#Cass: I am Gotham's shadow :)

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt in Memes 4

Another prompt, but in memes because trying to gather my thoughts is hard sometimes lol.

[on-leatheredwings]

House Arrest

Yandere! Batfam / Bruce Wayne x (Fem!) Reader

For a request, Munchausen's syndrome by proxy with Bruce? Like, he keeps reader sick so she can't leave him or interact with someone outside the family. And maybe the rest of the batfam is in on it?

[a/n: Didn’t know if you wanted this platonic or not so I didn’t specify! In my head its romantic with bruce though lmao]

> word count: 1581

> Tw: gaslighting, munchausen’s syndrome by proxy, yandere-typical behaviors!

You sit in anticipation, foot tapping against the stone floor. There’s an entire miniature hospital set up for you down here in the Batcave. Respirators, diagnostics machines, and other expensive medical equipment that would be better served in Gotham General. 

Helping people recover. 

So patients could some day leave. 

You used to love being in the Batcave. It was the family’s little secret. When you officially joined the family, the Batcave was now your secret as well. But ever since falling ill months ago, bedridden with a sickness whose cause continues to elude everyone… being here is depressing. You now notice it’s damp down here. Dark. Lifeless.

Bruce sits at the Batcomputer, the screen’s light painting over his face in a green wash. You watch his eyes scan line after line of your results. Reminds you of a typewriter. Methodical. Orderly. Nearly inhuman. When he sighs, your heart stops. 

Fuck.

He turns to you, face grave. “You’re still ill.” 

Your eyes start stinging with an onset of tears that you furiously try to blink back. 

“... H-How ill? How bad? Am I any better?” you ask, as if bartering with him will make the situation any different. As if bartering with God ever made any difference for mere mortals such as yourself.

Bruce’s face is still. 

“You haven’t improved.” 

Your hopes crash down around you like glass. You aren’t better at all? Even though you haven’t had a fever in weeks? Even though you’ve been working out with enough energy to keep up with Damian? He was exerting perhaps only 10% of his effort, but still. Your lymph nodes aren’t even swollen anymore. Tim had told you as much, accidentally contradicting Bruce’s insistence that they had been earlier that morning. 

“But I feel better,” you croak. You hear footsteps behind you approach and you swallow drily, nearly hissing at the offender. It’s Dick, and damn him. You don’t want to be placated right now.

“Are you experiencing any headaches? Shortness of breath?” Bruce asks, eyes still trained on you. You try to recall. 

“... I may have had a migraine this morning…” At Bruce’s weary shake of the head, you blurt, “But it’s passed. I’m perfectly fine. And no shortness of breath.”

“... I’m sorry. But if you’ve been having symptoms like that, along with your being immunocompromised…” Bruce doesn’t even have to finish the sentence. You won’t be leaving the Wayne Manor grounds for a long time. 

Fuck. 

Fuck. 

You feel a hand on your shoulder. You look up and see Dick, whose face is somber but offers an encouraging smile. 

“Well, I’m back in town for the time being. We can hang out all the time.” His expression brightens as an idea pops into his head. “And I can call Tim, Jason, Duke–! Maybe even Cass and Steph… We can have a board game night tonight!” He sounds as chipper as you are miserable.

Damian approaches from behind, leaving the shadows. His arms are folded. “If that’s the case, I’ll humor Grayson and let him capture some of my fleet for once.” A popular choice was Risk, perfect for the family who’s entire lives revolved around combat and strategy. But you didn’t want to play Risk again. You didn’t want to have a board game night, no matter how many of the family came. You wanted to see people. 

Other people. Everyone here is your family. 

You want fucking friends again. You wanted a job again – a sentiment you would’ve laughed at even just five months ago. You wanted any semblance of a life again.

Bruce’s eyes haven’t left your trembling form once, two chips of slate-gray peering over steepled hands.

“Thank you, Dick. Damian. But I think she could use some time alone.”

Dick’s hand releases your shoulder, retracting as if burned. None of them are the boss here. It’s Bruce who is my warden, your mind whispers darkly. 

“Right! Don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.” Dick sees himself out, taking Damian with him. “See you tonight.” And that feels like a sentencing to your fate.

Now the two of you alone, Bruce stands, offering his arm wordlessly. You know what this means. You take it, linking yours with his without thought or protest. Bruce liked to ensure you were always within his reach, as if you were prone to fainting spells. This was less humiliating for you than him carrying you through the estate, you suppose. 

“Why, yes, let’s take a turn around the grounds!” you used to exclaim, making your voice posh and British, mimicking the regency romance movies you had been watching all the time. 

Now, months later, you just sullenly allow him to lead you. Your surroundings pass by and you vaguely recognize that you are exiting the Batcave, walking through the manor, and out into the never-ending expanse of a well-kept lawn. 

It’s a sunny, idyllic spring day after months of overcast winter. 

And thank god you could still traipse outside when you wanted, even if fenced in. Bruce told you when you had first fallen ill that he had installed some high-tech, anti-air pollution gadget. Wayne Manor was effectively your own personal bubble. Fresh air was the only thing keeping you sane, lately. 

You two pass by the garden, a labor of love Alfred started. You and Damian tend to it now… and mainly the latter, these days. You haven’t had any energy for gardening as of late. Fatigue is a symptom, you hear Bruce’s voice whisper in the back of your mind. But you don’t feel fatigue… rather, just depressed. But of course, isn’t fatigue a symptom of being depressed…? A familiar brain fog crawls into your mind. Your head was starting to hurt.

You look across the lawn, onto the horizon. Gotham’s dark skyline sits there, enticing. When night falls, it’ll glimmer and twinkle with light. There is a whole world out there. And, God, you love the Waynes, but they aren’t the world. You need to distract yourself. Bruce, ever the lover of pleasant silences, is going to have to distract you from thoughts that make you want to leap off the second story balcony of your bedroom.

Should you ask, “How’s work?” No. You find you don’t care. 

“How’s Jason?” you say instead, feeling Bruce stiffen at the mention of his most tenuous relation.

He wasn’t around as much, but when he was, he was always relaxing with you in your room. You have a whole shelf for the knick knacks he brings. “Don’t worry. They’re clean,” he’d snort at his former mentor, because Bruce required everything to be thrice sanitized before coming into your possession.

“... Better.”

You’re glad. That’s one good thing, you guess. 

“Bruce,” you croak. 

He looks at you, face alight in expectation. 

“Maybe I should just go,” you say, small and weak. Your eyes don’t leave the sight of Gotham skyscrapers, stretching to the sky. Bruce stills, stopping you both in your tracks.

“What do you mean, ‘go’?” he says carefully.

You remove yourself from his arm and gesture to the city. “Just go. Leave. I mean, I can’t stay here forever.” Bruce looks genuinely confused, as much as he can. 

“Of course you can.”

“No, I can’t!” you screech. Frustrated, you tear at your hair. “I can just be an outpatient somewhere– I can go for hospital treatments every week– or everyday– whatever!

Bruce places his hands on your shoulders.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

Rage flares in you and you gnash your teeth at him. By now, that all-too-familiar brain fog has flooded your brain. But you try to fight it. You have to fight it. Like trying to crawl out of rapidly-sinking quicksand, you fight it.

“I-I know what I’m saying. I’m saying–”

“You’re saying to just let you die,” Bruce sharply returns. “To give up, let you die, and leave us to grieve.” 

“No–”

“Stephanie.” 

You meet his eyes again at the name, which are resolute and as blue as ever. 

“Cassandra. Duke.” Your stomach churns, imagining their smiling faces, turned into ash as your hypothetical passing. “Barbara.” 

“Bruce,” you croak, pleading inwardly for him to stop. 

“Damian.” 

“Tim.”

“Jason.” 

“Dick. Alfred.” You duck your head and your eyes meet the ground. The listing of all your loved ones pinches your heart, and you feel nauseous. You weren’t trying to leave them. You didn’t want to leave them at all. 

“... Me.” 

Your eyes sting with tears again. Why did he have to make it sound like that? Like you were seeking some selfish want, rather than trying to improve your quality of life. You feel your ambition and desire wane under the weight of guilt. You feel all sense of struggle start to disintegrate, lost to the fog in your head. Lost. You’ve lost.

Bruce’s eyes scrutinize you.

“As I suspected. You’re acting delirious. Manic. Delusional.”

Any semblance of protest dies in your throat. 

“What?” you say. But Bruce is already leading you away towards the looming doors of Wayne Manor, away from the green of the grounds. Away from the light of the sun, and away from the skyline. He comforts you with familiar lines on the way to your bedroom. 

You need rest. Alfred will brew his tea for you. I’ll call the kids to come tonight. We can play Risk. He pats your shoulder, stroking soft, deceptively warm circles with his thumb.

“You just need some rest.” 

And not for the first time, you believe he may be right.

[clockwayswrites]

Rumors of a Prince - p1

“You could always ask Jason to pay her a visit,” Dick said from where he was lounging, mostly upside down, on the couch in Bruce’s study.

Bruce frowned at him. “I am not going to have Jason kill Vickie Vale.”

“Hey, you’re the one who said kill!” Dick held his hands up or, rather, given his position, down. “I just meant puts some fear into her. Maybe kidnap her for a few days so that she can’t write any more libel.”

Bruce found himself smiling, slightly and against his better judgment. It faded away when he looked back at his laptop. “At least in this case, it wouldn’t do much good. The stories is already out there and unfortunately, Vale’s take on it has captured the public’s attention.”

“Tim knows… and Babs.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“And if those two know, Steph knows. If Steph knows, she’s ranted to Cass.”

“Yes.” This family was impossible to keep things secret in.

“Welp,” Dick said and swung himself to be sitting up normally— or as normally as Dick ever sat. “Then I guess we better tell the others. How do you want to divide this?”

Bruce was grateful that Dick was willing to be his partner in this. “You would be best to take Jason. I’ll speak with Damian. Either of us can catch Duke when he returns from his patrol.”

Dick nodded. “And Thomas?”

“I think perhaps it would be best to have as much of the family in the manor as possible,” Bruce said after a moment. “If he destabilizes, I want him to know that we are around and that he is still safe.”

“Alright.” Dick slapped his knees once and stood. “I’ll drag Jason back then. You know he’ll come if it’s for Tom.”

“Make sure he reads the article before he comes over.”

Dick grimaced. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be best. I’m going to bring some food too. Good luck convincing Dami that he can’t go and stab Vickie Vale.”

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “Right. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dick chirped as he left for his task.

Bruce dropped his hand.

‘Gotham’s Pale Prince’ stared back at him from the screen.

---

AN: I'm actually surprised this one won the poll! But here we are. I don't expect this will be long.

For those who haven't read 'Shadow of a Bat' well, 1- do, I think it's my best fic. 2- Danny = Thomas and he's more ghostly than not.

Stay delightful darlings!

[transtravisstoll]

Batkids Age Reversal List

want to do a age reversal AU for the batkids but why do the comics keep fucking up their ages this has taken me weeks of trying to figure out i’m gonna off the DC comic writers. if you have any better ideas for their ages pls let me know im going to gouge my eyes out if i have to do any more math.

alfred: ???

-immortal. fuck you. he looked death in the face and told him to stop tracking mud all over his freshly mopped floors and that dinner was at eight.

bruce: 39

-had damian at eighteen bc i wanted it to be as close to his age gap with dick in canon as possible but i am not having this man fathering a child at 15

damian: 21

-came to gotham at age 8, refused to be a normal kid bc he was literally raised an assassin and bruce doesn’t know how to encourage nonviolent activities in children so letting him fight crime seemed… better than being an assassin. he, at the age of eight, could not come up with a name that wasn’t fucking Terrifying so whenever gordon asked for his “little shadow”‘s name they were suspiciously silent bc no, damian, you can not call yourself Vengeance or Malice. the media called him shadow and it stuck.

duke: 18

-wanted to keep his age gap with tim similar, but with duke being the older one, instead of doing dick and jason’s age gap bc it makes more sense this way.

-his parents got jokerified when he was 12, and so did a Lot of people in the Narrows. it absolutely decimated their little community so duke became signal. he didn’t fight crime, he gave back to his community, he helped with the cleanup. bruce ended up basically kidnapping the poor kid. (duke ran away from his foster home because he wasn’t a glorified babysitter or maid, fuck you, he can crash on couches.)

STEPH: 16

-again, wanted to keep the age gap between steph and tim the same but keeping steph the older one. makes more sense this way!! leave me alone.

-became spoiler at 13, was only spoiler for a year before she became shadow at 14 for about six months in between damian and jason. there was a six month period as well where bruce didn’t have a shadow and alfred literally had to bribe steph to be shadow bc he wasn’t abt to let a kid run around the gotham night without knowing batman was two steps ahead of them. plus, having a kid with him made bruce more cautious.

TIM: 15

-FINALLY got to mimicking the age gap between dick and jason in canon

-never becomes shadow, actually, he takes bab’s spot as their computer wiz. doesn’t call himself oracle though because he fucking sucks at making names. calls himself override (barf).

-also, steph is the only one who hes told he’s override to and also knows the batfam’s identities

-duke knows tim is override bc he’s scary like that!! tim doesn’t know duke knows he’s override, but duke knows that tim knows their identities and tim Also doesn’t know that. duke is fr terrifying. love him.

-tim figured out the batfam because of duke’s meta abilities bc he’s also scary like that

Jason: 14

-oh, he’s… currently out of commission. became shadow at 12.

-didn’t die in ethiopia, because fuck that plot. he was doing a stakeout but the joker had kidnapped this itty little baby (an eight year old boy) who he found running around the gotham night. jason went out of commission saving that little boy. what does out of commission mean? who knows. could be dead. could be severely injured. kidnapped. the possibilities are endless.

-i think it’s fucked that the comic fans voted for a fifteen year old to die by the joker. y’all are crazy.

cass: 13

-mimicking jason and cass’ age gap with cass being younger bc it makes more sense leave me alone

-isn’t a Batman approved shadow (yet) but she shadows batman anyways after jason’s… indisposed. the bonus is that batman doesn’t Know he has a shadow but gotham is kept in the dark abt shadow being (redacted) because cass and jason had the same exact fucking build, okay, jason hasn’t gotten his growth spurt yet (because of childhood malnutrition) . weird how batman lost weight though, after he went on that rage incident after the latest arrest of the joker. he’s leaner now. (is it the same batman? who knows.)

dick: 8

-mimicking the tim and damian age gap, bc it’s six years in my head leave me alone.

-huh, jason went out of commission saving an eight year old and dick is eight… suspicious. coincidence? hm.

babs: 7

-mimicking the babs and dick age gap but with babs being younger bc i think she’s older in canon? unsure. DC please i’m going to kill you and then me.

[lustwithoutlore]

Bruce: I'm retiring. Someone will need to fill my place.

Dick:

Tim:

Jason:

Barbara:

Duke:

Damian:

Stephanie, launching into a dramatic monologue: There comes a time when one has to step up and do what is right. Gotham needs a Batman, I will heed the call-

Bruce: Uh, Dick, how about you? You've been Batman before.

Stephanie: HEY!

Dick: Um.... I'll pass, thanks, Bruce.

Stephanie: No matter. I will become the beacon of hope this city needs. I will-

Bruce: Tim! You'll one day be an even better detective than me. You'd be a perfect Batman.

Jason, muttering: Over my dead body. Hey, wait...

Stephanie: DON'T IGNORE ME!

Tim: I'm already a better detective than you. And, if I had to take on anyone's mantle, I would pick Nightwing.

Dick, tearing up: Awww, Tim!

Stephanie: Again, it leaves me as the only option. The underbelly of Gotham City needs a figure to invoke fear, and I vow to be that figure-

Bruce: What about you, Damian? You've fought over the title of Batman many times!

Stephanie: YOU JERK!

Damian: Yeah, when I was twelve. I'm not a child anymore. I would rather be Nightwing.

Dick, sobbing: The both of you want my mantle? How will I choose a successor? This is getting to be too much. Babs, catch me!

Stephanie: I will fight for vengeance. No, I am vengeance. I will bring upon a dark reign that will be unleashed whenever a force threatens my city. For I am-

Cass, appearing out of the shadows: I will do it.

Bruce, happy because Cass was actually his first pick: Oh thank God.

Cass: But only if Steph is, too. We are Batgirl together. We will be The Bat together.

Stephanie: HA! YES! CASS YOU'RE THE BEST! I'M BATMAN!

Bruce: ... Actually, Stephanie, your words from before moved me. I've decided to be Batman for a while longer.

Stephanie: NOOOO! I was so close!

Cass, patting her back: There, there.

Dick: That's it! Tim, Damian! You can both be Nightwing! If Cass and Steph can be The Bat at the same time you guys can both take up my mantle one day, too!

Tim:

Damian:

Tim & Damian: ... I'll pass.

Dick: NOOOO! I was so close!

Barbara, patting his back: There, there.

[veryace-ficrecs]

Duke Thomas Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Stuck-On Sunshine by zodarii_dae - Rated G

The Signal tends to interact with kids a bit more than his nocturnal coworkers. Even in Gotham, there are more kids out at two pm than two am. Those kids want to show their appreciation for the hero keeping them safe. What better way to show that than with stickers?

A Special Expection? No, A Son by Raccoonwriter - Rated T

Duke was excited to meet the Justice League until they start to ask and talk about things Duke didn't want to here.

breathing down your neck by Batbirdies - Rated G

Duke gets sick on Friday. Joker breaks out of Arkham on Saturday. It’s radio silence, until it’s not. — When Duke is benched with the flu the Joker attacks a small Gotham neighborhood with Joker venom. Duke knows he’s not well enough to help, but with stinging memories of his parents still trapped in their own heads—he has to do something. Bruce has a few things to say about that.

Frightening, But Not Afraid by snackbaskets - Rated G

When the family is hit by a new strain of fear toxin, safety is in numbers. Unfortunately, three members of the flock are still out there, afraid and alone. Bruce may not be the best at comforting his children, but apparently, he can let his wings do the talking. ((aka, the classic fear toxin hurt/comfort but with a splash of the classic wings-make-u-feel-safe hurt/comfort))

birds and brothers and other assorted synonyms by hoebiwan - Rated T

Duke isn’t an idiot. He knows it’s a bad idea to go into the underground tunnels of Gotham where people disappear for years on end and occasionally (if they’re lucky) stumble out coated in cobwebs and madness and blood. So he takes a flashlight and a water bottle and a bag of trail mix and lots and lots of beef jerky whenever he goes. If he ends up trapped down there, wandering in hopeless circles (which Duke thinks is important to note having never happened), at least he’ll have food. Also, the weird little kid dressed up like a miniature Talon likes the M&M’s in Duke’s trail mix.

the scientific method by orphan_account - Rated G

5 stupid ways Duke's siblings discovered how his powers worked, and 1 time he figured it out for himself.

"You have no idea," Dick said. "I had to live through all of their teenage years. They were each independently obsessed with Mythbusters at separate points in their life. I'm pretty sure Cass and Tim have wanted a meta to experiment on since they were 14, but Bruce always said no."

Duke Thomas Hates Bullies by Gemini_00 - Not Rated

Everyone loves that Duke Thomas isn't like all those other crazy Waynes. Everyone loves that the Signal isn't trying to get himself killed. Duke may not see Bruce as his dad, but he is definitely part of the bat family. and nobody is going to bully his family. Or, Duke Thomas Kicks Ass.

Keep Your Head, Your Backbone, and Your Heart by MrMich - Rated T

The last thing that Duke expected on what was supposed to be just a regular patrol was being suddenly thrown five years into the past, coming face to face with a darker, more violent Batman than the one he knew, a broken family, and a Tim who was a foot shorter than Duke, and not even Robin yet.

A silent shadow flitted past him, just barely visible on the cave walls. He went rigid, tracking the shadow in the corner of his vision. And then he dropped to the floor, just in time, as a familiar black gloved fist passed overhead. He just barely missed being hit by the punishing blow that would have landed right on his temple for a sure concussion if he hadn’t dodged. “Batman?” Duke yelled. He somersaulted forward, just barely avoiding another strike. “B, what are you doing?!” “Who are you,” came the growled response. A shiver crawled down Duke’s spine at the grim hostility in Batman’s voice that promised violence, and something tightened in the back of his throat.

WHEN EARTH FINDS STARS. by orpheusaki - Rated G

"Let it be known that I completely detest the implications of what this situation is mirroring," Red Hood grumbles to himself and it's the longest string of words Duke has heard from any so-called Gotham vigilante, let alone the one who's known for shooting more than he is talking. "The fuck?" Duke mutters, because if he's already going to die, he might as well try and make sense of it. "I'm not going to care about whatever sob story you have," is what Red Hood replies with instead of explaining, "Where are your parents?" "Gone," is all Duke says, because it's really none of this guy's business. It's also the truth. Somehow, Red Hood sounds even more anguished about this information than Duke is, "Ah shit." (Duke steals the tires off Red Hood's bike and somehow gains a family.)

Leadership by PepperSoniRoni - Rated G

Nightwing offers Signal a chance to lead a small group for a mission. Duke is wary, but accepts the challenge. He proves to be a rather great leader.

Takes place after Season Two of Young Justice, and ignores Season Three (I still haven’t seen it, unfortunately).

You Would Not Believe Your Eyes by Tiptapricot - Rated G

No metas are allowed in Gotham, so what does that mean for Duke?

Dayshift Shadow Work by IzzyMRDB - Rated G

So, when he realised one day once he looked down that he was missing his shadow, the first thing he checked was to make sure he wasn’t also glowing. Can’t have a shadow if you’re the light source after all. Nope, not glowing. Weird. AKA Duke's shadow works like Peter Pan's and immediately chooses violence

Runs in the Family by motleyfam - Rated G

Duke has a migraine and just wants a bit of peace. Tim understands this better than most.

The League of Assassins: An Indepth Exploration of the World's Most Prolific Group of Assassins by Hint_of_Elation - Rated T

Duke Thomas presents a documentary about the League of Assassins. Warning: Bruce Wayne did not approve this film.

Tequila by Sohotthateveryonedied - Rated T

Bruce steps into Duke’s path, blocking him from venturing further into the house. It takes a moment for Duke to register the new obstacle before him. His mouth drags into a lopsided grin. “Bruce! Wha’s—wassup? How’s your night goin’?” “You’re drunk," Bruce accuses. “Me? No way. No way. I would never do that.” Duke hiccups. “Totally sober.”

Who, Me? by Listentothelittlebird - Rated T

People thought Duke was the responsible one. People often forgot Duke ran with a gang. A gang named after Robin, sure, but a gang nonetheless.

bathtub cookie crumbs by ghostellie - Rated G

Duke finds him in a bathtub on the third floor. It’s an old fashioned thing, a clawfoot porcelain tub settled in an otherwise empty room in a far, abandoned corner of the manor, dusty despite Alfred’s best efforts. Tim’s seated at an awkward angle, sideways in the tub with his head rested on one edge and his knees slung over the other, fully clothed and half covered in dust. A pink box of sugar cookies, no doubt stolen from Jason’s stash, rests on his chest. He meets Duke’s eyes as he enters, shoveling a bat-shaped cookie in his mouth.

Duke Thomas VS The "Good Child" Stereotype by PepperSoniRoni - Rated T

5 Times Duke Tried To Prove To Bruce He Wasn't The Responsible One, and 1 Time His Siblings Knew Better (& used it to their advantage) Because Duke is relatively new, he hasn't opened up completely to the family. He tries to follow Bruce and Alfred's rules, but he doesn't always succeed (nor try to). It's during these times Bruce still manages to pin the blame on someone else. His siblings, of course, see this. And whatever are they supposed to think? Well, Duke's clearly doing it on purpose! (This is really just me being salty about fanon characterization, and an attempt to cram as much Crazy-Totally-Not-Sane-Duke as I can into a single fic)

that which you cannot bear by britishparty - Rated T

There is no backup for the Signal. Duke reminds himself of this regularly, like a prayer through gritted teeth: there's no one to catch him if he slips, to replace him if he stops. So the Signal can't give up. Just can't, like an immutable law, an undeniable truth. He has to win every fight. There isn't any other option. Duke Thomas makes himself invincible. Untouchable. Then he loses.

[the-arkhamwolf]

Current lay out for my random reverse robins Au

-Damian getting dropped off at Bruces's step and forcing Bruce to take him on as a sidekick; Wing (yeah that's the best I got)

-Bruce becomes a more lighthearted Batman for Damian's sake. After all the kid's been through.

-Wally and Damian meet and eventually become friends (They most likely will have a friendship similar to my Falling in Reverse AU)

-Bruce and Damian grow pretty close until a bad fight over the Joker, which causes Damian to move out

-One day he walking home he sees a woman being attacked. He saves her but ends up getting shot by the Joker (All this happens while he's a civilian)

-Bruce finds his son lying unconscious in the middle of the street bleeding heavily

-Damian wakes up in the hospital unable to move his legs

-Damian becomes bitter toward Bruce and the two have an even bigger falling out (he blames Bruce for not killing Joker)

-Bruce becomes a harsher Batman

-Tim appears on Bruce's doorstep with his Batman needs a Robin propaganda

-Tim comes in to stop Bruce and somehow gets pushed into taking Damian's mantel

-For a good while, he spends most of his time trying to get Bruce and Damian to talk to each other

-Damian treats Tim harshly believing he hates Tim for taking his place

-Damian really hates himself because he thinks he's broken and see what he could have been in Tim

-Tim eventually does break through to him and Damian comes back taking up an oracle-type role

-Damians starts to see Tim as a little brother and enjoys having him around

-Tim meets Stephine one night on patrol and through a series of events gets her to join the bats

-Tim works on a secret project called Titan that only Steph and Damian know about

-he plans to leave Gotham to work on Titan so He trains steph to take his place

-Angst coming up

-Tim gets shot in a scene similar to Batman Beyond; he goes to save a woman only for the woman to shoot him in the stomach. Tim gets away but he's bleeding heavily.

-Damian's on the comms trying to help him

-Everyone is to far away

-Tim stumbles through the street before sliding down against a pole

-Damian is on the comms the entire time helpless as his brother dies

-Steph and Bruce fight/She leaves

-Jason steals tires and Bruce adopts him because no one said he couldn't

-Jason trains

-Damian disapproves but comes around for Jason's sake not Bruce

-Steph hates Jason but they become friends later

-Ra's brings Tim back and Tim Scares the heck out of him then destroys his league (This is going to be a what the heck moment as it is revealed Tim was playing Ra's the whole time and I am so excited for it)

-Tim saves Cass from her father and then trains her

extra

-Tim has trouble sleeping due to nightmares. He also has the episode called freeze outs (Yeah I suck at names) where the pit takes over making him very cold and withdrawn (and dangerous to everyone)

-Barbra becomes Cassandra's little shadow and Cass has no idea how to deal with a child (Which just leads to a lot of adorable Cass moments)

-Tim's living room is always cluttered with projects he and Roy are working on

-Rose is like Casse's big sister

-Damian gets conned into taking Jason to the fair and ends up coming home with an extra kid

-another pairing Wally and Jinx not really a big part of the story but may be of use

-Dick is a little monster who will disappear every chance he gets

I know this makes no sense but I love it

.

.

So either Wally will be there for Daian when Tim dies or Damian will push him away for two years (around when Tim comes back) then the two will reconnect and Damian will be shocked because Wally has a kid.

Reason I want the second one

1- I love the angst of Damian feeling guilty as he relises his best friend has a Daughter and he never knew about it

2-I love the fluff of Damian getting to be like an uncle and interacting with a baby

but also I don't want Damian to push away everyone because that is a lot of angst since steph leaves for a while Idk

.

.

Original Post

any thoughts? also what should I name this Au?

[mafiatsunafish]

So, if you will, you can say that John Soap MacTavish and his older sister Alisa MacTavish can be considered as Bruce Wayne wards.

Initially, the siblings only know of their parent, they lived a peaceful life in the countryside of Scotland. Only them, they had never heard or meet any of their other relatives, saint to their mum’s cousin who they briefly saw one in a blue moon.

Until there was a car accident, a drunk driver and a in responsive brake, the two woke up side by side miraculously alive but now without their parents. Little John woke up and he cried, little Alana tried her best to stay strong for her brother and herself, too.

However, it was not for long, right when they seemed fit to be released from the hospital, there was a man who dressed in an impeccable black suit stood in front of them. John was too young back then to realize who is that man but Alisa can, she knew that was her mum’s cousin.

“I am Bruce, your uncle. Would you like to come with me?”

Alisa knew that she shouldn’t believe a man no more than a stranger to them, a man they barely know anything, a man you just appear right after their parents just gone and offer them to come with him. John looked at her nervously while his hand still grip the hem of her skirt tightly. They didn’t know any other people, they were alone and his eyes were filled with genuine care and worries.

So they come with him.

And just never leave.

(Little did they know, they are the start of Bruce’s adoption problem cause he never stop collecting strays)

Then he brought home kid that he had told them from the circus, Alisa becomes Bruce’s oldest then Richard or Dick and then John.

(Alisa would fight tooth and nails with anyone who dares to touch her baby brothers, but between Dick’s chandeliers swinging and John’s eerie interest in fire, she don’t know who she want to kick first)

(Batman gained his first Robin while the MacTavish stay with at the back with Alfred, learning how to cook, tends wounds and deal with stubborn vigilantes)

Then Jason came home with a defensive face, after Dick stormed his way out of the manor. Alfred, Alisa and John joined force to take care of the tiny Jason. John finally meet another book nerd that he can camp in the manor’s library with and Alfred had another tail, following him around the kitchen.

But then Jason was gone. It shattered the family once again.

(Batman almost lashed)

Dick moved to Bludheaven and Nightwing soared, John determined to go back to England and enlisted then somehow earned the name Soap.

Only Alisa stayed, hoping one day her brothers will come home.

Then a child stalker named Wayne’s neighbour appeared, Tim Drake is a genius baby who has crippling caffeine addiction and fucked up self-preservation sense. Alisa now has her third baby brother who she would definitely bite someone's head off if they dared to touch him.

(Jason is alive, he is alive, he is alive, he is-)

Then come Damian, Damian Wayne, son of the Bat. God, her murdered baby, their family's precious murdered tiny assassin. He came with so much rage and violence, with so many scars and hurt. She has sworn, until her last breath, she will try her damn best to make him feel loved.

Cassandra Cain just materialized from a shadow one day and called Alisa older sister, Alisha was overjoyed when this household finally had another girl. She loves to go shopping with Cass and gossip with the girls, she loves watching Cass gracefully dance and beat the shit out of their brothers and she loves how Cass slowly becomes more human.

And steaming Jesu’ Christ, is that her John dangling on the window edge of that fucking skyscraper?! And what he is doing with that Lieutenant Ghost with all those talking?????

(thanks O for gave her both visual and sound of that particular moment, because, what the fuck?)

(for some reason, there has been sight of Batman and various of Gotham’s vigilantes in Chicago, what’s the bat colony doing there? No one is sure)

(not for shovel talk or threatening government military)

Alisa MacTavish missed her parents but she also loved the family that that one weird uncle brought her through the years.

(Alisa: Bruce, yer have a problem, yer know?

Bruce: hn

Dick: She is right, B. Like Batman is one thing, but collecting kids?

Bruce: hn)

[inkareds]

can you do a cass cain x female reader story?

Rest Your Weary Eyes Cassandra Cain

nav // dc m.list // ko-fi

✧.* word count: 1k (a shortie) ✧.* genre: Fluff ✧.* warnings: The reader is female, that's it

After a long night, Cassandra just wants to be in the arms of the woman she loves

Jesus christ this was requested last year I am so fucking sorry I had like 0 ideas for her so I'm really sorry if she's a bit ooc (also I'm working on everyone's requests starting from the oldest one 💀)

“Black Bat watch your six!” Cass quickly turned around at the sound of Barbara in her earpiece. 

Unfortunately, she didn’t turn quickly enough as the moment she did turn around, the assassin had already lunged towards her. Being around thrice her size, the assassin barrelled towards her and shoved her entire body towards a brick wall. 

Cass groaned as he landed a punch to her abdomen, disoriented from the crash the assassin was quick to land a few more hits to her. Though once she did regain her focus, her eyes saw opportunity after opportunity within the assassin’s hold against her. Making use of his weak points, she efficiently took him down. 

Finally, back on her own two feet, Barbara spoke again. 

“There’s four more coming your way.” Cass sighed. 

“This is going to be a long night.” She muttered under her breath. 

~

Your tired eyes tried their best to stay awake as you glared at the document in front of you. There were barely any words on the screen, yet you have to finish this four thousand-word essay by the end of the week. A task, at this point, you felt was impossible to do. You shook your head. 

“I can do this.” You muttered to yourself as you began to type. 

After the first few paragraph and sips of your favourite tea, you finally got your groove for writing back. The words came somewhat easily to you as you progressed into the essay. 

In fact, you were so focused you didn’t hear the loud thump on the outside of your fire escape. Nor the sound of the window opening. All you saw was a black shadow in the shape of a bat behind you from the reflection of your computer. Causing you to scream out. 

Cass immediately took off her mask and put both her hands up. 

“It’s me! It’s me!” 

Realising now that this was Cassandra Cain, your longtime girlfriend, you let out a loud sigh. 

“Oh my fucking god! Why’d you gotta scare me like that?! I know you’re like trained to be quiet or something! But Jesus, I think you shaved off four years off my life.” You chuckled holding your chest as you heaved, still panicked. 

Though, after seeing Cass’ reaction to your statement, you sterned yourself. There was a tired tight-lipped smile on your beautiful girlfriend’s expression. Your brows furrowed together as you looked across her body. 

With her standing up and you still sat down on your chair, you could get a good look at her costume. Muck, dirt, and blood greased the surface of her suit. Sweat stuck to the skin of her face and her hair was much greasier than usual after a night of patrolling. Not to mention how tired she actually looked. Her eyes dropped and it would seem that she was begging for a shower. 

You sighed and shook your head. Cass was just standing there, her chest rising and falling at the deep breaths she was taking to try and calm her quick heartbeat from the tough patrol she just went through. She came here to just see you. Spy on you for a little bit, as creepy as that sounds, she just wanted to make sure you were okay. 

Today’s patrol made her remember how dangerous of a place Gotham could be. She needed to know that you were safe and sound. What she didn’t expect was for her body to not listen to what her brain wanted and snuck into your room. 

But now that she was actually in your room, in front of you, she didn’t really know what to do. 

“Go shower, my love. I’ll get some of your clothes that you left here then we can rest together.” 

At your response, she smiled before making her way towards the bathroom. 

Though the two of you didn’t live together, it was almost like your apartment was her second home. Next to your towel was a grey towel just for her. Next to your toothbrush was her own. She even had her face wash and skincare right next to yours. She smiled looking around the bathroom, it was such a simple space. 

Something a lot of people overlook, but it was an important part of a home. It was almost like you in that regard, though she chuckled over her mind comparing you to a bathroom. 

You were far more than that. But it was true. You weren’t a vigilante, you weren’t a hero, you were just a normal civilian student going by her daily life. You were by no means special in the grand scheme of things and you could be overlooked by many things in life. 

But by her? By Cassandra Cain trained assassin and Black Bat? You were everything. You were one of the most important things in her life. And seeing her life slowly merge into yours in the shape of her belongings slowly making a home in your home? That caused her heart to swell. 

So much that she couldn’t help but take a quick hot shower so she could cuddle with you on your bed. 

When she finished her shower, you were already in bed ready to welcome her. 

Cass wordlessly shuffled to your bed and wrapped her hands around your torso as she lay on her side. Her face buried deep in the crook of your neck. You chuckled at her touchiness, who would’ve thought one of the genuinely most terrifying vigilantes in Gotham was such a cuddle bug? 

As you kissed the top of her head you whispered. 

“Good night Cass.”

Cass hummed back. 

“Good night beautiful.” 

At the comfortable weight of your love safe and sound in your arms. Her somewhat still wet hair against your hands, you felt yourself drifting into a deep sleep. Though not before you heard Cass mumble. 

“Thank you.” 

Leaving you to sleep with a wide smile, knowing tomorrow morning you’d actually be able to have a conversation with the woman you loved. Now, though, now, you’d both rest. 

[kawaii-queen-kaiju]

Killer

Maribat March - Prompt 8

TW: Panic attack, gun/murder (in self-defense), mention of blood

-

The sound was echoing in her head. Playing on loop, over and over. Marinette tried to hide from it, burying herself in her ridiculously expensive duvet, but she kept hearing the bang, feeling the heavy metal of the gun in her hand. Seeing the man's body hitting the ground, laying in a pool of his own blood.

She let out a shuddering breath, burying her face deeper into her feather pillow, wrapped in a silky soft case. She doesn't deserve this kind of luxury. She's a killer.

Marinette sat up abruptly, flinging the comforter off of her, and herself off of the cloud-like mattress. She scooted back, pressing her back into her bookshelf, digging it in painfully. Good. She's not a hero, she deserves the pain. She killed a man, and with no Miraculous Cure to save him he would stay that way. Sobs wracked her body as she curled herself into the smallest ball she could.

A knock at the door made her freeze, breath getting caught in her throat. She knew it was just one of her siblings, Bruce, or Alfred, but all she could hear were gunshots, echoing in her ears. All she could see was the man in the horrible clown mask pointing a gun at Red Robin. All she could do was wish that it hadn't gone down the way it did. Wish that that stupid goon hadn't had a hidden handgun, wish that it hadn't been a kill or be killed situation. Wish that she hadn't chosen to be a monster, chosen to be no better than the criminals she fought.

"Pixie! Hey, it's okay, I'm so sorry, just breathe with me!"

Distantly she could hear Jason's voice, breaking through the haze of self-deprecation she built up around her. Jason, her brother, who was always there for her when the culture shocks of Gotham hit her particularly hard. Her chest heaved as she tried to pull further away, pressing the bookshelf further into her back and making her whimper. She didn't deserve his kindness, doesn't he understand? She killed someone! She broke one of Bruce's only rules! Oh God, she broke the no-kill rule. Bruce was going to disown her and ship her back to Paris, and he'd tell everyone one what she did, and she was going to go to prison and rot in a cell for the rest of her pathetic life! It's what she deserved, so she couldn't blame him.

Jason picked her up and she flailed. Why doesn't he understand?! She's a monster! She's a killer!

"So am I."

Three words. Three words, and her mind halted in its tracks. "I know how hard it is, Pix. God, I was a wreck after the first time. I still get nightmares. But it wasn't your fault, Pix, it was his. He was going to kill Tim, and you had a choice to make. You and Tim, or that scumbag, who was probably going to sleep just fine tonight if you hadn't stopped him." His teal eyes flashed with regret, shadows of horrific things dancing in them. "You made a choice, and I can promise you, none of us are going to criticize you for it. Hell, it's the choice any of us would've made if we were in your shoes."

Another knock sounded at the door, and she jumped, but didn't fall back into another panic attack, thankfully. Dick poked his head in, giving her a soft look. "I've got all the Disney Princess movies queued up and loads of ice cream when you're ready, M."

She took a shuddering breath in. She didn't deserve this. All this pampering and ice cream. She's a killer! But... so is Jason, and Damian, and Cass, and she's 90% sure that Tim isn't as clean as they think. She still loves and trusts them and knows they're good people. Maybe...

Maybe she still is, too?

[fleur-de-violette]

To be a big brother

AO3

Summary:

Duke answers a call for backup in Blüdhaven. The impromptu team up leads to some conversations about Damian, and about siblinghood.

Note:

This was written for the DC out of shadow event, made by @holyserverbatman! I started a bit late, but I’m happy I can still have something about these two. I had the prompt: “Duke asking Dick how to be a good big brother” in mind but I took some liberties.

I hope you’ll enjoy the story! -

Duke had to say: he didn’t expect the look of surprise that crossed Nightwing’s face when he showed up for backup. It was almost disappointment, and he would lie if he said it didn’t hurt a little.

“Expecting someone different?” he asked, crouching down on the roof. The darkness of Blüdhaven’s night contrasted with the bright light emitted from the building Nightwing had been watching.

“I was, actually,” Nightwing said honestly. “I thought you weren’t doing nights.”

Duke shrugged. “It’s been quiet, so I took a few days off. And everyone else had been busy when you asked for backup, so I figured I could come.”

“No, it’s nice, it’s just-”

“You wanted to see someone else.”

To his credit, Dick didn’t try to hide it. He nodded slowly. “I was hoping I could see Robin, in all honesty.”

Duke nodded. That made sense. Dick and Damian were really close, much more than Dick was with Duke, who had been staying mainly in Gotham. He had worked with Bruce, a bit with Cass and Tim, but never with Dick, out of the few tense moments where they were all together for a world ending event. Dick and Damian had been Batman and Robin, whereas Duke’s Robin had only been a copycat.

As if reading his mind, Dick let out a long sigh. “I don’t… we didn’t really start on the right foot, I guess. I wasn’t in a right place when we met.”

Duke snorted. “Yeah, tell me about it.” Given what he had heard about that time, not in a right place was an understatement. But it wasn’t like he himself had been good and well adjusted when he started the We are Robin movement.

“What I mean is-”

Duke waved him off. “I know what you mean. And like, yeah. I’m ok to start again. Starting with this. You didn’t request backup to talk about feelings, right?”

Dick smiled. It seemed like this was an easier territory. “No, I didn’t. What you see here is an abandoned factory.”

Duke looked for a moment at the light coming out of the building. “Doesn’t seem abandoned to me.”

“Exactly. A group of arm dealers has established themselves in. Thirty, maybe forty men. With cutting edge weaponry. I want them out of my city and in prison.”

“Cops?”

“This isn’t Gotham. I don’t have a commissioner Gordon here,” Nightwing said before softening. “The captain I trust the most is aware I’m moving tonight, but she won’t send reinforcement. I understand her: she doesn’t want to risk her men taking a bullet, especially since we don’t know who within her rank will turn to their colleagues. She will come do the pickup afterwards, though.”

Duke let out a sarcastic smile. “So, we’re doing the dirty work and she takes credit.”

“Something like that. A problem?”

“No, not really.” It wasn’t as if it never happened in Gotham. It was frustrating, but it was part of the job.

“I’ve been observing them, while I waited for you to arrive.” Nightwing opened a hologram showing the blueprint of the building. “Here is the typical route of the guards. Here and here is where they could hide the merchandise. I don’t know if there are snipers, but if there are, they could be in this building, or in this tower or-”

“There are two snipers,” Duke cut him off. He showed their position on the map. “Here and here.”

To Dick’s questioning look, he replied. “They probably think their lasers are stealthy, but to me, it’s like pointing a light telling: I am here.”

Dick nodded. “Impressive,” he said, and Duke tried not to let the small remark get to him. Working with Batman, compliments were scarce, and he hadn’t gotten used to them. Just this one word filled him with pride.

“Then I suggest we split up to take care of them simultaneously and stealthily. We will regroup afterwards to take care of the guards and then enter the building. How does that sound? You feel up to it?”

That was another novelty. Batman never asked him if he was up to the task. He had to be. “Yes, I can do it. We take out the snipers and then?”

“I will meet you up on this bridge,” he said, showing a small metallic bridge linking up two buildings. “It should be in their blind spot. We will see from there.”

Duke nodded. Improvising then. It was good to him. Even with the most detailed of plans, he often ended up doing that anyway.

“Alright then. You take the east sniper; I take the west one. Meet you in ten minutes, here.”

“Understood. See you there.”

And with that, they were both gone in their separate direction. Duke toured the building, careful not to let himself be seen. He couldn’t help but notice Dick had given him the easiest man to take out. He didn’t really know how to feel about that. It was certain that the older man wasn’t underestimating him. He was valuable and needed backup. Still, Dick would take the most difficult and dangerous task for himself. He could understand. If it had been his city, his territory, and someone less experienced came to help him, he would probably have acted the same way.

He sneaked in behind his sniper. One quick glance into the dark showed him that Dick was doing the same. Now, he had to act fast: in one quick move he hit the man’s neck, efficiently making him fall unconscious. He mentally thanked Cass for teaching him this move before hurrying up to the rendez- vous point. He was just arriving on the platform when he saw Nightwing falling on it, his body moving like water. Anyone else than him probably wouldn’t have noticed him.

Perfect timing. And in less than ten minutes, too.

“Good job,” Nightwing said in a low voice. “We’re a bit in advance, so we will have to wait. A guard will be here in five.”

Duke nodded. So, that was what the ten minutes limit was about.

After a short time, Nightwing started talking again. That was another thing that differed from working with Batman. Bruce never used one more word than the ones that were strictly necessary.

“Thank you, for coming to help. You did good, with localizing the snipers and taking one out. I want this over tonight, and thanks to you, it might be possible.”

It was the second time Nightwing mentioned wanting the dealers to be put out this night, so it piked Duke’s curiosity. “Why? Is there something special about tonight? Are they planning something?”

Dick made a face. “No, but um… I am. Starfire asked for my help on something. I will be in space next week, maybe the week after, too. I don’t want to leave that kind of things in my city while I’m away.”

Duke suddenly realized something. “Oh, that was why,” he said before he could stop himself.

Dick tilted his head in an unsaid question.

“Da- Robin asked me to come to his art exhibit thing next week. B and A can’t join us until later, but I was wondering why he didn’t ask you.”

Something weird crossed Dick’s face. Something like disappointment, not in Duke, not in Damian, maybe in himself, but it didn’t stay more than one second, because there was a noise beneath them, and suddenly Dick Grayson was gone and Nightwing was back.  

Before Duke could even see it, and that was saying something, the guard was tied up and silenced. “Come on,” Nightwing said. “Let’s move. Stay near me.”

Duke didn’t question it. They were in enemy territory, so now was not the time to debate a plan. Between the two of them, they made quick work of the guards. To Duke’s relief, none of them had the time to sound the alarm. They were unnoticed. It wouldn’t stay that way for long. Soon, one of the guards would miss a checkup and someone would notice they had a bat problem. But for now, Duke thought as he was working to deactivate the security on the window Nightwing was trying to open, they were blissfully ignored.

“He probably understands,” Duke said, before he wasn’t one to leave a discussion unfinished. “I don’t know Starfire as much as you do, but I guess she wouldn’t have asked you if it wasn’t important. And Robin knows that too.”

Nightwing let out a low laugh. “Are you trying to reassure me? Don’t worry, I know he understands.” The window opened with a loud noise, and they started to get into the over dated ventilation system that was thankfully big enough to fit them without difficulty.

“And I get why he asked you. He was probably scared Batgirl and Hood would tease him, Black Bat isn’t a fan of social gatherings, and I can’t see him asking Red Robin. You’re a good choice. You’re a good big brother.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Duke started, but he didn’t have time to elaborate, because there were suddenly voices under them. A man was barking orders all around.

“They finally realized we’re here,” Nightwing said. “They’re going to arm themselves.”

“If we get to the control room, we might be able to lock the door to the armory,” Duke suggested. Dick nodded, and they started moving toward the control room. As they reached it, a woman was screaming at two other goons. “I don’t care about that! Find them! I want to see them!”

Dick smiled. “Let’s give her what she’s asking for.”

They fell down in unison, and the woman barely had time to scream before she was put in a headlock and rendered unconscious. Duke could see one of the other goons pull out a gun, but he was on him before the man could think of pulling the trigger. He finished tying them up before joining Dick in front of the control panel. The man was already typing fast, bypassing security protocols.  

Soon, the armories were safely locked and they even had some fun confusing the dealers by locking them and winning time. They were fighting a large number of enemies: their best shot was to separate them.

“Oracle?” Dick asked in his comm and Duke turned quickly toward him. He didn’t know she was on the case, but that made sense.

“I have access,” she said in both their earpieces. “Count on me to send them to you little by little.”

“And now?” Duke asked. There was already a group of men and women fast approaching.

Dick made a move toward the ceiling. “And now, you go up.” Duke obeyed, flying toward the ceiling with his grapples.

He wasn’t up for long when the door opened and Nightwing had half a dozen guns pointed at him.

“Hiya, fellas. Nice night we’re having today,” Nightwing said with a smile “A bit cold, but-”

A shot was fired in the wall just behind him.

“I should have guessed it was you,” said one of the dealers. “Kinda stupid to show up in here all alone.”

Nightwing leaned nonchalantly on one of the tables. “Well, see, here is the thing.” Duke stopped breathing for a second. He knew what was coming. “I’m not alone.”

Duke chose this moment to descend on them, and soon, Nightwing was bouncing with him. The dealers didn’t last long.

“You’re good,” Nightwing told him once they were done, waiting for the next ones.

“At fighting?”

“That and… big brother-ing. I don’t believe you when you say you’re not good. I think you would make a great big brother.”

That was unexpected. He thought that conversation was over. “I just… it’s very new to me. Sure, I took care of the neighbors’ kids and stuff, but it was never like this.”

So many things were new. The Signal, his powers. Adjusting to life without his parents, or, more accurately, with his parents in the state they were in. Working with Batman. Learning more about himself, without being able to tell his mom about it. And the people he could now go to with that. His kind of new family. Damian, who might look at him like his big brother, a title he wasn’t sure he deserved, just like all the others.

“There is no manual to be an oldest sibling. You try, you mess up. But, from what I saw, I think you’re doing great.” He looked at the monitors before saying “Go back up. Next wave is coming.”

Duke obediently grappled into the ceilling, putting himself in position. It was almost comical, how fast they were getting through the arm dealers. But he had to admit: they made a good team. Nightwing and The Signal. He liked the sound of that.

“I think it was the last of them,” Dick said after a few waves. “The only ones left are not fighting personnel and they are hiding.”

Duke looked at the monitors. He could see some people still on the cameras, but they didn’t seem armed. “Not hiding very well, apparently. Are we going to go get them?”

Dick shook his head. “No, let the police have them. I’ll send officer Rohrbach a message, it’s nice that they have something to do, right? Now, let’s get out of here. Half of the force wants to put a bullet in my head, we don’t want to be there when they show up.”

And with that, they were gone. After they had put a reasonable distance between them and the factory, Dick asked. “Do you need to go back to Gotham, now? Or can I offer you dinner?” he looked at the sun going up, “Or, breakfast, I guess.”

Duke looked at the rising sun for a moment. “Breakfast sounds nice, yeah.”

Dick put himself near the edge of a building. “Come on then,” he said, “I know a place that is open at this hour and doesn’t mind serving costumed freaks.”

And with that, light as air, he let himself fall down. Duke followed, his grappling style less polished, but still keeping up.

It was only when they were walking down the street that Dick said, “I’m glad Damian has someone else than me looking out for him. I meant it, when I said I think you’ll be a great big brother. And I’m counting on you.”

Duke thought of the night they just had. The peace offering, given their rocky start. The way Dick trusted him, while giving him the less dangerous tasks still. The compliments. The breakfast invitation.

“For the record,” he said. “I will be a great big brother too.”   

[dailycass-cain]

My Thoughts on Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1 (aka the Cass portion)

An hour past noon. Enough time for some thoughts on one story, Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1. Some thoughts to keep us warm until Spirit World #1 arrives...

The thing that always interests me with Alyssa Wong when they tackle Cassandra Cain is they take the character and use stuff Cass has faced and then spin something new.

Cass has only encountered magic a handful of times. Only once in her entire series (ironically near the tail end with Lazara).

In truth, Cass has encountered magic outside her own comic more (Young Justice, the Zee arc in Tec Knights, and just recently the big battle in “Dark Crisis” where she literally was dodging attacks from Spectre) and--

JL: Elite with her and Coldcast being in the "world of shadows" and they encountered some Lovecraftian creatures.

Literally, outside the main universe, Cass encountering mystic stuff seems more common. We have Cass getting Shazam powers in DCeased, her fighting vampires (and teaming up with Frankenstein briefly) in DC vs. Vampires--

-- and another place in an animated adaptation of a comic she was never in originally (Batman: the Doom that Came to Gotham).

So all of this is a nice treat to see Wong take the character outside their "comfort" area and into something that's an open area for the character to explore, magic.

We get the perfect gateway character for that with Cass in the newly introduced character Xanthe.

Though I have to admit this brief little tease Wong gives introducing Cass maybe hints at what she's been up to during the Batman vs. Robin mini prior. Not jobbing, but making the city safe while everyone else was occupied.

Which kind of makes sense truthfully for someone of Cass's skillset. Nezha couldn't incapacitate or maybe twist her like everyone else. So the next best thing is to keep her so busy that she doesn't have any time to do anything else.

At least what I'm going with by reading this.

The thing that fascinates me early on in Cass and Xanthe's team-up is how Cass calls the vampires one thing and Xanthe calls them and I love the editor's note here because I'm utterly clueless with it comes to Chinese mythology (save a few things).

I also love that Wong showing their knowledge of Cass knowing what to do due to being such a movie junkie (and I liked that this was brought up. The nod made me smirk cause it's been A WHILE since someone referenced Cass's old habits).

I also just love that this isn't the end of the story and that Xanthe, Cass, and John Constantine (a character Cass has barely any meetings of in canon, but had one out of it in DCeased).

There was SOOOO much of this story and the art by Haining gives us a nice expressive Cass. Again, I don't mind the white eyes when an artist makes them so expressive and Haining gives Cass some nice reactions throughout this tale.

Not to mention some nice fluidity in her move set too. Literally, the only negative I can say is how quickly the story ended and make me hunger for more. Thankfully we only have two more months before we get just that in Spirit World #1.

The premise in that, Xanthe/John in a quest to save Cass. I'm game for. Though I do hope we just see a character like Cass see the Spirt World thru her eyes. Cause body language and also for new readers this be a nice treat.

Plus the chance to see Cass actually struggle not have it be ooc? To learn something new? Yeah, I'm game for that.

The side bonus to all of this is we get a full-on tale by Alyssa Wong. No one part (ala Batman: Urban Legends #8) and a short (but amazing story in DC: Doomed & the Damned #1).  Just a full-on story Wong has with Cass and I'm all for that.

Though I am hopeful that maybe Batgirls can deal with this issue's fallout? I'm game for Babs/Steph to have an issue or more with them wondering where Cass is at? Or maybe Cass show up and have an editor's note (read Spirit World #1).

Just to give that nice bridge to both comics that Cass is in. Besides it gives us that moment with Steph to see her own thoughts when Cass is out of the picture (will she read Cass's letter?).

Not to mention see Babs' thoughts on handling what occurred with Steph in #15 and now Cass going on a crazy Spirit Adventure with others.

If you can't tell I really REALLY dug this story and can't wait for May for more of this.  It truly is a nice surprise to not only get a bonus mini that has Cass in it but is written by Alyssa Wong?

[starspatter]

Heroes and Thieves, Ch. 23

Title: Heroes and Thieves Fandom/Universe: BTAS, pre/post-RotJ flashback

Summary: A story about second chances, healing, and having hope.

Rating: PG-13, for references to character death, child psychological torture and trauma.

Genre: Romance/Family/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 2,196 Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

Also on ff.net and AO3.

We were just kids just living in Wide-eyed innocence Minivan floor like a tenement We were just kids who believed in More than just dreams In more than just justified ends to a means

-Switchfoot, "Who We Are"

————————–

Between.

Gotham Central Park.  A harrowed, hunched form had parked himself on a bench overlooking the playground, where a group of children were engaged cheerfully.  Peacefully.  Safely.  Hanging upside-down from the monkey bars, taking turns on the slide while their doting parents watched and applauded at each successful landing; boosting their precious little ones on the swings, higher and higher towards the horizon.  It reminded Tim of the time he and Cassandra had sat there together, holding hands for the entire length of the afternoon.  …She wasn’t here now though.  He was alone.

…Or so he thought, but he suddenly felt a familiar shadow fall over him.  Only stocky rather than slender.  He didn’t even need to raise his head to guess who it was.

“I thought you and Cass were in Hawaii.”

“We came back as soon as we heard the news.”

Conner reclined on the resting next to Tim, who retained silence for an agonizing interval before finally stating:

“My wife’s pregnant.”

A thump on his back.

“Congrats, man.  You finally knocked her up.”  His companion grinned.  “I was wondering if you two even did it, to be honest.”

Tim shamefully hung his head in regret.

“…It was an accident.”

“That’s a real nice way to refer to your future offspring.  Look at it this way, you’ve got a story to tell the tyke when it grows up.”

“This isn’t funny, Kon.”  He descended his frazzled forehead further into his palm.  “What am I even gonna do with a kid?  I can barely handle functioning normally on a daily basis, how the hell am I going to be able to take care of someone else?  I mean,” he added spitefully, “it’s not like I exactly have the greatest track record of role models to go by.”

Conner’s own brow furrowed in faint frustration.

“Look, you think you’ve got daddy issues, you’re talking to the guy who has half of Lex Luthor’s and Superman’s DNA.”

“Sorry.”  Tim swallowed sympathetically.  “It’s just… What if I do end up like my dad?  I could’ve inherited something bad from him…”

Conner sighed.

“Tim, buddy, you’re the one who told me genetics don’t work that way.  Remember when I found out Luthor was my secondary DNA donor, I thought I had a 50% chance of suddenly turning ‘psycho’ myself in my sleep.”

“Or of going bald.”

Tim couldn’t help but taunt, and Conner flushed slightly, recalling that nervous period of constantly checking his hairline in the mirror each day.

“Point being…  Everyone’s expected me to turn out to be either the world’s greatest hero – or the world’s greatest villain.”  He looked down at his fist, clenching tightly in determination.  “Ultimately, I chose to use my powers for good, not because of Superman, or Cadmus – but because I wanted to.  Carve my own path.  Show I can be more than just a weapon – what I was designed and purposed for – no matter what anyone else says.”

He clapped his company’s shoulder.

“Listen: You can choose who you want to be.  You’ve already proven that by becoming a hero yourself.  You are not your father.  You’re you.  And you’re the coolest, smartest, nicest guy I know.  So stop worrying, quit beating yourself up, and trust me when I say you’re gonna be fine.  ‘It’s’ gonna love you, because I do.  So does Steph.  And Cass.  We all do.”

Tim rotated slowly to confront Conner, who beamed broadly.

“Remember, I’m here for you.  All of us are.  If you need help with anything, just ask.”

Tim stared at him, before restoring his gaze to the ground.

“You know… When the two of us first met, I was in a really bad place.”

“And now?”

“…Now?”  He lifted again, and smiled.  “Now… I’m in a good place.  Thanks to you guys.  You’ve all been as much of a ‘family’ to me as Dick and Barbara.  Heck, you’re practically like a second brother.  I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met you when I did.  I’m… really grateful for you being there.”

Conner rubbed his neck in embarrassment at the gushing words of appreciation.

“Ah, jeeze.  C’mere, you.”

A large limb lunged around Tim’s shoulders, drawing him suddenly into a half-embrace.

“Kon!”  Tim glanced apprehensively aside at the sound of giggles and whispers coming from two teenage girls passing nearby.  “Hey, c’mon, we’re in public.  People are watching.”

“So?  Let them watch.  I want the world to see how much you’re valued.”

Tim blinked, but accepted the bear hug, reciprocating amiably.  Burying his face into the symbol on the other’s wide, warm chest.  For a brief instant, it brought back a vague, tingling memory of being held and soothed by someone of similar size and build, dressed also in black…

Finally separating, he laughed sheepishly at the sappy scene, surreptitiously wiping his eyes.

“Look at us, two grown-ass men – acting like total chicks.”

Conner chuckled as well, and as if to assert his masculinity, lightly tapped the other’s cheek with a playful punch, teasing in a mildly mocking manner.

“I take back what I said before about you being cool.  You’re still a dweeb.”

“And you’re still an ass,” Tim parried risibly with visible good humor, ribbing back in riposte.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

As they idled there like inept idiots, awkwardly avoiding acknowledgement of affection after the fact, another visitor with red on its breast ironically fluttered down onto the path before them, seeking handouts.  Conner glimpsed anxiously at his comrade out of the corner of his eye, but Tim remained relatively calm as he obliged and pulled out the leftovers from the work lunch Steph had packed him, compassionately scattering crumbs of sandwich crust.  After a minute of mute feeding, Conner quietly cleared his throat.

“…For what it’s worth, you’re still a ‘superhero’ in my eyes.  Absolutely nothing that’s happened since then can ever change that fact.”

Tim wryly rolled his eyes, emptying out the residual rye before crumpling the wrapper and tossing it towards the nearest bin – marginally missing the mark so it bounced off the brim instead.

“You never even knew me when I was Robin,” he snorted.

“Yeah but…”  Conner squinted contemplatively up at the sky.  “For some reason it feels like I’ve known you my whole life.”

“That’s because you pretty much have.”

“Touché,” Conner conceded.  “As far as I’m concerned though...  You’re my Robin.  Always will be.”

“And you’ll always be my clone boy.”

Tim replied with a hint of sarcasm, but smiled sincerely all the same.

As he stood in order to pick up the litter and put it in its proper receptacle, Conner followed suit.  Taking advantage of the opportunity, he again bumped the neurotic neat freak on his bent backside, bolstering boisterously.

“Just to make sure you’ve got the message, I’ll say it once more: You’re gonna be an awesome dad.  …A dork dad, but an awesome one.”

“Thanks…  I think.”

Conner patted supportively.

“Go home to your wife, Tim.  She needs you now more than ever.  If you back out from this, then I seriously will kick your ass.”

His senses piqued as he turned towards something in the distance.  With a wink, he continued:

“Speaking of which, I should probably get back to mine, before she glares a hole in my skull.  Heck,” he cupped his palm in a hush, “you’d think she’s the one who has heat vision.”

I heard that.

A stern voice resounded in both their brains, as Conner winced.  Releasing dutifully, he revolved and hastily walked off with a reverse wave.

“See you around, nerd.  Remember, I’m always a holler away if you need anything.  Even if it’s just to talk.”

Tim observed him go, approaching a dark-haired woman and a child with identical bangs and bold blue eyes.  Conner stooped to ruffle the boy’s top, before hoisting the bundle up onto his shoulders.  Cassandra smiled and nodded towards Tim.

She’s waiting for you.

With that, she took her husband’s hand and strolled off through the garden.  Tim breathed out, before heading off in the opposite direction – towards home.

…

Stephanie was still seated at the kitchen table when Tim arrived at the house, having apparently yet to clear away the cups from a surprise guest tea with her college girlfriend, who dropped in unexpectedly after receiving a confidential call just this morning.  Instead she was surveying absently out the window, running her finger along the rim of the mug, deep in thought.  Her eyes elevated upon his entrance, and she smiled.

“Hey.  Welcome home, honey~”

Tim crossed over and immediately answered her by leaning into a long, intimate kiss, to which she certainly didn’t object.

“Boy, considering I was throwing up in the toilet the last time we saw each other, you’re in an awfully adoring mood now.”  She made a whooshing motion in order to jog – jibe him.  “I mean, you just ran out of here like you saw some roadkill.”

Gulping, he cast a quick, knowing look towards the containers on the counter.

“Conner came to see me today too.”

“Oh, I see.”  Steph pouted, pushing him away.  “So that’s why you’re being so romantic all of a sudden.  You feel guilty for cheating on me, is that it?”

Tim gave a weak laugh, and wrapped his arms reassuringly around her.  They stayed like that for a while, his chin nesting gently on her golden crown as they admired the similarly-hued sunset.

“…I’m sorry for leaving you like that.  I… haven’t really been able to figure out how to react to all this.  If I should be happy, or terrified, or…”

She swiveled around, petting his jaw in forgiveness and understanding.  She could see from the shaded lines around his sockets how stressed out and scared he was.

“It’s okay to be both, you know.   I’m scared too.  When… I gave birth to my daughter, I had a dream that my dad came to take her away from me.  Even though he was supposedly ‘dead’ at the time, I was still so frightened he’d suddenly show up one day and claim her, train her to become a criminal like him.  …That’s part of why I gave her up for adoption.  I thought she deserved a better life – not one raised by the Cluemaster’s own dumb daughter, who went and got herself ‘preggers’ while still in high school by dating another loser deadbeat.”

Tim lowered himself down to her level, kneeling before her as he gripped her tautly balled knuckles.

“We’re not our parents, Steph.  You’re clever and kind and beautiful, plus the strongest – not to mention most stubborn – person I know.  You’re gonna be a great mom.  And I promise I’ll be here with you from now on, 100%.  Every step of the way.”

Her grasp unfurled, and he uplifted her tips, lips caressing in a courteous gesture that made her feel like a princess.  She smiled, and responded to the noble deed with a token of her own fondness to her templar’s temple.

“We’re gonna do this together,” she agreed.  “And we’ll be better.”

After a pregnant pause, she considered:

“Wait, so does this mean you’ll wait on me hand and foot now?”  A mischievous grin formed.  “‘Cuz if so, not to be cliché, but I’m really craving me some pickles dipped in mashed potatoes at the moment.”

Tim chuckled again.

“Whatever you desire, milady.”

“Hey, the little guy wants what it wants.”

At that, Tim tentatively reached out towards her tummy, and she indicated it was okay to touch, guiding his curious paw there.  He felt the softness of the fabric, well aware that a fetus wouldn’t be showing any signs of movement at this stage, but marveling at the notion there was indeed a life growing inside of there.  A life he helped to create, that he had – must have – experienced once (even if he couldn’t bring himself to recollect it anymore), nurtured and safeguarded against the harshness of the outside world.  Who knew nothing yet of pain or sadness – just how cruel the world could be – only pure, unadulterated love.

…

…And when his son is finally born and he holds that tiny, squirming life in his trembling palms for the very first time, he makes a vow: To protect that unpolluted innocence at all costs.  That he will never let anything bad happen to him; that his father will never abandon him.  …Urging him to cry all he can now, because there would eventually come a day when he can’t anymore – even if he wants to.  When he needs to be both brave and tough, and keep moving forward despite whatever difficulty he may encounter, make his own choice someday.

And yet… He feels tears rolling openly down his own ducts as the infant’s mother – his partner – family – rests against him, exhausted but elated.  He soon realizes his own weeping isn’t an expression of sorrow either… but one of joy.

…

And when they simultaneously ask Cassandra and Conner to be the baby’s godmother and father, respectively, the two are more than honored and glad to be of service.  …After all, they’re only returning the favor.

————————–

They said it's complicated They said we'd never make it this far But we are They said the fight would break us But the struggle helped to make Who we are We've got nothing left to lose There's still time enough to choose

[wrencatte]

i just...really like time travel fics of any kind and I hope I can write one eventually.

Gotham’s night is unlike any other. There are stars hidden just beyond the clouds, safe and sequestered away from greedy eyes who don’t understand their lives and deaths and the smoldering, burning fire that eats them up from the inside until they go cold and dark and collapse in on themselves. Or go hotter and hotter into a supernova, consuming everything in their path. There’s a hollowness next to his heart. In his heart. That feels like it could go either way. Explode inside of him and take everything with him. Or collapse into itself and he’ll go cold and dark and rot away. Again.

The roof is cold. The wind is burning. He doesn’t want to move. Just wants to lay here with his aching joints and his aching heart and with tears in his eyes, wondering why am I always too late?

He hears footsteps on the fire escape when he shouldn’t. A body splays out next to him, only just close enough to feel the warmth radiating off of them.

“Did it hurt?” Dick asks quietly.

Jason turns his head to look at his brother’s profile. He looks young like this. He’s missing the scar that used to barely peek out from his hairline from where KGBeast shot him. Dick doesn’t look back – like he knows if he does, Jason will spook like a startled cat. He looks back at the clouds. The batsignal turns on and, seconds later, there’s a flash of black descending. Jason only sees it because he knows what to look for.

“Of course, it did,” Jason murmurs, voice rough from disuse. Dick is twenty-two and Jason is twenty-three. There’s only a year’s difference between them now but Jason feels old. He feels like his bones are too big for his skin, stretching and pressing at the edges, ready to tear through like tissue paper.

“He’ll come back?”

Jason sighs. “Of course he will.”

Dick finally looks over. Jason feels his eyes boring into the side of his face, but he can’t bear to meet them. He’s not Nightwing right now. Somehow that hurts worse.

Movement, out of the corner out of his eye. Jason very carefully does not flinch or twitch or run away like every nerve in his body is telling him to. Dick brushes his fingertips on Jason’s shoulder, a hot brand through the thin material of his sweater. When Jason doesn’t run, his touch drifts to Jason’s face. He pokes Jason in the cheek like he’d taken to doing before his death, when they started acting like brothers.

“Will you stay?” Dick asks so, so softly Jason can almost pretend it was the wind.

Only almost, though.

Jason laboriously stands, brushes off his pants and back the best he can. Dick sits up, but he doesn’t join him, staring at him imploringly with that stupid look that makes people want to bend to his every request.

He hesitates. It would be easy to say yes now. But then it would be so hard to actually live it. Not now. Not with his death fresh in Bruce’s mind. Not with Damian and Cass still out there. Not with Black Mask alive. Not with Tim ready in the shadows to do one of the things only Tim Drake can do.

(He doesn’t want to. He wants to go to the kid – and he really is a kid this time – and shake him. Scare him off from the damn role. But there’s no point. Nothing would ever chase Tim from what he thought needed to be done and…he’s right. Batman needs a Robin. Jason isn’t Robin. Dick can’t be Robin again. Spoiler was too defining for Stephanie for her to disregard it altogether.

So, yeah, Tim needs to be Robin. But Jason doesn’t think he can stomach watching that happen even though he knows why and how and – )

Jason squeezes his eyes shut.

[heybatterbats]

Stuff I’m Writing!

One-Shots

Rings (Batfamily, Cass-centric)

Cass starts wearing a new piece of jewelry; Bruce finds out the deeper meaning behind it. (Ace Cass!)

all the world’s a stage (Batfamily, Cass-centric)

Cass performs in a new production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The whole family turns out to watch.

Longer Stuff

A Shadow in Pointe Shoes (Batfamily, Cass-centric)

When Cassandra Cain escapes her father, she hides out in the Gotham Ballet and accidentally starts rumors that it’s haunted. (This has not been updated in forever but I am still working on it!)

all heaven in a rage (Batfamily/DC/Arkhamverse, Jason-centric)

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy rescue Jason Todd from beneath Arkham Asylum. (Warning, this is my darkest fic and deals with a lot of heavy stuff!)

G.M.L.I. (Batfamily/DC)

Bruce and his family are mers living at the Gotham Marine Life Institute, an aquarium run by various other DC characters.

Series

Vampire Bats (Batfamily)

2023 spooky fic! Vampire Bruce Wayne starts fighting crime as the Bat and manages to start his own vampire colony along the way.

Stuff That Isn’t Batfam/DC

A Different Turn (X-Men/Captain America: The First Avenger)

The Howling Commandos rescue young Erik Lehnsherr from a Nazi lab and change the course of history in the process.

[havendance]

Live Fast, Die Young

AO3

Fandom: Batman

Featured Characters: Claire Clover (Gotham Girl), Cassandra Cain

Wordcount: 789

I was rereading Batgirl (1999) vol. 1 and started thinking about the parallels between these too Anyway, I'm still on vacation so you get some quick, barely edited fic. Takes place in rebirth only Cass is still Batgirl for reasons.

I'm trying to work my way up to writing more of Cass, so thoughts on her in this are appreciated.

---

The cave was dark, but not empty. Claire could hear something, she thought she could at least. Maybe it was just a feeling. If she wanted, she could know for sure: burn a little power and she could hear the slightest sound. How much of her life would that take? A minute? Five? Batman— no Bruce, he wanted her to call him Bruce— he didn’t want her using her powers any more than hse had to. But. How much would it really do?

No. She shouldn’t. Claire called out instead. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

A piece of the shadows melted off and converged into a figure dressed in black, a bat outlined in bright yellow on her chest and her face completely covered by a black mask. She pulled off the mask to reveal a young face with short, dark hair.

“You’re Batgirl,” Claire said.

“Yes.”

“You’re working with Batwoman, aren’t you?” she asked, trying to remember what Batman had told her, back before the fear

“Yes,” Batgirl said again. “Needed something,” she nodded towards the back of the cave, where Batman kept his armory. “Who are you?” 

“Claire, umm, Gotham Girl, I guess. I don’t know.”

Batgirl stepped closer. “I don’t know you,” she said. “You are new?”

Claire nodded. “I was— I was sick for a while, but I am.”

“Better now?”

“Yeah.”

Batgirl was studying her, analyzing her with that same focus that Bruce had. “Can you fight?”

“I can.”

“Want to?” She gestured towards the training ring.

“Umm, Batman’s still teaching me.”

Batgirl smiled. On a different person, it might have been cocky, but on her, it just looked confident, assured. “Scared?”

It was an obvious challenge, but that didn’t make it any less effective. Claire wasn’t scared. Not anymore. What was the point of everything Batman had done for her, of him going up against Bane, if she was still going to be scared. “No,” she said and stepped into the ring.

Batgirl walked in after her and took up a position across from her. She unclipped her belt and removed her gauntlets, and then, in a single languid movement, settled into a ready stance. She gestured with a single hand. Come at me.

Claire wasn’t useless in a fight. She’d trained in various martial arts for years with… with Hank. She wasn’t anywhere near Batman’s level though. Probably not at Batgirl’s either. She wasn’t going to be scared though, so, careful not to let the power out, she darted in and threw a punch

At least, that was what she was supposed to do. Instead, Batgirl moved impossibly quickly. Claire blinked and she was on the ground, Batgirl standing above her.

“I win,” she said

Claire picked herself up. “You’re good.”

Batgirl smirked. “I always win,” she said. And then, “Again?”

“You’d just beat me.”

Batgirl shook her head. “No. You were… holding back. Don’t need to.”

“No,” Claire said. “I kind of have to. I have… this power, but I shouldn’t use it unless I really have to.”

“Lethal?”

Her thoughts went to Hank, gone mad and wrecking the city. “It can be.”

A fist darted out and stopped just before Claire’s throat, too fast for her to even flinch. “So am I,” Batgirl said. She held it there for a second before drawing it back. “You can’t control it?”

“No, I can.” Most of the time. Unless she couldn’t control herself. “It’s less about that, and more what it does to me.”

“It hurts you?”

“Kind of.”

“Meta?”

Claire shrugged. “I don’t know.”

The question was clear on Batgirl’s face.

“It’s kind of a long story.”

Batgirl shrugged and sat down on the map.

Claire sat down across from her. “Me and my brother, we really admired Batman. We wanted to be like him.”

Batgirl nodded. 

“So we trained and learned and tried to help people. And then we met someone and he said he could give us power. Strength, flight, super-senses. We could do anything, could be like superman, and all it would cost was burning some of our own life.” She shrugged. “Maybe it was a stupid deal to make. I mean, we were already helping people. Doing good.”

“Good,” Batgirl said. “Not perfect. You could do more, be better.”

“Yeah. Then would you have done it?” she asked. “If you had the choice?”

“Yes.” No hesitation. “What we do, we can’t fail.”

“No.” They failed and people died. “And I have these powers now. That means I should use them.”

“No holding back.”

“I know, I’m just…” Not scared. Claire wasn’t going to be scared anymore. She shook her head. “Thanks.”

Batgirl stood. “Next time,” she said with a smile. “Fight better.”

Claire returned the smile. “I will.”