#and dick & jason are too precious to me to see it another way

[aeligsido]

If I had a nickel for every time Dick beats up a man for hurting Jason (or, u kno, literally killing him), I would have two nickels. Which is not a lot but weird that it only happened twice.

[myeagleexpert]

Yan!Batfamily x Singer!YN (neglected)

Inspired by @@gotham-daydreams's fic, your work is wonderful and makes me think about many things…. One of the things I think about is if they found Reader from her music…. Reader here is heavily inspired by Naomi Jon, she is an independent singer from Germany, she regularly makes videos on youtube about makeup, shopping on websites, tiktok foods, things like that. She is a very fun person to watch and I highly recommend you watch it, all her videos are in English. (one detail is that she doesn’t talk much about her family, and lives with her friend Vincent and boyyy every time I read about Reader from Not [ ] fics I remember her. If you disagree, that’s okay, I still like the idea of ​​YN’s glow up <3) “Have you seen, come and read my diary Then you will see, that you don’t mean shit to me” – MANTRA- Naomi Jon

I imagine that while shopping at a store, Steph liked the store’s playlist and went to look for who was singing it.

Imagine her face when she finds out that the person she was listening to… was the YN everyone was looking for. She immediately discovers her YouTube channel, social media… and everyone immediately starts binge-watching and stalking all of her videos

Dick would be the type of person who would learn the choreography for your music videos, just to dance with you. He swears he can be the fun older brother you need, he can be in your videos too! And cook! I don't think he wears makeup, but he would watch all your makeup videos because he likes your reviews, and when you make a joke or mix up the language in the video he finds it so funny that he can't help but laugh. He wants to test out the latest skincare products with you and wants to travel together! You look so different now, with bold eyeliner and colorful hair, Dick wonders if you've always been like this and he was just blind because he didn't see it. Come on, he didn't know you had this fun and easygoing side, let's spend more time together, okay?

“This dress deserves… THE BUSINESS WALK!”

Jason sees how you've grown, and how much better you are away from Gotham. Like a flower that blooms only when it's in a clean and suitable environment, you've brilliantly transformed into who you are. But a part of him, the biggest part, thinks you'd be much safer around your family, where they can protect you. You sing and post so many videos on the internet, what if someone comes after you? Let your brother stay close, okay? And who is this friend who lives with you anyway? He is not trustworthy - no. It doesn't matter if you've known him since you were kids and have lived together for a long time. Another thing I bet he would do is join you on the days when you dye your hair in the craziest ways possible, he has some experience with dye, you know?

“C’mon FriendReader, this is the plan for this hair dyeing technique. Yes, all seven colors are here!”

For those who neglected Reader and pretended you didn't exist, he is your #01 Fan now. Tim definitely listens to ALL your music, and is 100% connected to your social networks. He watches and rewatches all your videos, they are so interactive and relaxed that he has the illusion that he is living it all with you. He's the type of person who eats while watching your videos, and watches them before bed, and when he's having a particularly stressful situation he'll lock himself in his room and watch one of your vlogs, because your voice has such a calming effect of normality that for him, it's like at any moment you'll open his door asking to try a 2-ingredient recipe you saw on TikTok.

“Timothyyy~ try this recipe I saw on tik tok!”

Damian is an interesting case… because he discovered that his precious blood brother has a side to him that he never saw. When he walked into your room and looked at all your memories, all your pictures of your achievements, all your music sketches he KNEW you were talented, but when he saw you in action in your videos and shows it was like a cartoon character came to life. YOU came to life! Definitely buy all your merch, and talk about you all the time to John. Do you still have two cats?? Enough, the kidnapping is you and them two.

“My next show will be…”

Bruce goes back and rereads your journal drafts and realizes how much your music has really changed, your focus now being only on your fans and not your family. Like everyone else in the family, he watches your videos daily and keeps thinking “I could give her a bigger box of surprises so she can record a video” “Did she think that dress was pretty? I could buy her a better one, shinier and pinker, just like she wanted.” When you post a video of the backstage of a show and all your lively preparations, he can’t help but feel guilty for the thousandth time that day. He should be by your side right now, a father should be behind the scenes giving you comfort and strength to go on the show. He should be in the front row cheering when you realized your dream of going on stage for the first time. The whole family should… You’re trying so hard, your dedication is palpable in your videos and shows. The little girl grew up and became a dreamy woman, but who do you run to when you need to cry? Let him be your comforting shoulder now, let him come into your life again.

“I made this song especially for you, my fans!”

When Alfred put that video of YN’s childhood on TV, where she performed in a school play, to remind everyone of her absence, he couldn’t be more proud of his work when weeks later he hears her voice coming from one of the boys’ rooms. It's you singing one of the songs, the batboy repeating it for the tenth time. Your voice has changed, from a childish and angelic voice to a woman's, your looks have gradually gained confidence and personality, but your “presence” in the mansion is ghostly. He feels so happy for you, you are externalizing to the world what he has always seen: that you are incredible. Alfred doesn't need to marathon your videos to feel closer to you, he already has affectionate memories, he already has albums from when you were a baby and tested recipes with him, he already has videos of you training to sing when you were little… But he still watches your videos because unfortunately, even with him you lost contact. He watches the videos like a grandfather watches his grandson's stories “Oh? Are you in Tokyo now? How wonderful, dear, remember the coat.” “Oh dear YN, I don't think this recipe will be good for you…” “Yn, be careful with the scams on these strange websites!”

“Guys, I know what you’re thinking… BUT maybe combining onion and chocolate CAN work.”

[anawrites3]

Jason and Tim, they're comparing their scars

"This one," Jason said in a low voice, turning a bit to show the long scar on his side better. It started at his sternum and disappeared under his armpit. "Is from Black Mask. Fucker got me when my suit ripped and tried his damnest to put me down."

"Woah." Tim breathed out before shuffling closer. He reached out to trace the mark with his fingers, slowly and carefully, and watched goosebumps rise where he touched. "It looks… well, it looks pretty bad."

Jason snorted. He didn't move away from Tim's touch, even with how cold Tim's hand had to feel on his bare skin.

"It was." He agreed easily. "Not the worst I got but still hurt like bitch. Dick got crazy while trying to get me back to the Manor."

"Yeah, I can imagine that." Tim laughed. He sat back to gesture towards his own scar, this one also on the side but more towards his hip. It wasn't as long as Jason's but more ragged and ugly. "This one from Two Face."

"Damn." Jason whistled. He leaned closer to take a better look and didn't trace it with his fingers like Tim did, just put his hand on Tim's hip. "He got you good."

Tim winced.

"It was a stupid mistake." He admitted with a huff. He rested his hands on the couch behind him and looked up at the dark ceiling, subtly pressing himself into Jason's touch. "I was still new at the whole gig, made the wrong decision and ended up hurt. Bruce wasn't very happy with me."

Jason hummed. His thumb circled the skin of Tim's hip, dipping just barely into the waist of Tim's jeans and making the boy shiver.

"Can't blame him." He shrugged. "I'd get pissed at you for being stupid on patrol too."

A sigh left Tim's lips. Jason watched the way they parted to let the breath out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Tim mumbled, grumpy. "Learned my lesson now."

"I'd hope so."

"Oh, stop acting as if you never got hurt from doing something stupid." Tim grumbled. "We all make mistakes. Even you. Even Dick."

"Damn, that really had to hurt your pride if you're bringing up Dick's shit." Jason teased. He crossed his arms over his chest and Tim suddenly felt even colder without his warm touch on his skin.

"Well, it's kind of hard to forget Dick letting Deathstroke actually shoot him that one time in Russia."

"Oh yeah, that one was great." Jason threw his head back with a laugh. Tim punched him on the arm - that really wasn't funny, poor Dick - but a little smile danced on his lips as well (no, it wasn't funny, but it was so freaking stupid it was hard to talk about it with a straight face). "The look on his face was fucking precious."

"Good thing Bruce wasn't there. He'd go crazy."

"Hey, at least it would be fun to watch."

"It really wouldn't be. But don't you dare change the subject!" Tim playfully wagged his finger into Jason's face. "I want to see a scar you got because of being stupid. That's what you get for making fun of me."

"I wasn't exactly making fun of you-"

"C'mon, just show me!"

For a moment Jason watched him without a word. Tim waited for him to make another joke or show him something stupid like a papercut he got a few days ago and kept complaining about, but Jason just uncrossed his arms.

And then he gestured towards his chest, where his autopsy scars were.

"Jason-" Tim started quietly because this wasn't what he meant-

"This. This is what happened because I was being stupid." Jason ignored him, continued. His voice was carefully blank. "Because I trusted someone who didn't give two shits about me and let her lead me straight to that sick fuck."

"Jason-" Tim tried again. "I didn't-"

"I know that's not what you meant." He tried to grin but Tim saw it didn't reach his eyes the way it normally did. "But that's what happened. I was stupid and I got killed."

"No. No, Jason, you weren't stupid." Tim insisted, moving so close that their breaths mixed. He cupped Jason's cheek with those awfully cold hands and stopped him from looking away from him. "You were everything but stupid. You were being strong. You were being a hero. You did everything you could to help that woman and it's not your fault that she betrayed you. Those scars aren't proof of you being stupid, they show that you survived."

Jason breathed out, wet and shaky. And then he did something even more stupid than dying, even more stupid than Dick getting shot by Slade.

He closed the last centimeters between them and kissed Tim.

I have no idea how it turned into this, they were meant to feel each other up and make out a bit lmao and now they're pining messes instead. ANYWAY hope you liked it!!

(You can take part in the game by sending me 2 characters and what they're doing!)

[klbwriting]

For Love of Fiction

Part 3

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Todd x f!plus size!reader

Warnings: none

Summary: You think too much and realize you have to talk to Jason

Notes: I am not sure if this is the end honestly. I keep thinking I'll be finished, but then I'm like but what if...? So there may be a part 4, this has no planning whatsoever (even less than my normal fics have) so I hope you're enjoying this and would anyone mind if I just kept going?

Taglist: soradragon (let me know if you want me to add you to this when/if a part 4 appears)

               You couldn’t get what Red Hood said out of your mind.  It was distracting.  You were writing another book, something for YA romance this time, wanting to see if you could, and the words ‘thanks for making me your muse’ kept floating around your brain.  He knew about your books, knew that he was your muse.  How?  Why would Red Hood read your books?  You supposed it wasn’t that surprising, a lot of people in Gotham read them.  Gotham wasn’t a great city to live in but the people were loyal to their own, they would have to be to bother staying in this shithole.  Maybe he had seen your book out and about when he wasn’t Red Hood, any bookstore or library had them.  Jason had even told you that he had been at the library when he…your mind froze.  Jason. 

               Jason who worked at night, Jason who was always tired, Jason who had money, enough to justify the amount of gear and tech that Red Hood would need, Jason who knew you called Red Hood your muse.  Not your inspiration, not your influence, not your favorite superhero, your muse.  Jason who had canceled dinner because of work.  Jason who was always so gentle with you, like Red Hood had been when he had touched your shoulder and checked in on you.  No way, you were crazy.  Then again, Jason was in incredible shape.  You had gone to the gym with him and one of his brother’s Dick, and they had taught you some self defense before sparring themselves, and they looked professional.  It was crazy, but you had to know.

               You debated calling Jason all day.  Would he even tell you?  Why would he tell you?  You had been seeing each other, casually, for only two months, you had had a total of one actual date and various text dates and calls.  Why would he confess what was probably his deepest secret to you?  You called him anyway.

               “Are you mad about dinner?” Jason asked as soon as he answered.  He had canceled via text and figured you must be fuming, but he had already been in gear, heading towards a robbery near you.  Its why he even stumbled on the Joker’s minions in that diner.  He had heard a call to the cops, intercepted by Oracle, and she had sent him the information since he was closest.  When he arrived, he had been shocked to see you, and so angry.  How dare anyone threaten you again?  He had probably concussed those guys with that extra punch he gave them.  Then he had to say something to you, find out if you were ok, not anyone else.  He sighed.  The muse line had been a bit stupid too, you were probably so confused.  Either that or you were giddy that Red Hood knew who you were, about your books. 

               “No, I’m not mad about dinner, but I did want to see you and I have some free time today around lunch?  I know you’re tired but wanted to see if maybe we could meet?” you asked.  You sounded nervous.  He wondered why you were nervous.  Did he make you nervous?  Was he not obvious enough about how much he liked you?  How much he loved talking to you and spending any precious time he could with you?

               “I would love to meet you, where?” he asked.  You said the name of a diner, the same one from the night before.  He swallowed a little, wondering if you had actually gotten your dinner last night.  He assumed that’s why you had gone out in the first place.  Maybe the attack had left you without dinner and you just wanted to go back and get whatever you had been craving.  Couldn’t have anything to do with Red Hood. 

               “Its just a diner, so if you don’t want to go there, we can go somewhere else,” you said, wondering why he didn’t say anything.  Were you too obvious about why you wanted to meet at that diner?  Ugh, this man was scrambling your brain, and you loved it.  You were feeling so many things you hadn’t felt in years, all of that plus the confusion on the Red Hood issue, it was a lot for one person to take.

               “No, it sounds good, I love diners,” Jason said quickly, then wanted to smack himself.  ‘I love diners’? What the fuck was wrong with him?  He heard you giggle on the other end of the phone and that made him feel a little better.  You discussed details and he agreed to meet you. 

               You were nervous, waiting at the diner early, typing what you could for your book, trying anything to stop watching your phone as time ticked by.  You were trying to think of what to say, but didn’t want anything rehearsed, you wanted to be direct, but not sound crazy or accuse him of anything.  How could one person cause this much confusion and stress and yet the very thought of him made your heart flutter and your stomach twist into sweet knots?  It was the most wonderful and infuriating thing in the world. 

               You heard the ding of the door and looked up, seeing that familiar shock of white hair and those eyes that were perfect and then he smiled, and all your planned words flew out your head.  He walked over and sat down, and you hurried to close your laptop, hoping you remembered to save the two words you had written. 

               “Working on that new book?” he asked, taking the menu.  He slid his hand over and gently took your hand.  He was a touchy-feely person you could already tell, loved feeling your skin against his and it did not help your focus on the task at hand.  You nodded, pretending to be engrossed in the menu even though you knew exactly what to get, what you always got.  The waiter came over, not the same from last night, and took your orders and headed away and you swallowed.

               “Can I ask you something?” you asked.  He nodded, thumb rubbing gently circles on the back of your hand and you almost lost your nerve.  “Why did you cancel last night?  You said work, but what happened?”  His thumb froze and you saw his panic in his eyes for just a moment before he smiled, rolling his shoulders and he moved his hand to link your fingers, thumb now near your palm.

               “There was a break in,” he said.  “I had to assist.”

               “The other security guy couldn’t handle it?” you asked, pushing the subject.  Once again panic in his eyes.  He was scrambling for a story.  You observed, wrote about what people did, how they acted.  Had long ago started making up lies for Red Fox to tell Layla about himself and what he did before she had known about him.  You could see all the signs of Jason trying to cover for last night.  It was either he was Red Hood, or he was seeing someone else, and despite this arrangement being casual you really hoped he was Red Hood.  You could handle that, but him maybe falling for someone else after you already had fallen for him was too much. 

               “It was more than one person, they wanted backup to search the place,” he said, voice uneven.  He swallowed, wondering what this was really about.  He didn’t have a lot of people that didn’t know his secret, never let anyone close, he wasn’t used to this kind of questioning.  He could tell you didn’t believe him, but he couldn’t tell exactly what emotions you were feeling.  Anxiety?  Hurt?  Hope?  They were all moving through your eyes.  Had you figured him out?  Figured out he was Red Hood? 

               “Tell me the truth, please,” you said softly.  He stared at you.  How could he tell you the truth?  He swallowed hard.  “Were you seeing someone else?  If you were just tell me before I start feeling more for you than I already do, I don’t want a broken heart.”  He felt himself breath out slowly.  He could handle this.  He didn’t realize that you would think he was seeing other people, but he knew how to calm your nerves.  Jason smiled softly at you, bringing your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles.  You melted a little, smiling at him.

               “I was not seeing someone else; I promise, it really was work, I went in helped contain the scene and catalogued the missing items, lots of fancy science words,” he said.  You nodded.  You didn’t believe a word.  You knew he wasn’t seeing someone else, that was true, but that left the lie of work, which left the unsaid truth.  Jason was Red Hood.  You were sure of it.  You weren’t going to tell him you knew; you would keep it to yourself, but now you at least could understand him canceling dates last minute. 

               “O good, I didn’t want to be the only one feeling this way,” you said.  Jason smiled and shook his head.  “So tell me, why does Bruce Wayne’s kid work night security at CADMUS labs?”  He chuckled and sighed.

               “Me and Bruce had a falling out several years ago, right when I finished school.  We’re all good now but I got the chance to be on my own, make my own way in life, and found that I couldn’t do police work, I had a criminal record as a kid, but I could do security work.  It may not be as helpful, but I can protect things like the chemicals and inventions at CADMUS, keep them out of the wrong hands, some of the stuff there could be dangerous,” he said.  You nodded, listening to him talk more about work.  It was a very well thought out cover story you had to admit. 

               “Sounds to me like you’re a couple steps down from a hero yourself, and we know how much I love a hero,” you said, giving him a smile.  Jason smiled back but saw it in your eyes.  You didn’t believe his story for a second.  “Maybe you’ll be my next muse.”  The way you said muse, the way your eyes lit up a little bit, he didn’t know how, but you knew.  You knew about Red Hood, knew his secret.  But you didn’t say anything, didn’t confront him.  You were letting him keep it, tell you himself when he wanted.  He hoped this meant you wouldn’t tell anyone else.  “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep your identity secret,” she said, making Jason hold his breath.  “In my books,” she finished.  He let out a breath and nodded. 

               “Just, if I tell you I got called into work and had to cancel?” he said. 

               “I’ll be sure to stay home, order in dinner maybe, or just always have pizza rolls on hand,” she said.  Jason let out a breath.  That he could live with, she was smart enough to just stay home.

[ggomos-maribat]

Escapism: Overshadowing and Intangibility

Part 6.1 of Heirs Apparent | AO3

Masterlist

There was a time when Jason didn't believe in being saved. He knew himself what it was like to cling uselessly to hope, to wait for someone—anyone—to come to him at the right moment. He only believed in relying on himself, to wiggle out of a bad situation somehow until he could get away. Even now, he didn't want to stand still, despite the triplets fiercely battling each other. Yet he felt a sliver of helplessness, thinking that they wouldn't stand a chance against a horde of assassins.

Then amidst the inner and outer conflicts, he finally saw it: the true image of a savior.

By the name of Talia al Ghul.

"Hello, dears." She smiled. "Follow me, I'll lead you to the escape route."

Seeing Talia was . . . a breath of fresh air. During his time with her, Jason wouldn't have expected her to have children. But it wouldn't be surprising if she were protective of them.

"Why should we?" Dick asked warily.

She narrowed her eyes. "Because my children are risking their lives creating a distraction."

True enough, the three were still at each other's throats. When Jason took a look, he saw Danyal on top of Marinette with a knife, while the latter was aiming a rifle at him. But he caught the girl's feral grin when she aimed the gun not at her brother's head, but at the upper deck with the League elders in it.

"You gave them a signal," Tim concluded out loud, eyes wide.

Jason easily followed Talia when she plunged back in the darkness, with his brothers taking hesitant steps behind him. In that situation, there was no one else to trust but her. No, Jason was confident that she would lead them to safety. She guided them back through the winding paths, where there was a trail of knocked-out assassins.

"So . . ." Jason trailed off. "The triplets, huh?"

"Which one have you met?"

"Marinette."

Jason stared at the back of her head. He wished he could see the kind of expression she was making.

"My precious girl," said Talia, "I thought it was better to hide them away."

"I think it was better that way, too."

She only nodded at that. She must've sacrificed a lot . . . Jason thought, to keep her children alive. He hadn't known Marinette (or Danyal) before that time, and she barely talked about her mother. But he saw Talia in her, more than just from her looks. Her snappy remarks were all Talia. Her sharp gaze was all Talia. Her fighting style was similar to the one Talia had taught him.

Hell, even Damian had resembled Talia more than Bruce. And that boy spoke about his mother with pride albeit only on occasion.

They reached the bottom of a staircase when another set of footsteps echoed on the stone walls. Then, a voice rang out from a passage to their right. "Umi!"

Marinette fell into Talia's embrace, head buried on her mother's shoulder. Jason gave some distance for the sake of their reunion, seeing how Marinette appeared so vulnerable.

Talia placed her hands on Marinette's shoulders after they parted. "Listen, my love, I can't be with you the whole way."

"What?"

The woman looked at the path where Marinette came from. "I have to settle things with the opposing faction. But you must escape quickly." 

"But . . . but Damian and Danyal haven't seen you yet."

"I'm sorry, Habibti."

Jason could tell Marinette wanted to hold her back, but Talia headed towards the other way in the blink of an eye. He could see that Marinette was about to follow but he stepped forward to stop her.

"She wants you to get out of here," Jason told her firmly. "You know her. She'll be fine."

Although the tension hadn't left her fists and she still seemed distracted, Marinette stopped herself and continued along the main passageway.

"We haven't seen her in so long," she mumbled, but then shook her head and faced the three of them. "That reminds me, you at least need something to defend yourselves with."

Immediately, she started removing all kinds of weapons on her person (Jason didn't even know how she was able to carry all of it). Tim gaped at her. "How many weapons did you take?"

"Enough."

She tossed a pair of Escrima sticks to Dick, a retractable staff for Tim, and a pair of handguns and small blades to Jason. Jason noticed she kept a small gun and a knife for herself as well. He was reminded of some rumors during his time in the League: there was once an assassin skilled in handling guns, perhaps the best the League had ever seen. Now that he thought about it, no one ever specified that it was a man.

"Where's Damian and Danyal?" Dick asked.

"The separate gates we went into never lead to connecting paths until the exit. An assassin under Mother's faction told us," Marinette relayed. "It got messy in the arena, but we decided to split up so we could rescue the hostages."

"But why return to the same gate?"

She shrugged. "Caught up in the moment. We didn't notice which gate was which so I guess I'm back here with you. If Mother's plans are going well, the others should be on their way out as well."

Easier said than done, thought Jason. There were rumbles heard from afar, scuffles that could only be the clashing of both League factions.

Marinette glanced behind them. "There are assassins following. Let's hurry."

The dark path seemed unending but they picked up their paces, going straight. Footsteps began to sound out louder—Jason knew they'd have to fight back.

The girl in front of them gasped. "A dead end?"

Before Jason could move, Marinette turned back, pushing past them. "I can hold them back."

"There's too many. We'll help," Dick offered.

"No. As soon as they're caught off guard, go and find another path to the exit."

"We're not letting you handle all of them on your own," Jason insisted, "You'll definitely die. It's not fun dying."

She scoffed. "I've died thirty-six times, Jason. You're not special."

". . . What?"

Gunshots rang out of the blue as Marinette wounded the assassins one by one with a careful aim. Yeah, there's no way in hell we're leaving her here, Jason decided. He lunged for an attack, facing their assailants head on and using his knife on them. His brothers followed suit, much to Marinette's voiced protest.

Suddenly, an assassin stopped on his own, pausing as if paralyzed and suddenly banged his head on the wall to drop down unconscious. Others mimicked the same movement though doing so one by one.

"What the fuck?" Jason heard Tim whisper under his breath.

"Danny?" Marinette lowered her gun.

"Oh you rang?" The voice of a child echoed in the tunnel just as the last body dropped. "Wait, you mean Danny with a 'y'?"

As if the day couldn't get stranger, a little girl materialized in front of them from a wisp of . . . something otherworldly, yet strangely familiar to Jason. The only way he could describe her is that she looked like a younger version of Marinette.

"Ellie," Marinette blinked in surprise. "You're Ellie, aren't you?"

The girl, 'Ellie', crossed her arms while looking at Marinette. "How do you know my name? How do you know my brother?"

"Because he's my brother, too."

What? Jason's head was spinning.

"Danny doesn't have other siblings," Ellie narrowed her eyes.

"That you know of," Marinette said, "For now, you just have to trust us, okay? We have to get out of here."

"But Danny and Jazz—"

"Should also be on their way out," Marinette cut her off. "Do you know how to get out of here? Did you come here alone?"

The little girl grimaced, "Ehm, technically Sam and Tuck are with me but I just got ahead of them. Oh! But I met Batman and these two cool heroes on the way here. We split up after we connected comms but I lost the signal."

"Batman? You met Batman?" Dick repeated.

"Uh, yeah the old man."

"The two heroes, who were they?" Marinette's face twisted into a frown.

"Viperion and Ryuko!" Ellie's blue eyes practically glittered. "They were really cool. I want to be like them."

When Jason looked at Marinette, her face was unreadable. On top of that, Jason didn't expect Bruce to actually come to the base on his own without backup.

"Are we not going to talk about how you two look alike?" Tim chimed in. "And what the fuck just happened? Did those assassins just . . . die?"

"Oh yeah, we do look alike." Ellie's eyebrows raised, like she had just realized it.

"Um, hello?" Tim poked an unconscious assassin with his foot. "Are they dead?"

"I overshadowed them."

"Over-what?"

Meanwhile, Marinette sighed and rubbed her head. "It's a long story but not my story to tell. We should focus on getting out of here. Ellie, do you know the way out?"

"It's over there." Ellie gestured towards the supposed dead end. "That wall actually opens up."

The child glides past them and disappears into the wall. Jason had to do a double take. A few seconds later, the wall makes a rumble and a portion of it slides to the right to reveal a narrow opening.

"Um, again, what the fuck," Tim stared at the new pathway in astonishment.

Marinette's shoulders visibly sagged in relief. "Thanks, Ellie. We have to hurry; more assassins might be behind us."

----

Danny was pretty sure the boom they just heard was an explosion. He ran through the shaking tunnels, feeling the dust sprinkle on top of him. They want to stop our escape, he cursed inwardly, and also the other faction. Looking behind him, he could see the three Parisians running their breaths ragged.

He closed his fists. If things get worse, I might be forced to transform. Them too.

"Umm, does this count as an emergency to transform?!" Chloe shrieked after another cacophony of blasts reverberated.

"Save your transformations," Danny told them before Adrien could reply. "We don't have a way to recharge your kwamis if your timers run out. I'll protect you."

"Are you gonna enlighten us how?" Alix asked.

Danny was planning to make up a lame half-truthful explanation when they saw that their path was obstructed. Rubble covered up the entirety of the opening, creating a dead end in the small passage.

"Is there another way out?" Adrien breathed out.

No . . . we'd have to come back all the way where we came from. Danny clenched his jaw. Mother's attendant said this was our only path.

"I can transform and Cataclysm—"

"No." Danny made his voice firm. "We don't know the extent of its destruction. This whole tunnel might collapse . . . I have an idea."

He gulped down his uncertainties and turned around to face them. "Everyone hold hands. We're going through this."

Alix tilted her head. "What? Have you actually lost your mind?"

Danny held his hand out. "Just trust me on this, alright? It's the only way."

The other hesitantly formed a link: Alix at the rear, Chloe in front of her, then Adrien taking Danny's hand. The blonde boy seemed to recoil a little when he felt his skin. "Um . . . your hand's really cold."

Despite the situation, Danny chuckled. "So I've been told." He checked the path where they came from in case there were pursuers. "Listen . . . whatever you do, don't let go."

Chloe huffed. "That definitely doesn't sound ominous."

"Just relax. This'll be quick."

Tugging the group forwards, Danny turned intangible and passed it on to the rest. They swiftly walked through the rubble, reaching the other side of the blockage. Fortunately, the rest of the path seemed open.

"What the heck was that?!" Chloe gawked at their surroundings.

"You can let go now." Danny ran a hand through his hair. "It's a power of mine. It's hard to explain in detail right now but it has something to do with me being half-ghost."

"I'm sorry, half-ghost?" Adrien's eyes widened.

"This and that happened and now I'm half-dead," Danny smiled, looking at their different reactions. Adrien looked like he had just obtained a puzzle piece about an oddity. Alix was looking at her hands, muttering to herself. Chloe's expression said something like 'am I being ridiculed right now?'

"Don't think too much about it—"

Danny stopped, sensing a presence ahead of them. A presence nearing them. He moved forward, ready to shield the others if things turn south, then he saw who had just approached them.

"Damian?" A gravelly voice rang out.

Danny calmed his stance. "I'm not Damian."

Batman seemed to have reacted but he kept silent. Danny wished he could see behind the cowl. Sure, I wanted to meet him someday but Ancients, why now?!

"Huh, you are shorter than I expected, Mr. Batman sir." Danny gazed at the masked figure of his biological father.

"That's really Batman?!" Chloe whispered behind him.

"We're currently headed to the exit," Danny explained with a steady tone. "The others are separated but they should be on their way out too. I'm Danny and these are Adrien, Chloe, and Alix."

Batman, too, took on a more professional demeanor. "You match the description of the ones who went missing in the bus incident. But the ones I came here for—"

"I said they should be on their way out too, old man." Dami-akhi wasn't kidding when he said the old man was crazy stubborn. But then again, we all got it from him. "You're not getting through that rubble. It's blocked. So please escort us to the exit, 'kay?"

"How did you get through?" Batman pressed on.

". . . It's a secret." Danny put a finger to his lips. "Can we get a move on now? This place can go kaboom any second you know."

The vigilante finally relented, turning the other way to lead them along the path. Danny could hear the three conversing among themselves, debating why Batman would go through the effort of rescuing the Wayne children in a faraway location.

"Do you know an 'Ellie'?" Batman asked suddenly.

Danny stiffened for a moment. "Ellie? Ellie's here?"

"Yes, we met at the entrance and split up at a fork along with two other heroes, Ryuko and Viperion. I lost contact with them a while ago as well as the Batplane, which Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley are piloting."

This girl . . . He didn't expect her to actually get herself involved. And Tucker and Sam are here too?! A part of him wanted to tell off Batman for not stopping them, but he knew how persistent they were. Especially Ellie, who was an entire force to reckon with on her own.

Tucker and Sam are piloting the Batplane. Ancients, my friends are crazy.

"Shit. Ryuko and Viperion are here too?" Adrien caught up with Danny's pace.

"Parisian local heroes?" Batman asked.

Adrien held his tongue and looked away. Danny made a mental note to help steer the conversation away from the topic of Paris and Miraculi if anything came up.

"I have to ask you as well, Daniel, what your relation is to Damian Wayne and Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

Wow, interrogation time already? Danny let out a scream of frustration in his head. Can we, like, escape from here first?

"It's just Danny." He kept his expression neutral. "And isn't it obvious, Batman? They're my siblings." 

[bruciemilf]

#another thing i dislike: dick being parentificated

☝️☝️☝️oh can you expand on this?? It’s something I dislike as well, but I just can’t find the words to articulate why

What i mean by this is that I just find it so draining on him. And sure, you can argue, But That's The Fate Of Elder Sisters, -- no, that's their fate if their parents suck.

Like. Don't do that. Don't put the weight of parenthood onto Dick because you'd rather have him be a premature father figure with no actual child skills, rather than acknowledge that Hm, maybe, Bruce...Is a father...That could do that?

Even outside of Bruce, to say that Dick raised Dick and Jason takes So much gravity from Talia and Catherine, IMHO.

Specifically, I truly truly hate when I see " Dick is more of a parent than all three of them combined"

First of all, Dick was an absolute cunt to Jason when he first started out, so peep down. Second of all, his time with Damian was so precious and valuable and important BECAUSE Dick saw himself in him. Kids don't raise kids.

And it wasn't' raising' him. It was babysitting at BEST.

Second of all; You can absolutely have an imperfect Dick and Bruce relationship without assigning Dick the Father Role. Make him an ACTUAL older sister.

Make him angry that he had to grow up fast. Make him angry that he maybe chose Robin too early, and basically strongarmed Bruce into training him so he could get a revenge he never got.

But for the love of God, don't make him a dad. That's so exhausting. Let him be silly and petty and devoted and childish along with his other siblings.

The whole point of Robin is that they're all kids with no youth and they're trying to get it back now. From my perspective, warping Dick's dynamic from brotherly to father is just really basic and expected.

Dick is a good brother, but he's in no way shape or form, for me, a father figure for any of the batkids. You don't even want it because it's "interesting", you want it cause you hate Bruce

[petertoddgrayson]

Jason found a red ruby.

No- the red ruby called to him under a dumpster while Jason was on his way to school.

Jason somehow knew where to find it, like a tug on his soul urging him to follow the voice, or whatever machinations his brain is playing at him, and being an OCD Jason was, gave in to the strange desire that is crouching and reaching for something he actually has not single idea about- he just felt like it. The putrid smell of rotting trash and piss greeted Jason's olfactory senses. He winced. He probed his hands beneath the bin, until it came across something hard, and angular, fingers quick to grab and wipe away what grime or dust was stuck to it's surface during it's unfortunate stay. A ruby- Jason's assumes due to its deep red hue. He bit it- it didn't scratch, smashed it - not a single crack. He held it close to his eyes, scrutinized every minute detail, and came to a conclusion that it might be, and hopefully, a genuine ruby. His senses kicked in as soon as he stood, hastily hid the precious gem in his pocket.

" A man's misfortune is another man's fortune." Jason muses. He couldn't bring himself to feel sad, sad for anyone unfortunate enough to lose something of great value. The ruby would fetch a decent price, enough that he'd afford himself food, set of new clothes and maybe if he felt the need for self love, the latest issue of his fav comics. The only issue would be Willis, his bastard of a father, but that's for another day, so Jason went about to school like a normal student would, earning glances from passersby for his stiff stature.

The class hours came and went and it was lunch time before Jason knew it. He made his way to the cafeteria, and since Willis remembered to pay for his lunch credits, he'd get to be picky this time. Chilli dogs and caesar salad would suffice. Much to his displeasure-and surprise, the entire dining hall was grandly stirring, betas, a handful of female betas with their omega-ripoff-selves and even alphas scuttle their way to some specific spot. And that was when Jason's own came across a pair of ocean blue eyes, deceptively enticing-Dick Grayson, Jason's omega preened.

Which means, yes,

The Wayne Boys are here.

Carefully, Jason treaded his way among the crowds, stepping this and stepping there, deliberately crushing the toes of unfortunate souls, that is, according to Jason " are slaves to their instinct and are of base character at best." A deed, which he relished doing so, before a familiar voice came seeking his name.

"Jay! Over here!" Yells a grinning red headed alpha with a haircut-hair oh so terrible dead teachers rolled in their graves.

Jason merely raised an eye brow as an exchange before proceeding to pull a chair next to him.

"So.... what's the plan for tonight?" He asks, tapping the table like a drum ensemble of anticipation.

"What's the plan?" Jason frowns. "Don't pull that shit on me Roy, I know what that tone means."

"What's wrong with my tone?" (Fuck you Roy.)

" See? We've got a lot work to do.. like homework? If Dad learns I got detention 3 times this week he's gonna have my head! I better start patching myself up." Jason explains. Roy shrugged.

"I mean.. a group study? Except there's only two of us. Then the fun comes in after." Roy explains. Jason didn't respond, the alpha found him staring, staring - not at him, at someone else. He cranes his head, and finds Dick Grayson munching on his lunch, surrounded by a bunch of desperates.

"Jay!!" Roy waved his fully stretched hands, startling Jason. He felt a tug of pain, and jealousy. Jason should have been his, and only his.

"Yeah..yeah. I think that's a good idea Roy, maybe we could visit the arcade after we're done." Jason quickly dismissed, he couldn't peel his eyes off Dick. The alpha's too damn hot not to notice. The sharp jawline, tanned skin, and ohhhh that alpha bulge in his pants. Jason is salivating. Roy raised an eyebrow. "You could stay the night bud. Besides, dad won't be at home until like 8 in the morning. Tonight's his Thursday Poker."

Roy felt a sudden relief, and pain. Pained to learn that Jason, being an omega, is left alone uncared for. Roy wanted to be his alpha, he's been meaning to make Jason his. "Alrighty!! I'll bring some diet coke and chips." The alpha happily chirps.

The two dissolved into comfortable silence as they ate their lunch. Soon enough, their afternoon classes started and both parted ways.

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

Biology is the worst subject for Jason. He hated Ms. Dullingham's take on explaining omegan physiology, she seemed to objectify them. The beta teacher in question taught the class about how weak omegas are, and the overwhelming superiority of female betas.

"Betas." Jason shakes his head " They don't know anything." *not realizing that he spoke his mind.*

"Excuse me Mr. Todd?!" A raised heavily accented voice echoes throughout the room. Jason immediately snaps back to reality.

"Perhaps you were thinking too loud dear?" Mathilda Dullingham slithered her way to Jason's desk. "Were you?" A stick on her hand sent shivers to Jason's spine. Well, shit.

The entire class now stared at him. Some felt sorry, others didn't really care, while a few malevolent souls seemed to enjoy the show. And Jason hated this.

"I..I didn't-"

"Silence! Jason Peter Todd! You are out of this class!" The concussive sound as the stick hit his desk rendered Jason catatonic. Ms. Dullingham's a bitch and insecure as fuck. The whispers became audibly louder. "Off you go! Get out!"

Jason heard some giggles, he blushed from shame and anger, quickly packed his books and notes and bolted for the door. He can get through this, he thought, he's had far worse. A simple humiliation from a menopausal unmated beta teacher shouldn't affect him. Shouldn't affect him at all.

It was 2 pm, the corridors were mostly empty. Jason decided to head for the

comfort room to freshen up. Atleast he'd still be pretty even in this shitty situation he got himself into. Making his way to one of the stalls, waves of thick alpha arousal drowned his senses. He was quick to hide behind one of the stalls' door curtains, finding 6 alphas, 3 of which are from his class- Grant, Alex and Murphy otherwise known for their rough school records. The cause of arousal-Jason has no idea about. Apparently, the alphas seemed to hold a communal masturbation. The soft tenor moans became the apparent source of arousal, *they are watching porn, Jason realizes. Omegan porn. Jason's slick began to gather, and decided to leave; stealthy steps accelerated to running, and because fate wasn't kind to him, he slipped on a puddle of cum.

Thudd!!!

*Fuck

The alphas snapped their necks from the sudden noise.

The semen was quick to stick on Jason's clothes and absorb into it's fabric. It smelled funky.

Jason, still stunned from the forceful impact on his head (he fell on his head) scrambled for balance. But before he could take a step further, a strong hand grabbed him by the scruff.

He's so screwed.

"Looks like someone's enjoying the show." Alex sneers, dragging Jason by the scruff. "Don't worry bitch, we'd love to take care of you." Jason was silent from shock. He's been into so much shit. Alex dragged him to his friends. The rest of them stared at Jason like a piece of meat. He felt like a deer caught in head lights.

"Wo ho! An omega! This is going to be so fun." An alpha grins.

"Shut up Gerald!"

"I'll take his mouth."

"The ass is mine."

" I'll take him first, then you're next."

"No I'm first, then you, after Trent."

The alphas claimed for his body like 7 year old kids racing for their toys.

Jason was dropped on the floor like a corpse. He can't move. When the realization of a very possible rape hit him. Jason squirmed and ran for the door. One of the alphas, however, managed to trip him by the leg.

Alex walked over him and placed his feet near Jason's face. "Looks like pussy's back on the menu, boys!"

The boys started stripping Jason. Jason tried his best to resist by clawing, biting, punching or kicking and every possible way anyone can hurt a human by merely using their body. He was a prey ganged upon by thirsty predators, he's had worse for sure, but experiencing such on repetition makes him want to vomit. Disgusting. Jamie, managed to to get a hold on Jason's face, as he scrambled to undo his zipper.

A warm, sweaty cock as big as Jason's biceps rested on his chin. He knew his ass has been stripped bare, feeling the warm breath as an alpha ( Alex?) sniffed his cunt. The cheese like smell of smegma(?) had Jason hold his breath. Suddenly Jamie yanked Jason's hair pulling down his face towards his groin.

"Yeahh suck that cock bitch." Jamie gasped as he forcefully rubbed his leaking sex unto Jason's lips.

Remaining alphas stroked their dicks as they watched two of their friends defile Jason.

The overwhelming rancid smell of Jamie's groin made Jason puke. He spilled his half digested lunch all over the alpha's cock, covering it with spit, mush of Caesar salad and acidic chili dogs. Alex who was about to mount Jason bursted into maniacal laughter. "The fuck!" Jamie frowns, "This is not funny!"

"Dude,dude, chill. Just let the bitch eat that shit." One of the alphas suggested.

"Kinky."

Jamie squeezed Jason's jaw, and with an evil grin scooped the devil's mush that is Jason's puke. Meanwhile, Alex groaned as he pushed his cock into Jason's tight heat.

Jason froze. Anger and fear welled inside his chest. Being raped is humiliating enough, but to eat his vomit would be an absolute nightmare level of disgusting. He didn't deserve this. He hasn't done anything wrong. If anything else, Jason just tried to live a normal life, blend in the crowd never stepped on other people. Why is fate so cruel to him? Not once did he question it's inner workings, how the world constantly thrashed him from Willis and his mom's death, and this. Alex's and his friend's laughter dissolved into a background blur. Jason felt numb. A new wave of hatred and power began seeping into his body like magic.

"Eat up bitch." As soon as Jamie's hand neared his mouth, Jason saw red. A wave of telekinetic force surged through the room, knocking the boys out and tearing off the thin wooden walls that separates the stalls. The magnitude might have been enough to be felt by anyone outside.

Jason himself, was surprised, an instinct of his urged him to reach for his pocket. In his hands, the ruby glowed in red light, slowly disintegrating as its essence merged with his. Jason could only raise his hand in surprise. Trent who have managed to recover from the force ran for the door. Still thirsting for revenge, Jason levitated the alpha and hurled him to one of the toilet seats, crushing it and leaving Trent a bloody unconscious mess.

Seeing the unlucky fate of their friend, Alex and Jamie jumped on him, but Jason was quick to dodge. Now levitating in front of the alphas, blocking their exit, the remaining conscious ones, including Alex and Jamie were shaken, torn between the urge to fight, and the fear consuming them, telling their bodies to run.

" I suppose, I'm the one having fun now." Jason sneers, the alphas taking a small step backwards for every word. He felt the powerful, the fear of repercussions after this incident slowly drips away. Jason deserved this. And he knew these alphas had this coming too.

" I...I..-guys! Get up!" Alex stammers. Grant who have been catatonic stumbled into Trent. "He's still alive!" The group made an audible sigh, before focusing on the omega levitating in front of them. Each one of them in their defensive stance walked backwards, forming a crooked curving line of trembling bodies. " We're so..so-sorry" one of them finally admits.

"Sorry?" Jason cackles, " you ask for forgiveness?" He lands in front of Jamie who paled at such gesture. Jason lifted his chin and moved his face close to the alpha's cheek in a seductive manner. " After all these shit you've done to me, I wanted to kill all of you." Jason scoffs, "And this, just me beating everyone of you till you're all almost dead, is me being reasonable."

[coffee-latte-sprite]

Truth Retold

Masterlist

Robin!Jason Todd x fem!reader

WC: 1,700

Warnings: misunderstandings, angst, fluff, Jason is in loveeE 

Spin off to: Why Didn't You Ask Me? / pt. 2

Synopsis: Your boyfriend may finally tell you the truth about why he keeps missing your dates.

(In celebration of WDYAM reaching 1k notes and I passed 1K followers. Thank you all so much! <3)

“Hey. . . I can’t make it tonight. Bruce needed help. . . I’m really sorry. I promise. . . I really promise this time, I’ll make it up to you. I have to go, but, I love you, princess.” 

The line clicked off as Y/N scoffed. 

“Of course he cancelled again.” She said bitterly as she threw her phone on her bed. 

Y/N and Jason have been friends every since he transferred to Gotham Academy and have been a couple ever since sophomore year. 

They were dancing around their feelings for years, and Dick was the one who cornered them and made them confess their feelings to each other. Dick said it was too painful to be in the same room with them anymore, Alfred agreed. 

Their relationship started off great. 

They went on elaborate dates and he gifted her the most precious presents to her. He celebrated every couple holiday there was. One week anniversary, one month, 100 days, 6 months, 1 year, everything.

Y/N loved it. 

Jason made her feel like a Queen and she always made sure she treated him like a King. They were what other couples envied. 

That was until lately. 

He was late to dates, missed dates, forgot anniversaries. He kept saying “Bruce needed help.” 

The only time she got to see him was when he came to school, but that was now rare as he was leaving half-way through the day because “Bruce needed help.”

She hated Bruce Wayne more than his company competitors. 

She let out a long sigh as she sunk into her chair more at her desk. She was so excited to go to the Gotham Carnival as it was only one weekend a year. Jason promised over and over again how they would go together. He even joked he would win her all of the prizes and make sure to get her a huge plushie from winning. 

What a lie that was. 

Y/N felt like she could almost cry. 

She loved Jason more than anything. She was always so excited to see him and discuss books and movie adaptations, or argue about Edgar Allan Poe and Shakespeare, or even do something as mundane as baking with him and Alfred. 

Now she was nothing but an after thought. 

Did he not want to be with her anymore? Did he find someone else?

Is she not pretty enough? Skinny enough? Smart enough? 

Insecurity after insecurity clouded her mind as her room felt suffocating. She needed to get out of here. 

She then grabbed her light sweater and opened her window. She crawled out onto the fire escape and climbed the stairs up. As she got closer to the top, she noticed how the light pollution got brighter, and as she reached the top, she could tell why. 

In all of its flaming glory was the carnival in the heart of the city. It had it large red and white circus tent with its spotlights dancing across the clouded sky. Then, she could see the rides and games littered across the grass at the square. She saw little dots of people run from one attraction to the next. 

She wished she was one of them. 

She went over to the roof sill and sat down and leaned her head on the concrete, dreaming of being there. 

It would feel lonely and sad if she went by herself, or her friends. Her friends already thought lowly of Jason as they said he was crime ally scum, this would be another example of such. 

She never thought of Jason as some hoodlum from the streets, but by how he was acting, she could see how others would believe it. 

As she gazed down at the palace of wonder, someone else was looking down at her.

He stood a building away on the lip of the concrete. His cape whipped in the wind as his heart felt heavy. Guilt and regret ate away at his core as his mask felt suffocating. 

Jason watched as his beautiful girlfriend longed to be at the carnival and he stood back and watched criminals. 

He wished he wasn’t a hero. He wished he was normal so he could be with her at all times and shower her with the affection she deserves, but he is here, in the shadows and waiting for danger. 

She had no idea of his double life as he knew involving her would put her in danger.

This constant guilt killed him every day as she was no longer expecting him to be her boyfriend, but someone to break her heart. 

It was easy for Dick as his girlfriend was also a hero. They could reminisce about a fight or train together. But Jason? All he could do was lie about his black eye and hope she doesn’t ask too many questions. 

Jason couldn’t handle this guilt anymore. It was killing him too much, especially as his relationship was about to break into pieces. 

He took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. 

He then got out his grappling gun and shot off into the night.

===

Y/N let her fingers drum across the concrete. It was quiet, except for the sudden skid of rock that sounded behind her. 

She let out a yelp and whirled around, only to fall short. 

It was Robin. 

THE Robin. 

Y/N mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he spoke. 

“Um. . .” He awkwardly coughed, “Hello.” He said as his voice was deeper than what she expected. 

“Hi,” She responded just as awkwardly. 

“I saw you out here and wondered what would a pretty girl like you would be doing up here all alone.” He said as he approached her as the awkwardness subsided. 

She blushed, “Oh, I. . . my boyfriend bailed.” She bitterly. 

Robin winced. “Why would he bail on such a beautiful lady like yourself?” He asked as he came over to her side and plopped down next to her as he faced her. 

She let out a fake laugh, “I doubt he thinks I’m beautiful anymore.” She said as venom poured from her words. 

Jason’s heart dropped. “No, you are very beautiful! Don’t let anymore make you think you aren’t.” He said sternly. 

Y/N looked at him in surprise as his tone was so serious. She lightly blushed, “thank you.” 

“Of course, and maybe he’s really busy. I hear the stock market isn’t doing well.” He said sheepishly. 

“I doubt that. He’s just helping his dad, not running a company.” She said as her fists wound up. 

Jason floundered for a moment, “Maybe his dad needs help on something else, something really important.”

“Like what?”

Jason didn’t know what to say. 

“See? What could he be doing? I’m pretty sure he’s going to ask to break up with me.” She said sadly as her head broke. 

“NO!” He screamed as Y/N jumped. He coughed, “I mean, no, don’t think that.” 

Y/N gave him a questioning look but didn’t press the matter. 

“You know, I’m pretty sure your boyfriend really loves you. I’m sure he worships the ground you walk on and counts down every second until he can see you again.” Robin said as he spoke softly. 

Y/N looked at him curiously, but her heart started to fill with love. 

“How do you know?” She asked as she doubted him. 

“Because I. . .” He reached for his mask, but stopped. Is he ready for this? Is she ready for this? 

His mouth went dry and his hands came back to his sides. 

“You know, I can offer you something better than a carnival, and you can forget all about your boyfriend.” Robin said as he bounded up like a spring. 

Y/N smiled as his enthusiasm, which reminded her of someone she knew. “Oh yeah?” 

“Oh yeah.” He winked and Y/N went red. 

“What are we going to do? Steal the Batmobile?” 

“Yes-”

Y/N laughed at his joking manner. 

“But, no, I’m going to show you something that is almost as beautiful as you.” He smiled as he extended his hand towards her. 

She took it and stood up with him. His body language was open and excited. He trusted her whole heartily. 

“What is it?” She asked. 

He only smiled and brought out his grappling gun. She gasped as she shrunk back. 

“Woah, no way-You could drop me!” She exclaimed. 

He gasped, “You doubt my strength? Besides, I could never drop a lady.” 

She crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting to go over the edge. 

“Y/N, look at me.”

She did. His eyes were a blue she has only seen once in her life. Her body then relaxed in his hold as his arm slithered around her waist. His warmth and care were so gentle and calming. 

She trusted him whole heartily. 

“Are you ready?” He asked softly. 

She nodded and they shot off. 

Her arms were tight around his neck and she let out a tiny scream as her mind wasn’t catching up to what was happening. 

Their bodies then twisted up and they landed on a concrete edge. 

“Is it over?” She asked as she was still pressed up against him. 

“Yep, all over princess-” 

He knew he was screwed the second he said it. 

He dropped his cover of changed his voice, he called her the only name he had for her, and he looked at her like she was the whole world. 

Her body pushed itself away from him and looked up at him. “Jay?” 

Her voice was silent as she couldn’t believe what she heard. 

He swallowed, “Surpirse?” 

She was flabbergasted. She had her suspicions, but the thought of her boyfriend actually being Robin seemed millions of miles away. 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you! I was so scared that you would soon be involved in my superhero life and you would be kidnapped or worse-” 

Y/N didn’t give him another second to explain as he was already being honest all night. 

Her lips slammed against his and his eyes went wide in surprise, but then he relaxed and tilted his head to kiss her more. His arms tightened around her waist and one hand went to cup her cheek. 

Unknown to both of them, a nine-year-old who ran a fan account snapped a shot of the couple as the nametag “DRAKE” dangled from the neck band. 

“I love you.” She whispered again and again as she kept kissing him. The days and nights being apart poured from one another as the night winds wrapped around them. 

Gotham didn’t allow for many things to grow, but Y/N’s and Jason’s love flourished under the night sky. 

Like it would for years to come. 

....

...

A/N: This was so fun for me to write, esp the easter eggs haha :)

@masset-fotia @royalmuffinsworld

[pyrokinesis]

Current comics Dick Grayson comes into room, singing "Where is my baby~," and you expect him to say that to Haley, Damian, maybe even his partner, but no,

Jason Todd, wearing the original discowing suit comes in the room, holding a mug of tea and looking as annoyed as expected, "Shut up Dickie, I look like a Saturday Night Fever promotional poster,"

Dick pouts, which looks weird on someone as adult as him, and acts as if he's been hit in his heart, "You promised!"

Jason fixes fabric bothering him on his left hip, "I lost a bet and I still can't believe you wore this thing for years, what fabric is this, I washed it and it still feels like I'm wearing fabric soaked in mosquito toxin, I'm gonna have a rash by tomorrow morning,"

Dick approaches Jason, slapping his hand and fixing the suit himself, "It's polyester and some other poly-fabric B and I used before we switched to kevlar,"

Jason looks ready to murder, and some of his tea spills on the floor, "You're clothing me in the hell-damned polyester older than Regan and his atrocities,"

and oh, no, that's unacceptable, especially since,

Jason accusingly points at Dick's outfit, original adult Robin suit, in all of its headlights glory, "You're wearing a preserved leather onesie, but I'm supposed to be accept decades old polyester disco suit," absolutely unfair,

"TT," comes the sound from another room, and Damian al Ghul Wayne and Jon Kent appear, both wearing obviously matching outfits,

Dick wipes a nonexistent tear, "Sherlock and Watson, really Dami? I thought you guys will be Superman and Batman,"

Damian adjusts his hat, glacing at Jon for a moment before returning his gaze to his brother, "Now, why would we do that, Richard? Hmmmm, TT,"

Jon procures a thick notebook from one of his pockets, and a fountain pen, and starts writing in it, "We thought it'd be too obvious, and we couldn't agree on any another matching characters,"

Jason yearningly stares at the high quality fountain pen, then looks at his youngest brother and his best friend, "I will gift you children a batmobile if any of you two wears this ugly polyester suit,"

"I want batmobile as a Halloween present," everyone familiar voice says, and Stephanie Brown appears, wearing short brown wig and also familiar suit, followed by Kara Zor-El, Cassandra Cain, and Cassie Sandsmark, all wearing also similiar suits as Stephanie,

Jason almost starts crying as soon as he sees the quartet, "You four are not going as Lanterns, please tell me B's seen you,"

Cassandra smirks, leaning on Kara, "Of course he hasn't, but his reaction is crutial,"

Damian stares at Stephanie's wig, "I suppose you're going as Jordan, and you three are Gardner, Scott, and you... are going as Red Lantern, Cassandra,"

Cass points at Kara, then picks at her own blonde wig, "I asked her and she gave me permission to go as Red Lantern version of her,"

Dick mutters under his breath, "Girls, man,"

Jason tries scratch his hip, but gets his hand slapped again by his older brother, "Can you not ruin my precious first Nightwing uniform for one second,"

Cassie stares at Jason in the original Nightwing suit, and says, "that thing looks like the cheapest fabric ever, Dick, how did you even fight in this without ripping it in pieces,"

Jason laughs, "I love how we're successfully on our way to make a grown man in his thirties cry,"

Dick sighs, checking hidden pockets of his old costume, for what is to find out, "It takes more than making fun of my old suit to make me cry, I think you have mistaken me for someone else here," he says while not so subtly glancing at the man wearing his old suit,

Jason just ignores him, making a face while sipping his tea, "This is cold, ew,"

Damian looks around the room, "Where are Drake and Duke?"

Cassie laughs, "Tim is with Bernard, Kon, and Bart, they're going as the original Ghostbusters after I said I'm not doing Seinfeld with them," and there's something to be said about her orange wig,

Jon looks away from his little notebook, biting the cap of the fountain pen, and definitely not noticing disgusting looks from Cass, Jason, and Damian, "You four could've gone as The Wizard of OZ characters,"

"Yeah and then we would've have to see Tim as a Dorothy, and I don't think he can pull off such look," Jason mentions, still holding his tea and pointedly staring at the Lantern quartet, ignoring youngest Superfamily member in the room, "And also, Duke's doing several parties tonight, he'll come back after his reunion with the We Are Robin crew, I think he managed to get matching costumes with Birds of Prey or something,"

Dick tears his gaze away from his costume, "Why do you know that?"

Infamous Red Hood finishes his cold tea, putting the mug on Damian's head, who doesn't even flinch, "Because I'm Red Hood, why do you not know? Also get this shit off me before I turn it into plastic cup,"

"Jason, what are you wearing?"

Kate Kane, dressed as a flapper, is here, and the show can begin.

[brisbookmark]

The Three Times Jason Wasn’t Saved- and The One Time he Was

Jason Todd x Reader

Warnings: detailed descriptions of torture, angst, character death, blood, needles, knives/ cutting, batfam au where the gangs all here, Robin!Jason, reader can summon weapons, sad ending

One

His head hangs, he doesn't have the energy. His feet barely touch the ground, and yet he makes no move to stand himself up. They're tingly and fuzzy and cold, as are his hands that are tied above his head. 

Jason Todd hangs in chains like a slaughtered pig, and his breathing is hoarse. His dull blue eyes land on the bloodied crowbar laying on the floor. It's his blood, and it makes him groan in pain. Hyper realization of his injuries hits him and he whimpers. It's low, pathetic, and his breathing picks up.

He doesn’t remember how to wear clothes that aren’t covered in dirt and grime and acid. The fabric of his robin suit sticks to his skin, blending with his wounds. Every small move of limb sends fires of pain throughout his body, and he tries his hardest not to make a sound. 

The Asylum wing is freezing and he’s cold, skin almost blue. He shivers every once in a while- it’s different from when the Asylum is scorching hot and he feels like he’s in hell where he belongs. The hair he used to keep so elegantly messy, it's dirty and scorched and matted and greasy against his head.

And he’s scared.

He knows that if he looks up, he'll see pictures. Taped to the dusty and damp walls of Arkham Asylum. Red circles trace each of their faces, and whether or not it's paint or blood he doesn't want to know.

It’s blood, it’s always been blood.

He can't bear to see their faces right now. Barbara, happy and smiling next to Dick as they enjoy a Gotham carnival. They're happy without him, he always held them back. He was too dependent on Barbara as a sister figure and was just an annoying kid to Dick, they're better now. 

Bruce. With a child on his shoulders. The son Jason could never be. A new Robin, one that could properly fulfill his duties. He was the failure, he was never going to be what Dick Grayson was. Maybe his replacement could, his replacement wouldn't let himself get captured.

Barbara and Selina and Alfred who had only ever taken care of him.

All with red targets around them. Everyone he'd ever cared for. Marked.

Everyone except Y/N, who's picture lay in pieces on the ground. Unlike the others, it wasn't taken by Joker's goons, and it wasn't recent.

It was her student ID from their first year at Gotham Academy. She was young, really young, eyes still bright and skin untainted by the scars of vigilante work. And she wasn't even looking at the camera but rather off to the side, caught by surprise when the photographer flashed his equipment. She hated pictures, and going to school was never a part of the deal. She’s mid laughing and so alive and happy in a world where Jason never hurt her. 

He'd stolen it soon after it was taken, sticking it in his wallet so she'd be forced to ask him for his own. You couldn't access the Academy Library without one after all. 

And the Joker had found it in his pocket and took it and ruined it and tore it and left her in pieces in the corner, her name never spoken from the maniac again. 

Jason assumed that was good. Better to be left in silence than threatened and marked for death. Hell, he couldn’t remember how long it's been since he’s seen her, and he softly starts to whisper her name. She promised him a night out once he found his mother, 

No, he couldn’t. 

Maybe the Joker couldn’t find her, hadn’t figured out her identity. He could keep her safe.

"What's that my boy?"

"No.. no," Robin pleads, the voice of nails on a chalkboard sending fear into his every bone. "Not again, not again."

The Joker comes into view and a weak cry comes from Jason's lips. His body jerks and another cough wracks his body, warm blood spilling from his mouth. Broken ribs, internal bleeding, punctured lung, he has no idea what it could be. If only Alfred were here, or Dick. To let him rest as they fixed him up, took care of him.

His chin is grabbed harshly, the bruising making it worse. The Joker laughs, pushing his face upwards and close to his own. He can smell death and acid on this villain, and Jason whimpers again. 

"How long do you think it's been, Jason?"

The robin doesn't answer. He can't keep track. He tried counting the amount of times Joker visited him, but then again, that was most likely more than once a day. And sometimes it was Harley, or a low level goon dressed like Batman and Nightwing and Batigrl and her. 

Time is a blur to him, he's been in pain too long. Everything hurts, even if someone were to save him now, he feels practically gone already. 

He wanted someone to save him.

"What about it Jason? You think Bats will come? Save his precious son?" The Joker prods, mouth wide.

Jason wants to say it. But the words dont leave his mouth. 

"Go on, don't be scared Jason. Tell me, tell dear old Joker."

"HE'LL COME FOR ME!" he yells, and it uses all his strength to just move his jaw.

"Even when he's better off without you?" The Joker asks, and he bends down to lift the bloodied crowbar. 

No. Please, anything but that. 

"He's going to! He has to!" Jason screams, and then tears start streaming down his cheeks.

The metal finds its way onto his hip, sending his body swaying helplessly as he cries. 

"Tell me, who's hurting you?" The Joker asks, grin never leaving his face as he hits Jason again. 

"Please stop, I'll do anything," the boy pleads, desperately trying to think of anything else. If only the Joker would end him now, let him go free.

"Who's hurting you Jason?"

"YOU!" He shrieks, the crowbar smacking painfully across his chest and ripping at the skin. It's like his lungs have collapsed, he no longer has bones. 

"Wrong!" 

"The, the Joker-"

"WRONG AGAIN MY BOY."

Jason looks up at the pictures on the wall, squeezing his eyes shut. Blood pours into his mouth and he spits it out, shaking in his chains. "Batman.. batman is hurting me."

The next hit never comes. "Attaboy," The Joker mutters, and then he leaves.

Two

He returns the next morning. Jason assumes it's the next morning, as he's in a new purple suit. Harley gave him a dosage some odd amount of time ago, it must be a new day. His limbs are numb, his wrists are cracked and bleeding. He tries to keep his tongue in his mouth but his jaw is slack and disfigured, it’s increasingly difficult. 

Jason hasn't slept in days. Dark circles accessorize his black eyes, it's a miracle he can see at all.

The green haired man sets a timer in the corner of the room, and the Robin's brain goes into endless loops of trauma. The crowbar, the explosion that almost killed him. His mind wandered to warm arms pulling him out, thinking Bruce had pulled him from the rubble. Except it wasn't his father at all.

Batman hadn't even tried. 

"Jason." The Joker says sweetly, walking around the boy like a predator. The robin is helpless, he's lost all feeling in his limbs. "I thought I might tell you a story today."

The dark haired boy stays silent. He doesn't cry, he doesn't scream, he prays to a god he doesn't know for it all to stop. A bullet, a poison, the world ends in a fiery explosion, he didn't care.

"Jason."

"Just kill me already," he pleads, voice cracking and desperate.

Loud laughter echoes through the room. Jason's head hurts from the sheer volume, and it doesn't stop. It gets louder, and it carries around, and Jason lets out hushed breaths. 

"I can't kill you boy, we're a great team you and I! Would you like to hear my story?"

Jason closes his eyes in anticipation for today's beating.

The Joker grabs his face again, and Jason is groggy. Fading in and out of consciousness. But as his eyes are forced open and the first thing he sees is a blade, Jason screams.

It's a dull knife, long and serrated and bloody and dirty. And in its reflection is the lunatic's face, grinning like mad. The light catches on the razor as the Joker's eyes go wide.

"Wanna know how I got these scars?" He sneers, and Jason cries. He struggles to get away, hanging helplessly from his suspension. Nothing works, and two goons from the shadows hold him still with no thought towards his bruised and broken body.

He's in agony, and he's begging. He's in insurmountable pain and he can't do anything about it. The razor is brought to Jason's lips, presses to the side of his mouth with dull pressure.

He’s muffled now, and he continues fighting. 

"Just,, like, this!!" The Joker yells, dragging the blade upward through Jason's skin at a slow agonizing pace. He wants this to be slow and torturous, and Jason only cries and shakes. It hurts, god it hurts, he's being cut open, and the blood and tears mix and cause him more pain, 

He almost wishes for the crowbar again and once the knife is finished on one side, he screams again. His blood bleeds from the blade and falls onto the floor, joining the rest from the past days. Months? It couldn’t have been years.

“Such a handsome young man,” the joker croons, erupting into even more laughter. “Tell me what brought the chicks in, your crippling daddy issues or your criminal record?”

Jason couldn’t answer if he tried. The Joker grabs his face, almost smelling his newfound wounds, and then pulls back, leaving him in a hanging sway. 

“Let me go..” he pleads, mouth sore. His bright blue eyes are so devoid of color it hurts, and he closes them. Blood and dirt clumps on his pretty eyelashes. 

“Now I don’t think I can do that dear Jason.”

Joker licks the blade clean, it catches on the man's tongue and cuts him, not that he cares. Jason's glad he's not forced to swallow the damn thing.

Well, be careful what you wish for. 

Its sharp edge is brought down his jaw, down his neck, so close to his jugular veins, if only he could shift and catch himself on the blade, he could end it all. 

He starts crying.

He doesn’t know when he stops.

The Asylum walls go black, and he's shrieking. Harley Quinn brings a bat to his body as the Joker moves his knife, and it finds solace along Jason's cold chest.

One cut. Two cuts. Jason screams more. His throat is raw, he doesn't even know where his terror is coming from anymore, it'd been beaten out of him. 

"Bruce-, bruce stop-"

The Joker laughs. "AHA, the boys learning, don't you see? That's right, that's right."

The cuts are few, and after a while they're bearable. The hardest part to deal with is Harley"s high squeals as she beats him. She calls him cute, handsome, a songbird.

Songbird.

"You can't.."

"I can't what Jay darling? Hmm?? What can't I do?" The Queen of crime pouts, and Jason sees red.

"Don't say that," he spits, finding his voice. "That name isn't for you bitch."

The next time the knife touches his skin, it's coated in acid. And he's yelling for it to stop, he's pleading, thrashing around.

His kicks find Harley and he's flown forward and backward, still chained to the ceiling. Its desperate.

"JAY DARLIING," she sings. "Puddin what else gets our birdie going?? Mm? What makes him sing like a good pet. Oh this is exciting!" 

"SHUT UP-"

"Jay," Harley flutters her eyelashes, bringing herself close to his face. "Baby? Love? Is it sweetheart?" Her mouth is wide, eyes deranged. "Perhaps it's Mister J! He stares into her gaze, and for a second the jester flinches.

If Jason wasn't suspended and restrained, he'd kill her. He knew it and she knew it and Joker most definitely knew.

"Well Jason, kill her then! Do it loverboy, why won't you end her?" He croons, and Harley feigns sadness. 

"I-" he starts, unwilling to let himself hang in shame. How could he do this? 

"Oh come on angel! Why don't you try?" She shrieks, and then Jason is shouting, further tearing into the cuts along his mouth as he brings his legs up, attempting to wrap them around Harley's neck. 

He doesn't get very far. Someone holds him steady, and the stinging knife is brought back to his chest. An H. An A. Another H and an A. 

Straight across his chest, and then it begins again. Jason's breathing is labored from his attempt to retaliate, and he slips back into his daze of unconsciousness. He can't do this much longer.

THE.

Jason can see it in the mirror on the opposite wall. He doesn't remember when that got put there. If he could reach something with his feet he could throw it. Break the glass, pick it up with his feet again perhaps, end this torture-

JOKES.

Jason feels like vomiting. 

ON.

Jason vomits on the ground in front of him. Sweat sticks to his skin and he's pale, he feels a fever growing on him. The knife continues lower to his bruised skin. This couldn't get worse, could it. 

YOU.

The words are engraved on his body, marred by the blood dripping from it. Jason's eyes roll to the back of his head. The trauma puts him to sleep, and the Harley Quinn whispers another "Jay Darling" into his ear before departing. 

Three

Y/N’s picture is gone now, he can't even piece it together in his mind anymore. The scraps are scattered and disintegrated into dust.

This time he hears Harley before Joker, she's hanging off of the clown's arm, looking at him with the adoration of a psychopath. In her hands is a long poker, tip red hot, and she swings it without a care in the world. She giggles as her love comes closer to the half dead boy, untying his chains.

Jason lands on the floor, a crumpled heap of skin and broken bones. His head hits the ground, but it's the most beautiful thing he's touched in a long time.

He doesn't move, curling into a protective ball. 

"Mister J our bird isn't moving," Harley whines, kicking him in the back. He groans, shielding himself as best he could. There's nothing on the ground that's usable, not even a sharp stick or rock, there's a used abandoned needle but it sends him into nausea.

The Joker's laughing brings him back to reality as he attempts to crawl away. The floor is appalling, disgusting, a mix of wax and blood and body fluids that he wished he could forget, but he's let go. 

Jason slams his hands on the cement, using the force to wake him up and pull himself forward. His legs don't work, he's going delirious again, and then there's the sizzle of water behind him.

"Where are you going birdie?" Harley asks, and the Joker takes another step closer. 

"No, no, NO-" Jason pleads. Please let him go, dead or alive he doesn't care. Just get him out of here, make it stop. It's the only word he knows at the moment, every syllable is tortuous to pronounce. He bangs his head on the cement. God he’s going insane.

Stop touching him. Stop hurting him. 

He’s been beaten and tortured and degraded in the worst ways possible. He couldn’t remember what it was like to be human. And still, this was the worst pain yet.

He's pinned down as the hot poker nears his face, the symbol bright red on the end. Like a branded piece of meat. His flesh burns and sizzles as the Joker gives more pressure, and Jason's never screamed louder. 

It's in the intense silence within which he screams with his whole body. It forces its way from deep in his throat, demonic and angry and scared. 

He's hiding a truth from himself, and soon he's not screaming from the burning, but rather that he's stuck here. Forever. 

Edged with the tantalisingly sweet release of death, the Joker will never give it to him. 

The Joker will never let him die, he will never let him go. And now his cursed J is on Jason’s cheek, he’ll forever be the Joker’s pet.

When the brand stick is taken off his skin, Jason is sweating and pale and falls asleep.

"What a shame you couldn't handle it."

x

Y/N runs through the hallway with desperation. She'd tracked down Harley one night and by some god forsaken miracle, the deranged woman had blood on her skirts.

Another miracle hadY/N sneaking into Wayne Manor to ask Barbara to help her, analyzing the blood samples to track down the Joker.

They found something better.

For a second she believed Bruce's high end, most technologically advanced equipment was wrong. Babs assured her it wasn't. That was Jason's blood on Harley, less than two weeks old. 

"Jason?"

The boy looks up, whimpering. He almost doesn't hear her.

"Oh Jay," she whispers from the hallway. She's just a shadow but Jason knows it's her. No one has ever said his name with such gentleness. 

The woman lets out a sob. He's here, he's alive, he's gonna be okay. 

Jason holds back sobs of his own as she runs to him. Her fingers are first to touch him, resting on his chest and trailing over his scars, his wounds and his blood. His torn clothes, the dirt and acid burns. Her hand stops over his heart, beating so slow she would have believed him to be dead.

But this is Jason. He's not dying anytime soon. Especially not if she can help it.

Tears stream down her face as she wraps her arms around him, holding him close. 

He's gonna be okay.

Y/N is immediately supporting him as she conjures a knife to cut him down. His arms are free and he nearly goes unconscious.

She catches him before he can fall. It's not like the Joker when he needs to crawl away like a wounded puppy. He welcomes the other presence in the damp room, shaking. Jason lifts his head, and he doesn't even have to move until she's at his side. It's so different.. he forgot what this feels like. 

Jason forgot what it felt like to have emotions besides fear. 

He curls into her lap, slowly using her body to sit up. 

"Jay look at me, please," she murmurs, holding his face and brushing the hair out of those colorless eyes. "Oh my god I knew it.. I knew you were alive.. Jay I'm so sorry-" she stops herself, kissing the top of his blood matted head.

That doesn't matter now.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, you're okay sweetheart. Stay awake okay? Okay. Stay awake for me please."

Jason nods, hanging onto her. If he lets go, she'll leave. He'll lose her and he'll be stuck here again. She'll fade away.

It hurts to move, every bone and every limb is on fire. Then she's grabbing him and they're standing up, she's practically half carrying him.  

Mumbles of his name fill the empty asylum wing. Js and Jason's and Jay's pass her lips as if just repeating it is gonna make him alright.

One step, and Jason crumbles. He can't walk, it's a miracle he can feel his legs at all. "I'm not going anywhere," he mutters. 

She doesn't say anything. She knows.

Footsteps in the background. Walking, jogging, running. 

Maniacal laughs and snarls and spit.

Y/N bends her knees and slings him over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, and then she starts running. Down one hallway and then the next, the Arkham Asylum is a maze.

"Jay, side of my mask, the-"

"Comms," he finishes, holding the button to turn it on.

"Bat? Batgirl, do you read me?" The girl whispers, ducking into an alcove.

"I'm here. Did you..?"

"I've got him. Babs, he's alive, Jason's alive, he's breathing-" It feels so good to say, to not just breathe an empty statement. 

Crying comes from the other side of the comms. Barbara composes herself enough to speak, but even then, emotion hangs in her voice. "Let's bring him home then, where are you right now? Dicks outside the Asylum with Bruce, don't worry about the thugs or the cameras, we have it covered."

"I'LL FIND YOU BIRDIE!" 

"The Joker's here," Y/N tells Barbara and the air hangs with a pregnant pause. 

"Okay, Tim's gonna have you turn right, we got his signal."

The woman turns, ducking into the darkness.

"Y/N,." Jason wheezes, hanging onto her shoulders with the strength he could muster. 

"Jason if this is one of, one of your 'if we don't make it out' speeches-"

"Nevermind," he replies, wishing he had the energy and the ability to smile. She does, she smiles for the both of them- even if he can't see it from this angle. 

"God I'm going to make him pay for this. Writhing and screaming and begging for me to end him," she threatens, listening for the next of Barbara’s directions.

She's told to go right and through a door.

There's two sets of footsteps now.

Y/N continues, trying to fill the silence. The Joker won’t track her voice, the alarms are too loud. "That doesn't matter now, I guess. You're alive and I- we thought you were dead and it took so long for me to accept that, and I still don't know how I found you but I did and Jay I'm so proud of you-"

"Hey this doesn't mean you can give me a speech of your own," Jason interrupts, and she cracks another smile. She’s rambling like she always does when she overthinks, and he closes his eyes to imagine that they’re once again on a Gotham skyscraper with a bottle of champagne. Spilling secrets and laughing like they weren’t masked vigilantes with secret identities. 

"I love you Jason, and you're not leaving me again."

"HAHA I LOVE THIS GAME-" The Joker yells. His psychotic grin fills Jason’s vision as the maniac throws open a hatch, jumping down into the room. Jason is dropped to the ground and Y/N has her sword in hand, stepping in between the two men. 

His vision is blurry, he can’t see anything, and the ground is warm. 

He can’t succumb. Jason stands up again, grabbing a pistol from Y/N’s leg and he shoots. The feel of a gun trigger isn’t unfamiliar. 

Yelling fills the room, as does the clash of metal and fists, Jason smiles as the Joker cries out in pain. Another door opens, there’s girlish laughter now, and so many footsteps. He keeps shooting, dropping enemies like a second nature because he was Jason Peter fucking Todd. 

Jason’s ribs get stomped on again and he loses his gun, and metal echoes on the ground as something is dropped. Three gunshots ring through the room. 

No. 

No.

The Joker and the Harlequin keep laughing in glee, and Jason blacks out from crying again. 

x

Cold hands grab his face. The man who laughs is, well, laughing and pulling Jason’s face close to his own. The smell of death fills his senses and Jason opens his eyes. 

"How long do you think it's been, Jason?"

[ramble-writes]

Secrets Out

So, this is inspired by @celerywrites Jason fic, that’s also inspired by their fic of the reader figuring out Dick is Nightwing. So a bit o chatting, and I got an OK to write something similar, but of the reader figuring out Jason is Red Hood. Anyway, here it is! I like how it turned out but I hope that y’all like it too!

Reader is trans-masc (FTM) in this so yeah. Enjoy me ever taking a crack at DC writing and I do got another one in the works that is crossover base.

Don’t forget to like, reblog, and follow if ya wanna see more! (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

-

Ever since that night when Jason took you to meet his family, things have been going well from that point. Dick being the helpful goofball he is, Tim is always figuring things out (which admittedly makes you a little nervous as you try to save him from his horrendous coffee addiction). Cass thankfully warmed up to you and liked doing small, simple things with you like puzzles or Tetris. Steph, on the other hand, is like Dick but more hyper. Her sass is on point, though, so you give her credit for that. Then there are ones like Duke and Damian. Duke is a bit reserved, but some nudging here and there, and you learned he has a liking for sunrises and sunsets. But at a low cost of sleep since he has school. Damian is. Well. Jason and the others are right to say that the young Wayne is a demon, but you learned he has a thing for animal memes. Seeing as he has a dog, a cat, and a cow (which still baffles you). So you get why he likes animal memes. The day Tim called a family meeting to the main living space confused you all. That was till he announced he has a boyfriend and, moreso, he is bisexual. Steph outed herself that she also might be bi but currently is questioning a bit. Seeing these two come out to the entire family honestly gave you a boost of confidence despite the spike of nervousness. So you had raised your hand, waited for the silence, then came clean about being transgender but haven't gone through top surgery yet. By the looks on their faces, they were shocked. Hell, Tim moreso since he couldn't even tell you even had a binder on at all. And he's one of the smarter ones. But the amount of support that was shown chased away all fears you had. You could tell Jason was relieved as well by how his shoulders relaxed since he was afraid he was going to have to crack a few skulls. What was great about coming out finally was how they were ready to help you get an appointment set up. - The day came. Nervous as you were, excitement made your body vibrate. Jason had something to do in the meantime, but he promised he'd do his best to escape whatever Bruce has him doing and be there for you. He couldn't drop you off either, so you had a taxi hailed, and you were well on your way to the Gotham hospital. An explosion went off. The jeweler shop known for having the most extensive collection of many gemstones was seen with none other than the infamous Catwoman. Following her was Baby-Doll. Guess it must be a girls' night out or something for them to be teaming up for some precious stones. The explosion caused a chain reaction and set off the restaurant right next to the jeweler. Gas pipes exploded, making it a lot bigger than anyone expected. It was good that the restaurant was closed, so no one died, but the force of it made for the taxi you're in to flip and crash into another car. You had blacked out a bit, then came to with your ears ringing loudly. There were muffled voices that you could barely make out from the pounding headache you now have and how your pulse was racing in your ears. "--check that--eople inside!" What? There was people where? "Red! Come--I think this is--" Two sets of feet clambered onto the side of the taxi you were in. Two sets of hands came down to take hold of the bent door when you cracked your eyes open. One pair is black with the middle and ring fingers blue, and the other looking like durable black gloves with metal plating on the knuckles. With the creaking of metal, grunts from the hands' owners, the door popped off and was tossed aside. The padded black gloves were quick to draw out a knife and cut away the strap of the seat belt that held you in. You managed to catch a glimpse of a red head: Shiny. A helmet. This figure pulled you out once freed, and you were met with an incredibly warm body with strong arms that held you close. But there was something about how you were held as this red helmet-wearing figure ran. Something familiar. Secure. Yet gentle as if afraid holding on too tight would cause pain. No one at the Gotham hospital expected to see the Red Hood charging in and frantically asking for help. A gurney was brought out immediately, and you were placed down on it. A whine left you at the loss of heat. You had got accustomed to it along with the sound of a heart beating quickly under your head. Reed Hood hushed you gently despite the way his helmet distorts his voice, a hand gently caressing the side of your face as he whispered out how you're going to be ok, how the doctors are going to take care of you. - You had blacked out again at some point, all thought seeming void in your head. When you came to, you saw Jason sitting in a chair beside the bed you're in, both hands encasing yours as his lips grazed over your knuckles. You could barely make out what he was saying, but it was easy to tell he was silently begging whatever cosmic forces not to let you fade. "Jas...son...?" He jumped. Sea green eyes locked onto you. You hate to say it, but it's a first to see the usually obnoxious, sometimes crude, book nerd cry. A hand still held yours as he stood up a bit to place his other hand on the side of your face, cautious of the stitching on your cheek. "Hey... I... I thought I was gonna lose you there..." He gave a half-hearted chuckle, but the slow formation of bags under his eyes and how his hair looked more of a mess told you he hadn't gained a wink of sleep. You could only manage a small smile since your throat felt like sandpaper, but something else occupied your mind when Jason had leaned forward to press his lips gently to your forehead and muttered about how you're ok. "Did...you s...ave me...?" "What? No... It was Nightwing and Red Hood that did. And I think I saw Batman and Robin too..." Your nose wrinkled up a bit as your eyes scanned over him as he sat back down. Putting what bit of detective knowledge Tim taught you, seeing a skin-tight black turtleneck on him under his gray zip-up hoodie seemed off. Withdrawing your hand from his, you reached for the zipper. "Um... Look, I'd hate to stop you, despite how much I'd love to rail you-" He mumbled a bit, "But what are you doing?" You didn't pay attention as you got a hold of the tab and tugged it down. You only got to get a peek of something red on his shirt that reminded you of one of those stretched-out V's that kids draw for birds before Jason stopped you. Eyes ended up locking together as your entire face scrunched up. "A hero doesn't hold a civilian with such tenderness like a lover," You rasped out, pausing to draw in a breath. "There's only a secure hold. Tell me. Was that you that saved me?" All Jason could do was avert his gaze from you. He released your wrist from the hold he had it in as if allowing for you to continue your mini-investigation. But you didn't. You pressed your whole palm to his chest, fingers splayed out as a weak chuckle found its way from you. "What's so funny..?" "Nothing. Just... I consider myself lucky to be not only saved but to be dating the Red Hood." How those beautiful sea-green eyes snapped back to you, wide like saucers before closing as an exasperated sigh left him. The corners of his mouth twitched up a bit as he gave you a defeated yet amused look on his face. "Yeah? Whatchu' gotta say about it?" "Thaaaaat, I can probably tell that makes Nightwing Grayson. No doubt is Bruce-" You stop yourself at that, but the thought was there. "So that then makes Damian being Robin, and Tim is Red Robin." Jason nodded. "Yup. Duke is the Signal, Cass is the Orphan, and Steph is the Spoiler." Now it was you that nodded as he listed off the rest. You were glad that your throat was so torn that your volume never raised for anyone to hear. That was till you started coughing, and the vigilante got up and brought over one of those tiny paper cups seen in waiting rooms of offices. He helped you take sips of it before setting it down on the bedside table. "I am surprised, though. All those times I would talk endlessly about you lot, you played it off pretty well without giving anything away." "Well, we gotta. Learned from Bruce on how not to babble like children about who we are." You two ended up talking in hushed voices about the family's double lives they live. It went on for what felt like hours till you had drifted off into sleep. Jason could only find himself smiling at how relaxed you look when asleep. He scooted the chair he's in closer before resting his head on his arms, his hand resting over yours as he let sleep overcome him.

[timdrake-yumm]

One-shot ficlet— Longing

It was one of Those Days. Tim didn’t know why some days he couldn’t stand to be around anyone at all, getting snappy when his space was invaded or anyone so much as spoke in his vicinity because of the overwhelming sense of too much, and then he’d have days like this one. Days where all he craved was another human being. Where it was the silence that was too loud, and his skin crawled with the need to be touched; touched in a way that said he was precious and wanted, that he was loved.

He never knew what to do on days like these. On days of Too Much, the easiest solution was to flee to the Nest and put it on Lockdown: Protocol Me Time. His family knew not to disturb him on those days, and for the most part he was in the clear. On days of Longing, Tim had never figured out what it was he needed to do to stop feeling so off-kilter. He would go to a room that was frequently occupied by his family (living room, dining room, movie room, batcave) and sort of just… linger, and hope that someone got the hint that he wanted to be noticed. They never did.

Tim didn’t blame them, of course. He was pretty sure they thought he only had one kind of Off Day, and that was the Too Much days. Those days his distress was obvious, and Tim had read Bruce’s file depicting his theory on why Tim had those days (he theorized it mostly stemmed from parental neglect along with his anxiety. Tim wasn’t sure he was entirely accurate, but he didn’t have a better explanation- maybe he should see a therapist or something). So his Too Much days were obvious and his Longing days weren’t, so it made sense that his family had come to the conclusion that he was just a solitary person. They probably thought that if they did any more interaction than they normally did, then they’d accidentally trigger one of his Too Much days.

Tim just- he just wishes that he understood so he could figure out how to tell them without telling them. Or maybe if he got the words figured out, he’d be able to explain what he meant without twisting everything up into a confusing mess, so that they’d know what to look for when he was having a Longing day. That way he wouldn’t have to say it, ask for it.

He knew it wasn’t fair to expect them to just know when he was having a day like this one, especially since they had no reason to suspect they even existed. Especially since he wouldn’t be able to tell if it were someone else feeling the way that he was (he could solve the hardest mysteries, but it was common-knowledge of human expression that stumped him. Tim hated it). But he couldn’t help it. He saw all the tactile interactions his family had with one another and he wanted.

He wanted to swing dance in the kitchen to a cheesy song with Dick and Cass. He wanted Jason to ruffle his hair and pull him into his secure side-hugs that always felt like safety. He wanted Steph to braid strands of his hair while Babs painted his nails as they watched some detective show together and tried to come up with better plot twists and endings. He wanted Duke to use his lap as a pillow so he could take a nap while Tim worked on a case or WE work. He wanted the purring of Alfred the Cat to resonate from his legs while he attempted to eat his lunch with his non-dominant hand because Damian was using his other as a canvas. He wanted Alfred to put a comforting hand on his shoulder and give him a smile that meant that everything was going to be okay. He wanted Bruce to greet him with a hug every time they saw each other, even if the absence hadn’t been long.

He wanted Dick to look up from where he and Jason were sitting and preparing to watch a movie together on the couch and invite Tim to sit between them. He wanted Damian to scowl and sit in his lap while he pretended he didn’t also want the physical affection. He wanted fingers gently run through this hair and forehead-kisses while he pretended he wasn’t falling asleep by the end of the movie. He wanted them to notice his longing.

“Hey Timmy! You’re just in time for family movie night! Come on, Alfred made popcorn and hot chocolate! It looks like the armchair is still open if you want to grab it before Damian comes in and claims it for himself.”

“Thanks Dick.”

He couldn’t remember anything about the movie, only that the armchair felt like a million miles away from his family, and it was like he was all alone again while they were only an arm’s length away.

[ragingbookdragon]

When The Music's Not Forgotten PT. 1

Green Lantern!Reader x Lantern Family Story!

Word Count: 5.3K Warnings: Explicit Language, Mature Themes, Violence

Author's Note: I legit had a breakdown trying to think about what to label this fic as. Almost put 'Batsis' but then I realized it's not Batsis nor Lantern!Sis so I was like...uh...what do I do? We'll figure it out. Enjoy! -Thorne

**********************************************************************

Her first thought when she opened the front door to the Coast City apartment and saw her dad in a headlock by Kyle and Kyle in a headlock by Guy who was in one by John, who was in one by her dad, was: this is totally and completely normal.

The second thought: that nothing involving her father and uncles ever surprised her anymore, occurred to her as said father and said uncles stopped arguing with one another and cocked their heads up, looking at her, each of their faces exhibiting the epitome of “I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar” shock, in which she merely returned with a blank stare before closing the door behind her, marching into the kitchen with the grocery bags.

Of course, that also meant the second she did, they were stumbling in to explain what had brought them to the unfortunate moment of head-locking each other, but also to see what she’d bought and what she was going to cook for dinner. She paid them no mind, ducking under arms and between bodies as she maneuvered around them kitchen, putting things away.

Someone curled an arm around her neck, pressing their lips to her temple. “Hey Raptor.”

She smiled. “Hey dad.” Tossing a beer behind her, she added, “Uncle Guy. Uncle John. Kyle.”

Guy caught his beer, popping the tab, and Kyle looked at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “How come everyone else is ‘uncle’ and I’m not?” he looked hurt. “Am I somehow different, (Y/N)?”

She paused and threw another beer behind her. “Kyle, were almost the same age. I’m not calling you my uncle because John and Guy are older than both of us.”

“Not that much,” he griped, popping his beer tab. “It still hurts my feelings.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes and handed John the final beer. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I considered you to be my favorite cousin?”

Kyle smiled at her. “Yes, it would.”

She nodded then glanced at Hal. “Dad, tacos or burgers?”

“I dunno.” He said, glancing at the others. “You guys?”

“Burgers.”

“Tacos.”

“Burgers.”

She cocked a brow and looked at her father. “Seems like you’ll either make a tie or a win.”

“I have been thinking about good tacos, Raptor,” he replied, and she nodded.

“Tacos it is.” Guy and John groaned, and she shot them a glare. “Hey! Lock that shit up or I’m not cookin’.” Immediately they shut their mouths, listening to Kyle and Hal snicker. “Buncha children.” She griped, dumping the ground beef into a skillet to brown.

“So, (Y/N),” Guy drawled, leaning against the kitchen counter. And honestly, the entire kitchen was way too small for four grown men and a grown woman to be in at one time, but she’d gotten used to it, so why fix what wasn’t broke.

“So, Uncle Guy.” She repeated, shifting the meat around with the spatula.

“Why exactly did you start working at the Wayne Enterprises branch here?”

She could feel the eyes of her family on her back, and she couldn’t help but roll hers. “Maybe because Mister Wayne pays good salaries to his employees and his health insurance coverage is fantastic?” (Y/N) glanced over her shoulder. “But something tells me you’re asking for another answer.”

He grinned. “Which son of Wayne’s are you dating?”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes again. “I love you, but you’re an idiot.” She turned back to the pan. “I’m not dating any of his sons. Dick’s with Koriand’r, Jason’s a douche-bag, and their brothers are way too young.”

“Doesn’t he have a daughter?”

“Cass is dating a girl she goes to college with.” She took an onion from the basket against the kitchen wall atop the counter. “Keep digging though, Uncle Guy. You’ll hit rock bottom soon enough.”

“Does that mean you’re dating the big Bat?”

She almost cried from laughter as Hal choked on his beer and spluttered. “No. I’m not dating Mister Wayne. He’s old enough to be my dad.”

John chuckled. “I don’t know, (Y/N). When you first met Bruce at, what? Ten? You told him you were going to marry him.”

Her cheeks burned and she scowled at them. “I meant Batman because he was kind-hearted, and I was totally awestruck as a little girl. Let it go.” Her eyes fell on Hal. “Dad, tell ‘em to let it go.”

He nodded. “Please let it go.” Kyle started humming ‘Here Comes the Bride’ and while the others snickered, Hal screwed his eyes shut. “Oh God, stop. I don’t want to think about my precious baby anywhere near that anal retentive kitchen scale.”

The other snickered and before she could say anything, their rings started beeping. She looked at them as their faces turned solemn, setting their beers down as their suits flashed to life.

“Trouble on Oa,” John said.

“Gotta fly?” she asked, and Hal nodded, leaning over to kiss her temple.

“Gotta fly, Raptor.” He hugged her quickly and followed John and the others to the balcony. “I love you.”

“I love you too, dad.” (Y/N) waved. “Be careful, Corpsmen.” They all waved at her and took off, leaving her in the apartment alone and she sighed, turning back to the kitchen. “Another dinner…alone.” She couldn’t help but deflate. “Wonderful.”

***

She continued cooking for almost an hour when the balcony doors opened and closed, and she smiled. “Hey guys. You’re back rather early.” When she didn’t hear a response, she immediately fell on guard and she took one of the kitchen knives from its holder, brandishing it.

Carefully, she walked into the dimly lit living room, eyes scanning the expanse for whoever was in the apartment with her. None of the floorboards were creaking, no rustling of fabric or scuffing of shoes. It was completely silent, and that made her nervous.

Stay calm. The worst thing you can do in a situation when you need to be calm is to be panicked. Slow breaths. Keep focused.

She repeated his words in her head and shifted around the hallway wall, eyes peeled for trouble.

Small steps when sweeping buildings. If an enemy rounds a corner and it comes to close combat, you’ll want to be able to hit them and taking big steps causes instability.

(Y/N) crept down the hall and came upon the bathroom just beside her father’s bedroom door. Quickly, she peeked in, seeing it empty, then cross the doorway, pausing beside her father’s door. She inhaled deeply, then turned her head around the corner, seeing it empty and dark. The only room left was hers.

She crossed to the other side of the wall and hurried down to her door, and with another sharp breath, she turned and looked in. Again, it was empty. Confusion bled through her as she returned to the living room, the hand holding the knife lowered beside her thigh.

“That’s strange.” She murmured. “I thought I—”

“Heard something?”

She gasped and spun around, bringing the knife up, but they caught it with ease, squeezing her wrist until she cried in pain and dropped it. (Y/N) heard the clattering in her ears as they grabbed her other hand and shoved her down into the couch.

She started thrashing wildly, about to scream when she heard, “I thought I told you not to turn your back on people.”

(Y/N) stilled and turned her head, catching that stupidly smart smirk. “You fucker.” She cursed at him, torn between laughing hysterically and cursing some more. “I can’t believe you turned this into a lesson.”

He shrugged. “Had to know if you were learning any better.” Smiling at her, he quipped, “Your sweeping is great. Detection skills? Not so much.”

“Let me up, Jason.” she commanded, rolling her eyes and he snorted, letting go of her arms. Immediately, she spun and cocked her elbow into his jaw, smiling as he grunted in pain and grabbed it.

“Damn,” he hissed. “You’ve got elbowing down to an art.”

She grinned. “I’ve had a good teacher.”

They stared on another down for a moment, then all at once, they were yanking at shirts and unbuckling belts, grabbing each other, and tugging closer to one another as their lips met in a searing kiss.

(Y/N) shoved at the jacket on his shoulders, moving her lips to his jaw and he groaned, taking his hands from her hips for just a moment to pull the article off. He shifted out of reach, and she glanced towards the kitchen.

“I turned the oven off,” Jason muttered, yanking his crimson shirt over his head. “Figured we’d be too busy to eat dinner.”

She giggled and shoved him off the couch, watching as he scrambled to his feet; she stood and started pulling off her own clothes, first her shirt, then her bra and Jason almost collapsed at her feet when she tugged her pants to her ankles.

“C’mon, Jay, don’t be shy.” (Y/N) cooed. “Show me what you’ve got.”

He chuckled, and unbuckled his belt, letting it fall to the floor as he back-stepped down the hallway. “Oh, you want a show, Miss Jordan?”

She smirked at him and stuck her thumbs in the sides of her thong. “I’d love a show, Mister Todd.”

“I might made you beg a little for it,” he shot back coolly, toeing off his combat boots and she hummed.

“I will if you will.” (Y/N) said, watching his hands unbutton the charcoal-colored utility pants he wore.

“My eyes are up here.” Jason quipped, though he didn’t seem to stop as he shoved his pants down, leaving him in his boxers, and he hit her doorway.

“True, but my attention is elsewhere.” She drew her eyes up his toned body, internally smirking as he seemed to shiver under her gaze, and she pushed her thong down her legs. (Y/N) stood before him and reached out, placing her hands flat on his chest. He was so hot underneath her palms and she slowly rubbed her hands up to the sides of his neck.

“(Y/N),” he murmured huskily, arms winding around her waist, and she smirked.

“Take me to bed, Jason.”

Immediately, he bent down and grabbed the back of her thighs, digging his fingers in until she lifted and wrapped her arms around his waist. “With pleasure,” he purred.

***

By the time Hal and the other lanterns got back to the apartment, it was well into the morning, and he could tell that everyone just wanted to crash in exhaustion, too tired to even think about flying to their own homes.

He opened the balcony doors and let them inside. “Lemme get some blankets from the hall closet,” he muttered, voice as ragged as his body felt.

“Who the hell played strip poker in here?”

Hal looked up at Guy who was holding up a crimson t-shirt with a baffled expression. “What?”

Guy met his gaze then nodded down the hall. “Someone’s been tangoing.”

When he craned his neck to peek down the hallway, sure enough there was a trail of clothing leading down to her room. His eyes went wide, and he suddenly forgot about his exhaustion as he leaped over the couch and sprinted down the hall, the other Lanterns hot on his heels.

Hal skidded to a stop in her doorway and immediately screeched, “(Y/N) JORDAN WHO THE HELL IS IN YOUR BED?!”

The two young adults in the bed startled up, and she held the sheet to her chest as she gaped at her father. “Dad! You—you’re here!”

He gestured wildly. “OF COURSE, I’M HERE! I FUCKING LIVE HERE! WHO THE FUCK IS IN YOUR BED?!”

“Morning, Hal,” Jason greeted, with a mock salute. “How’s your day so far?”

“MY DAY?!” he bellowed, already starting for the young man, and John was quick to grab Hal around the waist. “LET GO! I’M GOING TO MURDER THIS SON OF A BAT FOR CORRUPTING MY DAUGHTER!”

“Excuse me,” Jason said, rather affronted, then pointed at her. “It’s (Y/N) who’s corrupted me.”

(Y/N) barely had time to hide her snort as she elbowed him in the side. “Shut the hell up.” She cleared her throat and looked at the men in her doorway. “Uh…can you close the door so I can get dressed?”

“CLOSE THE DOOR?! I’M GOING TO TAKE THE DOOR OFF ITS HINGES! YOU ARE GROUNDED, (Y/N) JORDAN DO YOU HEAR ME! YOU ARE—”

Guy and John dragged Hal off and Kyle shut the door but threw a thumbs up at Jason before he left.

***Part Two***

She tried to look anywhere but her father’s face as he continued to berate her and Jason. And honestly, he’d stopped making sense about thirty minutes ago and while she couldn’t look at her uncles for fear of bursting into laughter, Jason had no problems cracking a smirk at everything Hal was yelling about.

“—AND I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU HAD A BOY IN THE HOUSE!” he paused, horror drawing across his face, then it immediately turned into anger. “THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME HE’S COME OVER IS IT?! HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?!”

Her face pinched and she inquired, “Which question do you want answered first? The one you asked when you first started yelling or the last one just now?”

“I am in no mood for games, (Y/N) Jordan. You brought a boy into the house without permission.”

“I am a man.” Jason interrupted.

She elbowed him in the ribs. “I didn’t realize I needed permission to bring my boyfriend into the house.”

“BOYFRIEND?!” Hal screeched.

(Y/N) blinked. “I’m confused. Are you angry at me calling him my boyfriend? Do you want me to call him my fuckbuddy or something?”

“HEY!” both Jason and Hal in unison and her father glared at him. “SHUT UP!”

“I don’t know what you want me to tell you, dad…I’m twenty-one. Having a boyfriend is a completely normal thing. Having a consensual sexual relationship with someone is a normal thing.”

Hal spluttered for a moment then pointed at Jason. “NOT WITH HIM!”

“What’s wrong with me?” Jason question, rather offendedly, then he held up a hand. “I mean, besides the obvious things that are wrong with me.”

“YOU’RE YOU! THE SON OF BATMAN!”

“I mean…” Jason drawled. “That’s technically debatable most days.”

(Y/N) looked at him. “You’re not exactly helping the case, Jay.”

“I’m not trying to.” He grinned at her. “I’m seeing if I can make your dad go red.”

She tutted at him. “Jason Todd trying to corrupt a Green Lantern into a Red Lantern. Shame.”

“QUIT DOING THAT!” Hal howled as they started snickering, seeming to get lost in their own little world. Suddenly, he was marching down the hallway and coming back with a cellphone.

They watched in confusion for a moment, then Jason’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“What?” (Y/N) worried.

“He’s calling B.”

“What.”

Hal put the phone to his ear and glowered at the two of them until the line clicked and he immediately yelled, “DO YOU KNOW YOUR DELINQUENT SON IS DATING MY DAUGHTER?...WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ALREADY KNOW?!...EXCUSE ME?! WHAT?!”

He hung up the phone and set it on the table, then proceeded to turn around and grab a pillow from the couch, bringing it to his face. Hal bellowed into the pillow and Jason nudged her. “How long is he gonna be like this?”

(Y/N) shrugged. “Probably another minute or two. He’ll start up again in about an hour though.”

Jason hummed and stood from the table. “Well, I’d love to stay and get yelled at some more but if I’m being honest, I only need one father yelling at me and not two.”

“Where are you going?” she questioned.

“Roy and I have a mission in Costa Rica tomorrow evening.” He bent down and kissed her lips. “I’ll call you when I land.”

(Y/N) smiled and before he pulled away, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for another searing kiss, one that erupted wolf-whistles from the other Lanterns around them—which also had Hal pulling his head up at the sound, immediately shouting again.

“Love you,” she murmured, and he winked.

“Love you more, doll.” He tossed a mock salute to Hal and the others before leaving and she sat back in her seat, readying herself for another round of bellowing.

***

Surprisingly, Hal had relaxed after a few hours. That being said, (Y/N) really had to work on him to do so but being an only child and her dad’s pride and joy played a big part—she knew the man could never stay mad at her. Of course, he’d immediately put rules into place over the whole relationship thing. No boys in the house without permission, no closing the door when a boy was over, no more Bat-sons in the Jordan apartment…he was overreacting, but it wasn’t anything new in (Y/N)’s opinion.

But he did ease up after a few months, mainly because as anti-social as Jason was most days, he was damn good at working people over when he wanted to. And in her boyfriend’s opinion, the easiest way to work her dad over was to tell him all the ways to screw with Bruce—which Hal took in like a sponge with water. As annoying as it was to see the two men so giddy over a plan, she was glad they were just getting along.

However, when Hal learned that (Y/N) was being trained by Jason, and on the rare occasions, Bruce, his meltdown the first night seemed like a walk in the park compared to the storm blowing in.

***

So…what are you wearing?

She snorted, crossing at the formula of the equation, rewriting a new one beside it. “Jason, I’m not having phone-sex with you.”

Hmm…I bet you’re wearing red panties.

“Cold.” (Y/N) retorted with a grin. “They’re blue actually. You know, like Nightwing’s suit?”

Why do you hate me?

“I haven’t the faintest clue what you mean, Jay.”

You’re evil, you know that? Like you portray innocence but in reality, you’re evil.

She snorted again when a tapping came at her bedroom window and she frowned, leaning over; Jason saw it from the camera.

Everything alright?

(Y/N)’s eyes drifted to his face then to the window and she stood. “Yeah, someone’s at the window.”

(Y/N). He warned and she leaned over, seeing Kyle floating there.

“It’s Kyle.”

What’s Kyle doing there? I thought he was on Oa.

She nodded, brows furrowing as she murmured, “I did too.” Opening the window, she greeted, “Hey, what’s up?”

Kyle seemed nervous. No, he seemed concerned. “I need you to come with me.”

“Is my dad okay?” she asked outright, and he nodded.

“Yeah, Hal’s good…but he needs to talk to you.” Kyle waved a hand over her phone, and it shut off. “It’s important.”

(Y/N) felt her heart thump in her chest at how serious her friend was, and she nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”

***

She’d only ever been to the Watchtower once. And the only thing she remembered from the trip was getting lost in one of the hallways only to be found by Batman who merely picked her sobbing frame up and hummed to her until she fell asleep.

So really, it was like a first time visit all over again, and when she came face to face with not only the Justice League, well Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman, and her uncles, she wasn’t exactly excited. It felt like she’d been called to the principal’s office for expulsion.

Hal pointed to a seat, which she took, not wanting to open her mouth when she had no idea what was going on.

Wonder Woman, surprisingly, was the first to speak. “What is your daughter doing here, Hal?”

Her father merely looked at (Y/N) then to Bruce, questioning, “How long?” They stared one another down and she felt as lost as last year’s Easter eggs. “How long, Bruce?” Hal asked again.

Batman didn’t even blink. “A full year. When she started working at the branch in Coast City, I had Jason start it.”

“Motherfucker.” Hal cursed, chuckling humorlessly. “I do all I can to keep her out of this bullshit and you drag her into it.”

“(Y/N) wanted to train. She emailed me through a private channel about it.”

All eyes turned onto her and then she knew what was happening. “He’s…right, dad. I wanted to be trained to fight.”

Hal gaped at her. “Why? You’re going to school? You’re working? Why do you want to train?”

(Y/N) swallowed thickly. “To be like you guys. You know, useful?” she stood from the table. “Look, I know you’re worried, but even Batman’s noted major improvements. He says I’m almost ready to start patrolling on my own.” She looked to him for help.

“She’s smart, Hal. And I’m not saying that to float the Jordan ego. Jason’s not one to give commendation where it shouldn’t be.” Batman nodded at her. “(Y/N)’s not my kids, but she’s right behind them on how good she is.”

Hal’s brown eyes turned onto him in a fierce glare. “Yeah, well, unlike you, I don’t make a habit out of putting my kid in danger. I know you have a thing for going through sons.”

“HEY!” (Y/N) shouted, getting his attention as she stood to her feet. “I’m old enough to make this decision for myself and if Batman says I’m good enough to do this, I’m gonna do it.”

“Nope. Not happening.” Hal rejected. “End of discussion.”

“No.”

His eyes went wide first with shock, then with the audacity of her language. “Excuse me?”

(Y/N) momentarily wanted to cave, but she held strong and tightened her jaw. “I said no.” she declared. “I’m gonna do this.”

Hal rounded the table, stomping up to her. “No, you’re not.”

“What’re you gonna do, dad? Lock me in the house for the rest of my life?” she suggested. “I have rights you know.”

“Not to do shit like this. I don’t want you being a hero.”

(Y/N) gazed at him, and suddenly, everyone felt the mood shift as she murmured, “It’s because I’m not a Lantern, isn’t it, dad?”

Hal’s jaw went slack. “What? What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She shot back coolly, then tipped her head to the other league members. “See, they get to brag about their kids. Superboy, the Robins, the Wonder-Girls...everyone on this team has a trainee but you.” (Y/N)’s eyes narrowed. “And you hate that I’m not like you, don’t you? That I can’t seem to figure out what it takes to wear that ring.”

She glanced at her uncles who were gaping at her. “See, you look at them like they’re the greatest people in the universe. And then when you look at me? It’s easy to see the devotion shift. Deep down it makes you disappointed that I’m not a Green Lantern.”

“You are absolutely out of line.” He growled.

“Am I, dad?” (Y/N) challenged. “Everyone here gets to brag about their superhero trainees but when it comes you, what can you say? ‘My daughter isn’t a Green Lantern like me, sorry!’?” she looked at him. “I’m not a Green Lantern, but I am something else. I can be something else. Let me prove it to you.”

Hal gazed at her for along moment. “…No.”

(Y/N) snapped. “Why the fuck not! What is it about me that just makes you so antagonistic at the idea of me being something like you!”

“Watch your language, young lady. I’m still your father.” He demanded.

“Oh please, as far as I’m concerned, you were just a failed pilot on leave who fucked my mom and got her pregnant.”

It happened before anyone realized it. The sharpest crack any of them had ever heard in their lives and (Y/N) turned her face back to him, a hand coming up to press against her stinging cheek. And Hal? Hal was staring at his hand as if it didn’t belong to him.

She wasn’t mad. Shocked, sure, but not mad. If anything, it’d proved her point and she merely regarded him with an assured gaze. “Bogey down, huh dad?” she remarked, and his eyes shot to hers.

Hal’s mouth opened but nothing would come out except, “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Yeah, you did,” she whispered, taking a step back from him when he reached for her.

His face crumpled and he brokenly called, “(Y/N), wait!”

But she was already running for the door, Batman on her heels.

***

“Do you want me to call Jason?” he asked quietly, watching her open the balcony doors.

Her hands stilled for a moment, then she resumed twisting the key. “No…and don’t tell him this happened either.”

“Why not?”

(Y/N) looked back at him. “Because you and I both know that Jason would beat my dad senseless.”

“…Do you want to come back to Gotham for a while?”

She opened the doors and sighed. “I don’t know, Batman.” Glancing back, she added, “I don’t really know what I want right now.”

“Do you want to be away from Hal?” he questioned seriously, and she looked at her feet.

“I know what you’re thinking. But he’s not abusive.”

“All evidence to the contrary.”

(Y/N)’s head snapped up. “My dad’s never laid his hands on me before now.”

“He ever physically discipline you?”

“Swatting your eight-year-old kid’s butt in the middle of a store when they’re having a meltdown over not buying an expensive toy is a lot different from beating them bloody and bruised with a beer bottle or a belt.’ (Y/N)’s eyes darkened, but not at her father’s face in her head, but at Batman. “My dad’s a lot of things. A jackass, a skirt chaser, a self-righteous arrogant prick…but he is not an abuser.”

Batman placed a hand on her shoulder. “He hit you.”

“Yeah? And? I insulted him and my mom straight to his face. Sure, slapping me wasn’t the answer, but I understand the reaction. Does is make is right? No. But neither is what I said. We both fucked up.” She shrugged his hand off. “We’ll talk about it and move on.”

“Because it’s what Jordan’s do?”

(Y/N) huffed a laugh but it was anything but mirthful. “Yeah. It’s what Jordan’s do.” She stepped inside and looked back at him. “Thanks for bringing me home, Batman. I appreciate it.”

He nodded, pulling out his grapple. “Call me if you need anything.” Batman gazed at her. “And think about calling Jason.”

“…I will.”

Batman gazed at her a moment longer then fired the grapple, taking off into the night sky towards the Batplane, then she was watching as it disappeared faster than it came.

With a heavy sigh, she turned and put her hands on the back of the loveseat, shutting her eyes as she thought about the events of the night. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to feel. Angry? Hurt? Responsible? It had to be all the above, especially when she pictured his face in her head after it happened. Shocked, ashamed, horrified, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just done.

(Y/N) didn’t want to think about it, and when she heard a ring flashing in her ears, she turned. “Guys, I don’t wanna talk about—” she fell into a deep silence when she saw the man before her, the yellow suit glowing vividly against the dark sky.

“Hello (Y/N) Jordan. I am Sinestro.”

***Part Three***

Hal had taken her flying more times than she could’ve counted—perks of being a pilots daughter, and while she had faith in aircraft and Green Lantern constructs, she wasn’t sure how to feel about Yellow Lanterns and their tendency to drop people.

Coast City looked so small below her, and she swallowed thickly, trying greatly to keep her fear under control, keeping her eyes on the moon. She knew if Sinestro dropped her at this height, she’d die. There were no chances of survival at all—she’d hit the ground and pancake with the best of ‘em.

“I am rather surprised that you accepted my invitation so easily,” he remarked, not looking at her as they rose through the night sky.

“Yeah, well…I’ve heard enough stories about you to know that you’ll kill me if you want to.” Her eyes followed his frame. “I’d like to extend my life as long as possible.”

“A wise decision, (Y/N).” He noted rather humorously, finally taking the time to look back at her. “I’ve watched you for some time now.”

Ignoring the implications and total creepiness of the statement, she instead asked, “How long?”

“Long enough to see the potential you have in greater things.” Sinestro replied and reached a hand out, a horde of golden glowing constructs appearing before her eyes. Her training with Batman, with Jason, even with Hal and the others—most importantly, the fight just before. “It hurts that he doesn’t trust you to be like him, doesn’t it?”

She didn’t respond, merely watching the moment of his hand coming back across her face over and over again as the feelings welled in her chest.

“You try so hard to be of use to Hal. To be a Green Lantern like him, but nothing you do makes him proud.” He gazed at her with something akin to pity, but it felt like a manipulation. “I understand your fear of failure…of shame.” Holding out his hand, he made her own raise beside her body and a yellow ring floated from his palm. “I can feel the anger inside you. Your fear fights to quell it.” Sinestro smiled. “I almost want to call Atrocitus and have him recruit you into the Red Corps.”

(Y/N)’s eyes fell to the ring, and she clenched her hand into a fist to keep it from sliding onto her finger. “I—I can’t be a Yellow Lantern.”

“Why not?”

“Why n—because you’re the enemy of the Green Lanterns!” she shouted. “I’d be betraying my father and my friends and my family!”

He gave her a knowing look. “The same family that looked upon you with shame every time you tried to wield the green power ring, but couldn’t?”

She felt like she’d been shot, and her jaw dropped. “I…”

Sinestro nodded. “I understand. But you don’t, (Y/N). Willpower must be had since birth. Fear however—” he reached out, uncurling her fingers. “Can be taught. And you have potential to be trained with terror.” He met her gaze. “You can’t be a Green Lantern like Hal wants…but you can become something he has to recognize. Something powerful. Something fearsome.”

(Y/N) stared at him, and this time, she didn’t fight as the ring slipped onto her finger. (Y/N) Jordan of Earth. You possess the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps.

The world started swirling around her, golden flashes of light bound her body and she screamed in terror as her nightmares came alive before her. The chains coiled, almost like snakes creeping up her body, tighter and tighter around her throat and up around her skull. The last thing she saw through her fearful gaze was Sinestro laughing darkly and the world before her went dark and she was subjected to her minds torment, brought upon by the forged ring.

For a moment, the world was calm, then the chains fell away, and (Y/N) stood before Sinestro, clothed in an exo-suit, similar to her father’s, but instead of the bright, awe-inspiring green, it was a golden, fear-inducing yellow.

And when she opened her eyes, they narrowed onto Sinestro, and all she said was, “I’m ready to receive my orders.”

[soulmate-game]

Useful Part 2

fluff with a little hurt and comfort. If you want answers as to the lack of angst, look through my recent posts for an explanation. 

—* — * — * —* —* 

“Wait, you have a WHAT?” were the first words that the rest of the Gotham-based vigilantes heard when they finally were able to track down where Damian had gone. Dick looked over at Bruce, who was noticeably tense. No surprise there, the man had just found out that he had a second biological child. One who was apparently a superhero already, without his intervention, and also apparently had a tragic background in the League of fucking Assassin Assholes. Not to mention that Damian’s track record with meeting siblings wasn’t great, even if this one wasn’t actually new to him. Nobody had any real fear of Damian relapsing on his no-kill rule, they knew he had matured far too much to be at risk of killing for something as immature as sibling rivalry anymore. 

But there was still fear. Because this new Wayne was an Unknown Factor, and as a rule the Bats hated Unknown Factors. And they had no idea what the relationship between the two had been before they had been separated, or what it would become now. 

“That wasn’t Damian’s voice,” Dick helpfully pointed out the obvious. Bruce only frowned, doing his best (and failing) to hide his anxiety about what they would find. Silently, the group inched forward to the edge of the abandoned building they were on top of so that they could look over at what was happening. What they saw was a girl, presumably the same one who had been in a ladybug onesie and had fearlessly begun to ask them to leave Paris— until she had laid proper eyes on Robin and fled, that was. That girl was sitting down next to an unmasked Damian, who had his arm around her shoulders and let her lean into his side. He even smirked cheerfully at her question before continuing to speak to her. 

“A dragon-bat. I knew you’d love hearing about him, I’ll introduce you when you come visit the Batcave. His name is Goliath,” Damian admitted smugly. Despite the familiar attitude and pride behind his words though, his spying family couldn’t help but notice that he kept periodically rubbing the girl’s (they really needed to find out her name) shoulder in reassurance. None of them missed the tear tracks on both of their faces, or how red the girl’s eyes were. Clearly they had missed something big. 

But nobody wanted to try to figure that out yet. This scene was too precious, too breathtaking for them to interrupt just yet. They had never seen Damian this vulnerable around someone outside of their little circle before, someone from the Time Before Bruce, no less. Most of the time, only Nightwing was able to see this side to Damian. And usually the roles were reversed, with Damian being the one consoled. They had never seen him in the position of the comforter before. The pillar of support. 

It really cemented just how far he had come. 

So they watched silently as the girl flinched, pulling away a bit and hunching in on herself. The laugh she let out was small and overflowing with self-degradation. 

“You make it sound as if the rest of your family actually wants me to visit,” she replied sourly. Damian gently cuffed her over the head, frowning. 

“Two things,” he held up two fingers from his free hand. “One: They will. They accepted me, and I was— well, you remember how I used to be. Once they actually meet you, and process the fact that there’s another Wayne now, they will bombard you with more welcoming than you will know what to do with. Two: It’s Our family, Marinette. Not mine, ours.”

Well, at least they had a name now. But it seems like they had bigger issues now, like Marinette’s clearly damaged sense of self. Jason and Tim traded knowing glances; it wasn’t hard for them to guess where, or how, she might have been damaged enough to think so lowly of herself. 

They watched as Marinette shook her head. 

“I don’t know. It’s one thing to try to… to get to know you again. We used to be close before… everything,” she haltingly argued, voice small and frail and uncertain. But she never once looked away from Damian’s eyes, trying to convey as best as she could what she was feeling. “But they’re different. They don’t have any reason to trust or like me, Dami. And I’m bad at, well everything, but especially,” she waved her hands frantically as if indicating the whole situation they were in. “I mean, listen to me! I can barely articulate right now, and I’m talking to someone I’ve known my whole life! I’m a mess. Nobody wants a mess.” 

It was Damian’s turn to snort, and he pulled her right back into his side. “Please. If anything, that’s exactly the type of child Father goes looking for. We’re all a mess. Especially Father, trust me.” 

“You’re just trying to make me feel better,” she accused suspiciously, but sank into his sideways embrace anyway. Damian chuckled. 

“No, I’m being honest. He’s terrible at emotions, not that I really have much room to talk. We all are pretty bad with them. But he’s the most obvious when it comes to that issue,” Damian smirked over at his sister conspiratorially. “For example. He still tries to tell people that he works alone, and pushes people away because he has this intense desire to protect, but doesn’t know how to say “I don’t want you to get hurt, stop worrying me,” so instead he says “Go away, I don’t need you,” only for us to see through that nonsense and remind him that the amount of people in his team is in the double digits already. He doesn’t want to admit he cares about us and is vulnerable—”

“Sounds familiar,” Marinette teased with a watery grin, startling a short laugh from her twin. He nudged her a little roughly (but not to roughly) and playfully glared at her. Marinette just giggled.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he lied with a grin before waving his free hand in dismissal. “Anyway. Another example. He has no idea how to tell a stranger, “hey, I’m your father and I will not reject you. In fact, I’m completely willing to adopt you right this moment and whisk you away to Gotham and relative safety and hire an entire team of therapists to help you and buy you half the world if you asked for it,” so instead he and the rest of our emotionally constipated family just lurks on the edge of a building in broad daylight eavesdropping on us and expects us not to notice.” 

“Wait what,” Marinette’s gaze instantly whipped up towards the sky, taking only half a second to locate the aforementioned eavesdroppers. Everyone except Bruce at least had the courtesy to duck down and pretend not to be there when they noticed she had seen them, leaving Batman standing seemingly alone on the concrete roof. Marinette blinked once. Twice. Then turned to Damian. “I’m gonna blame the fact that I didn’t notice them on emotional turmoil, because there is no way I’ve gotten THAT rusty.” 

Damian smiled, but didn’t laugh. He knew that was a deflection to try and distract from Marinette’s quickly resurging self-consciousness. Her hands were already trembling again, and the fear from only minutes ago had resurfaced. The insecurity. He could practically see the words “I’m not good enough,” written in her irises. 

“You’ll be fine,” he whispered, standing up and pulling her with him. “If anyone has to worry here, it’s me.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Marinette whisper-hissed right back, eyes wide in disbelief and confusion. “You’re— You! Mister Perfect!” 

Damian rolled his eyes, and his self-deprecating smirk matched the laugh Marinette had given just a few minutes earlier. “For the League, maybe,” he shrugged. “Never the Wayne family. Which is why I know you’ll be fine. If they put up with everything I’ve done and still call me one of them, they’ll accept you with barely a second thought.” 

Marinette’s next argument was cut off by the sound of a dozen soft footfalls stirring up dirt not far ahead of them. The BatClan had landed from the rooftop. 

Marinette gulped. 

But if there was one thing— one thing she still remembered from her days as Marie Al-Ghul, it was how to fake pride and confidence. She straightened her shoulders automatically, lifted her chin, and pulled away from Damian’s supporting arm around her shoulder. Damian let her. 

A little bit of old resentment flared up in him as he saw Batman walk up close enough to comfortably talk with them. Resentment that he no longer held onto, but that had haunted him nearly every night of the first two years he spent with his dad. The realization that maybe his twin was the one that was meant to be a Wayne. Marie had the blue eyes, the compassion, the more specifically detective-oriented mind. The calm head. Sometimes. Marie was exactly who he imagined when he thought of a naturally born member of the BatClan. Stubborn, clever, morally just. She had risked immediate death just because she refused to fight him, for crying out loud. Because she didn’t want to hurt the boy who used to be her best friend. The only ally she had ever had, growing up. 

Meanwhile, he still had issues reigning in his anger sometimes. He had too much blood on his hands, he was more of a battlefield tactician than a long-term strategist. Still stubborn, but also completely unaware of the pain he brought others with his words or actions a lot of the time. He used to be such a rage fueled little demon, and thinking about how his sister fit the classic Wayne outline more thoroughly than he did had made him destroy more than a few practice dummies in frustration. 

But now, looking at Marinette trying so hard to appear strong and proud when he knew she was still so shattered inside, relief overpowered the old and dull resentment. This was what she needed, he could sense that easily. She, just like him all those years ago, needed Bruce and the others to start to heal her and reforge what the League had badly molded. 

“... Marinette, I suppose?” Damian nearly facepalmed at his father’s awkward attempt at a conversation starter. Marinette herself was clearly too keyed up and overthinking things to even register any amusement at the lame attempt, merely nodding with an overly serious expression on her face. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Monsieur Wayne. Or that’s my name nowadays, that is,” She stumbled a little in her response before clenching her fists and forcing herself to continue as calmly as she could muster up. “My birth name was Marie Al-Ghul.” 

Bruce’s eyebrows visibly furrowed underneath his cowl. “Was?” 

“I…” Marinette finally looked away, shame creeping back onto her face. “I was explicitly told that I was stripped of the Al-Ghul name and would be killed if I ever dared lay claim to it again. So I not-so-legally changed it. And I was later adopted.” 

Several sharp gasps or the hiss of breath through teeth bit through the quiet breeze. Nobody was necessarily surprised, Marinette could see it when she looked through her eyelashes and examined the winces and sympathy on the faces of the vigilantes before her. Batman’s shoulders were stiff, as if someone had paralyzed only his shoulder blades. 

“And the people who adopted you?” Batman pursued. Marinette couldn’t read his tone very well, but it sounded vaguely angry so she quickly raised her hands in a placating gesture and her eyes widened significantly. 

“They’ve been amazing! They don’t know anything about my past, or who raised me, but they are endlessly patient with me. I mean, honestly! Sabine caught me when I was trying to steal one of her gold bracelets in Hong Kong— and I know I’ve never been as good of a combatant as Dami, but I’ve always been better at sleight of hand and stealth so honestly that’s impressive— and she saw my dirty eight-year-old face and for some reason decided, ‘yeah I want this one as my daughter’ and roped Tom right into it and next thing I know they somehow tailed me to my hideout? I still don’t know how the hell they managed that, but Tom had a huge plate of steaming buns and I was so hungry and suddenly it’s two years later and I’m adopted and we’re on a plane to Paris—” Marinette threw up her hands. “I still don’t fully grasp what happened sometimes.” 

She belatedly seemed to realize that she had just gone on an entire breathless rant at the speed of sound, and slapped her hands over her mouth before lunging into a deep bow. “I apologize! I spoke horridly out of turn!” 

To her surprise though, she was met with a soft laugh instead of a scolding. She jerked in surprise, whipping her head up only to see Batman holding a hand over his chin to hide his large grin. It only took another second for the boys behind him to laugh a lot LESS softly. Nightwing strolled over casually and swung an arm around both her and Damian’s shoulders, playfully nudging her brother with his knee. 

“I think she fits right in, don’t you little D?” 

“Of course,” Damian scoffed, though his eyes were playful. “She is a Wayne by blood. She ‘fits in’ more than you strays.” 

“Dami!” Marinette whipped back to him and puffed out her cheeks. “That was uncalled for!” she barked. Damian held his hands up in surrender. 

“Relax,” he said as soothingly as he could manage. “They know I’m joking,” he dropped his hands and a knowing smirk took over his face. “And besides, now you’re relaxed so my plan worked,” Marinette could only blink at that. She… did feel more relaxed, actually. “Also. I told you you’d be accepted easily. They already consider you one of us.” 

“Wha— there’s no way—” she frantically looked at each of the older men around her, but each of them just shot her a smile or grin and a short nod. Her shoulders and jaw both fell, and it broke a little of everyone’s heart. 

Marinette looked so utterly shocked, bewildered to be accepted as if it was still something profoundly foreign to her. And there was that disbelief in her eyes, that distrust that screamed that she expected some sort of lie here. That told that she thought this would all crumble away at any second. If anyone had any reservations about bringing her into their inner circles, it vanished right that moment. She needed support, or she’d crumble away and they all knew it. 

“How about we start by talking about the situation with Hawkmoth?” Red Robin spoke up, walking forward to stand beside Batman. “I assume that’s a little more in your element?” 

Damian silently vowed to thank Tim later for that. In a silent, completely anonymous way of course. Couldn’t have Tim thinking they were friends or something now, could he? Marinette instantly straightened up and nodded, her confidence returning with a little more sincerity this time. 

“Yeah. Yeah, let me transform again. It’ll be easier to explain.” 

—*—*—*—*—*

It was three weeks later, on Marinette’s third now-weekly visit to the Batcave, when the question finally came up. Jason had asked to spar with Marinette for the first time, having seen her in action as Ladybug and wanting to test the girl when she didn’t have superpowers to rely on. Damian hadn’t been down in the cave to warn him, and the result was Jason’s gut sinking as Marinette scrambled as far away from him as she could, eyes wide and chest heaving in the beginnings of a panic attack. 

“Shit,” Jason muttered before he quickly knelt down and did his best to talk her down, to calm her until her breathing slowed and her pupils were back to normal. It wasn’t long afterwards that Marinette started hugging herself, refusing to look at him. But he wasn’t going to just back down, he wanted to solve this issue. If even the mere suggestion of a spar was enough to set her off, he needed to figure out why and fix it. 

So he carefully lowered himself so he was sitting only a foot away from her, resting his arms across his knees casually. 

“Sorry,” he apologized. “Didn’t think it would be a sore subject. That’s on me.” 

Marinette just shrugged, but didn’t answer him. She just buried her face in her arms and took a shaky breath. 

Jason let the silence linger for a while before trying again. “Does this have to do with certain Asshole Assassins?” 

That startled a slightly hysterical bark of laughter from her, and she had to wipe away a few tears when she raised her head and finally turned it in his direction slightly. Not enough for her to be looking at him,  but just a subtle turn to show that she was listening and speaking to him. “Yeah.” 

“You know, you never told us why you got disowned,” Jason tried to make his words as casual as possible, but wasn’t surprised when Marinette still stiffened and took a sharp breath. He didn’t push. The stage was set, and he’d wait until either she took the opportunity to open up or told him to leave well enough alone. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, and her foot tapped on the ground a bit. Clear signs of her anxiety around the subject, and Jason’s hopes vanished a little. He would probably have to wait longer for her to be ready to share.

But, to his pleasant surprise, he was wrong. She took another few minutes to gather her thoughts, but she did eventually open up to him. 

“I refused to fight Damian,” she admitted. “It was… We were seven. It wasn’t supposed to be a fight to the death, but it was a very important spar. We were using live weaponry, and we were told to fight until we couldn’t anymore. Whoever fell first would be relegated as a mere soldier, and have to fight for status like any other assassin in the League. The winner would officially be named as G— as Ra’s Heir. I didn’t want to fight, because I knew Damian would win but I also knew that it wouldn’t be as easy as Ra’s probably expected if I gave it my all like he wanted. I knew both Damian and I would be heavily injured if I did as he asked, and it wouldn’t be worth it. If I misjudged anything, any single hit, I could have accidentally injured Damian permanently and ruined his worth in Ra’s eyes, and that wasn’t an option. I didn’t care that throwing the fight was as good as giving up my life, because at least I could be sure that Damian kept his. I could make sure that he was treated well, or as well as anyone could hope for in the League anyway. I could, with only a few words, make sure he became indispensable. Ra’s and Talia never liked me as much as Damian anyway, I figured… I figured it was nobody’s loss,” She swallowed heavily, clenching her eyes shut. “I was always just the spare. The extra. Damian was their crown prince, the one with actual value. Even to me. I saw him, and I saw everything I wanted to be. I… I tossed down my weapons and let him stab me, because I figured I owed it to him for being such a failure in comparison to him. That I owed it to him to do everything I could to make things easier for him, since I was just an unnecessary obstacle—” strong arms wrapped around her, and she turned to sob into Jason’s chest as he just silently held her. 

“Idiot,” Damian whispered, making Marinette jump. Her twin sat only a few feet away, though only Jason would have known when exactly he had gotten there with them. He shook his head at her. “I never would have gotten as far as I did without you,” he whispered, looking up at the cave ceiling. “You were the only real rival I had. When you left, everything was either too easy or nearly impossible, nothing was the same as trying my best against someone who was just as good as me. And when I got here and met the others, I didn’t think any of them were worthy of taking your position, you know,” he scoffed a bit as he got lost in his memories. “That’s why I hated Tim for so long, I think. He reminded me of you so much that I wanted nothing more than to punch him for daring to replace you—”

“Heh, the Replacement twice over, huh?” Jason joked. Damian chuckled with a small eye roll. 

“Plus, he just has a really punchable face,” Damian added, trying to distract from the emotion behind everything he had just admitted. “Part of me thought you were dead. The other part refused to believe that. And seeing Tim and how some of his mannerisms were the same as yours,” Damian shrugged a little. “It stung. Especially that second year, when I started to regret that you never had the chance to come here and join them with me. Meet them with me.” 

Marinette sniffled. “... Who are you and what have you done with Dami? He’s never this sappy.” 

Damian flicked a pebble at her head with a good natured glare, successfully diffusing the serious air a little. Marinette wouldn’t ever be normal, and it would take a while before she was no longer fragile, but she could get there. Especially now that her bridges with her brother had been mended, and and a whole new family had cropped up to help support her. 

She was glad Damian had convinced her to try, again.  

[mcheang]

I’m a fan

Another attempt at Maribat

Marinette knows her father is Bruce Wayne but she doesn’t know he’s rich and famous. All she knows is that he was her mother’s sparring partner when she was undergoing martial arts training

As she becomes famous, she has a lot rich and famous fans.

Tim actually skipped patrol to make his case that MDC should design his family’s suits for the Wayne gala, instead of meeting with Oliver and Dinah Queen. And while he may have sabotaged his fellow fan/rivals by hacking their emails, he excuses his actions by saying he has waited years for MDC to finally visit her clients outside Paris instead of the other way around.

Marinette wondered if Wayne was a common surname in America.

Anyway, Tim won when Dinah told Oliver they had work to do anyway (lie. Tim send them on a wild goose chase)

When Marinette finally visits, Alfred is stunned because she’s like a little Martha. To be fair, everyone is surprised MDC is so young.

When Marinette is introduced to Bruce Wayne, she is startled before silently remarking on the coincidence.

Alfred notices and secretly swipes a strand of hair when cleaning her room.

He runs a scan and when the results are given, he asks Bruce if the name Sabine Cheng rings a bell.

Bruce: she was my partner at a temple in China. Why? Is something wrong?

Alfred: by partner, would you say you two were close?

Bruce hid his blush. “Quit beating around the bush, Alfred.”

Alfred: MDC is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her mother is Sabine. Her step-father is Tom Dupain. Her biological father is...

Bruce is speechless. No way. Why didn’t Sabine tell him? Well, to be fair they never did exchange phone numbers or email addresses in a place with no wifi.

Bruce called Sabine asap.

Sabine explained that by the time she realized she was pregnant, Bruce had left to some other remote place to learn how to fight. She raised Marinette by herself in Paris before she met Tom. When she saw Bruce had returned to be the playboy he was, she didn’t think she could tell him he was a father. Sabine herself told Marinette but the latter showed no sign of wanting to leave Paris to meet her father. To be honest, Sabine had suspected Marinette was clueless her father was a billionaire, until she learned that Tim Drake was sort of her brother.

Bruce now suspects Marinette knows of their blood relation and just wants to know her father. He decides to respect her wish and waits until she is ready to acknowledge their relationship in public.

Actually Marinette is still happily oblivious because she has so many people to dress for a gala!

On the night of the gala, Bruce believes he is more proud of his MDC suit than a preening Tim.

Bruce wonders how Marinette will react to seeing him with his current “girlfriend” Tasha.

But Marinette is as polite as ever. She is currently busy dealing with partygoers eager to commission her.

It isn’t until an ignorant guest looks at Marinette among the Waynes and mutters, “So Bruce has switched from adopting sons to adopting daughters?"

The news doesn’t make it to Marinette’s ears until she’s staring at the morning newspaper.

Marinette: this is ridiculous. We need to make a statement disproving this statement at once.

Bruce: why? Is it so bad to acknowledge our relationship?

Marinette stared at him. “Say what now?”

Ok, so maybe Marinette didn’t know he was her real father.

Bruce: this isn’t tabloid gossip. I’m truly your biological father.

Dick: I have a new sister? Let’s celebrate!

Jason: how did you give birth to this ball of sunshine?

Tim: my sister is MDC? I can live with that.

Damien: I hate everyone

Marinette: i honestly thought your name was just a coincidence.

Damien: you’re taking this all in stride too easily....

Marinette: I’ve had villains confess their love to me, a grandmother who tried to turn me into coal, and classmates who believe napkins can gouge an eyeball. This is nothing.

Damien: touché

Jason: so now what? We throw a debut party for the newest Wayne?

Marinette checked her phone. “Actually I have to be off in two days to Star City. Spoiler alert, Mr Queen is apparently hosting a weeklong charity event full of galas, carnivals and cruises. I have to design a lot now.”

So this was Queen’s revenge...to have more MDC exclusives than Tim and have her present for more parties.

Bruce: well, I don’t see why we can’t crash the parties

Barbara: it’s exclusive invite only

Tim: your point?

Barbara: right...I’ll go pack

Bruce looks at his newfound daughter. “Do you want to spend time with us?”

Marinette looked at him, thinking. She had never really wanted to go looking for her biological father but to see him here all of a sudden. Even she knew she shouldn’t waste such a precious reunion. She’ll give him a chance. “I’d like that.”

Oliver was thrilled to rub it in Wayne’s face that he got MDC clothes for a week. Their presence was uninvited but who cares. He still got to flaunt his fabulous new suits and watch Tim seethe.

MDC was Bat’s daughter? Huh...she must take after her mother.

Of course with Batman helping Green Arrow, it was easy for Marinette to realize her father was Batman.

Marinette: nope! No thank you. Fighting Hawkmoth was exhausting enough for my emotions. I deserve my retirement.

She decided to keep in touch but there is no way she is joining the bat team. She and Adrien wanted peace in their lives now.

Of course, when her newfound brothers heard her call her boyfriend “Kitty” they finally realized what she inherited from Bruce beyond blue eyes.

[serenescribbles]

Chasing After You

For MGI Civil War 2022

This is PART OF A SERIES and is Jason's POV of the end half of Chapter 13 of Trust is a Two Way Street. I suggest you read that first if you want this to make sense, but it's your choice.

Some of the writing in this is modeled after the lyrics of "Words Fail" from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. So if you read something and think it's familiar, it's likely intentional.

CW: Self-Hatred/Self-Loathing, Angst

AO3 | Masterlist | Prev Work (AKA Trust is a Two Way Street)

一

“W-why,” Marinette croaked, “why won’t you let me be free? I don’t want to suffer anymore!”

Because I don’t know what would happen if I let go of you.

All his life, Jason felt like he was chasing after another. He was always chasing after Dick Grayson, the “first” and “best” Robin, and was constantly reminded he would never be as good as him. Jason didn’t need anybody to tell him that. His head did a wonderful job reminding him of it. And then he was chasing after his biological mother, trying to discover the truth behind his birth. Even then, when he died and was revived, he chased after Bruce, and his new Robin, Tim Drake.

It was always a matter of not being able to catch up, of not being good enough, of needing to get better. That had always been the case for him. But when he met Marinette, everything changed. Jason was still chasing after her, though. That’s what he did, his whole life was about being behind others. However, what was different about his sister was that he felt if he didn’t chase her, she would fly away and he’d never see her again.

He didn’t know if he could handle that. Marinette had always seemed to stand out from the crowd. Perhaps it was the way her eyes seemed to be a little too guarded, or the way she carried herself, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Something about her told him that if need be, she would let go of everything and run.

And run, she had, away from him.

Jason wasn’t a fool. He didn’t lie to himself. In his heart, he knew the bond they had together would break. All of it was just a sad invention of his. None of it was real. Marinette had never needed him as he needed her.

She kept him sane and breathing. If Marinette wasn’t there, if they had never met, Jason wasn’t sure he would be able to control himself. Maybe he would be six feet under right now. Marinette, his baby sister, the one shaking and trembling like a leaf in his arms right now, kept him from losing himself in this endless abyss of misery.

It was just so, so easy to do so. It would be so simple to become what everybody said he was. To become the monster, the murderer, the demon, the psycho that people called him and embrace it. Jason knew he wasn’t an angel. He didn’t deserve any of the good in the world. He was going to hell as if he was ever going to go anywhere else. There was blood on his hands. And it took a lot of effort to keep himself from dousing the world in red.

But Marinette, oh, she deserved the world and more. She deserved to be happy. She deserved to have everything good in the world. And so Jason tried giving it to her. He tried his best to be the big brother she needed, the one she could go to when she had problems, the one who would always be there to catch her. He tried so hard to hide his broken, worthless self and be the one she needed.

However, standing now in the dark of Marinette’s apartment, Jason couldn’t help but look at his precious baby sister and wonder where had it all gone wrong.

Marinette was broken. She was crying. She was scared. And it was all because of him. It all came down to him. No matter how hard he’d tried, he had let her down and made it worse when he tried to fix things.

Jason knew he shouldn’t have left her on that day when he came back. He had messed up and failed Marinette as her brother. He should’ve taken the hint when Marinette avoided him. He should’ve recognized when things were finally coming to a close. He had prepared himself for the fall. But Jason guessed you never really could prepare for the fallout. It was just too painful to be waved away like that.

And why didn’t he take a second to pause and think when he learned about Marinette’s past? Albeit unintentionally, Jason knew there was a reason she hadn’t told him about it. Most likely for a lot of the same reasons as he had regarding his identity as Red Hood.

She had respected his wishes regarding his identity and he didn’t even have the decency to pay her the same respect! No, he just had to barge in when he wasn’t needed or wanted and ruin it all.

He didn’t deserve to know Marinette. He didn’t deserve to be her big brother, not when he’d failed her like this. It was time for Marinette to realize who he truly was, and realize that keeping him around her would only do more harm than good.

But, they had been happy, right? The times they’d spent together were enjoyable, they were good memories, right?

Jason found himself without an answer. Words failed him at that moment. They always did at the moments when it truly counted. And oftentimes, his inability to speak was replaced with rage, but that wasn’t appropriate for right now. So Jason chose to keep his mouth shut.

Despite how much it pained him to see Marinette struggle in his arms. He watched silently as she squirmed and hitched a sob, trying to break free from him. Jason took her to his room and gently laid her down on the bed. He quickly followed suit.

Laying down on his side, Jason wrapped his arms around Marinette, hugging her tightly and close to him. She struggled again, but he didn’t let go, because he was selfish like that.

And as he lay there, staring blankly at Marinette’s head, Jason found himself having difficulty reigning in his emotions.

Too soon. Everything had happened too soon.

He thought he would’ve had more time. More time to prepare himself for the inevitable. More time to pretend he was something better than all these broken parts, this complete and utter mess that he was. Because then it was almost as if he could just ignore everything that was wrong with him. He wouldn’t wake up every day and look at himself in the mirror and be disgusted at the person he’d become. And no one would have to look at him, too.

They wouldn’t be forced to deal with him. No, instead they would see whatever they wanted to see. Jason had thought he would be okay if he kept going on like this. But then一 Marinette saw through it all, had seen past his sparkling reflection and looked directly at his dark shadow.

She knew. And she had run away from him. As it turned out, she hated the real him, too.

Was it too much to ask for even just one more day? For just one more day of pretend?

It was. How could he try to bring Marinette down with him? How could he continue to hinder her? How could he hold on to her when she wanted to leave?

The answer: Because he was selfish and didn’t think about anyone else.

Sometimes Jason even wondered where he had gotten the courage in the first place to reach out to Marinette. It was just an inexplicable feeling. Marinette was the embodiment of everything he had ever wanted and wished he’d had. And she was right there. So, Jason grabbed onto her and didn’t let go. Because he feared that if he did, she would disappear, and he would be left alone again.

Once again, Jason was torn out of his thoughts as he felt Marinette try to fight against him. Her breathing had quickened, and he could tell she was panicking. What else could he do but simply tighten his grip around her even more and pray she would calm down?

He just一 he just couldn’t let go of their bond. It was impossible to give it up. He just had to hold on and hope.

After a few moments, Jason heard Marinette’s breathing calm down, and he felt both relieved and sad.

Just for one night. He told himself. After tonight, it won’t be the same ever again.

Right now, the only thing he could do was cherish these last few moments they had together before he had to face what he’d dreaded this whole time.

He would hold on tightly, and continue to chase after Marinette, because that was all he knew how to do.

一

@mgi-events