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marauderundercover · 3 years

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Taking Chances Ch. 27: Princess (Royal/medieval AU)

AO3

The shrill akuma alarm wakes Marinette up the next morning and she sighs, rubbing her head gently before grabbing the bottle of painkillers that Dick had left next to her on the table.

“Don’t leave yet!” A voice calls from the other room. Marinette frowns, but listens, quickly taking a couple painkillers and letting herself wake up. Dick rushes into the room, nearly falling as he slides across the floor in his socks. He rushes over to her and kneels in front of her, staring into her eyes. She frowns.

“What are you doing?” She asks, too tired to try and comprehend what’s wrong with her brother right now.

“Checking your eyes and seeing how bad your concussion is so I know if I need to call Adrien to keep a closer eye on you for this fight.” Dick says, frowning slightly at something he sees. He reaches out and gently pushes a spot on her head and she hisses in pain.

“Hey, ya big jerk, that hurts!” She complains, giving him her best ‘Damian’ glare. He just rolls his eyes.

“This is serious kid, you got seriously injured last night.” Dick reminds her. She purses her lips.

“I know, and I promise I’ll take it easy later, but right now I really need to go.” She pleads. Dick sighs, but nods, standing up.

“Go kick some butterfly butt.” He says with a small grin. Marinette grins back at him, quickly calling her transformations and portaling away to Paris. She blinks in the bright sunlight, trying hard to push away any disorientation she has from the stupid concussion. I can do this, she thinks, glancing around to assess the situation. She frowns at her surroundings. She knew she was technically in Paris, she could see the Eiffel tower and Kaalki never misled her before. Well, not during an attack anyway. But where the giant modern buildings should be, there were small stone buildings with thatch roofs. Glancing around, she also notices a huge, stone castle where her school used to be. That should be fun.

“I am the Dark Knight, and I will not rest until I have Chat Noir and Ladybug’s Miraculous!” A voice shouts out above the rest of the noise. Marinette creeps over and just blinks at the fashion atrocity before her. She was going to slap Hawkmoth twice when she found him. Once, for terrorizing Paris for over a year. And again for the awful wardrobe choices he made. Seriously. And the Dark Knight? Isn’t that name trademarked, or something?

“Hey Bugaboo, what’s the plan?” Chat asks, landing beside her and leaning on his baton. She frowns.

“I don’t actually have one yet. I just got here.” She says, and this time he’s the one confused.

“But you always rush over.” He says, careful not to include anything about Kaalki. You never know who might be listening.

“I’ll explain later. Any idea where the object might be?” She asks, scanning the akuma. It’s power didn’t seem too awful. It had changed most of the structure in Paris, and now it was changing people’s clothes too when they got hit by the orange light. Some citizens were in what Marinette could only assume was the height of fashion during the Renaissance, whereas some citizens were draped in obvious “peasant” outfits. But there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for the difference. Just a difference.

“The satchel looks promising.” Chat says, and Marinette grins, a plan slowly taking hold in her mind. She’d just need two paper clips, a stick of gum and whatever her lucky charm was.

---

“Pound it.” Chat says holding out a fist. Marinette grins, returning the fist bump. “Did you have time to talk? You know, about why you were late?” Chat asks, and Marinette sighs but nods. They both recharge in an alley before swinging to sit on the top of the Eiffel tower.

“I fought an akuma alone, while you were out of town.” She says first, shrugging lightly. “I didn’t think about it, honest. I’d done it a million times before with Monsieur Pigeon. But the Bat got mad.” Marinette says, not wanting to risk calling him her dad while she’s masked in Paris. It just felt like it was asking for trouble.

“Cause you fought alone?” Chat asks, frowning.

“Well, that and I sort of jammed the Zeta tubes so that outsiders can’t come to Paris during an active akuma attack.” She mumbles under her breath, wincing at the noise Chat’s neck makes when he jerks around to stare at her dumbfoundedly.

“That’s insane. How’d you do it?” He asks and she simply grins.

“Spent enough time with Pegasus and Red Robin and Oracle. Add in a tiny bit of luck and boom. I win.” She smirks

“So you were late cause you’re grounded.” Chat says simply, a proud smile on his face as he thinks he cracked the code. Solved the mystery.

“Not quite,” Marinette says with a slight frown.

“Then what?” Chat asks. Marinette lets out a long sigh, glaring at Adrien to let him know she’s not happy about this situation, she does not want to talk to him about this. He’ll just get all worried.

“Well last night I was still benched from patrol because of the whole akuma attack thing but Tikki thought I should be ungrounded so I went out anyway and then the dude that stabbed me a couple months ago found me and the rest of the Batclan didn’t know that I was out so they couldn’t help me and I was all alone and then he knocked me out and I don’t really remember much except I woke up at Nightwing’s apartment and met Starfire and yeah that’s it.” She rambles, shooting him a smile and waving nonchalantly.

“I’m going to wrap you in bubble wrap. No, I’m going to make the Batclan do it.” Chat finally says, pulling out his baton.

“No, don’t! Batman doesn’t know. Neither does Hood or Red Robin. Only Nightwing and Robin know.” She says, swatting the baton out of his hand. The last thing she needed was for him to accidentally call her dad on her. She’d be in so much trouble.

“Geeze Bug.” Chat mutters under his breath, tugging her into a hug. She sighs and hugs him back, taking just a moment to relish being with her friend.

“I’m pretty sure Batman is narrowing down his Hawkmoth suspect list.” She mumbles, and Chat pulls back from her, staring into her face.

“Are you serious?” He asks, the relief on his face clear. Marinette nods, and Chat lets out a long sigh. One that Marinette could feel in her bones, because she was tired too. She also wanted to end this fight. Hopefully her dad would have a suspect soon.

---

Bruce Wayne was the world’s greatest detective. He had solved cases infinitely larger than this one, so he didn’t understand why he couldn’t find a damn lead on Hawkmoth. Actually, he understood perfectly. It was magic. God he hates magic. It’s unpredictable, and most of the time it’s more trouble than it’s worth. He sighs and sends a quick text to Dick, double checking that Marinette had made it back to his apartment okay. He knew his daughter was...upset with him for benching her and demanding she take someone with her to Paris. But they were all precautions, just to guarantee that nothing worse happened to her. She wasn’t invincible, no matter how much she seemed to think she was. He frowns at the text he receives back, quickly hitting call and waiting a few moments for Dick to pick up.

“Hel-”

“What do you mean she’s not at your place?” Bruce asks, not giving his eldest son a chance to talk.

“Well hi to you too, B.” Dick teases, and Bruce just knows he’s grinning. He lets out a sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Is she really not there? The akuma attack ended nearly twenty minutes ago and she’s not here either.” Bruce says, trying to think of where else she would go. Jason was even at the Manor, and hadn’t heard from her either.

“No, B, she’s not-” Dick pauses, then lets out a long sigh. “It’s B. He was wondering where you were.” He hears Dick say, and Bruce is surprised to hear his son’s tone. It was less carefree and more...like a father. He was a father, with Mar’i, but it was still odd to hear him use the tone on someone besides his granddaughter.

“I had to talk to Adrien.” He can barely hear her say and Bruce lets out a frustrated huff. Of course she was with the Agreste boy again. Honestly, he seemed nice enough until Selina pointed out the crushes that the two had on each other. Now, Bruce wanted nothing more than to lock him away. Far away.

“Can you please ask her if she’s coming home tonight?” Bruce finally says, listening to the silence on the other end. He wonders if they’d put the phone on mute or if Marinette was signing furiously the way he’d seen her do over a video call with Cass earlier in the week.

“We’re all coming. See you at dinner.” Dick says, hanging up almost fast enough for Bruce to not hear the protest from Marinette. Almost. Bruce walks to find Alfred, trying not to let the fact that his daughter doesn’t want to see him again get to him.

---

Marinette glares at her oldest brother as they walk into the manor. He just grins, acting as if he hadn’t practically forced her home. It’s not that she didn’t want to come home, but she knew she had a couple bruises and a lump on her head. She also knew that Damian was apparently barely holding himself back from hunting down Slade. She really didn’t need Tikki giving him any ideas.

“Welcome home, Miss Marinette. Would you like me to look at your injuries?” Alfred asks immediately walking towards her as he walks into the room. Marinette glances around, hoping her dad isn’t around before sighing.

“No thank you Alfred, I’m fine.” She reassures him, or she tries to. His face doesn’t look like he believes her.

“Yes, I’m certain a concussion is nothing to worry about. Especially since you’ve had so many.” He drawls, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Hey, whoa. You said this was your first concussion.” Dick says after urging Mar’i to fly off and find Jason or Damian or Tim. Marinette huffs.

“It is.” She says, crossing her arms.

“The concussions you sustain in the suit still count. Head injuries are not an exact science. Nor are they an exact magic cure, either. They often heal at an accelerated speed, but can still have long-lasting effects.” Alfred says and Marinette blinks. That was almost- Almost- information about the Miraculous. And only someone who knew about the Miraculous would know about the whole head injury thing. She blinks at him for a moment, running possibilities through her head. She sighs, realizing that if Alfred had been a holder, it was definitely for a Miraculous she didn’t have. She could just...feel it.

“I promise I’m fine, and if I start feeling any of those other concussion symptoms, I’ll come to you.” Marinette promises.

“And how did you get a concussion?” Her dad asks, practically materializing out of nowhere.

“Akuma attack. Miraculous cure can’t do a complete heal with concussions, it’s too, uh, dangerous. Not exact.” Marinette lies, trying hard not to do any of her tells. She doesn’t tense up, she doesn’t grin, she doesn’t look at someone else and giggle, nothing. She lies with a straight face, which honestly almost scares her more than getting yelled at by her dad. He just hums before nodding at her.

“Will you be staying here tonight? Most of us have patrol, but afterwards Tim suggested that we all watch a movie together.” Her dad says and Marinette tries hard to suppress her grin. There’s no way.

“Wow Tim, you really wanna have a full-family movie night?” She calls out, grinning at the surprised look on her brother’s face. Because of course her dad was the one to set it up, but of course he didn’t want anyone to know. “I think that’s super cool Tim. As long as we can watch some Disney princess movies.” She adds, laughing as Mar’i comes flying around the corner with wide eyes.

“Did someone say princess?” She squeals, flying straight into Marinette’s arms. Marinette grins at her niece and nods.

“Oh yes. Timmy has decided we’re gonna watch Disney princess movies as a family all night long!” She says, laughing as her niece cheers. She glances at her Dad and tries hard to hold back the snort that wants to come out at his exasperated look. Looks like it’s gonna be a Disney night for the Wayne household.

Tag list: @maribat-bdbwm @vixen-uchiha @stainedglassm @liquid-luck-00 @laurcad123 @waiting247 @jayjayspixiepop @mizzy-pop @jjmjjktth @trippingovermyfeet @queenz-z @thepaceperson @iloontjeboontje @toodaloo-kangaroo @ritacrow-blog @deathssilentapproach-blog @kittenmywaythrulife @nerd-nowandforever @tazanna-blythe @jaybird-and-co @jumpingjoy82 @lady-bee-fechin @corporeal-terrestrial

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consumeconstantly · 4 years

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Bring Me To The Precipice of Victory

1| 2 | 3(you are here) | 4 | next

Summary: When Batman departs— just for a short time, just to patch things up in Gotham— things go horribly, horribly wrong in Paris.

He doesn’t know if he can come back from realizing that Marinette and Ladybug are one and the same (and that his daughter has died more times than he can count.) (all biodad bruce are posted in chronological order but can be read as stand alones)

______________________________________________

The moment of peace, of solidarity, that Batman shares with Ladybug up on that rooftop at night means the world.

After a minute or two, Ladybug pulls back, tear tracks down the sides of her face, eye and nose red. She takes another minute of silence,hugging herself in the muggy Parisian air. When she next opens her eyes, Batman can almost imagine that Ladybug never cried at all.

But he knows that's not true. Ladybug seemed so fragile in his arms. He can imagine— he can imagine Dick in her place, broken over Jason’s death. Tim losing his parents. All of his children facing insurmountable odds with no team by their side. Alone.

Ladybug is not alone, but functionally, she may as well be. He’s watched the fights. He’s analyzed them. Ladybug is always, always the leader. She strategizes with Ryuko and Viperion, but Ladybug is who everybody looks to for an answer when things don’t work out the way they want them to. She’s the one with the plan, the backup plan, the out. She’s the one who swoops in to save the day.

She’s also the one who has racked up the most hours on the battlefield. Even Chat Noir, her partner, only has three quarters of the hours that she’s put in. For most of the other members of her team, she puts in double, sometimes even triple of what they do. Over the course of six years, there have been a little under two thousand battles, lasting from under an hour to over five hours. Ladybug has shown up for every single one, without fail. That’s not even counting the patrols that they do; although Ladybug is given a lot of flack for not patrolling as often as Chat Noir, there’s a fundamental difference in how they patrol. Ladybug is methodical, Chat Noir is volatile.

He’s not a bad superhero when it comes down to battle, but the two of them are fundamentally different. Ladybug sees her time as a superhero as a duty. Chat Noir seems to view it as a time to unwind— and while that’s worrying, considering the information he’s gathered on the Miraculous Team so far points to the majority of them beings teens or young adults— it’s not what is needed to deal with the Paris situation.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to see these differences is during patrol. Chat Noir uses patrol time almost seems to be an outlet for stress. He entices whoever he’s on patrol with to race to random places in Paris with no rhyme or reason. Whenever he comes across crime, he stops it, but Ladybug— Ladybug searches for crime.

Ladybug has a team and she trusts them with her life, but she cannot trust them to be responsible. That is perhaps the worst possible thing that can happen. And through the videos that he’s watched, it’s clear that the hours she puts in do affect her, and fairly heavily.

Whoever she is, she’s young. Too young to be in battle untrained, because they are untrained— despite being in the field for years, all of their basic form lacks and tells anybody with an experienced eye that they’ve never had formal training in martial arts.

When Batman and Ladybug leave the roof, they leave on a better note than where they started. Batman is still upset that Tom and Sabine are dead, but he cannot attribute it solely to Ladybug’s negligence. He admires the young heroine for rising to the occasion when there was nobody else to help. He has no doubt that with the resources and training that he can provide him and his operatives already on the case, Hawkmoth will be revealed in no time at all.

He’s right, but in the worst possible way.

It’s largely a mistake on hiss part-- he gets a notification that the Joker broke out of Arkham again, and Hawkmoth and Pavona are missing for the time being. Though Ladybug has made a mistake in not taking Pavona out immediately, she and her team have won every akuma and sentimonster battle. The logical course of action is to go where the most danger is.

Bruce does not have any predictive powers. There is no way for him to know what’s going to happen. But when he and his team finally catch the Joker and put him away again-- a feat that takes just a little under twenty four hours, extreme concentration, and a good number of injuries-- Batman finally gets a chance to breathe. The adrenaline from facing off against the Joker’s latest scheme fades. Batman reclines in a chair as Alfred binds his wounds and passes him pain relieving pills while he gets stitches in his abdomen.

He checks the news in Paris.

He almost drops the device that he’s using to view the news.

Marinette’s existence has been hidden from his family. With Dick, he was more concerned about his existence as Robin, rather than informing him that he had a sister. As soon as he started contemplating bringing up Marinette, Batman and Robin had a bad break. Then Jason came along, troubled and angry. Bruce didn’t want to introduce Marinette into the mix then because he was volatile.

Jason died due to Batman’s incompetence. Bruce grieved the loss of his ward; Batman was never allowed to mourn the loss of his second Robin.

Tim felt unworthy as the only child Bruce didn’t pick up off the streets, and Damian-- well, Damian was Damian. First he had a superiority complex the size of the Grand Canyon, and once he got accustomed to how they handled things in the Wayne Manor-- though Tim would argue that Damian is still not used to this kind of lifestyle-- he overcompensated every single mission and needed a remedial course on How to Interact With Other Humans 101. Add the overarching concern of Marinette being exposed to his vigilante life style and being unprepared for it, and he was never able to tell his children that he had another biological kid. A daughter.

When the news that Sabine and Tom died reached his ears, he told everybody he had business in Paris without elaborating what. With Wayne Enterprises opening a Paris branch of their R&D specialising in European artifacts, it was easy to draw connections that weren’t there.

“Bruce, you need to relax. Business in Paris can be dealt with later, you need to take the time to heal,” Tim says.

A clip in his shoulder from a bullet, knife wounds on his torso and legs, a sprained wrist. Whatever chemical experiment the Joker got his hands out still pumping through his veins. “I need to go-- it’s important--”

The pain relievers Alfred gave him earlier were also a sedative.

Tim catches him before he passes out.

He wakes up three hours late through sheer force of will.

“Paris!” Bruce jolts upright, still in costume, lying prone on a medical cot in the Batcave.

The first thing that catches his eyes is the red and black flying across the screens.

Ladybug.

His kids are all watching the screens with abject horror.

“Is this,” Tim wets his lips. “The business trip that you were on?”

Bruce drags himself out of bed, adrenaline washing out any residual pain. He doesn’t have the capacity to respond, he needs to get to the zeta tube, he needs to get to Paris, Ladybug is bleeding, the city is in shambles, and Marinette--

One of the news sites up on the screen declares the arrondissements that are obliterated. The one that houses Tom & Sabine’s Boulangerie is amongst their number. An approximate death toll fills the static.

-- Marinette is likely among those lost. He has lost another child due to his inaction. Due to his inability to push through, to look forwards and predict the future and the consequences of his actions. Marinette is another Jason, but if Ladybug doesn’t get it together, she’ll be gone permanently. And Ladybug is little more than a child. She can’t handle it, not by herself, not with her team. She needs an experienced hero, and Batman will be there for her, be the one leading the charge against Hawkmoth as the civilians hide in their homes and pray for her Miracle Cure to reverse the damage.

Dick places a hand on his shoulder. Bruce tries to shrug it off, but his fingers dig into the place where the bullet clipped his flesh. The pain is just a reminder that if he does not get to Paris now, there will be thousands-- no, millions-- more who feel this pain. How did Marinette die? Was it an akuma? Did the rubble of one of the destroyed buildings fall on her? Did Ladybug even try to protect her?

“I need to go,” Bruce growls.

“You can’t. While you were out, the majority of the Justice League prohibited all travel via zeta tubes. Nobody can get into Paris right now.”

Bruce knocks Dick’s hand off his shoulder and turns to his eldest. At the very least, Dick and the rest of his children look solemn. Damian’s gaze is fixed to one of the screens that shows Ladybug. “A city is in danger, millions of lives are at risk, Marinette--”

His daughter is dead. He can’t bring himself to say it out loud.

Standing by idly is the last thing he’ll let himself do.“Who put out the order? I’ll get them to reverse it.”

Dick moves so he’s between the zeta tube and Bruce. “B, you don’t understand. If you go to Paris right now, you’ll get akumatized.”

“I can handle my emotions.”

Jason points at the upper right section of screens that’s replaying past footage. “I wouldn’t bet Paris’ survival on it. Not when more level headed superheroes got on the scene first and failed. They really don’t need any heavy hitters getting akumatized. Not when Superman put three members of their team out of commission.”

Superman arrived on the scene first; it took a matter of seconds for him to get akumatized. He was responsible for razing down three arrondissements in no time flat. Ladybug had to call for a Lucky Charm in order to get her hands on some kryptonite, which forced her to recoup after her time ran out.

Black Canary arrived next. Then Red Tornado.

Both were akumatized in mere minutes.

“After Red Tornado got akumatized, Wonder Woman led the charge to put the rest of the zeta tubes on lockdown,” Duke says, grim. “All we can do now is hope that these Parisian superheroes can pull off a win.”

Bruce stumbles over to get a better view. He remembers Ladybug, small and slight in his arms. A child, crying over the loss of her pseudo parents.

A warrior, bloody and bruised and broken.

She is one of the last ones standing.

King Monkey and an ox themed hero both died at Superman’s hands. The former got in the way of his laser beams, the latter a victim of super strength and getting thrown through two buildings and having their necks snap at an unsightly angle. Chat Noir was also sent hurtling through the air, and the only reason he was still alive was because Ladybug alighted from the sky and grabbed him before he got sent through a building in his unconscious state. Black Canary came shortly after, apparently informed of the Superman situation and carrying kryptonite.

She didn’t last for long either. Almost immediately after helping Ladybug and Ryuko bind Superman in such a way that he couldn’t escape,

Pegasus got hit by Black Canary’s sound waves and Chat Noir’s residual injuries from his fight with Superman forced him into a state of unconsciousness. Queen Bee and Carapace were able to pull off a win against Black Canary, but not without serious injuries. Ryuko faced off against Red Tornado alone, which normally would have been a thing of awe, but in the grander scheme of things, was a huge issue, as without her, the Miraculous Team functionally lost all of their heavy hitters. Rena Rouge and several Miraculous users that clearly had never been in battle before were the ones left to hold their own against the scores of akumatized Parisians.

The only ones left to hunt down Hawkmoth and Pavona were Ladybug and Viperion, and the former was already on her third use of Lucky Charm.

Ladybug pulls out her communicator, dodging an attack.

“Can we get sound on this?” Jason grips the closest table.

Dick shakes his head. “Zatara says there’s already enough interference just trying to get these images. And for some reason, Dr. Fate refuses to get involved with any of this.”

Bruce’s phone rings. He doesn’t pick it up on the first ring, too focused on the ongoing battles. He does take his phone out of his pocket to silence it the next time, but when he presses the sound off, an image comes through.

“Bruce.” Ladybug’s image comes through crystal clear, and it doesn’t make him feel any better. Ladybug, blood dripping from her mouth, costume torn open, hair burnt, wild eyed.

He opens his mouth to speak, but the image goes blurry as she moves to avoid several attacks pointed towards her.

“Before I go, I--”

“Watch out, LB!” Bruce lifts his eyes to the screen that displays Ladybug and Viperion in battle. The spotted heroine gets pushed out of the way of a laser, but the snake themed hero takes the hit.

The ambient noise coming from his phone is strong; he can hear blades clashing in the background as Chat Noir, already on his last legs attempts to hold off Darkblade. Screaming from civilians, a strangled sob from Ladybug. “Viperion.”

Ladybug comes back into view. Blue eyes filled with rage.

“If this doesn’t end in our favor, you need to make sure that Hawkmoth and Pavona do not acquire both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. Do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening.” She blinks, retreats into herself, and Bruce wonders if he’s seeing the girl behind the mask.

“And If I don’t get to see you again--” If I’m dead, the words go unspoken, “I really did want the chance -- I-- you’re a good man. A good father. Your daughter-- she loves you. She really, really does. Stay safe.”

The transmission cuts off. On the screen in front of him, Ladybug closes her communicator, closes Viperion’s open eyes, and strides to the epicenter of the akumas. Blue fire flashes in her irises, and for a moment, she’s staring directly at the screen. And Bruce knows those eyes. He knows them.

The next second, all of the computers simultaneously die.

Bruce is numb. No-- no.

He is nothing.

All his children-- no, not all his children, Marinette is missing, Marinette is Ladybug, and she’s out on a field that he can’t see grappling with magic forces strong enough to incapacitate Justice League members like their powers and abilities are inconsequential-- stare at him.

“That was… Ladybug?” Tim’s brow furrows. It’s clear that he’s thinking up a hundred different reasons why Ladybug and Batman are connected, why he’s the last person she calls before going into a battle that could very well cost her her life.

“My daughter.” The words are ash on his lips. An existence he’s never acknowledged. Not out loud. Saying it brings a sense of finality to the room. An impending death. “My daughter.”

Nobody asks how long he’s known or when he met her or why he’s never brought it up before. Everything is fuzzy. Floating.

For a while, there’s silence.

“Zatara says there’s too much interference to get the picture back up,” Dick opens his messages, frowning.

Damian still stares at the screen Ladybug looked at directly, frozen.

Bruce picks himself up and moves. He may not be able to use the zeta tubes, but he has a private jet and a license, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t do something.

It takes two hours too long to get to Paris. He shaved five hours off the flight length due to superior technology, and another hour and a half off due to sheer force of will.

The landing is not a pretty thing, but Paris is already in shambles, and there’s no way that the ATC will approve his landing, so Bruce picks out the flattest looking spot of rubble before his jet meets the ground.

According to Tim and Duke, who stayed behind in case this turned out to be an attack spanning multiple cities, the battle ended mere minutes before they landed. Dick manages to get Zatara to broadcast the image in the cockpit of the jet, and on the screen lay three prone bodies. Gabriel Agreste, whose body type fits that of Hawkmoth, Lila, and a third that Bruce does not recognize.

A bone sticks out of Marinette’s arm, the connected hand crushed and hanging limp. The opposing ankle is twisted almost fully backwards. She is covered in blood and ash and filth. There is no victory in her eyes. Only weariness.

In her good hand, she holds her yoyo.

She raises her eyes skywards-- the roof of the Agreste mansion is blown clean off-- blinks slowly, and throws the yoyo into the air.

“Miraculous Cure,” her lips read.

The corpses in Paris rise from the dead. Rubble reforms into buildings. The ashy haze that covered the city disappears.

Ladybug looks like she wants to disappear, too.

She collapses, instead.

Nobody is there to catch her when she drops to the floor.

@biodad-bruce-month

Maribat tag list(to be added onto this pls send me an ask/dm): @our-precipreciousss @my-dear-friend-anxiety

Who Are You (and what will you become) tag list (to be added here just comment): @anjuschiffer @theunquiet-dead @certainmuffinbagelcalzone @cresentmo0n @allulily @myazael @zalladane @rebecarojas07 @keepingupwiththemalfoys @frieddonutsweets @all-mights-asscheeks @thornalchemist23 @trippingovermyfeet @jiso-lee @redscarlet95 @ira-sairain @screechingflapbiscuitpeach @ramos123 @cutechip @theunquiet-dead @sleep-deprived-aroace @enternalempires @lilkymilky @woe-is-me0 @officiallydarkgeek @miyla-lokidottir @queencommonsense @demonicbusiness

mb for not doing tag list right away i forgot i had these cued up already

#bio!dad bruce wayne month 2020 #maribat #what are dates #what's going in order #time? i don't know her #i'm always late #marinette dupain cheng #bruce wayne #bio!dad bruce #angst

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iphoenixrising · 3 years

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If it's not a problem I would like to see what happens when omega Tim safe words out?

I just so in love with how you wrote him and I know you've a thing with Dr Tim and safe words but I would really appreciate if you'll give me this with omega Tim

Have a great day/night

Babe asked for O!Tim safe wording out. Taking into account how much he’s been able to take so far in my fics, then it’s apparently going to be truly something for him to safe word, right?

….or is this just another excuse to have AAANNNNNGGGGGGSSSSSSSTTTTTT.

(I regret nothing, but, well, you might, babe :D :D)

It was just supposed to be Pack support. Just the Bats realizing they had an Omega in their ranks, an Omega who had been more on the outskirts than part of the inner circle, an Omega who had been walking a long road alone. Just the Dick and Jay trying to be good Alphas and take care of him. Just giving in to those crazy instincts.

It was never supposed to hurt. It was never supposed to break him. Not like the first time when he was essentially kicked out of the Pack, when his cape was pulled out from under him, and his place became a question mark instead of a given. (Falling from Wayne Towers because Ra’s is such a douce canoe, he’d been beaten to fuck, blood loss and a real concussion to blame when he wondered if they’d bother putting up a case with his suit, if he even mattered that much to Dick, if he ever really did…)

When he presented, when he didn’t have a hint of a Pack scent, It had taken an embarrassingly long time to feel like he could get anywhere near the city. Long after he’d sent Bruce back home, telling him everything with sparse details, why there wasn’t an R on his shoulder, why he couldn’t be Batman’s sidekick anymore. He’d left all the pain locked in his chest, keeping himself as impartial as possible to deliver the hard facts, ignoring the whimpering, cowering Omega in the depths of him crying out for someone, anyone to want him, need him, keep him.

Working his way back in hadn’t been easy. Keeping his presentation under wraps with scent blockers and suppressants hadn’t been either, but there was no way in hell he was going to let something like the fact he was an Omega be the reason they wanted him back. Fuck, no.

But it happened anyway. Slowly but surely, O called him more often about cases, wanted to know if he had any helpful intel. B dropped by the Tower, more than once, to seek him out, told him how buggy the Batcomputer must be this point, but he wouldn’t really know, Tim, because you always handled that, didn’t you? Dick tentatively showed up in one of his safe houses while he riding an undercover stint, pizza and terrible B sci-fi flicks, looked crushed when Tim closed the door on him by sheer self-preservation instinct. Jason Todd showed up to fish him out of the middle of the Atlantic when a case of crimefighting gone hilariously awry ended up with a thwarted world-domination plot and his ass landed in the middle of, you know, the ocean and shit. Damian of all people demanded his presence in Gotham for the upcoming anniversary of Batcow’s induction into the family.

(When he’d blurted out, “why would you want me back? Aren’t you the one that wanted me gone in the first place? Well, I mean, got what you asked for, right? How about we pretend this conversation never happened.”

He had been in no way prepared for the demon himself to come hunt him down with a vengeance. Robin seeking him out no matter where he hopped next on the fight crime, kick ass, and take names train.)

(That kid? Seriously.)

And as much as Dick had apologized after he finally made his way back to Gotham, had said no Omega in his Pack should have been alone, without a Bat safety net (reads as: mother hen), he had seemed genuinely upset Tim had presented outside of Gotham, on his own.

Worse, he hadn’t told anyone. Hadn’t come back.

(Like he thought that was an option at the time.)

It wasn’t until later, after they found out he presented, and were…upset he’d been on his own for so long afterwards, that he’d laughed at Dick’s angry expression, shaking his head.

“Come back? Why? To what? I didn’t have any Pack scent by then, and I sure as fuck wasn’t welcome, so why bother? I did what I had to do. We got Bruce back, didn’t we?”

He hadn’t been prepared for how strongly Dick’s musk flared, how the Alpha went deadly serious, had stepped back and palmed some pellets on instinct when facing something potentially dangerous – like a pissed off, feral Alpha male.

It had taken visible effort for Dick to get a hold of his Alpha instincts, which had absolutely perplexed him at the time because really? They hadn’t been partners, allies, friends for almost two years by then.

“It was…I tried to….Tim –“

He’d just waved off the helpless sputtering because by then, it hadn’t really mattered.

“It all worked out in the end. Don’t think about it all too hard, Dick. I don’t.” Which had been an obvious lie, but had at least appeased the Alpha enough not to viciously scent him or use the dreaded octopus hold until he was cuddled within an inch of his life.

So coming back was…different. Unexpected.

Being the official Pack Omega came with Bats all over his everything. Bats coming out of the woodwork when he was starting to run down, when his Heat was approaching, when he’d been out of the city for too long.

(It was all for nothing in the end. Because they’re only after the Omega now, not the boy that used to wear the R…)

“Heat’s easier with an A, Timmers,” Jay had started that ball rolling. “Ya ever gotta need fer the real thing, betcha I know a few Alphas what might help ya out.”

“I can call some Alphas I trust if that becomes the case.” Had been off-handed in his mind, but it had been something else to see Jason’s expression smooth out, to catch the soft noise of leather when the Red Hood’s hands had clenched into fists.

But against his better judgement, he’d let them into his Heat safehouse. At first just to let them deliver Alfred goodies. Later because they wanted to stay, to spend his Heat together.

It was fine as long as they would just leave afterwards. It was fine as long as it stayed just instincts, just Alphas and an Omega. It was fine because they still treated him like Red Robin on the streets and left him alone when he went blackout on cases outside the city.

It was fine until it suddenly wasn’t.

“Gawd, sweetheart,” Jay moans against the nape of his neck, noses against the base, “ya feel s’ good. My sweet lil’ ‘Mega. My purty ‘Mega, lettin’ me in, givin’ it up ta yer Alpha. Gonna lemme be good ta ya, yeah? That’s right. Perfect fer me, ain’t cha?”

It’s his second day, so he’s with it enough to realize what Jason said.

“Yeah he is,” Dick’s fingers in his hair, nails scratching at his scalp. “He’s such a good Omega for us, isn’t he Jay? He fits so nicely between us. Our cute O–“

“Red.” Tim croaks out from under Jay’s bigger body, the wet sounds of skin slapping fast and furious. He bucks up against Jay with real strength, his eyes already getting ridiculously hot and full.

“Red, dammit! Get the hell off me!”

He yells loud enough to make Jay flinch and jerk up abruptly from where he’d been laying over Tim’s back.

Dick’s hand pauses before untangling from his hair.

And even if the Heat is still burning, his body desperate for the knot that was just seconds ago opening him up for it, Tim pulls off Jason’s Alpha cock wetly, doing it himself while both Alphas seem frozen in their spots, not sure why he would safe word out at all. He seemed to be enjoying them!

Tim’s already clawing and scrambling off the bed, careful not to touch either of them, legs wobbly, messy ass and thighs on display, feeling open and raw and needy, but his chest too tight, his lungs seemingly unable to get enough air.

The bathroom door has a lock. Not that it was much of a deterrent if the Alphas really wanted to get to him, but there’s always the window big enough for him to fit through, too small for Dick or Jay. It would give him enough of a head start anyway.

At one point, he’d pulled a towel off the rack, wrapping it around himself, sitting against the bathroom door to literally block it with his body without being consciously aware of it.

He didn’t move, stayed bare ass on the cold tile floor, concentrated on getting enough air back in his lungs, biting down on his lower lip until his eyes stop spilling over, hot and full, until his chest stops stuttering with half-sobs. Until the Omega in him calms it the utter fuck down.

Soft tapping filters through when the door vibrates against his back.

Dick’s voice filters in while the inside of his head is an utter mess. “… got some pajamas for you, and-and a sandwich. Jay made coffee. Can you let me in, sweetheart?”

“Don’t call me that,” is out of his mouth before he can stop it. “I’m not your fucking Omega. I wasn’t enough to be your partner, your brother, and I’m sure as fuck not going to be your bitch either.”

“What the fuck didja just say ta ‘im?” Jay barks from outside the door.

“It’s just instincts,” he tries to snarl but his voice is hoarse, “that’s all this is. You think I don’t know that?” The laugh is scarily unhinged, “it’s not like anyone chose me, right?”

Because honestly, that hasn’t happened his whole vigilante career.

There’s silence outside the door. Stillness. The Omega writhes inside him, still needs a knot, still wants the Alphas even though Tim knows better than to think they want anything other than a warm hole, another vigilante to share the burden, an Omega’s influence in the Pack.

(He fucking gets it.)

“Apparently, we should talk.” Dick’s voice is flat, something like anger or disappointment.

“Get out,” is what Tim says instead. “Get dressed and get the fuck out. I’ll take care of myself.”

Like I’ve always done. Even back when I wore the tunic.

“Tim, we shouldn’t–“

“No,” and his own scent had changed from candy sweet to alarmingly bitter to his own nose. “You are going to get your clothes on and leave. You two don’t see me through anymore Heats. I find someone else or take care of it myself.”

“What?!” Jay sounds floored, “what the shit is this alla sudden? Ya can’t be serious right now.”

“I’m not fucking around, Jason. You leave, or I will.”

“You can’t go out smelling like Heat!”

“I dunno what the hell’s goin’ on wit’ ya but–“

He stands up on wobbly legs, moves to push the window open, knows they’ll hear the squealing because he’s not trying to be quiet about it.

“Whoa, whoa! All right, all right, fer fuck’s sake!”

“We’re getting dressed and leaving,” Dick is right up against the door. “Don’t go out the window, Tim. We’re…we’re going to go, okay?”

“Then go. Now.” He says from the window without turning around. He can’t chance his inner Omega will push him to whine at the door, to smell like open for business, take me, love me, make me yours because that is not at all where any of them are right now.

He hears them talking, their voices getting more muted as they go back to the bedroom to apparently do as he asked.

Tim climbs out of the tub, window still up, and turns on the shower without getting in, just using the noise as a deterrent.

“Don’t like it, Dickie,” he vaguely catches as the Alphas pass by the door again. “We try ta take care a’ ‘im and that’s what the fuck he says?”

“He safe worded, Jay. What does that mean to you?”

And Tim’s throat gets tight when he thinks about the implications Dick is suggesting.

“Dunno. How ‘bout ya gimme yer theories, Detective.”

“Later. I want to make sure there’s water and Alfred meals left in the feezer.”

“Fine, them let ‘im take care of his own ass. I ain’t never took advantage of a ‘Mega in my fucking life.”

Tim doesn’t leave the bathroom until he hears the front door slam closed. He darts out long enough to reconfigure the security system, makes sure no Bats are getting in without a hell of a shock.

The rest of his Heat is utterly fucking miserable, natch.

He feels wrung out and hurt by the time it’s done and he’s ready to put on the suit again.

He doesn’t put in the Batcomm, for the first time in months, and it goes back in a drawer before he takes off out the window.

#winter rambles #don't blame me #babe is the one that asked #i'm not sorry #omega!tim #alpha!dick #alpha!jay #aob #tagged for anon #aaaangst #angst and smut #natch #dickjaytim #hurt no comfort #get your feels ready #my fic #My writing

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heroicadventurists · 4 years

Text

Robin 80 ***spoilers***

Robin 80 was a wonderful celebration of the first sidekick... the Boy Wonder... Robin. This issue consisted of 10 stories focusing on the different iterations of Robin. While Carrie Kelley received a pinup in the issue, she did not receive her own story. Robin 80 focused on the five canon Robins. While some are upset that Duke was not included in this lineup, he was never an official Robin to Batman. If we count Duke, we have to count all of the "We Are Robin" crew. When given the choice by Batman, Duke chose to pave his own path as his own hero, which is commendable. Dick received 4 out of the 10 stories in this issue, which was fitting considering it is also his 80 year anniversay. My favorite thing about this issue was the acknowledgement that Bruce adopted the male Robins. Below I rank the stories in Robin 80 from my least favorite to my favorite.

10. Dick Grayson, Nightwing in Aftershocks

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Starting off my list is Aftershocks. This story follows Dick after he has quit being Robin, and has assumed his new identity, Nightwing. This story highlights perfectly how Dick operates as a solo hero. He is brave, quick on his feet, witty, and of course, he saves the day. This was a good one-shot but it didn’t have the impact that some of the other stories in this issue had. However, it did serve it’s purpose of showing Dick coming into his own.

9. Nightwing and The Titans in Team Building

Writer: Devin Grayson

Like Aftershocks, this story serves to show how Dick operates as a team leader. He was smart, strategic, capable and decisive. He was everything you want in a team lead. As before, this was a good one-shot, but it also lacked the emotional impact that other stories on this list had.

8. Dick Grayson, Agent 37 in The Lesson Plan

Writers: Tim Seely and Tom King

Like Aftershocks and Team Building, this story follows Dick as Agent 37. In this story he is a mentor to a young recruit named Paris. He gives her lessons throughout the story that contradict every lesson Batman ever taught him. When he gets to the final lesson, he tells her the one thing that he agreed with Batman on “Ignore Your Mentor. Do What You Do Best”. One thing I really appreciate about the stories focusing on Dick is that each story is a progression in his vigilante career. He has an actual arc in Robin 80.

7. The Supersons in My Best Friend

Writer: Peter J Tomasi

This was an adorable story about how Jon views his friendship with Damian. Damian is a lot more vulnerable when he is with Jon, and honestly, he acts like the kid that he is. This was a lighthearted and sweet story that shows a different side to our current Robin.

6. Tim Drake, Robin III in Extra Credit

Writer: Adam Beechen

This was a wonderful piece that highlighted how awesome Tim is. For so many, Tim is their Robin, and it was nice to see him getting recognition in this comic.

5. Stephanie Brown, Robin IV in Fitting In

Writer: Amy Wolfram

Out of all of the stories in this issue, Stephanie’s story made me think the most. There was a very deep meaning behind this story once you get past the surface level. So let’s breakdown this story. The story begins with Stephanie showing up late to a training session. She suits up in one of Tim’s old costumes. Of course there are issues with this and Stephanie is busting out of the seams (not because she’s overweight but because she has breast, butt and thighs to contend with). She complains about her hand-me-down costume while Bruce focuses on training. Even with her top busted, Bruce is still training. He even has the nerve to tell Stephanie she is distracted. Alfred shows up with Dick’s old costume as a replacement, and Steph asks for something “without a cup”. Bruce FINALLY makes Stephanie a suit fit for a young lady, but when she puts on her new costume, Bruce tells her “no more excuses”. Let that sink in. He saw her complaints about wearing a male costume as an excuse not to train. Let’s carry on. They go to Western Town to take on Firefly. The villain du jour does not take Stephanie seriously and calls her “Cosplay Girl”. Stephanie is rash during the fight and does not follow Batman’s orders, resulting in her capture by Firefly. She is able to avert disaster (barely) and saves the day, but Batman still chides her.

Batman: “Tim would have waited outside”

Robin (Stephanie): “I’m not Tim!”

Batman: “I know”

Stephanie tells Bruce that she wants to be her own Robin and to stop trying to make her into something she’s not. Bruce hears her and makes her a special closet in the batcave with her own costumes. This seems like a step in the right direction but we know how her Robin story ends.

At no point in this story did I feel like Stephanie was being sexualized. it was more awkward and embarrassing than anything else. Neither Bruce nor Alfred said anything inappropriate to Steph, and no skin or nipples were shown thru her shirt. She was just in a predicament where her costume was too tight because Bruce was making her wear Tim’s old costume. And that was the point of the story (at least for me). Bruce wasn’t trying to find a replacement Robin, he was trying to find a replacement Tim, and eventually get Tim back.

Bruce has a bad habit of trying to replace people in his life. He did this with Jason and he did it with Stephanie, and the results where dang near the same. Bruce replaced Dick with a direct copy, down to the hair color, race and costume. Bruce was trying to do the same with Stephanie, however it was unsuccessful for obvious reasons. This story really made me think about all the extra pressure Bruce put on Steph and Jason by trying to have them live up to Tim and Dick respectively. Instead of playing up their strengths and letting them define what type of Robin they wanted to be, he wanted them to be replicas of their predecessors. Both results turned out in disaster with Jason dying and Stephanie nearly being killed after she was fired. To me this story highlights how badly Bruce tried to use Stephanie to get to Tim. It makes absolutely no sense that he wouldn’t make her a costume to fit her body. But is it surprising b/c he did the same thing to Jason. To me this story was a lot deeper than Stephanie busting out of her top. It was about 1. Bruce’s need to get Tim back 2. Bruce’s lack of respect for Stephanie and 3. Stephanie’s disastrous run as Robin. Say what you will but she held the mantle for less than 3 months and almost died trying to prove herself to Bruce. Stephanie never got a fair shake at being Robin, and this story highlights that perfectly. She was literally setup to fail. Maybe I have overthought this story, but those are the points I got from it, and they are important points to be made, which is why it takes the # 5 spot.

4. Dick Grayson, Robin in A Little Nudge

Writer: Marv Wolfman

This is a story about a boy becoming a man and setting off on his own journey. In this story, we see Batman and Robin clashing on patrol, as Batman wants Robin to fall in line and Robin wants to make his own decisions. The issue ends with Dick thanking Bruce for everything he has done for him but leaving the nest to become his own hero. Bruce knew this day was coming, and instead of talking to Dick, he purposely picked small fights with him so he could make that step on his own.

3. Damian Wayne, Robin: Son of Batman in Bat and Mouse

Writer Robbie Thompson

This story lands in my #3 spot This story focuses on the fundamental differences between Damian and Bruce. Bruce knows that something is going on with Damian, he just can't figure out what it is. He wants to fix it but he doesn't know how. He can't rely on Alfred, as this story takes place after his death. On Damian's part, he is blaming everything on Bruce instead of taking responsibility for his own actions. While some see Damian's current storyline as a regression, I see a lost kid with no guidance. Alfred is dead, Dick is Ric and Bruce is emotionally inept. Jason tried to step-up, but that relationship soured quickly. Damian has no one to guide him, and is making bad decisions as a result. This story sets up the eventual showdown in the upcoming Teen Titans annual.

2. Jason Todd, Red Hood in More Time

Writer: Judd Winick

I was not expecting Jason to have the most heartfelt story in this issue. This story was beautiful and now I want Judd Winick to write another Red Hood miniseries or ongoing. This story highlighted the complicated relationship between Jason and Bruce in the most purest way I've ever seen. Even the artwork had an innocence to it. The story goes back and forth between a young Jason, who loves Bruce wholeheartedly, and an older Jason, whose relationship with Bruce is way more complicated and strained. This story highlights why Jason will always be a part of the Batfamily, because even with their complicated relationship, they love each other. This story just adds to the wonderful stories featuring Jason in 2020.

1. Tim Drake, Red Robin in Boy Wonders

Writer: James Tynion IV

The brotherly bonding in this story is what landed it in the # 1 spot. This story takes place prior to Detective Comics # 934. In this story, Tim cannot decide if he wants to attend college or join Bruce in forming the Gotham Knights. He seeks advice from Dick, Jason and Damian, with each one telling him something different. Dick tells Tim that he's a hero that the next generation can look up to. Jason essentially tells Tim that Bruce is stuck in his ways and he has the opportunity to be better than Bruce. The best advice however came from the little Gremlin in Tim's life. After some well placed insults, Damian tells Tim that he has accomplished everything he has set out to do, and has been successful in his endeavors. At the end of the day "You do anything you damn well please". The confirmations Tim received from his brothers was much needed for him and helped him make the decision to form the Gotham Knights with Bruce. I loved getting a "behind the scenes" look at how The Gotham Knights protocol was formed. Because of these factors, Boy Wonders has my #1 spot.

What is your favorite story from Robin 80?

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captainshazamerica · 3 years

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If this Bruce doesn't adopt Tim I will! But I'm kinda scared for Tim I mean he's either gonna end up with Buce or the titans at some point, im afraid that something terrible is gonna happen his family and then titans/bruce takes him in? That boy loves batman and robin so much like even his family seeing the news knew how much it would upset him although I will say that for the brain that kid has he makes some pretty stupid decisions, hes driving around GOTHAM plastered in the bat-symbol that's not a good idea! the amount of lunatics that roam free in Gotham (and possibly have escaped from arkham) and hate the bat and hes driving around with the bat symbol on him KID be careful!

Some kind of Anti-fear toxin does seem more accurate cuz he's clearly taking something to not be afraid. Maybe it's something he found in Gotham and decided to try it and got addicted so he's using that lab place to try recreate it? and maybe he can't recreate it perfectly cuz in the crowbarring scene he seemed kinda anxious about his surroundings and he'd just taken that inhaler thing to overcome fear so I dunno?? Or maybe he went to arkham to see Crane for some reason and Crane has orchestrated the whole thing and told him about the drug but then wouldn't Crane have to know everyone's identity then? Dude I dunno I need more episodes even tho the low quality glitchyness is painful lol

There's probably an abundance of rooms to choose from at Wayne manor yet Jason takes Dicks old room and keeps the flying graysons posters up! I like to think that he does view dick as an older brother and just took his room to kind of have a connection to him and that he admires him hence the graysons posters being left up, yooo dick calling him his brother! I really want a nice family reunion with dick jason and bruce 💕

Babs was too mean to bruce when she went off like I get where she's coming from but yo lady his son just died dial it down like a notch yikes but also babs being like 'i wonder how long it'll take for bruce to replace jason and dick is all 'what no the last thing bruce is gonna do is rope another kid into this mess'. Cut to scene of Bruces potential robin folder 😅 but I also like that dick was trying to be considerate and compose himself for bruce but once he found out that bruce is idiot enough to pull another kid into this, that that's when he got mad and bruce so brokenly begging dick to come back and be robin 😢😢😢

I know the show is constantly trying to push bruce out/sideline him cuz it's a titans show not a bruce wayne show and I know they're going for a different portrayal of bruce which I'm not complaining about I do like this version of bruce (more than I thought actually) and this universe but I feel like they could have gave more cracks you know, I like that they showed him trying to avoid the reality of jasons death and just not stopping not even for a second and just immediately jump into another case and that breakdown verge where he's begging dick to be robin and then when he finally I guess let's the weight of jasons loss sit on him to the point where he whacks in jokers head with a crowbar just like he killed jason (he could have killed joker so many other ways like a less violent bullet to the head but oh no brucey crowbars him to death!!)

There's a lot of character stuff that i do like but that scene where he's in the cave on his knees scrubbing his sons blood out of the suit he died in, the suit that he only ever wore because of batman. 😢 I feel like they could have had him crack there and let out a gut wrenching scream and then just continue on doing what he was doing as if nothing happened and dick walking in on that should have had more of a reaction!? like he could have stopped in his tracks at the sight of his brothers blood all over his father and bruce screaming, dick could have like took a step back almost like he's gonna run but forces himself to stay there, because who wouldn't want to run from that and no matter how much horrible things you've dealt with before sometimes your brain does just take over against your will and makes you react, the rest of the scene just could have played out the way it did. Literally one ounce more emotion is all I wanted.

No one really emotionally cracked at jasons death. I get that it just happened and that people put walls up and denial can be such a prominent thing when a loved one dies but it couldn't have been that difficult to put in little mannerisms now and again to show that everyone is deeply hurt but holding it in. Honestly gar seemed more hurt to me than dick did. But I do like that dick reacted in detective mode and started trying to figure things out from jasons side so at least there's that.

This redhood is defo not an anti hero he has well and truly landslided into villian territory and I dunno how that's gonna be reconciled? they better not kill him off! and they better not just straight up keep redhood/jason as a full on villian! but if they do get through to jason and bring him back a little how the heck is that little man gonna deal with what he did to Hank?? I feel like they had a bond you know and for all Hanks talk about putting Jason down I really don't think that Hank would actually have killed him even if it came down to Hanks life vs Jasons I think Hank would rather die than kill Jason (but that's heavily biased cuz in my mind jason is my son and I freaking love hank sooo) but Hank to me puts on a hard front like 'yeah I'll get in your face I'll come at you b*tch' but internally he's like 'yeah I'll come at you to help you' 😅 like internally he defo has a lot of soft spots though that's not to say he'd be like this for someone like the joker or scarecrow or whatever guys like that he'd be like no screw you you die or go to arkham like byeee

Nevermind how jason is gonna come back from this though HOW IN THE ACTUAL SH*T is dawn gonna come back from this!!?!!

Random side note here but imagine Jasons first time in the batcave he would be so excited and trying to mess with everything and being like ohh what's that do and pressing random buttons and bruce having a hernia trying to get jason to stop before he accidentally blows the cave up 😅 also he has probably been caught several times trying to 'borrow' the batmobile, I can just picture him trying to sneak down the halls of the manor without the floor creaking and making it all the way into the cave and doing a victory dance cuz he didn't get caught and he hops on into the batmobile in his pj's and let's out a scream cuz alfred is sitting in the freakin passenger seat waiting for him and then they just hang out in the batmobile alfred had the good foresight to bring a flask of tea books and a blanket for jason

Speaking of Alfred I think it would have been more angsty and hurtful if Alfred died shortly after Jason and after a few days Jason claws his way out his grave and the first thing he sees is Alfreds headstone and that's how he finds out Alfred died : (((

This is so long girl I'm sorry I know it doesn't seem like it but I did restrain myself 😅 one more thing before I go maybe this Dick is the absolute worst mf and the reason babs feels betrayed by him and is so upset with him could be that he left her (or cheated on her) with Dawn cuz of that weird flashback thingy in the other season where dick dawn was a thing I dunno I hope not though that would be ughhh

Oh crap, you right about probably something bad will happen to Tim for Bruce or Titans to take him in, I was gonna say he could just demand to be in their lives to save Bruce/Dick like in the comics but he also has kinda shitty parents normally and these people seem cool so really it could go either direction, but like it’s Titans so it doesn’t look good lol. Also, I wonder if it’s gonna be Dick who is basically gonna adopt him this time since we already had a huge track record in just 2 seasons lmao. But I know right, true I like how his parents knew immediately how much the news would effect him 😭 I hope he goes down the making himself robin and forcing himself in Dick and Bruce’s life xD I love that route. Lmao, the kid is all book smart, very little street smart when it doesn’t have to do with outsmarting someone XD

I was also rewatching and that gas he takes def has to be some anti fear toxin cause he mentions fear so many times and flash backed to his near death fall, which he felt was probably holding him and back and thus had to prove himself and adds to whatever is influencing him. But ohhh he did seem pretty dang anxious at the carnival grounds, that’s a really interesting theory but recreating something he found hmm, I can see that.

Apparently according to a YouTube who got to see the first 5 episodes, we find out what his deal is a lot more in episode 5, so one more week hopefully

Brooo trueee, I couldn’t believe jason took dick’s room and like didn’t even change anything. Like Jason looks or at least use to look up to Dick SO much, like in his first episode in the first season, he went on quite a lot about how much he had always wanted to meet him and how much he looked up to him, which is probably also fueling his red hood rage, being hurt by your idol and brother like he did in S2 must have really just killed the boy. But yes omg, there freaking better be a dang family reunion scene like, after so much angst we deserve that 😭

And yesss, I loved seeing how mature Dick is getting and just how much he is growing as a character, the fact he was so calm and considerate with Bruce at first really shows that compared to s1 Dick, only breaking when Bruce tried to get more kids involved. That scene by Brenton was sooo well acted omg, the way he yelled that he doesn’t want to robin again, heartbreaking man. And Bruce begging like that omg

Yeah, this version of Bruce is def so different than any Bruce we have seen on screen before, like def the most emotionally constipated, and that’s saying something xD But I like how they are taking a risk, it also helps Dick’s character more and give him more of an arc, as he seems to be taking on Bruce’s normal role with Jason and red hood. Bro, you are so right omg, like the fact Bruce could have killed the joker in any way and he does it with the dang crowbar. It really shows how broken he really was and why the man shouldn’t depressing any and every damn feeling and emotion lol.

Omg, I love how you have the exact details of what you wanted to happen in that one Bruce and Dick scene 😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 bro if you dont already you should totally write fanfics cause that was so detailed, I love it

Yeah, I do wish someone cracked (other than Bruce lmao) a bit more, but I do think each character reacted in character though, like it is very Dick(at least this version of Dick, other versions may break down tbh) to put everything into solving the case and figuring out what was up, that’s more this version’s way of caring than just breaking down, like he rarely ever has broken down completely. I think dawn could have been a little more emotional about the death (tho she has enough coming for her lmao). Connor didn’t know Jason that well so it makes sense he would just be sad. Gar seemed pretty sad and in character about it, maybe could have had a bit more, same with Kori, tho she showed it by being almost angry and fiercely protective of everyone else, so I think that makes sense for her. It would have been interesting to see how Rachel and Rose would have reacted though (where did rose go btw?! She would so have a reaction to Jason’s death). But yeah, i wish there was more resolution and break downs for Jason, but also it may have just not felt real since they weren’t there? But I agree

You think? Idk, I think they could def still make him an anti hero towards the end, especially if it’s crane behind the whole thing. Cause if they don’t they are gonna have to go down the gosh awful overused villain gets redeemed while he dies/only to die right freaking after , and I will be so freaking livid if they do that omg. Like they better freaking not. But true, he would be broken by what he did to Hank, oh yikes. But I can see him then that leading to the anti hero path, like he would never go back to be on the titans cause he would feel too guilty, thus giving more of a reason for the anti hero life. But I know, I loved Jason and Hank’s love hate relationship 😭😭😭😭 You know Hank secretly loved the kid and probably saw himself in him.

Yikes poor dawn, you right. Like I have no idea how she is gonna be now like wow.

OMG GIRL, You are on a hc angst train today!!!! That scenario of Alfred dying right after jason and Jason climbing out to see Alfred’s?! Heartbreaking!

But I can’t believe they killed Alfred off so casually tho😭

Omg I swear if they freaking show Dick having cheated on Babs I will be so freaking pissed omg, he better have not! Im hoping they had a more high school romance thing/grew up together then got together type of thing

And omg don’t apologize I LOVED IT and reading your asks!!! I feel ya too!

#batanon #titans #titans spoilers #Titans S3 #titans season 3 #Titans speculation #speculation #ask #Meredith gets an ask #Jason Todd #dick Grayson #Meredith thoughts

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bigskydreaming · 4 years

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I’m literally in love with the way you write Dick and Jason’s dynamic

Thanks, glad to hear that! Personal preferences aside, I honestly do think it just opens up SO many more potential stories if you go with the idea that they did have a brotherly relationship before Jason died, just they didnt get together around Bruce because Dick was still hoping Bruce would make the first move in reaching out to him. Rather than just stick with the usual assumption that because it wasn’t seen on the page, they had barely any interactions and both resented each other for various reasons.

But those reasons all trace back to Bruce, and if you look at them as two people who are united by the common experience of being fish out of water, adapting to the same environment after coming from DRAMATICALLY different origins, able to connect over that and understand each other in a way nobody else really can because nobody else has ever really had to straddle two worlds as definitively as Dick and Jason had to in their formative years....

Like, the big sticking point for me in the Dick vs Jason: The Grudge theory was just that....at the end of the day, these are two boys who grew up with very few loved ones to start with, or having had to deal with the loss of those loved ones.....

But one way or another......are these two specific characters really ones that make sense as wanting to reject the possibility of more family?

They’re connected through Bruce, like it or not, that was never going to change even from before they ever met......and the idea that Dick Grayson and Jason Todd would each be content to waste literal YEARS never even TRYING to connect with the person who was probably most like him and who by all accounts was already his brother in most ways just by way of Bruce...not even to see if maybe they COULD actually be brothers? To have family beyond just Bruce and Alfred?

Me @ every fic or headcanon that says Dick had Only Child Syndrome and resented Jason because of that: right because Dick Grayson of all people is anti-family. He’s full up with that one guy whose legal guardianship of him has been expired for a couple years and who he hasn’t spoken to since long before then.....nah, why would he want any more or any other family beyond that?

I mean, I absolutely believe that Dick was upset and hurt that Bruce adopted Jason while he’d never even offered to adopt Dick......but Dick has never been one to pass around blame instead of focusing it on its true point of origin. That’s his and Bruce’s issue. And honestly, there are TONS of reasons for Dick to be upset about that, without making it about Jason at all.

There’s literally no reason for Dick to take it out on Jason ever, if his biggest issue or grievance is that like....it feels like Bruce was just so done with Dick and considered him so out of his life, something like “just added a new kid to the family” didn’t seem like relevant information he should pass on to Dick despite the tenseness between them. When you have to find out from the NEWS that your old family unit just full on up and adopted this kid you’ve never heard of before now without even so much as a phone call.....there’s plenty of cause to feel like this is a message that you’re not really considered part of that family unit anymore, so why would you need to know?

Or like, the fact that Bruce didn’t consider hey I’m thinking of adding another kid to my family that consists of me and the kid I’m so afraid to tell I think of him as a son in case he doesn’t feel the same way, that I’ve sat back and let things get this bad between us and fester.....hey maybe before I issue adoption papers for a second kid, I should think about putting in an equivalent effort at fixing things with my first kid first?

Or why not write Bruce thinking: “Hey if I can’t even fix things with the kid I raised for almost a decade and think of as my own no matter how long its been since I talked to him.....what on Earth makes me think I’m qualified to take on a SECOND child?”

Like....Bruce was the one who held all the power and all the options, Dick had no other option but to go along with whatever Bruce decided Bruce was going to do, and neither did Jason really.....so there’s no real reason in my head that should be a point of contention between them or a reason to resent each other instead of just stressing to them the importance of having significant family ties beyond just Bruce because history clearly showed even at that point that best intentions aside, the man is fallible.

If anything, that should have been common ground!

I think there was like, an initial negative reaction of maybe one night, the first time they met and Dick even though he was prepared for it still had to adjust to the reality of actually seeing this stranger he was irrevocably connected to now by both his names, even if neither was technically his anymore....like to actually SEE him standing there in his old role....that’s gonna hit anybody hard.

But he also would have clearly been able to see that whatever else he may have been, this twelve year old Robin was still a kid, and one who hadn’t had a lot of time to ever be a kid in the first place.....which again, instant camaraderie, because boy could Dick relate.....remember, Dick may have had a happy childhood with his parents before they were murdered but it was also a childhood where he WORKED. He loves being an acrobat, he loved being in the show, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t WORK, that his childhood didn’t consist of training as long and as regularly as any adult acrobat while everyone else his age was running around playing outside and making friends. And after Bruce took Dick in, most of Dick’s free time was spent being Robin, training as Robin, etc?

Which IMO would have made him take one look at this kid in his old costume, literally standing where he had once stood, stepping into his old shoes.....and I think Dick’s real honest reaction once he brushed aside any kneejerk feeling of pain or bitterness the way he brushes aside all the physical pain he feels when out as Nightwing but refuses to let get in the way of him doing what he has to, doing what’s right....

Nah, Dick would have taken one look at this tiny kid full of fire and bravado but also so clearly eager to please, to be praised, to be told he was doing a good job and even without that he was worth something, his life had value, the world was better just because he existed......

And I think Dick’s bitterness about the situation would have crystallized into him resentfully thinking well B’s not exactly the best about dishing out affection or praise so I’m gonna make sure this little Mini-Me standing there in my old colors looking just as young and small as I must have looked then even if I didn’t realize it at the time....I’m gonna make sure I keep him supplied with a steady diet of “Nice Words and Gestures That Kids Should Grow Up Receiving Regularly.”

Dick has always been a firm believer that the best way to make sure something gets done is to do it yourself.

So yeah, I honestly do think that back during those days, Dick and Jason were thick as thieves when their schedules allowed for it, with it being simultaneously painful and unspoken that they had to like....work around Bruce’s presence so Dick could avoid him, but somewhat softened by the challenge and thrill of two brothers scheming to pull one over on the Big Bad Batdad every time the older brother wanted to take the little brother to go somewhere or do something, like, even just to spoil him rotten.

Cuz really....isn’t that a lot more interesting than ‘oh they barely ever even met back then and it wasn’t great, that’s it, the end’? There’s so much you could do with even just that, from them sneaking Jason out for a fun adventure that’s layered with just a hint of poignant angst because of the unspoken why of him needing to sneak out instead of them just saying hey Bruce, we need some bro time, Jason’s hanging with me this weekend? Or you dial up the angst and layer it with lightness or literally anything between those two points on a spectrum.

There’s so much Secret History potential buried back in those years....adventures they had together and never told anyone about, secrets shared between brothers they never shared elsewhere.....maybe Dick opening up to Jason more than he usually likes to, but here felt it might be the only way to get Jason to do the same, with Dick thus offering up some painful tidbit from his past that he never told even Bruce or Alfred for some reason, if he thinks Jason’s upset about something and needs to vent but will just keep insisting he’s fine unless Dick leads by example and goes first.

There’s so much potential for in-jokes that only the two of them know and everyone else is ENDLESSLY curious about, because everyone always forgets that those two have so much history because it was literally kept out of sight, out of mind, so they could keep it free of the friction that was bound to come of adding Bruce to the mix before their father cleared the air with his eldest first.

So its an easy thing to forget about or overlook, especially since it rarely comes up....but everytime it does rear its head via some private joke only they know or a reference to some event back then that everyone else is kept boxed out of having any context for....that’s the kind of stuff that would drive a family of detectives craszy, because they want to know! What’s the joke??

And yet its likely they’d never ask, because as curious as they are to hear about the mysterious missing years of the first two Wayne children, back when there was literally nobody else present to ask for details.....they never can figure out HOW to ask those questions, not when they’re equally aware of the swiftly hidden expressions of pain or bitterness that flash across the two eldests’ faces after each unearthing of some long-buried treasure they shared between them. Unable to ever escape the fact that each of those treasured moments would forever be followed with an inevitable reminder of why there were so few of those moments, in the end.

Why those years ended far earlier than they should have, and why their reunion upon Jason’s return was hindered and complicated by Dick’s obligation to other siblings Jason hurt while dealing with Pit after-effects and the lack of a strong support system while swayed to League sympathies...

And of course, ultimately there’s the reality that after the Adventures of Young Dick and Tiny Jason were cancelled far ahead of schedule, and that several year long intermission....by the time everything else was gotten out of the way, the stars of those earlier adventures were as long gone as the adventures themselves. Dick and Jason were both entirely different people by now.....still containing within each of them enough of who they were back then that those memories are kept carefully protected and hidden away, all the more valuable for how few and sparse they are, and how rarely they’re brought out to look at and enjoy.....

But with those vaults buried deeply enough within who Dick and Jason both are these days, that there’s a lot of blood and loss and pain you have to cut through just to reach that vault. There’s no retrieving anything from it without a cost. A cost worth paying, given that they can’t help themselves from calling back to it every now and then, even though they know the inevitable result is going to be end negative and not end positive. But still high enough to give them pause before actually doing so....holding back sometimes so the toll is doled out sparingly and over time. Getting greedy and trying to bring out/back/up too much too fast is far more daunting than either can afford to pay at the moment.

So that’s how I like to view the two of them and their dynamic back during and because of those early years before Jason’s death. Bittersweet and shaded by nostalgia.....temptation and warning both, in how much they want to revisit it but how much they fear ruining what they’ve managed to cobble together now by bringing the past too much into the light, comparing past and present too clearly and risking that being reminded too strongly of the brothers they were back then, will just make it impossible to ever be content with anything but that bond replicated in full and they’re not sure it can be, are both too afraid too much has happened since then and trying too hard, putting too much pressure on the dynamic they’ve built now could risk shattering the relative fragile bond completely.

Pretty much everything I write with the two of them, unless I specifically state otherwise via context, is generally written through that lens, with me viewing that as the backstory for their dynamic that I’m running with.

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heyitsani · 4 years

Text

You Can't Wake up, This Is Not a Dream

Batman Bingo 2020: "Why can’t you see that?”

Word Count: 3457

Rating: Teen and up

Warnings: Jason swears and there’s mentions of past emotional trauma/abuse (depending on how you look at Bruce’s treatment of Dick when he fired him from Robin)

Pairing: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd

Summary: Damian decides it's time to move on from Robin, but he has a requirement that takes Dick and Bruce by surprise.

Notes: This is a big FU to DC for their treatment of Damian and Robin. I also started writing this months ago. It was my WIP from this past Wednesday that I finished two days ago but didn’t get the chance to post. Up next is my Duke request that I am polishing up now. I might post it today, but most likely tomorrow.

Updated card at the bottom of this post.

You can also read this on AO3 here

“No Father, I insist.” Dick watched Damian’s bright green eyes look from Bruce to Dick and then back. And he could tell his brother meant what he was saying, but even Dick could see it was illogical.

Sighing, Dick leaned back against the table of the batcomputer and crossed his arms over his chest. “Dames, Batman needs Robin. We’ve all seen what happens when he doesn’t have one,” Dick tried to reason with his brother. Sure, there had been a time when Dick would have expected Batman’s sidekick to bear a different name, but he had gotten over that (mostly) a long time ago.

“That is not true, Richard. He simply needs his partner. I am sure that spot can easily be filled, but it should not be with another Robin.”

“And what would you have me do then, Damian?” Bruce spoke up for the first time since agreeing that Damian should start moving away from his role as Robin. At the age of 18, it was time he became his own hero. The youngest had come to Bruce and Dick while they talked about some gear Dick had come to borrow and asked them what they had thought about him hanging up the mantle. Dick had enthusiastically agreed and congratulated his brother. Bruce had been much calmer and subdue but had also thought it a good idea. But when Dick mentioned having to find a new Robin, Damian had outright said no.

Damian shrugged a shoulder. “Move on,” he said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

“Just like that?” Damian’s silence at Bruce’s question spoke volumes. But none of this explained why Damian thought Robin needed to retire with him. And Dick could tell he was holding something back, but whether it was because of Bruce’s presence or Dick’s, the older brother couldn’t quite tell.

And though Dick wanted answers, he heaved a sigh of relief when his phone rang and Jason’s name lit up his screen.

“Jay.”

“I got the location for tonight’s drop. You headed back yet?”

“Not yet, got a little sidetracked. I have the gear and I’ll be heading out soon.” He heard Jason mumble something and Dick had a feeling he didn’t want to know what the younger man had said. “Yeah yeah, I’ll grab food on my way back.”

“You better. Let me know when you leave.”

Dick gave an affirmative before ending the call. “Look, Jay and I have an important op tonight that I need to get back to. Call me tomorrow Dames. We can talk some more.” Damian nodded and Dick reached over to give his brother a hug before he clapped a hand to Bruce’s shoulder. “Thanks for the gear, Old Man. I’ll send the reports to you in a few days.”

“Be safe,” came the all too familiar grunt from Bruce as Dick walked away. Turning to walk backwards toward his car, Dick smiled brightly and held his arms open.

“Aren’t I always?”

“No, you’re not, Grayson!” Damian’s face looked annoyed, but Dick just laughed before sliding into his car.

The drive back to Bludhaven was plagued with thoughts about what Damian had said. And he still couldn’t figure out why his brother wanted Robin to be retired. He just couldn’t find any reason. When Dick had asked him to take up the cape, Damian had been thrilled. A little overconfident and stubborn, but he had still been ready to fight. They all had. So why wouldn’t Damian want someone else to have that same emotion? It just didn’t make sense.

But he supposed he wouldn’t figure it out until Damian felt he should know. So, he dropped the line of thought and focused on the tasks at hand. A brief stop at a local Thai place to get the order he told Jason to place distracted him enough that he stopped thinking about the situation long enough to get back to the apartment he and Jason shared.

“Jay?” He called out as he pushed open the door, dropping his keys in the bowl near the door and letting the duffle bag he had placed the gear he had borrowed from Bruce drop to the floor next to the small table.

“Finally, I’m fucking starving.” Dick snorted and made his way into the kitchen where he found Jason grabbing plates and utensils. “Where’s the stuff?”

Dick jerked his head toward the front door as he placed the two bags of food onto the counter and leaned over to press a kiss to the corner of Jason’s mouth. It earned him a pleased rumble that brought a smile to Dick’s face. “Over by the door. Leave it there. We can look it over later.” Jason looked like he wanted to argue, but after a glance at Dick’s face he let it drop.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Dick told him, turning his focus on unbagging the food but Jason’s hand slipping around his waist and the resting his chin on Dick’s shoulder pulled his attention.

“What happened?”

Sighing, Dick stopped what he was doing and leaned back into Jason. “Dames is going to step down from Robin, be his own hero.” And though he couldn’t see his face, he knew that Jason would look confused.

“That’s a good thing. Kid is getting too old to be a sidekick. That can’t be what’s upsetting you.”

“I’m not upset,” Dick told him, feeling Jason tense to argue. “I’m not. I’m curious. He told B and me he doesn’t want anyone else to take up the Robin mantle after him. He didn’t seem like he wanted to get into the reason why with both of us there. But I don’t know if he didn’t want me to know or if it was Bruce he didn’t want to know.”

“Bruce.”

Turning to look at Jason, Dick raised a brow. “That’s an awfully certain answer awfully quick.”

Jason pulled back and shrugged a shoulder. “I might know why he feels that way. He and I had a talk a few weeks ago and I think he took something I said to heart.” Dick’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent to see if Jason would say more. “Whether or not you’re willing to admit it to anyone other than me or the brat, that kid thinks of you as his dad. B might be ‘Father’ or whatever, but you are his Dad.”

Dick was aware of what everyone thought of his and Damian’s relationship. Even if the pair had never discussed it. “But that’s not what this is about.”

“No, it’s not. But because of how he feels, he takes things involving you and your emotions seriously.” And yeah, Dick knew that. “I said a lot of the issues between you and B would never be resolved so long as someone else was running around wearing the colors of the Flying Grayson’s while responding to the name your mother used to call you…”

“Jay, you didn’t,” Dick sighed, closing his eyes.

“Look, I know you told me that in the dark because you didn’t want to hurt me but my emotions involving those years as Robin are buried under so much shit, I hardly remember our issues from then. But I know you well enough to know that so long as Robin flies, your wound will never heal.”

That hushed conversation in the darkness of their bedroom, his head resting on Jason’s chest so he could listen to the strong beat of his heart had been hard. And Dick couldn’t even remember how it had come about, but he didn’t regret telling Jason exactly why he had been so angry when Bruce had given Jason the mantle without telling Dick first. Bruce, who had known where the colors and the name had come from, hadn’t even hesitated. And when Dick had told his guardian that, he had been brushed aside and told it was bigger than Dick.

And that had hurt.

He was Robin, the others took on the persona but Dick. Was. Robin.

“I’m not going to apologize for telling him.” And Dick would never have expected that anyway. It wasn’t like he had told Jason it was a secret and to keep it that way. “And I won’t apologize for putting your emotional wellbeing before B’s crusade. You will always win.” Dick knew that.

“I wish you wouldn’t have put that on his shoulders. Out of everyone, it shouldn’t have been his,” he says, sighing softly as he leans back against the counter.

“I know, Goldie, but I also had a feeling today’s chat would be coming soon. And sue me for not wanting to see you deal with another person becoming Robin.” Jason sounded defensive, but the look on his face was too apologetic for that.

Rubbing at his forehead, Dick sighed again and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter right now. Let’s just eat and then get tonight figured out. I told Damian to call me tomorrow, so I can talk to him about it then.” He watched Jason watch him for a moment before nodding and they both turned back to dealing with the food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You got a visitor, Dickhead!” Dick heard Jason call out. He hadn’t bothered to get out of their bed yet after last night’s late and painful mission. He was still feeling the pain meds he had caved and taken after the knife wound to his leg had been stitched up. “Don’t you dare get out of that fucking bed,” Jason’s voice sounded, from the doorway this time.

“I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to,” Dick admitted, voice rough from the sleep he had been pulled from.

Behind Jason’s imposing figure, Dick could make out the shape of his youngest brother. “Grayson, Todd told me what happened last night. How are you feeling?” Dick shrugged a shoulder and rubbed at his face before attempting to push himself up to sit against the headboard of the bed.

“Stop it, you idiot. You’ll tear your stitches,” Jason reprimanded him softly, rushing over to help Dick get in the position he wanted. Once there were no less than four pillows behind him and he swore he wasn’t in any significant amount of pain, Jason moved away and looked at Damian. The younger hadn’t come more than a few steps into the room, watching his older brother. “I’m going to get you some food so you can take some more pills, Boy Idiot. Want some coffee or tea, Dames?”

“Tea would be acceptable,” Damian answered as he shifted further into the room and waited for Jason to leave. Dick watched Damian take in the state of the room and Dick found himself eternally glad for Jason’s neat freak nature that had forced him into already cleaning up the bloody mess that had been his uniform and the stuff they had used to patch up his leg in the early hours of the morning.

“Take a seat, Dami,” Dick said gently, patting the spot next to him. He chuckled when Damian eyed Jason’s spot distastefully before settling on the edge near Dick’s injured leg. “I thought you were going to call? Why did you drive all the way out here?”

“You’re injured, you fool.”

“And that means I can’t talk on the phone?” Dick teased, watching Damian roll his eyes in annoyance.

“Of course not. But I wanted to be sure Todd was taking adequate care of you.” Dick ‘oh-ed’ and nodded his head. “Things seem to be up to par,” he admitted, and Dick hummed. “Todd told me he told you what he and I spoke of.”

“He did. And I’m sorry he put that on you, Dames. I didn’t want any of you to know something that is beyond fixing.” Dick watched Damian stare at his lap, hands folded properly in his lap as he sat there motionless. “Talk to me kid.”

That caught Damian’s attention and the scoff at the nickname brought a warmth to Dick’s chest.

“I am not a child, Grayson.”

“No, but you’re still my baby brother and something is bugging you.”

Without looking at Dick, Damian shrugged his shoulders and Dick couldn’t help but marvel at how much the other man had changed in the eight years he had been in the family. From petulant murder brat to a mature and emotional man. It was more than his father could say.

“Dames?” Dick prompted, trying to get the other man to tell him what he was thinking.

“You gave me Robin.” Damian finally looked over at Dick and the elder wasn’t sure what the look on his face meant so he remained silent and nodded. “Of all your successors, I am the only one you chose.”

“You are my progeny, yes.”

“No, not like that,” Damian waved a hand in exasperation. “Robin was stolen from you over and over. Your own name, your own identity. It was ripped from you and given to Todd, to Drake, to Brown without your consent.” Again, Dick nodded, seeing where this was going. “But you took it back from Drake and you gave it to me when you could have given me something else. Why did you do that?”

And wow if that wasn’t a loaded question. And one that Dick wasn’t sure he could answer. It hadn’t even occurred to him to take Robin and retire it completely. He hadn’t ever considered that. To him, it was too late to right that particular wrong of his youth.

“It wouldn’t have healed that wound, Dames. The damage was done and sometimes it’s just not worth it.”

But Damian was shaking his head. “And me forcing Father to retire Robin won’t make a difference either?”

“Bruce and I will never bridge that particular gap. If that is why you are doing this, don’t. I forgave him a long time ago, but I’ll never be able to forget. I am in love with one of the reasons I’ll never be able to forget,” Dick laughed, waving a hand in the general direction of the kitchen where he knew Jason was.

“Why must you do that?” Dick raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have to be so flippant about your own emotions when you are anything but with everyone else’s?”

“It’s easier that way, Damian,” Dick admitted with a sigh. It was easier to ignore the things he felt when it came to the past or the pain he had suffered over the years. He knew if he spent too much time lingering on those thoughts and emotions, he would never dig himself back out of that hole. He would be crushed under the weight of the things he had never bothered to deal with. Mirage, Catalina, Blockbuster, his parents, and so many other things. So much grief and loss, so much pain. It would bury him, and he would never get up again. “In order for me to survive, this is what I have to do.”

Damian watched him and Dick waited, hoping he wouldn’t do what Dick had done to him so many times in the past and force him to talk about it. Instead, Dick found himself with his arms full of his baby brother for an extremely rare Damian-initiated hug. Letting his eyes close for a moment, he let himself relax into the hug because it felt good. He was always an affectionate person, but it was so rare people returned that affection. Often, he was basically forcing it on others. The moments when people forced it on him? He relished them.

Though he expected Damian to pull away after a minute, Dick found himself held longer than he would have ever thought. “You’re emotions are valid. Your pain is just as important as the rest of ours. Why can’t you see that?” The words were spoken into his shoulder, muffled by muscle and the material of Dick’s shirt. “I stand by what I told Father,” Damian whispered into Dick’s shoulder and Dick hummed his question. “Robin should retire.” He pulled back and green eyes met sapphire, burning hot with determination. “There are plenty of options for partners for Batman. And Father is not losing Robin the way he lost him with Todd.”

Dick considered his words, leaning further into the pile of pillows behind him as Damian resumed his previous position. Jason chose that moment to come into the room with a plate of food and two mugs in hand. One look at his face told Dick he had heard the last bit of the conversation.

Smiling softly at Jason, Dick took the plate and the mug and watched Jason hand the other mug to Damian. He chuckled at the sight of the grilled cheese and the pain pills. “Thanks, Jay,” he tilted his head, hinting for Jason to give him a kiss. A request that was quickly fulfilled before the man leaned against the wall near the bed, facing the two brothers on the bed. “Got something to say?”

“I might, but my opinion doesn’t really matter on this one.”

“Neither does mine,” Dick said, more to Damian than to Jason. At Damian’s frown, Dick shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not Robin anymore, Dames. It’s is yours and no one else’s. If you want it to retire, then retire it. I appreciate the sentiment behind it, and I would be so incredibly proud to have the name retire under you, but it is your decision.” Dick watched Damian look over to Jason and from the corner of his vision he could see Jason nod, confirming that what Dick was saying was true.

“Then I suppose all that’s left is to figure out who I am to be now.”

And Dick didn’t envy Damian on that front. It had been difficult to come up with Nightwing. And he had the help of Clark on that one.

“What do you want, Damian? Do you want to remain in Gotham, or do you want to find your own place?” Dick took a bite of his sandwich to keep himself from questioning Jason, but it didn’t hide the frown and question in his eyes when he looked at his boyfriend. “We could always use help here in the ‘Haven.”

That seemed to have caught Damian’s attention and Dick continued to eat while the youngest of them worked things through in his mind. Once he had consumed enough of the sandwich, Dick took the pills Jason had given him before setting the mug of tea down on the bedside table.

“You’re always welcome here, Dames. And if that’s something you think you might be interested in, then perhaps you should make a visit to Clark’s and have him tell you the legend he told me when I was in your position.” Though his own position had been forced upon him and not quite by choice the way it will be for Damian.

“The legend of Nightwing and Flamebird? Yes, Jon told me that years ago,” Damian waved a hand in dismissal. “He was so haughty about knowing how you came to be Nightwing because Clark is so proud of his influence on you.”

Jason snorted out a laugh and Dick simply raised an eyebrow at his youngest brother.

“I wouldn’t let your father know about that, if I were you,” Dick chuckled. While Bruce had gotten much better in relation to Clark over the years, he still held an edge of mistrust with the Kryptonian. It wasn’t personal, it was just Bruce being the paranoid bastard he always was. Dick was convinced if he hadn’t raised all of his Robins, he never would have trusted them. Steph was proof of that. They had been like oil and water.

“I think I shall meditate on the subject for a while and see what conclusion I come to.” Dick leaned forward and placed a hand on his brother’s upper arm, squeezing lightly.

“We will help however we can, you know that. But don’t keep Bruce in the dark if you do plan on leaving Gotham. He doesn’t handle change well. We all know that.” Dick reminded Damian, who nodded with a deep frown.

Jason clapped his hands together before moving forward to ruffle Damian’s perfectly coifed hair. “Congrats Demon Brat, you’re on your way to being a real man.”

“Fuck off, Todd,” Damian growled, swatting Jason’s hand away as Dick leaned back and laughed at the pair. Whatever his younger brother decided, Dick knew it would be the right decision for him. And he couldn’t help but be proud of the man he had become in the years since he had joined the family as a petulant and snotty ten year old.

#Batmanbingo2020 #batman bingo 2020 #Damian Wayne #dick grayson #Jason Todd #Bruce Wayne #Robin #Nightwing #Red Hood #Batman #batfam #anikah writes #fanfic #fan fiction #jaydick #dickjay

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photolover82 · 4 years

Text

The Masked Singer Season 4 Episode 2: Group B kicking it off... with a twist!! Guesses and Commentary

Hello my fellow Masked Singer guys and gals! It's that time of the week again (albeit I am a bit late, but let's go with it), time for Ana's Masked Singer recap woohoo! *insert fanfare here* This episode was such an insane one not gonna lie, Group B came in with a bang like wow... let's just get into it because it's a crazy episode in it of itself.

Firstly, I gotta point out the contestants of Group B, which this time were 6 unlike A and C which only have 5 contestants total.. and those 6 are (order from left to right, top row first then bottom row in the image below) Crocedile, Gremlin (the purple fluffy guy), Seahorse, Whatchamacallit (the blue and red hair cousin It thing), Baby Alien, and Serpent.

Alrighty so this elimination is gonna be a bit different than usual because it isn't the norm of what usually happens with these sorts of things (I'll tell you what I mean in a sec)...

So the first contestant unmasked for Group B actually wasn't eliminated (I know what you are thinking... "whaaatttt Anaaaaa that makes no sense")... but actually he unmasked himself (whatttt?! yeah you read that right, he legit was hot and suffocating and he seemed super over it and just took it off by himself... yup, that happened like what mind blown!

Anyways the mask who did this was...

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

THE GREMLIN

Performance: He sang Stand by Me by Ben E. King and honestly it was meh, it was really breathy as if he forgot some of the words, I don’t know if he was overcome with emotion (because he dedicated it to his friend who passed away) or what, I felt kind of bad but I low key feel like he was going to go home regardless, but on the bright side I love the costume and it was a great song choice for his range. He has a very raspy voice... like almost like a smoker’s voice and I can kind of tell that he’s an older man, but I couldn’t recognize the singer.

So the Gremlin ended up being revealed to be....

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

MICKEY ROURKE

Ugh this upsets me because I don’t know who he is so I really couldn’t guess him correctly. I searched it up and apparently he’s an actor and director and was in Iron Man 2, which I’ve never seen like ever. But yeah, he did good, he looked kinda drunk not gonna lie and I guess he was suffocated and got over it.

Alright now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to my favorite part, the remaining 5 contestants:

1. THE SEAHORSE

Performance: I really love Seahorse, she’s one of my favorites of the night and so far in the season in general. Her performance of Rihanna’s Only Girl in the World was amazing and I definitely knew who that voice is...

My guess and I am so sure about this guys is singer, songwriter, American Idol alum...

TORI KELLY

Dude like that voice is so recognizable... but also because of the clues:

Emotion Ocean= she’s super emotional when it comes to songwriting, like she legit said in an interview that she cries a lot

Tea Party= she hosted tea parties with her fans in 2019 (well before all this ofc)

Rainbow Frog= sang Rainbow Connection with Kermit the Frog

Judges’ Guesses:

Jenny: Halsey (say what now? This doesn’t sound like her... is Jenny ok? This episode she’s been messing up with guesses more than Ken... you’ll see what I mean)

Nicole: Hailee Steinfeld (meh, that’s ok I guess, but not quite)

Robin: Bebe Rexha (he was onto something when he said country but then he said this, but this is the closest guess of the 3)

2. THE SERPENT

Performance: This one is my other favorite of this group. His performance of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers was absolutely stunning, I got chills! If it is who I think it is, I love him (partially because I think I know who it can be)

I think the Serpent can be actor of the iconic Broadway sensation Hamilton aka Aaron Burr, Sir:

LESLIE ODOM JR.

Dude like I feel pretty good about this guess because of the voice and the clues:

Map of the Caribbean= reference to the beginning of Hamilton where Alexander Hamilton is from

Jr. References= he’s a jr.

Between medicine & music= he played a doctor on Murder on the Orient Express in 2017

Number 31118 (this was from the Sunday before the premiere but still worth noting)= 3 albums, 11 stage productions, 18 years on Broadway OR bible verse Romans 3:11-18 which was written by Paul, a character he played on Rent

Judges’ Guesses:

Jenny: John Legend (See what I’m saying? Jenny, what are you doing man? That is not John Legend, like they don’t sound alike at all)

Ken: Daveed Diggs (Wow! Ken got it kinda close, I’m proud, that’s an achievement for him we gotta give it to him)

Nicole: Leslie Odom Jr. (WOOOO!! Yesss Nicole!!) 👏🏼

3. THE CROCODILE

Performance: I also really liked Crocodile and his performance of It’s My Life by Bon Jovi was great! I feel like I know who this is, and I am pretty familiar (well, more or less) with 90s and early 2000s boybands and this one is someone in that realm I am so sure of it...

Ok so being more specific, I think it’s boybander from The Backstreet Boys:

NICK CARTER

The voice and the clues were a dead giveaway:

The Vegas vibes in the clue package= he performed in Vegas with Backstreet Boys

Water clues (the water slide and happiest in water)= he was born in Orlando, FL home of the theme parks and FL is also some of the Gators so it would makes sense with the costume

Grew up in Hollywood= moved there when really young

Judges’ Guesses:

Ken: John Hamm (and he’s back, that was a terrible guess)

Nicole: Nick Lachey (so close, but not quite)

Robin: Donnie Wahlberg (um, Jenny agreed, how does she not know that this ain’t your husband?!)

4. THE WHATCHAMACALLIT

Performance: His performance of “I Wish” by Skee-Lo was good, not my favorite, but I didn’t hate it. I am kind of feeling that it’s an athlete due to the height and also how he speaks.

So this guess is an idea I got from the Internet (subject to change because I have no clue about sports players):

Rashad Jennings?

The only thing I got from the clues was:

Dancing with Stars= he won DWTS

Clues IDK

Orange Jelly= ?

The clock with the Bear Mask on the 5= ?

Swinging Keys= ?

Judges’ Guesses:

Nicole= Swiss Beats (meh idk)

Ken: Damon Lillard (I like this guess, tbh.. I kinda agree with it being a sports player)

Robin: Tyler the Creator (that would be cool but I don’t think so)

5. THE BABY ALIEN

Performance: His performance of Faith by George Micheals was good too, better than I expected for the costume ngl. I had pretty low expectations but I am pleasantly surprised. He isn’t my favorite by any means and I am also a bit stumped by him especially because of that fake Russian accent, but I am in between 2 people at the moment....

The 2 people I am in between are either Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham or actor

JASON SEGEL

It kinda sounds like him and the clues are a bit confusing but there’s one I understand too:

Tony Awards Reference= he’s been on Broadway

The mask’s a puppet and Segel is a big fan of puppets (He was also in the Muppets movie)

CLUES IDK

Space clues= ?

Friends Reference (2nd Gear)= ?

Ferris Beuller references= ?

Judges’ Guesses:

Jenny: Ralph Macchio (meh I guess that’s good)

Nicole: David Schwimmer (not bad, but idk it doesn’t really sound like it)

Ken: Freddie Prinze Jr. (ya, no)

Alright so that’s it! I am so sorry for it being late, but better late than never... I’ve been pretty busy so hopefully this weekend I will have tonight’s episode recap up... THANK YOU FOR READING AND I WILL SEE YOU IN THE NEXT ONE *blows kiss* byeeee!

#mickey rourke #the masked singer #masked singer season 4 #gremlin mask

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violetsmoak · 4 years

Text

Philtatos [14/?]

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20101543/chapters/47690671

Blanket Disclaimer

Summary: During a patrol where Red Hood and Red Robin cross paths, Jason is infected with the blood of the Eros, the ancient God of Love, who informs them that they must track down his missing bow and arrows, or Jason will go slowly mad with an obsessive desire–for Tim. Though overwhelmed by the sudden attention being paid to him, Tim sets to work trying to solve the case, before Jason succumbs to madness. In the meantime, Jason discovers that there’s more than godlike powers at work here, as well as a legacy that reaches back through the sands of time.

Rating: PG-13 (rating may change later)

Beta Reader: None at the moment.

JayTimBingo Prompts This Chapter: #undying love #fatal flaw #jealousy

First Chapter

________________________________________________________________

What follows is a silent feud about where Jason will sleep. He tries to insist that the cot in the medbay will be sufficient, but Tim is unmoved by the argument.

“You need to be comfortable,” he maintains crossly. “The only time anyone gets any sleep in here is if they’re doped up on the good drugs, none of which will help you right now.”

“Sleep won’t help me either, you know. There hasn’t really been a difference between being awake or not for a while now.”

Tim tries not to betray his dismay at that. “It might not do anything for your mind, but it might for the rest of you. You need to keep what strength you can.”

“Then I’ll sleep on your couch.”

“That thing was brought for decoration only,” Tim counters. “I can tell you from experience that falling asleep on it causes as many bruises as a night of patrol.” He pauses to consider, and then says, “Besides, that’s where the brat’s sleeping if he stays over.”

Damian rolls his eyes. “Hilarious. I expect someone else will be here to relieve me before I ever have to endure what passes as your version of hospitality.”

“There are two bedrooms in the apartment,” Tim goes on, ignoring the boy, “Alfred was by before all this happened to change the linens, so it’s all clean. You can take my bed—”

“No. No. I can’t. If you’re going to be stubborn about this, I’ll go with the guestroom.”

“Really? You’re going to pick a fight over this too?” Tim groans. “My room is the only one with blackout blinds, which are statistically proven to improve sleep quality.”

Jason shifts from side to side, like he’s wavering, and then throws Damian an almost pleading look.

The boy huffs in irritation and snaps at Tim, “Surely even you can’t be ignorant to the implications of letting a man, who’s aroused by your very presence, sleep in your bed?”

Stunned silence meets that comment, before the horror sets in.

“Damian!”

“What the hell, kid?!”

“You just…I can’t believe you…That’s not…!” Tim may be too upset for words at this moment, not least of all because the little monster has a point.

“If this is what having a normal younger brother feels like, I’m amazed any of you make it to adulthood,” Jason growls, cheeks bright red.

The boy remains unrepentant. “I’m sure Richard has said the same thing about both of you on occasion. Now, if you’re both finished with the Victorian theatrics, I haven’t eaten yet and assuming the likely event that Drake has nothing palatable in his fridge, I intend to order something. If you don’t want to starve, you may come along. And bring your credit card.”

He swans out of the medbay, leaving the older vigilantes staring after him.

“How?” Tim mutters. “How is it the little jerk always manages to walk around my property like he owns it?”

“Because you’re a pushover,” Jason answers immediately.

Tim makes a face. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me that when you’re not holding my hand like it’s a lifeline.”

Jason’s eyes snap downward in surprise like he didn’t notice he was doing it. If they were red before, the color of his cheeks appears to darken further now.

“Shut up,” he snaps.

Which makes Tim feel bad about teasing him.

It’s not like he has control over it.

Or the way he’s been looking at him since Tim showed up with Barbara.

It’s total disbelief, like he can’t understand how Tim was physically in front of him, and then something like shame or guilt.

The knot in Tim’s stomach tightens at that.

Is kissing me really something that bothers him that much?

“You, uh, you don’t have to take my bed,” Tim murmurs, avoiding the other man’s gaze. “It’s like you said. Not like you’re going to sleep anyway, so…the guestroom should be good enough.”

He leaves the medbay, Jason in tow.

“Why do you even have a guestroom?” the latter wants to know. “You don’t strike me as the type to want people staying over here.”

“Kon and Bart sometimes crash here.”

Jason scowls. “Aren’t they fast enough to just zoom back home in a blink? Why do they have to stay here?”

“Uh, because they’re my friends? And sometimes friends get together and do things like play video games, go see movies or just sit and commiserate about how irritating our parent-slash-mentors can be. They don’t have to stay, but sometimes it’s just fun to hang out.”

“Yeah, well, wouldn’t know anything about that,” Jason mutters.

Some of Tim’s attitude fades away. “Really? Bruce didn’t let you hang out with your friends?”

“To do that you need to have friends to hang out with.”

“But I thought—there was that girl, wasn’t there?” he asks as he opens the door to the apartment, and they head in.

I’m sure I saw pictures of her and Jason up in his bedroom.

Jason looks confused for a moment, like he’s trying to remember something long-buried, but eventually the recollection takes hold.

“Rena? Yeah, we hung out, but there weren’t sleepovers involved, and I couldn’t exactly complain to her about when Batman was being a douche,” he reminds him. “And I guarantee when we went to see movies, we weren’t actually watching the movie. If you know what I mean.”

He ends the last bit with a leer and now it’s Tim who’s embarrassed. “What about the Titans? You never stayed over at the Tower?”

“Daytrips only,” Jason replies. “B wasn’t keen on me hanging out with them. I think he still blamed them for Dick leaving and thought they’d corrupt me or something. I was rarely there long enough to bond with anyone like that.”

“Sounds kind of like Damian’s situation,” Tim says, glancing over to where the younger boy is sitting at his kitchen island with his cellphone in hand, lecturing someone across the line in rapid Chinese.

“I think in his case, it isn’t so much the lack of opportunity to make friends as the lack of interest.”

“You’re not wrong.” Tim shakes his head. “I mean, he did grow up in the League. And you…” He trails off, suddenly reminded. “You were there too, right? When you came back?”

“Sort of,” Jason allows, shifting with discomfort. “Friends weren’t high on the list of priorities then.”

“I guess not.”

Tim purses his lips as he leads Jason up the stairs toward the bedroom, wondering not for the first time what kind of hell the other man had to endure upon his resurrection. That part of his life is a mystery to them all.

And I have a feeling some of it shouldn’t be.

He recalls the blades that appeared in Jason’s hand out of nowhere, and strains his memory through the disorganization of the fight to remember what Carrie Cutter said when she saw them.

“What about the All-Caste,” he recalls out loud as he leads for Jason to enter the guestroom at the end of the hall. “Was that the same thing?”

He doesn’t have to look at the other man to notice he’s tensed up. “Sort of, yeah.”

“So, it’s another secret organization? They’re the ones who gave you those swords, right?”

“Nobody gave me anything,” Jason grunts, and skirts past Tim and through the door into the room. He pauses a moment, assessing the space as if expecting something to jump out at him—there’s the Bat-paranoia—before turning back to face Tim. “I trained for that shit, and it takes a special kind of rage to be able access the All-Blades.”

Tim leans against the doorframe, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. “All-Blades. Really. They’re seriously called that?”

Jason shoots him a look. “Problem?”

“No. I just…it’s kind of a lame name. Magic blades are usually called…Excalibur or Sword of Omens or Dagger of Time.” That earns him a disbelieving look, and Tim throws his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying.”

“You’re a goddamn nerd is what you’re saying,” Jason informs him. “And it doesn’t matter what they’re called, it’s what they do.”

“' Only show up in the presence of pure evil’. I remember. As far as powers go, at least they’re useful.”

“Not if Cupid decides to keep switching back and forth with whoever’s helping her,” Jason says. “They work against whoever that is but are useless against her when she’s human and just crazy.” Weariness radiates off him, and to Tim’s surprise, he throws himself back onto the bed seemingly without any of his prior unease, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes. “What I wouldn’t give right now for a superpower that was a bit less finicky.”

“The fact that we have a power on our side at all is still an advantage.”

“Not as much as if I had the ability to blow shit up with my mind. Which would be kind of poetic.”

His mouth twists into a self-deprecating grin that makes Tim scowl. “Of course.”

Always with the death jokes.

Jason appears to notice his tone because when he lowers his hands from his eyes there’s a glimmer of apology there. It vanishes almost immediately, hidden beneath the veneer of humor.

“What about you?” he asks.

“What about me what?”

“If you could have a superpower, what would it be?”

And isn’t this surreal?

First, that Jason is here in his apartment, second that this isn’t some kind of Red Hood plan where he shows up to mess with Tim. And now they’re talking about superpowers? In the hypothetical sense, instead of their usual ‘someone-with-a-power-is-trying-to-kill-us’ sense.

Jason is still waiting for him to answer, so Tim thinks for a moment. “I don’t know. Something easy to hide, I guess.”

“Hide? Like from B?”

“No—well, yeah, that too. You know how he is. But I wouldn’t want something that would call attention to myself, or anyone else in the masked community. Especially not the Bats,” he says.

“Huh. Guess you got a point. If suddenly getting powers meant you develop lizard skin or wings or gills, it’d be kinda hard to hide even with all the fun Wayne Enterprises toys you’ve got.”

“And if someone like Vicki Vale could finally make the connection between me and everyone else? I think I’ll pass.”

Jason shakes his head. “There you go again, putting everyone’s needs and comfort above yourself. It’s a real issue with you, isn’t it?”

“It’s a hypothetical situation, you don’t need to read too much into it.”

“Okay, well hypothetically, if you weren’t a self-sacrificing moron, what power would you want?”

Tim ponders for a moment, and then says, “Being able to fly, maybe. Or super strength.”

“Wanna be able to keep up with Super Clone, huh?” Jason asks, voice a little tight.

Tim frowns because that sounds like a dig; not at him, he realizes a beat later, but Connor.

Why would that…? Oh. He’s jealous.

Still unsure how to deal with Jason’s newfound possessiveness, he gauges the other man’s body language, and then slowly enters the room proper to perch on the edge of the bed. Knowing how uneasy Jason is about physical proximity, he keeps a respectable distance between them for now.

Out loud, and in a would-be casual voice, he replies, “No, nothing like that. It’d just be nice to be able to go up against Bane or Killer Croc without having to worry too much about the day I’m too slow to dodge.”

Wrong thing to say, apparently.

Jason’s instantly sitting up and reaching for Tim—almost snatching at him. “You go one-on-one with Killer Croc? Are you nuts?”

“It’s an example,” Tim is quick to assure him even as he lets him grasp his hand. “I’ve never been that reckless. I’m not Damian.”

Although there was that one time, I tricked Killer Croc and Bane into going after each other instead of me, but I’m not telling Jason that now. Save that for when he’s cured and will find it funny instead of upsetting.

He tries to ignore the nagging doubt at the back of his mind that they’re even going to be able to cure Jason.

Or that if they do, Jason will even stick around.

“Thank the gods for small miracles,” Jason exhales; he doesn’t remove his hand, though.

“Also, aside from being useful the next time someone decides to drop a baby over a bridge, flying’s awesome,” Tim says lightly. “You can’t tell me your favorite thing about being Robin wasn’t jumping off tall buildings.”

“Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. There’s something to be said for busting collarbones.”

“You forget that I was there,” Tim points out. “I saw you taking the long way back to your rendezvous points just so you could be in the air a little longer.”

“Pics or it didn’t happen.”

“I have pictures.”

“Which you don’t show anyone.”

“Yeah, because I love reminding people of how I stalked them when I was a stupid kid,” Tim deadpans.

“Hey, you did it, own it. But I’d still like to see those pictures. I…uh…don't exactly have a lot of me from before…from when I was a kid.”

Tim purses his lips, holding back on his first instinct to babble out an agreement. This new honesty and vulnerability Jason is showing him—the increased tactility and need for proximity—it’s only Eros’ blood influencing him. Who’s to say once things are back to normal—and they will be!—Jason won’t go back to mocking and deriding Tim?

Assuming he wants to be within ten feet of me.

“Tell you what,” he says at last. “When this is over, if you still want to see them, I’ll hunt them out of storage.”

Jason beams at him in genuine excitement. “Awesome.”

They gaze at each other for several seconds, before Jason seems to remember himself. His eyes dart to their hands, and he pulls back again. “Sorry.”

“You know what I’m going to say.”

“Yeah. But it’s not just about you. I’m not…I don’t do this.” He gestures. “Even when I’m not under the influence of mind-altering drugs, not a fan of handsy guys. Especially if the handsy guy is me.”

“You know, I had noticed that pattern since you got back to Gotham,” Tim says dryly. “All that busting of collarbones you were talking about.”

Jason’s cheeks go pink for some reason at that. “Uh. Yeah. Exactly.”

Before Tim can think it over, Jason shifts until he’s lying down, and then turns his back on Tim. “Think I’m gonna try that whole sleeping thing. Just for shits and giggles.”

“Okay,” Tim replies slowly, feeling as if he’s missing something. “You want me to go?”

“No!” Jason practically whirls around, winces when he realizes how fervent that was. “I mean…you can stay. If you want.” He swallows, looking anywhere but Tim. “Might help. A bit. You don’t have to.”

I hope the King of Mixed Signals thing you’ve got going on is just the infection…

“How about this,” Tim begins, bringing out his phone. “I’ll sit over here—” A respectable six inches away from Jason, “—and get to work on that list. You try to get some sleep. When you wake up, you can look it over and tell me what you think.”

He can see how Jason’s working out if that’s alright, trying to find any way that could backfire, and then he slowly nods.

“Okay. Yeah. Let’s do that.”

“And at the top of the list,” Tim says, shooting him a meaningful glare, “‘Jason Todd is allowed to hold Tim Drake’s hand’. Should I put it in bold?”

“Don’t be such a smug shit, Replacement.”

The other man still settles back on his side of the bed. It’s completely stiff at first, and his eyes remain trained on Tim like he’s afraid he’ll either vanish or wrap himself around him.

Tim pretends not to notice the scrutiny, instead sits cross-legged in his designated spot, and makes it seem like he’s wholly engrossed in figuring out a list of behaviors that they can both consider allowable. Which is a new one for him, because he’s never really considered doing this before in a regular relationship, let alone one as situational as this.

Eventually the exhaustion of the past days catches up with Jason, and the Bat conditioning of grabbing sleep wherever and whenever one can wins out. His breath evens out and when Tim does look up, his eyelids have drifted shut.

For several minutes, he simply watches, before catching himself.

Don’t be a creeper.

He turns back to his phone.

Unsure what else to add to the list (and there’s kind of no point doing this while Jason’s asleep, Tim only said he’d work on it to keep the other man calm), Tim decides to use the time to read up a little more on Greek mythology. Jason is so well-read on this subject and Tim has only a passing knowledge, if there’s any chance of thinking up new solutions for this case, it will help if he doesn’t need Jason or Eros to take the time to explain things to him.

Especially not Eros. I trust him about as far as Kon could throw him…

He never thought this sort of thing was important to know, mostly because if there was ever case involving mythology or ancient evil, Cassie generally had that covered.

Apparently, a refresher course is in order.

Speaking of Cassie, he sends her a quick text—and then one to Bart and Kon just to cover all his bases—before diving into his research.

He doesn’t have the time or the patience to read the original works of Hesiod or Homer, although he amuses himself thinking Jason probably has.

Maybe even in the original Greek.

He spares a fond look for the sleeping man beside him.

Somehow, he never expected he could look so vulnerable. And not only because that word seems incompatible for describing Jason.

After years of training, the mantra of ‘constant vigilance’ gets so ingrained in a body that it can never really relax into slumber. Tim doesn’t think any of the Robins are able to just check-out when they go to sleep.

Not without heavy sedation, or under the care of a qualified English butler.

And unlike Dick and Tim, the other Robins all led lives that were anything but safe. Being a heavy sleeper could lead to more than just bruises.

His fingers want to drift toward Jason again, want to comb through his hair but Tim is loath to disturb his fragile slumber.

He becomes aware then, of eyes on him and Jason; looking up, he catches Damian watching from the doorway, a frown on his face.

Tim tenses up defensively then, expecting a snide comment and already planning on how he’ll fight the kid if he makes a big deal about this.

Jason already feels bad enough about the whole thing, we don’t need any more comments from the peanut gallery.

“Did you need something?” he asks coolly, voice soft so as not to disturb Jason.

“I simply came to inform you that Brown has arrived for her babysitting shift,” the boy tells him, but the usual sneer that would accompany his words is absent. He lingers a further moment in the doorway, shakes his head and then walks away.

Tim frowns, not sure he wants to ask, but also knowing that leaving Damian to his own devices rarely turns out well.

Carefully, he shifts away from Jason, moving with gentleness so as not to wake him. Once he’s satisfied that he hasn’t disturbed him, he leaves the room and gently closes the door behind him.

Damian is already across the hallway, leaning against the door of Tim’s study with his arms crossed and mouth pulled downward. It’s the same look Bruce gets when he’s puzzling out a clue that doesn’t fit.

“You care for Todd.”

“Of course I do,” Tim agrees automatically. “He’s one of us.”

“No. Not like that.” Damian pauses, like he’s trying to choose his words with care, which is…rare for him. “You care about him in a romantic way. I had assumed it was one-sided due to the circumstances, but it’s not. You return his feelings.”

Tim’s stomach swoops, a lump in his throat.

First Steph, now Damian. I’ve managed to keep this to myself for almost ten years, and in the span of two weeks two of the people I’d least like to know figure it out.

Damian continues to watch him, waiting for a confirmation or a denial.

Tim chooses to side-step. “He doesn’t have feelings for me. You know that’s Eros’ blood making him act this way.”

“Perhaps. It doesn’t change the fact that at this moment, he cares for you and you care for him.”

“The key words being ‘at this moment’,” Tim says with a scowl. “Which means it doesn’t matter. It’s not real.”

“I don’t understand. This is clearly a good thing, and yet you both persist in being miserable,” Damian says, crossing his arms. “If you act on your feelings, it could allay his distress much better than your current half-measures. And in the meantime, the rest of us can work on a long-term solution.”

Tim clenches his jaw, a myriad of responses on his tongue, some more defensive and angry than others.

He’s saved from saying anything when another voice says, “It doesn’t work like that, Dami.”

Steph has made her way up the stairs; she’s dressed in comfortable clothes and the cast on her arm has been wrapped with purple tape.

“There’s no Band-Aid solution for this,” she goes on. “When this is all over and Jason goes back to wanting nothing to do with the Family—with Tim—it’s going to be heartbreaking.”

“It will be heartbreaking anyhow,” Damian points out. “You may as well enjoy it while you can. At least then, you’ll have the memories. Especially if our efforts to save him are unsuccessful.”

Which is oddly deep, for Damian.

“Memories aren’t always a good substitute for giving up that last bit of yourself,” Steph says quietly. “Take it from someone who knows from experience.”

Her expression wavers, and Tim wonders which heartbreak she’s thinking of just then. Her father constantly letting her down, having to give up her daughter, the events that lead to her breakup with Tim—

It could be anything.

“And you don’t want another schism with Jason to affect the team dynamics,” Steph concludes.

Damian is not convinced. “Please. If that were the case, we would already have seen worse consequences from you and Drake working together.”

Steph tilts her head to one side. “Okay, you have a point there. Kinda surprised you’re the one making it, though.”

“Why?”

“I always figured romantic relationships didn’t merit your attention.”

“Not unless they affect our work. Which is what Drake and Todd’s is doing now.”

“Should have known…” Steph rolls her eyes. “Still surprising, though. Especially considering your background.”

“Meaning?”

“The, uh, culture you come from. With the League and how strict they are about everything. I figured you’d have a bigger problem with two guys, you know, having feelings for each other.”

“Alleged feelings,” Tim reminds. “Alleged feelings induced by supernatural roofie. I don’t think it counts.”

“Technicalities,” Steph dismisses with a wave of her hand. “There’s still major dude-on-dude sexual tension happening here.”

Tim chokes, and Damian looks like he stepped in something gross. “Thank you for that horrifying assessment, Brown.”

“I do what I can.”

“But for your information, League law is based on skills, not who warms one’s bed,” Damian says. “Proscriptions against homosexuality were created by populations with such a low survival rate following birth that every available person had to be governed by the need to procreate. That’s no longer an issue today.”

“Really.”

“In fact, should anyone in the League develop an attachment to one of their comrades—which isn’t forbidden, by the way, it’s just looked down on—it’s considered less of a problem among same-sex relationships because it means fewer children adding to the surplus population of the world. If no one elevates their paramour above the League’s law and purpose, it is not a problem.”

“Huh. That actually makes sense. I mean, with Ra’s’ whole ‘destroy humanity to save the world’ spiel.”

“Only certain bloodlines are continued to ensure stewardship of the world,” Damian agrees. “My aunt, once she fulfilled her duties to give birth to an heir, has taken only female lovers.”

“Wait…you have an aunt?”

Damian ignores her and turns to Tim. “Were your feelings for Todd entirely mutual, it would be a smart match for the both of you. Your bloodlines would cease, ridding us of your less desirable evolutionary qualities.”

“Gee, thanks,” Tim deadpans. “I think that was almost a compliment.”

“With you and Todd unable to provide a legacy, I would be the only one to carry on Father’s bloodline,” the boy concludes.

“You do realize that adoption and surrogacy are a thing, right?” Steph asks, bemused. “I mean, weren’t you technically a test-tube baby?”

“Blood is blood,” Damian says with a shrug.

“And how do Cass and Duke and Dick fit into your little scenario here?” Tim grumbles.

“Cain has never indicated an interest in any children and given the conditioning her biological parents subjected her to, I image they ensured it would never become an issue for her,” the boy muses. “Thomas is not part of the family—”

“Yet,” Steph pipes up.

Damian makes a dismissive gesture, as if he agrees but doesn’t consider it an issue. “And Richard is not blood.”

“He’s still Bruce’s son.”

“We’re all Bruce’s sons,” Tim growls, once again growing irritated with Damian’s black-and-white view of the world.

“You retained your father’s name, as does Thomas. Todd is legally deceased. And Richard never took Father’s name, to begin with. He will have his own children—if by some miracle he doesn’t have them already—and they will likely marry into the family since he is ghayr mahram. Thus, we’ll maintain a strong Wayne bloodline.”

He nods to himself as if pleased with the assessment.

Tim stares. “Your brain is a messed-up place. You know this, right?”

“You seriously have all of this planned out?” Steph wonders, expression caught between disturbed and impressed. She looks like she might want to hear more, and so Tim interrupts.

“In any case, you guys are way off-topic—like, parallel-universe-levels of off-topic. And if you don’t stop, I’m going to start speculating about hypothetical future relationships between the two of you.”

“Oh, ew. Why, Tim? Why?”

“As if I would ever…of all the preposterous…does your mind know no bounds of depravity?” Damian sputters.

“Consider it revenge for that comment you made about Jason in the medbay.”

Damian shudders. “Point made.

“What comment?”

“Not now, Steph.”

She sighs. “Fine. I know when I’m not wanted. I’m going to finish steal some Chinese food if you don’t mind.”

She heads downstairs, and Tim shoots a glare at Damian. “You didn’t come to get us when the food got here?”

“Do I look like Pennyworth to you? It’s not enough I had to order it for you—”

“With my money, I’m guessing.”

“—did you want me to eat it for you too?”

“Like you didn’t already.”

“Semantics.” The boy turns toward the stairs as well.

“Damian.”

“What?”

“Don’t…don't tell Bruce,” Tim says after a beat of hesitation. He doesn’t like confirming any kind of perceived weakness to the younger boy, but this one has ruinous potential if not kept secret. “Please.”

Damian doesn’t immediately take his meaning, but when he does, he gives a sharp, barely noticeably nod.

“Tch—as if Father would be bothered by such trivium. But if you insist.” Tim exhales in surprised relief. “Although…”

He tenses. Should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

“I would caution you against making your feelings about Todd very obvious around Richard,” Damian suggests. “Considering the way he has been compromised, should he discover the truth it won’t remain a secret for you to tell.”

He departs then, leaving Tim standing in the hallway, feeling bizarrely wrong-footed.

⁂

The horizon over Susa is dark but for a thin strip of pink, the last lingering trail of Apollo’s chariot. As he heads out of the feast chamber and onto the balcony, Jason—no, not Jason. He is Alexandros, scion of gods and heir to kings—breathes deep the spicy sweet-smelling air and tries to dispel his melancholy.

His mind is a million miles away from the festivities within. He can hear the raucous shouts of his men and their new wives, the music and the dance and the drink. He should be in there with them, but his mood for celebrating feels false—false like the entire charade he’s just engaged in for the sake of peace and politics.

His feet are itching to take off at a run for who knows where, and yet he remains stubbornly and painfully grounded.

There is a hand suddenly upon his—brown, callused and familiar. He looks down into dark, burning eyes and sees concern there, and so forces a smile.

“This is your wedding night, you know,” he reminds. “You should be spending it with your brides.”

“And you with yours,” Tim—no, Hephaestion—replies, trying for teasing but it sounds more brittle than anything else.

“The duty will keep. There is only one I would spend this night with.”

Alexandros leans into the other man, presses his forehead head against the smaller man��s hair.

“I’ll be sure to notify Roxana to expect you,” Hephaestion murmurs.

Alexandros reels back with a scowl. “Very funny.”

“I thought it was.”

But there’s a lack of his usual wry humor in the words.

Alexandros sighs, knowing the reason for it. “Are you still angry I insisted you wed Drypteis?”

“How can I be? The weddings were my idea.” And they were—a brilliant and necessary political maneuver meant to forge ties between the ruling houses of Perses and Makedonia.

“One you suggested without expecting you would have to endure yourself,” he points out. “Policy works better when those in power lead by example.”

“Is that what it was? Here I thought you were simply tiring of the rumormongering of your other vassals,” Hephaestion says darkly. “It’s no secret they would have me banished or dead to take my place.”

“There is no one who ever could,” Alexandros assures him, worried about the sudden insecurity. “And my wish that you wed had nothing to do with what anyone else thinks. There is a grander hope in my heart than that.”

Hephaestion raises an eyebrow; it’s the first he’s heard of this.

“Do you not see? In having you marry the sister of my own wife, you and I are now bound even more closely together than before. We are family in more than just bond now—as closely as nature will allow—and no one can argue it,” Alexandros explains fervently. “And one day when I have a son, and you a daughter, they can wed. We will share descendants, and they will cement the dynasty and our bloodline in perpetuity.” He crosses his arms. “So my other vassals can bay at the moon as much as they want, there will never be another who replaces you in my esteem.”

Hephaestion’s expression is surprised at first, then pleased. A small smile curls at the edge of his lips, cheeks darkening. But a moment later, something troubling and uncertain enters his eyes.

“What is it, philtatos? Does that future displease you?”

“It’s a pretty dream your words weave, but if someone sticks a knife in your back or poisons you before you father an heir, it’s nothing but a dream.”

“There is time enough for that yet. And in that task, I am not alone,” he teases. “Your line also has yet to be so blessed.”

But Hephaestion does not rise to the bait. “You have already achieved so much. As great as—greater still—than your father before you.” Alexandros clenches his fist at the mention of his father; the man is dead twelve years and yet still casts a long, damned shadow. “What could you lose, hanging back for a year or so? Spend some time running the empire you’re building instead of marching constantly to war.”

“What would be the point of that?” he dismisses, putting some distance between the two of them. “You do that job better than I do, with your shrewd plans and shadowy plots. I am quite content with you keeping the works running while I conquer us a legacy that will last millennia.”

“I have already made the point as to why that might be problematic.”

“Nonsense. Don’t you see? This is why our empire will last longer than any other—because instead of one man grasping desperately to hold the reins of power, there will be two.” He grasps the shoulders of his beloved. “For you, Hephaestion, are Alexandros as well. My second self.” He reaches to cradle his chin, brushing his thumb across the other man’s lips. “Have I not said so a thousand times?”

Hephaestion’s eyes lose some of their strain, though he looks away. “And yet you are king, not I. This was never meant to be my domain. The gods chose your line, not mine.”

“Perhaps not yet,” Alexandros allows. “But one day it will be. As I said before.”

He has no doubt about that.

There are several long moments where he waits, expectant, and then Hephaestion sighs. “As always, I will serve your will.”

Alexandros nods in approval. “Good.”

“I still worry, though, that your utter certainty in your will may someday be misplaced.”

“Nonsense. I am a god, remember?”

“In your own mind, perhaps.”

“Blasphemy,” Alexandros says with affection, curling his fingers into the hair at the name of Hephaestion’s neck and pulling him close. “You have called me god on more than one occasion.”

Whatever the response to that might be is cut off as he fits their lips together, and then he knows nothing but the taste of his beloved.

He startles awake, the ghost of lips upon his own.

His skin tingles and burns, like it’s been stretched around an ill-fitting frame, and there’s a throbbing pressure behind his eyes.

“Where…?” he murmurs, examining his surroundings in confusion for a moment. The room is a far cry from the frescoed rooms and silken furniture he is used to, and the incense-thick air now replaced with something floral and false.

Worse than the disorientation is the fact Hephaestion has vanished.

Only as he jumps out of the bed where he was laying does reality return, hitting him like a crowbar to the head.

He’s not Alexandros—not anymore. He’s Jason, and this is Tim’s guestroom, and Tim is—

“Not here,” he realizes, whatever panic might have been brewing about his previous lives blurring with his current one vanishing with the realization. It’s like a vice clamps around his lungs, and unless he finds Tim, it won’t release.

Instantly he’s stumbled from the bed and across the room, throwing open the door in a hurry. He bursts into the hallway, frantic eyes flitting wildly until he spots Tim standing at the other end. He is framed in a doorway, deep in discussion with—

Blondie is on the stairs beside him—too near, way too near!—and Jason’s already moving.

Before he’s even aware of it, he has Tim wrapped in his arms, has his face buried in his neck and breathes in the scent of him that is somehow so different and yet so similar to how it once was beneath blood and sand and time.

Tim stands stock still, bearing up under the sudden onslaught remarkably well. Jason is a full five inches taller than him and considerably bulkier; Jason can feel him bracing himself beneath him.

“Sorry,” he says immediately and pulls away.

“Don’t be,” Tim says, clearly working to keep his voice level and pretend he is unaffected. He clears his throat. “It’s on the list.”

Jason rubs the back of his head, uncomfortable. “Guess I should probably take a look at that then maybe.”

They’re both trying and failing to avoid each other’s gaze until there’s a cough beside them.

Jason suddenly recalls Steph’s presence—which comes along with a long-buried piece of information that’s never bothered him until now. Namely that she and Tim dated.

On the tails of that fact is irrational anger, because in this time, she has a prior claim on him. And she’s never made any bones about disliking him. Who’s to say she isn’t here to take Tim away from him in the name of protecting him?

Which is both exactly what he wants and also ground for him to rip her throat out.

His lip curls reflexively and he looms closer to Tim. “Problem, Blondie?”

“Yep,” she says easily, the forced calm of someone trying to negotiate a hostage release. Her mouth is pulled into a sharp smile, eyes cool. “But not the one you think I have.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means you’re both being ridiculous,” Tim interrupts, a shade too loud and with a glare in Steph’s direction. That, more than his words, causes Jason to relax a little; if Tim’s annoyed with her, he’s less likely to let her drag him off somewhere. “Jason, I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up. I had to speak to Damian, and then Steph showed up…” He shakes his head in apology. “Did you at least get some rest?”

“A bit,” Jason says though it’s a lie. “Speaking of the bat brat, where is he?”

“Went back to the manor.”

There’s a lot more relief in his voice than the usual that comes with Damian making an exit.

There’s a sudden blare of music from Steph’s pocket, some pop thing that Jason’s probably heard on the radio or in a movie or something. Digging it out, she barely glances at the number before her previously hard expression blooms into a smile.

“It’s Cass,” she tells Tim. “Mind if I step into the other room, or do I have to worry about wandering hands while I’m out of earshot?” she drawls.

“Very funny,” he grumbles as she does just that.

Jason’s brows draw together, wary; it almost sounds as if Steph is…joking about all this. Not getting ready to split them up or say something disapproving that might hurt Tim. Which…is not what he was expecting.

“Did I miss something while I was asleep?” he asks.

“No!”

“Yeah, that was a little too quick to be believable, baby bird.”

“We just established a few things is all. So if you’re worried about Steph, don’t be.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning she won’t say anything. She’s an ally.” At Jason’s derisive snort, Tim glowers. “She covered for you—for us at the Cave. So no one else knows.”

Jason stares at him without comprehension for a moment and then remembers, and his neck and cheeks warm.

The kiss.

“Right.” He swallows. “Guess Bats wouldn’t be too comfortable with us hanging out if he knew about that, huh?”

“I don’t care if he’s comfortable or not,” Tim says with stubborn venom. “The particulars of this situation is no one’s business but ours. It’s enough B’s keeping us benched, he doesn’t get to dictate this too.”

The fierce expression is the same one he wore earlier in the Cave when he was standing up to Bruce, and Jason once again experiences that overwhelming need to pull him close and continue playing out the scene of his dream in real-time.

This time he’s able to rein it in, but it’s a tenuous thing.

“Consider this whole thing’s about us, I have no intention of staying completely out of the investigation,” Tim goes on, thankfully unaware of the direction of Jason’s thoughts. “If anyone’s going to figure all of this out, it’s going to be us.”

“Well, you’ve got me convinced,” he says around the dryness of his mouth.

“Not that that takes much lately right?” Tim quips, lightly teasing in a way that makes Jason have to fight down an embarrassing sound in his throat. “Anyway, on that note, there’s food downstairs if you want to eat. Then I want to get back to the mainframe and do some more research for the case.”

“I’m fine,” Jason says, even though his stomach feels like a bunch of razor blades scraping around inside.

He distantly recognizes the feeling from many sleepless, hungry nights on the street, but somehow it doesn’t really bother him just then. It’s the same way the lack of sleep has felt like an afterthought until Tim forced him to lie down. His interest in anything seems to have become directly proportional to what Tim thinks about it.

Which the other man seems to have figured out as well because he narrows his eyes and indicates Jason should follow him down to the kitchen and the table with several brightly colored containers of Chinese take-out.

“Eat,” he commands.

Jason bristles. “You know, just because I’m slightly obsessed with you right now doesn’t mean you get to boss me around.” Tim raises an eyebrow, and there’s that reflex almost-whimper building in his throat that he must cough to get rid of. “I’m eating because I have a girlish figure to maintain and no other reason.”

“Of course,” Tim agrees, clearly knowing different.

The food, like the nap, doesn’t satisfy the way it usually might; there’s no relief in it, even though Jason knows it will help keep his strength up and not just because Tim said so.

He’s always felt a need to keep Tim happy when he was Patroklus and Hephaestion, but it was never under the compulsion he is now. There was always the freedom to refrain from something he disagreed with or stand up to schemes he didn’t agree with.

As pissed off as he is about Eros infecting him and ensuring his over-the-top fixation with Tim, it could be a lot worse. At least Tim would only take advantage to ensure he’s taking care of himself.

Which is ironic considering how bad he is at taking care of himself.

On their way back to the Nest, Steph returns from her phone call.

“So what was your uber-secret phone call about?” Tim wants to know.

“Lots of things I’m not telling you or your overgrown puppy there,” she quips with an irreverent grin. “Also, she’s flying in as soon as possible.”

“To help us, or help you mock the situation?”

“Why can’t it be both?”

Tim groans. “As if things weren’t bad enough…”

“Oh, relax, Ex-Boyfriend, if you can’t laugh at a situation, what can you?”

Jason growls at the words, earning a startled glance from Steph. Tim catches on quick, because he says, “You might want to watch your words for a bit, Steph. I don’t think Jason’s got the capacity to interpret certain jokes just now.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” she agrees with a frown.

“Also, unless you intend to be useful, maybe go away,” Jason suggests with false cheer.

“Jason…”

“No, he’s right,” Steph interrupts, mouth thinning. “I’m just here to keep an eye out, but I didn’t sign up to be abused. If I wanted that I could’ve stayed in the Cave babysitting Dick. I thought you guys would at least be more fun.”

“Steph, it’s not his fault—”

“This week,” she accuses. “What’s his excuse for the rest of the time?”

“Lingering trauma.”

Tim groans at Jason’s retort, and Steph rolls her eyes. “And we’re back to the death jokes. Get some new material, Zombie Boy.”

“Would you both stop it!” Tim demands. “This is even less amusing than it usually is.”

Jason’s shoulders hunch; he feels instantly reprimanded and terrible for upsetting Tim. Steph doesn’t look quite as abashed, but her tense stance relaxes and she sighs.

“Fine. This is me, letting it go. For now.” They pause in front of the secret door as Tim reaches for the panel. “I’m going to commandeer your training room for a bit. See how much range of motion I still have.” She moves her injured arm gingerly. “Keep the comms open so if there’s any trouble I know to come help.” She jabs an index finger at the two of them. “And no smooching noises.”

“Why? Jealous?” Jason jeers.

“Hardly,” she snorts. “Remember, I’ve kissed him more than you have.”

A film of green fury seems to pass across his vision and Jason lurches forward. His fist is already flying toward her, missing it’s mark only due to the fact that Steph has excellent reflexes and because Tim’s wrapped his arms around him from behind.

“Jason, no! Stop it!”

“Come on, Tim, this time she deserves it,” he whines.

“She deserves…something…” Tim grunts, trying to dig his heels into the ground. “But you…don’t hit…women…”

Something icy slides down the length of Jason’s spine in realization because…Tim’s right. He doesn’t hit women—at least, not unless he’s in a life or death situation facing off with a rogue or unscrupulous woman like Suzie Su who can take the hit. And he’s never lashed out at a woman just based on his own fury.

How could he forget something so fundamental to his principles? All because of a bit of teasing he’d probably just answer with snark on a normal day?

It’s getting worse, isn’t it?

His stomach twists, and he suddenly wants to throw up every bit of food he just ate.

Jason sags back on his heels, kept up only because Tim is still bolstering him from behind. As the inexplicable rage vanishes to be replaced by guilt and shame, he sees that Steph now looks trouble.

“I’m sorry,” she says, voice subdued. “I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

“Neither did I,” Jason croaks. He wants to flee—to stalk off and get away from everything about this situation. But the warmth of Tim’s arms around him is a more convincing argument against that, countering every one of his normal coping mechanisms.

And as comforting as it is to know Tim is there to support him, Jason can’t help feeling utterly trapped.

⁂⁂⁂

I want to know what you think of my story! Leave kudos, a comment or if writing comments isn’t something you’re comfortable with, as many of these (or other emojis) as you want and let me know how you feel!

❤️️ = I love this story! 😳 = this was hot! 💐 = thank you for sharing this 🍵 = tea spilled 🍬 = so sweet and fluffy! 🚔 = you’re under arrest! the writing’s too good! 😲 = I NEED THE NEXT CHAPTER 😢 = you got me right in the feels 🤯mind blown 🤬god damn cliffhanger 😫 whyyyyyyy?!?!?

To Be Continued

#jaytimweek2019 #jaytimweek #jaytim #jaytimbingo2019 #fanfiction #jaytim fic #batfic #tim drake #jason todd #damian wayne #stephanie brown #angst #drama #undying love #fatal flaw #jealousy

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dailytimdrake · 5 years

Note

how do you think Tim copes with failure? Something big that is his fault (or at least, he thinks it is). Does he keep trying or collapse in on himself?

This response turned out to be pretty long, so I’ll keep it under a read-more so as not to clutter your dash. Please remember that these are my opinion, and I am in no way telling you what you, personally, should believe about Tim!

I think Tim doesn’t exactly cope with failure well, if at all.

I’ve mentioned previously in passing on Tim possibly suffering from “gifted kid syndrome”, which ties in especially with this inability to cope with failure. An excerpt from a post by thingofthings on Wordpress:

“At the same time, if you define yourself as Smart, there is going to come a time when you’re Not Smart. When you meet people who are smarter than you, or you have to suddenly start working at a class. This can induce low self-esteem, depression, and general emotional crisis, because if you’re The Smart One what happens if you aren’t smart anymore?”

Tim is so used to picking up on things fast, and being right, and doing things perfectly, so much that when he does fail, it hits him particularly hard.

A lot of his identity is built on being capable. He becomes Robin because he’s good enough to be - because he proved himself by figuring out their identities, and getting Dick back to Gotham, and saving their asses. He had to prove himself worthy of being Robin. And the same thing happens in a lot of his relationships: he feels the need to be capable of something, to provide something, to be a good team leader, to give the other person a reason to stick around. So: failure? Not really an option.

It’s even more emphasised when you consider who he works for: Batman. Bruce is notoriously strict with his Robins, especially when it comes to personal failings. It’s not that he does it to hurt them, but because he wants them to be better. He wants them to improve. Nevertheless this method, applied to Tim, only really ingrains the idea that the only way to get someone’s approval/love is to perform well. I’m not going to get into his upbringing with his actual parents, but I imagine his experience with them was along the same lines as well.

In this context, Tim as a child might come to see failure as a surefire way to lose the regard of the people he’s worked so hard to keep. He might also view it as a personal failure - if he can’t do this one thing, if he isn’t always right, then what is he? A failure.

Side-note: I think he doesn’t see success (as in opposition to ‘failure’) as something to be particularly proud of, either. It’s his normal, an expectation that he should fulfill effortlessly, and to break this normal is to be lesser. This excerpt from chapter 2 CaptainnAustalia’s fic The Replacement illustrates this particularly well:

“I wasn’t ready to go yet. I wanted to see if the replacement was really as good as everyone whispered. When Tim finally landed the mark, a good ten minutes later, I felt the overwhelming urge to clap, or whistle, but instead I just leaned forward on my knees and watched for Tim’s reaction.

Nothing.

He just kept throwing, like he hadn’t noticed that the mark had landed. I was literally holding my breath, waiting for him to notice, to react. But he didn’t. He just kept going – landing more and more until there was a pile up and he couldn’t possibly hit the target any more. He collected his weapons wordless and put them in a small bucket off to the side. He looked over then and I could see it in his eyes.

No pride. No accomplishment.”

(Yes, it’s a JayTim fic - I highly recommend it despite the use of first person interjections and other nitpicking that i’m guilty of, because I really really love Jason’s and Tim’s characterisation here. It’s one of the few fics that portray Jason and Tim as I see them.)

Anyway. When Tim does manage to fail, he kind of panics, because he’s just shaken the entire core of his being. A big part of his identity and ego is “I’m right and I can prove it”, and this has just been questioned. There are a few ways failure can go for Tim:

a) Tim fails to do something he set out to do, through no fault of his own. For example, he wants to catch this one criminal tonight. Not only does the criminal get away, but all Tim’s leads or contacts on him turn up dead ends as well afterwards. Tim’s first response: to blame himself. He did a sloppy job.Never mind that there were unforeseen circumstances - it’s his fault, because he could have factored them in, and yet he didn’t. Next: he fixes it with double the drive. Because if he can do this more than perfectly, it balances out the earlier failure. It’s all quantitative - if he scores a B on the set-up, he needs to work extra hard to get enough points in the execution to get an A overall for that particular mission. And if overall he does it well, then no one will have to know that he failed.

b) Tim fails to do something he set out to do, because he overestimated himself or his plans. An example of this can be found in Red Robin.. somewhere, where Tim has a few elaborate plans running, and one of them fails. He loses the criminal he took into his custody, and finds himself the target of an assassination tournament.

What does Tim do? He forms a new plan to put him back on track and to fix his mistake, but he is humiliated. There’s an underlying anger at himself for not getting it right.

“Too clever by half.” Are you even hearing yourself, Tim? His tone is simultaneously full of self-praise and self-blame. What he’s really saying is, “I should have seen this coming, and it’s my fault I didn’t, because I thought I was too good at this to slip up.”

This is similar to (a), but the emotion is more intense here. He’s more upset about it than he would be if he’d factored in the obvious fallacies in his plan: it’s very easy to lose someone in a sea of bodies. (Note that I say “more intense”. Much of Tim’s emotions are repressed behind a wall of “logic”, so they don’t seem to show a lot of the time, especially in his narration.)

Let me be clear: I do agree that Tim has insecurities, as does every other human character, but Tim is an arrogant know-it-all. He thinks he’s right, and you’re wrong, and he can and will be a smartass about it, because he’s been right so many times it’s inconceivable that he isn’t. So when it turns out his plans came out wrong, not only is it a blow to his identity, it’s also a blow to his ego. It’s incredibly upsetting to realise that your genius intellect doesn’t make you immune to being wrong.

Scarab puts this into words really well in RR#24:

Tim is so full of himself sometimes, it gets annoying.

What does he do next, though? He moves on. He improvises on his original plan, he jumps to the next related topic, he finds a way to fix this new problem that he’s got on his hands.

He finds out more about the assassination tournament. This pattern repeats itself throughout the RR run: Tim messes up, and then he just moves on. But of course, by virtue of being the main character and also a power fantasy, everything works out for Tim in the end, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Back to Tim’s relationship with failure.

c) Tim fails to do something someone else asks him to do. Whether by personal failings or by circumstance, Tim takes it the same way. This is an embarrassment to himself. Of course, his first instinct is to fix it, but sometimes you just can’t fix things. Now his response will depend on how important he views this expectation of him.

c)i) If it’s something he doesn’t take very seriously, or someone who’s not as important to his identity/ego/peace of mind, eg. at the beginning of RR when he first associates with Tam Fox, and he doesn’t really show much care about how she’s obviously traumatised by her experience with his RR work.

He doesn’t really care! Words are just words, especially so when it comes to Tim, and he’s not offering to do anything to make up for it.

c)ii) But if it’s important, if it’s someone whose approval he desires, eg. Batman and the no-kill rule, he gets defensive of himself, but internally he reacts very similarly to (a). Not anger or humiliation, but self-blame. “What is wrong with me?” is the operational self-accusation here. “Why can’t I fulfill his expectations?” A lot of the time this external expectation may be something Tim expects of himself. Thus failure, or even something close to failure, triggers this response in Tim.

After he attempts to kill Captain Boomerang in RR#26 and ultimately decides not to, he’s faced with Bruce’s disappointment:

And he defends himself. You can hear the denial and self-blame in there. He has to keep emphasis both to Bruce and himself the fact that he didn’t do it in the end. To be fair RR is more of an exploration of how far towards the deep end Tim will go, so it makes sense he’d be kind of ‘rebellious’. But still the defensiveness implies a certain kind of insecurity, that’s just it: Tim doesn’t want to disappoint Bruce, but he has, and it upsets him that he did. (Because Tim does need the approval of those around him, no matter what he tells himself.)

So, overall: Tim is a perfectionist. Not in the stereotypical manner of “I have to become perfect”, but in the sense that perfection is his natural state and any deviation from that is a failure. It’s simply not acceptable.

His first response to failure is usually to fix it immediately, and when that proves to be non-doable, or doesn’t work out, he flounders. And then he shoves it to the list of failures in his head that motivate him not to fail again, and moves onto other things. But his failures are always in the back of his mind, and he consistently (whether consciously or subconsciously) thinks about them, how he could have done things different, how he could have prevented that failure. He gets hung up on them, but it’s not debilitating.

You bet he remembers that one time when he was 5 and considered for a hot second the possibility of, say, Lex Luthor being Batman. He will never let it go. But that failure doesn’t cripple him - he learns from it, and now here he is. Better.

Hope this response made sense! And yes, all my canon examples are from RR because.. guess who hasn’t read much else? I’m starting on Robin, I promise.

#tim drake #red robin #robin #batfam headcanons #tim drake headcanons #imagine tim drake #imagine batfam #headcanon #request #Anonymous #ask

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holyhikari · 5 years

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The Wayne-Todd Literary and Tea Society

In which Damian and Jason bond over books and complicated feelings.

Batman (Comics) one-shot. Characters: Damian Wayne & Jason Todd.

Word count: 2695. For General Audiences. No pairings.

Read on Ao3: The Wayne-Todd Literary and Tea Society by Beatriz Caelum

When Damian sees Jason Todd, he is always tempted to ask a few questions.

You see, differently from most, what he wishes to say usually isn’t about the killing that happens when Jason puts on the infamous red helmet. That he is capable of understanding. Damian didn’t use to kill for anything related to ethics — a natural aspect of his birthright more than anything else —, as grey as morality can get in both sides of his family, but he has blood on his hands nonetheless.

There isn’t much to say about dying, either. They’ve both been there, at different times, in almost different worlds, clinging to what Bruce Wayne once meant, but Death is timeless and the same to everyone it touches. (It is life that is different. Damian woke up to love and Jason to absence.)

Sure, there were some scattered talks about it over a rooftop or two, mostly questions, “What do you remember of it?” and “Do you feel wrong when you breathe?”, that were met with, “I’m not sure,” and “Being alive to me has always felt somewhat unsettling,” but it wasn’t long before they realized that it was the last thing they wished to talk about, even with someone who could understand.

Good thing they can work just fine with silence.

Even though almost a full year has gone by after Damian was bought back to the unfortunate land of the living, he still catches the Red Hood looking out for him more than what is necessary whenever they happen to meet under Gotham’s night sky. It’s something he does even when they are in different sides of a fight, “not opposite sides,” Hood would say, “you know what I want for this hell of a city is the same that you want, too.”

(Damian supposes it is the same in more ways than it is not, but Father has a more abrasive opinion on the matter.)

Regardless of how many times Damian has snarled for him to stay out of his way — like a little brother would be upset rather than an acquaintance or an ally —, that he does not need the extra protection, especially not from him, the Red Hood is insistent. Merciless even about this.

Father’s face twitched when he mentioned the gesture. Drake teased, “you complain when we don’t like you, you complain when we try to help.” Richard gave him a sad smile that Damian couldn’t shake off for days; Nightwing is also prone to reckless protection around Robin, closer to endangering himself than he would be otherwise.

It makes it harder to work. It makes it more painful to love and be loved by Richard. It makes him more sensitive to what persisted of Father’s grief. But, right now, Damian can only think of how it makes him more curious about Jason Todd — he could write a list. How can you be so ruthless, yet so caring? How much of your idiocy is staged? How was Father before he lost you? Do you truly not realize the hole you left inside his heart?

But, most of the time, he wishes to ask him about Mother.

Damian knows they spent some time together. What of her that he knows that her own son doesn’t? He wonders, sometimes, what would have been of their weird brotherhood — if you could call it that �� if Mother was to tell him about the ex-Robin’s leap into the Lazarus Pit. They could’ve met. He was very young then, but his tender age had never been an issue to the League. Perhaps, after probably trying to murder Jason for planning to hurt the Batman of all people, he would grow to admire that… unique determination. Like he does now, although reluctantly.

However, what actually pulls the trigger and has Damian swallowing his pride has nothing to do with blood — in any sense of the word.

“What do I own the visit?”

The way Damian stiffs, full on Robin gear and with only one foot into the apartment’s window, could only be caught by someone trained under his Father. The Red Hood snorts, a sound distorted by the helmet’s voice modulator.

“I assume you let me in,” he chooses to say. “Otherwise your security methods could be compared to the skillset of a babbling infant. And that is me being polite.”

“It sure is,” Hood sits down, couch worn out and small like most of his safehouses, reaching for a mug resting on a table. The room smells like cheap coffee — the kind that offends Drake to a personal level —, but Damian suspects that this is tea. “Alfred called. Like, a few minutes ago. Said that if I let my window open I might catch a bird.”

Damian clicks his tongue, “I didn’t tell Pennyworth to inform you of my arrival.”

“Are you embarrassed?”

He presses the bag he is holding a little too forcefully to his chest. “No.”

The Red Hood hums and takes off the helmet. Then, Jason Todd blows on his drink. “You must have noticed by now, but Alfie kinda does what he wants.”

(Damian has very much noticed.)

“Were you about to go out to do any of your nonsense?” He asks. Then, more shyly: “I could come back another time.”

For a moment, Todd looks like he’s about to ask what Damian wants from him, but instead, he raises an eyebrow. “You don’t get to boss me. Weren’t you supposed to be getting ready to patrol now, baby bat?”

Damian frowns at the nickname. “We’re going in later tonight for a specific mission, but, for once, I am not here to discuss any crime-related activity. It is more… personal.”

“Oh, no.” He groans louder than Damian wants to hear. “Is this any kind of family meeting? I know I have been on kinda-friendly terms with most of you for a while now, but I’m not in the mood for anything personal. ”

“It is not a family meeting.”

“Whatever it is, go to Dick.”

He clears his throat. “I think it will be of your interest.”

“Surprise me, then.” Todd sighs, stretching his arms. The mug is now empty and there’s probably more where it came from, but he doesn’t offer any beverage to Damian. Rude. “Do your worst, but you know I’m badder.”

He refuses the urge to roll his eyes at the insulting use of the English language — Todd is above this! — and drops his bag’s content onto the living room table with little to no ceremony, almost pushing the mug off. Jason curses at him.

Then, nine bangs. One from each Sherlock Holmes book colliding with the wood.

Todd's expression shifts in a way that Damian knows he wishes he still had the helmet on.

“These are mine,” he draws out, slow.

“Indeed.”

“You —,” Todd narrows his eyes, the greenish blue glowing accusingly. “You stole my books?”

Damian bristles, “I am above stealing.”

“I don’t remember giving them to you,” he points out. “Or letting you borrow them.”

“They were in the Manor’s library,” he says. “With some other books that also belonged — belong to you, I believe. They had a special place just for them.”

“Wh—”

“Pennyworth.”

Todd’s shoulders are still tense, but the lines around his eyes soften at Alfred’s name. Damian can see that there’s some sort of internal struggle by the way Jason’s body carries itself in what he recognizes as the most unforgiving self-discipline; as if his fingers itch to run through the books’ covers, open them, press gently to the pages’ margins to see — to feel — if the notes he took so fervently all those years ago are still intact, but he doesn’t want to have this moment in front of Damian.

“You came here to tell me you found out Alfie is a good person,” Todd deadpans, but Damian catches the constipated emotion nonetheless. “Amazing job, Detective.”

“I came here,” he hesitates, “because I saw your notes.”

Todd wrote on all the nine volumes, a rushed, clumsy but determined calligraphy squeezed between the edges and Arthur Conan Doyle’s words, mostly untouched with the exception of a few phrases carefully circled by Alfred where Todd had made a grammar or spelling mistake. By the end of each and every book, there’s Father’s handwriting complementing Todd’s observations and theories about the plot, the mysteries and the characters throughout the pages.

It made Damian heart’s ache when he saw it all. Younger Todd’s excited rambling about what he was reading was very, very bright. More often than not, he grasped even the more obscure clues and foreshadowings Doyle left within the narrative — a detective in making. A natural.

Damian had imagined Jason Todd as this dense, unruly kid that would only pick up a book if someone made him. Someone who worshipped senseless violence. It’s what almost everyone says. It’s what Todd himself tells people.

I was Robin. The bad one.

“And you’re here to tell me how stupid they were? How much better you were at my age?” Todd scowls, getting up a little too fast, already walking towards him. “Because I don’t want to hear any of it. Get out.”

“Thank you,” Damian blurts out before the most Al Ghul part of him shuts his mouth and before Jason pushes him out of the window. “It was a privilege to read them.”

Surprise bursts into Todd’s face and he almost loses his balance when his steps come to an abrupt stop. “What?”

“You were — I saw your other books,” he says. “You have excellent taste in Literature and your notes were filled with very pertinent insights.”

“You’re complimenting me.”

“Yes,” Damian rolls his eyes. “It would be foolish of me not to admit it.”

Todd opens his mouth, then closes it. He repeats the action a few more times.

“You’re welcome, I guess?” He says, exasperation coloring his tone. “I wish I had a camera.”

“Only the Sherlock Holmes collection had notes on them,” Damian decides to push his look. “I checked it twice.”

Todd’s lips twitch, forming a thin line. A sort of bitterness clings to him and Damian is suddenly too aware of the fact that the boy who wrote what he read is lost to more than time itself.

“B gave me them so the deductive skills part of training wouldn’t be so boring,” he sits down again, not looking at anything specific. “He — we decided to make it a sort of game. The notes were for him. So he could see my progress.”

“We don’t do this sort of activity,” Damian finds himself saying. He swallows, hand to his throat. The words hurt to pass through.

"I'd offer you tea, but I just ran out of it."

"Next time."

Todd’s smile is tired, “You can just ask Bruce to do stuff like this with you, gremlin.”

“I suppose I could,” he mumbles. Then, louder: “There are many clean books.”

“Don’t touch my stuff,” he snaps, but there’s no venom to it. “You hadn’t read Sherlock Holmes before?”

Damian’s back straightens. He puffs his cheeks involuntarily, “Of course I had. I wanted to re-read it. Who do you take me for? I’ve read the most celebrated literary works to date from authors all across the world!”

“To Kill a Mockingbird?” He challenges. “One Hundred Years of Solitude? Beloved? Fahrenheit 451? The Color Purple? The Left Hand of Darkness?”

“Please,” Damian scoffs. “I could’ve written an award-winning analysis on all of these when I was four.”

“What’s the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?”

“42.”

“Impressive.”

He shoots back at Todd a list of his own and isn’t all that surprised that Jason only stops him once, “Dom Casmurro? Never heard of it.”

“It’s from Machado de Assis,” Damian for once in his life tries not to sound arrogant when explaining something. “Brilliant writer from Brazil.”

“They’ve got Clarice Lispector too,” Todd’s eyes widen in recognition. “I’ll look it up.”

“No need,” Damian waves his hand in a dismissive gesture. “I’ll have a copy delivered to you in no time. We can discuss it later if Capitu did or did not cheat on Bentinho and why it is unclear to this day.”

“I don’t know who these people are, but I bet she didn’t and, if she did, he deserved it.”

Damian almost smiles, “Good guess.”

“Uh,” he blinks. “Are you okay, Damian?”

“Do I not seem in a good condition to you?”

“You want to spend time with me,” Todd says, pointing to himself. “With me. ”

Damian tries to mask the disappointment that creeps up on him with his usual scowl. “If you find it unpleasant and does not wish to—”

“I’m just surprised,” he interrupts. “God. Did I wake up looking like Dick Grayson and no one told me?”

“You’re not entirely impossible to be around, I’ll give you that, but you aren’t Richard either.” He smirks wolfishly. “But you do have a chance to prove to me that you can discuss art better than anyone else in our family.”

The last two words envelop the room in a heavy sort of silence. No one dares to move for far too long, and, despite the stillness of it all, despite how little effort one has to make in order to unveil the exact pace of their heartbeats and what they hide, no noise from the outside is brave enough to interrupt whatever flows between Damian and Jason in this instant.

Damian doesn’t know if Pennyworth keeping the books made him sentimental, or if the Bat Signal is shining behind him for Father, or if the way he said our family was just like Richard says it, or if something about his careful way of approaching reminds Todd of how he and Drake started sorting out their own issues, or if the act of sharing words and finding meaning in it makes Todd’s mind wander off to Cain. Damian has no idea.

But, somehow, they’re all here. With them.

And Todd could run away. He could — and he doesn’t.

His hand finally finds its way to one of the books, with such care and devotion that, if it wasn’t for the bat plastered on Todd’s chest and the gun attached to his waist, no one would believe he’s the Red Hood.

“These stories,” Todd’s voice is not above a whisper, “made me feel like I had a home when you guys couldn’t.”

Damian’s eyes burn behind Robin’s mask. “You can have more than stories now. If you wish.”

The look in Todd’s eyes carries the kind of intensity that makes people afraid to live another day. Damian waits, without as much as breathing, for something to shatter; for having to turn his back and walk out with Todd’s rejection at his trail.

Instead, “Damian Wayne wants me to join his book club.”

Stunned, he almost falters. “If you want to put it that way.”

Todd turns away to put on his helmet before Damian can get a better look at his expression, but, if there’s anything feigned about Todd’s agreement, he isn't able to see. He seems to be getting ready for the night, back turned to Damian and a serenity to his movements that wasn’t there before.

“The things I do for art,” the voice modulator makes his dramatic sigh sound like static.

“I only expect the best,” Damian warns. “I choose the books.”

“Always?” Todd protests. “But then we’ll never know in which Hogwarts house you’re in, or who is your godly parent and if you’re in Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter, if you’re Team Edward or Team Jacob, and I won’t get to see your face when Prim goes boom, or —”

Damian is almost regretting this already. “What even is this nonsense?”

“Oh, I’ll let you know.” Todd has one foot out of the window. “This is going to be priceless.”

“I won’t read any garba—”

“See ya in the Slytherin common room!”

“Where?”

Damian still has many questions to ask, but he is already gone, of course, and Robin is completely alone in the apartment.

But nowhere near as lonely as the other times Jason walked out on a conversation.

#Damian Wayne #Jason Todd #batfamily #dc comics #batman #my writing

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sebeth · 5 years

Text

Young Justice: Independence Day, Fireworks, and Stopover

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

My goal is to re-watch the Young Justice series and re-read the comics before the January 4th launch of Young Justice: Outsiders. Let’s begin.

Episode 1: “Independence Day”

July 4th: We begin, appropriately enough, on the United States’ Independence Day. The title will have multiple meanings by the end of the first two episodes: the kids’ semi-independence from their mentors and Superboy’s freedom from the Cadmus Project.

Do cold villains hate the Fourth of July?

Dick is the only Robin who would have laughter as a trademark.

“Juniors doing this for attention?” – One of my favorite parts of this series is the depth of knowledge for the characters of the DC Universe – even the obscure ones. The current Icicle is a “junior” – his father was the original Icicle of the Golden Age era. As a huge fan of the B through D list characters, I have a huge appreciation for anyone who remembers the small details.

Kaldur was an interesting choice as he was a new but fairly obscure character when Young Justice debuted. Garth would have been the more logical choice as he was a founding member of the Titans along with Dick, Roy, and Wally.

I admit I wondered why the series was called Young Justice because all I was seeing were the founding members of the Titans at this point (minus Garth and Donna).

“You’ll chat it up with the cops, the bystanders, with Cold even.” – One sentence reveals so much of Barry’s personality.

“I knew we’d be the last ones here.” – Again, a Barry trait.

“Speedy is Green Arrow’s sidekick.” “Well, that makes no sense.” – Accurate.

“Why isn’t anyone just whelmed?” – Dick’s mangling of the English language begins.

“02” – The assigned numbers correspond with the members joining the team. The way to my heart is the small details.

Roy has a huge hissy even by his impatient, hot-headed nature. We discover the reason later in the series.

“We could make an exception.” – Really, the Justice League wouldn’t allow their proteges on the Watchtower? Why?

Zatara and Wotan! Yay, obscure characters for the win!

“Glad you didn’t bring you know who?” Foreshadowing!

The boys invade Cadmus in all its glory: Guardian, G-Nomes, Genomorphs, Dubbilex, and, of course, Superboy.

“Dr. Desmond” is a hint for his upcoming transformation. The “Blockbuster” label confirms it.

Wally is a science nerd. Makes sense with Barry as a mentor.

“File KR” – another hint.

“Sub-level 52”. – DC does love its 52.

Superboy! Looking more like the Teen Titans-era version than the early, scrawny, fresh out of the pod version.

Hack! – Tim is typically the Robin most associated with computers. To be fair, the Internet was pretty much non-existent when Dick and Jason were Robin.

Superboy, unsurprisingly, curb-stomps the team.

Episode 2: “Fireworks”

First appearance of the Light aka the Cadmus Board of Directors.

“Clone them.” – We later discover that one sidekick has already been cloned.

Dubbilex, the sneaky traitor, awakens the boys.

“Project: Sidekick” – Desmond is so imaginative when it comes to naming projects.

“He can talk.”

“Yes, he can.”

“Not like I said it.

Wally, listen to Dick and Kaldur and keep your mouth shut.

Kaldur is clearly the wisest of the original group.

“Batcave’s crowded enough.” – Well, it’s been said three is a crowd.

“What would Superman do?” – Everyone should apply this standard to their decisions.

“Don’t you give me orders either.” – I can see why it would be a sensitive issue – his whole life (all 16 weeks) has been controlled by others.

“You can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool.” – Sweet Wally being supportive.

“Don’t apologize. This is perfect.” – That’s how you know Dick was raised by the Batman.

“I finally have room to move.” – Yeah, speed is more useful when you have to space to run.

“Grab something from Project Blockbuster.” – If you were familiar with the villain, you knew what was about to happen.

“The Genomorph hero.” – Unfortunately, this bit wasn’t followed up on.

“Everyone back.” – Protective Guardian for the win. Sadly, he’s outmatched by Blockbuster.

“Got your nose.” – Gross!

“You incredible bulk.” – Shout out to the competition.

Oh, look at protective Superboy and Aqualad covering their more delicate teammates.

The League arrives with Superman taking point.

Not loving Hawkgirl/woman’s costume.

Poor Kal breaks Superboy’s heart. Bad Kal! I understand Clark’s upset and confusion but don’t take it out on the newborn child.

“All 52 levels.” – Again, DC loves the 52.

“Why let them tell us what to do. It’s simple. Get on board or get out of the way.” – Superboy declares the true mission statement of Young Justice.

Red Tornado as team supervisor is a nod to the comic book version of Young Justice.

I did like the addition of Black Canary as team trainer. It’s a nice nod to Dinah’s combat skills which Gail Simone spent most of the 2000s building up.

“This is the Martian Manhunter’s niece.” – Another surprise choice as Miss Martian wasn’t very well known in the comics. Never will a character start out so cute and then devolve into creepiness.

M’gann’s obsession with Superboy begins immediately. We’ll discover why later in the season.

Young Justice #1: Stopover

The issue begins immediately after Superboy declares “Get on board or get out of the way.”

“Give me three days” Batman responds.

The group then realizes Superboy has nowhere to go in the meantime.

Kid Flash brings Superboy to Central City. Wally explains the situation to his parents. There is a cute moment when Mrs. West corrects Wally’s grammar: “Robin, Aqualad, and I…”

Superboy interjects with a “You weren’t there.”

Cadmus clearly didn’t instruct Superboy in conversation nuances.

Mrs. West informs Wally that he “leads a very strange life. But we’re use to it. Largely.”

Wally’s parents are way more understanding and supportive than they are in the main DC Universe.

Wally’s parents ask Superboy’s name. Wally responds “I call him Supey. I think he likes it.” Conner doesn’t look like he likes it.

We stop in on Kaldur and Arthur’s return journey to Atlantis.

Kaldur: “We meant no disrespect.”

Arthur: “I would not be much of a king if I did not allow my subjects freedom of expression. Especially when their words carry such wisdom.”

Somewhere, Garth is wondering why he never had this type of relationship with Arthur.

Conner wonders “Think Superman knows I’m here?”

Wally awkwardly reassures Conner that Superman knows he’s in Central City.

Wally awakens the next day to find Conner sleeping upright in his closet. Conner informs Wally that he is not “used to sleeping in a bed. Your closet reminded me of my Cadmus pod. Except for the funny smells.”

Poor Conner. A bed shouldn’t be a foreign concept.

The boys spend the day vegging in front of the tv. Conner is very bored. Each panel has Wally eating something different: a bag of chips, pizza, and a bucket of fried chicken.

Nice nod to Wally’s metabolism.

Late in the day a card arrives with a credit cart addressed to Wally “for expenses.”

Superboy wonders if it’s from Superman.

Wally vaguely confirms it’s from Superman with a “who else could it be from” even though he’s clearly aware it was sent by Batman.

Wally is so sweet – he keeps trying to reassure that, of course, Superman would care about Conner’s location and well-being.

Batman is also a very sweet Bat-Dad this issue. Bruce would deny it but he was consistently sweet and supportive to Conner in the first season. None of the other Leaguers thought Conner would need money to buy basic essentials like clothes. Or that the middle-class Wests would need financial support to care for Superboy. Wally’s appetite alone has to put a serious dent in their income.

If Wally hadn’t offered, I’m positive Bruce would have taken Conner back to the Batcave. If for no other reason than Alfred wouldn’t have been thrilled with the idea of an underage child being left alone. Batman would have also thought of the risks of leaving Conner on his own – Cadmus operatives could have tried to regain custody of a lone Superboy.

The boys head to the mall to shop for clothes. A nice easter egg is the name of the store the boys enter: “Forever Sixteen”. Conner was genetically locked in that age for some time in the comics.

Conner buys multiple copies of the same black shirt. Not someone who’s big on fashion.

We bop over to Gotham where Dick is impatiently wondering what Bruce is doing in the Batcave – it’s been almost two and a half days!

Alfred patiently reminds Dick that when one says three days, one means three days.

Poor Alfred has the patience of a saint. Imagine what the poor man endures on a daily basis: Bruce in all his glory; hyper, energetic Dick, Jason’s explosiveness, Damian’s demanding arrogance, and Stephanie’s boisterousness. Tim, Cassie, and Duke are the quieter children. They don’t cause Alfred as much fuss.

Back to the mall where Wally and Conner encounter Tommy and Tuppence, the Terror Twins – the same twins that Conner and M’gann impersonate at Belle Reve.

Flash and Superman arrive on the scene of the fight. Conner mutters a single “Superman” before Clark flees from the scene. To be fair, he was pursuing the Terror Twins but he couldn’t even offer a “hi” before he left?

Flash tells the boys to go home. Barry will pick the boys up in the morning because “Batman has made his decision”.

Honestly, Batman made his decision as soon as he told the kids “three days”. Bruce simply needed the three days to implement his plan.

Conner asks Wally if “Superman will be there tomorrow”. Wall responds “Uh, sure, you know…if there’s no emergency somewhere.”

Conner’s downcast face shows he doesn’t believe Wally’s statement.

Conner asks Wally “Why’d you invite me to stay with you?”

“Well, un, Aqualad lives underwater. And the Batcaves’s kind of a big secret. So I figured it’d be cool for us to hang.”

Conner smiles after Wally’s statement.

Wally is so sweet and supportive in this issue. It also shows that Wally is very trusting. He is inviting Superboy into his home with his civilian parents – and he knows how easily Conner curbstomped the entire team. But Wally knows Conner is one of the good guys and doesn’t even hesitate to bring him to Central City.

The issue ends with the final moments of the second episode.

#Young Justice #Superboy #Kid Flash #Robin #Aqualad

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