#the knowing that he would kill for them and risk Bruce's wrath just to prove a point about love and sacrifice

[ahoyimlosingmymind]

the quiet understanding between the batkids that Jason is safe, solely because they know that if they were in any immediate danger, there's not a world in which Jason wouldn't kill for them. Dick knowing that when Tim or Damian are patrolling with Jason that Jason would kill faster than debating if it was worth it or not to save them. Dick knowing that his baby brothers have a higher likelihood of coming home because Jason can do something for them that he can't. Stephanie feeling comforted by the fact that she knows if she asked, Jason would kill black mask in a heartbeat just to help her sleep better.

the quiet understanding that Jason can never have the same reassurance from his siblings, and that he's perhaps the one who desires and needs it the most.

the knowing that on some level the batkids would always resent Jason killing on behalf of them because then they have to feel guilty about their relief that he did. Then they have to deal with the shame of knowing that they couldn't do the same for Jason. the knowing that they can go to Jason when they're upset about Bruce, and he won't talk them out of their anger and bitterness. But to know they can never quite afford Jason the same.

what if I threw up

[dessarious]

What Makes a Family? Pt18

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“And what price are they going to have to pay for your magic?” Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the protective tone in Bruce’s voice as he glared at Plagg. She was beyond relieved that he seemed to be a good person and even her Guardian instincts were calm around him.

“The Miraculous are all about balance. In our case, as true Chosen, they affect us whether we use them or not. That’s why Cass’ life has been so difficult and mine has been relatively calm. Actually being in possession of Plagg’s ring will make things better for her. As for other holders, it varies. The longer you hold a Miraculous the more it pulls out certain traits in you. Good or bad depends on both the person and how in tune with the Miraculous they are.” Chloe’s over protective nature and Adrien’s possessiveness were both likely side effects of being holders but there was no way for her to know for certain.

“So they begin to turn you into a different person?” Marinette was shaking her head before he was even finished. She really wasn’t good at explaining things to other people.

“No. Any traits that the Miraculous bring out were already there. If anything they bring out a person’s true nature so they can’t hide who they really are. My former partner for instance was always showing his best face to the world around him but Plagg’s influence allowed those looking for it the ability to see some of his less desirable qualities. Especially when transformed.” While it made perfect sense that the ring had brought out the things Adrien felt he had to hide from the world, she still felt guilty. She also had to wonder how different his life would have been if she’d found her real Black Cat sooner. Cass burrowed into her side.

“Not your fault.” Marinette just hugged her twin closer. Even if Fu had picked Adrien, as the current Guardian he had still been her responsibility. She’d let her knowledge of his personal life define how she treated him when she should have simply judged his actions as a hero. It had been reckless and irresponsible. She’d put everyone at risk. She felt a vibration at her side and actually laughed when she realized Cass was purring to calm her down.

“Well if I needed any more proof that you are Plagg’s chosen, the fact that you’re picking up cat traits without even having the ring on you would have done it.” Cass stopped abruptly and buried her head into Marinette’s shoulder with an embarrassed whine. Mari just grinned and kissed her temple to try and soothe her. “At least yours is cute. The first trait I picked up was reflex bleeding.” It was a small consolation that Lila had a rash for over a month after grabbing her.

“Do I want to know what that is?” Marinette offered Bruce a commiserating smile. It was a lot to process.

“My skin secretes a toxic substance when I feel threatened. Sadly enough it’s actually helped in battles before. Poor baby August tried to eat me a few times while Akumatized.” Bruce just blinked at her and Marinette could practically hear him thinking ‘what the fuck?’ She grinned at him. “Once you’ve actually been through an Akuma attack, remind me to show you footage of past battles. It will prove educational and quite possibly entertaining.”

“You expect me to be entertained by one of my children almost being eaten?” He sounded insulted at the suggestion but Marinette rolled her eyes.

“No, but the fact that Hawkmoth tends to Akumatize the worst suited people into villains should. The only reason he’s still around is because he’s a coward. If I could find him all of this would be over in a heartbeat. Hopefully with Cass here my luck will keep shifting for the better.”

“I thought you were the one with good luck.” Mari let out a frustrated breath.

“Technically yes. However having the Miraculous active, especially with the ring being held by someone so much less in tune than I am, has been affecting me. It’s gotten better since I added other permanent holders but certain things haven’t improved at all. Also, the Kwami are of the opinion that Cass and I rubbed off some of our luck on each other in the womb. It’s likely the reason she ended up with you around the same time I first became Ladybug. Being together will allow us to buffer each other.” Bruce was still frowning at her but it seemed more contemplative than anything else.

“Cass.” She watched her sister peek at Bruce from her position. “What do you want to do?” Marinette let out an approving hum at the question. She got a strange sense of satisfaction that he treated Cass with such care even though she wasn’t his. He wasn’t as warm as her parents, but it was obvious he did care.

“Stay. Help.” Bruce let out a sigh but nodded. Cass relaxed further and Marinette could feel contentment radiating off her.

“So Selina said you’re a fashion designer?” Marinette rose an eyebrow at the subject change. “Since there’s nothing more to be done at present about what’s going on in Paris and it doesn’t appear to be an urgent issue, I would like to get to know you and I’m sure Cass does too.” She felt Cass nod.

“Yes, I’m a fashion designer. It was always what I wanted to do, but my actual start was one of the first twists of fate after I got my Miraculous. I ended up designing something for Jagged Stone and everything just sort of took off from there.” Cass stiffened slightly and Marinette saw Bruce’s eye twitch.

“You’re the designer he’s always bragging about?” Marinette felt her face flush. It hadn’t really occurred to her that he would be familiar with Jagged. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “The boys are not going to leave you alone. Dick, Jason, and Tim have a running bet over who can get a commission from you first. I apologize in advance for whatever happens at dinner.” She laughed at his dry tone and caught Cass’ smile out of the corner of her eye.

“I assure you it can’t be worse than Uncle Jagged himself. He introduces me to all my new clients and I swear it gets more embarrassing every time. I’m fairly certain he practices just to annoy me.” Bruce’s mouth twitched into something between a smile and a grimace.

“Do not underestimate the boys’ ability to be annoying or embarrassing. That’s not even counting the fact that Damian is likely to challenge you to a duel in order to prove that he’s meant to be my true heir and I have no idea what weapons he managed to smuggle on the plane.” Marinette rolled her eyes. Why wasn’t she surprised?

“I take it Talia’s teachings are still strong?” He frowned at her. Oh right, he didn’t know she knew. “When she and Ra’s were in Paris she enjoyed bragging about him and his bloodlines. That’s how I figured out you were Batman. But don’t worry, I can handle him.” The skeptical look he shot her just made her grin. “Trust me. Besides, I just have to prove I’m not a threat to him. Given that I have no wish to take over your business and I have my own hero problems to worry about there’s no reason for him to take issue with me.” Bruce still seemed uncertain but Cass signed something at him and he nodded.

“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.” While Bruce obviously doubted her, she felt nothing but confidence from her twin. As nervous as she was to meet the others, Damian trying to kill her wasn’t that big a problem. At least with him, she knew what to expect.

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[becausewerebatfam]

Mother Knows Best

Damian Wayne x Reader

After finally gaining your father’s approval to date Damian a new problem arises. His mother, Talia, also finds out and she is not pleased.

Warning: Violence & Suggestive Content, Damian’s age is 18+

[ Master List ]

���What is this I hear about my son?” Talia may not be involved in her son’s life but every so often she had people watching him and reporting back to her. She lost it when she heard of his romantic involvement with another of Bruce’s live-in charity cases. Damian was a very serious person who did everything properly. He was now of marrying age and if he had started to court someone she felt obligated to asses the woman. From what she had gathered, using the League, you were no match for her son.

Her son deserved someone better.

Bruce ignored her question and asked her to leave but it only fueled her anger.

“Who is this woman that has poisoned my perfect son?” She had yet to see you and was more than eager to confront you.

You and Damian arrived at the Batcave in time to hear Talia’s question. It hurt, but from what you had heard about Damian’s mother it was no surprise. Not being one to fear confrontation you acted before Damian could stop you. “That would be me.”

“Y/N don’t-” Damian called out to you but it was too late. You had left his side and gone to face his mother. He knew it was only a matter of time before she showed up after that run-in with the League earlier in the week.

Talia scowled at you making you question whether Damian got his scowling abilities from his father or mother. She wasn’t surprised at all to see you were also wearing a bat on your chest but she was still sure you weren’t worthy of being the wife of the Al’Ghul heir.

“This is unacceptable-” she pointed at you.

“This,” you repeated with resent.

She had dehumanized you with only one word.

“I don’t need your approval to court her.” Damian stood behind you urging you to let it go, “Don’t listen to her Beloved.”

Bruce stood behind Talia knowing very well that she was looking for a fight. Similarly, Damian stood beside you putting a hand on your shoulder as a reminder to mind your temper.

Talia’s eyes showed a flash of disappointment at the term of endearment. Her son would never show such weakness. “How could you have gotten so weak Damian? Is she to blame, because I can fix that.” Her voice lowered and her weight shifted showing she was ready to attack.

“Are you threatening me,” you ask taking a step forward.

Damian knew his mother had a gun on her while you only had a pair of katanas strapped to your back. “Stand down Y/N you can’t win.”

His lack of confidence hurt but not as much as his mother’s comments. You knew it was hypocritical to fight her when you had tried to avoid having your father and Damian fight. But this was different, your honor was being attacked. You were being dehumanized just like when you were in the lab. The thoughts took over your senses making you see red.

“Listen to Damian,” Bruce sternly warned. 

He couldn’t see your eyes but he was sure you were starting to get fired up. He didn’t like how close you two were in distance and in skill. It would end badly if you fought Talia as you were now. He was mostly afraid you would lose your temper forcing him to take you down.

“Fine,” you breathed out unclenching your fists. 

You turned walking straight past Damian shooting him a glare, and into the manor where you took your mask off and tossed it aside. In a huff of rage, you punched the nearest wall only to regret it immediately after. The consecutive whispers of apologies that accompanied your failed efforts to cover up the damage evoked laughter from behind you.

“Woah, bad night?” Dick asked after silently witnessing you lose control.

The last thing you wanted was to alarm anyone with your temper. Flashes of memories blinded you. Memories where your hands were bathed in blood. “Please don’t tell anyone,” you pleaded. Bruce would definitely lecture you and take you out of the field if you started showing signs of aggression.

Dick knew you were trying your best to live up to Bruce’s standards just like the rest of them. You had your own demons to overcome. “Only if you tell me what’s got you so worked up.”

You sighed, “Where do I begin...”

“At the beginning of course.”

You giggled at his lame attempt to make you laugh. Guess it wasn't so lame in the end if it worked.

Damian came up to the Manor after getting rid of his mother. He expected you to be mad about what had just happened but instead, he found you smiling in the kitchen as you ate some sugary breakfast cereal with Dick.

That only worried him further.

“Oh, Dami you’re just in time. We’re about to have seconds!” Dick opened the second box of Lucky Charms and poured its mix of marshmallows and cereal into his bowl. Just as you scooped your last bits of little brown cereal pieces.

He turned down Dick’s invitation instead, focusing on you. “Beloved,” he reached out to hold your free hand but you moved it. You avoided him altogether by getting up and walking away.

“Dami wait,” Dick stopped him when he tried going after you. “Before you go after her you have to be sure of what you are going to say or it will only make it worse.”

Damian’s brow furrowed, “What did she tell you?”

“Not much but something Talia said triggered her memories and nearly made her lose control.”

With that in mind Damian went up to his bedroom where you would most likely run off to. He sighed heavily upon entering knowing he would have to admit to a few things. “I understand your anger towards me.”

“Do you,” you asked cross-armed. Damian could be thick-headed when it came to emotions. He loved to mask or deny his emotions just like his father. 

You had spoken to him about the lab but it was one thing to hear about it than it was to live it. You did not expect him to completely understand what you felt when his mother dehumanized you. 

He closed the gap between you and reached out, holding onto either side of you. “Instead of standing up for you I put my efforts into driving her away. But I had a good reason for that.”

Your arms loosened as you waited for his response.

Damian’s hands slid from your arms to your hips. “I could not risk you getting hurt. I’ve foughten mother- she would not hesitate."

“You think I would lose?”

It was hard to say. “Your rage is unpredictable.”

You sighed, disappointed by the small amount of trust your boyfriend had in you. “Dami-” you tried prying his hands off of you but he would not let go.

“Beloved I know you have come a long way since then. Despite all the provocation, you have managed to control your actions but I know Talia.” 

A hint of sadness could be seen in his eyes making you less reluctant to pull away. Instead, your hand went to his cheek, “Sometimes I forget you too had a less than normal childhood.” Your other hand went to the back of his neck where you clung to him.

Damian held you by the waist now, wrapping his arms fully around you. "I do not doubt your skills.” He chuckled remembering the scar on his right pectoral that had remained a souvenir from his first encounter with Y/N Wilson. “I have the scar to prove it.”

Your hand slid from his cheek to said muscle on his chest with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that...” At the time he had stopped you from a political hit job you had been sent on. The job was long forgotten but you still recalled the wrath of Robin. “But I do think it’s incredibly sexy to see my handiwork on you.”

He knew the feeling. It was comparable to when he would see the markings on your neck the following morning after having spent the night with you. 

The hand on his neck pulled down on him so you could reach his lips. All your previous anger had been forgotten as you nipped and sucked his bottom lip. The kiss was being led by you until Damian dipped down and scooped you up holding onto your thighs. 

His actions caught you unaware making you open your eyes and mouth, an opportunity he took to explore your tongue with his.

He sat down at the edge of the bed with you straddling his lap. “Promise me that if Talia ever tries to contact you or you run into her, that you will let me know.”

You hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded. “I promise.”

He gave you a sweet longing peck keeping his forehead against yours after. “I love you Y/N.”

“I love you too Damian.”

With that, you began taking each other’s suits off. Being on his lap, Damian had managed to fully unclothe you fairly quickly while you had only managed to slip off the top half.

He watched you trace his scar with your fingers for a moment before replacing them with your lips.

You stopped when you heard the door slam open behind you.

“It’s too quiet, did you kill each-” Dick quickly regretted bursting in without knocking.

“Grayson!” 

Dick covered his eyes and quickly began to apologize to you. “Sorry the door was unlocked and it was so quiet I thought you two killed each other.”

Damian picked up his cape and draped it over you before chasing out his older brother. Even if it was an accident he had seen too much.

When Damian came back he was sporting a scowl. That was the second time one of his brothers had walked in on him. “He got away.”

“At least he apologized, unlike Tim.” You tried to make light of the situation. After all your back had been to the door so he hadn’t seen much. “At this rate, Jason will be next.”

“I’ll kill him again.”

+++

Unfortunately, you were unable to keep your promise when Talia took your prized katanas, specially made for you by your father, and only offered to give them back if you went to Infinity Island which is where you currently were. Although your father would understand the circumstances of their loss it had become more of a matter of principle. 

You would not allow Talia to taunt you now or in the future. 

“I’m not good enough for your son? You think less of me because I can’t take a life,” you ask incredulously. There is a moment of silence as you try to think of a response that wouldn’t offend her but sometimes people needed to be told their truths. “Bruce warned me about coming here...” He had tried to stop you. “Damian also-”

Talia’s eyes narrowed at you as her chest rose to show her confidence the same way Damian did. “There is nothing you can say or do that will hurt me. I am not weak like you, my son requires someone who will encourage him to achieve greater things.”

“I do that!” You were starting to yell and that wasn’t good. 

Talia didn’t know you had blood on your hands. In what felt like a lifetime ago you were once a mercenary like your father. At one point you were driven by anger like the one you felt now but thanks to your father you had learned to control it.

Unfortunately, he never taught you how to deal with someone like Talia. She was a smart, educated woman but her views were too extreme. Logic was beyond her.

“If I could speak freely I would tell you of all your weaknesses but I’d probably only need to point out one to get a reaction out of you.”

“Speak girl!”

Your hands balled into fists ready to embrace the consequences of your words. Oh, how you wished you would have taken a weapon from the cave. “Your greatest weakness Talia is your lack of maternal instincts. I don’t doubt you love your son but it is a twisted conventional love. You only show him favor when he is doing your bidding and when he isn’t you are more than willing to dispose of him-”

“Insolent girl!” Talia threw a knife at you but you dodged it just in time.

“My name is Y/N,” you replied from your newfound ground. The rage had taken over and all you could see was red. The gun strapped to her thigh was your target.

Talia threw a few more daggers your way. 

Each one of them missed and lodged into the wall behind you except the last. That one you caught in your hand and threw it back at her with a bit of laughter. She had tried to catch it just as you had but the speed was far greater than she had calculated.

She grunted in agony as the dagger impaled her hand, striking a nerve that made her unable to even feel the whole arm.

You laughed as you approached her with a smirk. Crimson red trails ran down her forearm fueling your blood lust. “Is this what you wanted?”

Talia’s brow furrowed in confusion as you removed your domino mask. She could see your eyes had literally become red.

“Taking a life is easy, there is nothing praiseworthy about that.”

When you got close enough Talia threw a few kicks your way and fended you off with her one good hand as she waited for the League to hear her and come to her rescue. 

You were quick, only allowing her to land a few hits while you reached for the dagger again.

“Ah!” Talia screamed loudly when you tore it out.

This time you did not throw it. Instead, you held it at her throat. “Is this what you want for Damian?”

The League of Assassins entered throwing shuriken at you from all sides. 

You let go of Talia and used the dagger to deflect the shuriken sending them off into multiple directions.

Talia used the opportunity to get away. Once she was safely out of your reach she used her non-dominant hand to reach for her gun. “Wha-” she nearly cursed when she found her holster empty.

Bang.

A satisfied smile appeared on your face when you saw the dark figure slump to the ground like a rag doll.  You could literally hear the bullet break through their ribs before it hit his heart. This was your first lethal shot in years and it felt so good. 

The rush of adrenaline, the ringing in your ears... you had to do it again.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Click, click... “Empty,” you sighed disappointedly as you discarded the gun.

Talia was shocked to see you had killed everyone. 

Her face spoke of horror which made you tilt your head in question. “Was this not what you wanted, what you expected for your son?" You smiled once more feeling light and airy after your first killing spree since leaving your mercenary life. “Surprised by the fact that your son actually chose an ex-merc as his girlfriend?” You laughed at the irony. “My name is Y/N Wilson, daughter of Slade Wilson.”

“Y/N!” Damian called out.

You turned towards the sound of his voice. “Dami,” you muttered as soon as you saw the horror on his face. Suddenly the red had left your eyes but not your hands. You could see Talia’s blood on your gloves and an overwhelming urge to wipe off a wet substance from your face- no doubt blood.

Damian looked around to see the many bodies, neither belonging to his mother. 

The smell of iron filled your nostrils and welled your eyes with tears of regret.

He rushed over to catch you as you lost all the strength in your legs. The emotional turmoil was crashing down on you like the unforgiving waves of the ocean during a storm. “What did you do,” he rhetorically asked with a mix of anger and compassion for his beloved.

For a moment you silently clutched onto him. Finding your voice was difficult when you were surrounded by your wrongdoings. “I- I lost it,” you managed to say in a low trembling voice. “I wanted to but I couldn’t, I just couldn’t control myself.”

Damian wiped your tears unable to see you suffering like this.

But the more he did for you, the more tears would slip. Eventually, the mix of blood and tears were too much for him to clear. “I’m sorry.”

Damian swallowed the non-existant lump in his throat. He knew what you were going through, he had felt similar after his year of blood. All he could do was hold you in his arms and stroke your hair lovingly. For he knew, as soon as his father heard about this you would surely be taken from him.

Distracted and withdrawn Talia managed to come up behind you two. She pushed Damian away before driving your own katanas through your abdomen and chest. “You are weak,” were the last words she spoke to you before pulling them out.

You dropped to your knees with blank eyes. The impact had hurt but now you felt nothing. You fell to the side looking down at your wounds. All you could do was stare at the blood as it seeped out.

“NO!” Damian did not know what to do. He could see the life leaving your body as your skin turned pale and your eyes struggled to remain open. His hands went to your wounds but the blades had gone through and through. You were bleeding from the front and back.

“Damian, Y/N,” Batman finally arrived.

“You’re too late Beloved,” Talia threw your katanas aside. “For a moment I thought perhaps I had underestimated her. She managed to do this much only to let her guard down in the end. Our son can do better.”

While his father dealt with his mother Damian tended to you. He ripped his cape and tied bands of it around your torso applying pressure to both the front and back of the wounds. “Everything is going to be alright Y/N.”

You shook your head too drained to speak but wishing he would give up and leave you there. You couldn’t imagine facing him after what you did. 

“It’s not your fault.”

How you wished you could believe that. A tear rolled down the side of your eyes before you completely blacked out.

+++

Three Months Later

“Y/N you have a visitor.”

You sat up on your bed as the guard opened your cell. Instantly your heart dropped when you saw Damian. He was dressed as Robin keeping his identity safe from the other inmates of Arkham Asylum.

Even with your private room he had to pass the cells of other villains like Harley and Ivy.

You turned away not wanting to see him. “I told you not to come here again.” Most of your memory from the when you encountered Talia was hazy. You recalled your initial attack of her and the moment she stabbed you with your own swords. The rest came in flashes. But, the moment you woke up to find yourself in Arkham you knew your life would never be the same again.

Damian nodded, “I know.” It was hard to see you dressed in the all-white uniform, your ankle chained to the bed. Your once long hair had been cut up to your shoulder to make it easier to manage.

“Then what are you doing here?” Your voice wavered a bit from the stern tone you wished to give off. When you turned to him your brow was furrowed but your eyes were too sad to truly scowl at him.

Although you rejected him since the day you regained consciousness Damian continued to return. He visited you every two weeks in between your treatments- like they allowed him. “Beloved please understand I did this for you.”

“For me?” You finally let your feet touch the cold floor. The sound of the metal chain banging against the bedpost echoed your small cell. “You locked me up in the very place I fear most.” Your chest rose and fell with every shaky breath you took. The doctors and scientists that overlooked you were far too familiar a sight. “I’m surrounded by the white coats again.”

Damian’s jaw clenched unable to refute your claims. In the past three months, he could see the fear growing inside you. His eyes went to your neck where a white ring began to beep. It was the collar that monitored your heart rate, aka your rage. “Beloved you have to calm down.”

“Don’t call me that!”

The beeping grew louder drawing the attention of a passing doctor. “Is everything okay here?”

“No, get him out!” you ordered.

The doctor went to look for a guard with the keys.

“Beloved this is for your own good.” Damian tried reasoning with you. He held you by the shoulders but you pushed him off. 

“Leave,” you breathed out. 

He shook his head, “I love you.”

Those three words triggered your tears. The strong facade you had been playing for the past three months broke down with you. “You shouldn’t,” you cried out.

Just as he was about to embrace you the guard came along with the doctor. 

You wiped your tears away not wanting anyone else to see you like this. “Sorry,” you mouthed to him. 

You wanted them to keep him away from you for good. 

The only way to do that was to convince them he had to be kept away.

The beeping started back up as your heart raced. It was a completely inaccurate tool. It hardly was able to map your rage. The memories of being with Damian were all you needed to trigger it. 

“No Y/N-”

The doctor pushed past Damian, “Sorry you have to leave the patient is becoming unstable.” He called for other doctors while Damian struggled against the guard.

As the small cell filled with white coats, your fear took over and you became hysterical. You fought them off not allowing them near you. “Leave me alone!”

Damian watched as they forced a needle into your neck that immediately stopped the beeping. You fell limp into one of the doctor's arms as they laid you back into the bed.

“Increase the dosage and bring her in for more tests. We must scan the brain again.”

The head doctor approached Damian with remorse. “I’m sorry Robin but the patient only reacts negatively when you come around. She’s usually pretty well behaved.” He has resigned to the fact that Robin was the cause for your issues. “I have to ask you to refrain from visiting until we run more tests.”

“Tt,” Damian turned away. He knew what you were doing and it was working. “She’s my girlfriend.”

“I understand but-”

“She was fine, there is nothing wrong with her.”

“If you believe that then why did you bring her here?”

He didn’t want to. His father made him. Now he could see it was a mistake listening to him. If he had kept you out of here you would be fine as long as he kept you away from his mother.

Damian didn’t respond. He looked to your cell where you were fast asleep and walked off.

“Boy wonder you really are just as cruel as the bat,” Ivy taunted him. “Sending your girlfriend to Arkham in chains...”

Damian ignored her and continued walking.

“Poor baby Y/N was let down by her birdie,” Harley chimed in. “If I were you I’d watch out for her Daddy.”

Damian stopped to look over at Harley.

“Oh, didn’t you know? Her Daddy knows what you did to her.”

-end-

A/N: Which did you like more: Father Knows Best or Mother Knows Best?

[zdbztumble]

“Batman” Series Take

After chatting with @echidnapower and others about the DCAU, headcanons, rewrites, and the like, I remembered this little number I put together years ago - an outline for a hypothetical Batman series - a high budget animated series.

Some initial premises: it may seem repetitive, but I think TAS got it right with "Dark Deco." 30s dress and cars mixed with modern computers and TVs (which all have black and white screens) just worked for Batman's world, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I would push the architecture into a more overtly Gothic/Victorian style, with interiors taken from the late 50s/early 60s. I wouldn't mind a more "cartoony" character design either; I think a clean, simple, retro look to the characters mixed with very dark backgrounds and stories would make an interesting clash. The format would be hour-long, with 20 episodes a season and a TV-14 rating.

SEASON 1

On a foggy, drizzly, miserable evening, Bruce Wayne slips back into Gotham unnoticed after his many years away. Alfred picks him up, takes him to his parents' graves, and the obligatory flashback to the death of his parents is shown. This is as much of his origins as we'll ever see; Bruce's past, his travels, his training are to be left a mystery.

The Gotham Bruce has returned to has, for years, been under the total control of the Gotham Hold (an equivalent to the Five Families of New York), an alliance of the five major organized crime groups in town - the Falcone Empire, the Maroni Family, The Penguin's Flock, The Grissom Syndicate, and the Thorne Gang. The heads of these gangs are all public figures - Carmine Falcone and Carl Grissom relish their notoreity - but while Gothamites of all stripes have some awareness that the game is rigged, the true extent of the Hold's power and its true make-up is a complete mystery to the public and to most of law enforcement. Harvey Dent, fresh off his election victory, and Captain Gordon have put forward the most determined team trying to bust the Hold, but their efforts have been in vain. The judges and police commissioner they work with are openly corrupt. Of the three largest private companies headquartered in Gotham - Wayne Enterprises, Daggett Pharmaceuticals, and Shreck's Entertainment - two are in league with the Hold. 

Bruce and Dent have been friends since childhood, but while the friendship has survived Bruce's long absence, Dent doesn't turn to Bruce for support. Upon his return, Bruce Wayne comes off as a "goody goody," completely incorruptible, but with no social skills, no public presence, and no business sense. No one in Gotham notices or cares that he's back. But while some of that persona is unintentional and genuine, Bruce does get more serious behind closed doors. While he leaves Lucius Fox in the CEO chair that Fox has held since Thomas Wayne's death, Bruce asks him to do more for the city and to ramp up competition with their crooked rivals. He also starts pilfering various cancelled and untested technology projects, which Fox turns a blind eye to.

Batman makes his first appearance on the docks, making short work of some small-time drug dealers. They are associates of the Falcone Empire; applying his detective skills, Batman is able to trace them to the Empire's largest narcotics crew and takes down the whole lot of them as they attempt a big score. On a Halloween later dubbed "Nosferatu Night," he tracks down and assaults the bosses of all the Hold gangs and uses sonar technology to sick thousands of bats on each of them. This strike throws Gotham upside down and emboldens Dent and Gordon, who succeed in forcing out the corrupt commissioner and finding a judge to prosecute the captured Falcone crew. It is Dent who Batman first contacts in this series, though Gordon is soon brought in, and the trio concot a plan to expose the extent of the Hold's power and take down the biggest and most public of its gangs - the Falcones. 

Batman's methods let him uncover more than his legitimate partners ever could, and Gordon makes a turncoat of one of the captured Falcone soldiers. In a televised event analogous to the Valachi hearings, Dent uses the soldier as a mouthpiece to make public all of Batman's intel: each gang has its own primary racket, and various systems are set up to interconnect their interests. The Falcones make their living through narcotics and arms smuggling. The Maronis, once the one and only powerhouse in Gotham organized crime, have been cut down by their younger partners over the years and are now headed by a man, "Don Salvatore," who had hoped to escape his family's criminal past and reluctantly oversees his organization's gambling interests. The Penguin's Flock is a loose cabal of eight upper-crust figures who dabble in white collar crime, primarily counterfeiting, fencing of valuable antiques and artifacts, and high level political corruption. Their true leader is unknown, but Batman has observed all its members coming and going from the supposedly ruined Cobblepot estate. The Grissom Syndicate handles prostitution, with waste management as a very strong "front.” The Thornes control the unions of Gotham. There is also the Red Hood, the Hold's murder squad (made of one member per gang) so named for the unique outfit its members wear to avoid detection. Not even Batman could learn the names of the Red Hood's members, known only to the crime bosses.  Each gang has a set number of seats on the Hold's "board of directors," and they meet monthly to coordinate and plot new illicit business. The public notoriety drives the Hold underground, and Batman makes a spectacular raid on Carmine Falcone's home, making off with "The Roman's" ledger. Dent is able to use it to secure arrest warrants for the top administration of the Empire, and in the biggest trial Gotham has seen in decades, manages to put Carmine Falcone away for life.

The victory is short-lived, however. The soldier-turncoat is gunned down by the Red Hood as he is brought in to testify at a new trial. The first of the radical criminals make their appearance: Catwoman, who seems more interested in playing cat and mouse with Batman than in any of the things she steals. While Batman hunts down the Cat, Bruce meets Selina Kyle. They immediately form a bond, though Selina seems more interested in a flirtatious friendship than anything serious. When Batman finally catches Catwoman, she proves gracious in defeat, revealing where everything she stole is, though she eludes actual arrest. Selina abruptly stops seeing Bruce around the same time. Next is Ivy, who seduces Dent with a mind to kill him for prosecuting eco-terrorists. Batman stops her, but the affair strains Dent's relationship with his wife Gilda. Finally, Mr. Freeze assaults Daggett Pharmaceuticals, hoping to take revenge on the underlings who caused his condition and to force Roland Daggett to pay for research to save his wife. When Batman stops Freeze, he is able to convince him to put vengeance aside, orders Fox to set up a research lab for Freeze in prison, and for the rest of the series, Freeze is an ally to Batman.

The affair with Ivy is kept hidden from the public and the Hold, but it shakes up Dent's mental state. He begins to see a psychologist - none other than Jonathan Crane, who sees Dent on the side from his duties at Arkham Asylum. Dent is revealed to have a split personality, born from his efforts to suppress his rage after he accidentally killed his alcoholic father while trying to defend himself and his mother. Crane has lately cut deals with the Thorne Gang to get their men out of jailtime, and also engages in many twisted experiments concerning fear. He now wants to see what would happen if Gotham's greatest hero became its greatest public menace. He approaches the Thornes for aid, and without the approval of the Hold, they agree. Dent and Gilda are kidnapped; restrained, Dent sees Gilda murdered before his eyes. As The Scarecrow, Crane tortures Dent with fear toxins, what he knows about his past, and a face full of corrosive bleach. Batman learns of the kidnapping and rushes to the rescue, but is too late to save Dent or capture Scarecrow. When Dent recovers physically, his mind is gone. He becomes "Two-Face Dent," and with a flip of the coin, vows to take down the Hold by killing off all its members. He goes on a mass shooting spree, sending Gotham into a panic. Rupert Thorne manages to escape Two-Face's wrath, but is killed by the Red Hood for helping to bring this menace upon the Hold. Crane delights in his "experiment's" success, and Gordon and Bruce are left to deal with the loss of their friend.

SEASON 2

A few months have passed. Two-Face has continued his shooting spree, driving all of organized crime further underground. He has claimed several Thorne soldiers, an entire Falcone crew, and the Falcone acting boss. The next in line for that job, Angelo Falcone, finds the Hold falling apart. He and the Penguin (who finally reveals himself to his fellow mobsters via speaker phone) both conclude that the strongest Hold gang could take advantage of their situation and absorb the others, and so the two begin a race to conquest. Their most visible battlefield is in their support for competing factions in the Thorne Gang; underboss Lew Moxon is backed by the Falcones, while lieutenant Vasily Kosov has the support of the Penguins. Angelo also adopts the guise of Holiday and starts killing off the biggest threats to his Empire in the other gangs. The Holiday guise is a risk; after the Two-Face fiasco, the Hold has voted to cut all ties to the "freaks." Not only has Angelo become a freak, he has kept in contact with Crane. And while he and the Penguin duke it out, sister Sofia and aunt Carla work within the Empire to undermine his reign.

Meanwhile, Gordon and Batman have soldiered on without Dent. The new DA, Janice Holder, is unfriendly towards Batman (and, as a social friend of Angelo Falcone, is lax if not openly corrupt when it comes to the Hold). Nevertheless, Gordon and Bats do have their successes. Gordon has put together a loyal team (Bullock, Montoya, John Blake, O' Hara). Selina abruptly reappears, and she and Bruce start casually dating. And Batman has an ace in the hole - Salvatore Maroni. After the Two-Face fiasco, the reluctant godfather has had enough. He won't testify for the police or the law, but he will talk to Batman. Among the nuggets he gives up is the identity of all the Red Hood assassins, as well as the leaders of the hit squad - Joe Chill and "Glasgow Jack," who have only been seen before this as chauffeurs and, in Jack's case, a popular stand-up at Underworld nightclubs. Based on Maroni's tips and Batman's own work, the Grissom Syndicate becomes the next prime target in the Hold for law enforcement. Tipped off by a mole, Grissom tries to avoid Carmine Falcone's fate. He resigns as head of his Syndicate, names Jack as his successor, and goes into hiding. Jack is unpopular as a boss in the Syndicate and in the entire Hold, not because he is too greedy, but because he frightens them. Ever since Batman first appeared, Jack has grown more and more wild - and he was barely in control to begin with. Since the Red Hood will not betray their boss, the Hold recruits Grissom gunmen to take Jack and his crew out as they inspect a chemical plant they operate as a front, Axis. Tipped off, the Red Hood all don their standard disguise and ambush their attackers. Batman and the police try to break up the fight and bring Jack to justice, but in the end, two are captured, two slip out, and another is accidentally knocked into a vat of chemicals by Batman. Jack and Joe Chill are not accounted for.

While Maroni's testimony is helpful, Batman has no respect for him. He is horrified when Maroni turns up at a Wayne fundraiser as a guest of Leslie Thompkins. It is revealed  that Salvatore's father Luigi was a patient of Thompkins, was also a reluctant mobster who tried to reform before the Falcones started a mob war, and had his life saved by Thomas Wayne. Dr. Wayne and Luigi became friends in spite of themselves. Salvatore is also Thompkins' patient and has kept a correspondence with Alfred started by his father. Bruce develops a reluctant respect for the godfather, and just in time. The Hold has found out that Maroni talked to the Batman, and kidnaps his two sons to try and force him to come forward and reveal what he told. Instead, Batman and Maroni blaze into where the boys are being kept and save them. Maroni officially cooperates with law enforcement, convinces several of his top men to do the same, and is deported to Sicily, where he takes up his dream job as a writer.

The testimony of the Maroni defectors opens up the entire Hold to prosecution, and Batman and Gordon are hopeful for a successful strike against them, despite distractions from new "freaks" (Man-Bat) and Catwoman's return. But a few weeks after the incident at Axis, a radio message announces that Grissom will meet his death at the hands of the Joker. The prediction comes true, down to the minute. Several more members of the Syndicate meet a similar end before the targets become random civilians. The deaths are all caused by "the Joker's Patented Smylex Venom," which Batman is able to synthesise an antidote for, but no one can predict when or where the deaths will come. The Joker makes his first public appearance in a deadly parade that leaves one of the busiest streets of Gotham in ruins, courtesy of Mr. J and his Red Triangle Circus Gang. It is implied (but never confirmed) that the Joker is either Jack or Joe Chill, and whichever he isn't is the Ringleader character of the Circus Gang. The Ringleader is the Number 3 man in  the group; Number 2 is Harley Quinn, who has Dini's origin but met Joker outside of an institution.

The Joker keeps up his reign of terror, always evading the law and Batman. His antics are destroying organized crime. After Grissom's death, what remains of his gang is absorbed by the Penguins; what was left of the Maronis was absorbed by the Falcones. They continue to fight each other through the Thornes. Angelo Falcone hires Crane to take out the Joker. Crane gets his chance when the Joker breaks into Arkham. As Scarecrow, Crane tries his fear gas on the Joker; it has no effect. In response, the Joker gases Scarecrow, and all of Arkham, with a laughing gas, and sets them all loose on Gotham. When Sofia Gigante gets wind of her brother's failed plan and Holiday guise, she puts a contract on his head; on the 4th of July, Angelo takes them both out in a suicide strike, leaving his top man as the boss of the Empire. In the Thorne Gang, Kosov kills Moxon and agrees to serve under the Penguin. Batman exposes the Penguin as Oswald Cobblepot at some point in the season, but he is able to remain an obscure figure to the public. Two-Face, with a flip of the coin, plans a bombing of the Cobblepot estate, but the Penguin escapes to an underground lair. He and the new Falcone boss make peace, and the streamlined Hold plots its future in a Gotham where the criminal scene is dominated by the freaks.

Batman and Gordon rush to control this situation. Batman targets the Joker himself, getting unexpected help from Catwoman. In the end, the Joker falls from a building and his body can't be found (the Joker's appearances would follow in the vein of his earliest comics; he appears to have died, but you're never sure). While most of the inmates of Arkham (and Scarecrow) remain loose, Gordon manages to scatter them, capture most of the Circus Gang (Harley and the Ringleader get away), and Two-Face. He is promoted to commissioner.

SEASON 3

The most episodic season, featuring encounters with classic Batman foes. A proper confrontation with Scarecrow, a proper confrontation with Penguin, Riddler, Harley and Ivy, Mad Hatter (with Tweedledee and Tweedledum as henchmen, naturally), two more rounds with the Joker, King Tut (who is more Catwoman's foe than Batman's), Clayface, Two-Face's escape from Arkham, and Croc. Catwoman gets into hijinks throughout, and we (but not Batman) are privy to her darker side. 

I've always wanted to see a Batman story that went something like this: Gotham hits a calm spell, and while Gordon spends the extra time with his family, Bruce has no clue what to do with himself. 

Throughout, Bruce and Selina get more serious. Eventually, her identity is revealed, with the twist that it's Bruce instead of Batman who discovers it; he doesn't take her in right away, not knowing how to take it. The season finale is an adaptation of the Mad Monk story, forcing Batman to accept the existence of the truly supernatural.

SEASON 4

It opens with a trip to Metropolis on the trail of some of Penguin's smugglers, a "World's Finest" episode. When Bruce gets back to Gotham, Selina has left town under mysterious circumstances. However, a woman named Talia who Bruce meets at a ball keeps his mind off of Selina. Talia appears to be the daughter of a visiting diplomat, and as she and Bruce fall in love, she puts pressure on Bruce to become a more public figure, to use his wealth and influence for philanthropic causes. Lucius Fox has encouraged similar goals. This leads to Bruce having an experience based on the "Ghosts" segment of "Haunted Knights." This experience causes him to question his image of his father and his commitment to his persona. This also causes him, when he next faces the Joker, to make an offer similar to that at the end of "Killing Joke;" the Joker refuses, but agrees to go to Arkham "for a nice long vacation." Meanwhile, a few more notables from the Rogue's Gallery make their appearances;  Solomon Grundy, Ventriloquist, and Hugo Strange.

Strange, as it turns out, is in the employ of the diplomat, who is of course Ra's al Ghul. Together, they deduce Batman's true identity. After the obligatory test of his "rescue" of Talia, Ra's wants Bruce as his successor and Talia's husband. When Bruce refuses on both counts, Ra's and Strange attempt to frame Batman for various crimes; they eventually succeed, Gordon the only one keeping the faith. Batman flees Gotham and the country on the trail of Ra's and Strange. He eventually learns of Ra's immortality through the Pits, that there are only a very few Lazurus Pits left, and that Ra's plans to detonate them to wipe out humanity, courtesy of Strange's technology. However, Ra's has misled Strange about his intentions. When Strange learns of the double-cross (courtesy of Batman), he engineers a controlled destruction of the Pits, preventing mass destruction and robbing Ra's of his immortality. When there is only one Pit left (the one their headquarters is built on), Ra's stabs Strange, and he and Batman have their classic duel. Ra's seems to have the upper hand, but in his last moments of life, Strange draws a gun and puts a bullet in Ra's head. As the headquarters begins to collapse (Strange had set it to blow), Talia throws herself into the fire rather than go with Batman.

As Batman, badly injured, flies back to Gotham, the military is scrambled to shoot him down. He is still not cleared of false charges. Alfred has been working on exonerating him, and sends his evidence to Gordon, but Gordon can't spread the news in time to stop Batman from being blown out of the sky. He staggers out of the wreckage, only to be shot into the water by soldiers. He barely makes it back to Wayne Manor. As Alfred pieces him back together, Bruce decides to give up the cape and cowl and honour his vow another way.

SEASON 5

We open six months into "The Year of the Dark Knight's Rest." Bruce and Alfred have closed Wayne Manor and moved into a penthouse in the city. Bruce has taken Talia's and Fox's advice, becoming a public philanthropist and more involved in his family’s company. However, he is still Batman at heart, and his unsatisfied desire - his need - for the cape and cowl is taking a toll on his state of mind. He has also been diagnosed with the early stages of Type 2 diabetes. In the Batman's absence, Gordon has generally managed, though morale in law enforcement has sunk and morale in crime has risen. The Penguin has turned over his criminal interests to underlings (ostensibly; in fact, they are front bosses still answering to him) and set himself up as a legitimate figure. Though he had been known as a crime lord, the public never knew the extent of his misdeeds, and he enjoys a wonderful reputation and a greater degree of political influence than ever before. Many of the freaks have been released (or escaped) from Arkham, and have carved up the city into spheres of influence, where their particular brand of crime dominates. The Joker breaks out of Arkham and goes on a rampage to try and lure out Batman, but when he never appears, the Joker gives up and goes back to Arkham. The damage caused is another weight on Bruce’s psyche.

A year on from his “retirement,” Bruce attends a charity circus, headlined by the Flying Graysons. Another member of the circus is Bane. Imported as an enforcer for the Falcones, he has gone undercover in the circus to ensure that they pay their protection money. When they stop, Bane enlists a crew to cause an accident for the Graysons, leaving 13-year old Dick an orphan. Bruce gives the boy a home and, seeing the effect the loss of his parents has had on Dick, finally takes back up the mantle. He tracks down the hoods, who finger Bane. When facing Bane, Batman is faced with just how much of his edge he's lost, and almost has his back broken when Dick (who found the cave and stowed away in the Batmobile) saves his life. Together, they bring down Bane, and Batman realises Dick's drive. Reopening Wayne Manor, he offers to train Dick, and Robin is born.

Batman and Robin spend the rest of the season bringing down mobsters and encountering notables from the Rogue's Gallery. Along the way, they encounter Barbara Gordon. Wheelchair bound from childhood in this continuity, she deduces their identities and offers her computer services; Oracle is born. Selina returns to Gotham, with nothing to say about her absence. She starts going out as Catwoman again, and Batman dutifully goes after her, though it soon becomes clear that she is handing out wealth she aquired during her time away, not stealing it. During one encounter, they say certain lines to each other; in their first meeting out of costume, they repeat the lines, and Selina learns Bruce's identity. They get together, and Catwoman becomes (a distant) part of the Bat-family.

SEASON 6

Two years have passed. Batman, Robin, and Oracle are a seasoned trinity of crime-fighters. Bruce and Selina have maintained their relationship, and Catwoman assists on a case-by-case basis. Bruce is as close to happy as it's possible for him to be. Most of the radical criminals are in Arkham, or well-contained.

But the Bat-family is faced with a new kind of foe. The Penguin, as a legitimate figure, has formed closer partnerships with Shreck and Daggett. They have successfully funded a mayor, forced Gordon out of office, bought most of the city councilmen, and gotten massive deregulation passed. They've destroyed the environment and preyed on the populace, and all of it legal, since the start of Season 5. Because this was done over a long span of time, and because the radical criminals are still so visible, no one has really stopped to notice. Batman's new strategy is one of espionage; with Catwoman and Oracle's help, he uncovers the full extent of what has been done, and through viral messages, turns public opinion against Penguin and his allies. Meanwhile, Bruce redoubles Wayne Enterprises' efforts to compete with Daggett and Shreck.

It isn't all corporate espionage and stealth campaigning, though; there are still crooks to fight. The beginnings of the the Royal Flush Gang pop up, and Hush arrives on the scene. This version of Hush has a grudge against Bruce and Harvey Dent, who was with them on that fateful day at camp. He kidnaps Bruce and Two-Face, but the experience reawakens Harvey and his free will. He stops Hush without killing him, frees Bruce, and checks himself in to Arkham (I figure at least one version of Harvey should have a happy ending).

Things begin to turn south towards the end, however. The Joker breaks out of Arkham and kidnaps Robin on his first night going solo. Batman, Catwoman, and Oracle search for weeks, without leads, when a massive explosion rocks the Axis Chemical ruins. Robin is found, hideously scarred and barely alive. When his fate is pronounced "uncertain" by ICU, Batman tears through the underworld, demanding leads on the Joker. He finally tracks him down to a ruined carnival, where he sees Harley kill the Ringleader for perceived disloyalty. When Batman finds the Joker, he is treated to footage of Dick's torture, and the Joker reveals that the Boy Wonder was eventually coerced into revealing everything he knew about Bruce. It is implied (but not confirmed) that the Joker knows something about the deaths of the Waynes. Batman attacks, and it becomes clear that the Joker's whole plan in torturing Robin was to drive Batman to kill him. He comes very close, but in the end, just cannot do it. When he refuses, the Joker goes on the attack, hoping to force a murder in self-defense. In the end, the Joker ends up killing himself. His last words: this isn't funny.

Harley is taken to Arkham. After a few months, Dick has recovered physically. Emotionally, there is some work to be done, but he wants to take up the costume again. When Bruce refuses, the two argue, and Dick ends up stealing the Robin costume and running away. Bruce does not go after him.

Even with Dick's departure, the strategy against the Penguin works; his mayor is recalled, Gordon is reappointed, and regulations are restored. The Penguin is arrested on evidence of his past criminal deeds, and Daggett falls under investigation. But Shreck weasels his way out of trouble. When his secretary finds out about a certain scheme, he hires Black Mask to kill her. That secretary was a good friend of Selina's. She tracks down Black Mask, and the fight ends with Mask and Shreck in a precarious position. Catwoman lets them die, and becomes wanted for murder. When Batman confronts her about it, he appears to talk her into coming home with him. However, she sees him reach for handcuffs. She swipes him across the face and skips town again. The deception causes friction with Alfred and Oracle, and Bruce gives up on any love life.

SERIES FINALE MOVIE

It is 20 years in the future. Gotham is not quite as futuristic as in "Batman Beyond," but it is on its way (it has a retro-futuristic look, with Gothic touches of course). This "New Gotham" barely hides the ruins of the old; not long ago, a massive hurricane struck, crippling the city. It has just gotten back on its feet. Dick Grayson has gone through the Teen Titans and Nightwing phases of his career, married Starfire, and is running for mayor of Gotham. Barbara Gordon has replaced her father as police commissioner. They are in a similar spot to Dent and Jim at the start of the series: organized crime is again ruling the streets. Supplanting the Falcones and the Penguins as the major force in the underworld is the Jokerz. They operate in several large groups, loosely involved with each other but all paying homage to Harley Quinn as the queenpin. Harley has clung to the delusional belief that "Puddin" will come back for her, and her inner circle has taken on a cultlike atmosphere. The biggest corporation in town is DagShreck Power, an amalgam of the old Daggett and Shreck businesses bought and controlled by the unscrupulous Derek Powers.

The Jokerz and Powers pose a problem beyond what Barbara and Dick can manage alone; they need Batman. But Barbara has not spoken to Bruce for years over some mysterious falling-out. Dick and Bruce are still estranged. And Bruce himself is not up to the task anymore. Years as Batman and advancing diabetes have taken their toll on his body. Technology enables him to patrol the entire city still, but in hand-to-hand combat he can only manage for short periods of time. While his mind is as sharp as ever, he is limited in what his detective work can accomplish, not having a partnership with the police anymore. As Bruce, he has lost touch with his company. Fox's replacements have not done well, and there is immense pressure to sell the company to Powers, something Bruce seems prepared to do. He spends his days being pieced together and cared for by Alfred and playing dice with Harvey, who has fully recovered and lives a quiet, anonymous life in the city.

Though Alfred hides it well from Bruce, he is feeling his age, and soon is on his deathbed. He tells Bruce that the has planned his funeral, that certain people will be there, and that he wants Bruce to try and make amends with these people. When the funeral arrives, Bruce meets several mourners, including Don Salvatore Maroni, whose sons have become honest and effective businessmen at Wayne Enterprises. But the people Bruce is expected to make up with are Dick, Barbara, and Selina Kyle. Selina and Barbara remain cold to his (admittedly feeble) efforts, but Dick, encouraged by Starfire, agrees to try to patch things up. Also at the funeral are members of Bruce's mom's family - the McGinnis family. Bruce's cousin Warren, an employee of Powers, asks Bruce to give his wayward son Terry a job. Bruce initially refuses, seeing Terry as a punk, but he later observes him defending his brother from bullying cousins. Knowing he'll have trouble living alone in his condition, he agrees to take Terry on as an attendant and chauffeur.

Terry, a 17-year old ex-punk with a healthy social life, is initially bummed about the job, but starts to have a better view of Bruce when he observes "the old man" outmaneuver Powers and the traitors in his own company, appointing Maroni's sons as the new heads of Wayne Enterprises and retaining ownership. As they make their way home, they are attacked by some Jokerz, and Bruce again impresses Terry by fending them off. The fight drains Bruce, and he has to be rushed home. While preparing to go home, Terry finds a bat in the grandfather clock, and uncovers the Batcave. Bruce throws him out.Terry and his father fight over his losing the job; when Terry comes home after the fight, his father is dead. A note written right before his death indicates Warren knew something about Powers and the Jokerz, but he was unable to finish writing it before being killed. Terry goes to Bruce, who does not offer or refuse help. When he leaves to take his medicine, Terry steals the suit and jet, intent on getting Powers. Bruce takes control of them and brings them home. He tells Terry that what he uncovered is the first piece of a puzzle, and that he is willing to train him so that they can solve it together.

Over the next few weeks, this is just what they do. Bruce gets more involved in the company to have opportunities to meet with Powers, while Terry is given the batsuit and allowed to spy on Powers and the Jokerz (but nothing else). Terry is a fast study on detective work and logic, being a fan of Sherlock Holmes, but is unrefined in physical combat, and Bruce is limited in what he can teach him. After a time, Terry wants to be allowed out on a full night. When Bruce refuses, he takes off anyway. He takes on a gang of Jokerz, gets in way over his head, and barely makes it out alive. Meanwhile, an attempt is made on Bruce's life; Powers wants him out of the way. All the stress of the night results in a heated argument in the cave, culminating in Bruce having a diabetic stroke. During his recovery, Dick, Barbara, and Selina all come to visit, and they all (more or less) reconcile. Dick and Barbara remain skeptical of Terry, though Dick is more open to the idea of a new Batman. Selina and Bruce find they still have feelings for each other, and Selina moves in to Wayne Manor to help take care of him. Being in much better condition than Bruce, she is the one to train Terry in martial arts, and in whip work; this Batman has a bit more of Zorro in him than usual.

Together, the three of them uncover the plot: Powers has been smuggling in equipment for the Jokerz. While he thinks it will be used to extract ransom, it is actually meant by Harley to fulfill an old "master joke" the Joker had drawn up years ago (a variation on "Joker: Last Laugh.") When push comes to shove, Bruce is both afraid for Terry and reluctant to give up the mantle, refuses to let Terry fight, and instead passes the information on to Barbara and Dick. But when a Jokerz mole passes along word, the pair are attacked and hospitalized. Starfire is injured too, leaving the Bat-family as the city's best line of defense. Bruce eventually relents; he and Terry both don the cape and cowl (with Selina as Catwoman) and take on their enemies. Powers is turned into Blight and escapes, most of the Jokerz leadership is rounded up, the plan is foiled, and Harley dies (the Joker didn't want anyone doing this "gag" but him; he found a way from beyond the grave to kill anyone who tried). In the conflict, both Batmen show their stuff, but Terry ends up having to save Bruce.

As they start to recover, Dick and Barbara concede that Terry is worthy of the mantle, though it is clear he needs more training. Barbara agrees to tolerate his presence on the condition that Bruce permanently gives up the cowl. Bruce agrees, but can't resist one last "flight." While patrolling the city, he spies a couple and their son being held at gunpoint in Crime Alley. He swoops in to help, and he does scare off the gunman (and the couple), but he takes a fatal bullet wound. With his last  strength, he makes it back to the cave and extracts a promise from Selina to finish Terry's training. Two funerals are held; one in public, one for the Bat-family, who bury Bruce in the cave. Terry prepares for his first solo flight. Batman lives on.

[evilpixiea]

God, I love how you write those aus. I loved the batfam as deadly sins, and Alfred being the one who summoned them! How will Tim and Bruce react when they discover who "Clark" and "Conner" are? Or should I say WHAT they are. How does a relationship between Lust an Wrath work? I imagine Dami being very distrustful and wary around Kal and Kon

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How will Bruce and Tim react?

It’s hard to say.

I think the bat family’s reaction will depend very strongly on how Clark and Kon ‘come out’. If, for example, they just decide to shift into their full heavenly glory right in front of the demons… then the first reaction is going to be shock quickly followed by terror and then maybe black magic, portals to dark realms, and how the hell is Alfred ever going to clean up this mess?

However, if instead Clark and Kon decide on something a bit more gradual (perhaps talking to Alfred first and keeping their wings tucked away until the family is used to the idea) then I think the reaction will be more measured.

There will always be shock, fear, hurt, and betrayal. That’s unavoidable. The demons will be shocked to see angels behaving in a way they’ve never seen angels behave before (interacting with them for weeks in the guise of humans). They’re going to be afraid of two very powerful divine warriors who could, without much effort, destroy their souls or (worse) banish them back to Hell. And they are going to feel hurt and betrayed when they realise that their relationship up until that point wasn’t real… but just a test.

It’s going to take a long time before the demons can trust the angels. After all, would you trust someone who was your mortal enemy and could kill you with barely any effort?

However, if Clark and Kon persist I do think they will slowly be able to win over their trust.

And perhaps the angels can even help the demons on their quest to be redeemed.

How does a relationship between Lust and Wrath work?

Not without difficulty.

Dick and Jason come from very different circles of Hell and their powers manifest in very different ways.

Jason is a being of anger and violence. He wants the world to be fair/make sense and battles the demonic impulse to force it to, and to punish all those that don’t conform (or who just rub him the wrong way). In Hell his sense of justice caught the eye of ‘him’ and after only a few thousand years he earned his horns and rose from a tortured soul to become a torturer in the burning pits. He doesn’t regret what he did in that role… in fact, he still in many ways believes Hell is the right thing… however, when Alfred summoned him and offered him a slim chance at redemption he took it despite knowing if he fails he’ll lose his rank and be back in the fire perhaps for all eternity this time. A small part of him wants that. He wants to be punished. Wants to burn for everything he is and everything he’s done… and that, Clark thinks, proves that even the most angry and violent of these demons can be saved.

Dick, on the other hand, is a creature of lust. He saw no fire in Hell. He was never burned or boiled or brutalised. Nor did he do that to others. He was just left to fall, spinning, uncontrolled, sick, alone, tossed about by stray winds. It took him hundreds of years but eventually he learned to move with the wind. Eventually he learnt to fly, dance, and seduce the strange unbreathable air flowing past him. When he did he was given his horns and sent out into the world as an agent of Hell. It was on one such outing that he met Alfred and Bruce… and decided to risk everything for a chance to begin again.

So… what happens when you mix fire and air?

Yeah. They’re an explosive couple. Each capable of killing each other but trying very hard not to. Because, by going against their nature and being kind and careful and thoughtful (as they have to be with and understand each other) they’re changing far quicker than the would alone.

Plus, unlike Bruce, they forgive each other for their failures.

This is why I think their relationship not only works… but it’s become necessary for their redemption despite the hardship of it.

As for Damian…

Yes. He’s young. He’s barely a demon and he’s never seen or smelt angels before. He doesn’t like them.

[myriadimagines]

I Am Chaos

Marvel (The Avengers) One Shot

Characters: [FEMALE] Reader x Loki Laufeyson + Nick Fury, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton & Bruce Banner

Warnings: mentions of violence/death

Request: “Can you write one where the reader is called in by Fury to help the avengers with a second attack by Loki? Some of them doubt her skills and argue because she's really small but then she raises her hand and they're all forced to the walls and immobile. She frees them after a moment and explains that she's like half light elf and more powerful than Loki. When she confronts Loki he's immediately stricken with fear and gives up because he knows the power she holds would destroy him.” - anonymous

Word Count: 1,351

A/N: hope this was alright !

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You sat on the edge of the couch in the Avengers tower, looking around at the room. It was empty, except for you, and you were waiting for the other Avengers to arrive. You had been called by Fury to help out, as it seemed that Loki was trying to wreak havoc on Earth again.

Sighing at the thought of Loki, you leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling. You were not fully human yourself -- you were half light elf -- so seeing another God trying to disrupt the peace of a planet gave the rest of you a bad name. Clenching your hands into fists, you were almost about to get up and try find Loki yourself when the Avengers entered the room.

“Who’s this?” Tony turned to Fury, who was at the back of the group. Fury simply nodded at you in acknowledgement, and you nodded back. Tony raised his eyebrows, shaking his head as he piped up, “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“This is y/n. She’s here to help.” Fury replied, sitting opposite you as the other Avengers gathered round. You could see the disbelief in some of their eyes as they looked you up and down. Despite being incredibly powerful, you were tiny. A mistake your enemies often made was underestimating you because of your size, but you always proved them wrong.

“No offense, Fury,” Steve sat down next to you and bit his lip. “But are you sure she’s going to help?”

“I’m not the enemy, Steve.” you laughed, and Steve looked at you in surprise. “Yes, I know all your names. Don’t you know that you guys are practically famous?”

Steve chuckled as Natasha smirked, folding her arms as she assessed you. She herself had her doubts, but she trusted Fury -- if he believed you would be of use, then you weren’t as weak as you looked.

“Do you have powers then, y/n?” Tony piped up again, still in disbelief that Fury would recruit someone so small. You nodded vaguely, and Tony waved his hands. “Show us, then.”

“I don’t think now is an appropriate time.” you replied, and Tony scoffed. You knew you had enough power to destroy the building if you wanted to, but now wasn’t the time to show off. Now was the time to figure out how to stop Loki.

“What, do you Hulk out like Banner?” Tony asked, gesturing to Bruce, who shyly looked away. You shook your head, and Tony laughed harshly. “I don’t believe this. There is no way I’m bringing her out in the field with us.”

“Stark…” Fury tried to interrupt, but Tony continued.

“I mean, look at her! She’s going to get herself killed!” Tony gestured wildly to you, and you rolled your eyes.

“Sorry, Fury,” Steve leaned forward. “But I’m with Tony on this one. I’m sure y/n can handle herself, but Loki is powerful, and we shouldn’t risk anyone getting hurt.”

“I’m not going to get hurt.” you frowned.

“You’re like, what, barely 4 feet!” Clint exclaimed, and you glared at him.

“Okay, now you’re just being ridiculous.” you threw your hands in the air, exasperated. “I am not that small.”

Fury smirked, amused at the commotion that was rising in the room. You looked at him in desperation, urging him to help you out, but he shrugged at you.

“Why don’t we just trust Fury-” Natasha tried to speak up, but Tony shook his head besides her.

“No way.” Tony said firmly. “I don’t want to waste time out there against Loki having to fly y/n to a hospital or something because she’s gotten herself hurt.”

“Maybe I’ll be the one flying you to a hospital.” you shot back, and Tony glared at you as Steve continued on.

“We’ve taken down Loki once, and we can do it again, without extra help.” Steve said, and Tony nodded in agreement.

“He’s not going to use the same tactics as last time, Steve.” Natasha snapped. “We might need the extra help.”

“And what help is she going to offer us?” Tony pointed at you, and you sighed and raised your hand. There was a sudden rush of wind as all the Avengers got blown back, besides Fury, against the wall.

“You couldn’t have helped me out a little?” you leaned towards Fury, your hand still raised. You saw Tony out of the corner of your eye, struggling to move, and you looked over your shoulder. “I wouldn’t bother, Tony. You can’t move unless I let go.”

“I just wanted you to show the others what you were capable of.” Fury responded, a triumphant grin on his face. Rolling your eyes, you finally lowered your hand, and the Avengers all collapsed on the floor, their eyes wide as they tried to catch their breath.

“What the hell?” Bruce spluttered, adjusting his glasses as the Avengers slowly approached you. Leaning back in your chair, you brushed your hair out of your eyes as you began explaining your origins. The Avengers all listened intently, still looking slightly intimidated.

“I am more powerful than Loki.” you finally concluded. You laughed slightly at your statement before correcting yourself. “A lot more powerful.”

“Don’t need us, then.” Bruce shrugged, and you smiled at him as he smiled back at you.

“Well, I still want to get out and about.” Tony got to his feet, giving you an apologetic smile. “You got a suit or something?”

You raised your eyebrows as you replied, “Do you think I need a suit?”

“Dumb question.” Tony sighed, turning to Steve. “Rogers, want to do the honors?”

“Right.” Steve stammered, still awestruck by your powers. “Avengers, suit up.”

--

Loki stood in the center of Union Station, meticulously destroying the building. Civilians around him were screaming, attempted to run away. He raised his new staff, which seemed to have a new power source, and blasted through a window. He laughed in glee as the Avengers approached him from behind. He paused, slowly turning around, a wide smile still on his face.

“Ah, the group of heroes again.” Loki chuckled sarcastically. “Come to stop me again?”

“Wish we were,” Tony replied with equal sarcasm. “But someone else is going to stop you tonight.”

“What are you talking about?” Loki spat, before Tony gestured behind Loki, where you had appeared. Loki turned around, looking you up and down. He was almost about to laugh, but then he sensed it. He looked at you again, his eyes wide, as he felt it again. You had an aura of power surrounding you, and Loki staggered backwards once he realised what you were.

You were no ordinary human being.

“H-how-” Loki stammered, still trying to stagger away from you. As powerful as he was, he knew he could not confront you. You could obliterate him if you wanted to, and he did not want to risk that.

“I just followed you trail of mischief.” you replied, walking towards him. “It’s time you leave Earth alone, Loki.”

Loki timidly raised his staff, and you raised your eyebrow and slowly raised your hands. Loki’s hands trembled, and he quickly tossed the staff at your feet, not wanting to face the full wrath of your powers. Behind him, the Avengers quickly apprehended him, bringing him to his knees as you loomed over him.

“You think you can cause so much chaos, Loki,” you said quietly as you kneeled in front of him. “Well, let me tell you this: I am chaos, and I swear to protect this planet against you. So don’t come back, understood?”

Loki nodded, avoiding eye contact. Smiling, you got up and clapped Tony on the shoulder as he hauled Loki to his feet.

“I’ll take it from here, and send him back to Asgard.” you said, and Natasha stepped forward.

“Are we going to have the chance to work with you again?” she asked, and you smiled at her.

“If the situation calls for it.” you shrugged.

“Alright then, Chaos.” Tony grinned, and you chuckled at your new nickname. “Pleasure doing business with you.”