#living in the apocalypse with Todd has taught him well

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It's my birthday today, so I wanna share a cupcake with my following page

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DC Characters x IcePowers!Reader Apocalypse Headcanons

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Jason Todd

• Jason would be quite a good person to be stuck in an apocalypse with, although if it’s just the two of you it may be a bit hard to get along sometimes. The two of you clash heads quite often - but in a situation like this it’s pretty understandable.

• He’s an incredible fighter, so no matter who or what you’re going to be up against he’s going to be able to handle them much better than the average person. Plus, the equipment and places he knows comes to be a great upper hand when it comes to finding and keeping safety.

• Jason is well aware of how to survive, as he was taught what to do in case there was ever an extreme circumstance and because of his childhood, he he knows that you’re going to have to locate a heat source as soon as possibly. Because of this, your powers may not come to be useful for a short while, but they definitely are eventually.

• Jason finds your powers incredibly helpful when the two of you are up against something, especially as the world is in full chaos so ammunition and weapons are in limited supply after a while. Since you’re able to make use of your abilities whenever you want he’s able to be protected and attack as much as he wants to while knowing you’re always there to help and have his back (just as he has yours).

• With your help Jason is able to form proper plans and have a second opinion, which is especially helpful as he sometimes takes the reckless routes through things and isn’t too bothered about getting hurt. This is a huge help as he knows it can’t just be the two of you forever, so your shared plans and abilities are just what you both need to find some other potential survivors in the new world you’ve been thrown into.

Damian Wayne

• Just like Jason, Damian would cope very well in comparison to others in an apocalypse mainly because of all the training and survival techniques he’s learned during his life. Straight away this puts you at an advantage and gives you both a head start as to how to find appropriate shelter and food for the time being.

• Damian’s tactical and physical fighting abilities compliment yours well, and as the two of you have knows each other a long time this means that you already have a strong bond and understanding of each other established. This is crucial to how the both of you work, and this probably also makes you the best combo to have been stuck together.

• Damian used your powers and abilities as a way to find the best way to survive. Rather than trying to find things that would help the both of you from a standard persons point of view Damian wants to ensure that the two of you have the least amount of clutter and can use things most effectively. And he’s quite good at this, so the majority of his plans are successful.

• Damian doesn’t mind being alone with you most of the time. Of course he likes to have his privacy still (which is pretty much almost non existent in these circumstances due to safety) but he already lived keeping your company so the two of you already have a good relationship. Plus, there are less people around to bother him and to stress over - if there were more people or if your were in a large group things would be much harder to control.

• Damian doesn’t want you do tire yourself out too much or cause yourself to get hurt when you’re up against things constantly, so he’d prefer that you fight normally and only save your powers for when things are extremely serious. This way you’re both able to minimise recovery time needed for the both of you and you’re able to move onto the next problem much quicker.

Conner Kent

• Conner would struggle a lot during an apocalypse, as the only understanding of true survival techniques and end of the world scenarios would be from movies and other kinds of pop culture. Because of this it’s difficult for him to get a grip of things when everything first starts, but eventually he gets the hang of things.

• Before he truly is able to navigate the new world around him, Conner makes rash decisions and is reckless as the the safety of himself and potentially you. He often forgets that you aren’t as durable as him, regardless of your abilities, so he isn’t as careful as he should be.

• Both of your abilities and powers combined are a great way for the both of you to get by. Not only are you both able to fight off whatever comes your way, but you’re also able to survive together and find food and shelter without too much of a problem.

• Conner would definitely be in a rush to try to find others who have made it through all the chaos and to team up again. The worry he has for others is always at the back of his mind and it’s just something he can’t help, just like how he constantly worries for you too.

• Your ice powers are a wonderful form of protection in the form of barriers and attack power, and Conner has abilities of his own which work well in the world you’re both now in. You’ll both annoy each other quite a bit, but you’re always working together for the best solution and outcome so it’s only very rare that things go wrong.

Rachel Roth

• Raven would feel over whelmed when everything has finally gone wrong and may even be slightly emotional about it for a while. This causes her to make rash decisions and ones that may not be useful or cause some issues, but she doesn’t mean to it’s just her trying to get a grip of the world around her.

• Her powers would be slightly out of control at first, as no matter how much she trains they still get the upper hand over her every now and then and this is just something she’s come to accept. Because of this, it’s up to you to help her take control of her abilities and you would definitely have to use powers of your own to protect yourself during this process.

• Both of your powers would be getting used quite often as you’re always looking out for each other, and it can sometimes be hard to go up against something if the abilities aren’t balanced which means both of you just put all of your effort in. Her powers mixed with yours create a harsh mixture of attack power so there isn’t much that stops you.

• As the two of you are alone together in this situation, you both know that it would be best to have strength in numbers. So, it would only make sense to find those you were close to and anyone else who may able to help fix things - plus, relationships get strained easily if you’re both alone for a very long time.

• Your ice powers may not be the most useful for basic survival techniques, but in times of chaos and anarchy in the world where there are constant threats of danger it definitely becomes useful. This means that although you may need to look for shelter and food the same as everyone else, protection from danger wouldn’t be a problem in the long run.

Garfield Logan

• Garfield would be an incredible person to be stuck in an apocalypse with because of how diverse and tactile he is. Because of his different forms he’s able to master a variety of obstacles and he’s always concerned about the safety of those around him.

• Garfield is always worrying about you even though he knows you can handle yourself, it’s just that in dangerous situations his mind always goes to those around him. He’s the first to step in to protect someone and would happily take a blow of it meant you would be okay afterwards.

• As he can turn into different animals, Garfield is able to figure out the dangers in the surrounding area of where you both are. This also means he’s able to get from different places much easier and undetected in comparison to a person which is a huge boost to safety.

• Garfield tries to use your combined powers to an advantage by not only making a plan but also making back ups in the case of anything going wrong. He always has an a escape route in his head for if either of you are injured as a way to minimise the hurt or injuries you both end up suffering.

• Since you’re both alone together and Garfield is always having things in the back of his mind, he’s still quite worried about those he was close to and no longer has contact with. It may make him snappy at times or emotional but in the end he’d try his best to get through the situation you’re both in and have the ability to find them eventually.

[dc-fics-and-pics]

Jason Todd x Harper reader pt 1

Conner is referring to Connor Hawke.

Warning: Cursing

Word count: 2202

It had been ages since you last saw your brother. After he left Oliver and speedy he would usually come back to visit you. It had been almost a year since he visited you last. Every time you would walk by one of his pictures in the hall you would get sad. You were very close growing up. You only had each other for a long time. When Oliver took you both in and trained you two, you could see him starting to grow away from you. Roy joined the Titans and Young Justice, outsiders... All while you stayed here. Star city your my home even though it isn't the best, You can't abandon it. He left and it looks like this time he stayed gone.

You moved out of the Queen Mansion a while ago. Connor was sad to see you go but you needed to be on my own. You still go out with them as Red Arrow but you just go back to my own apartment after. Thankfully you can actually call it yours now with your job as an assistant to one of Oli's top businessmen. If you're being honest Oliver did get you the job but you kept it and it pays really well.

You decide after a full day of running errands in the rain you decide its time to go home at the somewhat decent time of 8 o'clock on a Friday night. Unlocking the door to your apartment you step into the cool dark livingroom tempted to just plop down on the couch but remember that Connor was coming over to watch movies after his briefing with his dad and will probably be at your apartment at 10 o'clock.

The door to the bathroom swings open and you drag yourself into the shower for a quick pick me up before Connor arrives. After having to drag yourself out of the nice warm shower you put on a cute pajama set you impulsively bought last week. It was a maroon cropped velvet tank top with matching shorts. It felt a little weird for you to dress up for only Connor who had seen you bloody and dying before but something inside you coerced you to look cute tonight.

After making your way out of the bathroom you head to the kitchen to make dinner. You weren't the best chef but there were a couple of dishes you found adequate and Conner just appreciated anything edible. You decided to just boil some water for white rice and then start on some teriyaki chicken. You grab your bag of frozen potstickers out of the freezer and throw those on an oiled pan with some water.

Consumed in your cooking you barely notice the slide of a window opening. Thankfully the vigilante side of you perks up and you insightfully grab the knife the left of you. You duckt down hiding behind the counter. Checking you watch it's only 9 o'clock which is too early for Conner to be here. Peeking around the corner you see three large figures roll through the window in the living room across the kitchen. The figures whisper among themselves before one stands and starts to walk towards the kitchen. Before they step into the light. You pounce up throwing the chef's knife directly at the assailant. They expertly dodge it and jump forwards with their hands in the air in surrender.

Roy. his red hair is long and unruly. His blue eyes are wide and he stammers out, "Y/N stop it's me."

You scowl, "And?"

"Look," he sighs, "I know you are probably mad at me-"

"Probably!" You yell storming your way over to him, "Roy I am pissed at you, absolutely livid with your dumb ass."The two other figures step into the light concerned for their friend most likely. I step closer and pull the knife out of the wall pointing it at Roy's neck, "Get out."

"Y/N c' mon it's me you can't be mad at me forever," he pleads. You give him a dangerous look telling him you can and will be mad at him forever. "Okay you can but please don't I know it's been a while bu-"

"A while? Roy its been a year!"

"I know. I know I probably missed a lot-"

You laugh a dangerous laugh that runs shivers down the three's spine, "No Roy you didn't miss that much." you laugh sarcastically, " Just your own birthday, my birthday, my graduation, The fucking Star city apocalypse, My death!"

"Y-you died?" He finally speaks.

You can tell he was concerned but at this point you where to mad at you 'brother' to care, " Yeah Roy I died. It took Conner making a fucking deal with the devel to get Nyssa Al Ghul to dunk me that fucking magical hot tub to bring me back. And where whee you Roy! Out fucking Aliens?" you turn to the orange-skinned and pink-haired girl to the left of him," No offense."

She shakes her head, "N-None taken."

You sigh and turn around to check on your food making sure it didn't burn. After you turn off the burners in an uncomfortable silence you check your watch, 9:30, before talking, "Just go away Roy." you whisper out. "Conner is going to be here in 30 minutes and I don't want you here when he does.

You see Roys face scrunch up at Conners name and he stomps up to you," Why the hell is Connor Hawke coming over to your apartment at 10 o'clock at night?" he says to harsh for your liking.

"Because he always comes over on Fridays after briefing with Oli!" you don't have to answer to him but the little sister inside of you still does.

"What! Why? Is he like your boyfriend now?" Roy shouts blinking over a million times. Its something he does when he is in big brother mode.

"No." you answer truthfully, "But after the time you've been gone you don't get a say in it."

"Why him?" he answers so quietly you doubt the other two far behind hm could here.

"Because Roy, he's been a better brother to me in the last year than you have been in a long time," you whisper back equally as quiet.

This takes him by surprise and his shoulders slump at your hard gaze and he turns to leave. He signals his friends and they are out the same way they came in. And just in time the door knocks.

~~~~

Roy leads the others to a rooftop across from your apartment. He watches you open the door for Connor and he hugs you the way he used.

Jason lays a hand on his best friends shoulder in an attempt to be comforting, "It's okay dude you can win her back." Jason side-eyes Kori who is visibly upset at the secrets she thinks Roy has been hiding.

"There is no 'winning her back' Jason. She doesn't even need me around anymore she has Connor now."

"Yeah I mean I guess I'd be worried about other guys if my Ex-Girlfriend was as hot as her but-"

"Wait, what!" Roy shouts eyes wide.

"Oh uhm sorry man I mean pretty not trying to steal your girl he-"

"No! Oh God Jason NO!"

"What?" Jason was confused at Roys outbursts. Kori was less mad and moor intrigued now as she listened to the conversation.

"She's not my girlfriend dipshit Y/N is my sister!"

Jason and Kori both stand shocked for a while before Jason speaks, "I'm so confused."

"Y/N is my sister her name is Y/N Harper Oliver took us both in and she is now Red Arrow and Conner is like basically her new brother since I have kinda been an asshole to her recently."

"Ohhhh," Kori and Jason both say at the same time. "Well, that's wonderful!" Kori exclaims loudly.

"How?" Roy yells confused.

"Well," Kori starts," I thought you had been cheating on her with me. I was very upset with you Roy Harper. But now I see it was all just a misunderstanding."

"Yes," Roy sighs a misunderstanding," I can't believe you guys thought I dated Y/N that's disgusting oh my god." Kori chuckles and then they all stand in silence for a while, "Why are you being so quiet?" Roy asks Jason who just stares off into the distance.

Jason looks back at Roy with a sly smirk played on his lips, "So you're saying she single?"

~~~~

You woke up in your warm bed thankful it was a Sunday and you didn't have to work till 8 o'clock tomorrow. It was a long week and you really needed the day off after Roys surprise visit two days ago. You make your way out of bed and into the kitchen for breakfast. Throwing some fruit in a blender you called it a day and flopped on the couch with your thick red drink. Slirping and scrolling you laid there before deciding to get dressed. It was a good thing you did because there was a knock a the door as soon as you finished. You answered the door in your black shorts black halter top with an unbuttoned red Star City Spartans jersey. Before you stood the man that Roy had brought when he came on Friday. You had recognized the orange girl from her time with the Teen Titan but this dark-haired and blue-eyed boy was foreign to you.

"Yes?" you asked the man in front of you.

"Can I talk to you please," he asks with sparkling blue eyes.

You figure that if he's a friend of Roy he can't be dangerous..."Yeah." you mumble opening the door more for the large man to walk in.

When he is fully inside he looks at you with a smile and jus his hand out at you, "Hi, I'm Jason."

"I'm Y/N," you say awkwardly. He stares at you for a minute."Do you want to sit down?" You ask gesturing to the couch.

"Yes thank you." he lets out a breath.

"So uhm what are you dong here Jason?" you ask sitting in the chair across from him.

"Look," he looks down," Roy is my best friend and it's my fault he hasn't been here with you. I got him caught up in all of my problems and he was just being a good friend and trying to help me."

You let out a sigh, " Jason you seem like a good guy but it was Roy's decision not to come back. I had never even heard of a Jason so when he just ran off and never came back I feared the worst. Till I saw him running around with you guys it just felt like he completely forgot about me. It made me realize I don't need a big brother anymore I'm an adult and I have been for 4 years I think it's better this way."

"Y/N if my experience with family has tough me anything it taught me that you can't just give up on them. They can make a ton of mistakes over and over and over again but family will forgive them and help them. So please I know you may not need Roy but he needs you. You have no idea how crushed he has been. It hurts me seeing him like this."

"That's sweet and all Jason I'm glad you are all lover dovey with your family bu-"

"Y/N when I was murdered when I was 15 my father never avenged me he just replaced me with someone new. When I came back I was so mad at him I came back and tried to kill him and my replacement. But my brothers didn't give up they helped me see that we are family and that that's wrong and the kid is my brother now. They still don't agree with my methods and I fight with my dad constantly but we both know that if we need each other we will be there."

The story sounded very familiar. Oliver had told you about it a year ago. You should have known with the dark hair and blue eyes, "You're the second Robin aren't you."

He sighed, "Yeah, just please for a fellow zombie give Roy a second chance."

You laugh and nod, "For a fellow zombie."

He smiles and stands up, "C' mon the flight to Gotham leaves in an hour."

"Wait, what!" you yell at his laughing form.

"Yeah Y/N, our base is in Gotham so let's go."

"No no no no no I have work tomorrow..."

"Take a week off you will be fine." he rolls his eyes.

"Jason I can't I have to call in early and find someone to fill in for me and-"

"I'll take you to a Spartans game," he offered eying your outfit.

"Fine." you agree.

After making several phone calls and pleading you finally have the week off. You had to promise to scope out Wyane enterprises but you are finally free. You just hope the son of its owner doesn't mind.

Jason walks you out of the apartment and chuckles to himself, "I can't believe you are a Spartans fan."

You scoff, "I'm from Star City I'm a die-hard Spartans fan."

"Eww, Gotham Knights all the way."

You gasp loudly, "How dare you!" you say dramatically, "Alteast you don't like the Metropolis Meteors."

Jason scoffs, "I. Would. Never." he says dramatically as you laugh.

Even if you have to deal with Roy for a week at least Jason isn't that bad.

***

This will be a short mini-series with smut later on but you don't have to read that part if you don't want to.

2202 words.

[ghost-nabbers-imagines]

💀 with either Sal or Larry, maybe so gets bit after saving them

I did both Sal and Larry but Larry's is written for a fem reader because I really liked the idea for his.

Sal

Considering it was the apocalypse Sal made sure you guys had plenty of supplies in the beginning to avoid confrontation with the outise and long as possible.

But of course you'd eventually have to go out and savage for more food.

He insisted on going out but you insisted on tagging along. After about an hour arguing over whether you were staying or leaving with him he finally caved. You two spent a long while going over a plan.

When it came time to go out you were both nervous but Sal more so. He really didnt enjoy being bitten by a dog let alone a zombie.

He grabbed his handgun and a machete, while you had a crossbow and a katana as well as you both having knives.

You both piled into his car and drove to the grocery store where Sal and Larry used to have part time job. Luckily the shutters were still down and the door was still covered meaning no one had been able to get in.

You guys unlocked the door pulling the can as close to the door as you could leaving the back open.

Both of you grabbed shopping carts and began making your way down the isles unloading the cart each time one got full.

You were in one of that isles grabbing as many canned goods as you could fit in the cart.

"So I'm thinking we can probably fit another cart full in after this one and then we can just leave the door open when we leave."

"Yeah good idea love we have more than enough food here. I'm gonna go grab a couple can openers since they're on the end of this isle."

He walked down a little ways while you returned your focus to the canned goods. A few minutes later you heard him yell.

"N-no not you. No!"

You flipped around to see the zombified corpse of Larry stumbling towards Sal.

He sight of him practically broke your heart. He was still dressed in his uniform of khaki pants, the blue shirt, and the neon vest with a now very faded smiley face. His clothing was tathered and dirty. Some of his hair covered his face hiding away his rotting skin. He had a chunk of flesh missing from his shoulder where he had been bitten.

Knowing that Sal wouldn't be able to kill even the corpse of his best friend you took off towards to the two shoving the cart into your old friend's corpse knocking him into the shelf.

You went to grab your knife from your packing only for it to get caught in a tear in the bag.

You struggled to pull it out only for Larry to knock you to the ground pinning you there. You felt your knife go flying in the other direction.

Larry chomped his teeth snarling above you. Sal was trembling trying to force himself to help.

You pushed with all your might trying to get the lanky corpse off of you.

Before you could move him too far you felt his teeth bite into your upper arm.

Letting out a scream you felt your flash tear between his teeth ripping a hole in your flesh. Blood poured down from the would and out of Larry's teeth.

Seeing you hurt Sal jumped into action he took one one of the cans to Larry's head knocking him off you. Once he was off Sal kept swinging till the corpse was no longer moving.

You moved your right hand to the gash in your left arm. You were bitten like for real. This was it.

"B-baby I- I'm so so sorry. This is my fault."

He crouched down to your level.

"No love it's not your fault."

Sal kissed you tears falling down his face.

"What if we cut it off?"

"That might work you dont think it's too late?"

"We have to try I'm not losing you too. I can't lose you. I can't."

He helped you move to the first aid isle laying you down on a sleeping bag hed found in the store.

You pulled off your shirt while Sal cleaned his blade with shaky hands. Once it was disinfected he gently kissed your forehead taking a deep breath.

Even though your arm was burning with pain you forced a smile.

"I love you Sal."

"I love you too."

He got ready to make the first cut but you stopped him.

"Wait wait!"

He looked at you with teary eyes confused as to why you were prolonging this further.

You painfully moved your engagement ring and wedding band over to your other hand.

He smiled weakly with a small sniffle.

"Dont wanna lose those."

He swung the machete cutting deep.

You let out a loud painful scream.

With his second hit you had fainted. Once the arm was off he began applying pressure to the wound with the sterile pads.

When you woke up you were in pain still but no fever. You reached your hand up to feel where your arm had been only to feel an empty space.

You forced your eyes open to see the ceiling of Sal's place. The place was dark telling you it was late. You could hear soft snoring coming from your side. Each snore was followed by a sad whine or sob. Sal was no doubt having a nightmare about what had happened and was crying in his sleep.

Slowly and painfully you moved your arm over to where his head was rested next to your stomach from sleeping sitting up on the floor. You moved your fingers through his soft blue locks making him stir in his sleep.

He shifted so he was sitting up. Once he rubbed the tears and sleep from his eyes he noticed you were in fact awake and not a walker.

"Love you're ok!"

"I think so babe!"

He hugged you tightly but carefully holding you close.

Larry

You two were in the middle of a run when you had gotten over run by a smaller horde.

You ducked behind a car door readying your barbed wire covered bat. At least Steve Harrington had taught you a few pointers in all those Netlfix binge sessions.

You jumped up swinging knocking one of the roaming corpses to the ground. You dodged around the body taking off in the direction of the apartments.

"(Y/n) love over here!"

You spotted Larry with his back against an overturned uhaul truck. Weaving in between cars and taking out a Walker or two you made your way to your fiance. You could feel the baby kicking in your much larger stomach hinting that he or she was just exhausted of running as you were.

You placed a hand on your growing belly taking a couple deep breaths now that you were back by your husbands side.

He hugged you placing a quick kiss on your cheek.

"We're almost home love. Just another mile or two."

You nodded but you couldn't say you were ready to run another 2 miles especially not in this weather.

After another breather you two set off again taking out a couple more of the living dead. After another few minutes you both stopped in order for you to catch your breath.

You let your back rest against a car.

As you struggled to catch your breath you felt a sharp pain Rip through your stomach. You knew for certain it was a contraction.

"Shit not now!"

"What's the matter love?"

"I think I'm in labor."

"Shit fuck! Not now! Are you sure?"

"Yea I think I can make it to the apartments."

You kept running but after a few minutes you felt a worse sharp pain making you scream out in pain leaning against a car. You grabbed onto the open window squeezing it in pain. Your water broke with this contraction.

A moment later you felt something tear into your wrist making you scream out in pain.

"No!"

Larry pushed you out of the way stabbing his knife into the skull of the Walker.

You looked down at your wrist shocked. You were bitten and in labor.

You had been bitten right at the wrist so your arm was bleeding heavily, considering the physical strain and the heat it just took everything out of you. You fainted falling right into Larry's arms.

When you woke up you were back in what looked like the apartments. You had woken up to that ceiling and poster covered wall everytime you spent the night at Lisa's place.

You could feel throbbing burning pain in both your arm and a dull burn in your stomach.

Even though it was muffled and fuzzy you could hear Larry talking to someone near by.

Once you slowly forced your eyes open completely you were met with the rest of Larry's room.

You moved your arm over feeling the space where the rest of your right arm should be.

Next you moved your hand to feel your stomach. You slowly moved Larry's Sanitys Fall shirt up tracing your stomach where there was a giant stiched up wound.

"She has her moms eyes."

"I know shes beautiful just like her mom. Wait till she wakes up and meets you kid. You're gonna love her. And she's gonna love you so fucking much."

"Want me to hold her while you go check on (y/n)?"

"Sure. Here (daughter name) go see grandma for a minute."

A moment later the door opened up to an exhausted looking Larry.

His eyes were sad and tired his hair a mess. His hands were slightly still colored red from what you could assume was your blood.

Once he saw you were awake he jumped to your side.

"Holy Fuck knuckle love you're awake!"

"What happened?"

He stroked your hair moving it from your face while holding your hand.

"You got bit and we. We were so far from home. I -i had no choice. I c-cut it off and carried you the rest of the way. You weren't conscious to push but thankfully that doctor Morrison showed mom and Todd how to do a c section just in case before he left."

Larry let a few tears fall down his cheek as he talked.

"So the baby is ok?"

"Not only is she ok but she's so beautiful and happy already."

"Can I see her?"

Larry got up kissing you sweetly before going to the door and calling his mom in.

She came in smiling handing you your daughter.

"Shes beautiful."

"I told you just like you."

"Fortunately for her she pulls off Larry's nose a lot better than he does."

"Fuck off little dude!"

Everyone shared a laugh happy that everyone was ok.

Later that night you two laid in bed the baby between you both wide awake Larry's arm draped over both you.

"I love you so much. I was so scared I was gonna lose you."

"I love you too Larry. You saved me. Both of us really."

"I cant take all the credit. You fought for keeping our baby alive even if you didnt know you were doing it. I need you to do me a favor ok?"

"Sure what lar bear?"

"That you won't go out as much anymore. I need you safe and she needs at least one of us alive. At least take it easy for a little while even after you've healed."

"Ok love I'll try."

He leaned forward kissing you then your daughters head.

Lex💛

[lil-nest]

For BatfamWeek 2018, day 5: Time Travel

Summary: In a world where Bruce's decision to get Damian's body back from Apokolips has apocalypse-sized consequences, Tim and Damian engineer a plan to go back in time and prevent it. Left alone after Tim's death, Damian must decide how far exactly he is willing to go - not just in time. 

Warnings: Major character death, referenced rape (Damian’s conception), referenced child abuse (Damian’s childhood), dubious time-travel grammar

Notes: The quote at the end is from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It’s followed by “ The major problem is quite simply one of grammar” which describes my feelings about his. A second chapter about Damian’s adventures in the past might or might not happen, depending on inspiration, but this can stand alone.

“One does not simply walk out of Apokolips”

Damian had been livid the first time Drake had said it. The world had been turning into ashes because his father had thought he could go to Apokolips and come back without consequences, so the moment had seemed inappropriate for inane quotes. However, as time had passed and the situation had worsened, he had seen how those memes and pop culture references had helped group cohesion, how the right quote at the right time had made the whole group laugh despite their impending doom. So he had swallowed his pride and asked Drake to explain this phenomenon.

And so Timothy had taught him. About social media and movies and books and bands. All the entertainment that had burned with the rest of organized society, leaving only fond memories in the minds of the last survivors. Damian had asked him about his favorites, and had been regaled with stories about Hobbits and magic rings, spaceships and robots, and something about fish and towels. They hadn't had any books, but Timothy had known an impressive number of quotes.

Now Damian was not angry. Instead the quote managed to get a wet laugh out of him. Of course those would be Tim's last words. It was fitting. Yet, as he held his brother's body in his arms, he knew there was more to it. He could understand the encouragement behind it. Frodo had walked into Mordor, even though Boromir and so many other had died. Damian would walk out of the Apokolips-apocalypse, even without Tim. Their plan was almost ready. He only needed to reach the machine and choose a date.

One turned out to be surprisingly more difficult than the other. He pondered his choices as he sat in their makeshift hangar. The obvious choice would have been just before Father and the other went to Apokolips. He could warn them about the dangers, and maybe his presence would help them come to terms with not resurrecting him. Yet, he somehow doubted his father would be willing to listen to reason, even – especially – if it came from his dead son.

Then again, maybe his father didn't have to know the boy he'd see would not be the son he was trying to bring back. If he calculated the time and place correctly, he could pretend he had been resurrected by his grandfather and then had broken out of his clutches to go home. He could even use the Pit Rage as an excuse for any potential apocalypse-related PTSD.

That sounded like a good plan, but... If he had his dates right, then Richard would already be dead. Not to mention the fact that he'd find a version of Timothy he did not get along with. Of course, he knew his brother already loved him enough back then to go along with his father's plan, but between his previous murder attempts and what they had witnessed of Jason's Pit Rage, he would be justified in being doubly suspicious of Damian.

He knew jeopardizing their only plan to prevent the apocalypse for something like personal feelings was disgraceful, but the more he thought about it, the worse the prospect seemed. Maybe he could find another time...

What if he prevented his death? Maybe Nightwing would survive the ordeals that had killed him in this timeline if he wasn't consumed by grief. But then only the younger him would get his eldest brother back and a chance to bond with Timothy. Damian would have to spend his life hiding in order to prevent uncomfortable questions – not to mention the possibility that his mother would keep trying to kill him until it worked.

Maybe go back to when his mother introduced him to his father and take his younger self's place? He could start over with all of them, then. Befriend Tim, earn his father's trust, maybe even prevent his father's “death” and create a plan to integrate Jason back in the family. But what of his younger self? Would he kill him? Hide him somewhere? Leave him for his mother to raise? He couldn't do that to him. Younger him may have been a brat, but he deserved better.

Better than what Damian had just been thinking of doing to him, and certainly better than what his mother had done to him.

Maybe that was it. Maybe he could go back to his birth, kidnap his baby self and go seek shelter in Gotham. His father would certainly agree to protect a boy who claimed to have escaped the League, especially if he came with a baby. Then he'd get to be Grayson's equal and Tim and Jason's big brother, and younger him would grow up happy and loved, and never would have to take a life.

But what if his mother decided to fight for her baby? What if she created a plan to destroy Gotham to take younger him back? Or what if she just made another clone, and made an evil Damian that wouldn't be introduced to Batman and his philosophy?

The only way for Damian to prevent his mother from making an evil clone would be to prevent her from having any genetic material at all. If he just prevented his parents from procreating at all, then there wouldn't be any younger him to take into account, his father wouldn't have to live with having been raped, and if he made himself a place close to his father, he could ensure the rest of his sibling found their way into the family. After all, who said that Father had to kick Grayson out in order to adopt Todd, or that Todd had to die for Timothy to make himself known?

Decision made, Damian started to adjust the device.

A part of him was surprised he wasn't more bothered at the idea of preventing his own conception or changing the course of time. Then again, Timothy had taught him a very insightful quote about such things.

As the time machine started to power up, Damian recited the words.

 “One of the major problems encountered in time travel is not that of accidentally becoming your own father or mother. There is no problem involved in becoming your own father or mother that a broadminded and well-adjusted family can’t cope with.”

He hoped that also applied to preventing one's own birth.

“There is also no problem about changing the course of history – the course of history does not change because it all fits together like a jigsaw. All the important changes have happened before the things they were supposed to change and it all sorts itself out in the end.”

A glowing portal opened before him.

Well, he was just about to find out if that part was true.

He stepped in.

[chronicbatfictioner]

Fast Car - Chapter 16

Damian Wayne, Bruce's son, was a... well, as far as Jason was concerned, Damian was the kind of kid Jason's grandpa would wash his mouth with soap with. Only Damian did not know cusswords so much. Apparently, he was raised until he was 10 by his mother in the Middle East in a royalty-like environment, in which he was taught that he was a royal. Like Bruce, he was bestowed with intelligence and quick wit. Unlike Bruce, who was raised in the US, he has no notion of congeniality and could come across as a bully.

Jason understood how he and Tim would clash spectacularly. Tim has no patience for those who has no empathy.

"Todd," Damian greeted him as he walked in to the garage. "why are you bringing Drake into this? He is of no use for anybody." he added.

"Because, Damian," Jason started, ushering Tim into Dick's hand as the latter started to open the boxes of Chinese food they'd ordered, before Tim could snap back at Damian. "I loved having him around, even if he doesn't like to get his hands dirty. I loved having him around to remind me of things I might overlook, even if he doesn't know a thing about cars." he said, spreading his tools around the car. "Now, Tim and I, we go way back. Right now, he's here to feed me spring rolls and dumplings." Jason glared at Damian, partly challenging the boy to argue, partly closing the argument.

Damian's scowling face morphed to that of slight confusion, then to a more confusion, then - apparently - he had an epiphany. "You're lovers." he stated.

"Yes. Problem?" Tim retorted.

"None with Todd, just with you." Damian shot back.

"Oh nooo, no, no, no. It's lunch time, and I don't want problems until-- oooo... next century. Preferably after I'm dead or apocalypse happened or something." Dick interjected, walking between the two warring factions blithely. "If you two won't get along - or at least be civil - I'm sending you both to the corners. Separate corners!"

"That's one in Manhattan, one in French Quarter - corners. And I'mma be helping him impose order." Jason quipped. "Now come on over here and give me my dumpling, Timbo," he added as he removed the car's AC compressor. Tim scowled at Damian. Hard. Damian responded with a spectacular scowl that would've sent lesser man running the other way. But Tim just sat on the car's roof, which put him roughly at Jason's head's height, and started feeding the dumplings to Jason. Both Jason and Dick warily eyed Damian, who crouched on the toolbox that Jason was using; and neither would admit they'd respectively released sighs of relief when no further battle cries uttered and/or acts of sabotage insinuated.

Within an hour, the service work was done. Damian questioned a lot, and actually didn't protest when Tim answered some of the questions instead of Jason. Food was had, and somehow, Damian and Tim ended up bickering quietly - with no signs of actual battles - over a tablet, researching for components of air conditioners for the car.

"That--" Dick thumbed them. "--should we get ahead of ourselves and call 911? You know, they could still end up killing each other..."

Jason chuckled. "Naaah, they'll be good. Neither would have the last say on the component, no? I would." he pointed out.

"Yeah, I hope so." Dick smiled ruefully. "They're actually pretty similar."

"Actually, yeah." Jason agreed. "Just... less drama and tragedy for Damian, I think - knock on wood. But they are. I'm quaking at the thought of them getting along and plotting to conquer the world."

"Dude, you and me both. I think Bruce would, too." Dick chuckled. "Anyway, fun day, on Bruce's credit card. You think you have it in you to bring those two to the skating rink?"

Jason looked at Dick contemplatively. "I'd first asked him out at a skating rink." he confessed quietly. "I was working there. It was closed about a few months later. Haven't been in one since then."

"Welp, I don't see what would go wrong with reliving the memories, no? He's okay, you're okay."

"Yeah, okay. Let's." Jason decided, couldn't find the argument to that logic.

It took forty minutes in the rink to make Jason remember why he wasn't at all sad that the ice skating rink he'd worked at was closed.

He was on the ice, sliding easily while most people who'd seen him coming would give a wide berth. Tim hung on to him, laughing merrily as they made their way toward Damian. Dick was at the concession stand, ordering them hot chocolate. Damian was mostly sliding alone, a little carefully as he got used to the rented shoes.

"Watch it, kiddo!" Jason shouted instinctively as Damian veered into his way. He barely managed to swerve to avoid crashing into Damian and/or make Tim crash, too.

"Eyes on the road, man!" Tim scowled as he passed Damian, too.

Somebody else commented something that made Tim skidded to a halt and released Jason's belt, nearly catapulting Jason to a faceplant for the sudden lack of weight next to him. As he turned around in confusion, Tim was already face-to-face - almost literally - with a rotund man with shaved head. "Take that back!" Tim snarled. "You goddamn take that back and apologize or I'll send you home cryin' to your momma!"

"What." Jason breathed as he approached Damian.

"He wished me and 'my people' to go home," Damian huffed, his face stern, but there was an air of resigned dejection in his pose.

"He said all immigrants should go home." Tim elaborated, snarling. "I think he's right, all of you immigrants should go home. We Miagani people would really like to see a loser 'immigrant' like you white boy to go back to your caves, stop soiling our lands."

"You're not.. you're not..." the man spluttered, uncertainty creeping up to his expression.

"Oh yes I am, boy. My father's name is Drake. But my mother's maiden name is Galavan. Remember? If you're a true Gothamite you'll know that name well. The last Shaman of the Miagani tribe who was never sent to a reservation. Oh, and this boy. His great grandma happened to be one Catherine Van Derm. Know who she was? No? Well, she was the granddaughter of the last Chief of the Miagani tribe. That makes this boy the actual true native of Gotham. For your info, Miagani people, like most native tribes, are matrilineal. 

"You, buddy? You're just a sore loser who can't see those with different colors than you thrive and be happy. We don't need people like you here. So why don't you go home, from where your ancestors came? Oh what's that? You don't know because your ancestors were outcasts? Yeah, I figured as much. Those whose ancestors came here to look for a better life usually aren't as petty and repugnant as you are - picking on a child..."

The other man's face was, in Jason's opinion, showing some very interesting shades of red. Tim's mouth was merciless, Jason knew that from a good long while ago. But the other man definitely didn't look like someone who'd give up without physical violence. So Jason started to shift - he could step in, if needed.

Dick approached from behind the man, and waved a badge right over the man's face. "No property damage is done here, yet, buddy. So I suggest you leave." he said, almost sweetly. "Unless, of course, young Mr Wayne wishes to file charges of hate speech?"

Damian glared at the man, then at Tim, and drew himself up. "No need, Officer Grayson. I reckon this man has experienced enough enlightenment via Mister Drake's history lesson to repeat his behavior; or to experience further enlightenment through my lawyers."

Jason almost smirked when the rink owner, previously hovering around, pretending to be invisible in the face of imminent ruckus, promptly made his way toward Damian, cooing, "Oh, Mister Wayne! That is so generous of you! I'd say it's time for you to leave, sir," he glared at Tim's opponent. "If you do not leave on your own, I might have to ask Officer - what was your name again...? --Grayson here to escort you out, and I will file a complaint against you."

Jason watched as Tim sidled toward him, half dragging Damian along with a tug on his sleeves. Damian followed, haughtily thanking the rink owner. Dick approached them about five minutes later with glasses of hot chocolates. "Courtesy of the rink owner, Mr Wellesley, for 'that lovely young Mr Wayne. My! He looked like his father!'- quote-unquote." Dick said, grinning.

Damian looked a little subdued, still. But after a gulp of hot chocolate, he turned to face Tim. "Thank you, Drake."

Tim blinked at him. "No need," he shrugged. "I hate bullies."

"I concur." Jason said. "The first time I met him, he chewed the asses of the teachers who were bullying me."

"Really?" Damian asked, looking interested.

"Oh yeah, they were calling me learning disabled because I'd been living on the street for a few years and didn't catch up on schoolwork, see. And Tim just like, 'no he's not and you teachers were stupid wrong' - only with longer words. Needless to say, I didn't end up in the Special Needs classrooms, and eventually graduated with 3.70 GPA."

"I don't believe people are stupid. Just either disinformed or misinformed." Tim scoffed.

"That's the same thing." Damian said.

"--or uninformed. I'm not done." Tim scowled at him.

"Regardless, I'm just amazed you'd stand up for Damian." Dick interjected.

Tim glared at him as if he was the stupid one. "I stand up for injustice. I may and will forever fight Damian over intellectual matters, but not because his skin is darker than mine. Besides, my skin is like, twenty shades lighter than even Jason's." he pointed out.

"...and that you were both Miagani descendants." Dick chuckled. "You're like, tribe-brothers, then."

"Oooh... might want to stop right there, Grayson..." Jason warned, suddenly having an epiphany on how the war between Tim and Damian would continue.

"Technically, I would be a closer descendant because it is from my father's side." Damian intoned.

"Ooooh, no, no, no... you're wrong!" Tim scoffed. "You see..." he started, and glared as Jason groaned out loud, and Dick face-planted onto the table. "what??"

"Stop." Dick groaned. "Just. Stop."

"I agree. Joy and goodwill to mankind, boys." Jason agreed, lifting his cocoa mug. "If either of you continue this argument, I'll pour this cocoa to your head."

[justinmoviereviews]

The Class of 2019

As always, just trying to catalog what I saw this year. Let’s do this shit.

1917 - Sam Mendes

I’ve never seen a war movie like this. I’ve never seen something that was so empty, so decayed and lifeless. Usually these things are about honor or brotherhood or whatever. This one was a horror movie. Gothic. Disturbing. And credit Dunkirk for helping everyone else realize that war movies should be told in the present tense.

Uncut Gems - Bennie and Josh Safdie

Good Time was better because it’s rawness was more painful. Because it’s kineticism was more sociological. Because it physically hurt to watch it. And because Robert Pattinson is a better actor than Adam Sandler (my sincere apologies). But these guys have figured out to a science how to film desperation and visceral consumption and need; they chronicle the ugliest parts of the mind and shoot them in the ugliest parts of New York. 

Little Women - Greta Gerwig

Oh no, I’ve lost interest in writing these. Greta Gerwig is sharper than the average writer, and is going to get a lot of mileage writing interesting female characters, which will keep me occupied way longer than, for instance, JJ Abrams writing Strong Female characters so he gets to keep his third house. But look for this refrain whenever I see good movies that aren’t really made for me, my favorite character here was Timothee Chalamet, popping up sporadically to mack (suavely!) on all three sisters.

Bombshell - Jay Roach

Structurally it’s a little bit of a mess, but Megyn Kelly playing detective to an internal corporate scandal works surprisingly well.

The Two Popes - Fernando Meirelles

Some nitpicks: this movie engages with the child abuse a little bit, but it doesn’t offer any resolution--how could it? The scandal is ongoing, and has mired the legacy of Francis, the good Pope, just like it mired his predecessor’s, the bad one. And some of the dialogue is a little trite; was Benedict this much of a close-minded conservative? Was he really this bad at selling his own vision of the church? I also wonder if movies seem smaller now that we’re watching them all on our TVs. But mostly I thought this was fantastic. I love movies about ideas centered around conversation, and this one does it with so much humanism. The Pope as a role is one of the most complex, elite and fascinating people on the planet. This movie comes so much closer to showing that than I thought it would.

Marriage Story - Noah Baumbach

A cursory search of images from this movie for this post makes me realize how well it’s shot--maybe this really was meant to be his Scenes From a Marriage. It isn’t--he’s not a good enough director to ever be Bergman, he’s too burdened by the things he likes and thinks about, like hipster references and witty repartee--but this is the best movie of his I’ve ever seen. Funny, sharp, and if it isn’t a universal depiction of the disillusion of love, it’s empathetic and compassionate about two characters he likes and cares about. Adam Driver is the best actor working right now. Scarlett Johansson can’t quite keep up, but who could?

Ford v Ferrari - James Mangold

Fast cars and the manly men who build them. This could have been better--the writing is a little too beholden to a generic structure that’s beneath the A+ power of Matt Damon and Christian Bale, who are, straight up, two of our finest actors. Ideally this flick just lets these two dudes dick around for 150 minutes. But fuck man, this shit rocks.

The irishman - Martin Scorsese

This is the calm gangster movie made by a bunch of men who haven’t had to hustle in 30 years. Scorsese is a smart guy, so he probably knows that a de-aged Robert De Niro isn’t going to be as resonant as some young hotshot trying like hell to make a name for himself. It makes the movie weirdly low-stakes, and it only truly comes alive at the end, when De Niro is looking back on his life and facing his regrets, like a man in his 80s ought to be. But look, Scorsese is one of the best to ever do it, and gangster movies are where he lives. If this is mostly a retrospective on four of the best careers to ever track through Hollywood, and I sort of think it is, it’s still got ten scenes that will stand up against any of our man’s best.

The Laundromat - Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh does The Big Short. Turns out he’s also pretty good at it.

The Lighthouse - Robert Eggers

Robert Eggers is a formalist who understands that movies can be about whatever they want as long as they look good and sound good. This is a movie about, I think, madness. Just madness, just the idea of being isolated and going mad. If you’re wondering, like I was, if that’s enough of a theme to hang a whole movie on (I mean, these things are expensive), well, I think the point of this one is that it’s weird as fuck, it looks real good and it sounds real good. 

Parasite - Bong Joon Ho

This movie is at it’s best when it’s at it’s weirdest. I like Bong most when he’s using a heightened absurdity to point out the ways in which our political systems are unforgivable. 

Motherless Brooklyn - Edward Norton

I know it was in the book, but the Tourette’s syndrome of the main character seems to me like a postmodern tic, like making a straight noir in 2019 wasn’t enough for a studio that assumed audiences would need some kind of a 21st Century bent. I don’t think it adds much to the story, so I want it out there that this is just such a good fucking straight noir. I would personally finance it if they made like three of these a year. 

High Flying Bird - Steven Soderbergh

Soderbergh is gonna need to get over his love affair with the iPhone camera--someone needs to remind him that movies can look a lot better than this--but this is the kind of movie that could have been and maybe started as a play. Things happen off camera and all you see is characters talking about them after the fact. But the writing is phenomenal. Snappy and smart. Maybe my favorite script of the year.

Joker - Todd Phillips

Upon further review, I think this movie never should have been made, but I do like it. I’m not a purist, frankly I think comic book movies are for nerds, but what makes the Joker powerful is that he doesn’t have a backstory. This movie isn’t good enough to justify giving him one, but it’s so ambiguous and strange that it doesn’t ruin anything either. I spent a lot of time wondering if the events of the movie actually happened, or if they were all in the protagonist’s head. I guess the answer is that it doesn’t really matter: if it all did happen it would destroy the throughline of the Nolan movies, and if it all didn’t it would make the movie kind of lame. Ultimately it’s a story about a discarded man who learns that evil gives him a control he never had before. That’s a heavy topic to make a movie about, and a better movie would have been heavier. But  it’s still an interesting watch, and Joaquin Phoenix goes to the places the movie itself won’t.

Ad Astra - James Gray

I have nothing against pretentious movies. Some of my best friends are pretentious movies! But if you’re going to be as solemn and portentous as this one is, I think your thesis needs to be a little more insightful than that love is important. This movie looks fantastic. It’s got killer monkeys in it, and an Apocalypse Now meets 2001 pedigree. It should have been a lot better.

It Chapter Two - Andy Muschietti

Ugh, this one was not good. The writing is pretty bad, storylines open up and fizzle out without going anywhere, the structure is simple to the point of being lazy. The first one was so good, and this is just a crappy cash-in. Oh well. 

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino

Look, Tarantino is probably my favorite director. Pulp Fiction is the movie that first taught me to love movies, and he’s never in his life made an artistic choice that I didn’t intuitively understand. I don’t think anyone else has justified their otherworldly self-confidence more than he has. If other directors are more artistically or technically accomplished, I’d struggle to find anyone who better put the thoughts and images in their brain onto celluloid better than him. If this had been made by some new hotshot named Chris Anderson or something, I’m buying a poster of it and telling everyone who will listen about the breakout auteur of the decade. But for the first time in my entire life, I wondered what Tarantino’s point was. Why did he make this movie? The highlight, for me, is Leonardo DiCaprio, who since Django Unchained has apparently realized that he’s at his best when he’s hamming it up and having a blast.

Midsommar - Ari Aster

Two movies in, Ari Aster has mastered tone. My man is in control of his movie from frame one, and the result is that his stuff feels smart. This one wasn’t as wild or unexpected as Hereditary--in fact the most surprising thing about it is that it really isn’t surprising at all; it’s about a sinister cult in northern Sweden, and it hits all the beats that tagline would suggest. But that’s not the same as saying it’s predictable--he still has a gift for ultraviolence, and he hovers in a space that forces you to prepare yourself for anything. My only complaint is that I wish it had been more of a mindfuck. It’s ultimately a simpler movie than you might hope for. But this guy isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be on the prestige list for as long as he wants.

The Perfection - Richard Shepard

If Allison Williams is going to make a career out of deconstructing overachieving white girls, I don’t want it to get lost that she is also insanely hot. Like, just so hot. Anyway, this is one hell of a grindhouse flick, all the way down to being a little less pleasant than you’d expect or even really want. Watch it on a Saturday afternoon and feel a little queasy afterwards.

Avengers: Endgame - Anthony and Joe Russo 

Look, I don’t know what to say to you if you take these movies seriously. You probably wouldn’t like my blog anyway. I thought this was a really good ride. If you have problems with the plot holes or the character inconsistencies, I might recommend catching something other than the final installments of global franchises that are obligated to gross two billion dollars.

Us - Jordan Peele

If Jordan Peele were a quarterback he’d be Deshaun Watson--a top level talent who’s going to be relevant for at least the next ten years. Get Out was a statement, a cheap little movie from one half of a decent sketch comedy show that blew the doors off the tavern and walked in so much smarter and better than anyone was prepared for. But right now, sitting on my couch, Us is the movie I want to watch. It was never going to be as surprising as Get Out because this time out our expectations were so much higher. But this is the kind of movie I ultimately want him to make his fortune with--funny, scary, worth talking about afterwards. A horror movie from a guy with interesting ideas who’s been given the keys to do whatever he wants.

Glass - M. Night Shyamalan

I caught this bad boy in January. At the time I figured there was no way I’d remember anything about it by the end of the year. I don’t.