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cardcaptorsakura96 · 2 months

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Taxes, Taxes, Taxes- Chapter 25

Fandom: Supergirl

Characters: Kara Danvers, Clark Kent, Samantha Arias, Lena Luthor, Lillian Luthor, Ruby Arias, Oliver Queen, John Stewart, Diana Prince, Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen, J'onn J'onnz, Alfred Pennyworth, Lois Lane, Cat Grant, Lucy Lane, Damian Wayne, Felicity Smoak, Streaky the Supercat, Martha Kent, Selina Kyle, Talia Al Ghul, Lucius Fox, Maggie Sawyer, Alex Danvers, Jason Todd, Otis Graves, Lex Luthor

Summary: What if superheroes had to pay a property damage tax every time they had a fight in the city?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24

Lillian walked into the dining room while carrying the main dish for tonight’s dinner: roasted chicken. She was surprised to see Lena walking around the dining room table like a mad woman adjusting silverware and chairs while Sam and Ruby watched over to the side shaking their heads.

Lillian stopped near Sam and Ruby and said softly, “How long has she been like this?”

Sam said, “She has been like this for about an hour now. Ruby and I offered to help, but Lena swatted our hands away from the table.”

Ruby pouted and said, “She said that everything has to be set right on the table. I’ve helped set the table before.” Ruby turned to her grandmother and said, “I thought you told me I was a good helper with the table last time.”

Lillian smiled while kissing Ruby on the forehead.

“You’re a wonderful helper.”

Ruby looked at Lena pouting and asked, “Then why doesn’t Auntie Lena let me help set the table?”

Lillian stared at Lena for a second fusing over the silverware on the table.

Lillian turned back to Ruby, smiled and said, “Sometimes, people get a little carried away when they are trying to impress someone that they are in love with.”

Ruby looked over at Lena curiously and asked, “Falling in love does that to you?”

Sam chuckled and said, “Sometimes it does.”

Ruby muttered, “Well, I hope that love never does this to me.”

Sam chuckled.

Lillian smirked and said, “I don’t know why you are laughing. You should know better than anyone that love can make us do crazy things. I remember a certain someone having us sit through them trying on thirty outfits before their first date with Lucas Johnson during their senior year of high school.”

Ruby looked up at her mom curiously and asked, “Why did you do all of that?”

Lillian chuckled and said, “She wanted to have the perfect outfit. Even though the majority of the stuff she showed us was a variation of the same look.”

Sam groaned and said, “I thought we agreed to never speak of that again especially after Lucas turned out being such a prick.”

Lillian kissed Sam on the forehead and said, “I am just trying to let Ruby know it is normal to have feelings like this is all.”

Sam pouted and said, “At my expense.”

Lillian smirked and said, “Well, think of it this way, you will have a chance to do the same thing when Ruby has a son or a daughter.”

Sam sighed and said, “I don’t even want to think that far now. Ruby is still my sweet little baby.”

Ruby groaned and said, “I’m not a baby anymore.”

Sam smiled and kissed Ruby’s forehead and said, “You will always be my baby.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. Lillian cackled as she placed the chicken on the table. She then went over to Lena who was still fidgeting with the silverware.

Lillian placed a hand on Lena’s shoulder and said, “You know that we got everything covered. The food is ready and the table is set.”

Lena looked at her pouting and said, “Everything needs to be perfect tonight. There is so much left to do and to add to that, Kara is bringing an extra person.”

Lillian chuckled and pulled Lena in for a hug and said, “You worry too much. We were aware of the extra person coming tonight so there is enough food for everyone. The only thing that is left to do is to place all the food on the table.”

Lena looked at the table and said, “Maybe, I could turn that fork just a little to the left.”

As Lena went down to reach for the fork, Lillian grabbed her hand and started to pull Lena away from the table to the living room.

“Hey!” said Lena said loudly.

Lillian guided them over to the coach and pulled them down.

She turned to Lena with a soft smile and said, “You need to calm down.”

Lena looked at Lillian dumbfounded and exclaimed, “Calm down!” Lena said louder, “Calm down! How can you say that to me? I am meeting her family for the first time. Her only blood relative absolutely hates me with a passion.”

Lena looked down while wringing her hands tighter and asked, “What if the others hate me too?”

Lillian pulled Lena in for a hug and Lena leaned into the embrace. Lillian rubbed soothing circles on Lena’s back.

“I think this has to do with one person in particular.”

Lena sniffed and asked, “Why do you say that?”

Read the rest on AO3

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atlas-likes-writing · 10 months

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Taxi!

Character(s): Reader Insert, Lex Luthor, Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley, Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinnzel, Zoom/Hunter Zolomon, Mr Mxyzptlk, Joker, Nightwing/Dick Grayson, The Flash/Barry Allen, Red Robin/Tim Drake, Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane, Reverse Flash/Eobard Thawne, The Riddler/Edward Nighma, Red Hood/Jason Todd, Batman/Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, Superman/Clark Kent, Darkseid (mentioned)

Summary: You applied for a job as a taxi-driver and somehow managed to get it. A lot of very interesting people now enlist your services.

Word count: 1580

Tags: Comedy, chaos, mentions/inferences of explosives and illegal acts such as murder, decapitation (written with comedy in mind)

Authors Note: Me? Finishing a WIP? You must have the wrong person.

Your job was an interesting one.

It wasn't bad, persay. It payed the bills and kept you off the streets. However, if you told yourself a few months ago that you'd be driving some of the most infamous people on the planet around in your tiny yellow taxi every day, you would've laughed and thrown yourself into a psych ward.

Yet here you are, stationed around Central City, Metropolis and Gotham. As you've recently realised, the people who hire your services are quite the colourful bunch, which has led to some- ahem- interesting conversations...

"Ah, Y/N! How are you on this fine evening?"

"Wonderful as always, Mr Luthor. How was your day?" you reply, looking at the billionaire through your rear-view mirror.

"Productive," he answers, "My engineering team are in the process of creating a shield strong enough to stop the Sun's rays from reaching the Earth's surface!"

"How interesting! May I ask what it's for?" you question.

"No, you may not."

"--And they don't use petrol or diesel? Are you sure?" Ivy asks, fidgeting with her fingers nervously.

"Yep!" Harley replies, "It's a completely electric taxi to help the environment."

"Alright then." Ivy appears to relax a little. She turns to the road as you slow your car to a stop in front of the two women.

"There's my favourite taxi driver! How'ya doin', sweetheart?" Harley asks, leaning through the window to give you a kiss on the cheek.

"Better now you're here, Harley. Where am I taking you lovely ladies?"

"You flatter us," Ivy smiles as she gets in the car and fastens her seat belt, "Ace Chemicals, please."

You shoot her a thumbs up. "Got it."

"I'd be careful if I were you, kid. I heard that the Big Bad Bat is out tonight." Harley warns.

"Not to worry, Harls. I was born a Gothamite. I know how to hide in the shadows just as much as he does."

Shortly after your shift that night, you open your door at the sound of the doorbell ringing to see a beautiful bouquet of pink roses. Attached to it is a small paper label saying: "Thanks for your help sweetheart, much appreciated. - Ivy." Needless to say, the questions your nosy neighbours keep asking you steadily become more and more difficult to answer.

"But- you're a speedster? Why do you need me to drive you around Central City when you could jog and be there in seconds?" you ask, turning on your indicator as you drive around a corner.

"Don't worry about it," replies the voice modulator in Zoom's mask.

"Alright-."

"Good morning Mr Mit- Mxia- Mr spitlik- Mr Mixiaspitlik."

Mr Mxyzptlk sighs. "Close enough."

"So how come you're taking a taxi? Don't you have a clown car?" you question, turning in your seat to face the pale passenger in the back of your taxi.

"WayneTech promised me an electric car by this year, but I still haven't gotten it even though I've put a deposit down! Can you believe it?"

"How horrible!" you reply nervously. You turn to face the steering wheel again while debating whether you should open your door and make a run for it.

"I know, right?"

There's a very long, awkward pause before you speak up.

"So- the explosives in my trunk- are they-?"

"Don't ask about that," he interrupts, pressing a forefinger to his lips, "It'll ruin Batman's surprise!"

"Okay-."

----

It got to the point where your clients would ask for you specifically, so the company you worked for simply gave you a free phone and gave everyone the number. Soon enough, the resident superheroes and vigilantes caught wind of your work and decided to utilise your services themselves.

----

"Hey Y/N! How's business?"

"There's never a dull moment, Nightwing, I'll tell you that."

"Good to hear...good to hear." The black and blue vigilante pauses and scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey, could you let a man catch a ride to the docks?"

"Why can't you get there yourself?" you ask, leaning out the driver-side window.

"I- uh- I broke my grapple hook."

You gasp. "Ohhh shit. The Bat isn't going to take that well."

"Trust me, I know." Nightwing replies, groaning.

"Fine, but I'm charging you 15% extra because you didn't call in advance. I'm a busy person, you know."

"What?" he exclaims, "That's daylight robbery!"

"It's 3am, Batboy. Cough up or I'll make it 20."

"Hey Y/N!"

"What's with all the Speedsters needing taxis? Couldn't you just get there yourself?"

"A man needs his rest, right?" The Flash replies, shooting you a toothy grin.

"That doesn't even make any- y'know what? I shouldn't of asked."

"You too?" you begin, "What, did you break your grapple hook as well?"

"What?" Red Robin questions, "No. Red Hood and Robin are annoying me and you're the only one they like enough to leave alone."

"They like me🥹?"

"We all do. You're surprised?" he responds, raising a brow.

"That's so sweet, oh my goodness."

"Wait- who broke their grapple hook?" Tim asks, looking at you quizzically. At that, you slap your hand over your mouth and instead speak through your fingers.

"No comment."

"Run out of juice again, Lantern?"

"Okay- this time it wasn't my fault," Hal replies, slamming the door of your taxi shut.

"Keep telling yourself that buddy."

----

There have been many awkward occasions where your services have been double-booked, which has led to some, uh- peculiar interactions to say the least.

----

"Oh yes, of course! If you oxidise the Kryptonite and make a compound of it with my fear gas, it would probably work on a Kryptonian," Crane waffles.

"Wonderful!" Luthor replies, clapping his hands together. "How much?"

"I beg your pardon?" the psychologist asks.

"How much money do you want for you to synthesise such a concoction?"

"With all due respect, Mr Luthor," you pipe up, "If you continue this conversation while I'm here, I may be arrested."

"How come?"

"Guilt by association."

"But you're a Speedster, right? How come you're-?"

"Don't bother asking him. They never give you a straight answer."

Thawne grins, "At least someone here has half a brain."

"How dare you!" the Riddler gasps, "I'll have you know I'm the smartest rogue in all of Gotham. You tell 'em, Y/N!"

"..."

"They seem to disagree," the speedster chuckles.

"What? Oh c'mon! Who do you think is the smartest rogue in Gotham then?"

"Poison Ivy," you reply immediately.

"Y'know, I should probably throw you in Arkham."

"Now where's the fun in that, Hood? Besides, I ain't doin' nothin' wrong!"

"You're covered in blood that isn't your own and holding a decapitated head."

"He was in the car when I got here!"

You whip around in your seat. "Harley, if you get blood on my seats I swear to God-."

----

And this is all fine and dandy until you catch the attention of three of arguably the most famous superheroes known to mankind, and they're not here to ask you to take them on holiday.

"You are under arrest under suspicion of harbouring dangerous criminals," Wonder Woman begins, towering above your tiny taxi. "Anything you say or do will be held against you in a court of-"

"Harbouring criminals?" you interrupt, "Since when?"

"I strongly suggest you don't play dumb now. This is a serious offense and unless you want to be thrown in Blackgate you need to listen to us." Batman states, staring menacingly at you with his arms crossed.

"I am listening to you, Batman, you aren't listening to me."

Superman attempts to mediate the situation. "Well then, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"You are aware that members of your Justice League have been using my services, right?" you question, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You heard me--" you continue before turning to the Caped Cruisader, "--And your own children have also been enlisting my help from time to time."

"Preposterous," Batman scoffs.

"Is it? Nightwing has me on speed dial if you want me to prove it to you."

"..."

"That's what I thought."

"This doesn't excuse the fact that you are harbouring criminals," Diana states.

"Criminals? What criminals?"

Superman sighs. "The records at your agency show that you have been helping people such as Poison Ivy, Lex Luthor, Scarecrow, Reverse Flash, and other criminals."

You wave your hand at the trio dismissively. " The only name I recognise from that list is Lex Luthor, and he has not been trialed for any crimes that I know of."

"He has been charged for multiple crimes in the past. Do you not realise this?" Clark replies, his eye beginning to twitch slightly.

"Supes, I am a taxi driver working at minimum wage. Do you really think I can afford a TV?"

"You have a phone, do you not?" Batman asks.

"Yeah, with a whole 16 megabytes of storage on it," you respond, voice dripping with sarcasm.

And with that, they leave you be. Superman and Wonderwoman shoot into the air and Batman follows suit with his grapple hook. You let out a breath you didn't realise you were holding and lean into the driver's seat. You stay there for a few minutes, contemplating what to have for breakfast tomorrow before your phone starts ringing once again. You smile as you read the name on your screen before quickly swiping the screen to answer it.

"Darkseid! How can I help?"

Masterlist

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fancoloredglasses · 5 months

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The saga of the Huntress and the Question (so what do you think their ship-name should be? Let me know in the comments!)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue...]

In Justice League (Unlimited), and in fact the entire Dini-verse, despite the fact that it was written for a younger audience, there are a large number of themes that surprisingly mature. One theme is romance.

Obviously Batman has Catwoman and Talia Al-Guhl and Superman has Lois Lane. However, the two Justice League series has four (including a love triangle)!

Green Arrow and Black Carnary

John Stewart and Hawkgirl…

…as well as Vixen

Batman and Wonder Woman (they never go anywhere with this, but it’s obvious they have feelings for one another. I’ll have to do a deep dive on this one of these days)

And finally, the subject of this week’s review. First, let’s discuss the participants, as most people aren’t comic geeks who love the minor heroes more than the marquee ones…

The Huntress debuted on Earth-2 (where DC stashed their Golden Age heroes until they were needed) prior to Crisis as Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce and Selina Wayne. Following Crisis, she was reimagined as Helena Bertinelli, the last surviving family member of a slain Mob Boss, who became a ruthless vigilante in an attempt to avenge her dead family.

Huntress makes her debut in a brief appearance fighting a bunch of robot spiders (but that’s not important for this review)

The Question was created by Steve Ditko as part of Charleton Comics’ “Action Line” (which was ended a year later). When Ditko joined DC Comics, the company (as a “gift”) bought the rights to the Action Line, dumping them on Earth-4 in the DC Multiverse and forgetting about them until Crisis (though they were re-imagined in Watchmen, with the Question being the inspiration for Rorschach)

In the comics, the Question was a very philosophical hero (starting out following the teachings of Ayn Rand in Charlton, and Zen Buddhism following Crisis). However, in JLU the Question is a cynical conspiracy theorist looking for everyone’s “angle”.

Question made his debut working with Supergirl and Green Arrow trying to find out why Supergirl was having disturbing dreams (while I won’t cover that for this review, it is kinda important as you’ll soon discover)

And now that we’ve established the players, on to the story!

NOTE: I will mainly be focusing the scenes involving Huntress and the Question. Any elements beyond their involvement I will likely ignore (unless it’s important later) If you would like to view the episodes in their entirety, they’re available on Max or behind your favorite paywall.

PREVIOUSLY ON…

Following the events of A Better World, an organization known as Cadmus (a government shadow ops group with off-the-books funding from Luthor) emerges of the League’s radar, performing such acts as illegal cloning (including a clone of Supergirl, which was the source of her bad dreams (told you it would be important)) The Question begins poking into Cadmus’s business after helping Supergirl and Green Arrow, trying to find the bottom of that rabbit hole.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor has announced his candidacy for President (and is apparently doing well despite his criminal past. A criminal billionaire with no prior political career running for President? Like that could ever happen!)

Now, on with the show!

We open at the estate of Mafia Boss Steven Mandragora where a couple of his bodyguards are arguing about their secret scone recipe (sure, why not?) when they hear a noise in the bushes. Suddenly a figure from the bushes makes short work of them (but, this being for kids, doesn’t kill them despite using a crossbow) The figure then scales the building and enters the study.

You were expecting someone else?

Huntress uses an aerosol to spot the alarm beams and evade them. She then enters Mandragora’s bedroom and shoots the figure under the blanket (OK, this got dark quick!) However…

…as you may have guessed, Mandragora isn’t there. She then gets contacted by J’onn in the Watchtower and teleported.

Guess who’s in trouble? J’onn expels Huntress from the Justice League. As she goes to her quarters to gather her things…

Huntress enters the Question’s quarters, makes fun of his looks (what she thinks he looks like under his faceless mask) and his obsession before offering to help him with Cadmus in exchange for helping her track down Mandragora. (Something tells me she knows two things about Cadmus: Jack and Squat)

And where is Mandragora?

In a safe house being guarded by the FBI, Green Arrow, and Black Canary. Turns out Mandragora has promised to turn State’s Evidence against his fellow Mob Bosses in exchange for Witness Protection.

Meanwhile, the Question has found out about Mandragora’s location, and offers to tag along with Huntress.

Later, Mandragora’s goons, dressed as cops, attack the FBI while Canary and Arrow are on lookout duty outside. Then…

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(Thanks to Princess Darkseid)

A wee bit later, as Huntress and the Question head to the waterfront, the Question reveals he knows Huntress knows nothing about Cadmus. Further, he knows about her connection to Mandragora.

So, if the Question knows why Huntress wants Mandragora, and that she has nothing to offer in exchange for his help, why is he helping?

Meanwhile, Canary (with Arrow riding behind) has caught up with them and demands that they stop. Question drives his car into a rail tunnel. Just one problem…

Question manages to turn into the side tunnel before the train hits him, but Arrow has to call for J’onn to teleport him and Canary. J’onn does so…over the bay where they land safely in the water.

Meanwhile, Question reveals that there’s a freighter from Mandragora’s country arriving shortly.

(Thanks to Unlimited)

So now the Huntress and the Question are An Item, but it’s not their last appearance together. This episode focused primarily on the Huntress’s obsession, while the next is all about the Question.

We open on Metropolis, where a warlord from Apokolips named Mantis is tearing up the city.

Fortunately, Superman is on the scene with an assist by Captain Atom (another Charlton import: Captain Nathanial Adams (USAF) was condemned for a crime he didn’t commit. He exchanged his death sentence for being a guinea pig for an experiment that turned him into a living nuclear reactor (similar to Firestorm, but with energy conversion instead of matter manipulation)) After a brief battle, Superman manages to activate Mantis’s Boom Tube and Captain Atom blasts Mantis through.

Following the attack, Lois Lane shows up looking for alone time with Superman, so Captain Adam makes himself scarce. After leaving, Captain Atom is summoned by General Eiling (calling the good Captain by his actual name)…

…and drafts him into Cadmus.

Meanwhile, the Question and the Huntress have a “date night” where they break into LexCorp to dig up information about Cadmus.

Eventually, Question manages to download the files, but Huntress now wants an actual date in return. (Exactly how can they have a date night like regular people when Huntress hasn’t even seen Question’s face? It’s not like he can eat while wearing that mask!)

Later in Question’s apartment (wait, why does he have an apartment? He has free housing in the Watchtower!)

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(Thanks to Blue Kryptonite)

The Question goes to the Watchtower to confront Superman about this. Question reveals he knows what the Justice Lords did…and that events are lining up to make those same events happen in our universe!

Despite Superman’s assurances, the Question storms out of the Watchtower and to…

(Thanks again to Unlimited)

Huntress guesses that Cadmus must have Question.

Superman agrees to help Huntress rescue Question.

Obviously, Cadmus was expecting this. Fortunately for Huntress, Cadmus’s weaponry doesn’t affect Superman so she can hide behind him. Then Superman spots something and flies off, leaving Huntress to deal with Cadmus’s goon squad.

I think she's fine, if a bit annoyed.

They eventually find Question and free him…

…though he’s still a bit loopy (even for him) As they prepare to leave…

(You thought I casually mentioned Eiling drafting Captain Atom?)

The episode ends there and picks up on the next episode…

Fortunately, Superman manages to keep Captain Atom busy and gives Huntress his comlink so she can contact the Watchtower once she’s clear. One problem…

Huntress tell J’onn what he can do with his attitude and demands transport to save the Question (who, despite everything, is still a Member in Good Standing)

Later, in the infirmary, Question tells Huntress about the aerosol that seals/removes the mask from his face and changes his hair color, since he was having trouble breathing through it. After using the spray…

D’AWWWWWWW!

Now they can have a proper date night once he recovers!

Hope you enjoyed! Please let me know if there are any other JLU characters you would like to see a deep dive on (not that many got enough screen time to be able to)

#dc comics #dini verse #the question #the huntress #green arrow #black canary #superman #captain atom #lex luthor #Fan Colored Glasses

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saultnpeppah · 2 years

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Back to You: Chapter 5

The Waynes weren't the only family Diana left behind. What happens when she finally faces Clark and Lois after more than a decade? Read Back to You Chapter 5 now!

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14077571/5/Back-to-You

Diana

May 19. Kent Farm. 15:05

The hot air that blows through the cornfield and through the trees makes it hard to breathe, and for the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would want to live here. It's hot. It's humid. It's worse than the fiercest of summers in Gotham. But as I walk up the driveway that leads to the small farm house, I notice the serenity a place like this could offer. It's quiet, it's peaceful, and to Clark, it reminds him of his childhood. It's the same for me on the island.

After lunch with Penelope, the two of us had gone back to the manor. She had gone upstairs to nap and I had taken the opportunity to get out of the manor and clear my head. I flew around, no clear destination in mind. I just traveled until I landed in a spot I knew from late nights huddled on the couch, watching movies as Lois gave me pregnancy tips. To my surprise, however, the apartment I had come to love as a second home hadn't been occupied by Clark and Lois Kent, but rather by a couple of college roommates, shocked to see an Amazon knocking on their front door on a random afternoon.

It had taken some quick investigating, but I found out they had moved back to Smallville after the death of Clark's mother, taking over the farm with the help of their son, Jonathan. So I flew as quickly as I could to Smallville, wanting, needing, to see the people I had missed dearly.

The gravel that lines the driveway crunches under my boots as I make my way to the house. When I step on the first wooden step that leads to the large porch, it creaks under my foot. It breaks me out of the trance I am in, and I begin to worry I'm making a big mistake. What if they don't want to see me? What if, much like Damian, they hate me for leaving without a word?

The creaking increases when I step onto the next step, then onto the wooden porch, and I let out a sigh of relief when it doesn't give way. Maybe I should just turn around and leave. Bruce can call Clark and ask about Jonathan coming tomorrow. After all, neither of them know I'm even here. No harm no foul, right? I am about to turn and rush off the porch when the front door is yanked open.

"You were supposed to be home twenty minutes ago Mister-"

Lois stops when she sees me standing in front of her. Her eyes go wide and her mouth stands agape as she stares at me in shock. This must be a big deal as I have managed to shut up the woman who has talked Lex Luthor into submission on more than one occasion. "Diana?" she asks, taking a step toward me.

All I can do is nod. I watch as she shoves the phone in her left hand into the back pocket of her jeans and squeals. "Oh my God, Diana!" she says as she hops onto the porch and pulls me into a hug.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I wrap my arms around the woman who was like a sister to me. The only woman who had no superpowers that I trusted. If only I had trusted her and had told her the truth before I had left. "Lois," I whisper, trying not to cry as she hugs me tight.

Lois pulls away and smiles at me. Her eyes are welled with tears and I feel ashamed that I have caused them. "You son of a bitch," Lois says, trying to sound angry as she punches my arm.

I raise an eyebrow and rub my shoulder. "Ow," I say in shock.

Lois wipes a few tears that have fallen from her cheek and shakes her head. "It serves you right, leaving like that," she says. "But my god it's so good to see you." She grabs my hand and yanks me into the house, pulling me into the living room.

I've been to the Kent Farm on more than one occasion. Ma Kent was always a wonderful host, cooking alongside Alfred for Thanksgivings and treating us all like her children on Christmas. She was a good woman.

Inside the room looks the same as the last time I saw it, nearly twelve years ago, right before Penelope turned one. The couch is newer, the rugs are different, and there are different photos along the wall, but it still feels as homey as ever.

Lois pushes me onto the couch and sits beside me, turning to face me. She's not going to let me go until I answer her questions. I knew this was going to happen, and it's only fair.

"So, spill," she says. "What happened?"

I shrug, unsure of where to start. I've told no one of everything that has happened between Bruce and I. Even Antiope only knows bits and pieces. The other Amazons know only that I am their Queen and Penelope is their princess. They don't know the messy details of what had to happen to get us to that point.

"What did Bruce tell you?" I ask. I need to know what has already been said. I don't want Bruce to sound like the bad guy, because in all reality, he's not solely to blame for what happened. I take most of the responsibility for that.

"Bruce hasn't told us anything," Lois answers. "When you left, he shut down for weeks. Hell, Clark and Dick had to pick up the slack around Gotham because he couldn't do anything. The man was depressed."

"I see," I say with a nod.

"Did he cheat on you?" Lois asks rather bluntly. I only stare at her with wide eyes and shake my head. "Did-did you cheat on him?" she asks, this time a bit more skeptical.

Once again I shake my head. "Neither of us cheated," I answer. "It was nothing like that."

Lois breathes a sigh of relief. I can see she's glad nothing like that was the reason I left, but now I can see she's even more confused than before. "Then what happened?" she asks.

I take a deep breath, holding it for a few moments, before I let it out. "My mother went missing," I say. "Everyone fears she's dead." Lois gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. She knows the relationship I had with my mother. It was rocky, especially when I left the island, even more so when I had been banished for bringing men to the island, but we had been working on it for years. By the time Bruce and I had gotten married, and Penelope was born, my mother was a constant in my life. Losing her had been devastating in its own right, but I never knew that I would have to lose her and Bruce in the same week.

"So you went to go look for your mother?" Lois asks.

"Yes and no. I went to look for her, but Themyscira needed a Queen, and it was my duty to the Amazons to lead them in their time of grief. I had no intention of staying. I was going to go just to find my mother, and if need be appoint another Queen until we could find her, but then Bruce and I started having problems."

"What kind of problems?" she asks. "I always thought you two were perfect."

I let out a nervous laugh. "You know Bruce, he's stubborn, and I'm stubborn, and we both fight so passionately that sometimes we don't know when to stop. He didn't understand why I needed to go back to Themyscira, and the more he pushed me, the more I wanted to get away. He couldn't understand what I owed the Amazons."

Lois nods and places a hand on my knee. I can see the skepticism in her eyes, but like Bruce, she doesn't understand what it's like to be pulled between what you know is right in your heart, and what your brain wants to tell you what's right. It was never an easy decision, and had he not shut me down more than once, I would have made it with Bruce instead of venturing out on my own.

"What made you change your mind? About Penelope," Lois asks. She wants to know why I kept my daughter away from Bruce for a year, why I even bothered bringing her back to Gotham to get to know the man I had run from.

I give her another shrug. "I realized it wasn't her fault her parents were so stubborn. I remembered the feelings of uncertainty, the questions I had about myself as I grew up with only my mother. She needed a father just as much as she needed a mother. I couldn't deny her that."

"And Bruce is so grateful you gave him the opportunity to get to know her, and we're all happy you let her come back into our lives. But we all missed you too.

My eyes meet the floor and I let out a sigh. "I know," I whisper. Lois is right, I've missed them too, but they don't understand the sacrifices I've made. The sacrifices I've needed to make. First and foremost, I am an Amazon and my duty comes to my people. I cannot let anything distract me from that, not even Bruce. Walking away from him, both times, were the hardest things I had ever done in my life.

Lois opens her mouth to speak, stopping only when the front door opens and the room is filled with the sound of boisterous laughter. I look up just in time to see two men step into the room, laughing, holding their sides as they try to contain their giggles.

Clark is the first one I notice, his wide shoulders nearly shielding the other person from my view. He's wearing a blue shirt and dark jeans, his eyes hidden behind thin framed glasses. He looks up and sees me sitting on the couch and his smile fades as he stares at me in disbelief. "Diana?" he questions.

I stand from my seat on the couch and nod. "Hi Clark," is all I can get out before he rushes over to where I stand and envelops me in a tight embrace. It feels like home. Clark has always been quick to forgive - first with Shayera, now with me. The realization hits me like a ton of bricks. My eyes well with another round of tears as I wrap my arms around him and return the hug.

We stay that way for a few moments, before I glance up at the man staring at us and pull away, wiping my eyes with the heel of my palm. Clark says nothing else as he glances over at Lois who gives him a small nod, letting him know she'll fill him in later. I love that the two of them can speak without muttering a word. It was something Bruce and I used to do, although I fear we are too out of sync to even attempt it - as if he'd even want to.

Clark turns to the younger man and introduces me. "Jon, this is Diana." He turns to me. "Prince? Wayne?" He's unclear what surname I am currently using, but it does not matter. On the island, none of that matters.

"Diana," I answer. Neither of those last names feel right to me anymore. I am no longer the person I used to be when I used either of them.

I look up at the younger man, my lips curling into a smile. Jonathan is the splitting image of his father, even down to the fake glasses. "Jon, hi," I say, "you probably don't remember me."

Jon squints at me and gives me a grin. "There's a photo of us hanging by the stairs," he says, using his thumb to point at the staircase behind him. "I remember you used to show me all the cool swords and stuff."

I smile at him and nod, trying to avoid the wide eyes from Lois. It was by accident, as he had come to visit the manor while I was decorating the library, but I was careful. Besides, I was pregnant at the time, so I couldn't have gotten into much trouble with him.

Jon chuckles as he sees his mother's expression. "Chill, Mom," he says. "It was fun, and I didn't get hurt."

"Uh huh," is all Lois says as she crosses her arms over her body. She scoots over to the next couch cushion, giving Clark space to sit down, as she narrows her eyes at me. She knows I would never let her son get hurt, even if he wasn't as strong as his father, but it's the mother instinct in her. I would do the same for any of the boys and Penelope, none of which have powers to help themselves.

Jon kisses his mother's cheek and watches as she relaxes, before he gives me a small wave. "Well, it's nice to meet you again, Diana," he says. "But I have chores and homework."

I nod. I watch as he makes his way to the staircase before I remember one of the reasons I had come all this way. "Oh, by the way, Penelope wants to go to the amusement park tomorrow and wants to know if you want to come."

Jon looks at Lois and Clark, who both nod, and smiles widely. "Oh absolutely!" he exclaims. "Thanks for the invitation. I'll be there tomorrow morning."

He turns to run up the stairs, waving goodbye to me once more, before speeding up and into his room. "Make sure you get all your chores done first," Clark calls after him, before he turns to face me. "So, PJ invited you all to the amusement park? You and Bruce….going together?"

I glare at Clark and shake my head. "She wanted to go, so we're going," I state. "And she was adamant I ask your son." I turn to Lois. "Does my daughter have a crush on your son? Your adult son?"

Lois laughs and shakes her head. "No. But he does have a crush on Damian," she confesses. Clark laughs and nods as Lois says, "But don't tell him you know. We're not even supposed to know." She lifts her finger to her mouth and pretends to shush.

I nod and chuckle, but I can't help the feeling in the pit of my stomach. Jonathan is my godson. I was there the day he was born. Bruce and I put together his first birthday party. I was the one who would baby sit when Clark and Lois needed a night to themselves. The fact that I don't know this about him makes me realize I have missed out on so much of their lives. Who knows what else I've missed out on.

Clark opens his mouth to say something, but stops and places a hand on his ear. He's getting a message on his comlink. He nods and turns to Lois, plants a kiss on her lips, and tells her he'll be back soon, before he looks at me. "Distress call on the Watchtower," he says. "Want to come?"

I shake my head. The Watchtower is the last place I should be. Actually, Gotham, in the manor specifically, is the last place I should be. The Watchtower is a close second. "I don't think I can face everyone," I say. I am still in the first stage of making amends. Talking to Bruce and the boys was one thing. Staying up late last night crying with Alfred was one thing. Coming to Smallville to talk to Clark and Lois was one thing. Seeing everyone on the Watchtower is a completely different thing.

Clark shakes his head and waves away my concern. "Shayera and Jon are no longer here," he says, "they left about two years after you left. Long story." I raise an eyebrow.

"Together?" I ask. Clark nods and I become even more confused. Shayera and Jon left together? When I went back to Themyscira, Jon was still dating Vixen and Shayera was….well she was still trying to grasp her mind around the fact that Bruce had met her son in the future.

"Shocking, right?" I nod. "Dinah and Oliver are retired now. They had a baby and decided to get out of the game."

"Dinah had a baby?"

Lois chuckles as she nods. "And he's the cutest little thing. He's a little under five now, but boy is he a little troublemaker."

"Wally and John knew you wouldn't leave unless you had a good reason to," Clark begins, pulling his glasses from his face. "And they're more forgiving than you think."

I let out a sigh and drop my head. He rushes out of the room, leaving Lois and I to stare at each other, rushing back dressed in his signature blue and red costume, his cape flowing behind him. His costume hasn't changed since I've last seen him. Leave it to Clark to keep up with the nostalgia. "Plus, I could use the help."

I let out another sigh and nod, knowing he won't take no for an answer. Besides, I have a few hours to spare before Penelope expects me back for dinner; an emergency on the Watchtower seems like a decent enough reason to get out of an awkward dinner with Bruce. "Fine, Clark," I say. "I'll help you."

Clark nods and flashes a wide smile. "I'll be home soon," he says to Lois, who only nods and gives him a small wave goodbye, before he steps next to me and touches the comlink in his ear. "J'onn, I have two for transport."

The two of us are enveloped in a white light and suddenly the all too familiar feeling in my stomach returns as we're transported into the Watchtower's transportation bay. I shake my head after we arrive, placing a hand on my stomach. There used to be a time when the feeling of being transported wouldn't bother me at all. Now I can't shake the feeling that has settled in my chest. It's been far too long.

"Superman!" Clark turns beside me, facing the owner of the voice. I follow suit and face the control panel. The room is different, updated. I can't imagine the amount of money Bruce has put into The Watchtower throughout the years. "Diana?"

J'onn stares at me in surprise. His green lips curl into a small smile as he phases through the controls and down to where Clark and I stand. "Hi, J'onn," I respond sheepishly, watching as he becomes solid when he reaches the two of us.

"It's nice to see you," he says. I can see the internal struggle on his face. He wants to tap into my mind, figure out where I've been all these years, but he promised long ago to not intrude on our minds unless specifically asked.

"You too," I say, placing my hand gently on his forearm.

Clark places a hand on my shoulder and steps forward. "Diana is here to help. What's going on?"

J'onn nods and points to the large monitor in the middle of the many smaller screens. "Earthquakes along the San Andreas fault line have caused a building collapse in San Francisco. The Flash is already there starting evacuations with first responders."

Clark nods. "You want to change first?" he asks me, taking a glance down at the jeans and tshirt I'm wearing.

I know he's right. This is not what I should be wearing if I'm going to help with Superman and The Flash on a mission - I should not be helping anyway - but I can't bring myself to even think of putting anything from my heroic past back on. "I think we should get going," I say, shaking my head slightly, not wanting him to question me further.

Clark nods and turns back to J'onn. "Two for transport," he says. "It's nice to have you back," he says as the air around him begins to turn to static, the lights around him turning bright as he begins to phase out of view. Moments later the lights around me begin to get brighter and I get that queasy unsettling feeling back in the pit of my stomach. My eyes close by instinct as I feel my body get weightless.

My eyes open when I feel the sheer force of gravity hit me in the gut. I don't understand how I was able to do this daily for years with no issues. The sound of air rushing past me fills my ears and I look up just in time to see a blur of red rush past me.

Wally stops, his feet sliding against the pavement, a trail of rubble sliding in the wind he has created. His head whips my way and his jaw becomes slack. "No way," he says, more to himself than anyone around as he continues to stare at me. "Is it really you?"

I nod at Wally and give him a smile, my hand offering a small wave to the man who had become like a younger brother to me. "It's me," I say nervously. "I'm here."

Wally rushes up and wraps his arms around me, locking me in a tight hug. I hug him back, the smile on my face growing as I realize the worry I had that he would be angry with me was for nothing. "I can't believe it!"

"I know," I say. Something crashes in the background, the sound of glass shattering against the ground. It forces the two of us to look toward the building that is barely standing straight, its foundation crumbling by the minute. "And while it's nice to see you, we should probably save this for after."

Wally nods and drops his arms, rushing toward a woman who has stumbled out of the rubble down the street. He picks her up into his arms and runs down the street and out of harm's way. I turn on my heel and run toward the building, hopping over the cracked and broken pieces of the road, sliding along the pavement. I silently curse as I watch the heel of my boot grind against the rough street, mentally kicking myself for at least not grabbing a pair of my old boots. I will have to toss these as soon as I get back to the manor.

"Help!"

I scan the area, my ears perking up when I hear someone's desperate cries. In front of me, one of the buildings is on fire, smoke billowing out from every open window. I am about to focus my attention on the building behind me when I hear that desperate voice again.

"Please! Someone, help me!"

I look up and notice something poking out from one of the fourteenth floor windows. A rush of air moves the smoke just enough for me to see the terrified face of a woman unable to escape the flames and smoke. She waves frantically, crying as she tries to get the attention of the firefighters, who start to retreat, thinking they've rescued everyone, wanting to get away from the building before its foundation gives way like the others.

I run toward the building, ignoring the heat that fills the air the closer I get to the building. I take another large step, jumping over a few cars that have been smashed with falling debris, before I fly up and toward the building. My eyes are locked on the woman leaning out of the window. Her face is covered in soot, only cleared by the tears that continue to stream down her cheeks.

"Help! Please!" She calls once more. She begins to cough on the smoke as it becomes more dense, the flames engulfing more of the building by the second.

"There's someone still up there," I hear from the ground.

"We can't risk it," another person says.

I glance over my shoulder and watch as the firefighters stare in shock. Their faces are covered in dirt and soot, the sweat on their brow dripping down the side of their faces. A few of them look on in terror, some look down in defeat as they realized they haven't saved everyone.

I turn back to the building and fly the rest of the way toward it, pushing myself harder than I ever have. I'm nearly at the building, flying higher toward the fourteenth floor. I watch as the woman starts waving a piece of fabric out the window, her throat choking on the smoke too much to yell for help. She leans further out of the window, trying to let the green piece of clothing get away from the smoke, however she doesn't realize she has overextended, and falls out of the window.

Everyone gasps as they watch her fall. She lets go of the green piece of clothing, letting it blow away from her as she waves her arms in an attempt to fly up and away. I swoop down and grab the hem of her shirt, momentarily pausing her descent. She stops a few feet before she hits the pavement, her legs hovering over the heated pavement.

She looks up, her eyes meeting mine, and breathes a sigh of relief, before she cries even harder. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice raspy from all the smoke.

I nod and continue to fly, adjusting her in my arms until she is firmly planted in both my arms. I rush her to the edge of the perimeter the fire department has set up, gently landing beside an open ambulance. I gently place her on an empty stretcher and look up at the EMTs. They both stare at me, wide eyed, mouths agape. "She took in a lot of smoke," I say.

Both men nod, snapping out of their temporary confusion, and begin to work on the woman laying in front of them. One of the EMTs, the older of the two based on the white hair that covers his head, places a mask over the woman's face and begins the flow of oxygen. He turns to his partner and nods once.

They move in unison and push the stretcher to the back of the ambulance. The older EMT stuffs the tank of oxygen onto the stretcher beside the woman, making sure it won't roll off as they shove her into the back of the vehicle.

I turn back to the building when I hear the low rumble of concrete and steel shifting. I watch as the building the woman had been in a few seconds prior falls to the ground, a large cloud of debris filled smoke rushing down the streets inside the perimeter. I move to fly back to the area, stopping only when I feel a hand on my arm. I glance over my shoulder and notice the woman on the stretcher staring at me, her eyes still welled with tears as she keeps her hand on my arm.

Her hand shakes as she moves to the mask over her face. She pulls it from her mouth and whispers, "Thank you, Wonder Woman," before she falls back onto the stretcher. The EMTs slide the stretcher into the back of the ambulance. The older EMT climbs into the back of the vehicle and shuts the door, as his younger partner goes to the driver's seat and drives away, flipping the sirens on as they rush to the nearest hospital.

I take a deep breath and let out a sigh. Being called Wonder Woman was strange, but it brought a familiar sense of peace I hadn't expected.

I quickly snap back to reality and fly back toward the other buildings that have been hit by the earthquake, knowing the job is far from over.

It takes a little under three hours to get everything under control, enough for Clark, Wally, and myself to feel comfortable leaving everything else to local authorities. We talk to the police and firefighters, making sure they feel confident none of the other buildings have been compromised enough to fall, before we make our way out of the perimeter. I try to avoid the line of reporters that have been stationed along the perimeter San Francisco PD has set up since the first aftershock hit the city. I already know photos of my return have been circulating the internet, and the video of me catching that woman, who I now know is Grace Benton, a marketing intern on her second day, has been playing every hour on every news station in the city. I can only imagine who else has seen it.

"Diana," I hear from behind me. Wally rushes up to me and places a hand on my shoulder. His outfit is streaked with dark soot and I can see the sweat on his face. I can only imagine how I look, with my singed shirt and torn jeans. "It was so nice having you back," he says. He gives me a tired smile.

I smile back and try to stifle a yawn. "It was nice to be back," I say back. We make our way toward the edge of the perimeter, ducking under the police tape.

It isn't long before the two of us are bombarded with reporters and photographers, shoving their cameras in our faces. "Wonder Woman," one of them calls, "where have you been?"

"Wonder Woman," another says, "how long have you been back?"

"Wonder Woman, are you planning on staying this time?"

"Wonder Woman, does this mean you and Bruce Wayne are back together?"

I take a deep breath and glance at Wally. I don't have any answers to these. I don't know if I'm staying. I don't know how to explain where I've been, and I definitely don't know how to answer that last question. If I had even the slightest idea, I would have been able to sleep just fine last night. I wouldn't be walking through the manor on eggshells.

Wally steps in front of me, his chest hitting the microphone that was thrusted toward my face during that last question. "Come on guys, give her some space," he says. "She's back, she saved a bunch of people, she helped SFPD and SFFD."

He places his hand on my back and leads me away from the reporters. He glances over his shoulder to make sure no one is following us, before he lets out a sigh and drops his arms. "Thank you," I say. "I just didn't expect to be bombarded like that."

Wally nods, reaches over to the table that has snacks and waters set up for the first responders, and grabs a granola bar. He unwraps it and takes a bite, chewing quickly. "You know," he says as he swallows his bite. "If you got some time, there's an iced mocha on The Watchtower with your name on it." He shoves the rest of the granola bar into his mouth and gives me a wide smile.

My lips curl into a smile and I nod. "I'd like that," I say. "I'd really like that."

#wonderbat #batman #wonder woman #fanfiction #brucexdiana #bruce wayne #diana prince #bruceanddiana #backtoyou

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thevindicativevordan · 3 years

Note

Why isn't Nightwing a bigger deal? He has all of Batman's skills and Superman's faith in humanity and is arguably the most beloved hero in the DCU, but most people seem to know him either as the leader of the N̶o̶t̶ ̶J̶L̶ Teen Ttians or just Robin.

Thank you for asking me about Nightwing, I've been wanting to write a piece about him for a while now. The short version is that everyone who claims Dick becoming Nightwing was him "moving out of Batman's shadow and becoming his own man" is completely wrong.

Dick Grayson is a fantastic character, someone who saved Bruce Wayne in-universe both by forcing Batman to grow up a bit, and the countless times he saved Batman's life as his partner whether as Robin or Nightwing. Dick saved Batman in the real world as well, hard to believe but Batman was actually in danger of being cancelled due to poor sales early on. Enter Robin, a young daredevil audience stand in the creators hoped would get kids interested in reading Batman. And it worked! Sales on Batman doubled once Robin showed up which is crazy to think about, but Dick Grayson has always been a popular character. Cartoons like Teen Titans, Batman: The Animated Series, and The Batman only helped grow his audience.

Character-wise, Dick Grayson really does fill a number of crucial roles in the DCU. For Batman, Dick is proof that Batman is a positive force. Meeting Batman helped change Dick for the better, helped him heal after his parents died. With Dick, Batman can take comfort in knowing that yes, he has made a difference in the world for at least one orphan boy, which is all he wanted when he lost his parents himself. To the wider DCU, Dick is a friendly face who convinces others that Batman is competent and not a complete asshole. He took this kid in, trained him to be one of the best heroes the DCU has seen, and did it all out of the kindness of his heart. That someone like Dick can confront the evils of Gotham and not break means there's still hope for that city. As Robin, Dick has led the Titans and is an icon in his own right as The Sidekick, the original, the one every other Robin is built around copying or contrasting. The one all other superhero sidekicks are drawing on as a basis. As Robin Dick Grayson is very much on Batman's level.

Just not as Nightwing. As Nightwing, Dick has been a second rate Daredevil which means he's a third rate Batman (fully prepared to get hate for this but I've read and enjoyed the Miller and Bendis DD runs so I feel entitled to my opinion). A typical Nightwing run tends to go like this: Moving to Bludhaven (which is Gotham... but WORSE!), Dick Grayson usually enrolls in a pointless job we don't care about in order to provide some meaningless soap opera drama that doesn't go anywhere. Patrolling the city as Nightwing, he fights a variety of bad guys who are usually rather lame and unthreatening, with his big bad being a Kingpin knockoff called Blockbuster. Villains are fought, long running plotlines are set up, then everything is abandoned because it's Batfamily event time, and Dick has to run back to Gotham in order to play sidekick again. Usually his involvement is completely superfluous and it would've been better if the writer had gotten to opt out. By the time we finally get back to Nightwing's solo plotlines, the audience has usually ceased to care and the run gets cut short.

That's how Nightwing has been since the New 52 at least. Anyone who thinks that's "becoming their own man" is out of their mind. Dick is so thoroughly in Batman's shadow that he got shot in the head and spent a longer time as "Ric" which everyone fucking hated and sold like shit, than he did as Agent Grayson which was extremely well-received. Reiterating: Ric went on longer than Grayson because of a fucking Batman plotpoint Tom King wanted where Bruce was sad and cut off from the Batfamily because of Dick getting shot. Not just calling out King either, how many times was Kyle Higgins Nightwing run derailed because of Scott Snyder's crossovers? Or how about that entire run getting dumped to the side because Johns wanted to out Dick during Forever Evil, a Justice League/Lex Luthor story? DC has repeatedly made their contempt for Nightwing clear, he's Batman's sidekick still in their eyes, and he serves whatever story role the Batman writer wants.

Hell his best stories tend to have been the ones where he's not Nightwing. He was Robin in a good chunk of the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans run. Morrison really showcased his depth as a character when they wrote him as Batman, their time with Dick under the cowl was actually one of the first Batman runs I ever read, and no Nightwing run has ever matched it in terms of quality in my humble opinion. Scott Snyder's work with DickBats also was a high point for the character, showing Dick as competent and examining his relationship with Gotham and the Gordons. King and Seeley gave him one of the best comic runs with Grayson, a series where he wasn't even a "superhero" technically! When it comes to actual pre-New 52 Nightwing runs that are highly recommended where he *is* Nightwing, there's Chuck Dixon and uhhhhhhh... Tomasi's brief run before Dick became Batman? It's not exactly an overwhelming list.

Look there has been good work done with Nightwing, I'm not claiming there hasn't been. Tim Seeley wrote a great run with Nightwing Rebirth. Seeley fleshed out Dick's Rogues Gallery with cool new ones like Raptor, he brought back old foes like Dr. Hurt (why oh why couldn't you have brought back Flamingo too?), he gave Dick's world some character it solely needed. Bludhaven under Seeley is pretty much the only time I've really felt like it lived up to being Dick's city.

The problem with fictional cities is you have to put in the work to give them the character of real cities. You have to make the cities feel like characters in their own right. Gotham is the best example of this, it's a character all it's own, one that tells you a lot about Batman and his cast. In contrast Bludhaven is usually one of the worst. Any place that wants to claim to be worse than the city that is built over the gate to hell and gets wrecked every other month by the Arkham freaks has to really put in the work to compete. Simply put, Bludhaven typically fails utterly. There's nothing about it that makes you really buy it's worse than Gotham, I mean does anyone really think Nightwing's Rogues wouldn't get their lunches eaten by Batman's? No, no one genuinely buys that. When Bludhaven claims to be worse, it just comes across as tryhard, an attribute that does end up telling you about Nightwing in unintentional ways.

So Seeley didn't do that. Instead he created a city built for a hero like Dick Grayson. Someone who is bright and flashy, but does have an element of darkness to him. Someone who loves the spotlight, but often uses it to obscure. Seeley turned Bludhaven into Las Vegas, and that was the fucking best concept for Bludhaven I have ever seen, it makes so much sense. Las Vegas is the "Entertainment Capital of the World" and isn't that the perfect city for a hero who got their start working in the circus? Isn't the aesthetics of the gleaming casinos, the glamorous sex appeal of the performers, and the spectacle of the shows, all being used to cover up the seediness of mob bosses meeting backstage perfect for Nightwing? It's so utterly unlike New York City, yet Las Vegas is still dangerous, it's got a crime culture all it's own. Seeley used it to great effect, as did Humphries during his brief run, and I will always be pissed that DC didn't continue to use it. That should have stuck around and been the definitive look for Bludhaven.

How Seeley's take on Bludhaven was treated feels like a small scale version of how Nightwing in general gets treated. Whenever creators pitched ideas for him, if editorial thought there was potential to break big, they asked for those ideas to be repurposed for Batman instead. Anything big or good gets repurposed for Batman or tossed to the side so Nightwing can go back to his default: having irrelevant adventures in a city that is supposedly worse than Gotham but can't live up to it. Just like how Nightwing is supposedly better than Batman but never gets to show it. Goddamn it's so frustrating seeing his potential get wasted like that.

The Nightwing book should be one of DC's most ambitious books in terms of storytelling. You can go from traditional superhero stories, to romantic soap opera, to spy stories, to crime noir, to horror, to cosmic adventures, and ALL of them would fit because Nightwing is someone who has a foot in both Gotham and Metropolis. He's got friends everywhere on every team, and has been a hero longer than most Leaguers have at this point. No reason DC should still be afraid to let him loose and insisting on hewing close to what Dixon established almost over 30 years ago is only holding him back. At the very least get him some better Rogues, why the hell didn't he get to keep Professor Pyg? That's Dick's villain not Bruce's! Bullshit that they didn't let Dick keep him. Hopefully Flamingo comes back, with a slight revamp I think he'd make a great reoccurring Nightwing Rogue.

Luckily it does look somewhat like Nightwing fans have reason to be optimistic. While Taylor isn't to my taste, DC clearly views him as a "big" writer, and that they put him on Nightwing says a lot. Taylor has been selling well so far, so hopefully he gets to tell his story, hilarious that even he lampshaded having to write Dick running over to Gotham for another tie-in after Taylor's big opening arc was all about Dick committing himself and his money to Bludhaven. Scott Snyder is apparently working on a Black Label Nightwing book which will explore how he's a different detective than Bruce. The Gotham Knights video game has him as one of the main stars, and while Titans is... controversial, it's one of the most popular streaming shows and Dick is the main character. There's a lot of content coming that features him in the starring role, and that will only help his star rise further.

For the first time in, well, ever it feels like DC may be serious about elevating him. Time will tell if it pays off, but I for one choose to be optimistic that the 2020s will be a turning point for Dick Grayson where Nightwing becomes hugely popular in his own right. Not just as Batman's sidekick.

#nightwing #dick grayson #batman #gotham knights #titans #dc comics

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just-an-aussie-fandom-hermit · 4 years

Text

Some #Only in Gotham posts because I’m stressed and this is my coping mechanism

Guys guys guys

So I was in Central City today visiting some friends earlier this morning, and then the city gets attacked by these... aliens? Weird reptillian cryptids?? Who knows, but they were not happy nor friendly. We were all at this nice cafe just vibing in the outdoor area when this bipedal, green-gray reptile thing pops out of the manhole outside the cafe and goes absolutely feral. He was super close to my group so I grab my croc repellant (for non gothamites, its’ basically pepper spray but really bad-smelling to ward off croc if he ever shows up) out in an instant and I sprayed it right in the face.

Then I grabbed the nearest thing—some poor old guy’s metal walking frame—and whacked the reptile in the back of the head and it crumpled basically instantly.

And after the JL had stepped in to deal with the rest of them (not many, from what I’ve heard, but better safe than sorry I guess), heaps of people were freaking out about it because, well, this is Central City, they don’t get this kind of crime, they’re not prepared for this, yada yada.

Then that manhole pops up and everyone freaks out again because “oh god they’re back” but it’s just Batman dragging a bunch of tied up reptiles out of the sewers using some kind of winch set-up. It was almost comical—a daisy chain of reptiles being lifted out of this manhole in Central City by our favourite Goth Cryptid.

The cops were completely floored. The civilians didn’t know whether to be more scared of Bats or the reptiles. I mean, it was literally the middle of the day, and it’s rare to see Batman in daytime in Gotham but I guess this was an extenuating circumstance, so I guess I see why they were scared.

Batman just looks down at me standing over an unconscious reptilian holding the can of croc repellant and he’s just like “I’m guessing you’re from Gotham.”

I was like “yeah. Can’t escape the damn cryptids wherever I am.”

And tHEN he LAUGHS. Like, it was a small and quiet snort but it happened and I’m still shook. I have officially joined the “I made Batman laugh” squad. I can ascend peacefully now.

He seemed super embarrassed but asked if my friends and I were okay before he turned on his heel and stalked over to Flash and Woner Woman, a daisy-chain of reptiles in tow.

#lmao #onlyingotham #Batman #IMadeBatmanLaugh #ITookDownAReptileCryptid #GothamIsWeirdOkay #WeGottaBePreparedForAnything

———

I just heard this Metropolis guy try and trash Bruce Wayne to his friend at this diner and like five seperate people (myself included) turned around to roast the hell outta him. Like, yeah, he’s a billionaire, which is a whole can of worms I don’t wanna open right now, but he’s basically the only reason this city’s still standing and functioning (especially after the quakes and the no-man’s-land bs). His kids—most are poc and would not have thrived in the system—are all successful and work with their communities to better other people’s lives. Bruce Wayne is basically the only reason I got through high school (and am now in college); a scholarship is the only reason most of my friends have enough money to make rent. He “accidentally” spilled wine on Lex Luthor when he made a sexist remark. Also, didn’t it come out recently that he’s basically been funding the JL o at least is a major financial backer? An icon. You can shut your mouth, Jeremy.

One girl Instagram lived the whole exchange (she was filming beforehand I think) and it was magical.

Later on, Robin (the newest one, with the swords) shows up and he’s like “thank you for defending the honour of Mr Wayne”. I was like “kid,,,, you don’t need to thank me but you’re welcome”. he just kinda looks at me for a second and says “you eat free tonight” and chucks a bunch of dollar notes at me and disappears into the wilderness (ie. an alleyway). It was so surreal.

#GiveWayneABreak #BruceWayne #LetTheManLiveHisLife #GothamitesProtectTheirOwn #EvenTheBatkidsAreProtectiveOfHim

———

Yeah so....... I just saw some of Two-Face’s goons about to enter a bank, weapons drawn, and I’m scared because their boss is in Arkham, and the Rogues’ most loyal people always get antsy and trigger-happy when their bosses are off the board. I’d dialed 911 when I first saw them and ducked into an alley.

But then I see one of them stop dead in their tracks—Goon A we’ll call him—and says “hey, Wayne’s in there”.

Goon B: “Oh, we’re not meant to go after Wayne. Pack it in fellas.”

Goon C: “Huh? why not?”

Goon A: “Boss-man said so. Wayne used to be his best bud. Helped him campaign to be DA and stuff. Went to college together. Nice man.”

Goon B: “Got no problem wth that. Wayne’s the only reason my boys got through school. Besides, we mess with Wayne, the boss and Harley will be on our asses.”

Goon C: “Huh. Fair enough. We’ll go to the other location then.”

And then they just,,,, left.

#EvenTheRoguesWannaProtectHim #BruceWayne #HarveyDent #TheGuysGotCaughtAfter #IToldDetectiveMontoya #AndSheJustSighedForAReallyLongTime #OnlyInGotham #GothamIsWeird

———

Today I was in a Zoom call with some of my coworkers on the other side of the world, sitting in the kitchen facing the living room, when Red Robin comes crashing through my window. I just kinda turned around to see if he was badly injured (he wasn’t, couldn’t even see any blood) so I just continued on with what I was saying and he sheepishly left through the same window.

My coworkers are looking at me like “Jacob are you okay??” And I’m like, “yeah man, that was just Red Robin, he has unfortunate luck with windows. Soon enough one of the other Bats will come knocking with a replacement or a cash refund. Though, I should probably just invest in plexi-glass.”

One of my coworkers went on a bit of a rant about “vigilantes causing property damage and disrupting the peace” and i’m like “Mark I’d rather Batman crashing through my door or window once a month to getting buried in my twenties in his abscence,” and he was like “yeah, fair enough” so we just continued with our call.

After my call, Blonde Batgirl shows up and apologises for the window. I ask about plexi-glass and if Red Robin is alright.

She’s like “yeah he’s fine but he’s getting Bat-Lectured for being reckless which is why I’m here. Also from what Oracle can tell you should be able to get plex-glass installed within the week.”

#OnlyInGotham #GettingBatLecturedDoesNotSoundFun #ThanksOracle #BatmanDontBeTooHardOnTheKid #Gothamite #MeanwhileInGothamCity #GothamCity #RedRobin

———

So, Red Hood piggy-backed me up to my apartment yesterday because my heel broke when I was fleeing from these guys trying to mug me (or worse) and I sprained my ankle. He carried me up four flights of stairs and helped me get into my apartment and wrap my foot properly.

I told him to take some of my nana’s lasagna (because our local vigilante needs to keep his strength up! Man’s gotta eat, and from what I hear he’s not swimming in cash) and he got real quiet for a while before saying “yeah, sure”.

So he ate some lasagna while I called in sick to work (who were very understanding, surprisingly).

Then after a little while he’s like “bye” and jumps outta my window.

An icon.

#RedHood #OnyInGotham #WeStanALegend #IHopeYouLikedTheLasagna #MyNanaSaysSheWillMakeMoreForYou #GrowingUpInCrimeAlley

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kentruth · 2 years

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( édgar ramírez. 44. he/him/his. cis male. ) are you a HERO? something tells me that flannel shirts, thick framed glasses, ink stains make you who you are, CLARK KENT. with the powers of SUPERHUMAN CONDITION (KRYPTONIAN), you’re sure to have a optimistic, reckless personality — and you definitely belong to UNAFFILIATED. were you listening to EVERYWHERE by FLEETWOOD MAC on your way to the subway? it suits you. we can’t wait to see what you do next! ( @reshieldedintro )

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐄𝐄!

character name: Clark Joseph Kent age: 44 faceclaim: Édgar Ramírez voiceclaim: Édgar Ramírez skill set: Kryptonian Physiology with full control and experience with his powers. Clark has been Superman for over 20 years now and has gotten to a point where he is extremely comfortable with his abilities. affiliations: The Justice League, but he often operates on his own to right the wrongs of the world and protect those who need it no matter the place. family: Lois Lane ( wife ), Jon Kent ( son ), Conner Kent ( son despite his claims ), Jor-El ( biological father, unfortunately ), Lara Lor-Van ( biological mother ), Jonathan Kent ( father, deceased ), Martha Kent ( mother ), Kara Zor-El ( cousin ) zodiac: Sagittarius ( December 1st ) favorite movie: encanto (2021), it felt important to add. wiki link: up up and away?

what were they doing when they passed through the portal?

Clark was actually searching for Lois and Jon, who had passed through the portal prior to him without his knowledge. He had just returned from a mission that had taken him to the Phantom Zone, and upon coming back to Metropolis realized his family was missing. It was luck that made the portal manifest to him, but it was hearing Lois's heartbeat once it opened that made him cross it.

where are they living? are they living with anyone?

Currently at the same hotel that Lois is at, but will likely move in with Kon and Jon to be a nuisance to them and hopefully embarrass them into shape.

why is your character affiliated with who they’re affiliated with?

Chiefly, the Justice League. Clark has no ties to the military or any governmental organization. Superman is not a figure that is attached to one country, but to Earth as a whole. Clark doesn't limit himself to borders. Superman belongs to the world and is here to protect it.

who are their major friends, allies, and foes?

Clark believes he has a lot of close friends, even among the ranks of the Justice League. His best friend (other than Lois) would be Jimmy Olsen, a trusted sidekick to both Kent and Lane. He knows Bruce Wayne doesn't think they are friends, but he likes telling people they are best friends to see the look of utmost displeasure on Bruce's face when he does. Among the league, he is also very close to Diana Prince and Arthur Curry.

His biggest foe is Lex Luthor, or is he? Lex is nicer to him than Bruce. So is Zodd, to be honest. Perhaps Batman is his biggest foe.

whose hands do they believe the country should be in?

In the hands of someone who believes in equality and treats people fairly no matter who they are. Despite always wanting to believe the best in people and holding a lot of hope for human kind, Clark can't say he puts a lot of trust in any kind of government. He is very much anti-establishment.

what’s their current mental state at? their physical state?

Having recently missed out on a big chunk of his son’s life (thanks to sorry excuse for a father) and having gone through the stress of thinking he’d lost his family before crossing the portal, Clark has definitely had better days. He is bouncing back now that he has Lois and the boys back on his side, but there is something haunting about a parallel world that has swallowed up his entire family and that they can’t seem to get out of. As always, he will try to make the best out of the situation and help when he can, but the circumstances trouble him more than he cares to admit or show.

#𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 | bio #reshielded:intro #im changing the quote on this we respect smallville in this house #i cant add a mp3 track to this post so the text will have to do

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galactic-magick · 3 years

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Family: Bruce Wayne/Batman x Reader

Request: Could I please get Bruce Wayne x Reader? Where he and reader have a daughter and are married. They’re currently fighting because readers feels that Bruce is caring too much about the League than his family, before they leave to fight Stephen Wolf, they get in a fight things were said that weren’t meant but he comes back and FLUFF

Summary: Being married to Bruce Wayne has always been hard, especially with a young daughter at home, but things get worse when Steppenwolf threatens the world.

Words: 1300+

Warnings: angst (happy ending though)

Author’s Notes: Had a little too much fun writing this angst hehe, hope you like it anon!

Taglist: @candid-confetti

You always knew what you were getting into when you married a superhero. You knew there’d be a lot of late nights, a lot of wounds, a lot of time away. When you had your daughter, you knew balancing a family with fighting criminals would take its toll. You knew it wouldn’t be easy, but you’ve always tried to get through it together.

Lately though, it’s been harder than usual. Bruce has become consumed with Lex Luthor’s threat, constantly coming and going without warning in search of heroes to help in a fight you’re not even sure is actually coming. Both you and Alfred have tried telling him there’s been no signs of other-worldly catastrophes, to no avail. You know he’s doing it to keep you and the world safe, yet it doesn’t always feel that way.

“Bruce,” you grab his hand, hoping to stop him from leaving again. “When are you going to take a break?”

“I can’t, you know that,” he responds firmly. “The world won’t be safe until we have a solid defense. I may be able to protect one city, but I need more help to protect everyone else,”

“Protect everyone from what?” you sigh. “Luthor is locked up, everyone else you’ve taken down is locked up. What are you so afraid of?”

“It’s the fact that I don’t know that I’m afraid of,” he puts his hands on your shoulders. “Please, honey, just trust me,”

“We miss you at home. Your own daughter rarely sees you anymore,”

“I’ll spend time with her soon, I promise,” he kisses your forehead and heads out the door. “I love you,”

You desperately wish that was the end of it, and life would return to normal as soon as possible.

But that was far from the case.

Bruce was right about one thing: a threat was coming. A big one.

A giant alien called Steppenwolf has set foot on Earth, searching for three objects called “motherboxes” and planning to use them against humanity somehow. Bruce won’t tell you exactly what will happen if he gets all of them, but you’ve gotten Diana to tell you he is most likely working for an even worse enemy named Darkseid, who wants to control the entirety of the universe.

It’s terrifying to say the least, and part of you is relieved that Bruce saw this coming and is actively preparing against it. But even so, he’s still been struggling to keep his promises to his own family in the midst of it all. You’ve been trying your hardest to be understanding, to keep coming up with excuses to your daughter about why her dad isn’t around and manage on your own, but you’re starting to wonder if it’s worth it anymore.

What is this will be your reality for the rest of your lives? Who’s to say there won’t be more threats like this all the time, never catching a break and never getting back the man you love?

The stakes keep getting higher and higher, everything moving too fast for you to keep up. Bruce is running directly into danger left and right, trying things that could get him killed. His team has supposedly brought back Superman from the dead, and Steppenwolf has now found the last of the motherboxes. They’ve fought him head to head once, and they’re planning on doing it again to destroy him and the boxes.

“Please don’t go,” you beg him. Most of the team has already gone outside towards the ship, and if you hadn’t called him he probably would’ve left without a word.

He huffs, “For once can you just let me do what I have to do?”

“I have been,” your voice raises. “But can’t you see how reckless you’re being? And you refuse to even talk to me about it? You could at least pretend that you care,”

“Don’t you dare tell me that I don’t care,” he points a finger at you. “Everything I’m doing is for our family,”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t have a family left to come back to!”

His face falls, and you instantly regret what you said, but it’s too late. He leaves, and you slump into the nearest chair, tears held back only by the anger you had been holding onto until this moment.

“Hey,” Diana comes up to you as she heads for the door herself. “I didn’t mean to listen in, but I think there’s something you should know,”

“What?” you groan.

“He hasn’t told you what will actually happen if the motherboxes unite so he doesn’t worry you, but they’re not just weapons. They’ll turn this planet into a mirror of Darkseid’s and kill most of humanity, and if Darkseid also finds the Anti-Life equation he’ll control what’s left of us. Bruce has also been having vivid dreams of a future where Darkseid wins, me and Arthur are dead, and…” she exhales. “You and your daughter are dead too,”

“I…” you can’t find any words to reply.

“We could all die out there today, whether we win or lose,” she shakes her head. “But I know he loves you, and if we make it out alive he’ll make sure you know,”

She puts her sword and shield on her back, and races out the door.

You don’t sleep at all that night, waiting several hours before you hear anything.

What if he’s dead and that’s the last thing you ever said to him?

What if you have to explain to your daughter the next morning that she’ll never see her father again?

The tears finally come, streaming down your cheeks like a waterfall. It can’t end like this, can it?

Your daughter hears you, coming into the room and sitting next to you.

“Did you and daddy have another fight?” she asks.

You nod. You want to tell her it’s more than that, but you’re not sure how much her poor little heart can handle.

“You should stop doing that,” she says matter-of-factly. “You’re both so sad all the time now. People who love each other shouldn’t make each other sad,”

“You’re right, honey,” you sigh, pulling her close to you. “You’re right,”

You must’ve fallen asleep on the couch, because when you open your eyes it’s almost dark again.

“Hey,” you hear your husband’s voice behind you. “I didn’t want to wake you, but-“

You jump off the couch and run to him, falling into his arms and burying your face in his chest. The tears start falling again, and he holds you in silence until you get over the initial shock and relief.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I should’ve told you what was really going on. I never meant to keep secrets from you and neglect our family,”

You nod, allowing him to wipe the tears away with his thumbs and guide your gaze up to his.

“I’m just happy you’re alive,” you smile.

“Everyone’s okay,” he says. “We destroyed the boxes and killed Steppenwolf. We might not be safe forever, but we’re safe now,”

“Safe enough for you to come back to us?”

“Yes,” he holds you closer. “And I’ll never leave again,”

“Yay! You’re happy now!”

You turn your heads toward your daughter walking around the corner and up to you.

“I knew you would!” she giggles, hugging both of you. “No more fighting, okay? You should love each other instead,”

“Love each other, huh?” Bruce smirks, leaning in to kiss you.

“Ewww not like that!” she covers her eyes, getting a laugh out of both of you.

“Later then,” he says to you, and you nudge him playfully.

You follow her back to her room to tuck her into bed, something you always did together before all the chaos, something that brings back a sense of normal. She tries to get you let her stay up more, get you to tell her stories or answer her random questions, but eventually she falls asleep.

“I love you,” he kisses you once you’re alone again.

You wrap your arms around him, never wanting to let him go, “I love you too,”

#justice league imagine #justice league x reader #bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne imagine #zsjl #zack snyder’s justice league #batman x reader

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daemoninwhiteround2 · 3 years

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Clark stretches and luxuriates in the sunbeam stretching across the desk. Gotham is renowned for being terribly overcast at all times, but wealth buys distance, and Wayne Manor is far enough away from the factories that they have clear skies. Stunning sunsets still, however, and he walks out onto the attached balcony to admire it.

"Shepherd's delight," he murmurs, watching the red sky.

He hadn't meant to stay so long - he was only in Gotham to cover the opening of a new branch of Queen Industries. But for all his boss dislikes putting an omega on the hard news, Clark has the instincts of any alpha reporter, and he'd taken advantage of the trip to do a little snooping. One thing led to another and he'd been tossing up what hotel he should attempt to find a room in when he'd literally tripped over Bruce. One thing led to another and then Bruce was inviting him to spend the night.

A noise from the study behind him interrupts his reminiscing and he turns to see Dick slip into the room. Clark smiles, delighted to see him - Dick has been mysteriously absent his whole visit so far.

(He has no idea the image he makes, limned by the setting sun, openly welcoming.)

Dick closes the door but he doesn't move further into the room, instead he presses his back up against the door.

Clark frowns and steps closer. "Dick, what's-?"

The scent smacks him across the face and he chokes.

Alpha.

Rut.

Oh. Oh.

He hadn't known.

He freezes. "Dick?"

"I." Dick swallows thickly and almost claws at the wood. "I. It's my. First."

Clark nods slowly. He... Golly, the last time he was in the room with a rutting alpha, was...

He's not sure. He was the one in heat, when Luthor...

He pushes the memory away with the ease of long practice. He didn't regret it at the time and he refuses to now - he'd got Conner out of it. Conner is worth any amount of slightly creepy attention from an alpha.

"Dick. Do you want me to get Bruce?"

Dick snarls and Clark nods, trying to make himself smaller and also bare his neck at the same time. Some alphas find the presence of their pack alpha comforting when in rut, others view it as a threat to their authority and a challenge to their right to an omega. The rut brain is stupid - Dick knows that Bruce and Clark are platonic, they specifically had a conversation about it after Clark helped Bruce with an emergency rut a couple of years back. Dick's logical brain isn't the one in control right now.

"What do you want me to do, Dick?" Clark asks as he pumps out soothing omega pheromones as subtly as he can.

Dick takes one staggering step forward. "You."

"Yes, what do you want me-"

Dick snarls, frustration clear, and steps forward again. His tail lashes in a way that Clark's dog-brain wants to read as an invitation to play, but the rest of his body language...

Dick presses himself against Clark, wraps his arms around Clark's waist. The tip of his nose just barely brushes the edge of the scent gland on Clark's neck. "You. Omega. My omega."

Clark had automatically brought his hands up to support Dick and when he processes the words he wants to freeze, but he forces himself to go through with it, to run calming hands over Dick's hair and down his back.

It makes sense. Clark is an unmated omega (despite what some people have attempted, not naming any names Lex) and he and Dick are familiar with one another - Clark has taken Dick out, helped with his homework. If Clark's in the area and has free time he always attempts to see Bruce and Dick. This is ... Perhaps not quite to be expected (he thinks of wanting Jimmy, even in the depths of heat, and wants to laugh) but it is normal.

"Oh, Dickie. I... Any omega would be flattered-"

"I don't want any omega, I want you," Dick whines against Clark's collarbone. "I've always wanted you."

(Clark recalls, in rapid succession:

Dick finding Clark sharing breakfast with Bruce after Clark had assisted with Bruce's rut, and storming off, trailing the scent of tears behind him.

Dick pressing close to Clark whenever they're out together and someone unmated approaches them.

Dick always touching Clark. Giving him little gifts of flowers and rocks.

Dick smiling to Lex's face and saying something innocently insulting at the most recent gala - it had been so funny Clark had been forced to duck into a side room and laugh himself sick.

He recalls and represses. Rut brain cannot be trusted.)

"Oh baby," Clark stritches behind Dick's ears. "I know it feels like that, but just wait until your rut is up. You'll feel so embarrassed, saying something like that to an old fuddy duddy like me. Why don't we get you settled into a nest and we'll call one of your school friends?"

Dick growls, all puppy-displeasure, and sets his teeth against Clark's shoulder. He's not quite tall enough to get the traditional bite, and Clark feels rather like a chewtoy.

"Dick..."

"Noooo," Dick whines again and drags his teeth back and forth. It's a strange mix of ticklish and actually rather... Nice.

Clark sighs. He closes his eyes and pushes away the faux-heat that wants to rise in response to a rut, and thinks. There's nothing wrong with spending a heat or rut with someone - he doesn't regret the time spent with Lex, he's annoyed that Lex took advantage of him to try to mate him not that they had sex - and everyone knows someone who tried to go it alone and got sick. First ruts and heats are the worst as well - Clark can get away with spending his heats alone but that's because he's a mature omega who has had a pup. A baby alpha runs a serious risk of hurting themselves from dehydration or a ... Ahem. Injury.

Instincts don't direct you to someone you'll regret. If Dick wants to spend his first rut with Clark, then it's probably because he ... Feels safe with Clark. Or maybe it's because Clark's the omega he feels closest to.

Dick hooks a leg around Clark's, and Clark startles as a very erect penis is pressed against him.

Oh. That's. Hrm.

Big.

Dick rocks his hips and whimpers. Clark bites his lip and definitely doesn't slick up in response. Or maybe he does. He...

He sighs. Presses a kiss to Dick's forehead and then cups his chin and pulls him back far enough that they can look each other in the eye.

"Do you want to spend your first rut with me, Dick?" he asks.

Dick doesn't bat an eyelash. "Please."

"Ok. Ok. Have you built a den?"

Dick squirms out of Clark's grip and presses his forehead to the centre of Clark's chest.

(Oh. Has Dick seen a post-pregnancy omega naked before? Probably not. Clark hopes he doesn't disappoint.)

"Wanna show me to it?"

Dick nods wordlessly again. He steps back, drags his hands around and down Clark's sides until he can grab both of Clark's hands. "Mmh. Wanna show it to you."

Clark purrs, all omega-approval, and desperately hopes that they cross someone on the way. He doesn't know if Dick has stocked up on water and snacks and once he's in the den, if Dick's like most other alphas, he won't want to leave.

"Lead the way."

#dickclark #I mean Clark is a Mature Omega ... lac kink and mommy kink y/y?#sorry the characterisation is kinda shoddy I tried but I'm bad at writing Clark when he's not in opposition to Bruce #dae writes #the fox and the bear au #dc #batman #superman #Dick Grayson #alpha Dick Grayson #wolfboy Dick Grayson #Clark Kent #omega Clark Kent #dogboy Clark Kent #clex #in the past #kemonomimi #hybrids

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dalekofchaos · 3 years

Text

You know, I really want to love the Snyderverse, like everyone else. But the man ruined it for me by his irrational devotion to Ayn Rand’s fucked up Objectivism philosophy. He twisted Clark into a much less interesting character because he can’t fathom the concept of someone doing the right thing simply because it’s the right thing.

He has Pa Kent say that maybe you should let a bus full of kids die. If your defense is “ his “maybe” is more of an “i don’t know i just want you to be safe”, he’s worried about Clark’s safety because he’s afraid of how the world would react if they knew about his powers “ then it’s a poor excuse

Pa Kent had been portrayed as being worried about Clark being discovered before (Lois & Clark being the biggest example), but he’s never said “don’t save people” because of it. The reason why Superman isn’t scary is because he was raised with such strong values. Taking that away and replacing it with “Maybe you should have let those kids die” and “You don’t owe this world a thing” makes him very frightening, because it means that it’s a lot easier for him to do stuff that essentially proves Lex Luthor right.

Oh, but wait. there is nothing that could make Lex right because he’s essentially an idiot and literally has no message or motivations to warrant that claim. Because if he did, then he’d be inadvertently portrayed as right. Snyder knows what he’s doing.

And god, his fucking worship of Frank Miller is absolute garbage. Batman kills and openly uses guns. And Snyder will retort “you’re living in a fantasy world” if you ever critique his decision of having his heroes kill

There's the fact that he casted the IDF soldier and propaganda mouth piece to play Wonder Woman. G*l G*dot is a disgrace to everything Wonder Woman is supposed to stand for.

Then there is the fact that

The fact that he originally wanted the picture of Wonder Woman to have her holding a bunch of decapitated heads.

He wanted Dick Grayson to be the Robin who was killed, not Jason Todd

While it was not written by him persay, it still followed his universe. In The Affleck version of The Batman, Deathstroke kills Alfred and anyone else close to Bruce in order to destroy Bruce’s world and up the stakes of the fight between Bruce and Slade.

He wanted to make Martha Wayne and Martha Kent the same person.

Killing Batman at the end of Justice League 3 and making Clark and Lois' kid the next Batman years later.

Before deciding on wanting to do the previous point, he also wanted Bruce and Lois to be a thing and for Lois' pregnancy to be the result of her and Bruce's affair.

He said this

Even with Cyborg, the Ayn Rand bullshit is still there. When Victor has access to his powers, the voice of his father is he should not do it. The same ideology as Superman's dad. Cyborg has the power to literally eradicate poverty but instead he picks and chooses those he thinks deserves to be helped. The movie doesn't spend a lot of time here and it doesn't really interact with the rest of the story, but it is another example of how Snyder imposes his world view onto almost all of his characters.

Like, even I will admit Snyder’s take on the DCEU is better than WB’s studio mandates, but for fuck’s sake. the Ayn Rand bullshit needs to go. And his stupid ideas he wanted to get away with, he should be called out for said stupid fucking ideas

Zack Snyder is not the DC messiah ya’ll think he is

#Anti Zack Snyder #Anti DCEU #Batman #Superman #Dick Grayson #Clark Kent #Lois Lane #Cyborg #Victor Stone #Anti Gal Gadot

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anxiousnerdwritings · 3 years

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hiya! it's me, the one and only knull anon!! ik you arent currently accepting requests or asks, and that's fine, but I recently written something for LexLuthor and I though I should share. this ask is in no way telling you to start posting again, or anything of the sort. remeber, mental health is always the most important thing! but I was thinking of you today and I was hoping you were doing good. so hopefully this piece will help improve your mood. again, you dont have to awnser this at all rn, only when you feel better!

ps, this has been spell checked by google so that's why it uppercase lol

~~~~~~

"How long do I have to wear this dress?"

"As long as the gala goes on, ___"

"Just call it a fancy party, or a luxurious gathering since its you-"

"Oh, do not get smart with me, ____"

Pulling at the top of your dress, you tried to loosen up the tightness of the neck area. It felt like a noose to you. Fortunately, the fabric was soft, extremely luxurious, and it covered every part of your body, excluding your hands and head.

Lex, on the other hand, was in some kind of fancy suit, that looked more expensive than the carpet in his penthouse. And his carpet was more expensive then your phone bill. Well, when you had a phone.

You didn't remember when he had found you, but you remember before. At least, bits and pieces of it. A home in a suburban neighborhood, a mom and a dad, a normal looking life for a kid like you. However, after a few months ago, it was far from normal.

You were given the finest things people would want in life, in return for… hanging out with lex luthor. It sounded weird at first, but you soon realized it wasn't a joke.

You werent treated as a prostitute, and not as a lover either: you weren't even legal. If you had to guess the relationship between you and Lex, it would have to be a father and daughter kind of relationship. Which also could explain why he wanted you to call him dad.

Back to this "gala", Lex actually would ban you from going to any party at all and left you with guards at all parts of the penthouse you were stationed at, sometimes even leaving you with Mercy.

You didn't really know why he was letting you go out to this gala, but you had a few ideas. For starters, this gala was not just for anyone, it was for extremely rich people who had nothing better to do then sit around in a room. Which also explained the reason why everything looked the price of a liver.

Another possible reason was that a close colleague of your "dad" had seen you walking around in the penthouse. You never saw who it was but Lex advised you to stay out of sight when people were visiting.

Fortunately he didn't get as mad as you expected him to which was a good thing to be honest. He wasn't the type to tell you, more just reprimand you in a voice that just spelt disappointment.

Anyway. It wasn't good to think of when he was angry with you. Right now you had to focus on the people who were trying to figure out who you were.

Sticking close to Lex was easy, since he was 6 feet tall. Easily. And the fact that people wouldn't approach you when you were next to him. Only the people who you actually recognized either from voice or appearance were brave enough to even look in your direction.

The night was almost over when a man approached the two of you. At this point your feet were getting sore and when you asked Mercy for the time, she responded that it was almost 12: lex would definitely send you to bed as soon as you got home again.

However, the man who approached the two of you was familiar. It only took a few seconds of going through your memories and seeing Lexs face turn to slight annoyance to realize this was Bruce Wayne.

He walked up to the two of you and smiled down at you.

"Well, I didnt know Lex had a child. What is your name?"

You were about to respond when Lex interrupted you. "Their name is ____. And unfortunately, we were just about to leave. I hope that whatever you were going to ask can wait until later?"

Wayne's smile faltered a little, before it turned neutral. "Unfortunately, no, but it is a quick question. And one that I need to speak with you in private?" He looked at you, before speaking again, "No harm meant."

You were about to respond again, when Lex motioned to Mercy. "Mercy, could you take ____ back to the limo? I will be just a moment- oh, and do not let her out of your sight."

Mercy nodded, and taking your hand, she led you back to the elevator where the entrance was. All while everyone was focused on the two of you.

Wayne was the first to speak. "Shes not yours, is she?"

"____ is my daughter, and I hope you would have the decency to not spew this to the media. You dont seem the type of man to feed the media with info, especially not of a, young girl."

Wayne looked offended, and didnt even try to hide it in his face. "No. If anything, I was wondering why you, of all people, would be taking care of a child."

Lex did not seem offended. "Oh, but you have so many children, I thought it was a necessity." Lex leaned in a little towards Wayne and whispered, "And to be quite honest with you, it is none of your concern."

Wayne simply glared at Luthor before Lex started moving away from Wayne.

"Well, I'm sorry to say but I believe I've kept ____ waiting for long enough. I'm afraid I must go."

He didnt wait for Wayne to say anything he simply stormed off to the elevator and left.

Wayne did nothing but walk over to the windows, where he was able to get a clear view of Mercy holding your forearm and opening the limo door while a few more guards stood near you. Lex appeared soon after with his own guards and ushered you in the car.

Lifting his hand towards his ear, he commed his own children.

Whispering, he said "All of you better be following that limo when I get down there."

He heard Dick chuckle. "Oh, dont worry Bruce. I think the 4 trackers on that thing will be enough."

Bruce didnt say anything as he watched the limo drive off into the distance. Figuring it was time to dip, he left his wine glass empty at a table and left the room, and trying to figure out who was the strange girl he had just met.

~~~~~~

oof so now as I paste this here from google docs I feel like an asshole by sending you this so I just want to remind you that you can awnser this whenever you want! I might send in some more in the future but I want you to prioritize mental health over tumblr! your health matter, both physically and mentally! and dont forget it! with lots of love,

- knull anon

Sorry I didn’t see this sooner! This is really good!💖💕 I love the idea of Lex Luther and Bruce Wayne beefing over poor Reader. Having two extremely rich, intelligent and determined people duke it out just appeals to me for some reason.

Don’t feel bad, thank you for sending this in while I was gone🥰💚. It was nice.

#anxious answers #knull anon

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redhoodssweetheart · 3 years

Text

Star-Crossed Lovers Part Three

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

Requested: Yes @onfir3 and @sarcasmismyfirstlove

Word Count: 2.5K

Warnings: Swearing, angst, Reader has an assumed name in this (she is not named, but she goes by Sophia Turner since she is in hiding)

Description: Secrets are unveiled and Y/N is smacked in the face with a truth she hadn’t expected to find out.

A/N: Okay first off, I have no idea how long this story is going to be. It could have one more part, two more parts or more. I am legit addicted to this story now. Also the ending may have a sad and a happy version. One for people who want a happily ever after and those who want to read a sad ending. Or maybe you’ll want to read both who knows. But I hope you enjoy this installment of Star-Crossed Lovers. The song that the singers are singing is Ain’t About You by Wonho featuring Kiiara

Her keys jingled as she fished them out of her pocket. Clark’s plants were not on the verge of death and she had considered her mission a success. As she stepped inside the apartment she flipped on the lights and nearly jumped out of her skin when she noticed the dark figure in the corner of her living room.

“Holy shit,” she gripped her hand to her chest. Her heart was pounding, but it was starting to calm down now that she realized it was Batman in her apartment and not Sionis.

“Y/N,” he said in his gruff way. “I have news.”

“Please tell me that Sionis is officially dead,” she didn’t want to hear anything else, but she had a feeling that that wasn’t why he was here.

The way his jaw locked only confirmed her suspicions. “He’s still alive,” Batman confirmed. “And he’s using someone at LexCorp to up his drugs. The effects give the user temporary powers like Superman and Superboy’s. It’s not on the street yet, but soon. And Sionis knows you’re not dead. As far as I’m aware he doesn’t know you're here.” He reached into one of his compartments and pulled out an envelope. “I’ve secured you a ticket to a fundraiser tomorrow night that Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp are throwing. It’s a masquerade ball, I need you to tell me if you see anyone familiar there. Anyone that was working with or for Sionis. We need to know who’s supplying him.”

She took the invitation, “Fine. Where will I meet you?”

“I’ll find you,” then he was disappearing out the window and into the night.

The dress she had picked out was red, with a thigh high slit and a mask to match. The dress was silk, the light reflecting off it. She felt sexy and yeah she chose red for one reason and one reason only.

God, she had to get over him.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, but no one stuck out besides the Waynes, Lex, and a few other high society members. She didn’t like how this mission was going so far. And when she scanned the crowd again she noticed one of the Wayne boys staring her way. She quickly ducked into a crowd and hoped not to draw any more attention. She wasn’t the only one wearing red so she wouldn’t stand out like a sore thumb.

“Does it sound cliché to say / That I just need some space babe / It’s not you, it’s me really, uh,” the male singer began to sing into his mic. “I’m the one that changed umm / You’re so hard to resist / A love that hurt like this / I wish it wasn’t hell / To love you more than you love yourself.”

“I don’t believe I know your name,” a husky male voice said beside Y/N and when she looked up she saw that it was the Wayne boy that had been staring at her.

“And who says I’m going to give it to you?” She fired back, a smirk beginning to form.

He matched her smirk, “You’re a beautiful woman, it’s a ball, I thought I’d ask you to dance with me, but I’d like to know your name first.”

She considered him for a moment and then said, “I’ll give you the dance, but you haven’t earned my name yet, stranger.”

“I see I caught your eye, again / Your pretty little lies / Wish I could stroke your big ego / But sorry not tonight, or ever / You’re so hard to resist / A love that hurt like this / I wish it wasn’t hell / To love you more than you love yourself,” the female singer sang in response to her male counterpart as the Wayne boy led her onto the dance floor.

He swept Y/N into his arms and began to twirl her around with expert ease. Money could buy a lot of things and dance lessons was probably one of those things. She wondered if it had been his choice or if Bruce Wayne had made it mandatory. “So what’re you doing at the ball? I normally know the people that frequent these,” he said as he dipped her, their faces inches from one another.

She cocked her head to the side as he slowly brought her back to an upright position, “Because you’re a Wayne?”

He chuckled, “Maybe.”

“I work for the Daily Planet, I’m working on a story,” she said. A half-truth, but not a complete lie.

Those blue eyes of his were starting to look familiar like she had seen them before. She wondered if he was the man she had bumped into on the street the other day, but she wasn’t about to ask him that. And right now those very eyes were bright with mischief. “Oh? Looking for any sordid secrets of the lifestyle of the rich and famous because I could provide. I know dirt on everyone here.”

“No sordid secrets for me tonight,” she said, she didn’t want to know what those sordid secrets would cost her if he were to tell her what he knew. “I’m just covering the event.” She had learned from articles that the Waynes and Luthor were trying to raise money for people displaced by superhero activity. Homes that had been destroyed or other places like schools and work.

“How you stay out til 4 am / How you can’t tell me where you’ve been / Go and get that shit out your head / This ain’t about youuuuu / This ain’t about youuuuu / This ain’t about / Hate to tell you but / Hate to tell you but / This ain’t about you / This ain’t about you,” the singers sang, the song coming to a close.

The stranger still held her in his arms after the song had ended, “Have I earned the right to know your name or am I going to have to make one up for you?”

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours?” She fired back.

“Deal.”

“Sophia Turner,” the lie slipped off her tongue, but it felt odd to tell him this name. She had no idea why, she didn’t even know him other than the fact that he was a Wayne. “But most call me Sophie.”

“Jason Todd,” he supplied in return.

“Oh so I was dancing with the resident bad boy of the Waynes,” she hummed. “Let me guess you flash those pretty blue eyes at whoever you want and you can get out of any situation?”

“Not quite, but you think they’re pretty?” His grin was turning cocky and you pushed away from him.

“Down boy,” she said. “I’m… well I’m….” She sighed, “It’s complicated.”

He started walking beside her as she turned to flee from the event, “I’m a great listener, you could tell me all your boy problems.”

“No tonight lover boy, I need to go anyway,” she had gotten all the information she could for Batman. She hadn’t seen anyone there that could be working with or for Sionis, the whole night had been a bust. Fun, but a bust.

“I’ll find you, Cinderella,” he called out to her as she made her way through the crowd not once glancing back at him.

The night after coming home Y/N grabbed some ice cream out of the fridge and waited for Batman. When he showed up she told him that she didn’t know anyone there; he thanked her and promised to keep her updated with anything about Sionis. But for now, she should stay where she was and lie low because Metropolis was the safest place for her. Before she could thank him he was gone.

Now it was Monday and she was at work. Lois greeted her and was smiling broadly, “Someone got a gift.”

Y/N’s attention turned to her desk where a bouquet of red roses sat. She blinked a couple of times because she didn’t believe that anyone would leave her flowers. “Who sent them?” She asked to no one in particular as she made her way to her desk, Lois still beside her. She picked the card and saw that there was a handwritten note.

Cinderella,

I think it’s rude that you didn’t leave a shoe for me to return to you. I’d like to see you again. Meet me tonight at the top of the Daily Planet, seven o’clock?

Jason Todd

“Sophie! Did you run out on Jason Todd last night?” Lois gasped. Since the moment the two of them had met Lois had been trying to set her up. In her own words, she was trying to ‘help you get over the man who you clearly hurt you’.

Y/N rolled her eyes, “I didn’t run out on him like Cinderella, he knows my name and where I work. I just needed to get home.”

“Are you going to meet him tonight?” She asked, a smile on her face that suggested she wanted you to meet with him.

She gave her friend a look, “I don’t know, Lois. I’m busy and I have other things that I need to do.” Getting involved with a Wayne was dangerous. They were always in the spotlight and Jason especially since he was the most mysterious of the bunch. He attracted a camera like honey drew flies.

“Just go, see what he wants, have a little fun. Lord knows you could use it,” Lois squeezed Y/N’s shoulder and headed for her own desk.

Y/N looked at those red roses again and let out a sigh. One visit with Jason wouldn’t hurt.

Metropolis was nice, but Jason preferred the grittiness of Gotham. There was something real about it, it wasn’t hiding that there was bad stuff going on. Metropolis on the other hand was sleek and new. Superman gave them hope and offered a shiny new take that life could be good. He always felt like he stuck out in Metropolis, even when he was in the Robin or Red Hood uniforms. You could tell that he didn’t belong.

The door to the roof opened and he heard her heels against the concrete. “Flowers? Really?”

He turned and grinned at her, getting an unencumbered view of her face for the first time in months. She was still as beautiful as the first day he had met her.

“Well I thought about sending a candy gram, but I didn’t think that would be appreciated,” he quipped.

She chuckled and came to stand beside him, her gaze fixed on the city beyond. “It’s almost too perfect,” she murmured, mirroring Jason’s earlier thoughts. “Unlike Gotham--” She clamped her mouth shut.

“Oh, you know Gotham?” His gaze was still locked on her face, trying to recommit everything to memory. She had changed a little bit about herself when she went into hiding, but it was still her. Still his Y/N.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I grew up there. Moved away a while ago. Needed a change of pace.” Lie. Lie. Lie. She hadn’t wanted to leave Gotham. She wanted nothing more than to stay, but circumstances and fate had other ideas.

Jason finally mirrored her position, “I get that. I moved away for a bit myself.”

“Didn’t you fake your death?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. “Sorry, that’s a little too personal. It’s the journalist in me, feel free to ignore it.” She wanted to smack herself, but he huffed a laugh and she finally looked at him. There was something so familiar about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“It’s all right,” he said softly to let her know he wasn’t upset by her question. “And the answer is it’s complicated. Very, very complicated.”

“I know all about complicated,” she told him. “At this point, I think it’s my middle name.”

“Sophia Complicated Turner, huh?” He held out his hand to her, “I’m Jason Peter Todd.”

That made her laugh, “Are you always this corny?”

“There’s more to me than the bad boy the papers like to see, Sophia.” He hated using that name. He wanted to call her Y/N, he wanted to tell her everything, but he held his tongue.

She bumped him with her shoulder, “I can tell.”

Warmth spread through him and he went to respond when a breeze blew by and she shivered. “Here,” he draped his jacket over her shoulders. “Why aren’t you wearing a better jacket?” He asked like a mother hen. “You live here and even I knew to come prepared.”

Y/N stood there frozen for a moment before gently wrapping the leather jacket closer around her and breathing in the scent of him. Cigarettes and a familiar aftershave, a combination she had come to know as home. Though she had tried to get him to quit smoking. Jason’s jacket smelled like Red and she stiffened even more when the thought crossed her mind. Red had died once too. Red would have made similar jokes. She looked closely at Jason, really taking him in, and there on his lip was a little scar in the same place that Red had a scar. Then the mole on his neck, and another scar she had kissed over a hundred times.

Y/N backed away, her breath coming out in shallow pants. Her mind was running a mile a minute, it couldn’t be. “I need to go,” she finally managed to say.

“Sophia?” He asked in concern and God she couldn’t get it out of her head how he was Red. Jason was the Red Hood.

“Goodnight,” she dashed for the door, his jacket still wrapped around her.

Once she had made it to her apartment, Batman was there. Still in the city chasing down leads, and probably coming to ask for another favor. The ball. Bruce Wayne being in the city. Everything was clicking in place. “Call Red here,” she said before he could speak. “I want to see him.”

“Red isn’t here, Y/N,” Batman said calmly.

“Oh isn’t he?” She spat. “I’m pretty sure I just left him on the roof of the Daily Planet.” She tossed the jacket at him. “Bruce.”

There was a moment of hesitation, but Batman - or Bruce - pulled the cowl down and revealed his true identity to her. “How did you figure it out?”

“I’m an investigative journalist, Bruce. Give me some credit,” she scoffed. “If anyone looked hard enough I’m sure they could figure it out.” She sat down on her couch and buried her face in her hands. “Fuck, I’m so tired.”

Bruce wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, but he summoned Jason, not telling him that Y/N knew the truth. He would wait for that bomb to be dropped by the woman herself. “I’m sorry if we’re causing you this stress, Y/N.”

She waved a dismissive hand, “Please, I’ve been stressed since the moment Sionis ruined my life. I knew that that plan of ours was a fifty-fifty shot at freedom. I’ll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life if I’m lucky.”

A moment later Red Hood entered through your window and you just looked at him. And for a moment your times together flashed before your eyes. “Y/N,” he said, his voice in that robotic monotone.

“Jason,” she responded. “Why don’t you sit down? We’ve got a lot to discuss you and I.”

#Jason Todd x Reader #Jason Todd x Fem!Reader #Jason Todd x Reader angst #Jason Todd #Jason Todd fanfic #Jason Todd fanfiction #Jason Todd angst #Requested

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