#like form titans curse

[decaffeinatedpartymuggoop]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS I made a post a while ago about how Percy relationship with Rachel represented him wanting to escape and be “normal.” She was a normal girl who could see through the mist, close enough to rant to and to share some experiences but not close enough to push him in the way Annabeth and the campers were. She was essentially perfect and what he needed during that time in his life, but they wouldn’t have worked out. And they didn’t

And it’s the same way with Calypso HE WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE HIS FATE. She was his biggest “what if” because what is he STAYED. What if he got to escape the prophecy and live an almost normal life.

And for Percy they probably weren’t even an option, it was ALWAYS Annabeth. Annabeth was unfortunately just the biggest reminder of his demigod side, something he wasn’t ready to except just yet.

And like the og post said, it was always Annabeth because at the end of the day, Percy was always going to except who he was. It was just a matter of time.

Rachel and Calypso both serve as opposing love interests to Annabeth that in the end would have not worked out in story because their relationships were both built off of Percy attempting to run away from a fundamental aspect of himself; being a half-blood.

The overarching theme of the original 5 pjo books is Percy coming to accept and ultimately choose this part of himself. In this essay I will-

[flowery-king]

do we still get titan!luz in the defanged Phillip au? and more improtantly

does amity see her?

No but you do get a 'Titan' Philip

Hope you're not too disappointed

[baltears]

i CAN'T be the only one who thinks its hilarious that the conclusion to the found family show is supposed to be dick and kory starting a nuclear family together. you can't make this shit up. Nuclear family 2: this time it's fine :)

[suiana]

This looks cursed

yandere! babysitter taking care of you when you suddenly turn into a kid. oh no! his beloved darling is now a kid! don't worry, he's here to save the day!

and gosh, you're just the cutest as a kid! all big eyed and squishy cheeks! he's smitten with you through and through! he's got to take a whole album of pictures and videos to remember this!

that is... well, until he realizes that your mischievous tomfoolery is ramped up to the max. your humour also seems to have regressed because you're quoting stuff he's never heard in his ENTIRE life. actually he has. but it's from the other little kids he's babysitted and he still has no idea what they mean.

and now he's forced to watch skibidi toilet with you???

"oh yeah this is where it gets really good. titan cinemaman and titan cameraman help titan speakerman get back to normal. really cool stuff."

"erm... okay..."

"oh gman toilet is apparently good now too? something something astro toilets... im not too sure..."

"bro."

it's the fact that he can't even leave you to be alone cause physically you're a 5 year old. what happens if you want to reach for something on the counter but you can't? you're gonna hurt yourself!

and there's no way he's letting you hurt yourself. not on his watch. he's not called the ultimate babysitter for no reason!

"baby! you can't climb up the table! it's dangerous-"

"bla bla bla YOU CAN'T STOP ME *shoves the powder off the table*"

now he's forced to clean up your mess?? god damn it, were you like this when you were a kid too??? so this is where your mean habits originated...

he seriously hopes you turn back to your normal form soon. because while having a kid you is cute and all, he REALLY doesn't need you to be crawling all over the house like a freaking cockroach and messing everything up.

"baby! no! don't eat the toilet paper!!!"

"okay that's it, now you're making me want to eat more."

"no!!!!"

[clare-875]

Not You (Levi x Reader)

_____ Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Female Reader Summary: Levi has a nightmare that he loses you and he doesn't handle it well Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Descriptions of blood and death, Reverse comfort [AOT Masterlist] _____

It was one scream. Piercing and sharp as it rang through the air, but Levi knew instantly who it was. His heart rate picks up, pure panic reaching the depths of his mind, prompting the movement of his body as he runs. His eyes dart around him but all he sees is darkness. Where were you? Another scream echoes through space threatening hysteria. His body moves, it had come from his right. He runs faster, sweat drenching his form. His limbs are heavy, as though he trudged through mud. His mind was pacing, pushing away the thoughts of the worst. He curses the way he seems to have forgotten something as simple as movement as it feels like eons until he catches a glimpse of a struggling shadow. His breath gets caught in his throat, his feet now stuck to the ground by some invisible chain that he can't wretch free of. His heart races so fast he can now scarcely breathe and he doesn't know how to escape the oncoming terror.

"LEVI!!" Your voice is shrill pushing through the restraints of your panic and pain. It seeps through the sobs that rake through your body, it drips with fear and dread, just like the blood that pours from you. Crimson adorns your figure; it's all Levi can see. It falls from your hands that try to pry away from the Titan you are in the hold of, it falls from your temple seeping into the white of your eyes, it breaks from your skin under the weight of its hold. Your gaze is frantic, panic-driven; it's horror. "[y-y/n]?" Levi's voice is lost in the phobia that fills him. His breath shakes and stutters as he tries to move, but again he fails. Why why why why. It's all that fills him, the same words on his mind. Why were you here? Why were you dying; he had sworn to keep you safe. Why can't he move? "L-LEVI, PLEASE-!!" Your voice is helpless under the weight of your oncoming demise as it pleads him to move. He tries. He has never tried so hard to get his slack limbs to move as much as he did now. He tries to push against the agony and restraint and yet nothing.

"[Y-Y/N]!!"

His voice is a roar across space as your eyes look at him in pure devastation. "W-why, why won't you save me?" Levi's heart drops to the floor at your utter devastation and the sobs that lace your words. The heavy feeling of your voiced disappointment churns in his chest. No. "I-" Levi tries to speak once more but now it feels as though the restraints on his form have gagged him of speech. No. God please no. "You said you'd save me, you promised-" Your voice is interrupted by another agonising scream that has Levi losing his mind. He struggles to connect his mind to his body and yet no matter how much he cries in silence there is no movement. Levi feels hot tears of pure panic reach the rims of his eyes, threatening to break free as he bears witness to the series of events he has seen too often in his life. But not you, please not you. "L-Levi," His eyes are forced upon a sight he wished he died before he'd see. The Titan evidently has had enough of its malice as it squeezes hard against your form, causing your body to collapse under the hold. In the silence the final wheeze of your voice, "Save me."

Levi's gasps are erratic as his eyes shoot open meeting darkness. His confused state is dangerously out of control as he grasps at the bed sheets beneath him for stability, squeezing them so tight he almost tears it. His mind reels trying to catch up to reality, but the events of what has happened in his mind are still eerily sure in his head. He tries to control his hysteric state, pushing his hands into his face breathing shortly before trying to slow them down. Was it real? Please no. No no no no... Levi's hand has never darted so quickly to the figure that should be beside him; beside him asleep. Only, his hand meets a coolness that has his heart jolting harshly in his chest. His eyes dart to his side, gaze wide, mind frantic. When he sees that no one is there, that you aren't there, that's when he loses it, he is lost in hysteria.

Levi flies out from his bed unstable, eyes darting in the darkness of the room. His voice is lost within him out of fear at the lack of response he might find. He turns on the lamps in the room to see the empty space around him, he moves quick across your shared bedroom ripping open doors and racing across space. "[y-y/n]" His voice is breathless, barely heard as he unsteadily rushes across the rooms. He checks the office, he checks the bathroom, he checks every crevice no matter how stupid it might be. He needs to. He needs you to be alive; to be here. "[y/n]!" His voice is louder now but is met with silence. The only response that reaches him now is the dwindling remembrance of your voice; your words. "You promised me." Levi shakes his head, hand raking through his locks harshly. "Please." Levi goes for the door handle, intent on ripping apart headquarters to find you, to prove he hadn't failed you. "Save me." Tears threaten him as he goes to open the door only for it to open abruptly.

It revealed you.

You look up in surprise, having got yourself something quick to drink in the middle of the night from the kitchen. It had been a long internal debate; you knowing the effects of PTSD upon both of you. It brought horrendous nightmares, ones that had you questioning your reality; your sanity. But Levi had finally seemed to be asleep long and well enough for you to slip briefly from the bed beside him so you could quench your thirst. Evidently, you were wrong. Levi looks at you in shock, rigid form and tears lingering in his eyes. He looks tense, more than you have ever seen; as though one wrong move might cause devastation. You find yourself rigid as your eyes turn behind him to where the room you had left is now pulled apart as though there was a struggle. Your gaze meets your lover once more as your mind connects the dots.

You move forward hesitantly. "Levi?" He turns to you then, finally breaking free of the turmoil he had faced in such a short period of time. You move forward seeing the shock, the dread, the relief pouring from him. You reach out gently and he instantly responds to your touch as you hold him against you and he puts his arms tight around your form. His hands shake subtly but his embrace is taut and you let him be. He lets himself breathe. He lets himself catch up to reality. He begs to whatever being is up there, that they don't take you away from him. You stay there for long moments, him just matching your breathing, inhaling your sweet scent and losing himself in the soft caress of your touch. Him, gripping onto his sanity.

"Levi?" You say softly once you have stayed in his tight embrace for several long moments. You feel his limbs slowly start to slack as he releases you of his form, but barely lets you an inch out of his grasp. "Are you okay?" Levi can barely look up to you as you meet his shadowed gaze. "I'm sorry, I just went to get something to drink. I didn't think- What happened?" Levi's hand is within your own as you squeeze it gently, hoping to provide some comfort to his blatant pain. Levi's voice shakes but drips of grief and exhaustion as he speaks to you. "Just don't- don't die... not you." You look up at his defeated form, so uncharacteristically vulnerable, so utterly embodied by the emotions you know he tries so hard to hide. You pull him to the couch in the room as you sit beside each other. "I won't."

The both of you know that there was no truth to your words. Anyone could die when beyond the walls; it seemed death would come even when you were within them. But Levi allowed the contentment of your words to seep within him. He allowed your hands to gently caress his raven locks and allowed the warmth of your body to bring him back to his reality. He pushed away the lingering words you spoke to him in the depths of his dreams: the disappointment, the echoing screams. He never told you all of what happened in his nightmare but you could guess well enough. You found all the answers you would need in the way he muttered under his breath until the morning sun shone past the far-off horizon.

"Not you..."

[owlhousetarot]

King of Swords: Lilith as Belos’s Right Hand

Upright: Intellect, authority, reason, morality, truth, objectivity, discipline, integrity, strict codes, decisive, rational

Reversed: Manipulation, misuse of power, imperious, controlling, unyielding, cold, ruthless, dishonest

The King of Swords rules over the suit of the mind; one's intellect, thoughts, and beliefs as well as communication, conflict, and logic. As such, the King is someone whose authority stems from their knowledge and who rules from a place of logic and truth over emotion. The King of Swords is a rational figure who has the mental clarity to make objective decisions based on strict moral codes that they have the power to create and enforce.

Intellect and authority, though, can be so easily twisted into self-righteousness and tyranny. The reversed King is manipulative, controlling, and deeply convicted of their own moral objectivity. This can result in a fundamental dishonesty with oneself, as well as a cold detachment from appeals to their sense of sympathy.

Lilith and Belos mirror each other in many ways, both embodying the aspects of this card. They are both authority figures who uphold the Coven system as the single objective "correct" way to participate in Boiling Isles society, declaring anyone who deviates from this system amoral. They are both cunning and ambitious like any good King of Swords would be, single-mindedly pursuing their objectives using the full breadth of their knowledge of magic and social manipulation. Like Belos rationalized murdering his brother for deviating from human realm norms, Lilith rationalized cursing her sister as the only logical path forward for herself to realize her dreams of joining the Emperor's Coven. The King of Swords wields truth in the form of a double-edged blade, threatening even when sheathed. In this way, Lilith and Belos both maintain their positions of power through withheld information; Lilith in keeping the origin of Eda's curse a secret, and Belos in his concealment of the truth of history, and by claiming his actions are the will of the Titan rather than simply motivated by his own personal interests.

Deck Order:

< Previous: Queen of Swords | Next: Back to Masterpost >

Show Chronology:

< Previous: The Emperor | Next: _____ >

[darkmist111]

Something I wish was talked about more is that Percy wasn’t told about the full Great Prophecy until days before it was set to occur.

And the implications of who knew, and how it changes the view of people’s actions in that context.

Let’s start off with who knew for sure, Annabeth, Luke, Chiron, and all the gods.

Annabeth has been the one that’s been analyzed the most I think. Her abandonment issues, combined with the knowledge that the best friend she made and boy she loves most likely has a expiration date. She pulls away and is reluctant to open up on her feelings. She spends alot of time bracing for pain she thinks is coming.

Chiron spends a good portion of the time being honestly very pessimistic with Percy, talking about heroes that died tragically, gods that probably don’t care, and honestly usually looks at Percy like he’s already dead. There are many times in the book where Chiron gets a far away look and Percy thinks he’s thinking of fallen heroes but it might be he’s thinking about how the Hero before him is due to die in a couple years.

You will never catch me defending Luke Castellan’s actions, but with the context of the Great prophecy, I can understand how in a twisted way his actions might have made sense. If this kids is gonna die in a couple years anyway why not kill him now? Why wait just so he can die a slower death possibly in service to a broken system. It also kinda makes sense why he wouldn’t recruit him, since he’d be just recruiting him to die for his cause instead of the gods. That part is speculation though since he has no problem later sending demigods to their death for his cause.

The gods are pretty easy to tell with their motives, self centered, they care more about their survival than a single mortals’. Poseidon however is honestly painted in a pretty bad light. The apology of “I’m sorry you were born” takes a different meaning when you think he know that Percy is gonna die. “I’m sorry you were born only to die.” Not only that but his distance to Percy even after his heritage is revealed takes a different tone. Is he avoiding puting time into his son not just because he is a god but because he might die? Granted he’s immortal so Percy was going to die anyway. But did he avoid telling Percy because he didn’t want him to think less of him?

And then we get onto who theoretically knew.

Specifically, did Sally, Grover, or Thalia know?

Sally Jackson is a goddess let me just preface that, but much like other goddesses she’s not perfect.

Is it possible Poseidon told her of the prophecy? If she knew is it possible she hid it from Percy? I love Sally but she does have a habit of keeping things that could hurt Percy from him until the last possible moment. And honestly this is much worse than the other things she’s withheld from him.

Did Grover know? Even with the empathy link, it transfers emotions more than thoughts. Which brings us to another interesting point. If Grover knew the Prophecy did he form a Empathy link knowing he would probably die in a couple years? Or did he not know and Annabeth Chiron and others failed to tell him that? We’re people expecting Grover to die in a couple years? Was he informed? Did people try to get him to cut his Empathy Link, without telling him? Did Juniper know?

And finally we have Thalia, the most underutilized character in all the series, and I don’t feel like I’m exaggerating when I say that.

Did Thalia know and when did she know it? Did she know before being turned into a Tree? Did she know after she was revived? Did she know during the Titan’s Curse? Did she know after she became a hunter? All of these can drastically change how her choice at the end of Titans Curse could be viewed.

If she knew before her death, it adds a layer to Luke and Annabeth, not only was their friend killed but most likely, another will be killed in her place.

If she was informed after she was revived or knew during Titan’s curse it adds a level of stress from her perspective, not only did she die to save her family, one who became a traitor and sacrificed the other to unleash a Titan, but she is know being told she’ll probably die in a couple months to a year.

And if she was informed after she became a Hunter? Did that make her regret her decision? Second guess herself? Did she feel guilty because she basically sacrificed Percy to save her own life? Did she try and avoid Percy out of guilt?

And I think what’s really interesting is that if Percy wasn’t such a good guy, and was more pessimistic and darker in how he view people and these motivations, he could easily reinterpret people’s actions with the prophecy in mind to their worst possible conclusion.

Him getting together with Annabeth only after the Great Prophecy could be seen as her writing him off as not worth it like so many others in his life, only willing to take the leap after the threat had passed.

He could see Chiron holding back on training because Percy might not be alive long enough to make full use of them. Writing him off as another tragic hero.

He could see Luke as worse or better, understanding that the gods do use them but also seeing Luke as another mentor giving up on him as a lost cause before really getting to know him.

He could see Poseidon withholding the truth as a manipulation tactic to give him the illusion of hope up until the point where he can’t back out anymore.

He could see Sally starting a relationship and trying to build a life while Percy is going through these trials as her preparing for her son to die, trying to make it so she has a life that can survive his death.

He could see Thalia’s decision to trust him with the prophecy, not as one of faith but avoiding death by using him as a sacrifice. Her doing the same thing Luke did, and what Percy wouldn’t do to others like Bessie.

Honestly the only one that couldn’t be spun in a bad direction is Grover. But if Grover didn’t know than I can imagine Percy would be angry at those that didn’t inform him since Percy’s life very much is linked to Grover’s. Did Juniper know her Boyfriend was also marked for death?

All of that being said Percy really is a good guy.

I sometimes forget how compassionate he is without thought, even to those who don’t deserve it.

It would be so easy to be angry bitter and spiteful when you’re told you only have a few days to live. To be resentful and cruel to the people that kept it from you.

He’s always known he could die but he also always had that little bit of hope dangled in front of him, the idea that not all heroes die gruesome painful deaths, that he could end up like his namesake.

But he isn’t and doesn’t. When people say they were doing what they thought was best he believes them. He doesn’t follow blindly but he doesn’t hate blindly either.

That’s why he’s the Hero of Olympus.

[vir-bellanaris]

Uttering the battle cry of her people, Lavellan launched herself toward the sundering goliath of rock and fractured spirit.

Solas shouted a surprised curse, making a gesture and covering her body in a magical barrier right before she impacted.

He transformed into wolf-form and leapt into the fray, taking advantage of the opening Lavellan had created.

His jaws clenched around the semblance of a brittle neck, cracking it like dry grass under a boot.

Shards of lyrium shattered icelike from the massive creature’s form, pulsing veins of red oozed magma blood which ran in rivulets down its distorted and crumbling body.

The Dread Wolf paced between it and where Lavellan stood recovering.

She braced hands on knees, catching her breath.  Solas’ magic had protected her from the brunt of the blows, shielding her from the massive clublike hands.

It was a sentient construct of twisting shadow and pulsing blue lyrium, that much she knew.  Lavellan could also ascertain it was tied to the unrest of the Titans somehow and had sensed their presence enter the Fade, particularly that of Solas.

She gathered herself, walking to where the great wolf stood gazing at the smoldering heap.

She reached out tentatively at first, her fingers pushing through black smoking energy roiling off him.  

Her hand found his flank, the tough hide surprisingly sensitive as it twitched at the touch.  The Dread Wolf’s head turned from its vigil, three glowing blue eyes shone upon her, the milky pupils moving individually until they rested upon her face.  

The snarl twisting the canine mouth eased, the glint of his long fangs disappeared.

Lavellan stepped forward, running her hand up his body like a guide, her eyes never wavering from his.  

When she was inches from his snout she smiled, his presence filling her with a sense of comfort rather than that of mortal dread.  

She moved her mechanical hand up, reaching the palm of it towards the large wolven nose, the green flaring of the anchor sputtering once up her shoulder and neck.

Only when she hesitated, a hair’s breadth from the long nose, did his many eyes close and he pushed gently into her palm.

“Solas.” A low murmur left her, awe and love welling pools of emotion in her eyes.

Cyan light shimmered around his form which twisted and shrunk until it was his cheek that her palm cupped, his familiar smile her thumb traced.

A slow grin spread across Lavellan’s face. “Just like old times, huh?  With some added dramatics.”

Solas shook his head, fond but stern. “If by that you mean throwing yourself bodily at the enemy, then yes.”

“I’m efficient.”  Her smile didn’t fade.  She felt his fingers caressing gently along her chin and under her bottom lip.

“You’re reckless.”

“Same thing most of the time.”

“Vhenan.”

She mimicked his exasperated tone. “Solas.”

He kissed her, rubbing his nose against hers, allowing himself a moment to really taste her and feel her breath on his tongue.

When he pulled back, Lavellan felt slightly dazed. “Besides, I have you.”

He stared down at her, his lips twitching at the winded expression on her face. “You do have me.”  He conceded with a soft sigh.  “Better still, I have you.”

A faint glimmering caught Lavellan’s attention, her face turning as she squinted in the direction of the crumbled titanesque body.

Read the rest here

To Where Your Soul Travels, There Go I - Chapter 8 - MysticAwareness - Dragon Age: Inquisition [Archive of Our Own]

[sepublic]

People still ask how Belos died from being stomped on when he survived something similar in King’s Tide. People, Belos was still healthy enough to defeat the Hexsquad even when he was being drained of magic; He hasn’t retained any physical damage from the fight until the Collector steps in.

In S3 Belos is dying just from existing and needs a host, he’s still breaking down even when inside the host because he emerges from Raine in a worse state than when he entered;

(At the very least, Raine whistling Belos out of their body whittled down his form even further.)

It’s almost as if the crew emphasized in For the Future what a terrible state Belos was in, with him saying aloud he needs a host, to set up why he can’t survive the same injury he did last time. It’s like these details were here for a reason. Belos hasn’t had a Palisman in two months (something the show emphasizes he needs) and both the Day of Unity and Vee also drained his magic, the former doing it for a decent while uninterrupted no less. He did rebuild himself, but then Belos began to fall apart from starvation; He tried to address it by absorbing Flapjack —the show’s way of reminding you what’s missing— but Hunter stopped him and contributed to Belos’ death.

(So not only did Hunter assert his agency, he helped kill his uncle without having the additional trauma of directly doing/seeing it, and it led to Flapjack’s life force being left to save Hunter; So Hunter got Belos killed, saved himself, and stood up for himself!)

And after failing to absorb Flapjack, after leaving Hunter, does Belos try to fight Hexsquad despite not having to worry about a draining spell killing him, and having already won the first time with it? No, he runs away; Because despite initially looking the same, he’s much weaker and can’t win a fight in his state. And that leads to the next episode’s reveal that he’s dying and crumbling apart even after regenerating, or rather because he used up his energy to regenerate.

Even if Belos survived being stomped on, he’d just be a puddle of goop but be unable to build himself back up as he continued breaking down. There was nothing around and even if Belos possessed something, he’d still keep degrading the whole time until he dies truly, and at that rate the host might just wait for Belos to perish without needing someone to save them. Belos is dead, he knew he was dead.

People also ask how Belos can turn back into Philip at the end and not only is it a literally paper-thin facade and the curse is there underneath. But they forgot he already did the same thing in King’s Tide by turning his face back around Hunter (but not his whole body, he’s being killed by his draining spell at that moment); But it falls apart fast, esp when angry. Only Palisman essence can fully turn Belos back into a human.

And we see the curse was overtaking him even in that state, and when Belos hides the mold on his face it re-emerges when he’s angry. He’s always had this ability, but it’s superficial and doesn’t last long. Belos can’t even truly hide the mold on his face when he’s human, he couldn’t tangibly turn back into a human when he was fully transformed, and he’s never going to, he can only create a facade. Maybe Belos could’ve briefly turned young, but he always defaults back to his ‘natural’ state, which at first was an old human but over time has become the curse beast.

Finally, why didn’t Belos possess the Titan from the start? I don’t think he even knew he could do that until he had to figure it out during the two-month gap. He didn’t even turn into a monster yet when he decided on the draining spell with the Collector, his eyes just went blue as we see in the memories with Caleb, or his flesh writhed.

Belos always reverted his curse form with Palismen because he loathed and didn’t want to experiment with it. But after S2 his body began to break down, Belos had no other options, so that’s how he figured it out, and then applied that realization to the Titan’s heart in his castle after the Collector reminded him of it.

[dccomicsimagines]

Shattered - Batfamily Imagine

Warning - Abuse, Abusive Behavior

Requested by Anon -  Can I request a batfamily x reader where reader is very quiet and one day Bruce pushes too hard and reader runs away. Then reader is missing for weeks and they find her badly injured and Bruce is feeling bad

Author’s Note - This took me forever to finish. Also it spiraled into it’s own thing, but hope you enjoy it!

***

You felt your father watch you from across the cave. The punching bag swung back to you. Your fists cracked against the bag, echoing in the silence of the cave. The bats screeched in the distance. 

Out of the corner of your eye, Bruce moved toward you. The tension in his shoulders, firmness of his jaw, you knew he was in a bad mood. You sensed it was caused by Damian. Damian and your father hadn’t gotten along well ever since Bane took over the city and Alfred died. Then again, Bruce hadn’t gotten along well with anyone since Alfred died. You swallowed back a lump in your throat. It hurt that you had to force yourself not to tense up when he reached you.

“Too practiced.” Bruce crossed his arms. His cowl was off. You caught the bag when it swung back to you, peeking at him shyly. “A live target won’t wait for you to punch them.” His eyes were ice cold steel. You wondered if your eyes were like that. Dick claimed you had Bruce’s eyes, but you never believed him. 

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. Bruce’s lips formed a hard line. “Sorry,” you whispered finally. Your hand trembled slightly. You shouldn’t be nervous. He won’t hurt you.

“Sorry won’t save your life. Sorry will get you killed.” He turned and walked off to the sparring mat. Your eyes widened, blood draining out of your face. His hand gestured for you to follow. 

Your feet moved without you realizing. Suddenly, you were on the mat and facing your father. He took off his cape and tossed it to the sidelines. “Attack,” he ordered. You blinked before running straight toward Bruce. 

It occurred to you to surprise him as you flipped forward and sprang up to aim a kick to his jaw. He blocked it, pushing you away. You rolled with the push and landing safely on your feet. 

“Predictable.” Bruce threw a punch your way. You barely dodged it. He was so fast. “You need to be unpredictable.” 

The sparring session lasted a full hour. You had been thrown to the ground too many times to count. Your body ached, knowing you’ll have bruises the next morning. 

Bruce offered his hand. You took it and stood up. “You’ll need more training if you’re going into the field alone.” He glanced at the batcomputer when it beeped with a message. “Shower and get to bed. You have school tomorrow.” 

“Yes Dad.” You mumbled, holding his hand a moment longer. He allowed it and you felt comforted by it. You couldn’t remember the last time he hugged you. 

Bruce pulled away too quickly for your liking, heading to the batcomputer. He joined a call with Jim Gordon. They were discussing the murder from the night before. Bruce believed it was a serial killer, thus why you weren’t allowed to patrol with him until the killer was off the streets. 

You limped toward the showers. Your eyes burned with tears, your heart aching so bad you thought it was ripped from your chest. It confused you. 

After your shower, you slowly walked up the stairs. Bruce was still at the batcomputer. You knew better than to bother him. 

***

The next night, you sat by the batcomputer and organized files. You were still banned from patrol. The serial killer still on the loose. Your father was getting more and more unbearable. Biting your lip, you wished Alfred was here. He’d know how to get your father to stop and take a rest, but Alfred died a year ago. 

A little bit of anger sparked in your heart. Why were you left to deal with your father alone? Why could all the others run off? You cursed your age, wishing you were eighteen or at least well trained enough to join the Teen Titans or something. 

However, you took a deep breath, letting the anger go. You learned a long time ago that being angry with your father didn’t do any good. It was almost like he wanted your anger, so you didn’t give it to him. 

The file organization was mind numbing. You peeked at your father’s tracker to see him at GCPD. He was probably talking to Commissioner Gordon about the serial killer. You wished you were with him. 

Suddenly, the computer beeped that the batcave allowed access to someone. You opened the cameras to see a motorcycle flying down the tunnels. Excited, you got your feet to greet the motorcycle. As it came closer, you recognized the dark blue paint. 

“Hey,” Dick greeted, parking his bike a few feet from you. “How you doing, kiddo?” 

“I’m okay.” You crossed your arms tightly across your chest. “What are you doing here?”

Dick climbed off his bike. “Just visiting. Is Bruce here?” He came over to you, ruffling your hair.

“No, he’s out.” You bit your lip when he frowned slightly. Dick hummed, resting a hand on your chin to inspect the bruise on your cheekbone. You had washed off the makeup you used to hide it at school. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Dick pulled away. He took off his mask, looking you directly with those clear blue eyes. You avoided eye contact. 

You didn’t answer, simply turning to point at the tracker on the screen. Dick went over to look. You sighed in slight relief. 

“So a serial killer is on the loose huh? I saw it on the news, decided I should stop by,” Dick said, studying the screen to see all the files you were organizing. 

You swallowed hard and took your seat back by the computer to continue your work. Dick watched you for a bit. “I don’t know when he’ll come home. You should probably go meet him,” you said after you heard Dick sigh.

Dick leaned against your chair, resting his arm on the headrest. “I was going to borrow some surveillance equipment. I want to stake out a few of Blockbuster’s operations.” Dick smirked when you looked up at him. “Wanna tag along?”

Your heart skipped a beat in excitement. It wasn’t until now that you realized how much you missed going out. Two weeks of only the cave and school was restricting. “Dad wouldn’t like it,” you said, biting your lip as you glanced at Batman’s tracker on the computer. He was driving through the city now. You assumed he was going to check out the next crime scene.

Dick followed your gaze to the screen before looking back at you. “Kiddo, we can leave him a note. He won’t be upset if we’re in Bludhaven.” He ruffled your hair. Your lips pulled into a smile.

“Are you sure?” You jumped to your feet. 

“I’m sure. Go get your suit on.” Dick tapped your nose, grinning. “Heck, even pack an overnight bag. You can just stay over at my place.” You turned and ran off to gather your stuff. 

***

Dick frowned as he watched you hurry away. You were limping. If you had been in the cave for two weeks, where would you have gotten hurt? The limp could have been a sprain, but the bruise on your cheek? Dick shook his head, swallowing hard. “Bruce, what are you doing?” he mumbled, eyeing the tracker. 

Dick glanced over his shoulder to make sure you were out of earshot before tapping the comm button. “(Y/N), I don’t have time. If you’re done with the files, go to bed,” Bruce said harshly. 

“It’s me, Bruce.” Dick pursed his lips, holding back a scoff. “Is that how you talk to her?” 

“I’m in the middle of an investigation. (Y/N) knows not to bother me.” Dick shook his head. “Why are you there?”

“I stopped to borrow a few things and to check in on you and (Y/N).” Dick ran a hand through his hair. “Bruce, I’m taking (Y/N) with me for a few days. This isn’t good.”

Bruce didn’t respond. Dick knew what that silence meant. “Keep her safe,” he finally said softly. A moment of vulnerability.

“Always.” Dick held back the words he wanted to say. “I’ll talk to you in a few days.”

Bruce grunted and shut off the comm. Dick sighed. He would need to talk to the others about this. Dick felt responsible. He should have checked in on you more. He should have taken you with him once he first suspected. Dick swallowed hard as he heard you come up behind him. Forcing a smile on his face, he turned to you.

***

The weekend with Dick was a lot of fun, but you weren’t an idiot and Dick wasn’t that subtle. You knew Dick was concerned about your welfare. He had several calls during the weekend, calls you overheard when he thought you were asleep. 

It was a relief to be home. Bruce seemed happy to have you back. Well, as happy as he could get nowadays, which wasn’t much. However, you did receive a shoulder pat before he sent you off to train. You practically melted at the touch. 

You were on the balance beam, training in the balanced combat that Dick showed you. Bruce was at the computer, still going over evidence for the serial killer. He still hadn’t caught him. You were greatly concerned by the fact, but stayed quiet. 

“I don’t have the time for this,” Bruce said suddenly. You glanced over at him as you practiced landing a kick without losing your balance. Bruce got to his feet. “(Y/N), come here.” You blinked before hopping off the beam and running over. He gestured for you to go to the changing room. You frowned, confused. Bruce growled. “Get ready for patrol,” he said sharply.

“Really?” you asked, voice barely a whisper. He narrowed his eyes at you. “Yes sir.” You swallowed hard and ran to get changed. Bruce was already in his batsuit. 

You ran back out a minute later, strapping on your cape. Bruce marched to the batmobile at the sight of you. You jogged behind him. “I need you to stake out the other location.” Bruce hopped into the driver’s side. You got in beside him, holding back a smile at finally being in the batmobile with Bruce again. He drove off at full speed toward Gotham. “I have determined that the killer will strike in one of two locations. He leaves clues, a Riddler copycat.” He glanced at you. The hint of approval appeared in his eyes when he saw you were listening attentively. “He will strike tonight, so I don’t have the time to narrow it down.” 

“Yes sir.” You bit your lip to hide a smile. He was treating you like he did Dick or Tim or Damian. An equal. You couldn’t believe it. 

“I don’t want you to engage. If you see him, call me and stay in the shadows.” He suddenly stopped the batmobile by an old apartment building deep in the city. “Tracy Apartments. Watch for a man in a blue coat.” The hood opened and you hopped out. “Do not engage.” Bruce narrowed his eyes at you.

“Yes sir.” You nodded before grabbing your grapple gun and flying up to the rooftop. The roar of the batmobile sounded behind you almost like it was lifting you up and away. Landing on the roof safely, you sat on the edge of the roof, determined to do your very best.

***

Nothing happened except a few random people walking home from the bar on the corner. A homeless person entered an alley. You sighed, resting your elbow on your knee and your chin in your hand. Your father hadn’t messaged except to say he arrived at the other location. 

The clock tower, only two blocks away, struck two. Your eyes grew heavy. Slowly, you drifted off only to be jerked awake when your elbow relaxed causing your head to fall. Panic filled you as you checked the apartment building. Nothing change. You relaxed, heart pounding away. 

Another half an hour passed with you pinching your arm to stay awake. Just when you were about to fall asleep again, the man with the blue coat appeared. You tapped your comm. “Batman, the man is here. He is entering the apartment building.”

“Good. Don’t move until I arrive. ETA five minutes.” Batman’s comm clicked off. You got to your feet, staying in a crouch as the man entered the building. Tapping the side of your mask, you turned on your thermal camera to watch him move through the lobby. Strangely, the man took the stairs.

You traced him through the building, grateful for the building’s thin walls and the man’s gait. He stopped at an apartment on the far end of the third floor. You moved to the other end of the roof to peek in the window. There was two women inside watching TV. Two glasses of wine and bowls of what looked like ice cream sat on the table in front of them. 

One of the women stood up and went to the door. A scream came from inside. The other woman on the couch stood up, grabbing the lamp next to her and throwing it at the attacker. You hesitated a moment. Bruce would be very angry. No more patrols for a long time. However, when both women disappeared out of your view, you pushed that out of your mind.

Leaping into the air, you used your grapple gun to accelerate toward their window. Using your feet, you broke through the window, somersaulting into a kick to the man’s face once you were able to pinpoint where he was. The two women cowered in the corner. 

The man fell back against the door with a shout. “Stupid kid!” He struggled to his feet. You wondered if that’s why he attacked women. A inferiority complex with a dash of psychopathy. He held a knife up. You smirked at the knife, shaking your head. He came at you, but you dodged it easier and disarmed him. The man screamed as you put him into a hold and knocked him to the floor. 

Curses sputtered out of his mouth as you quickly handcuffed his wrists and feet. “Robin.” You looked up in surprise to see Batman at the window. His jaw was a mask of pure fury. You swallowed hard and quickly got to your feet. “Go wait in the car.” He moved toward the man. You hurried to the window. The two women thanked you as you grappled down to the waiting batmobile. 

It slid open as you approached and you hopped inside. Snuggling into your seat, you felt sick to your stomach. You knew that look your father gave you. A shiver ran down your spine. It was a look only Damian and Jason got when they disobeyed him. 

***

“Disobeying direct orders!” Bruce grabbed one of his spare gloves and threw it across the cave. You flinched at the movement, putting your hands behind your back so he couldn’t see them shake. After changing out of your suit, you were told to stand in the middle of the changing room as your father let loose. “I expected more from you, (Y/N)!”

You opened your mouth, but a glare from him had you closing it again. The cave was colder than normal. You wondered if it was really colder or if it was just you. “I’m sorry, but I needed to step in,” you whispered, unable to speak louder. “He would have killed them.”

Bruce spun to you so fast that you flinched. “He could have killed you!” You looked into Bruce’s eyes, seeing the fear mixed in with his anger. It hurt.  Bruce spun away from you, running a hand through his hair. Curses mumbled from under his breath. You watched him.

It was so tiring, so painful to live here with him. He was hard on you, mean even. You understood he cared about you, but did he love you like a daughter? Or were you just his child soldier? Tears filled your eyes as your heart ached for Alfred. Alfred would make this better, reason with him or at least be a comfort to you. You couldn’t remember him treating any of your brothers this way, but then again, they always had Alfred. You had no one.

“I’m taking you off patrols indefinitely,” Bruce said, his frown deepening when he turned back to see your tears. You quickly wiped your face with your sleeves. “And I think...you should go live with Dick, (Y/N).”

“What?!” You gasped, hands shaking violently. “Why?!”

Bruce took a deep breath. “I’m not...I’m not the man I used to be. You aren’t getting what you need from me.” He crossed his arms. His face was a steel mask. You wondered if he actually cared. 

“No.” You shook your head before turning and running out of the room. Bruce was right behind you. Your chest tightened, suddenly you felt trapped. You failed to help him. You failed as a Robin. 

“(Y/N)...” Bruce reached out to catch your shoulder, but you shook him off. Each breath hurt. You ran up the stairs of the cave and burst into his study. There was no footsteps behind you. Funny enough that was what hurt most of all.

***

The next morning, Dick ran up the steps of the manor. Bruce left him a message to come collect (Y/N). Is your daughter something to collect? Dick wanted to argue with him, shout at him, but Bruce wouldn’t pick up the phone. He tried calling you, but your phone went straight to voicemail. 

Dick turned the knob, eyes widening when it opened. It wasn’t like Bruce to leave the door unlocked. Security risk and all. Dread festered in Dick’s gut. Something was wrong, he could feel it in the air. 

“Bruce? (Y/N)?” Dick looked around. The manor looked the same except for the dust and stale air.  He swallowed hard. Alfred would have been so upset seeing the manor this way. The only response he got was silence. 

Biting his lip, Dick ran up the stairs toward your room. You were probably packing and couldn’t hear him. 

Dick stood outside your door. It didn’t have the drawings and stickers like it used to. He wondered why you took them off. Alfred hated them, but never had the heart to force you to remove them. Dick ran a hand through his hair, knowing he just answered his own question. His heart sank to his feet. 

There was a lot Dick regretted. He regretted not being around enough after Alfred passed. Too absorbed in his own grief and his own problems. The others were strong, but you were so young and Bruce was so...Bruce.

“(Y/N)?” He knocked on the door. Silence followed. Dick took a deep breath and tried the doorknob. It turned. Dick’s eyes widened slightly as he peeked inside your room. 

Your room was barren. He almost didn’t recognize it. You used to have toys around, pictures, posters, things that made the room yours. He remembered how happy you were when Tim gifted you several posters of your favorite actors and actresses to put up. Those were all gone. Just the bed, dresser, and partly ajar closet. 

The bed was neatly made except for the note on the pillow. Dick sighed. He should have came as soon as he got the call the night before. Grabbing the note, he opened it. I’m sorry. Dick blinked, turning the note over to see no other words. “Fuck.” He bit his lip and stormed out of the room. 

Bruce’s rooms were as empty as was the kitchen and the study. Dick went to the grandfather clock, turning the hands to 10:27 before sprinting down the stairs. 

He saw red when he found Bruce sitting at the batcomputer on a conference call with the Justice League. Bruce had his cowl on, acting like the stoic, coldhearted asshole that he always was. 

Dick marched over. “He’ll have to get back to you,” Dick said sharply as he reached over to end the call. The surprise on the League’s members’ faces did nothing for Dick. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Bruce pushed Dick away from the batcomputer. Dick stumbled, catching himself on the edge of the computer. 

“Did you even bother to check?” Dick threw the paper in Bruce’s face. Bruce caught it and crumpled it in his hand. “You told your daughter you were sending her away and you didn’t bother to check on her?!” Dick threw his hands in the air. “She’s gone, Bruce! All she left was that note saying she was sorry!” It was selfish, but it felt good to yell at Bruce. Dick only hoped his words sunk in.

Bruce tensed. He took off his cowl, revealing the new lines on his face. A bit more gray in his hair. Dick’s shoulders sank in relief as Bruce smoothed out the note to look at it. 

“Damn it.” Bruce set the note on the computer before sinking into his chair like all the bones left his body. Dick’s anger cooled at the sight. The reaction is what he needed to see to know there was hope for Bruce, but a minute passed without Bruce moving. 

Dick tapped his foot. “Well, are we going to look for her?!” Dick crossed his arms to stop himself from reaching out to shake Bruce’s shoulders.

“You have custody now.” Bruce turned away, running a hand over his blank expression. “It’s best you handle it.”

Now Dick was a bit of a hothead in his youth. It took him years to cool his anger, but it took that moment alone to strip all those years away. In a blink of an eye, Dick’s fist flew and sucker punched Bruce in the face. 

Bruce took the hit, probably because he wasn’t expecting it. In a flash, Bruce was standing, fists flying toward Dick. Dick ducked. “Yeah, that’s right. I can take your hits,” Dick spat. “Is this what you did to (Y/N), Bruce? Swung at her without warning.” 

“I never hit her!” Bruce dropped into full Batman mode. Dick dodged, flipping out of the way of every hit, playing the defensive. The reasonable part of Dick knew that he threw the first punch, but Dick at this moment didn’t care. 

“Sure you didn’t. Where’d she get those bruises, Bruce? You grounded her from patrol.” Dick didn’t duck fast enough and took a hit to the side of the head. He saw stars, but quickly spun out of the way of Bruce’s right hook. 

Suddenly, Bruce grabbed the front of Dick’s shirt and held him very close to his face. “I wouldn’t hurt my kids. We sparred, she didn’t block. I didn’t go easy on her because going easy means death in our line of work. You know that, Dick.” Bruce shoved Dick to the floor. Dick grunted, his back hitting one of the crates. 

Bruce turned away, grabbing a taser from one of the tables and threw it across the cave. It shattered with a boom that echoed. Bats screeched. Dick slowly got to his feet. He was going to feel it all later. “So help us look for her. If you love her and care for her like a father should, then you need to help us find her.” 

“She doesn’t need me.” Bruce turned to give Dick a pained look. “I make her flinch.”

Dick pursed his lips. He sighed, taking out his phone to message the others to get the search for you started. Most of his anger faded, but his disappointment remained. “Well, we’ll be on the comms. Join us if you want.” Dick turned and started up the stairs of the cave. He stopped after a moment and turned back to Bruce. “You know, if you believe she thinks you don’t love her, then maybe being the one to find her would be enough to prove otherwise.”

Bruce didn’t reply. Dick sighed and turned away, calling Barbara to start the search.

***

You sat down on the sandy beach, dropping your backpack next to you. The sun was warm. You closed your eyes, enjoying it’s shine. The last time you had been to a beach was...you couldn’t remember.

When you slipped out of the manor about an hour after your father told you that you were being sent away, you didn’t know where to go. You didn’t want to go to Dick or the others. They’d say you were a failure. They were all good partners to your father. 

You swallowed hard, opening your eyes to watch the families on the beach. Some kids were playing in the water while their parents watched. You wondered what that must be like. Your heart panged. 

It wasn’t your plan to come to the beach, which is why you stuck out like a sore thumb wearing jeans and a sweatshirt while everyone else was in bathing suits. All you wanted was to get out of the city and the first bus out of town was to a beach town in North Carolina. 

You laid down on the sand, taking a deep breath of the salty air. It was only a matter of time before one of the family found you. You didn’t cover your tracks well, using a credit card to pay for the bus ticket and a snack at the station. 

The sand was so soft. You dug your fingers into the sand and let it fall through your fingers. 

Footsteps approached you. You tensed, reaching to hug your backpack to your side tightly. A shadow blocked the sun from you. “So you ran away from home to lay on a beach?” 

Your eyes flew open to find Jason Todd staring down at you with a smirk. An ‘eep’ escaped you as you scrambled away from him. Jason’s smirk fell into a frown. 

“What’s wrong with you, kid? I got Dick telling me that you’re missing.” Jason sat down next to you, keeping his distance though. You forced yourself to relax. “I caught you walking through Gotham on your own while I was heading home from a...meeting.” Jason cleared his throat. “So what’s going on?”

You pulled your knees to your chest, looking out at the ocean. A father held the hand of his young daughter as she walked in the surf. You swallowed hard, trying to remember if your father held your hand like that. Probably not. 

“Kinda a long way to follow me, isn’t it?” you whispered. Your throat tightened, taking your voice with it. 

Jason shrugged, stretching his legs out in front of him and slipped off his leather jacket to reveal his black t-shirt under it. He looked as out of place on this beach as you did. “Not every day you find your youngest sibling walking around on their own at four AM only to see them go to the bus station and buy a one way ticket.”

You curled tighter into yourself and rested your cheek on your knees to look away from him. Jason, for his credit, waited for you to speak, people watching. He didn’t usually have the patience, which meant he probably already knew about how you failed your father.

“He’s sending me away,” you finally whispered after swallowing past the lump in your throat. Jason studied you, shifting closer to you. Your eyes burned. A tear slipped out your cheek without warning. “He said he wasn’t the man he was and he can’t love me anymore.” 

Jason was quiet. You sneaked a peek at him only to see his mouth a firm line. His eye twitched, barely concealing rage. “He told you that?” 

“Basically. I could see it in his eyes.” It felt like you opened the flood gate and it all spilled out. “He hasn’t been the same since Alfred died. I try to do my best, but he never finds anything I do good enough. He hits hard when we train and doesn’t seem to care if I can’t dodged his attacks or not. We never stop to rest until he’s done.” You wiped your cheeks with the back of your hand. Your eyes stayed on the sand in front of you. Jason probably thought you were weak. “Then last night, he let me on patrol for the first time in weeks only to yell at me and send me to live with Dick because I disobeyed his orders.”

You looked up at Jason fast, worried he would yell too. “People were in danger, I had to go in. It could have been too late for them.” However, Jason’s eyes shined with emotion. You knew it might not be anger, but that’s what your mind only saw. “I’m sorry. Don’t yell at me.” You covered your ears and rocked yourself back and forth. More tears slid down your cheeks as you mumbled sorry over and over again.

Jason sighed before you felt a heavy arm fall around your shoulders. He pulled you into his side. The touch surprised you. You melted into him, filling a hole you didn’t realize you had in your heart. 

“You did nothing wrong, nothing to be sorry about,” Jason mumbled, resting his chin on the top of your head. His hand rubbed your arm. “You’re okay.” 

It felt so good to be held. You didn’t realize how much you missed it until now. A sob slipped out of you as you buried your face into his chest. Jason hummed and wrapped his other arm around you. 

Jason’s heartbeat was soothing in your ear, better than the ocean only a few meters away. “Is she okay?” A stranger asked Jason.

“She is now. Thank you,” Jason said to them. He tightened his arms around you. His lips pressed against the top of your head. “I love ya, kid. Even when you threw up on me when you were a baby.” 

You laughed softly, hiccupping. “Jay, you never knew me as a baby. I was three when you came to live with us.”

Jason chuckled. “I think you don’t remember.” He pulled away to look you in the eye. His smile reached his eyes. “I was spinning you around. You loved it until I went too fast and you just upchucked all over me.” 

“No, I didn’t.” You shook your head, wiping away from your tears. Jason’s shirt had a damp spot on it. Your face burned at the sight. Glancing at Jason in worry, he just grinned and brushed some of the sand out of your hair. 

“You did. It was terrible. Alfred was so ticked, but I heard him laughing in the next room.” Jason bit his lip, eyes softening. Your heart sank. “So let’s go get something to eat, maybe get a place to stay.” Jason stood up, brushing the sand off his jeans before offering a hand to you.

Sniffling, you took his hand and got to your feet. “Okay.” You grabbed your backpack. Jason snatched up his jacket and wrapped his arm around your shoulders to lead you off the beach and toward the boardwalk.

***

His phone beeped with a text from the family group chat. Dick was asking everyone for an update. Jason stared at the text, watching the others respond. They knew you bought a bus ticket, but weren’t sure what bus you got on. Bruce wasn’t part of the search.

Jason didn’t think he could be this angry at Bruce. At this point, he was back to ‘just back from the dead to find I wasn’t avenged and replaced’ stage. He took a deep breath before texting he didn’t find anything yet. 

You sighed in your sleep and rolled over in the hotel bed. Jason looked up from his phone. He was lounging on the armchair in the corner with his booted feet up on the end of the bed. Once you had a full stomach, Jason got the room and you went to bed right away. 

Bruce didn’t deserve you. You were so sweet when you were little, back before he died. Besides the vomiting incident at least, but to be honest, Jason always smiled when he remembered. 

Of course, he knew he shouldn’t worry the family. He would be pissed if he knew that any of them knew where you were and didn’t tell him, but Jason couldn’t. 

Bruce needed to suffer. He needed to feel the guilt and the pain that he had put you through. Borderline abuse. If Jason had known, he would have gotten you out of there. 

Jason sighed and closed his eyes. Dick mentioned something about being concerned in the group chat, but Jason had muted it. 

His mind went around and around for a long time. He opened the chat several times, but couldn’t make himself type the message. 

A whimper came from you. Jason dropped his phone and instantly went to your side. He sat on the end of your bed, gently carting his fingers through your hair. Your eyes squeezed together. A soft ‘I’m sorry’ slipped from between your lips. 

“Hush, you’re safe. No one is going to hurt you. Big brother is here,” Jason whispered. He took a deep breath to still the rage that bubbled up inside him. You relaxed, soothed by his touch. Jason’s heart swelled and in that moment, Jason decided a little vacation away from your father and the rest of the family was just what you needed.

***

After the first week passed and you weren’t found, Bruce started his own investigation. He was impressed by how fast you disappeared, but he felt sick knowing you were out in the world somewhere alone. 

By the second week, Bruce followed leads only to find dead ends. None of the family found anything. Bruce had concluded you had to have been kidnapped. There was no other way you would be gone without a trace.

Third week, Bruce tracked down Ra’s al Ghul, Deathstroke, and Lady Shiva. None of them were part of your disappearance. He did checks into Task Force X and the government, but those were dead ends as well.

Bruce marched through the watchtower. It was the fourth week and no sign of you. He knew he looked rough from how Fire and Ice looked at him as he passed. A month old beard on his face. You would have left a razor by his suit in the changing room by now. There wasn’t time to eat or sleep, not when he needed to find you.

A flash of you as a little girl, running to hug him when he got home from patrol. You had a big smile on your face. He realized he couldn’t remember the last time you smiled. 

Bruce shook his head. Focus. He marched into the meeting room to find Diana, Clark, and Hal waiting. 

“Woah, Bats. Have you showered recently? Sheez.” Hal held his nose and waved his hand in front of his face. 

A growl slid past Bruce’s lips. “My daughter is missing. I don’t have time for you, Jordan.” Clark and Diana shared a worried look. Hal just whistled.

“We know. Nightwing asked for our help,” Clark said, getting to his feet and reaching out to touch Bruce’s shoulder. Bruce flinched away from him. “We couldn’t find anything, Bruce. I’ve been sweeping the globe every few hours.”

Diana stood up, studying Bruce carefully. “When the last time you slept?”

“Let me know if you find anything.” Bruce turned sharply and started out of the room. He stopped when a green wall appeared in front of him. 

“Nah, we can’t let you go like this, B. You look like you could collapse at any moment,” Hal said. Bruce spun to face him, glaring darkly. Hal was straight faced. Both Diana and Clark took a step toward him.

“Let me ask you.” Bruce held up a hand, stopping all three. “If it was your daughter, would you stop to rest?” He jabbed a finger at Hal. “You don’t have children, so you can’t understand, but I will only ask once for you to let me leave.”

Clark sighed. “Bruce...” He took another step forward. “Just sit down for a minute. I’ll do another sweep. Hal will too. Please. You passing out won’t help (Y/N).” 

Bruce took a deep breath before melting into one of the chairs. The three heroes looked surprised. Clark and Hal flew off while Diana sat down beside him. “We’ll find her, Bruce,” Diana soothed. Bruce rested his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. He remembered the look on your face when he told you he was sending you away. It sent a shiver down his spine. He needed to find you soon. That will not be his last memory of you.

***

Jason laid back in his lounge chair, watching you and Artemis walk along the beach. Bizarro laid on the sand next to him, snoring away. After you had woken up, Jason offered to take you to the Outlaws’ Island. You happily agreed. It had been four weeks now, and Jason could see the changes in you. You smiled more, laughed more, your confidence and sense of self blossomed. Jason chuckled, watching Artemis and you race down the beach. 

The island was off the grid, had protective shields that blocked it from radar and anyone with super sight or hearing. Jason still didn’t tell the family he had you. He hoped Bruce was suffering, sick with worry. Jason only felt a little guilty.

“Superman didn’t fly by again,” Bizarro said, waking up with a jerk. “He’s not looking.”

“I know.” Jason crossed his arms and relaxed. “But we’re not going to worry about it.”

“Bizarro is worried.” Bizarro laid back down and quickly went back to sleep. His snore shook Jason’s chair. Jason snorted. Superman was probably looking for you. 

He smiled when he saw you and Artemis diving into the water for a swim. Spending time with Artemis was good for you. Jason knew from the first few days how much you craved attention from anyone. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of you and Artemis joking and laughing at each other. 

***

“I got information about an ancient Greek artifact being auctioned off in a week. Maxie Zeus is planning on buying it,” Artemis said as she walked into the den. Bizarro sat cross-legged in front of the tv, awed by The Lion King. A movie Bizarro picked out. Jason was reclining in the armchair. The chair was big enough for you to lay beside him, fast asleep and snuggled into his side. 

“Good, we’ll make a plan in the morning,” Jason said softly, glancing down at you when you shifted closer to him. 

Artemis sat on the couch. She raised an eyebrow at the tv before studying Jason with narrowed eyes. Jason ignored her gaze, watching the tv. 

You woke up once the movie was done. “I’m going to bed,” you yawned, stretching your arms. Jason put the footrest down and helped you up. “Good night.” Jason ruffled your hair, Artemis patted your arm, while Bizarro waved wildly.

“Bad night, (Y/N).” Bizarro smiled big before turning back to the tv as the credits rolled. 

Once you were out of the room, Jason turned to look at Artemis who was still staring at him. “Okay, what is it?”

“We can’t keep (Y/N) here forever.” Artemis crossed her arms. “Superman flew over the island fourteen times today. They even officially announced her disappearance with a million dollar reward for her return.” Jason pursed his lips. Artemis stood up as if her height would make her point. “You have to at least let them know she’s here. I understand your cause. Her father doesn’t deserve her, but I think he may have suffered enough, Jason.”

Jason stood up, puffing his chest out a little as he looked up to meet her gaze. “He abused her.”

“A man who doesn’t love his child wouldn’t spend four weeks running around the world, pulling favors, attacking super villains, and who knows what else just to find them.” Artemis smiled rather sadly at him. “I read the reports you’ve been keeping on their search for her. She needs to go home.”

“(Y/N) said she not homesick.” Bizarro turned to look at the two. Jason bit his lip, backing away from Artemis. He ran a hand through his hair. 

“Bruce hurt her, Art.” Jason’s eyes burned. He turned away quickly before they noticed the shine in his eyes. “(Y/N) is the sweetest kid. She didn’t deserve to feel like nothing, to feel like no one cared about her. When I found her, she was craving for attention, love. That bastard didn’t even care she was gone. He didn’t start looking himself for a week.”

Artemis sighed. “I’m not saying that we just hand her over.” She laid a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “But they need to know she’s safe. Jason, they already may not forgive you for this.” 

Jason groaned, rolling his eyes and running a hand over his face. Part of him refused to do it, wanting to keep you here and safe, but then he realized, he was acting a bit like Bruce. Locking you away on the island forever wouldn’t be possible. 

His shoulders dropped. “I’ll talk to (Y/N) after the mission. It has to be her choice.” He looked at Artemis. “Not anyone else’s.”

Artemis nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Bizarro grinned and gave Jason a thumbs down. 

“We might as well start our plan to get that artifact since you’re all bleeding hearts right now.” Jason straightened his shoulders and gestured for them to follow him out of the room. Bizarro pouted, but got to his feet. Artemis just rolled her eyes.

***

“Hey Jay?” you asked, peeking into his office to find Jason sitting at his desk, studying a set of building plans. “What are you doing?” You opened the door wider when he looked up and smiled.

Jason chuckled. “Going over the plans of the auction house for the mission.” His eyes stayed on you as you wandered over to pull Mansfield Park out of his bookshelf. 

“What mission?” You hugged the book to your chest and joined him at his desk. He tugged on a strand of your hair. 

“Right, we talked about it after you went to bed.” Jason rubbed his chin. “Artemis found out a Greek relic is being auctioned off and Maxie Zeus is planning on buying it. We’re going to get it first.” He crossed his arms, frowning slightly at the plans. “It’s just...this auction house is very old and doesn’t have the best layout for an escape.”

“Why don’t you go in quietly?” You studied the layout. “Go in disguise, buy the artifact, and get out of there before Maxie Zeus knows what happened.”

Jason hummed. “That’s a good idea. Just that Artemis and Bizarro can’t do undercover work. Maxie will be looking for anyone looking like an Amazon or a Super.”

“I mean I could.” You bounced on your toes, looking up at Jason with sparkling eyes. “He wouldn’t be looking for me.”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Now that’s a thought.” He looked back at the building plans. “But you can’t go in alone. You’re too young. It would raise suspicion.” Jason sat back in his chair. “But if I came with you...” He chuckled. “That could work. If you’re up for it, (Y/N)? I don’t want to push you.”

You grinned, leaning against the desk. “I’m game.” You bit your lip. “Dad wouldn’t be mad about it, would he?”

Jason paused. “Kid, we don’t have to worry about your dad. It’s just a mission.” He reached up and ruffled your hair. You batted his hand away, giggling. He looked down at his copy of Mansfield Park. “Really? You chose that one instead of Emma?” 

“I already read Emma.” You put a hand on your hip. “And you said Mansfield Park is one you have to read once in your life.” 

Jason scoffed. “I guess I did, but be ready. It’s got nothing on Emma.” The two of you fell into a book debate. You admitted you hadn’t been this happy in a very long time.

***

You stepped in front of the mirror and wrinkled your nose. “Are you sure I have to dress like this? No normal rich kid dresses like this, you know that.”

“But it fits the type, doesn’t it?” Jason said as he leaned back against the chair in the dressing room. You spun around, hating the outfit. It reminded you of what Vickie Vale wore at the last Wayne Tech party when she was trying to get your father’s attention. Too fancy and the cut on you was awful.

Jason put on his sunglasses and adjusted his suit coat. He looked like some trust fund baby. Of course, you were pretending to be his daughter. You pointed out that you would have been a teen pregnancy. Jason thought it was funny, and said it frankly worked with the part you were trying to play.

The store attendant came in and poured her attention over Jason. You listened in, pretending you loved the clothes. Jason played the part well. You wished you got a video of this, maybe to use as bribery in the future. “I think that’s all, but is it okay for my little bean to wear this out? She just loves it so much,” Jason cooed to her.

“Of course, I’ll have everything else bagged up and sent to your hotel as promised.” The woman almost drooled. 

“Thanks Daddy.” You had to swallow a bit of vomit. Even Bruce was only Dad, you never called him Daddy ever. However, you forced an adoring smile on your face as you skipped over to kiss Jason’s cheek. 

“Anything for my baby.” Jason patted your back before turning to the attendant. “We must be on our way. I have an auction to get to.” 

The attendant saw them out, continuously talking even when you both were out the door. “Can I never call you Daddy again?” you whispered as you approached the Red Camaro. 

Jason got in the driver’s seat. You hopped in the passenger side. Once the doors were closed, Jason turned to you. “Never again. It was weird, but fit the part. Good job.” He winked at you.

Turning on the Camaro, Jason zoomed down the street somewhat recklessly. “Is this really going to work? Us pretending to be rich dummies and outbidding the artifact from Maxie Zeus? I thought we’d take the smart museum curator approach.” You bit your lip and adjusted your outfit. 

“Do you think I could be a museum curator? Maybe Tim could, he’s boring enough.” Jason smirked. “Besides, Art and Bizarro are already in position. It will be fine.” 

You hummed, closing your eyes. After a moment of silence, you dared to speak. “Jay, have you heard from Dad or the others at all?” Your heart ached slightly. No one tried to contact you in the month you’ve been gone. Jason would have told you if they did. 

Jason flinched, glancing at you before focusing on the road. He worried his lip. “I didn’t tell them you were with me.” Your eyes widened in surprise. Jason blushed. “I wanted you to have time to figure things out, to heal, but they’re all looking for you. Even publicly announced your disappearance.” 

“Is that why you had me change my hair color?” You touched your hair, feeling the cheap dye that hadn’t been all washed out. Dyeing your hair in an airplane bathroom hadn’t been easy. 

“Kid, they have a million dollar reward for your return.” Jason sighed, clenching at the steering wheel. “Listen, I was going to tell you, but I wanted to wait until after the mission. You don’t have to decide anything right now, because it is your choice. I’m happy to keep you with me forever if you want.” 

Butterflies fluttered in your stomach as you grinned. “Thanks Jay.” 

Jason relaxed with a chuckle, looking at you. “You’re welcome, kid. Now let’s just focus on the mission for now. Hakuna Matata.”

“Sure Pumba.” You bit your lip to hold back a laugh.

Jason gasped as he stopped at a stop sign. “Hey, I’m Simba if anything. Prodigal son and all that.” You both laughed hard enough that Jason missed his turn.

***

Dick walked through a homeless shelter in Coast City. He saw several young teens. His heart ached for them, but none of them were you. 

A beep came from his phone. ‘Call me. We have a sighting of (Y/N).’ Dick hurried out of the shelter, tapping Barbara’s name as he walked down the steps. Damian was waiting outside, tapping his foot impatiently. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dick held up a hand to stop him.

“My program caught her face on a security camera in a boutique in Greece. Jason was with her. Her hair was different, but it was (Y/N),” Barbara said, not bothering with a greeting. 

“Jason? I should have known,” Dick said. Damian’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “How long ago was the sighting?”

“Twenty minutes. I’ll send the jet to meet you. ETA ten minutes.” Barbara hung up. 

Damian huffed. “Todd had her this whole time?” His fists clenched. Dick laid a hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently as if to take away the tension.

“Let’s just focus on the fact (Y/N) is safe.” Dick took the car keys out of his pocket. “We got a jet to catch.” The two men headed off.

***

Bruce stood up so fast, his batcomputer chair flew back and fell onto the floor. Barbara’s message was loud and clear. Bruce had hacked into her system to monitor their progress on the search. The tension in his shoulders drained out of him. He dwelled in the moment, knowing you were safe.

However, rage filled him at the thought of Jason keeping you from him. Not letting anyone know where you were. Irresponsible. Selfish.

The computer beeped with the location of the sighting. Bruce grabbed his cowl and ran toward the batplane.

***

You swung your legs as you sat on one of the hinged chairs in the theater-like room of the old auction house. Jason was off getting a drink and mingling to learn the lay of the room. You were taking mental notes of your own. There was a hidden door in the bottom of the stage, but the quickest exit was the door on the left. If you remembered the map Jason had you memorize, that door would take you down a long hallway toward the kitchens.

The entrance doors banged open suddenly. You spun around in surprise. Maxie Zeus announced himself with a booming voice as three men dressed like gladiators carried him in on a throne that looked like clouds. “That’s insane,” you mumbled. 

“I know everyone needs a theme, but it’s stupid,” Jason said, appearing beside you with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He handed another glass to you. You raised an eyebrow. “It’s just a coke. Calm down.” He sat down next to you, eyeing the room. 

Taking the glass, you sipped at it to confirm. “He’s got plain clothes men in the corners,” you said softly. The men all had lightning symbols on their ties. Not subtle at all.

Jason smirked. “Good catch. We might have a hard time leaving if we outbid him.” Jason downed his drink. “I have Art and B moving to interfere. Unfortunately, this won’t be as quiet as we wanted.” He handed his glass off to a passing waiter who was relieved to have a reason not to approach Maxie Zeus. “I want you to run if this becomes a fire fight. Put on your suit and follow Art’s lead.”

You blinked. You assumed you would be told to run, not come back. “Will do.” Take a sip of your coke, you hid a smile. Your heart lifted. Finally, you were trusted in the way you always wanted. People began to take their seats as the auctioneer took the stage.

***

Dick and Damian skydived out of the jet, parachuting toward the auction house. “You have company,” Barbara reported quietly. “I got Batman on one of the cameras inside.”

“So B does care.” Dick pursed his lips as he and Damian floated down to land on a roof about a block from the auction house. 

“Father is here?” Damian unclipped his parachute, letting it collect itself back into the pack. 

“Yeah, so we’ll have to stay sharp.” Dick put his own pack together, dropping it on the roof for pickup later. “(Y/N) and Jason are in a tight situation.”

“TT.” Damian suddenly tensed, grabbing Dick’s arm. Dick looked at him in surprise. Damian was looking up. Dick followed his gaze to see Bizarro floating above them with a smile on his face.

Dick pursed his lips, fighting the urge to attack. Bizarro was on Jason’s side, and Jason was on their side. Hopefully. “Red Him said you were coming,” Bizarro said after a moment.

“He knew we were coming?” Damian hissed, reaching for his sword. Dick gestured for Damian to stop.

“No, Bizarro speaks in opposites.” Dick smiled. “Hi Bizarro, we’re looking for (Y/N).”

“(Y/N) isn’t in auction house with Red Him. We aren’t on a special mission for Red Her.” Bizarro landed on the roof with a thump. Damian eyed the roof nervously before checking to see if they had been seen. The streets were busy this time of evening. Lots of tourists. “Bizarro wasn’t ordered to help little people when nothing happens.”

Damian snorted, crossing his arms. Dick held up a hand. “Let us help. Can you take us to Artemis?”

Bizarro shook his head with a big grin. He grabbed Damian by the back of his cape. Damian grunted in protest, but stayed quiet. Dick just grabbed Bizarro’s other arm and they were in the air, heading toward the auction house. He updated Barbara as they flew.

***

Bruce frowned from his position in the rafters of the auction house. You were in the middle of the room, in the direct line of fire if Maxie Zeus broke the peace. He swallowed hard. His comm beeped. Bruce answered without thinking.

“Batman, Nightwing and Redbird are here. They are assisting the Outlaws in taking down Maxie Zeus and retrieving a Greek artifact. Can I connect your comm with theirs, so you can coordinate?” Barbara’s voice startled him only slightly. Dick and Damian were here too. Bruce frowned, too many risks here.

“My priority is (Y/N). Nothing else.” Bruce’s voice barely above a whisper, knowing sound would travel. He frowned when he saw how badly your hair was dyed. The clothes you were wearing were so unlike you. 

Barbara sighed. “Please, Bruce. We’re more likely to get (Y/N) out safely if we’re all working together.”

Bruce knew she was right. He had more children here now. “Fine, patch me in.”

***

Jason grabbed your hand, squeezing gently as the artifact was brought on stage. It looked like nothing special, a simple wooden box. However, inside was a old arrowhead. The auctioneer said it has the arrow that killed Achilles.

You leaned over to him. “Really?”

“Art says so,” Jason mumbled, frowning slightly. You remembered he had a comm in his ear. The Outlaws only had three of them, so you didn’t have one. “We have company by the way.”

“What company?” You glanced at the doors, but they were still closed. Maxie Zeus still had the same amount of goons as before. 

“Your father is here along with the double Ds.” Jason pursed his lips. “I should have known they had face recognition software looking for you.” 

You tensed, a shiver running down your spine. “He’s going to be mad.” Your heart pounded so hard, it could have burst out of your chest. 

Jason grabbed your hand. He squeezed tight. “He can’t hurt you. You are Robin,” he whispered in your ear. “You earned it and that can never be taken away from you.”

Blinking, you felt blood rushing to your face. “Really?”

“Really.” Jason smirked, kissing your cheek. “Now let’s focus.”

You nodded, watching the stage as the bidding began. 

“A hundred thousand Drachma, young mortal.” Maxie’s voice boomed throughout the room. You glanced back at him. He was brimming with confidence. 

With a shit-eating grin, Jason raised his hand. “Two hundred thousand Euros.”

The air was sucked out of the room. You forced a smile on your face. 

“You dare?!” Maxie waved his bolt of lightning around. “Foolish little nothing. Three hundred thousand Drachma.”

“Four hundred thousand Euros.” Jason took your hand. “My baby wants it, so she gets it.” He threw you a smile. You acted like you were excited, hopefully others will not notice you were shaking with fear.

“One million Drachma!” Maxie screamed, pointing his bolt of lightning toward a empty chair. Electric energy hit the chair. You could smell the smoke. Some people screamed. You only flinched. Jason just hummed.

“Actually sir.” The auctioneer cleared his throat. Nervous sweat dripped down his face. “Drachma is not one of our accepted currencies.”

Several people quietly began to move toward the doors. Maxie’s men blocked them from leaving. “Okay, this is about to blow,” Jason hissed. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “Bizarro is going to bust through the far door.” Jason nodded toward the door. You eyed it.

“He can’t. It will hurt civilians.” You pursed your lips. 

Jason let out a slow breath. “Fine, but move once he strikes.” 

Maxie Zeus raised his bolt and aimed it at the auctioneer. The auctioneer held up his hands, knees quaking. “No one defies the King of the Gods.” 

Time slowed. Jason pushed you down. You heard the crack of energy from Maxie’s bolt. The auctioneer cried out as a familiar black form soared from the rafters and tackled him out of the way. The bolt hit the curtain behind where the auctioneer stood and it burst into flames.

“Go,” Jason said. You sprinted toward the door as Maxie’s guard pulled out their own lightning weapons. With no hesitation, you leaped at one of the guard blocking the door and kick the weapon out of his hands. 

You heard gunshots behind you, but you ignored it, punching out the guard. Civilians ran through the door. You disappeared into the panicked crowd.

***

Bruce moved off the auctioneer. “Run,” he whispered in the man’s ear. The auctioneer didn’t need to be told twice and joined the crowd leaving the room.

You were safe. Bruce caught a glimpse of you in the crowd. He relaxed slightly before standing up to face Maxie Zeus.

“Aww, Hades. Why are you here? You never did care much for weapons,” Maxie said, studying Bruce in his full batsuit. 

“I don’t.” Bruce growled. “Stand down Maximilian.”

Jason hopped on the stage next to Bruce. His red hood suit was on along with the helmet. He picked up the box with the arrowhead inside and slipped it into his pocket. “Tell your demon to put the box down. He is unworthy to touch it,” Maxie said, aiming his bolt at Jason. Jason dodged to avoid the blast. The fire began to spread. Smoke filled the room.

“We need to get him outside,” Jason said into the comm. He coughed. Bruce grabbed Jason’s jacket and pulled him out of the way of another blast from Maxie. “Bizarro, put out the fire, will ya?”

“We’re going to have a long talk after this is over,” Bruce snapped, throwing a batarang to knock Maxie’s bolt out of his hand. Maxie scrambled after it.

Jason hummed. Bruce could feel the iciness of his gaze even though his eyes were hidden under his helmet. “We do.”

Bizarro burst through the far wall and shot ice beams at the flames. Bruce’s mouth twitched as Jason suddenly ran forward to attack Maxie. Maxie’s men swarmed, firing wildly. Bruce dodged and joined Jason in the fight.

***

You hid behind a corner in the chaos, changing into your makeshift Robin suit.  Tossing the ugly outfit into the flames nearby, you helped some people out of the building. 

“Robin, keep helping with the rescue,” Artemis ordered once you met her outside. You nodded. She patted your head and sprinted inside with her battle ax. 

You guided people out. A young woman ran out, sputtering in Greek. You grabbed her when she stumbled. 

“What’s wrong?” You asked, mind swirling as you tried to remember what little Greek you knew. 

She gestured back inside. “Papa...he’s...”

A boom echoed from inside the building. Parts of the roof collapsed. People screamed in horror. The woman burst into tears, mumbling incoherently. 

Your stomach sunk to your feet. You told yourself that your family all knew what they were doing. They were experts.

“I’ll go get him.” You helped the woman to lean against an emergency vehicle. She collapsed against it, sobbing. 

Time slowed. You eyed the building. Artemis told you to help with the rescue, but you knew she meant for you to stay outside. Your blood ran hot. A flash of Bruce’s angry face appeared before your eyes. 

“You’re Robin.” You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Pushing yourself forward, you sprinted into the building. 

***

Bruce ducked another blast from Maxie’s bolt. “Red Hood.” Jason’s head tilted slightly, glancing Bruce’s way. Bruce gestured to his forehead then chin. Jason nodded and slipped out of Maxie’s sight.

Dick and Damian were evacuating Maxie’s unconscious men. Bizarro and Artemis were attempting to prevent the building from full collapse. However, given the amount of debris falling, Bruce knew it was only a matter of time.

“Maximillian, you’ve lost.” Bruce stood tall, straightening his shoulders. 

“Zeus never loses!” Maxie aimed his bolt at Bruce’s chest. Bruce held out his arms and waited.

The tip of the bolt glowed. A smirk pulled at Bruce’s lips as he saw Red Hood jump out of the shadows and struck a nerve strike to Maxie’s neck. Maxie fell like a ton of bricks. 

“The building is going to collapse, there is nothing we can do,” Artemis said through the comm. “We need to get out now. Are you done toying with Maxie Zeus?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” Jason grunted, picking up Maxie’s bolt and tucking it in his belt. Bruce came to his side and picked up Maxie. Jason quickly supported the other side and both men dragged him out. Damian and Dick led the way, carrying the last of Maxie’s men between them.

The building groaned around them. Debris fell from the ceiling. They made it to the lobby. 

“You’re going to be alright.” Your voice drifted from somewhere off to Bruce’s right. His blood ran cold.

“Who’s got eyes on Robin?” Bruce demanded into the comms. Jason grunted, Bruce took more of Maxie’s weight as they neared the entrance.

“Robin was outside, helping with the evac,” Artemis said. Her voice cracked. 

Dick cleared his throat. “No sign of her out here.”

“Civilians last saw Robin going into the building.” Damian’s voice sounded very young. A lump formed in Bruce’s throat. 

Bruce felt Jason’s gaze on him as they paused just inside the doorway out. Jason sighed deeply. “I got Maxie. Go get her,” Jason mumbled softly. 

Bruce carefully shifted all of Maxie’s weight to Jason and sprinted off toward the direction of your voice. 

***

The man’s leg was trapped under a piece of the roof. You knelt down next to him, trying to soothe him as you assessed the damage.

Dust showered from above combining with the remaining smoke from the fire. You coughed, glancing around the hallway. It looked like it led toward the backstage of the main theater where the auction was held. You wondered if the roof debris fell on the man when Bizarro broke through the building. 

There was a big hole to your left, leading through another room, then to the lobby. 

You swallowed hard, taking out a flashlight to study the man’s leg. It looked like it wasn’t wedged, which meant you could move it off without causing him pain or life threatening injury. 

The man tapped your arm rapidly, babbling on. He pointed to the ceiling. The building whined around you.

“You’re going to be alright.” You took his hand and squeezed it gently. The man relaxed, still mumbling what you couldn’t understand. He closed his eyes. 

You gripped the side of the roof and pulled. Your arms almost came out of their sockets. You bit your lip, using all your strength, but the roof piece didn’t move. 

“Damn, I wish I had a comm,” you mumbled, letting go. The man looked at you with a scary look of acceptance. He spoke and pointed to the exit.

“No, I’m going to get you out.” You tried to lift it again. The man just closed his eyes again. “Come on.”

More dust fell. You coughed again, but you kept pulling at the roof piece. Suddenly, you felt the roof move.

You almost laughed, watching the man’s eyes widen in fear as he slid out from under the roof. 

“Robin.” Your heart stopped. You turned to find Batman holding onto the roof piece. “Let go. I’m going to drop it.”

You jumped back. Bruce dropped it. The bang echoed throughout the building, kicking up more dust. It went straight into your lungs.

Coughing hard, you swore you saw the man ran out of the building after a sharp word from Bruce. 

Bruce’s arms wrapped around you and your face was shoved into his shoulder. Your legs left the ground. Air rushed around your ears as you heard the crack of the building’s walls giving out. 

You couldn’t get air in your lungs. Black swarmed your vision as the sound of shattering glass filled your ears. Bruce’s arms disappeared from around you and you felt a flash of pain before darkness overtook you.

***

Pain flared through your body. Your ears rang. You lifted your arm only to feel someone touch it and gently guide it down. 

Suddenly, you were weightless, pressed against a warm mass. It was hard to breathe, your lungs heavy as two stones in your chest.

A mask was placed over your mouth and nose, fresh air filled your airways. You coughed, reaching up to pull at the mask only for another hand to hold it there.

“You’re okay, you’re okay,” Dick’s voice broke through the ringing. Your eyes felt sealed shut. You reached up to rub them only for someone to push your hands down again.

Suddenly, you were laid down on a hard surface. “Relax, kiddo. You’re okay, we’re all okay,” Dick soothed again. A hand held yours, you squeezed their fingers. “Good kid.” Lips pressed against your forehead before pulling away.

Voices bubbled to the surface. The panic in them made you shiver. A blanket was laid over you as Dick continued to soothe. The edge in his voice scared you. 

You forced your eyes open, blinking at the bright lights. A dark shadow hovered above you. Your head hurt as you focused enough to see Dick’s head was turned.

“Straight to the Watchtower. Damian, call them, have the med team ready for when we come in,” Dick said. His hand tightened around yours. “Jay, take B off first. He’s worse off.”

Your heart stopped. Ice cold sunk into your body as you turned your head to follow Dick’s gaze. 

Blood dripped onto the floor from the tip of a gloved hand. You choked when you realized it was Batman’s glove. 

You gasped, causing pain to flare in your chest as you tried to sit up. Dick’s attention was back on you as he held you down.

“(Y/N), you’re fine. Bruce is going to be fine too, but you need to stay still and calm for me, okay?” Dick looked into your eyes. His mask was off. You knew it meant something was very wrong. He never would have taken his mask off in the field. 

You fought harder, ignoring the pain. Dick swore, holding you down rather roughly. Artemis appeared beside him with a needle in her hand. You screamed through the mask as you felt the prick of the needle. 

The strength seeped out of you like water down a drain. Black swarmed your vision. “Sleep now,” Dick whispered, running his fingers through your hair. The last thing you saw was the tears in his eyes.

***

You woke to a loud snore. A dull pain throbbed in your head as you opened your eyes. The lights were dim. You reached up to rub your eyes only to feel the pull of an IV.

Another loud snore. You blinked to find the snore coming from Jason, who was fast asleep in the chair next to your bed. 

You took a breath, feeling the itch of the oxygen tubes in your nose. The heaviness in your lungs was still there, but the oxygen seemed to lighten it somewhat.

The walls were the familiar dark grey of the watchtower and a viewport to your right showed the stars. You swallowed hard, your mouth suddenly very dry.

You couldn’t remember how you got here. The last thing you remembered was...Greece. The building was about to collapse and you were trying to save a man who was trapped. Did you save him?

The door opened to your left. You flinched to find Damian in the doorway, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. It would have alarmed you to see him in such casual clothes on the watchtower, but the domino mask over his eyes reassured you. 

“TT.” His shoulders relaxed as he came to your side.

Another snore burst from Jason. Damian sneered in disgust. “Let me guess, his incessant snores woke you,” Damian said, glancing at the monitors above your head. 

You followed his gaze.“Wh...” You paused to try to wet your mouth. “What happened?”

A frown flickered on Damian’s lips. His dark eyes turned back to you. “You don’t remember?” You shook your head. Fear crept up your spine.

Jason snored again. Damian grabbed a cloth from your bedside and hurled it at Jason’s face. Jason sputtered, choking slightly as he jerked awake.

 “The building was going to fall...and the man...did he make it out?” you asked, studying Damian’s steely face. Damian pursed his lips. 

“He made it out,” Damian said. 

You blinked. “But I didn’t make it out?” Damian glanced at Jason, who held his gaze. The silence was heavy.

Jason sighed and reached to take your hand. “You made it out, kid, but...Bruce didn’t.”

Images flashed before your eyes. Bruce beside you, holding up the piece of roof. The feeling of his arms around you as your ears hurt from the noise. Dick’s face sharp with fear. The blood dripping from Batman’s glove.

Suddenly, you couldn’t breathe like your lungs had been transformed into thin paper straws. Black crept into your vision. 

“Woah, hey.” Jason grabbed your shoulders. His eyes looked directly into yours. “He’s alive, just hurt. Calm down.” He took a deep breath. You struggled to copy him. 

“You’re an idiot, Todd.” Damian’s voice somehow made you relax.

“Shut up, demon-brat.” Jason sent a glare Damian’s way. You felt your lungs expand, letting you breathe normally. Your heart slowed. 

“I’m too old to be considered a brat,” Damian retorted.

“That’s what you think.” Jason smirked as he released your shoulders and sat back down. “B is stable, but he’s got a long road ahead, even for him.”

You relaxed, falling against your pillow. “Can I see him?”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “TT, of course, but later though,” Damian said, sitting on the edge of your bed. He sent Jason a glare, which he met with one of his own.

“Rest now.” Jason reached over to squeeze your shoulder. “You hungry? Thirsty?” He got to his feet. You shook your head. “I’ll bring you something anyway. You need to eat.” Jason left the room, stretching his arms above his head. Damian watched him go. 

“You’re not mad at him?” You shivered, pulling the blankets tighter around you. 

“I was, but...well, it doesn’t matter now.” He patted your knee. An odd sense of affection from him, but it felt nice though. “Go back to sleep. I’ll stay with you.”

You felt the exhaustion deep within your bones. Slowly you drifted off. “Damian?” You yawned.

He hummed, watching you with a shine in his eyes that you weren’t sure you ever seen in him before.

“Dad isn’t mad at me, is he? I failed him as Robin.” You opened your eyes in time to see him flinch. 

“No, he’s not upset, nor did you fail.” Damian took your hand, squeezing it tight. You smiled. The last thing you remembered before you fell asleep was how rough the calluses on his hands were.

***

Dick’s arm was around your shoulders, very warm in comparison to the cold air of the watchtower. Even with Damian’s sweatshirt, you were cold. You leaned into him as you both walked down the hall toward Bruce’s room. 

“Just remember he’s got a long road ahead of him. He got out of his last surgery about three hours ago.” Dick smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

You nodded. “Thank you.” Your throat tightened, heart skipping a beat. It was all your fault. You should have been stronger, faster. A better Robin.

“We’re here.” Dick kissed the top of your head. You looked up at him to find him studying you. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” You swallowed against the lump in your throat. “I need to see him.”

Dick ran a hand through your hair. “Yeah, okay.” He opened the door, gesturing for you to step in. 

You took a deep breath and stepped inside. Superman was sitting by the bed, looking up with a friendly, tired smile. You smiled back before focusing on the bed.

It didn’t look like him. 

You bit your lip, stepping closer. He was covered in casts and bandages. Monitors beeped around him. An oxygen mask was over his mouth and nose.

“He’s awake,” Superman said, getting to his feet. “Still groggy from the anesthesia.”

“Dad?” His eyes flickered open. You rushed to his side. Your hand floated above his casted arm, not sure if you could touch him. “I’m so sorry.” Tears filled your eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough and got you hurt.”

Bruce’s eyes widened slightly. His arm moved into your hand. “Don’t.” His whisper barely escaped the mask. 

Superman removed the mask and stepped back. Dick rubbed your back, making you jump slightly because you had forgotten about him.

“Don’t cry,” Bruce rasped, coughing slightly. 

You wiped your eyes with your sleeves. “I can’t help it.” Your lips trembled.

“So strong, so brave.” Bruce lifted his arm. He winced, but kept moving until he could touch your cheek. “You didn’t fail me. I failed you.”

The breath left your lungs. “What?” 

“I wasn’t the father I should have been.” He brush away a stray tear with his thumb. You leaned into his hand like it was the most natural thing to do. “I’m so proud of you.” He choked slightly. Superman stepped up to try to put the mask back on him, but Bruce shook his head. “You are good enough, always were.”

“Don’t say that.” You took his hand in yours and rested it back on the bed. His arm shook from the strain. 

“I’m not angry at you or Jason.” Bruce gasped, blood draining out of his face. He turned his head toward Superman and let him put the mask back on. His color came back with a few breaths.

Dick grunted, stepping to your side and pulling you against him. “Well, I’m sure he’s still a little upset at Jason. I know I am.” Dick smirked when a snort came from Bruce. 

A smile tugged at your lips at the sound. “I’ll have to ask him and Bizarro how I couldn’t hear you or them for the month you were missing,” Superman said, crossing his arms as he retook his seat by Bruce’s bed. 

Bruce squeezed your hand. You met his eye, seeing the love in them for the first time in months. A love you wondered had always been there, but just hidden.

 You perched on the side of his bed, careful not to hurt him. Bruce’s eyes closed as Dick and Superman made small talk. You kept your hand in his, feeling so small and safe at the same time. 

***

“You want some more, Dad?” You asked, holding out the pitcher of lemonade. Bruce shook his head, shifting in the lounge chair to find a better position. He still had his casts on, but he was healing. 

You took your seat next to him and sipped from your own glass as the sun shined down and warmed your skin. 

The gardens at Wayne Manor were a bit overgrown. Bruce had hired a few gardeners, but it would take time to reshape it to where Alfred had left it. 

A month had past since Greece. Bruce was living at the manor with Tim and Cass taking care of him. You lived with Dick for now. Eventually, once Bruce had healed both physically and mentally, you would move back with him.

However, you made sure to visit a few times a week. Recently, Bruce insisted on sitting with you outside as the days turned sunny and warm for Gotham.

“How’s Bludhaven?” Bruce studied you. You kept your eyes on the gardens.

“Good.” You glanced at him. His lips were pursed, he turned back to the gardens as if to avoid your gaze. You smiled. “Not as cool as Gotham. I can’t wait to come back.” 

A hint of a smile pulled at his lips. He sipped at his lemonade, wrinkling his nose. His jaw was relaxed, something you couldn’t have imagined seeing months ago. 

“Jason wants me to spend the week with him,” you said. You almost laughed when Bruce narrowed his eyes. “With permission this time. He said I had to ask you and Dick. Dick said it was fine, but what do you think, Dad?”

“As long as you have your phone and you check in every day,” Bruce grumbled, crossing his arms. It was hard to do with his casts, you were impressed.

“I will.” You bit your lip. Your heart felt full. “I love you, Dad.”

Bruce looked at you, eyes sparkling slightly. “I love you too,” he mumbled after a moment. A lump formed in your throat as you felt yourself almost burst. You finally had your father back and nothing could have been better.

[thevanillerose]

https://www.tumblr.com/electronicwitchcollection/736147769720553472/i-just-read-one-of-the-anonymous-ask-they-say-60?source=share

Him and his human friend maybe🙃🙂

TITAN | YANDERE!AIZEN x TINY!READER | BLEACH

~ WRITING COMMISSIONS ~ ~ PATREON ~ ~ KO-FI ~ ~ NOVELS ~

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not own anything except my own writing. All properties belong to their respective creators. Content Warnings: Yandere / Kidnapping / Giant/Tiny A/N: Request [8/10] for my 100 Followers Celebration!

I did tweak the request to make it a little less Attack on Titan and a little more Arrietty, hope you don’t mind! The idea of a Borrower-sized Reader is pretty cute! Though if the lover is a yandere, isn’t it basically worst case scenario? T^T 

So of course I made him into one…

also isn’t aizen already kind of gigantic as is??? like look at this man he’s built like a wardrobe

Aizen Sōsuke was everything you feared. Everything you ran from. Everything you fought.

And yet, he was everything you couldn’t escape, as you would soon discover.

Las Noches awaited, realm of the Hollows. It had always seemed more myth than reality, a distant danger for someone else to face, but now you found yourself up to the challenge. Entering the rift, you carried with you all the strength of battles past, and Hollows destroyed.

You had to do this. It was your duty, it was everything you had trained for. And hopefully, once Aizen was defeated, you’d see some kind of peace again. 

Light fading, the world around you came back into view, the portal spitting you out into this foreign place. Instantly, a chill enveloped you. An eerie uneasiness.

The corridors of Las Noches were vast and empty, stark and dull and as empty and soulless as the deserted, barren world outside the thick windowless walls. But it was grand, too grand. The distant door at the end of the hallway was as tall as a Tokyo skyscraper.

This…can’t be right.

It soon dawned on you. You were no larger than a doll. 

Somehow, you’d turned tiny entering this place. Nobody had mentioned this would happen, that was for sure.

Shaken, you were unable to move for a time, feeling like your little feet were glued solid to the ground beneath them. The growing rumbling, thudding reverberating through the ground only registered when it was too late. His shadow fell over you before you even realized he was there.

“And what do we have here?” 

His voice was so smooth. Your blood chilled.

When you finally willed yourself to look around and up, you saw the gigantic man crouching lowly over you, his immense form more petrifying than any oversized Hollow you’d ever faced. His lips curved into a smile that made it clear he recognized you.

“A little intruder?”

Aizen. 

You had no time to think before your body acted for you. You darted away from him like a mouse, hoping that as disturbingly flawless as this place appeared to be, you might be able to source some crack or hole in the wall you could escape into. 

But you didn’t make it far. His hand shot out, impossibly fast, his fingers curling gently around your tiny form. You kicked, you squirmed, but it was useless. His grip may not have been intended to harm, but it was firm, unyielding, and it lifted you off the floor fast enough to give you a head rush. 

“Shh,” he murmured, his thumb brushing lightly over your trembling figure once you were level with his face. “You’ll hurt yourself if you keep that up. Consider that a warning.”

You trembled uncontrollably, your chest heaving as you stared up at him, your eyes wide with terror. He tilted his head, studying you like a scientist examining a rare specimen.

“Was it what you expected?” he asked softly, keeping his thumb pressed to your abdomen, in a way that kind of made you flustered even if you wouldn’t readily admit it, “I prepared this curse knowing you were coming.”

He tilted his head slightly, the stray brunette strand that often hung over his brow shifting closer to his eye, “I caught wind you were defeating enemy after enemy, each one more powerful than the last. So I decided, for my own sake, to take precautions…”

Aizen? Admitting you were strong? Maybe even being a little afraid of you? That was…strangely flattering. But it didn’t mean much when you were pint-sized like this.

“Let me go,” you demanded, though your voice wavered, betraying just how afraid you actually were. 

His smile widened, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes. “Let you go? Oh, little one, I don’t think you understand. You came here of your own volition. I’ve got you right where I want you. Why would I let you leave?”

He rose to his full height, cradling you in one hand as though you were a precious artifact. The motion made your stomach lurch, the sheer scale of him overwhelming in a way that no amount of preparation could have braced you for. It was a bit like the pit you’d get in your stomach when a plane took off. 

He walked through the double doors at the end of the corridor, making his way deeper into the heart of the complex until he had reached his private room. Approaching his desk, he set you down carefully on its plain greyish white surface, his gaze never leaving you.

“You’re mine now,” he said, the words simple but absolute. “No more hiding. No more running. You belong to me.”

You stumbled back beside a stack of black leather-bound books, your legs trembling as you tried to process his words. “I’m not…I’m not yours! I’m not some doll! You can’t just-”

“Oh, but I can,” he interrupted smoothly, his tone unshakable. He leaned closer, his face filling your vision, his sharp hazel eyes zeroed in on you, his breath warm against your skin. Your cheeks reddened unwillingly.

“You’ll come to understand that soon enough.”

He reached out again, his hand lingering in the air as though daring you to move. You backed up with petite, staggering steps, your heart hammering in your chest. When you didn’t try to run, knowing you had nowhere to go save for the plunging edge of the desk, his fingertips closed in. They brushed against your little arm with a gentleness that seemed almost mocking given the sheer power he wielded.

What he could do, if he wanted to.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “I’ll take care of you. You won’t need to fend for yourself or fight anymore. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

It didn’t. It sounded like a cage, like the end of everything you had fought so hard to preserve. You came here to kill him and end this nightmare, not to get shrunken and captured. It felt like the ultimate humiliation, and he no doubt knew that. 

Quite content to toy with you, his fingers curled lightly around you once more, pinching your middle and lifting you helplessly into the air.

He held you there, suspended, his gaze growing darker as he studied your every detail. 

“You’ve had my interest for a while, I can admit,” he murmured, his thumb trailing over your side, barely brushing your frame but enough to make you flinch. His words were almost more shocking than the shrinking.

Interested in me?

“So delicate, and so breakable now. For all the strength you’ve gathered, for all the fights you’ve won, in the end…this is all it amounted to.”

Shamed, humiliated, and realizing with dismay that he was right, you lowered your head, staring down at the desk meters below with a blank, bewildered expression. Aizen observed you for a moment, resting his well-carved cheekbone against his knuckle, admiring his little pet.

When he lowered you again, it was only to place you in a small glass enclosure he had pulled from a drawer. It was pristine, minimalistic, with cushions lining the bottom—a mockery of comfort, and clearly prepared in advance for this exact outcome. 

You’d believed you’ve have the upper hand. You’d naïvely assumed he wouldn’t expect you were coming. A one warrior ambush, your last heroic stand. 

So much for that.

You stared up at him as he closed the lid of your prison, his smile still in place.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his tone almost scolding. “This is simply a new way of living. You’ll learn to appreciate it in time.”

Your hands pressed against the glass, your breath fogging it as you stared at him in disbelief. “You can’t do this. You can’t keep me here! I’m a human being!!”

He chuckled, the sound low and resonant. “Oh, little one, I can do anything I like.”

Strong hands gripped the edge of the desk, his shadow swallowing the box and engulfing you like the cloak of night.

“And you’ll find that the more you resist…”

His gaze darkened, practically glowing, as he stared down at his toy-sized prize. Patiently won.

“…the tighter my grip will become.”

Like my writing? I can write for you! Check out my WRITING COMMISSIONS! DECEMBER SALE: 25% OFF!

[itstheghostofmypast]

Burden of Love

Non-idol Choi San x (F)Reader

Son of Hades × Daughter of Aphrodite

Summary: Cursed. Since the day of her birth, she had been cursed, one that was a burden her mother had no interest in catering to, the burden of love.

Genre:Fluff/Angst

Word Count: 2.9K

Est. Read Time: 20 min

Warnings: sexual harassment, mild torture

Rating: Mature

Networks: @cromernet @k-labels @san-network

"If you're going to sulk all day, his highness may conclude that you are unhappy here." The butler cleared his throat, placing a cup of tea in front of his queen, turning his head to face her sour expressions, her small little frown and the dent etched between her eyebrows as she read the book in hand -though he ensured to avoid her eyes. She however was busy, busy ignoring the man talking to her, even ignoring the little exaggerated sigh he had let out.

"What are you reading?" He asked, trying to distract his King's wife, his lover, his muse, the shining star of his dark, cold and endless sky, his spoiled brat- No, Yunho, you do not say that about your queen, no matter how childish and petty she may be sometimes. What did he expect? She was the youngest of Aphrodite's children, which did mean that she was in fact, the most babied of the lot, one who had her mother's and almost every other individual's undivided attention- attention and love she was bound to receive, a promise made at birth, or so he had assumed. Though would she give back in equivalence and sincerity? Even his King, he never did expect his king, the ruler of the Underworld, the sole most beloved child of Hades, the powerful ruler of the world below, one of the strongest to exist- to grovel to his knees at the mere sight of this woman- especially when she had refused to even look a him, for he was from the world below, an inferior being, as she had proclaimed- look at her now, sitting in the very world below that she had once insulted-

"Do you think he no longer loves me?"

His eyes snapped up at her face, still avoiding her eyes once more, though he took in a certain look she wore, one that made her beauty stand out even more, the pastels of her off shoulder dress extenuating her graceful features- this woman radiated an air so alluring that perhaps she would leave her mother jealous- was she? Is that why Aphrodite, herself, ensured to take over the marriage proceedings, ensuring her daughter had no way out, ensuring to send her down to hell, to hide her, to ensure her daughter could not outshine her in any manner- she had even refused when his great King had gone running to her, telling her how he never wished to upset her daughter. The first night of their marriage and she had told the son of Hades how she hated him and never wanted this- in an instant he had rushed to Aphrodite to get to the bottom of this, to ask her how she could do something against the wishes of her own child? How could she harm such a being of tenderness, of such beauty, of such purity, only to be brushed off, when his mother in law retorted with,

"She's yours to do as you please, oh, Prince of the underworld do not burden yourself with her childish tantrums, she is but a nymph, who could satisfy you for eternity and more, just take off the blindfold and your worries will vanish."

That night he had come back to the underworld and called upon all his generals and advisors, he had even called in Seonghwa, even though the guardian of the Titans had no real clue of what love was, giving instructions they never thought of receiving, especially for a mere spoiled child of a goddess,

"We must ensure she is never unhappy, my wife should have her every whim dealt with, no matter how childish."

It may have originally been a form of guilt that he was going through, Wooyoung had told Yunho the same, perhaps like all other men, their King had fallen for her beauty, her alluring nature and persona, her flirtatious being, which is why when she had rejected him to face, he must've felt the guilt of forcing her to a commitment she may not have ever wanted- which is why the first of his new wife's request was to have a separate sleeping chamber, one so far away from them that she would barely see his face. He had agreed instantly- guilt, was it not?

However, even after a year of this practice, he had not once been bothered by her increasing demands, but instead had shown nothing but concern, making Yunho stand there for hours in his dimly lit study, asking about his wife;

"Has she eaten?"

"Yes, young Prince."

"Is she well? Have you been feeding her whatever she wants?"

"She is. We have."

"Is she...what about her comfort? Bedding? Clothes? Rugs-"

"She changed the ones in her room to colours that matched her room in Olympus, we did all she asked her for, including getting her a new wardrobe."

"That's good..." he had smiled staring at his father's will, knowing he would be no longer a Prince in a few days, "I want her to be happy, truly happy."

Yunho had wanted to believe in his King's wishes, but he could tell him how this child of Aphrodite had slowly been drifting away, sitting locked up in her room most of the time, only tended to by the female staff- other than Yunho. Yunho was the only man other than San to have interacted with her in the Palace, but unlike his King, he had never met her gaze, the galaxy filled crystal pair of orbs, that stories had been written about, songs had been dedicated to, the eyes of a maiden that held the galaxy within, shining brighter than a sky full of stars, reflecting off one's deepest desires, often lust when it had been a man who had dared to make eye contact- which is why she was to always where a blindfold, one that would often match her attire, though there were occasions in Olymus where she chose not to, but every god and goddess there feared for their life, knowing laying a finger on her meant Aphrodite's wrath.

It was ironic how the first time his King had ever seen her, she was wearing a blindfold, one she had refused to take off during their wedding as well, out of spite or out of fear, the advisor (mind you she just treated him like a butler) was not sure, but he knew that the night she had said all those things, San had taken off her blindfold, admiring her beauty when she had spat at him, using words so harsh, words he had never wished to hear from his wife.

After that night the blindfold had returned, even when the maids would bathe her she would not let them touch it, Yunho knew she would wear it around him, but he never dared to meet her gaze in any case, out of respect? Perhaps...or out of pity. He had been witnessing for a year how she had begun to lose the colour of her cheeks, her lips now often found quirked into a frown, hands often fiddling with the ribbons of her dress, he had wanted to tell his King this, but he had stopped asking about her altogether, especially since she had refused to attend his coronation, even after receiving the title of the Queen. He had stopped asking if she had eaten, if she was well, in fact, he would no longer be interested in the report Yunho would give nightly, only asking if there was something out of the blue that should concern him- but there never was, everything was always the same, or so they had assumed.

For the night that the King had decided to retire early to bed, bidding his generals and his advisor a goodnight, his advisor following suit, asking his King to listen to him about his wife, wanting to tell him about her declining health, though his Lord had turned a deaf ear to him, "I don't want to hear of it Yunho, I'm tired tonight, I don't care if she didn't like dinner tonight just give her what she wants tomorro-" his words had been cut short with an ear piercing scream, one that had had him and his loyal servant bolt to the wing of the castle where his wife stayed.

Yunho had seen almost his fair share of sin and horrid things, the underworld was no place for the light hearted, but what he had not prepared himself for was the sight of his Queen's shivering form, hugging herself as she coward behind a fallen chair, crying and yelling,as she gripped onto the torn end of her dress to cover herself, while across the room a dozen maids were holding onto a foaming, wild eyed -Minister? What had he even been doing down here? How did he get in? Did he catch her without her blindfold? Was he a traitor coming to coerce the Queen for something? Or was he just a curious old fool? Was this because he looked into her eyes, maybe General Jung could beat it out of him- or not, for as soon as his King had entered the brightly lit, pastel coloured room the atmosphere had shifted, the air had thickened and her cries had been muted out by the screams of the minister that had just caught fire, shackled to the the ground, with the molten hot chains that had manifested from the floor of the castle - of course the son of Hades was no soft hearted fool, he knew no ends when it had come to torture. All too soon the burnt man that was still whimpering apologies was tossed out of the window, his scream ending with a loud thud as the King glanced at maids, enough of a gesture for them to scurry out of the room before turning to his wife, walking over to her, like predator to pray, Yunho would have interfered if he were not so deathly afraid of the man, he was unsure of what he was going to do to his mess of a wife, especially when he had crouched down infront of her, gripping her shoulders, which had only led the poor thing to yelp in pain, pleading for her life, whimpering about how she had nothing to do with this, how she did not wish to taint the reputation of the king, how she did not want to be punished-

"LOOK AT ME!"

Her eyes had snapped open meeting not the glare of a tyrant, not the eyes of a lust induced man, but the tender, soft gaze of a loving husband, one that had her calming down, one that Yunho did not expect- for he had realised something, his King had not been lust driven even after staring into her eyes, was this...love?

He knows not what happened after, for he had been instructed by his King to leave him with his wife, all he knows is that next morning he had been tasked by the King to infrom the head of the King's Counsel, Hongjoong, about the implementation of a new law, a new practice, one with grave punishment,

"One must never look at the Queen whilst in her presence, eyes must be cast to the ground while her Majesty is around, for her safety, anyone caught not following this would be tortured in the deepest pit of the Underworld for eternity, by the great General Park."

As soon as this was done, the King had personally overseen the burning ceremony of all her blindfolds, with his Queen standing beside him, hand in hand, only for her to smile up at him, a smile that he knew had led his King to fall for her, a smile he knew she'd use to get away with anything, even making the poor advisor wear a pink suit because she was bored, the smile that was so menacing and-

"Yunho~" she whined, causing him to let out a sigh, "I asked you a question!"

"My Queen, his majesty loves you no lesser than he did yesterday." He bowed, before straightening up, ignoring the way she scoffed and slammed her book shut, tossing it onto the table, truly a brat.

"Then why has he kept me waiting since morning!? I didn't even see him at breakfast!"

"He is a busy man, one who is ever so dutiful and responsible."

"You know...the saying is to "lick it, not make a meal out of it."

Of course, leave it to her to call him a boot-licker, maybe he should retire-

"Careful love, if you keep this up, Yuyu might retire early~" the door opened, as the subject of the matter walked in, with all his might and glory, laughing at the way his wife huffed and looked away, shaking his head at her antics, "Purple looks nice on you...Yunho." He motioned to the suit he was wearing, another one of the Queen's choice.

"Thank you, Sire, may I be excused?"

"Of cours- oh my." He chuckled when the door slammed within a second before turning to face his wife, who was still not looking at him, arms crossed over her chest, cheeks flushed and puffed out in anger- or a tantrum, whichever it may be, it was enough to have him sitting beside her and gently clasping her hands in his, whispering to her, trying to coax her out of it, "My love, the star of my life, why is it that you ignore me? I was but away ensuring I finish all my tasks so I could spend time with you."

"Liar." She huffed, though she never pulled away, even when he had gently gripped her chin, making her turn her head to face him, admiring her even more upclose.

"Never." He whispered, leaning closer to place a soft kiss at the corner of her lips, letting out a hearty laugh at her gasp, catching the surprise in her eyes, his own crinkling with admiration and love as he gave her his signature dimpled smile, before leaning closer once more, their foreheads bumping slightly, "Not once in my life have I lied to you, my love; my soul, my body, my mind, are but at your disposal, all yours to claim."

She only sighed, pouting at his words, pulling her hands out his hold to wrap her arms around his neck, her fingers reaching to twirl a lock of his onyx hair, her other hand gripping his coat, "Prove it."

"Oh? How so?" He mused, letting her play her little game, "Is my seed not proof enough?"

A light hearted chuckle broke past her lips, if it was possible for his heart to grow bigger with joy, it would have, the sound of her laughter ringing in his ears, "I suppose not~" she purred, the instant change of demeanour had him shivering under her warm touch, biting his lip when she gently tugged on his hair pulling him closer, enough for her to have her back pressing against the couch, him hovering above of her as he peered into her eyes, trying to find the constellation that had blessed their union, though when her hand pulled him down ontop of her, he forgot the purpose of his mission, to busy and engrossed by the sweet taste of her lips, the soft warm skin his fingers could feel through the gown, his hand reaching for hers, pinning her wrists above her head as he pressed his forehead against hers, his warm breath mingling with hers, "You naughty little-

"SHE IS WITH CHILD- GET OFF HER!? HAVE YOU NO SHAME!? AND YOU! FINISH YOUR TEA!"

In an instant the two had parted, sitting prim and proper at the two opposite ends of the couch, hands in their lap, the only give away were the dishevelled clothes, their messy hair and the smudged lipstick that was now decorating both of their mouths.

Clearing his throat he looked at his fuming advisor who held onto a notebook, "I-I was going to be gentle, Yunho-"

"SHUT UP. I KNOW HOW GENTLE YOU ARE, YOU MORON."

"Yuyu! That's not how you speak to your king-"

"SILENCE. I admit it's on the early stage but my Lady you must not let this hooligan give into his desires, do not be fooled by his stupid charm." Pinching the bridge of his nose he sighed as he handed the Queen a tissue, "Your health comes first, my lady, " Then he side eyed a flushed San who was staring at his wife wipe away the evidence of their little session, "And you should know that, Sire, her happiness is linked with her health."

When he earned a strong, firm nod from his King he sighed, for the nth time, "I shall prepare dinner and bring it here, for the love of all that is holy, please do not do anything harmful while I'm gone.' He mumbled walking to the door, only to stop, when he heard a giggle, turning around with another lecture ready, but stopped at the sight before him, his heart melting in disgust covered awe, watching her giggle to herself as she cleaned the lipstick off his lips, only for him to playful nip at her finger tips, earning squeals in return- these brats were a handful, he thought to himself, closing the doors of the study as he walked down the hall, a small smile gracing his tired features, glad that his Queen had found all she had been looking for, so afraid of the curse that she would never even say it out loud...love.

A/N: Idk...I just, I had to get this out of my system. I hope yall like it.

Taglist: @edenesth @yessa-vie @jaehunnyy @spooo00oky @the-kpop-simp @mlysalt

[blu3-ja3]

Hi so! Here's a bit of setup for my Cursed Gotham Story... Actually good father Bruce Wayne cause I say so.

So everything is normal for Bruce's backstory, has a happy childhood blah, blah, blah, until his parents are murdered. Travels the world young and becomes Batman once back from his travels, being trained by the league of assassins and Ra's Al Ghul. He becomes the vigilante at 16, developing a non-lethal style of fighting over the next 2 years before he goes to the circus. Dick's family is murder, Bruce at 18 adopts Dick who's 7. I like the idea that Bruce is still a little new to the vigilante stuff, like he's only recently given the mantle of Batman and befriended Commissioner Gordon.

Dick is definitely still murder vengeance Robin to start, like Dick is the most feral Robin and I will always stand by that. Kid is a menace to the goons of Gotham and is absolutely horrifying, more so than Batman himself. Like maniacal laughter while bouncing around performing amazing feats of acrobatics. Nothing to flashy but the kid has a lot of energy. Bruce forms the Justice League and keeps up play-boy himbo Brucie Wayne. Also I think Bruce homeschooled for a bit until Dick was like in his early tweens then Bruce realizing Dick has no friends and has him forms the Teen Titans.

So those two stumbled around as Batman and Robin for like 9 years, Dick's 16 and Bruce is 27 when Bruce adopts Jason who's 9. Dick and Bruce have a discussion about Dick passing on the mantle of Robin and him becoming his own vigilante. Grayson gets some time to decide and Bruce even tells him he doesn't have to give up the mantle or even keep being a vigilante. They compromise and come up with the Red Robin mantle while Dick decides on his path.

Jason is killed by Joker when he's 14, Bruce(32) nearly kills Joker but Superman stops him. This is part of the reason Gothamintes dislike Supes cause wtf do you mean you're stopping him??? Anyways Dick(21) stops vigilanting to grieve his little brother and asks Bruce to stop as well. Bruce continues being Batman not stopping for a moment. Bruce has a 'public' closed casket funeral for Jason after a few months of Robin's death, claiming he's been killed by illness hence the not showing for events as the Wayne's. Gotham is grieving cause they've lost Robin to the Joker and Jason Todd - Wayne to illness.

Timothy Drake at 7 (Tim is smart it's well established) finds Dick Greyson and begs him to stop Batman or help him because he's nearly killing people. Dick is dismissive so Tim goes to Bruce himself and tries to convince him after months of murderous Batman. Bruce gives Tim the mantle of Robin and still doesn't properly address his grief. Dick with the help of Tim and Alfred convince Bruce to stop for a bit. They all agree to the conditions that they'll step in and help Gotham in his absences as Batman. Barbra Gordon(20) becomes Batgirl to help Dick as Batman and Tim is still Robin.

Bruce leaves to travel, meets Talia outside of the LoA by chance, they have a small relationship then an argument causing them to break up. Bruce is back in Gotham after a few (5-6) months of travel. Dick becomes Nightwing after handing the mantle of Batman back over to Bruce. Tim is kidnapped at 9 and turned into Joker Junior, Bruce officially adopts Tim after the Drake's give up rights not wanting to deal with Tim's recovery. Barbra is paralyzed by The Joker and Jim Gordon learns about the Wayne's. Superman yet again stops Batman and Nightwing from offing Joker, Harley Quinn willingly goes through rehabilitation at Arkham after what happened to Tim.

Barbra at 22 becomes Oracle, Selena Kyle and Bruce Wayne start their relationship. Tim takes up the mantle of Robin at 13 after a lot of recovery. Stephanie Brown is Robin during Tim's recovery. Cassandra Cane(14) becomes Black Bat when Stephanie Brown(12) becomes Spoiler after Tim becomes Robin again. Duke Thomas (13) becomes the Signal (Daytime Bat!)

Damien at 8 appears at Bruce Wayne's (40) with Talia is carrying a freshly revived Jason(22) whom she stumbled across while coming to Bruce for help. Talia explains to Bruce her father's plans to possess Damien's body. She also explains how a few months before she took her planned leave Jason kinda stubbled into the picture. Talia was nursing him back to health before Ra's just dumped him into the Lazarus pit. Now he needs to be cared for and Talia is in too much danger to help him.

Bruce takes in both boys, Damien and Jason are out for a few months as they both recover. Tim(15) is asked if he'd like to become Red Robin, while Damien becomes Robin. Tim agrees and goes on patrol with the rest of the bat family around Gotham. Jason is still recovering but helps Barbra with being the Oracle.

SO! This is my rough background for the Batfam for my Cursed Gotham story! Jason's story is the one that changed the most but there's a reason for that... I'm excited for this!

Everyone ages when we pick up in our story.

Bruce: 40

Dick: 29

Jason: 22

Tim: 15

Damien: 8

Stephanie: 15

Cassandra: 16

Duke: 14

Barbra: 38

Jim: 68

Alfred: 70

Cursed Gotham Masterpost

[angstyhikka]

When Philip found Caleb, Caleb was not happy to see him. He and Evelyn had already heard about Philip’s incredible adventures, about the chaos he managed to wreak on the Boiling Islands, and therefore they greeted him with kicks right from the doorway :)

Beaten and humiliated, Philip lost his shit so hard, got pissed so much at the world, that he decided that he has a brilliant plan how to make this world burn. He has to find Titans blood and release the Collector. He went to Lake Eclipse, which by that time had not yet dried up. Collie got really exited.

So, they found the blood. Buuuut they actually didn’t know how to get the boy out of the mirror. Collie jokingly suggested Phillip to drink the blood. And guess what? Philip took it and drank it. And then he stuck his hand in the mirror and pulled out Collie by the scruff of his neckXD

Here for few moments they were very happy and here Philip begins to vomit, shiver and tremble . They expected that Philip would simply vomit blood and everything would return to normal, but things did not get any better and at some point Philip came to the most wonderful decision - he needed more blood! He convinced Collie that he knew what he was doing (he didn’t knew what he was doing, he didn’t have a plan. He calculated something and decided that he can handle it😭)

And so, in several approaches, Philip continued to drink blood. For a while he felt better, but as time passed, he began to vomit again and again, his body began to bubble and lose shape, uncontrollably growing a mass of meat, curse and bones. This continued until Philip fell backwards into the lake. And he came out of there as a FUCKING KAIJU!

In Kaiju form and unconscious, Philip destroyed almost... all the Islands, plus or minus the vegetable garden. And there Caleb tried to stop him. Let's just say he didn't succeed (he died!!!!!!!!)

Gradually, Philip began to stabilize. Blown out of Kaiju form into a form close to human. He still has horns, ears, teeth and hooves. This is the form in which you and I know the Anarchist.

When Philip came to his senses, it turned out that the Titan’s blood had completely knocked out his memory and brains. Collie had to re-introduce Phillip to himself and to the Boiling Isles. True, now these were more likely the “Burnt” islands, after everything that had happened.

[lets-try-some-writing]

In your Young Titan Au, I find it so beautiful with the idea of Optimus creating hot spots on a planet he loves (Earth). I wonder what his Titan like powers or abilities could be. Or how he would repel Megs from him when it comes to the buckethead's schemes.

Oooooh okay a request for part two. Gotcha. Previous part here.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Decepticons incoming!" Smokescream screamed, bolting down from the half completed outer wall of the developing settlement. Ratchet perked up instantly, abandoning his scans of Optimus's new spark chamber to assess the situation. They knew the Decepticons would find them eventually, but Ratchet had hoped that the false signals they sent out would buy them more time. At least long enough for the budding settlement to complete its outer frame.

"Fortify the walls! Keep the newbuilds out of potential firing range!" Ultra Magnus moved before Ratchet could. The Commander strode forward, the team swiftly obeying him and rushing to stand along the walls. Ratchet cursed as the Nemesis came fully into view. How in Primus's name were they to stand against that? Optimus was still so exposed. His spark chamber wasn't even fully encased yet. All Megatron would have to do was launch one well aimed missile and Optimus would be done for-

"Stay calm. Creator has this under control." Ratchet's spiraling thoughts were cut off by the calming voice of the newbuild who greeted them weeks ago. The newbuild smiled as if nothing in the world were wrong, his painfully familiar optics cycling in relaxed manner as he looked from Ratchet to the skies. He was small still, having not gone through his first reformat yet. To Ratchet, his commentary was beyond foolish.

"You are young, Pax. You don't know what the Decepticons are capable of or what they will do to us if they can get on the ground." Ratchet hurried to his pedes, assessing Optimus's spark chamber again. It was huge, most certainly meant for a Titan. Already Optimus's spark was growing to fill up the basic shell that had grown around him. He had no chamber walls, nor did his settlement yet have more than the framework for what would eventually become buildings. He was completely and totally exposed, his very spark a burning beacon to all who might witness it.

There was no covering or moving him. Optimus was firmly rooted. Yet, the Prime, if he could even be called a Prime anymore, did not seem worried. His spark did not spin in anxiety or stress, instead sending out waves of ease that were completely at odds with the situation. It didn't ease Ratchet a bit. For all he knew, Optimus was blind, deaf, and unaware of the situation. No titans had ever been documented forming in this manner, but it was a well known fact that without a city frame to see and hear through, the Titan was effectively stranded. Especially without a speaker.

Optimus's frame was still forming, having barely gotten anything close to skeleton completed in the form of building framework. He had very few sensors, save for the cables that slithered across the ground, helping to form what would one day become a mighty living city... if they all survived at any rate. The Prime turned TItan needed protection- protection Ratchet could not see the team being able to provide.

There was a reason the Titans of old had armadas to defend them.

"They will kill your creator, Pax. Megatron has a grudge against Optimus that far predates you, and he will stop at nothing to see his rival fall." Ratchet frowned, readying his welder. It wouldn't be much, but when the worst inevitably came to worst, he would fight until his spark went out. Looking at the Nemesis now looming not far away, Ratchet could see Vehicons starting to come their way, with Starscream likely at their head.

"Take the rest of the newbuilds and head toward Jasper. Choose Earth alternate modes and travel until you find a human male named Agent Fowler. He will take care of you after we fall." The Vehicons were approaching fast. The team were ready, each with blasters raised along the wall. But it was not going to be enough. There was no way it could be enough.

Pax, curse him and his similarities to his namesake, didn't so much as twitch as he stayed right by Ratchet's side. The medic could feel his optic twitch in growing agitation.

"I said take the newbuilds and go-!"

"It is fine. Creator has this under control."

Pax cut him off with a faint smile, his finials perking up as if he were observing the weather on a casual walk. He may have been boxier than his Creator, but by the Allspark, he had all of Optimus's attitude before he took the Matrix.

Ratchet wanted to grab the newbuild and throw him. But as the rest of the newbuilds started to gather around, he hesitated. There were perhaps seven at the moment, but they were all stoic, none at all concerned. It set Ratchet surprisingly on edge, especially as the team began to fire at the incoming attackers.

"Pax, please. You and your siblings are the future. You can't fall here." Ratchet tried to plead with the eldest of the newbuilds, but Pax maintained his smile, totally sure of himself. Ratchet looked to the rest, seeing that they were similarly unphased. If Pax wouldn't leave, neither would they.

Loyal glitches.

"Fine. Stay behind me. If the worst comes to worst, you run. Hear me?" He received no answer, but Ratchet readied himself regardless. If this was to be his funeral, he was going to take at least a dozens Decepticons down with him.

"It's alright, Ratchet. Creator is calling for his Speaker. It won't be long now." What?

"Starscream!" Someone screamed, Ratchet couldn't tell who. The next he knew, a blast went off mere feet away from him, forcing him to step back and reassess just in time for one notorious seeker to land where the blast echoed a moment before. Ratchet was unable to get a word in before Pax spoke up.

"Welcome. Optimus Prime greets you." If Ratchet's optics could get any bigger, they would have as Pax and the rest stepped aside, leaving a path to Optimus's very spark. He grunted, rushing to stand in the seeker's way. But before he could, many small but strong arms pulled him back, each muttering something vaguely soothing.

"It's alright, doctor."

"Everything is going to be fine."

"This is part of the process."

Their words did little to calm him, but Ratchet found himself unable to struggle as Starscream stepped closer. He didn't appear malicious, rather... almost in a daze. His optics were wide, his wings dipped and his expression awed. There was not a hint of cruelty to be seen in him as he calmly, nearly reverently, approached Optimus's partially developed core.

Distantly Ratchet heard Vehicons transforming and landing a ways off, the team rushing forward to keep them contained. It meant very little as the seeker came a mere pedestep away from his Prime's very core. The air was so tense it could have been cut with a knife as Starscream reached out-

And Optimus reached back.

The world slowed for a dazzling second. And then, in a mere nano-klik, light came from Optimus and wrapped around the seeker. Starscream didn't even fight back as his frame started to shift. The adjustments were all subtle at first, but the longer the strange connection continued, the more Starscream changed. Power flowed from Optimus to his chosen, and amidst the process, Ratchet heard Starscream speak.

"Why me?"

Then, as if summoned, the newbuilds replied in a choir like tone.

"Because you are the last Prince of Vos, the last to have seen a Titan walk Cybertron's scorched surface."

One by one the newbuilds abandoned Ratchet's side, instead stepping up closer to Starscream as his spindly frame bulked out, bright red, white, and blue taking the place of gunmetal gray. They were all content, especially as Starscream's previously emaciated expression became filled out, fear and confusion changing to acceptance.

"Creator wishes to restore our people, to let seekers rule the sky and grounders roam the earth. He is tired of war... are you not also?" A deep silence echoed, not even the Vehicons daring to speak up as everyone, the team included, watched on. After what could have been a klik or an eternity, Starscream replied.

"Yes. I'm tired of fighting this meaningless war. I'm tired of cowering... I want this all to end." With those haunting words, Optimus's spark flared, his very soul blazing like a newborn star. As it did, Starscream's optics lit up a momentary brilliant blue, and the voice that escaped him was not entirely his own.

"Then join with me, son of Vos. You shall be my voice, and I, your safe haven." Not a word was uttered as Starscream surveyed those around him, his optics returning to their usual red. He looked over his frame, curious, but not upset. Ratchet wasn't sure how to feel, or even if he could feel anything at all as the seeker turned Speaker addressed his Vehicons.

"I... I will not be returning to Lord- Megatron. You may do so if you wish. But I will not fight against this Titan. Not on his or anyone else's orders." Ratchet had to reset his audials and optics, but it changed exactly nothing as Starscream stared at his former subordinates. They all stared back, the team still keeping their blasters trained on them.

Then, as if Primus himself wanted to mock Ratchet for having been worried at all, the Vehicons dropped to a knee, and Starscream smiled.

"That was the correct choice." Starscream grinned, his usual arrogance again rearing its helm as he sneered down at everyone, save for the newbuilds.

"Knockout had the right idea about joining the winning team." The team burst into accusations and various cries of confusion. Ratchet didn't have the energy to bother. Starscream was apparently an ally now, alongside a good half of Megatron's air forces. That made defending Optimus a whole lot easier, if uncomfortable.

Slag Optimus and his cryptic ways.

"See? Everything worked out." Pax, the smug little creature that he was, patted Ratchet on the shoulder. He looked so stupidly pleased with himself and seeing his expression, Ratchet could feel life draining out of his frame.

"My apologies, Megatron. But I will not be returning. I have a new master now, one who has promised me far more than you could ever offer in exchange for my services." Starscream tapped his audial, likely sending a message back to the Nemesis.

On one servo, his presence gave them a fighting chance. On the other, all Ratchet could think about the mech were two simple words.

Slimy glitch.

[a-girl-named-fran]

Okay so I have a theory for DATV that is so thoroughly unconnected to the main story but it potentially solves a decade old question. Beware, potential spoilers below.

In short, Ghilan'nain created nugs.

In one of the Regret Prison chats, Solas tells Rook about a time he tried to warn an elven village of Ghilan'nain's approach and they didn't listen. He watched in horror as they were turned into animals against their will.

We already know she's a crazy biologist with no morals, and we know that some of her creations turned out beautifully despite their origin (ie halla).

Look at their ears and their little fucking hands. What if Ghilan'nain came across a group of rebels and decided to teach the Dread Wolf a lesson? 'The rebels act like cowardly rats, why not look like them?'

And once they were transformed, she lost all interest and moved on. But the newly transformed nugs were still semi-sentient so they scattered to the winds in the hopes of finding a way to reverse their cursed forms. Some even descended into the bodies of dead titans.

Over the past few millennia, they've lost their purpose and origins (much like the elves) and live simple lives. Rumor has it that the nugs in the Deep Roads have kept their sentience for the most part, even formed a kingdom of nugs that answers to the one and only Nug King.

Granted, I'm likely wrong since I'm sleep deprived and haven't looked at all the codexes/wikis but this theory scratches an itch for me.