#young justice packs

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for Jan behind the cut; "YJ packs up and gets pupped". (( chrono || non-chrono ))

Kon feels like an idiot, but he’s fucking embarrassed. He’s going into heat and–and–Superman knew he was presenting, yeah, but it wasn’t, like–it wasn’t this far along, and he doesn’t know if Superman knew what he was presenting as, because– 

But he definitely, definitely smells like an omega now. And he doesn’t even know if the Super-Cycle can tell about that kind of thing or even has a way to register anyone’s scent or pheromones at all, but . . . but it’s still embarrassing, being around somebody else when he’s–when he’s like that for the first time. Being . . . being an omega around somebody else for the first time. Even if the Super-Cycle can’t tell or can’t talk about it or . . . 

“Uh,” Kon tries, and swallows roughly, feeling his face burn as he tries to hide his weird scavenged mishmash of nesting stuff behind his back, suddenly embarrassed by it too. The Super-Cycle beeps at him, wriggling its back again. It’s–excited, he thinks, so maybe it thinks there’s an adventure or a mission to go on or maybe it’s just happy to see one of them when it wasn’t expecting to, maybe, but–but he doesn’t– 

It’s just–embarrassing. 

“Uh,” he tries again, digging his fingers into his nesting stuff where it’s all bunched-up behind his back. “Hey, man, do you . . . do you know if . . .” 

He swallows, and the Super-Cycle tilts to one side with a maybe-questioning little trill of its horn. 

“IneedsomeofRob’sblockers,” Kon blurts, and his face burns. “I–I–do you know if he–if he left any in–in any–” 

It’s not gonna answer him. It doesn’t even understand the stupid question, probably. It’s just gonna realize he’s not here to take it on a joyride and get bored and–and leave, and–and– 

Kon grits his teeth and doesn’t cry about the idea of the damn bike ditching him. He’s not–he’s not that pathetic. He’s just–not. 

He definitely is. 

“Sorry,” he manages. “Sorry, I–I just–didn’t mean to, like–” 

The Super-Cycle trills again, its headlights flashing a few times, and then rolls up to him and makes–a weird noise, suddenly. Kind of a . . . pop, almost, coming from the console and . . . 

Oh, Kon realizes, and feels his eyes dilate. 

He bolts into the driver’s seat and leans down over the console, and there’s a sort of–like, a hidden little . . . glove compartment kind of thing, almost, and it’s popped open. Inside it there’s a neat, careful little row of stuff that’s either recognizably Robin’s or generic to a fault, and tucked in at the very end of the neat little row of stuff, there’s four flat packs of scent blockers all sealed up in matte black foil wrappers. 

Kon snatches up all four of them and tears one of them open in his teeth so he doesn’t have to put down any of his nesting stuff, and gets an immediate noseful of the same neutral, barely-there blocker scent that means Robin in his head. And then, like–and then he does cry again, kind of, but it’s relief again, because–because that means– 

That’s all of them, he thinks, crumpling up the unwrapped blocker in his fist so the scent spreads out a little more, and feels so much better. And Robin’s blockers last for, like, for-fucking-ever, so . . . 

Kon sniffles a few more times, and then curls up around his collected little pile of stuff–Cassie’s shirt and Cissie’s towel and Suzie’s blanket and Bart’s weird cowboy outfit and Robin’s blockers–and sort of . . . shudders, kinda, feeling all shaky and overwhelmed and relieved. 

“Thanks,” he manages to choke out, and then cries some more. The Super-Cycle trills in concern, and he feels the driver’s seat adjust a little bit under and around him, like it’s trying to–like it’s trying to fit him better, maybe. 

Almost like the Super-Cycle’s trying to figure out how to hug him, kind of, though Kon doesn’t know if that’s actually what it’s thinking. 

He squeezes himself tight with his TTK, because that–that helps a little, still, and makes him feel like . . . makes him feel a little more . . . 

The Super-Cycle doesn’t usually get scent-scrubbed, so it smells a bit like everybody too. Not as much as his nesting stuff does, but–definitely it still smells like them. 

That’s–it helps, kinda. The base doesn’t smell like anybody at all, just all–empty and neutral and . . . like, it smells like him a little now, probably, but . . . but that just makes him feel even more stray than he already knows he is, and the Super-Cycle smelling like everyone else is–is really–

[syphasfire]

[roy harper/arsenal icons!] ↪ like or reblog if you use

[deven895]

Another set of these

Free to use, not for commercial use

[catluniscia]

Bat Pack

My Card where you can find my socials, where to buy my merch, and commission information, and places to support me like ko-fi  https://blackmoonrose13.carrd.co/ Speed paint: https://youtube.com/shorts/MixzbXhzTFw A team that came out from the new 52 which consists of Chupacabra aka Diego Perez, Megabat aka Lucas LaPorte, and Bratgirl aka Merissa Cooper. Funfact she was who I mainly wanted to draw, but the way I posed her there was room for the others. Look I am doing art with more than one person -confetti-. I do love the look of their outfits and I really REALLY hope they are still active in comics...There isn't much talk of them on the wiki, which is sad, I would love to know if they are still solving crimes and such...starting to think because they are part of new 52 and that wasn't too loved...but they were in Infinite Frontier in 2021 they had to be doing something since then right?  I just want to know more about this cool trio of teens -shakes dc comics logo- gimmie more information about them darn it I couldn't even figure out if Megabat was darker skinned or not because the two images you have of him are two different skin tones -shakes more- How am I supposed to work with such little and conflicting info. No Joke Megabat and Bratgirl the few refs the skin tones were like very off from each other, not even enough to do like a proper sample size where I take samples mix and get a medium color and pray it works. which is what I do most of the time -deep breath- I know the shading is a little jank here and there but I tried my best and I am just still tired and recovering...I know work on simple things but I am bored and I don't feel like knitting right now!

[newx-menfan]

Literally NOBODY wins in this 😂🤣🤣🤣

[calligraphist-artemisia]

Chapters: 46/46 Fandom: Young Justice (Cartoon), Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd Series: Part 1 of Pack Bonds Universe Summary:

Dick Grayson hadn't expected to present as an omega - none of them had - and it certainly threw his family and his team for a loop. But Dick honestly couldn't say he minded it. Being an omega felt right. He was proud of his new status. But of course, there are always complications, and Dick will have to learn to reign in his new instincts, the ones that make him itch to reach out to his friends - his Pack - and soothe the bonds they share whether they're comfortable with it or not.

------- UPDATE -------

As of yesterday, this fic is now complete! The universe is not and I’ve talked a little bit about that in the end note of the last chapter, so if you’re interested in seeing what’s next for the Pack Bonds Universe, give that a quick read. (Important bits have been bolded to make it easier to skim, because I got a bit wordy with it.)

[northernbluetongue]

Loving this soo MUCH!!

👻♻️💻

[mangoisms]

WAIT A SECOND. just saw something. remember when i was wondering if people knew what batarangs were. because i constantly wonder about the level of knowledge ppl have in-universe in gotham. WELL

i didn’t even realize it when i read this issue but. PRESUMABLY. it IS because they’re at a party and she thinks he’s just ‘dressed’ as robin. so people do know that batarangs are. well. called batarangs. right?????

sorry i just saw this posted again on instagram and it BARELY hit me. ok. wow. it was for a thing in ck that i ultimately solved by having him call it that. but. that’s not necessary. apparently. well.

(also this page and the few after are so funny to me. this entire thing. bc bart and kon step in and then he gets mad 😭)

[im-not-remotely-traught]

it's new year's eve eve which means it's time to rewatch the last 3 episodes of yj season one. this year i'm also including insecurity but who knows, I might just continue through to season 2

[incorrectbatfam]

Right to left: Tim, Kon, and Bart

Redraw of that one reposted twitter thread I have since deleted the reblog for (I have never watched the original material) (but this was fun).

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for Jan behind the cut; YJ packs up and gets pupped. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

Kon searches around the common areas–like, the main meeting room and the kitchen and storage rooms and the halls on the way to them all just to be safe and even the stupid bathrooms, even, but he doesn’t smell any trace of Suzie anywhere. Everything just smells scrubbed, clean and neutral and empty. No trace of anyone’s scent, except for his own presenting cream soda and from Cassie’s shirt and Cissie’s towel. Kon doesn’t like it.

Actually, it makes his fucking skin crawl. 

It just–it makes him think of sterile, bleached halls with scent filters in every room and waking up tangled in machines and drowning in tinted green biofluids and dark basement lighting and–

Kon tightens his grip on the shirt and towel in his hands, and stops, and–and just . . . catches his breath, kind of. Just–for a second. That’s all. 

He breathes in Cassie and Cissie’s mixed scents, wild ozone and controlled iron; high-altitude air and warm leather. He feels anxious and uncomfortable and alone, but also his stomach is twisting with that weird warmth again and he feels–he’s–he thinks–

Cassie and Cissie smell so good, he thinks. 

But he can’t smell Suzie. Or Bart, or Robin, or anyone who’s actually here, or–or anyone at all, even. 

He’s alone, and everything smells–scrubbed. 

Smells sterile. 

Kon swallows roughly and tries not to cry again, or at least not cry on his meager nesting supplies. He doesn’t wanna wreck or even just muddy Cassie and Cissie’s scents. But–but he needs Suzie’s scent too. She’s gotta have left some of it somewhere in the base. Like–she’s gotta have, if anyone did. And Cassie and Cissie both did, so–so she’s gotta have. 

He really hopes so, anyway. 

Kon swallows again, then tries searching a little more–carefully, maybe. Maybe he’s just . . . not looking carefully enough. Rushing too much. He might’ve missed something, or . . . 

He cries some more while he’s looking, probably, but not on purpose. He manages not to do it on any of his nesting stuff, at least, but–but–

. . . his nesting stuff, he thinks again. 

Kon sniffles; rubs the sleeve of his jacket roughly across his eyes. He’s definitely crying again now, but . . . but differently, he guesses. Just–

He has nesting stuff. Like–he does. Like . . . stuff he’s just scavenged up, obviously, but . . . but nesting stuff. Nesting stuff he’s gonna use, for–for his nest. Because he’s an omega, so he can have that kind of stuff. Because–because that’s normal, for omegas. 

So . . . so it’s okay, if he has that kind of stuff too. And no one can tell him it’s not, or that he’s not–that he isn’t–

He is, and he can, and it’s okay. 

Kon sniffles one more time, then goes to dig up the tissues he’s pretty sure are in the common room where they set up the couch and stuff they dug up to hang out on during their downtime, because if he gets all stupid and snotty he won’t be able to find anything that smells like Suzie, much less Bart or Robin, and probably he won’t even be able to find something that smells like Robin even if Robin hadn’t run the scent scrubbers, ‘cuz he always wears those stupid Bat-issue blockers that never linger when he leaves a room, but . . . 

Kon finds the tissues, cries some more into a fistful of them, and then scrubs his face dry and blows his nose a couple times all without ever putting down Cassie’s shirt or Cissie’s towel–all without putting down his nesting stuff–and then feels . . . kind of stupid and overemotional, mostly, but also a little better anyway. He’s supposed to be kind of stupid and overemotional right now. That’s–that’s normal, for an omega who’s on their cycle. So it’s fine, if he’s like that right now. 

He can check some other places Suzie might’ve wandered through, he figures. And maybe he’ll find something from Bart too, if he’s gotta spread out his search range anyway. If Bart left any of his scent anywhere the scrubbers didn’t get, it’s gonna be somewhere weird and out of the way anyway. The scrubbers here are real good, and also Bart is, like–Bart. Obviously. 

Kon really wishes the others were actually here. 

He really wishes that.

[fakeicecubes]

Reasons why the rest of the JL believes Batman and all of his children are metas/cryptids

-Weirdly good instincts

-They only see the bat and kids at night

-Hasn’t died

-If they have died, they came back within the year

-The JL has seen all of them at one point or another stay up for 96 hours straight and act semi-normally

-One time Batman was stabbed and started bleeding green(it was slime Bruce packed for kids to play with if they were at a crime scene)

-Red Robin didn’t cry while watching A Dogs Purpose for Young Justice’s movie night(he did, the mask hid his tears)

-They all know an absurd amount of Golf facts

-Somehow none of them age

-All of them are friends with a super

Wonder Women has the list and they update it after every mission.

[deven895]

Steph and Wally "On It" Salute o7 emotes

Free to use, not for commercial use

[rantceratops]

Self-reblog. Reblogging all that cat art that @/nightcomet01 did really brought me back to that old Happy Harbor Pack au me and a friend worked on but never finished all of back in the day. Good times ^^

More Spitfire werewolves were requested. And luckily I find wolves fairly easy to draw.

[klemen-tine]

Please Please Please (Mom! Reader x Batfam)

Don't prove I'm right~ I love that song so much. Anyways! Not extreme Yandere, but part 2 will have some. This is just the setting up for it. Also, while writing I won't lie, I forgot about Damien, so he will have a lot of showtime in the next part. FYI

TW: Cheating, slapping (Reader slaps Bruce), Reader also throws something at Bruce.

In now way do I condone partner violence. no matter how mad you get, you should never hit or throw something at your partner.

In case you have never heard this song before, first of all who are you? Secondly here is the link

@Rosecentury 

@Problematicreblogger

@Kurai-hono-blog 

@Lunaluz432

@testishere

Y/N had put her life on pause for Bruce and his hero complex. She is a top-model. A supermodel that is still being asked to do photoshoots, make guest appearances, and dominate the runway despite her time away from it. The strict workout regime was still her daily exercise, and she still was conscious of what she ate. Age had not affected her the way it has to some of her friends because Y/N lived to be a model. 

Yet, she had put that on the backburner for her husband and kids. She forced her attention onto the scarred and vibrant children that her traumatized husband brought in like strays. Y/N raised them, alongside Alfred. It’s because of them that their sons and daughters did not turn out as crooked as Bruce Wayne. A man that was full of jagged and sharp pieces, piercing the skin of whoever got close. 

E/C eyes rolled nearly out her socket, taking a sip of the morning coffee and waiting for her youngest to come down. She ignored the nervous glances being sent her way from her sons, and instead pulled out her phone to look for a familiar contact. 

“None of you have anything I need to be here for, do you?” Tim and Jason quickly shook their heads, and Dick gave a nervous smile, “Not really… although it would be nice if you stayed here though.” Y/N raised a delicate eyebrow, and a sharp smile formed on her lips as she pressed ‘call,’ “Ah, don’t worry Dickie, I’ll come back. I’m just going on a trip.” 

The person answered, and before they could start spewing curses, Y/N greeted them, “Hey, Jackie! It’s Y/N.” 

“Y-Y/N! What’s going on?” 

“Remember those gigs you were telling me about?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Book them.” The boys stood up while her manager on the other line sputtered in excitement, “Really?! Oh my gosh Y/N this is so exciting! Which ones do you want? I know you want to stay close to Gotham -heaven knows why- but I can find some in-” 

“All of them.” 

“...what?” 

“Book all of them.” Jackie hummed, “Some are out of the country though.” 

“Even better! Pack your bags Jackie, we are gonna be gone for a while. Bring Stella too, I’ll pay for both of your tickets and lodgings.” Jackie was stuttering, “The-the first gig in a week is Venice, Italy! Is that enough time for you to-” 

“Let's leave tonight.” 

“Tonight?!” Everyone screeched, and Y/N gave her sons an annoyed look, “Yes, tonight. Let's enjoy Venice like when we were young, and show Stella around. I’m sure the two of you could use a vacation anyways.” 

“....Y/N, is everything okay?” 

“Peachy. See you tonight.” Y/N hung up, and threw her phone on the opposite end of the couch, continuing to sip her cup of coffee as the news reporter continued to talk about Batman and his risky rendezvous with Catwoman. The perfect love story. 

The pursuer and the pursued. The cop and robber. Batman, the man of justice, and Catwoman, a thief. 

Her jaw clenched, and her fingers tightened around the handle of the mug. The air around her was full of jitters and Dick was basically vibrating with worry, Jason focused intensely on his phone, and Tim was drinking even more coffee. 

“Um, mom, are you… is this…” Dick was fumbling, trying to find the words, and Y/N smiled, “C’mon on Dickie. It’s been a while since I went on the runway, or even in front of a camera outside of Gotham. You’re all old enough now, it’s fine.” 

“What about Dami?” Y/N smiled sadly, “Dami will be fine. Hell, today I’ll have him help me choose the jewelry and clothes that I will be packing.”

“You’re gonna have him help you pack your bags to leave?” Tim wondered, and Y/N flinched out how terrible that sounded, “Not like that. It’s a trip. A fashion trip and a girls trip.” Jason scrunched his nose, “Ma, fucking Bruce just go caught cheating and was broadcasted across the NEWs, and you’re now leaving for a trip. Do you think Dami will understand that?” 

Y/N took a sip of her coffee, “He will. It’ll be a conversation but it will be reiterated as many times as he needs to hear it. Plus, it’s not like you guys can’t call me.” Damien came stomping down the stairs, dressed in the Gotham Academy Uniform, and Y/N threw on a smile that would have had actresses crying, “Dami! I need your help today, so nevermind school.” Green eyes blinked in shock, his gaze taking in every one in the room before landing back on her, “Are you needing my assistance in packing?” 

“Only for a trip. So there’s no need to pack everything.” Damien nodded, “Fine. I will assist you. You have an abysmal amount of jewelry and some of them are simply deplorable.” Y/N chuckled, “Thanks Dami.” He went back up the stairs to change, and Y/N turned back to the NEWs where they were finally talking about something different. 

Sighing, Y/N stood up from the couch, “I’ll be in my room packing if anyone needs anything.” Silence followed her, and once she was out of earshot, Dick proceeded to panic even more. 

+++

She’s in Greece now. After spending a week in Italy, a week in Iceland, two weeks in France, and now four days in Zakynthos, Greece, she knows her vacation time is limited. Y/N has been using Bruce’s card to pay for the three luxury hotel rooms, one for herself (obviously), Jackie, and Stella. She’s used them for the plane flight in first class, the first class train ride, the yacht to get to this island, the fancy dinners, shopping sprees, any time that she needed to put money down she was using his card. 

Bruce is a billionaire, he doesn’t care and Y/N is also a billionaire, but this is her way of being petty. Why would she waste her money? 

A delicate eyebrow raised at the man in the mirror, followed by two of their sons and a butler dressed in a Hawaiian shirt. 

“Lady Y/N, it is great to see you.” 

“Hey Alfie, vacation looks good on you. I highly recommend the mimosa’s here, none of them have been bad.” 

“Hi Ma, you look relaxed.” Jason walked further into the room, taking a seat on the plush chair and grabbing a grape, and tossing some to Dick. Their oldest son smiled and waved, “C’mon mom, I know you’ve been here before, but you could at least try and look like a tourist.” Y/N rolled her eyes, smiling lovingly and flicking her hair over her shoulder. She leaned close to the mirror again, rubbing sunscreen on her face and massaging it into her skin. 

Her husband made his way a little closer as the family spread out in the room. Jason sitting in the chair, Dick on the bed, and Alfred standing near the door. Y/N sneered at Bruce through the mirror, “Bringing the kids to see you get humiliated is something I would have never thought you’d do.” 

Bruce sighed heavily, and Y/N wiped her hands on the towel and sipped her mimosa. Piercing blue eyes, filled with exhaustion and guilt, met hers, “Y/N, how much longer are you scheduled for?” 

“Hmm, for a while Bruce,” She pretended to think, “After all, I’ve been wanting to get back into modeling now that most of the kids are becoming independent, and what better way to announce to the world that I am back than a hard launch.” Bruce raised an eyebrow at her, “Will it be my card you’ll continue to use.”

“Of course! It's the least my darling, idiotic, and hormone-rivaling-a-teenager husband can do after that stunt, right?” The room got colder and Dick sat up straighter at the tension between his two parental figures. Y/N has always had a sharp tongue and quick wit, one she used on Bruce a lot. Rarely ever was it aimed to be hurtful though. 

“Y/N, temper.” Dick’s jaw opened and Jason made an exaggerated gasp. Alfred looked pained as Y/N whirled around and seethed at Bruce, “Temper? Temper?! Who the hell are you to tell me to watch my temper when you can’t even control your own hormones? 

“If you wanted to see my temper you just had to fucking say so!” Dick turned to Alfred, trying to see if there was anything he could do, but at the resigned look the man gave him, the oldest son choked on a noise, “This is a new side of mom.” 

“Lady Y/N has always had a temper, one that rivals Master Bruce.” She looked like a puffed up cat while Bruce was cowing like a dog with puppy eyes, “When they were younger, she would put even the adults in their place.” Her hand grabbed the now cold coffee pot, and Dick feels like it was only because Bruce was used to stuff being thrown at him and catching things that he was able to grab the projectile before it landed on the walls and carpet. Alfred raised a brow, “Sometimes that temper bleeds into other things.” 

Their mother was seething in front of Bruce, looking like a bull and was ready to charge into a china shop. While Bruce may not be as delicate as one, Dick has money on Y/N still doing a lot of damage if she were to charge. Metaphorically and physically.  

“Y/N, please.” Bruce tried again, only to see her get more angry. His hands were up in a placating manner, and Y/N held her own hands tense and ready to swing if he came closer. 

“Y/N, it genuinely was an accident.” 

“ ‘it genuinely was an accident’–” She mocked, purposefully making her voice annoying “-fuck off! Like your tongue going down her throat is an accident. Didn’t know that could happen!” Y/N looked around again for something to chuck, while Bruce closed the space between them inch by inch. 

“What’s next? Are you going to trip and accidentally find yourself between her legs with your pants down?” Jason and Dick blanched at the imagery. 

“Over a decade of marriage, of me playing the perfect ex-model-arm-candy wife for Bruce Wayne just for you dressed in a fucking furry suit to go and makeout with another fucking furry! 

“Like! I know we weren’t in this for love, but there. Are. Still. Standards!” She enunciated each word with a swat of her hand on Bruce’s shoulder. 

“I still have standards! You don’t see me making out with anyone else do you? Even as I’m playing Supermodel Y/N, dressed to the millions and making everyone drool, I don’t go making out with them!” 

“How could Batman, of all persona’s you wish to play, do that? I expected that from Brucie, not Batman, defender of Justice or whatever bullshit you spew when dressed in that gothic suit.” 

Bruce sighed, “Y/N, it was bad timing.” He gave her a hard look, “Justice and this are different. You cannot compare the two.” The man knew he messed up once the words left his mouth and he closed his eyes in regret. 

Jason saw the slap coming and he braced himself for the impact it would have. Bruce didn’t catch it, despite him being fully capable of it, and when it landed everyone winced at the sound and the red mark. 

“Well this is my justice. Now go away. I have a photoshoot to get ready for and you are just pissing me off!” The hand print was immaculate. One that had Jason biting back a laugh and Dick looking horrified. Y/N whirled back around to face her vanity, where all her jewelry laid on the surface, and her attention was focused back on picking which one would go with her outfit to the shoot. 

Jason whistled when Bruce turned around to face his kids and Butler, “Good hit Ma. You should hit the other side to even it out.” Y/N gave a laugh, picking up the pearl earrings encased with gold, and she continued to pick out a necklace. 

“Jay, help me out here please.” Rough hands replaced her’s, and green eyes met furious E/C though the mirror. Using the safety of her son’s larger frame to hide herself, Y/N slowly let herself crumble a little bit. Jason could see the anger, hurt, and sadness that was slowly turning the sclera red from holding back tears. There was a subtle shake in her shoulders and the trembling of lips, but Y/N held it together. She was holding onto it by the seams, desperately waiting for the man causing her pain to be gone. 

When the gold clasped, Y/N reached over for her large hat and sunglasses, “Enjoy the beach. Alfie, you especially should enjoy this vacation. Don’t let this  stupid, untrustworthy, and manwhore of a furry disrupt it.” With that, she slammed her hotel room door on her way out, and they all listened as her heels clicked down the hall until they were out of ear shot. 

Alfred glanced at his ward, “Well, I am not one for violence when there are disputes between partners, but I will say that one slap was well deserved, Master Bruce.” The man sighed, slightly rubbing his cheek, “I think the last time she hit me that hard was when we were in grade school.” 

“She put all her body weight into that.” Dick glanced at the hand print, “Woah, I think you can see the ring too.” Jason whistled, and Bruce closed his eyes and took deep breaths to keep himself steady, reflecting on the conversation and where exactly he messed up. 

“I think this is the third time she’s slapped me…” 

“Fourth, sir.” Bruce nodded, remembering the third time. Jason raised an eyebrow, “I only know of the time you were both 6, and you said something mean so she hit you.” Dick pouted, “I know of the one in Middle School, when you were once accused of touching her butt.” 

Alfred raised a brow, “The third time was when she dropped you off at the manor after a long night of drinking and you—” 

“Thanks Alfred, there’s no need to tell that story.” Bruce’s cheeks were now flushed from embarrassment rather than the slap on his cheek.  Y/N truly has seen him through it all. When he got into fights in school, it was always her eyes he sought out after each one. Bored E/C eyes, framed by thick lashes and elegant eyeliner, always watching with a blank expression. Bruce Wayne rarely phased Y/N L/N. When he was younger, he noticed how his last name made people stumble or stutter when talking to him, allowing him to say whatever he wanted. It did nothing to Y/N, who met his gaze and taunts head on with her own witty comebacks that stuck at parts of Bruce that had him fumbling. 

He can remember his dad, Thomas Wayne, laughing when he caught Y/N’s sly comeback directed at Bruce after he said something about her dress. Y/N’s own parents looked mortified. 

Y/N L/N-Wayne was a flame that never wavered. It’s what made her successful at modeling, and a supermodel in her first two years. That flame is what had photographers, stylists, fashion designers, and make up artists still call her up, begging for her to come back. A force of nature that had only paused for Bruce and their children. 

“C’mon, Y/N. Even you can see the benefits of this.” The woman raised her brow at a younger Bruce, who was smiling at her. 

“Your life does not pause, and now with the Wayne name as yours, your options are endless.” 

“And what about you?” 

“This means I no longer have to play as a playboy in public and everyone will stop asking me to marry them or their daughters.” Y/N laughed, “Nah, you’ll still get them. They’ll just now be whispered behind closed doors.” 

Bruce smiled, “The standards of a regular marriage will still apply. Obviously not the sex part or anything, but everything else will. Think of it like living with roommates.

“This will work for the both of us, Y/N.” The woman smiled into the rim of her cup, red lips leaving an imprint on the glass. 

It took him five tries for her to finally agree. There might have been some manipulation on his side of things, but he got that ring on her finger, and 2 months later she was walking down the aisle in a wedding dress that was deemed ‘The Dress of the Century.’ She was beautiful, even more so than usual. 

Dick glanced at him, “So, what’s the plan?” Bruce sighed, “Just make sure she doesn’t get hurt.” 

++++

It took 4 months for Y/N to come back to the manor. Within those 4 months, one of them were always with her. Switching off when they hit a new city, and each one had tried their charm on having her come back to the mansion. Bruce was going crazy, therefore Batman was more brutal than usual, and that the meant the other birds had to pick up the slack when it came to emotions. Bruce had all but shut down every other part that wasn’t Batman. 

However, nothing returned to normal once she was back. Her and Bruce were rarely in each other’s presence, and she refused to see or do anything about Batman. Y/N was trying to remove herself from Bruce Wayne completely, and no one liked that. 

Bruce and Y/N may claim that they were never in love, and that they only married for convenience. However, Dick will always remember watching Bruce and Y/N dancing in the main hall of the manor. He was hanging onto the chandelier, not yet noticed by either, as a song began playing and they both began dancing. 

They had been dressed in casual clothes, which consisted of dark blue jeans and nice tops and shoes. Dick’s young eyes watched as the two of them swayed and twirled around each other, Y/N laughing at the whispered words Bruce would share, and the stern man relaxing for the duration of the time. 

They were far from the perfect couple. Their parenting styles were different, and it took a while for Y/N to warm up to Dick. She was never cold or malicious, but just like Dick and everyone else, she was lost. However, it was her awkward arms he sought after when he had a bad day, or when Bruce got on his nerves. It was her eyes he always seeked approval for. 

When she caught him hastily packing, dying to get away from the man that had his rules tighter than the Robin suit, she helped. Y/N had folded his clothes, snuck a bottle of Smirnoff and Titos into his luggage, because moving required at least two bottles of alcohol, and she hugged him goodbye. 

Every member of this family has a memory tied to Y/N. A gentle one. 

Damian had kind memories, where Y/N smiled at him for no reason. She did not expect perfection, and one time she stated how she wished Damian would fail sometimes. It was something that had him seething and jumping to defend himself, but Y/N laughed, “Failure is our best teacher, Damian. What better time to fail then when you knwo you have people willing to help you up?” 

Jason remembers peeking on Y/N when he was younger. Watching through the cracks of the door as she and Bruce swayed to music, laughed at old memories, or simply sat around each other and read a book. Sometimes, he’d catch her trying on her jewelry, or reorganizing her perfume. Every now and then she would go through her closet and donate clothes she no longer wanted or needed. 

He watched how Dick, would seek her out whenever he and Bruce argued. When Jason finally allowed himself to be wrapped in those arms– arms that always had Bruce looking ready to sacrifice everything, that had Dick relaxing, and Alfred smiling endearingly– and he can see why they did so. It's different from Bruce, because Bruce makes you feel protected. In Bruce’s arms, Jason knows that there is almost nothing that can harm him. 

In Y/N’s embrace, Jason feels at peace. There’s no need to worry about protection because he’s in a place that does not need it. When he dances with Y/N, to their song nonetheless, there is nothing that can ever disrupt the moment. Y/N stares at him with adoration, just how she does with Dick, only her attention is on him. Him! A street rat from Dowry, Crime Alley, and he has the attention of the woman that is Bruce’s equal in the highest social circles. 

Those soft E/C eyes, that always stared at them with warmth and love, stared back at him through the mirror. He and Tim, because Timmy loved her just as much as he did, watched as Y/N emptied another glass of the Rose, and how the exhaustion from all the shows, photoshoots, flashing cameras, and the ordeal with Bruce seeped into her bones. 

“Hey Ma, let's get some sleep.” Jason walked closer, carefully minding the scattered jewelry that looked more expensive than any of his weapons, and Tim, who was forever on the same wavelength as Jason, scampered over to the large bed and lit the diffuser. 

Y/N hummed, running her hands through her hair, before tilting her head back and looking at Jason once more, “You both shouldn’t be here. I can handle this myself.” Y/N never liked it when any of the kids saw her less than presentable. She was always dressed in nice clothes, with nice jewelry, and makeup even at the manor. It's one of the worries of being a model, she had told Dick, always scared that the nosey paparazzi will catch you at your worst and share it with an even crueler audience. 

Jason had once confided in her about Willis Todd, and how he hated it when she drank in front of him. Whether it was scotch or champagne. 

After that, Y/N always drank in her room. 

The thing is, that Jason knows Y/N wouldn’t ever hurt him. She’s not like Willis who purposefully seeked out to hurt someone smaller. Jason knows that no matter how mad she got at him, she wouldn’t do anything (unlike what she would do to Bruce).

This is why, despite all the trauma he has with alcohol and people being intoxicated, he can confidently move the bottle away and the glass. Noting how both were empty. 

Tim strolled over, and gave a small smile through the mirror, “I’ll brush your hair, Mom. Then you should sleep.” Y/N tried to wave him off, “Don’t bother. I can do it myself. You both should go.” She sluggishly reached out for the vintage decorated paddle brush, only for Tim to snatch it before she could. 

“I want to do it. Besides, if it bothers you, think of it as me returning the favor.” The confused look Y/N gave him had him smiling patiently as he stood behind her and gently began to brush the locks of hair. Y/N sighed, “This is embarrassing. My kids should not be taking care of me.” 

“I’m an adult.” 

“CEO of Wayne Enterprises as well. Taking care of you when you are in a low spot is the least I could do.” Lord knows how many times Y/N has cared for them at their lowest. When Tim believed that Bruce was stuck in the Time Stream, Y/N didn’t seem all that confident in it, but she still believed him and helped him narrow down locations. She kept the press busy while he went out and searched. 

He heard later that she refused to talk to Dick when she found out they wanted to put Tim in Arkham. She shook her head in disappointment when Dick told her that Damien is now Robin. Tim always thought Dick was a bit stupid on that part. Parading Damien, a child from another woman, around and in front of Y/N nonetheless. Yes, thankfully Y/N warmed up to Damien and vice versa (although for Damien it took longer),  but that could have gone bad in so many ways. 

“Still my kids.” Jason pulled a chair next to her, so they could all be in the view of the mirror, and in a rare show of affection that is only reserved for Alfred and Y/N, he rested his head on her shoulder as Tim continued to work the brush carefully through her hair. Y/N’s shoulders sagged and her back hunched a bit, and for the first time in a while, Y/N let herself look how she felt. Exhausted. Utterly and completely exhausted. 

Tim can see the dark circles under her red rimmed eyes, and the way her skin looked duller than usual. Granted, she finished a long gig, working tirelessly for months posing, getting dressed up, and traveling around the world to forget Bruce’s infidelity. 

‘Standards,’ she said in response to his excuse. Tim isn’t stupid to believe that neither Bruce or Y/N have feelings for the other. He’s seen it. It's in the way that Bruce concedes in arguments, or the flowers and necklaces he buys her when he’s apologetic, how the harsh glare that was directed at Tim when he first became Robin eased the moment Y/N pulled the boy close to her. Acting as a shield and sword for him. 

Her message was clear, and Bruce decided to read it. 

Y/N on the other hand lessened Bruce’s stress when he was CEO, the breaks from brooding to dance in the main hall to their song, or even acting as the sound of reason for him. She keeps him tethered to Earth, never letting his thoughts stray too far from reality. 

They may not be in love, but they still liked each other. Enough so that Bruce went along with her whims, just how she does with him. Enough so for Bruce to chase her across the world. Looking at it, perhaps Bruce was the one in love. 

“Jason, can you pass me the scrunchie?” He grabbed the silk scrunchie from large hands, and began braiding his mom’s hair. 

“You guys are being so silly,” Y/N huffed, and Jason beamed at her, giving her a boyish smile that he never shows anymore, “Anything for ya, Ma.” She subtly shook her head, a smile on her face as she looked back into the mirror. 

“Is this still about Bruce?” Tim kept his eyes on the braid, but from the tension in her shoulders, he hit the jackpot. Y/N brought her hand up to rub her forehead, “That idiot…” 

“Join the club, Ma.” Y/N took a deep breath, “He’s so stupid. It’s one thing to kiss another woman, which is fine. Do what you want to do, it’s not like we married for love.” A glare formed on her face, “But to get caught is another thing. Fucking idiot, he can only think with his hormones like a teenager. Even Dami isn’t like that, thank god.” 

Tim tied off the braid with the silk scrunchie, watching Y/N get heated again, “I hate him.” Except it was said with no bite, and the way Y/N’s lip wobbled had Tim hearing other words alongside the ones she mumbled. Jason leaned into her, offering her comfort while Tim watched from the reflection in the mirror.

Y/N to Tim was what Janet Drake had failed to be. He learned a lot from both of them, and it helped that both women were huge players in their social circles and socialites. They both taught him how to play with people’s perception of someone. Only Janet taught him to keep a straight face and not show emotion, while Y/N taught him that with a correct smile and a well placed chuckle, someone can be eating out of the palm of their hands. Both women approached the world with different weapons and tools, and both women used and taught them to him. 

Only Y/N also knew when it was time to put down the mask and become a reliable person for Tim, while Janet continued to only be Janet to Tim. 

He loves them both. Except, with Y/N he felt that if she were to ever leave him the way Janet did then he would have no choice but to follow and bring her back. Wherever Y/N goes, Tim will follow. 

“Boys.” Jason and Tim snapped their attention to the door, and Bruce was standing there, menacingly longingly. His face in an unusual expression, but one he’s worn a lot throughout the time Y/N was gone. An expression all the boys have gotten to know. Tim escaped, saying goodnight to both parental figures, before leaving for the cave. 

Jason pecked Y/N’s cheek, whispering good night and glaring at Bruce, “Don’t fuck this up old man.” To which Bruce sighed and nodded, closing the door after Jason. For the first time in months, it was just Y/N and Bruce. Alone with each other’s company and Bruce knows that if she could, she’d probably be strangling him right now. 

With great hesitancy, one that he could never show as Batman, he sat on the bed about a foot away from her. 

“I paused my life for you.” Y/N glared into blue eyes, “I paused almost everything, for you. For your mission. For the children you brought into our home, without asking me about it beforehand, may I remind you. I love them, and don’t you dare twist that, but I would have liked to have been consulted about it first.” Y/N didn’t want to be a mother. It was never in the cards for her, and yet here she is having more children than she had ever dreamt of. 

She loves them. She’d die and kill for them, but they were never in the cards of life she wanted dealt to her. 

“I paused so much, just for you to go and.. And… and do that.” Bruce winced at that, and Y/N felt happy that he did. Gritting her teeth, Y/N turned her attention to look at the fire. The heat of it reminds her of her own rage and the coldness she feels when in the presence of Bruce. 

Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes and bit back a groan, “And once I start getting my life started again, having fun, going on the runway and magazines, here you come storming back.” 

“You looked like you needed the break.” Y/N shook her head, “Did you know, that that is one of your worst habits. Always making yourself out to be the hero.” She took a glass of wine and watched the liquid swirl in the glass, “Of course, you let me have that moment. Of course you were thinking of me, and my happiness. How kind of you.” 

Bruce sighed, watching her sip the alcohol that left a red stain on her lips. He can remember the first time he saw her in red lipstick. Shockingly, it was in-person and the red made her skin look warm and teeth appear even whiter despite the knowledge that red lipstick can make your teeth look yellower. It was a beautiful shade, matched by her dress. 

She was beautiful. Breathtakingly so. Even as time progressed and she and he got older, Y/N remained beautiful. Defying the laws time and age as she remained ethereal. Unfairly so. 

Bruce had wanted to preserve that beauty, in the same way that many tried to preserve the flowers from the garden and the expensive smelling perfume. He wanted nothing more than for Y/N to continue smiling and for the fire to remain bright. 

To do that, he had to stay away. He could not allow himself to love her, because if he fell then he would drag her through the mud with him. Yet, here he is on the other side of that cold look, one that had him hesitating. That kiss with Selena was terrible timing all around. She had caught him in a moment of weakness, and someone just so happened to be there at the worst moment to catch it all. 

Staying away proved to be ineffective when here she is drinking wine with red-rimmed eyes and anger in her brows. 

“This marriage was never one for love, but there are standards. Ones we talked about beforehand.” 

“I know.” Y/N pursed her lips, tilting her head to the left and watching Bruce with distrustful eyes. The man sighed heavily and he sat in front of her, taking his own glass and pouring himself some wine. He didn’t like this type of wine, and from the very small scrunch in her nose Y/N didn’t like it either. 

The more he stared at her, taking in her still youthful features and eyes that burned bright, the more he could feel his emotions rising to the surface. Feelings and emotions he long tried to bury, but never quite succeeded. He had hoped that kissing Selena would just prove that he is only missing her as a sexual partner, and it only confirmed for him that he was in love with her. 

He is in love with Y/N L/N-Wayne. His kids are in love with Y/N. Alfred loves Y/N. The whole Wayne family, extended and all, are in love with this woman. This woman has nothing to do with their vigilantism, but instead reminds them that they are also normal and exist outside of masks and costume. That they are human and not shadows of the night. 

That they are the Wayne family. 

God, he loves her so much. So much. She is his weakness, his strength, his everything. The fancy cufflinks that are only brought out for special occasions, the expensive wine cracked open for celebrations, the pearl earring worn for the best performances. Y/N is the treasure of the Wayne family. 

Carefully, he wrapped an arm around her waist, slowly inching his way around her, testing the waters to see if she would shake him off or hiss at him. When there was no sign of that, he tightened his hold only slightly and pressed his forehead into her shoulder, gently laying a kiss on the joint, “Like I said, it was an accident. She caught me at a bad time, and I wasn’t expecting her to do that.” 

Y/N released a heavy sigh, and Bruce hugged her tighter, “I swear. It wasn’t consensual.” She rubbed her forehead, and Bruce watched how the lines slowly faded and melted back into her skin. Y/N never wore exhaustion well, which was why on mornings she had early photoshoots, she would sleep in her room instead of Bruce’s. She always woke up when he would stalk in and climb under the sheets with her. 

“Please, Y/N. Give me a chance. Let me take care of you the way you should be.” Y/N chuckled at that, “Careful Bruce, keep saying stuff like that and I might start to believe you have feelings for me.” Ice blue met E/C, and Y/N hesitated for a moment. Something chilling going down her spine, “I guess, I should start saying it more often then.” 

“Bruce…” He pecked her cheek, careful of the fire he was playing with, and carefully watching her reactions. His arms encircled her tighter, and he kissed her shoulder. Bruce watched, and observed how the tension slowly left her and reluctant acceptance came across her face. His arms tightened, and Bruce fought back a smile. 

“Ever the charmer,” She mumbled. Bruce huffed a laugh, and Y/N shook her head, “If I catch you with your mouth on anyone else’s but mine, I’m going to sick the kids on you.” An image of four rabid dogs, followed by a few more, filled his mind. Bruce grimaced as he remembered the tongue lashing he got from everyone, “Noted.” 

Y/N chuckled, and Bruce smiled, throwing his weight back on the pillows, bringing Y/N with him. His arms still tight around her waist, and a promise on his lips. 

‘I’ll never let you go again.’ 

________________________________________________

Not super Yandere, but it is getting there.

[calligraphist-artemisia]

Chapters: 1/4 Fandom: Young Justice (Cartoon) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bart Allen & Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen & Dick Grayson, Bart Allen & Jason Todd, Bart Allen & Wally West, Bart Allen/Jaime Reyes Characters: Bart Allen, Jaime Reyes, Wally West, Artemis Crock, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Khaji Da Additional Tags: Time Travel, future!Jaime/Bart, Bart Allen has a crush, Jaime Reyes is a Good Friend, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Team as Family, Omega Bart Allen, Alpha Jaime Reyes, Not canon compliant past season 2, Minor Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Minor Artemis Crock/Wally West, Pre-Bart Allen/Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen is Impulse, references to future children, Wally West is Alive, Pack Family Series: Part 2 of Pack Bonds Universe Summary:

Bart had grown up hearing stories from his aunt about a legendary speedster capable of running through time itself. He knew it was silly to think that it could be him, that he'd already made his legacy in the form of saving the world from an alien invasion and changing the course of history itself, but he had to try. He tried. He failed. He dismissed it as a possibility from his mind, right up until Jason Todd - recently revealed to everyone else as being back among the living - told him that he and Dick had seen Wally's aura.

Wally, who was dead.

Or so they thought.

To Bart, the answer seemed obvious. He'd watched Wally disappear and assumed, like everyone else, that he'd faded from existence. But what if something else had happened. What if Wally, acting as a conduit for the energy generated by three speedsters running as quickly as they could around the unknown variable of alien tech, was sent through time instead?

----------

1 | Vibrations in the Desert

Impulse narrowed his eyes, steadied his breathing, and let the energy build up for a moment before rocketing off across the sand, sending up a plume of it in his wake. Everything blurred and his breath hitched in excitement, which was the exact moment he tripped over a rock and went headfirst into a dune. The force of the impact sent a cloud of sand into the air which then rained down upon him.

He had his goggles to protect his eyes, but nothing to keep from eating a mouthful of hot, dry sand.

Impulse gagged as he tried to spit it all out.

“Ugh,” he groaned as he let his head tip back. The tinted goggles also saved his eyes from the full intensity of the sun, which had risen high and hot in the Texas sky.

Maybe it was hopeless.

Maybe the legend his Aunt told him was just that, a legend. A story meant to inspire and entertain a pup who was forced to grow up too quickly. Time travel was possible - he wouldn’t be where he was if it wasn’t - but running fast enough to generate the right kind of energy to do so without the aid of a machine was starting to feel impossible.

But hadn’t he already done the impossible once before?

Using a time machine was a last-ditch effort. It wasn’t a lack of faith in him that led everyone to believe it wouldn’t succeed, but the acknowledgment of how greatly things were stacked against their favor.

And yet, Bart had traveled back in time and succeeded at each of his goals: save his grandfather, the Flash; stop the Blue Beetle from joining up with the Reach; and prevent the Reach apocalypse from occurring, no matter the cost.

He had done all of it. He saved Barry Allen from an untimely death during his first hour in the past. And, okay, Blue Beetle had joined the Reach for a while, but it was entirely against his will and Bart was part of the team who helped get him off mode again, so it all worked out in the end! The Reach were sent packing after that and the day was saved!

Except then they lost Wally.

It should have been Bart.

Bart was the one who should have faded. He’d done what he needed to do and helped rewrite the future of Earth, which included his birth and life, so what need did the universe have for him?

The question remained in his thoughts for years, cropping up whenever he thought of Wally or the Pack he’d left behind. They were all there in the present with him - Dick, Jason, Damian - but they shared none of his memories. As welcoming as Dick had been, even going as far as to forge a Pack Bond with him, it wasn’t the same.

Damian - his Baba - was five , a far cry from the grown omega who took Bart into his arms, adopted him as a son, and taught him to fight.

Bart shook his head and felt sand cascade from his hair.

He needed to focus on the future, not the past. (His past that was once the future?)

The (new) future was why he was alone in the desert, using the big, empty space to run as far and as fast as he could in the hope that he could generate enough of the Speed Force his Aunt always talked about and run through time itself. All he wanted was a glimpse of the future he helped change. Just one little peek to reassure himself that he’d really done it, he hadn’t just delayed the Reach and their hostile takeover of Earth, but stopped it completely.

He had another reason as well.

Just the night before, Bart had gotten a call from Dick for help with a covert mission. He, Nightwing, Tigress, and the mysterious Red Hood (who Bart had always known was Jason Todd) borrowed Bioship from Miss Martian and traversed to the other side of the world, where they picked up Damian al Ghul (with Talia’s permission) and took him to live with his father in Gotham. Bart stayed with them overnight and then accompanied Jason and Tim (who showed up that morning) on a shopping trip to pick out clothing and toys for Damian, which was when Jason let slip a piece of information that made Bart’s heart race.

“Dick won’t like that I’m saying anything yet, but we learned something that we’re going to need help with. You seem like someone good at keeping secrets, so I’m going to tell you on the condition that you don’t breathe a word of this to Artemis until we know the truth.” Jason had paused for a moment as he nodded at one of the shirts Tim held up for him to see. “When Dick and I were looking at Artemis’ aura, we saw something. It happened twice, so I know it wasn’t just a remnant or mirage or whatever. We saw Wally’s aura. It was… odd. Frantic. Like a rubber band stretched taut until it snaps, only to reform, I guess, and stretch out again. Like it’s here, but not.”

In the moment, all Bart could think to do was agree to stay quiet and look into it however he could. It hadn’t taken him long to wonder if time travel was the answer. After all, if the key to it was enough Speed Force created by a speedster, then wasn’t it possible that the energy they created that day at the magnetic North Pole was enough, not to make Wally fade from existence, but to send him through time ?

Bart got back to his feet and tried again.

And again.

And again.

He slid to a stop in the sand with an agonized scream and then fell to his knees, his vision blurring with hot tears of frustration.

Why couldn’t he do it?

He had to do it. He had to set things right and bring back Wally. Everything would be right then. Artemis would have back the man she loved, Grandpa Barry and Grandma Iris would have back their beloved nephew, Dick would have back his best friend, and Bart - Bart could let go of some of the guilt he felt for being the reason Wally disappeared.

A large shadow passed overhead.

Bart dismissed it as belonging to a bird at first, but then he started to hear the familiar hum of Blue Beetle’s thrusters as he came in for a controlled landing. Bart lifted his goggles and hurriedly wiped away his tears before his friend could see.

“Everything crash, ese?” Blue Beetle asked as the full mask covering his face peeled back to reveal Jaime’s handsome face. “Khaji Da picked up on some serious energy readings coming from out here. Was that all you?”

“Yup. All me. I’m just, uh, practicing,” Bart said evasively.

Fuck, did he not want to lie to Jaime.

Way back when Bart first arrived, he saw Jaime as an… unexpected complication to his plan. Whenever he thought of the Blue Beetle, it was the image of a hulking monster who’d been the star of nearly every nightmare he’d ever had that came to mind. Meeting Jaime, seeing that he was only a few years older than Bart, and then getting to know the teen, had nearly derailed everything. Because Jaime was good . He was good and kind and, okay, so he got a little snippy with Bart sometimes, but to be fair, Bart had gone out of his way to be annoying those first few months to maintain his cover as a “happy-go-lucky speedster tourist from the future”.

The point was, any half-baked thoughts about killing the Blue Beetle and locking the scarab into a tiny box and burying it where no one could ever find it had gone straight out the window when he laid eyes on sixteen-year-old Jaime Reyes.

And somewhere along the way, Jaime became Bart’s best friend.

It’d been exciting at first. A best friend ! Bart only had his Pack when he was growing up and there wasn’t really time for friends, especially when there were so few pups his own age. But then, well…

Bart’s feelings shifted. Or maybe they’d been that way the whole time and he’d been too blind to see it, he wasn’t really sure. Instead of just wanting to hang out, he found that he wanted to hold Jaime’s hand and give him compliments and, uh, do mushy stuff that he’d always seen from Dick and Jason and the RomComs that they sometimes watched for movie nights.

Bart had a crush on Jaime.

Jaime, who was dating Traci and always looked so happy with her.

Which was crash!

Bart was super great at keeping things a secret and hiding his (huge) crush on Jaime was no problem! Presenting as an omega and occasionally swiping Jaime’s clothes for his nest did absolutely nothing to complicate things! Really!

(Bart could have died of mortification the first time he panicked about something and literally swiped the hoody his friend was wearing off of his back. Luckily, Jaime took it in stride, and never made much of a fuss about it when it happened a few more times.)

But back to the point:

Jaime was Bart’s best friend and he didn’t like to lie to him. It would be the case even if Jaime didn’t have the scarab - Khaji Da, as it named itself, and yes it was very weird that the scarab gave itself a name, but it was a good weird - which could tell when Bart wasn’t being truthful.

Well, Jason only specified that Bart couldn’t tell Artemis, so…

“Jason thinks Wally is alive because he and Dick could see his aura and it was behaving oddly, like-it’s-here-but-not-so-I-came-out-here-to-see-if-I-can-generate-enough-energy-to-travel-through-time-so-I-can-find-him!”

As always, it took Jaime a few minutes to catch up to what Bart was speed-speaking as Khaji Da served as a dutiful translator.

Jaime pinched his brow with a sigh. “Let’s go through this a little more slowly. Are you talking about Jason Todd? Dick knows he’s alive now?”

Bart nodded with a broad grin. “He found out a few days ago, I’d guess? Artemis and Tim know too! Oh, and we went to Nanda Parbat to see Baba, so now he’s in Gotham and gets the chance to know Bruce and it’s all turning out better than I could have dreamed!”

“Okay,” Jaime said as he lowered his hand. “Okay, so no more secrets about your past, right?”

“No more secrets. I even told them about Baba taking me in and then Dick made me an official member of the Pack,” Bart said.

They were a little too far for Bart to pick up on their vibrational frequencies, but if he focused really hard, he could almost sense Dick’s, and only because their Bond was the strongest.

Jaime’s smile reached his eyes, which crinkled a little at the corners. “I’m happy for you, Bart. But also, going to need you to explain the bit about Wally. He’s alive? But how and where is he?”

“That I’m not sure about, but Jason sounded pretty confident, so how can I not look into it?” Bart asked rhetorically. “As far as where he is… I think it might be more like when he is.”

Bart did his best to explain the Speed Force and how he’d been taught that it was a type of energy generated by a speedster as they ran. Build up enough of it and odd things could happen, like reversing magnetic polarity or easing the effects of gravity in a contained space or opening a doorway (of sorts) to travel through time.

“Aunt Dawn used to tell me stories about it being possible, but as far as I know, it’s never been done,” Bart explained. “But I started to think, what if Wally didn’t disappear the way we all thought? What if the three of us created the exact right kind of energy to send him through time?”

“And if you can match that energy, you think you could use that to find him?” Jaime asked.

“Something like that.”

Jaime muttered something in Spanish that Bart couldn’t understand. “Okay. Okay, so, Khaji Da wants to know how your time machine worked. Not the components, but, uh, how did it know to bring you to this time period, exactly?”

“That, I’m not really sure about,” Bart admitted as he rocked on his heels. “I helped build it and I understood most of the math and science behind it, but it was all designed by Oracle and her team. All we had to do was put it together and put in the right date.”

Jaime took a moment to respond as he first listened to whatever Khaji Da was saying. “By putting in a date to travel to, you gave the machine a point to focus on. Khaji Da says that, in theory, it should work the same for you, you just need a specific thing to focus on. Or a specific person.”

“You’re saying that… that if I focus really hard on Wally, I might be able to travel through time and arrive wherever he’s at?” Bart asked.

It was so simple. So obvious. Why had he never considered that?

Jaime started to say something else, but his words were slow and drawn out in a way that made them impossible to understand as Bart began to vibrate in a way that slowed down the world around him.

All that time he spent willing himself to go faster, faster, faster and paying more attention to the build-up of energy around him than what his goal truly was had been what held him back all along.

He needed to stop and focus.

Wally.

He wanted to find Wally.

He didn’t know what the beta’s vibrational frequency felt like - Bart presented as an omega long after his cousin disappeared - but he knew what Wally looked like. He knew the pulse of a speedster’s energy. He knew Wally.

They had a Bond and all he needed to do was find it.

Bart turned his focus inward and listened. It would be distant. Coming and going in the way Jason described to him, but real enough to sense. And there was something. A strange frequency that seemed to bounce around and crackle like poor reception on the radio, cutting in and out.

Bart ran toward it, leaving behind a bewildered Jaime to stand there and stare after him as the speedster vanished in a flash of light.

“…how am I supposed to explain this?” Jaime asked the desert sands.