#in that he started without a batman and eventually became batman's partner

[aalghul]

Remember when Duke referred to himself as Robin while talking to Batman and then everyone spent the next 8 years saying it's illegal to expect him to be included as a Robin in anything, ever.

[ectonurites]

who was Wingman before Willis?

So the original Wingman was introduced alllll the way back in 1951 without a name really given for him aside from 'Wingman'

(Batman (1940) #65)

In the story, he's someone being trained to become a Batman for 'a certain northern european country' (later established as Sweden) - and he becomes Batman's partner for his training period while Dick had been injured on the job:

(Batman (1940) #65)

A few years later in 1955 the 'Batmen of All Nations' story was published [though Wingman wasn't actually included in it] which expanded on the idea of there being more people inspired by Batman all over the world:

(Detective Comics (1939) #215)

And they became a more formal group in 1957, forming the "Club of Heroes" funded by a guy named John Mayhew

(World's Finest Comics #85)

Then... there wasn't much with this concept or these characters for quite a while, until about 30 years later they got a cameo in an issue of Infinity Inc in 1987, this time now grouping Wingman with the other international Batmen:

(Infinity Inc Vol. 1 #34)

Then... they were once again just not brought up all that much (there was like one other 80's era cameo of the group together in a Secret Origins issue, but otherwise I haven't come across anything) until Grant Morrison started to reintroduce some of these concepts, like during their Batman run in the 00's having a whole Club of Heroes reunion story.

(Batman (1940) #667)

Which quickly becomes a 'we're trapped on a private island and someone's been murdered and oh boy i hope none of us are next' sort of thing. Eventually it turns out that Wingman, now bitter and jealous towards Batman, was working for The Black Glove and had been responsible for several of the deaths.

By the end of the story, he is shot and killed by an accomplice though, leaving the 'Wingman' alias empty when Batman Inc was formed out of the remnants of The Club of Heroes a few years later.

Post-New 52, Morrison would go on to reuse the 'Wingman' alias in the new continuity for Jason while he worked with Batman Inc

(Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #4)

And theeeen after Jason wasn't using it anymore, the whole thing with Willis Todd taking it over happened.

Now, for the original Wingman's actual name- Benedict Rundstrom- I had flipped back through the Batman #667-669 story and didn't actually see it in use there anywhere (I may have just glossed over it though), the only citation on it I've found is from one of the DC Enclyclopedias:

(The DC Comics Encyclopedia New Edition)

So take that as you will. But yeah! That's the uh... the basic deal with Wingman!

[our-happygirl500-fan]

Sorry but I am curious, how do you think a Reverser Robins AU would go, but with Steph as the oldest. IE Damian and Duke are still their canon ages, but the first four got flipped? Cos I feel given her background and Bruce being less crap in is early stages would leads to less or at least different drama than he had with Dick, given I doubt Steph would resent going to college or want to be a cop.

Reverse Robins for the first four Robins:

Steph as the first Robin - I imagine Steph becoming Robin or some variation would go similarly to Steph how she became Robin in the World Without Young Justice timeline, Arthur would murder Crystal for some reason & Steph would go out & try & stop him, Bruce would find her, see her potential & take her in

The drama with Steph not being Bruce's sidekick anymore would be different from Dick, we know that Steph wouldn't have a problem with going to university nor would she have problems balancing vigilante work & university life like Dick did because we already saw Steph be both a vigilante & go to university at the same time in her Batgirl run, but Steph would also probably be similar to Dick in clashing against Bruce's controlling nature we've seen this in comics with 'the slap' & also Steph getting angry at Bruce for monitoring her therapy sessions with Leslie.

Steph would also start having problems with Bruce in thinking he doesn't do enough for people who the system fails, the system failing to keep her & her mum safe is why Steph becomes Spoiler in the first place. Those factors combined would eventually lead to Steph wanting to strike out on her own.

Something about this AU that is very different from canon Steph is that if Bruce takes her under his wing from the very start, Steph wouldn't have the trauma from Bruce constantly sabotaging her support systems like she does in canon & would probably long for independence like Dick did instead of being afraid to be on her own.

Tim as the Second Robin- Most likely Tim would have been inspired by Steph saving him at some point & would have figured out Batman's identity from seeing Stephanie Brown have a similar injury to Robin. After Steph goes solo he notices Bruce being less careful without someone to watch his back & confronts him, maybe as a parallel to canon Bruce makes Tim Robin partly hoping it will make Steph jealous & come back. Tim would eventually die to the Joker before coming back as the Red Hood.

Jason as the Third Robin- Bruce meets Jason stealing the tires off of the Batmobile & laughs when he sees it, that moment being the first time he has laughed or smiled since Tim's death. It's canon that Steph reminds Bruce of Jason so in this AU Jason would remind Bruce of Steph which is what Bruce will use to convince himself that Jason won't die like Tim did because he is like Steph.

Dick as the Fourth Robin- Not to sure, Bruce either takes Dick in but refuses to let him be a vigilante so Dick has to sneak out to do it before becoming Bruce's partner after Bruce & Jason have a falling out OR Bruce goes the full canon Steph route, where he leaves Dick in whatever horrible situation, social services put Dick in while having full knowledge of it & sabotages Dick's efforts to fight crime just to prove points before eventually letting him become his partner when he & Jason have a falling out but holding Dick to ridiculous & unfair standards

[justgottafinishthischapter]

Writing Romance: Opposites Attract

One of the most widespread among romantic tropes is opposites attract, and with good reason. When a couple are opposites, they’re meant to be one of a few things to each other: 1. An inverse reflection of each other. 2. Compliment each other 3. Cover each other’s shortcomings

In a sense, a good Opposites Attract serves to turn two incomplete people into one solid force. If they’re a battle couple, they’ll tend to fight very well together, often balancing force and finesse, melee and ranged, or physical and magical abilities. If the show or book has a lot of time dedicated to foils and character moments, they are more likely to be the ones that each other lean on, since their opposing characters makes them interesting to react off one another. Their roles, story arcs, and backstories tend to run opposite or parallel to one another depending on the series. If one character’s arc is to mature and become more responsible, likely their partner’s arc might be to learn to loosen up and have fun, learn to trust people, or to face a trauma in their past that made them so mature at a young age.

In terms of design, opposites attract partners tend to be inverse in color schemes. Light and dark hair or eyes, warm and cool color schemes, clashing or complimentary fashion styles, etc. The degree in opposition also varies. Some opposites attract look very similar with only a slight difference, indicating that something small is what set them on different paths in life but are otherwise very similar, almost as two sides of the same coin. Other couples are stark contrasts with virtually nothing in common to really emphasize their differences so that they can better make each other whole, as shown very literally through the character of Garnet in Steven Universe. 

Femme and Butch

While typically, you’re mostly going to see this in femmeslash/yuri pairings, this dynamic is actually fairly universal. This divide focuses on a pairing where each couple reflects the values of masculinity and femininity. Although mostly used as lesbian terms, a femme and butch pairing can also be gay or heterosexual. A fashion-loving twink who cries during romantic movies dating a jock who likes sports and drinks beer is still an example of Femme and Butch. Heterosexual is rather obvious, but can also be inversed, with a tough, assertive woman partnered with a sweet, sensitive man, such as Calhoun and Felix in Wreck-It Ralph. A Femme and Butch pairing doesn’t need to check off every box on this list of traits, but these traits tend to be common in these types of relationships.

Brains and Brawn

Also known as Jock and Nerd, this romantic dynamic prioritizes the usefulness of both intelligence and brute strength. Another variation is Book Smarts vs Street Smarts. The Brains will be good at doing research, organizing, and will tend to fight more strategically while the Brawn is primarily going to be good at fighting and likely protecting the Brains from serious harm. Princess and Bodyguard is another possible example of this dynamic, albeit a little less directly.

Hot and Cold

Hot or Warm characters tend to be friendly, outgoing, upbeat, loudmouthed, temperamental, boisterous, and battle-ready. Cold or Cool personalities tend to be shy, calm, quiet, logical, reserved, serious, and emotionally withdrawn. However, while these extreme opposites of hot-head and cold-shoulder balance each other out, it’s worth discussing same heat relationships. Kiribaku is an example of a Hot/Warm relationship, as Bakugou Katsuki is an angry little spitfire with an aggressive streak, while Kirishima Eijirou is a happy-go-lucky sweetheart with a good attitude. This is sort of the same concept, just that both boys are on the warm side of the spectrum, with Kirishima being the cooler counter to Bakugou’s temperamental hot-head. This also works inversely, as the ship Tododeku is a Cold/Cool relationship. Midoriya is a shy, but upbeat young man who tends not to draw too much attention to himself, while Todoroki is stoic, logical, and a bit dense socially. In this case, Midoriya is Cool while Todoriki is Cold, with Midoriya serving as the “Hot” aspect of their relationship as the more friendly and outgoing of the two.  

Light and Shadow

This archetype is often used as a “opposite sides of the same coin” format, where the characters serve as foils to one another. In Teen Titans, Raven’s powers are dark and demonic, while Starfire’s are bright and extraterrestrial. Both girls get their powers from their emotions, but where Starfire revels in her emotions to make her powerful, Raven must suppress her emotions to retain control of her powers. As the only two girls, they stick out as the obvious foils of the group. Many times, when this trope appears, it’s in the form of Classic Paragon Hero vs Cynical Anti-Hero. Superman and Batman are a great example. Superman is a boyscout token good guy, while Batman is a brooding loner. One is the hope for justice and goodness to always triumph while the other acknowledges that people are flawed, and maybe not everyone deserves to be saved. Naruto is interesting because he has two dark reflections. The first is Sasuke. While Naruto is the golden-haired idealist who befriends villains almost as often as Steven Universe, Sasuke is a dark counter consumed by a thirst for vengeance and the power to exact it. Naruto’s other dark counter however is Gaara. Both are Jinchuriki, but whereas Naruto eventually found friends and love in his fellow genin, Gaara was very much still alone when he met Naruto, reflecting what Naruto could have become without that love and support in this life.

Protagonist and Rival

Another case of “two sides of the same coin”, most anime protagonists and their rival tend to either have very similar backstories, very similar motivations, or very similar personalities, if not some combination of the three. Both Naruto and Sasuke were abandoned in the world at a young age with the Hokage looking out for them from afar. Naruto started off having nobody, and was always reaching out hoping to connect with anyone. Meanwhile, Sasuke started with a family and lost it, and decided to keep everyone at arm’s length and isolate himself further. Rin Okumura and Ryuji Suguro are practically the same person. Both lost their families and homes due to Satan, both are strong-willed loudmouthed tough guys with a knack for leadership, and both share the goal of killing Satan. Natsu Dragneel is immature and battle-ready, but while Grey Fullbuster at least pretends to be above it, he’ll jump into a fight with Natsu practically unprompted. The main appeal of the anime protagonist and his rival is that they push each other to succeed, often coming from very similar roots, but where they end up is entirely up to the effort they put in and the path they choose to take. They both refuse to lose to each other, and that propells them to constantly want to out-do each other.

Sweet and Sour

My best friend and I are polar opposites in this sense. When we met, she was far too trusting, submissive, and far too forgiving. Meanwhile, I was a lot more cynical, mean-spirited, and unfortunately, a little more closed-minded than I’d like to admit. After five years of friendship, my friend is far more assertive, has a lot more confidence in herself, is a lot better at handling criticism, and rather than just submitting in an argument, she now has the nerve to get in someone’s face and make her point heard. Because of her, I’ve become less stand-offish, more patient and polite, less of a control freak, more aware of valuing other people’s emotions, and more tolerant of a group I hadn’t realized I’d been intolerant toward. We saw the world in such distinctly different ways that we have managed to rub off on each other, and now we’re both such stronger and more complete people for having known each other.

Serious and Goofball

A classic comedy duo, the comedian and the straight man. The Goofball character tends to be immature, a knucklehead, a jokester, and comes off as a bit inexperienced. Meanwhile, the Serious character tends to be mature, responsible, disciplined, but comes off as a bit aloof. The Goofball reminds the Serious character to have a little fun every once in a while, while the Serious character reins in the Goofball before they hurt themselves or somebody else.

Hero and Sidekick

The hero has their act together and the sidekick is just doing their best. This happens a lot in Action movies where the handsome tough guy and the hapless damsel (who he kidnaps a little too often for my liking) is just kind of along for the ride. The two live in entirely different worlds. Sometimes this comes in the variant of Starlet and Manager where one in the relationship takes center stage while the other is content to help them run their life, promote their career, and help them. Another variation is Superstar and Random Extra, wherein one person leads a very visible life in the public eye being adored by millions of fans while their partner works 9-5 in an office dealing with insurance claims. Although they coe from very different worlds and lead very different lives, that doesn’t mean they still haven’t found love in an unlikely place. Often, the reason the hero or big shot loves this random nobody is because they fell in love with them before they ever became famous, or they didn’t know/care who the celebrity was and just liked them as a person without interest in using their celebrity to climb the social ladder.

Loud and Quiet

She’s quirky, outgoing, bubbly, energetic, and talkative. Too talkative. She never shuts up. He’s quiet, simple, down-to-earth, and calm. Too Calm. He never gets excited. This pairing works to push and pull each other until they’ve harmonized. The Quiet one will be pulled out of their shell and learn to be more open and talkative, while the Loud one will learn to think before they act. This couple is divided along lines of Introversion and Extroversion, and together can navigate the anxiety-triggering unease of a social gathering, and finding joy and pleasure in just enjoying each other’s company without needing to fill the silence with pointless chatter.

To be fair, many Opposites Attract couples will fit into more than one of these archetypes, and there’s probably more I didn’t list. But if you’re wanting to create a couple that balances each other out, I hope you find this helpful to you in your writing.

[itsmeevie01]

Bio!Dad Bruce Month Day 6- Meeting the Justice League

I just wanted to pop up here to give the heads up that there is some mild cursing at the begining here

Marinette was furious. When she had left to fight the Akuma earlier in the evening, she had expected a normal fight. One captured butterfly and a fist bump later, she was turning, ready to go home and finish her schoolwork for the evening. That was when she had seen the cape. Parisian heroes didn’t wear capes. That specific accessory was left for idiots like the Justice League. The one-time Chat Noir had mentioned the horrific items, Ladybug had nearly attacked him. Paris’ Heroes didn’t do capes. EVER.

That was why it was so suspicious that there was a flash of a cape on the rooftop across from her school.

Ladybug scowled but made her way over, landing a little harder than necessary, as she took in who was standing there. The “S”, the blue, the fucking cape. Ladybug was known as a nice hero, a gently hero, a just hero, but she couldn’t help the snarl that ripped its way from her throat as she looked at The Blue Boy scout. Oh, she had heard of him. His great deeds, how he cared for his city, His Powers. Paris’ Heroes didn’t do capes, they always led to bad situations. Bad situations, like an akumatized Superman. Shit.

When the man was fully facing her, Ladybug groaned. This situation just became 100 times worse, because she knew Superman. Flipping open her yoyo, Ladybug pulled up her partner’s contact. “Bug? Everything ok?” the concern in the Cat’s voice made her smile, but her eyes stayed focused on the hero in front of her. The hero wearing a cape.

“Chat, there is a situation. Come to my location, immediately.”

“On it, Ladybug!” as soon as she hung up, the spotted hero fixed her death glare on the rooftop’s other occupant. The Kryptonian shrunk under her glare. A very familiar glare, that he had seen more times than he would like to admit.

“Get out.” The venom in her voice made the Super flinch.

“I- “

“I said get. The. Fuck. OUT!” He started at her, shocked. As the two glared at each other, two telltale thumps told of others on the rooftop. One was unmistakably Chat. The teen hero had spent the last year finding the best ways to silence his movements. Ladybugs was well aware what his landings sounded like, when he decided to announce his presence. The other landing though…her eyes narrowed at the vigilante behind Superman. Great. The Bat was here.

When Bruce had heard that Clark was going to Paris to investigate, he knew there was going to be trouble. For the past six months, he had been prodding information out of his daughter, and she had made it very clear that there was to be zero outside interference. When he had raised his worries about her statement, she had simply laughed.

“Dad, Ladybug tried to contact the Justice League. She tried ten times. Every time, she was told that she was wrong. That there wasn’t a problem in Paris. Civilians reached out for help, submitting video evidence. They were told that it wasn’t funny to waste the Oh So Precious resources. Paris has been cut off, and Ladybug doesn’t want anyone swooping in now. She has set up a support network, and people are adapting in the meantime.” That conversation was the first time Bruce had heard Marinette truly angry. By the time she had finished talking, her eyes had been sparkling dangerously and the hard set of her jaw had told him just how livid she was. When Clark had insisted on investigating, Bruce had huffed and gone to prepare to rescue his friend. There was no way that this was going to go well.

What he encountered when he finally found his friend was…interesting. The teen heroes were standing there glaring at Superman. The girl had her hands on her hips and a glare worthy of a Bat on her face. The boy behind her had his arms crossed and his tail was whipping back and forth dangerously. The way the young heroes were on edge reminded Batman why exactly Paris was currently such a dangerous city to be in. “Superman, perhaps we should take this somewhere more…neutral?” the spotted hero visibly jumped at the sound of his voice. The cat shot her a concerned glance before turning towards them.

“I think I know a place.”

When the four heroes landed in the field, Ladybug huffed and leveled her glare on them. “I am going to say this once, Paris is under our protection. If the Justice League enters the City of Paris, they forfeit their lives.” The viciousness in her voice clear took Superman by surprise, but Batman had expected it. From listening to his daughter, he knew that the hero would not hesitate to protect her city. If that meant that she had to scare away every member of the League, she would. At the look on Superman’s face, Batman paused. The other Hero looked too calm for someone who had just been told off. No, Oh No. Batman knew what that meant. Superman had called the rest of the League. They were off the deep end now.  A moment later when Wonder Woman joined them Ladybug narrowed her eyes. “What is this?” the way she practically hissed her words made the slowly arriving League pause, nervous. “Did you summon the rest, just because I told you to get lost?” the way her voice got dangerously quiet reminded Batman a little too much of both Sabine and Marinette for his comfort. When Superman shifted uncomfortably, Ladybug threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Since I know you have ignored my requests for help, how the hell did you find out about this?” at her question the entire League froze.

“You. You asked for help? When?” The shock from Wonder Woman seemed to jolt the rest back into action.

“Yes! I asked for help at the beginning! When we were fighting our friends and family because they had a bad day! When Chat Noir and I were Handed Magical Jewels and Told to Figure It Out!” The sharpness in her voice, the pointed barbs flying from her mouth, the way her partner moved to calm her without hesitation…Suddenly Batman knew why the duo were so comfortable with this field. He knew why Ladybug was so angry too. And suddenly, he wished he had taken some time to introduce his daughter to the family secrets.

Later, once Wonder Woman had started to dig into the locked files in the League and they had uncovered the ten videos from the past few months, the group sat down to talk. When many of the older heroes offered to come and help, the Cat and Bug exchanged glances. “We…think it would be better to keep people who can be…taken advantage of outside of the city.” When the Cat spoke up many of the others looked offended. “as it is, Ladybug and I are confidant in our abilities to protect each other and call on allies as needed. We don’t want to disrupt the dynamics that have formed or go up against one of you if you let your emotions get out of control. LB and I…we have coping methods. Many of you though? You would get akumatized in an instant.” The duo continued to hold firm until Batman interrupted the newest round of arguing.

“We need to respect the fact that Paris is their city. For now, let us keep communication lines open. If they need us, we can be there, but we will not take over in a fight we do not understand.” After the Bat’s declaration, the Leaguers started to collect themselves. As they were leaving, Ladybug paused.

“Batman? Could I borrow you for one more second?” the Man nodded in response. When they had walked a slight distance away, and he was blocking her from the rest’s view, the younger hero took a deep breath. “Tikki? Spots off.” There was a small flash, and suddenly it wasn’t the young hero that Batman had been working with for the past few hours, it was-

“Marinette.” The girl nodded, twisting her hands nervously. A small red creature floated up to settle on his daughter’s shoulder, sending her a sour look.

“I- thank you. Dad, I- “Batman froze.

“how- “

“it was your voice. I just…I’ve gotten really good at recognizing people. Just like I knew immediately that it was your friend Mr. Kent. That he was Superman.” Batman glanced over his shoulder, checking to make sure the others had left. In the time they had been talking the Cat had vanished as well. When he was sure there was no one else around, he slowly peeled off his mask.

“Marinette.” His daughter smiled up at him, her blue eyes sparkling. The next moment he was gently holding her in a hug as she relaxed, the tension that she had been holding the entire meeting draining out.

“Please don’t tell my brothers about this. I don’t need them mother henning any more than they already are.”

hey! so far so good right? i appologize if some of the characters were ooc…

i figured it would happen eventually.

in other words, we are getting close to then end of Marinette being 13. im probably tackle her birthday next… its not going to abide by cannon, but in this world, cannon is bending to my will and filling in any space i dont have written.

see ya tomorrow!

[ivedescoveredheathsjoker]

Adrenaline

L!Joker/Patrick/Eric Draven/reader

Warnings: mentions of death

Note: this wasn't edited i just wrote it and bam posted. This was an idea given to me by @whoslaughingnow-comic while talking about Eric and my two other boys.

(Not my gif)

You had been dating Eric for about 2 years when he was brutality murdered in his apartment on Devil's night.

His death hit you like nothing else had. You felt terribly lonely and missed his loveing embrace. You had a few of his belongings which he had left in your appartment the night before; his guitar, a pic and one of his shirts.

In the weeks of his absence you had turned the pic into a necklace and wore it everywhere. Eventually it became apart of you, never taking it off.

As you tried to move on, you couldn't. Everywhere you went you were reminded of him. The old club you went to to see his band play, the coffee shop where you had your first date, the record shop where you met and eneded up going to every week.

Then there was your apartment. You had everything in boxes, seeing as you were to move in together that week. Too lazy were you to take everything out, yet it hurt to see the boxes piled high.

2 months went by when you decided to move to the other side of Gotham. A nicer area, a bit farther from the dangers of the mob. You eventually settled into the area falling into a routine, enjoying the local pub, going to cafe, and working at the record shop.

One night while you were at the pub you meet a young man named Patrick Verona. He wasn't hitting on you or trying to get your attention, no. He had asked you about the band on your shirt. The two of you talked for a while about music, movies and city life. Eventually he asked you to dance while Plainsong played in the background.

You couldn't help but smile as you danced with him. How could you not? He had the biggest smile you had ever seen!

As the night drew to a close Patrick insisted on walking you home, "It's the right thing to do." All along the way you didn't stop smiling, though in the back of your mind you worried if it was a trap. Ignoring that thought you enjoyed his company until you got to your apartment. That night you gave him your number and agreed to a first date.

As you entered your apartment smiling you frowned when you saw the gutar next to the sofa. "What would Eric think?" You wondered, "would he want me to move on?" That night for the first time in 5 months you desided not to sleep with his shirt. That night you desided to move on.

After sleeping over one night Patrick asked you about the necklace.

"Is it a lucky charm?"

"Yes...and no... It was given to me by somone I loved."

"I see," he smiled and kissed you. "Did they give you the guitar too?" You nodded.

As time went by you and Patrick were a happy couple. Though the guilt of Eric hit you at times; somtimes it was the guilt of hiding him from Patrick, other times it was the guilt you felt for loving Patrick. Those were the times you would take out his shirt and hold it tight. How it still meant so much to you with almost a year having gone by.

By the aniverseray of Eric's death, you still hadn't told Patrick about Eric. You decided that you would have them meet.

You were nervous about it. "What if Pat dosent understand...what if he gets upset." It was the day before your trip when you tell him. At first he's shocked and asks you why you hadn't told him. You explain that you were afraid he would leave you,that it would scare him away. As you told Patrick more, you can't help but cry. He held you close to him, as he rubbed your back. He had lost a few people close to him as well, but he couldn't imagine losing a partner. He could hear the love as you talked about Eric. Patric could also tell that you loved him the same way.

As you went to bed Patrick held you close to him and kissed your head.

The next day you both headed to the subway, making your way towards the east side of Gotham. Once you both arrived you showed Patrick around the area where you used to live. It was so strange being there with Patrick. You were over come with emotions as you passed the boarded up apartment building Eric used to live in. You held Patrick's hand as tightly as you could, holding back tears. Once you arrive at the graveyard, Patrick tells you to go in first and have a moment alone. Greatfully, you head towards his grave only to find an empty pit and a headstone with a crow sitting upon it.

Fearfully you call out to Patrick who comes running over to you. Both staring at the grave you both stand there dumb founded. All you can hear is the quiet echo of the city and the soft piter pater of rain.

A voice in a whisper breaks the silence. "Y/n?" You heard it and turned to see Eric. Seeing you move Patrick turns to see him. The three of you stand there staring at one another for what feels like an hour.

"E-eric? Your-your dead....ho-how...?" You say as you approach him, ever so slowly. "Y/n..." He said as he quickly aproached you huging you for the first time in a year. As he sees the tears in your eyes he wipes them away.

"I don't know what I am. All I know is that I'm back here." Is the response you receive from your previous question.

You slowly break away from the hug, sadly, as you look over to Patrick. "Th-This is Patrick. He's-he's my uh, boyfriend." Patrick nods shakily walking over to you. "Nice to uh, meet you mate." He says shaking his hand.

Eric lead you both to his apartment explaining what he knows. He wants revenge on those who killed him and tore him from his love. You gave a sad smile as you walked into the scorched apartment, seeing a few salvageable items.

You were quick to pick up a polaroid of the two of you cuddleing close. Patrick couldn't help but smile at it when he looked over your shoulder. Eric smiled as well, knowing which picture you were looking at.

You lead Patrick towards a singed black sofa and sat down listening to more of what Eric had to say. He had yet to meet a man by the name of Joker. A man who played by his own rules and was stealing money from the mob. A rumor was going around that he had offered to kill Batman for the mob.

Patrick frowned, he didn't like the idea of revenge, no matter how horrible those people were. Patrick didn't like how violent vigilantes could be, and by the sounds of it, Eric was rather violent. Especially as he heard the tale of how the gangster T-Bird died.

You on the other hand agreed. You felt that justice was finnaly being served. You were glad that your Eric was being a hero and helping to remove the scum of Gotham.

Slowly the conversation went from dark to light as Eric began to ask both of you questions. Eric had originally been taken aback when he saw Patrick with you, but was starting to warm up to him seeing that he truly did love you. As Eric asked more questions Patrick did too. Both men were curious of the other, and were quickly trusting one another.

It made you smile so brightly to see them getting to know one another without any sort of malice.

As night began to approach Patrick was the one who had to tell you that you needed to head home before it got too dark. When you began to protest Eric was quick to agree with Patrick telling you that it wouldn't be the last time you saw him. Despite how badly you wanted to stay, you began to follow Patrick out and started making your way home.

Halfway you began to notice a single black crow following the two of you. When you told Patrick he smiled telling you it must be a sign from Eric, to keep the two of you safe.

Later that night when you your arrived home you found a record from his band on the counter. Neither of you knew how it got there, but you were happy to have it.

After that day the two of you often found small presents from Eric. You also would receive random visits from Eric which slowly began to fall into a routine. Though his visits slowly became became longer and longer.

Eventually he started staying with the two of you. When he wasn't hunting out the evils of Gotham, he was sleeping on the sofa, often without either of you knowing.

When Patrick finds out he suggests that he alternates nights. At first Eric opposes this idea, not wanting to leave either of you unprotected. Though he ended up agreeing to alternate with Pat to sleep in bed. On the nights Pat slept on the sofa, Eric's crow would watch over him; allowing Eric to feel at ease with his decision.

One night you and Pat awoke to a loud thud. Thinking it was Eric coming home from his work, you told Patrick to go back to sleep, and you headed towards the kitchen.

Upon entering the kitchen you can't help but laugh at the color of his hair and coat. Unlike his ussual black attire he was wearing a purple trench coat and had his hair died green. At the sound of your laughter Eric stood up from the fridge abd as he turned you stoped laughing.

The man before you was not Eric, but rather a stranger. White, black, and red grease paint covered his face making him look even more menicing. Not to mention the feirce scars that created a permanent smile, did little to keep you calm.

"Boo." Was all he said to have you running and screaming for Patrick and Eric.

Eric arrived just in time to see you running into the bedroom and to hear the laughing in the kitchen. Eric steadily headed towards the kitchen. He frowned as he saw the clown before him.

"J..."

"Now I know why you said Boo!" J said in between bursts of laughter.

"I told you not to scare them."

Patrick of course hearing all the commotion, walked in with you trembling in his arms.

"Whose this? Howd-"

"This is the one I told you about. This is Joker. He's helping me with the mob."

Patrick looked up at him. "How? I heard he was robbing banks."

"Not just any banks, koala, but the mob's banks." Joker said as his laughing finnially died down. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." He said smiling like a toddler.

Eric gave you a hug. "He's all bark and no bite around us. He won't hurt you."

He had you and Patrick return to bed while he and J stayed up and talked about the mob.

By morning the Joker was gone and you hadn't seen him until the next week, when he jumped out from behind the door and scared you.

Though as time went by you slowly began to get used to his jump scares. His vists to your apartment slowly became more frequent. Patrick, who still felt rather uneasy around him, was beginning to become used to his presence. For Patrick the clown reminded him of a crazier version of Eric.

Eric and Patrick had become rather close in the last few months. Both of whom began to get used to the idea of napping together.

Soon J followed suit, squishing Eric in the middle of the sofa.

For you, those moments were sweet, when your boys were together peacefully. No worries. No fighting. No plans. Just peace amongst them. Somthing that neither of them tended to bring to the table.

Over this time, you too, began to have a closer bond with the crazed clown. He had even began to call you Bunny, thanks to your first encounter.

With his help though, you began to learn how to throw knives, shoot guns, and build a bomb (not that it was needed). On the other hand Patrick didn't quiet agree with J on these leasons, why should anyone know how to build a bomb. Often you and Eric would break up the bickering between the two.

As more time went by the four of you began to fall into a strange relationship. One that was rather unconventional. But then again none of you were conventional.

[its-a-novelist-girl]

Never Have I Ever

Summary: A virgin, 20-year-old Damian with too many trust issues to let a girl get too close is constantly teased by his brothers for spending so much time with his female best friend, Y/N. During a game of never have I ever, Y/n is shocked to find that her incredibly good looking best friend has never had more than a brief kiss. Y/n starts to think and she might have a proposition that Damian can’t say no to. 

(Disclaimer/Notes): I own nothing of DC characters. This will be partly comic cannon and partly my own. I have never posted like this on here so please be patient with me as I learn. 

(Tags): @theyellowfeverexperience​, @ginevraxrogers​, @lilsxtan​, @idkmanicantenglish​, I’m sorry if I missed anyone! 

Rules to Never Have I Ever. A person says something they have never done or experienced, if the other players have done it they put a finger down, if they have also not done the thing they leave their fingers up. 

It was Tuesday night at Gotham public library, and your group was slowly but surely losing all focus at the task at hand. A small thud took your tired eyes from your book, to look across from you where the sound had come from. Alex, one of your project partners, had his head face down in an open book, and groaned loudly. 

“Ok my brain is at max capacity, I can’t do it anymore,” his voice came out slightly muffled by the book pressed to his face. You chuckled and shook your head, but you had to agree with him, you had all been there for four hours and desperately needed a break. You stretched and slumped back into your chair to look over at your best friend Damian, who was intensely focusing on his book.  

You met when you transferred to Gotham prep a few years ago and when Damian figured out you could care less about his money and fame, he, of course, a bit reluctantly, took the opportunity to make a friend that might actually genuinely like him for who he was. Spoiler alert you did like him and you quickly became best friends. After you graduated you both enrolled in Gotham University, taking whatever classes you could together, which lead to this mind-numbing project. 

“Let’s play never have I ever,” Tina suggested from her place in the chair next to Alex. Alex’s head shot up at that and responded, “Alright, put em up.” 

Three hands shot up, elbows resting on the table, fingers up. You looked over to Damian, and when he still didn’t look up from his book, you asked 

“Dami, don’t you want to play?” 

He took a deep sigh, one you knew was just to be dramatic, and raised his hand but refused to stop reading, and honestly, you called it a win. 

“Never have I ever fell from a tree.” You and Damian both put a finger down and you ignored the flicker of his eyes from his book to you in shock.

 Everyone took turns and after a few games, eventually, it was left with Tina with three fingers up, Damian with two, and you and Alex each had one. Tina was trying to think of one that would knock you both out of the game, and you raised an eyebrow at her when she grinned suddenly. 

“Never have I ever had sex,” She said smugly, and you threw a paper wad at her as Alex groaned, “Oh come on, not fair.”

You laughed and glanced over at Damian’s hand, which still had two fingers up. 

Suddenly he met your gaze, closed his hand into a fist, and said: “Come on Y/N, it’s late and we should both be getting home.” With that, he stood with a grace you envied and started packing his bag. You did the same and after saying farewell to your other partners, headed to his car. 

---------- 

You leaned back against the comfortable leather seats as you watched Gotham’s streets pass out the window. Damian, of course, was driving you home from the study session. You turned your head to look at him, studying how the light from the dash illuminated his features. How it casts shadows on his face that makes him look like the Son of the Demon he was trained to be. 

You had found out about Damian’s secret identity a year ago when he rescued you from getting mugged walking home one night. It was his eyes that gave him away in the end. He looked at you straight in the eyes and you could see the flicker of panic as he then checked you over for injures before his masked expression fell back into place. You asked him to walk you home, pulled him inside, and demanded to know if Robin was Damian Wayne. He had laughed and hugged you saying how grateful he was that you figured it out and he wouldn’t have to lie to you anymore. Since then you had spent more time at the manor, befriending his family and spending times with his brothers (much to Damian’s dismay). Damian even opened up a little about his childhood over a bottle of far too expensive wine he had stolen from a gala.  

Your mind wandered back to the library. Could it really be possible that the gorgeous man beside you had never had sex?  

“Can I help you, Y/N ?” he asked not looking away from the road and the corners of his mouth twitched up when you jumped a little in your seat. 

“Have you actually never had sex?” you blurted out before you lost your nerve. 

Damian whipped his head to look at you to make sure he had actually heard you right, eyes wide in surprise. He gapped at you before turning his attention back to the road, breathing deeply before saying 

“No, if you must know I have never had more than a brief kiss from a teenage socialite at a gala I was forced to attend,” he muttered, trying to sound intimidating so you’ll drop the subject. He looked back at you and your shock must have shown. 

“Why is that so shocking to you?” he demanded, switching between looking at your face and the road, his cheeks reddening under your constant gaze. Still, you could see past the wall he was trying to place up, he was embarrassed. This was something you were not expecting, you made Damian “I don’t have feelings” Wayne embarrassed. 

“Oh come on! Have you seen yourself!” The words pour out of your mouth before you could stop them, and suddenly it was your cheeks turning red. You turned to look at the road as you both let the silence take over, as soon as you were sure Damian wouldn’t comment on what you said you heard him whisper into the silent dark night. 

“I don’t trust anyone enough to ever be that vulnerable with them.” 

Now that was something you had never considered as you turned to look at him again. Damian was always incredibly private and while he had let down a few of his walls around you, you knew that had taken a long time. He was strong and could be scarier than Batman if he wanted to be, so knowing that being vulnerable terrifies him shocked you. You knew that his life with his mom wasn’t great and that he wasn’t incredibly close to his dad, so it made sense that he wasn’t used to being vulnerable with anyone. And yet here is this car with you, he talked to you about something that embarrassed him without fear you would tease him about it. Its how your friendship worked, you never expected anything more from Damian than to just be himself. 

“But you trust me, don’t you?” You couldn’t stop yourself from asking in a whisper that matched his own. 

He chuckled lowly and said, “You’re the exception, Y/N, not the rule.”. He pulled in front of your apartment building. He got out of the car to walk you to your door, something he has always insisted on doing because “come on Y/N this is Gotham.”. You both walked to your door in silence, only speaking to thank him for the ride and to ensure he text you when he got home. After he left you got ready for bed, crawled under your covers and stared up at the ceiling in thought. 

Damian Wayne, son of the biggest flirt in Gotham, has never had more than a kiss. The knowledge shocked you. He was gorgeous, build like a Greek god, with green eyes that could melt panties for miles. If you were completely honest you had admired his body more than once. Had thought of what it would feel like to run your fingers through his black hair, to feel his biceps that were bigger than your head. He has popped up in your dreams a couple of times; how could he not? Best friend or not, Damian Wayne was hot. 

Then another thought popped into your head. You were the only girl Damian trusted outside of his sisters. Now that you thought about it you realized how true that was, he had never allowed another girl to get very close to him. You were the only girl that you knew of that was allowed to hug him on a regular basis. You were the only one allowed to call him Dami. Another thought popped into your head. If you were the only girl he trusted, maybe you could help your best friend out? 

----------

Damian was getting ready for bed, after checking in on his father and Tim patrolling and making sure his assistance wasn’t required. Tim had made a snide remark about his study date with you, calling you his girlfriend for the millionth time. After the boys had met you, the teasing only got worse. Sometimes having older brothers sucked, he thought to himself as he remembered the countless times every one of his older brothers gave him crap about having you as his best friend. Tim and Jason were the most vocal but Dick tended to tease him when they were alone. Although none of them ever teased him in front of you. It was an unspoken rule amongst everyone because they knew how much your friendship meant to him. 

Damian settled into his bed with a book he had been meaning to read and tried not to think of how he embarrassed himself in front of you today. He had been hoping that you wouldn’t catch that he hadn’t put his finger down but of course you noticed. How was he exposed to explain to you that he was terrified of letting his guard down? That being naked in front of another person in such an intimate way was something that he wasn’t sure he would ever let himself relax enough to enjoy. He was trained as a child to not show weakness, to not let anyone be able to get the upper hand. He knew his mother seduced men to kill them before, so what would stop anyone else from trying it. Getting him in an exposed and vulnerable position to exploit. 

If he was being honest with himself though, the only girl he truly found fascinating was you. He loved the way you moved, clumsily compared to his trained gracefulness. He loved that you didn’t care his father was famous. He loved that you were smart enough to realize he was Robin and never once judged him about the questionable things he has done in his past. Not to mention you were beautiful and that his mind had wandered many times before he gets control of himself. He wondered what your bottom lip would feel like under his thumb. He wondered if all your skin was as soft as your hands. He wondered what it would feel like to hold you close and nuzzle his face into your neck. 

A buzzing sound next to him drew his attention away from his book. He put the bookmark in place before closing it next to him and picking up his phone. In all of his life, Damian has had many shocking things happen. He would count this in his top five.

[mischiefandspirits]

Colony of Gotham (1/7)

Special thanks to @starlightandsunshine​ for helping me with this <3

The Colony of Gotham is an urban legend that is whispered about in the dangerous city. It's said the Colony is a family of demons and spirits that stalk the night, hunting for the souls of the guilty.

When Bruce became Batman, he'd never intended to be mistaken for a demon. He was happy to lean into it, though, and as he gained his partners -- as his family grew -- they all followed suit.

Next Part

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce Wayne was born a vampire, one from the long-standing Kane family of vampires through his mother. This nature granted him a few abilities. He was more durable than a human and could heal faster. He was stronger and faster than a human and had better sight and hearing, though not to anywhere near the degree that some metas boasted. He could take on the form of an animal and could influence bats, corvids, canines, and felines to a certain extent. Finally, he would stop aging once he reached his thirties, a trait of those who were born or turned young instead of those like Alfred who were turned at an older age and therefore would always be that age.

However, when he set off on his path to becoming Batman, he swore to himself that he would not rely on any of this to fight the criminals that plagued Gotham. He would not be like those heroes past who relied on their powers, then were left defenseless when those abilities faltered or were ripped away. After all, only a vampire’s healing and longevity remained during the day and some spells and devices could similarly strip his nature away.

Batman stuck to his wits, tech, and martial arts training.

Even still, the criminals of Gotham could tell something was off about the Bat. Rumors flew about a demon haunting Gotham’s night, which Bruce leaned into. He hadn’t chosen a bat just because of the family significance. He wanted to strike fear. As such, he stuck to the shadows and allowed his fangs to bare. He used makeup to make himself appear paler and contortionist tricks to make his movements uncanny. He allowed Batman to become an urban legend that sent shivers down the spines of Gotham’s infamous.

When Barbara Gordon became Batgirl, she quickly realized his tricks were just that and leaned into them as well. She became a ghost following in the Bat’s footsteps. She disappeared into a mist made from special smoke pellets and spun across the ground and air in a weightless way that came from years of ballet and gymnastics training. She wore shadows like Batman’s, but violet and gold peeked through the darkness to make her stand apart.

Bruce initially didn’t want her in the field, but she eventually proved herself both competent and stubborn. In a bid to help protect her, he outfitted her with proper gear and let her in on the secret of his nature. She considered it, then a week later she asked him to turn her so she could always watch his back.

Then Dick Grayson was taken in by the billionaire and became the Bloody Robin. They called him a demon child, the son of the Bat who flew on bird’s wings. His cheerful laughs and giggles echoed and hissed eerily thanks to a voice filter. His clothes were bright colors, but were covered by the wing-like shadows that wrapped over his shoulders. Fake blood dripped from his hair and eyes and coated the tips of his gloves and cape. He chirped like a bird as he flipped and flew through the air. His mask made his eyes glow white and his body almost appeared boneless when he moved around on the ground thanks to the contortionist who’d babysat him at the circus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The three heard the tales when teams of heroes began to form, but they didn’t reach out. Gotham’s Colony was a myth, an urban legend. Those outside of Gotham had never heard of them and those within only spoke in whispers.

That was how the Colony preferred it.

Besides, the rest of the world wasn’t as dark as Gotham.

Their tricks and games worked fine in the shadow-filled gothic architecture that made up Gotham, the near-perpetual overcast days, and the deep darkness of Gotham’s nights, but cities like Jump, Metropolis, or Central were far brighter. They could do without, they’d proven that plenty of times against the bigger villains that were either too crazy or brave to fear the Bat, but why should they? The tricks and games had become a part of them over the years and discarding a piece of themselves just so they could work outside of Gotham with strangers felt wrong.

So the Colony stuck to their own.

On the job, at least.

Dick met Wally West at a two-week-long Jr. Forensics Summer Camp when they were eleven and thirteen respectively. Bruce had sent him to brush up on his skills while Wally’s mentor, Barry Allen, thought it would be good training. Neither boy knew about each other's secret lives, but became close friends all the same and kept in contact when they returned home. Dick didn’t reveal it to Wally when he discovered the other boy was Kid Flash, but kept a close eye on Central City just in case.

A similar situation happened two years later when the Colony discovered Green Arrow’s latest protégé, a girl named Artemis Crock, lived in Gotham and had been helped into Gotham Academy by the other billionaire. Dick decided to keep an eye on her, but his pseudo-stalking quickly turned into a genuine friendship.

He may have taken a bit too much joy in introducing Wally and Artemis to one another. Wally got back at him a few years later by introducing him to the model Kory Anders, the secret identity of his celebrity crush Starfire. Dick had to admit to having a crush on Kory as well to explain his nerves.

It turned out to be a net gain in the end, though, since he came out of it with her phone number.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As time passed, Dick started to get too old to be the demon child. He decided to create a new story for himself. One that would let him step out from under the shadow of the bat, using a name from an alien myth in Bruce’s files that he’d loved reading growing up. He and Bruce argued, and Dick spent some time sleeping on Barbara’s couch, but with nowhere to run they were forced to come to a compromise. There was still tension, but it was smoothed over with time and a bite.

Nightwing was a nocturnal bird that had taken human shape after being taken in by Batgirl’s elegance. It chased after and raced the ghost, nothing but shadows and a blue streak flying through the air. Those who got close enough to see his face would say that his skin was like porcelain while black wings covered his eyes completely and his lips were painted with darkness.

Nightwing wasn’t the only change to the Colony, though, because as Dick was finishing up his designs for the story, a little boy was stealing the tires off the Batmobile.

Dick was furious when the kid climbed out of the car into the cave, thinking Bruce had brought the kid in as a new Robin without even consulting him, but anger’s quickly replaced by confusion.

Because Batman wasn’t with the kid.

Jason Todd had gotten grabbed by the Bat after having already nicked three tires off the batmobile. Batman caught him before he could run then replaced the tires. He’d made a mistake in leaving the boy in the car when he went to call for someone to pick him up, however. Jason, who some might generously call impulsive, proceeded to use the opportunity presented to him to hotwire the vehicle and take it for a joyride that ended when he accidentally had the autopilot bring him to the cave. 

Dick was immediately taken with the small spitfire’s story, as well as his stubbornness and intellect. Meanwhile, Jason was amused by the fact that Gotham’s demon was, in his eyes, nothing more than a spectacular conman and wanted in. They teamed up to force Bruce to adopt the younger boy through underhanded -- and perhaps slightly illegal -- tactics.

As Dick started using his new story more and Robin less, Jason got his own turn under Batman’s cape.

People started to say Robin was more vicious. He’d climb walls, the claws on his feet and hands easily cutting into brick and metal. He’d give a fang-filled smirk as he hung from the ceiling like he’d forgotten he was a bird instead of a bat, only to drop down on unsuspecting shoulders. If he wasn’t clawing at opponents, he was beating them with his fists.

As one of his first acts as Robin, Jason saved a young boy who had been kidnapped for ransom. The kid had acted out of it during the rescue, but Jason put it down to trauma. He’d had no reason to realize the young detective-to-be had noticed the edge of Jason’s fake fangs through the shadows and fake blood. No one could have predicted the rabbit hole young Tim Drake had just fallen down nor that it would lead him to massive discoveries in the near future.

When Jason discovered Catherine Todd wasn’t his birth mother, he considered going alone to look for the mystery woman who’d given birth to him. He and Bruce had just had a fight about his temper that had left him benched and he wanted to prove himself, but something Dick had told him months before echoed in his mind.

“No matter how much we argue, we’re always going to be there for each other. Us birds and bats, we’re a family. We have to stick together.”

In the end, he asked Dick and Barbara for help. It was something he was thankful for when his mother sold him out to the Joker. At least he could hold out against the torment with the knowledge his true family would soon come for him.

When Batgirl and Nightwing arrived, Joker fled. Barbara got Jason out while Dick, after seeing the state of his brother, tracked down the clown. Bruce got to him just in time to stop him from beating Joker to death, but when he saw Jason’s condition he couldn’t bring himself to scold his elder son for his loss of control.

Jason was barely hanging on and Bruce, knowing there was no other choice, turned him.

The boy lived, but his injuries were too severe and he fell into a coma.

Three weeks later, Bruce and Dick came into Bruce’s study to find Tim Drake waiting for them. Both were a little more focused on “My parents are never home” than “so I’m in a perfect position to cover for Jason as Robin while he’s sleeping,” to Tim’s confusion, but he ended up in the suit all the same.

The whispers that had come after Joker’s latest incarceration had him crowing about clipping bird wings tapered off as Robin sightings flared up throughout the city. People saw him flying next to the Bat and they heard him tap-tap-tapping his claws. He tapped them against the walls as he hunted through warehouses and against the floors as he crouched in front of technology that seemed to unlock under his gaze thanks to the computer that’d been built into his gloves, the interface of which could only be seen through the lenses in the Colony’s masks and cowls.

Tim didn’t really know how to feel about being adopted by Bruce, aside from the guilt he knew was mixed in there somewhere. It felt wrong to be slipping into the family like that while Jason was right there and Dick had to talk him down when the anxiety attack eventually hit.

Tim was Tim. He wasn’t Jason and they didn’t want him to be Jason.

Dick understood though. He explained how Dick and Jason had both had similar feelings regarding Barbara and Dick respectively, though Dick could admit he’d gotten off easier all things considered. He told Tim that the Colony was a family, and adoption or not, Tim was a part of that now. Jason wasn’t going anywhere and neither was Tim.

When Jason woke, Dick had a similar conversation with him after Jay saw a news broadcast about Tim while waiting for the others to arrive. It soothed him some, and Tim soothed him more when he assured Jason he wasn’t taking Robin from him.

“There can’t be two Robins.”

“Why can’t there?”

As Jason went through physical training to get back in shape, the two worked together to develop a strategy for acting as Robin together. One part of this was Trillic.

Tim, with help from Dick and Jason, invented a secret language made up of chirps, whistles, and clicks. It started as a way for the Robins to communicate with each other without giving away there was more than one, but over time the rest of the Colony picked it up and the vocabulary expanded until it became the family’s own personal language that they’d use whenever they didn’t feel like using words.

A few days after Jason was released from the hospital, Dick found Jason down in the cave and grew worried his little brother was pushing himself too soon after his accident. Then he saw the young woman on the screen. She looked a year or two older than Jason with long red hair, olive skin, and bright green eyes.

They’d met in Ethiopia, Jason told him, while saving a woman from some men. Jason had wanted to try to track her down now that he was awake. He’d succeeded, but it turned out she was an Amazonian hero.

Combined with the fact her name was Artemis, Dick couldn’t help but laugh and make a joke about Jason following in his footsteps. Jason smacked him and told him she was really more of an anti-hero so it wasn’t the same as Dick making friends with Kid Flash and Tigress, but Dick ignored him.

Jason did end up contacting her, and even got her to take a visit to Gotham. Dick took the opportunity to introduce her to Wally and his own Artemis, who Wally began to refer to as Stripes to not get confused. When questioned, he claimed it was because of some outfit of hers that stuck in his mind. Dick and Jason, knowing it was actually based on her identity as Tigress, nodded along and picked up using the name, to her annoyance.

Surprisingly, the two women didn’t get along despite their similar attitudes. This led to them taking great offense whenever people couldn’t tell which Artemis was being talked about, something only Jason, Dick, and Alfred never managed to do.

While the teens were laughing over this, whispers were going around about how the Bloody Robin seemed to be everywhere. If you fled from a room you knew he was in, you’d find him standing right in front of you in the new room. There was no escape. And he trilled more than ever, though his voice almost seemed to echo back at him as if he was having a conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not long after the Justice League had formed, Barbara had hacked into their security system and planted a little bug she named Mockingbird. It was designed to alert her whenever someone mentioned the Colony’s civilian or vigilante identities and copy any footage during the time. More often than not all it gave her was Wally and Bow-Artemis (as most of the family thought of her, to contrast with Axe-Artemis) discussing Dick. Every so often though, there’d be someone pining after Dick or Bruce, which could be good for a laugh depending on who it was.

On a day not long after the Robins had been set loose together, Mockingbird gave her something that was sort of new, yet at the same time not.

The video started with Wally discussing some prank he and Dick had pulled on Bruce and slowly devolved into him just bragging about how awesome Dick was. Suddenly he froze, staring off into the air.

Artemis took one look at him and asked, “Did you finally realize you’ve got a crush on your best friend?”

He immediately went to reassure his girlfriend, but she said got it and even shared his feelings.

Barbara settled in to watch the show.

Unfortunately, it took longer than she’d anticipated for Dick to catch on that the two actually wanted to date him and not just spend more time with him. He was usually pretty good at picking up on people’s feelings, yet Artemis ended up having to pull him into her lap during a movie night and kiss him flat on the lips before it sunk in.

When Barbara approached him about it, he pouted over her spying. Then he admitted that he’d known for years they all had feelings for each other, he just hadn’t wanted to risk getting in the middle of the two’s relationship since they seemed so happy together. When he’d realized how they’d started flirting with him, he’d been worried they were just after a quick thing and he couldn’t do that to himself. So he’d put on his media mask of naive ditz Dickie who wouldn’t recognize flirting if it hit him in the face.

Thankfully the two had reassured him and after talking it through, the three settled happily into their throuple.

To congratulate his brother, Jason gave him a solid week before making jokes about Dick following in Bruce’s footsteps by dating someone with a feline-themed suit.

The next hurdle was deciding how to deal with the media. Dick was Richard “Dickie” Grayson, eldest son of Bruce Wayne. The media loved to go on about him. Pretty much every second of his relationship with Kory had been recorded by the press. Neither of them had minded. He was still a performer at heart, always would be, and she was a warrior princess who had been in the spotlight all her life.

But Dick knew Wally and Artemis weren’t Kory so he talked to them about how they wanted to handle things.

In the end, they agreed only friends and family would know about Artemis, but Wally and Dick would go public. They all had practice keeping much bigger secrets so it wasn’t hard on Artemis to hide their relationship. Meanwhile, Wally didn’t mind playing around for the cameras. Plus, he knew how people treated Dick when they thought he was single and a small possessive part of him didn’t want them trying anything, even if he knew Dick would never cheat.

Things didn’t actually turn out too bad. Of course, there were always the conservatives that came around when Dick got a boyfriend, but they never stuck around long. Bruce had made his support of Dick’s sexuality very clear from the beginning and no one wanted to risk really ticking someone as rich and connected as him off by attacking his son like that.

The real problem came when their agreement to tell their families accidentally didn’t reach everyone.

Dick had been alone at the manor when it happened.

Bruce had gone on a weekend business trip, bringing Tim with him. Alfred was on a trip to England. Jason had taken the opportunity to spend the weekend hopefully not blowing things up with Artemis Grace, who had ended up getting a small flat in Gotham to act as her home base so she could visit with Jason and Dick during the rare occasions she wasn’t running across the world causing trouble with the Outlaws. Dick had been planning to spend the weekend with his partners at Stripe’s apartment, but they’d both been caught up by something (Dick assumed a mission had unexpectedly run long) so he had the night to himself.

He was watching a movie in the theater room when he felt a shift in the air. He immediately dropped to the floor, barely avoiding the sai that had been coming for his throat. Then he was over the back of the couch and engaging the assassin. He quickly realized she was with the League of Assassins as he recognized moves Bruce had picked up from them. She was good, too, but she had clearly come to the fight unprepared to face a Gotham myth. He didn’t take too many hits before pinning her and binding her hands and feet with the obijime from her dress. He then disarmed her of all her hidden weapons just in case.

When he questioned her, she declared that she was Artemis’s sister and had come to avenge her honor after Wally had betrayed her for Dick. She was not going to sit back and let the fool cheat on or dump her sister for the likes of a man she had believed was nothing more than an airheaded socialite.

Then, with narrowed eyes, she added that she had clearly been mistaken as not many airheaded socialites had been trained by assassins. Nor did they use moves only known by those trained by Ra’s al Ghul.

Dick ignored that and explained the trio’s situation as he untied her, having recognized her as Cheshire aka Jade Nguyen aka his girlfriend’s -- apparently protective -- assassin sister.

He took pride in the fact that he was dating someone who was only related to criminals instead of actually dating a criminal, unlike a certain father of his.

She thankfully believed him, though she did warn that should he be lying or should he hurt Artemis, she wouldn’t underestimate him a second time. She made a few more thinly veiled digs at his assassin-based fighting style as he showed her out that he cleanly sidestepped with comments about self-defense training. They both knew she didn’t believe a word of it, but she left it alone as she slipped away into the night.

So long as her sister remained unharmed, she had no desire to get involved in whatever was going on between the Wayne’s and al Ghul’s.

Before she left Gotham, though, she met Artemis and Wally on their way in and informed her sister that she approved of her new boyfriend. Both to be sure Dick was telling the truth and to mess with the speedster. The two predictably freaked out and she used their panic to slip away.

Dick answered Artemis’s call with, “Oh hey, Stripes! Your sister came by earlier to give me the shovel talk over tea. It was pretty gory, but I think the one Jason gave Wally was still probably worse so I’m not going to complain. Are we still on for tomorrow?” to their relief.

Artemis had not wanted to try to explain her assassin sister to her civilian boyfriend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I decided to use Stephanie's Batgirl suit for Babs because most of Babs' suits are either bright or look just like Batman's. Steph will get other suits of hers when she appears.

The Robin suit looks just like Dick's from The Batman (2004), just bloodier.

Nightwing's suit looks like the typical V one, just with the eyes of the mask being blacked out. Also, black lipstick because yes.

Vampires’ animal forms:

Bruce: Gray bat

Alfred: Common raven

Selina: Oriental shorthair cat

Barbara: Little red flying fox

Dick: Black-billed magpie

Jason: Malayan flying fox

[smokeybrand]

The Cape and The Cowl

A friend of mine posted a meme questioning who would win a fight between Doctor Doom and Batman. My gut reaction is to say it’s real bad for Bruce but, as i thought about it more and more, i kind of feel like its not so cut-and-dry. There is a lot of nuance that needs to be considered between the two characters rather than just a “smash the action figured together” scenario. Of course, there is the surface stuff like how would they interact generally? What would the catalyst be in order to incite said conflict? Why would Doom even see Bruce as a threat? If you think about it objectively, an all things are even, to Vic, Batman is just a crazy person losing his are on crime in a raggedy ass city. Victor von Doom is a the reagent of an entire country with a GDP that rivals some superpowers in the MCU. Like, the USA has diplomatic relations with a blip in Eastern Europe, because Doom has the military power to wreck he US in open aggression. Latveria will lose in a prolonged conflict, that’s just a question of resources, but that little country would absolutely inflict upon the US in a slow bleed. Imagine the War on Terror but with competent leadership and actual, discipline, military strategy. Why the f*ck would Doom care what the f*ck is going on out in Jersey? More than that. the similarities between the two characters is staggering.

We all know the origin of Batman. We’ve seen that sh*t how many times now? It’s like getting a new Spider-Man joint and having to watch Uncle Ben die all over again. It’s trite at this point but so essential to the character, we need a refresher every time Bats shows up onscreen. That trauma informs everything he is, as it would if you watched your parents gunned down in cold blood as a child, and then laid with their still warm corpses for however long until the police came. What a lot of people don’t know is the origin of Doctor Doom. Being a villain, Doom rarely gets his motivations explored outside of some megalomaniac Dr. No type f*ckery. However, Victor von Doom is a person. He started out life as a happy kid and learned to be Doctor Doom, just like Bruce learned to be Batman. Doom is actually a refugee. True, Doom was born an aristocrat, but Latveria was overthrown when he was still young so he was never able to be raised in that level of opulence. His mom was also murdered before he was ten years old. Just like Bruce, Doom experienced a horrific truth that would color his world perspective for the rest of his life. Doom would eventually find his way to the US as he was brilliant. Like, unheard of intelligent and it would be his exposure to the US lifestyle, after years of conflict and struggle, which would make him realize how easy life could be if someone just did what was necessary. And then Reed happened.

Reed Richards was, is, a fulcrum in Vic’s life. They have a relationship similar to Batman an Superman but the opposite. Whereas Batman values Clark’s perspective because it helps him keep perspective, Vic finds Reed to be absurd. He sees Reed for who e is and doesn’t understand why no one else can. Reed Richards is a reckless, excitable, short-sighted, glory-hog. He is. If you read the character with any semblance of realism, you’d see that. Ho many times has Sue comments on how she and the rest of his family, take a backseat to science? How many times has Reed, himself, sacrificed a relationship or to, in service to the solution of an equation? Doom saw all of that in college. Reed represents the structural issues of the world and it frustrates Vic to no end. In some continuities, the genesis of Vic going full Doom rest on an accident Reed commits because of that shortsightedness. It goes a long way to checking Reeds ego and he does become a better person for it, but it was at the cost of scarring Vic for life, both physically and mentally. Yet another example of the system, ruining Doom’s life.

Bruce, after his trauma, has kept a strong support system. First and foremost, since day one, he had Alfred. Doom had no one. Bruce then built a family, adopting all of the children and surrounding himself with love. Doom’s one true love died and was dragged down to hell. We know this because he punches out Mephisto whenever he can. Also, his mom is down there, too. Bruce eventually met Diana and Kal, becoming fast friends and life long confidants. Outside of Catwoman, I think Diana makes for the perfect romantic partner of Bruce and that is shown in several continuities. Reed just reinforced Doom’s disgust with the machinations of the world, eventually further degrading Doom’s tenuous hold of his ability to trust in others, by psychically maiming him. The negative impact Reed had on Doom’s life is f*cking profound, man. I’m not saying Doom should have taken it as far as he did, but it’s hard to argue against trying to kill a dude who had ruined years of your work, destroyed you reputation, and physically maimed you forever. That doesn’t seem wholly outrageous to me. I think it’s called justifiable homicide? The only reason Doom stopped trying to murder Reed is because Valeria was born. Valeria became the first person Doom felt real affection for, since the death of his wife. I think Morgan le Fay could be another, but that might have just been a time-space booty call. Valeria Richards and her relationship with he Uncle Doom, is what gave Vic the strength to be better. Bruce had that love his entire life, even immediately after his darkest day. Doom went decades without it.

Up until Valeria was born, all Doom had was his time spent as a destitute street rat, struggling to survive, to inform him about life and the world at large. That brazen cruelty for sure emotionally crippled him in a lot of ways, I'm not even going to start to defend his arrogance or superiority complex, but trauma does that. That's why i think Bats would eventually come around. They've both seen the absolute worst of the world and, in a lot of ways, go about righting those wrongs in the same way. If you pay attention, and the writer is worth their salt, you'd see that Latveria is an autocratic socialist paradise. Latverians are among the most literate, healthy, and happy people in the 616. Jobs are plentiful and crime is almost non-existent. Mans even cured cancer, which he made available to the world, if those people choose to make the trip to Latveria for treatment. The world of 616, at large, likes to paint Vic as this evil despot but, if you interview a laymen of Latveria, they’ll sing his praises. Most people forget that, before Doom returned for his birthright, Latveria was a whole ass occupied state. Think the relationship between Israel and Palestine. Latveria was basically falling into doorknobs for Symkaria and pretending that they weren’t in an abusive relationship. Doom showed up and changed all that. It was a bloody f*cking conflict, for sure, and i am certain Vic committed war crimes, but the end result was a free Latveria with a strong international presence. Doom is a hero to those people but a villain to other nations because of how he rose to power and, more importantly, how independent he made hi country from the world system. Doom did what was necessary to free his people, a march too far for Bruce and that’s why Gotham is the way that it is.

People who don’t know the character like to paint Vic as ego-maniacal villain, and that was valid when comics were just "hero smash bad guy", but we've grown beyond that. Every pop culture interpretation of Doom, outside of the comics, has him as this stoic, arrogant, asshole, dictator bu that’s just not an accurate portrayal of how Doom is in a modern capacity. Vic is definitely an autocrat but he’s no dictator. He can be cruel at times to specific individuals but he is generally benevolent to his people. He doesn’t portray himself as a strongman but he does let it be known he’ll nuke anyone or anything if it means furthering his overall goals which, currently, is the safety and security of Latveria. His country isn’t a police state and his people are free to do as they please but their is a line, just like everywhere else in the world. Doom just has a shorter one and enforces that with extreme prejudice. I’m not going to sit here and say everything is great in Latveria, it’s definitely not, but it ain’t so hot in 616 America either. How many Civil Wars have they had? What about that whole  tidbit with Hydra Cap? There is nuance and gray nowadays, areas that both Bats and Doom comfortably call home. Batman is, objectively, not a pure hero. He is, at best, a chivalric anti-hero and similarly, Doom is more of an anti-villain than the mustache twirling, boogeyman, mastermind pop media portrays him to be. Batman and Doom are basically the same person, with the same motivations, only Doom is willing to go much, much, further than Bruce; A difference in method you an attribute to their respective upbringings.

If Doom had the same support system as Bruce, he’d create miracles. We’ve seen glimpses of that throughout the years. Dooms last run culminated with him essentially obliterating an entire universe where he had the support necessary to build a proper utopia. Our Doom couldn’t fathom the choices made by this variant Doom because of how broken he is. If Bruce was alone in his formative years like Victor, he’d commit atrocities. We’ve seen glimpses of that over they years, too. There are various narratives that explore just such a tragic turn of events, explored in the Death Metal series of books. Dawnbreaker immediately comes to mind. Bruce and victor are the same side of the same coins. It's literally a crap shoot as to which side of the alignment chart either leans. And as if to inform my point further, we just recently had Joker War. That book went a long way to exposing the absolute necessity of raw force, in order to properly “save”Gotham. Joker was able to completely dismantle that entire city by attacking the machinery put in lace to make it run. He effectively proved that The Batman was part of the problem and would never be the solution because Bruce doesn’t go far enough. He puts out fires but never address the sparks which start those blazes. He doesn’t go far enough. He never will. His code won’t allow him to. But Doom can. Doom did. Honestly, if you really want to keep it real, what is Bruce's endgame? What does a healthy Gotham City look like? It looks a lot like f*cking Latveria.

So to answer this question outright, i don’t think they even fight. The way this hypothetical was set up had three rounds: the first being a standard donnybrook, the second being prep time, and the last being god mode. To be perfectly honest with you, it wouldn't make it past the first round. If i had to say, with pedestrian or normie level understanding of he characters, Doom sweeps all categories. For Round one, Doom’s armor trumps all of Batman’s gadgets. For Round Two, Doom has more resources at his fingertips for prep. For Round The God Emperor Doom exists. He created several realities and killed a few Beyonders. Batman sat in a chair which gave him access to all the wisdom in the multiverse, and realized there were three Jokers. Doom all the way. My informed opinion as someone who adores both these character more than most would have me think there wouldn’t even be a conflict to begin with. I think they’d investigate the inciting catalyst, meet in person with intent to attack if necessary, size each other up until one of them made the proposal to just talk, they'd converse, and the fight would end with both of them walking away from each other with begrudging respect. Doom would admire Bruce's will and Bruce would understand the necessity of Doom's position in the world because, if you can make it make sense, Bruce will usually agree. Batman, for all of his shortcomings, is not naive to the world. He’s seen the same darkness as Doom. Doom, for all of his pompous arrogance, understands the struggle to maintain faith in those around you, even if that noble aspiration is misplaced. Bruce is one bad day away from Doom and Doom is a decades worth of days from being Bruce. They mirror each other and i think they’d see that, taking each other as cautionary tales before becoming collaborators. I don’t see them ever really becoming friends but i don't think they’d ever be true enemies.

[kimberly-spirits13]

Enemies HC:

Warnings: Abuse, attempted kidnapping, anxiety attack, and overall, terrible parents

K’halder:

·       You were the child of Ocean Master

·       You had been abandoned and the guards found you around the palace one day

·       After gaining the good graces of the King, you had been trained and then sent to join the team where he hoped that you and K’halder would get along

·       He hated you

·       Figured that you had gotten to the king to betray him and he did not trust you one bit

·       Everyone on the team liked you but him and you tried to brush it off like it was no big deal but it sucked

·       It wasn’t until one day after training that you were sick of everything and confronted him

·       You were tired of being treated so terribly and not respected

·       You made him know this and he started to respect you after that

·       Once he got over himself, you guys started hanging out more and after proving yourself on a mission where your father showed, he confessed his feelings

·       Once he saw you fight for the team like that, he was hooked

·       You were one of the most elegant and wise person he had ever met and you were so kind to everyone

·       It’s like a breath of fresh air every time that he glances your way

·       He loves talking to you often either in your room, the library, or the cave water entrance

Wally West:

·       You were the child of Heat Wave

·       Once you went to flash freaking out about your dad and his plot to set a massive nuclear facility on fire

·       After that, he decided that maybe he was not best to help you master your powers, but he would be more than willing to help

·       You joined the team after around a year and Wally was not happy

·       The rest of the team loved you

·       I mean you were smart and very likeable

·       M really liked having someone to talk to and just have a good friend despite your powers being very dangerous to her

·       Wally on the other hand was terrible to you

·       The moment you walked into a room you could see him crap talking you or glaring daggers at you

·       You knew that your father was a bad person but you had never done anything wrong in your life

·       It was unfair but you just bit your tongue and moved on with your life not saying anything

·       M knew it bothered you and told Wally off a few times

·       Everyone knew it bothered you but he hated that maybe in some way he was falling for you and he hated you for that reason

·       One day, on a mission, your father showed up and recognized your powers

·       During the end, without hesitation, he picked you up to kidnap you

·       You screamed, fought against him, kicked him, bit him I mean you were literally fighting for your life

·       It took all of that for Wally to kick into high gear and completely shatter the man

·       It wasn’t until he saw you start to hyperventilate that he stopped and caught you right as you passed out

·       You were in the med bay for a day and a half, him at your side the entire time till you woke up

·       “Wally what are you doing here?”

·       “Look, I know that you just woke up and I know that you’ve had a hard few days, and I know that I was a complete piece of trash and I am so so so so so so so so so sorry for it. I just... didn’t really like that I actually really really like you.”

·       “Wait what? I thought you hated me?”

·       “I’m so sorry I j-“

·       You kissed him and then slapped him for being a piece of garbage but now he is like the greatest boyfriend ever

·       He is really upset he acted like that and never has ever again

Dick Grayson (This is a bit cliché but it makes sense so here we go):

·       You were the child of *drum roll* the Joker and Harley

·       One day you went to Batman asking for help away from your parents saying that they had planted 9 bombs around Gotham to go off during the night and you gave him the literal keys to the safe house

·       He was very skeptical until you showed the various scars on your jaw or arms from them

·       And then he understood

·       He took you back to the cave and you got cleaned up and wrapped into a blanket with tea after he gave you a comm so that you could tell him everything you knew piece by piece

·       You had had some training on top of immunity to like every toxin for every supervillain

·       After a few more months of training, he put you on the team

·       Dick was not okay with it and was very distant and cold from you

·       The rest of the team was very accepting and you were so sweet

·       It was a sin that someone like you had to go through what you did back there

·       You and Artemis became really good friends, at first bonding over terrible dads

·       You guys hung out a lot and often you ranted about Dick to her

·       Meanwhile, he about you to Wally

·       God, he didn’t understand what Batman was doing

·       You were the child of their greatest enemy and he just let you in

·       One night, you guys were on a mission and he was there

·       You stopped dead in your tracks the moment you saw him

·       He threatened you team, everyone was down but you

·       The team had never seen anything like it, it was like a switch flipped and suddenly you were the most ruthless fighter they’d ever seen

·       Everything you’d felt for the past 14 years was because of him so you took all of it out on him

·       You were screaming at him, cursing his name to the wind after he said that your mother, Harley, hated you and wished she killed you as usual

·       Aqualad came and pulled you off of him and everyone was silent the rest of the trip home

·       You went straight to the showers and then to your bedroom for the next day

·       Then gradually you came out

·       Dick had gained so much respect for you after that and was ashamed he judged you so harshly

·       You were talking to Artemis one night in her room

·       “I feel like the only reason I might be of any value to this team is because I’m good bait. Anyone acting up from Gotham? Send out Y/N. Poison Ivy has a killer plant? Send her out” “I swear I’m purely judged by my father and mother even though I had nothing to do with what they were doing. I was designed to lose and life will always be like that for me no matter what because of the blood running through my veins.”

·       Dick heard every word and was horrified but eventually, the next day apologized so much you kissed him for him to shut up

·       Now you guys are inseparable and either watching movies or just talking

·       If you ever are in a situation where your parents are brought up, he is just by your side faster than one could blink, a hand on your back tracing patters or just keeping your anxiety at bay

Conner:

·       You were the child of Maxima (had to pick a normal one who’s not Lex... ew)

·       He was cold to you and often popped off at you for nothing

·       You had gone to Wonder Woman instead of Superman and she took you in

·       One night, you got back and everyone could tell that there was something off about you

·       You were lost in your thoughts when you bumped into him and he went off

·       “Pardon me, sorry”

·       That was when he got mad and all you were trying to do was leave for your bedroom

·       You popped off

·       “I am sick of you talking to me like this. What have I ever done to you to make you feel the need to just start acting like a freaking mad man every time I breathe. If you have such an issue with me, I suggest that you get over it and grow up because I’m not leaving to go back to my mother.”

·       The team was shocked and you went into your bedroom without another word

·       The next day he came to apologize

·       You were skeptical at first

·       “Where are the cameras? Am I being punked?”

·       “No, I am actually here to say sorry.”

·       After a few weeks, one day before a mission, he kissed you and you were floored the rest of the mission

·       Then you got back and hit him in the arm

·       “What was that for?”

·       “You kissed me before a mission and expected me to pay attention to anything?”

·       *smirks smugly*

·       Now you guys are partners in crime

·       Then he got Wolf and it was even better

·       Needless to say, he can be frustrating but he gets over it pretty quickly

[bigskydreaming]

So long-time followers know that I’m a HUGE Dick/Kyle Rayner shipper for like, twenty years now, given that one time they interacted in The Obsidian Age JLA story and said to each other “If we get out of this alive, I’m totally going to hug you” and I mean, I say that’s basically the same thing as saying “totally going to kiss you” because duh, it just is, shut up, and ever since then my brain went oooh okay what IF though, and then decided it was officially obsessed, as it is wont to do, and ever since then I’ve been like Dick/Kyle for life, etc, etc.

Look, as you can see, I put a LOT of thought and detailed planning into my longterm decisions and fixations.

ANYWAY.

So here’s an old Dick/Kyle headcanon of mine for no other reason than because I want to and I can:

So Kyle is actually around the same age as Dick and the OG Titans, from what little context clues there are for ages back at the time he debuted. And Kyle was from the start two things in particular, aside from y’know, a freelance graphic designer and artist.

1) He was a HUGE superhero fanboy, and not shy about it.

2) He was obsessed with flying ever since he was a kid. When he first became Green Lantern, flying was the very first skill he mastered, and he said he figured the reason he took to it so easily was because of all the time he’d spent dreaming of flying ever since he was a kid. Not so coincidentally, his favorite superhero was said to be Superman.

Sound like anyone else we know?

SO. HEADCANON:

Imagine this young, ordinary boy with no superpowers, an obsession with superheroes, and dreams of flight.

Imagine his reaction to the debut of the first Robin. An allegedly ordinary boy without superpowers of his own, who nevertheless was partner to the Batman himself, and kept up with all these much older, actual superpowered superheroes as well as becoming the leader of his own age-group of superheroes, most of whom eclipsed him in powers as well. With this Robin being particularly noted for his aptitude for flight, even while still just an ordinary human. As likely to be seen soaring through the air, easily spotted against any background in his bold, fearless signature palette of eye-catching red, green and yellow. Doing the kind of thing, being KNOWN for doing the kind of thing, that put him in the same breath as people like Superman, heroes who needed to ACTUALLY be able to fly, to, well. Fly.

Imagine Dick Grayson as Robin being Kyle Rayner’s first crush, before he even realizes he’s gay or bi, before he has any idea who Robin might be under the mask. But he’s there in Kyle’s imagination long before Kyle becomes a hero himself, building a foundation brick by brick over years and years, of knowledge, awareness, that you don’t have to be born with powers to become a hero. That ordinary men like them can also be extraordinary. All it takes.....

Is strength of will.

Imagine a young Kyle Rayner aging into the adult who will eventually become the last and only Green Lantern the universe will have to rely upon for years to come......shaped in part, by the subconscious litany in the back of his mind, keeping company with that longtime crush of his on that mysterious masked man boy....”what would Robin do?”

And then imagine upon becoming a hero, becoming the last Green Lantern, gaining the power of flight and mastery of one of the most powerful weapons in the universe as well as a seat at the table with all these other heroes of legend, that he’d followed since he was a child.....

He happens to finally meet Nightwing, the man who was once the Robin that was his first crush, one that never fully went away, the guy who’s been sitting next to all these luminaries since Kyle was in middle school, and all with less powers than even Kyle himself has now, and throughout all that time, in spite of all that, he’s still here, still going strong, and even more respected now than he was back then, and Kyle realizes....

Oh no, he’s as amazing as I always imagined he was. Wtf, wtf, this is the worst, what do I dooooooooooooooo.

And imagine the wielder of the universe’s powerful weapon, one of the premiere superheroes of the world and who will go on to become like, one of the most legendary Green Lanterns of all time....

Just. Turning absolutely tongue-tied around Nightwing, his first boyhood crush. Just absolutely losing his cool every time he so much as walks in the room. Like oh no, I gotta go, my mom’s calling me I mean I gotta save the world I mean oh crap that’s a wall. This all-powerful, utter DORK of a man-child just.....unable to tear his eyes away from the suddenly oh-so-compelling sight of his own boots when Nightwing’s in the room because umm duh, what if he like saw Kyle LOOKING at him, Kyle would have to die, hello? His cheeks just suddenly igniting into an utter inferno when Nightwing’s walking down the hall of the Watchtower in his direction and Kyle has to spin on his heel and remember that super important thing he left in his room even while Wally laughs and points out Kyle’s room is in the other direction, PAST Nightwing.

Imagine all the people Kyle is closest with......Wally, from their time on the JLA together, Donna, his ex-girlfriend and an absolute troll, Roy, who is Kyle’s BFF’s older brother and former leader from Kyle’s brief stint with the Titans.....all of whom are Dick’s best and oldest friends....like, all slowly but surely becoming aware of Kyle’s huge and hugely embarrassing crush on their longtime BFF, and just.....fucking LIVING for it. Its the absolute most hilarious thing any of them have ever seen, and they never fail to capitalize on this, but also at the same time are not shy about not-so-subtly pushing him in Dick’s direction because Kyle is a sweetheart and they all think he’d actually be good for Dick, who would absolutely be good for Kyle as well.

And with them all privately thinking that as great as Dick and Kory were together, or Dick and Babs, with Dick’s previous relationships, there’s always been a kind of unspoken undertone where people are like.....the impressive thing about Dick is that he can keep up with someone like Kory, who outstrips him so vastly in power and strength. There’s something nice, Dick’s friends think, about the idea that here is this supremely powerful superhero who’s like.....not even THINKING about how much more powerful than Dick is, because he has so much respect for everything Dick’s done since the time he was a kid, that he’s like, OMG I can’t believe that *I* can keep up with HIM. He can of course, like none of them are in doubt about Kyle’s own capabilities and importance, its just....nice, they kinda agree. To see Dick so admired and desired by someone who is awed just by HIM, by who he IS.

So they’re like....Roy: *gently but firmly hipchecks Kyle into Dick’s path at a superhero event OH NO HOW DID THAT HAPPEN IM SO CLUMSY OOPS MUCH SHAME UPON MY FAMILY* and Donna: *has zero shame and Amazonian modesty and as mentioned is an absolute troll and lives to embarrass her friends and is all like haaaaaaaaaaaave I mentioned that Kyle is great in bed wait no come back Dick this is a good story why are you blushing I don’t understand* and Wally: *is that friend of Kyle’s who is kinda a douche to Kyle and gets a certain amount of enjoyment out of making his life miserable so who better to accidentally sabotage or crash Kyle’s dates with various unworthies so as to make sure he’s available for the totally-not-a-blind-date-or-at-all-engineered-superhero-teamup he, Roy and Donna are coordinating for the two*

Anyway.

This has been a Dick/Kyle headcanon. This is the conclusion of a Dick/Kyle headcanon. This is a normal ending to a post. The end.

[natsukitakama]

Headcanon : Dick Grayson being a dad

Author note : I can’t explain why but I am sucker for Domestic Headcanon, hope you will enjoy it. Like my other headcanon is based on the event of Titans show and could be considered as a sequel to this headcanon. 

Warning : slight spoiler / nothing but fluff I am sucker for domestic headcanon LMAO. 

I do not the gif credit(s) to the owner 

First of all : Dick Grayson never saw himself as a dad 

Sure he has a thing for child in distress and he already prove how good he was with children 

Plus we know thanks to Rachel’s dad : He used to dream about having a family 

But with everything happen : Deathstroke, Donna, Jerrircho… He started to questionnate his personality and ability as human being. Basically he started to be afraid he won’t be a good leader, a good father, a good partner. 

He felt self-concisous about himself : he nearly lose Jerricho and Garp they were under his responsibility and yet he failed 

Or he was about to 

Fortunately he got his shit together 

So your relationship didn’t get hurt as much as it could : Dick tried to push you away from him but you know better, it was just his way to protect you from him and everything. 

So after a huge fight between you two : He finally confessed about how much you mean to him and ho much he cared for you, you did the same you told him you loved him and there is no one you would share your life but him

After this you became closer to each other 

And what should happen, happened : you get married to the only man you wanted to share your life. 

Everyone was so excited and happy : it was like your wedding help everyone to forget their issues 

5 months after your wedding you got pregnant 

9 months after you gave birth to a gorgeous daughter 

Dick named her after his mum’s names 

You two decided Kory will do an awesome godmother (She will) 

During the whole pregnancy, Dick felt different stages : First he was S U P E R afraid I mean we’re talking about a baby HIS baby, his very first baby. Yeah, he was good with children but he never experienced baby : how’s that work anyway ? Could he manage it ? Was he going to lose you ? Could Alfred help him with that ? Then after a long conversation with him a got super confident, I mean he is around children all the time you were there, Kory was there everyone were there with him there no way he’ll fail as a parent right ? Those two stages switch like week by week. It was getting difficult for you : not because of the pregnancy but because you had to deal with an overwhelming husband. But he got fine eventually. 

What I am going to say is obvious but I had to say this : Dick is an overprotective daddy 

Especially because he got an adorable little princess : HIS little princess

She got him around a finger : there literally nothing he won’t do for her

You teased him so much about « Annw look at this who‘s got wrap around her little finger ? » 

He is overprotective dad but not too much I mean : He’ll learn her to deal with pain, like not crying when she fell on the floor not because it’s being weak but because it’s alright there nothing to be afraid of. He’ll teach her to be obedient but don’t be afraid to ask when something doesn’t feel right to her. She’ll be fair with people and basically a very open-minded girl. He did everything on his power so his daughter will become an awesome adult. 

That didn’t mean he won’t kiss ass if someone dare to put a finger on his daughter : she is his treasure no one could touch her 

At first he was a bit awkward when it came to play with her : especially when she was a little girl, she used to ask him have tea with him. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to play with her but he could be socially awkward, nonetheless he did his best to be the best dad of the world. 

You on the other hand felt so lucky to have such an amazing husband : He is the one who dealt with midnight baby’s bottle, singing lullaby when she had a nightmare or checked if a monster was under her bed. He is a truly helpful husband

Got skill at changing baby’s nappies too 

The first time he went to a park with his daughter : he got surround by single mums I mean the man is really handsome but picture him with a 1 yo little girl around his arm ? See it’s absolutely lovely. 

Oh man he felt so awkward like « yeah s’cuse me I am here for my daughter … »

Sitting, he couldn’t stop watching the whole park just to be sure his daughter was 100% Safe : People called him « ParkPD »

He did the same while shopping : he never left the shop without buying something for his daughter

She might be spoiled but she isn’t materialist

Always bought some cute pajamas like teddy pajamas

He is sucker for baby’s laugh : it became his favorite sound

Seriously he can do anything to her giggle

The first time he had to let her go to school : broke him. He was getting used to have her all around and now she will be far from him for a days.

Basically he did anything to deplay her first day at school.

« If you don’t feel ready (your daughter ’s name) just let me know » « Dick seriously she is 3 years old she is ready ! » « we can’t be 100% sure I-I won’t be there to check... »

Liar. Since her first day at school he always took time to check on her during her playtime. And if couldn’t be here because he is busy doing his Titans thing or police work, someone will definetly check on her probably Kory or Rachel / Gar’

Sometimes you got jealous about how close he is with his daughter : they got a lot of moments together

Of course you were close to her too

He took him time but he decided to introduce his daughter to Bruce : he wasn’t sure if Batman should be a part of his life of your life. But then you remember him about everything Bruce did for him and how well his relationship was with him now, dick didn’t want to lose that.

Both of you were surprised to see Bruce with a baby, turns out he was good with them almost like a grandpa.

Bruce got her some t-shirt with his logo on it, he thought it was a great gift

Your daughter got a tiny bat as a teddy it became her favorite

Because of his past, he is always afraid he might lose his daughter so time to time when he felt down : you were here by his side telling him to relax and enjoy the present she’ll grown up super fast and become a women eventually.

He did as you told : he couldn’t be more thankful. He was married to you, he felt so lucky to have you with him. You got him a beautiful daughter such an awesome princess. He couldn’t be more happy.

[black-streak]

Saturday night's alright for fighting (but Sundays are meant for rest) - Dangerous Game Indeed

Part 4

Changing gears here for a moment. This part has no fluff. More character building than anything to set up the beginning of the next part, which should go back to being fluffy. Pretty sure I'm going to write their date next, but I felt it important to establish a few things early on. I promise if this gets you confused, the next part will explain what happened here better

~---~

So here's the thing about being a secret hero in a place teeming with vigilantes and villains. 

Being a bright red flash across the horizon doesn't work. 

Not that Marinette wouldn't love to zip across the high rise buildings by her yoyo, but it just wasn't a feasible option unless she wished to announce her presence to every person in the city. Seriously, Tikki, who does she think she is, Robin? One traffic light bright hero was enough.

That's how this… possibly unwise team up came to fruition. 

See, Mari planned to stay within the shadows, outta sight from the many bat people that stalked the rooftops at night, but like hell would she stay idle and complacent while Gotham suffered. So she waited and watched for quite some time before selecting her new miraculouses, eventually settling on the cat and fox combined. After all, chaos, destruction, and deceit work well together.

With her mind made up, she proceeded to plan out the costume and discuss how their powers were likely to combine; what to expect from this merge. The end result was magnificent. The bottomless-pit black bottoms were looser than anything she'd had before, wrapping tight in fabric bands only at the ankles and waist before shifting into a long sleeve shirt, just as free in the arms with the same tight bands at the wrists. The soft fabric draped across her chest, the front coming up to cover the bottom half of her face, the sides and back lifting up into a hood that covered her all the way to the eyes. Her gloves and hidden boots were a soot gray, indistinguishable in the dead of night and only barely of note in the day, with black claw tips and touch sensitive paw pads. Under the hood, her hair took on a more soot gray tone as well, black fluffy ears with gray insides just barely hinting out. A fluffy black tail with gray tip swished behind her. The colors were all Plagg while the design took more to Trixx. Her eyes however went into catlike slits of silver sclera and icy blue irises with what appeared to be black kohl ringing her eyes. Lastly, twin daggers tucked into the seams on her inner arms.

The first thing she discovered upon merging was that she became undetectable. Her movements made no sound nor did her breathing. She blended seamlessly with shadows and the night sky alike. People who looked in her direction would blink and discover it to be a trick of the light or assume it to be a delusion if they even saw her at all. It took concentration to push off the magic and allow others to see past the illusion. But she feared once it was gone, it'd be lost on that person forever. Sure, maybe they wouldn't notice her due to her own skill, but the magic would no longer protect her from them. So she didn't test it out. The next thing she realized was that her transformation didn't have much of a timer to detransform. Having worked with different kwamis for so long had built up a resistance to the strain. 

Secondly, she found their abilities didn't end at cataclysm and mirage. Funny thing about being in control of illusions and deceit; you could spot it in others from a mile away. Making villainous plans easier to tear apart without a charm. 

Plagg's… well Plagg's was different. As it turned out, death is simply an extension of destruction and while she had always known a poorly placed cataclysm could potentially end a life, she never expected this ability to sense death itself. She could feel when a place had seen too much or where it lurked heaviest in her vicinity. 

She could also sense when someone had been brushed with its weighted touch. Which had led to many tragic, heartbroken nights of research to discover why so many of the Waynes were smothered in it. From Jason disappearing for so long and being exposed to Kwami knows what. The potentially abusive upbringing of Damian by his mother who he refused to speak of. Bruce and his parents, murdered before his eyes. Tim losing his own parents and being around to bare witness to the many brushes of his adoptive family. Add on their secondary occupations and what it entailed and well, it was enough to know not to pry.

The first few transformations, she stayed docile, never engaging, silently observing the inner workings of the city. The next few, she branched out, interfering minor crimes with quick distractions and carefully curated traps. The criminals themselves would wake up outside the police station with evidence scattered about them and no memory of how they ended up there. Then a race against the clock would commence while they tried to gather everything thrown about them and run before any officers could take note and capture them. Mari took great pleasure in watching this part, sometimes binding their wrists or feet to add an extra element to their struggle.

The two kwamis truly brought out her more sly, volatile side.

Eventually it led to foiling larger scale villains when Batman seemed to be taking his own sweet time arriving to the scene. By the time he or one of his.. partners? Pupils? Kids? She never knew what he called them in costume... Well to whoever showed up, it would look like the plan collapsed within itself as though a few variables were forgotten or fell out of hand. 

The problem with starting to take action in a place like Gotham though is that no matter how much they can't prove your existence, the bats are bound to take notice. Because if they aren't the ones taking down these people, who is? 

That's how Mari found herself narrowly avoiding encounters on a weekly basis. Sure, no one spotted her yet, but tracking her location through found thugs she'd taken down moments before made for some close calls of almost physically being ran in to. Not sure how convincing of a pipe on a roof she could be if that were to happen. 

Add on her own animalistic instinct to hunt that led to many nights of stalking different vigilantes for hours on end, holding back the urge to pounce and well… it made for a dangerous game of cat and mouse. 

'Or rather, catfox and bird,' she thought, slowly inching along an edge wall of the roof where Red Robin laid in wait. 

Mari couldn't be sure how, but he seemed to have some sixth sense for looming figures. Either that or heaps worth of paranoia. Multiple times she'd had to hold deadly still while he whipped his head in her direction, staring her down. If it hadn't been for the magic whispering across her skin, Marinette was sure he'd have had her pinned within the first night of her stalking. As it stood, Red only stared quietly, eyes roving the area she kept to, only relenting when it seemed nothing would appear. 

Tonight… felt ominous. Marinette knew how dumb it was to purposefully follow Red, even more so while cleaning up the dock she had just vacated, leaving an unconscious scarecrow tied amongst his goons by crates worth of chemicals. Normally she wouldn't tie them up, but instead misconstrue things until it looked like an accident, confused weaker pawns wandering about, trying to collect their bosses only for the bats to find and finish up the job. However, her need to remain an unknown figure lost against the need for entertainment, so she made everything of her interference obvious, but left no trace of herself for Batman to find. 

Now she watched as Red stayed still upon the roof, clean up done and nothing left to do but think. She waited for pacing, frustration, anything. She received silence. 

How boring.

Of course... he knew it was her. 

Robin, Red Robin, and Agent A had all either figured it out or had been informed by herself. It was the rest of the family they kept in the dark, her unwilling to trust them with this yet and the three recognizing it as not their secret to tell.

Doesn't mean Red didn't take every opportunity to try and catch her slipping up.

Marinette could almost hear Plagg goading her to toy with the bird, Trixx right behind telling Mari to trust in the illusion. It would only break where she wanted it to. With that reassurance and no Tikki to reason with, Mari moved forward a touch, still completely hidden, but testing how well he sensed her. 

Immediately, he turned. She froze. Then remembering herself, she carefully focused on the magic about her before cautiously letting a huff of air out her mouth, just loud enough to pick up, but quiet enough to not immediately draw attention to her exact location.

It was enough.

"You're here." 

She met him with only silence for a moment then clicked her claws gently to confirm.

Zeroing in further, he took a step forward.

Sliding to his side, Mari carefully scuffed a boot and watched him follow her.

He seemed to assess the situation before turning back to where she was, allowing her to creep behind him. The tension in his shoulders let on to him knowing her actual location though. 

Of course she chose that moment to channel her inner idiot and play along. Tapping his shoulder in a clear indication of permission to turn around, as that seemed to be what he was waiting for, she hopped back into the shadows. It was obvious he was only showing passiveness to lure her into a sense of security enough to reveal herself. 

She knew this and yet as he turned to face her again, she focused into the magic, peeling it back until she knew her eyes alone glowed out at him from the dark.

She let him meet her eyes for only a half second before taking off, quickly blending into the night once more to the sound of curses from the next building over where Hood had been waiting to step in.

Maybe next time she would stalk Jason and see how he liked being watched.

[bluebellhairpin]

Something’s Not Right

Bruce Wayne/Batman X Batmom!Reader 

A/N: Oh dear, here comes the angst. (This is like 6+ pages on my google docs. Ha Ha ha oops) - Nemo

Warning(s): Blood, kidnapping, almost character death, mentions of miscarriage and infertility, not necessarily in that order. This could be distressing, so don’t read this if you think it could upset you. 

Summary: Ever since Batman’s third Robin, you’ve been know as the Batmom to Batman’s mask. But events lead you to break with not knowing what to do, and the only comfort you find is Alfred, who then tells you of something you never knew. With your newfound information, you set to work saving your family.

Listening to: “Something's Not Right” by Lily Allen 

Series Masterlist 

Masterlist 

You first met Batman when you were robbing a bank. 

In your defense, you were a little inexperienced, and he only knew you were there because he saw a shadow pass inside through a window. 

After that you kept running into each other, and ended up becoming each others first vigilante partners. 

You know, before he had a million Robin’s. 

You even came to know who was under the mask. Bruce Wayne the billionaire. 

When he brought home the first soon-to-be Robin, Dick Grayson, you were raiding his fridge in the Manor’s kitchen, having made yourself at home over the last few years. You looked at Bruce like he was crazy, he told you he’d explain later and you sure as hell made sure he did. 

You offered Dick some of the cereal you’d raided, and he accepted with a mumble and small smile. From speaking to Bruce later, that boy had been through a lot. 

You only hoped that Bruce wouldn’t push him too hard. 

We had forever We never got it together

Jason Todd joined a few years later, having been found by both you and Bruce trying to steal hubcaps. When Bruce brought him inside after the to had talked, you got the horrible feeling that Jason would become a Robin too. 

Your worries were confirmed when you caught Bruce and Jason sparring in the cave. You caught Bruce’s eye, and he froze. You shook your head at him and he knew he had more explaining to do.

After that, you become monitor of the computer. With Jason as the new Robin, and Dick starting to spread his wings off as Nightwing, you didn’t desperately need to be out fighting anymore. Someone needed to stay home, and with your relationship with Bruce becoming something more than friends, he felt better when you weren’t in danger. 

When he brought that up, you never once failed to play the card of “What about Dick and Jason?” 

Despite Dick being Nightwing and not living permanently at home, or Jason not really wanting to be in the Cave when he could have the house all to himself aside from Alfred, they always managed to be in the staircase of the cave when your voices started to raise in the same heated discussion. They knew it wasn’t anything to worry about.

You were protective, viewing them as the sons you could never have, and Bruce was too careless for his own good. 

But really what they stayed for was what happened after the yelling, the telling off, and the arguing. You always made up after, with softer words, a hug and a kiss. They’d never seen anyone else do that after a fight.

I waited for you For you I made it better

Jason's death hit you all hard, but Bruce didn’t get over it. 

Then, a couple years after Jason died, Bruce came home with another boy donned in Jason’s old Robin suit. He introduced himself as Tim Drake. He said he knew who you were, and you told him ‘Who doesn’t know (y/n) Wayne?’. Then he said he knew who you really were. 

'Valentine' was a name previously not spoken directly to you in over half a decade, and this thirteen-year-old seemed to know more about you than you thought possible. 

The next few years went on with their own struggles. Bruce got used to having a Robin again. Tim dealt with troubles and struggles in the form of his real parents. You got over the fact Tim was wearing Jason’s costume once he got his own. And Tim became a permanent residence of the manor. 

With Bruce and Dick protecting the city, Tim as Robin, and Alfred wanting to keep monitor duty with Tim, you gave up the vigilante life for good. 

Nowadays you only ever went to the cave to deal with injuries, last-resort monitor duty, and scolding Bruce or Tim for staying up too late. 

The one thing that didn’t seem to change was Alfred and Dick. They were always there, always a shoulder to cry on, and a listening ear. They knew how hard it got for both you and Bruce. 

Dick wanted to be there to show he was grateful for what you’d done in the past. 

Alfred was there because that’s where he belonged. 

They kept telling me that it was unlikely All I had to do was keep you beside me

Once everything seemed to be falling back into a semi-blissful state, the world served another harsh blow. The first was to Bruce, in the form of a vengeful and now alive Jason Todd. 

While Bruce had to serve every night going out to face the Red Hood, you went back to the monitor spending your days trying to track Jason down. Now that your boy was back you needed to have him home. Even though they didn’t know it, you knew that what both Bruce and Jason needed  was to be together. 

Naturally, once the initial tension disappeared, you were right. 

Even now, now that Jason is back, you can still see the haunted look in Bruce’s eye that makes you think he’s almost believing he is seeing a ghost.

The second blow was to you, in the form of Bruce’s long-lost son Damian. 

He came in silence, and for the first few days you barely noticed a change. It was mostly Bruce’s attitude and reluctance to let you in the cave that made you suspicious. Luckily for Bruce, he was around when you found Damian in the cave. 

Needless to say it took a good couple hours of conversation before everything was cleared up.

Damian listened from the staircase, and eventually Tim wordlessly joined. The new duo unknowingly recreating what their predecessors did before them. Alfred felt a wave of nostalgia from just glancing at them. 

What Damian couldn’t believe through the whole ‘discussion’ was how much you were blaming his father for him being in your home, not him. Even though you both were fighting over him being there, there wasn’t any hate in your words to him, only annoyance to Bruce. 

He wondered exactly how many times you had to deal with the same thing before, aside from Tim. 

Cause there aren’t many stars in the sky tonight

As far as you were concerned, having children of your own was never going to happen. One robbery gone wrong was enough to pull your chances of your own children from an already mere fifty to less than twenty.  

It was one of the reasons you were so good at welcoming each boy into your home with such open arms. As soon as they stepped through the threshold with a tired introduction from your husband, small faces and bleary eyes, you saw them as yours. Every time, without fail.

Naturally it came as a shock to you when the doctor told you to take a pregnancy test after you’d been horrendously sick for the past week. It came as a bigger shock when the test came back positive. 

Bruce’s excitement and yours was taken too soon. In reality, you knew it could’ve happened, but you didn’t think it’d happen so suddenly, or so easily. 

Dick and Jason were among those waiting when you came home from the hospital, and everyone would've much preferred if the trip happened nine months later, and you’d have a bundle of blankets in your hands rather than just a bag of clothes. 

Even Damian couldn’t help the horrible feeling in the bottom of his stomach. After all he still wouldn’t be a big brother. 

It had been a couple weeks, but you were starting to worry. While you had grieved, and in your own way moved on, Bruce seemed to stay the same. He didn’t react. When the news came he went straight into autopilot. 

In his life he’d lost a lot of people. His parents, Jason, many other residence of Gotham, and now your baby. You started to think that with every lost soul his lost part of his own too. 

Cause I know that it’s day but it’s dark outside

Your worries were well served. Not even a couple nights after you voiced your concerns to Bruce himself did he and Damian get captured by the Joker. 

Tim was monitoring the computers, instantly sending out and alert to Dick to go help, but he just got caught too. Tim then contacted Jason, telling him to meet him near Gotham Docks. 

You wandered into the cave to see the monitor set to where Tim left it. A camera from in an old warehouse displayed all five of your boys beaten, bloodied, and tied up with the Joker pacing back and forth in front of them. 

Near the monitor keyboard was a notebook, open to a page with words scribbled in Tim’s characteristically messy writing. He found writing down thoughts helped him get his mind straight. It cleared his head. 

“Knows fighting styles - been monitoring us for weeks to memorize patterns - new moves needed - Jason good idea - Mom the last resort.” you read a loud, sinking to the chair at the monitor.

As you processed what was happening, you knew time was running short. You felt Alfred behind you, placing his hands reassuringly on your shoulders.

“What am I supposed to do?” you said, resting your head in your hands, “The GCPD won't be able to handle it well enough, and I can't just contact Clark or Diana. And I got rid of my suit years ago - it’s not like I can just slip on one of Bruce’s suits and go fight myself.” 

“I think there’s something I should show you.” Alfred said, squeezing your shoulders. 

And I feel a weight in my heart tonight

All the batsuits were displayed on one of the walls of the cave, it was like a trophy wall. And while your old Valentine suit wasn’t there, there was a display photo of you mid-flip as homage to what you’d done. 

As you went passed the suits, both old and new, and the empty cases of the suits being worn by your boys, Alfred soon stopped near your photo. He pressed the logo of your photo-suit and the glass moved away, soon followed by the wall, to reveal another glass case.

“Mister Bruce has been working on it since you destroyed your old one.” Alfred explained, letting you walk forwards to inspect your pristine suit, “He figured you might need it, and if I’m being honest I did too.”  

“Who else knows?” You asked, running your fingers over the fabric and the slightly darker logo on it’s chest. It was a lot like Bruce's suit.

“No one, but Tim found out, nothing’s a secret from him long.” you smiled. That’s Tim alright.

The fabric was new, a material you’d never seen before, but looked a lot like miniature chain-mail. Knife-proof.

The chest where your signature V logo was along with around your torso sounded a metallic tap. Bullet-proof.

You noted that although the mask only covered your eyes it was embedded with reflective glass. Photo-proof. 

“He sure was prepared.” you said, turning back to Alfred with the mask in your hands. “Will you man the computers for me?”  

“It would be an honor, Valentine.” 

Something's not right

“Copy V? Guards ahead.” Alfred said. The mask was also fit with a com-link. Bruce seemed to put everything in your suit, from an oxygen mask, to a lock-pick.

“Copy.” you said, sulking along the side of the warehouse towards the guards. You knew this could get nasty fast, but over time you learnt from Bruce many ways to subdue without killing. The guards were out of it before they even knew you were there. 

Inside, Bruce and the boys were getting antsy. 

Once when Joker left Tim said to the others he’d left a note near the computer encase he and Jason were unsuccessful, in the hope either you or Alfred would find it and send help. It had been almost two hours, and they were starting to doubt. Especially now that Joker was back and pacing in front of them. 

An explosion somewhere in another warehouse made their tired heads, and the heads of the others in the room, move towards the noise. The familiar sound of batarangs flying through the air made their head turn back right as two of the dozen guards fell to the floor, soon followed by two more. 

Joker ordered to start shooting at where the batarangs were coming from, and the solid sound of shots firing rang out for a couple long moments. When a figure clad in black dropped to the floor from the beams, Bruce felt his stomach drop. 

He knew that figure. He knew that suit. 

“Search them. Make sure whoever it is, is dead.” Joker said, dismissive in his words but the boys could tell he was on edge. Joker had the Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood and the two Robins. There wasn’t anymore, right? 

The guard moved to the figure, nudging its shoulder with his foot, and with the second nudge the figure shot up, pulling the guard into a headlock, and the guard dropped down unconscious in less than a few seconds. The other guards were trained on the figure, and Joker smiled.

“Well, well, does Batsy have a new birdy?” he sang, and the figure stepped forwards out of the shadow to reveal you, donned in your Valentine suit for all to see.

“Oh no, dear Joker,” you said, matching his tone yet lacing it with as much venom as humanly possible, “I promise you I’m far from new.” 

Cause I know that it’s day but it’s dark outside

The fact Joker wasn’t expecting a sixth ‘Batman partner’ to show up helped with taking down the guards. And like Tim noted, he was tracking everyone’s fighting styles. Even if Bruce was in the right mind-frame he had little chance of coming out on top. 

You hadn't fought in the public eye for many years, so there was no recent footage of your style, and even so most of it was back when you weren’t working with Batman at all. 

You had tied up Joker when you set to work setting the boys free, and it came as no surprise that he’d somehow gotten away by the time you’d given everyone a once-over. 

Back in the cave Damian was the first. Once back in the confides of safety Damian practically flung himself into you. 

“Ummi, I thought-” he said, stopping himself with a sniff and burying his nose in your stomach. 

“It was a close call.” Dick added, his voice strained. With a look you pulled him closer, and one by one you managed to deal out hugs and just the right words. 

In the next few hours Dick and Jason were both sent off back home with food Alfred made, and the reassurance that you’d come visit. Tim was sent off to bed, being told everything from the past events would be waiting when he wakes up. Damian was also given bed rest, but only after he got one last hug from you. 

All that was left was to deal with Bruce, who’d been in the cave since you all went upstairs. 

Like the feeling of rain on a Summer light

“Bruce.” you said, reaching his place at the computer. He stopped rather abruptly, and turned to face you with an agonizingly slow pace. The look on his face made you pull him into you just like you did with Dick. And for the first time in so long, Bruce cried. 

He could’ve lost everything on top of the baby. The other boys. You. Himself. 

He knew what he did wrong, he knew he went in without a clear head, all because something wasn’t right.

[fuckyeahscootmcnairy]

How Scoot McNairy Became One of the Busiest Actors in Hollywood

In a wide-ranging conversation, the actor reflects on working with Quentin Tarantino, 'Halt and Catch Fire,' 'Narcos: Mexico' and 'True Detective' season three.

Over the past decade, few actors have been as busy as Scoot McNairy, but now that the health of the world has forced everyone to slow down, McNairy is finally able to take stock of the work he’s done. McNairy first became a name to watch on the indie circuit as 2007’s In Search of a Midnight Kiss and 2010’s Monsters garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards. But 2012’s Killing Them Softly really unlocked the floodgates for McNairy as Softly filmmaker Andrew Dominik eventually referred him to Ben Affleck for a role in Argo, which went on to win Best Picture at the 85th Academy Awards in 2013

At his Argo audition, McNairy shocked Affleck when he reminded him that they’d already worked together on a 2006 Axe Body Spray commercial. The two actors teamed up again in 2014’s Gone Girl and 2016’s Batman v Superman.

“I think [Ben] was very, very good to me in sort of championing me. I don’t know how much influence he had on the other jobs, but I assume that he did,” McNairy tells The Hollywood Reporter. “So, I just felt really lucky and grateful that I had anyone supporting me. It’s really hard to get people to get behind you in the business, so you don’t take anybody for granted that does so. So, yes, I was and am very grateful to him.”

After two electric scenes with Brad Pitt in Softly, McNairy has also gone on to work for Pitt’s production company, Plan B, on three more projects including another Best Picture winner, 12 Years a Slave, War Machine and Blonde — Dominik’s first scripted feature since Softly.

“Plan B, Dede Garder, Brad and Jeremy Kleiner have just been really, really great to me by just thinking of me for projects,” McNairy explains. “They’ve thrown some really great, interesting work my way. I am fully aware that, yes, they’ve been very, very good to me and have taken care of me. I’m still in contact with Dede, and I talk to her a lot. She’s a really close friend of mine.”

This week also marks the one-year anniversary of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and McNairy is now reflecting on the fact that he’s the only actor Tarantino has ever cast without meeting first. Since McNairy had a small role as Business Bob Gilbert, a character in the film’s fictional recreation of the real-life TV show, Lancer, McNairy credits Timothy Olyphant for bringing him up to speed on the proceedings.

“Timothy Olyphant saw me when I walked on set, and I was sort of a deer in the headlights because I wasn’t able to read the script. And so, he walked over to me and was like, ‘You didn’t read the script, did you?’ and I was like, ‘No,’” McNairy shares. “He goes, ‘All right, cool. Let me sit down and explain to you what’s going on.’ So, he sat down and chatted with me for about 25 minutes in the morning to sort of give me the lay of the land. He was really great.”

In a wide-ranging conversation with THR, McNairy also reflects on Monsters, Halt and Catch Fire, Narcos: Mexico and True Detective season three. He also looks ahead to his work as Rod Rosenstein on The Comey Rule, which premieres on Showtime in late September. He can currently be found on HBO Max’s first original series, Love Life.

Since this week is the one-year anniversary of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, how did the role of Business Bob Gilbert first pop up on your radar?

I think my manager found it and knew that they were casting for it. And the normal circuits of how it works got me in there, I think. I put an audition on tape, mailed it in to them and didn’t hear anything for, like, two and a half months. And then, a week and half, two weeks before the show started, they called me and said, “Hey, they want you, and you work in two weeks.”

And they only provided you with the sides for Business Bob’s scene?

Yeah, my manager requested the role and the sides, and yeah, those were sent to me and put on tape. Just sort of your classic process.

Were they the real sides?

Yeah, what I auditioned for is pretty much exactly what I ended up doing in the movie, I believe.

Was Business Bob loosely based on a real actor or character to your knowledge?

No, not that I know of. You know, it’s funny. Timothy Olyphant saw me when I walked on set, and I was sort of a deer in the headlights because I wasn’t able to read the script. And so, he walked over to me and was like, “You didn’t read the script, did you?” and I was like, “No.” He goes, “All right, cool. Let me sit down and explain to you what’s going on.” So, he sat down and chatted with me for about 25 minutes in the morning to sort of give me the lay of the land. He was really great.

There’s a scene in the movie where Leo’s character, Rick Dalton, rehearses his lines with a tape machine that has his scene partners’ lines already recorded by himself. Apparently, you set up a more modern version of this technique while on the True Detective set, right?

Oh, that was the actual recording of the self-tape... It was standard. If you have two cell phones, one of them you can hook up to a speaker and one of them can record. And so, I would just record the other person’s lines and then leave the gaps in between so that nobody else had to read with me off-camera in order to send in the self-tape. But the gaps between the lines is something that I’ve always done. That’s how I’ve been learning my lines for, I don’t know, 20 years. Just record it, so you can sit there and rehearse the dialogue with yourself.

Once you’re on set, will you grab a castmate to rehearse your lines whenever it’s possible?

Man, I’ll ask anybody. I always have my sides on me, and if anybody will run them with me, then they’ll run them with me. But yeah, I generally like to run it five or six times with somebody before we even walk on the set just to hear it out and hear what they’re doing and whatnot.

After you sent your tape in and were eventually cast, you never met Quentin until you were on set, and if I have the story right, that’s the first time he’s ever cast someone without meeting them first. Has this ever happened to you in the past?

Without meeting them in person? Yes. But usually, there’s a phone conversation or a Skype call or a couple meetings before it happens. You may not necessarily meet them in person, but I hadn’t talked to Quentin or even met him until the day I walked on the set. So, yeah, it’s amazing. I’m incredibly lucky, too.

What was the vibe of the set like?

It was great, man. He’s incredibly charismatic and sweet and nice and funny, and that sort of goes all day long. He’s just really, really entertaining. I think we’ve all been entertained by Quentin, as an individual, for, I don’t know, 30 years. But to actually see him hold court and whatnot was really fascinating to watch. He’s a really, really interesting guy and incredibly talented. And it was just great. I think we shot over two days, I believe. It was quick, in and out. I think a cell phone had gone off the day before I got there, and that was a really, really big deal. And so, you had to take your cell phone and put it into a bucket before you could walk onto the set. That was a first.

[The following question contains spoilers for Halt and Catch Fire.]

Moving to Halt and Catch Fire, your character, Gordon Clark, had one of the most unique sendoffs I’ve ever seen. What do you remember most about shooting that sequence where his life flashes before his eyes?

I remember them telling me about it. I think it was [co-creator] Chris Rogers, [co-creator] Chris Cantwell and [writer-producer] Zack Whedon. And I think Chris told me it was Zack Whedon who came up with this idea of a coma or him sort of fading out, where his life flashes before his eyes. I remember shooting it, and I thought it was incredibly beautiful, incredibly creative and thoughtful in how they orchestrated and designed it. It was really cool. I knew the show was ending, and having your character die in the last season of the show is something that sort of gives you closure to the show, to the role and to everything. It was great, man. I had such a great time working on that show, working with all of those people and with the Chrises. It was one of my first series I ever did. So, it’s definitely one of the most memorable to me.

Is there a Halt and Catch Fire group text?

Oh yeah. We still chat with each other. For sure. I think everybody’s schedules are pretty busy, but we try and get together when we can.

You guys are all doing incredibly well, but Mackenzie (Davis) is already a movie star. Did you see this coming a long time ago?

Yeah, I’ve always thought Mackenzie was incredibly talented, ambitious and just a wonderful person. So no, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that it would be happening for her. She deserves everything that’s coming to her.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that Hollywood feels much smaller once you’re in it. Considering that you and Kerry Bishé played husband and wife on two different projects (Argo and Halt), do you agree with that premise?

Yeah, I’d say the world is really small once you’re in it. It just feels like the older you get, the more you start running into people all over. But I guess it makes sense over time. You meet and meet and meet new people, so there’s more people for you to run into. But no, I definitely think the business is really small. If you work with somebody once, there’s a good chance you’re going to work with them again over the lifetime of your career, if you’re lucky. Once I’d come on board Halt, the Chrises told me that they cast Kerry to play my wife. So, I knew it going into the show, but yeah, I was really excited to work with Kerry again.

The first time I saw you was in 2010’s Monsters, and a couple years later, I heard Affleck singing your praises in an interview, which amounted to three films together (Argo, Gone Girl, Batman v Superman). Could you feel a shift in your career once he supported you as openly as he did?

Yeah, I’m not aware of that article or interview where Ben said those things. But with that said, yes, I think he was very, very good to me in sort of championing me. I don’t know how much influence he had on the other jobs, but I assume that he did. So, I just felt really lucky and grateful that I had anyone supporting me. It’s really hard to get people to get behind you in the business, so you don’t take anybody for granted that does so. So, yes, I was and am very grateful to him.

We just talked about Hollywood feeling small, and I don’t think the point can be better illustrated than the Axe Body Spray commercial you guys did together in 2006.

(Laughs.) When I left the audition room after auditioning for Argo, I reminded him as I was walking out. I said, “Oh yeah, Axe Deodorant.” And he was like, “No fucking way, that was you!? No fucking way.”

As far as Monsters goes, Gareth Edwards has said that you filmed in “cartel country.” Did things get pretty dicey at certain points?

Yeah, for sure. But you kind of feel unsafe every once in a while on any film set. (Laughs.) But yeah, we were a really small crew of, like, seven people, and so there were a couple of hairy situations we ran into in Guatemala and a couple other situations. But for the most part, no. A couple of situations here and there, but granted, how much time that we were down there, no, we didn’t run into that much. And the people of Mexico were all really, really, really kind individuals and really great people. When I worked on Narcos, the Sinaloa Cartel came to set one day when we were shooting on location and just sort of sat there and watched us. They just said, “We’re letting you know that we’ve allowed you guys to be here, so you guys carry on.” I know they’re noted for doing some awful things, but they didn’t seem to be… If you don’t bother them, then they don’t bother you. But Monsters was really one of the funnest movies I’ve ever worked on. I had such a great time.

Since its release in 2012, I’ve been a part of the Killing Them Softly choir, as it’s criminally underrated. Last year, I talked to Mendo (Ben Mendelsohn) about your time together on that set since I want to see you guys team up again with dishwashing gloves.

(Laughs.) Fucking love Mendo.

And he told me a story of how you guys lived together during filming and that you got on each other’s nerves, which you can recognize in the car scene on the way to the stickup. Would you like to offer your vantage point on this experience?

100 percent correct. The two of us met, we made friends really quickly, we moved into a house together really quickly, we were living together and we were working together. And it became this sort of tiff between the two of us. We’d get in these little spats at the house, and we’d be riding to work together, in the same spat, and then, we’d go to work and be in the same spat at work. I love that about Mendo. He dishes it out a lot, but he also can take it a lot. So, 65 percent of it was us having fun with each other, and the other 35 percent was probably frustration. But I think as Ben says, “It’s always great when two people that are working together are getting at each other because that’s usually when the goods come.”

After working with Brad Pitt on Softly, you were eventually cast in Plan B’s 12 Years a Slave, War Machine and Dominik’s Blonde (2021). Around the time of 12 Years, did you get the sense that Brad had become your latest champion a la Ben?

I don’t 100 percent know. However, with that being said, Plan B, Dede Garder, Brad and Jeremy Kleiner have just been really, really great to me by just thinking of me for projects and stuff. They’ve thrown some really great, interesting work my way. So, I’m not quite sure, but I am fully aware that, yes, they’ve been very, very good to me and have taken care of me. I’m still in contact with Dede, and I talk to her a lot. She’s a really close friend of mine.

As expected, your work on True Detective was excellent. Was that role quite the juggling act since you were essentially playing two different characters via 1980 Tom and 1990 Tom?

Yeah, but it wasn’t as hard as what Stephen (Dorff) and Mahershala (Ali) had to juggle with three characters in three different eras. No, we had a really great team of hair and makeup artists. It was also a really great show and script to be a part of. So, not necessarily. 10 years have passed with the two characters, and it’s one of the things that I love about the show. Over these 35 years, you really get to see how much people change over time. I thought [creator] Nic (Pizzolatto), as a writer, did a really good job at showcasing that, explaining that and also bringing the realism to that. So, no, it was fun. I enjoyed playing the same character in different time periods. It’s something I’ve only been able to do once before on Halt.

When you were on set with Dorff, did you guys expect the audience to theorize about your characters potentially having a romantic relationship?

To be honest with you, no. That may be a seed that Nic sort of planted. And I also don’t know what he had said to Stephen. But that was not a conversation that had ever really come up or was talked about with Nic. Maybe that is Nic trying to withhold that information from me intentionally; I don’t know. I haven’t really asked him about it since, if that was his true intention. That was something that I heard, but it’s not something that me, Stephen or Nic ever talked about. At least, they didn’t talk about that with me.

Nic ultimately rejected the theory on Instagram, and he’s never really been shy about shooting down fan theories.

Yeah, I was going to say… I think it’s something that was sort of speculated through the audience viewership and not something that he’d ever really thought about.

I thought your introduction on Narcos: Mexico season one was pretty ingenious. You weren’t originally supposed to narrate the season, right?

I think their first initial thought, if I’m correct, is that Kiki Camarena (Michael Pena) would be narrating from the grave. I think that Eric Newman, the showrunner, had molded over and over in his mind, and it just didn’t sit right with him. The thought was, “If this guy is dead at the end of the story, then how is he telling the story?” Once I was cast to come into this, I think the new idea that they had was, “Oh, well, here’s this new character coming. Maybe he could be the one who’s telling this story.” So, it’s definitely something that came at the last minute before the show was locked.

Narcos doesn’t mess around and shoot Albuquerque for Mexico. Both versions of the show have strived for authenticity by way of locations that actually correspond to the story. Did that set feel more immersive than most?

I mean, it was awesome and crazy. It’s Mexico. It’s full-on down there. I was breaking some glass one day, and I was like, “That’s real glass!” And they’re like, “Yeah!” and I’m like, “Oh, okay. Maybe they’ll put in the sugar glass next.” And they put it right back in. You just slam another piece of glass, and the glass goes in the other actor’s eye. It’s awesome. It’s like making movies the way we made them back in the ‘60s and ‘70s where the shit’s real. We didn’t have as many tricks down there. We just sort of did it as is. So, it was awesome, man. It was really fun filmmaking to be down there, to be doing that in Mexico and working with the filmmakers I got to work with.

Do you get the impression that you give better performances when you’re in a real environment as opposed to a soundstage?

100 percent, man. As a kid, I just didn’t like being inside. So, working on a soundstage is never really as exciting as working at a real house, a real mountain or, obviously, a real river or location and whatnot. So, fortunately, I feel like I’ve been really lucky as most of the jobs I’ve done have all been on location. I haven’t really worked that much on a soundstage. But yeah, your environment’s right there; it’s right there in front of you. You can react to everything around you because it’s real. I find that to be rewarding when you’re in the environment, and it’s less work for you to do as an actor.

Your Narcos character, Walt Breslin, pursued a goal so intensely that he ultimately ended up being reassigned behind a desk. Is there an experience from your own life that you channeled in order to capture how Walt felt by season's end?

Yes, the fear of also having to work behind a desk or having to be indoors for 8 hours a day. That would be a nightmare for me.

Overall, I thought you did tremendous work throughout season two. Are you returning for Narcos: Mexico season three, which supposedly started shooting in secret?

Not sure, really. There's been a lot of talk, but as you know, nothing’s certain until it’s certain. And even then, it can fall apart.

You’ve talked a lot about your struggles when you first came to L.A. and how you were living in your car and couch-surfing. At this current point in your career, are you finally able to say no? Or do you still feel like you have to say yes to almost everything because you remember those early days?

There’s two sides to that question. Yes, I can say no to projects. Some of the stuff that comes my way I’m just not interested in. It’s just movies or scripts that I just wouldn’t go see, that I’m not that interested in. And it’s mostly just based on that: “Oh, I wouldn’t really go see that movie.” But there’s also another side to it too. Like, you sit around for long enough, and I don’t want to sit around. So, after two or three months of sitting around, you say to yourself, “Okay, well I want to go work.” I enjoy myself on a set and working and playing around and exploring characters and exploring blocking and ideas and dynamics of the scene. It’s something I really enjoy doing. So, to sit around and say, “Okay, I’ve got nothing in front of me that’s good,” — I think my attitude more so is, “Let’s take this other thing right here that’s not that good and let’s try and make it good. Let’s do it, let’s get to work on it and get creative and try and make this show or project good.” And so, there’s a certain sense with some people where it’s like, “Well, you know, that person’s overexposed.” You know, crucify me for just wanting to work. I really enjoy my job; it’s what I do, and I’d like to do it as much as I can or am able to do.

Christopher Cantwell’s The Parts You Lose is a really beautiful film. How was that experience and reunion with Chris, Aaron Paul and Mary Elizabeth Winstead?

It was great. I enjoyed the entire time I worked with Chris Cantwell and talking to him. And I just think he’s a really great guy. He has a really kind heart, and he’s a really smart individual. Aaron Paul is somebody I’ve known for, I don’t know, 25 years out here. So I was excited to go work with Chris, Aaron and Mary. I think the film’s really good. If Chris called me up tomorrow and said, “Let’s go work on something,” I would jump out of my chair to go do so.

I rarely root against your characters, but this role was an exception. What did you and Chris discuss as far as your character is concerned?

Chris and I spoke about the character, and we both agreed to not worry about making this guy likable. We leaned more towards mainly making the viewer hate him but maybe hate him so much that you begin to feel for him. Like, it’s not his fault; it's just the life he has been dealt.

Regarding The Comey Rule, the release date has now been changed to late September, but were you as perplexed as everybody else when the show's premiere date slid to after the election?

Yes and no. Unfortunately, the country is so polarized at the moment. So divided. Naturally, that bleeds into large corporations protecting their interests. However, [creator] Billy Ray worked so hard to get this thing done before the November election, and he was promised to get a certain release date. I'm glad everyone was able to agree and that the show will air sooner.

Peter Sarsgaard recently told me that when he plays real people, he pretty much approaches them like they don't exist. Since you played Rod Rosenstein, did you take a similar approach, or did you go down the YouTube rabbit hole and whatnot?

Tough question. I find that it is different for me each time, each job, and each role. Sometimes I like to talk to them, sometimes I don’t. I followed the Russia investigation very closely, so when this job came along, I really felt like I had a lot of data on the players involved. Rod was not front and center in the media on a day-to-day basis. So I was really interested in looking at his body of work. He was the longest serving U.S. Attorney in history, and certain things made him stand out among those in Washington. I did find myself going down a rabbit hole by watching interviews and speeches that he did. I watched some of them over and over. I also had a collage of photos of him with all these different facial expressions. I would just go through them and wonder what the hell this guy must have been going through during all that chaos.

Do you prefer playing real people from the distant past since the audience typically doesn't have a frame of reference for them via video, audio, etc.?

They all are a bit terrifying to play, whether or not the audience has a frame of reference. You still have a responsibility to the audience, the story and the filmmaker to make it real and believable. The audience may not know this person, but it just has to be really specific to me and the director. All I have control over is doing my best to make it real.

Ana de Armas told me that Blonde is quite the movie, and of course, you reunited with Killing Them Softly filmmaker, Andrew Dominik, for it. On a side note, this conversation continues to prove that your peers love doing repeat business with you — whether that's Affleck, Pitt, Cantwell and now Dominik. How was your second experience with Dominik?

I really enjoy working with Andrew. Obviously, he is a very talented director. He is also very entertaining to work with, and I love all his films, so I am happy to have the opportunity to work on anything he is doing. As far as "repeats," I’m not sure. I do like working with people I have worked with before because we know each other, and there is a certain comfortability. Just feels like you just cut through the fat much quicker.

[x]

[lfthinker]

Since I’m bored, I decided to inflict you all with some random character headcanons from fic work, starting off with our bastard-in-chief, Edward Nigma himself.

-Edward comes from a blue collar family in Waterbury Connecticut. He was the product of a shotgun marriage, hence why he was equally resented by both parents. He shares his eye color with his father, but overall, his appearance favors his mother/mother’s side of the family. He was named after both grandfathers, Edward and Edwin.

-His mother took off when he was 8, he left Waterbury when he was 16. He lived with a traveling carnival for about two years, until he was 18. Then he moved to Gotham City. He worked a series of menial jobs until he decided to become a criminal at age 19. He met Nina and Deirdre around the same time and started off his career with a series of stick up jobs, before gradually working upwards.

-Diane, Ellen’s mother, was his first sexual partner. 

- He legit never knew Diane was pregnant. If he had, he would have slipped her a few hundred bucks and told her to get an abortion. Once it became clear she’d keep Ellen, he would have sent her money and the occasional present, but respected her request not to be involved in their daughter’s life. He would have kept tabs on them though, just to make sure they couldn’t be used against him. After Diane died, he would have gotten more involved, and it wouldn’t have ended well.

-Edward is suave and confident when he perceives that he’s in control of any given situation. It’s when control is taken away that the awkwardness and tantrums come out.

-He doesn’t actually have that high a sex drive. He likes sex, but he can go for long periods of time without it. Sex is as much about connection with another person and the attention than the act itself for him.

-He initially was sent to Blackgate prison, but was moved to Arkham because of how high an escape risk he was. Being in Arkham only exarcebated his underlying mental health issues.

-His relationship with Jonathan started off an an obession with trying to figure him out/ conquer the challenge, but eventually turned into love.

-His cancer diagnosis and the subsequent Hush debacle is responsible for both the deterioration of his mental health and how he began to see Batman as a mortal enemy instead of a mere rival.

-The dip in the Lazarus pit not only saved him from cancer, it made him slightly physically stronger, as well as enhanced his durability.