#if bruce gets to bring home 8 alfred is allowed to bring home 1 too

[queeniewithabeanie]

The Great Great Grandmother

Dpxdc Prompt #3

In the Wayne household it was well-known that Alfred Pennyworth's word was law. It was much less well-known the circumstances that their beloved butler had grown up it. Alfred was raised by his paternal grandmother, Danielle "Elle" Pennyworth, née Fenton.

While Danny's obsession with protection led him to stay in Amity Park until every tie he had to the place joined him in the Ghost Zone, Dani's obsession with freedom led her to do anything but stay in the same place.

She moved all over Earth, then to space, then to the realms, and finally to other dimensions. When Dani found herself stuck in a dimension very similar to her own, except a couple hundred years in the past, she knew Clockwork had something to do with it. She wanted to curse him out, her obsession was freedom and Dani did not do well caged.

It turned out to not matter too much because after a year or so trapped in the dimension Dani found herself going by the name Elle Pennyworth with a baby boy on the way.

Time flew by fast and her husband had died, content enough with his life that he didn't leave behind a ghost. Elle was heartbroken, but knew a peaceful death was what he wanted.

Her son had a son himself, Alfred was his name. Elle promised herself she would be the best grandmother she could be. That turned out to be a promise she had to fulfill sooner rather than later.

Her son and his wife had died only a couple of years after baby Alfred was born, disease apparently. It didn't take her long to notice that little Freddie had taken after her more ghostly half.

He was always appearing in places he wasn't supposed to and he was far more empathetic than most any human she had ever met. Elle taught him to control his more inhuman aspects and made sure that he would never forget etiquette.

"Being able to know how people are feeling is easy for those like us," she would tell him, "but knowing how to help those that aren't feeling well whether it be physical, mental, or emotional that's difficult."

"Why do we help them then?" Little Freddie would ask, before he knew the words she had spoken by heart and the answer to his own question was carved into his soul.

"Because difficult means there's something you're fighting for, and helping means that you care."

Alfred would repeat those same words to little Brucie when he was little and to all of his many many children. He would give a small smile as he said it, Granny Elle would love to know how much her great great grandchildren took after her brother.

He couldn't wait for Granny Elle and Great Uncle Danny to meet his many grandchildren. It would be a bit awkward to explain how they both still looked like they were in their teens though. Alfred only kept up the illusion of aging because he hadn't found a good time to tell his family he wasn't as human as they thought.

[lazycats-stuff]

Chapter 4

I think the plot finally kicked off.

Word count: 2.9k

Warnings: Elias is trying to process it, Damian is trying to be a good friend, Titus makes an appearance, Bruce is the detective he is, everyone is trying to be helpful to Elias, Elias is a sad boy.

Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

The drive back home was quiet and outright uncomfortable. Elias was quiet and he just looked numb. Damian looked at Elias and for a rare moment, he was shocked. Elias looked like he was drained of any energy and his eyes were red from the crying.

Thankfully, he didn't get another panic attack, but Damian knew that there was enough anxiety for about 10 people in him. He was restless beyond belief, judging by the twitching of his fingers and bouncing of his leg.

Damian didn't really know what to say in order to comfort him. Alfred had no idea what to do either, which was a rare thing to say about Alfred Pennyworth. He always knew what to do. Damian also glanced at Alfred, asking him for some help.

Alfred shook his head, letting Damian know that he didn't have a clue about what to do now. Alfred was reminded of Dick when he first came to the manor. But the there is a crucial difference between Dick and Elias.

Dick knew what happened to his parents and although he witnessed it, he had some closure. He found the killer and moved on with his life. If they don't find his mother, he will never get closure.

Elias sniffled quietly in the back and he wrapped his arms around himself. He isn't in the mood to talk to anybody and what he wanted to do more than anything in the world is to be alone. He just wanted to curl up and cry.

They stopped the car and Alfred looked at Elias. The boy slowly stepped out of the car, head hanging low. Bruce parked a few moments later stepping out.

" Come on Elias. Lets get inside. " Bruce said as he gently put his hands on Elias' shoulders and led him to the manor. Elias didn't say anything as he was led inside. His head was just hanging low and even as they passed the other three boys. Bruce led him to the bedrooms upstairs.

Bruce gave Elias his own room. Alfred always cleaned those rooms and made sure that they are ready for using. Alfred cleaned this room two days ago and it's as fresh as anything. Elias didn't say anything to Bruce as he shrugged off his jacket and shoes before moving to the bed.

He laid down under the covers, turning his back to Bruce. He curled into a fetal position, hugging a second pillow. He buried his face in it and allowed himself to cry quietly once more.

" I will check on you in a while. And if you need to talk, you can always call me. " Bruce said, leaving the grieving boy alone. He closed the door and went downstairs to his sons. They were all curious as to what happened, but Damian and Alfred wanted to wait for Bruce to come on down.

" Now the we are all here, Damian will explain everything. " Bruce said, sitting down on a free spot on the couch. Everyone turned to look at Damian who told them everything. He explained how the apartment was trashed and how there was blood.

Then he mentioned a panic attack and the fact that they think she was taken. If you remember the weather that it was during the night before, kidnapping is the most plausible option.

The others listened in the silence, never interrupting.

" Why would somebody kidnap an architect? Especially in that neighborhood. The buildings are secure, there is a lot of security measures. " Jason pondered, looking at the others.

" I know. But there was something about all the chaos. " Damian noted. He didn't want to bring it up with Elias nearby, but now he could voice his suspicion.

" Like what? " Dick asked, sitting cross legged on the couch.

" It was... I didn't look like somebody fought for their life. It looked deliberate. Too... organized. I don't know how to explain it. I have to ask him if his mother has martial arts experience. "

" So, you think that there is something more to the kidnapping? " Tim asked Damian and Damian nodded.

" I don't think it's random. " Damian clarified and it made everyone give out a different reactions. Shock, concern and all in all curiosity. Who would have targeted Natalia?

" Either way, I'm going to investigate. If Damian says there might be something more to it, it's worth looking into. " Bruce declared and Damian nodded.

" And Elias will stay here? " Jason asked, turning to look at both Alfred and Bruce.

" And by how the process usually goes, he will be adopted too. " Alfred answered, making Bruce roll his eyes. The others seemed to agree with Alfred, either nodding or chuckling.

" No matter what, he will stay here until we find his mother. " Bruce declared and Jason just smirked, leaning forward.

" Oh he will so get adopted. " Jason said and Bruce just raised his brow.

" I'm right. Everyone knows that. " Jason defended himself.

" Again, no matter what, he is staying here. He needs stability now. And I think that's something that he needs something right now. " Bruce declared, leaning back on the couch.

" What about school? " Tim asked, making everyone look at him. " I mean, at the moment he is an emotional wreck right now. His wounds are fresh. He doesn't know what's going on. " Tim explained further.

Everyone turned their heads back to Bruce.

" He won't be going tomorrow. He will need rest. I should check with the GCPD if I can get his stuff. " Bruce said, nodding to himself. " Hopefully I will get some of his stuff by the end of the next week. "

After that statement, the living room fell into silence. Nobody knew what to say.

" How is Elias doing though? " Dick asked, looking at Bruce since he is the last person who saw him.

" He is shaken beyond belief. He just withdrew it seems. He needs some time to process it all. " Bruce answered and Dick just nodded.

As everyone was downstairs conversing about him, Elias was bawling his eyes out. There is something about his home being so trashed. Call him old school or old fashioned, but home is somewhere where everyone should be safe.

Their apartment is, well, was his safe place. He never felt unsafe by any means. Even though he could defend himself and knows how to take care of himself out in the city, he felt safe in the apartment.

He could let his guard down, he could completely relax. His mom too. He could see it whenever they were out somewhere in public. She is an observant person by nature and she is always surveying her surroundings, especially when she was with Elias.

Always.

And who would have managed to kidnap her? Elias wanted to smack himself on the head.

He sort of knew that the martial arts that his mom has taught him over the last 8 years of his life were not your normal and traditional martial arts.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember the moves he knows. And every single thing that his mom told him. He opened his eyes, wiping them. They started burning a little and he just sniffled quietly.

Why did he all of a sudden feel like the moves he knows are watered down? Why do they feel like they were made to kill somebody?

And where did she train? From where does she know all of those martial arts? Does Aseel know? Oh God, he should give him a call. But where is his phone though? He sat up, patting his pockets for his phone.

He nearly sighed in relief when he felt it. He hated the fact that it was dead. He put it on the nightstand, sighing quietly. He looked around the room. It looked just like Damian's, only this one is kind of lifeless.

Elias licked his lips, feeling thirsty. He moved to sit at the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes once more. He stood up, opening the door to the hallway. He took a deep breath before moving to the kitchen. The halls were quiet, but he heard some talking in the kitchen. He took a deep breath to compose himself before going into the kitchen.

They stopped, before resuming.

" Hey, I was just about to get you down. " Bruce said, nodding his head to the chair next to Damian. Elias knew that he looked like a wreck with his bloodshot eyes and hair sticking in all of the directions.

" How are you feeling? " Bruce asked, leaning forward from his place at the head of the table. " You are allowed to say no. Nobody expects you to be fine. "

Elias looked down at his hands, fingers picking at the skin around it.

" I don't know... There is so much in my head honestly. I feel scared for her. I feel afraid thinking about if I had stayed there instead of here. " Elias said, forcing a new wave of tears down. Everyone listened intently to him. Bruce nodded in understanding.

" Do you have any family besides her? " Damian chimed in and Elias shook his head.

" I mean, there is uncle Aseel, but he is not biologically my uncle. He is more like a good friend of my mom, well, more like a brother. " Elias explained to Damian.

Damian nodded, giving a quick glance to Bruce. Bruce noted it and made sure to look into it.

" Well, you lot can take a break from the conversation because lunch is served. " Alfred said, putting the food in the middle of the table. Elias didn't have an appetite, but he knew that Alfred was going to kill him if he went about his day hungry.

" Master Elias, I know you probably don't have an appetite right now, but I would appreciate if you could eat a little bit. " Alfred asked and Elias nodded.

Alfred has made lasagna and while it smelled great, Elias didn't have an appetite. Maybe he could have a few bites at most. After being served and saying bon apetit, they all dug in.

Elias find it kind of hard, but he pushed through and he managed to clean his plate. Alfred was pleased at the sight of a clean plate. He gave Elias a pat on the back

" For those who are done, I have also made some cheesecake. " Alfred declared and Elias' head whipped to look at Alfred.

" Are you interested in some dessert master Elias? " Alfred prompted with a smile on his face.

" That's my favorite actually. " Elias confessed softly and Jason glanced at Dick and Tim. Despite everything that has happened today, he looked a little bit cheerier. Maybe dessert is a good way to start healing.

" What luck then master Elias. " Alfred said as he served Elias. Elias chuckled ever so slightly. Alfred either knew or just guessed.

Whatever it was, he was just happy. Even for now.

After lunch, Elias went back to his now room. There were fresh clothes on the bed. Judging by the size of them, it had to be Damian's. It was just grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt. He changed into it and put his phone to charge.

Damian promised to come by later with Titus, a sort of therapy dog for him. Elias feel in love with the big boy the moment he saw him. He wondered how it would feel if he cuddled with the dog.

A heavy blanket?

Elias smile sadly to himself as he took his phone. He went straight to the gallery to look at some photos. His mom loves to travel and they have travelled all over America. From the cities to national parks to just hiking somewhere.

He just swiped through the photos he had saved in his phone. This was in New York, in front of Broadway theatre. They were going to see Hamilton, no, not that. Maybe the Phantom of the opera? Well, whatever they saw, it was fun. His mom was all smiles in the photo and so was he.

Where did they go wrong? What went wrong?

He thought about the incident with the stalker. Was he just your usual pedophile or was there something more? He closed his eyes, trying to remember what the man looked like. Your average man.

Elias opened his eyes once more. Your average man. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Would GCPD ever find his mom? With how things are and statistics considering the kidnappings are not really hopeful.

But none the less, he would never give up. He brought his hands to his neck to touch the silver chain. He was thankful that he didn't leave it back in the apartment. What was the motive behind it? It wasn't robbery. They aren't that rich. TV would be the only real thing of value... Maybe a few painting they had...

Either way, it wasn't a robbery.

Revenge? Who would want to harm his mom? His mama? She wouldn't harm a fly and only uses violence as a last result and in self defense. And sure, the most nice people could be the worst people in the world. Serial killers are the best example of that. Damian knocked and entered with Titus, who immediately jumped onto the bed, laying down next to Elias. Damian sat on the edge.

" Hey Damian. "

" Hello. I know that this will be a stupid question, but how are you doing? "

" I mean, I processed it now. I thought about it, I thought about the motive and why she would have been taken. "

" And your conclusions are? " Damian prompted and Elias hesitated for a moment. Would Damian find them stupid?

" Come on. I won't judge. " Damian prompted once more and Elias took a deep breath.

" It's not robbery. The only valuable thing is TV and it's still in the apartment. " Elias paused for a moment. Damian tilted his head, listening to him.

" I thought about revenge then. I thought about who might have taken her because she wouldn't hurt a fly, but I don't know if she had any enemies. " Elias said, wiping a tear that fell down his cheek.

" You know, she taught me how to fight. And how to see if you are being followed. " Elias revealed and Damian was kind of shocked that he was opening up to him.

" Really? You might have to show me. " Damian said and Elias nodded.

" Sure. " Elias confirmed, smiling a little. It would be nice to spar with someone that's not his mom. Did she made it fun? Yes. Was it getting a little bit repetitive? Yes.

" Do you have Aseel's phone number? Father wanted to know because he wanted to see if he could talk to him. " Damian asked and Elias reached for his phone. Titus huffed and Elias scratched his belly. He opened up the contact and showed Damian.

Damian took a photo of the phone number and Elias put his phone down.

" Thank you. " Damian said and Elias nodded. Titus, now laid down over Elias's stomach.

" He is a big baby. " Elias said, nodding to the said dog.

" I know. He is like a therapy dog in this house. Everyone needs support every once in a while. And you can't keep all of the feelings in. You can always come to talk to me. " Damian said and Elias nodded. He will keep that in mind.

After some investigation, Bruce concluded that Aseel vanished. Aseel al Dawood had gone missing, but instead of a messy kidnapping, it was organized.

Aseel did this on purpose. He left his 'nephew' high and dry, completely disoriented and lost in this world. The only two stable things in his life are now gone.

Bruce looked at the clean bank accounts, a fake company and all of the fake names. This all indicated at some sort of criminal activity, but there was nothing he could conclude.

And that what worried him. He wasn't sure if Elias knew anything or not, but that's something he had to look into subtly. He couldn't explain it to Elias if he just came as Bruce Wayne or even Batman. This is something that he needed to find more evidence on.

Maybe Natalia was in a some sort of organization before? Before Elias even?

Either way, he needs to look into it more and get more evidence. He can't accuse the poor boy if he didn't do anything in regards to his mom. Children shouldn't bear the sins of their parents. He hated the narrative that children should be punished because of their parents.

Elias shouldn't carry the sins of his mother.

Bruce looked at files on the screen. He knew he had to dig deep. Wherever it took him. And Elias, whether or not he wanted it. And was something that Bruce is afraid of.

From this point on, Elias is a part of their world now, whether or not he wanted to be.

[countessrivers]

Rules: pick any ten of your fics, scroll to the midpoint, pick a line (or three) and share it. Then tag ten people

I was tagged by @polarnacht1 (thanks). I'm going to branch out and do a range of my fandoms too.

I Promise I Won't Tell 1 (Yalex) The sound of Yassen’s voice startles him, mainly because it doesn’t sound like him, at least not entirely. Accented, yes, but not the Russian twist to his syllables that Alex is familiar with. More…French, maybe? To better fit in with the rest of the staff. It annoys him sometimes, how competent and thorough Yassen is.

2. Pins and Needles (Yassen/Julius/Alex) “Alex would not beg.”   The pleas stop, and Yassen watches as the look of fear morphs into amusement, a pleased, goading smile stretching across Alex’s face that looks far too at home, and far too suited for comfort.   “Sure he would. You just have to get him in the right mood.”  

3. Roots in my Dreamland (Midam) Where is she? He’s supposed to be quiet, but she’s gone, and he needs her. He misses her. He wants to go home. He just wants to go home.

4. Sweet Blooded and I'm Stranded (Doctor/Master)“But please believe when I say, Doctor, you never need an excuse to get on your knees for me, much less beg.” He leans forward to murmur in the Doctor’s ear. “Now, lose the clothes.”

5. Wolves On The Street 1 (Gobblepot)And once again, Jim’s stubbornness and recklessness and virtuousness have brought him to this point. Brought him bloody and dirty and unconscious to Oswald as what’s left of the city struggles to keep its head above water. 

6. One Hand On My Cheekbone, One Hand On The Rope (Bruce/Jeremiah) Practically everything he owned. Every piece of clothing, his and Alfred’s and his parents’, every book, every photograph, every little piece of their lives that had accumulated over the years. The journal that a harried but smiling Jim had dropped off for him the day after his Eighteenth, and the tie and collar pin set he had tucked away in preparation for his birthday. The scarf that after six years still smelled like his mother’s perfume. The cufflinks he hadn’t allowed to be buried with his father. All of it, gone.

7. Wolves On The Street 3 (Jim/Sadness) He thinks there must be something jagged and broken in him, something inside that cuts and twists and ruins and kills everything that gets close. Or maybe it’s more like a magnet, a beacon, pulling and luring in the darkness that Jim then can’t help but reach out and touch. Can’t help but invite in, even as it lays waste to his life, to everything around him. He must ask for it in some way. Something about him must bring it on himself, because otherwise, why? Why does it keep happening? Why is he alone? 

8. I Promise I Won't Tell 4 (Yalex) “This is- Even for you, this is absolutely insane. I mean it. And I don’t want to kink-shame, but...” Alex’s eyes drift over the pile of clothes next to him. The costume. “Actually, yes, I do. I’m kink-shaming you. This is weird.”  

9. Hold Me Down (Yassen/Alex/Julia) Yassen’s eyes flick up to Julia when she speaks, but they drop almost immediately back to him. Alex feels exposed in a way that has nothing to do with him in being in his underwear. He doesn’t know how to describe what he sees on Yassen’s face. Want is entirely too simple a word, doesn’t come anywhere near close enough, but it’s the best approximation that Alex can think of.

10. I Don't Need A Dozen Roses (Yalex) “You’re really not here to kill him?” he asks, mouth hovering over Yassen’s jaw, surprised by how tempted he is to lean just that little bit closer in order to find out how the dark stubble would feel against his lips.

[yeaaabudddy]

A Little Crossover (4/4)

Ship: Peter Parker x Batsis!Reader (Y/N)

Characters: Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Reader (S/H/N), Bruce Wayne (Batman), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Jason Todd (Red Hood), Tim Drake (Red Robin), and Damian Wayne (Robin)

Type: fluff

Requested: Yes, by @wolfiemichele and @comicsgirlimagines

Words: 3 115

Notes: You can read this separate to the series as well. Warning - there is a bit of making out.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

-

You and Peter had been on quite a few dates together in the past few months. You’d gotten much closer to him and he’s come by to your house more often. You did manage to introduce Peter to your brothers (separately, of course). You introduced him as your friend because you knew that Peter was really intimidated by them and you didn’t really want to tell them because of how dramatic they are.

They would not leave you alone if they knew you were dating and you decided it’d be better to just enjoy your time together as ‘friends’ before telling them.

Peter got nervous at the aspect of hiding it but he realized that he should be happy because your brothers didn’t give him much of a hard time knowing that you guys were only friends.

Of course, they were still hesitant about him especially since they knew he’s Spider-Man but they trusted you enough and they couldn’t control who you’re friends with.

You would invite him over and watch movies in your big living room when most of your family was gone. Jason usually hung out with the outlaws so he only came around sometimes and Dick was usually there during weekends. Tim was either working in his room or in the cave and Damian just minded his own business for the most part.

Sometimes Damian did join you guys for a bit when you were watching TV but then deemed that it was useless to spend that much time watching so many movies and would leave. Tim would sometimes see what you were watching and make a few comments on his opinions before leaving to continue his work.

When you knew you were alone in the house you would often cuddle up to him and relax, the best way to spend your dates.

You’ve been to many dates outside of your home, you did visit his apartment as well and met his aunt, May. He introduced you as his girlfriend and you both blushed so hard but aunt May just laughed and said you were cute together.

His home felt so close and nice to you as opposed to your manor because there was no extra space, everything was utilized. It felt so comfy and not intimidating and you loved going. Your brothers weren’t too strict anymore about you going to Queens after meeting Peter because even though they hate to admit it, he is so sweet and wouldn’t hurt you knowingly.

You met Ned as well, the boy apparently knew your identity which you glared at Peter, giving him a lecture about secret identities. You knew that if Peter trusted Ned with his life than you can trust him too but you still wanted to make sure Peter knew what it meant when people close to him knew who he was.

“Peter shh.” You whispered at him, you both giggled, a bit too loudly, as you looked at funny twitter posts and threads. You both laid on your bed, your books atray on the end of your bed. You’re cuddled up to his chest, his phone up to both your faces as he keeps showing you funny posts.

“Sorry.” He said back with no real regret. You put down his phone that he kept scrolling through to bring his attention back to you.

Peter felt so warm and nice and the hand on your chest could feel all the muscle underneath especially since he took off his hoodie and kept on his thin shirt.

“What?” He asks once you’ve gotten his attention. You bit your lip looking at his form. Peter was really attractive and your heart always warmed up at seeing his smile. His soft curly hair always gave you an urge to run your hand through it. You always told Peter you loved his hair naturally and more often he’s left it like it is.

“Nothing, I just… can’t believe you’re my boyfriend.” Peter blushed, the thought still made him shy. You loved how shy Peter was sometimes, it really is cute but recently he has been more shameless.

You always knew what a hopeless romantic he was and for the first few weeks, he found any excuse to call you his girlfriend. He still was shy when you said some sappy stuff as he was not used to it coming from you.

“Please, if anything. I can’t believe you’re my girlfriend.” Peter’s hand brushes your hair, tangling itself in it which he knew annoyed you because of how many knots would end up in it but Peter loved playing with your hair so you let him.

“Yeah, not sure how that happened.” You tease him and he glares at your joke. Peter pouted jokingly, not finding your joke funny and taking his hand out of your hair, pushing your body away from his.

“Aww Peter, don’t be like this.” You whine and reach out for him again, missing his warmth.

“Nu-uh.” He shook his head, turning away from you.

“Peter…” You climb on top of him, turning him to face you and he allowed you, knowing that he could totally win you in a strength match but he loved when you both were in this playful mood.

He looked at you, still pouting and you looked at him with so much warmth. You giggled at his face and properly straddled him. You cupped his face in your hands, you brought your noses together and Peter looked at you expectantly.

After a few seconds of you not moving, Peter got restless underneath you. When it sounded like he was about to start whining at you, you closed the small gap and locked your lips together.

His lips instantly moving against yours, his hand curled up in your hair again. You move your hands to his muscled chest, laying them against him. His lips moved fast against yours with a newfound urgency. One of his hands moves to your waist to grip and provide more contact. His hand warming up the skin under your shirt as he softly caresses the exposed area.

You’ve made out a few times before with him and it always felt like a dream. You both getting lost in each other with no worries about others.

You bit his lip as you part from him to catch your breath, Peter pushes you onto your back and kisses down to your neck. His body now laying down on top of you, you made space for him by parting your knees and laid between your legs. Your hands around his neck and Peter’s on your hips, under your shirt fully now.

He kept kissing your neck, lightly biting as he made his way across the expanse of skin available to him. He made his way from your neck to your collarbone, making a trail. He went over his work with his tongue, licking them up and making you gasp at the sensation.

You brought him back up to your lips, your hands making their way to his back.

His tongue made an appearance, wanting entrance to your mouth. You gave in and let him in, kissing him with a new passion.

You kept going for a few minutes before Peter parted with his wide eyes, pupils blown and lips swollen.

“What happened?” You ask as Peter’s face looks panicked as he reaches for his forgotten phone beside the both of you.

“Shit.” He says when he sees the time and makes his way to get off of you. “Aunt May was expecting me for dinner, it’s almost 8!” He stood up by your bed, grabbing his sweater and stuffing it in his bag. He exchanges his clothing in his backpack for his Spider-Man suit.

He takes a glance at you staring at him as you sat on your bed and moved to go change in the bathroom instead.

You just laughed at hs shyness and moved to go open the window so he could take his leave. You manage to see your reflection in one of your mirrors on your desk and see your badly tangled hair. Your lips were also swollen and your clothes were ruffled up.

You were going to have to lecture Peter about his obsession of turning your hair into a nest. Peter rushes out of your bathroom after a few seconds.

“I gotta go but we’re still on for tomorrow, right?” He asked as he made his way out of your bathroom and to you, his mask in his hand as he puts his hands on your waist giving you a quick kiss.

“Yup, we gotta watch the other half of the Harry Potter series, we only finished 2 movies last time!” You complained and he made his way to your window and wore his mask.

“I’m sorry! You were so distracting though.” He teased and you rolled your eyes at his stupid comment.

“Shut up! Anyways, be here by 3.” Peter agreed and then jumped out your window, making his way back to Queens. You always felt guilty for making Peter come here but he said it’s easier for him to make his way to you because of how much swinging cut time.

You changed for your own assigned patrol and leave to make your way around the night in Gotham. The night went by quick but your brothers had got caught in some business with some huge thug organization, making them late and they ended up returning to the manor to get checked up on.

You were all in the cave, you had taken off your suit because you finished your patrol before them but decided to come help patch them up as only Alfred was there at the moment to help them out. You were cleaning up Jason’s arm that had gotten a bit cut up by a knife that a thug had been waving around.

“What the fuck is on your neck?” He asked as he brushed the hair off of your shoulder. You froze not realizing what he was asking before remembering what you and Peter were doing earlier.

You make space between you and Jason, you grabbing your hair and trying to cover your neck.

“Nothing! It’s just some… rashes.” You told him, making your way to get some antibiotics to apply to his wounds. When you came back to finish your work, Jason grabbed your arm to stop you, his hand making its way back to neck to inspect what it really was.

“I’m not an idiot, I know what a hickey looks like Y/N.” Jason glares at you because of your attempt of a lie. “Who did it?” He asked, looking into your eyes wanting to know who had given his sister a hickey so he could search him and make sure he was good for you.

“I’m telling you it’s not what you think it is.” You kept up your lie hoping he would drop it.

“What’s going on?” Dick asks as he sits down on the chair next to Jason, getting Tim to clean his wounds.

“Nothing!” You said at the same time Jason said louder, “She has a hickey on her neck!”

You glared at Jason, hoping that you would have solved it between you two. You definitely didn't want all your brothers in on this, it’s embarrassing.

Dick looked at you, mouth agape. “What! By who?” He questioned, trying to get a look at what Jason was talking about but you made sure it was hidden by your hair. You’re such an idiot for not hiding it with your makeup. Your suit had covered it whole but when you took it off you forgot about it.

“You know we’ll find out eventually.” Tim spoke up as he listened to the whole conversation going on.

“There’s nothing to find out!” You say confidently, trying to keep up the lie as best as you could. You finished up on Jason and try to clean up so you can make your way out of the cave.

“Was it Peter?” Dick guessed, he saw him around here a lot so he thought if it was anyone, it could be him.

“Don’t be stupid, Grayson. Parker’s just a friend to Y/N.” Damian piped up by the computer. You didn't even know he was there as he quietly looked at cases.

“Yeah but it’s not really out of the question.” Jason commented.

“I’m leaving!” You walk back to your room thankful that they let you leave in peace. You really hope they don’t harass Peter about the issue, you can’t believe how idiotic you were by not hiding your marks.

-

Dick and Jason ended up staying the night at the manor because of how late it got. You managed to wake up at 12 pm, lazing around for a while before realizing that Peter’s coming by in minutes. You go to the kitchen to see Tim and Damian awake and having some food.

“Where’s Dick and Jason?” You asked as you poured a cup of coffee for yourself.

“Still asleep.” Damian informs you. You sigh in annoyance hoping that those two won’t ruin your time with Peter. You gulp down the coffee fast, needing the caffeine in your system.

“Is Peter coming by today?” Tim asks, still aware of the fresh accusations from yesterday.

“Yeah, he’s coming in a few, we’ll be in the living room so don’t bother us!” You yell at Tim before going to gather some blankets to put on the sofa. You go on to set up the movies but before you can, you hear the doorbell ring.

You run up to the door, yelling that you got it so Alfred didn’t come.

You open the door to see Peter there with his hair ruffled and clothes messed up from quickly changing a few minutes ago.

“Hey, Peter!” you let him come in before locking the doors and guiding him to the living room. “Just set up the movies, I’ll go get the snacks. I’ll be a few minutes.” You told him. The kitchen was empty this time around, you shrugged it off knowing that your brothers all had something to do.

You whip up a few snacks, putting some popcorn in the microwave and making some hot chocolate.

Peter copied what you usually did when you set up for your movie dates. He set up the movies, putting in the CD and sitting on the couch, texting Ned. He heard some movement and he thought you were back so he went to make some room for you on the couch.

To Peter’s shock he didn’t encounter you but instead your brothers. He sat up straight, seeing all your brothers in front of him, he held his breath in anticipation.

“Are you and Y/N dating?” The one he met as Jason asked. Peter didn’t know what to say, should he lie? Should he tell the truth? They’ll hate him if he lies but you didn't want to tell them the truth yet.

“Todd, Y/N said they were just friends!” Damian had believed your word that you were nothing more. You said you didn’t have a boyfriend.

“Peter doesn’t really seem like her type though…” Dick observed the shy boy, he thought you would go for someone who was basically the opposite of Peter, someone… darker.

Peter doesn’t know whether to be relieved or offended at the fact that they seemed less suspicious of him.

“Yeah, I don’t think he would try anything on her.” Tim observed, he was always so shy around you and he doesn’t think you guys do anything but send memes to each other and cry about movies.

“I think I hear Y/N coming.”

“Yeah, nevermind. Let’s go before Y/N kills us.” They all shuffle out of the living room quickly to not get caught by you and not even a minute later you come into the room with a bowl of popcorn and drinks.

You look at him with a questioning gaze, his posture stiff and his eyes wide.

“Are you okay, why are you being weird?”

“It’s nothing.” Peter said, making himself comfortable again on the couch as you sat down beside him, setting things down on top of the table in front of you.

“Alright… If you say so.” You reach for the remote to play the movie and put the bowl of popcorn in your lap so you both can share. You rest your head on Peter’s shoulder, loving the close contact between you two.

Your brothers didn’t bother you for the rest of the day, by the time Peter had to leave it was 7pm and his aunt wanted him back in Queens.

“Do you have to leave?” You pout as Peter got up to wear his jacket. Peter looked at you, him wanting to give into you so bad as he doesn’t like to say no to you.

“I have to, May would have my head if I don’t go back now. She’s been a bit protective over me coming to Gotham so often especially in the night.” Peter gave you a quick kiss unable to resist your pout, before grabbing his backpack to leave.

“Oh.” You both heard a voice behind you and you turn to see Tim standing there, surprised to see you and Peter kiss after all of them deciding that Peter wasn’t your type.

“Tim-” You warn but before you could say anything, he turns to leave.

“I have to tell Jason!” He shouts and you turn to look at Peter who looked terrified.

You quickly drag Peter to the front door, giving him a quick kiss and shoving him out of the house yelling at quick, “I’ll text you later!” You close the door hoping that Tim will take his time telling everyone so Peter has enough time to leave. You really didn’t want Peter to get chewed out especially when May wanted him back.

You did not want to get in the bad graces of May because she was Peter’s aunt and you know that Gotham does get really dangerous at night. You understood her concern and you still wanted her to like you so you sent him off knowing if he was here when your brothers came down, he would not be allowed to leave right away.

“You’re dating Peter?” A yell came from up the stairs followed by loud and quick footsteps. You just groan in annoyance as you have to deal with calming them down and having to tell them the truth that you and him were dating for quite a while.

It was going to be a tough night.

-

Thank you for reading this, I kind of went overboard with the whole thing, I wrote more than I thought I would. If you guys want to just talk then feel free to message me. I have a few more fics planned out as I’m trying to finish the requests I have!

[lfthinkerwrites]

Regarding Jonathan Crane, pt. 3

Title: Regarding Jonathan Crane

Fandom: Batman

Rating: T

Warning: Mentioned Character Death, brief descriptions of past violence

Summary: Bruce is made aware of the situation and reflects on the events that brought them to this point.

Previous Chapters:  1/2

AO3 Link

Saturday, February 3rd

8:30 pm

Since he'd escaped from Arkham Island almost 24 hours earlier, Croc had kept a low profile. Bruce knew though it would only be a matter of time before he caught his trail somewhere beneath the city. Croc was predictable. Dick was already out scouring the Bowery for information, while Oracle and Tim listened in on any radio chatter. Bruce himself was driving into the Bowery, after giving Gordon his latest update.

"How goes your search Master Bruce?"

Bruce pressed the intercom on the car to respond. "No sign of Croc yet. I'm going to meet Dick now in the Bowery. According to an associate of his, Croc has a lair somewhere beneath the old Blue Line subway tunnels. We'll be checking that out first. How's everything back at the Manor?"

"As well as can be expected, though Master Damian is quite insistent that he should have been allowed to accompany you."

"No," Bruce said adamantly. "Damian's not prepared to take on someone like Croc just yet."

"You and Master Dick should exercise caution as well. I know how difficult your last encounter with Croc was for you sir."

Bruce's grip tightened on the Batmobile's steering wheel. His last encounter with Croc had been the night of the Arkham Riot, when he'd been down in Croc's lair to get the spore samples that would counteract Dr. Young's TITAN formula. His encounter with Croc had been difficult yes, but it was what had happened before that still haunted him at night, almost two years later...

...He's still fighting off the effects of Crane's latest toxin as he chases the Rogue down into the sewers. It's more potent than it's ever been. He should of seen this coming he thinks. Crane had been too quiet since Nigma went into his coma. That always meant that he was up to something. Finally, he reaches the door that leads into Croc's lair and goes through it. He stops and slowly walks in. Scarecrow is in control tonight, not Crane. That makes the situation even more dangerous.

He sees Crane at the edge of the water, holding his pouch above it. "Stay back!" He cries out, his usually deep voice high and tinged with mania. "Or this goes into the water supply!" He dangles the bag over the edge and Bruce pauses. There's no reasoning with him at this point. Any scraps of human decency that Crane had ever had had gone with Nigma. Bruce slowly begins to reach for a batarang from a back pouch on his belt.

"Don't! I warn you!" Crane shouts again. "There's enough toxin to drive Gotham mad with fear for a hundred years!"

"Don't do it Crane," Bruce says. Then he pulls the one card he thinks he has left, even if it disgusts him to do so. "Edward is still out there Jonathan. Will you doom him too?"

For a moment, Crane hesitates. "Edward..." he says. Then his voice hardens. "You took him from me. You"ll pay for that. This whole goddamn city will pay for that!" He raises the pouch over the water again and Bruce reaches behind his belt. He'll only have one shot, he needs to make it count-

Suddenly something rises from the water and grabs onto Crane. Bruce realizes it's Croc. Croc raises the scrawny man above his head and the pouch falls harmlessly onto the ground. Bruce races to pick it up before firing the batarang at Croc's shock collar. The collar goes off, shocking Croc, but he does not let go of Crane. With a growl, he plunges back into the murky depths, taking Crane with him.

Bruce should go after them. He's not sure what Croc intends to do with Crane, but he has to stop him. He's about to dive into the water when the Earth above him shakes. The TITAN infected plants are still growing. He needs to get the spores for the antidote or everyone on this island will die, to say nothing of what Joker will do if he gets into Gotham City. But if he doesn't go in, Jonathan Crane may die. One life, vs hundreds, potentially thousands... He takes one last look at the water, then he continues into the lair...

...That was the last time anyone had seen or heard from Jonathan Crane. As far as Gotham and the rest of the world was concerned, the man was dead. Bruce sighed. He should have been more resistant to the fear toxin. He should have been quicker to disarm Crane. He should have gone after Croc. Every death that happened on his watch, no matter whose it was, was his responsibility.

"Are you alright Sir? You've been quiet."

Bruce shook off the memory and focused back on the road. "I'm fine. I'll check in again when I meet with Dick." Bruce shut off the intercom and prepared to make the turn into the Bowery. Then his car phone rang. Bruce narrowed his eyes. That couldn't be Alfred or Barbara. He pressed the talk button to answer the phone. "Yes?"

"Bruce?"

Bruce's eyebrows raised under the cowl. "Selina? What is it?"

"I need to see you."

The almost desperate tone in her voice immediately set Bruce on edge. Selina's never desperate. "What's wrong?"

"It's Eddie. I think he's in real trouble."

Not Nigma. Not now. What could he have possibly gotten up to-Croc. Did Nigma-

"You look like Hell," is the first thing Selina says when he staggers into her apartment. He should go back to Wayne Manor to rest, but he needed to see her first. Selina can sense something deeper than exhaustion brought him here. "Bruce. What's wrong?"

Bruce takes a breath. "Jonathan Crane's dead."

Selina's eyes widen. "What? How?"

"I chased him down into Croc's lair. He was dangling a pouch of fear toxin over the water. Croc grabbed him and dragged him under." He should have gone after them. He knows now he had time. Why didn't he?

Selina sinks onto her couch. "Jesus..." her hand comes up to her mouth as she gasps. "Oh God! Bruce! Eddie! How am I going to tell Eddie?"

Bruce shook his head. "Where are you?"

"I'm on the roof of the Iceberg Lounge."

Bruce made a sharp u-turn. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

Selina was waiting alone on the roof of the Iceberg Lounge, just as she said she'd be. She looked visibly relieved when she saw Bruce as he approached. "Hey handsome."

Bruce wished he could take the time to exchange pleasantries with her. "What happened with Nigma?"

Selina sighed. "He's gone Bruce. He's not at his apartment or his office and he hasn't answered his phone for over 24 hours." Selina's eyes softened slightly. "When I was by his apartment earlier, he had a box of news clipping about Crane out on his coffee table. He's gone after Croc Bruce. I know it."

Bruce knew she was right. He remembered when Selina told him about Edward's reaction when she informed him about what had happened to Crane. He should have told Tim or Dick to check on him when they'd gotten word about Croc's escape. "When was the last time anyone saw or spoke to him?"

"Yesterday morning," she answered. "We didn't know he was gone until earlier this afternoon."

So Edward had potentially been gone for over 24 hours. Bruce narrowed his eyes. He could be anywhere underneath Gotham by now. He might be dead. He clenched his fist. He should have never let Croc take Crane. He should have kept a closer eye on Edward. He should have done better by both of them, but he didn't and Crane was dead. And Edward potentially was too.

He felt Selina's hand on his shoulder. "Bruce," she said gently. "What happened to Crane wasn't your fault."

"I'm responsible for it Selina. I could have done more to prevent it. I should have gone after Croc."

"Bruce, the whole island was going to Hell, you'd just been exposed to enough fear toxin to drive ten people insane and you were on Croc's home turf. If you'd gone after them, you would have died." She gently reached up to cup Bruce's chin. "What happened to Crane was horrible, but he knew the risks going down there. You can't make yourself responsible for everything. We can't bring Crane back, but we can still save Eddie."

She was right. Edward's safety was the priority now. He reached up to take her hand. "I'll find him Selina," he promised. "If Edward's down there, I'll find him before it's too late."

Selina withdrew her hand and smiled. "I know," she said. "I'm coming with you."

"Selina," Bruce warned. "This will be dangerous."

"Oh really?" Selina drawled. "Going down into the sewers to chase Killer Croc will be dangerous? You don't say." Her face grew serious. "Eddie's my friend. If we find him before Croc does, I'm one of the only people around who might be able to talk sense into him. We both know he won't listen to you."

Bruce didn't like the idea of Selina coming with him, but he conceded the point. "Alright, but be careful."

"Relax," she said, sauntering towards the edge of the rooftop. "I'll just grab Eddie and get out. I'll leave the fighting to you. "

Nightwing was waiting by the entrance to the Old Blue Line Bowery Station when Bruce pulled up in the Batmobile. He gave Bruce a quick nod of acknowledgement then did a double  take when he saw Selina exit the vehicle. She gave him a small wave. "Hi Boy Wonder."

Nightwing looked over to Bruce. "You wanna fill me in?"

Bruce locked down the Batmobile and walked over to Nightwing. "Nigma's gone after Croc," he explained. "We need to find him before he finds Croc."

Nightwing's eyes went wide under his domino mask. "Aw jeez..." He looked back towards Selina, who had joined him by the entrance. "I take it you're here to try to save Eddie from himself?"

Selina stretched her arms out above her head. "Try the key word there." She glanced at the entrance. "Ready boys?"

Nightwing stepped to the side and swept his arms towards the entrance "After you my Lady." Selina chuckled a bit and stepped through, followed by Bruce and Nightwing. The three descended the steps into the old station and walked out onto the old platform. Bruce winced as he saw the homeless gathered around meager fires, barely looking up at them as they passed. Budget cuts had forced the city to close down much of the shelters. Bruce would have to see that some of the Wayne Charity Foundation's budget went towards opening new ones. The three passed one older man who was sitting by the edge of the platform. He looked up at them with vague curiosity.

"You here for Croc or for Riddler?"

Selina looked sharply down at the man. "You saw Riddler? When?"

"Last night," the man answered. "Told him Croc was there. I warned him not to go down there. He didn't listen though."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. Edward had been down here for 24 hours. They needed to hurry. He jumped onto the tracks and gestured for Selina and Nightwing to follow him.

As they walked down the tunnel, the faint light from the fires on the platform completely dimmed. Bruce pulled a small flashlight out of a pocket on his belt and clicked it on, illuminating the tunnel before them. For a while, they walked on in silence, until Nightwing broke it.

"Going up against Croc...what's Eddie thinking? He's got to know he doesn't stand a chance against him."

"He's not thinking," Selina answered. "He's not being rational." She clucked her tongue. "He never really was rational where Spooky was concerned."

"I'll say," Nightwing muttered. "I never understood what he saw in Crane."

"Neither did I," Selina admitted. "But Eddie loved Crane. He still does love him. It doesn't matter what I think. And I think Spooky loved him back, in his own way. It wasn't like Joker and Harley."

Crane was a misanthrope who enjoyed the terror he caused, despite a token attempt to pass off his actions as 'pure research.' He disregarded all other concerns, including his health, as something completely beneath his notice. If there had been anyone on Earth that Jonathan Crane had truly cared for though, it was Edward Nigma. His always precarious grip on himself had slipped for good after that last fight in Metropolis, when Edward had finally bitten off more than he could chew. Bruce had been at that battle with the rest of the League, but he didn't see Edward go down. It wasn't until after the fight that he saw Shining Knight, standing over Edward's limp body. He almost didn't recognize him through all the blood. Shining Knight was still holding the bloody mace, stammering out apologies as Bruce had cradled Edward's body and yelled for a medic. Bruce suspected that Edward's earlier dip in the Lazarus Pit was the only reason he survived, even if his memories couldn't be salvaged. The only thing that comforted Bruce was the fact that Crane hadn't been there to witness it. Regardless, that had been the start of his final, fatal descent. Bruce felt his grip on his flashlight tighten. He'd had a hand in everything that had happened to Crane and Edward in the last few years. That was something he'd never forgive himself for.

Bruce paused when he noticed something up ahead. An open manhole, with the lid cast aside. He slowly walked over to the open space and shone his light down. It was about a six foot drop, with railings. Bruce went down first, shining his light  to make sure there were no surprises waiting for them. When he saw it was clear, he gestured for Dick and Selina to follow him.

"You think Eddie was here?" Selina asked when she joined him.

"Yes," Bruce answered. "Let's keep going."

"He's been down here for a whole day," Nightwing said. "What's he been doing? Do you think he found Croc?"

"He could have gotten lost down here," Selina argued. "Maybe we'll run into him."

Bruce doubted that and he'd be surprised if Selina actually believed that.

"So what's the plan if we do find him?" Nightwing asked.

"I'm going to try to talk him into going back up with me," Selina answered. "And if he doesn't listen, I'm going to need your help hog-tying him and dragging him back up."

Nightwing snorted. "Great. Just like old times. I'm sure he'll really appreciate it too."

Bruce's attention was caught by the sound of water. That and the smell told them that they were in the sewers proper.

"I really hate when we have to chase after Croc," Nightwing complained, holding his nose. "Just once, can't he hide out in a bakery, or a field of flowers or something?"

"Eddie must be driven to find him," Selina added. "That's the only reason he'd be down here."

Bruce didn't respond, leading the way forward. If Croc was down here, they needed to be on the alert.

"Either of you boys have the time?"

Nightwing pulled up the sleeve of his costume. "12:30. We've been down here for about four hours, I don't think we're in the Bowery anymore."

Bruce accessed the palm top computer embedded in his right glove. "According to my schematics, we're under the Diamond District."

"You think Eddie made it this far?" Nightwing asked.

"He's got to be down here somewhere," Selina said. "You don't happen to have a tracking device on Eddie, do you?"

"No." Bruce said. He'd considered putting one in Ed's cane when they worked together on the Sharp case last year, but he'd decided against it. There was too much of a risk that Edward would have found out and be set off by it and there was a part of Bruce that had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. With everything that had happened since then, Bruce wished that he had. He'd promised himself when Edward had woken up and announced his intent to reform, that he'd do what he could to ensure he stayed reformed...

...The office Edward had chosen to set up shop at is small, but Bruce supposes it will do. He'd decided that morning to pay the former rogue a visit as Bruce Wayne. There were things he needed to know about Edward, things he didn't think he'd find out as easily if he went as Batman. The door to what he assumes is the waiting room was wide open, so Bruce walks in. He raises an eyebrow at the open boxes that litter the floor. "Hello?" he calls out. "Anyone home?"

He hears a noise and Edward appears, walking out of the room just beyond the waiting room. His eyes widen in recognition when he sees him and Bruce tenses. The moment of truth. Does Edward remember that Bruce Wayne is Batman?

"I know your face," Edward murmurs. Then a smile appears on his face, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Of course! You're Bruce Wayne!"

This is a good sign, Bruce thinks, but he's still cautious as he reaches out to shake his hand. "Indeed I am."

Edward takes his hand and shakes it, more out of a desire to be polite Bruce thinks. "I'm sorry for the mess in here. I just moved in."

"No worries," Bruce says. "I can only imagine how busy you must be."

Edward picks up one of the boxes on the floor and sets it on what will probably become a secretary's desk. "So," he says in a jovial tone that sounds just a bit forced, "How can I help the wealthiest man in Gotham today?" A look passes on Edward's face. "You're not here to settle a score with me are you? I don't remember if I've ever robbed you or not."

Either Edward is doing a very good job of mocking him, or he legitimately doesn't remember. Bruce is beginning to think it's the latter. Time to do another test. "I actually came to ask for your help."

Edward's eyes widen in genuine surprise then. "You-my help?" He recovers and claps his hands together. "Well then! What kind of conundrum do you have for me?"

Bruce takes the opportunity to study the man before him. Edward's put on weight since he's been released, looking healthier than Bruce had seen him for a long time. His eyes no longer have that manic gleam Bruce remembers from the last few encounters they'd had before Metropolis, but Bruce thinks they're a bit duller than they used to be. The purple shades obscure them somewhat. Bruce clears his throat and continues. "We've been having a rash of break ins at Wayne Towers in the past two weeks. I'd like you to take a look into it." Bruce had already figured out that a security guard was part of a robbery ring and was assisting his friends in breaking in. He wants to see if Edward can come to the same conclusion. He wants to know how sharp his mind still is.

Edward pulls out a pad of paper and a pencil from the desk drawer and jots this down. "Break ins...Do you have security footage?"

"Yes. You'll have access to everything you might need." Bruce pulls out his checkbook and writes an amount down. "I think this should about cover it."

Edward takes the check from Bruce's hand and his eyes almost bug out at the amount. "This-Mr. Wayne I-" Edward passes the check back. "This is too much. I can't accept it."

Selina told Bruce that Edward wasn't quite his old self just yet. Now Bruce fully believes it. "Mr. Nigma," he says. "Edward. Please. I want you to take it."

Edward eyes the check for a long moment, then takes it and puts it in his pocket quickly, as if he thinks that Bruce will change his mind and demand it back. "I'll get started on the case right away," he says. The man wets his lip and continues. "You must have a lot of options Mr. Wayne. Why me? I can't imagine your board at Wayne Enterprises would be too happy about this."

"No, the probably won't be," Bruce admits. "But I believe you really do want a fresh start. And I believe in second chances..."

"Bruce!"

Selina's voice jolted him out of his memory. Before he could respond, she rushed past him, running to what looks like a scrap of cloth on the ground about ten feet from them. A green scrap of cloth. Bruce rushed to catch up to Selina as she picked it up off the ground. When he was next to her, he got a closer look. It was Edward's green bowler hat. "He was here," Selina said. "I knew it."

"So what happened?" Nightwing asked. "Did Croc...?"

Bruce shone the flashlight around the immediate area. No blood. The water wasn't deep enough in this part of the sewer for Croc to have dragged him under either. His lair must be close by. "Come on," he said. "Stay behind me." He can hear Selina unfurl her whip and Dick ready his fighting sticks. The three of them continued on down the sewer. About ten minutes later, they hit a junction.

"Which way?" Selina asked.

"It's too dangerous to split up," Bruce said. He looked back down at his glove. The signal was weak down here, but he could just make out the map of the sewer system that Oracle had uploaded to the server for such an occasion. "The left leads to deeper water. The right's a dead end. We should go left."

Before either of his companions could reply, they heard a long, loud scream from the left. It was one of the most terrible noises Bruce had ever heard. It was a cry of pain, anger, and agony. Dick and Selina's eyes were both wide. "Was that Eddie?" Dick asked.

Selina stood frozen for a moment. "Oh my God! EDDIE!"

Without a word, Bruce ran towards the direction the cry had come from at top speed. He barely heard Dick and Selina behind him in full pursuit. He thought about Metropolis. He thought about the night Jonathan Crane had died. He would not fail Edward again.

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 (5 of 10)

Our next instalment of episodes from Batman: The Animated Series season 1 will bring us to a major highlight episode of the series, but first we begin with an introduction to another Batman’s various foes.

Episode 27: Mad as a Hatter

Plot (as given by me):

Wayne Enterprises scientist Jervis Tetch has been neglecting development of microchips to enhance the potential of the human brain, focusing instead on similar technology that acts to allow one person to control others.  While Bruce Wayne is accommodating to Tetch, his supervisor Dr Cates is far less understanding.  Tetch is comforted by co-worker Alice Pleasance, with whom Tetch is smitten but unable to obtain due to her having a boyfriend.

 In private, Tetch contemplates either leaving Alice alone or using his mind control devices on her, but neither option appeals to him; he can’t give up on her, but he doesn’t want her to be a mindless shell either.  However, when he learns Alice has had a fight with her boyfriend and the relationship is over, Tetch decides to woo her.  He takes her out for a night on the town, dressing himself up to resemble the Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and using mind-control devices to make other people serve him, creating the impression he is a man of great reputation in Gotham.  Along the way, he uses two of the devices to stop two muggers and tells them to jump off a bridge.

 The attempted suicide draws the attention of Batman, who saves the criminals and recognises the technology involved as Tetch’s work.  The next day, Tetch is infuriated to learn that after his ‘date’ with Alice, her boyfriend apologised and proposed to her, resulting in them becoming engaged.  At the same time, Cates informs Tetch that Wayne wants to see him.  As a result, Tetch takes control of Cates and leaves, then takes control of Alice’s boyfriend to make him break their engagement off.  That evening, Tetch tries to woo Alice again, but he is confronted at her apartment by Batman.  Forced to even greater extremes, Tetch sets two mind-controlled henchmen dressed as the Walrus and the Carpenter on Batman, then puts a mind control device on Alice before fleeing with her.

 Examining one of the Mad Hatter-style mind control cards and learning the card component came from Storybook Land, a literary-based park, Batman goes there to confront Tetch.  Battling his way through an army of mind-controlled people, among them Billy and Dr Cates, and overcoming various wonderland-themed obstacles, Batman finally subdues Tetch.  Billy removes Alice’s mind-control headband, freeing her while Tetch watches brokenheartedly from where a Jabberwock statue has him pinned.

Review:

The Mad Hatter is apparently a Batman villain who has been around for a long time according to Wikipedia, going right back to an initial appearance in comics back in 1948.  However, unlike some of Batman’s other rogues he doesn’t get draw as much attention when it comes to adaptations.  Certainly, his only appearances in Batman films have been the animated direct-to-home-release ones, but he’s managed to make a few good showings in TV show adaptations, this one included.  The basic elements of his character, namely an obsession with the works of Lewis Carol in general and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in particular, and mind-controlling people are both incorporated into this episode. However, the episode incorrectly shortens the book title to Alice in Wonderland, doubtless due to Disney and others shortening it in adaptations before this.

 It’s a decent introductory episode, and while we can initially empathise a little with Tetch over the unrequited love aspect of his story, his increasingly disturbing use of mind control to win the day for himself swiftly puts his creep factor through the roof.  While his motives remain understandable throughout, his methods simply make him someone you’re not going to really feel for by about half-way through at the latest.  Overall, I’d give the whole thing 8 out of 10.

Episode 28: Dream in Darkness

Plot (as given by me):

Batman is trapped in a cell at Arkham Asylum, restrained in a straitjacket and not being listened to by the doctors as he warns them of imminent danger to Gotham.  A few days before, Batman interfered with someone’s plans to poison the water supply of a local spa, and in the process was exposed to some kind of gaseous chemical.  Initially believing himself to be unaffected, Batman later began to experience terrifying hallucinations.  Batman later gained confirmation that he was affected from Dr Wu, the hospital doctor treating the would-be saboteur.  However, as treatment would put Batman out of action for too long, the dark knight proceeded to Arkham, having deduced the gas to be the Scarecrow’s work.

 Crashing the Batmobile due to another hallucination, Batman has now been admitted to Arkham, where the staff are clueless to Scarecrow’s escape.  However, when a check of Scarecrow’s room reveals he has escaped, Batman deduces he is actually beneath the asylum.  There is a river running through the caverns under the asylum that provides Gotham with water, and Scarecrow is going to put his fear chemicals in the water; the attempt on the spa was a test-run for this.  The doctors try to stop Batman due to him still being affected by the fear chemicals, but he is ultimately able to overcome them and get to the caverns.

 In the caverns, Batman battles the Scarecrow’s men and his own hallucinations to foil Scarecrow’s plan, and in the process, Scarecrow is exposed to his own chemicals.  While Scarecrow is returned to the care of the asylum, Batman finally takes the treatment back in the Batcave and sleeps.

Review:

This is an ok Scarecrow episode whose plot mirrors part of what would end up being the overall story of the 2005 film Batman Begins.  It’s also kind of interesting to see Batman being treated as an asylum inmate, although the episode doesn’t really explore the premise as fully as a live-action Batman show might.  In fact, this is a key reason why I’d like to see someone do a live-action Batman show instead of a Bruce Wayne/Jim Gordon prequel like Gotham or a spin-off character show like Batwoman.  Batman is a character that makes for better TV fodder than film fodder, but sadly no TV show fully does him justice.  Even this series, iconic as it is, falls short at times because of its animated and supposedly child-friendly nature.  All in all, I’d give this episode 6 out of 10.

Episode 29: Eternal Youth

Plot (as given by me):

As Bruce Wayne angrily threatens to fire one of his executives for making a deal with a slash-and-burn company, he and Alfred stumble upon a video invitation to the ‘Eternal Youth Spa’ in Bruce’s mail. The video invites Bruce for a free weekend at the spa, but Bruce declines.  Instead, Alfred is convinced to go along with his lady friend Maggie. At the spa, they are welcomed by scientist Dr Daphne Demeter, who has imbued everything at the spa with a restorative chemical she called Demetrite.  Alfred is sceptical at first, but changes his mind upon sampling the spa’s food and water.

 Meanwhile, Batman learns a number of corporate executives have disappeared, and when he investigates, he finds one has received the same video invite to the spa that he did.  He calls Alfred, who claims the executive in question checked out some weeks ago and has seen nothing untoward, but Batman remains unconvinced.  When Alfred returns, he becomes something of a green fanatic, continuing to consume Demetrite and filling the Batcave with plants. However, when Alfred collapses, Batman grows even more concerned and begins an analysis of the Demetrite. Batman’s analysis reveals the chemical can turn human plasma into plant matter, and when he tries to warn Alfred, he finds that his butler has left.

 Alfred and Maggie have been drawn back to the spa, but soon find themselves transformed into trees.  When Batman follows, it turns out Dr Demeter is actually Poison Ivy; she has been luring corporate executives to her spa to turn them into trees as punishment for business decisions that caused devastation to plant life.  Apparently, Alfred and Maggie were targeted in Bruce Wayne’s absence due to the brief-lived deal with the slash-and-burn operation, but Ivy explains her victims are only covering in a tree-like exo-skeleton at the moment; a full transformation will take months of additional spraying.

 Ivy then tries to have Batman transformed, but he’s coated his uniform with a herbicidal antidote.  He quickly subdues Ivy’s henchwomen, but in trying to tackle Ivy, the chemical enzyme is spilled and causes a massive tree to grow, pinning Ivy to the roof of the spa’s greenhouse before crashing through.  In the aftermath, Ivy’s henchwomen are arrested and her victims cured, but Ivy herself is missing.  Later, Bruce tries to cheer Alfred and Maggie up with the ill-chosen gift of a plant.

Review:

Out first Poison Ivy episode since she was introduced very early in the series, and to be honest it’s not a great follow-up. Again, we have a mystery that isn’t really a mystery because Ivy’s involvement is given away very early on, making it a boring slog as you watch Batman try to catch up with what the audience already knows.  We also have the random one-off character of Maggie as a possible love interest for Alfred…why?  Based on my knowledge of the comics, not only does she seem to be a one-off character for the show, but in the comics Alfred had a bit of a love interest in Dr Leslie Thompkins.  To my mind, putting both of Bruce’s surrogate parents would have made far more sense. I’m giving this one a meagre 4 out of 10 and hoping for better on the next episode.

Episode 30: Perchance to Dream

Plot (as given by me):

Batman pursues some criminals into a warehouse, but is then knocked out.  Coming to back at Wayne Manor, he finds that everything has changed; the Batcave is gone, he’s engaged to Selina Kyle and his parents are still alive.  Even stranger, while Bruce is talking with Selina at Wayne Enterprises, they both see Batman intervene in foiling a jewellery heist.  Going to see Dr Leslie Thompkins as the only doctor he can trust, Bruce is lead to believe his life as Batman was a disassociation fantasy, something he created to compensate for his hollow life as a rich playboy.

 Bruce is ready to embrace this until he tries to read something and finds all the words are jumbled and make no sense. Realising this is all somehow linked to the Batman, Bruce runs away, picking up supplies at a sporting goods store but then abandoning them to escape the police.  Finding his way to a belltower he knows to be part of the Batman’s nightly patrol, Bruce confronts “Batman”, and discovers Jervis Tetch, AKA the Mad Hatter, behind the mask.  It turns out Bruce, the real Batman, is in a dream machine created by Tetch.  The machine reveals nothing to the outside world, so Bruce’s dual identity remains safe; its purpose is to create an ideal reality the occupant of the machine won’t want to escape.

 Bruce deduced that he was in a dream based on his inability to dream, claiming that reading was a function of the opposite side of the brain to the one generating dreams.  He refuses to live a lie and further deduces that killing himself in the dreamscape will awaken him in the real world.  To that end, he hurls himself from the top of the bell tower, and reawakens in the warehouse as Batman.  Quickly defeating Tetch’s henchmen, Batman demands to know why Tetch put him in the dream machine.  Breaking down into tears, Tetch reveals he was so desperate to have the Batman not interfere with his life, he was willing to give his foe any life he wanted.

Review:

For the first time since the early episodes of this show, we have a Batman villain making a return appearance only a few episodes after they initially show up, and unlike the recent Poison Ivy episode, the mystery isn’t revealed too early.  It takes a while to discover what is behind Bruce suddenly not being Batman, but even then, the episode isn’t quite as well-executed as it could be. Part of this is based on an episode of Justice League Unlimited, which used a similar concept but to better effect. However, a far larger part is based on a graphic novel in the Justice League series entitled ‘Divided We Fall’.

 The graphic novel in question occurs right after ‘Tower of Babel’, a story arc in which contingency plans created by Batman for taking down his fellow heroes were stolen and used by Ra’s Al Ghul.  In the climax of the follow-up arc, an energy-based being known as Id was altering reality based on the wishes of people it encountered.  One wish, made by Superman, was that the members of the Justice League didn’t have to have dual identities that made it difficult for the team members to trust each other.  As a result of that wish, those members of the league who had dual identities became split into their separate identities.

 The split didn’t last because the members found that each half of themselves stabilised the other, and in Batman’s case, the Batman persona was a vessel through which Bruce Wayne could direct his aggression and frustration over being helpless to save his parents.  Now granted, that story came to the comics years after this episode, but for me it’s the definitive idea of how Bruce would react to not being Batman if you didn’t go back and change history to achieve that.  Bruce would never come close to accepting not being Batman in any situation where he had any memory, any awareness of being Batman, and as such I can’t buy into even the brief moments where he ends up being ok with it.  It’s just not who he is, plain and simple.  My end score for this episode is 5 out of 10.

Episode 31: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy

Plot (as given by me):

When bearer bonds ear-marked for humanitarian aid are coerced from a diplomatic courier by means of a death trap, Batman suspects the involvement of one Josiah Wormwood, also known as The Interrogator. To confirm Wormwood is in Gotham, Batman visits Baron Wacklaw Josek, an associate of Wormwood’s, and tries to intimidate him into leaving Gotham for a while.  Later, Wormwood meets with Josek, who asks him to obtain the Batman’s cape and cowl.  Wormwood wants to know why Josek wants them, but Josek will only reveal this if Wormwood will tell him who hired him to steal the bearer bonds, something Wormwood refuses to disclose.

 Batman is later summoned to Gotham Police Headquarters by Commissioner Gordon via the Bat-Signal, where he learns one of Wormwood’s rhyming riddle invitations has been left.  The note leads Batman to Traintown, a heritage railway park where Wormwood tries to use the trains as a death-trap.  However, Batman is more resourceful than Wormwood expected and escapes, forcing Wormwood to prepare a second trap.  This time, he sets the death trap at DeLarue’s Wax Museum, and this time the trap proves too much for Batman, forcing him to hand over his cape and cowl.  As a precaution, Batman has a secondary mask under his cowl, so his dual identity is not revealed.

 At Josek’s office, Wormwood makes his delivery and his desire to know what Josek will do with the cape and cowl prompts him to finally explain the bearer bond theft.  At this point, it is revealed that the Josek Wormwood dealt with was really Batman in disguise; the real Josek left Gotham as Batman had earlier insisted.  Wormwood tries to escape with the key that is required to retrieve the bonds, but Batman battles him and ultimately defeats him.  The bonds are recovered and Wormwood sent to prison, where Batman sends him his cape and cowl with a rhyming riddle-clue note of his own.

Review:

After a stretch of several proper Batman rogues, it can be nice to get an episode that takes a break and does something different, but this episode isn’t the best break the show could have gone for. The riddle-style clues, while meant to be more rhymes than riddles, shouldn’t have been just because they’re a hallmark of the Riddler (who the show had yet to introduce its version of) or Cluemaster (a more lucid professional criminal who copied the Riddler’s M.O. in the comics to avoid suspicion).  I also don’t like the ending where Batman sends his own riddle clue in return; it’s too silly an action to come from a character like Batman, which just makes me think no one took this episode seriously.  It seems to just be a ‘let’s put Batman in a bunch of death traps because we’ve not done enough of these’.  People, for goodness’ sake, if you want a show about a DC superhero getting out of death traps, make a show for Mr Miracle.  I give this episode 4 out of 10.

Episode 32: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 1)

Plot (as given by me):

A stake-out at a construction site results in Batman and Robin tackling a gang of protection racketeers in the bones of an incomplete skyscraper.  Capturing one of the criminals for interrogation, the dynamic duo press him for the name of the person running the protection rackets in Gotham.  The criminal gives up the name of Billy Marin, which prompts Batman to dismiss Robin to grab the Batmobile, using the time alone with the criminal to extract more information.  Batman then returns Robin to the Batcaver before leaving again, refusing to explain his sudden shift in attitude.

 Suspecting the mention of Marin’s name is what caused Batman’s sudden change in attitude, Robin looks up the name on the Batcaver computer, and learns that Billy Marin is an alias for Tony Zucco.  Robin then flashes back to his childhood; back then he was Dick Grayson, one-third of the Flying Graysons trapeze act at Haley’s Circus. His parents were the other two-thirds of the act.  One day, the young Dick saw Tony Zucco arguing with Mr Haley, who refused to pay protection money to Zucco, prompting Zucco to threaten Haley in return.

 That night during a charity event for the Wayne Foundation, Dick’s parents fell to their deaths as a result of Zucco sabotaging the trapeze ropes.  Having been in the audience, Bruce Wayne remained behind and learned from Jim Gordon that the boy had no family, and while the circus folks wanted to take Dick in, his status as a material witness to the crime meant he could be in danger. As a result, Bruce offered to take Dick into his care at Wayne Manor.  Dick was given the room that was Bruce’s as a child.

 Meanwhile, Batman experiences his own flashback to the same period in time.  Leaving Dick in the capable hands of Alfred, Bruce went out looking for Zucco as Batman. Going undercover to some back-alley street gambling, he learned Zucco was being sheltered by his uncle Arnold Stromwell, and proceeded to press Stromwell on the matter as Batman. Leaving behind a bug, Batman listened in as Stromwell disowned Zucco, but he was then discovered by one of Stromwell’s guard.  In the ensuing conflict, Zucco made his mistake.  Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred convinced Bruce to give more time to Dick, and the two orphans bonded over their shared loss.

 In the present, Robin radios Batman in anger, demanding that he be allowed to be in on finally apprehending Zucco.  Batman refuses and cuts the radio link, prompting Robin to head out on the Bat-cycle.  Alfred tries to convince Robin that he should listen to Batman, but Robin states before leaving that he can’t do that this time, and maybe never again.

Review:

It’s been a long time coming, indeed too long in my view, but finally we have a Robin origin episode, and it’s a two-part story as well.  More to the point, it’s the origin arc for the original Robin.  By this time in comics, Dick Grayson had left the role of Robin behind to become Nightwing, Jason Todd had been introduced, revised via the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ reboot event and killed by the Joker, and Tim Drake was the third Robin, and it would have been very easy for the series to play to the times as they had incorporating elements from the Tim Burton films.  However, the series made the smart move and stuck with the longer-standing original, and apparently the part 1 instalment resulted in the series winning an Emmy award.

 The episode is great on a few fronts.  Not only does it really honour the classic origins of Robin, but it also takes some visual cues from major works in Batman’s comic-book history.  There’s also a solid effort to keep the origin story flashbacks consistent with the series by incorporating crime boss Arnold Stromwell from a previous episode. The censorship standards for the show also forced the series to depict the deaths of the Graysons in a stylised manner that makes the scene more effective, and on top of that, you have the contrast of the strained present-day relationship between Robin and Batman, and the earlier, more caring relationship between Bruce and Dick.

 Throw in the show’s usual high-quality voice-acting and it’s an episode that I can understand the award-winning status of.  At last, we’re back to an episode where I can hand down full marks, even with a pesky part 1 in the title.  10 out of 10 and on to part 2.

Episode 33: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 2)

Plot (as given by me):

Robin attempts to follow Batman to Zucco, but Batman detects this and cuts off whatever means Robin was using to do this. Refusing to bow out, Robin reflects how he managed to find Zucco unaided once before.  Some days after Bruce and Dick began to bond with each other, Jim Gordon informed him that Zucco might be trying to skip town.  If so, it might prevent Zucco being brought to justice, but could also ensure Dick’s safety as his material witness status would mean nothing without a suspect to charge.  Overhearing this, Dick decided to take matters into his own hands.

 Running away from Wayne Manor, Dick tried to track down Zucco on the pretence of Zucco being a relation.  After saving a prostitute from her abusive pimp, and being treated to dinner at a diner to repay him, Dick learned Zucco was seen coming and going from an abandoned building nearby.  Heading to the building, Dick learned Zucco was packing to leave and tried to call the police, but accidentally tipped Zucco off to his presence.  Zucco was prevented from harming Dick by the arrival of Batman, and in the ensuing scuffle Dick fell into a channel of water.  Batman opted to save Dick over capturing Zucco, then took Dick back to the Batcave, revealing himself to be Bruce Wayne in the process.  This signalled Bruce’s intention to have Dick stay with him and become his apprentice.

 In the present, Robin cold-calls Zucco from the home of the arrested saboteur to obtain Zucco’s address.  However, Zucco is already paranoid from his run-in with Batman years ago, and when he hears noises overhead, he strafes the ceiling of his apartment with machine gun fire.  It turns out the noise was Batman, and when the gunfire causes the ceiling to collapse, the dark knight badly injures his knee upon landing.  However, Zucco’s panicked firing has made him run out of bullets, and Batman escapes under cover of a smoke bomb.

 However, Batman does not get far and is soon pursued through the abandoned boardwalk carnival nearby by Zucco and his men. Zucco, scared to insanity after several years looking over his shoulder, prepares to fire through his men on the carousel in order to get Batman, but before he can, Robin appears.  Using the Bat-cycle, he drags Zucco down to the end of the pier, where he then gains the upper hand over the gangster and begins to smack him around.

 Batman calls out to Robin to stop, causing Robin to angrily yell that Batman can’t know what he’s feeling.  However, the moment he says this, Robin realises Batman knows precisely how he feels and apologises.  As Zucco is finally taken into police custody, Robin concludes Batman tried to keep him off the Zucco case because he was worried Robin would cross the line and try to kill Zucco.  However, Batman reveals that he actually tried to keep Robin away out of fear Zucco would kill Robin.  Making amends, the two heroes head home.

Review:

Part 2 of this episode does a good job bringing part 1 to a decent, satisfying conclusion for the most part.  Like the show’s makers, however, I feel more should have been worked in showing Dick actually becoming Robin and seeing him grow up, but sadly this episode doesn’t deliver on that, and nor do any subsequent episodes.  Frankly, I think that’s a pity, and it would be nice if Warner Brothers and DC could put together a film or series set between this episode’s flashback and the present day of this show detailing the early years of this Robin.  That aside, it’s a good part 2 episode, but the lack of young Robin moments means I can’t quite give it top marks.  This time, it’s only 9 out of 10 that I’m prepared to bestow.

[cryptoriawebb]

SuperBats for the OTP questions

OTP Questions!

In honor of us hitting a thousand followers, here are some OTP questions!Think I’m feelin’ the DCEU for this one

1: Who spends almost all their money on the other?Well, Bruce is the millionaire~

2: Who sleeps in the other’s lap?Hm…I think they both do this. But I can kind of…picture Bruce maybe more so. He doesn’t trust as easily and with Clark, he feels safe.And maybe guilty. And maybe wants to protect him, too.

3: Who walks around the house half-naked and who yells at them to put on some clothes?Hm…Honestly I think Bruce is more prone to shirtlessness while Clark tends to wear his flannels open.

4: Which one tells the other not to stay up all night and which one stays up all night anyway?Aww…well, I can see Clark jokingly telling Bruce not to “stay up” knowing he’s going to, anyway, being Batman but it would kind of be cute if he tried to stay up and wait for him, every so often, and each time Bruce finds him asleep at the table or on the couch. 

5: Which one tries to make food for the other but burns it all by accident and which one tells them that it’s okay and makes them both cookies?Bruce is not allowed near the stove. Ask Alfred (he’s totally taken to the Kents and he and Clark bake together from time to time)

6: Which one reads OTP prompts and says “Oh that’s us!” and which one goes “Eh, not really”?XD I think Bruce says the first line sarcastically and Clark, not getting it riiiight away, says the second. Then is like “…wait you were kidding.” And Bruce just kind of half-smiles because darn it all, he is endearing.

7: Which one constantly wears the other’s clothes?Sometimes Clark borrows Bruce’s finer clothes for special occasions. 

8: Which one spends all day running errands and which one says “You remembered [thing], right?”Clark tends to run errands. He’s faster at it and I think might actually enjoy mingling with people.

9: Which one drives the car and which one gives them directions?Bruce drives it. Clarlk flies alongside the window and critiques when he’s going the wrong way. To which Bruce insists that he isn’t, he’s got Alfred directing him.

10: Which one does the posing while the other one draws?I…can’t see either of them really drawing

11: If they were about to rob a museum, which one does backflips through lasers and which one is strolling behind with a bag of chips?XD Uh…well they’d be the ones breaking up the bank robbery so…But Bruce backflips and Clark takes his time because it’s kind of nice to watch Bruce scare the crap out of people.And also he knows as soon as he does arrive, party’s definitely over.

12: Which one of your OTP overdoes it on the alcohol and which one makes the other stop drinking?Bruce drinks. I’m not sure Clark can get drunk with what Earth offers…

13: Which one likes to surprise the other with a lot of small random gifts?I think…Clark does this. At first. Then Bruce starts feeling guilty and does the same.

14: Which one keeps accidentally using the other’s last name instead of their own?I actually think Bruce might start adding Clark to things as a Wayne, to make absolutely sure when he goes, there’s something left behind.Clark is not happy about this.

15: Which one screams about the spider and which one brings the spider outside?I can’t see either of them being afraid of spiders XD

16: Which one gives the other their jacket?Hm…I can see this going both ways, too.

17: Who keeps getting threatened by the other’s overprotective older sibling?They don’t have siblings…? 

18: Who’s the first one to admit they have feelings for the other?*ahem* “I don’t…not like you.”^3^

19: How good would your OTP be at parenting?I think they compliment each other pretty well. Clark wants to emulate his father for sure, but he’s got his mother’s empathy. Bruce is scary overprotective and can provide financially.

I think they’re both afraid, though. For their children’s safety, and perhaps that their kids won’t be able to relate to them in some way. That they’ll remain outsiders.

20: Which one types with perfect grammar and which one types using numbers as letters?Clark is a reporter so I think he’d be the master short-hand

21: Who gets attacked by a bully and who protects them?Uh…I think Superman protects Batman and Clark is quick to step in when people get smart or nasty with Bruce. (Bruce also does this: it’s a mutual understanding between them that Clark’s inhuman indestructibility cannot be revealed)

22: Who makes the bad puns and who makes a pained smile every time the other makes a pun?Clark makes the puns for sure.

23: Who comes home from work to see that the other one bought a puppy?Ooh…I can see this going both ways. They both have a soft spot for those in need/abandoned

24: Which one gives the other a piggyback ride when they’re tired?It’s usually Clark holding Batman up, unless Kryptonite is involved.

25: Which one competes in some sort of activity and which one does the overzealous cheering?I…can’t really see them doing this unless ‘activity’ means ‘battling the forces of evil.’

26: Who takes a selfie when the other one falls asleep on their shoulder?Oh man…I want to say Clark, and he totally pulls it up from time to time when Bruce is being stubborn.

27: Which one would give the other a makeover if they asked?Clark. In a different way. Showing Bruce the small town farmer life, get him back in touch with his humanity and life’s slower pace.

28: Which one owns a pet that the other is absolutely terrified of?Well I mean…batcave.

29: Which one holds the umbrella over both of them when it rains?They take turns. 

30: If your OTP went on vacation, where would they go and what would they do? Who would take the pictures?Honestly, wherever Alfred forced them to go. No ‘working vacations’ no ‘polar expeditions honestly you’ll sooner catch your deaths.’ Just a week-long cruise through sunny shores and ‘do try not to get into trouble.’