#Clark & Danny talk about stars

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 261

“So is no one going to talk about the eldritch space child or…” 

“I mean, do you want to get between a child and Batman? I think the only one who could even get close right now is Superman…” 

“No you’re right, I think- oh my god the eldritch space child is playing with batman’s bat-ears and he’s not doing anything about it what the fuck I thought only Robins could get away with that-” 

[dcxdpdabbles]

In Freelance Inventor, does anyone in JL know about Danny? Do they try to help the kids Parent Trap Danny and Bruce? Does Selina know about Danny?

Batman is acting strange.

It's often that Clark thinks this. He feels a bit guilty judging people like that, but no one in the league, or hell, the world, can deny that Batman is an abnormal human.

If he even is human.

Not much is known about one of the founding members of the Justice League, and while Clark and Diana are arguably the closest to him, they don't even know his real name. Not that it was a problem.

They would trust him with their lives and learn to turn to him for leadership in dire times. It always seemed like he was prepared for literally anything, and when something managed to suppress the Dark King, it didn't last long, for he had a backup plan formed seconds later.

That's how they work. How the three changed a necessary alliance into a globally recognized league of heroes.

While Clark was good at making feel people feel safe, and Diana could rally forces, Batman had a way of making the impossible happen. Together the three tackled the world's problems making one day better at a time.

That did nothing to make people feel slightly....uneased by Batman. Clark was man enough to admit that even he got spooked. One time, he offhanded mentioned that he could recognize heartbeats when talking to Oliver and Batman.

Batman had tilted his head, made direct eye contact with Clark and suddenly, his heart rate had slowed down, beating entirely different. Clark felt horrified when the Dark Knight kept that same heartbeat for the following week, only switching mid-meeting to a faster one than the previous two.

Clark is Kryptonian. He is an alien. Sure, he developed most during puberty, but he always had superstrength and super speed as a tot. That's why he doesn't make sense, but Batman?

He had no idea what was going on with Batman, and frankly, he didn't want to touch the subject with a ten-foot pole.

Yet he could not help but think of the strange little hermit as a friend. Batman, in his own way, cared deeply for people. He never mentioned it but he always support heroes in their daily lives and although he grumbled a bit, was always there when someone needed him.

Yes, he wasn't the most approachable of heroes and a bit too professional, but he was still one of the greatest heroes in history for a reason. Clark always felt better of their chances when Batman was involved.

Seeing even a hit of disbalance in the Dark Knight made him worry.

Batman never lingered after meetings, training or monitor duty. Once he finished he was heading straight back to Gotham sometimes without a by your leave.

Batman did not do that today. Instead, he was staring out the watch tower's common room into the stars and hadn't moved for over two hours. Plenty of other heroes had already fled the room, too unnerved by the silent brooding man.

The last time this happened was because Robin had first shown up, shocking the world with his bright, impish laughter from Batman's shadows. Batman had taken months trying to decided to let the boy join him, and only because Robin straight up did not give him a option did he allow it.

Clark had been with Diana, angry that he was dragging a child into such dangerous situations only to have the Bat tell them to "stop him yourself then"

He did, but no matter how many times he captured Robin the boy was back on the streets a few hours later. Clark felt his hair grey from ever second he spent with the angry child. Diana hand't had much luck.

In fact the boy had, somehow bended in a way that had scared her into thinking she broken his spin, to escape her lasso. Her moment of fright was the opening he needed to scurry away, shouting at the top of his lungs that he would never be stopped.

She respected him but still captured the boy a few hours later. She screamed when Batman called her again to let her know the boy was seen fighting a gang at the ports that same night.

What could possibly cause Batman to stress the same way as his son? The founding members weren't sure, but they were all staring at him from the doorway after noticing every other hero avoiding the place like the plague.

"Go talk to him" Hal hissed at Clark.

"Me?" Clark spluttered. "Why me?"

"He is less likely to kill you," Barry tells him with the gravest expression Clark has ever seen on his face. "You are also the most likely one to survive Batman's attempt on your life if he decides to kill you."

Superman gapes at him, twisting around to all his teammates but everyone is either nodding or avoiding his eyes. They all decided he was the sacrifice it seemed. Traitors.

But it's true he is worried about his friend. He is slightly afriad of his friend but Clark would not be able to sleep at night if he didn't at least reach out to Batman.

Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, he twists on his heel and marches over to the dark figure. He tries to shake the feeling of walking to his executor as he finally carefully stops by Batman's side. He doesn't look at him, keeping his gaze on the stars.

Neither man said anything, peacefully observing the darkness and lights of space.

Clark waited about thirty seconds before the silence got too much for him. "Er, Batman? Is everything alright?"

Batman didn't even twitch, a tight frown- more turn down on the right corner to then the left which meant it was a nervous kind of upset instead of annoyed upset as ussal. A full minute goes by where Clark wonders if Batman even heard him about to start babbling to try to get some conversation going when the man speaks.

"Superman, have you ever been in love?"

Clark swears he never experienced whiplash this badly. He honestly thinks the loud crack that came from his neck when he turned it in shock to the other Leaguer meant that he broke it.

Batman held no hint that he said anyhting but Clark could still hear the question echoing in his head as he gaped. He got ahold of himsrlf when he noticed Batman's heart beat pick up- nervous, embarssed. even fighten?- and his shoulder hitched up slightly.

Crude he made his friend feel bad.

"No! No no! I was just surprised, is all," He cries, waving his hands. Lois's face flashes in his mind, causing him to smile slightly dropply. "I have. I am actually. There this girl- at my work. She's great. Um, why do you ask?"

"....how do you know you're in love?"

Boy, was Clark really having this conversation at his age? He felt like a fumbling teenager. Granted, he only had one girlfriend back in high school, and he was fairly sure she only dated him to piss off her dad.

Still this was great! He has never had a conversation this deep with Batman before!

"I'm not sure if it's the same for Kryptonians as it is humans- you are human right?"

"Yes."

Oh, so Batman was just like that. Good to know.

"Well, I knew from how she made me feel nervous but happy nervous? As if the world was brighter. Better. And when I'm not near her, all my thoughts somehow return to her." Clark thinks of how to best explain love, turning the world over in his head before snapping his fingers. "You know when you just adore a certain food? That no matter how often you eat it or how long it's been, it just makes you feel better? There isn't a real reason why you like it so much you just do. That's what she's like for me."

Batman nods slowly. He might not be able to see his eyes but Clark could image them softening just by the way his whole body relaxes. "I see. Then I am in love. Thank you."

He turns away before Clark can get his jaw off the floor. Batman stride right out the room, ingorre the scrambling heros who try to act like they weren't easedropping and vanishes in a flash of light back to Gotham.

He did all that as if nothing had happened.

Clark has half the mind to think he just haluciated the entire five minutes before Barry blurted. "Batman is in love?! That's amazing!"

They spent the rest of the night trying to guess who was the person that could have possibly romanced Batman.

Barry and Hal were convinced it was another vampire- they didn't believe the Dark Knight was telling the truth when he claimed he was human- while both Diana and Arthur both claimed the person had to be a deadly warrior.

J'onn was under the impression it had to be someone who was the polar opposite of Batman. On Mars, that was the common couple dynamic. Thus, the person Batman loved was likely a civilian. A dumb sociable one.

He didn't say Bruce Wayne exactly, but J'onn heavily implied Bruce Wayne. He even pointed out that Mr. Wayne financed everything the Leauge used from the very beginning, of course in secert but it was still his money.

Why would he do that if he wasn't somehow profoundly involved? Obviously, the billionaire wanted Batman safe, maybe even returned his feelings. The rest of the Leauge looks half convinced by the logic.

Personally? Clark was just happy that Batman found anyone at all. No matter who they were, he would do everyhting he could to help his friend woo his crush.

That's what friends are for, after all.

[wolfjackle-creates]

broski I beg of u to tell me about your Danny is Clark’s nephew wip im so intrigued

@hailsatanacab also asked about this one! I shared two snippets for them so check out Part 1 and Part 2. (about 900 words total between the two asks.)

This was inspired by the discussion on a prompt you made ages ago, actually! Here's the post. The main prompt isn't the inspiration, however. It was the comment about Danny joining the JL and [insert spiderman meme here].

Let's see if I have anything I can add. (I changed things enough when posting the first bits that everything else I have doesn't fit anymore.)

Eh, fine. Just went through and wrote another 600 words.

-----

Danny winced. “Yes, Uncle Cl— Kal. Uncle Kal.” Danny glanced next to him and realized Constantine had moved several feet away and was deliberately trying to not attract attention. He bit back a smile and pulled on the Prince Phantom persona Queen Dora had forced him to learn. “Thank you for your assistance, Laughing Magician. I now declare our deal complete and will make no further claims on you.” He waved his hand producing a piece of parchment which he handed over. “As promised, your payment.”

Constantine grabbed the paper and backed away quickly. “Great. Glad to do business with you, your highness. Hope your family reunion goes well. I’ll just—” he jerked a thumb over his shoulder, then changed something and disappeared through a portal even as several of the League members present tried to yell at him to stop.

Danny rolled his eyes as he fell back into his more relaxed demeanor. “Oh, please. What more did you want from him? I’ll talk to Uncle Kal and he can decide what is important to pass on. Magician Constantine already told you most of what he knows.”

“Just… come on, Danny,” said Uncle Clark. “We need to talk.”

---

Finding a place to talk to Danny wasn’t the problem, Clark quickly realized. Shaking off his coworkers, however… Bruce in particular did not want to be left out. And Wally was too curious to be put off.

“Danny?” called Clark when he realized the kid wasn’t with him.

“By the viewing window,” said Bruce. “He seems to enjoy the view.”

“Right. Should’ve guessed.” Clark cursed himself silently for forgetting how much the kid loved space. “Batman, please. I know you like to know everything. But can I just talk to my nephew alone? I’ll explain everything I can after, but I need to know how this situation could’ve happened in my own family without my knowledge first without you being there inserting Opinions.”

“Very well. I’ll collect Flash and we’ll leave the two of you alone. But I expect a full report after.”

“I’ll make a peach cobbler, Ma’s recipe, and head to the Manor tomorrow to tell you everything.”

“I’ll let Nightwing know.”

Clark sighed. “I’ll make two cobblers.”

Bruce’s lips twitched upward, but he turned without saying anything more. “Flash! Since this matter is going to be delayed, I believe you still have to file your report on the incident last week.”

Clark chuckled as Flash protested. But he didn’t listen to their discussion, instead joining Danny by the viewing window. He settled an arm around his nephew’s shoulders. “Beautiful, aren’t they?”

“I can’t believe you get to come up here and look out at the stars any time you want.”

“I don’t get up here as much as I’d like, I’m afraid. And when I am up here, it’s because something somewhere is going wrong so I don’t get to appreciate it as much as I’d like to.”

“So, if you’re an alien, does that mean Dad’s an alien, too? Is that why he is the way he is? Am I part alien?”

Clark laughed and ruffled Danny’s hair. Like this, it felt almost insubstantial, like passing his hand through mist. “Fraid not, kid. No one knows why your dad is the way he is. I can’t remember how often he was tested for the meta gene.”

“Once a year every year from the time he was six until he was twenty-two and graduated undergrad and started living on his own. Then he stopped for a few years. Until he started dating Mom. He accidentally broke her apartment door once and she insisted he get tested again.”

Clark wanted to laugh, but all he could remember was Danny’s earlier statement. “Danny… Are you…safe with your parents?”

-----

Again, anyone is free to continue this! If anyone wants, I can combine everything into one post to make it easier to do so.

[help-itrappedmyself]

Danny Punches a Clown Part 10

Masterpost

 Danny has been living with the Waynes for a few months now. He's never had people like them in his life. He has told them everything. They know all about him, and his ghost half. And they understand. 

     Well, as best as they can. They understand what life was like for him trying to juggle a school and vigilante life. They understand what it was like to be hiding a secret part of themselves. Jason and Damian both understand having died before. They all have trauma that they're dealing with too. 

     They were all too happy that he didn't actually want to be a vigilante anymore. Alfred almost cried at the news. But he was the one that opened the ghost portal in the first place. It was his fault there was anything to fight. He had to take responsibility. He needed to try to clean up his mess and fix his mistake. Nobody else should have to get hurt fighting the ghosts he opened the door for. He fought because it was his responsibility, and because he was the only one who could when the ghosts first arrived. Before his parents made weapons that worked, he was the only one who could fight the ghosts at all. Once they had, he was the only one who could fight the stronger ghosts. He was still the only one with a built-in sense to tell that there are ghosts around, hiding or overshadowing others. 

     They don't have any of those problems here. Of course, they still have problems, but this world has whole teams of heroes to protect them. Gotham alone has all the bats and birds. The whole family of archers in Star city, the supers in Metropolis, the flashes, and green lanterns. The Justice League, Justice League Dark, and the younger teams: Teen Titans, Young Justice, this world is not short on people willing to protect it.

     And Tim said that if he needed to indulge, he would sneak him into the Watchtower. Danny has the time of his life whenever he's able to go up there. He got to meet actual aliens! A Martian! And a Kryptonian, which he had never heard of before, but it turns out that he can speak Kryptonian and Martian since they're both technically dead languages. Danny was really sad to learn about that, but John and Clark love speaking to him, so he actually gets to talk to them a lot!

      Danny does miss his old dimension. He misses Jazz, but knows she was at college, and without him there she was free to leave their parents behind. She could stop coming back and worrying for him. Dani was traveling, happy as she could be. Sam and Tucker knew to try and destroy the ghost portal if he ever disappeared, so the town should be safe without him there. And while he knows they probably mourned him; Danny knows it's better this way. They couldn't all come with him to the new dimension, and without a portal he doesn't have a consistent way back to his old home. 

     And he couldn't stay there anymore. He couldn't live with the constant fights and threats from all directions. Hearing the terrible things his parents wanted to do to him. Trying to avoid Vlad and his schemes. 

     He has a home here, one that doesn't try to kill him. He's able to eat without worrying about his food coming to life. He's able to go out and meet friends without worrying that he'll have to fight a ghost. He never wanted to fight.

He knows this city isn't perfect. But he has an amazing family that fights for him. 

Danny just wanted peace. Now he has that.

[samgirl98]

Mending a Family 22/?

Prev | Next

Father and son day out!

Danny vibrated with excitement as dad put on a leather jacket. (He didn’t know why his dad put one on; it was the middle of summer.)

The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the stars were in full view. Today, it would be a father-son trip to the planetarium.

“Have fun, you two,” Jazz said. She wore a robe, and her hair was all over the place.

“We will, Jazz,” Danny said, excited.

His dad put Danny in the booster seat. He didn’t even complain because the sooner they left, the sooner they would get there. It would take almost six hours to get there. (Danny suggested flying, but his daddy said it was too dangerous.)

Danny watched as the sun rose in the sky and read the pamphlet his dad had printed out over and over again.

“Can we go to the gift shop at the end,” Danny asked.

“Of course, chum. What’s a trip to a planetarium if we don’t go to the gift shop afterward?”

“Yay,” Danny yelled in excitement.

Danny spent the car ride giving his dad facts about space. Anything he could think of, from constellations to black holes to galaxies. Danny talked about it all. He even talked about how gravity differed in Space from Earth and the equations used to determine how far anything was. Danny was afraid his dad would get bored after a while but could feel his dad’s enthusiasm.

Danny cheered when he saw the “Welcome to Montreal” sign in French and English.

“How much longer, daddy?”

“Half an hour,” Jason said, smiling at the excited little boy.

How did he get so lucky to have Danny in his life?

Jason parked and carried a vibrating Danny into the planetarium.

Danny’s overwhelming happiness and excitement hit Jason like a freight train when they entered the planetarium.

Jason put his little boy down but held on to his hand so he wouldn’t run off.

“Bienvenue à le planétarium du Montréal. Comment je peux veux aider?” (Welcome to the Planetarium of Montreal. How can I help you?)

“Daddy, what did she say,” Danny asked while tugging on Jason’s shirt.

“Bonjour, j’ai besoin du deux billet, mais je suis américain. Je puis obtenir des services in anglais?” (Hello, I need two tickets, but I’m American. Can I get English services?)

“Of course, sir. How many tickets?”

“I need one for an adult and one for a child, please.”

Danny had tuned out the two adults and stared at the ships they had hanging on the ceilings. It had been so long since he had the chance to come to a planetarium. He had been ten the last time. (He ignored that he was five this time around. It was too confusing to think about.)

“Okay, chum, I got our tickets to enter and for the shows. Ready to go in.”

 “Yeah, yeah!” Danny jumped up and down excitedly.

“Have a good time,” the lady said before turning to the next family.

Danny led his daddy deeper into the building. He stared and drooled over the exhibits. There was alien technology that would never exist on his Earth.

The Metropolis Space Museum had recently lent the planetarium its Krypton exhibit. There was a model of Superman’s baby spaceship. A few imitation kryptonite rocks and part of the meteor Superman had been in during his ride to Earth.

Next, there were smaller exhibits on Tamarian and Martian technology and culture. Danny ate it all up. Jason had to remind Danny to be careful with his eyes as he stared at the new technology he had never seen in his dimension.

It was nothing new or exciting to Jason, who had met Superman and Starfire. He had fun watching his son’s adorable face.

They caught a show of Clark’s passage through space when he was a baby. He had donated the images when he found them in his spaceship. They went to another about every known sun with civilization and how each culture interacted.

(This was thanks to the Green Lantern Corps.)

Then, they watched a few shows that were closer to home. As much as Danny enjoyed learning about alien culture and technology, there was just something fun watching about the phenomena that happened on their turf.

Danny enjoyed the one that showed all the planets and different constellations from the Earth’s perspective while playing orchestra in the background.

Jason took them to eat and then to an activity room where children could replicate satellites and space telescopes with Lego.

Finally, at the end, Jason took Danny to the gift shop. Danny bought a plush of Martian Manhunter, a rocket he would build, and a lamp with planets orbiting the sun. He also got a keychain for Jazz and a starry blanket for Ellie, all with daddy’s money, of course.

Jason had to carry his little boy to the car. Danny’s sleep contentment enveloped Jason, and he reveled in it.

“Did you have fun, lad,” Jason asked as he buckled his baby boy in.

“I had the funnest day ever! We don’t have aliens in my world, so learning about the different cultures was the best!”

“I’m glad you liked it. What was your favorite part?”

“Learning about Superman and Martian Manhunter. I think Martian Manhunter is my favorite Justice League member!”

Jason laughed.

“Remind me to tell you stories about Uncle Clark later.”

“Who’s Uncle Clark?”

“I’ll tell you a secret: Uncle Clark is Superman.”

Danny woke up a bit hearing that tidbit of information.”

“Y’know Superman? He’s your uncle?”

Jason laughed while feeling a ping of guilt; he hadn’t told Danny much about his time as Robin.

“Yeah, he’s da—Bruce’s best friend, so he came around the Manor a few times. Plus, I met him in the Watch Tower in space.”

“You’ve been to space? Have you met Martian Manhunter?”

Jason regaled his son of his time as Robin on the ride home. Danny fell asleep to his daddy’s voice as he told his stories.

Jason couldn’t wait to have another day out with his precious boy.

I've never been to a planetarium, but then I thought to myself, this DCU, they have aliens. I can put whatever I want. Anyway, if anyone has actually been to the Planetarium of Montreal, sorry for it not being accurate.

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[radiance1]

Okay, so, I saw your Chaos emeralds DC X Dp prompt and I thought, "What about The Digimentals from digimon 02?" Think about it, they are abstract and embody certain Virtues and concepts tied to them! What if Danny, Sam, and Tucker did the thing with Digimentals instead of the Emeralds! It'd be fun and interesting to think up the Armor evos for them, because they all have different point with each Crest. Like Danny Definitely has a wolf or other big canine for the friendship Digimental due to his protectiveness towards it friends, plus his affinity to Canine ghosts in the show, I'm willing to bet many of his Armor evos would be canine related, like Sincerity would be like a Shinto Fox Priest and Hope would be Canis Major or the Dog star.

-Just incase the ideas of the Digimental are foreign to you? They don't need to be inspired by every concept of the digimental.-Courage: bravery, Reptiles, Sun, Religious beliefs related to sun, dinosaurs, Minor dragon, fire.

-Friendship: standard forest animals, Ice or lightning.

-Love: wind, flying, affection, love towards certain things(abstract, love of home, friends, romance, platonic, Hatred(the negative side of love as it is not its opposite, rather its dark side), native American elements.

-Sincerity: plants and Japanese(shinto and taoism) culture.

-Knowledge: Earth, insects, drills.

-Reliability: water, aquatic life(natural or mythical) and or combined with aquatic craft(vehicles).

-Kindness: friendliness, compassion, Cutelike, Red Gloves for some reason.

-Light: Egyptian myth, Angel like wings.

-Hope: stars, Greek mythology, constellations, zodiac.

-Miracles: fairly abstract one, mainly golden armor, (possible ideas be like divine beings, or even imbodiments of a miracle or being able to bring out certain miracles, like a Djinn). Or being able to do something conceivably impossible, like becoming a Flying Elephant!

-Fate/destiny: similar to miracles, gold armor, being able to affect fate in some way, change the fate of others, to control your own destiny.

I'm sorry, I've been looking at this anyway I can and can't, really, think of much for this...

But imagine Constantine getting absolutely dogpiled by three teens just because he breathed wrongly around them while the big three is calmly sipping tea with one of said teens parents.

Constantine is out here magicking his life away, not knowing what he even did wrong, all because three kids decided to just ruin his day.

And you know what? They did indeed, effectively ruin his day even harder than it was already.

Meanwhile, Batman is done in the Fenton lab, stoic face yet marveling at the technology they managed to make with household items and limited amounts of money.

Wonderwoman is fisting fighting sentient food and wondering if she could find a way to take these home, while Clark is just sitting there being there pretty and talking with Jack Fenton.

Of course, Superman and Wonderwoman can hear Constantine fighting for his life, but its like, whatever.

[gilbirda]

The mystery of the giggling cape

For DPxDC Week!

Day 3: Eldritch Entities

[Read on AO3]

---

There was a giggle in the Justice League meeting room, but Batman didn’t stop talking. He did make a movement inside his cape, and the giggle stopped. Since it didn’t happen again, the others decided to ignore it - Bats was weird and he never explained anything that didn’t concern a mission, so why bother?

Except it happened again, about five minutes later. The giggling was so loud that they couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Superman cleared his throat, and Batman stopped talking.

“Yes? Any questions?”

Supes did that smile when he wanted to pry into B’s private business but didn’t want him to go nuclear. “Do you hear the giggling?”

It was a trick question, of course. Everyone could hear it, and it came from inside Batman’s cape, but he wanted to give the man the option to explain at his own pace.

Instead, he held his gaze and with a completely steady heartbeat said: “No.”

Someone snorted.

“Okay.” Clark didn’t want to fight. For real. “Do you, or do you not, have a child in the cape?”

“I do not.”

There was more giggling, child’s laughter, from inside the cape.

Diana pinched the bridge of her nose. “Is that a new Robin? You know that-”

“No, it isn’t.” Batman flinched, realizing too late that by saying that he was admitting there was a child in his cape. “It’s nothing. Let’s continue.”

Something moved in the cape, making the man tense. He hummed for a moment, and whoever was inside hummed back, the sound slightly high pitched, but not quite a kid’s voice.

The situation was starting to turn from adorable to suspicious.

“Bruce?”

Batman glared at Diana. He may have revealed his identity willingly, but still didn’t like that people used his civilian name while he was on the suit.

“It’s nothing.”

“That didn’t sound like ‘nothing’ to me.” Green Arrow, who didn’t fear death, leaned in. “Batsy, if you brought an unknown to the Watchtower we have to know. It’s the rules.”

“Rules you created.” Barry said, munching on some jerky. He flinched when Batman glared at him. “Just sayin’”

Batman sighed, finally putting down the tablet he had in his hands and opening the cape. They couldn’t see much, the fabric was as dark inside as it was outside.

“You can come out, they won’t hurt you.” He said in a soft voice, the one he reserved for children, confirming that he had a child in there.

Two glowing eyes materialized in the darkness, but no child stepped out from the cape.

“Hello, little one.” Superman stood up and approached slowly, trying to appear as harmless as he could. He knew he was big and scary, even if he was a hero.

He didn’t get a response, but more of that humming. Now that the cape was open, they could hear some layers to the voice; the high pitched child’s voice, but a deeper and richer voice as well, and behind both, a sound like static on the radio.

“My name is Clark,” he tried again. The eyes closed with more humming. Batman jumped.

“He says his name is Danny.”

Why can’t he speak on his own? Some of the present Leaguers thought.

“Danny is… we found him,” Bruce’s face, even hidden under the cowl, turned dark. “He was not fine. Hasn’t been for a while. But he was curious and wanted to come with me. Apparently, he likes the stars.”

At the mention of the stars, the child, or whatever that was in the cape, got excited. It chirped, purred and moved around in the shadows.

“We can take a break and give him a tour,” Diana approached as well, excited at the idea of teaching a child. She didn’t miss Bruce’s vagueness explaining who Danny was, though, but interrogation could wait.

“Danny would like that, except…”

Bruce opened the cape more, revealing a vast darkness even under the strong lights inside the Watchtower. It wasn’t natural darkness, or a normal shadow - what they saw inside his cape was a wall of pure nothingness that reflected no light.

And it was watching them.

Two eyes opened in the darkness, but they weren’t close or at the same height.

“Danny has taken refuge inside the cape, his form too weak to maintain humanoid shape.”

The darkness giggled with that layered voice, the eyes moving around in the lining of Batman’s cape to look at all of them.

“He says hello.”

Superman looked at his friend. “But he didn’t say anything?”

Batman nodded. “He has limited telepathy abilities as long as you are close. He can communicate concepts, ideas, and some words, but it makes him tired if he tries to speak.”

“Can I have a look?” J’onn stood up but didn’t approach, his eyes fixed on the black mass that inhabited Batman’s cape.

Danny seemed to like it, because they heard more of that creepy purring. More eyes opened too, these new ones fixed on the martian with an intensity that the league member held without difficulty.

“He likes you.”

J’onn nodded, taking that as a yes, and approached.

He extended a hand towards the darkness, checking with Batman if it was okay, and when he nodded he let his hand touch-

Memories. Emotions. Voices.

J’onn closed his eyes, trying to make sense of everything he was getting from this unknown entity.

Danny’s memories were fuzzy, but had more detail than what you would expect from a child’s mind. Also he didn’t have a hold on them as the memories came and went, the emotions tied to those vivid and raw.

Danny was not a child, and even scarier, he had been once human.

He had suffered. Somehow, sometime in his childhood, he had been hurt so badly and for so long that his mind and body were irreversibly transformed. It wasn’t innocence what made him act like a child, but a mental block that kept all the pain at bay to give him time to recuperate from what has been done to him.

J’onn quietly and carefully withdrew from his mind, no need to change it if he was protecting himself just fine, and looked at his colleague.

“Did you know-”

“Yes.”

Batman’s jaw was locked in place.

The martian nodded. “I hope justice has been served.”

“It will be.” The threat floated in the air for a few seconds.

The others looked at the exchange with different degrees of confusion, but if they wanted to discuss more serious things, they knew it would have to wait.

“So.” Diana clapped her hands, a soft smile on her lips. “About that tour…”

Danny chirped, excited, and an answering smile with sharp teeth manifested from the darkness.

---

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[theglamorousferal]

Cryptid of Smallville Chapter 3

Hey ya'll, this has been a long time coming.

First off, I want to thank everybody who liked and shared! I'm not great at talking to people but know that everything has made me so happy and warms my heart so much that I can barely put together words.

Secondly, I will be writing more, but I definitely won't be able to keep any sort of schedule. I already have a good part of the next chapter started and though it's definitely going to be a shorter one, it will still be good.

Finally, this beast of a chapter. I wrote the first 3/4 of this chapter about a week after I finished the first chapter and then began to second-guess myself about whether people would want an entire chapter dedicated to a lore dump. I fought with myself for literal months before I finally sat down and was like, "You won't be able to do the rest of it until you get this one done, it's important". Finally this morning I sat down and plugged out the last bit of the chapter and after looking everything over again I decided to just post it before I lost my nerve.

Please let me know any critiques you may have, I barely edited this. Thank you so much for the support!! <3 Here's the AO3 link

For as long as he can remember, Danny has always been fascinated by space. Something about the fact that each star out there being home to other planets and all the different things on those planets just tugs at his curiosity. To make it better, it’s infinite, so he can just keep learning about new places for as long as he’ll live. Which might be forever, but he’s trying to not think too hard about that right now. 

He wonders what the members of his Fright are up to right now. Jazz it probably trying to psycho-analyze Vlad who claims that his days of evil are over with and that he plans to just be the chill uncle to both the Fenton children. Tucker’s probably hacking into the GIW again just to mess with them. Sam’s probably planning a protest to try and get some of the anti-ecto acts repealed while Mom and Dad help with the research to back her up. Ellie is probably still hanging out with Pandora learning how to fight ancient style. Danny sighed, most of that sounded really fun, and he really wished that he could learn to fight alongside Ellie. He missed his totally-not-twin.

Right now, Danny is basically on vacation until his body is back to being 16. He basically can do whatever he wants, but he does have to go to school to keep up appearances. He’s allowed to use his powers whenever, but not where anybody can see. Which typically means he’s not allowed to go into low orbit to look at the stars because that’s just a bit far for the Kent parents' tastes.

They compromised with the roof.

So here he was, at the highest point of the Kent family home staring up at the night sky with little to no light pollution and not a cloud in the sky. The Milky Way was on full display as the stars all twinkled above. One thing he noticed pretty early on is that despite this not being his planet Earth and dimension, the constellations are the same. He tracked his way through all of the astrological signs, pausing a moment on Libra as he pictured himself as the balance with morbid humor, and then through the popular ones like Orion and the Big Dipper. He glances next to him a moment later when someone settles down on the roof with him.

“Hey Clark, what’s got you up?” Danny asked, turning back to face the sky. It’s been about five months since he started staying with the Kent’s and he’s forever grateful that they’ve been so kind and understanding with him.

“Not much, was finishing up studying for this new unit in science when I noticed you were up here. Heard you sighing, what’s got you worked up?” Clark sat with an arm braced on his knee and the other behind him staring up at the sky as well. 

“Just thinking about what my Fri- family is up to. I know time works differently here and it’s probably just been a couple days or maybe even hours for them, but I miss them a lot. They’re a crazy mess, but they’re my crazy mess, ya’know?” 

Clark glanced down at Danny, the kid looking a bit lost. He shifted so he was leaning back on both of his hands. “Actually no, I mean, it’s just been me and Ma and Pa out here before you came along. I don’t really have friends at school that I’m close with.” He paused for a moment, staring straight out across the fields. “Mind telling me about them?”

Danny whipped his head toward Clark, scanning his face. “Are you sure? You don’t have to listen to me ramble, I know I can go on and on, and I don’t want to bore you or anything.”  

Clark chuckled, “Nah, go right on ahead and tell me about your family and friends, it’d be nice to hear about the people who helped make you, well you.”

Danny paused looking at Clark’s face for a moment before he blew out a breath and turned away to look at the sky. 

“My parents are mad scientists,” Danny started. “Not in the ‘we’re building a thing to take over the world’ way, but in the ‘this sounds insane but it’s somehow real’ way. They’re the leading scientists in Ecto-biology and Ecto-engineering, also known as the study of ghostly behavior, biology and the properties of ectoplasm. Ectoplasm is both an energy source and the material that ghosts are made of. They make all kinds of things from weaponry to shield generators to tracking devices all based on ectoplasm. Their crowning achievement however was the portal.” Danny paused here, debating how much to say. “They built a portal to the afterlife in the basement of my childhood home, and it’s the reason I have ghost powers.” He decided to not get into the fact that he walked in and had a whole dimension pulled through him as the portal opened, no need to scare poor Clark. 

“Lab safety has always been a thing that was more like guidelines than actual rules in the house, so since growing up in that environment, it led to myself and my family getting contaminated with ectoplasm. I definitely have it worse off than my family members, but each of them has something that’s just a bit off about them. Like my dad lifting things he probably shouldn’t, my mom moving just a little too fast, and my sister does this thing where she’s looking at you and it feels like she’s looking at your soul and it takes her just a little too long to actually blink and then she’s psychoanalyzed you and knows all your secrets. It’s unsettling, but we just live with it. I had a bit of an accident so I got more contaminated which is why I can fly and do other ghostly things.”

“Must be great having people around who’ve studied ghosts and everything when you have ghost powers. If you have them, why were you left with us? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have you stay with your parents who can handle it if your powers get out of control?”

Danny winced at this, “It’s kinda complicated. So I have some responsibilities in my dimension that I kinda need to be bigger for. I have all my power, and who knows maybe going through puberty a second time will make them grow more, but for now it shouldn’t be much. I’m mostly here to get something of a ‘normal’ childhood and to wait it out until I’m my full size again. It’ll be weird because by that point I’ll technically be 26 but hey I’m not gonna have to go through all the ‘adult’ things I need to do, just need to lay low and do some fun kid stuff, maybe do better in school this time around, maybe I’ll be able to pass high school when I get back. Maybe I’ll work on learning some stuff that could be useful like karate, that could be fun, we could do it together! Since we’re both strong we wouldn’t have to hold back against each other!” Danny excitedly looked over at Clark. It was hard to see in the light of the full moon, but it almost seemed like the freckles on Danny’s face were glowing green in his excitement. Clark smiled at his excitement.

“Yeah that sounds like fun, we can ask Ma and Pa together tomorrow.” 

“Yeah! It’ll be great, maybe when I get back I can show off that I’m a black belt just like mom. I can show Ellie all my new moves while she shows me what she learned from Pandora.” Danny smiled to himself and yes, those were certainly glowing freckles. 

“Who’re Ellie and Pandora?” Danny stilled for a moment, the freckles dimming a bit. Should he tell Clark about the whole clone thing? Should he mention that he’s friends with what basically amounts to gods? 

“So Ellie’s like my younger sister/cousin, we are very close and everyone says we could be twins, she’s a bit of a free spirit and is traveling a lot of the time. Right now she’s spending some time with Lady Pandora. Does your dimension have the myth of Pandora’s box?” at Clark’s nod Danny continues. “That’s her, she keeps the horrors in a box that she keeps locked down pretty tightly in the GZ, there’s a whole labyrinth and everything. I did have to help her one time when someone got a hold of it, not a fun time, but hey it was one of the first positive experiences my parents ever had when dealing with ghosts so there is that. Pandora has become something of a doting awesome aunt who can and will teach you how to fight if given the opportunity.”

They lapsed into silence for a bit, Clark content to just sit there while Danny gathered his thoughts.

“Let’s see, I talked about my parents, Ellie, Pandora and a little bit about my sister. So Jazz is the most amazing and overbearing sister known to all kind. She has her heart in the right place, but Ancients if she puts me in soup-time one more time, I’m gonna figure out a way to do it to her and see if she likes it.”

“Excuse me, ‘soup time’?” Clark was baffled. “Actually a few things you’ve mentioned have me confused, what is the ‘GZ’ and why say ‘Ancients’ like it’s a curse word?” 

Danny looked sheepish at that. “Right yeah, I forgot, I’m just so used to talking to people who know. So the GZ is also known as the Ghost Zone, the Infinite Realms or the afterlife. Basically it’s a dimension connected to all other dimensions and houses the ecto-entities of the worlds. It’s where all the afterlives are connected together and there are also, like, gods or god-like beings, which are the Ancients I mentioned, there as well as monsters. Basically anything that gives off a whiff of ‘spooky’ is probably connected to the GZ in some way.”

“So your friends in the corn fields?” Clark trailed off giving a dubious look at the fields.

“Yeah, they’re technically ecto-entities. There are places that the veil between thins and sometimes things crossover. Like, I saw in one of the aerospace books that you also have the Bermuda Triangle as a thing, a lot of those incidents are from the veil thinning there and some natural portals opening up into the Infinite Realms. Sometimes they come back out, but it’s likely going to be a different time period than they first went in.”

“So, ‘soup time’?” Clark asked, getting Danny back on track. 

“Right! So, you know how I mentioned that my parents make some crazy things? Well some of those things are containment devices, but there’s one that works the best out of all of them, and that is the Fenton Thermos. Basically it’s bigger on the inside and can suck in and hold an ecto-entity until it is released, usually through the portal. It’s very cramped and not a great feeling and my sister is rather clumsy so when she first started helping me, she accidentally sucked me into the thermos six times. Six times! Like I get it, sometimes somebody’s aim can be a bit off, but she kept getting me and not the ghost that was attacking! She’s gotten better and can and will join us on patrol if need be, but she’s more like a backup and also our field medic. She’s going into psychology and stuff for school, but she also wants to be a certified emt, it really couldn’t hurt in our town and with what I do.” Danny paused here, seeming to think about the fact he wasn’t home patrolling his Haunt. “Hey Clark, would you mind going for a short fly around the property with me? I need to move a bit.”

“Yeah, sure we can do that.” Clark got up and waited for Danny before making his way down towards the ground. “So you mentioned patrol? What’s up with that? Also do you have any friends you hang out with?” 

Danny started flying in a set route and Clark followed along, curious. “So, you know how I have powers and whatnot, kind of obvious now that we’re actually flying.” Danny and Clark both snorted at this. “So not all things that come through the portal in my basement are good things. I fight whatever comes through and send it back where it came from. Most of the time it’s just animal ghosts that don’t know any better, but there are also ones that know full well what they’re doing and seem to just want to make my life worse. I mean, can’t Skulker lay off me for long enough for me to finish an essay? Honestly.” 

“So, you’re a hero, is what you’re telling me? A vigilante?”  Clark asked, and watched as Danny scanned the horizon for anything weird. Well, at least weird for Danny, which, on second thought, Clark decided he would just pay attention to the child-teen next to him. No need to see things not meant to be seen.

Danny glanced over at Clark, “Yes, though it took a while and some misunderstandings for the town to accept that I’m there to do good. There was an issue with mind control and then the mayor was possessed, it was a whole thing, I’ll go into it later. Anyway,” Danny turned down a path between fields. “So I talked about my parents, a bit about my sister and the basics of ghost stuff, how’s about I talk about my best friends in the whole world?” He smiled at this, a fond wistful thing. 

“So my best friends are Sam and Tucker, and Valerie is getting there. We had a bit of a rough time before she realized I was the ghost boy she wanted to fight. It was a whole thing, but we’ve figured it out. We’ve got a truce going and she’s starting to hang out with us more and trains with us when she can. She’s this badass hunter in a red power suit with a flying surfboard, it’s really awesome. I mean, it wasn’t when she was unknowingly working with my nemesis, but the suit is now tied into her own ecto-signature so he can’t take it back from her now.” 

“So I guess that brings me to my best friends in the whole world, they’ve been with me since before all of this and have stood by me and kept my secret before I told my parents. Tucker is the best hacker that I’ve ever met, and I know a ghost who literally can become electricity. He’s a self-proclaimed carnivore and will not eat veggies unless they’re with an almost equal portion of meat. He’s also the reincarnation of an ancient Pharaoh and will inherit a domain in the GZ when he passes on. He’s been helping out my parents with some of the tech they make and also keeps all our data safe. He also has been working with some people in the GZ to update our tech, specifically stuff for tracking and also medical stuff for ecto-entities. He may hate hospitals, but that doesn’t mean he won’t help when it’s needed.” He paused for a breath here before he basically sighed out, “And then there’s Sam.” His freckles started to glow again when he said her name. 

“Sam is awesome. She’s a vegan and a goth and can and will absolutely beat the afterlife into anyone who messes with any of us. She has some level of powers following an incident that had her possessed for several days, but mostly it’s stuff like enhanced strength and speed, nothing too alarming, and juuuust a touch outside of normal for an athletic human, but she also can take and recover from hits almost on my level. She can talk to plants and grow them very quickly and when needed during a fight she can sprout out vines from the ground to help take out enemies. She’s set to take control of a part of the GZ as well when she dies, just as a princess, but still. She’s really smart and knows all this stuff about mythology and the kinds of things that we end up fighting a lot before the rest of us realize what it is and she’s a great shot too.” Danny seemed more content now than when Clark first came out, and while Danny had been right to warn him about the rambling, he found he really liked it when Danny was talking about the people he loves and things he knows about. 

“So, what other things do you want to do before you go back? You already mentioned karate, did you want to learn anything else?” Clark asked. They started to make their way back to the house since they found nothing along the edges of the property. 

Danny thinks for a moment. Learning new other combat techniques wouldn’t be a bad idea, but he can always learn from masters in the Zone. On one hand, learning politics wouldn’t be a bad  idea, but he has a feeling that it’s probably different in the Zone than in the living world. On the other hand, he was told to treat this time like a vacation, meaning he can just enjoy himself and pursue his hobbies here. 

“Well, I haven’t really had the time to do my hobbies or major interests in the last couple of years, so I guess I could do that. I’m not sure where you are with video games, but I’m sure they’re nowhere near what I’m used to, but building model spaceships and maybe I can try out flight simulators at museums. I’d love to learn to pilot, but right now I have the body of a six year old, so that’s gonna have to wait until I’m bigger. I’ve been a bit interested in the mechanics of things too, my dad’s shown me how to solder computer parts together, so I wouldn’t mind learning about how electronics and engines work. I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut, so I’d have to learn some of that stuff anyway.”

“Oh, one of our neighbors has a small plane he uses for crop dusting and sometimes for fires or rescue things if the police or firefighters need his help. We can see if he’d be willing to take us up sometime! I think there’s an aerospace museum in Metropolis that has a flight simulator, but it’s pretty far away, we’d have to go in winter when we can leave the farm for a day, but I’m sure Ma an’ Pa would take us. I’m sure Pa would be happy to teach you about the engines of the truck and the tractor too, though he might not let you do anything except hand him things until you’re older. As far as video games go, I’m not sure what they’re like there, but we only really have an arcade with some fighting games that are pretty cool. I mean, the Mayor’s kid has a home gaming system, but they’re hard to get around here.” 

“Aw man, I’m gonna end up spending all my allowance at the arcade aren’t I?” Danny groaned as they made their way up the stairs of the house. Clark chuckled, swinging the door open. “But yeah, all that sounds awesome! I hope we can convince your parents to let us do all that stuff.” Danny yawned. “I think it’s time I actually head to bed though. Tiny baby body needs sleep.” Danny floated his way up the stairs, too tired to use his legs and not wanting to wake the Kent parents with the creaky stairs. “Hey, Clark?” Danny asked.

Clark turned back to Danny, about to head to his own room. “Yeah Danny?”

Danny smiled a small smile. “Thanks for listening to me, I think it helped with me being homesick. To, you know, talk about them all. I do wish I could see them and hang out with them all, but I’m glad that I’m here too. For the first time in a while I’m not responsible for anything, I can actually be a kid.”

Clark smiled back at Danny, “Of course, I’ll listen anytime.” He thought for a moment. “You mentioned before about responsibility, you mean the hero thing right?”

Danny nods at first, then tilts his head to the side for a moment. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, it’s not just that. I’m also to be the King of the GZ when I’m old enough.”

Clark’s face drained and he landed hard on his feet. Breathlessly he asked. “King of the GZ? You mean the dimension that connects all the dimensions? You’re going to be King of it all?” 

Danny just nods then sits criss-cross in the air. “Yeah, gimmie a sec, I can make the royal getup appear, you might want to shield your eyes, it’s a bit bright.” Danny called forth his newest transformation, the one that came to be when he agreed to become Crown Prince of the Realms. A bright white light similar to an aurora with static on the edges appeared at his middle and hoarfrost seemed to spiral outwards as the light passed over his body. Left in its wake is medieval looking armor. 

Chainmail that seemed to be made from frost under a breastplate of black metal with his logo etched in silver. A cloak that started as a slippery black faded on the edges to look like the galaxy itself was trailing after him. His bracers were a pale silver and the clothes beneath his armor were a black leather-like material. He had white leather boots that went up to his knees and had the same pale silver metal tipping the toes. Above his head an aurora circled and little flakes of snow would drop into his hair like falling stars. Danny himself changed also, he stayed a six-year-old, but his skin faded to a light blue, his freckles began to glow a bright green as they had earlier. His eyes changed and glowed with a similar green light, and his hair turned white as snow and seemed to float as if in water. His fingertips were a deep navy and clawed, his canines elongated and his ears became pointed. On his finger there appeared to be a ring made of onyx with a gem so bright a blue that it almost hurt to look at, though it didn’t seem to light up the place more than Danny himself.

The most startling thing to Clark however, was not his appearance. “Danny, why don’t you have a heartbeat?” he asked, projecting as much outward calm as he could muster while being twelve and internally freaking out.

Danny seemed confused for a bit before he seemed to realize something. “Oh, right, so right now I’m a ghost, and as a ghost I don’t have a heartbeat, you should be able to hear some sort of almost rhythmic buzzing though, that’s my core, it’s similar to a heart and brain for ghosts.” Clark listened closer and relaxed once he found the buzzing sound. It reminded him of the sounds of a plane engine in the distance.

 “I also completely forgot that I never showed you my ghost form, so one sec, this one’s a lot brighter, I definitely don’t advise looking at this one.” Clark decided to listen this time, as the last time hurt his eyes. 

In a flash of bright white light, Danny appeared once again differently than before. He kept the green eyes, snow-white hair and glowing freckles, but the rest of him looked more like his human form, albeit wearing a black and white full bodysuit. The suit itself was black with the stylized DP logo, white boots, white gloves and a white belt. Danny’s skin was a more healthy tan, though still a bit paler than his human form. 

“So this is my usual ghost form, I’ve been able to change into it since I got my powers and it’s why my parents didn’t know I was who I was at first. It led to a lot of miscommunication and getting grounded even though I was out saving the day. Things have gotten much better since they learned about me and then looked at their research and realized a lot of it was wrong. I’m really proud of them, they looked at all their biased papers they had written over the years and instead of doubling down or letting it ruin them, they instead found a renewed vigor and are learning all they can. They’re releasing paper after paper correcting all the assumptions they had made now that they aren’t blinded by their prejudices.” Danny had a soft smile on his face as his eyes and freckles glowed brighter thinking about his parents. He yawned again. “I think I’ve dropped enough info on you for tonight though, so I’m gonna head to bed. You should too.” Another bright flash and Danny was back to being human, feet firmly on the floor. 

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Sleep well Danny.” Clark appeared to have reached his limit for processing things as he put some dots together. As he lay awake in his bed he realized that Danny is going to be a king to literal gods.

And he thought his math final was stressful.

Part 1 Part 2

[impyssadobsessions]

Love the Batfam au’s but how about a superfam au, where the Kent’s are jacks relatives maybe before Clark goes to metropolis he and his parents have visited a few times mostly because they get worried for Danny and jazz. However they notice on there latest visit that Danny is acting strange and Clark notices he has a super slow heartbeat and they manage to get Danny to talk Clark even shows his powers, could see it as Clark finding an excuse to get Danny out of there before or during the series, maybe have him move in and get him a job at the daily planet?

Amg I like this~ I can see if its where the Fentons knew that he had an accident but not aware how bad it was too. Just like ah Danny did get into a bit of an accident. He's acted a bit strange since. Clark probably has to show off his powers a bit first before Danny confesses to his own. Danny never revealed to anyone, they usually just let him know they knew. So I can see after learning their cousin is an alien Danny be more open, and confesses.. especially once Clark mentions his heartbeat. Like fine.. ur good with secrets.. I think. I can't see him keeping a job at daily planet, not his thing though he loves the name of it LOL upset they dont talk about a different planet or star each day. Convincing Danny to leave his situation though be hard, and it wouldn't be until he has to that he flies onto their doorstep.. apologizing.. asking if the offer still open ;w;. Jazz visiting after playing crowd control often too. She glad to be out of the situation. Danny I can see just having trouble finding his way in life. Trying to find out what he want to do.. heroing is easy, living is hard. pfft Though imagine Clark mentioning Batman reminds him of his lil cousin. =w= because grumpy LOL as a tease kek ...I mostly just think its cute Danny gets a flying buddy LOL

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 254

So. Danny might have accidentally become a bit of a cryptid. He didn’t mean to, but he’d become a bit nocturnal- like many an Amity Parker- and it wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t be bothered to make sound when he was tired. Or pretend to breathe or, okay, he could see why he kept freaking people out at the grocery store he kept going to. 

But it wasn’t his fault! He has to get food too! And really is it anyone else’s business? Seriously he thought that people wouldn’t be so surprised with how much magic is everywhere. Like you’d think they’d never seen someone who wasn’t fully human before or something. 

Oh great, there’s a journalist at the grocery store now- he’s going to ignore that and finish his shopping and then continue his online work. Ooh, and eat icecream. He deserves it for potentially putting up with this. 

Oh, it’s a little baby reporter, first couple of article thing. Adorable. 

[goldenbloodytears]

Please do make some about Danny and Sam.

👍👍part 1 who is Superman

Superman part of the analysis:

Superman as a character is complex, but also really sympathetic when wrote right, rarely he if sadly. He is seen as simple good two shoes, boring and hypocritical for a lot of people.

Can see he imagining a perfect world were superman job is just help in emergency and natural disasters and the rest of time he can be just Clark together with everyone doing the best for everyone. In his words superman is what he can do not who he is.

In my opinion the best of Superman comics are the ones were the point is not a fight but finding different ways to stop the situation and don't cause damage, his whole life is damage control, even his powers make him the perfect first attended.

In a comic Superman and Wonder Woman are talking about how he needs training in fighting and he responded saying that he doesn't want to be good at it, that he feels he it's wrong to do so and he only fights because he knows someone needs to and he is usually the more strong and durable around, read earth.

That makes his deal with Lex Luthor interesting because Lex is in the center of humanity in a way, he's in the vanguard. Tech, politics and even media, Luthor is in the scene soo every time he deals with him, Superman gets throw in the public eye.

On a justice league animation, I think, he says how he can't wear a mask like other heros because he's already suspicious to humanity with his face laid bare and alien origin confirmed, he always on thin ice.

He safety lies on how long he can go unnoticed and insignificant to most people.

Clark can only be a person only when nobody knows that he can be superman. The moment they do he is alien man no legal rights McGee, and he can never lay low or just be again in the best of situations and be a thing to be dissected, and torn a part to study on the worst ones, making braniac gimmick of completely studying and then destroying everything a personal nightmare turned reality.

The more you learn about superman lore the more you stop thinking of him as a space Jesus and start seeing him as some weird guy just trying to make it in America, like he wasn't born there but he sure was raised as one, he saw the best humanity can offer, and he just giving back all the kindness he had received growing up.

Some of my favorite comics shows he growing up, learning himself as and being perceived as weird or creepy and still beeing loved and accepted, in fucking Kansas. Some comics the whole town of Smallville is in on it, like yes that's just the Kent's child, he is a little different and could juggle tractors like they weighted as much as air, but he is so polite and meek and kind, and the Kents, such a nice couple, always helping everyone in town, they always wanted kids, but they weren't able to conceive, they founding and raising Clark is like a fairy tale coming true.

The Kent's used to be hippies, then the high school sweet hearts settled down back were they grow up , in a farm living of the land, found a baby that come to them from the stars, took one look at him and decided that they were his family, the watched a shit ton of sci Fi movies and tried preparing him the best way they could for this world.

A lot of importance is given at his father teaching him, both the alien one teaching him about his home planet, their down fall, all the greed and desire to consume and conquer and and just thinking about what you want now and never about what others will need in the future. How he is the last of then, how he must uphold their culture, their existence and never let their mistakes repeat.

He doesn't know krypton, didn't even know that is what he is from until adulthood in some stories, he was different, but that was it, growing up he just knew what he wasn't.

Now a hologram of a man he doesn't even know appears to him like a Shakespearean ghost telling him he is his actual dead and he is indeed all alone in the universe and said universe is also kinda in his shoulders now, And Clark a kid with no past become a man with a mission, and so much more questions than before.

When Zod appears determined to conquer Earth, Clark has no choice but kill him, is his duty deal with kryptonian affairs and keep Earth save. When he can't find a peaceful solution he does kill, he hates it but he knows that is the option with less death in the end.

He already lost a home once, he will do everything to not lose another, be it fighting and even killing foes to recycling and always using the public transport.

But his other dad also was a big teacher, Jon is a strong man, the good kind of strong, the type to always help when they can and see the good in every one, a hard worker who refuse to take advantage of others, so different to that white collars from big cities that are destroying this world. Someone always looking out for the underdog.

He wants to be a hero that saves people but he doesn't want to fight much less kill.

Oooh yes, I can see what you mean—I’m always enthralled by how much superman is commentary on the immigrant experience, makes sense when you consider the Jewish origins of the comics. I do feel like it’s forgotten about when not thinking very in-depth about the general story/mythos/etc. very interesting!

Honestly he’s kinda relatable.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

OPPENHEIMER (2023)

Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Dylan Arnold, Gustaf Skarsgård, David Krumholtz, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Tom Conti, Michael Angarano, Jack Quaid, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, Dane DeHaan, Danny Deferrari, Alden Ehrenreich, Jefferson Hall, Jason Clarke, James D'Arcy, Tony Goldwyn, Devon Bostick, Alex Wolff, Scott Grimes, Josh Zuckerman, Matthias Schweighöfer, Christopher Denham, David Rysdahl, Guy Burnet, Louise Lombard, Harrison Gilbertson, Emma Dumont, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Olli Haaskivi, Gary Oldman, John Gowans, Kurt Koehler, Macon Blair, Harry Groener, Jack Cutmore-Scott, James Remar, Gregory Jbara, Tim DeKay and James Urbaniak.

Screenplay by Christopher Nolan.

Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Distributed by Universal Pictures. 180 minutes. Rated R.

J. Robert Oppenheimer was certainly one of the more complex men – with one of the more complex legacies – in modern history.

He was a scientist who believed in the sanctity of life, and yet his greatest discovery is forever linked to massive death. He was called both a war hawk and a communist, but in this film, he refers to himself as a New Deal Democrat. He created the most awesome weapon in American history (at the time), but he apparently sincerely hoped the specter of nuclear Armageddon would stop people from using it.

His invention of the atomic bomb certainly put an exclamation point on the end of World War II, and yet as Oppenheimer points out, it may not have even been necessary. Hitler was dead, Germany had fallen, and the Japanese were teetering. Chances are good they would have surrendered even without having two of their cities annihilated. (Oppenheimer actually tried to talk Harry S. Truman out of using the bomb on Japan, feeling that just the knowledge that it was there may be enough of a deterrent.) He spent much of his later life trying to protest the use of his greatest achievement.

He was a loving, doting husband and also a total womanizer. He was a good friend and at the same time he was rather self-involved. He became a scientific celebrity, but he was an intensely private man who rather hated the spotlight. He was a mostly non-political man who became entangled in several political morasses. He had passionately held beliefs, but he often was unwilling to fight the injustices going on around him, simply hoping against hope that the people on the other side would come to their senses. And he always overestimated the intrinsic good in people.

It perhaps makes a certain amount of sense that the film about Oppenheimer’s life would be helmed by Christopher Nolan, a similarly complex character. Nolan is a brilliant filmmaker (The Dark Knight, Inception, Memento), but not always all that good as a storyteller (Interstellar, Tenet, Batman Begins).

Well, with Oppenheimer, Nolan has one hell of a story to tell. It’s smart, thought-provoking, tragic, and intensely timely even decades after the action took place. And even though the film runs a little bit long (three hours!) and has occasional slow patches, it is quite probably Nolan’s best film.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, Oppenheimer takes a measured, scientist’s perspective to the life and times of a flawed but basically brilliant man. From his youth in university, through the Manhattan Project and his later time as an advocate against nuclear proliferation, Oppenheimer flips back and forth through the years and history, putting a microscope on a man who probably never totally wanted the scrutiny.

Framed around an attempted political takedown of the scientist in his later years, Oppenheimer is both a courtroom drama and a truly inspired celebration of science, both its good and bad aspects.

Along those lines, know going in that Oppenheimer is not going to dumb things down for mass consumption. It is often talky and takes on complicated scientific and philosophical concepts and respects the audience enough to assume that they will be able to keep up.

Oppenheimer is a thoughtful, intelligent and gorgeously shot snapshot of our recent history. Do not be surprised to see a lot of this film on Oscar night next year.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: July 21, 2023.

[still-single]

Heathen Disco updates

The most recent shows are as below. Maybe you'd like to listen.

Show #326 (Feb 12, 2023)

HOUR 1

James Brown – Stone to the Bone

The Supremes – Stoned Love

The Chi-Lites – Stoned Out of My Mind

Clark-Hutchinson – Free to Be Stoned

Nathan Salsburg – XIV

Black Sabbath – A National Acrobat

Cheater Slicks – Fear

The Drin – Mozart on the Wing

Come – Recidivist

FACS – When You Say

Equipment Pointed Ankh – Paper Sink

Del the Funky Homosapien – Eye Examination

HOUR 2

De La Soul – Held Down

Lyn Collins – Think About It (Live at the Apollo)

Quix*o*tic – Tell It Like It Is

Crushed – Coil

The Passions – Runaway

Mamitri Yulith Empress Yonagunisan – Gala Saver

Heavy Blanket – Danny

Miaow – Fate

Central Line – Walking Into Sunshine

Gina X Performance – No G.D.M.

Goblin – Roller

Doom Flower – The Space

Yo La Tengo – Brain Capers

HOUR 3

Oneida – Paralyzed

3rd Bass – 3rd Bass Theme A.K.A. Portrait of the Artist as a Hood

Casa Nostra – Insomnia (extended mix)

Detroit Emeralds – Feel the Need

Ramsey Lewis Trio – Opus #5 / Uhuru

Exploratorium – Number 09

Show #325 (Feb 5, 2023)

Art Ensemble of Chicago – Funky AECO

Mutamassik – Wishik

Lifted – Total Care Zero

Shizuka – Plan for Solitude

Beau Wanzer – A Burrowing Booboo

Nuovo Testamento – Heat

The Invincible Limit – Push (New Mix)

Experimental Products – Glowing in the Dark

Miss Nude – Taste My Acid Fruit

Syamese – Drum

Portion Control – Go Talk

Equipment Pointed Ankh – Port of Indiana

Echo & the Bunnymen – The Subject

Q Lazzarus – Goodbye Horses (Demo 2)

Nun – In Blood

Six Finger Satellite – Where Humans Go

Iggy Pop – Funtime

Terry – Gold Duck

SUSS – Ash Fork, AZ

Glyders – Maria’s Hunt

The House of Love – Road

The Loft – Your Door Shines Like Gold

Celibates – Coming Alone

Marcie’s Still Waiting – For You (Not For You)

Shinichi Atobe – First Plate 3

Th’ Blisks – A Salve

Dippers – Looking for a Sphere Pt. 1

Ulaan Passerine – Light of Lights

Adonis – No Way Back

Kraze – The Party (Original Mix)

Paul Johnson – After Dark

Tirzah – Sink In (Actress remix)

Om Unit – Pursuit

Show #324 (Jan 29, 2013)

Tom Verlaine – Souvenir from a Dream

Love Child – Stumbling Block

Love – Softly to Me

Owen Maercks – Intense Young Man

Television – Marquee Moon (1974 demo)

Peace Regime – untitled

Skull Practitioners – Intruder

Temple – Heathen

Rancid X – Old Sex Queen

X – I Don’t Wanna Go Out

Beau Wanzer – A Dead Person’s Monologue

The Real Kids – Nowadaze Kids

Holy Tongue – Spirit Mask

Sleaford Mods – UK Grim

Miss Lie – Depression

Exhaustion – Old Mickey

Midnight Mines – Hollow Sky

Primal Scream – All Fall Down

Virgin Prunes – Baby Turns Blue

The C.I.A. – Better

Exploded View – You Got a Problem, Son

Violet French and the Horrible – I Want the Sky to Be Crying

Dippers – Looking for a Sphere Pt. 2

Blatant Dissent – Eleven Days

Circus Lupus – New Cop Car

Lush – Nothing Natural

The Fall – Y.F.O.C. / Slippy Floor

Obe – untitled

Sightless Pit – Calcified Glass

The Ex – Evolution

Oozing Wound – Hypnic Jerk

Nitzer Ebb – Captivate

George Brigman & Split – Blowin’ Smoke

Meg Baird – Star Hill Song

Equipment Pointed Ankh – From Inside the House

Dalibor Cruz – Depose the Influencer

Manuel Göttsching – E2-E4 side A

[redrobin-detective]

I see so many people talk about how Danny idolizes Superman but! Imagine this. Fanon puts Danny in the Midwest, commonly in Illinois somewhere outside Chicago. Danny would certainly see news coverage from Metropolis but see the Chicago news much more often. You know what JLA hero operates in Chicago? Martian freaking Manhunter.

And Danny is also a huge space nerd. Now you may argue that Supes is also an alien but Big Blue is as American as apple pie. Manhunter not only looks and acts more alien but also has knowledge and memories of life on Mars and space that Clark wouldn’t necessarily have. 

Plus Manhunter probably has the closest power set to Danny’s as far as strength and variability. You bet your ass Danny watched 8 billion Youtube clips of Manhunter phasing through shit in order to try and conceptualize it for himself. Sometimes he puts on a cape and pretends to be the alien hero when he and his friends are playing around

Danny gets tangled with the JLA. Superman struts over and says how he’s proud of Danny, what a great hero he is already is blah blah. And Danny looks up, with stars in his eyes and asks if Superman could perhaps get him an autograph of the Martian Manhunter. Flash is cracking up and Batman’s lips may have twitched upwards slightly at Supes stunned expression.

[tcm]

Pioneering Black Actors of Hollywood By Susan King

Clarence Muse and Rex Ingram by Susan King Thirty years ago, the legendary Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier reflected on the Black performers who paved the way for him in the Los Angeles Times: “The guys who were forerunners to me, like Canada Lee, Rex Ingram, Clarence Muse and women like Hattie McDaniel, Louise Beavers and Juanita Moore, they were terribly boxed in. They were maids and stable people and butlers, principally. But they, in some way, prepared the ground for me.”

Poitier prepared the ground for such contemporary Black actors and directors currently in competition during the 2021 awards season such as Regina King and Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami), Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods), the late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah).

But it is imperative to remember the veterans from the 1930s-1960s who tried to break out of stereotypes and maintain dignity at a time when Hollywood wanted to “box” them in.

Clarence Muse 

Muse appeared in countless Hollywood films often uncredited. And as Donald Bogle points out in his book Hollywood Black, Muse spoke his mind to directors if he felt he was being pushed around or when his characters were stereotypes. Bogle stated, “At another time when Muse questioned the actions of his character in director King Vidor’s 1935 Old South feature SO RED THE ROSE, Vidor recalled that Muse was quite vocal in expressing his concerns. A change was made. Vidor could not recall exactly what the issue was, but he never forgot Muse’s objection.”

The 1932 pre-Code crime drama Night World screened at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival to a standing-room only crowd. The film stars Lew Ayres, Boris Karloff and Muse as the doorman at a club owned by Karloff. The audience was surprised that such a stereotypical role was anything but thanks to Muse’s poignant performance. Instead of being forced to be the comic relief, Muse’s Washington is a man worried about his wife’s surgery at a local hospital. Though his boss doesn’t treat him as an equal—after all it is 1932—Karloff’s Happy shows general concern toward Washington.

Muse, said Bogle, “also worked in race movies, where he realized there was still a real chance for significant roles and narratives.” One such was BROKEN STRINGS (’40), which he also co-wrote. It’s certainly not a great film, but Muse gives a solid turn as a famed Black violinist who wants his young son to follow in his footsteps. But the son wants to play swing with his violin.

Muse, who was a graduate of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, also co-wrote the Louis Armstrong standard “Sleepy Time Down South.” In the 1920s, he worked at two Harlem theater companies, Lincoln Players and Lafayette Players, and 23 years later he became the first African American Broadway director with Run Little Chillun. He continued to act, appearing in Poitier’s directorial debut BUCK AND THE PREACHER (’72), CAR WASH (’76) and THE BLACK STALLION (’79) and was elected to the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973. He died one day before his 90th birthday in 1979.

Rex Ingram 

Tall and imposing, Ingram had a great presence on the big screen and a rich melliferous voice. No wonder his best-known role was as the gigantic Genie in the bottle in Alexander Korda’s lavish production of THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (’40). Born in 1895, he began his film career in movies such as Cecil B. DeMille’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (’23). Ingram also has the distinction of playing God in THE GREEN PASTURES (’36) and Lucifer Jr. both on Broadway in 1940 and in the 1943 film adaptation of the musical CABIN IN THE SKY.

Ingram also brought a real humanity to his role as the slave Jim in MGM’s disappointing THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN (’39), starring a miscast Mickey Rooney, who was way too old at 19 to play the part. Ingram, though, breaks your heart when he talks to Huck about how his dream is to earn enough money to buy his freedom so he could join his wife and child living in a free state. And when he runs away, Ingram explains to Huck why he had to flee the widow Douglas: “If one of them slave traders got me, I never would get to that free state. I would never see my wife, or little Joey.”

He also is superb in Frank Borzage’s noir MOONRISE (’48) as Mose Johnson, the friend of the murderer’s son Danny (Dane Clark), who lives in a shack in the wilderness with his coonhounds. Noble and thoughtful, Mose is the film’s conscience and helps guide Danny to do the right thing after he kills a bully (Lloyd Bridges) in self-defense.

Ingram was one of the busiest Black actors at the time and at one point even served on the Board of the Screen Actors Guild. But the same year MOONRISE was released, he was arrested and pleaded guilty for transporting an underage girl from Kansas to New York. He served a prison sentence and for a long time his career was derailed. He even lost his home. Though his film career was never the same upon his release, he worked in TV and on the Broadway stage, appearing in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and died in 1969 at 73 shortly after doing a guest shot on NBC’s The Bill Cosby Show.

Ernest Anderson 

Anderson never achieved the notoriety of Muse and Ingram, but the actor gave an extraordinary performance in the Bette Davis-Olivia de Havilland melodrama IN THIS OUR LIFE (’42) directed by John Huston. Born in 1915, Anderson earned his BA at Northwestern University in drama and speech. He was recommended for his role in the movie by Davis, who saw the young man working at the commissary on the Warner Bros.’ lot.

Anderson plays Parry, the son of the Davis-de Havilland family’s maid who aspires to be a lawyer. Davis’ spoiled rotten Stanley Timberlake gets drunk, and while driving she kills someone in a hit-and-run accident. Stanley throws Parry under the bus telling authorities he was the one driving the car.

Initially, the script depicted Parry in much more stereotypical terms, but Anderson went to Huston and discussed why he wanted to play the character with dignity and intelligence. Huston agreed. And for 1942, it’s rather shocking to see a studio film look at racism as in the scene where Parry tells de Havilland’s Roy why he wants to be an attorney:

“Well, you see, it’s like this, Miss Roy: a white boy, he can take most any kind of job and improve himself. Well, like in this store! Maybe he can get to be a clerk or a manager. But a colored boy, he can’t do that. He can keep a job, or he can lose a job. But he can’t get any higher up. So, he’s got a figure out something he can do that no one can take away. And that’s why I want to be a lawyer.”

Needless to say, such monologues were cut when the movie was shown in the South. Despite strong reviews for his performance, Anderson never got another role with so much substance. But he continued working through the 1970s and died in 2011 at the age of 95.

[danny-chase]

Big Brother instinct, Dick and either Cass, Gar, Danny Chase, Steph, Kara, Rose, or anyone else u want

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Batgirl (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dick Grayson & Cassandra Cain, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne Characters: Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain, Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Dick grayson centric, Fire, Burns, hair styling, Ice Cream, Hurt/Comfort, Late Nights, Fluff and Angst, Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Missions Gone Wrong, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain is bad at feelings, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings Series: Part 11 of Bad Things Happen Bingo Summary:

Dick talks with Cass after a mission doesn't go as planned.

Fic under cut

“Argh!” Dick snaps back to attention as Bruce’s angry grunt rattles through the cave. The few bats still in for the night stir, their wings rustling in the distance. An avalanche of papers fly off of Bruce’s desk, and his grizzled form slumps forward, hands firmly planted on the table. His shoulders sag under some unknown strain; as if he’s carrying the weight of the sky.

“Hmm.” Dick blinks back another wave of exhaustion, he’s not working on a case – but Bruce is – and company always makes working more fun. Besides, Bruce is on a time limit and Alfred can’t stop him from escaping his room. So. Here he is. He took an oath - it’s his job to help.

Dick’s eleven and Bruce’s a pillar of reassurance – a precariously stacked pile of rocks constantly on the verge of crumbling. He has no idea how to pick up the pieces. No idea how to seal the cracks. “Bruce?” He mumbles, swinging his legs off his spinny chair. Bruce doesn’t look up, his mouth drawn in a tight line. The ghost of tears well in his eyes. Not good.

Dick scoots off the chair, lightheaded for a moment. He shakes the stars out of his eyes, nodding back and forth, up and down, like Bruce does when he’s sleepy. It’s late. He has school tomorrow. Not that it matters. Bruce will let him skip if he asks the right way. He jogs in place for a few seconds, readying himself, warming up his muscles.

There’s not much he can do to help, but he can at least put on a little show. He runs forward launching into a cartwheel, picking up the papers as he goes – Bruce likes his tricks, sometimes they even make him laugh, sometimes –

Bruce snags his ankle out of the air, his quick reflexes saving Dick from crashing into the edge of a counter. He finds himself hanging, the world stuck upside down as his hands dangle inches from the floor. “Thanks.” He looks up at Bruce’s weary face.

A yawn escapes his lips, and the corners of Bruce’s mouth twitch. “I’m going to have to child-proof the cave at this rate.” He tries for humor but it falls flat, his hearts not in it all.

He stares up, sticking his tongue out. Bruce’s frown doesn’t fade. “Are you okay?” He asks. Bruce’s hands fumble, and Dick swings dangerously low to the floor before he’s recovered. Not willing to take the chance again, he curls up, grabbing Bruce’s forearms and pulls himself up through his arms, settling himself on sturdy shoulders.

Bruce drops his feet. “I’m fine. Why would ask that?” He sounds almost hurt and Dick’s too tired to figure out why.

He slides down easily, Bruce gently deposits him on the floor. “You looked sad.” A yawn leaves his mouth without permission, he stumbles slightly, and a hand clamps down on his shoulder. He reaches back up, and Bruce throws him up against his shoulder, wrapping him in a hug.

Dick yawns contently, his eyelids fluttering without his permission, as Bruce starts walking towards the stairs. “I’m sorry…” The arm around his back pulls him a bit tighter. “I’m just not enough.” A shaking hand combs through his hair and Dick squeezes back because he doesn’t know what to say.

Bruce grunts as he takes a step up the stairs. “Sleep on it?” Dick suggests, resting his eyes for just a moment.

“Mmhmm. It’s bedtime.” Dick’s half asleep by the time they reach the top. He’s not sure he hears Bruce whisper, “You’re a great kid, chum.”

It took Dick years before he really understood the feeling. And even more years before he made the connection that that was how Bruce had felt on late nights spent scouring for clues that just didn’t seem to exist, having worked for days straight on three hours of sleep, and watching Gotham send all of it up in flames setting you back months on an investigation.

He’s learned there’s nights it’s impossible to save everyone – hell, he’s seen Clark get his ass kicked, and Clark’s damn near close to god. Dick would know – the Titans have fought their namesake. But the Titans have fought humans and lost despite half their members being godlike, and besides that most days now he’s alone. It doesn’t matter how hard he tries, how much he plans, how prepared he is; sometimes things just go to hell and a handbasket and there’s nothing he can physically do to prevent it.

Most of the time, he’s fine with that. It’s fine he has limits. Logically, he knows he can’t be expected to everything. Logically, he knows it’s a waste of time to worry about it. Logically, he knows it’s okay to take a night off, watch a nature documentary, invite a friend over, stay in and spend the night simply existing.

But it feels like he could be doing more – should be doing more. He feels that restlessness overtake him, and springs to his feet “Bruce I-”

Bruce gives him his patented bat-glare from where he’s sitting, looking up from a familiar pile of papers. Once it would have intimidated him into sitting back down. Now he just returns it with a patented one of his own. “-I think I’ll suit up and head out for the night, Tim could probably use some back up with-”

“Dick.” There’s this exasperated tone that Bruce can only ever seem to muster when saying his name. He pauses for a just a second, his eyes flickering down to Bruce’s clenched fists and tight shoulders. “Let me handle it.” It comes out as an order, but reading between the lines, it’s a plea.

Bruce would never admit it out loud, worry practically bleeds out of the man. Guilt gnaws on the inside of his chest, though, he’s not sure what it’s even from; the guilt of making Bruce worry or the guilt of being a useless sack of broken and bruised ribs while people need Nightwing’s help. Being benched sucks, but he knows enough to compromise. “Let me run the comms? Babs could use a night off.” She sleeps less than him and Bruce knows it.

The gray streaks in Bruce’s hair stand out all the more as he lets out a bone deep sigh. Dick rolls his eyes – he doesn’t get to do this right now. “You literally let me go out last night I don’t understand why-”

“Last night was an emergency. I didn’t have a choice.” His frown widens, his face etched in an eternal look of pain, mixed with disproval. “Two nights ago… you almost…” His mouth seals itself shut, unspoken words hanging in the air between them. It’s Bruce that breaks the gaze first. “Run the comms, don’t overexert yourself. It should be a quiet night…” He stands, hesitates before walking off “And get to bed early.”

Dick bites back a laugh, Bruce hasn’t talked to him like that since he was thirteen. “Alright.” He resists the urge to poke fun, and follows Bruce through the passage behind the grandfather clock.

“So Ives was talking about the Pirates of the Caribbean movie with me the other day, and we might go see it this weekend if I have the time. Gee- I can’t remember the last time I saw movie in theaters or even really hung out with him.” Tim’s endless chatter helps him stay awake in the dimly lit cave. His throbbing ribs help too, maybe he shouldn’t have tried doing push-ups. “Dad and Dana want to drop me off, but Ives has a car now, though dad’s still worried cuz of the time some wacko tried to stop us at a traffic light.”

Dick hums, a smile creeping its way up his face. “I can drop you off if it’s an issue.”

“Really?! That’d be awesome, you could stay for the movie if you wanted to, but I don’t know if you’d like it, I mean are pirates really your thing? I always figured you’d be more into Vikings or probably aliens actually, or something like-” A red light flashes on the screen, and Dick snaps to attention.

“Hold that thought.” Tim’s chatter ceases immediately as Dick furiously types on the terminal. He punches into the main line. “Batgirl how fast can you get to the corner of 16th and Murphy’s Ave, there’s a building on fire and you’re the only one anywhere near the Upper East Side.” A 911 operator calms down a hysterical woman in his left ear, Cass asking direction in the right.

He pulls up a map. “I-I can’t find a way out!” The woman shrieks. “I don’t know what happened, I was sleeping and-” she breaks off into raspy hacks.

“Go straight, turn right after three blocks down.” Dick winces, as the lady continues chocking on smoke. “C’mon Cass. Get there.” He mutters off the line. He eyes his cycle sitting idly in the bay – he’s twenty minutes out; Cass needs backup. He opens up another line. “Batman I need you to follow Batgirl, what’s your eta?”

Bruce grunts back, he hears thudding over the line. “Fifteen minutes.” The woman screams in his other ear, he yanks the earbud out as a massive bang nearly blows out his eardrum. Picking it back up, he can’t hear the woman anymore, only the roar of flames and falling debris.

“Shit.” He pulls up video from a street camera. “Shit.” The building’s collapsing in on itself. “Permission to call the league?” He clicks through to their line of communications, his finger hovering over the button.

“Here.” Cass scrambles into view, bursting through a window. Shit.

Bruce learned his limits long ago. Dick’s finally settling into his. Cass? They simply don’t register on her radar. The buildings coming down in mere minutes; she’s going to get killed.

“What’s the situation?” Bruce yells in his ear.

“Batgirl get out of there!” He screams at Cass. She’s going to die – the building’s not stable, and he’s the one that sent her there. “Make it five minutes – the building’s coming down.” He yells to Bruce. “Batgirl!” He watches a few windows blow out. A firetruck careens down the street.

“Permission granted.” Bruce huffs and Dick can’t click the button fast enough.

A couple more windows blow out, and the building seems to lean to the side. Finally he sees Cass climb back out a window, holding a couple kids in her arms as she leaps to the ground. “BATGIRL GET THEM CLEAR!” His heart pounds in his throat as she runs forwards, the building groaning behind her, crumbling to the side. Chaos erupts, chunks of flaming debris cascading from the top of the building, as the second floor merges with the first.

Dick blinks, his mouth dry. “There’s more people-” he can’t hear Cass over the ensuing cacophony as he watches the building topple to the ground. “NO!” He faintly hears her scream as the screen erupts in static.

Dick slams his fists on the desk. His chest constricts painfully. “Nightwing. Report.” Bruce’s steady voice reminds him to breathe. His chest spasms. Shit. “Nightwing!” Bruce demands as he tries to catch his breath.

“Building collapsed.” He manages to get out. “One sec.” He takes a few deep breaths, leaning back in the chair for support. “Batgirl report.” He’s greeted with silence. “Batgirl, please, if you’re there I need you to respond.”

“I…” Cass trials off. Dick sighs in relief. “I’m sorry.” The line cuts off. Well. Shit.

“Nightwing! I’m headed to the location.” Bruce squawks. Dick sighs.

“It’s going to be a long night. Search and rescue, I’ll call in backup.” Shit. So much for an early bedtime.

“Hey.” Someone shakes his shoulder. He makes a grab for their wrist and misses, his mind processing where the hell he is. He blinks a few times.

“Cass?” Her hair’s plastered to the side of her head and she’s covered in soot. Nicks, rips, and tears decorate her costume. Dick wipes his eyes as the ashy smell of smoke overwhelms his senses. Cass takes a few steps back, heading towards the locker room. “Wait.” He had something to say to her, his mind racing to catch up.

She hops up onto a counter. His mind shuffles through the events earlier in the night. “Bruce sent you back?” Cass nods glumly. The rescue efforts weren’t going well when he dozed off. The JLA sent in everyone they could spare; there’s nothing they can do anymore. Not that Bruce won’t try.

Cass’s lips are sealed. There’s a haunting expression in her eyes, her shoulders slump forward, her hands firmly plant themselves on the counter for support.

And his friends think he’s too much like Bruce.

“Hey.” He starts. She gives him a weary look, tears welling in her eyes. Well, maybe not exactly like Bruce. “Look, I’m sorry I put you in that position.” Cass shakes her head. “Sometimes things like this happen. I should have-”

“Stop.” Cass pulls her feet up on the counter, getting dust everywhere. “I should have been faster.” She swallows, refusing to let the tears spill over. “My fault.”

Dick watches as she glides off the counter, yanking off her gloves and dropping them on the floor. Burn marks dot her hands and the edges of her hair are singed. “You did everything you could.” She hesitates, before taking a step towards the showers.

“Not enough.” She mutters before storming off, leaving a trail of soot in her wake.

He stands up. “Cass.” The lock snaps shut with a click as she slips into the bathroom. Leaving Dick in an empty cave once more.

By the time he returns downstairs, Cass is already out of the shower, looking displeased. “You took my clothes.” She notes unhappily, a pale pink towel tucked tightly around her shoulders.

Dick watches water drip down from her hair, pattering on the floor. The trail leading back to the bathroom is now mixed with water and soot. Alfred’s going to be pissed. “I took your costume.” He clarifies. “And I brought you clothes.” He gestures towards the open door.

Cass scowls, planting her feet defiantly. “I’m going out.” She reaches out a hand. Dick shrugs – there’s no way she can find where he hid her filthy suit before they get a chance to wash it.

It’s all too familiar, reading the lines across her brow, watching her shoulders slump when she stills, and scanning red rimmed eyes. “What are you going to do like that?” He points out, Cass angrily storming towards him. “You’re tired, you’ll just end up being in the way.” He dodges left as a fist flies past his face. “You would have hit if I wasn’t right.” She’s faster than him on his best days.

She glares at him with pursed lips, staring before turning on her heel and storming off towards the bathroom. The door slams behind her, triggering the rustling of far away wings.

Dick sighs – he hopes he wasn’t this temperamental when he lived with Bruce. “Come up to the kitchen when you’re done, I need your help with something.” The lie rolls easily off his tongue, though he feels a twinge of guilt as Cass groans behind closed doors.

Cass’s eyes widen as she enters the room. Dick offers a smile as she edges closer to the table. He tosses a spoon, she snags it out of the air. “Dig in.” There’s a carton of chocolate ice cream – double chocolate chunk brownie sundae with hot fudge and chocolate sprinkles to be precise – and tons of candy. It’s not stuff Bruce keeps around, but Dick’s has a stash at Tim’s house reserved for movie nights. He’ll restock later.

Cass vigorously stabs the ice cream with her spoon, a smile dancing across her face as she takes a few bites. She pauses, sticking the spoon back in the cartoon, looking up with a confused expression. “Why?” She’s wearing fluffy pajama bottoms, fuzzy socks, and an old worn college sweatshirt that’s frayed at the hems. Dick can almost pretend he’s back, talking to Donna after she broke up with Roy their sophomore year of high school.

She’s watching Dick carefully. He hums casually. “You had a rough night.” This is what the Titans always did. She shrugs.

“Things happen.” She shovels a few more bites into her mouth. “I want to go out.” It’s hard for Dick to find her tough and grizzled when she’s guzzling gummi worms, kicking her feet back and forth on the stool.

“Consider this a reason to stay in.” She gives him a sideways glance. “You did as much as you can, that’s enough.” Cass looks pointedly at her ice cream, not hesitating before diving back into it.

“Spar with me?” She licks a skittle before sticking it in her mouth.

Dick snorts. “If I don’t have a heart attack, I think Bruce would.” She snaps up to attention, grabbing his wrist and quickly finding his pulse point. “I’m fine, Cass.” Her hands are freezing. He places one of his on top of hers. “If you weren’t there I wouldn’t have been.” He says quietly, catching her eye. “Thank you.” She pulls back as if burned, quickly busying herself with the candy. He waits a moment before adding, “I think those kids you saved are grateful too.”

Cass throws a bag of M&M’s at him, he’s a second too slow and it pelts him in the face. “Noted.” He grins. “Uh, also, I’m going to have to do something with your hair.”

“What.”

“Cass, hold still.” She immediately stops squirming under his hands. “Thanks.” She hums back, tucked under an old blanket that never seems to leave the back of the couch. Bruce still isn’t here, but Tim checked in after his stakeout, and headed home a half an hour ago. He snips away another lock of burnt hair, tossing it into a trash can next to him.

He rests his forearms on the back of the sofa, contemplating which section of her hair to start with next. “You find one you like yet?” He asks, peeking over her shoulder at the images of hairstyles.

“Uhh.” She scrolls a bit more. “I don’t care.” She tosses the phone up to the top of the couch.

“Mmm.” He didn’t expect much else. Donna texted him a picture earlier to copy – something easy to pull back but still stylish. He attacks the next section, carefully brushing out the tangles, starting bottom to the top. He’s oddly grateful for all those times he did Donna and Kory’s hair.

‘Practice for when Bruce finally adopts a girl.’ They used to tease. ‘You’ll have a real sister, and if his track record holds she’ll have black hair and blue eyes.’ He’s never lived the irony down. Though, Cass’s eyes are a beautiful warm brown, so Donna and Kory can take that.

“You know.” He keeps his tone light. “Most hairdressers and their clients talk.” Cass remains set in stony silence. “Though I guess most people go to a salon to get their hair cut.” He just visits Joey. “Some people say it’s like free therapy.”

“You talk a lot.” Cass notes. He pulls up doodle jump on his phone and passes it back to her. She plays a couple rounds before the phone’s placed back beside him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He already knows the answer, but still asks all the same.

“No.” Bruce never wanted to either. Barbara used to talk to him… before he left for the Titans and took years to look back. Though he likes to dream otherwise, he knows there’ll come a day when Tim won’t want to talk to him anymore either.

It doesn’t get any easier being shut out. “That’s alright. If you change your mind I’m here.” He grabs the shears, snipping away another dead end.

“Thanks.”

“Dick.” A hiss awakes him, light following soon after. He squints, turning away to bury his face in a cushion. “Where’s Cassandra?”

He turns, eyes snapping open as he quickly scans the sofa. The blanket hangs off the edge, Cass nowhere to be seen. One of her custom batarangs sticks out of his armchair’s armrest, a few inches from his hand. “She must have found her costume.” He notes, glancing towards the pajamas crumpled in the doorway. His eyes meet Bruce’s as he lets out a tired sigh.

His hair’s dripping, fresh from a shower, and it’s singed at the edges. Dick nods towards the sheers on the coffee table. “Tomorrow.” Bruce decides, crossing the room, picking up the blanket as he goes. Dick pushes down the footrest, slowly rising to his feet. His ribs twinge at every move, in hindsight, falling asleep hanging off the side of an armchair wasn’t his best idea. Bruce hovers closer than normal, watching carefully, worry lines set in concern. “Bed.”

Dick’s too tired to argue. “Bed.” He agrees. And though Bruce doesn’t carry him, he accompanies him up the stairs.