Surrounded by Silence
Clint sat alone outside watching a storm front move in. he could feel every now and then when a clap of thunder sounded, the roof under him would shake but he couldn't hear it. He sat silently, the others were below in the tower but he'd gone up to the roof to sit alone. He wasn't in a bad mood or upset about anything in particular. He just wanted to watch the sky.
They had finished a mission and he was tired and worn out. He'd showered, changed and headed up to the roof. He'd taken out his hearing aids and after hours of wearing them he felt strange and oppressed by the silence around him. Still, his ears hurt if he wore them for too long and he needed a break. He sat still and watched the dark clouds move towards the city in the distance. As a kid he'd been able to count the distance between thunder and lightning but the storm wasn't close enough to truly feel the vibrations and he wasn't able to hear it. He tried a few times before giving up.
He sat still and silent, letting the wind lift his hair. Feeling it but not hearing it. He wondered if it had sound. He felt it against his cheek and almost thought he could hear the absence of sound. He sat still, letting it ripple his shirt and send goose bumps down his arms. It wasn't really cold but the wind had an edge to it that was enjoyable. The humidity was high and the air was sticky. As always when he took his hearing aids out he felt alert and on edge. Somehow he always felt strained when he engulfed himself in silence.
He sighed and felt the air leave his lungs, felt his chest expand and his rib cage move but did not hear the whisper of breath that accompanied it. It had been strange losing his hearing all over again. It had taken him some time to get back into the groove of things. He hated wearing hearing aids again. They made his ears hurt and he hated the white noise that came with them. Tony had seized the chance to make a pair of what he called "the Greatest Hearing Aids on Earth" Clint had said that was a dumb name but Tony had been off. He'd gone on to say if they worked well enough he'd market a line. Condense the name to "Stark-Aids". Clint said if he called them that he would never wear them again. But the truth was that Tony had done a magnificent job and he was incredibly grateful but sometimes he didn't want to wear them. They weren't perfect and they didn't make everything clear. He still had trouble hearing and understanding what he was hearing. That was another problem. But they were the best he had ever had and he was glad of that.
The others had picked up some sign language for him. Tony learned it over night and of course Natasha had been able to communicate from the beginning. She never ceased to amaze him. Bruce had been a quick learner too although Clint hadn't demanded that they learn. If anything he was a little touched by their willingness.
Tony had asked him if he wanted cochlear implants and he'd thought about it. If anyone could come up with a perfect design it was Tony but in the end he opted not to. He wasn't insulted by Tony asking him. It was a valid question but his hearing had come back once, he was holding out for hope that it would again and if it did he didn't want to mess with anything serious. Tony hadn't understood but then he hadn't expected him to. Tony was a guy who believed with enough time tech could fix everything. It wasn't a personal or deep misunderstanding. It was just Tony. He wasn't bothered.
Steve had been a little slower in learning sign language and maybe because of that he'd gone the extra mile. In some ways it was a little too much, everyone being accommodating and going out of their way but he was grateful.
A crash of thunder he could feel in the air and he almost imagined he could hear it. He thought maybe he was hearing a memory. That was a good chance. It was strange to know it should have sound but didn't. Strange to know what that sound was and to wait for it but not hear it. That was another thing. He always felt like he was waiting.
A shadow fell to his left and he studied it. It was Natasha, it had to be. He held still, wanting her to know that he knew she was there. She came up behind him and touched his shoulder gently. She said something and he just gave her a simple frown and shook his head. She nodded and brushed a hand through his hair, leaning her head on his shoulder. He sometimes had trouble reading her lips. She didn't move her moth a lot when she talked. She was too in control. Still she came and sat down next to him. He thought maybe she was indulging in silence. He could respect that. Hearing took work for him now. Sometimes it was just easier not to hear. He sat still, her body against his. He could feel her heart beat in her chest. He wondered if he had his hearing if he might be able to feel it. He could remember what it sounded like. He tried to focus on the sound in his head. Pretend he could really feel it.
Sometimes he felt alone. Alone without the comfort of sound. Like he was missing things and that always frustrated him. People already thought he was a bit dim. But how could you compete with people like Bruce and Tony? When he missed things he felt dumb. Nobody ever commented but he thought that maybe he was hindering them. That if he asked them to repeat a joke it wasn't as funny. Still no one complained and maybe it was all in his head.
He touched Natasha's hair and she looked up at him. He shrugged to say that there was nothing to say and she looked back out across the city. He followed her gaze to the clouds moving in. he didn't like to think of the heroes still out there. They would be caught in the rain. He knew Daredevil never took a night off. Guy was human but liked to forget. Clint wasn't like that. Maybe he lacked the discipline. Maybe it came from being on a team with people who weren't human. He was reminded every day.
He clenched and unclenched his fist, cracking the knuckles silently. Well, not really but to him they were silent. He worked on one, not sure if it had really popped until his finger hurt. Natasha took his fingers and rubbed them, squeezing them affectionately before rising to her feet. She signed that she was going in and he said aloud that he would stay up for a little bit. He wondered how his voice sounded. Wondered if it sounded different or the same. How loud it was. If anything was off she didn't show and with a smile she turned and went.
He looked out, the storm was nearer. The air was getting colder. He shivered a little, feeling the spark of electric life that hit when he was cold or hungry. A shock that ran down his spine and into his feet. So strange to be surrounded by silence. Four walls of it. A room and a ceiling. Oppressive and heavy, just like the air was.
He clapped his hands and sighed when he could only hear the memory of the sound. Sometimes that was worse because he couldn't be sure and he wanted to believe. The memory teased him. He swiped at the air and made an incoherent noise. Just a sound. The odd feeling of feeling his vocal cords work and of feeling his chest push air out and the sound pass his lips but not hearing it. He wondered if it hung in the air in front of him. He could imagine it. He could imagine the sound even if he couldn't hear it.
When the wind picked up and the first few drops of water began to fall he went inside. Tony and Steve were bickering in the kitchen. He was glad he couldn't hear that. He could see them arguing but gratefully couldn't hear them. When he was sure one of them was calling out to him he pretended he hadn't noticed and hurried by before they made a more direct approach at getting him in.
He passed Bruce on the couch who signed asking him if it was raining. He nodded. That was the funny thing. He could talk to them but they couldn't speak to him. He seldom thought about it though. It didn't seem important and was just the way things were. Bruce frowned and glanced out the window, squinting, trying to see the sprinkling rain.
Clint sat down and turned on the tv. Volume on mute and captions on. He watched the forecast and groaned. Rain all week.
He glanced at the kitchen. Weather didn't matter to Cap. The day needed saving and wet weather wasn't going to stop them. He hated working in the rain. He glanced at Bruce who was watching the television too. "Great weather." He muttered.
Bruce rolled his eyes in agreement with a "what can you do?" expression.
Natasha re entered the living room and without asking switched the channel to a program she wanted. Clint didn't mind, he was done with the tv anyway.
Outside the thunder cracked and the rain began to pour in earnest and Clint missed the sound of the rain. But for now, as in most days, it didn't matter. He had Natasha resting against his shoulder and an interesting program on tv and for once he didn't have to listen to the bickering in the kitchen. He smiled a little at the thought and put his arm around her.
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get 3 or more to win
🔲 Brush teeth
🔲 Pet animal
🔲 Draw something
🔲 Shower
🔲 Drink water
🔲 Cook something
🔲 Find a new song you like
if you win, you get to look at this really good clipart of a rhino I found
It's hidden in the keep reading tab. DO NOT look at this rhino unless you have successfully done 3 or more tasks
WARNING
this section contains spoilers
please make sure you have read the post above before you keep scrolling, seeing this image will be great but only if you earn it. trust me, it will be worth it.
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hey,
seriously, good job. I'm very proud of you.
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Dp x Dc AU: Danny's final Interview with Tim Drake for the Wayne Enterprise's Space Program Operation Janus Crew... Demon Twin AU.
Danny had been waiting for his offer letter from WE to be officially part of the Janus Crew. He'd done all the standard rigorous testing and passed with flying colors. He'd talked to every single head engineer and interviewed at all levels to prove that he was the man for this mission. It was as good as gold, so Danny was surprised when he got a call from the PA to Tim Drake, the CEO himself, to come in for a final interview. Just a formality and mostly just to meet the man who was going to be the poster boy for their program. Makes sense, but is unnerving, nonetheless.
The second he walks into the office space, Tam Fox seemingly does a double take, blinking a few times when he explains that he's there for a final interview. She nods and he proceeds as if nothing about that was weird.
Tim Drake has four laptops in front of him and a scattering of papers, but looking up to see Danny, he closes them all and the image of a scattered young man trying to run a Fortune 500 company is replaced with some one of deadly capability.
"Danny Fenton. Great to meet you, I appreciate you coming by today." Tim says, but Danny can see the sharks fin in the water.
"Of course, I'm excited to be part of the Crew." Danny throws back, making it clear right away that Tim needs to cut to the chase if Danny's not going to be an astronaut with WE. NASA will take him back in a heartbeat if WE is going to try and play games.
"We're excited to have you, everyone speaks of you like the next Armstrong or Aldrin. I just had a few questions, as an informality, that I wanted answered."
"I feel like I've answered every question there could be about me, but go ahead. I'm an open book."
"Great. I suppose I'll start with asking about your adoptive family, the Fentons. Were they good to you when you transitioned to their home?"
"...It's not common knowledge that I'm adopted. Mom and Dad are fine. We have a strained relationship now because of my teenage rebellion but I still go home for most holidays." Danny is on edge, but also a bit excited? How did Tim find this out?
"I see. I'm an adopted child myself, you can understand maybe why I asked. Do you have any relationship with your birth family?" Tim asks, but its clear he's asking something else. Danny calls it how he sees it.
"What are you trying to find out? I mean really, you're very polite but this doesn't have to do with my job."
"I'll cut to the chase then. Do you hold any allegiance to Ra's al Ghul or the League of Assassins?"
"Woah." Danny blinks.
"Woah as in you're surprised I found out, or Woah in surprise that you've been found out?"
"Woah as in, what the fuck, I haven't thought of his name in decades. I escaped pretty young after being abused from birth."
"That's what I needed to know. You have a sister through the Fentons, and a cousin that I suspect is a clone, any other siblings?" Tim asks, his to the point question making Danny's head spin. How the fuck did this guy know about Dani?
"How do you-"
"Any other siblings, Danny?" Tim repeats, cutting him off.
"...Yeah. I should have a twin running around out there. But if this has to do with whatever crazy bullshit he might be up to, I swear i'm not in contact with him or his family. I haven't been since I freed myself."
Tim looks like he's contemplating something, his eyes are still evaluating Danny as though he were a frog in freshman year Bio.
"I have a little brother, Danny, and it's interesting. He's not particularly fascinated by space but he likes to keep up with all the astronauts. I took it upon myself to research you once you came on the roster two years ago for this position. I know you're capable and I had no doubt that you'd be the man for the job. Then I saw your picture."
"You... saw my picture?"
"My brother watches out for Astronauts because he holds onto the hope that someone from his past might be one some day. That it might lead to their reconciliation." Tim clarifies.
Danny can't do anything but stare. No. No way.
"I told Damian not to look into the astronauts for the Janus Crew. Want to guess why?" For the first time, Tim's eyes look soft around the edges. Danny stays silent for a while, head reeling from this information.
"...Is he. Is he free?" Danny finally asks.
"He's left the league and burned all allegiance he held for them, if that's what you're asking. Came to join his dad, my adoptive father, when he was about ten. So just a few years after you made your own way out without him."
"That's... That's good. I'm glad. He's healthy?" Danny can't help himself but inquire. He'd loved his brother until it literally broke him.
"Most days. He runs an animal sanctuary, has a girlfriend and a best friend, gets along with our large family."
"Woah." Danny's near speechless again.
"I'm telling you this because... He's going to find out Friday with the press release of you being our Crew Leader. He'll see you and no doubt try to contact you. I want you to have the choice of reaching out to him before that, or at least make your peace with what you have to say to him if you don't want a relationship."
"Why?"
"Because I don't care to see my siblings hurt. Here, it's my personal line, below it is Damian's. Reach out to me if you'd like for me to plan a meeting spot, reach out to him if you'd prefer I stay out of it. I understand completely if my questions have led you to not trust me." Tim offers him a piece of paper with two phone numbers on it, Danny takes it with shaking hands.
"I... See. Okay." and then after a moment, Danny added numbly "Thanks."
Tim stands and Danny follows, they're both walking towards the door and Danny can't help but feel like he's waiting for another shoe to drop. Tim has a look in his eye like Jazz might on his birthday.
"One last thing before you go and you're officially listed as our star Astronaut: I took care of those pesky case files and lab reports for you. The white ones. It is quite literally impossible for that heinous shit to every bother you again."
"Wait, What? Why would you do that for me? You couldn't have known-"
"It's what family is for. Have a good day, Janus Crew Lead Danny."
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