#maybe i can even bring in zatanna as a character?

[jasonsthighholsters]

and if i were to write this? if i were to start a long-form fic that picks up where season 7 left off? what then?

what do you mean there’s only 7 seasons of legends? i distinctly remember an eighth season where they go to time jail, run into leonard snart who’s there for blowing up the oculus, escape, engage in wacky hijinks, and embrace gay love

[jess-total-mess]

okay, my bff is watching the latest season of Young Justice and crying about how awful it is so lets talk about how i would rewrite the series past s1 to be less terrible and more cohesive. readmore included because this is LONG

Season One worked because it had a small cast that had individually focused episodes, good relationship dynamics, and a cohesive plot that was foreshadowed well. Kaldur with his Atlantis episode, the entire episode after the simulation disaster (perfect!), Megan and her thread about identity and her shame around it, Superboy and... whatever the fuck you want to call his arc, but it was GOOD. Artemis had a lot of focus and while Wally didn't get a lot he still has a full episode to himself in Cold Hearted. Zatanna was only there briefly, but she was well-established and even Rocket had some interesting setups despite only being there for an episode or two.

Myself and my BFF both agree that the time skip is acceptable, but needed to be shorter. Way shorter. At most, I'd put it at three years, but let's say two years. That makes Robin sixteen, for reference.

This would give us time to have a few things happen. First, have Robin be co-leader, preparing to step into his role as actual leader. Develop Rocket some more by giving her at least one episode focused on her, and giving her more screen time overall (they did her SO DIRTY). Have Zatanna have an episode with Rocket, even, make them go on a solo-mission like Zatanna and Artemis did in S1, that would be awesome!

The team would then have a lot more experience, they work together great, they know each other. This means we can introduce a few new characters. In no particular order;

Beast Boy! He was set-up in S1 to be Beast Boy, and that's great! He's twelve (?) now, and maybe his powers have activated! Have him be sent to the Mountain, or even have an episode where they go back to him (wherever he might be living now!) and have the entire backstory of his dead mum! It would be emotional for the original Team present for that episode in S1, and would be emotionally charged! Maybe he doesn't join the Team for missions yet, but get him training! Establish his character!

Aquagirl and Tempest! They're already established from S1, so bring them in for a mission. Maybe they have intel and help out on the mission, maybe they just happen to be there, it needs more thought for specifics, but have them be set up to help the Team for the end of the season.

Batgirl! She's older than Robin is in comics canon, and probably in YJ canon too (I don't think we ever actually find out). She's been established as Barbara in S1, so have her join the Team as Batgirl, struggle with the same things that Robin did when the Team was first formed (disappearing, doing her own thing, etc) and have Robin have to teach her that she's got to be a different kind of team player.

Work on establishing and foreshadowing Jason. Robin/Dick is now sixteen, so throughout the season he can transition into Nightwing and Team leader. Have moments throughout the season where he mentions a new person at home, his frustrations with Batman, and have a few moments where we actually see/hear Jason, like what they did with Barbara in S1.

Also, focus on our favourites! How is Artemis handling her sister dating Red Arrow? How is that dynamic going in general? What about Superboy and his relationship with Superman? We saw that it had improved by S2, but actually show us that happening! The two of them working together, Superboy knowing stuff that nobody else does because Superman told him, knowing his villains and studying them like we're shown he can do in S2. We could have more scenes with Red Tornado, or even focus on a different Den Mother (and have moments where the Team is fed up with having a Den Mother! Wally is an ADULT!).

We had the Light, we had NO idea the Reach was there, they weren't even foreshadowed in S1. Instead, if you really want a new main threat, use Apokolips! The enemy of the Forever People from S1, the guys who made Sphere and the motherboxes?

It's not hard to make a loose plot just based on this stuff (I'm just fucking lazy). Follow the concepts and themes of the first season, have episodes focused on relationships between members (ie. Terrors and the dynamic between Megan and Superboy, Secrets with Zatanna and Artemis bonding, you get the idea). Establish the new characters and build up to another threat that the Team has to stop without the help of the League.

Give them undercover operations that are following a thread that leads them to the Light (and whatever they might be doing with Apokolips), and have them bring everyone along! Maybe not Gar/Beast Boy (he's still young and inexperienced, so maybe he runs communications from the Mountain or something? Sneaks out? Who knows!) but have the rest of the Team go kick ass, have Aquagirl and Tempest get called on for help, and give them answers, with still more questions.

And if your really want the Reach to be involved, start foreshadowing them throughout the season! The Light is having communications with someone who isn't Apokolips? Who is it? Why? What do they want? Those can be some of the unanswered questions we're left with at the end, and then in S3 after another time skip, you can bring the Reach in, along with the Beetles and develop that!

For S3, bring in Jason as Robin, establish his character as a brawler and kind of an asshole, but make us care about him before you kill him off for no reason! (Jason's death is incredibly important character-wise but please let us learn who he is before he dies). Nightwing is fully the Team leader now, how is he handling that? He said in S1 (Disordered) that he doesn't want to be Batman anymore, the guy who makes the hard call.

How does that mesh with being team leader? How's his relationship with Jason, with Batman, with Batgirl? If you really want Oracle, you could have her get her paralysis injury from the Joker in S3 too, he's established in S1 as a villain working with the Light to some degree, so why change that?

Also if I wrote S4 I would give Stephanie/Spoiler an episode where she's the focus because I love her and she needs the opportunity to declare "I'm here to spoil your plans!" to a villain SO BADLY

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Who are some DC characters who have either never interacted or had limited interactions that you'd love to see?

Thank You 😃

Well besides my obvious picks of Calvin Rose with Dick Grayson and especially Christopher Kent with Jake Grayson, there are also

Colin Wilkes and Kid!Jon Kent; those are such similar guys persona wise yet Colin can bring in all his street smarts and quick thinking after living in the orphanages of Gotham to balance with Jon’s more naïveté and curious traits. If Jon were like say Oliver Twist, Colin would be his Artful Dodger

Another two I like to see meet more often would be Rachel Roth and Zatanna. While they had met briefly that one time back in NTT, it wasn’t exactly the most friendly of encounters given the latter having misplaced suspicions of the former being an agent of Trigon when in reality Rae was simply trying to distance herself from him. Another two meeting under healthier and more understanding circumstances between them going on a true adventure that allows them to open up with each other would be a sight to see. Closest thing we got was when they were on the same team as Diana during Justice League: No Justice and even then they don’t do much

And finally, there’s some potential for fun I can see in King Shark meeting Killer Croc of all things. You got a guy who only looks like a partial crocodile due to his skin condition and mutation that really just wants to be treated like a regular person and he doesn’t eat people paired up with the the scion if a literal shark deity who actually can eat people. Can these two get along in the big city?

The comedy can write itself

Also also even though technically we got interactions between them as of recently, I would very much like like Kory and Babs meeting as partners on a superhero mission or few where they call talk about themselves to each other healthily and even go out for ice cream together as legit friends. It’s there where they can talk sh*t hilariously about Dick and maybe even Babs gives advice for Kory when she and Dick have dates together. But I digress

These were fun buddy. Thanks for the ask :-D @confusedhummingbird

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Action Comics #1069 - Enjoyable enough finale. Dug this arc, besides the Ali homages mentioned already, I saw a lot of similarities to the boxing issue from Up in the Sky! Superman up against a foe who seemingly can't be beat, that he defeats by being able to endure everything the other guy throws at him. Simone has a good handle on who Superman is. When his opponent Hux trash talks him, he immediately tells the guy to bring it. Simone even is willing to say that a part of Superman enjoys fighting which most writers wouldn't be comfortable admitting. He’s not Goku such that he loves fighting, but I don’t connect with takes where he’s a pacifist who can’t stand any kind of violence. Superman enjoying a scrap but never to the point he’d prioritize a fight over saving lives is the perfect medium. Rowell’s backup ended underwhelmingly though. She has a good handle on the characterization of the two, but while Clark and Lois talking their problems out is the natural thing to do, it’s not exciting or engaging. Maybe it was just USM doing something similar that made this come across as underwhelming for me. Also I’m left wondering if that Atomic Skull plot thread is setting up something for Williamson or Waid to deal with. We get no answers as to why he's a villain again despite Rowell explicitly portraying it as out of character.

Zatanna: BDTH #4 - I love the Zatanna/Constantine romance. Yes he's a complete toxic bastard who is terrible for her, and that's what makes it so much fun to read. Everyone else at DC has a positive LI, even Batman and Catwoman who are flawed as hell bring out the best in each other. But these two are so messed up and that makes reading them fun!

Ultimate Spider-Man #9 - Great issue. Favorite part was Peter and Harry arguing over whether lethal force should be something they use. While Peter was unhappy about Harry resorting to what could’ve been a lethal blow, he also didn’t blow up their partnership for it. Peter stood his ground, and Harry stood his in response, but Peter allowed that maybe Harry had a point without backing down. Amazing how you can resolve arguments and maintain tension without writing everyone like they’re high schoolers. MJ gets a moment with Ben and Jonah to show off how she's contributing as the marketer, Otto debuts the Iron Spider which feels like the first step on the road to Otto becoming Doc Ock, and I think I know what the purpose of AI Peter is. Obviously it is the Ultimate version of Venom, but I think what's going to happen is one of the Six will target Peter's family and AI Peter is going to kill to defend the Parkers. That will upset Peter because he doesn't want to think he's capable of doing that, especially after lecturing Harry, and it will alienate him from the AI leading to Venom being born. Venom will thus act as a dark mirror to Peter, showing how Peter could go down the same road Harry seems to be walking, which will let Harry stay sympathetic for us the readers and maybe even Peter. He wouldn't be able to feel morally superior to Harry because he'll have a foe who forces him to acknowledge his own capacity for violence.

[weebsinstash]

No no you’re so right about the batfam thing, I thought I was the only one here. They’re all so mentally ill and have seen so much shit, this gray area of taking care of you (but at the same time never attempting to cure you) is so on brand.

Reader: ok so can I just go over this again. I was a grown adult woman with a job and an apartment and my own arguably shitty life and I was even a vigilante

Dick: yep sounds right so far

Reader: and I had a run in with a villain and maybe almost died and in the end i got turned back into a kid

Jason: yeah it was real scary, Damian totally cried

Reader: and after I was a kid again and i couldnt remember anything 'from the future', you gave me a new place to live, you fed me, you housed me, you even registered me in school and I literally went to high school with you guys

Barbara: yeah and the teachers love you ^^

Reader: i would have nightmares and PTSD and then one or even several of you would sleep in the same room as me, Alfred learned all my favorite dishes, we literally took family vacations overseas, you took me to all kinds of doctors whenever I was worried about my hair or my skin or wasn't feeling well to make sure I was literally in perfect health and wouldnt worry, some of you call me your sister completely unironically, and you guys did all of that, all of that for like FIVE YEARS--

Damian: well of course

Reader: and you NEVER attempted to talk to Dr Fate or Zatanna or Mr Terrific or like literally anyone about how to fix this and turn me back to normal literally NOT EVEN one single time? And what the fuck, are these ADOPTION PAPERS?

Jason:

Dick:

Bruce:

Barbara:

The dog:

Alfred, being as brutally honest as ever: it never came into consideration, no

Reader: man, fuck you guys, I'm gonna see what that "Earth-3" dimension is like, maybe THEIR Batman isn't a complete freak 😒

But gosh you wanna talk about morally gray, I was thinking of something when I was watching those Jason clips yesterday and you know, depending on the movie, people were discussing how he literally had head trauma that also could have altered his mental state and i began thinking: what if Reader got a concussion and it eventually spirals into the Batfam basically turning it into one big convenient excuse

Like imagine Reader is, you know a member or extended member of the fam, whether as is or attached to that age regression amnesia idea, and a villain just, REALLY gets a good move in, maybe the Joker himself brings his good friend the crowbar back and you take a good swing to the back of the head, and you have, like, CONFIRMED head trauma, definitely concussed, maybe you even need surgery or treatment for a fractured skull. Just the entire Batfam crowded around your bed comforting you as you lay there in bandages feeling just so weak and helpless and sad 🥺 and maybe not just the concussion but also the resulting months of bedrest until you recover directly result in you needing physical therapy so you're also physically weaker than before

And this goes from "oh gosh Reader is forgetting things more often and her ability to think and focus has obviously changed, what if this is permanent, we better make sure we support her and keep her company and try to help her and make things as accessible as possible" developing to "clearly you are only upset with us because your concussion scrambles you up sometimes and you're more emotional than you were before and you're not always in the right state of mind. what do you MEAN you want to move out and The Mission is stupid and none of us are actually fixing anything, youve never said stuff like this before, that's ridiculous, clearly you're just having another overstimulated meltdown but that's ok, we know you're struggling and you're still our family so we'll make sure you stay here and stay safe 🥰"

And you know, the Reader character is all emotional and stuff, but as the IRL Reader thats one of those situations where you kinda go "well shit, she DID have a traumatic head injury, from the Batfam's perspective you COULD legitimately just be suffering from a concussion and these 'aren't your real feelings'" and it's super morally gray because like yeah, you've been hurt real bad, and maybe you're still recovering, and maybe you do legitimately have a somewhat, er, slightly diminished mental ability now, but that's all manifesting in "you're literally having to break out of the house just to get some time to yourself because youre trapped or have a constant babysitter and Batman himself drags you back kicking and screaming while he's gently scolding how you shouldn't be out there by yourself and that you have to be more careful because what if you got hurt 🥺"

And even if Reader's emotions weren't being affected at all like, it brings THEM some sort of fucked up closure to believe that you're just a little unwell and not, like, you hating them because 'they couldn't protect you' and it is arguably their fault you even got brutalized in the first place. Bruce just internalizing the extreme guilt he feels until it manifests into you basically being treated even MORE like, like some kind of bubble baby, constantly kept safe in your perfectly handcrafted little prison of 'a peaceful life'.

[landboundstar]

Trade Secrets Part 13

More adults talking than the kids this time. By the way, I have one character making his third cameo. Let's see if you can spot the reference, but don't worry if you don't. He'll be making more appearances later.

Part 13

"I hate you!"

Down the hall, a door slammed.

I sighed and refilled the cups of tea for both of my guests before refilling my own.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised at her reaction, but I was hoping for her twelfth birthday before we got to the door slamming stage."

Smiling, I patted Bruce's hand, seeing his worried look. "Don't worry. You should be able to go back and talk to Z. Zatanna is mad at me, not you. Just give it a few minutes. I would prefer not to have to change you back if Z loses her temper."

"Okay, I can do that. But she'll need a fresh cup of tea so it doesn't go cold."

"I think we can manage that."

"I know she isn't the happiest about it at the moment, but has Zatanna gotten a chance to see her new school yet?" Alfred asked.

"We are taking a tour of the school next week."

Bruce stopped stirring his tea and looked up. "Does - does that mean you'll be visiting less?"

I looked up, a little confused, especially hearing the anxiety in Bruce's voice. "I don't see why it would. Honestly, with less traveling and being able to perform in the same place for a while, I think we might be able to visit more. But, yes, I'll still bring Zatanna to visit. And you are certainly welcome to visit here."

"Here?"

I started laughing. "Of course, here. The resort I am performing at is about half an hour away, maybe less to drive. We aren't moving, Bruce. I just thought Zatanna would like to actually be in class at a regular school so she could make friends. You are welcome to visit. So are Rachel, Harvey, and Selina for that matter."

"I'm sure Rachel will appreciate that when she comes back from visiting her cousins." Alfred told me.

"I'm glad," I told him. Grabbing a sandwich and a handful of cookies to put on a plate, before pouring another cup of tea. "Bruce, as the person here Zatanna is the most likely to open her door to talk to, would you like to take her a snack? Don't worry, I will change you back from being a chinchilla if she is still angry."

Bruce nodded as I handed him the plate, and headed down the hall to Zatanna's room.

"Ave Caesar," Alfred muttered dryly as he heard Zatanna's door open.

"I would have thought that Zaranna might want to spend more time with kids her own age. I didn't think she would be quite that angry."

"There have been a lot of changes this past year or so." Alfred reminded me.

"True. I still wish that Harvey and Selina could have come on this visit too."

"So do I. But, Zatanna isn't the only one upset about a new school. Selina will be starting a new school this year too. Her mother is following through on sending her to a finishing school. I believe what happened with Thomas and Martha scared her into wanting Selina to be away from Gotham for a while."

I thought about Zatanna's headstrong friend. "I take it she is taking it with her normal grace and demeanor."

Alfred chuckled. "That is an understatement. She is even more unhappy than Zatanna."

"Does Bruce know?"

"She spent two hours crying and ranting at him when she got the news."

"How is he taking it?"

"He is handling it well. He isn't happy, and has been a little quieter than usual, but the trips every other week to see the therapist Leslie suggested has helped. Matthew and Leslie actually stopped by to visit and to brought him some wooden puzzle games and some books that had been Thomas' favorites when he was around Bruce's age. He appreciated that. And the young detective will talk to him sometimes."

"He was the one that was at the funeral, right?"

"Yes. He'll be leaving next month to go to Chicago. I believe he was selected to go through a law enforcement course that the FBI offers to more local law enforcement agencies. Much to the relief of Barbara Keane's parents, I am sure."

"I take it that they are not fans." I said dryly.

"He does like disrupting some of Gotham's status quo. Which is very likely why he was selected to attend a training that will have him in Chicago for more than a year. Still, I have a hard time finding him too objectionable. He is endearingly earnest. I actually believe he thinks he should be protecting and serving Gotham."

"I can see why he doesn't have many fans then." I said dryly.

"Is Harvey going to a different school then too?"

"No, he and Bruce will still be in the same class. Mr. Dent objected to his son coming out on this visit." Alfred told me.

"Will you object if Zatanna and I come out for a visit before school starts?"

"Not at all. But it will have to be in the next three weeks if you want to see Selina before she leaves for school."

I listened as a giggle came from down the hall and the murmur of voices continued. And I made my decision.

"We'll be there."

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #655

Top Ten MCU Actors Who Could Join the New DCU

It feels like it’s been a big moment for superhero TV recently. Two new shows have just started based on both DC and Marvel characters – The Penguin and Agatha All Along, respectively – and there’s increased jibber-jabber about upcoming programmes too. Creature Commandos – the first proper, official, for-realsies production from James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU – starts in December. And there’s been some interesting casting tittle-tattle about what’s probably the biggest show they’ve got on the docket, Green Lantern series Lanterns, which is going to feature both Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

We already know what one Green Lantern looks like, at least, thanks to paparazzi shots of Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner on the set of next year’s Superman. But Gardner is always, really, the other Lantern; too much of a dickhead, and possessed of too terrible a hairdo, to really be considered the main event. Hal and John, on the other hand, could both be considered the “proper” Lantern, and so it’s going to be really interesting to see them share the screen in what appears to be a sort of buddy-space-cop crime drama.

Anyway the really interesting thing about all of this is the names apparently in the mix to play Hal. I think we already knew (or assumed) that Hal was going to be the older character, more of a mentor-type figure to a younger John, and this has been borne out in some of the actors they’ve either been looking at, talking to, or who’ve already turned the role down. These include Ewan McGregor, Chris Pine, Timothy Olyphant (who, of these names, would be my choice), and Josh Brolin. Now, three of these have already played comic book characters before; both McGregor and Pine are in prior DC films. But Brolin was, of course, an absolutely huge part of Avengers, playing interstellar bad guy Thanos across a number of films (if Brolin had taken the role, he’d have been not one but four characters in Marvel and DC: Thanos, Cable, Hal Jordan, and Jonah Hex – so maybe he thought it was a bit much).

If Thanos can cross the floor, so to speak, to take a major role in a DC show, then – of course – nothing’s off the table. Heimdall himself, Idris Elba, is also DC’s Bloodsport; and there have been a number of smaller-scale roles cast with actors who’ve had a foot in both ponds. I think Thanos being Green Lantern might have been the biggest deal, however; we may have to contend with everyone’s favourite emerald space cop being a major Star Wars character instead.

This has inspired my list this weekend, which is all about actors who’ve had (moderately) significant roles in the MCU, who could now jump ship and appear in a DCU production. I’ve done a few casting suggestion lists over the years, so I’ve tried not to repeat myself – as such I’ve avoided even speculating on truly major JLA-type roles, so there’s no “Chris Pratt for Batman!”-type stuff. Some of these I think would be truly excellent suggestions; others would just be amusing.

Have at it, Jim and Pete! Take your pick!

Pom Klementieff as Zatanna: Klementieff brings a certain other-worldliness to her roles; she always feels at a remove, can project a kind of oddness that’s either adorable and endearing (Mantis) or strange and threatening (Paris). I think this, plus her great comic timing and natural ability, would be perfect for backwards-talking magic-user Zatanna. And – hey – I kinda feel like magicians should be French, I don’t know why.

Edward Norton as Clayface: Norton is, I guess, only technically part of the MCU, but he still counts! He’s got a reputation as a super-serious actor; this would make him perfect to play Basil Karlo, a vain and fading actor who ends up becoming a shape-shifting goo man. He could play him like his character from Birdman, but, y’know, in clay. And he’s got form with CGI characters! Sort of! Anyway, it’d be funny.

Frank Grillo as Slade Wilson: Grillo was great as the super-gruff Crossbones in Winter Soldier and Civil War; he was tough but charismatic, and held his own against Captain America. He’s been public about wanting to carry on the role, despite being killed off, so perhaps jumping into DC waters would be cool. He looks the part for Slade, and can do the action stuff, and as the character is meant to be a bit older and more experienced, I think he’d bring a good sense of hard-earned wisdom to the role.

Dave Bautista as Dr. Will Magnus: I definitely think Bautista will pop up in the DCU. I’d like to see him in a role that was less physical; he’s a terrific actor, capable of bringing out humour, tragedy, and pathos. So it’d be good to see him as a scientist; there are plenty to choose from. Magnus is great because I guess he’s essentially a good guy, but also a bit morally dubious, and has a history of both mental health issues and slightly dodgy relationships with some of the robots he builds. So there’s lots there for Bautista to get his teeth into.

Sylvester Stallone as Wildcat: I don’t know what the plans are for the Justice Society, and obviously casting a guy in his seventies isn’t really going to allow you to make a decade’s worth of intense action movies. But Wildcat was a boxer before becoming a crimefighter; he’s tough, he’s a fighter, and (depending on continuity) trained Batman. The Society are usually presented as older anyway, the previous generation of heroes. Do I need to explain why Stallone is perfect for this role?

Benicio del Toro as Sinestro: Sinestro is, basically, a corrupt cop who really breaks bad – I wouldn’t be surprised if he cropped up Lanterns, as he’s really the big Green Lantern bad guy. Rather than making him a moustache-twirling British guy, I think having del Toro bring both a bit of the grit and strength he has in films such as Traffic, as well as the charm and humour he naturally possesses, would really make the character stand out.

Sam Rockwell as Ralph Dibney: I don’t know what their plans are for these characters, and maybe Rockwell’s too old if The Elongated Man is supposed to be a contemporary of a (presumably mid-thirties) Flash. But come on: a light-hearted, wisecracking detective who can also stretch his body? Don’t tell me his wouldn’t be a fantastic role for Rockwell. I’d want him front and centre of every Justic League film, though. Maybe they could also bring across Rachel Weisz as his wife Sue?

Jenny Agutter as Granny Goodness: Agutter has been really underused in the MCU; after Winter Soldier, I was hoping she’d keep popping up as a sort of British version of Nick Fury. So casting her entirely against type as an evil, cruel, vicious general and leader of the Female Furies, working for ultimate big-bad Darkseid, would be really cool. The only downside is Goodness is usually presented as a plus-sized woman, and it’d be a shame to lose some of that representation (Amanda Waller, for instance, has had a significant weight loss in recent years).

Jeff Goldblum as The Riddler: I’ve tried to limit both the number of former Guardians cast members and also the number of specifically Batman-related characters (sorry, Karen Gillan as Poison Ivy). But we’re back in Gotham for this utterly perfect casting. Goldblum is great at three things: appearing smart, projecting hidden darkness, and a wild eccentric charisma. Making the Riddler an older guy looking for a legacy – a would-be genius out to prove he’s smarter than everyone else one last time – would make him really different from both Jim Carrey’s utterly manic turn, and also Paul Dano’s weird serial killer (who, I’m sorry, is great, but is not the Riddler).

Samuel L. Jackson as Darkseid: is this on-the-nose? First base? I was basically thinking about the voice; who has the best voice for this? Well, to be honest, the answer is the sadly departed James Earl Jones, but Jackson also has a fantastic baritone. Also, if he were to appear in a more human guise, I like he image of a taciturn Jackson randomly appearing in someone’s front room to threaten or tempt them. Jackson is excellent at projecting menace, but also great at delivering elaborate soliloquies. And he’s very funny.

[zorilleerrant]

a thing people don't seem to acknowledge in Batman is that Bruce would hold two types of galas: one for general audiences, and one for the society set. the second would be only for old money types, and Kate would always be in attendance, even while she avoided the fundraising galas. simpler foods, simpler decorations, smaller crowds (but only slightly), and guests would bring out their heirloom jewelry. Bruce would have to host these to a) maintain enough of his social status to push through any legislation or create his charity projects, b) keep an eye on all the rich Gothamites so he knows who's doing what and can harass them while dressed as a bat, and c) keep up appearances so no one knows he's the aforementioned bat.

and then there's the other type of gala, where there would be fundraising. tickets to it would most likely go on sale to the general public at a slightly later date than the members of whatever club is technically hosting it. there would be limited seats, but there wouldn't be any kind of credentials to get in. some tickets would get raffles off in various contests, maybe a radio call in or some promotion at a museum or something related to the fundraiser itself. while a lot of the glitterati would be in attendance, this is likely an event that any given rando would attend, just for fun because they wanted to see what it was like... or for the celebrity guest.

and this is the part that gets to me. because there's so much that a story could do by situating some character as the celebrity guest. and there are so many of them to choose from!

any superhero would be a major draw, and most superheroes canonically spend some time doing charity work like this

Diana or Arthur would be an additional draw because they're royalty, and it wouldn't have to be called a superhero thing

Dinah is a chart topping rock star

Zatanna is the world's foremost stage magician

Luke Fox is a world champion MMA fighter and inventor

Basil Karlo is a famous and dramatically respected actor

Simon Trent is probably not popular enough for all that, but that depends on the popularity of various revivals of his show

Lois Lane is one of the top journalists in the world, multiple award winner, household name, and generally thought of someone whose speeches are fun and interesting to listen to

we have a lot of CEOs available, depending on the type of fundraiser: Ollie, Ted Kord, Lucius Fox, etc.

Stella Maxwell, while also a CEO, is of the motivational speaker persuasion and could be a draw on that front

also imagine if Bruce forced Lex Luthor to do it

Theo Teth-Adam would probably be interesting from a certain perspective, and you could definitely guilt him into it

Boostie is??? an influencer??? or something??? maybe he's not popular enough to drive the show on his own, but he probably knows the people who can

Gar is definitely popular enough social media to be a draw, especially if you imagine it's the actor version

I want to go with the version of Arthur Brown who's a popular game show host but that seems like it's pushing it

[fractualized]

Honestly the start of this year sucks for me, but this comic was an excellent distraction as usual.

Spoilers for The Man Who Stopped Laughing #4 below, as well as, if you can believe it, mpreg!

Joker's escape from the hospital is aborted when the cops arrive to respond to the bomb threat that was only meant to get him medical care. Whoopsie! He retreats back inside and finds a room to hide in.

Joker's already killed the doctor who helped him, so I’m not gonna lie, I’m a tad concerned about where this is going.

But let's take a brief moment for Jason deciding this cop car will make the ideal distraction.

I really need to read more with Jason.

Anyway, my concerns about the kids soften when Joker is just disturbingly endearing toward them:

The kids, who all have terminal illnesses, are all too young to recognize Joker, or maybe it's more that the adults around them are unlikely to bring him up.

Their reaction to his humor is, uh, mixed.

But he does good shadow puppets!

And then there's a wallbreak moment, where Joker references the different backer stories that we've seen so far (including this issue's).

Except that's not what the kids are reading.

Makes me wonder if this is just getting back to classic Joker breaking the fourth wall, or if the backer stories all come from Joker’s mind...

Anyway, the kids like him enough that they don't snitch when a cop shows up.

And unlike the poor doctor last issue, Joker leaves the kids as safe as he found them, with bonus advice!

I mean, he kills a cop soon after for a disguise, but it's more interesting when Joker isn't, you know, indiscriminately murdering absolutely everyone he comes across, because he's just that cRaZy to think murder’s all jokes, oh ho ho.

Anyway, finally, Joker can escape!

This made me lol

Joker does the "put down your gun or I'll kill the hostages" thing so he can lock everyone in a closet, during which he establishes that he believes he's the original Joker (BUT IS HE, ROSENBERG?).

And calls Jason out for stealing his old moniker. lol But once again, Joker does not kill people he could easily kill.

I'm not going to linger on if Joker actually has a plan for Jason. I'm going to linger on what happens right before Joker escapes. He ducks into the room of an old woman.

And he keeps talking to her like this for a few more panels. You're waiting for some kind of joke. Then the police break in and we see:

She's dead, but there's an unexpected implication that before he escaped, Joker helped her pass on, even giving her the photo of her and her late husband. There's a lot to unpack there!

And then we have the B-story. You know. So far in this run I feel like I get what the B-stories are getting at. This one... less so!

Joker is in a confrontation with Zatanna, another setup where he's trying to woo the female lead and she is just not having it.

This made me laugh because I know how I interpret "rail" for Joker. Heyooooo

I enjoyed the third palindrome here too.

Zatanna is not interested in a family, and puts this spell on Joker.

"No one else will ever have your baby!"

And since this is the wacky story, the magic interprets that as Joker being the only one to have his baby.

Joker finally sees a DC doctor, Doctor Phosphorus, and there's another gag about distinguishing between DC characters when we find that Joker apparently swallowed way too much mud during the fight.

Joker asks for someone to kill the mudbaby. I'm not sure if it's supposed to actually be Clayface or just like Clayface, but again I think the main story meta moment is referring to this.

But then he changes his mind when the mudbaby turns into a little clone of himself, which he then brings back to Zatanna.

(This is giving me flashbacks to a terrifying Stephen Colbert magazine picture.)

And so... yeah, I am not sure how to interpret this one, especially given how Joker even in this story itself is not fond of clones, though we did just see him as kind of kid-neutral in the main story. He's always been narcissistic, though, and that follows through here. Hmmm... Maybe future stories will shed more light on this one for me.

[iguana-eyanna]

The Blood Within Us Chapter 6

Summary: Will the reader do whatever it takes to protect the ones she loves when tragedy hits the Wayne family? How far will the truth be tested when she realizes she’s not the only one with secrets of her own?

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x Pregnant Reader

Warnings: signs of trauma, mourning, smoking, neglection

There was a clattering noise that shook the boys to their very core.

They sharply turn their heads and see Alfred shell shocked, with a pool of what appeared to be a metal pan that was holding a few drinks.

Jason took no time and rushed Alfred to a chair in case he would falter, as well as Tim to pick up the discarded drinks and serving tray.

Alfred tries to muster enough words but Jason calms him down before he presumably has a heart attack.

"Your mother asked me to bring down some drinks since you two have been down here so long."

Tim goes up to Alfred, ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Alfred. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Alfred raises his hand to stop the young boy from speaking anymore.

"Master Drake, I have faced much tyranny in my life. But what you are suggesting to Master Todd is very presumptuous." Alfred then gets up from the chair, dusting off himself so he could return to his senses.

"We know it's a long shot, but don't you think we know a lot of people that can prevent death through science or maybe even magic?"

Alfred shoots up after Jason's remark. "What did you say?" Tim asks, Jason looks at the worried Pennyworth.

"You know, we got mad scientists on speed dial and even-"

"Sorcerers." Tim finished his sentence, looking up and running back to the computer mainframe.

Alfred and Jason follow the young boy in pursuit as he vigorously tapes through the keyboard.

"Alfred, do you know how many mystic figures Bruce has worked with over the past decade?"

He ponders for a bit as he tries to collect his thoughts. "Master Wayne has worked with many in his time, but he only brought few here when it came to dire measures."

Tim finishes his typing and brought out the Justice League files that lead to affiliations.

"Here, I brought out all of the members of the Justice League whose backgrounds can fit what we're looking for."

He starts to click away and takes turns to analyze each person.

"Do you remember the Phantom Stranger?" Tim asks.

"I never met him in person, but he has been outside of the Time Stream. He hasn't meddled in the physical plane for some years."

Time swipes to find a familiar face whom they worked closely for some years.

"Didn't we see Zatanna a few weeks ago?" Tim asks again.

Jason takes his turn to reply. "Zatanna has been working with the Titans. She's been helping them track a rogue demon that was loose from its prison."

Tim groans and lights up when he sees a prestigious character.

"Dr. Fate! Now I know he works closely with the Justice League."

"I believe that he has been guarding the Spiritual realm the past months now." Alfred remarks

Tim grunts in defeat and keeps on swiping quickly until-

"Stop." Jason says, eery.

Tim stops quickly and looks up to the screen, slowly moving back as the missing pieces of his investigation made sense just by reading the name that appeared on the screen:

John Constantine

"The traces of tobacco, the fake alias of Carson Jackson, it all makes sense now..." Jason steps away closely, never a fan of the smoking sorcerer.

"Mom mentioned she saw someone smoking at the base when we visited," Jason murmured.

Alfred becomes quiet as he turns away from the screen.

"Master Drake, I advise you to carefully reconsider this assumption of Mr. Constantine. Surely, he is a troubled spirit, but why do you think he has made great lengths to hide such evidence?"

Tim waits for a bit as he looks at Alfred. "Because Bruce asked him to." Jason turns around at his brother.

"You're saying Bruce purposely faked his death? Why would he go through all of this trouble?"

"Because he needed to finish the mission alone." Tim answered, going back to the mainframe to open the past files. "He's going to get back that necklace from the League of Assasins."

"We still don't know what that necklace can do, do you think that's why Bruce had to do this alone?" Tim was about to answer Jason until Alfred interfered.

"Enough." he said sternly, taking the boys by surprise.

Alfred takes a deep breath before continuing. "I apologize for raising my voice, but this is all speculation. Firstly, we do not know if Master Wayne is alive. We cannot blindly lead ourselves to believe that there is a possibility..." He stops, trying to push back his tears.

He then calms down and continues his speech "...and what would your mother think if you were to tell her? She has been under such stress and if you were to give her false hope, I believe more heartache would be too much for her to bear."

Jason and Tim didn't realize what this information would do to you and their brothers. "We're sorry Alfred." Tim said, looking at his hands.

Alfred then grabbed the metal tray he had brought down and headed toward the exit. He takes one more glance at the young boys he raised and gives them one final speech.

"But if he were to be alive, I imagine he did what he had to do in order to keep you all out of harm's way. Don't dive in unless you're ready to be greeted by what's in the trenches." and with that, Alfred goes up within the elevator.

Jason and Tim look at each other in silence, figuring out what to do now. "Alfred's right. We need to figure out what's going on before telling Ma and the others. But let's call it a night" Tim shakes his head in agreement as the two brothers decide to go up to their rooms.

If only they knew they were so right.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clark flies high above the forest, keeping a level head before landing at a particular spot he's been secretly visiting for weeks.

He uses a metal key to open the door, being greeted by the dark interior as well as the aroma of tobacco.

With a simple breath, he breezes out the fumes, never been the one to enjoy such a distasteful scent. He hears a loud gruff and sees the unfavored sorcerer who just finished another cigarette.

"Oi, have to ruin all of the fun, buzz killer?" Constantine said, placing his cigarette in a nearby ashtray. "Where is he?" Clark questions as he towers over John.

"He's in the back. A bit grumpy I tell ya, so don't be surprised if he carries a kryptonite repellent." Clark then goes into the direction of a personal office, sliding the door being met with a man facing his back to him, too inverse in what he was reading on the screen.

"We need to talk." Clark's voice boomed the room. The man continues to type away on his keyboard, not acknowledging the man of steel's presence.

"Why can't you just reach out to them?" Clark asks, not only as a colleague but as a friend.

"Your boys are so lost without you. Did you know Damien called our house late at night to ask if he could talk to my son on the phone? Jon told me that Damien barely talks to his family because he thinks he's the reason you're gone. He's 9, Bruce... he's 9 years old, not far from the age when you lost your parents. And I've been reaching out to Dick but he's shutting me out. He's shutting everyone out because he's trying to be just like you. He thinks he has to do things alone. He had to call the Titans to tell them that he was permanently leaving the team. Dick told them that the world cannot live without Batman. From what I heard, Tim hasn't been patroling because he's working almost full time at the cave and the business. Jason has been picking up the family after you left and he has so much life to live for. And..."

Clark walks closer and slaps down a black and white picture in front of him.

"She gave me this, I thought you should keep it instead of me." The brooding man doesn't dare to turn his head as he knows what is.

Clark walks to the door before saying his last remarks. "I get it, what we're doing is dangerous. But your family needs you, more than ever. I'll come back tomorrow to talk about our mission."

And with that, the Kryptonian walks away to leave the lonesome man to his thoughts.

He looks down and grabs the picture into his hand, now being stained by his tears.

For once in his life, Bruce Wayne was ashamed of what he has done.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You begin tossing and turning in your bed.

Eyes still closed, you start to talk in your sleep.

But unfortunately, it begins to turn into screaming.

It was as if you were falling into a void that didn't have any ground, making you scream louder.

Your body begins to shake, not by your own will but by someone else.

"Mom, wake up!" a voice cried out.

You took a sharp breath in and opened your eyes, jerking upward. You look on the side and see Dick looking beyond worried.

You slowly tear up and muffle your cries in your hands, feeling Dick envelop you in a hug.

"I heard screaming when I came up, I thought you got hurt." You shake your head against his chest, trying to even your breath.

"It was just a nightmare, that's all." Dick lets you go and looks sternly at you.

"Mom, it's not the first time we heard crying from your room. This was the first time that it got worse." He says, sitting near your legs as you dried your tears with the back of your hand.

"Jason said you've been forgetting meals since you've been working at your office. You've been avoiding going to your room, the study, even the cave. We know that you're trying to be strong for us, but we're worried about you and the baby."

You slowly snake your hand at your midsection, moving your thumb back and forth on your stretched skin that was forming a bump.

"You're right. I'm sorry for worrying you boys. I'm going to reach out for help, ok? You don't need to take care of me, that's my job to care for you all."

Dick chuckles and gets up to kiss the top of your head.

"I'll let you go to sleep. But know that everyone is going to support you no matter what." You smile at his statement as he exits the guest room, slowly closing your door.

You wait for a moment till you reach your phone by the nightstand, dialing a number you were once familiar with.

"Hi, Arkham Asylum? May I ask what your family visitation hours are?"

[loloalin]

Prologue: Tales from the Dark Multiverse

Main characters: Raven, Zachary Zatara, Klarion (mentioned)

Words: 700+

Notes: I wrote this a long while ago but seeing a mutual's fics made me want to post this. I may consider updating this. Maybe.

"Leave. Me. Alone."

"I just want to-," Zachary started, remorsefully looking down at the despaired, broken, and caged empath.

"Leave," Raven demanded, keeping her eyes to the floor and body turned away from his direction.

"If I could just-"

"LEAVE! Leave me be Zachary! The last thing I want is to see, to hear from you," she spat out bitterly.

He sighed, resting his head against the barriers of her prison. "I know you're upset with me, but soon you will understand. I'm only doing what's right. What's best for you, for us, for everyone."

Raven finally turned to face the dark-haired mage, snarling at the sight of the monster she had once considered a friend. "How dare you. How dare you have the nerve to tell me that what you've done is right, is just. You betrayed me! You betrayed him! You betrayed us ALL!"

"I had to!" Zachary exclaimed, hitting the prison barriers. "I didn't want to but goddamnit Rae, I had to. He had to be stopped before he could cause more pain. He was bound to destroy everything in his path. And you were-" he paused abruptly, furrowing his brows, "-falling under his influence...I did what needed to be done."

She chuckled darkly, glinting at the man before her. "I'm one of the greatest empaths this multiverse has ever seen. I understood him. I knew him. So did the others. And till this day, I have no question, no doubt in my mind that he and I were saving this verse, not destroying it."

He crouched down, smiling sadly as he now turned his face to the ground. "But that's the problem Rae. You are so empathetic, so compassionate that sometimes you tend to look for and overemphasize the good over the bad in people. Your range for acceptance and forgiveness is so wide. You succeed greatly with helping many, but there are certain, deceptive beings that can take advantage of you and use you for their own agendas. Klarion was one of them."

Raven scoffed. "No, but you were. You are. I should've shunned you the moment I met you. I hate you," she growled, her voice threatening to crack at any given moment.

"And I love you," he stated, matching the intensity of her glare. "And that's why you're here, alive and safe where no one else can hurt you, can turn you into the demon that is Trigon. You're vulnerable Raven, I am protecting you."

"You're hurting me." Her voice broke, a tear escaping her eye. "And you hurt me more every second you stay here."

He wanted to say more, explain everything he possibly could, start to finish, justify all the ways in which he was right. But he knew she wouldn't listen. Not anymore. He stood up, resigned, and took one last look at the girl he loved more than anyone in his entire life.

"I'm sorry Rae. There was no other way. I can't lose you," and once again he affirmed, "I love you."

With those words, he vanished as quickly as he came, leaving Raven desolate once more. She finally cried.

How did things turn out this way? She drove herself mad, trying to piece together all that had transpired, that led to Zachary's betrayal, the dissolution of their group..their family, her capture, and Klarion...Klarion….she couldn't even bring herself to say it. She truly hadn't accepted it. That he was gone. Forever.

Eventually, the tears stopped falling, and all that remained was the harsh reality of her current circumstances. She couldn't stay here any longer. She needed to find a way out, and fast, but she had to be smart about it as well. Zachary, with Fate and Zatanna's help, constructed a seemingly impenetrable prison for her: she couldn't teleport or phase out, nor could her soul self. If that wasn't enough, the barriers prevented her from using any form of telekinesis, telepathy, or empathy on anyone who visited her, much less Zachary, Fate, and Zee.

But not all hope was lost. She was Raven, daughter of Arella and Trigon, born to excel against all odds and triumph in the end, even in a wretched place as the Dark Multiverse. Her team, the Nightforce's effort to save this verse would not go in vain. And that would be enough to keep her going, to keep her fighting. That would be enough.

[themaribatpit]

Jasonette July Day 4: Game On

Written by: The Maribat Pit  @jasonette-july-event  Prompt: Game On Rated: T (for sexual references, mostly references to things that happened in the comics.  You have been warned.) “I can’t just go spilling my protégé’s secrets. I can barely send her out into the mean streets on her own.” she said with a coy show of innocence that she wasn’t even trying to make believable.

 “I’m not asking for her identity, all that concerns me is why you decided to take her in.” Batman explained.

 “She was in trouble, I was in the neighbourhood and I gave her a helping hand,” she explained. “That special claw of hers comes in handy, and besides we all know how you feel about magic users Bruce.” She wasn’t wrong about that.  Batman could never trust Constantine further than he could throw him. He could only bring himself to turn to Zatanna when he really needed her help.  Shazam was an exception, seeing as the limits of his magic were clear and simple enough to understand.  That didn’t make him any less formidable, but it didn’t make him quite as unpredictable.  He was, at the end of the day, a detective who was trained to think rationally and logically in order to get to the bottom of a situation.  Magic was the ultimate wild card, and the sooner he figured out this girl’s abilities, the better.  “You’ll be pleased to know she’s not a completely hopeless case, she’s been helpful but she doesn’t get quite the same thrill out of thievery.” Catwoman remarked, “but it’s been lovely having her around, and I’m not about to just hand her over to you”.

 “Then what would you have me do?” he asked, “I’m concerned your rivals might be a little less forgiving.”

 “Is that so? You don’t think she’s strong enough to save herself?”  Catwoman smiled, it was nice to know that he cared, just a little. “Besides, she’s already had years of experience under her belt, maybe you’re just jealous you didn’t find her first.” She taunted playfully. Goodness knows he was in no position to talk when it came to taking people under his wing.  “Tell you what, how about we have a friendly little wager?” Bruce saw her eyes light up at the thought, but he was undeniably curious about what she had in mind.

 “What do you propose?” he asked.

 “A fun little game, your boys against my little foundling. If any of them can take her down, then you can welcome her into your family with open arms” she explained.

 “How do I know she won’t just kill them?” Batman asked, it wouldn’t be the first time Bruce had to try and steer someone away from any homicidal tendencies.

 “She’s a lot of things, but let’s just say killing wasn’t really an option for her back in the day.” she explained, “She’ll fall in line with your ‘no killing’ rule quite nicely. Think about it, your sons versus my little girl.”  Her claws skated across Batman’s shoulders as he pondered this.

 “Anything else?” Batman asked, he had to know exactly what they were walking into.

 “Your boys can bring a second to their little duels, but only one.  No need to have the Titans ganging up on her.” she explained.  She left out the part about her protégé having other tricks up her sleeve.  With the power she had, they would be lucky to get a single scratch on her.

 “So be it then.” Bruce said, it would be an opportunity to see how this girl measured up against the boys he had trained. At that moment Catwoman decided it was game on.

 Marinette had just come home from her classes at Gotham University, and she was looking forward to a quiet night working on some designs that were due a few weeks.   A text message from Catwoman brought her plans to a grinding halt:

 “Mari dear, made a little wager with Batman.  You beat his four sons in a fight, and you get to stay with me.  If you lose however, he gets to take you under his wing (in every sense of the word).  They’ll be on the lookout for Lady Noire in the next few days, but I never said anything about only using her to win.”

 Marinette was really starting to regret being saved by Catwoman. That night, she was outnumbered by some muggers who thought she would be an easy target.  She was trying to find an opening, to make a break for it, maybe find somewhere to hide and transform if she really must.  Suddenly she heard a voice grab their attention, “I’ve always loved big strong men who aren’t afraid to show it with someone half their size.” she purred.  While they were distracted, Marinette decided to call on Plagg for some help.   She always loved how the Lady Noire suit made her movements feel lighter, plus the night vision and Cataclysm were useful too. Unfortunately for her, it meant that Catwoman saw her in action and decided to take an interest in her from that day forth.  Sure, she was a cunning thief and there was little that Marinette could do to stop her. At the same time, Marinette was a young woman in a city that was the polar opposite of what she knew in Paris. She couldn’t deny that there was something comforting about having someone in this city looking out for her. Especially since her parents were in Paris, and Master Fu was no longer around to help her.  She took the Miraculous with her to Gotham City, but none of the other wielders came with her.  She was still their guardian after all, but she had to be more careful about using them.  She wasn’t about to single handedly take on superpowered crime lords with their armies of henchmen. She had to be a lot more careful with her powers since other people could get hurt.  Besides, they already had a small group of vigilantes keeping the city safe, they didn’t need her.

 Marinette reread the text message over and over again.  she was about to see what these vigilantes were made of, though it was just as accurate to say it was the other way around.  She opened the box, carefully choosing which ones she could use in a fight.  She usually used Lady Noire when she was with Catwoman, but by the sound of it she was counting on her to use all of her tricks to win.

 Damian never fully understood his father’s attachment to Catwoman, but this was a challenge he could not refuse.  They were told to keep an eye out for this “Lady Noire” character while they were out on patrol.  Oracle had agreed to referee this ordeal, Damian was absolutely certain he was going to be the one to bring her in.  They were allowed to bring a second, but Damian didn’t think it would be necessary. From what they were told she was a smaller Catwoman, though they were told to exercise caution because of her destructive abilities.  The last person Damian had expected to find was a girl in a red and black body suit, who looked nothing like the girl with long hair and green eyes that Batman had described.  Still, there was something odd about the girl and Damian moved in closer to investigate.

 Catwoman had given Marinette a vague rundown of who her opponents were.  There was Nightwing, the eldest of the four boys and a trained acrobat. The second eldest was the infamous Red Hood, Marinette had heard rumours about him and she had no way of knowing if the Kwamis could guard her against someone who uses firearms.  The third was Red Robin, Catwoman advised using clever strategy if she was going to get the upper hand on this one.  Finally, there was the current Robin, the son of Batman and Talia Al Ghul, the youngest of the boys who was trained by assassins before Batman took him in.

 She took the Ladybug earrings with her, seeing as they were more versatile for the occasion.  In addition to the earrings, she wore the Longg’s choker around her neck.  Master Fu had often cautioned against using fusions, considering how draining they were on her body.  Her new mentor advised her to use every tool she could in her arsenal, because they certainly would.  On most nights she noticed a small, hooded figure passing through her neighbourhood from time to time. She decided to see which of these boys would be her first opponent.  

 While she was standing on that rooftop, she heard a few footsteps behind her.  It was raining but through the mist and the rain she could see a small, shadowy figure watching her closely.  It made sense, she was dressed in bright colours and standing on a rooftop in the pouring rain.  She practically had a sign on her head that said “come and get me”, which in some way was part of her plan.  The question was, whether or not her first opponent would take the bait.  “I know you’re there little one, so are you going to stay there or come over and say hello?” she asked, Marinette tried to sound cheerful but she ended up sounding silly instead.  She tried to hide the burning embarrassment she felt at how silly that sounded. The boy could probably sense it too, because she turned around and saw him narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously.

 He leapt from his perch and landed behind her with a thud and splatter of rain water.  He was no taller than Marinette and he wore a red and green outfit, with a black hooded cape and a green domino mask. The red and green outfit had a golden yellow “R” on his chest, and she also noticed a sword that was sheathed at his side.  Marinette had to suspect this boy was the youngest out of the boys, Robin.   The two of them stood in silence for a long moment, she figured that someone who was formerly trained by assassins would be a little more hostile.  Then again, he was probably expecting someone else entirely.  “Aren’t you a little young to be out patrolling by yourself, little one?” she asked, trying to make some kind of conversation with the boy. She wasn’t in any position to say anything about this, considering she had been protecting Paris since she was 13.

 “What’s it to you?” He scoffed, “we’re looking for someone named Lady Noire, and you clearly wanted to attract someone’s attention by standing on a rooftop in that costume”.

 “Robin, can you not be a brat for like, five minutes?” Red Robin groaned into his comm, but Damian didn’t listen.

 “You can either state your business or stop wasting my time” he snapped, as Marinette chuckled.

 “So, you’re planning on challenging Lady Noire.  Tell me, what do you really know about her?” she asked him.

 “Only that father and that woman have taken an interest in her, and I intend to prove to both of them that she is nothing special.” he growled, “so unless you know something about her, stay out of my way”.

 “You seem certain, for someone who has never once faced her” she said with a smile.

 “I was trained by the best, I will not lose to someone who is little more than a foundling.” he was reaching for his sword at that moment.  Red Robin and Nightwing rolled their eyes at that comment as they listened in. They knew they had all bested their youngest brother at some point or other, despite being “foundlings”.

 “It would have been easy too just to hide from you and your brothers, but I’m going to enjoy taking you down a peg.” She braced herself for her first fight of the challenge.   She really could have, but sadly she had very little patience for people who thought they were better than everyone else.

 “I won’t lose to you Lady Noire, or whoever you are”, he growled as he drew his sword and pointed it at her.

 “Tikki, Longg, unify!” she called out, and a flash of red and gold light stunned Robin for a moment. The red and black bodysuit now had gold accents and a symbol on her chest.  The symbol was a lighting bolt, a wave and a gust of wind all swirling together.

 “What did you do?!” Red Robin yelled into his comm, “I swear if she kills us all just because you couldn’t control yourself…”

 Robin looked up to see that she had a yo-yo in one hand and the other reached behind her to draw a sword.  

 “And by the way, it’s Dragon Bug to you”, she swung her yo-yo with one hand and Robin ducked to dodge it. After dodging it, he charged at Dragon Bug, katana in hand.  She blocked his attack with her sword before kicking him back with her foot.  Dragon Bug pulled back her yo-yo and charged at him with her sword, when he blocked her, he spun around and kicked her legs out from under her.  As Dragon Bug fell to the floor, she raised her sword and yelled “Water Dragon!”.  There was more than enough to create a barrier that pushed Robin back before he could strike again.  Robin was knocked back against the wall, and she took out her yo-yo to make an escape to the streets below.

 This Lady Noire, Dragon Bug, whoever she was, had insulted his honor.  To him, that just simply would not stand. His father said that he wanted her alive, but he could barely get a scratch on her.  He got up quickly and used his grappling hook to swing after her. She was waiting for him, with her hair blowing in the wind, and a smile that Damian wanted to wipe off her face. He charged at her once more, this time sliding on the floor at the last moment and hoping to take a swipe at her leg. Once again, she managed to turn and block his katana. The pair of them traded blow after blow after blow, but he could only land a few scratches on her.  Marinette could use Lightning Dragon and shock the boy, to bring this to a swift end.  However, with all the water that was around them, she might end up killing the boy instead. Before she could try anything else with that sword, he blocked it and sent it flying off to the side. Marinette watched as her sword flew out of her hands before clattering on the ground next to them.

 Marinette had to admit that this kid was good and that the fusion was starting to drain her a little. She had to act fast as she dodged another incoming strike. She leapt backwards to dodge it but the boy took out a grappling hook, he gave it a few good spins before flinging it forward and catching her foot.  He pulled the wire taut and sent her crashing to the ground, hard.  “You may have your tricks, Dragon Bug, but I have skill, I have training, and now I have defeated you.” he called out as he tugged at the wire, pulling her towards him.

 “That may be true, but there’s something you should know…” she groaned as she propped herself up on her elbows, he stopped for a moment as he waited for her to tell him exactly what that was. Marinette reached for her yo-yo, she needed to finish this and safe her strength, “…you’re not the only one who’s had training.” she told him. Dragon Bug quickly spun her yo-yo and swung it at Robin, this time wrapping the wire around him and pulling the string tight.  He tried to free himself using his katana, while Dragon Bug unwrapped the wire around her foot.  As she stood up she said, “another one of my ‘magic tricks’” as she ran to retrieve her own sword.  She sheathed the sword and looked back to find a hog-tied Robin, desperately trying to cut the cord and free himself.  She wanted to enjoy this moment for just a little longer, there was always something so satisfying in moments like these.  She took a moment to send a quick message to Catwoman:

 “Dragon Bug: 1, Robin: 0” before sending her a selfie, with Robin tied up in the background.

 She glanced back at Robin who was now just scowling at her.  “You fought valiantly little one, but sadly you are not my only opponent” she told him as she unwound the string around him. When she had her yo-yo back, she flung it towards a street lamp and swung forward, lifting her up off the ground. There was one thing Damian was certain of, there was no way his brothers were going to let him live this down. With a good tug of her yo-yo, freed Damian, spinning him around in the process.

 Meanwhile, Jason and Roy were on a road trip back to Gotham, the two of them had just taken care of a Drug Lord in Starling City.  Jason’s phone buzzed with some news from Dick, something about how they had all been embroiled in a bet to take down Selina’s new protégé.  If any of them win, she has to join the Bat family, and if they all lose then she keeps working with Selina.  He could not bring himself to care, it was 50/50 on whether or not this girl was tolerable or if she was going to annoy him like the rest. Roy glanced over at him before turning his attention back to the road, “you look like you’re desperately searching for a fuck to give” he commented.

 “Just some dumb bet Bruce made,” Jason shut off his phone before reclining back in his chair.

 “That’s not like Bruce, usually making dumb bets was something you guys did” Roy wracked his brain trying to imagine the stoic and serious Batman making a dumb bet.

 “Something about Catwoman and her little sidekick.” he drawled, “If Dick, Me, Replacement or Demon Spawn take her down, she becomes Batman’s little sidekick.  Like he doesn’t have enough of those running around”.

 “Ah, I’m guessing you don’t want to fight her when we make it back to Gotham City?” Roy asked, “wouldn’t it be hilarious if you taught her how to win against your brothers?”

 Jason gave a half-hearted chuckle, moments later his phone buzzed with more messages.  He was really looking forward to this little power nap, but he checked to make sure no one desperately needed his help.

 He sees the picture that she took with Damian tied up in the background.  Babs, Steph and Cass had watched the whole thing, with popcorn. While Tim had made that photo the new wallpaper on the Belfry’s computer.

 “Well, says here she literally wiped the floor with Demon Spawn, before swinging away on a yo-yo.” he said and they both laughed “now I’m just mad I won’t get to buy the girl a few drinks”.

 “I mean either way, I’m sure you’ll get your chance if you’re both in Gotham City.  I’m just sad that I’ll have to be your third wheel.” Roy said wistfully.

 “Roy, I had to listen to you and Kory in the next room,” Jason recalled, “you have no room to complain about third wheeling.”

 “Awh was little Jaybird jealous?” Roy joked.

 “Hey you’re the one who assumed that we banged in the first place,” he said “all I said was I was with her, and you decided to interpret that however you wanted”.

 “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway because she ran off to Miami to work through some things, and we’re just over here thinking about the good old days,” Roy said.  The two of them continued to drive in silence and Jason leaned back, trying to get some sleep before facing whatever chaos was waiting to greet them in Gotham City.

  Tim has researched all he could on this mysterious Lady Noire, yet there are several reported sightings of different vigilantes all with the same height and build. Lady Noire, Ladybug, Dragon bug. Tim compiled all known sightings onto his corkboard to get a clear picture of who this person is.

The fight between Dragon Bug and Damian provided him with crucial information on how he could counter Dragon Bug. Tim then donned his Red Robin costume and began patrol of Gotham City. Gliding across he spotted an usual sight, a costumed person standing on a rooftop. It had to be the one Batman told him about, the person he was to fight because of the bet.

Tim landed on a nearby rooftop to reconfirm the target. "Same height and build, but this costume is different." Tim sighed, he had noticed that each costume had its own power and abilities, and made detailed notes on each. Codename: Polka-dot had the power to summon an unknown household object. Codename: Catwoman II used an indestructible staff and the power of disintegration, Codename: Drake used a sword and came with the power of hydrokinesis.

However, he had no intel regarding this new costume. He decided to press his luck and use stealth to take her down. He leaped off the roof and began gliding towards her with a kick.

To his surprise, his target shrank at the last second, he glided through and smashed into a skylight, landing inside an abandoned building.

Multimouse followed suit and jumped in through the broken skylight. Landing right at the centre of the room, she simply stood there arms akimbo looking at him. Red Robin threw a smoke bomb, grappling to the rafters. Multimouse did not pursue, no sense of panic she simply walked to a wooden crate and sat on it.

Red Robin, took the opportunity to launch himself off and glided towards Multimouse with a kick. He was shocked to see her suddenly turn around as if she knew he was there the entire time, with perfect timing she grabbed and judo flipped Red Robin through the wooden crate. Wiping her hands in a dramatic manner, Multimouse walked to the centre of the room and crossed her arms. Red Robin crushed a smoke bomb with his hand, obscuring the area and diving towards an underground vent.

He began to wonder how she was able to counter him so effectively. "The power of foresight? 360 degrees x-ray vision? No it can't be." Red Robin thought to himself. While crawling in the vents to a position behind Multimouse, he berated himself for pressing his luck without any information on Multimouse. He peeked his head out of the vent, Multimouse had not moved, she continued to stare at Red Robin's previous location. Taking another chance, Red Robin jumped out of the underground vent ready for a takedown.

Again as if she was a clairvoyant she countered him perfectly, spinning on the spot and delivering a crushing kick to Red Robin’s midsection. Sending him flying across the room, he took out his staff and slowly got up, using the staff as if it was a cane. He stood on shaky legs, in disbelief.

He then begins to notice something unusual hanging on the hem of his cape. His eyes widen as he takes a closer look. A miniature clone of Multimouse was hanging on, his eyes snapped up to the rafters and then the vents. There were several miniature clones all over the building, all about the size of a small insect.

Red Robin's jaw dropped as he had this epiphany. Seeing her cue, Multimouse shrank down and spawned a horde of miniature clones. Millions of clones rush towards Red Robin, he begins swinging his staff, stomping on any clones on the ground, flailing his arms like a madman. The horde bellows a collective “Surrender,” Red Robins defiantly continues to fight.

Soon the swarm begins to cover Red Robin all the way up to his neck, his body unable to move. The Multimouse arms pulls off the cowl and begins pulling all of Red Robin’s hair. Red Robin, facing the agony of Multimouse waxing his head. “Ok, ok I give up.” he cried. As he finished his plea, the swarm dissipated and reforms to the singular human sized Multimouse. Red Robin is then left kneeling and staring at the strands of his own hair left on the floor.

Multimouse, seizing the opportunity to obtain a trophy of her efforts, takes a selfie with a poor, disheveled Red Robin in the background.

  Marinette was really starting to feel the effects of using different Miraculous for two nights straight. Dragon Bug was draining enough, but she had to use Multimouse to take on Red Robin.  That left Nightwing and The Red Hood, and she was starting to wonder what was the point of this game.  She felt like she was just fighting to win, fighting so that the person who took care of her when she first arrived in Gotham could prove a point.  If she won, then she would stay under Catwoman’s protection, and the Miraculous would be protected with her.  Though she was lucky that the Miraculous themselves didn’t look valuable enough to pique her interest.  If she lost to one of them, she would be under Batman’s protection instead.  She would become a part of the group of vigilantes who operate in the city, and she didn’t know how she felt about that either. How would she feel about seemingly being the only magic user among them?  How would he feel about her being a magic user?  She hadn’t even met the guy, all she knew was that he took an interest in her dealings with Catwoman.  Maybe she would encounter the Red Hood and he would make the choice for her by putting her out of her misery.  She decided to settle this fight once and for all as Ladybug, maybe then someone would give her some answers.  

 She got a text message from Catwoman, telling her to meet her on a rooftop that had gargoyles glaring down at the streets below.  Maybe she had information on where her next fight would be, she didn’t say.  By the time she got there, she saw two people eating fast food next to the gargoyles.  The first was a redhead in red armor, and the second was…

 “Get your own brooding spot, this one’s taken!” He yelled. Marinette looked up to see the other guy had a red domino mask, and in addition to being dressed in Kevlar and leather, had a red bat symbol on his chest.

 Marinette spun her yo-yo, getting ready for a fight. The redhead continued eating, while his dark-haired companion gave her a swift once over.

 “So, you’re the girl who took down Robin and Red Robin?” he asked, as if struggling to believe it.  

 “And you are?” she asked, when he put on the red helmet that was in his hand, it suddenly became clear.

 “So, looking for me?” he asked, “Or are you on your way to fight the original boy wonder?”

 “Honestly, I’ll take my chances with you.” Marinette said as she launched her yo-yo at his companion and wrapped the cord around him.

 “Wait, wait, wait why me?” the redhead cried,  then she threw him and sent him crashing into the Red Hood.  The pair of them slammed into a nearby wall before she released the redhead.  She unwound the cord and was getting ready to strike again.

 Underneath the sprawled out pile of bodies, Red Hood grunted “Arsenal, get your ass off of my face or else…” Arsenal got up before he could finish his threat and they both stood up.

 “So who checked ‘Fights with Toys’ off their bingo card?” Arsenal joked.

 “Is that the best you can do?” Red Hood taunted. He came at her with a knife in hand, when she leapt in the air and wrapped her yo-yo cord around his arm.  She launched herself at him, landing an aerial kick on his helmet. Red Hood grabbed her by the foot and flipped her over, sending her crashing to the ground.

“If you came here to fight me that’s one thing, not many people get to say they took on someone with a yo-yo and lived, unless you’re Toyman.” he said, as he lifted her up off the ground.  “If you think this is what it takes to face Nightwing, then you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

 Ladybug took a few steps back after he helped her get to her feet, “so are you going to fight me instead?”

 “Pixie, take it from me, it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be.  As fun as it’s been watching you kick my brother’s asses, they are nothing compared to Nightwing.” he explained as he took off his helmet and set it down next to him.

 “What do you know about Nightwing?” she asked, still understandably guarded about the situation.

 “Oh what don’t I know, he’s basically Batman’s heir.” he told her “I’m just one of the spares, and that’s on a good day when I managed to not die.”

 Dick had made it clear days ago that he wasn’t going to fight her, he already put his foot down at how silly this whole thing was.  Jason, however, decided to have a little fun. “Honestly, you might as well just walk right into the batcave and challenge Batman yourself.” he told her, “I mean you won’t die, that’s kinda his whole deal, but you’ll be eating through a straw for the rest of your life.”

Jason, enjoying the anxiety bubble in the young woman, and he decided to crank it up to eleven.

“Nightwing is equal if not better than Batman in every way, he once took up the mantle of Batman when he was injured. Not only that, he broke Bane’s back.  He lifted a 7ft tall 500lb big guy, snapped his spine over his knee as if it was nothing.”  Jason moves his arms, mimicking the motion of breaking something over his knee. Ladybug began to sweat even more, struggling to imagine the powerhouse of a man to even accomplish such a feat.

Jason’s grin widens, “not only that, he fought a giant mutated bat the size of a man. He wrestled Man-Bat, putting him in a full nelson and smashing its face into solid concrete” Ladybug cringes at the thought of feeling the full force of having your face slammed into concrete. Jason gets ready for the coup de grace. “In fact, when he was 10 years old, he watched his parents get murdered by mobster Tony Zucco in front of his own eyes. After being taken under Batman’s wing, he went out for revenge. He chased after Tony for hours and cornered him in Crime Alley.

Tony died that night when Nightwent went after him, the official cause was a heart attack.”

Jason stops talking to look around him, as if he was paranoid and there were eyes all around him. He walks up to Ladybug and whispers to her ear “but between you and me, it wasn’t.”

 He turns to Roy, “but if she’s gonna try and take him on after all that, then we might as well pull up some chairs and watch.” he said, giving Roy a knowing look.

 “Oh yeah, I mean he’s no match for a cute girl and her yo-yo.” Roy joked.

 “Come on, he’s probably waiting on top of the Iceberg Lounge, and he doesn’t like to be kept waiting” he declared, Ladybug followed as the three of them made their way to the Iceberg Lounge. She felt her legs shaking, but it’s fine, she would at least live to tell the tale...right?

Nightwing stood on the roof of the Iceberg Lounge, carefully watching the whereabouts of the people going in and out of the area.  He heard footsteps and looked up to see three figures landing on the rooftop in front of him. He looked up to see Red Hood, Arsenal and a short girl who looked to be in her late teens, maybe early 20s.  He looked between them, then back at the girl who was spinning a red yo-yo with black polka dots.

Nightwing waved to them, figuring she would be the short girl mentioned in the bet between Batman and Catwoman. As he noticed the three, the short girl visibly frightened as he walked towards them.

 Nightwing sighed “what did you tell her?” he asked, he had better things to than get involved in Batman’s dumb little bet.  The outcome would have been someone joining the Bat family by force, even he had put his foot down by that point.  

 “I mean, nothing that wasn’t true.” Red Hood told him, “she might as well know who she’s dealing with.”

 “Right, and you probably told her you are just a soft teddy bear compared to me.” Nightwing remarked sarcastically, “was it to keep her from beating the stuffing out of you?”. At that point Ladybug was visibly confused, so Nightwing looked over at her “so how did you get dragged into this? Got sick of having to share a litter box?”

 Ladybug eyes Nightwing cautiously, thinking his joking mannerisms are an elaborate ruse to lower her guard. “What, don’t tell my Catwoman’s got your tongue?” Nightwing jokes with a large grin. Ladybug begins to slowly walk back, confused at how expectations did not match reality.

Nightwing points his thumb at Ladybug and talks to Red Hood, “Alright what did you tell her about me?” Red Hood raises his arms innocently “Like I said, nothing that wasn’t true.”

Nightwing raises his eyebrow at Red Hood and crosses his arms. “Alright I told her how you took down Bane and Man-Bat by yourself” Red Hood admits. “And?” Nightwing begins tapping his foot. “I may have, insinuated that you may or may not have had something to do with Tony Zucco's heart attack”

Nightwing facepalms, “well so much for first impressions, let's start over shall we?”

 Nightwing reaches his hand out to Ladybug, “Name’s Richard but everyone calls me Dick”

Marinette tentatively reaches out to shake his hand, “I know you aren’t enthusiastic about this bet, neither am I. I don’t want to knock your spots off, so how about I lie on the ground, you take a picture for Catwoman and you fly off into the sunset”

 “Where would I go?” she asked,

 “She could come with us.” Red Hood suggested, “nothing would annoy Batman more.”

 “Right, and next she’ll start asking me if I actually hypnotize people with my ass.” Nightwing said as he raised an eyebrow at him.  “Think Catwoman would let you take her?”

 “We already asked, someone has to look after this pipsqueak while she’s doing what she does best, alone”, Red Hood explained.

 Ladybug felt herself calming down a lot more at that moment.  She came to this city not really knowing anyone, feeling like there was no one else looking out for her.  Now, for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was going to be in good hands.

 Bonus 1:

Roy: So, should we call ourselves “Red Arse Bug” or “Lady Red Arse”?

Jason: Do you want me to throw you off this roof?

 Bonus 2:

Ladybug: So you all had to wear red, yellow and green?

Red Hood: Yup.

Ladybug: What was it like?

Red Hood: I did my time in the pixie boots, Pixie.  Doesn’t mean I like to talk about it.

[bigskydreaming]

Okay but imagine a Freaky Friday scenario back when Bruce and Dick were originally on the outs and Dick was with the Titans full time.

Something incredibly plot contrived happens and whammo, eighteen year old Dick wakes up in Bruce’s body with Jason just down the hall....still new to the Manor, filled to the brim with trust issues and other shit Dick can relate to and brings back memories of his early days in the Manor and how hard Bruce worked to make Dick feel comfortable there, thus priming Dick with Nostalgia thoughts and like, I miss THAT guy, where did that version of my dad go and is he still in there....

And additionally, when further contrived plot contrivances conspire with dastardly deeds that force Bruce and Dick to stay in each other’s bodies for like a week or two until they can change back, and like, cosplay as each other because they both have responsibilities that can’t be avoided....like, Dick is forced to temporarily act as Jason’s guardian and like.....there’s character development and personal realizations and building a connection based on common ground and shared experiences even if they aren’t perfectly parallel, much like Bruce built his connection with Dick based on the common ground that was the murder of their parents, and like.....opportunities for all the above are just ripe for the picking.

And meanwhile, Bruce wakes up in Dick’s body and is like.....wut. But being Bruce and having developed eighty million contingency plans even for off the wall hypothetical scenarios, he like, has a plan in case something like this ever happened.....and then he’s smacked in the face with the realization that coming up with an idea on how to deal with a situation you have no actual knowledge of or experience with is not like....a sturdy basis for assuming your approach will be any kind of effective at all. And so Bruce is forced to consult ACTUAL experts with this kind of shit, like Zatanna and Constantine and Dick’s own teammates Raven and Lilith, and grumpily acknowledges that the safest thing for them both is to wait this out and go about each other’s lives as much as possible, like Alfred and Jason and the Titans and the JLA are all in the know, its just....weird. 

And Bruce is uncomfortably aware that he’s surrounded by people who know Dick even better than him at this point, and who are not his biggest fans as a result....and then blow-ups have him trying to defend certain choices....only to realize that when faced with people who are not emotionally invested in a connection with him which they’re afraid to lose by pushing too hard....that like heeeeey, maybe certain choices were not as good as he made himself believe at the time. With this budding epiphany then nurtured by his growing awareness that he’s been treating this whole thing as an inconvenience, like its a waste of his time to be with the Titans when there’s REAL work he could be doing - only he just can’t convince himself of that anymore after being shoved into battle alongside them and seeing them in action from WITHIN their group....rather than looking down on them from a self-assumed pedestal of experience and greater wisdom.

Like, they know what they’re doing, they’re not the kids they started out as and hell, they knew what they were doing even THEN, that’s how they GOT to this point in the first place! They were never actively guided or trained as a TEAM by the older generation of heroes, and they’ve always had an entirely different dynamic with each other than they’ve had with their own individual mentors. And by watching them in action close up, seeing how well they gel and recognizing how much of their strategy and approach to things likely came from Dick sharing his own training with them just as they shared theirs with him and gave him insights and skills that even Bruce doesn’t have because it wasn’t Bruce who taught them to him...

Like, seeing how often they instinctively glance towards Dick for direction and the implicit trust in those gazes, as well as being forced to acknowledge how competently they roll with the reminder that it isn’t Dick and they have to coordinate for themselves because Bruce is the odd man out here no matter what face he’s wearing...

It’s like. Hmm. Epiphanies. They are happening.

And then you’ve got Bruce noticing how much they look out for each other - and him/Dick in particular because of how off balance he is at this time- so he additionally gains an understanding and appreciation of how Dick’s just as safe, if not more, with the Titans as he’s ever been at Batman’s side....

And then he gets a firsthand experience with The Chafing that comes from being smothered and overprotected by people who no matter how well-meaning or concerned they are for his - or well, just his body’s maybe, lol - safety, like, they seem to have no regard for him trying to remind them of his own competency and skills and how he can look out for himself. And since refusing to see or acknowledge that is half the basis for the conflicts that get between him building at least some kind of rapport with the Titans while stuck in this situation...well...

Again. There are. Hmm. Parallels perhaps. To his own relationship with his eldest son and their frequent conflicts.

And so opportunities abound for Bruce to be reminded just how skilled and capable - and needed and appreciated - his son is....as well as how Bruce being on the receiving end of various attitudes or views he’s expressed to Dick, like, might help make him abundantly aware of just how badly that’s probably been going over with Dick, like what all that must FEEL like to Dick and how it appears when viewed from his POV, and how all of that has contributed to the growing divide between them....and thus like, this might hopefully inspire him to like...not do that anymore. Ideally.

And then the plot contrivances wear off and they get shazamed back into their normal bodies and any attempt they might have made to pretend that never happened and just get back to normal is promptly slapped down by the others in their lives, who are just like, lol, no. We’re not doing that. This was weird, it happened, it was a whole thing, deal with it.

Forcing them to, y’know, deal with it. Helped along by some of Bruce’s Intimidation Quotient, such as it ever was, having worn off the Titans during his stay among them, so he starts getting bombarded with texts, calls, and speedster drop-ins like hey, didja adopt your son yet, Bats? How about talk to him. Did you do that at least? Did the word sorry come up at all? C’mon, we PRACTICED this.

Whereas Dick’s walk down Memory Lane via his time spent strolling through the halls he grew up in but from the POV of retracing Bruce’s decade old footsteps rather than his own - well, that did a lot to lower the drawbridge on the emotional barriers he’s built up to protect himself from further let-downs when it comes to his relationship with Bruce....helping to make him more amenable and receptive and optimistic about it being worth getting his hopes up one more time that the space between them can still be bridged.

Anyway. Just a random scenario I guess. Barely thought about it at all. 

[deadletterpoets]

Cass and Steph Top 3 Team ups

Been thinking a lot about teams up I'd want to see for Cassandra Cain. I believe due to how Batgirls is, most of the cool teams up can't happen in that book so these are specific for outside Batgirls. Maybe in Urban Legends idk. Cause I tend to talk Cass I think Steph gets forgotten by me too often so I'm gonna do a top 3 teams ups I'd love to see for Cass and Steph

Cass team ups:

Jessica Cruz - I've wanted a Cass in Space story forever and Jess is my fav Green Lantern (I think she's Yellow now, idk I'm not reading Thorne's GL stuff) and I'd love to see how these two would interact.

Dolphin - Admittedly my only real knowledge of Dolphin is from the Rebirth Aquaman run, but I loved her in that. And also again, I want a Cass in Atlantis story so this seems like a dope time to do that.

Chaos Kitten - This is a new character that caught my eye during Taylor's Suicide Squad run and despite most of those characters getting some sort of depth Taylor did nothing with her. And now she's playing second fiddle to Jon Kent's boyfriend so the odds we get anything more with her is low. I want to know the type of fighter she is, why she fights, who taught her, why is she the way she is, and I think a cool story with Cass could bring a lot of that out.

Steph Team ups:

Zatanna - To me Steph should be seen as resourceful as Batman when it comes to having knowledge about random things within the DCU. First up is Zatanna, I wanna see Steph dabble into the magical realm. I think this would be such a cool thing for Steph to get into.

Supergirl - This is probably the most popular pick in this whole post, but let's be real Steph and Kara together work better than most team ups and they deserve to team up again. I've seen ppl say they should have a World's Finest book and I couldn't agree more.

Talia Al-Ghul - I'm taking this idea directly from DCeased where Tallia has gone off with a recently dead Steph to, most likely, revive her. Now in the main canon Talia seems to be getting a hero turn and is gonna be in Batman's life for a while so I think it'd be cool for Steph to sneak in some Talia time and team up with her. Damian can even be there and we can get the Steph/Damian sibling relationship back.

EXTRA!!! Team ups for the Batgirls:

Wonder Woman - I think the Batgirls NEED a "Batgirls visit Themyscira" story. I would love to see them get training, make friends, and just all in all get out of Gotham and see the world and this is something both of them could use to improve in ways that can surprise Babs and Batman.

Lois Lane - Another story I think would be great. Again a way for the Batgirls to improve in their knowledge that is different. Lois is an investigative reporter, her detective skills might not be Batmanesque but unique perspective on how to read people and see evidence and patterns made her discover the multiverse so she can't be *that* bad. Let the Batgirls learn from her.

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Superman Annual 2023 - People were calling this the best issue of Williamson's run yet, and they might be right. A great showcase of the Daily Planet crew like we haven't seen in ages, with Lois herself getting to be the main protagonist while Clark takes more of a backseat. Williamson's take on Livewire continues to rule, seems he realizes that she is the Anti-Lois and is just canonizing that by having her work at the Daily Planet! Even brought back Red Cloud, the villain who was the Anti-Clark to get Lois and Livewire to bond. Another thing I've been begging for- learning WHY Mercy is loyal to Lex and what her backstory is - seems to be in the cards too! I am somewhat concerned about all of the villains being "redeemed" - Parasite, Livewire, Silver Banshee, Lex, and Mercy are all being placed in this morally ambiguous territory that can't last, and of course there's also PKJ's use of Metallo. My expectation is that Williamson is playing the long game and moving these villains to where they can do the most damage when they revert to type. Livewire at the Planet, Parasite and Mercy with SuperCorp, Silver Banshee with Jimmy (ok I like that relationship and hope it lasts but we can't assume it will), and Lex in Stryker's. Even Metallo is at Steelworks Tower and could wreck havoc there. At least Toyman is back to being a child-killer, call me edgy but I prefer he be the mentally unstable psycho of the Rogues Gallery, and seeing Cat reach out to Moonlight because Cat has suffered in Metropolis too was a nice moment. Finally there's Brainiac getting ready to attack Metropolis to find something buried there, and the presence of Doomsdogs means he's connected to that Watters Doomsday oneshot. Williamson has been great on Superman and ass on events, I hope a Superman event brings out the best in him.

Danger Street #8 - Finally get a glimpse of the connective tissue here. The guy who sold the helmet to Warlord and Starman is presumably the same guy who created the Green Team and the Outsiders, and may even be the same guy who traumatized Lady Cop.

WildC.A.T.S. #10 -Can't remember if this book has had issues solicited past 12 or not, but I think I'll be hopping off by then. This was a fun, entertaining book and still is, but it hasn't bonded me with these characters outside of Grifter. Despite being a "reboot" Rosenberg clearly assumes that most readers already know who these guys are and I didn't coming in and I don't now. Given I need to cut back, this one is getting dropped.

Knight Terrors: Zatanna #2 - Zatanna badly needs a big story that gives her something to angst over besides her dead father. This was fine but I hate how everything keeps coming back to that.

Spirit World #4 - Spread of Xanthe taking on all the demons was breathtaking.

Scarlet Witch #7 - Good issue, glad we got to see what happens when someone shitty walks through Wanda's door and asks for help, but I cannot understand Marvel's approach to the Wanda/Magneto relationship. As her biological father I understand why she feels tied to him despite him being a deadbeat, but was he ever paternal to her at all? Turning him into some rando she merely thought was her dad makes the relationship nonsensical. He didn't raise her, he exploited her and her brother, he was a shit dad, she shouldn't feel anything for him much less his clone. Don't get why Joseph is back either, with Magneto dead are they planning to use Joseph to stand in for Mags for a while? Maybe next issue will make things more clear.

Immortal X-Men #14 - Jesus Charles get off the fucking floor. Shaw is a moron who got rewarded as a traitor deserves.

Avengers #4 - Appreciated T'Challa telling Sam to get off his back, not thrilled about more House of M/Disassembled references for Wanda. Awaiting to see what the Impossible City's deal is, whether it's someone we readers will know or not.

[mystech-master]

Death Battle Heroes Team Up

I and my friend have been talking about this idea for a while.

Imagine all of the heroes/anti-heroes that have shown up in Death Battle

The candidates for this team are anyone who can be considered a full-on hero (fight bad guys and save the world), or even an anti-hero (same but maybe with darker/more brutal methods/motivations, Red Hood, Venom became bros with Spidey later on IIRC, etc.), and they must have appeared on Death Battle, but I am willing to extend it to characters who have appeared in the animation but aren't the advertised combatants (Trish and Jeanne) or are basically confirmed (Ruby Rose and Maka Albarn + Soul Eater), just to add some variety to their franchise reps b/c DB has a shit load of Marvel and DC and many franchises have like 1-2 reps with many of them not even having their main character yet.

I imagine this crossover taking place in some weird nexus outside of space-time so we don't have to deal with the complete consequences of their settings crossing over as well as to explain how canonically dead characters are here too.

All Pokemon who appear in DB will just be a part of Red's collection. Charizard has the Mega Stone and we've seen that Mewtwo can Mega Evolve under his own power.

Imagine the chaos of having Tatsumaki, the Reds and Blues (Xeno Trunks would have an aneurysm after hearing about their time travel BS), 3 My Little Ponies, A couple of Shonen Dumbass protagonists, and more all working together.

Ben has pretty good samples of badass new DNA to scan for cool new transformations: Goku, Superman, Optimus Prime, and Glacius for example. I wonder if he would get Chozo DNA from scanning Samus?

Imagine all of the technology/science-based heroes all bringing their heads together to make something badass (Give Genos a freaking Upgrade so he isn't reduced to scraps in most of his fights).

Goku and Zoro now have plenty of new martial artists/swordsmen to learn and grow from. Yes, Goku is like 50 billion times Universal now and could wipe out all of them in one move, but he can still hold back against a weaker opponent if he thinks he can learn something new from them. Or at the very least he'd be happy to help other martial artists grow, like Ryu (Street Fighter, not Hayabusa), Po, Guy, and Lee.

We recently talked about the possibility that The Seven from The Boys, specifically Homelander, would try to muscle in and lead this team, saying that they are totally awesome heroes, but with Op people like Goku and Superman or the 4 super wizards (Fate, Zatanna, Strange, and Scarlet Witch) they are gonna be put in their place eventually.

The main problem with some of the options for heroes is that they are a bit too dark/brutal. Like we have Guts as a possible hero, but the world of Berserk is super hardcore compared to a lot of these franchises. It feels like if you have the setting or something from Berserk, someone would basically need to have all sorts of horrible shit happen to them (Killed, Eaten, that third thing that Boomstick mentioned in Guts vs Nightmare, or all 3 at once). The tonal clash really messes with this.

This is just a fun idea my friend and I have been talking about that I thought I'd share. It'd be interesting to see if anyone else has any interesting possible interactions between the heroes.

I'll try to list who I have as options (see after read more)

Starwars: Luke, Obi-Wan, Yoda

Metroid: Samus Aran

Street Fighter/Final Fight: Mike Haggar, Zangief, Chun-Li, Blanka, Ryu, Dan Hibiki, Cammy, Ken Masters

Mortal Kombat: Raiden, Scorpion, Sonya Blade, Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage

Marvel: Rogue, Thor, Spider-Man, Captain America, Deadpool, Iron Man, Beast, Wolverine, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Hulk, Venom, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man 2099, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Namor, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, Miles Morales, War Machine, Cable, Winter Soldier, Spider-Gwen, Iron Fist, Storm, Scarlet Witch, Magneto

DC: Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Green Arrow, Barry Alan, Batman Beyond, Raven, Doctor Fate, Nightwing, Aquaman, Shazam, Green Lantern, Static, Black Canary, Booster Gold, Wally West, Red Hood, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Zatanna

Mario Bros: Yoshi, Mario, Peach, Luigi, Donkey Kong

TMNT (either the 2003 4Kids version or Rise): Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo

Battletoads: Zitz

Killer Instinct: Black Orchid, Fulgore (the version who is starting to gain Eagle's mind), Glacius, TJ Combo, Sabrewulf (if they can get him help w his Lycanthropy)

Darkstalkers: Felicia, Jon Talbain

Blazblue: Taokaka, Ragna the Bloodedge

God of War: Kratos

Spawn

Dragon Ball: Vegeta, Son Goku, Majin Buu, Hercule Satan, Android 18, Master Roshi, Beerus, Broly, Trunks (not Xeno version so he'll match and Xenoverse is its own complicated BS). Since Gogeta and Vegito are the same guys they'll just have a pair of Potara so other characters can fuse even though they lack DBZ powers

Sonic the Hedgehog: Shadow, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Silver (similar deal to Trunks)

Harry Potter

Fatal Fury: Mai Shiranui, Terry Bogard

Transformers: Optimus Prime

MLP: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle

Halo/Red vs Blue (It's implied that they share a universe right?): Master Chief, Carolina, Sarge, Simmons, Griff, Donut, Lopez, Church, Tucker, Caboose, Tex (this one is subject to change with how they reference a lot of other media but it would mostly involve ignoring a joke or 3)

DOOM: Doomguy

Mega Man: Mega Man, Zero, Megaman X, Mega Man Trigger/Volnutt, Lan Hikari & MegaMan.EXE, Geo Stellar and Omega-Xis

Final Fantasy VII: Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart

Pokemon: Red (all pokemon are in his arsenal): Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Pikachu, Mewtwo, Lucario, Machamp

He-Man and She-Ra

Thundercats: Lion-O

Ninja Gaiden: Ryu Hayabusa

Strider: Strider Hiryu

Fox MCloud, Bucky O'hare, Terminator, RoboCop, Godzilla (iteration where he is more of an ally), MechaGodzilla (with or without Akane), Gamera

Power Rangers: Tommy Oliver (Tigerzord and Dragonzord), Jason, Billy, Trini, Tack, Kimberly

Gundam: Zechs in the Epyon, Amuro in the RX-78-2

Kirby: Kirby, King Dedede

Guilty Gear: Sol Badguy

Naruto: Gaara, Naruto Uzumaki, Jiraiya, Sasuke Uchiha, Might Guy, Kakashi Hatake, Rock Lee

Avatar: Toph, Aang, Zuko, Korra

Guts, Goliath

Metal Gear, Solid Snake, Otacon (remember if they show up in the animation they count), Raiden

Splinter Cell: Sam Fisher, Grimm

RWBY: Yang, Weiss, Blake, you could possibly count Ruby since Ben Singer did say that that matchup WILL happen as it was Monty's Request

Astro Boy

Tai and Agumon, Renamon

Devil May Cry: Dante, Trish, Vergil

Bayonetta, Jeanne

Ratchet & Clank

Jak and Daxter

Tracer

One Piece: Zoro, Ace, Sanji

Fairy Tail: Erza, Natsu, Gray

Lara Croft, Nathan Drake, Scrooge McDuck (reboot version), Shovel Knight

Voltron: Keith, Lance, Hunk, Alura, Pidge

Ichigo Kurosaki

JJBA: Jotaro Kujo, Jonathan Joestar

Kenshiro, Crash Bandicoot + Aku Aku, Spyro the Dragon + Sparx

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey

Pit, Leon Kennedy, Frank West (the last 2 were almost ignored but Marvel vs Capcom made me rethink it), Jin Kazama, Samurai Jack, Afro Samurai

MAYBE Lucy from Elfen Lied if some of the more paragon heroes manage to help get through to her, but she'd be a challenge

Ben Tennyson, Mitsuru Kirijo, Captain Falcon, Edward Elric, Hiei, Mob

One-Punch Man: Tatsumaki, Genos, Saitama

My Hero Academia: All Might, Shoto Todoroki, Deku

Danny Phantom, Jake Long

Like I said the Seven would try to join and take over but the super powerful characters can put them in their place: Homelander, Black Noir, Queen Maeve, A-Train, The Deep, and Starlight. Butcher might be brought in as well.

Soul Eater: Crona, and Maka + Soul Eater (similar logic to Ruby Rose up in the RWBy section)

Kill la Kill: Ryuko and Senketsu

Mikasa Ackerman, Po, Steven Universe, Star Butterfly, Alucard (the 4 super wizards putting a leash on him, some of the heroes' honorable nature, and DIO + Dracula being evil vampires might allow him to play nice for a time), Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado, Omni-Man, Excalibur

Bond and Wick are a bit too down to Earth to fit among all this fiction so either they'd be cut or they'd have to be handled very carefully

Spongebob and Asta

That is the total list of heroes that we've considered for this crossover.