#jason: guys you may want to rethink this plan

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

Oliver Queen marries Clint Barton. For real? For a mission? On a drunken bender in Vegas? Doesn't matter. The point is, they do not inform Kate or Roy who are LIVID.

[meangirls-imagines]

Hello! Can I request a Gretchen Wieners x Fem Reader where the reader has been friends with her since forever and is head over heels for her, but Gretchen is too busy obsessing over Jason. The reader is always comforting Gretchen over Jason. One day, they almost kissed, which made Gretchen rethink all her interactions with the reader and realize she's actually in love with the reader. Please make this as angsty as possible with the reader pining over Gretchen with a happy ending. Thanks!

Please Be Mine

Description: Gretchen and Reader have been best friends since 2nd grade. As years pass, Reader's feelings for Gretchen increase tenfold. Gretchen becomes obsessed with Jason. However, things change at Regina's party and Gretchen fears she's too late.

WARNINGS: angsty, happy ending, may or may not have copied glenn powell's speech to sydney sweeney in anyone but you.

It was always Gretchen and Y/N.

There was barely ever a time when it wasn't.

The two met in second grade. Y/N was sitting by herself at the playground when Gretchen noticed and invited her to play with her, Karen, and Regina.

Gretchen and Y/N were attached to the hip instantly. Since then, that's how they stayed. Through middle school crushed and puberty problems, the two were inseparable.

When they got to high school, Jason came into the picture. It's not like Y/N didn't like the guy, she hated him. Every time she wanted to hang out with Gretchen, he had to be there.

They always had designated days where they hung out so Gretchen didn't miss any days with the plastics. Since the two started dating, he always tagged along and they always did something HE wanted to.

Y/N was getting sick of it. She couldn't take it anymore. She did the only thing she could think of. She started cancelling on Gretchen.

"Sorry. Too much homework."

"Sorry. I don't feel good."

"Sorry. Something came up."

Gretchen started to notice Y/N pulling herself away from her. She couldn't figure out why. She had voiced her concerns to Regina and Karen but they had no idea what to tell Gretchen.

They had an inkling that Y/N had feelings for Gretchen but never told Gretchen, out of respect for Y/N. This just cemented their suspicions and they decided to try to talk to Y/N for Gretchen.

Well, they tried. They really tried.

Regina and Y/N shared their history class together and instead of sitting in her normal spot, Regina scared a kid out of his chair to sit next to Y/N.

The blonde tried to get Y/N to crack, but the girl just assumed that Gretchen sent her so she ignored all the attempts. Karen did the same when their english class came around, only for the same outcome.

Gretchen was getting a little frustrated. It had been days since Y/N talked to her and she missed her best friend. She missed Y/N's corny jokes that always made her laugh, how Y/N would always help her with homework, how Y/N would cuddle her during their movie nights.

How Y/N's lips always looked soft.

Wait. What?

Gretchen caught herself. Why was she thinking of Y/N like that? Y/N was her best friend, and Gretchen wasn't gay. She had a boyfriend. And she really liked him.

Right?

These feelings will go away. They're just a phase.

Oh, how wrong Gretchen would be.

It all came to a head at Regina's birthday party a couple weeks later. The blonde invited Y/N in hopes that Gretchen would be able to talk to Y/N. Plus, she liked Y/N, she was cool. Her and Karen tried to keep an eye on the two during the party.

Jason wouldn't leave Gretchen's side, much to Regina and Karen's frustration, so Y/N just hid away in a corner. The two plastics talked and formed a plan.

"Let's play seven minutes in heaven!"

Oh, shit.

Regina rolled her eyes as Kyle and Samantha came stumbling out of the closet, hair messy and clothes disheveled. She ignored the whoops and hollers from the drunk teens as she turned to Karen, who was holding the two hats with the names in her hands.

There were two left, according to Karen and Regina's plan. Regina turned to the group. "Last but not least, Gretchen and Y/N." Gretchen froze, as did Y/N. The group "oooh"ed as the two just stayed where they were.

Jason spoke up. "Well, seeing as Gretchen is MY girlfriend, I'm sure Y/N wouldn't mind if I took her place." Regina glared at the boy. "No, Jason. You had your turn with Taylor. If you wanted to go with Gretchen, you wouldn't have gone with Taylor. Sit down." Jason sat down and mumbled something under his breath.

Regina looked at Y/N and Gretchen expectantly. Gretchen took a deep breath and went to hold a hand out to Y/N.

"Shall we?"

The two sat in the closet, Y/N staring at the floor and Gretchen staring at her. They had been in there for a couple of minutes and their time was going by quickly so Gretchen decided to take the reins.

"Are we okay?" Y/N shrugged. "Why wouldn't we be?" Gretchen huffed. "Because you've been cancelling on me for our weekly hangouts!" Y/N rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Jason could hang out with you those days, why don't you ask him?"

Gretchen was caught off guard with the question but shook it off. "Why does Jason matter in this situation? I'm talking about us." Y/N shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Can we just sit in silence for the rest of the time?"

Gretchen sighed in frustration and moved closer to Y/N. "Will you just talk to me? You're my best friend and I miss you!" Y/N couldn't take it and leaned forward, pressing her lips to Gretchen's. silencing the girl.

Gretchen froze momentarily but then melted into the kiss. The two kissed for a minute before a knock was heard. Regina talked through the door. "Time's up!" The two quickly pulled away, Y/N wiping Gretchen's lip gloss off her lips. The door opened and Y/N all but ran out, before Gretchen could say anything.

Regina looked at Y/N's back and turned back to Gretchen, who looked like she was about to cry. Regina automatically started kicking people out. Jason tried to get Gretchen to go with him but the blonde stopped it.

After everyone left, Regina and Karen consoled Gretchen, who told them what happened in the closet. They told her that she needed to go after who made her happy, and that they had never seen her happier than when she was around Y/N.

Gretchen allowed her girls to comfort her before she made her decision. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't going to let anything get in her way anymore.

As her mom pulled up to the Y/L/N residence, Gretchen took a deep breath. When her mom picked her up from Regina's, she told her mom everything. Regina had graciously threatened Jason when Gretchen broke up with him earlier that morning.

Her mom had definitely told Gretchen that she should thank Regina before informing her daughter that she knew all along Gretchen and Y/N loved each other. Gretchen was shocked that her mom had already known. But her mother brushed it off as intuition.

What Gretchen didn't need to know was how Y/N's mother called her a couple weeks ago and told her that Y/N was in love with her daughter.

Gretchen worked up the courage to walk up to the front door, ready to finally make Y/N hers. Y/N's mom opened the door, shocked to see Gretchen standing in front of her. "Hi Mrs. Y/L/N, is Y/N here? I need to talk to her."

The woman smiled sadly at her. "I'm sorry Gretchen, Y/N isn't here. She left early this morning to go visit her grandparents. She'll be back in a few days. She needed some time away."

Gretchen's heart broke. Y/N was gone. She was too late. She drove Y/N away. Y/N's mom pulled her into a hug. "I'll tell her you stopped by, okay?" Gretchen nodded and turned, speed walking back to her mom's car. When the door shut, the tears flowed.

She was too late.

Y/N was sitting with her grandpa in her grandparents living room. Her grandmother was in the kitchen putting something together for lunch. "Hey Gramps, when did you know you loved Nana?" The older man chuckled. "Since the first time I laid eyes on her, why do you ask, kid?"

Y/N sighed. "I think I'm in love with my best friend." Her grandfather laughed. "That Gretchen girl? I could've told you that!" Y/N looked at her grandpa and frowned. "What are you talking about?" The man shook his head and called for his wife.

Y/N's grandma came around the corner. "Honey, how long has Y/N been in love with that Gretchen girl?" The woman chuckled. "For as long as I can remember." Y/N's jaw dropped at the answer. "And how long has Gretchen been in love with our granddaughter?"

Y/N looked confused as her grandmother laughed again. "For as long as I can remember." Y/N frowned. "No. Gretchen isn't in love with me. You guys are joking. Y/N's grandma shook her head and sat next to Y/N on the couch.

"Sweetheart. That girl, whether she wants to admit it or not, is in love with you." Y/N shook her head. "No she isn't. She's straight. And how do you guys even know this?" Y/N's grandma smiled.

"Because she looks at you how your grandfather looked at me when I walked down the aisle." Y/N's heart stopped. Did Gretchen really look at her like that? Looking back, there were times when Y/N would look at Gretchen in school to find her already looking her. And she did notice the girl was very affectionate with her.

Holy shit. Maybe Gretchen was in love with her.

Gretchen has had the shittest two days.

First, Jason wouldn't stop trying to talk to her. Thankfully, Regina was always with her. Her and Karen had been very protective after what happened to Gretchen. They had gone over to her house to comfort her about Y/N.

Second, the hoodie of Y/N's she had didn't smell like her anymore.

And third, Y/N still wasn't back from her grandparents house.

She was starting to find herself deeper in this depression hole. Regina and Karen were trying but they were seeing Gretchen retreat into herself and it was killing them.

They had tried to cheer her up by talking shit about Jason, gossiping, shopping, but nothing was working. They had decided to bring her out to a party one night but she wasn't feeling it and left early.

They had run out of options. Luckily for them, their savior was arriving soon.

Gretchen had dragged herself out of bed at 3:30 am to the sound of something hitting her window. Her dad was on a business trip and her mom was out of town at a friend's bachelorette party. So, she was extremely confused as to what was going on.

She threw her curtains open and looked out her window, only for her breath to hitch.

There was Y/N. In her front yard, holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers. The girl lit up at the sight of Gretchen. She waved and pointed towards the front door.

Gretchen took off running to her front door, almost slipping down her stairs in the process. She threw the door open and launched herself into Y/N's arms, melting into the embrace. Y/N tightened her arms around Gretchen, burying her face in her neck.

Gretchen went to speak but was interrupted by Y/N.

"Gretchen, it's been seven years since we met and I can't think of a day where I haven't been with you. I was a bitch. The way I handled everything. Especially that night." Gretchen sighed. "Yeah. That wasn't great. Why did you leave?" Y/N sighed. "I thought you were gonna regret it. And I couldn't face the idea of losing someone I really love."

Gretchen sniffled, tears shining in her eyes. "That night was the first thing I haven't regretted in a long time." Y/N took a deep breath and just talked.

"I love the way we fight. I love how smart you are. I love the weird way you always know what's happening with people. And I love how you know what you don't want. And if it's not me...if I don't check all your boxes, if I'm not the one, I get it. But that would really, really fucking suck."

Both girls stood staring at each other with admiration and desire. Gretchen looked at Y/N. "So are you gonna kiss me now?" Y/N smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I am."

Y/N surged forward and pressed her lips to Gretchen's, properly kissing her now. Gretchen melted into the kiss as Y/N pulled her closer to her. It felt like the world was right again as the two kissed passionately. It was everything Gretchen had dreamed of.

They pulled away after a couple minutes for air as Gretchen leaned her forehead against Y/N's. "I've wanted to do that for so long. Can we do that forever?" Y/N smirked, kissing Gretchen's nose. "We can do it as much as you want, baby."

Gretchen took the flowers from Y/N, putting them in water before leading Y/N to her room. The two girls got in Gretchen's bed and snuggled up to each other. Gretchen whispered into the darkness. "Y/N, what are we?" Y/N pulled the girl closer. "Whatever you want us to be, baby. We have a whole future ahead of us." Gretchen smiled and closed her eyes.

They would figure it out.

[agirlwholovesrockstars]

𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖒𝖊 𝖋𝖊𝖊𝖑 𝖇𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖓𝖊𝖜

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮

"𝘛𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯"

彡 𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽 彡

✦ 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 | 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 ✦

𝕾𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞 : locked away from freedom yet again, you've come too far, you wouldn't let your guard down, won't lose hope because of one good reason

𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙 : light and straight to the point, I promise

𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 : 18+ Knight!Eddie Munson x Princess!FEM!reader, language, reader and Eddie are both (21), Henry is (30+), Jason (my apologies), use of y/n, age gap, manipulation, arrange marriage, Jason is so eager to make reader give up- so, beware of how I made him so toxic in this, harassment, rumors, town gossip, denial, reader having trust issues

𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝕰𝖝𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙 : the awaiting fluff will come over soon, the first chapters will be a lot of ANGST! , the story is set in 17th century, upside down exists in this series, dark fantasy, romance, drama, action, slight Wayne reoccurring, if you squint 🤫

𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊 𝕿𝖔 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗 : the frequent likes and the reblogs, keep em' coming because I'm literally so stoked to see y'all loving it! even though I'm still shy and couldn't believe that this little series of mine will be seen! 🥺🫶🏻

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗 𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊 : I'm honestly itching to literally jump to the big revelation of Eddie's character in this, just wait til' see you guys- good things comes to those who wait ;))

☆ EDDIE MUNSON'S MASTERLIST ☆

❣ AGATHA'S MAIN PAGE ❣

You woke up in your bedroom

Haunted

Haunted, by the fact that you came back here again, the place you once you called home

Now, the place, upside down, the one that many people say it's a horrific world

It is given that it's indeed scary to live there, you wanted to go back because you felt much more safer there

The duality of being in here, in your palace, where it's normal, you know it in yourself that you will always choose, the unusual place

The upside down

You're are now dreading to go outside with Henry and Jason

"You only lived there for a month, Y/N"

Jason's voice echoes into your mind, he told that to you while removing the bind from your wrist

You don't care

You really don't give a shit that he's talking about

You never felt more secured since your father disappearance when you're with Eddie

In all of your 20 years of life, funny, you've almost forgotten your birthday today

It's just not the same anymore

You loved your home, you really do

But ever since that night, it changed everything

Every corner, every room, every inch of your place is now tarnished and tainted by the creeps that is now roaming all over your home

"Miss?"

A knock from your door, taken you back into the reality

You begrudgingly sighed as you sit up

"You may enter"

"Morning, your grace" your maid arrives with a tray of breakfast

You eat up as you already planning to escape again

You've noticed that your maid hasn't left your chambers yet

You knit your brows together as you watch her hesitant to speak out loud

"Can I say something?"

"Go on"

She looks over at your door before she spoke up, she leans closer as she whispers

"I know- the king, your father has already warned you about people like them but he is right, your excellency"

You chew slowly as you listen

"I don't know, if you'll believe me but I saw Henry, he has the ability to lift things with his hands"

You blinked "I'm sorry? What?"

she struggles to explain as she stutters "I-I think, Henry has powers"

The last words that she told you, it's like only for you to hear as she speaks it so low

You stare at her as you try to rethink all of the interactions that you had with him before

"Don't worry, I believe you, thank you for telling me"

"Your most welcome-"

"Y/N, morning"

as if on cue, speak of the devil, Henry came inside your room unannounced, you covered yourself with blanket, conscious about his actions

"Is she troubling you?"

You and the maid looked at each other as you think for a better valid reason that'll work

"The eggs are a bit runny, I'm just explaining her how to cook it the way that I like"

You gave her the tray as she took it and leaves the room

"Don't you have any manners, Henry?" You cleared your throat

The way he looks at you, you can't really tell if he's being genuine or not

You don't see that when you look at Eddie

"Oh, pardon, my intrusion, princess- I just wanted to see you how you're doing"

You wrap your arms around yourself hoping that he'll take the hint that you're shielding yourself

Your white nightgown is so thin and see-through, you glanced at your vanity, there's your robe draping in the rim of your chair, god- you wished you've worn it, the only decent that's covering you it's your blanket but you can't help but feel naked in front of him

"I'm fine, thank you for asking" you briefly look at him straight in the eyes

"Accept my apologies on the behalf of Jason, I know he's taken you too far from any inconveniences, he can be so arse about his duties but he's a strong soldier and I trust him"

You tried your best not to roll your eyes at his utterance

He's a fucking asshole, alright- that's all he is

You lick your lips as you try to muster up "You have my forgiveness, but Henry, next time, you'll knock before you enter my room" your face expression has that strict look

He nods as he humbled down towards your tone

Your maid came back with your breakfast tray, Henry has still have something more to say but decides against it

"I'll leave you to it" Henry tug up a small smile to you as you nod at him

Why don't you bring the smile back at him?

Once he shuts the door behind him

You fall back onto your bed as you say while you look at the ceiling

"I am conflicted whether he is being honest or not, his aura is so questionable to me"

"Your highness, your food might get cold-"

"To you what can you say about him?" You raise yourself back up to your position before as you ask your maid

"Uh- he's plucky"

You snorted "Right on, I can agree with that"

"How can we passed the guards?" Gareth says as he carries his things

"People can recognize us!" Jeff puts on a scarf over his neck

"So, let's disguise then" Eddie covers himself a cloak with a hood and he gave the others the same thing

"Oh, isn't that just so easy to hide! I know you care for the girl but are you sure this is going to work?" Gareth sarcastically smiles as he reasons with Eddie

"Not that only he cares for her but also he loves her" Jeff shoots a wink at Eddie as he puts on the cloak

"I am going to skin you both alive" Eddie who is annoyed while the two starts snickering and an amused Enzo approaching them

"What's this that I hear? Now, I get it why she pulled that act for you"

"That was nothing- it's just these two are getting on my nerves" Eddie scoffs as he clutches his sword and went out first in the portal

"Oh my fucking great" Gareth frustratedly throw his hand up

"What is it?" Jeff questions him as he watches his friend stressed out

Gareth points to your castle that is literally miles away ahead from them

"Do you think we can still get there alive?" He looks over at Eddie who is squeezing his eyes, restraining every part inside of him not to annihilate- he is still annoyed at the thought that he might have feelings for you

"You gotta have a lot of faith, Gareth" Eddie told him as his friend rolls his eyes at him

"Good thing, there aren't people around to see us" Enzo looks around the woods that leads to town

"Let's get going" Eddie nods as all of them start walking

It's weird to wear your gowns

It's weird to walk around the halls of your home with your heels clicking

It's weird to have someone help you to get ready, you don't want this and you don't need this

You want to get out of here

You want to be with someone who can fix this whole madness

You're headed towards at the library that way you could avoid talking to them

But, the moment you turn on the other side, Henry is there

Shit

Before you could turn your heel around, he spoke your name as you shut your eyes as you sighed, you look back at him

He straightens himself up as he looks at you

From your face and your whole get up

"You look ravishing, Y/N"

You really don't wanna talk to him

"Uh- thank you, I should be going-"

"Please- don't" he took your hand in his as you look down at it and back at him

He saw your untrusting expression that is targeted at him, he quickly rips his hands from you

"I know we get off in the wrong foot, but, can we please- let's just start over?"

You want to believe him

You really do

But, something else is holding you back to get close to him

You cannot read to what he meant behind those eyes

Why do you get the feeling that he is hiding something?

Is he really being truthful to you?

"I-I don't know, Henry"

"But we could start slow- that's fine by me"

You shift in your stance as you finally look at him

His eyes are longing for you?

"How could I know that you're not tricking me?"

"I am not, Y/N, I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you"

"Can you give me some time to think about it?"

"Of course" his smile is hopeful and somehow you're still taking precautions to his actions

But, your words are promising to him

That's progress

"Oh- what a fucking picturesque that you're both going on, hmm?" A slurring Jason appeared before you

You rolled your eyes at his drunken state

"Let's not, Jason" Henry narrows his eyes at him as he shielded you away from him

"Did you asked her about the marriage?"

Your soft eyes went aflame as you glare at Henry

"No- it's not what you think, Y/N!" Henry grumbles as he looks at Jason

"Don't you see it? Y/N? He likes you!" Jason chuckles as he tries to balance himself

"Go to fucking hell, Jason" You spat as you leave them both together but before you could do that he blocks your path

"Now- don't you dare walk out of me!" He grabs your wrists as he hold you tightly

"Let me go! Jason!" You grimaced at his alcoholic breath as you tried to take off the grip that he has on you

"Jason- get your hands off with her!" Henry had enough of him as he hold him back off with you

Jason wouldn't let go as Henry fumed at him

He had no choice but to....

A sudden force that made he him move away from you as your eyes widened, knocking off Jason at the wall as he drops to the floor

Your maid earlier told you about this

But, seeing this in action made you feel shocked even you already knew

You're petrified as you blink rapidly as you watch Henry wiped off the blood from his nose with the back of his hand

You take a step backwards but Henry felt you moving away from him

"No- no- no" He moves closer to hold both of your forearms

As you start shaking in fear, you flinched at his cold touch

"Please, don't be afraid"

You tried to speak but you couldn't as you start to sob quietly

"I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, Y/N- I would never hurt you" he starts to cradle your cheek as you watch his movements

"This is what I fear of you, you being scared of me"

You let the ghostly tears fall as he uses his thumb to remove it, you try to gain back your composure

"Henry, please, I need a moment to breathe"

He blinks as he nods at you as he gives you some space

You look at Henry and then back at Jason who is unconscious

This is a lot to take in as you breathe out

"Can I be excused?"

"Yes, you can, Y/N"

You muttered a quiet thank you as you directed yourself towards your chambers

You cupped your mouth as you try to replay of what just happened, Henry watches you go with a look of worry on his eyes

As much as you wanted to handle this on your own

You can't help but to need someone beside you

You want him and you need him

You need Eddie

The four men, rest and build a camp as Eddie always

Always looking at your castle from afar

The journey that they're taking, they're in the middle of it, he's almost there

"You know she won't appear if you look at it more often, right?" Gareth swirls the ladle on the pot that he's cooking soup for dinner

He scoffs as he sits on the rock with arms crossed

"I'm just worried for her, man" Eddie deeply sighs

"Jason is such a dick, I swear" Gareth brings up the interaction that happened before

"But we haven't met Henry yet, we have no idea who he is, maybe he is not awful like him" Jeff suggests

"That young man has taken over her financial services" Enzo recalls as he cleans his weapons

"I take back what I said, they're both assholes" Jeff shakes his head to Enzo's remark

"Here, you have to eat- I know she'll be fine" he hands him a bowl of soup

"I know that she can but I just wished that I was there with her through all of it"

Gareth smiles at him

Eddie is confused at it as he starts to slurp the broth at the edges of the rim of his bowl

He swallows "What?"

"Nothing, I just- you always seem so serious and now it looks like because of her you had the another reason to live"

He tug up a smile as he says "As much you're a pain in the ass, but, yeah she is"

"You both know we could hear to what you're both talking about, right?" Jeff speaks as he pours himself another bowl

Enzo chuckles as he drinks from his cup

"Stop ruining the moment, man!" Gareth yells out to him as all of them shared a laugh

The firepit smoked off as the sunrise shines through out the area

"She's getting married!"

"To whom?"

"Henry!"

"Isn't he like too old for the poor girl?"

Eddie registered the sounds of the townspeople that is too close for him to hear

Good thing, there's a bunch of bushes around their camp

He sits up as he listens at them

"When did you hear it?"

"Just today, I think they're preparing the wedding soon enough"

Eddie buried his face with the palm of his hands as he runs his fingers through his hair

He looked at his companions, who are still asleep as he breathes deeply

Why would he feel disappointed?

He mustn't feel this way since

You're not even his

Maybe, your kindness and sweet demeanor towards him, he misinterpreted it

That's where it dawned on him, it hit him like a ton of bricks, his heart dropped when he finally comes to the realization

He loves you

He feels that he is running out of time, it's like he is trying to reach you but now he can't help but to feel that you're slowly slipping out of his touch

He remembers what you told to Jeff that you're about to married to him, but you didn't want to, you clearly told all of them that you don't want to be a part of it

But, you still don't want it until now? right?

No, he will not let the other people get into him, it mustn't be true

He let them get into his head and his thoughts

He will come and get you

He stood up and wakes Gareth

Gareth groaned as he uses his arms to propped himself up "Wha- What is it?"

"We're losing her, let's go"

Henry is startled by your presence, his face falls when he saw you so upset, watching you very closely with concern as he follows you behind your back

Enraged by the news, you entered the main room as you pushed the doors wide open with anger rushing through your veins

"Jason, I have the bone to pick with you, what was that about?!?"

If doesn't that make you feel mad even more, he is sitting in your father's chair

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, princess" he acts like he didn't do anything

God- you want to scratch his smug face off

"Oh, I know you're the main reason why everybody talks about it"

"About what?"

"You're the one who fucking spread it!"

Henry who is unaware of it all, he looks at you and to Jason who just shrugs at him

When Jason didn't gave you answers and that adds more to the fuel that you're having right now

You feel so freaking on fire that you could explode, you turn to Henry still having that frown on your face

"Are you on this? Did you have something to do with it?"

"Wha- What?! No- I don't even know what you're implying to"

"Your most trusted fucking dipshit soldier, he told everyone that we agreed on the arrangement which we're clearly not!"

The last lines you shout it out to Jason who is so smugly couldn't careless to what you're dealing with

Henry facepalmed as he says "Jason, what the hell?!?"

You lift your gown as you exit the room, you want to scream

"Is the only way to get her controlled!"

"Controlled?!? Do you have any idea to what you just started?!?

He scoffs "This isn't supposed to be big deal anymore, they already knew all about it and I just confirmed it"

"She is not ready! Let's give her some time"

"There is no time!"

Henry put his fingers on the bridge of his nose, he looked back seeing you aren't being there anymore

That's what he thought

You're hiding behind closed doors, listening to their argument

He exasperatingly sighs as he begins "I cared for her and because of you she can't even trust me completely because I'm with you!" He points at himself

"You thought me being drunk last night- I wouldn't know to what you just did to me? Okay, fine let's see she'll grow on you like you told me before" Jason pushes his chair back and stood up as he walks towards to Henry

"How did she handle it when she finds out that you had powers?"

You tensed as the memory flashes back at you

Henry sighs in defeat as he couldn't fire back at him

He chuckles "See? That's what I thought"

"It- It wouldn't change anything" Henry still believes that you can

He knows that someday you'll believe him

You couldn't bear to hear more of it so you walk away

"It wouldn't be the same once the truth is out"

Henry leaves him as he shuts the doors angrily

"We have to get inside here" Enzo opens the door that leads the way towards the dungeon

"Seriously, man? The dungeon?" Gareth roams his eyes over the prisoner's cells

"It's the only easy way to get inside" Enzo whispers as he ducks his down at the passing royal guards

"He knows what he was doing, let's just get on with it" Eddie told them as they went all in

It's nail-biting to get caught, but they managed to get further more

When the four of them passed the other prisoners

There's someone in particular that caught his attention

He looks more closely as he looked at the elder man who is asleep

Why do he felt that his heart is telling that he knew this man

He heard the clicks of heels that says someone is coming

He hides himself quickly, he looks over that his friends already far left ahead of him

He's about to leave until....

He heard your voice

You mentioned a name

The voice that he missed so much

He wants to hear it all the time

The tendency is very strong to make him self appear right then and there, if you could only see his eyes twinkle

He took a step but someone else is with you

"Y/N, what are you doing here?"

You came for him because you had no one else to lean on

"I was- just checking if anyone is doing their job"

He hummed "That's my job, princess, leave that to me"

Wayne stirred from his sleep as his eyes adjusts at the figure before him

His eyes sparked that he saw you in there, but you can't do anything to talk to him

Because of him, Henry

You glanced at Wayne who is directly looking at you

"Sire, there's a witness that someone came out of the portal"

You placed your hand over your mouth trying to be subtle not to react at the report that the guard just told Henry

Eddie went out? To look for you?

"What?"

Henry take a one last look at you "Duty calls, you sure you'll be fine by yourself here?"

"I will be so glad if you're not snooping around me so much" you think to yourself

"Yes, I'll be good"

Henry nods as he leaves by the door

You sigh as you kneeled down in front of the bars that Wayne's caged in

"Wayne, I'm sorry, I didn't knew that you're here- I wasn't aware that you've been here all along"

You can tell from his eyes, he is like candle that's melting- he's tired

"it's alright, Y/N, you don't have to feel sorry for me"

You turn your back and you saw the key that laying on the table "I have you to get out of here"

You inserted the key but he stopped you to unlock it

"Y/N, I'll survive but you have to leave"

"I can't just leave you here again, no- please there's so many things that I have to tell you!"

"What is it that you're trying to tell me?"

"It's Ed-"

Wayne placed a finger in the middle of his lips as he shushes you

You overheard Jason and one of his guards coming closer

"Where is she?"

"I think she's in the dungeon, sire"

"You let her in there?!? She must've been talking to-" Jason grunts as he quickly picks up his feet to get on to the other room

You hide yourself on the other side, you almost shrieked at the hooded figure next to you, so, you ran away from it- too freaked out at the person that you bumped

You almost saw him

You almost reunited

You almost met the eyes of the person that you're trying to get back to

Eddie could've stopped you but before he can do it, you already scurrying away from him

He followed you to where you went but he couldn't find you

"Eddie! Where have you been?" Gareth pulled him back in the corner to where no one can see them

"it's Y/N- she scurried away because it was dark inside she didn't even realized it was me"

"You saw her?" Jeff gasps as he looked over at the halls for you

Enzo sighs as he rests his back at the wall

"I-I heard him"

"Who?"

"Henry"

"Did you saw his face?"

"Not clearly, but you we're right he wasn't like Jason but Y/N is so wary of him"

"What else?"

"She was talking to someone, someone she called Wayne-"

"Wayne? Wayne is still alive?" Enzo held him by the shoulders, the three young men are astounded to his sudden action

"Yes, he is locked up in there" Eddie uses his thumb directing at the dungeon

"You'll look for Y/N, I'll handle Wayne" Enzo implies as he headed at the dungeon

"Let's go, boys" Eddie nods

You closed the door behind locked it as you catching up with your breath as you pant from running

You eyes land on the documents that are scattered all over your father's desk

You walked forward picked up the papers, you feel sick to your stomach

Jason, he forged a marriage document of you and Henry

Much to your dismay and out of anger, you crumpled the paper that you're holding, you throw the rest of the papers and push everything out of the desk, you screamed harder as you fell down on to knees

You breakdown and cry for the first time, you really don't want to be like this

But, you can't help but to release everything that is killing inside of you

You're too enervated by all of this

You went out of the room, you have to confront him once and for all

"Look!" Jeff points at you as they hide

"It's Y/N!" Gareth whisper-shouts

"She looks-" Jeff frowns at the look of your face

"Distraught" Eddie is disturbed by your state

Wrath and Despair are nestled in your enchanting face as you stomping around as you look for someone

If things aren't like this, he would've worshipped you of how beautiful you look

"Let's follow her" Eddie says as they tailed behind you

"Jason!"

"Hmm?"

"You better explain yourself!" you held up the now crumpled contract in front of him

"What- what the hell did you do to it?" He snatched the paper away from your hands as you scoffed

"What did I do? You should be punished for your crimes, Jason!"

"Why are you so stubborn? I am saving you from your debt!"

"You clearly missing the point here- don't change the fucking subject, I don't want any marriage!"

"You don't have anybody anymore, princess, you have no choice just face it"

"Whatever it is that you're trying to do, I will deny it!"

"Is it because of that boy isn't it?"

Jeff and Gareth looked at Eddie who is fiery watching you ranting with Jason

Don't crack

Don't let him see through you

"He has nothing to do with this-"

"You're so foolish, Y/N"

"No, I am not-" you're seething and you start seeing red as you move closer to him

He wanted to say something to make you even more furious as you didn't let him cut you off this time

"He held my life within his hands, Jason, you don't know anything what you just done to me- he created everything I am"

Eddie's eyes softens at your words, he tilted his head at you

You care for him as much as he cares for you?

You tear the fake marriage contract in front him into pieces as he watches in horror

You leave him at that as he throw words at you and you didn't even care to what he was saying

As you continue to walk, the same hooded man earlier hold you by the arms and pinned your back on the wall as you protest

"Quiet down, it's me"

You calmed as you heard the familiar voice

The man before you, he takes off his hood as his eyes yearns for you

The words caught up in your throat, you feel lighter as a feather as you take him in

Your eyes are rimmed with flooding tears

"Eddie?"

[wordsfromthesol]

Opposites Attract (1/3)

Author: @wordsfromthesol Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader Summary: You are Oliver Queen’s sister, though you retired from the hero life, when Roy asked for your help tracking down a member of the Untitled you couldn’t say no. After all, he was more like a brother to you than Oliver was. Warnings: Language Word Count: 1.7k

Part 2    Part 3

“Alright Roy, no more begging. I’ll come. How much time do I have, I’ve been out of the game for a while.”

“Oh Y/N/N, these are skills you never loose. You’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, yeah. Where are you guys shacked up now?”

“Gotham…”

“Seriously?” You could barely get the word out through your stifled laughter.

“I’ll text you the directions.”

Of course they are in Gotham, as much as the pretty boy doesn’t want to admit it…he likes being close to family. At least, that’s what you gathered from your conversations with Roy. You hadn’t actually met the infamous resurrected Robin. You opened the door to your safe room and gathered your equipment. You always knew that you would be pulled back to the life, not that you minded. A year ago, it had all just gotten to be too much…too many losses too quickly and you refused to lose yourself.

You arrived in Gotham early the next morning and followed Roy’s instructions, which brought you to an abandoned warehouse. How fitting. Once you go into the elevator, it was like you were in a completely different place, these boys and their hidden bases, you thought shaking your head.

“Roy?” you called out, unsure of any traps you may set off by wandering too far.

“They’ve already been disabled, find yourself an empty bedroom and I’ll be there in a minute!”

What a welcome. Though, you didn’t know what else you were expecting. Roy was more like a brother to you than Ollie was. Given the age gap, Oliver always felt like he had to be your father figure, especially since yours died before you even knew him. Robert was apparently his name, but you’ve only ever seen pictures.

You found a bedroom that seemed empty enough and threw your bags just inside the door so you could explore your new accommodations. You find your way to the kitchen, just as you hear screaming from down the hall.

“Whose fucking shit is in my room?!”

Whoops, I guess you picked a room that wasn’t empty after all. You ran down the hall to meet your new cheerful team member. “Sorry, guess I didn’t realize this room was taken!” You grabbed the duffel bags and threw them into the room across the hall. “You’re Jason, right? I’ve heard so much about you! Sometimes I think you and Roy should just get together.”

Jason just glared at you, unwavering.

“Right, well. Aren’t you just a peach? Roy? You around?”

“Calm your tits, I’m here,” he says while sauntering into the hallway. “Let’s head to the living room and I can read you in.” You followed Jason and Roy into, well more of a mission planning room than a living room.

“So, I haven’t seen her Highness here. Guess I’ll be surrounded by testosterone for this one?”

Roy’s gaze dropped to the floor, “yeah, Kori’s off-world. Some Tamaranean drama. She said she’d call if she needed back-up.” Looking back up at you, “so we needed a third. We got some intel about a member of the Untitled’s whereabouts.”

You had heard of them, something about powerful evil immortals. “And we are trying to kill an immortal? You got a plan for that?”

“Leave that part to me.”

“It speaks! Roy, did you know this one could speak?!” Your intentions were more to cheer Roy up, rather than piss Jason off, but your comment seemed to do both.

Jason clenched his fists, while Roy held back laughter, “Oh come on Jaybird, lighten up!”

“Who is this chick anyways? And why do we need her?”

“I warned you that I would call back-up if you wanted to go on a mission without Kori. This chick is the back-up. Meet Eclipse.”

“Oh, let’s not be so formal my dear brother.” Jason shot a confused glance towards Roy, but you continued before he could comment. “Name’s Y/N Queen. Yes, those Queen’s. I’m Oliver’s sister.”

“Great, just what we need. Another fucking archer.”

“Oh, calm down helmet head. I did not take that family trait. My skills lie closer to that of your older brother.”

“Your skills wouldn’t even compare, this annoying positive attitude could give his a run for his money though.”

“Well someone has to counteract all… (you wave you hand in his direction) that.” You gave him a cheerful smile, one he did not reciprocate. Silence soon took over the room.

“Oh…you two are done antagonizing each other?” Roy finally piped in. “Anyways, Y/N, Jason’s right. There’s not much we can do, well me and you. Killing the Untitled is something that’s on him.”

“Okay…so why am I here?”

“The Untitled don’t travel alone, Y/N/N. Does anyone with so many enemies? Plus, we need to be there to pull Jason out…if things go south. He doesn’t always have the best judgment when it comes to the outcome of a fight.”

“You know I’m sitting right here.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes you need to hear it Jaybird.”

“AWH, Jaybird. I’m using it.” For some reason, you couldn’t help but press his buttons.

“No.” Jason stood up and walked back to his room, leaving Roy to finish going over the plan with you. It seemed simple enough, but the timeline is what bothered you.

“Roy…” you glared at him, “this supposed deal doesn’t go down for a month. Why am I here now?”

“Well you said you were rusty.” And with that Roy quickly retreated to his room before you berate him further. It’s true, you were know for your sunny disposition, but once you got angry all bets were off. You had known Roy for 12 years now, in fact he was your main sparring partner once Ollie trusted him enough to introduce the two of you. Even though he was 2 years older, you had been training since you were 5.

You spent the next few days in the gym, relying on your muscle memory to bring you back to your vigilante days. Once you were satisfied, you went off to find Jason. After all, you had spent years sparring with Roy, you knew all his moves as he knew yours. You wanted a challenge, and well, to know you stood a chance going back in the field after your yearlong sabbatical.

*Knock knock*

“Jayybirdd”

“Fuck,” you heard him mumble through the door, “What do you want Y/N?”

“Thought you may want to knock me on my ass, since I annoy you so.” The door swung open, and Jason stood before you wrapped in a towel.

“You know, I just showered, but honestly, there’s no way I can pass that offer up. Give me 5 and I’ll meet you there.” You nodded and walked towards the gym.

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea Y/N/N…” Roy called out behind you.

“Well we all know you wouldn’t be a challenge for me”, you smiled with a wink and continued down the hall, ignoring his warning.

You weren’t sure what to expect, you had never seen Jason in the field, but you were definitely surprised when this rhinoceros sized man danced effortlessly around the ring. You figured he would be more of a brute strength type of fighter – but given his mentor, you should have realized Batman would never condone relying on strength alone.

The two of you had been at it for almost an hour, it seemed like neither of you could get the upper hand. Suddenly, you caught a break, jumping to kick him in the chest put him off balance just enough. You quickly swept your leg at the base of his feet, planting his back firmly on the ground. Without hesitation you jumped and pinned his wrists to the ground.

“Ha! Pinned you.” You relaxed your grip but couldn’t will yourself to get up. An awkward amount of time had definitely passed, way too long for you to still be straddling his abdomen. Suddenly you felt him kick his legs up. He easily freed his wrists and used the momentum to propel you both upwards. Now standing straight up, you realized you were clinging to him like a koala. Quickly you jumped down, as he said, “Next time, maybe try to keep me pinned doll,” and walked out of the ring.

You were left standing there, stunned, until you heard a faint chuckle, followed by clapping in the background.

“Wow…what a sight to behold. Y/N lost for words. Really, you guys should just fuck and get this tension out of here.”

“Wh..what?! Why…”

“Just a thought…” Roy mumbled as he walked away.

You and Jason continued to spar throughout the week, though his cold demeanor and off-hand comments were really starting to get to you. Jason walked into the kitchen one early morning and opened with, “Why did a spoiled brat like you even become a vigilante? You could have hired bodyguards and ignored all the hardships the rest of go through, like most of your kind do.” Roy walked in just as you snapped.

“What the fuck have I done to you, Todd? Please enlighten me.”

“Doll, I can’t list it all. It would take all day, and probably most of the night, and frankly I have better things to do.”

Silently you stood up, walked over to him and slapped him. Hard. You walked immediately to the gym, needing an outlet for the anger building up inside.

“Dude, you have no idea what her life, or rather lack thereof, has been like. Y/N never got a choice, Oliver came back from the island when she was 5 and immediately started training her. He sent her alone to the island when she was 9, and she had to find her way back. When I met her a few years later, she had more scars than any person ever should, let alone a 12-year-old.” Roy looked up him, “If this is your way of flirting, you should probably rethink it buddy.”

It took a lot to make Jason feel guilty, but Roy had successfully done it.

[tlatollotl]

Of all the places to discover a lost city, this pleasing little community seems an unlikely candidate.

There are no vine-covered temples or impenetrable jungles here — just an old-fashioned downtown, a drug store that serves up root beer floats and rambling houses along shady brick lanes.

Yet there’s always been something — something just below the surface.

Locals have long scoured fields and river banks for arrowheads and bits of pottery, amassing huge collections. Then there were those murky tales of a sprawling city on the Great Plains and a chief who drank from a goblet of gold.

A few years ago, Donald Blakeslee, an anthropologist and archaeology professor at Wichita State University, began piecing things together. And what he’s found has spurred a rethinking of traditional views on the early settlement of the Midwest, while potentially filling a major gap in American history.

Using freshly translated documents written by the Spanish conquistadors more than 400 years ago and an array of high-tech equipment, Blakeslee located what he believes to be the lost city of Etzanoa, home to perhaps 20,000 people between 1450 and 1700.

They lived in thatched, beehive-shaped houses that ran for at least five miles along the bluffs and banks of the Walnut and Arkansas rivers. Blakeslee says the site is the second-largest ancient settlement in the country after Cahokia in Illinois.

On a recent morning, Blakeslee supervised a group of Wichita State students excavating a series of rectangular pits in a local field.

Jeremiah Perkins, 21, brushed dirt from a half-buried black pot.

Others sifted soil over screened boxes, revealing arrowheads, pottery and stone scrapers used to thin buffalo hides.

Blakeslee, 75, became intrigued by Etzanoa after scholars at UC Berkeley retranslated in 2013 the often muddled Spanish accounts of their forays into what is now Kansas. The new versions were more cogent, precise and vivid.

“I thought, ‘Wow, their eyewitness descriptions are so clear it’s like you were there.’ I wanted to see if the archaeology fit their descriptions,” he said. “Every single detail matched this place.”

Kacie Larsen of Wichita State University shakes dirt through a screened box to see what artifacts may emerge. David Kelly / For The Times

Conquistadors are often associated with Mexico, but a thirst for gold drove them into the Midwest as well.

Francisco Vazquez de Coronado came to central Kansas in 1541 chasing stories of a fabulously wealthy nobleman who napped beneath trees festooned with tinkling gold bells. He found no gold, but he did find Native Americans in a collection of settlements he dubbed Quivira.

In 1601, Juan de Oñate led about 70 conquistadors from the Spanish colony of New Mexico into south-central Kansas in search of Quivira in the hopes of finding gold, winning converts for the Catholic Church and extracting tribute for the crown.

According to Spanish records, they ran into a tribe called the Escanxaques, who told of a large city nearby where a Spaniard was allegedly imprisoned. The locals called it Etzanoa.

As the Spaniards drew near, they spied numerous grass houses along the bluffs. A delegation of Etzanoans bearing round corn cakes met them on the river bank. They were described as a sturdy people with gentle dispositions and stripes tattooed from their eyes to their ears. It was a friendly encounter until the conquistadors decided to take hostages. That prompted the entire city to flee.

Oñate’s men wandered the empty settlement for two or three days, counting 2,000 houses that held eight to 10 people each. Gardens of pumpkins, corn and sunflowers lay between the homes.

The Spaniards could see more houses in the distance, but they feared an Etzanoan attack and turned back.

That’s when they were ambushed by 1,500 Escanxaques. The conquistadors battled them with guns and cannons before finally withdrawing back to New Mexico, never to return.

This bluff overlooks the spot where many believe Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate met a delegation of Etzanoans. David Kelly / For The Times

French explorers arrived a century later but found nothing. Disease likely wiped out Etzanoa, leaving it to recede into legend.

Blakeslee enlisted the help of the National Park Service, which used a magnetometer to detect variations in the earth’s magnetic field and find features around town that looked like homes, storage pits and places where fires were started.

Then, relying on descriptions from the conquistadors, he discovered what he believes was the battle site in an upscale neighborhood of Arkansas City.

Volunteers using metal detectors found three half-inch iron balls under the field. Blakeslee said they were 17th century Spanish cartridge shot fired from a cannon. A Spanish horseshoe nail was also found.

It all lent credibility to the detailed accounts left by the conquistadors.

The battlefield sits in Warren “Hap” McLeod’s backyard.

“It’s a great story,” he said. “There was a lost city right under our noses.”

McLeod, 71, offered a quick tour of the area.

He started at Camp Quaker Haven overlooking the spot where Oñate would have encountered the Etzanoans. McLeod then drove up to the country club, the highest point in the city of roughly 12,500 people.

“Lots of artifacts have been taken from here,” McLeod said.

In 1994, thousands of relics were unearthed during road construction. In 1959, the renowned archaeologist Waldo Wedel wrote in his classic book, “An Introduction to Kansas Archeology,” that the valley floor and bluffs here “were littered with sherds, flints, and other detritus” that went on for miles.

“Now we know why,” McLeod said. “There were 20,000 people living here for over 200 years.”

Local rancher Jason Smith, 47, said he had seen collections “that would blow your mind.”

“Truckloads of stuff,” he said. “Worked stone tools, flints. One guy had 100 boxes at his house.”

Russell Bishop, 66, worked at the country club as a kid.

“My boss had an entire basement full of pottery and all kinds of artifacts,” he recalled. “We’d be out there working and he would recognize a black spot on the ground as an ancient campfire site.”

Bishop, who now lives outside Denver, has coffee cans full of arrowheads. He spread some on his counter.

“I don’t think anyone knew how big this all was,” he said. “I’m glad they’re finally getting to the bottom of it.”

Kansas State Archaeologist Robert Hoard said that based on the Spanish accounts and the evidence of a large settlement, it’s “plausible” that Blakeslee has found Etzanoa.

Still, he would like more evidence.

The early Great Plains had long been imagined as a vast empty space populated by nomadic tribes following buffalo herds. But if Blakeslee is right, at least some of the tribes were urban. They built large towns, raised crops, made fine pottery, processed bison on a massive scale and led a settled existence. There were trade connections all the way to the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan in Mexico.

"So this was not some remote place. The people traded and lived in huge communities," Blakeslee said. "Everything we thought we knew turns out to be wrong. I think this needs a place in every schoolbook."

And that may just be the beginning. Blakeslee has found archaeological evidence in Rice and McPherson counties for other large settlements extending for miles, which he believes existed around the same time as Etzanoa.

He has published his findings in the peer-reviewed journal Plains Anthropologist, and next spring he will present his evidence for Etzanoa at the annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. A bigger excavation is planned for next summer.

The Wichita Nation, based three hours south in Anadarko, Okla., is watching all of this carefully. Experts believe the Etzanoans were their ancestors.

“The accounts of Oñate and Coronado have been interpreted for years,” said Gary McAdams, cultural program planner and historic preservation officer for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, which number about 3,300. “We had a suspicion it was settled like this, but now it’s starting to be documented, which makes it feel more real.”

In the meantime, Arkansas City is trying to determine how to promote its new claim to fame. Etzanoa remains mostly underground or on private land. Yet that hasn’t deterred interest.

“We get about 10 calls a day to see the lost city,” said Pamela Crain, director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The vision is to have a visitors center. The other key is to persuade landowners to allow people onto their property.”

Professor Donald Blakeslee of Wichita State University shows a black pot unearthed by student Jeremiah Perkins, behind him. David Kelly / For The Times

Russell Bishop still has the arrowheads he collected as a kid in Arkansas City. David Kelly / For The Times

Limited tours began last spring, focusing on key historical and archaeological sites. Town leaders are hoping for a UNESCO World Heritage site designation.

Back at the dig site, all eyes were on Jeremiah Perkins as he lifted the hefty black potsherd from the dirt.

Blakeslee dropped into the pit for a closer look. It was the largest artifact of the summer, perhaps 12 inches high.

“That’s a nice big cooking pot,” he exclaimed.

Yet many mysteries remain about the people of Etzanoa.

“How were they organized? How did they farm the bluffs? How did they maximize bison herds?” Blakeslee asked. “The questions go on and on and on.”

And the thought of that made him smile.

[violetsmoak]

no safety or surprise [1/?]

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18035168/chapters/42616919

( See First Chapter for full Disclaimers & Warnings)

Summary: A haunting broadcast reveals the Joker’s final act and sets off a chain of events that will destroy the world. Terry finds himself collaborating once more with the estranged members of Bruce’s former team. As the end nears, however, he and the other Bats are faced with hard choices about survival—and forgiveness.

Rating: T (may change depending on the amount of graphic/details I decide on)

________________________________________________________________

chapter one: the calm before the storm

Neo-Gotham, Friday, June 13, 2042 9:04 AM

MCGINNIS

Siblings, Terry thinks as he scowls down at the little gremlin on the couch, are highly overrated.

At some point, while he was getting ready for school, Matt snuck into his room and stole his comforter. The twip is now wrapped up like a giant burrito, watching television and pretending he doesn’t see Terry’s irritated expression.

“Don’t you have your own?” he grumbles. “You’re going to get your sick germs all over it.”

“You can just wash it later.”

“That’s not the point.”

“I think it’s cute,” Mom interrupts, stopping the fight in its tracks the way she always does. She doesn’t look up from her phone, thumb flying through a text. “And you used to do the same thing, by the way.”

Terry blinks. “I did not.”

“You did. With mine and your father’s bedspread. That, and homemade soup? Always made you feel better when you were sick.”

Which, okay, Terry can sort of remember that.

There was something safe about being wrapped in blankets that smelled like Dad’s aftershave and having Mom spoil him with food made just for him. A pang of sadness hits him, leeching away from his irritation; Matt was never able to do that. Their parents divorced rather soon after he was born, and Dad wasn’t around Matt much afterward, let alone when he was sick.

Since Warren McGinnis’ death, Terry is the only adult male presence his brother has in his life.

And I’ve done a pretty crap job of that so far.

He’s always so busy, working for Mr. Wayne on and off the books. The criminal element in Gotham makes it practically impossible to maintain connections outside the life.

It’s ironic that Batman is better at being a role-model for Matt than Terry is.

The fight drains out of him, and he gives a put-upon sigh. “Fine. He can have it. But if I get sick, I’m going to hang him over the balcony by his feet." He turns away, but knows Matt is sticking his tongue out at the back of his head; it’s what he’d do at that age. “So, what’s the verdict? Staying? Going?”

Whatever Matt has, their mother seems to be coming down with as well. She’s been debating all morning about whether she intends to go into work or not. Terry’s stuck around, in case she does decide to go, and he has to watch Matt; he can Livestream his classes, she can’t exactly do the same for her job.

“I don’t know,” Mom says, frowning at the screen. “Jarvis and Riley are out today too apparently.”

Terry whistles; he’s happy he hasn’t caught whatever’s going around. It’s still the cold part of June, around the time when the temperatures fluctuate between mild and freeze-your-nuts off. Mom always tells him how when she was a young girl, the weather already started warming up in May, but because of global warming summer doesn’t really arrive until July.

So now, June is the summer flu season.

Point being, I could still catch it. And won’t that be fun.

Because Batman doesn’t get sick days, and Terry knows from experience that having a cold while wearing the cowl is probably the most disgusting feeling ever. And that includes wading through sewage and cleaning rotten food out of the refrigerator.

While Mom continues to debate with herself, he fires off texts to Dana and Max, asking them to cover anything he misses for the first period, in case he’s late. There are about ten seconds before he gets a response from Max.

‘No problem. Is it work? Or work?’

Before he can respond, Dana’s text comes in. ’everything OK w/ mr wayne?’

And he can’t help a smile at that, because he doesn’t have to make up any kind of lie or excuse, because they both know. He’s still getting used to the fact that Dana knows, and that she understands. And wants to help.

It’s more than he ever thought he’d get when he started this whole thing.

‘Wayne OK far as I know,’ Terry texts them both back, mentally crossing his fingers that he isn’t jinxing anything. ‘Mom & Matt not feeling great. Keeping an eye on them a bit.’

‘aw, sux. tell them feel better from me. dnt worry, got u covered! <3’

There’s a minute or so before Max responds.

‘Too bad. Nasty flu this year, huh? Not feeling great either, but test period 2, so…’

Terry’s eyes widen. ‘Wait. What test?’

‘LOL.’

‘Srsly, what test?!?!’

There’s no answer, and Terry frowns down at his phone, trying to decide if Max is messing with him or not. He’s about to double-check with Dana when his mother speaks.

“I think I will stay home,” she decides, rubbing her cheekbones. “My face hurts. I really hope it’s not another sinus infection. That’s all I need on top of everything.”

“Hey, take it easy,” Terry tells her with a comforting smile. “It’s been a while since you had the day off. Besides, the world’s not going to shut down because one astronomer doesn’t come into work.”

“You say that now,” Mom says dryly. “If an asteroid is hurtling toward the earth and it’s my job to spot it, you’re going to feel pretty foolish.”

“Nah, never happen.” He grabs his bag and starts for the door, stopping to press a kiss to the top of his mother’s head. “With Superman out there? And the Justice League? Pretty good job security, I’d say.”

“Lame,” Matt grumbles from his blanket cocoon. “Batman can take them all. He probably has a special rocket to shoot stuff down.”

And, okay, maybe Terry might rethink his stance on siblings, because damn if those words don’t make him grin.

Matt notices and frowns at him. “Why are you smiling at me like a creeper?”

And, there goes that good feeling.

“Trying to decide whether to take a pic and send to your friends and show them how pathetic you are right now. You’re like a human-larva hybrid. It’s gross.”

“Yeah, well—well, you’re adopted!”

That’s his latest insult to everyone when he can’t think of anything else to say.

“Matt!”

“At least I was planned,” Terry retorts.

It takes a moment before the penny drops, and his brother’s overly pale face goes red. “Moooooom!”

“Terry, leave your brother alone, he’s sick,” she sighs, rubbing her eyes.

“What’s his excuse for the rest of the time?”

“Go to school, hon.”

Matt smirks at him, and returns his attention to the television, flipping through cartoons. Terry rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything about favoritism, because it always comes back to how he’s an adult now and should know better than to stoop to the level of a ten-year-old. 

I can win a fight against the deadliest member of the Society of Assassins, but not this. Go figure.

“Will Mr. Wayne need you today?” Mom asks as he puts on his jacket. He knows she’s wondering if he’ll be able to come home and relieve her from Matt-duty at some point, which he totally understands.

“We’ll see. I’ll probably drive out to check on him tonight, but I think I can get home after school if you need a break.”

“That would be appreciated.”

“Do you want me to bring you guys anything while I’m out—?”

There is a sudden, sharp drop in pitch throughout the entire house. Terry’s ears pop a little, the same way they do whenever Shriek mutes the sound in the surrounding area, but somehow his hearing simply becomes sharper now.

Before Terry can wonder if it’s a sign the sound-terrorist is back out on the street, the living room is filled with music. A jaunty, haunting carnival tune that instantly has the hair on the back of Terry’s neck raising.

His gaze whips to the television screen, which is flickering between static and a blank screen with the words HA HA HA flashes across it in red.

His mouth goes dry.

________________________________________________________________  

WAYNE

Bruce is starting to wonder if a Lazarus Pit might not have been a better idea than the liver transplant. Of the methods for artificially prolonging life, at least with the Pit, he would eventually start to feel like he was recovering.

After the madness subsided, at least.

On days like today—when it’s damp and chilly, and there’s nothing going on in Gotham to keep him glued to the computer screen in the Cave—it’s hard to remember the arguments he’s always made against using the restorative powers of a Lazarus Pit. His body protests with every movement as he eases it through several slowed kata variations. Part of his physical therapy, as suggested by his doctors.

Since his procedure, he feels the exhaustion much more keenly. It’s bone-deep fatigue that seeps into every muscle, emphasizing the way his bones creak and grind against each other, cartilage worn away from age and decades of abuse. It’s the way his energy levels drain so much faster now, to the extent that even his usual ability to will himself into action seems to wane every day.

Not that he really had a choice in the matter. He was in end-stage liver failure, and the nearest Pit is in New Cuba. He’d just been lucky that there was a suitable donor in the hospital at the right time.

‘Luck’ is one word for it. ‘Cruel irony’ might be a better phrase.

Douglas Tan is one of the names he’s going to carry on his conscience for the rest of his life; or, at least on his liver.

Terry still makes jokes about Batman having a piece of a Joker inside him, but then Terry tends to use humor to cover up when he’s worried. Dick always did that, too; and Jason.

Bruce scowls, bothered by the direction of his thoughts, as well as the raggedness to his breath. He isn’t even moving very fast, but it’s taking him every bit of strength to keep at it.

Ace is curled up in his usual spot in the cave, watching Bruce with what seems to be narrowed eyes. As if to say, don’t overdo it or I will knock you over.

The dog is smarter than most people.

Ace is one of the reasons the doctors were willing to leave him to pursue recovery on his own and not under some beady-eyed nurse in the hospital. Money isn’t as much an incentive as it once was, with so many legal and health standards in the way; the older he gets, the less likely people are to trust his ability to make decisions, lawyers or not.

He tolerated a private nurse for about a day while having Terry make other arrangements and manufacturing a piece of paper saying Ace was a certified service dog. He’s not, but Bruce has no doubt the dog would activate the medical alert button at the computer if something were to happen. And Terry has an alarm set up, keyed into the surveillance and motion sensors in the Cave. If anything were to happen, he can be here faster than any ambulance.

Old age has fed into long-buried fears, and it gives him an embarrassing sense of relief knowing there’s someone to look in on him. It has always bothered him, being dependent—being weak.

Some days he’s more accepting of it; some days he wishes he had Kryptonian DNA.

Which is usually the point at which he forces himself to occupy his mind with other things because envying Kal-El can only lead down a dark, frustrating path of self-pity. One he’s determinedly avoided ever since meeting the other man.

After another fifteen minutes of forcing himself to think about nothing but the movement of his limbs, Bruce finally finishes his exercises. Sweat coats his back and his muscles ache with the same burn as if he just spent several hours grappling through the Gotham skyline. Even if it took fewer challenging movements to reach this point, that burn is comforting.

Familiar.

And that’s a word that’s been cropping up more in his thoughts lately. History tends to repeat, after all, but it’s still strange to experience. Terry’s been an excellent example of that.

Like Bruce, the McGinnis boy started out with nothing but a suit and an old man’s voice in his ear. Now, he’s got a network. Friends who he trusts and who will keep his secret. A steadily growing list of allies in the field.

The Police Commissioner. The Justice League.

And a Catwoman too, for Christ sakes.

He wonders what Selina would think about that.

Bruce just hopes the kid won’t make his mistakes. Forty years is a long time to rack up regrets.

At least Dick’s back in contact now.

Sort of.

He showed up the second night that Bruce was recovering from his procedure at the hospital; he’d managed to convince Terry to go out on patrol instead of wasting his time watching an old man sleep.

“Batman doesn’t get a day off.”

Bruce had dozed for a bit, but not deeply; it wasn’t difficult to discern that he wasn’t alone. 

One minute the room was empty and in the next, Bruce could feel that familiar presence—the one of a man who had carried the mantles of Robin, Nightwing, and Batman—and somehow lived to tell the tale. Then his estranged son was stepping out of the shadows, glaring down at him, muscles in his jaw working and fists clenching and unclenching.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Bruce had croaked, wishing he had thought to ask for ice chips before the nurse left. “I’m too stubborn to die.”

The silence hanging afterward was filled with everything he couldn’t say yet. For once, Dick didn’t call him on it.

“You’re more stubborn than God,” his boy countered.

(He’ll always be a boy to Bruce, grey hair and eye-patch be damned.)

And yet, Dick sat, arms crossed and spine stiff for the rest of the night. Still angry, but present nonetheless. He stayed until morning rounds without saying anything and then left.

They haven’t seen each other since, but sometimes Bruce can hear feedback on the comms when he’s directing Terry’s patrols. The tinny whisper of signals crossing from the bug he pretends he doesn’t know Dick planted on the underside of his medical ID tag.

It’s not much, but it’s something. The opening of the possibility that at some point, he’ll come around.

Barbara did, after all.

Mostly because of Terry, but afterward Bruce started making the effort. They can have conversations alone now that don’t end with her yelling at him (or punching him, on one or two memorable occasions). Bruce forgot how much he enjoyed her sense of humor and intelligence—how much he enjoyed their friendship—from before they slept together.

(That might be one of his life’s biggest shames. Oh, he has regrets associated with all of the family for one thing or another, but this is the one that still wakes him up at night feeling dirty.)

In a way, it’s easier with Tim, and that’s a bridge Bruce thought had been obliterated long ago.

Granted, he’s leaving Gotham again—the last incident with the Joker army rattled him enough that he put in for a transfer to the Beijing division of Wayne Enterprises—but he stuck around long enough to collaborate with Bruce on a subdermal antitoxin deployment implant against Joker venom.

(None of them want to be caught unawares again.)

It’s in the prototype phase, with only five of the devices in existence; he, Tim and Terry are testing them personally. It’s not exactly something the FDA is going to approve for human testing anytime soon, not with all the new legislation, but with the state of Gotham, it’s unwise to wait on it.

(He sent one to Barbara and one to Dick but doesn’t know if they’ve bothered to activate them. At least they haven’t sent them back.)

If the implant works, Bruce is seriously considering modifying the tech for the Wayne Enterprises medical division. There are a lot of illnesses and viruses out there which require regular dosages of medicine to keep them under control. The difficulty is finding funding and ensuring the board of the directors doesn’t jump on the chance to charge exorbitant amounts of money for the technology. The whole point of the tech is to help anyone who needs it, not just the filthy rich.

Maybe that’s the next project, after CAIN, he muses, grabbing his towel from where he draped it over one of the computer processors.

His global Clean Air Initiative Network is something he’d been working on before stepping back from the company. It was shelved almost immediately by Derek Powers when he took over, but since Bruce has been back, he’s been revisiting a lot of old projects.

Lucius’ boy did most of the technical work on it, and Foxtecha will have joint ownership of the patent when it’s ready for public consumption. Bruce would have asked Tim, but he knows how determined his estranged son is to get out of Gotham. He can read it in the tone of his emails, which have thankfully lost the stilted, formal business tone they’ve had since he returned to the company.

(Bruce mentioned paying a visit in the future, and Tim didn’t say no, so he counts that as a win.)

It’s a little disconcerting how the family is coming together again; disconcerting but welcome.

He’s received a vid call last week from Cassandra expressing concern over his surgery, and then a short, gruff email from Duke all-but ordering him to get better. There’s even a letter from Stephanie—or Eurus, as she goes by these days—smelling of dust and desert sun and incense found only in Nanda Parbat. Her messy, looping scrawl, echoed Dick’s sentiment about Bruce’s stubbornness and alluded to its genetic inheritability.

(That said more than if she had mentioned Damian outright; his youngest son has remained stubbornly silent.)

Bruce lost track of her not long after Damian’s short and brutal stint under the cowl; it had surprised him to find out she ended up in Tibet.

It also relieved him. Because no matter how dark a path his son wandered, at least there would be someone to challenge him. To not obey without question. To give him a link to the life he once had, to being human and alive.

(Bruce very carefully doesn’t think about Jason—doesn’t wonder if things had been different if he wouldn’t have reached out as well. Even after so many years, that wound is still raw.)

The whole thing is a stark difference from the last few times he ended up in the hospital, including when he was dosed on Joker venom several months ago. He didn’t hear anything from them at that point, which makes him think someone really thought he was dying this time and reached out.

Barbara, maybe. Or Dick. However much tension there is between himself and Bruce, he does keep in touch with the others. Hell, it might even have been Terry. The kid doesn’t know the rest of them personally, but he’s gotten adept at navigating the computer in the cave.

And he’s always been curious about his predecessors.

Bruce’s first family.

Or maybe just the first phase of the family.

Bruce shies away from that secret bit of knowledge he has about Terry, and his brother Matt. What he discovered the first time the kid returned to the Cave with bloody gashes that needed stitching up. The files and medical information buried beneath every firewall he could fashion, so the latest Batman can never stumble upon it accidentally.

The most Bruce has allowed himself to acknowledge it is an amendment in his will setting aside trust funds for both boys.

As if triggered by his thoughts, the screen of the Bat-Computer flickers to life. He rolls his shoulders, expecting an alert on some heist or robbery going on in the city; another case to add to the docket for Terry to investigate after school (depending on the severity).

Bruce doesn’t expect the Cave to suddenly fill with a jaunty, haunting carnival tune that makes his entire body seize in recognition. And yet, he already knows what’s coming even before the words HA HA HA coalesce upon the screen. 

“Hell-O World! It’s your favorite rascal…”

________________________________________________________________  

GORDON

There are times when Barbara misses being a vigilante, if only because there was a lot less paperwork involved. Questionable legality aside, there was always a simplicity to the whole endeavor: track down the bad guy, entrap-and-or-beat said bad guy into submission, and then drop them off at the GCPD.

Now that she’s the one behind the desk, though, she has a lot more appreciation for the work her father did. She wonders how he never developed an aneurysm or stress-related heart condition due to the grief Batman (and the rest of them) caused the department.

She has barely sat down in her office, but there’s an influx of emails flooding her inbox. She scans through the first few—requests from someone in IA sniffing around some of her open cases on the barest hint that she’s allowing Batman to help, reminders about upcoming social functions she would rather skip, two officers that have to be brought up on disciplinary charges—and sighs. It’s just the first two dozen.

Today is going to be a triple espresso kind of day, I can tell, she decides, rolling her shoulders and tilting her neck from side to side.

Another message chimes as it comes in.

Crime Alley and Tricorner are requesting more plainclothes officers in the area, ostensibly to deal with an upswing in crime over the past twenty-four hours.

Barbara frowns at this—it must be significant if those particular precincts are reaching out, they usually hate working with Central. Then again, everyone’s been jumpy about security since the Jokerz almost destroyed Gotham.

They’re still finding bodies from that one. She’s got three of her officers’ families grieving without any closure.

Barbara goes back over incident reports from the last few hours, noting a rise in attacks on the homeless, property damage and extreme road-rage (twenty-six separate incidents of that, which is a new daily extreme for her). From the initial investigations into each of the unrelated events—all in different areas of the city—there doesn’t seem to be any motivating factor or link.

What the hell is going on?

A crime spike isn’t ordinary for June; they usually start around now and then play out over the course of weeks.

Not hours. Have any of our usual players been released from custody lately? There’ve been no outbreaks or escapes that I know of.

If there is someone out there stirring things up, she hopes to God it’s just someone like Walter Shrieve. Arrogant and brilliant offenders she can deal with; they’re always so eager to prove themselves the best, and it always leads to their downfall. It’s the criminally insane ones that keep her up for days on end trying to restore some semblance of sanity to a city that’s never going to get any better. Even worse is a combination of the two.

Uneasy, she fires off a message to her counterparts in New York and Toronto, to see if they’re seeing similar phenomena in their jurisdictions. She hopes this is nothing, but she’s getting a hunch. And her hunches never lead her to anything that could be remotely called good.

“Get me Commissioner Sawyer over at MPD,” she tells the computer. She and Maggie go way back, and the other woman doesn’t pull that intercity rivalry crap when it comes to sharing important information.

“Yeah, the dregs are coming out of the woodwork here, too,” Maggie tells her after they exchange the requisite pleasantries. Her voice is carefully measured in a way that tells Barbara she’s not having a good day, either. “We had a damn flash mob that caused an A-trak derailment this morning. I have no idea how there weren’t more casualties, but…”

“Where’s Superman when you need him, right? I’d heard he was back in play.”

According to Bruce and Terry, anyhow.

“If he is, he must be off-world or something, because I doubt he’d be sitting on his ass at a time like this. What about on your end?”

“Well, we’re not exactly beyond the powers of the GCPD right now,” Barbara replies, a little smugly. “No need to take the Bat-signal out of storage.”

Yet, the unwelcome voice in her head echoes.

“Oh-ho, aren’t we getting confident in our old age?” Maggie sneers, but there’s no real malice to it. “For all our sakes, I hope it stays that way. But I’ve got a hunch...”

“Yeah,” Barbara sighs, her stomach dropping. “Me too.”

It’s not a good sign when both she and her opposite number in Metropolis are on the same wavelength.

As Maggie hangs up, three more incident reports pop up on the side of her screen. Skirmishing at Gotham General—that’s all they need now. If things are just warming up, it’s looking like another long day.

Sam’s not going to like it…

Barbara dials in the number herself this time on her personal line. There’s a trill and the viewscreen pops up to show her husband in his office at the DA, scowling down at a tablet. His expression clears when he sees her.

“Didn’t I just see you this morning?” he jokes. “Or were you that keen to see me again?”

“Always,” Barbara tells him, softer than she speaks to anyone else. “But I’m actually calling to apologize. It’s going to be a day, and I don’t know if I’ll get home for supper.”

“It must be bad since you just got there.”

“Things have been hairy all night,” she admits. “I’ve got incident reports multiplying as we speak. You’d think with the bug going around people would be staying home to recuperate, but it looks like they think it’s an excuse to break the law.”

“Well, it’s Gotham. After all this time, it’s not a surprise.”

“It’s really, really not.”

“I know I’d rather be home in bed,” Sam says, and normally a comment like that would have innuendo behind it. This time it’s all too earnest. He rubs his face tiredly. “I think I’m coming down with it too, to be honest.”

“If you give it to me, you’re sleeping on the couch for the next week,” Barbara informs him automatically. “I can’t afford to miss any work for the next…forever.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, hon. The minute they see you blink in this business, you’re dead in the water.” Sam grimaces and rolls his shoulders, and Barbara experiences a tinge of concern because he does look pale.

“Maybe you should go home,” she suggests. “You can work on your cases at home, can’t you?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’m due in court at ten o’clock.”

“If you’re dead from the flu, do you know how many criminals are going to walk free?” she demands, only a little bit joking.

He chuckles. “Come on, Babs, you know no one’s died of the flu in twenty years.”

Barbara has a witty retort on her tongue, but it stalls when Sam’s image freezes in front of her. It seems at first to be a lag, but then the screen morphs from his office to what looks like a brick wall.

She feels an icy cold slice through her, the same one she always gets when anything is associated with him. It’s the echo of a bullet, tearing through her internal organs and spine, and the hair-raising chill.

Barbara doesn’t really read the words, too focused on the high, cold cackle in the that somehow blocks out every other sound. 

________________________________________________________________

DRAKE

For the first time in a long time, Tim is happy.

His house is a gutted mess of boxes and detritus, but unlike in his younger years, it’s not because some supervillain has come crashing in to threaten him. He smiles, a little whimsical, at the date on the holographic calendar, and the word that hovers there: Moving.

In a week, he and Arlene will be in Beijing, and forever free of Gotham City.

They made the decision together in the weeks following the Jokerz attack, after Tim escaped the Cave the last time. He made it clear to Bruce and his new apprentice that it was the last time.

He doesn’t mind continuing to work for Wayne Enterprises—hell, he helped build that company, he takes a certain amount of pride and responsibility for it—but he won’t be doing that from Gotham. There’s too much history here, too much…everything. Apparently living on the outskirts or even in the same state (even on the same continent) isn’t enough for Tim to completely escape the lingering, nightmarish legacy of Batman.

Of Robin.

He wants normal. And after everything he’s been through, he more than deserves it.

“Oh, I’ll be sure to tell your dad, he’ll be happy to hear that,” Arlene says, chatting with their daughter Janet on the vidphone across the kitchen. In the den, the low sounds of the television provide background noise.

“—the level of unrest breaking out in the world’s major cities, has politicians asking, ‘is this another Yellow Vest Movement?’—"

“Honey, Janet says she and Maeve will be coming to help with the move after all.”

“You mean coming to eat pizza and beer,” Tim replies with a smile; they’ve already hired movers.

“Semantics,” he hears his youngest daughter laugh. “Either way we’ll be there.”

“Always happy to see you, kiddo.”

“Now, I’ve got to let you go,” Arlene says. “I have a nine-thirty conference call with Peking U., but I’ll speak to you later on.”

She has a follow-up interview for a position in the Linguistics Department there. It’s a step down from her current professorship at Gotham University, where she was on the tenure track, but when Tim pointed this out, she insisted his mental health was more important than her job prospects.

He tells himself he gave in so easily because after so many years of marriage it’s futile to argue with her. He tries not to acknowledge the total relief that he didn’t have to argue with her about it.

“Yeah, no problem Mom. Talk to you soon.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too!”

The video feed of their daughter winks out.

“Do you need me to get out of your hair?” Tim asks.

“No, I’ll take the call up in the office,” his wife replies and presses a kiss to his temple as she passes. Then she pauses, turns around and grabs the coffee pot to bring with her. “And I’m cutting you off. Any more of this and you’re not sleeping tonight.”

Tim sighs. “It’s like you know me or something.”

“And don’t forget it, mister!”

He listens carefully to the sound of his wife retreating up the stairs and over the landing, and then reaches for the microwave, where he surreptitiously stashed an extra cup earlier that morning.

And swears when he finds it missing; a quick glance to the sink sees it already washed out.

Damn it, she does know me.

But the thought is more fond than irritated.

Arlene is the only sure thing in his life, especially after his trauma. They met through Kate Kane—or rather, because of Kate Kane. The two women attended West Point at the same time, and Arlene acted as a character witness for Kate prior to the dishonorable discharge. Though Arlene graduated from the Academy, she did not spend much time on active duty before she was injured by a roadside bomb and lost her leg. Afterward, while dealing with her own PTSD, she pursued an academic career. She and Kate lost touch, and it wasn’t until the media released news of Kate’s murder that she heard of her again.

Arlene attended the funeral, which is where Tim met her for the first time. Two weeks later, they met in a support group for trauma survivors and started getting coffee together. It took Tim a year to figure out she was flirting with him (which Jason never stopped teasing him about, even when he was on his deathbed). After everything with Stephanie, and then with Jason, Arlene offered a safety none of his other partners ever had.

There’s a high-pitched trill from his cellphone, and he glances down to read the text from Cass.

‘ayt? need yr flight info. to pick u up from airport next wk. :) :) :)’

His sister still prefers to text over talking by phone, even all these years later, which he’s pleased about. So much these days is done with face-to-face screens or even holographic technology; he wasn’t really a people person before, but it’s getting rarer and rarer to have any kind of privacy. Texting—especially across the encrypted server he’s set up—is a relief.

Tim relays the details to her, along with the implied greetings from his wife, and expects that to be it. But then he gets another text.

‘question? 4 work.’

Tim tenses.

Cassandra Cain works as a retired ballerina who opened her own school of dance; it’s highly unlikely the work-related question has anything to do with that. It’s probably for Black Bat.

But he cautiously texts back, ‘As long as it’s just a question.’

He’s had to re-learn to establish boundaries.

‘fair. u worked cybersecurity. ever hear of Morningstar. hacker/agency???’

Tim frowns, thinks back, and shakes his head even though she can’t see it. ‘No. Never dealt with anything like that.’

Ok! 3Q. worth a shot. will c u & arlene on thurs. 520GG!’

‘88MM’

He waits a few minutes, but there are no more messages forthcoming, and then sends out the last message—‘88MM’, before putting his phone away.

Unlike everyone else from his vigilante days, Cass knows how to not push.

And yet…

She rarely asks him about anything that might involve her after-hours work, both out of familial courtesy and because her operation is, at least unofficially, supported by the Chinese government. Legally, there’s not a lot she can involve him in; when she does, it’s only where she has absolutely no other recourse and it involves paperwork and non-disclosure agreements.

Only twice has she asked him something in an off-hand way, which he knew instinctively had to do with Black Bat but pretended not to realise. The last time, his information helped her locate and dismantle a eugenicist breeding program using homeless girls.

Perhaps that’s why he finds himself reaching for his laptop and looking into anything to do with Cass’s mysterious ‘Morningstar’.

The word generates a broad spectrum of results, even when he searches through the Dark Web. Nothing to do with drugs, nothing related to human trafficking or weapons—nothing that wouldn’t immediately stand out to Cass in her own searches. He narrows search parameters, skating through encryptions and IP trails and layers and layers of disturbing data—

Within ten minutes he comes across the exact word in connection with a burgeoning hacktivist group known as DevilNight, but no indications as to what it refers to. It’s odd, considering the group has only existed for a short while and has hardly done anything worthy of attention. It makes no sense that something like this would be on Cass’s radar, especially considering based on his tracking, the group is based in Idaho.

He has just started to peel back the layers of the group’s security when his computer screen freezes. A beat later, words begin to type on his screen, and the blood drains from his cheeks.

H E L L O  J U N I O R

Even as the words register, Tim is already shoving himself backward, away from the screen. His hand slaps against the spot in his neck where Joker’s microchip was implanted—the spot where he injected Bruce’s anti-venom deployment system. It’s a reassurance, a reminder, he will be safe—

Horror suffuses him as another message typed out in front of him:

D O N ’T  B E  A  N A U G H T Y  B O Y

Bile rises in his throat and Tim feels the world spin. Instantly, he is back in that horrible room, hysterical laughter in his ears and a falsely cheerful melody playing in the background.

He has to fight himself back under control, checking his surroundings, going over simple facts about himself in his head—

Not Junior not Junior not Junior—

My name is Timothy Jackson Drake. Drake-Wayne.

He is still that, even if he never uses the name anymore. He never got around to changing it, never had the courage to.

My parents were Jack and Janet Drake. Mom died when I was a boy, Dad remarried. Dana. But they died—

Kidnapped, poisoned, murdered, went insane—

No, he’s getting off track. Facts, he needs facts about himself, to ground him, to remind him of who he is and not what he has lived through.

I work as a communications director and do contract work for Wayne Enterprises. I have two daughters—Kate and Janet. Kate is a veterinarian; Janet is a stockbroker. She married Maeve last year. Kate is pregnant with our first grandchild. Arlene and I go to Florida every winter…

At long last, he gets himself under control again, can separate himself from the specter of Junior.

He expects the laughter and the inner echoes of carnival music to fade away.

Instead, it becomes louder and more distinct.

Tim stares at his screen in horror as the message vanishes, the words replaced with something even more sinister.

HA HA HA.

No.

Not again.

He can’t do this again.

________________________________________________________________  

GRAYSON

Dick only ever feels his age in the mornings.

There’s just something about his body waking up after a long sleep, before his training kicks in to ignore the aches and pains, that can’t fight off the heaviness as fast anymore. Every day it’s more painful putting himself through the usual routine of exercises to keep himself in shape. 

Thankfully, he’s still outwardly put-together enough to hide it.

He smiles ruefully at his reflection in the bathroom mirror—more of a grimace, really—and studies the patchwork of old scars and not-so-old bruises across his chest.

He knows he doesn’t look his age. It’s not even due to cosmetic surgery or organ replacements or even the personal holograph projections that have gotten popular in the last decade. Longevity just happens to run in his family; John Grayson’s father was still pulling triple somersaults at eighty and Mary Lloyd’s grandmother lived to be a hundred and thirteen.

The only thing artificial in his body are metal plates and pins that replaced bones fractured beyond natural healing, and the biotech keeping the bullet in his spine from moving. (And the antitoxin implant Bruce sent him; because no feud is worth getting dosed with Joker venom, whether the bastard is dead or not.)

Not bad for fifty-nine, he decides and heads for the kitchen.

There’s a moan from his bedroom, and he pauses briefly as he passes to consider the woman lying in his bed in nothing but his bedsheets. In her sleep, she curls to one side, causing the sheet to slip a little and reveal bruises in the shape of his fingers across her hip. He can feel the matching set on his own back.

Definitely not bad for fifty-nine.

For a moment he debates the merits of returning to bed and continuing where they left off last night, but that would be against one of the unspoken rules they established when they started sleeping together.

The other is that they don’t use real names.

He doesn’t know or want to know hers—after a lifetime of failed relationships and broken hearts he knows better than to get attached. And though he’s aware she knows his—the world knows his name since that fiasco with the wannabe Hush—she never uses it. If she must, she calls him Wing, and it’s a clear reminder that she has no intention of crossing any boundaries to let things become personal.

He has no problem with that; he calls her Black.

He’ll never call her Cat because that’s what Bruce called Selina Kyle. Associating this Catwoman with the original just feels a little too oedipal to Dick.

(Selina never really gave off motherly vibes, but she was the most constant presence of all Bruce’s paramours, so she sort of ended up in that role by association).

The original Catwoman was the only one Bruce could never completely push away—though that might say more about Selina’s stubbornness than the old man trying to keep hold of the people in his life. She decided when they were in a relationship, or out of one, whatever Bruce wanted.

In the end, even that wasn’t enough though. Her heart was never as strong after the incident with the real Hush.

Dick remembers attending the funeral. Bruce didn’t show up at the service or the burial. It was a few years into his self-imposed exile, right after Damian’s departure, and soon after Steph and Cass. He obviously hadn’t wanted to face any of them (maybe couldn’t face them).

But there was a crack in the headstone the next time Dick brought flowers (an imprint of a fist he would know anywhere) and he knows Bruce blamed himself for that too.

Dick heads to the kitchen, grabbing a coffee for himself. He debates for a moment, leaving one out for Black, but if the usual pattern holds, she’ll be jumping out his bedroom window soon without even coming into the kitchen. She’s not exactly one for goodbyes. Instead, he leans on the counter and pulls out his mobile, scrolling through the day's news stories.

Call him old fashioned, but he prefers to read the news than watch the featureless blue talking heads on the television. He spends about a minute skimming a beat piece on the successful launch of Wayne Enterprises' latest environmental initiative. Tim was telling him something about that the other day; it was the most animated and relaxed Dick had seen him since that night with the Jokerz.

“It’s basically like a planetary rebreather,” his estranged brother enthused. “You know how trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen? It’s sort of like that, but on a larger scale. Once it's all set up, any toxins pumped into the atmosphere will get filtered out and converted to oxygen.”

Tim had then gone on a lengthy explanation about the technical details that Dick had no chance of following, but given how enthused he’d seemed, it hadn’t mattered.

He’s going to miss him, now that he’s headed off to Beijing, but Cass is ecstatic. As far as Dick knows, they haven’t seen each other in ten years. It almost makes him want to head over and join the reunion.

Except that would be counterproductive to his current plans.

Dick is in Gotham on the pretense of opening a second athletics course, but really, it’s to keep an eye on things.

He doesn’t trust Bruce not to screw up whatever he’s doing with this new kid, and the boy’s too green to notice the signs of losing himself to Bruce’s mission. When the old man cuts him off—and it’s when, not if, because Bruce will inevitably screw this up—the McGinnis kid is going to need someone to keep his head above water.

Dick’s only been around him a handful of times, but there’s a cockiness and attitude there that reminds him of Jason. That’s concerning enough on its own, but what really makes the hair on the back of Dick’s neck stand up is the sense he has of this kid’s potential to do damage. He’s seen that, before, too, along with the results.

Christ, the kid even looks like Damian. If I didn’t know Bruce so well, I’d think…

He shakes off the thought because it’s too disturbing to contemplate.

The point is, Terry McGinnis needs someone looking out for him, even if he doesn’t realize it. Bruce isn’t going to do it and Barbara has clearly forgotten a hell of a lot of history since she’s allowing the boy to fly around her city risking his life.

So it’s up to Dick.

Again.

I’m way too old to be getting another brother, he thinks darkly, in what once might have been genuine humor but now feels just exhausting. Especially considering his track record with the others.

He doesn’t even know where Duke ended up.

Something flickers on the edge of his eyesight, and he turns to look out the window of his apartment. Across the street, the giant vid-screen advertising the latest energy drink blinks and goes briefly blank. Along with every other screen as far as the eye can see.

Dick narrows his eyes, taking a step forward to study the phenomena, and then freezes as his quiet apartment is invaded by obscenely cheerful music and a laugh he wishes he could forget.

Every screen for miles spells it out, and he knows immediately that things are about to get worse.

________________________________________________________________

⁂

I want to know what you think of my story! Leave kudos, a comment or if writing comments isn't something you're comfortable with, as many of these (or other emojis) as you want and let me know how you feel!

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Next Chapter

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 19 - WPG

If you read the New Look Sabres for Game 18 against Tampa Bay you’ll see I, like most Sabres fans after that game was turgid for the Blue and Gold. Beating a much better team like that is going to make you excited for your team. Perhaps in all my capitalized excitement I didn’t give Carter Hutton enough credit. In this tough five game stretch, the well-being of these Sabres was going to run through, or not run through as it were, goalie Carter Hutton. He’s proven Jason Botterill and smart man with at least that move and a solid starter while Linus Ullmark prepares for the role down the road. Like Tuesday night against Tampa Bay, tonight in Winnipeg it was Carter Hutton and whatever the forwards would do. Tonight was an away game though, an away game at a small, intimate, and vitriolic Winnipeg Jets whose fans never fail to let you know whose tiny home that place is. The Winnipeg Jets also happen to be perhaps the best team in the league. The conversation of whose best in the West includes two cities: Nashville and Winnipeg. This game was to be a test among tests for the Sabres. If Tuesday was the first piece of evidence Buffalo can win games they weren’t supposed to then this game against Winnipeg would be the not only more evidence but proof they can do it often.

The Winnipeg we expected came and the first period was a story of Sabre Survival. Yea, there were the token opportunities for Buffalo but more and more as the first frame went on Buffalo got pushed into their own zone. Nikolaj Ehlers tripped up Jack Eichel and the ensuing powerplay for the visitors was fruitless. The whole while as this game goes on your in fear of the Jets powerplay. The sixth best powerplay in the league resides in Winnipeg. You better believe Rob Ray’s three tips included stay out of the penalty box. Then Patrik Berglund hooked Jacob Trouba and you’re sure it’s the moment Winnipeg cashes in. The Sabres survived, they survived the whole period as it were. Once again the Sabres are living and dying on the back of Carter Hutton. The second period was just as bad if not worse as the visitors struggled to even get in front of the net where they do the majority of their scoring. No one in a dark blue uniform could get the puck to a similarly dressed player and the vast majority of the period the Sabres chased. Then a two on one led to a Jets goal by Kyle Connor in what felt like the most inevitable goal we’ve seen this season. This game should have seen a lot more Jets goals. Once again Carter Hutton stood tall. In the last five minutes of the second it looked like Buffalo could get some chances including a Sam Reinhart slapshot that echoed off the Jets post and a Laurent Brossoit near-own-goal that made everyone in MTS Place scream in a bad way. Somehow the period ended 20-20 in shots.

Then the third period arrived and the Sabres showed some life. Jeff Skinner snuck in the game tying goal in the midst of melee in front of the Jets net less than a minute into the first period. What do you know, Jeff Skinner is on pace for 60 goals with this his 14th of the season. At this rate the City will impose a new tax to pay for his hefty contract to come. Casey Mittelstadt would also get a wicked shot that could’ve put the visitors ahead. The Sabres went onto look like they had arrived to play in the third but with time Winnipeg pushed back. By the final moments of that final regulation period it once again looked like Winnipeg would take the game they were playing better in. Zach Bogosian gave up the puck right into Patrik Laine’s stick and Carter Hutton made a panicked save with less than five seconds left. The Sabres stole a point just like they stole the games against Vancouver and Tampa Bay. The Overtime period was anyone’s game. Jack Eichel got a sweet breakaway, Kyle Okposo got his chances. Mark Scheifele nearly ended it. I’ll be honest I really thought it was just a matter of puck luck that allowed this game to get to the shootout. Another honest thought: even with Carter Hutton being 98% of the reason the Sabres survived that long I didn’t think a shootout would be good for Buffalo against this Jets team. Eichel and Laine exchanged shootout goals in a beautiful exchange. Friggin Jason Pominville scored in the shootout. This one went past the first three rounds and in the seventh round Conor Sheary won it for Buffalo. Two points and Buffalo stole another W in this tough stretch 2-1. Hats off to Carter Hutton: his role tonight cannot be understated.

A few things to talk about here before we get into the collective adulation that is this streaking Sabres team: Evan Rodrigues was a healthy scratch in this game lighting the fury of bloggers like me the world over. Without an L here tonight does that sort of move not happen again tomorrow? I don’t know, I’m not your smart guy. I was openly wondering during this game what PDO meant and instead of looking it up I called it puck luck and said the Sabres had it in this game. Unpopular moves like Tage Thompson still being on the big club is up with management as well, GMJB is the where the buck stops on these things and he’s got a plan with Thompson we’ll have to live with. That said, putting that guy in the shootout was a riot, eh? Many players shouldn’t be happy with their performances in this game but that fourth line and one Patrik Berglund will have to figure out what they’re doing as they play these really solid league juggernauts.

Speaking of juggernauts, this is the second one in a row the Sabres have beaten en route to a four game winning streak. It’s their first four game winning streak since December of 2014 back when we were dreading those wins due to the pursuit of a Newmarket, Ontario native named Connor McDavid. If the Sabres win again tomorrow against the Minnesota Wild they will have their first five game winning streak since Terry Pegula was still the hot new thing back in March of 2012. For at least the time being Buffalo sits in the third spot in the Atlantic division, they have more points than any team in the Pacific Division and as many as the Metropolitan Division leading Columbus Blue Jackets. There are still 73 games left to play this season but if those games go anything like these last four have then we all might need to rethink our pessimistic takes on the Buffalo Sabres. Like, comment and share this blog around; I may not be the smart blogger but I am the one who had perfect timing naming his blog New Look Sabres!

Thanks for reading.

P.S. If you want a laugh Peter Chirelli is back at it again.

[cksmart-world]

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

Oct. 30, 2018

GOODBYE CUMORAH, TRUMP UNLEASHED & CARAVAN OF WRETCHED REFUSE

Talk about a week of bad news, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, formerly known as the Mormons, is talking about ending the 81-year-old Hill Cumorah Pageant in Manti. Bummer. You might want to rethink your summer travel plans. For all you heathens out there, Hill Cumorah was where church founder Joseph Smith discovered the Golden Plates, which he translated into the “Book of Mormon.” (We think the gospel is still called that, but we're not 100 percent sure since church leader Russell M. Nelson banned the word “Mormon.”) For the folks of Manti and Sanpete County this is the worst news — there goes the local economy, not to mention Jesus Christ's visit to the Americas.

Mitt Romney Makes More Than Megan Kelly

Mitt Romney, as everyone knows, is about to get a lifetime appointment to the U.S. Senate thanks to voters of Utah. He's our guy. He saved the Olympics and as governor of Massachusetts, he was the original inventor of Obamacare — in a perfect world it would be called Romneycare. Over the last three years, the former Republican presidential candidate made $83.8 million — even more than Megan Kelly, the disgraced host of NBC's Today Show who had a three-year $69 million contract. Both will have their salaries slashed but, luckily, they'll be getting nice, big tax cuts, which will, of course, stimulate the economy — but probably not in Manti.

Chris Stewart Is A Best Seller

Utah Congressman Chris Stewart writes books and man do they sell. One reason is that his campaign committee buys a lot of them, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune. It's a great way to boost sales, thanks to contributors who may have thought they were making American Great Again. Among Stewart's books is one where God saves America by helping Abraham Lincoln win the Battle of Gettysburg and where the Lord made John Hinckley Jr. make a bad shot when he tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan. We are not making this up. Hopefully, like former Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz, Stewart will follow up in writing with his theory that The Deep State — legions of dedicated professionals who have devoted their lives to service — are plotting to overthrow President Donald Trump. As Chaffetz and Steward both know, collusion with Russia is fake news.

Caravan of 'Wretched Refuse' Heading Toward U.S.

Pay no attention to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and attempted bombings of prominent Democrats and Trump critics. The real threat to our national security is the mob of murderers and terrorists, some cleverly concealed as women and children, marching to the United States from Central America to provide cheap labor. The president is sending 5,000 troops to stop them. Historically, multitudes like those have arrived by boat from places like Italy, Ireland, Sweden and Germany. They sailed into New York Harbor past the Statue of Liberty that audaciously proclaims: Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me / I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Trump Unleashed

Election Day 2018 approaches. And wow, our president is doing what he does best — he has eclipsed his personal best in October by making 170 false statements, according to The Toronto Star, which has charted his lies from Inauguration Day. Here are some from the campaign trail: Democrats will kick seniors off their health insurance. Democrats will end insurance for people with pre-existing health conditions. Democrats will destroy Social Security. Democrats will give undocumented immigrants free cars. We are not making this up. Democrats are behind the latest migrant caravan from Central America that includes people from the Middle East. Well, as they used to say on death row, if it's worth doin', it's worth overdoin'.

On that uplifting note, Wilson, can you and the band take us out with something befitting our commander and chief: It's just your jive talkin' / You're telling me lies / Jive talkin', you wear a disguise / Jive talkin', so misunderstood / Jive talkin', you're really no good...

[investmart007]

Los Angeles a busy place for NFL on Saturday night

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/UC1JjQ

Los Angeles a busy place for NFL on Saturday night

After all of those years eschewing the Los Angeles area, the NFL now has two teams there. On Saturday, both will host preseason games on what many say is the only August weekend that even slightly matters.

The Rams host the Texans in an afternoon game, and four hours later the Chargers entertain New Orleans.

There’s actually some intrigue in Chargers-Saints, particularly for an exhibition game. For the second straight season, the teams went through two days of joint practices at the Chargers’ training camp complex in Orange County ahead of the preseason game.

Saints star quarterback Drew Brees once was San Diego’s starter, then was displaced by Philip Rivers. Brees has gone on to wild success and a Super Bowl championship in New Orleans, while Rivers has been a fixture behind center for the Chargers in San Diego and now in L.A.

“It was a tough set of circumstances, obviously, because they drafted him in 2004 to basically take my job,” Brees said on the Saints’ website. “I think everyone always tried to pit us against each other and couldn’t figure out how we could be friends or good teammates to one another in the quarterback room when we were having that type of competition, but we were.”

And they still are friends as well as supreme competitors. “There’s no denying it was somewhat awkward,” Rivers said. “We both wanted what the other person was trying to get, and keep it from him. But at the same time we pulled for one another.

“It may not make sense, and I’m not sure any of that necessarily does. That’s kind of the way it went in those two years. I tried to be the first person to high-five him after a touchdown. But at the same time I wanted to be out there playing.”

Neither will be playing very long Saturday.

The Rams’ glamorous offseason additions are expected to play for the first time. Coach Sean McVay has been exceedingly cautious about using his starters in the preseason and could continue to hold out some veteran players, but receiver Brandin Cooks, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters are likely to see their first action.

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson did not play in a 33-7 loss at the Rams last season because of a torn ACL, but will get to test himself against a Los Angeles defense still attempting to identify a starting outside linebacker. The Texans scored at least 33 points in each of Watson’s last five starts as a rookie, but failed to score more than 17 points in eight of nine games after he was hurt.

MORE INTRIGUE The biggest topic from the Chiefs’ perspective as they head to Chicago is coach Andy Reid gets to match up with his former offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, now in charge of the Bears.

“I’m proud of him for having the opportunity — I’ve watched his tape and he’s doing some good things with the team,” Reid said. “It’s a little like looking in the mirror when you look at his offense. He’s added a few little wrinkles but a lot of it is pretty similar.”

The Bears were hoping to have first-round draft pick Roquan Smith in his first action, but he barely practiced after ending his holdout. Starters or key players missing the game for certain are LB Leonard Floyd (broken bones in his right hand), and TE Adam Shaheen (right ankle and foot). Also possibly out: CB Prince Amukamara (ankle), DE Akiem Hicks (knee soreness), and TE Dion Sims (concussion).

THE RETURNS While most fans will focus on the play of the Indianapolis and San Francisco quarterbacks, Andrew Luck and Jimmy Garoppolo, on Saturday, the coaching staffs might look more closely at their revamped secondaries.

The 49ers are eager to see cornerback Richard Sherman make his first appearance since tearing his Achilles tendon last season. The former All-Pro with Seattle joined San Francisco in the offseason. “I’m more concerned about my game shape and making sure I can still go every single play because I haven’t played (since November),” Sherman said.

First-year Colts coach Frank Reich will get his first glimpse of his projected starting safety pairing.

Clayton Geathers, who missed most of 2017 after neck surgery, returned from a subsequent knee surgery in Monday night’s loss to Baltimore. Now, Malik Hooker, Indy’s first-round pick in 2017, is expected to make his first start since October after recovering from two torn ligaments in his right knee.

It would be the first time Geathers and Hooker have actually lined up together in game action.

“I’m going to be pretty excited, just from the journey we had,” Hooker said.

HOLD THAT LINE Cincinnati’s offensive line struggled against the Cowboys last week, which was a bad sign after the Bengals spent the offseason overhauling it. The starting offense managed only two first downs — one on a scramble by Andy Dalton — in three possessions. If the right side of the line struggles again on Sunday vs. Buffalo, changes could be in store, especially at right tackle where Bobby Hart has had problems.

First-round draft pick Josh Allen gets his opportunity to secure the Bills’ starting job after showing progress in accuracy and decision making since the start of training camp. It’ll be Allen’s first start, and comes after the quarterback directed drives to a touchdown and two field goals in a 19-17 win at Cleveland. Allen has yet to face an opponents’ starting defense, and he’ll be playing behind a retooled offensive line that struggled against the Browns’ pass rush. Coach Sean McDermott said some starters will play into the third quarter, though he didn’t specify QBs.

BACK TO PITTSBURGH Mike Vrabel started his NFL career with the Steelers as the 91st pick overall in the 1997 draft. He returns with the Titans looking for his first victory as a head coach.

Vrabel says he kind of stumbled out of the blocks in Pittsburgh where he learned how to be a professional player from the likes of Dermontti Dawson, Mark Bruener, Jerome Bettis and Greg Lloyd.

“My first apartment was next door neighbors with Greg Lloyd,” Vrabel said. “I’m like going out after games and I’m like this is crazy, like I’m working out with this guy. So there were a lot of great pros on that team, Hall of Famers … They really showed the younger players how to be a professional one, how to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and what it meant to the Rooney family to represent that organization.”

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will make his lone exhibition appearance eager to “knock the rust off.” The 36-year-old modified his diet during the offseason and arrived in training camp noticeably slimmer, though don’t expect him to start ad-libbing in the pocket as he did a decade ago. Roethlisberger is content to let his right arm and his brain do most of the work.

RYAN VS. RAMSEY All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey gets his first look at one of the many NFL quarterbacks he ripped recently.

Ramsey is back from a one-week suspension and slated to play when the Jaguars host Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.

Ramsey has declined interview requests since rejoining the team Monday. He hasn’t spoken publicly since screaming profanities at media members who recorded a post-practice altercation involving defensive ends Dante Fowler and Yannick Ngakoue. Three days later, GQ magazine released a Ramsey story in which he called Buffalo rookie Josh Allen “trash” and said Ryan was “overrated.”

Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he’ll be looking for his players to show they are game ready against Jacksonville.

“Are we playing with speed, playing with urgency and executing?” Quinn said.

Starters can expect to play “somewhere between three or four series or two quarters,” Quinn added.

Notable exceptions will be standout wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman, who are healthy but will be held out for the third straight week. Quinn also plans to protect them in next week’s final preseason game against Miami.

LOPSIDED The Ravens have been a bad matchup for the Dolphins, who lost to Baltimore 38-6 in 2016 and 40-0 last year. They meet Saturday night in Miami.

Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, will see his most extensive action of the preseason. He hasn’t been hit in the first two games.

Newcomer Frank Gore, the NFL’s leading active rusher, is expected to play for the first time this summer.

Miami wants to see more from rookie tight end Mike Gesicki, who is battling for a starting job but has yet to catch a pass.

The Dolphins have allowed 299 yards rushing in the first two exhibition games, including 226 yards at Carolina, and 71 on one play.

For the Ravens, it’s all about the QBs. Joe Flacco has enjoyed a brief but solid preseason, and they’re trying to get Lamar Jackson up to speed, but he has been playing like a rookie and running dangerously. RG3 has been good, but the question is whether the Ravens will keep three QBs. This game might help them make a decision.

The Ravens appear prepared to start rookie Orlando Brown Jr. at right tackle, but if he struggles in this game they may have to rethink it.

NO DRESS REHEARSAL LIKELY FOR DAK, ZEKE The Cowboys could be without all four returning starters on the offensive line for what’s supposed to be the “dress rehearsal” game at home against Arizona on Sunday night. There’s a good chance that means quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott won’t play either.

In Prescott’s case, Dallas had a 16-play drive that went into the second quarter on his third series last week against Cincinnati.

Coach Jason Garrett says that longer-than-expected stint also factors into whether he plays against the Cardinals. If Elliott doesn’t play, that means he will skip the entire preseason despite being healthy.

No. 10 overall pick Josh Rosen is a game-time decision for Arizona after injuring the thumb on his throwing (right) hand in practice. Sam Bradford, who has completed all seven passes in the preseason, is in line to start again.

If Prescott sits, the Arizona defense likely will go the entire preseason without facing a starting quarterback. San Diego’s Philip Rivers skipped the opener, and Drew Brees sat for New Orleans last week.

By Associated Press