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batbabydamian · 4 months

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Hey, I started reading Robin son of Batman because of your recommendation (I literally have a print of your post on my phone to not forget lol). Honestly? One of the best things I ever read!!!

Thank you for opening my eyes! Damian has been one of my favorite characters for over a year, but I didn't read/watch much of him because of school, life (and probably an executive dysfunction in the mix).

Maya is incredible. I loved her.

I haven't finished all the issues yet, but do you have any other recommendations?

WAH this makes me so happy, i'm glad you still gave it a shot even with how busy life is!! ;v;

i’d love to give reccs, and i’ll try to go a beginner friendly route! tbh you can pick up whatever here, but since you've read R:SOB i’d immediately follow up with Batman and Robin (2011) #1-8! this first arc is what’s referred to in Maya’s introduction, and it's just. so good.

Main Books

Batman and Robin (2009)

Dick as Batman with Damian as his Robin!

#20-22 Tree of Blood: Dark Knight vs White Knight arc is done by Tomasi and Gleason, the team for the next Batman and Robin series

*Batman and Robin (2011)

Bruce and Damian figuring out their relationship as both Batman & Robin and father & son

imo you can enjoy the ride and read straight through this but i’ll add context to avoid as much confusion as possible since there’s the occasional tie-in or offscreen events, like Damian’s death nbd

Batman Incorporated (2012) #1-10

events leading to Damian's death - affects Batman and Robin (2011) from issue #18

kind of a tough read especially with how Talia's written, but a lot of iconic bits like Batcow, Damian's vegetarian declaration, Alfred the cat, "We Were the Best, Richard."

Robin (2021)

another self-discovery adventure, particularly after Alfred’s death and a fallout with Bruce (and questionable writing choices from his last Teen Titans run)

Batman and Robin (2023)

currently ongoing! after a number of events, Bruce and Damian are back as a duo

Damian Dynamics!

Batman: Streets of Gotham (2009) #7, 10-12

arc where Damian meets one of his first Gotham friends, Colin Wilkes

Batgirl (2009) #5-7, #17

Steph and Damian dynamic! "the bad cop, worse cop" dysfunctional duo

Red Robin (2009) #13-14

early Tim and Damian dynamic that of course includes fighting haha. funny enough, accidentally my first intro to Damian LOL

Teen Titans (2003) #89-92

Dick!Batman has Damian join the Teen Titans. Start of Damian and Rose Wilson dynamic that’s extended in Robin (2021)

Batman: Gates of Gotham (2011)

Damian meets Cass and has a brief team up

Gotham Academy (2015) #7

Damian meets Maps Mizoguchi! they have a few other meetings, but outside of that the series itself is a great read!

Robin War Event (2015)

Robin War (2015) #1, Grayson (2014) #15, Detective Comics (2011) #47, We Are Robin (2015) #7, Robin: Son of Batman (2015) #7, Robin War (2015) #2

Duke and Damian dynamic! not exactly beginner friendly but these are the main issues in order for the event! you can also read the TPB version for everything including Tie-Ins

Nightwing (2016) #16-20, #42, #43

#16-20 Nightwing and Robin arc!

#42 Dick on a mission to save Damian! the one appearance of "Wiggles" the dragon

#43 Dick, Roy, and Damian team-up

New Talent Showcase 2018 "Catwoman: Pedigree"

Selina, Damian, and Alfred the cat

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding - Robin vs. Ra's Al Ghul (2018)

Selina, Damian, and Cheese Viking - Damian's fav game shown in Nightwing: Rebirth (2016)

Monkey Prince (2022) #1-4

Marcus Sun Shugel-Shen's main comic, but Damian features as a fun dynamic here before they're in more serious circumstances in Batman VS Robin (2022)/Lazarus Planet event

Superman (2016) #10 - 11

the beginning of the Super Sons! featuring Maya!

Super Sons (2017)

solitary arcs but there’s a few event tie-in issues later

Adventures of the Super Sons (2018)

literally more Super Sons adventures lol galactic shenanigans yeehaw

Challenge of the Super Sons (2020)

Super Sons time shenanigans feat. the Justice League

Robin 80th Anniversary (2020)

"Boy Wonders" - brief Damian feature as Tim considers his next step in life

"My Best Friend" - Jon's thoughts on Damian and their dynamic

"Bat and Mouse" - refers to Damian's unfortunate Teen Titans (2016) run at the time of release which follows up with Teen Titans Annual #2 where Damian briefly gives up Robin

Extra Comics!

Superman/Batman (2003) #77

Kara and Damian in a Halloween team-up! also the appearance of "Li'l Matches" lol

DCU Halloween Special '09 "Cavity Search"

Damian out on a solo mission for Halloween night. Immediately after is Tim's Red Robin story "Then and Now: Our Father's Sins" which is more somber in contrast but also a good read!

DCU Halloween Special 2010 "Robin the Vampire Slayer"

a Dick!Batman and Robin story featuring the vampire Andrew Bennett

Cursed Comics Cavalcade (2018) "The Devil You Know"

Halloween themed comic with a sweet short story of Damian alongside Solomon Grundy

DC's Terrors Through Time (2022)

"Trick or Treat" a Super Sons Halloween story

"The Haunting of Wayne Manor" Damian and Deadman story - in the end, Boston kinda refers to Nezha's possession of Damian in Batman VS Robin (2022) which was happening at the time of this release

Batman: Li'l Gotham (2013)

lighthearted series that instantly makes me smile with the silliness and Dustin Nguyen’s art i love this dearly

Secret Origins (2014) #4 "A Boy's Life"

a retelling of Damian's origin story

Detective Comics (2016) #1001-1005

Batman and Robin vs the Arkham Knight (unrelated to the game)

Truth & Justice (2021) #6/#16 - 18 Digital First version

cute story of Damian’s birthday! Juni Ba’s art is so fun!!

DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration (2021) “Special Delivery”

short story about Damian! and poisoned pizzas. completely forgot the artist Sami Basri drew Rebirth Damian here before catboy Damian lol Cass’s story “Sounds” is also cute! Marcus makes his first appearance in "The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes"

DC VS Vampires (2021)

Damian makes appearances throughout this elseworlds book, but the one-shot DC VS Vampires: Hunters (2022) is vampire Damian-centric!

Batman: Black and White (2021) #5

“Father & Son Outing” short story written and drawn by Jorge Jimenez!

Batman: Urban Legends (2021) #20-23

#20 “My Son” Talia and Bruce focus

#20 - 23 “The Murder Club” 4 Parts

Tiny Titans (2008) #33, #39, #45, #47

a few appearances but SO CUTE, LOOK AT HIM

*Batman and Robin (2011) reading guide

i'm mostly trying to avoid the "what did i just walk in on?" kinda feeling when i first started reading comics LOL i'll list the comics where events take place, but you don't necessarily have to read them to go through this book since things are usually explained as quickly as possible in the first page or so

#0 Someday Never Comes

Talia and baby Damian before he grows up to meet Bruce

#1-8 Born to Kill

just an incredibly solid arc for Bruce and Damian!

#9 Court of Owls Tie-In Issue

Damian VS a Court of Owls Talon. While Bruce is occupied with a home invasion of Talons, Alfred makes a call for allies to protect targeted Gotham public figures from Talons. During Batman (2011) #1-11

#10-12 Terminus

Damian challenges the previous Robins sans Steph

Batman Incorporated (2012) is occurring at this time where Talia has placed a bounty on Damian and there's small mentions of that

#13-14 Eclipsed/Devoured

mostly solitary arc! end of it leads into the Death of the Family event

#15-16 Death of the Family Tie-In Issues

Damian and Joker face-off... Alfred's been kidnapped by the Joker, and Damian goes looking for him. During Batman (2011) #13-17

#17 Life is but a Dream - Death of the Family Epilogue

a sort of subconscious check-in through the dreams of Damian, Alfred, and Bruce. Nightwing (2011) #17 features Damian encouraging Dick after Death of the Family events

#18 Undone "Requiem"

Bruce dealing with Damian's death from Batman Incorporated #8

other reactions to Damian's death: Dick in Nightwing (2011) #18, Tim in Teen Titans (2011) #18

#19-23 Denial, Rage, The Bargain, Despair, Acceptance

Bruce through the stages of grief with some batfam appearances in each. also introduces Carrie Kelley into continuity as Damian's acting tutor.

Batman (2011) #19-20 also addresses Bruce's loss

#23.1-23.4

these could be skipped - villain stories, also related to Forever Evil event.

#24-28 The Big Burn

optional Batman and Two-Face/Harvey Dent arc, #23.1 is part of this story!

Damian's resurrection and return

#29-32 The Hunt for Robin

Ras took Talia and Damian's bodies from their graves, and Bruce goes after him.

-> Robin Rises: Omega

continues events from #32. if you don't want to jump to this, basically, Glorious Godfrey and a bunch of parademons from Apokolips are here for a chaos shard which Ra's put in Damian's sarcophagus. at some point, Bruce gets a hold of the shard where he sees a vision that leads him to believe Damian can be resurrected. Godfrey ends up taking the shard, along with Damian's body since it was emitting the same energy.

#33-37 Robin Rises

Bruce hellbent on retrieving Damian from Apokolips and reviving him

-> Robin Rises: Alpha

necessary to read and continues events from #37! Damian's back with a bang lol

#38-40 Superpower

Damian adjusting to having superpowers and being alive again

Annual #1 2013 Batman Impossible

sweet (and funny) one-shot of Damian sending Bruce on a meaningful scavenger hunt around the world while Damian gets to be the cutest Batman for a bit

Annual #2 2014 Batman and Robin: Week One

one-shot takes place during Damian's absence. after Bruce and Alfred find a mystery gift left for Dick, Dick recounts a story he had told Damian from his Robin days.

Annual #3 2015 Moonshot

one-shot Batman and Robin adventure on the moon!

...and of course after Batman and Robin (2011), Damian's story continues in his first solo Robin: Son of Batman (2015)!

#damian wayne #ask #sorry for R:SOB promo again but i need this title attached to Damian's name as much as B&R 2009/2011😭#thank you for the ask anon!! really am so happy you were able to find the time to read RSOB and enjoy it!! i genuinely cheered 😭#i hope some of these comics give you many emotions and/or a smile!! <3 #if anyone would like to correct something or include some Damian comics please feel free to comment or add to the post!!#sorry if the reading guide is an intimidating wall of text hhh after i finished it i was like...this does not look beginner friendly LOL 😭#Damian's Teen Titans run is beginner friendly but it's so frustrating to read his character being regressed especially after RSOB #ig i would only recc the first 5 issues just for Mara asdsfg #super/bat 77 comic rlly made me wonder how Williamson could've made Damian sound so stiff now compared to his first time writing him?? rip.#also i love how there's so many Halloween stories here lol #maybe?? i'll do a guide for Damian's intro since those were the most confusing for me when i really got into his comics #i think his most recent appearances are a bit easier to figure out on your own but i don't mind doing a guide for that too if needed!#OOF tags got long lol i may be a bit nervous posting this bc i'd like ppl to read more Damian but worried i may have goofed somewhere #but hopefully this is helpful to anyone curious about peeking at his comics!!

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armed-with-a-waffle-iron · 1 year

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The Bat Family Timeline and Ages (Post-Crisis and New Earth) with Sources

Evidence

In Batman: Year One, Bruce is said to be 25 in the January he returns to Gotham. The 1976 DC Calendar puts Bruce's birthday on the 19th of February so Bruce is 26 during his first outing as Batman in April.

Marv Wolfman's Batman: Year Three (Batman vol. 1 #436) tells us that Dick Grayson's parents die in Bruce's third year. In Batman vol. 1 #441 (also by Wolfman) Tim says that Robin started appearing around 6 months after the death of the Flying Graysons. For Dick's age when he becomes Robin, see below.

Bruce joins the Justice League before Dick forms the Teen Titans. Both these teams form before Barbara Gordon becomes Batgirl at 16 (Batgirl: Year One).

Barbara and Dick are each other's dates to their high school prom and so are less than 2 years apart in age (Detective Comics vol. 1 #871).

I suspect Dick, who was an emancipated minor, graduated high school and started college a year early, which allows Dick and Barbara to have some time as the new Dynamic Duo, as we see in Batman Family.

Dick Grayson is 18 when he forms the New Teen Titans, all of whom are also teenagers (Nightwing vol. 2 #137 by Wolfman, who also created the New Teen Titans).

Dick Grayson is 19 when he becomes Nightwing (Batman vol. 1 # 416).

21 year-old Helena becomes Huntress (Huntress: Year One #1), and interacts with Batgirl, meaning that Barbara is not yet Oracle.

Jason dies at 15, 4 months before his 16th birthday (Batman Files). This is before the New Teen Titans' third year anniversary (New Titans #71), before any of the Titans turn 22 (Deathstroke vol. 1 Annual 1), 2 years after Dick becomes Nightwing and almost 10 years before Dick's parents are killed (Batman vol. 1 #436). Dick is hence 21 during these events and 11 when he became Robin.

I also kinda like Dick being 17 years younger than Bruce because that's also the age difference between Adam West and Burt Ward from the 60s TV series.

After these events, Tim Drake becomes Robin and is 13-14 (Batman vol. 1 #441 and Robin II #1)

Soon after, Stephanie Brown is 15 when she becomes Spoiler (Secret Origins 80-Page Giant).

Stephanie is still 15 when she realises that she is pregnant (Robin vol. 2 #59) and Tim is almost 15 during this time (Secret Origins 80-Page Giant).

Cassandra Cain is 17 when she comes to Gotham during this time (Batgirl vol. 1 #1), during No Man's Land which lasts one year.

Helena’s family were killed when she was 8 and during Batman/Huntress: Cry For Blood, Tim says the murders happened roughly 15 years ago, making her roughly 23 during this storyline.

Cass turns 18 in January (Batgirl vol. 1 #39), Tim Drake turns 16 (Robin vol. 2 #116), Jason would have turned 18 in August (Detective Comics vol. 1 #790), and Stephanie is 16 when she "dies" (Batman Allies Secret Files & Origin).

Personally I'd re-arrange Tim's 16th birthday to be the last of these events four events to accommodate him still being 17 late into the Batman: Reborn, see below.

Jason soon returns to Gotham as Red Hood, not long before Infinite Crisis, 52 and One Year Later.

Following the one year time skip, Dick says it's been almost 10 years since his misadventures with Metal Eddie and Liu as a 16-17 year old (Nightwing vol. 2 #133 by Wolfman), which makes sense because he would be 25 by my math.

Stephanie returns from her time as a medical volunteer in East Africa, finishes high school and begins university during Batman: Reborn. She'd turn 19 by the end of this year by my math, which is a typical age to be begin attending university (Gotham Underground and Batgirl vol. 3 #1).

Dick calls Damian Wayne a "10 year-old" before Stephanie attends university (Batman and Robin vol. 1 #2) and Steph still calls Damian a "10 year-old" while she's in her second semester (Batgirl vol. 3 #13 and Batgirl vol. 3 #17). He might have turned 11 before the reboot.

Batwoman: Elegy (Detective Comics #858), during the Batman: Reborn year, shows that Kate was 12 when she was kidnapped and saw her mother and sister killed. This incident is also said to happen "20 years ago”, making her 32 and hence 30-31 during her first appearance in 52/One Year Later.

Tim Drake is still 17 while Steph is in her second semester of her first year at university, and it's stated that he is meant to be in his senior year at high school (Batgirl vol. 3 #13, Red Robin #17 and Red Robin #25). It's possible he turns 18 before the reboot.

Mistakes I Made

Cassandra Cain is 21 in Year Eighteen.

The "Titans disbands" in Year Thirteen was definitely a year early but it's done.

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cerealforkart · 1 year

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Dungeons and Daddies the Manga the Masterpost

Welcome to Dungeons and Daddies the Manga! A complete, fan-run yonkoma-style recap of the second season of Dungeons and Daddies (a podcast about four teens kinda from our world trying to save our world after their grandparents messed it up). Use this masterpost to easily navigate yourself to your favourite episodes and remember all the nonsense our favourite daddies have crammed into this wild season.

Order the physical version of the manga, with 24 new exclusive pages over here!

Support me and this project and get a drawing with my ko-fi!

Lesson List:

Lesson 1: Dungeons and D.A.D.D.I.E.S.

Lesson 2: The Game of Life [Any% WR Speedrun]

Lesson 3: The Unbearable Linkness of Peeing

Lesson 4: Barf Bum Movie Men

Lesson 5: Dance Dance Revelations

Lesson 6: Dance Dance Revelations 2ndMix Link Version

Lesson 7: The Gofast Club

Lesson 8: Slumber Party Mayorssacre

Lesson 9: Debate Me, Cowards

Lesson 10: Dad Me To Hell

Lesson 11: That Thing? You, Dude!

Lesson 12: Scary Movie 2

Lesson 13: Children of the Code

Lesson 14: Welcome to Earth

Lesson 15: California Pizza Kombat

Lesson 16: Needlejuice

Lesson 17: OSHA’s Eleven

Lesson 18: Grand Theft Gato

Lesson 19: Pop Punk

Lesson 20: I Brought You My Catbus, You Brought Me Your Love

Lesson 21: Finding Forest Her

Lesson 22: Army of Tree

Lesson 23: Alright

Lesson 24: Spider-Boyz: Homecoming

Lesson 25: Stand and Delivery

Lesson 26: The Staircase

Lesson 27: Ei8ht

Lesson 28: King of the Hell

Lesson 29: S.O.C.C.E.R.: Shadow of Scorenogoal

Lesson 30: Mrs. Swallows-Oak-Garcia’s Home for Peculiar Teenagers

Lesson 31: Halt and Catch Fireball

Lesson 32: Con Mayor

Lesson 33: An Extremely Goofy Episode

Lesson 34: Finding Tori

Lesson 35: Apollo Four Teens

Lesson 36: When Terry Met Terry

Lesson 37: Cut My Life Into Pizzas

Lesson 38: Main Character Syndrome

Lesson 39: Hey, Dude

Lesson 40: The Teenhigh Saga: Break-in Wrong: Part 1

Lesson 41: We Need to Talk About Heaven

Lesson 42: Spirit Hallow Peen

Lesson 43: Attack on Titanic

Lesson 44: Atonyment

Lesson 45: Hell or High Father

Lesson 46: Lincoln in the No Holds Bardo

Lesson 47: Inside the Actor’s Funeral

Lesson 48: Next to Normal

Lesson 49: Halo Reach

Lesson 50: Larry the Capable Guy

Lesson 51: Cool Hand Linc

Lesson 52: Dood Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Lesson 53: Urination (Friends Forever)

Extras

Style Guide: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

New Years 2023

Page 69.5

Anniversary

New Years 2024

The Team:

Manga by @cerealforkart

Transcripts by @confusedfoam

#dndads #dungeons and daddies #gritting my teeth #telling myself I'm still proud of the old pages

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arteastica · 9 months

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early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (5)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (25) | (26)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.). slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters). no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 2.2k

From what you had heard, warm weather and blue skies were supposed to feel relaxing and soothing, as if the sun was extending an open invitation for everyone to lazily lay on the fields and bask under it. But on the morning of the 57th expedition beyond the walls, the blue in the sky had a tinge of deceit, almost as if a storm was coming.

That’s why the black smoke signals didn’t surprise you. In fact, you were kind of expecting them. What you didn’t expect, however, was for them to keep going for that long. It seemed like no team had been able to take out the abnormal.

Your eyes kept bouncing from the black smoke in the sky to the wings of freedom on his back, because something about them prevented your hands from sweating too much and your heart from going too fast.

“It appears the right-wing recon squad has been wiped out.” A messenger came galloping at full speed. “The early warning network is compromised.”

The right wing? This is bad. If we let them too far into the formation-

Another black column rose into the sky.

Just under that smoke, someone is-.

You held the reins tight while your elbows pressed just as hard into your sides. Your eyes followed the smoke column back to the ground and that’s when it clicked. They were fighting on plain, empty fields. Not a single building to latch onto. Through the suffocating mental fog, you tried to visualize the map in your head. The only tactical option is-

“Commander, at the east-” you said hurriedly, almost out of breath.

“The forest. I know” he finished your sentence, flare gun already in hand.

“Titans have used this path. Lack of vegetation is a giveaway.” He observed some moments later as you approached the woods. “The wagons should have no problem. Inform everyone behind us. Only the center line will enter the forest” he said before turning to his right, locking eyes with you for a brief second “don’t leave my side, and keep your eyes open-”

“At all times” you said, giving him a firm nod.

They’re going to finish it off anytime now. That’s why we’re here. He intends to confront it and kill it. You thought, unable to take your eyes off the horror unfolding beneath you.

A black smoke signal had been seen through the giant tree branches and moments later Captain Levi and his squad had come rushing into the scene, followed by what you assumed was the abnormal that had been causing all the chaos. And when you saw it, you understood why. You had never seen a titan in real life, but you were sure they weren’t supposed to look like that. None of your textbooks mentioned anything about a creature like that one.

“Fire!” The commander’s voice echoed through the forest.

Looks like it’s completely immobilized now. You looked at the creature, stabbed by hundreds of sharp and unforgiving iron strings. Anytime now, he’ll give the order to kill it.

Back then, when the abnormal had come in accelerating, it looked as if squad Levi wasn’t going to be able to outrun it. For a moment, you had fought the urgency to look away. You had been certain they were all going to be crushed flat. But even in the face of death, after abandoning comrades and friends, everyone seemed to have silently agreed on moving forward. Everyone is believing in Commander Erwin and risking it all. You thought. But was it something everyone collectively decided? Or was it just one man making all the calls? One person getting to decide who stays behind and who keeps going.

You looked at him, standing on a nearby branch. His hunter green cloak dancing in sync with the wind. For a moment, it looked like he had wings. And in the time you had known him, you swore his side profile had never looked so sublime.

And terrifying.

In him, there was so much to admire.

And so much to fear.

Stance, unmoving. Features, expressionless. Eyes, fixed on the target. You tried to read him, but there was nothing. It was like trying to read a blank piece of paper or a closed book. You weren’t exactly sure which one. And in that moment, you realized that there was still so much you didn’t know about the Commander of the Survey Corps. And so much you most likely would never know. He seemed to be both, sometimes even at the same time: reliable and unpredictable.

Unpredictability. It was right there in everything he did. Everything he was. From the way his cloak swayed in the wind to the pattern his thoughts followed. Or rather didn’t.

He was as unpredictable as the world you had been born in. And he had adapted frighteningly well.

“We can’t let our guard down yet. But anyway, good work guiding it to this point.” You heard him say to Captain Levi when he landed beside him.

“We were able to buy time thanks to the rear squad that gave their lives fighting. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

“Is that so?” His voice was toneless and devoid of emotion. Definitely not the type you were supposed to use when replying to a statement like that one. Yet his eyes were telling you stories not even a thousand words could. Those were the type of eyes that could only be born of painful experiences, of holding onto the unrelenting part of yourself while letting the compassionate one go. And choosing to do it over and over again. Those were the type of eyes born from tainting one’s own hands with blood. Because those soldiers, the ones whose bodies had been crushed and dismembered while fighting the abnormal, hadn’t exactly died voluntarily. They had been ordered to.

By him.

Erwin Smith’s hands were tainted with the blood of hundreds.

You clutched the handle of your blade with ice cold fingers. It was in that forest that you finally understood why he had been entrusted with the Survey Corps, the hope of humanity. He was willing to make the decision no one else dared to. He was willing to abandon everything, even his own humanity, because in a world like yours, that was the only trade that could bring you change. He had chosen to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of his soldiers in order to secure the lives of thousands within the walls.

“Their sacrifice won’t go to waste. It is our job to find meaning in it.” He seemed to be speaking to the air, and not particularly to Captain Levi, eyes still fixed on that same spot.

You followed them, and they led you to the titan. It looked special. Human, even. And that, in particular, made the creature all the more disturbing. You couldn’t help but remember Captain Hange’s reports and how they described Eren in his titan form. Were there others like him?

You suddenly felt like you had swallowed a rock.

The commander must have known it all along. That’s why he led us all here. He isn’t trying to kill that titan. He wants to capture it alive. You quickly turned your head in his direction. He was like a complex picture that no matter how far you stepped back, you were never going to fully see.

“Thanks to them we can find out who’s on this thing’s nape.” He said to Captain Levi.

You hurried to take your notebook and pencil out, and started to sketch the creature with whatever precision was left in your trembling hands. But the moment the abnormal let out that horrifying cry, your whole body stopped answering.

“Erwin, it smells” was all you heard Squad Leader Miche say before the ground started shaking. You looked around, not really sure what you were searching for. But then, in the distance, you saw them.

They were unsettling. They looked like people. Deformed giant people. But unlike the abnormal, who remained imprisoned by the restraint weapon, there was something more animalistic than human about them.

You stood there, unmoving, while the branch you were standing on threatened to snap. The pencil, suddenly too heavy, slipped from your hand, and you looked down only to see it disappear in the multitude of giants. So this is how they look. Titans.

Were they supposed to act that way though? They seemed to be ignoring everyone and rushing towards… the abnormal.

“All soldiers engage the enemy! Defend the female titan!” The commander’s orders almost got trampled by the deafening footsteps.

These were the type of situations you always tried to avoid.

You took a deep breath and descended into the chaos.

It was very important to never do anything you didn’t feel confident about.

You tried to remember your training.

To stay away from anything you weren’t one hundred percent sure you could handle.

You tried to imagine Shadis’ was the one giving you the orders. Calm down and use your brain. It’s the best survival tool, he used to say.

Go for the nape. Hold the blade tight, and slash like you mean it. Repeat.

Your blade landed on flesh for the first time, and it wasn’t a clean cut. And judging by the fact that the titan was able to get up again, not enough pressure.

In any other situation, you would have been embarrassed.

You looked around and saw the veterans. Titans falling left and right. Impressive.

In any other situation, you would have felt small, diminished by their overwhelming superiority.

‘This is the skill of the Survey Corps’ you thought. And you were now one of them.

But this wasn’t just ‘any other’ situation.

So you tried again.

This time you knew how much pressure to apply. As you sliced the flesh open, something spattered all over your face. It was boiling. But luckily, it evaporated quickly.

So you tried again.

And again.

“Why aren’t we retreating?” You heard a soldier beside you scream. He sounded desperate, and you couldn’t blame him. He had steam coming from all over his body. And you had to admit you shared his sentiment. Everywhere you looked, titans kept rushing in. There seemed to be no end to them.

But until the orders were given, you had no choice but to keep fighting. And to be honest, you had fallen into some kind of rhythm. The movements were actually kind of repetitive. Not to mention, it also helped that titans didn’t seem interested in you at all. Their goal was clear, the female.

You aimed for a nearby tree and released the hook. However, you must have miscalculated the spot, because the next thing you knew, you were being dragged along the forest floor.

You tried to get back up, but in that moment you learned that, in situations like this, limbs have an annoying tendency to turn into concrete. From your position, you only saw treetops and the deceiving sky from earlier, peeking through the foliage as if making fun of you. And then it all started to get blurry.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to leave, but for you, it didn’t. You didn’t see anything and you didn’t feel anything. Your brain insisted that a fall from that height was supposed to hurt, but there was no pain. You didn’t hear anything either. The world was quiet, as if you were underwater. Under the deepest of rivers, being dragged by the current.

Until you suddenly stopped moving. And you saw them.

Eyes that were the color of the clear blue sky peeking through the clouds after the most violent of storms, the color of the mountain lake glimmering under the sun after the steepest of climbs, and the color of the bluebell field after the harshest of winters. All at once.

You tried reaching for them. And this time your limbs didn’t fail you. As you sat up, it felt as if your body was made of cloud rather than muscle, as if your head was filled with cotton rather than thoughts. And you were met with those eyes again, and the man they belonged to.

The commander. He was kneeling beside you and his mouth was moving as if sound was supposed to come out of it, but you couldn’t make out the words. His blades were drawn, and behind him, a titan had already started to turn into gas, your hook still attached to its head.

You looked into his eyes again, and noticed your entire body shaking, but you couldn’t tell if it was out of fear or from holding back from him. So you threw yourself into his arms. The side of your head pressing hard against his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his waist, a comfortable warmth radiating all throughout your body.

And slowly, all the sensations started to come back, including the throbbing pain you now felt in the back of your head. And you heard loud footsteps behind him, as well as the unmistakable sound of chaos all around. But you also heard the drumming in his chest, something closer to a lullaby than a heartbeat. His arms were warm and welcoming, so you clung to him tighter.

“All soldiers retreat. Assume the formation. Return to Karanes.” You felt his chest moving as he yelled out the orders, one hand on your back while the other fired the blue smoke round that signaled the end of the expedition.

next chapter

taglist: @elnyrae @angelaevangelion

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pluckyredhead · 1 year

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Character Profile: Eddie Bloomberg (Kid Devil/Red Devil)

Some of you could probably see this one coming. I have an Eddie fic ready to share with you very soon, but for those of you who have no idea who I’m talking about, I figured I should fill you in. So here he is! The sweetest little devil in the DCU!

Eddie Bloomberg debuted in the 1984 Blue Devil series. Blue Devil is Dan Cassidy, a Hollywood stuntman/special effects artist who was cursed by a demon and trapped in a devil costume forever. If he had been a Marvel character, he would be hated and feared etc, but since he lives in the DCU, it literally has no effect on his movie career. I love the DCU.

The producer of the movie Dan is making when he’s cursed is Marla Bloom (real name: Marlene Bloomberg), a somewhat manic but fiercely loyal visionary. Her nephew, Eddie, is a gofer on set and in fact is only known as “Gopher” for quite a few issues of Blue Devil before anyone uses his actual name. Eddie is teeny tiny in this series - logically he’s probably no younger than 12, since he’s allowed to actually have a job on set, but the writing and art, especially his little OshKosh B’gosh green overalls, make him seem younger, more in the 8-10 range.

(Note: It is never explicitly stated that Eddie and Marla are Jewish, but their last name, and Marla changing her name upon arriving in Hollywood, are such obvious clues that I wouldn’t even consider it coding or subtext. It might be missed by people who aren’t familiar with Jewish names or the long history of Jewish people changing said names to make it in Hollywood - which, trust me, is as antisemitic as anywhere else - but they are Jewish. This will have some HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC IMPLICATIONS further down the line, but we’ll get there.)

Eddie’s hero worship of Dan leads him to make his own costume, plus a “trident” (Dan has one too and that’s what they both call it, but you guys, you are devils, not mermen. They’re pitchforks.) that he uses to fly, which, UM??? Eddie is apparently a genius and no one ever comments on it?

Eddie is probably best known these days in fandom for his extremely brief (it’s a four page story) friendship with Jason Todd in his Robin days. They are PEN PALS and they team up to catch a jewel thief and it’s so damn cute:

But not too long after this, Blue Devil was canceled, and Eddie faded into obscurity. That is, until he showed up on the Teen Titans 20 years later, looking like this:

Eddie is now 17, and the intervening years have been extraordinarily shitty for him.

First, his Aunt Marla was like “Hey, I talked your parents into letting you stay with me indefinitely, because I love you!” and it took him years to realize that actually, his parents had suggested he stay in Hollywood because they didn’t want him.

Then Marla died in a freak helicopter crash, because some safety lights that should have been on were out. Eddie struggled to keep a job after that, since he’s not actually very good at being a gopher/PA. (Why he was allowed to live on his own/work/not go to school as a minor is not explained.)

He decided to focus on being a superhero, but no one wants a kid in a devil suit with no powers, so that didn’t go so hot either. Eventually he got his chance when a mysterious hooded stranger gave him a black candle, which...Eddie, no. Lighting the candle took him to Neron, who is one of the DCU’s several versions of the devil, specifically the one who makes Faustian bargains with characters.

Neron asked Eddie who he trusted the most in the world, and Eddie said Blue Devil. Neron offered Eddie a deal: he would give Eddie powers, and in exchange, if Eddie ever lost his trust in Blue Devil, his soul would belong to Neron on his 20th birthday. Eddie, thinking nothing could shake his faith in his hero, agreed.

And then Neron told him that Blue Devil killed Marla.

This was in fact completely true. Years ago, Dan had made a deal with Neron: fame in exchange for destroying a power station in the middle of nowhere. Dan, assuming no one would be hurt, agreed. The power station being down was the reason the warning lights were out during Marla’s helicopter crash. Dan never told anyone the truth about her death.

Eddie refuses to believe him, because after all, Neron is a demon and demons lie. He goes on to finally join the Teen Titans as the happy go lucky comic relief/loser. But it weighs on him, and finally he confronts Dan:

Eddie realizes to his horror that his soul is now forfeit to Neron on his 20th birthday, which is less than three years away. But he doesn’t want anyone to pity him, and he doesn’t want to spend the next three years being miserable, so he doesn’t tell anyone (except his friend Zachary Zatara, who was there when he met Neron), and continues to be the sweet, seemingly happy-go-lucky comic relief of the 2000s-era Titans. EDDIE MY DARLING. 😭

I do want to pause here to talk about the implications of Eddie’s transformation. Like I said earlier, Eddie is Jewish. Even if that’s never confirmed in the comics, even if he isn’t religious (we have no evidence one way or the other), Eddie is at the very least ethnically Jewish on his father’s side. This is the extremely clear intent of his (also Jewish) creators.

Jewish people having horns, and just generally being associated with devils, is a very, very old stereotype dating back to the Middle Ages. It was used in Nazi propaganda. I’m a millennial, and I know Jewish people my age who have been asked where their horns are. It is a living stereotype, and an incredibly dangerous one.

I am...let’s say 90% sure that giving a Jewish character horns was a genuine mistake? Maybe Geoff Johns, who wrote that storyline, didn’t realize that “Bloomberg” was a Jewish last name. Maybe he wasn’t familiar with the stereotype. But I can rattle off a whole list of shockingly racist things that man has written by (maybe) accident, and he was one of the people Ray Fisher called out for racism during the filming of Justice League, so...who knows. I love Eddie, I love the devil version of him, but I also don’t trust Geoff Johns an inch, and am generally very uncomfortable with the implications of this particular transformation. (Also, like...cramming a Jewish character into Christian mythology like this is still pretty gross. Jews don’t believe in Hell.)

Eddie has a lengthy tenure on the Titans, from the mid-2000s almost all the way to the New 52. Like I said before, he’s largely comic relief/the “loser” team member who thinks no one likes him (and some characters are pretty relentlessly contemptuous of him, particularly Cassie and Tim during their era of being written horribly OOC at all times). He’s also incredibly self-sacrificing - at one point a villain tries to kill him but accidentally absorbs his curse instead, and Eddie insists on taking it back, because he can’t let anyone suffer in his place, even a rando who tried to murder him for no reason. EDDIE MY LOVE.

And he does have friends! Aside from his friendship with Zachary Zatara (who isn’t really on the team), he’s particularly close with Miss Martian and Blue Beetle.

And then there’s Rose Wilson, Ravager. She joins the team right around the same time Eddie does, and he very obviously has a massive crush on her. Rose equally obviously does not really know how to relate to people in an honest and healthy way, so she veers wildly between flirting with Eddie, being scathingly cruel to him, opening up to him in a way she doesn’t with anyone else, and going feral to protect him.

Also, this happens:

I have never recovered.

Eddie eventually loses his powers when he’s bitten by Brother Blood, because sure, why not? A trip to Hell confirms that not only is he free of his obligation to Neron, but he never actually signed a contract in the first place - Neron simply activated Eddie’s latent metagene, which...turned him into a demon for reasons but can be mystically deactivated, apparently? Look, there’s no time to make sense, Eddie has a noble sacrifice to get to!

Eddie is happy to be free of Hell, obviously, but he’s now stuck being support staff for the Titans, since he doesn’t have any powers. Rose, who had left the team a while back, returns and tries to get Eddie to leave with her, since it’s dangerous to be powerless around superheroes. He turns her down. EDDIE, NO.

Literally the next issue, a riot breaks out on Alcatraz, which is a supervillain prison in the DCU. While the Titans are fighting the supervillains, Eddie is tricked by the Calculator into flying out to the island in the T-Jet to try to find a nuke. When he discovers that the nuke is just a man with radioactive powers who is melting down and minutes from exploding, he gets the man into the T-Jet and flies it as high as possible before the explosion, saving the Titans, Alcatraz, and San Francisco.

😭😭😭

Eddie stayed dead for the next year or so, and then the New 52 happened. He appeared in one issue as Blue Devil’s godson in the New 52; then returned for one more issue with his powers intact in Rebirth.

And then he died at Sanctuary in Heroes in Crisis, because apparently if you’re a redheaded friend of Jason Todd with a penchant for backwards baseball caps, you’re gonna die in HiC.

We haven’t seen Eddie since, so it’s anyone’s guess whether he was brought back to life by Infinite Frontier or not. I choose to believe he was, because I love him and I say so.

If you want to read about Eddie, your best bet is the 2003 Teen Titans series. It’s, like...pretty bad, but it’s also the lion’s share of Eddie’s appearances, and he’s extremely lovable. If you’re looking for fic, I'm mostly familiar with stories where he appears as Jason’s bestie. Eddie Fucking Bloomberg by chucklesbuckles makes me laugh every time I read it. Eddie also has small but delightful roles in the longer JayRoy fics i wish i was by @shhhenanigans and gentle on my mind (the actual world) by @hamjay. And Burning my defenses by the shaking of her hips is some excellent Rose/Eddie by @macabrekawaii.

(Also, I have a fic about him coming next week! Stay tuned!)

In conclusion: don’t cry. Baby Eddie in Tiny Titans, okay?

#eddie bloomberg #kid devil #red devil #character profiles #meta

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stxleslyds · 1 year

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✨31 DAYS OF DICK (GRAYSON)✨

2023 EDITION

Hello and Welcome everyone! With February here, the 31DOD prompt list had to make its appearance. This time we will be exploring a bit outside the realm of comics; we will make our panel presentation and writing... Limitless. There is far too much for all of us to say, so this time around the structure has been made more flexible. I also think these prompts are varied and quite fun! (I do hope you guys think so too!)

Just to make something clear before I continue, this prompt list is for the 31 Days Of Dick (Grayson) event that will start in March! Now, as you will notice, this prompt list will be separated in three different sections, this is, of course, to make this 31DOD experience different from the previous one and to maybe test the waters for future editions. Just like last time, you can join 31DOD whenever you like. If you want to do three, nine or twenty days of the event, you are completely free. None of these prompts require you to follow along each day. Also! Enjoy yourselves, have fun and even though there are some prompts where a choice must be made, be respectful and share your thoughts!

Well, without further ado, the 2023 Edition of 31DOD!

FAVOURITES (can be multiple):

1. Quote 2. Nightwing Issue 3. Headcanon 4. Suit 5. Team-up Issue 6. Weapon 7. Fanfiction 8. Skill 9. Dynamic with another character 10. Appearance in a non-Nightwing/team related issue 11. Trope 12. Nightwing comic artist 13. Nightwing comic writer 14. Headquarter 15. Vehicle

THIS or THAT:

16. Dick in Bludhaven or Dick in Gotham 17. Dick in Arkham Knight (video game) or Gotham Knights (video game) 18. Nightwing by Chuck Dixon or Nightwing by Tom Taylor 19. Dick and Roy or Dick and Wally 20. Dick and Bruce or Dick and Clark (choose your favourite parent) 21. OG Teen Titans team (1960 comic) or OG Young Justice team (show) 22. Robin!Dick mini or Dick!Bats mini (mini meaning short comic run)

WHAT IF...?:

23. Dick teamed up with a non-DC character, who would you like it to be? 24. Dick was a character in another universe of your choice, what role would he have? 25. Comics!Dick was sent to another universe, which one would you like it to be? 26. Dick had powers; what do you think they would be? 27. Dick had never lost his parents, what would his life look like? 28. Dick had adopted Jason Todd instead of Bruce? 29. Nightwing had a Black Label book? Would you like it? What would you like to see explored? 30. You had the chance to build the next creative team for a Nightwing run, who would be part of it?

FREE DAY!:

31. Do as you wish! Maybe I missed something that you would have liked to see in this edition… Enjoy your free day!

There it is everyone! If you have any doubts, ideas, questions, feedback about anything relating to 31DOD please do not hesitate and send me an ask! This is meant to be fun to everyone who wants to celebrate Dick Grayson in one of his birth months! If you want to join 31DOD in March, don't forget to use the #31DOD tag so everyone can find the posts relating to the event!

AND! This time, thanks to the always brilliant @hood-ex (who had already helped shape this new edition of 31DOD), we have created a side blog where we will also reblog all your posts! You will find the official 31DOD blog HERE! I hope I see you in March!

#dick grayson #nightwing #31DOD #batfamily #batfam #dc comics

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northoftheroad · 1 year

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Dick Grayson in the New 52

(Prime Earth, from after Flashpoint (2011) up until the Convergence (2015).

As everyone might know, I'm not a great fan of the New 52. I'm sure some characters had great stories, and there are indeed some compelling stories for Dick, but generally, I feel it did him few favours. Before Flashpoint (Dick became Doctor Fate in Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons, by the way), Dick Grayson had a long and rich history together with scores of characters and was one of the most experienced and skilled "superheroes" out there. Instead, we got a guy in his early 20s who had met Bruce Wayne when he was as old as 15, didn't have his best friends from the Teen Titans, hardly knew that version of Superman, etcetera. (Dick had been in a relationship with Kory, seen in some flashbacks, but I don't think there ever was a New Teen Titans team.)

Dick's Nightwing suit was also red instead of blue; I believe to have all four "Robins" in the same colour, which I didn't mind. But I really, really don't like the New 52 version of his Robin suit.

I honestly don't think there are a lot of stories from this time that are important to know about reading forward, i.e. things that will be referenced in later comics (and fanfiction...) There is the Court of Owls extended storyline, naturally, when it turns out Dick's great-grandfather is a Talon and wants Dick to follow in his footstep, something the Court and Parliament of Owls seem very much into (The Gray Son of Gotham). This has forever changed Dick's past at Haly's circus, from where he would have been safe to where he would have been handed over to a future as a Talon.

There is Forever Evil when Dick was killed and revived, after which Batman took the chance to "persuade" Dick to pretend to stay dead so he could infiltrate Spyral, leading to the title Grayson (2014–2016). There's Damian dying and coming back too, but Dick had a minor role there.

Towards the end of the New 52, DC was working to give their characters all their memories back from pre-Flashpoint, and the (Silver age) Titans were reunited in Titans Hunt (2015–2016).

Anyway, here are some notable comics with Dick Grayson from the New 52, trying to keep it in in-story chronological order.

Nightwing vol 3 # 25. A story from Dick's time at the circus.

Nightwing vol 3 # 0 (2012) and The Long Year (in New 52 Secret Origins vol 3 # 1 (2014)) tell somewhat different versions of how Dick came to Bruce and became Robin.

Batman and Robin vol 2 Annual # 2. Partly a flashback story to when Dick was Robin. Bruce fires him and forgives him a night or two later; none of them are characters I can particularly care about...

Grayson Annual # 2. A couple of flashback pages to Dick/Robin meeting the (young) New 52 Superman.

Batman & Robin Eternal (2015–2016) and Batman Endgame # 1. Parts of Batman & Robin Eternal occur in the past when Dick is Robin, and for instance, faces Scarecrow for the first time.

Justice League vol 2 # 51. DickRobin’s first meeting with the Justice League. Batman tells him he will be leading it in the future.

Nightwing vol 3 # 1. Dick has just left being Batman and gone back to Nightwing.

Nightwing vol 3 # 2–10. Connected to the Court of Owls storyline. # 7 tells how Dick's childhood friend Raymond was taken to become a Talon, after Dick had left with Bruce. # 8–9 includes the story of Dick's great-grandfather William Cobb, his love affair with Amelia Crowne, and how he became a Talon, took his son from Amelia, and left him at the circus.

Nightwing vol 3 # 11–17. Dick invests all his money in rebuilding the Amusement Mile in Gotham and invites Haly's circus to work there. He gets help from the businesswoman Sonia Branch, the daughter of Tony Zucco, his parent's murderer. However, Joker targets the Amusement Mile and the circus, and in the end, Dick is left without any money and the circus people leave him.

Connected to the Death of the Family crossover, where the Joker imprisons the bat-family in the cave. The story arc ends with Bruce's allies leaving him, angry that he never told them that the Joker might have known who they are all along.

Nightwing vol 3 # 18. The aftermath of Damian's death. Dick is told that Tony Zucco, the man who killed his parents and was presumed dead, is alive.

Batman and Robin vol 2 # 23 Nightwing. Dick tries to help Bruce cope with Damian's death.

Nightwing vol 3 # 18. Dick moves to Chicago to search for Zucco. In # 28, Zucco ends up in jail.

Forever Evil (2013-2014) In # 1, Nightwing is captured by the Crime Syndicate of Earth 3, and they demask him on television. Justice League vol 2 # 23.4 and # 25. Thomas Wayne Jr, Owlman on the Crime Syndicate, tries to convince Dick to become his partner against the rest of the Syndicate. In his own dimension, he had killed that Dick Grayson's parents to make Dick bond with him. In Forever Evil # 6, Batman and Catwoman find Dick trapped in a murder machine; a bomb that will explode unless his heart stops. Lex Luthor knocks Batman out and ostensibly suffocates Dick while giving him a cardioplegia pill. Dick flatlines, and the countdown of the bomb stops. # 7 Luthor revives Dick with a shot of adrenalin.

Nightwing vol 3 # 30. Bruce is an abusive ass and fights with Dick to force him to pretend to stay dead and infiltrate Spyral; Bruce describes it as an espionage group hunting masked heroes. In the last pages, Dick is with Spyral.

There was also a # 30 that never was published about Dick's funeral and the reactions of his friend and family.

Grayson (2014–2016). Dick is working as Agent 37 at Spyral. He has been equipped with a Hypnos Implant in the eyes, used to show hallucinations to enemies (and more); it can also be used to render the agent wearing them unconscious. I've said it before; I can enjoy the Grayson book if I read it as Dick is playing the part of sexy (and sometimes obnoxious) super spy out of necessity. He is clearly homesick when he talks to Bruce to report his findings.

Batman Eternal takes place when Dick is presumed dead; he's mentioned twice, I believe (# 5 and 18)

Batman vol 2 # 40 (April 2015). Dick stands in as Batman, fighting the Joker.

Grayson # 5. The best issue of the run, in my opinion. Dick keeps a newborn baby alive after a plane crash in a desert, telling her a story that builds on the classic Robin Dies at Dawn.

Grayson # 12. Dick returns to Gotham, where Bruce is an amnesiac and has forgotten about Batman and all his kids. Dick reveals himself to Alfred, Jason, Tim, Damian and Barbara (Jason, especially, is pissed; Damian is overjoyed) to get their help to take down Spyral. Quotes from older comics surround his meetings with the other bat-characters, so it's a fun issue to read for that.

Starfire vol 2 # 6–8. Guest starring Dick as Agent 37.

Grayson Annual # 2. Dick meets and teams up with the New 51 Superman, who has lost most of his powers. It has its moments, and Dick talks about how he remembered Clark's story about the Kryptonian gods Nightwing and Flamebird when he decided to leave being Robin.

Batman & Robin Eternal (2015–2016) and Batman Endgame # 1. A part of Batman & Robin Eternal takes place in the past when Dick is Robin; in the story "now", Dick is Agent 37. It revolves around a character called "Mother", who "creates" characters on order. It is implied Bruce worries that he was doing the same thing with Dick, when he trained him to become Robin. The book includes many characters, for instance, Cassandra Cain, who is reintroduced here. Personally, I don't think you miss out a lot if you skip this book, but to each their own.

Robin War (a book and crossover including Grayson # 15, 2015–2016). Dick and the other official Robins train and work together with the Robin movement in Gotham. It ends with Dick accepting a position as a Talon for the international Parliament of Owls – they had tricked Damian into taking the role earlier in the book, but their goal was set on Dick. (Dick will, of course, work to dismantle the Parliament, in the Rebirth Nightwing title.)

Titans Hunt (2015–2016). The return of Wally West led to Rebirth and everyone remembering a past they've forgotten (DC's way of explaining the shortcomings of New 52, if I understood correctly). Just before that happens, Titans Hunt reunites part of the old Teen Titans, and Dick returns to his Nightwing suit.

The New 52 brand ended in 2015, when DC published a bunch of miniseries under the brand Convergence. The storylines continued into 2016 until Rebirth happened (Dick's appearances there is something I will try to get into in a later post).

And there were a lot of different versions of Dick Grayson during Convergence...

The future of Dick and Kory from the New Teen Titans timeline, in Convergence: The New Teen Titans # 1-2

The future of Dick and Barbara from pre-Flashpoint timeline, in Convergence: Nightwing and Oracle # 1-2

The future of Dick from the old Earth-Two (who actually died together with his "almost adopted sister" Helena/Huntress in Crisis on Infinite Earths) in Convergence: Detective Comics # 1-2

Dick from Earth 2, who was a journalist, never met Bruce but Thomas and became Batman, in Convergence # 2–8, Earth 2: World's End and Earth 2: Society (he's not in every issue).

Note. This is a much more complete list from a Tumblr account that I believe is no longer active:

#dick grayson #nightwing #robin #DC comics #new 52 #batman

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saucy-sassy-sparkly · 1 year

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Moments: Eight

Pairing: Chris Evans x reader

Word Count: ~ 6.4k

Author's Note: the final full-length part 🥹 I have some drabbles to keep these babes going a little longer, so they'll be back! Thanks for the support on this story! I can't wait to share my next one! ❤️

Moments Masterlist

2014: Sudbury

1 day after Minka-gate broke, Y/N and Chris flew home from their vacation early, feeling very tense and exhausted. They’d returned to the hotel immediately and Y/N was back in sweatpants within 5 minutes of crossing the threshold. Chris sat on the edge of the bed in his suit, his tie undone and his top button loosened, holding Y/N on his lap while she cried; his tears leaked into her hair. This was not how tonight should’ve been. She’d stayed tucked on his lap and they’d fallen into an uncomfortable sleep for several hours before Chris gently moved her to change for bed and returned to bed to find her awake and ready to crawl back into his arms.

3 days after Minka-gate broke, Chris begrudgingly went back to Atlanta to finish his last 5 weeks of filming. Y/N had driven him to the airport and they’d kissed goodbye in the drop-off lane, but with nowhere near the passion they normally parted. The three days between the phone call on the rooftop and this moment were filled with tears and stressed phone calls to all the members of Chris’s team. They all assured him with full certainty that this would not be interesting for long, to lay low, and not engage.

8 days after Minka-gate broke, Chris and Y/N got into a huge fight during one of their nightly phone calls. All their calls had been tense of late but they’d both continued to try. The anxiety and frustration hung in the background of all their interactions came to a head after Chris continued to repeat, “I never meant for this to happen,” to which Y/N snapped and said, “I know you didn’t, but what are you going to fucking do about it!” before Chris returned with his own ire.

10 days after Minka-gate broke, Y/N took a day off of work to lean into her feelings, stay home and sob watching Titanic and take a long, luxurious, wine-soaked bath in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. Now it wasn’t just the tabloids but all the online gossip blogs and even a few credible media outlets had picked up the story, claiming to talk to “sources close to the couple” who knew that Minka and Chris had rekindled their romance months ago and were finally ready to settle down. Instead of passing, it was picking up intensity.

14 days after Minka-gate broke, Chris’s team was still advising him that the best course of action was to ignore the press until it goes away. Minka’s team was, according to Chris’s team, not responding. She’d even been seen leaving a grocery store with a ring on her finger. Chris had thrown and shattered his coffee mug when his assistant had to tell him and then immediately called Y/N to be sure he heard it from her. Around the same time, the media outlets had started to drag out old pictures of Y/N and Chris: grocery stores, sporting events, the dog park, fan sightings… anything for another chance to manipulate the story with new headlines: What about Chris Evans’s mystery Boston girlfriend? Does she know about his engagement to Minka? Is he planning to keep his side piece? Will he have an LA wife and a Boston piece of ass?

17 days after Minka-gate broke, Chris called his mother, who told him she didn’t understand the Hollywood ways, but she thought this was taking an awfully long time to die down. She gently, quietly wondered– in a way only a mother could– why he didn’t just make a statement to protect his real relationship. In another fit of frustration, Chris snipped at his mother, “I pay these people to take care of it, so they’re taking care of it.” Lisa sighed and responded, “but are they?”

19 days after Minka-gate broke, Y/N was sitting in her office, updating client charts, when her office phone rang.

“Hello, this is Y/N.”

“Hi, Y/N, we’ve never spoken, but I’m calling about your situation with Chris.” The voice on the other end was a clipped female and there was a long pause during which Y/N expected her to continue and perhaps introduce herself. When she didn’t, Y/N rolled her already tense shoulders and sighed.

“Who’s calling?”

“Oh right, this is Megan.” Y/N obviously knew who she was but as she was mostly connected to Chris via phone, email, or when he was in LA life; they’d never met or truly spoken other than a quick wave on a FaceTime call. Obviously in the last weeks since the photo dropped, Y/N had been in the background of calls or seen emails that Chris forwarded her about the latest updates and plans, but they’d never had a one-on-one conversation.

Her phone buzzed on her desk with Chris’s caller ID, which was odd as he was supposed to be on a super secret closed set all day- no phones allowed. She ignored the call.

“Hi Megan,” she said tentatively, “you said you were calling about our… situation?”

“Correct. I’m reaching out on Chris’s behalf to move forward on our next phase of sidestepping this issue.”

Y/N’s whole body stilled at these words and her phone started to ring again. She ignored it again and a text immediately came through.

Chris: Do not answer a call from Megan. Call me, please.

Megan continued, “I know I called your work phone so I won’t keep you long, I’ll get right to it. I’ve been talking with Chris and the next best course of action is to announce your engagement. I think an exclusive with People with a shot of the ring and perhaps a few candids of you should do it. So we’d like to do that within the next week; can you get down to Atlanta by Thursday?”

Her phone was ringing again. She hit ignore again. And yet, she didn’t know why she stayed on with Megan; she had a sick feeling in her stomach from the second Megan had announced herself, but she couldn’t get herself to hang up.

She finally spoke to stall for time to process, “help me understand, why is this the best plan?”

“If we can put your real engagement out there with a wedding date attached, we can pull focus and put this mess to bed. I already have Chris booked for several appearances and interviews after where he’ll be asked…” Y/N stopped listening and switched the call to speakerphone. She set the headset back in the cradle and put her head down on her desk, her mind immediately wandering to that snowy rooftop…

Y/N’s whole body was shaking with rage when she handed the phone to Chris. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She didn’t know what, exactly, was happening, but how she’d ended up here on this rooftop while a picture of her boyfriend on one knee in front of another woman was circling the internet. How had she gone from an independent, strong, capable woman living on her own in DC to being entangled in a relationship with one of Hollywood’s up-and-coming heartthrobs who everyone wanted a piece of? She knew this wasn’t real but she just couldn’t understand how the stars had possibly aligned to set up such a suspicious picture.

She looked up to watch him look at the picture and, in slow motion, she watched his face drained of color entirely, his head dropped into his hands and she saw his shoulders immediately start to shake.

He was crying. He was squeezing her phone in his hand so hard that his knuckles were white and his body was trembling with sobs.

After watching him for a moment, unsure what to do, she reached out tentatively and took the phone from him, setting the table in front of her, and then moved closer to him. She put her hand on his leg and used her index finger and thumb to tip his chin up to look at him.

All of the initial anger she’d felt when seeing the photo melted away immediately. Y/N had seen Chris’s actor cry– this wasn’t it. This was pure devastation. He was already snotty and his eyes were swollen. His lip trembled as he looked at her, trying to keep it together. He fought against the hand that held his chin, trying to dip back down to avoid her eyes.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Y/N knew that she’d jumped to conclusions. He’d been as blindsided as she was. She knew nothing was going on with Minka; she knew what they had and he’d been upfront from the second he knew Minka was in Atlanta. This was the press going rogue and trying to get some money however they could. She’d process her emotions later– she had a lot to think about– but right now, she could see in his face how terrified he was that Y/N might be doubting him… them.

“I love you,” she told him quietly, still holding his chin. “I love you, and I know this wasn’t your fault.”

He lunged at her, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her tightly against him. She felt his tears on her cheek as they were pressed so tightly together. “I’m so sorry, baby, I’m so sorry. I’ll make this go away, you don’t deserve this. I love you so much.”

They stayed tangled up on the patio for another 15 minutes before they both calmed down enough and realized they’d lost their appetites. Back at the lodge, Y/N tried to keep herself together. She knew from the few whispered words between tears that Chris was distraught. Their relationship had already had so many bumps, he was so worried that they couldn’t survive another one… that she’d go for good.

And he hadn’t acknowledged it, but he’d been planning to propose tonight. She saw the hints now that she looked back- the surprise trip, his jumpy nature, his extra focus on using the word ‘forever’ in all of their conversations, the beautiful restaurant, the sexy suit, and the insistence she be equally done up.

Instead, this night had been ruined by a misunderstanding with a bunch of money-hungry strangers looking to stir the pot. They didn’t care about the real people involved or what hurt they inflicted.

So, once she’d donned sweats and washed her face, she took a deep, shaky breath to calm her nerves and walked back out towards the bed.

He sat on the edge, staring at his hands. No, not his hands, but something in his hands…

She unwillingly gasped when she realized he held the open ring box with tears running down his face. Her gasp alerted him to her presence and he snapped it shut, swiping at his eyes and spinning to look at her.

Y/N’s resolve crumbled and she let out the sob she’d been holding. He held his arms out and she crawled across the bed and into his waiting embrace.

Quietly he asked, “did you know?”

She shook her head and leaned back in his grasp to look at him, “I had no idea.”

He laughed bitterly, “another part of this ruined: the element of surprise.”

“It’ll be a surprise whenever you do it,” Y/N smiled softly and Chris’s lips crashed into her, swallowing her startled noise.

When he pulled back, he said, “you still want to marry me?”

Y/N nodded, “I won’t accept a proposal until this whole mess is settled, but of course I do. I love you.” He kissed her fiercely with both of their tears mixing, muttering ‘I love yous’ against her lips every time they came up for air.

A soft knock on the door and then Stacey stuck her head in. Before she could speak she saw Y/N slumped on her desk and caught Megan saying “… and I’m also hoping you and I might be able to talk Chris into giving wedding photo rights to People Magazine…”

Stacey physically pulled Y/N to stand, caught a glimpse of her tear-stained face, and whispered, “Chris is on the phone in my office. Go. I’ll get rid of this,” she gestured to the phone where Megan was still rattling off her long-winded 18-month plan. Y/N nodded and accepted Stacey’s quick but tight hug before leaving the room.

She kept her head down as she moved through the hall and past the open lounge and slipped into Stacey’s office. Y/N saw the hold light flashing on the desk phone and took a steadying breath before rounding the desk and taking the call.

“Chris?”

“Oh Bunny, thank god,” she could hear his relief.

“What is happening Chris, why does Megan have the rest of our lives planned out?”

“It’s her job to manage my image,” she heard his sarcasm on the word image, “but this is not how I wanted any of this to go down. We need to be on the same page first. I tried to stop it but it’s just been–” he cut himself off and she knew that he was running his fingers through his hair. “She has been relentless. She pitched this plan to me yesterday, and I told her it was awful and that she needed a new one. She’s been pushing this idea for almost 24 hours and I didn’t realize she’d called you until I got a break. I came back to my phone and she’d blown it up telling me she was calling you to tell you ‘our plan’. It’s not my plan, Y/N, I didn’t back this idea.” Y/N could hear his frustration, his disappointment, and his confusion, but was feeling all of her own emotions.

“She wants to announce our engagement and then give our wedding photos to People,” anger was boiling in Y/N’s stomach even as her tears kept falling. “We aren’t even engaged, Chris! I don’t want People magazine at our wedding! What’s next? Let People Magazine have the first photos of our baby? Do they get the exclusive rights to be in the delivery room with me? What the fuck, Chris, you said you’d make this go away. And I’m all alone in our stupid house trying to wait this out by myself. All my close friends are in DC, and I have no one to talk to here, every day it seems to get worse and I wake up with more texts with screenshots from people… and I hate every second of this. I can’t do this anymore, Chris.” Y/N’s voice continued to rise with every sentence.

Chris was silent and then she heard movement- the rustle of fabric, a door opening, and closing, a zipper being pulled, “I’m coming home.”

“No, don’t do that. You can’t just come home from this project, you remind me of that frequently.”

“I’m coming home,” he repeated more sternly.

“Don’t bother, Chris. I’ll be fine. I don’t want you to come home just so we can discuss our 5-year plan with your team,” she spat the last word.

“I’m not coming home to discuss our plans or anything else with my team. I’m coming home to be with you.” She heard him pull the phone away to speak with someone. There was a back and forth and she couldn't hear all the words, but she heard Chris’s forceful tone to whomever he was speaking to. Then after a few more minutes of rustling, there was a car door shut and the dinging of a seatbelt reminder. “I’m headed to the airfield; should I schedule a car or can you pick me up around 6?”

Before Y/N could answer, there was more muffled conversation and then she heard Chris mutter, “fuck,” before coming back on the line, “can you pick me up?”

“What’s wrong now?”

“I’m still in costume. I have to change and then I’m going to the airfield… as much as I know you like me as Cap.”

Y/N couldn’t help herself when she snorted a quick laugh; that was her Chris, dropping a suggestive line amid a heated conversation. He’d be smirking if she could see him, trying to gauge if it broke some of the tension. “Are you sure you can come home?”

“There is nothing more important than getting this figured out. They’ll manage without me.”

“Chris,” guilt started to course through Y/N’s body as her frustration level lowered, knowing that once he’d decided to come home, he would be back with her soon, “this doesn't seem like a good idea.”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a few days anyway, and have an email already drafted to suggest how we can adjust my filming to not mess everyone else up. I won’t be able to stay longer, but I’m not coming back until this is behind us. But stop worrying about this, Y/N. You’re right, you’ve been dealing with this alone and that isn’t fair to you. I’m coming home and we’ll manage it together.”

“Don’t you dare propose to me. Don’t use this opportunity to try to re-do, it is not the right moment.”

He laughed lightly, “wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Six?”

“Six.”

“Dodge and I will be there.”

“I love you, we’ll get through this.”

“Hey Chris,” Y/N’s lower lip was wobbling; relief was already flooding her body knowing that Chris would be here soon to weather this storm with her.

“Yes, Bunny?”

“Thank you,” she twisted a piece of hair around her finger and bit her lip, waiting for him to respond.

He heaved a heavy sigh, “always, sweeth’art,” he croaked before a quick goodbye.

Stacey was waiting in Y/N’s office when she returned and looked up, “that woman has a lot of nerve.”

“Tell me about it,” Y/N started to gather her belongings, ready to leave for the day with no more patients and too many emotions.

“She would not shut up. She just kept running her mouth like I was your publicist or something, all the ways I could try to convince you that her idiotic plan was in Chris’s best interest and therefore in your best interest. When you two do get married, do not invite her. I will punch her in the face for all of this.”

Y/N laughed for the first time in what felt like ages, “you’ll have to get in line, Stac. Thanks for getting rid of her; I’ve never had to deal with her and this has all just been…” she trailed off while she reached for her phone and smiled to see a picture Chris had sent in costume with a message:

Chris:

Chris: Had to leave the Farmer Cap costume, but see you soon, beautiful

Her bag packed and jacket on, she realized Stacey was still watching her and then tentatively began to speak, “I’ve been afraid to pry, but are you– how are you doing?”

Y/N shrugged while she pulled on her jacket, “I’ve been better.”

“Did he really…” Stacey trailed off, biting her lip and staring at Y/N.

“God, no. I mean, he dated Minka years ago, but no. He’s not cheating, he’s not living a double life. The photographers will go to major lengths to get some clicks on an article.”

Stacey nodded but continued, “and you’re positive? No doubt he’s just acting?” Y/N stilled in her preparations to leave and turned to look at her colleague… her friend… more carefully. Stacey continued, “I’m just saying, it’s his profession to fake things, would you even know?”

“I don’t want to have this conversation again, Stace, and I love you, so I’m trying to avoid snapping at you,” she sighed and slung her bag over her shoulder, “but I know Chris, I trust Chris, and I love Chris. He isn’t acting.”

Stacey threw her hands up in front of her, “I’m sorry, I just felt like I had to ask.”

“And you did, but please don’t ever question him again. We’ve been through so much already, I need my friends to have my back.”

“Won’t happen again,” she stepped towards Y/N offering a tentative hug that Y/N quickly accepted.

Y/N sat in her warm car on the tarmac waiting for Chris’s plane to land. Music played quietly but she wasn’t listening. She’d left her phone in the back seat so she wouldn’t be tempted to scroll while she waited; instead, she was aimlessly petting Dodger with one hand and playing with the edge of her scarf with the other.

She saw the lights of the plane and watched it take its time landing and taxiing towards the hangers on either side of her waiting SUV. Her car was the only one on the tarmac, although there were a few parked in the lot at the entrance, which made sense: Chris was likely the only passenger. For once, she’d been quite grateful for his privilege and situation to be able to get on a flight and come straight to her.

The door to the plane popped open with the stairs dropping down and displaying Chris’s silhouette as he reached the top of the stairs. He had a duffle bag in his hand and his backpack slung on one shoulder while he descended; Y/N felt her anxiety melt away seeing him. As he got closer, she pushed the door open and started towards him over the snowy pavement. Chris dropped his bags when they met and lifted her into his arms, his face tucked into the crook of her neck and burrowing through the fluffy scarf to kiss her neck, her jaw, her cheek, and her lips while pulling her legs around his waist. He took three huge strides and she felt her ass meet the hood of her car.

Chris set her on it carefully and continued to kiss her, to rub his hands on her, while she clung to him– it was freezing in the March air but she didn’t care, all she wanted was to be close to him. She didn’t realize she was crying until he swiped at her tears. A loud bark forced them apart when they noticed Dodge jumping around beside them and then untangled long enough for him to lean down and properly greet Dodger, then retrieve his bags. The drive home was quick and quiet while they listened to music and held hands on the center console. They ate dinner on the living room sofa with Y/N’s legs draped over Chris’s lap and Chris indulging in pizza, mozzarella sticks, and beer– definitely not part of his Cap diet– and didn’t bother to turn on the tv. Being back in each other’s company, Chris telling set stories, Y/N telling stories about her adventures with Dodger.

The doorbell rang and surprised both of them while Chris untangled himself and pulled the door open with a surprised, “Ma!”

“Chris?” Lisa sounded equally surprised as she crossed the threshold. “I thought you couldn’t leave set in this super secret last stretch of filming? What are you doing here? Where is Y/N?”

Y/N round the corner and greeted Lisa with a warm hug, accepting the tote bag she offered (full of homemade cookies) before gesturing Lisa into the house and pouring her a glass of wine. “I came home to be with Y/N. She’s been here all alone.”

“I’m well aware, Christopher, I’m glad you came to your senses too.”

Y/N shoved a whole cookie in her mouth instead of laughing loudly at Lisa’s directness with her oldest son. Chris shot Y/N a look and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, “I know, I know, it took me long enough.” Taking pity on him, Y/N rounded the kitchen island and put an arm around his waist, accepting the kiss he planted in her hair.

“I heard about Megan’s plan,” Lisa took a sip of wine and her eyes bounced between the two of them.

“It’s idiotic, I know, we’re not doing it,” Chris answered immediately, his grip on Y/N’s waist tightening when she leaned into him.

“Thank God. Are you firing her too?”

Chris glanced at Y/N and then shrugged, “We have to manage this first, then we’ll talk,” he looked back at Y/N.

“We?”

“You’re my team. Everyone else is just people who work for me.” If she wasn’t already in love with him, that line would’ve brought her to her knees. Y/N was immediately overwhelmed by emotions (again) and tried not to cry. She tucked her head into Chris’s shoulder and wrapped her other arm around him, “I’m sorry I didn’t acknowledge that sooner.”

She nodded against him, not taking a chance to pull away and look at him, and Lisa broke the silence that followed, “so what are you going to do?”

“I have no idea. If I post something on Twitter, especially at this point, it’ll seem fake. If we coordinate with a press outlet, it’ll be forced and that puts Y/N too far in the spotlight.”

Lisa was quiet for a few minutes and then she looked between the two of them, “I might have an idea. How long are you home?”

��

Two nights later, Chris’s hand fell to the small of Y/N’s back as he guided her through the door of the Concord Youth Theater. The House was open and it was mere minutes before curtain: all exactly as planned. They stepped through the nearly empty lobby and were greeted by ushers who started to ask about their seat numbers but quickly panicked when they processed Chris’s presence.

After a quick autograph on a spare Playbill, Chris and Y/N continued down the aisle towards the front where Lisa was, as planned, craning her neck to spot them. She stood up when she spotted them coming towards her and waved them into her row, offering huge (genuine) hugs as they took their seats. The production– Once Upon a Mattress, performed by the Young Adult Company– was heartwarming and well done, and when it was over, Chris was swarmed by all the teenage fans and siblings who had come to see people they knew in the show. Chris’s photo was taken, he signed autographs, and he talked to fans, all while he kept some kind of physical contact with Y/N, introducing her whenever it felt natural. Y/N, with her natural ability to connect with teenagers thanks to years of counseling them, jumped into conversations easily.

They even went backstage with Lisa to greet the cast and take more photos– many of that were quickly uploaded to various social media accounts. Afterward, Lisa took them to dinner at a local restaurant, which was packed on a Thursday evening, where Chris greeted more people and made sure to have Y/N beside him at all times.

By the time they were back at home, Chris was scrolling Twitter in the backyard while Dodger romped around and a slow smile broke on his face. He’d done something he didn’t normally do: he’d typed his name into the search bar. And there he was tonight: candid with fans in the theater holding Y/N’s hand, posed with a whole group, including Y/N, at the restaurant, blurry and distorted but definitely identifiable from someone’s creepy picture across the street as they left the restaurant.

When he came back in with Dodger, Y/N held out her phone for Chris to see a screenshot Lisa had sent: her Facebook page with a photo of them from tonight where Lisa had been tagged that included Lisa, Y/N, and Chris talking candidly behind the scenes. It had been posted by a parent of one of the performers, extolling the surprise visit from the sweet and engaging Chris Evans and his girlfriend, Y/N. Lisa had sent a picture of the comments; six different people– both performers and family members they’d talked with tonight– commenting on the couple and how exciting it was to meet them.

He leaned in to kiss her, and when he pulled back he asked, “are you up for a few more outings before I fly back?”

In the final 48 hours of Chris’s stay– one that he’d extended from two days to four after talking with the directors– they made sure to be seen around town as much as possible. They went to his niece’s basketball game, they stopped for Dunkin’ and groceries and ice cream, they went to the dog park with Dodger and Y/N went along with Lisa for her afternoon constitutional around her neighborhood. They’d been caught and posted– truly candidly, although by their design and not Megan’s– at least ten different times before it was time for Chris to head back to Atlanta.

With each post, comments continued to flow in from neighbors, from fans, on their interactions with Chris. And the more things were reposted and dragged into the fan accounts and boards, the more comments shifted to commentary on their relationship. Not all of it was positive and supportive, but much of it was and before his return flight had landed, Chris noted that the buzz about Minka was all but disappeared. The gossip blogs weren’t getting much traction on it at this point, but the next thing they’d expected happened: the media started to reach out to Chris and his people looking for Y/N’s name and comments from her or Chris.

Megan. Was. Furious.

To her credit, her plan had been one that she would mostly be able to control and Chris and Y/N’s rogue version was anything but controllable. But Chris didn’t care. He’d found a way to make Y/N more comfortable, to make it clear how he felt (he’d always been comfortable with PDA, and he made sure to lay it on even thicker), and to get traction moving forward from this awful misunderstanding.

In addition to his nightly call with Y/N, he now had a nightly call with someone trying to stay one step ahead. If it was Megan, it usually started with him being scolded for not listening to her… often a variation of ‘this is why you pay me, Chris’ and then she’d try to push a new narrative. Then he’d hang up with her and call Y/N to pass along any valuable information and hear her daily updates. They spent the final few weeks of his Avengers filming this way until it was finally time for him to pack up from Atlanta and return home.

April 1st arrived and with it, Y/N’s excitement: Chris would be back home tomorrow and it was her birthday. His plane got in around dinner time, so she would pick him up and go to Lisa’s, who had volunteered to host a joint birthday/welcome home dinner before they finally had some time alone. She tucked into bed with Dodger curled next to her and fell asleep quickly, only to be jolted awake hours later by Dodger pawing at the bedroom door.

“Dodge,” Y/N whispered in the dark, patting the edge of the bed, “c’mon, bud.”

Instead of a whine, as he’d normally do if he needed to go out, a low growl emitted from the normally friendly dog. It made Y/N’s hair stand on end. She groped for her phone, realizing she’d left it charging on the kitchen counter instead of on her bedside like normal. She’d left it there while she cleaned up from cooking dinner and chatted with Chris on FaceTime, and by the time she’d taken Dodger out, locked up, gotten ready for bed, and snuggled down in the covers, she realized where it was and decided she was too tired to go get it.

Dodger growled again and pawed frantically at the door. “What is it, dude?”

In response, he barked loudly and increased his scratching. She groped her way in the darkness to the small desk in the corner of the room, stopping to pull a sweatshirt on, and found the cordless phone that she was now so grateful Chris had insisted on keeping– “you should always have a landline!” he’d told her a million times when she moved in and laughed at it. Her fingers fumbled on the buttons while she tried to remember Chris’s cell phone number as Dodger barked again.

She finally dialed– hopefully correctly– and moved across the room to lock the door. “Hello? Y/N?” Chris’s croak came through the line and she looked at the clock on the bedside table: 2:37 am.

“Baby, Dodger is freaking out,” as if on cue, Dodger barked again and continued to scratch the door. She knew that there would be gouges in the wood tomorrow morning. “What do I do?”

“Is the security system on?” His voice was more alert and she heard him shuffling on the other end.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Can you hear anything? Does it sound like someone got inside?”

Y/N’s heart was thundering in her chest and Dodger was getting more and more frantic, “I don’t think so. Chris, what do I do?”

“I’m going to call the security company and see if the alarm was triggered, I’ll call you back.”

“NO! No, don’t hang up!” She yelped, sinking to the floor in the dark corner, trying to urge Dodger to come to her. “My phone is in the kitchen, and I’m scared.”

Chris sighed, “I don’t have another way to call and check, Bunny. I promise I’ll call you right back.”

“What if someone did get inside, Chris? If you call the house phone it’ll ring and they’ll know!”

“Y/N, I promise you are safe in our house. Let me just call the security company to be sure. Just stay where you are. If you don’t want me to call back, give me 5 minutes and then call me.”

“Okay,” she whispered; her whole body was shaking.

“I love you, babe, it’s going to be fine.”

“I love you too,” she muttered as she hung up and held the phone to her chest. “Dodger,” she moved towards the dog and grabbed his collar gently, deciding to take him into the bathroom with her while she waited to call Chris back. He threw his head away from her, jerking wildly and barking. Y/N started to cry while she tried to pull Dodger away from the door, begging him to come with her.

The phone in her hand rang loudly, startling her, and she yelped despite herself before scurrying across the room to answer in a whisper, “Chris?”

“The call is coming from inside the house,” came his reply in his creepiest voice.

Y/N froze.

Banging came from the other side of their bedroom door before he yelled his best “hereeeeee’s Johnny!” impression.

“FUCK. CHRISTOPHER!” She swiped at the tears on her face and moved to unlock the door, letting Dodger tumble out and greet Chris.

Chris collapsed to the ground while Dodger greeted him; he was laughing his boisterous, contagious laugh and Y/N wanted to be mad at him. The adrenaline coursing through him was going to take forever to settle down, “you’re an asshole.”

Between laughs and kisses from Dodger, he said, “I thought I could get in without you guys noticing. This guy isn’t typically so protective.”

“Yeah, well, he likes me better than you so he wants to keep me safe.”

“Seems that’s correct,” Chris gave Dodger one last rub before getting to his feet and reaching for Y/N, “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me it was you when I called?”

He shrugged, “sometimes I can’t resist the urge to be a 12-year-old. But I’m happy to see you.”

She sighed and uncrossed her arms, deciding not to be mad at him and accepting the hug he wrapped her in. “I’m happy you’re home, you absolute jackass.”

“Take me to your bed, gorgeous girl,” he pressed kisses to her cheeks and neck while he walked her back towards the bed.

“If you think I’m even spooning with you after that mean trick, you’ve got another thing coming, sir.” Y/N laughed up at him, kissing him once solidly before crawling back into the bed and watching him strip off his clothes. Once he’d dumped his clothes in the hamper and brushed his teeth, he stumbled into the bed beside her and pulled her to his chest.

“Please spoon me, I missed you too much not to have you touching me tonight.” She started to wiggle away but stilled when his bulging biceps were caging her in and his hard pecs were pressed against the thin fabric of her shirt. She sighed into his grasp, enjoying the smell of him wrapping around her.

“Only because your Cap muscles are so good I can’t resist them,” Y/N turned in his arms and snaked an arm around his waist while she looked up to kiss him.

“Happy birthday, Bun,” he whispered against her lips before he pressed another long kiss onto her lips and pulled his arm away from her, reaching her hand and interlacing their fingers. She leaned into his kiss, luxuriating in each feeling– each comfort of having him home– when she felt him press his palm into hers, and something cut into the palm of her hand.

Y/N pulled back and started to pull her hand away from his, only to have him wrap his huge palm around the item and pull away from the kiss. He pushed himself up onto his elbow and looked down at her carefully, not breaking eye contact.

“I love you, Y/N, and I want to spend my whole life with you. I never want another minute where the world doesn’t know we’re together.” He kissed her tenderly, his fingers once again playing with her hand, but this time, rather than their fingers intertwining, he held just her left ring finger and slid a cool metal circle down it until he reached the base. The movement was loving and sensual as he traced his fingers back up her hand, then her forearm, then the back of her arms, and around to cup her neck, deepening the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth and swallowing both of their moans. He finally pulled back and looked at Y/N again, “marry me?” he whispered against her lips, his eyes dancing between hers while he waited for a response.

She nodded frantically, pulling him to her for another long, deep kiss, when they finally pulled apart, her eyes were glazed with tears but she was grinning, “yes.”

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