#;;swords that are broken (jason todd)

[strong-with-the-sarcasm]

Part 4 - Show me those issues

Dp x DC AU: Regent!Jazz & Vigilante!Jazz

Masterlist Part 3

"Show me those issues, how you've been misused. Yeah girl, I'm with you." -Train Wreck by Divide the Day.

Previously on The Regent: 

It wasn’t as if the Pit Madness could just be gone, right?

Right? (Jason Todd was no fool, the Madness was still there.)

(Just… sedated. Like it didn’t need to boil to the surface anymore where it concerned his murderer.)

And for the first time in a very long while, Jason felt like himself again.

Until the agony began.

In a strange synchronized motion, both Jazz and Danny twisted their bodies towards the spirits who began screeching in the air between the two, ghost speak intertwined with screams of the damned, demanding the Regent and the Prince help the Robin.

“Broken Robin, bloody bird, help, help, help. Agony, pain, corruption” 

Danny didn’t hesitate for a moment to transform into  Phantom, calling over his shoulder for Jazz to bring her last few pure ecto vials along as he phased out of the apartment. 

Jazz sighed heavily as she unlocked the safe in her bedroom, three vials remaining within. All the supply the Regent had left for the month, until Wulf was able to deliver more. 

In any other circumstance, Jazz would have refused to hand over something so vital to her health- escpecially since she was burning through her ecto-levels acting as a vigilante and a Regent, with frequent travels to the Infinite Realms to work on paperwork and attend Council meetings. 

However, Jazz felt the tugging in her chest, the instinct that she had to give up her ectoplasm for the agonized Robin. And she was not one to ignore such strong instincts. 

Vials tucked safely into her bra, Jazz summoned her ecto-sword with only a thought and cut into the air, opening a portal in the between to take her to where the spirits demanded she go. 

Jazz stepped through after a heavy sigh, bones feeling as if they were filled with cement. 

No rest for the wicked after all. 

Danny had already arrived ahead of her by the time Jazz stepped through her portal, fussing over what seemed to be the local unfriendly neighborhood vigilante, Red Hood, without his signature helmet and sweating green droplets profusely. 

Oh.

So that’s how she’d been sensing him. He’s got ectoplasm in him and (by the rancid scent lingering in the air) corrupted at that. 

“Did he go swimming in the Realms sewer?” Jazz asked, half-seriously as she willed the portal closed behind her and leaned her sword against a wall before pulling out the vials of pure ecto. 

Danny struggled to laugh at her attempt at humor however, chirping and warbling at Red Hood’s prone form. Jazz offered the vials to her little brother, “Will these flush out the corrupted ecto?” 

He didn’t answer her, poking at Hood’s chest plate, a warble of worry-horror filling the air. 

“Danny.”

Jazz reached for her proto-core (tucked behind her heart) and chirped back with concern-worry-resignation.

Which worked to get Danny’s attention and he snapped his focus to her, “Jazz, give him the pure stuff! He’s starving!” 

Oh again. 

In Hood’s current state, could he swallow it on his own? 

No, he couldn't. He'd likely choke on it or spit it back out on reflex. One of them would have to administer it by mouth.

Jazz sighed heavily before she uncapped the first vial and tipped its contents into her mouth. The familiar battery-acid taste was heavy on her tongue as she tried not to reflexively swallow it in her hunger.

(She tried to ignore how her heart raced.)

Jazz leaned over Red Hood's prone body, gently carded one hand into his hair, and set the other onto his throat before she pressed her lips onto his own.

To stay in my shadows you must aid my Knight, Regent.

Of course, My Lady.

I speak of the one born in my streets and unburied in my soil, hidden under Red.

The Red Hood?

The Once Bright Light of Gotham, unavenged. Care for him and he will care for you.

Frostbite had been quite shocked at their sudden arrival to the Far Frozen with Red Hood in tow. Jazz’s sword made quite an entrance after all, and Danny’s choice to drop hood’s sweating and shivering body into the Yeti’s arm was enough to get him into motion. 

“Great One, Regent.” The Tribal Leader greeted them as he turned on his heel with his cargo firm in his grasp. 

“Hey Frosty. Gotta doozy for ya.” Danny quipped with some warmth. Being in Realms again seemed to cheer him up ever since the move to Gotham, even if it wasn’t a common occurrence anymore. 

(Jazz kept him far away from the Observants since taking the crown.)

(Nosey one-eyed bastards.) 

“Hi Frostbite.” Jazz offered her own greeting as they followed behind the Yeti into the tribe proper. 

It had been some time since Jazz had been into the Healing tents, but Danny had always enjoyed Frostbite’s company so he easily maneuvered his way around the equipment and tables towards the sectioned off beds in the back, which were Yeti sized and easily dwarved Hood’s own six foot brick house frame. 

Frostbite hummed as he examined his new patient, having heard Danny explain their treatment thus far of Hood. 

“Great One, you were correct in this regard. Red Hood was dying of Corruption due to ectoplasm.” 

“But?” Jazz proded.

“His proto-core has accepted the pure ecto and has begun to stabilize.” 

Both siblings breathed a sigh of relief. That was good news, especially to hear of a new Liminal that could survive Gotham- means Hood was a survivor in more than one regard. 

“However, there is something more concerning…” The Yeti trailed off, a soft growl left in the wake of his words. 

“Frosty?” 

“Pardon me, Great One. It seems that Red Hood’s proto-core isn’t ice-based, it needs warmth.”

Danny, despite the seriousness of the situation, laughed at Jazz’s resulting blush at Frostbite's words.

(Oh I can keep him warm.) 

Not to mention how she they had gotten the pure Ectoplasm down his throat to begin with

“Regent?” 

Jazz sighed and answered the Yeti, “I can offer him my warmth until he can be returned.” 

Frostbite pondered for a moment, “Ah, yes, the Regent has a Fire-based Proto-core. That should do well.” 

(Danny had laughed himself sick when it had come to light that Jazz was his opposite in core too.) 

(Fire and Ice) 

(Hero and Villain) 

With a passive glare at her now-chuckling little brother, Jazz approached Hood’s bed and carefully climbed in alongside him. 

(She did her best to block out how her body wanted to curl into him, grasp onto him and never let go.) 

Turned onto her side away from him, back pressed to his form, Jazz forced her body to relax and let her natural warmth seep out from her core into the vigilante at her back. 

(Little did Jazz know that she would cuddle him in her sleep.) 

(And that a pesky younger sibling would coo and take a few pictures to save as blackmail.) 

Jason dreamed. 

He dreamed of his mother, the good days when she would read to him softly and wrap him in her arms. 

He dreamed of late night patrols with his dad, tucked under his cape when he wanted to feel safe. 

He dreamed of a red haired woman who kissed him softly, held him gently, and… chased the cold away. 

Why had he been so cold? 

Why was his heart aching? 

It wasn’t supposed to ache. 

He wanted his dad. 

He wanted his books. 

He wanted his dream woman to kiss him again and tell him her name, just so he’d have something to hold onto when he woke up. 

(If he woke up.)

A/N:

Alright, part four! With a glimpse into Jason and Jazz's natural bond as, well, maybe... soulmates? Who knows. I'm a sucker for that trope.

If you want a spoiler for what's happening to Jason, check out the original prompt!

And make sure to subscribe to the master list when it's created.

[beartes22]

Jason Todd Imcorrect quotes (2/??)

Continuation of this post . Probably 2/2 until like, the next four years or sth

Angsty quotes I probably will add in some fic somewhen. They are also for adoption, they have no home yet. I am just very salty about this.

Bruce: we don’t kill, Jason!

Jason: why? Why can’t we? Why is this your line in the sand when there is no other fucking line you won’t cross!

Bruce: because if we do it we will be just as bad as them!

Jason: Bruce you sanctimonious fuck, I don’t want to be better! I just want to be safe!

Dick: why can’t you understand? We don’t kill! we can’t be judge, jury and executioner!

Jason: why not? We certainly don’t have judges or juries here!

Dick: just because the system is corrupt-

Jason: when I was murdered, where was my judgment? When did the judge pass the sentence, when did the jury declare him innocent? When was the dead penalty discarded?

Dick: …you know why Jason Todd could not have a public judgement

Jason: then what was it, was it private and you decided to leave my death unpunished or is he awaiting my judgement?

Dick: oh little wing-

Jason: my anger and my rage are not unjustified. They are just inconvenient for Batman’s crusade. Fuck you and your righteous fucking convenience.

Tim: you don’t understand! Bruce was broken after you died and Batman needs a robin!

Jason: I did not die. I was murdered.

Tim: I know. Bruce never got over failing to save you

Jason: why is his grief more important than my pain? Why must his needs overcome mine?

Tim: …he’s Batman

Jason: I see. so he’s not replaceable. But his robins aparently are.

Tim: no! That’s not-

Jason: better tread carefully then, replacement.

Bruce: you killed a man. You broke my rules!

Jason: and I will do it again. What will you do about it, then, big man, throw me to your justice?

Bruce: I will take you in like the rest of the criminals in this city

Jason: it will not stick. Thanks to your methods, I am a dead boy that doesn’t exist. I cannot be thrown in jail.

Bruce: you think I can’t put you under a fake Id?

Jason: you will go the extra mile to hurt me, but not for those that hurt me. Father of the year.

Now the less angsty ones. To break off with a laugh or sth

Goon 1: boss, we have a problem.

Red hood: *sighs deeply* what is it now, Fred?

Goon 1: …you know my name? There has been…a confusion in one of the orders, boss

Red hood: oh?

Goon 2: it appears someone mislabeled the… um, SEAL-quality equipment for-

*LOUD BRAYING CAN BE HEARD*

red hood: …how many live seals are in Gotham right now, Ricky

Goon 2: that;s um. a lot. Sir.

Goon 1: I think over twenty, boss

Red hood: and what am I supposed to do with 20 fucking seals?

Goon 2: I-i think they are actually an endangered species? So, so maybe you can, like, open a-

Red hood: no. No. I refuse. No. I will not end up my crime lord days to build an animal reserve. No.

Goon 1: we could also kill them sir. Their fur is expensive and crime alley could always stand to have more food

Red hood: we are not doing that.

Goon 2: I mean, we have done worse things for less money boss

Red hood: you want your ankles to be bitten to death by an angry toddler? Because this is how you get an angry toddler bit your ankles to death with his swords. Two of them.

Goon 1: is…is that a new rogue, boss?

Red hood: worse. Excuse me I gotta make a call

Red hood, on the phone: hey, baby demon, I got sth for you- what no, it’s not from Talía- shut up I do nice things for you on my own- oh fuck you habibi -you would be the bigger disappointment but you aren’t tall enough -oh? Did the baby get angry? Did the baby want a time out?- wait no, don’t pass the phone you co- yes. Hi B. No. Fuck you. No. Asshole. I’m hanging up.

The goons: …

Red hood: *picks up phone yet again* dickhead if you hang on me I swear to god I will haunt you-oh, sorry. Is dick there? Pass him the phone, please, it’s important. *a beat* dick, why did that random man pick up your phone- midnighter? And I thought I had the daddy issues. No wait! I have over 20 seals and I have to get rid of them- stop laughing you asshole!! *hangs up furiously*

Red hood: *turns to the goons* tomorrow the someone will come to pick up the seals. Probably an Atlantean. ETA 8 PM. Be ready or else *leaves*

Goons: …

Goon 1: I thought I knew how phone calls worked but apparently I don’t.

Goon 2: …me neither.

[kagekitsuneoflight]

I wish we could get more All Caste Jason Todd shenanigans. Wish we could get Jason Todd being the magical equivalent of someone who walks into a situation that requires a delicate handling and extensive effort to solve and he just smacks it around a little bit and it’s fixed before peacing out (he is also smacked around for a little bit).

I want him to be the guy who essentially fixes an expensive broken machine by kicking it and it goes back to working great.

I want some shady magician to get hired by a crime lord trying to kill the Red Hood and they go “hehe okay! Million dollars :).” And they’re basically being paid to summon Creatures to Kill some vigilante guy and it’s overkill but hey, a million per creature is a bargain in their favor.

And then this Red Hood guy manages to kill all his creatures with two glowing swords of Fuck You. And it’s like “yo. You didn’t tell me he could to that?”

“I didn’t know he could do that.”

And then you have Oracle forcing Jason to accept her comm call so she can go “what the hell was that?!?!?”

And Jason is just like “lens flare. Mind your business.”

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Dr Wayne AU

Idea from this post.

Bruce graduated from medical school. He went out and trained to become a vigilante. He came back and things mostly turned out like the original universe does. Until Dick. The stress was getting to him. Gnawing away at his morals and last shred of patients. Mysteriously, the building Tony Zuko was in blew up and Batman wasn't seen again.

Years go by, and more mysterious explosions kill more mob bosses and super villains. No one connects Bruce to the explosions except for a malnourished street kid who caught him in the act. Smart little street rat that is Jason Todd uses this knowledge to get some food. Bruce quickly takes a liking to him and brings him home. Jason starts helping Bruce rig these explosions after a while. While setting up a bomb meant for their slipperiest evil doer, Joker, it goes off while Jason's in the building. Bruce goes a little crazy (or maybe crazier. who's to say) after Jason's death.

He meets Tim Drake at a function being held by Mr and Mrs Drake and notices some things. The first thing he notices is how similar Tim looks to Jason when they met in that dark alley. The second thing he notices is that the Drakes are almost always out of Gotham. The third thing he notices is that Tim seems to light up when Bruce mentions Dick. He'd love to just snatch the kid up and bring him home, but he couldn't. Not without a reason to keep the kid. It was just luck that one of the many villains still populating Gotham decided to target the plane the Drakes were on a week later. In his gratitude for the opportunity to take in the sweet child he'd found, he made sure the explosion he set for them would only maim them instead of kill them.

Getting Jason was amazing and horrible. The sweet precious boy nearly killed Bruce and Tim with the minor explosive he'd put in Bruce's favorite car. But that didn't matter all that much. By the end of the entire debacle, no one was hurt and they'd even managed to clear up some misunderstandings. Bruce had all of his children under one roof again.

He thought he had all of his children under one roof until he learned about Damian. There weren't any words he could use to describe how upset it made him to learn that another of his children were being kept from him. He did have to thank Talia, however. Without Talia slipping up to Jason about Damian's existence he wouldn't have known until one of the Al Ghul's revealed it to him. Tim overheard Jason and Bruce planning to retrieve Damian and revealed that he'd known since he came to the manor what Jason and Bruce did. Told the two that he knew how to help gather intel on the League long term as long as they could slip a microchip into one of the League's mainframe computers. The Plan went well, all things considered. Jason and Bruce came out of it with a few scars and a broken rib, which was less damage than expected. They sadly weren't able to catch many of the assassins in any of their micro explosions, but they overall won the battle.

After everything was said and done, Damian fit in well with their chaotically violent family. Even if he did prefer swords to explosives. It was much less strange than Dick's proclivities to only do harm when he felt it was strictly necessary. He gets it from Alfred, Bruce supposed.

[dc-and-arfrona]

Don't Need You

Jason Todd x GN!Reader

Based of this "We all need someone to take care of us," I insisted.  "Yes, but I don't need you."

Type: Angst

Word Count: 600+

Masterlist

-----

It was a tumultuous journey, your love for Jason Todd. From the moment your paths crossed, there was an undeniable spark that drew you together. But the darkness that lingered within him threatened to tear you apart.

Jason had always been haunted by his past, his demons lurking in the shadows. And as your relationship deepened, he found himself questioning whether he deserved the happiness you offered.

Days turned into nights filled with restless arguments, each word a shard that pierced your heart. Jason, in his pain, began to self-sabotage, pushing you away in a desperate attempt to protect you from his own self-destructive tendencies.

"We all need someone to take care of us," you insisted, your voice filled with love and concern. "Yes, but I don't need you," he shot back, his words cutting through the air like a knife.

The pain in your chest was almost unbearable, tears welling in your eyes as his rejection reverberated in your ears. How could he believe that his absence would be better for you? How could he deny the love that bound you together?

But deep down, you understood. Jason's scars ran deep, etched into his very being. He had become so accustomed to navigating the darkness alone that accepting help felt foreign and terrifying.

Still, you refused to let him push you away completely. You persisted, determined to break through the walls he had erected around his heart. "Jason, please," you pleaded, your voice filled with vulnerability. "I know you're hurting, but shutting me out won't make it better. Let me be there for you."

In moments of vulnerability, he would open up, sharing the fragments of his tortured soul. You listened, your heart breaking with each painful revelation. But you remained steadfast, offering solace in your unwavering support.

Yet, despite your efforts, the distance between you grew. Jason's walls seemed impenetrable, his heart guarded against the love that threatened to heal his wounds. He believed he was unworthy, incapable of reciprocating the depth of emotion you poured into the relationship.

Late nights turned into lonely moments of solitude, as he sought solace in the darkness. You watched from a distance, your heart heavy with the knowledge that his self-sabotage was tearing you apart.

And one fateful night, the final blow came. Jason, unable to bear the weight of his own demons, uttered the words that shattered your fragile bond. "I'm sorry, Y/N. I can't do this anymore. We need to let go."

The pain was searing, tears flowing freely down your face as you fought to find your voice. "But I love you, Jason," you choked out, your voice filled with anguish. "I thought we could make it through anything."

He looked at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and longing. "I fell in love with you, and your devils. Even though I'm leaving, your devils will stay behind to taunt me. To become my devils."

In that moment, you understood. Jason's self-sabotage was driven by his belief that love was a double-edged sword, capable of inflicting both bliss and pain. And in his twisted perception, leaving you was an act of misguided protection.

As he walked away, leaving you standing amidst the shattered remnants of what once was, your heart felt irreparably broken. The love you had shared, once vibrant and promising, now lay in ruins.

But deep within the fractured pieces, a flicker of hope remained. You knew that sometimes, loving someone meant letting them go, even if it tore you apart. And as you stood there, tears blending with the rain, you vowed to heal and find love anew, even if the scars of Jason's self-sabotage lingered within you.

[dhampiravidi]

jason todd & his all-blades

so, for those of you who love Jason Todd but don’t/can’t/won’t keep up w/his appearances in comics (no one blames you)…

when Talia was caring for Jason, she sent him to a very old woman named Ducra. Ducra taught Jason a special kind of fighting that included the power of summoning the All-Blades. The All-Blades are glowing swords manifested from the soul of one who is truly good & they can only be summoned near pure evil.

Imagine Jason killing the Joker w/the All-Blades. Joker just grievously wounded some citizens w/a mass destruction weapon (maybe something basic-yet-deadly or maybe DC gave him some mutant superpower transformation yet again, IDK).

The point is, Jason has already exhausted all of his ammo fighting others. His fighting spirit isn’t gone, but he IS a bit tired. He just wants his city and all the innocent people to be OK…

And then Joker’s pointing a weapon (gun/knife) at a kid (laughing ofc). Jason remembers lying on his side, feet bare with bruises everywhere and broken ribs to boot. He wouldn’t wish that on most people.

He knows he can’t get there in time, but he knows how to throw. It’s a reflex, reaching into the air and shoving his hand forward.

The glowing sword cuts cleanly through the clown’s heart, turning his laughter to gurgles. Jason goes over to the kid, slowly gaining their trust until he can hold them while they cry scared, relieved tears.

[batfam-my-beloved]

Peak Batfam Character Design Headcannons

Bruce Wayne

• Jewish/Japanese/English (Idk where I saw it but someone drew Martha and Thomas Wayne and headcannon Martha as a Jewish Polish immigrant and Thomas as half Japanese half English and I really really love that headcannon) [Edit: it was @not-another-robin ]

• Stubbly scratchy

• Thicc thighs (save lives 🙏🥵)

• Under bite

• Scars all over

• Sharp features/high cheek bones

• 5ft 5in (we support a short king 🙌)

• Wide set sholders/back muscles of the ✨️gods✨️

• Has a scar right that goes through his left brow

• Pierced ears that he got when he was a teenager and going through his "goth" faze (let's be honest it still hasn't ended)

• Mainly sticks to wearing classic black/diamond studs

• Secretly misses his long dangling edgy earings

• Panromantic demisexual

• Autistic /OCD/PTSD

• Pls let him ramble about his special interests 🥺👉👈

• Romanian descent

Dick Grayson

• Built but lean

• Very flexible

• Lovely tan skin

• Cute dimples

• The prettiest dark blue eyes you ever did see

• ✨️Nice ass✨️ (obviously)

• Long leggedy legs

• Floofy mullet hair

• Tall boi 6ft 3in (exactly 1 whole inch taller than Jason and it infuriates him 😋)

• He had to get braces at one point and it was the worst time of his life (drama queen 🤭)

• Low key a fuck boi

• He still sweet tho 😘

• His stomach is an endless black hole

• This ain't no lie this boi is bi bi bi

• Adhd go brr 💨

Jason Todd

• Latino Jason for the win baby! Specifically Mexican because I'm projecting 😋

• Built like a shit brick house

• Sturdy but soft like a weight lifter

• No six pack only tum tum 😤

• 6ft 2in (1 inch shorter then Dick and hates it 🤣)

• Stubbly scratchy (like his dad 🥺)

• Thicc thighs that can crush heads (also like his dad 😅)

• Also is riddled with scars as well, mainly bullet wounds

• End the debate: he has heterochromia one blue and one green eye

• Crooked nose from constantly being broken

• J scar on the cheek (do NOT mention it)

• His eye sight is shit but he refuses to get glasses

• He caved once started have trouble reading without getting a headache 🤓

• Panromantic asexual

• PTSD cuz this boi gots ✨️trauma✨️

Tim Drake

• Vietnamese/Irish (cuz I said so 😤)

• Long lean Built

• Floppy hair with a middle part

• Tooth gap ❤️

• Has one (1) singular dimple on his right cheek

• When not on the clock as Robin he is clumsy and always covered in bandages

• Scraped knees and elbows

• Cuz he was a Skater boi and said no I ain't wearing a helmet

• ✨️Skater boi aesthetic✨️

• Also a gamer boi

• Yes he got the cat ear headphones 🐈 😻 🐈‍⬛️

• His eye sight turns to shit over time cuz he's always on the computer

• Yes he got the hipster glasses 🤓

• Bi disaster

• OCD go brr 💨

Damian Wayne

• Arabic

• Lean muscle like an MMA fighter

• Hopes to hit a growth spurt soon but he will still end up short just like his daddy 😈

• Lovely dark skin

• Very sharp features (like his dad)

• Beautiful green eyes (like his mom)

• Long slender nose

• Teeth and ears are slightly pointed due to his demon blood

• Under bite (it's genetic at this point 😋)

• Neat clipped spiky hair

• Prides himself in not having as many scars as the rest (sign of strength in combat)

• Nonbinary/Gender Queer

• Asperger's Syndrome

• His special interests are anime, animals, and swords

Cassandra Cain

• Chinese decent

• Ballerina body with a bit more muscle around the arms

• Ballerina feet (they hurt 🥺)

• Nice olive skin

• Cute round face

• Hands have lots of little scars and bruises

• Selective mute

• ASL and Chinese sign language✌️

• Bob hair cut with an under cut

• Wanted to peirce her ears when she saw that Bruce had his pierced

• They get matching earings ❤️

• Pan 💖💛💙

• Joining Jason in the PTSD and trauma club 😗✌️

Stephanie Brown

• Hungarian decent

• More square around the shoulders

• Stacked like a classic boxer

• 3 ears piercings on each ear

• Dirty blond hair reaches a little passed her shoulder blades

• Also has had braces at one point

• Nail polish is always chipped

• Has fought several people at 3am behind a Waffle house

• Bi icon

• Low key has anger issues but is going to therapy for that now 😗✌️

Duke Thomas

• African American

• Classic athletic build (like dorito)

• Large thick hands (so that he may hold the people he loves 🥺❤️)

• Square jaw line but also soft around the edges

• Short clipped hair with his little zig zaggies shaved on the side, sometimes he changes up the design when he feels daring 😘

• Ears stick out a little (very cute 😍)

• Also has pierced ear that he's had since he was 8yrs

• He to gets a matching set with Bruce and Cass ❤️

• Over bite

• He is an ally and very supportive 💕

• His lips are chapped cuz our boi gots ✨️Anxiety✨️ and is always chewing on them

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Pavor Et Circenses

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/JGLpcFu by AceFace98 Jason Todd wouldn't qualify himself as a circus kid. For one, he'd only spent a year there. For two, he was crew, not cast, so he hadn't really been in the circus. Therefore, he wasn’t a circus kid. But he did learn a lot, mainly because the various acts found it adorable that he wanted to learn, and all that knowledge made his run as Robin a very interesting experience. It also helped him deal with coming back from the dead. And with magically induced rage. And with soul bound swords that ate blood and could only harm evil. Yeah, Circus Gothica was weird. It's been over a decade since Jason was last there, though, and things had been changing even during his stint. Seeing it pop up in some nowhere town in Illinois, with a bunch of the cast in the advertisement clearly the exact same age as they'd been when Jason last saw them, encouraged him to go investigate. He might've been prepared for the circus, but he was not prepared for Amity Park. Words: 24702, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Danny Phantom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Jason Todd, Catherine Todd, Willis Todd, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Freakshow (Danny Phantom), Original Characters, Danny Fenton, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, Damian Wayne Relationships: Jason Todd & Everyone Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Circus, Circus Gothica (Danny Phantom), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Broken Bones, Acrobatics, Circus Kid Jason Todd, Kid Jason Todd, Street Kid Jason Todd, Bad Parent Willis Todd, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd Friendship, Bonding, Ghost Zone Politics (Danny Phantom), Jason Todd-centric, Danny Fenton is Not the Ghost King, Creepy Freakshow, Tarot, Creepy circus is creepy, All-Blades (DCU), All Caste (DCU), mentioned - Freeform, Jason Todd is Robin, Jason Todd is Red Hood, takes place over multiple years, Canon-Typical Violence, Not Beta Read, no beta we die like jason, Lazarus Pits are Ectoplasm (Danny Phantom and DCU) read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/JGLpcFu

[ali-annals]

long live all the magic we made

Pairing: Jason Todd x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rating: T | Ao3 | TW: -? | WC: 9.5k

In Gotham, Jason Todd is looking for Damian's dragonbat, Goliath, when he notices a strange thing in the sky. In Paris, Ladybug is fighting an akuma when a strange creature literally appears out of the blue. It might not be too big of a deal (they've both dealt with weirder things) if it wasn't A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE!

“Daddy? Can you tell me a story?”

Jason smiled and brushed Sebastian’s hair back from his forehead. “Of course. Any special requests?”

“Something you did?” Sebastian’s eyes were wide.

Jason cleared his throat.

“A long, long time ago, I was in the city, on an errand for your uncle Damian. Goliath had gotten away, and your uncle was in bed with a broken leg, under Grandpa Alfie’s strict orders not to move. Goliath would only listen to me, so I was sent off to get him.

“It was a typical day in Gotham, grey and cloudy, and I wasn’t very happy that I had to leave my training to go find a rogue dragon bat.”

Sebastian scooched over and Jason lay beside him on the small bed, tracing the lines of his face as he spoke.

“I was busy hunting down my informants, hoping they’d have seen Goliath– you know how big he is; it’s hard to hide a dragon bat.

“The sky cleared up and became sunny. I think most of the Gothamites out and about almost collapsed from an overdose of Vitamin D,” he joked.

“I looked around to see what was up and saw this bright, sunny gash in the sky. It looked like the sun cutting through clouds, but it was definitely an unnatural occurrence. I grabbed my swords and headed to the gash. It seemed to be getting bigger, and wind was gusting through the rift.

“The wind picked up and carried me through the portal. There was this great whooshing noise and then I blacked out. It wasn’t very fun.

“I woke up and knew I’d been dropped in some other dimension because there was no way what I was seeing would happen in my world. The most gorgeous girl I’d ever seen was standing in front of me. She was dressed like a ladybug, and then she told me her name was Ladybug.

“She was a hero of that world, and something had happened during a fight that caused the gash. There was a whole team of animal-themed heroes behind her, busy fighting the strange-looking thing they told me was called an akuma.

“There was a snake, a fox and turtle, a black cat, and the Ladybug girl. They had some type of magic, and they were obviously used to these types of fights because it was over pretty fast– though that could have been the disorientation from crossing worlds,” grinned Jason.

As Jason told his tale, he watched Sebastian’s eyelashes flutter in his attempt to stay awake. Eventually, the boy lost the battle and drifted off to dreamland. Jason pressed a kiss to the top of Sebastian’s head and edged quietly out of his room.

~~~~~

“Maman, tell me a story,” begged Felicia, tugging at Marinette’s dress as she turned to leave after kissing her goodnight.

Marinette laughed. “Anything to extend your bedtime, huh? Alright, but only a short one.”

She perched on the edge of Felicia’s bed, smoothing out wrinkles in the comforter.

“Let’s see…oh, I have one.

“Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a group of heroes fighting villains called akumas. I was the ladybug hero, the leader of the team. It was a battle just like any other day, or so I thought. There was a big hole in the sky that strange creatures we thought were akumas kept dropping through, and finally, there was a man with a sword. The hole seemed to disappear after he came through.

“My team and I defeated that day’s akuma and then spread out to go looking for the creatures that came to our world.”

~~~

Marinette headed off in the direction of the strange-looking creature that had come through the portal. It looked like a furry gargoyle.

At first, she had thought it was an akuma or connected to the akuma, but it had completely ignored them and headed for the suburbs of Paris.

The closest green space was the Bois de Boulogne, so she started her search for the creature there. It was late evening, so there weren’t many people around; she thought it would be fairly obvious if a furry gargoyle was around and didn’t expect it to take long.

She could look around, swing by a couple smaller greenspaces on her way home, and then be in bed at a reasonable time. Hopefully, she could get a good 8 hours of sleep before her 8:00 a.m. class the next day.

The cracking of a branch behind her made her glance back at the treeline, hoping it was just a squirrel or something small. Now that she was possibly facing the furry gargoyle…she wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do once she knew where it was.

But that was still a problem for future Marinette, because there was neither squirrel nor gargoyle behind her. It was a man.

A…cosplayer?

He was wearing old-fashioned clothes and leather armour, and had a sheathed sword on his belt. From a fashion designer’s perspective, it was incredibly accurate, and Marinette found herself wanting to ask him who had made it or where he’d gotten such an incredible quality get-up.

Realizing she was staring at the man, who had paused, she blushed and smiled awkwardly. “Sorry for staring, I was just admiring your outfit.”

“It’s fine, and …thanks? I’m just uh…looking for something my little brother lost. ” 

He spoke French almost perfectly, but his accent was unlike one she had ever heard before. He definitely wasn’t native to either Paris or France, yet he spoke Parisian French, not Quebecois.

She nodded and glanced up at the sky yet again.

“I’m Jason,” the guy offered.

“Mari,” she said, not wanting to give her full name to a stranger just yet. He seemed rather familiar, as if she should know him.

She continued her search for the creature, either a sighting or maybe a footprint, but nothing came up.

She did collect some litter to throw out, a couple francs, and a dropped Ladybug action figure.

Seeing Jason a good distance away, she waved and approached him. “Is this your little brother’s lost item? It’s the only thing I found that might be a child’s,” she nodded at the debris in her hands (the francs had made their way into her pocket. What? She was a university student in fashion, she needed money).

Jason looked down at the toy and took it from her, turning it around. “No, it’s not his,” he said finally. “By the way, who is this? I’ve never seen a toy like this before, and I saw someone who looked like this earlier.”

“Oh, Ladybug? She’s a part of the Miraculous Team.” At his blank look, she continued. “Paris’s heroes? They fight Hawkmoth’s akumas and amoks.”

“Japanese demons?” Jason’s head tilted slightly to the left, and she found herself thinking it was adorable on a man his size. Also, he knew the Japanese term for demons? Interesting.

“Um, yeah, that was the inspiration for their names. They're like…mind-controlled supervillains? The actual villain is Hawkmoth; no one knows who he is, but he has this Miraculous –magic jewel that grants its wearer a power– that he uses to akumatize anyone feeling strong negative emotions. The goal is to get Ladybug and Chat Noir, the two main heroes, Miraculouses. The akuma agrees to attempt to get the Miraculouses, and Hawkmoth gives them the power to get revenge or whatever they want.”

As she briefly explained the situation, Jason looked more and more worried.

“How long has this been going on?!”

“Um, since I was 13…so six or seven years, give or take?”

“That’s awful,” Jason said, eyes flashing green like Chat’s.

“Yeah, it’s been hard on everyone,” she agreed. “The Team has been doing their best, but since no one knows who Hawkmoth is…” she trailed off, shrugging. “They do the best they can.”

“Do you have a way to contact the Team, like to announce an akuma attack or something?”

“There is the Miraculous Team Official website and Twitter, and one of my friends, Alya, has a blog where she reports on attacks and livestreams them sometimes. I’ve told her it’s dangerous, but since Ladybug’s Cure always fixes the damage after the fight, she doesn’t mind getting knocked around a bit for the footage.”

“Oh, the damage is reversed? That’s a handy ability. Thanks for telling me about this; I just arrived here today, so I had no idea so much was going on,” Jason explained.

“No problem! I hope your stay here is peaceful!”

Jason handed her back the toy and headed back towards the busier end of Paris.

She clutched the toy, staring after his form disappearing into the twilight.

~~~

Marinette burst into the Miraculous Team’s quarters. 

“Max!”

“‘Sup?” Max whirled away from his worktable, where he was fixing up secure devices for the team to use as civilians.

“I may have a lead on Hawkmoth, I don’t know. Can you check some things for me, please?”

“Sure,” he spun around to his computer station. “Whatcha need?”

“Can you check all the flight logs from this afternoon? Find anyone who fits the profile of a muscular white or white-passing male in his early twenties, about 190 cm, black hair with white bangs, blue or green eyes?”

“Want me to find you a date  without  breaking several laws?” he joked, typing away.

She huffed a small sigh, blowing her loose hair out of her face. “Haha. You know I’m focusing on the Team and school right now. I met this guy while I was at the Bois de Boulogne, and he just…created an itch in my brain I need to scratch. There's something very off about him.” She began laying out her evidence, ticking off the items on her fingers.

“He spoke almost fluent French, but with an accent that I’d never heard. He knew that an akuma is a Japanese demon, which, maybe he just knows French and Japanese, but there’s other stuff as well. I told him the basics about the whole situation, and his eyes started glowing or flashing the same green as Chat’s. He wanted to know if there was a way to contact the Team, and the most damning evidence that something is wrong?” Mari threw her hands up. “He had  no idea  what the whole situation was about, which is why I was explaining it to him! He told me he had no idea about any of it because he just arrived today, but  how  did he arrive? International tourism has dropped so much because of this, and everyone in Europe tries to use Eurorail lines that don’t require a stop in Paris! There are brochures and PSAs and waivers to warn the few fools who do come here what to do and what all this is about!”

“That sounds seriously fishy, dude,” Nino agreed, having joined with Alya mid-rant.

Alya immediately pestered Mari into giving all the details of her interaction with Jason while they waited for Max to work his magic.

Mari did so, needing to work through the strange feelings he had given her. Strange, yes, but unwelcome or creepy? If she was honest, not so much. It almost felt like she was finally grasping a tough topic to comprehend, or achieving success on a difficult project. Pre-satisfaction, she decided to call it, as she had not yet gotten that success, but it was so close she could taste it.

That, more than his strange appearance in Paris, was what niggled at her brain. 

~~~

Hours later, Markov reported no man of Jason’s description entering Paris in any legal way. A moment later, Mari’s newly-secure phone alerted her that someone had replied to a post on TMO’s page.

‘Anonymous: I’m a private detective offering my services pro bono to help Team Miraculous apprehend Hawkmoth. Please reply to me privately if you’re interested in my offer.’

Mari huffed an incredulous laugh, betting it was Jason. He’d given her an intense vibe like Officer Roger or other law enforcement members gave her.

She discussed the anonymous offer with the team and they agreed that at this point, it couldn’t hurt to try tracking Hawkmoth with outside help.

A little while later, she replied to his message privately, sending a location and time for Anon and the Team to meet and discuss their offer.

~~~

The Team arrived at the location a few minutes early, to their surprise finding a man in jeans and a red jacket, a Ladybug mask peeking out from beneath the edge of the hood.

“Anon?” Ladybug asked.

“That’s me!” His gaze slid across the team, who were spaced out in a manner hard to be all attacked at once. “I have many years of detective training, and I’d like to help the Team and Paris if I can,” Anon said. “I’ve found a lot of bad guys, but the cases aren’t public so I’m afraid I can’t verify my identity that way.”

“At this point, you’re offering free help and that’s all we care about,” said Ladybug tiredly. “My partner, Chat Noir, and I would like to take a few moments to ask you some questions privately, if you’re up for that?”

“Sure,” Anon hopped up onto a roof vent and swung his legs, the heels of his boots hitting the metal echoing in the night air.

The Team cleared off, keeping a lookout in case this was a trap while their main defenders interrogated the detective.

Chat Noir wound around his extended baton, examining Anon’s body language and humming thoughtfully.

“Anon, my dear partner and I want to examine you quite thoroughly. You must admit, as a detective, this offer is rather fishy-smelling, even to a cat like me. So, Bug and I would like to try something with you, if you’ll give us a moment to prepare?”

Anon shrugged. “Take your time.”

The heroic pair snuck behind tall vents and detransformed, having already placed duplicate masks on their faces before they transformed and worn plain, generic black sweatsuits.

They reappeared behind Anon, who didn’t so much as flinch when they popped up at his elbow, kwami hidden in the depths of their hoods, tiny glowing eyes assessing Anon and his demeanour.

“Why are you only offering your help now?” asked Chat.

“I only arrived here today and found out about the situation.”

The heroes hummed, exchanging glances. Ladybug went next.

“That’s interesting…because Paris has been broadcast around the world and we’ve warned tourists away. Everyone knows not to come here unless it’s absolutely necessary. Even if you’ve been living under a rock, you would have noticed our posters and PSAs at airports, Eurorail stations, and around the area, if you arrived legally. As a self-titled detective, I find it rather interesting that you don’t even know the basics of the situation you claim to want to help with. So this is either a very badly-planned trap, or you’ve arrived illegally, possibly from another world…?”

It was a long shot, but Anon stiffened when she mentioned another world, and Tikki whispered that he was nervous now.

“You wouldn’t make a half-bad detective, yourself,” he said. “I guess another world isn’t any stranger than what you’re dealing with daily,” Anon sighed. “Yes, I’m from another world. In my world, we often face issues like you’re dealing with, and my father is the head of a team that deals with them. I’ve been training since I was young, and I have my own team. Those are my credentials.”

“Did you come through that bright void in the sky that occurred during the akuma attack this afternoon?” Ladybug asked.

Anon nodded. “I was looking for my little brother’s dragon bat, and then I saw the void in my world, so I went to check it out, because, Detective, and then I got sucked in here. I think Goliath is here somewhere.”

“Goliath is your brother’s dragon bat? Is it kinda red and furry and looks like a gargoyle?” Ladybug inquired with interest.

Anon nodded again. “That’s him. You’ve seen him?”

“Just when he came through the void-thing. I thought he was part of the akuma attack, but he just flew away and I had my hands full, so I have no idea where he could be now.”

Chat crept around Anon’s back, letting Plagg get a full impression of him.

Ladybug called Rena Rouge over and requested she also detransform so Trixx could act as a lie detector, transforming into Ladybug so their defences weren’t lowered dramatically.

Rena stalked around Anon. “Do you plan to double-cross us?”

“No.”

“Are you working for Hawkmoth?”

“No.”

“Have you lied to any of us about anything?”

“No.”

“Why do you want to help?”

“Because I inherited my dad’s gene for butting into other people’s business, especially when it involves villains.”

Chat chuckled, modifying a pole dance move as he watched Alya’s interrogation and Anon’s straightforward answers. “Your dad sounds like the opposite of my dad. He only butts into my business when he thinks I’m ruining his image.”

“Move, Catboy, I’m the bad cop here,” Rena gently pushed Chat out of the way.

“Are you easily corrupted by power?”

Anon chuckled lowly. “Quite the opposite. I was dunked in a pit of glowing green goo that tried to make me mad for blood and go completely insane. I’m quite accustomed to pushing out unwanted mental influences or evil powers drawing me to the dark side.”

Chat pushed Rena out of the way considerably less gently than she did him. “Glowing green goo? A Lazarus pit??”

Anon stared at him. “You know about those?!”

“My kwami does. He helped create them. But…you have them in your world? But no Miraculous?? How…”

Anon shrugged. “ I  don’t know. Any other questions to determine my sincerity and goodness? Maybe a blood oath binding me to never double-cross you sounds good?”

Rena and Chat exchanged considering looks.

“I was joking,” yelped Anon, raising his hands defensively.

Ladybug swung back over. “My kwami thinks we can trust you. If you let us down…just remember  you’re  in  our  world now, and our Miraculous can make you disappear without a trace, and there’s no one in this world to go looking for you..”

“Got it, ma’am.”

“Oh, one final question: you’re Jason, aren’t you?”

Anon looked at her piercingly, green eyes glowing under his hoodie. “Yes.”

“Mari told me about you; we’re pretty close. And a suspicious person she talked to came up in our conversation, naturally,” Ladybug hastily explained.

Jason smirked. “Naturally. It wasn’t the hot guy she ran into who was the best big brother looking for his kid brother’s toy?”

“Of coUrsE noT,” squeaked Ladybug. “We have different tastes in guys, anyways.”

“So Mari thinks I’m hot, but you don’t? Or you think I’m hot, and she gave me a 3/10?”

Rena and Ladybug gave each other a deer-in-the-headlights look.

Chat grinned, canines gleaming. “Oh, he’s good, Bug. I like him.” He held out his fist for Jason to fistbump.

Ladybug glared at Chat, then Jason. “I refuse to answer on behalf of my friend.”

Chat coughed into his hand. “Coward.”

Ladybug wrapped her yoyo around his baton, yanked so that he’d tumble from his acrobatic show-off, and turned back to Jason. “So, if you’re world-jumping, I guess you don't have a place to stay, huh?”

“Nope. I’m a former street kid; I’ll survive.”

“We have a place you can stay if you want.  Don’t  tell anyone about it.”

“Sure,” he agreed easily.

~~~~~

Ladybug showed him to the safehouse they’d had waiting, just in case any of the Team’s identities were compromised and they couldn’t return home or to the Team’s base.

A camera was installed in the one-room apartment, and the barest of necessities were left in the cupboards.

“One of us will be by in the morning to bring you to the base and get you started on your detecting. Here’s a burner with the Team’s numbers installed if you need something. Good night!”

“Thank you, Ladybug. Sleep well!” he waved her off, and she yoyo’ed home, considering the changes that would happen in the coming days.

~~~~~

Ladybug showed up bright and early to show Jason to the base before she headed off to uni for her 8 a.m. class.

Pegasus opened a portal from the Base, and the duo stepped directly through, eliminating any need for secrecy or division; there was no way that a portal would allow Jason to guess where their base was.

She let Chat and Pegasus take the lead, introducing Jason to the tech–which thankfully was similar to what had been developed in Jason’s world, so he picked up how to use it fairly quickly– and their suspicions of who could be Hawkmoth, et cetera.

~~~~~

After uni, which was thankfully only a half day that day, Marinette headed back to the Base, curious to see what progress, if any, Jason and the Team would have come up with.

At the last second, she remembered to transform and popped in through the window.

What she saw was not what she expected.

She’d been imagining them clustered around the computer setup, typing away or maybe stretching after hours of tracing leads.

Instead, she was greeted with the not un-welcome sight of Jason and Chat, shirtless and glistening in sweat from their spar.

The workout space on the far side of the Base had caught Jason’s eye as soon as he walked in, but he’d headed straight for the research part of the base.

Marinette supposed Adrien had taken advantage of Jason’s need for a break and coerced him into sparring with him. (She suspected Adrien had a bit of a boy crush on Jason, which she didn't blame him for. She might have a teeny bit of a crush, too.)

The two were having a break, guzzling water in that stereotypical jock way of squeezing water from the bottles into their mouths, the missed droplets joining the sweat drops as they trailed down their bare chests.

Marinette gulped, then remembered she was Ladybug. “Having fun, boys?” she purred, walking up to them with a calculating glint in her eye, watching Jason as he turned to face her.

“Yeah, Jason was showing me some of these moves he picked up from some trainers he had,” Adrien answered, bouncing over to her excitedly.

She pushed his sweaty locks away from her in disgust. “You reek; go shower, kitty.”

He pouted but sniffed himself and agreed a shower was probably for the best.

“So, you’re not just a pretty face or brains, you’ve got brawn, too.” She eyed Jason.

“The whole package,” he agreed with a sunny grin. “Would you like to spar with me?”

“Why not, I’m already in uniform,” she agreed. “Gimme a minute to warm up.”

Once she was sufficiently limbered up, she followed Jason onto the sparring mats and squared up.

She danced around him, trying to figure out his styles and cursing herself for not making Jason and Adrien fight in front of her first, so she had more time to study him.

He was a solid fighter, not giving her an opening even as he darted out to attack her…he was awfully light on his feet too.

Deciding first-hand experience was the best teacher, she finally dodged a swing and appeared up in his personal space, hooking an ankle around his leg and attempting to trip him up. Unfortunately for her, Jason was used to this type of attack and evaded her trap, spinning behind her and pinning her arms to her side.

She kicked out backwards for his knee and managed to clip the side, as he was slow to move out of the realm of an angry, kicking Mari.

His grip loosened, and she took advantage of his slightly bent knee to climb him and wrap her thighs around his neck, taking him down in a scissor hold.

Jason tapped out and Mari loosened her grip, letting him go.

“That was a great fight!” commented Jason, impressed. “Your resourcefulness must be a great asset in the field.”

“Thanks,” she flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Want some lunch?”

“Please,” he followed her to the kitchen, smelling the aromas of the Dupain-Cheng bakery wafting from the bag she carried.

She laid out her offerings on the counter and motioned to the kwami hiding behind her hair to take what they wanted.

“YiKeS!”

Marinette snickered at Jason’s reaction to Daizzi. “This is a kwami. Relax, they won’t hurt you.”

“Huh,” he looked at the little pig kwami thoughtfully.

“You’ve passed the tests and Chat and my kwamis vouch for you, so we’re going to trust you, Jason,” she said, looking him right in the eyes. “Will you accept the Miraculous of the Goat, to use it only for good, and return it when needed?”

Jason glanced down at the hairclips, then back up at her. “You’ve known me for a day.”

“Well, you’re not trying to get a Miraculous, for one. We’re kinda desperate, for two.”

Jason shrugged, “Fair point,” and clipped the pins in his hair, sweeping his white-streaked bangs back. “How do I look? Is it too Harry Styles?”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Nah, you’re too bulky to be a good Harry.”

Jason gasped in mock offence, which she ignored in favour of teaching him how to use the Miraculous.

“Say, ‘Ziggy, let’s stot’ to transform, and ‘Ziggy, let’s idle’ to detransform. The power is Genesis, which lets anything you draw come to life– but it’s dematerialized when you detransform and the Miraculous Cure fixes everything, so don’t go drawing $100-euro bills or anything.”

“Got it.”

~~~~~

Ladybug and Chat Noir sparred with Bouc, training him in acting as a member of the Miraculous Team while he took a break or let programs run on Max’s computers.

He was plenty well-trained before he transformed, but with the added abilities the Miraculous lent him, he was a force to be reckoned with. Ladybug found herself almost wishing for an akuma attack to show off their new member to Hawkmoth and warn him they were coming for him.

Finally, after Rena and Carapace brought supper (takeout) into the base for them all (Chat, Ladybug, Jason, Pegasus, Rena and Carapace, and Viper and Tigresse who’d come later) the computer program alerted Jason and Max to a hit on their algorithms.

Jason instantly dropped his Chinese and scooted over to the computers. “There is a hit! It’s someone you’ve had on your list of suspects, Gabriel Agreste.”

Chat looked at Ladybug, stricken. She scooched closer and wrapped her arm around him, Carapace and Viper joining her in comforting their friend.

Jason and Max finally looked up and noticed the sombre mood and cuddle pile. “Is…everything okay?”

Chat’s head dropped onto Marinette’s shoulder as he mumbled loud enough for Jason to hear, “Gabriel Agreste is my father.”

Jason made a commiserating noise. “That sucks. My dad worked for one of my city’s bigger villains when I was a child. He wasn’t great. If you want to talk –or punch something– I’ll be around.”

“Thanks.”

~~~

Marinette skipped classes the next couple of days and spent her time formulating attack strategies with Jason and comforting Adrien, who was cycling through the 5 stages of grief.

Jason taught her how to plan the perfect heist, but they eventually decided they needed to unmask Hawkmoth in front of Paris and show everyone that he was finally gone.

Adrien agreed to partake in the plan, and the entire day was carefully gone over, with contingencies being brought up wherever they were (and weren’t) needed, thanks to Marinette’s paranoia and overthinking and Jason’s Bat- and League-training.

Each member of the Team was thoroughly briefed on their part until each simulation ran as smoothly as they hoped it would on the day of.

~~~

Jason woke up from his nap, rubbing his hands over his face and wondering why he’d woken up. There was no danger to him here, so no spidey senses were pinging. Why had he woken up, then?

A faint blue glow from across the open space caught his attention and he rolled into a crouch silently, focusing on the light.

It was surrounding someone’s form as they leaned over Marinette, who was slumbering in front of the computers, drooling on her pencil-sketched plans and contingencies.

The form turned to him and lifted their finger to their lips.

The blue light was seeming to dim, but as his eyes had adjusted to the light levels, he was able to make out the person was in a rabbit-themed outfit that appeared to be Miraculous-given.

Vaguely recalling Marinette telling him that as long as the rabbit holder didn’t appear to tell them the timeline was wrecked, he approached the stranger.

“Are you the rabbit user?” Jason whispered.

They nodded. “Bunnyx at your service.”

“Are you here because the plan doesn’t end well?”

Bunnyx shook their head and moved away from Marinette so she could sleep in peace. “The problem is that I can’t see what happens after the battle,” they frowned. “There’ve been some major disturbances and events happening lately. I wonder if that’s affected the timeline and my ability to see what happens.”

Bunnyx glanced over at Marinette. “I can’t say too much, but before everything went wonky, I saw you and her together.”

Jason looked from Marinette to Bunnyx. “Did you see anything about my world?”

Bunnyx pressed their lips together. Finally, they said, “You get Goliath back to your world. Don’t worry about him; he’ll come back to you when you need him.”

“I wasn’t too worried; he’s League-trained. Thanks. Can you see across worlds as well as timelines?” Jason asked curiously.

Bunnyx shook their head. “My burrow only focuses on this world’s timelines. Well, this universe’s, because multiple worlds form and are changed every time someone makes a decision. Your universe is different from ours, and I can only see through things like the portal that caused this cross-universal gap.”

“You really think there’s something between Marinette and me?” he couldn’t resist asking, sensing Bunnyx was about to leave.

They nodded firmly. “I ship it, and not just as a friend. You have some undeniable chemistry that, in my opinion, you should at least test. I know you’ve felt it as you two have gotten closer together.”

He nodded, glancing over at the sleeping Marinette again. “Yeah, but I didn’t want it to just be a two-week fling like I’m on vacation, or something that happened for a month and then we never saw each other again after the portal was fixed and our universes never came in contact again. She’s been through too much, and I don’t want to play with her emotions like that.”

Bunnyx nodded understandingly. “That’s part of the reason I approve of you two. You’re a good guy, Jason Todd. I wish you luck, whatever you choose.”

A glowing blue portal similar to Kaalki’s purple ones opened and Bunnyx stepped through.

Jason pulled up a chair opposite Marinette and rested his head on his arms, studying her face.

“Are you a chemist, Mr. Todd?”

Marinette’s baby blues stared right back at him and he jumped. 

“You were awake?!”

She stretched and yawned. “Hypersensitivity. Miraculous sensing. You two weren’t  that  quiet,” she shrugged.

“Sorry.”

“‘S fine….So, are you a chemist? Don’t think I didn’t notice you avoiding the question.”

He sighed. “Chemistry and I don’t mix well; we tend towards explosions and burns.”

Marinette scooted forward, laying her hand gently over his, her eyes full of compassion. “Different universe, different rules?”

“You really want me?”

“You really want  me ?” she returned. “You might have outward scars, but most of mine are inside. Let’s just admit we’re both messes.”

“You’re not-” he started to protest, but she placed her finger on his lips.

“Think we can try to make something out of this mess?”

Jason removed her finger and pressed a small kiss to the back of her hand, his eyes full of sincerity. “I’m willing to try.”

~~~

Team Miraculous gathered in a huddle after their final simulation. By now, they had all revealed their identities to Jason to help plan their plot, and Marinette now dug into her jeans pocket to pull out an old picture of the team, the first one printed in the papers of the final team members.

“Remember this feeling? Before we realized just how bad this would become?” she asked, rubbing her thumb over younger-Ladybug’s face. “How long have we wished for this day?”

Adrien patted her back. “Too long, ‘Bug. But we’re finally getting this off the sidelines and facing the real villain head-on. This will all be over by tonight.”

She handed the picture to Adrien and leaned into Jason. “Promise me you’ll stand by me forever. All of you.”

“I promise.” Adrien, Nino, Alya, Luka, Juleka, Max, and Jason promised solemnly.

“Long live the magic we made together,” said Marinette, wiping a tear away half-formed and hugging each of her team members.

~~~

“What was it you wanted to talk about, Adrien?” asked Gabriel, sitting in the chair across from his semi-estranged son in the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

The entire plan had hinged on Adrien successfully convincing Gabriel to come out from the safety and privacy of the Agreste mansion, which he had managed remarkably innocently.

Adrien was a model, acting was what he’d been trained to do by his father, and now he was using those skills against him in a way he never saw coming.

He’d asked to see Gabriel between classes to discuss the details of his trust fund Emilie left him for when he turned 21, which would be in a few months. It was important, and he didn’t have time between classes to head to the Agreste Mansion; besides which, he wasn’t comfortable there and wanted his friend Marinette nearby for support. 

Adrien pulled out all the stops and even used the guilt card with no remorse on his end, after finding out who his father really was.

(Marinette suspected some influence from Nathalie on Gabriel’s surprisingly easy capitulation to Adrien’s terms.)

Jason and Marintette sat at a table nearby for an illusion of privacy, while also being close enough to rush to Adrien’s physical defence if he needed, under the cover of being Adrien’s emotional defence.

“We’ll work on finding you a way back home as soon as we have this whole situation wrapped up,” Marinette promised quietly, keeping an eye on the next table. “I am so grateful for your help. We would still be struggling with the issue if you hadn’t come. I don’t know what that thing was that brought you here, but I am incredibly grateful for it.”

“I wonder if B would be able to find a way for us to contact each other; he’s invented many more items for such purposes. With so many cross-world heroes to gather for Multiversal crises, we need easy ways to collect everyone.”

“You’ve told me lots about your adventures and hobbies, but not your family. What are they like?” she asked curiously, looking for the symbol Adrien would give her when he activated the plan.

“Uh, we’re all quite different, but we’re also quite similar in other ways. My oldest brother absolutely lives up to his name to those who know him, but to those who don’t, he’s an angel. Trust me when I say he’s the worst of us all for getting away with stuff.”

Adrien held her gaze and bit into his croissant.

Marinette reached out, grabbing Jason’s hand to get his attention. “Go!”

He squeezed her hand and stood. “It will work, Mari. Trust us all.”

He headed out the back door and Viper, spying from the kitchen out of customers’ prying eyes, set Second Chance.

Adrien brushed the crumbs off his fingers and stood, offering his hand formally to a fuming Gabriel, who simply stared at it in angry disbelief.

He lunged and yanked the butterfly brooch off Gabriel’s tie, turning to run out the door, but tripped over an entering Bouc, the brooch flying into the air.

Ladybug, who had ducked out to transform, came back too late to catch the small piece of jewellery, watching in horror as Gabriel caught it and put it on, transforming into Hawkmoth, who started towards the newest hero threateningly.

A purple butterfly flew towards the shadow in the sky, landing on Goliath the Dragonbat’s collar and turning him into a fire-breathing dragon, snorting angrily and flapping his bat-like wings, stirring up strong gusts of air at the civilians and heroes on the ground.

Of  course  the dragonbat showed up and saw one of his friends being threatened, becoming angry enough to be akumatized, thought Ladybug. Was this the ‘needing him’ Alix had told Jason about?

Adrien wiggled away and ducked into the alleyway to become Chat Noir, joining Ladybug as they faced the fiasco.

Alya was nearby, livestreaming the whole thing while she was illusioned to be invisible by Nathaniel, who had been temporarily recruited as a Fox holder since Alya was needed in her civilian capacity.

“Goliath!” yelled Bouc, waving to get the dragon bat akuma’s attention. “Get Hawkmoth!” he pointed at the garishly outfitted villain.

Goliath snorted and breathed a wall of flame at Hawkmoth, who stared at the flames approaching him with abject horror, standing still in shock.

Carapace threw up a shield to protect the other heroes and civilians from Goliath’s flames, though the heat and smoky smell still hit them like a wall.

Bouc carefully inched towards the blackened figure of Hawkmoth, unpinned the unharmed Miraculous, and inched back towards Ladybug and Chat Noir.

With a courtly bow, he presented the Miraculous to Ladybug. 

Still in shock, she took it, clasping her hands around it and squeezing her eyes shut. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

“Lucky Charm!” 

A trophy dropped into her hands, confetti sprinkling from the sky and raining on the gathered crowds like tiny pieces of their hope returning.

A butterfly fluttered out of the collar and down to Ladybug, who tossed her yoyo out with a flick of her wrist and captured it, “Bye-bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!”

She looked at the glint of the sun on the gold of the trophy as it flipped through the air. “For Paris.”

The flurry of ladybugs swept over the scene, returning everything to normal (minus the abnormal sight of a dragon bat sitting in the middle of the road). 

A choked groan from the reverted pile of ash that was Gabriel alerted the Team to his rejuvenation.

Chat Noir and Carapace yanked him to his feet and held his hands behind his back, taking advantage of his lack of coordination and presence of mind.

Officer Roger, called by Juleka, arrived with a whole squad of policemen and took Gabriel into custody, reading off a long list of his wrongs (and rights, as in, Miranda rights).

Viper went with them to make sure Gabriel didn’t get away with anything, while Pegasus escorted a squad car to the Agreste Mansion to collect Nathalie and grab the Peacock Miraculous for Ladybug. There was enough evidence to prove Gabriel’s guilt beyond a doubt, especially when coupled with Nathalie’s agreement to testify against him in court.

Goupil disillusioned Alya and she immediately took charge, turning her camera to Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Bouc.

“Ladybug! Any final words to say to Paris, now that Hawkmoth has been revealed to be Gabriel Agreste –which I’m sure we all suspected at least once, right?– and taken into custody?”

“I am so pleased to announce that Hawkmoth has been unmasked and will be judged as he deserves, which is definitely thanks to our newest team member, Bouc,” she gestured to Jason, who waved at Alya’s camera. “Team Miraculous will be retiring now. It’s been a long seven years, but you can rest now, Paris. We will be setting up counselling centres, which I urge you to take advantage of, or to find a trauma therapist either here or online. More will be announced on BugOut later, so please tune in. Ladybug over and out!”

The remaining team members gathered in their base, comforting each other and celebrating their win.

Jason busied himself drafting a post for the Team’s website, BugOut, with resource links, cell centre helplines, and a summary of the Team’s achievements and members over the years for Ladybug to look over before they posted it.

Marinette herself was busy comforting Adrien, as he was finally fully free to mourn his father and all the baggage he had from that.

~~~

Marinette looked up at Jason, who had a tray in his hands.

The aroma of chicken soup drifted down to her. Adrien lay beside her, his head on her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair. Juleka and Luka were an arm’s reach away, with Alya and Nino on their other side. Max had left their comfort pile to get the final posts and links up on BugOut.

Jason kicked a pillow over to her, and she eased Adrien’s head onto it, inching out from under him and scooching over so there was room for Jason beside her.

He placed the tray down and gently pushed her head down to rest on his shoulder. “You want some soup? I made it myself.”

“How’d you do that?” she asked, voice quiet from having cried for a good half hour earlier and also out of consideration for her resting teammates. “This place doesn’t have anything more than a kettle and some granola bars.”

“I endeared myself to your parents.”

She could hear the smirk in his voice and looked up at him suspiciously.

“They were all too happy to let me have free reign of their kitchen as long as I sang your praises, which I was more than happy to do. Anyways, we’re probably going to be married off tomorrow,” he finished cheerfully, spooning some soup and bringing the spoon up to her mouth.

“Wha-?!”

She sputtered around the soup and Jason tsked. “Don’t wake up your friends, Your Grace. Don’t worry, I’ll turn the offer down. We should wait until all of this is cleaned up first,” he continued solemnly. “I don’t want you overburdened.”

Marinette coughed. “I hope you’re joking; although, this is amazing soup– I wouldn’t be  mad  if I did marry you.”

She felt Jason preen as he scooped another spoonful of soup for her. “Alfie will be so pleased to hear I followed his recipe well enough you proposed to me.”

“That’s not what I sa-” Another spoonful of soup shut her up.

~~~

A week later, Bunnyx showed up again, thankfully in the middle of the day and not the night.

“The gap is going to open again sometime in the next two days. My foresight is still a little wonky around that thing. Something very big is going on somewhere.”

“With my luck, it’ll be another multiverse-ending event,” groaned Jason. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

The next thirty–six hours were spent on as many dates as they could fit in: attending the zoo, visiting the Louvre, strolling along the Seine, baking together in the Dupain-Cheng’s kitchen after-hours, getting ice cream from Andre, following a scavenger hunt Jason had set up in the library, having a picnic on the Arc de Triomphe…

The rest of the Team members were pretty understanding and didn’t begrudge the budding couple their time together, though Jason and Marinette both made sure they didn’t ignore their teammates.

Then came the notification.

The Team members were called on to testify against Gabriel and Nathalie.

~~~

Jason padded up behind Marinette, who was rubbing her fingers along the edge of her right earring stud as she gazed sightlessly out at the moonlit view.

“Whatcha thinkin’ bout?” he wrapped his arms around her waist after getting the OK, hooking his chin over her shoulder though she was shorter than him by a good six inches.

“Adrien is going to reveal his identity as Chat Noir tomorrow.”

Jason hummed his acknowledgement, swaying to some unheard music in his head as she spoke.

“If he gets backlash for it…in his state right now…I’m probably going to have to reveal myself as well. I won’t let him go through with this alone, not after everything else he’s had to go through by himself.”

“Adrien is stronger than you think, Your Grace. I’m sure he’ll need all of our support, but he’ll be okay in the end. He does have you and the rest of the Team now, and he knows that.”

She turned in his arms and he spun her around to face him, pulling her along to follow the beat of his invisible melody.

“You think so?”

He counted the freckles dotting her face, little stars on her perfect features. “I know so. Just like I know that you’ll be okay one day, too. All of you will.”

He felt her lips on his before he realized she was moving.

She pulled away after a few seconds, suddenly bashful.

“Gonna kiss me like you mean it?” he taunted, and then her lips were on his again.

~~~

The morning dawned clear and sunny, the air was fresh, and the streets were lined with thousands of people eager to know what the outcome of the trial of Paris v Agreste would be.

A gentle breeze blew loose strands of Ladybug’s braid into her eyes, and she nervously huffed them away.

Bouc squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Chat Noir, Bouc, Viper, Tigresse, Pegasus, Rena, and Carapace followed Ladybug into the courthouse, striding confidently down the aisle in their uniforms, ignoring the flashing lights from reporters’ cameras and people’s murmurs.

Marinette couldn’t help the little bit of joy she got when she saw Gabriel in chains and guarded by two officers on the defendant’s side.

The trial began.

~~~

“And what was Adrien Agreste’s reasoning for this?” the prosecutor asked Gabriel, who was on the stand.

“We haven’t been able to find a trace of Adrien Agreste,” spoke up the aide. “There has been no activity at his apartment for days and no one has seen or heard from him or his friends.”

Chat Noir stood and raised his hand. “Permission to speak, Your Honour?”

“Yes, Chat Noir.”

“Claws in.”

Ladybug immediately stood beside him, calling “Spots off.”

“Let’s rest.”

“Let’s idle.”

“Scales rest.”

The rest of the Team stood and called their transformations off, revealing themselves as regular civilians Adrien Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Max Kante, Nino Lahiffe, Alya Cesaire, Luka and Juleka Couffaine, and one unknown dude.

Gasps filled the room and the reporters’ flashing lights started up again, brighter than their transforming glow.

“I am Adrien Agreste, and my friends and I are the Miraculous Team.”

“No,” whispered Gabriel. “No.”

The crowds in the gallery erupted into chaos at the revelation from the hero’s mouth.

“Order!” The judge banged his gavel, but Marinette could tell even he was surprised at the soap opera-worthy plot twist and dramatic revelation.

The crowd eventually quieted and the trial continued, with both civilian and heroic identities being called upon as needed. The temporary holders were also called for corroborating testimonies, such as Rose Lavillant as Pigella and Chloe Bourgeois as Queen Bee.

The judge called for a break and Jason turned to her, holding her hands in his. “You’re doing great, Your Grace. The onlookers have been tame so far, let’s hope it continues to be so neutral or positive, yeah?”

She nodded, leaning forwards to rest her forehead on his shoulder.

“When you go back to your world, can I come with you?”

~~~

The crowds did not continue to be so neutral/positive towards the Team’s identity reveals.

The next day on their way to court, they passed throngs of people divided in their reactions.

Many, especially those who had known one of the Team’s members, were on their side, their rage only burning hotter against Gabriel for fighting children–his own son, even if he didn’t know that.

The Miraculous glamour had kept people from guessing their true ages very accurately, but now that they were revealed and people had done the math, they were not happy.

Others were against them, questioning who had let kids have the Miraculous to fight an adult, why the teenagers hadn’t found someone else or turned them in, or a thousand other things. Everyone had a piece to say and did their best to make it heard.

Marinette had been doing her best to be optimistic, hoping that people would support the Team when the truth came out, but with so many people (even though they were the minority) criticizing and questioning them and going back to fight footage and picking apart every decision and action she and the team made, she got quieter and more withdrawn and less Ladybug-like.

Now that Ladybug and Marinette Dupain-Cheng were one and the same person, the mask did little to help her, in her mind.

“It’s okay, Your Grace. I’m here, and you are Ladybug, even if they know that, don’t let them get to you.” Jason leaned over to whisper in her ear before the judge arrived.

She smiled and tried to slide the Ladybug persona back on.

It felt like she had been on top of the world, riding the high of the people’s praise as they now had someone they knew to thank for Ladybug and the Team’s services, and now she was worse than nothing, being questioned for every little thing she did. Being a leader wasn’t all glamour like the media portrayed, she thought glumly. 

~~~

Gabriel was sentenced to life in prison.

The Team walked out, accosted by hundreds of flashing lights and reporters yelling questions.

The storm of questions was replaced by dark, green-tinged clouds and a brightly glowing tear in the sky, the wind picking up and turning into storm-strength gales rapidly.

Jason looked at Marinette.

Marinette looked at Jason.

They stood under the gash, the shadow of Goliath appearing as he rapidly approached, called by a special dragon-bat whistle that worked similarly to a dog whistle.

Jason grasped the harness dangling from Goliath’s tack and put his arm around Marinette’s waist. 

“Before you go, promise me one thing,” she said, raising her voice to be heard above the sound of the wind.

“Anything,” he said instantly.

“If you can’t find a way for us to meet again, show your future kids these pictures and tell them about me. Don’t forget me, Jason,” she kissed him desperately, holding him as close as she could.

“I’ll never forget you, Marinette. I’ll find a way to get back, I promise.”

With one last slow kiss, Jason swung up onto the specially-made saddle and flew through the gash, which closed behind him and sealed up with a bright green flash.

It was only as she was sadly turning away, ignoring the confused reporters’ and bystanders’ questions, that she was struck with a horrible thought.

What if the gash opened into a different world?

~~~

“What happened next, Maman?” asked a sleepy Felicia, her eyes blinking very slowly.

Marinette smiled down at her daughter. “What do you think, mon coeur?”

“Jason came back and they got married and lived happily ever after?”

Her smile turned a little wry. “No, he did not.”

~~~

Marinette went on with her life, avoiding reporters, supporting Adrien and her other team members, finishing her uni courses, turning down book deals and modelling gigs and interview requests and overeager fanboys, helping Nooroo and Duusu heal, and gradually things went back to normal.

What was normal, though? She couldn’t remember.

She had been twelve when she became Ladybug, eight years ago. She’d never experienced a year of high school without the added pressures of heroing, she’d never skipped a class simply because she could or for a mundane reason like her boyfriend being in town, she’d never she’d never she’d never.

What she did do was sign up for all the therapy, support her friends in their healing journeys, spend time with her parents, who were all too relieved that her days of being a hero were over, and completed her year of university with the highest grades she’d gotten in years.

She also filled countless notebooks sketching memories of Jason, her and Jason, outfits that she thought Jason might like or wear, Jason’s face, Jason’s eyes, Jason’s hands…

~~~

“And then what did you do, Daddy?”

Jason smiled down at Sebastian and his sleepy question. 

“I went back home with Goliath. Apparently, time works differently in different universes and I was only gone for a week in my universe.

“I told my family some of my story, and I asked your Great Aunt Diana for some help. She’s had lots of experience with strange things like this.”

“And?”

“And she did have some help. Apparently, she’d been contacted by an old acquaintance –that means a person she knew of– recently. The Ghost Zone, the place where all the ghosts live, had recently got a new king, so some of the bureaucracy was acting up a bit for him and things weren’t proceeding like normal. But once the King got some help and set some rules in place, everything got fixed up nicely. And so I begged Aunt Di to get me a visit with the Ghost King, and he was very nice and explained that the Ghost Zone was very, very big; so big that my universe and Marinette’s both touched it. When our universes were close enough and the Ghost Zone was glitching, the gash opened and we were able to travel through it.

“But,” Jason lowered his voice dramatically, leaning in closer to Sebastian, “only some people could go through it. People who were exposed to something called the Lazarus Pit in my world. Your Uncle Dami grew up around it, and I got pretty close to it, and so did Goliath after living around it for years. You see, Seb, the Ghost Zone, the Lazarus Pits in my world, and the Lazarus Pit in Marinette’s world are all connected. So, I talked to the new Ghost King, a nice guy who knew how us young people worked, and he was so moved by my story that he agreed to take me through the Ghost Zone to Marinette’s universe.”

~~~

The fine hairs on the back of Marinette’s neck stood up, and she turned slowly around to see a small gash opening in her apartment.

First, a foot came through, then a leg, then a hand, then… “You’re not Jason,” she said in surprise, stopping short from hugging the stranger.

He chuckled nervously. “Surprise! I’m actually a…friend…of Jason’s. Helped him get here.”

The real Jason stepped through the gash, a big smile on his face.

Marinette launched herself at him and gave him a tight hug, almost knocking him over.

“Oof, careful, Your Grace.”

“You made it!”

“I did! Thanks, Danny.”

“Anytime, man. Call me if you lose your amulet.” ‘Danny’ waved and disappeared, closing the gash behind him.

“Who was that?”

“Danny Phantom, King of the Infinite Realms. Apparently, the Ghost Zone connects our universes.”

“King of WHAT?!”

~~~

Once they had happily reunited and caught up, Jason explained what he had found out about their situation.

“Danny is really nice, and he gave me these amulets that will let us travel through his Zone as his guests, basically, even though we’re just using it as a highway. Someone I know is going to make teleporters of some type for us so we can eventually make a quicker trip, but it’ll work for now. The only problem is that to traverse the Zone, we have to be ghosts or exposed to its energy for a long time.”

“I wonder if being around Plagg’s ring would have the same effect? Because he’s connected to this place somehow. Oh, and there were all the times I died in a fight on alternate timelines. I wonder if I was dead long enough to count?”

Jason stared at her.

“I do not know how to answer that question, Your Grace.”

~~~

Jason pulled the old, tattered picture out of his pocket. “Here is Mommy as Ladybug, in the red, or as you might have heard, Marinette. You call her Mommy, I call her Your Grace… She loves you very much, and she is so proud of you and how well you’re growing up, her little prince. She wants you to shine as bright as the sun, and get a good night’s sleep so you’ll be all rested and sunny for tomorrow.”

Soft, even breaths told Jason that Sebastian was asleep, and he quietly crept out of his room, soundlessly closing the door and meeting Marinette in the hallway as she exited Felicia’s room.

“Seb asleep?” she whispered.

“Yep. Felicia?”

“Dead to the world.” She gave him a quick kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Lily of the Valley

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason Todd dies and comes back to life. As the League takes him in, he navigates his morality and family values over the years.

Chapters: 5/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul, Ra's al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Sheila Haywood

Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Immortal Jason Todd, League of Assassins Jason Todd, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Protective Talia al Ghul, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Jason Todd Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Adopted Children, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Claustrophobia, Child Death, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Resurrected Jason Todd

Chapter Five: Bleeding Heart

Jason trained with Talia one-on-one when he was well enough. She instructed him intensively during the week in hand-to-hand combat, and in the afternoons, she tutored him in every academic subject she could. Jason worked diligently to receive her praise, and Talia gave it freely. He never complained, not even when he was in pain. It concerned her, but she didn't vocalize her worries. For the next six months, she watched Jason blossom under her tutelage. Finally, one night as Talia slept, Ra's collected Jason. He took the half-sleep child to a room filled with weapons. "Child, do you know who I am?" Ra's asked. Jason stood straight and nodded.

"You're Ra's... Talia's father. The Demon's Head," Jason whispered.

Jason stood still out of fear of what was to come. "There's nothing to be afraid of," Ra's whispered, "A boy who cannot die should have nothing to fear. I just called upon you to see your progress." Ra's pat Jason on his cheek.

Jason nodded and swallowed hard as someone stepped out of the darkness with a sword. Jason took a step back, and Ra's grabbed his wrist. "Nothing to fear... Now fight," Ra's commanded as he gestured toward the wall of weapons behind Jason's head. Jason grabbed a sword to match his opponent's, and Ra's stepped away to watch from the shadows.

Jason waited for his opponent to strike first, and the young man advanced at him. Jason remembered everything Talia taught him about the sword. It was his best weapon. Jason's speed was his greatest ally, and even as he fought using his non-dominant arm, with the false edge pointed toward his opponent, he knew deep down that he had the upper hand. His mysterious opponent struck him, brushing the sword against his cheek in one short stroke. Jason pivoted and feinted, but instead of jabbing his opponent with the sword, he knocked the young man off balance with one sweep.

Jason kicked his opponent's sword to the side and pinned him. The man headbutted Jason, and his nose gushed blood. His opponent took advantage of Jason's disorientation to pin Jason and raise his blade to plunge it into Jason's chest, only to be surprised by a blade to his throat. "Drop the blade and unhand my child!" Talia yelled.

Jason opened his eyes, and he locked eyes with Talia. His opponent stood up and stepped away, allowing Jason to sit up. Ra's grabbed Talia by her wrist, and Jason came between them. "Please... It's my fault. I shouldn't have let him get the upper hand," Jason whispered. He looked at Ra's, pleading with his eyes until he released Talia's arm. "It was my mistake... A dire one at that."

"I'll see both of you at breakfast," Ra's replied as he slipped into the darkness, leaving Jason and Talia alone.

Talia looked at his face and kissed his forehead. "Did he hurt you?" Talia asked.

"You called me your son," Jason cried. "Did he hurt you? Will he hurt you?"

Talia crouched down in front of him. "You are my son... Jason, I love you very much, and I want you to know that you owe us nothing. Love is not something you have to earn. It is given... Freely," Talia whispered as she held his face in her hands. "Let's go clean you up."

"My nose isn't broken," Jason whispered. Talia chuckled.

"I know it's not broken, little one. You made me so proud," Talia smiled as she took his hand and led him to his own room. Jason nearly skipped beside her as she took him to a room to patch up his face and clean him up. "I can't believe he cut your face. Does this hurt?"

"Not as much as it was gonna... If I can't die, why did you stop him?" Jason asked. Talia neatly bandaged his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"That's such a silly question... Damian's arm would heal, but perhaps I should break it just to make sure," Talia whispered. Jason rested his forehead against her shoulder. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew that was out of the question. "I want you to go bathe and get ready for breakfast."

Jason whispered, "Yes, Mama," before pressing a kiss to her cheek and running off. Talia grinned and watched as Jason ran off to his room. She let out a breath of air and leaned against the wall. Had Talia gotten there a moment later, Jason would've died. She didn't expect Ra's to go behind her back, but he did.

"Gēgē's bleeding," Damian whispered. He startled Talia, but she didn't show any indication of surprise when she picked him up.

"He's alright, ya amar. It was just an accident. Did you brush your teeth?" Talia asked. Damian nodded and showed her his teeth. "You were so thorough!" Talia pressed kisses to his cheek.

"Thank you, Mommy," Damian whispered. She took Damian to his room and prepared his clothes for breakfast.

"We're having breakfast with your grandfather this morning," Talia whispered, "Gē just met him today."

"Was he bad?" Damian asked.

"No, Damian... Jason wasn't bad," Talia answered. Jason knocked on the door frame, and Talia invited him in. Damian ran to Jason and let Jason pick him up.

"Morning, Gēgē," Damian greeted.

"Hey... What does that mean?" Jason asked. Talia smoothed his hair down.

"Big brother," Talia answered. Jason grinned and received a kiss on the cheek from Damian. "You called me Mama."

"You are my mama," Jason corrected her.

Talia kissed the top of Jason's head and Damian's cheek. She'd almost forgotten how she crossed her father for Jason. Talia had no intentions of allowing anyone to hurt Jason if it could be helped. She hoped breakfast would allow them time to discuss the real issue. She led the boys down the hall to the dining room, and they all sat at the table.

Ra's joined them shortly afterward, and a man set the table, serving each person individually. The boys ate their porridge quietly, sensing the energy in the room. "Who were you to stop him today?" Ra's asked. Talia bowed her head as she crushed pistachios with the back of her spoon and sprinkled them on top of her food and the boy's food.

"I saw no point in sending a lamb to the slaughter," Talia whispered, "It isn't often that I defy you. Killing him simply because he can't die is cruel and-."

"Child!" Ra's interrupted her. Jason froze. "Are you willing to die to repay our kindness?" Jason was too afraid to say no. He pushed his bowl away and nodded without looking up.

"Yes," Jason answered softly despite all the nerves in his body screaming with fright. Jason didn't think he had any other choice. Talia sat up straight and shut her eyes. She understood the gravity of what Jason had done. He gave Ra's full permission to murder Jason in every possible way imaginable. Even Damian lost his appetite after Ra's and Jason's exchange. "May I be excused?"

"I think that would be best. Would you mind taking Damian with you?" Talia asked. Jason nodded and he took Damian back to the playroom. It would be his last day of leisure for months to come. He truly belonged to Ra's now.

[strong-with-the-sarcasm]

Part 3 - If you could’ve seen

Dp x DC: Regent!Jazz, Vigilante!Jazz

Masterlist Part 2

“If you could’ve seen how I looked yesterday, a hopeless disaster, but I’m getting better at being faster.” -Never Look Back by The Nearly Deads

Jazz wasn't so proud to admit that she had many regrets about her life choices.

Taking the Crown was a fine line between terrifying and glorifying, with the many scars and callouses Jazz now bore from the hours of training (at Pandora's behest) a misgiving that was required for the sake of survival.

Hurting her little brother was the heaviest weight on her chest.

It hadn't been that Jazz meant to cause Danny pain from escaping Amity Park, but he'd already died there once from the portal and almost a second time when her parents the older Fentons captured Phantom in a thermos and strapped him down.

They had crossed a line, the point of no return, and Jazz was done trying to fix her broken family. The moment they cut into Danny while he screamed "I'm alive, I'm alive!" was the renouncement of their right to their own lives.

Jazz had enacted Vengeance for her little brother, the hero in death he shouldn't have had to become. For all the Unquiet Dead and Neverborn ended by the Fentons.

For her lost childhood. For her lost humanity.

Slash, slash, slash went the Regent's sword. Blood spattered the walls of the lab, mixed with the ecto already there from a fight for one's existence.

One slash, two, three Blood is on your hands already. 

Frostbite would later, admist the ice and snow of the Far Frozen, that as a Liminal Jazz had triggered a rage state due to both her emotions and her unintentional ecto-starvation.

It wasn't enough to absorb it from the environment anymore, not with the Crown and summoning her ecto-sword. She would have to consume raw ecto to replenish her levels and diminish the chances of another blackout rage.

(Frostbite and Danny would never know that Jazz was fully aware of her actions.)

(She just didn't care anymore, Danny was more important.)

Danny had healed over the few months they were in Gotham, his incision wound now a grotesque Y-shaped scar over his scrawny chest that would never fade. His ecto-levels were improving with constant exposure to a natural portal, corrupted as it was, and slowly he was gaining back his sense of self.

Jazz didn't talk much anymore, but Danny was all too happy to argue with her- about her ripping him away from his haunt, killing his parents, his friends, and going out as a vigilante almost every night.

(As she had guessed, Danny was relieved that the Joker was dead and not a ghost.)

(He'd never know that Joker had returned as a ghost, but the Regent crushed his core before he could even form words.)

(Both Sam and Danny approved of her trophy though.)

At the other end of Crime Alley, tucked away in a safe house, Jason Todd was dying.

Well, so he thought, as his heart ached in his chest and beat so fast it could almost rip itself from his rib cage.

(If he was a lesser man, he might’ve gone crying to Bruce for help, but not in this life.)

Jason had collapsed on his bed in full gear, sans helmet, as the pain began to wrack his body. Was he truly dying again?

(He wasn’t ready to. Not again.)

And to think his night started so well.

He’d woken up a few minutes before his alarm went off, the hazy dregs of sleep trying to lure him back in, back to the rather nice dream he’d been having.

(Feminine build in bloody armor, a teasing grin, soft lips against his own.)

He didn’t even have patrol that night, his one day off a week he could just relax as Jason, not Jay Peters or Red Hood- only for it to be ruined by the emergency alert on his phone announcing that his murderer had broken free again.

Fucking Joker.

Old familiar rage simmered low in Jason’s gut, but much to his surprise, his vision didn’t tint neon green. No haze of being on the verge of a blackout rage at the mere thought of his murderer.

Nothing.

(What was going on?)

It wasn’t as if the Pit Madness could just be gone, right?

Right?

(Jason Todd was no a fool, the Madness was still there.)

(Just… sedated. Like it didn’t need to boil to the surface anymore where it concerned his murderer.)

And for the first time in a very long while, Jason felt like himself again.

Until the agony began.

A/N:

{I swear I try writing something that’s not angst for once and this is what I get. Great. Well as long as someone likes it, right?}

{Oh and sliding in an AU for Jason too! Not Halfa!Jason, because I’m not a particular fan of how I would write it. But something more akin to what he was when he dug himself out of his grave pre-dip in corrupted Ectoplasm ala League of Assassins.}

[solarrene]

Home Again

Jason Todd X Plus Size reader

A little valentines treat!! ☕💌💐🍰💗 Love again. Love today. Love tomorrow. ❣️

Chapter Twelve

Another declaration right in his very eyes but he could offer nothing. She was slipping away and he was letting her. 

Unfinished Piece

Fear. Jason knew of it. But from his days and nights, he's gotten used to it. Used to it so much as if he didn't feel it anymore. 

But when he was met with the sight of Y/N, her life threatened, a look on her face that he didn't know he'd be dreading—he felt it again. And he felt it so much when he held her hand, feeling it all from her.

Though if hearts exploding exists, he was sure he could be the living example of it as he heard his phone ring the second she pressed that call button. 

What the fuck.

Jason stood there, never in his life that he became so ever still, unable to move, unable to even so much as think while his phone continued to ring. He didn't think his state could have gotten worse the moment he saw her but there he was. With that look she had on, he knew and so, like an instinct, he caught her as she fell unconscious and the flowers and her phone was now on the ground. 

As his hands were wrapped around her and now carried her. The pain of his flesh still being torn apart was at the very back of him; ignored. His own pain was nothing when his blood continued to flow out from his wounds, tainting her. The sound of siren from the distance came closer and he just stared at her. 

This is what had been haunting him then, just as he overcame that, just as he was so close to making another step closer after their beginning, this is where it led him—a broken promise, what haunts him; in his arms.

Fear staring right at him.

------------------------

Sore again is what she feels as her eyes fluttered open, blinding lights met her and then came out a gasp as fragments of what was, came back.

Jason.

Y/N realizes she was in a hospital room and she sees Alfred on a chair just beside her, already looking at her with mellow eyes. She opened her mouth, "....That wasn't a dream?" Though she still asks unsurely as that what it felt, she knew the answer to it already.

"I'm afraid so," Alfred answered. Then Y/N turned to the ceiling again and let out a long breath from her mouth. She stayed as she was for a moment, letting countless questions run in her mind. Though one was clear.

What have I gotten myself into?

Then she laughed a little, "She would have killed you, Al." 

Alfred laughs as well, "Yes, indeed she would have," he agrees, at the notion that he lives a life that he has. "But she would have been happy for you, nonetheless." Assured him.

Y/N nods, uttering a small hum of agreement. They never doubted it for even a second. That much was already settled. 

She sat up and she sees that she was still in her clothes from earlier. Then Alfred finally fills her in, "You were out for more than thirty minutes. Thankfully, you were unharmed but because of the adrenaline spike, it was too much for you, you fainted."

"I think it became too much when I realized it." She scoffed, laughing. 

The man of her much interest was none other than the Red Hood, a kid she had been bonding with, turned out to be a sword wielding vigilante that had saved her; two of which that she knows who works with the knight of Gotham, the fucking Batman. Who was Bruce Wayne and the father to them. Fucking hell, the father to all those vigilantes that whom she had been staying with. She cannot even begin on Alfred. 

......What in the fuck. 

Alfred only chuckled a little but it was seen that there was no amusement in his eyes, she sees this and smiled sadly, reaching for his hand and squeezed it. "I'm okay, Al.....it's okay." She assures, he just nods and held her hand.

The boquet and her phone on the table beside her was hard to miss the moment she woke up. Alfred hands the flowers to her, she holds it gently, hands tracing it and she sees blood on them; Jason's. 

Y/N looked down, blinking away the memories and tried not to grip the boquet too tight. "....How is he?" 

"His wounds have already been taken care of, but....he needs some time..." Alfred tells, he leans back on the chair, sighing. Knowing that the said boy was brooding off to whoever knows. He could only hope to blame Bruce for it.

Y/N clicks her tongue and placed back the flowers on the table, already expecting the answer. "I know," she replies quietly and laid back on the bed, met with the dull ceiling again.

"I have to go now, don't I?" Her voice was tired. Tensed fingers slowly gripped the sheets, trying to stop her chest from heaving as she was beginning to find it hard to breathe. 

Alfred, never missing a thing, he reaches for her hand. "It's up to you both. But....yes, I think we already know the answer." Even when far away, he knew what the boy was thinking, and no words could make him change his mind, not even her—to his demise, as much as it is for everyone; he was sure of it. Alfred stares at her, both unmoving as they sink in the happening, then he spoke. "I'm glad you came here, Y/N. I don't regret it." Could it even count as a confession if much of the notion was already known?

Y/N smiles but only so little, "....I know. I don't regret it as well." She holds his hand assuringly. 

God, I want to sleep.

She almost let herself go to rest and maybe be left in her misery, so as she feels—until the door opened to Bruce and Damian.

Or not.

Y/N sat up, smiling softly at the hesitating child and she offered her arms—Damian went for it. Happy to see that she was still welcoming as ever. She hugged the boy warmly, "My darling," she coos as she felt him lean more into her and she gently rocks him. "Thank you for saving me." Says her after they pulled away, a hand now on his face, unable to believe that the boy in front of her was capable of doing what they do. "How brave." She praised and kissed the top of his head. Damian only stayed silent, abashed at the show of affection just after what had happened to her. 

Y/N chuckles and held his hands, having the feeling of what he was thinking. "Now, have your father already told you that you have no fault in this?" She asks, eyeing Bruce after then looked at the child again, not missing the said man breaking into a smile. 

The way Damian was avoiding her eyes because of the subject, reminded her of Jason. Sure she was that he was going through the same thing......just much more worse. 

"He has-"

"And do you believe it?"

Damian's surprised and the faltering gaze that followed, gave his answer, and she sighed a smile. "No one is at fault, my love. No one is." She pressed, tearing off her gaze from him to look at the old men. Hoping that they as well, understand the message. "If anything, it's mine," she almost laughed when she saw their faces but she just bit her lip. 

Y/N truly believe that but alas, "It's been done. I'm unharmed, you saved me, you both did. No more what could have been." She declared, his small face in her hands again. 

Damian was close to smiling but he frowned again, stepping back away from her, leaving her hands hanging. "Are you going to go?" 

The old men in the back looked at each other for a second, their adorned smiles turned into a frown as well. 

But Y/N never faltered. "I am," she began, a small smile rather than a frown. The reality that she'll indeed go immersing in her, she easily accepts it. 

Might as well, rather than drown in dread. 

She held out a hand to him, "We'll be okay." A promise to herself rather, she intends to keep it, dutifully.

Bruce smiled as Damian took her hand again.

Though the hope that he saw from her and him.....for them, had never changed. He knew what his son was feeling. That hope Jason held onto, despite the promise he so willingly broke, that his son accepted to let himself began for a new hope that came. He feels it. 

Yes, Bruce's hope remains untouched but regret comes in easily, knowing that it had hurt his son. Be it on his failure-

"Master Bruce," a firm squeeze on his shoulder. It was Alfred, snapping him out of his thoughts that was beginning to spiral—Bruce knew that Alfred was seeing right through him. "Time for us to go home." 

Bruce huffed, nodding with a smile. "Yes, we should," 

One misstep couldn't let themselves be strayed so far away.

.

.

.

How could I miss all of those? 

Jesus Christ.

Y/N stares at the ceiling of her room, now alone to be in her own—in the process of her disbelief, that is.

Well, the second they left the hospital she started to think about it all. From where it all began, and she went on it until they got back in their home, to her taking a bath, and until now. Despite that it was already past 2 A.M. She was still wide awake. "God," she groaned, her hands sprawled on her face. She figures, who could sleep peacefully at such a time, anyway.

Y/N wrapped herself in her robes and tiredly stepped up from her bed. There she walked in the dim litted hallways, ignoring their words of concern from earlier. Walking again against the cold had her mind flashing of what happened, a chill ran through her body as she plays it all back. Having done it had her feel on edge, snaking her hand on her arm and held it tightly. 

And of course....along all those, there the image of him in her mind; it never left her for even a second.

Whatever is gonna happen now?

Y/N sighed as she sat on the bench, eyes looking up at the sky. She hugged herself, her heart began to pound as she continued to think of him for longer than she could. "I miss you more now."

How could mere words break Jason so easily? If only it could fix him right back up than it did sometimes. 

He walked closer to her and she felt his presence, but she didn't flinch rather turned her head down and closed her eyes, breath shaking from her mouth. "You knew I would come." 

He didn't, he wasn't so sure of it. ".....I was..." hoping. "waiting." For even to even think of that word....it was a high price to pay, so he just stood there, not daring to move an inch further anymore. Afraid that if he stared at her, he'll see her eyes that was once filled with fear that can mirror his own, to see himself again in her eyes but now jaded; almost bare. 

"You knew I'd be here."

"I hoped."

As much as what faces them now, regret was not in her, she couldn't possibly feel even a little of it, not when their time was always fleeting.

"I think I'll know what I'll say when I see him."

"I'm not sorry that I called you, even if it costs me my life." Declared her, aware of the consequence it can bring, it made her want more to say it as all the cards were now placed.

Jason shut his eyes tightly, not surprised by it, though he didn't see it coming. One question had been eating him. "Why me?"

"Because I thought of you." 

Every second that passed, she was even more.....bolder and it seemed like he keeps getting thrown off. Not an ounce of waver as she said those words....she sounded proud. She was and he heard it loudly.

But.....nevertheless that she was proud. She still knew what was going on in him; a glimpse of an unfortunate what could have been.....what can happen.

"It can be a long wait though."

Y/N suddenly chuckled, shaking her head and stood up. "....I remember telling them that I'll wait for you," she says while turning to him, inhaling shortly from her mouth once her eyes landed on his, his gaze turning her weak. So she gripped her robes more, needing the strength. With the feet she tried to steady, she walked to him while he remained still.

Clenching his fists as she grew closer, empty was his mind now that she was in his eyes again. "I still am and will." Her voice breaking him out from his trance. 

How could someone be so near and yet ever so far away?

The decision had been made, the second he laid eyes on her that time, it was made. And he made that decision. But she wanted to hear it from him.

"Should I go?" Their gaze never faltered on each other.

He didn't answer. He couldn't answer, not when he wanted nothing more than to dive her in his arms, to protect her in his hold, to feel her warmth again, not when he was seeing so much longing in her eyes, not when it mirrored his own. He couldn't bear it.

Coward.

Such thought could anger him and it did, but only within himself. He could not blame anyone by it but the truth; she made him weak. And it damn scared him. 

He stayed silent but she heard him. "Huh." Y/N nodded and looked down. Though, even when sadness hits her, she forced herself to stand still and looked at up him again. She exhaled before reaching out to him. Softly, her fingers ghosted his bandaged arms, looking at them with such sad eyes, and even when they were covered, a chill ran through him. Then she hold his hands, he opened them freely.....willingly. Their skins were cold but they were now warming up each other as she clasped them together. That was all that he could give. 

So she took the leap this time.

"....Nonetheless," Y/N began and stepped closer, their distance nonexistent. She laid her head down against his chest, the beating of his heart so strong that it resonated through her own, still he held his head high, and he feels her ease into him, her thumbs tracing his skin. "Thank you....you had your guns but you didn't use it, I remember seeing how your hands wanting to reach for it but you didn't...that was one of the many thoughts that crossed my mind when I realized and up till now." She spoke. More than flattery that she felt by his said actions.

Those words alone can show how much she weakens him so. Yet....he could never question what he did at the time.  

"Thank you." Y/N says again and finally, she feels him at ease. Laying his head on top of her own, no doubt that the scent of her would easily be engraved in his mind again, more than it already is. 

They stayed as they were, eyes closed, their breathing keeping steady as the same with their hearts. Much was supposed to be said but nothing came out from them.....but still they understood each other. 

They tried to. 

Y/N lift her head up gently to look at him while bringing their hands up to their chest. Only the sound of her breath was heard when she opened her mouth, choosing not to say more, she instead kissed his knuckles and pressed them to her forehead after. 

Another declaration right in his very eyes but he could offer nothing. She was slipping away and he was letting her. 

Slowly, she slid off from him, not giving him one last look as their one arm finally untangling from each other as she walked away. 

Jason stares at her while she goes farther. Wounded was her, he could almost see her bleed—he turned away his eyes, a second more of it, he would have had his feet running to her. 

The ground shook from how heavy he walked, one that made him restless, that drained the life out from him each step he made; it was back. 

How he came back alive in his place was a fucking wonder to him. 

. 

. 

. 

A fool, a damn dool what she think she is as she let her tears fall in the hallways until she made it to her room. Quietly sobbing as she sat in her bed. Letting in all what misery she had been feeling. All that she was in the hospital was just a facade after all. A try to make the inevitable less painful, it failed. It failed the moment she saw him. 

Idiot. Idiot. You fucking idiot. 

Out of breath as she continued to cry, but she didn't stay there as for longer than she thought she would, she couldn't possibly let any time that she had left to be wasted. Not when hundreds of words could spill out from her. Sealing it in was out of the question.

Afterall, she's still only a human who wants to sleep without her heart feelings as if it'll tear itself apart.

So as Y/N finished packing up her things, as foolish as she felt, by the way, she cried all the way while she did. She found herself looking for a paper she can write on and after she did—tears and the ink of the pen flowed out like water.

Even when she had spilled what be of her heart, it teared itself apart anyway.

[appheirent]

“I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you ever again.”

     Damian’s hands, trembling, held a wickedly sharp silver knife aloft mere inches from Timothy’s throat.

     Antidote or no, fear toxin was nothing to scoff at. Damian’s heart beat hummingbird-fast against his ribcage. He recognized his brother. He knew that Tim wasn’t a threat to him — hadn’t been in a very long time now — saw the concerned furrow of his brow, heard his mouth making incomprehensible soothing sounds. Still. He couldn’t put the knife down. He couldn’t make his hands stop shaking. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t look away.

     Damian thought — he must’ve been having a nightmare, before. After-effects of the toxin that was being purged from his system after an ambush on patrol from some of Crane’s devoted following. He’d elected to stay at Jason’s apartment because it was the nearest when he’d been hit and administered the antidote himself, and Timothy had been there, too, though the details surrounding that were hazy — had they been patrolling together, or had he already been there?

     None of this knowledge meant anything to his fear-addled mind. Distantly, he wondered if he had injected enough of the antidote. Damian’s mind shrieked the alarm klaxon as he tried to reconcile what was in front of him with what he felt and saw in his mind’s eye every time it wandered from the present.

     YOU ARE NOT SAFE HERE.

     He blinked, and he was stuck like a pig on the end of his clone’s sword, staring into the red red red visor covering its eyes and understanding, finally, that rescue was never coming —

     He was under the watchful eye of Ra’s al Ghul, fighting someone twice his size and three times his age, and they were going to kill him, and if he failed and somehow survived the consequences would be far worse, he had to keep fighting —

     He was sitting upright on Jason Todd’s beat-up futon with a knife to Tim Drake’s throat. In one brother’s home with another in front of him, speaking in quiet, firm tones.

     “I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you ever again.”

     Damian stared a moment longer. Then, like a spell had been broken, the hand that had been holding the knife dropped into his lap — not yet ready to relinquish the weapon from his white-knuckled grip, but done brandishing it like a threat. He slumped forward until his forehead rested against Timothy’s collarbone, and finally exhaled.

[authcrwriites]

@bastxrds​ gets a little shit.

"jason, what are you doing in my kitchen?" the noise had startled her awake, and her first instinct had been to grab her sword and inspect the noise. it hadn't mattered that she was wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and boxers. she was going to find out who had broken into her penthouse and why. the last person talia had been expecting was jason. she'd told him in the past he could come to her place whenever he needed someplace to hide. but she'd hoped he would at least give her some sort of warning. instead, she'd been woken up to him rooting around her kitchen. "should i be concerned that you just randomly showed up?" lowering her sword, she walked into the kitchen and started to make coffee. if she was going to be up she might as well at least be comfortable. depending on jason's answer she might even make them breakfast. but she needed to know why he was there before she offered to do such a thing. "and would you like some coffee while we talk?" [talia for jason todd]

jason kept a hand on his wound,  but he wasn’t dead yet,  talia’s appearance made raise an eye brow for a moment.  even threatening someone’s life she was the beautiful person he’d ever met.  he gives her a small,  cheeky smile and shook his head,  hoping she hadn’t noticed him staring.  but who was he kidding?  “i just got in a little fight is all,  might need a Band-Aid or two...”  he lifts his hand off his stomach briefly show her and winces.  

“yours was the first place i thought to go...”

[halcyon-memories-fanfics]

Seeking a Beta Reader for 'The Sandless Hourglass'

I love writing crossover fics. This, in particular, is a Witcher/DC Comic fic.

About the Fic -

Summary: Being summoned to the past really messed things up for Jason. Or so he believes.

Pairing: Jason Todd/Geralt of Rivia

Rating: M (and will stay like that)

Tags/Warnings: The fic is omegaverse, so please be wary of that. I understand that a lot of people don’t like the genre, so I am giving a warning now. There are also descriptions of gore/violence that is typically sound in DC/Witcher. However, there will be no smut. Don't really like to write it.

Tags of the fic are: Time Travel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Jason Todd, Alpha Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Omega Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Warlord Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Jason Todd-centric

Chapter Info -

Each chapter is mostly about 2,000 words. I write pretty erratically when it comes to this fic, like one every few weeks. So there is really no deadline and such. So feel free to take your time when betaing the fic.

Triggers -

Please read the tags of the fic as they explicitly state what will be included. If I update the tags, I will make sure to tell you beforehand.

Snippet of New Chapter -

The dirt road ahead offers a route of trampled grass and wet soil streaked with the marks of carriages. Gusts of winds, which have lost all their coolness to the afternoon sun, brush over these moist dents, attempting to solidify the remnants of previous visitors. The result is a cast of discoloured mud tracks, resembling clay that has been half-baked in an oven. Yet, the impurities in the clay – primarily in the case of the ground – fail to purge the bent grass, the broken stones, and the speckles of blood with the intense heat. Jason can feel it so in the thin sole of his shoes, as they struggle to protect him against sharp objects. He can only imagine the poor soles of the young girl as her shoes seem to be in a worse state.

Speaking of the child, she still does not trust Jason. Her wariness tells him, but the distance between them says more. At first glance, the distance between Jason and the young girl isn’t obvious. A passer-by – ignoring the dishevelled, bloody state of the child – will assume they are walking side by side with familiarity; Jason strolling along with relaxed shoulders while the girl is steps away in that childlike manner of wanting to prove independence, however close enough to cling when the fear of being too far dawns on her. This study is incorrect and believed by those without a keen eye. For one, despite the still-nameless girl limping in the same direction as Jason, when she places her injured foot down, the tips of her toes are not facing ahead but to the right. Meaning: she intends to escape down that path if anything happens. This intended route is also clearer by how she purposefully leans forward to emphasise her injury – to make her appear weaker, Jason does not know – but holds herself at an angle where moving towards the right can be done with ease. Yet, the simplest observation is the placement of the sword she drags along with her. It rests between them, her left side. To be swung, most likely aiming at Jason’s legs, when she flees.

Feel free to read the previous chapter here.

Requested Feedback:

Typos/Grammar

Inconsistencies

Pacing/Word Economy

Plot issues

Interested?

Feel free to DM me! I would love to speak to you. All I ask is that you are over 18, too.

Thank you for reading!

[adventurepunks]

@jp-todd-rp so when we do that plot we talked about you know tears will stream.