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heraldofzaun · 3 years ago

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Hi. We’re doing this again. I’ve already spoken a little bit (well, a great bit) about how old lore Viktor wasn’t a stereotypical evil villain, but I keep seeing this interesting trend crop up - especially in the comments of analyses on Viktor’s character - and so I’m going to write about it. That trend is the fact that people seem completely and utterly convinced that only old Viktor “augmented without consent” or “didn’t respect free will” or similar mad-scientist-adjacent claims. This isn't true. The inverse is true, actually.

What follows is the entirety of Viktor’s old lore (I’m using the first - the second variant is the one that snips out his going to the Institute of War, I’m not trying to pull a trick on you or anything), his lines upon release (which are still technically canonical, even if many people believe them to be outdated - whether that is due to Riot still believing that they’re accurate to his character or, more likely, Riot not caring to replace them, I don’t know), and the accompanying blurb to his release comic. I am also including Jayce’s second lore, the one which Riot wrote after Viktor fans pointed out that Jayce’s original lore was contradictory to Viktor’s character. (Which is mentioned in the post I linked above. TL;DR: Viktor fans made such a fuss that Jayce’s lore got changed to paint Viktor as less of a villain, which again points to the fact that old Viktor wasn’t necessarily perceived as villainous by his fans. Of course, fan perceptions can be wrong - but canon was changed, so...)

This screenshot is missing his pick/ban quotes (“Join the Glorious Evolution.”/”Inferior constructs.” - ban quotes were added after his release, so they recycled one of his attack lines) and the quotes for Chaos Storm (“Obliterate!”/”Consume!”/”True power!”/”Behold!”). This is because it didn’t fit on my computer screen nicely.

This was written alongside Viktor’s teaser comic. (I personally really like the teaser comic, even though I’m concerned about Viktor cutting a hole in his laboratory wall.) It is, technically, non-canon material as it was posted on the now-defunct forums rather than anywhere on the client, but as we’ve seen a recent trend of Rioters Word-of-God’ing facts about canon, I may as well include it. There may be more Word-of-God confirmations on those forums as well, but the backup site that they’re currently hosted on doesn’t allow for searches as the original site didn’t either. You can find this on the “Development” tab of Viktor’s wiki page, if you’re curious.

Is there anything in here, besides “Submit to my designs.” and a few other of his voice lines, which should be taken with the context that they were a) written in 2011 and are thus not the highest examples of character-focused writing and b) written under the context of these being things he is saying to opponents on a battlefield, that says “Viktor augments people who are unwilling”? I don’t see it. He isn’t an angel, sure, because he wrecks Jayce’s lab after the man doesn’t want to work with him, but… He’s mostly alright, at least when it comes to the claims I’m investigating. (Also, note that his acolytes are not specified as being under his control or anything like that - they very well may just be people he’s helped, who don’t want a strange man smashing up the lab they were helped in.)

An interesting side-note: Jayce’s first lore does seem to imply that Viktor murdered people, as he “staged a deadly raid on Jayce’s laboratory”. This is concerning. There’s still somewhat of that implication in the second lore, considering the whole “incinerating the lab’s meager security force” line, but I’ve never seen anyone in fandom over the years use that as evidence for Viktor being a murderer, which is interesting. There’s actual textual evidence you can point to to say that Viktor’s a morally awful dude, and yet no one pointed to it when it was canon...I’ve never seen it cited in any character analyses for Viktor, nor have I ever seen anyone make the point that it’s people that Viktor’s incinerating. Food for thought, I guess. Anyways, my personal take is this: it’s security systems, not people. It doesn’t quite make sense, in-universe, for Viktor to murder a bunch of redshirt security guards but only blast Jayce aside - and leave him with no lasting injuries, obviously. Out-of-universe, you can say that it’s because Jayce is a champion, but still… It really doesn’t fit. Of course, I’m an old lore Viktor fan and this is entirely me trying to justify that he’s not a bad guy, so you can definitely take my words as biased. As we’ll see later, even if you take this as proof that old Viktor’s a killer, it doesn’t mean new Viktor is morally spotless.

Also, if you speak a language other than English and want to kill time, feel free to write in with what Jayce’s old lore says he did if you can find a translation of it. (If you go to the League wiki you can find other language versions of it, and from there you can poke around on Jayce’s page to see if it even has his older lore at all.) The Polish version apparently doesn’t imply people, but the Russian version uses “guards”... or so I think, my knowledge of Russian is pretty small so it was me and Wiktionary against the world. I think that League lore translations, especially from 2011, aren’t exactly the best material for textual evidence, but it’s an interesting curiosity. (I’m genuinely fascinated on how this was never a point of argument, and also to the fact that it was made much more ambiguous in Jayce’s post-outcry lore… but not removed.)

Anyways. Of course, you can take his lines and general character to a logical endpoint and say that it is implied that he doesn’t care much about whether or not people consent to the Glorious Evolution, but at that point you’re arguing interpretation and need to say as such. The cases I’ve seen in which people say that old lore Viktor was lopping people’s limbs off without consent or what-have-you just say that, without citing any textual evidence or saying that it is possibly implied by his character and lines. It’s pretty hard to take those claims seriously when there’s much more textual evidence that current-canon Viktor doesn’t seem too keen on respecting autonomy. Let’s begin with his own lore, which is written to favor his perspective.

Please keep in mind that this Viktor got his start selling automative technology to businesses in Zaun. The Zaun that is full of corrupt chem-barons. But let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he only sold to good businesses. (Also, fascinating that a common complaint about old Viktor is that his status as a pioneer of his field is that he’s “unrealistically accomplished”, and that other people would have figured out the same technology - just as it seems to be the case in current lore, with the Church of the Glorious Evolved existing pre-Viktor (except that it probably didn’t at the time of this lore’s release, as there’s a paragraph later on in his lore that talks about a “quasi-religious cult” that is unnamed but… Who else would it be?) and augmentations being common on the NPCs on the Universe page. Yet someone who’s 19 having their inventions be commonly used in Zaun long enough for the term eventually to be used in reference to the next stage of their life is perfectly acceptable. Anyways…)

What we see from this is clear: even if there is a “good” reason to control the divers, there is no mention of them consenting to the procedure. Considering the previous quotation, Viktor seems to deal more with the bosses than the workers and doesn’t seem to consider the potential job-removing impacts of his work (how many people lost jobs due to being rendered obsolete?), which doesn’t bode well for him caring much about what the workers think. But of course, this aside about dealing with bosses is all interpretation, so you can ignore it if you’d like. There still is, however, actual, textual evidence that new Viktor does not care about consent if he believes his idea is what’s best for you.

Ignoring the writer misusing the term “psychotics” - par for the course in fiction unfortunately - here’s Viktor kidnapping people “for their own good”. Nothing is said in his lore if he’s contracted to do this, or if he’s just Zaun’s version of a Good Samaritan out and about chloroforming people. While I’m not saying that the moral choice is to not intervene, he is drugging people here and performing brain surgery on them. Please note the “in a manner of speaking”. What does that mean? Is it in reference to them having permanent brain damage? Or is it in reference to him being all well-and-ready to transfer their bodies into robots that presumably weren’t designed for them? (Speaking of, if Viktor can transfer the consciousnesses - or at least brains - of people… why is he still in a fleshy mortal body? Yes, it would require a VU to update him to be fully robotic, but none of his written media seems to imply that he’s on his way. His color story has him integrating technology directly into his arm, for example. Why aren’t you getting into the robot, Viktor?)

Anyways, two options here: either the automatons had enough of their former programming to react to Viktor giving a kill command, or the consciousnesses of the people Viktor is “saving” are in these robots and are under his sway enough to commit murder. Either is bad (and negates any moral superiority over old Viktor’s maybe-implied-canonical-murder), but the second is horrifying. And, obviously, non-consensual. (Because the damage is reversing, I don’t believe there’s room for a justification of the second option in which these people are still violent and dangerous.)

Anyways, last bit. It’s pretty bad when your ethics are panned in Zaun, the nation host to rampart corruption and also people like Singed. Let’s now move on to his color story, which is what a lot of fans point to as evidence for new Viktor having a heart or a moral compass.

Yay! Moral win: your cyborg isn’t cutting off the head of a child without his consent. (Also, again, is this proof that Viktor can put brains or consciousnesses in robot bodies? Admittedly, he might be joking since this Viktor is a little softer than he is in his biography.)

Moral… win… your cyborg is augmenting a child… Anyways, joking aside, this is unethical. How’s Naph supposed to consent to something like this? I know that we can’t expect fictional characters in a fantasy setting to abide by modern ethical standards, but I think we can critique them from an out-of-universe context. This is bad. Viktor gives very little context, could very well be lying (he isn’t, hopefully), and sends the kid off with his version of a pat on the back and tells him to come back if he wants more. (The “Oh yes” is also… creepy.) A kid’s decision-making abilities aren’t developed to the extent that they can be reasonably expected to understand or consent to a procedure that removes a pretty crucial emotion. If Naph comes back and wants his fear gone permanently, will Viktor oblige?

Also, fear is something that is very important to survival and judgment calls. Without fear, a kid in Zaun might take dangerous risks that could end up with them dead. I can’t really see how people interpret this as a morally sound decision - Viktor’s pretty much giving mood-altering drugs to a child and telling him to come back if he wants another hit. Just because he got Naph’s okay doesn’t mean that he got informed consent.

Let’s now turn to the black sheep of Viktor content: his Legends of Runeterra lines. There’s two of interest.

Armed Gearhead’s card art is of a man whose only augmentation is his arm, which he says he broke in another line. (I suppose he didn’t want to wait for it to heal?)

Viktor is talking about messing with his head, here, because Armed Gearhead is… too emotive, I’d guess. He is “not yet complete”. A statement which Armed Gearhead seems rather apprehensive about, if you listen to his response.

I know that LoR Viktor is one of the more “comically villainous” depictions of Viktor we’ve seen, so if new Viktor fans would like to ignore his lines I have no issue with that. But these lines certainly seem to imply that what Viktor sees as Armed Gearhead’s end state isn’t necessarily what he sees as his, and should be considered if people want to take them as canonical.

Not necessarily needed, but here’s Jayce’s present lore. One of them is definitely lying - Jayce’s lore says that he doesn’t strike until after Viktor gives the kill order, and Viktor’s says that he gave the kill order in response to Jayce smashing up the lab. Either way, Viktor is ordering automatons (that, in this version, are outright stated to be housing the brains of the people Viktor is trying to keep alive) to kill Jayce. Not a good look.

Viktor’s new lore gives significant textual evidence that he doesn’t care for whether others willingly consent to his ideas, so long as he believes that his ideas are for the greater good. This is in contrast to the vagueness of his original lore, meaning that any individual who speaks about how current Viktor is someone who cares for consent in contrast to the “unethical mad scientist”ness of old Viktor is unfortunately mistaken. I have to imagine that general fandom interpretation, combined with the fact that his bio and color story are very tonally different, have made it so people believe that this version of Viktor is much more ethical than he canonically is.

Interpreting Viktor as sympathetic and actually morally grey is fine, of course! Riot wrote his narrative very poorly when he was updated, which is why I’m still finding bones to pick with it in comparison to his original and more open-to-interpretation lore. The issue is stating that this is canonically the case, which it isn’t, and/or stating that the current iteration of Viktor has the moral high ground over his previous incarnation, which he doesn’t. I think that much more interesting character conversations can happen if people acknowledge that Viktor as he’s currently written is roundly unethical - how can that be improved upon for a more complex character, does that mean that Jayce’s behavior was right, etc. For all my dislike of new Viktor, I’d be genuinely curious to read a take that actively acknowledges his pre-college work in automation and how that affects his standing in Piltover and Zaun. (Is he well-known in industry? What do workers think about him? And so on…) And, well, on a personal note: I think that acknowledging current Viktor’s moral failings would be nice, because it would mean that people would stop using old Viktor as a strawman.

Anyways, I suppose that’s the post. Thank you for reading!

#headcanons | beneath the mask #//back at it.

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official-brennivin · 4 years ago

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Thanks Matthew Weiner for butchering Ginsberg’s part of the story so badly that u have to analyse everything just to figure out what’s going on. Very cool. Anyway, to people who didn’t pick up on it Michael Ginsberg is gay. (Well, he was meant to be anyways.... maybe this was changed last minute)

Beneath the cut, an explanation from an actual gay guy with a similar kind of psychosis to what he suffers and also a similar minority experience.

He doesn’t express attraction to women. He states sometimes if a woman is good-looking, because that’s expected of him. The same applies to cracking jokes about peep shows etc. (It’s important to contextualise everything within its historical context. Being gay was considered a literal disease by most people so there was a great deal of shame and secrecy.)

The one date he has with a woman is forced on him by his dad by surprise and he really, really hates it. He makes all the excuses he can think of to avoid it. He even urges the woman not to expect sex from him (which she eventually reassures him about, letting him know she’s just here bc of her own parents). Basically his dad is doing this bc he hasn’t showed any actual interest in women.

He’s attracted to men. He admits to Peggy that he has thoughts about other men. He even assumes two men are dating simply because they’re meeting alone a lot. When Bob Benson tells him he admires him, he immediately asks if he’s gay bc he subconsciously hopes it’s a romantic gesture.

Just because he blames his attraction to men on the computer doesn’t mean it’s not real. In fact, and I can say this with confidence bc I’m similarly disordered, this is just psychosis doing its thing. Very real emotions, sensations and experiences are processed through a fictional / delusional lens. The computer’s loud hum triggers a misophonia response in him, and he experiences long term sensory overload from it. This is what causes the worst part of his psychotic break.

When I was younger I had chronic leg pain I wasn’t able to get treatment for, and my psychosis at one point convinced me that I’d lost my legs completely. I became really scared and almost fully believed I was a double amputee because my brain processed the pain through the filter of psychosis. A similar thing is happening to Ginsberg. He’s misophonic because of the computer, which causes him to “rationalise” that all his gay thoughts that happen simultaneously are the computer’s fault.

Yes, misophonia and psychosis can change your behaviour. No, they don’t change your sexuality.

Even when he’s at his peak and he’s trying to pursue Peggy, it’s not genuine. It’s all just a psychotic behavioural pattern. He tries to force himself to sleep with her because he believes if he doesn’t he will have to accept his queerness. Again, psychosis turns that thought into “we need to reproduce before the computer wins”.

His attempt at “wooing” Peggy is to self harm, show it to her and claim he’s “fixed” himself. It’s not an act of genuine affection - it’s an attempt at self-correction, which is how psychotic people tend to use self harm. The idea is that inflicting pain on yourself “releases emotion/pressure” even though it doesn’t and all your doing is releasing endorphins through pain.

The choice of self-harm is important too. He self harms specifically on his chest where his nipple is. It’s a gesture of attempted masculinisation. Being Jewish already exposes him to negative stereotypes of being feminine. A lot of people don’t know this but jewish men are stereotyped as femme. Finding out he’s gay immediately brings up shame for him that’s already been programmed in by previous experiences of prejudice - gay men are also stereotyped as femme during the time period. He’s scared to prove anti-semites right by being who he is. He’s ashamed. I say this as an east-asian gay man who went through a phase like this where I needed to prove my masculinity to everybody to not be “stereotypical” and was therefore embarrassed abt liking men. At some points I became convinced I was actually straight and something was being done to me. Psychosis yay.

Gay shame wreaks havoc on an already psychotic mind. Previously, it was probably easy enough to repress any gay thoughts and just avoid all forms of sex and romance. However, once that misophonia-triggering noise came into his life all of his emotions were heightened. Misophonia is characterised by becoming extremely emotional when exposed to overloading noise. He can’t escape that noise because it’s at work. This means any emotions he’s experiencing while at the office are ramped up, including any sexual attractions he experiences. This means it’s harder to push down any thoughts he has that scare him.

Something Something In conclusion Michael Ginsberg is gay, it’s just that A. psychosis sucks and B. the last season was kind of rushed and there wasn’t enough time to explain everything. Still, if you’re familiar enough with psychosis along with being a minority, it’s really obvious how the gaps should be filled. I’m a psychotic gay minority so all of this was really obvious to me but not to others. Matthew Weiner butchered by boy.

#mad men #analysis #michael ginsberg #bruh they skipped all the important parts #im just rambling abt a show for no good reason don't worry

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hadesglance · 5 years ago

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All hail the new queen... - 26 (Hades Original Story)

You fought your way through the maze of the underworld to make a deal with the King…intrigued the lonely king listens…

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen Part Fifteen Part Sixteen Part Seventeen Part Eighteen Part Nineteen Part Twenty Part Twenty-One Part Twenty-Two Part Twenty-Three Part Twenty-Four Part Twenty-Five

I got really inspired, soooo yay double update!

Your eyes snapped open for the hundredth time that night. You couldn’t find any rest since Hades told you of the prophecy. Your mind raced over how many instances you could have triggered all of this…how if you had never been here maybe nothing would have happened.

You sighed throwing the covers off yourself frustrated. Stepping onto the cold floor you weighed your options feeling like you’d been here before. You walked the halls down to Hades room not bothering to knock as you walked in.

You crept in slowly to his bed wrapping your arms around him making him wake up slowly, “Y/N?”

“Hm…go back to sleep.” You whispered to him as he rolled over securing you into his arms.

“Everything okay?” He blinked a few times squaring himself off to you to better see your face.

You leaned into his hand as he brushed your hair out of your face, “Restless…”

“Still?” He frowned a little caressing your face with his thumb, “No one is blaming anyone at this point…there’s no meaning to it, and we’re going to find Media soon.”

“…yeah…” You sighed staring into his blue eyes. How did you end up here? The story was simple, but out of all the believers in the world desperate for something…how was it you that ended up here in the arms of Hades?”

“What is it?” He stared at you obviously trying to figure out what was on your mind.

You simply smiled at him tightening your arm around him pressing your body against his, “I love you.”

“Yeah?” He quirked an eyebrow at you, “Why?”

“Why?” Yours shot up in surprise, “I…I believe it’s because you’re handsome…and loyal…and smart…and care so much about your family and…do I need to keep going?”

“Mm…no…” He leaned forward planting a kiss on your lips, “You sure know how to make god blush.”

You laughed a little, “I doubt it anything I say could really make you blush.”

“On the contrary…a beautiful woman climbs into my bed in the middle of the night and tells me she loves me.” He rested his forehead against yours, “I’d say that’s surprising and blush worthy.”

You sighed contently shutting your eyes, feeling completely secure in his embrace. You listened to him take breaths in and out in a soothing rhythm. You wished you could just stop time and stay right here.

“You know you can start in here.” Hades murmured as he began to drift off.

“Start?” You breathed against his neck.

He chuckled a little, “Yes…if it helps you get some sleep, you can always come to bed with me to begin with.”

“If we weren’t already living together, that would sound an awful like you asking me to move in.” You hunkered down next to him.

“Maybe you should…” You looked up to him cracking his eyes open, “move into my room…”

“You serious?” You stared at him amazed that you could be having such an easy ordinary conversation with him. With everything going on, it was almost surreal.

“Why not?” He smiled at you his eyes lighting up as he did, “We are technically married…”

You felt your face get red instantly. You’d just gotten to the boyfriend stage, but everyone kept saying wife. You had thought about it…you were okay with it…you thought.

“Hey…if you don’t want to, it’s not a big deal.” He spoke softly when you fell silent on him.

“No…I mean…” You shut your eyes sighing, “I would not mind…in fact…I like the idea.”

“You do?” You nodded slowly before he went on, “But…”

“No but…” You shook your head as he stared at you, “What?”

“I’ve been around you long enough now to know that something is bothering you.” He propped himself up on his elbow letting his other hand caress your arm, “I also know you keep a lot to yourself because you don’t want to stress me out and I’ve told you numerous times that nothing you say will change anything.”

You pouted a little, “There isn’t anything and if there is I will let you know…but you need rest, especially with you having to go out and help search everyday…we should just go back to sleep.”

“Y/N…please talk to me.” God the look he was giving you would made you crazy. So much concern and love for you just oozing out of his eyes. It was wonderful.

“I promise I will if there is anything.” You smiled at him, “You know what I want right now though?”

“What?” He smiled as you inched closer to him.

“I think you already know the answer.” He chuckled as wrapped you up pulling you into a kiss.

Later you sat alone in the house absentmindedly throwing the ball for Cerberus out of the living room as you surfed the internet. Not going to school had left you free to figure out what to do…which meant nothing…

You surfed social networks, looked at videos, browsed stores…nothing really kept your interest long. You often found yourself looking out the large back window to the river. Hades had told you it was the Styx and what you were seeing was just an illusion.

“It’s important to see it. Any signs of trouble for the Underworld usually starts there.” He told you as he looked down at a book on his desk.

“Does trouble happen?” You looked back at him sitting at his desk. The window lined the entire back of the house so he could see it no matter what.

“Occasionally.” He wrote something down in the book before setting it aside and picking up a folder, “When a tragedy happens…the banks overflow and well its how shades are created. They need a new purpose, since their life ended before it was supposed to…so it’s a lot of work afterwards.”

“…has it happened recently?” He glanced up at you when you stepped up next to him.

“Um…yes.” He nodded glancing at the stack of folders on the corner of the desk, “Unfortunately.”

“Well, maybe I can help?” You tilted your head a little, “I could hand out assignments…”

He smiled at you turning his chair toward you, “I would like that, but it’s a little more complicated then just handing out details. You’d need to be able to traverse from realm to realm freely…”

“Ah…right…mortal means of travel only for this one…” You hung your head as he took your hands, “I just want to help. I hate that everyone is able to do something and I’m just…stuck here.”

“Hey, I will let you know as soon as you can do something.” He kissed your fingertips, “Until then, relax, you’ve been through a lot this last year. Maybe go visit your mom and your brother.”

Relax…sure thing. When people you cared about were out there looking for a psychotic goddess who was in league with your loved ones even more psychotic father…

You were brought back to what was in front of you when Cerberus dropped a slobbery ball on top of your hand. You made a face, “Cerby…really!”

He pawed at you giving you a goofy look making you laugh. You tossed the ball as your computer pinged letting you know that you had a new email. You watched Cerberus prance off after the ball before opening it up.

“Huh…” You read it over a few times. It was a letter from Professor Talbot reaching out about being a guest in class.

Hades looked at you over dinner when you told him about, “Do you think you’ll go?”

“I don’t know.” You held your wine glass in the air thinking, “Maybe…I did like his course, what little I went to. He seemed really open to talk about different perspectives and didn’t think I was off my rocker when I told him I believed in you all.”

“You should do it.” He told you after a while.

“I don’t know…I mean with everything going on…” You shook your head setting the glass down.

“Y/N, just because you’re part of my family now doesn’t mean you stop your life.” Hades reached over taking your hand, “I’m actually really worried that you’re shutting yourself off from the world because of us.”

“I’m not…I call my mom all the time.” You told him squeezing his hand, “And I text my brother…”

“You know what I mean.” He smirked at you a little, “You had friends and you liked riding your bike…go be a guest for the class…I’ll be here when you get home.”

You couldn’t imagine anyone being more supportive. That’s not true you could think of one, but he was likely in Elysium now with Papa. You really did need to go see your mom and Gigi more often.

A week later you were back in the classroom discussing your belief in Hellenism. The class asked a lot of question about rituals, sacrifices, and whether or not you danced around a fire naked. Of course, you answered them to the best of your ability, putting to rest a lot of the misconceptions. You told them that most of your family had converted to Christian Orthodox but retained a strong belief in the Hellenistic gods.

“How does that work? How can you believe in one thing and then something that completely opposes it?” A young freshman girl asked squinting at you.

“Uh…good question. I mean…my grandparents were very Hellenistic. They would pump it into every bedtime story and they were so superstitious. Since my father was raised that way it translated over, it was my mom who was more the Christian Orthodox.” You smiled at her, “We went to church, had communion…but uh…my parents never made me choose.”

“So…which is it?” Another student asked.

“Well, you know about a year ago I would have said Christian Orthodox, but I have had a bit of journey this year.” You told them leaning against the front desk, “At the end of the day I guess I believe in it all now, but I put my faith in only a certain few.”

“What ones?” You flushed a little as everyone stared at you expectantly.

“And that is all the time we have for today. Everyone join me in thanking Ms. Petrakis for being willing to share her beliefs.” Professor Talbot stepped next to you clapping his hands getting the rest of the class to join him. He assigned them all some work as they filed out.

You collected your jacket and helmet turning to him, “Professor Talbot, thank you for inviting me here today.”

“No, thank you for coming. I missed having you in class.” He smiled at you as he button up his suit coat, “I heard about what happened with your father…I’m sorry.”

You took a deep breath in nodded as pain hit your heart, “Thank you…”

“You seem to be fairing well.” You looked at him as he started collecting papers off his desk.

“I have a good support system around me. Not sure I’d make it without them.” You told him setting your helmet on a desk and zipped up your coat.

“I bet, having the whole of Olympus does make one feel comfortable I imagine.” You froze momentarily as he continued to pack up.

He turned around big smirk planted on his face. You felt your mouth go dry as his eyes pierced yours making you shiver, “Well…Hellenism has it’s perks that way…”

“Hm…you’re very bright.” He stepped toward you as you picked up your helmet, “I can see the appeal I suppose.”

Your heart thumped against your chest wildly as a tingling sensation filled your nose, “E-excuse me?”

“You’re a very hard person to kill, Ms. Petrakis.” He ran a hand through his hair, his handsome features disappearing turning into a dangerous look as you began taking steps away from him, “Then again I was relying on an incompetent youngling…”

You swallowed down the knot in your throat, “What did you do with Media?”

“I put her away.” He shrugged a little as if it was an everyday occurrence, “Along with a few others, not to worry…”

“W-what do you want from me?” You felt a tear fall down your face as you bumped into a desk.

He stepped right up to you, taking your chin in between his finger and thumb gently with care, “Media, already told you what I wanted. I want you to break Hades’ heart. Shatter it…send him spiraling down the rabbit hole back where he belongs…”

“He’s your son…how can you-ah!” His grip tightened quickly silencing you.

“He…is a tool…one I intend to reforge to use for my purpose and believe me…” He leaned in right next to your face, “if you don’t do exactly as I say…you will watch him destroy everything you love and hold dear once I have ahold of him.”

He let go of you standing up straight giving you a smile, “Have a good day, Ms. Petrakis. Thank you again for your wonderful presentation.”

When he finally left, everything seemed to catch up with you. You grabbed your helmet running for the bathroom into a stall getting sick several times before collapsing into a sobbing mess. You could feel your arm burning and soon your phone was ringing.

You pulled it out seeing Hades’ number. You answered it letting out another sob, “Ha-hades…don’t come here…you can’t come here…”

“Y/N, what’s wrong.” Hades looked at Poseidon as his hand went to his chest feeling distress, “Calm down and tell me what’s happening.”

“Cronus…he’s here…I don’t know how but he’s here.” You shuddered pulling your knees closer to yourself as tears soaked into your jeans, “H-he did something to Media…and I think someone else…”

“I’m coming to get you.” He turned from Poseidon who had already summoned his trident. Your immediate protest made him pause, “Y/N, you’re not safe there…”

“I-I’ll go…I just…” You took in a deep breath, “I just need a minute. I’m okay.”

“You’re not…” You could hear his fear through the phone, “You’re not okay…let me come to you.”

“No…that’s what he wants…” You sniffed putting your hand to your chest, “He wants you.”

Hades felt his world drop from under him. After all this time locked away in the darkest depths of this world, his hatred for Hades still existed.

Hades cleared his throat, “Go straight home. I will meet you there.”

#ALL HAIL THE NEW QUEEN #all hail the new queen...#Hades #hades/reader #HadesGlance #hades mortal #hades/mortal #hades reader #cronus #poseidon #media #olympus #apollo #Olympians #Greek Mythology #greek #hellenistic #hades original work

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mayalaen · 6 years ago

Text

good stuff bad stuff good stuff

Good Stuff: The shop construction is pretty much completed. We’ve still got little things to do, but the major construction is done and the two shops look gorgeous! For business reasons, we had to separate the supply side from the tattoo/piercing side, so now we’re two shops. The people we order things from are thrilled and all the artists who come in to buy stuff can advertise for us now without worrying they’ll lose clients to our tattoo side.

Bad Stuff: I’m still messing with the POS system, the online store (which is a HUGE ordeal), and for some reason both Google and Apple have decided my app has “malicious content.” I have no idea what they think is malicious and they don’t specify, they just yank the app off the stores.

Good Stuff: Addy is with her parents still. She comes up here on weekends overnight, but MOST of the time she’s with her parents. YAY!!

Bad Stuff: We still have Andre. And even though he’s only 11, he’s started acting like a teenager. All the kids in my family usually do at this age, and we should’ve been ready for it, but I wasn’t. I wanna choke him. He needs his dad.

Good Stuff: I started to go into a psychotic episode about two weeks ago, but after three days of stuffing myself with gummies (pretty much being wasted for 72 hours straight), I was able to stop myself from going into a flat out psychotic episode. YAY!! It’s because I’ve been working so much that I started to go into it, so I’m kinda really taking it as a warning that I need to knock it off and take care of myself.

Bad Stuff: I’ve been having trouble with eye strain + electronics. I work and play on electronics, and since I’m a workaholic, instead of being reasonable about it, I’ve been spending all my available eye time working and by the time the day’s work is done and I’m ready to relax, my eyes are bloodshot and gross. Ugh.

Good Stuff: Being a workaholic means more money (and less fun, personal time, etc.), and I decided to treat myself. Here’s my new monitor for my home computer:

That’s a 50″ Smart TV. FIFTY INCHES OR 127 CENTIMETERS!!

I got it on sale since there’s newer, bigger, better stuff out there, but it’s pretty fucking new, big, and better than what I had, so no complaints here :D

I usually do that when I’m looking to buy electronics -- wait until the next best thing comes out and swoop in to grab floor models or leftovers of the last best thing. The clarity on this thing is amazing! I never imagined a TV would give me the same clarity as a screen made for a computer. I always thought the words would be a little fuzzy, which is why I hadn’t switched to a TV before now.

This stupid thing is so big I had to add a piece of wood to my desk to back me away from the screen a little. Awesome part about it is I’ve never had a TV in my room before, and this is a smart TV, so now I’ve got everything but cable TV (which I don’t care about anyway) in my room AND I can use it from my overstuffed chair in the corner too!

There aren’t a lot of perks to being a workaholic, especially in regard to physical and mental health, but this is definitely one of the perks.

seriously being a workaholic is rough so unless you want no life of your own or fun and you just want money or success don’t do it

#about me #real life #my family

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moonfox281 · 7 years ago

Note

Do you accept prompts? I love your racer Au and the mob wive series!! I was wondering if you could write something with the boys taking care of a baby, even if it's just babysitting?

Et voila!

Baby

(Word count: 8,984)

Click on the potato for ao3 link.

(Great thank you to my friend thatssirgoddamnbatmantoyou for helping me edit this work.)

Bruce was Batman, he was the fucking Batman and that meant trouble, problems, danger, and angst, lots and lots of angst in that life that Jason had no intention of into digging further. Every night that man put on a cape and went out to fight for this beautiful but rotten city, they all did, and all of them knew the thing they did, the life after dawn that they were living, was a game of Death.

So far, it was a tie. Everyone lost once, and man, didn’t Jason hate the feel of it. But they had all come back, because this life, this city, they just couldn’t leave it like this. Gotham was hideous, dirty, corrupted and poisoned in every way, but she was their city.

Jason loved her. Bruce loved her. But she was cruel, even to her own saviors. He had always known she would be the doom of Bruce. One day, she would cast a curse on Bruce, and put an end to all of this. Jason had known it, seriously, because any idiot who knew Bruce would have gotten it, but no, he had never thought it would happen in this way.

“What the fuck happened?”

Dick looked back at him, still in the Nightwing suit, sans the mask, a tired and awkward smile on his pretty lips.

“It’s complicated.” Dick handed over the kid to Alfred and slumped down into the nearest seat his legendary ass could find. He looked exhausted, like shit had hit the fan and he needed at least 2 days sleep to gain back his strength.

Jason didn’t mind giving him that.

The kid tucked tight at Alfred’s collar and looked at Dick with big blue eyes like he was ready to jump back into his lap at any second. Alfred saw it too, because of course nothing could possibly get out of his sight in this house.

“Master Dick, I believe Master Bruce here enjoys your company far more than mine.”

Master Bruce?

Oh, fuck him.

“That’s Bruce?!!!” He shouted, voice rough and loud, echoed to every corner of the Cave, scaring the bats on the ceiling.

“Jay, just…” Dick opened his mouth to speak, but bit back and shut his eyes, pulling his lips tight together. Shit, Dick looked like shit.

The kid looked at him like Jason was a two-head monster, tiny little fists held tight to the fabric of Alfred’s shirt and oh my fucking God, he was gonna−

Too late, the kid started crying. His face pushed up and his mouth opened wide and fucking bawled like half of the Cave had crashed down on his head.

“Look what you did.” Dick murmured tiredly and got up. Immediately, those tiny hands reached out toward Dick, demanding for the man’s embrace. Dick took the kid back into his arms, let his head rest on his shoulder and rubbed his hand gently on the kid’s back as tiny sobs slowly went under control.

Alfred arched one of his grey brows because, apparently, the kid fucking liked Dick.

Jason stood there, dumbfounded like an ape because what else was he supposed to do? Dick had gotten a call from Bruce last week, asking for help on a case and his bird had flown right away from his place and their so-called one night stand that had turned out to be all night stand because Jason couldn’t keep his feelings in check when it was Dick and Dick alone. Not that Jason was mad at him for that… okay, he was a little, but he was a grown-ass man and Alfred had taught him to share, so Bruce could have a piece of Dick if he needed.

He hadn’t let Dick go here for this kind of shit.

He looked at Dick and turned his eyes on the kid, who was making himself comfortable on his bird and slowly dozing off. Jason felt like he needed to shoot someone.

“Who did he mess with this time?” He spoke as Alfred went to stand next to him.

“A dark force of magic, as it might seem, young sir.” That coming out mockingly in Alfred’s British accent did not make any bit of this look less like a joke.

Jason wanted really badly to swear or to put his frustration somewhere, but no because Alfred. When he had gotten the call from the Manor with a tired Dick on the line and the background noise of a crying kid, Jason had gotten to the point when his life needed a stronger word than ‘fuck’.

He waited until Alfred thought it was a good time to go prepare stuff for the morning and approached Dick. He looked drained, his boyfriend, lover, fuck buddy… whatever it was, it’d been a year, Dick refused to touch the subject, and Jason just didn’t care, as long as he got his hands on Dick’s skin, got to touch him and watch him sleep in his bed, in Jason’s bed, then it was okay.

He brushed the knuckles of his gloved hand on Dick’s cheek and watched those sparkling blue eyes shut close with a low hum in his throat. His long lashes fluttered, making Jason’s heart shake a bit.

“There was… this witch, I think. She was planning for something at the Gotham Dock, took a lot of work for Bruce and me to get her, but not after she cursed him with some dark spell or something, I don’t know.” Dick breathed out, one palm pushed up against his temple. “I really don’t know.”

“It’s okay.” Jason said, even if it was not okay. All he wanted now was to drag Dick back to his safe house, spoon him up and just sleep ‘til the end of this night. But one could not simply get what they wanted.

“He was still fine when we got back, then suddenly a headache, then poof.”

Dick could not imagine the immensity of the fucks Jason did not give about what had happened right now. But he let him talk, because Dick looked like he would pass right out if he didn’t do anything. The kid in his embrace slept soundlessly, eyes close and cheeks puffy. Man, if Jason could take a picture.

“There is still some stuff she left behind at the Dock, I need you to collect it and give the area a check. I have to contact Constantine, see what he can do with this situation.”

Yay, another ticket in for the member of Nightwing’s psychotic dark men fan club.

Jason was having a hard time keeping his anger and jealousy in check because when you got to be with a guy like Dick Grayson, you got all delusional like this real easily. Dick hated it when he was like this though, hated when Jason was jealous, hated when Jason acted possessive, because that meant they had gone too deep, had taken this too far to the point that it could not come back the same anymore, or maybe it was because he was afraid of the fact that Jason had gotten under his skin just as badly as he had with Jason’s.

A year of fooling around, and Dick still wanted the ‘brother’ tag to stay on, to stay on so when things crashed and burned, he could show it out to people, to Bruce, to Jason, and to himself, that all they had had was not real, so it wouldn’t hurt, so it wouldn’t pain.

Dick was an idiot.

“I’ll be right back.” He leaned in to kiss Dick’s temple, knowing well Dick would sit in front of the Bat computer later to delete the scene from every camera in the Cave.

When he came back, Dick had changed back to his comfortable sweats and tee and was sleeping in front of the screens, undoubtedly too tired to notice Jason’s Bat version of footsteps. The report was already finished, and tiny Bruce was nowhere to be seen, Alfred must have taken him to his bedroom.

Jason squatted down to admire his sleeping face. He took off his glove and reached out to brush the dark locks out of Dick’s eyes, lightly stroking the cool skin of his cheek. There was something about being able to see the perfect and mighty Nightwing this vulnerable and undeniably sweet that made Jason’s stomach heat up.

Dick unconsciously leaned into his touch and murmured something in his sleep, making Jason burst out a breathy laugh. This man was like a giant cat, all lacking bones and emotional attention craving. He gave the silky black mess of Dick’s hair a light stroke, holding back the urge to kiss him right now right here because cameras.

He streamed through the report for a few minutes, filled in some spots, then called it a night. He lifted Dick up and smiled when Dick rubbed his face against his chest, didn’t forget to give the security system a check, and waved his middle finger to the nearest camera before leaving.

He dropped Dick at his old room, tucked him warm and comfortable under the blanket and finally got to drop a light kiss down on his raven hair. He smelled like peach; clean, sweet and refreshing, it tempted Jason to give him a playful bite.

When he got out, he made a bee line to Bruce’s room, heart pumping in every weird way for whatever he might see behind the thick wooden door. If this was a normal day, a normal time, normal in the Bat category of normal, he wouldn’t be standing here, right in front of Bruce’s bedroom, fighting between opening the door and running back to his safe house. His relationship with Bruce had never been a beautifully smooth road, if there was one way to describe it, it was like the map of Utah, ugly and bumpy and not great for your ass.

It was never great for Jason’s ass, but God must give him some credit because he bet the world it wasn’t great for Bruce’s ass either.

But that was another time, normal time; today, nothing was normal. Nothing about Bruce getting knocked down by some voodoo was normal, and nothing about leaving Dick here dealing with the current absence of Batman in Gotham was normal and fuck any mighty spirit up there if Jason was gonna let her munch Dick like she had with Bruce.

He pushed the door, breathed in and out and slowly made his way to the king size bed. The kid was sleeping, Bruce was sleeping, so peacefully and defenselessly Jason never thought he could be capable of. He looked like a perfect replica of Damian ten year younger, paler, less aggressive, and so innocent-looking.

Had that fucking curse taken away Bruce’s brain of an adult too, Jason had no idea. But so far, this Bruce had acted like a true kid from core to cover. Jason didn’t know what to do, or why he was even here. He hadn’t been trained for this, to deal with this. Jason hadn’t braved himself to go here for a tiny puffy looking Bruce, he had marched his way here for Dick with the thought of another half-blood child that had been produced because Bruce couldn’t hold back his dick. He wouldn’t leave Dick to deal with that, but now he himself was dealing with this.

Would Bruce turn back to normal? Did he even know Jason? Would he remember anything when this mess was all over?

So many question, so much stress, and looking at this kid version of the Dark Knight didn’t help his aching head at all.

“What have you done this time, old man?”

He asked, stroking the kid’s head, with no true interest in finding the answer.

When he turned back to the hallway, walked upstairs and pass Dick’s room to his, something held him back. Something stopped his hand from meeting the doorknob. Something that was Bruce not being here, or not really here, and he couldn’t do anything to stop this. There wouldn’t be eyes on him and a certain big old Bat breathing down Jason’s neck if he did this. So, he stepped back away from his door and back to Dick’s.

He couldn’t help but smile when the sight of Dick sleeping, face half buried under the blanket, hit his eyes. His bed or not, watching this flawlessly beautiful face loosen every muscle to just relax and let it all go for a few goddamn hours did things to Jason’s chest, made his blood run hot to the tips of his calloused fingers, lightly numbing.

Jason took off his jacket and everything on his body that made sleeping uncomfortable, stripped down to only his boxer and climbed into the bed. Dick had curled up into a large ball of warmth and coziness, mewling out so soft and sweet when Jason’s warm chest covered his back. It made Jason sigh in satisfaction, pleased by being able to finally lie down, by being able to hold Dick tight again, right in this bed, in this house, without any threat or chances of getting caught.

Feeling victorious, Jason buried his nose into Dick’s neck, and dropped off for what felt like eternity.

When he woke up, his hands were empty, and the wrinkled sheet next to him was cold.

Dick Grayson was an idiot.

Gosh, he was an idiot.

“No no no no!!! Put that thing down!” Dick rushed over to Bruce, who had somehow magically escaped Alfred’s watch and followed him into the Cave. He pealed the taser gun out of tiny hands and set it somewhere high enough that Bruce’s corgi legs couldn’t help him reach for it.

Bruce pouted and god, it was the goddamn cutest thing in the world. He only stopped when Dick pushed his big old blue elephant plushy into his tiny everything body. Jason was having a hard time excepting this reality.

“How did you get here? Where’s Alfred?” Dick picked Bruce up when short legs tried to run after him and failed miserably.

Bruce pointed back at Jason, who had just been here for a few minutes and finished giving Dick his report. So, the kid had followed him all the way here and god, if Jason hadn’t been too distracted by the sight of Dick in the cowl, he would have noticed.

Dick glared at him and Jason could only put his hands up in defense because hey, Dick always went catty when he was Batman, the cowl had that effect on him, and Gotham was beautiful and sexy and all that good stuff, but what a bitch she was to her people.

Dick walked back to the computer with Bruce on one hand and resumed the conversation on the screen, Jason could spot the League’s members in there.

“I see what you meant earlier.” Diana smirked while eyeing Bruce with interest.

“Oh my God, is that actually Bruce?!!”

“Yes, he is. Now, can we go back to the bigger issue?” Dick said, shutting off Hal’s laugh because hey, he was the Batman, he was in charge now and he was doing a spot-on job of it. Dick was the leader that Bruce never could be, and people actually respected him rather than being scared or angry sometimes like with Bruce’s Batman.

Jason watched him talk from behind, and didn’t say anything when Kid Bruce snuggled close into Dick’s chest and looked up at him with big blue eyes. Bruce sometimes turned back to look at Jason, like he questioned what the hell he was doing in here.

Jason avoided his eyes because it was hard to see the man he sometimes exchanged fists with in this version.

Next day’s morning, Jason regretted accepting Dick’s request for help because now he had to deal with a Bruce that took scaring Jason as a great joy of his life.

“No… don’t you da−JESUS FUCK!”

Jason flung himself over to catch Bruce’s fall from the book shelf, successfully catching that bean bag weight and shielding him away from the very heavy books that were falling from when Jason’s body slammed into said shelf.

When the last novel, which weighed like the goddamn original bible fell onto his head, Jason took one silent minute to run his head through the question of what the hell he had got himself into. Six thugs in an alley couldn’t even bruise him this much.

Jason had been running after this little guy on top of his chest right now for the whole fucking day. He didn’t remember if he himself had ever had this much energy when he had been this little, because Brucie here had literally sucked the living life out of him. Earlier today, Bruce had almost successfully snapped Jason’s arm in half when he’d been in the gym with him and had decided that playing with the 250lb barbell while Jason was doing bench presses would be a good idea.

Tim had called today, said he wouldn’t make it ‘til next week, so the little shit decided that abandoning Jason alone with tiny Bruce wouldn’t burn the Manor to the ground. Dick had left Gotham this morning to go lead the League, leaving Jason to wake up with a cold bed, again, and to deal with Bruce all by himself because Alfred suddenly thought the house needed some groceries and wouldn’t be back for the next couple of hours. All the other traitorous idiots who called themselves family had agreed to help Gotham, but refused to set foot inside the manor until Dick got back, and still, they had the nerve to demand photos.

Aside from the fact that Jason was giving each of those bastards a crowbar for Christmas this year, he needed Dick or Alfred now before he snapped.

Bruce poked his head up and laughed, all teeth and tongue when he crawled off Jason’s chest and ran to his next game. Jason, who was currently in his tank and sweats, took a deep breath and ran off to his next battle, shouting after Bruce to slow down and not do something stupid, which was completely pointless.

Dick returned early the next morning, just to find Jason sleeping on the floor of the guest room, bruised and wrecked, looking like he had wrestled with a bear all night long.

“No!” Bruce pouted, pushing the spoon full of zucchini and corn away, making Alfred frown and Jason’s forehead twitch in a distinctive way.

Bruce had been behaving all dinner, grabbing a car toy in one hand and eyes glued to Dick across the table. He had even eaten the appetizer and main dish all by himself, had tumbled with the heavy silver knife and fork a bit, but still. Things all went down when Alfred noted Bruce had all but abandoned the salad on the side of his plate.

“Eat your vegetables, Bruce.” Dick said, eyes still look down to the papers on his hand, meal barely consumed because his fingers were busy holding a pen more than a fork.

Bruce pouted when he didn’t get the attention he wanted. His arms waved around like a rooster and the car toy went flying, knocking down the candle holder in the center of the table.

“Master Bruce!” Alfred raised his voice, disappointed but not angry. If anything, since Bruce got stuck with this stupid curse, Alfred had smiled a lot more than Jason had ever been able to see. Clearly, a father always loved to see his child being a child again even when they had all but grown up. Unfortunately, Jason wasn’t Alfred, neither was he anywhere near to being happy.

“Can’t you just leave him?” He held tightly to the fork in his hand, doing his best to stay sane when the table shook violently under Bruce’s kicks. “Missing a little green won’t kill him.”

“Nonsense, Master Jason. A child’s body needs vitamins and dietary fiber to grow and avoid chronic diseases.”

“Bruce, stop kicking the table or I won’t let you have dessert.” Bruce’s feet stopped right after Dick’s words ended.

Wow, what kind of sorcery was that?

“Master Dick, eat your dinner too. The work can wait.”

Yes, that was exactly what Jason had been dying to say but didn’t dare to. Thank you, Alfred.

In defense, Dick only smiled then turned back down to the document in his hand. Jason was on the verge of burning it all and dumping the whole dish of food into Dick’s mouth because this guy hadn’t eaten anything the whole day, and gosh, Dick wasn’t Bruce to push himself this much. Dealing with the League and Titans and Gotham and the world at the same time, Dick was a human being, not a brick wall!

Bruce stayed nice until desert came and boy, so much joy could pop out of that sulky toddler just by Alfred’s chocolate pudding. Dick dismissed himself when a call came and it was Wayne Enterprises, when Bruce was unavailable and both Tim and Damian were busy, the duties fell all on Dick’s shoulders.

Bruce spotted Dick leaving the room and quickly shoved the rest of the pudding into his mouth, making a mess on his face because, clearly, even when little and without vengeance, The Dark Knight still needed a Dick Grayson in his life. Hell, everyone who had met Dick needed a Dick Grayson in their life.

Jason sighed and dropped his spoon, shoulders dropping and eyes glaring toward Alfred because he was sure that frown on his wrinkled forehead spoke the same thought with him.

“I’ll make sure he eats something later.” He smiled; no need to worry the old man anymore, Alf was living in the dream with little Bruce being little again and not being Batman.

He followed Bruce’s pouncy feet to the office, watching that tiny figure peek behind the ajar door. Dick was on the phone, voice tight and serious. He sighed here and there, picked up papers and pens and started writing and faked laughter. Something about that sound made Jason wince.

Bruce looked back and up to him because Jason had more or less moved right behind him to peek in too. Those enormous puppy eyes were now on him and arms suddenly came out.

“Up, up.” Bruce spoke slowly and steady, heavy on the “p” and sounded so damn adorable that it must be illegal for the Dark Knight to look like this. Jason understood it now, whoever that witchy bitch that had put Bruce into this form was, she was evil, real evil.

Jason took a moment to look back into the room at a still busy Dick and back at Bruce’s demanding arms. He licked his lips before slowly picked Bruce up, sitting him nice and tidy on one forearm, and didn’t cringe when soft small arms wrapped around his neck.

They both stood there and waited, watching Dick play Bruce Wayne for Gotham. Everything about the scene was wrong, Dick in an expensive suit with a business case, working on a computer and talking on the phone, voice serious and face emotionless. Dick Grayson and the word “emotionless” alone was a wrong combination.

Bruce made a small protest noise, one hand reached out toward Dick inside the room. The little guy wanted some of mommy’s warmness, apparently.

“I know, buddy.” Jason whispered and steadied Bruce back on his arm. “I want him too.”

They continued to wait all night, until Alfred appeared behind Jason’s back, announcing it was late for Bruce’s bed time.

“This is a gun,” Jason waved the object in front of Bruce’s eyes. “Which is not something you should touch. Are we clear?”

Bruce’s head cocked to the side and a hand reached out to touch the barrel. It was unloaded, of course, Jason wasn’t an idiot. The point of this whole session was to show the kid what not to touch, not to help him kill himself. It better work though because Jason always carried at least one or two guns or daggers with him even in sweats and a tank, the last thing he needed was Dick slapping the shit out of him if Bruce somehow managed to snatch one of those things off of him and toy with it while being carried around.

No, Jason definitely didn’t need that.

“And this, is a Taser, which is something you did touch, remember?” Jason went on to the next weapon on the table, waiting for a nod that never came. “We are not going to repeat that.”

Still, Bruce gave no response, just rested his hands on the table and looked at all the different kind of weapons Jason had pulled out on it.

“And this is a Batarang, it has sharp blades on it. So no touching, roger?”

Bruce’s hand reached out to touch it anyway.

“NO! What the fuck did I just say?”

Bruce thrust his hand right back when he heard Jason snap, eyes wide and neck retracted. He looked like he had seen a ghost, mouth twisted and oh god, here it comes.

Bruce cried like the world had fallen apart. The sound ripped through the air and hit Jason like a full speed truck, draining blood from his face and turning his limbs clumsy.

“Oh shit, okay… Um, what do I do?” Jason rambled and ran over the other side of the table to pick Bruce up. The guy still cried like a thunder storm and the sound of it was running right into Jason’s ears.

Jason tried to mimic the way Dick shut Bruce’s rant down the last time he saw it, swaying his legs and making pissing-like noise but man, it wasn’t working at all and damn, he remembered Bruce being a lot more cooperative with Dick than with him right now.

His ears felt like they were gonna bleed with Bruce crying right next to them, and his head hurt all over. Realizing he wouldn’t ever succeed because he didn’t have that magic Dick possessed, Jason left the Cave with Bruce in his arms and ran up to the house, looking for Alfred because Dick was out playing Mr. Son of the CEO again.

Right when Alfred’s figure came in sight, Bruce’s cry turned louder and louder. His hands reached out for the old man and legs started kicking like Jason had tried to butcher him or something. Alfred only gave him a look when taking the weeping mess away from Jason. Jason’s shoulders dropped because dear fucking god, this was hell. He’d thought nothing could be worse than dying and crawling back to life, but no, this was just downright terrifying. Jason was good at rescuing and saving kids, not taking care of them. That was Dick’s job, but Dick wasn’t here, and Jason suddenly didn’t feel like loving him much now for leaving him like this.

Lunch turned out pretty peaceful with Bruce occupied by a bunch of action figures that Dick had bought him yesterday. It was wrong and somehow oddly satisfying watching Tiny Batman play with another tiny Batman in his hand.

Dick was nowhere to be seen throughout the whole meal, no phone call, no text message. Jason figured that meant he was gonna have to spend the rest of the day with Tiny Bruce. And speaking of the devil, Bruce was looking at him with eyes of a new born puppy, head cocked to the side and mouth full of food. Jason snapped a picture with his phone for the zillionth time since Bruce had turned out like this, because why the hell not. Jason always kept blackmail material for everyone, literally everyone, even Dick.

Jason later on remembered to keep an eye on Bruce in the gym, being extra careful while doing weight-lifting because no, he still remembered what had happened last time. Bruce stuck to every one of his footsteps, climbing up Dick’s pommel horse to watch Jason do his usual boxing routine with the sandbag. The kid took watching Jason’s workout as a leisure, even rolled down the matt, crossed his arms on his chest and tried to copy Jason’s fast movement while doing sit ups. It was terribly endearing seeing him like this, and Jason had to actually stopped a few time to just laugh out loud while watching Bruce fail repeatedly and roll around with a frustrated face.

Bruce didn’t seem to mind the sticky sweat on Jason’s body at all, because he climbed up and sat right on his back when Jason got into position and prepared to do pushups. The feel of Bruce’s featherweight and soft skin with warm touch shot a light electric shock down Jason’s spine, and, surprisingly, Jason found himself loving it. Bruce twittered merrily when Jason’s body went down then up, loving every second of it. Jason giggled too, because Bruce’s high-pitch laugh was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

And when Bruce lied down and touched his soft rotund cheek on Jason’s bare back, he couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the session.

He had known for a very long time that Dick had been born to be a great parent. The man could wear his heart on his sleeve and sway everyone around him with his kindness and affection, such a ball of joy in this dark dark world. Something about watching Dick holding tiny Bruce in his arms, smiling so gorgeously, shinning warmly like the goddamn sun that had never really paid much attention to Gotham’s sky, made Jason know that Dick was made to be loving and tender. He would carry on both the Mom and Dad role perfectly, because this man had just been born like that.

Here Jason was, standing dumbfounded in the kitchen doorway, unable to move his eyes away when the sunlight from the full glass window hit Dick’s beautiful smiling face at just the right angle, watching Bruce’s eyes shine a clear blue as they were glued to Dick’s lovingly. The whole scene made Jason’s heart warm comfortably, made him feel the same peacefulness like when he wrapped Dick tight in his arms and they just slept together on rainy nights.

Seeing Dick with the kid in his arms, laughing and loving, made Jason feel… whole. Watching these two acting like this filled in the spaces Jason had never thought were empty, satisfied cravings he had never thought he’d been hungry for.

Bruce’s tiny hand reached up and grabbed Dick’s nose, eyes huge and so clear.

“D.” He blurted out, a high pitched sound like a squeaky toy.

Dick breathed out and laughed and gosh, he looked like the sun of a tropical island.

“That’s right, Bruce. That’s my name.” He beamed brightly, making Jason’s heart flutter in all kinds of ways. He let Bruce nudge his head into the corner of his shoulder, legs slowly rocking around like a mother trying to sooth her kid back to sleep. It took a few swings for him to turn back and notice Jason standing there, leaning into the doorframe.

Dick smiled at him, so sweet and pretty. God, Jason fucking loved that smile.

“Hey.” Dick chuckled when Jason walked over and kissed his nape, wrapping his arms around that small waist.

“You’re up early.” He nuzzled against Dick’s neck, trying not to laugh out loud when Bruce looked at him with questioning big blue eyes. His hand reached out to touch Jason’s cheek, and Jason let him.

“Wouldn’t hurt if I do once in a while.” Dick was a morning person, Jason could swear on his old grave that he was. But night life and daily issues took a chunk out of Dick’s time and energy, leaving him always curled up in a bed longer than Jason and mumbling for a few more minutes. Jason loved it though, loved the sight of Dick sleeping and not seeing how much Jason loved him.

“Want breakfast?” He murmured into Dick’s neck, kissing the cool peach scented skin. Whatever shower gel Dick had been using recently, Jason loved it. Bruce’s hand had moved up to grab onto his hair, and Jason felt like he could stand just like this forever.

“That would be great.” Dick smiled, turning his head to kiss Bruce’s hand and Jason’s head. “Would you want breakfast from Jay too, buddy?”

Dick turned to Bruce, smiling all perfect white teeth. The kid tilted his head and smiled back, eyes squeezed into two tight lines as his hands waved around in excitement.

“Well, that must be a yes.”

Jason found himself peeking at Dick playing with Tiny Bruce behind his back way more than a few times while waiting for the eggs. He went over to the fridge to get some fruit and noted Alfred lurking behind the door way, motioning a silent finger to him as the butler continued to watched Dick and Bruce laughing with each other. There was this light in his eyes that shined with happiness and relief Jason had never seen before. The old man’s forehead was wrinkled like he might cry at any second, eyes pinned on the figures playing in his kitchen, in the Manor kitchen, filling the space with laughter and great delight that this old place had long forgotten.

Whatever the curse was, it had given way more effect than it had to Bruce. Alfred was being emotional, Dick was pushing himself for the sake the Batman and Gotham, and Jason, Jason was feeling weird. Weird because seeing Dick, Bruce and Alfred like this, all together and free from responsibilities, stretched his lungs tight and stirred his stomach hard. And he loved it.

God, he fucking loved the feeling of it.

And then Alfred’s eyes were on him, and it spoke something. It spoke something that was so hopeful and happy and Jason couldn’t bear to admit that he understood it all.

He looked back to Dick and the kid in his hands and gosh, he realized it now. This was everything he’d never thought he needed.

Jason was never the best at holding back, was never the champion of temper control. No, he got his strength from his anger, got his power from rage, Dick should know that. He knew that. And yet, he just kept doing this.

“Stop… fuck, just stop, okay?” Jason snapped, ripping the reports out of Dick’s hands as his voice found its way out of his mouth both louder and angrier than it should be. “Take a break, sleep a little, eat something, I don’t know, just fucking stop doing this.”

Dick glared at him and right this moment he looked just like Bruce, cold and scary and nothing he should be.

“Thanks for the concern, but Gotham and Manhattan need a protector.” He snatched the papers back from Jason’s hands, not caring how his action surprised Jason, how much it angered him.

“Don’t fucking think you’re in this alone. What about the Titans? What about Cass, Tim, Steph, Luke and Harper, huh? What about me?” Jason roared, voice kept getting louder and louder and his control slowly sank into the mud of darkness. “Are they just for show? Do you really think they are that helpless? Do you really think I’m that useless?!”

“Don’t say thing you do not know, Jason. The Titans without me, who do you think would lead them? Roy?! Luke broke his arm three nights ago, Cass, Harper and Steph together is not going be enough to fight the breakout this time, and Tim has to focus on finding the cure for Bruce’s curse. We are understaffed, lacking support with Kate overseas, and Arkham is ready to fall. If you really think I can trust you anywhere near the Joker then this conversation is over.”

Dick took a moment to just breathe, pressing down the anger that Jason knew had been building up since the first day he had to wear the cowl for Bruce.

“Situations like this are calculated and this is exactly why I’m here to do the best that I could.”

Jason sighed through his nose angrily, unable to just think or see clearly anymore because there was nothing they could do when Bruce was out of the game like this. Dick was doing Bruce’s job, was doing what Bruce would do and was saying exactly what the man would say. Jason was torn between anger and feeling wretched. Because Dick was right, and Jason hated when he was right like this, hated when Dick was right when he wore the cowl, hated when Bruce was gone and all this shit had to be on Dick’s shoulder, and fucking hated that right now the only thing that helped the guy function was probably will power.

And Jason couldn’t do anything about that.

“I don’t know… fuck, I fucking don’t know, okay? Just eat something. You look like shit, and shit won’t be able to do much help when the breakout falls down on our heads.”

“I ate dinner−”

“Yesterday’s dinner!” Jason cut in, hands waving and body looming because Dick needed to fucking see how vulnerable he looked right now, how tired and angry and not himself he had become.

“Or did you? I can still remember clearly you bit the pen more than Alfred’s cooking last night, and the night before.”

Dick’s face darkened and this, this was exactly why they both hated it when Dick had to be Batman.

“Damian refuses to come home until Bruce turns back to normal. I can’t leave Wayne Enterprises going to chaos because of it.”

“It won’t and you know it. Bruce got Lucius for this obvious reason, but no, you just gotta go. You can’t even stay at home and Bruce cried today because you weren’t there when he couldn’t find your Zitka plushy.”

It had been hell this morning, Bruce had sniveled for what had felt like forever, torturing Jason and demanding for Dick who, at that time, had been away playing Mr. Son of the Billionaire. Remembering about this morning did not help Jason’s temper at all as his voice got louder and angrier.

“I have you for situations like this.”

“This is exactly what is wrong with you. The kid needs you and you don’t give a fuck? Keep being delusional if you want to, but I’m not you. I’ll never be you and you leaving the house like this is not what Bruce needs.”

“Oh, so you suddenly care and know what the kid needs now?” Dick huffed, turning toward him and eyes on fire. And Jason, Jason was furious.

“Don’t you dare,” He pointed an accusing finger toward Dick’s face, voice purring like a raging wolf. “Don’t you dare open your mouth and say something like that again. I’m here and only here because you asked me to be, I do all this shit for you and for you only because I fucking love the asshole you are right now. I may not be the child type but I do give a fuck about the kid to know what is best for him.”

“You−”

Dick was ready for something nasty to come out, to fire back at Jason just as hard and hurtful, and Jason, Jason was ready too. But something in Dick’s eyes changed and suddenly, Jason realized he wasn’t looking at him anymore, but over his shoulder. When he turned back, Bruce was standing there, peeking around the rock wall of the Cave, face scared and red like he was about to cry. He was holding Zitka tight against his chest, the same damn toy that had given Jason one hell of a nightmare in broad daylight today.

Seconds of pure silence passed by, then tears from his huge blue eyes fell like a dripping tap, tiny hiccups and sobs came out and both Jason and Dick were left speechless.

Bruce dropped Zitka down the ground like that toy didn’t mean a damn thing anymore, and moved toward Dick as fast as possible with those unsteady toddler legs. He came to Dick’s feet and arms up, demanding to be pick up like usual with a wet mewling face. Jason could clearly see the anger and that ugly distant eyes of Dick melt right off his face, replaced by such a hurtful and confused expression that had Jason’s heart throb uncomfortably.

Dick picked the kid up like it was his instinct, and right away, that tiny face pressed into the crook of his neck, soft pinky cheek resting on his shoulder as wet blue eyes stared at Jason like they were haunting him. Bruce wrapped his arms around Dick as much as he could, holding on so tight the cape wrinkled under the force of tiny fists.

“Oh, it’s okay, buddy. It’s okay.” Dick smoothed his back, eyes closed and tired. “We weren’t fighting, we’re just…”

Dick stopped, because he didn’t know what else to describe it as, because they were actually fighting, and there wasn’t any denial for that. Dick looked like he was lost, like he was ready to fall to his knees and never get up again, and Jason, Jason couldn’t stop staring at him and Bruce’s eyes.

Then a tiny hand came up, palm opened and closed toward Jason’s face. His feet slowly made its way closer to Dick, to Bruce in his arms so the kid could touch his face. And when he did, Jason was left breathless and shaking.

Bruce’s crying had stopped somehow, only the tiniest sobs came out weakly from Dick’s shoulder, and his small and soft hand had slid down to grab onto Jason’s jacket. It was a mystery how such a small and weak hand could have the strength to pull the 215lbs body full of muscle close and tight to Dick’s side, Jason had no idea. But he didn’t complain, gosh, he couldn’t complain. Because the moment Dick’s body made contact with his chest, his hands had come out to hug that slim waist like that was where they belonged.

“We’re okay.” Jason whispered, dropping his head down a little as Dick turned to look at him, eyes so blue and open Jason could see the whole ocean in them.

“We’re okay.” Dick whispered back, voice so soft and full of breath as he pressed his forehead against Jason’s and relaxed his body in his embrace.

They all stood still like that until Bruce fell asleep, and when he did, Jason kissed Dick like he always did, soft and slow and just gentle, only lips touching because despite everything, this was them and who they were when together.

When Jason came out of the shower, Dick had already changed the sheets. He was lying face down, arms tucked down to hug the pillow like a cat guarding his meat in sleep. His face was half covered by silky black hair, still slightly damp from the shower he had taken before Jason. Beautiful blue eyes Jason knew too well were closed shut, face relaxed and lips parted slightly. Moments like this were when Jason realized that maybe he had loved this man forever, and that even with all the wars and battles and pain waiting to crash down on their lives, he would never feel anything different.

Jason crawled into the bed, smiling like a damn fool when Dick mumbled something non-English and kicked the blanket. Their naked skin touched and pressed tight to each other as Jason slowly wrapped his arm around Dick’s waist and tucked the other under that sleeping head, resting his palm on his shoulder like a muscle bond. Dick had spoiled him thoroughly because it was all thanks to him now that Jason found sleeping extremely uncomfortable without being able to just hold Dick tight and feel his warmth and beating heart like this. Dick’s hand crept up to touch Jason’s, soft cheek brushed against his forearm before his head turned and greeted him with a dazzling smile.

It’d been raining heavily outside, at this late, with this weather, crime more or less stopped even for Gotham. They had been informed a storm was heading toward the city and would likely to last till the end of the week.

“Hey.” Dick had shifted to lie face to face with him, bare chest pressed close to Jason’s, so warm and soft it made Jason’s head numb for a few seconds.

“Hey.” He smiled back, leaning a little bit forward to press a kiss on Dick’s nose, just to hear him giggle playfully.

The storm was quite bad outside, lightning and thunder pouring down like the gods were doing battle, striking sounds echoed in the air, even through the thick bulletproof glass of the Manor. They could get a couple of good hours before the sun came up, if it could with all the dark heavy clouds. Jason had more or less forced Damian to come back to take care of Wayne Enterprises, because a) the kid did it way better then Dick, it was what he had been trained for since in the womb, and b) like he had said before, Jason kept blackmail material on everyone. Plus, the kid loved Dick, so of course he would come back, he chose to stay at the penthouse though, but Jason was too happy about that to complain.

Dick yawned and made Jason follow him, eyes sleepy and hair messy. He let out those small satisfying purring noise that Jason had gotten used to, arms and legs went up, ready to climb Jason.

They wrestled around for a moment, breathing and laughing out loud, fighting against the thunder and lightning outside. They didn’t do this for sex, didn’t do this because having Dick pinned down the bed really turned Jason on. No, they did it because sometimes it just came out of nowhere, when they looked at each other’s eyes and just wanted to do something crazy and childish together. Because they had reached the phase when sex wasn’t enough anymore, when cuddling on the couch and watching some drama series was more tempting than watching the other strip off, when spooning all night and waking up together meant more than hot make out sessions.

Jason had stopped climbing out of Dick’s window about a year and a half ago, then Dick had stayed for breakfast instead of leaving right when the sun came up like he had used to. Now they lived together, and sometimes when Dick went away, Jason thought about getting a pet, but a dog would be spoiled by Dick too soon, and Jason already had one human sized cat already.

Dick fell onto Jason’s chest, laughing and looking more beautiful than anything Jason had encountered within his life. He let Dick kiss him, grinning ear to ear as his hands crept up to pull off Dick’s boxers.

Dick was moaning something so erotic into Jason’s ears that got his junk rock hard in 3 seconds when the door creaked and an innocent face poked in, throwing off both of them.

“D?”

Dick scrambled and fell down the bed as Jason hurried to pull Dick’s boxer back up and covered his own boner.

“Ye..yeah? What is it, buddy?” Dick flushed bright red, trying his best to sound normal but failing miserably.

Bruce looked at both of them then pointed his hand toward the window where they could see and hear the thunder and lightning kept striking down just as hard as the heavy rain. Bruce’s face twisted and all Jason could think was damn.

Dick turned and looked at him, eyes saying things Jason wished he did not understand. Dick’s smile was so soft and sweet it was like everything good in this world.

“Are you scared?”

Bruce nodded eagerly, holding Zitka so tight into his chest it looked like the toy might sink into his tiny body. Dick was looking at him again, and Jason, Jason was in hell. This was hell because all those puppy eyes were on him, he couldn’t say no to the kid, and had never be able to say no to Dick, so, damn them.

If Bruce wanted to join them, he really didn’t have to torture Jason with a face like that.

“Alright, come here.” Jason sighed and patted the mattress, couldn’t hold back a snort when he saw Bruce’s eyes light right up like fairy lights. The kid ran right over to their bed, giggling all the way. It had Jason’s stomach twitching uncomfortably when thinking about how a bowl of sunshine like this grew up to turn into an angsty mess.

Dick scooted over to make a place for Bruce in between them, blushing a little when Bruce eyed their naked features with confusion.

The storm outside continued to ravish down, but if the kid was actually scared of thunder, he didn’t show it now. Right now, he was grinning ear to ear as he lied down and tucked close into Dick’s chest, rubbing his chubby cheek into the warm chest like a little kitten. When Jason looked up a little, those eyes Dick was giving him, they were so beautiful it drained all the strength out of his body.

Somehow, it pulled out a smile on his face, this scene. Looking at the two most important men in his life curled up into a huge ball of coziness and affection did things to Jason, did things that made him feel whole like he never had before. So, Jason lied down, hugged both Dick and the kid close with his massive arms, felt their warmth and smiled all the way to his sleep.

Morning came and had Alfred finding them sleeping together on the bed with Dick facing away, Bruce’s legs resting on Jason’s neck and one of Jason’s dangling off the bed.

Bruce turned back to normal after two weeks, two weeks that had felt like two months and maybe more. They started fighting the moment he was back, because this wasn’t Tiny and Cutie Bruce anymore, this was Big Ass and Jerk Ass Bruce that sometimes made Jason’s life a living hell, and also, because Bruce was back and back to being Batman, didn’t have a single clue as to what had happened, didn’t even give Dick anything more than a short ‘thank you’, didn’t realize how Dick had to use concealer for the dark bags under his eyes, didn’t realized his company was still there and breeding money because Dick was there before Damian decided to step in, and Bruce also didn’t notice the way Alfred looked at him in silence while holding the tiny clothes tights in his hands.

World’s Greatest Detective his ass. Also, Steph had cried a little because the man was back to normal before she got a chance to see the kid.

When they were back to Jason’s safe house, everything went on just as usual. They talked, they ate, they went on patrol and slept together. Everything was back to normal aside from the part where it wasn’t. Sometimes Jason heard noises, sweet giggles and laughter that were never there, every sit up he did, Jason expected to see a face that was never there next to him, every meal they ate Jason stared at the empty chair on the side of the table and imagined things he shouldn’t imagine. And sometimes, sometimes Jason saw Dick in the kitchen, expecting for a never coming figure to come and hover around his legs.

Jason knew this was wrong, knew he shouldn’t feel like this, but he did anyway.

When it rained again in Gotham, they spent their night on the bed, glued to each other and tangled in the blanket. The TV flashed lights and colors around the dark room as the sound of raining kept them company through the night. Dick was lying on his chest and thinking out loud, and Jason, Jason just laid there and listened to the sounds outside the window, listened to Dick’s silent thoughts, and kept waiting for a once familiar face to poke out around the doorway.

When the movie ended and commercials started to run, Jason found himself holding Dick tighter.

“Let’s get married.”

That came out of nowhere, but again, it felt like it had been there in every nook of Jason, lurking under the skin and waiting to break out. Dick went stiff in his arms and after what felt like forever, he finally turned his head and looked at Jason. His eyes went wide and questioned things he didn’t dare to voice out loud, because if he did, then maybe Jason would deny it, brush it off like some lame joke.

Jason saw that, knew what Dick had in mind, and that, that was probably the only insurance Jason had to know he wasn’t the only one.

“Marry me,” He repeated, smiling because he knew what Dick was thinking right now. “And let’s have a kid together.”

Because he had never thought he needed this kind of life, this kind of commitment, but the curse, Bruce and the last two weeks broke something new in Jason, made he realized that hugging and kissing like what they had tried in the past year wouldn’t ever be enough for him.

Normally, saying things like this out loud took a chunk out of Jason, but the rain, the incident with Bruce, and the way Dick was looking at him right now, with those ocean eyes shifting from surprised to desperate, the words had come right out of him as naturally as breathing. And Jason, he didn’t regret it at all, because Dick kissed him, and smiled so beautifully it ached just to watch.

Yeah, never thought he would say this one day, but Jason was happy.

They were happy.

#jaydick #prompt #Jason Todd #dick grayson #bruce wayne #Alfred Pennyworth #my writing

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addicted-to-dc · 8 years ago

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Damian Wayne/ Robin X Reader- Murder Kitten

After this post, there will only be 2 requests left!! Yay!!!!! Also, this was requested by @abigailredgrave, who requests some pretty awesome stuff!!! I hope you guys enjoy this and have a nice day!!!! If I am counting this right, THIS IS MY ONE HUNDREDTH FANFIC!!!! YYYAAYYY!!!

Warning: Swearing

Gotham was full of geniuses, but some of them were psychotic. Psychologists say genius is related to mental illness, hell, even being crazy, but that’s why you keep it to yourself. Most intelligent people either were like that or had disabilities. The Riddler was an excellent example, but that would be too simple. It bugged you to know that people don’t understand what’s underneath the super villain and superhero label slapped onto their foreheads, to not understand what their motivations were and what caused them to resort to crime. Mister Freeze, or Doctor Victor Fries, resorted to crime to save his wife from an incurable disease. You understood why his efforts were stopped by heroes like Batman. He harmed innocent people, and that was not what society allowed. Even if the people he harmed were corrupt, their influence would allow them to get away with almost anything. Poison Ivy, or Pamela Isley, was a botanist who took Eco-terrorism too seriously. You also agreed that something should be done to protect the Earth and the life it supported, but not as much as she did. Most of the people labeled ‘Villains’ were geniuses, but they just used their brains the wrong way.

Luckily for you, you weren’t like them at all. Sure, maybe you agreed with their ideas, but the less extreme versions. You agreed that the human race needed to stop harming the planet, but not by human extinction. Humans are capable of using renewable energy to support their electronic needs, but of course they won’t do it. Cures could be made if scientists would focus on the diseases rather than focusing on biological warfare and creating new heroes. Humans would be a greater race if they would band together and stop the fighting, but you knew that it would take a long time for that to happen. People want to have a Utopia where everything would work out, there would be no war, and everyone would be equal, but there are some who are the complete opposite. There are people who want the be the superior race with all of the power, who think their self-interests are more important than the lives of others. The Earth’s past clearly displays that there will always be someone who does not see others as their equals, including the pompous asshats who enjoy to pester and bully you whenever you step foot on Gotham Academy’s grounds.

It’s not like your intelligence went unnoticed in the halls of Gotham Academy. You spent less than half of the day at the Academy taking classes, and the rest at Gotham University. Your teachers were surprised to see you, a 16 year-old, have a higher IQ than them. After that, you were taking classes that college students could barely understand. Out of all of the classes you took, Psychology and Criminology were your favorites. It was fascinating to learn what the human mind was capable of, and you used that to your advantage. It was annoying that the Academy still required you to take electives, but you only had to take them this year, and after that you’d be able to go to college with a full ride. It was easier said than done, but that didn’t mean you had to go through it alone. Most of the students thought you were insane, but you simply understood the world more than them. Even your humor was based upon it, but not everyone appreciated it nor understood it. You based most of your jokes on the superheroes and super villains of the world, and knew the identities of most of them.

“Okay, class, today is your final grade for the year,” Mrs. Merz stated calmly. “You are going to finish making your improved cake recipes for the baking competition. Since the Seniors are not here, you’ll be a bit understaffed, but since you prepared your dry ingredients yesterday, you’ll have plenty of time to bake your cakes.”

Turning over to your partner, Damian Wayne, you asked, “Did you bring the decorations?”

“TT. Of course I brought them,” Damian answered, gesturing to the bag near his feet. “I still do not understand why we decided on the ‘Willy Wonka’ theme for this cake.”

You rolled your eyes and tied the apron around your waist, “This is supposed to be dessert, and Willy Wonka specializes in desserts. Most of the imbeciles in this class are doing a superhero theme or something idiotic like the beach theme Tyler and his posse are making.”

Damian scowled and put his apron on, “I do detest them.”

“Yes, and their cake has more capsaicin in it than Batman’s smoke bombs,” you said and placed your improved recipe on the counter. “They did not even test their recipe out at home.”

Damian smirked, “Not like you did.”

You scoffed, “Unlike them, I actually enjoy this class and plan on getting good grades.”

“Also, they do not have your cunning intelligence and wonderful personality,” Damian inputted while placing the dry ingredients into a bowl. “They have no respect for anyone but themselves, maybe the occasional harlot that they have relations with, but mostly themselves.”

“I agree with that,” you said while looking at the recipe and pulling out more bowls and measuring cups. “I’m going to go get the liquid ingredients. While I do this, can you prepare the dry ingredients for the frosting?”

“Of course I can.”

————————————

“Ow!” you shouted, placing your burnt finger under cold water. “That’s hotter than Superman’s heat vision.”

“How would you know that?” Damian asked, stirring the raspberry frosting.

“Have you ever heard the wonders of over exaggeration?” you asked, still running the cold water on your finger. “Technically, if I had a piece of debris that Superman cut with his heat vision, I could tell how many degrees it would be.”

“You are full of many surprises, (Y/L/N),” Damian said and placed the bowl on the counter. “Do you want me to take the cake out of the oven? I think I can do it without burning myself.”

“I didn’t know the oven mitt was wet,” you muttered and gave him the other mitt, which was dry.

“Of course you didn’t,” Damian said and lifted the chocolate cake out of the oven.

You rolled your eyes and shut the faucet off when the pain in your finger died down, “Everyone makes mistakes, so stop bickering with me and criticize everyone’s cakes as ours cools off.”

Damian rolled his eyes and took the mitt off, tossing it onto the counter, “Fine.”

———————

“Their cake is greener than Poison Ivy,” you said while making a disgusted face. “I did not see them add any green food coloring either.”

“Tyler’s cake is supposed to be grape, but it’s bluer than Mr. Freeze’s ass,” you stated, shuddering at the thought. “Do you think his skin is baby blue or icy blue?”

“Why is this relevant?” Damian asked, poking at the cake to see if it was cool enough to start decorating.

You shrugged, “You know that my humor is mostly based on superheroes and supervillains, so answer the question already.”

“I believe it would be lighter than Icy Blue,” Damian admitted. “The cake is ready.”

————————

“Damian, I need you to do something for me.”

Damian stopped sparring with Dick, looking over to his father with confusion, “What is it?”

“Come over to the Bat Computer and I will show you,” Bruce said, turning his chair around.

Dick gave Damian a puzzled look before following him over to the Bat Computer, frowning when he saw your photos on the screen.

“Why do you have (Y/N) on the screen, Bruce?” Dick asked with a puzzled expression. “I’ve seen her around the college and the only terrible thing about her is her corny superhero jokes.”

Bruce rose a brow, clicking on a video file attached to your own file. “You’ve got Teen Titans, Young Justice, and the Justice League. Whats next? Toddlers of titanium?”

“What do you call an actress whose dress goes up in flames? Starfire.”

“I’m gonna wonder woman spin my way out of this.”

“I bet Aquaman hates Spongebob.”

“Robin’s mask literally only covers a fourth of his face, how has nobody recognized him yet! At least batman covers half of his!“

“Who the hell hides themselves behind a pair of glasses and a bitch curl-ooohh..”

“That pair of pants has more pockets than Batman’s utility belt.”

The last video showed you messing around with your glasses, taking them on and off saying: "Look I’m Superman! Wait, now I’m not!”

By the end of the clip, Dick was laughing while holding his stomach, which made Bruce give him an unamused expression. Damian read over your file and noticed that you went to the same school he did, but you go to Gotham University for most of your classes.

“She obviously knows Clark’s identity,” Bruce stated, returning his attention to the screen, “and has a high IQ. Damian, I want to see how much she knows, and if she’ll be a threat or not.”

“Oh, come on, Bruce!” Dick said, throwing his arms up into the air. “(Y/N) might know our secret identities, but do you realize who you’re talking about?”

“Yes I do,” Bruce responded, “which is why I think Damian would be the perfect person to befriend her, and find out if she can be trusted.”

“I can handle it,” Damian stated. “It is common knowledge that (Y/L/N) does not have any friends at the school, and she will be hesitant, but I’m sure I will figure something out.”

“Good, because our identities are at risk.”

———————–

“So, Sherlock, are you gonna do it or what?!?!” Tyler shouted, waving his homework in front of your face. “Or do I have to make you do it?!”

“You know, when you call me Sherlock, you’re admitting that I am smarter than you,” you smirked, not even flinching when his fist met the locker to the left of your face.

“Shut it, Watson!! If you’re not gonna do it, I’m going to kick the shit out of you, you insane freak!” he threatened.

You scoffed, “'If you’re going to insult me stick to one character per show.”

“That’s it!!” Tyler shouted, raising his fist.

Just as it was going to meet your face, Tyler was pulled away from you and thrown onto the ground. You looked over to find Damian glaring at Tyler.

“If you ever touch her again, I swear I will-”

“Okay, Murder Kitten, I think we should get to class before we’re late,” you interrupted, grasping Damian’s hand before he murdered Tyler.

“TT, I wasn’t going to murder him,” Damian grumbled.

“Judging by your posture and feral look in your eyes, that’s a lie.”

#Damian Wayne #older!damian #imagine damian wayne #damian wayne x reader #robin #robin x reader #robin imagine #dc x reader #dc comics imagine #dc imagine #dc #dc comcis

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dulceringo · 7 years ago

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(Finally got hold of my computer! I’ll be able to write my stories again! Yay! Anyway, this has been staying on my drafts since last, last(?) week)

I was tagged by @psychotic-cheesecake

Rules: answer 20 questions and tag 20 awesome followers you would like to know better.

Name: gdesertsand, Joke! You can call me Fuji.

Nickname: Fuji, G, Sand

Birth month: New Year’s

Height: 4'10" (yeah, I am small)

Ethnicity: South East Asian

Orientation: It is also the name of god of the wild in Greek mythology

Fruit: apple, especially Fuji apple

Favorite season: rainy (as long as it will not cause floods)

Books: PJO and HOO, Magnus Chase and The Gods of Asgard, A Silent Star, Mercy at Midnight, Miss Peregrine’s House of Peculiar Children.

Favorite flowers: Jasmine, forget me not, roses, Gumamela (Hibiscus)

Favorite scent: the smell of rain before it pours down.

Favorite animals: as long as they are fluffy and cute.

Favorite beverages: Hot chocolate and Ice coffee.

Hours of sleep: 4-6 hours (normal), 2-3 hours (if I have an exam)

Favorite fictional characters: of course Lance from VLD, Nico di Angelo from PJO and HOO series, Gaara, Allen Walker from DGM, Edward Elric from FMA, Jack Sparrow, Trafalgar Law and Corazon (Donquixote Rocinante) from One Piece,….I got so many favorite characters…

Number of blankets you sleep with: One, because it is not that cold from where I live.

Dream trip: a trip around the world of course!

Blog Created: February 2016 I guess? That was the time I joined the Hetalia fandom XD

Number of followers: 600+ (yay!)

Okay, I’m going to tag: @codevassie, @thegoliathbeetle, @mutantgurls, @alienslovetea, @iris-nebula, @two-tailed-fox, @somethingcool421, @jigglejaggle, @villalicious, @custompotato, @endlessseeker, @tall-as-sequoia, @spacegaysquad, @taylor-tut, @spacebluelion, @voltroncookies, @shystfore, @wastedeadspace, @skitnote, @justyouraverageshittyblogger

(Sorry if the ones that I tagged already answer this)

#tagged #gdesertsandspeaking

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god-damn-hero · 8 years ago

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Can’t Help It - Chapter 3

Yay I did it. Some bro time in this one. Oh also beware of the headcanons

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Word count: 1208

Characters: Rhys, Vaughn

Ships: implied rhack, Yvette/OC (mentioned)

Trigger Warnings in the tags!

Rhys stepped into the flat and took off his shoes before flopping down onto the couch. Vaughn wasn't home yet since Jack let Rhys go early. After his promotion. His head was spinning. Handsome Jack's personal assistant. He still couldn't believe it. 'Meg' or 'Carol' or whatever her name was - honestly Jack was a terrible boss for not remembering it correctly - gave him some paperwork and data to start with. He'd get to that later though. Right now Rhys needed to process everything that happened today. He remembered the talk at lunch with his best friend. Wait - he didn't eat anything today. As if on cue his stomach rumbled and Rhys sighed. Yeah he should probably eat something. The company man stood up and went to the small kitchen. After rummaging through the fridge he found an instant meal and put it into the microwave. Rhys grabbed a soda from the fridge aswell and placed it on the counter along with a fork. When he heard the ping of the microwave he took the food and sat down to eat.

After the company man finished his meal he put the dirty plate and fork into the dishwasher and walked towards his room. On his way Rhys grabbed his bag and put it on his desk. He sat down and pulled out the little ECHO drive and the folder. At this point he grew even more curious than he was before and plugged the drive into his computer as soon as it had started up and showed his desktop. A window popped open and Rhys could see a few files: Detailed information about each department at Hyperion, a list with all employees and their resumes, including Handsome Jack, a schedule, a list of codes and current projects appropriate for his clearance level and a password encrypted file he couldn‘t open. "Huh, weird," Rhys muttered to himself. Why did Jack put it on the drive in the first place if his PA wasn't allowed to see it? He dug through each file, read them thoroughly and payed special attention to the one with the codes. But he couldn‘t find a password or even a hint. Then he actually read the name of the file: Wi1d1ife_3xp10i7ati0n_9re5erve.

"What the f-?" Rhys got interrupted by his ECHO device. Vaughn was calling him. "Rhys! How are you? How was the meeting?" His friend asked very curiously as soon as Rhys took the call. The screen popped up and showed a smiling Vaughn. "And you couldn't wait until you'd be home to ask me?" Rhys chuckled, touched by his best friends' genuine interest. "No. Tell me now." Rhys could see Vaughn grinning. "Okay, I hope you're sitting down. I got promoted," Rhys exclaimed with a proud expression. "To head of department? Rhys, that's awesome! We worked so hard for this!" Vaughn looked very happy and Rhys chuckled at the image of him in his palm. "No, buddy, not head of department. I'm Handsome Jack's personal assistant," he announced ceremoniously. "Dude! What? For real?" Vaughn was flabbergasted. "Yup," Rhys tried to play it cool, while on the inside he was still freaking out about it. "Dude, that's great! It's great, right?" Vaughn asked uncertain. "Yeah, sure! Come home and I'll give you all the details," the company man said with a grin. "Yeah, yeah alright. See you in a few," his friend nodded and ended the call. Rhys sighed and shook his head. Yeah of course it was great. An amazing opportunity. Right, where was he? He focused back on the computer screen. Rhys read the name of the file again, this time changing the numbers to letters: Wildlife Exploitation Preserve. He frowned. Honestly that sounded like something morally questionable. He had to talk to Jack about it tomorrow. For now he had to get to the papers.

Rhys flinched slightly when he heard the apartment door open and just a few seconds later his - very excited - best friend came bouncing into his room. "Bro! Hey!" The small man was grinning widely. "Hey, Vaughn." Rhys smiled at him, turning in his chair, away from his desk. "Now, tell me everything! I already overheard some conversations. People aren't talking very nicely about you though," Vaughn babbled while he sat down on the others bed. Rhys frowned. "Really? Well honestly, that's no surprise. I mean I was just a lower datamining employee. And now suddenly getting promoted to the CEO's personal assistant. Eh, it's a big deal. I can understand that people are hating on me." He shrugged. He already figured that there would be people talking shit about him eventually. "They're calling you his lap dog," Vaughn interjected with an arched eyebrow. "Yeah, well, it is what it is." Rhys laughed nervously.

"Anyway, I wanted to tell you about the meeting. Of course I was too early, but Jack was too. Well we kind of talk and he actually tells me that he admires my eagerness to climb up the corporate ladder of 'this shithole'." Rhys made quotation marks with his hands. "Really? Wow. What happened then?" Vaughn asked curiously. "Well, he said that he's impressed," Rhys grinned. Vaughn didn't need to know that Jack winked at him. "Then the other people came in. Mostly high-ups. I felt really out of place." He sighed. "I can imagine." Vaughn nodded. "Yeah, well everything goes normal, Jack holds his 'motivational' speech and everything, when suddenly he grabs my hair and yanks my head around. To show off my neural port and talk about how I'm a great example for work ethics and stuff." Rhys gestured with his hands. He was still agitated about it. "Oh geez, that sounds wild. But that's the reason why you got the promotion? So our plan worked even better than expected?" Vaughn was astonished. "Actually, yes. Well, he then showed me the office. We will be sharing the same one. It has a big ass window with a great view on Elpis," Rhys gushed. He didn't want to mention the neural port touching either. Remembering it still made him shiver and not in a good way. At least that's what he was telling himself.

"Oh wow, you're lucky," his bro said and Rhys could sense the sarcasm in his voice. "I mean, of all the possible people it is you who gets promoted to Handsome Jack's personal assistant. You're practically in love with that guy. What are you going to do? Tell him how you feel? You know that he made homophobic remarks before when Yvette started dating Clarice. I'm actually impressed that he didn't make a new rule against gay relationships," Vaughn huffed and crossed his arms. Rhys rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know, Vaughn. Thank you," he said sarcastically. "I don't think you need to worry about it, though. I'll be fine. And who knows, maybe my feelings will go away when I get to know him better and see how psychotic he really is." Rhys shrugged. "Yeeah, maybe." Vaughn didn't look very convinced. Rhys sighed. "Let's just see how my first day will go tomorrow and then we can judge." He smiled at his best friend and Vaughn nodded. "Alright. Let's see what tomorrow will bring."

#tw: implied homophobia #ECHO Log #the company man #the money man #borderlands 2 #tales from the borderlands #AU #pa!rhys #handsome jack #rhys #vaughn #fanfiction #rhack #rhack tftbl #rhack au #fanfic

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cocvillereloaded-blog · 7 years ago

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Prologue- Welcome to COCville

Author’s Note:

This story is in honor of Buttercup Wilson, or @1ov1yw3ath3r on Twitter. She began this story back in late November, and has since asked The Paper Goddess and me (@DespicableFool on Twitter) to finish it in her stead. Wherever she is now, I hope that we do COCville justice. Because I don’t have any notes from her or anything, I’ve been doing my best to interpret what she wanted with the story and going from there. Join me, now, as we explore the world that Buttercup Wilson has left for us to cherish and enjoy.

As it has for several years now, the sun slowly began to dip past the horizon, separating the sky between a cool, light blue and a cheery orange. The light spattering of cloud cover began to glow bright yellow as the sun passed behind them. This was a sight all too familiar to Buttercup. She smiled as she walked alongside her friends down the woodland trail towards town. The familiarity was welcome to her, not just from the sunset but from everything in her life.

Familiarity brought stability, safety, and moments like tonight become all the more memorable and important because of it. She laughed a bit at her friend Pixel, a Vulpix/Hedgehog hybrid, as she chattered on about her excitement over Cassandra’s being officially declared the princess of COCville, their hometown. In fact, if she was being completely honest, Buttercup had tuned her out a bit. Pixel had been going on like this for almost a week now, so she probably wasn’t missing anything. Bless Pixel’s heart, but one of these days she’s going to end up dying from being worked up like this.

“Ooh, ooh! How about nice, big homes for us all to live in?! Or- or how about nice, fun, easy jobs that pay us lots of money, working for you?! Actually, no, we don’t even have to work, right?!-“ Cassandra, the other human of the group, chuckled.

“Pixel, I can’t just give you all money for doing nothing, that’s nepotism. But if you really want to, I can definitely find a job for you at the palace.”

“Besides,” Buttercup added, “we’ll still be friends. We can just visit Cassie whenever we like.”

Cassandra smiled. “Exactly.”

Pixel just continued to skip along, undeterred. “Oh, right. Sorry, I just can’t get over the fact that you’re the princess now!” She squealed and pounced on Cassandra in a hug. “Oh, I can’t believe it, I’m just so proud of you!”

“We all are, Pix!” Battina called from up ahead, as she continued to balance her way across tree branches above the path. “This isn’t that surprising, though. Cassie’s a smart girl. There’s no way she would’ve failed that written portion.”

“That wasn’t a written exam, Batts, that was just our personal information.” Battina continued onward, almost absentmindedly, not even looking down. “Oh, was it?” She tapped the branch with her foot with a smart rap-rap.

“How about you come back down and join us, Batts?” Buttercup called up to her.

“Sure thing.” The Zubat/Hedgehog hybrid unfurled her wings and fluttered over to her friends, flapping as if with all her might and whistling all the way. Buttercup didn’t mind when she did this. After all, Battina couldn’t see with her bangs covering her eyes like they did. She was functionally blind, so she relied on her sonar abilities to figure out where she was. After a few attempts where she almost flew past them several times, she finally managed to land next to Buttercup and walk alongside the rest of the group.

“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you. You guys got a check too, right?”

“A check? No, lemme see!” Pixel’s ears stood up as she let go of Cassandra. Battina held up a folded piece of paper and gave it to Pixel to read. Once she quickly looked it over, though, she giggled, flushing a bit as if in embarrassment.

“Uh, Batts… This is-“

“-The agenda, I know. I was just messing with you.” The friends all chuckled. Buttercup sunk back into her thoughts. It was hard to think that four years ago she and her friends were going to school back in CWCville. To be honest, she was glad to be gone from that place. It wasn’t exactly hell or anything, but at the same time they weren’t very nearly royalty over in CWCville.

When they heard that this scientist named Bill had created his own city in a parallel universe, they all agreed that they would have better options for their lives over here instead. After all, what was there in CWCville for them? College and no jobs? No. As soon as the word spread and the city teleporter was up and running, she and Cassandra were some of the first to make the jump across universes. And as of today, they had absolutely no reason to regret that decision. It couldn’t get much better for them. Pixel sighed. “Oh, I can’t believe I have to go back to my day job after this. I’m not even going to be able to sleep tonight.”

“Wait, you sleep?”

“Ha, ha, Batts. Oh, Cassie, I bet you’ll be so bored after a while! You don’t have any responsibilities like we do.”

“Sure, I do. Running a city isn’t exactly something just anyone can do, you know.” “Yeah, you remember what that Bill guy said about it, right, Pixel?”

“Uhh…” Buttercup shook her head and smiled. “Wow, Pix.”

“I’d roll my eyes at you if I had, any, Pix.” Battina lightly elbowed her friend in jest.

“Shut up.” Cassandra turned to Buttercup. “Oh, that reminds me. You remember what Bill said about successors and everything, right, Buttercup?”

“Uh, yeah. What about it?”

“Well, Bill said that if I didn’t have one figured out for myself, then the job of running the city would go back to him. He made it sound like he didn’t really want it to turn out like that, so I’d rather have that figured out now.”

“Well, yeah, but that’s for when you die, isn’t it? Why the rush?”

“I just want to be ready for anything, that’s all.” Battina nudged Pixel. “That’s our Cassie for ya.”

Buttercup nodded. “Okay. So, who were you thinking?”

Cassandra smiled. “You.”

Buttercup blushed. “Wait, me?! Hold on.”

“What do you mean, ‘Hold on’, girl?” Pixel piped in. “You’d be the princess too!”

“Well, yeah, but it’d be right after Cassie dies! I don’t know if I’d be capable of doing everything a princess needs to do right after one of my best friends dies.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Well, if you had the time to think about it, would you say yes?” Cassandra looked into her friend’s eyes expectantly. After a moment of silence, only undercut by their footsteps and Battina’s whistling, Buttercup sighed.

“Well… Because you’re my friend… Sure.”

Pixel clapped her hands. “Yay!”

Cassandra draped her hand over her friend’s shoulder. “Thanks. And, don’t worry. Like you said, we won’t have to worry about that for a while.”

Battina stopped whistling and wiggled her ears. “Why does something sound like metal?”

Cassandra looked ahead where Battina’s unseeing gaze was pointing. “Oh, that’s Bill’s lab! We’ve never been this way before.” “That means we’re not too far from town. This way, guys!” Buttercup called out as she led the way down the road.

~ == ~

Bill pulled off his dress coat and began replacing it with his well-worn lab coat as he entered the laboratory, his assistant Namine standing ready and waiting as always.

“Welcome back, sir. How’d it go?”

Bill sighed and accepted the clipboard Namine passed him. “As well as can be expected, I suppose. At the very least, I don’t have to worry about leading the city anymore.”

“Very good, sir.”

“And how are the Regicide Squad doing?” Bill turned at a scoff from across the room. An anthropomorphic, feline creature with yellow fur, sharp claws, and a long tail shaped like a lightning bolt was manipulating the dials on a large machine, his back turned to the humans. “What’s bothering him this time?”

“He doesn’t really think “The Regicide Squad” is a good name for them.” Bill turned back to the creature.

“And what do you think would be a better name, Zeraora?” Zeraora glanced over his shoulder at his creator. “The Talos Four.”

Bill met his creation’s glance with his own, unreadable as always. “Duly noted.” He turned back to Namine. “So, how are they?”

“Their vitals are holding, and genetic splicing has been a success. No side effects as of yet.”

“Good. Let’s wake them up.”

“Well, not so fast, sir.”

“What’s the matter?” Zeraora turned to face him this time.

“We’ve run the simulations like you told us, and we think there’s a 70% chance of them going completely insane once they wake up.”

Bill furrowed his brow and lowered his gaze deep in thought. This was certainly unexpected. “We weren’t sure whether you wanted us to keep going with this, or what, sir.” After a moment of thought, “… What if we gave them neuroleptics?”

Namine shook her head. “We don’t have any more, sir.”

“What do we have?”

Zeraora gave him a list, which he scrutinized carefully. After gazing at it as if trying to catch it on fire, he finally got it. “Mix these together.” He pointed at five different items on the list, which he gave back to Zeraora. Zeraora snatched it from his hand and examined it.

Namine thought carefully. “Are you sure it’ll work?”

“Positive. What’re the chances of the subjects having psychotic episodes now?”

Zeraora approached a computer and typed something in with his large clawed fingers. “… 20%.”

“Good enough for me. Let’s get on it.” Namine snuck a concerned look at Zeraora, who returned in kind, and headed to grab the items Bill ordered.

~ == ~

The girls laughed at a joke that Battina just finished telling when they turned a corner towards town. From where they stood, their home was in clear view.

“Hey, there it is!” Pixel yelped as she caught sight of their home.

“Oh, of course,” Battina replied, her face turned slightly away from where everyone else was looking.

“And look at that, it’s closer than you thought, Buttercup.”

“It really is, actually.” Battina perked up and twitched her ears. “Wait, really?”

Cassandra giggled. “Yeah, it’s only about a quarter mile from here.”

Just then, the night was pierced by a loud crack, followed by a thud and a loud rustling in the bushes behind them. Buttercup, Cassandra, and Pixel all jumped and yelled out in surprise, while Battina just perked up, twitched her ears, and turned towards the others in confusion.

“The hell was that?” But nobody could answer her, because a rumbling erupted from behind them in the direction of the lab, where they could hear indistinct, inhuman yelling.

~ == ~

No. No, no, no, this was all wrong! Bill typed furiously into the console, giving it every command it had, but nothing was doing any good. The injections had failed, and the subjects were going ballistic.

“Tranquilization Procedure Tau-6 unsuccessful! ... They’ve pulled themselves from their restraints!” Namine continued calling out these status updates, which of course did nothing to help, but Bill didn’t think this was the time for getting annoyed. Not in an emergency like this. Zeraora grunted and looked around, clearly antsy.

“Pacification Procedure Theta-4 unsuccessful-!” Namine screamed as the wall broke directly behind her, belching out a maimed robotic humanoid torn from above the waist to come to a screeching halt on the other side of the room.

The decimated robot could only call out “Follow my lead as we continue to take slow, dee-eee-ep breath-breath-br-br….” in a distorted, dying tone. Zeraora tensed up and grunted, looking to Bill to give him an order.

Namine tried to regain her composure and began in a shaky voice. “Bill, talk to me, what do you want me to try next? I was thinking we can try the knockout gas-“

“The Regicide Squad don’t have respiratory systems anymore, that won’t-“ Bill couldn’t finish his sentence as he was lurched forward, as if the floor itself was rebelling against him.

And that was when the yelling started, and it sounded worse than he’d feared. “OH, GOD, WHAT DID THEY DO TO ME?!”

“THAT’S NOT MY FACE!! WHERE’S MY FACE?!!”

“WHO DID THIS TO ME??! I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

Bill could feel his pupils dilating. How could things have gone this badly? “Sir, we might want to leave,” Namine suggested. “We’ve done all we can, but at this point, I think we-“ She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence before a gargantuan white tube-like arm demolished what remained of the wall and nearly crushed the hapless humans. The gargantuan horror attached to this three-fingered arm let out a hopeless wail, completely drowning out Namine’s screams. Bill glanced underneath the arm through the hole and watched as his creation raised its other arm to cover two blank, empty holes in what could be considered the monster’s face where eyes would be located for humans, wailing as it does so as it notices that the other five holes along the golden centerpiece running down its front also acted as eyes. He took in its entire being, examining as best he could the six gemstones dotting its front, the black patterns across its body, the golden bands around its massive shoulders and wrists, before it retracted its arm from the room they were in and proceeded to stomp out of the building, treating the barriers before it as nothing more than wet tissue paper, wailing all the while. The three other golems wandered out behind it, continuing to yell, scream, and curse at the world as they went.

Bill was speechless, he felt numb. His expression was empty. Namine’s wasn’t, though; she had no trouble expressing her horror. “Oh, my God! What have we done?!”

Zeraora smirked and pounced at the hole. “Looks like I need to take initiative, then.”

Namine shook herself back to reality. “What? Wait, Zeraora, don’t! You’re not-!” But again, she found herself unable to finish her sentence as the Pokemon shot out after the Regicide Squad as if he were suddenly made of lightning. Still, Bill didn’t move. He had to figure out how to fix this.

~ == ~

The girls stared on in horror and confusion as they watched this automaton-looking creature stomped past, apparently crying too hard to notice the utter destruction a single footstep left behind it. Pixel was hyperventilating.

“Guys,” Battina asked quietly, “What was that?”

None of them could say anything, as suddenly another golem burst through the forest behind them, furiously swinging its club-like arms and swatting trees away as if they’d each insulted it personally. Unlike the last one, this golem was seemingly made patchwork from random rocks, had large shoulders that jutted up past its head, and had several orange dots in place of its face arranged in the shape of the letter “H”. It continued to stomp around on its comparatively stubby legs and yelled in a tinny, artificial-sounding voice.

“I’M GOING TO KILL EVERY SINGLE PERSON I FIND UNTIL YOU FIX ME!!”

Every single one of them screamed. But nobody screamed louder than Battina, who screamed loud enough to emit ultrasonic sound waves that visibly rattled the golem, much to its apparent displeasure. It stumbled around as if dizzy, and Battina took to flight, the visible parts of her face steeled with determination.

“Pixel, help me out!”

“Uh, right!” Pixel planted her feet into the ground as her eyes glowed an ominous purple. “Cassie, Buttercup! Get somewhere safe!” Her eyes glowed brighter, and a large purple sphere appeared behind her, revealing a red eye in the middle. The eye released several dark purple waves of energy at the golem, which flailed around and yelled out as if agitated. Buttercup came to her senses first and pulled Cassandra along by the hand into the nearby bushes.

Meanwhile, the golem rubbed its head with one of its clubbed hands and howled in anger, having successfully shaken itself from its confusion. Battina fluttered about to try to get another angle, but got clobbered by the angry golem, which only had to blindly flail about in madness. Battina grunted audibly, a crunch rung out throughout the forest, and the limp girl’s body shot clear across the forest. Buttercup gasped, feeling as if the broken bones had been hers. She screamed. The blow from this monster had just crushed her friend.

Meanwhile, Pixel called out Battina’s name, something that didn’t even register on Buttercup’s ears, and the golem prepared to scoop up its other attacker.

Something brushed against Buttercup’s shoulder. Buttercup blinked her way back to reality. It was Cassandra. “CASSIE, WHAT’RE YOU DOING??!”

But it was no use. The girl knocked the struggling hedgehog clear out of harm’s way just in time, only for her to be crushed under the weight of two earthen club-like hands and tossed unceremoniously across the forest as Battina had been.

The golem yelled out louder, completely ticked off, and thrashed about, shedding sharpened rocks that planted themselves around what remained of the forest as he stomped hard enough to cause a powerful earthquake. The world seemed completely still as Buttercup flew through the air. Nothing seemed real anymore. She and her friends were happy and smiling just moments ago. She smacked back down to the ground, her legs suddenly split with pain and a small trickle of blood oozing down her forehead. The golem had noticed her and lumbered over, clearly seething with rage. Buttercup didn’t understand this. What did we do wrong? The golem once again raised its arms to deal the final blow, when suddenly something had blown it clean off and reduced it to a cloud of pebbles, along with a third of its chest and part of its head. The golem reeled in pain, yelling with something other than anger now. Buttercup glanced over to where the unknown attacker landed, and noticed a yellow feline creature holding its shoulder, which somehow had gotten frozen. It growled at the monster, one eye closed, seemingly bruised. Without making another sound, it dashed off somewhere with nothing but a thunderclap before returning to Buttercup with an unconscious hedgehog in its arms.

“Take her and run, now,” the creature told her, something she could only barely hear through her own heart beating in her ears. She gingerly shifted herself, noticed that through some miracle her legs had not broken, got back to her feet, and accepted the unconscious hedgehog.

To her surprise, it wasn’t Pixel; it was someone she’d never seen before. This one had black fur and purple hair, and was unconscious with a very large bump on her head. She accepted her fellow victim and ran towards the city as best she could. Her savior stayed behind and faced the monster, who had somehow managed to reassemble its arm using the rocks littered about. It roared as loud as it could and unleashed another almighty stomp, which laced the ground with deep cracks, glowing with an unknown energy that seared the yellow one on contact. It yelled out in pain, but somehow managed to hold on. It laced its fists with an electrical aura and lunged at its target, which attempted to stomp down on its opponent’s head. The attacks clashed, but somehow the yellow one seemed to become much more energized by this clash. Buttercup stopped looking back and tried to ignore the cut on her forehead. She managed to carry the unconscious hedgehog until she ran back within view of the city, which had been virtually demolished and set ablaze by the rampage of the bigger golem they’d seen earlier. Even from this distance, Buttercup could hear it wailing. This was like a bad dream, a sight that only belonged in a movie. There had to be somewhere else she could go. Buttercup thought for a moment before turning to run towards the lab…

ONE MONTH LATER

They were dead. All three of them were dead. There wasn’t even enough of them to properly identify if it weren’t for her. She couldn’t accept this. Battina and Pixel were the first Rosechu eggs to hatch in this dimension, and just like that they were gone. And Cassie. She’d just been nominated as the princess. Buttercup felt as if that monster, Bill called it “Regirock”, had rubbed off on her, she could barely contain her seething rage. It was Bill’s fault, he just finished admitting it! She’d been shouting at the scientist, probably more than she should’ve, but she didn’t care. She’d still be doing so if she hadn’t just now lost her voice.

All the while, Bill just sat there watching her, completely unperturbed by her scathing diatribe. “Are you through, Princess Buttercup?” he finally asked once she’d fallen silent. It was almost as if he didn’t care about what happened!

Buttercup tried to calm herself. She shouldn’t be losing her temper like this, it was unbecoming of her new position. “Why were you even working on those… things?”

“Think of it as a matter of pride.” He shifted in his seat, glancing around at his demolished laboratory, finally appearing as if he were not comfortable with this situation. “Back in CWCville, I was hired to create artificial life from nothing.”

“Wait. Why didn’t you just do what you did back then? I thought you said that you used humans for these monsters.”

“The project was a failure. You have to understand, once a scientist gets an experiment wrong, it drives them up the wall.”

“I don’t care about your pride, Bill. Because of you-“

“Your friends are dead, I know. I was the first person to be notified that my successor to this dimension was killed.”

Buttercup bit her lower lip, fighting back some more angry words. “Give me a reason, just one reason, why I shouldn’t just leave you to rot in jail.”

Bill replied without a shred of uncertainty, “The fact that because of me, there’s now only one in four people still alive.”

“Okay, that’s your crime. What’re you getting at?”

“I know what I’ve done wrong. I can repopulate COCville if you let me. But I have to go undisturbed to do so.” Buttercup mulled this over in her mind, ignoring the expectant look from that one Pokémon that saved her that day. Her feelings aside, she couldn’t think of a better way to get around that problem.

“…Fine. But in exchange, I want them put down. Understand? If you do that, I won’t put you behind bars for the rest of your life.”

Bill smiled lightly. “Sounds like we have an agreement. Will that be all?”

Buttercup sighed loudly. “Sounds like we both have work to do.”

“We certainly do. Zeraora, could you show the Princess the door? And while you’re at it, fetch Namine. I think we’ve given her enough time off.”

The Pokémon nodded and lightly tugged on Buttercup’s shoulder. She stood up, glared at Bill one last time, and followed the Pokémon out of the room.

“… ‘Zeraora’ was your name?” Zeraora looked up at her a bit surprised, and nodded. “Thanks. For saving me, I mean.”

Zeraora returned his gaze to the corridor before them. “Sorry about your friends.”

“You did what you could. If you ever feel like you need to get away from here, feel free to come visit me at the palace.” Zeraora looked back up at her with clear surprise this time. “I could use a bodyguard like you. And… And a friend.”

After a moment of walking in silence, the Pokémon smiled. “I appreciate it… Your Highness.”

Buttercup wiped a small tear from her eye she hadn’t noticed a few minutes ago. She didn’t have the time to stay angry. She had to be the best princess she could be. For Battina. For Pixel. For Cassie.

#cocville is BACK BABY!#cocville chronicles #new content

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