#cryptid prince

[decibly]

Barry was hungry. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, as he could just grab some snacks from the kitchen, but he was watching a movie, and he was comfy. He really, really didn’t want to try and wriggle back to where he was now

“Phantom?” he called out hopefully.

A white glove emerged from the wall behind him, dropping an unopened bag of chips on top of his head. When Barry reached up to grab it, he saw that it was salt and vinegar, which explained why it was still uneaten. Phantom seemed to refuse those chips under all circumstances.

Barry didn’t really get it, because salt and vinegar was awesome, but that didn’t really matter. The point was, Phantom was a great person, even if he probably wasn’t human, and it didn’t matter if Barry hadn’t ever actually seen more of him than his arm, and he had told Barry his name by leaving a piece of paper on a table when he turned his back for three seconds after asking if there was a name for the ‘friend in the walls’, as Wally had called him.

“Thanks, Phantom!” The hand stuck itself out the wall again, forming a thumbs up.

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

Diana had found a bit of a problem. It wasn’t a big one, and was honestly more of an annoyance than anything, but her paper copy of Earth’s current standing with all known alien civilization was missing. She could get access to it again in a few hours, once the security upgrade to their computers was finished, but she had been intending to review it for a few weeks now and could use the extra time. 

An idea came to her suddenly, and Diana quietly asked, “Phantom? Are you here?” In answer, a chilly breeze blew through her hair. He was, then. “By any chance, would you happen to have seen my copy of th-” Interrupting her, the very papers she was looking for appeared out of nowhere on her desk. A green sticky note was stuck to it, reading ‘This? Sorry for taking it, but it was really interesting’

Diana smiled, hopefully in the ghosts direction. “Yes, that. If you want, I could see if I could get you your own copy?” Another green sticky note appeared on top of the first, this one just oozing the feeling of happiness. ‘YES PLEASE!!!’

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

Bruce… didn’t really know what to do about the teenager floating just outside the Watchtower. He looked like Phantom, from the few times anyone had actually seen the ghost, and he appeared to be enjoying himself in the vacuum outside instead of dying painfully, which was another point of evidence for that theory. Unsure of what else he could do, he knocked on the window on the off chance that he could get Phantom’s attention that way.

The ghost immediately vanished from view, and a strong, freezing cold breze blew in from the direction of the window Phantom had been outside. Bruce shivered violently from the unexpected chill.

Next time he would leave Phantom alone. Being out in space seemed to make him happy, and it was best not ruin that.

#dannymay #dannymay2023 #cryptid au #danny phantom #danny fenton #barry allen #diana prince #bruce wayne #the flash #wonder woman #batman #justice league #dc x dp #danny doesn't want to cause trouble #no sir #he just wants to have some fun #make some friends #and hide in everyones walls #and over time everyone just accepts that this is how life is #that now they just have a dead teen living in their walls #all danny has to say is that this is the best bet hes ever lost to tucker #who cares about how many marshmallows he can eat while fighting the box ghost #because he lost tucker dared him to stalk the justice league #and now hes in space!

[puppetmaster13u]

Imagine a world where Batman and his family never joined the Justice League but like, both Wonder Woman and Superman know him.

They mention him idly sometimes and even despite not being there (that they know of) he's become the League's cryptid. No one knows who this hero is- Gotham sticks to itself, it's a shithole but it's their shithole- or where they are or anything??

Eventually rumors start going around between the heroes. Is the bat some sort of eldritch being? They overheard the big 2 say something about shadows and undead revival?? Their secret boyfriend? They heard them talk about kids???

It comes to a slight head when during a mind-controlled Superman rampage he gets tackled by a black blur and the next time they see him he's fine?? No mind control??? What?????

"Oh, Bats was passing by and is exasperated about me getting mind controlled again."

Supes that doesn't explain as much as you think it does-

#dc #dcu #batman #cryptid batman #superman #wonder woman #superwonderbat #justice league #prompt #bruce wayne #clark kent #diana prince #diana of themiscyra #Superman and Wonder Woman know exactly what they're doing #they're playing dumb #Batman may not be justice league but he's their friend #and their trump card #Also the amount of comic panels of Bats holding Supes faceand goin bby girl this isn't you #And it works #Is unreal lmao

[r0semultiverse]

Okay; so, this was an Ice Prince Finn scarecrow!

#I still have sooo many questions about the farmworld universe timeline #like bro i'm so confused fr #how did he get the crown back or get a new one #& how did he manage to smash or or break out of it's influence?? #I'm about to make a little theory post on how things came to be & another possibility #I like that he essentially became a cryptid called the snow man; love that for him #if cartoons still got as much merch as they did back in the early 2000s there are soooo many plush/doll opportunities & things fr #mine #op #ice finn #ice prince finn #adventure time spoilers #adventure time #finn mertens #adventure time fionna and cake #fionna and cake #fionna & cake #adventure time fionna & cake #farmworld finn

[prince-o-sky]

The thing 🍂

#furry #anthro #art #fursona #my fursona is getting a cryptid form teehee #beast #autumn #mild body horror #multiple eyes #character joey #prince-o-sky

[snaileer]

To Play Pretend

(PhantomVision Revised)

Let me out! Let me out!

This is isn’t real! It’s not real! Accept it, play along play along. Get out! Convince him, you have to convince him! Get out! Wake up! Snap out of it! Play along play along play along

Wake up! It’s not real wake up wake up accept it wake up wake up wake up get up get up get up

Bruce sits bolt upright with a haze of fog still between his skin and his mind. Immediately, his gut feels off, the way his shoulders are loose with the lack of anxiety and paranoia that he’s grown used to, the way his vision is not quite aligned to his senses.

And yet.. he can’t seem to raise the right sense of alarm. His mind stays slow and calm, even as he mentally screams to start investigating. Someone, something is messing with his mind.

He turns his head to the side of the bed he’s in-another thing he does not recognize- surprised to find Diana laying next to him.

How is she here? No, they were on a mission, investigating.. something. Why can’t he remember? He’d had Oracle on comms, Wonder Woman at his side, it was a Justice League mission- why is he-

Bruce winces, sharp pain running across the front of his brain. What was-

The door slams open, a boy he doesn’t recognize standing there, dark black hair, and blue-green-blue eyes. His mind jumps to son, a shallow feeling of family bubbling up that makes Bruce want to recoil, this isn’t Damian, it’s not Tim or Jason or Dick or Cass- this isn’t his son! This isn’t his family! he wants to yell out.

And yet, his mouth calls him Danny, a name he doesn’t know and says with such familiarity.

“Dad! Babs is being a know it all again!”

Bruce feels his face smile without his permission just as he sees Barbara step around the doorframe.

She’s standing, she’s younger, she looks just a little different, hair pushed back by a teal blue headband- Bruce wants to scream, something is wrong!- instead he smiles more as she ruffles Danny’s hair.

“Little Brother, you’re going to be late for school,” Barbara says, despite the fact that she had always, always been an only child.

Diana sits up beside him, and Bruce can’t even turn away from the two in front of him, no matter how much he tries, barely managing a wide eye look from his peripheral. He can’t tell if Diana even catches it. He can’t move, can’t interrogate the only unknown here, kid or not, can’t research or ask Oracle for more information. Barbara hasn’t been able to reply to him any more than he has.

Within a blink, they’re downstairs-how did they get here, what’s happening, is there a time distortion as well?- and Bruce is standing at the stove top, a pan of broken eggs with small bits of shells in them in front of him.

It’s manageable. He could still finish these eggs- unbidden he steps aside, a jovial laugh as Diana goodnaturedly scolds his cooking abilities, emptying the pan and starting anew.

Bruce turns. Danny and Barbara are both sitting at the table, Danny the picture of teenage recklessness, homework spread in front of him.

Every word looks like scribbles, staring too hard makes his brain hurt.

The toaster dings. Danny looks up at it, glaring. Bruce swears his eyes flash green-

“All done! Enjoy!” The clink of plates hitting the table makes them both look over as Diana sets them down.

Barbara and Diana share a look even as Diana stiffly turns back to the counters.

Bruce looks at the toaster.

Empty.

“Come on, Babs we’re gonna be late for school!”

Barbara hesitates, a pained look hidden just behind her eyes, “Danny, I- my legs hurt right now okay? I can’t drive us to-“ The words sound like a struggle to get out. And Danny stands stock still in the living room, looking at her with unnatural stillness.

“But you always drive us to school.”

Bruce watches Barbara’s body snap back to that same stiffness as before as she moves to stand from the kitchen table.

Bruce forces a step forward, smile on his face, “How about I drive you today, kiddo?”

“Okay, Dad!” Danny smiles, movement returning to the room. He moves to grab his backpack left against the wall and Bruce throws another look at Barbara from the side of his eye. She’s okay for now, body more natural as she returns the look with wide eyes herself.

Still, she stands and follows after them as his feet lead them to the car out front.

It’s an old station wagon, a stereotypical family car.

Even as Bruce walks around to the driver door, keys somehow already in his pocket, he catches Danny staring at the car with narrowed eyes and suspicion.

Bruce looked back at the car- truck, had it always been a truck, no, no, no, it changed it changed, things were changing.

Danny climbed into the backseat like nothing was different and Bruce did the same, Barbara behind him in the backseat.

His body is autonomous on the drive, even as Bruce tries futilely to jerk the wheel or slam the pedals, they continue to go forward on the road, Bruce’s face as calm as ever. It’s almost familiar, the two of them bickering in the back seat, chattering like his own children, there were his own- no! They weren’t! His kids were out there! Not here! Not here not here-

Bruce stops, awareness heightening abruptly, his limbs his own.

They’re at a stop light, despite there being no other cars around.

The backseat is silent.

Bruce turns back, surprised to see Danny staring silently out the window. He looks at Barbara next, grateful to see real emotion, pain, panic, on her face, not just hidden behind wide empty eyes.

Danny continues to stare out the window.

Bruce follows his line of sight across the street to a closed down burger restaurant. The outside looks clean, but the sign looks burnt and destroyed. Yellow caution tape flaps in the wind across the entrance.

“Danny, what are you looking at?” He asks, surprised to hear the words come out, completely of his own volition.

Danny doesn’t move.

“We don’t go there anymore.”

Bruce narrows his eyes, clues filing into order, “Why, Danny. What is that place?”

“We just don’t.”

“Why Danny, why is that place so-“

“We just DON’T, okay!” Danny shouts, face angry as he turns around to yell, and there- his eyes, that flash of neon-

Bruce is facing forward again. The light is green. The car moves, sound resumes.

His chance is gone.

Bruce wants to grit his teeth, clench the leather of his gauntlets beneath his fists. He barely manages to tighten his hands around the steering wheel.

Too quickly they arrive at the school. Barbara slowly getting out even as Danny practically races up the steps. Bruce wants to help her, surprisingly, his body follows. Allow him to support her under a hug, a fatherly hand on her opposite shoulder, fingers supporting her armpit as they go up the stairs.

Danny looks at them with a tilt of his head and furrowed brows.

Words fall from Bruce’s mouth, unbidden, as his feet force him backwards, “See you after school, Danno! Bye, Babsy-pants!”

The look vanishes from Danny’s face.

Seconds later, a man approaches them, eyes zeroed in on Danny.

“Ah, Daniel, glad to see you’re on time!” The man says, and Danny looks at him, blinking harshly with confusion apparent.

“You must be young Daniel’s father… Jack, was it?” The man smiles slightly and turns to Bruce, grey hair tied in a ponytail behind him, “I am his teacher, Mr. Lancer.”

Bruce’s neck tingles, an odd sense of familiar paranoia prickling his nerves, “It’s Bruce, a pleasure to meet you,” he shakes the offered hand automatically, watching as the man’s smile sharpens at the edges.

“And the same to you… Mr. Fenton.”

The name rings hollow in his memory, barely scratching a memory before it is buried under fog and stuffed cotton.

“I just have so much to teach him,” Mr. Lancer smiles again, watching as Danny finally walks fully through the school doors, turning down a hallway.

Even under whatever spell this is, Bruce is wary of this teacher, though he can do nothing to show it, even feel it past a surface notion of wrongness. But still, his feet carry him down the steps without his permission, away from a kid he is ostentatiously supposed to protect.

As he gets closer to the car, Bruce feels the cloud over his thoughts get thicker, step by step, each clogging his mind more.

He catches sight of the school’s announcement sign, the date.

Mid-October, the numbers hard to read, but he caught enough.

They were months into the school year already. How long had he been here? How long before he’d even woken up enough to know it? How long had he been away from his family?

His fingers clasp around the cool metal of the door handle.

Bruce blinks.

The bell rings.

Faceless, unfamiliar kids flood out of the doors and Bruce gets out of the truck- car, it was a car, it was a car-greeting Danny with a hug, Barbara with a helping hand.

They leave almost immediately, the two of them in the backseat as Bruce drives.

Occasionally, Bruce will look in the rear view mirror and find a completely different sight, the road cracked and broken, buildings abandoned, streets empty; and yet when he checks again, it’s gone. The reflection the same as the road before him.

He can only see it like a translucent image in his peripheral.

Somehow their route home does not take them back past the burger restaurant again. Bruce has used and discarded three different mind strengthening techniques by the time they are back in front of the house.

He parks, noticing for the first time how the air shimmers in front and top of it, the light shifting like a curtain covering furniture when he doesn’t look directly at it.

Diana is sitting on the couch in the living room when they come in, a laptop perched on her lap, looking for all the world like a stay at home worker.

The seemingly blank pieces of paper on the coffee table are discarded as she gets up and moves towards the kitchen.

“Welcome home Danny, how was school Babs?” She says, food preparations already set out around her.

Bruce walks towards her, a hand across her shoulders; the picture of loving parents.

He hopes the feeling of solidarity gleams through anyways.

Freedom of movement snaps through his body so suddenly he nearly staggers. He looks at Diana, a thousand words in one glance, then turns to Danny.

The boy is staring at the door on the side of the kitchen. By its placement, Bruce would guess storage, a pantry, a basement maybe. He hesitates to break the unnatural stillness in the air.

Diana is already halfway to the door, Barbara is at the table, thumbs flying across her phone screen.

He makes a decision, throwing away the facade, “Danny, where are we? Why are we here?”

Danny’s face furrows, head tilting in confusion, but his eyes don’t leave the basement door, green light seeping from the edges.

“We’re… at home. Right? I just wanted… I wanted to go home..” Danny says, eyes flickering that damning bright green.

Bruce presses on, he needs answers, “What happened here Danny? What is this? Why are we here?”

“I…” Danny’s face furrows further, “I don’t…”

The doorbell rings, snapping Danny’s attention to it. Taking with it his mind and movement, fog sliding over his senses.

Bruce’s looks at the basement door from the side of his vision, any hint of green light gone.

“Danny, your friends are here!” Diana’s voice calls out.

Bruce’s vision jumps to the front door, thankful that he follows Danny as he leaves the kitchen.

No no no.. no no.. not them, leave them alone, leave them out of this!

Tim and Stephanie stand at the door, plastic smiles on their faces as they high-five Danny.

“Hey guys! Ready to play Doom?!” Danny says, a wide smile on his face, leading them both inside.

Straight past Bruce.

They walk right past him, shallow words and teenage garble trading between them like it’s natural, like it’s real. Why wouldn’t it be?

NO! Not them! None of it’s real! Let them go!

“You know it Danny! I got new mods, maybe we’ll finally beat Steph!” Tim says, loud in way he never is, pulling a bulky PDA from his pocket.

Stephanie laughs, elbowing the both of them, “Not in a million years, T!”

Bruce watches, helpless to stop them as they go past him, raging against his own body.

Tim casts a desperate look over his shoulder before they disappear up the stairs.

He manages a glance at both Diana and Barbara, each returning the tense undercurrent of urgency that runs through them all.

Even as the fog thickens, submerging his thoughts like polluted waters, he forces his mind to center on one thought, even if that’s all he can do for now, he will not be locked back into this lie they are trapped in.

He will fix this.

Somehow.

#batman #danny phantom #batfam #danny fenton #dc #batman and robin #danny phantom crossover #bruce wayne #tim drake #dpxdc #dp dc #cryptid Danny phantom #powerful Danny Fenton #justice league #danny phantom justice league #wonder woman #Diana Prince #I lowkey hated the way the first version turned out. actual garbage #so I redid it. #please read this one instead

[suzukiblu]

Ooh, Gentle Princely Caretaking or Fake Cryptid Real Romantic for WIP Wednesday? I gotta request more feral Kon getting domesticated by a handsome tiger, but also I can't NOT ask for more Fake Cryptid xD

gentle princely caretaking:

A good half a dozen laps of the courtyard later, Tuftan manages to herd the boy into a corner and tackle him to drag back to the bath. Humans, apparently, can run beyond any reasonable length of time. Tuftan knew they had endurance, but the boy’s is just ridiculous. 

“Brat,” he growls in exasperation, and the boy snarls viciously and attempts to kick him a few more times as he claws at his back with his nonexistent claws. 

Well, he knew he was getting a mostly-feral human here, Tuftan reflects resignedly as he lugs the boy back across the courtyard and nearly gets knocked over twice in the process. If he’d gotten an already tame one, that wouldn’t be much of a prize to present to Tawna. After all, he’s trying to prove he can tame a wild thing–specifically, a strong and clever and notably difficult one. 

So now he’s dripping with bathwater and getting bitten by an absolute brat of a human, because of course he is. 

At least he knows Tawna appreciates wild things.

a fake cryptid and a real romantic:

“Robin’s so cool, it’s gonna be awesome going hunting with him!” Superboy rhapsodizes happily, beaming in obvious delight at the idea. Clark wonders if he should’ve tried to encourage Superboy to make friends sooner, given how happy he clearly is about the idea of just hanging out for one patrol. Or . . . “hunt”. Dick used to call patrol “hunting” too, so no surprise Tim’s picked that habit up. “Do you think I should bring him another diamond? I don’t really know how to make anything that’d match his colors yet, I’m working on rubies but they’re still not good enough. I can never get the color right, you know?” 

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Clark says, a little perplexed. Well, he supposes making gemstones is . . . technically a creative hobby? Not much different than a human making lab-grown gems or making something out of clay, for them. It sounds odd, but Superboy would just be “firing” and shaping the stones, really, so . . . 

Well–Superboy definitely needs hobbies that aren’t related to either superheroics or media attention, so Clark decides to leave it for now. As long as the kid doesn’t accidentally destroy the diamond industry, it’ll be fine.

#anonymous #wip: gentle princely caretaking #wip: a fake cryptid and a real romantic

[schrijverr]

The Hearts of Gotham 1

Chapter 1 out of 7

Bruce makes the Justice League believe he has two hearts and is a manifestation of Gotham’s night to throw them off his secret identity, not trusting them. When the sound system breaks, he doesn’t come clean, but lies instead that he split into two to make Robin. From there it spirals as all the Robins make the lies grow and twist it in their own ways, until the truth comes out.

This fic is based on this post and inspired by Bouncing Baby Bat, or so the Justice League is led to believe... by EmpressGeek.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: none

~~~~

Chapter 1: How Bruce Made Himself out to Be a Cryptid

Let it be known that Bruce never intended for it to end up like this. Truly, had he known then how it would end, he might just have been honest with the Justice League when they formed, but instead paranoia had overtaken him and now it has spiraled into this.

Okay, let’s back up a little. It starts like this: Bruce doesn’t want to join the Justice League that these others are forming for bigger threats. In his mind, they are the possible bigger threat, seen in how effective they are against other big threats. The fact that they can’t see that makes him only more wary.

However, the others seem determined to see this done, so if Bruce wants to keep a close eye on them, it’s better to be involved. With his tech being used, he’ll know all the back doors. With him in the meetings, he’ll know the protocols will be good. With him in the training, he’ll be able to study their weaknesses and plan for contingencies.

So, he joins to soothe his own worries and doom scenarios. He joins so he can monitor them all and step in should it go awry.

But being able to observe them, means that in turn he’ll be observed too.

He is very careful about his identity thus far, because he knows what’s at stake. His own voice is that of Batman, so if he’s taken by surprise out in the field it won’t be different. He wears lifts in his Batman boots to make him taller, more intimidating, less human. He stays in the shadow, never lets anyone observe him better.

Because if he’s ever found out, a lot of things will come crumbling down. The police is only half convinced that there is an actual person under there and there is a big factor ready to arrest him, should they catch him. Though luckily also a faction moving to working together with him.

Should he be arrested, Alfred will likely go down as accomplice and spend his retirement in a prison with Wayne Enterprises falling into the hands of a semi-corrupt board that will weasel out the non-corrupt like he is trying to weasel out the corrupt now.

Hundreds of thousands will loose their jobs, programs that keep the less fortunate from going under will disappear, the public transport system will decay and the name his parents made for themselves will forever be tainted by him. And that’s not even mentioning the crime that will run rampant without Batman, all the people that could go through what he did.

No, he can’t be found out.

So, he has to be careful when working with this newly formed Justice League. Throw them off his scent so they’ll never connect the dots. But it has to be subtle, something he can keep up, something not everyone would note.

The person he’s most worried about getting on his trail is Clark Kent, or Superman, as he is known, an investigative journalist. The others are less like him or Clark, people who go out and look for things that irk their brains, but Clark has been assigned their leader. He’ll want to know and he’ll want to dig.

He is also a person who might be able to find Bruce. His secret identity is as solid as it can be, but he’s only human and there are cracks. As a reporter, Clark interacts with both Bruce and Batman and he has extra abilities to help him.

He must be stopped.

So, before his first meeting with the Justice League, Bruce sinks into a pit of what-ifs, until his paranoia forces him to action. And he sows a sound system into his suit, that plays an extra heartbeat, making it seem like there are two hearts beating in his chest.

Bruce’s logic is, that if the supers in the League would hear his two heartbeats as Batman, they would look for that if they wanted to find him and since he doesn’t have two heartbeats as Bruce, they never would unless he was being Batman, thus open to being found.

It’s a solid plan in his mind. The League consists of all sorts of people, both human and non-human, no one would ask too many invasive questions about his supposed biology. It’s perfect.

Thus, it comes to be that Batman enters the Justice League as a cryptid non-human entity. Not something he planned for exactly, but the Batman is already more than a man, said to be a demon or a vampire. It helps with intimidation and it helps with his cover. The others already think him to be more than human, why not play into it? It’s not like he trusts them. He’s here to monitor, not befriend.

It’s a solution that soothes his anxieties and enables him to actually work. It’s also easy and low profile, as well as something that can grow organically as the moment calls.

The first times it happens, is when they’re making a protocol about when it is alright to step in on another hero’s turf. Bruce is the one, who insisted on making protocols, wanting to have written guides he could force the others to follow, rules they are held accountable by.

“No metas in Gotham,” he first lays down the law for his own city. “We can make protocols for other cities to suit the heroes wishes and what is reasonable. But there will not be anyone but me in Gotham, I don’t care how severe you think it is. Unless you have an explicit invitation from me, you aren’t welcome.”

“What the hell, man!” Hal exclaims and others are also frowning.

Clark, as always, steps in to mediate: “Batman, we’re willing to follow your lead in your city and I agree that a heroes wishes should be considered, but there no reason not to be civil. You’re a meta, you know life can be hard enough as is.”

Bruce does feel a little guilty then, because despite his wariness, everyone here has been nothing but nice – overly nice in that peppy hero way, but still – and he doesn’t mean to be rude. He just knows that the type of crime fighting they do, doesn’t mesh with Gotham and he can’t have them ruin his city.

So, he crosses his arms and tries to project sternness instead of guilt as he says: “And I am stating my wishes clearly. No metas in Gotham is a neutral statement. You made it loaded.”

“You’re being hypocritical, Batman,” J’onn says not unkindly, probably picking up on some of the guilt, despite his mental barriers and misinterpreting.

“I am not, I am being clear,” Bruce says, as stubborn as ever, while mentally running through all the random knowledge he has acquired in the years of being Batman. Then he adds: “And I am being clear, because you coming will completely ruin the ecosystem.”

“Ruin the ecosystem?” Diana repeats, still learning the new lingo of the world of men.

“Yes,” Bruce says, glad that his acting classes under Alfred are paying off. “When I say that I am the night, I am very serious about that. I am Gotham’s night, come to life. The hearts of the city beat in me. My villains are created by what Gotham is as a city, they won’t respond well to you. You’re an invasive species. Who knows the kinds of irreparable damage you could cause?”

That sounds pretty logical to his own ears and he makes a mental note to get Poison Ivy some perks in Arkham when he gets back. He also makes a not to record what he said later, as to not contradict himself down the line.

“You’re literally the night?” Hal chuckles, a little disbelievingly.

“You’re a space cop,” Barry rightfully points out. “We work together with two aliens, a woman with wings and an Amazonian princess. Is a personification of the night really a stretch?”

“It just seems fantastical that’s all,” Hal shrugs, body language giving away that he feels a little bad about his outburst. But not bad enough to not defend it, because he adds: “Everyone else seems to have at least a bit of a basis in science.”

“Magic is quite real,” Diana says, stunning them all into silence for a second.

Clark clears his throat after a second, then says: “Thank you, we’ll keep that in mind for later meetings. So, uhm, no metas in Gotham,” he gets them on track. “Does that also apply for non-hero meddling? Like if someone has to be there due to secret identity obligations?”

Bruce knows why he’s asking. It might sound like a general question, but unlike the others, he actually knows who they are in their civilian lives. And he’s seen Superman out of uniform at his galas.

However, he doesn’t let it show. Having Clark hear only one heartbeat in his chest at the galas will only strengthen his secret identity. So, he curtly says: “If you don’t interfere with its business, Gotham will let you in.”

“Alright,” Clark says, looking a little disturbed. “I’ll note that down. No metas in Gotham. Now, what about anyone else’s city? Something else we should know about when not trespassing?”

The others gratefully take the reason to move on and Bruce has to hold in a snort, because it’s quite amusing to see these superpowered beings buy into his make belief. To have them be scared of him, who is just a man.

But it is also comforting, because if they are scared, they’ll listen. He needs them to listen to him, to value his opinion as one of their own, because maybe then he can ensure that they will become that line of good they have the potential to be, instead of the force of destruction they can also become. For that, he is glad.

Furthermore, he registers that his ruse is working in his favor. It gets him what he wants while minimizing conflict, thus it is good to maintain.

So, as they build the Justice League together – something that takes a lot more meetings and paper work than some of them were expecting, he observes – he maintains and builds his lie further. He establishes himself as the night of Gotham and expands on his backstory as he goes.

A little while later they’re in a meeting about their fighting abilities. They have already worked in the field together, but during the big emergency, but that doesn’t make for good observation circumstances. Therefore they have this meeting, so that all are on the same page about what they can do.

Bruce has contemplated making himself out to be scarier than he actually is. However, when it is his turn, he doesn’t invent invulnerabilities or abilities for himself, it can be detrimental in the field to have given others unrealistic expectations.

Thus, when it’s his turn to answer, he honestly says: “When it comes to any unnatural abilities, I function as a normal human would. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“No way,” Barry says, leaning on his hand and observing Bruce closer. “No powers? None?”

“Yeah, I don’t buy it, Spooky. With all the vanishing you do,” Hal agrees.

“Then maybe we should have another stealth day,” Bruce says seriously, because what he does is not that difficult and can be taught. As heroes, they should have a certain amount of skills in every field, though maybe it’s good for them to not be fully competent. Makes it easier to take them out should the day come.

Hal quickly makes a zipping his mouth shut motion, before Bruce can continue on with his threat that he is still contemplating.

Before it can get out of hand, everyone gets distracted by Shiera asking: “Really? You want us to believe that the physical manifestation of Gotham’s night has no power?”

“Yes, that does seem quite miraculous,” Diana agrees open eyed and well intended.

“Yeah, you have no clue what sort of stories come out of there,” Barry adds. “Well, I’m kind of assuming you don’t, since I suppose you don’t leave your city often and maybe you don’t really read our news if you do. But like it’s crazy. There was a while where I wasn’t even sure you existed or if there truly was a vampire out there.”

As they all talk, Bruce is silent, quickly thinking. Is he going to have to lie? Make up some powers that are minor enough that they won’t accidentally risk his life when he doesn’t want it to be risked? No, Alfred will kill him.

Fuck, he never thought they wouldn’t believe him if he told them he operated with no powers. He should have planned for this. Stupid. Note to self: plan more contingencies.

In the end, something comes to him right before it becomes weird that he isn’t answering. So, he answers: “I am the manifestation of Gotham’s night. Gotham is wholly human and remains so, that which powers me is human.”

“Wouldn’t it be beneficial then to have more metas in Gotham? So that you can get powers?” Barry asks, the curiosity of the scientist shining through.

It’s a good question too, and Bruce quickly bullshits: “No, because my villains are created in reaction to me. If I am stronger, so will their challenge be and Gotham will face more destruction.”

“Would that mean your villains disappear when you do?” Hal asks.

“No,” Bruce says again, cursing himself for not planning better. “The city creates them, but not like it creates me. It’s the shadow that hangs over Gotham that brings out the worst in people. They are not like me. They are humans. But if my shadow grows bigger, so will that of the city.”

“Man, that’s confusing,” Hal complains and Bruce is glad his own twists threw them off.

He is even more glad when Clark steps in: “And it’s not our place to question Batman or poke holes. Let’s all be civil. Batman, I’ll note down no powers.”

“Thank you,” Bruce replies, because Alfred raised him better than to not thank someone.

And so he goes on establishing himself as Gotham’s night. He has a writing frenzy wherein he fleshes out his lie to the League as to never be caught unawares again like that, before carefully and calculatedly dropping things into conversation as time goes on.

“Batman, you’re seriously injured, I saw that bot hit your head! You really should let us take a look at that,” Clark says after one of their earlier battles.

“No, I need to go to Gotham, my city strengthens me,” he lies, as to slip out so that Alfred can take a look at it. Hopefully the man won’t scold him too bad for traveling via Zeta-Beam while having a concussion.

Or during a boring meeting, when he suddenly gets up. Diana asks: “Batman, what is wrong? I did not hear an emergency call.”

“Gotham needs me,” he lies again, deciding that he sits through enough boring meetings as Brucie not to want to do it as Batman too. At least, not right now. He has a case he’d rather be working on, more important too. “It calls to me.”

As he leaves, he hears Barry whisper to Hal: “That sounds useful, I always just cross my fingers that I’ll catch it when it happens.”

However, over time it peters out. He has let all the relevant pieces drop and he feels that it doesn’t fit to share more. They know what he wants them to know and no one has caught on to the fact that he even has a civilian identity – something he’s loathe to admit, he stole from Clark. So, he stops and settles in with what he has.

And time continues to pass like that. Bruce gets to know his fellow League members better, learns how they think and where their morals lie. He starts to respect them, then tentatively trust them.

Most of them reveal their identities – never pressuring Bruce, since they don’t think he has one, despite Clark revealing his own – and become friends rather than colleagues. Bruce even thinks of them as friends.

However, he doesn’t say a word to them, never feels the need to reveal himself. To them he is the night, like he is Brucie to the board, and that suits him just fine. He is their friend, but he never forgets the power they hold and he never forgets his own responsibility in monitoring them.

The Justice League is set up to counter threats and one of the threats is the Justice League itself. He has just positioned himself to counter that threat, should it ever come to pass. And being non-human is a part of that. It’s as simple as that.

Besides, he befriended all of them based on a lie. To reveal now how much he distrusted them, how much he kept from them and how much he lied can only end in disaster. They’ll hate him for lying and they’ll never trust him again. He can’t risk that.

So, when the sound system in his suit breaks without him noticing and Clark exclaims: “Batman, are you okay? I can only hear one of your hearts beating,” Batman doesn’t hesitate to commit further to his lie.

He has made many contingencies for it breaking while on missions or during a meeting, but with how careful he is with his equipment, it never occurred to him that he would show up for an average meeting without it working.

“It’s okay,” he says, trying to think as fast as he can about what will make sense as explanation.

“That sounds more like you are ill, my friend,” J’onn speaks up, picking up on the anxiety wave that had crashed through him.

“No, no, I am fine, I assure you,” Bruce insists, landing on a solution. “My second heart has formed enough and I have split into two. It needs time to reform, but then I will be fine.”

For a moment, it is silent.

Then the whole room explodes with noise as the others demand what the hell that means and who he has split up into and how that even happens. It’s not something Bruce planned to do, but he’s in too deep now. This was his last chance to come clean and turn back and he didn’t take it. This is going to be his life forever now.

Guess, Dick is getting his wish and meeting the Justice League, instead of being stashed as far away from them as possible to keep him safe. This can be an exercise in obfuscation and keeping cover, he thinks.

~~

A/N:

As of much with Bruce’s earlier Batman career, 90% of what he does is just straight up bullshit that he is pulling out of his ass lmao and I love that for him <3

Also, you can’t convince me that ‘Gotham needs me’ isn’t his excuse when he doesn’t want to be somewhere anymore.

(also I have finished this fic already and I can be manipulated into posting quicker if there is interest)

#rr writing #batfam #batfamily #bruce wayne #batman #paranoid bruce wayne #cryptid batfamily #justice league #jl #jla #dc #dc comic #clark kent #superman #wonder woman #diana prince #hal jordan #green lantern #flash #barry allen #the hearts of gotham au

[fainting-fat-cat]

First ever attempt at a digital drawing. It's not perfect but for a first I'm pretty pleased with it.

#art #artists on tumblr #drawing #digital art #mothman #cryptid art #cryptid #cryptidcore #monster #live laugh lurk #cute #mothman is the prince and I will hear nothing to the contrary #Mothman for my bestie

[minebentobox]

New chapter of LPC by @cosmicpoutine (I help too but he does the hard work) please check it out! Just had my kid brother binge it today too ❤️

#artists on tumblr #character art #comics #lgbt pride #queer fantasy #webcomic #webtoon canvas #lonely prince club #lpc #canon trans character #dragon #cryptids #mothman #queer books #lgbtq community

[going-to-superhell]

Nico is technically a prince and pjo is now part of Disney WE GOT A GAY DISNEY PRINCE

#nico is my favourite disney prince #pjo #hoo #nico di angelo #pjo nico #percy jackson #nico pjo #chaoscore #chaotic bastard #cryptidcore #cryptid #unintelligible goblin noises #feralcore

[escaped-cryptid]

SIDLINK IN TOTK REAL AND TRUE

#cryptid posts #prince sidon #loz link #botw #totk #sidlink

[corvids-corner]

After a conversation with my coworker, I've come to the realization that Cosmo Sheldrake's music better fits the image alot of people have been creating of Hozier than his own music.

#y'all want whimsical cryptid fae prince music?? #cosmo sheldrake #is right there lmao #he may be more of a bird man than a bog man but he literally has songs called “Moss” and “Tardigrade Song” and “Wriggle” #And then there's “Come Along” which is peak fae music #nothing against Hozier btw i just wish cosmo sheldrake had more hype he's so good

[puppetmaster13u]

 Y’know, I was thinking about like, before the Justice League forms in this au. 

Just slowly rotating Bruce meeting Clark and Diana before they start the league, maybe even help each other out. Need another heavy hitter? Time to call in Clark! Someone mind controls Superman again? Time to call Diana! Need information about some sort of artifact? Diana is there! Want weirdly specific information that no one should know or to get into a place they can’t? Time to call in Bruce! Need a distraction? Boy does Bruce have you covered! Need diplomacy because this alien AI is pissed? Diana pulls on her training as a princess, warrior or not. Need to seem harmless- why, there’s a sunshine alien sweetheart with the same vibes as an overgrown puppy ready to help! 

Honestly it’s a surprise no one has realized they know each other yet, but then again Bruce really embodies being a cryptid and just doesn’t sit still for any potential photos. Sure there are some with Wonder Woman and Superman visible with him hidden in the shadows, but no one outside of Gotham really knows about him. Like I am imagining their friendship being both “two extroverts adopt this introvert” and “we’re coaxing this stray cat with its dozen of kittens over no matter what”

As always, I shall implore you to check out @phoenixcatch7 as this AU is a combo of my cryptid batfam au and theirs, called Possessed Doll

#meat marionette au #batman au #cryptid batman #wonder woman #batman #bruce wayne #diana of themiscyra #diana prince #superman #clark kent #Honestly they're the first to learn about the Tunnels #But Bruce insists it's not a problem or a danger so they leave it be #Little do they know that has put them in said caves' begrudging good graces #Not enough to snatch them thankfully but they *are* Its favorite child's friends #Best friends even! Maybe more but I might make that a poll #Actually what do you think Phoenix my dear mutual and semi co-creator #Gosh I wish I could make a chat or something to discuss this AU lol #Bruce: No one goes into the Tunnels #Clark & Diana: Okay why are you in the tunnels then? #Bruce: #Bruce: If I got adopted by the Tunnels that's no one's business #Omg when the kids first meet Diana & Clark lmao-

[ascendantloser]

jarogen is so funny to me like what do you mean the boy king barely (if he’s likes you enough or feels bad he might) listens to anybody but her???

what do you mean?? she’s like 5’4 and has all this power and influence, where did she come from???

nobody knows. but she keeps jaron in line so that’s good enough for everyone to like her.

(i miss them. jarogen fandom come back)

#imogen is a cryptid to the nobles #the ascendance series #the ascendance trilogy #the false prince #the runaway king #the shadow throne #the shattered castle #imogen #jaron artolius eckbert iii #jaron eckbert #queen imogen #jaronximogen #jarogen

[phoenixcatch7]

Gem fusion au with a cryptid batman AND supernatural prince of Gotham Bruce Wayne.

In the eleventh hour the city is saved by the world famous demon creature finding the mysteriously missing prince and, in an act of true sacrifice and love for the rotten city, Bruce Wayne miraculously performs a perfect fusion with the monster, the glittering jewellery of status now adorning sweeping wings and fitting perfectly to the symbol in its chest, a diamond and pearl crown floating between two enormous pointed ears.

#batman #dc comics #bruce wayne #batfam #Just imagining how a cryptid batman (real or not) would combine with a literal prince of Gotham and the image struck me so clearly #I had to share #Like. Vampire king style thing #B being able to combine his royal powers and influence with his capabilities as the bat #Maybe his bat powers are FROM his royal powers #But so much glittering and swoopy silver jewellery... A clear night sky. A city skyline in monochrome. #Gotham harbor reflecting the lights of the fishing boats and tankers and cruise ships #Two people famous for never ever fusing except with a trusted handful (all the same people + supes) #Wayne refuses to talk about his experience with the bat and everyone wonders how traumatising it must have been #LOTS of white prince/dark knight fic/art from the Gotham girlies #All of it objectively stunning. They all put Bruce in white suits. He's Gothams darling. Their sunshine airhead with a heart of gold #And a spine of steel if you push him but no one really does that so it's only whispers #And the infamous half mythical batman. Black knight. Tall. Mysterious. Possessive exceptionally dangerous so very very kind and loyal too #But if he's magic he could harm superman. Supes tries to stop him from going too far on his enemy (who won't DIE but) #And the 'dark prince/vampire king fusion' almost claws his nose off for trying to get between him and the guy who pushed him that far #Someone gets a side profile candid (Tim) and it's the end of Gotham journalling it is the ONLY thing that gets printed alongside articles #Like;;;;

[crysdrawsthings]

That moment when you go to eat guily pleasure peasant food at 3am, so annoying bosmer won't find out, but forget about your wife's uncanny ability to detect any burgers being eaten in the radius of a mile.

In other words, Deer sleeps like a log and dreams of handholding, but will come running down the hall, maybe on all fours, should there be a tiniest crinkle of burger wrapper.

#or in some other words #naemon married a freaking cryptid and lives with the consequences #eso #elder scrolls online #tes #the elder scrolls #vestige #altmer #deer the altmer #prince naemon #yes if you need to ask he does eat burgers with fork and knife #he is not an animal to eat with his hands #crysdrawsthings #cringeship