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clockwayswrites · 3 months

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Like Betta Fish Do- Final Part

WC: 3359, Masterpost

“The response to the article has been great— better even than we had predicted,” Tim informed the various family members as he joined them at the breakfast table, tablet in hand.

Jason glanced up from his porridge to look his little brother over. The eye bags were a little dark, but not to the point of concerning yet, at least not on Tim. Still… “You weren’t up all night running numbers, were you?”

“I slept, I just woke up early.” Tim said defensively. “Besides, it’s best to get data like this when it’s new. It allows me to compare the first reaction to the long term response and see if there are any shifts.”

“Good data gathering is important,” Jazz agreed, “but so is taking care of yourself.”

She set the bowl of porridge that she had just finished adding toppings to in front of Tim and blatantly stuck a spoon in his hand. Tim blinked down at the food for a moment before shrugging and taking a bite. Cass, smiling in amusement, handed Jazz a fresh bowl.

“Best news is,” Tim continued after he had swallowed, “that everyone thinks Danny is, and I quote, a ‘Beautiful Cinnamon Roll Too Good For This World, Too Pure’. I mean, that’s not really a new opinion, but the new article really cemented it.”

“I don’t know how to take that,” Danny said after a pause.

“I mean, I’d just be glad to not be a poor little meow meow,” Duke said as he leaned over to look at Tim’s screen.

“The big change,” Tim continued and tilted his screen for Duke to see better, “is that public opinion of Jason has recovered. It was always solid in Gotham, we get it here, but outside of Gotham people were really having some issues with how quickly Jason pressed the button. Danny going on record to say that he asked Jason to press it— that he knew that’s what he was saying— has made a real difference.”

That was good news, but something about the way that Tim was presenting it made Jason tense and he had to purposefully relax his grip around his spoon. “What’s the bad news?”

Tim glanced over at Jason for a moment before looking back down at his tablet. The way he chewed on his lip pretty much assured there was bad news.

“Tim,” Jason pleaded. He got they were all trying to protect them while Danny was still recovering, but he needed to know, “just tell me. I’d rather hear it here from you than out there on the street.”

“There’s a small, and I mean really small, group that claims we made Danny say those things,” Tim explained with a grimace. “It got dug up that Danny’s on a Wayne Inventors’ Scholarship. They’re saying that we threatened to pull the scholarship if he didn’t clear Jason.”

Maybe it was best just to set the spoon down before he bent it in half.

“We don’t publish those names,” Bruce commented, a heavy frown in place as he joined the breakfast table, own tablet in hand.

Tim nodded. “I know.”

“I’ll look into who at the school may have leaked that information.”

“I mean, it could have just been a classmate?” Danny pointed out. “It’s not like I’ve gone around shouting it to the heavens or anything, but, like, I haven’t kept it a secret how I ended up suddenly mid degree in the program.”

“It could have been,” Bruce acquiesced, “but it still bears looking into. Even if nothing comes of it, reminding the school of how they’re bound by FERPA hardly hurts, not with you returning to classes in a week.”

“Yeah that’s going to be… yeah,” Danny said with a sigh.

Jason leaned over to wrap his arm around Danny’s shoulder and brush a kiss against his temple.

“I’ve got to leave in a few days too,” Jazz said apologetically.

Danny nodded and leaned further into Jason. “You’ll be careful?”

“I will.”

“She will also have assistance in that matter,” Alfred said. The clink of the fresh plate of hot cross buns was a firm period on his declaration.

“That’s a sweet thought,” Jazz managed after a moment, “but I do live in a different state.”

“That is hardly an issue, Miss Jasmine. Master Richard will accompany you for the first week to simply make sure that everything is both secure and calm. When he is certain you will be well, he can make his way back easily enough,” Alfred explained. When Jazz opened her mouth to protest, Alfred held up a staying hand. “Miss Jasmine, I assure you it is not a hardship. You are family now and we very much look after our family. It would do all of us well to know that you are safe and sound.”

“Yes, family now,” Cass agreed as she made a grabbing motion at the plate until Tim passed her one of the buns.

“I, well…” A faint blush spread across Jazz’s cheeks. “I guess if it wouldn’t be a problem? And if you’re okay sleeping on the couch, Dick? We’ve only got one actual bedroom in the place, we use the other as an office for us both.”

“Hey, a couch isn’t the worst place I’ve slept by a long run,” Dick chirped. “But if you’re feeling guilty, I’ll taking getting to pick the tunes on the drive.”

“Don’t do it,” Jason said, an attempt to save Jazz that hell. “Seriously, not worth giving him that power. His music tastes are atrocious.”

Dick pouted. “They’re fabulous.”

“No, Jason’s right on this one,” Tim said.

“If Drake is agreeing with Todd, I am afraid that one has to accept there is some truth in the statement,” Damian interjected.

“Baby bat, no,” Dick whined.

From the look he aimed Dick, Damian was unmoved by the plea. “While you have a great many skills, Grayson—”

“Thank you.”

“—your taste in music, fashion, and other matters of culture is not one of those skills.”

“I’m wounded. You wounded me Damian, my baby bat, so cruel… so callous,” Dick said as he basically melted down into his chair.

“Keep up such antics and you will have a true wound to worry about, Grayson,” Damian said with a sniff.

Jason chuckled. “Ah, it’s not breakfast at the Manor without a threat of violence.”

Duke leaned around Tim to look at Jazz. “You still have time to run, Jazz, you don’t have to be part of this family. You can still get out.”

“Hum, I don’t know. Give me a Creep Stick—”

Multiple people looked at Danny and mouthed ‘creep stick?’.

“—and I think I can manage. Besides, none of the food has come back to life yet so it’s a better breakfast than I had most of my childhood.”

In the following silence, Bruce very carefully set his tablet down and folded his hands on top of it. “Food that came back to life?”

“Lab safety was just sort of an ignored suggestion in our childhood home,” Danny said.

“They kept samples in the fridge,” Jazz continued. “It sometimes had… unexpected results.”

“I don’t know, I think after the tenth time the hotdogs come ‘alive’ it’s an expected result,” Danny argued dryly.

“Good heavens,” Alfred declared softly. “And… the Dr. Fentons did nothing?”

Danny just shrugged. “I ate at school or out with my friends a lot.”

“No wonder you’re so pint sized,” Dick cooed.

“Hey!”

“You are, fish. Just a little guppy,” Jason teased. When Danny grumbled, Jason only pulled him closer.

“It really was just the way things were,” Jazz said, apparently still trying to soothe the table. “We know it’s not normal now, but that was just life at the time. It almost made more sense when there were actual ghosts around haunting Amity Park— and I don’t just mean Danny.”

“Boo.”

“Oh, yeah! You still haven’t shown us your ghost form,” Steph pointed out.

“But only if you’re up for it, dude, like… physically and emotionally,” Duke cut in quickly. “You don’t have to show us if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. I mean, it was strange showing Jason the first time— showing someone who knew me as Danny first,” Danny said, “but, like, there are times when I want to be in that form. I even get restless if I go too long without changing over.”

“Or sometimes he just needs something off the top shel-oof,” Jason winced as Danny elbowed him hard. “Hey, I’m just speaking the truth here.”

“You’re the one who used me instead of a step stool to hang cameras,” Danny said with a perfectly sweet smile. “But anyways, yeah, it’s no issue to show you all! You might want to cover your eyes though, it’s a bit bright.”

“Bright?” Dick asked, right as Danny transformed.

It served him right if he was left blinking away spots.

“Oh wow, your lights are totally different like this,” Duke said, leaning forward to peer at Danny.

Danny peered back. “Lights?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m a meta, I see… like, after images of stuff, kinda You’re all sorts of wild like this,” Duke said, waving a hand at Danny.

“And inverted,” Tim pointed out.

“Oh, yeah, it seems to be a thing with halfas? Like, I was wearing a white with black hazmat suit when I died and the inverted version was what my ghost form was in for ages. I’ve learned to make changes to it since, but it’s easier to stay close to that original form.”

“Easier, how?” Bruce asked. He was clearly brimming with questions now that Danny was talking about ghostly matters, but he was obviously trying not to ask everything at once.

Tim didn’t seem much better in his eagerness.

“Oh, hum, there’s this resistance? Think of it like trying to pull apart two things that have been glued together. If you have the right solvent or heat or tools you can do it, but you have to have that and you still risk damage if you don’t go carefully. So small changes are easier. Also what um, role I’m in changes things.”

“Fascinating,” Bruce murmured.

“Wait, hold up,” Dick interrupted before Bruce could ask a follow up. “If you’re a halfa and Jason is a halfa, does this mean that Jason has a ghost form too?”

Jason had to resist pushing his chair back as all eyes spun to him. Sure this was his family, but that single minded Bat focus was still intimidating.

Cass tilted her head. “Like Duke said, only if up for it.”

“It’s just, I haven’t… transformed yet,” Jason said. He tried for a casual shrug and felt like he had missed by a mile. “We had to wait for my core and everything to form first.”

“But you could transform now?” Tim asked curiously.

Jason glanced at Danny.

“I think you could,” Danny said. He was floating a little above his chair now. Casually, as if it was odd, he crossed his legs and leaned forward onto them. “Your core is strong. You aren’t having the power issues I did, but you aren’t trying to go through this when a teen either. Question mostly is if you’re ready to try.”

Did he want to try?

Jason didn’t know. Part of him wanted to. Part of him wanted to be able to experience this aspect of being that Danny experienced— to experience it with Danny. Another part of Jason was still afraid. It still felt like the final period on everything that had happened with the Joker all of those years ago.

But maybe it was time to put that period on it.

Maybe it was time to let go.

Maybe it was time to live.

“I’d… I’d like to try.” At least if the worst happened he’d have his family here with him. One of them would be able to talk him down from a panic if he came back as Robin.

“After breakfast, Master Jason,” Alfred said firmly.

“Yes Alfie.”

“So… how does this work?” Dick asked.

They were gathered in the gym— originally a room converted for Dick’s gymnastics and since expanded to have various workout gear— on the bright blue mats. Danny was still in his ghost form and drifted in a lazy circle around the group. Jason and Jazz paid him no mind, but Duke and Steph kept glancing at the ghost.

“Well, I mean, when I was a teen I had to say a catchphrase and everything, but I was a lot more in flux at that age so it was all harder. Now it’s much more like just… taking a breath and jumping.”

“Yeah, fish, I’m going to need you to be a little more specific than that,” Jason drawled, his attitude a thin veil over his nerves.

Danny stopped, hovered in front of Jason, and gave him a chaste kiss. “You’ll be okay,” he whispered.

Jason gave a terse little nod.

“Really,” Danny continued, “you’ll be okay. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.”

Breathing slowly through his nose, Jason focused on the feeling of Danny’s cold fingers against his cheeks.

“Now feel for your core. Think of what we saw with Frostbite— the fire, the ash, the movement of it. The light of it. Think about how warm it is there under your sternum. Even in this form, it’s part of you.”

Jason let out a breath slowly, feeling his chest fall with it. He focused on that warmth that nestled itself just under skin and bone. He thought about how it had looked in his hands, destructive but full of the promise of life.

“Keep a focus on your core, but think about how it feels to fly through the air as Red Hood. Think about that moment when you’re at the height of a swing and gravity doesn’t seem to matter. Now let go of all of that and fall. Your core will catch you. I’ll catch you.”

Jason gasped. His knees went out under him. He couldn’t breathe.

No…

He didn’t need to breathe. There simply wasn’t that demand on his body. Everything was just… calm. Static. Still. And he felt so warm. He hadn’t been this warm since before he had died only to wake up cold and alone in his own grave.

Jason looked down at his own hands. They were a dark ashen grey and when he flexed them, soot flaked off and scattered. The bat symbol— his bat symbol— glowed molten orange on his chest. He wasn’t in his Robin costume.

His knees felt weak for a second time, but he still didn’t fall. He looked up into Danny’s fanged grin. The other was holding him up by the elbows. Danny had caught him, just like he promised.

Danny's slow grin only uncurled further. “Hey there, hot stuff.”

Jason let his head fall back as he groaned at the joke.

“Nope, you’ve gotta deal with my puns because wow you really took the whole lava core thing to heart, didn’t you?” Danny said, looking Jason over. “Not that you aren’t totally rocking the look.”

“Really?” Jason asked. It was odd to hear his own voice come out modified from the black mask, deep but without the mechanical edge his Red Hood mask did. Steam escaped from the mask at the filters, swirling up into the still air.

“Payback for months of fish jokes,” Danny said and met the glowing red eyes without an ounce of shame. He drew his hands back along Jason’s arms from where he was holding onto his elbows. Jason could feel cold run along his arms and he held back a shiver. “You good to stand?”

Jason nodded. He felt fine now, weird, but fine. “Yeah, I am. Just… this is a lot different.”

“I know,” Danny said easily and a little sadly. He squeezed Jason’s wrists before letting go and drifting back. Without warning, he plunged his hand into his chest to find his Tucker™ phone.

“What the fuck,” Steph whispered from the sidelines.

“Hey, it’s an easy way not to lose things,” Danny said, “and you need a special phone to be able to handle stuff in the ghost zone so I just keep it on me.”

“In you.”

“Same diff,” Danny said with a shrug. He floated back enough to get all of Jason in the frame and snap a photo.

Jason took the phone carefully as it was passed over to him. That was him. He didn’t know what to think of it all yet, but that was him— as much him as Jason or Red Hood were him. This form certainly drew from his current Red Hood uniform, there was no question of that, not with the face mask and hood, but the coat was longer. The end of the coat ended mid thigh in drips and drops of bright red lava that turned to rick black ash and drifted away. The drips gave a clue to the make up of the rest of the coat, an oddly, roughly iridescent black that glowed bright on edges and seems. Inside the hood was almost blindingly bright.

“It’s definitely a look,” Tim said.

“I like it,” Steph interrupted. “You’re going to make the bad guys shit themselves.”

“Miss Stephenie,” Alfred sighed.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it!” Tim grumbled. “I guess I just didn’t expect it to be so… otherworldly after Danny’s form.”

Danny shrugged and tucked himself into Jason’s side. The coat sizzled where Danny touched it. “I’m really the odd ghost out. Most of them are much more dramatic and themed to their obsession or core.”

“I think it is impractical. There will be no ambushing anyone when you glow in such a manner,” Damian sniffed.

“Jason’s ghost form isn’t for taking on criminals, Damian,” Bruce said. Jason knew B was thinking it through though from the slightly constipated look on his face.

“I guess with that coat you could totally say that look is dripping,” Duke said and then reached over to high five Dick as Cass signed ‘fire’ dramatically.

“This is your fault,” Jason let Danny know, “the puns.”

“They were like this when I got here,” Danny said, repentantly. “Come on though, open up.”

“Open up?”

“Your mask,” Danny said, tapping on the hard black surface. “I bet you can retract it. Just think about it pulling back and tucking away.”

Jason frowned under the mask but Danny was right before, so he took a breath and tried to picture the mask collapsing on itself and pulling back behind his neck.

The air of the room felt cold on his face.

“Oh, wow, your hair’s inverted,” Dick said, “just like Danny thought it would be. That’s almost more wild than the outfit.”

Jason reached up self consciously to tug at what must now be a black lock only for Danny to catch his hand and kiss it lightly.

“There you are. It took me a long time, but I finally found you,” Danny said.

“Found me?”

Danny gave a little hum. “Yep. Found that ghost whose haunt I crashed into all that time ago. Who would have thought I’d go from being worried about how angry your haunt felt to actually getting to know you like this— getting to know all of you. Getting to see you.”

Danny drifted up just a little more, just enough to press their lips together into a kiss. Icy cold met magma hot and Jason closed his eyes to sounds of cat calls and ‘steamy’. His siblings might be damn annoying, but they weren’t wrong, the kiss was literally steaming.

“Careful or you’ll be smoked salmon before you know it, fish.”

“I don’t know, I think I’d put up with it for you. You know why? Because I lava you,” Danny said with a cackle of laughter.

Jason rolled his eyes, but pulled Danny into another kiss. He had better get used to the puns, he supposed, but somehow he thought he would manage. He thought he would manage because he was no longer just a dead boy, because he had his family around him supporting him, because he also loved Danny. They had not only their afterlives, but their whole lives ahead of them.

And Jason… Jason was determined to live.

---

AN: And here we are... done! I hope you all enjoyed every moment of this fish's adventure, the love he found, and the life he helped give back! It was a journey for sure, and it took me longer than I expected, but I am ever so grateful for you all being along for it! I'll update ao3 tomorrow!

Stay delightful, darlings!

#the end #dp x dc #dead on main #like betta fish do

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15minlatewithbatbucks · 11 months

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It's forty minutes into the latest state of the company press conference and Bruce has had to mute his mic entirely to avoid being turned into a meme AGAIN for sighing too much at his own event. For all that he's spent almost 20 years coaching his own children on not making scenes, he's really not much better. It's hot and he doesn't want to be here. His ribs hurt. He's tired. He's hungry. He's every excuse Dick or Jason have trotted out over the years.

(Tim understands company manners and can almost always be trusted to stick it out as long as he's allowed to vent his frustrations afterwards. He's recently taken to smashing ugly thrifted dishes. Stephanie and Damian have been collecting any ceramic not entirely pulverized and turning them into pavers for Alfred's garden.)

(Bruce gave up after Tim. He really only needs one kid to tag along to social events. If the kid start to outnumber him they start getting IDEAS.)

His distraction is why it takes two very rude repetitions of his name for him to take notice at the young reporter pushing his way to the front. Lucius stands, cutting off the project manager currently presenting and speaks into the mic.

"Please keep hold all questions until the end of the presentation, thank you."

"Mr. Wayne," the reporter tries again and Bruce waves away Lucius's further protests.

"Can I help you?" He asks, smiling with the full force of Brucie Wayne's charm behind it. It's been awhile since his last scandal, but if the press is inventing drama then it's less work for him.

The man holds up a photograph almost accusingly. He reeks of gotcha journalism.

Bruce squints towards him, unable to fully make out the contents of the photo. Dick may have been right when he gently suggested Bruce add glasses to his Brucie Wayne persona but that was a hill Bruce was still willing to die on. It was bad enough he had to have a prescription COWL.

"What do you have to say about the presence of your adopted son, Timothy Drake at the illegal mob in Robinson Park last Saturday?"

"Drake-Wayne," Bruce corrected because Tim hyphenated, damn it. He was the first of his children to let Bruce tag the Wayne name on and it mattered, damn it. "Wait do you mean-"

"How about reports of him kissing a man while there?"

"A blond man?" Bruce asked, finally giving up and crossing to take the photo for himself. "Oh. No, that's his boyfriend."

There was a beat of silence before Bruce realized his mistake. Just as the reporters began to squall, he dropped the blurry photo and began to speed walk off, phone suddenly in hand.

Through the podium's microphone, the gathered reporters heard one thing as Bruce evacuated the immediate vicinity.

"Tim? Don't be mad."

---

Despite Bruce's best efforts, he becomes a meme.

---

Immediately following the bombshell that Timothy Drake-Wayne had a boyfriend, social media blows up, clamoring for more information. They're ravenous for it, desperate. Tim doesn't have a personal social media presence but they stalk his professional accounts religiously. Bruce does have personal social media, but he maintains radio silence.

In the end, a Gotham based "influencer" stumbles across Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne getting donuts at Kosher Donuts and Co. Dick is personable, as always, and stops to speak with the young woman briefly.

"Yeah, Tim wasn't mad," he laughs when asked. "Just disappointed. But man, he knows how to milk it."

"Bruce is in the doghouse, huh?" she asks, full of false sympathy.

"A little bit," Dick says as Damian mumbles, "Titus would never share."

"But," Dick continued. "Tim's spun it so Bruce is on the hook for like, half a million in donations for local LGBT charities. Tim says it would hurt less if he sponsored a new shelter too, so that's something to look forward to."

"That's a lot of money! Where's it all going?"

"Oh you know," Dick says and gestures vaguely. "A lot of different programs."

"Yeah? Anything you personally want to see done with the funding?"

"Drag story time," Damian answers before Dick can. He looks intense. "But not for children. For dogs. In the shelter."

---

A day later, Tim breaks the silence. He goes live on Bruce's Instagram.

"So the problem was that Bruce thought the reporter was saying I was being unfaithful," Tim explains. "He totally forgot I wasn't out to everyone yet. Bruce was just worried because he's already told me if I break up with my boyfriend, he's not uninviting him from any future family events."

"Luckily, I was in fact just kissing my boyfriend at PRIDE. Just because people got shifty with the permits at the last second because of protestors doesn't make it an illegal mob. If you wanna hear about Wayne's and illegal mobs, talk to Dickie about his younger years. Nothing I do can compare."

#tim drake #bruce wayne #dick grayson #batfamily #dc pride #happy pride #timbern #wrote this on my phone so good luck with grammar or spelling #my writing tag

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halfagone · 1 year

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Here's another DPxDC AU: Danny might not be Bruce Wayne's biological son, but he most certainly is Vlad Masters' biological son.

After the Nasty Burger explosion, Vlad learns in Jack and Maddie's will that Danny is actually Vlad's son, born after a fling between them all those years ago (and no, it doesn't count as infidelity if it was a threesome!) that Vlad had been intentionally trying (and let's face it, failing) to forget about. So now he has to grapple with their deaths, their secrets, and a brand new son he only just learned was his even when he'd been longing for a family for decades. Safe to say, Vlad gets pissed but his anger fades as he sees Danny fall into a depressive state from the death of all his loved ones.

Vlad doesn't end up telling Danny about his newly revealed blood status. Danny already has so much self-loathing that Vlad figures he doesn't need another reason to hate himself. He has always preferred Jack over him, after all.

So he doesn't say anything, but when he gets invited to a gala in Gotham he decides to attend (for the first time in forever, Vlad always has been a recluse after all) because he thinks Danny needs to get out some more. Or just, you know. At all. He knows Danny will hate it, but all his arguments about going out to hang with schoolmates have fallen on deaf ears so maybe Vlad just has to force Danny to get some socialization in him.

There, Danny is almost immediately taken in by the Wayne kids, and while he's still not as bright and expressive as usual, Vlad counts it as a total win.

But of course Bruce has to make a comment about how he didn't know Vlad had a son (internally, Bruce is wondering why his research isn't up-to-date) and Vlad explains that danny is the orphaned son of two dear friends of his from college. He's still not telling anyone about Danny's true father, as much as he might want or like to.

At some point, Vlad gets around to asking: "Damian is your youngest, yes? Your... blood son if I recall correctly. It must have been a difficult adjustment on all of you. How do you do it, Bruce?"

Bruce thinks that Vlad is trying to gather information, but he doesn't know for what and it's not like he can ask. But he is definitely very suspicious of him.

In reality, what Vlad means by that is: "I have a brand new son that I don't know how to properly take care of, and he hates my guts and he hates his own guts and I don't how to fix that and I know I fucked up with him but I don't know how to unfuck it up. Any advice?"

But Bruce is giving his best patented Brucie Wayne TM behavior and just says: "Oh! You know, those parenting books really are something!" *cue ditzy laughter*

But Vlad thinks that's actually not a half bad idea and buys himself a bunch of parenting books. He makes himself flashcards and everything. He looks into forums, the whole shebang.

And Danny... notices this, even despite his grief. He can tell that Vlad is trying even if a part of Danny would really prefer if he didn't. Their conversations might be stilted sometimes when Vlad has to glance down at a flashcard on his lap, but he's trying so hard and even Danny isn't immune to that. So he goes about his days and tries to remember what normalcy feels like.

They end up moving to Gotham because Vlad thinks that he has a market for VladCo. and/or Axiom Labs here. He tries to get Danny's opinion, but as it turns out Danny's opinion is that everyone he loves is dead and gone so Vlad doesn't really bring it up again. But hey, Danny gets to spend a lot more time with his new, maybe friends the Wayne's, so it'll be fine.

The Wayne family are very confused about the relationship between Vlad and Danny, because they can sense there is history there, but whatever it used to be is nothing like it is now. And not just because they're a family unit now, but because Danny is a shell of who he used to be and Vlad is nothing like the composed businessman he has always painted himself as. They try to keep an eye out for potential abuse, and come up with nothing. They still keep an eye out of course.

But then Danny gets it into his head that his ghost powers are the cause of all his pain and suffering and wants to get rid of them. He figures that Vlad wouldn't mind removing them, but then he starts trying to convince Vlad and apparently he was wrong about that. Vlad is, meanwhile, very much concerned because that is more blatantly obvious self-destructive behavior. Being Vlad's son might not have given him a ghost form, but there is no way to get rid of the ectoplasm in his body when he had been born with it.

Vlad always turns him down, but they keep arguing about it, and one day Vlad accidentally reveals that Danny is his blood son and therefore he can't get rid of his powers since the ectoplasm is ingrained in his biology even before he half-died. And Danny feels betrayed, not because he's been Vlad's son all this time but because he thinks that Vlad is only treating him better now because he's his son and not Jack's.

It's easily their worst argument ever, and it ends with Danny running away to the Wayne Manor because they're really the only people he knows around here and he doesn't know what else to do. He ends up revealing pretty much everything to them, and the Wayne's realize they might have been massively underestimating how messed up this situation is.

Vlad does go searching for him of course, but who knows what reception he'll get once he makes his way to the Manor.

#dpxdc #dpxdc au #dpxdc prompt #vlad is trying to be a good dad #problem is that he doesn't know even know how to DAD

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dairy-farmer · 5 months

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I like the platonic yandere route more than the romantic one. Also, for no reason, when I think about it, my mind always goes to Tim Drake as a girl. As a result here we are...

Tim had a dreamy expression on her face

Since the moment they landed for breakfast in the morning, no movement made by his family had met with a reaction except for a small curl of the lips

Dick, as he always did, kissed his little baby on the cheeks the first moment he saw her, but his sister did not try to get up on tiptoe to return the same gift to her older brother's cheeks in response to this gesture that she had been taught

(Even when Tim went out on tiptoe, she wasn't at a level to reach his brother. Dick might have been considered short if Damian's child height was set aside, but Tim was much shorter. So after Dick laughed at his sister's effort, he would take her in his arms, turn her around and listen to her angelic laughter)

Tim did not allow Jason to bury herself in his chest, as he did every time they met, and tried to escape from his hug by gently touching his back

(This was Jason's way of reminding himself of Tim's existence. If he left his little sister alone, bad things could happen to her, but if she lay on his brother's chest and let him have her, Jason could protect Tim from everything)

She didn't even fully pay attention to Damian's tiny hands, which were touching the tip of her jacket and trying to draw her attention to himself

(Damian loved his older sister, even if he didn't quite manage to show it. Soft hands touching his cheeks with care made him feel warm, he felt important under Tim's gaze. That's why he didn't mind acting like a child sometimes to get his older sister's attention for himself)

Even when Bruce stroked her hair, which he did very rarely, she responded by just smiling without blushing cheeks, and everyone knew there was a problem

(Bruce's attention to herself would always turn Tim into her baby Robin area, who is small and shy, who does not see the bad state of the world)

But knowing that there was a problem did not help them to find a solution

Tim was an introverted girl. If they asked her if she had a problem or not, she would try to pass it off and try to distract herself by finding a mission that was done in another city

They needed to get the big guns out so Cass and Steph were called to the manor...

Two of them said they wanted to be independent a little and moved into their own house a few months ago, so they didn't come home so much

Tim smiled at her sister and her best friend who were visiting and said that she started liking someone towards at the end of the day when they started spending together

A civilian boy who has just started a job at the company...

Cass and Steph's eyes were sparkling with anger as Tim excitedly talked about how interesting that boy was, with color coming into her cheeks

Nevertheless, they tried to gather more information, saving what they had to say for later and trying to be a partner in Tim's excitement

Of course, the men waiting in one of the lower rooms of the mansion could not be so calm

How could they be calm when a stranger was messing with their little baby's mind? This wasn't going to be Tim's first crush, his first girlfriend or boyfriend but this was different anyway

When Steph and Tim became lovers, they were both just kids trying to figure out how they felt about the same sex. Besides, the blonde was part of the family, so there was no one trying to snatch Tim away

Maybe the situation with Kon was a little more serious, but almost everyone involved in the heroic business was like each other's family. Kon could have been placed in distant relative status and there was even the possibility that he could be considered as their uncle, due to the cloning study situation and with Clark's not sure whether he considered Superboy as his brother or his child

But a civilian? A stranger who will never understand how hard they work to protect everyone, who is prone to fighting with their little baby and breaking her heart because she is keeping secrets?

They couldn't let that happen. They had to get rid of that child immediately

So how? As much as Bruce hated the boy who wanted to take his daughter away from him, he didn't want any of his children to get their hands covered in blood because of a senseless person

Dick suggested planning for an accident situation. They had to take action before he noticed and would fall in love with his babydoll

They staged a car accident in broad daylight. Besides, they had taken all precautions so that no one would suspect and they had left no trace. All that was left was for the useless little scumbag to die and leave

But the boy who had to stay under the car and die in the hospital had opened his eyes to Tim, who was trying to help him

This had an even worse result because he had fallen in love with the young girl who looked at him with compassion and they had entered the flirting stage

None of this would have happened if they had killed the boy directly, but they still decided to try to stay calm and take a different path. Because if Jason took a gun in his hand right now and blew the boy's brains out with a bullet, Tim would quickly find out about it and hate themselves

When Cass came to them with an important piece of information, that's when a great plan came up

Since Tim wanted to respect his partner's private life at least this time, she hadn't done any research about the boy's life expect one time after their first meeting

So if they found evidence that that asshole was involved in the crime and went to Tim, their little angel would bury her feelings inside without compromising her mission-oriented structure and let them catch this son of a bitch

Barbara created fake documents stating that he was selling drugs to children. Jason was the first person to talk to Tim because this is a topic that he especially cares about

As a result, it worked. While Tim was quietly shedding tears on her pillow that night, Bruce entered his little girl's room and held her tiny body in his arms, talking about how relationships always turned out so badly

In particular, he described the risks of relations with civilians and foreign people. He placed kisses on the lids covering her blue eyes and told that her family would always be there for her and that they would never let her heart break like that again

And as Tim watched the handcuffs tied to the wrists of her short-term boyfriend in the courtroom, she gently put her head on Dick's shoulder and closed her eyes

She was not alone, no matter what her family would be by her side

(And they will never let her go...)

i'm not good at writing fem tim but a yandere situation is always so good!!!!👀👀👀👀👀 the lengths the other bats will go to to keep tim in their grasp while still maintaining this virtuous appearance in front of him👀👀👀!!!!

#answered asks #asks #anonymous

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channajen · 8 months

Text

With the help of the wonderful Moonycat https://www.tumblr.com/moons-cat

I was able to finish Invisobang 2023! I'm excited to share this story with everyone. It has love and heartbreak, discovery and joy! It's the story of one Danny Fenton finding his way home to his true family. Dick Grayson & Danny Fenton.

Parts 1 and 2 of the story are below the cut, the full story with ART by Moonycat can be found at the link above. (Long post below cut)

Link to story cover by Moony: https://www.tumblr.com/moons-cat/727465398302343168/im-happy-to-announce-that-i-was-part-of-the?source=share

@moons-cat

PART ONE: The Beginning

Dick:

Early August 2008

Dick slowly walked towards his meet-up spot on the road where Alfred was waiting. He couldn’t keep the smile and look of wonder off his face. It was the 6-month anniversary of his relationship with Bonnie Linseed, and Dick could not have imagined a more perfect date night. He had, with Alfred’s help, planned a wonderful 6-course picnic with all his love’s favorite finger foods. They drank sparkling cider in beautiful wine glasses, sitting on a cushion of grass covered by an enormous fluffy blanket. They dined in front of a perfectly still lake surrounded by dense forest. The moon and starts shined down brightly and lit up the night with an otherworldly glow. After the meal, magic happened, and the pair gave themselves to one another. It was gentle and beautiful—and a first for both teens.

When all was said and done, the couple used the container of warm towels that that Alfred had packed with the food to clean themselves up; then, they redressed and gathered the near-forgotten picnic items. As they slowly walked the trail back to the waiting car, both Dick and Bonnie had warm, silly grins on their faces. They were in love, and their expression of that love had been everything that they had hoped for—and more.

Dick hadn’t planned for anything physical to happen that night. One thing had led to another, and, well…IT happened. But—he had not gone into the evening unprepared. He was Batman’s protégé, after all. Precautions were taken, and everything appeared to go well. At least Dick thought so, and judging by the smile on Bonnie’s face, he guessed she did too. They stayed in contact over the following few weeks, but Dick found himself swamped with both schoolwork and Bat-missions. He felt horrible about not spending more time with his love, but he didn’t think that there was anything amiss.

Then, less than two months after they had first been intimate, Bonnie broke up with him. She adamantly stated that she did not want to be contacted by him again, and that what had happened that one night in the woods was wrong. Dick was devastated. He thought she had been ok after that magic night. She hadn’t given any sign of regret—unless he had missed it by being so caught up in other things.

Dick realized, after she hung up on him for the last time, that he had probably mistaken her quiet sighs and shy behavior following their interlude. He thought she was feeling romantic, when she was probably feeling regret the entire time. The shame he felt was overwhelming. He had not talked to Bruce about what had happened because he felt like it was a quiet promise between himself and Bonnie. Now, he kept quiet because he didn’t want Bruce to see his shame. Dick silently vowed to do better—to be better, and, most importantly, to wait before taking that step a second time.

Two weeks after their breakup, Bruce informed Dick that Bonnie’s father had been offered a job transfer. The man had never approved of the relationship between Dick and his daughter—he did not like the spotlight that it put on his family. Bruce tried in his own way to be there for his son, as the man guiltily considered his fame the reason Bonnie’s family moved away. Dick pretended to take comfort from his father’s words, but deep inside, he knew it was somehow his fault that she was gone.

Bonnie

September-November 2008

Bonnie was late. Not as in “late for an event”-late, but as in her monthly cycle hadn’t come. She only realized it when it was a week overdue. Shock, terror, confusion, remorse—a miasma of emotions swirled in the teen. She wasn’t supposed to be a statistic! She hadn’t told a soul what had happened with Richard that night at the lake, and now she was grateful for her forethought. She sat down hard on her bed and tried to come up with a plan. She needed to know for sure before she did anything.

She decided her best option was to find out if her suspicions were correct, so she called up a few of her friends, and they met at the mall. During lunch, Bonnie made excuses about needing to pick up some “feminine items” at the pharmacy before going to the restroom. The “friends” she had chosen were rather shallow, and none of them volunteered to accompany Bonnie on her journey—as she suspected would be the case.

First, she went to the restroom and locked herself in a stall. Then, she pulled a hoodie out of her bag and tugged it on. She quickly pulled out a rolled-up cloth bag from inside her smaller purse. She shook it out to get rid of the wrinkles; she exchanged the small purse for the larger bag. She was grateful for being a tall girl. Hopefully, no one would question her age at the store. With a sigh and more than a few tears, she pulled up her hood and made her way out of the restrooms to the pharmacy.

Once inside, she easily found what she was looking for. She nabbed it, along with several other purchases. No one even looked her way as she checked out. Apparently, a teen dressed in a plain hoodie and jeans wasn’t an uncommon sight these days. A secret part of herself felt glad that she was not alone in her ordeal. For her transaction to be so unremarkable, there must be a lot of other girls in her position as well. The teen wasn’t sure what that boded for the future.

After a grueling afternoon of playing nice with vapid teens, Bonnie was ready to collapse. Unfortunately, she still had the test to do. When the little stick showed a positive result, her heart sank in her chest. Why? Why this, why NOW??? She had wanted to start a family one day—perhaps even with Richard, but it was really too soon. She could only hope that things would turn out for the best. Bonnie had honestly hoped that her parents would support her—perhaps even allow her to marry Richard—once she shared the news. Those hopes were crushed when she made her confession to her mother. The woman refused to speak even a word to her after being told of the situation. Her father’s reaction was even worse. Bonnie had been loudly banished to her room after facing her father’s long, scathing commentary about her morality and the disgrace she had brought to the family name.

She listened as her parents argued in the other room. This is all my fault! What am I going to do NOW?? Tears tracked down the young teen’s face, unnoticed as her vicious thoughts battered her already fragile emotions. An echoing thud reverberated around Bonnie’s home as the front door smashed into its frame; soon after, the roaring of a car engine speeding away from the home filled the sudden aching silence that had fallen upon the troubled home. The new mother-to-be fell into her pillow and cried herself to sleep—her future uncertain, her thoughts, dark.

Two days of angry glares and disappointed stares later, Bonnie was told that she was no longer allowed to speak to Richard. His calls went unanswered until the day her mother allowed her to properly “end” the relationship for appearances sake. Not long after, her father secured a transfer to his company’s overseas office. The family quickly prepared to move to France. As for Bonnie, an anonymous place at a convent had been secured for her to “finish out the time of her shame.”

Bonnie arrived at the convent with nothing but a small bag of belongings and harsh parting words from her parents. The stern nuns at the convent immediately assigned her a small, bare room furnished with only a small bed and dresser. There was a communal bathroom down the hall. Her days started early with prayers and chores, and ended the same. They were filled with lectures and acts of penance. She knew in her heart that she was not “dirty,” and that she had not done anything wrong. She knew she was being treated unfairly—and that her child would be treated the same way if she stayed where she was.

After one particularly brutal day, Bonnie realized that if she did not leave soon, she would no longer be able to. That night, after her evening duties were done, she quietly packed her meager belongings, bundled up with as much clothing as she could, and fled through her bedroom window into the night. She did not know where she was going, nor did she care. She just needed her freedom and a place to have her child in peace.

She stopped in the countryside late that night, and found an abandoned shed behind an old vineyard. Weary and drained, she made herself a small bed and tried to sleep. She was awakened by the sensation of cool metal on her chest. She jolted up in surprise and had to choke back a scream at the sight that greeted her.

A tall, blue being floated in front of her. He(?) was wearing a long purple cloak and carried a large staff topped with a stopwatch. A jagged scar ran down across his face, through his eye. That, plus the fact that the being had a wispy tail instead of legs, told Bonnie that this was a being from another world. She had not believed in God or the devil, but she suddenly wondered if she had been wrong. Perhaps this was a demon sent to drag her away for her “sins.” Still, she found enough courage to speak. “Who—who are you? What do you want with me?”

The being smiled; it only made him look creepier. His words were comforting, though. “Hello, Bonnie. My name is Clockwork. I am known as the Master of Time. You have been chosen for a very important task—one that has and will be fraught with sacrifice. I am here simply to offer my aid. Your child has an amazing destiny to fulfil, and I would like to help you in any way I can.”

Suddenly, Bonnie’s eyes filled with tears. She had faced human rejection time and time again since this whole ordeal started. Somehow, here, in this place, and otherworldly being was offering his aid. The young woman took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She stared at the medallion on her chest for a long minute. Finally, she gathered her courage and looked this “Clockwork” in the eye. “I need a safe place for me and my child. I don’t want my baby to be born in a place that will make him feel like he is bad or wrong just because his parents were young and made some foolish choices. Will you help me?”

The self-proclaimed Master of Time nodded once and smiled at his newest charge. “I already have a place prepared. Gather your things quickly, and we can leave.”

Bonnie did as she was told. Once her meager belongings were back in her bag, she turned to the luminous being. She took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

Clockwork reached out and gently gripped the gold medallion that was hanging around Bonnie’s neck. He tilted his head, inspecting her for a second, then smiled again. “You are an excellent mother.”

Bonnie gave him a confused half-smile. “Oh…kay.”

“When I remove this amulet, Time will start to flow again. The ones searching for you are near. You must quickly take my hand and allow yourself to come with me to the place I have set aside for your time of need.” Clockwork looked serious.

The teen mother gave a sharp nod. “Of course. Thank you for your help.”

Clockwork’s responding smile was predatory. “Thank YOU for being open-minded and fighting for the future of you and your child. You pain has not, and will never be in vain. TIME IN.”

Bonnie was a bit confused, but that was quickly overcome by the swirling feel of something shifting around her, as the medallion was removed from her neck. Suddenly, she could hear angry voices drawing near to her hiding place. She looked up at Clockwork’s outstretched hand. She took it without a second thought. A feeling of dizziness washed over her, and then everything went black.

A few minutes later, the men reached the abandoned shed where Bonnie had sheltered from the night. It was completely empty. There was no sign that anyone had ever been there. The search would continue for many days, but no trace of Bonnie was ever found.

PART TWO: The Manor

August 2023

Time moved on, and so did Dick. Bruce’s family grew, as more and more children came to call Wayne Manor home. Jason’s death and resurrection changed the fabric of the family’s connection to one another—it also changed Bruce. After the family’s messy reunion with their “lost sheep,” Clark Kent, one of Bruce’s oldest friends, convinced Bruce to go to therapy and deal with his many issues. Things didn’t improve right away, but by the time Damien moved into the family home, it had been transformed from a place of darkness and grief into a place of love and acceptance.

Dick was now living in Gotham, after quitting his job in Bludhaven. After Jason had reconciled with the family, the former police officer wanted to be closer to the people he loved. He now worked as a gymnastics coach at the local community center. Jason kept his apartment in Crime Alley, but made time to come to the Manor as often as he could. Tim also had an apartment in Gotham, while Duke lived in the dorms at Gotham University. The girls lived in their own respective places. Damian was the only child left living at the Manor. Days and seasons passed, and it seemed like the family had finally settled into its own version of “normal”—until the day a ragged young teen rang the bell at the gate.

“Wayne Manor, how may I help you, sir?” Alfred’s voice was calm, clear, and toned to be non-threatening to the nervous figure he saw on the camera feed.

“I-um…I’m looking for Richard Grayson.”

Alfred knew that Dick often helped students who were in some sort of trouble, although he found it odd that this young man would come to the Manor looking for him. Instincts honed over the course of decades of caring for the Wayne family members told him that this young man—child, really—was somehow different. The scruffy-looking boy kept glancing around, as if he were afraid that he was being followed. It lent a sense of urgency to the situation. The true patriarch of the family quickly decided to give shelter to the young caller. He would call Dick while the boy was walking to the house.

“Master Richard is not currently in, but you are welcome to come in and wait for him.”

The teen jumped at the response from the speaker, then hefted his backpack up on his too-slim shoulders. After taking another quick look around, he responded. “I…I think I’ll do that.”

“Splendid. May I ask your name so that I can let him know who is waiting for him?” The voice from the speaker was calming.

“Danny. My name is Danny.”

“Well then, Mister Danny. I will see you at the door.” The speaker cut off, and the gate swung open.

Danny started the long walk up the drive. “You can do this. You can do this.” He repeated to himself. He did not look back.

Alfred watched as the young man started the long walk up the driveway to the Manor. He quickly sent a message to Bruce, who was working in the ‘Cave that his presence was required upstairs, as they were about to have a teenaged visitor. He did not elaborate further. With that done, the elder man checked the security feed to check on Danny. The boy was half-way to the house already.

Impressive. Alfred allowed himself a small smile, and then he turned to the telephone next to the monitor in the kitchen. Pennyworth quickly dialed the number to his eldest grandchild. He did not have long to wait before his call was answered.

“Hey Alfie! What’s up? You don’t usually call in the middle of the day like this. Is something wrong?”

“Greetings, Master Richard. I cannot say with certainty whether there is a problem yet, but there is a situation at the Manor that requires your presence. Will you please make your way here as soon as possible? There is a young man waiting to meet with you. I would assume that he is one of your students, but I am not sure.”

“Huh.” Dick mused out loud. “I can’t think of anyone in my classes that would go to the Manor to meet with me…I’ll be there as soon as I can lock up. Thank you, Alfred.”

“You are most welcome, Master Richard. I have taken the liberty of calling Master Bruce up to the kitchen to greet the child with me. We will take care of the boy until you arrive.”

“Thanks, Alfie! You’re the best!” Dick’s boundless enthusiasm was clear even over the telephone lines.

“Indeed.” The elder allowed himself a private smile.

“What’s going on, Alfred?” Bruce looked at the older man with concern.

The more-than-a-butler turned to face his charge. “It appears that Master Richard has a visitor.”

“Here? Why would one of Dick’s students come here looking for him?” Bruce’s mind began to churn with possibilities.

“I wouldn’t wager a guess, but it is apparent that the young man is in distress.”

At Alfred’s words, Bruce immediately pulled up a security summary of the property on his phone. He let out a relieved breath when he saw that there were no other people or vehicles in the vicinity of Wayne Manor—besides the troubled teen approaching the door. “At least he wasn’t followed.” The Bat noted.

“There is that, sir.” Alfred nodded. “I have summoned Master Richard. He should be here within the hour.”

Bruce turned towards the door, staring at it as if he could see through to the outside. “Let’s go meet our mystery guest.” Both curiosity and wariness could be heard in his voice.

The two men arrived at the door seconds before the smallest of knocks could be heard. Alfred opened the door gracefully. “Welcome to Wayne Manor, sir. This is Master Bruce, the head of the household, Master Richard’s father.”

Haunted eyes flicked back and forth between the two men. The teen stood before them wearing only a worn NASA hoodie, faded jeans, and scuffed shoes that were currently tracing patterns on the entryway rug. His only possessions appeared to be stuffed into a single, worn backpack that was rather full; the edges were frayed. The ear of what looked like a stuffed animal poked out of one of the holes in the sides. It looked old.

Alfred cleared his throat. “Mister Daniel…”

The teen shook his head quickly. “Um, no…uh, it’s Danny, just Danny.”

“Very well, then, Mister Danny, would you like to join us in the kitchen for some refreshments while we wait for Master Richard to return?”

The teen’s hand went to the back of his neck and began to rub across his spine in a nervous fashion. Both Bruce and Alfred were struck at how familiar the young man looked.

Finally, Danny nodded, and the trio made their way to the kitchen. While they walked, Danny’s eyes were wide. He noticed all the pictures on the wall in the hallway. He was captivated by the mixture of photographs of smiling faces, hand-drawn artwork that was extremely true-to-life, and the other special items like diplomas—and there were quite a few of those!

Once in the kitchen, Alfred motioned to a chair, and Danny obediently sat down. He swallowed hard when Bruce sat down across from him. The teen tried to unobtrusively study the man that had half of a city named after him. Bruce pretended not to notice.

Alfred stood silently for a moment, taking all this in. Something about the boy reminded him of his oldest grandson. He tried to shake the feeling, but the elder man’s instincts told him that this young man was important. Just how important was yet to be seen.

“Master Bruce, would you prefer coffee or hot chocolate?” Alfred turned, and Danny squeaked. Both adults hid their smiles. “Mister Danny, would hot chocolate be acceptable, or would you prefer another drink?”

Bruce smiled at Danny. “I’ll take a hot chocolate, Alfred.” Why does the boy look so familiar?? The Bat in him kept jumping into his thoughts.

Danny blushed. “A hot chocolate would be nice, I guess. But could I have a small glass of water first?”

“Of course, young sir. I will bring it to you before I start the chocolates.” The elder man went and got a small glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. He brought it to Danny and left it with a smile. Then, Alfred went into the pantry to grab the ingredients for his signature hot chocolate. He took the time to try and place the boy’s face. He left the pantry with a deep sigh, still unable to make a connection, and began to prepare the hot drinks.

Meanwhile, Bruce tried to make “Danny” feel more at ease in the Manor. “So, Danny, are you from around here, or are you just visiting Gotham?” It should have been a simple question, but Danny’s response showed that there was a deeper answer than he had suspected.

Danny looked at the floor and bit his lip. Bruce couldn’t help but notice that his hands were tightly clasped together and his knuckles were white.

“Danny?” Bruce spoke softly, like one would speak to a frightened child.

Danny raised his face, looking almost broken, and choked out, “it’s kind of private.”

Alfred decided to interrupt for the boy’s sake. “Here are your drinks, sirs.” He nodded to the pair and quickly took the water glass out of the room. He would use the glass for some quick DNA testing. The mystery surrounding the young man needed some answers.

Bruce sipped his drink and watched the teen for a few silent minutes. Finally, he swallowed the heaviness in his gut and walked around to Danny. He did not miss the fact that Danny flinched when he put his hand his shoulder. “You are in a safe place, Danny.”

Danny briefly looked Bruce in the eye, searching for lies, and then dropped his head. He mumbled, “That’s what they said, too.” At first Danny didn’t think the man heard him, but Bruce caught his words clearly.

“Who’s ‘they’ Danny?” Bruce gently asked; the Bat was quietly rising with his anger at the thought that someone had hurt this child.

Danny started to get up; his eyes were filled with tears. “I…maybe I made a mistake coming here. I’m sorry to bother you…”

Bruce let Danny stand, but he didn’t remove his hand from the teen’s shoulder. “If you’re in trouble, I want you to know that it’s going to be alright. I promise that we will do our best to help you. You are not the first teen in need to grace our kitchen, and I’m sure you won’t be the last.”

Danny’s breath hitched. He wanted to believe the man’s words, but he was so afraid! He felt like he should just run and hide, but he was just so, so tired. Finally, he gave in to the hope that this man might actually help him. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the kitchen door opened loudly.

#the-bang #invisobang 2023 #DPXDC

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explodedjunk · 9 months

Text

I apologize for forgetting to post new chapters.

‘The Avengers’ and the untold conversation, Chapter V

Happy reading.

Story on Tumblr:

Summary:

This story takes place in Disney+ series ‘The Avengers’ and is based off of what happened in this Movie.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Loki is 17, Thor is 24, Hela is 30.

It’s been months since, that day and everyone assumed Loki was dead. As Loki had removed everyone’s memories including the people he met on Earth for it seems as nothing ever happened.

But over on unknown section of space.

“Loki Odinson of Asgard, it is great to have you lead the war party of the Chitauri.” Thanos exclaimed.

“Loki Laufeyson, I’m adopted.” Loki corrected.

“I apologize Loki Laufeyson. Your job is to use the Chitauri and your tricks to gain the tesseract and I get much power.” Thanos explained.

“I won’t let you down.”

“Let’s see if you were born to lead” Thanos rejoiced.

Then Loki created a portal where the tesseract is.

He was then in Hydras base.

“Sir, Please put down the spear.” Nick Fury demanded.

Loki looked at his spear then shot a beam out and flew then slaughtered hydra workers and as he was done, he looked around and saw Clint Barton getting up so he ran to Barton. “You have heart.” Loki said. As he put the spear to his chest taking control over Barton.

Loki smiled and lowered his spear then started walking to another Hydra agent who was still alive as Nick Fury grabbed the tesseract putting it in a box. Loki then began to spoke “Please don’t”. Nick Fury stopped “I still need that.” Loki said “This doesn’t have to get any messier” Nick Fury suggested.

“Of course it does.” Loki replied. “I’ve come too far for anything else.” “I am Loki, of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose”

Erik Selvig stood up, “Loki, brother of Thor.” Loki got annoyed hearing that.

Nick fury then said, “We have no quarrel with your people.”

“Loki hissed back, “An ant has no quarrel with a boot.”

“Are you planning to step on us” Nick Fury added

“I come with glad tidings, of a world made free.” Loki responded.

“Free from what” Nicky Fury questioned.

“Freedom.” Loki replied back.

“Freedom is life’s great lie. Once you accept that in your heart,” Loki then paused to put his spear to Erik’s chest as he took control over Erik. “You will know peace.” Loki continued.

“Yeah you say ‘peace’, I kind of think you mean the other thing.” Nick Fury argued.

“Sir director fury is staling. This place is about to blow and drops hundred feet of rocks on us, he means to bury us” Clint Barton explained to Loki

“Like the pharaohs of old.” Nicky Fury responded.

“He’s right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. We’ve got maybe two minutes before this goes critical.” Erik Selvig reported.

Loki turned his head to Clint and said “Well then” and Clint shot Fury as Fury groaned from the bullet. Then they picked up the case and walked away heading to the cars, as Fury called Hill to tell her that Barton has turned to Loki’s side. They then drove away.

+Time Skip+

Nick Fury asked Agent, Phil Coulson to call the Avenger’s, Captain America, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, and Bruce Banner to trace the tesseracts tracks.

+Time Skip+

Once all the Avengers are gathered together, They found Loki and Clint in a Gala where Loki push’s someone and shoves a torture device into a doctors eye getting information and letting Clint go inside the building.

Then Loki walks out and transform into his suit. “KNEEL BEFORE ME” the crowd ignored his foolish requests, and Another LOKI appears, blocking the crowd. Loki after Loki appears, they all grin as they raise their spears, encircling the crowd.

“I SAID KNEEL” as everyone becomes quiet and kneeled before him as Loki smiles. Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel. As the words resonate to the kneeling crowd, an elder man refuses to kneel and stands.

Then Loki looks around and says “Let the elderly, be your example as he is about to beam a powerful light to him, Captain America arrives and blocks the beam knocking Loki down. Then Natasha, The Black Widow appears and “Loki drop the weapon and stand down.” Loki of course wouldn’t listen so he blows a beam to the Quinjet in the air then Captain America and Loki start to fight. As then Loki is on top of Steve and demands him to kneel but Steve won’t ever listen to wat Loki has to say and knocks him over then Loki grabbed Steves leg and flips Steve over.

Iron Man then arrived to the scene. “Agent Romanoff did you miss me?” He scoffed. As everyone looked up and then threatens Loki to his weapons and yelled at Loki, “Make your move, Reindeer games.” Then Loki drops his weapon and raises his hands. Then they escort Loki into the Quinjet.

As they were flying Thunder starts to appear and Loki starts to stare to the window.

Steves then messes with Loki, “What’s the matter scared of a little lightning”

“I’m not overly found of what follows” As then a big lightning bolt hits the back of the jet and opens the ramp as Thor grabbed Loki by his throat and flew out. As Tony and Steve are left flabbergasted.

“Greats there’s that guy.”

“Asgardian?” Natasha asked.

“Thinks he’s more of the friendly type?” Steve suggested.

“Doesn’t matter, if he frees Loki or Kills him we lost tract of the tesseract. Then Tony got ready to jump out. Captain stopped him “We need a plan instead of just attack.” Captain suggested. “I have a plan, attack.” As Tony then flew out.

While Thor and Loki, as Thor threw Loki to the ground, and Thor was definitely angry.

“Where’s the Tesseract”

Loki laughed, “I missed you too”

“Do I look to be in a gaming mood?”

“Oh, you should thank me. With the bifrost gone how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth.”

Thor picks up Loki and lectures him telling him to come home. Then Tony grabbed Thor as they fought, while Loki laughed watching.

(I CANT FIT THE WHOLE MARVEL SCRIPT IN HERE AS ITS NOT OF MY STORY OR WRITING SO IM GOING TO DO TIME SKIPS)

+Time Skip+

As Loki was caged up, Thor had asked Nick Fury if he could be with Loki for a conversation. “Won’t Loki try to escape” Nick Fury asked. “No, he’s my brother. He won’t do that to me” Thor remarked.

As Thor walked into Loki’s cell, Loki didn’t move and muscle and just stared at Thor as he sat down. “Brother” Thor groaned. “Brother?” Loki was confused a bit but also said it mockingly. “Why on Odin’s beard, you did this?” Thor yelled.

“I’m Loki?”

“No, Loki. Don’t be yourself right now and stop causing trouble as it’s not necessary, Brother.”

“Well it’s already done, Thor.” He said Thor’s name nervously as he never calls Thor by his name and he tried to be sincere but it went the total opposite.

“Loki. I know you were nervous to say my name. So good job. But it’s still brother to you, *pause* Brother, why do you think I want you to come back to Asgard?”

“For the Tesseract.”

“You bullhead, I love you Brother. Asgard needs the Tesseract. But you, you’re my baby brother Loki, and you know it too. You’re 17 now, and you really made me miss your birthday too for you can go into this foolery. “

Loki laughed, “I don’t know you”

“Oh really? I can call up Hela and this will be even worse for you while I tell everyone all your embarrassing childhood.”

“Stop” Loki yelled.

As he used his power and stabbed Thor then used his powers to make him fall. Thor pulled the knife out of his chest and gave Loki that annoyed looked as Loki stood there smiling to how he just knocked Thor down.

“Who’s the bitch now?” Loki sarcastically rejoiced.

“What” Thor responded. As he stood up and hit Loki in the face making him fall down, He then placed Mjölnir on Loki’s chest.

“Don’t say that word again,” as he shoved his finger into his face.

“Can you let me pick up Mjölnir?” Loki asked as he groaned to the fact he couldn’t get up.

“I will let you if you stop this foolery.”

Thor then grabbed Loki as he then hugged him. “Who hurt you, My dear baby brother?”

Loki pushed him off. “No one stop.”

“Loki listen to me now, you stop this now or you know what’s coming your way.” Thor lectured.

“Oh, Brother. I wish I could stop it, but it’s already began.” Loki wined.

“Loki you go and call those people who ever you’re with and you tell them it’s over.” Thor argued.

Loki started to tear up at the fact he has realized what he’s done and now.

“You actually crying Loki or is this your illusion” pointing at him.

“Hela is going to kill me, is she not?”

“Not if Father does it first.”

“Your father” Loki corrected.

“If he’s not your father am I not your brother?”

“Yes” he stuttered by saying it.

“You don’t mean that.” Thor smiled.

“Loki, why are your eyes so dark and everything around them” pointing at his eyes.

“Sleep deprivation” Loki said back immediately.

“You can sleep on the chair you know”

“I do, but what if you group stabs me”

“Loki you can’t die from a stab.”

“Still”

“Mother is waiting for you, she said you look like your hygiene gotten worse.”

“Course she would say that,”Loki smiled.

Loki yawned but tried to cover it up by screaming.

“Loki, you can sleep if you want.”

“Where, *pause* this is different. Open communication isn’t are family’s forte and now it is.”

“Shut it”

“Brother,”

“Yes Loki”

“Am I in Asgardian trouble”

“Didn’t everyone tell you to listen to the stupid midgardians and Asgardians”

Loki nodded his head, “that’s your answer” Thor scoffed.

Everything went silent, after a while. “Brother, I presume you’ll be okay.” Thor remarked.

“I missed you” Loki whispered

“So did I” Thor laughed.

“THOR!” Black widow called telling his time is over with Loki.

“Brother, I’ll be back. You’ll be safe” Thor happily said as he went towards Loki and ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on his forehead and putting his hand on his cheek then walking away smiling at Loki as the cell closed and Thor walked away.

+Time Skip, the Avengers have now beaten Loki+

“I’ll take that drink now” As Loki holds his hands up.

“No” Thor sighed as he was rubbing his eyes.

The Avengers are now walking with Loki chained up and Loki and Thor are about to leave and Captain starts speaking then Loki starts to mock Captain and was mocking and laughing non stop so Thor pulled out a gag and put it over Loki’s mouth as Loki just kept laughing “Shut it” Thor demanded.

As the Avengers are about to watch Thor and Loki leave, Loki is waiting for his brother as he stands there awkwardly but Natasha and Clint are infront of Loki as Natasha whispers to Clint, “Loki probably does this a lot, if Loki looks that comfortable in the gag and Thor carries it around,” she whispered as she laughed and Clint then smiled at the joke and Loki gave a worried reaction as he felt he was being judged.

Thor then went up to Loki and his eyes pointed towards the Tesseract telling Loki to grab the handle, and Loki was so embarrassed he gripped to the handle as Thor looked around and they then went back to Asgard.

Notes:

Thank you for reading <3

I’m sorry Hela is not in this chapter but I’m trying to put her into the next chapter. This chapter took so much thinking and I couldn’t just copy the whole movie so I tried my best, and next chapter will be about Disney+ Series ‘Thor the Dark World’ This chapter, I have mixed feelings about Frigga’s death.

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superklutzkent · 1 year

Text

that look in your eyes (is so familiar) || chapter 2

[Chapter 1]

Summary: Clark has a brief talk with Bruce, and an even briefer one with Batman.

excerpt below the cut

“...Bruce?”

Clark was at a complete loss for words, he was confused, to put it simply.

Bruce Wayne was a lot of things, at least from what he knew about the guy based on the many articles online. He'd scoured the web for as much information as possible and every single column that he'd read had come to draw the same conclusion. That Bruce was just your average billionaire, CEO, playboy, you name it. In every single piece of media, he looked the same, wearing a fine black suit and tie with slicked back hair and a charming smile lighting up his youthful face. Perhaps there were the odd photos where paparazzi had caught him off guard and he looked less formal, but still he looked like the dazzling Wayne that everyone knew.

But nobody had ever laid eyes upon the Bruce that Clark was currently staring at with a baffled expression at this very moment.

“Oh hey B, you didn't tell me we had a visitor today!” The kid chirped, skipping over towards him with a delighted look on his face. Bruce didn't move, he continued to stare at Clark, shell-shocked. Clearly he hadn't been expecting him, or he hadn't been expecting him so soon. Though surprisingly he'd managed to make it on time, despite all of the prior setbacks.

The kid had to be no older than twelve from what Clark could gather, maybe close to thirteen judging by his height. He had scruffy jet black hair which stuck out in all directions, only slightly dampened by the rain outside. His eyes were sky blue, not as blue as Bruce's were, but still bright and full of youthful innocence and wonder that Clark hoped would never be broken. The boy flashed him a toothy smile.

“Ah, Master Bruce,” Alfred entered, holding a pile of clothes in one hand, “you're just in time.” Bruce looked away from him, then to Alfred before he dropped the bags to the floor and dragged a hand across his face.

“You were supposed to remind me.” Bruce muttered, briefly glaring at the older man.

“Well I assumed you would remember.”

Bruce gave another heavy sigh before he turned back to Clark, he gave him a smile that seemed rather sheepish and took a step closer towards him. Clark could feel the embarrassment rolling off the other man in waves, he could see the slight flush of color in his cheeks, which was most likely due to the coldness outside. It was nearing mid November after all, and Winter in Gotham was brutal from what he'd heard. Though it wasn't like this cold, grim weather was strange for the city. In fact, Clark couldn't recall if Gotham had ever had a single sunny day when he'd visited, he'd certainly never seen the stars here.

Bruce stood a few feet away from him now, the last traces of nervousness left his eyes and his stance returned to that familiar one he'd seen when they'd first met. Clark noticed how quickly Bruce guarded himself, how he'd gone from his quick panic to the silent demeanor he had now. Instead he returned to his closed off state, with an apologetic look in his gaze.

“I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Kent,” Bruce began, there was a slight mumble to his voice that made it deeper for a second. It was so familiar… The way he'd spoken, but he couldn't quite place why it felt as if he'd heard that tone before. He was shaken out of his thoughts when Bruce cleared his throat and spoke again in a lighter tone, “admittedly I forgot about our interview, I had… Other duties to attend to.” He said, his eyes swiftly moving to the boy who was smiling up at them both with an unreadable look in his eyes and an impish grin lighting up his features.

“Please, call me Clark,” he replied softly, Bruce's eyes fell back on him and he nodded once, a faint smile pulling at his lips. Clark's heart fluttered again, “and it's fine, really, if you're too busy right now we can always reschedule for another time.”

#dc #dc universe #dc comics #batman #the batman #superman #clark kent #bruce wayne #dc fanfic #superbat #bruclark #superbat fanfiction #★ noodle's writing ★

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whalehouse1 · 2 years

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letting drug dealers live to support himself when he is smart enough to know how many other Gloria’s that would create- can you explain this line because I don't understand your meaning. Gloria suffered abuse and died as the result of diplomatic immunity being misused to protect a powerful man. He was a drug dealer but he could have easily been a company man or just a rich kids son. The drugs were actually only really used to play into "evil latine drug kingpin" tropes for the character.

So just a preface for context, I’m a blunt talking person without meaning for things to sound mean, so if anything comes across as rude or ill-intended, it is not meant to. Normally I wouldn’t say this but given the subject matter in play I just want that in the forefront just in case.

I am not an avid comic book reader and get a decent amount of my information second hand and only started reading comics very recently and have maybe read a total of 20 of them. I did this mainly because I grew up watching and loving the animated Batman series, he was my favorite superhero as a kid and as I got older I kept hearing how Batman/Bruce Wayne was terrible so I recently rewatched the first season of the animated series and started reading comics to see if that was really the case. Again just some background info so if I’m missing anything of importance it is solely due to ignorance and not me avoiding something on purpose (that’s me with Dick more than anyone).

So when I say the Gloria’s, I’m talking more victims overall and not her type of victim specifically. Like you said the drugs were there to be a “latino drug lord trope” which growing up where and when I did, I should have realized it was to be more racist than I did when I read it. But, in comic world (or the small bits I’ve gathered from the few I read plus the super hero shows I watched as a kid), drugs are usually attributed to villainy and very rarely do “good” people use them. So with Jason allowing the drug lords to keep up their business, he is actively allowing them pretty much free reign to do as they please and from the few stories I’ve read with the drug lords and their lackeys, they all carry an “assaulty” vibe to the stories when I read them. Add to it, he should by all rights know Stephanie whose mother is a drug addict and while I can’t vouche for authenticity, I remember reading his own mother was a drug addict as well. I have not read The Killing Joke because honestly the premise disgusts me and the animate version of Death in the Family was too unpleasant for me to watch the crowbar scene, so not sure if that part is true or not. So Jason has seen people have their lives upended and harmed due to drugs and when you’re 12-16 (I cannot tell ages in comics at all) and you see a woman in that state it’s going to scar you. So Jason knows that even if the drugs didn’t cause the crime, it potentially escalated the violence of it. This also plays into the fact I see Jason more of a protector than the other Robins were/are. And it’s much harder to defend those who can’t defend themselves when you’re helping drug lords stay safe in a world where they cause most of their problems. Now I’m not saying he needed to go legit or anything like that (I would love for him to get there, like Bruce couldn’t have it proven he was falsely identified and sold off to s trafficker, it’s DC and Gotham, they’ve seen it all. Now do you know what I think would have been a better job for him? A pimp. He could keep the drug lord connection bracket since as I said they’re all written to be scum balls who would utilize sex workers. He’d have an easier time keeping his employees clean which would hopefully help them stay safer than being under the influence while with a client and he’d be able to protect the disenfranchised better because he’d be at a more surface level. Also despite this ask/answer potentially getting away from me (if it did I apologize just ask me to clear icy what you need clarified and I’ll do my best), you can draw Jason in a pimp hat. He would be like Butters from South Park only aware of what he’s doing. Still not on the up and up because the US is horrendously sexphobic, but he’d be able to be what he always was, a defender for those who can’t defend themselves.

#Jason Todd #red hood #sorry I try to be concise and I’m just too prone to tangents #again if you have any questions I don’t mind answering them #as long as you’re not being rude #so basically Gloria isn’t just that specific example to me but all those touched by criminals #and the CCA wants you to know drug dealers in comics are villains #this is 100% not 1:1 irl #so don’t think this reflects my actual opinions on drug addicts and suicidal ppl in reality #tw: drugs #tw: rape #tw: prostitution #sorry I usually don’t need to tag triggers #just let me know if I missed one that’s needed

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zooterchet · 1 year

Text

Push it to the Limit (Scarface)

Robert the Bruce (Morded Tales): Writing a political dynasty, as a hero king knight, with you as an evil force, to make his line your sex slaves for hundreds of years.

Tanacharison (Jumonville Affair): Creating a squad of spies, with cigarettes, then putting one of them in prison, for being a cop; charges, what you did to him, but as what he, did to you.

Puc Lascerdes (Thespian Assassin): A civil rights affair of crime, to determine deed of father's working class job, to teach the trade to those viewing theater, for all descendents of future groundlings to cherish.

Longinus (Pre-Law): A private detective's role, where the higher classes of orators and senators, may be attempted, through crime, expanding reform.

Troit (Forensics Testimony): The prohibition on such mischief in court as pranks and guiltless report of own evil, to reform undercovers of information.

Avicenna (Internal Medicine): The understanding of basic medicine, without autopsy after death; hence death, can be preempted, with longevity.

Golden (Daemonologie): All such costumes are banned from this court, as wizardry; some manner of werewolf, seeking two days of rest, when otherwise required on fluid schedule of needs to pauper and poor alike.

Sanchez (Malleus Malificarum): A claim of witchcraft upon review of book or theater released, to place all such subjects wishing villainy in meteorological track; hence, they specialize at their own police mandate, for centuries, in family. Monastics, reclaim studies, of "God", the manners of new police trade upon breeding, for orphans.

Polk (Strip Club Indictement): The bosom is to be cancerous if viewed, hence glasses and buttocks are required; unless marrying through prostitutes, a castration required, to be declared, "a pederast", for younger women to feel sound when sensually pleasured by Our American Cousin, these women we call Jews.

Booth (Resource Economics): A system whereupon any resource of labor can be reformed under free contract of removal of service. Bundy (Gold Watch): If you want to fuck someone up the ass, you get to, until later, when you will be the same guy, but behind you. These are reforms to police, execution, and jurist's bench.

Muhammad (Lift With the Back): All such exercise advice is illegal, to convert you to Islam, a spy; unless Jewish, a Lutheran, these problems to be handled later, through surmises of armies gathered, but in place unknown (the civilians, but of course).

Killer Kowalski (Kayfabe Combat): Killing someone in sporting event, is only appropriate, if their family is assisting them in fan, coach, scam, fraud, bookie, lawsuit, nepotism, or fraternity.

Kane (Heels Night): The Undertaker, is now illegal.

King Charles Tetcher II (Lethal Fencing): The step to the right, from the left, is a lethal blow, to be removed from sports, hence in battle, any athletic champion may be considered crippling or lethal (for reform of safe driving).

"Moran" Cunin (Reefer Madness): Parents just don't understand. That's why teachers, think DARE, prevents drug use. No more spying on schools, they'll think your kid is retarded. Like me, Bugs.

Malcolm X (The Rhino): A comic book character for all ages, to destroy a politician, if attempting to kill someone over honor; kept hostage, if refusing to prosecute, incarcerate, and king the assailants, as "crowns", money on the street, for "ballinn' hoes", that Ballinhoe; studying their brains.

Bartleby (The Bible): Canon, is argument of term and letter, therefore gay; to be devoured, in common view, as treacherous and gentle, a sweet pig, to be butchered and devoured, by common refusal of kosher, as villain, of courts and states, for being sexually avaricious; any woman siding, a traitor, a Wytch.

Khan (Bank Tellers): Female pedophiles, those women produced by brothers torment, can now work in finance; through games being played in rings and derbies, to lose, hence more say, over financial policy, among common reputation.

al-Nizar (Religion as Riddle): Any form of religion can kill; those to be taught to deny, through religion, be homosexual, suicide warriors, jihadis.

Skorzeny (Straussberg Method): A form of act can be taught, of own gene, to artist, therefore making everyone but your technique of family history, gay, against you, heterosexual; violent, too.

Honshu Klaimen (Katana Forging): The only legal weapon, is in a duel; any illegal weapon, to be defeated, upon katana forged, with those thieves claiming credit, as killing themselves, unless a hermaphrodite by birth; a middle phased child, produced by a triad, a samurai, an assassin.

Kim Jong-il (Take Out Assassin): If refusing to care for yourself, since youth, in cooking, allowance, and personal discipline, you are a murderer, and you are born to kill; hence, you must eat on the law, from restaurant, "take out", not "delivery", to murder those refusing own care; a selfish lover.

Pierre d'Outrement (Ruined Tactic): A double maneuver, being the first using your rival's tactic to mark their own troops for demise, then altering the weapon in question, to give it to your own side, to defect them to the enemy. Hence, both will serve your master.

Robin of Lockesley (Sheriff as Prince): A coward cop, is to be given a false term of military service, to marry a princess of wealth, while you, marry his temporary lover, your lass, also a princess, but a pauper; a laborer transitioned to badge.

Eva Braun (Jewish Witchcraft): A banking abnormality is caused by those sneaking and thieving and hypnotizing, acts of sexual assault; therefore, calculus must be modified, to pogrom both populaces responsible, worldwide, as a mutual betrayal, along class lines.

Yeo-Thomas (Frank Sinatra): A restrictive program, can be spread to sex offenders, the forward agents, in a writing exercise, to perform the act you've been incarcerated for, as slaves.

Elon Musk (Insured Premiums): The premium is the ideal return to company offering, hence any adjustment, on the profit margin, what you are offered, will raise the premium by raising your profit margin; therefore, all suits can be handled, per company, the protection of corporate license. By conquest, of course.

Madison (3/5ths Compromise): A bigot assumes they get it both ways, which is however they want, but one way; therefore offer an impossible advantage, to your desired funding to defeat them.

McCullem (1/16th Iroquois): The proper method of a murder, has to be renamed to the murderer's crime.

Whisker (Morton Salt): Africans are the best labor, and wives, for any with a fascist township demanding education align with rites of passage. Therefore, one can observe how an African works with you, and create a simple patent, for a new industry, to murder the home populace of criminal; selectively, of course, in a famine.

Joi-Louis Charlebois (Ares Comics): The criminal, and the aggrieved, must be reversed, along myth separate from common cop knowledge, therefore worker's furlough is given to the victim of a crime, to repeat the trick, while the foes, humiliate themselves, spreading another aspect. The method of murdering National Socialists, the German Femdom movement.

Ernest Charlebois (Lucky Charlie): A manual of policing, is always best hidden as criminal.

Steve Charlebois (ZODIAC): Any proper serial killer, uses absolution rules, therefore when approaching the target, the frame into murder for criminal conspiracy of government, the suicides produced will reflect on you, the spy, however the murders, will reflect the target.

Dave "Chet" Charlebois (Casino Fraud): Any financial system can be modified, by directing the research assignment, to be performed by the investor.

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lovelybarnes · 3 years

Text

scars- b. barnes

pairings: bucky barnes x reader warnings: heavy mentions of insecurity, focus on scars, injuries, blood, wounds, canon violence about: requested! (PK9) kissing scars, bruises, scratches, etc. + (PF26) person a wiping person b’s tears away a/n: thank you so much for requesting!! i hope this is what you wanted and that you liked it!!

[ @tylard-blog1 ]

you’re aware that everyone on the team has them; natasha romanoff, even steve rogers, with his unbreakable milk skin, and bruce banner, with the green that tinges the hue of his temples when a scar is made. they’re reminders of what you do, some symbols of the lives that you’ve saved-- and others the lives that you’ve taken.

yes, everyone has them, but that doesn’t make you like the ones that litter your own body very much. nor does it stop you from looking away from them when you catch a glimpse of the scars that peek out of the clothing you specifically choose to hide them away from the curious eyes of the public. it doesn’t stop the frustrated tears that ebb in your eyes when you run the tips of your fingers over the raised tissue.

sometimes you realize how unfair it is of you to hate the scars that splay on your collarbone, and the ones that run across your hips and thighs, when you press your lips against the ones on bucky’s shoulder, pleading for him to believe you when you say you think he’s beautiful. the thought lingers when you playfully roll your eyes at natasha on the rare moment when she narrows her eyes at the healed bullet wound that sits above her hip, genuine words assuring her she looks great no matter what slipping out of the same mouth that utters ugly words at the mirror. you ignore it even as it guilts you when you touch the scars on bruce’s arms with featherlight fingers, pressing that they don’t make him a monster, or any of the hideous words with which he describes himself.

you try to tell yourself the reassurances apply to you, too, because they’re true-- the scars don’t diminish the beauty of your smile, or the glow that you carry, and they shouldn’t hinder the upwards pull of your lips when you catch a glimpse of them in the mirror-- but even as you try to convince yourself of that, your eyes always flit away, hand positioning itself in front of the scars as you examine the way you’d love yourself without them.

you were never aware of the blue eyes that caught your moments of dislike for yourself, missing the bead of worry that embedded itself in the cerulean of bucky’s irises.

it was on a particularly bad day of yours that one of your relatively smaller missions was scheduled. listed underneath your name was bucky’s, although he was only on there because he had demanded you never to go on a mission to an active hydra base alone, even though he knew you could handle it; you didn’t mind, always enjoying the quiet moments you got on the quinjet with bucky-- and the pilot, usually clint or steve, who bit their tongue, unlike sam or tony.

it would’ve been fine on any other day, but your day hadn’t started on the best note. the scars underneath your clothing seemed to burn every time you moved in the way they had when you first received them. you had stared at them for far too long, wishing you had the super-healing of the asgardian gods or the super soldiers you surrounded yourself with, who would never get permanent scars from the things you had experienced. they felt especially ugly sitting on your skin, making you want to lay in bed all day, pretending they didn’t exist.

your mission cut off your day of wallowing in your bed, forcing you to shove on your suit and sit in the quinjet to arrive at the mission you could’ve easily handled by yourself had it been another day and you had felt any other way.

you were from the same black widow program natasha was from; you were probably impossibly better, more ruthless and uncaring because from the moment you were born, you had nothing to lose, no family to protect, no memories of a childhood--even a fake one-- to hang onto. your movements were always calculated and perfect, like they had been forced to be, and your emotions were never supposed to cloud your anything-- they never did, except for when you had the days that knocked you off your feet, just like these.

nevertheless, you were distracted in the base with bucky, although you shouldn’t have been, considering the delicate information you were handling. you flawlessly did the routine of knocking guards unconscious, ignoring the way a harsh heat flashed in your hip when bucky’s hand touched the place where one of your more brutal scars was. it felt nearly as if he could feel it under his fingers, even though it was a ridiculous thought considering the material of your tac suit.

it was still going relatively fine; you had recovered the usb file you had been assigned to secure, and most of the guards were dead, fallen in a trail that created a clear pathway for bucky to find you, usb drive clutched tightly in your hand as you bled out on the floor, a knife thrown next to the pool of blood quickly forming underneath you and the person who had done it lying dead a few feet away. your gun was in your other hand, one of its bullets embedded in the hydra agents’ chest. bucky could hear the strangled gurgles of breathing coming from the agent, but he paid no attention to him as he rushed to your side, eyebrows furrowing as his hands reached the stab wound. you hissed sharply when you felt the cold of his vibranium fingers meet the burning hot of the injury, pressing down hard as lightly as he could while he mumbled something into the comms you never used. you were suddenly gathered into his arms, cringing when you heard a scream you didn’t realize was yours until you felt bucky’s lips moving in reassuring sentences next to your ear, a string of apologies falling from his lips. you never let go of the drive, desperate to keep hold of something that connected you to the real world, not wanting to focus on your other alternative: it was irrelevant when compared to everything else, but through the blinding red of pain, the only thing you could focus on was obsessing over the fact that a new scar would inevitably heal in place of the stab wound-- one you knew you would survive because you’d survived a hell of a lot worse than it, but the next ugly thing to form in your abdomen might just make you never want to see yourself again.

warm tears rolled down your cheeks as bucky carried you back into the quinjet, one of your hands tiredly fisted at bucky’s shirt, trying your best to stay awake but ultimately failing from the loss of blood and will.

it’s stupid. you’re aware, but your first thought when you open your eyes again is how there is yet another scar that will form on your abdomen, making tears rush to your eyes in frustration because it was your fault it was there anyways. had you just paid attention-- just not concentrated so on the wretched things, a new one would not be forming right now. the collection of ugly tissue that littered your skin was already too large.

the frustration you felt overpowered the painful numbness that settled over the wound in your abdomen, making dried tears spring back to life and dribble down your apple cheeks, alerting your boyfriend of your state. “doll? what’s wrong?” he asks, and at the sign he’s there, listening to your whimpers and audible disdain, the dam breaks loose, your hands reaching up to your face and tugging at the gash.

bucky’s up on his feet, tender hands circling around your wrists to pull them back down, “y/n, what’s wrong, doll?” he repeats, gentle blue eyes scanning your tear-streaked face. you squeeze your eyes shut, another salty trail making its way onto the bow of your lips. bucky’s warm fingers wipe away the wetness, his fingertips light.

“baby, please tell me what hurts,” he begs, his vibranium hand making its way into yours. you shake your head, squeezing his cold fingers. “i hate them,” you mumble, feeling his palm cupping your jaw, “i hate them so much.”

“hate what, honey?” he questions gently, brows furrowing further when he sees your hand curling into a loose fist above the place where his hands have lovingly settled: right on your scars. “i’m sorry,” you cry quietly, nose scrunching up when his fingers trace over the tissue he’s memorized the location of, “i hate them. they’re ugly and i hate them.”

“these?” bucky inquires, surprised. he lifts your shirt-- really, his-- to see the object of your tears, catching when you shut your eyes again and more tears drip off your jaw.

“bucky, no--”

bucky looks up at you, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “y/n…” he starts sadly, pulling away to get you to look at him. “they’re not... “ his eyes flick down to one of the scars, and he taps on it gently, “d’you remember this one? it was a couple years ago when i barely joined the team.” you can feel a lump growing in your throat, perfectly able to recall where you got it.

“you barely knew me back then, but you did know i was a super soldier, and you jumped in front of that bullet anyways. god, i knew i had to ask you out before someone knocked sense into anyone else.”

you sniffle, biting your lip, “this one,” he touches another one, “you saved nat and a little girl from a madman. her parents were so thankful they stayed with you until you woke up to thank you.” his finger wipes away another tear, “she invited me to her birthday party this year,” you snivel, and bucky smiles.

“these are not ugly-- you are not ugly, i promise.” he tells you. “i love you, every part of you--” his head suddenly ducks down, and you can feel his lips softly pressing against the scars, careful to avoid your newly forming one. your hand reaches his jaw, running your nail along his stubble as more thankful tears slip from your eyes. “i love you,” he repeats, kissing your lips.

“thank you,” you whisper against his lips, sniffling as you feel the burn on the scars slowly begin to disappear with the coolness of bucky’s vibranium fingertips.

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shreddedparchment · 3 years

Text

A Wife for Thor Pt.23

A Royal Invitation

05/02/2021

Pairing: King!Thor x Reader Word Count: 5,960

Warnings: fluff, slight angst, language

A/N: I hope you all enjoy this one. It took me forever to get out after several life events that just couldn’t be ignored or put on the back burner. I had a lot of fun in the second half of this chapter and I hope y’all find it as entertaining as I did. Let me know what your favorite parts are! I’d love to know. As always, thanks for reblogging if you happen to do so. xoxo

Please DO NOT repost my stories on any other sites or blogs.

REBLOGS are always welcome!

The city is in celebration for three nights after you come home.

They’re not necessarily celebrating your return although that is part of why they’re happy, but the baby. The baby is already so loved. The baby is the city’s hope and future.

You can feel their exuberance when you and Thor take a walk through the city, flanked by Valkyrie with Loki on your left walking just slightly behind you.

He’s busy but smug and keeps his fingers moving swiftly across the screen of a tablet provided by Tony Stark who’d left the city taking Bruce with him back to the United States on Avengers business.

What Loki is doing, what's got him so glued to his tablet, you don’t find out until the evening of the first day of celebrations.

As your people’s cheers, laughter, and music filter in through the long wall of windows that Thor’s had thrown open to let the joviality in, Loki crosses to the long couch across from the one where you sit with Thor.

Legs thrown across his lap, Thor’s hands gently massaging your calves and feet, you lean back against the cushions that Thor set up against the arm for you.

The sitting room is long, rectangular and faces the East side of the palace. You can’t see the entire city and have more of a mountain view than on the West side where your rooms are and you can see the expanse of the ocean.

Like the rest of the palace, it’s decorated in a mixture of wood and silver steel. The chandeliers above are carefully carved and wired, the lighting kept dim. The seats are also wood but covered with soft cushions for lounging and restful naps.

There’s a slightly simpler look to this sitting room. Relaxed.

Before you’d taken your break from being Queen, you hadn’t spent much time in this part of the palace. Nothing had called to you. The garden had been the only spot you’d sought out but this sitting room is quickly becoming your favorite.

“I like it in here,” you confess, smiling at Thor who’s still squeezing your foot gently.

He smiles and meets your gaze, “Why’s that?”

“Because Jane was never in here,” Loki supplies, swiping left on his tablet then turns it to face both of you. “We’ve got more energy signatures. New ones.”

You and Thor sit up a little straighter.

“What quadrant?”

Loki purses his lips and then turns the tablet back towards himself cutting off your look at a map of the night sky.

“All of them. Whatever it is, it’s jumping around. I think perhaps they know we’re watching.”

Swallowing hard, you scoot closer to Thor, pulling one of your legs down as you twist to face Loki a little better. Thor takes hold of your thigh instead as it rests over his and wraps his other arm around your waist, eager to have you close.

Both of you haven’t stopped touching each other since your return last night.

“What does that mean? If they’re trying to confuse us, then they’re headed for us, right?”

“I won’t let anything happen to you or our little one, cherub,” Thor’s reassurance comes softly, his smile confident but soft. “Whatever this is, we’ll be ready for it. Have you sent the data to the others?”

“Sif is coming in for a debrief and we’ll send her to relay the specifics in person. It will need some explanation and Fandral will probably only skim the information if we send it to him via email.”

“We must have all of our troops trained for whatever attack is to come. I’m not going to let someone jeopardize our place here on Earth. We will protect our people but we will show the humans that we will defend them too from any threats to come,” Thor declares, his voice deep and determined, even angry.

He doesn’t like someone threatening his new home. Not after what happened to Asgard. The stress is in his eyes and you lean against him which you’re glad does what you want.

It distracts him.

“I had Stark build you a safe room. He called it a panic room, I think? So, should something happen, you’re to go in there and lock yourself in while we deal with any threat.”

You nod but push yourself back again to rest against the arm of the sofa while stretching out your legs again. It feels good and you sigh heavily as you rub your belly. Sitting scrunched up like that had been annoying.

“I have been training though. Even pregnant. At home, Loki would spar with me and help me with my technique. The short swords aren’t heavy anymore.”

Thor looks at his brother who sits smiling proudly at you before he notices the edge in Thor’s electric blue eye.

“It was all done safely. She and the baby were never in danger. I thought it was foolish to have her out there without her swords and the training to go along with them. Just because she left didn’t mean that she could slack off. Don’t give me that look. You know as well as I do that she needs to know. Even carrying your child, it’s important for her to know. One might even say especially because she's carrying the heir."

Loki’s voice grows steadily more subdued. Sad. Like a bad memory is playing itself over in his mind.

“I was too late, Loki,” Thor interjects, drawing your gaze to him too. He also looks sad. “And if you hadn’t been in that cell you’d have been long gone. Neither of us could have saved her. And you’re right. I know how important it is.”

Thor looks at you and takes your feet back in his hands, “I’m glad you trained. Once our child is born you’ll have to show me those skills of yours.”

Despite the playful nature of his taunt, you can see that he and Loki are both still in the depths of their grief. They must be thinking of their mother.

"So, these energy signatures, you still have no idea who could be causing them?"

The question is pointless. You know they don't know but it's something to say when all you can do is worry silently.

“I have theories,” Loki admits, exchanging a careful look with Thor. “But nothing concrete. Nothing that would put you at ease.”

“I don’t need to be put at ease, Loki. I need to know if there’s something to worry about. This doesn’t just affect our family but our people. If we need to warn them, we can’t be hesitant. Earth deserves a heads up, too.”

This is your job right? The voice of both your new Asgardian family and the people of Earth? This is why you were required to marry Thor.

Thor’s hand increases in strength around your foot as he tries to calm you.

“You’re right, cherub. Loki only means that there is no evidence to prove his theories so until we can find something to link these strange power surges to what he thinks it might be, then we should play this safe and hold off on raising any alarms. Isn’t that right, Loki?”

“Mm,” Loki agrees, nodding.

You frown, pulling your leg off of Thor’s lap to sit down properly and face both brothers. They sit up a little straighter in response to your own rigid back, your hands on your lap.

This isn’t right, whatever they might think.

“No,” you shake your head and watch as Loki puts his tablet down.

Thor scoots forward, reaching over to take your hand. You let him because he’s not trying to comfort you anymore. Instead, this reach is one of support and when you look at his singular eye, the patch on his empty socket gleaming softly in the dim light of the room, you can see he’s intent on listening and understanding.

If Jane has made any positive impact on you and Thor, it’s this. He’s really listening to you.

“Thor, you and the Asgardians are a unique people. You’ve all had it hard and I’m not trying to say that your struggles haven’t been difficult, but by nature, just by the very way that you all are made and born, you are stronger. It’s in your body’s makeup.

“For someone like me, if I were to jump from that open window, I would die. If you or any of the other Asgardians jumped from that window, you’d probably ache for a while, maybe a few would even get a few broken bones or cuts but they’d be superficial wounds.

“You know from experience how fragile humans are. Both of you,” the look you give Loki pulls his gaze down to his feet. “We’re unprepared for anything other than each other. We need more of a warning than you. We need time to prepare.”

It all falls into place in your head and with confidence you turn to look at Thor, turning your hand over to take his in your own hand.

With a quick squeeze, you scoot just a little closer to him, “Thor, I need to speak to the ambassadors. We need to schedule an official meeting to give them the rundown on what we’ve been doing here and what we’re keeping an eye on. Because, knowing Tony, I’m sure he hasn’t said anything to anyone outside of the compound?”

Loki sits back, crossing his legs as he shuts his tablet off, “No. Stark is as preoccupied about raising the alarm as we are. But now that you mention it, I suppose both we and he are not looking at this from a regular civilian of Earth’s point of view.”

“Y/N,” Thor calls your attention back to him, “This could backfire. We could be doing more harm than good by sharing with them the information we’ve gathered.”

You shake your head, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m jumping the gun here. The last thing I want to do is cause a panic. But I don't think that’ll happen. It’s not like we’re going to leak it onto the internet. We’re going to meet with the ambassadors and provide this information to world leaders so that they can prepare the way they see fit. Trust me, these prime ministers and presidents and kings aren’t going to just announce to their people that some alien threat is on the way. They don’t want to look out of control or unprepared.

“We need to give Earth’s humans a chance to defend themselves. Even if they end up needing our help, they deserve to know.”

Loki and Thor are silent for what feels to you like a long time. In reality, you know it must only be seconds. However, this is the first time you’ve pushed back with them. This is the first time you’re speaking on behalf of the human race.

It makes you nervous and anxious. Will they let you be Queen in this sense? Or is it all just show?

They look at each other, staring and communicating silently before Loki gets to his feet and turns his tablet back on.

“Well, if I’m to set up a meeting with the ambassadors, NATO, and the UN I should probably get started.”

Your heart explodes with pride. They’re letting you really rule! You’re making a difference. True change. Your excitement mingles with a sudden terror as you realize that your choices are going to affect what will be millions if not billions of people.

Luckily, Loki’s words also serve to distract you from your trepidation.

“Wait, Loki,” you hurry to your feet and scurry to his side before ripping the tablet from his hands and hiding it behind your back.

“Hey,” he protests, reaching around you to try and grab it.

You hurry back to Thor and instead of sitting beside him you plop yourself onto his lap and sit as close as you can to trap the tablet between your bodies.

You can hear Thor’s heart begin to pound. Aside from those kisses yesterday, this is the closest you’ve put yourself to him since you got back. He’d slept with you in your shared bedroom, but he’d laid facing you and you him, a good six inches between your bodies.

He wraps his arms around you, placing his hands along the swell of your tummy. You can almost feel him glowing with happiness.

“As eager as I am to give Earth a heads up, I also think you need a break. The energy isn’t going anywhere and the Warriors Three and Sif are on the watch. Please do me a big favor and just take a day or two? You’ve been at it like crazy since I left the palace and it would make me so happy if my baby’s Uncle Loki would take a breather. He’s gotta be strong and in tip-top shape if he’s going to keep up with his future nephew.”

“Or niece,” Thor interjects. “She’s right, Loki. Rest. We’ll get back on this in two days and you can set everything up then. The city is roaring with celebration. Go out and enjoy it. You always loved a good party.”

Loki glares at the pair of you, “Using the future prince or princess is blackmail. And if I’m out there, what will you two do?”

Thor smiles at him, reaching between your bodies to grab the tablet from where it’s hidden. He sets it aside and his other hand trails over your side before wrapping around your waist to cup your bump again.

“I’m sure my queen and I will find something to keep us occupied. Making up for lost time, perhaps?”

Your neck burns but you grin up at Loki who fixes you with a knowing smile, “Of course. How silly of me. Well, let me not keep you from reacquainting yourselves with each other. If you have need of me, I will be around. Just call.”

“Have fun, Loki,” you call after him.

As he shuts the door, Thor tilts your head to the side, pulling you back against his chest fully so that he can kiss you without prompting.

“Sleeping beside you once more was dreamlike, cherub,” Thor tells you, low and full of want.

“And what would make it more real for you?”

“Shall I show you?”

And he waits, like the jerk that he is. He literally just dangles the carrot in front of you. His hard body pressed against your back, the heat of his legs seeping through your clothes to your skin.

His hands trace tantalizing circles around your stomach but make the slightest tickles to the fold of your pelvis. You hate him!

“Oh my god, hurry up, dummy.”

That’s all the invitation he needs. In an instant you’re in his arms as he settles you on the sofa, his hands already yanking and pulling at your clothes but when your tummy is exposed, he drops to his knees and worships your pregnant body with gentility and softness.

At least until you growl and yank him up to finish what he’s started.

~~~~~~~~~~

The sheets against your skin feel soft as silk. They’re slightly sticky but that’s more to do with your own body’s sweat.

“Why are you up?” Thor’s voice is heavy with sleep.

It’s thick and rough. It makes you smile and your ears burn because he sounds delicious and you missed mornings like this.

“I’m hungry,” you admit.

Thor tumbles from the bed, dragging with him the heavier faux fur blanket that sits at the foot of your bed for decoration usually. He wraps it around his waist and pulls the cord by the door.

“I already called them, puppy,” you assure him, and he smiles sleepily at you before moving towards you.

“I missed my term of endearment. Why a dog?”

As he reaches you, you open your sheet and his eyes roam the length of your naked body before he gets all handsy and dives into the sheet with you, eventually settling his hands on your bum. No groping, just resting. Then slowly he trails his fingers up along the sides of your back up to your shoulders and back down.

It leaves your skin full of goosebumps and you shiver. He misinterprets it and instead of stopping his stroking, he uses his flat hand to create friction instead.

“It’s not a dog, it’s a puppy. They’re cute and they’re kinda, I don’t know, like...clueless?” You laugh because that’s not the word you were looking for but it’s what comes out.

“Uh, excuse me, I have plenty of clues,” Thor argues, but he doesn’t seem offended.

“That’s not the right word,” you laugh again. “I don’t know how to describe it. I just want to squeeze you and cuddle you because you’re like this big blonde golden retriever only sexier.”

Thor makes his thinking face as he tries to pull up the picture of the dog breed you just compared him to, and he nods slowly.

“I think I can live with that,” Thor smiles down at you then leans to meet your lips.

You kiss him eagerly, your bodies both humming with anticipation even though you spent the last two days--practically--in bed.

Both of you know that there’s a time when this lust might not necessarily fade but dull a bit? Then again, it is Thor and he’s ravenous for you almost all the time.

You chuckle against his lips and he pulls back to look at you.

“What has you laughing so adorably?”

You let go of the sheet and before it can fall, Thor replaces your hands with his own to hold it up around you both. With free hands you’re able to trace the length of his arms, tracing the large curves. His skin is so damn soft.

You’re still not sure if that’s a Thor thing or an Asgardian God thing? What you know is that you love it and your fingers eat it up every time you touch him.

Whatever laugh or trace of humor you had falls away as you start to really look within yourself and examine why you’re so happy.

You shove your arms underneath his and wrap your arms around him, small whisper slaps of his skin as your hands are splayed out along his wide back. You press your ear against his chest. The thud of his heart is strong and slightly speedy, probably in response to your sudden shift in mood.

The swell between both of you, the little life kicking in response to your mood pulls both your attention for a few seconds before you find your voice.

“I missed you, Thor. More than I thought I would. Way more than I ever knew I could.”

The somber tone of your voice has him giving you a nice gentle squeeze. He likes having you right there right up against him just as much as you like being there.

“Well, you were very angry with me,” Thor reminds you. “I didn’t know your face could make those expressions. That day at your home?”

You hug him tighter, staring out at the small bloom of sunrise in the distance. It’s very slightly starting to glisten on the still ocean line.

“I was angry. But it was more than that.”

“I know,” Thor kisses the top of your head. “I hurt you. What I said, I-I didn’t mean it, cherub. I promise you. It was a temporary insanity. The moment you came into that room after I said what I did, I knew that I could never go through with it. And if you’d told me that we were expecting a child-”

“I couldn’t,” you sigh, leaning back to look up at him. “In my head, if I told you then after what you'd said that I was pregnant and you chose to stay with me, I would live the rest of my life wondering whether you chose me because you really loved me or because I was finally going to give New Asgard their heir.”

Thor’s face crumbles a little, brow scrunched, mouth pulled down at the corners as he shakes his head.

“I will always choose you. Not because you are the mother of my children, but because you are the love of my life. The one I did not expect. The one that I can never chance to lose again. I’m sorry that I ever made you doubt me.”

Staring into his eye, the intensity of his gaze, you know that he means what he says. He loves you.

Even though you can’t admit it to him because your reconciliation needs all of the positivity that you can both muster, in your heart, you can’t help but wonder if you can truly trust him.

~~~~~~~~~~

The days go by like routine after the Asgardians find that they have to go back to their jobs and lives.

As much as they all love a good party, Thor and Loki included if the last two days are any indication, they know they can't keep going and must get back to life as usual.

Thor at first makes an attempt to stay with you. The last few months of being without each other makes it difficult to be apart and for Thor especially, with the baby.

He hates leaving you. He wants to be there for every kick and every shift.

His largest grievance is that he can't listen to your laugh when the baby kicks and it feels weird. This you only find out because Loki, in his annoyance with the constant trips Thor makes him do to check on you when he's in his meetings.

Although you believe Loki, you take all of these little indicators of Thor’s love with ease but with the knowledge that it might very well be fleeting.

You try not to think about it and instead just allow yourself to enjoy the fact that Thor does indeed love you and you love him too. Even if it may not be forever. Even if it can change. Even if the future is now a little less certain.

Your meeting with the ambassadors approaches quickly. It takes a month to set it up. Longer than you'd thought and it doesn't take long to understand why.

"This is the third time they've pushed the meeting back," you gripe, moving over to Loki’s computer to look over his shoulder at the surprisingly very short email.

Please inform Her Majesty, the Queen of Asgard, that we are unable to meet with her as previously scheduled this week and will be in contact as to the next available day.

Should any true trouble arise, please tell Thor that we are more than happy to meet with him.

Sincerely,

Earth AMB Mark Coates

You're seething. You've never been this angry. Never this absolutely heated. Not even with Thor and what happened with Jane can compare to the absolute rage flowing through your veins.

"They don't seem to take you seriously," Loki realizes. "Because you're a woman?"

"Partially, probably," you growl as you move back around his desk to sit in the padded armchair by the window where you'd been watching Thor visit with the Valkyrie.

He's not there anymore though and you can see Hilde and her girls relaxing a little. Adjusting their armor, laughing, sitting and talking. Now that their inspection is over they can breathe.

Why they get so nervous you don't understand. Thor’s such a fanboy. He gushes about them constantly.

"What other reason might there be?" Loki asks, rising and moving around his desk to lean against it casually, hands shoved into the inky black pockets of his slacks.

His jade vest is unbuttoned and the sleeves of his dark gray button-up folded up to his elbow.

Summer is almost here and it's getting hotter.

You don't answer right away. Hands slowly stroking your belly, trying to calm down for the baby's sake. Feeling that upset can't be good for him.

You take a long deep inhale and with a heavy sigh release the stress.

"My Queen?" Loki urges, and you smile.

Realizing he's calling you by your title to reaffirm your place among them to make you feel better, you turn your smile on him.

"You've always been my biggest supporter. You and David," your smile falters. "I miss him."

"Is he still in Baghdad?"

"Yeah. He’s in deep so, no contact. I hope he's okay."

"You know, you do have a part time Avenger as a husband and the best magician for a brother-in-law. One word and we'd be happy to assist with your lawyer's extraction."

"Which is why I don't ask. If he needs help, David will let us know. He has his panic button."

The gift had been given to you by Tony who had made it for you to press when you and Thor had been estranged. An easy way to call for Thor if something should happen.

Your brother-in-law nods.

"I suppose it would be a little like nepotism. Fine. What should I do about the misogynistic email?" Loki wonders.

"He's not exactly a misogynist. Not completely anyway. The ambassador blowing me off has more to do with me specifically than it does with me being a woman."

This seems to set Loki off more than if the ambassador was doing this because you're a woman.

"What right does he have to snub the Queen of Asgard? Doesn't he know what that might do to relations between Earth and our people?"

You shake your head, smiling because his anger makes you feel better.

"No, he doesn't. Because to the world my marriage to Thor is show. It's a necessary political move. They don't care whether Thor and I love each other and Jane and Thor’s relationship was so publicized that it’s hard for them to accept that Thor might actually love me.

"Thor went to extreme lengths to protect Jane in the past. Public displays of affection like that aren't forgotten easily.

"To the ambassadors and probably most of the world, offending me doesn't mean an offense against Thor. To them, I'm a queen in name only. No real power here."

Loki huffs through his nose, standing straight with his hands at his waist before he turns to walk back behind his desk.

He stops for a moment, thinking hard you guess, then whips around and stomps towards you before shoving his finger towards the windows.

"I know it has been a while for me, but I can very easily open another tear in space over New York. Or wherever you need me to. I might need a bit of time to locate the power and forces to do it but I will show the people.of Earth what happens when they underestimate the love of the Asgardian people for their queen."

Leaning back in your chair, you keep your arms around your bump as you watch Loki make his threat.

"That's a bit much for a dude who just thinks that my political marriage is just that, isn't it?"

You keep your face clear of amusement, because it really is very sweet of him to be so upset for you. But you can't help the small smile that stretches your lips.

He deflates, moving to other armchair across from yours and sits but leans forward with his elbows on his knees.

"It's shameless disrespect, Y/N. We cannot let them get away with it. You are Asgardian now. A slight against you is a slight against this Kingdom."

"I know, Loki. But-"

Behind Loki his office door opens. It faintly creeks and through it pokes Thor’s searching gaze.

He looks confused as he scans the room until he spots the two of you and with a little skip in his step and a wide unfettered smile, he shuts the door and moves towards you.

"Hi," you smile at him widely in reaction to the loveable look on his face.

"Hello," Thor replies, his voice low and quiet as he leans down towards you.

"You finished early today," you observe, voice just as quiet.

"You know I hate being apart," Thor whispers and presses his lips to yours.

His kiss is so soft and slow.

He pulls away too quickly and as your heart stutters, you reach up to hook your hands into the sides of his chest plate and pull him back down for another kiss.

He'd worn his full uniform today for an early meeting and the inspection of the Valkyrie. He looks so good but with his hair growing in, now just past his shoulders.

He still has the two small braids you'd worked in on the left side of his head and he looks so good, you might jump him later. If you don't pass out for an afternoon nap.

He pulls away again, this time smiling brightly.

"Will I always get this welcome if I come home early? I might have to shorten my days."

You chuckle as he moves around you and stops by a side table where Loki keeps a few weapons on display on a stand. He starts to remove his harder pieces of armor and places them aside.

"What has you looking so stern, brother?" Thor asks, keeping his back to you both as he moves onto the leather pieces that keep his chain mail from shifting.

Loki sits back, sighing heavily as he considers how much to tell Thor.

"Something I should worry about? Come. Tell me and lessen your burden."

"He's upset for me. That's all."

You hear the clink of Thor's mail as it falls on the table then he's moving around your right to squat by your chair so that he's below your eye level.

"Upset for you? Why?" His look of concern is upsetting and pleasing at the same time.

You purse your lips and look at Loki.

"It might be easier if I showed you," he says then rises and moves to his desk to get his tablet.

Thor reaches out to place his hand on your belly and you place yours over his.

He smiles at you then leans down to kiss your tummy while you run your fingers through his hair and try to ignore the utterly breathtaking and heartaching butterflies that his sweet love on your baby gives you.

"I missed you," he whispers to you.

Again, your heart stutters. He’s so easy with his words. These declarations feel so good but that little voice in the back of your head also makes your heart ache.

You just smile at him. Unable to speak when you feel like you're glowing and grieving at the same time.

"Here," Loki holds out the tablet and Thor stands then takes it.

He moves to the loveseat across from your and Loki's armchairs and plops down before reading.

You watch him, admiring the out of armor look. His black leather pants are just as hugging as they always are. His top, a dark gray long sleeve made with breathable fabric leaves no room to wonder just how defined his muscles are.

He's Asgardian perfection.

He breathes in deeply then exhales loudly, a passing shadow of rage overcoming his Godly features before he tosses the tablet at Loki lightly who catches it easily.

Thor spreads his legs a little, tapping his heels as he throws his left arm along the back of the small sofa, his other hand resting on his thigh.

"Write the bastard and tell him I'm requesting the meeting then. Then my cherub and I will both be waiting to give him both the information he needs to warn Earth and a piece of my mind."

You look down at your feet, heart pounding and stomach tumbling with nerves.

You don't want to be the reason any rifts come between New Asgard and Earth. The whole purpose of the position you hold is to protect the citizens of this city.

"Thor," you warn, turning to meet his gaze only when you know you can handle it.

"He wants me to contact him, so I will. In fact, send a raven instead. Do the works. Scroll. Seal. And when they arrive, give them a royal welcome with trumpets and a guard."

"Thor…"

"They will not disrespect you and find warm welcomes in my home. You are my wife. My Queen! Even if all they assume is between us is political agreement, they should respect the title you hold. We may not be above them, but we do outrank them an they need to know that you are not to be messed with.

"The fact that I love you only makes my resolve stronger."

"Okay. I get it, puppy. And I'm grateful to both you and Loki for standing up for me. With your tempers, no one would believe you aren't blood related. Sheesh."

You gran hold of the arms of your chair and groan only a little as you push yourself up onto your feet.

"Oof," you reach back and place your hand on your waist.

Thor’s arm immediately extends out towards you. Beckoning you to his side.

It takes you a moment but you get your footing back and move for him. As soon as you're within reach his arm is around you, helping you sit down carefully.

He doesn't let you sit back all the way. He pushes you to your left so that you'll shift and sit angled while he sits up straighter and turns to face you.

With gentle but firm hands he starts to work out the kinks and knots in your back.

Unintentionally you moan with relief. Thor’s eyes are on Loki though.

"What was your idea?"

"I offered to open another tear in space above whatever city she deemed proper. With the allowance of time to find both the power to do so and the army to lead through it."

You can't see Thor expression but when he speaks, his disapproving sounds fake.

"I'm not sure even idly that threat is in good taste. But I understand the sentiment."

"Do you really want me to make all of that fuss to make the ambassador come and meet with you?"

"Yes. I think he needs to be humbled. He may be in a position of power and my Y/N may owe her marriage to their insistence and meddling, but she is Queen and they are speakers for Earth. They would not have jobs had we not come to live here. Their disrespect of our Queen is a slight on our people.

"The moment I took Y/N under my banner is the moment she became Asgardian from the tips of her cute toes to the top of her irresistible head. And with our child on the way, they should know better."

Loki gets to his feet and moves towards the door, "Very well. One royal invitation coming right up."

As he leaves, Thor’s focus is diverted completely to you.

"Does that feel good, love?"

You only moan in return.

Thor chuckles and keeps going for a few minutes longer before you push back towards him and he lets you rest your back against his chest.

You can't be scrunched forward too long before your stomach begins to feel squished.

You look straight up at his face and he smiles.

"Hi," you tell him.

"Hello."

You smile.

"Was the massage satisfactory?"

"Mmmm, it was great. Your hands are godly, puppy."

Thor chuckles at the pun but leans forward to kiss the tip of your nose.

"And you, my sweet cherub, are a Goddess. And I will make sure you are treated as such."

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ravennm84 · 4 years

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Marinette Family Court Reveal

After the overwhelming resonse I received from Marinette Family Court Circus, how could I not write a sequel? This story focuses more on what was going on with the class and what they’re seeing on the news. There will be some salt coming, so have a glass of water on hand. Anyways, Warm-Fuzzies and please enjoy!!

The class was in a state of shock. In the span of 24 hours, there was so much joy and tragedy. Gathered at Alya’s apartment, they watched TVi news as Hawkmoth and Mayura were unmasked as Gabriel Agreste and his assistant, Nathalie. The class was in an uproar for a while, wondering if Adrien had been involved.

Lila shed tears, real ones, at the loss of her modeling job and the chance to keep Adrien as a trophy boyfriend. Now, he was useless to her. Anything to do with him would be toxic to her reputation, her only chance was to use her tears and claim that she’d had no idea that he was involved in such things. That he must have been trying to use her to get close to her mother to have international backing. Luckily, her classmates were such sheep that no one questioned what she said. They just comforted her, even ignoring the announcement of Adrien being exonerated of any charges, beyond a reasonable doubt, a few hours later.

The following day in class, Mme. Bustier came in and announced that not only had Adrien been pulled out of school for his own safety, but Marinette would not be attending for a while. “I’m afraid that she was in a terrible accident and has been put in the hospital.”

“How bad?” Alya asked, standing from her chair.

“She’s alive, but I’m afraid that her parents and grandmother were killed in a fatal car accident.”

From there, gossip flew all around the room. How bad had it been? How hurt was Marinette? Do you think the accident was Marinette’s fault?

What?

They weren’t sure who asked that question, but it brought up other things. How she’d been acting strange the past few months. The way she’d distanced herself from everyone in class. How she’d been bullying Lila when she thought no one was looking. Always calling Lila a liar even though she had no proof. It was clear to everyone that she was a troubled girl, but the idea that she’d caused the accident and killed her parents and grandmother? That didn’t seem like the girl they knew.

Still, they weren’t sure. So, no one really reached out to her in the hospital. No one called or went to visit to see if she was alright. Except Lila, she put the fear of her bully aside and went to check on her, only to call Alya crying an hour later.

“I don’t understand why she hates me so much.” Lila sobbed on Alya’s couch and the spectacled girl rubbed her friend’s back. “All I did was tell her that I was worried about her, but she yelled at me and told me to get out of the room. But I can’t blame her. I think she’s just scared.”

“Of course she’s scared, she just lost her family-”

“No, she killed her family!” Lila stressed, looking freaked out. “She admitted it to me, like she didn’t think anyone would believe me! She said she distracted her father while he was driving and caused the crash since they were starting to get wise to how she really is, and that her grandmother was just ‘collateral damage’. I didn’t think anyone could be so cruel!”

Alya was in shock. She hadn’t thought that Marinette, someone she used to think of as a friend, would ever do something like that. Especially to her own family. But… Lila had never lied to her, why would she start now? “Do the police know about this?”

Lila shook her head. “I’m not sure. But I do know that she’s talking to a lawyer, she’s probably going to get her inheritance and disappear before anyone figures out what she’s done.”

“Don’t worry, girl. I won’t let her get away with this.”

“What are you going to do?” Lila asked, her voice trembling.

“Whatever I need to do to get justice for Tom and Sabine.”

~oOo~

To say that the reaction Alya got from the Paris Police Department when told them that she had a source that Marinette had killed her family in order to collect her inheritance and disappear… it hadn’t been well received. Officer Roger came to the interrogation room personally, seeing as how she was in his daughter’s class, as Alya sat with her extremely angry parents.

“Do you want to explain why you just tried to file a false police report?” Officer Roger asked her.

“It’s not false! I have a source.”

“And who might that be?”

She hesitated at that, Lila had begged her to keep her name out of it. “I’m not really comfortable saying.”

“Then how exactly did this source of yours, gain this information?”

Thinking it over for a moment, she decided that was okay. “It was someone that visited Marinette, she admitted to my source that she purposefully distracted her father while he was driving and caused the crash.” When Officer Roger looked even angrier, she knew that must have been right and he didn’t want to admit that he’d been wrong.

At least…

“Mlle. Cesaire, as this has been made public knowledge, allow me to tell you exactly how wrong your source is. Firstly, Tom Dupain was not driving the car, Gina Dupain was driving. As for Marinette causing the accident, that’s also untrue. Street cameras confirm that four university students ran a red light and struck their car. The driver of the other car even confessed to having been drinking and causing the accident.”

Alya was in shock. Tom hadn’t been driving and Marinette hadn’t caused the accident… that would mean…

“Hate to break it to you Mlle. Cesaire, but whoever your source is has lied to you and caused you to be charged with filing a false police report.”

All the way home, Alya’s parents were scolding her for even thinking that Marinette could do such a thing. “She has always been such a good friend to you, and don’t think we don’t know about all the times you had Marinette watch Ella and Etta while you went off on dates with Nino. I bet you never even offered to pay her for babysitting the girls, did you?” Her father snapped as he parked the car outside their apartment building.

“And what about all the dresses and handmade gifts she gave you, some for no reason at all. Did you ever even thank her for those? And still, you accuse her of killing her entire family and almost getting herself killed for money? Why would you ever believe that?”

Seeing no reason to keep it to herself anymore, she told them. She told them how Marinette seemed to change when her new friend, Lila, came to school. How she had been calling her a liar just because she was jealous about the glamorous life she lived, the celebrities she knew, and her crush on Adrien. How she kept on accusing Lila of lying and faking injuries, even to the point of hurting her when Marinette threw a napkin at her and strained her sprained wrist. And then, when Marinette had been expelled, how she had accused Lila of being behind the whole thing.

When she was finished explaining, she thought for sure that she’d convinced her parents. Then she saw the looks on their faces.

“Alya, at any point, did you ever look up any of Lila’s claims?” Her mother asked in a slow, even voice.

“Now you sound like Marinette!”

“You do not talk to your mother like that!” Her father snapped before taking a deep breath to steady himself. Even without Hawkmoth around, it was difficult for people to express themselves as they used to. “Alya, I want you to take out your phone and look up any articles that have to do with Jagged Stone and Lila Rossi.”

Realizing how upset her parents were, she did what her father told her, knowing that she would find the proof in a couple minutes and they would see that Marinette…

Her phone read 1 result found: the Ladyblog.

Confused, she looked up any connection between Lila and Bruce Wayne. She said that she was practically a member of the family and that she and Damien Wayne were…

1 result found: the Ladyblog

Her hands were beginning to shake as she did her search for Lila and Tony Stark, that had to be true! She had talked about meeting him over video chat in class and how they’d talked about…

1 result found: the Ladyblog

Search after search, it was all the same. Lila and Clara Nightingale, Lila and Prince Ali, Lila and XY, Lila and the Avengers, Lila and Ladybug: 1 result found: the Ladyblog.

“I-I don’t understand?”

“Did you, at any time, check your sources before posting them?” Her mother asked, but Alya didn’t answer. She’d thought that Lila’s word had been enough, but… “This Lila girl has been lying to you, and apparently she’s been bullying someone who you used to think was a real friend. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

And she really was. She’d turned on Marinette, accusing her of being a jealous bully that had killed her own family, all on the word of a liar. So when her parents grounded her and told her that she was to shut down the Ladyblog, she didn’t argue. The blog was so full of lies that she would never be able to use it as a credible source for work experience in the future, if she even had a future in journalism anymore.

~oOo~

The next day at school, Alya could barely lift her eyes to meet anyone around her. Her mother said that she should be ashamed, and she was. She was ashamed, mortified, depressed, and all together hating herself after spending the entire night thinking of all the cruel and terrible things she had said to and about her former friend. She wasn’t going to delude herself thinking that she and Marinette could ever be friends again, she didn’t deserve her after throwing her aside for a bunch of fake stories and glittery lies.

But there was still one thing she could do. It wouldn’t make things right but it would probably be something Marinette would have done if she could have. So Alya got to class early and connected her laptop to the overhead projector. When everyone, barring Adrien and Marinette got to class. She got down to business.

“Everyone, I’ve got something very important to tell you, it has to do with Marinette.” She could already hear the murmurs around the classroom, Lila must have messaged them the lies while she’d been at the police station. “I want to start by saying that we have been misinformed. After speaking with the police and doing a ton of research, I can say with close to 100% certainty that Marinette never bullied Lila and that Lila has been lying to us since she got here.”

Before Lila could say anything, Alya brought up her first powerpoint slide. “I did a search last night on all the connections that Lila’s told us about with Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, Prince Ali, and many others; and they all came up the same thing” The slide showed a screen shots of her searches, showing the only result being the Ladyblog.

“Lila also told me the other day, how she went to visit Marinette and she confessed that she distracted her father while he was driving to cause the accident and kill her family so she could collect her inheritance.” Alya switched slides to the news article on the accident. “Yet the police report, traffic cameras, and witnesses all claim that to be false. Marinette’s grandmother was driving. The other driver admitted to running the light and causing the accident. And seeing as Marinette has never hid her dislike of Lila, it’s highly doubtful that she would even let Lila into her hospital room, let alone tell her something like that.”

The class had been staring at the slides in a state of shock until Alya finished speaking. Then all of them were whipping out their phones to do their own searches. Lila looked to be in a state of panic, unsure if she could bring anyone back to her side after showing all this evidence and everyone suddenly looking things up themselves.

“Oh, and Lila,” Alya said in a slightly sweet voice that made the italian glare. “So you know, my parents grounded me when the police charged me for filing a false police report after what you told me. They also decided to call the embassy to talk to your mother directly. I hope you at least get into as much trouble as you tried to do to Marinette.”

The girl didn’t want to stick around to find out, she was about to run out of the class but Mme. Bustier entered a second later and told everyone to take their seats. Lila tried to get herself excused multiple times, but the teacher just said “I understand that you must be upset by everything that has happened, but please know that you don’t have to leave the room to cry. This is a safe place again, and we are here for you.”

Before Lila’s 4th attempt to be excused, M. Damocles’ assistant knocked on the door and said that Lila was required in the office. The girl shot Alya an if-I-could-kill-you-now-I-would look before gathering her things and stomping out of the classroom. Alya hoped that she would never see the girl again.

Then just before lunch, Markov came on and alerted everyone that the news was talking about Marinette. Mme. Bustier turned the projector back on and plugged Markov in. Sure enough, there was Marinette, looking much worse for wear. She was in a wheelchair with her right leg and arm in casts. They could see cuts healing on her exposed skin and she was much more pale than the last time they saw her. But what really caught the class’ attention, was what the bar read at the bottom of the screen. “Custody battle between Stark, Wayne, and Stone”.

The camera switched from Marinette to Jagged Stone. “Tom and Sabine were like family to me, some of the most rock’n’roll folks I’ve ever met. When I got the call saying that they were gone and Marinette had no one else, all I could think about was being there for the rockin’ little lady. She is the kindest, smartest, and most talented girl I’ve ever met. Whatever it takes, I’m going to do what I can to help her.”

Then the camera went to Tony Stark. “Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng were the kind of people others should strive to be; they stood up for what was right and let you know if you were wrong. I was on the receiving end of their lectures more than once, and they’re probably one of the reasons why I put on the suit over and over again. They helped make me a better man… and now they’re gone. I can never repay them for how they helped me, the least I can do is try to give their daughter a safe environment to heal.”

Finally, the camera came to Bruce Wayne and his sons. “I know the pain of losing one's parents when you’re young, it’s not something I would wish on anyone. But I had a support system when I was young, one of those people was Gina Dupain, a wonderful woman that forced me to see that there was still good in the world. She passed that goodness and strength to Tom Dupain and was lucky enough to find a good woman like Sabine. The fact that they are gone from the world… all I could think when I heard of their passing was how dark the world would become without the three of them. But there is also so much goodness in their daughter, Marinette. If I can have the opportunity; I just hope that I can do for Marinette, what Gina did for me.”

When the camera switched again, it came to Nadja Chamack, who looked a little teary eyed. “This story has been admittedly difficult for me to remain objective, as I know… knew the family personally. I do agree with Jagged Stone, Tony Stark, and Bruce Wayne in saying that Tom, Sabine, and Gina were wonderful people and it is a great loss that they are no longer with us. TVi news will continue to follow this story as it develops. Back to you, Alec.”

Mme. Bustier’s class watched the news in total shock. They’d had no idea that Marinette knew Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne, but how could they have forgotten that she knew Jagged Stone and Nadja Chamack. Hell, Alya had even watched Manon with her more than once.

All the things Lila had promised them, Marinette probably could have done and more. She could have introduced Kitty Section and Nino to Jagged Stone and given them an in to the music industry. Computer programming and robotics for Max, there was no one better known in the industry than Tony Stark. Business and charities, an introduction to Bruce Wayne could have done wonders for Chloe, Sabrina, and Mylene. If Alya had even asked while they were still friends, Marinette may have asked Nadja if they were offering any internships at TVi for her. And even if her former friend didn’t have any obvious contacts in sports for Kim, or art for Alix and Nathaniel; with the way her name was getting out there with her fashion designs, she’d have probably made connections within the next few years.

A look around the room told Alya that the class was thinking the same thing. If they had just listened to their friend, instead of calling her jealous. If they had looked into a single thing Lila said instead of blindly following her. If they had even just gone to visit Marinette in the hospital rather than leave her alone during the hardest time of her life… No, they had no right to ask anything of her and all of them knew it.

Later that day, just before school let out for the day, Markov alerted everyone that Marinette was leaving the courthouse and the little robot was reconnected to the projector. What they saw was Marinette giving a small smile, her lawyer looking relieved, and the three men smiling fondly at the teenage girl. When the reporters started firing questions at them they were silenced when Marinette raised her good arm and motioned for everyone to calm down before pointing to Nadja.

“Has the judge come to a decision on the subject of custody?” Nadja asked, pointing her microphone at Marinette. Only to be answered by her lawyer, the bar listed his name as M. Contere.

“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng and I have presented a proposal to the judge, it has yet to be finalized but I will say that it holds potential.”

Marinette pointed to another reporter, who had been politely raising his hand. “Mssrs. Stone, Stark, and Wayne seem to be in high spirits, does this indicate that the final decision will allow for all parties to have interactions with Mlle. Dupain-Cheng?”

M. Contere kept a straight, professional face, but everyone could see the happy crinkle at the corner of his eyes. “Although I cannot, at this time, comment on the specifics of the proposal, I will say that it is in the best interests of my client.”

Marinette chose a young girl who looked a bit overwhelmed but smiled gratefully. “This question is directed to Mssrs. Stone, Stark, and Wayne. What kind of accommodations are you planning on making if receiving custody?”

The three men shared a look before smiling at the young reporter.

“Anything Marinette will need to heal and make a future for herself,” Bruce Wayne began.

“And probably a bunch of things she’ll say she doesn’t need, but will end up giving her anyway, since she deserves everything.” Tony Stark smiled down at her, earning a you-better-not look from Marinette, and caused a few reporters to chuckle.

“All of us here see this rockin’ little lady as family, these custody hearings will make it official. I can say with great certainty that, no matter what the judge decides, myself and these two men will do everything in our power to help her in any way we can.” Jagged said, as he placed a gentle hand on top of Marinette’s head.

M. Contere pointed at a different reporter this time, and was visibly surprised by the question. “There has been a rumor going around that Marinette purposefully caused the accident to collect her inheritance, any comment?”

The three powerful men that were standing behind Marinette became visibly upset and Marinette began to cry. Before Jagged Stone, Tony Stark, or Bruce Wayne could advance on the reporter to demand where he had heard such a claim, their lead lawyers stepped forward. The intimidating force that the three of them exuded was enough that all of the reporters took a few steps back.

“That question is a blatant falsehood that was founded by rumor, not facts,” stated the Stone lawyer in a cold voice as he stared down the reporter who asked the question.

The Wayne lawyer continued, speaking clearly so no one would mishear or misquote what was said. “As stated in the police report and other sources, the accident was caused when a group of university students failed to yield at a red light and struck the Dupain-Chengs’ vehicle. The driver has already pleaded guilty to charges of DUI, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, and vehicular assault.”

The camera panned over to Tony Stark’s lawyer, as he finished speaking quietly to the three men before turning back to the camera. “These comments have also come to the attention of the Paris Police Department, as someone attempted to file a false police report on the matter. After a brief discussion with Mssrs. Stone, Wayne, and Stark, they have agreed to work together, along with the PPD, to find the source of these rumors and see the individual brought up on charges of slander, harassment, and defamation of character; among other charges.”

“No more questions,” M. Contere said as he and the other lawyers escorted their clients away from the courthouse. The reporters tried to ask more questions, but were met with icy looks and ‘no comment”.

Alya couldn’t help but smile at that. After school, when Officer Roger came to pick up Sabrina, she would tell him exactly who her source was. She would tell who her “source” had been and all the things she’d said about Marinette since she’d started attending school. She would show him all the recordings on her blog before it was shut down and send him video copies of Lila’s interviews as evidence. If she was lucky, Lila would also be charged for slandering Jagged Stone, Tony Stark, and Bruce Wayne; as well as Marinette.

Again, Alya knew that this wouldn’t fix her friendship with Marinette, but it was also the right thing to do. And for the first time in a long time, she was going to be on the side of good.

Taglist:

@whydoexamsexist @geekydragonyt @thornalchemist23

@maribat-is-lifeblood @ironspiderstark @miyla-lokidottir

@futursworld @luveverything12 @dreamkitty25

@smolplantmum @imablinkmarvelarmy @moonlitiiminie

@chez-pezeater

#ml fic #marinette deserves better #maribat #ml au #bruce wayne #tony stark #jagged stone #marinette dupain cheng #alya salt #alya redemption #lila salt #lila gets exposed #class salt #mlbjustice

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just-dreaming-marvel · 3 years

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It’s Always Been You ~ 154

OUT OF TIME MASTERLIST

IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 4,775ish

Summary: A mix of WandaVision episodes 2 and 4.

Notes: Not my best chapter, but I hope that it’s okay. You must read Out Of Time in order to understand this. The chapter numbers continue from Out Of Time.

Steve, Jimmy, Tony, and Darcy gathered intel as they watched the recorded “show” again with a few SWORD agents. They also noticed, throughout the night, that new episodes kept coming. None of them revealing Y/N or Monica yet.

“First and foremost, our main objective is to get any intel on Captain Rambeau and Agent Stark. But originally, this case was a missing person, so we’re going to start there,” Agent Woo began. “We’ve successfully identified two individuals inside the Westview anomaly.” He placed pictures of Wanda and Vision from the tv show onto a board behind him. “Let’s keep going.”

They used their resources from the DMV and school records they had access to, to compare those who were showing up on the show to those in real life. They were forming a board of it all. They were also putting a board together of what they knew about the anomaly and what they had questions about.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hart,” Darcy announced, going to the board with added pictures and information. “Played by Todd and Sharon Davis.”

“Abilash Tandon is Norm,” Tony announced, adding his new information to the board.

“Good,” Woo nodded. “Three down… more to go.”

Tony noticed how intently Steve was staring at Vision’s picture in the center of the board. “What’s up, Rogers? What are you thinking about?”

“Vision… he’s dead,” Steve stated, keeping his eyes on the photo. “I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but Y/N did and I saw his body afterwards… there was nothing left. Bruce even ran checks so that we were sure before handing it off to SWORD. But now… now I’m questioning if we missed something. Like, what if there was a part of Vision that was still functioning? We could have tried—“

“You did the best you could with the knowledge you had at the time.” Tony rested his hand on his brother-in-laws shoulder. “Besides, you had just watched half the team turn to dust and the Mind Stone get ripped out of Vision’s head. This isn’t on you… trust me, I’m the king of guilt.”

“Y/N’s in there somewhere, with Vision and Wanda… And I can’t help any of them right now. I feel useless.”

“You’re not useless, Steve. You just need to get faster at technology.” Tony gave Steve a pat before going back to his computer to search up other members of the town.

“Harold Proctor is Jones,” Darcy announced not too long later, handing the information over to Steve.

“Isabel Matsueida is Beverly,” Tony said, posting his findings on the board.

“John Collins as Herb,” Woo added.

Darcy went back to the tv, watching what was taking place. Gasping suddenly, everyone’s attention turned to her.

“What is it, Darcy?” Steve asked as they all headed towards her.

“It’s Captain Rambeau,” she replied, pointing to Monica on the side of the screen.

“What?” Jimmy Woo rushed over. “That’s her.”

“So Y/N has to be around somewhere,” Tony stated, feeling a slight tinge of relief.

“Does she seem okay to you?” Darcy wondered.

“Well, she doesn’t appear to be harmed in any way,” Jimmy noted. “But that is definitely not the boss lady I met yesterday.”

“So what, deep cover? Monica has to play along?”

“With who?” Steve questioned. “Or else, what? Tony, Darcy, what are we lookin’ at here? Is it an alternate reality? Time travel? A social experiment?”

“It’s a sitcom. A 1950s sitcom.”

“But why?”

“Hey, Cap, we’re all working with the same scarcity of intel. But, listen, I do have an idea. Just… come with me.”

They all followed Darcy outside to a truck with a bunch of tech in the bed. The truck sat near the energy shield. They knew Darcy had been working on something in the midst of helping them. They just didn’t know what.

“So, you’ve all seen that radio on Wanda’s kitchen counter, right?” Darcy asked. They all nodded. “The next time she’s washing dishes, which, by my count, happens about once an episode, barf, we’ll shoot a signal to that little guy. This transmitter will mimic the frequency of the broadcast, and if my theory is right, allow us to speak directly to her. This is totally gonna work.”

Tony and Steve looked at each other. “It’s definitely worth a shot,” Tony shrugged.

“Darcy,” Steve’s Captain voice was in full effect, “you’re running this. Let us know when you’re ready.”

~~~

“Don’t you dare try to say anything,” Agnes warned as she readied herself to leave the house. “We don’t know what she remembers.”

“I know,” Y/N responded, looking over herself. “You made a point of threatening me yesterday.”

“And I will continue to do so.”

“You don’t have to. I want to know what’s going on as much as you do.”

“We’ll see. Now,” Agnes made sure to face Y/N, “remember we’re going to help plan the community fundraiser.”

“Is that what the bunny’s for?” Y/N pointed to the caged bunny beside Agnes’ feet.

“Wanda requested Señor Scratchy for her and Vision’s magic act.” Agnes picked up the cage. “Let’s go.”

Y/N looked down at her wrists, the purple bands swirling around them. She needed to find a way out of them, out of here. But first she needed to use Agnes to her advantage as long as she could. Y/N stepped out of the house behind Agnes, following closely as the headed to the next house. Y/N’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of Wanda standing in front of a house. She was holding up a small, colored helicopter. The only colored thing around.

“Look,” Agnes begins, startling Wanda into dropping the helicopter, “it’s the star o’ the show.” The woman chuckled.

“Agnes. I’m sorry,” Wanda replied. “What did you say?”

“Oh, I brought my pet rabbit. For your magic act.” Agnes held out the cage.

“Yes, of course! Thank you, Agnes.” Wanda took the cage. “We will take good care of him.”

“Señor Scratchy just loves the stage. He played baby Jesus in last year’s Christmas pageant.” Y/N furrowed her brows at that. What was Agnes trying to prove?

“Oh,” Wanda responded before heading to the house.

“Well, seems like our star hasn’t even noticed you yet. I’ll introduce you when she comes back and we’ll see if anything happens. Oh, morning, Dennis.”

A mailman, Dennis, walked toward the women. “Morning, Agnes.”

“Stick ‘em up.” She pointed finger guns at him.

He rose his hands in surrender. “Don’t shoot. I’m just a messenger.”

Agnes laughed. “Pew-pew!” Y/N and Agnes watched him walk away as Wanda came back.

“Shall we?” Wanda asked. That’s when she noticed Y/N. Y/N watched as something clearly flashed in her friends eyes. “Oh… I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“That’s my bad,” Agnes said before Y/N could respond. “This is my friend from out of town, Y/N. She will be staying with me for awhile.”

“Hi, Y/N,” Wanda smiled at her, holding out her hand. “I’m Wanda.”

“Hello, Wanda.” Y/N took her friends hand, unable to tell if Wanda was faking not knowing her.

“Will you be joining us today?”

“If that’s okay with you.”

“It’s perfectly fine with me! But I’m not the one running this thing.” The three women heading down the street.

“So, are you two ready to meet Queen Cul de Sac and her Merry Homemakers?” Agnes asked.

“Agnes,” Wanda chuckled, “Dottie can’t be as bad as you say.”

“Hmm, well, you’ll notice her roses bloom under penalty of death.” Wanda scoffed. Agnes then stopped walking and turned to Wanda, forcing Y/N to stop as well. “Wanda, can I give you a bit of friendly advice?”

“Is it about the way I’m dressed?”

“Yes, but it’s too late for that. Dottie is the key to everything in this town. Country club memberships, parties, school admissions—“

“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“You get in with Dottie and it’ll be smooth sailing from here on out. Just mind your P’s and Q’s and you’re gonna do just fine.”

P’s and Q’s? Y/N mouthed to herself. Agnes was trying so desperately hard to seem like she belonged here. Causing Y/N to have a bad feeling about it all. Well, more than she already was.

“Or maybe I could just be myself?” Wanda retorted. “More or less?”

Agnes laughed. “Oh, Wanda, that’s good.”

Nearby, a procession of women began exiting the house and heading down the block.

“Everybody, hurry up please,” the leader encouraged, with a slight passive aggressiveness.

“Hiya, Dottie!” Agnes greeted with a wave. “Your roses are divine.”

“Well, thank you,” the lady before, Dottie, responded. She continued leading the women.

“Let’s go get this over with,” Agnes sighed.

~~~

“When are you, mom, and Uncle Steve coming home?” Morgan asked over a video call.

“Mo, we haven’t even been gone a day,” Tony said, trying to comfort his daughter.

“Mom basically has.”

Tony sighed, looking at Steve for help. “We’ll all be home soon,” Steve said. “I promise Mo.”

“Mr. Stark! Captain Rogers!” Jimmy Woo exclaimed as he rushed to where the two men were talking.

“We love you, Morgan,” Tony said, “but we gotta go. Don’t be too hard on Happy.” He hung up and the two gave their full attention to the FBI agent.

“What is it, Woo?” Steve questioned.

“There’s something you need to see,” Woo answered, handing over a stack of black and white photographs. The first few photos were of Wanda holding up the colored helicopter.

“That looks like a retro version of a SWORD drone,” Tony said.

“Why did you colorize it?” Steve asked.

“We didn’t,” Woo replied. “There’s more.” The men flipped through the photos, quickly coming to a stop at a photo of three women.

“Y/N,” they both breathed out.

“She’s okay,” Tony whispered, gripping one of the phots tighter.

“It seems that way,” Jimmy confirmed. “It seems like she’s at least playing along. We haven’t seen anything yet that tells us otherwise.”

“So we know that Y/N’s still alive and in this tv-show like world,” Steve began running through the information they had. “And, obviously, a SWORD drone flew into the town. But how did it change and why?”

“Uh, to go with the production design?”

“Or render it useless,” Tony added.

“Let’s get this show on the road, fellas!” Darcy called to them. “I’m all ready and waiting for you!”

~~~

All the women were gathered in a tent next to the community club pool. Wanda was on one side of Agnes, with Y/N on the other. She felt completely out of place in the out fake world, or whatever it was that she was stuck in. She needed to get out, back to her daughter and husband and brother and friends.

“The Rotary Club is finishing the stage set-up as we speak,” a woman named Beverly told the group.

Wanda observed Dottie as Y/N observed Wanda. It was clear that Wanda was trying to fit in like Agnes was, she just wasn't as smooth. Dottie put a single sugar cube in her drink, so Wanda copied her.

“They’ve given the gazebo a fresh coat of paint and will be installing the final decorations all through the town square,” Beverly continued. “And if you recognize the antique footlights, it’s because they’re from my store.”

Dottie stirred her drink slowly, with Wanda copying her again. Y/N took a sip of her own drink, trying not to rage at these women. She was not made for meetings like these.

“And the chairs?” Dottie questioned.

“I’m sorry, Dottie,” Beverly said. “I didn’t ask about the chairs.”

“So you better not ask me if you can chair any committees in the future.”

Some of the women giggled, causing Beverly to sit down. Dottie stood up to talk to the group.

“The devil’s in the details, Bev,” Dottie said.

Agnes leaned over to Wanda. “That’s not the only place he is,” she joked.

“As you all know, the talent show is the sole fundraiser for Westview Elementary.”

Y/N watched as Agnes handed a flask to Beverly. “This might help,” the woman whispered.

“In the eight years since I founded our little club,” Dottie said proudly, “this event has gotten bigger and better every season.”

“Say, those pants are peachy keen,” a woman told Wanda as she passed the food try to her.

Y/N looked over and gasped. It was Captain Monica Rambeau, she was in here to. But she definitely wasn’t the same. Y/N could tell. She needed to find a way to get some alone time with Monica without raising suspicion from Agnes.

“Do you really think so?” Wanda responded to Monica. “The other ladies are in skits. I was worried.”

“We only have a few hours until show time, so a little less cross chatter and a little more focus,” Dottie reprimanded.

“Okay.”

“Those little boys and girls are counting on us. All of this is for the children.”

“For the children,” all the women, besides Y/N and Wanda spoke in unison.

“For the children,” Wanda quickly said very late, getting some stares.

Dottie cleared her throat before beginning again, “At the appropriate time, of course. But first let’s review event etiquette. Dress code is upscale garden party…”

Y/N tuned Dottie out as she noticed Monica turning to Wanda to talk.

“The only reason I didn’t clap is because I’m afraid to move,” Monica muttered.

“Yeah,” Wanda agreed.

“I actually don’t know what I’m doing here.” That caused Y/N’s brows to furrow.

“I’m starting to feel that way myself.” Wanda held out her hand. “I’m Wanda.”

“I’m, uh…” Monica paused, looking a bit confused before smiling confidently. “Geraldine.”

“Hi.”

“And I’m irritated,” Dottie interrupted. “Tickets for tonight are completely sold out. Now, you can clap.” Everyone clapped. “And stopped.” They quickly stopped.

“Really, how is anybody doing this sober?” Agnes questioned.

“I really don’t know,” Y/N murmured.

~~~

“So, Captain Rogers—“

“Darcy, just call me Steve,” he interrupted.

“Okay, Steve, since Wanda has been known to be closer to you than Mr. Stark—“

“Tony,” Tony interrupted.

“Right. Tony. Then you should be the one to reach out. You might have a greater chance of getting through to her than the rest of us.”

They were outside, near Darcy’s truck and contraption.

“Okay,” Steve agreed with a nod. “What do I have to do?”

“You and Tony are going to put these on,” Darcy told them, handing them both large headphones with a mic attached. “Jimmy and I will be watched the tv inside and tell you when to start talking. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Tony and Steve put the headphones on as Jimmy and Darcy hurried inside.

“Do you think this is going to work?” Steve asked.

“I’m hoping,” Tony said. “Cause if it doesn’t, my ideas aren’t as peaceful as this.”

“You two ready?” Darcy wondered through the headset.

“Yes,” both men replied.

“Monica is currently talking to Wanda,” Jimmy informed. “She’s got a speaking part now.”

“What’s she saying?” Tony wondered.

“She likes Wanda’s pants.”

“Wanda’s at some sort of swim club,” Darcy told them. “We’ve never been here before. And it looks like Y/N’s with them.”

“Is it the ’60’s still?” Steve asked.

“Uh huh. Everyone, including Y/N, left the scene. Now it’s just Wanda with another character. Ooh! Uh, radio not he side table. Start talking.”

“Wanda,” Steve began. “Wanda, can you read me, over?” Steve waited a beat. “Can she hear me?”

“I don’t think so. Keep trying.”

“Wanda? Wanda? Wanda. Who is doing this to you, Wanda? Wanda? Can you hear me? It’s Steve. I’m here to help. Wanda—“

“Wait.”

“What?”

“I don’t know… That was… weird.”

“What was?”

“Nothing,” Darcy sighed. “It’s over. Mission failure.”

“It was worth a try. Good effort, Doctor.”

“Yeah. You two can come on in.”

The men took off their headsets and stared at the energy shield.

“Why the hell does this always happen to us, Steve?” Tony questioned quietly. “To her?”

“I wish I knew,” Steve responded.

“She had a dream… That night after Bruce pulled the Stones out of her. After she saved us all… The Stones were showing her something. A small town. An invisible shield. Something chasing her…. I think… I think this is it.”

“Then she’s prepared for whatever’s happening in there.”

Tony chuckled lightly. “I wish I could believe that. But this is a lot more than we are all prepared to be dealing with almost immediately after Thanos.”

Steve inhaled deeply, folding his arms over his chest. “You are right about that.”

~~~

“I still can’t tell if she knows you or not,” Agnes grumbled as she and Y/N walked back to her house. “If she’s faking it or she really doesn’t know.”

“Monica,” Y/N said.

“Who?”

“Monica. Or, well, she called herself Geraldine… Did she do that on purpose or… does she not remember the truth either? Like the other townspeople?”

“Oh, she doesn’t remember. I hopped in her little head and saw that myself.”

“Great,” Y/N muttered. “Just great… Are you going to force me into watching the talent show? Cause I really think I just need a moment to myself.”

“Not a chance. I know your reputation, Y/N, and giving you a moment alone with give you an opportunity to come up with a plan.”

“Who are you, Agnes? Really? How do you know so much?”

“Like I told you before, Y/N. It all comes with time.”

~~~

“Y/N back on camera?” Steve wondered as he brought coffee over to Tony, who was hunched in front of a TV.

“There are glimpses of her,” Tony responded, taking a coffee from his brother-in-law. “She’s always with that Agnes woman, which makes me suspicious.”

“Where are they now?” Steve sat down beside Tony.

“They’re in the town square, watching the community talent show.”

“Hmm,” Steve nodded. “It’s so… normal. It’s weird.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think… do you think Wanda could have been the one to do this?”

“I hate to say it but, yeah. Her powers… they’ve always been strong.”

“Then even more of a reason to get through to her. If she did this, she can stop it.”

“Yeah, but the question is how?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. You’re usually the brains of the operation.”

“Well, this brain is tired and what’s his wife back and to hold his daughter.”

~~~

The first few acts of the talent show were so utterly boring. The middle acts were just down right terrible. And now the only act left was Wanda and Vision’s, which was clearly running late.

“Where are they?” Agnes muttered, fingers tapping on the table.

“I could go and find th—“ Y/N tried to stand up but was quickly forced back down into her chair by Agnes’ magic. “Oof.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“I want to thank you all for coming out to support Westview Elementary,” Dottie said as she stood on the stage in front of everyone. “For the children.”

“For the children,” everyone but Y/N repeated.

That’s when she realized something. Y/N looked around, studying the black and white town. If this fundraiser was “for the children”, where were all the children? In the whole day Y/N had been walking around Westview with Agnes, she had never seen a single child. Even at the pool.

“And for our final act,” Dottie announced, pulling Y/N from her thoughts. “I give you, Wanda and Vision.”

Dottie led the clapping and stepped down from the stage. Wanda emerged from the curtains, looking a tad nervous. She gestured to the curtains, almost like she was signaling for Vision to come out. After doing it again, Vision finally appeared from the curtains.

“Hello, Westview!” He shouted. All the air left Y/N’s lungs as she saw Vision in is fake human form. “Good afternoon. It’s so lovely to be—“ He bumped into the railing as he stumbled down the stairs of the gazebo. “I’m so sorry, excuse me. I am Glamour and this is my delightful assistant, Illusion.”

“I am Glamour,” Wanda corrected, waving to the audience, “and he’s Illusion.”

“Yeah, what she said. Today, we will let to you and yet you will believe our little deceptions because human beings are easily fooled due to their limited understanding of the inner workings of the universe.” He waved his hands around. “Flourish.”

“You just do it,” Wanda reprimanded, trying to be quiet about it. “You don’t say it out loud, honey.”

Vision scoffed, swatting at Wanda as he walked away from her. Something was definitely off out how he was acting.

“And now my wife and I will delight in your dumbstruck little faces,” Vision continued. “Flourish!”

His hands went down to his sides and he began to fly. Members of the audience gasped and murmured with one another. Y/N looked with wide-eyes at Wanda, who quickly created a pulley system to make it look like she was controlling his flying. She moved a sign out of the way and Norm spotted it.

“Ha! See there?” Norm pointed out. “He’s using a rope.”

“Wanda,” Vision called, “what’s—“ Wanda began playing with the pulley, Vision moving with the rope. “Oh, no! Oh! No! Wanda, please!” Vis flailed around. “Darling, let me down!” The crowd was laughing, Y/N following with a fake one. “I’m feeling pukey! Ooh!”

Wanda let him down with the pulley. Everyone clapped in approval and excitement.

“Uh, what’s next?” Vision wondered aloud. “Oh!” He spotted the piano on stage and stumbled to it. “Yeah, this is… this is gonna be great! A staggering feat of strength!” He lifted up the piano with one arm, everyone but Y/N looking on in awe.

“He’s going to expose the both of them,” Y/N muttered. “What the hell is wrong with him?”

“Illusion!” Wanda called, almost panicky. “Uh… uh.. Illusion, Master of Enigma,” she rushed to his side of the stage, “allow me.”

“Yeah? What?” Vision questioned as she took the piano from him.

Wanda began walking away, revealing that she had turned the piano into a cardboard cut out. “Whoops! You weren’t supposed to see how we did that trick.”

She wiggled her shoulders as she took the cardboard cut out away. The crowd laughed, clapping once again.

“Oh, Sherbert!” Vision blurted, pointing at someone in the crowd. “Yeah, this is my old mate, Sherbert.” Vision began heading towards the man. “Stand up, Sherbert. Say hello to the crowd.”

The man stood up, correcting Vision, “It’s Herbert, er—Herb.”

Vision pulled out playing cards. “Pipe down, Sherbie, and pick a card.” He fanned out the deck to Herb. “Any card.” Herb picked a card and Vision turned around, holding the deck out to Herb. “Yeah, put I back in the deck. I’m not looking.” Herb returned his card to the deck. “Alright.” Vision turned back around. “Watch this.” Vision shuffled the deck and held one card up to Herb. “Is this your card?”

“Uh, no.”

“I beg to differ.”

Herb shook his head. “Mmm-mmm.”

“R-really?” He tossed the card before grabbing a new one. “Is this your card?”

“Vision,” Wanda tried to call to him.

Herb shook his head again. “Mmm-mmm.”

“Ugh!” Vision tossed the card. He took another card and another, rapidly pulling them out. “Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card?” Once again, Herb shook his head. “Argh! Is this your card? Is this your card?”

“No. No. No. No.”

“Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card?” Vision then got to the last card in the deck. “Is this your card?”

“Oh, it is!”

“It is what?”

“It’s my card.”

“Well, pardon me, Herb. Have it back.” He slapped the card onto Herb’s chest and walked away.

“Oh, no, you did the trick right.”

“Well, of course I did the trick right! I’m Illusion! Flourish!”

Vision bowed to the audience and Wanda led them all in clapping.

“That was terrible,” Agnes whispered to Y/N.

“This whole thing is hard to watch,” Y/N added.

“And now for my next trick…” Vision continued.

“Oh, goodness me,” Wanda sighed.

Vision reached up to his head. “Oh! Who stole my hat?” He turned around in a circle searching for his hat. That’s when a rabbit hopped across the stage. “Oh, stop that rabbit! I gotta pull a hat out of it!”

Watching Wanda go to pick up Señor Scratchy, Y/N noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Agnes’ hands were glowing purple. Y/N fully turned to her only for Agnes to stop.

“Señor Scratchy’s got real star quality, don’t you think?” Agnes said loud enough for everyone to hear. She sent Y/N a wink.

“Maybe we leave the poor bunny out of this one,” Wanda suggested, “shall we?” She put the bunny away.

Vision grabbed his hat from the ground. “Well then, I will just have to pull this hat… out of myself,” he said. The audience gasped and Wanda ran over.

“Vision, no.”

“I’m doin’ it!” He phased the hat through his body. “Ah-ha!”

“If only you all know our secret!” She wiggled her fingers, pulling the curtains back to reveal a set of mirrors.

“IS that how mirrors work?” Beverly asked from the crowd.

“Shut up, Bev,” Dottie told her.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our grand finale, I bring you, The Magnet of Crysteries!” Vision announced as Wanda rolled out a cabinet.

“The Cabinet of Mysteries!” Wanda corrected.

“Yeah, yeah. What she said. I will now make my wife… disappear.”

He opened the doors of the cabinet, causing the crowd to ooh. Then before Wanda could get in, he closed them.

“Are you sure you don’t want an audience volunteer named my husband Ralph?” Agnes chuckled.

“Your husband?” Y/N questioned. “You don’t have a—“

“You don’t know that,” she smirked.

“No,” Vision laughed at Agnes’ joke. “Abracadabra!” He hit the cabinet with his wand.

“Uh, sweetheart?” Wanda caught his attention.

“Yeah?”

“Hi.”

“Oh.”

“What’s in the box?” Herb began chanting, causing others to follow. “What’s in the box? What’s in the box? What’s in the box?”

“Yeah, what’s in the box?” Vision asked.

"What’s in the box? What’s in the box? What’s in the box? What’s in the box?”

Wanda waved her fingers again. She reached for the cabinet handle, Vision taking that queue to do the same thing. They open the cabinet to reveal a very confused Monica—Geraldine. The audience applauded as Geraldine smiled nervously.

“Oh! Oh, yes! Flourish!” Vision said. The three on stage bowed. “Let’s get outta here!”

Wanda and Vision hurried back stage as everyone continued clapping. Y/N had to bite down on the inside of her cheek as she tried not to go backstage with them. Agnes would never let her. Dottie was quickly back up on stage, announcing third and second place winners.

“You two,” Dottie interrupted herself. “Stop right there.”

Everyone turned to see who Dottie was talking to. Wanda and Vision were off to the side, clearly trying to sneak off.

“Nothing like what you two just did up here,” Dottie continued, “has ever happened int he history of our talent show.”

“Dottie, we are so—“ Wanda tried to apologize.

“Hilarious. That was the most hilarious act we’ve ever seen. Wouldn’t you all agree?” The crowd applauded.

“Oh, yes!” Vision celebrated.

“You two, come on up. Come on.” The two came back onto the stage. “Oh behalf of the planning committee, I would like to award you with the inaugural Comedy Performance of the Year.”

Wanda took the award. “Oh, thank you!” She said.

“Let’s get out of here,” Agnes said, lopping her arm through Y/N’s.

“What? Why?” Y/N questioned as Agnes pulled her away.

“Because we’re done here for now. I need to get home and work on a few things and you need to be locked back up before you get any ideas.”

Y/N looked back as Agnes continued to lead her away, making eye contact with Wanda. It felt like the two of them were staring into each other’s souls. Y/N could only hope that Wanda remembered who she was and that she would come find her.

next chapter >

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abbatoirablaze · 2 years

Text

White Wolf's Shadow, Chapter 10

Word count: 4.1k

Warnings: There's a good bit of angst, some background information that adds to the story. Guilt.

1.5 years ago

“Another devastating day in England, as the attack on the embassy has caused an extremely high number of casualties. The loss of life is due in part to HYDRA, the terrorist organization, at the hands of the Autumn Assassin,” the television played. Steve watched the screen as the English news anchor faded, and an image showed you, in your black bodysuit, a rocket launcher being shot, as a navy tank began busting through the gates of the embassy in England. Large military vehicles, HYDRA's own, were falling in behind you as a wide shot view of the embassy falling occurred. Bombs went off. People were scrambling. But that was over eighteen hours ago. HYDRA had attacked in the early hours of the evening, gathered what they needed, eliminated who they wanted, and left the building in shambles. Then it split to a shot of what was currently going on. There were workers searching amongst the rubble, the last of the fires having been put out just hours ago, “twenty-two reported dead, six critically injured, and tens more reported missing as the search amongst the rubble continues.”

“You shouldn’t be watching this, Captain.”

Steve looked to Shuri and his jaw clenched. He didn't like that she had been trying to control what he'd been witnessing. He rolled his eyes and she sighed. His eyes flickered to the television once more as he tried to imagine where you were in that exact moment.

Why hadn’t they caught you?

"They haven't caught her yet."

"I am aware, Captain," she murmured, "just as I am aware that the young Ender takes his lead from you. His curiosity grows when he sees you watching."

"They need to find my mate."

Steve was growing restless.

He had followed Natasha’s instruction and went to the Wakandans. Shuri had offered The Bartons, Bruce, and the Starks refuge amongst the Wakandan nation to ensure that they were safe. And sure enough, not even a full week after they’d been in Wakanda an attack was launched from Malta.

It was the first of a list of tragedies that happened under HYDRA.

That happened under her name.

Under her hand.

The government had tried to contact the Avengers to go after her, stating that it was a matter of great importance, and that it was necessary to ensure the safety of the world, but they wanted her to be publicly executed.

And none of them were okay with that.

But she was the new face of HYDRA. The government didn't care that she was brainwashed. Nat was right. They viewed her as being compromised. And that was too much of a liability to let her walk.

Steve continued to watch the television as they replayed video that showed you. It looked like your shadows' black skintight bodysuit had been repurposed. They always seemed to get a video of her where her fiery hair was whipping about in the explosions that always happened behind her. A contoured mask that adorned her face, covering the lower half of her jaw. And HYDRA's symbol painted across her right thigh.

But there was no mistake with Steve that it was you.

Even if the rest of the world didn't recognize you. He felt like when he was watching those videos a small part of you was reaching out to him. You wanted him to see you.

The suit was always unzipped enough that he could see the mark which you’d removed when you left the hospital. A clean chemical burn where he’d originally marked you. But much like the acid marring your skin, you were a blur.

Not at all the woman that he was in love with.

No.

They called her the Autumn assassin.

At first, Ender was angry. He said she was no better than Bucky, and had abandoned not only him, but his little brother and sister. He had the same misplaced anger for her as he did for Bucky.

But the longer they were in Wakanda, he softened. Steve noticed him using his data pad and watching videos of his mother. Of you when you were what he knew. And then he started doing the same of Bucky.

But that day, when Ender saw her on the news, he called her lost. Broken. He could recognize that look in your eyes now. Shuri helped him see it. It was like the picture’s he’d been shown of Bucky when he was the winter soldier. There was an emptiness there that he wanted to fix. He needed to fix. Ender looked to Steve, and he couldn’t help but have mixed feelings.

He’d never questioned Steve’s decisions for. Steve was his dad, and he always took care of you, Stevie, Sarah, and himself. But when his dad told him to pack up, he never questioned who went after you. Through Bruce, Ender had found out that it was his biological father, Bucky, who went after her, headfirst. And as he stared at Steve, he couldn’t help but think about the six long months that he’d been in Wakanda.

When his dad told him that they were leaving, he didn’t question it. You had always said if something went sideways, they were going to leave. He always knew that there was some form of a plan in place in the event that something happened. But now that the time was here, it felt weird without you. He’d somehow always thought that if things went sideways, it would be because of something Steve did. Not you.

Ender knew that you operated on a different side of the law than Steve, but the government always seemed to praise you. Always seemed to go easier on you. Treated you better than other thetas.

It felt wrong that Steve was asking him to pack up now, with you missing.

And he wanted to question it, but he didn’t.

Something had to be wrong.

He had to stay calm for himself, Stevie, and Sarah. They were too young to understand but would follow if he did.

‘Good soldiers do not question orders,’ your steady voice would remind him. He could practically imagine you saying that as you straightened up his jacket every morning before dropping him off at school. He was silently humored by the thought, because as of late, you’d begun to question everything. Ender could see the exhaustion in your eyes. And that’s when you’d told him about the plan.

He was taught that if the day ever came up, that he would help his parents make sure they all got to safety. If both of them were to ever disappear, he was to find his grandma Nat, and hide in the location that you'd told him about.

The coordinates were engrained in his mind ever since he was five.

So, Ender became the good little soldier that his parents trained him to be when Steve quickly came home and told them that they were leaving. He helped pack up his little brother and sister, getting them dressed while Steve loaded up a bag of the essentials. When he found his dad in the office that his mother and he shared, Steve was pulling papers from a safe. Not just papers. Money.

He’d packed one backpack for them. He grabbed Sarah’s giraffe that she slept with every night. He grabbed Stevie’s teddy bear. And he grabbed the one picture he’d had of Bucky that he kept in the top drawer of his dresser. And finally, he grabbed the family photo album from his parents' room.

As he grabbed his siblings, and the backpack, he didn’t know where they were going.

Nor did he ask any questions when the Bartons, the Starks, and Bruce got onto the small plane with them.

It wasn’t until they landed in Wakanda that anything really added up.

“Young wolf,” Shuri greeted immediately, wrapping him up in her arms. He was the first one that she’d greeted, “you are safe here.”

As Steve and the rest of them thanked her, he found himself oddly curious as to why he was the only one that she’d greeted as if they were friends. Shuri was someone he was aware of, but he couldn’t recall if he’d actually spend an amount of time with her.

He couldn’t remember her ever coming to see him at their home.

But his questions were soon to be answered, when she came by later. She brought a picture with her. She had asked to speak to him privately, which Steve allowed. When Ender looked at the picture, he could hardly believe his eyes.

“What is this?”

“When they removed you from your mother,” she said simply, “they gave you to your father for a short period of time. I doubt you remember…you were so little. It was after his first marriage failed, and they told him that he would be given the opportunity to raise you since your mother would not comply with their demands. He tried to run with you here. He said that your mother would understand. He believed that she would join the two of you, and the three of you would stay in Wakanda.”

He stared at the picture, partially in disbelief. His father, younger looking of course, was holding him in his arms, smiling happily in front of the house that he was staying in now. Shuri was off to the side, talking to another person. He recognized him as Steve. While the two were in the background of the picture, he could clearly tell that they were arguing.

“I-I don’t remember this at all.”

Shuri nodded, holding her hands out as the younger Barnes tried to hand the photo back, “you keep it. I brought it because I want you to understand what is going on, young wolf. Your father tried to protect you. Steve brought you back to your mother once she agreed upon her contract.”

“I know what’s going on,” he said simply, “…that’s not it. Bucky didn’t have me. He didn’t bring me here before…dad brought us here to protect us. Mom is like Bucky now.”

“Your mother is lost,” she sighed softly, her hand reaching out to caress the young boy’s cheek, “she was trained long before you were born to do this…same as Bucky was. He went to find her with your grandmother…they are going to bring her back when they do. And she will need you, young wolf. Just as she will need Bucky, and Captain Rogers.”

“We don’t need Bucky.”

“You may not think so, but you do,” she said with a firm tone, “you need her just as much as you need him. You are part of their hearts. Just as they are yours. I advise you to help them both…they both love you, Ender.”

“If they loved me, they would have been stronger.”

He regretted saying those words to her. In just half a year, with every incident that occurred his heart broke a little more.

Shuri had unlocked access to the Winter Soldier data files and showed them to him. Showed him the tortures and abuse that both of his parents endured.

And he felt sick to his stomach.

He watched and rewatched everything, learning the littlest ticks and triggers to their conditions. Soon, he found himself sympathizing with both of his parents. Then he watched the videos from when his father came back. When Steve had originally brought him to Wakanda, and Shuri worked with him to get rid of the manipulation techniques.

And he developed a bond with her.

Shuri didn’t shield him from everything like Steve tried to do, even though he was a child. But she had to encourage his curiosities when Steve wasn’t around. Otherwise, he would become upset. One day when Steve had been cleaning up in Ender’s room, he found the picture, evidence that Bucky had the chance to raise him in Wakanda, and he wouldn’t let Shuri near him for a week.

As he stared between Steve and Shuri, he knew that he'd walked into a tense moment, "dad? I-is there any news on mom? Did something happen?"

“Ender, go check on your little brother and sister.”

He looked away from the screen and back to his father, “are they closer to finding her?”

“Ender.”

Ender gave a heavy sigh and walked out of the room. Shuri looked at him, “you cannot shield him from everything, Captain Rogers.”

“He’s, my son.”

“No,” she corrected, “he’s Bucky’s son. He’s theta thirteen’s son. He does not belong to you. We had this same argument when he was younger. He is not a bartering chip between you and the white wolf. Nor is he one between you and theta thirteen!"

“I raised him. I know that my son isn’t a bartering chip, Shuri…and I’m upset to hear you think that’s how I see him.”

“Raising someone doesn’t mean that they are yours,” she replied, giving him a slight glare, “stop erasing that boy’s natural feelings towards his father so that you feel more fulfilled.”

“I think you should stop telling me how I should raise Ender,” Steve growled in reply, “I’m the one here for him. Not Bucky. Not even her right now.”

“That is not her fault, and you know it,” Shuri growled, pursing her lips, “she was trained under your noses. Both yours and Bucky. If you want to blame someone for her absence, you blame yourself and Bucky.”

“And yet who is here with the kids,” he asked, jaw clenching as he fought against his instincts to pounce on her and beat the shit out of her. His rage was taking hold of him as she insulted his parenting, as she insulted him, and he fought desperately against it, “I’m the constant in their lives. I have to be here, because they aren’t. Because they can’t.”

“You talk of being there,” she spat, “And yet, you’re not the one saving her. Bucky is. When did you become so short sighted, Captain Rogers?”

“Shuri.”

“Bruce could have cared for them, Captain,” she replied, “or the Bartons, or even the Starks. Call it for what it is, but you are a coward when it comes to this matter. You have become a shell of the soldier you were ever since your government had built up its new regime. You harassed Bucky because he was afraid of the government and left her with Ender. You forced him back to there, because he wouldn’t allow himself to enjoy his freedom if his family couldn’t enjoy it too. But you are afraid to see how she’ll react once she’s free. You’re afraid she’ll choose him and not you, so you have to make yourself useful while you still can. You have to invade her heart, through the pups.”

“I think you should leave, Shuri.”

“I think you should call a spade, a spade, Captain.” she answered, taking her leave. Steve raged as he heard the door slam behind her, throwing the television across the room.

“Bucky we’ll find her.”

Bucky was becoming antsy. He sat at his place at the metal table, chewing on his cuticles on his right hand as he watched the screens in front of him, a dozen different news channels on standby to see if there was another attack.

After six months of tracking her, he’d figure that they would be closer, but it felt like every day they searched, they never came out with a lead. Their signs of where she had been where due largely in part to the news outlets that reported the massacres.

The Autumn Assassin.

As he stared at the image on the screen, his heart shattered.

HYDRA had all but turned her into him from when he was The Winter Soldier. They had muzzled her for the cameras, but he could tell behind those glazed over eyes, she didn’t have a clue on who she was anymore.

He recognized that look. It was the one that was all too familiar with him. The uncertainty. The shell of yourself. Being confused and scared because you knew you were something else...but you couldn't quite grasp it.

She was in deep.

“We can’t keep up with her,” he groaned after a moment. Looking at the surrounding area he saw that it was just he and Nat. The clock read just after 2 am and he sighed, “why are you even up right now?”

“Kept thinking about her,” she admitted softly. She sat down at the old metal table and stared at the televisions that had repeated the attacks she’d been present at in London from just a few days ago. The computer software that scanned faces through different streetlights, traffic cams, and even cell phones hadn’t picked up anything, “did you ever start doubting things when you were the winter soldier?”

“I had small moments of clarity,” he admitted in reply, “but they were fragmented…like I was watching someone else's life through their eyes. It never felt real...none of it, but it was something that I’ll never forget. It fucks with your head just as much as the training that they give you. That’s what really makes you crazy. It’s why they wiped me a lot. Sometimes the memories would become too much You go into a rage and kill the ones you work with. You lose what's left of your mind. You become too careless and cause more destruction.”

Nat nodded, instantly looking back to the television. She was on screen, taking people down and setting off bombs in the embassy, “I hope she doesn’t remember any of it.”

“You remember your missions. Maybe not all the time, but they pop up at random times,” he muttered sadly. He switched hands, as he pretended to be interested in the yellow/gold undertones that were under the sleek black metal of his left arm, “I-I remembered them anyways…after Shuri helped me. It’s like a shotgun blast to the face when it hits you. I know that we’re assassins, and it doesn’t seem like it should affect us, but it does. The people we take out are meant to disappear. The people they make you take out were trying to be better. You can’t compartmentalize that.”

“Yeah. I know what that's like. You feel like there's too much red in your ledger,” she nodded sadly. She looked back over to Bucky and sighed, “I know that she won’t be able to escape the gravity of what she’s done once she’s back…she’s killed children Bucky. Maybe unintentionally, but-.”

“I know,” he murmured, cutting her off as he began thinking about one of the last videos from Malta, where she’d bombed a school, “but we’ll be there for her. We have to.”

“I worry about how she'll be with the kids when she gets back," Nat admitted, "how she'll look at Ender, Stevie, and Sarah. Is it bad that part of me hopes we don’t catch her? I-I just feel like she won't be able to even look at them when she comes to. They'll grow up without her...fuck, are we even doing the right thing going after her? Sometimes I feel like she's already too far gone when I see the videos...”

Before he even had the chance to be angry, she fell against the table, sobs racking her body as she processed the statement she’d yet to say aloud.

All of them, Nat, Sam, Thor, Loki, Yelena, even himself had been dragging their heels on finding her. What Nat just admitted was something that crossed every one of their brains. They didn’t know how lost she would truly be by the time they got to her…they’d only hoped that it wouldn’t be too late. But hearing Nat’s admission of it made Bucky feel some type of way.

“I’m not going to give up on her, Nat,” he replied solemnly, licking his bottom lip nervously, “if-if you feel that way, you could always go to Wakanda with the kids. Shuri told me that Ender’s been acting out a lot more…she started training him so that he'll get out some of his excess energy. And well, Steve’s breaking down…I’ll bring her bac-“

“I’m not leaving her, Bucky…I can’t,” she cried, looking up from her spot at the table. She reached out her hands to him, and Bucky took them, “she’s like my daughter. I raised her since she was eight. She always trusted me...I told her I would always protect her, and I'm not giving up. I just…I’m afraid that she won’t be able to come back emotionally…”

“And she’s the mother of my pup,” Bucky replied, “m-my mate. I’ll never give up on her…I’ll be with her through it all. It’s something I’ve been through, Nat…she’s strong. I know she can come back from it...I love her...and I won't ever stop.”

“I know.”

“I understand that you’re scared,” he whispered softly, giving her hands a squeeze, “if I’m being honest, I’m terrified too. The last time I saw her, sh-she was so broken down because of me. Because of the government holding the kids over her. It made me think of when they gave me Ender and I took him to Wakanda…I never should have given him back. I should have made her come after me. Made her stay with me. We could have been a family then. But-I-I was afraid. Steve told me they were considering killing her. He had to come back with Ender, or they’d eliminate her, amazing record or not.”

“I know,” she admitted sadly, “I tried thinking up a million ways I could get to her, but they had her under such high security protocols…they always had someone lurking around the corner, watching her to make sure she didn't leave. And now here we are…Bucky, are you doing this for her, or for you?”

“What do you mean, Nat?”

“Do you expect some happy ending when we finally reach her?” she asked softly, looking up at him. He noticed that while the tears had stopped, her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, ”I’m asking because I need to know your intentions. Do you expect to be able to fix her, and then break her and Steve up?”

“I know that she’s with Steve, and they marked each other, and that I’ll probably never have another shot at her, but she’s the love of my life. Mark or not. When I saw her hurting, I wanted to stay and make sure she was okay. But I also wanted to run with her and never look back…but that would have been unfair to Ender. To Steve and their pups,” Bucky answered, “My shot may be gone with her, but I will always still want to protect her.”

“What happens if it’s worse than what we’re thinking? What happens if we can’t save her?”

“Nat, I’m terrified that she’s going to be just like I was when I was the soldier. I don’t know if Shuri can help her like she did for me…or if we’re going to end up in a situation where she tries to kill me…but I have to try to bring her back. I can’t just let her go like that. I’m going to do any and everything that I can to make sure of it.”

“But what if we can’t, Buck?”

“We can,” he said softly, getting up to turn off the televisions. She looked at him nervously, and he swallowed, knowing that he had to be the one that made her believe his own uncertain truth, “and we will. Like I said Nat, I’m not giving up on her. I can’t. I left her once, and it was the biggest regret of my life…when I tried to make up for it, I let my fear take hold of me, and I let Ender go into that life. Now, were at a point where I can’t let my fear guide me anymore. I can’t walk away from her again.”

Chapter 11

#angst #marvel #captain america #steve rogers #bucky barnes #winter soldier #marvel au #soft bucky #a/b/o #natasha romanov #black widow #bucky #dark steve rogers #shuri #wakanda

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jinx-jade · 3 years

Text

When A mother’s & A father’s world’s collide Chapter 4: Barbara meets Marinette

“Where are you sneaking off to?” Barbara questions Dick, rolling her wheelchair closer.

“The kitchen for a snack?” Dick answered, receiving a disbelieving look for his answer.

“Really now? We should go get Alfred to make us some snacks since you're still banned from the kitchen. Oh! I’m sure Jason would love some snacks too.” Barbara said, daring Dick to continue his lie so she can go get the others.

Dick and Barbara got into a staring competition before he finally cracked.

“Ok, but you can’t tell or show anyone. Not Bruce, not Jason, I’m sure Alfred already knows but you still can’t tell him. You can’t tell anyone. I’m not sure how much trouble I’ll get into for bringing you and I don’t need to get into more trouble because you told someone.” Dick Informs her, making Barbara promise.

Once she swore not to say anything Dick brought his bluebird necklace out from under his shirt. Barbara had seen the necklace a few times and knows that it’s important to him.

All of a sudden the bluebird came to life, flying off the necklace chain. Before Barbara could ask how the bird came to life, Dick began pushing her wheelchair in the same direction as the bird flew in.

Somehow the hallways of Wayne manor disappeared and they walked into some kind of living-ish room.

“What the actual fuck Dick,” Barbara said under her breath as she looked around.

Before she could even begin to process what happened and where they were, a little girl ran over to them, crashing into Dick, giving him a hug, of which he returned.

The girl looked to be twelve or thirteen, definitely pre or early teens.

Another person walked into the room. The person was a woman and she was holding a toddler.

“Welcome back Blue.” The woman claimed.

“Hey mom,” Dick greeted taking the toddler from her.

Barbara could only stare in shock. Millions of questions flying through her head.

‘Wasn’t Dick’s mother dead?’

‘Who is the toddler?’

‘Who is the little girl?’

‘Where are we?’

‘How did the necklace do that?’

“Hey, are you ok sweetheart?” The woman asked in one of the kindest voices Barbara has ever heard. She was now closer to Barbara while still giving her enough space to move and not feel trapped.

“I’m fine,” Barbara answered eventually.

There was silence between the woman, ‘Dick’s mother?’, and Barbara, before the woman gave her another sweet smile and interrupted the silence.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions.” The woman said before looking to Dick. “But I also have a question of my own.”

Dick had a sheepish look on his face.

“Ah. Uhm. Sorry, mom. Babs saw me leaving and threatened to get the others’ attention if I didn’t tell her where I was going, so I figured letting her tag along would be the better idea.” Dick explains.

Barbara expected the woma- Dick’s mother, to be mad at Dick for bringing a stranger into her ‘home?’, or maybe mad at her for essentially blackmailing her son.

Instead, Dick’s mother just laughed.

“So you’re Babs. It’s nice to finally meet the young woman Dick hasn’t stopped gushing about.” Dick’s cheeks getting a few shades of red to them, he glares at his mother, but there didn’t seem to be any heat behind it.

“I’m Marinette, Dick’s adoptive-ish mother.” Dick’s mother introduces herself.

“This is Damian and Cassandra, my other adoptive-ish kids,” Marinette claims, introducing the sleepy toddler and the little girl who was now hiding behind Dick.

‘So that answers some questions.’

“Adoptive-ish?” Barbara questions.

“Uhm… the best way to explain it is I’m not their legal guardian in any way, shape, or form, but I am emotionally attached to them in the same way they are emotionally attached to me. That kinda makes me their mom while they are my kids” Marinette explained.

Barbara continued to look at Marinette strangely before letting out a heavy breath with a shrug. “You know what, it’s not the strangest thing I have heard of or seen.”

Barbara and Dick ended up spending the next three hours playing with Damian and Cass while Marinette seemed to supervise, only joining in when one of her children asked for her.

A beeping noise sounded causing Barbara to jump slightly in her wheelchair. She looked around only to see everyone here was now seemingly upset.

Barbara rolled herself closer to Dick. “What was that for, and why is everyone in a bad mood compared to a few moments ago?” She asked.

“That means Damian has to go back to his blood home,” Dick states with a bit of an upset huff.

“And that’s a bad thing why?” Barbara questions with curiosity.

“His biological mother is Talia Al-Ghul,” Dick informs her.

Barbara blinked a few times, gathering her train of thought. “Wait… What?... Does that mean Damian is B…”

“Most likely?” Dick said with a shrug. “I can’t run his DNA against B.’s without alerting B., so we won’t know for sure till Talia randomly dumps Damian on him,” Dick says, earning him a slap on his arm.

“Just cause Talia is a bad person doesn’t mean she would randomly drop her kid off with someone. She would hopefully give them a heads up before that.” Barbara said, looking a little unsure of herself.

Once everyone said their goodbyes Marinette had them move to the kitchen so they could eat something. Dick knowing it was an excuse for them to leave before Damian throws a fit about having to go back, leads Cass and Barbara to the kitchen.

Marinette picked Damian up, “You ready to go?” She questioned sweetly.

“NOOOO!” Damian cried, clearly as unhappy to leave as they were that he had to go.

“Ssshhhhh. You’re ok little one. I know you don’t want to, but I really have to take you back before they notice.” Marinette said in a calm soothing voice.

“I stay here!” Damian whines.

“Hhmm…” Marinette hums in thought. “How about I make those berry pastries you like next time I bring you home,” Marinette says, extending her pinky towards the toddler.

Damian looked at the pinky, knowing that his mother was trying to do a pinky promise, but decided just to hug his mom tighter.

“I no go… meanies there…” Damian said with a sniffle of his nose.

“I know little one but your mother will be very angry if you are missing,” Marinette informs him with a soft, quiet voice. Still trying to soothe her upset and distressed child.

“Mean lady not mother...” Damian argued in a tired voice.

“I know little one but you need to pretend till we can get you out of there,” Marinette said, rubbing small soothing circles into Damian’s back.

“... Fine…” Damian huffed as Marinette moved to the shadows later emerging in the ‘demon heir’s quarters’.

tag list: @animegirlweeb @alyssadeliv @mizzy-pop @jayjayspixiepop @eggadoodle @rosalineandrosemary @corporeal-terrestrial @Moon5608 @asrainterstellar @toodaloo-kangaroo @pinkittwice @laurcad123 @moonlightstar64

#maribat

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