#if their mom is Alfre I’m going to scream

[handsome-edvard]

I’m watching S.W.A.T. and Hondo’s sister is Tilda!!!! lol not Tilda Dillard!!!! 😭

[fancyfeathers]

Hey Fancy! Apologies if this is a wee bit long but it’s a random platonic yandere Batfam idea I’ve had for a long time. Adopted daughter who becomes an investigative journalist. (With Outlast crossover)

Darling was a product of one of Bruce’s affairs and he never really cared, he paid child support and that’s about it. Darling didn’t care as she and her mother were happy together until they weren’t. Darling’s mother starts to have to work longer hours, coming back more and more hollow until there’s nothing left but her corpse. Darling had a gut feeling her mom died because her mom’s boss was cutting corners in safety at some chemical plant and forcing long hours on workers. 

Of course darling has to go to her father’s house now and live with him (I imagine she was adopted a year before Jason died) after a week she’s asked if she wants to become Robin to which she refuses. She wants to fight the criminals who act as altruists, such as corrupt leaders and politicians, companies who have blood on their hands but hide it, because that’s the hero who could save her mom. Bruce accepts this but the family just seems to forget her. Not out of maliciousness, except for Damien, they just don’t have time for a non-vigilante sibling. She feels alone and when Tim and then Damien are welcomed into the family they neglect her too. Damien even mocks her for being useless. The only family she had there is Alfred, as he made sure to care for darling whenever s he could. 

When darling turns 18, she gets out of that house and goes to a university to study journalism. She becomes an investigative journalist who gained her reputation for going deep into the depths of corruption’s depravity and meets this one dude named Miles Upshur who she becomes partners with as they both are freelance journalists because they don’t censor the truth. They get an email one day telling them about messed up things happening at Mount Massive asylum.

They both go and cue the events of the game Outlast and Outlast Whistleblower. I’m not sure if you are comfortable with the contents of those games so I summarize it by saying the patients were being experimented on and broke free causing Miles to get trapped in the asylum with no way to fight back. He only has places to hide and a camera with night vision that drains his batteries. He gets very injured and Whistleblower is the same concept as it’s the same place but from the perspective of the one who sent the email. I imagine the darling was somehow separated from miles but ended up getting out of there with the whistleblower.

She took the footage and instead of letting the whistleblower release it, as the company begging the asylum would hunt him and his wife and kids down, she would be the one as her reputation precedes her. But after dropping the whistleblower off at his home she has no choice but to go to her old one, cause if the company couldn’t ruin her reputation, could just silence her like they did with everyone else. The batfam is going to be very confused when a freshly traumatized, bloody,and bruised darling shows up on their front porch, clutching camcorders to her chest like a lifeline. Who knows, they might just not let her out if this is how she ends up after being on her own.

again really sorry if this is weird or too long! It’s just been brewing in my brain and I needed to share it

God it’s been forever since I played Outlast, I don’t remember everything about the game cause I was screaming and crying for the most part and I literally could only watch Whistleblower and had to skip some stuff

This might not be entirely game accurate cause it has been a hot minute but I will do my best

I do not think Bruce would be exactly neglectful especially since this is yandere content and obsession starts when they normally meet their darling, like a root that takes hold and begins to grow after certain events. I imagine that her mom did not want her daughter to meet Bruce cause she thought he would not be a good influence, the whole billionaire playboy persona. She raised her daughter on her own until her death, her daughter can remember sitting in the hospital when the doctor told her that she was dead, died of radium poisoning, her body decaying while she was still alive.

She remembers sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting after the staff called her biological father to pick her up, a nurse sitting with her. She knew why her mother did not want her to meet her, but her mother was wrong to an extent. She honestly expected someone like Alfred to pick her up, who she knew because he would meet with her mother for fund related affairs since she did not want her daughter knowing her father…

But Bruce was the one who picked her up, in fact he practically came running when he got the call from the hospital when he was at a gala.

When Bruce came into the hospital waiting room, he kneeled down to her level and took her little hands in his, he felt so sorry for not knowing, he could have helped, but for now what he can tell her is…

“Everything will be okay, I’ll keep you safe.”

Bruce is not intentionally neglectful, he really does try his best, but between being Batman and handling his daily affairs as Bruce Wayne he just does not have the time besides to have meals with her. He does keep her safe, puts a tracker in her bag or jacket in case anything goes wrong, but as if something will go wrong while she is playing soccer after school.

Dick is also probably very busy as well to give her much attention but he is pretty similar to Bruce in the way that he cares but he just does not have the time to now that he is Nightwing. He occasionally takes her out to do things, and he apologizes for not being able to spend more time with her, but he is just so busy.

Her and Jason are probably the closest, he is her big brother in his eyes. He helps her transition into her new home the most, making pillow forts, playing video games, taking her out to play in the snow. Then one morning she comes downstairs to see Alfred looking so solemn and Bruce sitting in an armchair in the living room, his head in his hands and still in the Batman suit, but no sign of Jason…

“Dad?”

She knows something is wrong so she hugs Bruce and it is the first time she sees him cry, he hugs her back, as if scared to let her go… but that is because he is.

“Oh sweetheart… I am so sorry.”

He was going to ask her to be a Robin one day, Jason would not have the mantle forever since after all Dick didn’t, but now he can’t stand the idea of loosing her, so he’ll keep her safe, even if that means keeping her at an arms length.

I think after Jason’s death he would probably send her to boarding school in a safer city like Metropolis or boarding school in a small town with next to no crime rate. It breaks his heart to send her away like that, but it is what keeps her alive. She comes home on the holidays and breaks but there is just an aura about the house now that Jason is gone, a constant state of sadness and as if a hand is holding onto her, which is fair because when she is home she isn’t allowed off of the manor grounds, Gotham is just too dangerous. That doesn’t mean they make more time for her, no her summers and holidays are just as lonely as they were before, only this time she is isolated from the outside world and left lonely by her own family.

Tim is similar to Dick in the way that he feels bad but does not make much of an effort to spend more time with her, even less so than Dick does. He only texts her every now and then so show he somewhat cares and talks with her at family meals, but that’s it.

Then there is Damian, she cannot stand him. She knows he grew up entitled in the League of Assassins but he cannot even pretend to be nice. He talks to her as if she is beneath him, despite the fact that when he is brought into the manor she is a senior in high school.

“No wonder you never became Robin, why would father let the most useless child even-“

“Damian, that is enough!”

Luckily Bruce or Alfred normally intervenes and defuses the situation before Damian says something too extreme.

Then she graduates high school and moves on to university, which Bruce pays for in full without hesitation. It is there in university that she meets her partner in crime, Miles Upshur. They are practically joined at the hip and then when that first finals come around and their project is to do a mock investigation and article and they get to choose a topic to do it on and then Miles asked her…

“Hey, what do ya want to do this on? Lexcorp? Abuse in the ballet industry? Maybe-“

“The radium scandal in the Gotham City Chemical Plant.”

“That’s oddly specific, why?”

“It’s how my mom died.”

And that’s how everything started with their chosen path of investigation. They graduate and the two of them even get photos in their graduate robes and degrees together. Her family comes, which an empty seat to honor Jason, despite him watching from a back doorway, she does not need to know what happened to him in the Lazarus Pit and he certainly won’t be caught dead with Bruce at the time.

Bruce is only okay with her going into journalism because he thinks she’ll be working behind a desk at a paper, not what her and Miles plan on doing…

If he knew he certainly would not be happy and try to find a way to interfere…

But sadly he never remembered to ask exactly what she was going to do.

Her and Miles have done a number of stories together, after the first five or so Bruce found out the kind of work she was doing and repeatedly called her to try to talk her out of it, but she would ignore his calls every time.

It was just supposed to be another job, not whatever this was…

They got an email from an anonymous worker, asking to investigate the Murkoff Corporation and their actions at Mount Massive Asylum. The two even joked during their car ride over to the asylum, laughing about stories she shared about her life at the manor and their old college days, they had no idea what they would find inside.

The asylum even looked messed up from the outside, but the inside was a thousand times worse…

Patients who were experimented on, and now they were inhuman and trying to kill, disassemble, mutilate them, you get the idea…

An insane priest to put it lightly…

Dead bodies all over, murdered in horrible ways…

Everyone left alive in there was less than human, insane, or just about to go insane…

And when I say insane, I mean Joker levels of insane.

They get separated along the way, which is good for her, but not so good for Miles.

She makes it out alive thanks to their anonymous source who sent them the email in the first place, Waylon Park who is a software engineer. The two escape together and due to her shock she can’t remember much until long after she left Waylon at his home and she is pulled over at a rest stop half way between Lake County, Colorado and Gotham City, New Jersey, way to exhausted to continue on. She reaches for her phone and finally calls Bruce back.

“D-dad… are you there?”

“Yes, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“S-so much… I want to go home… please I…”

She passes out from exhaustion while on the phone…

But luckily, do you remember what I said about Bruce putting trackers on her things? He never stopped when she was an adult.

When she wakes up she is back home in the manor, in her old room. She is laying flat on her back with everyone around her, even Damian and…

“Jason?”

“Ya… I’m here, lovebug. Just rest, you certainly need it.”

“Need it? For fucks sake she is missing a finger!”

“Dick, shut up-“

Bruce yells them to shut up and he holds her bandaged and stitched hand in his…

“Sweetheart, what happened?”

She only points to the camera in her things as asks them not to play it in front of her. They all watch it together in the Batcave before patrol and…

“Oh my god.”

It is worse than what the Joker did to Jason.

When she finally recovers and is going to write the story and-

No she is not allowed to, Bruce will handle the situation, most likely bringing it to the attention of the Justice League.

In fact she is not allowed to write another story again, she is not leaving the manor again. She is not a hero, she is just a reporter, and Jason is unable to fully move on after what happened to him so how well will she fair out in the real world in her fragile mental state? What if something happens that triggers those memories? They are not letting her take that risk.

Most days she is kept in her room, a controlled environment to make her feel safe. Then most nights one of her brothers or Bruce sleeps beside her in bed after patrols in case nightmare come up and she wakes up screaming. If her mental state get too bad they’ll sedate her so at least her mind is calm and she is not getting flashbacks. Bruce eventually gets her a therapist to work through what happened to her so at least she can have some what of a normal life after what happened…

Well as normal as you can get when you are locked inside for the rest of your life.

[gothamhappiness]

You are my heaven 5 - the end (Bruce Wayne x f!reader)

It was supposed to be a little imagine of a dark and lonely Bruce Wayne switching place with another Bruce Wayne from a parallal universe, but I wrote more than I thought. And then you asked for more :)

My masterlist is here.

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Warnings: no proof reading, fighting, language, violence, angst/comfort (in a way), pregnant!reader

Things went out of hand pretty quickly. Dick joined you home and saw Bruce speaking with you. He was towering over you. You seemed very uneasy. 

“So you knew”

“That I was with a man who was actually in love with me and taking care of me? Yes”

“I am your husband. Is it how you are loyal to me? No, no, don’t answer. You know what, I understand. I haven’t been the best. But once he’ll be back to his world, I’ll do better. I’ll take care of this child and we’ll be happy again. Don’t you want that?”

You didn’t answer because you realised how obvious the answer was: you were in love with the other version of Bruce, not with the one you actually married. You wished for him to go away, you wanted things back like when he was gone. You didn’t even feel guilty anymore. You were allowed to be happy, your children too. Even Barbara started to enjoy the new Bruce better.

“Don’t you want that?” Bruce repeated, losing it over your lack of answer

Dick walked over and with the way the man greeted him, he knew who it was. The new Bruce was always smiling at him, always grateful to have Dick around. This Bruce was a little bit annoyed, a little bit too cold to feel happy around him. Dick wrapped an arm around your shoulders and you relaxed a little bit.

“Stay away from mom” Dick groaned

“I’m not… For fuck sake, can you all stop acting like if I was the intruder here? I belong here, this is my world, my family, my home!” Bruce was getting angry

“Then start treating us better already” Dick continued

“How fucking dare you?! Without me, you’d be nothing” Bruce started to scream

“And you how fucking dare you talking with that tone in front of a pregnant woman? A woman you said you loved too. But really you never knew anything about that, did you?”

The batfamily had always been pretty protective of you, but it was even worse now you were pregnant. And to Dick, his former father was actually a threat to the family. Because it finally felt like a family and after everything that happened, he didn’t want to lose it.

Everything happened in a blur after that. The “real” Bruce threw a punch at Dick, out of pure anger and despair at being so easily replaced. They started to fight. They had no mercy. Actually, all the anger they always felt toward each other was finally getting free and making them even more ruthless.

Alfred quickly grabbed you and guided you away from the two men, finding you a safe place to lock yourself in until everything would settle down. Alfred wasn’t too sure what to do. He had guessed something happened when his Master started to treat everyone like Alfred always wished he would. For once, he had decided to pretend to not understand. But now, to be fair, he wasn’t recognising the man he raised and he thought that maybe he was gone in this other world. Or maybe he never truly existed. He just wanted them to stop fighting, but he didn’t know how to.

You called your lover, you tried to explain to him what was going on, but you were getting close to a panic attack. 

“It’s alright, my love, it’s alright. I’m on my way. Stay where you are, stay safe. This is all that matters to me. Jason will come find you so you won’t stay on your own, okay? I just need you to breathe in and out. Can you do that? For me? I know you are strong. You are amazing, my love. I just need you to trust me” he smoothly told you, trying to appease you no matter how tense he was himself getting.

But all that mattered was you. Always you.

“I… I trust you” you finally manager to whisper

“Good. Lay down and breathe, my love. I’ll be home soon”

After that, he called Kate for her to deal with the security breach while he was coming back to the manor. On his way, he also called Jason for him to protect you and help you calm down. Jason didn’t ask a question. If his father needed you to look after you, he didn’t need to know anything else.

You heard a car coming by, the front doors getting opened and then more sounds of fighting. You knew that your Bruce had started a war with your former husband. You guessed he asked Dick to leave, because he didn’t want his son to get hurt. Hopefully, Alfred was taking care of Dick now.

You started to cry.

You jumped when you heard a knock at your door. Soon enough, you opened the door to a very worried Jason who locked the door back behind him and settled on the ground by your side. He held you and rocked you, whispered words of reassurance to help you calm down. He hated to see you like that.

When he arrived at the manor, he did his best to follow the instructions he received for once, and to not intervene in the fight between the two Bruces. He was now praying to whoever divinity who might hear him to get rid of the former Bruce. He didn’t want to be in the same world as him again. You both heard the sounds of the fight and it was driving you sick with worry. 

“What if he kills him?” you cried our and Jason shushed you

“He’ll be fine” he whispered

“You haven’t seen the way he was acting. He was so desperate to get his life back here, he promised me things…” you felt like you were going to throw up

“Ma, don’t worry. He may want his life back, but I can tell you that dad is actually very desperate to keep this life as well. And you’re pregnant with his baby. He’ll fight with everything he has” Jason tried to reassure you

Jason was right. The two Bruces were on equal strength, on equal intelligence and on equal despair. They both wanted and needed this good life in this world, but for that, one of them needed to be gone.

Both Bruces had thought of so many plans and different contingencies to take care of the other. They hadn’t really planned on simply fighting the other one. But despair drives everyone crazy and makes them act like animals.

You heard screams of:

“This is my home! I’ll kill you or I’ll send you back to your personal Hell!”

“This is my Heaven and you can’t get it away from me. You didn’t deserve any of this anyways. Even my wife knows it”

“She isn’t yours”

“That’s no what she said. That’s not what the children said.”

“Fuck you”

You had no idea how long it last. Forever, maybe.

“I’m going to get sick” you whispered when a terrible silence engulfed the whole manor.

Then you heard a lot of footsteps. The children arrived and were taking care of things. You jumped when Alfred knocked at the door.

“Mr Jason, Mrs Y/N, the fight is over. You can come out” he told you 

Jason had to help you get up because your legs didn’t want to obey you anymore. You opened the door and Cass helped you walk to the living room with Jason. Everyone was so tense.

“How’s Dick?” you asked Stephanie who walked by

“He is fine, Duke is with him right now, to make sure he is all good” she answered and you felt a little bit better knowing that

Damian was sitting on the ground with Tim. They were both looking at the two Bruce Wayne lying on the floor. One was stabbed, the other one was tasered. They were unconscious. Damian was lost, Tim was trying to take care of the wound. 

“Baraba called Leslie, Alfred is waiting for her” Cass told you before helping you sitting down on a chair

“What are we going to do?” you whispered

“We need to make a choice” Jason told you

After a little while, the whole family was in the room, looking at the two men. The choice was pretty easy to make. 

Your former husband was locked up in an unbreakable room. Leslie took care of him while he was unconscious, and after that only Alfred talked with him. Damian sometimes too, but he never let his father go. Deep down, you knew that this fate was even worse than just killing him. But you couldn’t kill him; you needed to send him back to the other world, because this world didn’t have any Bruce Wayne now and who knew what the consequences could be.

When your lover woke up, he was in his bed. You were sitting next to him, holding his hand in yours. 

“Welcome back, darling” you whispered

“You choose me” he understood, fully relaxing against the mattress

“We choose happiness. Whenever we’ll find out how, we’ll send him back to the other world. For the last time, hopefully”

“I’ll make sure of it” he hummed before kissing your fingers

The man you loved never had any more nightmares about the other Bruce.

And you neither.

--

Taglist for all my work <3

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Taglist for this series <3 (you’re my heaven)

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Thanks for the ideas & the comments <3

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[pinkiemachine]

More BatFamily X Meet the Robinsons (I don’t have time to draw this whole thing)

Tim: What’s your name, fruit-head?

Jon: Well, Jon, but—

Tim: Jon, huh? Well, say, Jon, you haven’t seen a spleen around here have ya?

Jon: A spleen?!

Tim: Yeah, my spleen! :) Been digging holes all day. Can’t find it anywhere.

Jon: Alright, look—I need to get back to the garage. Damian left me down there, and I wasn’t suppose to leave, and then this monster attacked me on the porch and—

Tim: Monster? There’s no monster on the porch you ninny! XD

Jon: Listen to me—

Tim: Of course, I also didn’t think there was a Starro living on my arm, and—whoop! *lifts arm to reveal Jarro* Looky there! Hope he ain’t got rabies!

Jon: Dude—I need to get to the garage!

Tim: Oh, sure, I’ll get you there in a jiffy. I know a shortcut!

——————————————————————————————

*opens secret entrance to the living room*

Tim: Welcome to the garage! … … … Well, I’m completely lost.

Jon: …

Artemis: Hello, Tim!

Tim: Hey, Artemis! Jon and I are looking for the garage!

Dusan: We have a garage?

Tim: Apparently so. :)

*and maybe Dusan and Artemis have a duel or something, idk*

——————————————————————————————

*Damian arrives back in the garage*

Damian: Alright, Jon. I’ve got the—*the garage is empty* …Jon?

——————————————————————————————

*Tim and Jon walk past Jason who’s beating the snot out of a punching bag and screaming*

Tim: That’s Jason. He’s pretty chill.

Jon: …

——————————————————————————————

*I don’t know how to translate Nyssa into Art’s bit*

——————————————————————————————

*Tim and Jon on the roof*

Tim: Well what are we doing up here?

Jon: Looking for the garage…

Tim: Oh yeah!

——————————————————————————————

*in another room of the house*

Mar’i: Jake! You stop hogging the trapeze or I’m telling mom!

Jake: Oh, lighten up, sis!

Mar’i: Jake, I mean it!

Dick: Children, please! Your mother is trying to take a nap—

Starfire: What is all the yelling out here?!

Jake: She started it!

Mar’i: He started it!

Starfire: I don’t wanna hear any more!

Dick: Now, sweetie—

Starfire: Don’t you sweetie me! I’m going for a drive.

*leaves and peels out*

Tim: That’s strange. She usually takes the Harley.

Jon: …

——————————————————————————————

Tim: Ooh, I think my girlfriend Steph is baking cookies!

*opens door to disco room, and Steph is jamming out*

Tim: Bake them cookies, Steph!

——————————————————————————————

*looking at Ace*

Jon: Why is your dog wearing glasses?

Tim: Oh, because his insurance won’t pay for contacts.

ba dum tss!

——————————————————————————————

Tim: That’s Duke, and that’s Cassandra.

*both wave “hi”*

*suddenly, Goliath appears!*

Tim: Oh look, there’s—

Jon: Ah! That’s the monster!

Tim: Oh no, Jon, this is just Goliath, one of Damian’s pets! And this is our butler, Alfred.

*Alfred has Goliath on a leash*

Alfred: Pleased to meet you.

Jon: Y-you too.

Tim: Hey, Alfie, any idea how to get to the garage?

Alfred: Have you tried Miss Kyle?

Tim: Well, that’s true, we didn’t ask her yet.

Jon: Who’s that?

Tim: Damian’s step-mom, Selina. I think you’ll like her :)

*opens door to Selina’s pet sanctuary*

Selina: Hey guys!

*there’s probably a bunch of cool creatures in there, like magical ones, alien ones, take your pick*

——————————————————————————————

ANYWAY, I’d write that they found Tim’s spleen, but I don’t think anyone wants to read that XD

Original Post for more context 👇

[fandom-lover2]

Hope To Stay A While, Just Till The Rain Stops

Chapter Five - Is It Too Late to Go to Mom's for the Week

-image not mine-

Chapter Four - Pajama Parties Are More Fun When You're Invited

Chapter Six - Dad, We Gotta Work on Your Parenting Skills

Well, I was royally screwed.

Even if he didn’t kill me for knowing he was Batman, I’d definitely failed that business exam.

Daughter of the Prince of Gotham, and she can’t pass a simple test. How could she possibly run a company?

Well, I guess I was also Daughter of the Knight of Gotham now too.

Halfway through the exam, I was struck with the realization that Bruce being Batman meant he probably knew the Justice League. Screw that, he was a member of the Justice League!

He also knew a million ways to dump a body, probably.

Why did I have to get up? Now I was going to die, and will do so after having failed an exam.

I, stubbornly, was keeping my attention solely on the scenery passing. Alfred was playing along with my attempts, but Damian was glaring at me.

I had made sure to speak to no one today, not even my friends. If he saw me standing close to anyone, the little demon would assume I was spilling the beans and would have our dad off me.

There were still so many things I wanted to do, and now I’d never get the chance. All cause Jason and Bruce had a fight and I wanted another 3 hours of sleep.

Oh well, maybe in the next life.

Alred pulled into the garage and killed the engine. I hardly waited for him to do so before opening the door and charging from the car, my bag not even fully on my shoulder.

I’d barely made it through the door leading to the main house when Damian was grabbing my shoulders and slammed me against the wall, pressing his arm across my neck.

“Get the fuck off me you little freak!”

“You are in a hurry.” he snarled back.

I lifted my knee, and he grunted, loosening his hold on me enough that I could shove him back and high tail it out the kitchen.

“Damian!” Alfred barked.

I could hear the monster behind me as I sprinted, throwing my bag at him to try slow him down.

This wasn’t normal sibling rivalry, he was going to actually try kill me.

Alfred called out again, and I kept running.

I turned the corner, running blindly in an attempt to make it up the stairs, when I ran into something solid.

I stumbled back, almost landing on my ass before a pair of hands reached out and caught me. Looking up, I stared at Jason.

Not letting go, he looked up as Damian rounded the corner and almost collided into us.

“That little shithead wants to kill me for nothing!” I blurted, pulling myself closer into Jason.

“Todd, unhand her so I may deal with her.”

“Touch me, and I will drop kick you off the balcony.”

“Enough!” We all jumped at Bruce’s order, looking up to see him at the top of the stairs.

No one spoke, all eyes on him as he stared down at us.

I suddenly felt bad for every criminal he’d ever come across. To be trapped under that scowl was horrifying enough. To do it in the middle of the night, while he was dressed like a human sized bat and heavily armed, that was scary.

Bruce jerked his chin, eyes still locked on me.

Jason released me, but didn’t move back. Damian glared at me still.

Was Bruce safer than Damian? Right now, I felt safest with Jason. Which was saying something considering this was the longest he and I had ever shared the same space in the months I’d been here.

I glanced to said male, and he was watching me with sympathy. It was the most emotion he’d ever shown me. It was the only emotion he’d ever shown me, other than annoyance.

“You don’t have to.” he murmured.

“Will he kill me?” I whispered back, eyeing Bruce.

Jason huffed a laugh, smirking as he raised a hand to rest on my shoulder. “That goes against his code.”

“So I’m safe?”

Jason swallowed, then ducked a little to talk to me and only me. “If you feel unsafe for just a second, scream and I’ll come get you.”

When sizing up Bruce and Jason, Jason was taller and had more muscle mass. When comparing age, Bruce had more experience. When taking into consideration Bruce probably trained Jason, he lost a point there, but then gained one when I remembered the stories that Red Hood was the only masked hero who had an active record of actually killing the bad guys.

In the end, I didn’t doubt Jason coming in to save me. Nor did I doubt his ability to buy me a few seconds to get away. And so, I stepped away from him and made my way up the stairs.

Bruce led the way, to the very same office me and my mother had delivered the news to me all those weeks ago. I was beginning to hate this office.

He sat down, in the chair he sat the last time. I remained standing, close to the door he had closed.

He eyed me, and for the life of me, I couldn’t look away.

Or maybe I was being smart and kept my eyes on the enemy.

Bruce sighed when he realized I wasn’t going to be joining him in sitting.

 “My parents were murdered right in front of me when I was 7.” he started.

A shitty place to start, but with a story like this, there really wasn’t a good place was there?

“Alfred told me.” I confessed, softly.

“I assumed he would.” Bruce looked down at his hands, studying the callouses and scars. “I spent so many years being angry at the world for what it took. But then I saw I wasn’t the only one who had suffered at the hands of the criminal world of this city. And I knew I had to do something. More than what money could do.”

“So you invented Him?”

My father nodded, looking away from his hands and up to me. “I trained for many years, channeling my need for revenge into something more. And when I was ready, Batman became Gotham’s protector.”

I moved away from the door, sitting opposite my father.

“My work, it is important to me.”

Only it wasn’t work to him, it was a way of life. They only way to live.

I saw the way he held himself, like the weight of an entire world was on his shoulders. Though, I guess it was more like a whole city and occasionally the world.

“It helps me… deal with what happened. Turns the pain into something useful.”

Batman was his crutch, his way of healing the grief. Batman was his escape from the pain.

“And the boys? How do they play into this?”

Bruce took a moment before answering. “Your brothers have suffered in similar ways. I offered them a way to turn that pain into something constructive, something to help ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

This life, those masks, it shaped my family. It is my family.

I looked down to my own hand, small and smooth. I was safe, because of the work my father had done. I could go to school, go with friends to the mall, sleep soundly in the apartment with Mom, because of what my father and brothers did. The secrets they kept and the risks they took, kept me safe.

I looked to my father, and he was watching me. “I promise, I won’t tell anyone.”

“I know.” Bruce replied, standing and moving to sit beside me. “I trust you, but I need you to understand that while this life takes most of my time, I do it so you and other daughters in this city are safe. I know I make a lot of sacrifices to be The Bat, and at times we will regret the lack of time spent together, but I don’t do it because I don’t love you, but because this is what I need to do.”

“I understand, Dad.”

And I did. Yes, it hurt knowing that there would always be something else in my father’s life, something keeping his attention even if we sat watching a movie. But that was just how he showed his love, how he cared.

I could find ways to spend time with him, to catch moments in his day to keep him up to date on my life.

And now I would just relish every minute more that I spent with him.

“You can come in.” My father called, and at first I frowned, until the door opened and revealed all four of my brothers looking rather sheepish.

“Were they just spying the whole time?”

“You get used to it.” Bruce reassured, ignoring the squabble that was breaking out between Dick and Tim.

---

“You fucking died?!” I almost choked on the soda I’d been sipping, spinning to stare at Jason.

The guy shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. “Not the only one.” Jason added.

My Chinese takeout container was calmly placed down beside me before it went flying, sending noodles everywhere. “Who the hell else-”

Dick snorted. “Who hasn’t.”

We had all relocated to the living room, classical music playing from an old vinyl in the corner of the room.

Alfred had allowed takeout for tonight, as long as it was dubbed ‘healthy’, and somehow we’d all ended up sitting on the floor with our backs resting against the couches, blankets and Dick’s half built pillow fort scattered around us.

My brother’s had taken it upon themselves to full me in on their lives. The tragedies that had led them to Bruce, the trails and triumphs since then. And mostly, the adventures they had been on while donning the suits.

I was still waiting to see our hidden basement, and all the wonders it held.

“I don’t have a spleen.” Tim said around a mouthful of fried rice.

Dick frowned at him. “Wait, seriously?”

I readjusted, stretching my pajama clad legs. Beside me, Bruce seemed to be soaking it all in with a content smile.

“Ok, but who’s won the most fights?” I posed the question, moving to rest my head on Bruce.

He shifted further down, letting me settle my head on his shoulder comfortably, wrapping an arm around me.

“You know that’s starting a fight on purpose, right?” he whispered, and he was right as Damian began to aggressively defend his title.

I smiled at the idiocy of men. “Just keeping things interesting.”

I watched the boys argue for a time, Bruce jumping in occasionally to remind them who trained and raised them, which they dismissed.

“It’s getting late.” I mumbled eventually, catching only my father’s attention. “I’m sure it’s dark out.”

Bruce shifted, pulling me further into him. “We can take a break tonight.”

Batman was important, but family was the most important.

Things wouldn’t change much, other than the fact that I would understand a lot more, but it felt as though something was different now.

The air around us was lighter, warmer. There wasn’t this tension, the uncertainty. Everything was in the open, they were open.

Yeah, so we weren’t a normal family. So what? Who wanted normal when the alternative was an army of ninjas.

There was still lots to learn, but we were family. Messy, fighting, throwing dumplings at one another, family.

And, if Bruce refused to let me learn to fight, I had four brothers to pester. It was a no loose situation.

[bella-baby22]

Mr. Mom Bruce

So I was listening to Mr. Mom by lone star while reading batfam headcanons and the thought struck me for Bruce with the batkids whether it’s a closer in age AU or a de-aged AU whatever you like best

I’m thinking the boys ages are Dick 12, Jason 10, Tim 7, and Damian is like 2ish?

Alfred: Master Bruce its time for my yearly vacation and I’m not changing it you’re in charge of the house and kids while I’m away. Feel free to call me if you need anything

Bruce: we’ll be fine Alfred how hard can it be? I’ll hang with the kids and have afternoon naps

Alfred: *smiles innocently* Very well, Sir.

*45 mins later*

Bruce: *frantically trying to get Dick off the chandelier* please chum just come down?!?

Dick: *cackling like a demon* never!!

Jason and Tim: *screaming in the other room*

Bruce: what’s going on you two?!

Jason: Tim wants to watch freaking power rangers! But it’s my turn and I wanna watch jungle book!

Tim: That’s like the 15th time this week!!

Bruce: *groans grabbing his hair* just agree on a totally different movie?

Cass: I voted for Thumbalina

Bruce: that’s nice sweetie

Dick: *still on the chandelier* Bruce the ovens smoking!!

Bruce runs to the kitchen to see that dinner is indeed burning and Damian is sitting on the floor coloring on the wall with something that looks like gum in his hair

Bruce crying into his phone: Alfred come home…

[zahri-melitor]

This is an AU of an AU for @scintillyyy, because I’ve been rereading my baby, you are a gift, one i will cherish recently:

Janet paused as she sliced carrots, feeling an indefinable oddness as if something was wrong, or the universe had shifted sideways slightly. Almost, but not quite like an earthquake. She stood and looked out the window, cataloguing the view of the street. Nobody seemed panicked, but the setting sun had made the ever present haze in Gotham glow red, like a streak of blood across the sky.

Red skies…

She shook her head and turned back to the vegetables. It was a family dinner night. Barbara had sent a text message half an hour earlier, confirming that she and Dick had just left Blüdhaven. If Dick was driving at his usual pace and the highway wasn’t too snarled, they’d be arriving soon.

The roast in the oven was due for another temperature check. Janet turned back to the oven.

Downstairs, the front door opened and then closed with a slam. The sound of teenage boy voices talking over each other echoed through the hall. “I’m in the kitchen!” Janet called.

The voices cut out suddenly. Janet shook her head. They always did need to be reminded to use their inside voices in civilian contexts. Alfred… she pushed the familiar ache aside.

The internal temperature on the leg of lamb was not quite rare. Still a while to go until it was done. Janet shut the oven door as she heard a breath catch in the doorway.

“Mom?”

Janet turned. Tim was standing in the doorway staring at her, his eyes flickering as he looked her up and down, one arm flung out against the doorframe to block Damian from wriggling past him.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

Tim sounded incredibly young, with a note of yearning in his voice.

Janet laughed. “Making lamb roast for dinner, like I told you. There’s a stuffed squash roasting for you too,” she added, looking at Damian, who was glancing between her and Tim with a calculating expression on his face. “Can I trust you two to set the table for dinner tonight without juggling knives?”

Tim made a choked sound.

“How many are you expecting?” asked Damian abruptly, as he shoved an elbow into Tim’s side and slid around the instinctive grab Tim made for him as he moved into the room.

“Set the table for ten. We can extend if we need to. You said Bernard was coming, right?”

Tim still looked choked, but scrambled for his phone. “Bernard? Oh yeah ummmm I'll check right now.” He ducked back through the doorway and Janet could hear a muffled thump from the outer wall, followed by the quiet sound of Tim muttering.

Damian walked over to the kitchen drawers and started pulling out cutlery, looking at her narrowly. "Does Father know about this?" he demanded.

Janet laughed. "Of course he does. When I spoke to him earlier he told me he was trapped in a principal shareholders meeting where the board was reporting to him, but he wouldn't miss family dinner night."

"Family dinner," said Damian in mildly incredulous tones. Janet had thought he'd been having trouble readjusting to routine after settling back in from his trip to Lazarus Island, but he'd been keeping up a solid facade of disinterest up until this point.

It had been several years since last time Damian had had a screaming jag about who counted as 'family'. However, Janet wasn't going to take any backsliding now and so pointed to the other room. "Table, please. I invited Dick," she said placatingly.

Damian squinted at her, but walked through to the dining room. The knives were firmly clutched in his right fist.

Janet was dropping carrot slices into the steamer, one eye still on the clock, when Damian returned to the kitchen to pick up the glasses.

"Richard is on his way." Damian studied her closely. "When did you arrive?"

"Damian. I've been back from my last dig in Egypt for nearly two months."

"Tt." He disappeared again, carefully balancing the glasses.

Tim came back into the room, his eyes red but darting around, noting every detail of the kitchen then flicking back to her. He stepped towards her. "Mom." His arms encircled her, and he buried his head into her shoulder.

"Not by the stove!" Janet protested.

"Mom," said Tim again, sounding like he was holding in tears. "I love you so much. Thank you for making dinner. Everyone's coming, I promise. I don't know how long we have tonight, but I don't want to waste it."

"I know, you've all got patrol. But there's plenty of time to eat first," Janet pointed out.

Tim sniffed. "Yes, I know, but I'm not going anywhere tonight. Not until I have to." He stepped back, rubbing a fist into his eyes to wipe his tears like he was still a little boy, and took a deep breath. "This...this isn't your timeline, Mom. But while you're here, I want everyone to meet you."

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Keepsafes

Fandom: Batman, DC Comics

Summary: AU where Martha and Thomas survive, and they adopt the batkids.

Chapters: 32/?

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Thomas Wayne, Martha Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Harvey Dent, Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain, David Cain, Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Tim Drake

Relationships: Thomas Wayne/Martha Wayne/Alfred Pennyworth, BruHarvey, BruTalia

Additional Tags: Canon Divergent AU, Hurt/Comfort, Bruce Wayne is Not Batman, Angst, Alfred Pennyworth Knows All, Bruce Wayne Only Has One Child, Bruce Wayne is Not An Only Child, Bi Bruce Wayne

Chapter Thirty-Two: Center Stage

Bruce, Jacob, and Dylan packed up and set out for Gotham with the children the following year. To celebrate, Martha took Bruce to an afternoon performance at the circus. They split a bag of popcorn while they waited for the main attraction to take center stage in the tent. “Isn’t this exciting?” Martha whispered. Bruce grinned and nodded. “Oh, before the show starts, where are you staying tonight?” 

“Harvey and Gilda’s. I’ll call you to let you know I got in okay,” Bruce replied.

“Did you have a chance to tell your father you got into medical school?” Martha asked. 

Bruce took a deep breath. “I—. Hm… I haven’t even told him what I wanted to do yet. I’m scared that he’ll say it’s too much pressure for me,” Bruce whispered. 

Martha took the bag of popcorn from him. “You need to tell him… You’d be surprised with what your father dreams for you. Lovey, he loves you more than anyone in the whole world. You’re his everything. That’s the thing. He doesn’t care about anything other than your safety and happiness. That’s all,” Martha replied. 

The ringmaster stepped into the center of the ring and announced the Flying Graysons, and Martha grabbed Bruce’s arm out of excitement. Bruce loosened up and grinned. “I’m glad we got to do this—.”

“Bruce, look. Look, they’re about to go up in the—. Oh my goodness. Isn’t that amazing? Look at—.”

The Flying Graysons hit the ground with a thud, followed by a moment of silence as the only surviving Grayson ran toward them, nudging their bodies in a desperate attempt to wake the dead. And then, he dropped to his knees releasing a bloodcurdling scream. No one moved except for Bruce, who jumped over the gate to get to the young boy. He scooped him up without thinking and held him there in the center of the ring. The young boy's sob was the only noise in the entire ring as Bruce sat there, too stunned to speak or understand what happened. 

Martha snapped out of it, reached into her purse, and called the police, still shaking from the shock of what she'd witnessed. Bruce held onto the boy even after the police showed up. Martha approached and touched Bruce’s arm. “Hey, Lovey? Look at me, you have to let him go—.” 

Bruce started crying. “No. Not until Alfred gets here,” Bruce whispered. 

Martha lifted his chin with her knuckle. “Let go,” Martha gently commanded.

“No,” Dick peeped as he held on tight to Bruce’s jacket. The sound of Dick’s voice startled Bruce, but he didn’t let go of him. He couldn’t. 

**

Dick woke up in his parents' dressing room, and Bruce sat beside him, hugging his knees. "God, no," Dick mumbled as he started to cry. 

Bruce waited for Dick to calm down before he spoke. "I'm sorry. I just thought someone should be with you when you woke up," Bruce whispered. 

Dick wiped his face and looked at Bruce. "Are you a pervert?" Dick asked. 

"What? No. I'm here with my mom. She's talking to the police or your friends. I don't know. I'm waiting for her to come back," Bruce replied, "And I'm not gonna come any closer. I'll stay right here."

"Are you scared of kids?" Dick asked. 

Bruce shrugged. He hadn't been around very many children. He rarely saw Kate and Beth, but he picked them up from the airport a few times when they came to visit. Dick wasn't anything like them, though. He was outspoken and unfiltered, and Bruce didn't know him. "No. I just don't know what to say to you," Bruce replied. 

Dick sniffed and rustled a hand through his hair. "Did you like the show at all?" Dick asked. 

"Uh-huh. My parents saw you guys last year, too. We love the circus. My mom and I used to go every year when I was a kid," Bruce whispered. He looked at Dick’s arm and frowned. “I hurt you…. Didn’t I?” 

“Huh?” Dick asked as he looked his arms and legs over. “Oh, no. Bruising is a part of aerial stuff. I could probably tell you where I got most of these… Well… You shouldn’t feel bad about this one. I just—. I wish I could remember—. Trying to think about it just jumbles everything up in my head. All I know is that my parents—.”

“Hey. Hey, what’s good to eat here?” Bruce interrupted. Dick pressed his palms to his eyelids before climbing down from his parents’ cot. He took Bruce’s hand. 

“Come on. I’m sure Cookie’s got something good,” Dick replied. Bruce squeezed Dick’s hand as he followed him out of the trailer to an RV. The man came out of the trailer and rushed Dick and Bruce inside. 

“What are you trying to hide us for?” Dick whispered as the man shut the door. 

“Why are you up and about? There are all sorts of thugs creeping around these parts, specifically reporters and social workers trying to get a piece of you, Dick—. You’re hungry… I’ve got lots of beef stroganoff on the stove for you. I figured you’d wake up and want something to—.”

“I’m not hungry, Cookie. This guy is,” Dick replied. Bruce made a soft noise. He wasn’t used to people not knowing his name, so he never bothered to introduce himself. The performers mentioned Dick’s name several times.

“I’m Bruce Wayne… Sorry, I must’ve forgotten to tell you my name,” Bruce apologized. 

Cookie made Bruce a plate, and Bruce thanked him before sitting at the table. Dick sat right next to him, hugging his knees as he stared straight ahead with his face twisted into a scowl. 

“What’s on your mind, Robin?” Cookie asked. 

“Nothing. Just stewing… That’s all,” Dick muttered. Cookie sat across from them, and he shook his head at Dick. “Don’t worry about it, Cookie.” 

Bruce looked up from his food and noticed the look on Dick’s face. “I want to ask you something someday,” Bruce announced. Dick’s scowl softened into a confused glance. “Not now. I don’t think it’s a good time for me to be asking questions. Just thought I’d let you know I have one… Maybe several.” 

**

“Martha, isn’t this a little impulsive?” Thomas asked. 

Martha tied her hair up and put on the jacket Thomas brought. “The ringmaster said whoever did this to Dick’s parents might still want to hurt him. If he stays on with the circus, all it’ll do is make him a target. If he’s with us, no one can hurt him. Between Alfred’s military history and Bruce’s extensive fighting skills, I think he’d be safer here than he would be under police protection.” 

Thomas looked at Alfred. “Shouldn’t we speak to Master Bruce, and his new friend before we make such a serious decision?” Alfred asked as they glanced over at Bruce and Dick laughing in the doorway of the trailer. 

Martha raised her shoulders and sighed. “I’ll talk to both of them together,” Martha replied as she slipped away. Thomas stared into space. 

“Did she just get her way?” Thomas questioned. 

“You didn’t stand a chance, darling,” Alfred smiled. “You love children… I thought you’d be the one begging to bring him home.”

“It’s not having a child in the home that bothers me… It’s the feeling I have when they leave,” Thomas mumbled.

[justanothervigalanty]

[Revenge]

(robin!jason Todd x fem!y/n Gordon)

part 2: the drug ring

Jason’s funeral was probably the saddest thing you ever heard about because you didn’t attend. You couldn’t possibly. Bruce had to make you promise not to push your self. Which meant 4 months on bed rest wich didn’t stop you were on crutches for the next 6 months and that card left a scar from your shoulder to the start of your neck. Bye bye vests. You became depressed. People tried to help you but nothing could help. Dick and Babs tried to talk to you but you didn’t listen or expect their help. One night Your dad had woken up to you screaming having nightmares about that night. Jason’s screaming the crowbar dragging across the ground the last thing he said to you “I’m sorry” repeating in your head. “Hay y/n! Are you ok!?” He asked sitting on your bed. “It’s him the dream dad the joker!” You said crying into his arms. At this point you had told him that you had gone after Jason that you were what Gotham was called the night’s shadow or just shadow.

“Bruce what do you want?” You asked running down the stairs off the bat cave buckling up Jason’s second belt that you used if he was out off Gotham. Around your waist. “Did you find him?!” You said running to the Batmobile. “No, but this is Tim.” He said which is when you saw a small no older than 12 black haired boy sleeping in the back seat. “Ok what is going on?!” You whispered “y/n I know this is wired but I need you to stay calm.” Bruce said carefully talking out the boy. “He knows who we were he knows you’re the night’s shadow he knows dick is nightwing he knows I’m Batman and that Jason is- was robin.” Bruce said handing the kid to Alfred who took him to bed. “What is your point.” You asked “Batman needs robin” he said needing down placing a hand on your shoulder. “That’s why I’m here so that I can help!” You said stepping back “yeah well I’m worried that you might-“ “what kill somebody!?” You yelled “well y/n after last night I thought that you needed a break…” Bruce said walking away. “So you’re fireing Me?!” You asked “why because you don’t have the guts to kill that mad man! Who may I remind you killed your fucking son?!” You shouted “you know what screw you and dick and that random kid you who you think could ever replace Jason! Fuck you bat!” You said storming out.

“Y/n! Y/n! What’s going on!” Babs said as you came storming into the house and started packing your stuff “y/n talk to me!” She yelled moving herself to her wheelchair and coming over to you. “I’m leaving!” You said grabbing your crutches that you needed from time to time. “Y/n! No y/n!” Barbra said grabbing your rist “you can’t leave me!” She said tears in her eyes “please. Mom left us i know you hardly remember her! I can’t lose you too!” Barbra said holding your wrist tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m sorry babs but I can’t I love you” you said hugging her before leaving.

Around a 4 years later you had found your self one off Batman’s most wanted. You were after the joker and if anyone go in your way they wouldn’t get a second chance to tell you. In till you were reached out to by a drug trading ring who offered to help you find the joker as long as you became a sort of protection against other gangs. And you slowly made your way to the top. To the point where you had one of the most powerful gangs by the time you were 18.

But not everyone took you seriously because of your obsession with killing the joker and none would dear to ask why. Some said “joker killed her parents” or “she was jokers sidekick and then she randomly quit so the joker has been after her eversincs” and to closest one “you know that one robin? Yeah the one who was killed yea! They dated but you see boss is the jokers daughter so he killed the boy and well she wasn’t happy so swore revenge!”

But this life that you lived was about to change in a way you only ever dreamed about. The dawn of red hood

[phantom-dc]

Dad Hood - part 7

It’s been a few days since Jason brought Tim some of Danny’s hair. He’d checked on Tim’s coffee stash and agreed with Alfred.

‘Goddamn, Tim! I said you could hide your coffee in that safehouse, not fill it!’

Oh well, it would be worth it. In those few days he’d been waiting, Danny’s list of powers had only grown. He took another look at his notebook:

Invisibility

Cryokinesis

Flight

Soul-pulling-out-powers???

Destructive scream

Lasers

Super strength

(Flying) Superspeed

Photokineses

Shields

Jason was getting worried. Thank god Tim was done with his research. He was confused as to why Tim insisted on meeting him instead of just sending him the list of people Danny was made up off. Jason did NOT want to think that the list was so big Tim wanted to give it himself.

Thank goodness Tim landed on the roof. Jason didn’t think he could wait any longer. Before Jason could say anything, Tim cut him off.

‘You have some explaining to do.’

Jason rolled his eyes. ‘I already told you, RR. I’m investigating a possible Respawn clone. Do you have the list I asked for? I need to kno-‘

‘Oh, don’t start with that bullshit. I know you’re lying!’

Jason was confused. ‘What? Why do you think I’m lying? Do you have the results or not?’

Tim looks angry. ‘Hood, you know full well there’s only 2 people on that list.’

Jason gets annoyed at Tim’s attitude: ‘Fine, so it’s Slade and who? Killer Frost? Superman? Give me details, man!’

‘It’s not Slade. It matches partially with Talia and you.’

Jason’s blood goes cold. ‘Tim, what do you mean?’

Tim rolls his eyes. ‘Look man, if you have a kid that’s one thing. But if you needed a paternity test you could’ve-‘

Jason grabs Tim by the arms. ‘TIM, WHAT DO YOU MEAN: MY KID!?!’

Tim finally realizes Jason honestly has no clue. ‘Wait, you didn’t know?’

‘NO, TIM! I DIDN’T! WTF YOU MEAN HE’S MY KID!?!’

Tim shakes Jason off. ‘Ok, easy man! Calm down! Deep breaths!’

Jason slumps down. Tim takes pity on him.

‘Ok, let’s take a step back, J. I need to know where you got this sample.’

Jason looks at him, and motions for Tim to follow him. As he climbs through Jason’s window, he wonders why they’re there.

‘So, did you have some files you wanted to show me, or-‘

‘INTRUDER ALERT!’

Tim is tackled from the side, sending him into the couch.

‘OH MY GOD!’

Tim tries to wrangle the kid off, but he can’t get a grip.

‘Get off me!’

Jason comes over and picks Danny up.

‘Jason! There’s a stranger here!’

Jason ruffles Danny’s hair.

‘Good job, kiddo. Never trust strangers that climb through your windows. But you can calm down. This is my brother, Red Robin.’

Danny tilts his head sideways. ‘Yum?’

Jason laughs. ‘No, not that Red Robin!’

Pulling Tim up, he introduced him.

‘RR, this is Danny, my… kid.’

Tim sees Jason having some more panic, and takes over. Kneeling down he talks to Danny.

‘Hi Danny! You’re a friend of Jason, right? You can call me Tim!’

Danny is hiding behind Jason’s leg. Tim says Jason asked him some help in figuring out where Danny came from. Danny becomes curious.

‘Did you find out?’

Jason picks Danny of the ground, so he’s on eye level with Tim.

‘Well, no. But I did find out something interesting? Turns out, Jason’s your daddy! Did you know that?’

Danny looks at Jason, and he looks amazed.

‘You are? That’s awesome! I always wanted to meet you!’

This surprises Jason. ‘Wait, you knew that I was your dad?’

Danny shakes his head.

‘No, not that. But mom and dad always said I wasn’t their bo…bia…’

Tim helps out: ‘Their biological child?’

Danny nods. ‘Yeah! So I was wondering who my mommy and daddy are!’

Jason is very tired and needs sleep, so he decides to cut this short.

‘It’s great to find out, but it’s very late. How about we go to sleep now, and tomorrow we’ll celebrate with cake?’

Danny cheers. ‘YAY, CAKE! Goodnight Daddy!’

He climbs out of Jason’s arms and goes to bed, wanting to sleep so he can get cake quicker. Jason head is spinning from being called daddy so quickly. Tim just looks at Jason.

‘You need to tell me everything. NOW.’

First - Previous - Next - AO3

[winter-leftovers]

Til The End Of Eternity || Chapter twelve: A Night to Remember (12/?)

(Douxie Casperan x f!reader)

Summary: Y/n is trying to figure her life out but is going to be hard since her brother is the new trollhunter and she is plagued by dreams and feelings she doesn’t understand.

Chapter Summary: Angor Rot attacks. Douxie tries to talk to Y/n.

Word count: 2566

Warnings: life update in a/n :)

(Season 1 Episode 24,25 )

Song?: Liability by Lorde

Previous - Next

Masterlist

“Why trust this changeling when all he does is betray you?” Draal stood behind the counter.

“I’m with Draal on this one” Y/n looked down from her seat on top of the counter to the floor where Jim was kneeling.

“Because…Because, unfortunately, I have to” Jim was searching through the kitchen for canned food “Is this all the canned food we have?”

“You need more? Mmh” Draal walked to the counter that Jim was looking through “We should chop him into little pieces and can him right now”

Y/n sighed “As lovely as that might sound, we still have a small issue called binding spell”

Strickler threw cereal to Draal's face making him growl.

Alfred rolled his eyes. He was tired of the changeling’s antics.

“Say you do get him out of town. What’s stopping Angor Rot from finding him?” Asked Draal.

“I don’t know. We disguise him” Jim kept looking through the kitchen cabinets.

“Disguise?” Draal looked at Y/n and then back at Jim “Angor is a cunning and ruthless assassin. You think he’ll be fooled by a hat and mustache?”

“Then I guess we’ll fight him. Far, far away from here” Jim took more food from the refrigerator.

“I do not like this plan. He could strike at any time, at any place. He would have the tactical advantage” Draal insisted.

“I don’t know, okay?” Jim turned, overwhelmed by the troll’s complaints “I don’t have all the answers!” He took a breath “Sorry, I know it’s not a well thought out plan, but we have to leave”

Y/n’s phone started ringing.

“It’s mom” she announced. She took her finger to her lips “Shh” She took a breath and answered “Hi! Mom. How are you?”

“Sorry I didn’t come home last night, kiddo. It’s been crazy over here at the hospital. Looks like my night shift is turning into a weekend and shift”

“You’re gonna be gone all weekend?” She looked at Jim “That sucks…” Y/n gave a dirty look to Draal for growling at Strickler.

“I know, but you can take care of yourself and your brother. Just stay at home and be safe”

“Yeah, I can hold down the fort” she chuckled.

“You’re lifesaver”

“That’ll look good on my resume”

Barbara laughed “Love you, kiddo”

“Love you too, mom” Y/n hanged up

“She’ll be out of the house all weekend?” Asked Strickler.

Y/n nodded

“The house would be empty”Jim said.

The three of them smiled.

“Fine. I have rocks for brains. Would someone tell me what’s so obvious?” Draal scoffed.

“I don’t get it either” Al scratched his ear.

“We are going to hold down the fort” Jim started to take back out the food he packed.

“We survived one night. He’s not going to survive the next” explained Strickler.

“Right. We fight here. Take back the tactical advantage. An ambush!” Draal was getting excited.

“I like ambushes” Al stretched his back.

“We’re going to need supplies” said Jim.

Y/n looked at the clock.

“Listen, I have a shift but I’ll be back to help. Ok?” She ruffled Jim’s hair.

—

The day passed painstakingly slowly. Y/n wanted to scream. Jim assured her everything was going fine but she couldn’t focus on anything. She thanked the universe for not having to handle the register because she was sure she would make more than one awful mistake.

The sun had finally set, Y/n felt she could breathe a little bit better. The first part was coming to an end.

The clock reminded her that she still had five minutes before it was an appropriate time to get her bag.

The bell rang and a new customer came in. Douxie. For a moment, Y/n thought about hiding but the store was small, everywhere would be a bad hiding spot, so she stood still next to an old ABBA poster.

“Y/n! I feel like we haven’t seen each other in forever” he smiled.

Y/n’s throat closed. She had spent the last couple of days hiding in the darkness of her room because of him yet his smile still made her knees buckle.

“I didn’t realize” she gave him a half-smile, her voice was steadier than she thought it would be but it was also colder.

“Well… you used to pass by to say hello after work and then you…stoped” his smile fell.

Y/n nodded.

“Did something happen?” He looked concerned. Not what Y/n was expecting.

She didn’t want to look him in the eyes. She was scared that if she looked at him she would let out the screams that she’s been keeping in her chest.

“No. I guess I’ve been busy” she gave him something that resembled a smile.

“Oh” Douxie furrowed his brow.

She felt awful. She thought that Douxie and her were going great but after what he told his friend Zoe made her think otherwise. Y/n had never been close to someone so maybe she was annoying and didn’t know it, but that wasn’t the way she wanted to find out.

Her heart still wouldn’t catch up to the fact that he didn’t want her. She would melt every time she thought of him. Every time she saw that photo he took with her phone of Archie and him. And, right now, she should be nervous about facing Angor Rot yet all anxiety she was feeling was because of Douxie.

He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. His brows were furrowed.

Y/n looked at the clock announcing she could leave.

“I’m sorry, Hisirdoux but my shift is over and I have to go home” Y/n turned to leave but Douxie softly grabbed her by the arm.

“What did you call me?” He whispered. His eyes were shining, full of something Y/n couldn’t explain.

“Hisirdoux? Isn’t that your name?“ she repeated, her eyes full of confusion.

Douxie just looked at her, his eyes scanning her face again and again and Y/n let him. She didn’t move until his soft grip fell.

“I have to go” she whispered and left.

Again, he didn’t say anything. He just stood there. Watching her leave.

—

Y/n drove back to the house in silence. Usually, she would listen to something: music, a podcast or even the local radio station, but this time, she couldn’t, the voices in her head were loud. Angor Rot, Douxie, magic, all turning around in her head like a tornado destroying all other thoughts that would come their way.

She stopped the car when she saw her mother’s car park at the house. Y/n jumped out the car and tried to look through her mother’s car window praying that she would find her before she could get inside, but the car was empty. She ran to the house and pushed the door. It was heavier than usual.

“Mom? ” she screamed “What’s going on?”

She finally opened the door and found her mother sitting in a box drinking water from the jug.

“Did you tell her?” Y/n walked slowly to them.

Jim nodded.

“So let me get this straight. There are good troll and bad trolls and somehow you?” Barbara looked at her son.

“If I may. There is a vast world beneath our feet, Barbara, and your son has stirred up a heap of trouble” Strickler explained.

“Dude!” Jim complained.

“This is so…” Barbara grabbed her head.

“I’ll give you three a moment” Strickler went to the kitchen.

Y/n kneeled down next to her mother.

“I can’t believe this is what you’ve been doing. All those late nights” Barbara looked at Y/n and back at Jim “You getting arrested. Going to the hospital. Why are you this…trollfighter?”

“Uh…Trollhunter” Jim corrected.

Y/n put her hand on her mother’s knee trying to comfort her.

“You should be worried about high school and girls, not this…I mean, can’t you just ask someone else to do it?”

“I’m…I’m afraid it’s a permanent position?” Jim explained “They need me, mom. I know it’s hard to believe but I’m sorta, like, their protector” Jim explained.

“And I've been there with him all I can” Y/n smiled.

“But who’s going to protect you?” Barbara grabbed her children's hands.

“Barbara, you do have to leave! It’s…” Strickler tried to talk but the cans that were hanging above them started to move announcing Angor Rot’s entrance. Suddenly, the cans exploded and the four of them jumped back.

“The basement!” Jim said

“What’s in the basement?” Asked Barbara.

“Draal was supposed to guard it” said Strickler.

A black orb rolled from the basement and with a flash cut off the lights.

“What happened to the lights?” Barbara whimpered.

Jim grabbed a flashlight while Strickler and Y/n guided Baraba behind one of the barricades.

“Stay close, mom” asked Jim.

“But I can’t see you”

Y/n saw a shadow move in the darkness and grabbed the knife she kept in her bag. Jim saw it too and said the enchantment.

“For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command”

“Jim, you’re glowing! How…how are you glowing?” Barbara asked, impressed.

“It’s armor, mom. It’s part of the job” Jim lifted his sword dodging a purple flash.

“Mom” he screamed.

“Stick to the plan. You know what to do” screamed Strickler.

Y/n grabbed the knife tighter while hearing the fight behind her.

“You did not run, brave hunter, but the brave are the first to die” Angor threatened Jim.

Y/n gulped. It was the first time she was close to Angor Rot. His soulless voice made her shiver.

“Get her out of here” Y/n said to Strickler.

“No. No” Barbara complained.

“Go! Go!” Screamed back Jim.

“No. No without my children! Y/n! Jim!” Barbara insisted while Strickler dragged her out.

“Y/n, you too” Jim screamed.

“I’m not leaving” She jumped from behind Jim and kicked Angor Rot off her little brother. Jim attacked but Angor took daylight from him.

Y/n didn’t know what the plan was so she tried to keep the troll from striking Jim.

The trollhunter ran and grabbed the crossbow that Strickler left behind. Y/n saw his brother put a stone on the arrow and shoot Angor off the kitchen counter. She gasped when the troll grabbed the arrow.

“You have to be faster than that” The troll laughed until all the metal in the kitchen started flying to him. Y/n’s knife, all of the kitchen knives, the pans, the fridge hit him in the face.

Jim and Y/n looked at each other panting.

“You think you can stop me with booby traps?” Angor Rot emerged from inside the fridge with daylight in his hand starting the fight again.

Jim was able to dodge all of Angor’s strikes but the troll was able to kick him and lift him with his magic.

“No” Y/n tried to hit him with a stick she found but the troll was faster and he punch her in the stomach making her hit her head with the wall

‘You’re a wizard. Use your magic’ a woman whispered.

Barbara’s scream woke her up. She ran to the stairs and saw her mother coming down grabbing her neck.

“Mom! Are you okay?” She screamed and helped her down.

“My side hurts. Why…” Barbara groaned.

“Come on, I have to get you out of here” Jim grabbed her mother’s bag and with the help of Y/n took her to her car.

“We need to get to the hospital” Jim said as he sat next to her mom in the back of the car.

“They can’t help us. We have to go to TrollMarket” Y/n drove off as soon as Strickler got in.

Y/n could hear Barbara and Jim talking but couldn’t understand a thing. She felt like she was under water, the only thing in her mind was getting to TrollMarket.

In the side mirrors she saw a ball of purple light coming at her. She twisted the wheel to the right, dodging it but driving off to the forest.

“Perhaps now” Strickler coughed “ we call your friends. I think we lost him”

“No, we didn’t” Y/n furrowed her brows and accelerated when she saw Angor Rot appear in front of them.

“Get to the bridge. Now!” Jim screamed.

“I’m trying!” Y/n screamed back. She twisted the wheel one more time and got into the canal.

“Jim!” Strickler screamed.

Y/n looked through the rear view mirror and saw Angor Rot standing on top of the bridge.

“Oh, no, no, no” Her brother screamed.

The troll jumped to the roof of the car and punched the back window. Y/n accelerated without realizing Angor Rot had grabbed Jim.

“Turn now!” He screamed as he climbed back into the car.

The troll jumped back to the roof of the car and this time punched the windshield. The second punch filled Y/n with rage. She felt her whole body buzzing and her jaw tightening.

“Get off” she screamed, hitting the wheel.

A big blast of red light came out of her throwing Angor Rot into the air.

The troll quickly recovered and started throwing enchanted stones to the car making Y/n almost losing control of the car. She turned one last time and drove into the wall praying that Toby was there on time. The car went through the walls and fell down the stairs of TrollMarket catching the trolls attention.

Y/n crawled out of the car and tried to stabilize herself, the fall had made her dizzy.

“Help! We need help!” She heard her brother scream.

She lifted her eyes and everything was blurry. Her chest tightened at the familiar feeling. Last time she felt like that was when she saw the shadow staff.

The sounds of the complaints of the trolls pushed her down. Her knees trembling because of the invisible weight on her shoulder. She tried to focus on the light of the Heartstone instead of the dark cave her mind was trying to take her.

She lifted her hand to grab the person next to her for support, but no one was there. She turned to the empty space and saw a golden armor illuminated by a golden light, she lifted her eyes and saw her: the woman in her dreams, the voice that had been consoling her.

“Are you alright, sister?” She asked.

A silent tear fell from Y/n’s eyes. Seeing her made her body want to run to the tall woman’s embrace. To hold her and be held by her until her wounds had healed, until her soul returned.

“Yes…” she whispered.

The woman chuckled and stroked Y/n’s cheek. She closed her eyes feeling the warmth wrapping her in a tight embrace. Her touch felt like something she thought she could only feel in her dreams.

“Y/n? Are you okay?” Toby ran to her side and grabbed her arm.

“I'm a little dizzy that’s it” she smiled taking the boy’s arm “I’m alright” She turned to her side one more time but the woman was no longer there.

“Quickly. Bring him both at the examination dwell!” Ordered Vendel.

Blinky lifted Barbara and carried her. Y/n left go of Toby and ran next to her mother.

A/n: why i choose liability is beyond me hshshs when i saw it there I laughed like ??? hello?? let’s pretend it was a great choice. I’m really glad I was able to make it!!! If you saw my last post let me tell you i have a happy update!! My dog is fine!! He has pancreatitis but overall he is fine. He is eating and walking and being the diva he is!!! Also here is mother’s day so happy mother’s day 💖🎉

[coyote-nebula]

strawberry

Stephanie is having a life crisis, and Bruce is there to check on her. He relates to her predicament a lot more than she expects.

Prompt: please tell me it's not blood Word count: 1000 Characters: Stephanie Brown & Bruce Wayne Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort

🍓

The granite countertop was fantastically cool under Stephanie’s forehead, but it warmed so fast that she had to keep moving to a new spot. All the thoughts churning in her brain were probably cooking her neurons; she tried to remember if she’d seen any sodas in the Wayne fridge.

Or milk. God, that would be tragic, to make cookies and not have milk— she might have enough time to go down to the fancy twenty-four hour convenience store at the end of the road, but she’d have to go now and probably speed too. Better check.

Stephanie lifted her head and yelped.

Bruce was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, watching her with a half-awake squint.

She tried to push her heart back through her sternum. “B. Can I help you?”

He didn’t react. “Is that blood?”

She glanced down at the container she’d forgotten to lid. “…Uh, yeah. Good catch. I know it totally looks like strawberry puree.”

Bruce hummed. “Have you recently contracted vampirism.”

“No, but a vampire friend recommended it for spicing up my baking, you know? I was thinking about doing some filled cupcakes. Or maybe swirling it in some cake batter. Do you have milk?”

“Yes,” he said, but he went to the refrigerator and looked inside anyway. “Are we out of peanut butter cups.”

Stephanie pictured the empty orange bag she’d stuffed in the trash. “Not… sure? There’s some in the oven.”

“Hn.” He closed the fridge. “Smells good. Cookies? Is there blood in them.”

“No, the straw— the blood is for later.”

“Hn. Are you alright,” he asked. “It’s four a.m.”

The oven timer saved her from having to answer that; she hopped up and took the cookies out— they did smell good— then got two glasses down for milk.

When they were full, she turned around to find Bruce standing over the oven with his eyes closed, sighing into a half-molten cookie.

“How are you not burning the crap out of yourself right now?”

“”S not that hot,” he said, and took another bite. “They’re good. Excellent.”

“Thanks,” she said, trying to keep her preening on the down-low while she hissed through prying half a cookie off the sheet for herself.

She passed him milk. They chewed in silence.

Sugar and carbs combined with crumbled peanut butter chocolate was, as she’d hoped, fortifying.

“You remember when Alfred got fear gassed?” she asked abruptly. “And we found out that after a certain age, you can’t tolerate much of the antidote but it also works better at low doses?”

Bruce’s chewing stuttered. “Yes.”

“So, I had this senior patient at the hospital today who’d been exposed to fear toxin. I was supposed to load her up, just drench her in antidote, so I went to the attending doctor to say ‘hey, I think there’s a mistake here, let’s not give her a stroke.’ She blew me off, so I went to the charge nurse, who also blew me off because I’m a student, right? What the hell do I know— and meanwhile the patient is screaming her lungs out and about to have a heart attack because I have to waste time arguing with people who aren’t listening so I went back and gave her the correct, not insane amount of antidote before she could freaking code and die and then she was perfectly fine! But I charted it like some kind of honest moron and my instructor is pissed—”

“You saved her life,” Bruce said quietly, listening with his arms folded.

Stephanie took half a breath. “I think I’m getting kicked out of the nursing program,” she said, then took a deep breath and let it out. “Actually… I want to quit.”

“You’ve already decided?”

She half-shrugged. “Nursing is great and important and it’s… not for me.” She picked at the other half of the cookie she’d broken. “Leslie thought it would be good because it’s hands-on and it’s a slightly less dangerous form of helping people, and Mom thought so too. But it’s…”

Bruce drained his glass and took another cookie off the sheet while she thought.

“I’m listening,” he said at length, gently even though he didn’t look up from the bite he was about to take.

Stephanie was glad. The illusion of distraction made it easier to think.

“I don’t mind, like… supporting someone else’s problem-solving occasionally,” she said slowly. “But usually, I want to be the one solving the problem, you know?”

Bruce’s mouth twitched. “I can relate, yes.”

“Taking orders from Batman and sometimes even following them is about as much chain of command as I can handle,” she said, watching the good-natured roll of his eyes. “Anyway, maybe I need a day job where I don’t hold lives in my hands.”

Swallowing, Bruce and his thoughtful expression reached for another cookie. “You could bake.”

Stephanie snorted. “Yeah, and have a bakery with evening hours instead of morning hours. I’m sick of not getting my beauty sleep.”

Bruce nodded. “You can borrow the catering kitchen for now.”

For a moment, she didn’t track. “You’re not going to give me a ‘don’t be a quitter’ speech?”

“I work in a quiet office with large windows. Sometimes I nap,” he said, taking another bite and closing his eyes in an expression that, for him, passed for bliss. “I understand.”

Tension Stephanie hadn’t even noticed in herself dissolved. “And… the patient. You think…?”

Bruce looked at her. “I would have done the same,” he said. “I’m proud of you.”

Warm relief filled her chest.

She smiled and glanced around the kitchen, already tidied from the cookie dough and the puree. “Well, no promises that I’ll be a baker instead of a nurse, but I do want to make vampire cupcakes.”

“Sleep first,” Bruce said, wiping his hands. “I’ll hide these.”

She yawned and nudged his arm. “Thanks for being chill.”

“You’re safe,” he said. “I can be chill.”

Stephanie grinned. “It was just strawberry syrup, B. G’night.”

Bruce smirked. “Goodnight, Stephanie.”

🍓

view on ao3

[p-artsypants]

Paint it Black (16) Sharing

Ao3 | FF.net

Black sat on the couch, criss-cross applesauce, with his hands in his lap. He hadn’t bothered to put on his shirt, and merely laid it on the couch next to him. 

A few moments passed in silence as Bruce tried to determine where to begin. 

“What do you remember about your parents?” He finally asked. 

“Um…” Black tapped his chin thoughtfully, his eyes screwed shut tight and his lips pursed. “I dunno.” 

“Really think. You can take the photo out to look at it if that helps.” 

He removed the photo from his pocket, which fortunately had a plastic sleeve over it to keep it safe during his manic episodes. He placed it on the table and then leaned forward, chin in his hands to study it. 

The other Titans tried to get a closer look as well. From their perspective, it was a husband and wife in matching shirts. The wife was blonde, while the husband had black hair like Robin. 

“My daddy…is really strong. He…used to throw me in the air.” 

Bruce nodded. “Good. What about your mom?”

“She is…really pretty, and sings a lot.”

At this point, Alfred returned with the item Bruce requested. A child’s stuffed elephant. Well loved and worn. He handed it to Bruce, who held it out to Black. 

“Do you know what this is?”

Black’s eyes widened as he took the toy like it was precious treasure. “Zitka…” 

“Where’d you get it?”

“My daddy gave it to me. I named it after my friend—” he gasped and stood abruptly. “I remember now! We’re circus performers! The Flying Graysons!” His voice changed. As Black, his voice was more child-like, like a cartoon character. But now it deepened and sounded almost like Robin. “We perform at Haly’s Circus, and we’re the headline act! I remember our car! And where the dressing tent was set up and how we did the rigging! I remember all of it! We can go! I know where we can find them!” 

Bruce took a deep breath, bracing for what was about to happen. “What happened in Gotham?”

Black frowned. “I…I’m not sure.” 

“Close your eyes and think.” 

Black obeyed, hugging the elephant to his chest. 

“You saw a man talking to Mr. Haly, right?” Bruce prompted. 

Black nodded. “Yeah…yeah, I see it. He was kinda ugly and scary and was telling Mr. Haly about insurance, but Mr. Haly just yelled at him. I saw him again later that night…leaving the tent.” 

Bruce didn’t prompt him anymore, just bit his thumb anxiously. 

The Titans watched Black pace back and forth, a scene playing out in his head. 

It was then that Bruce was finally able to see the tattoo covering his back. He clenched his teeth in anger, but said nothing. 

“I told my dad that I saw him earlier, threatening Mr. Haly, but he told me not to worry about it. So I didn’t. I trust him. So we went to perform as usual, and I had to wait for my cue—” he halted mid step, his eyes blew open wide. “The rope.” He turned towards his friends, but didn’t look at them. Instead, it seemed like he was looking right through them. “I saw it fray and—” 

The Titans then witnessed the horrific sight of their friend become absolutely unraveled. Grief built up and flowed out as he screamed, wailed, howled, and fell to his knees, weeping. He slammed his fists against the table, utterly overwhelmed with anguish. “MOMMY! DADDY!” he shrieked as the tears just kept coming. 

Bruce knelt at his side. “I’m sorry, Dick.” 

Black lashed out, grabbing Bruce by the collar and shaking. “Why the hell would you make me remember that!? Did you think I’d be happier knowing they’re gone?!” 

Bruce, only mildly disturbed, covered Black’s hands with his own. “It’s been ten years. It doesn’t do anyone any good letting you believe that didn’t happen. I know it’s painful—”

“You don’t know anything! All you do is cause me pain! All you want to do is hurt me! Just like the Masters!” 

Bruce squeezed his hands tighter, making him look up. “I saw my parents die too,” he snapped. “And I saw your parents die, Dick. I was there that day.”  

“I’m not Dick!” He screamed. “Why can't everyone just see me for who I am?! MY NAME IS BLACK! Like darkness! Darkness is eternal, uncatchable, unlimited, and invincible! Black can do anything! Black can do everything Dick can't! Everything he couldn't!”

“Pretending to be someone you're not isn’t going to bring your parents back.” 

Black pried his fingers off of Bruce and fell back onto his butt. With tear soaked cheeks, he looked around the room, meeting the sympathetic gaze of all his friends. His eyes were wide and glassy, full of fear and uncertainty. He clearly had no idea what he was supposed to do. In a small voice, he turned back to Bruce and said, “can I at least have my medicine back now?” 

Bruce shook his head. “Not yet. Do you remember what I said earlier? We’re making an antidote so that you won’t need the medicine anymore. Won’t that be nice? Not having to pay attention to when you took your meds? Not having to be afraid of feeling that pain?” 

Black held out his hands in front of him, studying them. His brows furrowed, as if the calluses hid a secret message he was trying to decode. “What’s wrong with me?” He asked it like he wanted a diagnosis.

“Why don’t you tell us?” Bruce asked. “We can’t begin to understand until we know what you went through.” 

“Oh no…no I can’t…I can’t talk about that…” He began to get emotional again. “You don’t want to hear about it.” 

“I do, actually. And I think talking about it will help. Whatever you can share.” 

Black looked unsure, and hunched his shoulders. He rolled up to be on the balls of his feet, and placed a hand on the table, ready to bolt. 

Instead, Starfire took the initiative to scoop him off the floor and placed him on the couch next to her. She rested an arm around his shoulder and pet his hair. “There there, dear friend. You may share safely now.” 

Black swallowed thickly, and did not relax, but he didn’t seem prepared to bolt. 

“I…can’t remember.” 

“You’ve repressed a lot of that, which is understandable,” Bruce placed a hand on his knee. But, what can you remember? What are your first memories?” 

“It…smelled bad.” He began. “It was dark and dirty. There was another boy there, but he didn’t say anything, or move much. Just laid on that bed all still.” 

The others recoiled slightly as they understood what he was saying. 

“Then sometimes, there was another boy. He talked to me and tried to keep me from hurting myself. He was kinda a bully.” 

“What did this boy look like?” Starfire asked. 

“I dunno. Never saw him. I only heard his voice.”

“Like through a speaker?”

“Nah, in my noggin’. Sometimes I still hear him. It’s like this little voice that’s like, ‘eeuuu don’t eat that, you don’t know where it’s been’. He’s kind of annoying and persistent, but I think he’s keeping me alive.” 

Bruce sucked in a breath. “That’s your conscience. Robin’s conscience. That’s your guide. Once we make the antidote for you, it will become a lot easier for you to behave normally.” 

He seemed to clam up then, twining his fingers together into a tight knot. “That’s all I got,” he said firmly.

“So why don’t you try to relax? The fentanyl will run its course through your system, and then the pain will come. We’ll try to make you comfortable, and once we think it’s out of your system, we’ll take a blood test. Then we’ll get you a new dose and keep you dosed until you don’t need it anymore.” He reached out and touched his shoulder. “Think you can handle that?” 

“No, but you said I don’t have a choice.” 

Bruce just gave him a little pat, not having any words of comfort. 

“Perhaps,” said Starfire. “At any point you do remember what happened while you were being held captive, you could tell me in private? It is sometimes hard to divulge things openly and honestly.” 

“I’ll think about it,” said Black. “I kinda feel like the proverbial rug was pulled out from under my proverbial feet. If you know what I proverbial mean.” 

“Not even slightly.” 

“Things will begin to make sense soon,” Bruce assured. “Just try to stay calm.” 

“Perhaps some lunch will ease you?” Alfred asked, standing. 

“Ooo! La-gas-na! It’s spaghetti in cake form!” 

—

They were able to keep him occupied for several hours. They watched Robin’s favorite movies, told him stories of their villains. Some went over better than others.  

As the day went on, they all witnessed the major veins on his body turn darker and more visible. As night came, he became more agitated and snippy. He whined and moaned as he moved around, but seemed to be trying to ignore it for everyone else’s sake. 

Then it was time for bed. 

“Come and get me when it becomes too painful,” Bruce instructed. “Then we’ll check your levels and see if we can take a test.” 

Black didn’t look convinced, but begrudgingly agreed. 

Starfire stayed up late. In the last few months, peaceful sleep hadn’t been guaranteed or expected. So she sat up reading to clear her head. 

What was she reading? A psychology book, provided by Raven. At first, Starfire had hoped it would give her enough information that she could be helpful in diagnosing her friend. But the more she read, the more lost she became. The human mind was complex and strange, capable of bizarre changes from seemingly simple affects. 

But the book was still interesting and just boring enough to make her sleepy. 

A knock at the door grabbed her attention immediately. 

“Yes?” 

“It’s me,” said Black’s voice. “Are ya decent?” 

“Yes Black. You may enter.” 

The door slid open, and he stood in the entry for a moment, wringing his hands. His hair was a mess and he looked worse than he had all day. 

“What brings you here at this hour?” 

“I…couldn’t sleep,” he answered, haltingly. “The pain is getting worse. So I was walking the halls. I saw your light on…” 

“I understand. Would you like to come in and talk?” 

“Are you busy?” 

She closed the book and shook her head. “No. I was only reading to clear my thoughts. I would not turn down your company.” 

He shuffled inside, glancing around the room. He had been in here once before, as Black, though he would never tell her that. 

“You can sit, if you’d like.” She patted the mattress. 

He did so, and brought his legs up so that he could rest his arms on his knees. “You said, earlier, if I wanted to talk about what happened, I could come to you.” 

“Yes, that offer still stands.” 

“I lied earlier. I remember all of it. The very beginning is hazy, but things become clearer after a certain point. The medicine makes it easy for me to block it out, but without it…” 

“I will listen to whatever you are willing to share, if you do not mind if I take notes?” 

“Are you gonna tell Bunny Man?” 

“Only the things that I think he needs to know. I can keep secrets as well.” 

He didn’t ask her permission to recline, just assumed the position of a patient in a therapy session, lying on a couch, hands folded over his stomach. 

Starfire retrieved her notebook she had been using with the psychology textbook. 

As far as she had seen, Black lacked the capacity to be serious in most situations. He was either goofing around, or violently unpredictable. So when he started speaking, his voice deeper than usual and tone focused, she almost thought Robin was at the helm. He took a deep breath and said, “have you ever heard of Tartarus?” 

“…that is…of the Greek Myth?” 

“Yes. It’s a deep abyss that is used as a dungeon for the wicked. I can only assume that’s where I was born. It might have been Hell, but I was under the belief that Hell had fire. This place was cold. Sometimes cold enough to see your breath. It’s a kind of cold that makes you numb after a while. You think about snuggling up to the people around you, but then you think about who they are, and you decide against it.” While he said this, his face remained eerily calm.

“There were 20 of us originally, though I only remember about 15. We had no names. Only numbers. I was number 8. I’m sure some boys tried to introduce themselves, but the Masters were quick to chastise. We weren’t people. We weren’t anything. There would be no mercy or kindness, nobody cared about each other. We were all enemies.” 

Starfire scribbled this all down, eyes only flicking to the paper momentarily as she wanted Black to feel like he was receiving her full attention. 

“They had us wear these short, thin shirts that tied in the back. Everyone’s asses were hanging out. Most of the day, they put us in a room with three beds, and we had to fight for them. One guy had his eye poked out in the chaos. Then other nights they put us in a tight space that was even colder than the normal room, and we had to huddle together to stay warm. One time I woke up and nudged the guy next to me...but he was dead. Frozen to death. Other guys lost fingers and toes on those nights.”

Starfire swallowed thickly, a pang to the heart. 

“They marched us to a bathroom once a day. They stripped us and tied chains to our feet and put bags over our heads…then we walked blindly for a long time. Then we were told to do our business, still with the bags on and chained to each other. There was only one bathroom break, so if you had to go, it was then that you did it. Otherwise you had to hold it or crap in the corner. We collected filth on our feet and legs and everything smelled. But after a while…we kind of got used to it. Then new smells would emerge. Smells of rot and infection. 

“They humiliated us...called us names, made us feel like animals. They worked us too, made us carry weights for long periods of time, and made us hold our hands over our heads for hours. With the shirts we wore, raising your arms exposed everything. And they’d take the time to emasculate us. They would beat us for punishment, and chastise us verbally…using profanity that would make a sailor blush. They pointed out our flaws and made us feel weak and useless. I have scars on my scars from them. Then if you said anything wrong, you were put into solitary confinement, The Hole. Then they beat the other prisoners outside of The Hole, and you could hear their screams of pain…the other boys hit the door and shouted out profanity and said how much they hated whoever was in the hole for getting them in trouble.”

“Were you ever put in the hole?”

“Everyone was. I was doing pushups and singing Amazing Grace, when one of my Masters asked me why I was being so obedient. I told him I was obedient by nature, and he called me a liar…then he threw me in The Hole for four days.”

“Four days?!” Starfire was familiar with solitary confinement. Four days was a long time, even for her. 

“It was almost three, but my freedom depended on the other prisoners. The Masters said if everyone was willing to give up their blankets, I would be let out.”

“How many sacrificed?”

“None.”

It wasn’t all that surprising, but still sad. 

“There was one boy…he barricaded himself in the corner, using the bed, and he shouted and screamed and raved like a madman. Something about needing a doctor…So the Masters let him out and we all thought he was being set free. But when that door swung closed…we heard a gunshot and that was it.

“Like I said, the early days are the haziest. I’m sure there were whole days I don’t remember. But then…things got worse. It turned into real torture instead of abuse. One at a time, they would take a boy from the room and hours later, return with a bloody remnant of a shambling body. Some never came back.” 

Starfire watched as he raised his hand, seemingly scrutinizing the webbed surface. “I got taken twice. Both times I remember some things clearly, and some of it is completely blacked out.” 

He fell silent. 

“What happened?” She pried gently. 

“I don’t think I want to say it out loud.” 

Starfire took his hand. Very patiently and tenderly, she explained, “before I came to Earth, I was a prisoner on a slave ship of the Gordianians. Before that, I spent many months being experimented on by the Psions. If anyone can understand what it was like for you, I believe it is me.” 

He looked at her, lips pulled into a grimace. “What if you had it worse and I…I had this transformation that you didn’t?” 

“We all deal with trauma differently. I will not judge what you went through compared to myself. Just understand that I can handle whatever you may say. I may seem rather soft, but I am not.” 

He nodded and turned his head back to look at the ceiling. “I guess you are pretty tough. I like that about you, Starfire. Tough, with a soft facade.” 

She smiled a little. The compliment sounded like one of Robin’s. 

“I don’t know what the purpose of that chair was. Maybe they just wanted to cause pain? Or maybe there was something more to it? They found the perfect ways to cause pain. They cut just deep enough to hit all the nerves, and poured acid and alcohol into the wounds. They hammered needles under my nails and poured hot oil on my genitals. 

“I lost my voice screaming both times. The water was scarce and smelled like rotten eggs when they actually allowed us some.” 

Starfire silently wiped the tears from her face. She could handle what he was saying, but her heart was big and she empathized far too much. 

“One of the Masters laughed through it all. The other was silent. The laughing man had pure white skin and this horrible, evil smile. He thought my suffering was funny. The more I cried, the more joy he felt. I remember glancing down and seeing my naked body covered in blood, and asking for him to kill me. He just danced and clapped his hands with glee.” 

“That must have been the Joker,” Starfire guessed. “Batman said he was responsible for this.” 

Black seemed to mull this information over as he ran his tongue over his teeth. “Yeah,” he croaked. “That sounds familiar.” 

“What else do you remember?” She pried gently, hoping to maybe redirect him and keep him from shutting down.

“There was the food.” He acknowledged. “We started out on bread and water...and then over time they gave us meat. Just meat, no vegetables or even bread. It was boiled, but tasted like pork…and they let us eat as much as we wanted. I distinctly remember one boy eating so much that he puked…” Black swallowed deeply. “Then someone freaked out, because they realized they were chewing on a finger. And then we all found out that the boys who had died had not been buried…but we were eating them…”

Starfire covered her mouth in sickness. She had witnessed such things on the Gordianian ship. But to see one alien species eat another was not all that odd. But for one human to eat another? 

“Some cried. Others made themselves vomit. I just curled up in a corner and decided I would never eat again.”

“I understand your decision to not eat processed meat quite clearly now.” She tried to speak softly, but her voice held an edge. One belonging to someone with revenge on the mind.

Black brought his hands up to his face. “They injected us with poison.” He continued. “I don’t know what it was, but it glowed green in the syringe and we could see it in our veins. It burned. I swear that’s how all of this happened. They shot us up three times daily. It had different effects on each of us. One boy dropped dead. Another started eating himself…bit the skin clear off his arm. Most of them, though, just vomited blood and died.”

Starfire watched in amazement as Black relayed his story with no emotion on his face. As for her, she was white-knuckling a pillow, trying to keep her anger in check.

“Sometimes at night, if I listened just hard enough…I could hear singing. I think it came from my own mind, my subconscious. But it was the most wonderful thing I had heard in the world.”

She had always known Robin enjoyed listening to music. It wasn’t uncommon for the boombox in the ops room to be on when he was around. Even when he was in his office doing research, orchestral music could faintly be heard, likely to fill the silence. 

With some sort of music often playing around him, it wasn’t hard to imagine he’d subconsciously sing to comfort himself. 

She noted this observation and theory down on her notepad and then looked to Black to ask him further questions…only to find him already asleep. 

It was a little flattering, seeing that talking to her relaxed him so much that he fell asleep. 

With a smile, she draped a blanket over him. As she got close, she got a whiff of his deodorant. He smelled like Robin again, and not the foul stench of death and rot. He smelled clean, with a hint of a musky spice. The scent of hair gel was missing though. 

She contemplated going to sleep in his room, or even the Ops room, but in the end, she decided to stay. Shyly, she scooted closer to him so she could feel a bit of his body heat. 

He mumbled in his sleep and shifted, bringing his leg over to touch hers. 

She blushed wildly. 

Eventually, she calmed down enough to feel sleep coming for her as well. Her eyes were heavy and despite the horrors he had shared with her, she felt rather at ease and soon drifted off to sleep, forehead lightly resting against his arm.

[marvelsimp]

Hope

Green and Red Masterlist

Masterlist

Genre: action, angst, fluff, comfort 

Pairing: platonic!Jason Todd x Devon, platonic!batfam x Devon, secondary!Kara danvers x reader

Warnings: offensive language, descriptions of violence, blood, dead bodies, and a panic attack. 

Description: Devon Wayne, is dealing with their past and spending time with their girlfriend when they see a mysterious figure that feels hauntingly familiar.

Devon’s  Abilities: Trained in hand-to-hand combat and is trained to use most weapons.

Word Count: 1717

It wasn’t like this was the first time that this had happened. Someone finds me on the bathroom floor gasping for air and I knew it wouldn’t be the last time either. 

“Devon, look at me.”

I almost always only ever see flashes when I’m awake, the blood, the crowbar, the body. Sometimes it’s just the sound, of screaming. Almost always screaming. The type that makes you nauseous. Sometimes mine. Sometimes my fathers. And sometimes his. God my chest hurts, I try to breathe but I’m met with fire in my lungs.

“Sis, I need… focus…at me.”

I blink hard, trying to dig myself out of the hole I’m in. The person in front of me has dark hair, which doesn’t do much in helping me figure out who it is. But I can’t breathe, this shouldn’t matter. It’s hard to grasp what’s real, the sound of metal hitting concrete or calming whispers. They’re both fuzzy and wrong, this shouldn’t be happening. A hand on my face, its thumb attempting to soothe me. Dick. Dad would be rubbing my back, if I even allowed him to be near me. 

It’s not like I want to remember but sometimes I feel like I deserve it. You get what you earn, right? I’m the one that survived.

“Start noting things in the room, to ground you.” His voice is shaking a little but it’s soothing nonetheless.

I see his face, Jason’s face, so clearly for a second. It’s covered in blood and I can’t help but stare. His dead eyes stare back. A hand guides mine, drifting over what feels like smooth ice, tile. I’m not there, it’s not the concrete of the warehouse. I’m not looking at my dead best friend, it’s just Dick. I grab his hand that's on mine and count his fingers. He’s real and that's all I need to know for now.

I take my first full breath and try to stand.

***

I’m sitting in the study with my head bowed down as my father paces across the floor. He’s fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket and his shoes are loudly thumping on the carpeted hardwood.

“We have to talk about this, it's been months.” He never sounds like this, desperate. “At this point, you don't have to talk to me. Talk to Dick or Alfred, I’ll track down your mom. I’ll get you Dinah or a priest, just tell someone. You’ve shut everyone out and you know that I’ve been here.  You know what I’ve lost and been through, you’re old enough to know and understand all of it now!”

I could feel tears prickling my eyes, threatening to overflow as I blinked them away. I couldn’t look at him. His pain just increased mine. Couldn’t we be done with this?

“Jesus, Helena, let me help you,” he almost screamed. Bruce put his hand on my shoulder. “Please,” his voice broke. A sob escaped my throat. One that had been building up in my months-long silence. He knelt down and you clung to him.

***

“He needs this.” I looked down at a boy, four years younger than me. Who is currently studying a Batarang.

“I can’t. I can’t do this again.”

I turned to your father, knowing what had to be done. “He’ll just go out on his own… He’ll die. You know it. Do you want that?”

“Will you be okay with this?” The sob bubbling in his throat was audible. But it is one that will never come out.

“Will you?” No.

Silence.

Neither of you would survive another dead Robin.

“He would hate this.” I laugh. “He would think that we’re replacing him. But we both know we’ll never be able to do that.” 

*****

“Babe, we’re gonna be late!” I yell to my girlfriend in the apartment we share.

“Ready!” 

God, couldn’t I have super speed? It would make everything so much easier. “I hate when you do that.”

“I know.” she grinned, tucking back one of my loose hairs. “But you love me anyways.” 

I give her an unimpressed smile. Which is a secret code for ‘I definitely love you’.  “There may be another reason.” I lunge my body out to stare obviously at her ass.

“Oh stop that!” I love when that happens. When she gets frustrated and her accent comes out. She slaps my arm. Hard, leaving a slight sting. She’s sometimes too strong for her own good. God, what I’d do to give her everything she deserves and desires? 

She doesn’t talk about it much, her home, Krypton. So I never ask, I know it’s painful. Losing a person. I couldn’t even start to imagine the pain of losing your whole planet.  But the days she does talk about it, I allow themself to continue the conversation but I never push. She’s told me stories about various gardens her parents would take her to, school, going to her parents' work, her friends, the birth of her baby cousin, and she’s shared some about the death of Krypton. She’s as healed as one could expect. 

Some days she’s just angry, I saw the footage years before I even met her. She feels alone, she lost everyone she ever knew. But she finds hope in Clark, Connor, and Jon. Sometimes even Krypto. She says she sees it in me, too. But I don't know if I believe that. I hope maybe her days will continue to shine brighter. 

I kiss her lovingly, grab her purse, and lead her out the door of the Gotham apartment.

***

Kara giggles when we arrive at the Daily Planet and go into the building. She slips her hand on my back as the elevator doors open to the top floor. Clark makes eye contact with me and smiles. He makes his way over and gives us both a hug, he better be glad I love him.

“Hiya, kid!” God, he’s so much but I don’t feel the life sucked out of me at the very least. He invited us both because Kara wanted to see about talking to someone for an interview and I wanted to make a few deals with CEOs. 

“How’s Jon?” she smiles.

His smile grows. Is he glowing? Is that one of his abilities? I swear I can’t keep up. “He’s doing great, since he started middle school he’s really enjoyed anything art…”

I see Lois walking this way. Thank god. Clark’s great but she’s always been my favorite.  

“…I’m really proud of him. He really seems to just want to help people.” Lois taps him on his shoulder. His face softens to something closer to admiration rather than pride. “Hi.” Her face reflects his, softening a little. I look at Kara and she looks at me. I’m glad that we’re like them. Her face is as soft as Clark’s and I know I am in bliss.

“So,” Lois starts, she grabs Kara’s arm, “I can start to introduce you to everyone.”

Lois leads Kara away and I turn to Clark. “Wanye Enterprises has a Banquet in two weeks. I would love to see both of you there. Either as friends or journalists, whichever you prefer.” 

“I’m sure we could both find good stories to pursue there.” He pats the side of my arm, his face is showing pride again. 

I was what? Two or three when Bruce decided he need some extra help with me and Dick. Or that’s what he likes to say but Clark told me he wiggled himself into our lives after meeting Robin. I of course don't remember meeting him so he’s just always been there, my Uncle Clark. I was six when I figured out he was Superman. I was the one that told Dick. It was obvious and he should’ve figured it out before me.

“Send us the details for it and we’ll be there.”

I excuse myself and find a few CEOs to chat with, I tell them of the Banquet and how it will help both Gotham and Metropolis. Whatever bullshit will make them attend and empty their wallets. I even convince some to talk to Kara about a story.

I climbed the ladder at Wayne Enterprises faster and younger than anyone could expect. People like to say it is because I’m Bruce’s child but I quickly prove to them that I am worthy of my position. It took a little while for people to even consider calling me charming. I was a little rough around the edges in my late teens. When I stopped being as angry all the time was when I perfected my skills and began to excel at manipulating million and billionaires.

At some point during the night, my hair started to stand on end. I wasn’t sure what it was but I’ve learned to trust my instincts, it has saved my life more times than I could count. Something is wrong, I can feel it in my bones.

People started to trickle out. By eleven everyone has left, it’s just four of us now. 

We all start to clean up, most things go in the trash but anything salvageable we pack up to donate. Once everything is cleaned and put away, Lois and Clark grab their things from their offices as Kara takes me by my arm and walks me to the elevator. She presses the button causing it to light up. Something is really wrong, I look around while we wait. Nothing is different, nothing looks off. I’ve been here a million times and nothing has changed. I would know. That’s when I look out the window.

A figure outside on a rooftop. My pulse starts racing and I feel my body start to shake. Something is familiar about it. I let go of Kara’s arm, walking closer to the window. Each step is slow like I’m trying not to scare it away. My instincts kick in and I crouch down a little.

“What’s wrong?” Kara’s voice is deeper than usual. Serious.

A figure stands on a rooftop, he’s staring at me. Most of his body is obscured by the darkness, but I see a red helmet. No. This is wrong, he shouldn’t be there. This isn’t right. I blink hard because this can’t be real and in the next moment, he’s gone.

next chapter

Ask to be Tagged!

[just-jessie0]

Pip of a Raptor - The Death of the American Dream (Chapter 7)

The rain started early and came down hard. Thankfully, Mrs. Beyer’s morning book club was canceled due to the weather, and she was able to drive Jon the short distance to Alfie’s house, dropping him off at the back door and backing out of the driveway to retrace the route back home.

Linda took Jon’s coat as he walked through the door and hung it up on the weathered coatrack on the wall. 

“Hi, sweetheart. Come in, come in.” She ushered Jon into the house. “Did your mother drop you off.” 

Jon nodded. 

“She could have come in if she wanted to. We could have some tea and chat for a while,” Linda said as she scurried around the tiny kitchen. 

“I think she already had plans today, Mrs. Franco.” Jon doubted that his mom had made any other plans but for some reason she had never tried to bond with Alfie’s mom and Jon didn’t want to hurt Mrs. Franco’s feelings. 

“Of course,” Linda said, unfazed. “Well, she’s always welcome.

Jon left Linda in the kitchen and joined Alfie in the living room, who was already busy setting up the Nintendo. 

Around 15 minutes later a soft knock at the door sounded and a sopping wet Heather followed Linda into the kitchen. Her sweatshirt was saturated to the point of dripping onto the floor, and her hair was plastered to her face. After some insistence by Mrs. Franco, Heather changed into one of the woman’s old t-shirts and pajama pants before handing her waterlogged clothes to Linda to throw into the dryer. She joined the boys in the living room, squeezing her hair out with a clean towel that Mrs. Franco grabbed from one of the upstairs bathrooms. 

Jon took in her appearance. “You walked over?”

Heather shrugged, “Don’t have a bike.”

She sat down next to them on the rug and Alfie handed her a controller. 

Much to Jon’s dismay - and Alfie’s delight - Heather proved to be a natural at Smash. Initially teaming up with Alfie against Jon, it wasn't long before Heather mastered the game, strategically knocking both of them off the stage and inflicting her fair share of damage. Alfie stopped helping her after that and before long her and Jon had formed an alliance, hoping to dethrone Alfie, who still held the title of undefeated champion.

Throughout their game, Linda entered the room multiple times. Initially, she offered snacks to the three kids, then returned to ensure they had enough water. A third time, she checked if they desired something warm, like tea or hot chocolate. After the fourth interruption, which was simply to gauge if the three were enjoying themselves, Alfie began to get an attitude with his mother.

“We’re FINE, Mom,” he came short of screaming. Linda mumbled something about just trying to help and once she disappeared back into the kitchen Alfie let out an exasperated sigh. 

“She’s so annoying,” he whined.

Jon snorted, “She just loves her little Alfred,” he teased, poking Alfie in the ribs before hitting Heather’s icon with a jump-kick combo to try and knock her off the platform. 

“I’m not a baby and I’m so tired of her treating me like it, I can’t even move without her breathing down my back,” Alfie uttered without shifting his gaze from the television, attempting to counter Heather's barrage of punches.

Jon began to laugh at Alfie's retort, but his laughter was quickly cut off by Heather, whose soft voice now held a stern edge.

“You’re acting like a brat, you know.” She said, glaring at Alfie.

Alfie blinked stupidly, “What?”

“You’re acting like a brat,” her brown eyes shot daggers at him. “All she’s doing is trying to be nice and make sure you have everything you need. She’s going out of her way to make sure that you’re comfortable. You’re lucky, not many people have that. Stop acting like a spoiled child and start being a little more appreciative.” 

Both Jon and Alfie stared at Heather, their mouths agape. The only sound in the room was the clicking of Heather's controller.

They were still looking Heather when she nodded toward the TV, redirecting their attention back to the game.

“I won,” she said. 

After a lunch delivered to them in the living room by Linda — for which both Jon and Alfie sincerely thanked her — the three settled onto the couch to watch the movies that the boys had picked out earlier. The credits began to roll for the second Spider-Man when Heather nodded to the side of the room with the old leather chair.

"What are all of those?" she asked, pointing to a two-foot by two-foot acrylic display case on the wall, which held a plethora of small, shining medals, patches, and pins, all in different shapes, sizes, and colors.

Alfie followed her finger, and his face lit up with pride when he realized what she was asking about.

"Those," he began as he jutted his chin out, "are my Pop-Pop's medals of valor."

“For war?”

"Yeah," Alfie said, his chin wiggling as he nodded excitedly. He grunted, rolling up off the couch and walking over to the display case. Heather followed. 

"He served in the army for over 25 years," Alfie began, "and almost all those years were during the Vietnam War. Americans were supporting South Vietnam, and the Soviet Union was supporting the North." Alfie paused, "That's Russia now."

Heather scowled, “I know what the Soviet Union is, Alfie.” 

Alfie grinned before continuing.

"Pop-Pop is a hero, and he’s earned over 20 medals. He enlisted when he was 17 and served all the way past the end of the war. His first tour was as an advisor for the Southern Vietnamese troops. At the time, he was only a private first class. As the war escalated, he was assigned to Cambodia as a helicopter door-gunner, completing 7 missions there." Alfie's voice shook with reverence as he recounted the stories he had begged his grandfather to tell him when he was younger. 

“The last mission his helicopter ended up being engaged by the North Vietnamese’s Air Force, and they perused them deep into the jungle. Pop-pop was shooting at the bird while the pilot pulled these crazy maneuvers to lose them. The Vietnamese tried to follow them, but the pilot lost control and they ended up crashing into the Mekong River. The captain didn’t know it until later, but Pop-Pop was hit by a bullet in the shoulder. He earned his first Purple Heart for his bravery.”

Alfie pointed to one of the two identical medals that were in the center of the display case. 

"After healing from his injury, Pop-Pop still wanted to help the country win the war. He trained in combat operations and, with special permission from President Nixon," Alfie glanced at Heather proudly, "was deployed to South Vietnam. And get this,” Alfie paused and lowered his voice to a whisper as if he was telling Heather a secret, “the whole platoon was issued suicide pills. Cyanide. Just in case they faced capture. They were assigned to do reconnaissance on the enemy. During an ambush, Pop-Pop saw their machine gunner fall and ran through a hail of bullets to take his place. He ended up covering his platoon’s withdrawal from the area so they could get to safety.” 

Alfie pointed to a star shaped medal off to the side of the case, “That’s what earned Pop-pop his first silver star.” 

“It was only a couple of weeks later that Pop-pop earned his second Purple Heart. They came under fire again, another ambush. They platoon tried to retreat to the trench that they dug for safety, but they were under heavy fire, and many didn’t make it. Pop-pop made it to the trench, but he was shot in the leg. He looked up and saw two of their men that were still out in the open, too wounded to make it to the trench. Pop-pop quickly bound up his leg to make sure that he didn’t lose too much blood and then ran out onto the field and dragged the first man back.” Alfie’s voice softened, “After he got the soldier to safety, he went out a second time and was able to rescue the other soldier, too.”

Alfie paused, seemingly lost in thought. He caressed the display case gently, then turned to Heather. 

“Pop-pop is a hero to this country. By the time the war ended, he was a Sargent First Class. He earned 2 purple hearts, 2 silver stars, a bronze star, that’s this one here. These down here are his badges. He has a marksmanship badge and a parachute badge and his aviation badge, or wings.” 

Heather could feel the pride radiating from Alfie. 

"He sounds like an incredible person," she said, smiling. Alfie's admiration was infectious. 

"He is. I wish he was here today so you could meet him, but he’s visiting with one of his friends. Maybe he'll be here the next time you come over."

Heather felt a warmth in her chest at the implied invitation for a next time. They walked back over to the couch, where Jon had unceremoniously sprawled out while Alfie recounted his grandfather’s story.

"When I grow up, I want to be just like him," Alfie declared, shoving Jon to the side to make room for both him and Heather. Even in the dimly lit room, Heather could see Alfie's eyes glittering with excitement and conviction. "I'm going to be a war hero too. After high school, I'm going to go to West Point for college—that's the most prestigious military academy, you know—graduate as a Second Lieutenant, and then join the army as an aviation specialist."

Alfie's chest puffed out so much that it seemed like he might burst. His enthusiasm deflated quickly when Jon let out a bark.

"Alfie, those guys are machines," Jon said, smirking. "And I'm pretty sure they're also geniuses. You're going to have to get into shape and ace all your classes if you want to even be considered."

Alfie's face flushed with color, and he looked down.

"OW!" Jon screamed as Heather slammed her foot down on top of his.

"I can lose weight," Alfie mumbled under his breath.

"Alfie, I think it's really great that you want to follow in his footsteps," Heather said, extending an arm and touching his hunched shoulder. She gave him a small smile, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. "Anything is possible."

"Yeah," Alfie responded, giving a half-smile back. "I'm also really good at precision shooting. Better than most people my age and even a lot of the older kids. Pop-pop takes me to the gun range with him sometimes to practice. I also play a lot of paintball."

Alfie side-eyed Jon. "Which I'm undefeated in."

Jon rolled his eyes.

"Is he as bad at paintball as video games?" Heather remarked.

Alfie laughed, "Worse."

"Damn," Heather said.

"You guys are really funny," Jon said sarcastically, then turned to Alfie. "Seriously though, the army?"

"It's noble to fight for your country," Alfie said with a level of austerity that sounded strange coming from a fourteen-year-old.

Jon shrugged, "Good for you, but I wouldn't." He leaned back, resting his arm over the back of the couch. "It's law and politics for me, just like my old man," Jon said with conviction, as if it were already a done deal.

"I'll probably go to Yale or Stanford for undergrad," Jon yawned, "or maybe U Penn. I haven't decided yet. But I'm getting my bachelor's in business administration. Then I'll take the LSAT and get my law degree to kill the time until I can run. Dad says that most people try to get their bachelor's in political science or international relations, thinking that it'll give them a leg up for election, but really most people vote for whoever they think will be able to run a business the best. After I graduate law school, I'll probably just work at my dad's office, build my resume up from there, and then start campaigning once I turn 25."

"How is that more likely to happen than me getting into West Point?" Alfie asked, not unkindly.

Jon smiled nonchalantly, "My dad's the best; everyone loves him. Everyone will love me."

Heather let out a snort.

Jon cocked his head, "Something I said funny?"

Heather shook her head, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "No. You just sound a little like your dad, that's all."

Jon's eyebrows shot up, "You've met my dad?"

"I've seen him around," Heather said.

"The Breyers are at every single community event. I'm pretty sure that everyone on this side of the state has met your dad and mom," Alfie added.

"True," Jon said.

“What are your plans, Heather?” Alfie asked.

Heather pursed her lips, contemplative. “I’m not sure.” She paused briefly before adding quietly, “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”

“Well, what do you think you want to do,” Alfie pushed.

Heather thought for a moment before she whispered, "I want to stop being so afraid all the time." She cleared her throat and continued, "I want to be brave enough to do more than just survive. I want to live."

"What do you mean?" Alfie said, confused.

"Pray that you never find out," Heather said gravely, her eyes fixed on the far wall that displayed Alfred Senior's medals.

"No offense, but you're pretty weird, Heather," Jon said after a beat of uncomfortable silence.

Heather held up her middle finger towards Jon before reaching for the stack of DVDs piled up on the living room table.

"So, Spider-Man 3?" she said, reading the titles of the cases.

It was early evening by the time the three finished their third movie. Linda asked both Jon and Heather if they would like to stay for dinner, but both declined. After Heather traded in her borrowed sweats and t-shirt for her washed and dried clothes, courtesy of Linda, both she and Jon put on their shoes and stepped out onto the back porch, followed by Alfie.

The rain shower had worsened, now bucketing down so fiercely that it made it hard to see more than a couple of feet at a time.

"This is insane," Alfie said, sticking his hand out far enough from the porch awning to feel the water pounding down onto his fingertips.

"Mind if I hang out for a couple more minutes?" Jon said. "My mom is on her way."

"Yeah, no problem, man," Alfie replied.

"See you guys later," Heather said, giving a wave, pulling up the hood of her sweatshirt, and stepping out into the rain.

Alfie grabbed her arm and pulled her back under the awning.

"You're gonna walk in this?" Alfie said, his eyes wide.

"That's how I got here, Alfie," Heather said, smiling.

"Do you want me to see if my mom can drive you? I'm sure she wouldn't mind," Alfie said, turning to head back into the house to get his mother's attention.

"No, don't bother her." The three startled as a loud clap of thunder boomed overhead.

"But maybe I could borrow your bike?" Heather said, sounding uncertain. "I'll return it first thing tomorrow, I promise."

"I can drive you," Jon said, looking at the two of them like they were slow.

Heather fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "No, that's okay," she said.

"I literally live right next to you," Jon said, rolling his eyes.

"Perfect!" Alfie said, smiling. "You can borrow my bike anytime, but it's definitely better to drive in this weather."

"Seriously, Jon, I'm fine biking," Heather said, looking at Alfie. "Or walking. It really doesn't matter."

"Don't be an idiot," Jon said.

A car turned into Alfie’s driveway, headlights illuminating the porch, slowly creeping down the driveway to where the three were standing under the canopy. Heather went from looking uncomfortable to looking full-on stressed out.

"You know, I actually like being in the rain. I read somewhere that it’s important to connect with nature. Good for the soul," she said, forcing a pained smile, and backed further into the porch as the car stopped in front of the kids.

"Also, I just realized that I have to go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go really quick, but I'll see you later, Jon," Heather said, turning to head back into Alfie’s house. Before she could get through the door, Jon grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the rain and toward the car.

"We're three miles down the road," Jon said, pulling a very uncooperative Heather. "You'll be home in less than 5 minutes."

Heather made a strangled sound in the back of her throat but climbed into the back seat when Jon opened the door. He closed it behind her before jumping into the passenger seat of the car.

"Hey Mom," Jon said, shaking the rain out of his hair. "This is Heather; I told her that we could give her a ride home." Jon gestured to where Heather sat behind him.

"Hi, Honey," Mrs. Breyer said, leaning over to give Jon a kiss on the cheek. She twisted around in her seat and faced Heather. Mrs. Breyer locked eyes with Heather and froze, her eyes widening slightly. A fraction of a second passed before Mrs. Breyer regained her composure. She fixed a friendly smile on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"It's nice to meet you, Heather," Mrs. Breyer said, turning back around.

"You too," Heather murmured, sinking as far back into the seat as possible.

"Heather lives across the street from us, down that long driveway," Jon informed his mother.

Mrs. Breyer made a sound of acknowledgment before waving to Alfie and backing out of the driveway.

"What did you all do today?" Mrs. Breyer asked Jon.

As Jon recounted their day, Heather caught Mrs. Breyer flicking quick glances at her from the rearview mirror. Her face reddening, Heather turned her head and looked out the window, fixing her hoodie so it obscured her face.

They turned onto Cider Creek Drive, and Mrs. Breyer slowed the car down as they approached the turnoff for Heather’s house.

"I can just get out here," Heather said quietly, already reaching for the door handle.

"We can take you down the driveway," Jon said, but Mrs. Breyer had already stopped the car fully on the side of the road.

"Your father is expecting us, Jon," Mrs. Breyer said. Heather caught Mrs. Breyer gripping the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles began to turn white.

"No, this is fine," Heather said quickly. "Thanks a lot for the ride," she said to Mrs. Breyer before saying goodbye to Jon. Mrs. Breyer nodded but didn't turn around.

Heather flung open the back door and stepped out into the storm, quickly disappearing from view as she trotted down the gravel path toward her house.

As soon as Heather shut the door, Mrs. Breyer cut the wheel and accelerated the car in the direction of their driveway. Mrs. Breyer stayed quiet until she pulled into the garage and cut the engine.

"Wait a minute, Jon," said Mrs. Breyer, halting Jon before he got out of the car.

"Yeah?" he asked, one hand on the door handle.

"When did you start spending time with Heather Morrison?" Mrs. Breyer asked, fixing him with a cold stare.

"Recently. Alfie and I just met her a day ago," he said, confused as to what caused his mother to be so tense. "Why? Is there a problem?"

Mrs. Breyer opened her mouth before quickly shutting it without saying a word. She turned toward the front of the car and stared out the windshield, thinking, before once again facing Jon and smiling.

"Of course not," she answered.

She fixed Jon with an indecipherable stare, looking deeply into his eyes. Feeling awkward, Jon cleared his throat before asking, “Can I go inside now?”

“Yes, yes,” Mrs. Breyer said with feigned enthusiasm. “Ask your siblings and father what they want to eat for dinner. We’ll do takeout tonight.”

“Sure thing,” Jon said, opening his door. He looked back at his mom. “Are you coming?”

“Yes,” she said, “I just need to get some things from the back, and then I’ll be in.”

Jon hit the button that closed the garage door and headed inside the house, leaving his mom in the car, hands still clutching the steering wheel, staring straight ahead at nothing.

[fandom-lover2]

Hope To Stay A While, Just Till The Rain Stops

Chapter Four - Pajama Parties Are More Fun When You're Invited

Word Count - 1865

-image not mine-

Chapter Three - This Is Why We Don't Have Knives At The Table

Chapter Five - Is It Too Late To Go To Moms For The Week

My eyes snapped open, my body jolting as something let off a loud bang.

What the hell was happening?

Then, it sounded like thunder, or something some form of stomping at least. And voices, angry voices. Loud, angry voices.

I rolled over, squinting at my digital clock on my desk.

2.05 am glared back at me in red.

I rolled over again, trying to get comfortable on my preferred side of sleeping.

Thunder again, and the voices were louder this time. Why was I cursed to live in a house of only men?

Screw this shit. I had an exam tomorrow.

Yanking my sheet off myself, I slipped out of bed and stormed to my bedroom door, yanking it open and marching towards the voices.

After Bruce had, without my consent, enrolled me into Gotham Academy, the pressure was on. Even under the guise of a visiting relative of Alfred’s, because I refused to be involved in the Gotham elite society, the expectation to achieve perfect grades and be involved in rich people sports was one I had to shoulder.

Etiquette Monday and Thursday, tennis on Tuesday, horse riding on Wednesday and Friday, archery Saturday. And I still needed to study, do homework and assignments, and attend parties to keep up appearances.

I was running on fumes and about 5 seconds away from running back to Central City. Now, I had to deal with this?!

Oh no. No no no no. I was getting another 4 hours of sleep, if I had to kill whoever the hell was screaming to get it.

The voices were getting louder and louder as I headed to the main floor, the kitchen specifically.

An odd place for a domestic screaming match but hey, this family was fucking weird.

I’m 80% sure Tim died last week, his combination of Red Bull and black coffee that he chugged in 30 seconds flat no doubt doing some damage.

Not to mention Damian, who was literally a little psychopath. I walked in on him waving around a sword last week. And not a fencing sword, a real ass Japanese sword.

Jason was never around, other than to sneak into the library or have screaming matches with Bruce when he was caught. He always looked like he was in deep physical pain, and avoided me like I had some disease. He would literally walk out of a room if I entered it.

And Dick, dude was just a mess. He was crying about an elephant the other day, and last month did a whole circus trapeze routine in the living room, using the chandelier.

And Bruce doesn’t even blink at any of it! He and Alfred act like this is normal!

Well, I was over this family thinking they were a functional system. It ended today, with a good night’s sleep.

If I wasn’t so fueled by the rage, the volume at which Bruce and Jason were yelling would have probably stopped me from entering the kitchen, but I was seeing red and nearing sleep deprivation.

“Can you all shut the fuck up!” I rounded the corner into the kitchen and froze.

Alfred, my father, Jason and Dick stood in the kitchen, Alfred and my oldest brother looking like they were trying to break something up before it turned physical.

Now, either I was too tired, or something was very wrong with my vision, because my father was dressed as Batman.

I looked at them, they looked at me. Tim and Damian stuck their heads around the other doorway at the opposite end of the kitchen, both dressed up in vigilant attire I’d seen Red Robin and Robin wore. Dick and Jason were also dressed, Nightwing and Red Hood respectfully.

Suddenly, everything made so much more sense. Bruce’s constant state of looking exhausted despite only ever working and then going to bed before me. Damian’s limp from two weeks ago, Tim falling out of bed and spraining his wrist, the gash Dick got on his forehead despite having two days off from work.

They were running around at night playing heroes.

I stared at them, and they stared back at me, each looking like I’d caught them with their hands in the cookie jar. Even Alfred seemed slightly alarmed, and the dude didn’t flinch at anything.

“I’m too tired for this shit. Go argue outside.” Spinning on my heels, I sped back to my bedroom and shut the door.

That whatever-the-hell-just-happened was tomorrow morning’s problem. Tonight, I was sleeping. Deeply, peacefully. Ignorantly.

Climbing back into bed, I pulled the cover over myself and closed my eyes. For someone who’s entire perception of their family just got flipped upside down, I managed to fall asleep pretty quickly.

When I awoke, it was to my alarm set on my phone.

For a while, I forgot what happened the previous night. I stumbled out of bed with a groan, stood somewhat straight in the shower, and managed to get my scratchy uniform on. And then, I opened my bedroom door and Damian was on the other side.

He eyed me up and down, arms crossed over his chest. “Father requests your presence at breakfast.”

“Well I’m not gonna miss it.” I mumbled back, shouldering past it.

It was as I tried to shove passed him and was met with an impressive amount of resistance for someone so small that I remembered what I’d seen last night. Who I had seen.

Oh my god, Bruce was Batman!

Mr Billionaire, life handed to him on a golden spoon, was the madman who dressed up in all black at night and ran around the city terrorizing Gotham’s criminals.

Why? What the hell even made him go down this path?

I turned around to look at my little brother.

The latest Robin, if the whispering around school was to be taken truthfully. So far considered the most violent of the masked crusader’s group.

Well, they got the violent part down.

But he was freaking 13 years old. Why the hell would Bruce let a 13 year old face armed murderers?

Shit, why the hell was Bruce letting a 13 year old stay up all night?

I thought he was just a distant parent, but this was straight up child endangerment.

Would I be arrested if it turned out I knew he was allowing Damian to do this? Would I be arrested for knowing he’d Batman and not handing him over?

Was what I saw even real?

Sleep deprivation could cause hallucinations.

Yeah, that’s all it was. A hallucination. This was all just some big misunderstanding. I was over tired, Bruce had dark pajamas, everyone had rainbow pajamas, Alfred was still just Alfred. All was good.

My summons for breakfast was just to wish me luck for my exam, or to tell me about an event that was coming up.

Nothing was wrong, my life was still normal-ish. Everything would be fine.

I made my way to the breakfast room, because yes this house was so big we had a room for eating breakfast and a room for dinner, and found Bruce seated at the head of the table.

He was reading a newspaper, Alfred seated beside him. To his left, Dick and Tim.

I was surprised to see that Jason was actually here. Had he stayed the night? Judging by the fact that he was not seated at the table but rather leaning against the wall and had his arms crossed, I guessed it wasn’t voluntary.

“Men.” I greeted, walking to take a seat next to Alfred, Damian following behind me and sitting next to Dick.

On my plate, a wonderful stack of vegan pancakes.

One of the few things Damian and I had in common, we were both vegan. Or, I tried to be as vegan as possible. At times, ice-cream and pizza were too strong to resist. You’d think it’d bring us closer together but nope, still got glared at for simply being alive.

My only sanctuary away from it was weeks at my mom’s, since they’d decided to have a one week, one week custody deal.

I hated weeks at Bruce’s for two reasons. One, Damian. Two, I had to wake up earlier cause it took forever to drive into the city from here. The apartment with Mom was so close to school I walked. At Bruce’s, I had to endure a 40 minute drive with Damian.

Bruce never took us, always having to leave either before or after. Sometimes Tim took us, or Dick. It was mostly Alfred, in the Rolls Royce.

Picking up my knife and fork, I prepared to dig in.

“Y/n,” Bruce tried to start, but I cut him off by pointing my knife at him. In hindsight, not the best idea considering who he was. My father or not, I didn’t doubt he’d kick my ass.

“Breakfast first.”

And I left no room for discussion as I cut into my pancakes and took a huge bite, and then another and another.

Everyone else followed my lead, silently beginning to eat their breakfast. Jason left his spot of brooding eventually and joined me, actually sitting beside me. This was the closest we’d ever been to one another.

I tried to not make too big a deal of that fact, keeping my eyes forward when they so desperately wanted to take in all his scars.

I guess now it made sense where they came from, but it didn’t make it right.

How young had he been when Bruce had let him loose on the streets? Had he even wanted to do it, or was he forced into this life?

Were any of them in it by choice?

I glanced over and Bruce and found him staring at me.

Yesterday, he’d look at me with a smile, and his eyes seemed warm. Now, there was no familiarity. There wasn’t even care.

Had these last 3 months all been fake? Did he love me at all? Was I here because he wanted me or because he wanted another sidekick?

“I won’t tell anyone.” I spoke, barely louder than a whisper.

Bruce didn’t say anything, didn’t blink. Just watched me, analyzed me. I almost jumped when he finally spoke.

“You have an exam to get to. We’ll discuss this tonight.”

And that seemed to be the magic words. Everyone stood up, all done with their breakfasts and ready to start the day.

I still had half my plate left and rushed to shovel it all in, charging to the garage when Alfred called that it was time to go.

I hopped in the back, beside Damian, and intended to get my textbook out for some last-minute studying before school, but the little shit spoke up.

“You tell anyone about us, make one tiny slip up or remark, and I will sever your voice box.”

For once, I actually understood the gravity behind the threat. It wasn’t just siblings bickering, it was a promise.

And given how Bruce had looked at me this morning, I doubted he’d do anything to stop it.

Nobody knew Batman’s identity. Nobody had ever figured it out.

Maybe there was a reason for that.