#bruce be like oh yes remember how i was in a murder cult for a few years

[brucewaynehater101]

your posts about Tim being the parent in his time with Bruce+ Richard's parentification + Tim always planning of being a placeholder, got me thinking

What if Tim started off like that, playing parent for Bruce, ensuring he doesn't cross any lines or overworks himself

And just never stop?

His civilian life is starting to crack, and he's doing worse than he could be, but Batman has to be taken care off

In comes Jason who tries to kill him (great another Bruce) so his workload is doubled, and also Damian who has to be untaught murder

Well it's an escalation of what he's used to, but if he can deal with Batman, he can deal with his kids, time to bust out the books on therapy and deprogramming cult teachings

Besides, he's a placeholding for the two of them until they're better like Batman, so who better to teach them the ropes than him?

Let's toss in comments here and there that will clear misunderstandings between the Bats (excluding himself— he's temporary) and what about their interactions keeps the family apart

Like boy is neglecting himself to high hell, only stopping when it's literally impossible, and barely has a civilian life, but it's worth it for Gotham's betterment and the Batfamily's stabilization

Timestream? Well shit, he has to get Bruce back as per his job of keeping the family in order but the family is either not getting better or worse,

Let him just leave a bunch of personalized self-help guides and programmed schedules that'll ensure the bats are getting better while he's away

Oh hey Ra's, midn if I secretly learn everything about how Damian grew up in this fine League of yours so I can teach Damian what is so wrong about his childhood once I'm home?

So everything is getting better post BruceQuest, Richard can be a brother more (because Tim took on his job as parent-brother), Damian and his family are able to bond and understand each other (because Tim untaught an awful upbringing) and Jason feels like a member of the family (because Tim got Jason up to speed with how much he has always been loved) plus Bruce gets to be a father with his kids (because Tim kept the man out of his otherside inevitable self-made grave)

And say Batfamily, in a miracle of communication, realize that Tim has subsumed Bruce's role as caretaker and father

Not to the entire family of course, but even parenting for one sibling or parent as a kid yourself is one too many

And they remember all the comments Tim said to help the family get better subtly suggesting everybody but Tim is family

Like he's said "Your family," never "Our"

He says "You're a Wayne, a member of their family,"

He has to be referred to as Tim and Drake, never Wayne to catch his attention

And also imagine Richard saying "You can't keep being a parent to your brothers and father" and Tim going "glass houses, *tires to parent Rich*"

"NO—"

The shit storm that would happen if the batfamily realized that Tim donned Robin with the intention of always playing parent for Bruce, and then leaving once his intervention isn't need anymore

Yes! I absolutely love the ideas you incorporated with this. I didn't manage to hit all of them in my post, but I tried to expand upon them a bit:

At first, Tim wouldn't realize that's what he's doing. He just wants to help Bruce (even if that includes taking away the Batmobile keys, locking him out of the batcomputer, and using a rewards system when the man successfully takes care of his wounds).

Tim only comes to the realization that he's Bruce's parent when the YJ are being lectured by their mentors. At this point, the team has done far more dangerous stunts and missions than whatever the JL was lecturing them about. When the mentors come, Robin allows Batman to lecture him in front of the others. Tim knows they have to keep up appearances and can listen to a hypocritical discussion from Bruce to maintain the image of Batman Tim has spent so much time propping up.

After the other mentors leave, Tim pulls Batman into a private room for a chat. Bart, fearing that Robin is getting a second lecture, almost bursts in to save Tim. He's slowed down by the glare Tim sends his way. He's stopped by the conversation he overhears.

Tim, with his hands on his hips as he glares up into the cowl, lectures Bruce on all the behavior issues the man displayed the month that the YJ were away.

Bruce is just standing there, head slightly hung, as Tim goes on.

"This is why I feel I can never get away, B. I can't even leave you for a month before your excessive force statistics skyrocket! What am I supposed to do with you?"

Bart quickly leaves as he has a mental breakdown at this discovery. Two hours later, when Batman leaves, Bart asks Robin if he's Batman's father. Tim laughs it off at first, but after Bart lays out the evidence, Tim spirals for a few days at this discovery.

Once Tim accepts that he *is* like Bruce's dad, he decides to just embrace it. He and Alfred can share custody of the man-child (and this is also why Tim has the view of family that he does. His three examples of being a father are his own dad who constantly leaves, Alfred who maintains a professional distance, and Bruce who's his grieving son). Tim sees Dick as his brother, but he sees Bruce as his kid. It's confusing as hell, complicated, and Tim also doesn't see himself as part of the family at the same time.

While the teen is finally settling into his role as Bruce's parent, Jason comes back and tries to kill him. He doesn't know whether or not to laugh that Jason becomes his new responsibility at the same place Bruce officially (in Tim's mind) became Tim's.

The teen treats Jason similar to a grandson and son. He parents Bruce on how to interact with Jason, takes a few college classes and reads a few textbooks on PTSD, and interrogates LoA agents on the Pit. He slowly starts to feed them both phrases and perspectives so that they understand and interact with each other better. He almost wants to hit them both upside the head for their miscommunication.

It's not great, and Tim is so fucking tired, but they are getting closer to being a family. Tim can almost taste his retirement.

Then Damian comes into the family and tries to kill him. Tim wants to scream.

Damian isn't exactly friendly to Tim, but the teen spots a breakthrough when he catches how Dick and Damian interact. He, in what he later calls foolishly, drops some of the weight onto Dick's shoulders. Tim's tired trying to wrangle both Jason and Bruce into somewhat, even unhealthily, communicating with each other.

Then Bruce dies. It's unfair because Tim has lost someone who's both his son and his father to him. No one except Cassie could know about the amount of grief Tim is under because of that. Cassie, who Tim isn't talking to after the whole basement scientist cloning thing.

So, Tim finds evidence that Bruce is alive. He watches as Dick cracks under the weight of Batman and being a father to Damian. He's hurt (oh gods does it burn to lose his self-made but suffocating role that ties him to Bruce), but he understands why Dick gives Damian Robin.

Tim leaves, and he starts to discover himself. He became an adoptive father at thirteen. For once, even though he's heavily lost in the thralls of grief, he's free of that responsibility. He only has to take care of himself (an exhausting task he's never quite accomplished before) and he doesn't rely on anyone.

Still, despite his freedom, he sees Ra's offer for what it is. It's an opportunity to learn more about Damian. Bruce will need Tim's support when he returns, after all. If he takes down Ra's both for himself and Damian, that's neither here nor there.

When Bruce finally returns home, Tim starts to see his retirement again. He sees the progress he's enacting out of the family in all of their relationships. Like Tim's messy relationship with Bruce, Dick is both a father and brother to Damian. Jason and Bruce will occasionally meet at a diner. Damian and Bruce will have father-child outings outside of Batman and Robin. Cass returns home more often. Steph barges into the Manor for food or bugs different Bats on patrol. Babs is able to take time for herself outside of wrangling the Bats together. Duke is starting to join the family, but Tim doesn't imagine too much tension or difficulty with that transition. They'll be fine without him.

It's looking up. Tim can leave behind his the Wayne family.

Then Damian points out how Tim often uses "your" or "their" instead of "our" family.

Godsdamnit.

#dc comics #dc universe #tim drake #jason todd #bruce wayne #dick grayson #damian wayne #thank you for the ask!!!! #your ask has so many good ideas thank you!

[flashflashhundredyarddash]

wally west is NOT that scared of batman but he is terrified of bruce wayne because bruce wayne is a crazy person who compartmentalizes really well, so when they're working they can be completely professional but as soon as wally comes by to pick dick up for a date bruce acts like a fucking psycho about it

#batman #bruce wayne #wally west #birdflash #YOUNG JUSTICE #the burd squawks #batman: completely normal strategizer for the justice league who does not let his emotions distract from his mission #bruce wayne: you TAKE my ward on date???? JAIL FOR WALLY!!! JAIL FOR WALLY FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS #like oh jesus fucking christ dude #bruce be like oh yes remember how i was in a murder cult for a few years? fix your tie west #the funny part is that bruce actually KIND OF LIKES WALLY #BUT HE CAN NEVER LET WALLY KNOW #dc

[meara-eldestofthemall]

Bruce Holds Tim To An Impossible Standard And That Could Backfire Badly Someday.

There are parts of the Batfamily fandom that don’t understand why Tim Drake fans keep saying that Bruce holds Tim to a different standard than the others. To help solve this, let’s take a trip back to before the DC universe started to mess around with it’s continuity: Red Robin issue #26. 

That's where Tim has concocted a plan so the man who murdered his father would get himself killed. The caveat is the Digger Harkness wouldn't die if he made just one choice that didn't involve hurting innocent people.

Unfortunately, Captain Boomerang has the moral fortitude of Adolph Hitler.

Harkness was just about to dispatched by Victor Fries when Red Robin stepped in and prevented it.

He tells Harkness to run. The idiot again makes a spectacularly bad choice by fighting Red Robin instead of sensibly surrendering when he had the chance.

When the inevitable happens...

Tim does the right thing and saves Harkness despite the moron trolling him and despite definitely still wanting him dead. At the ripe old age of seventeen he made a mature, morally upright decision that most adults would struggle with.

Tim. Does. The. Right. Thing.

Batman-Dick sees the fight and supports Tim, telling him that it took a lot of courage to save Harkness when he could have just let him fall. It’s a good, healing moment between the two (after the stresses on their relationship from when Dick gave Robin to Damian). Dick, better than just about anyone else, knows how hard it is for Tim to not take a more personal vengeance. He knows how much Tim has lost and what it costs him to take the high road.

Batman-Bruce is hiding in the shadows. What does Bruce do?

Bruce tells Tim what he did wrong with no acknowledgement that while Tim may have definitely toed the line, he never actually crossed it. He leaves the poor kid with the implication that Tim is a failure in Bruce’s eyes. Tim isn’t allowed to be anything less than perfect in this moment. The clear message is that no matter what Tim has done in the past or what he may do in the future, he will never be good enough for Bruce.

Oh, and the no killing rule seems to apply to Tim differently than any of the others. Jason has actually killed people; a lot of people (remember the duffel bag full of severed heads?). Cass has been forced to kill. Damian was raised in an insane murder cult. He’s killed people and even tried to kill Tim a couple of times in the very recent past. Dick killed the Joker (Not that the Joker didn't deserve to die mind you but he was clinically dead until Batman revived him). Bruce has left people to die, like the KGBeast...

...yet he reserves the worst of his scorn along with the disappointed Dad routine for seventeen year old Tim. Yes, most fathers would be rightly alarmed at their son setting up someone to get himself killed, even a hardened reprobate like Digger Harkness. The correct move for a caring parent is to then get the kid into therapy not castigate him for saving the murderous criminal from death. At the very least Bruce should have tried to convince Tim to move back home since letting an unstable teen vigilantes live by themselves is a recipe for disaster.

But that's not what Bruce did. He expresses his displeasure and then leaves. The look on Tim's face tells you precisely how he feels about Bruce in that moment. He’s about a hair away from telling Bruce to take Gotham along with Batman’s rules and shove them up his I-am-vengeance-and-the-night black clad butt.

While Bruce can and has been an abusive bastard to all his sons, he's being particularly cruel to Tim here. Tim did the right thing. His own moral code held strong and he didn't kill Digger Harkness. He didn't even walk away and allow the man's bad karma to finally catch up with him as Bruce has done in the past. Bruce is clearly holding Tim to a standard he'd never impose on any of the others.

Why would Bruce do that?

While the rest of the family worries about Damian being lured back to the League to become the next Demon's Head, it's Tim they should be concerned about. Bruce certainly seems to have consider what could happen if Tim went full-on Supervillain. 

Tim Drake is the classic middle child. You know, the “good” one who almost never causes trouble, who is often over-shadowed by more needy siblings. Tim gets put on the back burner constantly and left to care for himself. Tim is capable and independent not because he necessarily wants to be but he has to be. This is the continuation of a pattern started by his parents. It’s also left him craving parental love and approval.

Has Bruce ever considered that all Ra’s has to do is figure that out, then give Tim some consistent paternal affection/attention to soften his resistance? That along with some well placed half-truths (”You don’t like the way the League is run? Then change it, Timothy. Be the leader someday and all will follow your rules and moral code.”) and voila, Ra’s has the perfect Heir. 

If Bruce’s reactions in Red Robin #26 are an attempt to forestall that, then he's doing it wrong - really, really wrong. If Bruce doesn’t stop holding Tim to impossible standards then he just might end up creating what he tells himself he’s trying to prevent. 

#Tim Drake #tim drake red robin #bruce wayne #batman #Bruce is being an ass again #stop holding to tim to impossible standards #Ra's al Ghul #ra's thinks tim would look good in green and gold

[thebookwormfairy]

Maribat Buzzfeed Unsolved AU

Ok so another one. In this au there Marinette is not ladybug or Chat Noir she's just a regular civilian. If you wondering who have the miraculous right now it's a adult, because Marinette deserves to be a child also this takes place around the time Marinette is 16

Also warning lots of curse words used

This idea came from the Maribat Discord thanks to everyone there

********************************

Ever since Lila came to school Marinette has been more and more excluded from class events

Originally it was very rare, like we went to the movies and were going to invite you but then we remembered that you were helping your parents in the backery

We were going to invite you but then remembered you were babysitting

Weren't you working on a design for that contest

Then they stop making excuses and just posted pictures to their social medias

She tried to organize events but for some reason Lila always had something planned then and of course the class can't leave HER out of anything

It got to the point where the class only talked to her if they needed something

Oh Marinette I have a big race coming up can you make me a banner

Oh Marinette can you make some bake goods for me

Hey Marinette can you plan this school dance all by yourself with absolutely no help from us while if you ask for help we'll make you feel guilty about it

Hey Marinette can you babysit the Twins and Chris, when we're suppose to do it, for no pay, while we go out on a date.

It really sadden Marinette that her so called friends who for most she knew all her life only saw her as at most an employee

But there were some bright sides

Her grades where going even higher and now she's one of the top students at school

Marinette was able to put more time into training in self defense something you need with all the Akumas in Paris

And Sabine even taught her everything she knew about martial arts

She was able to study Mandrine (for her mom's family) and English (for Jagged and Penny) and had become almost fluent in both

Marinette had a lot more time to work on her designs

Jagged Stone started to hire her to make and design more and more items

Her business has even spread to Clara Nightingale

Which will really help her in her career later in life

But Jagged seemed to think that later in life was now

One day he asked to have a meeting with Marinette and her parents

Marinette just thought it was to commission another design, but like always Jagged had a way of surprising her

Jagged: Well you see I'm leaving Paris soon to head back to my home town of Gotham, and I was wondering if I could take Marinette with me

Tom, Sabine, and Marinette: WHAT?!?!

Penny: Let me explain, you see Marinette's designs are some of the most popular Jagged ever had, people love her work, and we want to make her Jagged's full time designer. It would be a great opportunity for Marinette's future and would put her on the fast lane to a great career

Sabine: But what about school.

Jagged: Don't worry Sabine, Penny's thought of everything

Penny: It's all taken care of. Gotham Academy one of the top schools in the world is ready to take her the moment she says yes, she would be staying in an apartment right next to Jagged, with all expenses paid for while still getting paid for her work, and of course she can come back and visit whenever she wants.

Tom: It sounds like a great offer, but can we discuss this in private for a moment

Jagged and Penny nodded their heads and left the room

Marinette: Mama, Papa, I really want to take this offer

Sabine: Are you sure honey? This is a big step.

Tom: Not to mention you would be all alone in a big city. What about your friends?

Marinette: I will miss my friends (or at least the old them) but when will I get an opportunity like this and I wouldn't be alone I'd have Jagged and Penny

With some more discussions the choice was made and Penny started making arrangement to move Marinette to Gotham City.

And before Marinette noticed she was settling in to her new life in Gotham city.

And already it was much better then her one in Paris

Her new school was great

She had a lot of great friends and even a boyfriend now Damian Wayne

They met on her first day, when she accidentally ran into him

It sounds crazy but it was like love at first sight

They didn't start dating right away, it would take a couple of months for Damian to ask her out, but Marinette couldn't be happier

So were his brothers who she met soon after becoming Damian's friend

Now whenever Marinette wasn't designing for Jagged or at school she was hanging out in Wayne Manor

Marinette already had a youtube channel but it really didn't have that much content. Until one day she decided to discuss a famous cold case with her boyfriend and get it on camera

The first case she told him was an Australian case called the man from Somertan Beach

It was a short video, with her talking about it with Damian, but halfway through the video Jason (who had been filming them) made one too many comments and Damian decided to just switch places with him

Marinette kept making videos with Jason as her cohost and Damian behind the cameraman

It was relatively popular but not to big until Marinette did a case about the supernatural

When she learned that Jason did not believe in it

They spent the whole video arguing over the ghost at the Cesil Hotel in LA

The videos blew up

Jason: I don't know old building are weird they make all sort if weird noises

Marinette: How does a house creaking sound like get out

Jason: Well nobody said weather this person is a credible witness or not

As the youtube channel got more popular Marinette and all the bat boys (all of them got dragged into helping with videos now) started to go to haunted locations during school breaks and when Marinette had breaks in designing for Jagged

The Winchester

Jason: Man this place is bigger than the manor

Marinette: well if you had to keep building to stop ghost from killing you, your house would be huge too

Jason: Wait is that why Wayne Manor is built so weirdly, Bruce is hiding from ghost

The Sally house

Marinette: Fuck this place omg we're all going to be killed by a demon

Jason: How can something that doesn't exist kill you

Jason: Hey demon come on kill me you mother fucker.

Damian (off camera): Jason stop freaking Marinette out.

Jason: Oh I'm sorry Marinette I was wrong. Demons do exsist, one is our camera man

At the bottom of the screen you can see Damian's middle finger

Marinette (to flashlight): Don't turn on don't turn on don't turn on

Flashlight turns on

Marinette: NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE MOCKED IT JASON!!!!

Joker's Hideout

Marinette: it said that this place is haunted by Joker's victims, or that it is possible that this place is infested by a demon who drove Joker mad and drove him to kill

Jason: Well that's convenient, you're a crazy murderous clown, it's all because of a demon.

Marinette: Keep it down Jason we don't know if the Joker is here right now or not

Damian: Wait the Joker might be here. Angel why did you want to come here then?

Marinette looking embarrassed: It was a good case.

Jason standing behind something making a grunting sound

Marinette walks by and sees him: AAAHHHH!! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE SOUNDING LIKE A FUCKING ZOMBIE.

Goatman Bridge

Jason: I'm dancing on your bridge Goatman it's my bridge now

Marinette: He is going to kill you

Jason: See this Goatman I disrespect your bridge. It's me and Marinette's bridge now

Marinette: Stop pulling me into you bullshit Jason!

Jason: If you're not apart of this then tell Goatman

Marinette: I'm not with him.

Jason: You're talking to Goatman now

Marinette: I see what you did there.

Jason: Hey we're here for the cult stuff

Jason to demons: Hey demons it me ya boy

The fans love the twos dynamic

They also love the random comments Damian would make from behind the camera every once and a while

Sometime between breaks in filming at a location Jason would get candid videos of Damian hugging Marinette

When they sleep overnight at places Damian would always sleep and cuddle with Marinette

The fans love it

And they ship it

One case as a joke is The Mystery of Marinette Dupen-Cheng

This one is Jason and Damian doing the video, while Marinette is away on a tour with Jagged Stone

Half of the video is actually stuff that Marinette does and can do that confuse them

They show a video of Marinette yeeting Jason out of the kitchen when he scared her once

Another video is of Marinette stealing Damian's sweatshirt while she passes him

Just one moment it's on Damian the next Marinette has it

A video of Marinette going head to head with Riddler

And her actually stumping him with one

The other half is just Damian gushing about his girlfriend

Damian: She is just the sweetest girl who deserves the world. I would gladly kill anybody who hurts her. She is just my Angel and I would do anything to make her happy.

It ends with Jason saying: Well that is the mystery of Damian's future wife, weather she's actually human remains unsolved.

#maribat #marinettecheng #ml marinette #marinette dupen chang #marinette cheng #miraculous marinette #damian wayne #marinette x damian #damin wayne au #damin wayne #daminette #jagged stone #penny rolling #jason todd #brotp #buzzfeed unsolved #unsolved #headcanon #ml headcanon

[mrsalwayswrite]

Sunlight (Bucky Barnes x OFC)

I wrote this for @geekandbooknerd​ birthday challenge! Yay! I know its a bit early but happy birthday! 

My prompt was “If there is anything, there is us. You and me. No one else.”- Jennifer L. Armentrout, Onyx. 

It kind of turned into a Avengers/X-Men crossover. So some mentions of X-Men characters but mostly about Bucky & OFC. 

Warnings: slight angst, brief mention of torture, all the fluff! 

Words: 3400

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Bucky stormed up to his best friend, leaving terrified SHIELD agents in his wake. He did not care about the scene he was making in the hallway of the Avengers Compound. His fear and fury overrode his concern to stay calm.

 "She ran off. Soon as we touched down, I tri…."

 Bucky turned on his heels, ready to sprint. He had to find her. He could listen to excuses and rational later. His mind and body drove him towards only one thing- to seek her out and offer comfort...until a hand clasped his shoulder, keeping him still. 

 "I'm sorry, Buck. We thought...I thought…" Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. He still wore his dirty uniform, not even having had a chance to clean up from the mission yet. "Things didn't go as planned. She did well. She...she was a help to have on the mission. Please let her know that."

 The brunet could only nod, every cell in his being screaming at him to go find his girl. Soon as Steve removed his hand, Bucky took off. 

 People practically leapt out of his way...which was smart on their account. He was not above running people over right now. He was used to his friends teasing him about his murder strut- their term, not his- about how it made people either run in fear of their lives or hyperventilate with lust. He tried to not think about it too much. Although it did have its uses on occasion. 

 Bursting out the nearest outside door, he ran using all his super soldier speed. He knew where she would be. More than one time she had called it a safe place, especially when it was sunny out. The buildings for the Avengers Compound flew by him. He vaguely thought he heard someone call his name but it did not matter. He had to get to his girl. 

 The first hints of autumn could be seen in the trees surrounding the Compound. Most were still green but swatches of color peeked through with their yellows and oranges. The underbrush made each step he took in his combat boots sound like a herd of elephants walked by but now he did not have to focus on moving silently. He wore tactical pants and a black t-shirt, having been working on extra security measures for the Avengers building when Steve called him. Immediately he dropped the StarkPad and ran, ignoring those he had been working with. 

 He passed the giant elm tree that always seemed otherworldly to him...then he could see her. He always wondered what made this spot special. There was nothing unique about it in the forest surrounding the Compound...except for a giant ass boulder. Deciduous trees surrounded the spot, creating an almost nature-made barricade around the small open area with the boulder in the middle. Sunlight shown directly on it, uninterrupted by branches or leaves. It almost looked like the eye of a hurricane, and maybe that was why she always came to this spot. It was peaceful. 

 And there she sat looking like a fairy from a children's story, minus the wings. Her Nordic blonde hair danced about her in the slight breeze, the long stands almost hypnotic in their movements. Her face was turned upward, facing the afternoon sun, like a flower seeking its warmth. Her slender arms were wrapped around her legs, her alabaster skin on full display with her bare feet, black leggings and navy tank top. She must have ditched the outer part of her uniform and ran, not even bothering to go back to her room to change first. 

 Standing just on the edge of the tree line, he could only stare, taken back by her beauty once again. He wished he was artistic like Steve to paint or sketch her. That he could somehow show her how gorgeous she was to him, to erase all those self-doubts she harbored still. Instead he strove to remind her every day in whatever way he could. 

 "Leyna!" He called out, having moved out of the trees into the open area surrounding the boulder. 

 She turned her head briefly to meet his eyes then turned her face back upward, soaking in the sunlight. 

 That quick look had been enough for him to see the dried tear streaks on her cheeks. He clambered up the rock, continuously amazed at how she was able to navigate the damn thing when she was so small. He was almost a foot taller than her and the stupid rock was tricky for him between the lack of handholds, lichen and moss that covered it. It was at least twice as tall as him, and three times as wide in some strange skinny oval shape. It vaguely reminded him of the kind of stones that were good for skipping rocks on top of water, but on a giant scale. 

 Once up, he walked towards where she sat in the middle, feeling the heat of the sun hitting him anew. Without a word, he sat behind her, placing himself so her back was to his chest, his legs outstretched and his flesh arm wrapped around her waist. Silently she leaned back into him, still facing the sun, eyes closed. He laid his cheek against the top of her head, his metal arm outstretched to stabilize them. 

 The only sounds were those of the birds singing around them, the occasional shout coming from the direction of the Compound and their own breathing. It was peaceful. Something both of them craved instinctively. 

 He waited for her, knowing this was more than just a quiet place to be. There was her place to "recharge", as she liked to call it, both physically and mentally. After several minutes, a faint golden shimmer surrounded her hands. Slowly she held out one of her hands and moved her fingers as if in a dance. 

 Watching her use her powers was one of his favorite things to do. She tried to explain it to him once, how her powers worked. Something how she could manipulate light photons and atoms to change their structure to become whatever she wished, either a solid creation or an illusion. It was about three PhD degrees above his head but he got the gist. He smiled remembering when she first met Bruce Banner and how the man almost wet himself, he was so excited to run experiments and lab tests on her and her powers. Bucky had never seen the man so thrilled. Then the time she met Loki and he learned she could do illusions also. He had jumped at the chance of a competition between them that left the Compound in a strange golden, greenish haze for two days because of the amount of magic used and atoms/photons messed with for the insane amount of illusions created. 

 Using both hands, she twirled and manipulated them in front of her, using the direct sunlight to create something. Sunlight was her life source. Yes, she needed to eat and drink like anyone else but she always joked she was like a solar-powered being. Without sunlight her powers faded to nothing and she would wither away. 

 His eyes remained glued to her hands as she worked, curious as to what she was making now. With a final flourish, a long dagger lay across her palms, dwarfing her hands. The handle was the deepest black while the blade itself had a slight curve and shone a brilliant silver in the sunlight. It had a slight etching on the silver that looked like artistic flames running along the outside. 

 "That one might be my new favorite." He nuzzled her neck, thoroughly enjoying the way she squirmed and giggled. He loved when she made him shiny, sharp things. 

 "Maybe I'll make you a matching set."

 He took the dagger from her, eyeing it hungrily before slipping it into his boot. Good thing the training room was open at all hours. He planned on experimenting with it later. 

 They sat in silence for a few more minutes before she spoke, drawing lazy circles on his arm still around her waist. 

 "Steve call you?"

 "He was worried." He kissed her hair lightly. "Wanna talk about it?"

 He could feel her hesitation then the story was whispered into the wind, her voice shaky. "There was a cell...I got separated from the others...Some...um, a few HYDRA soldiers managed to taze me, get me down...they covered my eyes...and got a chain on my wrist…" She took a deep breath, he squeezed her, knowing how hard this was for her. "Steve found me at that point, he took them out and helped me get away."

 "Oh baby, I'm so sorry." It was only after she mentioned her wrist, he peeked over her shoulder to see her right wrist that looked raw and red. Seeing her injury, he clenched his metal fist. Fury rolled through him like a steam train, anger at both HYDRA for trying to take her from him and himself for not being there to protect her. He pulled her closer to him with both arms, needing the reassurance she was still here, with him. 

 "I don't think I can do this anymore, Bucky." She suddenly choked out, tears falling afresh. "I don't...I can't go through that again. I'm not strong enough."

 "Leyna…we all have our triggers that remind us of our pasts. No one blames you."

 "I put the mission in danger."

 "Steve said you did well and that you were a help."

 She shook her head. "I don't think I can keep doing this."

 They sat in silence. He understood what was going through her mind. Hell, he dealt with it himself on a regular basis. The question of how much of one's past could still haunt their future. 

 Leyna had been found by the X-Men when they took down a cult who were kidnapping mutants. She had been chained to a wall in complete darkness, refused any source of sunlight or artificial light for months on end until she either gave them the information they wanted or she died. The X-Men had brought her back to the mutant school where she stayed to recover, since when they found her, she was barely conscious. When Charles examined her mind, he discovered she was not a mutant but an enhanced like Wanda Maximoff, though where she got her powers was unknown. Just over two years after being rescued and residing at the mutant school, Charles thought sending her to the Avengers would be the best for her and to begin creating a working relationship between the Avengers and the X-Men. Leyna was to be a sort of liaison between the two groups constantly saving the world. 

 It had been a year since she joined the Avengers and everyone acknowledged how quickly she fit it. Almost like she had been a missing puzzle piece that they had not realized was missing. 

 "Do...do you think they'll send me back? To Charles? He sent me here to help but…" Her voice dropped off, fear and uncertainty evident. 

 "I am sure the Professor would understand. And there are more ways than one to help. You don't have to be out in the field to be useful. I know I prefer when you don't go on missions. Sam had to sit on me this time so I wouldn't stow away on the ship and come with you."

 She giggled, her head resting on his shoulder. "I feel the same way when you leave for a mission. Wanda and I used to get drunk but after the...electrical incident, we're not allowed to anymore."

 He chuckled, "so that's what happened, huh? You guys said you tried to combine your powers or something."

 "Remember, we were drunk and apparently decided we wanted to have a dance party. So, I tried to create a disco ball and stroke lights while she was trying to do something with the music...but it all backfired."

 He openly laughed at that. "Doll, the two of you managed to blow out all the electricity in the Compound and even put FRIDAY offline for a bit. Tony was furious. Hell, I heard Wanda's room had to be completely renovated because of the power surge that went through it. Thankfully it had reinforced, special walls or whatever Tony calls them."

 "Why do you think she's been sleeping in Vision's room?"

 "That was...what, three months ago? And it's still not fixed?"

 She shrugged. "She doesn't feel rushed to return to her own room. "

 They lapsed back into silence, his arms still around her. Her face was still upturned, soaking in the afternoon sun. He watched her profile, in awe that someone as pure, selfless and fun would ever look at him twice. As he stared, he could see her lips pursing slightly while her brow furrowed. It broke his heart that she still struggled with such self-doubt. 

 "Leyna, turn around." At her hesitation, he ran his lips softly over the corner of her jaw. "Please."

 Slowly, she did. Turning around to straddle his waist, she wrapped her arms around his neck while his own hands gripped her hips to hold her. 

 "Look at me."

 It was only after his quiet command that she finally lifted her gaze from his chest. Her violet eyes always enthralled him, calling to some deep primitive part that wanted to bask in her light for the rest of his life. 

 "We're not gonna kick you out if you come off the field. Hell, you are one of our best at recon and observation. If that's all you want to do, the others will understand. Natasha will probably buy you a bottle of that Russian vodka that she loves cause she won't be the only one sent on those kinds of missions anymore. And even if that is too much, you have a great mind for tactics and seeing things others don't. You would be a benefit for working in the control room while we're on a mission. You'd have our backs still and could keep an eye out for things we might miss."

 "Charles sent me to help…" She hedged but he was having none of that. He gripped her chin, holding her gaze, hoping she would believe him and stay. Not just for the Avengers...but for him. 

 "And you would be. You've always been a huge help… Or would you prefer to go back to the School? Is that what you would prefer? I'm sure Logan would prefer that. He still hasn't forgiven me for having you be my girl."

 "He hasn't tried to kill you though."

 "What do you call what happened last time he came to check on you?" He demanded, eyeing her smirk. "Just a misunderstanding?"

 She laughed, massaging the back of his neck. "He only destroyed the couch. It could have been far worse."

 "Yeah, and I had been sitting on that couch! His claws were inches from my head!" 

 "Mmm...good thing you have such great reflexes." She leaned forward and pressed a teasing kiss to his lips. 

 His hands tightened on her hips. "Babydoll, you do that again and I'll show you what other great reflexes I have."

 "Outside?"

 "What? Ain't nobody around?"

 She swatted his chest, laughing before laying her head on his shoulder. "And if I just wanted to be with you? Not do anything...just be here with you?"

 "If there is anything, there is us. You and me. No one else." He lifted her chin to gaze into her eyes, the sunlight making them glow. "We can do whatever we want. Go wherever we want. Just us."

 "Mmm...and Steve." She hummed, tracing a finger lazily on his chest. 

 "What?"

 "You and me...and Steve. There is no way Steve would let us go off alone. He would miss his best friend too much and is too stubborn to let you go. He'd leave the Avengers first. Then Sam would be all offended and come along too since he and Steve are also best friends and I think secretly you and Sam are best friends but neither wants to acknowledge it. Natasha would hunt us down next. You know Peter would send us more of those little videos but they would be all sad and puppy eyes since wherever we are, I'm sure his Aunt May would not let him come. Plus, he's like the little brother I've always wanted… If Natasha finds us, Clint will show up eventually. Then Scott would too since Steve is with us. I swear I've never seen a bigger fangirl than Scott. Tony would crash at some point because well, it's Tony…"

 He cut her off, chuckling because however much he wanted to deny it. It was true. "Ok ok, I get the picture. Christ. I think we need some new friends."

 "Like Logan?"

 "I still can't believe you dated the Wolverine. I feel I should question your taste in men."

 "Hey! It was short lived and we both realized we were better as friends. Sides, if we're worried about my taste in men, what does that say about you?" She teased, a smile on her lips. 

 "You go for the tall, dark and handsome." 

 "That applies to Logan too...mmm...maybe I just prefer old guys?"

 "Alright, that's it!" He stood up, throwing her over his shoulder. "I come out here to take care of my best girl and what do I get...insults!" Carefully he jumped down to the ground, making sure not to jostle her too much with the impact. He started back towards the Compound, trying to control the smile on his face while listening to Leyna laughing over his shoulder. "See if I share my ice cream with you tonight."

 "Bucky…" she whined, wiggling against him, "that's mean."

 "Old guys...you've been spending too much time with Sam. Really need to get some new friends." He muttered mostly to himself. 

 "Put me down, Bucky."

 He set her on a nearby stump so she was actually eye level to him. Carefully he ran a hand through her blonde hair, loving that she let him play with it. "You know I meant it, what I said earlier."

 "I know, love." She cupped his face and pressed a kiss to his lips. 

 He eagerly kissed her back, diving into her affections without hesitation. He loved the way she fit in his arms, the way her lips glided against his, how his heart threatened to explode with joy with just the mere thought of her. Although they had not yet said those three little words to one another, he knew it was true for him. She was perfect for him, and although she had her quirks that annoyed him and her own haunted past that gave her nightmares, he would not change anything about her.

 Finally, they broke apart, both breathing a little more heavily and dopey smiles on both their faces. He would love to stay here with her, just the two of them and kiss her senseless or until he removed any self-doubt she still struggled with. The Avengers' part of his mind reminded him that she had run out to the forest before the debrief which would be a headache in itself if they did not return soon. He sighed, lamenting that this moment had to end. "Come on, doll. Let's get you back. Steve will want to check in with you."

 "Ok…"

 He stepped away for her to jump down but she did not move. 

 "Doll…" That grin on her face spelled trouble, he just knew it. 

 "I'm tired...can you give me a piggyback ride?"

 He raised an eyebrow at her. 

 She smiled sweetly, hands clasped in front of her and swaying slightly. Between the delicate features, small stature and purple eyes, she really did look like a damn fairy. 

 "Fine…"

 She squealed as she climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Just as he thought about protesting loudly, she smacked a loud kiss on his cheek then giggled. Who was he kidding, he would do anything for her. 

 If he had to give a few death glares and mild threats in the future to suppress jokes about the Winter Soldier giving piggyback rides…that was not his fault. 

#marvel #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #Hayley'sBirthday #Bucky Barnes #james buchanan bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x ofc #james barnes x ofc #fluff #mzwrites

[survivingthejungle]

never fade away; part vii

oh goodness. it’s been a hot minute since i wrote a new part to this. bear with me. i’m getting back into the swing of things.

_____________________________________

This was it. 

The apocalypse. 

Armageddon. 

The End of Times. 

You had been dragged inside of some abandoned warehouse, watched Jerome make a crazy speech about ‘what death was like’, and ‘how Gotham was going to be reborn into chaos’, and you watched him murder a man via explosives on live television. He grabbed you before running out of the building, pushing yourself in front of him to make you run fast enough to get out. (And also to act as a human shield in case the police were waiting for him outside.) 

The city was pitch black. Never before had you been able to see more than 10 stars in the sky in Gotham; now you could easily see at least a million. Of course, the smog and air pollution was ever-present, but the city lights being cut off was quite effective in facilitating the visibility of the night sky. 

You admired being able to see the natural brightness and decorations of the universe; you did not, however, appreciate the fact that it was caused by Jerome. 

The boy who was seemingly determined to make your life a living hell. 

To say that he was not intriguing as a concept would be lying. What’s not interesting about some 19-year-old killing his family, escaping from a prison for the criminally insane, going around a city he isn’t from and killing people every chance he gets, kidnapping 16-year-olds, and cutting off the whole power supply of said city?

You only wished you hadn’t been the poor, previously aforementioned 16-year-old. And why did he obsess over you, you wondered?

From the time you were forced to spend in the penthouse in Downtown Gotham, you could pick up on the fact that he liked your appearance and had even considered you pretty. You could also pick up on the fact that he very clearly enjoyed games. You were like a game to him. ‘Let’s see how many times I can kidnap (y/n), let’s see how long I can kidnap (y/n) this time, let’s see how many emotional scars I can leave (y/n) with this time around,’... the list went on. 

“Be honest- how’s my face look?” he asked out of the blue, in the midst of a silent car ride towards  what was begining to look like a suburb. 

“Uh... not good.”  “Hm.” He considered this. “Well, I did say ‘be honest’, so I’ll give ya that one, babe. Say- what game do you wanna play first?” “What?” you asked him. 

“You know... dunk tank, balloon popping, ring tosses... name your pick, beautiful. This is your night as much as it is mine.” That confused you. “Why is that?”

“Well, because we’re finally together again! This is what people have been waiting for, isn’t it?” Theatrically, he made a sign with a free hand while steering. “Jerome and (y/n), the dynamic duo, back at it again! Hahahahaha!”

“Sure, that’s what all your cult freaks wanted. Sure isn’t what I wanted. And we aren’t a duo. And I don’t want to play carnival games. I want to go home. You can let me out here,” you tried, “I’ll walk?”

“Not gonna happen, hot stuff. You don’t get it, do you?”

“Don’t... Don’t get what?” you questioned. 

“I don’t want to let you go. I don’t want to lose you again. Death made me realize a lot of things, and I intend on keeping you with me from here on out. You’re gonna stick around with me from here on out!” The car was parked now, in the driveway of some bougie-looking mansion. “I’m not gonna let you go easy this time. No one’s gonna stab me in the neck and let you go this time. You’re staying with me now kid, we’re in this for the long haul!” You were disturbed by the serious tone of his voice now. 

You had a worried look plastered on your face; a reasonable reaction. You refused to look at him, instead you chose to stare down at the floor and focus on not crying. Someone will find me, you promised yourself. They won’t let this happen to me again. Someone must be looking for me. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t you dare cry. 

“Hey. Hey... look at me. Give me a smile, huh?” he nudged your shoulder, trying to get you to look at him. You did nothing, just tried to pull farther away from him. “Ah, you’ll get used to it after a while. It’ll be like last time, remember! You were fine eventually! We just gotta get you back in the swing of things.” “NO!” you yelled, tears beginning to fall freely now. “Don’t you understand? I was never fine! I was faking it so that you wouldn’t kill me! I was protecting myself! I never wanted to be with you! And I don’t want to be with you now! Why don’t you understand that?” You turned back from facing him and buried your face in your hands, trying to control your tears and make them stop. 

Your breathing was cut short when a strong hand wrapped itself around your throat, restricting the blood flow to your brain as well as air flow to your lungs. Your head was pressed to the back of the seat of a car; you had no escape. In his eyes, you saw no emotions; well, nothing other than pure, unbridled rage. “I’m gonna let that go with a warning, babe, because I know you didn’t mean it. But if you act up like that again? Well... it’s not gonna be pretty. I can promise you that,” he spat, his face mere milimeters from yours. “Capisce?” 

“Yes,” you managed to choke out, barely making a sound at all. 

“Is this gonna happen again? Because you know, I’m not as patient as I used to be.” His grip loosened on your neck slightly. “No. It won’t. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt me again.” You looked at him with pleading, glassy eyes, praying to God that your life would be spared for even just a day longer. He didn’t respond to this. He simply got out of the car, walked over to your side, and opened it expectantly. 

“Well?” he goaded, gesturing for you to get out. As you hesitantly got out and stood up, he said, “Well, gee, (Y/N), you’re so welcome for opening the door and being so chivalrous. There’s not many gentlemen left these days.” “Thank you, Jerome,” you croaked out hoarsely. He mock bowed to you and laughed, the slits on the sides of his mouth widening grotesquely. 

“Hands,” he demanded suddenly, “Put ‘em out.” You obliged carefully. He pulled a convenient rope out of his back pocket and began to tie it around your wrists. “I know you’re still not used to having me back yet. Can’t risk you tryin’ to run off, can we?” He smiled at you, like he had completely forgotten about everything else that had just happened. “Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” ______________

Eventually, after chaos was wreaked at Wayne Manor, you and Bruce Wayne were both thrown into the back of Jerome’s hijacked squad car. He hightailed it to a makeshift carnival in the middle of town; just about the only place with any working electric. Once there, Bruce turned to you quickly; in the short moment Jerome had stepped out of the car, he told you, “I promise I will get us out of here.” The sincerety in his voice gave you a sliver of hope for the rest of the night; you were basically both in the same boat, and you were both trying to get out of it together. 

You tried to stay mostly silent throughout the whole debacle, afraid that if you let the wrong word slip out, you might end up dying like one of the people in the awful makeshift carnival games by which you were surrounded. Even when your newest friend was suddenly faced with death-by-canon, you made sure not to make a peep. If Jerome thought you two were starting to be pals, he’d surely kill Bruce in a split second. He was possesive that way, among many other ways.

But you dropped the façade in the house of mirrors. More specifically, once Bruce broke a mirror and ripped your bindings off, before nearly killing the ginger. 

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Brucie,” Jerome choked out, “Not in front of my girl, would ya please? Poor thing’ll be traumatized for the rest of her life if she sees me go again.” You knew in your heart he was probably joking, but he almost souned the slightest bit sincere every time you were a topic of conversation. 

“She’s already traumatized by you, you clown,” Bruce spat at him. “(Y/N), run! Get out of here! I can handle myself!” he ordered you. You nodded and ran, making sure to not look back at the expression on the redhead’s face (or lack thereof) when you took off. Finding your way out, you were met face-to-face with Detective Gordon, as well as Bruce’s butler, Alfred, who you’d both assumed to be dead and gone by now. 

“Christ, (Y/N), we need to get you out of here. We have no idea where Jerome could be right now,” Jim motioned for you to stand next to him in order for him to keep a closer eye on you. 

“He’s in there, Detective Gordon, and so is Bruce Wayne. Jerome almost killed him but by the time I got free, Bruce had the upper hand. I don’t know what the status is right now, though-” and you didn’t have too, because Bruce was walking out of the same exit you had just been through, looking absolutely exhaused with his sad clown makeup still painted on. Jim, Alfred, and you all breathed a sigh of relief, before you saw the devil-boy come out with a vengeful look in his eye, and a loaded gun in his hand. 

“BRUCE! Behind you!” you yelled, and Bruce managed to get out of the line of fire. Soon after this, Detective Gordon clocked Jerome in the face so hard that his... well, that is face flew off into a dirty puddle on the ground, and Jerome fell straight back as well. 

______________

4 days later and, while you knew your life would never exactly be normal ever again, you had hoped that it wouldn’t get interrupted again for at least a while. 

While walking Sadie downtown one day, you happened to pass by the GCPD at the same time that Detective Gordon was headed outside. “Oh, (Y/N)! Coincidence crossing paths with you right now; see, I’ve got a bit of bad news,” he told you.

“Oh gosh,” you responded, “What happened? Please tell me he didn’t get out again...” you pleaded to a higher power. 

“No, no... but it is about him,” he informed you. “He’s been making threats, (Y/N), and he’s gone through with all of them, but he’s given us an ultimatum...” he trailed off. 

“What happened, Detective?” you wondered. 

“He’s been killing inmates and guards left and right. Now, there’s not much we can do, since he is already locked up, but he just offered us a deal. It’s... it’s about you.” “What about me? I’ll do it, Detective, I don’t want him to keep killing people. I’m so sick of people killing each other all of the time.” The detective sighed. “He said he’d stop, but only if you would come and see him at least once a week in Arkham. Now, before you say anything, if you agree, we’ll have plenty of armed personel with you during any visit, and a bulletproof barrier between you during every meeting. Are you okay with this?” he asked you, searching for a sign of reaction in your face.

You nodded. “I’ll do it. I’ll be okay. I can do it,” you told him. “I can do it,” you said once more, this time to yourself. 

_______________________________________________

hi friendos. it has been a long ass time (as i have already mentioned i know)

i have had this stuck in my drafts waiting to be finished for about a month. im the literal worst. i know. please accept this as my apology. 

in other news?? the newest episode has got me FUCKED ALL THE WAY UP like damn. all my boys be lookin fine as hell on these thursday nights. god bless amen hallelujah i’m tired and i just got back from spring break so forgive me if this is bad i love u all. 

u kno da drill. feedback is welcome, encouraged, and appreciated

#jerome valeska #jerome gotham #jerome valeska x you #jerome valeska one shot #jerome valeska x reader #jerome valeska imagine #Cameron Monaghan #cameron monaghan imagine #cameron monaghan x reader #Gotham #gotham on FOX #gotham x reader #jerome valeska gotham #bruce wayne #bruce wayne gotham #jim gordon #jim gordon gotham #alfred pennyworth #alfred pennyworth gotham #david mazouz #ben mckenzie #sean pertwee #reader insert gotham #gotham fanfiction

[ncfan-1]

Gotham 04X18, ‘That’s Entertainment’

Last week: hardly anyone in the Legion of Horribles had a comprehensible motivation. This week: chaos. This is Gotham.

- We open with an extreme close-up on the interim mayor. Apparently something happened to the old mayor. And there are a bunch of other higher-ups at a dinner. Including the chairperson of the Gotham Moral Authority office… What decade is this show set in again?

- And Victor Fries and the other Horribles break into the dinner.

- And we’ve established that Bridgit does remember all the shit that happened to her, and that because of that, “there is no Bridgit anymore.” Okay, so we’ve established that. Thank you, show, for putting the bare minimum of effort into explaining why she suddenly wants to rip the city apart. If only you could have done a better job building up to this moment.

- Oswald could not look less happy to be in that van, and even less happy to have Jerome wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

- Okay, Alfred’s story about Bruce’s seventh birthday is kinda sweet. And Alfred has given him car keys. To a proto-Batmobile. Alfred, stop enabling him.

- …Alright, the hugging was sweet. I don’t have a heart of stone.

- And poor Oswald has slipped away long enough to warn Jim of what’s going on.

- The story is still very much treating Jonathan as… basically, the Tagalong Kid with a flair for mad science. There’s the way Oswald phrases it—he says that Jerome has Freeze, Firefly and Hatter working with him, and that Scarecrow made a gas for him. He differentiated between them; Oswald’s assessment, apparently, is that Jonathan is performing a different function than the others. Like, I know I keep beating this horse, but it’s striking the way the show, even though they aren’t interested in treating him as a character anymore, let alone a sympathetic character, he still comes off like someone who isn’t here on his own initiative, very much comes off as a subordinate, like even more so than the others (I don’t think Jerome recognizes equals). I noticed in the van, too, he was huddled in the corner up until the moment it came time to gas someone, with Jervis standing right in front of him. It’s just an interesting visual detail.

- “He scares the living hell out of me, okay!” Oh, Oswald, sweetheart.

- Oswald is unreasonably pretty, and I say this as an aro ace. He’s just… vaguely luminous.

- Old school Gobblepot, complete with Oswald limping away hurriedly when Harvey starts calling for Jim. My heart is glad.

- Jerome crashes a concert and does the old “bomb strapped to a hostage” trick.

- And Tabitha has apparently been her charming self.

- Tabitha’s also done with this League of Assassins business.

- Fries and Jonathan have busted into… a chemical laboratory, apparently. How much do you wanna bet this is the only scene in the episode where Jonathan has any lines?

- Jerome reveals who his two “guests of honor” are—Jeremiah and Bruce, to the surprise of no one. Jim tries to offer himself up in place of Bruce (which, okay, it’s a nice moment, even if it doesn’t redeem him), but no dice. As for the Police Commissioner… off with his head!

- Baby Batcat is still good. Even Alfred looks happy to see Selina. And Selina thought the brat thing was just an act.

- Alfred and Selina experience a rare moment of solidarity over Jim and Lucius’s horrible plan.

- Barbara follows the League to a house of Ra’s’s. Apparently there is a secret door, and more of the glowy hand. What’s behind the secret door? Uh, not sure, actually, but the music thinks it’s impressive. On the far wall, there is a portrait of Ra’s with a woman. Is this supposed to be some sort of reincarnation thing?

- Back to Jeremiah. Jeremiah is not nearly as charitable as Bruce, and doesn’t want to go along with Jim and Lucius’s plan. But Bruce moves him to going along with it. Jeremiah doesn’t seem terribly sympathetic towards the suffering of others. There’s still something just a bit… off, about him.

- Harvey goes to the lab, and a woman there reveals that Fries and Jonathan made them make the Joker venom. So maybe Jonathan’s not the one who’s been making it after all? Or maybe he just doesn’t have the skill level needed to make a more refined version.

- Jeremiah’s color scheme is very… Joker. I’m sure that’s not clumsy foreshadowing. I should also note that a more subtle bit of foreshadowing was Jeremiah lying about Jerome trying to kill him as a child last episode. I don’t know about other versions, but DCAU Joker lied about his past all the time.

- Bruce’s not flinching when everyone ducks when shots ring out seems reminiscent of 1989’s Batman. Seeing as Michael Keaton is my other favorite live-action Batman, that’s fitting.

(Yes, I said other. I really do like David Mazouz’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne, though we haven’t seen too much Batman from him yet.)

- The Horribles have commandeered a zeppelin. Jonathan had more lines! Jervis and Jonathan continue to be a duo, Jervis still sounds a bit like Jonathan’s minder/babysitter, and Oswald’s betrayal was anticipated.

- Tabitha’s assessment of Ra’s is a cult leader. Given the way Barbara is acting, it’s hard to argue.

- I’d say I feel sorry for Tabitha, but Tabitha’s so awful it’s hard to feel much of anything. And Tabitha, honey, I can’t even remember how many episodes it’s been since Selina last interacted with you and Barbara. At this point, I don’t think she’s coming back.

- Jerome’s comedy act is not very comedic.

- “You’re as crazy as I am.” And Jerome’s about to make sure Jeremiah is, by giving him the knife.

- Jeremiah doesn’t need a lot of persuading to try to kill Jerome. Given the way he screams, yeah…

- Jim and Oswald think the same way. :)

- “Time to kill this maniac once and for all.” Lucius doesn’t look like he approves of you’re taking the law into your own hands, Jim.

- The zeppelin of doom has arrived.

- We cut back to tied up and none too happy with his surroundings. He breaks his bonds and tries to get the hypnotized pilot to turn the zeppelin around. Unfortunately, the hypnotized pilot has a gun.

- Oswald calls Jim for help, and is, I think, convinced to try to help them.

- Jerome is on top of a building.

- And, not for the first time, Jim commits murder.

- Oswald gets into a fight with the pilot. Poor man doesn’t even drive his own car, how’s he supposed to fly a blimp? Very poorly, I assume. (He called it a blimp, I’m gonna assume that’s what it is.)

- And Jerome isn’t dead. He’s dangling from a drain pipe.

- “Lawman or murderer?” Jerome, Jim’s already a murderer, I wouldn’t appeal to him that way if I was you.

- But Jerome chooses to let himself fall, saying “I’ll be seeing you soon.” Unsubtle reference to Jeremiah, I presume.

- We cut back to Jerome’s dead face. People are gathered around his body, collecting his blood like he’s some sort of medieval saint.

- Bruce seems overcome. Poor kid.

- And Oswald picked up blimp-flying on the fly.

- Poor, poor Oswald.

- Tabitha vs. The League of Shadows. Pretty one-sided after about thirty seconds, with a mysterious man who is totally not Ra’s al-Ghul looking on from a distance.

- And it wasn’t Ra’s al-Ghul, as it turns out. Another faction of the League of Shadows. They promptly drug and kidnap her. Okay, now I do feel a little sorry for Tabitha. Today’s been the day that fun forgot for her.

- Jeremiah back in his sterile, creepy maze-house. He seems to be trying to cope with everything that just happened, only to find a present waiting on his desk. (It had better not be Ecco’s head in a box.)

- Okay, it’s not Ecco’s head in a box. Good; I’ve gotten entirely too used to this show pulling cheap tricks like that. It’s a spray of Joker venom. And we see Jeremiah’s face turning white, his lips turning very, very red, and we here a familiar-sounding laugh…

#ncfan watches Gotham