were far from innocent in this whole endeavor.

"The people I've hurt... the lives I've taken... that can't be redeemed by saving cats from tress..." you stated, seriously. "Each and every one of them deserves justice... and I'll be damned if I get off scot-free."

Unable to catch it, a stray tear rolled down your cheek, forcing Batman to stand up.

"So don't worry about me, alright? I'm sure you've got more important things to be doing than checking up on some—"

Before you could even finish your sentence, you were enveloped in a hug.

A surprisingly warm, surprisingly tender hug.

From Batman.

'No. Way.'

You could hear Phosphorus going absolutely ballistic in the background, shouting something along the lines of "Get your hands off her!" as he beat against the glass.

But you were too taken aback to even notice.

Just as quickly, as he came, Batman pulled away, resting a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"You're a good person, (y/n)... Don't torture yourself with the past."

And with that, he picked up his file and exited the room, enduring a few seconds of beratement from Phosphorus before making it past and continuing on down the hall.

Exiting yourself, you were instantly bombarded with questions by your irradiated lover.

"What did he say? Is he taking you to Arkham? How soon? We have time to make an escape plan? Waller won't let this happen, right?"

"I'm staying here, Alex," you giggled, amused. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, thank, God."

"Alright, lovebirds. Chow hall. Now," one of the guards barked, quickly un-cuffing the man before shoving him toward the entrance to the dining room, allowing you to walk over.

"Why the hell did he give you a hug?" Phosphorus asked, muttering a few curses at the guard under his breath as he rubbed his wrists. "Bastard's known for being a hard-ass, but the moment he comes around you all of a sudden he feels like handing out hugs?"

You chuckled, entertained by his jealousy.

"You're crazy."

"I'm right," he corrected.

"Y'know, I never took you for the possessive type."

"I don't like people touching what's mine."

At that, you stopped in your tracks, raising a brow as you poked a finger in his chest.

"And what about you? You have this my my my, mine mine mine thing going on. But what about me? Are you mine? Or is this ownership a one-way street?"

"'Course I'm yours, doll face," he answered, smoothly, as if it was the simplest thing in the world, sending a ripple of warmth through your stomach. "I thought that was a given."

"Alex, how the hell is that a given?"

"If I say you're mine, it's obvious that the same goes for me to you."

"No. Not obvious at all."

"It's totally obvious!"

"Nope... but now that I know, I wanna hear you say it."

"You wanna hear me say it?"

"Yup."

"And you wanna call me possessive?"

"I can always ask G.I."

"Yeah, good luck getting anything outta him."

"Leaving..."

"I'm yours," he caved, quickly grabbing you by the wrist and pulling you back. "Your guy, your man, I still don't give a shit what you wanna call it."

He let out a quiet sigh, lowering his voice so only you could hear.

"I'm yours. And you get to touch me and hold me and kiss me whenever you like... in exchange for mind-blowing sex."

You grinned, giving him a knowing nudge.

It sounded even better when he said it...

"See? Now was that so hard?"

"On the contrary, I think I felt an artery harden."

"Asshole!"

"You know you love me~"

"Fuck off."

"There she is."

[feral-childs-word]

The fallen crown

🪻 Episode 1: Agony

🪻A special shout-out to: @cheust

🪻 I honestly had no idea how to start this 😭 I let this sit for days until I had a idea 💔

Wails rung out in the palace. Maids and butlers wincing and feeling pity for the poor women. After all her son had passed.

They don't know what happened to the poor boy but all they knew is the king Bruce Wayne the ruler of Gotham came back holding a barely recognizable boy that was non other Jason todd the second prince.

Soon the queen Y/n Wayne had to find out the hard truth when asking for Jason only to find out by the maids and not even her own husband telling her and keeping her in the dark.

The queen wailed her heart and soul out cursing every god for taking her boy her sweet boy her son. Despite not being blood related he was still her boy her little scrawny feral boy that the king picked up from the slums.

Not even the first prince Dick Grayson had experienced the love of the queen. But it was his fault for pushing her away and refusing the effort she was giving for that boy only to be in vain only speaking in greeting when they crossed paths.

But Jason the queen's favourite her son had now perished to the Joker. Nobody knows the origin of the joker and how he came to be. But they knew he was bloody thirsty and eager for the hunt of the weak. He had killed the queen's son and the king did nothing about it like a coward.

The queen now felt anger the anger rising realizing it was the king's fault had he not brought Jason with him to that trip none of this ever happened. Her son would've been alive snoozing in her arms while the fire burned bright in the fireplace as she read one of Jason's favorite stories.

None of this would've happened if it wasn't for the king's carless and stupid decisions.

And she couldn't stand the man anymore letting him push her away to leave her every night on the cold bed leaving her lonely and unsatisfied every night claiming he has papers he needs to finish.

The queen also felt hatred for the joker. She wanted his head on a spike for the world to see that man dead by her hands. She wanted the joker to feel her grief and anger towards him and to the world.

But alas the joker was nowhere to be found. Disappearing without a trace.

Now as she stood at the church looking down at her treasure her pride and joy a young boy now in a coffin dressed in his finest clothes. Oh how Jason hated wearing fancy clothes when he was alive always telling the queen how itchy they were.

The queen's lip wobbled but she refused to cry again. Her hand slowly reached out to hold Jason's cold cheek. How she hated how cold her baby was.

Alfred had to pull her away from the coffin so the church could barry her son. But she couldn't keep her eyes away from him. Before she left she gently placed her treasured napkin on his chest not caring anymore despite it being her favorite.

She turned away walking away from the coffin. Her eyes hardening as she stared at Bruce with his neutral look.

She walked over and stood next to him as he walked over to the coffin. Using her hand to hold his shoulder harshly and leaned in to his ear.

"This is your fault. No matter how you run from this moment. I will always be here to remind you for what you did."

[miniaturesuitgladiator]

What would happens if mk reader was to late to save Jason?

I know for sure that she will torture and kill Joker, but what about the fam? Would they hate her for killing Joker?

What would happen to mk reader will she stay or will she leave?

Well regardless of what happened to Jason her brother Kion was already watching her every move. Including when she killed the joker.

So he probably still would've offered her to come with him.

But ad for the batfam hating her for killing the joker? I think there's mixed feelings.

Like for one Dick probably would've respected her a bit more since he would be grieving knowing you did what no one else would've. And because he always carried for his younger siblings.

But as for the others your mother included would've been blinded by 'Bruce's no killing rule'.

Because at the end of the day even when bruce has the chance to kill the joker in the comics he doesnt.

And I think that shows alot.

But over all mk reader would be the most affected by jason death. She would probably turn into her father just like everyone always pretended she was. As of now her only good memories of gottam were the ones with jason in them.

So with jason dying? Yeah that definitely start mk readers villain arch.

[phantom-thieves-official]

Look we all know Ryuji's a guard dog of a character. Super loyal & protective of his friends. Hell, he's protective of people he doesn't even really know.

In Kamoshida's palace on day 1, his first instinct is to put himself in harm's way to protect Joker. Following that, he goes back to the palace in an effort to help the (cognitive) volleyball team - and then finds the team members in real life to try and find a way to help. He steps between Ann and Yusuke when they think Yusuke is a creep following her. His whole confidant is about him going to great lengths to protect the track team from another shitty coach ruining everything for them. He jumps in front of a moving vehicle in an effort to follow Makoto and try to protect her when she's taken by Kaneshiro, even though she'd been antagonistic to the thieves up to then. His motivation for taking on Kamoshida is to help Ann, Shiho, and the volleyball team - even though he has a grudge with Kamoshida himself, that's not his motivation. When Akechi denounces the thieves and becomes a perceived threat, he gets angry and immediately decides he doesn't like Akechi (he turns into a growling guard dog about it.) He puts himself in danger on Shido's ship to save everyone else. He literally takes a hit from possessed Cendrillon in Maruki's palace to save Joker and Akechi.

Okay. But have you thought about where that trait comes from. Have you considered. He couldn't protect Ann from Kamoshida despite suspecting there was something off. He couldn't do anything to spare the track team from Kamoshida's abuse. And he, who is acknowledged in canon to be close with his mom (implied, a bit of a mama's boy). Couldn't protect his mom from his abusive asshole dad. Like. idk it's driving me crazy. He's so ready to jump into action, even at risk of his own safety, whenever he sees someone vulnerable. Maybe part of that is because he grew up seeing someone he loved being hurt, and he was powerless to do anything to protect her then. And then he kept seeing people hurt, and kept being unable to do anything. Like idk I just think seeing your mom (and yourself) abused, then your friends (and you, again) abused, then your 'friend' from middle school harassed. if you then suddenly had the ability to protect others, those experiences might make you a little bit of a guard dog. Those experiences might make you protect others the way you wished someone would've protected you. They might make you protect others the way you wished you could have before.

[casscainmainly]

Jason being turbo evil during the Dickbats era is so interesting when thinking about Black Mirror. I don't think it's intentional, but SO many things could be read differently in the context of Dick and Jason's relationship.

Like the core theme in Black Mirror is letting go vs. not letting go, which manifests in the circus motif of holding onto someone who's falling:

Importantly, Dick is on the side of letting go. Of releasing, of letting things fall. It's probably just meant to distinguish him from Bruce, but it's interesting that this is happening post-Battle for the Cowl, which ended with this scene (in Battle for the Cowl #3):

This fall represents Dick's inability to save Jason, and Jason's unwillingness to save himself. So the falling/letting go motif in Black Mirror could be read in direct response to this - he had to let go of Jason (physically and emotionally) to become Batman.

Jason's name never appears in Black Mirror, and he is only alluded to once. In an auction selling off items of horrific value, the auctioneer puts up the crowbar that Joker beat Jason with for sale:

This crowbar is what Dick is using in the above image where he says "the feeling is like slipping, like your hands sliding out of the hands holding you". This again connects Jason to Dick's philosophy of letting go, but Dick never actually thinks about Jason. His internal monologue here is entirely general, despite him holding the item that killed his brother; his mentality has completely let go of Jason, to the point where he doesn't think about him anymore.

Dick's response to Alfred finding the crowbar is also interesting:

There's something dismissive about the way he says "just toss it in the river," yet it's clear (through his shadowed facial expression) that the crowbar deeply troubles him. It's the war between letting go (tossing it in the river) and not letting go (keeping the crowbar). He then talks about the growing evil of Gotham, which is another of Black Mirror's motifs - being unable to recognise something that was once familiar. I wonder how much of that is also linked to Jason, whose turn in Battle for the Cowl is described by Dick as "a flipped switch".

Jason's words also echo throughout Black Mirror. In Batman and Robin #6, as well as Battle for the Cowl #3, Jason is the most vocal about Dick being a bad successor for Bruce:

Dick's insecurities about being a good Batman in Black Mirror can be traced back to these conversations, and Jason gets Dick so bad in Batman and Robin that Dick actually tries to resurrect Bruce in the next issues. Despite Jason never appearing in Dick's internal monologues, it's clear he heavily affects Dick's actions and beliefs, or at the very least compounds his insecurities as Batman.

Of course, the most obvious parallel to Jason is James Gordon, Barbara's (clinically) psychopathic brother. I think Babs and Dick mirror each other a lot here - they both have the attitude of 'letting go' of their respective brothers, whereas Jim represents holding on. The narrative itself, though, implies Jim is right:

Holding on isn't about forgiving James for his actions, but about never giving up on him. About believing that he (and, by extension, Gotham) deserves someone who will stay and fight (to protect them, and to protect others from them). Dick comes to understand this:

Dick uses the word "redeemed" here on himself, implying he feels he needs to be redeemed for something - in the context of this post, we could read it as his failure to save Jason, a failure baked into his adoption of the Batman mantle from the start. More importantly, this monologue shows a shift in Dick's philosophy. The idea of letting go is the idea of mobility, something Black Mirror hammers home with the circus imagery. Here, Dick is rejecting that in favour of stability - of staying still, or fighting instead of dodging.

If the New 52 hadn't interrupted the Dickbats era, it would've been interesting to see Dick deal with Jason in this new light. He's tried to help Jason before, but kind of accepted that Jason would never use it:

Post-Black Mirror, though, I think Dick would have a different approach to 'saving' Jason. Idk I just think there's some untapped potential in their dynamic that this era represents, as it indicates a potential repairing of their relationship rooted not necessarily in Dick's love for Jason, but in Dick's newfound approach to Gotham and redemption.

[unnatural-happenings]

The Distorted Heart of Gotham City

My Persona drafts are all over the place… so let's add one more!

Fandoms: Batfam x Persona 5 — Reader-Insert

Prominent Characters: The Phantom Thieves, Red Hood, and Robin

Notes: Reader uses They/Them, no use of Y/N, Reader is a member of the Phantom Thieves, Persona 5 Royal spoilers (technically takes place during 3rd semester), Joker goes by Ren Amamiya, This is also technically a double isekai (Reader to Persona then Reader+Thieves to DC), when the font is italicized they're speaking in English

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All you wanted to do was save the thieves some time. Knowing that going into the Science Centre would lead to a dead end that required Mementos intervention, you figured skipping straight to Mementos was a good idea. You had to explore it anyway, so it'd save you all the back and forth!

If you had known the floor would cave in and send you all into Gotham's underbelly, then you would've rather run the marathon instead.

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"Joker!"

"Stop calling him that—Fuck!"

More shadows appear from the ground as soon as that name was uttered. A flood of them poor out from beneath you, knocking you off balance and flinging you into the ferris wheel's car. The thieves cry out your code name, but they're drowned out by the cacophony of cackling emitted by each shadow. You struggle to get to your feet as multiple close in on you. The grins they adorn stretch from ear to ear, making their howling force you to stare into the endless abyss behind their teeth. You can barely get your thoughts together before the one directly in front of you is blasted away by a force of light.

"Ella!"

Violet bounds towards you with grace, flipping over shadows with the help of her rapier and summoning her persona. She wastes no time rushing to you to help you to your feet as Ella slams her leg into the invading shadows. Her steel boots piercing through each of their heads and turning them all to dust. Ella turns to you and bows before vanishing back into Violets heart, but it's not long before more of these abominations are crawling out of the floors and walls.

Seeing the injuries she's currently sustained, you summon your own persona to heal her and cast shields on the entire party. She thanks you mindlessly as her eyes sporadically roam over your body, "Are you okay?"

Of course she's more concerned for you than her own injuries. You get your persona to heal yourself too before they vanish, awaiting another command, "As good as I can be."

Bringing both of your attention back to the fight at hand, you see the rest of the thieves trying to thin the horde, but with more continuously spawning it's a futile endeavor.

Violet gets her persona to throw bless attacks to back the shadows further away, "Any ideas?"

You're eyes flitter across all mass of attacking clowns to take stock of your teammates positions. Oracle is hovering high above the fight providing support where she can, Skull and Panther are fighting back to back a little ahead of you by the roller coasters support beams, to your left Fox is trying his best to freeze the encroaching enemies, with Noir blasting the ones that slip past and gunning down those that get to close with Lucy. Then to your right you notice Joker, Queen, and Crow trying to create an open area on the field and you realize what they're trying to accomplish.

"Yeah," You're eyes scan the battlefield until you finally spot Mona jumping around on heads with Diego, "Run away. This mob is never going to end, so we need to make room for Mona to transform and get us the hell out of here. We need to reach our leader."

"On it."

Violet instantly has Ella by her side again, commanding her to use Brave Step. You both tear through the enemy line, collecting your friends from their fronts and making your way over to the other three. Joker and Queen are happy that everyone's here to help out, but Crow can't be grateful without some snarky remark.

"You all took your sweet time."

"Sorry I got thrown into a ferris wheel!"

"Pay more attention and it wouldn't have happened!"

With everyone finally grouped back together, you're able to create an effective enough wall to keep the shadows away from Mona, allowing him the freedom to transform into his van form. Everyone rushes inside, with Queen taking the wheel, Joker taking shotgun, Panther, Fox, and Noir taking the middle seats, and you, Crow and Violet taking one of the back seats with Skull and Oracle sitting across from you.

Though before Queen can drive off, the shadows encircle Mona and start banging on the hood of the van. There isn't anywhere that they don't cling to, making it a near impossibility to move forward. Noir tries to open the window to throw a grenade, but they nick her cheek and try to crawl inside. Fox kicks it back out the window, giving Noir the opportunity to throw throw the grenade and disperse the enemies to the side of the van.

Using Noir's explosion as a distraction, Joker gets out of Mona and climbs onto the roof of the van, to everyone's shock and confusion.

"What the hell is he doing!?"

"Don't look at me! Why would I know what the hell's going through his mind?"

As he stands there and looks over the endless wave of what he could only consider to be rotting clowns, he utters three words with all the poise and confidence he's gained over the year.

"Die for me."

Teddy bears start crawling out from underneath Mona and swarming the mob of shadows surrounding him. They bite into their legs, latch onto their faces, and scream with glee as they eviscerate everything in their path.

When the side door is finally free of shadows, Joker was quick to open it and swing in from the top. Once he was seated, Queen slammed her foot on the gas, taking off and running over any of the shadows far enough away to not get hit by the flying teddy bears.

Once you manage to get far away, enough so that you have to strain your ears to hear the shrill laughter from far behind you, do some of you finally release the tension you were holding. None of you fully relax, how could anyone when the city itself wants to set you ablaze and see you thrown to the dogs.

You were all keenly aware, that this Mementos didn't want you there. That was made clear almost the very moment you were thrown in here without any say.

It reacted as soon as you touched the floor, it rippled outwards as if trying to get away from you, willing to break itself to do so. Eyes started forming on buildings, and the few that were already littered around from the park decorations followed your every move. It wasn't long after that when someone had said Joker's code name, only wanting his opinion on their next steps when shadows began to crowd around you.

This city was alive, and it was watching. Waiting for a chance to remove you from itself entirely.

Skull sinks into the chair, his knees bumping into yours as he nearly slides off the seat in front of you, "Jok—"

You kick his foot before he could finish, causing him to yelp in surprise

"What was that for!?"

"What have I been saying? Don't call him that!"

"What am I supposed to call him then!"

"I don't know, Wild? Zero? Fool? Hell even just leader! Really anything but that!"

Violet cuts in before you can get off track from the main issue, "Uhm, why is saying his name a problem exactly? I assume this was never an issue before."

Oracle responds to her first, looking over the scans she got during the fight, "Any time someone said his name, everything went totally haywire. It's almost like they got rage boosted without any of the side affects and it multiplied each time."

You groan upon hearing that and lean onto Crow's shoulder, "Yeah, that's sounds about right. I hate the clowns here."

Crow gives you a side eye, but doesn't move to push you off or even uncross his arms, "You said you had an idea of our current location when we landed, so spill. Where are we, and what does it have to do with his code name?"

You don't want to think about it, the thought of having travelled through universes against your will again irritates you. Though, given the fact you all landed in a rundown amusement park where the walls are covered in laughing graffiti, and you were overrun by shadows dressed in bizzare purple and green clothes while laughing their asses off—Yeah there was no denying it.

"I think we're in DC—Gotham to be more specific. It's a fictional city made for DC Comics in my original universe."

You can feel Crow tense underneath you and the irritation coming off him in waves. The conversation going on at the front of the van ceases as Panther drapes herself over the back of her seat, "Wait—you're not serious right?"

Skull slumps further in his chair again, "Please say sike right now."

"Believe me I wish I was lying."

You then tell them everything you could remember about DC, which frankly wasn't much. You don't even know what continuity you've fallen into, so there's a lot of information that potentially doesn't matter. Not that you're able to remember enough of any story line to separate what happened where. The others grow more despondent and irritated when you get to Gotham in particular. It's bad enough to have somehow fallen into another universe and have to find a way back, but even worse when you know the city is regarded as "one of the worst fictional cities in media".

You're in the middle of explaining Bruce Wayne and his gaggle of kids when a thought comes across your mind, "Maybe if we could find Batman—"

You don't get to finish voicing it though, since the instant you said his name, the world around you went silent. The buzzing of the neon lights ceased and the few shadows lurking around the corners vanished. Not even the wind continued to blow. The oppressive atmosphere of this Mementos was lifted, but the quiet that followed wasn't comforting in the slightest.

Queen stops the van and all of you tensed up, expecting something to jump out at you at a moments notice. A shadow, maybe even a palace ruler. You don't think you'd even be surprised if it was Batman himself to rush at you from the darkness—coming at you like a demon just from calling his name. From what you could remember, that's how the citizens and criminals alike viewed him in Gotham. But nothing happened.

After a few minutes of sitting in anticipation, the atmosphere slowly shifts back to how it was before. With the threat of the Bat dying down, it goes back to viewing you as public enemy number one. If anything, the oppressiveness of the city has only doubled, as if it was offended you had the gal to warn them about a threat that wasn't actually there.

Oracle uncurls herself to check the readings of the surrounding area, "Note to self, don't say his name either. That seemed to make the shadows around here act up."

Noir rests her launcher in her lap, not letting go incase a shadow still jumps out at them, "Is this the same as saying our leader's name, or something different?"

"Like we activated hardcore mode. Unless we want to grind boss level enemies I think we should get out of here stat."

"Brilliant." Queen starts driving again then calls out you name to catch your attention, "Do you know the safest the safest place to exit the Metaverse?"

"Not many places are safe in Gotham, if any at all. We might just have to pick a spot and pray." You look through the window and grimace when you see nearly every alley filled to the brim with different types of shadows, "Though I recommend leaving this area first, unless you want to appear next to a mugger."

Fox stares out the window, trying to capture the scene of the city, "With this world's Mementos actively more depraved than ours, I wonder the depth of this cities turpitude."

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You ended up exiting on top of some abandoned warehouse overlooking the waterside. It had the least amount of shadows in the area, and considering there was enough criminals in this place to actually have tangible effects on Mementos, Goro thought it would be relatively safe.

The feel of exiting the Metaverse is completely different here. Almost as if you're walking out of a wall of sludge, each limb heavy and barely able to move until you finally breach the surface. A few shiver at the feeling, and you see Morgana shaking around wildly. It also doesn't help that the air is still slightly chilly, but now that you're out of the Metaverse you're all equipped in your winter clothes. Despite the unideal conditions, no one speaks up to voice their complaints. It would be unwise to without making sure there isn't some underground deal going on around somewhere. Everyone splits in pairs to cover the roof and to overlook the surroundings, while Morgana takes the stairs down to see if there's anyone in the warehouse.

You slowly slide over to the edge of the building with Ann, avoiding stepping on any metal objects, broken glass, and generally just trying to leave as little of a mark as possible. Near the edge is the doorway to the stairs, and past that are air vents protruding from the wall and floor. This side of the roof is a complete mess of paper waste, plastic bags, and broken bottles, but there's at least no people here. Looking over the edge towards the city, it's hard to see much beyond the highway besides a few rooftops of taller buildings. To the right you can just see the top of a ferries wheel, it's clearly rotted and no doubt doesn't function—at least well—but now you know where you started.

"You see anything Ann?"

Her pigtails sway as she shakes her head, "Not really," she sounds disappointed as she walks over to you from where she was looking over the edge, "There's a park underneath the highway, and it looks pretty empty. It's in the direction of that creepy amusement park though, so I don't think going there's a good idea."

Her eyes suddenly dart to look behind you and she freezes. Her entire stance tenses as her eyes never looking away from whatever caught her attention, making you look back yourself and flinch.

Red Hood stands barely a meter away. His hands half-shoved into his pockets, with his dual pistols visibly holstered. Of course you run into a member of the Bat Family as soon as the opportunity presents itself, and of course he's one the the more violent of the bunch. If you didn't know any better you'd think the real city was still trying to evict you.

"Evening. Mind if I ask why a group of kids are hangin' around this empty building at the dead of night?"

The helmet distorts his voice so it sounds more mechanical, throwing you for a loop and unable to understand what he said before your brain catches up.

He's speaking in English.

You're almost embarrassed that you couldn't recognize it, but you'll blame that on speaking only in Japanese for more than a year and the awful audio distortion he has going on.

"We're just spending time together. When did hanging out become illegal?"

"Okay, better question," He leans towards you slightly, and you get the feeling he's glaring beneath that mask of his, "How'd you get on this roof in the first place?"

Ann steps in this time with an overly enthusiastic voice, "We uhh… took the stairs! How else would we have got up here?"

Of all the times you wished she could pull the miracle acting that she showed during Sae's Palace out of her ass, now is definitely one of those times… Not that it would help much since Red Hood is one of the best detectives in the world, but you might be able to survive the encounter.

He takes a step back to lean against the wall behind him and crosses his arms over his chest. It gives you both more room to breath, but despite his lax stance you know you wouldn't get anywhere if you tried to run.

Hood cocks his head to the side, humming before responding to Ann's earlier evasion, "Try again."

You and Ann share a glance, lost on what either of you should say. You're not about to tell him that you landed here from a different universe, drove your cat from the amusement park to here in a different reality, and used an app on your phones to switch to the normal world. Though you don't think he's going to leave you alone until he gets a more truthful answer.

Then he looks over to his right and holds his arm out as if beckoning someone closer, "If any of you can provide answers too, I'm all ears. It's not every day people appear out of thin air on deserted property."

You and Ann follow his line of sight to see Ren and Goro standing a few meters away. Both looking completely unaffected by his presence, with Ren acting completely laid back and Goro falling back into his prince persona. You assume the rest are close by and just out of sight.

Goro smiles, and speaks in a tone as light as air, perfectly tailored to be as inviting as possible, "We're just a little lost, and don't have the internet to check maps on our phones. We hoped coming to the roof would give us a better view to find something we'd remember"

He has a slight accent when he speaks, enough to make Red Hood's head tilt, but he still manages to capture enough charm that it shouldn't matter. It still unsettles you how easily he's able to slip back into this performance like a second skin, and how equally good Ren has gotten at acting indifferent to everything around him. Though as good as they are, Red Hood is still a world class detective.

It's a stare down for a while, and you're not entirely sure what to do about it. Red Hood only said "Is that so?" in reply to Goro's statement, before leaning against the wall and doing nothing. None of you know what you should do in this situation. Ann is about to say something despite the silent protests from everyone when the door suddenly swings open.

"Guys! One of the people we have to watch out for is in the building! He snuck up on me and tried to pick me up while—"

It's Morgana that busts through the door behind Red Hood, speaking irritably about something that happened while he was scouting, before coming to a full stop when he sees you're not alone up here.

"This your cat?"

Red Hood kneels to the floor with an outstretched arm, but Morgana only pins his ears against his head and backs away, jumping onto Ren's shoulder with a hiss.

"Pretty smart for one." He comes to his full height again, forgoing leaning against the wall to stand there with his hands in his pockets, "How'd you train him to do scouting missions for you?"

That makes all of you and Ann hesitate, and Morgana nearly pierces Ren's skin with how tightly he's holding onto him, but Goro doesn't falter. He rapidly blinks his eyes a few times before responding in the same tone he used earlier.

"Pardon me?"

That's when someone else walks through the door. His shorter stature and permanent scowl instantly recognizable as the Bat's latest—and most likely last Robin.

It's just your luck to get both of the incredibly violent ones on your ass isn't it?

His eyes lock onto Morgana and takes in his stance before directing his attention to Ren, "What training did your cat require to become as skilled as he is? I watched him open closed doors, lock picking one of them, and survey each room with intimate knowledge of stealth above that of a basic cats instincts."

Morgana face falls the longer Robin goes on, and Ren has to keep him still so he doesn't fall off or pounce on the kid. He struggles to come up with a reply though, as he's had much less use for memorizing much English outside of exams.

"… He's different?"

You let out a sigh and fight the urge to pinch the bridge of your nose, "This has gotten ridiculous."

Ann's in a very similar position to you, "Tell me about it."

It seems Robin heard your complaining, and snaps his head in your direction to retort in perfect Japanese, "If any of you could stop lying and evading our questions then we wouldn't still be here."

You're not surprised he can speak the language so fluently, with barely any hint of an accent as well, but his attitude is annoying.

Red Hood sighs, muttering under his breath about not taking the time to learn Japanese then addressing Robin, "Just tell me what they said afterwards."

There's no point in trying to avoid answering them any longer. If they're together, then who knows if the others are nearby. It wouldn't be hard for them to share information either if their own Oracle is currently on duty.

There goes any potential plan to lay low.

"You wouldn't believe us even if we told you."

Robin scoffs, thoroughly offended in the lack of faith but still tampering his anger, "We'll be the judge of that."

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All anyone really wanted to divulge was that you were from another universe. Having the Bats help you get back was one of the best things you could hope for while in Gotham. Red Hood and Robin didn't exactly believe you though. They didn't not believe you, but they needed a little more evidence or to do their own investigation. You didn't want to give all of them your entire hand, but them going to the Bat and put you under surveillance wasn't ideal, so you silently agreed to bring them to the Metaverse. Doing it this way you could tell these two more info without it immediately going to anyone else in their coms.

Explaining the Metaverse was a more… difficult matter. With this being a different universe there's a lot of "at least, that's how it worked in our world" and firmly reiterating there's certain names they can't say, but it obvious you've caught their interest. Especially Red Hood's.

"Tell you what. We won't tell B-Man about this or how all of this works. In return," Red Hood's voice lowers and octave, his next words coming out in a growl, "We're using this to take down the clown."

To be honest, you want nothing to do with this universes Joker. In his head or not, you're convinced you're not leaving without adding more trauma if you even look in his general direction.

"There's no way we'd be able to keep this a secret from Sir. Vengeance."

"You're right," He's quick to agree, but doesn't change his stance, "That don't mean we gotta tell him what we're doing."

"He's gonna flip his lid."

"Who cares. He's always got a stick up his ass."

"We don't want any trouble with him."

"I won't let him give you shit."

You sigh and turn to the rest of your team, "The clown's a maniac. He's probably committed every crime under the sun, excluding becoming a Nazi 'cause that's where his line is apparently. The world would be better if he changed, but… you've seen what Gotham thinks of that man's crew, you can imagine how much worse his palace would be." You look away, lost, "He's scum, and I don't really want to be close enough to even look at him, but if you want to, I stand by you no matter what."

The rest of the thieves all think it over before turning to Joker. Not wanting to make a hasty decision, he gestures to Robin for his opinion.

He shrugs his shoulders and replies with an almost bored tone, "I'm willing to go along with this plan. If what you say is true it's one pest forever off the streets. If not, then it's not like anyone would miss him."

Joker contemplates for a while before looking to Crow for his own opinion. He only receives an eye roll in return, so he holds out his hand towards Red Hood deciding to take up his offer.

Hood grasps Joker's hand in his before pulling him towards himself and holding him under his arm with a laugh, "Lookin forward to working with you."

[acid-ixx]

— masterlist !

sudden lore drop for again &. again, i don't care because everything's falling into pieces, but i think it's funny how most crime lords, or even the rogues in gotham — especially those associated with bruce wayne or batman — might actually be the reader's godparents due to how infamous their mother is amongst the underground.

i'm saying she's not exactly revered by the masses, especially those whose plans she's foiled in the past, but she was damn good at her old business, at what she's done, for survival was primal instinct from way before she had you, way before she had retired when she discovered her pregnancy— and her feats in the cruel play of gotham's crime alone were what earned her the right to be respected by most.

so point being? if alfred was at least five minutes late on picking you up from that damn police station, then your life would've taken a vastly different turn and you could've been your mother 2.0. or even cause some criminal war just because you're being fought for to be trained to be a sidekick or a mentor for batman's villains; and i think about that all the time.

i think about what it would be like if you were chosen (kidnapped before the police could even gain sight of her) by selina to be the successor for her mantle, or how you're more connected to the falcones than you could ever imagine, or how the court of owls have always been closely watching in the first place, or how even someone like ra's al ghul has been keeping a keen eye on you the moment he's learned of your mother's pregnancy.

even the joker knows a thing or two about your past, and he's contemplated sending harley to take you away from school from when you were just a kid far more times than he could even imagine.

and they're not exactly good people, far from it, way beyond the scale of bad, but they've all made a sworn truce when it came to you right before you came to be; whether that'd be for your sake, or your downfall.

now that, we don't know.

so if anybody wants to send in their own theories, go ahead <3 i already have a timeline and multiple flashbacks lined up in the series 🫶

a/n: this is for the many asks pitching in ideas about the villains being yanderes, or in a way, obsessed with the reader in the series for reasons redacted: i could say it's not very much possible and it's something i've long since considered and written about since i'm not just gonna throw in a baddy mother and then not utilize her old job for plot progression (i have a lot to touch upon the vague flashbacks of the reader and the batfam, sigh)