#jason todd loves cats and they love him (for Lazarus pit reasons)

[fcthots]

Jason Todd has a soft spot for stray animals. We all know Damian is the one running around and adopting every animal he can get his hands on and donating to all the animal shelters until they can go no-kill, but every stray animal Jason sees, he either feeds or brings to the shelter. Like he’s such a softie that way.

He doesn’t bring any of them home, worried about never being home and how to take care of such an innocent creature. That is, until one day a kitten screams at him while he’s in a stalemate with guns pointed at him. The kitten is not to be bothered. It starts crawling up his legs and chest, screaming to be pet. Eventually Nightwing shows up and helps him out the stalemate, but this kitten only stops screaming when Jason holds it and it’s so sweet and precious and innocent and, yes, Dick is laughing at him, but the kitten is all black except for a little white spot on his forehead. And the kitten is a little roughed up, but Jason is almost in tears, cradling it to his chest.

Anyway, he shows up back at y’all’s apartment in genuine tears, asking “can we keep it? please?”

The answer is obviously yes. He names it fucknut after it bites him when it’s hungry. You come up with the nickname “Fin” and that’s what y’all call the kitten in public.

[hello-eden]

Dcxdp #24

I have two ideas for Danny reincarnated as Jason Todd.

 The first idea is Danny getting his Memories Back after the Lazarus pit. Talia tries to manipulate him and he believes her for a hot minute but he gets caught up in learning a bunch of new things but it kind of forgets. I never see Danny very motivated by Revenge. None of his loved ones were her so he sees no reason for Revenge. Danny just one day forgets he's supposed to be mad at Bruce as well as the fact that he's dead and just calls him. The conversation carries on for at least 20 minutes back and forth before Danny remembers that he's supposed to be dead. He ends the call once he realizes but the damage has been done. After that call he's just decided that any chance of prank or Revenge is impossible anymore and keeps calling. no one would be able to trace the calls because Danny is not that stupid but once the cat's out of the bag Danny's just too busy to care. I don't think he'd even come back to Gotham until like 2 years after Resurrection. The entire bat family is like holy shit we weren't hallucinating and Danny's like did you think you were.

The second idea is normal Canon happening until Jason almost dies again but they wake up from what should be life-threatening just like the afterlife is too much paperwork. He gives zero context. anytime someone asks he keeps making vague pensions of the fact that the afterlife isn't fun if you're managing the place and leaves it at that. I think they would find out later but Danny being vague about it just brings me much joy.

[worldseer]

A list of random HCs about Jason Todd because I have brainrot~

THESE ARE MY PERSONAL HEADCANONS! IF YOU DISAGREE, THAT'S FINE BUT DON'T LEAVE HATE! Headcanons are separated by catagories: Random, fluffy, angsty, and NSFW. MDNI!!!! The different colors are just to break up the hcs a bit and not look like pure walls of text-

Random:

Has tapetum lucidum after being in the pit, causing his eyes to glow green in low/no light.

Has hazel eyes, which causes them to look brown or green at certain times.

Built sturdy and more like a boxer. I refuse to believe that this man isn't wide. Getting a better diet since being adopted + Robin training + Lazarus Pit = BIG. FRIDGE OF A MAN.

Has vitiligo, hence the white streak in his hair. It just so happened to show up after being resurrected.

Known to sleep walk and talk after resurrection. If he ever sleeps at the Manor, Bruce has cameras and sensors in place to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid.

Mostly talks shit to the houseplants while sleepwalking.

Canonically eats fast food alot. However, he always manages to burn off the calories. And the fat just makes him bulkier.

Bisexual but he doesn't tell anyone. Not that he's trying to hide it. He just doesn't label himself.

Wears eyeliner regularly, just because he wants to. Look I just love the concept, ok?

Considering getting his ears pierced, just debating on what exact kind of piercing

Has tattoos but not many, most notably small tattoo of a flower on his wrist to honor the death of Catherine, his step-mother.

Has prominent scars: Autopsy scar (died, obvi), scar stretching from the left edge of his left cheek and then up into his hairline (from crowbar), cut in his right eyebrow (from fighting as a child), lip scar that runs from slightly above the skin of his top lip and down over his lips to his chin on his left ( also from fighting as a child). Any other "scar" he receives since resurrection often fades away due to effects from the pit. The others do not fade.

Almost as tall as Bruce, maybe shorter by about an inch at most.

Fluffy:

Has cried watching the Titanic movie. Was inconsolable for a week. Refuses to watch it ever again.

Laughs at horror films these days. Also will talk about how cuts and bullet wounds are anatomically incorrect like its casual conversation. It's one of the few activities he actively enjoys doing with Damian.

Calls Dick an old man just to spite him.

Never passes on an opportunity to tease Tim and call him a huge fucking nerd.

Loves all animals, but prefers cats. No real reason. He just always liked them more. Used to leave cans of food out for the cats to eat from as a kid.

Mostly likes Nu Metal, since it allowed him as a kid to get anger out and all the cool teens in his neighborhood blasted it a lot. But he's not picky about music. Secretly a snob for classical music though.

Strong relationship with Barbara, thinks of her as a sister he never had.

Always helps Alfred cook when he's at the Manor, and is good at it. Obviously works a knife well in cooking, but secretly prefers baking because the kitchen smells better afterwards.

As I've said before, I would not be surprised if he brings a stray home from either a shelter or the street. If he could, he'd help all the stray animals in Gotham and keep them.

Cares deeply about Tim. Tries to act like a big brother and be a good example to the best of his ability.

Not really a gamer, but he had some old consoles when he was a young kid under Bruce's care. Loved Wii Sports; boxing was his favorite. Nowadays, he doesn't play video games much. When he has time and feels like it though, he will play a game or two. Doom Eternal and Red Dead Redemption II are the top favorites after being resurrected.

Spends a good amount of time around Cass when at the Manor. They probably understand each other on almost a psychic level. They also train together a lot too to sharpen skills they both are weaker in.

Angst: (sorry for the pain)

Volunteers often at shelters and soup kitchens as a way to cope, makes him believe that he can offer comfort instead of just pain and being a burden.

Prefers to not talk out feelings after being resurrected; usually drives around to clear his head. Depending on how bad the situation is, it ranges from a few minutes to over an hour.

Loves classical literature because it was the first thing that allowed him to escape reality.

Has weird as fuck dreams, thanks to trauma and the pit. Never says anything about them to others however.

Never lets his stubble grow out too much because it makes him think he looks too much like Bruce, and he doesn't want to look like him.

Picked up smoking because what the hell are they gonna do? Kill him again? Always tries to avoid smoking around the others though, especially the members who are younger than him.

Rarely drinks. Reminds him too much of his birth father. Only does it for times when things are really bad.

Is so close to Barbara because she's one of the few who understands what it's like to be traumatized by the Joker. Often seeks her out for some comfort if his PTSD acts up again.

Hates crying, never cries in front of others unless he really trusts them. People who have seen him cry include Barbara, Dick, Alfred, and Bruce (on accident).

Grew up Catholic. Stopped believing the moment right before he died. Now has immense Catholic guilt and occasionally questions his morals a lot. (Might be self projecting but fuck it)

Zones out a lot. Happens the most during off time. If he's not doing anything, he's likely zoned out. Usually zones out when he thinks too hard about what the Lazarus Pit did to him, his death, and resurrections.

Copes in brash and self-depreciative humor. Also will make fun of others to draw attention away from his own problems.

Tried to help Catherine as much as he could, even if she wasn't the best mother to have.

NSFW: (Minors look no further!!!!)

A switch, dominant-leaning.

Softer dom, surprisingly. Sure, he can be a hard dom if he asked, but that's not what he wants. Coos sweet words while teasing.

Grunts and groans. Not vocal, but he'll talk through it sometimes. Grits his teeth if he's really into it.

"Oh, look at you on my cock. So tight and taking all of it, do you feel full? You look good when you're full of me."

He needs foreplay before subbing. Sometimes he's still wary about letting his guard down, so he needs lots of prepping and reassurance. Once he is into subbing, he's very obedient and eager to please.

Softer noises and gasps when subbing. He doesn't dare be loud, and often tries to cover up his noises. Doesn't beg often, takes what he gets without much complaint.

"Mmph- ah- hah- fuck- I'm close- I'm close baby. Can I finish?"

LOVES dirty talk, giving and receiving. He's already a bit of a cocky lil shit, so he'll tease you and talk you through it. Supportive about his dirty talk usually.

"That's it. Just like that. God- you're perfect. So fuckin' perfect- keep goin' baby, I gotcha."

Not experienced, sorry. With a combination of being bad at expressing emotions, trauma, and being busy as a vigilante, he does not get many bitches.

Has had hookups here and there, but that's all they were. He left the moment the other was all settled or asleep.

Experimental. Because he's low on experience, he's not entirely sure what he does or doesn't like.

Would not use a weapon in bed. That's a hard line. Weapons make him think of violence, and that's the last thing he wants to think about when in such a vulnerable moment.

Hates degradation, on both ends. Won't do it even if asked. The only time he'd ever get close to degrading is if you allow him to fuck while he's still working through some anger. Would apologize profusely afterwards though.

Not big on being tied up himself, but likes tying someone else up a bit. Nothing crazy besides handcuffs. Any further and he feels like he's taking advantage/being taken advantage of.

PRAISE!!! Loves to receive it, especially if he's being focused on or on the more submissive side.

A giver. He's not selfish, and feels bad if the other is not feeling good as well. Would most likely give more than he ever receives.

Not picky. As long as you are clean and consenting, he'll eat out if offered/allowed. Hair? Doesn't matter. Menstruating? Good thing he's low on iron. And you best believe that he is not stopping until you either push him away or are begging.

Thick, as expected. A little bit over 6" long. Prominent veins.

Trimmed, not shaved. Yes there is a difference.

Has a bit of a happy trail, and veins appear on v-line when hard.

Aftercare game ranges on how much he and his partner did, and their relationship. Hookups are usually left to take care of themselves and he leaves quickly. If Jason is serious about someone, he'll grab a washcloth, urge the other to use the bathroom (and maybe carry them if they're tired), and stay for cuddles.

[igotanidea]

Tired (cheshire verse) : Jason Todd x fem!reader

Still, a part of Cheshire!verse. Other parts are: Cheshire cat, That damn gala and Five years later (previous to Tired)

This story took a bit of a turn because of @miraculous-panic. You wanted to know what happened between Dick and reader, so there you go. that was not planned so thanks :D

So, long story short, my dead almost-boyfriend turned out to be not-so-dead real-time boyfriend

Crazy, right?

Happy ending for everyone, rose petals, doves and all that shit used at the end of any cliché rom-com.

Well.

It was not so simple.

Ever since Jason came back from the grave (which apparently was five years ago, he just simply forgot to leave a memo on that) he’s been acting…. Different. More violent, more aggressive, more impulsive I daresay. He completely let go of the old “no killing rule” and just went full on, dealing with the criminals in his own way.

Sure, neither Bruce nor Dick nor any other member of the batfamily approved of that and that was the reason he was cast out. Not that he cared. About them. It was teeny-tiny different with me. And after some time it actually started to get problematic.

I mean, how can you be the so-called hero and date an anti-hero? How can you (yes, I mean myself) work with the bats (fuck, Batman himself) and be ok with your boyfriend getting all bloody with the literal blood of people. (even if they’re the bad ones)? How can you deal with the fact that the same arms that gets to hold you every night some nights and hands that write love letters on your skin are also used to point a gun to someone’s head.

You can’t. Not in the long run.

So, given that, I tried to fight for him. I knew he was dealing with the anger issues, that the Lazarus Pit left him changed, but I refused to let it consume him. I was really doing everything. Never pushing him, just being there, showing him different ways, throwing hints to help him get back to the old ways. He never listened. Not that I blamed him after everything he’s been through.

Most of the times, I dealt with it by myself, but from time to time I just wasn’t able to process all those contradictions in me. I was becoming a fucking hypocrite, losing myself in  all this mess of vigilantism and relationship. Those were the times when I stayed at the manor with Dick, Tim and Damian, letting them help me with thoughts. Usually by distracting me. Dick would do his most crazy acrobatics in a show-off manner only to make me smile, Tim would talk about the random facts he found on the internet and Damian… well, Damian would just sit next to me, not saying a single thing, giving me space but just his presence was enough. Yeah, me and Damian had a very deep bond even though no one would guess it.

It was that one patrol with boys that got me spinning. We were doing our rounds in one part of Gotham, Bruce leading the operation, while Red Hood was riding solo on the other. It was like a race against time since we had to save some people taken hostage and exposed to some sort of enhanced neurotoxin (suck on that, Crane with your fear gas) which would soon turn them into a freaking zombie. Luckily, we were fast enough getting to the secret lab in time to turn the tables around and once again safe the day. Yay! Hurray! Bats to the rescue. But, it wasn’t really like that.

“Y/N?” Dick noticed me standing in the corner of the room, eyes fixed on one point in space, absentmindedly running my fingers against the counter full of some crazy medical accessories “Hey, are you all right?” his voice became concerned when he realized what might be going through my head.

“No.” I shook my head “No. I don’t think I am, Dick…..”

“You’re thinking ‘bout him, right? About Jason?”

“Yes… I….” I took a deep breath “I don’t know what I’m doing Dick. I don’t even know who I am anymore. I save people, but at the same time let them die, not stopping him. I stick to the moral code that Jay break every night. ….. I….. I……” I felt like I was suffocating

“Hey, hey. Breathe.” Dick reached an arm towards me and squeezed my hand gently “you’re spinning”

“How…. How can I not? the second I think about everything he’s been through all the rules and codes are becoming blurry. Fuck, I love him Dick…..”

“I know. And right now, I need you to calm down, ok?”

“I’m trying to, but……”

“Grayson. Y/L/N.” oh, thank God for Damian. His cold and collected self was like a heaven send. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at my shaking figure but did not say a word. He knew. “You’re staying at the manor tonight, Y/N.” this was not a question. Damian Al’ghul Wayne was way above asking.

“You know you are a tyrant, right Damian?”

“Yes.”

“Come on, Y/N.” where the hell did Tim came from “you know you shouldn’t be alone in a state like this. Remember what happened last time?”

“I’m sorry what exactly happened last time?” Dick was suddenly far more stern than before

“NOTHING! NOTHING! Don’t you dare saying a word, Tim!”

“We’re gonna find it  one way or another” Damian smirked and Dick scoffed.

“SHUT UP! Just shut up all of you! I’ll stay!” I cried out “you know I’ll stay…..” the second part was said in a softer manner “really, thank you for putting up with me.”

“Hey, anytime, sunshine” Dick smiled putting arm around me and leading me out to the exit.

***

Two hours later, I still could not sleep. Too many thoughts has been running thorough my minds. So, instead of laying I was in the kitchen, crouched on the barstool, elbows leaning against the counter and with the cup of chamomile tea in hands. I hated chamomile, but Alfred always said it helped you relax, so why not try?

“Why are you up?”

“Shit! Dick! I almost burned myself! We’re in the house you don’t need to sneak up on me!”

“Sorry” he flashed a smile “force of habit. Why aren’t you in bed? You look tired.”

“I am.” I sighed deeply “ my crazy brain however does not seem to be.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about? I’m trapped into one of the most cliché scheme. A hero falling for a villain.”

“Hm. I don’t know. Do you think you are a hero?” he laughed

“Dick….”

“Sorry, Y/N. Though I would make you smile.”

“Not this time, Boy wonder. Not really in the mood.”

“Sorry. But if you don’t want to talk, how about a hug from your favorite bat?”

“Do you think you are my favorite bat?” I raised an eyebrow

“I don’t think. I know. Now come here. “ he extended his arms and I was more than eager to dive in his embrace “does it make you feel better.”

“I don’t know. It definitely reminds me of our childhood times.  Those when I was still learning the vigilante shit and you were always there to protect me.” I muttered

“And I always will.” He assured “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“Do you have someone specific in mind?”  I couldn’t look him in the eyes, fearing the answer

“No. No one specific. Just anyone who would dare so.”

“Hate to break it to you, Dick, but I’m old enough to stand up for myself….”

“But….?”

“But it feels nice to have you.”

“You’re like my little sister, Y/N.” he ruffled my hair and I scoffed but smiled lightly

“Are you two comfortable?” a grumpy voice of another person who was apparently sleepless disturbed the moment of silence between me and Dick.

“How the hell did you get in?!” in a matter of second Damian was standing in the kitchen, followed closely by Tim, both of them with their stern face expression.

“Hello, Jason” Dick smiled

“I said….” Damian repeated only to be ignored once again.

“What the fuck are you doing with my girlfriend, Grayson?!”

 “Oh, that is just great” I hissed and rolled my eyes. The last thing I needed was possessive Jason, still in his Red Hood suit facing his brothers

“I think you should leave, Jason” Tim tried to take precautions to avoid bloodbath between his older brothers

“And why would I do that, huh?”

“Um. Cause you are not welcomed here?”

“Damian!” I hissed. That was harsh, even for him.

“I think we should all just calm down and …..”

“Cut it, replacement! Why is she here? Are you keeping her captive or something?”

“Now you’re just being paranoid, Jason.”

“Paranoid, sure. I finished ….. “ he shook his head not really wanting to finish this sentence “and came straight to her. Do you even realize how  I freaked out when you weren’t there?” his pained gaze landed on me “and then it clicked. You must be at the manor. So I came, and I saw you with Dick and …..”

“Ugh….” Damian hissed

“you know I was trying to make her feel better after she broke on the patrol! Because of you, you idiot” Dick hissed and took a few steps towards Jason so now they were angrily looking at each other

“Once again….ugh. What were you two doing?”

“ Talking!” I yelled and finally got their attention making the four boys quiet for a second. “we were talking. And then hugged. That’s it! You are all insane! Yes, Tim, you too! And now, if you all excuse me, I’m going to bed. I;m done with all of you. Have a good night, gentlemen.”

“Y/N….” Jace called to me, guilt and regret In his voice and in his whole posture

“No, Jace. I’m really, really tired. We’ll …. Talk tomorrow. Or not, I guess.” I looked onto the floor “and I’m pretty sure your yelling and screaming woke up Alfred. And possibly Bruce. So good luck with dealing with them.”

***

“Morning, Y/L/N”.

“Ah! Damian! What the fuck!” the youngest Wayne was standing right above me. It was definitely not how I expected to wake up.

“did you sleep well?”

“GET OUT!”

“You know, you should really answer your phone. It rang like twenty times in the last ten minutes. Bet it’s Todd.”

“Yeah, thanks for the head up, Damian.”

“You know, I’ll be more than glad to help you with that little problem with him….”

“I’m serious Damian, get out!”

“Fine, I’ll deal with him without asking you.”

I groaned. My head was killing me after everything that happened last night. All the emotions and doubts coming back. But, if Jason was blowing off my phone that means he sneaked past Bruce and no one got hurt in the process.

“Y/N?” he picked up after the first signal

“Were you expecting someone else?”

“No really, but with our line of work you can never be sure.” He chucked and that made me smile “Did you sleep well?”

“Someone made sure my night was quite eventful.”

“yeah, I’m… I’m sorry about that, love. I guess I got a bit carried away…” I could tell he was scratching his head in embarrassment

“A little?”

“Ok, fine, a lot! I’m sorry. Just seeing you with dick….”

“Jason.” I propped myself up and sat on the bed “come on. I’ve known him forever. He’s like a brother to me. You know that. Nothing could ever happen between us. I saw him in too many shaming moments. Did I ever  tell you about that one time I caught him trying yoga and not being able to untwist himself out of a very complicated asana?”

“You did. But I can never get enough of that” he laughed wholeheartedly “I’ll take every story like that.”

“As much as I love to hear you, Jay, I’m sure you didn’t call me to talk about Dick.”

“Oh, hell no. Out of everyone in that manor, you are the only one I’m interested in.” I felt a little blush on my cheeks “Hey, listen, Red cleared some business and is going to have a quiet night. I was thinking…. We haven’t seen each other a lot lately so maybe you could meet me at our rooftop?”

“We saw each other last night when you encroached the manor”

“You know what I mean”

“And you do realize it’s highly disturbing  when you talk about yourself in third person?”

“Precautions, honey. Are you absolutely sure it’s a safe line?”

“I was till now.”

“What changed?”

“I heard interference in the back, just give me a second to deal with it….”

I rushed out of my room (still in my pj) to Tim’s and after a little bangs and words spoken in angered voice was back on the line.

“Sorry, Jay. It was Tim, who apparently got bored. But he won’t be eavesdropping on us anymore.”

“What did you do to him?” Jason laughed

“Nothing permanent.” I shrugged even though he could not see it. “However, I think boys can do without me one night so I’d love to meet you. I missed you Jay.”

“I missed you too, baby.”

“And since when it’s our rooftop?”

***

Jason’s POV

I might have lied to her. I did not exactly secured the Red’s business. And now, when I was waiting for her with that helmet on I started to wonder if my goons people could do without me. But I promised her. I promised her some time alone and I wasn’t going to break it. She’s been neglected and abandoned by me way more than it should have happened. God, I did miss her. I missed making her smile, seeing her laugh. Just being with her.  It was like my entire being craved her, both physically and emotionally.

“Hey there, stranger.’ oh, there she was, also in her gear, landing softly and quietly on the roof behind me

“Hello, kitty. I’m sorry but I’m waiting for someone.” I smiled taking a step toward her

“Hm, really? Red Hood waiting for someone?” she raised an eyebrow “usually it’s the other way round. Must be someone special then."

“She is. She truly freaking is.” I grabbed her waist and pull her closer to me, breathing in her scent. I had no idea how she was doing it but she always smelled like the ocean. Fresh and intoxicating.

“So, it’s a she.” She hummed and sneaked her hands around me making me melt into her touch “Lucky one.”

“What about you,  Cheshie? Are you just wandering around out of loneliness?”

“Maybe. I mean, there is that special one, but we have been passing each other of late.” She pouted “he’s been occupied.”

“Sounds like a loser.”

“Nah. Just busy man with busy schedule. But he promised me he’ll be there tonight.”

“That’s no excuse. A girl like you deserve all the time in the world.” I removed my helmet staying only in the mask.

“Is that so?” she smiled almost unnoticeably.

“I’m sure.” I leaned in, our lips inched apart and I was just burning to kiss her, but she was still keeping her distance. I did not want to force anything, so just waited.

“How about we wait together than, Hood?” she moved slightly up and I took the hint.

“I can work with that.” Finally. Finally our lips met. Her soft one pressing against mine. Fuck! We’ve been kissing so many times before but every time if felt like the first one. She was intoxicating, a poison running in my veins. The kind of poison I never wanted out of my system. I needed more of her so I grabbed her chin lightly deepening the kiss and tightening the grip on her waist to pull her closer to my chest and further into my arms where she belonged. Soon enough my mouth moved to her neck biting on her soft spot.

“Ja….”

“Shhh, baby, use the code name.”

“Nah. I don’t think so” much to my surprise she  pushed my away. My boy wouldn’t like me to call someone else’s name. I bet your s/o wouldn’t either.”

“So, you’re the faithful one, huh?”

“It’s only fair to the person I’m in love with.”

“In love, huh? Lucky bastard.”

“Don’t know about it. He’s the type who can get any girl he wants. Maybe he’s just with me because of praxis.” She looked down, dispirited.

“Baby” I lifted her chin up “believe me, I only got eyes for you.”

“What happened to the code names?”  Y/N tilted her head in that cute way

“Fuck that. Don’t care anymore. Now, let’s get out of here. I promised you some good time, didn’t I?”

***

Holy shit, he lived up to his word giving me the best time ever.  All of his attention and affection I missed for so freaking long. His soft touches and lips lingering on my skin, kissing it from time to time.

Ok, I don’t know what you thought about, but being a vigilante and dating one messed up anti-hero make you enjoy little things.

So, during our time alone, those little moments we get to steal, we were just cuddling together, enjoying a good book. Nothing fancy, and yet it brought us closer together than anything else in the world. Jason was leaning on the bedframe in one of his safe housed, my head on his chest, eyes closed, legs intertwined, his right hand holding the book, while left traced patterns on my skin. We simply enjoyed each other presence and warm, not being Red Hood and Cheshire, just Jason and Y/N, our mask discarded and tossed somewhere on the floor. This may have not been the safest, but neither of us seemed to care.

Honestly, I have no idea how this peaceful evening/night turned into a soap opera. One moment I was falling asleep , feeling loved and secure in his arms and the second someone was banging on the door rushing inside.

“Roy?” Jason sprung out making sure not to drop me onto the floor in the process. “What the fuck?”

“Sorry, Jace. There’s an emergency. We need you like right now.”

“But….” He hesitated looking at me.

“Go! I’m serious. Go! I’ll wait here. Just…. please, don’t kill anyone. Please.”

“I love you, Y/n. “ he pulled me in and kissed me softly, his lips lingering on mine, not ready to let go “I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise.”

***

He was back an hour later. With blood on his hands and it got me spinning the same way it did last night in the manor.  Only this time I decided to confront him about it. I should have predicted this would get angry very fast.

"But I fucking love you!"

"YOUR LOVE HURTS!" Oh, damn. I said it.

"Wha... What?" the brokeness on his face seemed to transpire straight into my heart. Just for a second I saw the same little boy I knew before. Little Jason, who craved love and affection and for some crazy reason could never get enough of it. All that shortage was still there.

"Your love.... hurts." I managed to say, but the last part was almost inaudible.

"Hm." he muttered acting so much like Bruce, quickly covering for his moment of weakness

"What?" there were so many words hidden behind that "one "hm" and I caught herself mentally preparing for a hit from him. It was coming.

"You're giving up on me then?" he hissed "you know, for someone who tried to be so different than Bruce and took so much fucking pride out of it, you two are awfully similar."

"Are we really?"

"You don't see it now. But he gave up on me after my death as well. Never fucking coming after Joker to revenge me. It was like....."

"Like he never wanted you." I finished looking straight into his eyes and that sparked something in him.

"'Cause you never really wanted me either, did you?" he hissed taking a few steps towards me and pushing me into the wall with all the force he could get. Which was a lot. I didn't even wince at the hit but my eyes grew wide "You were just playing around, ready to jump into Dick's bed, huh? Cause everyone wants a fucking hero!" he shook me violently.

"This is not fair, Jay. It's so not fair......" I whined. Now he was hurting me.

"Fuck!" finally he realised that his own anti-hero instincts were working against him. Against me. Against us, if there were even still us. Due to that realization he released the grip on my shoulders making me fall to the ground because my legs were shaking.

"You say it like I wasn't fighting for you for the last half a year. I did. You can't deny that."

"Y/N, I'm...."

"I know. You're sorry. That's the thing with you, isn't it? You do some stupid shit. You apologize. And then it starts again. I'm tired, Jason. I'm really, really tired. You dare to put the words in my mouth saying that I don't love you. That I don't think you're worth fighting for. So tell me, why am I not enough for you to go back to your previous self? Not the unhinged....."

"Monster?"

"I never said that." I looked down.

"You didn't have to."

"STOP TRYING TO GUESS WHAT I THINK!" I yelled like never before and took him by surprise. "If I didn't love you, If I thought you were a monster I would give up so long ago. But I didn't. Because I love you more than anything and you fucking know that!"

"And you know I love you Y/N. You do, right?"

"But we're not good for each other, apparently. And I....."

"For what it's worth, I never wanted to put you through it. It's just all this anger inside me" he cupped my cheek resting his forehead on mine. "You can't do it, can you?"

"No. No, I don't think I can."

"It's ok. I get it" his hand moved to the back of my head, the other resting on my waist pulling me closer.

"Do you really?"

"No."

I sighed deeply opening her mouth but he cut me before anything was actually said.

"Stay with me. Just tonight. Please."

"Jaybird......"

"Please. One last time."

"And then it's over?"

"And...." his voice broke and he had to pause before continuing "and then it's over."

***

Jason’s POV

I knew she wasn’t sleeping and neither was I. However, none of us dared saying a word to each other, instead choosing to lay in the bed in complete silence. She was the little spoon and I was holding her (or maybe to her) with desperation I’ve never experienced before. Please, don’t leave me. Please don’t go. I don’t want to be alone again.  but all those thoughts were selfish. She needed someone better. She deserved someone better. Someone who wouldn’t drag her through hell every night. Someone who would hold her gently, making her feel safe and taken care of. Someone who was not crazy and did not have Lazarus Pit in his veins. Someone nice. Aka some loser, who could never love her the way I did, but would keep her out of the trouble. Red hood, fuck – I was the rood hood! So, I was the one who would always bring trouble to her. Someone could kidnap her, hurt her, kill her, because of me. And what was even worse, she did not deserve to be dragged all over social media as the hero who gets involved with vigilante. The public would eat her alive for hypocrisy. And as much as I knew she wouldn’t say a word about how much that would be killing her inside, I needed to safe her from that.

But I still wanted her in my crazy, messed up life.

She was my lifeline and I loved her so fucking much.

I loved her brain and her body. Her hair and her slightly snub nose. Her hair and her eyes. Her soft skin under my fingers and the way it felt against mine. Her lips. Her sense of humor, her intelligence and the way she always made me feel loved. Even if I never deserved it. I loved the way she was bantering with demon and replacement showing her fluent sarcasm. I loved how she kept her cool and how collected she was during patrols. After all, I might have spied on her a few times. I loved how she was letting me hold her warm, soft body and snuggled into my chest. And now, I was about to lose it all. Loose her. Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!

***

I felt like crying, but parting was the right way to do. We tried to make it work and yet, failed. I couldn’t fall asleep again, instead focusing on his hands gently rubbing my skin and his unusually steady breath on my neck. Almost as if he was trying to convince me that everything was going to be fine. We were going to be fine without each other. Big fat lie.We both know this would leave a scar forever. Another one to add to the collection. We couldn’t be together but we also could not be apart.

Now that I said it, it seemed like we were replaying some crazy Shakespeare drama. Romeo and Juliet? Holy shit. If you cut that little romanticism part and the families who tried to keep young lovers apart everything fit. Ironically, even the dying part.

Jason’s breath hitched a bit and he held me closer as I closed my eyes. Please, don’t let me go. I begged silently in my mind. Please, fight for us. Fight for yourself. For…. Me. Sad truth however, he was the one who already gave up. Not me.

I don’t know how and when but we both feel asleep in each other arms. Maybe it was because it was still familiar. Thank god, Jason was far more exhausted than me so I woke up first. Otherwise we would get back into the same spinning circle of apologies, promises and hurt.

Being a vigilante I caught the moment instantly and used it to wriggle out of his arms. It was killing me. I was the only person around whom Jason was able to let his guard down and actually rest and now I was going to pull the rug from under him. From my boy.

 But he already knew I would.

I picked up my small bag, quickly gathering all the stuff and kissed the top of his head .

“I love you Jason Todd. No matter what I always will.” I whispered before turning around and sneaking out the window. I didn’t want to use the creeping door to avoid waking him and starting this whole circle of convincing again.

***

Third person POV

When he woke up she was already gone, the only sign she was real in the form of messy pillow and her lingering scent on the sheets.

“FUCK!” he groaned in frustration throwing a fist into the wall. He lost her. Again. This time probably for good.

[haedrean]

Haedrean Fics!

Haedrean fics (tags #hd-fics) are exclusively on Ao3 because I suck that way. My fandom ranges from PJO (Specifically on my Nico/Alabaster/Jason trope or like I love to call them Jalico cause it sounds like a cat's name), Jason Todd specifically because I'm a sucker for him and recently Naruto fics centred on Orochimaru and Uchiha Obito. I have a type and it's traumatised, dark and me convincing myself they're misunderstood.

These are my active fics: 1) Her Majesties Champions - A fic beginning around Post-Titan's Curse adventure of Nico, Jason and Alabaster Torrington. It's an AU whereby Nico and Jason are both also the demigod of Persephone and Juno due to reasons.

It's also an examination of if Primordials have proper power scaling and not just defeated from being dangled like a fish. And also if Triumvirate Holdings makes more sense because how on earth will they control the future if Gaea won? Bonus includes Butt Load of OCs just to fill in Camp Jupiter and all the other unexplored backstories because we're exploring that too

This fic was a result of me snooping around @drksanctuary's tumblr and getting sucked into Nicobaster hell. For some reason, Jason got dragged as well but that' because I was in the Jasico fandom when House of Hades came out.

2) Jason's Adventure in God Hood (Heh-God Hood) - This is a continuation of Great Hades (I'm Dead!) where Jason Todd is the son of Zagreus and Thanatos from the game Hades and must now navigate a life as a god while trying to face his past from Gotham City.

3) How To: Jason's Guide to Parenting Your Multidimensional Terrorist and Vainglorious Pretty Boy  - This fic focuses on Obito and Satoru by the power of some Unknown God (Not from Genshin Impact) are now fraternal twins and seven years old as they climb out of the Lazarus Pit bearing the DNA of none other than, you guessed it, Jason Todd. DC won't know what's coming to them.

If you guys have any ideas for me to write, please do drop them out in my asks and I'll get to it! I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and attention.

Scheduling!:

Her Majesties' Champions updates weekly on the range of either Friday to Sunday South East Asian time. It will end next week at Chapter 11 and I will take a month hiatus to draft Book 2!

JAIG updates every two Sundays on interval with Jason's Guide To Parenting!

[youngdreamer3214]

Unexpected

Assume Standard Disclaimer

The story of Jason Todd and Raven from ‘Too Late’. I would recommend reading ‘Too Late’ first.

Summary- The most unexpected person sitting on his favorite spot in the city with the most unexpected conversation and added to that an unexpected attraction to her. Seems like life is unexpected for Jason but he wouldn't have it any other way.

0O0O0O0O0O0

Music flowed through her veins, hips moved with the rhythm like water; her mind too far gone to care about her surroundings. She moved with such ease, such grace that for a moment every eye around her was on her. Some looked at her with envy, want and admiration while one of them was burning with desire, affection and the need to possess.

They had been playing this game for too long now, she had teased him enough. It was finally time to take action, to finally get the prize, her.

Their game of cat and mouse had been going on for almost three months now, he grinned remembering their chance meeting, his eyes unwavering from her.

It was a full moon night when he was wandering around the city as Jason Todd not the infamous Red X enjoying the peacefulness of the city to clear his head after a stressful mark and was heading towards his favorite spot in the city, the roof of the highest building in Jump City.

The cold, harsh wind greeted him as he reached the final step and he exhaled loudly, it felt like he was releasing all the stress from his body. There was just something about heights that exhilarated him. It was almost as if he could breathe clearly as he felt the city in its purest form. That was partly the reason he loved patrolling Gotham with Bruce.

He shook his head at that last thought; that was a dangerous can of worms to open.

He took slow steps towards the edge but stopped when he saw a figure sitting with its legs dangling off the edge and scowled. He wanted to be alone, was that too much to ask for? He was so not in the mood to deal with some civilian who would probably annoy him. Scratch that it would most definitely annoy him.

He took more purposeful steps, deciding to politely or maybe rudely tell them to vacate his favorite place in the city. But as he got closer he saw the unmistakably violet hair of who he now guessed was Raven.

Great, he thought, he had to deal with a titan now. But at least it isn't dickhead. He consoled himself. Out of all the titans Raven was the only one he couldn't understand and decipher. She was different, intriguing and –

"Are you going to stand there or go away? Honestly I prefer the latter." A smoky monotone voice called out, pulling him out of his thoughts and making him deepen his scowl, right an empath, he thought.

He stubbornly sat next to her and said with a smirk evident in his voice "Thanks I don't really care about anyone's preferences." He looked at her just in time to see her rolling her eyes and smirked as she looked ahead at the amazing view choosing to ignore him and he also sat in silence for a moment before saying in a mocking but filled with cockiness voice "Don't you have a crime to stop, oh great Raven of the titans."

They were silent for a couple of moments before she smirked and said "Don't you have something to steal, Red X?"

His eyes widened as he stared at her shocked and her smirk only widened seeing his expression before looking ahead as if nothing happened. As if she had not just uncovered the identity of one of the most trouble making anti- heroes in Jump City.

"How-what-?" he sputtered and she chuckled before looking at him and saying "Oh come on, I am an empath I can sense your emotions. I knew who you were as soon as you reached the final step to this roof."

"Aren't you going to arrest me?" he asked, his posture stiff and ready to bolt if she says yes. But instead she shocked him again by looking at him with a bored expression and rolling her eyes again as if very annoyed with his question and asked in a bored tone "Are you committing a crime right now?"

"No."

"Then even I am not arresting you right now…you need to be caught while stealing something and for all I know you are just Jason Todd right now and not Red X."

Now he turned a little white, she knew who he was, who he really was. Then she must also know that he was resurrected. Has she told the bats? But he can't see any of them right now so maybe she didn't tell them. Or are they waiting for a better time to show up?

She looked at him again and said with a sigh "No need to be so worried, I haven't told the bats. That's your truth to tell not mine, and to answer your other question I am a half demon so don't you think that I would know when somebody has been resurrected through the Lazarus pits. I know the trauma of being resurrected from personal experience.

…I could feel your heightened emotions since the day you came back and I know it would take time for you to adjust again so I let it be."

He was speechless for a few minutes just staring ahead at the glittering lights of the city against the dark sky before he looked at her and said a soft "Thank you." This girl who had been called emotionless and cold by everyone was one of very few people who understood what he needed even if she had never met him before.

They sat together in comfortable silence when it was interrupted by the ping of her communicator, she took it out and whatever was on it turned her eyes glossy before she took a deep breath and tossed it as far as she could.

"Woah, what happened? Boy issues?" He laughed but then stopped when she turned to look at him. He saw her amethyst eyes welled up, showing what her face wasn't, vulnerability, hurt and sadness.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly and looked at the horizon before adding a couple of moments later "You can tell me, if you want." And when she gave him a look he raised his hands in mock surrender and added "Sometimes talking to strangers really helps and it's not like I am going to judge."

She stayed silent and looked back at the city for minutes and then said softly "I don't know why I am telling you this but here goes…I confessed my feelings and got rejected…with the very firm belief of his that it won't work out and now he is drunk and going around with fangirls of Jump City…goddess, I don't know why I am telling you this."

"Hey, it is okay I completely understand. He has always been like this, commitment phobic and anti- oh come on don't give me that look. It's obvious that the guy is boy wonder…. and hey, I know from first-hand experience that dick sometimes really justifies his name." he shrugged, anyone could see from seeing their interactions that the dark beauty had feelings for the titan leader and he didn't know why a pang coursed through him thinking about the empath and his older 'brother' together but then he heard the most wonderful sound, her laughing and he forgot all his previous dread.

He turned and took this time to fully study her. He didn't think that he ever saw her fully, clearly, either she had that hood covering her or her team had her attention.

She had beautiful amethyst eyes, her straight violet almost black hair touched her waist, her rare and precious smile made his heart skip a beat. She had a small, petite frame that even while sitting she reached his shoulder and his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he saw that she didn't have that cape to cover her, she was sitting in her leotard with her legs bare in this cold wind. Must be that demon heritage, he thought to himself as his eyes lingered on her bare legs, a wave of desire coursing through him but he forced his eyes away and thanked the gods above that it was dark so that she couldn't see his blush clearly.

After that chance meeting, they met on that same spot almost every night, sometimes sitting in silence and other times talking about anything and everything. She was someone he could open up to and he always felt lighter and happier after talking to her. They started hanging out together, visiting various places, having fun and just behaving like normal humans who were not burdened like they both were.

Slowly her feelings for the Boy wonder began to fade away and something new, something different, something intense began blooming for her new and unexpected companion.

And now here they were in a club together and tonight was the night, when he would make her his. He gulped his drink in a single sip and walked towards her with strong, purposeful steps, his gaze never moving away from her.

The light touches, the inside jokes, the flirting and the way his heart starts beating like he had just ran a marathon when he was near her. He felt like himself when he was around her, not like Red X, or like a Gotham street rat, or someone who was trying to fit in with the high society, but like Jason Todd, who he was in his purest form without his demons weighing him down, making him something he was not.

It was funny that a half demon empath was the one who freed him of his demons. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

He felt happy, free and like he could breathe more clearly, like oxygen was rejuvenating every cell of his body, now he was alive. And it was all because of the empath that he wanted to call his.

His eyes raked over her entire being as she moved her hips, while biting her lip. An action which drove him wild, sending shocks of desire through his entire body as she weaved a hand through her tresses and her body moved to the beat. Her eyes locked with his, inviting him, teasing him with her body.

He finally reached where she was and walked around her as she danced, examining her entire being when he suddenly pressed his front to her back, trapping her between his strong and protective arms and moved their body together with the beat.

Their hips joined and she melted into him as she rested her head on his chest and reached back to rest one of her hands around his neck and pulled his face closer to hers while the other rested on his which were holding her waist to his.

No words needed to be shared; they spoke through their eyes, their bodies as they moved together. He pressed himself close to him softly breathing in her ear as she felt the splendor that Jason Todd and what splendor it was. Both of them forgetting where they were, feeling like the only two people present in this moment, this moment which was theirs.

She could feel the warmth of his touching burning through her dress from where they were splayed on her waist almost like leaving a mark on her body, telling her that she was his. Conveying to her that he was here to claim, to put an end to the game they both were playing.

He leaned down, his breath tickling her neck as he whispered "Don't you have a crime to stop, Raven?" Reminding her of their first meeting and she smiled as she leaned further into him and replied "Don't you have something to steal, Red X?" making him wrap his arms tighter around her and started placing feather light kisses on her neck, making her head roll back as she suppressed a moan when he paid more attention to her sweet spot all the while their hips never moving.

She with sudden and swift movements spun around taking him by surprise but he was quick to regain his senses as he pulled her closer to him, pressing their entire beings together. Her flushed face from the dancing and her red bitten lips making his groan as she teasingly lifted her leg slightly, loosely wrapping it around his thigh and pulled his neck down. But with quick movements he shifted making Raven wrap her leg tighter around his upper thigh, making both of them feel everything.

He dipped down, taking her with him. Her hands wrapped around his neck with one of her legs wrapped around his. His one hand wrapped around her waist and the other supporting her neck as he further leaned down and said feeling her hot breath on his face and their chests heaved together from all this dancing.

Their noses were touching and he struggled to control himself when he saw her half hooded eyes filled with desire and affection looking at his lips and then in his sea green ones. He pulled her even closer and said with his eyes mirroring hers "Only if it's your heart Raven…nothing else interests me anymore, nothing else that I want to possess, treasure and cherish... You have bewitched me."

She smiled making his heart beat even faster and slowly leaned up to capture his lips with hers. And he lost all his senses, as white hot electricity flowed through their veins making them gain all their senses but at the same intoxicating them as both of them lost themselves in each other. He knew at that moment that he would never ever let her go.

A fire burned through them both threatening to leave nothing in its wake and they were happy to be burned. Their bodies pressed so tightly together that they more or less melted into each other not knowing where one began and where the other ended, they were one.

Fin. I hope you enjoyed reading this.

Thank you.

[astranne]

Miraculous and The Light (HC)

Ok, so. This HC is based on this idea. It’s a miraculous x dc crossover and one of the best ideas, I’ve read recently. I really liked it and this is why I’m forcing myself to write my ideas down. 

Before we start the HC, I need to clear some things. Marinette becomes the guardian in age of 13, the kwami are teaching her as good as they can. Luka has the snake miraculous, Chloé the bee (but new costume), Kagami the dragon (again new costume) and Adrien is Chat Noir. Alix has the bunny and Kim the ape miraculous. (The two are chaos and they smelled Lila’s bullshit before she came back the second time). They deal with Hawkmoth as good as they can and they do good. Until Lila does her shit again. She manipulates Alya, which leads also Nino to be one of her followers and since Adrien is his best friend, he starts to listen to Lila. He becomes obsessed with Ladybug and her identity. The team doesn’t really notice, since it’s subtle and slowly becoming worse. So, now let’s start with the HC.

The Team protects Paris, Marinette is the leader

The situation becomes worse, the akumas take longer to defeat

They try to contact the JL, but nobody listens

And Chat Noir comes lesser to the fights, claiming his privat life is stressfull

At first, everybody understands, but it doesn’t stop and Chat becomes like a bad behaved child/brat 

Lila causes another Hero Day, the Team almost looses. Chat Noir didn’t show up and the Team is angry. Chloé is ready to skin a cat

After the Hero Day, they accidentally reveal their idtities. Their group becomes closer, everybody can see, they work even better now. 

Chat is envy

And Tikki is angry. No, scratch that. She’s mad. This boy could’ve been such a good cat, and now this?! 

Since Plagg is her opposite, and she’s the one of Plagg, they keep each other in balance. And they aren’t in balance at all. She takes over Marinette (while she is Ladybug) and starts to rip Chat/Adrien in shreds

Whole Paris witness this and is terrified. Who knew Ladybug had such power? 

Chat tries to save his face/life/’hero’ persona, but since Marinette is the guardian, she stripps him of his Miraculous, while Tikki wipes out his memories. Adrien’s former friends are sad, but also glad, they have one problem less

But now. Since Tikki used her more of her powers, some people notice, such as Klarion. He’s the server of chaos, but keeps in balance with creation. And the two aren’t balanced at all.

He talks to the Light, and surprise, surprise. Ra’s al Ghul and Vendal Savage felt it too

They begin to search and are surprised, that so many miraculous are active. The Light digs deeper and Vendal is very close getting up and burn Paris down. And take Hawkmoth with it

The inner circle of the Light (Vendal Savage, Klarion, Ra’s al Ghul, Lex Luthor, Deathstroke (there are still more members, but I will explain shortly))

Now, their primar goal is not to take over the world, or make everyone ‘see the light’. That’s what the ‘lesser’ members think (the ones, who are not in the inner circle) They want to keep the balance in the world, keep ‘peace’. But they know, it can’t be always peace, with creation there comes always destruction (Tikki and Plagg are totally their inspiration and mentors or whatever you could call that) And for this, they don’t always do ‘good’ things, like heroes do

Bc of this, every hero, every other villian thinks, that the light is bad. It’s a very good cover and so they can hide their true plans. So, the inner circle sends Black Manta after the Young Justice (the season 2 happens here) and go to Paris. 

They find the miraculous users while fighting an amok and an akuma and are impressed. Clearly, most of them have no training and they hold themself formidable. 

The inner circle talks with the team, which is wary. But then the kwamis recognize them and the teenagers (probably 15?) are so glad, that they finally have help. Not the one they expected, but still help

Vendal was one the first guardian, a simple man and then blessed by Tikki and Plagg. He trained other guardians and miraculous users until he almost died

Ra’s al Ghul was once a dragon, but also used the cat miraculous. This is the reason, why he can use the lazarus pit and isn’t mad

Klarion knows about the kwamis, the first gods, often makes rituals and such stuff. But he never saw a miraculous before

Deathstroke knows about the miraculous, but never knew, what power they truly hold

Lex Luthor knew about them too

The team is offered a traditional training with the League and since they are all true holders, they will master it faster than anyone before. Vendal wants to train Marinette as the guardian, after she finished hers with Ra’s. Deathstroke will be their mentor and Klarion will teach them in magic. 

Lex takes them under his wing, teaching them about buisness, money, politics and manipulating

They train and fight Hawkmoth for two years. Sometimes, Vendal takes over as Chat Noir, sometimes Ra’s, to keep Marinette and Tikki balanced. But they need to find her true holder, which isn’t that easy, while they are still in training and fighting

The team is around 17/18, when they finally defeat Hawkmoth and Mayura. The major of Paris and the president of France tell the world finally the truth about the situation (world is shocked (especially when they hear, that the Justice League didn’t help))

Now, the heroes want to help, after Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Dr. Fate, as well Zatanna, kicked their asses for being dumb bitches. When Batman doesn’t stop (he’s an ass sometimes, but I don’t hate him) they threaten to leave the JL. He doesn’t belive it and suddendly he has 4 members less. 

The four go to Paris, even when there is a heroes ban. They offer their alliance, but keep their distance, which everyone is glad. 

Since Hawkmoth and his sidechick have been defeated, the Miraculous Team retires. Or so everybody thinks. 

They all leave Paris, letting their friends and family think they have a job/go on vacation (Kagami and Luka fake their death, Marinette too) 

Lila is smug, bc she thinks, she won, since Alix and Kim just leave and Chloé is a weeping mess

The six go to the League, where they learn new/more things and become the elite squad of Ra’s. 

(Ra’s is totally a proud parent, who shows, how much his kids are better than anyones. Well, as good as he can with his stoic face)

The six still use their miraculous, but have new costumes (darker colors, mostly black) 

And so life goes on, until the JL and the YJ attack the light. They take many hits, loose many bases and the first time, the heroes meet the squad

The six are just called ‘the squad’. They switch miraculous, so the heroes don’t make connections. 

(Marinette is White (rabbit), while Chloé is Red (dragon), Kagami is Brown (monkey), Alix is Blue (snake), Kim is Scarlett (ladybug), Luka is Black (cat)) Over their costumes, they wear a typical League uniform. 

They totally rip the heroes apart

Anyway. The JL and YJ are wary about the sqaud, they all know, they are deadly. Some think, even deadlier than Deathstroke. 

After the attack, the squad meets Lady Shiva and Talia al Ghul

And her new pet project

You already know it. Jason Todd

His mind is fucked up, he doesn’t remember much until this woman in red smiles at him and just hugs him? Girl, this is the league?! 

Jason is totally Marinette’s black cat. 

He’s suddenly being trained (can you imagine a confused Jason Todd, trained by Vendal, Klarion and the rest of the team? Bc I do) and partnered with Plagg, who absolutly loves his new holder. There is so much chaos in him, he even survived the pit!

The squad goes on mission, mostly to mess with the JL, who notice, there is a new member. And oh shit- he destroys everything. And there Superman curmbles to ash... (no worries, he’s brought back)

Jason isn’t trying to kill Bruce, well, he still fights against Batman, but he doesn’t want him dead (the heroes think, the squad tries to kill them)

Some years pass (I have no idea, what happens in season 3 (Young Justice) since I didn’t have the time to watch it) the miraculous slowly become balanced again and the team is doing great

Until Talia snitches Bruce (bc she’s a little bitch) that Jason is alive. Not only that, he’s a part of the squad. Ra’s personally tries to kill his daughter- bc no Talia! You can’t just go and tell secrets! (silently crusing in many languages about the balance and how his own daughter betrayes him) He’s so angry, that he disowns his daughter and claims 7 year old Damian as his heir.

Bruce tries to hunt Jason down, but no success

Marinette takes Damian under her wing and gives him the miraculous of the tiger (Damian is so proud, that he’s a true holder). She and Jason become somewhat his parents, just like the rest of the team

Alix and Kim are totally together, as well Cloé and Kagami, while Luka has a on/off relationship with Lady Shiva, who is the true holder to the fox miraculous

Talia attacks the league, when Damian is 10 and takes him to his father

Damian hides the miraculous and Roarr, but Alfred knows. He always knows. (Totally cliche, but he’s the true holder to the peacock)

Damian acts like a brat like in canon, but can be such a softy

But only with his true family

Jason moves to Gotham, becomes the Red Hood, while Marinette becomes Scarlett (his partner) 

The rest of the squad starts to recruit new holders and start to train them, often visited by Jason and Marinette

One tragic night, Batman fights against Red Hood, almost kills him, when Scarlett breaks his arm. Robin (Damian) comes to help, freezes, when he sees his family. He stops fighting, takes a deep breath and turns to his father.

Batman is confused, but then Robin says, that this is Jason, the second Robin and that he will not fight family

Batman lashes out, being an idiot, talking some nonsense about Jason being a criminal and suddenly Robin disapears. The big bat thinks, his kid went home 

Well, he does, but not the Manor. He follows Jason and Marinette and sleeps a night there. 

Then his father starts to search him (Damian) and finds him with Jason

Totally a fight there

Until Alfred comes and makes them to sit down and talk

Jason explains everything, telling Bruce, that the squad doesn’t exist anymore, bc of Talia.

He causally says, that Marinette is his girlfriend, that they somewhat adopted Damian, after Talia was banned.

Bruce tries to wrap his head around this, but slowly accept this new part of his family

It takes some time, but Jason (Red Hood) and Marinette (Scarlett) become a part of the Batfam

They lead the new Miraculous Team in secret, keep in contact with the inner circle of the light

This goes well, until Tim finds out. 

Bruce lashes out again, bc what the fuck- his own child and his wife (they married) are spying for the light?! He tought they destroyes that damned organisation

Damian runs with them

They go to Nanda Parbat, where they meet the new recruits. 

Now, every kwami has a true holder

Balance is perfect as it can be 

Two years later, Bruce still tries to find Damian, in the hope, he isn’t with his older brother and his wife

He still is

Then Ra’s has enough of this drama, talks with the inner circle of the light and the kwamis

Kidnaps the batfam

Explains everything

Like everything

Slowly the batfam understands

Bruce is so proud that two of his sons are true holders, one of them literally can control chaos

The batfam starts to help the inner circle of the light, the other members think, this heroes finally saw the light

I can totally see the lesser memebers dumbfounded faces, when the whole Batfam shows up

Vendal starts to explain

“Batman was trained under Ra’s al Ghul himself, Batwoman followed.”

“Nightwing was trained by Deathstroke.”

“Red Hood was trained by Lady Shiva, Deathstroke and Ra’s al Ghul and is a former member of the squad.”

“Scarlett was trained by myself, Ra’s al Ghul, Lady Shiva, Deathstroke and Batman. She was the leader of the squad.”

“Red Robin was trained, like all the other Robins, by Batman. Lady Shiva took him under his wing for some time.”

“Signal was trained by Batman, Red Hood and Scarlett.”

“Batgirl was trained under Batman, Nightwing and Scarlett.”

“Black Bat grew up in the League and is the daughter of Lady Shiva.”

“Robin is my grandson and the son of Batman. He was trained under Scarlett and Red Hood, when they still were in the squad.”

(Did I forget someone?)

Gaping villians

But when Vendal says, that Batman will be part of the inner circle, as well Red Hood and Scarlett. they loose their absolute shit. 

They fought the whole time with their allies??

Vendal then also says, that this will be the last meeting and they will all forget, that the Batfam is a part of the light

“Well... we can’t take risks, can’t we? We don’t want to repeat an incident with the Young Justice again... because of this, only the members of the inner circle will remember our prupose and the light itself.” 

Batman then says to the JL, that he will leave the League, since this is going nowhere

The Batfamily is now officially a hero group and more loved than the JL, bc they don’t destroy much in their fights and if they do, Bruce Wayne pays. They keep in the shadows, which means, no civilians hurt AND many villians retire, when they hear, that Batman will fully remain in Gotham. They don’t try anything, bc he always seems to know

Okay... this is much more, than I acutally wanted to write and in the end, it didn’t came out as I first thought. But I hope you still like it, bc I like this version better

And it’s in the middle of the night, so if there are any mistakes... I don’t care :)

Masterlist

[bigskydreaming]

I saw your version of the Titans (way back, I was playing with Search) and I was wondering, what would Tim be? Especially since Nightwing and Flamebird encapsulate what a phoenix is so well. Obviously now they correspond to the World Forger and the Anti-Monitor, but your thoughts on the third generation?

So I believe you’re talking about the posts I’ve made about Jason’s age-group of Titans and lineup in an AU - That’s from a series I’ve bee working on for ages, called “Kings of the Sky” (which refers to all the Batfamily, not just Dick and Jason or even just the boys. Title comes from a story I have Dick tell that his grandfather told him, about why before he was married and he and his wife became the original Flying Graysons, in this AU’s history, when he was a solo act, he was billed as “Daniel Grayson, the King of the Sky!’ Just lofty, pretentious-sounding showmanship on the surface, something the aristocrats he performed for were happy to introduce this lowly commoner as, laughing all the while, but Daniel as I’ve made him out to be, had a particular fascination with names for specific reasons, and everything they could mean and be while not being what they seemed. So even as they laughingly billed him as such, they never got the real joke, which was passed down as a kind of family tradition that only Daniel’s family, the Flying Graysons, all Kings of the Sky, and then from there Dick’s second family, were really the only ones to ever get the way he intended it. There’s no such thing as a King of the Sky, of course, that’s the joke….but at the same time there is, and that’s the secret, because just because someone else looks at the name and pictures it as something its not, and thus says it can never be, doesn’t mean that for those who use that name, it means something very different, and that they very much are.

This AU goes divergent from the moment Dick gets involved in the Garzonas situation and weighs in, so Jason doesn’t go to Ethiopia because he never even goes back to his old apartment, desperately seeking some feeling of family to connect to. He has no need to here. And the second installment is about the aftermath of the Brother Blood storyline and addressing Dick’s non-adopted status at the time, and various other things, and then by the third installment, it starts introducing Jason to other friends his own age and gathering together his future lineup of Titans, mentored by Dick’s and who will be a kind of mentors to Tim’s (and Duke’s) in time as well…..and also starts to delve into the ACTUAL AU storylines of this series, once its thoroughly departed from canon at that point and I’ve sorted out my issues with Bruce’s reaction/belief about Garzonas and Bruce’s non-presence during the BB story and aftermath and the adoption issues. 

So by the third installment, Bruce is no longer getting yelled at by his sons about how to parent the other one and is doing the actual Batdad parenting and things start up with Jason’s Titans and storylines and Dick slowly becoming aware of the Court of Owls and their involvement in his family history and their plans for him (and just how many of them or their children/future Court members have been around him in galas and parties and various encounters throughout his childhood in Gotham). As well as bringing in the other members of the Batfamily one by one (or two by two in Tim and Duke’s case in this AU).

BUT for the most part, aside from the individual storylines, this AU is about family history. And not just Dick’s, even though he’s my fave and primary focus - I have an obnoxious need to be THOROUGH (read: obsessive) and a disgusting need to be FAIR (read: YOU get a storyline and YOU get a storyline and EVERYBODY GETS A STORYLINE!) and also just anal.

So its about the Batfamily being an actual family instead of dysfunctional occasional roommates, but its also how that doesn’t take away from their original families or experiences or their importance in shaping them, just as none of them by virtue of being their ‘original’ families take away from the importance of their second found family. Its all one and the same, family is family, their families are their families all at the same time and there don’t need to be all these partitions. So Kings of the Sky has a particular relevance to that not just for Dick, but in that its secret meaning to Daniel and how it described him and his family, all the way down to Dick, also ends up describing Dick’s second family, and there’s nothing coincidental or by chance about this, because the point is family is CHOICE and names only mean what you choose them to mean, what YOU see them as meaning.

So this AU could just as easily have been titled something like Family History, even though almost all of the members of their first families that come into play here do so in flashbacks and stories the Batfam tell each other about their first families and that their families told them. So Daniel Grayson and the start of the Grayson family line is hugely relevant and delved into, and not just for its connection to the Court and their storyline. Dick’s paternal grandparents here lived well into their eighties, because why the hell not, did canon say they couldn’t? did I ask? no and no. So his grandmother died when he was like two, and his grandfather a few years later, but Dick does remember a little bit and so Daniel’s lifelong quest to find out where he really came from, who he really WAS, becomes Dick’s mystery to solve once and for all so he can finally put that to rest for his grandfather and find some closure with his first family and not feel like he’s forgotten or abandoned them just because he’s so fully embraced his second one as being his as well. 

Only instead of solving the mystery being for Daniel’s sake, its really about what he finds being for his own sake, because as Dick’s Grandpa used to tell him: “A man who knows himself knows his own name,” and as Dick finds that even without ever definitively getting his answers while alive, Daniel was actually born to a Crowne and named himself King and knew who he was all his life and lived his life truly, and that’s the real answer Dick needs to realize that Cobb and his words and intentions mean nothing to Dick because Dick is not a Cobb and would never choose to be, he’s a Grayson and the Graysons have all, always to the last one, been who they choose to be and not a damn thing else, certainly never what anyone else believes them to be.

And Dick is Nightwing throughout this of course, except for one pivotal storyline towards the end of the series, where he and Jason go deep undercover as supervillains for awhile, and during that part of the series, Dick uses War Shrike as his name, and for those wondering, yes this means Boone is around and hugely relevant to this series in specific ways. And of course, he goes back to being Nightwing after. 

And Jason never goes to Ethiopia because he never goes back to his apartment building that time, but that doesn’t mean he never finds out about Sheila and goes looking for her, but when he does he’s not 15 and desperate for family, he’s 19 and on a road trip with his BFF Grant Emerson aka Damage who has his own questions about his unknown real family, but both HAVE families by now and don’t NEED more, they just want to know who’s out there and potentially close the book on that one way or another, which is a very different thing and different story, but also, fuck Sheila, and all of that will still come into play but Jason’s not alone this time and not so lonely he can be crushed by her not being the mother he in Ethiopia thought he needed her to be. Also, Sheila comes from a family of her own, and just because fuck Sheila, doesn’t mean there aren’t more relatives out there that aren’t just The Worst. 

And Jason is Robin in the first few installments of this series and then becomes Flamebird and usually most likely teamed up with Dick when they’re not with their individual Titans, and thus neither are ultimately off doing solo acts elsewhere and being lonely loners who actually hate being lonely. Except of course for the undercover storyline, at which point Jason uses the name Gray Jay, a kind of bird usually known for or referenced as being thieving and unpredictable and unexpectedly dangerous despite its size (Jason never went into the Lazarus Pit here and so isn’t as huge as he is in canon, he’s on the smaller side due to his early life’s malnutrition. Living with Bruce helped him catch up enough that he’s not TINY tiny, but he’s still smaller enough that this particular mantle fits him a little better than it would his massive canon depiction). And then of course after that Jason goes back to being Flamebird. 

(And the eternal drama that is the years long gay love quadrangle of DOOOM that is Jason and Tom Bronson and Ray Terrill and Todd Rice all being young dumb and gay and not even actually sure which of the other three they actually LIKE they just know that its possibly more than one of them but its definitely not all of them which why they are NOT a fucking polecule, shut the fuck up Courtney - Courtney Mason aka Anima - and never WILL be but are definitely a love quadrangle instead and a very confusing one and also dont call it that Dick its not that its NOOOOOT.)

I still have no idea how this even came about, I didn’t plan it, Lilith just sort of accidentally (hah) instigated it via meddling slash deliberately plotting while bored and chaotic and it was just too much fun to stop so I just haven’t yet and possibly never will. Also, Dick and Cass have WAY too much fun with it as well, particularly Cass, since there is ammunition against Dick in the form of “Shut up and go suck face with your assassin boyfriend”/I DONT EVEN LIKE BOONE LIKE THAT, JASON, GOD, SHUT UP, HE’S MY NEMESIS, UGH DO YOU EVEN KNOW ANYTHING YOU’RE SUCH A LOSER UGGGGGH, but of course it wouldn’t be fair to NEVER get to retaliate against Cass, so they eventually catch wind of her tripping and falling on her face because she forgets how movement works when crushing on a certain heroine, no its not Steph, its more one of those things where the other one is older enough that its not endgame and more of a crushing on one of your older brother’s friends which means they’re always around and oh no what if they FIND OUT THAT WILL BE SO EMBARRASSING I MIGHT ACTUALLY DIE but also NOOOOOO DONT FIGHT WITH MY DUMBASS OLDER BROTHER THAT MEANS YOU MIGHT STOP COMING OVER ALL THE TIME AND I WONT SEE YOU ALL THE TIME AND I MIGHT ACTUALLY DIE.

The….unique form of sibling interaction shared by the three eldest Batkids here ratchets up a DEF-CON danger level at that point. They are all armed then, and just desperate enough to use that ammunition if you press them.

So yes, Cass ends up the third to enter this family here, and Lady Shiva and everything there will play out much differently and she’s still not Mother of the Year or even like, good, but she is MORE than she is in canon here, and like, there’s actual depth and HISTORY there and also, there’s not with David Cain though because fuck that guy, just kill him, who cares where he came from just drop him in a hole and assume its the one he crawled out of in the first place. Pttthb. Loser.

And here Babs still is crucial in mentoring her even if she ends up being brought into the family and adopted by Bruce much sooner than in canon and it being Dick and Jason and Cass for awhile as the three Batkids. So Cass is there when Jason is still Robin for a couple more years, only moving to Flamebird when he’s around eighteen, and so she becomes Batgirl as Babs becomes Oracle, and is pretty much Batgirl all the way until she ends up becoming Black Bat (and Steph takes her place as Batgirl after previously being Spoiler. Steph’s around fairly early too, and not actually a member of the immediate family as things get better with her and her mom, but she delights in referring to herself as ‘that chick from Full House who doesn’t live there but is always there anyway, whether CERTAIN PEOPLE like it or not, and no I don’t know her name Bruce, its not like I watched the show, I’m not EIGHTY, what does any of that have to do with anything?)

And also in between Batgirl and Black Bat, Cass also partakes in the undercover storyline, just showing up uninvited in a persona she’s crafted for the mission and calls Black Swan, and War Shrike and Gray Jay being so startled and obviously a little freaked by her unexpected arrival, and her being ticked at her brothers for leaving her behind, RUDE, and them being sufficiently cowed and guilted by her wrath, that it all adds up to the other villains as being evidence that clearly she is the boss and they are her advance minions. Which mollifies and satisfies Cass immensely, and leaves Jason grumpy that their mission was hijacked and also his sister is The Worst, and leaves Dick temporarily disgruntled because This Whole Thing Was His Idea DAMMIT but then five seconds later finding it hilarious because Dick is a chaos connoisseur and he has an appreciation for whimsy and the unexpected.

Snippet from that fic’s outline:

“I can’t believe you not only gate-crashed our extremely sensitive and delicate undercover operation, but you completely hijacked it as well! This is so typical,” Jason grouched.

Cass simply swept ahead of him and strode down the hallway with lethal grace. “Silence minion.”

Jason spluttered behind her and she grinned to herself. He really made it too easy sometimes.

And Tim’s debut is delayed by the non-death of Jason and happens very differently as do things with his first family, too much to get into, but all of that is very relevant to the Family History theme of things, and in this AU he and Duke are actually the same age because what is Tim’s age anyway, what has Tim’s age ever been anyway, does anyone anywhere at any time actually know Tim’s age because I swear it is a quantum anomaly that randomly fluctuates at any given moment and eats brain cells that dare try and pin a number on it. And Duke and Tim are both in different foster care placements and have never met when both decide to become Robin after Jason becomes Flamebird and Robin is seemingly gone from Gotham, and its just Batman and Batgirl having father-daughter-kicking-supervillains-asses bonding nights. 

Because its not like in canon, but still, its unsettling, its weird, all the kids Duke and Tim both know feel it just the same. There’s always been a Robin in Gotham for as long as any of them remember at this point, there’s SUPPOSED to be a Robin, Gotham NEEDS Robin just as much as it needs Batman, and they’re not surprised adults don’t get that, because adults have always had Batman and he’s THEIRS and even if he’s there for the kids too, Robin is FOR the kids, HE’S theirs, and look, there just needs to be a Robin, okay? 

So Duke and Tim both decide well if there’s not a Robin and there’s gotta be a Robin and nobody else seems to be doing anything about it, hey, here comes Robin! At the same time. And then drama and conflict and chaos happens, and Duke and Tim end up taken in by B doing as B does, and they both end up Robin and alternate patrols so one can have a life while the other has Batman-bonding-and-bad-guy-battling time. With Duke most often being the daytime Robin and Tim the night time Robin, though there’s rarely any confusion from them both being named Robin, because Duke’s costume is more yellow and Tim’s is more Red and people pretty much always know which they’re talking about and if further clarification is needed, they just refer to them as Red and Yellow. Not Red Robin or Yellow Robin, more like “Wait, which Robin did you say was there? Oh it was Red.”

And so they’re Robin, and are about ready to graduate from that when the undercover storyline happens, so they temporarily take on the older two boys’ mantles for them so as to keep anyone from being suspicious and wondering where the hell Nightwing and Flamebird are these days anyway. So Tim is Nightwing for awhile and Duke is Flamebird, but then Dick and Jason take back those mantles which Tim and Duke happily relinquish and replace with their new mantles, at which point Tim is Kingfisher (too much plot stuff and family history stuff has to happen before an explanation of this would make sense at this point) and Duke is something like Blue Heron, I’m still fidgeting with that one because it doesn’t quite fit but none of the other options I’ve gone through yet are better. But its definitely a Blue bird and not like a Bluejay or anything like that, it has to be something like a Crane or Heron or a bird with certain connotations along similar lines to theirs, because Duke’s family history is hugely relevant here too (and largely made up by me like Daniel Grayson’s, given the scarcity in canon) but if you look around you can probably find a bunch of meta about how I feel Duke’s powers COULD be linked to Blue Lanterns in a lot of very specific ways even if I don’t think canon is going there. 

And this isn’t to make Duke a Blue Lantern, but rather here is similar to Alan Scott being imbued by the Starheart in the 40s while in Gotham, and basically ending up just like a Green Lantern but unaffiliated, and having children who inherit similiar powers to him and wildly different powers than him at birth, due to how the Starheart changed him. So here, at the same time that happened to Alan, there was another similar object that crashed into Gotham that same night, and that imbued Duke’s maternal grandmother with all the same abilities as a Blue Lantern, but again, no affiliation to the not-yet-existing Corps. So Duke’s grandmother and her previously-unknown-even-to-him story has a lot to do with certain installments just like Daniel’s story has to do with Dick’s story, as well as the revelations about Duke’s mother Elaine having powers (like we at least have been told she does in canon) and thus where his own come from, even if by this point in the family lineage they’re not exactly like a Blue Lanterns and have their own distinct aspects as well.

And then Damian is there in time to take over as Robin after Tim and Duke, and he’s still Robin by the end of the series, so I don’t have anything firm for his later mantle.

ANYWAY, those are the names, if you want some excerpts from the series, included below are:

1) Snippet from the outline of the as-yet-unwritten story where Duke and Tim join the Batfam, which is basically kinda like my usual not!fic manner of writing, where its a bunch of scene snippets and dialogue that aren’t meant to be the final story or even likely to be in the final story, but rather serve as a placeholder for me to preserve my ‘feel’ of what I want a scene or dialogue or interaction to be like when it first pops into my head and I want to be able to recall it when I get around to actually wriitng it.

DUKE AND TIM (AND ALSO DICK AND JASON AND CASS BEING SIBLINGS WHO ARE WEIRD)

So they run into trouble eventually and then when running from trouble they run into each other and they’re like….huh. Awkward. And then they decide well, might as well both run from trouble in the same direction, I guess. So they do.

“Did you have a plan for dealing with these guys?” Tim yelled at Duke. The other boy looked back over his shoulder briefly and gave what would probably have been a half-shrug if he didn’t awkwardly try to barrel-roll over a car two seconds later.

“Umm, sorta?”

“How sorta are we talking about? Maybe the two of us together could fill in the gaps in the plan and come up with one full plan?”

“Uh yeah, no, its not that kinda sorta. I meant sorta in the sense that I thought I had a plan but it didn’t work and that’s why these guys are after me. Sooooo…”

“Not helpful, basically.”

“Yeah. Pretty much. And hey, I don’t hear you offering up a plan! Did you even have one at all?”

“Uh….I mean I kinda didn’t think I was likely going to need one because I sorta figured some kid running around in a mask basically making a nuisance of himself was the sorta thing that was bound to attract Batman and I was just pretty much running around until that happened, and then I’d make a case for how I obviously need training and Gotham needs Robin and if its not me its likely to be someone else trying eventually anywayso why not be me?”

“That’s a terrible plan.”

“I know, that’s why I never said it was a plan! It was mostly….more…idea-ish.”

“I’m just saying, I thought *I* was doing this wrong, but at least I had a plan! I mean yeah, it might have ended up with me accidentally busting in on what I thought was a bunch of Riddler’s henchmen setting up some kind of clue thing, only it was actually a bunch of Intergang type guys with alien space guns or some shit all dressed up as Riddler henchmen for some reason? Idk what they were trying to do honestly, but so yeah I might have ended up running away on foot from like twenty of them and some kind of hovercycle -”

“I’m going to cut you off there and say wherever this is going its probably not the superior vantage point I think you think you have.”

(Something like that.)

Meanwhile, Batman was not going to be coming because he’s off on a JLA mission. However, in his absence Dick and Jason are in town filling in, and they finished taking out the bad guys several blocks back and caught up to whomever was running from them, figured out the situation and are currently sitting on the edge of a rooftop watching them realize they’re totally lost and trying to figure out where to go from here. Mostly because Dick and Jason are incredibly amused listening to their back and forth and also just…this whole situation.

Dick justifies not piping up to let them know they’re safe now by saying this is good intel gathering so we can offer Bruce our assessment as to whether they’re gonna try and keep doing this whether we train them or not, and also how they handle this whole being lost situation. Not knowing they don’t have to run anymore isn’t going to hurt them and really, this is a good field exercise almost.

Jason justifies not piping up by saying this is fucking hilarious and I will hurt you if you end this any sooner than we have to, I deserve this, I had a rough week.

Which is right around the time that Cass pipes up from where she’s been lurking unnoticed behind them this whole time: “Oh no. Was it Tom? Or Ray? Or was it Todd?”

And she does it right in Jason’s ear so he kinda aborted-shrieks and almost falls off the roof except Cass is ready for that and grabs his arm to steady him.

“I hate when you do that!” Jason growls in an attempt to cover up how badly she got him and also because he hates when she does it which is why she does it a lot. Again, they don’t hate each other at all, but they do seem to act like it a lot, and neither of them is entirely sure why. They kinda just started doing it and have each been trying to get the other back ever since and ended up locked in an unending spiral of gotcha-gotchaback, except, y’know, Batfam style.

Dick occasionally picks sides just to muddy the waters. And then he randomly switches sides without warning, so neither of them ever wants to risk getting too peeved at him even when he’s helping the other, because that might push him fully over to the other side and leave them permanently outnumbered, so they’re kinda stuck, which is exactly as he likes it, lol.

“Why are you Satan,” Jason hisses dramatically as he gets up and stomps over to the other side of the roof to sulk, lest she almost knock him off again. Its not the almost falling part that bothers him, its that she’s the one that snatches him to safety each time. She’s like a freaking cat toying with a - yeah not going there, just blaming Selina. Knew them hanging out was going to be bad news for me SOMEHOW, he gripes.

Cass just shrugs and smoothly sits down cross-legged right where she is, grinning Cheshire-cat style at him from there. “Childhood trauma,” is her answer.

Except: “Great, and now you’re stealing my comeback on top of it?! Is nothing sacred to you?”

Another shrug. “Haven’t decided yet. Babs is still helping me explore my options. We’re going alphabetically and we’re only on  the E-religions.”

“God, you’re the worst. I can’t believe you ruined sisters for me.”

“You already used that same line last week when you came out of your room still half-asleep and she was just sitting directly across from your door waiting and staring unblinking and you yelped and dropped your laptop on your toe, and then cursed so loud that B came running around the hall thinking we were being invaded,” Dick reported idly, still perched in the same position he’d been in all along, and still watching the boys below them. “Just in case you thought no one noticed when you recycle.”

“I noticed too,” Cass added solemnly.

“I have no siblings,” Jason intoned. He threw up his hands dramatically and then loudly jumped down to the street below with a little help from the fire escape. It drew both Duke and Tim’s attention and they startled before realizing it was Flamebird. And that he’d landed on the street and was stalking past them while barely acknowledging them. And that that was Nightwing standing on the roof now with his hands on his hips yelling after him.

“Oh, reeeeeeal subtle. You’re not having fun anymore so you gotta make sure nobody else does either. Wow, the Brat-like behavior, just JUMPED out of the shadows with that one!”

And that was Flamebird not even turning around and just yelling back. “I HAVE NO SIBLINGS!”

And also they were both pretty sure that was Batgirl crouched on the roof next to Nightwing now, and she was…..sticking her tongue out at Flamebird’s back? No, Batgirl very much definitely was sticking out her tongue, that wasn’t in doubt, it was more just….very unexpected to see.

What was happening right now?

CUT TO:

Eventually Tim and Duke have inevitably worn down his resistance to training them by insisting they’re gonna keep doing this and if its not them its gonna be someone sooner or later anyway, because you guys may not know this but Gotham’s gotten used to Robins by now and it freaks people out not to see one and Robin’s as important as Batman really and there needs to be a Robin and its not just us that will think so like look at the fact that already two of us had the exact same idea, huh? And also, we’re gonna keep doing it anyway, sooooo….there’s that.

And then Cass vouches that they’re both 100% serious about that. 

And then Dick vouches that as a former determined daredevil kid that was absolutely going to keep doing the same thing no matter whether you’d helped me or not, B, I also am of the assessment that these two mean it all the way. 

And not to be left out and just to have something to contribute but also grumpy because his brother and sister are picking on him and he’s eighteen going on ten, Jason throws in: “And my assessment is that they both definitely seem dumb enough to keep doing this without help anyway and they definitely need help or they definitely will die, I’d give it a month, month and a half tops.”

And then Bruce dryly thanks his children for their contributions, their keen insights in this matter have been absolutely invaluable, he has no idea how he would make a decision here without it.

“Oooh, a rare sighting of Bat-snark in the wild. Someone call Nat-Geo quick, maybe he’ll do it again,” Dick says.

Bruce sighs. Duke and Tim look like they’re trying to decide if they’re allowed to be amused or if that’s also part of some weird Bat-test that they’re probably taking without even knowing it.

So Tim and Duke move in, start training together, and then also get sent to school together and it takes a month or so of settling in before they decide whether or not they actually are happy about this. There’s a period of deciding they’re supposed to be bitter rivals who snipe at each other back and forth across the dining table at every available opportunity, but that changes the first night Dick and Jason come back from the Tower since Tim and Duke have moved in and where Cass is also home instead of at the Clocktower with Babs. 

Since all three of the older Batkids, upon seeing Tim and Duke squabble at dinner, decide to obnoxiously coo about how adorable it is watching the kids play. Which pretty instantly cements Duke and Tim as realizing their best chance of surviving the sudden acquisition of three older superhero ninja foster siblings who all can be as obnoxious as they are dangerous but also as much as they are - Duke and Tim are convinced - all quite insane.

A belief further cemented the next morning, with all three of them having spent the night at the Manor as well. Treating Duke and Tim to their first Saturday morning episode of the Cass and Jason show. 

In this episode, Jason emerged from his bedroom in his pajamas still but warily peeking his head out first to look both ways down the hall before deciding it was clear…..and then makes it just almost to the end of the hallway leading to the stairs, when Cass drops down from where she’d been waiting perched above the other side of the door, in such a way as to suddenly fill the doorway just in front of him, hanging upside down suspending herself just with her feet wedged above the doorway, all while keeping her hands crossed her chest, a dead-eyed expression on her face, and with her tongue hanging out like she’s some kind of vampire hanging upside down in mid-slumber.

Jason shrieked and stumbled back a foot before catching himself and shoving two fingers in a cross shape in her direction. 

“Demon! DEMON! Goddammit, I abjure thee, that’s supposed to fucking do something about having a demon sister, now what the fuck does it take to banish you!?”

“Can’t be banished,” Cass informed him, still upside down. “Can be bought though.”

Jason halted. “What?”

“I’m really surprised you never figured it out,” Dick said from his room further down the hallway. He was leaning against the doorjamb, arms casually crossed. 

“Why did you think she never goes after me?”

Jason swiveled back and forth between his siblings suspiciously, trying to scry both their inscrutable (and in Cass’ case, still upside down) faces for signs they were telling the truth. “You’re telling me that Little Miss Monstrous has been a pain in my ass from day one and the reason she’s never so much as eked a single boo in your direction is you’ve been bribing her all this time?”

Dick shrugged. “Its all about getting in on the ground floor.”

Jason squinted, still unconvinced. “Nuh-uh. No way. You’re just fucking with me. Like if this is for real, what have you been buying her off with?”

Dick smiled beatifically. “Cuddles and hugs.”

“NO! NO! Bullshit! I am NOT falling for this crap again, you are not gonna get me this way this time. I call BS, fuck you, nuh uh, you’re lying out your ass and your ass-face.”

“Wait, what is this this I did before? What are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

“Is this about the Care Bear you had when you were fifteen?”

“Shut upppppppppppppppp, I didn’t have a Care Bear then, you’re such a - “

“Oh, I dunno, I’m pretty sure there’s some holiday photos from that year that would say otherwise, pretty definitively in the form of you and your Care Bear….”

“That I only had because you literally just gave it to me as a present solely so that you could claim that I had a Care Bear when I was fifteen, you douchebag!”

“Just because I gave you the Care Bear didn’t mean you had to keep the Care Bear and hold the Care Bear and love the Care Bear, Jay. You chose to do all that.”

“I only kept the damn thing because you’re an asshole who lied about it being a family heirloom so I felt like I had to or I’d be a total jerk. Is nothing sacred to you?”

“I didn’t lie! It is a treasured family heirloom! Its the first Care Bear I gave to my little brother to teach him the important and valuable lesson that Care Bears - say it with me now - “

“Finish that sentence and they will never find your body.”

“CARE!” Cass shrieked from behind him before jumping on Jason’s back and bearing him down to the floor in an undignified tangle as she splayed atop him like a starfish and he stared up at the ceiling in a kind of strangled frozen fury, like there was so much emotion he wanted to process he’d overheated and now was stuck like that until he cooled down.

That was when Dick leaned over him and solemnly added one final thought, as though it was a crucial addition of the gravest importance:: “A lot.”

Jason’s eye twitched. 

Dick’s eyes went wide in response. “Uh oh. He went to the Danger Zone. Run Cass. We’ve unleashed the dogs of war!”

Cass was off and on her feet in a second, taking off down the hall like a rocket. “Not the dogs of war!” She yelled.

Dick was only seconds behind her when behind him, Jason rose like an eruption, growling wordlessly and sparks practically flashing from his suddenly flinty eyes. He charged after them like an enraged bull.

“Kenny Loggins wouldn’t want this!” Dick yelled over his shoulder as he rounded the doorway and vanished. Jason rounded it in hot pursuit.

“Poison Ivy won’t even be able to make compost from what’s left of you when I’m through!”

The yelling and running vanished into the distance. Duke and Tim finally looked at each other blankly.

“What?” Tim asked. Duke shrugged helplessly.

A door opened at the end of the hallway. Bruce stuck his head out. “Is it safe?”

Tim just stared at him.

“What?” Duke asked.

*****

2) Excerpt from the first installment, “Teachable Moments,” part of a story Dick retells as he remembers his grandfather and later his father telling it to him. 

Further context for this:

In my Grayson family backstory headcanons, Daniel has a lifelong strange fascination with names, that grew out of his personal unsolved mystery of where he came from. The only thing he ever knew was that he was left at the circus in a blanket with Daniel embroidered on it, and was taken into be raised there, and by the time he was old enough to ask questions about himself, he knew everyone at the circus had known him to be called Daniel Grayson since they first met him as a baby…..but what he could never find an answer for was who decided to name him that and why. Per canon, we saw his father William Cobb hand him to Haly’s grandfather to be raised, and he told Haly’s grandfather to call him Grayson. 

So I expanded on this and so in the context of this series, Daniel of course eventually wondered where Grayson came from if no one knew where he was from, and Haly’s grandfather claimed he didn’t name him that, and refused to elaborate further…..which left Daniel with the fact that he was left at the circus and introduced to the others there as baby Daniel Grayson by Haly’s grandfather, who then later denied to Daniel being the one to pick the name and give it to him, but also denied any knowledge of where he came from.

So Daniel always knew he had to be lying about ONE of those two things, with the lie most likely being the second thing….but he could never get him to admit it, or prove it, and that kinda always haunted him in a way. And so, his fixation with names grew out of never knowing where his came from or how he came to have it, and this line from something he said once kinda sums up his obsession with it:

He’d joke about how it was itchy, like it never felt like it fit him right, and Grandma would fondly scoff and say he just thought it was too boring and plain. But Grandpa being Grandpa, he’d just take that and spin it into an agreement, further evidence he was right.

“Grayson is what you’d name a man you thought should go unnoticed and be overlooked, he’d say. “And I am not that man.”

Because that was his real problem, the thing he could never shake….he didn’t care about the name itself, because as the below excerpt touches on, he found a way to make his name work for him, to feel like it did fit him and was part of who he was by choice, by intention. He defined his name, rather than let his name define him. Its the reason the Grayson family colors, as originally worn by him, are the brightest hues he could fit together, a deliberate attempt to make him, and by extension his family’s future generations….the exact OPPOSITE of what their name denoted. He didn’t mind being a Grayson, or regret it, AFTER he took ownership of his identity despite his lack of answers and seized it, put his own mark on it, made it his….because no matter the intention of whomever gave him that name, he didn’t have to be defined by it the way they meant him to.

BUT, the fact remained that even after making his own peace with his name and claiming it as his own, definitively, regardless of any one else’s view of it….he could never shake the feeling that given the vague circumstances of his arrival at the circus and mysteriousness of where he came from, that his name “Grayson” wasn’t just random choice and didn’t just get picked out of nowhere by someone, nor did he think it was actually his family name before him, given that everything else about his origins suggested an attempt to shroud where he came from, making it unlikely that they did all that just to have him still grow up with his actual family name. So from a pretty young age, he always had this feeling that the name Grayson was PICKED to be given to him, specifically, and that this was done with a reason, it was MEANT as something…..and gut feeling due to everything combined, was the quote above. He always believed someone named him that because he was meant to be unseen, unnoticed, slip through the cracks without anyone ever paying attention…..

And its not his name itself Daniel took issue with, it was someone thinking they could just DECIDE he and his life were meant to be lived unnoticed, nothing but gray. And so his whole life he kinda devoted it to defying that idea, even if he never knew for sure, and he basically pursued the spotlight to do the complete opposite of that. He trained to be an acrobat, sought out teachers on his own, so that he’d have a way to stand out rather than just help various acts backstage, and in time he became Daniel Grayson, the King of the Sky, Haly’s star solo act until he married and he and his wife became the Flying Graysons, and then John and Mary and finally Dick as well.

EXCERPT FROM “TEACHABLE MOMENTS:”

“But there is no King of the Sky, Dickie,” he’d said to me then with a wink. “That’s the joke, you see? No one can claim the sky as theirs, no one can own it. Send your armies to claim it in your name and all you’d see is legions of empty-handed fools all grasping at air! There’s no way to draw your borders, no foundation on which you could build any walls. And where would you even put your throne?”

“He’d laughed then, mischievous and wheezing, as he recalled all the courts the circus had entertained back in its glory days, when Europe’s nobility would always each host some circus or troupe or performers at various festivals. All the kings and queens for whom he’d performed his signature feats, who’d show him off to their most important guests afterwards. The ones who had been invited specifically so they’d see that this court held only the grandest of celebrations, that they and their guests were entertained by only the very best of the best. 

“Oh, but they were always so eager to introduce me by title,” he’d said, rheumy eyes still somehow keeping their sparkle. “There they were, kings and crown princes, pushing me forward and telling their guests to come greet me, this commoner they were all too glad to proclaim royalty no different to them. After all, any king can present his guests with an entertaining spectacle, but how much grander is the king who hosts the spectacle of being entertained by another king? Ah, but they were always more than happy to elevate me if but for the night…in doing so, they elevated themselves as well. Up we all went, all without feet ever leaving the floor!”

“Names can be such a funny thing, don’t you think?” He’d sort of mused that, stroking his chin like he was pondering some great mystery. “Meaning nothing and everything all at the same time. That’s a powerful trick. Useful too, if you can master it.” 

I know I started giggling then, just because as far back as I can remember, names were always kind of a…almost a passion of his, I guess you could say. It was just this thing he did, it was like he could never just let a name be. There was always some trick to a name, he’d insist. You just had to find it. Its why our family colors were red, yellow and green, as a matter of fact. All in only the brightest hues of each, combining to make us the complete opposite of the Gray in our name. 

‘The crowd comes in to see the acrobat named Grayson, what do they expect from just the name? Drab, unremarkable, likely to be lost in the shadows, from just the sound of him. But then he dives off the platform in a burst of colors impossible to miss and the crowd gasps, expectations shattered in an instant….and from there, they think, what more surprises might possibly await? And already you have them at the edge of their seat, eyes caught by the colors of a costume its impossible to lose sight of. You command their attention, you’re unencumbered by their assumptions, and they’re yours from that moment on….and all of that from just a pop of color, a warning that you are not what they thought….and a name. A Flying Grayson, up above as expected, yet unexpectedly the brightest thing in the sky. An inherent contradiction. An impossible sight you can’t help but to see.’

“Anyway, so there I was,” Dick said, straightening up and shaking his head with a slightly rueful smile, as if to physically pull himself out of the undertow of memories tugging him further away from where he’d begun. “Already giggling just from his little chin-stroking act as he started talking about names, because I knew he was bound to say something silly next, just from that. And he’d jumped a little, and turned in his armchair to face me directly and with his full focus, because Grandpa thrived off of an engaged audience like nothing else. 

“Yes, a powerful thing, a name,” he’d continued after a moment that was either a dramatic pause or me thinking anything longer than ten seconds might as well be the same as an hour, at that age. “But a tricky business, naming things, as you first have to know what a thing is, before you attempt to claim it by naming it what it is not. And being named can just as easily be a powerful trap, of course. If a man doesn’t know himself well enough to know he is not what a name claims, he can wind up stuck in a cage that’s not sized to fit him. Simply because he doesn’t know he has more than enough room to slip free of it if he tried.”

“Then he leaned down close enough to me to whisper, and looked around as if checking we were alone before dropping into a raspy whisper like we were conspiring. “But a man who knows what he wants and knows what he’s capable of, and can put the right name to both….that’s where the real magic is. Do you know what kind of power your name has?”

“Richard means lion-hearted,” I remember reporting after some thought. And that he blew a raspberry right after that like he was the five year old of the two of us, but then, Grandpa was just like that sometimes. “Yes, yes, true enough,” he said, making a face like he’d tasted something sour, “But I don’t mean the one your father picked most likely to spite me for naming him John in the first place. No matter how many times I tell him I had nothing to do with that, I lost the right to name him in a card game with your Grandmother. Although for the record, I still maintain I didn’t lose, she just cheated. But I still have no idea how she did it so I have to respect that, I suppose. But no. Not that name. The one your mother gave you.”

“And of course then I knew he meant Robin, and said so, and he asked what that meant to me. And I remember thinking long and hard about that one, because as I said, I knew even by that age what Grandpa was like on the subject of names, and so I was sure there was some kind of riddle or game in what he was asking, I just wasn’t sure where. So finally I just referred back to what my Mom always used to say, about me being born on the first day of spring, and being her little Robin. And he just nodded, and then he asked: And do you remember the first time you called yourself Robin to someone else, and why? What you said then?”

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

But its mostly by the third installment of this series that things start simmering on the long-term Court of Owls storyline throughout this, which is where all the stuff with the Grayson backstory comes into play.

Because in finding out about Cobb and the Court of Owls and their connection to his family and intentions for him, and fighting all that and dealing with the implications, the thing is….in the process Dick of course ends up finding all the answers that his grandfather spent his whole life searching for.

So its about how the Court of Owls and Cobb’s actions and plans have affected Dick’s whole family through three whole generations, now that Dick is its endgame and he can see the full picture……which among other things, allows Dick a kind of closure for a lot of stuff with his first family. He’s finally able to solve the mystery Daniel was haunted by, and gain a big sense of validation from it, because in doing so he affirms that he and his family line aren’t really defined by their connection to Cobb, or even really the result of Cobb and his actions.

Because knowing Cobb’s intentions, knowing that HE named the Grayson family line and what it was supposed to mean….even though Daniel never got his answers while he was alive, Dick’s able to put all of that to rest in a lot of ways by realizing that his grandfather might not have ever gotten the specifics…..but he still got it right. Dick can now affirm that his grandfather guessed right as to what the person who named him Grayson meant for it to mean, meant for him to be. But Dick knows now too, that without even knowing that for sure, his grandfather managed to do all the right things in exactly the right ways to defy those intentions and spit in the face of what he was ‘supposed’ to be or do. As did John then, as well, and now as did Dick. 

And so Dick can say with full certainty that no matter where his family comes from originally, the Grayson name was never defined by what the Court interpreted it as….but as the Graysons defined it for themselves. They are what they made themselves to be, and Dick can see himself in that, his choices reflected in the ones his father and grandfather made before him, all without knowing just what exactly it was they were defying or anything like that….they did all that naturally, just by virtue of being who they were themselves, who they chose to be. And that ultimately, is what the name Grayson means to Dick….the same thing it always meant to his father, and what it always meant to his grandfather at the very beginning of their TRUE family line, the only one THEY actually claim NAME to.

The true history of Dick’s family, his first family, the true legacy of The Flying Graysons, the Kings of the Sky, is an entire century of every last one of them going “FUCK YOU, WE DO WHAT WE WANT” to ‘their ancestor’ William Cobb and the entire Court of Owls, every day of their lives.

3) UNEDITED SNIPPET, from the (as of now) eighth installment, “Its a Long, Long Way to Tipperary,” from a scene after Dick has found out everything there is to find out about Cobb and the Court’s history and how it involves his family. This is Dick talking to Jason and Cass, relaying one of his last memories with Daniel. Not edited, needs chopping, but general sentiment/idea is mostly finalized:

“Names have power,” Grandpa said to me, on one of the last days I remember with him before he passed away. We were sitting outside in folding chairs and watching the stars, until he got too cold and we had to go in. But while we were out there, so much of what he said…I didn’t really understand most of it at the time. Honestly, even what I thought I understood, I realized years later wasn’t really right. I could follow the words but so much of what he meant, I didn’t even begin to understand until I happened to look back to that night years later. 

Because even though I was mostly lost then and there, for months by then I’d heard my parents talking when they thought I couldn’t hear. I’d seen him doubled over coughing more and more frequently, how tightly he clutched a blanket around him when it wasn’t really all that cold. I may not have fully known what was coming but I knew on some level that something was coming to an end.

And I remember him talking so fast that night, words spilling out so quickly in a confusing mess like he couldn’t take the time to shape them properly and just had to get them out….I remember soaking it all in, as much as I could, knowing that it was important even if I didn’t know what it even was, or why. Like I was trying to just….absorb it, make it a part of me the way it almost felt like it was bleeding out of him. I don’t know that the thought, the image of him dying that summer, of soon being without him, I can’t say whether that actually ever occurred to me. I just know that I knew urgency, and I knew Grandpa was only urgent when it mattered, so I listened without understanding and somehow managed to store most of it away.

I could be crediting myself with too much intuition and I was just lucky, but….I don’t know why this so hard to describe. I don’t know why I’m trying to describe it, why that feels important, I just know that it does and it did. He wasn’t talking to me the way he normally did, when he’d always stop and make sure I was actually following him, asking me questions to make sure I understood what he was trying to say…..maybe that was what made the difference. Because it wasn’t just that he was talking fast, but without pausing, that’s what was the strange part. Not trying to make sure he was understood, or even caring….just trying to get it out of him, like what was most important was just that he said it and it was heard. Maybe just so he knew it wouldn’t die with him.

So I remember it all, or at least most of it, enough of it. I’d honestly gone years without even thinking of that night before I did remember it and finally try to think back to what he’d said and see if I could recall any of it, make any more sense of it now than then. And maybe that’s what baffles me. How I could have found all of it tucked away in the back of my mind somewhere when I’d forgotten I even put it there at all. It feels….it never made sense to me. That I remembered. I shouldn’t have been able to, not in so much detail, after so much time, not when there were so many other things I couldn’t even place. And yet there it all was, and right when I most needed to hear what he’d said to me that night. The things nobody else could have told me because nobody else knew the secret language of names that he seemed to speak, that he’d spent his whole life learning all so that maybe he could somehow in that find his own name.

“Names have power,” he said. “They can be magic in the right hands. A man who knows who he is knows his own name. And the things you can do with, the doors that can be unlocked…oh, Dickie, my boy. There’s a door to anywhere if you can speak the right name when asked for a key. But its not enough to just say them and throw them around, its not the sounds, the words, its what they are. You can’t pretend to know a thing, to know yourself. You have to really, truly know. But once you know….for a boy as bright as you, there’s no end to the possibilities.” 

“So here’s what you must always remember, the real trick of it all…..names have power. But the power isn’t in the name. The power is in what you decide it should be. You can’t claim a name and therein take its power, you see….because you have to be the one to put power in the name first. You have to look at it and see what you want it to be. And only then claim and make it yours, and everything that comes with it. Your father named you Richard, though he calls you Dickie, you were born a Flying Grayson and thus you always will be, and your mother named you her little Robin, born on the first day of spring. And all of these can be you, because no one is just one thing. And yet none of them are you unless you claim them to be. 

So if you are to be Robin, as your mother named you but is only you if you choose to say yes that is me…..before you claim it fully, before you truly make it yours, you have to look at Robin and what it will be when you choose to be Robin. You have to see Robin not as even your mother sees her Robin, but as you see your Robin. 

That’s the danger and that’s the trick.

You can’t claim Robin while seeing only what someone else sees, and think that by claiming it you’ve claimed its power….instead you’ve just claimed a trap, donned a self that doesn’t suit you because it is not you, only something someone else thought could be you. 

And by accepting that Robin, claiming that name and everything that comes with it….you will never be free to be more than whatever they thought you could be. There is no power in that, no potential, no freedom…..just the limitations you’ve accepted as your own, because someone thought you limited by such things, and yet you agreed that they were right when you claimed the name….but only the name as they shaped and imagined it to be, instead of you on your own.

So who is Robin? What power do you see in that name? Don’t reach out and seize it the moment someone sets it forth in front of you, assuming that is all it can be, when the truth is you will only ever then be as big or small as they imagine, and yet you can just as easily be as vast as you can dream. 

Never claim a name if you haven’t first looked at it as you first see it, and then imagine it bigger, and then imagine it deeper, and then imagine it greater, and keep going until you can’t imagine any more. And only then will you know what that name is…..when you say this name is who I truly want to be.

Robin is a bird, yes, Robin Red-Breast, a creature of spring, of the air, of new life. You can claim that and make it yours but first…..what else could Robin be?

Can not Robin just as easily be Robin Hood or Robin Goodfellow? Couldn’t you be? And why even be just one, when you can be all three? 

No man is ever just one thing, and any man who thinks that he is has more dreaming to do. Or else he’s already trapped by a name of someone else’s making, and all the confines that came with it.

Your mother named you her little bird, and maybe it fits you because you were born to fly, or maybe you were born to be Robin, and you simply chose to fly. Who can say? Who can say which Robin is the most you, other than you?

So be Robin, in as much as you imagine Robin to be. Be the bird that flies, or the champion of the poor, or the merry trickster whom even kings fear. Or be all of them in one….there’s power enough for all of that in just that one little name….so long as you put it there first.

Its that simple, and its that tricky. There is no in between. You are whatever name you claim as you. But you must know what it is as well, because it isn’t enough just to know yourself as you are…..when the name’s the thing, that which says who you WOULD be, the you that you WANT to be, that you claim THIS, this is me.

If you remember nothing else, Dickie, Richard, Robin times three or however many more Robins you might be…..

If someday you say I taught you nothing else, there’s nothing else I gave you, left for you to take with you wherever you go, hear me now, and remember this, even if only this:

No matter how well you might think it suits you at first, the name you claim because it fits you as you are, will never be more than a trap.

The power in names, the true power…..only comes from claiming the name that fits the you, that you would dream yourself to be.

Many kings of the earth have laughed as they introduced your family as Kings of the Sky throughout the years, but the jest they don’t get is for all their riches, they were the ones content to claim titles and riches that leave them trapped on the earth, confined within borders of their own makings, sealed behind walls they chose to erect between them and everything that was not theirs and thus would never be. But a King of the Sky soars above all of that, needing none of that…..because the sky has no end, and is so much vaster than any of that could ever be. 

If you would someday choose a crown, my little Prince of the Sky, never seek yours on the ground. Reach for one bigger than the ground could ever hold….only that could ever fit all that you might someday be.

[jason-todd-deserved-better]

I’m No Princess | Jason Todd x Reader

Summary: (Y/N) has been through heartbreak and discovery, with the death of her father, the instant hate for her mother, and the surprising adoption of a famous billionaire. She finally meets Jason Todd after a night on patrol, what will their relationship ensue?

A/N: Well this is my first time posting something, and I hope you guys enjoy. There might be a part 2 to this if you guys want it, so let me know. I’ve got two requests in and if anyone else wants to send one in, then please do! Love you guys and thanks for reading!

Warnings: Death, Violence, angst, and cursing.

I know that we all have our inner-demons, there’s no doubt about it, but when it gets to the point that we are both at each other’s throats for whatever little reason, then there is room for concern. It isn’t really any one person who caused this if anything it’s both of our faults that we are falling apart at the seams, yet at the same time, I can’t even think about leaving.

I love him, and I probably will till my dying breath, with our life though, there is a big possibility of that happening too. Hell, he already went six feet under but thankfully got his hard-headed ass got dragged out of his hole in the ground and then dumped into the Lazarus Pit. A few moments later, ta-da! Jason Peter Todd is all healed physically, but forever mentally scared the point of being absolutely psychopathic for a good long while.

This was before he met me of course, I got into the vigilante business during his three-year absence. The only thing I knew about him was that Robin was dead, and so was Bruce Wayne’s son, plus the dots didn’t connect in my mind that they were the same person. Again, I wasn’t worried about crime fighting back then, I was just a young girl trying to live her life, hang out with friends, keep my grades up, and make sure that my cat, Picasso, was fed/not tearing up my dad’s bed sheet.

Trust me it was a simple life back then, sometimes I wish that I could go back, just to hug my dad, let him know that I loved him and that he was what made me want to help others. My mother was never in the picture, Dad avoided acknowledging her existence anytime I would ask him about her. It used to get me extremely irritated, how can someone hide their own flesh and blood away from them? Well, I didn’t know that my mother was a psychotic, homicidal bitch that was out for my blood, and the only reason my Dad hid their identity was to protect me.

It was a normal day at school, it was towards the end of the year and everyone, including me, were just waiting for summer to commence. I was just finishing my packet for Psychology when there was a deafening explosion next to our classroom in the next room over. Everyone in the class was frozen for a moment, including me, we only ever heard about situations like this on the news, never would we have thought that anything like this would have happened. Our teacher made us hide under our desks, trying to keep calm himself, but even that didn’t help.

All of a sudden there was a banging at the locked door, and in a moment our protection to the danger outside was gone. I was peering out from under my desk, my knees pulled to my chest and my mind going a mile a minute. Glittering red heels calmly walk into the class, as if the door wasn’t just blown to smithereens, this is the point that I’m pretty sure we all realized that the Red Queen was in our midst. She struts straight to my teacher, who I could tell was trying to back away from her, even though I wasn’t able to see what was happening when she backs him up against the wall.

We all feel our hearts go up into our throats as she uses one hand to wrap around his throat and throw him onto the desk, not letting him even have a chance to scream.

She lets out a sigh, not affected at all by the suffocating man underneath her hand. “I’m here to pick up one of your students, (Y/N) (L/N).” My whole world freezes, I don’t even breathe,  but my fellow peers gasp and I could hear some of them crying, trying to muffle themselves into silence as to not be noticed by her.

He only just gurgles in response, his face turning purple from the lack of oxygen.

She clicks her tongue, annoyed that he didn’t speak. “I can’t understand you, well I guess you do have to die.” She tightens her grip and I gasp, my voice somehow coming back to me.

A crazy idea goes through my head, one that could have definitely ended with me getting my head separated from my body, but if the Red Queen wanted me, I was dead anyway. So after a deep breath, and a few choked sobs later I stand from under my desk, my eyes meeting the crazed ones of the Red Queen.

“You can have me, as long as you leave everyone else in this school unharmed.” It comes out surprisingly steady, but honestly, I was kissing my ass goodbye.

The women chuckles, her face showed age and insanity, but her laughing gets louder and louder until she stops unexpectedly. Her mouth turned down into a frown, but her hand moves away from my teacher's neck, and by some miracle, he was still alive. She snaps her fingers and two large men come into the classroom, going straight for me. There was a flash of silver but a sharp pain hits the back of my head and then everything went black.

When I woke, everything was blurry around the edges. The world was spinning and I felt like I got run over by a truck. My eyes blink in the large room, only a few lights were on but it still showed the ornate decoration of the checkered tiles and the red carpet that led to where I was.

I was unable to move my arms and legs, they were tied down and I was still out of it but still awake. What they tied me down to, strangely enough, was a throne, one of gold and rubies encrusted into the metal. But next to me was one, even grander in size and intricacy as the one I was sitting in.

It wasn’t long till the Red Queen stalked over towards me, a triumphant smile on her face as she stops right in front of me, her shadow looming over me.

“I finally found you, my darling” She brought her hand to my cheek, her nails scraping lightly against my skin. The contact makes me flinch away, the rapid movement of her hand slapping my cheek, causing a yelp to escape my throat and the jerk of my head hitting the back of the throne. “Don’t reject my affection child.” She seethes, but as soon as it came, her anger left and she walks to her throne as if she didn’t slap me.

My entire thought process in that moment was what the actual hell, but before I was able to think too hard about it the large door in the front of the throne room slams open. My breath hitches in my throat when I see my Dad get pulled into the room by two guards, one holding him on each arm. His back was straight, is face hardened into something unreadable but that turned to anger when he saw me. One of the men kicked the back of his knees, making him kneel in front of her.  

“Well well, looks as if dear old (Y/D/N) has returned to face his punishment.” The Queen’s face was smug, her entire body language was on of triumph, and I was undeniably terrified.

“Dad…” I didn’t know what to say but my expression probably conveyed all that I was feeling pretty well, complete and utter terror.

“(Y/N) I’ll get you out of this, I swear-”

The women’s laugh next to me was piercing, “Ha! Don’t count on his promises my child, he’ll just break them like how we are about to break him.”

“I’m not your child.” It wasn’t loud, but she definitely heard it.

“Oh your old Daddy never told you that he stole you away from me, the women who gave you life, did he?” It was condescending, and I really didn’t want to believe it.

“That’s not true!” My eyes were getting blurry, the tears stinging my eyes.

“It is my child, just ask Daddy dearest.” With that, the men holding my Dad down pull his head to look at me, his eyes telling me that she was telling the truth.

“I-I’m so sorry (Y/N),” My heart was breaking at his voice and the revelation that just came on. “I’m so sorry-”

“Ugh I’ve had enough of this, she gets the point now.” Her smile turns into something more animal-like than human. “Off with his head!”

I hear myself scream as all hell broke loose, more men came into the room. It felt like the world was going at a standstill, and speeding by all at the same time. They made him kneel down, for his credit he kept struggling.

He suddenly yelled out, “Now!” and that’s when a large black figure drops down from above. There was a spark of hope as Batman fights his way to my father, but I was too focused on them, that I didn’t notice that my birth mother was on the prowl towards me, until there was a knife at my throat, slowly cutting into my skin.

I let out a pained scream, Batman quickly turning towards me, the situation got a whole lot more complicated than it should have ever been. I saw my dad’s face turning towards me, he saw that it was going to be either him or me making it out of this. “Get her out of here! Don’t worry about me!”

Batman nodded and ran for us, punching my mother in the face and knocking the knife out of her hand. She landed with a yell, her men still occupied with my Dad but some go towards the fight. The Dark Knight fought them off and quickly cuts off the ropes holding me down.

“Can you stand?” His voice is was gruff and definitely in a rush.

“Y-Yeah.” He pulled on to my feet, but I look behind him only to see the Queen grabbing the knife she had at my throat, and went straight for the man who had raised me.

“No!” I cry out as she stabs him in the stomach, the guards getting knocked out by Batman and then it’s just the three of us who are standing. The Red Queen was hackling madly, but was soon knocked unconscious by Batman few seconds after she started.

I ran on my shaky legs to my Dad, bringing my hands to his bleeding stomach to try to stop the bleeding. “No no no, Dad I need you to stay with me.”

“(Y-Y/n) I’m not going to make it out of here.” He coughs, blood staining his teeth.

“Don’t talk like that! We’ll get you to a hospital, and you’ll be okay.” I continue to put pressure but his hand goes to my cheek, some of his own blood on his hands, and some of the pressure loosens from my hands.

“I love you (Y/N), forever and always.” A sob crawls out of my throat as he says this.

“F-Forever and always….” I whisper out as the light leaves my father’s his hand goes limp as I hold it to my crying face.

Everything was a blur after that. The following hours were filled with cops gathering evidence, arresting everyone involved with the Red Queen, they even arrested her thankfully. Batman stayed with me for a while, a storm raging on in his face, I knew he felt responsible, but I wasn’t angry, just hollow. Later on he pulled me aside and gave me a card, saying to call it whenever the cops stopped questioning me, that they would help.

I nodded letting out a meek, “Thank you…” I still didn’t trust my voice yet.

He gave me a brief nod, then in a flurry of black, he was gone.

The rest of the night was filled with me getting taken down to the station, getting questioned, and pitied looks from the cops at the place. After many hours they finally release me, but where was I supposed to go? Early on they notified me that my home was ransacked by Her men, that’s how she found out where I went to school, but my father wasn’t home at the time, so there was no stopping it. There was also no family I could go to, my Dad’s parents passed away before I was born and he was an only child, so no aunts or uncles.

The only thing that I did have was the number on the card that Batman gave me. He did say to call whenever I was finished, but it was three o'clock in the morning, would that even be right? Of course, that’s when it starts to pour, soaking me to the bone, and I made my decision. Running under a small covered bench, I pull out my phone, which was still in my bag after I was kidnapped. I felt bad calling, but when an older British voice answers the phone sounding wide awake I seriously surprised.

“Hello, this is the Wayne residence.” Again another shock, that made me way more nervous.

The stutter in my voice was prominent as I said, “Um h-hi, my name is (Y/N) and I-”

“Oh, we were expecting your call, Miss. Where’s your location so we could send a car to pick you up?”

“I-I’m over at the police station.”

“Alright, I’ll be there shortly, Miss.” And with that, he hangs up.

The day was wearing out on me, more than I’ve ever felt. I was leaning on the wall for support, but not long after a really nice car stops in front of my small shelter from the water. An elderly man comes out of the driver’s seat, umbrella in hand and walks over.

“Miss. (Y/N) I presume?” His face was kind, he held out a hand for me to shake.

“Y-Yes, that’s me.” I get off the wall and shake his hand.

“My name is Alfred Pennyworth, I will be taking you back to Wayne Manor,  Master Bruce would like to speak with you.” Again, my thought process that day was what the actual heck is going on with the world.

“Um okay?” With that he leads me to the passenger seat, opening the door and closing it for me, then he goes around to the drivers' side. He starts the car, then off we go to the Manor and the rest is history.

When we arrived at there, Alfred took me up to the study, then leaving me to take my bag to what he said was my room and I just stood there for a moment, knocking on the door shortly after. A voice said to come inside and there sat the one and only Bruce Wayne, standing up to greet me. I was starstruck, but after awhile of conversation I got the will to ask the question.

“Batman gave me your number, how would he have your number and how would you expect me to call? What is your connection to Batman?”

His face turns unreadable, and I thought that was a massive error on my part. “I am Batman.” Revelation number 5,000 just slammed into my brain. “You may not speak about this to anyone, I’m counting on you for that.”

“I won’t sir.” I was kind of scared but there were so many questions going through my brain.

“Just call me Bruce, and (Y/N) welcome to your new home.” And the place really did become my home.

A couple years pass, that was the new chapter in my life, and there was no going back. I was trained to become the new Red Queen, but this time instead of being one of the worst Villains in Gotham, I had made the name one of the heroes. I lost the only family that I’d known, and I could never be the cause of that pain, I also wanted to prevent it at all costs.

That life became my new normal, and it was a seemingly calm night patrolling the streets of Gotham. I was about ready to finish off, sore from a long day, and just ready to crawl into my bed.

“Bats, this side of the city is taken care of so I’m headed out, okay with you?” I say into my com.

“That’s fine, just keep an eye out on your way out.” Was his response, I guessed he wanted to stay out longer,

“I’m going to head out too RQ, it’s been a long day.” Dick says over the com. I met him a couple weeks after I got to the manor, he helped to train me alongside Bruce. While Bruce was hard, he was supportive, and he could make light of most situations.

“Gotcha Nightwing, same here. I’ll see you guys later.” With that, it goes silent on the link.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, someone was watching me. “Come out now and show yourself.”

Then there was a low whistle behind me, and I turn right around to face whoever it is. A man wearing a red helmet looking thing was there, it was giving me some mayday warnings in my brain.

“Huh, I thought you were new for a second there but I’m guessing you’re the new Red Queen everyone’s talking about. “

“You’re one to talk, I’ve never seen you before.” At this, he chuckles, not in a threatening way but it was as if there was an inside joke.

“Trust me Princess, I’m not new.”

Okay, sad to say but that annoyed me when it really shouldn’t of. “I’m not a princess.”

“Whatever you say, beautiful.”

“Who are you.” It was more a demand than a question, and I pulled out my red and black knives ready for a fight.

“I’m the Red Hood, Princess. Can’t wait for our next conversation but I’ve gotta run.” Before I could do anything he jumped off the side, grappling away.

I messaged Bruce what just happened, really irritated and kind of weirded out. Like why wasn’t he trying to fight me and was he honestly just trying to piss me off? Bruce told me to head home that he an Nightwing would handle it, no one expected the results of what was going to occur. They noticed when they first fought him that he knew all their movements to use it against them,  that he had a similar fighting style to us. All of us were even more freaked out when it was revealed that he was the second Robin, back from the dead. I came around a few years after he passed away and Bruce blamed himself for his death, but I also thought that he blamed himself for a lot of things that weren’t his fault.

Either way, this led to the Red Hood disappearing after their confrontation with the joker and he was gone. I’d seen some pictures of him around the manor, and it was odd that he was, in fact, alive out there somewhere but still felt as if he wasn’t there.

One day though I was headed out to a little unknown cafe for lunch when I see him, his hair now had a single white streak at the front, and his blue eyes focusing on the book that was in front of him.  

My heart went insane, at the time I blamed on the shock, not that I thought he looked beautiful with the sun shining through the window just right and his focus on that book. So I ordered my food as fast as I could but unfortunately, my mind wasn’t working properly.

I took the seat right in front of him, regretting it almost instantly because of how stupid it was but he didn’t even look up from his book as he says, “Long time no see Princess, looks like you missed me.”

Yeah, he was definitely trying to get under my skin. “I’m not a princess, Todd. Plus you remember me so looked into who I was.”

“I did and I’m not afraid to admit it, plus I know everyone who Bruce brings in.”

“Do you really? Then what do you know about me?” He smirks a little his eyes meeting mine,

“That you got taken in when you were 17 years old and you really one the most interesting women I had ever met.”

“Now I know for sure you’re bluffing because I’m not that interesting.”

“Then let me prove it to you, go out with me tonight and you’ll see.”

“So you’re saying you want to go on pat-”

“No, I want you to go out with me.” Well, that caught me off guard.

“You seriously confuse me.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Your Highness.” The corner of his mouth lifts up, and that was the start of something that had given me the biggest headache of my life, but also the biggest love.