#pre batman

[comicarc]

𝐈 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 (𝐈)

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"A lonely moon craving for the radiant sun." In which a certain girl catches the attention of a prideful billionaire playboy as they both attempt to find their way in the world. (I haven't seen many fics explore Bruce in his formative years, so I thought I'd share my take on them, of course with romance.)

wc: 2683

The seats were empty, and the theater dark, yet she couldn’t help but perform for the phantoms that haunted her life. She sat in the middle of the stage, leaning her figure against an unfinished background prop. She harmonized her absentminded humming with the blaring sirens of cop cars outside. With her math textbook in her hand and a pencil twirling between her fingers, all y/n wanted to do was be done with studying. 

Her enthusiasm for learning had long passed since her arrival at Gotham Academy and transformed into an impatient obligation to succeed. Now, the day before her finals, y/n studied as rigorously as she had done a month prior. The method of her pursuit of excellence was pure insanity, even to her, and yet she was willing to sacrifice even more if it meant beating the very boy who had put her in this situation. 

Eventually, relieving her mind from its tension, y/n stood up from her cross-legged position, packed her bulky backpack, and headed down the steps of the stage with caution. Her eyes were too droopy and her body too weak to keep her upright. Today was the one day out of the whole year that she hated being in her dorm, and even the prospect of sleeping there tonight was one she did not look forward to. In the dark theater, opposite the residential area of the campus, y/n found solace in the isolation it provided. 

As she approached the dorms, y/n could hear the clamor of roars and shouts that emanated from the area. Closing in on the rowdy scene, she saw the starting line of the annual Memorial Day race outstretched right in front of a residential building. The track widened between the structures and out onto the street, eventually looping back to the start, leaving y/n with no way home.

She couldn’t cross the tarmac for the race had already started and an army of bodyguards surrounded the border. She could always try her hand at pushing through them, but seeing how she was drastically outnumbered, the girl opted to make camp at one of the bleachers at the back of the stands. Fighting her way to a spot in a corner, y/n set down her bag, securing it between her legs, and leaned her head against the metal fence beside the bleacher, hoping that she would be able to sleep through the cacophony of sounds that surrounded her. 

Lost in the blackness of her sight, y/n was in reverie as she worried about her forthcoming future. Gotham Academy was a school for the one percenters of the city, the children of politicians and billionaires. It had been a feat in it of itself to be able to attend such a prestigious school, but the baggage that it came with was another challenge. Upon stepping through the entrance doors, y/n had never been able to make a choice, for it was either endurance or death. She had to be the best to stay with the best, and Bruce Wayne, the billionaire playboy, seemed to make it his life’s mission to ensure she never remained.

His hatred toward her was something that, in their four years of acquaintance, y/n had never understood. Of course, she like many other, if not all, girls at the Academy was smitten with his handsomeness and abundance of wealth. Though she never obsessed over him, y/n couldn’t deny her attraction. That was until the very first exam took place. 

y/n, needed to maintain her scores to remain at the school, and thus it seemed almost unthinkable for her to be anything but in the first place. Yet, upon seeing his demotion displayed on the billboard in front of the class, Bruce’s entire attitude toward her shifted from indifference to hostility. It seemed he had set out to ruin her since that day.

The current situation was a product of their developed feud, for Bruce, with all his privilege and power, convinced the school board in their freshman year, to host an annual race that would help boost funds. And wouldn’t you know it, he chose the starting point to be right in front of y/n’s dorm. 

y/n was angry, rightfully so, yet she held no influence here, forcing her to adapt to her unideal circumstances. As was the story of her life, an endless amalgamation of suffering amassing into a perseverance to be reckoned with. Instead, she did all she could do against him. The prime domain of her victory was, of course, on exams as she always was at the top of her class. 

Left with the thought of another inevitable victory on her finals tomorrow, y/n’s mind slipped into a deep slumber for hours. She awoke to the sight of the morning sun burning against the tender, cold skin of her wrist. The rest of her body was warm under the cover of a large coat. Groggily blinking her eyes until they remained open, y/n tilted her head in the other direction, knowing that her best friend’s shoulder would be waiting for her head to land on it. 

“Thanks for the coat, Harvey.” She smiled softly. His presence was comforting enough, even in such uncomfortable circumstances. He had a way of washing away all her woes with his company. 

“How do you never sleep in? Even without an alarm.” He questioned, clearly confused. The girl was an apparent mystery to him, but also a welcome change, for in a society surrounded by people with their heads in the clouds, it was nice to meet someone grounded. He knew the circumstances that led to being as such were not something to envy, and yet he very openly spoke to her of his desire to have similar persistence and perseverance. 

Chuckling, y/n replied, “I guess my body’s internal clock is a bit skewed y’know. Like an animal instinct, if I sleep too long, I’m scared something might happen to me.”

Harvey was unsure of how to respond, so instead, he remained silent and held her against him with one of his arms wrapped around her body. He had found comfort in her, just as she did in him, though he was not one to admit it, unlike her. They stayed pressed to each other for a few more minutes until Harvey saw people leaving their dorm rooms. 

“You should probably clean up before the tests start.” He suggested, still unwilling to let go of y/n.

“Oh really?” y/n sarcastically quipped, eventually wriggling herself from his hold, handing him his jacket back, and heading to her dorm with a wave. Harvey saw her off with a wave of his own, staying at the stands for a little while longer as he basked under the warmth of the sun’s rays. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Finals were over, y/n got her results back and she was number one yet again. With tremendous glee and delight, she skipped down the hall towards the library where she was to meet with Harvey. Just as she was about to enter through the grandiose wooden double doors of the room, she was stopped by the dean, Philip Wilcox.

The stout, bald man waddled his way towards y/n, exhausted from trying to grab her attention from down the hall. He was always hostile to her, even more so than Bruce, yet they never interacted enough for his behavior to feel too off-putting. 

The few times that he had called for her, he would make a request she could never refuse. The man was as corrupt as every politician and police officer in the city, having been a part of many people’s payroll. The only way he could keep his position was if he pleased those who had put him there. Thus, he employed vulnerable students like y/n to do his dirty work.

Usually, he called her to his office to pick up some cash he was offered by one of the elite families of Gotham to ensure that their child passed through the school. Essentially, they were bribes that he was too lazy to acquire himself. y/n’s scholarship was at stake if she ever refused his whims, and running errands such as these weren’t as bad as the other crimes in Gotham, thus she endured it.  

Today though, his expression, his agitated body language, and his huffing breath left y/n anxious about the task she would be assigned. He had never been this distressed before, or at least, displayed his fears on his face.

In a hushed tone, as he neared the girl, Wilcox began his berating, “Why did you ignore me, you insolent child? I know you heard me screaming from the other end of the hall.” y/n did not in fact hear him, but there was no use bantering with him over something so miniscule. 

He continued, having finally recovered from his panting, “Never mind that. I have a very important job for you. It’s different from what you usually do.”

“How so?” y/n’s concern heightened, for change such as this never meant anything good.

“I need you to go to Sionis Steel Mill, get a package from there, and drop it off in Crime Alley.”

“What’s different about that?”

“There’s a few instructions you have to follow before you get the package…” He thought for a moment before smirking and continuing, “Kind of like a game. You like games don’t you?”

y/n remained quiet for it was clearly a rhetorical question. She watched as he looked at her with anticipation as if he believed she had the capability of refusing him. Fortunately for him, y/n gave him a curt nod before making her way around him to the library doors. Before she could walk through, he recounted, “Oh, you’ve got no time to spare. I need you doing this now.”

She couldn’t catch a break, could she? y/n turned away from the door upon hearing his subtle command and texted Harvey that they’d need to reschedule. Her only motivation for continuing to endure this torturous lifestyle was her imminent graduation in just a few weeks. If she could survive that long, then she’d finally be able to escape this godforsaken place. 

After a short bus ride across town, y/n was exactly where she needed to be yet the package was nowhere to be found. She didn’t want to venture inside the steel mill, especially during dusk as the light slowly faded and left her blind to the dangers that lurked in every corner. 

In the past year, there have been many deaths here due to faulty equipment, gang rivalries, or simple scuffles. At any moment a piece of machinery could fall onto y/n and crush her to her death, even the entrance sign that stood tall in front of the mill creaked in the light breeze. With the arrival of summer, nights in Gotham had hovered at a lukewarm temperature, enough so that one could stroll around at night without a jacket. But now, knowing she’d have to enter it to finish the job, a shiver ran down y/n’s spine and her exposed arm became prickled with goosebumps. 

She moved through the place with heightened caution, making certain that she remained in large open areas with no metal overhanging or machinery nearby to kill her. The sun set quicker than she had expected, leaving her stuck in pitch darkness in the middle of the mill. Every scrape, grind, and tick she heard made her jump with fear. 

Her heart beat vigorously against her chest as sweat began to drip down the side of her face. It was a sort of crippling anxiety that y/n had never felt before, for she had never been so close to death. Sure, the streets of Gotham were no better with robbers and gang members roaming through, but at least there were normal people nearby. If she yelled for help, she was assured by the fact that someone would have heard her, even if they didn’t think to help. But here, isolated from the city and left at the mercy of thugs who had stayed behind to commit heinous crimes, terrified her. 

y/n had roamed around what she would swear to be the entirety of the mill, only to turn up empty-handed. The gaping hole located at the ingress of one of the factories proved otherwise. With nothing but her phone, y/n shined her electronic flashlight down the abyss. y/n peered down to observe no end to the darkness. 

Surely Wilcox didn’t expect her to go down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, did he? y/n tried to reason the situation, finding it preposterous to expect her to sacrifice her safety for paper. But she also knew she wouldn’t have a life to go back to if she returned empty-handed. In a spontaneous moment of action, y/n lowered herself into the hole, shutting off her mind to focus on lowering herself down the pit. She knew if she had thought any longer, then she’d be too scared to follow through with her task, but in that moment, losing her place at the Academy felt like dying. And she refused to die. Thus, to Wonderland she went. 

She felt lucky that her descent down the rabbit hole was relatively easy. On one side of the hole hung a metal ladder, flimsy, but stable enough to hold her weight. Cautiously, y/n made her way to the end of the ladder where she was met with wet soil underneath her sneakers. The squelch that the contact between her feet and the ground made, caused her to cringe. Her sneakers were sure to be ruined, and the longer she stayed put, the more soaked they would be with the strange liquid. Digging through her jacket pocket, y/n found her phone again and fumbled to turn on the flashlight. Finally, the light shone and illuminated the area revealing a path that resembled a mining tunnel. 

“What are you doing here.” The sudden voice from behind y/n made her jump. Catching her foot on a rock by accident, she tripped and fell backward into strong arms. Her phone had fallen from her hand, landing on the floor as it illuminated the stranger’s features just enough for her to identify him.

“Bruce Wayne?” y/n was dumbfounded upon seeing the familiar face, for a rich kid standing in what was clearly a sewer-like tunnel seemed ludicrous. What was even stranger was the fact that the area was too secluded to just stumble upon, he must have come here for a reason.

“I asked a question.” His tone was stern, as if y/n intruded on him. Face stoich as ever, he bore his eyes into hers attempting to elicit a response from her.

“I’m not answering until you tell me why you’re here?” y/n knew how dirty the rich could get for she had been entangled in many extensive corruption schemes through the dean. It was no surprise to her that Bruce Wayne would turn out to be a shady character, so following her gut instinct, she chose to keep him in the dark.

He took a moment to analyze her face, as if he could look straight through her with his glare. His eyes were sharp, somewhat droopy, but attentive nonetheless. The rich blue ocean of hue shone in the dim light, so peculiar that the more y/n stared into them, the more lost she got. She remained in his arms, gripping them as if they were her only tether to safety.

That was until, he dropped her and moved along the path, using the dropped phone as his light source. Dazed on the muddy ground, y/n was shocked by the abrupt action. Upon realizing that he had left her stranded, she scrambled to her feet and ran after the fading light hoping to gain some answers.

[minnesota-fats]

Snow Bat

Ch 1

Danny, a homeless kid living on the street. Bruce, a rich kid obsessed with trying to find his parents' murderers. They both meet one rainy night at age eighteen, and from that night forward their fates are intertwined forever more.

All is as it should be.

Danny remembers the night like it had just happened—but I guess you will witness it first hand. He had situated himself on a street corner, not busy enough to have a constant set of eyes on him—but then again no one really batted an eye at a homeless kid here in Gotham. Though, Danny did not consider himself a kid anymore. Not after all he had been through, though that doesn’t matter right now. Danny was sitting on the concrete walkway, not really paying attention, just sitting in thought on what he should do next. He had gotten this far, but he still needed to figure out what to do next. He had come into town with a bag of clothes and a wallet full of money. Thought that didn't last long when in a shitty part of town, known for muggers and killers.

Danny didn't really put up much of a fight either, he was too tired to really do anything and most importantly he didn't want to use the abilities that he has. Sure, it would have made getting away easier but when did Danny ever do things the easy way? So, in the end he was down one bag of clothes and any identification and money. Though while on the run, you don't really want people to know who you are. The only purpose his ID had was just to serve as a reminder of who he was, now with it gone, Danny can really start anew. He just had to figure out what he was going to do.

Danny didn't really register the rain until he felt it stop pelting his head aggressively. He looked up and was confused to see an expensive looking umbrella positioned over his head. Danny followed the hand holding the umbrella to see a young man who was surrounded by a halo of the street lamp shining directly behind him.danny tilted his head to the side to examine the man, he had stormy gray blue eyes and slicked back black hair that started to lose shape as the rain began to wet it and his suit jacket. Danny could feel his heart skip a beat, something very noticeable when your heartbeat is as slow as his. The man looked down at him and tilted his head to mimic Danny's own head tilt.

The young man’s name is Bruce Wayne, heir to the Wayne family fortune. He had been walking around to clear his head after he had a fierce argument with his father figure Alfred. Bruce had stormed out of the vehicle and began walking away in a random direction. Bruce knew that Alfred wouldn't be too far behind, knowing how protective he was of Bruce. During his walk however Bruce had spotted what looked like a kid no older than eighteen, sure he was the same age, but Bruce hadn’t considered himself a kid for a long time despite what others around him might say. He tightened his grip on the umbrella and without much thought he walked closer to the young man. As Bruce got closer he could see the man had a busted lip and swollen downcast eyes. There were smudges of blood on his dirty hoodie and a steady stream of pink bloody water dripping from his hair. It is clear to Bruce that this young man had just been on the losing side of a fight or at least a beating.

It reminded Bruce of how he used to get into fights in primary school after- Bruce didn't want to think about that right now. Bruce walked toward the man and used his umbrella to shield the man from the rain. When the young man looked up, Bruce couldn't help but admire how bright this man's eyes were—at least the one that wasn’t swollen shut. The young man in front of Bruce had unbelievably blue eyes that almost looked purple as the light shifted when the young man tilted his head to the side in confusion, Bruce mimicked the movement.

Bruce knelt down to be at eye level with the other man, “what happened?” He asked, voice smooth and unassuming.

“Got my shit stolen,” Danny says with a shrug, his voice sounding hoarse from the disused. Danny coughed and cleared his throat, “what does it look like?”

Bruce looked him over, “you seem to have suffered several contusions that range from a not so serious looking busted lip to a concerning head wound that may or may not need stitches.”

Danny tilted his head the opposite direction, “oh,” was all he could think of saying, dumbfounded by the sudden medical analysis.

“If you would like I can take you to the hospital,” Bruce offered, “my car is just around the corner.”

Danny’s eyes widened, “no! No hospital,” he exclaimed. His back straightened up as he tried to lean forward, but the sudden movement made him feel dizzy. “I, umm…. Can't afford it….” He tries, sounding unsure.

Bruce looked harder at the young man in front of him, “money isn't an issue,” Bruce starts. But the tension in the man's form made him reconsider his approach, “But if you want I can treat you at my home,” He offered.

Danny calmed down at what the man said, “No, it's ok. I'll be fine,” he starts as he leans back down against the wall, not taking his eyes away from the man in front of him. “I don't want to impose.”

“Then do you have somewhere I can take you? I’m not leaving you here alone.” Bruce says, stubbornly.

“Really buddy, I’m good, I don’t need-” he tries but Bruce cuts him off.

“I promise you, I won't hurt you,” Bruce tried again, “If you want you can even stay the night, have a warm meal and shower. I just want to help you.”

Danny looked at this man again, really looked at him. Danny could feel that this guy really meant it, he wanted to help danny—no strings attached. Danny let out a groan before leaning forward and shaking his head in annoyance. Danny looked back up into the man's eyes, “fine,” Danny grumbles out, “only for a hot shower. But if you're a serial killer I'm gonna be real pissed off.”

The man smiled and reached out his hand for Danny to take, “don’t worry, my name is Bruce. What’s yours?”

Danny accepted Bruce's hand and groaned as he helped hoist him up, “name’s Danny,” he responds, “I think I might have a broken rib or two,” he admits, swaying a bit as he clutched his side.

“To be expected when mugged in Gotham,” Bruce said darkly. The comment made Danny snort a bit in laughter. Bruce smiled a bit as he pulled Danny closer to him so they could both share the umbrella, Bruce could see the man tensed up a bit before resting into Bruce’s side. It was like that Bruce led the injured man to the edge of the sidewalk just as a sleek black car drove up and parked in front of them. Danny seemed to tense up again at the sight of the car, looking like he was ready to bolt. Bruce made sure to keep his posture passive, hopefully to convey that they were not in any danger.

The front window rolled down to reveal the familiar face of Alfred, “I see you have made a friend, Master Bruce.” He commented as he moved to get out of the car.

“No need to get out Alfred, I got the door.” Bruce says softly and he pulls Danny along and opens the back door. He holds the umbrella up above the door to allow Danny to get in first. As Bruce guides him down to sit Danny groans again as settled in. Bruce smiled at Danny reassuringly before he closed the car door and ran to the other side to get in. Once in the car Bruce looked forward at Alfred who looked through the rear view mirror at his ward, “to home please, Alfred, I promise my friend here a warm meal and shower,” Bruce explained before looking back at Danny, “after I check his wounds,” he says directing that part to danny who just groaned in annoyance before looking out the window.

Alfred smiled softly at the display of fragile trust, proud of his ward’s stubbornness when it comes to others safety.

Hopefully, this will be good for both young men, the old butler thought as he took note of the state the new man was in.

If only he knew how significant this meeting actually was.

Only time will tell.

—

Remaining chapters on ao3:

Link

[minnesota-fats]

I had this idea for a while but im using this post as an excuse to just share it!

Liminal! Bruce Wayne

P.s. the living shadows come from a dream I had

—

Underneath the earth in a cave that had been undisturbed for centuries sat a pool of inky black substance that rithe with no real aim or care. This substance is a mass of Living Shadow, named for the way it moves with nothing to cast its shadow. But it is not at all a living thing; it is a gaseous creature that is incapable of self thought and perception. A Living Shadow is a byproduct of a shadow ghost fading from existence, leaving behind the physical realm when it meets its end.

This cavity in the earth has sat in the dark with no light to feed off of for eons. But a shift in the tectonic plates causes a crack to form in the walls, allowing the shadow to slip out into a larger cave.

Bruce walked along the field behind the manor, preoccupied by thoughts of school, homework and the upcoming gala that his parents were hosting in a day or two. Bruce was 7 years old and had just been released from his grueling piano lessons. Bruce hated his tutor, she was old and always pinched his cheeks too hard. Bruce hummed the tune of the song he had just been practicing when he took a step forward into the tall grass only for him to fall forward into a hole that had been hiding there. The boy gasped as he tried to catch himself only for the dirt to cave out from under him, swallowing him whole. Bruce lost sight of his surroundings as he began to plummet into the caves he didn't know were underneath the manor. He tried to scream out only for the wind to take his breath out of him as he fell faster and faster.

Bruce hit the ground hard and dust scattered around him; Bruce rasped out with jagged breaths as he felt something warm and wet trickle down his face. The fall left Bruce staring up at the hole he had fallen from; the only sound he could hear was the screeching of bats that were disturbed from his fall. Bruce's vision blurred and the last thing he could remember as he faded from consciousness was how the sound the bats made filled him with fear.

When all grew silent again from the darkest corner of the cave the very shadow that had escaped the confines of its void felt Bruce’s fear and was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. It floated forward slowly like a thick fog and it caressed Bruce's skin, it crawled up and hovered by the heavy scraped and open gashes the boy sustained after his fall. It was calm as it began to wriggle its way into the boy's very blood. As it went, the living shadow began to heal its new host and ate the boy's fear and pain as it went. The shadow clung to him like a leech and infused his very essence with it’s. The final wisps of the shadow made its way into Bruce and closed his wounds behind it, leaving Bruce bathed in the rays of light from the entrance.

Bruce’s eyes flung open, eyes fully black as he violently gasps for breath. Bruce blinks a few times, tears escaping as he does so.

Bruce looks up and around himself, fear still there but not as strong as it was when he fell.

Bruce began calling for help causing the bats to fly once again.

DPXDC trope writing challenge!

Choose a number of these common DPXDC tropes and write a blurb or fic without using these tropes! Easy Mode: chose 3 tropes from the list. Medium: Choose 5-7 tropes from the list. Hard: Choose 8-10 tropes from the list Batshit Crazy: 15+ tropes from the list.

Twin/Sibling AU

Lazarus water is Ectoplasm

Jason Is Liminal/Revenant/Halfa AU

Ghost King Danny AU

Adoption AU

Runaway AU

Ships

Danny Mistaken for [X] AU

Eldritch Danny AU

Slow Heartbeat/Inhuman looking Danny

Batfamily

Danny Lives in Gotham

Summoning AU

Evil Fentons AU

Alternate Dimension of [X] Character AU

GIW as Main Plot/Antagonists

Ghost Convention

Evil Superman

Magic Users Involvement

Kryptonite is Ectoplasm

Danny Owns Constantine's Soul

Jazz works at Arkham

Danny is a Clone (Superman/Batman/a Batboy, etc.)

Gotham is an Old Ghost

Happy writing y'all!! Sometimes putting yourself in a box makes you even more creative. Hope ya enjoy this writing challenge :D

[robingivesmemagic]

[ pls dont tag as ship ]

[supine-ly]

they’re looking for tim

[citizenmoe]

*preparing for a wayne gala*

jason: how can you ever tell the difference between all the fancy forks?

tim: it’s really not that hard, the salad fork is smaller than the dinner fork, the cake fork has three prongs, oh there’s also the lobster fork and fish fork and…

jason: of course you know all this rich boy being raised with a silver spoon and all that elitist bs

tim: you know my parents forced me to go to etiquette school…

jason: and im supposed to feel bad for you?

tim: i still have my flashcards

jason: oh that would be great actually can i have those

[oifaaa]

People will try to convince you Jason Todd is the impulsive doesn't think before he acts type of guy and its funny bc Jason is almost comedic in how fucking long it actually takes this boy to plan out anything

[we-ezer]

Joker stabbed Harley in the stomach when she told him she is pregnant. In pain and bleeding out, she turns up at Ivy's safehouse. Ivy gives her a glowing green vial she received from Ra's al Ghul in exchange for the carnivorous plants she gave him for disposing of bodies. Harley drinks the water and the wound closes, but she stays with Ivy over the course of her pregnancy to make sure Joker won't try to cut out the fetus again. When she finally gives birth it's in the safehouse with her, Ivy, and Dr. Thompkins who promised she wouldn't say a thing to anyone. Baby Danny is born with his eyes open and glowing green, but they soon fade to Harley's blue. Harley and Ivy had already discussed what to do with the baby and decided Gotham was too dangerous for him, so Ivy makes the journey to Amity Park to drop him off with her old friend, Maddie Fenton, who agreed to take him because her and Jack were having trouble conceiving.

When Harley eventually returns to the Joker, she tells him she drowned the baby in Gotham Bay.

[corkinavoid]

DPxDC Confident!Danny

Okay, sure, I'm always down for a teenager Danny who is on the run/adopted by Batfam/needs therapy and cuddles. The young and tired Danny who just wants comfort so hard. Beautiful.

But.

What about a slightly morally gray adult Danny? The one who is not afraid of turning into Dan anymore, because 1) Clockwork already erased that future, and 2) he knows himself, and he knows what he wants and what he is capable of. It's not like there are only two ways - world destruction and the perfect hero.

Danny, who embraces being the King of Infinite Realms. Danny, who actually doesn't mind doing whatever the fuck he wants, going by his own moral compass. Danny, who knows he is powerful and doesn't bother trying to hide it. Danny with an attitude "I am what I am, don't like me - get lost".

He is still kind, sure, but he is not a people-pleaser. He can be a King, a hero, an anti-hero, a mercenary, a civilian, and even a vilain occasionally if he wants to. All at once.

Anyway, this has been sitting in my drafts for so long that I wrote a fic out of it.

[birdean]

What a wild little guy, I hope he doesn’t end up in a horrible life-or death poll

[gaywineauntsstuff]

Every single member of the Batfamily lies about their taste in music

Damian will claim that he only listens to classical music and that everything else is beneath him.

Damian will unironically listen to trashy Arab pop and the absolute worst Bollywood songs known to man (Dick introduced him to them and he hates the fact that sometimes he gets Sheila Ki Jawani stuck in his head during missions)

Tim will put on the most ear grating hyper pop you've ever heard and claim with full chest that these is the peak of humanities capabilities with music (Damian, Jason and Steph have all tried to kill him for this take) He will also play stuff like the living tombstones and sing it obnoxiously loud when he's working on the computer.

Tim however loves his 90s grunge and it's all that's playing in his headphones. (think nirvana, pearl Jam, Melvins, Alice in Chains etc) He has tracked down so many shirts and concert posters and watched every bit of content from the older shows.

Jason will claim he only listens to east coast rap, biggie, Nas, Jay etc and maybe some older metal. He will fight you on east vs west coast music, there will be weaponry involved.

Jason likes rap music... he unfortunately prefers west coast rap and has listened to no vaseline like 500 times. He will deny this till the day he dies...again. (Dick knows and threatens to tell Steph)

Steph will steal the aux and play Taylor Swifts greatest hits until one of the Boys threatens mutiny. Every single one of the bats has had style stuck in their heads during a stakeout at least twice. She will claim that the only rap song she can tolerate in Eminem and the 7/11 is Beyoncés best song.

Steph is an underground fan, think the dude selling mixtapes on the subway type shit. She also unlike Jason genuinely loves East Coast Rap music more than anything and knows every single wu-tang clan song by heart, same with Biggie. Not only does she love the music she also spends any free time binging those "history of rap and its consequences" videos and has been a firm believer that P.Diddy had a hand in a lot of the Death row records well...deaths.

Cass, well everyone thinks Cass has really good taste bc its Cass and she has zero flaws (don't @ me) she never takes the aux and will usually listen to her music while she's chilling or doing stretches. None of them have heard or seen a single one of her playlists except Duke.

its all 2010s top 40s pop music and like the trashy kind too, Beauty and the Beat, Kesha, Katy Perry. It's her turning of her brain time and she will be straight vibing to Rude! by magic or Boom Clap or Shower. she has shown this to Duke, smirked and told him that even if he tried to tell anyone they wouldn't believe him.

Duke is the only one who doesn't... lie. He just hides a few things. Lies of omission don't count as lies when the bats will lie to you about what they had for breakfast, while they are visibly eating breakfast. Duke says he listens to everything and he does. Literally everything. His patrol Jam is offensive bc it with start with Norwegian death metal and immediately switches to "like a G6" followed by kendrick Lamar and then descendants Disney channel movie music.

Bruce... Bruce is just weird, everyone asks him and gets a different answer. Bc he doesn't... like music. Like at all. It's all noise, his mother played instruments so he learned like 14 and he hates how they all sound. He just like vague batwings fluttering in dead silence.

Dick Grayson will obnoxiously play top 40 and radio music religiously around the bats. He claims it's the best music for rhythmic acrobatics and trapeze work and that true! Jason hates this kind of music the most, it's formulaic and holds no substance and drives him insane.

But Dick only listens to that music when he's moving, flipping doing high energy stuff. When he just wants to chill? This man has the most depressing music taste you've ever seen. You know that sad song from ur favorite artist that you can't listen to without crying. Yeah that's his bread and butter. Every single song is just flat out tear inducing, some of these bands have like 100 listeners and he is one of them and it's just their saddest song that reads like suicide note. The titans have conducted an intervention bc its just... concerning. He just thinks it's neat!

[comicarc]

𝐈 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 (𝐕𝐈����)

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"A lonely moon craving for the radiant sun." In which a certain girl catches the attention of a prideful billionaire playboy as they both attempt to find their way in the world. (I haven't seen many fics explore Bruce in his formative years, so I thought I'd share my take on them, of course with romance.)

wc: 2182

Night dawned on Gotham, blanketing the city with a moonless sky. y/n made her way to the hole which she had descended into all those nights ago, now completely covered. There was a barricade with two large men standing guard, checking people into a tent by verifying them on a list. y/n was apprehensive, not only because if anything went wrong she could die, but also because it was apparent there were no other girls there. Gulping down her hesitation, y/n attempted to exude an air of confidence to make herself seem unapproachable, as she took confident steps to the front of the line. Maybe she was being too cocky, but that was better than being seen as prey. 

Ignoring the groans and whistles of the men lined behind her, she looked the guards in the eye and mustered all her energy to her voice as she announced her name. She prayed they couldn’t hear the waver in her voice or the tremble of her hands. She was scared witless, but the wire pressed against her chest lay a constant reminder that her actions weren’t in vain. 

As soon as she was let in by the guards, y/n hid in a corner to catch her breath. Bruce had given her earrings to work as comms, so upon hearing her very loud pants, he reassured, “Hey, everything’s fine. The plan’s working and no one suspects a thing.”

His words had eased her rapidly racing heart a little, allowing her to emerge from her corner into the lion’s den. Before her lay rows and rows of tables resembling an assembly line. Red mushrooms on one end turned into some liquid solution at the other, being crushed, mixed and packaged throughout the sequence. Why did anyone want her here?

Someone appeared behind her as she took another stepping, introducing, “Ah here’s the lady of the hour.” He took her by the waist and spun her to face him as he continued, “I’m Jared Steve, head of the operation.”

He wasn’t like a typical creep, Jared was tall, muscular, and looked like he could get any girl he wanted. But his voice and his mannerisms gave away the ugly truth. “And what exactly is this operation?”

“Already interrogating, are we? He said you were feisty, but I never expected you to have this much fire.” He smirked, his curling lips sending a shiver down y/n’s spine. 

y/n remained quiet, as he brushed off his own question, “Well, it’s a new kind of drug. Something that the market’s never seen. Our main target is the children, for obvious reasons. They’re scared, stupid, or lusting to escape life.”

“So, what do you need me for?”

“You’ve got a reputation for being inconspicuous. Nothing intense, I just need you to plant this package in someone’s house. I’ve got the address right here, all you need to do is sneak in, leave it there, and text this number. With all the money you’ve smuggled for Philip Wilcox, I’d say this will be pretty easy for you.” He handed y/n a piece of paper with the details, before intensifying his tone, “Don’t fuck this up, or it’ll be your head being slaughtered.”

y/n took a moment to digest all the information she was given. There was no clear motive behind the operation other than it being a cash grab, but from what she heard, there was enough evidence to prove the existence and maliciousness of the operation. In thought for far longer than she was supposed to be, Bruce chimed through the earring urging her to come back to reality.

“You’ve gotta do this tonight. I’ve got high hopes for you, that is of course, if you’re anything like your mother.”

The offhanded comment caught y/n off guard like a deer in headlights. But ignoring it, y/n turned away from Jared and walked out of the tent, ready to end things for good. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The address led to the apartment next to hers on Crime Alley. It’s proximity to her own ‘home’ had raised her suspicions but she had no time to doubt. All she had to do was get in & get out and then all her worries would dissipate. No more ties to the Falcones. 

The box she held seemed to get heavier with each step, threatening to slip from her hands. Though confined in cardboard, y/n could tell there was something metallic inside with the light clink she heard every few minutes. 

Standing outside the door to the apartment she was meant to enter, y/n paused and let the silence surround her. Carefully, she leaned an ear against the door and listened. There was no shuffling of footsteps, no voices, absolutely nothing indicating that there was a soul inside. Taking it as a green light, y/n set down the box, fished out a bobby pin from her pockets, and fiddled with the lock until it was unlocked.

Taking the box again, this time adjusting it between her left arm and hip, y/n tip-toed inside, making sure she didn’t make a sound. Seeing that the coast was clear, she set down the box on a wooden dining table right in front of the entrance. Standing upright, she took a deep breath as if physically relinquishing the anxiety and stress that had been plaguing her. It was finally over, she was free. 

But, of course, nothing good ever lasts, and just as y/n was about to leave, sickeningly thin fingers grasped her wrist. “You’re here to kill me aren’t you?” The voice sounded defeated as it spoke. “I deserve it, I know that, but I’d hoped that it would be on my own terms.” 

Curious as always, y/n wanted to know more. So, she did exactly what she shouldn’t have as she inquired, “What…did you do?”

“You don’t know?” He lightly chuckled before resuming, “I killed some very important people.”

“A Falcone?” 

“Two Waynes.” y/n heard Bruce gasp through the earring. The target was Joe Chill, and if he knew he was going to be killed then the package had to be a bomb.

“Why?”

“I was dumb and desperate. I thought I could hide, get away from it all with one final job, but Gotham stays with you, even if you leave it. Trust me kid, this isn’t the end, its just the beginning.”

“Why warn me about an inevitability then?”

“So that you don’t make the same mistake I did.” Unhanding y/n, he placed in her palm a stack of files and pushed her outside of the apartment. As soon as she fell onto the carpeted hallway, the cardboard exploded and took Joe with it. 

The apartment burst into flames, the fire rapidly spreading to other parts of the building. Instinct kicked in and y/n ran to her own apartment, gathering her stuff in a backpack before the flames could reach her. After a few minutes of packing, she raced out of the apartment and stood a few feet from the entrance, watching the flames engulf the building in a matter of moments. 

The bomb couldn’t have gone off without the sender knowing it had arrived. Either there was timer or someone tracking her, the latter of which seemed a more reasonable option. Thinking back to her interaction with Jared, y/n remembered he had touched her waist. Feeling her midsection, y/n felt a bump on the back of her jacket. A tracker.

The bomb had left her ears ringing, so she hadn’t registered Bruce’s voice until after she crushed the tracker. “y/n, what the hell happened? Are you alright? Was it Chill, did he do something?”

“I’m fine, let’s meet back at your mansion in the morning.” Bruce continued talking, but y/n had enough for the day. Taking off the earring, removing the wire, and stuffing the files that Joe gave her into her backpack, y/n began walking.

She couldn’t sleep on the street or any bench, so she’d have to settle for a rooftop. Lucky for her, she knew exactly where to go. Arriving at her destination, y/n climbed up a pipe, settled in a corner, curled into herself, and fell asleep clutching her backpack and watching the sky. 

What is to give light must endure burning, so she had decided that the darkness of this night would cool her. Under the blanket of stars, she’d relinquish the buzzing in her mind, allowing it to fly with the fireflies. By morning her thoughts would be silent enough for the joy of freedom to echo through the hollowness of her skull. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Left hanging by y/n, Bruce’s anger blinded him from his sense of compassion. What did Joe Chill have to do with the Falcones? If they were involved in his parent’s death, he had to have a surefire way of getting Carmine convicted. 

He’d been investigating for months and had finally found a cop worthy of his badge. A certain detective Jim Gordon had both influence and honesty in his blood, just the perfect combination to put one of Gotham’s most malicious cronies behind bars. He’d be able to convince Dent Sr. to help with getting a lawyer and the case in general. y/n would get him his evidence. Everything was in place for his plan to work. 

But y/n, she needed to be safe from it all. After all a promise is a promise, and Bruce Wayne always keeps his word. She hadn’t left his thoughts for days, and even now she occupied his mind as he worried for her life.

Sense finally kicked in, and Bruce rushed out the doors of his home, heading to Crime Alley to find y/n. The explosion must’ve surely hurt her, and he couldn’t leave her there to fend for herself in such a bad area. 

An hour or so later, he found y/n on a rooftop freezing in her sleep. In the place where his parents were murdered, the place that haunted him every night, left him tossing and turning until bags formed under his eyes, Bruce knew he’d die here too. It was only a matter of time, for here he was helpless, and no amount of money would save him from death he had cheated. But at that moment, watching y/n smile in such a decrepit state, he couldn’t help but let the thought of her dying overshadow his own fears. 

Slinging her backpack onto his shoulder and picking her up in both his arms, he held her even tighter than he had at the bar, allowing her face to sink into his chest as he walked to his car. Setting her gently in the backseat, he drove out of Park Row back to his mansion. 

Upon arriving back home, he didn’t take her to the same bedroom as the previous night. Rather he sat in the backseat, letting her head lean in his lap as he brushed her hair and watched the color return to her skin. 

In the comfort of silence, he felt as though he needed to get something off of his chest. Thus, he confessed, “Wayne means many things to many people, and to each I am a different person. I’m a rich asshole, a pitiful orphan, an influential figurehead, a reckless idiot, or a gold digger’s dream, but really, I’m a curse. And you, you’re the only one who makes me feel human.

“I know it sounds stupid, but it started in our first year at the Academy, when you got a 100% on our chemistry test. You beat me, and no one beat me. It felt refreshing to have someone see past my ‘power’ and treat me like I wasn’t a god amongst humans that shouldn’t be crossed. And so I started to retaliate, hoping that I’d get your attention. 

“Honestly, I’d never studied for a test in my life as hard as I’d done for you. Just so you’d look my way and think I’m not like the other guys, that I used my wealth and endless resources to further myself instead of blowing it off on pointless stuff. And when that didn’t work, I wanted to get you jealous, using other girls. And when that didn’t work I used the race, to try and impress you.

“Now in hindsight, all that may have come across as a completely different message, but what more can you expect from a boy who has never known true affection? 

“I’ve hurt everyone I’ve been with, from flings to my parents. I can’t seem to give people happiness. I thought I could help you, save you from the real Gotham, beyond the Academy, but look what I’ve done…”

He hesitated, before placing a kiss on y/n’s forehead and admiring her sleeping figure. A part of him hoped she had heard him, that his feelings could be understood. But another part prayed she hadn’t, for he feared she’d only be hurt even more knowing the truth.

˖ ࣪🦇𓆰♡𓆪🦇ִ ࣪⋆

taglist: @earth-to-name

[badghostwriter]

Dick stared at the ceiling fan. It spun, slowly but surely turning, ever ignorant of the world around it. It spun, regardless of the ribbon tied on the third blade, regardless of the breeze blowing in the window, regardless of the winter chill almost making his breath visible. The ceiling fan spun and the world spun and Dick couldn’t comprehend it.

The front door opened. Footsteps pattered into the hallway, past the kitchen and into the living room where he was laying on the floor and staring at the ceiling fan. The footsteps stopped for just a minute, before walking over to the window and sliding it shut. The lock clicked into place and a hand reached up to turn off the fan. Dick waited until it ceased any and all motion before tearing his eyes away from it.

“Have you eaten?” Tim asked.

Dick pried his mouth open, ignoring the awful taste that spoke of dehydration, “I…”

Tim waited a minute before accepting that was all he would get in response. He nodded, turned around and walked out of view. Dick watched him go with a pit in his stomach. A fourteen year old shouldn’t have to do the things him and Bruce made Tim do. Tim was too good. Too young. Too innocent. Except he wasn’t innocent because Bruce was breaking him and Dick was letting him and they were poisonous vines, weaving their way into Tim’s life, sucking the life out of him. Just like they did with Barbara. Just like they did with Jason. God, Jason. His baby brother, who was scared and suffering and died, all without Dick knowing.

“Dick,” Tim nudged him with a foot. Dick blinked, registering the water bottle and microwaved food in Tim’s hands. When had he had time to do that? Dick blinked again and he was sitting on the couch, food on his lap and opened water bottle in his hand.

Tim handed him the lid and a fork. “Drink and eat.”

Dick mechanically took a bite. Then another. Then a sip of water. He turned to look at Tim. His eyes were clouded and bruised, with his lip sporting a bloody cut that made Dick want to cry.

“Bruce?” Dick asked, voice raspy.

“Locked in the cave.”

Dick hummed, leaning over to bump his shoulder against Tim’s. He pressed his lips into the side of Tim’s head in the mockery of a kiss, trying not to remember doing the same thing to another little brother.

“Thank you. I’m sorry.”

Tim ducked a little to slide into place perfectly cuddled up against Dick’s side. “‘S okay. It’s always hard on the anniversary.”

Dick’s eyes watered. “It’s not okay, baby bird. You shouldn’t be…” looking after two grown men just because they can’t get their crap together.

“I’m sorry,” Dick said again.

Tim pressed closer. “Okay.”

Dick closed his eyes and thought absolutely nothing was okay.

[chaoticace2005]

Vox: Save your little project or fight your greatest enemy. You can’t do both!

Alastor: I’m sorry… what did you just say?

Vox: You can’t do both?

Alastor: No! I mean the other thing.

Vox: Save the hotel or fight your greatest enemy?

Alastor: HA! You think you’re my greatest enemy?

Vox: Yes! You’re obsessed with me!

Alastor: HA! No I’m not.

Vox: Yes you are!

Alastor: No I’m not.

Vox: YES YOU ARE! Who else drives you to one up them the way I do?

Alastor: Lucifer.

Vox: No he doesn’t!

Alastor: Susan.

Vox: WHO?!

Alastor: Look my chum, I’d say I don’t currently have AN enemy. I am harassing a few different people.

Vox: What?!

Alastor: I like to fight around!

Vox: Okay okay, look. Im fine with you fighting other people if you wanna do that. But what we have is special. So when people ask you who’s your number one rival you say?!

Alastor: Susan.

Vox: NO! Are you seriously saying there is nothing- NOTHING special about our relationship?

Alastor, our aroace king: Woah! My dear, I don’t do “ships!”

Vox: What?

Alastor: As in “relationships”, there is no us.

Vox, immediately after Alastor leaves: *sobs and cuts his photo out of a group photo*

[aalghul]

I think it’s really funny how Tim had at least one parent besides Bruce (who was not explicitly his parent for the longest time) for most of his time as Robin and yet nobody contests that he has been Bruce’s son, Dick’s brother, etc. since far before his actual adoption. But with Duke it’s a whole debate every time.

“Duke’s parents are still alive so it’s disrespectful” Tim’s stepmom was alive but unable to take care of Tim, when he was adopted by Bruce. Is it disrespectful to her to say Tim is Bruce’s son? Or does this argument only apply to Duke?

“Bruce didn’t adopt Duke, he was just his guardian” Do you know who else Bruce also didn’t adopt for his entire childhood? Or is Dick no longer Bruce’s son in any way whatsoever?

“Dick actually called Tim his brother” Jason’s included Duke as one of his brothers.

[frownyalfred]

“I love Battinson because Robert Pattinson is just so weird and it shines through” but Ben Affleck was also really fucking weird?? y’all just weren’t ready for the “massive shitty back tattoo of a phoenix (dragon?) + chainsmoking + nonstop ordering Dunkies” kind of weird.