#retiring him as a speedster is one thing

[reverseflashes]

@the-emerald-defender ikr!! this is beyond dc wanting to guarantee wally and his kids' legacy as the future of flash comics. these execs literally have it out for a fictional character!!

[wonderjanga]

Sometimes I Forget How Old You Are

Marvel casually knowing superduper old heroes who are either dead or in retirement homes.

A good example of this was when he met Stargirl for the first time.

Marvel: “I just can’t believe it! You’re like a mini Sylvester.”

Stargirl: “Sylvester?”

Marvel: “The Star-Spangled Kid.”

Stargirl: “Wait, him?”

Marvel: “Yeah! Hey, can you do any of the tricks he could?”

Stargirl: “I dunno.” *shrugs* “What tricks are we talking?”

Marvel: “I don’t know how to describe it.” *looks to her staff* “May I?” *holds his hand out for the staff*

Stargirl: “Uh… Sure.” *hands him the staff*

Courtney was more surprised about the fact he could get her staff to work than the fact that he knew her predecessor.

or

Marvel: “Hey, since being a speedster is hereditary, does that mean you’re Jay’s son?”

Flash: “What…? What are you talking about- also what do you mean being a speedster is hereditary? How do you know that?”

Marvel: “Like 7000 years ago, I had a friend who was a speedster. Anyways, are you Jay’s son or not?”

Flash: “No, I’m an orphan.”

Marvel: “Oh.” *stares* “Was Jay one of your parents before you became an orphan or…?”

Flash: “No! Also, who is Jay??”

Marvel: “The Flash.”

Flash: “But I’m The Flash?!”

Marvel: “I thought you were Kid Flash?”

Flash: “No, that’s Kid Flash!” *points to Wally who’s playing video games in the corner*

or

Marvel: *extremely confused* “Green Lantern…?”

GL: “That’s me!”

Marvel: “Geez Al… you really changed your face, huh? And your ring? I didn’t know you could do that.”

GL: “Do… what? This is my normal face. Also, who’s Al?”

Marvel: *stares* “Oh, wait! Are you another successor?”

GL: “What?”

Marvel: “You have to be! It makes sense now why your ring and face looks different!”

GL: “I’m sorry have you met a Green Lantern before?”

Marvel: “Yeah? There’s one on the JLA.”

GL: “Oh, you mean that guy. Yeah, he’s a fraud.”

Marvel: “No, he isn’t?”

GL: “Yeah, he is. He went around calling himself a Green Lantern, even though he wasn’t ever apart of the Corps. He also didn’t even have a standard Green Lantern ring. He had a weird one.”

Marvel: “You mean the Starheart?”

GL: “Yeah, what was that thing, by the way?”

Marvel: “It might’ve just been a different version of yours.” *shrugs* “He was still a Green Lantern though. He could power the ring which meant he had the same ideals as you guys right? Hope or something?”

GL: “It’s willpower. Our ideal is willpower.”

Marvel: “Oh. That’s kind of stupid.”

GL: “Wha- no it isn’t!”

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for dating Wally West

Wally West x reader

warnings:

a/n: i was debating whether or not y/n is on the team or not n for this im going for y/n being a regular civilian but now im debating making dating hcs for a hero too 🤭

prompt: anonymous: “But if you're still taking requests (and speaking of fast haha), I would absolutely love if you could do a lil' something about Wally West ♡. I love that track star to bits and we're entering my favorite season ever : spooky season (or autumn for people who aren't chronically online like me). So if you'd be tempted to write some fluff/domestic stuff in autumn with Wally, I would be over the moon! 🦊”

wally is so annoying (in the best way!!)

you aren’t too used to the whole idea of dating a metahuman, every day is like an adventure

and for a speedster? you’d be surprised how hard it is for him to find the time

but he makes time

*doorbell rings*

“you’re twenty minutes late” -you

“in flash-time that’s early” -wally, holding a half-eaten box of chocolates “i got a little hungry”

on his “days off,” you could usually find the two of you on the couch with a variety of snacks scattered across the coffee table and crumbs peppering the cushions and floor

“the dog will get them” -wally

“hate to break it to you, but i don’t have a dog” -you

“should i get you a dog?” -wally

he was always so goofy

and affectionate, very affectionate!

he loved to give you cheek and forehead kisses, so many so fast

“how many was that?” -you after noticing repeated pressure on your cheeks

“going on a hundred. i’m trying to beat my record!” -wally

it always ended up tickling and you’d laugh until you fell over

“wally!! wally, come on!!” -you

you’d always get bummed whenever he got called for a mission

especially because it always happened in the middle of something (dinner, a movie, study date, etc.)

then when he came home he’d be a wreck and then you’d be a wreck because you’d see him like that

then he’d have to calm you down and you’d have to help him feel better

“you dont have to do that, im fine! i swear!” -wally while you panic and try to take care of him

being invited to the cave!

meeting the team!

“just because youre meeting a half-kryptonian clone, a martian, an atlantean, some girl with a bow and arrow, and batman’s sidekick doesn’t mean you get to think any of them are cooler than me, kapeesh?” -wally

“oh yes, i know you’re the coolest” -you

the team loves you!!!

“wow, wally, thanks for proving your s/o isn’t imaginary” -artemis

“youre welcome” -wally

“do you want to come bake with me?!” -m’gaan

“please say yes, y/n. i’m so hungry. so so hungry” -wally

“let’s do it!” -you

starting to camp out at the cave while wally is on missions

also once some more dangerous people figured out wally’s identity, you got your own access code to the cave. EMERGENCIES ONLY

you used it to surprise wally once and got a stern talking to from batman. never again

you dont really spend too much time with the team, but you get invited to most of their friendly outings!

and you talk up a storm with the others trying to learn about their lives, which sometimes makes wally a liiiittle jealous

but you want to live vicariously through these interesting people bc ur life is a liiiittle boring

“can you tell me what atlantis is like? what it feels like to be underwater and how your fighting style differs on land?” “what’s your favorite dish to make on mars? do you like communicating this way or the telepathic way more?” “why do you always wear sunglasses, man?” (you know this one dick is like wally’s bestie) -all you

seeing wally less than usual when things start to heat up in his hero life :(

causes some strain and you get so so sad :(

but he always calls you when he can and tries to make up for it

and somewhere down the road when he retires you’re able to spend all your time with him and he makes up for lost time like he promised

ok i’ll stop there. happily ever after.

taglist: @ravenmoore14 // @summersimmerus // @azazel-nyx // @simsrecs // @xoxobabydolls // @ravenstrueluv // @cicatraize // @captainshazamerica // @bad4amficideas // @evilcr0ne // @thedarkqueenofavalon // @elenavampire21 // @jade-178 //

[cemeteryspider]

Lost and Found

Dick Grayson x Speedster! Reader

Summary: You and your sibling Wally West run to save the world, a trip neither of you return from. That is until you do.

*Gender, race, and sexuality is not specified for the reader, but is referred to as Wally's sibling- can be adopted, biological, or have a different dad or mom since the parents are divorced*

Trigger Warnings: Death, loss, and existential threats

Word Count: 2340

The Bioship was still hovering in the air as you and your team jumped out to witness the disruptor and the havoc it was wreaking on the planet. In a yellow flash, you saw who could only be Wally West running towards the chrysalis, and Artemis in your ear saying something about Wally running off.

With a sudden realization sinking into your stomach, you pulled Dick down to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Back in a flash, Wing," You whispered in his ear.

You let go of Dick's hand and within milliseconds you were running alongside Uncle Barry, Bart, and Wally.

~~~

You never quite left the superhero scene, mostly helping other heroes with their work when need be. It wasn't that you couldn't become a fully fledged superhero in your own right with the action figures and lunch boxes, but that your life had changed.

You helped train the new heroes who lived at Mount. Justice. You helped them with focus and combat exercises, and allowed them to lean on your shoulder when things got difficult because of course things got difficult when you're dealing with hormonal teenagers who just so happen to have super abilities.

Despite the same lightning strike giving you the same powers as your brother, your powers didn't cause you any pain. So it came as a shock to you when Wally announced his retirement. When Wally left the superhero life for good, you felt lost and hurt. The one person you shared everything with decided to leave you behind.

Luckily, Dick Grayson, someone who knew what you were going through with Wally, stepped in. That's how you and Dick became close friends. You were both the leaders of Young Justice in Kaldur's absence. Finding yourselves alone with the only other person you age being Dick, well lets just say it wasn't a surprise to the team when you announced that you were together.

You allowed Wally back into your life, and allowed him to explain his departure. You felt like a jerk for distancing yourself, and turning away when he needed your support the most. Still he forgave you without a second thought. You and Wally would hang out on a near daily basis nowadays.

Then the Reach and the Light showed up. Regardless of how you felt, you participated in the cover up of Artemis' death. Wally didn't take her death well, her actually being alive well, or your or Dick's involvement in the matter well. Eventually reaching better terms once Kaldur and Artemis were able to stop the Reach and the Light.

That's how you made it here. With your relationship with Wally on the mend, you were running to counter the distributor that endangered Earth and all of its inhabitants.

So you kept running.

"Y/n get out of here! It's dangerous" Wally yelled at you, the high speeds distorted his words along with the disruptor.

"No four speedsters are better than three Walls!" Despite the yelling from your brother and uncle, you kept running.

You were a little faster than Wally, but still slower than the Flash and Impulse. You let yourself fall back to Wally's speed, and nodded at him with solidarity. You kept running.

Each pass around the disruptor you looked at Dick. You wanted to run into his arms and let him take the weight off your sore legs, but you couldn't leave. Then a shock was sent down your spine. You stumbled a little bit but kept running nonetheless.

You and Wally looked at each other and with each hit the chrysalis had on you the slower the two of you became. Still you both ran, you ran so that the world wouldn't be destroyed.

Barry looked at the two of you with worry in his eyes, despite being related by marriage he sometimes acted like the two of you were his own kids. Which was only strengthened when you both moved in with him and Iris after your parents divorced. He taught you both how to run.

The chrysalis continued to dispel its energy onto the two of you. You and Wally were fading from existence, and Barry reached out to you, his hand passing through your shoulder. You kept running.

"It's no good Barry" You looked at Wally and took his hand in yours, "Artemis is so gonna kill me, and don't even get me started on Mom and Dad"

You and Wally shared a knowing look. Neither of you were going to make it out of this. The damage had already been done. So you kept running together.

"Just tell them okay," You said to Barry as you and Wally faded from time and space.

~~~

Nightwing could faintly hear Jaime talking, something both him and you knew to be his scarab.

"Cease? Cease what?" He yelled.

Before Nightwing could work up the courage to ask what he was talking about the chrysalis retreated and left behind a cloud of disrupted snow.

Dick started running towards where the chrysalis used to be and allowed the snow to settle.

When it finally did the team could only see two speedsters in the aftermath. Miss. Martian and Kaldur helped them up while both he and Artemis frantically looked around the open space.

"Wait. Where's Wally?" Artemis shouted before Dick could even think to string together a sentence.

"Artemis, Dick, they wanted me to tell you-" Artemis interrupted him with denial, "they loved you both"

Artemis fell to the ground, and Dick swayed a little before falling to his knees as well. He knew he should be crying, but nothing was coming out. All he could do was hold the hand you were holding minutes ago and stare and where you were just running.

~~~

Dick thought about that day a lot. He dreamt about it. He dreamed of everything he could have done to stop you or keep you from seeing Wally risk his life. In every scenario you ran anyway.

Everything reminded him of you, but for some reason places you went to together pulled him close and tortured his proximity with the memory of you.

Nightwing sat on the rooftop of your old apartment building in Blüdhaven where, when you lived there, he ended up spending most of his time. Now it was inhabited by a couple with a baby, and he imagined his life if you hadn't disappeared years earlier.

After a long while, he allowed himself to continue his patrol, and ended on his fire escape and let himself in. Flopping on his bed after shedding his suit and falling asleep immediately. He didn't even hear his Justice League comm going off.

~~~

A loud slamming knock woke him up from his sleep, and a quick glance at his alarm clock let him know he was only asleep for a couple hours.

The knocking on his door got more frantic very quickly and he silently hoped that his neighbors wouldn't report him for the noise.

Tim stood on the other side of the door in his civilian clothes looking a bit out of breath.

"Tim? Is everything okay?" Dick tried to take his arm to pull him inside but Tim's feet stayed planted firmly on the ground.

"No. We've been trying to reach you for hours. You need to come with me" His sentence was interrupted by his gasping for air.

"Okay Tim. Let me just get a shirt on and we'll go"

Soon they were off, and when he got to the ground floor he saw Alfred parked out front.

"Hello Master Dick"

"Hey Alfred, where are we going"

"I think Master Bruce is the better choice for an explanation"

The ride to a zeta tube was quiet with Tim glancing at him several times in the rearview mirror. When in the zeta tube Dick and Tim were transported to the Watchtower, and with still no idea of why he was being brought into space.

Everything that involved someone needing League help was quickly shot down by Tim being the one to get him.

Batman was standing at the zeta tube waiting for them, and for a split second Dick thought he should have been wearing his suit. Bruce took his arm and guided him to the med bay.

"Dick, I wouldn't have called you here if someone else could confirm this, but I think in this case you're the best one to do this"

"Wait, what am I even doing here, no one has explained anything to me" Dick stopped right in front of the emergency doors and made Bruce look at him.

"Dick, we think that Kid Flash and Red Rapid survived the chrysalis, and somehow made it back here. We received a distress call from the North Pole late yesterday, and we brought them back here" Bruce tried to calmly explain this to him without overwhelming him, but he wasn't sure there was a way to do that.

"So you're saying that they are behind those doors. You're saying that my best friend and my partner are behind those doors after we buried them years ago. Mourned them?" His voice cracked by the end of his small speech. Both Tim and Bruce put a hand on his shoulder, and allowed his tears to fall.

After a few minutes Dick wiped his face and prepared himself for seeing the two people he loved most in the world other than his family. A little push of the door revealed two hospital beds, one with the red-head who he called his best friend, and the other with his partner who was sound asleep, surely exhausted from whatever journey they had gone through to get back.

"Dick?" Wally's voice was almost a whisper and Dick walked over to his bed stopping just before he reached out to touch him.

Quickly Wally grabbed Dick's hand and pulled him into a warm embrace, "I missed you so much Wally. I missed you so much" again the tears began to flow.

"I missed you too man, can you call Arty please I miss her too" Dick pulled himself away from him and gave him a nod.

With a squeeze of Wally's shoulder he went out the doors and asked Tim to call Artemis, and was notified that she was already on her way.

Going back to tell Wally he told Dick, "Go to Y/n, they need you more than I do"

The moment he was dreading came. Still this was the moment he hoped for since the day of your death. He sat in the leather chair next to your bed and gently shook your shoulder. Your eyes fluttered open like they would if it was a movie and you looked into his gorgeous icy blue eyes.

"Hey, handsome, you come here often", the joke left your lips and immediately his lips were on yours. Your arms found your place around his neck and pulled him as close as humanly possible.

"Babe", another kiss to your forehead, and you slid over to make room for him on the bed where he happily sat and snuggled up close to you, "Things just haven't been the same without you"

"Tell me all about it honey, I want to know everything about you" You looked into his eyes and allowed your nose to touch his.

"Maybe later, I just want to hold you, and never let you go"

Your forehead pressed against his and you allowed yourself to relax. Soon you would discuss what you both experienced but right now, holding each other was enough.

~~~

After a lot of tests the League let both you and Wally leave the Watchtower as long as Dick and Artemis looked over you. On your way back to his apartment, where you agreed would be the best place for you to be, he wanted to make a quick stop.

You zeta'd to the Mount. Justice where the lights were dark, and Dick took your hand in his.

"Now I wanted to ask you a long time ago, but I figured we could start where we left off, you know with the romance stuff. Hit the lights Gar!"

The lights came on and the mountain came alive. Most everything was the way you left it, only newer appliances and a ton of renovations. Maybe if you squinted a few more holes in the wall.

As the fairy lights illuminated the walls, you couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over you. The faces of the young heroes you trained, now grown into their own, the old Young Justice team, and your mentors were all gathered around. You looked to Dick to ask what was going on, but when you looked over you had to look to the ground where he was kneeling.

"I know we have a lot to talk about and work out, but there is no one who I would rather spend the rest of my life with", He met your eyes and opened the little box in his hands. A small shiny ring glimmered inside the velvet box, "would you do me the honor of being marrying me"

A couple of blinks and a second of silence later, "Yes! Of course I'll marry you", Suddenly Dick stood up and wrapped his arms around your waist and twirled you around in a circle. Once he set you down, he placed the ring on your finger and kissed your lips.

You dashed over to Wally, Bart, and Barry and gave them the biggest hugs. Barry held onto you for a long moment, despite seeing you very soon after you got to the Watchtower emotions were still high and he wanted to make sure you weren't going to dematerialize again.

You hugged all the kids, who were now young adults, and allowed your tears to flow down your cheeks. Though with the huge smile plastered on your face no one was confused about what you felt in this moment. You decided it was time to stand still for a little while.

~~~~~

Author's Note: The ring was in fact his mother's. I've read that some Romani people burn their loved ones belongings once they die but I think that they would give the rings to Dick to use as his own ~If anyone knows if this is true please let me know!

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

Okay wait, this is so fucking funny to me.

K. So, stay with me on this one: Wally is dealing with people mysteriously floating away in bubbles that freeze people in time and also dealing with Grodd's army of time traveling Gorillas and also dealing with a bunch of sentient Gods and also dealing with a homicidal Bethesda glitch (aka Porcupine Man Part Two: This Time he's a 15 y/o named Chad) and also dealing with a delusional homicidal Bethesda glitch (aka the Folded Man) WHILE the speedforce is also glitching the fuck out and messing with his powers ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

Typical day in Central City, amiright?

Alright so all of this is going on and Wally is handling it, but no big deal I hear you say, there's like 50 speedsters. Wally has enough family members to handle this whole situation no problem.

Here's the fucking hilarious part. Okay, so, Jay? On family leave. Irey, Jai, Wade and Judy? Not cleared for active field work.

But still, there's always Wally's Kid Flash, his adopted brother and biological cousin, Ace West and Avery Ho, the pseudo sister of the Flash family and the biggest threat to Wally's title of 'Barry's favorite child' since... ever. Surely Wally can rely on them to-

Nope. Nevermind. They decided to do a different thing with Mas y Menos. Cool. Cool cool cool cool cool.

Well. Okay. No problem.

We can always count on Barry Allen!

I mean, Barry is retired but he sees the massive fucked up hole in reality that Wally is trying to fix (did I forget to mention that part? Yeah that's a thing as well), so obviously he would go help W-

Nope! Okay! Barry locked himself in his room and is sleeping through this apparently.

But that's cool because Bart is there! Bart showed up to help!

Annnnnnnnd they left him there. Okay alright. Cool. Cool. It's so cool. Because Wally called Max and Max is there and two speedsters are better than one and-

OKAY HOLY FUCK YOU GUYS

DC says that Wally is forbidden from having any help and is willing to maintain that rule at any fucking cost apparently

[dcdreamblog]

From a historian's perspective, what are the important takeaways from Superman's debut? He's generally regarded as the most important superhero on the planet (possibly multiple planets!) but what was it like when we didn't know what a Superman was but then he was there?

The Age of Heroes had come again. This time, they were here to stay in broad daylight. It's really hard for us to imagine now but in the aftermath of the JSA's disbanding and retirement, society at large really did try to put the genie back in the bottle. To pretend that nothing had changed, that we'd never seen men fly, or lift tanks over their heads, that those with power had never challenged us to be better than we are.

It's why tabloids from that era are lousy with stories of horror, or strange encounters, this that and the other thing. The world was still the way it had always been, full of magic and danger and adventure but people had pushed it into the margins, swept it under the proverbial rug.

And then...he appeared. I don't need to show you this picture but god damn am I gonna do it anyway.

(Superman catches a Daily Planet helicopter that had plummeted toward the street, catching Planet reporter Lois Lane in his other arm. Lane famously recalls hearing him say "I've got you, miss" to which she responded even more famously. "You've got me? Who's got you?)

I wasn't there to see it, anyone old enough to be there can sound off in the reblogs or the like. But he was just...here. He had caught a falling helicopter out of the sky. He lowered them to the ground and smiled. He soared away into the blue.

And then, more came. A dark knight in Gotham, a Scarlet Speedster in Central City, a Manhunter from Mars in Midway. Soon enough they had banded together to battle threats no one of them could face alone.

Following Superman's lead these heroes were no longer satisfied hiding half in shadow, cultivating an aura of mystery for the newspapers and pulp magazines. They smiled. They waved. They told us on no uncertain terms that they were here to do battle with anyone who thought they could lord violence over the innocent and the downtrodden.

They had a hall built in the middle of a city where we could see them. Signals in the sky. It was impossible for humanity to ever again believe itself alone in the universe, or undefended. It was an aegis, it was a challenge. They defended us. They told us to be all we could be.

They were here to stay.

[cure-typhoon]

HAI about the superhero au ... what power does each of them have :3

Idk

Jk lol okey i don't exactly have really well planed about their powers or explain how they work but I have the base ideas for most of them and I wanted to draw them all but I don't really have the designa for most of them lol

So starting with Aradia, she is an android! Kinda? there was an "incident" in the organization years ago and now Aradia is an android with music based powers, she can pick up items with the music that she creates and even pause time, like a music app where you put pause on something

The body of Aradia is sleeping and her conscience is in the robot. Her mind has a lot of modifications to make her "less likely to rebel", she still finds a way and this modifications pissed her off

Some of her powers are in pause as she can't use them while being the android

With Tavros I imagine he has animal communication based powers but I also think he could have have fire as his power like what's up with this why can he suddenly use fire

Anyway Sollux has the psiionics, thats kinda a simple one but i'm also thinking on straight up going electric type superhero with him, or just electronic base one

Karkat is a complicated case because he technically doesnt have really strong powers, which is why he is "retired" from the company, but he does have one, they're just not strong enough to use in combat yet, and also idk what are they yet. He also can revive but thats more of a jesus allegory

I want to give Nepeta shapeshifter powers, maybe as a cat and other people, I don't wanna give Kanaya vampire powers but I havent really think of what else it could be, maybe a light based super hero? A speedster? Hmm por maybe something space related

Terezi can see into the future like HS Terezi, I need to make it more interesting tho, her sense of smell could also be seen as a superpower. Vriska has luck powers, all of them :::;)

Equius has strenght but the problem with his strenght is that is more harmful than helpful, also invisibility and making other things invisible, he is like a pocket dimension where you can store things in

Gamzee I have no fucking idea, I was thinking of like, illusions? Idk. With Eridan I also have no idea yet and Feferi can breath under water, also super speed while swimming, maybe she has bubbles that can heal people, that would be cute

Some problems is that ones are really easy to give superpowers but I also want to make them more interesting while with others I can't really see a way to transcribe what their powers are

[iamthekaijuking]

Gigabash character overview: Gigaman

You probably saw this one coming since I’ve repeatedly emphasized the importance of Ultraman for inspiration when Passion Republic Games was making Gigabash, it only made sense they’d make their own Ultraman! With all the fun cheesiness that comes with it.

Gigaman is the combo heavy speedster of the roster, with quick flurries of punches and great combo potential. He also has a few aerial moves as well, making his anti-air game really good. Gigaman also has a block breaking punch that can stun opponents as well. His single ranged attack can bounce off of buildings, and ricochet several times. It helps that he deals reduced damage to buildings as well (destruction of public property isn’t a good image for a hero after all), meaning those buildings stay around longer, so use them while they’re still around!.

Something fun about his ultimate is that if you don’t hit any buildings when you use it you can hear a crowd of people cheering you on, so don’t hit public property if you want to keep your fans happy!

Design

In some ways there isn’t much to talk about. I mean Gigaman is an Ultraman expy. He does have a few specific references though.

One of his skins is named Multi-Type, a reference to Ultraman Tiga, and another skin is yet another reference to Ultraman Belial.

Gigaman also has a dad bod, and this is because he actually was retired for 8 years but suddenly came back in modern day, so he’s let himself go a bit and age is catching up to him. But I think he’s still got it. One of his skins depicts him in his prime.

Here’s some concept art. I think my favorite is the shirtless one with G plastered on his face, it’s so stupid looking.

Lore

Gigaman is very secretive over who he is so let’s cover what we do know before getting to the implied stuff.

Around the 80’s a teenage Gigaman would make his first appearance in the San'ya district of Tokyo to defend it from a kaiju. And for around 30 years, up until 2012, he would defend Japan against monsters. This also meant that Japan didn’t need to rely on the Global Titan Defense Initiative.

Gigaman made sure that people were safe… and that he entertained them while he was at it. Every single time he appeared he brought something new to the table; a new technique, catchphrase, or move. Every time he showed up it was exciting. While he definitely liked the attention, he primarily did it all to spread hope to people. Showing that underneath all his showmanship, Gigaman is truly a humble dude.

Of course, when the person defending your country from monsters is a 132 foot superhero who likes posing for the camera, it’s understandable that there might be fanaticism. Indeed, there was a time when Japan was overflowing with “Gigamania” and a movie called “Rise of Gigaman” was even in production during this period.

Eventually though Gigaman would retire in 2012. He was getting around middle age at that point, and he couldn’t keep fighting kaiju forever. But this didn’t last long, and in 2021 he would come out of retirement to help the world deal with the new rise in kaiju activity.

Few other things to note are that Gigaman’s power is tied to the Giga Core and he personally knows Dr. Otama Kazuo, and even knows the inner workings of Thundatross, meaning he was present for its development.

So… is Gigaman a human who can transform into a kaiju, or a humanoid kaiju who can speak and understand technology and culture? There is some implication that it might be the former. His lore files follow a reporter trying to uncover his identity and his findings led him to the San'ya district and eventually Kamikuzu Orphanage, which was packed with orphans at the start of the first kaiju crisis in the 70’s. Sadly only a few were ever actually selected to receive formal education. There was one kid named “Sho” though, who was a big Gigaman fan and skipped class whenever he appeared. It’s possible that Gigaman is this “Sho” but there’s no confirmation. Sho would probably be in his 50s by now, and presumably so is Gigaman. Also I’m wondering, did Dr. Otama grow up in the same orphanage?

Sadly there wasn’t much to talk about this time, but I think we can all appreciate Japan’s masked hero. He’s certainly the first to come to my mind when people say “Ultraman expy”!

[thatsnotmygunflash]

Rules: Pick any ten of your fics, scroll roughly to the midpoint, pick a line (or three) and share it. Then tag ten people.

Not tagged and not going to tag, just saw it and thought it would be fun. I am going to do my WIPs to give you guys some teasers of what's cooking. If you like any of them let me know and maybe I'll pour some love into them.

1. A Brighter Future

"Why don’t you like them?”

“How could you be so careless Barry? How could you get into bed with a criminal? A murderer? I raised you better than this! No son of mine would ever stoop this low-” Barry shut his eyes tight to try and push away the illusion Sophia was conjuring from his emotions, tears starting to fall from his eyes when Iris’ heartbroken voice joined in with Joe’s disgusted one.

“He’s dead because of you! It should have been you! I lost the man I was going to marry for a future I don’t even want! I wish I’d never met you Barry Allen!”

“Soph-Soph, please stop.”

2. Cause Maybe You're That Thing I Need To Save Me

"Cisco and Lisa-they're engaged now and they were going through a bunch of the Rouge's abandoned safehouse and Cisco-he found an old sweater of yours and he vibed you. He said you were alive but we weren't sure so we uh-went looking. It took a few months but we finally got a lead and I sped here as quickly as I could to see if it was really true and it is! You're alive! The Legends are going to be so exciting to know you survived! Wait, how did you survive?"

"You can't tell anyone I'm alive Barry, you weren't meant to know I was alive. No one is supposed to know."

"But why? Are you retired now or something?"

"I am actually, so having trouble magnets like yourself show up on my doorstep isn't exactly my idea of a good time. You need to leave and tell your friends at STAR Labs that this was a dead end. No one can know I'm alive, and I'm not above killing you to keep it that way."

3. For Better Or For Worse

“Look,” Laurel sighed heavily, lacing her fingers together over the table as she met Len’s cold stare head on. “I don’t know all the details-yet-but your husband is a very resourceful and connected man, whether he realizes it fully or not. He said part of your vows was to get Mick Rory and you out of here. That’s what I’m here to do, if you want the specifics to how exactly we’re going to pull it off I suggest you ask the mastermind behind all of this craziness.”

“If you think it’s so crazy, why help?”

“Because people's lives are at risk and Barry’s not wrong, if anyone can pull something like this off it’s you and him. Quiet the power couple you two are, honestly. Besides, I’ve never met a person who could say no to that boy’s sweet face. Isn’t that why you agreed?”

4. Got A Lot Of Sins, But You're My Favorite

"So," Angie spoke up from behind the register, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand as she smirked wickedly at Len. "When were you going to tell me you had a crush on the Flash?"

"I don't. I just threatened to kill him-he stole my gun!"

"Yes, and he also looked like he wanted to kiss you senseless while you were pointing said gun in his pretty face."

5. I'd Cross Galaxies To Find You

Waking up next to a crying baby and someone sleeply pushing at his bare shoulder had Barry freezing in terror, not wanting to know how he would die next in this world.

“Baby, baby-go get Nora,”

“Nora?”

“Our daughter, Nora, you know the one you begged my sister to carry for us, the daughter who won’t sleep through the night because she isn’t being rocked at superspeed because her father spoils her rotten. Ring any bells?”

6. It's The Second Glances That Ties Your Hands

"What are you doing here, Len?"

"Well, let's just say my lady and your lord don't really get on–she's cleaning house now that she's free of the Time Masters. Speedsters mucking up the timeline were at the top of her priority list."

"You're here for me?"

7. Love Me Silently

"So help me-you are not proposing to me right now Barry Allen-so think before those next words come out of your mouth."

"See! You want the big grand gesture and a huge wedding to show me off! You want to marry me! He said you'd say no, he said you weren't the type-"

"He's a worried father, Scarlet, I'm not surprised.” Len muttered as he pulled the younger man into his arms, one hand rubbing soothingly over his back while the other cupped his neck lovingly. “Look, I don't want to be the reason you never talk to your foster father again-"

8. You Need To Allow Me To Help

“Did you hear that, Cisco? That dying whale noise? I think it was the last shred of my dignity being forcibly removed from my body, so if you’ll excuse me I’m just going to go drown myself in the boy’s bathrooms—” Barry muttered in panicked embarrassment, rushing off down the hall almost too quickly to see, ignoring his friends calling his name to get him to stop.

“Go after him, you idiot,” Mick huffed, pushing Len forcefully in the direction Barry had disappeared.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Len answered slowly, his jaw set in a tense line and his eyes hardening over with realization.

9. You Got This Heaven In Your Eyes

'Keep up the exceptional work, Barry Allen, Central City is lucky to have you on their side. -L.S.'

"What's it say?" Eddie questioned, trying to peek over Barry's shoulder to get a look at the snow-white card, his eyes widening comically when he caught sight of the message.

"Uh-to keep up the good work," Barry muttered in confusion, his eyes drifting from the elegant handwriting to the memorising bouquet, not knowing what to think.

"You ruined the guy's fifteen year long not guilty streak and he tells you to keep up the good work?"

"This is weird, right?"

"Very."

10. Side Effects May Include

“It’s complicated, okay! I don’t know how it works. I just know when I’m not here-near you-it's like there's this overwhelming need to run as fast as I can to this-this pull. It never stops, not unless I wake up with you, when I’m near you-it’s like everything freezes.” Barry takes one look at Len’s face and lets out a drawn-out whine.

“Shut up okay, I know you want to make a joke-but it does! It’s like for the first time since I got my powers I can just stand still or sleep since that’s never exactly come easy for me-”

“Do you have a point Barry?”

“The point is for whatever reason my subconscious is latching onto you. Whenever I’m awake I feel this pull like I’m meant to be running somewhere, but I haven’t had the time to really figure out what it means when I’ve been running around stopping bombs and searching for evidence to get my dad out of jail while also trying and failing to stop the man who really killed my mother! I’ve been dealing with a lot lately okay-I barely sleep more than a few hours a week if I even manage that-and every time I do fall asleep I wake up next to you! I’m having these bizarre dreams you keep popping up in and all I want is to sleep for more than an hour at a time!”

[porterdavis]

The thoroughbred industry is about to lose me. It assuredly won't miss me but I think I'll be one of the last people out the door, and it will miss the tens of thousands ahead of me.

I've been watching the World Championships of athletics from Bucharest the last few days as well as horse racing in the US and Canada. It occurs to me that if there were even one death of an athlete in track and field there would be an uproar and immediate investigations.

Today two horses broke down and had to be euthanised in full view of the 50,000 fans at Saratoga. The biggest TV audience of the year for the track went to commercial and upon return was treated to hummina-hummina from the talking heads. There is never an honest discussion of why this is happening.

Thoroughbred racehorses are among the best cared-for and cosseted animals on the planet. Rubbed, bathed, fed, exercised on a regular basis, And then they get to do what they love to do -- race against each other. Watch any herd of horses in the wild for ten minutes and you'll be treated to a spontaneous race as two or more sprint across the field.

Unfortunately, there's too much money involved in purses these days, and horse breeding has moved from prizing soundness to seeking speed. The goal has evolved from breeding durable horses that can compete for years to brilliant speedsters that can capture the imagination and enough money in 10 or so races that they can be retired to the breeding shed after just one or two years of racing.

Thoroughbreds' legs are smaller than a human's, yet support repeated impact of a 1200-lb animal at 30 MPH. It's a miracle there aren't more catastrophic injuries. Add in racing surfaces that are difficult and expensive to maintain and the problems are magnified.

The problems get worse. As the saying goes, horses eat every day, so the pressure to keep them racing and hopefully paying their way is great. The inevitable muscle sprains, sore feet, gastric issues, and a panoply of other ailments are medicated and masked so as to keep the horse racing. This is an entirely separate issue from the 'juicing' of horses, which is sadly also a huge factor. Lance Armstrong could make his own decisions. Horses can't.

The ultimate answer is to eliminate all medication while in training. If a horse needs medical intervention, remove him from competition until he is sound and healthy. Horses in training should get only oats, hay, and water. (OK, carrots and peppermints are alright).

One thing is certain. Racing can't continue down this path.

[batmannotes]

The Fastest Man Alive finally gets his own live-action solo flick with several other superheroes from the DC Universe lending a helping hand. Ezra Miller portrays The Scarlet Speedster who uses his superpowers to travel back in time to change the events of the past, however worlds collide when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future.  

Oddly enough, with a number of superheroes making appearances, there is only one major super villain in this 2 hour and 24-minute affair, General Zod … a Superman villain. The Flash becomes trapped in a reality in which Zod has returned, threatening destruction, and there is no one to turn to. The Flash is left to coax a vastly different Batman (Michael Keaton) out of retirement to help rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian … albeit not the one he’s looking for, and to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows. 

The film starts out with an amazing sequence where the Ben Affleck Batman is in hot pursuit of criminals on his new and improved Batcyle and The Flash is left to rescue babies at a hospital. Watching this sequence of Affleck makes me realize how cool a solo movie with him might have been. Besides a large dose of action, the movie also relies on humor to carry the viewer through a nearly 2 and ½ hour film. Some of the jokes land, but unfortunately most of them don’t. Auspiciously though, the action is enjoyable enough to carry the bulk of this outing. 

After Barry changes the past and returns, he comes face to face with himself, or an 18-year-old version of himself. This eighteen-year-old version of Barry Allen is super too … super annoying. Present day Barry needs his other self to help him resolve the problems that he has created. Ahhh … time travel movies.  

Keaton’s portrayal is both nostalgic and fun. He delivers a couple of legendary lines from his original 1989 Bat-flick while his classic musical motif by Danny Elfman plays in the background during the major events. For a lot of Bat-fans this was a dream come true, although I was left amazed at how spry Batman was at 70-year-old.  

Sasha Calle’s Supergirl was lifeless and with no emotion, very reminiscent of Brie Larson’s unlikeable Captain Marvel. Another female character waisted was Kiersey Clemons’s Iris West; don’t expect any notable love story here. The main emotional draw of this film is the love between a boy and his mother. Barry goes to great lengths for the love of his mom, not realizing one minor adjustment to history has major ramifications throughout time. 

The Flash suffers from two major problems; horrendous special effects and the lack of any real villain. It’s hard to believe that with all the money spent on this flick, the computer animation is flat out cringeworthy in most places. The other thing that really bothers me is how DC has such awesome super villains that Warner Bros. has yet to tap into. The Flash is yet another example of that.  

With all that said, overall, I thought The Flash was still fun and much better than the last couple of DC movie releases (Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods). Even with the bad special effects, the CGI cameos were nice to see and added to the film’s enjoyment, however, like Barry Allen, this film is its own worst enemy. Instead of squaring up against a legendary villain from Flash’s large gallery of amazing rogues, the Scarlet Speedster is left to battle a timeline that he put into place with another, much more annoying, version of himself by his side.

MOVIE GRADE: C-

4K Reviews:

VIDEO QUALITY 📽️ : A

In my opinion, you won't get a better picture quality than here. The Native 4K (2160p) transfer looks fantastic even with the horrible CGI in place. Colors burst on your screen at home that are equal to, if not better than, that on the silver screen. 

AUDIO QUALITY 🔈 : A-

Although the dialogue is extremely low and hard to understand at times, the action sequences are bombastic and sound wonderful in this Dolby Atmos & True HD 7.1 sound conversion.

EXTRAS 📀 : A-

The extras (listed below) are great! Included with the digital copy of the film are a wealth of enjoyable featurettes. The only minor thing is Warner Bros. is no longer including a regular Blu-Ray copy of the film. 

“The Flash: Escape the Midnight Circus” podcast – Six-part original scripted audio series 

featuring Max Greenfield as The Flash 

The Flash: Escape the Midnight Circus Behind the Scenes 

Deleted Scenes 

Saving Supergirl - featurette 

The Bat Chase - featurette 

Battling Zod - featurette 

Fighting Dark Flash - featurette 

The Flash: The Saga of the Scarlett Speedster - featurette 

Making the Flash: Worlds Collide - featurette 

Let’s Get Nuts: Batman Returns, Again - featurette 

Supergirl: Last Daughter of Krypton - featurette 

Flashpoint: Introducing the Multiverse - featurette 

Available at Amazon.

[fightwing]

❛  here, you look like you need this more than me right now.  ❜ from artemis 🫶 / @folkpoet

dick gives the best expression of gratitude he can. which, given the stinging pull of tender skin anytime he tries to do anything with his face at the moment, ends up looking more pained than thankful. a pathetic black-and-blue mess that both hides and exemplifies the desperation below. so instead he croaks out a 'thank you', not even reacting to the cold of the ice pack she extends and using it as one might, a mask. everyone's been telling him he's been spiraling. everyone brave enough at least. he's denied it, but the results speak for themselves and finally, finally, dick looks as bad as he feels. wally's gone. not retired, not taking a break, not doing that thing where he forgets to respond to a text for three days --- GONE. in a flash, as he would say. too soon, to the rest. he wouldn't wish all the ugly, painful things he was feeling twisting in his gut on anybody, certainly not a friend, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't glad to have artemis. somebody who knew what he was feeling --- even if he didn't want to feel it. he could only hide his shame under the press of an ice pack for so long --- the silence stretching. what was left to say? what could be said? dick failed then, and he's failing now, and all that's left is: " where do we go from here? " he feels selfish, going to artemis for direction, knowing her pain at building a life with someone being cut so short, but currently sitting at rock bottom, there's something to be said about misery and company. " i should've known it was a trap. " he'd rub at his tired eyes if it wouldn't press against his already bruised face, so instead he clutches the ice pack tighter. in truth, he did at the end. he'd just never admit that for a second, a split second, he'd thought a speedster would pull him out.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

To Touch Fate

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason attempts to settle down in Southern Italy and live a civilian life.

Chapters: 11/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Original Character(s), Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis, Matt McGinnis

Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Angst, Jason Todd-centric, Jason Todd is a Father, Terry McGinnis is Batman, Retirement, Future Fic, Major Original Character(s)

Chapter Eleven: Bedtime

Volpe never came, but Jason did his best to distract the children. “ I have a question for the table,” Jason announced. The children drummed on the table in anticipation. “What are this week’s big accomplishments?”

Cecelia raised her hand. Jason pointed to her. “I read a book with Papá this morning,” Cecelia announced. Everyone clapped and cheered. 

Katerina looked down at her plate. Jason nudged her. “Mamma made cups with me today,” Katerina whispered. Angelo giggled and kissed her cheek. Everyone always cheered and clapped whenever they shared their accomplishments at the table, no matter what.

Dinner ended on an upbeat note, and Jason helped Noemi put the kids to bed. They started with the girls. “Do you want a song or a story tonight?” Jason asked as he settled into the easy chair between the girls’ beds. Noemi rocked in the rocking chair beside Katerina’s bed, rocking Dario to sleep. 

Katerina and Cecelia exchanged a glance. “Cradle Song,” they answered. 

Jason looked at his daughters and smiled. “Did you say your prayers?” Jason asked. They nodded. ���Lullaby and goodnight, with roses, bedight/ With lilies o’er spread is baby’s wee bed/ Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed/ Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed.” Jason’s voice was soft and gentle, whispering almost too low to be heard. The girls shut their eyes while Jason repeated the song. It took him four times to get them to fall asleep. He kissed their foreheads and smiled. 

Jason offered to take Dario from Noemi as he helped her to her feet. “Giasone?” Noemi whispered. 

“Yes, dolce metà?” Jason replied. 

“What are we going to do when we have this baby? What if the baby comes while the kids are asleep?” Noemi questioned. 

“I’ve planned for everything. Don’t worry about that… Dario smells wonderful… He’s smelled brand new longer than all our other children,” Jason whispered. Noemi smiled as she followed him to Angelo and Domenico’s room. Soon, it would be Dario and Domenico’s room. 

Angelo sat in bed, wearing his glasses as he read a dual-language book, while Noemi offered both boys a kiss and settled into her chair. “What’s the book of interest tonight, Angel?” Noemi asked.

“War of the Worlds,” Angelo answered. Jason hummed with pride.

“How do you like it so far?” Jason questioned. 

“Didn’t you know real aliens, Papá? Were any of them like this? ” Angelo asked. Domenico said his prayers and sat in bed, eagerly anticipating a story about his father’s past. 

“I did. I knew aliens, warriors trained from birth, and demi-godesses. I knew all sorts of people,” Jason answered. The stories didn’t interest Jason like they did the children. Angelo set his book aside. Jason glanced at Noemi. She nodded. Jason sat in his chair, holding Dario as he shut his eyes. “ When I was a boy, I joined my brother’s friends, who were all so different… But one thing is always the same with everyone, human, alien, and animal alike… We all have bad days. An Atlantean, a speedster, an alien warrior princess, a human warrior princess, a lot of other people—. And you know what? They were all more spectacular from far away… Not to say they weren’t special. Everyone is special, but they weren’t unattainable. They had normal problems and dreams but took on the responsibility of protecting others. Do you know why?”  

“Why, Papá?” Domenico asked. 

“Because they’re kind?” Angelo questioned. Jason pointed to Angelo and nodded.

“Exactly. You don’t have to wear a cape or have powers to be kind, though. You could speak up when you see something bad happening. You could be a good friend who listens and cares. You kids are my heroes every day,” Jason whispered. 

“How?” Domenico asked. 

“You make me smile and worry about me if you think I’m hurt or upset… And you never make me feel bad for being silly,” Jason whispered. 

Domenico yawned. Jason crouched beside Domenico, still holding Dario. “I love you so much, Domenico. Get some rest and have sweet dreams for Mamma and me,” Jason whispered. He kissed Domenico’s forehead, and Domenico kissed his cheek in return. 

“Mamma’s sleeping,” Domenico whispered. Jason grinned. 

“Looks like I’ll have to come back and carry Mamma to bed,” Jason smiled. Angelo turned the light down and kissed his father goodnight before grabbing his arm. “What’s the matter?”

“I need to speak with you in private,” Angelo whispered. Jason nodded, knitting his brows with concern written all over his face. “Nothing’s wrong. I had a question.” Jason relaxed his shoulders and kissed his cheek. 

“Five minutes. Can you wait for me to put Mamma and Dario down? I promise we’ll talk in the living room in five minutes,” Jason whispered in reply. Angelo smiled. “Okay.” Jason crept down the hall and set Dario in his crib in his bedroom before carefully carrying Noemi to bed. 

Noemi stirred. “Mmm… Giasone, you could’ve—.”  

“I don’t mind… I’ll be right back. I need to speak with Angelo. He wanted to talk to me privately,” Jason explained. Noemi pulled her blanket up and drifted off. 

Jason crept to the living room and sat on the couch with Angelo. Angelo still wore his glasses on as he moved closer to sit under his father’s arm. “Papá, you told me you’d help me do whatever I wanted to do… And I’ve decided. I want to be a doctor,” Angelo announced. “And I want to know if you think I can do it…”

Jason hooked an arm around Angelo’s neck. “If it’s what you want to do, I know you’ll do everything possible to accomplish your goals… And I’ll make sure you have everything you need. You’re in the right family for it. Mama’s a great doctor,” Jason smiled, “Let me know what you need… And I’ll be there for you.” Angelo hugged Jason, pushing his face into Jason’s chest. 

“I was scared you’d be disappointed,” Angelo whispered. Jason rubbed Angelo’s back.

“Angioletto, your dreams mean the world to me. You’ve always surprised me with the things you do. I can’t wait to see who you become as you grow up,” Jason smiled, “But one thing… When you grow up, you’ll make time out of your busy schedule to call your old parents.” Angelo giggled. “Is anything else bothering you? You seem different today.”

“Papá, will we ever get to meet your family?” Angelo asked. Jason sighed. 

“Um… I can never say no because I’m not sure,” Jason replied, “But I don’t plan on it. I might not be home when you get home from school, but don’t go to the gym. I’m working on a surprise for Mamma.” 

Angelo looked at Jason with wide eyes and an anticipatory grin. “Can you keep a secret, Angioletto?” Jason asked. His son nodded excitedly. “I’m going to invite her brother and sister over for dinner. You can’t tell anyone. Not anyone.” 

Angelo kissed his pinky and linked it with Jason’s. “Okay, Papá. I won’t say a word. I love you. Have sweet dreams,” Angelo replied as he returned to his room. 

Jason climbed into bed with Noemi, and she reached behind her. “You’re tired—.” 

“I can wake up—.” Jason laughed, leaning over her to kiss her cheek and rub her belly. 

“Angel wants to be a doctor like his mamma. I’m too proud to think about—.” 

“He told you that?” Noemi asked. Jason nodded. “Finally, one of the kids thinks I’m cool.”

Jason chuckled. “I think you’re cool,” Jason mumbled, “I’m glad I met you when you did. If we met when I was young… You would’ve been horrified.” 

Noemi laughed. “No. Giasone, you’re always the most beautiful man in the world,” Noemi giggled as she kissed him.

[byfulcrums]

I know it’s kind of cringe but when I think of yj Wally as JLU Wally AU, I think of of plenty of songs but “Answer 36” from the musical Answer 36; it’s a romance song by nature but it could also be seen as more platonic I’d you wanted to not Wally making a choice to move on as others anons have talked about but the final part of the song being like a message in a bottle in the speedforce: “and if your listening, I love you. I think I always will (end of song).”

36 Questions? Every song from 36 Questions I've listened to is great. You have good taste, Anon

I hadn't listened to Answer 36 a lot before, but you're right, it does kinda fit!

Honestly, I've been thinking of JLU Wally as YJ Wally with the song Never Love an Anchor. It would be about how Wally tries to not get attached to the JLU universe and its people because he's sure that someday he'll have to leave

“On some level, I think I always understood that these hands of mine were clumsy, not clever” I think this would be referencing to him aways acting so cocky and happy but feeling so guilty on the inside for leaving without saying goodbye

“And I tried to do the best that I could, but try as I might, I couldn't bring myself to hold you” Him genuinely liking the JL but not being willing to get too close to them because he doesn't want to feel like he's replacing the YJ team

“It's a secret I keep tucked inside my chest, with this heart of mine that's guilty not remorseful” The secret is obviously his origins; the guilt is him feeling bad for lying about them, even though he doesn't regret it at all

“There is love, it doesn't have a place to rest, but it would have buried you if it had settled on your shoulder” Wally wants to love them and hold them close but he knows he'll have to leave someday. He knows it'll hurt them when he does (if I were to make an animatic, I'd also add lighting hitting a lighting rod to reference speedsters and their lightning rods)

“On some level, I think I always understood that a ship could never really love an anchor. So I did the only thing that I could, and severed the rope to set you sailing from my harbor” Wally's powers were killing him, back in the YJ universe. He knew that if he kept on going like this he would only start to hold them back, but he wasn't willing to leave just yet. Eventually, he retired

“There are times where I still wonder about you” The YJ. I think this one is obvious. Could also apply to him thinking about Shayera when she left the league

“You are someone I have loved, but never known” Him thinking about the JL. They're coworkers, friends and even family in some point. But they all have secrets, him included. He loved Shayera, but then it turned out that he actually knew nothing about her. And, in return, she knew nothing about him. And that made him realize that the rest of the JL was just like that too

“And you'll never see the reason I had for keeping my claws away when they were close enough to hurt you” Another reference to him not getting too close to the JL because he doesn't want to hurt them when (and the when eventually turns into an if) he leaves

“I am selfish, I am broken, I am cruel. I am all the things they might've said to you” Him comparing the YJ team with the JL, knowing that the YJ team fell apart and that the JL barely even knows eachother outisde of their hero lives

“Do you ever think of me, and my two hands and wonder why they never soothed your fevers? And wonder why they never tried your shoes? And wonder why they never held you gently? And wonder why they never had the chance to lose you” Again, about him not letting himself get too close to the JL. About him not letting the JL become his new YJ team. Y'know what I mean

The great thing about this song is that it literally fits with almost every character I know. It's amazing

[skylarmoon71]

Eobard Thawne - (Flash) AU Chapter 15

The break that was needed after that whole ordeal would be extensive. But for now, you settled for retiring to your apartment.

Eobard has joined you. It’s more for peace of mind. He’d been fairly quiet after you announced your stay. Now in the comfort of your home, you give a little stretch. There’s no speedster outfits. You’ve changed into casual wear. Here, you’re not crime fighting heroes, just people. Dropping on your bed, you let out a heavy sigh. It’s weird not having a big bad to chase.

You turn to Eobard who still looks a bit lost in his thoughts.

“Eo-”

“You stayed. “ He interrupts.

“You don’t sound too happy about it.” You tease.

He won’t look at you.

“I really thought that you would leave. I-I wasn’t sure how to feel. I wanted to be happy. More than anything. But the thought of you disappearing and never coming back was..it was terrifying.”

Now his silence makes sense.

You take a step.

“I’m sorry it took me so long.”

He doesn’t get why you’re apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry about. More than anything, he’s happy that he’ll be able to feel your touch right now. See that gentle smile you use to reassure him that he isn’t dreaming. He closes his eyes, pressing his forehead to yours.

“I love you.”

Your smile is much brighter.

“I love you too, Eobard.”

His entire body becomes still. When he pulls back slowly and stares at you, he’s completely stunned. You just keep a brilliant smile.

“I love you.”

You repeat.

He’s ecstatic.

You’re tackled to the bed, both of your laughs filling the room.

~Star Labs~

Iris couldn’t remember the last time she felt this accomplished. More often than not these cases ended badly. Being a part of a hero team was hard when everyone else had a superpower. She’d grown used to being the brains behind the operation. It came with its own battles.

This time everyone was okay.

Godspeed was locked up and you were safe. Life could not get any better.

“I figured you would still be here.” Barry walks from around the corner and Iris sends a smile.

“It’s crazy. So much has happened in such a small space of time. “ Barry nods.

“It is a little crazy. I’m really happy we got (Y/N) back.”

Iris nods.

“Me too.”

They were all sad when they thought you would return home. In a way they understood it was selfish to keep you here, but they couldn’t help it.

“Iris.”

She looks up, adjusting her glasses. She doesn’t expect him to be this close. She means to say something.

“W-What is it?”

She feels as though her glasses will get foggy from the heat that is no doubt steaming from her cheeks. He smiles at the adorable reaction. He takes another step, and when his hand slides across her waist, she feels like her body will combust.

“With all that’s happened I feel like I need to be completely honest about how I feel about you. I know that I joke a lot so it’s hard to take me seriously. But the one thing I never want you to question is how I feel about you. Iris I..I’m in love with you..”

Her heart is pounding. How many times has she had this dream?”

Swallowing her fears, she smiles.

“I-I’m in love with me too. I-I mean you! I’m in love with you!!” She clarifies. Her babblings continue, and he brushes the hair away from her eyes. It finally halts her racing words.

“I’m really glad. I’m sorry it took so long.”

Iris shakes her head, the tears running down her cheeks as she smiles the biggest she ever has.

“You’re just in time.” She claims.

He mirrors that expression, a bit speechless when she grabs his collar and pulls him in from a kiss. He barely processes what’s happening until he feels her push him against a wall. He moans, and she pulls back for a second, discarding her glasses. He swallows at the hungry look in her eyes.

“Gotta marry this woman..”

He intends to follow through too.

[kitkatt0430]

At some point I intend to write the fic about Herobard's adventure with Bart and Thad that I've alluded to a few times in the Eobard vs. Eobard fics.

The gist of it has been thus far that Eo undershot his attempt to reach 2014 and wound up around 52 years off - placing him in 2066 or thereabouts, I'd need to check back in my fics to make sure I'm remembering correctly when exactly I stuck that adventure in the timeline. Eobard and Gideon almost immediately find themselves in the middle of a fight between Impulse and Inertia - here identical twins and thus naturally occurring clones. Thad's been using the negative speed force and it's been affecting his emotions, playing up his anger and messing with his personality as a result.

The backstory I'm still a bit fuzzy on - how did Thad wind up using what he knew was the dark side of the speed force? - but there's also the usual family resentments going on too. Despite being identical twins, Bart's always had the stronger connection to the Speed Force and he needed mentoring to master that connection a lot earlier than Thad did. They love each other, but they don't talk about how it seemed to Thad like Bart was the favorite child who got special attention. Or that to Bart it felt like he had to grow up faster than Thad did and it was a lot of responsibility that was isolating for him when all he wanted was to feel more normal... like Thad. So the family issues? Those I'm pretty solid on.

When Eobard shows up it's getting to the point where Thad's made quite the menace of himself and the Flash fam is getting worried he's going to hurt someone soon. And at least one person is advocating stripping Thad of his connection altogether, which Bart is vehemently against.

Eo helps out Bart upon arriving and lets Thad get away when Bart asks it of him, so he hits it off pretty well with Impulse. Inertia was the Professor's student when he was still learning the ropes of being a speedster, while Impulse had training from Max Mercury - don't know if I'll name drop him or not, but it'll be Max whether I'm vague or specific - so Bart doesn't realize who Eo is. Or will be, anyway.

Once Eo and Gideon have the details of what's going on, they come up with a plan to stop Thad. Which immediately goes off the rails and Eo winds up winging it. He's successful in getting through to Thad, who does realize who Eobard is and is shocked to be face to face with the young version of the man he kind of considers a second father. Thad has the presence of mind not to tell Eo that he'll be the Professor one day, but it's a near thing. Gideon will probably suspect something.

Once Thad makes up his mind to stop using the Negative speed force it puts him in a bit of a detox/withdrawal situation - the N!SF is addictive and the temptation to use it is always gonna be there. But Thad and Bart reconcile and start actually talking about their feelings about their childhood and their relationship will probably be stronger once they finally work out their issues.

It'll be implied throughout the whole thing that OG!Flash (Barry) and the Professor (Eobard) disappeared on a trip to the future right before Thad's use of the N!SF is first revealed. Of course, it's because they knew what was going to happen and needed to get out of the way to let young Eo connect to Thad in a way that Thad wouldn't be willing to hear from an older, wiser Eobard.

I'd probably include an epilogue with the older Barry and Eo when they return from their jaunt to the future. Older Eo and Thad having a long talk while Bart finally realizes who his new friend actually is and gets to know his namesake, Barry.

Barry and Eo are semi-retired-ish at this point in their lives and there's someone else going around as the Flash. Haven't decided who, yet.

Bart and Thad in this are probably Thawnes descended from Iris and Eddie. I don't think I've mentioned last names for them that would contradict that, but if I have that's what the edit button is for. Meloni being Thad's descendant would certainly be a fun Easter egg to throw in, but I'm not 100% on that decision at the moment. Especially since I'm intent on Meloni not being a speedster.

And of course we'll know that younger Eo does reach 2014 eventually only to discover another N!SF user causing trouble for the Flash...