#also lost respect for Carmine for like . . . HIDING from him like

[sage-nebula]

The thing is, I lost all sympathy for Kieran when I saw him bullying that student at the start of the Indigo Disk DLC. Everyone in the game is like "oh he's going through it :( have compassion for him :(" but I'm just like, no? No. Because sure, he's in his feelings over the Ogerpon incident, I'll give him that. But what about the League Club students who are now going through it BECAUSE OF HIM? We see him openly bully that one student, but if you talk to other NPCs around they mention how fucking awful the League Club has become because of Kieran being a brutish little tyrant. I don't give a shit how badly hurt his fee-fees were in Kitakami; that's no excuse for him to bully others.

I'm still not done with the DLC (I'm in Area Zero) so hopefully he'll still apologize and do some community service at school to make it up to the other kids. But he lost all sympathy from me the second he was revealed to be acting like a sweaty little demon to his fellow students. Bullies aren't tolerated here. He deserved to get his ass beat and I'll do it again and again until he learns his lesson, idgaf.

[skeleton-mischief]

Cash Serrif

Now what do you want? Gold? Alcohol? His time? Well, you already have it now.

*SF!Purple Papyrus seems annoyed, but he'll hear you out

- Official height is 6'3

- He/They

- Recovering drug addict

- Drinks Hot Sauce

- Adores money but is frugal

- Can swindle you out of your life savings

- Best to go to for deals and thrift shopping savings. a haggler

- One of the worst pranksters

- Can tell when others lie easily but is slick about catching them

- Smokes the most out of all the others, not recovering

- Is blind in his right socket

- Writes erotica but hides it

- a cat person

- Younger Brother of Razz

- Good friends with Coffee, Stretch, and Rus

- He will flee to avoid fighting until cornered, but he'll make sure to take you with him. It's not a matter of being a coward, but he just doesn't like using his magic for fighting

- Stingy, he keeps track of debt, but is reluctant to pay others back

- Greedy, easily bored, impulsive, intuitive, frugal, creative, open minded, lazy, genius, playful, nosy, sassy, untrusting, blunt, loyal, observant, mellow, rebellious, cynical, clever, lighthearted, sarcastic, and mischievous

- Curses frequently, even in front of authority since he doesn't care

- Loves PDA, he wants people to know who he associates with as a sort of way to mark them as untouchable

- A great Gambler, he's only lost once and it cost him

- Used to think lowly of the Swap brothers, yet eventually realized how strong their bond was. He respects Powder and admires Stretch

- Never had a bad relationship with Rus, the two never bothered to dislike each other because of their brother's tiff

- Grew to see Wine, Powder, and Carmine as role models despite hiding this fact

- Loves to stir the pot and gossip about things

- Loves to joke, but if someone doesn't laugh for a serious reason, he refuses to joke like that again

- Slacks off often, but never misses a deadline if serious

- Can be personable, kind, and sweet in small moments if he likes someone

- If he doesn't like someone he's rude, dismissive, and sarcastic while showing that malice

- He forms his own opinions on others through their actions instead of listening to others, since he would want someone to do the same for him. He doesn't have a good reputation, after all

- Adores spicy desserts, but also cheesecake

- Doesn't like to be judged but allows people to do it, he doesn't blame them after all

- Once he recovers from his addiction, he's serious about it.

- His magic smells of cedarwood, magic tastes like nectarine

- Best friends with Stretch, as he helps ground him. He helps his confidence

- Can easily get out of doing something with his smooth talk, but he ends up kissing ass if caught

- Great at funding and bills despite having gambled people their items

- He has detachment issues, but this is a facade since he actually loves and cares for others very deeply

- Hyperventilates when crying, hates to be seen so he tries to hide it

- He was always more popular than his brother since he fell into influence while his brother was part of the Royal Guard. He saw what it did to Razz, and he hates it, so he retaliates as a result

- He often caused drama to get his brothers attention

- He talks a lot of shit about others, but no one is allowed to talk shit about Razz

- He grew distant as he grew older until he and Razz blew up on each other.

- He often felt his brother was ashamed of him while underground, watching his brother value power. Because of the underground's influence, he too found himself valuing worthless things such as physical pleasures

- Actually a huge dork when in love, he has never experienced it despite his "ladies talk"

- Smokes with a Calico lighter

- Yellowed bone, it's worse than other AU's because of what he has

- His magic is green when underground, despite it originally not being so. Because of the drugs that he takes and the abuse of his mind, his magic went from an orange to a sickly green

- When his brother and him argued, Cash would get high, attempting to "dream" about the two being close again. He secretly hated not being close to his older brother

- Goes to free events just for free shit

- Now that they're above ground, he tells Razz where he goes and tries to actually work on himself

- He enjoys gaming, especially with the others. However, he actually ends up being a sore loser once he got his ass kicked in Mario Cart from Coffee

- He tends to sneak around and is able to get information on others, but he's only a threat if you cross him or his loved ones. He's not afraid to record, and is actually willing to take initiative to provoke someone to get them to talk

- His compliments can be kinda weird. Such as "that was so great that I'm spinning on porches in Ireland" "????"

-He doesn't talk about his interests often and this is a pain when trying to figure out what his hobbies are. But if you ask and show interest when he's in the middle of being excited or secretly taking part in, he'll be shy and ask you to not tell anyone. He is willing to talk about it though

- He often takes smoke breaks outside with Rus, even if he has to sneak it due to Razz's protests against it

- He butters someone up with compliments if he's caught, trying to slide away from a situation

- He would call his lover babe or baby, even if it's sparingly

Closing Notes: most of these are personal headcanons about random ways he is how he is when underground. He'd need a lot of time and patience, since he was so altered by the underground. He progressively let's his guard later on, but until then? He has a lot of work to do

[donotdisturbmysleepingdragon]

KiddxLaw Modern!AU

Traffy x Kidd Modern!AU 

~///~

It was a fairly normal day in the city. Traffic sucked, people were yelling at each other for no reason, and crime was still high despite the high police presence from the corrupt government that abused their authority.

Trafalgar D. Water Law was enjoying a calm day off from the hectic ER where he worked in the city’s main hospital. Despite his age, he was a very well respected and coveted doctor. He had seen his fair share of injuries, from stab wounds to odd objects lodged into places this didn’t belong. So he was glad that his one day off allowed him some time to decompress from all the chaos of the ER.

His day had been going quite well. He had gotten a decent amount of sleep (for him anyway), a full meal, and was able to dress comfortably. He was currently sitting at a table outside his favorite local coffee shop with his best friend and dog, Bepo. The White Tibetan Mastiff was laying at Law’s feet, a bowl of water next to him. The weather was cool, so the thick-furred dog was quite content.

Law was enjoying a medical textbook and a relaxing cup of tea. It was late evening, and the city was alive with post-work rush. He was just planning on leaving when a body dropped into the seat across from him. Bepo’s head popped up and swiveled to the interloper. Law’s eyes slowly dragged from the text to the person before him.

A full face mask surrounded by long spiky blond hair was what greeted his gaze.

“Killer-ya.” he greeted dully. 

The blond nodded back cordially.“Hello Law. Enjoying your day off?” he enquired. Law sighed and softly shut his book. 

“I was. What do you want?” Killer chuckled and sat back. His relaxed demeanor was betrayed only by his tense shoulders. 

“I require your assistance.” Law’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.  Killer was a known associate of Eustass Kidd, an up and coming gang leader who had a reputation for being hot-headed and ruthless. Law, Kidd, and Killer all went to Grand Line High together, so he was familiar with Killer’s boss and best friend.

 Law raised an eyebrow at the masked male before him. Bepo had long since lost interest, and had gone back to napping by his owner’s feet. Killer sighed.

“I need your medical expertise. My boss is in need of … assistance, and has requested you specifically. I was hoping we could do this amicably, but I’ve been ordered to bring you by whatever means necessary.” Law contemplated for a moment before sighing again and packing away his book. Bepo perked up as Law stood, and shuffled out from under the table.

 Killer stood as well and motioned for Law to follow him. The two males and one dog walked in silence down the street. Killer turned into an alley, stopping just past the threshold.

“I’ve brought him, Boss.” Law looked over the blond’s shoulder. Leaning against the dirty wall was a beaten and bloody Eustass Kidd.

The fiery haired gang leader looked up, giving Law a chance to assess the damage. His face hadn’t taken much damage, just some minor scrapes and a bruised jaw. Probably punched in the face for being an asshole. His eyes traveled lower, and finally saw why he was asked over. Taking in the -always- exposed chest, there was blood coming from in between his fingers as he tried to staunch the flow.

“What happened, Eustass-ya?” The brash idiot smirked up at Law and Killer.

“Heyya Law, I just need a quick patch job But let’s just say that hospitals and I don’t get along to well, ya feel?” The rough voice was exactly how Law remembered from school.“You didn’t answer my question, Eustass-ya” He dead-panned. Killer sighed and turned to the towering doctor behind him.

“He challenged one of Red-Hair’s crew members and got shanked.” Law sighed in resignation.

“I don’t have my medical bag with me, so I’ll have to go grab it.” He turned to leave, but was stopped by a strong grip around his bicep. Kidd chuckled.

“Ah, yeah that’s not gonna happen, pal. We don’t need you callin the pigs on us or anything. You understand, right?” Law glanced down at the hand on his arm, then turned to Killer, who had stopped him.

“Then what do you suggest, Eustass-ya?” His eyes slid over to the seemingly unconcerned bleeding male.

“Take us to your bag, of course,” was the blasé response. Law’s face dropped into a glare as his brain processed the demand. Kidd and Killer, whilst his old classmates, were also known criminals. Did her really want them knowing where he lived? It sounded like a terrible idea.  He didn’t need any gang members knocking down his door, for any reason. 

On the other hand, they wouldn’t be disturbed, as his building held a no-questions-asked policy. And it would give him the home field advantage.

Law fully turned back to face Kidd. He nodded once, which prompted Killer to release his arm. Both males moved forward and grabbed an arm to hoist Kidd up and onto their shoulders. Law internally mourned the loss of his jacket and shirt, but moved to the front of the alley where Bepo was sitting dutifully keeping watch. The Large mastiff sniffed at Killer and Kidd, growling at the latter, before turning and heading down the street.

The three males managed to make it to Law’s building with little more than an odd look or two as they stumbled through the streets. As they made their way to the elevator inside, Law pulled away and headed towards the stairs.

“Hey, where ya going, Law?” Kidd ased, almost condescendingly. Law turned, with Bepo at his heels, and looked at the bloody duo.

“Well, Eustass-ya, I need to prepare my equipment if I’m going to stitch you up. Besides, Bepo doesn’t like the elevator” Kidd snarled in response.

“Well who cares what the flea-bag feels. We stick together.” Law glared and Bepo growled. Killer, ever the mediator, held out a placating hand.

“How about I take Bepo up the stairs and prep your equipment for you?” Law turned his steely gaze to the level-headed blond. He thought about it for a moment, then sighed and acquiesced.

A few minutes, and explicit instructions later, Killer led Bepo up the stairs, Law’s keys in hand, and Law was holding up Kidd as the elevator ascended the seven floors. Kidd was staring at Law.

Despite his best effort, Law could not ignore the intense gaze bore into the side of his face. He slid his steel grey eyes over to meet carmine irises. Kidd’s eyes roamed Law’s face before settling back on his eyes and he smirked.

“How ya been, Traffy? I ain’t seen ya since graduation.” Law turned away, not dignifying the unwanted nickname usage with a response. Kidd waited all of thirty seconds for an answer. “Aww come on Law, don’t be like that. I’m just tryin’ ta make conversation.” Law kept his eyes forward, hoping that the elevator would just reach his floor already.

“You are essentially forcing me to help you out of a mess that you made, so I’ll be however I want, Eustass-ya.” he intoned as the doors finally opened. He quickly dragged the still bleeding male through the quiet hallway and to his opened door, where Bepo was sitting just indie watching Killer as he finished covering the table with plastic.

His tools were laid out neatly, and he could smell the antiseptic and sterile metal. Killer looked up and the mastiff boofed in greeting to his owner, and hurried over to help move his boss to the coffee table.

Once Kidd was settled, Law stepped away and shrugged off his jacket. He tossed it into the trash bag that Killer had so kindly provided. He then stripped off his Black turtle-neck long-sleeve shirt and tossed that as well. His fit and inked torso was exposed, but he thought nothing of it as he walked down the small hallway into his room to pull on a new clean shirt and wash his hands.

 When he returned to the living room, Kidd was holding his nose, which was bleeding. Killer sat on the couch next to him, with a hand to his masked face, shaking his head. Law raised an eyebrow.

“Why is he bleeding?” Killer shook his head again.

“Because he’s an idiot,” Law forward and began prepping.

“I didn’t know that idiocy caused people to just start spontaneously bleeding from their nose.” He snarked as he pulled on gloves and grabbed Kidd’s other hand away from the still bleeding stab wound.

“I think it’s a new phenomenon.” was Killer’s only response as he stood up to leave. “Call me when he’s fit to leave. I left my number on you fridge. I should also change, and let the boys know what happened.

“Aren’t you worried I may kill him?” Law asked as he started to clean the wound, assessing how deep it was.

“No. I believe he is in good hands. Best of luck ‘Surgeon of Death’,” Law froze for only a moment before continuing his work.

~///~

Kidd was a confident guy. He had every reason to be. He was tough, strong, and well respected by his gang, not to mention the name he had made for himself in the criminal world. But his confidence was what had landed his in this situation, he wasn’t too proud to admit that. Lay, half-naked on a plastic covered coffee table, a dog glaring at him from it’s bed across the room, and a very fit docotor cleaning his wound.

 For some reason, Eustass Kidd was at a loss for what to do. He hadn’t expected Law to just strip right in front of him so suddenly, and now he was holrny as fuck, because damn if Law wasn’t the most attractive doctor Eustass ever had.

 The muscles alone would have been enough, but paired with the many tattoos swirling across his torso, down his arms, and onto his hands, Kidd’s blood rushed to his face so fast that he got a nosebleed. A nosebleed! Him! Like some nerdy virgin middle school boy! He knew he was going to get crap for it later from Killer based on the sigh and head shake.

Now, however, Kidd was focused on a different problem. He just couldn’t stop staring at Law’s face as the man concentrated on stitching up the now cleaned stab wound. His steely eyes were laser focused on his work, and it made Kidd feel extremely exposed, which was impressive considering his general state of dress, or lack of dress. So, in order to hide his growing … attraction to his ex-classmate, he decided to make conversation again.

“Hey Law. What's with the creepy nickname, huh?” ‘Surgeon of Death’ doesn’t sound like someone a soccer mom would let operate on her kid, ya know?” Law paused in his sewing and spared a glance at Kidd

.“Unless you want a scar, Eustass-ya, don’t talk. You’ll move your abdomen too much and then I won’t be able to sew straight.” He waited a moment before going back to work. After a few minutes he responded. “I got the title a few years ago when I was doing off the record treatments and surgeries for criminals and runaways. Anyone who couldn't pay my price or threatened me ended up ‘dead’ and in police custody.”

Kidd would never admit it, but rather than terrified, or shocked, he was only thinking about how ruthless, and hot, that was. He cleared his throat and tried very hard not to shift beneath those steady and tattooed hands.

 Law finished up his final stitch and swiped an antiseptic wipe across it to remove any lingering blood before placing a bandage across it. Once it was secure, he snapped off his gloves and threw them in the trash bag that held his bloody clothes. The large dog hopped up from it’s bed and trotted over to his owner, who was moving over towards the kitchen.

 Kidd moved to sit up, and was promptly hit with a massive dizzy spell. Law, from the kitchen, spoke loud enough for his dulcet tones to carry.

“Don’t move yet, Eustass-ya. You’ve lost a lot of blood, and will need to replenish your fluids so your body and start to make more blood. I’m grabbing you some juice to get your sugar levels back up as well. Do you happen to know your blood type?” Kidd scoffed and managed to sit up straight, perching himself on the edge of the table.

“F.” Law snorted, and Kidd heard a door open and close. It was silent for a moment before Kidd heard it open and close again. Law came back into the room orange juice in one hand and … an iv and blood bag? “Hey hey, what’s this shit?” Law set the juice down on Kidd’s lap, shoving it between his thighs so it wouldn’t fall over. He then moved to set up the IV stand with the bag of blood.

“You lost too much blood, remember? This will help. Now lay down on the couch, Eustass-ya.” As he explained,  Law positioned himself to stick the needle into Eustass’ arm. He swiped it with another wipe, and pushed in the needle with no warning or pause. The smooth motion was followed by him taping the needle in place, and a hand gesturing to the couch.

Eustass flushed a bit, a scowl appearing on his face to try and hide his embarrassment. He moved carefully over to the couch. Law, despite complaints, heled Kidd lie back, and even moved a pillow behind his head so he would be more comfortable.

“Drink your juice, Eustass-ya” was the order given before Law turned back and headed into the kitchen once more. Kidd was sure his face was as bright as his hair, and he could almost feel another nosebleed coming. He quickly grabbed the orange juice and tried to chug it, but was caught off guard when his ecarmine eyes caught sight of the pitch black ones of Law’s dog, who was staring at him from across the room. He choked  bit, and pulled the juice away to hack out what little got into his lungs.

“Don’t chug the juice, Eustass-ya. Sip it. Otherwise you’ll vomit, and I don’t feel like cleaning up any more of your messes tonight.” Law’s voice carried from the kitchen,a s well as the sounds of meal prep. The dog continued to stare at him as he followed Law’s directions.

“Hey Law, your damn dog is staring at me again.”

“That’s because he doesn't trust you. Once food it ready he’ll stop.”

 A while later, and two empty juice glasses later, food was ready, and Kidd was sitting up on the couch feeling more like himself. When Law came out wearing a “Kiss the Cook and I’ll Kick Your Ass” apron, all his previous hirniness returned. Law set down a plate before Kidd, then settled on the floor across from him. As soon as he was seated, the dog moved from his vigil position and layed down behind Law. The inked doctor leaned back onto it, and tossed a scrap of food his way.

As the meal progressed in silence, Eustass thought back to what Law had said earlier.“So, uh, about this payment.” Law’s eyes slowly moved up to meet Kidd’s own. “What exactly do you want in return?” Law, still chewing, processed the question.

“Depends on what of value you have. Normally I ask for money, the amount for supplies used [laus time and effort. But, I am flexible if you have something of use and value to me.” Kidd’s mind worked to try and figure out what he had that could work as payment to the reclusive doctor. 

“Well, Traffy, I ain’t exactly liquid right now. So, how about I give you a down payment, and then have Killer bring the rest when he comes to get me?” Law hummed into his drink (water) and set the glass down. “You’ll need to stay the night for observation, so he won’t be able to come and get you til morning.” Kidd blanched and flushed. Stay the night!? “What did you have in mind for the down payment?”

End?

This is my gift for @generaldevi who is my “secret santa” for the discord gift exchange. Hope you enjoy~!

Rose

[sunlitroom]

Things I lament from Season 4.

The way Oswald and Sofia’s relationship went.

This was always much, much more interesting to me than whatever Sofia and Jim’s ‘thing’ was meant to be.  I know the show is kind of fixated on this ‘they can see each other’s darkness’ spiel – but, to be honest, I always find that a bit nebulous – and a little silly.

Oswald and Sofia, though – now that had potential to be something much more interesting.  Even from her very first appearance, there were so many echoes of Oswald in how she was presented.

Sofia is introduced to us in the context of a parent/child relationship: she’s Carmine Falcone’s daughter. Equally – Oswald’s first appearance – when he’s beating the guy in the alley outside – is prefaced by Fish telling Jim and Harvey that her ‘boys’ are outside.  Fish is Oswald’s alternative mother.  

We see immediately that Sofia smarts when Carmine dismisses her abilities – telling her that she’s ‘not ready’ for Gotham yet.  She makes a sulky, quietly defiant face that’s very reminiscent of season one Oswald: when he’s chafing under Fish’s command, or silently loathing Maroni, even when he gets cross at Gertrud for guessing his surprise.  There’s something childish in both of them – caught in parental relationships which are defining and meaningful to them, but also restrictive and frustrating.

She immediately zeroes in on Jim and how she can use him to benefit herself.  She’ll use his snit over the Pax to install herself in Gotham and prove her worth to her father – and she’ll screw him over in the process, getting revenge for Mario.  

Equally – Oswald quickly focuses his attention on Jim when they first meet.  Although Oswald’s feeling head in another direction – he’s initially pragmatic: asking Falcone if Jim can be the one to execute him (knowing he won’t), and also perhaps looking to create his own version of Fish’s relationship with Harvey.

We’re even visually primed to make a comparison– Sofia’s neck tie on her riding outfit is very similar to Oswald’s old continental cross.

So from the first time we meet her – we’re being cued to think about how they relate to one another. There’s another, deeper, point of similarity that interested me too.

I was recently watching The Alienist (set at the turn of the century). There’s a scene where the main characters plan the ambush of a suspect.  When it’s being decided who will do what, the woman of the group is instantly ruled out. They also rule out a male character with a physical disability.  In terms of the scene – there’s an element of practicality – but he’s still set apart from the other men, othered, put on a par with the woman of the group.   It was also interesting in that it implicitly created a kind of bond between the woman and the disabled man: they share a wry sidelong glance and a smile.  

This reminded me of another meta conversation from way back when with @rhavewellyarnbag, talking about how Oswald is othered.  @rhavewellyarnbag pointed out that physical disability can often be presented as ‘feminising’ in terms of othering.  Certainly in season one, Oswald’s physicality – his slightness and his disability - is contrasted vividly with big men like Maroni, Falcone, and Butch, who are overtly physically threatening.  This allows Oswald to fly under the radar.  His physicality, his manner, how he presents himself: he’s written off as a threat.

Sofia, by and large, with the exception of when she showed up at GCPD in her suit (which was still pretty sexualised) does not present herself as a threat.  By and large, she’s dressed fairly ‘traditionally’ (albeit with a couple of bizarre outfits).  The orphanage, apart from a way to prey on Oswald’s weaknesses – is a traditionally ‘feminine’ screen for her to hide behind: nurturing, altruistic, child-oriented. Jim viewed her as passive enough that he could try to bundle her back on a train and send her home.  

So, in how they were presented to us – there was a lot to think about, a lot to enjoy.  

In terms of how they play off each other – I think their earlier interactions are most interesting – when it’s riddled with wariness and ambiguity.  Oswald can’t decide whether she’s a threat or not.  Although we know Sofia is working with Jim, I’d also argue that those early scenes are played very carefully in terms of how Sofia is responding to Oswald.  Is she still all business?  Might she actually like him?  See him as a colleague?  Feel some kind of kinship?  

On one level, along with the approval of the Falcone name that she dangles, Oswald certainly eventually wants friendship – Oswald usually does – but he does also seem to find Sofia to be someone he can particularly connect with: someone who understands the business, someone he is comfortable spending time with.

Sofia’s difficult to read. She’s considering him, obviously, trying to get the measure of him.  We see that in her cycling through different looks in her meetings with him.  Demure rich girl, then something a little more obvious in a bustier, then the distinctly ‘good girl’ dress and hairstyle she wears to their dinner date.  However, we never get to see her look overtly conniving, or laughing up her sleeve at Oswald – something to tell us that it’s all a ruse.  She notices that he is unable to look at his own injured leg, but it’s very hard to get a read on whether she has an emotional response to that.

For me – this early ambiguity was much more interesting.  I don’t think Sofia has to abandon her goal - if anything, continuing with her plan while feeling emotionally connected would have been another point of similarity with Oswald, who missed Fish after ‘killing’ her – but having their relationship exist in this grey area would have been interesting.

As we progressed, though, the ambiguity disappeared.  As soon as we get a sense of where the plot is going – all we get from Sofia towards Oswald is outright contempt.  Letting us know what her plans were needn’t have resulted in being so black or white about the nature of their relationship.  From this point, it lost a lot of complexity.

It was also – to be honest – confusing.  They had Sofia express affection for Jim – even though he murdered her brother, even though he seemed to look at her with outright distaste at times.  It’s not, then, immediately clear to me why Oswald – who respected her opinion, who wanted her company, with whom she has much in common, apparently warranted insta-contempt.  Was it entirely a class thing – the upstart who dared to topple the established order? There’s certainly much made of how smooth Sofia is socially in comparison with Oswald, and she’s obsessed with her family name.  Was it some deep-rooted thing because he bested her father – whom she hated but craved validation from?

Who knows?  I’d like to have seen it explored more, though.

Anyone up for a bit of hiatus meta discussion? @millicentcordelia? @rhavewellyarnbag? @ncfan-1? @inappropriatefangirlneeds? @maysgreatnewusername? Anyone else who feels so inclined? :)

[hysterialevi]

In the Smoke pt. 7 (Cobblebats) Also thank you guys for 30 followers!!

From Oswald’s POV

I grabbed Falcone by the neck, squeezing hard enough just to make him struggle as he wiggled helplessly in the air, a dangerous, groaning creak emitting from the beam he was hanging from. 

“I don’t got all day,” I snarled at him, “and neither do you. This tower ain’t holding your weight forever, mate, and the GCPD will be here soon. So just tell me what I need to know before I lose my patience, and I might let you go.”

Falcone scoffed. “You expect me to believe that? You just blew my club to hell, and look at my men!” He gestured to the bodies lying around us. “They’re all dead! What’s stopping you from doing the same to me?”

I stepped closer to him and pointed my gun under his jaw, glaring. “Nothing.”

He still refused to comply, and kept his mouth zipped tight. I pressed the gun even harder into his skin, leaving a dent.

“You have the technology to hack into Arkham’s records,” I explained. “And you’re gonna tell me how to do it.”

“And what if I don’t?”

I chuckled. “Then you’ll be of no more use to me, and I’ll kill you. And once I’m done with you, I’ll go after the Waynes, and repeat the exact same process. You think you’re being a hero by defying me? All you’re doing is makin’ it worse for my other enemies...your friends.”

Falcone tried to turn away from my gun. “Why the hell are you even interested in that loony-bin? What could you gain from it?”

My eyes narrowed in anger. “Gain? I didn’t gain shit from that hellhole, but you clearly benefited from it.”

He still looked confused, so I decided to spell it out for him.

“...about twenty years ago, there may have been a woman who was part of a rich family. She had a loving husband, a piece of land that you stole...and a little boy. A son...who was left all alone because of what you did.”

Falcone took a better look at me, his mouth dropping open. “...no. You can’t be--” He blinked rapidly a few times, completely dumbfounded. “...O-Oswald?”

I grinned behind my mask. This was too fun. 

“I told you I’d come back one day, didn’t I?” I taunted. “That I’d destroy everything and everyone you cared about, and send your fortune spiraling down in flames.” I moved my pistol from his jaw to his forehead. “You’ve lived in peace for long enough, Falcone. Time’s up.”

Before I could pull the trigger though, a sharp pain suddenly stung my hand when something hit it, flicking the weapon out of my grasp as it was sent sliding across the floor. I whirled around to see who else was here, and prepared for another attack, only to spot an iconic Batarang sticking out of a nearby wall with its blade barely lodged into the sturdy surface. 

“Let him go.” A low voice said. 

Not too far away from me, lurking in the shadows, was a pair of glowing, white eyes. I smirked, spreading my arms out to my side.

“Batman!” I exclaimed, approaching him. “It’s. About. Time. You set a bomb off, you’d expect a visit from Gotham’s number one vigilante.”

He took a step forward in an intimidating manner, clenching his fists. “I said let him go.”

I glanced over at my bodyguard, Roland, who was standing somewhere off to side. “You hear that, Roland? That sounded like an order.” The blue giant came out of hiding and began prowling towards Batman, cracking his knuckles.

“I’ll crush him.”

“Now, now,” I stopped him, “have a little respect for the Bat. Think he underestimates you.” 

As expected, Batman said nothing in return and simply stared at me, observing the situation like a hawk.

“Listen,” I told him, getting his attention. “I doubt you came here for small talk. You’re obviously here to save Falcone’s arse, which we’ll get to in a moment, but my only question is...why? This man,” I threw a firm punch directly into the crime-boss’ gut, causing him to reel, “don’t deserve being rescued. He’s a bloody gangster--if you can call him that--and he’s been running away from justice for ages. I thought ‘Batman’ was all about justice.”

The vigilante grimly examined the scattered corpses. “This isn’t justice.”

“Pfft, what, and a courtroom is? You can take Falcone to jail as many times as you want, Batman--but he’s always gonna get out. And he’s only gonna go after more victims.”

Interrupting our conversation, the sound of police sirens started to near the club, and I could hear the speedy footsteps of police offers as they tried to break in. I retrieved my gun from the floor and let out a dramatic sigh, Roland blocking off the vigilante from me.

“So sorry this didn’t work out, mate. I’d stay to watch--I really would, but I’ve got a Wayne problem to deal with. Perhaps we can continue this at a later date.” For some reason, that seemed to strike worry in Batman.

I turned to Falcone. “As for him...”

Casually waving goodbye, I shot the rope tying Falcone’s hands to the beam, causing him to plummet immediately through the air with a frightened shriek. Batman instantly bulldozed his way past me and Roland, ignoring the original reason why he came here, and took out that grapple-gun of his, diving off the edge after Falcone. He really was crazy, wasn’t he?

Before either of them could make it back up here however, I decided to take this chance to escape and sprinted out of the club with Roland trailing behind me, evading the GCPD along the way. So, I may not have gained any information from Falcone as I planned, but at least I had a new weapon in my arsenal--and that weapon was waiting to meet me at this very moment.

From Bruce’s POV

I sat patiently in Oz’s office, waiting for my friend to return as I watched the news. So far, there was a recorded count of eleven deaths, and over twenty were injured and in critical condition. Whoever this Penguin was, he certainly caused a good amount of damage, and by attacking the Skyline Club so blatantly, it was obvious that he was trying to send a message. As for Uncle Carmine, he had been saved by the famed Batman, and was now being treated in Gotham’s precinct. As far as I could tell, he wasn’t as badly harmed as the other victims, but he was still in dire need for medical attention. Despite hating what he did for a living, I couldn’t help but worry a little for my uncle. He was still family, after all.

Shutting off the TV, I started to think about what Harvey said back at the café. As obvious as it was, I was still surprised that he actually admitted to being infatuated with me. I didn’t get a chance to respond to his confession, and to be honest, I was kind of grateful for that. Even if that bomb hadn’t gone off, I wouldn’t have known what to say anyways. I mean, Harvey was a friendly and compassionate guy--there was no doubt about that--but I just didn’t share his attraction. My mind was already occupied with fantasizing about someone else.

After a while of waiting, the office’s door finally swung open, revealing Oz in the entryway. He was only wearing his white v-neck right now, and his black coat had been slung over his shoulder. There was a deep, red gash on the back of his hand, and he looked like he had just gotten out of a fight. What happened?

A smile came to my face. “Oz, you’re back. Are you all right? You look like hell.”

Oz looked at me as if he were thinking about something. “Oh, this?” He lifted his hand. “It’s nothin’. Just had a run-in with Batman.”

I froze. “Wait, what?”

He didn’t elaborate much on the subject and simply carried on as always, until his brow raised with realization and he began wrapping a bandage around the wound. “Oh, that’s right...you don’t know about Penguin, do you?”

Was he implying what I thought he was? 

“Oz,” I said suspiciously, “...are you the Penguin?”

He grinned. “The one and only.” Cutting the bandage, he walked towards me. “I would’ve told you sooner, Bruce, but I was worried it’d scare you off.”

“I get that, but if we’re gonna be working together, we need to be honest with each other. All right?”

Oz nodded. “I can work with that. Anyways, we’ve got a lot of work to do. That debate is just ‘round the corner, and it’s the perfect opportunity to expose Falcone, Hilll, and your father.”

“How do you mean?”

“Think ‘bout it. All of Gotham is gonna be watching that night. The entire city’s attention will be on the debate. If we show the evidence there, there won’t be a man, woman, or child who don’t know about the mayor’s crimes.”

I was still a little lost. “But what evidence do we have?”

Oz raised a finger. “That, mate...is where you come in. Apparently, your father’s got access to the records and databases of...pretty much everywhere in Gotham. City Hall, the GCPD, you name it.”

He grabbed a chair and sat on it backwards, scooting closer to me. “I need you to find a way to pull up the records of Arkham Asylum, and send them to me. They’ve got an endless supply of security footage and patient files that could help us tremendously, and we can play ‘em at the debate. What d’you think? Can you handle that?”

I had no idea that my father had such resources, and I didn’t know how he was able to access so much information, but if growing up around criminals helped me do anything--it was being sneaky. I would have to keep a close eye on my father, and watch his every move, but also avoid suspicion at the same time. With enough patience, it was definitely possible.

“I got it covered.” I said.

He winked at me. I melted inside. “Thanks, Bruce. Well, I should get to work on preparations. In the meantime, you just focus on getting that evidence, all right? I’ll take care of the rest. Oh, also--” Oz shrugged, “--sorry for ruining your date with Dent.”

I chuckled. “It wasn’t a date, Oz. I mean, he likes me, but...”

He caught on pretty easily. “You don’t like him back, do you?”

I shook my head in guilt. “No.”

“Who do you like, then?”

My words got stuck in my throat at that question, and I felt myself blushing, but my silence alone was able to say more than enough. Oz grinned flirtatiously.

“Oh, I see. Well...can’t really blame you.”

“I should mention that arrogance is a huge turn-off for me.” I joked.

“Oh, but blowing up a tower on live TV isn’t?”

“You have a thing for theatrics. I respect that.”

He laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. Anyways,” Oz stood up from his chair and headed for the door, “I’ll start getting everything ready. You just do whatever it takes to find those records, okay?”

“You got it.”

And with that, Oz was out and off to work once again, leaving me alone with one of the biggest tasks of my life. I assumed that my father would have some complex security system to keep out people like me, and I didn’t even know where to begin when it came to hacking. Though, he was away from home right now. This was a good chance to snoop around. I just had to avoid Alfred.

Exiting the office, I shut the lights off behind me and made my way out of HQ, wondering just exactly what the hell I was getting myself into. I loved my father, and the last thing I wanted to do was fight against him, but if he was going to keep harming Gotham like this, I didn’t see any other option. He had to be stopped. 

Even if it meant he had to die.

[totesmccoats]

Batman #26

Having recovered from being stabbed, Riddler declares that he will kill the Joker. Joker demands Carmine Falcone to kill the Riddler before Riddler gets the chance. And the war begins in earnest, with Batman, for once, steps behind.

The issue begins with Bruce narrating (to Selina), giving the biographies of people the Joker had murdered, and through the entire book, every casualty is given a name and a sentence of characterization. King refuses to let these victims become just mooks in the wake of the supervillians war. And it shows how much this failure weighs on Bruce. He remembers all of them.

Meanwhile, Gotham’s worst choose their side, willingly or through coercion. The worst is yet to come.

Janin and Chung’s art is impeccable, recalling Bolland in certain Joker scenes, and further making all these characters feel like flesh and blood rather than just cartoon casualties.

  Superman #26

We’re back to peak Superdad in this issue, as Clark tries to teach Jon how to use his powers responsibly to keep the world safe from threat. But Jon wants to do things his own way.

I’m a sucker for anything with good dads, and this issue is an adorable dad story. Jon is rambunctious and young and itching to be a hero, and Clark is having trouble focusing that without being smothering. And I have bottomless appreciation for Clark not being a perfect father right of the bat, because it isn’t something you can solve with powers; it requires goodness and practice.

  Green Arrow #26

Ollie tracks the Ninth Circle to a mountain range outside Seattle – now Star City – where the wildlife has been infected with the Speed Force. And the disruption the Speed Force summons another hero, the Flash, to help deal with the issue.

Unfortunately, this issue isn’t as strong as its heroic team-up might lead you to believe. It’s not bad, but coming off the series’ last arc, this issue feels too light – almost frivolous – until a penultimate page reveal points our heroes towards their next goal. It feels like a one-and-done type story that’s being stretched and squeezed between the end of the last arc and the beginning of the next one, and consequently, this issue doesn’t feel like it had room to justify its own existence as, essentially, a segue.

I’m of two minds about Byrne’s art in this issue. I’m a big fan of bold, saturated, cartoony styles, but this art is begging to be animated, and because it isn’t, it feels lifeless, frozen in place. The art in this book doesn’t so much imply movement as it feels like keyframe art minus the other 21 frames a second. I honestly might have liked this issue better as a five minute short than a single-issue comic.

  Hawkeye #8

Following from last issue, Kate confronts her father, who looks 20 years too young, and is in league with Madame Masque. And, in a parallel story taking place a few hours afterwards, a beaten and tired Hawkeye investigates into a new case of a young girl’s missing father, which takes her to an underground fight club.

I’m about as equally vulnerable to daddy-issues stories as I am to superdad stories, so consider this issue another win in my book. I like how Kate immediately spots the parallels between her relationship with her dad, and what she sees appearing to happen between her new client and her father, and how that weighs down on her through the issue. Also, like last issue, we’re seeing a Katie struggling to keep it together. She’s physically beat, over-tired, emotionally drained, and is past frayed on the edges to full-on out-of-it. Katie needs a rest, but feels like she can’t stop moving, and it makes her sloppy.

  Black Bolt #3

Crusher’s escape plan continues, mostly as intended, with each prisoner – Black Bolt included – doing their part to break out, free other prisoners, and kill their jailers.

Ahmed’s story is propulsive and scant, reaching a state where the plot becomes lost behind organic interactions and reactions between characters. In only three issues, the characterization is so strong that this issue barely feels plotted at all, as though these characters actually existed and were making their own choices. Black Bolt as Crusher’s rivalry is one of the best relationships in comics right now, each coming from diametric backgrounds, but also each having gained a respect for the other.

Ward’s art, again, steals the spotlight, this issue with how it plays with pink and blue contrasts. The contrast creates natural focus points, drawing your eye forward through the issue, the pink a neon light at the end of the jail’s tunnel. Ward also even gets to show us his version of a Kirby machine, and it’s an absolute stunner of a thing.

  Uber: Invasion #7

The Americans deploy a secret weapon to use against Battleship Siegfried during the attempted invasion of Detroit.

That’s really the entire plot of the issue, which acts as basically a single-scene climax for this first part of Invasion. The allies bring out their best bet for taking down a Nazi Battleship, and within two minutes of comic time, which is extended to last most of this issue, we find out whether or not it works.

I won’t spoil here exactly how the issue stretches out those two minutes, but the dramatic tension pays off spectacularly. Every “second” hangs pregnant in the air, with the debriefing-like narration making the entire issue feel like a second-by-second play-by-play; as though we were scrubbing footage frame-by-frame to witness the exact turning point in this war.

And, of course, the book doesn’t shy away from its parallels to the actual World War II, specifically towards the treatment of African American soldiers, like the Tuskegee airmen.

  The Wicked + The Divine #29

Baal and Ami recruit Laura to try and track down Sakhmet after she slaughtered all those people in that orgy last issue, which takes them through a talking tour of the rest of the Pantheon.

This is actually a really cool way to start the arc, as it basically reestablishes where all these characters are at the moment. Baal, Ami, Woden, Dionyus, Minerva, and the Norns are still trying to work out what the Darkness is and a way to stop it, which Sakhmet’s slaughter interrupts. When Laura, Dio, and the Norns go to the Underground to ask Morrigan if she’s been hiding Sakhmet, we find out that Morrigan still holds a grudge against Laura for her sleeping with the currently missing Baphomet; and convinced that Morrigan has done something to him, Dio decides to wait in the underground until Morrigan releases him.

Meanwhile, Laura herself is still living in an hedonistic daze, bounding from bed to bed, party to party, and god to god, frustrated by others involving her in the things they care about, like the end of the world. In a way, it returns things to how they were in the beginning of the series, with Laura as an outsider to the goings on of the Pantheon; only now, instead of wanting to be part of it, she tries her best to ignore them.

  Snotgirl #6

Months after the New Years incident, Lottie’s life has returned to normal mostly. Her, Normgirl and Cutegirl are having their regular Hater’s Brunch when Cute’s twin shows up, revealing her real age, name, and other details about their childhood. Then, at a meet-up, Lottie runs into Caroline’s cute younger brother, who asks Lottie to reconnect with his sister, who she apparently hasn’t spoken to since New Years.

Another first issue of a new arc that gently refamiliarizes readers with the characters and status quo. Maybe it’s just because of the hiatus, but Lottie even seems slightly more likable in this issue. Her disdain for most other people, including her fans, is still there, but we also see that she appreciates what she means to her fans, and – even if it’s just to get closer to her brother – she does reach out to Caroline, who has been in a malaise since we’ve last seen her.

Lottie is also helped by comparing her to Cutegirl, who is taken down a few notches in this issue by her twin sister. Better by comparison is still, technically, a type of better.

Comic Reviews for 7/5/17 Batman #26 Having recovered from being stabbed, Riddler declares that he will kill the Joker. Joker demands Carmine Falcone to kill the Riddler before Riddler gets the chance.