#it was more about bruces reaction and how he handled the situation

[oifaaa]

I know it doesn’t really matter but I’m curious on whether u think Jason killed Felipe Garzonas or not. I could go either way tbh.

He did it and he'd do it again I've got evidence can you see the evidence no but trust me I have it

[twistpixel]

In my mind there does exist a fanfic and it’s a one shot and it has no point beyond like, Bruce is a bad parent to Jason. I think there’s a desire to like force that out and make it clear cut and that leads to things like Bruce being overtly abusive in some fanfics. But I have 0 tolerance for fathers so he’s already overtly abusive enough in canon for me and this between the panels fanfic in my mind is just opening that up and showing it to the reader by making it so obvious it can’t be ignored (but not by Bruce because he can ignore anything).

[deebris]

The Mysterious Visitor 3

Batfamily x batsis (platonic!)

Synopsis: Bruce begins to suspect that Damian is hiding something after the two of you finally see each other, and the father-son trust between them is shaken. Tim finally sees your face, and something strange happens. The meeting between siblings was not successful, and to their dismay, Bruce will need to confront Talia face to face once again.

Warnings: The reader is 13 years old and is Damian's twin sister; the tone of the story is somewhat sad; Bruce is intimidating; Hugo Strange mentioned; family discussion; maternal overprotection.

Word count: 3.6k

Note: I'm sincerely sorry if I didn't include someone on the tag list or if I made any mistakes. This part took longer because it's a bit longer.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

"Forgive me for not offering anything sooner, miss," Alfred said, watching you carefully pick up the hot chocolate he had given to you. He found it curious how you ignored the handle of the mug, instead holding it with both hands, making sure wouldn't spill it.

You diverted your eyes from the brown liquid and looked at the old butler, now knowing his name, licking your lips after the sip to clear the excess drink. "It's okay," you responded, unaware of the chocolate mustache that had formed.

Bruce, still in the room, watched the scene from the side while patiently awaiting Damian. He traced circles with his index finger on the rim of the whiskey glass he had poured for himself, trying to keep control of how much he drank. Bruce would never admit it, but he needed to calm down, and perhaps a bit of moderate alcohol might help. He knew it wasn't appropriate to drink in front of someone as young as you, but he couldn't stop himself.

He was caught looking at you with a suspicious gaze that didn't waver. The room was filled with a palpable discomfort, and you, embarrassed, went back to staring at your own drink again, focused on listening to the crackling of the fireplace.

"Here, take this," Alfred said gently, extending a napkin from the tray. You accepted it and wiped around your mouth, finally realizing you'd made a mess.

Your mother would have scolded you for your lack of manners, you thought to yourself. And, for the thousandth time that night, you worried about how she would react to discovering you weren't in your bed. Maybe she had already noticed and was preparing a furious speech along with your punishment.

"What are you thinking about, dear?" Alfred asked, noticing your quietness as you rested the hot chocolate mug in your lap and started staring into nothing.

You snapped out of your stupor upon hearing the question, fiddling with one of the charms on your bracelet, the "T" specifically, Bruce couldn't help but notice. His mind was in turmoil, much like yours, with a thousand different thoughts arising every second. He felt strangely betrayed, questioning how much more his son hadn't told him—important things like the fact that he had a sister.

"I was just thinking that..." you trailed off, swallowing hard as the nervousness grew. Letting out a shaky sigh and with visible tears forming in your eyes, you continued, "My mom's going to be mad at me."

"And are you afraid of your mother?" Alfred insisted, trying to sound gentle upon seeing your distress.

"It's not quite that," you replied, trying to ease the situation so he wouldn't jump to conclusions.

You weren't exactly afraid of her, but you knew that rummaging through your mother's belongings, stealing a letter, and sneaking out in the middle of the night would disappoint her. You worried about her reaction and, above all, about Damian's reaction. If he was still the same, he certainly wouldn't be happy with the circumstances.

You tried to calm yourself, convincing yourself that you had the right to be angry for the first time in your life, not them, even knowing that your family would see you differently. It was as if you were perpetually a five-year-old in their eyes, always needing to hear lectures about every dangerous step you took.

Even though you and your brother were the same age, he was more responsible, smarter, stronger, destined to be a leader. And it annoyed you so much, but no matter what you said, your mother wouldn't change her mind about your upbringing.

When Damian left, Talia had said he would spend some time in a different place to learn new things and improve himself. For the first few weeks, it was even liberating not having him on your neck all the time, but then you realized it was because of him that you could do simple things like take a walk around the neighborhood alone.

Without Damian at home, your mother had no one to contradict her decisions, and her constant protection began to suffocate you. Then came the longing, and what was supposed to be a few months turned into years, and you never saw him again. You never stopped thinking about him. Every day, every birthday, and every Christmas, you would wait near the entrance of your apartment before going to bed, hoping that he would open the door again.

"Where is your mother?" Bruce suddenly interrupted, feeling Alfred's cautious gaze on him. You hesitated to answer, after all, although Mr. Wayne was a very popular man with a good image, you didn't know him. "I don't intend to harm you, but I need to know to take you back home," he justified, looking directly at your face, but Alfred knew this was Bruce's way of telling him that he wasn't interested in Talia, but rather in ensuring your safety.

"I'm not dumb, I know how to get home by myself," you tried to defend yourself. And though the words might sound arrogant, you said it calmly, not wanting to offend him.

"The point is not that. This is Gotham City, you shouldn't have gone out alone in the middle of the night." Bruce tried to reason with you, and it seemed to have worked because you fell silent.

"You need to trust us, miss," Alfred tried to encourage you to respond, but you remained silent. Bruce turned the glass to take a big sip of his drink and both gave up, not wanting to pressure you further.

The following minutes were silent, interrupted only by the sound of you drinking the hot chocolate in a few sips. Unexpectedly, Titus, Damian's German Shepherd, seemed to have taken a liking to you. He entered the room from the kitchen and stopped by your side to smell the new scent in the house. The relatively gentle dog sniffed around you, appreciating the head pats he received while you were enchanted by the furry animal.

Bruce couldn't help but compare you to his son since he began to analyze you. Damian had his mother's cunning personality and an arrogance that Bruce couldn't deny he had too, but it was more pronounced in Talia. He clearly remembered the first meeting with Damian. The first thing the boy did was make a ridiculous joke about his height, and he never seemed shy when meeting Bruce or the other boys. Also, when he arrived at the mansion, he felt comfortable analyzing every tiny detail of the house, unconcerned if his opinions were unpleasant.

You, on the other hand, although in different circumstances, limited yourself to a small space on the couch, responding only when asked and gladly accepting the kindness of Dick and Alfred. Bruce wondered how Talia could have raised a daughter like you. She and her sister, Nyssa, were sharp women, trained to be natural-born assassins, despite having a traditional father like Ra's. It was hard to believe that you, an apparently ordinary and shy girl, could be her daughter.

"Do you like dogs?" Bruce asked, deciding to stop being grumpy.

"I do, but I think I prefer cats." You continued to stroke Titus's cheeks, who began to want to climb onto your lap. Unfortunately, he was too heavy, and you had to push him back to the floor. The animal seemed to interpret that as a game because he kept trying to climb several times. "Mom gave me one for Christmas last year."

"Titus." Bruce's voice caught the dog's attention, patting his right thigh, calling him to sit on his lap. His gesture, although meant to stop the animal from bothering you, made you a little disappointed that you couldn't pet his soft fur anymore.

"What a coincidence. It seems you and Damian share something in common." Alfred was smiling while talking to you, which was rare for him. "Last Christmas, he also brought us two stray cats. The black one lives with us, but unfortunately, I don't know what happened to the other one. Curiously, the cat has my name." The butler tried to make a face at you, pretending to be unhappy. A Cheshire smile spread across your face, followed by the most contagious laugh he had ever heard, and he couldn't help but widen his own smile.

"The cat's name is Alfred?" You asked incredulously, seeing him nod positively. "Mine is an orange cat. He's cute but very troublesome; he even scratched one of my ballet shoes." You commented, much more at ease in Mr. Wayne's presence.

"An orange kitten?" Bruce's eyes widened slightly, just like Alfred's.

An orange and a black cat, both mentioned on the same date. Your seemingly trivial confession revealed to both of them that Damian had indeed kept in touch with you. Perhaps not directly, but it showed that he hadn't forgotten your existence and cared enough to have given the other cat to his sister as a gift. Now, because of you, they both finally knew what had happened to the other furball.

"Your brother also raises a cow here on the property." The butler thought it would be of interest to mention the funny fact, given that Damian was too irritable to raise something like a cow. And it seemed to have worked, as you laughed with genuine surprise in your eyes.

Bruce couldn't help but let out a muffled laugh when reminded of the cow, and unlike how he had been so suspicious of you moments ago, he was now more relaxed. He wondered when was the last time he saw Alfred so cheerful with someone new here at the mansion. The butler was a man full of tenderness for the family, but he was difficult to deal with for outsiders, although he always presented himself in a polite manner.

But the pleasant moment was suddenly interrupted by a series of voices coming from the top of the stairs, making Bruce and Alfred frown. Both stood up to see better what was happening and saw Damian pushing and shouting at his three brothers while struggling to descend the steps without being hindered by them.

Jason saw that Bruce and Alfred had already noticed them, failing to prevent the boy from confronting you three, and let go of his arm. Dick and Tim followed suit, defeated. The events of the night were revealed to him by his brothers, who told him everything from you being here to the fact that you had had some sort of contact with Strange. Damian went berserk at the last part and stormed out of the room in a flash.

Seeing his son in the Robin uniform, Bruce thought of reprimanding him, knowing he had gone on patrol alone again, but decided that was a matter for later.

"Damian," Bruce called out, calming him down a bit from his excitement. "We have a visitor." There was no view of the stairs from the living room, so you couldn't grasp that Bruce was calling Robin by your brother's name.

Damian descended the steps slowly, as if it were a very difficult task for him, and then finally looked at you, then at Bruce, and back at you, completely ignoring anyone else. He took a deep breath, trying to process the situation. Dick had told him that his father didn't know anything about you being his daughter, but he was sure this secret wouldn't last much longer. And honestly, he preferred that both of you knew the truth, even knowing that his mother wouldn't be happy.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

You slowly got up from the couch, gripping the hot chocolate mug tightly. The truth was, Damian hadn't realized he was still dressed as Robin, and that's why you didn't recognize him. You stood there, paralyzed, not understanding why he was in Bruce Wayne's house, and why would he talk to you? Or maybe this was some kind of joke, and you still hadn't figured it out.

Damian was silent for a moment, his expression serious. "You were supposed to stay with Mom. It's not safe for you here."

"Master Damian," Alfred spoke, signaling to the mask on his face. Damian quickly tore it off, feeling stupid for forgetting about it.

You almost let the mug slip when you saw him. Your brother had grown a lot since he was ten. His face was thinner, more defined, and his eyes smaller, plus his voice was deeper. That's why you didn't recognize him at first. Before, you would have known who he was just by the sound of his voice, but it wasn't the same anymore.

You were happy and surprised at the same time. That moment was shocking, and the bitterness you felt a while ago was forgotten. Your anger at discovering Damian ignored you for two years for the people in this house didn't cross your mind now, too busy trying to memorize each of his new features. The superhero world wasn't new, after all, but how could your brother be Robin? And if he was Robin, did he know Batman?

"I wanted to see you," you replied, your voice trembling. "I missed you."

Damian sighed, approaching. He wanted to argue but fought against it, knowing the last thing he should do was yell at you after so long. "I missed you too, but you shouldn't be here, S/n. Things are complicated here." He responded tensely, calculating his words and trying to find a way to get you away from Bruce as quickly as possible before something slipped.

Bruce watched your interaction, unsure of what to do. He didn't understand the depth of your relationship, wondering if he should intervene or let you talk alone. It seemed too personal to discuss in front of so many eyes.

In a brief exchange of glances with Dick, in a kind of silent conversation, Bruce signaled for him and the others to leave.

Understanding as always, Dick nodded, indicating they should leave but not before approaching Bruce with something. "Bruce, promise me you'll only read this card when you're in a clearer state of mind," he asked in a whisper, placing a piece of paper in Bruce's hand, careful to put the written part facing his palm. Dick rarely asked for promises, so Bruce reluctantly agreed.

"Can you at least tell me what it is?"

"It's a clue about Hugo Strange," was the simplest response he could give. "But let's leave that for another time," Dick emphasized, looking at you and Damian, who, to their surprise, were watching them.

"Let's go. This is no longer our business," Dick tried to pull Jason and Tim along, but Tim was stubborn:

"Did you give it to him?" Tim said just loud enough for Dick to hear.

"Yes, Tim," he replied, not wanting to give him more room to argue, going up the stairs two steps at a time, followed by Jason who climbed more calmly, holding onto the railing. Tim gave one last look at Bruce, then at Damian, Alfred, and then you, who was now watching the three. You already knew Dick, but the other two figures aroused your curiosity. How many more people live in the mansion?

The boy you didn't know was called Tim started staring at you with an intrigued expression. He hadn't managed to see your face closely before, but now, looking calmly, he couldn't avoid noticing how familiar you seemed. He felt he had seen you somewhere, but where? You examined him with the same perplexity, and for a moment he parted his lips to say something, maybe to ask if he knew you, but Bruce's voice made him jump:

"Tim, you should go to bed, just like your brothers." He asked in a gentle tone.

"Sorry, Bruce." He responded quickly, going up the stairs in same style as Jason.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?" Damian took advantage of the fact that the three had left and angrily threw it in your face, but trying to disguise it at all costs to avoid sounding too harsh. His eyes were frantic, looking at every part of your face.

He wasn't sentimental, and he refused to go through the humiliation of showing any weakness at seeing your grown-up figure, even if it caused him heartache. "Why did you disappear like that? Mom's been worried for hours."

"I already told you. I wanted to see you." Your voice rose a bit, desperately trying to justify yourself. You wanted so much to hug him but felt too embarrassed to do so, finally realizing that the intimacy you had before no longer existed. It was as if he were a stranger.

"Let's go. I'll take you back." He grabbed your wrist, wanting to disappear from his father's sight at all costs, but you pulled away, surprising him.

"Why are you so eager to get rid of me?" You asked indignantly, trying to swallow the sob due to your wounded pride. The warmth in your heart rose to your head, finally feeling that old anger again. "I haven't seen you in years, and the first thing you do is want to keep me away again!" You were distressed, feeling rejected.

"Maybe it's because you only cause problems!" He exploded.

"I had forgotten how irritating you are!" You shouted at the top of your lungs, trying to push him back as you did in childhood arguments. Back then, you two were equal in strength, but now Damian was becoming a man, and he barely moved.

You didn't notice when you dropped the mug on the floor, which luckily didn't break as the impact was cushioned by the rug. But the little liquid left had spilled and stained it, and seeing Alfred pick it up to clean made you feel awful. You should have done it, but he stopped you when you made a move to bend down, saying it was okay. Alfred felt he shouldn't participate in this conversation and used the mug situation as an excuse to go to the kitchen.

"Stop." Bruce intervened between you two, separating both and giving his son a challenging look. He knew this kind of attitude was typical of him, but seeing how loyal and obedient Damian was to Talia, he thought he would at least show some sympathy to his sister. "S/n, why don't you go sleep a bit? It's late, it would be good to rest." He offered as a truce and also as a way to interrupt your meeting, seeing how bad it was going.

"Do you realize the danger she got into? Talking to strangers, no less." Damian spoke again, his voice dangerously calm, ignoring Bruce. "Do you have any idea who that guy was, S/n? Do you have any idea?!" His voice began to rise a few octaves.

A solitary tear rolled down your cheek, recalling the man who had helped you on the street. At that moment, he seemed like a good person, but the way your brother was talking, apparently he wasn't. "How many times do we need to tell you not to talk to strangers? Not to leave the house without telling anyone? It's always been like this since we were kids, you never change!"

You had no reaction. That single tear had turned into two, then into several others, as you shrank into your own shame. You felt ridiculous for coming here because of him.

"Damian, who are you talking about?" Bruce held him by the shoulders to stop him from continuing to spew anger at you. His voice was much deeper than the boy's, and although it didn't intimidate him, it was enough to make him look at him at least.

"Hugo Strange, Dad! Damn Hugo Strange!" Damian lost control of his own mouth, speaking without thinking and not realizing the slip he had just made. "Because she's too stupid to have the slightest notion about anything!"

"Hugo Strange?" Mr. Wayne asked out loud. You knew exactly who Strange was, just as you knew other villains, although you might not recognize them by appearance. But that didn't matter to you now, as you spoke right after:

"Why did you call him Dad?" You looked your brother in the eyes, expecting some kind of explanation, not noticing how his body hairs stood on end.

Suddenly, a realization hit you. This was his new family now, and this man was his father. That venomous jealousy returned once more, and you didn't know if it was because Damian now had someone to call 'Dad' or because it meant how close he had become to these people. Damian swallowed hard, sweating and standing still like a statue.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne. I didn't mean to cause trouble." You apologized, deciding to completely ignore Damian from now on.

"No need to apologize." Bruce felt uneasy, and like you, he drew a wrong interpretation from it. He thought Damian hadn't told his sister who his real father was, which was possible considering he also hadn't told her he moved in with him. The fact that you two were twins was also still unknown to Bruce. The most logical idea, though not spoken or thought, was that you were Talia's daughter with another man. "I'll ask Alfred to show you a room."

You looked one last time at Damian before disappearing into some wing of the mansion. It hurt to see him watching you leave without even saying goodbye. A 'good night' would have been hopeful, even though you hated him now.

"Come, miss." You felt Alfred's hands on your back, guiding you. "I'll show you the guest room," he explained, and you looked back, seeing Bruce watching the two of you.

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne," you said, trying to sound as grateful as possible, while wrapping one arm around Alfred's waist affectionately. Bruce gave you a slight smile, uncrossing his arms to wave goodbye, which you returned with your free hand.

"You and I now have a lot to talk about." Bruce's aura had become cold again. The trust he had built with Damian wasn't broken, but it definitely had a crack.

"Mom is coming," he said in a low voice "I called her as soon as Dick started told me everything," he confessed, knowing Bruce would be furious, watching him run a hand through his hair to relieve the tension.

Following his example, Damian also sat in one of the armchairs in the room, analyzing his father's movements. Whenever Talia and Bruce were in the same room, even if they didn't do it openly, they fought for some kind of dominance.

Bruce made a move to take out the card Dick had given him to see its contents and maybe pass the time while the second storm of the night was yet to come. The first had been you, of course. He ran his fingers along one of the edges of the card, without taking it completely out of his pocket, and then remembered his son's words:

'Promise me you'll only read this card when you're in a moment of clarity.'

The last thing Bruce had now was clarity. So he sighed heavily and pushed it back into his pocket, staring at the boy beside him. "Why do I feel like your sister should be a secret, Damian?"

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Credits for the divider: @cafekitsune

[snakeredbirdbatkatana]

Calling Dad it's something that Tim has witnessed from Dick and Damian to even Jason.

Backed into a corner scared slightly shitless and it's like an ingrained reaction. Something specific to being a Robin gun to your head and you just scream for Bruce.

Tim hasn't really ever had to do it.

When he was Robin especially after Jason, well say what you will about Bruce but he was never physically far away.

It was supposed to be a slow patrol all of them are out Dick working with Damian somewhere in the Diamond district. Jason in Crime Alley of course talking about a old lady who he helped cross the street. Bruce trying to get everyone to be quiet over the line.

Yet Ninja's are not apart of basic patrol unless your Red Robin. The first five go down quick none of his family is even aware, his breathing hasn't changed. Next seven slightly harder but nothing crazy.

Until he sees Ra's standing at the top of the old factory. He almost paused flashes of Paris, Wayne Enterprises, and the desert practically blind him. He didn't see the blade until it was too late cutting straight into his side.

Twenty more assassins begin to make there way. He doesn't hesitate.

"Dad, fuck...." he can't stop a slight hiss of pain as another cut ends up on his arm.

It explodes.

"Tim what's happening?"

"Red Robin Report."

"Replacement you better not be dying"

"Drake what is your situation?"

Ra's is making his way closer and although it isn't his typical move he starts running.

"Dad, uhm how do I put this I need like so much backup it's really not funny."

Where was Bruce he was about two blocks away if he doesn't turn around he can most likely ignore the swarm of Ninja that is running after him.

"Don't worry I'm bringing the problem too you but if everyone could convene at Bruce's location it would really be appreciated." 

"Red what's going on?"

Seriously? We're gonna need a bit more?"

"Drake if your are dying do inform us."

"Red Robin Report. Now!"

Apperently running for your life really takes a lot out of you he has to be max two minutes away he hopes at least. They are hot on his heels and don't look like they are slowing down."

"Lots of ninjas, also creepy Assassin Lord's who want to have my babies the usual, also I am slightly bleeding. So really I oh my god thank fuck I see you."

Tim's savior at long last a Batman grappling to the ground ten feet away he books it pushing past the woozy bloodloss and the slightly poison feeling because there is always poison he runs to Bruce and without a any real coherence dives behind him shouting.

"Dad thank fuck."

Now behind Bruce he sits down which usually isn't what you do when Ra's wants your bacon but it was either sit and pass out or stand so he is sitting.

Batman can handle it he thinks before his eyes start close ehh the grounds a good place for a nap.

[abbbbyyy]

Bat Baby: Part 1

Reader(Mother) X Bat Boys(Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne)

Note: Congrats! You're pregnant with Bruce's baby! Wonder how your other sons react to this breaking news? Well, here you go.

(I don't own any DC characters)

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

"You're… what?" Jason's voice echoed through the manor's grand hall, a mix of shock and disbelief.

She looked at each of the boys, her expression serene amidst their tumult. She'd known delivering the news would be a challenge, but she had hoped for more than just stunned silence. "Jason," she said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I'm pregnant."

Dick's eyes grew wide with excitement. "I'm going to be a big brother!" he exclaimed, jumping up from the couch.

"You already are, Dick." Tim reminds him with a smirk, bringing a hint of levity to the tension-filled room.

"Wait, how far along are you?" Dick asked, his mind racing with questions. Her calm demeanor didn't waver.

"I'm about three months along," she replied, a soft smile playing on her lips as she watched the array of reactions unfold.

The room froze for a moment, the air thick with astonishment. "Three months? That means… " Dick's voice was a mix of excitement and disbelief.

"Holy shit!" The words flew out of Jason's mouth before he could even process the gravity of the situation. His eyes grew rounder as reality sank in, and he took off at a sprint, his footsteps echoing through the hallway like a drumroll. "We have only seven months to prepare!" His voice trailed off as he disappeared around the corner, leaving a wake of astonishment behind him.

She watched him go. "Jason, where are you going?" she called out, the hint of amusement in her voice belying the calmness she exuded.

Her voice was barely audible over the cacophony of the other boys' movements. Tim's eyes darted around the room, a whirlwind of thoughts about baby monitors and cribs and the like swirling through his mind. Dick's initial excitement was already giving way to the dawning realization of the monumental change on the horizon. The weight of responsibility was settling on him like a cloak, and he felt the sudden urge to be the rock in the storm for the new addition to their family.

"Does anyone know how to take care of a baby?" Dick asks, a hint of panic seeping into his voice.

Tim looked up from his racing thoughts, his eyes wide. "I don't know!" he exclaimed, his mind racing. "Bruce has only ever adapted!" The statement hung in the air like a confetti bomb at a surprise party nobody had expected. It was true; their father, Batman, was known for his adaptability and strategic prowess, but none of them had ever seen him in the role of a full-time parent to an infant. They had all been teenagers when they joined the Bat-family, and while they knew he cared deeply for them, they had never seen him handle the day-to-day chaos of raising a baby.

Jason barreled back into the room, panting slightly, his arms laden with books on parenting, baby gear, and even a small stuffed animal. He dropped them onto the table, causing a small avalanche of paper and plastic.

"I don't fucking know what any of this shit is, but I for know for damn sure we're going to need it!" he exclaimed, his eyes scanning over the spread before them. The titles of one of the books caught his attention: "The Expectant Father's Survival Guide." He flipped it open to a random page, his eyes skimming over the words without really taking them in.

Tim roams through large pile, franticly searching through the parenting books, his mind racing with the multitude of new tasks they'd need to learn. "How the hell do we even start with this?" he mumbles, holding up a book titled 'The First Year: A Parent's Survival Guide'.

"We'll need to get diapers, bottles, a crib…" Dick started listing out the necessities, his voice rising with every item.

Bruce, who was sitting quietly in the corner, had observed the scene with a knowing smile. He rose from his chair and approached her, placing a comforting hand on her hip.

"Just wait until you're into labor," he murmured, his voice a blend of humor and warmth. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Damian, the youngest of the four, had remained silent through the initial uproar, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he digested the information. He had always been the stoic one, the one who took things in stride no matter the situation. But even he couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of a new sibling. He looked up at his mother, his expression unreadable.

"Damian, are you okay?" She asked, her gaze softening as she studied him.

He nodded curtly. "Yes, Mother. I am simply contemplating the alterations in our dynamic."

Her smile grew more pronounced, understanding his concern. She knelt down, placing a reassuring hand on his cheek. "You'll be the best big brother, Damian. I know it."

He nodded again, the tension in his body slowly easing. "I shall endeavor to be," he said, his voice earnest.

The three of them watch as Dick, Jason and Tim continued their frantic preparations, their voices blending into a cacophony of excitement and uncertainty. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride swell in her chest at the sight of her makeshift family coming together in such a way. It wasn't what any of them had signed up for when they became a part of Bruce Wayne's life, but they were all in this together now.

Next

[fantastic-nonsense]

Thanks for your reply. And, yeah, I definitely agree that Robin is first and foremost Dick’s legacy, and that he chose Damian as his Robin for important reasons that he expresses to Tim later. And, his blessings to both Jason and Tim previously were also extremely important. But, I was thinking about it more in terms of how the transition was handled. I know that Jason and Dick, despite popular belief, had a decent relationship when he was Robin, but Dick didn’t react well initially because he had been completely blindsided by the news, nor had he given his consent. I thought that Alfred was sort of repeating Bruce’s mistakes here, so Tim might have been blindsided by it as well (not that I think he would’ve given his consent either way at that point). You saying that it was a crisis decision on Alfred’s part puts it in perspective though, and it makes sense since Alfred’s generally more sensitive than Bruce. I do think, though, that seeing Damian in a Robin suit (with Alfred’s blessing) would have probably made Tim realise that there was a real possibility that Damian could be Robin.

[referencing this response on how the transition from Tim to Damian as Robin was handled]

I think two things can be true: Tim would be blindsided and hurt by Dick's decision to make Damian Robin regardless of the circumstances, but it was particularly tough for him given the situation that it occurred in (the issue you're talking about and I mostly discussed in my original response), and it was the obvious decision to make based on where all three of those characters were in their character arcs.

Tim during the BFTC/early Reborn era honestly needs to be viewed in the context of him clearly being ready to take the same steps Dick took at his age to become an independent vigilante but wanting to cling to Robin because it was the only sense of stability he had in an incredibly unstable period of his life. Tim had been operating semi-independently for years and had just spent the entirety of Battle for the Cowl telling Dick that if he wouldn't put on the cowl Tim would do it himself…and then he actually did put on the cowl to go fight Jason. It's not like Tim wasn't signaling that he had moved beyond Robin's role as Batman's non-independent protege.

And Dick could see that, especially since Tim had already been the Robin to his Batman once, back in Prodigal. He genuinely meant it when he called Tim his "equal" in Red Robin #1, and I think that's important to understand where both of them are coming from.

Ultimately Tim's problems with Robin "being taken away from him" were not Dick's problems, and Tim's hostility and hurt comes from a fundamentally different place than Dick's did. Dick voluntarily gave up being Robin to become Nightwing, and the rocky transition from Dick to Jason was less about the mantle and more about Dick's personal insecurity about his place in the family and Bruce giving Jason Robin without his permission. Tim's place in the family was very solid during BftC and his RR #1 freakout was mostly about the perception that Dick was taking away his sole source of mental/life stability and choosing Damian (a potential hostile) over Tim to watch his back and keep him alive.

Dick's issues were about insecurity in the face of a father apparently replacing him with a new son and a new partner in his absence. Tim's issues were about feeling unmoored in the face of yet another loved one dying, his civilian life going up in flames (again) and being pushed out of a tenuous stability back into instability, and the percieved lack of trust in his ability to properly fill the role he was already occupying.

So honestly I think Tim's feelings on that transition need to be viewed as an entirely separate thing from how well or poorly the transition itself was handled, because I genuinely believe that Tim's reaction only was what it canonically was due to the unique intersections of events going on in Tim's personal life. Dick could have (and should have) handled the transition with more delicacy, but Tim was always going to react badly because of how hard he had been leaning on the mask to give him a sense of normalcy and balance. That's not really something Dick or Damian (or Alfred) could control, even though the transition itself was rockier than it could have been on their ends and poorly handled out-of universe.

[anxiousnerdwritings]

We seen Bruce's reaction to jokerized!twin but what about the rest of the family? did Damien feel guilty knowing that he had a hand in this?

Definitely! Damian feels utterly at fault for his sibling ending up in the clutches of Joker, he’ll never forgive himself for pushing his twin to this point.

After his time with Bruce and the rest of the Batfamily, Dick especially, Damian has calmed down and changed from how he used to be, in particularly regarding his thoughts on his sibling. He’s been guilt ridden ever since he came to terms with how terribly cruel he was to them and obsessing over how he could make it right and mend things with his twin, finally becoming the brother he should have been to them from the very beginning. But he doesn’t know how to find them, how to reach out and apologize for everything he’s put them through. Last he knew they were in Gotham but that was some time ago and they weren’t on the best of terms then, not to mention they’re last interaction was brutal so who’s to say his sibling didn’t just leave town and start anew somewhere else. Somewhere better.

But that doesn’t keep Damian from keeping an eye out for them, whether while out on patrol or while going about his day to day outside of his vigilante duties, hoping one day he’ll be lucky enough to find them again. That is until he actually does come face to face with them once more.

When he does meet the Reader again Damian is frozen with shock. Not only are they with Harley and Joker but they two clowns are also referring to his sibling as their bby. It’s too much for Damian to process in the moment. At first, he assumes that Joker and Harley have brainwashed his sibling into playing house with them and taking on the role of their child, but then his sibling tells him themself that they weren’t wanted anywhere else but Joker happily took them in. It’s on that moment that Damian realizes just how much he’s fucked up and how horribly he has ruined his own flesh and blood.

He can’t bring himself to acknowledge what they’re saying is true though, there’s no way they came to Joker willingly and took part in becoming like him. There’s no way. He won’t accept that. He can’t accept it. He wholeheartedly is under the belief that his sibling is brainwashed and has been taken advantage of against their will to play a part in Joker’s delusional fucked up version of a family. This only fuels Damian’s hatred towards the Clown Prince all the more, he’s taken something away from him, something he hadn’t ever appreciated enough to take for granted. He’s only recently realized how much he messed up and now the very thing he’s been working towards fixing is now being broken down even more by a psychotic clown.

It takes a everything, mainly Bruce and what other family members are there, to keep Damian from killing Joker right then. It certainly doesn’t help that his very own sibling is protect Joker and Harley so no one can get a hit on them without severely hurting or killing the Reader in the process. Damian has to be forcefully restrained as Joker, Harley and his sibling make a getaway. No matter how hard he tries to break free to give chase to get his twin back, he’s held in place probably even knocked out and taken back to the manor so everyone can regroup and plan out how to handle this situation.

It was already hard enough seeing his sibling along side Joker to begin with but seeing their paper white skin and the crazed look in their eye after they’ve been christened in a chemical bath is too much for him. Especially, if he was forced to witness them being submerged into the chemical vat himself. Damian wouldn’t be the same after that. How could he be? He watched helplessly and uselessly while his sibling was turned into a version of one of the most deranged individuals he’s ever known. And he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Damian would vow to save his sibling, both from Joker and from themself. He won’t give up on them, he can’t. They need him more than ever now and he’ll fight tooth and nail to bring them home where they belong, with him and their father (as well as the batfamily). Even if he has to break Bruce’s rules to do so. He has a lot to work toward with them, even more now than ever but he’ll make it happen. Damian will be there for them, he won’t stop until their safe and by his side where they should have been all along. He won’t let anything come between him getting his twin back, not even his own mother.

[soleminisanction]

I think it’s so fundamentally telling of what sort of person Stephanie is when her reaction to Greta potentially being killed via 10,000 megawatts of electricity isn’t to be sad or devastated or beat herself up about it/ be disappointed in herself (like I think maybe Tim or Batman would be) it’s purely fear of punishment via Robin being angry at her. She did not care whether greta lived or died. She’s never been overly concerned with whether someone died or not and this has been a consistent characteristic of hers, but that’s usually only in reference to criminal characters who you could justify ‘had it coming’ and whatnot. This was just like. Greta read her diary? And Steph then tried to kill her for it? And did not feel any regret upon trying to do so? Tf??

You're not wrong, anon (aside from comedically exaggerating the voltage of a suburban powerline). I considered calling that out in the post and decided it was a tangent that would've distracted from the actual point, which wasn't so much "Yikes, Steph is an asshole" so much as it was, "And this is why you shouldn't always take characters at their word; with good writers, there's often a lot more going on when you pay attention."

Although looking back over the post now, I really have to wonder if the whole issue wasn't Peter David's way of, in part, criticizing how Chuck Dixon was handling the whole Steph-hunts-Tim's-secret-identity storyline.

Peter David is not shy or subtle about working his opinions into his comics, YJ especially, and he definitely knew where the story was going -- the last page of the issue, the one I didn't include on the post, includes a direct reference to the way the arc would soon end, with an editorial note pointing readers to Robin to find out more.

Throughout the fight Secret specifically calls Steph out on invading Robin's privacy multiple times; it lines up with the way David had, for example, negatively portrayed pair of sports hunters in issue #7, or how he wrote Cissie's "It was the guns you idiot" rant from issue #15. Whereas Steph's responses are mostly comments on the immediate situation and personal barbs that deepen Greta's arc, ie, the bit questioning whether she's even human.

And even though YJ was working with the exact same themes and narrative elements, there's never a comparative incident where a member of the team tries to learn Robin's identity behind his back. Again, despite the fact that Secret could do so easily, and despite all the tension the identity issue ultimately ends up causing on the team. Because even if they don't like that he's keeping secrets, they respect that they're his secrets to keep, and Stephanie doesn't. Or rather, Chuck Dixon doesn't, at least not when it comes to his precious pet character.

Heck, there's also the fact that the "lecture" Tim gives at the end, the one hinting towards the storyline's conclusion, hinges on how Batman and Robin is a relationship built on a bond of implicit trust... and how the relationship doesn't work if that trust is broken... and it's hinting at the end of a storyline in which that implicit trust is broken in a way that arguably took Bruce out of character and turns him into the bad guy while not only excusing Stephanie's behavior but rewarding her for it with her first round of actual Bat-training...

Of course, I have zero way of knowing what Peter David was thinking so this is 100% just my analysis but... I could see it. It's a way to professionally express his displeasure without publicly criticizing a colleague or sabotaging their plans. David's a good writer, I wouldn't put it past him.

[of-chaos-and-flame]

The Owl House x Red Hood

So my Crossover Brain attacked me with another scenario today. This is not quite fully fleshed out, but consider:

Jason Todd, fresh out of the grave, slips into the Demon Realm(probably because of some magic bs + Lazarus Pit chain reaction), and as he’s laying there still dazed from being revived, he’s found by the residents of the near by Owl House.

From here there’s 2 ways I’ve thought about playing this. Either: 1) this happens right after the end of season 1 and Jason adjusts to the Boiling Isles while the plot of season 2 happens, or 2) this happens a few years before, and the events of TOH takes place sometime during Damian’s run as Robin.

Both are viable and have varying story potential, but I personally prefer the second option so that’s what I’m going with, more under the cut (warning: I play a little fast and loose with the effects of the Lazarus Pit):

Eda and King take Jason in and help nurse him back to health, and are quick to notice the side effects of the Lazarus Pit. Believing it to be some kind of curse, similar to her own, Eda looks into a cure — or failing that, some kind of remedy to mitigate the effects.

After a week or so of recovery and adjusting to his new “Curse”, Jason asks if there’s a way to go back to the human realm and see his family again. With some hesitation regarding his condition, Eda agrees and opens the portal. Jason quickly figures out how long it’s been and the fact that Batman replaced him as Robin and refused to kill the Joker.

Without the influence of Talia, Jason isn’t driven to go to same the lengths as in canon, but is still thoroughly distraught and convinced that Bruce never loved him. Seeing how shattered Jason is, Eda offers to let him stay with her and help him manage his “Lazarus Curse”, in exchange for him working as her assistant.

Jason, of course, accepts.

From there I have vague ideas of things that Jason does while in the Boiling Isles.

First and foremost to help with his curse he gets something similar to Eda’s curse-indicator gem(?) but his serves a different purpose. Anytime the Rage starts to get too intense, Jason can drain it out of himself and into the gemstone. This does have the side effect of leaving him dazed and his emotions are a little dulled for a few minutes.

It’s not a perfect solution as it doesn’t get rid of the Pit Rage, only stores it. He still has to release it eventually, but it helps keep him from reacting with unnecessary violence in more delicate situations. Eventually he realizes that he can channel the cursed energy he’s stored up into casting spells without glyphs. Unfortunately even relatively simple spells take a decent amount of energy, so it’s not something he can use consistently.

He takes up vigilante work again as an outlet, letting the rage out in smaller bursts as to not seriously hurt anyone. (I’m unsure what his secret identity would be. Would he still take up the name Red Hood? Or would he do something owl themed? He definitely wouldn’t go back to Robin. I’m also debating on what his palisman should be, cuz he’s absolutely getting one.)

He doesn’t have the same incessant drive to learn magic that Luz does, so it takes him a fair bit longer to learn about Glyphs. However, once he does he’s quick to adapt them into his vigilante work.

I think he’d also have to grapple with seeing Eda as a mother figure, especially considering his track record with parental figures overall(and maternal ones in particular)

It would also be cool having him meet the BATTs while doing vigilante work. And depending on how involved Eda gets with his vigilante stuff, she could reunite with Raine a fair bit sooner than in canon.

Once Luz enters the picture, I can see Jason being a little hesitant to let her stay. He sees a part of himself in her — the part that used to be Robin, the part that got him killed — and worries for her safety. He could handle the Boiling Isles fine at that age because he had experience both as Robin and as a native Gothamite, she doesn’t.

I think he spends the first few days/weeks of her stay trying to scare her back to the human realm, trying to show her how dangerous the demon realm really is. But he can’t be there all the time, and one day while he’s out doing Vigilante work it starts to rain, and Luz has to deal with the owl beast for the first time.

Without him.

Of course he doesn’t know that until after the rain lets up and he can get home. After finding out that Luz managed to beat Eda in full beast mode and figured out the light glyph all by herself(with some help from King ofc) he relents in trying to get her to leave and actually starts to train her in how to survive the Boiling Isles as a human, including passing down the combat skills he learned as Robin.

Aaaaand that’s all I have in terms of thought out plot points (for now), all my other ideas for this is far less developed and not worth trying to type out cohesively.

[moneypriestess]

Damian Wayne x Danny Fenton

Damian had always been known for his fierce and sometimes brutal demeanour, often showing no mercy towards his enemies. However, in recent weeks, his behaviour had been noticeably different. He had gotten more relaxed, less prone to using his signature razor-sharp sword to solve problems.

The rest of the Bat family had noticed the change and were starting to get suspicious. They sat Damian down for a chat, and after some interrogation, Damian finally admitted it: he had a secret boyfriend.

"What!?" they all exclaimed in unison, shocked by the news.

Damian took a deep breath and finally revealed the identity of his secret lover - Danny Fenton.

The Bat family's reaction was mixed. Some, like dick, Cass, Stephanie and Tim were thrilled to hear that Damian had found someone he could open up to, while others- like Jason, duke and especially Bruce were worried about how Danny would handle the dangerous lifestyle of the superhero world. However, they all understood that love was something to be celebrated, and they were excited to meet Danny at dinner.

So the invitation went out, and Danny accepted with equal parts excitement and anxiety. He was excited to meet the Bat family and get to know Damian better, but he was also a little freaked out about having to navigate a world full of superheroes and villains.

Jason Todd, in particular, seemed to be taking an overly-protective attitude towards Danny. He constantly offered to serve Danny and get him whatever he needed, almost as if he was trying to make up for his past mistakes. Danny appreciated the gesture, but he also felt a little uneasy about having to be constantly catered to.

As dinner went on, Damian noticed that Danny was starting to look a little overwhelmed by the situation. He could sense his boyfriend's anxiety rising, and so he decided to take him outside to their peaceful garden to have a quiet talk.

"Hey, everything okay?" Damian asked, placing a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.

Danny breathed deeply, trying to calm down. "Yeah, I'm just...this is all a lot to process. Your family is amazing, but it's also a little overwhelming."

Damian pulled Danny into his arms, nuzzling his face into his boyfriend's neck. "I get it. But don't worry, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're mine now, and I'll protect you with everything I have."

Danny blushed, feeling the warmth of Damian's body against his own. The quiet moment in the garden was exactly what he needed to calm his nerves. He buried his head into Damian's shoulder, taking a deep breath and allowing himself to fully relax in his boyfriend's arms.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Batfamily was watching the scene unfold from inside the house. They could sense the love and devotion between Damian and Danny, and they knew that the two of them were going to be a formidable team in the years to come.

The dinner table grew quiet as everyone reflected on the events that had just transpired. It had been a night full of surprises, but it had also been a night filled with love and acceptance. And that was something worth celebrating.

[ghost-bxrd]

So I've seen you post a lot about Dick and Calvin recently, and I wanted to know how you thought Calvin would react, in this Calvin gets adopted by Bruce kind of au, to:

1). Jason's death, in the assumption Calvin can't prevent it (And subsequently what he would do to Joker for it.)

2) Damian's early childhood.

3) Tim's Tim-ness.

4) How Calvin would react to the Batman Robin situation, when he finally learns about it.

I haven't gotten the opportunity to learn much about Calvin, but you have me interested, I'm a sucker for overly traumatized characters, and I am looking for the comics with him!

We can never have enough Calvin Rose content, that boy is so underrated 🥺💚

1. Pfpfpfpf you know for ONCE I wanted to go with “Jason doesn’t die in this Au” but you asked and I shall deliver hehehe.

Look, Calvin adores children. And it’s no different with Jason, whom he basically helped Bruce raise from the moment he came to the manor. (Bruce is a good dad here but emotions are not his forte. Calvin picks up the slack.)

So we’ve got a former Talon basically raising Jason, sharing a lot of his interests, teaching him fun escape techniques and pranking the others…

Only for Jason to die in Ethiopia. Beaten within an inch of his life and then blown up.

Because his birth mother sold him to the Joker.

Look, there’s very few things that make Calvin snap. Canonically it only happens when his loved ones are in danger/threatened, or children are being hurt.

And this one ticks off both boxes.

Calvin doesn’t kill if he can help it. Hasn’t done so since that one time with the Court, and that instance still haunts him in his sleep. But this?

Yeah. He’s not losing any sleep over killing Joker. He’d hunt the clown and put him down like a rabid animal. Cold, clean, and efficient. No drawing it out.

2. As mentioned before, Calvin adores kids. I don’t think they’d meet before Damian comes to the manor though, so no early early childhood shenanigans. But when Damian arrives, all entitled and clearly having been conditioned from a very young age, he gives Bruce a very deadpan “You do know you don’t get a discount for the amount of traumatized kids you take in, right?”

Damian is a stabby little shit that tries to kill Calvin at every turn. Dick thinks it’s hilarious. Damian becomes progressively more angry because Calvin doesn’t break a sweat side stepping each and every attempt. (Talon training pays off)

Calvin just lets Damian “burn off his excess energy” (“You do know he’s a kid and not a puppy, right?”) and uses the time the boy isn’t actively trying to murder him to child proof the manor again. Just to piss Damian off.

Having the kid try to poison him at dinner that day is so worth it.

Damian reluctantly warms up to Calvin over the next few weeks when the former Talon proves annoyingly helpful at setting up his room and helping him with training. (Although Damian turns his nose up every time Calvin obviously handles him with kiddie gloves. But the man point blank refuses to do anything else.)

3. Calvin spends a week around Tim and all his alarm bells for “neglected child” are going off like autotune in his brain.

Considering it’s still very close to Jason’s death tho it would take him some time to truly warm up to Tim.

Tim wishes Calvin remained as distant as he was the first year or so (no he doesn’t) because now Calvin has strictly limited his daily caffeine intake, is forcing him to eat at least three healthy meals a day, and actually set a bed time for him.

Tim is outraged (flustered) about being treated like a kid (like the kid he is).

4. Depending on who’s Robin when he finds out the reactions would vary greatly, but he still wouldn’t be happy that Bruce is taking kids out onto the streets at night to fight criminals either way. It remind him too much of the Court for comfort, grooming children into the percent assassin.

After a while though he’d realize that Bruce would love nothing more than for his Robin(s) to hang up the mantle and just live their lives to the fullest, and that they’re simply too stubborn and determined to fight crime with Batman to stay at home. With our without permission.

It helps that Bruce is clearly distressed and close to benching Robin whenever Dick/Jason comes back from patrol with a bruise. Never mind an actual injury.

[frownyalfred]

About writing a sequel for Sever the Blight (which was amazing to read btw) I feel like given proper warnings it should be fine?

Especially since the darker and/or uncomfortable themes are pretty common in Batman? Bruce has literally pushed his body to it‘s limits, dangerously so. He’s self-destructing. That‘s a big part of his character and background.

And in your story his decision to stop eating was very deliberate and pragmatic to him. (considering that he loves his sons, they were injured, still growing, etc., and they had no clue when/if help would arrive)

I would argue that most parents place their children‘s lives above their own.

You didn‘t give me the impression that you were promoting ED at all, especially since we had Clark‘s pov. We could clearly see how distressed he was at the situation and his own helplessness.

I could maybe see the issue if you had written it from Bruce‘s pov, downplaying and ignoring the effect starvation has on his body. Even listing all reasons why (to him) it‘s a reasonable/good/right thing to do while hiding it from his family.

But I feel you‘ve always handled the more difficult stories/plotlines really well? Especially when it comes to conflict in the Batfam, or within Bruce himself. Borderline being a wonderful example imo.

(You‘re actually my favorite Batman/Fam author because of how you write them all -I could honestly gush about it for hours- and their struggles without demonizing them)

Also, I would guess that a continuation would mostly deal with the aftermath? Specifically the road to recovery helped along by his family. Nothing that encourages ED.

Sorry if this is a rambly/annoying ask. just wanted to add my own opinion into the mix since I love your writing in general. To me, the characters make it clear when they make decisions due to an unhealthy mind-set.

I‘d be excited to see a (presumably) Batfam centric sequel of course! But no pressure :)

Thank you so much! I would love to write the sequel, absolutely. And I agree that the original fic didn’t promote ED tendencies, as much as is possible in a fic about starvation.

I think I just wasn’t prepared for the sudden flood of pro-ED comments and in my inbox and DMs. It was a lot to sift through mentally and it (briefly) turned me off the idea of writing more in this trope. I deleted some really concerning stuff.

I appreciate everyone’s support and confirmation that the tags and description weren’t harmful or triggering. I really do want to make sure readers have Bruce’s recovery — and the batkids’ reactions, which I think is the key/best part.

[yanderes-galore]

Romantic yandere Injustice Batman with your prompts 4, 49, and 62!!

Of course! Credit to @okchijt for helping with the plot!

Yandere! Injustice! Batman Prompts 4, 49, 62

"My heart belongs to you, I'll adore anything you do to it."

"This is to solidify our love...."

"I must know everything about you!"

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Imprisonment, Kidnapping, Obsession, Paranoia, Overprotective themes, Mentions of loss, Fear of loss, Consensual relationship turned forced.

Your body feels almost... numb when you wake up. Under you feels like a mattress but the air feels so cold. Groggy from your rest, you try to regain your bearings.

It isn't until you see what looks like prison bars that you shoot up in your spot. Adrenaline wakes you up rather quickly as you tap around your body. You swore you had something to get you out of this situation that Bruce gave you... where even are you?

A sudden slam makes you jump with a strangled sound. Your eyes dart in the direction only to see a familiar man in a bat costume watching you. Confusion settles into your gut when you realize this is the Batcave.

Fear soon replaces it when you realize you've been stripped of your gadgets.

You and Bruce... The Batman, have always been closer than most. He's always been caring and protective. Especially when you two soon began a more intimate relationship with one another.

Such behavior only ever grew when the events leading up to Superman's Regime occurred. Maybe it shocked him into realizing how easy it was to lose you? Not long after he had lost Dick and Damian himself. You were not blind or deaf to the fact he murmured to himself often when he though you weren't listening.

You just thought you misheard him when he said he'd lock you away one day to keep you beside him.

Apparently not.

It was then panic and rage overtook you. You darted for the bars like a feral animal, eyes glaring at Bruce. He says nothing and only watches.

"Bruce, how could you!?" You scream at him. "You're crazy! You took my things and threw me in a cell like some prisoner!? What did I even do? Let me go!"

Bruce says nothing. He only looks past you to gaze at your cell. He checks around the walls slowly and carefully. At first you think he's ignoring you, but you quickly realize he's looking for imperfections.

"Come on, baby..." You plead, trying to change your tone. "I've told you over and over again I'd never leave you! I won't be like Damian. I'll never leave you as long as you let me out, please?"

"And let The Regime take you away from me? Never. Keeping you here will protect you under my care." Bruce shuts down your pleas quickly, his jaw tightening at the pet name you gave him. "This is to solidify our love...."

You could overlook his protective behavior in the beginning. You thought it was cute how Batman himself fretted over you like you would break at the slightest touch. Now this was too much, it was no longer cute...

You were now treated as a prisoner more than a partner.

"Is this what a normal relationship looks like to you?" You question. "You're supposed to trust me! You're supposed to respect the fact I can handle my own!"

Your seething only builds and builds. It gets to the point you're screaming at Bruce as you push against the bars. You aren't sure what you're more angry about. Your situation or the fact Bruce just stays silent as you scream at him.

Bruce understands your pain. He allows you to vent your feels at him if it makes you feel better. He had prepared for this... but he still found something deep within him aching at your outbursts. You looked like a wild animal barking and roaring at him as you thrash against the bars.

His only reaction is him clenching his jaw.

"Please... just listen to your partner!" You try to plead again. You try to calm yourself after your breakdown. In fact... you hope it helped convince Bruce of your concerns. You hope it showed him how wrong this is. You silently wait for an answer...

"My heart belongs to you, I'll adore anything you do to it."

Only to immediately regret it.

You feel yourself start screaming once again as Bruce turns away to face one of his many monitors. Frustration begins to tire you out once again as you feel it's the only way you can express yourself in this situation. You hate that Bruce decides to ignore you rather than facing the problem.

You don't even know how long it is before you're tired fully. By the end of it you're limp on the mattress of your cell. You're only left with the urge to sleep with tears sitting on the corners of your eyes.

You feel a gaze on your again and you know it's Bruce. Neither of you say anything but he stands up and sits by your cell again. You don't return his gaze and stare at the ceiling.

"I must know everything about you." Bruce says softly to your tired form. "The more I know, the better I can keep you safe."

You ignore him. You don't turn your attention away from the ceiling until Bruce turns to leave the room. Only then do you move to look at the door with a longing expression.

You wonder if you should have joined The Regime with Damian...

Maybe you could've kept your freedom then?

[cleromancy]

still thinking about (always fucking thinking about) what i posted here, on mia's explicit on-page murder vs. jason and felipe and how it's treated both by ollie and bruce respectively, and also by their respective *narratives*.

one of the things i loved about winicks ga/ga&bc run in general was like. it was so uninterested in punishment. when someone did something harmful the emphasis was on the consequences--material and emotional--rather than issues of Right vs Wrong. it focused on who was hurt, where to go from there, how to fix it, and i found that especially 🥺 when it came to mia killing.

because the reaction is so compassionate to her. like, no one is like shaking their finger at mia like You Did A Bad Thing, it's like ollie and dinah *both* immediately are horrified by the fact that she's going to have to live with this for the rest of her life and moreover that ollie put her in that position in the first place.

i already posted these panels but. look again.

and mia and jason as characters were in conversation with each other from the instant mia started being built up to be the 2nd speedy--the same way roy and dick were always in conversation with each other (because everyone knows the REAL second robin was the first speedy). and doubly so when winick took over and tweaked her backstory so she was also homeless. (gonna make a post on the HIV development at some point and how starlin openly talked about wanting to give robin AIDS...)

but like. look

vs

*Jason* couldn't handle it so now *i* can't keep him as my partner compared to. the blame falling directly, and rightly, on ollie for putting mia in that position in the first place... *and* this is the arc preceding the one where mia actually takes the speedy mantle! she wasn't speedy yet! she killed someone on her test run! and she still becomes speedy! and she does a fucking phenomenal job as speedy! tied for first fucking place if you ask me and roys my most favoritest and specialest guy!

and like. god. they don't linger on whether or not mia was wrong to kill that man. ollie clearly thinks there was another way, but he's not going to drill that into mias head, unlike someone else we could name, *bruce.*

"consequences, robin, such as me accidentally crushing a man to death by climbing a teetering stack of cars like a moron. for some reason i am heavily implying that this is your fault."

like ... come *on.*

and yknow. a lot of this is just that starlin was a fucking hack. but what we have here is still that bruce would rather bash jason over the head with moral lessons than ever give more than a cursory consideration to how hes fucking feeling.

(which is also, btw, such a stark change from how bruce still was in the contemporaneous tec run or even the batman run directly preceding it where when bruce screws up by not telling jason willis was (probably) dead, he admits he screwed up and apologizes. like, its such a tangible, jarring shift from bruce being a flawed but loving dad into whatever the hell this is. --lets not start on wolfman here because he did a better job than starlin, not that thats a high bar. im not opposed to the bad mentor/dad bruce character development *in principle*, its about the execution.)

but yeah, like, just the way like... its about who put mia in that situation. its about how jason just wasn't good enough. its about how mia gets to keep trying to be a hero. its about how jason is benched (<- he was supposed to stay home in 425; officially benched in 426). its about how it didn't matter whether or not jason killed felipe, because jason "couldn't handle it." its about how it mattered that mia killed someone, because she shouldn't have ever been put in a situation where she felt like she had to.

the discourse about ga 69-72 is always so tedious and always so thoroughly misses the damb point. but putting aside the whole like yes yes naughty jason he shouldn't have done it or at least shouldn't have done it like he did it--namely scaring the ever-loving crap out of her--what happened was jason came to her while she was in uniform (<- NOT EVEN KNOWING ABOUT THE MURDER!! HE DIDNT EVEN KNOW!!!) and among other things that was him going, i'm like you, what happened to me could happen to you, and she said i'm nothing like you and it won't, and he said, are you sure.

but when it comes down to it if mia died and came back and set up an elaborate murderous rube goldberg machine scheme to get to ollie it wouldn't work because the first damn thing ollie would do when he saw her would be to give her a famous arrowfam hug and blubber all over her. and. i mean. come on, the jokers ass would be grass, you know it i know it, ollie would have rather caused a diplomatic incident or whatever the fuck than let the man who killed his kid live. (<- i say kid over daughter deliberately btw. genuinely don't think mia was in the market for another dad after the first one. ollies still her family, shes still his kid, thats how it is. i probably wouldn't be so inflexible about this if fandom wasnt fucking obnoxious about insisting that she *is* and *must be* his daughter, but they are so i am.)

anywayyyyyyyy speedy sweep! wahoo

[celaenaeiln]

(different anon) i appreciate u mentioning the context from our world aka the editorial’s decision behind dick going to college thing. like, regardless of the, whats the word, questionable?? handling of bruce & dick character in old or golden/silver/bronze comics, the fact remains that 1) the dick going to college stuff was caused by homophobic panic -> led to decisions (which i wont list one by one and it can be easily browsed on the internet) and 2) that the handling affected people’s perception of the characters, which circled back again to number 1 aka it affected the editorials’ decisions

YES!!!! You're so right!

The worst part is I loved Dick and Bruce's relationship in the medal ages. The way they interacted was so natural and fluid and it may have seemed weird but honestly it was just sweet and endearing!

When they redid everything, they couldn't properly distance the two of them because they were so intertwined. And since Dick obviously wouldn't be an asshole (since it goes against his whole persona), it had to be Bruce who initially started off as a lone avenger. This was also easier to do because Bruce was constantly worried Dick was too young in the comics so the editors played it up and started having Bruce act arrogant to Dick which made it a part of his personality. This is the Bruce we know now-an angry, controlling asshole who only expresses that he loves his children when he thinks they're dead.

They messed up so badly that writers are STILL trying to figure out how to write Dick. Most of them got it right. Some of them should find a new career.

I miss what they used to be written as and I miss when Bruce openly showed emotion. Even Alfred wasn't just a stoic butler.

The fan reaction and editorial response led to a horrible rabbit hole which leads to now where DC is frantically retconning everything to make Bruce not seem terrible.

Additionally, I know we're talking about Dick and Bruce but this also is the exact same situation that led to the split of Kory and Dick. Kory and Dick actually used to be almost the number one comic book pairing in the late 20th century. They were so popular that in the 1990s, they were considered the Peter/Mary Jane of DC. Their relationship was the epitome of grand, sweeping romances equivalent to dramatic balcony love stories and legendary greek myths. Readers loved them.

But if they were so popular, why did they split?

Because of the editors of course!

The Batman office really wanted Dick back so they took him away from the Titans office. But the problem is they ripped Dick away from Kory without producing a proper backstory for either of them, especially her. They then continued writing comics that degraded Kory and Dick's relationship into a lust filled romance in order to promote Barbara as Dick's true love.

Other writers for comics more recently continued diminishing the original pairing to support their own agenda or included it to support it.

HOW CAN YOU BALDLY CALL THIS LUST:

Anyway, the Dickbabs was well received which led to a strong divide between fans in Dickkori and Dickbabs. In return DC started altering between different stories based on fans' interest which led to a confusing mess and inconsistent timeline where Dick is torn between multiple love interests. Which is why they would characterize Dick incorrectly or break things off abruptly so he could more easily be torn from the lover he was with to the one of their choice. *cough* Bea/Helena/Shawn/Bridget (especially) *cough*

While I don't like the back and forth, as a Dick Grayson multishipper, I can say I greatly benefitted from it 😅

[revryebread]

Soak Up The Sun - A Non-Canon Interstitial Infinity WIP Beach Episode

It started as a serene sight- a golden beach, stone outcroppings, and a white stone building sitting free standing on edge where the rocks met the sand. The building had two red doors, marked clearly with an “exit” and “entrance, but otherwise was unremarkable, outside of a small window for concessions.

The entrance door dinged, the handle twisted, and as it opened a veritable legion of teens poured into the room. Baseball uniforms changing to beachwear as they crossed the threshold. Shoka Sakurane looked out from under her huge black sunhat and whistled. “Finally, one of these cars doesn’t suck.”

Excited other kids ran by her as she soaked it all in- Link with his hand on Mob’s wrist pulling him haphazardly towards the sea, Carrie immediately shirking back into the shade and Trish putting an arm around her, that HOMESTUCK freak wandering yapping at Steve as they walked to some chairs. She stretched, as felt her body jerk as she was shoulder checked by Jason. She stumbled forward and shot him a death glare. 

“That’s for trying to throw the game.” He hissed at her, and she rolled her eyes. She hadn’t tried to throw the game, but she took credit for it because she knew it would make him mad. Either way, fairs fair. “Fine. We’re even then?”  She asked, shifting her weight and leaning in in a way that was somehow demeaning.

Jason considered his options, “For now. But you have to chill out.” He pointed his finger at her like he was accusing her, and she feigned offense. “Me? Chill out? As if. If I don’t keep my head on a swivel you’ll run out again.” She meant it as a joke, but she could see him flinch. 

 “Real nice, Shoka.” He glared, and she was feeling herself begin to lash out again, cursing herself for doing it. She didn’t mean to get under peoples skin sometimes but she still managed it. Which made her more mad, which made her lash out more, and she could feel a jeer coming on until a voice from behind her spoke up-

“Hey guys?” Jason and Shoka both twisted their heads to see Roxas standing there with three ice creams in his hands. He had the pained smile of someone trying to deescalate a situation on his face, and he held them out. “It’s the first time we’re all together again since- I mean,. I thought- If you wanted to-” 

Jason reached out to grab one of the ice cream bars and tried to ignore how much Roxas reminded him of any of the Robins Bruce had dragged into his line of work. “Good thinking.” He doesn’t smile, but a grin does hit him when he sees the reaction this gets from Roxas.

Shoka sighs and grabs the other extra one. Roxas’ smile was contagious, even as Shoka tried to look the other way from him she couldn’t help but feel more at home. The blonde boy behind her made another noise as if he was afraid of asking for more, and Shoka looked back to see him looking up at a cliffside. She sighed, and tried to sound disgruntled. “Ugh, fine. Elevator going up.” She grabs both the boys shoulders and they disappear, the three of them reappearing seated on a ledge overlooking the beach.

Back down on the beach, Link was standing in knee deep water signaling to a talkative Shigeo to get in. 

“We just did alot of exercise and I’m not sure- I haven’t done any stretches yet and the body improvement club says that if you don’t do proper stretches when switching workouts that you could get cramps. And there’s no lifeguard on duty, so what if I-” 

Link stood there and tapped his foot, arms crossed. He sighs, closing his eyes and shaking his head before rearing his leg back and kicking up a huge splash of water at Mob, who covers his head in vain to avoid the water soaking him. Link laughs and Mob pushes his hair back out of his eyes, now dripping wet. “Ok- if that’s how you want to be about it-” 

Link’s laughter was interrupted by Tatl bouncing off his forehead to get his attention, and once he had his eyes open, he could see that he was floating off the ground about three feet. Shigeo with his hands out and a mischievous smile that betrayed the fact that he was a teenager getting a chance to goof around with another.

A pained noise came from the boy in green and Mob launched him deeper into the ocean it was his turn to laugh. He let the cackle last, and then he sat there with a smile on watching the water where Link went under. A small mounting fear began growing. “Link?” 

He didn’t see any bubbles, and was looking around the beach. 70. Oh no, there was no lifeguard. Who could he turn to?  74 He whipped around and had lost sight of Audrey and Trish- Al was talking to Winry, even Shoka was doing something, he looked back at the water again. 78. And now, on top of it all, there was a shark fin racing at him. 80. A Shark fin!?!

Link’s hand grabbed Mob’s ankle and pulled him under. The initial fear Mob felt was shaken loose- he had seen Link’s Zora form before, and he tried to yell “That’s not fair, you scared me” or something to that effect but was just greeted with a Rush of sea water. He scrambled up to his feet and gasped for air, coughing harshly. Link had popped the mask off and looked around the other boy to make sure he was ok- Mob swinging more water around and splashing.

Al had- at the beach, risen from his seat on the ground next to Winry & Audrey when Mob went under, and once he came back up his posture relaxed. He locked eyes with Trish from across the beach and nodded. She had also prepared herself to spring into action, clearly, and this was serving as the “All Clear.”. He plopped back down into the sand, using his arms to steady himself looking between Audrey and Winry. Audrey shook her head. “That kid gets himself into too many situations, man.” 

Al nodded, letting his eyes canvas the beach, trying to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for. Winry punched him in his shoulder, snapping him out of it. “Looking for someone?” She asked, and he sighed and shook his head. “These train cars always have a catch to them. Some kind of weird mess-with-your-head feature. I guess I’m just having trouble accepting that this is a Beach Car and that’s it.” 

Audrey nodded. “Maybe it’s like a siren or something- some fish singing to us to come out to it or something?” Al considered it, picturing a mermaid in his head. “Or maybe it’s like a “city in the sea” situation? Except it’s like- fish versions of people we know.”

Audrey took a moment to consider a fish Noah, a mermaid Emma, and shook her head. “That’s probably too on the nose. Even for the train.” She shifted in the sand to lean back more. “Maybe it’s just a break? The arts and crafts car was just a break. Maybe it’s giving us a chance to just … breathe?”

The blonde boy nodded slowly, trying to convince himself. “I guess we were the ones who made the arts and crafts car stressful…”  Was it just a car to have a nice time? Was that even possible? Winry was watching the two of them talk back and forth, knees pulled up to her chest and resting her chin. “What have you two been through to be stressed like this? As far as I know, the train is just a restaurant, baseball, and some kind of weird club with loud music.” Audrey snorts, covering her mouth as a moment too late. Al turns to raise an eyebrow, and then looks back at Audrey.

“Is it wrong that I’m a little jealous of her?” This actually makes Audrey laugh. “Easy street over here-” Winry makes a noise of protest but the roast has begun- Al and Audrey taking turns roasting her for her easy time on the train. There was a distant ding, and Al looked at the door across the way as it opened, feeling the stress mounting back into his body.

“I don’t think this is right.” A large green turtle covered his eyes as he entered, followed by three other individuals, the closest of which to them had been switched into a big shirt that said had some sort of gamer lingo on it that made Audrey snort laugh again. That individual was checking a large white device and was flipping through it, adjusting their glasses. 

“Hmm. You’re right, this should be the vault car but it isn’t. Something’s wrong, they must have moved the trains again.” The turtle groaned in response to this. Head in his hands, looking up. It was then that Audrey clocked who that was-

“As I live and breathe, is that Raphael?” Jason’s voice called from the top of the cliff, where he had just finished his ice cream, looking directly down at the turtle with the red bandana. “No shit- Jason Todd?” The turtle- Raphael, called up, some recognition clearly happening.

Al let himself relax, clearly these two knew each other and at the very least it wasn’t hostile. Well, he thought that for a second at least, and then Jason jumped from a baffling height and immediately began swinging on the turtle.

The two of the fell to the ground and ducked and dodged each other's punches for a moment before Jason was able to get Raphael in a master lock, holding his arms up over his head, and Raphael cackling tapped out. The two parted and gave each other a hug. Shoka’s were huge at this. Jason Todd happy to be around someone?? She looked over to Roxas who was making the same face as her and shrugged.

“What are you doing here, Todd? After the loot too?” Raphael asked him, Jason shaking his head, “Whatever weird gambit you have going on, leave me out of it. I was prescribed a stay on the therapy train.” He said, pointing at his hand. The gamer among them came around the side, taking a picture of Jason’s hand with the tablet and beginning to talk. “So the numbers are important! I was right! I knew it I- Obviously, it’s important. The research said that you needed these to get off, but I guess I never assumed that you just had them when you got on I-” 

Raphael coughed, and thumped Pidge in the shoulder, stopping the ramble. “Hey! Point taken, I guess. I’m Pidge! Raph and I are… business partners.” Jason nods slowly, “Criminals. Got it.”  Pidge looks back to Raph quickly to see him laughing it off and decides to laugh it off themself.  

“Are you gonna stop us, hero?” One of the others that came in with the gang circled around Jason, who looked at her with a very clear distaste. “I don’t really care what you do here, if it’s a Raph job I know it’s thought through.”  He looks up from the woman trying to get his attention to Raph. “Right?”

Raph nods. “That’s Veronica, and the other one is the newest recruit, Lyra and Pan.” The younger girl and her animal approach next, Jason looks at Raph disapprovingly. “She’s a kid,” 

Raph shrugs. “So are we. So is everyone here. She’s safe, don’t worry.” He tried to look confident, and Jason made a note in his head to check back in with him later. “Sure. Well. This is a beach. So, feel free to hang out or whatever.” He turned to walk past Raphael to the concessions, where Shoka and Roxas had gotten to. Pidge looked to Raph and shrugged. “It makes sense, we’ve been moving for a while now. We might as well take a moment.” The two of them nod at each other and relay the information to the rest of their crew, who begin to disperse amongst the crowd.

Trish watched more people file into the train from her perch with Carrie. She had decided to give her space, the girl obviously needed it, but she wouldn’t let her be alone. Maybe Trish didn’t want to be alone, either. She looked back to Carrie, who was sitting in the darkest spot of shade she could find. “Can you… swim?” Trish asked her, training in her ears to hear the other girl mumble and answer and shake her head.

“Do you want to learn how? You’ll be safe with me.” She reached out a hand and the girl slinked away from it a bit, looking between her hand and the water.

“How can I trust you?” Carrie squeaked out, and Trish’s eyes willed her to hold the gaze.

Trish shrugged. “I can’t make you, but… the more you and I do together, the more chances for you to trust me, right?” 

Carrie nodded slowly, like she was piecing each part of the sentence together.

“Come on.” Trish stood up, cracking her knuckles. “If you want to, that is.”  Carrie regarded her like she was an open flame, but tentatively reached out and took her hand, Trish pulling her up out of the shadow. 

“If you feel like it's too much, let me know- we'll get you out of there.” She began to follow the path down closer to the coast line where Shigeo and Link were talking with the girl and her shifting animal.  Carrie stared at it, wide eyed, and Trish realized that her pace had slowed. “Oh, don't worry about that. It's probably some sort of-” she cut herself off and thought, “you know what magic is, right?”

Carrie inhaled sharply. “If it helps- it's probably not related to what you think of as God.” Trish shrugs, and Carrie lightly crosses herself as she passes Lyra and Pan, over hearing their conversation with Shigeo.

“So your dad is trying to Kill God? Like, the God?? The god in the sky??”

---------

Over the next several hours, the Beach car became more and more packed, and the sun had moved from morning to afternoon. It seemed like every person the crew had met was here in this car- Mary from the Casino, Rachel from the Colosseum, so on and so forth. Someone had either found or procured a speaker and music was playing. 

Audrey had gotten up from talking with Winry and Al- giving them some time to catch up amongst themselves, and made her way over to an umbrella where Carrie was sitting. Her swimming lesson with Trish didn’t go disastrously, but it wasn’t very long. It did it’s job though- and Carrie was now sitting closer to the group and not off in the corner.

“Carrie- right?” Audrey feigned like she didn’t know exactly who she was. Carrie looked up at her, jumpscared by the voice outside of her thoughts. She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Audrey. I don’t think we actually met-met.” She nods at the towel on the beach next to her under the umbrella. “That spot taken?” Once Carrie shook her head, Audrey sat down next to her. Audrey knew she had to treat Carrie with kid gloves a bit. It was frustrating, sure. But the alternative was killing everyone in a psychic maelstrom. So, frustrating was fine. She just wanted to make sure the kid was getting socialized.

“So…” Audrey was bad at this particular kind of small talk, but felt responsible for Carrie now. She knew Shoka and Trish were keeping an eye on her, but that was like saying two coyotes were babysitting a child. “Is everyone treating you right?” It’s not that she didn’t trust Trish, but it’s also not that she trusted Trish.  That woman would do exactly what she thought was right, and wouldn’t consult with anyone in the meantime. 

Carrie was, frankly, baffled by the question. “What do you mean?” It was the clearest Audrey had heard her speak, and it kind of threw her back.

“Is everyone being good to you? Like- Is anyone giving you trouble, are you feeling cornered or anything?” Audrey gesticulated as if that was the problem with Carrie understanding her. “I’m just- “ She sighed. “If anyone is upsetting you, let me know, and I’ll help you.” 

Carrie looked at her wide eyed, and Audrey groaned again. “Not like- hurt them. We’ll just get you out of there or whatever.” She could hear herself getting short with her, it was reminding her of being back in Lakevale, hearing everything she said taken in the worst possible way.

She sighed, and tried to center herself. “I’m going to get a beer. Do you want anything?” Carrie looked at the ground as if the mere idea of someone getting her something put her into choice paralysis. “I-.” 

“I’m getting you a snowcone. I don’t know if they had those in the fifties. They probably did. Whatever.” She tried not to storm off, but moved quickly in the direction of the concessions.

“Well if it isn’t the Beast.” Shoka was already in line, looking at the blonde girl in front of her. 

Rachel turned and regarded Shoka with an eyebrow raised. She fought so many people in the Colosseum that it was hard to pull up specific individuals. “Pretty far from your cage, aren’t you? Is someone taking you on a walk or should I call animal control?” Ah.

She looked Shoka up and down for a moment. “That’s it,” She snapped her fingers as if in recognition. “I thought there was something rotting somewhere but it’s just you, isn’t it? What was your name again?” Shoka’s brow furrowed.

“The Big Leaguer attitude may work for the boys but it’s not going to work on me.” Shoka crossed her arms. “Are you taking title matches now or do I have to wait until you wander home to kick your ass again?”

Rachel weighed in her head if killing Shoka here would cause a problem, and ultimately decided against it. She was settling on a light maiming when she heard a voice off to her left. “Rachel! Hi!” She ignored it for a second and then closed her eyes to sigh, looking to her left while keeping her facing to Shoka.

Alphonse was coming up to her- She remembered his fight with Audrey enough. “Alphonse Elric?” She had to work to remember his name but she figured Shoka would take it as a slight so it was worth the extra effort. “How are you doing? Beat up any other dads recently?” Al blushed and Shoka looked at him with widened eyes. “Excuse me?”

Al and Rachel ignored her and continued their conversation- “Turns out that next car was a Fight Your Dad Car, so, we all had to work through some stuff. It was good!” She smiled at him and he felt it. “Yeah, that one’s always polarizing with people, did you have a good time?” Al looked pensive for a moment before deciding- “Yeah, yeah I think that was good. I think it worked for me.”

Rachel nodded. “Are you getting in line for concessions?” Al nodded, and looked to the back of the growing line. “Don’t worry about. You can cut in with me. I’m sure…” She turned around to look at Shoka with malicious intent that would startle Trish. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind?” Al followed her gaze to see Shoka. “Oh! Shoka, is that- is that ok?” He seemed chipper, and like he genuinely hadn’t seen Shoka there, which only made the girl madder.

She sneered. “Whatever, stand with your girlfriend, I don’t care,” Al blushed and Rachel rolled her eyes, pulling Al into the line and beginning to listen to him talk about the day they’re had since the Colosseum. Shoka just sat and stewed, she heard stifled chuckles behind her and whipped around to see Audrey with an eyebrow raised and that shit eating grin. “Hard time in line, Shoka?” 

Shoka makes a noise of unrivaled indignance and storms off. “I didn’t even want anything. Fuck this.” Whoever found themself in her path now would rue the day. Audrey shook her head and stepped forward in line to be behind Al and Rachel. 

There was a sharp whistle that drew everyone's attention, and Mary- the girl with the gambling issue Shadow had talked to in the Casino car was standing on a chair. She waited until all eyes were on her and then began to speak “Hello everyone! :)  Would anyone be interested in playing some Volleyball? We could gamble on it if we were really feeling exciting.”  There was something about her that set Al on edge, but he couldn’t pinpoint what. Jason and Shoka had gathered together to move to the net, and were closely followed by Trish and Raphael. Link and Shigeo gathered on there side too to complete their team.

On the other side, Rachel had talked Al into joining up with Audrey, Winry, Mary, and Roxas. Audrey pulled Roxas aside as he approached, and nodded to the other team- “Don’t you want to play with Jason and Shoka? I know your a group, or whatever.  We can switch it up if you want.” Roxas replied to her with a dead eyed stare. “Absolutely not. Those two get…. Weird.”

Audrey followed his gaze to see Shoka and Jason both finishing a beer together and throwing it into the sand, Jason clapping to get people in a proper formation and Shoka assigning positions to people. “God. They’re freaks.” Audrey muttered.

Shoka stood across from Shigeo, sizing him and his little friend up. “Green kid. Are you more athletic than Mob?” Link looks to Shigeo and nods, Shigeo hangs his head but agrees. “Cool, how much do you know about volleyball?” Link shrugs, Shoka pinches her brow.

With Shoka organizing the motley crew in front of him, Jason turns his attention to Mary- “Ok, so if you’re the organizer here, are powers allowed or are we supposed to keep this clean?” To which