#and then he dies and then this stupid gotham knights shit happens

[gothamgirlgayngs]

My Dream is for Bruce to show back up in Gotham as Batman and try and shoo Ryan away from being Batwoman (like when he straight up Kicked Babs, Dinah, and Helena out of Gotham in the 00s) and Ryan just tells him to Fuck Off because Gotham is Her Town now.

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

Hi! Welcome to my Masterlist! I write OC fanfiction, so if that is not your thing please turn back. I do have to put a disclaimer here and say that there is no guarantee that any of the fics here will actually be finished. I am distracted by many WIPs. But below the cut I have DCEU, The Maze Runner, Teen Wolf, and MCU fanfiction! So enjoy if you would like to!

The Power of Suffering

Summary:  Gally was one of the toughest and one of the strongest fighters the Right Arm had ever seen. He took no shit, lead with an iron fist, and had a wit like a whip. But combat medic Joan got to him in a way he couldn’t really describe. She was kind to the point of stupidity, honest, and always saw the best in people. She broke down his walls and forced him to face the vulnerable part of himself he wanted to bury. But what happens when these two opposites are forced to face their feelings for each other instead?

OFC: Joan

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE

Status: In Progress

Darkness and Light

Summary: Sloane is a local Gotham artist asked to paint a portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne. During this process she meets their son Bruce, a recluse who has seemingly forgotten how to interact with the world. Over the course of several months, Sloane brings out a different side to Bruce Wayne, while also somehow continuously running into The Batman. But will she eventually connect the dots?

OFC: Sloane Di Marzio

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | ?

Status: In Progress

Of Mermaids, Werewolves, and Men

Summary: Maggie Whittemore never wanted to become a werewolf, let alone a mermaid. But there she was, a junior in high school, a cross country runner, film buff, and a long thought lost healer ally of the local werewolf pack lead by one of her best friends. After her twin brother is brought back from the dead and her first boyfriend Matt is killed, she tries to escape to some normalcy in London over the summer. But she comes back from that trip with new found feelings for her best friend Stiles.

OFC: Maggie Whittemore

ONE

Status: Finished?

If I Go, I’m Goin’ Crazy 

Summary: There was a reason Amanda Waller always seemed to be three steps ahead of everybody. Only no one would have guessed that she had an actual psychic at her side at all times. But when this psychic sees the death of one Colonel Rick Flag, who is so kind to her, she can’t help but warn him of his impending doom on missions - again, and again, and again. 

OFC: Delphia Holman

masterlist babey

Status: Finished?

Youthfully Felt (Gaius Chau - Into the Badlands)

Summary: Song Page has lived at White Bone manor her entire life, being trained by her Healer mother and Clipper father for something they never told her about. But the mundanity of her life is turned on its head when Gaius Chau, the Baron’s son, walks into the infirmary when her mother is away. 

OFC: Song Page

ONE | TWO | THREE | ?

Status: On Hiatus

Someone In Brooklyn Misses You

Summary: There are some people who are meant to be together in this world, some people who are meant to drift apart, and some people who are never destined to meet. Rose Rigby and Bucky Barnes are all three of these things at once. Two people who were meant to be together from the beginning, meant to be separated by lifetimes, and that, once separated, should never have come back together again. 

OFC: Rose Rigby

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN

Status: On Hiatus

Grow Old With You

Summary: There was once more of this fic, and this is all that remains. So take this as a: What if Din settled down on a farm and had a baby with a fellow Mandalorian who has been with him since the beginning? 

OFC: Ara Obagh

Reykha’s Birth

Status: finished

Normal Love and Superheroes (John Blake - The Dark Knight) ABANDONED WORK

Summary: Leena Duckett has had a hard year after being cheated on by high-school sweetheart Jacob Grayson. She's working two jobs, living in a studio apartment with long-time friend Jamie, her art career has yet to take off, and she hasn't been on a date in a very....Very long time. But things take a turn when she meets friendly officer John Blake and billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. Just when it looks like Leena is finally getting turned around, Jacob comes back into town with the intent of getting her back. The only question is: Who will she choose? The officer or the boy she's familiar with?

OFC: Leena Duckett

the orange streak of lightning | my city | superdawgs | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 

Status: Abandoned

The Second Hand Ticks (Arthur - Inception)

Summary: Sarai Jourdain and Arthur Darling are longing to retire to the French countryside. However, in order to do so, they need to finish this one last job with mutual friend and colleague Dom Cobb. The job turns out to be more difficult than they thought, and something neither of them ever expected was their mutual ex, Warren Eames, to come back into their lives. 

OFC: Sarai Jourdain

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX

Status: On Hiatus

Your Power Over Me (Frank Shaver - Project Power) ABANDONED WORK

Summary: Frank Shaver has more reasons than loving New Orleans to want Power out of his city. 

OFC: Michelle Shaver

beginning | motivation | power | home

Status: Abandoned

[batarella]

The Bullet: A Sequel to The Commander - Part 7 *FINALE* (Jason Todd x Reader)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH THIS FUCKING FINALE I SWEAR. HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOST ACTION PACKED FINALE I’VE EVER WRITTEN.

WORDS: 14349 WARNINGS: FIREARMS, VIOLENCE, DEATH

MASTERLIST

THE BULLET MASTERLIST

-----

Strapped onto the wheel chair like a rabid circus freak, Y/N knew exactly where she was headed. She just didn’t know what for.

With her neck being held back she could only look at the bulbs of white fluorescent light that continually passed by her and couldn’t do so much as look at the ground. Plenty of guards were around her as well. She didn’t bother struggling, nor did she speak. But there were even more armed guards lining up, going to wherever she was going as well. All the way up to a white room.

A mission. Her first mission with the squad. Just delightful.

“Deadshot?” the guard near the door asked. When the ones carrying her wheelchair gave him her files, she was let in.

She was the last one to arrive. Because everyone had their eyes on her the moment she graced them with her presence.

The first one that caught Y/N’s eye was, of course, Amanda Waller. With the room littered with her goons and guards, the woman stood at the very front, against a blank wall with her hands behind her back and her eyebrow quirked up right at Y/N. Y/N squinted her eyes back at her, some sort of a decline to her superiority, and Waller looked amused.

Then when the guards parted to make way for her, she was brought to the very center of the room, where there were five rather familiar faces giggling and snarling at the newest member of the squad. The one at the center, Rick Flag, ordered his men to place Y/N on the leftmost side.

Those faces, the ones she’s seen more often than she wished she had. Some already knew her. Some hated her. And some simply didn’t care.

Harley Quinn. Of course, out of everyone else in the room, was the only one bubbling with laughter and other nonsense spurting out of her mouth. She was waving her legs around the wheelchair like a little girl would on a swing. And she was staring at her, laughing. “WE GOT A NEW GIRL ON THE SQUAD!!!” she bellowed out. “WHAT?! DEADSHOT’S NEICE. THAT’S NEPOTISM RIGHT THERE.” Y/N ignored her.

The one beside her was someone she didn’t know personally, someone she’s never even met. They said this guy came from Australia and robbed almost every bank there was. Captain Boomerang. He, too, was strapped to a chair, though he wasn’t as loud as Harley. Y/N saw him eye her head to toe while he bit his lip, and she shot Boomerang a knife-like scowl before his eyes got too comfortable.

The next one. Killer Frost. A beautiful woman with ice-white skin and the hair of an arctic fox. She didn’t give Y/N so much as a glance. Most probably because they had her stored in a coffin-like chamber with only a glass window where her head could be seen. On the inside, she could see the glass covered in frost, and the chamber looked cold to touch. She was calm, reserved. And looked on at Waller’s direction.

The creature beside Frost was the one she really wouldn’t want to mess with the most. The largest in the room, with blue skin and a body ten times the mass of any human being possibly could be. He had the head of a shark, eyes red like her optics. He even had a fin sticking out his back. and he was muzzled and strapped standing upright with five more guards around him. Y/N could hear him growl, wordless, and when she caught his eye, he snarled at her.

Finally, El Diablo. The quietest out of the bunch. His wheelchair looked just like hers, except his hands were completely covered by iron cylinders, probably filled with ice cold water. The man was covered in tattoos, and he didn’t have a shirt on. His face looked like a skull’s, which made the way he looked at everyone else look more menacing than his supposed behaved demeanor.

These were the dangerous people she’s stuck with, most probably for the rest of her life if all else fails and she’ll never be able to get out. The people that Floyd had worked with. And they were a few of the most maniacal villains there were in the whole country. She wished she could tell herself she didn’t belong. But she actually did. In fact, she had no business going about pretending to be better than all these people. When it came to how much blood they’ve shed, she probably wasn’t too far off from Harley. Maybe even more.  

Y/N was right where she truly belonged. Today, she is welcomed as the newest member of the Suicide Squad.

Waller stepped out to the front. “Y/N, your team. Let’s cut to the chase. We don’t have much time. Bring out the files.”

These files were then projected onto a holographic screen against the wall behind Waller. It was a photo of Scarecrow.

“Some of you probably have heard. Just yesterday, Dr. Jonathan Crane released his new toxin in the National Bank of Gotham.”

The screen started to show footage of what went on in the Bank.

“Our first mistake was thinking Scarecrow had launched the same kind of toxin as the last time, but as the surviving victims were brought out to the stations, they continued to showed the side effects of the toxin, including mania, hallucinations, homicidal tendencies, unnatural human strength, and even cannibalism. Even after being held for observations for more than twenty-four hours, they, unfortunately, could not be brought back.

“Which means that Crane had finally developed a fear toxin that causes permanent effects to anyone who does so much as inhale the gas…”

She heard guards shuffle and hold their guns tighter.

“I have a question!” Harley screamed, holding her hand up despite it being strapped to the chair.

“Flag. Muffle her.”

“Muffle me!? What do you-MMMMM!”

“As I was saying. The victims were forced to be euthanized when none of the doctors could bring them back. One hundred-twenty people died in the incident and the whole country is in a state of panic.”

“MMM MMM MMM?!” Harley asked.

“Yes. The whole country. Months ago, Dr. Crane had blackmailed the crime syndicate Carmine Falcone, who he instructed to forge buy outs of several other Gotham businessmen, stole almost all their money before hiring a certain hitman-“ she stared at Y/N. “-To assassinate them all one by one before his shortcomings are detected. That placed Falcone’s total net worth to be almost two hundred billion dollars. Or so we thought.

“After Falcone’s death, Crane had already taken all the money for himself and had used to build what might be the end to all of mankind. A new Cloudburst weapon. This time large enough to engulf the whole country in his new toxin, as well as a brand-new militia army of hundreds of men guarding his device. Mankind as we know it will be haunted with his obsession with fear and we will all be nothing but goddamn zombies.”

“MMMM!” Harley thrashed about in her chair, then she spat out her gag. “Yuck! That was disgusting! I was about to say that gag had a bug and it crawled down to my throat but it actually wasn’t that bad!”

“Harley!” Rick Flag screamed. Harley pouted and stuck out her tongue.

“And what is it you want us to do, Waller?” Boomerang asked with his heavy accent. “You want us to go there and possibly inhale this bloody toxin!?”

The screen turned to a helicopter’s sight. “Last night, we managed to tracked down a dome-shaped building in the deserted areas outside New Jersey with more than five hundred men guarding it inside and out. It is suspected that the weapon might be hidden somewhere in its center. Your job is to go there, eliminate Dr. Crane and his army, and destroy that weapon with whatever means necessary.

“And as for your concern, our teams have developed a mask for you all to wear. It has the filter to go against the toxin. We found it on one of the Arkham Knight Militia’s men and developed our own.”

Oh. Shit. That. She totally forgot. Man, how time flies.

“Let’s not waste anymore time. Flag. Take them to the airport and give them their gear.”

“Weeeeee!” Harley squealed as they started wheeling her out of the room.

Y/N had no idea where to start, if she even had a place to start.

Everything Waller mentioned, it could all be traced back to her. In so many ways. And she knew it. Everyone in the room probably knew it. It was only fair that she be involved in trying to correct it at all. She had no business complaining or thinking she should be somewhere else. This was Waller’s way, hell, this was the whole goddamn world’s way of handing to her what she truly deserved. And she was so tired of constantly being the cause of hurt and pain. So many mistakes, costing her everything she’s ever known to love. She really, truly belonged here. More than Harley. More than Killer Frost. More than anyone else in the squad.

Because without her even knowing, she’d been involved in this mess before any of Scarecrow’s plans were even thought of. With the militia, the Cloudburst, Falcone’s assassinations. In so many ways, none of this would have happened if not for her.

But did she even have the time to blame herself? When it would barely do her any good?

As Y/N was taken to the plane, beside the other members of the squad, she focused on the buzzing and Boomerang’s rants and Harley’s cackles. She even caught the eye of King Shark and didn’t budge.

Because of course, in a way, she was to blame. She knew Crane had something planned when he almost had her killed that one, terrible night trying to lessen the odds of her ruining his plan once more. And another one of her stupid mistakes was to completely forget about it.

They arrived a few hours later. On the military base somewhere in the interstate, even more soldiers and guards waited for them in the barren grounds surrounded by their tents.

She was the farthest behind, the last one to be wheeled out of the plane. When Rick Flag met them at the center where suitcases and crates were being brought out. He waited until most of the squad members had settled.

“Everyone. Stand your ground. Unlock them and give them their gear. If you idiots do so much as look at me differently, I will detonate the bombs.”

“We know the drill, mate,” Boomerang spat at him.

“I know. I was talking to the new girl.”

Y/N’s wheelchair stopped. Then, they were all released from their straps, from their chairs. Harley hopped up and stretched out her arms, then took out her clothes from the crates and her enormous hammer. Boomerang fixed his coat, then he had a single boomerang from his case. He threw it in the air, and a few seconds later, it came flying back.

Killer Frost, with the air suddenly becoming a little chillier when the chamber opened, walked out and grabbed her icy-blue suit. She didn’t have any more weapons. El Diablo was slow to move, but when the chains were unlocked, he got a single hoodie jacket and hid himself from everyone else.

King Shark, on the other hand, put up most of a fight. Terrified soldiers had their shields up when they released him from his confines and he roared directly at Flag’s face. Flag didn’t budge.

Y/N stood up from her chair, stretched her neck, then cracked her knuckles.

As an entire arsenal of guns was brought to her, she stared vacantly at her red and gray suit and the white mask at the bottom of the crate.

That wasn’t her. It didn’t call out to her anymore the way it did just a few days ago. It was a layer of skin laid over her flesh that wasn’t hers at all. She wasn’t Deadshot anymore.

She can't wear this suit.

Y/N eyed another crate nearby. It must have belonged to the other gunmen in their army.

She can make something out of these.

Nobody batted an eye when she started scavenging for parts.

Black body armor, covering her chest, shoulders, and knees. Dark pants covered in straps and holsters on her hips and thighs. Boots that went up to her knees, covered with the pads. And underneath the armor was a dark blue body suit, making her look completely different from her uncle’s red one. Her wrist gun, spray painted blue. And lastly, a black hood with a mask that covered her nose and mouth.

Around her neck was a small silver chain with the diamond ring through its loop. Y/N longingly stared into its crystal, looking back at everything Jason had promised her. How she believed them even when they weren’t so possible. How much she missed him.

She stuffed it under her suit and placed the hood over her head.

Already, she’d shed off that foreign skin. This was her. This was Y/N.

When everyone was ready, Flag came up to the crowd.

“No longer Deadshot, are you?”

“No,” she said.

“Then what do we call you?”

She simpered.

“The Bullet.”

-----

This had to be all theatrics. Not to mention completely unnecessary. Jason got off his motorcycle and parked it right outside the gate.

Somehow, they kept it. Even the fence. And it still had ‘Wayne Manor’ on its wrought iron bars even when the field behind it had been completely emptied out. The ruins and everything left behind after the manor exploded had been cleared out and demolished. Still, they chose not to do anything with the land, even when millionaires fought over it and maybe a few intruders with metal detectors breaking in to look for the Batcave.

Dick told him to meet him and the rest of the family there. He had no idea where, but when he stepped into the gate, Dick was there leaning against the vine-covered fence behind it. Jason wasn’t so sure how to greet him. the last time they saw each other, they were at each other’s throats. Literally. Now at their mercy, he wasn’t so sure what was the quickest way to let his pride down without looking too much of a desperate asshole.

“Uhm. Hi,” Dick said.

“Hey.”

They stared at the grass.

“Are Babs and Tim coming?”

“Yeah. They just got out of their honeymoon.”

“Oh yeah. Congratulations to them.”

“You can tell Tim when we get to them.”

Of course. Tim. The replacement. He can totally congratulate him on his wedding without it sounding too awkward.

“We talk here?”

Dick wrinkled his forehead and laughed. “You thought we were gonna plan this whole thing out on an empty field?”

“This place sure looks like one.”

He threw his head back. “Come on. Follow me.”

Hands in his pockets, he trailed behind Dick. All the way over to the center of the field where there wasn’t so much as a porta potty for them to go into.

Then Dick pulled out his watch, which wasn’t a watch at all, and started to press onto its buttons.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jason sighed when the ground underneath them suddenly started to rumble.

“What? You thought the cave went out with the explosion, too? Bruce wouldn’t let it go to waste.”

Then the grass, which turned out to be fake, had split into a large, rectangular shaped ramp that slowly descended down onto the undergrounds for them to walk onto. When it stopped, Jason pressed on his nose. “I can't believe I didn’t know about this.”

“Come on.”

They started walking down. “Barbara’s the one in charge. She practically runs the place.”

“I can see that.”

When they reached below ground, the Batcave was exactly as they had left it. The last time he was here, he was with Y/N, the Commander. And although they’d changed its entryway, the Batmobile and the Batwing were still there, the computers were still up and running. How massive it was and how bats were still up on the rocky ceiling looking down on them with their beady little eyes. Jason and Dick walked down the driveway and he let his hand run onto the batmobile’s surface.

Barbara and Tim were at the computers. They turned to the two and the way they looked at Jason wasn’t something he particularly liked being stared at.

“Hey, Babs.”

Barbara was the first to smile at him. “Hi, Jason.”

Then when he looked at Tim, who didn’t share the same smile, he stopped himself from scratching an itch on his head.

“Hi… Tim…”

“Jason…” he coughed.

“Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Babs said, then she reached out to Jason’s hand. He took it, for a while, then he pulled away.

“Sorry to hear about her,” Tim said.

“I know. But if you help me… and I thank you for helping me now… we can break her out.”

“Did you come up with a plan?” Dick asked him. Jason, arms crossed, turned over to the computer. Barbara had already gone ahead with looking up Scarecrow.

“If the squad is being sent out to deal with Crane, they might be going after that new weapon of his. We can go after them there and get her out before anyone sees.”

He stared at his hands. “I was hoping Babs could come up with some sort of devise that can disable the bomb in her neck.”

“Dick already told me. Don’t worry. I came up with something this morning.”

The three men followed behind her as she wheeled over to the table next to the keyboards.

“This,” she held out a device shaped like a thick pen. “If you can get her to settle down, you stick this thing to the back of her neck and it will send shocks right up to the nanite bomb. It should give it the voltage it needs to be disabled. It’s going to hurt. But it can save her.”

She was an angel. A literal angel. Just the thought of it gave him that little flutter of hope he definitely needed.

“Babs, I don’t know how to thank you…”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re here to help you.”

Two years ago, he had this woman kidnapped and sent to Crane, gave her the death scare of a lifetime and almost had Tim killed when Scarecrow had him captured.

It was too much. How none of their faces looked the least bit bothered. Dick held the pen and took off the needle cap, flinching, then he gave it to Jason.

Jason looked down on it, clearing his throat.

“I’m sorry…”

Dick, with his arms crossed, Tim leaning against the table, and Babs looking down at her hands, they all didn’t have much to say.

“I’m sorry for everything I did to you. All of you.”

“Jason…” Dick rubbed the back of his neck. “We used to be brothers-“

“No, I… I couldn’t. When this is over, I’ll be out of your way. And I owe you. All of you… But I shouldn’t stay…”

“You can. And you will. No matter how much you push yourself away… We’re here for you…”

Tim never looked up. But Jason knew, that if he were in his place right now, he’d be all over him with the ‘I told you so’s’ and the snide remarks. But the younger man was silent, didn’t even look at him the wrong way.

And that’s when he really felt like shit.

“We’re happy you came to us for help,” Babs said.

Jason hadn’t figured this part out when he reached for their help, but he knew something like this was about to happen. It was the entire reason why he didn’t want to. Because somehow, when it did, these guys won't hate him anymore, and he’ll end up hating himself instead.

Dick placed his hand on his shoulder. For a moment. Then when Jason’s body tensed, Dick pulled away.

“Now,” Babs went over to the computer. “Time to hack into the government.”

-----

The helicopter landed some distance away from the dome. The Bullet still had no idea why it was shaped that way. Just that it was new and humungous and completely littered with army men guarding every inch of it.

She, Harley, Boomerang, Killer Frost, King Shark, and El Diablo stepped out at the front lines, with Rick Flag right behind them, followed by their own army of men, though a number considerably less than what they were going up against. They had to be smart with this and break in.

They went into the forest, out on the fields. The dome was in a level ground lower than the lands around it, shaped in a circle, much like it was on a pit that was about two or three stories below ground. They crouched down on the bushes when they started reaching the edges of the pit and Flag looked out on his scopes.

“They’ve completely covered the perimeter.”

“Do we just attack?”

Flag put down his binoculars. “We are. To keep them distracted. When everyone’s backs are turned you six go in there and finish the job.”

“You say it like it’s so fucking easy,” Boomerang snarled. King Shark gritted his sharp teeth and growled staring at the armed men around the building.

A hand grenade. Right at one of the trees. It got their attention enough, especially when Flag started firing at the guards stationed just outside the entrance. Crowds of Scarecrow’s men, armed to the teeth, ran the outside grounds to go after Flag’s men. They drifted down the pit, outstretched their legs, and handled them at close range, while some stayed at the trees firing from afar.

The Squad, on the other hand, were all the way over to the other side. Almost all of them had ran off, except for two who stayed behind guarding the backside.

“Bullet,” Frost placed her frosted hand on her shoulder. It made her shiver. “You're up.”

The Bullet took out her sniper and shot down those two men almost at the same time. Then they slid down the side, King Shark rolling down with his immense weight. When another of Scarecrow’s men ran out the door, a boomerang landed on his head.

The door was locked. “I’ll take care of it,” Frost said. Boomerang scoffed, “Fucking metas.”

Holding out her hands, fumes of ice shot out from Frost’s palms and froze down the locks. King Shark kicked the iced hinges down, then the door fell to the ground.

“That was easy!” Harley skipped inside with her mallet over her shoulders. Diablo was still silent, still with his hands in his pockets.

“Don’t jinx it, Harls.”

It looked more like a warehouse by the entryway. And there was absolutely nothing inside save for a few cylinders and water tanks and a whole lot of pipes being guarded.

“We should probably sneak inside.”

“Sneak!?” Harley snorted at the Bullet. “Honey, we don’t do that here.”

King Shark growled at her, then he walked straight up to the center of the room.

“Intruder! Open fire!” the soldiers screamed.

“What is that thing!?”

“Just shoot!”

King Shark walked slowly towards those men, and the bullets just bounced off his incredibly thick skin. He held out his hand, stopped the bullets from reaching his face. Then when the soldiers had backed too much away and reached the wall, Shark grabbed them by the face and actually hurled them all the way across the room.

“Time to play!!!” Harley screamed, then she held out her mallet and started swinging it over at the guards.

Killer Frost had the ground frozen over, slipping the guards off balance, then shards of ice rose up from the ground to impale them. Boomerang had a more melee approach but had his trusty weapon to go around when he needed it.

The Bullet. The new, almighty Bullet. She pulled up her hood and mask and took out her AK.

She fired at the dozens of men going after her. Jumping on top of the cylinders, standing on the highest ground, she shot down anyone who came remotely close to her and had their bodies on the floor before they could even touch her feet. Over and over, she changed the magazines, took out more ammo. She let the gun take charge of her hands and head. A lot of the were swarming her, from different directions. Eventually too many of the soldiers were surrounding the pile of crates she stood on and the others started climbing up.

She couldn’t escape. Even if she were able to take them all down.

Until a raging fire shot out like a car-sized flame thrower and took out the guards that were climbing up. The water tank didn’t seem to have been damaged, but the men on it were burnt like a crisp, and they all started to run away. “Jump!” Diablo screamed.

She did, and she landed on the fire as well. She rolled on the floor to put it out before it got to her skin and Diablo helped her up. “Thank you.”

“Just go.”

She nodded, then with her pistol and wrist gun, went on to keep firing.  Frost had a wall of the men being stuck to the block of ice, some completely frozen inside it, then King Shark let out an animalistic shriek before he punched the glass, destroying it into shards and impaling everyone inside.

Harley, on the other hand, just went on spinning around with her mallet, screaming, manically laughing. The bitch was insane.

“A little help here!” Boomerang called out. He was being held back by two men while another was punching at his chest. The Bullet pointed her wrist gun and fired at his attacker.

Even more men were coming. From the doors to the inside.

“We have to keep moving!” The Bullet cried out to them. To the door where the reinforcements kept coming from, she kept firing as she backed away. The whole squad moved, onwards towards the door. Then when they’d all reached it, Frost froze over the door with more than five layers of ice.

There were sounds of bashing and hitting against the icy door, but it should be enough to hold them back. Before them was a long, seemingly endless hallway. It should probably be leading them to the inside of the dome, where the weapon is.

“Ahhh. The Suicide Squad…”

“WOAH WOAH WOAH where the hell is that comin’ from!?” Harley screamed.

The intercoms. Scarecrow was watching them. The Bullet put on her optics, now shining blue light, and looked around.

A camera. Right at the corner. She shot it with her wrist gun.

“And you have the Commander with you.”

“FUCKING SHUT UP!” The Bullet shot another camera hidden away.

“The Commander, huh,” Killer Frost looking at her head to toe. “You work with him before?”

“Shut up.”

“OH MY MOLLY,” Harley placed her hands on her mouth. “YOU'RE the Commander of the freakin’ Arkham Knight!! I remember you!”

“We should go-“

“I have so many questions. Huge fan. HUGE fan. Ya know she’s drove the first Cloudburst?”

Boomerang crossed his arms. “And they sent her to help us? The fuckin’ nerve of this scumbag coming up here actin’ all hero.”

“You watch your mouth, kangaroo.”

Diablo snorted and chuckled. Boomerang held out his weapon. “You want a piece of this?”

“A kid’s toy?”

“Don’t you fuckin-“

King Shark roared at the two with his mouth wide open for a good ten seconds and deafened their ears. The Bullet wiped his spit off her face and scoffed.

Frost led the way, all the way down its halls. When they reached a large gate, she froze it over once more and Shark beat it down with his fists and his foot.

They didn’t know they’d reach the center of the large dome. They thought they had more rooms to cover.

With the building so big, they thought it would have taken so much more time to reach the core.

But already, they were met with a cylindrical glass tank that was almost as thick as an entire building in itself, and it lit up the room in a menacing red light, all around. It was swirling, even boiling inside. And it shot all the way up to the roof, three stories high.

It was the fucking toxin.

The squad backed away.

Dozens of men surrounded them, all around the dimly lit room. And it was larger than any of them could have expected. It was circular, and there was only a suspended walkway that went all around the sides. There was a runway to the center, where there were controls. A man stood by them. A man with a rag on his head.  

All of them with their hands up.

Scarecrow’s voice was on the intercom, and it echoed all throughout the dome loud enough to rattle their eardrums.

“I assume this wasn’t what you’d expected?”

No. Not even a little. This wasn’t what they expected at all.

They didn’t expect to already reach the weapon.

Or rather. Stand on top of the weapon.

The weapon wasn’t a ray gun or a tank or even a satellite. It wasn’t something so small that it would have been easily taken down by a tank or even King Shark’s fist. Even when it was to engulf the whole of America in its toxin.

No. it was none of that.

The Bullet trailed her eyes down the numerous pipes going up and around the walls, through the floor and over to the room where they just came from, where even more of the toxin was stored in tanks and the pipes that went around it.

The Cloudburst wasn’t inside the dome.

The Cloudburst was the dome.

-----

It didn’t take too much time. It wasn’t the first time Barbara had to hack into the American Government. In fact, it was the easier to hack into than some people’s private accounts.

She went into Amanda Waller’s files.

“Here. Finally.”

Dick, Jason, and Tim stood behind her.

“It looks like they’ve already sent out the squad. Just a few hours ago.”

“Who are in the squad?”

The files on Task Force X. Babs took out the profiles on all their subjects.

Harley’s picture was first to come up. Her blonde hair and vicious eyes staring at the screen. “Harley Quinn, of course. We got Louise Lincoln, also known as Killer Frost.”

The boys watched on.

“El Diablo. Captain Boomerang. King Shark. Rick Flag’s being sent out there as well.”

Then she stopped scrolling when Y/N’s picture and profile came up.

Jason’s heart broke. It did every time he does so much as look at a photo of her. And with that one, a mug shot, the mug shot that was going around every news station in town, the brokenness in her face, the darkness in what used to be the brightness in her eyes, how much rage she had for everything around the world, he hitched his breath.

‘Y/FN Y/LN

Age: 23

Alias: The Bullet’

He smiled at her new name. A sad smile. The most painful kind.

He missed her so much.

Setting his head to the side so they couldn’t see the tear that had seeped out, Jason swallowed and shut his eyes.

“Jason…”

“I’m alright. Can you find out where they were headed?”

Babs smiled at him, then went back to her keyboard.

Zooming in on the helicopter footage on the dome, she traced its coordinates.

“Is that-“

“Scarecrow’s base? Most probably.”

“Jesus,” Jason sighed. “I used to work with that guy.”

“This is the weapon, alright. The sensors are through the roof. We should be heading out there.”

“Do we have a plan?”

“Not exactly. We’ll know when we get there,” Dick said.

“We have to hurry. Who knows when that mad man actually detonates his bomb?”

“How? It’s two hours away.”

“Man,” Dick pat his back. “You really have to get used to working with us now that we’ve got Bruce’s old toys.”

Of course.

What else could he have possibly thought? Get there on his bike?

The Batwing was staring right at their faces, almost taunting them with its silent growl. Dick, Tim, and Jason walked up to it side by side.

“You think he’ll be happy with that?” Jason said.

“Not at all. He even threatens to kill us if we get anywhere near the wheel-“

“Which is why I’m here to drive, Master Dick.”

No.

No.

It couldn’t be.

The sweet old butler, came up from behind the computers where there must have been a room for him to stay in, he held out a tray of four glasses of water for them to take. Setting it down on the table, he gave Jason the sincerest smile.

“I’ve missed you, dear boy.”

“Alfred.”

He wanted desperately to go up to him, give him the biggest bear hug until his bones crack, but Alfred held his hand up to him and just handed him his water.

“It’s better if we skip the ol’ reunion. We catch up after we’ve saved your girl.”

Everything was here. Everyone was here.

Clearly, it wasn’t the time to get emotional. And goddamn, he wasn’t the one to get emotional.

And all the more did they look like a family when the three boys suited up. Dick with his black and blue Nightwing suit and domino mask, Tim with his bo staff and red and yellow suit and cape. And Jason, with his hooded jacket and red visor.

Facing each other in a circle, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood took in how they were all now in one team, possibly for the rest of their career. No longer will they fight. No longer will they run.

Oracle smiled at the three. “You all look great together when you're not at each other’s throats.”

“You sure you won't let me drive, Alfred?” Robin said to the butler.

“I had specific instructions from Master Bruce that if you were to inherit the cave, no one was to drive the Batwing but me. You have until I die, Master Dick.”

“Awe. Even in his death, Bruce still doesn’t trust us.”

Laughing as they went in, Alfred had the Batwing soaring into the sky. Silently.

They were going to save her. Them. His family. The one he’d left. The one he thought he hated. The one he almost got killed.

He couldn’t possibly have done anything to deserve this.

With his visor up, he went up to Dick.

“Dick…” he choked.

His older brother turned to him, smiling. He knew what Jason was thinking.

And he didn’t let him speak to make things unnecessarily dramatic. He knew he had his brother back. Dick pulled him into a hug. A sweet, sincere hug that tore out every part of him that wasn’t already consumed by that string of humanity he once had left inside him.

“Thank you,” Jason said to him. Dick patted his back.

“We missed you, Jaybird…”

Jason closed his eyes.

When they pulled away, with Tim watching, he never actually got the change to get to know him. But one of these days, he will. And he’ll be a brother to him, too.

Jason nodded at him, smiling. Tim nodded back.

He never, ever would have thought they’d accept him like this, to help him like this.

And if Bruce were here, he’d have no idea what to tell him. But Jason did forgive him. He forgave him before he even knew he did. Maybe, if Bruce were anything like Dick and Tim, he would have accepted Jason back into his house. He would have helped him, as well.

He let himself think that. For his own sake. For his own peace.  

Not long after, they reached the site.

Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood stood at the Batwing’s exit doors.

-----

Harley must have had the worst of issues for her to be laughing this off, whistling as she marveled over the room. “I have to admit, Ragdoll, you cer’ainly out did yourself than the last time! I remember when all it took was Ivy’s tree to get rid of your toxin!”

Boomerang scoffed. “A tree?!”

“Gag her.”

“Awe, come on! What is it with you people and the gaggi- MMMMMM!”

Held back by a dozen of Scarecrow’s gunmen, with so many of their guns pointed right at their heads, they stood on their knees, hands tied to their backs. They watched Scarecrow walk over to them from his place near the glass. He chuckled, that low, dark, breathy, and utterly disgusting laugh when he went over the squad.

“MMM! MMM? Mmm…” Harley said to him when he passed by her. All he did was glare. When he passed by Frost, he eyed her body and how icy smoke was coming out of her pores.

“Ya know, this ain’t personal. I’d totally be into this. But we got an explosive stuck to me spine here, mate, and I really just don’t want to die,” Boomerang said. Scarecrow ignored him and walked over to Diablo.

She looked over. Diablo had melted away the ropes on his wrists and no one even noticed. He stood still, watching Scarecrow, then the rag-headed man went over to the next one.

The Bullet. The only one who actually hated this man to the bloody core.

Scarecrow looked amused at the darkness of her glower. He leaned over, pulled down her hood and mask with his disgusting fingers before she flinched away.

“Lovely to see you once more, Commander.”

“Don’t fucking call me that.”

“I thought I left you for dead. Turns out you survived your own bullets. Perhaps you're not as good as you thought you are-“

“Go to hell-“

“This is hell, Commander. At least, it will be.” When he stood back, he eyed the creature next to her.

“An animal? They brought an animal to the squad?” Scarecrow laughed.

King Shark roared. The loudest, more nightmarish roar. Then he charged after him with his large mouth littered with almost three rows of teeth on each side. The guards pulled him back, shot a taser to his arm, but it didn’t do much damage.

Scarecrow backed off and immediately he was guarded by his men.

“Kill him.”

“No!” Killer Frost screamed, but even she was held back by three guards.

And it was the most cruel thing they’ve ever seen. The Bullet watched on, as her fellow squad member was shot with three tranquilizer darts. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Then Scarecrow’s men took out a grenade.

Shit.

They stuffed it into King Shark’s mouth.

And the squad looked away when it detonated not even two seconds later.

His head was blown off. Much like it would have been if Flag had done it himself.

Five of them left.

Against an army of hundreds.

“Now. You all get to watch as the entire country slowly descends into their deepest, darkest nightmares…”

Scarecrow went over to the center, over to the controls where she saw a bright, beeping light coming from one of the screens. She didn’t have so much as an idea about how this was going to blow. Will the building be going along with it? Is everyone going to live through it?

She should know. She was the one who detonated the first Cloudburst.

They were two hours away from the city. And the government already had most of the people in the area evacuate to shelters underground. They didn’t have much else to hide.

The guards around them had masks as well. They were going to sit it through, fight even with the gas all around them.

She had no idea what was going to happen. But all she could do was sit and watch.

Scarecrow pressed the final button, and on the screen, it showed a minute’s countdown

The Bullet closed her eyes.

There was a heat coming to her wrists. Out of view from the guards. A little flame, floating about. It melted away the chains that were around their hands, and suddenly, she could move them around. She looked over at Diablo and thanked him with a nod. Harley and Boomerang were free as well. Frost, on the other hand, rejected that fire and instead froze over the chains herself. They could charge.

But the guards were too many. She couldn’t just attack.

Time was running out. There was nothing they could do.

But they can shield themselves. At the last second when the guards couldn’t react.

“This is… the Cloudburst!!!”

Three.

Two.

One.

BOOM!!!

“EVERYBODY, GET YOUR FUCKING MASKS!” Boomerang screamed. The five of them grabbed their filter masks from their suits and held it against their mouths. Everything was shaking, an explosion large enough to almost take down its walls, then the glass started to break. The gas was leaking on the inside.

Scarecrow didn’t move. He just stood there, amused, all the while his guards started to panic, panting and coughing and tearing the masks off their faces like it only hurt their skin. She ran out of the way before a guard fell to her body, clutching his throat, before he started screaming the ghostliest noises a human could possibly make.

Then their skins. No longer did they look remotely human. They looked like they were burnt out. Their whole body turning into scabs and burnt flesh. The toxin was eating them from the inside. And their eyes. She’s never seen the look on someone’s face like that when they were looking straight at their deepest, darkest fears. Not even when she’d imagine it.

No.

He couldn’t possibly-

No.

These men. These trained soldiers promised with almost million dollars each.

Scarecrow didn’t hire them here to defend the Cloudburst.

They were here to serve as victims for his horrible toxin that turned them into vicious, mindless zombies. And they looked exactly like they would have in their visions of fear, the ones you’d merely hallucinate with his old toxin. This time, they weren’t hallucinations. The nightmarish creatures of the dark, Scarecrow had turned the people’s fears into something real.

The squad, with their masks on, held tightly onto their weapons, watching the horror in front of them unfold.

One of the creatures ran after Harley, so she swung at it with her mallet, crushing his body against the wall. It didn’t even look like it had human bones that cracked when it was hit.

No. No. No.

Everyone started firing at the creatures coming after them. At their heads, at their animalistic mouths. Frost on one side, freezing the incoming animals into an ice block, and on the other, El Diablo, firing at them with an enormous raging fire. They had to get out of here. There was no possible way they could win this here. Not with the Cloudburst looking like it was about to break.

The Bullet fired at everything she could see. With her AK on one hand and her pistol on the other. But the seemingly endless array of lifeless minions came crawling and pouncing right at her. One of them scratched her arm. She hoped this fucking toxin didn’t work through cross contamination.

Scarecrow, he was still at the center, watching it all unfold.

Scarecrow.

Scarecrow.

Fucking Scarecrow.

The Bullet screamed out, even with her mask, then opened fire as she made her way into the center walkway. She ran to him and pushed everything out of her way, blowing their brains out, jumping onto the railing and running on top of it. She took out a grenade and threw it at a crowd.

Jonathan Crane caught her eye. And with the deathly look on her face, he lost his amusement.

Then the coward started to back away.

She growled and tore through everything, running after Crane. He didn’t have much else to go.

So in a split second, she fired at his leg. The Bullet could have easily fired at his head.

But she wanted him to die from a bullet right between his eyes, that were to look right into hers in the last few moments of his life.

Scarecrow was on the ground, crawling. The Bullet walked right up to him and grabbed him by the collar. Then she aggressively slammed him against the glass where his horrible red toxin was leaking out.

“You killed my son…”

“You did that yourself-“

“No,” she tightened her hand around his neck. “No, I didn’t.”

A pistol. Right against his head. She ends this now. His story ends now. His reign on earth. His madness. His nightmare.

She couldn’t hear the bullet fire out of her hand.

But she did feel the blood spatter when it entered Jonathan Crane’s skull. She heard the crack, and the impact against the glass. She saw the look on his eyes, staring right into her. Taunting her. Waiting for her to pull the trigger until it stayed that way until the worms eat up his body.

The Bullet threw the body on the floor.

She was never, ever going to kill another human being again. She made that promise. To Jason and his family.

But if she were to kill just one last time…

She wanted to make it count.

-----

“Holy…”

“Shit…”

“We were too late.”

“Or the squad failed…”

“No,” Red Hood choked. “No, they can't be dead.”

“They might still be alive. Get your masks on. Come on.”

They put on their masks, Red Hood’s under his visor. As they ran towards the enormous mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke that was spewing violently out of the dome. The ground was quaking enough to feel like it would eventually erupt. And if they were to stay, it might actually split open. They ran towards the center.

And before they could go down the pit. They saw them. Right when they stepped into the are completely engulfed in the horrible red toxin.

They saw the creatures.

In army uniforms of what used to be humans, the creatures were screaming, running and clawing their way around the grass and bushes like they were rabid wolves under a full moon. The bodies, or what used to be bodies, looked like undead carcasses that were walking on their hands and feet. When they caught sight of the three, they started going after them.

Someone grabbed Nightwing’s shoulder.

Rick fucking Flag. He had a mask on.

“You kids better stay away. This is our mission.”

“You really want your boss’s goddamn pride to get in the way of actually saving the world? We’re here to help!”

Flag fired at one of the monsters coming right for them.

“Scarecrow’s baited his own men and turned them into these fucking shitbags.”

“Then let us help,” Robin said. Red Hood, on the other hand, was already shooting at the creatures with his two pistols.

“Red Hood!”

“Oh, don’t give me that! These guys aren’t human!” He fired at one almost flying for his visor. “They never will be again even if we destroy this thing! So get your asses here and KILL THESE GUYS!”

Rick Flag had went on to shoot them with his AK. Nightwing and Robin stared at each other, holding onto their escrima sticks and bo staff.

Flag, despite his guns, didn’t see one of the zombie-like monsters that had grabbed him from behind. It started tearing at its face, claws sharper than a cat’s. Robin and Nightwing went over to get it off him, but it was too late.

Rick Flag’s mask had fallen off.

He stared at the two, with his eyes glowing red and bloodshot from how he was desperately trying to hold his breath. He started clutching at his throat, and his mouth looked like it was about to blow up.

Flag couldn’t handle it. He gasped for air.

Then he turned into one of them. Right in front of their eyes. Nightwing gripped on his escrima sticks.

Then he slammed it against Flag’s head, destroying what was left of his skull. The guilt started to eat him away, but Red Hood was right. He wasn’t human anymore.

“Come on,” Robin said.

Then they attacked everything that came their way. They had to go into the dome. Find the Squad. Hope for the best. But the creatures were running out of the doors like they were in need of air. Hundreds of them in a stampede going out into the field. The trees had cleared, blown off from the explosion. Everything was barren and had fallen under a thick red cloud of his fucking toxin.

Red Hood managed to run all the way to the center. He shot one that had wrestled Nightwing to the ground before he slid down the pit, hands and legs outstretched, and even then, he continued to fire. He reloaded his guns and started firing at the ones going out of the dome.

----

They couldn’t possibly take them all.

So as the Squad rushed down the hallways, out into the first level where it had gone complete barren and destroyed, El Diablo continued to shoot his flames from his hands at all the incoming creatures.

Finally, they reached the door and they all raced outside.

Frost barred the door with her ice, as much as she could, and the monsters were pounding themselves against it with their own bodies and heads. The Bullet, facing behind them, fired at the incoming creatures that must have been the reinforcements waiting to be called. Fuck, there were a lot of them.

Killer Frost couldn’t handle it and the creatures had broken her wall of ice. Unnatural strength. One of the side effects of the toxin. Harley screamed her battle cry and started swinging her mallet around. El Diablo with his flames. And Captain Boomerang with, well, his boomerang.

The Bullet, with her machine gun, fired at ten of the creatures in under a second. She flew in the air. She dodged their incoming attacks. She fired directly at their heads and took out more of them than anyone else with a gun. She fired relentlessly until their heads were blown off, their bodies exploding onto the floor.

She climbed on top of a nearby truck, dropped her carbine, then used her wrist gun and pistol to fire at everything that moved.

“WOOHOO! GO NEW GIRL!” Harley screamed. The Bullet smiled, then went on with her alternating shots until she’d taken down dozens of them.

Everything that moved. Everything that moved. Everything that-

A red hood. Red visor. Gray jacket. And a red bat symbol on his chest.

Oh God.

The asshole.

“Jason!!!”

Red Hood turned around.

A wave that had crashed on the shore, violent and forceful, a wave that tore through everything in its way. Every tree. Every bush. Every doubting thought. The Bullet jumped off the truck, ignored the sting up her knees. She ran to him. She ran to him so fast that two of the monsters smashed into each other when they were going after her. Red Hood recognized her and dropped everything he had on him and sprinted to her way.

The wave was there. A crashing, powerful wave. When they landed in each other’s arms so painfully tight she could have almost fallen over if she hadn’t already clung to him with all her might. All that was left of it.

Yes.

Yes…

Everything lit up. Everything was here again. He was everything. He will always be everything.

It was a miracle they lived through it. Red Hood, with his arms shaking as much as the ground was, buried himself into her and didn’t let go until they heard the world calling out to them, demanding that they give them their attention back. But even then, they held on. Not when they thought it could have been the last. Not after they’ve just been apart. Jason pulled away, raised his visor so she could look into his eyes. He wore a filter mask underneath. And if he could see her smile right then, she was sure he was grinning his face off as well. She could tell with the way his beautiful eyes crinkled up.

“I fucking love the suit-“

Then she held out her arm and shot one of the monsters coming for them.

“We should move.”

“Yeah.”

Side by side, having each other’s backs. She knew something felt wrong fighting with the squad. No, she didn’t belong there. She never fought as well as she possibly could when she was with her partner. Now the Bullet and Red Hood, they fired and shot at everything that came their way.

“Throw me!” She screamed at Red Hood. She run up to him, and he grabbed her legs. Red Hood flung her up at the air and she fired relentlessly at twenty creatures hidden behind the truck. She got to the ground.

Then the fucking Batwing flew in and started firing.

“Woah!” The Bullet yelled.

“How cool is our butler!?”

The monsters started running towards the Batwing, and their attentions were slowly taken away from Red Hood and Bullet. Alfred had them covered.

“We have to get that bomb off you.”

“Where’s Flag? He’ll blow up the bomb if he sees me-“

“He’s dead. He can't blow it up. But we still need to get that off of you before Waller does it herself-”

The Cloudburst dome exploded once again, this time a thicker cloud of smoke blew out of it like a bomb. They held onto the ground, eyes shut. Red Hood grabbed onto her and she swore by her life that she was never going to let go.

When it subsided, they stood back up. “Come on.”

The Bullet stared at him dumbfounded, then the Red Hood grabbed her wrist, pulled her to the back where they could find Nightwing.

“Dick!!!”

Nightwing saw them, slammed his sticks into the creature’s guts, then ran towards them.

“I found a chair at the back. She needs to sit down.”

They moved fast. Waller will find out Flag is dead and detonate all their bombs before they’ll have a chance at escaping.

So they put her into a chair, and she gripped onto the arm rests. The Bullet watched Red Hood give Nightwing a pen-shaped device that had a needle on its end. She swallowed. “Hey, hey…” Red Hood leaned in and held her face. “You're gonna be okay… Scream if you have to… It won't take too long.”

She wished she could see his face. It was the only way she could ever be comforted. But his touch was enough. She held his hand, squeezed it, then Nightwing held her neck.

“Ready.”

Alfred kept firing at all the creatures coming after them. They had a few good minutes.

Y/N screamed out into the air as the needle went into the back of her neck and electrified that one spot by her spine. She gripped onto the wood. She forced her eyes shut. She never felt so much pain from being tased down but with it came the relief feeling that bomb actually stop beeping in the inside of her flesh. The shocks were excruciatingly painful, and it made every agonizing second pass by as long as a minute would have taken. Red Hood turned his head away before the look on her face broke his heart even more.

But the moment it stopped, with her body up in light smokes, she felt everything inside her calm.

It was gone. The bomb was gone. She could actually feel it. Red Hood grabbed her and pulled her to a hug immediately.

“You're safe now…”

“I love you.”

“I love you…”

Robin suddenly jumped at them and took out three incoming creatures with his staff. “Come on guys, Alfred can't handle all this by himself!”

Nightwing. Robin. Red Hood. Bullet.

Like they were all made to fight by each other’s side.

Nightwing smashed his weapons against a monster’s head, threw its body up in the air with his knee, then the Bullet fired at it with her wrist gun all the way down to the ground. He helped her up, gain higher ground, then she fought at Nightwing’s side when he took out the ones coming for her back. Robin, with his bo staff, slammed one right at the gut and let it fly through the air until Red Hood slammed its torso with his elbow, before shooting it in the head.

Red Hood shot three with his pistols, but one of them grabbed him by the head. And man, was it inhumanely strong. Nightwing slammed his stick right through its skull, just inches away from Red Hood’s head. Red Hood elbowed it away, then shot it. The Bullet kept covering them, now with her machine gun. She fired at one going after Robin, at another that had Nightwing in a headlock, and another two that were about to surround Red Hood.

So many were coming to surround her. And as the boys fought them off, she fired at them relentlessly with her gun. She jumped to the ground and fired at them with her wrist gun.

The Batwing was above them, swerving around as it took out everything that stood their way.

The Bullet looked back out at the pit, where the squad was. “We have to help them!” she said.

“What?!” Red Hood screamed. “Are you insane?”

“They just want to live! We all want this nightmare to end! You can go back to being enemies after we’ve saved the world!”

The world. Of course. By now the gas should have dispersed out of the state. They had to move.

The Bullet shot off a creature coming for Harley. And another coming for Boomerang. The man was barely holding up. El Diablo, now a raging monster completely made of fire, tore through everything in its way and burnt down all the monsters to a bloody crisp. Frost was still holding up, doing whatever she could with her ice. And the look on her face when Nightwing came along and hit one of them in the head before it could grab her, she couldn’t describe it.

And it was that way for hours on end. The creatures kept on coming. The fires started raging. The Batwing had landed on the ground but kept its bullets spewing out of its guns in a frenzied attack against the hundreds that were still around them.

But somehow, the dome acted as some sort of beacon. Because there were more incoming. From far away. She had no idea if they were still Scarecrow’s men or if they were people from the countryside that weren’t so lucky…

As far as everybody knew, they were dead.

And they were all going after the dome like flies surrounding a light.

Frost had them in a block of ice, then Diablo fried them up like fish. Harley kept with her hammer and almost hit Nightwing in the head. “Harley!”

“Sorry, handsome! Kinda got used to aiming for your pretty head!”

Jason, standing with his back right up against the Y/N’s side. They shot at the creatures with their guns not knowing if their ammo was going to take it.

“Y/N! You think we’re gonna make this!?”

She shot down a foot, an arm, then eventually a head. Y/N screamed. “It’s not looking good but I sure fucking hope so!”

Red Hood grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, firing at one she didn’t see. Y/N got a circular lid off one of the manholes and flung it into three bodies.

“Y/N! MARRY ME!!!”

She could have been grabbed by the head if she didn’t hear it coming from behind. She held out her wrist gun and fired directly behind her.

“I THINK I’VE ALREADY ANSWERED THAT QUESTION!!!”

Y/N used Jason’s body to haul herself up, swinging her leg in a circle around her before she shot all of them on the ground. Jason grabbed a creature’s head with his bare hands and squished it into its bloody bits.

“NO. I MEAN MARRY ME. RIGHT NOW!!!!”

“WHAT?!”

Almost losing her arm, she slammed her fist against its head, throwing it to the grass and slamming her boot onto its face. Jason kept firing with his two guns, faster than he ever could have fired.

“IF WE’RE GONNA DIE, WE’RE DYING TOGETHER!!”

“WHAT?!?!”

Jason grabbed her arms, flung her around him so she could repeatedly kick them down before they got anywhere near them. She fired her wrist gun and cursed when she almost missed. He started handling them by hand, punching, swerving, kicking them down with his awfully strong thighs.

“YOU EVER SEEN PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN!?” He smashed drove his gun into a skull and kicked him off. “THE THIRD ONE???”

“JASON, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!??”

Y/N pressed her back against Jason, and they didn’t stop firing.

“THEY GOT MARRIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT. IT WAS FUCKING EPIC.”

“WE’RE GOING TO FUCKING DIE-“

“EXACTLY MY POINT. I WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS WITH YOU AS MY WIFE. DEAD OR ALIVE. I DON’T WANNA WASTE ANYMORE TIME.”

She leapt up in a backflip over Jason and they switched places.

“THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF WALLER COULDN’T LEGALLY FORCE ME TO TESTIFY AGAINST YOU. I’M NOT ABOUT TO LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. IF ANYONE WANTS TO KEEP US APART, THEY’LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE FUCKING LAW!”

“JASON, YOU'RE INSANE!!!”

Five down in a single shot. Y/N kicked them down, grabbed her grappling gun, then shot it at a crate to haul it over to the monsters incoming. Jason went through the whole row of creatures climbing down the pit, and when he had the slightest window, he raised his visor.

“IS THAT A YES?!”

Y/N faced him. and Jason faced her.

It wasn’t even a fucking question. The beautiful asshole.

“YES!”

As they kept firing, Jason pressed on his communicator. “ALFRED!!!”

He tossed Y/N a communicator so they’d both be able to hear him. The butler was still in the batwing, needless to say still firing at all the monsters that have made a mountain coming after it hovering in the air.

“Yes, sir?”

“YOU STILL AN ORDAINED MINISTER?!”

He could hear Alfred sound confused.

“I do believe that is a lifelong thing-“

“MARRY US. RIGHT NOW!!!”

Alfred took out a bazooka gun on the Batwing, a new one no doubt. He didn’t remember Bruce having that when he was still alive, then stook out a crowd of twenty coming after him.

“I’m afraid I’m rather busy at the moment, Master Jason.”

“THEN MAKE IT QUICK. PLEASE, MARRY US!”

“TIM, YOU HEARING THIS?” Dick cried out into the comms. Everyone could hear it.

“I KNOW. IT’S FUCKING ROMANTIC.”

Alfred kept his calm. Then they heard a sigh.

“Alright. Do try not to get yourselves killed, Master Jason.”

“CAN DO!”

Y/N grabbed Jason’s arm, held onto him as tightly as she could, then they turned to meet each other’s eyes. Not after shooting a zombie coming for his back.

“Dearly beloved we are gathered here today…” Alfred fired another bazooka at the crowd. “To join this man, and this woman, in holy matrimony.”

Her wrist gun on a frenzy, she shot at the surrounding monsters and helped Jason kick one down with his knee. They stuck to each other’s backs, firing with their pistols.

“Jason Todd, Red Hood, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Jason’s pistol ran out of ammo, so Y/N threw him a magazine.

“I DO!!!”

She grabbed him, hurled him to the side so they’d switch places, then she started firing at a gun powder barrel she found and it immediately exploded.

“Y/FN Y/LN, Deadsh-“

“THE BULLET! I’M THE BULLET!”

Jason smiled at her with his eyes.

“Ah yes, I do apologize. Y/FN Y/LN, the Bullet, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Alfred fired at the creatures coming up to her just as she spoke. “I DO!”

Endless bullets, flying out of their hands, they fired at everything that came their way, protecting each other, shielding each other from harm’s way.

Alfred cleared his throat.

“Then with the power vested in me by the city of Gotham, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

“DICK, COVER US!”

“I GOT YOU!” Dick screamed.

“You may now kiss the bride…”

Before they’d die. Before it all ends.

They only had a minute before their lungs would give out.

So they ran into each other’s arms, taking off their masks and held their breaths to the best capacity.

Jason grabbed Y/N’s face, pulling her to his lips. Then an explosion happened in the far-off distance that blew off almost everything around them in the air. All except them.

They were one. They were together. Forever. She was his. And he was hers. For as long as they both shall live.

“IS THIS A FUCKIN’ WEDDING?!” Boomerang screamed.

Harley smashed her hammer. “I LOVE WEDDINGS!!!”

Jason leaned down and kissed her despite his chest starting to twist. She grabbed the back of his neck, pushed him back as well. Never has a kiss been more powerful, more meaningful. As far as they knew, they were alone. They were themselves. They were together. And nothing, not even the world, was ever going to pull them apart ever again.

From their first kiss in the meeting room, to the one at the Batcave, to the kiss in her quarters that one rainy night, to the kiss they shared up on that bridge. Everything had boiled down to now. Finally. Finally.

They were fucking married.

They pulled away, stared at each other, and finally they could see the largest smiles on their faces. The places the masks back on and gasped to breathe.

“Shall we?”

“We shall…”

Not a lot more to cover. The fucking monsters were finally starting to run out. And they moved in a dance only they knew. On each other’s side. Never leaving.

They shot, kicked, slammed, tore through the lifeless bodies coming after them and she cried out as another bomb exploded that she threw from her hand. She fought with her fucking husband and man, did it sound like the most beautiful thing in the world.

Nightwing and Robin came up to them.

“CONGRATULATIONS!!!” they both screamed.

“THANK YOU!”

Then Y/N handed them both guns and they started firing at the creatures.

It worked so well.

Finally.

Twenty left. Then there were fifteen. Then another ten died.

Finally.

Gone. All of the monsters. Wiped out.

The Squad was intact. Thankfully, they smiled at the Bullet and they all gathered to the center.

“I can't believe this,” Nightwing said. “But thank you for having our backs.”

“Don’t get used to it, pretty boy, when we wake up tomorrow mornin’ I’m back to slicing your head off with a-“

“Okay,” Red Hood stopped them. “Now we have to figure out a way to stop this.” He pointed up at the beacon.

“Hood,” the Bullet gulped.

“Yes, wife?”

A few of them groaned at that. Red Hood ignored them.

But the Bullet, Y/N, she didn’t look to happy.

She was staring right up at the top of the pit, shivering.

Everyone looked back to what she was looking at.

No.

No…

It wasn’t possible.

Hundreds more. Hundreds of the creatures. From all over the city. Ones with long, blonde hair. Ones that were as tiny as a small child.

It had reached civilization.

No. they couldn’t possibly handle all of them.

Robin looked at Nightwing, whose look on his eyes definitely lost that glimmering enthusiasm that sparked the hope they needed to go on.

And Red Hood.

Well, he made the right choice marrying her.

Jason held Y/N’s hand, and she took it so tightly between her fingers.

The look on their eyes, watching each other, memorizing the looks on their eyes before they go on to their inevitable deaths.

They couldn’t even see each other’s faces.

Harley slumped to the ground. “Well, this is it, ladies and gents.”

Frost screamed in frustration, releasing a large block of ice and slamming it onto the pit.

The monsters had surrounded them now. All in a complete circle. Trapping them.

And they took their time watching them squirm like worms in a tank full of fish.

This is how they die.

Y/N tightened her grip on Jason’s hand when one of the monsters roared and they all started crawling down to the dome.

“T-Tim?”

Their communicators. It sounded like Barbara.

“Yeah?”

“I hope you weren’t saving that favor for anything special,” Oracle said.

“Favor?”

“You know. That favor with Bruce’s friends…”

“What do you mea-“

Like a lightning bolt striking a tree, their eyes shot up at the brightest flash of light.

A golden, glimmering lasso, coming down from something they hadn’t seen flying in the air. The lasso grabbed onto five of the incoming beings and hauled them up.

Y/N’s never seen her up close.

But goddamn, she was nothing like the pictures.

Wonder Woman slammed against the ground on her knee and her balled up fist, letting the soil ripple at her impact. She didn’t have on a mask, but it barely wrinkled her nose. Her striking beauty was made even more obvious when she smirked up at the four, standing up, then took out her shield and sword from her back. She winked at them.

The four were too dumbfounded to move. As victims exhausted or as fanboys and fangirls watching it all unfold right in front of their eyes. Boom tubes coming from different parts in the air, and out of those circles came the heroes they’ve looked up to their whole lives.

Superman tore through a whole row of that were crawling after them with his powerful laser vision, flying through the sky faster than any of Y/N’s bullets could speed through. He grabbed one by the head, flew up to the sky, then threw it against the ground so hard that dozens of others blew up along with it.

Green Lantern made his own machine gun with his ring. He fired at everything that came close to the dome.

The Flash couldn’t even be seen. All they could see was a buzzing red light, powering all around them in circles and taking down everything that was in his path.

Green Arrow started raining down more than five arrows at a time. Ones from above. Ones from the ground. Black Canary ran up from behind them and let out that famous ear-piercing scream that took out everything that was in front of her. Even the grass.

Aquaman came up with his trident, and with Mera following behind, she let a stream of water pierce through the air like shards and a fucking shark was in it eating the heads of everything the water passed through.

Hawkgirl held her mace up in front of her and let her wings force her through the hundreds in the crowd, smashing their brains out with a single hit.

Shazam slammed on the ground, with sparks coming out of his body, then he screamed at the sky and let the biggest lightning bolt they’ve ever seen clear out a whole patch of the land the beings were standing on.

Martian Manhunter transformed into his true alien form then grabbed the monsters with his bare hands, threw them out of the way, and stomped on them with his feet. Or what looked like feet.

Cyborg. Supergirl. Zatanna. Doctor Fate. Huntress. Hawkman. Vixen. The Atom.

They were all here.

They were all going to live.

The fucking Justice League had come to save them.

Never have they seen them all in action. To them, it might have just been another day. But to them? To Batman’s wards. It was everything they ever wished to become.

It was the best, most beautiful thing they could possibly see their whole lives.

Bruce. How much he would have loved this.

Then the ground started to shake once again. The Cloudburst. It let out another load of the toxin.

They had to destroy it now.

Alfred hovered the Batwing above them and opened up the entry way. He waved his hands for them to come in. Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Bullet ran into the Batwing and took their masks off.

“We can't just run off.”

“We have to go help them.”

“Actually,” Alfred said. “I’ve taken instruction from Ms. Prince.”

“She wanted us to leave?”

“No.” Alfred lead them to the windows and the looked out.

Superman, Green Lantern, Cyborg, and Supergirl were all facing the top of the dome, firing their lasers at the concentrated spot at the center. The heart of the Cloudburst. The whole building had gone up in flames, but it continued to fire up in the toxin.

“The Batwing has one more rocket bomb in its ammunition. When the League has the Cloudburst’s core exposed, we only have one shot at firing right at its center, destroying the Cloudburst for good.”

“I’ll do it,” Dick said.

“No I will!” Tim cried.

“Who said it was your turn!?”

“Who said it was yours?!”

“This isn’t a fucking argument, this is the world’s fate in our hands!”

“Exactly, which means I get to fire the Batwing.”

“Well, who exactly has the best aim in this fucking ship-“

Every pair of eyes stopped wandering around. Then they turned to the woman they called the Bullet.

No.

Fucking no.

“I can't-“

“Y/N-“

“Jason, I can't do this-“

“You can.”

“I don’t trust myself-“

“You never miss-“

“Jason.”

She grabbed his hands that were holding her face, finally she could look up at his eyes and see his lips in a smile.

“The last time I handled a tank, it was the Cloudburst… and I missed.”

“It doesn’t matter. That wasn’t your fault. You have no idea how sorry I am for being upset at that, but I know you can do this. Besides, this isn’t a tank. This is the fucking Batwing.”

“Jay…”

“Please. You're the only one who can do this.”

“I’ve never handled anything like this before.”

“You. Can. Do this.”

Looking up at Jason’s eyes, she saw just how much hope he had for her. Then he leaned in and kissed her.

“Man, is he dramatic today,” Tim said.

“Shut up, they just got married.”

When Jason pulled away, the heaviness in Y/N’s chest had slowly started to fade.

Yeah. He was right.

Her husband was right.

She does have the best aim in the room.

Alfred gestured for her to take the seat at the cockpit.  And with Jason holding her hand, leading her to the front, she slowly took the front seat.

Everything was at her control. It didn’t look too intimidating. She pressed onto the buttons and breathed in. Really breathed in.

Breathe. Breathe.

Jason stood back, but not without squeezing her shoulder.

Breathe.

She opened her eyes.

Flying the Batwing over to the top of the dome, right alongside Superman and Supergirl with their lasers still pointing at the center. It won't be long now.

Everything looked brighter. Everything felt hotter. The center of the Cloudburst, at the dome that was once its protective shield.

Irony. She always thought it was what’s going to get her.

Driving the Cloudburst, using it to take down the Batmobile.

Now she was driving the Batwing to take down the Cloudburst.

Yes. Irony certainly did come out to bite her.

But it was in the fucking best way possible.

Doctor Fate and Zatanna had joined in and fired their magical beams at the same spot at the center. Slowly, after each second that passed, she could see its shield slowly start to fade away. A ball around the glass tank of the toxin collapsed. And finally, it was seconds away from its very heart exposed.

Breathe.

The Bullet turned on her optics.

Further. Closer. Brighter.

NOW.

The rocket shot through the Batwing’s bazooka and it came flying out into the air. She waited for that half a millisecond watching it fall to the very spot she aimed at.

Everyone flew out of the sky before it landed on the Cloudburst.

Then the entire dome exploded like a massive nuclear bomb tearing out into the sky with its violently flying debris. The Justice League and the Suicide Squad had cleared out, and with the explosion it took away all the remaining nightmare creatures, dissolving them into the air as nothing but ash.

Everything was loud. Everything was bright. They shielded their eyes away before it blinded them and hid as the dome continued to explode.

They were so high up in the air that they could see the stars up in space despite it already the morning.

And as the bombing sounds had faded…

So did the toxin.

The once red cloud that had covered the sky had dwindled away to its natural white. Everything fell down in beautiful pink ashes. The same ones from when Ivy destroyed the first Cloudburst. They looked up at the sky, and with tears down their faces, everyone leapt in joy and cheered when everything looked as peaceful as it once was.

On the ground where the dome used to be, a crater of soil was left behind. No more creatures. No more darkness. No more Scarecrow.

Everyone took off their domino masks and visors. Dick took Tim and they screamed in happiness, jumped in the air, hugged each other until it hurt like girls at a sleepover. They took Alfred in as well and gave him the biggest bear hug there was.

“DID YOU FUCKING SEE THAT, BABE!?” Tim said into his comms.

Babs was just as ecstatic as they were. “I’M SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!!”

“WE FUCKING SAVED THE WORLD!!!” Dick leapt for joy.

“I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA DIE OUT THERE.”

“I KNOW. THEN FUCKING WONDER WOMAN CAME IN AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING I MEAN HOW CAN ANYONE GET AS AWESOME AS THAT?!”

“YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE,” Tim screamed. “IT’S LIKE YOU SAW HER AT FUCKING COMIC CON.”

“ALFRED.” They pulled him in. “TELL ME. DID BRUCE EVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN HIS LIFE?!”

“Well, other than the ten times he’s defeated Darkseid over at outer space, no I don’t think he has.”

“ WE STILL WIN. WE FUCKING DID IT!!!”

“JASON, DID YOU SEE IT WHEN GREEN LANTER- Jason?!”

They looked around. Jason hadn’t joined them in their little celebration.

Jason and Y/N were over at the back, kissing for what seemed to have been the last ten minutes and completely ignoring everything that went on around them. She was holding his face, and he was hugging her waist. Didn’t even stop when Tim cleared his throat.

Dick, on the other hand, had went up to one of the compartments and had grabbed a bottle of champagne they had stored there for purposes like this.

“Can't believe we almost forgot. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLYWEDS !!!”

Everyone in the Batwing clapped for joy and the couple finally stopped kissing, turning their heads over to smile at them.

“THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!”

“CHAMPAGNE FOR EVERYONE.”

Jason thumbed her cheek. “You alright with our reception being held in the Batwing?”

Y/N shrugged. “I mean, I wanted to book a caterer, but-“

Jason pulled her face again and kissed her with their hearts light and their spirits so high up in the sky.

A future. She could see it. It was all flashing in front of her eyes now.

Finally, something good had happened out of the series of darkness.

They drank, cheered, partied in the Batwing while it went in a really slow autopilot on its way back to the cave. They hung out like any group of friends would have. Like any family would have.

Jason held her hand the whole time. And Y/N held it even tighter.

This was the end. And it was beautiful, peaceful, promising.

And above all else, it was fucking epic.

-----

EPILOGUE

As if the world hadn’t already stopped surprising them, they continued to go through that very same day bringing them almost to the brink of a heart attack.

When the grounds to the Batcave descended, when the Batwing parked itself in its spot, when its entryway folded down for them all to walk down to, everyone was still in their high, laughing, skipping when they walked down the ramp and out into the walkway.

“Babs!”

Barbara wheeled right towards them and Tim held her in his arms, pulling her up to his level so he could carry her. They all cheered.

“I can't believe you thought of calling the League!”

Babs laughed. “Obviously, you needed help.”

Everyone started talking at the same time, each of them telling Babs one side of the story and how it happened. Explaining in detail how Wonder Woman did this and how Aquaman did that. Even Y/N was so excited she couldn’t stop talking about how Green Arrow’s aim was something she’d admired for so long. A bubble of noise, happy noise. Kids being together.

Like no time even passed. They continued on and on about everything that happened.

Then Jason looked behind at the computers. He stopped talking. His smile faded away. His heart stopped. His whole body stopped.

Everyone saw the look on his face and turned to look at what he was seeing.

At first, he looked just about as regular as any tall man.

And if you hadn’t been expecting it, like practically everyone in the room didn’t, no one would believe it at first glance.

Black shirt. Basic jeans. A jacket over his shoulders. Hair so long it had gone down to his neck pushed back.

But it was him. So undeniably him.

“Oh my god…” Babs whispered.

Bruce Wayne smiled at all their faces. Jaws on the ground. Eyes so incredibly wideset. He didn’t look the least bit bothered.

He walked on over closer to them, hands in his pockets. He stood a few yards away so as to not startle them.

His children.

“Dick…” he greeted.

The eldest choked on his breath. “Bruce…”

Bruce looked over at the girl with fiery red hair.

“Barbara…”

“Oh. My. God.”

Bruce grinned, then he looked over at the man beside her.

“Tim…”

“You're alive…” Tim breathed.

Then when Bruce met Jason’s eyes, everyone parted to give him his way. Bruce started walking towards him, and Jason swallowed on his tongue.

He hadn’t prepared for this.

Not by a long shot.

He thought he was never, ever going to see him again.

He never thought he’d have the chance to make things right.

And now, he did.

Bruce stood in front of Jason.

“Welcome back…” Bruce said. “My son…”

Jason pulled him into a hug, much to Bruce’s surprise. Much to everyone’s surprise.

But he wanted to skip all the thinking and the doubts and the holding back to everything he’s ever wanted to say to him.

Jason forgave him. Already after two years. And it meant so much that Bruce had forgiven him too.

Bruce hugged him back.

Bruce never hugs anyone back.

But he patted Jason’s shoulder and held him as tightly as any father could possibly hold his son. Jason was crying. Hell, everyone in the room was crying. Even Alfred was shedding a tear. Everyone watched on as they fell into each other’s embrace longer than they’ve had with anyone else.

Eventually, Bruce had to pull away.

“I’m so sorry…” Jason cried.

Bruce held his shoulders.

“Jason…” he said. “You have no idea how proud I am of you…”

Jason realized he’s never heard those words before.

He hugged him again, just because he couldn’t hold it back anymore. Y/N dried her tears with her shirt and met Jason’s eyes from over Bruce’s shoulder.

“Bruce…” Jason pulled away. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Y/N stood straight up. She dusted off her suit. She straightened her neck.

“This is Y/N,” Jason said with his hand on her back. She stretched out her hand, and Bruce took it.

“I’ve heard of you. Your girlfriend-“

“Wife.”

Her smile was so beautiful when he said it.

“My wife.”

Bruce shot up his eyebrows. “I see. Well, it would have been better if we had a talk-“

“Don’t. Do that.”

“I’m kidding,” Bruce laughed.

Y/N cleared her throat. “Such a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“Y/N… I know who you are and who you were…”

“Bruce…”

He nodded at Dick.

“You were the Commander of the militia army. You were Deadshot. You took over your uncle’s old jobs.”

“Bruce, you don’t have to-“

He didn’t even look at Jason’s direction.

“And you drove the Batwing today…”

Y/N was scared shitless shivering on her own two feet. It wasn’t because she was talking to Batman, someone she almost had killed. It was because she was talking to her freaking father in law.

Jason swallowed.

“And I also happen to know… that you worked with my sons like a perfectly trained team and singlehandedly saved thousands of lives…”

Everyone’s eyes lit up. Especially hers.

“What do we call you now?”

“The Bullet,” she swallowed. “I’m the Bullet.”

“Well, Y/N,” he smiled. “The Bullet.”

Then he stretched out his hand.

“Welcome to the family.”

 -----

MASTERLIST

THE BULLET MASTERLIST

-----

TAGLIST

@everyartistwas-firstanamateur

@sarcasmismyfirstlove

@damned-queen-of-gotham

@idkmanicantenglish

@wunderstell

@birdy-bat-writes

@get-loki

@everyday-imfangirling

@comic-nerd-dc

@multifandoms916

@icequeen208

@offendedfishnoises

@egdolan

@xemiefx

@arkhamtoddler

@elsenthal

@mythicbitchx

@supremehaunter

@lucy-roo

@roseangel013bf

@loxbbg

@reclusive-chicken-nugget

@l-inkage

@http-cherries

@shadowsndaisies

@river9noble

@zphilophobiaz

@annoylinglyaries

@knightfall05x

@flowersgirl02

@hyp-oh-critical

@satan-s-ass

[ectonurites]

Am I the only one who thinks the TimSteph we’ve been getting in Rebirth honestly feels nothing like how their relationship actually was when they were together Pre-New52? A little like weird pod people

Oh 100% and its because neither of them has ever really been written the same way they used to be since the reboot

like, not to praise Bendis but I think their flashback conversation in Young Justice 2019 with the playful banter and stuff was probably the closest it felt to old timsteph in a while,

but in general they have not been the same at all

like... i genuinely do love tim/steph! but i like it when they’re stupid kids trying to face the world together who love each other so much but aren’t fantastic at communication bc they’re vigilantes with a lot of baggage, not when they’re Tim ‘jimmy neutron boy genius’ Drake and Stephanie ‘i exist to be Tim’s girlfriend’ Brown like they’ve primarily been written as the last few years

Steph breaking away from the batfam/Gotham Knights after Tim died in Detective Comics and not really rejoining until he was back bothered me a lot, because it really just cemented in the current universe she’s mainly just there for Tim rather than her own motivations which... is so in-genuine to who she is as a character. Stephanie Brown is a hero who’s motivations should have NOTHING to do with Tim, like obviously yes she loves him, but jesus christ she is her own character! she is determined as hell and refuses to give up no matter what anyone says! this girl literally SLAPPED BATMAN IN THE FACE because she didn’t want him to even TRY to take Batgirl away from her! obviously she would have mourned Tim, but the way it was handled in that comic just... was not it. I still enjoyed the run overall but I remember that annoying me a lot. I might be remembering it worse than it was but idk man

But at least with like, her and Cass working together during Joker War on their own and seemingly doing so more in the background of current Batman stuff, they’re pushing her back to more self-motivation and being who she is. but it takes time to undo years of damage to her character and having it happen in the background of other things makes it sloooow. we need that Batgirls book so bad

and then with Tim again YJ 2019 was a step back in the right direction and made him less ‘im a 16 yr old super genius >:3’ (like he was in all of New 52 and then parts of Detective Comics 2016) and more just A Clever Dude with his friends which is how he should be, and i’m hopeful for his upcoming Urban Legends story

but yeah so when the characters aren’t being written the same way its not a surprise the relationship doesn’t feel the same. it just feels hollow. fanservice-y bc people did like old tim/steph rather than doing new interesting things with their actual dynamic

feel like shit want THEM back

[jaybirdxarsenal]

Deepest Darkest Secret (Bruce Wayne x Reader)

Guess who’s back...back again...

Summary: Bruce comes clean to the reader about his Dark Knight persona. (I wrote this in like an hour and I didn’t edit it, be aware)

MASTERLIST.

Word Count: 1.7k

Regarding my permanent tags, as I was off Tumblr for a long time I’m going to redo the list, as maybe some people aren’t interested anymore. Therefore, If you want to be added to my permanent tag list, leave a comment or send me a message. ^^

***

Alfred greeted you and offered you some tea and biscuits just like any other time you would come visit. He started to get used to your present in the Manor and was very fond of the idea of Bruce finally having someone reliable, someone who actually seems to care about him other than Alfred himself. You were also like a breath of fresh air, in his opinion, as Bruce was always with a smile on his face at the sight of you. It is quite interesting how a person can change when they fall in love, and he wasn’t sure he was going to see that happening with Bruce, the man he basically raised, but he was more than thrilled that it happened, and deep inside, Alfred was praying for this relationship to last a very long time.

Bruce texted you asking if you can come over, without any reason in particular. You thought that perhaps he missed you, as you haven’t seen each other in the past few days due to his busy schedule, but in reality he had something else prepared. The truth.

For a long time now, Bruce was facing a feeling he hadn’t felt in a really long time, such a long time that he even forgot it exists. Happiness. As strange as it sounds, happiness wasn’t something the philanthropist was used to. But as he met you, things began to change, and he realised that this thing called ‘’happiness’’ that he felt when he was with you is something that he enjoys and cherishes.

But due to his nightly activities, he knew that there is a possibility that he might lose you. Not everyone is eager to put their life in danger to be with someone like him. You already had to face the Gotham’s elites at every Gala, he doesn’t know if you can take this part of his life on your shoulders as well.

As you met his eyes, your heart couldn’t help but get filled up with love. It was unbelievable what love can do to a soul and how fulfilling can it feel.

‘’Love.’’ he approached you, lowering his head a little to be able to kiss you. ‘’I missed you.’’ He pulled you into a hug and took a deep breath.

‘’I missed you too.’’ You replied, letting yourself melt into his arms.

Your reunion was followed by silence, as both of you were assimilating each other. And as he held you in his arms, and your arms were holding him, both of you silently agreed that you loved each other. And Bruce knew that it’s time for the truth to be revealed.

‘’[Y/N]…I must confess something to you.’’

As you looked into his eyes, you could tell that he was worried. Of what? You were about to find out.

‘’Bruce…Is everything alright?’’

‘’Follow me.’’

You did as he said, and stopped when he did. In front of you was that big watch of his, that wasn’t really your style but in a way you found it kind it fascinating.

‘’There is something that you don’t know about me and I think it’s time to come clear. I appreciate and love you too much to let you get attached even more when there is all of this behind me.’’

‘’Bruce, what are you talking about?’’

He sighed and did the thing. That thing that you didn’t even know it’s possible. He set the time of the clock at 10:48 and somehow, like in those spy movies, a dark entrance was revealed behind it. You could only tell that there were some stairs, but you couldn’t tell what’s after them.

‘’What’s in there?’’ You asked, a bit hesitating.

‘’After you.’’ He was serious. Maybe too serious. Thing that creeped you out a little.

You were never the one to truly trust someone, and as much as you loved him, this was creepy.

‘’Look, Bruce, no offense, but there are two possibilities here. One, you are Batman, two, you are a serial killer. And I am not very fond of the second possibility…’’

‘’What?’’

‘’Look, I watched too many documentaries too be fooled.’’

He was a little surprised by your reaction. He was expecting anything but that reaction.

‘’[Y/N] is not what you think.’’

‘’If not I better find the Batmobile down there. After you.’’

The fact that you were actually serious made him smile.

‘’Why are you smiling?’’ You asked suspicious.

‘’What if I am both?’’

‘’What..?’’

‘’What if I am both Batman and a serial killer, have you thought about that?’’

‘’If that is the case I guess the odds aren’t really in my favour…’’

‘’I guess not.’’

‘’Are you messing with me?’’

‘’A bit.’’

‘’Bruce this is not funny!’’

‘’Come on, [Y/N], if I was a serial killer I think you would have been dead by now.’’

‘’Look, man, serial killers work differently. I don’t know how you operate. Maybe you make women fall in love with you and then you show them your secret entrance to some kind of creepy huge ass basement.’’

‘’[Y/N], just trust me.’’

‘’Na-ah. My motto in life safety first.’’

‘’Really? I thought it’s live, love, laugh.’’

‘’Fuck you, Bruce Wayne!’’

‘’Later. Now come, I’ll go first.’’

‘’Alright.’’ You said as you took a step forward, following him.

‘’But you know I can take you down even if I go first, right?’’ And you stopped at the top of the stairs.

‘’Bruce, this isn’t funny at all.’’

‘’Alright, I’m sorry, no more jokes, now come.’’

Suspiciously you followed him. You have to admit that you were a little more than curious to see what’s down there, and if your boyfriend was indeed a serial killer he can take you down in the blink of an eye, so might as well satisfy your curiosity before dying at the hands of your lover, right?

But as you were walking the lights were up and this gloomy basement wasn’t really a basement as you assumed. It was a cave. With a huge dinosaur and…the Batmobile?

‘’Is that the Batmobile?’’ You gasped. ‘’Oh my god. You are Batman.’’

You looked around, assimilating everything. It was a lot. The computers, the suits, the vehicles and all the other things. Bruce just followed you as you took small steps, curious of your surroundings.

‘’But…’’ You turned around to face him, being a few steps away from him. ‘’This doesn’t rule out the serial killer possibility.’’

‘’[Y/N]…are you serious?’’

You pointed a finger at him. ‘’I must investigate first.’’

It was quite hilarious; he has to admit. He wasn’t expecting this reaction at all. He was expecting you to be upset, to cry, to judge him, to criticize him, to tell him that you cannot put your life at risk because of his personal decision of dressing like a bat and going around Gotham and beating the shit out of bad people…

But no. Instead of all of that, you turned into a little investigator. It was actually…cute.

As you walked around the cave, you were fascinated of what you were seeing. Truly amazing. But this little game of yours was fun and you decided to play a little more.

‘’No bodies around this area. No traces of blood…Hmm…You are either clean or a good cleaner. I must investigate a little bit more.’’ You told him as you approached the Batmobile.

‘’The easiest way to transport bodies.’’ You said looking suspicious at him.

At this point he was actually giggling and the stress was almost gone.

‘’Open it.’’ You demanded. ‘’I must search for evidence inside.’’

‘’[Y/N] if you want to sit in the Batmobile you have to just ask.’’ He laughed.

‘’Just open it.’’ You smiled, forgetting about your whole detective persona for a moment.

He did as you asked, and in that moment you wondered ‘’How the hell does this man gets in this thing?’’ You had a small figure, comparing to him, and getting inside the Batmobile revealed to be a struggle.

‘’Can I help you?’’

‘’Yes, please.’’

He giggled and did as he said. This was the most amazing thing you ever saw in your entire life! You felt like a little kid when your mother finally allowed you to get into one of those bumping cars at the carnival.

‘’Mr. Wayne, I came to the conclusion that you are clean. You are not a serial killer; you are just…Batman?’’

And then it hit you. You are dating Batman. Your boyfriend is Batman. The same guy everyone is talking about. The same person that keeps this city as safe as possible. It was him this entire time.

Bruce got into the Batmobile and sat next to you. He took a deep breath, putting his thoughts in order.

‘’This is…quite the secret.’’ You said.

‘’Yeah. I know it’s….a lot. And I understand if you think it’s too much and if it’s something you’re not ready or want to have in your life. The thing is that…I’ve never happy since my parents died. I’ve never felt actually happiness. But then I meet you. And you make me so happy and so loved. That’s why I’m telling you this. I love you and if you decide to stay well…that would be…the most amazing thing. But if all of this is too much…I understand if you want to break up with me.’’

He looked so sincere and hurt it broke your heart. How much suffering has this man endured…All you wanted in that moment was hold him and never let him go.

‘’You’re right. It’s a lot. Was I expecting this? Not really. Am I shocked? Hell yes. I have a lot of feelings right now and I feel like saying extremely stupid and not appropriate jokes to cover my actual emotions but I will try not to do that.’’ You took a deep breath and looked. ‘’It worries me. When you think about Batman you think about crime, bad guys, police, prison…Bad things. I can’t even imagine how many times you were hurt doing this…but I am not willing to let you go. I love you too much to be able to do that. This freaks me out a little bit but I can get used to it. But only with one condition. Actually two.’’

‘’Anything.’’

‘’You have to promise me that no matter what, you will always come back to me.’’

‘’I promise.’’ He bit his lower lip and smiled. ‘’And the second condition?’’

‘’You have to give me a ride in this thing.’’

You were full of surprises, one of his favourite things about you. As a little secret, everything about you was his favourite thing.

‘’Deal.’’

‘’Can we stay here a bit more? And, you know, make out like teenagers?’’

‘’I’d like that.’’

[iselsis]

Pieces

Summary: Jason Todd accidentaly breaks one of those stupid antique vases, and Bruce is going to kill him as soon as he finds out.

The vase fell to the ground with a splintering crash and broke into a million tiny pieces.

Jason slapped a hand over his mouth to hold back a panicked scream. He- He hadn’t meant to, he’d just turned around too fast and his arm had bumped into the table with the ugly and probably ridiculously expensive vase had gone straight over the edge.

Jason couldn’t stop the tears that welled in his eyes and spilled over, the first tears he’d cried since his mom died, and they were all for some stupid vase. Shit, Bruce was going to kill him for this, and if he didn’t do it himself, he was just going to toss Jason back onto the streets and let Gotham do it for him. It had only been a few weeks since Bruce had kidnapped him, but Bruce and Alfred had been so nice, and it was so weird, but that was all over.

Bruce was going to see the broken glass and flip his shit, and then he was going to deal with Jason the way Jason had been expecting him to for weeks over backtalk and being caught stealing food. Bruce had never hit Jason, and for a blissful day and a half, Jason had thought that maybe if he stayed out of big trouble, then Bruce wouldn’t hit him at all. As soon as his guard had come down, though, he’d gone and screwed it all up.

He was going to get a beating from Batman, and then he was going to be kicked back to Crime Alley, marked by the media as Wayne’s foster kid. If he didn’t die from internal bleeding or a cracked skull from the beating, he’d never last the night.

Unless Bruce never found out.

Jason inhaled sharply and quickly scrubbed the tears away. He had to work fast, and he couldn’t let Bruce or Alfred catch him being upset, because then they’d ask and there was no way they wouldn’t notice.

Jason pulled off his hoodie and spread it on the floor, then started snatching up the largest pieces of glass and throwing them onto his makeshift body bag. In his haste, he cut himself on a sharp edge, but he hardly noticed except to think that he’d better not get blood on the carpets too.

“Jason?”

Jason yelped and jumped up, throwing himself between Bruce and the broken shards of their relationship. He hadn’t even heard the man approach, but he was only twenty feet away.

That was such a stupid move. He could have played nonchalant, slid his hoodie over the glass, and just pretended that he was really interested in the carpet or something. Bruce would have bought that! He was a total clueless idiot! But no, Jason had just gone and panicked worse than he had when he’d been caught stealing Batman’s tires, and even Bruce would be able to read the guilt in that yelp.

It didn’t even make sense to be more scared now. Bruce wasn’t even wearing his reinforced gauntlets that would have let him cause more damage and longer like he had when he was Batman, but somehow the thought of Bruce – not Batman, not the Dark Knight, Bruce who bought him clothes, and books, and always asked Alfred how much Jason weighed and if he was gaining enough weight fast enough when he thought that Jason wasn’t around, and smiled at him like a creep whenever he walked in on Jason reading in the library – beating him made him feel sick in a way the threat of his father and Batman never had.

Bruce frowned and stepped closer. Jason did his best not to flinch and further show his guilt, but when Bruce reached for him, Jason stumbled back, directly onto his hoodie and the glass beneath it. None of the glass cut through the thick material, but it cracked damningly under his weight.

Bruce didn’t look down at Jason’s feet, just reached forward again, eyes zeroed in on Jason’s hand. Jason backed up again, but only made it half a step before crashing into the small table behind him.

“I’m sorry!” Jason cried and dropped to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest and covering the back of his head with his hands, his eyes clenched tight shut so he wouldn’t have to see the blows coming.

“Jason!” Bruce exclaimed, and Jason felt an ugly sob building in his chest. Bruce was so mad, he was so mad….

There was a second crack of glass as Bruce must have stepped in it, meaning he knew not just that Jason was hiding something for sure, he knew that it was the probably priceless vase that had been in the Manor longer than Jason, and he might have hurt himself and gotten even more mad at Jason, and he was right there.

Jason sniffled pathetically, but he couldn’t stop crying, which was stupid, because crying always pissed his dad off more, but he just couldn’t stop.

There was another slight crunch of glass as Bruce shifted his weight, and Jason could literally feel the heat emanating from Bruce’s body.

“Please, I’m sorry! It was an accident, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Jason cried, pressing back as far as he could.

Huge hands wrapped around his thin wrists and effortlessly pulled them away from Jason’s head. Oh god, Bruce was going for a kill shot. Jason was going to die and even though he’d always expected to die young, he wasn’t ready. He had dreams, kind of, and plans, and half of Sense and Sensibility left to live for.

Bruce pressed both of his wrists into one hand and held them above his head, and Jason could feel the shift of air as the other hand reached for his face.

Warm, calloused fingers lightly touched his jaw and tilted his head. Jason flinched down, but Bruce made a soft, gentle noise that was so out of place that it shocked Jason long enough for Bruce to tilt his face up. So I can see how mad he is before he let’s me have it, Jason thought in dread.

“Jaylad, you’re hurt,” Bruce said, but that wasn’t true and it didn��t make any sense because Bruce hadn’t hit him yet.

“I’m sorry,” Jason sobbed, pleading with his eyes for some mercy.

Bruce frowned severely and let go of Jason’s wrists and chin. Jason ducked back down and threw his hands back over his neck and head as he heard Bruce stand slowly.

Jason felt the air shift again and braced for the contact, but it came as one hand braced carefully against either side of his rib cage. Jason had just a moment for confusion before he was lifted into the air and tucked against Bruce’s solid, warm, relaxed chest.

“Sh, sh, Jaylad. Everything’s okay,” Bruce hummed and turned around to face back the way he’d come. “Let’s go take a look at that finger.”

“What?” Jason whimpered thickly, keeping his arms tense between his chest and Bruce’s.

Was Bruce just going to carry Jason to the front door and chuck him out? That would be better than being beaten and thrown out, but his heart twinged in what felt like physical pain at the idea.

“Jason, I’m not mad at you.” Bruce rubbed a firm circle in Jason’s trembling back, but it didn’t hurt at all. It felt nice, way too nice for someone who was about to kick him back to the streets. It wasn’t fair for Bruce to be so nice. It wasn’t fair. “And if I were mad at you, I still wouldn’t hurt you. You’re my son now. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

That- That didn’t make any sense, and Jason felt like his head was spinning. If Bruce hadn’t been holding him, then he might have fainted.

“B-but-” Jason choked out around his tears.

“But nothing,” Bruce said, a hint of Batman’s steel in his tone. “If anyone hurts you, I will beat them up. You are mine, and I would never abuse you like that.”

“But the vase-” Jason’s voice hitched, but he had to say it. “I b-broke that vase, and it probably cost more than I do, and, and-”

Jason was jostled as Bruce’s chest jolted with a burst of laughter.

“Jason, I should be thanking you for breaking that,” Bruce told him, stopping his back rub to playfully ruffle Jason’s hair. “I’ve always hated that vase. It was an ugly eye sore that my Great-Aunt Edna bought at a yard sale for two dollars. Alfred would never let me throw it out.”

Hope sprung in Jason’s chest, and he sat up as best he could in Bruce’s arms. He had to see Bruce’s eyes, he had to be sure.

“You’re really not mad?” Jason whispered.

Bruce smiled softly and shook his head.

Jason’s breath caught on another sob, this one of utter relief instead of complete despair. “You- I can stay? You won’t kick me out?”

Bruce’s smile turned into a serious frown. They reached the empty kitchen, and Bruce opened the door without answering. Jason’s heart pounded wildly in his chest every moment that Bruce didn’t answer, but he didn’t dare press.

Bruce set him on the island, putting them nearly eye to eye. Bruce was still taller and so much broader, but it was the closest thing to equality they would get, and it settled Jason’s nerves just a bit.

Bruce took Jason’s chin between his fingers again and forced him to look into his dead serious eyes. Jason was transfixed by the intensity of Bruce’s gaze, even though he had no clue what going to happen to him next.

“Jason Peter Todd, I will never kick you out, do you understand me?” Bruce said, with more power and conviction in his tone than Batman. “I will never throw you out. When you leave this house, it will be because you are an adult and you want to, and even then, you will always be welcome to come back. I am never going to hit you or kick you, or abuse you in any other way. You are my son, and this is your home. You are safe here.”

Jason sat there in complete shock. He completely and totally believed that Bruce meant it – for the moment at least, because his dad had said that he’d quick drinking sometimes so seriously that Jason had really believed him, and he’d heard his mom say that she was going to quit for real this time so many times, but he’s sure that for the moment they are in, Bruce really, really means it.

The fire in Bruce’s eyes toned down and he placed a small kiss on Jason’s forehead before letting go. “Now, let’s get that cut cleaned and bandaged, then I’ll go clean up that vase. Do you want the Batman and Robin bandaids, or the Justice League baindaids?”

 Jason had wandered off in almost a trance after their talk, his fingers freshly tended to with a Robin and a Wonder Woman themed bandaid over the cuts on his fingers. Luckily, the cuts hadn’t been deep. Still, it bothered Bruce that Jason had been so panicked that he’d so desperately tried to hide his mistake. Bruce would definitely have to keep an eye on Jason to make sure that he didn’t try to hide injuries after patrol – if he ever actually came on patrol.

Bruce would much rather have Jason stay home and safe at the Manor instead of joining Bruce on patrol. Batman didn’t need a Robin so much as Bruce needed his son to be safe.

Jason had thrown himself so fully into being Robin that Bruce couldn’t stand to take it away. Not after agreeing to train Jason had finally settled some of that roiling anxiety in Jason’s eyes that Bruce had been sure would send him running back to the open mouthed grave that was Crime Alley.

The events of that past half hour, though, shed a bit of light as to why that anxiety was there in the first place. Jason didn’t trust Bruce to mean it when he said that he wanted Jason to stay permanently. He had months before Jason would be even a little bit ready to hit the streets. Maybe Bruce could convince him by then that he didn’t have to be Robin and risk his life to earn his place in the Manor.

Failing that, he could convince Jason that he and Batgirl were in desperate need of technical support. He could give him enough training on running comms and hacking cameras that he would know enough to feel useful, and then Alfred could get “sick” and need Jason to fill in for him. Jason responded well to praise, even though he tried to hide his blushing and smiles behind his hands and blustering attitude. While that as a less preferable option, it would keep Jason out of harm’s way long enough for Bruce to hammer into his thick little skull that he mattered to Bruce beyond just what he could do for him.

He was still musing on that and sipping his coffee at the kitchen table after having dumped the dustpan full of blue and white shards – because he did know how to use a broom - into the trashcan, never to be spoken of again, when Alfred came into the room.

Dammit, he’d forgotten to throw out-

Alfred picked up the bandaid wrappers from the counter and wordlessly stepped over to the trashcan to throw them away. When he saw inside, he stopped.

“Master Bruce, why are the remains of a Kangxi vase in the trash can, Master Bruce?” Alfred asked, giving him a pointed accusatory glare.

Trust Alfred to be able to know what dynasty or era, or whatever the hell Kangxi meant, a pile of broken glass had come from by sight.

Bruce took a long sip of his coffee. “That is some worthless knock-off my Great-Aunt Edna bought at a yard sale and Jason is never to think otherwise.”

Alfred’s irritation softened, and he sighed with mild, but fond, exasperation. “I suppose I acted too soon in bringing out the more breakable antiques. With Master Dick’s departure, I had assumed that they would be safe.”

Bruce felt a mild twinge of sadness at the mention of Dick’s sudden absence, but he pushed it down. He’d already made those mistakes, and he would not make them with Jason.

“With our boys?” Bruce scoffed. “I doubt they’ll ever be safe.”

Alfred sighed and threw the wrappers into the trashcan. “I was afraid of that.”

[gothamdad]

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS PART ONE: CINEMATIC WRONGS AND ANALYSIS COMMENTARY

DO NOT REBLOG.

This is going to be a bullet point list of incidents that occur in the movie, and will either have my general commentary or an analysis of what makes the scene terrible (or in some rare cases, good). TRIGGERS FOR SUICIDE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND DYSMORPHIA 

-bruce trying to kill himself in the beginning of the movie. 

Hes reckless, and willing to risk his life, but not suicidal. But he just purposefully gets into a wreck at 2 minutes into the movie?? for no reason??? theres literally no reason for it other than it being angsty bc they COULDVE started the movie with the mutants doing crime, as the next scene cuts right into it and the following news reports 

-"This reporter hopes that wherever he is, hes enjoying a toast with good friends" said when its the anniversary of batman’s disappearance 

this is stupid I hate this movie. You're telling me Gotham forgives Batman for just disappearing on them? DID THAT NOT HAPPEN IN NML AND EVERYONE GOT PISSED??? Like everyone in this movie seems to have forgot he abandoned the city. Not to mention, and I'm gonna go off on a tangent here, bruce will be batman for as long as he lives. He calls himself batman in his mind even when hes retired. He believes that Bruce wayne is the mask. His whole identity is batman. Saying that hed quit because of jason is not only stupid because it implies Jason's death isnt just as important as his parents, but shows that any tragedy is enough to permanently knock him down. And as if the league, or the family, would have let him give up. Anyway the whole reason the retirement in batman beyond works is because it shows bruce was going to fight until he literally died on the spot, but instead he pointed a gun, didn't even use it, just pointed it, and he realized he wasnt fit to HONOR batman anymore. He broke the rule. And he doesnt deserve to wear the mantle. This is so good because 1) bruce still wants to be batman and 2) it doesnt imply that he gave up at all, and at this point with his decreasing wellness his family WOULD be telling him to stop

-Gordon toasts with Bruce on the anniversary

FBKSBSOANSISSB OH MY GOD IT JUST SHOWED HIM SHARING A TOAST WITH GORDON. this is the anniversary of the last time batman is sighted and gordon. JIM FUCKING GORDON. Is celebrating. When they were literally partners and hed shine the batsignal each night TELL ME WHERE THE LOGIC IS!!! I CANT FIND THE LOGIC!!!!! I'm literally 3 minutes into this movie..... and already this is how its going...

-Gordon and Bruce talk

"You're not worried about me, are you?" Asked when hes in clear danger of being attacked by mutants "noT MorE tHAn i aM tHe ReST oF tHis CItY" ah yes. I forgot that Bruce hated gotham and jim Gordon. My mistake. Common misconception.

-the mutants are introduced

Ugh and it's the worst kind of villains too, jim just described the mutants as "the worst kind of criminals. They are only after violence, with no humanity at all" GIVE! VILLAINS! REASONING! I hate these joker wannabes Joker was already enough we dont need a million more "lol I'm just evil deal with it" villains

"Talk to Dick lately?"asks Gordon "You know I havent" Bruce responds

THIS CONVERSATION IS GETTING W O R S E BC I KNOW HOW THIS MOVIE GOES AND HE JUST INSTANTLY HAS CARRIE BE THE NEW ROBIN- WHICH, IS N O T BRUCE'S TO GIVE. ITS ALWAYS BEEN DICK'S MANTLE TO PASS DOWN- WHEN HE HASNT BEEN SPEAKING TO DICK????

-tangent on how it’s overlooked that Dick Grayson was the one to make Robin, not Batman

This is a sin that not just the movie, but the batman franchise in general seems to always make. Robin was made as a tribute to the flying graysons, and is meant to be colorful and aerodynamic for acrobatic tricks. it should always be dick’s to pass down, or the next robin after. 

-Bruce begins having trouble with holding back his urge to be Batman

His whole wanting to be batman again thing started because of a newspaper with a family's death and pearls being sold. On the same front cover. I'm. THATS WHEN HE REMEMBERS HIS PARENTS? NOT EVERY FUCKING TIME HE HEARS A GUNSHOT? OR CLOSES HIS EYES? OR SEES BLOOD? HE READS A NEWSPAPER THATS FLOATING IN THE WIND??????NOT EVERY TIME HE LOOKS AT JASONS COSTUME? OR THE OTHER CRIMES COMMITTED??????LOGIC!!!!!!!!!! I NEED !!!! TO KNOW!!!!! WHERE IT IS!!!!!!!! ARE U KIDDING ME NOW THE MARK OF ZORRO, WHICH IS WHO THE FUCK KNOWS HOW OLD NOW, IS ON TV??????????? AND HE JUST HAPPENS TO FLIP TO THE CHANNEL.. Batman telling bruce "you've tried to hold me back. But you're weak. Ypu know it in your soul. You're nothing but a hollow shell." Is so STUPID!! WHY HAS HE BEEN FIGHTING BEING BATMAN!!!!!!!!!! BRUCE SHOULD WANT TO BE BATMAN!!!! AND HATE HAVING TO NOT BE!!!! AND A BAT FLYING INTO HIS WINDOW AGAIN???? STOP THE FUCKING CLICHES IM SICK OF THIS . UR NOT BEING NEXT LEVEL, MOVIE. ITS JUST DUMB. ITS DUMB!!!

-Carrie Kelly

her first ??? Appearance??? Is her going into KNOWN MUTANT GANG TERRITORY instead of going through the rain. And scolding her friend for not having backbone WHEN THEY COULD LITERALLY DIE and saying, and I quote, "its better than out there." then when interviewed about the incident her friend says  "It was a flying monster! With wings and fangs!" and she replies with "Reality check, Michelle, it was definitely a man, but he had to be like 12 feet tall" OH YEAH THATS VERY REALISTIC CARRIE. Shes an asshole to her friend and we're supposed to like her.  Oh and Carrie's reason for wanting to be robin? She saw the bat signal while her parents were talking about public marches. That's it. That's her reason. Not because she was attacked by mutants and almost died.

-Giving the movie credit

Okay but if theres another thing I'll give credit for, and I'm sure its unintentional, is that Harvey is the first criminal he wants to take down. Because Harvey is always going to be Bruce's priority. He didnt go after the mutants, but Two-Face. And the way that confrontation goes when it’s revealed harvey thinks both sides of his face are scarred. the Arkham staff fixed his scars before he was ready for treatment, and his mental health wasn’t priority. he was going to have dysmorphia either way, but not treating mental illness worsened it.  kinda? good writing? But I think it was unintentional to have the idea that Arkham didnt know what they were doing and the belief that scars are important before trauma, and how trauma has to be helped first. I dont believe for an instant that's what's meant. 

-Carrie Kelly part two

She gets a Robin costume and goes out onto the roof and is like.... almost dies. THEN THE NEXT SCENE WE SEE HER SHES LIKE COMPLETELY ACROBATIC? WHY IS SHE SO ACROBATIC NOW!!! THIS TAKES PRACTICE!!!

-Batman confronting the man who supplied the mutant gang with guns

Oh, this scene...He hands a guy a gun, knowing full well that he was depressed because his wife was dying and he had to make more money to save her by supplying the mutants with weapons, and just walks away as he kills himself. (input from a friend which i like:  think about everything bruce did to help mr freeze and his wife now think about this scene )

Batman vs Mutants 

oh, and the "batmobile". Aka his tank. Rubber bullets. Ok fine, whatever, but RUNNING THEM OVER AND SHOOTING MISSCLES ISNT LETHAL? AND HOW IS CARRIE KELLY GOOD AT FIGHTING ALL OF THEM WHEN SHE COULDNT HANDLE HERSELF WITH ONE LIKE A WEEK AGO.  hate that the mutant leader is just a ripoff of bane with long pointed nipples I hate this. I hate that batman cant take him down, but carrie kelly can. AND THE MUTANT LEADRER TOTALLY DIED WHEN BRUCE THREW ADHESIVE ON HIS FACE AND HE WAS SUFFOCATED BUT LATER ON IT SHOWS HE LIVES ??

Bruce talks to Carrie 

"What is this thing?" -carrie "Dick called it the batmobile" -bruce "SIR!!" -alfred over the radio There are no words. Then she pops his arm into place and creates a makeshift cast And he says "where'd you learn to do that?” and because she’s a mary sue she says nothing, because miller doesnt know why she should, so he cuts to "what's your name?" and she says "Carrie. Carrie Kelly. robin" and HE FUCKING GOES "MINES BRUCE." and then immediately tells Alfred hes bringing "robin" to the cave. I hate it here I hate that he forgets what happened to Jason aFTER ITS HIS LITERAL REASON FOR QUITTING. WHAT IS THE POINT IF HE’S GOING TO ACCEPT THIS GIRL HE DOESNT EVEN KNOW AS ROBIN?

-Bruce talks about Jason

OH BRUCE'S FUCKING LINE. HIS LINE. IM FURIOUS Alfred asks "have you forgotten what happened to Jason?" And he says "I'll never forget. he was a good soldier. He honored me" I AM !!!! SHAKING!!!! WITH HOW MAD !!!! I AM!!! Bruce would NOT say that shit. Implying that jason wasnt his son, or that jason was only a casualty in a war, or that HE FUCKING HONORED HIM AND NOT THE CITY, OR THE TITLE OF ROBIN "He honored me" shut the fuck up I hate this and dont even get me started on the misconceptions of Robin in the first place. i dont want to go into the debate on whether or not they’re soldiers, which I personally don’t believe. but its just stupid because Jason considered being Robin the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and he was THE BEST. it wasnt his fault he was killed, either. 

-The ending

So the mutant escapes his cell by going through a VENT. A . V E N T. AND ENDS UP IN THE SEWER. I hate that these mutants are just an army of evil people and have no motivation and the leader is just a brute I fucking hate Bruce calling him "son" And the mutants become the sons of batman who fight crime......??? because their leader is gone?? werent they supposed to be evil criminals with no humanity in them?

-Joker

Okay but Joker being absent the entire first part , only to show up in the end hearing news reports about batman, and then smiling as he stands up and just fucking creepily says "darling" holy shit that gave me goosebumps. another credit i have to give. 

[dumbkiri]

Fate Changes

Parts: [ Here, 2, 3, 4, 5 ]

Summary: [Name] along with the rest of the Batfamily is stuck in Gotham fighting bad guys. She gets pulled along when the Arkham Knight and his military guys barge into her home uninvited. 

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female! Reader

Genre: Slight Angst

Word Count: 3.3k// 8 pages 

Warnings: Attempted suicide, guns, curse words, death

“Fly me to the moon…” 

It was that song again. That dreaded song. 

“Let me play among the stars…”

Oh, how she hated the song. It reminded her too much of him. 

“Let me see that Spring is like on…”

She remembers being in his arms. The smiles on their faces bringing happiness to one another.

“A-Jupiter and Mars…” 

She felt his lips on her forehead and heard a chuckle leave them. 

“In other words, hold my hand,”

They were dancing along the beat of the song. His hands leading her and his blue eyes lingering on her form. 

“In other words, baby, kiss me…”

Then he brought his hands up to her face. He let his fingers trace along her skin. 

“Fill my heart with song and let me sing for ever more…"

Slowly, he came closer to her face. She could feel his breath against her face.

“You are all I long for...”

 It smelled of chocolate and mint.

“All I worship and adore…”

She held her hands close to her chest, anticipating his next move. 

“In other words, please be true…”

 “How long?” He asked her. She gave him a puzzled look, “How long for what?” 

“In other words, I love-”

Her hands trembled and the song completely stopped. The record no longer moving. “How long did it take for you to replace me?” His question stung and she didn't know what he was saying. He waited for her to answer and she could tell he was getting impatient. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. How was she supposed to answer him. 

He backed away from her and the room around them grew cold. His body was hiding something behind him. She could see the pool of blood around his feet. She closed her eyes wanting to wake up from this nightmare. When she opened them up again, he was no longer in casual clothing. He was wearing his costume. The costume he wore proudly. The costume he died in.

“How long did it take for you to find me!” He yelled at her. His voice made her flinch and she kept her hands close to her chest. Her lips trembled, “I never replaced you.” Then she heard beeping. It was like a countdown. “I waited for you to save me from The Joker. But you did nothing!”

He walked into the shadows and revealed what was behind him. It was himself, tied up to a chair. His breathing was labored and his costume had dried blood on it. Suddenly, she heard footsteps from behind her and Joker appeared with his sickly grin. 

“Fill my heart with song…”

The record was playing again and her heart raced. 

“Let me sing for ever more…”

The green haired male walked with a hop in his step. 

“You are all I long for, all I worship and adore…”

Her right leg took a step forward. 

“In other words, please be true…”

Joker raised his right arm high in the air. 

“In other words…”

She had to stop him from killing the person she held dearly. 

“In other words…”

She ran in front of Joker, his gun pointing at her chest. Where her heart resided. 

“I love you…” 

Joker pulled the trigger and on instinct, her eyes shut tightly. She heard a thud behind her, the sound of a body dropping to the floor. Quickly, she looked down at her chest and saw that the bullet didn’t go through her. She turned her body around and saw Jason laying on his back with his eyes shut like hers earlier. Tears fell down her cheeks and she choked up. 

“It felt like years with him,” Jason’s voice echoed around in the dark room. The only light source was focused on his dead body. She fell to her knees, too weak to bring herself closer to him. “But I still waited for you.”

She nodded her head, “I know. But Bruce held me back, he said that my emotions would cloud my judgement. So that’s why Tim-”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, [Name]!” Jason yelled, “I want to know why you replaced me so easily. I thought you loved me?” 

Her hands balled up into fists and she hit her thighs with them, “I still love you!” Her declaration rang in the room and her sobs followed after. 

……

[Name]’s body shot up from her bed and her hair stuck to her forehead. Her revealed skin covered in a light coat of sweat. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. Once every week, that song would play in her dreams and slowly turn it into a nightmare. A nightmare that reminded her of how her boyfriend died and by who. She heard her alarm go off, now she knows why she heard a beeping in her nightmare. 

She threw her blanket off her body, welcoming the cold air. She then reached for her phone turning the alarm off with a sigh. She rubbed her tired eyes and got off her bed to start her morning routine. After taking a well needed shower, she got dressed and walked into her living room where Tim Drake sat on her couch typing away on her laptop. “Good morning, Tim,” She lazily greeted the teen and began making themselves coffee. 

Tim nodded his head, “It's still night.” He paused his typing and stared at the female in the kitchen. She wore a regular white shirt and a pair of shorts. Her legs were lightly covered in scars which she received from patrols. Her feet covered with red socks. He resumed his typing when [Name] glanced up from her cup of coffee. She knew something was on his mind.

“Alright, Drake.” She swished the coffee in her cup, “spill it.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I heard you talking in your sleep,” His eyes looked for a reaction. She stopped messing with her drink and set the cup down on the counter. She didn’t know she was capable of talking in her sleep. “You mentioned a Jason a couple of times. Who is he?” 

[Name] gulped and wondered if she should tell him. Bruce had told her to keep Jason a secret, but sooner or later, Tim was going to find out. “An old boyfriend,” She concluded and took another daring sip from her coffee. Tim squinted his eyes, “He seems important to be an old boyfriend.” 

“Sometimes, old lovers become a part of you that you can’t forget. Sometimes, there are regrets.” [Name] walked over to him and gave him a cup of coffee. Then she sat next to him and placed her feet on the stand in front of her. 

“You regret loving him?” Tim asked shifting in his spot to make room for her. He was glad that she made him a cup, she was finally getting used to his company. 

[Name] denied him, “God, no. Jason was very sweet. Annoying, yes. But he knew how to love even if our relationship was young love. Alfred would always say that-”

“Alfred knew him?” Tim cut her off with his question and [Name] knew she screwed up by letting the young Robin know that Alfred knew Jason. How can she fix this stupid problem. “Yeah, Alfred knew Jason very well," She said remembering. 

"Ah, Master Todd, how is the book?" Alfred questioned looking over the black haired male's shoulder. 

Jason smiled and waved the book in the air, "Shakespeare never gets old. He has his ways of defining love." He pondered about his feelings with [Name], the new Batgirl. 

Alfred nodded his head in acknowledgment, "Well, yes. Shakespeare has no problem making a couple star-crossed. It's a tragedy unlike most others." 

Jason was going to respond to Alfred until [Name] declared from on top of the stairs, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" She had a playful side which Jason was grateful for. Bruce was moodier than usual and she seemed to lighten up even his darkest days. She wore her costume, but didn’t have her mask on. Was it already patrol time?  Alfred backed away from the couch Jason was casually reading on and greeted [Name], “Miss [L.Name], is it time to patrol the city already?” 

[Name] happily replied, “Of course and guess what? Batman is allowing me to patrol a section by myself!” She ran down the stairs and jumped over the last few. Her cape flew up before resting on her back. “I guess I proved myself to him during training. Who would have known I was capable of putting Jason in a lock.” 

Jason scoffed, “I let you win that match. It won’t happen again, babe.” [Name] blushed profusely at the name he called her and swiftly chucked a pillow at his face to which he nearly dodged. She put her mask on and let her hands rest on her hips, “Well, Jaybird, have fun cleaning the Batmobile.”

“[Name],” Tim called out waving his hand in front of her face, “hey, [Name].” She was brought back to the present and chuckled. It was embarrassing that she left herself vulnerable. Bruce would always reprimand her for daydreaming. “Are you okay?” Tim asked setting her laptop on the table in front of them. He rested his hand on her shoulder and concern was etched onto his face. 

“I’m okay, Tim,” She reassured him and looked at her laptop, “I see that you’re sending coded messages to Barbara, huh? Anything cool happen yet?” He removed his hand off her shoulder and typed away on the laptop. Batman had removed him from the scene and had him focus on the cure for the impostors. 

"She hasn't messaged me in an hour. I'm getting kind of worried," Tim stated truthfully, his eyes trained on the computer. [Name] quirked an eyebrow. Barbara was always quick with her responses. "Batman probably has her doing some important things right now and you need to find a cure, remember? Tonight is going to be a long night." 

Suddenly, an alarm buzzed through her house. It was a trigger alarm meaning that someone had entered her house without permission. Tim stood up from the couch ready to fight the intruders while [Name] didn't have time to change into her costume. "Shit," she cursed and grabbed her laptop shoving it into Tim's chest, "take this and go."  

Tim shook his head, "You're not even dressed and I'm not leaving you alone to fight them by yourself. There's probably-" 

"I'm not arguing with you right now," [Name] glared at him and pushed him toward the window. She gave him one last look, one that was filled with determination, "Find the cure." The front door was blasted off its hinges giving Tim the opportunity to climb out of the window with a heavy heart. He didn't want to leave [Name] behind, but she was right. He needed to find the cure. 

[Name] closed the window after him and ran up the stairs to enter her bedroom. She ran down the hallway and quietly shut the door behind her. She heard orders being yelled down stairs and she had to hurry. Quickly, she walked over to her closet and moved the clothes on hangers to the side. Behind them was a secret door. She placed her hand in the center and the scanner beeps before the door hissed signaling that she opened it. 

Lo and behold, her Batgirl suit waited for her to be put on. Without wasting any more time, she slipped into the costume and fixed her hair. Then she placed her mask on. At this point, it didn't matter if she put it on. They knew where she lived, they know who she is. But for the sake of feeling safe, she put it on. The secret door closed and she walked into the closet sliding the wooden doors closed. 

She heard a pair of footsteps walk into her room and heard the creaking underneath the person's feet. She had the advantage of knowing where they were. The man slowly walked over to the closet and he opened it with one hand on the door and the other on his gun. [Name] jumped on him before he could yell and hurry to subdue him. The man closed his eyes and fell to the floor gradually with [Name] holding him up. She laid him on the floor and sighed, "I need to find a new place now." 

She peeked out of her bedroom and looked down the hallway. So far, she saw no one. [Name] walked out of her bedroom and down the hallway listening out for any other thugs. She saw something out of the corner of her eyes, to her right and when she faced that way, a big man lifted his foot and planted the bottom of his shoe onto her chest. He kicked her with so much force that her back broke the wooden railing behind her and she fell backwards. She fell for at least five seconds before her back fell onto the floor with broken pieces of wood making the fall hurt more. 

"Found Batgirl! She's down here!" The big man yelled to his fellow comrades. He wore black and red and the uniform gave it all away. He was a part of the militia that the Arkham Knight brought into Gotham. She coughed and coughed, wanting to breathe the air that was knocked out of her lungs. She rolled onto her side and used her right arm to push her off the floor. She heard more than ten men run at her with their guns pointing down at her. 

"Move and we will shoot you!" One man yelled and [Name] froze in her spot. She hadn't fought in weeks and now here she was. Sitting on the floor with guns trained on her from all sides. Maybe she should have let Tim stay by her side. Or maybe she wanted to get caught. 

The big man jumped down from where he kicked her and landed right in front of her. "The boss said to bring her in alive, but he didn't say we couldn't break anything." [Name] looked up from her fetal position and glared at the man. If he dared to lay a finger on her, she wouldn't hesitate to kick his ass. He raised his foot and went to slam it on her left leg, but she quickly moved it to the side. He nearly missed her and he scowled. 

She was ruining his fun. But he was ruining her night. "You come into my house and you expect me to suddenly surrender," She jumped to her feet, "you should have brought more men." [Name] jumped on the guy and put him into a choke hold with her legs then she used the jump as an advantage to bring him down. The force of her toppling and slamming him against the floor made another guy watching pull the trigger on her. 

A bullet lodged itself into her shoulder barely missing her heart and the big man yelled at the noob, "You idiot, don't kill her!" [Name] would have laughed because the big man was on the floor with his head stuck between her thighs. She had the power to snap his neck. "Move and I'll kill your lieutenant," She groaned out and felt blood leave her bullet wound. The men didn't move and [Name] hurriedly knocked the big man out and went onto another guy.

She took his gun away from him and slammed the butt of it onto his face rendering him immobile as his head snapped to the left. His body dropped onto the floor and she dodged an oncoming hit from behind her. Still holding the gun, she swung the weapon like a baseball bat and it broke on impact. The guy groaned out and in a daze, stumbled backwards. Before she could land a couple hits, someone had shot her in the leg. 

[Name] cried out and threw a batarang at the happy trigger guy. It successfully knocked him out and she evaded a guy whose intentions were to tackle her onto the floor. When she landed on her right leg, it sent a wave of pain throughout her body. And it wasn't like her shoulder wasn't in pain either. She turned around and threw a punch at the guy behind her, but her fist was caught in one swoop. 

Her eyes widened at who was standing in front of her. It was the one and only Arkham Knight. He chuckled, but it sounded darker due to the voice modifier he wore to mask his voice. "You have grown so much," He commented and let go of her hand. [Name] limped away from him, but kept her eyes trained on his form. How did he know her? She racked her brain for some answers, yet she couldn't find anything. 

The Arkham Knight took a step forward each time she took one backwards. He was taunting her. Her back hit the book shelf behind her and she looked to her left. Romeo and Juliet in big gold letters caught her attention and she took the book out. The Arkham Knight stopped in his tracks and looked at her. Her hands shook while holding the book, she hasn't held the book in what felt like forever and in her mind it weighed a lot in her hands. 

"O Romeo, Romeo," She rasped out and opened the book, "wherefore art thou Romeo?" [Name] slid down to the floor and examined the pages her boyfriend left on. His bookmark was a photo of the two of them on Christmas. She gulped and let her bloody fingers hold the photo. The bullet wounds didn't ache as much and she knew she was slipping away. She let a few tears escape and she wiped them away. Jason wouldn't want her to succumb to an enemy, but she didn't want to live. 

Maybe the Arkham Knight was giving her a chance to finally be with Jason. She looked up from the photo and to the man in a very advanced suit. He was staring down at her with his men standing behind him, their guns aimed at the floor. She put the photo back in the book and closed it. Then she set it next to her without giving it a glance. [Name] coughed into her hands and blood specked her [s.color] hands. 

"I suppose that you're here to give me away to Scarecrow. Make me have a taste of his fear toxin and let Batman watch as another one of his sidekicks die in front of him, huh?" She questioned and let her right hand reach behind her. [Name] had guns hidden around in her house and death was better than being one of Scarecrow's baits. The Arkham Knight didn't respond instead his eyes were set on the book. 

[Name] felt the cold weapon and almost flinched from the temperature. "You a fan of Shakespeare or something?" She asked to keep him distracted. Again, he didn't respond. This was her chance to pull the trigger on herself. "O happy dagger," [Name] revealed the gun and cocked it, pointing the barrel at her head with her eyes closed. She was accepting death. "This is thy sheath." 

She pulled the trigger without hesitation and the ringing in her ear was loud. [Name] opened her eyes and saw the white symbol in front of her. She looked up at his blue mask and no words were exchanged for what felt like minutes. She didn't understand why she wasn't dead. She looked to her right and saw that the Arkham Knight had placed his hand over the gun. His suit allowed him to deflect bullets. He ruined her plans of reuniting with her love. 

"I fear too early, for my mind misgives," The Arkham Knight started, removing the gun away from her weak grip. "Some consequences, yet hanging in the stars-" 

"Why?" [Name] asked with tears blurring her vision. "Why couldn't you let me die!" 

"Shall bitterly begin," The Arkham Knight finished knocking out the girl successfully with a syringe in her neck. 

[armageddon-generation]

Batwoman Could’ve Been the PERFECT Batfamily Show

After Gotham ended so recently, Batwoman should've positioned itself as the Ying to that show's Yang by focusing on Batman's allies instead of his enemies.

The 'Bruce disappears hook is a brilliant way to do this

Kate is our audience entry point into this world

ORACLE + GORDON

Barbra Gordon has already been paralysed via The Killing Joke, and hasn't yet become Oracle - she's still recovering

Comissioner Gordon took an early retirement after his daughter was paralysed, which is why Kate's Dad's private security force the Crows runs the streets

Batwoman and the series' events inspire him to return and reclaim Gotham for the Law by the end of season 1

TIM DRAKE + WE ARE ROBIN

Robin disappeared with Batman, so we can introduce the We Are Robin gang. At the beginning of the season they're just criminals, but after Kate defeats their ringleader she shows them a better outlet for their rage, and inspires them. Duke Thomas (future Signal) is among them

Once the we Are Robins are established Tim Drake returns to Gotham. Kate is surprised - few people outside of Gotham know there have been multiple Robins. This way we can explain the different versions to people not in the know

Just like after Bruce was sent back in time in the comics, Tim has gone travelling the world as Red Robin, searching for him. Tim heard about the Robins causing civil unrest and is concerned about them marring Robin's good name.

Tim and Kate clash over the Robins' chaotic, violent modus oprendi - Tim enforces a philosophy of Robin as the light to Batman's dark - promoting positivity, not violence. A loose adaptation of the Robin War storyline follows where Duke Thomas emerges as the Robins' leader and rallies them to be more controlled and less violent

Tim leaves after this mini-arc, satisfied Gotham is in good hands. He also teaches Kate more about the detective side of Batman - he isn't just a blunt instrument. Tim will be our primary link to the 'Bruce's location' mystery throughout the series

NIGHTWING

Dick arrives in Gotham on a case from Bludhaven. Kate thinks he's abandoned Gotham - he should've taken up the mantle while Bruce was gone.

Explore Dick's troubled history with Bruce (not to F**k Batman levels), how Babs being Batgirl caused him to quit, and the one-two punch of Jason Todd's death and Barbra's paralysis only validated his getting out while he could

Tender scenes between Dick and Babs alluding to thier teenage crushes on each other.

As a cop, Dick hates the Crows being on Gotham's streets and more actively conflicts with Kate's father, driving up the tension between them and Batwoman

RED HOOD

This arc would be like a finale-style thing

Jason Todd returns and starts assassinating criminals with the ambition of 'controlling' crime. Kate is a soldier, more brutal than Bruce, so she has greater sympathy for Jay's methods

Jay is after the Joker. Like in The Dark Knight Returns, the Joker has 'retired' to Arkham since Batman left - he got bored pretty quickly. This arc introduces him properly after a few teases earlier in the series.

Jay learns of Barbra's paralysis (which happened after he died) - even then Bruce wouldn't kill him. A scene where Jason visits Babs (little brother/big sister dynamic).

Both Dick and Tim return for this arc, losing their shit over the Joker. Kate's reaction to the Joker is much like Terry McGuiness's in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. She doesn't get why everyone is so scared of this stupid clown.

Tim is the one who figures out how Jason was resurrected; just like in the Red robin comic he's been travelling through the world of assassins and knows about the Lazarus Pit.

I think doing the Red Hood arc without Bruce - the main target of Jason's anger - is super interesting. Most people share his anger at Bruce for disappearing.

It also lets us dig deep into the inter-Robin dynamics - Jason hates Dick because he always had to live up to him (do that thing in the comics where Jay had to dye his red hair black to 'look like Robin')

Jay hates Tim for replacing him, for being proof Bruce didn't learn his lesson, for Bruce treating Tim better, the way he should've treated Jason

Kate is instrumental to this arc because, being outside all the drama, she has objectivity. She forces Dick and Tim to get their heads out of their asses and talk to Jason, forces them to confront the problem.

Instead of taking the Joker to Bruce as he does in the Under the Red Hood movie, Jason takes Joker to Babs, who has suffered the most because of him. Confronted with the man who 'ruined' her life, Babs proves bigger and stronger than him. She refuses to kill him. Unlike Jason, she's moving on and growing past her trauma, not looking for revenge.

Joker (being the Joker) turns the tables on Jay and has him at his mercy. Kate swoops in and, like Terry in Return of the Joker, messes with the Joker's head by refusing to take him seriously. The Joker is distracted, screaming about Kate not being Batman, and Babs gets to knock him the fuck out.

Jason escapes, but not before dropping a clue connecting Bruce's disappearance to the League of Assassins

I know the showrunners admitted they have no clue where Bruce is yet, so in my version he's off on some quest with Ras Al Guhl. In the time since he's been gone he's married Talia and had a kid. no-one in Gotham knows this yet.

VILLAINS

We can explore how Batman’s absence has had a strange effect on Gotham's villains - many have gone into states of hibernation similar to the Joker.

Two Face gets his dark Knight Returns plotline where the attempt to repair his face, 

Mr Freeze has a similar ‘cure’ story a la Batman Beyond

Clayface (as in the Rebirth run of Detective Comics) is trying to go straight - using his shape-shifting gift to make a name for himself in the movie business. He thinks he's finally been accepted, but people are just sucking up to him because of his talent - the reality of their disgust threatens to push him back over the edge

Without Batman there to fight her, Poison Ivy has pretty much taken over Gotham's main park space, but a kind of stalemate has been reached - she won't attack the city as long as the city doesn't move against her plants.

Kate's central dilemma is navigating these unusual waters - she toys with the idea of putting Ivy behind bars and we get an episode of her exploring the micro-climate of the transformed Park. Kate's disturbance makes Ivy threaten the city, and she has to stretch her underused negotiation muscles to talk her down.

I like the idea of Ivy as an ambivalent character, not good or evil. She'll do whatever she wants. Also she and Kate would have killer sexual chemistry.

Harley. Exploring Harley in such a strongly feminist show would be fascinating. Joker has closed off, given himself up. Harley is forced to fend without him, and finds an antihero niche with the Gotham City Sirens (hi, Ivy!)

With Bruce's disappearance, Wayne enterprises is designing revolutionary new weapons for the Crows. It's revealed that they’re using the Riddler to design these. After Batman disappeared it was presumed Nygma went through therapy and was moved away from Gotham - in fact he's here.

This plot point is inspired by the New 52's Zero Year arc. Kate discovers the foul play when the Crow's systems go haywire because of a virus Nygma planted, sending Gotham into a blackout and giving the Riddler control of its municipal systems

Kate finds Nygma and exposes Wayne Enterprises' corruption, but in the process Riddler escapes.

Similar to Ivy, Kate's appearance excites the Riddler and he reactivates his Saw-like trap rooms across the city. Kate has a different, much blunter way of solving puzzles that frustrates him, used to Bruce's genius-level intellect.

This raises the question - is Batwoman a liability to the city?

BATGIRL(S)/BIRDS OF PREY

With Riddler's re-emergence triggers the appearance of Spoiler. In the comics Stephanie Brown is Cluemaster's daughter, but no-one really gives a shit about him. The benefit of a decade-plus old Batman means his rogues gallery can easily have kids - Stephanie had her name changed in witness protection.

Steph helps Kate beat the Riddler in collaboration with Bab's hacking skills. Kate sees potential in Spoiler and sends her to Babs to be trained.

As Batwoman's appearance reawakens super-crime in Gotham, the Crows get desperate. They hire world- renowned assassin David Cain to start taking out targets

Intro Cassandra Cain.

Cass + Steph + Babs are this series' version of the Birds of Prey

Babs teaches Cass sign-language to communicate. Steal her friendship with Clayface from the Rebirth Detective Comics - Clayface leaves the movie business again because it was unhealthy, and is trying to do good

Everyone is very protective of Cass and determined she won't fight

[incoherentbabblings]

First Date (5/9)

Tim has one more test to pass before Bruce will allow him out as Robin. Like Dick and Jason before him, he has to avoid being caught by Batman for one night. He has already failed once, and is determined to succeed this time. Determination which might not count for much when Stephanie Brown is on the run from the mob. Her mother kidnapped as a way to threaten her father, Stephanie manages to escape and run into Tim. Unable to leave Stephanie alone when she is in need, Tim decides to try and multi-task. All he has to do is rescue Stephanie’s mother, take down the mob, avoid Batman, and get Stephanie to agree to a proper date all in one night. Absolute anarchy ensues. Ao3 link here!

The sounds of Gotham continued to penetrate the thick car frame, but sat in the dark, tucked away from anyone and anything, Tim and Stephanie felt very much alone.

“I think I have like…White Knight Stockholm Syndrome or something…” Stephanie muttered. She hadn’t moved away though and was resting a hand on Tim’s. Tim, for his part, still had his eyes closed, and looked like he was on cloud nine with no sign of coming back down soon.

“…Not the…official title… but I hope not anyway.”

He nuzzled her nose, and she laughed, bright and sweet. Shuffling over, she moved to the driver’s side of the car. Tim’s breathing stuttered as she adjusted herself, resting on her shins straddling Tim’s thighs. He leaned up and caught her in another kiss. The mint gum she had chewed thankfully masked the smell of vomit, and her hair was cleaned of it too.

Tim fumbled with his hands, turning up the heat in the car to help dry her tangled hair. His hands then crept up, holding her neck, whilst hers rested patiently on his chest, occasionally tightening when he did something she liked.

Making out in a gangster’s stolen car with a boy she’d met only three and a half hours ago. Hoo boy, she was having an interesting night. Stephanie stifled a chuckle, but still broke away to catch her breath.

He looked up at her and cradled her face again with both hands. Stroking her cheeks, he tried to soothe her blotchy skin and red eyes. She sniffed and smiled sadly at his affection. Feeling safe, she closed her eyes.

Tim felt her grow limp in his grip, head tilting and resting heavily on one hand. Tim eyed the dashboard clock. Nearly midnight.

“Tired?”

“…A bit. Can we rest? Just for a while?” She leant down, resting her face in the crook of Tim’s neck. She shuffled around once more so she was sat in his lap, a comforting solid weight against his chest. Tim held her close, and was tempted for a moment to doze off in the warm car with her.

Tim breathed in deep and glanced out the darkened window. They were tucked away neat out of sight…

“No. I’m sorry Steph. We’ve got to keep moving.”

She looked disappointed, but accepted it all the same. Tim tried to mollify her.

“We should be okay to drive in this to Bristol now. You can close your eyes.”

Her eyes shot open, and she peered at Tim suspiciously. She slowly removed her head from his hold, and his arms collapsed to rest on his thighs.

“Bristol? No, we need to go to the Narrows and grab my mom.”

“I can’t fight through that many people.”

She shifted backwards, back resting against the wheel of the car. “Oh, but Batman can?” She said, tone snide and derisive.

“Batman has armour and tech and bombs and…batarangs. I have two feet two hands and head. I’m not that good.”

“We did fine with those guys.”

“You nearly got shot. He hurt your head.” He raised his hands to check for a bad lump, but she twitched away from his grip.

“I can’t sit and do nothing and hope that Batman finds mom in time. I can’t keep running.”

Tim looked so miserable for a moment, like he knew the sweet moment was over. “You’re going to have to. I don’t like it either. But I know my limits. I can’t save your mom like this. Neither can you.”

It was a harsh put down, and Stephanie threw herself of him and back onto her seat. Seeing what she was about to do, Tim locked the car doors.

She whirled around, face red with anger.

“Let me out.”

“No.”

“Tim, I swear to God –”

His temper finally flared. “I get it! You don’t think I get how useless you feel right now? When my mom died and my dad was in that coma, I couldn’t do shit!”

“My mom’s not dead!”

“No, but she will be if you roll up unprepared to a warehouse in the Narrows against twenty guys with guns. The only thing keeping you both alive is the fact that you are separated. You turn up and your dad turns up she will die! I can’t let that happen Stephanie!”

He’d had enough of her tantrums and contradictions and had put his foot down. She screeched and kicked the dashboard hard. Tim flinched away and Stephanie’s breath caught. Her anger drained, and self-loathing took its place. She knew that flinch. She’d seen it nearly every time her parents argued, and her mom had been hurt. She’d done that flinch herself many times.

“…I’m sorry. That was childish.”

Tim gripped the steering wheel, not quite able to look at her. “You’re under a lot of stress.” He said, tone very subdued. Shame continued to make Stephanie feel sick.

“That’s just an excuse. One my dad uses all the time… Fuck.” She stared hard out the window, then looked in her lap. Her hands were shaking. Tim, after a pause, reached across and held them tight. She whined softly to herself and he rubbed her fingers.

“My dad… he is a bit rubbish too sometimes. Not in the same way as yours but he… he’s not very good. I think. At being a dad.”

She looked across at him, lashes damp, but her emotions were settling down once more. “Does he hurt you?” She asked sadly.

“Ignore. Mostly.” He spoke very matter of factly, a sad reality he had long accepted. “I love him, I do, but sometimes I… I resent him. He remarried so quick after mom died, and I knew their marriage was on the rocks anyway but… you’d think he’d... and then he has a temper. Never at me directly… though that time with my tv was a bit…” He was mumbling to himself, unable to verbalise what it was like.

Stephanie understood the unspoken though.

“You deserve better.”

She said it with such conviction that Tim turned and smiled at her.

“Ditto?”

She smiled back. “Let’s go to Bristol. The sooner I’m there the sooner we can get this sorted.”

“Deal.” He looked at her shyly. “Can I kiss you again?”

Laughing sharply at his roundabout way of checking that he was forgiven, she went willingly.

When they broke apart, she buckled on her seatbelt.

“I’m gonna try and nap okay?”

“I’ll wake you if anything happens. Promise.”

“You are definitely one for promises Mr. Drake.”

“I try.”

The car switched on with a gentle thrum, and slowly Tim set off.

Tim tried to concentrate for the drive through the island, heading for Kane Bridge. They just needed to get across the bridge. From there they could dump the car and walk by foot. Feeling awfully paranoid, he obsessively checked his mirrors and glanced sideways and even upwards through the windows, just in case they were being followed.

The roads were largely quiet though, so for a painfully long twenty minutes Tim drove through the city, deliberately going slower and quieter routes when possible.

Stephanie very quickly dozed off, head hanging limp against her chest. She looked very pouty asleep. He left her alone, only the sound of the car heaters and engine filling the silence. Her hair had nearly dried, but it needed a good brush through.

The stunt at the corner store had been such a stupid mistake. He had wanted to impress her, but he hadn’t thought it through at all. He could hear Dick in the back of his head tutting. Getting distracted by a pretty girl. A pretty girl who liked him back no less.

Hormones…

Stephanie then let out an almighty snort and twitched violently. Tim glanced at her sideways, then returned to watching the roads.

She was very weird, if he were honest with himself. A very sad life, but somehow still filled with a lot of love and humour.

That temper though… It was obvious she hated being lied to, hated being kept out of the loop. And Tim was lying to her. He could have called Batman hours ago, could have ended this by now. But he hadn’t. Instead, because of his crush on her and his desire to win Bruce’s challenge, he had dragged her around town, when she could have been safe with Batman. He was putting Crystal Brown’s life at risk, and maybe even slowing down Bruce.

He was being selfish.

The little tracker in his coat sat heavily next to his heart.

Before he could fall into a further self-loathing, he noticed a car one block back.

It was following him.

“Crap.” He reached across and woke up Stephanie, shaking her arm. She reached up and grasped his hand instinctively.

“Wha…”

“We’re being followed. Gonna speed up a bit.” He said it casually, like they needed to make up time on the school run.

She turned around, looking out the back window.

“Oh God.”

“Don’t worry. I can lose them."

“Can you?”

“Well… I can try.”

He put his foot down then, speeding up to ninety, and Stephanie squeaked, squeezing herself onto the back of the seat. She raised one hand to the handle above the car door, the other resting quite firmly on the arm rest.

“Oh boy.” She muttered.

“It’s fine.”

It was not fine. The following car had sped up also, and was doing a frustratingly good job at keeping pace. Tim huffed in annoyance, and took a sharp turn left, the back of the car swinging out and knocking into a lamppost. The car violently jiggled, Stephanie unable to contain her cries of alarm.

“It’s fine.” Tim said again, and they regained control.  Stephanie quickly figured out the route he was taking, a long circle that would lead them straight to the bridge.

The car behind them was still gaining.

“Tim...”

Gunfire started then, aiming at the tires of the car. Tim made a little ‘oop’ noise and few around the final corner. The bridge was in sight.

“This is... fine.”

“Tim.”

“Yup?”

“There’s more guys and cars on the bridge.”

“Yup.”

Tone still light, he continued his very fast slightly uncontrolled driving, managing to avoid very loud gun shots. Stephanie gulped and looked at the inside of the roof, closing her eyes and doing breathing exercises.

“Please don’t tell me you are planning on ramming – Oh my god!”

A hard slam came down on the car and caused Stephanie to yelp. Someone had landed on the roof.

Tim realised it was Batman from the fact that the gun shots were now being directed upwards, most likely at Bruce’s head.

Of course, Batman would look into a high-speed car chase with lots of shooting and swerving and destroying public property. Of course, of course, of course…

Tim was screwed. He was so screwed.

“This is less fine.”

“Who -”

“Batman.”

He swerved on the bridge, turning the car horizontal, blocking off several lanes. Cars that were trying to get on the bridge from the other side were blocked from getting on, and sure enough once Tim had driven onto the Kane bridge more cars appeared, refusing to let others on. The civilian cars that had been ahead of Tim whirled to a stop, and the men at the end of the bridge shouted for them to get out and off. Stephanie watched as people fled from the road and onto solid land.

She and Tim however, were trapped.

“Batman? Wait, what?” Stephanie asked. She reached across to open the door and poke her head outside, trying to see if it was indeed Batman on the roof.

A black gloved hand reached down and very purposefully shut the door.

“Oh. Okay.” She sat back against the chair. “Tim...”

She turned around to see that Tim had completely collapsed his seat, and was lying flat, perpendicular from the steering wheel. For the first time he looked completely beside himself in panic. Stephanie pursed her lips.

“Tim.”

“Shhst.”

She let her mouth fall open, gobsmacked. “Don’t shh me.”

She looked through the window. Men from both ends of the bridge were closing in on the car, and she suddenly understood Tim’s desire to be out of sight of the windows. Even if they were tinted, she didn’t doubt enough gunfire could get through the glass.

The figure on the top of the car shifted, its weight sitting low.

“Should I get down?”

“Probably.”

She didn’t though, she wanted to see what was going to happen. She watched as, with increasing slowness and caution, about ten men on either side approached the car.

“What are we going to do?”

“Stay put until he takes them all out.”

“You sure it’s Batman?” She asked, leering through Tim’s window. She shifted and crossed her legs on the seat.

Tim muttered something to himself that she didn’t catch, his eyes screwed shut. All she got was a distinct whiny tone, like a five-year-old having their toy taken away.

A sharp object was thrown at one of the men, causing him to fall with a dramatic glurk. It was shaped like a bat and answered Stephanie's question for her.

“Oh!” She gasped.

Then chaos erupted. Gunfire began in earnest, to which Tim reached across and snapped Stephanie’s seat down. She flew back with exaggerated flailing and squeaking, her legs kicking up onto the roof before her ankles collapsed on the dashboard. Her bag swung up and smacked her in the face, to which Tim ignored her deadpan cry of ow and reached past her to grab his own backpack.

Stephanie struggled for a moment with the disorientation of having her head lower than her torso. Tim incessantly tapped her legs to bring them down level with the rest of her, to which she quickly let them drop. He then reached across and grabbed her hand tight. His hands were sweaty. Stephanie realised he was genuinely frightened.

Shouts, screams and sounds of punches and gun shots ricocheted through the vehicle. Occasionally it rocked the body of the car, to which Tim’s hands tightened on hers. She didn’t understand why he was so worried. To her, it sounded like Batman was winning.

“I messed up.” He whispered.

“I mean... you did your best.” She said, trying to console him.

“No... no I didn’t.”

“Tim, it’s okay. He’s winning.”

He looked positively wracked with guilt in a way she just couldn’t understand.  Tim peeked upwards, seeing that Bruce had moved further down the bridge on Stephanie’s side, and was currently fighting off three guys at once.

Maybe there was still...

A crowbar carried by a screaming woman smashed through Tim’s window, and the adolescent pair squealed like they were in a horror film. Tim gathered his wits quicker than Steph, and shoved the door open, hitting the woman in the chest and nose. She cried out and stumbled backwards.

“Follow me.” Tim ordered.

The pair got out of the car, seeing that all the folk aside from Mrs. Crowbar were passed out on their side of the bridge. Batman seemed to be methodically working his way through them all. The navy suited woman rose up from her pained crouch, and went to smack Tim across the face with the metal rod, but Tim kicked her hard and she flew back, grip loosening. Stephanie wrenched it from her, and with an almost righteous fury, whacked her across the face.

She fell to the floor, and Stephanie heaved deeply. Glancing at the crowbar in her hand, she dropped it like a dead weight.

“That was a bit much.” She breathed. The woman groaned on the floor, no doubt with a broken jaw.

Tim ran over the edge of the bridge, jumping over to the pedestrian paths, and looked down at the black water rushing past below.

The bridge was very high above the water, and under normal circumstances you couldn’t survive the jump. Tim rummaged through his backpack, trying to find something that could disrupt the water’s surface before they landed, or something that could slow down their descent.

Stephanie stumbled over, slowly climbing over fences and barriers. The numbing of her leg was starting to fade, and she could feel her stitches tugging at the skin. She watched as Tim pulled something out of his backpack and put it back on. He leant over the railings and watched the river, like he was waiting for the right moment to jump.

“Life’s not that bad kiddo.”

Tim snorted, “Hah.” He looked back at Batman, who was nearly done wrecking the mob. Tim wasn’t out of the game until Bruce physically caught him. At least that was what he was telling himself. He began to climb over the fence.

“Tim!”

“Trust me.” He said as he clung to the railings. He gestured with his head for her to do so as well. She paused, confused by what he was trying to do when the man they were waiting on had shown up. She couldn’t get much safer than with Batman, right?

Then a gunshot sounded, and Stephanie gasped, body thrust forward with the force of the bullet passing through her body. She looked down, vertigo and disorientation making her unable to catch her breath and stay stable on her feet. Just below her waist but just above her left hip, blood began to pour out of a wound. The bullet had passed right through her and embedded itself on the railings that prevented walkers from toppling over.

She didn’t cry out, but lost her balance, leaning over the fence. She couldn’t breathe correctly, and hacked out a broken cry of pain.

Tim yelled and immediately reached across the metal, grabbing her and applying pressure to the wound on her back. Her bright red blood ran over his fingers. The exit wound would be large.

Stephanie began to wriggle, as if she were trying to separate her body from the pain, and she was so out of it she could neither steady her breathing nor control her muscles, and she began to flip over the edge of the bridge.

Batman, for all his skills, only managed to turn around in time to see, a third of a way down from him, the car Tim and Stephanie had stolen splayed halfway across the road, and a woman with a bloody face laying just up from the front of the car on the other side from Batman. Her jaw looked dislocated, and blood and teeth lay scattered across the ground. She had a gun in her hand. Looking to the pair, he could only watch as Stephanie tumbled off the bridge, and Tim, recklessly, thoughtlessly, threw himself off after her.

Resisting the urge to shout, he grappled the shooter in the shoulder, and dragged her across the floor, her face getting ran across the concrete and tarmac. He grabbed the woman’s throat and knocked her out as quickly as he could. Police sirens were not far from the bridge, and Bruce ran over to the edge, looking down.

“If they hit the water at this height it’s like being in a car crash at 90mph with no seatbelt.”

Oracle quoted the fact at him worriedly, even the electronic distortion was unable to hide her distress. And yet, when Bruce looked down, he could see their two heads in the water, bobbing sideways towards the shore. Tim had slowed and broken their fall, somehow. But Stephanie was likely grievously wounded and needed to get to the Bristol safehouse as quickly as possible.

“Oracle, drive the batmobile to where the get on land. Then ensure they get to the Bristol safehouse.”

“You’re going to let Tim drive it there?”

“You do it.”

“Gotcha boss.”

He just grunted and turned back to the one man who was still conscious, hiding behind the line of cars blocking the entrance to Bristol. Dragging him upwards, Batman pinned him up again the hood of his car.

“Where in the Narrows is Crystal Brown?”

The man was holding his broken shoulder and crying. All Ibanescu’s men were – frankly – pathetic.

"She’s at one of the warehouses along Yew and Oak… I’m sorry, we weren’t meant to… the girl was supposed to…my boss will… now that Stephanie is…”

He didn’t want to hear any more of the wretched man’s excuses, so threw him down on the floor. The first police car had arrived, and Bruce sighed, knowing he would have to leave Tim and Stephanie be. He couldn’t be in two places at once, and the threat looming over Crystal Brown had grown exponentially.

“They’ll be okay. I can see them on CCTV. Tim’s got a handle on it with Stephanie and the car. Go save her mom.”

Ignoring the policeman when he approached, Bruce shot a grapple up onto the suspension cables, and shot away, heading for the central island and the Narrows.

Stephanie and Tim would be watched over by Barbara from now on, and Bruce just hoped Stephanie could survive two bullet wounds, let alone the potential hypothermia and infections that could come from falling into Gotham’s rivers.

Tim had made a series of serious mistakes, and no matter how much Dick and Barbara may have hoped otherwise, Bruce could not let them pass by unchecked this night.

[tessatechaitea]

Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child

Darkseid pees out of his eyes.

"It's 2020 and Frank Miller is still doing 'Not' jokes" is the only review of this comic book you probably need.

The Joker and Darkseid are cumming in their pants over the engagement in the election cycle. I guess people who want to stop terrible politicians from making the country a living hell for a vast number of the population are simply falling into their trap! Stupid people who want a better world! Can't they see that the only way to defeat The Joker and Darkseid is to disengage from the circus of election cycles and simply live their own life without any concern for others? Doesn't the electorate know the best life to live is the life that leads to Ayn Randian defenses of their own selfish needs? Just shut up and take what they give you, you dumb fucks. I should probably finish reading this story before I continue to jump from conclusion to conclusion about Frank Miller's point. His ultimate point might simply be that the children will save us all! Or that it doesn't matter if the children change the world or not because the adults will all be dead by then so who fucking cares? Supergirl Lara confronts Darkseid by blasting him with her heat vision. He dies multiple times or something but doesn't somehow. He applauds her rage the way bad guys always do and then calmly sits down to tell all of the children a story. He's going to be sensible and rational which means it will be the truth, I think. Obviously if you have any emotional attachment to your beliefs, they're garbage beliefs. Until you can squeeze all of the humanity out of yourself, the things you believe won't hold up in rational debate! So divest yourself of your rage, children! It will only make you more logical and intellectually stronger! But also divest yourself of your joy and your despair and your other emotions I can't think of! There must be more, right? While Darkseid is distracted regaling everybody with his tale of the anti-life equation, Superboy sneaks up behind him and takes over his Omega Effect. He turns it back on Darkseid and Darkseid disintegrates into non-existence. Unless he was transported back in time. I don't really know how his eyeball lasers work. Darkseid doesn't stay dead for long. He returns as the Omega God, as the end of everything, as the final death of everything on Earth.

But maybe later, I guess?

Batwoman beats up some Jokers and shuts down Trump's ability to broadcast to Gotham. It makes Darkseid angry enough to return for some reason. Probably a metaphorical reason. Or an analogical reason. I think maybe my attention span is seriously slipping! And right when I'm getting to the part that's probably going to explain what the fuck is going on in this comic book. Superboy destroys Darkseid by calling him an old fart. Also maybe a little bit by blasting him with a new super power: neutron vision! Darkseid has now had his powers stripped so far back that a human bouncing a rock off of his head makes him bleed. But still he thinks, "I will manipulate these fools with my lofty words!" But then Greta Thunberg clenches her fist at him and Batwoman says, "You have no power here! We're thinking for ourselves now!" And then that's the end somehow. Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child Rating: I can't comprehend what I just read. Maybe the point was that we shouldn't comprehend what other people want us to comprehend? Maybe it was an anti-propaganda story? Maybe it was just terrible writing pretending to be art? It's so hard to tell because it's trying so hard to be complex! Is it's complexity real or a facade? I can't tell! Maybe I should stick to easier things to understand, like James Joyce's Finnegans Wake or Alan Moore's 1300 page novel, Jerusalem, which I finished. Maybe that's Frank Miller's problem. Maybe he just didn't have enough pages to really get to the point he was trying to make. But then if he did have more pages, how many would he waste by simply repeating the same things over and over again? For those of you who haven't read this (or Superman: Year One), he does that a lot. Not in the good way that Tom King and Gertrude Stein repeat themselves. Just in a way that makes you think, "I got it! Superboy is right in Darkseid's brain." Maybe that's a poor example from this comic book because repeating that over and over works to show how painful Superboy's presence in Darkseid's brain is. But I assure you there were many other examples that I can't make excuses for. I just can't be bothered to dig back through the comic book to find them.

[scaryscarecrows]

Conflict of Interest

Some of the Riddler Informants are Militia members. Ouch.

It’s a complete accident that the boss is fucking with the radio at this exact moment. There was…an incident.

By which Antoine means that, in a panic to get out of Scarecrow’s way, a private had bumped into the main radio in the mall headquarters and sent the dial twisting way off. It sounds like they hit a Russian spy network. Oopsies.

The private is currently hiding several rooms away, Scarecrow is muttering darkly about incompetent help, and the boss is attempting to get everything back the way it was. Damage was done. Not serious damage, but damage.

“—swerving through straights!” Riddler gloats, and Antoine hopes he trips and impales himself on a rusty nail. Lockjaw would be a fitting, fitting thing for him. The Knight snorts.

“Like he’d drive any better.”

Huh?

Whatever. This is just going into the pile of ‘things the boss knows that he keeps to himself because nobody’s unlocked his Level Twelve Tragic Backstory’. Humph.

Sports, static-there! That’s Ron…hang on.

That’s not their frequency.

“Sir?”

“I know.”

“—hid that last trophy for my end, headin’ back to base now.”

Trophy? Is that little prick defecting to the Green?

Antoine hopes he shocks himself on one of those damn robots. (Oh, Chito…their love was never meant to be.)

The Knight returns them to the proper frequency and turns around, cocks his head in that way that says he’s entered Little Shit Mode.

“Drouot,” he says, deceptively cheerful, “where is Mister Freeling now?”

Damn. Instant firing.

“Uh, should be in the Cauldron, sir.”

“I’d like to see him. Go pick him up.”

This isn’t going to be pretty, is it.

* * *

Antoine is literally down the street from Ron when the Goddamn Batman plummets from the sky.

It’s over quickly. By the end, when Batman is gone and the street has four new speed bumps, Antoine is stricken with the need to ensure his balls are where they’re supposed to be and not, like, knocked off his body like a punching bag. They’re fine. That guy over there, by the sidewalk? Maybe not. He was on the ground when that punch landed.*

Children are not in his future.

He lifts a shaky hand to his ear and wheezes, “Boss?”

“What.”

“He’s, uh, I don’t…he’s asleep. Due to, uh, the knee of Justice and the knuckles of Pain.”

“What?” There are no better words and he’s not sorry. “Batman?”

Nobody ever died from a little omission.

“Looks like it.”

Silence. In the distance, Scarecrow monologues at the GCPD about fear responses. The giant plant snatches a bird out of the air. Antoine wonders if the sun will ever rise again.

“Bring him back anyway,” the boss decides. “I know how to wake him up.”

That’s ominous.

“Yes, sir.”

Eyes peeled for anything deadly and/or painful, he makes his way down the street, hauls Ron into a fireman’s carry, and dumps him in the APC. They’re en route back to base when the boss comes back on the line.

“Change of plans.”

Fuck no.

“Sir?”

“Take him over to Mercy Bridge.”

Oh, God. This is gonna be one of those times that the boss starts embracing the joys of Irony, isn’t it. Great. Make way for the Drama Queen.

“Yes, sir.”

Mercy Bridge isn’t that far. The boss is there already, leaning against a beam and flipping a knife in his hand. Okay. So he’s probably not, like, overly pissed. That’s his normal fidgety behavior. It’s something.

He’s still kinda pissed, though. He must be. There’s no other explanation for yanking Ron out of the APC that roughly, tying one end of his grappling line to the front bumper, and tying the other end around Ron’s ankles.

“Uh, boss?”

The knots are good, he finds out, when the boss drags Ron to the edge of the bridge-

-and drops him over the edge. Ow. There’s some dislocations for you.

It’s a long way down. That’s only made more apparent by Ron swinging gently in the breeze, dwarfed by the infrastructure around him.

“Boss?”

“He’s fine.” The Knight leans over the edge and Antoine is stricken with the idea that he’ll lose his footing and plummet to his death. “Wake up, Mister Freeling.” He jiggles the line. Ron sways a little faster. “Wake up.”

“Uh, boss,” he says carefully, “that was, erm, he took a. A pretty brutal ass-kicking back there, and, uh…”

“He’s fine.” More jiggling. Ron’s head comes dangerously close to smacking into a nearby support column. “But I don’t have all night.”

He pulls Ron back up, jabs him in the thigh with an adrenaline pen, and shoves him back over the edge. Ron must wake up about halfway down, because there’s now screaming.

“OH GOD—”

“There you are!” The Knight leans over the edge again and waves. “Gotta say, I wasn’t too happy to find you doing the Riddler’s work tonight.”

“How—”

“I have my ways.”

Antoine wonders, about now, how many times the boss has ‘known things’ were actually incidents of accidental discovery. He doesn’t think it’s that many, because he’d have been there for at least some of them, but still.

“It was just once, his guys-th-they jumped me, made me do it, I swear—”

“Stop lying!”

This just might end badly.

But then again, snitches do get stitches. And to be fair, the Knight’s only killed a couple of them, who, uh. Antoine will admit they might have had it coming.

Eh. He’s not going to try and intervene. Ron is probably going to be fine.

Ron, at this exact moment, is blabbering about ‘getting intel on the Riddler’. Which. Seriously. Nobody cares about the Riddler. Batman doesn’t even seem to care! For a while there, every five minutes the guy would come over the broadcast system to complain that Batman was ignoring him. It was almost bad enough that Antoine was considering begging the boss to tell Batman to go deal with the guy, just to shut him up.

Almost.

The Knight seems to be thinking along the same lines, if his exasperated sigh is anything to go off of. Then again, that could be Batman-related; in the distance, there’s a VROOM! and the horrible crunching of buildings being destroyed. Seriously, the guy drives almost as bad as the boss. And to be fair, when your car can crush buildings, why should you stay in your lane?

“So you took initiative,” he says. Ron nods. Well. Maybe. The swaying makes it hard to tell.

“Yessir!”

Another sigh. A few streets away, a building catches fire. Antoine wonders if he really needs to stand here, or if he can wait in the car. Or just leave.

“Sir?” he hedges. “Um. Should we, uh, really be out in the open like this?”

The sheer irritation of the head-tilt answers his question.

“It’s fine.”

“Sorry, sir.”

The Knight hauls Ron back up to solid ground. Antoine has to give it to him, he doesn’t try to lurch away from the edge of the bridge. He does, however, start frantically saying, “I’m sorry, boss, I didn’t think—”

“No. You didn’t.” Uh-oh. “How stupid do you think I am, Freeling?” Ron’s hefted up and slammed into a nearby pillar. “You’d better hope Riddler has good insurance,” he continues, nodding towards the ankle with the line around it. Said ankle is clearly out of socket and the boss is still holding the line in his hand. “Broken ankles just don’t heal right on their own.”

Broken? It’s not—

Crunch.

Oh. Never mind.

Ron is dropped, wheezing desperately, and they’re going to just…leave him here. Um. Okay?

Okay. Right then. He gives Ron an awkward wave, the kind you give your coworkers as they’re leaving for the last time with their desk contents in an Amazon box, and gets back behind the wheel. Dumb it might be, but there’s a little bit of security that comes with being in the car. There’s a least a little bit of a shield between him and any Batmans plummeting from the sky.

“Back to base, sir?”

Before the boss can answer, the ground starts shaking and to Antoine’s infinite horror, something big and green and floral erupts from the ground near the graveyard in Drescher. No. NO! He has a plant! There is a one monster-plant limit per…per…however many square miles Gotham city is! How many plants does he need? How many does he have?

“Are you kidding me?” He’s half-tempted to stab himself in the thigh, make sure Scarecrow didn’t drug him at some point. “Come on!”

The Knight swears, vigorously and in two languages, before jabbing a finger against his ear and snarling, “Sergeant? There’s a weed grown tall in Divinity Churchyard. Cut it down.” They don’t have to go over there, do they? “Yes. Back to base. The Cloudburst should be nearly charged.”

Oh, yeah. That. Is it bad to hope that it’s broken?

“Yessir.”

“And Drouot.”

“Yessir?”

“Take the scenic route.”

Ah. That’s Knightese for, ‘give the plant a wide berth because it’s scary and probably capable of crushing the car like an aluminum can’. Thank God.

“That was the plan, boss.”

He feels a little bad for abandoning Ron, but he knew the risks. And it’s not like the plant is here. And hey! Batman’s probably going to be near the plant, so he’s not here, either! He’ll be fine. Maybe one of his new coworkers will come and get him.

THE END

*Batman can indeed (appear to) punch a mook inna nuts. I don’t even have them and I feel bad when that happens. Jesus, Bruce, talk about birth control.

[nattvingen]

Batfam Fic Recs

Specifically, JayDick and DamiTim! (Please mind the tags on AO3, be responsible for your own fandom experience, etc.)!

JAYDICK

this is where you are by empires Mature | No cape AU, Past abusive relationship, Hurt/comfort, Subspace

I'm lonely now, and I don't know how to get it back to good - matchbox 20

written for the geckoholic's prompt for the jaydick winter blahs exchange: you're a nude model at my art course and I'm so gonna fail it because you're so distracting

hold my body, hold my breath by redhoodsrobin (manatsuko) Teen-Explicit | Fake relationship, Undercover, Pining, Getting together, Sex

Nobody ever said it would be easy.

to catch a thief by badraph Teen | Character study, Relationship study

He's forced to realize, now, that his mental picture of Jason has been seriously outdated for a while now.

Exit Wounds by Fudgyokra Mature | Rape discussion, Incest discussion, Hurt/comfort, Sex, Getting together, DickKori

After a traumatic run-in with Slade, Dick returns to Wayne Manor to find peace. Instead, he finds Jason Todd.

Between The Bars by Mikimoo Mature | Undercover, POV outsider, Getting together

A number of suspicious deaths at South Haven Penitentiary are being ignored by the authorities, but have attracted the attention of various other parties.

OR:

That one time Dick and Jason accidentally ended up undercover on the same mission and started a riot.

Take the Heat Out of Me by quipquipquip Explicit | Sex, Injury, Some murder, Getting together

Lost Days!Jason trolls Officer Grayson!Dick in Blüdhaven. Dick counter-trolls with the power of love. (It's super effective.)

Swimming Up High (Flying Down Low) by geckoholic Explicit | Sex, Masturbation, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism

Dick's cheeks flush with... he's not sure. There was no alcohol to cloud either of their memory and he remembers every dirty, debauched thing they did last night. And yet there's something indecent about watching this, now, like he's catching Jason in an intimate moment that he wasn't given permission to see.

ghosts and gods by perissologist Teen | Paranormal stuff, Getting together

If Jason is a ghost, then Dick is a supernatural force all his own, one that tears worlds apart in search of better ones.

---

As a side effect of coming back from the dead, Jason is a bona fide paranormal phenomenon. Dick seems to be a little too caught up in mooning after him to notice. Their siblings aren't amused.

(Or, Jason is a supernatural presence after his resurrection, but the poor fool in love with him thinks the freaky feelings are just the butterflies in his stomach.)

Novelty by Salmon_Pink Mature | Sex, Selfcest, Threesome, Costume kink

Two Dicks, no waiting, and it'd be funny if Jason wasn't so turned on he can't think straight.

Under My Sneered Lips by Salmon_Pink Explicit | Sex, Rimming, Felching, Dirty talk

Jason enjoys being Dick's first for all the filthiest things.

Fathers, Be Good by ariadne83, somehowunbroken Teen | Kid fic, Mostly gen

The last person that Dick expects to hear talking when he picks up his phone is Jason, who has been dead for years. Except he isn’t anymore, apparently, and Dick can hear a baby screaming in the background as Jason asks him for help. What is there for Dick to do but drop everything and run to help his long-lost brother?

The Miscommunication of Severance by orphan_account Teen | Divorce, Kid fic, Angst, Happy ending

Dick and Jason were just trying to make it work for the sake of their son.

a holy fool all colored blue by hadrons_collide Teen | Angst, Hurt/comfort, Getting together

After Batman deals with Scarecrow, Nightwing tracks down the Arkham Knight.

His Girl by Neffectual Teen | MtF!Jason, Coming out, Established relationship

Jason Todd took until she was thirty to become Violet, and she sometimes wonders if she'll ever feel quite right.

I Think I Wanna Marry You by dinolaur Teen | Established relationship, Marriage, Coming out

A night out for drinks and a certain Bruno Mars song land Dick and Jason in an interesting predicament. Guess it’s as good a time as any to come out to the family.

It Doesn't Stick by Skalidra Teen | Immortality, Flirting

Jason's fifteen when he dies for the first time. He's eighteen when he comes back to Gotham for vengeance, and dies again. But for some reason that second death doesn't last any more than the first one did, and Jason comes to the realization that something, somewhere, is keeping him alive.

Calendar Boy by empires Mature | No cape AU, Friendly rivalry, Getting together

prompt: Non tragic no cape AU where Jason's a sexy fireman and Dick's a sexy police officer. Bonus +1: policemen's ball. Bonus +2: firemen's calendar. JayDick?

All the Way (Like a Good Boy) by TimmyJaybird Explicit | Sex, JayRoy, Phonesex, Threesome-ish

Jason is drunk. He's drunk and on Dick's couch and suddenly faced with an age-old crush that never exactly died. Except he's with Roy now- but Dick is fairly sure all can be fixed with a quick phone call.

Melt Me Down by Skalidra Explicit | Sex, Marathon sex, Established relationship

Sometimes, Dick gets in moods. Jason's never been able to figure out exactly what the moods stem from, despite their years together, but he always finds himself caught up in the flow of them anyway. But of all the things that Dick could be doing in these moods, this is definitely a good one.

into you by perissologist Not Rated | Dance AU

“You think it’s really Nightwing?” Kyle asks, gaze searching ahead in the herd. “Here, in Gotham?”

“It’s possible, I guess,” Jason says. “He goes everywhere, doesn’t he?”

“C’mon, what’re we waiting for?” Duke is already pushing forward, eyes glittering in excitement. “Man, how crazy would it be if it is him? Dude’s a legend. I’ve been hoping he’d come to Gotham since that one video of him dancing to Tupac on the Eiffel Tower.”

---

The Outlaws are the best underground hip-hop crew in Gotham--until the anonymous international sensation Nightwing crashes onto the scene.

A Hot Mess by Skalidra Teen | College AU, Roommates, Getting together

Jason's roommate at his college, one Dick Grayson, is both a blessing and a curse. Hot as sin but messy as hell, and completely oblivious to both things. Even when he brings up the mess part of it, it doesn't get much better (although Dick is trying). So, they enact a system. Cleaning, in exchange for 'favors.'

I'm Just A Problem That Doesn't Wanna Be Solved by geckoholic Mature | Sex, Sex pollen, Angst, Pining

The agreement, as it stands, is a couple months old. Back around New Years, they had to deliver Bats to Catwoman's doorstep in a last ditch attempt after the chemical route didn't take. It was awkward for everyone and, from what Jason heard, had served to curtail eye contact in the manor to a minimum for a few days. He and Dick had a conversation about it a couple weeks later, and really, this kinda shit happens to them often enough that certain... contingency plans seemed like a good idea.

knocked me off the ground by Windmire Not Rated | No cape AU, KoriDonna, StephCass, Getting together

"It's Jason Todd you'd be working with. You remember Jason, right?"

"He's probably hoping you remember him."

For his best friend's wedding, Dick's more than willing to double as best man and co-wedding planner, even if it means going back to the city he's been avoiding for years on end. Then he meets the other best man and co-wedding planner and falling so hard and so fast was so not part of the plan.

Baby Let's Forget the Morning by MissNaya Explicit | Sex, Incest play, Dirty talk

Jason wonders what Dick thinks of him: is he a brother, a friend, something else entirely? He gets answers, but not in the way he pictured.

deafening perceptions you have of me by thanatopis Teen | Angst, Mutual pining, Getting together

Dick and Jason keep dancing around each other, never quite giving in or giving too much, and Dick is tired.

came down easy spinning threads to the throne by pissvinegarandacrowbar Mature | Sex, Fluff, Prescribed drugs, Established relationship

Red Hood took a bullet for Nightwing. Dick is grateful, he really is. But now he has to deal with a drugged-up Jason Todd.

Run and I will Chase You by Gravity_Sun Teen | First kiss, Pining

Day 1 - First Kiss

Or

The three times it didn't count, and the one time it did.

Cabin Fever by Skalidra Explicit | Sex, Established relationship, Injury

In one random fight, Dick takes a badly angled shot to the knee that puts him out of commission. As his partner, and the one living with him, it's Jason's job to keep Dick off his feet until he heals. Not an easy job, not with Dick's resistance to ever staying still, but he has to do it. At least there's one way that he knows for sure can bleed out some of Dick's extra energy.

Dad!Jason AU by fishfingersandjellybabies Gen-Mature | Baby Damian, Talon!Dick, Hurt/comfort, Getting together

In which Jason is resurrected and found that Talia had a baby with the Batman. To protect Damian from Bruce and Talia's battles, he gives up on his plan of revenge and instead secretly takes the child to Gotham to raise as his own.

But then Dick finds them both, and all bets are off.

My Downfall is Rooted in Your Desperate Need by victoriousscarf Explicit | Sex, Temporary character death, Rape discussion, Angst, Getting together

Dick isn't Orpheus and he can't play a lyre. But that's okay because the analogy falls apart the longer you look at it.

He's just not going to let Jason stay dead a second time.

Pop Psychology by perissologist Mature | Sex, Angst, Injury, Getting together

Stupid broken boys in love.

we will wear our masks again out after dark by IMightwing Explicit | Sex, Batman!Jason, Injury, Hurt/comfort, Getting together

Dick paused and looked straight at Jason. “I want you to be Batman until I’m healed.”

“No,” Jason said. No way in hell, he wanted to say, but the quicker he got this over with, the better.

Written for the Batfam Reverse Big Bang 2017.

Another Perfect Catastrophe by Mikimoo Explicit | Sex, Undercover, Non-consensual drug use, Non-consensual kissing

Dick goes undercover as himself in order to catch a gang of international thieves. Jason reluctantly tags along as his long suffering bodyguard. During the ensuing mayhem they get to know each other again and build a few bridges.

Indulgence by MissNaya Explicit | Sex, Established relationship, De-ageing, Dirty talk, Rape roleplay, Virginity roleplay, Spanking, Rimming, Costume kink, Bondage

A villain's curse turns Dick into a teenager physically. Before they figure out a solution, he and his boyfriend Jason decide to explore a few taboos.

Trophy Wife by Volavi Teen | Fluff, Established relationship

A casual remark from Roy forces Jason to re-evaluate his understanding of his relationship with Dick and his self-identity. Jason can't possibly be the trophy wife, can he? Dick helpfully sets Jason straight. Well, not exactly.

Miniature Bridges by Gravity_Sun Explicit | Sex, Angst, Pining

Day 3: First Time Realizing They’re In Love

Or

It's just sex, until it isn't.

Dick's Dick by MissNaya Explicit | Sex, Sex toys, Self-discovery, Dirty talk, Exhibitionism

Jason gets Dick a gag gift for Christmas. Neither of them expect him to end up liking it so much.

Through the Wire by pissvinegarandacrowbar Explicit | Sex, Tattoos, Body image, Getting together

…to your door, to your door.

When Jason finally works up the courage to get a tattoo he's wanted for years, he attempts to send a picture of it to Roy, who is out of Gotham on an emergency mission. Turns out, Harper and Grayson are awfully close together in his contact list.

Exeunt'verse by elwon Explicit | Sex, Getting together, Coming out

JayDick character studies. A pre-nu52 AU, set after Damian arrived in Gotham, but wherein Bruce never 'died' and therefore Battle of the Cowl didn't happen.

—————

DAMITIM

For a Change by MissNaya Explicit | Sex, Oral sex, Dom/sub, Dirty talk

Tim notices everything, whether he wants to or not. He knows by the clothes Dick wears whether he’s on-again or off-again with Barbara (tight pants and polo shirts mean on-again). He remembers how many bullets Jason has left even when Jason himself forgets. And he knows that Damian has been jerking off to the thought of him for at least several weeks.

Things Have a Way by cadkitten Explicit | Sex, Masturbation, Scent kink, Frottage

Tim gets mugged in his civilian identity. Damian comes to pick up the pieces.

Hoodwing’d by somehowunbroken Mature | JayDick, Fake relationship, Or is it?, Accidental relationship

Dick and Jason seem to think it’s hilarious to make out where Tim and Damian are going to walk in on them. Naturally, Tim and Damian take revenge.

Taste the Green by Salmon_Pink Explicit | Sex, Costume kink, Blowjob

Damian is wearing the original Robin uniform. Tim doesn’t think he can be blamed if he loses his mind a little.

Show Me the Meaning (Of Being Lonely) by TimmyJaybird Explicit | Sex, One-sided TimJay, One-sided DamiDick, JayDick, Heartbreak, Rebound sex, Accidental relationship

It started with a drunken need for comfort- when Tim and Damian were broken at what felt like their worst. But what was reflex, could have been called an accident, turned into the exact thing they both never knew they truly needed.

Involuntary Ties by TimmyJaybird Explicit | Sex, FtM Tim, PiV sex

Tim invites Damian to crash on his couch for the night, and quickly expects their night to go to nothing but bickering. Good thing that Damian is weak and pretty, and Tim doesn’t mind either.

Backwards by shadeblue Mature | Sex, Hate sex, Or is it?

He doesn’t even like Tim. Tim doesn’t even like him.

My True Love Gave To Me by fishfingersandjellybabies General Audiences | Crush, Superbat, Clark is a bro

In which Damian has a crush and has no idea what to do about it.

A Day of Rest by MarbleAide Explicit | Sex, Dom/sub, Bondage, Sex toys

Tim works too hard, but Damian has his own way to make him stop and get his head cleared up.

Give by cadkitten Explicit | Sex, Breathplay, Dom/sub

“Give.” The crack of Damian’s voice was like a whip, right next to Tim’s ear, and God that did things it shouldn’t have.

you don’t have to say i love you (to say i love you) by akaparalian General Audiences | No cape AU, College AU

It is 7:46 AM on Wednesday, and Damian very carefully sits down in his seat (front row, just to the right of the podium), every fibre of his being aware that Drake is sitting two seats away. This is – surely this is statistically significant. From five seats away to two, all at once – and after the coffee, and –

lit!verse: anachronism by heartslogos Teen | Major character death, Resurrection, Damian pls

Damian’s face softens as he reaches out, fingers brushing the unconscious face, “You were my father’s Robin, and for a time, Richard’s, perhaps… you could be my Robin as well.”

Join Me When You’re Free by Skalidra Explicit | Sex, Established relationship, Bondage, Sexual experimentation

Damian and Tim have been together for years, and sometimes, Damian likes to try new things. Usually Tim can see them coming a mile away, or at least know when Damian’s got something on his mind, but this time he’s caught a little off guard. (Which does not at all mean that he’s not interested.)

Plan Awry by DustToDust Teen | Unrequited love, Or is it?

Damian had a plan. For what only became clear after it’d all gone wrong.

[lfthinker]

Prompt Fill: Held Hostage

So, I might have said last week that I’d have one of my bigger projects ready, but fate, or rather my job, has rendered that a pipe dream for a few more days. Mea Culpa. In the meantime, here’s a short prompt fill for Charlimanderdragon’s delightful 7 Days prompts! Enjoy...

Title: Held Hostage

Rating: M 

Warnings: Violence, minor gore, hostage situations (natch)

Characters: Edward Nigma, Jonathan Crane, the poor souls who work for Roman Sionis.

Pairing: Jonathan Crane/Edward Nigma

Summary: Brilliant idea really. Kidnap the lover of the man who could make your worst fears come to life before your very eyes. What could possibly go wrong?

Edward Nigma had faced several degrading situations in his career as Gotham’s premiere super criminal, but this? This was a new low.

His day had started off well enough. He’d showered changed into his favorite suit, shouted his goodbyes to Jonathan as he was down working in the basement, again and had set out for his usual day of setting up his latest brilliant plan of placing carefully constructed trophies for a certain Dark Knight to find and lead him to a fiendishly clever trap. He’d found just the right spot actually, just outside an abandoned storefront in the old Industrial part of town. 

Unfortunately for him, he’d been so focused on getting the placement of the trophy just so that he didn’t notice a van pull up alongside him. Neither did he notice the small group of men who had piled out. Not until they had grabbed him and pulled him into the van, peeling away before he could even get a word out in protest.

That had been six hours ago, give or take. Now,Edward was tied to a chair in an office room of one of the old Sionis plants, being guarded by two members of Sionis’ gang who weren’t worth the dirt on Edward’s shoes. One of them, a large, moronic looking man with a gold tooth, just smirked at him, while his companion, a younger, anxious looking man kept fidgeting with his sleeve.

“I don’t like this,” the man said. 

“You’re not paid to like it,” his boorish companion said, spitting onto the floor. “All we gotta do is keep an eye on the freak here until the boss says we can ice him. Then we get paid.”

The younger man shook his head. “Ice the Riddler? Just like that?”

“Yeah. Just like that. He’s not so tough. Not without his stupid riddles.“ The larger thug, who Edward hereby dubbed ‘Blithering Idiot Number One’, walked over to Edward and knocked his hat off his head. “The biggest genius in Gotham, nabbed by a couple of ‘morons’.  Anything to say, ‘genius’?

Edward did in fact have something to say about that, but the thick strip of tape across his mouth prevented that. He settled instead for a withering glare at Blithering Idiot Number One. The man laughed, then walked back over to where his companion, hereby known as ‘Blithering Idiot Number Two’, stood guard by the door.

“I don’t know man,” Blithering Idiot Number Two said, looking nervously between Edward and the door. “How long do we have to keep him here?”

“Just until the boss gets back what Crane robbed from him last week. Soon as that happens, he’ll kill Crane and we’ll kill Riddler. That’ll teach the freaks who really runs this town.”

That was the worst part of this whole ordeal. If Edward was going to be trussed up like this, couldn’t at least be for something he’d done himself, instead of being bait for Jonathan? Edward rolled his eyes. Brilliant idea really. Kidnap the lover of the man who could make your worst fears come to life before your very eyes. What could possibly go wrong? 

Blithering Idiot Number Two didn’t look convinced. “Can boss really kill Scarecrow? I’ve heard stories about him man. I heard he once took out a whole SWAT team with that stuff of his.”

Blithering Idiot Number One just laughed again. “Please. Scarecrow’s just a scrawny guy in a crappy Halloween costume. He’s nothing.”

Blithering Idiot Number Two was about to say something in response when a burst of gunfire came from somewhere in the warehouse. A loud scream followed. “Oh Jesus! They’re everywhere! Get them off!” Another voice called out, “There he is! Kill him kill-” The voice was cut off after that.

Blithering Idiot Number Two looked wide-eyed at Blithering Idiot Number One. “Is that-” Another scream sounded, louder. Edward leaned forward in his chair. It seemed that Jonathan had finally decided to make his appearance.

Neither of the men said a word as the screams died down. Then, a new noise could be heard: an awful, scraping noise, that sounded like metal against metal. The noise grew louder as the additional sounds of footsteps could be heard making their way down the hallway towards the room. Edward’s eyes widened in recognition. Jonathan’s scythe. He settled back in his chair and waited. 

Blithering Idiot Number Two looked ready to piss himself, if he hadn’t already. “Oh shit, oh shit-”

“Just keep calm,” Blithering Idiot Number One said, pulling out his piece. Edward noticed that his hand was shaking. He felt some vindictive joy at that. Just a scrawny guy in a Halloween costume, right? Moron. “It’s just one guy and there’s two of us. We can take him.”

Blithering Idiot Number Two looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Perhaps Edward would need to readjust his opinion on him. Slightly. “There were three guys posted outside the warehouse man. He took them out. I’m not sticking around.” He turned to run out the door when he stopped dead in his tracks. 

Before them stood Jonathan in his full Scarecrow regalia, scythe in his hands. Blood dripped from the blade onto the floor. Jonathan said nothing to the man, looking behind him straight at Edward. Edward couldn’t see Jonathan’s face or eyes behind the burlap mask, but his rigid stance and tight grip on the scythe said everything. He was angry.

Blithering Idiot Number Two trembled before him. “Oh-oh God-”

“God’s not here boy,” Jonathan rasped out, his usual drawl intensified. “It’s just you and Scarecrow.”

Blithering Idiot Number Two backed up as Jonathan advanced. “Please, I was just following orders-you can have him back, just take him and go! Please don’t-”

“Don’t what child?” Jonathan, or rather Scarecrow, asked. “Kill you?” Jonathan lowered his scythe. “I won’t kill you.” Blithering Idiot Number two almost looked relieved until Jonathan raised up his right hand, the hand which held the weaponized gauntlet Edward had designed for him as an Anniversary present last year. “Tell me child,” Scarecrow said. “What do you fear?” Then he sprayed his toxin directly into the man’s face. He fell to the floor shrieking and thrashing. Jonathan must have prepared a stronger dose than usual. That would explain what had taken him so long to get here.

Scarecrow laughed at the display, then looked up towards where Blithering Idiot Number One stood by Edward. The other thug had done and said nothing as Jonathan had dosed his partner and from the smell in the room, had pissed himself. Once he made eye contact with Scarecrow though, he came back to himself and pointed his gun at Edward. “Don’t come any closer,” he said in a nearly hysterical tone of voice. “I’ll blow his fucking brains out! I mean it!” Edward was, for the first time during this escapade, slightly concerned.

Scarecrow said nothing, but took a step forward. Then another one. Edward could hear the gun rattling from the shaking of Blithering Idiot Number One’s hand. “I swear!” he half yelled, half screamed. “I’ll kill him!”

“And then I’ll introduce you to my fear toxin,” Scarecrow rumbled, and the tone of his voice made the hairs on the back of Edward’s head stand up. “You’ll see all of your worst fears. You’ll scream, you’ll cry, you’ll beg for mercy, but I won’t give it to you.” All while Scarecrow was speaking, he was walking towards them, until he stood directly in front of Blithering Idiot Number One.The man looked back and forth between Edward and Jonathan, unsure of who to shoot. Scarecrow laughed and it was a terrible sound. “And when you’ve screamed your throat raw, when you’ve clawed your eyes out and are lying in a puddle of your own filth, then, and only then will I show you mercy.” He raised his scythe high. “Only then, will I kill you.”

Blithering Idiot made up his mind and pointed his gun at Scarecrow. Too late. Scarecrow swung down and struck the man’s arms. He dropped the gun and fell to his knees screaming, desperately trying to staunch the bleeding with his other hand. Scarecrow raised his scythe again and this time, sliced at the man’s throat. The blood gushed out onto the floor and the man fell over gurgling. Soon enough, he made no noise. The only sound was Scarecrow’s breathing, coming in fast and deep. He let out a deep sigh and set the scythe down onto the floor. He raised his hands up and took off his mask with one and ran the other through his hair. He turned to Edward then and Edward felt his shoulders sink in relief. Jonathan had come back to himself.

Jonathan stepped over Blithering Idiot Number One’s body and walked to where Edward sat. He took off his gauntlet and placed his fingers by the corner of the tape that covered Edward’s mouth. “Hold still. This’ll sting a bit” He quickly ripped the tape off.

He wasn’t kidding. It stung. A lot. “Jesus!” Edward hissed out. Now that his mouth was free, he took a deep breath and immediately started in on Jonathan. “What took you so long?”

“Nice to see you too Darlin’,” Jonathan drawled as he leaned down to untie him. 

“Well I don’t mean to complain, but-”

“I didn’t believe it at first.”

Edward raised an eyebrow at that.”What? That someone of my brilliant intellect could be taken by this refuse?”

“No,” Jonathan answered, as he undid the last knot. “That someone would be stupid enough to take what’s mine.”

Edward wasn’t sure how to answer that, so as soon as the ropes fell away, he stood up stretching his arms above his head. “What a sorry state of affairs this is,” he complained, rubbing the circulation back into his wrists. “When exactly was I reduced to being nothing more than your damsel in distress?”

Edward was cut off by Jonathan taking his wrists into his own hands and gently rubbing them. “Are you alright?” he asked softly. 

“Wonderful,” Edward said acerbically. “Just a bruised ego, but that’s nothing a few hours ruining Sionis’ credit can’t fix.” Jonathan had no response to that, but his gaze darkened. Edward realized he was looking at the angry red marks the rope had left around his wrists. “I’m alright Jonathan,” he said softly. “I promise.”

Jonathan raised Edward’s hands up to his mouth and softly kissed his knuckles. “Good.”

The moment was interrupted by the sound of whining coming from the door. Blithering Idiot Number Two. Edward had nearly forgotten he was there. Jonathan looked towards where his scythe was laid down. “I should kill him,” he murmured.

“No,” Edward said.

Jonathan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Showing mercy?”

“Oh Hell no,” Edward answered. “I still have that trap I was planning for Batman, remember? You’re not the only one who needs test subjects. But that can wait. First I need to shower these barbarian’s stink off me.” He then playfully bunched his hand in Jonathan’s shirt. “Then,” he purred. “I think you deserve a reward for so gallantly coming to my rescue.”

Jonathan smiled then, and wrapped his arms around Edward’s waist.”Then by all means, lead the way Darlin’.”

Perhaps today wasn’t a total loss for Edward after all.

[lfthinkerwrites]

The Reluctant Damsel

Title: The Reluctant Damsel

Fandom: Batman

Pairings: Jonathan Crane/Edward Nigma

Rating: M for hostage situation, violence, minor gore,  and minor character death. 

Summary: Brilliant Idea really. Kidnap the lover of the man who could make your worst fears come to life before your very eyes. What could possibly go wrong?

Word Count: 1,895

Original Upload Date: 11/1/2017

Author’s Notes: This was a prompt fill for Curiouscarecrow’s prompt “held hostage”. This was also probably the fastest I’ve ever written a complete fic. Some prompts are just too good.

AO3 Link

Edward Nigma had faced several degrading situations in his career as Gotham’s premiere super criminal, but this? This was a new low.

His day had started off well enough. He’d showered, changed into his favorite suit, shouted his goodbyes to Jonathan as he was down working in the basement, again and had set out for his usual day of setting up his latest brilliant plan of placing carefully constructed trophies for a certain Dark Knight to find and lead him to a fiendishly clever trap. He’d found just the right spot actually, just outside an abandoned storefront in the old Industrial part of town.

Unfortunately for him, he’d been so focused on getting the placement of the trophy just so that he didn’t notice a van pull up alongside him. Neither did he notice the small group of men who had piled out. Not until they had grabbed him and pulled him into the van, peeling away before he could even get a word out in protest.

That had been six hours ago, give or take. Now, Edward was tied to a chair in an office room of one of the old Sionis plants, being guarded by two members of Sionis’ gang who weren’t worth the dirt on Edward’s shoes. One of them, a large, moronic looking man with a gold tooth, just smirked at him, while his companion, a younger, anxious looking man kept fidgeting with his sleeve.

“I don’t like this,” the man said.

“You’re not paid to like it,” his boorish companion said, spitting onto the floor. “All we gotta do is keep an eye on the freak here until the boss says we can ice him. Then we get paid.”

The younger man shook his head. “Ice the Riddler? Just like that?”

“Yeah. Just like that. He’s not so tough. Not without his stupid riddles.“ The larger thug, who Edward hereby dubbed ‘Blithering Idiot Number One’, walked over to Edward and knocked his hat off his head. “The biggest genius in Gotham, nabbed by a couple of ‘morons’.  Anything to say, ‘genius’?

Edward did in fact have something to say about that, but the thick strip of tape across his mouth prevented that. He settled instead for a withering glare at Blithering Idiot Number One. The man laughed, then walked back over to where his companion, hereby known as ‘Blithering Idiot Number Two’, stood guard by the door.

“I don’t know man,” Blithering Idiot Number Two said, looking nervously between Edward and the door. “How long do we have to keep him here?”

“Just until the boss gets back what Crane robbed from him last week. Soon as that happens, he’ll kill Crane and we’ll kill Riddler. That’ll teach the freaks who really runs this town.”

That was the worst part of this whole ordeal. If Edward was going to be trussed up like this, couldn’t at least be for something he’d done himself, instead of being bait for Jonathan? Edward rolled his eyes. Brilliant idea really. Kidnap the lover of the man who could make your worst fears come to life before your very eyes. What could possibly go wrong?

Blithering Idiot Number Two didn’t look convinced. “Can boss really kill Scarecrow? I’ve heard stories about him man. I heard he once took out a whole SWAT team with that stuff of his.”

Blithering Idiot Number One just laughed again. “Please. Scarecrow’s just a scrawny guy in a crappy Halloween costume. He’s nothing.”

Blithering Idiot Number Two was about to say something in response when a burst of gunfire came from somewhere in the warehouse. A loud scream followed. “Oh Jesus! They’re everywhere! Get them off!” Another voice called out, “There he is! Kill him kill-” The voice was cut off after that.

Blithering Idiot Number Two looked wide-eyed at Blithering Idiot Number One. “Is that-” Another scream sounded, louder. Edward leaned forward in his chair. It seemed that Jonathan had finally decided to make his appearance.

Neither of the men said a word as the screams died down. Then, a new noise could be heard: an awful, scraping noise, that sounded like metal against metal. The noise grew louder as the additional sounds of footsteps could be heard making their way down the hallway towards the room. Edward’s eyes widened in recognition. Jonathan’s scythe. He settled back in his chair and waited.

Blithering Idiot Number Two looked ready to piss himself, if he hadn’t already. “Oh shit, oh shit-”

“Just keep calm,” Blithering Idiot Number One said, pulling out his piece. Edward noticed that his hand was shaking. He felt some vindictive joy at that. Just a scrawny guy in a Halloween costume, right? Moron. “It’s just one guy and there’s two of us. We can take him.”

Blithering Idiot Number Two looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Perhaps Edward would need to readjust his opinion on him. Slightly. “There were three guys posted outside the warehouse man. He took them out. I’m not sticking around.” He turned to run out the door when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Before them stood Jonathan in his full Scarecrow regalia, scythe in his hands. Blood dripped from the blade onto the floor. Jonathan said nothing to the man, looking behind him straight at Edward. Edward couldn’t see Jonathan’s face or eyes behind the burlap mask, but his rigid stance and tight grip on the scythe said everything. He was angry.

Blithering Idiot Number Two trembled before him. “Oh-oh God-”

“God’s not here boy,” Jonathan rasped out, his usual drawl intensified. “It’s just you and Scarecrow.”

Blithering Idiot Number Two backed up as Jonathan advanced. “Please, I was just following orders-you can have him back, just take him and go! Please don’t-”

“Don’t what child?” Jonathan, or rather Scarecrow, asked. “Kill you?” Jonathan lowered his scythe. “I won’t kill you.” Blithering Idiot Number two almost looked relieved until Jonathan raised up his right hand, the hand which held the weaponized gauntlet Edward had designed for him as an Anniversary present last year. “Tell me child,” Scarecrow said. “What do you fear?” Then he sprayed his toxin directly into the man’s face. He fell to the floor shrieking and thrashing. Jonathan must have prepared a stronger dose than usual. That would explain what had taken him so long to get here.

Scarecrow laughed at the display, then looked up towards where Blithering Idiot Number One stood by Edward. The other thug had done and said nothing as Jonathan had dosed his partner and from the smell in the room, had pissed himself. Once he made eye contact with Scarecrow though, he came back to himself and pointed his gun at Edward. “Don’t come any closer,” he said in a nearly hysterical tone of voice. “I’ll blow his fucking brains out! I mean it!” Edward was, for the first time during this escapade, slightly concerned.

Scarecrow said nothing, but took a step forward. Then another one. Edward could hear the gun rattling from the shaking of Blithering Idiot Number One’s hand. “I swear!” he half yelled, half screamed. “I’ll kill him!”

“And then I’ll introduce you to my fear toxin,” Scarecrow rumbled, and the tone of his voice made the hairs on the back of Edward’s head stand up. “You’ll see all of your worst fears. You’ll scream, you’ll cry, you’ll beg for mercy, but I won’t give it to you.” All while Scarecrow was speaking, he was walking towards them, until he stood directly in front of Blithering Idiot Number One.The man looked back and forth between Edward and Jonathan, unsure of who to shoot. Scarecrow laughed and it was a terrible sound. “And when you’ve screamed your throat raw, when you’ve clawed your eyes out and are lying in a puddle of your own filth, then, and only then will I show you mercy.” He raised his scythe high. “Only then, will I kill you.”

Blithering Idiot made up his mind and pointed his gun at Scarecrow. Too late. Scarecrow swung down and struck the man’s arms. He dropped the gun and fell to his knees screaming, desperately trying to staunch the bleeding with his other hand. Scarecrow raised his scythe again and this time, sliced at the man’s throat. The blood gushed out onto the floor and the man fell over gurgling. Soon enough, he made no noise. The only sound was Scarecrow’s breathing, coming in fast and deep. He let out a deep sigh and set the scythe down onto the floor. He raised his hands up and took off his mask with one and ran the other through his hair. He turned to Edward then and Edward felt his shoulders sink in relief. Jonathan had come back to himself.

Jonathan stepped over Blithering Idiot Number One’s body and walked to where Edward sat. He took off his gauntlet and placed his fingers by the corner of the tape that covered Edward’s mouth. “Hold still. This’ll sting a bit.” He quickly ripped the tape off.

He wasn’t kidding. It stung. A lot. “Jesus!” Edward hissed out. Now that his mouth was free, he took a deep breath and immediately started in on Jonathan. “What took you so long?”

“Nice to see you too Darlin’,” Jonathan drawled as he leaned down to untie him.

“Well I don’t mean to complain, but-”

“I didn’t believe it at first.”

Edward raised an eyebrow at that. ”What? That someone of my brilliant intellect could be taken by this refuse?”

“No,” Jonathan answered, as he undid the last knot. “That someone would be stupid enough to take what’s mine.”

Edward wasn’t sure how to answer that, so as soon as the ropes fell away, he stood up stretching his arms above his head. “What a sorry state of affairs this is,” he complained, rubbing the circulation back into his wrists. “When exactly was I reduced to being nothing more than your damsel in distress?”

Edward was cut off by Jonathan taking his wrists into his own hands and gently rubbing them. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

“Wonderful,” Edward said acerbically. “Just a bruised ego, but that’s nothing a few hours ruining Sionis’ credit can’t fix.” Jonathan had no response to that, but his gaze darkened. Edward realized he was looking at the angry red marks the rope had left around his wrists. “I’m alright Jonathan,” he said softly. “I promise.”

Jonathan raised Edward’s hands up to his mouth and softly kissed his knuckles. “Good.”

The moment was interrupted by the sound of whining coming from the door. Blithering Idiot Number Two. Edward had nearly forgotten he was there. Jonathan looked towards where his scythe was laid down. “I should kill him,” he murmured.

“No,” Edward said.

Jonathan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Showing mercy are we?”

“Oh Hell no,” Edward answered. “I still have that trap I was planning for Batman, remember? You’re not the only one who needs test subjects. But that can wait. First I need to shower these barbarian’s stink off me.” He then playfully bunched his hand in Jonathan’s shirt. “Then,” he purred. “I think you deserve a reward for so gallantly coming to my rescue.”

Jonathan smiled then, and wrapped his arms around Edward’s waist. ”Then by all means, lead the way Darlin’.”

Perhaps today wasn’t a total loss for Edward after all.

[ncfan-1]

Gotham 04X11, ‘Queen Takes Knight’

Mid-season finale. Finally. Let’s see if it introduces a level of drama suitable for a mid-season finale. This is Gotham.

- As with the last time they showed up, I am probably gonna have mute on through Bruce and Alfred’s scenes. I’ve lost interest. I’ll turn the mute off if something interesting happens.

- Poor Mr. Penn is surrounded.

- And we have Gordon and a bunch of cops heading… somewhere? There’s a person on a gurney. Pyg’s handiwork, apparently. Blood-writing on the wall; apparently PYg’s getting out of town. With a new face.

- Poor Mr. Penn is being tortured off-screen while Barbara and Sofia talk (Did... Did Mr. Penn die?). Sofia apparently likes to talk about being a Falcone. She gets a phone call, and from the context I’m assuming her father died.

- No, he’s not dead. Poor Barbara looks positively sick to see him.

- Her glassy face when she says “Likewise” breaks my heart.

- And now Falcone is dressing down his daughter. Carmine, you’re setting yourself up for your daughter to kill you in a fit of rage.

- Carmine calls Sofia out for sleeping with Jim… in an extremely slut-shamey way. Thanks for reminding me again why I hate you.

- Oh, wonderful, Carmine made a deal with Oswald against his own child. Wonderful.

- Is… Is Bruce supposed to have had sex with the girls in his bed? I don’t need this. I don’t want this. I don’t care if he’s legal or not

- Carmine does a little “Don’t thank me for not killing you; you have no idea what you’ve unleashed” with Gordon. Well, I’m glad someone had that moment with him. I just wish it wasn’t this guy.

- Sofia goes for the roses… and pricks her finger. Why do I feel like she was just poisoned?

- Oh, look; black van.

- Drive-by shooting. Carmine gets shot; good riddance. Sofia’s (I think; it wasn’t framed well) shot too. Or maybe not.

- I feel sorry for Sofia because her father (however shitty a father he was) was murdered right in front of her and she has no family left. I do not feel even remotely sorry for Carmine Falcone. Rest in pieces, asshole.

- Apparently Oswald didn’t kill Falcone. And for some reason he doesn’t understand the problem with people thinking he did, because he’s got a death grip on the Idiot Ball this week.

- Zsasz actually looks kinda sad at the funeral.

- Oswald decided to show up at the funeral because he’s really got a death grip on the Idiot Ball this week.

- Sofia’s in a wheelchair now. Apparently it’s gonna be vengeance, vengeance, vengeance.

-Zsasz goes up to the bier and lays a casket in Falcone’s breast pocket, and leaves without Oswald.

- And Bullock’s at the funeral, too. This is shaping up to be the most uncomfortable funeral in the history of everything. And Bullock’s getting his “You’re eating your humble pie” moment. I’m happy for him. This is the least Bullock deserves. The least Gordon deserves, too. Bullock’s a pretty fitting person to deliver that speech to him, too.

- Oswald goes up to Sofia because he wants to prove that he has the Idiot Ball in a death grip this week. I was half-expecting Sofia to tell him something like “Get out of this church now or you’ll never leave”, but nope.

- Quick question. What happened to the Sirens?

- And now we’ve got Oswald in the precinct, calling for Gordon, once again. Oswald sounds deeply, personally offended at the idea that Gordon would value Sofia that much.

- Oswald is “escorted” out of the building.

- Gordon gets a speech. Blech. You’re corrupt, you scumbag; you don’t get to make speeches like the one you just made when you’re as incredibly corrupt as you are. Especially when that little confrontation with Oswald was deliberately to provoke a gang war where people will die, you little twerp. People are going to die because you did this, and you don’t care.

- A shootout goes on in front of tied-up Sirens. This was actually a pretty funny scene. Nice to see Barbara and Tabitha quasi-getting along again, even if I don’t like Tabitha.

- Sofia tells Gordon about Martine. And the cover-up comes back to bite him right about now!

- Zsasz “guesses” Gordon has great leadership skills. Yeah, “guesses” because there’s no actual evidence of it.

- And Zsasz sells Oswald out… for some reason. It’s not very well-explained, like, at all.

- And Oswald is back in a crowded lockup cell.

- Clapping. For someone who patently does not deserve it. Blech.

- This is all being wrapped up way too neatly. Especially considering it’s only the half-hour mark.

- And apparently Zsasz sold out Oswald because he’s still loyal to the Falcones. The foreshadowing, what foreshadowing there may have been, was lousy.

- The Sirens are safe. Good. I don’t care much for Tabitha, but Barbara and Selina being safe makes me happy.

- The Sirens have the club back. Tabitha’s been assholish to Barbara, because of course.

- Bruce and Alfred duke it out. Predictably, Bruce gets his ass handed to him. And Alfred flubs it by socking him in the face. (I’m presuming this came about as the result of Alfred’s much-alluded to unresolved issues and probable PTSD.)

- Ed yelling at Bad Ed.

- Grundy has a surprisingly good understanding of what’s going on. Unfortunately, downstairs a gramophone is playing a very familiar tune. And someone, presumably Tabitha, has come to pick him up. Yeah, it’s Tabitha. Because they just couldn’t let this awful, boring ship die in the furnace where it belongs.

- Well, thank you for not doing the “kiss makes him remember.” But then they follow up with Tabitha promising to either beat him up until he remembers, or until he dies. Which, while not entirely out-of-character for Tabitha, is hardly going to make me support this ship.

- YES, PYG WAS WORKING FOR SOFIA THE WHOLE TIME. YES.

- And Sofia was the one who had her father killed.

- And Sofia is staring down Gordon with a gun. And she is acquainting him with some unpleasant truths, which he is refusing to accept. He’s refusing to accept responsibility, as per usual. And she’s pointing out that he’s brought everything on himself. To the pain, Gordon! To the pain! And all as revenge for her brother. Mother of God, this is everything I’ve ever wanted. Thank you, Gotham. Thank you for this gift. I’m so happy, I can almost excuse how stupid other parts of this episode have been. Make him eat shit, honey; I believe in you!

- I’m so happy I want to roll around on the floor. I’m rolling around in my chair instead since I need to sit up to type.

- You don’t understand; this is perfect. Someone’s finally making him understand just how screwed he is, and just how thoroughly he’s screwed over the city he claims to want to protect. I’m so happy.

- And Bruce has gone to his lawyer and had him draw up emancipation papers. I’d say I feel sorry for Alfred, but he’s been kinda shitty as a guardian, and he did just sock Bruce hard enough to leave a bruise. So yeah, Alfred could definitely be jailed for child abuse.

- And we’ve got Tabitha beating up Grundy. So many times that his brain really ought to be mush by now, if she’s really wondering why he isn’t saying anything. And then she just walks off and leaves him tied to that chair, because she “cares” for him. I guess.

- Bruce does look pretty dead-eyed in that club.

- And we’ve got a scene with Bullock congratulating Gordon, just to twist the knife further. And it turns out Bullock quit, to twist the knife even further. Excellent.

- Grundy wakes up in that chair, apparently perfectly remembering that he’s Butch. I’m so underwhelmed.

- And now we’ve got Oswald raging in Arkham, only for his neighbor to engage him in conversation. His neighbor being Jerome. Jerome, why didn’t you break out when Jonathan took over the place? You probably had ample opportunity.

- Thus ends the episode. The trailer shows us Jerome, Bruce looking at a mark, Barbara looking fabulous, Sofia targeting Leslie, Oswald possibly going over the deep end in Arkham, and one of Bruce’s friends possibly (hopefully­) turning out to be Talia al Ghul. (Where’s Jonathan?)

- Well, it had drama. It had Gordon eating humble pie till he metaphorically threw up. Maybe the next half of the season will have Gordon drown in his guilt and thus start on a redemption arc. And maybe there’ll be pigs in the treetops come morning.