#jlds skin.............

[phantom-dc]

Batman had to act quickly.

At first he was happy that Jason had been coming over more, and being more agreeable. When Dick asked about his good mood, Jason admitted he had been seeing someone for a little while now. Bruce had been happy for Jason, worried his rage would prevent him from finding love. But that was before he did some digging.

Daniel Fenton. Son of ghost hunters. That fact had worried Bruce. Did he know about Jason's situation? Was he a threat? He couldn't take any risk, not when it came to his children. Batman was going to have some questions for him.

When he had dropped behind Fenton in the alley, things had gone south quickly. Fenton wasn't afraid of him at all. In fact, he had started to taunt him! B was ashamed to admit, something caused this kid to get under his skin. He threatened to make sure Fenton would regret it if he ever hurt Jason, but then Fenton said something odd:

'Why? It's not like its illegal!' Fenton explained the Ecto-acts and the G.I.W., to B's horror. Appearantly everyone could take away his son and torture him in the most gruesome of ways, and they wouldn't get so much as a slap on the wrist! Fenton had 'reassured' him, saying he was just 'observing' Jason... for now. That had earned him a black eye but Batman had bigger things to deal with. Afraid Jason wouldn't believe him, he made sure Nightwing and Signal kept an eye on Fenton. He wouldn't hurt Jason. Bruce had to call a meeting with the JL and JLD. Once those Acts are gone there will be nothing protecting Fenton from prison. He had to be quick.

Meanwhile 2 dead guys were sitting on their couch, one putting a cold compress on the others black eye. 'So let me get this straight. B found out your parents hunt the dead, he interrogated you because he was worried for me, and you insinuated that you were going to vivisect me?' Danny leaned back into Jason. 'I never said I would. I just said it would be totally legal if I did!' Jason laughed. 'You know he's going to go full Batman on you now, right?' 'I don't care, he made me drop my coffee!'

[thevoidstaredback]

Tim was curious. Maybe a little addicted to whatever the hell was in that coffee, he's still standing by the point that no other coffee will ever be enough, but that's not the point.

He wants answers. The Justice League want answers. No one has been able to get them. Because Phantom stays in the House of Mysteries, no one but the JLD can actually get time him. The Supers have tried listening out for him, but magic is something they're weak against and therefore can't hear through. Batman has tried to get into the House, but he's been sent everywhere else for his attempts. They would track him down as a civilian, but no one actually knows if he has a civilian disguise. It's very hard to hide hair that starkly white and skin pale enough to be blue.

Regardless, everyone wanted answers and Tim was determined to be the one to get them. Why does Phantom claim to be thirty-eight, fourteen, and eighteen all at the same time? Where did he come from? When did he die? How did he die? What the hell is in his coffee because damn was it good!

Off topic.

Tim had the rest of the Titans return to the tower while he stayed out. It'd be easier to track if he was the only one doing it. Besides, these guys work with Raven, they won't hurt him. Probably.

The fact that Phantom apparently smelled like death was another concern Tim had. Was it because he was dead? And what did Constantine mean that 'the smell lingers'?

More questions kept popping up like goddamn daisies, and there was no answers to clip them down. Tim was getting frustrated, to say the least.

***

Danny made an effort to at least try and help Constantine with the demon problem the building was having. Honestly, it wasn't even that bad, in Danny's humble opinion. The demon was just messing with people, not hurting anyone or stealing anything! He was, at most, planting minor inconveniences everywhere.

That's not technically his monkey, though, and it was most definitely not his circus. He figured he'd offer to be helpful, though, if only so that Constantine would owe him a favor. A favor he already knows how he's going to cash in.

"Why'd you really want to tag along?" Constantine asked Danny while they searched for the demon.

"What do you mean? You offered to bring me along."

"Yeah, but that's because you need to get out of the House more."

"Funny, coming from you."

"I spend more time outside of the House than I do inside." the Brit scoffed, "Now tell me why you agreed to come along. This is demon hunting. You only ever go ghost hunting."

Danny sighed and ran his left hand through his hair. Not that he could feel it, stupid nerve damage. "Deadman's been on my ass about my first trip to Gotham. I would've left to go find some place to crash, but the entire Justice League is also on my ass for some reason! I'd honestly rather not have to face any of them."

"You've been to Gotham?" Constantine asked, "When?"

Danny groaned, "Not you, too!"

"Whoa, okay, okay. You don't need to share with the class."

"Sorry."

"You better be."

"Hey!"

"Now tell my why the JL proper are after you?"

A sigh. "You remember at that meeting when Red Robin mistook my drink for his?"

"Yeah. Hard to forget. You freaked everyone out a little bit."

"Yeah. Turns out they all have questions that I don't want to answer. Avoiding them all has been the best way to not answer."

"You know you can't dodge them all forever."

"I know, but I really don't want to have to explain anything!" he whined, "The questions that they'll end up asking are gonna be really painful to answer."

A raised eyebrow. "How do you know what they'll ask?"

"Because everyone always asks the same things. Worded differently, but still that same."

"Then refuse to answer."

Danny met Constantine's eyes with a deadpan glare. "You're gonna look me in the eye and tell me that the Justice League and their sidekicks will leave me alone if I tell them 'no'?" He shook his head. "Lying's a bad habit, old man."

Constantine rolled his eyes as he went for his lighter, remembering they were were in a no smoke zone and retracting his hand. "Don't sass me, brat. Wonder Woman and Superman, at the very least, would back off. They'd get everyone else to, too."

"What about Batman and his brood?"

"Touche." the man said, "But you can't hide from them forever."

"I can try,"

"But you'll fail."

Another groan. "Can we just get this thing over with? I want to lock myself in the basement and wallow."

Part 5 Part 7

Tag List:

@zaiothe4th @someonebored0100 @wolfeyedwitch @angelheartgamer @nymanders @princessbelix @luminanightfall @kgne-k @bianca-hooks123 @reigning-catsanddogs @sassywombatranchhorse @dontfightmecauseillcry @soul-lime @anarinette @serasvictoria02 @the-chaos-goblin-child @confusedshades @caicie @fantasticstoryteller @randomshtickidk @itsberrydreemurstuff

[monst]

Possibility 

Tim Drake x Afab. Reader

Extra: 18+ Content (MDI), Voyeurism, M. Masturbation, I know I said no more fluff for him for a while but like.. I couldn't help it... Pining- He’s down bad, Chappell Roan lyrics in there lmao 

Wc- 1.2k

    “Stay the night for observation?” there was a hopeful lilt to Dick’s question. But he wasn’t focused on it, his lips parting to answer before his mind caught up.

    “Yeah, sure.” Vaguely he knew he wasn't acting like himself. And based on Nightwing’s frown his older brother also knew he was a bit out of sorts. Except that when pressed, he'd claimed to be fine. Dick walked out of the infirmary heavy concern written across his features. He promised to come back as quickly as he could. It was just a quick in-and-out mission, especially with the several leaguers coming to aid the Titans. Dick would be back fairly soon. He could stay for a bit longer. No biggie. 

    He breathed deeply, eyes preoccupied with watching his fingers pick at the sheets. He wasn't lying he was fine. Physically at least. It's just that what he’d seen was burned into his mind and wouldn’t leave the forefront of his brain. 

     As a new standard of procedure for time travel the JLD would poke through your brain to make sure nothing world-ending was ahead. And he hadn't witnessed anything earth-shattering concerning the general population. But he had experienced something world-changing for him. He's lucky Zatana just let him go with a laugh after her inspection. 

   He could feel his face warm at the memory. He didn't expect, not in his wildest dreams to ever have a chance with you. But he saw it clearly with his own two eyes, his body over yours. His very nude body rutting into your equally as naked form. And oh if that wasn't doing things to him, like the simmering heat that spread from his lower abdomen and stretched across every inch of his skin. His crush on you was in his mind inconsequential. Never mind the fact that he was attracted to you from day one.  

    You’d met a few months ago, a worldwide emergency that drove you out of your more ‘I work alone’ type of heroics. Afterward, you were invited to join the big leagues and he was adamant about asking you out. Not only was he attracted to you physically but you ticked off every other category for him, you were very competent, easy to get along with, funny, considerate, and matched his snark. However, that fell through the cracks when someone on the JSA beat him to it. Your swift ‘I don't date people I work with’ shutting down any further pursuit on his side. That didn't mean you couldn't be friends. And friends you were, and after countless missions together you were finally hanging out with him outside the mask. 

   He was content with that. No really! Having you around as a friend was way better than the alternative. You two just clicked. And he wanted to preserve that even if that meant not being the one you call baby. But his little foray into the future might’ve changed things. 

   Flashes of your sweat-slick body arching into him invaded his mind. Your fingers clinging to his shoulders as his future self's hands roamed your body. You were just as pretty as he imagined. His eyes flickered around the empty room. No one was behind the curtain separating his bed from the other cot. With that in mind, he let his hand slip underneath the waistband of his boxers. He shivered once his fingers met the heated base of his throbbing length. He squeezed remembering the way your breasts fit in his palms. 

    Those beautiful sounds he was driving out of you. They still bounced around his skull. A tone he'd never heard from you but would give anything to hear again. He bit his lower lip, leaning his head back as he began a steady pace. His eyes shut as he recalled every detail. Twisting his hand mid-shaft at the way your breathy voice called him name. The punched out ‘Tim’s!’ bringing heat to his face. 

    The sight of your pretty pussy glistening with his spend was mouth-watering, lovely folds all wet and messy because of him. He felt his hips jerk into his grasp, thick pearly beads sliding down his fingers. God the way your gorgeous eyes rolled back, your pleasure leaving red lines across his back. He mewled at the image. You were so perfect. His other hand was about to busy itself by pinching his pink nipples when the security system called out your alias, Signaling your arrival at the watchtower. 

      He looked down to his lap, the glossy mess on his thighs, his dick slick with his pre-cum, your voice just in his ear begging for more. Fuck. He cupped his flush cock as he waddled into the bathroom intent on finishing. Locking the door just in case as he fisted his cock, the wet slap echoing in the small restroom. He groaned, eyes rolling back as he recalled how your voice broke on his cock, how you desperately claimed to be his. And you could be. 

    He whimpered. There's a chance for what he saw to be real. If he played his cards right you'd be-

       “Fuck!”

    His palm covered his mouth barely managing to stop the long whine from slipping past his lips as he released himself into the toilet. Thick spurts painted the ceramic just as his seed had painted your flesh. He felt dizzy. But your voice from behind the door pulled him from his lewd fantasies. 

  “Yo red you okay?” He cleared his throat and replied with a quick yeah. Flushed down his sticky cum and washed his hands before stepping out. You were sat at the edge of his cot, in full gear sans your mask. He wondered if you were scheduled to go off with the Titans. If so you were going to be late, strangely the thought made him blush.

    “Hey,” you chimed. A smile in your voice as you searched through a large tote bag?

     “Hi.” You looked up at his hoarse tone, sharp eyes searching him to sus out any injuries. He saw when your shoulders relaxed, finding nothing of outward concern. He was glad that you didn’t comment on his flushed complexion. Probably because he was always flushed around you. 

     “So.. I spoke to Z what's this about time travel?” He rolled his eyes with a grin. Nosy, you were also very nosy. 

     “Nothing serious except that I should really change the layout of the nest, got in and out way too quickly.” He slid back into bed allowing you to hand him a smaller bag. “What's this?” 

    “Contraband” you winked. He opened said ‘contraband’ and felt butterflies fill his stomach. Inside was a mini care package, a post-it with your scrawled ‘get better soon’ attached to your Nintendo Switch. There was also a sandwich, a bag of chips, and apple slices. He smiled at the Zesti Cola you included. He knew you were more of a Soder Cola person so you must’ve gone out of your way. 

    “You shouldn't have.” He flushed. You shrugged, standing up to stretch. 

   “I was already packing for a mission and heard you were here so yeah.” You waved off. “Oh here's the charger.” 

    “What about you?”

   “I packed my DS, that and we should be in and out pretty quick so it’s only for the drive.” A device on your wrist pinged dragging your attention from him. “Shoot I gotta go! See ya later!” 

    As he looked through his game options, his lips pulled into a smile, sure you were friends now. But now he knew there was a possibility to be more. He just had to figure out how.

[thenewgirl76]

It starts off more or less the same. Justice League learns of both the past and present Ghost King, Justice League with JLD's reluctant help summons Ghost King of present hoping to gain another supernatural ally. Justice League learns said king is a child managing all his responsibilities by the skin of his teeth, and offers to help him however they can.

It goes a little differently while becoming acquainted with some of King Phantom's most trusted associates. Specifically when it's Wonder Woman's turn to see how well she holds up against a ghostly opponent with the proper counter measures by sparring with Wulf.

Everything's going smoothly up until Wulf accidently nicks Diana with his claws. It takes so many assurances to let the young king know of any changes or side effects she experiences just to keep him from spiraling.

Not wanting to further burden him Diana does the complete opposite, much to everyone's horror. She doesn't call on Phantom when she becomes overwhelmed by her now heightened senses, especially the hearing and smelling. She refuses to call him when she develops the rather mortifying habit of licking Batman or Superman's face along with anyone else she holds fondness for.

She won't inform him when she keeps picking fights with Hawk Woman and Vixen. And she digs her heels in even further when she starts scarfing down concerning quantities of meat.

She only becomes convinced to let King Phantom know of her predicament when Flash purposely provokes her into exhibiting food aggression by bringing his hand too close to one of the many steak sandwiches on her plate. Once the horrifying realization that she almost literally bit his hand off, and afterwards threatened to leave the speedster with a bloody stump if he ever touched her food again hits her, Diana finally relents and calls up Phantom. Much to the rest of the League's relief.

[eyesthecolorofarson]

It’s a meme, Batman

Bruce never thought he would say this, but he regrets pushing Damian to make friends.

If he’d known all those years ago it would result in a media scandal that was practically a cosmic watergate, he would have kept Damian confined to the cave for the rest of his life. The worst part was that it was all harmless, just teenagers having fun on an improve show.

He’d gotten the link to the livestream through Oracle, who’d been laughing so hard he was worried she’d been injected with Joker venom. He got more worried when her laughter increased at the knowledge the whole family was in the cave. She insisted he play the livestream on the main computer, and like a fool, he’d trusted her and did just that.

It looked to be….the improve show Whose line is it, anyway? But the usual comedians, Ryan Stiles, Colin Morchie and Wayne Brady were sitting next to host Drew Carey and—Damian in his Robin uniform, Phantom, Superboy, Royal, Fireworks, and Wendigo. He heard the others laugh and ask the appropriate question ‘what the fuck is he doing??’ A question he himself was asking.

He took a step back to asses the situation; Royal, Dove Elopeman, was a metahuman born in Lapa, Rio Di Janiero who was apart of the new batch of superheroes. Royal had bronze skin a similar shade to Damian’s, with black wavy hair just below her shoulders and purple eyes. Royal was brought in fairly quickly after Martian Manhunter realized just how powerful her mind-control ability was, after he’d spent three months under her control, during which she found and took control of Khloé Kardashian and not only robbed her but blew up her house. She had a surprisingly pronounced figure for her age, 14, and used her body to get close to people and then take them down, usually incredibly violently. Royal showed no remorse for her incredible viciousness, due to her usual targets being sex traffickers and pedophiles.

Fireworks, Lydia Lippet, was a metahuman born in Perth, Scotland who has the odd ability to bring anything she draws to life. Fireworks was African with curly hair dyed baby blue styled in a side-parted bob, with metallic gold eyes. This ability was realized at a young age, but thankfully her parents didn’t use it for their own gain. Her parents raised her as if it was perfectly normal, and Fireworks did nothing too extreme with her powers until she was 13, when she brought a Pokémon into existence, the first time she brought something to life with her powers. This immediately made the Justice League aware of her existence, and once the JLD looked into her and went ballistic at the implications of what she was capable of, essentially forced them to bring her in as a new hero. Thankfully she was open to the idea, but unfortunately also expressed no remorse or sympathy for her actions.

Wendigo is the newest, and most unfortunate case. She had silver skin and was tall, about 6’9, and usually her hair was white but now for some reason it was hot pink. It was still incredibly long, almost touching her ankles, and her eyes were ultramarine blue. Research shows that before she was born the Native American tribe she was apart of went through a famine, in which many of her tribe resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. The reason her parents abandoned her deep in the Canadian forests is largely unknown, as is her parents location and names, but it is abundantly obvious they had committed cannibalism, which apparently caused a spirit of winter to latch onto her as a fetus and merge with her body and soul. That’s what the LJD concluded after a three-day long ‘study’ of her. This ‘study’ was concluded after Wendigo was rescued from Lexcorp, having mutilated and eaten over thirty of his men and injured Luthor himself. She didn’t speak, and only communicated with sounds and birdcalls, and, like the others, was violent without remorse.

Phantom was somehow the easiest to understand. He had light blue grey skin and pure white hair, as well as Lazarus green eyes, tongue, and blood. An Ohio resident, Danny Fenton was recruited after the Justice League investigated the Ghost Investigation Ward and the Anti-Ecto Acts, after it was found he was not only partially undead but also the only person capable of fighting against these world-ending threats without rascist-like judgement. Phantom was nervous about joining, mostly because of Deadman’s constant harassment about being ‘twinzies’ but agreed on the notion that his sister would get a full ride into any college she wanted. Phantom isn’t violent on purpose, but ends up being so due to him not knowing how to hold back.

Phantom was one stage with Damian, while the girls and Superboy were sitting with the host and other comedians. Everyone was laughing, and even Damian had a slight smirk on his face. Royal reached into the hat and pulled out a slip of paper, snorting and covering her mouth as she read the slip. “Batman….interrogating the Joker.” “Roll for an image!” Fireworks called, her accent thick as she pressed a button that caused the projector to roll through a variety of images before stopping on a very odd one that caused Tim to choke and Stephanie to begin roaring with laughter.

It was two over-sexualized wolf woman wearing skimpy clothes with different game logos with the words ‘Face it, you’d play with both of them’. Phantom leaned back and hovered in the air, laughing as Damian turned to fireworks with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t choose it, it’s just from the internet.” Fireworks drawled, taking a hit from her vape and blowing pink smoke out through her nose. Damian and Phantom stared at each other for a second before they both smirked, Phantom cracking his knuckles before leaning forward. At Drew Carey’s mark, the bit began.

Phantom and Damian stared at each other in silence for a second before Damian, in a perfect impression of Bruces voice, said “What is this.” Phantom, in the Jokers voice, replied “It’s a meme, Batman.” Immediately the crowd, and his children, were roaring with laughter. He could already feel the building dread. “I don’t understand.” Damian said in his voice. “What do you not understand?” Phantom replied in Jokers, somehow sounding tired of him at the same time.

“I don’t get the joke.” God, how was Damian making him sound exactly like him but also so pathetic at the same time? “Well, you see, people only usually play on one console.” Phantom held up a finger as he levitated in the air in a casual position, making the room(and his children)laugh again. He motioned to the picture. “But both these woman are so attractive, you’d wanna to play with both.” Phantom playfully stuck his tongue out at the end, to the humor of everyone.

“But they aren’t consouls.” Damian said in his voice. Phantom pulled out his phone and began pretending to text. The crowd and his kids laughed again. “The shirts their wearing have the consul logos on the—“ “What are you, some kind of furry?” Oh god how did he learn that? Another part of his brain knew that realistically it wasn’t that outlandish, but it felt like just yesterday he was eight and had brought home a cat he’d named after Alfred.

“You’re the one here wearing an animal costume.” Phantom still sounded judgmental, and for a second it was silent before Damian grabbed him and slammed his head into the wall. The crowd and his kids laughed again, and Drew Carey called scene. He looked back at his kids. Dick, Tim, Duke and Stephanie were sitting and roaring with laughter. Cass was kneeling down and trying to help Jason, who was curled into a ball on the ground and crying with laughter.

“I think the best part about this….” Drew started, but stopped to laugh again before continuing, “I think the best part about this is the implication that Batman knows enough about internet lingo to know what a furry is, but not enough to understand memes.” Damian nodded at him. “That is a true statement.” The crowd, and his kids, laughed again. He felt the dread grow at Phantoms motion for silence.

“I’ve had this one saved in my note app the day the interview was shared.” He grinned, before clearing his throat and speaking in Jokers voice. “You know, my father….”

Jason gasped and sat up, whispering in joyful disbelief, “oh my god.”

“…..was a gamer.”

Everyone began laughing so hard he almost couldn’t hear his brain imploding. Jason was choking on his tears, Colin Mochrie had his head on the table, Wendigo was looking around from her seat like a confused puppy. “….And a weeb.” Jason fell back and Cass was hovering, unsure if he was actually in pain or not. Dick dropped down to help, but he was also laughing so hard he was falling over.

“And one night….he got gassed up on his G-fuel CRAZIER than usual….” Fireworks began slamming her fist on the table, wheezing with excitement and leaning again Superboy, who was coughing on his laughter. “Mommy grabs the Wi-Fi to defend herself. He doesn’t like that….” He leans forward, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. “Not…..one……bit.”

“So….” Phantom almost broke character at Wayne Brady saying ‘I’m crying’ in a choked voice. “He takes out his phone and turns on his 4G.” Phantom was leaning forward so much Damian had to lean back. “He turns off the Wi-Fi on his PC and connects to his phone….” He leaned forward again, making Damian lean back even more. “….laughing while he does it.”

“My mother can’t stand the sight of him!” Jason and Dick were now laying next to each other, Cass making very worried hand motions. Stephanie was making calls and spreading the word of this live-stream. Duke looked dead. Tim was calling Conner to inform him of his little brothers whereabouts, also crying.

“She just wants to have dinner….TOGETHER….and not have him have KFC in his room anymore!” The crowd is roaring with laughter. Wendigo was chirping worryingly at Superboy, who was crying like Royal and Fireworks. Phantom watches the crowd laugh. “They eventually get a divorce.” This causes everyone to begin laughing again. Bruce felt like dying as his phone begins to ring, the caller ID telling him it was Barry Allen.

[cosmicmordecai]

It’s amazing how many times John Constantine & Zatanna can be on top of any mystically related threat no matter what but the current Dr. Fate isn’t either. When white characters occupied the role, you bet your ass you’d see Dr. Fate play a big role but Khalid?

Takes a backseat in JLD, Dark Crisis, Lazarus Planet, and likely Kight Terrors. And then his only big appearance is in Justice Society of America, where his future incarnation is the least shown despite being the actual goddamn leader & second-most history with the team given he & Power Girl are the most senior members while being killed off off screen & his dead body marking his first appearance in a new alter nature future by being mummified. Compare that to Geoff’s earlier run where the first storyline is heavily involved in Dr. Fate where Hector Hall becomes magic adult & gets to best Mordru, the most powerful evil sorcerer ever.

Im just tired of it; he’s one of the only characters of color in both JLD & the JSA but he hardly contributes in favor of white characters and/or those whose can be taken as one. He even needs other characters telling him HIS priorities in responsibilities and how to use HIS powers like he wasn’t trained by Kent Nelson.

I just want men of color with melanin in their skin to be doing cool shit, not being background or character assassinated with a new ethnicity on top of that (*side eyes Jace Fox’s blasian retcon in how it happened*)

[constantineshots]

okay so this is just a rant ( long. i am sorry if it is jumbled ) on justice leagu dark but specifically the new 52 run. because i don't have an issue with the rebirth run. but seeing as milligan started off the new 52 run, can anyone be surprised i don't like it.

never really understood how in justice league dark and whenever john is on a team in general. when people know he's a bit selfish when things look like they are not going to work in his favor/look hopeless in general and he gets the fuck out of there or does something to benefit himself. and everyone knows he consistently does this. yet they are like "what the fuck john. we trusted you." after giving him shit because they didn't trust him or didn't want him on the team. like guys.

for example, zatanna. she knows firsthand he's a dipshit from her last experiences and prior to new 52, she's kinda kept away from him. and honestly? you go, girl. get that toxicity out of your life if you find him to be toxic to you. but i don't like the way she's written in the initial jld because it's always "where's john" ( and, vice versa to shove the john/zatanna concept in our faces, john being all up zatanna's ass, which i personally feel does not do their characters justice. if you want to ship them, let them be them. show me why they work. not shove the "they're in love with one another" in my face and give me... dried out, squeezed sponges of their characters with absolutely zero substance. though maybe i just didn't like the writers for new 52 jld ( though the newer run is more enjoyable! zatanna feels more like herself ) because i don't think they wrote anyone well. sorry for the random tangent here ). zatanna is supposed to be intelligent. people look to her. so why would she consistently place her trust in a man she knows is going to hurt her and the team? then get angry with him for acting human even though he keeps saying he's not a hero and he will do anything to save his skin then people keep REPEATING IT AND THEN EVERYONE JUST GETS MAD AT HIM WHEN HE DOES EXACTLY THAT.

no, this is not just about zatanna. this can extend to deadman and everyone else as well, and the others, but i had the image in my mind if her quite literally yanking him from the bathtub and throwing him out of the bathroom and into a wall when she eventually took the house of mystery again because john left them all.... as he typically does.

overall, i think the initial justice league dark run was written terribly. like. astronomically bad. i don't even know why john led that team. i don't know why john was involved. i don't know why it had anything to do with argus. the newer run? with upside down man and stuff? okay, that i'm alright with. but i can quite honestly say that the writing in justice league dark new 52 was absolutely terrible AND OF COURSE IT WAS BECAUSE MILLIGAN WAS FIRST. i think it set the tone for the series and honestly it may be my own personal biases against him that clouds my judgement, but i hated the initial run. i think everything happened too fast, then shit started making absolutely no sense, and honestly, the most interesting thing that happened was whatever was going on with nightmare nurse.

okay, so. necro. unneeded. what was the point of nick necro. genuinely. to get john and zee together when they already have history but instead of allowing them to keep that history, it gets shit on for the sake of john seeing zee on stage and being like "wowza" and then having some weird competition with necro initially, just to lead to necro being? what, upset? at one point? i am so confused. like john and zee are kissing and zee apologizes to necro, and then he's like "eugh. i knew about you two. blah blah blah" like? he's not important to me. i don't care about him. why couldn't john and zee have just been together this guy literally solves very little plot purpose. even when he shows up later on. like dude. who ARE you.

anyways. anyways! that's my rant. just on random things. LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHY PETER MILLIGAN WAS ALLOWED TO PUT HIS GRUBBY FUCKING HANDS NEAR JOHN AGAIN BUT WHATEVER.

is any of this even canon anymore? i hope not.

[themysticmd]

dossier

BASICS

name: asa

alias: nightmare, night nurse

gender: female, she / her

orientation: bisexual polyamorous

species: demon

occupation: nurse, handler of the dead boy detective agency, occasional member of justice league dark and task force x

face claim: ruth connell

PHYSICAL

eyes: green

hair: red

height: 5'2

build: slim, petite

skin: pale when appearing human, otherwise, green with ridged, swirling patterns across the high points of her face and body

clothing: generally favours vintage / 40's style well-tailored fashion. has also been seen in a purple nurse's uniform. sometimes wears a medic's armband on her left bicep

MENTAL

alignment: neutral / morally grey

positive attributes: affectionate, charming, confident, curious, disciplined, discreet, efficient, flirtatious, intelligent, meticulous, observant, organised, passionate, perceptive, persuasive, playful, quirky, sensual, sentimental, talented, uninhibited, witty

negative attributes: compulsive, controlling, devious, dishonest, disloyal, gossipy, hostile, impatient, manipulative, mischievous, needy, nosy, oversensitive, pedantic, perfectionist, temperamental, unethical, whiny, workaholic 

likes: sweet treats, self-care, naps, romance

dislikes: paperwork, poor time management, interruptions, giant anglerfish named angie

ABILITIES

healing

any and all medical subfields  /  surgical skill  /  trauma-reading  /  raw healing magic 

immortality 

extended life span  /  complete illness immunity  /  death is unavailable to her

magic

trauma-reading  /  object creation  /  shapeshifting  

EQUIPMENT

ledger

enchanted to show whichever file she happens to be looking for ( headcanon )

scalpels

has been known to conjure them and throw them at constantine ( and others )

WEAKNESSES 

lack of humanity

she doesn't understand the human condition, so she can often come across as unempathetic and cruel when the reality is just that she doesn't get it

oversensitive

though she often sees human emotions as petty, she feels her own ones very strongly. she gets her feelings hurt very easily and is quite often nursing a broken heart in some regard

BIOGRAPHY

asa is a demon and the self-proclaimed healer from hell. her actual age is unknown, but it can be safely assumed she dates back at least a few millennia.

she most often appears as a small, pale woman with ginger hair. she has a soft scottish accent. the exact circumstances that brought about asa's change in career are unknown. however, when facing blight, it was revealed that she was forced to take on her duties as punishment for her previous actions.

her Hippocratic oath is burned onto her should - which was an excruciating process - and is a fundamental part of her character. it exists as an almost constant niggle in the back of her head, making her feel like she has to help out even when she doesn't want to. 

for some time, asa worked as a nurse and housemaid for a woman named alice winter. alice was terminally ill, and asa knew there was nothing even she could do to fix her. as her current body was becoming old and decrepit, asa decided to possess alice instead, taking over her body and inhabiting it herself. she held alice's consciousness prisoner in her own mind, forcing her to lay dormant for years.

meanwhile, no longer trapped on earth tending to alice, asa was relocated to the lost and found department of the afterlife. here, she was essentially a ward clerk; it was her responsibility to ensure all dead children were taken to their proper places and not left to wander endlessly. after a very, very long time in this job, asa became exceedingly pedantic. as much as he hates it, forms and paperwork and processes are her entire life; she was so surrounded by it that it made her almost permanently uptight and stressed.

during this time, she finds herself occasionally involved with the jld and task force x. at one point, alice throws asa out of her body, disgusted at what the nurse had done to her. however, upon realising that she couldn't survive on her own, alice invited asa back in. the two agreed to share and cohabited alice's body for a long time. alice's consciousness was no longer dormant, and asa agreed to let her see and feel everything she saw and felt. alice was, after all, still her patient and this was a way to give her a decent quality of life. this continued for a long time, although eventually alice grew tired. unlike asa, she was just a regular human woman, so her lifespan was significantly shorter than her demonic counterpart's. eventually, alice slipped away entirely, leaving asa alone.

when she was not on loan to the task force or the league, she was almost always in lost & found. her most troublesome charges were charles rowland and edwin paine, commonly known as the dead boy detectives. asa was desperate to get them passed on to their respective afterlives, but when her superior discovered that the boys' work was actually crucial to the success of the lost and found department, asa was reallocated again. she is now the earthside handler of the dead boy detectives; essentially, she is the middle point between the afterlife bureaucracy and the dead boy detective agency.

though she can be very pedantic and highly-strung, asa is also charming and smily most of the time. this can often be a mask that she puts up to protect herself, a guise of professionalism under which she hides. she has excellent bedside manner, though she does lack empathy. she likes it when her patients are so desperate for her help that they'll do anything for her, and she'll take advantage of that when she can/ the majority of the time, she doesn't actually care about her patients; they are nobodies and she just likes that they need her, it's sort of a power trip. she couldn't care less if they lived or died, and she doesn't really understand what all the fuss is about dying anyway. she can be very deceitful and manipulative, especially if it means protecting herself. she's also very emotional and often gets her feelings hurt. she falls in love very quickly, and regularly gets her heart broken. she cries easily and a lot, often just from sheer stress. she also has the ability to see into people\s minds and make them relive their trauma while she watches on.

[maraczeks]

veep s5 rewatch thread pt 5

[louthegothartist]

Remember my female Bane AU? Well I wanted to draw her in all the outfits of Bane I could find.

These ones I'm the most proud of are the Arkham Origins, Injustice 2 and Telltale.

For TDKR one it was painful for me to draw her white!

Who's your favorite? And if you have any suggestions for another version of her from a different movie or game, then ask me in the ask box!

[aboutzatanna]

14 Zatanna Villains We Would Like To See Come Back And Why

One of the things people often ask about Zatanna is ‘how do you challenge someone who can make almost anything happen by just speaking backwards?’.  

It’s a question that many different writers have tried to answer over the years, even long before Paul Dini’s 2010 ongoing and JLD and here are all of them  in one place.    

Zatanna’s solo outings tend to be sporadic but she does have a nascent rogue gallery that with just a few tweaks could be just as good as the Flash Rogues. Since some of these villains are from mid-late 20th centuries, I will talk about what works, what doesn’t work and suggestions on how they could be made better.

I am also skipping cosmic entities like Xaos, Pralaya and Upside Down Man.  I’m focusing on villains who are human or humanoid looking villains with their own goals, conflicts and powers.      

Lets dig in:  

  1. The Druid  

The Druid is the first enemy that we ever see Zatanna square off against with the help of the Atom in Atom #19 as part of ‘Zatanna’s Search’.  He is an inhabitant of the sub atomic world of Catamoore located inside the Book of Magic,  whose people he has enslaved. His power is to absorb magical powers from his enemies and make them his own. Given how often writers talk about the challenges of coming up with believable threats for Zatanna, an enemy who can absorb her magical power and force her to work with her non magical skill set sounds perfect.

The Druid’s role in Atom #19 was largely functionary but if he is ever brought back I would love to see writers try and flesh out his motivation and to show why he came to rule Catamoore and why he is the only inhabitant with that ability.     

2. The Warlock of Ys 

The Warlock first appeared in Green Lantern #42 which was also part 3 of Zatanna’s Search following up form her appearance in the Atom. 

The Warlock is the ruler of the Land of Ys, a land accessible only by a blue flame gateway. Over the eons, many have accidentally fallen into the gateway and into the Land of Ys ‘the other side of the world’.  This dimension was said to have been created after the Big Bang and while the real world often changed and fluctuated, the Land of Ys was an eternal now with none of it’s inhabitants dying or aging.  The ruler of this inhabitant was the Warlock  who wanted to use GL’s ring to access the real world where his powers would be unstoppable. GL and Zatanna manage to stop him by casting a spell that caused him to remain motionless. He returned in JLA #166 when Zatanna joined the League as well as a one shot appearance in Justice League Adventures  Vol 1 #41, the official tie in comic to JLU and in Brave & The Bold Vol 1 #9 and #10.  

The interesting thing about the Warlock is that he comes from a dimension that is completely stagnant and he is driven by a desire to escape from the monotony of his world but appearing in the real world risks the chance of him growing powerful enough to be unstoppable. Thus Zatanna must fight him on his turf but the catch is that her own powers work differently in the Warlock’s dimension.    

Exploring why the Warlock is the only magic guy in his own dimension and why he is meant to grow so powerful in the real world could lead to some great stories with the character. 

Also the man needs a re design. Crimson red skin, weird hats and leotards just don’t cut it, man. It’s the New Twenties now.   

3. Allura 

Allura is the closest Zatanna has to an arch enemy. One thing that puts her above every other villain on this list is that she is the one responsible for kicking off Zatanna’s heroic journey by cursing her father and causing him to disappear from her life. Then later, she appeared to Zatanna pretending to be an ally to lead her to her father knowing that the curse would result in both of them dying if they ever saw each other face to face.  

Allura returned again in DC Super Stars of Magic where she possessed John Zatara and again in the 1987 Zatanna Special.  

The problem with Allura is the fact that we don’t know why she hates the Zataras, why is she a spirit that needs to inhabit a body to live on earth and what exactly makes her a ‘Dark Elemental’? Does it have anything to do with characters being Plant and Fire elemental in the DCU?  

Thus for Allura to truly soar as a villain, writers need to figure out her backstory motivation.  Does she have a good reason for hating Giovanni that has extended to his daughter as well?       

As a villain she represents a dark counterpart for the Zataras. Somebody who would use their powers in ways the Zataras would never do and use them for their own gain. 

Her primary abilities are  are curses, illusions and possession.  

4. Merba

Merba was a one shot character that appeared in Zatanna’s back up stories in the short lived 1972 Supergirl stories.    

He is a descendant of Merlin who has magical powers of his own and according to Zatanna was banned from stage performing for endangering the audience. Merba’s main claim to fame is trapping Zatanna in a the enchanted rock that once held Excalibur which forced Zatanna to magically seek out King Arthur’s direct descendant to pull her out of it.   

Merba serves as a good foil for Zatanna in that they are both descendants of great magicians but while Zatanna uses her powers to entertain and help people, Merba uses his abilities to terrorize others and serve his ego. The fact that he is a descendant of Merlin (who is currently a villains in JLD)  but not even close to being as powerful as he is could serve as a source of pathos. Even in his appearance he is not a mustache twirling villain but more of a juvenile delinquent with magical powers. He could be the Loki of her rogues gallery.  

  5. Gorgonus  

Gorgonus appeared briefly in Zatanna’s back up feature Adventure Comics which was later reprinted as ‘DC Super Stars of Magic’ and he returned one of more time in Adventure Comics. Gorgonus is a combination of a cyclops and Medusa, a hulking brute who can also turn you into stone just by looking at you.     

Not every villain has to be a personal nemesis, some villains can just be physical threats   In this case we have a character whom Zee has to fight without looking at him and usually while also protecting someone else from his gaze. There is also the fact that in his second appearance he simply wanted to go home, so stopping him shouldn’t be just as simple as imprisoning him. Given the kind of situation he survived in his first appearance, he could be a recurring physical threat that never really goes away. Exploring how he came to be that way and if there are other mash ups of Greek monsters and whether he has connections to the actual Medusa could be another way to expand on his character.        

6. The High Lord  

The High Lord from the Hidden City is responsible for kidnapping Sindella, imprisoning her and using her as a battery to power the Hidden City. He returned again in Zatanna Special in which Zee had to rescue the inhabitants of the city who were wasting away from a magical illness but this time he acted more like an ally.  

The High Lord is not exactly a villain. After all, his actions, while cruel and unjust are for the sake of protecting the city of Homo Magi and to preserve the Homo Magi race who are few in number.  If he were to be brought back then the best way to utilize him would be to lean into the moral ambiguity of the character and maybe even have him redeem himself.  

7. Caligro  

Caligro is a one shot villain that appeared in DC Comics Presents in which Superman and Zatanna teamed in a ‘Multiverse of Madness’.   

He is a stage magician who resents the Zataras because they use real magic and his act went bust because nobody wants to see a fake magician when everyone knows real magic exists. 

The plot of the story involves one of Zatanna’s spells going awry and opening a rift that grants everyone on earth, including Caligro, magical powers at the expense of hers. Superman now has Zatanna’s power and she had to guide Superman into repairing the rift while being hindered by Caligro who took advantage of his newfound powers to attack the Zataras.  

At the end of the story, the two heroes successfully repair the rift and restore everything to normal which left poor Caligro back at square one.

It’s sad that he disappeared into limbo because his entire conflict is a great piece of world building, like of course there would stage magicians put out of business because everyone in the DCU is well aware that magic exists and some of them would resent the Zatara’s for having actual magical powers.

      8. Hellrazer/The Cult of Fiatlux  

I know I said, no cosmic entity but this guys is a little different;  Hellrazer is a demon ‘that not even hell could contain’ so he had to be locked up elsewhere. While there he plotted to invade earth by setting up the Cult of Fiatlux with leaders scattered around the world like an illumanti organization, they gathered wealth, resources and monitored advancements in science and also magic in order to find a way to release the demon into our world.  

The ‘demon whom even hell can’t contain’ is a great hook for a villain, especially in a time when hell is often over used as a concept for story telling.  Plus he has an awesomely creepy design. In the story, he possessed Zatanna to try and make his way back to earth and also resents her for the fact that she banished him back into his dimension.    

9. Adam

  Adam is a creepy but charismatic cult leader who kidnapped Zatanna and attempted to replicate the power of the Homo Magi in himself.  He bound Zatanna and kept her drugged in his place for weeks and hindered all her attempts to escape while he injected himself with a virus containing the Homo Magi gene.  

Finally, she managed to summon Martian Manhunter and Cynthia Reynolds (who was teleported along with her friend) but when they find Adam, they realize he bit off on more he could chew. According to Zatanna, Adam unlocked a power that most mystics spent a life time working towards. He achieved contact with something known as the ‘Godhead’ and he’s become simultaneously aware of all of creation giving him painful existential crisis 24/7 while the Godhead slowly consumes his mind. 

This lead to the high point of the arc, wherein Zatanna had to travel inside Adam’s mind to separate him from the Godhead while Martian Manhunter acts as her tether to the earthly plane and  has to contain Adam’s mind while the latter’s freak outs caused reality itself to warp around the room.  

Luke McDonnell gave us a lot of trippy visuals of Zatanna’s perilous  journey through Adam’s mind while also showing us how reality warps around the room Martian Manhunter and co are in.     

Also consider the internal conflict of Zatanna now having to go through a tough ordeal to save the person who kidnapped her and the unpredictable consequences if she doesn’t.     

Unfortunately, despite the great build up, the reason why the story arc isn’t fondly remembered is because of the ending. After reaching the core of Adam’s mind (guided by her father’s spirit), Zatanna realizes that she has to surrender to the Godhead. She returns back to the mortal world where Adam is briefly  unconscious but when he awakes, he is changed, so is Zatanna. Then after espousing something about existentialism they both disappear together in a flash of light.   

Suffice to say, the ending was underwhelming. The majority of the story arc was written by Gerry Conway but the last two issues  of the story were written by JM DeMattis. Writing Zatanna out of the title was part of the larger story arc of that iteration of the JL falling apart but I wish DeMattis (who is an otherwise solid writer) came up with a better solution than having Zatanna run off with her own kidnapper, even if their minds were changed by a mutual spiritual experience..  

The story line was quickly retconned and swept under the rug in the pages of the Spectre Vol 2 #7 and 8 in which Adam dies in the first panel, the Godhead is all revealed to be an illusion created by Wotan (a Dr Fate villain) and after a bizarre body horror story, Zatanna is returned to her usual self.  

Still, I can’t help but think how cool it would be to see the journey into Adam’s mind and reality warping around the room in animation or in live action (think something like Legion).  Obviously any adaptation would have to come up with a better ending than what we got in the comics.     

Like Caligro, Adam makes sense as a villain in a world of aliens and magic. .Of course there is a creepy cult guy who wants that power for himself and suckered in a whole bunch of people to follow his command.   

10. Brother Night 

Brother Night was created by Paul Dini for the 2010 Zatanna series. His absence since the series end earned him a spot here.  

He is a seedy magical gangster who killed children to attain his power and is now attempting to expand his empire into the human world.  

Whilst I have a lot of appreciation for Dini’s Zatanna, unfortunately, his handling of magic and world building elements can feel a little shallow.  

Brother Night seems to be a combination Freddy Kreuger, Joker with a few elements from the Exorcist thrown in.  He is also the only Zatanna villain to be animated seeing as he showed up for a short in the JL Action (which also featured Harley Quinn, gee I wonder who could have wrote it?).  

The most intriguing element to me is the fact that he is a magic gangster who trades human souls. Law enforcement has trouble dealing with regular gangsters, what do you do when a gangster armed with magic and not afraid to use it in all sorts of horrifying ways shows up? If Brother Night returns I would like to see the gangster element being played up more than the serial killer aspect.   

11. Fuseli  

Fuseli is a nightmare demon who was hired by Brother Night to break Zatanna through her dreams. She manages to beat him and trap him in her top hat and later on, she uses him to uncover hidden secrets from her mind. 

Not every villain has to be a world ending threat or an overly violent threat. You need variety in a rogue gallery and I think Fuseli really works as a comedic villain and as someone who can be an ally or an enemy depending on the circumstances.  

12. Oscar Hampel 

Back during Zatanna’s guest appearances in ‘Tec it was  hinted that she had a fear of puppets.This was likely Dini’s way of explaining why she got wacked in the head while trying to talk down the Peyton Reilly version of Ventriloquist and Scarface.   

Later in Zatanna’s own series it was established that she had pupophobia and even threw up in Oscar The Grouche’s trash can while guesting on Sesame Street. 

Naturally, it didn’t take long for a puppet based villain to appear in the series. 

Oscar Hampel was a juvenile delinquent who began working as a puppeteer. One night he was caught by his boss while trying to steal from his safe so Oscar killed him. The one who witnessed it was a young Zatanna and he attempted to kill her but John Zatara appeared,turned Oscar into a puppet and then erased the memory from Zatanna’s mind. This was the root of Zatanna’s fear of puppets.  

As a living puppet, Oscar is not much of a threat to Zatanna. What really works about him is representing the past sins of John Zatara. Even if Oscar threatened his daughter, condemning him to a life time of living as a puppet drifting back and forth between conscious and unconscious is a horrific punishment.   

A puppet can look incredibly creepy (like when he was stalking Zatanna while she was at an awards ceremony) but if he is to be brought back he needs a power up.  Like being able to possess puppets like an extension of his body or being able to control people like puppets.

  13. The Hypnotist  

The Hypnotist first appeared ‘The Batman & Robin Adventures #12′  written Hilary Jay Bader (who also wrote several episodes of B:TAS, S:TAS and Batman Beyond) with art by Joe Staton.  

This was the comic that confirmed that the Zatara’s can do real magic and not just stage magic. However in the comic they use made up gibberish to cast spells and not the classic backwards talk.     

As you might have guessed the Hypnotist is a...well....hypnotist who can control people with just his words. Zatara doesn’t like him because he uses his powers for evil. Sure enough, he steals a magical amulet from Zatara which amplifies his powers allows him to leave both Zatanna and Bruce paralyzed.  

Zatara teaches how to resist the Hypnotist’s mind control and Bruce manages to beat him the first time by tricking him into thinking the amulet doesn’t work.  Zatara entrusts Bruce with the amulet which the Hypontist returns to steal years later.  Then he kidnaps Zatanna and after a short clash between Batman and the Hypnotist, it’s Zatanna who beats him by making the amulet disappear. 

He later re appeared in the probably-not-canon-anymore  ‘Adventures of the DC Universe Annual #1′ in which he is beaten by Rose and Thorn who was helping Zatanna track down the amulet.      

The Hypnotists powers works based on belief. If he believes in the power of amulet his powers become more potent.    

Both the Zataras and the Hypnotist uses words as their weapon and an enemy who can also take you out with a single phrase is the ideal challenge for someone like Zatanna as well.   

14. Tigress

Before Artemis Crock or Paula Crock there was character in the Golden Age named Tigress who often clashed with John Zatara. She was a thief and a grifter whose schemes that John Zatara often had to foil. So far the comics haven’t established any connection between the Tigress that John Zatara fought and the Crock versions of the characters.  Zatanna’s friendship with Artemis Crock/Tigress on the YJ show was a clever nod to this obscure bit of comic book history.  This version of Tigress also had a brief cameo in Scooby Doo Team Up wherein the gang teamed up with Zatanna to find John Zatara.

As a villain, I like the concept of Tigress as a normal human who can be a thorn in the side of a powerful magician like John Zatara.  If she is brought back I would like to see her played as an Irene Adler type who can outsmart John Zatara and maybe now she wants to test his daughter.  Also, if DC wants to incorporate the YJ version of Artemis into the main DCU in some shape or form then I think the most organic way to do it would be through this version of Tigress. Just reveal that the original Tigress was the sister of the Paula Crock version and that she had a daughter who learned her mothers trade but ended up befriending Zatanna rather than being enemies.  Give her a different name like ‘Diana’ Crock to separate her from the comic book version of Artemis Crock who is a different character altogether from the YJ cartoon version.  

Honorary Mentions:

These guys aren’t unique to Zatanna as a villain but they’ve interacted enough with her to deserve some acknowledgement.

(1/3) Klarion & Uriah

Klarion is normally a foe for Etrigan but thanks to the YJ show I think most people associate him with the Zataras and Dr Fate.   In the show he is a Lord of Choas, a lot more villainous sinker of Atlantis and his clash with the Team over the helmet of Fate which lead to Zatara becoming Nabu’s host. In the comics he is not a Lord of Choas and mostly messes around for gun.    

Zatanna doesn’t have history with Klarion but she did encounter another resident of Limbo Town; Urah. He first debuted in Robin Vol 1 #158 by Adam Beechen wherein he tried to a create a judgement beast out of the Draaga (the animal familiars of Limbo Town including Teekle) but was stopped by Robin and Klarion. He reappeared in Zatanna #16 also written by Beechen in which he tried to steal the Book of Maps (a roadmap to all known dimensions) so he can take over Limbo Town leading to Zatanna chasing him through multiple dimensions before finally catching him.    

Since Klarion is connected to Etrigan and is not really villainous, Uriah could serve as a more villainous antagonist for Zatanna. It also allows her to explore more magical realms like Limbo Town.      

(2/3) Tannarak

Tannarak is a Phantom Stranger villain but he has clashed with Zatanna notably in Books of Magic and Come Together and later appeared in Everyday Magic. Though he is an immortal sorcerer and Lord of Chaos in the PS books, his clashes with Zatanna paint him as an opportunistic asshole.  

(3/3) The Key

Back in JLA #191 (1980), there was a story arc in which the Key used Amazo’s ability to absorb the League’s life span energy in order to cure himself from his dwarfian state (I should note that the Key was not born a dwarf but an accident while fighting the League left him with a normal sized head and a dwarf body that’s also a degenerative).  This lead to a fight between Amazo and the JLA (now with only half their powers) with the League not realizing that defeating Amazo would result in Key’s death.  The one who picks up on this is Zatanna who gives the key a portion of her life span energy which cures him of his life threatening dwarfian condition and left him feeling indebted to her.   

A Whos Who entry would later on confirm that Zatanna giving the Key part of her magical energy is what caused her power loss at the time.    

This plotline was never followed up on and a heavily revamped version of the Key would appear in JLA #6 (1997). The only other time Zatanna was shown confronting the Key was in the AU ‘Black Canary/Zatanna: Bloodspell’ OGN by Paul Dini but really, it’s the kind of appearance that could have been fulfilled by any villain. Though I wonder if Dini was subtly referencing the JLA story by going with the Key.    

It’s a shame that there was no follow up, I would have loved to see how this would have shaped the Key’s character going forward. Does he go back to being a villain or does he try to live a normal life? Does he try to use his powers for good? If he ends up working for a villainous organization again does he try to spare Zatanna? Did Zatanna place any safeguards in case the Key went rogue again? Would it be ethical to forfeit his life span energy if he went bad again?  Would he help Zatanna if the latter was in life threatening trouble? Is Key the president of the Zatanna simp club? Gah, so many possibilities here.     

(Also chalk this up as another reason why Identity Crisis made no sense because her first instinct here is to do something selfless to restore the Key’s condition not lobotomize him).    

The reason why I made the Key and honorary member is because he’s not unique to Zatanna and is more of  recurring foe for the JL long before Zatanna even debuted yet the two have a unique connection thanks to that JLA story.   

Anyway, that’s it for now. Hopefully one day Zatanna gets an ongoing akin to James Robinsons Starman or John Ostrander’s Spectre or O’Neill’s Question run that explores her character and her world fully or at the very least are utilized in JLD.   Like I said, there is a lot of untapped potential with these guys especially since a lot of them fall into the ‘every villain is the hero of their story’ trope.  

[dcs-fkin-mystics]

Not sure If I like the Flash/JLD crossover.

Continuity issues aside, this book is far more enjoyable if you’re a Flash fan which definitely makes sense give this is taking place within a Flash solo title. Wally solves a great mystery that has confused some of the world’s greatest magic users with SCIENCE . Focus is on his family too. Decent read overall for a Flash fan.

However, if you’re a Justice League Dark fan, the book is a bit underwhelming all things considered:

Why does the art depict Khalid Nassour, a Egyptiam character with a noticeable dark skin, with the same skin tone as both John Constantine & Wally West? Whitewashing one of your few muslim superhero characters is never okay.

Understandably, the book tried to establish what Wally brings to the table in this team full of magic people. However, it’s shallow at best. In this book, he’s immune to Eclipso’s influence even though said character held the same position as Spectre. If this is in a Batman book, Poison Ivy’s pheromones was more than adequate in controlling a Flash’s will. Also how is he immune over Khalid, who holds both the Helm of Fate & Amulet of Anubis? One thing writers will definitely do is write whatever serves the purpose of the stories. If you’re gonna use DC’s magic concepts in a Flash book, you oughta make sure it’s serviceable to their lore too.

The book also gives Wally this moment of figuring out the plan of the villain nobody else can grasp. I thought it would involve a form of complex science that a sorcerer wouldn’t just know unless that character studies science but a higher being like Eclipso would know. Instead, it’s a very simple concept JLD has faced more than one time in their own book; the villain seeks to enhance his power from a special location. It’s explain away as it’s as science even though magic follows the same thing. Magic users aren’t so useless in the face of “scientific” concepts. DC, for years, have featured stories where it’s plenty clear science/magic of overlap a lot and magic users tend to know this far more often. Point blank, either service your crossover or make sure whatever thing you’re pulling out is actually a bit more complex. This is like when Batman characters point out obvious things while being hailed as smart because everyone else is being written as dumb.

So yeah, this book is decent for a Flash book but as a JLD fan? It’s kinda underwhelming and you can see poor writing on their part.

[juniperleafdelivery]

Swapdream - Jobs and Personalities

Hyperion

Hyperion doesn't trust easily, appearing very distant and cold. He tries to hide this under a formal and polite exterior, but it rarely works. If someone calls his bluff, it's very likely that Hyperion will lash out. Or he'll leave without further explanation, with a slim chance of reappearing

The best way to try and befriend him is through Styx. Even if their relationship isn't the same, Hyperion trusts his brother with his life. If he can see that you're friends with Styx, he might be more open to friendship.

Hyperion struggles with staying still for long periods of time. He's constantly moving around or fidgeting. One of the few times he's still is when he's cuddling someone. While he doesn't look very huggable, he's actually very affectionate with those he trusts.

He has a growing collection of random things he's picked up. Rocks, flowers, maybe a reptile skin or two... It reminds him of the places he's visited.

Hyperion doesn't have a job, nor does he need one. He spends a lot of time traveling; just sightseeing and picking up anything interesting for his collection. He occasionally visits Styx too.

Styx

Styx is a very shy skeleton, who gets flustered easily. He has a bad habit of stuttering, but it does go away as he gets to know someone better.

He doesn't like unnecessary violence, only fighting in self defense. Often times, Styx will choose to evade his opponent. He's incredibly agile and can hide for hours if necessary.

He's good at analytical work and loves reading. Styx is often by himself, either reading or working. He prefers being alone. You don't have to worry about keeping up a conversation

Since the truces have been established (info about that), nobody needs to be out on the battlefield or preparing for sudden attacks. So, Styx's job is filing paperwork. He organizes letters and reports, and also delivers any packages that arrive JLD delivers to their treehouse too!

[motherwasapapafucker]

Justice Legion Delta: 'The Legion of Doom'

Initially known as Danny’s Legion, the original members of Justice Legion Delta vanished during a Violent Unknown Event, earning the group the ‘Legion of Doom’ sobriquet and a superstitious reputation within the larger structure of the Justice Legion. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, Delta has gained a reputation for being well-equipped to handle the strangest of fringe threats facing the many worlds of the United Systems.

Members

L.exe: Created in the Memory Bardos of the 549th Century, L.exe was designed as the final weapon in the Crime Biographers’ war against that century’s Superman. A living biography, L.exe’s positronic certainty generator allowed it to develop and enact new chapters dedicated to how a long-dead master criminal would have challenged the current Superman, it’s own existence fueled by waging this constant, unending war against Superman on behalf of its creators.

However diminishing resources, a lack of time and a scarcity of information regarding the source mind resulted in a bug laden, factually dubious weapon whose every action was undermined by an artificial intelligence cobbled together from half-a-dozen sources tenuously conflated by the Crime Biographers’ due to shared initials. As a result, L.exe’s burning hatred was matched by an all-encompassing love for Superman, the two extremes cancelling each other out and leaving it almost completely neutral on the subject of his descendants. Discarded and forgotten, L.exe would eventually be unearthed in the 853rd Century by Bill ‘Billion’ Magnus, a data-archaeologist who made a name for himself restoring long-dormant machine intelligences. Together, the two debated L.exe’s function in life now its creators and their war had long since ended, L.exe eventually convinced to embrace Magnus’ stance that it should forge a new path in life rather than its initial plan to stage an all-out blitzkrieg on the Justice Legion and the United Systems. 

As the Justice Legion Delta’s self-appointed “head-man,” L.exe subverts the power of its own Maliceware in service of the never-ending battle for justice, even if it does struggle with frequent intrusive thoughts regarding universal domination and elaborate marriage schemes. 

Shattered Visage: An early example of living marble technology, the Shattered Visage was the Venusian Amazons’ first attempt at creating a new Wonder Woman for the new century. Boasting a spiritual core drawn from one of their best and brightest, the Visage was intended as a perfect representation of the hallowed Amazonian magi-science that had been the cornerstone of their culture since the dawn of the age of heroes. 

With a functionally impervious body, a glut of superpowers well beyond the Amazonian standard, and wielding the latest in thought-weapon technology, the Visage was perfect in almost every sense of the word save one, a tiny almost imperceptible flaw within her living marble body that only she could perceive. On the eve of the bonding ritual that would link her to the Goddess of Truth, the Shattered Visage attempted to talk about the growing uncertainty that had been eating away at her across years of training and development, only to have her concerns dismissed as nothing more than nerves. Instantly rejected by the Goddess, the Amazons doggedly attempted to continue the ritual, forcibly entwining the two for the briefest of nanoseconds. Truth’s proximity externalising the Shattered Visage’s fears and self-doubt, her body irrevocably damaged as her marble skin cracked and reformed to reflect her self-perceived truth. In the political turmoil that followed, the Visage abandoned her homeworld. Joining the ranks of Amazonian Wandering Women that sought self-discovery on the fringes of inhabited space. Returning to Venus to fight in a civil war that threatened to consume the planet, only to discover upon her arrival that the conflict had been brought to a peaceful end by the new Wonder Woman, the forces responsible for her trauma now facing justice at the hands of a true Amazonian paragon.  Finding no comfort in this, the Shattered Visage fell into darkness. Spending years as an operative for hire, she eventually came into conflict with her younger sibling during an alliance with OWAC’s Injustice Brigade. Confronting Wonder Woman, the Visage’s attempts to battle her sibling were hampered by Wonder Woman’s refusal to do more than defend herself. As the other members of the Justice Legion and the Injustice Brigade battled in the Magnetic Cloud beyond OWAC’s Death Wheel, the two spoke openly, Visage finally given a chance to confront the Goddess of Truth for her role in the events that had led to her creation.  Betraying the Brigade, the Shattered Visage fought alongside her sister, earning amnesty in the process and a place within the ranks of the Justice Legion. Joining the Justice Legion Delta as its resident tactician, she continues to work to move beyond the expectations forced upon her.

Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man:  A groundskeeper within the Pangea Collective, Barney Blanc spent his days tending one of 700 primordial tesseract worlds preserved within the collective's archives. The brainchild of Gulliver Larsen, Pangea sought to preserve ecologies found on soon to be terraformed worlds, reconstructing them within tesseract space and allowing them to develop independent of the now controlled environments of their sources. Groundskeepers such as Blanc charged with the observation of a single world-space, ensuring that it remained free from contaminants and outside influence. Larsen urging a dispassionate approach to the work in order to lessen the potential risks associated with the observer effect. Blanc however, could never adapt to Larsen’s demands, in time appropriating a Virtual Interface Headset in order to experience life within the tesseract world. As Blanc’s actions became increasingly commonplace among the Collective’s groundskeepers an embittered Larsen decided the project was no longer fit for purpose, seeking to erase what he felt were tainted worlds and begin anew, he approached the United Systems’ environmental authority with his plans to restart, only for his request to be denied and the Pangea Collective ordered to continue the preservation and observation of the tesseract worlds within its care. In a final, desperate bid to maintain his vision for the project, Larsen covertly hired the Lords of Lighting, data-erasure specialists from Winath, to covertly destroy the worlds. Detonating an electrical overcharge device that wiped over three quarters of the Collective’s archive before the overseer’ A.I. could process what had happened. In a blind, desperate bid to save the remaining tesseracts, the A.I. launched their data packets at the only remaining storage space available within the facility, the interfaced Barney Blanc. By sheer providence, Blanc’s presence inside one of the tesseract allowed his mind to survive the process even as his body was altered to host some 80 worlds on a genetic level. Blanc returning to an externally unchanged body that was permanently interlinked with the biospheres of the tesseracts now contained within him. Subsequently discovering that he could morphologically draw on the structure & abilities of anything found on the worlds within him when he survived Larsen’s attempts to decapitate him by taking on the properties of a particularly resilient carrot. Avenging the destroyed worlds, Blanc now operates as Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man alongside his allies in the Justice Legion Delta. Continuing to support the nurture and development of the remaining worlds when and wherever possible.  The Known Soldier: A shifting, always familiar presence to those in their company, the Known Soldier would be an eternal enigma if anyone could hold their memory for more than a second after their departure. To meet them is to know them, to leave them is to forget. Forever viewed as the old friend you can’t quite place, the Soldier’s origins are seemingly unknown even among their compatriots within the Justice Legion Delta. Clad in a feature-obscuring living polymer skin-sheath, even the most basic of the Known Soldier's physical identifiers wildly vary from person to person. The JLD first encountering them during Sigmund Elsswhere’s assault on the Babel Inforum, readily accepting the masked figure as a member of the team even as the exact reasons behind the Soldier’s presence within the system remained a mystery. Among the Justice Legion, the Known Soldier is one of the few serving members capable of wielding Negatron, the Living Weapon without incurring sizable damage to their mental health. The negative spirit residing with the machine equally numb to the Soldier’s memory resistant qualities leading to the two forming a firm friendship.  In truth, the Known Soldier is in fact the self-inflicted amnesiac alter-ego of Minos Zero, the Infiltration Ace. Their quantum-superposition abilities operating on subconscious instinct as they carry out an unknown mission on behalf of the shadowy super intelligence that rules over the distant Spyral Galaxy.  The exact role the Justice Legion Delta plays in these machinations remains to be seen, however as the team grows increasingly resistant to the Soldier’s abilities it is clear their ruse will be discovered sooner rather than later... Super Sane: A distant scion of the Superman Dynasty, Cris Alis’ was born on the world of Rimbor and became its soul survivor at the age of 14 when the planet was consumed by a hypertime storm generated in the wake of a Qwardian’ incursion led by the Clockworker, sinister antimatter counterpart of the Justice Legion Alpha’s Hourman. Trapped within an endlessly branching nightmare, Alis’ powers and her half-Rimborian physiology combined to gift the child a super-adaptability that allowed her to survive within the storm. As time within it snapped and rebuilt, so too did Alis. Her mind effectively building a new personality from the ground up, each gifted a single power drawn from the considerable genetic legacy of the Superman Dynasty.For nearly a decade Alis’ lived within the storm, nestled within an endless series of alter egos blissfully unaware of both their situation and each other. The illusion shattering when an alter emerged possessing 5-D hypervision, instantly alerting the alters to each other’s presence. Sent into an existential crisis, each alter vied for control until her super-adaptability once again emerged, collapsing each personality in on Alis’ and causing a brief rupture within the hypertime storm that allowed members of the Superman Squad to finally recover Rimbor. Free of the storm, Alis’ continues to display wildly varying personalities and powers. Seemingly reinventing herself each day, her original personality only occasionally resurfacing, it has been hypothesized that near constant exposure to hypertime has evolved Alis’ into a new type of superhuman. Despite this, each alter has shown a consistent dedication to the Superman Dynasty’s ideals and unwavering loyalty to her allies in the Justice Legion Delta.  Negatron, the Living Weapon: The total destruction of Negative Space during the Fifth Dimensional Angle-Wars of the 599th and 601st centuries was believed to have driven the Negative Spirits to total extinction. However a single entity survived, crash landing in the 853rd century where it was subsequently captured by that era’s Toyman. Specialising in the design of exotic art-weapons, the Toyman bound the last negative spirit to a living gun, transforming its negative energy into a highly potent ‘Ennui Ray’ that would drive its targets into a crippling depression. Hoping the weapon would be capable of destroying Superman, he was completely unprepared for the true extent of the weapons power. Pulling the trigger causing the Toyman to suffer a total emotional collapse. Cured only when his memories of the weapon were erased as an act of mercy on the part of his intended target. Free of its creator, the machine intelligence and the negative spirit reached an understanding and with the aid of Starfire, the Tyrant Sun’s Daughter & Resurrection Man dedicated their service to the Justice Legion. Partnered with the Known Soldier - one of three beings capable of wielding Negatron without major risk - Negatron, the Living Weapon is an indispensable member of the Justice Legion Delta.  The Eye of Doom: In the distant past the Eye was Rhea Jones, a superhuman known as Lodestone who served in the second iteration of the original Doom Patrol. Slipping into a coma during one of the periodic attempts to curtail earth’s booming metahuman population, Jones awoke transformed. Reborn as a being that transcended then acceptable definitions of both humanity and superhumanity. Briefly resuming her role within the Doom Patrol, she would subsequently depart for a then distant star in order to further develop what she realised was a pupal stage in her ongoing transformation into something larger than herself. In the centuries that followed, Jones became something of a modern myth. Her infrequent appearances on the edge of cosmic events & interstellar disasters earning her the name the Eye of Doom. Jones’ was last seen in the twilight of the 114th century, observed entering the temporal eddy left in the wake of the Quantum Superwoman’s apotheosis.  With no official connection to the Justice League Delta, the Eye’s tenuous role within the group can be best described as an observer. The team returning to their extrasolar headquarters to discover Jones’ simply waiting for them. Since that time, she has done little but observe their activities, intervening only to prevent L.exe’s erasure at the nebulous hands of Please, Mister Nobody was my Father. Call me Darren. Despite evolving beyond the very concept of loyalty, the Eye has in fact returned from a point beyond the 853rd century in order to prepare the Justice Legion Delta for their role in the coming war against the Anti-Danny.

[nightglider124]

Simulation

So, like most people... I was not impressed with the newest and last in the series DCAMU movie; JLD: Apokolips War. 

It was honestly like some kind of awfully written fanfic. I hated it and my otp were literally tormented, so not a fan lmao. 

So, I did what most writers do in these scenarios. I wrote a bit of a fix it fic. It’s cliche and similar to ‘it was all a dream’ but it felt like a bit more of a believable route. They did it in YJ so I thought why not. 

Anyway, I hope this helps as some kind of comfort after watching that atrocious piece of garbage. ^.^

____________________________________________________

The light filled the entirety of the sky, stroking licks of gold and blinding white all across the planes of existence, swelling and growing until it was suffocating everything and everyone that was within its path.

It was enveloping them by the second, growing stronger and stronger and despite how hard Damian narrowed his eyes to try and catch one last fleeting glimpse of Flash sprinting across the ocean, in an attempt to reset their fractured timeline, the struggle was becoming one he could not control.

His chest felt tight, like all the air was slowly being released from his lungs and his heart was hammering, right against his ribcage. 

Casting a glance over his shoulder, he watched as Clark and Diana shielded their eyes from the onslaught of light that was swallowing them up. When he turned his head towards his father, however, he found Batman staring straight back at him, as if he knew something the others did not; something that he wanted Damian to piece together himself. 

His head was filled with so many things; memories, information… emotions.

No matter how much he tried to push it away, there was a weight in his heart. He had survived this ordeal with Darkseid, as well as those who currently surrounded him, even though the numbers were a little less than he had hoped for when they began the secondary crusade at redemption for those they had lost to the Apokoliptic tyrant two years prior. 

And yet, he didn’t feel like it was a victory. It felt bittersweet. They had finally won but at what cost? 

Half of humanity had been eradicated from existence or molded into some kind of slave herd to do Darkseid’s bidding for him. His friends, his team, his family; all of it had been ripped away from him and there was no coming back from it. There was no way to salvage what had happened, no matter what Kent was trying to spew as a pep talk.

The morale was empty and at that moment, waiting for the effects of the flashpoint to seize control of their world and rectify the magnitude of problems felt like an eternity but they had to wait; to simply sit and wait for their absolution and for the world to restart, not that any of them would remember.

That would probably be for the best. He didn’t want to remember living in this kind of dystopian future where everywhere he looked, there was destruction and roaring flames accompanied by an unsettling silence where in its stead should have been the reverberation of crowds and people, living their lives on a day to day basis.

Damian sighed and from where he sat, he glanced at Raven, dressed in her white uniform and cloak. He wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to this point in their relationship and it felt… unusual to him, like something wasn’t right, including where his feelings were concerned in accordance to the girl beside him.

He cared for her deeply; she was a teammate, his friend but anything more? He couldn’t be certain.

Shaking his head, Damian decided not to dwell, knowing whatever he was feeling would soon be erased and he would wind up with a completely different mindset in just a few minutes.

He scanned his surroundings from beneath his mask and his eyes fell upon his former team leader and his… brother. 

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Damian couldn’t stop how the weight became heavier, pulling his heart down towards his stomach like a wrecking ball was attached.

Raven was right. He had promised not to use the Lazarus Pit to revive Dick but, when everything was said and done and the dust had settled on the Titans joint demise, having tried their damndest to ensure Darkseid wouldn’t break their defenses and claim Earth, he felt cheated.

He had finally found a family who accepted him, flaws and all and he was supposed to just accept having them brutally torn away from him?

He couldn’t leave his brother there. He couldn’t just leave Dick lying there in a pool of his own blood, still trickling out from the wound in his chest. 

Damian had wanted to save all of them but he knew time had been of the essence. The quicker someone can be taken to the pit, the more likely it is that they will return as themselves. Or at least, that was what his grandfather had told him once as a boy. 

He hadn’t known how true it was or even if it was true at all but he had gotten Dick to the temple as quickly as he could.

Not that it had mattered in the end.

He’d gotten there too late. His heart had held hope that he would return to the living, just as he was but it wasn’t to be.

Damian exhaled through his nose and allowed the memory of that day to fade. He didn’t need to relive that as well. The straight jacket Dick constantly wore was reminder enough as to why he had immediately regretted using the pit. 

There are some things worse than death. He knew that now. Too bad it was about two years too late.

His eyes wandered across Kory’s face and his brows furrowed, aghast at what Darkseid had done to her. After he had returned ‘home’ to the League of Assassins, or what was left of it at least, he hadn’t looked back; didn’t have any knowledge of what had become of his dead teammates.

Some of them remained dead whilst others had purposes that did not expire when their lives had. Darkseid had ensured the strongest were put to work amongst his ranks, whether they wanted to or not. 

Kory had become one of his guards, with most of her body replaced with parts and machinery, perfecting her into a loyal, brainwashed slave; something Kory had once told him that she never wanted to be again.

Damian watched as Kory gently stroked some of Dick’s hair out of his face. His head rested on her lap whilst twitching and mumbling every now and then, his mind a warped version of what it had once been before any of this. It ticked overtime for different reasons now. 

He saw the hesitation, recognised the look of someone who now viewed themself as some kind of monster. She was careful of her hands, her fingers now replaced with metal daggers that looked sharp enough to cut steel if given the chance.

Kory lowered her hand and stared down at Dick, who was yet to wake from his tormented slumber. Damian took solace in the fact he had seemed to recognize Kory, somewhat.

When he had brought him to Titans tower where, what was left of their backup plan party, decided to rendezvous, he had been manic and animalistic, hissing and trying to attack those around him who he had once called friends.

Damian hadn’t been sure if it was a good idea but his father had suggested it, to start on resolving the problems caused from this apocalyptic fallout. 

When Kory had stepped forth, her lime eyes lingering on her love, Damian had seen tears; uncommon when it came to Kory considering her warrior upbringing. It caused her pain, of that he knew, if only from the way her footing faltered and she stayed back, in fear; something she had never ever felt around Dick in the life they’d shared before.

But, Dick had surprised them all, staring at her for a long moment and it gave him a strange flicker of hope that possibly, a piece of the real Dick was still in there somewhere, lost amongst all the mess in his mind. 

He had still been hesitant as she offered a hand to him. He jerked back but then stepped forward until he let her lead him to where they sat now. Damian was certain that things may change when he woke up but for now, it seemed to be enough for Kory just to spend these last few minutes with him, unaware of what awaited them in the new timeline Barry was creating. 

Just a few minutes of peace, sitting there with one another. 

Damian looked away, suddenly feeling like he was intruding on something private to the couple, if he could even call them that anymore. 

His eyes shifted to the ocean, stretching wide and untouched in front of them, mother nature clearly protecting her own. The waves were gentle, flowing and ebbing and repeating. It seeped forward, water rushing over the bed of sand at the edge of the island before it retreated back from where it came.

Suddenly, there was a resounding pulse that rocked the air around them and a ringing in his ears started growing louder with each passing moment. The sound was becoming piercing and unbearable, so much so he had to lift a hand to one of his ears and grind his teeth in an effort to make it stop. 

The ground beneath their feet shook wildly as existence prepared to repair what had been damaged. That light that had been burning in the distance shone brighter, stretching over their heads now and soaring in from behind them as well, fully encompassing the last of the world’s greatest heroes and everything in the area, sentient or not. 

Damian gulped again, his mind confirming that Barry had done it and reality was resetting itself.

His skin felt sharp and he felt lightheaded, unable to make out any shapes or sounds around him anymore. His arms felt like they were being pulled away from his body, like something was expanding in his chest.

Damian willingly allowed what he assumed was the erasure of his being. He let a sigh of relief slip from between his lips as he finally felt himself disappearing into nothingness, along with all the other heroes around him.

Squeezing his eyes tightly closed, he waited for their finality to come.

He was ready for it to change; go back to how it was before… before any of this.

No one deserved a fate such as this one. _______ Damian’s eyes snapped open and he gasped a haggard breath, his heart beating a mile a minute as all he could see was the blurred lights from the ceiling above his head. 

His fingers dug into what felt like sheets beneath him as he struggled to control his rapid breaths.

“Damian.” 

He recognized the steel tone of his father and he shot upward, moving fast enough to make his head spin.

Remembering his training since the age of two years old, he took a deep breath and exhaled through his nostrils, taking charge of his body once again.

He narrowed his eyes and pressed a hand to his temple, tiling his chin upward to see his father, wearing the cowl, sat just on the end of the little makeshift bed he appeared to be in.

“It’s alright, Damian… you’re back now. Everything is fine.” Bruce explained, nodding and giving no emotion away under the bat guise he had grown so comfortable in.

“Back?” Damian paused, “Back where?” 

“In the real world. The simulation is over. The others are starting to wake up.” Batman informed him before he stood up and looked down upon his son,

Damian only just now was noticing exactly where he was. 

High tech lined against the walls, the view of the solar system outside the huge glass windows and the metal paneling along the computer systems was enough to drag him straight back to reality. The watchtower wasn’t a place that a person could easily forget. 

Turning his body, he watched as his friends; the Titans started to come to from their unconscious states as well.

“Ugh… Bruce, when you said… you wanted us to go through training simulation… that was a lot different than what I thought you had in mind.” Dick groaned from his place several beds over from where Damian sat,

Nightwing sat up, rubbing his forehead and shaking his head as if getting over the remnants of a bad dream. He rolled his shoulders back before checking on each and every member of their team, all of them in a similar position to how he was sat. 

Donna was sitting with her legs crossed, Raven too and on the other side of them, Gar was still lying down but with an arm thrown across his face, moaning with nausea symptoms.

Kon, Jaime and Wally were already quietly murmuring between themselves over what they had just gone through and witnessed.

Dick turned his head to the left, his heart racing at some sounds he just knew belonged to Kory. He smiled softly as he watched her rub her head, fingers sliding through her long auburn hair that pooled beautifully down her back. 

“Ow… that was... much more brutal than I had anticipated…” Kory grunted, stretching her arms above her head in an attempt to make her mind less muzzy. 

“How are you all feeling?” Diana asked, addressing them all as she stood at the panel, clicking a few buttons to ensure the simulation had ended properly as well as making sure no one was still unconscious. 

“Like I just got smacked in the head with a shovel…” Gar voiced, whining as he forced himself into a sitting position,

“That will pass in a few minutes. It took Vic a long time to figure out how to make this program without it having a lasting effect on us.” Superman told them, offering them one of his gentle smiles.

“Clark… what was this?” Dick asked, his brows furrowed as he stared at the man of steel, “I mean… now that I’m awake… I have it coming back to me that this was part of a… training exercise but after seeing… everything we just saw in there… I’d say it’s a little overboard just for mandatory training.” 

Superman sighed, losing the smile and he stared up at the images now lit upon the hologram screen behind him. There were photos of Darkseid and his homeworld, with some recent footage of said tyrant moving across planets in the furthest parts of the galaxy.

“Recently, there has been movement on Apokolips and footage was retrieved of Darkseid… taking control of three planets in his own dimension. They were small and lacked much life.” 

“But there was some life on those planets, right? Kory murmured, her brows knitted together in concern,

Clark nodded solemnly, “There was, Kory. To us, right now… Darkseid is not a threat. To the best of our knowledge, he isn’t considering Earth as a target to take control of. But, that could change, very quickly.”

“We don’t take his recent movements lightly and we’ve begun preparing different strategies and plans for when the time is right.” Bruce continued, his dark cape curling around his feet as he moved, “The simulations that just played out… they were completely in your mind, programmed by Vic for you to witness, as if you were there and what the possible outcomes could be, should we take the route that was created in this scenario.”

“Isn’t that…  a bit overkill? To design a program simply to test possibilities that might just be… hypothetical?” Jaime queried, dragging his knee to his chin as he stared at the three Justice League members. 

Superman made a small noise of apprehension before he looked back up, his eyes glossing over each and every member of the Titans, “None of you have ever had to face Darkseid… thankfully. He is… an interdimensional despot who holds immense power. He is not a criminal to be taken lightly. All the things you saw in this simulation are things he has been known to do to those planets he has already desecrated. Brutality and violence are his weapons and we need to be prepared for any situation involving him.” 

“These simulations are only being tested on the Justice League and Titans when we feel we may have mapped a possibly victorious battle plan. They will be few but this was one that had been considered, early on in our knowledge of what Darkseid has been doing.” Wonder Woman elaborated,

“But that plan clearly didn’t work… so why would you show it to us?” Raven asked, her dark eyes brushing across Clark who had apparently become her travelling companion when the world went down the drain in the simulation,

“We wanted to show you so that you can help us to rectify where… we may have gone wrong in the plan.” Clark told them,

Damian folded his arms over his chest, “It was probably taking the war to Darkseid without realizing how dangerous it would be which in the simulation, you already seemed to realize once it was too late.” He paused and thought back on something from the simulation, “Oh and… there was the fact Darkseid knew the whole plan from hacking Cyborg’s cybernetic eye.” 

Superman nodded his head, “Yes, we’re… talking to Victor about preventing this. It would have probably ended differently in the simulation, had Darkseid not learned everything before the plan was executed.” 

“You can’t plan for what you don’t know yet.” Raven reminded them,

Clark gave her a smile, “No, but we can try in order to keep our future as far away from the possibility of what you just lived through.” 

The Titans nodded amongst themselves, understanding their efforts and all secretly hoping they wouldn’t have to face anything like what they’d seen for a long time or ever, if the universe deemed them lucky.

“I can’t believe I died right at the start!” Gar complained, his playful nature reinserting some lightheartedness where it was desperately needed, “I mean… a guy plays all the video games in the world and I can’t even make it?”

Raven smirked and glanced at him, “I don’t think video games and Darkseid are exactly the same, Gar.”

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, “Yeah, well. I’m not happy about it! I want a redo!”

Damian rolled his eyes before raising a brow at him, “You want to live through that all again?”

Gar paused and blinked several times before grinning sheepishly, “Uh… on second thought… I’m good. Sad I went out that early but y’know what… I’m good!”

“If you’re all feeling a little more with us now, come into the hall. We want your feedback.” Batman told them, leading the way into the hall, followed by Diana and then the Titans, with Superman politely showing them the way through the watchtower.

“Feedback on this training? Hm… that would be a solid 0/10, Bruce.” Dick muttered as he helped Kory hop down from the medical bed she had been perched upon, earning a quiet giggle from her,

Clark smiled at the two as they continued after the other Titans, right on Batman’s heels to give their input into what the Justice League were planning, in case of an emergency.

_______________

Gar’s mouth stretched wide as he lifted his arms over his head and yawned loudly, earning an elbow in the stomach from Donna as she passed him,

“Ow! Hey! What’d I do?” He grumbled, rubbing the spot she had hit,

“Do you really have to be that loud, Gar?” She laughed, shaking her head, “Just yawn like a normal person, would you?” 

He smirked, flashing a fang in her direction, “Nah, there’s no fun in that.”

Kory cleared her throat before they could all escape in opposite directions to their respective bedrooms, “Titans. I need to speak with you all for a moment, please.” 

The group exchanged glances between one another, curiosity washing over each of them before they shuffled towards the couch, situated just in front of the large window panes where the moonlight was already beginning to filter through. 

“Are… we in trouble? Whatever it is… I didn’t do it.” Kon rebuffed, immediately holding his hands up in defense as he took a seat on the edge of the sofa,

“Me either!” Gar and Jaime added simultaneously,

Kory smiled softly and shook her head at them, walking around until she stood before them, “No. You’re not in trouble; any of you.”

“So… what do you want to talk to us about, Kory?” Raven queried, giving her leader a small smile,

“I wanted to talk to you about what happened today.” 

Gar’s brows knitted together, “You mean the training over at the watchtower?” 

The Princess nodded her head, her long red locks falling over her shoulder.

Damian narrowed his eyes, equally perplexed and confused as his teammates, “What about it?”

Kory took a deep breath and folded her arms over her chest, “Well… the things in the simulation that happened, that you saw… it was…” She paused and tried to grapple for the correct word,

“Pretty traumatic.” Dick interjected, aiding her and coming to stand by her side, having a feeling he knew what Kory was aiming for with this little chat, “And, it’s okay if it affected you guys. God knows… it was a lot for a training session based on possibility.”

Instead of doing what the adult Titans thought they would, the younger roster of heroes remained silent, all of them contemplating and reflecting on what they had been witness to whilst under the spell of the simulation. 

Kory frowned and her brows wrinkled before she looked to Dick, who only matched her facial expression. 

“I mean… I joked about being murdered by those parademon things so early on in it but… it was pretty scary. The simulation was designed differently so we didn’t wake up as soon as we died inside of it. I had to watch it all unfold… like some kind of horror movie… not so cool when it’s your friends being killed instead of fictional characters.” Gar mumbled, his jade eyes focused on the coffee table before them with his hands pressed firmly to his thighs. 

Jaime nodded, “It was… espantoso. It just… went south so quickly.”

Donna made a noise of agreement and shuddered, as if gripped by a memory from the simulated battle. Wally looked off to the side, unable to speak about what he felt, just yet anyway.

Kon lifted his chin and his usual boisterous and cheeky demeanour had slipped, “I don't know if it was worse or not… living longer in that world wasn’t much fun either.” He gently reached a gloved hand to his neck and he closed his eyes, “I can still remember how… my neck…”

He coughed and shook his head, clamming up from talking through the experience of it all.

Kory looked towards Raven and tilted her head, as if encouraging her to speak about how she had felt, “Raven?”

She lifted her head and lowered the hood of her cloak from her head, “I… It was… I’ve seen terrible things before. Being the daughter of an interdimensional demon will do that but this… it was barbaric and I hope it never actually comes to pass.”

Dick nodded, “Well… this is why the league is trying to come up with a more solid plan, a way to be ready should Darkseid be a problem we need to worry about.” He paused and shrugged, “Safe to say… Clark’s plan of going head on into a war with Darkseid on his home world is no longer the plan on the table.”

“There were too many inconsistencies and problems with his plan. But, it would have been intriguing to see if it worked, had Darkseid not found out through Cyborg’s cybernetics.” Damian pointed out, looking mildly indifferent,

Nodding, Dick eyed his adoptive younger brother for a long moment, “And what about you, Damian?”

Damian looked up, his arms folded over his chest and a scowl on his face. For a moment, he did nothing more than stare at Dick before his features softened ever so slightly and he frowned, “It isn’t something that I ever wish to see again.”

Knowing that was all Damian was willing to give them, at least for tonight, Dick exhaled and nodded once, signalling that he didn’t expect more. 

He glanced towards his girlfriend whose concern was almost tangible, just from the way her face was contorted. She chewed on her lip for a long time before she sighed and her shoulders fell, 

“We will revisit this tomorrow. I do not want anyone to feel like this was something small. If anything, I wish the league had given us more of a warning of what we were going into.” Kory commenting, briefly locking her gaze with Dick’s who looked equally as unhappy that they had been left out of the loop,

“Yeah, I think I’ll be giving Bruce a call tomorrow.” He paused and addressed the younger Titans once more, “And… Kory and I will be arranging some therapy sessions with a league member to deal with the things you saw.”

“I don’t think we need-” 

Dick cut Damian off with a raised hand, “We’re not going to force you guys into them but they will be made available to you all, should you need to talk to someone.”

Damian pressed his lips into a thin line and gave Dick one sharp nod. 

“Do you guys mind if we… go to bed now? I kinda just wanna sleep it off…” Gar muttered, tapping his fingertips together,

Kory smiled and nodded, “Of course, Gar. Dick and I are going to make sure the Tower is all locked up before we go home but we will be back in the morning…” She paused and let her eyes wander across them, “And I believe morning training can be cancelled tomorrow.”

Gar suddenly perked up at that news, “Yes! I get to sleep in!” 

She giggled whilst Dick smirked and rolled his eyes, “But… remember, if one of you needs us… just call us. Okay?”

They all nodded their heads in confirmation before they began trudging off towards their rooms, muttering their farewells and goodnights before they left.

Once the main room had practically emptied of Titans, only Damian remained and as he passed by the couple, he stopped and looked up at his brother,

“Apologies for… using the Lazarus Pit on you, Grayson.” He stated, something in his face telling Dick that he had hoped for a better outcome of his decision made within the simulation.

His older brother gave him a brief smile and gripped one of his shoulders with his hand, “It’s alright, Damian. Let’s just hope it never has to come to it where you have to make that kind of choice for real.” 

Damian considered that and wished them goodnight before he left for his room as well. 

Dick watched him go but his attention was drawn back to the woman standing beside him as she sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

“How’re you feeling, Kor?” He checked, lacing his fingers with hers,

She turned and smiled at him, exhaustion slipping into the creases of her face, “Tired… and wanting to go to bed.” 

He matched her smile and lifted her hand to his mouth, dropping a kiss to the back of it, “Don’t have to tell me twice. Let’s go home.”

_______________

Dick took a deep breath as he observed himself in the bathroom mirror, his hair still damp and water dribbling down his face after hopping out of the shower. He was trying his best to remain unaffected by the scenes that had plagued him in the simulation earlier that day but it was proving to be a challenge to just push all of it to the back of his mind. 

He couldn’t pinpoint what was the worst part; knowing the world had gone up in flames, knowing his friends and family had mostly perished or been altered into husks of their true selves at the hands of Darkseid or knowing that he had potentially faced a lifetime of insanity due to a botched resurrection, unable to remember himself or those he loved.

It may not have been real but it was difficult, trying to remind himself of that. It was hard to accept that truth when it had felt so very real. Images continued to flash in his mind; memories of what had occurred in that world they had had to endure. 

He gritted his teeth and tried to quell the anger bubbling in his chest at the comprehension that Bruce, as well as Diana and Clark, hadn’t felt it necessary to even run their little project by him or Kory first; instead throwing them in blind, along with the younger members of the team. 

The rational part of his mind told him it was so they would become immersed within the situation handed to them so that they could act upon instinct whereas knowing ahead, would have compromised how they acted within the simulation.

Still, it was something he would be bringing up to Bruce in the morning. 

Taking another deep inhale through his nose, Dick focused on his reflection again, repeating words over and over in his head as a reminder that it wasn’t real. It felt real, but it wasn’t and he had to hold onto that, whatever it took.

He shook his head and reached for the hairdryer, flicking the switch and allowing the hot air from it to fill the bathroom.

As he wandered down the hallway, from the bedroom he shared with Kory, he couldn’t help but wonder where she had disappeared to. Their apartment was only so big, meaning if she wasn’t in their room already then she had to be out in the main room.

“Kory?” He called as he stepped over the threshold between the corridor and the main living area. 

Dick reached over and flicked one of the light switches, allowing the glow of the bulbs to illuminate the room; a much more welcomed atmosphere than being swallowed up by the night time darkness.

He blinked in surprise to see her standing by the far wall where the floor to ceiling window overlooked the bustling street below the building. It was still painted with bright lights and the buzz of people hanging out with friends, despite it being well past midnight.

She turned to him, as if not having heard him the first time around.

“Babe, what’re you doing all in the dark?” Dick asked, walking around the side of the couch, towards her. 

Kory shook her head, as if lost in a world of her own but he knew her better than that. He knew what was haunting her mind since it was the only thing that could be the culprit. 

“Hey… c’mere…” He murmured, offering her a hand to take.

She stepped closer and accepted, tangling her fingers with his until Dick gently pulled her down onto the sofa with him. He tugged her closer, using his free arm to wrap around her shoulders.

“I am sorry… I just…” She whispered, her usually bouncy personality seemingly absent for the time being,

“It’s okay… it scared me too.” He admitted,

Finally, she lifted her chin, her solid green gaze fixed on his cerulean orbs. She gave into a trembling breath before she spoke, “I have seen many merciless things, Dick. Growing up on a hostile planet such as my own, it was not uncommon to see bloodshed but… this… it was different.” 

He nodded as he listened to her, gently stroking her upper arm as she talked.

“Having to watch those I love being slaughtered… to then die myself and be brought back as a… mindless slave to such a dictator…” She shook her head minutely, unsure what to make of it,

“I know it was only a simulation to test out the league’s contingency plan for if Darkseid does become a more imminent threat but… it feels as real as anything we’ve faced before.” Dick told her,

She felt tears prick her eyes for a brief moment as she thought back on the end of their virtual reality and she snuggled closer to him, feeling the rapid beating of his heart beneath her slender fingers. 

“The worst part was that I no longer had you.” She confessed quietly.

He inclined his head to look at her and furrowed his brows, “You… sorta still had me.”

She pulled a face at him and glanced down to where her hand rested on his chest, “But I didn’t. It wasn’t you, anymore. Living on as… what that thing turned me into and having a shell of who you are… it is not a life I would ever wish upon myself. It would have been a fate worse than death.”

Dick swallowed the lump in his throat and pressed his cheek to hers, trying to remind her that he was here with her and they were together.

“Apparently not even being insane can take me away from you.” He mentioned, attempting to inject some kind of humor into the situation, if just to uplift the mood in some way.

She blinked at him before she laughed, just a small sound under her breath but he was happy with it nonetheless. 

“You know… I wouldn’t want it either, Kory.” He paused, “In the training… after the pit… I was watching myself and living it… I couldn’t remember anything. I didn’t recognize any of my friends or family… and I don’t ever want that to happen. I never want to be brought back.”

Kory opened her mouth, as if going to question it but he cut her off,

“Ever. Even if… I die before you and you’re stricken with uncontrollable grief… please don’t ever let it happen.”

She gazed at him for a long time but soon nodded her head, vowing not to bring him back, no matter what.

After a long stretch of comfortable silence, Dick sighed and kissed her temple, murmuring, “I have a feeling sleep isn’t coming easily to either of us tonight… why don’t we watch a movie and I’ll make some popcorn?”

Kory smiled softly and nodded, brushing her fingers across his cheek, “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Glad you approve.” He grinned, gently using his free hand to cup her jaw and lead her into a kiss. 

It started as something slow and easy, acting as a reaffirmation of being safe and sound with one another. But, Kory tilted her head, pressing her lips to his more firmly, enjoying the warmth that sparked wherever they met. 

Dick slid his hand along her jawline, his fingers becoming knotted in her gorgeous red tresses. He ran his tongue along her lower lip, nipping and suckling the skin there.

Kory made a muffled sound and lifted both hands to place against either side of her love’s face. 

When she pulled away, she smiled gently and brushed her nose against his until he rested his forehead against hers.

“I know we’ve had a hell of a day… with the training and everything but… it wasn’t real. I’m still here and so are you. We’ve got each other and I don’t plan on giving you up anytime soon, Kory.” Dick whispered, stroking his thumb against her skin.

“I know… I love you.” She breathed, nuzzling his cheek with her own,

“Love you too, babe.” He flashed her one of his boyish grins and tilted his head, “Gotta make every day count together.”

Kory nodded and smiled back at him, “Together.”

[foureyedfreezy]

Since we’re criticizing white VAs voicing characters of color, DC need to get their mess together with Damian. Animated movies, Harley Quinn show, and Injustice 2 game, had white boys voicing him when he’s Chinese-Arabic. Despise Talia all you want or make these excuses about him being made in a test tube or he’s too light-skinned, he’s still a boy of color. His name, Al Ghul, and even his outfits from Son of Batman and JLD: Apokilipse War is Asian-influenced. Even Marvel, who’s super racist, made an effort to have Asian voices for Ms. Marvel in their cartoons, why can’t they do the same for Damian?