#dick can see the memorial and dick can know bruce failed

[aviatrickss]

*takes a deep breath and leans in so close that my lips touch the microphone*

the tragedy of dick and jason’s relationship as brothers is not that they hated each other and then jason died, or that they were super close and then jason died. the tragedy is that dick did not know enough about jason to know how to mourn him. were they brothers? were they rivals? dick sure doesn’t know, and jason doesn’t either! but it’s fine bc they have plenty of time to figure that shit out, they don’t need to know each other right now bc there will be time to know each other later.

except.

[gay-dorito-dust]

Hii sweetie, how are you? Are requests open rn? I'm soooo sorry if they arent and i'm botherig you, but can i make a sugestion please? How would batboys (including bruce if possible) would "react" to missing you while on a mission? And maybe in the end the reenconter? Just an idea❤️

I’m sorry that it’s taken me this long to write this and I hope that it’s everything you want and more.

Dick; sits and sulks as he stares at his phone.

I’m joking…or am I?

He’d be mentally counting away the hours before he came back home to you once more. He tries to act professional and keep a level head seeing as how leaders aren’t meant to have room for errors, he’s learnt that the hard way many times. But he can’t help but yearn to be in your arms and fall into the deepest sleep ever knowing that you were close by and above all safe.

He would use this as motivation to get through the long, long night of patrol in hopes of making time take pity on him and go just that little bit faster, just for his selfish convenience. He just so desperately wants to see you and Hayley cuddled up together on your shared bed, or watching a movie together if you were still awake this late at night. You held a piece of his heart without even knowing it.

So when he feels the patrol come to an end, he’s gleefully beating the piss out of the goons he’s come across with a smile across his face. It’s borderline terrifying image that will forever remain burnt into the deepest parts of his teammates memory for a good long while.

The minute Dick came home and you so happened to be waiting for him, he was already scooping you into his arms and holding you close to his chest as he buried his head into your neck.

‘I missed you.’ He murmurs.

‘I’m pretty sure that’s my line you’ve just stolen.’ You joked as you ran your hand through his dark hair, relived in seeing him home safe and unharmed.

‘Well it’s my line now because I really did miss you,’ Dick said, tightening his hold on you, ‘you we’re all I thought about tonight and how much I wanted to come home and be where I want to be most, in your arms.’ He adds tired and you couldn’t help but coo softly at him.

‘Aww Dickie bird.’ You began. ‘You sound about ready for some much needed sleep.’

Dick lets out a deep sigh as he practically slumps against you. ‘That sounds like a good idea. Is Hayley in bed?’

‘Yes.’ You answered, rubbing his back soothingly.

‘Her bed or ours?’ Dick asks.

‘Do you even need to ask?’ You reply with a chuckle and from that alone did Dick get his answer.

Jason; he’s a little impatient with having to wait to come back home to you, so much so that it tends to end with him brutalising his adversaries more then usual.

Whoops.

He doesn’t apologise at all.

He was so use to coming home to a empty apartment after patrol that long nights like these never use to bother Jason, as it often meant he had something else to do other then stare up at his ceiling, waiting for sleep to catch up to him. Now that he had you however, all Jason wants to do was come home as soon as possible just to catch a glimpse of your sleeping figure on his -now your- bed.

He’s grown addicted to being at your side no matter what that being apart from you for prolonged periods of time made Jason feel hollow, as though he was missing a vital part of himself somewhere and that vital part was you.

So when he gets home he’s already dropped his helmet off somewhere and kneeling before you as you held his face in your hands and groaning as he presses his face further into your hands.

‘I’ve missed you so much tonight chipmunk.’ He admits.

‘I’ve missed you too jay bird.’ You replied, pressing a kiss to his nose, squealing when he stole a quick peck from your lips as you smacked his bicep shortly after. ‘Someone’s feeling particularly loving tonight.’ You add.

Jason groans as he looks up at you with his pretty, pretty eyes that never fail to take your breath away. The mere image alone of this six foot something man kneeling before you was enough to make you feel like the most powerful being in existence. ‘Is it blasphemy for a man to show his partner how much he’s missed them now?’ He asks and you couldn’t help but laugh as you pressed another kiss to his nose, pulling away enough to see him smile dopily at your kiss.

‘No, but it would be great to be warmed ahead of time before you try to steal another kiss.’ You said and Jason smirks. ‘So you’re telling me there is going to be a next time?’ He says teasingly.

‘Don’t let it go to your head hotshot.’ You reply, grabbing one of his hands and pulling him towards the bedroom.

‘I think I already have sweetheart.’ Jason says with a smile, happy to be home.

Bruce: keeps tabs on you during patrol whilst also remaining vigilant and dedicated to the task at hand.

Bruce was a master at multitasking.

He would always make sure you were safe and decried whenever he got a couple minutes to breathe on his own. He even has a special alert made for you in the instance where you were in danger walking home.

He even finds himself looking at shops you’ve told him about going to, but never doing so due to scheduling conflicts and making a mental note to take you there as a treat to spoil you rotten.

Bruce had more experience in neglecting his own wants and needs for the betterment of Gotham and everyone living in it. So while he may miss you dearly, he knew that his dedication to bettering Gotham’s crime rate one villain, underground drug syndicate, crime lord at a time outweighed that greatly.

So the moment he comes home to you he smiles softly as he allows you to remove the cowl from his head, gently place it down elsewhere, before moving on to wiping the black makeup clean from his eyes.

Bruce knows he could easily done it himself but much rather prefers it if you were the one to do it instead, as it often allows him to have a moment alone with you. No interruptions nor distractions could make him break his gaze away from yours.

‘You’re doing Gotham a whole lot of good Bruce.’ You tell him as you finished wiping off the last of his eye makeup that he puts on under the cowl. ‘ Not many people would be willing to try to keep a dying city alive. Im so proud of you for doing the unthinkable.’ You add as you press a kiss to his cheek.

‘Someone’s got to shoulder the responsibility of this town and I’m more than willing to shoulder that responsibility everyone else who can’t.’ Bruce replies as he takes your hands in his own, kissing the backs of them as his thumbs caressed each of your knuckles. ‘But coming home to you reminds me I’m not alone in this endeavour and I don’t know how to thank you enough for standing by me.’

You smile. ‘You don’t need to thank me at all, just take care of yourself alright? We don’t want the Dark Knight running on fumes now when he’s just getting started.’

Damian: naturally goes by his father’s example and remains focused on the task at hand.

He was trained for long nights like these but you’ve become somewhat of a problem during them.

Damian had often found himself sat on a rooftop somewhere, looking down at two people enjoying the other’s company, and immeditly starts to imagine that it was him and you instead.

He hates how easily his mind drifted towards you during patrol with his father or his other siblings but he just can’t help it but crave for your presence. It makes him feel weak and vulnerable but ironically he doesn’t hate it as much as he probably should’ve. He’s even found himself wanting to count stars with you at one point during patrol until he got him act together to take down a few goons.

He doesn’t admit this to anyone as he’s already felt embarrassed enough that he didn’t needed to be embarrassed even further by the miscreants he’s made to called his family. For he knew they’d never let him live it down for being so caught up on you, they’d called him everything their small minds can come up with for the sake of teasing their younger brother.

So when he comes back to you, he doesn’t say anything other than hugging you uncharacteristically tight against his chest.

‘Someone’s missed me.’ You joked but when Damian didn’t say anything but tighten his grip on you and huff did you change your tune. ‘Oh you did. If it’s any consolation I missed you too.’ You add as you both stayed there in each others arms.

‘Just…hold me will you…please.’ He said softly as he sunk further into your embraced and he closed his eyes, secretly happy to be back home with you.

‘I’m fine with that.’ You replied as you concede to his wishes, just happy to see him home in one piece.

[lazycats-stuff]

Hello author. I hope your having a splendid day

May I request a reader x batfamily ( a year younger than Damian)

They are a Demi god of lightning and electricity.

He has been having a hard time with cases and failing and stuff like that, too much pressure. And he’s kind of hitting his breaking point.

So during a fight with a villain, alone. The villain corrupts the reader and makes him evil.

For a few months he became a villain and barely anyone could stop him. The batfamily at first didn’t know it was him but during a mission that was orders by the villain that corrupted him, to kill Althea (your oc) but Althea got away with injures but saw his face and told her mom and her mom told bats.

So with this new information the batfamily were more devastated .

With the help of the justice league the batfamily are in a show down with the reader, somewhere near a cliff and they fight and while also talking about their memories together. Reader was too powerful though and restrains everyone with use his electricity. His eyes are red and with dead eyes he walks towards any batfamily member of your choice and was about to deliver the final blow before the bat member looks at them and says ‘ I love you, my son/little brother’ reader hesitates and his eyes widens and filled with tears, the red disappearing.

He’s of course confused and disoriented, he steps back and not notices the cliff. His mind coming back to me as he slowly lets his restaions of the others disappear. He steps back near the cliff and looks back into the abyss and back at his family and friends. With regret and a messed up mind right now thinking he won’t be forgiven, he purposely steps back and fall down the cliff. No one was fast enough to stop his fall and he dies.

They retrieve his body and they’re just depressed and stuff for a while hut Damian won’t allow his only little sibling to die and takes his body to talia and he gets revived back.  when he brings unconscious reader back, the batfamily are upset at him for doing a dangerous act but happy that it went well.

Sorry it’s too long.

Hi anon, I hope you have have a splendid day too. Also, don't worry about the length. Lets go.

Summary: (Y/N) gets taken and is broken. The family has to save him.

Warnings: angst, fluff, SUICIDE- read at your own risk everyone!, near death of another character, the fam is suffering...

(Y/N) Wayne, the youngest child in the family and the only child who isn't really human. He is a demigod you see, a demigod of lighting and electricity. I think you can guess that his biological dad is Zeus. Because of it, he got close to Wonder Woman her daughter, Althea. He liked them both and he didn't mind hanging out with them.

He was a good detective too. Bruce was happy and proud, but made sure he wasn't over working himself and neglecting himself like, ahem, Tim. He was different from the rest of the family too. He didn't really have a traumatic past. His mom left him, but the Justice League and Bruce took care of him.

He was really close with his brothers too. Jason and Dick made sure he didn't overwork himself, Tim was fascinated with his powers and how they worked and Damian liked to just hang out with him in general. (Y/N) is the only person he liked and tolerated.

But times have shifted a little bit. (Y/N) was overworked and he was just dead inside. The pressure to solve the cases was piling and piling on and while (Y/N) knew that Bruce wouldn't mind if he took a break, he knew it wouldn't fit his own image. He would be disappointed in him, although not outwardly, inwardly.

He was nearing his breaking his point. He hid it well from the others, not wanting to disappoint them or worry them. He worked himself to the bone, closing in and refusing to open up. He knew he needed to do this and solve this. These cases need to be solved one way or another.

One way or another. It was time to get this shit over with and to do this as best as he can. He needs to get as far away from this pressure and from this breaking point as soon as possible. ASAP. Bruce explained to him that whenever he is nearing that point, he should take a break, but there are people depending him to solve this shit.

(Y/N) hated this shit more than anything else in the world. He really wanted to get this over with. Frustration, anger, sadness... He really wants to feel happy...

Is that so wrong to feel and wish for.

(Y/N) knew that he had to tell someone. Maybe Wonder Woman and Althea would be a better option to talk to, but those two were raised as warriors and they probably don't put emotions on the first place. Mental health is a difficult area to navigate. (Y/N) didn't even sleep from time to time, for a few days, school also being a big overwhelming factor in this stuff. He had good grades, not a straight A student, but still a good student. That was more than enough for Bruce who simply says to do your best in school.

If (Y/N)'s grades dropped, then Bruce would've caught on. Really caught on and he would force (Y/N) to stop with the cases and patrol.

(Y/N) knew it was a bad idea to do this. But there was nobody to help him in this fight. It's said that every single batkid has his own villains. Well, (Y/N) could fricking confirm it. This bastard was a pain in his ass for him and for the rest of the family. (Y/N) was thrown into the wall and he grunted as he tried to get up.

It was difficult, but he managed to do it.

He glared at the villain, clenching his fist. He could feel electricity coursing through his veins, out right refusing to back down. He could feel his eyes turning electric blue. The villain used his powers to disappear into the shadows, making (Y/N) scowl.

" Did you really come here alone? " The villain said from the shadows, making (Y/N) look around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. He really didn't like this at all.

" That is brave. Coming here alone to face me. " (Y/N) scowled more as he heard mocking tone in his voice, knowing that facing alone this type of villain is not good and not advisable. (Y/N) threw some electricity at the villain.

He didn't know whether or not he has hit him, but he moved, not wanting to stay somewhere where he could be a sitting duck and more so an easy target for the villain. Shadow and darkness is a scary place and although his family could often be found in it, (Y/N) thought of them as some sort of beacons of light. Sure, they were dark figures, but they were bringing hope and justice.

That sounds like a paradox or oxymoron, but it was true. But being a person in the darkness and shadows and being evil... Yeah... Not good. Really not good.

(Y/N) turned his head when he heard something behind him, but that was a distraction. The real blow came from the front, leaving (Y/N) no time to react as he was thrown into the darkness and into the shadows. (Y/N) couldn't get his bearings together and he was panicking now. He had to get out of this cloud of darkness. He really had to.

He had to.

He started walking, hands reaching out to try and feel where a wall is. Everything was dark and he had no idea where he was going. One guess would be hell, one would be the exit for this stupid building. (Y/N) hoped that he was on his way to the exit, but hey, you can't have it all, can you?

(Y/N) pushed on, but screamed only a few moments later when the shadows pulled him in, invading his mind, breaking through his defenses easily. NO! Fighting was futile though, (Y/N) knew it. (Y/N) knew that very well.

" Just surrender. It will be easier. " The voice said and (Y/N) knew that he couldn't fight and with the last bit of resistance, (Y/N) allowed the darkness to take over his mind.

For now, it was over.

The entire family was loosing their collective minds and their shit. Each in their own way. Some were silent, but some were more emotional and taking it out on criminals. Ahem, Jason. Bruce was quiet and worked non stop to to find his youngest son, his child. Alfred was on the verge of killing someone.

It was difficult to even function normally without their family member. Also, there is another problem on the horizon. A new villain was on the prowl and he was good. Bruce saw he had a lot of training that was far too good for some amateur.

What the hell is going on here?

Bruce was overworked and asked Wonder Woman and Superman to try to locate this new villain because his son was a far more bigger priority than some stupid villain coming to their scene so to speak. Bruce had no time or patience for it.

If only Bruce knew.

Wonder Woman and Superman were doing a good job at tracking the new villain, making sure to communicate with Batman and offer comfort whenever they could. They would often see their nephews, trying to bring some comfort to the poor boys who lost their brother.

For a few months, there were no clues, nothing. Not about a new villain, not about (Y/N) either. Bruce was on the edge of an abyss and he can't do anything to stop himself from going over the edge. A little push was needed and then he would be long gone in that aspect.

The entire batfamily was at the Justice League HQ, looking through intel. Wonder Woman and Superman were in the middle of presenting the intel they managed to obtain when Althea burst through the doors, falling down on her knees, making Wonder Woman gasp before running towards her daughter.

" Althea! " She said, clearly worried and Bruce walked up to the duo, trying to see if Althea is okay.

" Mom, it's (Y/N)... " She said before coughing up more blood, making the inside of her mouth red.

" What about (Y/N)? " Bruce asked quickly, hoping she would stay awake and conscience long enough for him to know. Everyone was waiting patiently for Althea to start.

" (Y/N) is the villain. " She said, coughing even more and Wonder Woman picked her up and ran towards the medical wing of the HQ.

When Wonder Woman left, the room was shrouded in silence. Tense and palpable. Bruce had to sit down. No. No. (Y/N) couldn't have... Dick wiped his eyes as he started crying softly. Bruce broke out of his trance and quickly hugged his sons in a big group hug.

" I know... " Bruce said, pausing to compose himself. " But now we know that (Y/N) is alive. He is somewhat okay. " Bruce said as he swallowed with a bit of difficulty.

(Y/N) was alive. (Y/N) IS alive. They will bring their brother and son home. No matter what.

Well, (Y/N) got stronger during his kidnapping. His eyes were red and nobody could even get close to him. Tim and Dick were unable to move from being restrained by electricity and the other three members were trying everything they could fricking think of. Everything. They have tried to awake his memories. From when he was little, from when they did stupid pranks... Anything they could think of.

Nothing worked.

Soon enough, everyone was restrained with electricity and (Y/N) looked like he was going to kill them. Bruce watched his son as he walked over to him, ready to finish him. Bruce watched in silence as (Y/N) was ready to kill him. But there was one thing that they didn't try just yet.

Bruce watched as his son raised his fist up, ready to strike. Ready to kill.

" I love you son. " Bruce said as he smile and (Y/N) stopped.

The red was gone. The red was gone! Bruce smiled even more and the boys were waiting with a baited breath as to what would (Y/N) do. They didn't expect the tears. But by God, it was a sight they were hoping.

The shadow chains were getting broken.

(Y/N) was slowly moving backwards, going to the edge of the cliff, hands gripping his hair and head. Everything was coming back to him... What he did to Althea... His brothers... His dad, father.... What he did when he was under the villain's control...

(Y/N) looked back at the edge of a cliff, seeing the waves crash at the hard stone... Usually, (Y/N) would love to watch it, just to relax. But now, (Y/N) only sees the dark abyss. Everyone at one point is just standing at the edge of that abyss and then, sometimes, the abyss blinks back at you.

He glanced back at his family, who were out of the restraints, just waiting for (Y/N) to say something. (Y/N) couldn't really see their faces due to tears, but he did wonder one single thing.

Would they forgive him? Would Althea forgive him?

(Y/N) shook his head as he took another backwards, he could feel the edge, right at his heels. His mind was in shambles, ruins... He wouldn't be forgiven...

He knew that his family wouldn't forgive him. But Althea might kill him... (Y/N) looked back at his family once more, one last time. He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment.

" I'm sorry. "

Bruce's eyes widened and he knew exactly what he was going to do and he got up and ran towards (Y/N), but it was too late. (Y/N) took a step over the edge, falling backwards into the waves and onto the hard rocks. Bruce leapt forward, hands grabbing the edge, but it was too late.

Bruce watched his son laying down there, waves washing over him. Bruce closed his eyes as he heard a scream behind him and then there was sobbing. Bruce looked up towards the sky, which opened up and Bruce for a moment thought that the sky was crying over their son.

The boys were destroyed and Bruce was destroyed with them... Oh God... Alfred will be destroyed too... Bruce allowed his tears to fall, and those tears were mixed with the rain.

Bruce swore that someone came in and took a part of soul. Just took it and ripped it out of his chest. A part of his heart was also taken and shattered. He look back at his sons, quickly grouping them into a hug, wanting to give them as much comfort as he can.

" Why? " Damian asked, shaken to his core.

" He said he was sorry... He thought we wouldn't forgive him... " Bruce said, burying his face into Damian's hair.

The boys all cried, crying out for their brother. Their souls and hearts were shattered too.

The world seemed to cry for (Y/N) Wayne.

Unfortunately, they couldn't bury (Y/N) just yet. They had to make sure that there were no restraints on his mind and body... And maybe they weren't ready to bury him just yet. They all hoped for a miracle to happen. Maybe (Y/N) would wake up and just be hey guys... But they all knew that wouldn't happen.

They were all grieving for (Y/N) in their own ways, but Damian was hurting the most. He was thinking about (Y/N) all the time and he cried alone in his room, thinking about his brother. The house was silent and there was no way it could ever be the same.

Damian thought about his grandfather and the Lazarus pit... Maybe... Just maybe...

The way back was easier than the way to Lazarus pit. Talia didn't expect him to come, especially not with his younger brother, well, half brother but still. Talia met (Y/N) and she did like him. She didn't know what happened, but she felt bad for the poor boy. She also didn't expect that Damian would want to use the pit, but she wasn't going to stop him.

She helped him put (Y/N) in the pit, waiting and watching. The color was coming back to his cheeks. There was that infamous white streak in his hair... Damian watched with a bated breath, hoping it would work.

After a few minutes, they checked for a pulse. Damian sighed in relief as he felt a pulse. His brother was alive... He is alive.... Talia watched as Damian took (Y/N) into his arms, lifting him out of the water, hugging him tightly.

She left the two brothers alone, allowing Damian to have a moment to get himself ready. He had to go back home...

As said before, the way back was easier and oddly enough, he made it just in time for dinner. He didn't question it and walked through, carrying his now alive brother.

Bruce spat out his water and the rest paled. There was (Y/N), but he looked like he was sleeping. He had more color than he had...

" Damian, " Bruce started as he stood up, not sure what more to say. The rest was quiet. " What did you do? "

" I used the Lazarus pit. "

That sentence... Bruce's eyes widened as he walked closer to his now alive son... He took (Y/N) into his arms, trying not to cry. (Y/N) was alive... He is alive.

" Lets put him to bed. " Bruce said with a strain in his voice. The other 3 boys jumped from their seats to really see if their brother is really alive.

(Y/N) was alive... They all cried softly as they realized that (Y/N) was alive... (Y/N) is alive!

They were happy, but mad at the same time since Damian didn't tell anyone of them what the hell he was planning. But they were happy and maybe their family could be whole again, once more.

[spidernuggets]

Hey! If requests are still open for Jason, can I ask for something. If this too much or uncomfortable you of course do not have to write it, I just wanted to check and see

Hbo Titans Jason where he and reader have always been best friends since before he became robin, possibly they are secretly pining for each other (because I love that trope lol), anyway at titans tower the episode where Jason was gonna jump, could you write that he does and it starts a timeloop that reader is stuck in and she's the only one aware of it, and classic timeloop trope she's trying again and again to save him but it never works out until eventually she can't watch him die anymore so when the day restarts she goes straight to the roof and jumps. This breaks the timeloop and the day starts again, she is alive, jason is alive. And team titans somehow have all the memories from the timeloops so everyone including jason knows that she has had an unbelievably shit time and then her and jason talk and he's kinda really mad that she did that and really confused and that's when she admits that she loves him

Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

"57 times I relived the day, 57 times I tried to save you, 57 times I failed, 57 times I watched you die!"

Warnings: continuous mentions of suicide from Jason and one suicide mention from Reader

Notes: A lottttt of dialogue

Love how you think, anon

You have no words to describe your feelings towards your best friend. You have no words to describe your intense, undying love towards Jason Todd.

Undying and forever concealed feelings.

You and Jason have been ride or die ever since you were kids. You were both orphans, but he seemed to get the better end of the stick once he got caught by Batman while he was stealing the tires off of the Bat Mobile.

But Jason never left you in the dust. He always came and visited you. Gave you the nicest food from the manor, told you about his role of Robin, taught you all the tricks and moves he learned from Batman.

He said he could get you a room at the manor. Pull some strings. But you told him that Crime Alley was your home. And you could rely on him, as Robin, to protect you, and the other people whom Batman seems to overlook when saving Gotham.

But when Bruce put Jason under Dick's care within the Titans, Jason practically begged you to join with him. Seeing as he'd be moving to San Francisco, farther away from you, he wanted you to be by his side. Not because he thought you couldn't make it on your own in Gotham. No. He knows how much capability of protecting yourself

He wanted you by his because of his undying and forever concealed feelings for you. He barely managed to go a day without seeing your smile back in Gotham. Who knows how he could've felt if he had to live months, maybe years without seeing your face.

So after getting in his knees, begging you to come with him, he pulled some strings and begged once more. Put his pride aside just for you, and convinced his older brother, Dick, to let you join the Titans. He said you were a fast learner, strategic, and absolutely amazing.

And that's when Dick saw it. That shimmer in Jason's eyes as he described this amazing girl. Dick knew how Jason felt about you. But without revealing this new knowledge, Dick just came up with the excuse that if your presence will get Jason to stay in line, then you can join.

And Jason's bright smile just proved Dick's theory of Jason's obvious love for you.

"Oh my god, I think I dislocated like 50 joints and bones," you say sarcastically, walking into the Tower after a long side mission. "Gonna take a fat nap, Dickwad," you yelled over to Dick before walking towards your room and Dick just rolls his eyes, smirks and shoos you off.

Gar shoots finger guns at you, telling you it was a good idea and headed off towards his own room to catch some Zs.

You changed into comfier clothing, you headed towards Jason room, right beside yours, before going to take a nap.

Ever since Jason's encounter with Deathstroke and his... fall, Jason was benched. So you regularly checked up on him and stayed by his side while he remained silent, staring out the window, and blasting heavy metal and rock music.

You rapidly knocked on his door and entered his room, knowing he couldn't and wouldn't hear it over the music and his disassociating state. He wouldn't let anyone in. But you're not anyone.

When you entered, you turned down his music, just a smidge, and walked by his side.

You stared at the side of his face. His eyes shifted up and down, and his breaths were shallow.

You sighed. "Hi, Jay," you whispered. He didn't respond. "You're not falling. You're okay." You reminded him every time you came in to check up on him.

You walk towards the window and slowly close the curtains. "Keep them closed, Jay. Okay? Today's mission got my limbs in a twist, so I'm gonna go take a nap and come back later, 'kay?"

Jason didn't reply, but you noticed his Adam's apple bob, telling you he tried to hum in response but just couldn't. But that was enough for you.

You were finally into a deep sleep, but around half an hour in, you were awoken by yellong coming from Jason's room. So you quickly got out of bed and rushed into his room.

"How fucked up are you?!" Was the first thing Rachel said when she stormed in. "All you do is give people reasons to hate you!"

"Uhm, what the fuck Rachel??" You exclaimed as she obviously isn't reading the room that Jason wasn't doing good.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jason lowly replies. You try to look into his eyes, but they're still directed towards the closed window, and your heart shatters at his emotionless state.

"The crosses on my mirror!" Rachel says.

Jason finally tears his gaze from the window and turns to Rachel. "I still don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

Rachel's eyes and gem glowed red, and her voice became distorted as she shoved Jason, hissing, "Don't fucking lie to me!"

But you shove Rachel back. "Dude, what the fuck are you on about?!"

Before she could reply, Jason spoke up. "I'm tired of this shit." You heard the tiny quiver in this voice and your eyes sadden, watching your best friend grab his jacket and storm out of his room.

You quickly tail behind him as Rachel screams fuck, walking behind you, slamming the door shut.

"Jason!" You called out to him.

"Don't fucking walk away from me!" Rachel yelled out.

"Woah, hey, what's the problem?" Dawn tried to calm everyone down.

"Jason drew crucifixes all over my mirror!" She cries.

"Thats bullshit!" Jason argues back, with you defending him.

"Shut the fuck up, Rach, he was in his room all day!"

"Jason, it's okay if you're angry," Dawn says.

"He didn't do shit, Dawn," you replied, annoyed.

"Don't fucking blame me for her voodoo issues," Jason growls.

"Jay," you said his name, giving a look to calm down.

As Donna walks in, asking what all the drama is about, Dawn tries to explain how Rachel thinks Jason drew crosses all over her mirror, Rachel yelling that she knows Jason did it.

This led to pointing fingers towards Jason. This is not how you wanted to relax, coming home from a mission.

At this point, it was believed that Jason planted the bourbon bottle, the picture of Ellis, and the orange sida bottle around the tower.

"You people are insane!" His eyes started to water. At this point of you and Jason's friendship, you both can feel one another's emotions. Not accurately, but you wanted to sob for Jason. All he ever wanted was to prove he is a worthy hero. "I'd rather be with Deathstroke than you assholes."

"Jason," you quietly call out, your voice cracking in the process. Jason couldn't even look at you. He didn't want to see your face, thinking that you believed them over him. That would really break him.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened, revealing a sweating, wide-eyed Dick Grayson holding a small hand gun.

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. But then your heart raced faster after Dick announced that Deathstroke was in the building, planting shit around everyone's rooms.

You knew it. You knew Jason would never do some crazy shit like that.

Speaking of Jason.

You looked around the room while Dick was further explaining the explanation. Jason was nowhere to be seen. Instantly, you ran past everyone, sprinting towards Jason's room, only to be met by a heavy silence.

"Y/n?" Gar called out behind you.

"I- I can't find Jay!" You exclaimed. You ran past Gar, heading straight to the roof.

When things got tough, you and Jason went to the roof, laid on the rough, pointy gravel, and talked to each other. Reminded one another that neither of you are alone.

And there may or may not have been a moment where you and Jason's eyes couldn't help but glance at each other's lips. But that was quickly interrupted when Gar and Rachel barged in and said they wanted to train.

But bursting through the door, the happy memories of your time spent with Jason were quickly erased. Now, all you could imagine when picturing the roof was Jason standing right at the ledge.

"Jay!" You cried out to him.

"I keep falling," his voice breaks.

Though he couldn't see you, you aggressively shook your head. "No, no. Jay, Jay you're- you're gonna be okay," you try to say through your stutters. "I- I wasn't there befire to catch you, but I will be now! Whenever you feel like you're falling, my hand will be with yours!"

"No. It won't stop. And.. And Bruce wasn't the first one who tried to help me. I can make a list, you know. Relatives, teachers, cops, Dick. Nobody's been up to the task."

"What about me, Jason? There's no way I'm on that list because I've been by your side since day one!" You took a step forward closer to him.

He shook his head. "I've got a poison in me. Shit spreads. It can affect even the healthiest people. I can't put that shit on you."

You dangerously took another few steps forward. "Jason, please. You know me- I know you! We help each other all the time! I'm not gonna stop now!" You didn't notice your cheeks getting wet and your vusion getting blurrier.

"Remember that time I was put into juvie? Four fucking people died. It follows me around like a curse. I'm the reason this place doesn't work. I'm the reason why everyone hates each other. I should have never asked you to come with me. You would've been better off back in Gotham without me." And Jason starts to cry. His tears mirror yours, salting and staining his cheeks, reaching down to his busted lips, leaving a slight sting to its wound.

"That's not true, Jason! You have no idea how much it means that you asked me to come witb you!"

Jason ignores you. "But I can fix it. Remove the poison."

"Jason what-" Your confusion was quickly cut off by your ear pitching shrieks. Jason steps off the ledge, his whole body falling limp.

You were too slow. You couldn't reach his hands. Your fingers couldn't even graze his.

You didn't want to look over the edge. You couldn't even if you wanted to. Your legs gave up on you, and the stones and gravel dug into your skin as you fell to the ground.

Your screams alerted everyone else as they all burst through the door, only to be met by your broken state that was crying and calling out for Jason's name.

It felt like you couldn't breathe when you woke up. You heard a bunch of yelling coming from the room beside you.

You groggily got up, wanting to see what the new commotion was on about.

You don't even remember going to bed or even coming down from the roof. It was probably because you couldn't stop thinking about Jason.

When you got out of your room, you heard the yelling coming from Jason's room.

Whoever the fuck was in there was about to get a real beating from you.

But when you walked in, there he was. Jason stared out the closed window, and Rachel accussing him of drawing crosses all over her mirror.

What the fuck.

Your head was pounding, but all you were thinking was that you had a second chance. A second chance to save Jason. A second chance to convince everyone that he was innocent. A second chance.

So you stormed up to Rachel, shoving her away from Jason.

"What the fuck, Rachel, he didn't do shit!" You yekl at her.

"And how would you know?! You were gone for the mission all day, then went to sleep right after!" She argues back.

You roll your eyes. "Because Jason was in his room all week, dumbass!"

"Jesus, you're just kissing his ass! Just because you're friends, doesn't mean he's innocent!"

"You're one to talk," you scoff. "You're the one following Dick around like a lost puppy! He isn't even here! For all we know, Dick could be the one who drew crosses on your mirror!"

"You don't get to talk about Dick like that! After everything he's done for you!" Rachel's eyes turn red.

"Dick has done fuck all for me. It was Jason who gave me everything!-" Upon the mention of his name, you turn your head and noticed he was gone.

Shit.

"Move," you mutter, pushing Rachel out of your way, ignoring the confused looks from Hank, Dawn and Kory as they watch you run towards the stairs that lead to the top.

"Jason, no!" You screamed out, only to watch him already step off the ledge.

"NO!" You shrieked again, living the previous nightmare. You hear the footsteps of the others running up, and as they got to the top, you gasped for air, waking up once again.

You quickly got out of bed and ran to Jason's room before Rachel could even get in.

This time, Jason looks at you in worry upon seeing you in a cold sweat.

"You're okay, Jay. You're okay," you quietly whisper out if breath, particularly to yourself rather than Jason.

But then, when Rachel storms in, you immediately shout, "Out!", pointing back through the door. Rachel narrows her eyes and walks out.

Now that she's gone, she can't accuse Jason, you have your eyes on him, and he can't walk off.

But the quietness was quickly faded when Rachel walked back in with Hank, Dawn, Kory, and Donna. Rachel quickly told them how Jason supposedly drew the crucifixed, which escalated to pointing fingers AGAIN.

And with this many people in one bedroom at once, it was hard to keep an eye on Jason. But you knew where he would be.

But even as soon as you got to the top, he ws already gone.

You couldn't even scream. But your breath was still taken away when you woke up again.

You didn't care how many times it took. You would watch Jason jumo off again and again. You would give yourself a heart attack again and again. You would get your breath stolen from you again and again. You don't care. No matter what, as long as you have these chances, you will save Jason. He is your best friend- he is the love of your life. And you'd do everything you can to stop him from jumping.

But this was attempt 57 to try and stop him. And you were running out of energy. Even though the day restarted, your vitality didn't.

And each time you woke up with short breaths, the longer it took for you to run up the stairs up to the roof.

Why isn't anything working. You tried to stop him from talking to Rachel, you tried to hold him back, you tried talking to him.

But what if he does stay? What if he doesn't jump? What if you do succeed?

Will the day continue? Will the day restart?

You were getting tired. You were getting tired of trying to shut everyone up, tired of trying to holding back Jason. You were tired of watching him kill himself.

Maybe this was your fault. You should've seen the signs sooner. You should've talked to him more.

Maybe he needed more. Maybe he needed more than you. Maybe you weren't enough. Maybe your friendship, your love wasn't enough.

You can't take it anymore.

You promised Jason that you'd be hy his side no matter what.

So you walk out of your room, the echoes of Rachel's yelling coming from Jason's room. But you don't walk there. You walk past the lobby, hearing Dawn ask where you were going. But you ignore her.

You walk to the stairs, heading up.

You didn't even give it a second thought. You walk off the ledge, knowing that you'd wait at the bottom for Jason. Because you can't even imagine a life without him.

When you woke up, it was different. Your breathing was even. Granted, you were still pissed off that dying didn't break the loop.

But there was no yelling. You couldn't hear Rachel's voice. When you walked out of the room and looked into Jason's, it was empty.

That's not right. It's too soon.

When you walked out of the lobby, you saw everyone standing around, huddled together in the middle of a discussion. But once they notice you, their eyes are full of sadness and worry.

"Y/n, I- I'm so sorry," Rachel speaks up first. Your eyebrows pinch together.

You look at your watch. Jason would've gone up by now. But he wasn't. He was standing with the others, looking at you with sadness and... and anger?

"What are you..."

"We know about... about the time loops," Dick says. "We don't know what caused it or why you were the only one aware of it during those times, but... It seems you've broken the loop with.. With your fall."

"And because you were the only one aware, and you took the fall instead of Jason... it must've cut off the loop," Rachel further explains. "But now it also made us remember all those times we had to relive the day."

"All 57 times.." Hank muttered.

You sucked in a breath. "I- I just-" You stammered, barely able to make a sentence.

But Jason walked up towards you, grabbed your wrist, and pulled you towards his room for privacy. Dick was about to follow suit, but Hank grabbed him by the shoulder and shook his head, silently telling him to leave the two of you alone.

"What the fuck, Y/n?!" Jason says once he locks the door behind you.

"Why are you yelling at me!" You bite back, still tired from the events.

"Why- why didn't you tell me you were reliving this situation, a horrible situation!"

You rolled your eyes. "Obviously I would, but there wasn't time! There was always a fixed time that you disappeared, ended up on the roof, and jumped! And with every attempt, the more tired I got, and the more late I was to get to you!"

"So you killed yourself?!"

"I just couldn't watch you die anymore, Jason!" Jason finally shut up. "And I knew I couldn't live without you either! 57 times I relived the day, 57 times I tried to save you, 57 times I failed, 57 times I watched you die! And I promised I'd always be by your side! That doesn't change, even with this!" Like the first time you watched Jason stand on the ledge, the same salty tears rolled down your face, Jason's eyes doing the same thing.

"That's- That's so stupid! I'm not someone to give up your life over! I'm not worth it!"

"You're worth it to me! Every day, I only wake up because I know you're gonna be there to annoy the hell out of me! I only wake up every day knowing I'm going to spend time with you! My life has no purpose without you!"

"Why?!" Jason raises his voice. "I'm a nobody! I'm an asshole! You're life is worth so much more than mine! Why would you only live for me?!"

"Because I love you, Jay!"

The two of you become quiet, staring at each other, waiting to see who was brave enough to confirm what kind of love you were talking about.

"Jason..." You whisper. "You are literally the best thing that has happened to me. Watching you step off so many times, knowing that I was becoming more and more useless to try to stop you, I felt like I wasn't enough for you to stay. So.. I just thought that if you jumping off that roof was inevitable... then I might as well join you.. Because I genuinely cannot live without you."

You could barely look him in the eye. You couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Your breath hitched when his arms wrapped around you. You felt his lips linger on the crown of your head.

"'m sorry, mama," he mumbled into your hair. Instinctively, you wrapped your arms around his waist, pulling him closer. "Didn't mean to make you go through all that. Didn't mean to think that you weren't enough."

He loosens his grip around you, hands shifting to hold each side of your face as his calloused thumbs gently caress your wet cheeks.

"I love you too," he gently kisses your forhead. "And you are more than enough for me," he kisses your nose, making you let you a faint giggle and a slight crack of a smile. "You are everything to me." He places a quick but loving kiss against your lips. "I'm sorry I tried to leave you. I'm sorry I didn't stay."

"Will you stay now with me?" You ask, looking up at him.

"Of course I will, babe," he lowly says, pulling you in for another warm and safe embrace. "Now come on. Let's get you some proper sleep where you wake up tomorrow morning, okay?"

You hummed in response, ending the day in now screams or shrieks. Just quick pecks here and there, cuddled against Jason's warmth in his bed and wrapped in his blankets.

Eventually, you were going to talk to him about finding him some professional help, but that would be a talk and a probable argument for later.

Right now, you just need to bask in each other's love and warmth.

holy guac!!! that was long.

Hoped you enjoyed anon!!! 🫶🫶

[mysterycitrus]

Jason is my blorbo, my favorite, wretched, little guy and I love him so much. And I love all your posts about him! SO tired of people watering down his character, especially at the expense of other characters. Namely Dick and Tim. I know you're probably tired of talking about J so no hard feelings if you ignore this but I'd love to hear your thoughts and Dick and Jason's relationship. Past, present and where you'd like to see it go in the future. If anywhere. (Also your art is so, so good!! I especially love how you do faces and your coloring)

i actually really enjoy unpacking their relationship. it makes me think about that quote from diary of a wimpy kid - "you're my brother, but you'll never be my friend." idk how they should be written in the future because i think jason needs to be removed from gotham until he grows his personality back, but here's my thoughts on their brains -

from jason's end, there's so much resentment. a large part of his post-resurrection motivations come from the idea that bruce has dishonoured his memory and failed to grieve him, because bruce won't let him or anyone else kill the joker and therefore bruce doesn't love him. bruce rejects his manifesto for fixing gotham, bruce rejects his violence, bruce rejects his politics. would bruce have rejected dick if dick had done this? in jason's mind - no. dick grayson has shackled himself to bruce and is drowning with him. jason does not see that he has also chained himself to bruce and thrown away the key.

it's also worth mentioning that in outsiders 2003 and batman and robin 2009 (when written by winick), jason still fundamentally respects dick's abilities and experience. he think he's weak because he tries to suppress his anger, but i don't think jason would carry that same heavy, debilitating misery from seeing tim or cass or damian - people he was denied knowing by dying, and thus "replaced" by. jason, in some capacity, values dick as an ally. he trusts that dick, for all his flaws, is not a vengeful person (and i'll get to that).

there's a degree of what if there too - both dick and jason lived through a very specific period of bruce's life, which is the period before jason was killed. no one else (aside from babs and alfred) knows what that was like. no one else understands bruce, in that way. they have seen him before that grief in a way no one else who followed can. they're both poor kids brought into wealth. dick transcended into a legacy, and was then discarded. jason was, unconsciously, a tangible replacement for dick (and for robin), but died before bruce had the chance to leave him behind.

by comparison, we see dick reach out to jason, consistently. i'd say that unlike bruce, dick is a pragmatist. he frequently works with murderers. he ran the outsiders. he has, and will continue to, make calls that will questionably result in someone's death. to be clear, that is not the same thing as being a murderer - i think the guilt of that comes very close to killing him - but while he's an inherently optimistic person, i'd say he has realistic expectations for people's behaviour. it's what makes him so efficient as a tactician.

they're also very similar - they respond differently to anger, but they are both explosive. dick doesn't seek retribution on his own behalf, but he will lose control for the people he loves (which includes jason!). going to bat (haha) for jason, and jason then hurting the people he protects (tim, damian, the titans, etc), that's a line jason's crossed. dick won't ever stop swinging out to grab him, because he'll never let anyone fall, but that does not mean he'll be kind when they reach the ground

[zahri-melitor]

After the last few months, Dick still is adjusting to the fact that Tim comes back to the Penthouse after patrol. He sleeps in a bedroom in the apartment. There’s a comm in his ear with a tracker in it that Dick can pull up on the computer and find his location. He’s here. Dick knows where he is.

If Dick has stood in the doorway of Tim’s room at 5am, after waking from a nightmare, to listen and watch the sheets move as Tim breathes…well. Anyone might do that. He hadn’t realised how well he knew the exact sound of Tim snoring as he slept on Dick’s couch, until that background noise was no longer there.

He’s really here.

Tim’s back in the Bunker after patrol right after Batman and Robin get in, changing before going upstairs. Alfred has already retreated to bed, so the three of them are left to scrounge a post-patrol snack from the fridge.

Damian is first to the fridge, sticking his head right in. He’s always hungry at the moment. It’s probably a coming growth spurt. Dick remembers the feel of patrol as a pre-teen and as a teenager, when your appetite never seemed to end, when he’d get hungry every few hours and sneak snacks in his pockets and drop in on late night vendors and on particularly long stakeouts Bruce would reach into his belt and pull out little bags of dried fruit and jerky and pass them to Dick without looking.

“Grayson,” Damian demands. He sounds confused. “Who opened the extra orange juice. Why are there multiple containers open.”

Dick blinks, then looks over Damian’s shoulder. He’s right. There are three containers of orange juice at the front of the shelf. Two of them are open, and the third one, still sealed, is decorated with a little texta dot on the seal line that Dick’s eyes are immediately drawn to.

Dick turns his head slightly and looks at Tim. Tim’s smirking, but also has a far away nostalgic look in his eye.

“The orange juice is all open, Tim?” Dick asks. Oh. This brings back memories.

Damian reaches for one of the cartons. Tim snorts.

“Uh, not that one,” says Dick hastily. Tim. TIM.

“What’s wrong with the orange juice, Drake?” Oh no. Damian now sounds super suspicious.

“You didn’t do this with Damian?” Tim sounds amused.

“Alfred’s right here,” Dick points out. He’s not being defensive, honestly. It’s just…Alfred would never let any of them get away with this. Alfred’s the one who cooks all Damian’s meals and makes sure he’s getting an adequate diet for a young vigilante training like Damian is, who enforces bedtimes and routine and sets the rules. It’s not like the last time he was Batman, when it was just Dick and Tim on their own.

Shit. Dick had only just been 21 back then. He and Tim had been such kids, his failed wedding or not, knocking around a too-large Manor on their own with no supervision, with responsibility for the entire city. He’d thought he was so grown up then.

It’s one of the reasons he’s insisted on moving into the Penthouse. There were too many memories tied up in being in the Manor when Bruce wasn’t there. He couldn’t face dealing with it while Tim was also gone. He’d needed that fresh start.

He reaches over Damian’s shoulder and hands the offending carton to Tim. “It’s an old joke of Tim’s, Damian. Don’t worry. Tim, you can explain the situation to Alfred in the morning when he’s making breakfast and sees everything’s open.”

“Only if there’s still multiple cartons,” says Tim. He lifts the carton to his lips, making firm eye contact with Dick, and chugs the entire thing.

“That’s disgusting, Drake!” squawks Damian.

Dick starts to feel his heart heal a little. They’re going to be ok.

[gffa]

Knight Terrors, as a storyline, should be about the things that haunt the characters the most and it's certainly interesting to see what Dick's mind conjures for him--he spends so much of this issue separated away from any other characters he cares about and, the first time I read through it, I was frustrated because I wanted to dig into his relationships with the other characters and I wanted the issue to have something to say about what these nightmares meant to the character. But on second read through, I'm finding it actually pretty interesting--Dick spends the majority of the issue on his own, locked away in Arkham for something he doesn't remember doing (but will eventually, and it's not hard to guess that it's something to do with Batman, that's not a shocking reveal so much as it's an inevitable doom hanging over the issue, which I thought worked really well) and only the briefest moments of his parents crumbling to dust before him, the memory surfacing of having killed Batman, the ending of Babs being consumed by metal as she's dragged past his cell. What does this say about the character? That what really haunts him is isolation from those he loves--he spends the majority of the issue separated from them. That his parents are crumbling into ash in his own mind, he doesn't even recognize them at first under their masks, and then he tries to so gently touch them, but they wither and disappear from him--how long has it been since he saw their faces, does he fear that he's forgotten them, that their memories are little more than dust in his mind, because of how long it's been? That he killed Batman--this can be straightforward and still be interesting, if I was going to put money on any character being able to physically beat Batman in a fight (other than Cass), it would be Dick, because he knows Bruce the most, because he learned from Bruce the longest, because Bruce lets his guard down around Dick, because Dick has won fights with him before. But also in a less straightforward way--how many times has Dick been the one to drag Bruce back from the emotional ledge of darkness, how many times has Dick been the one to save Batman? How many times has Dick said that he needs to prioritize his own missions and his own life over helping Bruce and Gotham? Does he fear that one day he'll stop doing that and be the one that gets Bruce killed because Dick decided living his own life was more important than helping Bruce? And, upon realizing it, he's willing to sacrifice anything of himself to fix it: "First I killed my father. Now they have the woman I love. I don't give a damn if this isn't real. I'll tear this whole place apart, even if it means destroying my own mind in the process." How new and fragile his relationship with Babs must feel, they've danced around each other for so long, they're finally moving forward together again, how much must it haunt him that they'll be ripped apart again, that she'll be taken from him, too? Dick Grayson is someone who thrives on connection with those he loves and putting him into isolation, making his parents' memory barely there, putting his adoptive father's death on his hands, having Babs barely be there to even talk to him, it feels wrong because this is someone who should be chatting away with the people he loves, not feeling stripped of them. This is what haunts Dick Grayson's nightmares--everyone he loves being taken from him, whether through forgetting them, him failing them, or being taken from him. That to really hurt him, you isolate him away from the other characters that he loves so much, that's what breaks him down more than anything.

[002yb]

Just more amnesiac Jason working for Bruce and unknowingly taking care of his son and being kinda weirded out by his clingy, awkward boss who sometimes gets teary-eyed when looking at him

Based on this post.

Before Jason was taken from them, his boy's life was lonely.

It's something Bruce only recognizes as he's sat on an adjacent rooftop stalking watching over Jason and Jason's charge and something about that details wounds him in an egregious and damning way

Because Bruce has to tell everyone the news; they need to bring Jason home to them again and back into their lives

Only...there's so few people. Bruce doesn't even need a full hand to count them. Alfred, Dick. Because Jason - he didn't have anyone else.

No team to rely on, no friends for support. Only the small family Jason found for himself at the manor and even then...

Bruce overwhelmed by everything: the reveal that Jason is alive, the mystery of his son's revival, the realizations about the life that was lost and this new life Jason is building for himself and how Bruce can't let his boy go again

Of course Bruce has to tell Alfred first. As much as Bruce wants to keep Jason to himself for a while longer, he can't keep the boy from Alfred again. Not after Bruce failed to bring Jason home all those years ago.

Alfred chauffeurs Bruce to work and follows Bruce to his office to see for himself that very next day (and it becomes routine no matter how embarrassing it is for Bruce, grown man that he is, to be seemingly escorted through his company, but he allows it. Always. He could never keep Jason from Alfred in any capacity ever again and this -- this is all they can manage for now).

A part of Bruce being scared to share this reality with Alfred because while Bruce is confident that it's their boy, the world and universe can be so cruel. There are a million what-ifs that run through Bruce's head and they all end in, 'what if he's taken from us again?'

Bruce isn't sure he could survive it. He knows Alfred wouldn't.

But he tells Alfred anyway and Alfred sees for himself and Alfred knows it in his heart and soul - their boy.

Alfred maintains his composure endlessly better than Bruce had before and even right then (staring, marveling, mourning and celebrating all at once; all reverence and tenderness and love), but Bruce still sees the small tells of how Alfred breaks and comes together; composed but so soft as he reintroduces himself to Jason

Not as a grandfather to a son (not quiet, not yet), but as a butler to a secretary

And just like before, like nothing changed at all - like there hasn't been a lifetime lost between them - Alfred and Jason pick up right where they left off

Their meetings together are fleeting. Without raising suspicion, they chat for a brief period in the morning and occasionally when Bruce can convince Jason to let them drive him home

The companionship between Alfred and Jason flourishes with teasing at Bruce's expense, but Bruce basks in every moment of it because these two people so dear to him come alive (hah) in such a bright and delightful and warm way.

They talk like they used to - about the arts and long-running dramas. Book recommendations (new, old - because Jason's memories are scattered even with things like that) and shared recipes (of Jason's favorites) and talk of home management (best laundering practices and ideal cleaning solutions etc etc).

And Jason asks after Bruce - likes, dislikes, bad habits to be aware of ;) and promises not to work him too hard

Sometimes he'll look over at Bruce. Jason will see Bruce watching him, sometimes endeared and other times distraught. He'll offer slight smiles before returning to Alfred before the conversation comes to a close until the next time.

Anyway, Jason thrives in his new position as Bruce's assistant. Admittedly Bruce is on his best behavior, always within eye and earshot of Jason (because that means Bruce can see Jason, too; can hear him).

Hm. Nevermind, Bruce being readily available but not necessarily on his best behavior. Because more than working he just wants to spend time with his boy. So he's often slacking off and trying to get Jason to slack off with him. Meetings? Cancel them. They can go to lunch. Or on a walk. There's a gym downstairs, they can --

Jason being an expert in getting Bruce to be productive. In getting him to focus. In that same vein, being the only person within the company that can draw Bruce's attention away from whatever project has his attention. The only one that has any success in drawing the tension from Bruce's shoulders and getting him to rest or eat or breathe.

It's partly because it's Jason, partly because even after death - Jason has all the makings of Robin. Bruce is easy to keep in check. Especially if Jason stays close.

But yes, productivity dies the moment there's a lull in the day and then it's back to Bruce wanting to hang out which...are all the gossip magazines misguided? Is Bruce actually a really lonely guy? Wanting to spend so much time with his secretary is strange, isn't it? Since Jason starts working with the company, he hasn't seen Bruce go out on the town once. No salacious work hook-ups, no parking garage shenanigans like people are always on about.

HR loves Jason for keeping Bruce out of trouble, though rumors are bound to pop up about Jason at some point 👀

But that's a thought for another time (because more and more I want to write little snippets for this). For now, the next in line to interact with Jason: Tim.

Does it fit in the timeline? Don't know, don't particularly care.

Tim still running the company despite Bruce being present and accounted for is such a good thought

Bruce delegating all the tasks so that he has that much more time to spend with Jason

Tim doing the absolute most during this time between managing the company and covertly DNA testing Jason and looking into the kid Jason is looking after etc etc etc

Anyway, Tim is busy.

And Jason stays out of his way because Tim is clearly important and on a mission with no time to waste

But the kid does a lot and is running himself ragged so Jason just...helps a bit? Jason is exclusively Bruce's assistant, but Tim is doing a lot of Bruce's work so...?

Jason being MIA one day and Bruce storming the company because where is he

And Jason is with Tim helping to sort papers for a meeting and chiding at Tim to eat before he makes himself sick, ffs

And Bruce might be taken out at the knees to see his two boys interacting in this way. With Jason caring for Tim and Tim being a little shy and flustered because while Jason doesn't know who the fuck Tim is, Tim is very aware that this is Robin

Yeah. Just Jason occasionally acting as Tim's assistant and Bruce is both endeared and petty about it.

And then there's Dick. Who is of course the last to know because no one tells him anything. Again. It slips one day because Dick calls Bruce and Jason answers his phone and Dick just - he recognizes Jason's voice in an instant. But doubts himself because he's had a history with hallucinating Jason before.

So Dick feels so unsteady, almost sick. But he breathes through the panic the familiarity that voice brings. Because it's safe, he falls back on his own charms. Only that backfires because fuck, when he makes this person laugh - it takes Dick apart, wrecks him and leaves him stepping off whatever path he's on to rest his weight against whatever surface he can find. Chest tight, grief coming back so aggressively and what the hell.

Dick being a glutton for punishment, needs to meet this person. So he goes to Wayne Enterprises under the guise of meeting his dad and brother for a surprise lunch.

And that's when he meets Jason. At Jason's desk just outside Bruce's office. Not paying any heed to how Bruce watches them through the glass panes separating them because -- it's Jason. His little wing. His Robin.

Shock and confusion and hope - a fleeting look to a panicked Bruce (who has the decency to look guilty; Dick will deal with that later), but he nods and Dick breathes through how blindsided and wrecked this leaves him. He picks up on the amnesia, but it doesn't matter. Jason is okay.

And Dick is a showman, so he plays it cool regardless of how his heart races and how he wants to break with grief and relief at the sight of Jason -- healthy and breathing and warm and alive. But he doesn't break. Dick smiles instead. A genuine and crooked thing that's charming for how tentative it is.

And Bruce sees it the moment it happens - the immediate flush of color that washes over Jason's cheeks as Jason flusters

Love at first sight, Jason must think, but Bruce knows better: a persistently undying crush

Some things never change

[wolfjackle-creates]

You know what, I'm just gonna self plug all my AO3 one shots now. I really enjoy them. I've locked everything to AO3 users only, but I still have an invite or two if there's anyone who doesn't have an account and wants to read them. Just send an ask or DM and I'll get one to you!

The Nurses Demands: Bruce gets a call from Tim's school. The nurse has ordered him to take Tim home.

Mr. Fenton was not pleased to see Red Robin on the streets when he knew Tim Drake had a broken arm. And he will make sure Bruce Wayne knows he is not pleased.

This one is more feral!adult!Danny. He's a retired hero who will not let the teen vigilantes of Gotham get away with working while injured. Bruce is blindsided by this random nurse knowing so much about their nightlife. I have ~ideas~ for how things would go after this, but idk if I'll ever write them. If anyone sends and ask, I'll definitely give a summary of some of my thoughts! (I've shared some before, but never in a cohesive fashion.)

It's my most popular fic on AO3, apparently. Which, wild.

2.7k words

Remember, Remember: Danny is a failed clone of Dick by the Court of Owls. Erasing his memory, they threw him out onto the world where he eventually got adopted by the Fentons. If the portal accident somehow knocked loose the mental block hiding his memories… Who knows what could happen.

I imagine Danny to be ~17 (physically) in this. He was aged up to ~8 when created, so he's about 9 or 10 years old from the time of creation.

This might be my favorite one shot of mine. I'd love to continue it, but I just don't have any concrete ideas for where I'd take it or how it'd go. And there's so many other projects I'm working on. Maybe one day.

1.3k words

Electricity: Danny Phantom has been brought into the Justice League and it's great!

Or, well, it would be if Danny could be paired with anyone who wasn't an electricity user. The post-mission panic attacks are getting old and Jazz is worried.

What can I say, I love writing panic attacks.

This is one of the first one shots I wrote for the fandom that I was really proud of. I will always be fond of it for that reason.

2.4k

And that's it for the AO3 one shots! There's a few more on Tumblr only that I've shared today or are in my masterpost. I'll eventually get those transferred over, too. Been a great year of writing!

[reality-exodus]

Time is running out

Pair: bat family x reader sister

Summary:Based on an old edit I discovered. Batman gets kidnapped and his children are trying to solve the mystery of his disappearance.

Warnings: blood, injury, trauma, cursing, triggering language

Edit: credits to them creator (the picture underneath my edit) https://youtu.be/pRuMwQAIVbI

I think I'm drowning, asphyxiated

I felt my heart skip a beat and my breath coming out shallow, I couldn't take my gaze away from the CCPD footage that was sent to the Bat-computer. Suddenly I felt like a little girl again. Watching something a child shouldn't have to witness, I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder pull me closer, I could tell it was Jason, it was too tight considering what we were seeing. He pulled me closer to him. There was silent in the cave, we were frozen, only our breath echoed.

"We have to trace it…" it was Dick's voice. "Tim Barb, do something" he exclaimed approaching Damian whose eyes were stuck on the screen as well.

I wanna break this spell that you've created, Your something beautiful, a contradiction

Bruce was laying still, many open wounds flooding with blood, we couldn't sense any movement, or see if he was breathing his suit devices that connected him to the Bat computer were destroyed as a laugh was heard in the background. It wasn't from the camera, I came to our comms… I knew that laugh, I despised that laugh… But the same time, I had so many memories of him, unfortunately good.

"Joker?" Damian asked and looked at us, his voice was shaking, I really didn't see that coming.

"Close enough, it's his creation, Jerome… this is Jerome. I would recognize his laugh anywhere…" I explained, I felt eyes on me, they knew it wasn't a pleasant subject for me, it hadn't taken me time to get over the fact that I was used by a psycho.

"How can it be Jerome, (Y/N), he died in case you do not remember…" Jason demanded looking down to me.

I wanna play the game, I want the friction

"I do not know Jason!" I exclaimed and swallowed "But this. Is. Jerome" I spoke and turned on my comm

"What the hell do you even want!" I exclaimed in the communication.

The laugh kept going without responding to my question, Barbara and Tim were typing, Tim signed to keep him laughing and talking so they could track down the signal. "What can be touched but can't be seen?" He asked me, it was his voice as I couldn't comprehend what was happening, this was a riddle I realized.

"Future, what of the future" I asked again trying to sound tremendous and firm like Batgirl would but miserably failed…

"It is a crime if attempted but not if committed" he spoke again, there was static in between, I couldn't make out an answer I was looking at Jason and Dick panicking internally. "Tik tak, clocks ticking. Ten… nine…" he started the countdown. We had no idea what would happen if he reached zero…

"Suicide!" I exclaimed out of the blue holding in my breath. The boys were staring at me, and so was I.

He laughed for a few seconds "What can be touched but can't be seen?" He asked me again and I let out a shaky breath. I was trying to ponder, think I couldn't make out a word, henstarted counting down again, and then his laugh became louder and louder.

"Now you brought this to the big bat" Jerome laughed, "Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?" He asked finally asked and I felt my eyes tear as i knew the answer. "You have about an hours before he runs out of air" there was another serious voice speaking now.

"He will bury him alive" Dick realized, I don't think either if them could tell the voice change.

"Tell where he is you son of a bitch" Jason yelled loudly, snatching the comm from my hands. The comm stopped working.

"Do we have anything?" He asked and turned at Oracle and Red Robin.

"I will have the location of the comm in some minutes" Tim informed us and I looked around breathing shallow.

"I got him killed, if the riddle was correct the second time, we would know more of Bruce's whereabouts…" I spoke in realization.

You will be the death of me

"Hey hey no, (Y/N)" Jason approached me and Dick did too.

"Yes… yes I did…" I yelled at him

"(Y/N) Don't do that;" Dick yelled while I was speaking

"He is going to suffocate to death and it's all on me" I yelled pushing him back

"Guys both shut up" Jason made an effort while all three of us were yelling at each other.

"SHUT IT " Barbarian yelled "The footage was recorded half an hour before it was sent, it wasn't a Livestream we have serious work to do." She exclaimed pulling us back to reality "Bruce is already buried based on what Valeska said" she pointed out as she looked at me.

"How can we know that he was speaking truthfully?" Damian finally spoke, his voice had eased from before.

"We don't, the tracking of the comm is being fulfilled at the moment" Tim replied and sighed

"It is not Valeska, I mean the voice is, but the last part, his voice changed… can't we like, rehear it" I asked and she put it on screen. I approached and dragged then recording of the comm to the end. "Here. Listen carefully it was the moment we were shouting" I explained and I sat down at the recording. Dick was above having his hand reassuringly on my shoulder, I was grateful for my brothers, and for Barb, and Steph.

"You are right" Barbara confirmed it and there was a notification sound. "We have coordinates, get ready and leave, I'll be having your back, sending them to you now it's in Iceberg Lounge" she informed us.

"To sum up we have Riddle and possibly Clayface…" I spoke as I approached my belt tied it around my waste as I put on the hood and then jogged to one of the motorbikes to drive as Tim did the same.

Jason cursed under his breath and sighed "I am driving, decide who is coming with" he tried to announce but none of us fell for it.

"Pick a ride Todd" I winked at him wearing my helmet, I knew he would ride with me, he had no issue with Tim but let's not get too touchy here. He was concerned about me, Jerome was a trigger for me.

"Okay plan. We need two teams, one to visit the Riddler at the narrows and one to penguin" Oracle spoke up on the comms "Red Hood Batgirl go to the Narrows, Spoiler will be expecting you there, Red Robin, Robin and Nightwing iceberg lounge, Alfred came here we are working together." She explained.

"Alright Copy Oracle" I spoke and turned over the direction and drove. Jason's hands tensed on the back of the bike. I saw it on the mirrors.

"Splitting up the communications. Red Hood, Batgirl and Spoiler you are with me" she spoke "spoiler is expecting you outside the old Thompkins infirmary" she added.

"Wooh feels good being the man of the team" Jason commented as the motorcycle roared throughout the streets of the bad-prestiged alleys.

"Out of the four of us you are the one who behaves most ladylike so…" I pointed out and braked as Spoilered sank out of the darkness on a nearby alley, her iodes suit gleaming at the street lights as well as her blonde curls.

"It's true Red Hood, you are not the man here" Steph poked him and he sighed ready to respond but he was interrupted.

"Spoiler, did you see the video?" Oracle asked.

"Positive, I also thought of Clayface, Valeska can't be alive, besides there was a voice alteration." She remarked and looked at us.

"Let's go in then" I signed and looked at the building moving in from the front door as Spoiler and Red Hood would go from the rooftop, we could use the element of surprise. It was dirty and the humidity was making the atmosphere heavy. I looked around listening to the rest saying they had eyes on me already. "Come out Nygma… I have an answer for you" I exclaimed,my voice echoed out loud returning to me. "The second riddle was heart, to be honest to break my heart, it was a smart move you know… to use him" I spoke loudly and then I heard the Riddler laugh, he appeared behind a pillar, from the dark, the light was dim, but my eyes were used to it.

"You must be the smart one, all batgirls tend to be smart huh?" He asked

"Is that a riddle too?" I asked him

"Oh we know the answer, it's that red head a few years ago." He stated and I rolled my eyes.

"Where is he?" I asked if I didn't know whom I was referring to at that point.

"That's the point of the riddle , Batgirl, you are supposed to solve both of them. Where is Batman buried, and how is Jerome still alive?" He spoke up and sighed. "Must be hurtful to listen to the voice of your beloved after so long … he was asking of you Batgirl…"

I was aware that he was bluffing, that most likely Jerome was still dead, and he was imitated by Clayface, the situation with Jerome almost spilled out of my identity, I felt cold sweat on my forehead. "Oh what to do, if he has anything to tell me he can just as well come and tell me, now back to Batman. Where is he?" I asked him and maintained my cool, I could hear Barbara commenting my heart rate that was speeding up

"Buried" Riddle simply spoke

"Where? isn't there a riddle or something?" I asked tensing, I was negotiating and I had to keep my cool.

I won't let you bury it

"Please you know I wouldn't tell you" he laughed. "At least you will have to earn it"

"How" I asked

"Getting passed the obstacles" he simply said and signed me to look upwards as a bucket of clay fell on me I gasped trying to unstick myself away from the substance I could hear voice through and outside the comms as I was suffocating for a drop of air soon I felt electricity run through me. Spoiler and Red Hood attempted with their teasers to get me out, it was successful.

I won't let you smother it

I breathed out air as the clay melted around me, I was breathing heavily and sighed looking around me seeing the dissolved clay slowly moving again into a mass to form Clayface who laughed.

"Are you okay?" Red Hood asked me and pulled me on my feet, and I nodded

"Is this an obstacle Nygma?" I asked loudly and ready to charge at him.

"You are smart, the obstacles will lead you to your bat and if you are lucky enough he will be alive" he laughed and winked at us and I flinched at the words charging at him instead of Clayface. But one hand got me pulled to a wall the same happened to the rest, I stayed calm this time and threw a cryo bomb while the rest reacted in a similar way trying to break free from the grip of the mutant. I fell on my knees dodging another incoming clay tentacle rolling behind a pillar as i started setting another round of electrocution, I had no visual in Spoiler and Red Hood and how they were doing, I could hear grunts and moans of pain…

"Clear the way!" I exclaimed and got on the battlefield again and aimed at the mass of clay, I saw both of them dodge out of the way as I shot the electrocution cable to him and gave him a shock. It lasted a while as the mutant started melting, there were sparks flying around as I felt the teaser burn in my grip realizing how I was overusing it. Before I decided to set it aside it blew in my grip. I fell backwards, my ears were ringing…there was a blur. I was on my back trying to assess the damage of my body, I breathed and closed my eyes trying to calm down, once I opened them I saw a figure standing above, a gun aiming at me.

I won't let you murder it

Before I could react there was another shot, Red Hood. "Don't you dare to touch her" he yelled as he jumped and spin kicked Nygma in the face, I rolled over and stood up grasping his collar. "Now tell us where Batman is?" I exclaimed loudly and he laughed. Red Hood punched him roughly.

"Where the fun begins you shall find information of his whereabouts" Riddler spoke "But if I stop breathing so does he" he told us and I let him fall to the ground and looked at Spoiler and Red Hood.

"Amusement mile" Oracle spoke up, solving it for us. "Are you guys alright?" She asked and the eyes of the rest fell on me, I looked down at my hands. They were kind of burnt but still functional.

"I am good" I smiled softly to reassure them but I got serious once I heard the location, my gaze turned to the other two, none of us had nice memories from there as I skipped a heart beat and sighed.

"Nightwing, Red Robin, Robin will find you there… everything will be alright." Oracle tried to assure us.

"What did Penguin say to the others?" Spoiler asked changing the subject as we started moving to the vehicle.

"Penguin said that he doesn't know anything he only aided and funded Riddler's idea, he said that many were recruited for this and that it wasn't only for batman, he wants us all down…" she said as we heard a beep meaning that the lines were all connected again

"We are walking straight into a trap" Tim spoke, I heard his sigh.

"We could ask for help" I suggested.

"Negative, i have already requested assistance but the league hasn't responded, I can't track down the Kents or The arrows or anyone… " she added.

"Kids,Master Wayne wouldn't want you to risk your lives on a hunt that may be resultless." Alfred spoke making my heart ache as I heard those words leaving his mouth.

"No!" Damian exclaimed

"I agree with the demon spawn" Stephanie commented "He has done so much for us"

"Risked his life for ours countless times, I know that you Red and Nightwing, you are the most hurt from this… this situation, from him… I do not know where you stand, but I am with them"I added and sighed, I was the third eldest of them and I would protect the kids if Jason and Dick backed down.

"Are you kidding me?" Dick asked through comms.

"You are an idiot Batgirl has anyone mentioned that to you?" Jason asked and sighed heavily looking at me. I couldn't see his expression but I knew he was staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"No, actually on the contrary I am usually the smart one, and the eldest when I have to cover for you two. I am serious." I explained.

"Well right now you don't have to cover for us." Red Hood spoke and rode the bike as I signed him to ride the bike.

"Of course, whatever it has been done, he saved us too you know, helped us and saved more times than all of you combined… so we won't let him be murdered" Dick spoke up as I rode behind him while Stephanie went on her own. She would go roof to roof.

I took a deep breath. It would be the longest night of our lives, I simply hugged Jason from behind placing my cheek on his leather jacket. I was scared and my brother could tell, I felt him exhale. He remained silent. Jason wasn't the one to tell me a lie just to comfort me.

A/N: I would appreciate your opinion in the comments. Would you like me to continue, it was meant to be a lot shorter but it kind of started good. Thank you for reading <3

[autisticrosewilson]

Fic idea where Bruce gets dosed with a new strain of fear toxin post ADitF and sees Catherine and Willis.

How do you look a mother in the eye after bastardizing the memory of her son?

What claim to fatherhood does he have after ruining Jason's chances at everything Willis died to give him?

What else is there to do when you have everything you failed to do thrown back in your face? When those you have replaced look you in the eye and demand penance?

There aren't words strong enough. There is no room for apologies here, because you know that they will not forgive you. That is not the point of this.

These ghosts are angry Bruce, their son is a bloody mangled thing on the cold concrete and you are stained with his blood. Wasn't it you who gave him the cape? You who first called him that cursed name? You who put him in harms way?

Catherine reaches out a boney, shaking hand and points to that god forsaken case. This is how you've chosen to remember my baby?

You are starkly, dreadfully aware of the inscription on that plaque. Suddenly that veneer of distance is cracking, too much pressure applied to fragile glass, causing hairline fractures on the surface.

Face your guilt, they tell him, a life for a life.

You try to tell them that you loved him too, that you didn't mean for this to happen but your words die in your throat.

Jason looks so much like Willis. He made the same face of disgusted accusation at the crooks they interviewed sometimes, when they'd done something particularly heinous but wouldn't own up to it. It gut punches him, lands with a force greater than any physical blow.

Face your guilt, they tell him, a life for a life.

He throws a shaking punch that misses by a mile. How could that happen? He's Batman, he doesn't miss, he doesn't falter or hesitate.

His heavy gauntlets collide with glass. The case cracks and the whispers spur him on. He repeats the motion with more purpose this time, reaches his hands through the hole to pry the glass apart.

A life for a life.

There's a noise, a voice maybe, from behind him but Bruce can't hear it over the sounds of wrathful mourning in his head.

Strong hands wrap around his wrist, the knuckles are bruised and the fingers are bent from too many years being broken and healed and broken again.

Willis guides the glass to Bruce's face, his hands tightly closed around a large piece that gets closer and closer to his mouth. His jaw is slack and he doesn't even think to move it. He deserves this. This is the way to forgiveness. Jason is waiting for him, he thinks he can hear his boys voice, watery and lost, calling out for Bruce.

There's blood in his mouth, burning pain in his lips and tongue but nowhere near as painful as the bloody, gaping hole in his chest where his heart has been ripped out and buried.

Hands, tangible and alive, wrench him backwards and the illusion breaks.

"Bruce!" It's Dick's voice, Dick's arms around his forearms pinning his wrists at his sides.

There's blood and glass pooling at his feet and when he looks up he can see Alfred's contained horror and Tim peaking around the corner.

No Catherine or Willis. No Jason.

"Have we found the antidote yet?" His voice is too raw to be Batman's gruffness but Bruce Wayne would not brush off the blood in his mouth so easily.

Alfred's mouth twists to form a disproving grimace but his response is curt and neutral. "Just about. Although I feel it best you wait in the observation holding until we're finished." It's not optional, despite the phrasing.

Bruce allows himself to be shut in the glass box and tries to ignore the way his hands are still shaking.

[scintillyyy]

now i can't stop thinking about how, in fact, bruce actually being dead is my worst possible timeline.

because while i like the idea that tim calls dick and dick gets him help and everyone ends up better for it

i truthfully think this would happen:

tim is traveling the world, searching for a sign, for anything that might indicate bruce is alive. nothing is panning out. he's becoming increasingly desperate. he needs to be right about this. he can't be wrong about this. he don't know what he has if he is. he should have listened to dick, but to admit that dick was right and bruce is dead is something he can't even begin to handle. he's a failure. he failed his dad, he failed steph, he failed bart, he failed kon, he failed bruce and he cannot fail at this because he will be failing dick, alfred, himself, everyone. he can't fail anymore. it will destroy him more than he's already been destroyed. when ra's al ghul offers to give him resources to help, he agrees.

(ra's doesn't think bruce is alive, but he does see a chink in the armor, wants to try and sway tim to his cause in his grief)

so tim goes traveling with pru and z and owens. still nothing is continuing to pan out. dick was right. dick was right. i should call dick and ask for help. but there's always another lead, another possibility, another goose chase, and all he needs is one thing, anything to show him he was right, that he's not crazy, that this whole thing hasn't been a complete waste of time. he can't bear it. he desperately wants to tell dick he's sorry that he wants to come home, but he can't come home a failure. he wouldn't be able to face dick. he can't go back and have to listen to damian's taunts and insults and crowing about how he was wrong (not that he would? but this is what tim would think he would). this next one will have it, his proof, he needs it to. it's a cave in iraq. there's nothing there. the widower attacks. z and owens are killed, pru and tim are mortally wounded.

and pick your poison here. either tim gets motivated to make it back to the hotel room because he can't die, it would kill dick. his brother will make this better. he makes it to the hotel room. finds tam, dies in front of her because ra's is tired of this, he thought he might get something out of working with tim, but he's getting nothing. tim is just grief-stricken and no longer worth the effort or resources. he doesn't send anyone in to save them. tim dies from his injuries. OR. after failing yet again, tim doesn't have it in him to try and save himself. he lets himself bleed out in the cave, his last thought being that he hopes dick will be able to get over this, he's so sorry. the league finds the dead bodies in that cave.

and dick finds out, somehow, that tim has died on his quest (by ra's or tam) and he is. just. destroyed. this is his fault. he did this. he failed tim and tim is dead. you'll be okay, he said, and tim is dead. damian needs me, (so did tim, but dick had to prioritize in the wake of absolute awfulness) and now tim is dead. (this affects his burgeoning relationship with damian somehow too, because looking at him will always remind dick of how he failed tim to help damian). tim is dick's ultimate failure. dick as batman got tim killed. dick did this. he blames himself, he should have done more, done better. he puts up a memorial case for tim, a constant reminder of what he's done and what he's failed to do. tim is dick's jason, the grief he will never fully get over. dick will never be fully confident as batman. how can he be?

anyways in my head, it's terrible and everyone suffers <3

[evandarya]

A Bird in the Hand is Worth a Talon in the Brush

{Read on Ao3}

Talon doesn't remember who he was before the Green. Sometimes, when the cold seeped into his bones and made his whole body ache he'd have flashes of memory. A man ruffling his hair, a woman smiling at him. Crystal blue eyes crinkled at the corners in joy. 

Talon doesn't remember joy. He remembers blood and bodies twisted in unnatural ways and screaming and a voice calling for him in a language he doesn't speak anymore. 

Talon doesn't dream. There is only the green and the cold and the memories. Sometimes he thinks it would be easier without the memories. 

Talons weren't supposed to feel. They were supposed to be dead. He was better. Being better meant he wasn't dead, not all the way. Being better meant he felt it when the Green was pumped into his veins. He felt it creeping along like liquid fire, burning the ice away every time his sarcophagus opened. Talon pulled himself out of his Sarcophagus and knelt before the two scientists who created him and the Master. 

"It isn't ready." The short one in teal said, "It still has too much independence.”

"You said six months, Mrs. Fenton." The Master said “I have given you eight.  This pet project has cost a lot of money and we need to see results." 

"If we could just have a few more weeks–" the big scientist in orange said. The Master cut him off.

"I have given you as much time as I can. Now," the Master's voice changed to the tone he used when addressing Talons. "The Court of Owls needs you, Talon. Rise." Talon stood. The Master was wearing a white mask, but Talon didn't look him in the face anyway. "The Court of Owls has sentenced Bruce Wayne to die." 

"Then he is dead."

—

Talon was better. Being better meant he could learn easier, and adapt better. Being better meant he could blend in with not-Talons if he needed to. He could hide his too-green eyes and too-cold skin behind a human mask. He could go where other Talons couldn't. He could go to a party disguised as the Master's son. He could be Daniel Masters until he needed to be Talon. He didn't like being Daniel Masters. Daniel Masters made the memories worse. 

"Ah, Vlad!" Talon looked over to where Bruce Wayne stood, surrounded by people. The Master's hand on his shoulder reminded him of what he already knew: not yet. Bruce excused himself from his group and approached the Master. He swayed as if he had been drinking, but Talon couldn't smell any alcohol on him. 

"I'm surprised to see you, and with a child, no less," Bruce said. His words slurred together, but his eyes were clear slate blue, piercing into Talon's crystal mask as if he could see the green beneath. 

"My son, Daniel." Masters said. Talon held out his hand for Bruce to grasp. 

"It's nice to meet you, sir." 

Bruce smiled at him, and it was warm and welcoming and reminded Talon of the man from before the Green. Talon hated him for it. "Please, call me Bruce. Oh, Margaret! Please, excuse me, Vlad, Daniel. Enjoy the party." 

Talon watched him go, planning which ribs he would slip his dagger between. 

—

Crystal blue eyes met Talons from across the room. He knew those eyes, remembered them scrunched almost closed as a ringing peal of laughter rang out. Now they stared at him in recognition, confusion, suspicion, and…rage. Talon wanted to run. The boy with the crystal eyes was coming toward them, and Talon wanted to run from the memories he was bringing with him, but the Master would not allow it. Talon did not need to see what the Master could do if he failed this mission. 

"Richard, it's nice to see you again." The Master said a hand placed on Talon's back. 

"Mr. Masters, it's been a while. I didn't know you had kids." Dick -no- Richard said. 

"Hi, I'm Daniel." Talon didn't extend his hand to shake Richard's. 

"I'm Dick. Are you hungry? I can show you the best things on the refreshment table." Dick didn't wait for a response, just grabbed Talon's hand and pulled him along behind him. Talon looked over his shoulder at the Master. In his eyes, he could see the warning and the order. "Don't mess this up, or else." 

Dick shoved a plate piled high with food into his hands and led him away from the party. Gone was the bright smile and friendly demeanor. In its place was an icy calm that would make any Talon jealous. 

"Kon san tu, phrala?"* The phrase was nearly whispered in a language Talon used to know before the Green. 

"I don't understand." 

Dick was disappointed but hid it behind a smile. "I'm sorry. You remind me of someone I lost." Dick popped a sausage ball in his mouth before stating "I haven't seen you at one of these things before." 

It wasn't a question or an order, and Talon didn't know how to respond. The Master wasn't in sight. But Talon was adaptable. He could learn. He was better.

"I've never been to one of these before." Talon picked up a sausage ball and popped it into his mouth like Dick had and nearly choked. Talon ate. His human mask required sustenance, usually in the form of high-density nutrition bars. One time when he was a new Talon the scientist's daughter mistook him for a human child and gave him chocolate. It was sweet and delicious and smooth and creamy, he still remembers it when the cold gets to be too much. The sausage ball was nothing like the chocolate. It was warm and savory and salty and spicy with a crisp exterior and a soft and oily center. The flavor burst over his tongue all at once and it was all he could do to swallow it down. Dick gave him a concerned look as he coughed, but offered him a glass of sparkling grape juice that was sweet and cool and refreshing with bubbles that tickled his nose. 

"Never had a sausage ball before, either, huh?" Dick asked with a smile. He was…teasing him? 

"No, not that I can remember. It's good." 

"If you think that's good, you should try the bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers." 

Talon wanted to try all the foods before he went back into the ice. 

—

People started leaving the party. Talon excused himself to the bathroom. He couldn't pretend to be human any longer. It was time to be Talon. Once Talon was alone he let his human mask fall. His black hair became white, the expensive suit was replaced with a sleek black uniform with white gloves and boots. His vivid green eyes glowed from behind the lenses in his hood. Gravity left him and he floated a few inches above the ground. Some Talons had weapons, but he was better. The ice in his veins solidified into daggers, throwing knives, and swords—any weapon he needed at a moment's notice at his fingertips. 

All that was left for him tonight was to finish his assignment, then forget about blue eyes squinting in mirth, forget the familial feeling in his chest as Dick laughed. All he had to do was slip a knife into Bruce Wayne's ribs. 

Talon stalked Wayne, an invisible predator, and an unwary prey. It would be easy to finish his mission if Wayne wasn't surrounded by people. Everyone at the party had to say 'goodbye' before leaving, then he supervised the cleaning crew. Then, finally, Wayne went to his study. 

"I know you're there." All traces of the man from the party were wiped, replaced with a soul-deep weariness. Talon was about to reveal himself and finish the mission when the desk chair turned. 

"I know what I saw, Bruce. It was him." Dick said. 

"I understand wanting to have him back, but bud, you have to look at it objectively," Bruce said. 

"Then we'll look into it, but I know what my brother looks like." 

"We can't make any moves until we have tangible proof." 

In response, Dick put a glass in a plastic bag on the desk. "He used this glass all night. Prints and DNA."

"Okay, I'll run it. Go to bed, Dick." 

Bruce closed and locked the door behind Dick. Silly. Locks don't work on Talons. Not when they are in the room already. Not when they can walk through walls. He sat down at the desk chair with a heavy sigh and picked up the glass. 

Finally, Talon floated behind Wayne and made himself visible. 

"Bruce Wayne." Talon saw Bruce look up in the reflection of the dark computer monitor. He met Talon's glowing green eyes but didn't jump or scream. "The Court of Owls have judged you, and sentenced you to die." Talon manifested a long icy knife and stuck it through the desk chair. It should have punctured Wayne's lung, but only pierced empty air on the other side of the expensive leather. 

Wayne had somersaulted over the desk and landed facing Talon. 

"Who are you?" 

"I'm Talon." 

"They're using children now?" Wayne sounded angry. 

"I am Talon. Talons are not children." Talon threw a knife right at Wayne's heart, but the man moved again and the knife embedded in the wall, cracking the plaster. 

"How did you get in?" Wayne was edging toward the fireplace. Talon let him grab the fire poker. It would do nothing to save him. Talon has learned to take the pain of iron and make it rage. 

Talon didn't answer, instead, three more knives flew at his target, the poker knocked away two, but one embedded itself in Wayne's shoulder, and ice spread around the wound.

Wayne attacked with the poker like it was a fencing saber. He could have dodged the hit, but the attack left Wayne open. Talon moved into the attack and the poker pierced his side as he stabbed forward with a knife, aiming at Wayne's fourth rib. Wayne twisted at the last second and Talon hit only air. Wayne yanked on the poker, still embedded in his body, and pulled Talon forward. Talon turned intangible and the poker slipped from his side. Red and green blood splattered on the white carpet as Wayne caught his balance. Talon suppressed a pained gasp. 

"Did that hurt?" Wayne growled. "Talons don't feel pain, or bleed"

Talon attacked with fists and knives and anger. Wayne matched him blow for blow, targeting his wounded side. One good hit landed that had Talon doubled over gagging. Wayne wasted no time pulling his hood off, revealing his white hair and green eyes. 

"You're not a Talon." 

"I'm better." 

"You're a child! I can help you." 

"Help me by dying." Talon lunged again, and Wayne twisted out of the way and ran to the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, Talon quick on his heels. The clock slid away and Wayne bolted down the hidden stairs. Talon flew behind him, knives embedding themselves in the stone and stairs as Wayne dodged. Wayne was speaking, but Talon couldn't hear him. 

The stairs opened up to an enormous cave, and Wayne vaulted over the railing and onto a platform with a massive computer. Talon flew after him and slammed into his back. Frustratingly, Wayne only stumbled and didn't fall. He reached over his shoulder and grabbed Talon by the back of his suit and slammed him into the ground. Talon only had a second to go intangible and fall through the platform before a fist connected right where his face had been. Finally, he sees Batman instead of Wayne. 

Talon popped his head up through the floor and watched as Wayne scanned the area, wary. Like a shark through the sea, Talon flew towards Wayne and grabbed his ankle, pulling him through the floor. They grappled as they fell, Wayne targeted his injured side to keep him from turning intangible until he was slammed back first into the next platform, all of Wayne's weight landing on him, forcing the breath from his lungs. Wayne stood above him and Talon rolled into his hands and knees, coughing and spitting the acidic-iron blood from his mouth. 

"Stay down," Wayne said. "I don't like hurting kids." 

"I" Talon wheezed "am Talon!" He got his feet under him and stood. His side was burning and he could feel warm blood trickling down his leg. Wayne looked sad for a second before he moved, pushing Talon back. He tried to gain ground, but Wayne kept pushing. Too late Talon realized Wayne was guiding him. With one last kick, Talon was knocked back into a containment cell, the door slamming closed behind him as the small room filled with freezing air. 

—

Talon hated the cold. He wasn't like other Talons. The cold didn't put him to sleep, but it made him slow and stupid. He couldn't access his powers in the cold, the scientists made sure of it. There was a cot and a blanket in the cell, but Talon sat on the floor. Blankets were for humans.

Wayne had left once he was sure Talon wouldn't be able to leave the cell. Once he was gone Talon allowed himself to press his hand to the wound on his side. It was bleeding sluggishly now, and deep breaths pulled pained gasps from him. He sat for six hundred and fifty-two breaths before an old man in a suit and mask appeared before his cell with Wayne, now in his Batman mask. 

A beep sounded and the old man spoke into the intercom. "Young man, I'd like to come in and treat your wounds. Would that be okay?" 

"I heal fast," Talon said, pressing his hand into the wound. 

"Are you already healed?" Batman asked. 

"No." It would take him at least a week to heal from this fight if he finishes the mission and gets back to the Master. But he’s stuck in this cell, with the cold seeping into his skin.

“If you aren't already healed, you should let us treat you, so you don’t get an infection.” 

“It won’t matter.” Talon was getting sleepy, his eyelids were getting heavier by the second. Without the Green, he could feel his human mask creeping toward the surface. He was going to change soon, then he’d freeze or bleed out. Or Batman would finish him off. He should. Talon would. 

Batman and the old man shifted to look at each other. “What do you mean by that?” 

“I failed.” he blinked his eyes open, moisture gathering on his eyelashes and freezing quickly. “Talons don’t fail.” 

“You’re a child,” Batman said. “Failure is expected from children, that’s how they learn.” 

“I’m a Talon,” he said. His eyes slid closed and he couldn’t pry them open, he felt his human mask take over as he was pulled into the freezing darkness. 

—

When Talon came to he was warm. Warmer than he could remember being in his entire life. There was a soft blanket over his body and he could feel that he had been changed out of the fancy suit and into warm and comfortable clothes. He was comfortable, which means something was very wrong. His eyes flew open and he sat up quickly only to groan in pain as the wound in his side protested. Strong hands guided him back to laying down. 

“It’s okay, Daniel, lay back. Everything is okay.” 

“Not Daniel.” 

Well, I’m not calling you Talon.” 

Talon opened his eyes again and took stock around him. He was still in the containment cell, but it wasn’t freezing anymore. He had been moved to the cot and an IV was in his arm. He made a move to remove it, but his other arm was stopped by soft restraints. Dick was the only one in the room with him. “I am Talon.” 

“Talon isn’t a name, it's a title,” Dick said. “If you don’t like Daniel, I can call you whatever you want, but I refuse to call you Talon.” 

“You shouldn’t be nice to me,” Talon said. “I’m supposed to kill Bruce Wayne.” 

“Yeah, that's why you’re restrained and sedated.” 

“I have to kill him. If I don’t the Master will–” 

“Do nothing. Bruce left an hour ago to hunt down Vlad Masters and the Fentons. He’s going to go away for a long time.” 

That didn’t make sense. Why would the Master go away? Talon failed, he needs to be punished. “Why?” 

“Kidnapping, illegal human experimentation on a minor, child endangerment, child abuse, conspiracy to commit murder. I could go on. You don’t have anything to worry about, Danny, they can’t get you here.”

Danny

The name settled into his bones and felt right. He remembered crystal blue eyes laughing as he flew in the air. 

“Good job, Danny! You’ll take center ring before you know it!” 

“Dick?” The name fell from his lips like a plea. A question he didn’t know how to ask behind the word.” 

“That’s my name!” Dick said with a grin stretched thin over some other emotion Talon–no–Danny couldn’t name. He wanted to know. 

“I think I know you,” he started slowly. “From before I was Talon. There was an elephant and ropes and lights and music.” Dick was watching him with serious eyes. “Did you know me?” 

“We are waiting for the blood test to come back,” Dick said, his fingers twitching like he wanted to grab Danny’s hand, but grabbed his own hand instead. “But I had a brother. We were separated after our parents died and he went missing.” 

“I don’t know if I can be a brother. I only remember being Talon.” 

“It’s okay. I can teach you how to be a brother.” 

Danny felt his face stretch into a smile slowly like the movement would break him if he wasn’t careful. “I think I want that.” 

Dick’s smile could melt even the ice in Danny’s veins. 

—

The blood test came back at the same time Batman did. Danny could hear the old man, Alfred, berating him for going out with an injured shoulder, but his face softened when they both came around the corner to see Dick asleep, half on and half off the cot. Danny was carding his fingers through his hair, enamored with the silkiness of the strands, but he stopped when the two adults entered the cell. 

“He fell asleep, I didn’t do anything to him.” He said, pulling his hand away from Dick. 

“I believe you. I wouldn’t have allowed him in here if I thought you would hurt him,” Batman said.

“He said the Master was going to go away.” Batman nodded, even though Danny hadn’t asked a question. “Did you bring the sarcophagus?” 

“No. It was destroyed in a fire, along with all the Fenton’s research,” Batman said.  

“Oh. What- will you freeze me in here?” 

“You're not getting frozen,” Dick mumbled from where he lay, face half smashed into Danny’s leg. “We have plenty of beds up in the manor.” 

“But Talons are frozen when they aren’t needed.” 

“You aren’t a Talon. You’re Danny,” Dick said, sitting up and wiping a bit of drool from his face. 

“Danny Grayson,” Batman said, holding up a piece of paper. 

Dick’s eyes got huge and a smile spread across his face. “For real?” At Batman’s nod, he launched himself at Danny, wrapping his arms around his torso and squeezing until Danny hissed in pain. “Sorry, I forgot about your side.” 

“And concussion and multiple spinal contusions,” Alfred said with a pointed glare at Wayne. 

Batman grunted in response but looked a bit sheepish. 

“It'll heal,” Danny mumbled into Dick’s shoulder. 

—

“Come on, Sparrow, keep up!” Robin called across the rooftops. Danny laughed and ran toward the edge of the roof, ready to leap into the air after his brother. Flying over the rooftops was different from flying as Talon, but Danny loved running the city with Dick. He loved going home to the manor and eating the delicious foods that Alfred cooked and sleeping in the warm and soft bed in his room. Sometimes, when he woke up at night from memories of the Master or the scientists he would climb up to the roof and look up at the stars. On those nights, Bruce would find him after a little while and sit with him. He was learning to love those moments, too. 

Sparrow ran as fast as he could and overtook Robin, finishing the race on the edge of the roof above where the Batmobile was parked before he froze. 

“Sparrow? Something wrong?” 

“Someone’s stealing the tires,” he said, pointing out the tiny figure in a red jacket, not nearly warm enough for the changing weather. 

“Oh, we should go say ‘hi’.” Robin didn’t wait for a response and grappled down to the ground behind the thief. Sparrow didn’t bother with a grapple, just allowed his Talon mask to slow his decent enough so he didn’t hurt himself. 

Maybe next time they go out he’ll point out the kid with a camera that follows them around.

[deepwithintheabyss]

“You can scream if you need to.” for… hmmm… Tim/Any

:))) Link to the story on AO3

This uhhh DickTim piece turned out like double the length of what I initial assumed with a word count of 1218

Ask Game

“It’s okay to be scared Tim” he whispers, as he caresses one soft cheek, relishing in the touch of warm skin on his, the way his angry rosy flush contrasts so nicely with Dick’s pale hand. He skillfully ignores the glare being sent his way, as Tim tries to twist away from his cold touch and the eye-contact he’s forcing onto him. “But please don’t fight me on this, I only want what’s best for you”

“If you truly wanted what’s best for me, you wouldn’t have done this” Tim hisses back.

Dick can hear the fine tremors in Tim’s voice that he’s trying to hide, the way he’s so clearly close to a breakdown and holding back tears. Clinging to his iron control with the tips of his fingers.

“You don’t understand” he croons, tilting Tim’s chin further up. Dick casually dismisses his hands that are trying to claw at him, trying to push him off and away. “It had to be done, the others wouldn’t have gotten it, but you?” He can hear the awe and reverence in his own voice, as he breathes the last words out.

He leans in even closer practically exhaling the next words onto Tim’s lips as he stares deep into his eyes, trying to will him into getting it “I know I can trust you, out of anyone from this cursed joke of a family, you’re the only one I can always count on to have my back. To be there for me when I need you the most.” He can see the conflict visible in Tim’s eyes. He’s trying to hide it behind his mask, but Dick knows him. Knows that his words are getting to him and touching that deep, vulnerable part of his heart he tries to keep hidden and safe. “There’s no one else I’d trust more.” he whispers softly

He watches Tim’s mask fracture and gets a glimpse of the raw emotions behind it, how Dick’s words have hit him deeply, before iron doors slam closed and steel his face once again.

Tim was too good at this to be easily swayed by simple words, even if Dick had meant every one of them and poured everything he felt into it. That was fine, he had expected nothing less.

Tim was always so well guarded, able to compartmentalize his experiences and neatly go through them when he had the time. (Of course it wasn’t without fault, if things got messed up, or he didn’t have time to go through it, it could hit him all at once). Out of everyone in the family he had been the closest to Bruce in that regard, but despite their similarities, the two tended to be nothing alike. Tim was his own person, not chained by the legacy Bruce had built. Which was one of the many reasons why Dick admired on him so much.

He could see the need on Tim’s face to take a jab at him, could read it in the tension of his body, to point out how he hadn’t been there for Dick when he needed him the most as Batman, to distract from his own brief lapse in control by bringing up those memories. Trying to deny what Dick said by pointing out his failure.

(Nevermind that Dick failed him too, that Dick didn’t catch Tim when he needed it the most. It didn’t make it okay, didn’t make it even. But it didn’t make his words weigh any less).

Instead of doing any of that, Tim mutters something else, “If you truly trusted me that much,” he looks aside, shifting the tiniest bit in place “why did you wait with this? Why didn’t come to me sooner? Why did you do all this,” he gestures weakly around them, “before you talked to me?”

“I couldn’t put that burden on you Tim, you’ve always been the more soft one between the two of us. More willing to forgive and forget than me, offering so many people second and third chances without scorning them. You would have tried to convince Bruce to see our side. I couldn’t risk that. I couldn’t risk loosing you.”

Tim shakes his head “And what about Jason?” he questions “You don’t seem too terrible sorry that you lost one brother already by trying to turn him.”

“A brief attempt at getting more than one brother and a distraction from the illusion on you. I’m not sorry that it didn’t work, it would have been hard to keep him on a leash. It was his choice to die human, or as human as was left, but I won’t give you the same freedom. I’m not going to lose you, not again, never again.”

Tim attempts to draw back, and this time Dick lets him take a step back. He watches as Tim distances himself, a frown on his face, his shoulders hunched as if he’s expecting attack or trying to hide away from something.

“I can’t join you, not willingly, I’d betray everything I ever stood for” Dick takes a couple of steps closer again, mind already running on what to say, how to explore the weakness that Tim just offered when he continues. “Even if I wanted to trust you, you aren’t the brother I once knew. Not anymore.”

He doesn’t see the stab come until it’s almost too late, too convinced that Tim wouldn’t try to go after his family. That he’d be trying to reason with Dick and give him a second chance, just like Dick had been spouting about. But maybe seeing his father die was too much for him, and it broke something. But that’s okay, it just means Dick can build him up again, this time like he wants it to. Without the interference of anyone else trying to twist Tim into something for their own gain, with little regard of what will be good for him.

“Fine!” He snaps, baring his fangs, “have it your way. If you don’t want to understand, I’m just going to have to make you.” It morphs into a smirk as he watches Tim take an instinctual step back at the display of his fangs, and the reminder of Dick’s inhumanity. “If you don’t want to join me willingly I’ll have to force it, I didn’t want it to come to this, but I will do what I have too to ensure your safe.” He lunges for Tim.

Tim still attempts to lash out at him again, trying to futilely to fight back, even when he knows he has lost already. His attempts at resistance were nothing compared to Dick’s new superhuman abilities and just like he had told him before, if Dick had wanted any of them dead already they would have been so. Crossing the short distance in a fraction of a second he grabs Tim by the neck, twists his head to the side and bares his throat.

Dick leans in and graces his fangs feather-lightly over the soft skin there, almost feeling the jackhammer pulse against his teeth. Before whispering, “Don’t worry, you can scream if you need to.”

He watches the last of the fight drain out of Tim, accepting what is to come, accepting Dick and trusting him, seconds before he bites.

[laalaaliaa]

Hello! I saw that ur batfam requests were open so I came here to request!

Idea: You were murdered 5 years ago and they wanted vengeance. They'd spend hours on the bat computer trying to find some clues about your killer. Your killer had left many signs at the scene, including a note written on the wall with your blood, "Catch me if you can, batsy".

They found clues that lead to a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. The warehouse seemed to be empty. They were just about to leave until they got attacked by a masked woman. They quickly took her down and took her to the batcave for questions.

Once they got there, they immediately started asking questions. She stayed quite the whole time, she didn't make a squeak. It wasn't long before things got heated and Damian pulled of her mask in a blind rage.

You can probably imagine the shock they felt when they saw you under that mask. You could only look up at them with an evil smirk. "Damn, I guess you caught me" you said in a teasing voice.

That was all, you can choose what happens next if you'd like (or u can leave it at that). Have a good day!

Damsel in distress

fitting, except you’re not…

batfam x fem!reader

warnings: angsty

thank you for the request, i apologize for not getting requests in fast enough, i got writers block :(

enjoy!

It was inevitable. Your death was inevitable. Everyone dies, whether it be from natural causes, or in worse case scenarios—supervillains. Bruce knew one day that he wouldn’t be able to save everyone, but he didn’t know how soon that day would come. It was like a fresh memory, recoiling in the back of his mind. He couldn’t save you, no matter how hard he tried, he failed you, just like he did Jason. The others didn’t know how to take it, they fought so hard to reach you, but once they did, you were gone for good.

Jason was the second to reach the torn down building. He screamed for you, in hopes you would scream back. You never did. The most heartbreaking thing Jason could’ve ever experienced was in front of him. Bruce held your lifeless body, and he couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. Did he cradle him the same way? Did he fall to the ground in utter despair? He made his way closer, watching the way Bruce held your lifeless body as if holding you would bring you back.

Bruce felt the comforting hand of Jason land on his shoulder, as if he were trying to lift the burden off of him. Bruce held you tightly, lifting his head weakly as he stared at the mocking words written right in front of his eyes: ‘Catch me if you can Batsy.’ He felt mocked, as if his own failures were finally catching up with him. Maybe they never should’ve let you gone out that night. So many things he could’ve done to prevent your demise. He failed you, he failed himself.

Years had passed, within those five years since you’d be gone, they were no longer the same. Bruce found out he had a son, and he couldn’t help but feel pained at the thought of you not being there to welcome him. Jason and Bruce no longer kept in touch, if Dick was lucky, he’d reunite the two, only for a mission and no longer. Damian didn’t know you, he didn’t want to—seeing as he didn’t want to get to know the others either, but he was curious without a doubt.

It was a usual night in Gotham, Bruce spending all his time cooped up in the bat cave, as he sent the others out. Damian wouldn’t say it—well he would—but his father was still stuck in the past. It was as if you were the only thing keeping the family together. He found it absurd. So as he returned from his nightly activities he couldn’t help but call his own father out.

“You’re ridiculous father.” He announced, sheathing his sword as he rid of his mask. Bruce turned in his chair to face Damian, who although tried his hardest to look stern and mean, looked adorable. Bruce chuckled a bit, leaning forward to reach the same height as the younger boy. “You wouldn’t understand Damian.” Damian remained blank, hostile as some would describe, his posture challenging as well. “Explain.” He uttered, his arms crossed like a brat.

Bruce scratched his chin in thought, different memories of you scattered around his brain as he tried—although failed miserably—to explain the importance of you. Damian still remained adamant that you were someone who brought weakness upon the family. Allowing them to become weak and vulnerable, but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wished he’d met you once. Shame.

“Y/N, was important because she somehow sought the better in all of us. She cared about us and was tough at times, stubborn even, but she held us together and helped us when we were lost. She died five years ago, today actually.” Bruce’s voice became weak towards the end, Damian wanted to scoff, and he did, causing Bruce’s vulnerable state to become covered with a blank stare. “You would’ve liked her.” He finished off, turning his back to the boy as he continued looking up files and information from the night of your death.

Damian left him alone, the silence of the cave comforting Bruce like a warm hug. It give him the extra boost of energy to continue searching for information. He had clues, yet they remained scattered, prompting him to feel frustrated. You were gone, he knew that, but you deserved justice.

—

“Bruce, can you come look at this.” Dick yelled with a mouthful of almonds. Bruce decided to let the computer go, hours spent with nothing to help your case. Dick was determined, with the old clues given, he had somehow pinpointed each location clue. Your favorite spot, favorite restaurant, favorite cafe. They knew everything about you, and Dick couldn’t help but resent the person more. As he continued to type away at the computer, a new clue popped up. He faltered, his fingers hovering above the keys as he eyed the location carefully.

“Bruce I,” He cut himself off, a new found determination in his veins as he turned his chair, flinching at the sight of Bruce standing directly behind him. His facade remained cold, gazing curiously at the computer before gazing at Dick. “Let’s go.” Bruce commanded, a new found hope blazing in the two men. Dick stood, sprinting in front of Bruce before he could continue towards what Dick assumed was the bat-mobile.

“Wait we need to think rationally about this, it could be a trap for all we know.” Bruce seemed to be in thought before pushing him to the side. “We either wait, and likely lose the chance of finding our culprit,” He started, hooking his cowl over his sharp features. “Or we go now and get the justice Y/N deserves.” He persisted, causing a determined expression to fall on Dick’s face as he nodded.

Dick walked ahead of Bruce, mounting his bike before slipping his mask on. He turned the bike on, the roar of the bike lively as he revved it a few times. “Bruce,” He called to his retreating figure, Bruce glanced at him from behind his shoulder. “If we’re doing this, Jason deserves to be there too.” Jason, his estranged son who wanted nothing to do with him anymore. “Send him the location.” Bruce muttered, jumping into the bat-mobile before the two sped off into the night.

—

You shrinked into the shadows, the sound of the lock keeping your refugee hidden, destroyed. A faint smile fell on your lips as you watched Bruce leading the pack, his stone cold facade one you could never forget. It was pin-drop silent, you couldn’t even feel yourself breathing at that point. “Guys I found some papers.” You heard Dick’s voice, voice you’d grown to miss over the years. You shifted in your spot, catching glimpse of Dick as he held the stack out towards Bruce.

Bruce clutched the papers tightly, information about yourself on each and every single sheet. “Look around for any clues.” Bruce grumbled, his head shifting towards where you stood. Your breath hitched, all the hard work you feared would be crumbled if he caught you, but his head immediately turned at the sound of Jason’s voice. “This is a waste of time, I could be doing more important things.” Bruce eyed him shortly before turning back where they came from. Dick continued to scan your items, quickly picking up a device you’d been working on.

“B-man I think we-“ Dick’s statement was cut short as you tackled him from your spot, kicking the device out his hands, watching it slide away. You were alert, but clearly not enough as Jason came from behind you, kicking the back of your leg and knocking you onto your knee. You were quick to stop the knee you almost received to the face, using your arms to block before using your weak leg to sweep Jason down. You bounced backwards, keeping your distance as you eyed each of them.

“Who are you.” Bruce pressed, using his harsh voice as he prepared a batarang. You remained silent, rushing towards the two boys who stood in your way as you took them both on. The only sounds you produced were when they had gotten a hit on you. You’d hiss, or groan, and they felt more determined by then. As you continued to battle it out, you were duped and stunned by Bruce’s smoke bomb, making you cough harshly as you tried to remain alert.

You failed miserably, Bruce used your blindsight to attack you a few times. After his last strike you landed on the floor, blood pooling in your mouth before you spat it out with a glare. As you tried to stand, you were pushed back down by Jason who used his foot to press you down. You winced, eyeing him silently as you assumed he was glaring at you from behind his helmet. You opened your mouth to speak before you were knocked out by Jason who punched you. Hard. Very hard.

—

When you awoke from your dazed state you were tied down to a chair. You knew where you were, the bat cave, and you knew you were gonna be interrogated. Once you finally gained recognition of everything around you, you groaned, feeling the punch you’d received from Jason. You were gonna get him back for that. As you continued to contemplate, the door across from you opened, and in walked Bruce. He was angry and had every right to be, you were surprised he didn’t attack you in your vulnerable state.

“Who are you?” He asked the same question he had asked you back at the warehouse. You only shrugged, slumping into your chair as you gazed mindlessly elsewhere. He slammed his hands on the table, gaining your attention before sliding over the papers you recognized. “Why do you have Y/N’s files.” You acted confused, looking deep in thought as you bit the inside of your cheek before opening your mouth, “How do you think I murdered her?” You tried your hardest not to laugh as you held your evil facade. It truly was hard.

He eyed you one last time before leaving the room. Every few minutes or so the others would come in, asking various questions only to be answered with fake answers. They knew you were lying, which only made it more fun on your end. As you threw your head backwards the door opened once more, you didn’t look, too tired to deal with whoever it was. However you were shocked by the baby like voice the person produced. “Your a fool who wanted to get caught. Why?”

You lifted your head forward to catch sight of yet another Robin. This one you didn’t know existed. “Wow another one, what type of child labor project is this?” You joked, even producing a laugh at your own joke. “A wannabe assassin, I see you use a sword, a league of assassins sword.” He continued, ignoring your terrible joke as he eyed you sternly. “Congratulations little Robin, but I prefer talking to people above 5’2.” He was slowly starting to become aggravated with your behavior, causing him to unsheathe his sword as he pointed it at your neck.

You smirked, licking your lips as you spoke. “Aren’t you a superhero, superhero’s don’t kill.” You reminded, watching the way his expression never faltered once. “I’m not like my father, I kill if I have to.” Your smirk fell, your mouth slightly open at the revelation. Father. As the two of you continued to stare at one another the door slammed open, the rest of them appearing as Bruce pulled the youngest Robin backwards. “We don’t kill.” He jabbed, making you smirk victoriously.

Your victory didn’t last long, the younger boy pushed Bruce before he used his sword to cut your domino mask, cutting a small portion of your cheek as well. You winced, your head falling forward as the mask fell off in two pieces, You knew there was no use in pretending no longer. You lifted your head, shocked looks appearing on each of their faces as you smirked. Your voice was silky smooth as you talked in a teasing tone.

“Damn, I guess you caught me.”

[toriafiction]

So, this is one of my early morning brain ideas that I haven't been able to shake. I will definitely write this fic at some point, but I have other works to complete first. I'm hoping that by writing this out here and posting it that, this will be enough to let me concentrate on my main projects again.

This is a DickJay Black Butler fusion fic. You DO NOT have to know anything about Black Butler to enjoy this. Please mind the tags. This is a little dark.

Jason is an abused child living in the Alley, which is a complete hellhole. But this is Jason, so he has a heart of pure gold. One day, he finds himself in a serious situation while trying to help another kid.

It is incredibly BAD.

The situation is utterly hopeless, and Jason is just so scared and righteously furious. He wants to be saved, and he wants these monsters to face justice for their cruelty and evil.

Time freezes and Dick steps out of the shadows.

He has been watching Jason for years. The boy is his. In body, and in soul.

Dick will save him.

Just as soon as he convinces him to make his deal.

———

Dick isn't Jason's butler. He is his big brother fallen guardian angel. He protects Jason and takes care of him, and if anyone crosses him, they die horribly.

Jason is someone who has spent their entire life surrounded by evil but has stayed pure. That makes him incredibly special.

Dick wants ALL of him.

As part of their contract Jason has to 'feed' Dick. To do this he has to give him some form of intimacy. Dick keeps it to small things like hugs, chaste kisses, and cuddling.

He isn't ready to corrupt Jason's purity, yet.

Bruce is a combination of a priest and a supernatural detective. He runs into Jason and tries to save him but his interference ultimately gets him killed. This means that Dick ends up failing his contract and can't collect Jason's soul.

Dick is livid. Crushed

Then, beyond anyone's explanation, Jason comes back.

No memories and completely free of his contract with Dick.

When Jason comes back, he's changed. When he comes back, he is even more mouth-wateringly delicious.

To every single supernatural creature out there.

(Dick has a shit ton of competition.)

You would think this would drive Jason to the protection Dick is offering him, right?

But Dick wants his soul?!?!

Jason thinks he might need that. So, no. Thank you for the offer, but no thank you.

Jason goes to an orphanage run by a church instead.

Holy intervention.

At this point, Jason is overwhelmed and terrified but also just so exasperated and done with this shit.

He has every nightmare creature in existence trying to torment and eat him.

Then there is Dick, the super hot demon that wants his soul...and maybe his body? He's not too clear on that. And Dick maybe wants to eat him too.

Then there is some old creep following him around, talking about how he failed Jason in a past life and how Jason is his greatest failure. It's super uncomfortable. He keeps trying to give him what looks like satanic jewelry.

He is not going to piss off the nuns and priests by wearing that.

The staff at the church has called the police on Bruce at least eleven times at this point. He has been put in jail eight of those times. He keeps getting out and going right back to the church. He won't fail Jason again.

Dick can't enter the church grounds, but he is always around. When Jason looks out a window, Dick is there. When he is outside, Dick is by the fence nearest him. When he has to leave the church grounds for whatever reason, Dick is already waiting by the gates for him and follows him until he returns to the church. Like with most of the other supernatural creatures, nobody but Jason can see or even hear Dick.

It would be creepy, like with Bruce, but Dick is never watching him or even really looking his way. He's just always there. It feels like protection. Like a guardian angel. If angels were dark and evil.

During one of his outings, something tries to attack Jason, and Dick rips it apart with his bare hands. He is covered in the creature's blood, and Jason doesn't think he's ever looked more beautiful.

It's the first time Jason wonders if maybe he doesn't belong in the church. If maybe there is something wrong with him.

And Jason is just getting so tired of living like this.

Would it really be so bad to belong to Dick?

The thing is, Jason is stubborn and unbreakably determined when he sets his mind to it. He will never just give in.

But Jason has forgotten something important. Something he learned in a past life as a young child and knew very well.

Evil isn't just supernatural monsters.

When the gang attacks, it's just for the sake of senseless violence and cruelty. There is nothing at the church or the attached orphanage worth the invasion. This is just for their sick amusement.

There are a lot of them. They aren’t just destroying the property. They are attacking the staff and the children. Jason keeps waiting for Dick to come. He has always protected him and, by extension, the people with him, but Dick isn't showing up.

Then Jason remembers. Dick can't enter the church grounds, even if he wants to.

Their violence just keeps getting worse and more and more depraved. Right as it's peaking and Jason doesn't think he can take one more moment, something in him snaps.

Jason is more than scared. He is both terror and horrified, but he is also righteously furious. He wants to be saved, and he wants these monsters to face justice for their cruelty and evil.

Something in his soul seems to resonate.

Jason calls for Dick.

Time freezes, and his unholy angel steps out of the shadows.

He is furious.

Dick crouches down in front of him. Even though Dick has never been the largest person, his presence always fills up whatever space he is in. Now isn't any different. Despite the horrors frozen in time and on display around them, Jason's eyes are riveted on Dick. He can't look away, and his entire world narrows down to just him. Somehow, Jason knows this is on purpose.

They make a deal, and it is so easy to do. Not just because it's not difficult but because it's so familiar. That familiarity makes it comfortable.

Dick seals it with a kiss, and Jason feels it in every fiber of his being.

He belongs to Dick now, and that is familiar too.

Dick manipulates the shadows, and the darkness becomes silk in his hands. He wraps the fabric around Jason's eyes and tells him to wait there for him. Then, he starts his own massacre. Jason can't see it, but he can still hear it happening. Dick isn't quick about it either. Jason can tell just by the sounds that Dick isn't just killing them. He's tormenting them, having fun as he makes them suffer.

Jason doesn't feel any pity.

Eventually, things go silent around him. There isn't any warning before it happens, but Jason doesn't even startle when Dick sweeps him up. Dick holds him tightly but gently against his chest. Like Jason is someone infinitely precious and fragile.

He still hasn't removed the blindfold, and Jason won't until he is told he can. So he trails his hands up Dick's broad chest and shoulders, up the column of his neck, until he has his face cradled between his hands. Jason kisses him. He doesn't really know how to kiss, so it's just a press of his lips to Dick's. It's unbearably sweet in its innocence. Dick makes a low sound of appreciation deep in his chest. It almost sounds like a growl.

Dick takes him home. Jason doesn't remember having a home, but Dick tells him this is where they live, and Jason believes him. Over the next several days, Jason begins to get his memories back. Once it begins, it happens quickly. He is certain that it is somehow Dick's doing. He would want Jason to remember all the time that he has belonged to him, and he would want All of Jason. Past and present.

Jason is sitting curled up on his bed. Knees pulled tight to his chest as if that will somehow protect him even when it didn't before.

"I died," Jason whispers into the dark of the early morning.

"Yes," Dick says emotionlessly. His face is a blank mask, but Jason knows him so much better now, and that blankness tells him a hundred things.

"I don't blame you. I never did," he says it like a promise, and it is one.

Dick closes his eyes, but Jason can see the pain he is trying to hide.

He stretches his arms out to the creature that has become his everything.

"Can I have a hug?" Do you want a hug?

Dick climbs up onto the bed almost tentatively. It's so strange because Jason has never known him to be unsure about anything. They stay there curled up around each other for a long time. The sun is well and truly risen, and light is pouring in through the windows by the time Dick tries to pull him up out of bed. Jason resists, instead pulling Dick back down to him.

"Our contract is different this time," Jason says. When they had made their contract the first time, Dick had stated all the rules and conditions plainly and straightforward. This last time, there was so much backtalk, and it was so utterly convoluted that Jason hadn't had a hope in hell to actually understand what he was agreeing to.

"Yes," Dick replies.

"Why?"

"Because I know so much better this time what exactly it is that I want." Dick rolls on top of him and holds his face. His gaze is intense, and Jason can't look away. His words are soft, practically soundless. “I am going to take you with me wherever the tides of time carry us, and I am going to keep you forever. Until the end of everything.”