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ethelphantom · 4 years

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What’s a Soulmate?

Heeeeeyyy so I'm here again even though I'm totally supposed to be studying for my upcoming exam week (I've got seven exams coming once Thursday arrives on every single day except for the weekend. Oh well.

This is based on the What's a Soulmate? audio thing that went around a lot more before, and I've been wanting to write something based on it for years now. So. You're getting a Daminette fic based on it.

If you're still HOPEFULLY reading this, here's a little thing. This fic WILL get very angsty (like, heavy angst and grief and death and stuff) BUT it will also get way better later. There's a happy ending, their story will get a happy ending, and this will NOT end like Of Flowers and Strawberries, I swear, seriously. Pinky promise and all that. So, once you get there, just keep reading. You'll get your happy ending.

Ao3 || The audio

This is Maribat -- don’t like, don’t read.

________

“What's a soulmate?”

A girl with black hair leans against a boy around her age, his hair just as black as hers. He wraps his arms around her shoulders and kisses her forehead like the rest of the world didn’t matter. Their intertwined fingers bring them comfort as they watch the sunset on the horizon, painting the world in warm, calming tones of red, orange and yellow.

It doesn’t matter that they know their time is limited. They are together now, and that is all that mattered in the world.

After all, the memories they had together were everything.

“It's a… Well, it's like a best friend, but more.”

“I hope you two have a good explanation for this.”

The girl looks at the boy, both considering their next words carefully. They absolutely cannot let his older brother know how the kitchen and garden caught on fire at the same time as though on cue even though they weren’t even in the house, because everyone else is too scared to do such a thing. Especially with the butler still in the house, prepared to scold them and take away their rights to spend time together for a while.

Maybe they would deserve it and all, but it doesn’t matter. The children do not want to spend any less time together regardless of their actions.

“We have three, actually,” the girl says and tilts her head with feigned innocence. All of them know she’s responsible for whatever she’s being accused of this time, just like the boy is, but they don’t really care. If there’s anyone that could pull off looking innocent while covered in blood and then get away with murder, it would be her. No doubt.

“Pick your favourite,” the boy tells his older brother, only to make him exasperated and sigh as he buries his head in his hands. It seems they’re going to get away with it again. Like always. They never have the energy to deal with the both of them at once. Perhaps going over this with one of them at a time wouldn't be too much to him, but as it is, he tried to save time and scold both of them at once.

“Fine, you can go,” his brother finally tells them and leaves, muttering something about children being impossible and him not understanding how they keep succeeding.

The boy grabs the girl’s hand and squeezes it. “I told you, Malaki, didn’t I? We can do anything together, even survive my older brother’s intervention.”

“So you did, mon cœur. So you did.”

—

“What’s the plan for our next grand scheme?”

“I have an idea!”

“That’s wonderful. What is it?”

“Well, it involves fire—”

“Absolutely fucking not.”

After all, they ended up getting along like a house on fire.

“It's the one person in the world who knows you better than anyone else.”

If there was one place in the world where you’d least expect to find either of them, it would probably be under the table in a gala. Yet, times and times again, that was exactly where one of them always found the other. Usually, crying or at the very least uncomfortable with the situation around them.

The year they announced they were engaged to one another to the world was the first (and perhaps last) time this didn’t happen even though they weren’t comfortable in the least with the people around them. They weren’t even allowed to be with each other as people crowded each of them separately, asking how and when and why everything happened. After all, they had kept their relationship secret until now.

From the corner of his eye, Damian noticed the clear discomfort on his habibti’s face. No one was allowed to do that to her. None of them even noticed how horrible they were making her feel — she was on the brink of tears but kept smiling through it. They didn’t give her any personal space, not even space to breathe. His habibti was strong, but this wasn't a situation when she should need to be.

Damian made his way through the crowds to Marinette, not caring for a second if it meant having to push people out of his way with force, if it meant someone might get hurt because of him and his actions. All that mattered (and the only one that mattered) was his habibti and that she was not comfortable.

As he saw someone with a glass full of wine, he got a great idea. He made sure he walked into them, or that they walked into him, and that their drink would spill on him. He detested the feeling of being in wet clothing and smelling like alcohol more than he could even begin to explain, but what wouldn’t he do for his beloved.

The person began apologising over and over to Damian, him being his father’s heir and all, but he just glared at them and walked off to his fiancée.

“Malaki, I am afraid this imbecile spilled their drink on me, and you know how much I hate smelling like alcohol. Could you perhaps help me clean up and change into dry clothing?” he asked, knowing he sounded exactly like the rich, arrogant, self-centered, entitled brat he was raised to be and everyone thought he truly was. It was fine, as long as it was for her and she knew what he was doing.

“Look at him, forcing her to leave such a wonderful event for him. To help him when he could very well do so by himself. So selfish.”

“Shut it! If he hears you, you might get kicked out! He’s the son of Bruce Wayne!”

“Well, if he wanted his only biological son not to be bad-mouthed, he ought to not take him to this kind of places.”

Damian didn’t pay any attention to them and just held her hand, as though ready to drag her away with him. Both of them knew that was not what it was for, though. It was reassurement that he was there for her, that he was going to save her if she so wished.

The squeeze of his hand confirmed Marinette did want it.

“Of course I will. Let’s go. I’ll have Tim inform your father about this,” she said, trying not to look so relieved to get away, but the look in her eyes betrayed it to him easily.

Damian kissed her hand and led her away through the masses, ignoring any and all unpleasant comments directed at him. He knew she was uncomfortable, and for her, he would do anything, he could take anything, he could endure anything.

After all, Marinette was his everything.

“It's someone who makes you a better person.”

A long time ago, Damian thought he could get anything and everything at the snap of his fingers because he was the grandson of the Ra’s al Ghul, and then he thought he could have everyone at his every beck and call because he was the blood son and the legal heir of the Bruce Wayne. Of the Batman. They would start dancing to his music the second he told them so, that much was sure.

And he treated people like one would expect him to precisely because of that mindset no one ever helped him to lose.

He could get anything he wanted, and he was sure that even the most expensive things in the world where obtainable because he had the money. Or, his father had, but it wasn’t like he wouldn’t have gotten anything he wanted anyway.

Dying certainly didn’t ease things. After all, his father and mother had gone to great lengths only to resurrect him. That must have meant he was worth more than others. He was worth more than his brothers. Of course he was, he was his father’s true son. If they had died, the rest would have stayed dead; no one would have desperately tried to find a way to get them back.

People around him didn’t matter, no matter whether they were family or foe. If he didn’t need them, he could simply discard them and show them he didn’t care at all. Because he didn’t. Even if he needed them, he rarely spoke to them with much respect — the only ones that he thought deserved his respect were his father, Alfred, his mother and his grandfather. No one else mattered.

And then…

Then there was a girl.

No, there was the girl.

The girl who saw him.

Someone who took one look at him and decided that no, she was not going to do whatever he wanted her to no matter who he was because she was her own person and he did not own her. She did not belong to him, she did not owe him anything. She looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw how lonely his behaviour and actions made him.

“Marinette. My name is Marinette.”

Yes, Marinette was the first to actually see him and see through him. He kept trying to push her away, but she was determined to see things through as long as she didn’t make him uncomfortable — and she knew exactly when to back off even when he wasn’t able to express his discomfort. Every. Single. Time.

Slowly, as time passed by, they became friends. He started to see the value of his family, understand their lives were worth something. Marinette smiled when talked about his brothers with a hint of respect for the first time near her.

Then best friends. He knew he valued his family a lot, they were worth so much it didn’t take him even half of a second to go to their defense, even if he still hardly showed any of the care he held for his family to them. Marinette beamed when he admitted he loved them for the first time. She threw herself at him and hugged him tight when he made an offhand comment about other people he didn’t even know having some kind of a basic worth because they were human.

It took a long time, but as she snuggled closer to him and he kissed her forehead while they watched the fire dance in the hearth, he knew that there was something he could never obtain with money or fame. There was one thing more precious than any other, one thing that he could only get once he admitted he was only rich in the literal sense of the word.

Marinette had made him understand that he would only be rich once he had something he couldn’t buy with money — something that had a name, a face and feelings. Something that could walk away if he fucked up. Something that loved him and that he loved back with all his heart.

Or perhaps, someone rather than something.

Damian learnt that other people were valuable when he finally let Marinette show and teach him that the world was also a good place that held so many opportunities to learn from if he just knew to look for them.

And truly, Damian learnt that other people mattered, regardless of whether they were family or foe, because they were human. He wouldn’t need to like all of them and he could hold some people more dear to him than others, but no one was worth nothing.

But he knew that Marinette would still be the most precious and valuable thing he could ever have, and god forbid if he didn’t do his damnedest to make sure she knew that and that he wouldn’t lose her.

After all, Marinette was worth everything.

“Actually, they don't make you a better person,”

“I’m glad you came into Damian’s life, Teacup,” Dick told Marinette one day while they were watching Damian and Jason spar. Tim was working as a referee, Marinette and Dick were there simply to enjoy themselves and make sure Damian and Jason didn’t kill each other… or Tim. All of the three were a little too important to them for them to lose.

“What do you mean?” she asked in turn though she didn’t take her eyes off her boy. She was cheering for him, albeit quietly, because she knew there was a chance she could be a distraction and that meant Jason’s win.

“Your love for him is so…” Dick seemed to try and search for a fitting word as he tilted his head, “unconditional . No matter what he does, you still love him and accept him, so long as he understands how his actions may affect others and then does accordingly. You don’t let him push you away, but you also don’t let him walk over you or hurt you if you can help it. You’re good to him.”

“But you do that as well, don’t you?”

“No. I mean, yeah, I do, but it’s more out of obligation as his family. Even I might not be able to tolerate him as much as you have if I were not his older brother. But you, you came into his life and stayed. You’ve changed him and made him a better person.”

Marinette stayed quiet for a while after that, watching the boys solemnly. She rested her head in her hands and sighed before she closed her eyes. “No,” she said and shook her head. “I have not made him a better person.”

“But you—”

“Dick, no. He’s changed, yes, and I know he’s changed the most after I came into his life, but perhaps it’s just that he needed a different perspective to things. He kept pushing everyone away but he was lonely, so the least I could do was to be there and stay there. Or help him find someone else. All that’s changed in him… it was all him. People don’t change that much if they aren’t willing to, but he actively and consciously worked on himself to become a better person. Don’t take that credit away from him and give it to me,” she replied.

Dick huffed with a smile on his face. Marinette certainly was good for Damian. That boy better not fuck it up.

As Damian won and Jason lay on the ground, defeated, Marinette jumped up and cheered before she ran to Damian and tackled him on the ground with a hug. Dick smiled and walked to his family, congratulating both of his brothers. He was glad she was in their lives, in Damian’s life, because she had so much love to give, and while she was not good at taking, Damian was determined to make sure she couldn’t go without receiving a lot in return.

Because after all, she loved him with her everything, and he too loved her everything.

“you do that yourself…”

Changing oneself was more difficult than Damian wanted to admit. Everything had always been so easy to him (or at least it had been far less difficult than this was), so much had just been handed to him.

But this?

Yeah, no. He hated it and he didn’t want to do it. It was annoying, he didn’t want to change, and all of this was so horrible.

The thing was, it didn’t matter that he didn’t want it — for himself, at least. The reason as to why he needed to do it was because there was someone he couldn’t keep treating like he did now. That also meant having to change. He wanted to change for her, he wanted to be able to give her what she deserved — and she deserved so much good. Damian couldn’t let himself keep being like he was now.

Marinette loved and loved and loved, and she kept coming back to him no matter how he was like to her. She didn’t give up. That said, whenever he went too far, she didn’t hesitate to call him out, sometimes even in front of other people, even if she did it politely and didn’t try to insult or offend him in any way — no, she went out of her way to try and avoid it, because, to quote her, “no one, even you, should be treated like that, because everyone deserves being shown respect.”

Well, he was fairly sure she always mumbled something about a Lila not deserving respect, but he decided to ignore it… for now.

And so, he looked up what he could do to change and started doing those things actively. Or trying to do so, anyway.

He found himself biting his tongue more often than he ever had just to keep himself from saying something that Marinette deemed offensive or insulting to other people. He started reading people to find what were their weak points, not because he wanted to hurt them, but because he wanted to avoid doing so. And maybe it was a bit because if they dared to hurt his friends, he would know perfectly how and where to strike them.

Then, once he knew how to do that and didn’t need to pay as much attention to it as he had at the beginning, he started trying to do one kind thing to people every day — and someone other than Marinette, Jon or Colin. To them he managed to be an alright person more often than any other people. Sometimes it was helping them with their schoolwork, sometimes it was defending someone from harassment or bullying, sometimes it was as simple as being polite and thanking them. Like Marinette told him, he didn’t need to conquer the world for anyone — on the days he was too tired to do much, the simple “thank you” or holding a door open for someone was more than enough.

And slowly but surely, he started finding himself feeling better. It was easier to let go of anger, his relationships with other people improved, he didn’t snap at people all so easily. It was rather refreshing to, for once, hear other people say something positive about him instead of complaining about his actions.

All because he had once decided Marinette deserved better than him, but he still wanted to be the one beside her. That had meant working on himself to become the person he thought she deserved, a person worthy of her.

After all, she deserved everything.

“...because they inspire you.”

“Hey, Damian?”

“Yes, Malaki? What is it you’re thinking about?”

Marinette massaged Damian’s hand with her thumb, trying to decide how she wanted to voice her thoughts.

“I— I’m proud of you,” she finally decided. Marinette smiled at her boyfriend, happy she was able to spend time with him. “You’ve grown so much in the past few years and even months I’ve known you. I’m not sure what is the main reason for that, but that doesn’t matter, I’m just happy you seem to be doing better nowadays. Are you?”

Damian huffed and squeezed her hand. “Yes, I am. And you, sadiqti alhabiba (my beloved girlfriend), you were what drove me to change. You deserve so much and I wanted to be worthy of you and worthy of your love,” he replied, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. “And I thank you for that.”

Chuckling, Marinette leant against him and closed her eyes, knowing that she was safe as long as he was with her. She didn’t need to be on her guard all the time.

“You’re a fool.”

“A fool? Perhaps, but then I am a fool in love with the angel who decided I was worth fighting for.”

After all, she thought he was worth her time.

“A soulmate is someone who you can carry with you forever.”

His breathing got significantly faster as he frantically tried to look for his beloved, and once his eyes landed on her body some metres away, they widened in horror. He could only barely see her from the smoke that obscured his vision, but the blood staining the ground and her petite body was more than easy to spot.

He kicked the man in front of him away, with much more force than he knew was necessary, but it didn’t matter to him — he just needed to get to her. Nothing else mattered right at that moment.

Damian ran towards his beloved, coughing the smoke out of his lungs. He covered his mouth and nose to keep himself from breathing all of it, but his hand fell when he finally saw Marinette in front of him.

Dead.

Her eyes were wide open, red from all the impurities in the air, and the streams of her tears were still visible on her face as ash and dust had dyed them dark. Her mouth was still open in a silent scream that never got out of her lungs, because there was a clear bullet shot gone through the left side of her chest and a blade had impaled her throat.

Why, oh why hadn’t she worn her miraculous suit that day?

Why had he let her go out without it?

And why had he let her come with him — he knew they were up against the League of Assassins.

Damian gathered her small body in his arms, bringing her close to his chest and holding her tight. He’d be damned if he let anything worse happen to her, he’d be damned if he let her body be taken away from her.

“You—” Damian choked out the word and tried to keep his tears at bay, batting them away from his eyes. “You made me love you— you made me let you in and you—” He breathed in sharply and tried to regain his composure, but it was nearly impossible. He clutched her tighter in his arms as though she was just injured and he needed to get her away from there…

But he knew that wasn’t possible. “And then you died in my arms.” The last words were barely breathed out because he couldn’t— he wasn’t able to get his voice out. It was stuck in his throat along with the lump that made it so hard to breathe, so hard to stay up and standing when he would have rather crumbled then and there.

“You’re on your own!” he yelled to his comms, knowing he didn’t need to but he couldn’t help it right then and there. He could only hope Red Robin and Red Hood were alright with it, that they would survive without him and Marinette, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to fight longer than this without needing to kill the ones that were the reason his beloved was dead.

There was no doubt about it. If he stayed, he would kill the ones that were the reason they were even fighting to make them pay.

...And she would not be happy about it.

As it turned out, they won. Both his mother and grandfather were dead, the League was gone from the face of the earth (they would create it again one day, but they were gone for now and that was better than it had been for the longest time now. His beloved’s death wasn’t in vain.

Her funeral was a quiet affair.

It wouldn’t have even been necessary as she had wanted to be cremated, but he had insisted on it. Damian wouldn’t have wanted her to be cremated, but he knew it had been her request so he never attempted to not let it happen. That’s why the least he could do was to make sure there was at least a funeral for her. He dressed up in white and black for the funeral, which was the reason he stood out in the crowd, but he couldn't care less.

He was allowed to keep his wife’s ashes in their home, though he did spread some of them around the Wayne family’s lands since she had enjoyed spending time there a lot. Damian needed to make sure that her last place (or places, he supposed) of rest would be one she loved— no, had loved, because she was dead now — when she was still there in the world with him. She had been too young to die. They had barely graduated from university a few years earlier. She didn’t deserve it.

His brothers tried to console her. They really did. Cain tried her best as well, just staying there with him in silence while each of them did their own thing, letting the other one grieve. It was nice. If there was anything good about Marinette’s death, it was that he ended up getting closer with his family.

Not that he preferred having better relationships with them — he would have chosen his beloved over them any day.

On the first anniversary of her death he crumbled against their dinner table and tried to hold onto the table as he fell on his knees under the weight of his suppressed grief and agony. Damian could feel tears running down his face until he knew all he could do was to let it be, and so he sobbed.

“Oh god, why can’t you be here? I should have been the first of us to die, not— not you.”

He had trouble breathing and he could only take short, sharp breaths. All he needed was to be able to hold his wife, his beloved, but that was the only thing he would never be able to do anymore.

Later that night Drake — no, Timothy, because maybe he deserved that much for dealing with him that night without making fun of him even once — came over and just forced Damian to the sofa and gave him food he had bought before that. After that, he used Alfred’s recipe for an Irish coffee to calm him down a little.

Timothy let him set the pace — if Damian wanted to talk, he was allowed to and Timothy would sit there in silence, listening to him, unless it was clear he wanted Timothy’s thoughts on the matter, or they would both be quiet, and at some point Damian was rather sure they had watched a few movies without really sleeping. Eventually, the coffee had him rather tired and he fell asleep, leaning against Timothy’s shoulder.

Come the morning, and Timothy was still there. He even offered Damian rather sound advice, once he’d thought it over and realised Timothy was, in fact, right and didn’t deserve the blowing up he’d received from Damian.

“With the death of a loved one, you’ve got to let yourself grieve. Otherwise, you will not be able to get better. It’s just a sign there’s excess love inside you that you can’t give anyone because that bit of love was reserved for someone special. It’s… Well, it’s something you need to let yourself feel because otherwise it will make you come crashing down and you don’t want to collapse,” he told Damian after making him sit down and drink some water. It looked like Timothy hadn’t slept at all.

And he looked even worse than he usually did — he looked worse than Damian knew he himself had looked when Timothy had found him the day before.

“It’s unlikely you’ll ever be able to stop grieving, but… It will get better. One day. Slowly. And then sometimes it will hit you all over again, but on those days — well, every day, but especially on those days — I’m here. All of us, all of your family is. We won’t let you go through this alone. She was dear to us all, too.”

Later on (it must have taken some weeks, because by the time he heard it, Timothy had gone missing again) he heard from the rest of his family that it was amazing Timothy had come to him then. They still hadn’t gotten along well at that time (they’d gotten along on any level before his beloved’s death only for her sake as she’d expressed her utter sadness whenever they fought too much), but he’d come to help Damian specifically anyway. Because he cared.

And it turned out he’d been as much of a mess as Damian had, but he'd forced himself to get up and deal with Damian too. It had taken him a while to understand how Timothy could have been as bad as he had, but then it hit him — he and Marinette had been best friends, and losing her had been just as much of a tragedy to him as it had been to Damian.

That was something.

And it was certainly an act to be respected.

Fortunately, they found him within the next few months, alive, because even Damian had admitted he missed Timothy and he wouldn’t be able to take it if more of his family died. Losing Marinette had been enough.

On the fifth anniversary of her death, the entire family got together to remember her. Damian had baked her favourite pastries, fraisiers, for everyone. He had needed to do it — after all, it was her who taught him to bake them.

Every one of them loved them. The children — Grayson’s, Todd’s and Thomas’, though no one really knew where Thomas had gotten his (none of them questioned it because they were too used to Father’s antics, at least he wasn’t training them to be vigilantes) — were just happy they got to eat sweets, though the older ones did notice the sad presence in all of them. That, and there was no way they didn’t know they gathered together to keep the memory of Damian’s late wife alive. It was certain that Todd’s children all knew a lot about the happened and knew that Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Wayne had been close with all of them, but Damian wasn’t sure if they understood why everyone was like that.

He could only barely see it from the blurriness in his own vision, but there were tears in Richard’s eyes that he refused to shed. Timothy just smiled that sad smile of his at the dessert and looked like he was talking to himself, but there wasn’t even a trace of tears in his expression. He was doing better.

“It will get better,” he had told Damian years ago. “Not now, and the developement is going to be slow, but it will.”

Maybe that was what had Timothy smile.

Damian didn’t know whether he should be happy for him or bitter.

He decided to be happy for him, because that was what he knew his beloved would have wanted.

Years went by and yet Damian never forgot about her. He knew he could never. He was finally getting better, he could go about his everyday life easily, though sometimes he needed to take a day off when the grief surfaced and he couldn't handle it anymore.

Somehow, Timothy seemed to always know when those days hit (Damian wouldn’t put it past him to have all their siblings and even Father looking after him and reporting his moods to Timothy), and every single time he was there at some point, either offering a listening ear or something to watch or food or just his presence, even if both of them worked on their own projects in silence.

But he got better, and the pain and grief born from losing her loosened their grip on him.

Through all the years, Damian carried a picture of Marinette along with him. He made sure her legacy would stay alive in some way, and ended up founding the Marinette Foundation that technically offered help for young artists and those bullied in school. In reality, they helped anyone they could, because that was what Marinette would’ve done.

Jon and Colin told him he was nothing like the boy they knew at some point, that he had changed, and they were proud of him. They said Marinette would be proud of him too. Damian, in turn, told them that they could thank Marinette when they met her in the life after this one and themselves for showing him the way (and Marinette for getting tired of his antics and shoving him down and onto said way because he refused to step onto it himself.)

Even on his deathbed decades later, he held a picture of Marinette in his hands, refusing to forget her no matter what.

Because after all, she was the reason he was still there.

“It's the one person who knew you and accepted you…”

Damian swallowed — damnit, an al Ghul did not swallow when nervous or anxious, that was a sign of weakness and he wasn’t weak — as Marinette stared him down. He had to consciously keep himself from shifting in place where he was sitting on his bed. Marinette was on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.

The lights in the room were rather dim, the brightest light source being the daylight that made its way into the room through the windows Alfred had had them clean a few days earlier. Something about them needing to know how to do it and being able to be outside the window relatively safely compared to Alfred himself.

He didn’t dare to say a word after his confession, simply waiting for Marinette to speak up. For her to say something, anything. He’d told her everything he could remember, even things he had never told anyone else, and her opinion on it mattered so much, regardless of what he wanted to convince himself of. Her opinion always weighed more than others’ at this point.

Eventually, she opened her mouth. “Alright, so tell me if I got it right. You were born to the daughter of the leader of the league of Assassins, you were raised to become one, you actually killed tens and tens of people, then you were taken to your father at the age of ten to distract him from his work as Batman, tried to kill Tim — my best friend — multiple times, and you never told me until now? After we’ve known each other for seven years and having dated for four of them?”

Usually, Damian could read Marinette easily, but now her face was blank, and the only thing he could hear in her voice was a hint of exasperation and anger. A hint. That meant she was hiding something huge, because his beloved was never this emotionless unless she was actively hiding something from him.

And that was something that had him swallow his pride and admit to himself that he was frightened about what that meant for him, for her, for them and their relationship. He had no idea.

He nodded, drawing out a slow “yes, that’s pretty much it summarised.”

Marinette sighed and ran a hand down his face. For a second, there was a flash of absolute fury and sorrow visible on her face, but then it was already gone. Damian wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he was rather sure that this meant the end of their relationship.

“I am so furious right now.”

“I understand that you’re furious with me. I did hide it from you for a long time. I just thought you deserved to know, even if it came later rather than sooner. Better late than never, isn’t it?”

Yet another sigh. “Damian, love, mon cœur, I am not furious at you. I am furious at your mother and I am furious at your grandfather and so many others, but not you. And yes, I deserved to know that my boyfriend has killed people, multiple of them at that, but I can see why you hid it from me for so long. When was the last time you killed anyone?”

“A bit after I became Robin.”

“Well then, it’s long since that happened. I can’t promise I won’t be a little uncomfortable around you for a while, but I’ll work on it. Your mother and grandfather took your childhood away and it isn’t your fault you became an assassin — you didn’t know any better. You were a child. You aren’t supposed to have to know how to be at that age, especially if you’ve only ever seen one way of living, if you’ve only ever been told that way of living is the correct one. Instead, I’m ready to break this family’s “No kill” rule and go do that to your mother and grandfather. You didn’t deserve all of that. No child does.”

There were tears in his eyes that were threatening to spill, and Damian needed to think about breathing in order to be able to do so.

“I— What is wrong with you? Why do you care so much about me?!” he began with a broken voice, his tone borderline hysterical, but Marinette interrupted him by putting a finger on his lips. She’d crossed the room fast.

“Because you’re my friend above all else. You’re the one I love, and there’s nothing that can change that.”

Damian’s breath came to a halt. Tears burned in his eyes and suddenly he felt like a scared child, clinging onto anything that could save him. Marinette smiled at him so gently, so reassuringly as she reached out to him. She was truly an angel bringing light to his life, being the light in the darkness that was his life. “But I— I killed—”

“Oh love, I don’t blame you, so please, don’t do that either. Children cannot be blamed for the actions of their parents, and they can’t be held responsible for something they did because their mother and grandfather told them to do so. It took, what, ten years before you were even told you were allowed to not kill people. There’s no way I could ever blame you.” Marinette pulled rather limp Damian into her arms and squeezed him, and both of them tried to ignore the tears that were now flowing down from their eyes. Marinette hid her face in Damian’s hair, keeping Damian within her embrace in the way he’d once (surprisingly) admitted felt safe to him, his face buried in her shirt. Marinette said nothing about the tears staining the piece of clothing.

She never would, not with her dearest. Especially not when he was like this.

Marinette wasn’t surprised in the least that Damian had come crashing down like this. Keeping something a secret from your loved ones was tiring. The bigger the secret and the longer you kept it, the bigger the consequences would be once you let go of it.

All she could do now was to be there for him and prove that she wasn’t going to leave, even if it took her a long time. He deserved that much.

Because after all, he deserved the world.

“Believed in you before anyone else did…”

Marinette bend over and put her face in her arms and knees, sitting on her bed. Her sketchbook lied on the other side of the room, some of its pages crumbled next to it. She had no idea what to do. The only thing that could be heard in the room were her heavy breathing and sobs, at least until someone was at the door.

That someone knocked on the door three times, each knock the slightest bit different. She didn’t want to see anyone right now, but the knocks already told him it was either Damian or Tim on the other side of the door. They were the only two she’d told about how to knock on her door to make sure she knows it’s one of them if they needed to talk to her and she reacted to no other means of contact.

So, reluctantly, she stood up and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Damian standing there, wearing a worried expression on his face. Marinette stepped aside and motioned for him to come in before closing the door behind the two of them.

“What is—” she began but was interrupted before she got any further.

“What happened, habibti?”

Marinette snapped her mouth shut. This was not what she was expecting. Damian sounded worried.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You don’t throw your sketchbook across the room and look like you’re about to cry when you are alright.”

That was enough to make her stop with the excuses. Damian had her figured out. She should have guessed. She swallowed, visibly deflated and dropped on the ground, hugging her knees. Damian was at her side within seconds.

“I just—” It was hard to talk about it and they fell into silence again. Damian put his hand on her shoulder hesitantly, as though he wasn’t sure if it was okay. As she didn’t move away or flinch at the touch, he just let it rest there. Marinette guessed he was trying his best at showing he was there by doing what he’d seen Tim and Dick do before.

“You can take your time, I am in no hurry,” he said, drawing a teary laugh out of her.

“Thanks, Dames.”

Marinette stared at the ground as she started speaking. “I— It’s just that I realised, I remembered that I didn’t want to be a designer, not to begin with. I do enjoy designing, it isn’t that, but… It’s kind of like video games. It was meant to be a hobby.”

“Why did you change your mind, then?”

“I think… I think it’s because of Mlle Bustier. She saw me designing clothes one day and she kept insisting I was good at it and telling me I should become a designer. I did tell her I didn’t want to, but she insisted I should become one for weeks, months, years. Eventually I— eventually I just thought that was what I wanted and should do, I guess.”

Damian growled, like, honest to god growled. “I am going to sue that disgusting, sorry excuse of a teacher,” he all but snarled, but didn’t go anywhere from where he was kneeling next to her.

“Please don’t. You don’t have any proof.”

“Tt. As you wish. At least she cannot do anything to you anymore as you’re now here. Then, what was it you wanted to do? Before that loathsome woman interfered, that is.”

Marinette smiled at him with teary eyes. “I wanted to be a baker, just like my parents. They loved their job and baking was so much fun. I loved trying new things and I always imagined how it would be to either take over our family bakery or start my own,” she said, chuckling. Then her smile disappeared from her face and she frowned a little. “But every time I mention this to someone now, they’re saying I shouldn’t abandon my “dream” of becoming a designer, that I don’t need to worry about whether I can make it. They think I’m just scared of whether my designs are good enough — I know they are — and I do want to do it as a side thing, but I… it’s not what I want from life. I want to be able to bake and make these amazing, wonderful creations and make people smile when they eat them!”

Damian reached his hands out to cup her face but hesitation made him jerk away. Why was he hesitating now? That was not something he usually did. But, when he watched her expressions carefully, the slightest bit of disappointment he could see on Marinette’s face had him reach out again and cup her face.

“Whatever it is you want to do, I support you, and I’m sure you’ll do great. If you want to be a baker and create a bakery, I say go for it. If it makes you happy, I want you to do it, and I’ll be there supporting you through every step of the way, if that pleases you.”

“Yes, it would. Thank you, Damian,” she said, and finally a smile graced her lips again. It was like it lit up the entire room, but Damian didn’t have long to think about it before Marinette had surged forwards and her lips were on his.

Just as soon as the kiss had started, it also ended. Marinette looked embarrassed and ashamed, letting her gaze fall to the side, averting Damian’s eyes. Her sudden movements had Damian lose his grasp on her.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I simply—”

And then she was interrupted by Damian cupping her face once more, pulling her forwards and claiming her lips in turn. Marinette melted into it and traced her hands along his body up until they found their place on his shoulders and behind his neck. When they broke the kiss off, Marinette simply let herself go limp against Damian who held her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

Perhaps she was.

“I meant that. I will always be here for you because I love you,” he whispered into her hair.

After all, it wasn’t like he wouldn’t fight the entire world for her.

“...or when no one else would.”

“Have I ever told you how I met one of my best friends, Damian Wayne?” Lila asked one day after school when they were all waiting for their lifts or friends on the school grounds. Alya immediately perked up and looked at her friend curiously. She already seemed ready to take out her phone and record Lila talking about it, but Lila simply laughed sweetly and told her that she needed to protect Damian’s privacy from the media. Alya understood and put her phone away.

Marinette mostly ignored it, still waiting for her lift — she didn’t like it when Lila lied about her friends, but as long as she wasn’t slandering their name, she had decided not to intervene because one, it’s not like her classmates would care, and two, why should she care about her ex-friends being lied to if they didn’t believe her when she said so? As long as Lila didn’t bully her or her ex-friends didn’t do it, she couldn’t care less.

“Alright, so it went like this. A few years ago, I was at the Wayne gala with my mother, when this woman spilled her drink on my dress. It was so unfortunate, I had gotten the dress from Prince Ali the last time I’d met him, and it was my favourite one,” Lila explained, making an effort to put shock and sadness in her voice, her expressions no doubt matching the story perfectly. Rose gasped in horror. Marinette was half-listening to the story, ready to start recording in case there was going to be any slander against any of her friends. After all, she would need proof if they wanted to take it to court.

“Oh girl, what happened then? Did she at least apologise and offer to get it cleaned up for you?” Alya asked, grabbing Lila by the shoulders. Marinette could almost imagine her concerned, angry face in her mind.

Marinette could find a slightly bitter taste in her mouth at the nickname but ignored it.

Lila tilted her head and furrowed her brows, looking away for a second as though she were sad. “No,” she sighed. “She was jealous about me and the beautiful dress I had. Then she smirked at me and tripped, ripping my dress. It couldn’t be repaired afterwards. The biggest problem was, when she— when she ripped my dress—”

Lila swallowed and stopped speaking and wiped a tear away from her eye before continuing. “When she ripped my dress, it revealed my undergarments, right there, in the middle of the gala,” she whispered. Marinette would be amazed at her acting skills because she sounded just like she were embarrassed for a second there if it wasn’t for the fact she didn’t like it when people lied.

“What happened then?” Mylène asked, holding her breath.

“Then Damian swooped in and shed his jacket quickly, giving it to me to be able to cover myself. Then he took me away from the ball and got me one of his sister’s dresses. He apologised that it wasn’t the same thing, but told me it was too unfortunate the woman had been like that. He then reassured me that his family would take her away so I could enjoy the rest of the gala. He still let me keep the jacket because I was cold.”

The girls around her cooed.

“Tell us more!”

“Well, alright,” Lila complied, looking like she didn’t want them asking more. Like hell she didn’t, she reveled in their attention. Lila Rossi loved the sound of her own voice more than she loved breathing. “So, a few days after that — as I hadn’t been able to find him at the end of the gala to be able to give his jacket back to him — I was walking outside using his jacket because it was so warm and that way I could return it to him or one of his family members should I see them there. The a dog ran past me without his owner. He clearly belonged to someone because he had a collar and he was groomed, but I couldn’t even see anyone running after him. So, obviously, I ran after the dog to catch him, hoping he had a name tag and the owner’s information so I could return him. It took me a while and my feet were so tired, but eventually I succeeded. That was about when I saw a young man running towards me. The dog visibly brightened and started wagging his tail just as when I was trying to check the nametag, so I guessed it was the owner.”

“Who was it, then?”

“Ooh, was it Damian?”

“Yes! It was indeed Damian! His dog had run away! He was so kind to me because I found his dog and thanked me so many times for it. He asked me if I wanted to come for a walk with him and his dog who was so sweet the entire time. It was so wonderful talking with him — he’s a great conversationalist!” Marinette did agree with her there. “Then I gave him his jacket back and he gave me his number so we could keep in contact. We kept talking even after I returned to Italy and he’s one of my dearest friends!”

Well, Lila had said nothing problematic about Damian or any of the other Wayne family members, so Marinette decided she couldn’t bother to get involved in it. At least she’d done her research for once, because while there were things you could check on the internet, it would be much harder unless you knew exactly where to look and who to ask.

Marinette pulled out her phone to call Tim as he was supposed to fetch her from school with Alfred. Tim was her best friend and they were going to take her to the States for the next few weeks so she could get a break from school and all the stress surrounding it. Well. She was going to go to school with Damian in Gotham to make sure she didn’t fall behind, but it wasn’t like it was the schoolwork stressing her out. It was Lila and all her lies and the lack of anyone she could talk to or rely on. In Gotham, none of those things would be a problem.

But, instead of Tim walking up to her, she got Tim and Damian, both heading straight her way. Once she got over her surprise, she smiled brightly and waved at them before running towards Tim and hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly.

“I’m so glad that you’re coming over for the next few weeks, Cupcake! There’s so much I want to show you. Did I already mention that Lucius and Tam are both looking forward to seeing you at the office during your stay? Because they totally are. They want to show you around the company. You can’t let them down. Bart and Kon mentioned wanting to see you at some point during the week too.”

Marinette laughed and wriggled out of Tim’s grasp. “I’ll make sure I’ll have time for all of them. I do need to set time aside for you especially, but I’m reserving Dames for myself for at least a few days,” she told the two boys and smiled at Damian. She still wasn’t too close with him so she tried to keep away from hugging him or tried to keep the touch contact at minimum because he always seemed so uncomfortable with the rest of the family showing their affection by hugs or ruffling his hair and so on. She didn’t want to do it to him.

(So what if a bit of it was because she had the tiniest crush on him and didn’t want to ruin her relationship with him before she even had any kind of a chance.)

“Oh, Marinette, who’s your friend? Your boyfriend? Or boyfriends?” Lila asked with the slightest smirk hidden behind her smile, the tone of her voice sounding the slightest bit scandalised at the idea of multiple boyfriends. It seemed everyone else caught it too and with wide eyes, stared at Marinette. Marinette scowled, hoping Tim and Damian didn’t catch the mood change in the air.

A pointless wish because both were children of Bruce Wayne and raised by the greatest detective in the world, but a wish nonetheless.

“This is my best friend, Tim, and this is his little brother and also my dear friend, Dames,” she replied, gritting her teeth a little.

“Oh no, your best friend? Isn’t Alya your best friend?”

That drew the attention of the entire class still present to them. They smelled drama and they wanted to see it.

“No,” Marinette said coolly, pressing her nails into the skin of her palm to keep herself calm and grounded. Tim seemed to notice it and put a hand on her arm, rubbing circles on it with his thumb. “Alya was my best friend until she decided to believe you over me. We grew apart.”

“God, Marinette, this ploy of yours isn’t going to work. You’re still my friend, but I’m also friends with Lila! I don’t get where this jealousy and need to have people for yourself is coming from! Are you still mad that Adrien doesn’t like you as much as he likes Lila?”

Marinette inhaled deep. “I don’t even like Adrien anymore. I haven’t liked him in months! I’m not jealous, it’s that you all keep believing and choosing Lila — a girl you’ve known for a year or so — over me, someone some of you have known since we were in diapers! Have I ever lied to any of you? Proved you couldn’t trust me? Anything that could justify any of this?”

She was so irritated and done with them. They weren’t bullying her, but honestly, she would have preferred it over them saying they were still friends before doing a complete 180° and deciding to choose Lila over her every. Single. Time. Not once had they chosen her over Lila since she came into the picture permanently.

“Like hell you don’t like Adrien. You just told me over the phone you do!”

“Alya, we haven’t spoken over the phone in ages.”

That stopped Alya. She swallowed, pulled out her phone and frantically looked through it before paling.

“Well?” Marinette inquired. She knew perfectly well it had been a long time since because both of them were just “so busy” all the time.

“It’s— it’s been half a year since…” Alya choked out. Marinette settled for an expression and an arch of a brow that told her I told you so.

“Well then, that’s settled. Can we go now? I’d like to see the rest of the family as soon as possible,” Marinette said, already turning on her heel when Lila decided she needed to have the last word in. At least she had the good idea of speaking in French because every time Marinette spoke to the two boys, it was in English. Obviously, both of them knew at least some French as she used it around the Manor and they sometimes replied to her, but still. It wasn’t like Lila knew.

“Where are you even going? It’s the middle of the school year. There can’t be any good reason as to why you’re leaving now. It’s not like you’re good enough to just not be here.”

“I am leaving because of stress, not that it actually was any of your concern, and my schoolwork is doing just fine, thank you very much.”

“I haven’t even seen you study, you’re quiet in class — in fact, it seems like all you do is draw while you should focus on what Mlle Bustier is teaching us.”

Marinette sighed. She didn’t want to have to deal with this.

The others in class spoke up too, all of them spouting out similar “facts” that actually weren’t true. Marinette could feel tears burning in her eyes and the choking feeling in her throat was just too present, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Tim looked ready to go full Red Robin on them, but just before he opened his mouth, Damian was already in front of them and at it. Tim returned to Marinette’s side, rubbing comforting circles on her shoulders and arms, wiping her tears away.

“I’m not certain if any of you imbeciles have ears. She told you, her schoolwork is excellent. I have seen her grades, Father has seen her grades, her parents have seen her grades, Drake has seen them, and all of us have decided that it is of no problem for her to come with us. And if any of you were the friends you say you are, then you would not question this and be happy for her and trust she knows what she is doing. If none of you are able to do that simple thing, then I deem all of you unworthy of her,” he said, in perfect French, his tone of voice clearly telling them all his word was final. Some of the students paled and backed off when they caught it and understood there was no way for them out of this.

It seemed Lila didn’t.

“Who are you supposed to be? I’ll have you know, I’m the daughter of an ambassador, you can’t speak to me like that.”

“Oh, so you are the liar Malaki has mentioned every now and then.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“Well, to say what Jason would love to if he were here, I ain’t calling you a truther,” Tim chimed in, a smile on his face, though none of the others could see it as he was still focused on making sure Marinette was okay. Marinette’s snort mixed with her choked sob as she held onto Tim, watching the exchange take place in front of them.

Marinette could have cried out of joy. Her friends — these friends — were actually there for her and didn’t let her deal with all of it alone. And Damian, well. He believed in her. He didn’t doubt her words for a second about a liar and then the moment he met Lila, he stood with Marinette and didn’t let Lila’s sweet, sugary, false words change his mind.

It mattered more to her than she knew how to explain.

The glare he had on his face, directed at Lila and the rest of them, was definitely the perfect blend of Damian al Ghul Wayne and Robin. It was something all the Bats learnt from Bruce and Batman, but Damian had perfected it and turned it into something of his own. Marinette was glad she was never on the receiving end of it. The faintest ghost of a smile crept on her lips as she watched everything unravel in front of her very eyes.

“Wait. Aren’t you— Lila, do you not recognise him?”

That was Alya.

“Why should I?”

Lila.

“Because that right there is Damian Wayne and you were just telling us about how you met him.”

“According to the internet and my various sources, the two people with Marinette Dupain-Cheng are Damian Wayne and Timothy Drake-Wayne.”

Max and Markov.

“I can’t believe this is how you fall, Rossi. You don’t recognise your so called best friend? You definitely dug yourself into a deep hole. It’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.”

And Chloé.

That was all the rest of them needed to pull out their phones and start looking up the rest of the things — thoroughly — that Lila had claimed to be true. It didn’t take too long before Markov and Max started listing off things Lila had lied about.

Damian smirked and turned away, clearly satisfied with how things turned out. He led Marinette to the car with Tim, and once they were inside and had said hi to Alfred and apologised for how long it took, he turned to Marinette and actually, genuinely smiled at her.

“Remember, Malaki, you don’t need to do everything on your own. If anyone ever dares to disrespect you like that again or doesn’t believe you when you’re telling the truth, you can trust that I will be there if you need assistance. I will always be there when you need me. Asking for assistance isn’t a sign of weakness. Besides, isn’t that what Grayson always tries to remind us all of? That ‘asking for help and helping is what family does’, that ‘admitting to your flaws or not being able to do everything alone doesn’t mean a lack of strength’.”

“I agree with him, for once. We all care about you and you’re family. You could never be a bother. You can rely on us.”

Marinette wiped a tear out of her eye and smiled back. “You’re right. Thank you, Dami. For everything. You too, Timmers.” She grabbed the hands of both her friends and squeezed them, completely ignoring the warmth on her cheeks as Damian gave her a light squeeze back.

She would be fine.

Because after all, he wasn’t about to leave her fending for herself.

“And no matter what happens...”

“I’ll go with you.”

Marinette’s tone indicated her words were meant to be taken as final, but Damian wasn’t having it. He was not about to let his wife come with him to take down the League of Assassins for good because it wasn’t safe at all. That was the one fight where he wouldn’t be able to protect her because he’d be too caught up with fighting those who had gotten training nearly as good and tough as his. His beloved, as good as she was, was not comparable to the League because her training had been so different. His mother would be there, no doubt. Even if she liked Marinette, Mother was not above using her son’s wife against him if she thought it would work in her favour.

“No. You aren’t coming. I don’t want you to die there.”

Marinette groaned and threw a pillow at him with way too much force. It didn’t hurt — it was a pillow, after all—, but it did surprise him.

“Damian, ma raison de vivre, I will come with you. There’s no way I’ll be able to go on if you’re gone, so I will come and make sure you don’t die,” she snapped at him, scowling. It was a rare thing to see on her face.

“You are the one who needs to live if it comes down to that. The world and the family needs you more than they need me, habibti. I—” He was interrupted before he got any further.

“No! Don’t you dare start that! You are my — ugh, what’s the English term… whatever, let’s go with French — ma raison d’être and there’s no way I’m letting you die either! You aren’t disposable, you aren’t someone that I — or the family — can lose! I don’t care what it takes, and if I have to follow you from the shadows, hidden from you, to be able to come along, then that’s what I will do,” Marinette said, snarling.

“But this is the League of Assassins, they are there to kill. I might have to resort to that as well, if nothing else works. I will try not to for you, of course, but the chance still exists. They will definitely try to kill me, and if you’re there, you as well.”

“You know what, I’m coming and I’m telling the family of this as well. They won’t let you go alone either. None of us want you to die.”

She had already pulled out her phone and dialed someone by the time Damian had noticed and tried to stop her. It was too late.

“Fine,” he huffed and sat down at the table, watching as Marinette argued with someone on the phone until she finally put her phone away with a smug smile on her face.

“Tim said he’s coming, I reminded Bruce that he wouldn’t want to lose yet another son — especially not for the second time, yes, I know you died like fifteen years ago — so he’s in as well, Dick was in before I even finished trying to convince him, and Jason is coming as well because he cares about you all and wants to be there to protect you even if he’s horrible at saying it out loud.”

“I know.”

“Cass, Steph, Duke and Babs are in as well. So, you know, the whole family is going to be there. I’m pretty sure Jon and Colin would want to help as well if I asked.”

Marinette walked around the table to him, and slid her arms around him. “Dames, whatever happens, I will be there by your side, just like you told you’d be by my side. It goes both ways, love.” She pressed a kiss to his hair and took his hands in her own. “We are going to be fine, I promise. After all, you’re my other half, you complete me, and that means we’re going to survive and get through this as well.”

The day to fight came, and all the kwamii were tired, so Marinette wore kevlar, just like the rest of them. She smiled at him, holding his hand and chuckled, saying they matched. Damian smiled back and tucked some loose strands behind her ear. Yeah, just like his beloved said, they were going to be alright.

Because after all, they worked together better than any oiled machine.

“You will always love them.”

Those were the words he told her in front of both their families, their friends, but Damian couldn’t care less about them. All that mattered to him was that his angel was there, his angel had promised to give all of herself to him for the rest of their lives, until death do them part. In return, he gave her all that he was, all that he had, and he would never leave her side if it was up to him to decide.

He took her hands in his before bringing them up to kiss her fingers. Marinette laughed, the sound of it like music in his ears. It was the most beautiful sound in the world to him. The red of her dress was elegant and brought out her appearance’s best qualities, it made her eyes shine. The golden accents

When the “You may kiss the bride” came, he lifted her up by her waist, twirled them around and placed her back on the ground before he pressed a delicate kiss on her lips. It made her smile, and Damian was certain she could compete with the Sun itself for the place of the brightest and most beautiful thing in the world and win.

When they finally turned to face their closest people present, they were both smiling and happier than ever. Grayson cheered in the front row, Todd had a grin on his face, Father was smiling at them with such pride in his eyes, and Drake… Oh yeah, he was Marinette’s Man of Honor, so he wasn’t with the rest of the family — he had been standing at the side on Marinette’s side, with Brown, Tsurugi and Cain, who were her bridesmaids, and Couffaine, her bridesman, all standing behind him. Damian had given Colin and Jon the honour of being his Best Men (because he simply refused to choose only one of them.) Right now, Drake looked ready to run to Marinette and hug and congratulate her, but decided against it because he knew it was her and Damian’s day, and the right to be there by her side at the ceremony was Damian’s.

(It was clear he was going to spend as much time as possible with her at the wedding reception, though. Damian had no problem with that — his wife should be able to be with her friends, especially her best friend, as long as she didn’t forget him. He knew she wouldn’t. There was a reason she’d married him.)

Marinette smiled at him and gave his cheek a quick peck as they intertwined their fingers and walked down the aisle. It was strange and oh so wonderful how this amazing young woman had decided she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, no matter what kind of a person he had been, no matter how many other suitable people that liked her were there, no matter how difficult life together would be because of how stubborn both of them were — she still had chosen him over everyone and everything else, and Damian would be damned if he didn’t treat her with all the respect she deserved and make her as happy as ever possible.

Because after all, if soulmates existed, she was definitely his.

“Nothing can ever change that.”

A woman perks up as she hears someone call her name, seeing the black hair and the tan skin of the one she’s always loved. The one she’s loved since the day she saw him and until the day her heartbeats ceased and even beyond death. The one she had loved, the one she still loves, the one she will always love. He’s standing there, shocked, tears in his eyes, but there’s so much adoration and love in his eyes that she doesn't even know how to react. Then she rushes to her feet and runs to him, throwing herself at him because it’s been too long since the day we lost each other.

Her treasure got to live a life decades longer than her own, he got to grow old, but she can’t find it in herself to be bitter about it — he always deserved to live a long life, and besides, even though she would have tried to be happy for him if it had happened, he never fell in love again or remarried after she was taken away from him. He’d stayed hers and hers only until death, and now they’re back together, finally. Even if it took nearly seven entire decades of separation first.

Basking in the warmth of sunlight, the young woman with black hair leans against the young man just about her age, his hair just as black as hers. He wraps his arms around her shoulders tightly and presses her against his chest, more than grateful he can hold her again after being separated for so very long. She chuckles and tilts her head backwards so he can give her a kiss on her forehead more easily.

The rest of the world no longer matters. It’s no longer “as though it doesn’t matter”, because now it is “it doesn’t matter”. They have both lived and they have both died, and now that they’re together again, they don’t need to care about the world. It isn’t like they can affect it anymore either.

They intertwine their fingers, a gesture that brings both of them comfort, a gesture that has brought both of them comfort for decades now, and they watch the sun set down below in the world they can only see as outsiders anymore. Even so, the sunset paints the world in warm tones, and the peaceful tones of red, orange and yellow fill their vision.

Their time is no longer limited, for they’ve found one another in the life beyond. They are together again, and that is all that matters to them. Their family is there as well, all of them are waiting to see them, and that’s why they don’t need to worry anymore.

The young woman stands up and offers her hand to the man, and the man takes it, letting the woman pull him to his feet. She cups his face and pulls him down to a kiss, smiling into it as she murmurs her confessions of love to him in all the languages she knows and even the languages she doesn’t. In return, he tells her how she is all that he needs, how she changed his life, and how he will keep his promise of staying by her side until the end of time in all the languages that have ever existed and even the languages that don’t yet exist.

After all, to one another, the two of them were everything.

Because what’s a soulmate, if not the one person you love more than anything, the one person your life would crash without, the one person that gives you strength in the darkest of times even when they aren’t there, if not the one you choose to love until you run out of air to breathe and until your heart ceases to beat?

What’s a soulmate, if not the one who will keep coming back to you over and over again, no matter what happens, until the end of time and will find you even beyond death?

________

@kris-pines04 @thethirdwheelfriend @daminett4life

_________

Did you find the only two connected scenes in this one because there's totally one scene that leads straight to another (and as the fic isn't in chronological order, the two scenes aren't either, it’s easy but not that easy.)

If you guess what were my favourite scenes to write or tell me what were yours to read, I'll give you a cookie.

#damian x marinette #maridami #daminette #maribat #Damian Wayne #damian al ghul #marinette dupain cheng #ml x dc #ML #miraculous ladybug #dc #fanfiction #fanfic #ethel's writing

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irregularjohnnywiggins · 4 years

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Okay, so I've been working a lot recently on my version of the DCU, particularly the Batman side of it, so quick recap on stuff I did to a variety of the villains:

I lengthened out Harvey Dent's fall from grace extensively, and filled in a lot of the gaps: in most versions I've read (which... isn't many, I'm not that well-versed in Two-Face lore) there's a gap between his introduction and him getting acided, but after said aciding he almost immediately goes to the robbing the Second National Bank on 2nd Street at 2nd Avenue thing, and honestly I think there's way more opportunities with a slowly corrupting man in the role of District Attorney.

Scarecrow doesn't have Fear Toxin at all. He keeps trying to get it, but the ingredients for it are really hard to get so it's only deployed in the extremely rare circumstances that Crane has both all the ingredients and time to make it. What that means is that most of Batman and Scarecrow's fights are elaborate games of theatricality and deception, to steal from Nolan, Scarecrow trying to hide which component of the toxin he's after from Batman and both of them trying to scare the other into giving something away.

There are two distinct versions of Poison Ivy - the first is a femme fatale who uses pheromones to seduce and then kill people and who is regarded as a mentally unstable ecoterrorist, with no-one believing her claims of being an Avatar of the Green. The second is literally Gaia's Vengeance, a supernatural being that is almost completely detached from humanity aside from a few morals and an attachment to Harleen Quinzel as the only doctor to not see her talk of the Green as the core of her problems. The two are sharply divided by that arc from Alan Moore's Swamp Thing when Alec goes to Gotham and beats the shit out of Batman, during which he dropped in on Arkham and taught Ivy everything about this connection to the Green that she couldn't even express because humanity doesn't have a word for it. Also the second version of Ivy works a lot like Batman's version of Mxyzptlk or Circe - an antagonist that Bruce has no chance against in a straight fight, and so he has to convince her that she should stop her plans without registering himself to her as a threat, because if he does he's screwed.

Speaking of Harley, like with Harvey I've lengthened out her backstory and added one key element: she's Batman's contact inside Arkham Asylum, largely because Arkham is still Arkham and she's one of the only people inside actually interested in helping the people locked up in there. Her fall is long, drawn out, and in no small part exacerbated by the institution of Arkham in general, with the guy who dresses as a giant bat being really the only person who doesn't think she's incompetent because she's got boobs and diagnosed schizophrenia.

Ra's al Ghul, on top of being influenced by my love of all things Assassin's Creed, has a constant problem of changing his nemeses. As he's introduced he's more of an Alfred villain than anything else - the reason he's equal parts obsessed with Bruce joining him and laughably bad at selling joining him to Bruce is because 'Get the Detective to join me' is Step 1 on his master plan of getting revenge on Alfred for killing him back in the 60s or 70s whichever is more Bond, and so he genuinely only sees Bruce as a pawn in his game against Alfred. Eventually he clues in and starts treating Bruce as a worthy adversary, but even then he spend more time bothering Tim because hey, corrupting the proxy son of the guy you're fighting worked brilliantly the last time, didn't it?

It should be noted that whilst Ra's elaborate game of pass the antagonist is going on, there's an shadow war between the League of Assassins, who follow Ra's and wear black robes and hoods, and the Order of Assassins led by Nyssa Raatko who wear white robes and hoods with red sashes and blades beneath their wrists have I spelled out what they're a ripoff of yet. Nyssa incidentally is a mishmash of a load of different versions of her - she's in a relationship with Sara Lance like in the Arrowverse, centuries older than Talia like in Death and the Maidens, violently opposed to Ra's cobtinued use of the Lazarus Pits like in the Arkham Knight DLC, and because she's mainly seen in The Hooded Man (i.e. the Green Arrow thing) there's a lot of Nasir from Robin of Sherwood there too.

You would not believe how hard I had to convince myself to not go with The Batman's version of the Riddler. Frankly it's still up in the air, it could go either way, it's either that or Eddie does a couple of brain-teaser crimes before giving up and going into PI work with Gordon. ...actually, fuck it, both of them, I would kill to have a story with Gordon trying to convince people he's completely trustworthy whilst his partner sounds like Freddy Krueger.

Because there's a lot of vampire villains in Batman stories, I just went 'fuck it' and replaced the Court of Owls with a secret community of vampires. They may still have the owl masks, I think they're kinda cool, but there less 'antagonists' and more one more social ill Batman needs to manage as both Batman and Bruce Wayne.

The Killing Joke is not a thing - whilst Babs does become Oracle, the Joker is not at all responsible for it. He may be responsible for Jason's death, I haven't figured that out yet, but he's by no means the multiple mass murderer DC likes to portray him as - he's a hedonist with a taste for puns, he only occasionally kills people and only when it's funny to do so, he's not a serial killer (ironically explaining it like that goes some way to convincing me why he isn't responsible for Jason's death).

He doesn't technically count as a Batman villain, but I honestly think Deathstroke may be my favourite character to write about in this entire thing, and honestly I love everything about him. The key idea behind this - and one I attribute completely to this post on @davidmann95 - is that Slade, convinced that he lives not in the DCU but rather in something like The Boys or a Youngblood comic, is completely oblivious to how the laws of this world work, and so no matter how physically strong he is he keeps getting dunked on by teenagers because that's his place in this world. But more than that - his conviction that he is the hero of this story leads him to miss that literally everyone in his supporting cast is better than him - his children are better fighters, his ex-wife is a better soldier, the person he thinks is his best friend is secretly manipulating him - because Wintergreen's the real supervillain here, in a twist that has a fascinating backstory both in and out of universe. Slade Wilson's life is one hilarious black comedy piece after another, a comedy he's incapable of seeing - and one that, because he acts like he's in a Mark Millar comic, he's completely deserving of.

And I think that's it? There are a few villains - Hush above all else - that I don't want to touch with a ten-foot pole, and a few that I feel don't really need changing - Freeze and Killer Croc spring to mind. And then there's the ones like Penguin or Bane, who I feel like I'd change but I have no real idea of how to change them yet. Expect a reblog with another block of text once I figure that out.

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zerotosiki · 4 years

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A Little Too Much - Daminette SongFic

Pairing(s): Damian Wayne (DC) x Marinette Dupain-Cheng (MLB)

Description: Damian and his brothers decided to give a surprise to Marinette. Based on the song "A Little Too Much" by Shawn Mendes. If you didn’t know the song, you can listen to it here.

Word Count: 3,931

Warnings: This is my first time writing the full and completed story. I am still confused with tenses and grammar so I am really sorry if any words look so weird! I am warning you guys!

AN: Same with what I said above. Sometimes (or maybe always..?) I like to exaggerate my story soooo... I hope you guys like it!

Thank you so much @ozmav for creating this wonderful ship, you don’t know how much I need this kind of romance, a romance involving a bad boy but becoming softer because of his girl! And thank you @officiallyathiana for giving this perfectly idea!

Main Story (You’re here) || Bonus 1 || Bonus 2

Why? Why did he accept the bet? "This is not a bet!!" exclaim Jason from behind. Yeah, but in his eyes, this is a bet! How come? He and his annoying brothers decided to surprise Marinette. Yes, Marinette, his girlfriend. Damian didn't expect that he could be able to be in a relationship for 3 years and his girlfriend is an Angel too!

Umm ... To be more precise, a wingless angel ... Marinette is a very kind, friendly, smart, pretty, and sometimes, she emits a fiery aura in her eyes... And, don't forget her beautiful smile. Even the dark city of Gotham can suddenly become bright if she's here, smiling while chuckling occasionally.

"Okay enough about her beautiful smile because we already know how much you love her," Jason said suddenly, a mischievous smile on his face. Damian glared at Jason while growling, even though Jason didn't feel intimidated at all. Not with Damian's red face because of his own embarrassment.

"Stop it!" said Dick after clapping his hands hard enough to prevent a bloody war that might occur sometime later. "We should go back to our previous discussion okay? If you want this surprise to really happen before it's too late..."

And with that, Damian snorted in annoyance while Jason only chuckled at his brother's behavior. "I already said if we want to give a surprise to Marinette, it should be a fancy and fabulous one. Since Marinette deserves the best," said Damian while crossing his hand.

"But demon-spawn, you should know by now that Marinette isn't fond of excessive luxury. It'll just make her uncomfortable and you don't want that, right?" asked Tim from across the sofa, a cup of coffee in his hand as usual.

Of course, Damian would know about it. But there's no way he would admit it openly. Not in the front of his annoying brothers, okay?

"That's why we suggest you a more simple one but no less romantic than your original plan, Damian."

"You said a simple one... And that is by singing to her?" Damian cannot help to ask about that with a tone of disbelief. Because what is romantic with singing? Isn't that just a plain one? Moreover, he never singing in his entire life! He is in distress! He scared he will be the ONE ruining this surprise because of his voice. Not that his voice is bad, okay? He knows his voice is good, like really really good.

"Yup, and you already lost, demon-spawn. So you cannot back down now..." Oh, how he wishes he can turn back time right now. He wonders why he has such bad luck. Five minutes ago, he and his brothers were arguing which type of surprise gift they should prepare for Marinette's upcoming birthday.

He chooses a fancy one with him holding a bunch of roses in front of her school so when she out of school, she will be surprised and then happy and then... hopefully, give a kiss thank you? Not only roses, of course. He will take her to a fancy dinner where he would gift her another present and maybe she'll give a big smile while in tears and then... again, give a kiss thank you?

But no, his brothers strongly disagree with him and suddenly deciding that singing to her is a better option. Which is not. In his opinion. Since Damian is stubborn to let go of his plan, one of his brothers, the oldest one, Dick, suggesting for Damian to do rock-paper-scissors with one of them (Dick, Jason, or Tim).

So Damian chooses Jason, for a reason, he thinks Jason would have less chance to win with this type of game. Oh, how wrong he is. Maybe Lady Fortune is indeed upset with him. Because he loses 3 straight chances with Jason! And now he has to accept the consequences.

After one month of a lot of practice, he and his brothers have a trip to Paris (Bruce cannot come along because of an important business that he cannot miss. Of course not before he said, "Damian, please send my regards to my future daughter-in-law" in which Damian is just glaring at his father while his cheek is tinted with pink color).

"... And here I am ..." said Damian to no one. He is so nervous. His hand suddenly felt sweaty while his other hand held a guitar. After he sits down on one of the benches near Marinette's school while Dick and Jason take a seat behind him (They help him by playing the guitar too. It's just for the "best" result, not because he cannot play the guitar very well). He takes a breath down while he tries to calm his nerves. It worked, alright. He felt a lot calmer compared to before.

"Don't worry too much Baby Bat. I'm sure Marinette will be very happy with this! Trust me!" Of course she will happy. At least he hopes so. When Tim is signaling to him, he knows now that's the cue to start. So he closes his eyes and begins playing the guitar while ignoring all the stares from the passerby.

She would not show that she was afraid

He remembers the first time he met Marinette. At that time, some unimportant villains are attacking Wayne Enterprises when he becomes Jason's assistant for a translator between the French class and his brother (Dick was busy with his girlfriend so he cannot be the guide).

Jason tries to help people including The French class to evacuate as quickly as he can, while Damian goes to a safe place to change into his Robin uniform. By the time he comes back, there's already Red Robin at there and a second minute later Red Hood comes too. He suddenly raises a voice and at that time Damian, no, Robin knows what is wrong.

He sees one of the French class, a girl with midnight hair and prettiest blue eyes he ever has seen, standing protectively behind a little boy. In front of her is one of the villains, who apparently decides to become a coward and want to target weak civilians. He and Red Hood rush in to save her just to see that little petite girl kick the villains in the face. And can you hear the cracking sound?

Wow. Robin just stood there looking awestruck until he snaps out of it when Red Hood strangling the villain. Since his brothers already dealing with the villains, Robin decides to check the girl.

When he approaching the girl who right now is busy hugging the little boy while whispering something, probably to calm the little boy, she suddenly spins around and takes a defensive pose until she realizes the one who comes is Robin, one of Gotham's vigilante.

Good reflex, he noted. She goes back to calming the boy while sometimes she glances at Robin's direction.

"Are you okay?" Ask Robin softly while internally he curses himself for asking such stupid question. Of course, she's not okay. No one would be okay after being confronted by a villain. She visibly relaxes after she hears his soft tone, although he won't miss how her hand still shake albeit just a little. He knows she is trying to hide her fear.

"I'm okay, although I was hoping we can take the boy to somewhere safer..?" she said with a hint of French's accent, which made her sound more adorable, okay, focus Robin! He scolds himself.

Not only brave, but she also kind and still thinking someone else besides herself. "Yes, don't worry I'll take you guys outside so the medic will check up on you," He said then he escorts the girl and the little boy to outside and then went to help his brothers. Not before she softly said thank you, though.

Leaving behind Robin who begins to feel some weird feelings.

But being and feeling alone was too much to face

No matter how hard she tried to be strong, he worried that all the problems she'd been through ---Hawkmoth and Liela----, take a toll for her petite body. He knows that feeling. The feels being alone in this big cruel world. Kill or being killed. That was a lesson he was though from back then. When he still takes the mantle of 'al Ghul'.

But he grateful because his life is becoming better than before when he met Batman, his father, and his brothers albeit still annoying.

And he is really lucky to meet a wonderful girlfriend, Marinette, his habibti.

Though everyone said that she was so strong

What was her nickname get from the class, the one he heard from the blonde guy? Oh right, their everyday ladybug. Just because Marinette has been helping her friends whenever her friends need help. Just like Ladybug, one of Parisian's heroes. Which is ridiculous.

IF Marinette really their everyday ladybug, then why? Why they choose to believe some shit-not-true-based talks from a random transfer girl who is still new in the school over their claim to be their everyday ladybug who is already being their friend longer than that Liela girl.

What they didn't know is that she could barely carry on

Didn't they have common sense? Not even the strongest guy can take a burden as big as the world! Take a high road? Avoid Liela being akumatized? Damian scoff at this when he listening to one of Marinette's stories. That's stupid and a coward move, he thinks.

He worried because... What about Marinette? Who will take care of her? Marinette is just a human being after all. What if the one being akumatized is her? What would they do? He knows Marinette is really strong, physically and mentally. After repelling akuma for 3 times? Of course she is. And Damian is really proud of her.

But sometimes, the worries still nag him in the back of his mind. Even Batman, the dark and coldest knight can sometimes have a mental breakdown!

But she knew that she would be okay

So she didn't let it get in her way

Of course, ever since she comes to his life, meeting his brothers, Alfred, and his father. He knows, he along with his family will make sure to give Marinette a deserve and best care in the 'world'. From the moment they know the problem, they began to make a "Marinette deserve to be happy" plan right away. He won't let these pesky so-called friends get in the way. Not in his watch, okay.

He knows the plan is the right choice. Because after that, Marinette gradually became more relaxed, happy, and... just being herself.

He, Damian Wayne, swore to himself, to let her know that she deserves to be happy. She's not alone in this world. Not after meeting him. Not after she became his habibti.

Sometimes it all gets a little too much

There was one time. One time that makes his habibti almost expelled from her own school. And that source's problem is... again... ..from that pesky girl named Liela. Oh don't worry, he already has 101 lists on how to get rid of her, alright.

But you gotta realize that soon the fog will clear up

Although thankfully Marinette's not really expelled. Even if Marinette's really been expelled, and that problem hasn't solved, he will make sure to solve it, by the law. With his last name and his ability, he can easily found the evidence to sue the school, even Liela.

And you don't have to be afraid, because we're all the same

And we know that sometimes it all gets a little too much

He always said to Marinette, to let him or someone else know if she has something troubling her. To let her know, that asking for help is the right thing to do.

"Oh, she's here demon-spawn," whisper Jason which makes him suddenly open his eyes and right there, among peoples, stood his beautiful habibti, Marinette. With her wide eyes, probably from the shock of seeing him here. He gives her a reassuring smile (Hopefully it really looks assuring? 'Cause he is trying so hard to hide his nervous) in which she returns it with her beautiful smile albeit her eyes were glazed.

Okay, time for plan 2 begins.

He quickly but swiftly set aside the guitar (Don't worry, Dick and Jason still playing their guitars. This is a part of their plan, okay? A plan of "We've got your back so you don't have to worry about messing up because of your guitar's skill"). Then he sauntered to her while still singing.

He can see her classmate, the blonde guy, the glasses girl, the cap guy, and the sausage hair girl. But he doesn't care. In his eyes, there's only her. His Habibti. Marinette.

She would always tell herself she could do this

He chuckles whenever he remembers the time when she nervous, she'll chant "Marinette, you're going to be okay. Just trust yourself. Like Tikki and Damian always said." over and over again while she paced. He found it's adorable and had to refrain himself from hugging her and kissing her right then and there.

She would use no help it would be just fine

The first time he tried to convince her that sometimes it's okay for asking help is hard. Like Really hard, okay. He has to be patient or she'll get mad, and he doesn't want that. He knows she is an independent person so she'll try to find a solution by herself without bothering others and he admires her for that.

But sometimes he can't help but to worries about his habibti, okay? Not only that, he admits sometimes he wants to be a reliable boyfriend. A person she can depend on. If that's not too much problem...

But when it got hard she would lose her focus

He worried she'll fall sick because of the problem she'd been through. Because of one time. That is one time. And he doesn't want that to happen again. Not anymore. He remembers, oh, how could he forget? Even if he wants to. He can't.

At that night of patrol, the batfam and ladybird were patroling like usual. He notices Marinette, no, Ladybird weren't herself at that time. Because sometime she would space out. And when he or his brothers ask her if she's okay or needs to rest, she would always say the same thing.

"I am okay, don't worry!" with a smile but not the same smile she always used. It's a tired smile but silently screaming 'Please leave me alone' to which make him and his brothers were forced to leave it.

But later, he regrets it. And he blames himself for it. She, Ladybird got hurt badly because they were ambushed by a group of villains and while the villains are not the strongest one, but because Ladybird is distracted by her problems and the batfam was distracted too because of their worries for Ladybird, one of the villains sneaks behind Ladybird without all of them noticing. And successfully strike her in the back with a knife. A freaking knife.

She got free when she punched the villain hard, in the neck. Which makes the villain fall unconscious. Although not soon as after that, she collapses too. Robin instantly by her side, cradling her gently, ignoring the guilt feeling crawling inside his mind and the tears that started to gather in his eyes. His brothers are not that different too. They beat the villains harder and as quickly as they can, so they can bring Ladybird to the hospital or the Batcave and have Alfred treat her.

Thankfully, the wound is not as crucial as they thought it would be. Although Marinette has to stay rest in the bed for a week. Which is totally okay for him but not okay for Marinette. She's not okay with all batfam trying to babysit her but eh, like it or not, she has to face it. Since it's partly her fault for being distracted in the battle. This is a lesson for her to not pushing herself too hard. And for him to be a more firm boyfriend.

So take my hand and we'll be alright

He found himself already stood in front of her. Staring into her bluebell sparkling eyes, and smiling while softly singing, he held out his hand. She blinks then takes his hand and he gently grasped it. Both of them smiling, ignoring the confused glance from her classmate and the glare from certain people, because why would they care? When in this world, it's just him and her, Damian and Marinette.

And she knew that she would be okay

He guides her back to his brother's place. And at that time, although Marinette felt confused as to why in the world, Damian and his brothers were in here. But she knew that she would be okay. Because she's not alone anymore.

So she didn't let it get in her way

She soon relaxes in his gentle grasp and his soothing voice. This is her best day! Although she has to channel her ladybug's persona when she went through class this morning but at least, now, she got to meet her long-distance-boyfriend!

She greets his brother in silent nod while Dick is giving his charming smile and Jason winked at her. Damian takes a seat and takes his guitar to resume his playing while she takes a seat beside him, although they never broke their gaze from each other. She found herself lost in his deep green forest eyes, while he, Damian, is mesmerizing her eyes too.

Sometimes it all gets a little too much

But you gotta realize that soon the fog will clear up

And you don't have to be afraid, because we're all the same

And we know that sometimes it all gets a little too much, yeah

Both of them knew. He knew Marinette, right now, is okay. Visibly looks tired but her hopeful eyes are already assuring him that she's okay. Marinette knew, from a long time ago, after Damian has successfully convinced her, that she's not alone. She still has a lot of people who care for her being. Whether it's her parent, her true friends, her kwami, her family, and her boyfriend.

And she's thankful for having such wonderful friends. She's really glad because she doesn't have to bear this alone. She can ask for help, asking for advice. And that's an okay thing to do. And that's a wonderful thing to do. It's felt like something lifted up in her body. And she felt more... light. She felt more... ease.

A little too much, I said a little too much, oh

She still has a lot of problems, alright. With Hawkmoth still here roaming while Lila still making a problem for her.

Sometimes it all gets a little too much

But you gotta realize that soon the fog will clear up

But for the first time she thinks, 'It's going to be alright. Because I have a lot of wonderful people who were here to support me. And they'll have my back when I needed help.'

And you don't have to be afraid, because we're all the same

One time she was worried when she has a partner (A partner in romance, mind you. Not partner in battle), can she hide her secret identity from them? What if it's affecting their relationship? What if someday her partner wouldn't trust her again after how many times she lied to protect her secret identity?

But when she knows Robin's real identity after she's been dating Damian for a year, she partly glad and partly afraid. She glad because she and Damian are similar, they both were heroes who have a burden in their shoulders. And maybe... Just maybe... Damian would understand her. She worried because if Damian is a hero too (or a vigilante, according to what he said), then he must've been through a lot like her, or probably much worse than her. And she's afraid for him.

And we know that sometimes it all gets a little too much yeah

Hawkmoth and Lila's problem + all crimes in Gotham's town who'd been raising lately? Yup, it's getting a little too much for both of them. And they knew it.

Sometimes it all gets a little too much

But you gotta realize that soon the fog will clear up

But that's okay because they can handle it.

And you don't have to be afraid, because we're all the same

Because they're together. We're both together.

And we know that sometimes it all gets a little too much

Even if the world's going to fall apart, they know they'll handle it. They can handle it. Because they're together, with all support from their friends and family. Yes, they can.

The song ended with a soft thud and Damian put his guitar back then turns around to face his girlfriend while saying, "Umm.. so what do you think?". Marinette just raises a brow hearing his nervous tone, "Isn't like I'm angry or disappointed, but what is this?". Marinette tries to remember if today is an important day that maybe she forgets because she's been focusing on her problem? But no, there's no such date. Her birthday is still a month later and their anniversary is still a couple months later too.

"Well, we were actually planning to give you a surprise gift for your birthday BUT this baby demon-spawn here.." Jason ruffled his hair playfully, to which Damian response with a glare and "Shut it, Todd!" but Jason just chuckled, much to his dismay.

"What Jason means is Baby Bat is very worried about you. He always spaced out and then put on this scowl face with a wrinkled forehead, a look of worry, whenever he thinks we're not noticing." Dick continued to embarrass his little brother with a teasing smile.

"..So we decided we have enough of a moody Damian, book a ticket to Paris earlier than the plan and do the surprise right now and there, just to cheer up you, Marinette. So Damian will not go back to his moody mode and you'll cheer up again! It's a win-win for all of us." said Tim, who surprised Marinette because she doesn't know he's here too. Marinette is giving him an 'I am sorry' look while Tim just waving his hand, a sign of 'it's okay'.

Damian groaned. He thought this day will going perfectly but nooo... His brothers always try to found a way to embarrass him. And now they successfully did it. They perfectly ruining his image of 'a good and cool boyfriend' (he try hard).

Marinette giggled, her giggling sound send warm feelings in his body, and save him from his embarrassment by taking his hand and hugging him firmly. "Thank you so much, Dami," she whispers softly. To which Damian respond with hugging her back, and gently said, "Your welcome, Habibti".

"...So ready for the next part?" asked Jason to no one in particular. The couple broke their hug and Marinette giving a confused glance at his boyfriend. Damian just shrugs and smirk, "Do you want to go have fun, Habibti?" while his eyes were sending a different message, "Do you want to go from this awful place and away from this awful your so-called classmate?". Marinette blinks before catching on to his hidden message and giving him a gigawatt smile, "Yes, of course, Dami".

...End?

Main Story (You’re here) || Bonus 1 || Bonus 2

-------------------------------->>

Maybe or maybe not I will make some bonus stories (which is about a salty classmate, a roasted Liela, oops, I mean Lila, and Damian's embarrassment. Lol). The bonus stories will be just for fun though.

#daminette #damian x marinette #damimari #maridami #marinette x damian #songfic: a little too much #my attempt writing

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risingmoonyue · 4 years

Text

Old Soul

Summary: Talia always said Damian was an old soul. She just didn’t realize how right she was.

Fandom: Batman

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 3779

Trigger Warnings: Character Death, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Cutting, Child Abuse

Notes: This is a reincarnation fanfiction about Damian. It is to be noted that the reincarnated person does not know about Batman from their past life. There are a few religious hints in a place or two, but if you don’t like it you don’t have to read it. It’s also pretty easy to skip over. I am also ignoring the whole Ric Grayson thing and probably have gotten the timeline wrong, but neither of those really matter a whole lot for this fic.

On a separate note, I finally found the Keep Reading button. Beat that Tumblr!

Talia always said Damian was an old soul. She just didn’t realize just how right she was.

XXX

Damian al Ghul was born on a warm August night out of an artificial womb in a cold, cold room. Somewhere far away, nine months before, a talented young girl died far before her time. Somehow, that girl was aware of both these events.

She wailed as she was pulled out of a glowing green tube.

She was so cold.

XXX

Time passes, and she learns more. Her name is Damian. She’s a he now. He didn’t mind too much. Sympathy for both sides now, he supposed. She always went with the flow in the Before, and he would too in the Now.

He contemplated how different—how advanced, if he’s grasped his current surroundings well enough—his biology must be for him to be able to comprehend everything in the Before and Now when he was one. (He didn’t think he should ask.)

He learned his family legacy at two.

He officially met his grandfather at three.

He was trained since he was able to walk.

His first kill was the nursemaid his mother deemed too close to him after he learned basic Arabic.

He learned he could not be as he was when he met his mother.

In his previous life, Damian had been an actor. Who-he-was-Before had trained endlessly for years with a passion unlike any other. She was the best at what she did, and everyone knew it.

To survive, Damian-in-the-Now realized he needed a mask. A role to play.

At two years old, Damian donned the mask of “Ibn al Xu’ffasch”.

At two years old, Damian started the riskiest play he will ever act in either lives.

At two years old, Damian’s tears and screams silenced.

He felt so numb.

XXX

“Ibn” was a little snot. He was self-entitled, spoiled, and had a superiority complex.

Despite everything though, “Ibn” just wanted acknowledgment, being someone raised in a loveless environment. He had soft spots, but if he felt threatened, he fell onto the instincts brutally beaten into him and attacked.

He was a child raised in a horrible environment that adapted the best he could.

This was the character Damian made.

This was “Ibn”.

XXX

At five years old, Damian played “Ibn” constantly. The stage was set, he had memorized his lines, and it was far too late—far too dangerous—to back out now.

If he stopped, he knew, he would break into thousands of tiny pieces.

(He didn’t want to be doing this for nothing.)

(Maybe, maybe if he did this long enough, he would finally get to exit stage left, and go far, far away.)

(Maybe he’d get to act for fun again.)

(He liked that thought.)

Damian could only come out when he was safe, when there was an intermission in this big, long play.

Damian was never safe.

XXX

At eight years old, Damian completes the Year of Blood. He prays for forgiveness to God, even if he’s certain at this point he would never deserve anything close to it. He prays that the souls he so mercilessly slaughtered would find peace, even if he burns in hell forever for everything he’s done.

Damian feels dirty.

He has never wanted to cry more in the years of playing “Ibn”.

But Damian is never safe.

So “Ibn” must stay on—a mask that never leaves.

He was slowly starting to forget the life Before; starting to lose himself to “Ibn”.

He didn’t want to forget—he didn’t want to become “Ibn”. He’d rather die.

Was it bad that Damian wanted to die?

XXX

At ten years old, Mother sends Damian—sends her son “Ibn”—to his father. Damian was expecting a detective, one who could fight well enough to impress Mother and Grandfather.

That is not what he sees. Oh, the man is still a seasoned fighter and a brilliant detective. That much is true. But...

His father is a grown man who dresses like a bat. His father is a furry. And, supposedly, a superhero. Which was weird, because he didn’t realize superheroes were real. (Then again, at this point he had found enough differences to establish that he was from an alternate universe.)

Mother left these bits out when she spoke with “Ibn” about him.

He supposed it was just his luck he was reborn into a family full of assassins and furries.

Damian wasn’t quite sure what to think about that. Regardless, it likely doesn’t matter what Damian thinks of the man. His father had—had sexual intercourse with Mother of all people, who has been pit-mad for as long as Damian can remember. (And God, wasn’t that an image he wanted out of his head.)

Surely his father was just like Mother?

After all, it’s all he’s ever known in this cruel world.

No, much better in the long run for “Ibn” to stay on, even as Mother leaves him cold and alone in Gotham.

Father may not say it, but he knows he’s unwanted.

XXX

Damian doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand anything here.

Back in his previous prison abode home, the rules were clearly defined. The stage was set, the props were up, the script was written, and “Ibn” was made for center stage.

Bat Father didn’t want “Ibn”.

As “Ibn”, he was a burden. Unuseful. A monster in human skin.

There was no way to accept “Ibn” in his life.

Damian wanted to cry. He couldn’t switch masks, he couldn’t. If he did, he would break. Shatter into a thousand tiny pieces cutting into his flesh and bones.

He couldn’t subject himself to that.

Damian didn’t want to be here.

Damian didn’t want to be anywhere.

Damian wanted to die.

But he couldn’t.

Mother and Grandfather would bring him back in the pits whose water already stained his eyes green.

And he would break. But this time there would be no escape.

Damian wonders why he was even born.

XXX

Damian had the feeling that if he were born here, he would have loved them—been a real family, like he can foggily remember having in the Before.

Father is large and strong, an unchanging pillar in a mess of chaos. Despite his furry status (which he will never ever speak of out loud), he has proven to be a reliable man and an even better fighter. Damian respects him so much. Especially his no-kill policy.

Grayson is a smiling, warm light that Damian desperately wanted directed at him. The man had a temper, but did his best to treat him kindly, even with Ibn being an unwanted mess in their lives. He reminds Damian of an acrobat—a fellow showman—Who-he-was-Before knew in life. He was always smiling and finding a reason to laugh. Damian wonders what he’s doing now.

Drake is a certifiable genius, who also happens to be around the same age as Who-he-was-Before. He thinks that it would’ve been fun to talk with him, pick his brain, and make stupid Gen Z jokes no one else got to make. Damian was sad that Ibn had to take such a negative light on him. He thinks they could’ve been close if they met in the Before. He's sad Ibn has to hate him.

Todd reminded him of home at first—of Mother, of Grandfather, and of endless bloody steel—but as he gathered more information about him (always know who poses a threat to your legacy, my son), he decided Todd was much closer to Damian and Ibn—to himself—than anyone at the League. He was someone who died and woke up again in the cold, cold dark. Damian wonders if Todd is more like him than he realized. Maybe he had a Before too. Maybe he was also an unwilling actor on this great stage. Even if he wasn’t, they remained the same at their core—a broken soul inside a bruised and battered body.

Alfred reminded him of the misty images he had of Grandpa from the Before—always bustling about, finding something to do, scolding everyone when required, always with words of wisdom to impart. Damian missed Grandpa. He always knew what to say or do.

He wishes Ibn didn't always try to kill everyone. He hates killing people.

Maybe in another life, Damian would’ve been born here. Maybe instead of a Mother’s pit-tainted love, a Grandfather’s twisted teachings, and a legacy of blood, shadows and death, he could’ve had this.

Maybe.

Ibn decides there is no point thinking about this.

Damian decides this whole business terrifies him.

He’s s o c o l d .

XXX

At ten years old, Father dies.

Damian couldn’t bring himself to be surprised, even if Ibn acted otherwise. Everyone around him seemed to die eventually. Everyone but him.

He resigned himself to returning to warm nights and cold, cold blood-soaked steel.

XXX

Damian didn’t understand.

They had the chance to send him back. “Ibn” had been a burden on them. “Ibn” never listened. “Ibn” was a murderer. They should have abandoned him, just like he deserved for all the blood on his grimy little hands.

Why did they keep him? Why make him Robin? This wasn’t in the script. This wasn’t in the script at all.

Damian didn’t understand.

XXX

For the first time since the Before, Damian felt warm. Grayson—Richard, he allowed, if only in his head—kept him, cared for him, taught him, scolded him, trusted him, treated him like the child he was never allowed to be. Let him be that child.

Didn't force expectations on him. Explained exactly what the rules were.

Damian didn’t need a script here. For once “Ibn” was slowly showing the actor underneath. Not quite, but…

Damian thought that if he let himself break, Richard might just pick up the pieces.

Maybe he’d finally live.

XXX

Father returned. Richard—Grayson—left. Only back to Bludhaven, but left all the same. Left him with Father and Drake.

He felt cold again.

He didn’t know how to act around Father and Drake.

Damian didn’t think about breaking character anymore.

XXX

Mother placed a bounty on Damian’s head.

He didn’t know why it hurt so much. It was in character, after all. A future act of the play he just didn’t look at for fear of what lay ahead.

It was completely in character.

So why did it blindside him so much?

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

His Father’s family never stayed on the same script—or even a script at all. One moment everything was going as predicted, then the next the entire course changed, and the characters completely changed while Ibn stayed the same. He wished their scripts would just choose one and stay there. It would make so much more sense.

(He wished Mother’s script would change.)

(Mother’s script was full of death-tainted love with the magic of the pits corroding its edges.)

It really shouldn’t hurt this much. It was just all one big play, after all.

So why did it hurt so bad?

XXX

Mother killed him.

She created a clone that was and wasn’t him, the body but not the soul. An actor who had no other.

She ignored his cries to stop, to call off his pitiful brother that only listened to her commands and nothing else.

She killed him.

He finally got what he wanted.

So why was he not content?

Why was he still hurting?

Why would it not stop?!

He wondered if he would be reborn again.

Would he have an After, and leave Damian and Ibn to become Who-he-was-Before as well?

Or would he be reborn like Todd and Grandfather and Mother, with the evil magic of Lazarus that corrupts and changes?

Damian wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.

He was fine staying dead.

Really.

He was.

XXX

He woke up.

Father came for him.

Father revived him, without using the Lazarus Pits.

Father smiled at him.

He was fine with not waking up. But now he thinks he’s fine with waking up too.

Damian felt warm again.

Maybe he would stay this way?

XXX

Grayson was dead.

Damian died so the man would live, and the man doesn’t have the decency to at least stay alive to see Damian again.

Damian wished his Father’s family would stop making him feel warm again. It wasn’t worth it when the cold inevitably came back.

So much pain, so much emotional whiplash, so much cold-then-warm-then-coldcoldcold.

“Ibn” was becoming harder to maintain. Someday, he knows, he won’t have the chance to take off the mask, to exit the stage before he breaks. Still, he maintains character.

Actors don’t break character.

No matter what.

Outside, Ibn stood strong and proud.

Inside, Damian was falling, falling, fading, slowly being embraced by the cold, cold dark.

XXX

Jon was nice. For all that he and Ibn got off on the wrong foot, Ibn liked him.

Ibn liked someone Damian liked.

Damian didn’t think it would happen in his lifetime, not this quickly, and not someone unrelated to Father.

Damian thinks it’s nice to have a friend like Jon. Jon seems to understand him in ways a lot of other people don’t. Jon somehow managed to see the actor without knowing he was seeing him. It was weird. (He'd be a natural actor, Damian thinks)

He somehow knows when Damian is feeling so, so cold; more cold than normal. When he is, he takes Ibn-and-Damian somewhere quiet, and they just… sit. And talk. And just be.

It’s nice.

Damian is glad he has Jon as a friend.

Damian isn’t scared to feel a little warm around Jon.

Just a quiet warmth, only with him. He never took it anywhere else. It was a special kind of warmth, reserved for special times and special people. Like a family that chose him regardless of his wishes, of his past; a sibling he never knew he had.

Jon was his grounding rock in this chaotic mess of a play.

Damian had missed having a best friend.

Damian thinks it may be worth living if he can make Jon smile more.

XXX

Sometimes, in a rare good mood, he would gently teach Jon how to act. The way to direct attention to his hands at all the right times, how to keep a poker face, how to fully immerse yourself in your role. How to decide a script for yourself and to stick to it. How to use the skills on and off the stage, and the differences between the two. Warns him about the dangers of long-term roles, of a semi-permanent mask. Of becoming too immersed, of losing yourself. They never said anything about it. This time was something special. Something theirs. (He thinks Jon has probably realized by now that Damian always wears his mask.)

Damian liked using his skills for something good in this life. (Someone to pass them on to, just in case.)

If this was the closest Damian ever came to removing his mask (even closer than with Grayson), neither of them ever said a word.

It was better that way.

XXX

Grayson was alive.

Grayson was always alive, and Damian didn’t think he’d ever been this angry—this hurt—ever, in the Before and the Now. Never for this long, never this intensely.

In the Before, Damian’s anger came slowly and burned quickly, never staying long. He went with the flow. His forgiveness came quickly, but his memory lasted forever. He went with the flow always, he still did when he could, but—

But he was so ANGRY.

Damian thought death might be better than this hot-cold-burning anger.

Was this what being warm around someone brought him? The hot-cold-burning feeling?

He didn’t like it.

The numb cold was safe. “Ibn” was easier in the cold. Why couldn’t he just stay cold?

Why did Grayson always make him feel again, no matter how hard he tried? Why did Grayson keep messing up his script? Even Jon, a key cast member, never did that. Jon danced around, a supporting role in the cast of characters, supporting him as he could from the sidelines. He was like a senior understudy, learning as both the backup and his own role. (But there was no equivalent of how special Jon was, Damian knew.) His times became his own, making use of every second of spotlight. Grayson always seemed to jump onto the stage regardless of the script and do whatever the heck he wanted.

Damian sometimes thought that the only way to feel completely numb again was to just die. For good.

XXX

He tried.

He slit his wrist.

He really tried.

But he couldn’t. Once the blood started pouring, he thought of Jon, Father, of Drake and Todd and Alfred and Grayson and how warm they sometimes made him even if he was sure they had to hate him so much—

He couldn’t.

He couldn’t die.

He cursed his selfish heart, that despite his best efforts, still craved that beautiful, comfortable warmth.

He just wanted to feel numb again.

He looked at his bleeding wrist, staunching the blood, and felt just an inkling of that numbness, and—

He kept doing it.

XXX

Damian was very careful after that first time. He never cut too deep, and “Ibn” never showed any signs of wounds nor pain (no grandson of mine will show such pathetic weakness).

(He started pulling away from Jon. He didn’t want to taint his warm-warm-light with his dark-dark-cold.)

Everything was fine.

Everything was completely under control.

(It had to be.)

XXX

It wasn’t enough. Soon cutting didn’t seem to help, didn’t seem to bring back that blessedblessednumbness and he needed it and he didn’t understand why and he just wanted to feel that numbness one more time—

XXX

Damian got careless.

He cut too much, and he cut too deep. He would live, but hiding them was next to impossible with the weather warming up and the humidity hanging in the air. It would be so hard for Ibn to hide them.

God, he was so tired.

XXX

They were on patrol. Everyone was there for once. Grayson was visiting from Bludhaven, and Todd was hanging around from wherever he left to when he was globetrotting.

His Father and his three sons, all on one patrol together. With Damian.

He should’ve known it would be impossible to hide his wounds.

All it took was Drake grabbing his arm to stop him from leaving. He showed pain. He cried out in pain.

Pathetic.

He’s an actor. He was supposed to keep to his role. No breaking character in the middle of a scene.

Ever.

But he did.

And now they know.

XXX

They wouldn’t stop asking questions.

They were in the Medbay, and as they inspected and treated his wounds, they kept asking WHY and HOW and with WHAT and it's all Damian can do to keep “Ibn” up and running.

He isn’t sure how much longer he can last.

XXX

It’s Todd that finally got Ibn—Damian—to break.

Damian knew that Todd had stayed in the League for a time after being revived. He was Mother’s “pet project,” so to speak.

He just hadn’t realized Mother talked about him to Todd during that time.

“You know,” said Todd, his eyes sympathetic and knowing as he tried to get Damian to open up, “Talia always said you were an old soul.”

That sentence. That one blasted sentence that defined his very existence in this world.

It broke “Ibn” to pieces.

And shattered Damian along with it.

XXX

Damian didn’t stop crying for hours. He was so tired, and this was just all so wrong, he didn’t want to break script, he shouldn’t, but—

He was so tired.

XXX

In the end, Damian told them.

About the Before and Now.

About Mother and Grandfather.

About the warm-and-cold.

About the numbness he needed.

About how he wanted to die, but couldn’t.

About “Ibn”.

About the grand play that was his entire life.

About the scripts everyone and no one seemed to follow.

He told them everything.

XXX

They listened in silence.

Damian didn’t dare look at them. He didn’t want to risk seeing—something. Anything. He didn’t want to see what was going through their thoughts.

He didn’t know how they would react. They never stayed on script. Why should they adhere to any kind of script at all now?

Why expect anything good to come out of this?

He was a broken mess, a freak of nature. He was a murderous monster who was bred to feel no grief nor guilt nor sadness.

He wasn’t supposed to care.

WHY

D I D

H E

XXX

Damian closed his eyes when he finished. He didn’t even want to chance seeing their reactions. Their rejection. Their hate. Their disgust.

He had no mask to hide behind.

He was already broken.

He didn’t want the broken shards of what was left to be pulverized.

He waited for the sounds of their rejection, of their hate, of their disgust. Scorn, anger. Something. ANYTHING. He just hoped that whatever they did, they didn’t drag it out. That they got it over with.

Maybe then he could finally die?

“Damian.” That sound. It was his name. But it was careful. Delicate. Within it was a tone that felt so familiar. It reminded him of the warm feeling he sometimes got. He remembered hearing that tone in the Before, but… What was it? He used to know, he knew, but he couldn’t remember anymore.

“Dami… You know we love you, right?”

What?

Love?

Him?

Damian’s eyes popped open in surprise. He didn’t understand.

Those words. He couldn’t comprehend those words. Love?

Damian?

The one who created Ibn al Xu’ffasch?

The one who played Ibn for years? Who played him for so long he could barely remember who “Damian” was?

Who could love someone like that?

He told them so.

Why did they look so sad?

Why did they look so scared, so horrified, but still have that- that warmth, that emotion- that love in their eyes?

Damian didn’t understand.

D A M I A N D I D N ’ T U N D E R S T A N D !

Why?

WHY?

WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY—?!

Damian started crying again as warm-warm-so-warm arms circled around him, encompassing him with a warmth he hadn’t felt before, not in this life.

It was like the stage lights were replaced with sunshine instead.

His ears were barraged with the sounds of endless warm-warm-warm words, saying things he thought would be impossible to attribute to him ever since he was small.

The dead girl-now-boy.

The actor.

The creator of “Ibn”.

The coward who hid behind a mask for over eight years.

Damian.

All of him. Maybe, Damian thought, feeling so, so warm, he could be okay again.

Just sitting here, surrounded by this warm, warm love.

(END)

Whoo boy. If you’re still here, thanks for reading! Lemme know what you guys think, and if you want to see more from this AU!

Now, if you excuse me, I’m gonna go read something fluffy.

#batman #batman au #batman fanfiction #angst #hurt/comfort #reincarnation #damian wayne #talia al ghul #ras al ghul #bruce wayne #dick grayson #tim drake #jason todd #jon kent #oc #trigger warning #batfam #reincarnation au

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nochedura · 5 years

Text

bane “nochedura” bane timeline of events

so the thing about bane is most of the shit written with him in it is a) racist, b) ooc, c) a horrible mix of both, or d) uses him because of his status as Bat Breaker as a way to show someone else’s strength which is often times not realistic (ex. theres a new villain in town and to show how tough they are they clowned on bane). a lot of interpretations tend to forget he is brawn And brain (tbh i tend to write him as a strategist first and a fighter second) and its all just a mess.

this interpretation of bane is an attempt to right these wrongs and also streamline his canon a bit because we All Know comics are a mess and extremely inconsistent but especially with characters who don’t get their own titles. nochedura is an anti-hero and also currently on the path of redemption. obviously he’s still not nice and has done a lot of Fuck Shit but yknow. who hasnt.

with that in mind this is a very broad timeline of events that have happened to this bane in particular (with the links to the comics accompanying these events) to clarify what the heck is happening with this man and why he’s like this. im taking a lot of liberties here but fuck everybody im god. without further ado.

bane is born in pena duro. he grows up under the prison’s influence, gets a vision that he was born to rule and in order to become his ideal self he must kill his fear (which takes the form of a bat, obviously), spends 10 years in the cavidad obscura* after killing a man at 6 y/o, and comes out the biggest and the strongest. he trains his body and his mind (by reading thousands upon thousands of books) as he pursues self actualization. he learns from his ally bird that the greatest city in the world is gotham and it is ruled by batman and he decides to break out of prison and kill him to take gotham by force. he is selected for venom experimentation and is the only survivor of the drug’s intensity. the venom aids him in his efforts to get to gotham (if you read nothing else on this list read vengeance of bane #1 (+ 2) because its Good and its required bane reading material)

bane relocates to gotham after kidnapping and killing pena duro’s warden and studies batman. he’s able to figure out his secret identity within a few months and unleashes everybody from arkham city with the intent of mentally and physically breaking bruce so that he can kill him. this culminates in the final confrontation in which batman isn’t even strong enough to fight back and bane decides that killing him would be a mercy and breaks his back. (knightfall is long and incomprehensible so i’ll just link the directory page and broken bat #11)

bane rules gotham for a while and its sexy up until batman’s replacement azrael clowns on him. the fight’s pretty sexy but honestly i dont care about this that much. (he who rules the night #11)

after losing to azrael bane does some silent contemplation in black gate prison. he was taken off of venom cold turkey and suffers through crippling withdraws but he, and i quote, “bears the pain.” he realizes venom was, in fact, poisoning him and taking him further away from his Ideal Self. he finds out venom is being further distributed and after some nonsense breaks out of prison Again to track these clowns down. he has a confrontation with bruce who he tells he has no qualms with, decides he wants to find his father, and presumably goes back to santa prisca. this is also the beginning of bane coming to the conclusion that he’s an innocent man which comes up later. (vengeance of bane #2)

so this is where im Really taking liberties. this is what i’m choosing to call the switcheroo arc where i clown around and decide im in charge and im going to make this more comprehensive. bane goes to santa prisca and gets told that there are five men who could be his dad and it probably takes some time to narrow down that list (while also finding out who each of these men are) so i’m declaring that’s what he’s doing for a while. this search is ongoing and doesnt stop until, well, he finds him. he’s still a villain at this point even though he claims to be innocent.

this is also where he’s knocking out some loose ends. specifically he tracks down a reporter who interviewed him as a teen and murders him for knowing something that could paint him as sympathetic. (batman secret files #2)

it’s at this point that he joins up with the secret six. he probably does this for the purpose of networking and garnering information, but then gets sort of swept up in everything and grows extremely attached to scandal savage, who he takes in as an adopted daughter. secret six 2008 is long and has a lot going on but its a good time. (SPOILERS) at the end of it he convinces everyone in the group to go on a suicide mission with an ulterior motive of severing his attachments to them because he feels that his affection has weakened him. everything goes according to plan and he breaks out of a police van and fucks off. (/SPOILERS) (secret six 2008)

after some time away from all that he gets into a feud with ra’s al ghul who wanted bane as his heir but some bullshit happened with talia, i forget, this doesnt matter to me, what Does matter is he��s now on a crusade to fuck up all the lazarus pits for funsies. this is also the point where he realizes one of the men on his Dad List is thomas wayne. he confronts bruce about this and everyone in the batfam is, understandably, cross. but bruce is nothing without his rehabilitation shtick so he goes crime stopping with bane in the batmobile until the results of the drug test come out and thomas is not, in fact, the father. this absolutely crushes bane for reasons he doesnt understand (he’s a lonely man and it turns out he Does need a family) but batman tells bane if he proves he’s Actually innocent by, yknow, stopping crime rather than doing crime, then he’ll help him find his actual dad. he agrees, but uses... unconventional (read: horrific) methods. (gotham knights #33-36) (tw for rape)

bane continues fighting crime and trying to prove his innocence and change/redeem himself up until he actually finds his real dad who is.......... king snake! who at this point in the canon is really fucked up and somehow alive in the himalayas and is just a real mean son of a bitch. bane is conflicted because like, hey cool, a dad, but also, he kinda sucks! bane’s kinda fucked up himself because he’s been climbing up a mountain and he’s a little brain sicky so i think hes just like... trying to absorb everything and then the bat crew shows up because they do Not like the idea of bane finding his dad who is king snake who is also at a fucking lazarus pit. king snake gets pissed when they show up and starts attacking and almost shoots batman but bane, distraught, jumps in front of the bullet and takes several in the back, lamenting that he wishes thomas was his father and not king snake. king snake ends up getting killed(?) and batman dunks bane in the remainder of the lazarus pit and gets brought back to life, reborn and changed. (gotham knights #47-49)

at this point this is just. my own writing. i guess. but after bane, yknow, literally died for bruce, bruce realizes that bane truly has bettered himself and is on the path of becoming a good man. he welcomes bane into the vigilante side and, eventually, to the batfam itself. when a man breaks your back and then takes several machine gun bullets for you a few years later i figure batman’s like... alright we’re square. comics are like that.

this is also where bane realizes he was wrong to cut ties with the secret six and seeks out scandal savage and her wives and brings them back into his life as his adopted daughter (and daughters in law)

so bane’s just... clowning now. he’s still like, brutal, and when he’s fighting baddies he’s not opposed to just Wrecking their shit (see: the time he used one of mr. freeze’s goons’ freeze gun on his arm) and i think he definitely does some murders but only if it’s like. the sort of bastard who really deserves it(tm) so like. mass murderers. the joker. sex criminals. etc. he’s not always in bruce’s best graces and he’s still on THIN ICE with dick and tim and the rest but its a work in progress. he’s trying.

anyway i left out a Lot of shit because like. theres a lot. but this is ... the basics believe it or not tl;dr bane is a good man born into horrific circumstances and he did a LOT of bad shit but he’s working on redeeming himself.

#*originally it was called cavidad obscuro but thats. wrong. its bad spanish. im fixing it.#ooc #this is so long and im so sorry but this is my bane reading list so at least theres that.#i love talking about him so if you wanna know more my discord is available.#drug ment //

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scandalsavagefanfic · 5 years

Note

1/2 So your soulmate fic got me thinking (It's fucking awesome by the way!) But what about the soulmate AU where you have you mates name on your wrist? Ra's has had JASON TODD printed on his wrist for centuries and has long stopped believing he'll find him when lo and behold his dear detective adopts a boy with the same name. Jason's always wondered about this Ra's al ghul guy even after he finds his file on the bat computer...Jason never dieing and just creepy courting form Ra's.

Sorry it took me so long to get to you!!!

This is going to be a two parter!

Rating: I don’t know how to rate things that aren’t Explicit so... this is probably T at best but the next part may get... sexy ;)

Words: 2527 (see below the cut)

Waiting Game - (Read on AO3)

Ra’sal Ghul has been watching and waiting for years now. There’s no need to rush,he has all the time in the world and the boy was still a child.

Hekeeps his distance, deliberately staying out of Batman and Robin’s way.

WhenBruce Wayne adopted a new young ward with black hair and blue eyes, Ra’s had scoffedat what was obviously either narcissism or a predilection that the Demon’s Headwould never have suspected but would certainly make the Dark Knight even morefascinating.

Thenhe had learned the boy’s name and knew he would have to play things differentlywith this one than he had with the first. So he had been quiet these four yearswhile the Detective took care of the child’s fundamentals training. Waitingpatiently for the perfect opportunity while the boy grew into a strong,intelligent young man.

Ra’srubs at the centuries old mark on his left wrist absentmindedly while he andhis men keep a close watch on the warehouse. This is the chance for which he’sbeen waiting. Batman is too far away to help and if Ra’s was a colder man, orif the boy were any other, he would allow the monstrous clown, product ofBruce’s own misguided ideology, to teach the man a lesson. A lesson aboutleaving one’s enemies alive. A lesson about taking half trained children intowar.

Thechild has been betrayed by his own blood, a woman the Detective doesn’t knowand should never have trusted with something so precious. Ra’s watches theboy’s birth mother smoke a cigarette, unperturbed, as the brightly coloredbeast beats her son bloody with a hefty length of cold metal. He can hear thesharp snap of bones through the wet thud of torn flesh and muscle from beyondhis perch over the skylight.

Ra’spresses his thumb into name that has been printed on his wrist for over 600years once more and gives a brief nod to his men. They’ve waited long enough.Jason Todd knows he’s dead, knows his adoptive father won’t arrive in time tosave him. Knows that there is no hope.

Hismen have their orders. They crash through the windows and doors, easily killingthe Joker’s men and subduing the ‘man’ himself. Ra’s spares a moment to touchthe boy’s face gingerly, softly sweeping bloody locks of hair out of his eyesbefore he passes out. Then he turns to the woman held between two of his men.She looks confused.

“Youdeserve a much longer, more tortuous death than the merciful end you will soonmeet by my blade,” he says icily, “But you brought him into the world when Ihad long since lost all hope of finding the one whose name I bear on my flesh.And for that alone, I am grateful enough to end your otherwise worthlessexistence quickly.”

Heenjoys the terror in the wicked woman’s eyes when she glances to his wrist andsees her son’s name. She doesn’t have all the context, she doesn’t know who Ra’sis or what it means that the broken little bird is his soulmate, but she knowshe’s formidable. Knows she has showed her character.

Toher very minimal credit, she doesn’t beg. Doesn’t plead for her life. Just bowsher head in acceptance. Ra’s obliges.

Witha single swift stroke, he separates her head from her shoulders.

“Come,”he barks at his men, “he needs immediate medical attention. We have already lingeredtoo long.”

TheJoker’s manic laugh bounces around his mind until they reach the transport andare able to sedate him.

———————————————————————————————————-

Jason blinks his eyes open to a room he’s never seen before. The walls arestone and there’s an open balcony beyond the foot of the bed to the left.Sheer, silken curtains of gold flutter in the evening breeze that wafts pastthe entrance.

Thewhite linen sheets he’s carefully tucked into are soft and decadent. The downpillows and comfy mattress cradle his stiff, sore body, and it’s like what heimagines lying on a cloud to be like.

Jasontries to sit up only to hiss in excruciating pain at the slight twitch of hismuscles.

Joker, he thinks angrily. He’s lucky to be alive.

Actually…he’s surprised to be alive.

Ifhe doesn’t move, the pain remains a low, dull, throbbing ache pulsing throughhis body. It doesn’t hurt too badly. Except when he looks down, sees themarks of his torture, the red seeping through the numerous white bandageswrapped around his body.

Thedoor to his right opens abruptly, causing him to flinch involuntarily. Jasonsqueezes his eyes shut and grinds his teeth together to stop himself fromcrying out in pain. When he opens them again, a tall, lean man is gazing at himfrom the foot of the bed.

Avery familiar man.

Jasonswallows and stares back, the mark on his wrist burning. He’s never met Ra’s alGhul before. But after finding his file in the Batcomuter… he has spent a lotof time looking at the man’s face, pouring over his profile, learningeverything he can about him.

Abouthis soulmate.

Onecorner of the older man’s mouth is turned up in a surprisingly kind smile. Thesilence is so thick and heavy between them, Jason feels like he could reach outand touch the air. It is very clear that they both know.

Hedoesn’t dare speak. Couldn’t if he wanted to. He wouldn’t even know where tobegin.

“Howare you feeling?” Ra’s al Ghul asks gently.

Hisvoice is deep and melodious, his words accented and confidently spoken. Thesmooth, soft sound makes Jason’s mouth go a little dry and he licks his lips invain before answering.

“I’m…sore,” he mutters finally, tearing his eyes away from the villain’s to hide thefact that he’s obviously trying to underplay how terrible everything feels.

Ra’stilts his head before allowing his eyes to scan down Jason’s body, smilewidening when Jason shivers under his attention. Then he moves around the bedto sit near Jason’s hip and reaches for the nightstand to retrieve a bowl ofgreen, watery, liquid and a small stack of cloths.

Jasonwatches quietly as the Demon’s Head carefully peels away the bandages fromseveral of his injuries. He’s surprised when the jagged edges of the gashes inhis skin and the dark bruising he expects turn out to be much less… extreme thanhe’d thought. His wounds look half healed.

“AsI am certain you are aware, the waters of the Lazarus pits have miraculoushealing qualities,” Ra’s begins as he dips a cloth into the water and dabs atJason’s wounds. He chuckles when Jason cringes at the words. He must know thethings that Bruce suspects about the pits, about the madness that comes withcontinued use, because Ra’s cuts him off before he can protest. “I anticipatedyour hesitation. You have not been fully immersed. If you had, you would becompletely healed already. The small amount I have used to save your life andlimbs will have no effect on your mind, even if your mentor’s fears werefounded.”

Ra’ssmiles up at him conspiratorially, switching the dirtied cloth for a clean oneand starting on another rip in his skin, “Incidentally, they are not founded.”

Jasonstays quiet, watching awestruck, as his injuries heal and fade before his eyes.Not totally gone, but much better than they have any right to be after…

“Howlong have I been here?”

“Lessthan two days.”

“Twodays? Batman… he’ll… he’ll be worried…” Jason searches the other man’s face forany idea of what his plans may be now. He knows Ra’s won’t concern himself withBruce’s feelings. But he feels adrift, unable to get his bearings, he can’t geta read on his situation.

Theassassin doesn’t answer for a long moment, while he finishes caring afterJason’s broken body. When he changed each dressing, he replaces the items onthe side table and shifts so that he’s more directly facing where Jason ispropped against a pile of pillows. Then Ra’s’s fingertips are grazing overJason’s left hand, gently twisting until the soft underside of his wrist facesupwards.

Theolder man drags his thumb over the delicate script spelling out his own name,the touch setting fire to Jason’s every nerve. Finally, he turns piercing,unnaturally green eyes up to meet Jason’s blue ones.

“Hescours the world searching for you,” Ra’s responds quietly, “Desperatelyseeking his lost son.”

Jasongulps, he can’t look away. He’s trapped by the intensity of those ancient eyes.Dual desires battle for priority in his mind. The need to find Bruce, to lethim know he’s alright wars with the need to take this opportunity, to get toknow his soulmate.

Oncehe returns to Bruce (if Ra’s allows him to return to Bruce), he may never getanother chance.

“Ihave kept my distance these last several years,” Ra’s continues, as though hecan read Jason’s mind, “To facilitate a sort of truce between myself and theDetective. So that one day, when I sought a meeting with you, he might be moreinclined to agree. I have been alive for a very long time and as such, I am avery patient person. A few years while you grew into the deadly young man youwere meant to be is a small fraction of my eternity, so I was content to wait.”

Ra’sgives his hand an affectionate squeeze before dragging his fingers up Jason’sbare arm to delicately palm his cheek. The familiar letters that spell his nameflash on the golden skin just below his lips. “But I have also already waited avery long time. Centuries have come and gone while I slowly lost hope therewould ever exist a ‘Jason Todd’. And so, upon discovering Wayne had adopted a boywith that name, I found myself once again hopeful for something I had come to believeI would never have. I have kept a close eye on you, unwilling to completely trustyour wellbeing to anyone else. Even Bruce.”

Jason’sbreath comes faster, chest moving up and down quickly, the more that voicespeaks. Then Ra’s’s thumb slides over his lips, pulling on the lower one, justa little, just enough to show his teeth and make his eyes go wide with want.

“Andit is a good thing I did so. Batman was never going to make it in time toprevent that maniac from murdering you. It was well after the building wasdestroyed by the Joker’s bomb that your mentor finally arrived.”

Thedirect reference to the event smacks across his consciousness like ice water.

“My—mymother… is she…”

Ashadow passes over the Demon’s face, a darkness that, if Jason is honest withhimself, frightens him a little.

“Theincubator who brought you into the world only to later make a ratherspectacular attempt to remove you from it, did not survive.”

“Did—didyou… kill her?”

Thosegreen eyes bore into him. He feels like the seconds they stare at each otherdrag into infinity.

“No,”Ra’s says flatly, and Jason releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “ButI will not say that I am disappointed with her fate.”

Ra’sal Ghul leans into his space. His breath catches again when the assassin pausesless than an inch from his face, searches for something, and smiles when Jason’slicks his lips.

Thenthey’re connected. Ra’s’s mouth is pressed to his and the man’s tongue tenderlyand briefly dips between his teeth to touch his own.

Thenhe’s gone. But Jason can still feel the warm air of his soulmate’s breathghosting across his lips.

Awicked smile meets his gaze when he opens his eyes.

“Ihave a gift for you,” Ra’s growls low and vicious. He glances down Jason’s bodyagain, then his expression softens. “You still need a couple days to recover.When you are well, I have something for you.”

———————————————————————————————————-

Thebodies in the rubble were killed by swords before the building ever blew.

Bruceknew. Even before he found Sheila decapitated, Joker nowhere to be found. Buthe tore through every inch of the debris anyway.

Thenhe started tearing through every hideout and palace and stronghold of Ra’s alGhul’s he could find.

Helikes to think that if he’d known, if he’d seen the name on Jason’s wrist thatfirst night they’d met, that Bruce wouldn’t have brought him home. Wouldn’thave taken him in, introduced him to Batman’s world. That he would have had thesense to help Jason less directly, from a distance. To hide him from the Demonwho is meant to be his soulmate.

ButBruce knows it wouldn’t have changed anything. He knows himself well enough. Hewould have convinced himself that he could have kept Jason safer if he wasclose.

Hehadn’t known though. Jason had lived with them for two months before Bruce hadcaught sight of the damning words.

Jasontold him he had hidden it most of his life, after he searched the name anddiscovered it was a man’s name. He didn’t want the bullies in Crime Alley makingfun of him.

Andthen, when he had come to the manor, started training as Robin, he had diligentlydone the homework Bruce had assigned. He had read up on Batman’s rogue’sgallery.

FoundRa’s al Ghul.

Aname he would have never known if it weren’t for Bruce’s interference with hislife.

Whenhe confronted Jason after seeing the name, Jason had shyly admitted he didn’ttell Bruce because he was afraid. Didn’t know if his adoptive father would getrid of him, would hate him because his soulmate was one of his greatest adversaries.

Brucehad held him close and reassured that nothing could make him hate his child, nothingcould take Jason away. But he had sat Jason down and had a long, frankconversation about how, soulmate or not, Ra’s al Ghul was a cruel, evil man.Jason had to understand, for his own safety, for their job, for their family…he could never be with Ra’s.

Ithad been easy. Too easy, in retrospect. Bruce had taken the League’s silence,Ra’s’s absence, for granted. Willing to take the win without the fight becauseit was so rare that he didn’t have to fight.

Heshould have known that Ra’s would find out. He should have looked into what hewas doing, kept an eye on him. He should have seen that Ra’s was waiting in theshadows.

Andnow, not only did his son almost die due to his carelessness, but he’s beenwhisked away by a dangerous enemy who has a natural claim to the boy’s heart.

Hedestroys the third abandoned League of Assassins headquarters he searched inthe last two days.

Hemust find Jason. Before it’s too late.

#Jason Todd #Ra's al Ghul #Ra's al Ghul/Jason Todd #Ra'sJay #soulmate au #ask

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jbuffyangel · 5 years

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The Light Bulb Moment: Arrow 7x05 Review (The Demon)

Oliver Queen has a light bulb moment that’s been seven years in the making.

Team Felicity (yes that’s the name) has one as well, which means we are that much closer to being done with the prison arc!

Let’s dig in...

Oliver Queen

We finally find out who The Demon is and I gotta say I was legitimately surprised. However, as soon as I found out it was Talia Al Ghul I thought

It had to be someone related to the League of Assassins and Talia would consider herself The Demon since Ra’s Al Ghul is dead. It’s not like Talia and Nyssa are besties. The amount of hoops Oliver had to jump through to get to The Demon also fits perfectly with Talia Al Ghul, as he notes.

The real question is how Talia ended up in Slabside and it seems we have Batwoman to thank. Nice shout out to Gotham and a not so subtle reference to the rapidly approaching crossover.

Talia survived Lian Yu, but it was Diaz’s super drug that healed her. Not unlike how it temporarily healed Diggle’s injury. Excellent tie in writers.

Talia is beholden to Diaz, but unfortunately she has no idea where he is. UGH.

It’s a little surprising Talia believes Oliver will help her escape. Listen girlfriend, you sided with Adrian Chase and his baby Mama ended up dead.

However, Talia (rightly) points out Oliver murdered her father. She’s not exactly an Oliver Queen fan. So, whatever Dr. Parker is doing to the prisoners is making Talia pretty desperate.

Oliver: You stood on the same side as Adrian Chase and my son lost his mother. So now I’m here trying to save what’s left of my family because I am stuck in a cycle of violence and I have been stuck there since the moment you told what to do with my father’s list.

(Not gonna lie, I was a little verklempt when Oliver referred to Samantha as his family. Olicity and Samantha would have killed it at co-parenting.)

It seems like Oliver has bought into Dr. Parker’s brain bullshit, but he’s just playing along. He doesn’t really believe he’s been stuck in a cycle of violence. I mean, he has but not in a bad way or at least not entirely. I also argue with his conclusion the cycle began when he met Talia. Oliver was thrown into violence the second he stepped onto the raft.

Talia didn’t create “the monster.” She just gave Oliver direction on how to use it.

There are a couple reasons why Oliver is pretending to be brain washed. It is possible he believes he’s being watched and doesn’t want to tip off Dr. Parker. Also, he met “The Demon” and she can’t help him with jack, so I don’t think he’s highly motivated to blow his cover for Talia. Finally, Oliver isn’t convinced Dr. Parker is doing anything horrible yet. He’s not buying what Dr. Parker is selling, but Oliver still believes he is trying to reform prisoners. What’s wrong with that?

A lot if you try to kill them. When Oliver sees the dead body of the inmate who attempted to murder him in the shower fight, things start to look more alarming on Level 2. Talia is surprised Oliver cares about a man who tried to kill him, but he argues whatever is happening behind the creepy and nondescript door isn’t right. Talia is the one who told Oliver to help others and fight for justice, which is all he’s trying to do now.

This is an extremely important development for Oliver. Helping criminals has never been the Green Arrow’s modus operandi. Since Green Arrow is the warmer and fuzzier version of The Hood and The Arrow, you can trust neither of those identities were invested in helping criminals either. In fact, the Green Arrow put most of the criminals in Slabside. Oliver never thought much about why someone became a criminal and he never thought of them again after they were locked up. Of course, the locked up criminals are the lucky ones. There are many who never made it to jail. They went straight to a graveyard.

Oliver’s policy on killing is fluid, ever evolving and occasionally flip flopping, much to my frustration most of the time. Let’s review:

Season 1: Killing

Season 2: Not killing (except for The Count)

Season 3: Not killing (except for attempting to kill Ra’s Al Ghul on the mountain because Felicity said it was okay and ultimately killing Ra’s Al Ghul in the season finale)

Season 4: Not killing (except for Damien Darhk because he killed Laurel)

Season 5: Killing (except for Adrian Chase because that would’ve proved his point)

Season 6: Not killing (he never caught Diaz so the jury is still out on how Oliver plans to deal with him, but I am thinking jail)

Looking at this it’s fair to say Oliver doesn’t have a hard and fast rule when it comes to killing. He operated from a kill or be killed perspective in Season 1 and Season 5.

His “no killing” rule was set aside anytime the Big Bad was perceived as a large enough threat or for retribution in Season 3 and Season 4.

The whole point of having a moral code is to stick to it. If Oliver is prepared to deep six his code whenever it’s inconvenient or difficult to hold to then it’s not really a code. Hence, the reason I’ve been coming down on him so hard about this for the last seven years.

I believe all human life has value and therefore we cannot kill another human being. Of course, war or acting in self defense is a different story, but my overall stance on killing is a big, fat NO. However, I’m not losing any sleep over any of the people Oliver Queen has killed. These villains are awful, they did horrific things, and deserved to get got. We can even make the argument the world is a better place without these people in it.

However, simply because someone deserves to die doesn’t mean he/she should. Oliver doesn’t get to be judge, jury, and executioner simply because he wears a mask. He may catch criminals outside of the law, but Oliver is not above the law. His killing is a strong argument against vigilantism and Oliver has been striving to be a better hero for several years now.

This isn’t entirely Oliver’s fault. For some reason, the writers are determined to box him into an either or choice. Either the criminal goes free or you kill him. I’ve been screaming, “WHAT ABOUT JAIL?” for the last seven years because guess what? We have a way of keeping society safe without killing the criminal.

Is it a perfect system? Of course not, but no system is. Not allowing Oliver to avail himself of this option while Barry Allen gets to have his very own meta prison seems a little unfair.

Yes, men like Ra’s Al Ghul and even Damien Darhk may too much to handle even for Slabside, but Oliver had his very own A.R.G.U.S. prison on Lian Yu that he never used, except for Slade Wilson and the Boomerang guy.

Why? Because that’s Arrow and sometimes Arrow is dumb. They want to Oliver constantly deciding whether the villain lives or dies because it’s one way they mark his superhero evolution.

I was particularly hard on Oliver regarding Damien Darhk. Not because I believed Darhk deserves to live – he nuked an entire city. However, Oliver killed Darhk because he killed Laurel. Damien was unarmed and de-magicked. Oliver easily could have handed him over to the authorities. Instead, he drove an arrow through him on live television. Thus, creating many of the legal problems Oliver faced in Season 6 and Season 7.

And that’s the point. Killing doesn’t erase consequences. It creates them. Yes, maybe the villain escapes prison and more lives are lost. Maybe the justice system won’t work. Although are we really worried the legal system won’t punish perpetrators of mass genocide? No. Probably not.

Killing Ra’s Al Ghul ignited a rage in Talia. She sided with Adrian and played a role in Samantha’s death. If you want to know how Damien Darhk’s daughter turns out flip on Legends. It ain’t pretty.

Retribution begets retribution. This is the lesson Adrian Chase taught Oliver and so he began to view killing a different way in Season 6.

It’s why Oliver tried to catch Diaz and not kill him.

Oliver: These people are being treated like they are disposable. No one deserves that.

Oliver’s always evolving morality is taking a very important step. He is feeling empathy for the very murderers he helped locked away. Oliver believes these people deserve basic decency despite the horrible crimes they committed. He is beginning to see the criminals’ humanity.

Why is this important? Oliver’s “destiny” is to become the Green Arrow – a fully evolved superhero. Superheroes typically don’t kill. These characters, for the lack of a better word, are Christ like figures. Superheroes have integrity, determination, love, compassion, honesty and honor beyond the regular, everyday person. They are capable of things most people could never dream of doing. It’s why they inspire us. They challenge us to be better because they are better. It’s what makes them superheroes.

This is where Oliver is headed. His morality has to be beyond reproach. Superheroes don’t lie, cheat or kill. Oliver has worked very hard at fixing these problem areas in his life for the last ten years. Is he perfect? No, not even a superhero is perfect. He/She is pretty close though, which is hopefully where Oliver’s origin story ends.

Maybe you or I can’t feel empathy for a criminal, but Oliver Queen is called to be better than us. He will draw the line in the sand, so it’s important he doesn’t cross it. The Green Arrow will be the example Star City will look to, so his moral code better be unbreakable.

This means NO KILLING. Not even when the villain deserves it. Not even when Oliver has the moral high ground. Not even when Oliver deserves revenge. Not even when it may protect the city.

There will always be unforeseen consequences to killing, but the real reason Oliver shouldn’t kill is because every life has value. Oliver can understand and even empathize with some of these people now that he is considered a “criminal” too and has spent so much time with them. It will be very difficult for Oliver to kill a villain when he can see their humanity. It doesn’t mean they deserve freedom, but they don’t automatically deserve death either. There’s a middle ground here. If Arrow will finally allow the Green Arrow to avail himself of the prison system, then he can be a better example to the city.

Talia isn’t impressed with Oliver’s new found empathy for criminals, because he did not show it to her father when it mattered. Yeah, well your father tried to poison an entire city cutie, but that’s just details.

Oliver: No because I back then I still allowed the monster that you unleashed to take over.

This is how we know Oliver is faking with Dr. Parker. You can call it whatever you want – Oliver’s monster, darkness, demons, etc. The name doesn’t matter. Oliver has evolved beyond it. The rage he feels no longer controls him. He faced his “monster” in Season 5 and learned to control it in Season 6. He’s already dealt with all of these issues.

Oliver: Ra’s death was my fault. I couldn’t see past what he intended to do to my city, so I didn’t stop and think about his family, and for that, I am truly sorry.

I could argue Oliver deserves prison. Technically, he is a murderer and not all of his “kills” were done in self defense.

He acknowledges there was another way with Ra’s Al Ghul, but he didn’t take it. Talia is one of those unforeseen consequences to that decision and Oliver is truly sorry for the pain he caused her.

If you believe Oliver deserves redemption for some of those calls then apologizing to who he hurt is an important part of the process. It’s no different than Bl*ck S*ren. Is an apology enough? No, but Oliver has also spent six months locked away from his wife and child. He’s been beaten, tortured, psychologically lobotomized, and almost killed. (Also, I raise my “Ra’s Al Ghul committed mass genocide” flag again.) We’re not dealing with apples to apples here, but in the cosmic scale I think Oliver Queen comes out just fine.

Oliver and Talia fight their way into “the room” to take on Dr. Parker.

Source: @olivergifs

We get some extremely excellent fight scenes.I am so happy we are back to the days of Oliver taking down 50 bad guys by himself or with someone who actually knows how to fight.

Now it’s Oliver’s turn to drop some truths on Dr. Parker.

Oliver: My father pushed people away. He kept secrets, and I made those same mistakes. But if I choose to break the cycle, I’m gonna do it my way.

Source: olivergifs

MY SON IS SO GROWN!!!!!!

Oliver yelling his name in his growly voice will always be awesome. I am thrilled any time Oliver can achieve insights into himself and his father. It’s not the cycle of violence he needs to break. If he’s going to be the Green Arrow and Oliver Queen (and yes that’s where this is headed) then there’s going to be some violence. Oliver can tweak how much violence he’s going to engage in though.

What’s really important is breaking the cycle of lies and walls. Oliver cuts himself off from those he loves just like Robert Queen did. He has grown so much over the past seven years, and his sacrifice was so selfless, but he still lied to Felicity about prison. He made the decision without her. Every time Oliver lies and pushes people away he hurts those he loves and himself.

The monster no longer has power in Oliver’s life because he’s embraced love. Every time he chooses an unrighteous path it’s an opportunity for the monster to regain control. Every step away from the light is a step towards darkness. Being a good man is not limited to wearing a mask. He must be a good man as Oliver Queen and as the Green Arrow.

Source: @olivergifs

SEVEN YEARS Y’ALL!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE WAITED FOR OLIVER QUEEN TO COME TO THIS CONCLUSION FOR SEVEN YEARS!!!!!!!!!

Season after season, review after review, waiting, watching and hoping for him to finally understand man and mask must be one. I am legit screaming. SCREAMING.

This was the light bulb I’ve been waiting to go off in his head. THIS MOMENT WAS EARNED! And worth the wait.

Oliver gives Talia the USB with the evidence they gathered to give to Felicity. He refuses to leave the prison because then he’d be a fugitive for the rest of his life. #OliverQueenPuttingHisFamilyFirstAlways.

Source: smoakmonster

Trust me, Talia. She knows.

Oliver returns to Level One and is reunited with his prison wife Stan, who quickly informs him his real wife came for a visit.

Every time Oliver hears Felicity’s name I swear to God his heart stops.

My heart broke for Oliver when he realizes he missed a precious visit with Felicity. He must have noticed she hasn’t visited as often as she could. (More on that in a minute).

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

Stan tells Oliver that Felicity has a beat on Diaz and he’s not exactly thrilled. Oliver absolutely did not want Felicity going after Diaz and it’s clear he’s scared to death she’ll be hurt. He has no way of protecting or stopping her, which is exactly the point. Oliver doesn’t get to decide this time. He has to simply wait and see. Whatever is going to happen will happen. It’ll be interesting when these two are reunited because there are issues.

Oliver has retained his light inside of Slabside, he’s developed more empathy towards the people he’s fighting against, and he understands he can no longer separate his two identities. If Oliver is in need of redemption (particularly with Felicity) then I say he’s learned the necessary lessons to achieve it. It may be difficult for a time, but Oliver and Felicity will work through their problems once they are together again. In no small part because Oliver Queen is ready to be the man Felicity Smoak deserves and the hero Star City needs.

Source: smoakmonster

Felicity Smoak

I am falling in love with Felicity Smoak and Bl*ck S*ren. Nobody is more shocked than me. I don’t know what to tell ya.

They make the perfect odd couple. Felicity is sunshine and roses while Bl*ck S*ren is a snarky (reformed?) murderer. There are some similarities to Oliver and Felicity or Laurel and Tommy, which is probably one of the reasons I am enjoying it so much. Light meets dark. Funny meets serious.

Source: hollandrooden

The sass and banter is funny and honest. Neither is worried about hurting the other’s feelings because they aren’t really friends. It allows the characters to say things to each other Felicity and our L*urel would never say. It also makes the development of whatever potential friendship they may have in the future feel natural.

Source: dinah-lance

Whereas with L*urel, I feel her friendship with Felicity was rushed and didn’t develop organically. We went from L*urel glowering and not speaking to Felicity to immediately “favor friends” inside of a single episode.

HUH?

It was also a little weird how they never talked about the Oliver shaped elephant in the room too, but whatever that’s all past. None of this is a problem with Bl*ck S*ren and F*licity. In fact, all the things I asked for with L*urel L*nce I am actually getting with Bl*ck S*ren.

The writers are giving Bl*ck S*ren screen time to develop at a semi reasonable pace, the lawyer thing notwithstanding.

The other characters aren’t pretending she’s a saint or glazing over her mistakes. Bl*ck S*ren is being held responsible for the things she’s done wrong.

Felicity (and Oliver) have no problem taking shots at Bl*ck S*ren occasionally, because they don’t trust her and she deserves them.

Bl*ck S*ren fires back (hilariously I might add) and is rapidly becoming the Spike to Team Arrow’s Scooby Gang - something I think the show needs.

Bl*ck S*ren is lawyering more than Laurel ever lawyered even though she’s not a laywer, which is hilariously amazing in an off kilter sort of way.

Most importantly, she’s helping Felicity in a way that’s actually helpful!

If Bl*ck S*ren helps get Oliver out of prison and then my faves have all the sex, Imma gonna bake her cake or something. Anyone assisting Felicity this season gets an A+ and a gold star from me and Bl*ck S*ren is at the top of that list.

Listen, nobody is as shocked as me since I was loudly advocating for BS to remain evil. I still like her evil and will be fine if she regresses. However, if they are going to have a L*urel type character on this show then I want the writers to use her effectively. Thus far, they are with Bl*ck S*ren. It may all go to hell in a hand basket shortly, but for now leave me to my joy.

Source: felicitysmoakgifs

The best scene was BS asking Felicity out on a friend date. It was almost as cute as Oliver asking Felicity out. It was really sweet to see the part of BS that craves human connection reaching out to Felicity in such an adorably awkward way.

Alright, that’s enough about Bl*ck S*ren. Time to talk about our girl. Did anyone notice Felicity seems reluctant to visit Oliver?

Source: smoakmonster

Bl*ck S*ren tells Felicity to visit her husband and essentially kicks her out of the office. Welcome the Olicity ship BS! The bar is in the back.

Her reluctance is very telling. Felicity is feeling bad about her last visit with Oliver. Girl, why? You’re fine. The man has lessons to learn.

Unfortunately, Felicity is denied access to Oliver when she arrives. Felicity demands to see Oliver and think she uses “wife” and “husband” about twenty times in a sentence. Remember when we held our breath for one “wife” or “husband” last season? Now they use it with reckless abandon. It’s fabulous.

I have been dying for Felicity to meet Stan and yet I had no idea how Arrow would logically put these two characters together. I know logic isn’t always Arrow’s thing, but it’s not like Felicity can run into Stan and Oliver having dinner together. Turns out, this is not that hard!

Stan lets Felicity know Oliver has been moved to Level 2. I will always be eternally grateful to Stan for telling Felicity the photograph has become Oliver’s binky.

I guess I was a little surprised at Felicity’s shock over Oliver stabbing a guard. She’s very “He would never!” about it whereas I am more “Sounds right. He broke a dude’s neck once.” Yes, that was during Oliver’s pre-Felicity days, but he’d burn down Slabside if it means protecting her and William. Her whole “Oliver is a choir boy” reaction rang false to me because Oliver is not a choir boy.

The first person Felicity runs to for help is BL*CK S*REN. We are living in the Upside Down.

Source: dinah-lance

How much did you love Bl*ck S*ren yelling and threatening so Oliver and Felicity can visit each other? C’mere girl. Sit next to me. I made you a margarita.

Felicity confirms she’s only been there ONCE, and granted she was in witness protection for most of Oliver’s incarceration, but yeesh. It has to sting a little for Oliver that she hasn’t been back since. Don’t lie and make unilateral decisions next time, big fella.

Felicity would visit in sexy lingerie and bring store bought baked goods if you just LOOP HER IN.

Source: felicitysmoakgifs

Bl*ck S*ren and Felicity go to Dinah to get information on Slabside’s Level 2, since there are no digital records.

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

Dinah hems and haws about helping Felicity, and she pretty much has to beg, which ticks me off to no end. You are part of the reason Oliver is in prison, Dinah. MOVE YOUR ASS. If Felicity wants to access to the evidence room you should be making her a copy of the key so she can come and go as she pleases. #NewbiesStopPissingMeOff2018

The records are a mess.

Source: dinah-lance

Dinah and BS spend a lot of time arguing about which legal method is best to help Felicity, but to be frank both their ideas suck and take too much time. Felicity kind of loses it.

Source: oliverxfelicity

She’s feeling an immense amount of guilt for being angry with Oliver over his decision to go to prison and not visiting. In typical Felicity fashion, she blames herself for whatever Oliver is going through. She believes she could have prevented it.

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

Felicity Smoak breaks my heart. Listen sweetie, Oliver is a big, dumb oak tree A LOT. It’s okay to get mad at him sometimes. This man is a full time project. He’s exhausting.

If anyone is concerned about Felicity and Oliver’s marriage then this speech should tell you everything you need to know. Being mad at your partner does not automatically mean you don’t want to be with your partner. Marriage doesn’t work like that. For better or for worse is legit. You can be so angry with your spouse you want to throttle them and yet still love them more than anything else on this earth.

Felicity can be mad at Oliver and still be madly in love with him. What Oliver did is no little thing. He made a massive and unilateral decision for their entire family without consulting Felicity. She has to live with the consequences, but had no say in her own life.

We’ve seen time and again when Felicity is angry with Oliver she needs time and space to process those emotions. Felicity needs to work through her feelings before she can work through the problem with Oliver. It doesn’t mean she wants to end their relationship.

While she’s been looking for Diaz and processing her anger, Oliver has been going to extremes in his battle to track Diaz too. Unfortunately, now he’s missing.

This all hits Felicity where it hurts because her worst fear is losing Oliver. She thought losing her husband was bad enough, but now Felicity is scared Dr. Power’s mind warp program will take Oliver from her forever.

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

I just want to hug Felicity and tell her she doesn’t have to worry about Oliver’s mind being erased.

He dealt with all his deep and dark issues in the sewer with her. Felicity loved him through it and that’s the reason Oliver has remained intact on this new island. UGH. MY BABES.

Oliver and Felicity have remained connected despite their physical separation, but the distance is having an impact on them. They are starting to feel the consequences of time, distance, hurt feelings, and lack of communication. ENOUGH ALREADY! LET THEM BE TOGETHER! I WANT IT TO STOOOOOP!

Long story short, Felicity discovers Dr. Powers is going to erase Oliver’s mind and finds evidence connecting him to a cold case murder. That, along with Oliver’s evidence, is enough to get the Level 2 program shut down. It makes me a little sad Felicity doesn’t know the evidence is from Oliver. TALIA YOU HAD ONE JOB.

Source: felicitysmoakgifs

Team Felicity, yes that’s the name, has such a fantastic light bulb moment when they realize they can use this Slabside evidence to appeal Oliver’s conviction. I don’t know how. I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know how Oliver was convicted in the first place because he was acquitted. How is he legally in prison? Whatever. I don’t care. Just get him out and send him home to his woman. That’s all I want. I’ve enjoyed the prison arc more than I anticipated, but I’m ready to be done.

Curtis and Diggle

Lord people. I cannot with Curtis. His undercover mission takes up a significant chunk of the episode and this is how much I care:

Fourteen PhDs???? FOURTEEN!!!!!!!??????

I am trying to hang with you show, and I realize you are a fantasy drama, but this is not humanely possible. Also, I am taking issue with Diggle reading out Curtis’ credentials when just last week Felicity tipped her hat to her credentials. She mentions going to MIT and then next week we are listing Curtis’ ridiculous number of PhDs and six languages?!

It feels like a bizarre pissing contest and yet these writers want me to believe this character is not in competition with Felicity.

Cammien Ray tweeted something brilliant yesterday and I thought it really summed up one of my primarily beefs with Curtis and Diggle having this storyline. This is everything we asked for Felicity, but they gave it to Curtis.

Felicity is off doing her own hero-ing and therefore the writing team’s ass is saved, but this character is in constant competition with Felicity. More often than not, Curtis over shadows Felicity so he has a friggin purpose on this show. Arrow is an extremely male dominated series. We don’t need one of few strong female characters sidelined for another male character’s benefit.

Curtis bemoans all of the misery being a vigilante has brought into his life. Yes, Curtis has suffered the most out of all the characters.

Oliver lost his freedom, Felicity lost her husband and child and Dinah’s boyfriend is dead. Hell, even Rene has more to bitch about. Zoe’s life was in danger for most of Season 6. BL*CK S*REN has more to be upset about. Her boyfriend, father and pseudo father figure are all dead.

But Curtis? He got a divorce. Sure, that’s sad, but his ex husband isn’t dead. Curtis is probably paying him alimony.

Curtis was stabbed, his boyfriend shot, THEY BOTH SURVIVED, but woe is me.

Diggle has the audacity to compare Curtis to soldiers who have fought in war.

We are not comparing Curtis and his T balls to men serving in the military. The reason why Curtis doesn’t look “done” when compared to those soldiers, John is because HE HAS NOT FOUGHT IN A FUCKING WAR OR SUFFERED ANYWHERE NEAR THE AMOUNT THOSE HEROES HAVE.

Both of you please shut up.

I couldn’t understand why Diggle was arguing for Curtis to remain Mr. Terrific when he’s given up on Spartan and Green Arrow. This is the second character IN A ROW Diggle has argued to break the rules and continue life as a vigilante. Whereas when it comes to Felicity she can’t be Overwatch or break any laws to free her husband.

I also don’t understand why Diggle is arguing Curtis is so vital to the team when the truth is there are other characters that can do what he does and BETTER. Rene and Dinah are better fighters than him. This is the first week he looked mildly proficient in the field. This is why I say he’s the new LL. One week he can’t take down one bad guy, but the next he’s fighting twenty different people. It’s inconsistent and illogical.

Felicity is a genius and all the tech goddess we need.

Anytime they use Curtis’ brilliant mind it’s to short change her. NO THANKS. The only thing Curtis brings to the table is his T spheres and pretty much everyone can operate them. I am quite annoyed with Diggle for trying to talk Curtis out of sidelining himself.

Arrow continues to glaze over Curtis’ role in Oliver ending up in prison, there’s been no apology and he refuses to help Felicity. Instead, they write an episode where Curtis is given all the storylines we’ve asked for Felicity. Then Curtis whines about how tough life is when the other characters he refuses to help are suffering more. This is not the way to win me over. USE THIS CHARACTER LESS. He needs to disappear from my TV screen for a long time or, God willing, permanently. The more this show shoves this character down my throat the more I dislike him and I have a sensitive gag reflex.

Stray Thoughts

“Empathy’s a word I’m learning. It’s a work in progress” HA! Loved this line.

I know neither Dinah nor BS are Felicity’s besties, but it was nice having all the women work together in an episode. It also gave Felicity a chance to unload some of her grief and fears. Can we make this a regular thing? Felicity needs girlfriends.

“I taught you to separate the man from the monster. Instead, you exposed your true identity for all the world to see and became the monster you always feared you were.” Bitch where?

Talia teaching Oliver to separate his two selves ultimately lead to her father’s death, so there are consequences for her choices too.

Felicity changes out of her high heels and skirt into jeans and tennis shoes for her visit with Oliver. The practicality in Felicity’s wardrobe this year is A+, so let’s keep the logic. Nobody drives to a prison in heels and she sure as hell shouldn’t wear them out in the field.

Oliver’s face when he finds out there’s no visitation in Level 2 looks like he was just told his puppy has cancer. Source: olivergifs

You have not met Felicity “I Will Always Always Always Wait For You” Smoak. Suck a hot one, guard. Source: olivergifs

Why are the A.R.G.U.S. uniforms so dorky? Let’s cool them up costume department.

I need Stan to be good. Can we just let Stan be good?

Stephen Amell is 6 ft so the inmate who died is ENORMOUS.

Don’t you love how there’s been zero Diaz in any of these past few episodes? He’s just like the Boogey Man, but we never have to see him. It’s fantastic.

I don’t buy for a second Diaz took out a bunch of Bratva, but my larger concern is don’t hurt my Anatoly.

No flashbacks. Interesting.

That Elseworld promo was jarring. I’m scarred for life.

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#arrow #arrow 7x05 #oliver queen #felicity smoak #olicity #arrow season 7 reviews #anti black siren #anti john diggle #anti laurel lance #anti dinah drake #arrow season 7 episode reviews #season 7 episode review

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frostbite883-archive · 6 years

Text

Well, either of your ideas that you had written was already written before (albeit differently) by someone else a while back basically (out of the fact that I made questions similar to the ones I gave you which resulted in tumblr bloggers giving me different answers to them).

gingerly-writing: to this ask I filled out for them. I’m pretty fucking pissed off, and I’ve had my fury checked out by uninvolved parties to make sure it was righteous. It’s righteous.

Me: Not entirely so.

gingerly-writing: First off, feel free not to send people rude-ass messages after they’ve put time and effort into coming up with a response to you?

Me: The top comment there (the “Well, either of your ideas” comment) wasn’t really the rude comment I typed out. The other one was (which I’m sorry for) which you didn’t copy paste in your third post so other bloggers can see it as that public evidence is vital for context.

gingerly-writing: Also, I thought you were going to use my idea and have me to thank you or something for it when I came up with something like my asks I gave you and something to the equivalent of your “heroes and villains school” stuff before I replied to your ask box sometime ago. Basically, wanting me to give you undeserved credit for my very own idea. I certainly didn’t know you were going to make comments like this either.

So, I actually have a hero and villain school in my own original superhero works, and I did come up with a solution to this one. If you’re writing your own original stuff, please change this up, but if you’re writing fic I don’t mind if you nick it wholesale (as long as you tag me in it! I’d love to read it).

Y’know, for me, this was just background information, but now I kind of want to write a whole book focusing on it.

gingerly-writing: It took me a good 45 minutes to get tumblr to accept my answer to your damn ask, so you’ve just made that a waste of my time.

Me: Maybe. But, from below, you were not bettering the situation.

gingerly-writing: Also, feel free to simply not respond rudely to people’s posts, at all, ever, especially if you were the one who sent the ask in the first place. I didn’t need to know how shit my ideas are, thanks.

Me: Yeah...not really sure where you’re going with this. Are you saying your ideas were horrible because they were based on my idea and how I spread more around on tumblr? Or do you think I’m saying your ideas were horrible because you think I’m somehow saying, implying or thinking that?

Either why, that comment of yours was not helpful for anyone. Yourself included.

gingerly-writing: Also, as a more general PSA, feel free not to send identical asks to multiple bloggers.

Me: Not happening. As I can sent any ask at any time by my own free will. As is my right.

gingerly-writing: Seeing someone else answer the same ask really disincentivizes me to answer it, even if it’s in my queue: I worry about stepping on the other responder’s feet,

Me: Well, to be fair, I can understand the sentiment there. Still, what you say next will lower that sentiment.

and also, it’s motherfuckin rude, you absolute assclown.

Me: Childish name calling. So...how is it you’re any better with what you had said. What would you benefit from doing that other then venting out your anger. ...Which ironically enough I didn’t even do here and wouldn’t now just so I won’t sink to your level of rudeness.

gingerly-writing: And if you do send multiple asks and get similar responses, maybe it’s simply because it’s a good fucking idea. If you get different answers, maybe it’s because we’re all different fucking people with awesome different ideas that I’m not sure you deserve.

Me: You know what, I’ll be upfront, and say that I should have not jumped the gun and assumed the worse and could’ve worded my comments better (or just replied privately about the whole matter), you, on the other hand, didn’t do much of anything to resolve the situation as best as you should’ve. In the end, you basically became me. But a little worse.

gingerly-writing

: feel free to block me on the way out

Me: Already did. I’m hoping you don’t treat other bloggers the way you had treated me. Especially if they were nicely bringing up stuff to your attention among other things. And especially, even, in the ‘ginning once they asked you something.

gingerly-writing: #I try to be nice on this site #but I have my limits #and now I'm in rage mode #the asks and the answers #rude #ungrateful

Me: As if you were better with your own fair share of rudeness that might be on the level of hackedmotionsensors’.

hackedmotionsensors: THIS PERSON IS SO WEIRD!! All they ever do is send these bizarre questions about the DCEU being in MCU!

Me: Actually, that's not ALL I do. I asked other questions too. And my qs aren't as weird as any one else's either, hacked. Best to not go by assumptions and call people weird for what they say or do. Be it in front of their faces or behind their backs. Also, don't like me or my qs? Then either block me or just blacklist my name.

See ya...never, I guess.

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

Here’s some context on what I was talking about on this post:

TumblrFrostbite: How would you want schools for villains' kids (for Marvel villains' kids, for DC villains' kids, etc) to be ran? And who would you want to run those schools?

gingerly-writing: This is one of those things that I’ve put way too much thought into after you sent this, because I love stuff like this. The question is, are the villains running this school for their kids, or is this something the heroes are putting on to try and rehabilitate the kids while their parents are in prison? I’ll assume the former, but the latter is also super interesting to me.

Disclaimer: this will have a strong DC bent because I have little to no interest in most Marvel villains, whereas I could yack on about DC villains for month. In fact, I might just stick to DC in its entirety because other than Loki (who would be the worst teacher ever, he would encourage so much shenanigans) most of the Marvel villains I know are Nazis or space monsters. Second disclaimer: I’ve watched a lot more animated DC movies and read a lot more fic than I ever have comics, soooooo these depictions might not be comic book accurate. Fanboys, please don’t come for me…but I also don’t really care that much tbh. I like the incarnations that I like. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Actual answer under the cut because this got hella long. Hope you like it!

Sponsor: Lex Luthor. Funds the school, shows up to speech day to give speeches and hand out prizes, gives the brightest and most stable kids scholarships to work at Lex Corp in the holidays. Absolutely 100% has his own ends, no one knows what they are. Chucks buckets of money at every problem. Likes to bring the school up at fancy soirees in front of Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen just to piss them off.

Headmaster: Deathstroke (or rather, Slade from Teen Titans). Has no idea how he wound up with this job, complains about the pay 24/7 even though it’s in the range of millions of dollars a term paid in untraceable cash from 50 different countries. Basically ends up like Gordon Ramsey: threatens to assassinate the teachers and parents all the time, has actually taken out some abusive parents, but is weirdly, gruffly nice to the younger kids. Teachers self-defence to all the non-powered kids and weapons to anyone who’s interested and has the discipline for it. Grudgingly tolerates old man jokes.

Deputy Headmistress: Talia al Ghul. Absolutely terrifies all the older kids, mothers the younger ones. In charge of who graduates and who doesn’t; will only let kids graduate if their villainy won’t critically endanger their own life. Sometimes shows up in the backs of random classes and lurks there for ‘assessments’; shows up in more than 50% of Deathstroke’s classes to harass him about his technique. Keeps a photo of Damien on her desk, refuses to acknowledge it’s there if someone asks about it.

Biology: Poison Ivy. Excellent teacher, surprises both herself and her students at how brilliant she is. Everyone wants to take biology with her even if they have no villainous interest in the subject. Litters her lectures with feminist rants, eco-warrior tirades and talks about LGBT+ rights, will gently but forcefully correct anyone who disagrees with her. Runs a vegetable outside the school and encourages the kids to get closer to nature. Just enough passing knowledge of memes to make her older students roll about with laughter: ‘Batman’s homophobic because he inconveniences me and I’m gay’. PDAs with her girlfriend in the corridors.

Women and gender studies: Harley Quinn Ivy’s girlfriend, part time teacher. Wanted to take up the psychology post, but after she seriously suggested sharing it with Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow) no one wanted to let her anywhere near it. Knows every meme. Gives great relationship advice, will kill anyone’s abusive boyfriend with no questions asked. Brings her hyenas to school in a ridiculously massive handbag. Has her own locker.

Thievery, sneaking around, Gotham safety: Catwoman. Definitely brings in her cats to act as therapy/comfort animals for the kids. Unofficial therapist; absolutely mothers anyone from Gotham, no exceptions. Brings the kids super expensive (stolen) jewellery to wear on prom night and for big dances, charges in secrets about their parents.

Business and Economics, with a side in mind control: Maxwell Lord (in the more business-orientated editions). Keeps to himself, is one of those teachers who doesn’t actually seem to like kids. Always wears a freshly pressed suit. Bit of an asshole. Selina tripped him down the stairs once.

Magic: supposedly taught by Felix Faust, but Klarion enrolled as a student just to show up in his lectures and argue. Every. Single. Point. Magic classes have turned into a magical war several times. They can only get along when someone else turns up claiming magic isn��t real. Faust has a lecture prepared for the non-believers, Klarion has a fireball. Circe often shows up in these classes, ‘borrows’ all the female students for private lessons and turns all the boys into pigs. Pig-Klarion does not appreciate this.

Physics and advanced thermodynamics: Killer Frost. Gets on really well with the Gotham City Sirens; they have cocktail parties in the staff lounge every second Thursday. Is paid by other villains kidnapping Firestorm so she can feed. Absolutely has favourite students and students she hates with a passion; has been known to freeze some students to their chairs in lieu of detention.

Other random villains that show up from time to time: - Flash’s Rogues Gallery. Created the infamous ‘Rogues week’ at the end of the year where every single one of them shows up and helps the students wreak absolute chaos across the school. Can never be stopped from showing up and starting this. Captain Cold comes grudgingly, sits in Slade’s office and has a drink with him; the rest of the Rogues join in with the chaos a bit too enthusiastically. Best week for the seniors. The younger rogues would totally be students and help to smuggle the older ones in for Rogues week.

- Black Manta: shows up sometimes, teaches a few lectures, leaves. Always on super random topics, often tangentially related to his latest evil scheme. The students have a betting pool that reawakens after each visit on how his talk will relate to his next scheme. Literally no one understands why he shows up. Doesn’t get paid, doesn’t seem to enjoy it. ?????? Has great on-land fashion sense though. A lot of the older students have lowkey crushes on him

- Cheetah takes advanced genetics and many other complex of aspects of science. Only shows up to teach special classes for the seniors. High fives Ivy in the corridors.

- Deadshot. Sometimes shows up and interrupts Deathstroke’s guns lessons (poor guy can never teach a lesson in peace), always gets chased out of the school. Gets teary eyed over the young female students kicking ass. Doesn’t seem to do anything useful but somehow gets paid a salary. Sleeps in the gym when he’s on the run from Amanda Wakker/Batman.

- Hugo Strange keeps showing up in disguises and trying to get the psychology job. Last time it was just a fake moustache. What is he even hoping to achieve.

- Merlyn shows up when he’s bored to host archery competitions on the front lawn. Mostly does this when Oliver Queen is in town. Keeps saying he’s going to pick a protégé out of the best archers and never does because the Arrow Clan kids annoy him so much he’s wound up thinking he hates kids. Actually loves kids, pretends to be snooty and above them though. 100% has to prove he’s still the best archer at every competition, even the one for 12 year olds.

TumblrFrostbite: If the super villain academy children, by the time they hit twenty, had to do some VERY impressive villainous in order to graduate, what type of villainous stuff would you have the rookies villains do to not only graduate, but also to be considered as full fledged villains?

gingerly-writing: So, I actually have a hero and villain school in my own original superhero works, and I did come up with a solution to this one. If you’re writing your own original stuff, please change this up, but if you’re writing fic I don’t mind if you nick it wholesale (as long as you tag me in it! I’d love to read it).

My thought was: all villains are going to be different, with different strengths and gifts. Sending them all to, I don’t know, infiltrate an island or fight Black Canary (which no one would win, let’s be honest) doesn’t seem fair on those it doesn’t suit. I was really struggling to come up with something that could work for everyone that didn’t force them to work in a team, because, well…villainous teams never work so well. Too many egos and whatnot.

My solution was: have the kids pick their own challenges. Make it their end of final year project. They submit a fully researched plan, all the way from the developmental stages to the final polished article. Plans like ‘killing Batman’ or ‘blowing up the planet’ are swiftly vetoed, but as long as they’re convincing enough the plan can get as elaborate and dangerous as they like. Half the marks come from the plan itself, and half for execution. Sometimes, my particularly vindictive kiddos make their plan to screw over their nemesis’ plan; I particularly enjoy when their plans are both to screw over each others’ plans. That gets entertaining.

They’re assigned a teacher whose knowledge base best fits with the plan the kid wants to execute, and they submit and resubmit and re-resubmit it to improve and refine their scheme until it’s as perfect as it’s going to get. Then, with no further outside help, they have to execute it.

This method lets you titivate the grand finale to best suit your plot needs. Your character has a serious nemesis? Pitch them against each other. Parental grudge? Make their aim to foil their parent’s plans. Hero that they hate? Plan to ruin their day. Plus, you can shove in bureaucratic nightmares and whatever other problems you can dream up (sabotage, indecision, dreams too grand to execute) into the planning stages.

I’m not sure you could do anything in a school situation to make the outside world consider them ‘real villains’: that would take time, money, and a body count, all things a school probably can’t afford to have on their books, villainous or not. But a huge, large-scale, dramatic graduating plan probably wouldn’t hurt any young villain’s rep!

Y’know, for me, this was just background information, but now I kind of want to write a whole book focusing on it. xx

#post #tumblr #matters

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