#the rest of the bats and the birds in Gotham are calling everyone

[wildrosesayshigh3]

Is it weird how I want Batman to take a life. And not accidentally either I want him to take a life on purpose it can either be fueled by raw emotion or because he had quite literally no other choice. I want him to take a life and deal with the aftermath.

B could lean on agent a, Gordon, and Selina in the aftermath since he won’t lean on his kids and students. Relearn what he already knew the world is not black or white and that also involves killing.

He could slow down on patrol in the aftermath giving more room for his children to flourish. Spend actual father son time with Damian merging back into his life as a parent. Throwing himself into Wayne Enterprise as a way to cope when he’s not with his kids .

Meanwhile everyone else who isn’t James Gordon, Alfred, or Selina is freaking out. They don’t know why he’s pulling away, why he’s slowing down, they don’t know anything and Bruce can’t won’t tell them. Babs doesn’t know what’s going on either. Maybe Kate has an inkling but that’s it.

Bruce is contemplating everything. Suddenly life has been flipped on its head and now he has to go to therapy because Alfred is putting his foot down. He isn’t budging because taking a life is different for everyone and he needs to talk to a professional.

I want Bruce/Batman to take a life and I want him to think about what this means because the person he was before and after are different. I want this to force him to look at his own actions and fucking apologize.

[bats-and-the-birds]

Always loves those fics or headcanons where the Justice League just has no clue about the existence of the Batfamily. And usually it's because Bruce wanted to maintain his image of being all mysterious or because he wants to protect his family or something.

But I think it's infinitely better if he just assumes they know. Like, Dick has been around since he was like 10, and he's into his 30's now, Bruce assumes that he had to come up in conversation at some point.

Besides, as secretive as they are, the news in Gotham has to pick up on and connect the family together, at least vaguely, so surely the rest of the league has taken note of that. Signal fights crime in broad daylight, for christ's sake.

Except, in general, they just don't. Sure, Superman and Wonder Woman maybe know, but Flash? Green Arrow? No.

Then one day they need extra hands on a mission, so a handful of the various bats and birds are called in, cue bafflement. On both sides.

Because Bruce assumes that he doesn't need to explain himself. Everyone else assumes he's being secretive on purpose.

Barry: Why did you never tell us you have an entire family/small vigilante army hiding in Gotham?

Bruce: My children are literally friends with the rest your family.

-cue Wally and Bart speeding past them the moment they see Dick and Tim from across the room-

[escelia]

This is a follow-up/one-shot based on the fic I wrote here, which was based on the prompt by @ghostreblogging

I'm really having fun with Big Brother Danny AU~ big thanks to everyone taking the time to read it!

Not So Normal

Daniel Fenton-Wayne had been with the family for a while now. To say that he was odd would be an injustice because he wasn't really. At least, not compared to the rest of the costume wearing vigilante family. Danny was a civilian, albeit a strange one. Danny and Damian were close in age, and everyone could tell that Danny wanted to be a good big brother; he'd never had the chance to before. The strangeness came in when Damian brandished his many weapons toward Danny, and he... caught him mid launch. Just snatched the little bird out of the air for a hug. Damian had thought he was putting up a fight, but it was clear that Danny wasn't struggling. He seemed so casually unbothered by Damian's behavior, but he was normal, ya know?

Damian sneers and waves his fork menacingly at Danny during dinner?

"He's fine! He's like, what, 10 years old?"

Damian growled that he was clearly 12 and threw himself over the table at him.

Damian threatens him with his swords?

"Damian! No!"

"Nooooo! Don't discourage him! He might lose interest!" And even as the rest of the family assured him that that would be a good thing, he handed Damian the blade and asked if lessons were on the table so Damian could have a "competent sparring partner." He still tried to stab Danny after that.

As concerning as it always was when Damian tried to stab someone, they were all relieved that Daniel seemed to be able to handle the demon brat better than most. Eventually the baby bird would warm up to him and stop stabbing him so often, but until then, Danny could handle himself.

~~~~○•○•○~~~~

Let it be known that Damian did not have a favorite brother! They were all imbeciles with poor taste in humor and mediocre fighting skills. That being said, Danny did have a leg up over the others for inquiring about sword lessons to improve his fighting prowess, even if he was already surprisingly adequate for a civilian. Well, that and other things that Danny had admitted only to him in the months he'd been with the family. It was strange being the one he confided in, but he felt a sort of pride that, even though he'd tried to stab Daniel, he was still the one he went to when he needed to talk about stuff he hadn't told the others. So perhaps it wasn't that surprising that when he'd gotten in trouble, Danny was the one Damian called for.

Patrol that night had been boring and quiet. Too quiet. Way too quiet for Gotham, which meant that something bad was brewing. Batman had handed Robin off to Nightwing for the night while he poured over all the reports and data from the last few weeks to figure out what the rogues of Gotham could have planned. Nightwing was ashamed to say that the Joker had gotten the jump on them. He'd tied the two up, leaving their comms on so the rest of the bats could hear all of the terrible things Joker had planned for them. He included terrible reminders of how he'd murdered Jason and how he couldn't wait to pluck the wings from Batman's other birdies. Damian wanted to rip his throat out for that, but he was in no shape to fight. His family was in danger, so he called out to the only other person he trusted.

"DANIEL!" Damian screamed long and loud for his brother, the plea surging forth from deep in his chest. Dick looked horror stricken that his baby brother had called out for the one member of the family that wasn't a vigilante, painting a huge target on his back. But even as he could hear the commotion coming through the comms and see the panicked look on Dick's face, he called for Danny again. His brother would help. He would come!

The room's temperature dropped in an instant, their panting, panicked breaths fogging the air while the lights flickered. The Joker paused in his maniacal laughter to observe the Lazarus green pool forming on the ground between him and the birds. Frost and ice cracked through the concrete of the warehouse as a head of white hair with a crown of crystalline ice rose through the small pit and the Joker's veins flooded with dread at the too wide, too sharp smile on the thing's face.

"Don't worry, I'm here. You're safe," he cooed comfortingly back to Damian, his voice an otherworldly echo in the large space. "But you?" He gestured to the Joker with claw-like fingers. "Well, let's just say, I've been d̵͔̦̩̒̒̊ẙ̴̧͓͕̺ḯ̸͖̪͔n̶͉͛g̵̻̾͒͜ to get my hands on you."

It happened so fast that no one really knew if the Joker screamed or not. In one moment, the boy's body had morphed into a cloud of inky black scattered with what looked like honest to God stars that smothered the Joker, and in the next, he was gone. The being who, upon closer inspection, definitely looked like Danny if he had white hair and green eyes and was a literal Eldritch creature, was untying them with care.

"Danny?" Dick questioned. He acknowledged him with a quick nod before turning back to Damian, the one who had called.

"You came," the youngest mumbled.

"You called," Danny answered with a soft smile. "Did you think that I wouldn't?"

"No. I knew that you would. You're not incompetent like the others."

"You guys heard that, right? That was definitely a compliment!"

Damian huffed but sagged in relief once he and Dick were both untied.

"You- you're-" Dick stumbled over his words in astonishment. "Danny, you're a meta?"

"Technically, it's a medical condition, but details," he responded, waving off the rest of the question with a cheeky smile.

In Nightwing's ear Bruce asked to speak with Danny. He removed the earpiece and tapped Danny's arm with it, gesturing to his ear. The "meta" slid it on just in time to hear his adoptive father shout.

"We will be talking about this as soon as everyone gets home safe, am I understood!"

"Loud and clear, boss man!"

"Let it be known that I knew something was weird about Danny!" He heard Jason exclaim. "No offense man."

"None taken, my Revenant sibling mine."

"Where did the Joker even go?" Someone over the comms asked. Danny thought it was Steph.

"I sent him to clown jail. I hate clowns. I've literally never met one that hasn't tried to kill me or my family."

Upon learning that the Joker wasn't the first homicidal clown that their, before now, seemingly normal brother had met, the comms erupted into chaos. Danny tossed the earpiece back to Nightwing before whisking them away back to the cave under the manor. He had a lot of explaining to do.

[gffa]

Guess who fell right smack back into BATFAMILY feelings hell?  Who has two thumbs and really thought they were truly out of the DC game, that it had been like ten years since they’d read a single comic, that they were finally safe from crying about stupid bats and birds?  Yeah, that’s right, this nerd.  And now I’m waking up and choosing violence on the rest of you by throwing every I’m Having Dick Grayson Feelings Fic at you that I can find, because this fandom is fantastic for it.   This list will skew towards my fave, but I hope there will be some good Jason, Tim, Damian, Cass, and Steph fic for anyone who wanders by for them!  You just have to scroll for a second first. I probably tend towards a slighty softer view than canon always provides (I will grab hold of Nightwing #100 with both hands and a death grip, though, and you can’t take Dick & Bruce hugs away from me now) but that’s what fic is for!  All the emotional resolution the source material cannot give us itself and I am GOING to inhale all of it like it’s oxygen and I’m on a run.  And then shove it at everyone I can while crying on them, too. BATFAM FIC RECS - BABY DICK IS THE CUTEST FERAL ROBIN I’M NOT HEARING ANY ARGUMENTS: ✦ Stay a Child by ijustwanttodestroy, dick & bruce & alfred, 2.2k      “Redo it,” Bruce orders. “Aw, come on!” Dick dares to pout — a thing that he uses often, and would work on anyone but Bruce and Alfred. Sometimes. Bruce gives him a look. “I’m not going to do it for you.” “I’m going to misdo it until you do,” Dick threatens. ✦ Sweater Weather by MashpotatoeQueen, dick & bruce, 2.2k      Dick Grayson is eight, Bruce Wayne is trying, and there’s a walk home in the rain. ✦ Hay Is for Horses by lurkinglurkerwholurks, dick & clark & cast, 2.7k      The sleepover had been Dick’s idea. In which Clark is a good but very overwhelmed uncle who is Trying His Best. ✦ Eye of the Storm by Janie__loops, dick & bruce & cast, de-aged!dick, 2.5k      Dick Grayson becomes once again a traumatized volatile murderous eight year old, and the only thing more surprising is how adept Bruce is at handling him. ✦ A Blur of Spinning Wheels by chinuplilpup, dick & bruce & alfred, 10.1k      Dick is on the chandelier. An eight year old. A genius gymnast, to be sure, but a child, small for his age and under Bruce’s legal care. On the chandelier. Twenty five feet above the ground, surrounded by glass and kept up by a single fifty-year-old chain bolted to the ceiling. Bruce is going to have to check his blood pressure after Dick is safe on the ground. ✦ The Flame and the Night: A Bedtime Story by WingFeathers, dick & clark, 1.8k      Dick’s thrilled to stay with the Kents, but they go to bed far too early for him to sleep. It turns out to be a job for Superman, who shows Dick the Kansas night sky and tells him a story from Krypton––a story about two gods, called Nightwing and Flamebird. ✦ (T)his Child by shanahane, dick & bruce & alfred, 2.1k      ”I’m here for the elephant,” Bruce says bluntly. ”Elephant?” Haly says. ”We haven’t had elephants in over two decades, what…?” ”The toy. That Dick left on his bed.” OR What wouldn’t Bruce do for… this child? ✦ 5 Times Dick Grayson was in the Newspaper Because of Bruce Wayne by Engineerd, dick & bruce & alfred & clark & cast, 4.7k      Batman and Robin are Gotham’s urban legends, and Bruce wants to keep it that way. “I know that,” Clark said. “But when Robin eventually goes officially public, I want to be the one that does the interview.” ✦ we don’t allow monsters in these walls. by thychesters, dick & bruce, 1.8k     New dad Bruce is still trying to figure things out with Dick. He’s not his dad, not his brother, he’s just … he’s B, the guy Dick runs around with at night fighting crime. He’s worried, and he’s scared, and he’s too protective. Tonight the protective side just won out. ✦ shades of monochrome by renecdote, dick & bruce & clark, 6.1k      He can’t even think, let alone think how to act. His brain is like a broken record, stuck on a loop of blood and ringing gunshots and Bruce is going to die. “It’s going to be okay,“ Alfred says. But it isn’t. How can it be? Dick takes a deep breath and screams for Clark as loud as he can. (The one where Bruce gets shot and Dick cries a lot.) BATFAM FIC RECS - ADULT BATSON AND BATDAD ARE MY KRYPTONITE, I FOLD LIKE WET CARDBOARD FOR THEM: ✦ Ghosts by fanfictiongreenirises, dick & bruce & batfam, 2.5k      “Nights like this, when everything was balanced on the edge of a knife, when Bruce could feel Gotham clawing at them with her claws, he could feel their gazes scraping his back.” Bruce waits for backup with an unconscious Nightwing tucked in his cape. ✦ When I Touch the Water by audreycritter, dick & bruce, 2.7k      Bruce is trying to deal with an old injury alone, and alone is exactly the opposite of how Dick Grayson is willing to let him handle it. But Bruce can’t really complain because it’s nice to see his son again and not fight for once. ✦ Making Time by CaptainOzone, dick & bruce & cast, 6.5k      Bruce does not remember anything leading up to this moment. He does not remember teaming up with Superman recently, nor does he remember being anywhere but Gotham proper. He does remember having Robin at his side. Robin, it turns out, is not there any longer. God does he hate magic. ✦ to love is not to leave by daringyounggrayson, dick & bruce, 1k      Dick called Alfred for a medical consult last night, so when he hears someone at his door, he’s not exactly surprised. What does surprise him is that the man who came to check in on him isn’t Alfred: it’s Bruce. ✦ Olive by Ptelea, dick & bruce, 1.5k      In which Dick and Bruce catch up in the kitchen sometime after episode 11, “Not It,” Dick peppers his speech with condiment-related puns, and Bruce is sort of amazed by his life sometimes. ✦ too lost and hurting to carry my load by daringyounggrayson, dick & bruce, 1.8k      Dick is sick and feverish, and those two things are forcing him to face some previously-stifled fears and insecurities. He really just needs someone to take care of him. ✦ No Other Songbird Like You by SilverSkiesAtMidnight, dick & bruce & damian, 8.5k      The difference between grappling off a building and free-falling off a building is actually a very small difference. Really, it’s just the difference between firing your gun before you jump, like Bruce always insisted on according to safety protocols, and firing after you jump, when it’s more fun. The fun way, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, is totally fine and has absolutely no consequences. ✦ mid-May’s eldest child by one_step_closer_to_death, dick & bruce, 1.2k      Dick’s sick and Bruce takes care of him. BATFAM FIC RECS - EVERYBODY LOVES DICK: ✦ Handle with Care by takadainmate, dick & bruce & damian, 3.4k      Dick is sick. Alfred isn’t around. Bruce and Damian do their best. Damian had known something was wrong. ✦ Off The Record by amathela, dick/donna, NSFW, 1.2k      Dick and Donna work off the aftereffects of a mission. ✦ Rejoice in Youth by FlashThroughLight, dick & bruce & tim & damian & jason & alfred, 6.1k      Dick has been regressed to the age of four, now Bruce and the rest of the family has to look after him until he returns to his rightful age. If Bruce thought teenage Dick Grayson was unruly, nothing could prepare for the storm that is Dickie Grayson. AKA Dick cons his family into giving him hugs. ✦ The Real in Funereal by lowflyingfruit, dick & damian & alfred & tim & jason & barbara & selina & cass & cast, 9.3k wip      Batman is dead. So is Bruce Wayne. And the Bat-family is struggling to cope, both publicly and privately. But crime in Gotham waits for no Bat, and like it or not, new grievances and old, the family must pick themselves up. Gotham needs its defenders, before their grief tears them apart. (Battle for the Cowl AU) ✦ Visions of Sugarplums by CamsthiSky, dick & bruce & damian, 3.7k      See, it happens like this. Everything’s normal for them all—or, well. As normal as a family full of vigilantes can get. But things are running smoothly. He keeps his head up and his ears open, though, because he may be able to move forward, but he isn’t stupid enough to think that he’s not going to hit a bump in the road. He always hits a bump in the road. He just hadn’t expected this. ✦ Safety First by SuperWhoLockianFangirl, bruce & dick/babs & dick/roy & dick/wally, 2.6k      Bruce Wayne can handle lunatics like the Joker without even flinching, but the hurtles of raising a teenage boy prove more daunting. When it comes time to give Dick the “Talk”, he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. And unfortunately for him, he finds himself repeating the experience multiple times over the years. BATFAM FIC RECS - BATKIDS ALL HAVE MANY SIBLINGS AND THEY’RE ALL PETTY ASSHOLES AND/OR WONDERFUL BABIES AND I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE BEING: ✦ Catch by Ptelea, dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce & cass & steph, 13.7k     Five times Dick caught one of the younger Bats, and one time he wasn’t the one to do so ✦ Stubborn by audreycritter, dick & jason & tim & damian & cast, 20.3k     Dick is usually the one taking care of everyone else and he’s bad at asking for help. So bad, in fact, that he never even actually asks– but Jason shows up anyway. And then Dick returns the favor. And then they both do for Tim. And it’s just going to keep going from there. It’s probably Alfred’s fault. When your butler mom calls and says, "Go check on your brother,” you don’t argue. You just do it. ✦ Without Question by lowflyingfruit, dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce, 6.2k     There is something very wrong with Dick at the moment. He’s doing everything Bruce says without a hint of protest. Tim’s going to get to the bottom of this. ✦ Ranking Robins by Beauty_In_Her_Darkness, dick & jason & tim & damian & bruce, 5k     Buzzfeed has been cranking out quiz after quiz about Gotham’s Bat-themed superheroes. When Jason shows them to his family, him and his brothers decide that not only should their adoring fans get to rank the Robins: Bruce should too. ✦ Carry by Ptelea, dick & jason, 4.9k     Whoever said, “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother,” didn’t have to haul you around. ✦ a pointless resistance by emavee, bruce & dick & jason & alfred, time loop, 26.7k     It starts with a news report running in the background of a greasy little diner, but it ends with Dick dead. Except, it doesn’t stop there. It keeps on ending, over and over. Bruce’s son keeps dying, and nothing he does seems to make any sort of difference. ✦ while you see it your way by irnan, bruce & dick/babs & tim & cass & damian & alfred, 4.5k     Wherein Damian acts his age for once, and - to the astonishment of absolutely no one - it’s all Bruce’s fault. ✦ Manor-Dad lets me drive the Batmobile by loosingletters, bruce & dick & jason & tim & cass & steph & damian & duke & cast, 21.2k wip     Bruce had two options when Dick found the Cave. 1) Tell him the truth. 2) Go along with Dick’s excited “You’re dating Batman!” until he figured out the truth. Several children later Bruce wished he’d gone with option 1) or he wouldn’t have to deal with all his kids believing he and Batman were separate people. ✦ Bomb Sing Se by Cephalogod, dick & jason & tim & cass & steph & damian, 2.2k     The thing was…it wasn’t actually the worst idea. (The bombs in the gauntlets part; Jason had vocally disapproved of every aesthetic decision Dick had ever made since they were teenagers, Dick wasn’t going to start listening to him about that now.) ✦ Above Any Price by centreoftheselights, dick & jason & tim & damian, 1.6k     Dick gets the news that Jason has been taken hostage. This time, he’s going to save his brother. ✦ Upside Down by withthekeyisking, dick & jason, de-aged!dick, 2.1k     Something that was not on Jason agenda for the night, but somehow now is: take care of the de-aged version of his big brother, who is—in his tiny mind—apparently running away from juvie. Because, sure. Why the fuck not. ✦ straight up, what did you hope to learn about here by irnan, bruce & dick & damian & barbara & jason (background dick/babs), 3.8k     (or: Three Conversations Dick Grayson Has About Jason Todd, That One Time A Couple Years Ago When Jay Was Dead, And How Talia Al Ghul Is Why Dick Can’t Have Nice Things.) ✦ Now Comes Good Sailing by geminus_17, dick & jason, 2.3k     Dick and Jason escape to Walden Pond and have a healing talk about the meaning of life and death, and insult Henry David Thoreau. ✦ on the other side by MermaidMarie, dick & jason & tim, 3.6k     In which Tim and Jason are staying up all night in the hallway, after Dick gets his memories back. ✦ Control Alt Delete by audreycritter, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & stephanie & riddler, 1.9k     Sometimes the only way to solve an impossible riddle is to give up. ✦ Extension by smilebackwards, tim/kon & dick & jason & bruce, 5.9k     Tim’s going to need to learn to be less conspicuous about this hopeless crush he’s developed; he lives with an entire family of detectives. Or: Tim has a crush on Conner and everyone has something to say about it. BATFAM FIC RECS - JASON TODD IS AN ASSHOLE CAT, I’M GONNA THROW HIM AT DICK BECAUSE IT’S FUNNY (AND MAYBE SOME OF HIS OTHER SIBLINGS TOO): ✦ The 70 Days After Groundhog Day by Ptelea, dick & jason & batfam, time loop, 43.9k      There’s a time loop that only Jason remembers. It acts as a catalyst for changes within the family. Some arguments, some misunderstandings, some bonding, some healing, and quite a lot of conversations that mostly take place over food. Dick POV, focused on Dick and Jason but with the other Bats around and very present. ✦ Fair is Fowl by Lysical, dick & jason & batfam, 4.3k      Dick Grayson is visiting the Manor. Jason Todd has the chickenpox. They might not be brothers, but maybe they can get along for one evening. ✦ Ensemble Performance by lowflyingfruit, jason & damian & batfam, 4.8k      Damian has a deep, dark secret he needs kept from Grayson, his father, and most of all Drake, at all costs: he has, quite unwillingly, been volunteered for a part in his school’s annual musical. As a grouchy dinosaur. This is now Jason’s problem. Or his blackmail opportunity. Whichever. ✦ Home Intrusion by daedalusdavinci, dick & jason & cast, 7.2k      There are moments when the… everything of Dick’s life catches up with him, and exhaustion sinks deep into his skin. However, when he goes dark on everyone else, Jason doesn’t quite get the memo. Rules never seem to apply to little brothers. After two weeks of little more than clipped texts, Jason shoves his way into Dick’s life and gets him up and moving again. BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK AND DAMIAN WERE THE BEST BATMAN & ROBIN, I’M NOT HEARING ARGUMENTS ABOUT THAT EITHER: ✦ 3:16 by partingxshot, dick & damian & alfred & stephanie & cast, 70.7k      The knife pushes thin along Dick’s carotid artery, cupping the indent between neck and jawline—forcing him to angle his chin. The metal is warm, pulled with execution speed from under Damian’s pillow. “Okay,” Dick says quietly, tracking the intricacies of his own heartbeat—counting the space between breaths. “Guess I did need a shave.” (With faltering steps, Dick and Damian become Batman and Robin.) ✦ The R Stands for – by Cirth, dick & damian & bruce & talia, 5.8k      Damian pretends to focus on lacing up his boots as his father tugs Drake to his side, plants a gruff, casual kiss in his hair. Drake’s lips curl into a pleased smile, and Damian yanks the strings so hard his palms burn. ✦ The Rule Stands by Engineerd, dick & damian & bruce & tim & alfred, time travel, 11k      Damian meets a 10-year-old Dick Grayson, and they become best friends. ✦ this tiny little space by Alienu, dick & damian, 2.1k      The landing on his fire escape is nearly silent. Nearly. ✦ waiting for the tides to meet by partingxshot, dick & damian, 2k      Grayson behaves like this sometimes: like Damian needs to be protected. It twists his stomach in sharp and unfamiliar ways. “You leave, then!“ Damian spits. "I’ll—I’ll track Clayface on my own.” Another shudder takes him. The pain floods him all over again. It doesn’t matter: he won’t cry out. The rain pelts the dumpster behind him. It pools in cracks in the concrete. ✦ the city without stars in its skies by Alienu, dick & damian & batfam, 18.5k      (Or, in a world where he was never sent to live with his father, Damian al Ghul is contracted to assassinate one Dick Grayson.) ✦ Catch Me (All Records Indicate) by Engineerd, dick & damian & batfam, 9.5k      Damian had studied each of his father’s prior proteges briefly before he’d left the League of Assassins. Somehow, Grayson in person is nothing like Grayson on paper. OR “Are you sure you can catch me?” Grayson asked. Damian could hear his heart beating. He wasn’t sure. “Yes,” he answered anyways. ✦ Even in the Midst of Grief by Ellegrine, dick & damian, 4.3k      Richard Grayson has never hurt Damian. It’s unforgivable that anyone should believe otherwise. BATFAM FIC RECS - TAKE THE ANGST DIAL, TURN IT UP TO ELEVEN, AND BREAK THE KNOB OFF, MAKE ME CRY ABOUT BATS AND BIRDS, THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR: ✦ Second Generation by lowflyingfruit, dick & bruce & tim & barbara & jason & alfred & cass & cast, aftermath of rape + depression, 108.9k      Nine months after the ‘Blockbuster Incident’, a call from Lockhaven Penitentiary regarding Catalina Flores brings all Dick Grayson’s plans for his future in Bludhaven crashing down. Thrust suddenly into parenthood and hiding what happened to make him a parent in the first place, Dick must decide, adjust, and accept - and no matter what, the family has to pull together to help him. ✦ Savior Complex by Arwriter, dick & bruce & barbara & tim & jason & damian & alfred & cast, 11.6k      “All I did was disappoint you.” He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t catch his breath. “I just wanted to do good. I just wanted to be better and all I did was make everyone angry.” Or: When Bruce comes back from the dead, Dick goes nonverbal. Nobody seems to have the time to notice. ✦ Essential Actions by CKBookish, dick & clark & bruce & wally & cast, 8.8k      Clark shifted his weight making the floorboards creak and groan under his feet. “Dick I hate to see you–” He paused searching for the right word. Dick snorted. “Wallow?” Clark sighed. “That’s not what I was going to say.” “I know. I can go to the barn and hang out there if I’m bothering you and Lois.” Dick pushed himself up. Of course he should have thought of that. Lois didn’t want some random teen laying around her home on Christmas Eve. Dick’s first Christmas without Bruce after he’s fired. ✦ The Night It All Came Crashing Down by chibi_nightowl, dick & jason, rape aftermath/read the tags, 4k      After a difficult night on patrol, memories Dick would much rather forget come to the surface. Thankfully, Jason’s there to catch him before he falls. ✦ The Winter of Our Discontent by BloodFromTheThorn, dick & bruce & jason & tim & alfred, 10.2k      Why did criminals always think that the best time to make a disturbance was in the middle of winter? Between the snow, Clayface and Scarecrow, Dick’s having a really bad day. It really doesn’t help that Batman’s late. ✦ The Universe Doesn’t Get to Take This by fishfingersandjellybabies, dick & bruce & damian, 1.9k      “And they’re so important that you don’t come home to check on your recently un-amnesiac brother? And here, I thought I was your favorite.” BATFAM FIC RECS - THROW BABY DICK AT BATTISON, C'MON DO IT, IT’LL BE HILARIOUS: ✦ In This or Any Other Universe by wildsofmarch, dick & bruce & alfred, 33.4k      Dick Grayson (DCU) accidentally lands himself in Battinson’s Gotham. ✦ I’m a Good Pretender by shipNslash, dick & bruce & alfred, 40.4k      Dick’s mother raised her son to be a star. Dick’s father raised his son to be an athlete. Bruce’s new ward is charming (manipulative), dedicated (obsessive), and way, way too smart for either of their own good. ✦ take these broken wings and learn to fly by fishingclocks, dick & bruce & alfred & cast, 45.5k wip      or, How Dick Grayson Burrowed His Way Inextricably into the Heart of Bruce Wayne ✦ i turned around, there was nothing there by lwbones123, dick & bruce & alfred, 3.1k      the batman got me thinking about battinson with a robin. this is that. ✦ Robin’s Light by iammadeofmemories, dick & bruce, ~1k      ‘Lies still’. Murder weapon still missing, Why riddles? Why leave a code? And why— “B! Whatcha working on?” or, in which I throw nine-year-old Dick Grayson at Battinson.

[rainybyday]

Wayne Spirit Add-Ons

Add ons that don’t connected to each other but they probably could of the Wayne Spirit and/or Comic Cross Dimension au idea (pick your favorite) by me

+Danny knows exactly where Damian is because all he needs to do is follow the energy radiating off a Lazarus pit and BOOM, there’s a baby Damian

+Danny won’t kill Joker because sometimes there are worse things then death

+Danny knows where Cass is every single time and she can’t sneak up to him

+Once he knows Duke can see him he started to play hide and sneak to see how many times he can avoid Duke finding him

+Stephanie won’t die, not even for a minute because there is no way Danny was letting any one of his Bats die in Gotham

+Danny will cling on to any Bat who is sad on their backs and won’t go away until they get the care they need or feel better (since they all know that cold spot is their Ghost hugging them and watching them when they are at their worse and is comforting them)

+Danny is always there when anyone gets sick by their bed side

+Kate just accepted the fact Danny existed, no more need to be said when your a vigilante who kicks drama theater kids ever night in a bat suit, a ghost isn’t that far out their

+Danny did meet the spirit of Gotham, had a fight, Gotham sulking that they lost, Danny swearing that he will take care of the Wayne’s and made a pact for them to co-parent the family 

+Alfred is god and Danny respects him and admires him a lot, so when Alfred always verbally gives him gratitude when he cares for the family Danny will get flustered so bad (even if Alfred can’t see him (yet))

+Danny loves all the Bats but Bruce is his favorite, his boy, his baby that he found, his child who he comfort, his teenage he protected, his silly adult he sighed about, his hero who he became so ultimately proud of 

+The same time that Danny was protecting the Wayne’s he was also going to the Drake’s residence to play with a cute cubby baby Tim

+Danny died (again) of laughter when he saw the scene of Jason stealing the tires off the Batmobile

+Danny is always there when the kids are training to become a Robin because training injuries traumatized him when Dick almost fell down a tightrope once

+He didn’t stop the Joker from shooting Barbara in time but he did get to him before he could touch any of the Gordon’s

+Danny is a hugger and a clinger, if you are touched by the Danny, every Bat has the unspoken rule of stopping whatever your doing to rest (they all learned from Bruce who made the mistake of going out as Batman when Danny was clinging on him)

+Danny thinks Damian is hilarious and adorable when he first meet him after spending a good amount of his childhood slightly disliking that Robin

+No villains will, nor will ever can kidnap a Bird to train them without their consent because Danny will be there to show exactly what happened when you touch those that he claims as him (he knows some training sessions are unavoidable but that doesn’t stop him from freezing anyone of those villain mentors from hurting or making any of his Bird’s from doubting themselves of any kind)

+Everyone in the manor always obey Danny, even Alfred (which is very few times since Danny and Alfred always agree with one another to protect the idiots they fondly call their family)

+Loves when Damian is finally at the manor because of all the pets 

+Danny finds listening to Jason reading soothing as it reminds him of Jazz

+Danny always gets Tim to get some rest, always

+Takes care of Steph when she is Robin because clearly someone wasn’t going to be kind to her in anytime soon

+Danny always claps when Dick does his small flairs during fights or during patrol

[bruciemilf]

I honestly think that for Gotham criminals—regular criminals, drug lords, pedos, abusers, etc—getting caught by a vigilante with Bat in their name is the best case scenario at this point. Like, at least with Batman, Batwoman and Black Bat, you at least know you're making it out of it alive. If they've had a bad day, maybe you'll end up with a few broken bones or be sore for a month or two, but you'll recover.

If you're caught by Red Hood when he's had a bad day? Say goodbye to your life. If Red Robin hasn't made a singular smart comment during your fight and you want to get out of this without lifelong injuries, just turn yourself in right then and there. Robin chooses violence on the regular, you never know if he's going to be normal or downright vicious, and it's best not to take the risk without a reasonable vigilante there. If you're fighting an angry Nightwing and there's nobody to hold him back, it's best you start saying your prayers so maybe someone will show up and pull him off you at some point .

For Rogues, see, there's safe Rogues. If you're one of the Sirens and catch a Bird having a bad day, the worst they'll do is break down crying when faced with the prospect of having to fight you. Selina has been faced with countless of these breakdowns over the years and is the most equipped to handle them, Harley can distract and knows calming techniques, Ivy's easy to rant to. If you're Harvey, or Oswald, or even just a generally harmless Rogue, as long as you aren't doing something horrible, they'll leave you be. If you're literally any other Rogue—Bane, Black Mask, Riddler, Scarecrow, the Joker, etc, be thankful if you make it back to Arkham with more than eight bones intact.

ESPECIALLY if they let you have the first hit. That means they can claim provocation when they're standing over your barely-breathing body. They don't get into as much trouble with Batman if they can claim self defense.

Bruce, Cass, and Kate are the only ones with defined no-kill rules. The rest abide by it for peace sake for the most part, but there are always exceptions, and you don't want to be one of them.

OH GOSH YESSSSS

Let's be honest, - the rogues? Family friends. The Sirens are family PERIOD, and Harvey's their second honorary father after Clark, courtesy to Bruce. Also, kids tend to assimilate traits from people they look up to/love.

Robins and Rogues, tale as old as time.

When he's sad, Tim will flop himself over Bruce like a bunny. " Tell me a joke, Brucie," and of course a tired but fond sigh leaves Bruce's lips. " What do you call a vegan BBQ?"

" What?"

" A funeral."

Tim rolls his eyes like Harley, too.

Cass learns the sophisticated art of tantrums and pouting from Selina; Crossed arms, bratty eye roll, so much sass she's sizzling. Bruce has a Sigh jar, now.

Damian picks up an interest in plan and promptly transforms the manor in his very own botanical garden.

Alfred doesn't mind. The air is fresher, smells cleaner, they look beautiful againts their monochromatic palette, and everyone must take care of them. No exceptions.

A breath of relief unlocks Damian's stiff frame. " Persephone smiles upon us."

" Persephone? Where did you learn that, habibi?"

" Aunt Pamela said Greek Mythology belongs to lesbians, so I can't divulge."

Caught between " Jason hits Bruce with every single legal technicality Harvey thought him to evade getting benched" and " Jason accidentally calls Bruce pet names Spanish or Italian when he's distracted."

" My alma can yo- SHIT,"

" GUYS, HE DID IT AGAIN!"

Also, there's a difference between murder and killing; Bruce won't weep after monsters, that's for damn sure. Which gets him questioning gazes from the GCPD.

" Do you know how many people your buddies kill?"

" Do YOU?"

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Bounty Hunter AU but DCxDP

OK, so I really enjoyed my bounty hunter au, but I feel like I could make it more entertaining. This is a human au btw.

Some info: Bounty hunter is an actual job and are mostly called bail enforcement agents or fugitive recovery agents. They can legally pursue fugitives across state lines and break and enter their house without a warrant if they know the fugitive is there. They primarily pursue and apprehend fugitives who have skipped bail or failed to appear for court proceedings. Only 4 states ban bounty hunting; Oregon, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin. (I do not know if this would be mirrored in DC because of how many super villains there are.) The laws regarding bounty hunters vary state to state. Only the USA and the Philippines have legalized bounty hunters.

Danny becomes a bounty hunter out of spite towards the GIW. His goal is to show up the GIW bounty hunter group and rub it in their face. And to catch Vlad and turn in the bounty on his head.

Danny's gotten pretty good at being a bounty hunter. He's caught quite a few criminals and is on the case of another one that happens to have crossed over into one of the hero's territory.

Here's a few ideas of how this could go:

Danny goes to Gotham to catch Johnny and Kitty. Given that their aesthetic matches Gotham pretty well, they're able to blend in well enough that even though Danny's tracked them to Gotham and is loosely working with the commissioner, he has to resort to asking for help from the Bats. Neither side trusts the other. Danny nearly gives up when Johnny and Kitty go through another dramatic break-up that has nearly the entirety of Gotham gossiping about it. He finds them, handcuffs them, and leaves for Amity. Both the bats and himself are relieved to not be dealing with the other.

Danny goes to Gotham to catch Spectra. Her and her butler are slippery and wonderful at disappearing, but given the amount of poverty they stick out. This tips off the Bats' that something's wrong. Danny gets to town and while the bats do not trust him, he's working(sorta) with Commissioner Gordon. As a last ditch effort to avoid getting caught, Spectra and Bertrand join Joker and Harley. Despite the four getting along, Harley gets jealous which causes them to have an explosive falling out, catching everyone's eyes. The situation becomes Spectra & Bertrand v Joker & Harley v Danny & the Bats.

Danny goes to Metropolis to catch Aragon. He chose the place because he thought it would be easy to lay low and then start a new cult. He wasn't wrong. Danny teams up with investigative reporter, Clark Kent, to find the slimy ex-cult leader.

Skulker goes to Jump City to hunt Beast Boy. He, unlike most of Danny's other bounties, is wanted in several states. He's also one of the few to seek out Danny specifically. So when Danny shows up to prevent him from doing his job, Skulker sees it as an opportunity to use BB as bait. A 'two birds, one stone' sorta thing. Danny teams up with the rest of the Teen Titans to take down Skulker and save BB.

The GIW ends up chasing down the same fugitive as Danny (for different bounties) in Star City. Green Arrow has to keep the two from destroying his city.

Desiree goes to hide in Faucet City. She's laying low by working as a fortune teller(cliche I know) but the ambient magic is causing her reading to be rather accurate. Especially the readings about misfortune. This gains her the attention of the news and Wiz Radio Show host, Billy Batson. The news is how Danny learns where she is. Billy thinks that Desiree is a new villain, while Danny's just trying to figure out how Desiree became such a popular fortune teller while trying not to make a huge scene. The two meet and immediately clock the other as a potential ally in taking down Desiree quietly. Between how many secrets Billy keeps and Danny's constant off-the-wall split second decision making, it's like working with the Bats again but they actually get along.

and here's two crack-ish ideas for you:

Danny is standing just outside of Wisconsin while Vlad taunts him. Saying stuff about how sad it is that bounty hunting isn't legal in Wisconsin. Danny just calls the fricken cops on him instead.

Or instead of Danny calling the cops, he just starts leaving. Vlad is not done taunting him though and starts to follow him, when he realizes he's fallen into a trap and left the relative safety of Wisconsin.

[legodamianwayne]

BATMAN AND ROBIN 2023 #1 (Take 6 (yes))

(im not writing this as i go since ive already read the issue before. ill also be mentioning gotham war since this takes place during it (just a warning for spoilers!))

i just noticed the bat and robin on the cover! so cute

OH........(just noticed this too) that doesn't look good

look at them goofing off n having fun

this is cute but the way bruce acts here and in gotham war is so jarring its kinda funny

bruce in batman #137: can't stand my fake ass family

bruce in b&r: me and my son damian 🤗

bruce is in his "local dilf in the area" era rn

damian having talia's mannerism that bruce noticed is so <3

and here its confirmed that this takes place during gotham war. not sure how to feel about that

STILL INSANE OVER THIS baby first self insert fanfic

damian went from drawing hyper realistic gore vent art to anime eyes in the corner

i think it'd be fun if we see damian write more as the story goes on. like him daydreaming n doodling in class

wonder if theres any meaning with damian putting talia as a hero n bruce as a criminal here...or maybe its just a "totally original character do not steal" thing

you dont say bruce 🙄

"the last few years"?? pretty sure the events shown there all happened not even in 2 years since damian turned 14 around the start of the lazarus tournament

also why are alfred n talia not shown there? alfred's death has huge impact on damian (he literally hallucinated him) n talia was there as much as ra's

i dont like how damian looks here but that white connor should be a crime

"thats enough emotions for tonight father" [slams door]

i wonder why damian is staying with bruce tho (outside of making this book exist) didn't bruce n talia had a custody battle moment™ n damian's like "nah i have my own life (is literally 14)"

HELL YEAH MY BOY CAN COOK

he's quoting alfred ohhh im gonna sob

this is kinda embarrassing for bruce...like ur son is finally living with you again n he's the one up early cooking?? sir u better step up

aw he's making tea the way alfred did

*squints* did bruce get his hand back? thats a pretty normal looking hand to me

did damian's comment on it in batman #137 made bruce think "shit i cant give damian any ideas of getting a robot hand" n he just. magically grow it back

[GLASS SHATTERING SOUND]

gotham...heights? n. not gotham academy? no maps? no damian joining her dnd team?? no detective club finally hanging out with damian??

ik damian got expelled from gotham academy BUT. WHY

okay? whats the point if he's not going to the same school that his friend went to?

interesting how damian fantasize for a normal life in robin 2021 (with him liking the mundanity of shoujo manga) n now that bruce is offering him that he's rejecting it (or maybe he just rly don't like school which is. fair enough)

wellll just cuz we're not getting maps n the detective club doesn't mean damian's other friends arent showing up right? RIGHT? (maya plz come home)

THE ROBIN MOBILEEE it looks so ridiculous i love it

HOLD ON. DOES THIS CAR HAVE NO SEAT BELTS?? BRUCE UR LETTING THIS SLIDE?

ik that thing is rly loud too damian waking up the whole neighborhood here

not rumors abt the batfam fighting getting spread around?? this is so embarrassing omg

am i the only one getting gotham academy flashbacks here? with killer croc n the trio with the fox shark n bird masks

they're very comfortable with calling eachother father n son while in suits huh. ig everyone in gotham knows that batman is a dilf (who's beefing with his adult children) now

not much to say abt the rest: bruce got shot with something n now bats are attacking him

end thoughts: i hope with all the focus on animals here means that we're getting damian's pets back soon n that gotham war wont affect this book much since i rly want to see damian interact with his siblings again. also is it just me or does the day scenes looks very bright? saturated? it kinda hurts for me to read idk. the night scenes r pretty tho

next issue is damian's first day on his new school that is not gotham academy but im still excited for it! (coping)

bonus bestie corner

[fantastic-nonsense]

Can of Worms Time;

Say you were editor of The Nightwing and BOP books and there’s fan demand for Dick and Babs to finally tie the knot.

How would you pull it off?

Well I wouldn't do it by having Dick feel pressured to propose to a woman he's not actually actively in a relationship with anymore because he thinks he's going to die and wants to get it off his chest before he runs off, gets hit by a massive energy beam during a multiversal invasion event, and ends up in a coma, that's for sure.

No I'm not bitter about Infinite Crisis and Devin Grayson's continual misunderstanding of Dick and the Dick/Babs relationship, why do you ask?

More seriously, let's play this out with post-Crisis!Dick/Babs but sprinkle in the occasional piece of post-Flashpoint stuff (aka, we're talking Nightwing and Oracle, competent and independent adult heroes who both actively lead their own teams, have their own friend groups, have had serious previous love interests, and have their own responsibilities outside of a relationship with each other).

Realistically, the actual proposal would likely be pretty quiet. Dick and Babs are both pretty private people when it comes to their relationship and they both know what a Production™ their family and friends would cause if they knew there were plans (I'm thinking about Dinah and Tim specifically here, but everyone involved would be guilty). I think they'd wait a few days before letting everyone know.

My running gag during the wedding prep era would be that every time they're trying to plan an aspect of the wedding, they keep getting called out to go deal with superhero stuff. This would obviously usually be within the context of whatever a-plot they're dealing with in their individual books, but also just...littering references here and there about other stuff happening in the background.

Trying to book a caterer? Whoops, all-hands-on-deck alien invasion. Talking about flowers? Gotham's had another Arkham breakout. Trying to get to a dress fitting? Oh no, the Birds need help breaking into a high-security prison in Bialya. Scheduling their mandatory pre-marital counseling sessions? Oops, the Titans need help dealing with some major universe-ending threat. Nothing that actually puts a strain on Dick and Babs' relationship, but something that's just exasperating enough to be plausible for two characters who are traditionally DCU linchpin characters with a lot of responsibilities and funny enough for readers to not get tired of it.

I think it would also be fun to have a Nightwing issue focused on Dick running around Bludhaven dealing with petty crime while trying to figure out who his best man is going to be. Should it be Wally, who's been the best man at all of his previous weddings/wedding attempts? Should it be Roy, who's stuck by him again and again and (Dick thinks) should get a chance to actually be in a wedding party that's not his dad's for once? Should it be Tim, the sibling he's closest to? Should it be Donna, who he walked down the aisle at her own wedding? He has so many choices, all of which would be good choices for different reasons and none of whom would be particularly offended by him picking someone else. He picks Wally in the end, because why mess with what works, and asks the others+Garth and Damian to be groomsmen (yes, Donna's at the altar with him too).

At some point, Babs just appoints Dinah as her Maid/Matron of Honor and lets her run her entire wedding prep process for her. Babs might be a control freak, but this is one area where she's largely happy to let someone else take care of the minutia. She grabs the rest of the BOP Core Four+Cass, Steph, and Alysia as her bridesmaids, picks out her dress, and calls it a day.

As for the wedding itself, I want two things out of it: one, someone important (not Dick or Babs, so maybe Wally or one of the Bats?) nearly doesn't make it to the venue because of a massive superhero conflict, and two, the actual wedding goes off without a hitch. I'm very determined that the actual wedding will not be interrupted or otherwise ruined in any way after the disaster that was Dick/Kory's attempted wedding and the pre-wedding trials I just talked about. So they get their wedding, they go on a honeymoon somewhere, and they TURN OFF THEIR COMMS for a week. The honeymoon period is for enjoyment, not distractions; they've both had enough of those.

Publishing/IRL time-wise, the proposal would happen in a Nightwing issue, I'd let the engagement era happen over a year or so (so 12 issues for both the Nightwing and BOP books, exploring the process from both their POVs) and then have their wedding in a crossover issue. So...yeah, that's how I'd pull off a Dick/Babs engagement and wedding in the context of Dick and Babs both having their own books.

[havendance]

Scattered Batman: War Games thoughts

It honestly wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was going to be. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of parts that were bad, but it also moved at a quick pace and I have definitely read comics that were way more of a chore to get through

Still way too much torture though. I purposefully skipped all the scenes where Steph got tortured but other people also got tortured in this and why is there just so much?

I do like that Bruce actually asked for help/called in the cavalry at the begining of the event rather than running around making things worse a bunch of times. Of course the only help he called in was Batgirl and Nightwing, but baby steps!

I actually enjoyed most of the entire first act of war games. It was focused mainly on chaos exploding on everyone being on the ropes and doing damage control. It was quick moving and I like seeing the bats on the ropes. Plus, there was the

I did like both Cass and Tim's storylines throughout.

And then of course, act II onwards just went downhill. Look, I wish Zeis had succeeded in killing Black Mask when he was disguised as Oprheus because he just sucks.

Anyway, I already talked about the torture stuff :/

The thing is, I think because I skipped the bad parts and I knew both that Steph was going to die and that she would eventually come back going into this arc, her death actually made me less made than say, Sarah Essen's death in No Man's Land which is in some ways much less egregious (I'm still annoyed about that). If I HAD been a comics reader in 2004 and not a possibly-illiterate child whose mom wouldn't let them read comics at that age anyway, I probably would've been pissed! But context is everything.

But to backtrack a little, Bruce was like "I was never going to implement the war games plan" but he also had Orpheus going undercover to get control of the hill? It certainly looks like you're laying the groundwork my dude. I mean, he still could have been planning to not go all the way and made the contingency plan in question recently, but still. Out of universe, it's clearly laying groundwork for the War Games event.

Hmm, what else did I want to bring up. Oh yeah. Bruce, trying to take control over the entire GCPD is definetly a major overstep. You deserve to be wanted by them after that. Seriously dude, you didn't even have control over the GCPD during No Man's Land where there was no goverment. Your whole stchick involves acting outside of the law. You can't just do that dude.

Also, him hijacking Oracle's systems was also an asshole move. I think it is interesting the way that they had the interection of the urban legend batman mythos with the event. He's out during the day, being captured on camera for the first time in ages and it's in the middle of a major disaster. Terrible PR all around. The batman is real and this is his fault. I do think that's a fun move.

I am here for Barbara beefing with Batman, he was a dick to you during the event! But also the whole tower blowing up thing at the end was clearly because it was required by editorial. You're telling me you don't have knockout gas or batgrade tasers in there? Your only option was to blow up your home base?

Like, he also was a major presence during No Man's Land, but that was No Man's Land.

Anyway, this was clearly an event that was designed to make some major changes to the status quo. I will probably have more opinions on these changes as I read more comics, but for some initial thoughts:

Batman & co wanted by the GCPD. I'm a big fan of this one. Make him have to face greater odds with fewer resources than he's used to!

Stephanie dead. Lame :/

The Birds of Prey no longer based in Gotham. I am tentatively optimistic about this. I did like the era of Oracle being a key player in Gotham, but her being an idependent force not tied to them is defintely something she deserves! Of course, if this just results in her being exiled to Birds of Prey rather than playing a major role in the rest of the universe that'd be disappointing.

(Of course I also primarily only read Bat books, so uh, I don't think I'd see this either way.)

Tim and Cass in their Blüdhaven era: why not? I've heard good things about this.

Black Mask being a key play: grump grump grump I don't like him.

[helloblobbyblobfish]

A plant boy in space

Synopsis: Later down the line, when Jason is a recognized vigilante of Gotham, he gets a membership in the JLA. The meeting with new heroes doesn’t necessarily go well.

We really don’t use enough the fact Superman’s first choice of a hero for his son to turn to if he is missing is Nightwing. or how much everyone in the Titans, which means many powerful and well-recognized heroes, is ready to follow his orders. And I heard there is a story where he just has to ask for every hero to go inside another dimension, without explanation???!? Like, Dick can basically get anything he wants, at this point? He is THE leader of the super community! Why isn't this more often seen in fanfic? (Or maybe I just didn't read the good stuff. Recommendations welcomed)

This idea for this chapter came to me when writing chapter 1, about a meta Jason's encounters with the rest of the superhero community. There are plenty of stories not yet written that happened between "an apprentice flower boy" and this. But don't worry, nothing is really needed to know.

-

It was Dick who proposed that Jason join the JLA.

“It's this week that the annual selection for new members is happening. I have quite a lot of say-so in the hero community. Don’t worry, Jayman. They probably won’t even ask for precisions about you if I ask if you can join.”

Jason, reading The American Gardener, laughed and answered: “Right, Dickie-Bird. Your opinion is definitively over the bick scary bat’s in terms of importance in the eyes of Superman, The Flash or Martian Manhunter. Can you get me the autograph of Wonder Woman too?” You know. As a jest.

Too busy reading about petunias, he didn’t notice Tim and Damian's worried looks, nor did he care much about Bruce’s growl. “Jason.”

“What? Let your golden child have his fun!”

Because Bruce followed Dick who suddenly had a call to pass, Jason focused again on his reading. 

Bad idea.

The following day, Jason was gifted with an actual, mother-of-all-that’s-holy autograph from Diana Prince “For Jason. Heard you’re one of my longest-running fans. I asked Etta. You wrote quite a few letters to the Holiday Girls. WW”

The teasing Dick was giving him and the outrage of Damian for him playing favorites with another hero than their father was totally worth it.

What was harder to swallow was the hologram of Superman.

“Hello, Red Hood. We received quite a generous amount of praise and demands for you to join the Justice League. We are thrilled to announce to you that, of the eight people with voting power, seven accepted you. We would like for you to join the JLA as soon as possible to get an identification code. Thank you very much.”

Jason turns towards the awkward dark knight in a corner, who seems to be looking at anything but the main event. “Do NOT tell me if you voted for or against me. I don’t know which one I would prefer or dislike the most.” Despite the cowl, it’s easy to tell the protector of Gotham is sweating.

Tim is looking at him with a look of pure terror. Jason’s brain is having too much info thrown at him at the same time, so it takes a distraction.

“Is that my tea in your mug?” 

Tim knows when to pick up his fight and runs. Dick grabs Jason by the shoulder. “As the one who asked for you to join, I think you can go with me, Jace. So, grab your suit. Try to keep your guns hidden, though. To be nice.”

Jason is so baffled by the idea Dick of all people can just push a minor, murderous vigilante on the JLA with no problem to disagree. Were he in full mental capacity, he would be picking the most obvious weapons he has.

But he is baffled at the idea of joining the biggest team of heroes on the planet, so he puts on a good suit. "You look silly, hood." Well, he decided to keep the full mask. He definitely would look better if it was the glasses/lower half mask combo he had when he tried to take over the penguin's empire. But… He got nothing.

He should have tried to find that outfit again, even if it would be a bit scary. He also decided to bring one of his leather jackets. But the odd contrast between the blue tie and the brown leather, plus the fact it's actually fairly warm on this space station, means it's now resting on his left shoulder.

Jason was part for a short time of the titans way back before Ethiopia, and followed the batman on JL-related missions as Robin, but. Ehhhhhh.

He is really at a loss for words with dickie-bird's latest stunt. And there are so many people here. Cybords, metahumans, "normal" vigilante folks, aliens, a true who's who of the important heroes. Plastic Man is talking to Black Lightning while Elongated Man is busy showing off to Vixen and Killer Frost. Wait. Isn't he dead?

Dick is too used to meeting many heroes from everywhere and walks somewhere else while leaving Jason alone, stunned.

Too scared of going somewhere he isn't supposed to, Jason stays dumbly in a corner, trying to look for someone who might have heard of him.

Suddenly, a lantern notices him and fly in his direction. She has papers in her hands, so he hopes she can help him.

"Hey, I'm Jessica! I'm one of the lanterns of sector 2814. You mustn't be around a lot for me to never have seen you. That's great, actually! I did a paper to fill in for more unknown heroes, here! You aren't forced to write anything if you want." She hands over the convoluted list. Everything besides "hero name" and "powers" are optional to fill, but you have everything from city to relationship status to pronouns to planet of origin and even a paragraph to talk about your nemesis.

"Do you… have a pen?"

"OH! Sure! Here!"

As Jason is contemplating the [questionnaire] like it's the most terrifying thing ever, his batfamily brain looking over each word and doing [dissertations] over what to answer and how truthful being, shouts when the bat's voice rings in his ears.

"Hood, what are you doing? Where is Nightwing? Do you need me to show you where the meeting will be?"

Given how worried Bruce's voice sounds, Jason reaches for his com-link, but turning his head makes him realize the bat is there, looking like he is trying to calm a feral beast or reassure a crying child. He's the one most likely to cry.

Behind Damian the gremlin, of course.

The lantern doesn't seem surprised Bats knows what his name is. Paranoïa aside, He does have one of the more impressive files on every hero around, and would know everyone allowed to go on the watchtower satellite.

"Oh, so Hood is one of the new members you guys are picking? For him to actually be brought onboard days before the end of the selection, he must really be impressive. Well, I'm leaving you two. Don't worry, Hood. You can keep the paper and the pen. Fill what you want later but don't forget to give me back the final form!"

"The… The full name is Red Hood." Jason mumbles weekly.

Bruce quickly looks over Jason's suit, smooths an invisible wrinkle, and then moves fast, checking regularly if his son is still following.

Jason hears him whisper.

"Never should have trusted Nightwing to not get distracted… Hope the others won't be annoyed if we're late…."

He turns towards him and speaks louder. "You've got it, Hood. Don't worry." Well, see bat-mom is the more worried one. Seeing the poorly-disguised affection does help Jason feel better.

When they arrive in a more solitary corridor, Nightwing is clasping his hands.

"Sorry, little wing! I didn't notice you weren't there anymore!" Batman starts running past him. "No time. Meeting begins in 10 minutes!"

"Half the others aren't there yet, B!" Jason doesn't care and sprints too. Bruce slams a door open.

"Sorry we're late!"

Red Hood takes a look. Around a half-circle, Wonder Woman, Superman and Captain Marvel look shocked.

Sups is the first one to speak up. "You… aren't. Late. I mean. You okay, Bat? You usually hide your feelings better."

Since Jason forced Bruce to confront his affection cravings, he does show them more, The Red Hood thinks. Maybe he still hides what he has in mind from his colleagues?

Barry Allen shows up, bringing Cyborg and Aquaman with him. "Great, we're just waiting for John, then!" The speedster happily claps.

The Martian Manhunter's name is JOHN?!? What?

The manhunters enter the room by phasing through the wall. He shows very little surprise. "We can start. Really, it is just formalities."

Jason can't hide the surprise in his voice. "Really, I'm just getting a membership? I was thinking about how to give a good impression. I find it hard to believe the biggest heroes would want me." He was trying to think about arguing his approval, but he wasn't sure if it was to prove himself or contest. 

"And that lantern chick said the trials didn't end." Jason looks at his hands, glad his mask allows him to pretend he is looking straight. "I-I'm s-s-sure there are more deserving heroes. I'm not sure how y-you ever heard of me."

The martian speaks. "Don't worry, red. I read some of your thoughts as I entered. You seem like the type of heroic figure the JLA represents." Jason would beg to differ, but he is too overwhelmed by the kind words.

"Anyway!" Captain Marvel said, "How about we explain to our new colleagues what's expected from him?"

Right. He is a child in a man's body, according to Bruce's notes. Not the best type to hold a meeting between superpowered beings. Get bored easily.

Batman flops on his seat with a movement of the cape to not sit on it. Given the round stools they have here, he looks out of place and ridiculous.

Wonder Woman is the next to speak, holding a card with a picture of his hero self on it. Where did they get that? Does she know Red Hood is that Jason Todd fan?

It's hard not sweating when you have the world's mightiest heroes -and Batman- in front of you, all their eyes on them.

She, uncaring or oblivious to Jason's freak-out, states: "Red Hood, you are bestowed one of the mightiest awards a crime-fighter can receive. Starting today, you are a famed member of the League of Justice. You are now protecting Gaia and all her citizens. We expect you to always be ready to help if we ask for your assistance." She gives a reassuring smile.

"Anyhow, here is what you gain access to, as a new member." 

Jason's brain suddenly catches something. Did Dick tell them he wanted to join?!!? The PRICK!!!

-

Once the "ceremony" is done, Jason is eating with other heroes. Of course, every member of the family that has watchtower access is here. Kyle Rayner decided to make him a party hat. The glowing green thing is silly. Thankfully, this is exactly what Jason needed to not crumble under the weight of his impostor complex.

He looks like the clown he is feeling he is. Bruce is making soft circles on his back to calm him.

Superman, sitting in front of them, has a smile that spells doom.

"So," he innocently asks "Hood. I was wondering when Nightwing proposed a guy from, I quote, 'around Gotham' as a new member. So I took a quick peek under that hood. And of course, there is how Bat is acting towards you. Are you a former Robin?"

Jason, who is drinking his meal thanks to the new open hole in his helmet, almost spit it.

Bruce seems ready to lie, but Red Hood blurts "y-yeah" too fast.

The flash laughs. "Man, usually they are resisting a lot more!" He hit his knees. "Did your brothers force you? I have a hard time seeing a Robin wanting to join the JLa."

Wonder Woman is offended. "How could you be the only one to vote against his inclusion?!? He is your son!" She then looks horrified. "Oh no! Hood, you didn't have to join if you felt forced! The JLA is a great honor, but we won't force anyone to join!"

Jason tries to calm his idol. "NO! Don't worry! I wasn't forced or anything. I didn't expect to get on your radar and I'm afraid it's only because Nightwing and maybe others asked for me that I am present, but I'm glad to be on the team!"

The demi-goddesses show relief on her face. Jason makes a side-glance at Bruce. So he is indeed the one who didn't want him on the team. Was it because he knew Jason wasn't asking to join or didn't look ready to play with the big boys and girls? Issues regarding his willingness to kill? Shame? Fear of looking biased towards one of his boys?

Unaware of his internal struggle and the still at times shaky family dynamic, the heroes are having fun. Dick's flash, how do they refer to one another without using names, Jason wants to know, asks:

"Oh come on! He has so many teen sidekicks! Come on, 'wing, tell me who's the favorite child!"

Damian answers immediately. "Me".

Dick has a much different answer. "Red Robin."

Tim gags. "Hell no! It's either you or Hood!"

Jason gives his opinion. "I say the OG robin." He can distinctly hear several "And who's that supposed to be!?" In the background. Poh. Amateurs.

Barbara plays it coy. "It might just be me…"

Bruce slams his hands on the table. When did he get on the other side of the table? He looks at all of them. "The second batgirl."

Barbara and Dick are too shocked to speak, their mouths big enough you could fit two grenades in each. Damian is horrified he isn't the favorite. Jason is more confused by the title.

"Black Bat?" Dick comes to his senses. "I think it's Orphan.", Dickbird retorts. Tim shakes his head. The guy didn't even look shocked at all. "No, she went back to batgirl, I think. Maybe the Spoiler should take another mantle? Batwoman is taken, there are two other active Batgirls, spitfire is around, guys, do you have any ideas? It's getting kind of lame she didn't change her title in a permanent way."

Dami's unimpressed. "Say the guy who kept Robin in his title." I nod. "Still better than Drake." Everyone who knows shivers.

The two superboys look at each of the bats. "Who's she?" They ask in unisson. Damian is annoyed. "You don't meet her or you're going to find her more cool than le and betray me like father." I pat his hair. "Learn to share, little bird."

The punk says: "The hot mute chinese chick? Cas-" Bruce looks murderous and Sup's little brother shut up. Red Robin and Oracle whisper at the same time. "They dated for a very brief moment!"

Dick murmurs: "Didn't Tim and him also-"

Impostor shouts. "What? No! Well, there was that one-"

Punktonian shushes him. "Superhumans, remember? We hear you guys' words like you're shouting them. And we swore to never speak of it again, Rob!"

"I don't want to know about my siblings' love life!" Who shouted? Was it Jason himself?

Given the stares he was receiving, maybe.

To distract himself, he starts to fill the form Jessica gave him.

Babs signs under the table. “S-T-E-P-H back bat-girl. Talk together.” Ouch. Tim looks mortified.

Suddenly, Tim's speedster, and why was Jason the only Robin without a speedster friend, shows up. "HyeTimnicetomeettyou!Howareyou?I'mfine!" Then he sees Jason. "Whyishehere!!!!Hetriedtokillyou!"

Gasps all around the table. Timothy's reaction is to point to Damian and says: "He attempted murder too!" Classy, Tim. That actually makes it worse. Jason groans mentally.

The not-so-tiny-Superboy is alarmed. “Da-Robin!”

“I was young and wanted to prove myself!”

“By murdering another hero???” It’s as blatant as with Captain Marvel that this “man” is a child in an adult’s body. Why do they live such a life? Why does everyone try to recruit kids into danger?

Jason simply states. “I died once. Made me grumpy when I came back to life. My apologies. Now, I only kill some villains.” That silences everyone.

Swamp Thing comes around. Jason blinks to make sure of what he is seeing. “Alec? What are you doing here?”

The representative of The Green smiles. “Well, I am a member of Justice League Dark. Like you, I presume?” Bruce scoffs. “He doesn’t have magic.”

Hammond laughs. “Really? Now, I would need to know where your son learned enough about the All-Caste and the All-Blades to mimic the blades perfectly and how he mimicked summoning them from his blood.”

Jason jumps on him as Bruce, Dick and all the rest are asking questions of concern.

-

What other heroes think Batman is like: A figure of stoicness, followed by a series of almost cultist-like in their obedience, hyper-competent and almost inhumans beings of perfection.

What Bruce actually is: A tired emo dad crying on the inside as his childrens bite him to escape his protective arms and go fight crime.

And now I have the image of a poor bat in a corner, surrounded by cats in tiny costumes meowing, swearing violence against the people who made their dad sad.

[ragingbookdragon]

The Brother's Keeper

A Dick Grayson and Batsis One-Shot

Word Count: 2.7K Warnings: Explicit Language, Angst, References to Past Abuse

Author's Note: Another story edited and re-posted! Enjoy! -Thorne

Despite having not lived at the manor for almost a decade, she still knew every hallway and room like the back of her hand, every sound was a familiar net of reassurance she could count on. The hum of the hidden wall closing behind her, the creaking of the third step from the top that they always avoided, the clicking the bats above made. She descended the steps into the cave, balancing the heavy manila files in one hand, the other holding two protein shakes, knowing her father probably hadn’t consumed nutrition in at least a few hours since he called her.

Her eyes fell on him where he sat at the Batcomputer; he’d changed out of his suit and was in a pair of joggers and a long sleeve shirt. She walked over, setting the files down beside the keyboard. “Here’s the files you asked about, dad. I alphabetized them too…and color tabbed ‘em but that’s not important.”

He glanced at her with a warm smile before nodding and turning back to the screen. “Thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate you doing so.”

She leaned an arm on the back of the chair, propping her chin on his shoulder as she stared at the screen. “New antidote for Scarecrow’s toxin?”

“He’s synthesized a new formula, so I need to make a new antidote in case anyone gets gassed,” he replied, tapping at the screen until the numbers were apparently in approval with whatever he was thinking about—who knew.

She hummed, taking note of the lack of noise. “Where’re the chuckle-heads?”

He chuckled and tipped his head towards the locker room. “They put their suits away and went to change.” She nodded again and patted his shoulder before walking off in the direction of the room.

When she got there, she didn’t see them, but she could hear them harking on one another in the locker room, and she moved in that direction. She stepped into the room and took in the image of the four of her brothers standing in front of the mirrors in their underwear, pointing at each other like they were shocked to see the other.

“Do I even want to know?” she asked, unblinkingly.

Their heads shot up and they saw her; Dick greeted, “(Y/N)! What are you doing here? You usually don’t come to the manor.”

(Y/N) shrugged and stepped inside, taking a seat on one of the cool metal benches. “Dad needed some files over a few previous encounters I’ve had with galactic enemies. And me being here brings me back to my original question.” She gestured to them with a wave of a hand, brows furrowed in confusion. “Why are you guys in your tighty-whities?”

They snorted, and Jason turned around. “We’re comparing scars.”

(Y/N) let out a ‘pfft’. “Of course, you are.” She paused for a second and observed them. “Who’s got the gnarliest one?” Immediately, they pointed at Damian who simply motioned to his chest, and she looked at the faded scar that rested over his heart.

A frown instantly drew her lips, and Damian, being ever so vigilant, caught it and shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault, sister. You tried to save me.”

She met his eyes and murmured, “I didn’t try hard enough.” She glanced at Jason, seeing the scars line his chest, her voice just as soft. “For either of you.”

Jason’s lips pulled downwards, and he walked over, sitting on the bench beside her. “The fact that you tried is good enough for us, Queenie.” He reached out, patting her head.

She sighed and shook it off, giving them a smile before she turned to Tim. “Any on you Nerd-bird?”

He grinned and turned around, running his hand along a scar that rested along the left side of his ribs. “When I fought Ra’s, he got me right here.”

(Y/N) looked at it, then leaned back, a curious look in her eye. “Other than dad, aren’t you the only person he’s called ‘detective’?” Tim gave her a firm nod and she pulled a grin, nodding at him. “Look at the Nerd-bird kicking all our asses in the game. I’m proud of you.” He gave her a sheepish smile and she turned to Dick. “We’ve all had brushes with death, but I don’t think you have a lot of noticeable ones. Which is surprising because out of all of us, you’re the most reckless.”

The others laughed while Dick glared at her, then he shrugged and showed his back, and they saw faint white lines that resembled lightning strikes. “When Wally came back out of the speed force, he accidentally shocked me. Of course, it wasn’t enough to damage me severely, but it’s here.”

They looked at him once more, then Tim tipped his head to the side. “What about you, sis? You’ve been doing this longer than we have. Do you have any good ones?” (Y/N) looked at him before pulling off her jacket and pulling off the tank top she had on. She stood up, walking to the mirror and staring into it.

She pointed to one that lined across her left breast. “Even covered by my bra, you can see how badly this one was.” She paused running a hand down it, gaze far. “When Jason died, I got into it with Joker some time after.” (Y/N)’s eyes drifted to Jason’s, who’s were wide with shock. “I beat him worse than dad did, but he left me with this one before I did.”

“I…didn’t know you did that, Queenie.”

“Of course not Jason. I didn’t tell you.” (Y/N) pointed to a patch that rested on her right hip. “Took a bullet for Tim a few years ago.”

“That was when Deadshot was running around, right?”

She nodded, answering his question. “Mhm. They say he never misses. But that day, he did.” Her hand moved and she touched a curved scar that ran down her neck. “After you died, Damian, I found Talia and we had it out.”

“What happened?” he questioned curiously.

(Y/N) met his eyes in the mirror and frowned. “She and I gave each other a fair share of wounds…but I think the ones I gave her hurt more than the ones she gave me.”

“And those were?”

(Y/N) looked back at her reflection and stared at herself. “The infuriated words of a grieving sister.”

Silence enveloped the room and after a few moments, Dick pointed to a particular scar on her back that ran down the length of it. “How in the world did you get that one?”

She looked over her shoulder and reached behind her, fingers brushing over the raised, jagged skin that had sealed unevenly. “On my back?”

Dick snorted and nodded. “The only one on your back sis.”

She went silent for a moment then she admitted, “…Tarantula gave it to me a few years ago.”

No one noticed the way Dick froze for a split second at her admittance, and Jason asked, “Why did you and Tarantula get into it?”

Her eyes met Dick’s for a flash before she looked at Jason. “She killed an informant of mine and I got even with her.”

“Looks like she rocked your shit, Queenie.”

The others laughed, save for her and Dick, then (Y/N) muttered darkly, “I beat Catalina Flores within an inch of her life that night.” Her statement brought their laughter to a grinding halt, and she continued. “Hell, I almost killed her. But I didn’t.”

Damian crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. “And why not? It would not be the first time you’ve killed someone.”

(Y/N) rolled her shoulders and moved back to her clothes, pulling on the tank top and jacket before turning to him. “Because then she would’ve gotten of scot free, and she wouldn’t have to live knowing what she’s done.”

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed and he followed Damian, crossing his arms and leaning against the lockers. “Not to be nosey, but the way you’re talking about her almost seems like you’ve got a vendetta against her. And I mean like, me to Bruce vendetta.”

(Y/N) met his gaze before reaching down and tossing his muscle tank to him, then passing the others their shirts. “The informant she killed was a good friend of mine. There was…a lot of fury.” She paused, meeting Dick’s gaze once more. “There still is.”

The others simply stared at her before pulling on their shirts, and she looked at them. “I’m gonna get dad to go out and eat somewhere with me. You guys go on out and start working on him, would you?” The three nodded and started towards the door, (Y/N) following.

She was almost out of the door when Dick’s voice reached her quietly. “…(Y/N)?” She paused, turning around, and looking at Dick, who wore an unreadable expression; he glanced up at her, his eyes searching as he inquired, “Was there another reason that you two fought?”

“Me and Catalina?” He nodded and she shrugged. “There might’ve been. But the immediate fight was about my informant.”

Dick stared at her for a few moments before whispering, “…You didn’t start your informant network until I donned Batman.”

(Y/N) tipped her head back and leaned against the door frame, eyes narrowed as she mentally picked his words apart as only an older sister could. “What are you getting at, kid brother?”

He fell silent all at once, but when he finally found it in himself to bring his eyes to hers, she saw such pain in them. “Did you fight her…because of me?”

“No,” she immediately replied, firmly and confidently.

Dick’s eyes widened momentarily, but he looked down and nodded. “I see.”

She kept staring at him, then cleared her throat and turned, grabbing the doorknob. She pulled the door open and stopped, murmuring, “Dick.” He glanced up at her, but she faced forward and said, “I don’t know what happened to you in Blüdhaven all those years ago, and frankly, it’s none of my business.”

Dick’s heart sunk at her words, but then she looked over her shoulder, a solemn tone matching her stance and gaze as she affirmed, “But I am your sister…and I run the best damn informant network this side of the galaxy.” She paused, her words taking on an underlying tone. “There isn’t anything that happens in Gotham and our sister city that I don’t know about.”

Something passed between their eyes and she declared, “I am the family keeper. And I will always be the safety net that catches everyone when they’re in their darkest hours. When there’s something you can’t handle, I will for you.”

Her words made his eyes shine with unshed tears and she gave him a faint smile and a wink before she stepped out of the locker room, leaving him sitting alone, his thoughts drifting back to the rooftop in Blüdhaven.

***

She walked across the floor of the cave to see her father standing there, Jason and Tim hanging off his arms and Damian around his neck; he wore the expression of a tired dad and she couldn’t help but laugh at him. “Having fun, dad?”

He shifted slowly as to not knock one of her brothers off and glared at her. “This is your fault.”

“Guilty as charged father dearest! But it’s food time! Let’s get street tacos.”

Jason grunted at her and shook his head. “No, let’s get gyros!”

“Gyros are disgusting, Jason.”

His features contorted in something only described as an insulted disbelief and he declared, “Just because you don’t like limes and lemons, does not mean gyros are gross, (Y/N).”

“We’re not getting gyros, Jason,” she shot back.

“What about Chinese food?”

(Y/N) looked at Damian and nodded. “I’m down for tacos or Chinese.”

“Can we stop and get some shawarma?”

“Tim, which part of tacos or Chinese sounded like shawarma to you? It’s one or the other. Take your pick.”

“But last night was pizza night! And if I eat Chinese or tacos, I’m going to eat more carbs than I need!”

“You do need more carbs, twig-boy.”

“That was mean, sis.”

“Truthful. I mean how have you not been snapped in half yet? You look like a toothpick.”

The others laughed at her comments, and Bruce looked at her. “Where’s Dick?”

(Y/N) tipped her head back to the lockers. “Still changing.” She motioned to the stairs. “You guys go ahead. I’ll wait on Dickie.” They nodded, and she watched her father trudge past with her three brothers hanging off him.

A smile crossed her lips and a few minutes later, she heard footsteps behind her. “Where’d everybody go?”

She turned around and nodded to the stairs. “Told them to go ahead and get ready.” (Y/N) had barely made it up the first ten steps when she felt Dick stop beside her, and she glanced back at him. “Dick? You good?”

He gazed up at her. “Thank you, (Y/N).”

She gave him a knowing look and said, “I didn’t do anything, Dick.”

“You did.”

“Agree to disagree.” They stared at each other for a second then she tipped her head to the stairs. “Let’s go get some food, kid brother.”

He nodded and started climbing the steps beside her. “I don’t tell you enough, sis…but I love you.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes and mumbled, “God, you are so sentimental.”

“It’s one of my perks.”

“More like a curse…but yeah…it is.” She paused and he stopped beside her, and she reached over, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I love you too, little brother.” His arms wound around her, and they shared a moment before she patted his back. “Alright. Let go. I’m done being overly affectionate.”

He laughed, letting her go and she walked up ahead of him. He kept his eyes trained to her back, and he remembered something she once told him.

The two of them walked silently down the twisting and turning garden path, following the little white concrete plates that made the trail. Dick looked up from his hands, calling out to the older girl in front of him. “(Y/N)?”

She hummed in response but didn’t look at him. “What is it, Dickie?”

“Why won’t you let me walk beside you?”

(Y/N) glanced over her shoulder. “Because I’m protecting you.”

His head tipped to the side and he stopped walking. “But were at the manor?”

“And something could always happen. I’m in the front, so that if something comes, I can protect you while you run.” She turned around and looked at him. “One day you’ll be old enough to walk beside me instead of behind me.”

Dick’s eyes widened and he jumped excitedly. “When! When do I get to walk beside you instead of behind!”

(Y/N) giggled at her little brother and reached out, holding his shoulders to stop him from jumping up and down. “When you don’t need me to protect you anymore…you can walk beside me.”

“When will that be?”

(Y/N) pulled her hands away and spun back around, continuing her walk. “When it happens…you’ll know.” It was all the answer she gave the young boy, but he continued following her, still behind.

Dick blinked, the memory flashing away as fast as it had come, and he saw her back once more; he called out to her. “When do I get to walk beside you instead of behind?”

(Y/N) halted, mid-step and she glanced over her shoulder, a faint smile playing her lips as she replied, “When you don’t need me to protect you anymore, you can walk beside me.”

“And when will that be?”

She huffed a laugh chuckled at him before she turned back around, though she paused just as she was about to cross the threshold and peered back at him. “Don’t you already know the answer to that?”

“I’m not sure I’ll ever know the answer to that one, sis.”

(Y/N) shrugged and turned back around, declaring, “Then I guess you still need me to protect you.”

Dick watched her disappear into the manor, listening as she got into the argument that her brothers were bickering about with each other, and he smiled faintly. “Yeah…I guess I still do.”

[jarengrimoire]

Whistle

Based on a lovely post and headcanon from @comatose--overdose

The post/headcanon:

“All of the bat kids have a “bird call” whistle unique to them, used to sound off at a distance without comms when necessary. It lets Bruce and everyone else know where they are and that they’re okay. Bruce will whistle first and they all reply. If someone fails to, he heads towards their last known location. It’s very helpful when operating outside of Gotham in more wild areas.”

~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~

“Batman to all channels. Check in.”

Bruce pulled his finger away from his earpiece with a huff as a burst of static answered him. A low grumble rose in his throat as he stepped forward, his gaze sweeping from one end of Gotham to the other. Another night on patrol. Only....

The comms were down. Again. He sighed. Maybe it was time to buy another few satellites....but, there was no time for that.

Bruce lifted a hand to his mouth, and whistled.

The “bird call” system was something he’d put in place specifically for situations where comms were unavailable, or where using them risked compromising them. He hadn’t found much need to use it outside of training or the odd case outside of Gotham, but it was in place for a reason. When necessary, it worked just fine.

He didn’t have to wait long for a reply. Across the city, he could hear another whistle, Dick checking in. He nodded his head. Good. His patrol hadn’t run into any serious issues either, then.

The rest began to follow suit, one after the other. He murmured each name as they called in.

“Tim.”

“Damian.”

“Stephanie.”

“Duke.”

“....”

Bruce frowned, leaning forward over the roof’s edge as he waited for Cassandra’s call-in. One second became ten, then thirty...

A minute passed with no answer, and then two, and almost without a thought Bruce’s hand fell to the cable gun clipped to the back of his belt. The characteristic pop and hiss of the cable as he fired it was dulled by the ringing that rose in his ears. He maneuvered from building to building, the beating of his heart in his chest rising up into his throat.

Once upon a time, he might have scolded himself for rushing to conclusions. He would have told himself to whistle again, or to wait a little longer. It was only a minute. Crime fighting in Gotham was anything but clean and clear. A delay couldn’t always mean disaster. He’d seen time and again that Cassandra could handle almost anything the city could throw at her. The Batman that Bruce had been once upon a time might have considered all of those things and thought twice before leaping to run and find her.

But that Batman had died many years before on a cold night in Bosnia, with a boy who he’d loved like a son dead in his arms, killed by a madman. That Batman hadn’t been there in time. He hadn’t been good enough to save Jason.

Maybe it was dramatic of him, to think of it that way. But either way, he had made a promise, to himself if no one else, that he would never lose another young partner again.

~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s not bad.” Cassandra insisted, scowling as Bruce shifted to lift her into a piggyback. He turned his head and pinned her with a frown as he huffed.

“Your cable gun failed, and you fell several stories into this alley. Your leg is broken. We’re going back to the manor, and you are benched until it heals.”

“But it’s-”

Bruce pinned her with another look. “I think both Barbara and Alfred would agree with me.”

Cassandra’s face flushed, and she nodded slowly, letting her head rest on Bruce’s shoulder as he started a slow pace out of the alleyway. They both knew she looked up to Barbara almost like a mother, and they both knew the former Batgirl would be beyond pissed off if Cassandra made any effort to argue. 

“Fine.” she answered begrudgingly.

A sigh left Bruce’s lips. What a relief. Only a broken leg.....

~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~

The Gotham Art Museum had been robbed a total of six times in the last three weeks. If the pattern of robberies held, the thieves would strike again. With the Bat Family perched in waiting, it would be easy to bring them in. 

He wondered who it might be. It wasn’t any of the usual suspects. Bruce knew with certainty that it wasn’t Selina; his lips curled up into a smug smirk. He knew exactly where she’d been the past few weeks.

“I can tell what you’re thinking.” Dick whispered, nudging Bruce in the ribs with a knowing smirk. Bruce chuckled and glanced out, across the museum’s rooftop to another building. He whistled.

Cassandra and Duke whistled back. He nodded, whistling again. Stephanie and Damian answered. He whistled a final time. Tim responded. Good, all of them were in position. Now, all they had to do was-

Wait.

It took a moment for the piercing sound in Bruce’s ears to become clear. When it did, he felt his stomach twist, felt the color drain from his face as it went, long and loud. That sound. That call.

Another whistle.

Bruce stood frozen. The whistle came again, and a hundred images flashed through his mind. A lone figure beside him in the years after Dick had left. Sprinting down alleyways and streets, leaping from rooftops, crashing through windows.

Sitting in the garden back at the manor, talking. Working on the Batmobile, sitting beside him at the computer in the Bat Cave.

And finally, at the end of it all, that same figure. Limp and lifeless in Bruce’s arms, on a cold, snowy night.

Dimly, he was aware of voices calling out to him. Dick. Damian. Stephanie too. Something about the mission? He felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him, but still he stood where he was. The slow, heavy beat of his heart drowned out everything else.

There was only one person who could have known that whistle. That old call-in. And that person, his second son, his partner, his soldier, was supposed to be dead.

~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~

This was something I got started on WEEKS ago at this point, if memory serves. Felt kind of like a jerk that I hadn’t finished it after so long in the drafts so, here we are. Thank you again to @comatose--overdose for the post and headcanon that inspired this, might refine this into something a bit more polished later! To whomever sees this, lemme know what you think about it!

[soulmate-game]

Not related to the other two Bio!mom Harley AUs that I did. Just... similar. I wrote this instead of sleeping, as per the usual.

—*—*—*—*—*

“I need your help.”

No accent, no threats of violence, no beating around the bush (figurative or otherwise). No fighting or unconscious bodies.

Just Harley Quinn with her hair down, no makeup, and completely serious, in the center of the Bat Cave. Even though her usual exaggerated Brooklynn accent (circa 1950s) had become a pretty inseparable part of her personality over the years, every now and then she forcibly stuffed it down and used her mostly unaccented voice. The one reminiscent of days with less colors on her face, a high bun, and a pristine white lab coat.

Every single one of the Bats and Birds present, fresh from an interrupted patrol thanks to her, could count the number of times they had seen Harley like this on one hand. Bruce would have the most recollections, but everyone else would have plenty of fingers left on said hand. So they all knew, especially when Bruce willingly pulled down his cowl so he could look Harley in the eye, that this was the start of something they were not likely to forget. And maybe their chances of survival were slim too.

“Harley,” Bruce’s voice was still gruff, seeing as he was still mostly Batman at the moment, but his eyes were soft. “Maybe you should tell us what you need help with first. And sit down. You look exhausted.”

Sure enough, there were dark circles under Harley’s eyes. She let Bruce-man lead her over to one of their debriefing tables and sit her down. She let out a huge sigh, her fingers tangling in her loose blond locks.

“I have a confession, and it isn’t gonna leave this cave, capiche?” The slight return of her accent relieved a little of the tension, but not much. Taking this as their cue, the rest of the bats spread out into their usual seats at the table. Bruce stayed near Harley, keeping a hand on her shoulder in silent support. Harley didn’t continue talking until he gave her a solemn nod in agreement. She gulped— an action that immediately returned the tension.

“... fifteen years ago, back when I was still with Joker, I disappeared off the Gotham scene for a few months. I’m sure a few of you remember,” she looked up, and a couple of the older vigilantes nodded. Really, Jason has still been Robin back then. But the memory stuck out in his head now that he was thinking about it.

“Yeah, you were breaking away from him a little bit, which was weird at the time,” Red Hood mused aloud, arms crossed. “I think you helped us out a couple times and did some of your first team ups with Ivy before you vanished. Then a few months go by and you were back in action with Joker, so we mostly ignored it as you just being you.”

Harley nodded. “Ah, my Ivy’s a lifesaver, even back then. She helped cover up the timeline by keeping me in action for longer than I should’a been without putting me at too much risk.”

“Timeline…” Red Robin spoke up, eyes huge even behind his mask. “You don’t mean—“

“Harley,” Bruce breathed, having also caught on. “You were pregnant?”

The air went still. Harley sniffed, eyes watering even as she smiled.

“Oh yeah. Shouldn’t have been possible, ya know? Me ‘n Joker being dumped in that damn acid should have made us both more sterile than an operatin’ room. But I knew I couldn’t raise a kid, so after she was born—“

“You kept her?” Damian interrupted, earning a gentle cuff over the head from Dick. Harley just snorted.

“Yeah. Not gonna lie, I thought about abortion. But the baby didn’t do nothin’ wrong, and I was still in love with Joker back then so I was ecstatic that I was able to make something new with part ‘a him in it. Still, I knew a baby didn’t deserve to be raised in Gotham. Especially not my baby, not with my enemies and history. Not with who her father was. I knew he’d never want her, never let me keep her. So I spent the last five months of my pregnancy lookin’ around for the best possible family to take her in. And I found them in Paris, France. A sweet couple, both of them bakers. Sabine, she’s both adorably sweet and super kickass. Comes from a Chinese family that is crazy about teachin’ their women martial arts. But nothing shady about it, I triple checked. Just bonding through kicking people in the face. Which is perfect, I wanted my baby to know how to defend herself. I knew she’d need those skills eventually. And Tom, that’s Sabine’s wife, he’s a gentle giant. Same size as Bane, but as harmless as a puppy and makes the best croissants ever. Seriously, the best.”

“Harley,” Bruce gently prodded, but there was a tiny grin on his face. Seeing her behaving so… so normally, so proud and reminiscent, was a rare treat. Bruce would be lying if he said he wasn’t proud of how far the woman had come. How she had freed herself and become a better person, mostly on her own.

“Right, right. The point,” Harley took a breath, rubbing her forehead. “I came clean to Tom and Sabine, but apparently they knew who I was the whole time. They just didn’t care— did I mention they are perfect? Anyway, once I explained everything, they agreed immediately to adopting my baby. They’d been wanting kids, but it would’a been too risky for Sabine’s health. That’s how I found them anyway, they were in the market to adopt. We named her Marinette. She took Tom and Sabine’s last names, hyphenated. We decided Quinn would be her middle name. And after that, I came back to Gotham and told myself that she was in good hands and I needed to forget about her. Cuz I was no good for her. I knew that. I went back to my old tricks. And then…” Harley chuckled, but it was self-depreciating.

“Then a few years passed, and I started breaking away from Joker for real. Then we broke up, I blew up Ace Chemicals while you guys were outta town doing Justice League and Young Justice shit. I started dating Ivy. And—“ she smiled softly at the table, clearly seeing something the rest of them couldn’t. “Then Ivy convinced me to go see her. Visit my baby, see how she’s been. And I did. Marinette was seven years old, but damn it to hell she was gorgeous. And say whatever you want about me and Joker— most of it will even be true— but neither of us are stupid. And she inherited all of our intelligence. All of it. She got my blue eyes. But she got his hair, which meant Sabine teased me relentlessly about ‘are you sure she isn’t that Wayne’s kid?’ And don’t make that face Bruce, you’d be lucky to have a kid half as beautiful as my Mari-pie. No offense, Damian. Anyway. Anyway, this is the important part. Or part of it.

“She sat there and listened to everything I had to say. Everything. A little seven year old, who could barely understand English at the time, and she listened without interrupting once. She never threw a fit, she wasn’t angry or confused. I told her about the things I’d done in the past— well, G rated versions— and she didn’t care. She called me Momma Harley right away, said she wanted to meet Aunt Ivy sometime soon, and started telling me everything about her that I’d missed. From that day on, she became my sunshine. The light of my life, and I still call her at least once a week every week. When I disappear for a few days out of the city? I’m visiting her—“

“You’re banned from international travel, Harley,” Dick scolded, but he sounded way too amused for it to work. He knew she had her ways, anyway. Nobody could actually stop Harley damn Quinn from doing whatever she wanted.

“—Ugh, she tells me the same thing every time! Disappointed glare and everything. I don’t know how I gave birth to such a goodie goodie, but somehow I did. Not important though! The important thing is, I’m always the first to hear when something new happens in her life. And we had decided that she wouldn’t visit me in Gotham until she was at least eighteen, but apparently she disobeyed me— which I should have expected honestly— and entered you guys’ WE international scholastic competition.”

“Oh no,” Bruce pinched the bridge of her nose. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng? The contest winner?” He finally pulled out a chair and sat down. “The winner gets an all-expense paid trip to Gotham for them and their whole class.”

“Exactly!” Harley threw up her hands. “Mari told me last week, and I’ve been trying to talk her out of coming ever since. But she’s inherited both of our stubbornness too, and she isn’t budgin’ a bit. ‘Momma Harley, I wanna see you and Auntie Ivy though!’ And ‘Momma, Gotham’s nothing I can’t handle,’ or my favorite, ‘Maybe you’ll finally get to see me dropkick someone three times my size then, and I’ll prove it.’”

“So that’s what you meant by you need our help,” Tim said as he leaned forward over the table. “Joker just broke out of Arkham yesterday. You want us to protect her.”

“I’d prefer if one of you was with her outside of the mask too, as often as possible,” Harley confirmed. “I can’t stop her from coming here anymore, but I also don’t trust Joker for a second. As soon as he sees her, I’m afraid he’ll make the connection.”

“She looks like him?” Damian asked, scrunching up his nose at the ugly mental image of Joker as a teenage girl. Harley shook her head, solemn.

“She looks like a dark-haired mini-me,” she corrected. “She even keeps her hair in pigtails as her way of showing support for me. And I know Marinette can kick ass, Sabine’s trained her well. But Marinette inherited more than I’d like from me,” Harley ran a hand through her hair. “I didn’t notice it until she was thirteen. She got a crush on a classmate, and it was almost like watching videos of me back during the early days of— well, of Harley Quinn. Just without the crime and insanity. She didn’t even realize that she was almost stalking the poor kid until I pointed it out, and luckily I was able to put my doctorate to good use and we nipped that right in the bud ASAP. She never meant it that way, anyway. As soon as I explained things to her, she was horrified and immediately asked me to help her learn how to have a healthy relationship. That was a fun discussion,” Harley grimaced. “But she still gets attached to people really, really easily. Once she grew out of her crush on that boy, she adopted him as her unofficial brother. She already calls Selina “Auntie,” even though I’ve barely mentioned her to Marinette. She gets attached fast, and deeply. And I’m afraid that even after all the warning I’ve done, all the stories I’ve told her—“

“You’re afraid she’ll get attached to Joker just like you did,” Bruce finished for her, closing his eyes. “Because she knows he’s her father.”

“Yes,” Tears were slowly dripping down her face already, her hands curled into fists so tightly that her knuckles were paper white. “You know how he is. If he finds out she’s his biological daughter, he’ll immediately try to take advantage of that. And he’s far too good with his words for people like me and Mari. I’m worried outta my mind. Please. Help keep my baby safe from him.”

“We will,” Jason no longer had his helmet on, or the domino mask that he usually wore underneath it. All of them knew masks were merely formality with Harley nowadays. And he needed to look her directly in the eye so she could see how serious he was. “I can sign up as a bodyguard for the class. It won’t be weird, seeing as they’re tourists and this is Gotham. They also have several rich kids in their group if I remember right.”

Bruce nodded, agreeing with Jason. “That’s a good idea. I can lead the class on their tours of WE personally. That’ll serve the purpose of keeping an eye on her and shutting up the investors that keep begging me to make more public appearances for the sake of the company. Marinette’s name is already released to the news as the winner of the contest, so we can’t keep her out of the spotlight long. Tim, you’ll have to keep an eye on any and all pictures of the class. Try to erase or doctor the images with her in it well enough that connections between her and Harley can’t be easily made. Dick, you and Damian will be in charge of keeping an eye out for any activity from Joker. The slightest hint, and you notify all of us. We’ll decide on a case-by-case basis who is necessary to stick with the class and who goes after the clown.”

“She’s gonna sneak out of her hotel to stay with me and Ivy,” Harley admitted, bringing the (now slightly judgemental) attention back to her. She raised her hands up in surrender. “She didn’t tell me that, and I didn’t approve or suggest it! I just know my baby too well to not realize that that’s her plan. Could ya provide an escort?”

Bruce sighed. “This is gonna be an eventful month.”

[river-bottom-nightmare]

just imagine the very first time the batsignal lit up in gotham.

there had been whispers, reaching far and fast, about this new menace on the streets of a decaying city that had swallowed itself up years and years ago, imploding into something twisted and ugly and brutal. a city that kept most people from even thinking to step onto cobblestone streets where it's likely that there's blood on the ground in front of you and the mocking faces of socialites smiling down upon you like angels from heaven with their blinding light. this shadowy creature wouldn't last long at all.

the people of gotham though? they knew the batman was real. the light hadn't burned their eyes out; they'd just gripped their loved ones tight and learned how to survive, cutting out the parts of themselves that would have landed them on the wrong side of a cop's gun. the people of gotham had long since embraced this living darkness they called home, and they knew it inside and out.

they knew when one of their own decided to join the police academy, betrayal lacing through their hearts and ending up spitting out of their throats with venom-laced words. they remembered their own hesitant, disbelieving eyes as gordon rose through the ranks instead, never once breaking down, never once turning into one of the power-hungry thugs he spent every day surrounded by. but gordon was only one man.

this new vigilante? the people knew batman was real, but they weren't entirely sure if it was a man. general census ended up saying the bat was some soft of twisted monster whose heart hadn't gone bad with the rest of him, medusa hiding herself away in the shadows to keep from harming others with her curse. the bat hit hard and growled deep and waited 'till you were on the edge of giving up before saving your life, satisfied as you spilled everything you knew to him in pitiful thanks.

the people of gotham knew the batman was real. they couldn't count on him, though, they couldn't trust this thing that hid in the shadows. if you were lucky enough to be saved by him, you thanked whoever's good graces had led him to you and ran away. if you were unlucky enough to be his target, you vowed to never cross him again with trembling whispers. and that's the way it was.

at least, until the locks broke on the prison, the palace, that held the people insane enough to paint themselves in white so thoroughly that they stood out from both the comfortable darkness of gotham and the nauseating glitter and gold of the elite. laughter ringing throughout the night, the metallic ring of a coin flipping through the air, the rumbling growl of a monster in the sewers. poison ivy growing from stone walls, tea and biscuits with a side of arsenic, fear folding upon gotham like a thousand needles falling from the sky. the police acted out of their own self interests, their own self preservation. luckily enough, that motive would save the people of gotham, too.

but they weren't enough. guns wouldn't do much against people insane enough to run straight at them and ignore the blood streaming from their bodies. weapons wouldn't work at all as these madmen turned everyone's mind against itself. the ground was quaking under the city, and gotham was at the brink of collapse.

then all of a sudden, there was light. not the harsh white of the asylum, not the glitter of the rich them who took whatever reflections were left in the city and trapped the light in meaningless maze within itself. this light was soft, almost warm. yellow-coloured and beaming from the top of the gcpd, one lone figure standing on the roof, tan coat whipping around him as he made a desperate call for help from someone who wasn't supposed to exist.

the people of gotham knew the batman was real. what they didn't expect was for him to appear, answering what he knew was a call for him, utterly unaware of the shock spreading through the city. people whose optimism had been lost years ago, broken figures who'd given up on anything selfless sprouting from a city that sucked away anything but selfishness, men feeling that soft warmth from the light splayed out over gotham's clouds touch their skin for the first time in decades.

one of gotham's own had called out for the bat, and the bat had answered. the elite hissed and shied away from that heroic creature they didn't understand, the madmen of arkham were beaten and put back in their place. and for the first time in a long while, gotham city felt alive.

no officer i don't know what i'm talking about at all, yes officer i just have a bunch of feels and no outlet so this is what i'm posting.

tag list: @woahjaybird @birdy-bat-writes @anothertimdrakestan @subtleappreciation @pricetagofficial @catxsnow @bikoncon @maplumebleue-blog-blog @sundownridge @thatsthewhump @xatanna-troy @red-hood-redemption @capricorn-stark @batshit-birds @comics-observer

[mxtantrights]

The magic-spy and the bird

the best friends brother trope is in my top 5 tropes. but I've also got a thing for angst. So here we areeeee. enjoy! <3

dick Grayson x f!reader

Jason Todd had asked you specifically to ask his brother out. And he did use the word brother, which you made a point to bring up. He shot it down but still decided to push his message towards you. You should ask Dick out. It wasn’t that simple.

“Jay I don’t think you’ve thought this through.” you said.

He chuckled, “Of course I did. I wouldn’t say it out loud if it wasn’t a well-cooked plan.” 

You made a face at him.

“Okay look, all I'm saying is you’ve got nothing to lose. If anything you're way out of his league.” he said and then gulped down the rest of his beer.

You didn’t like beer and so you worked on a Pina colada. You had done the whole beer thing for years now. As a trained spy it was your go-to for missions at bars. Safe to say you were sick of ales, craft beers and everything in between.

“Ah yes, the magic using spy.” you nodded your head.

Jason nodded along with you. 

“Exactly. Bird brains would eat that up.” he said.

“And when would I tell him that I knew about his secret identity? Before I tell him about mine or after?” you asked. 

Jason sighed and raised his hand for another beer. You rolled your eyes at this. Once he had a thought it was very hard for him to let it go. Especially when it included a thought about people he cared for- no matter how much he claimed the opposite. 

“All Im saying is, you never know until you try.” 

“What are you a fortune cookie?” 

“Fuck off. I’m being serious and I do give great advice you can ask Duke.” 

2 DAYS LATER 

You look at Caliban with bated breath. He had just gotten info on a magic-based rebellion. Work was tight when you rolled with the good guys for too long of a time. You blame that on two men on your life, Jason and Constantine. 

“I’ll put in a good word for you.” he says.

“Thank you, I really appreciate it. And any-”

Before you can finish telling Caliban that he can call in a favor from you at anytime your surroundings change. In a flash you go from one of the underworld crime bars to a room you’ve never been in before.

You look around and sure enough you see the culprit. Constantine.

“There she is!” he smiles.

Not only did he summon you, he did so in front of an audience. Circled around him is Gotham’s crime fighting family. All of them except Jason, Cass and Duke. All of which know about your secret identity and would’ve stopped Constantine from summoning you. The rest of the family are all looking at you liked you’ve grown a second head.

You look down at what you’re wearing. The long sleeve off the shoulder skin tight black dress was the perfect choice for the club you were supposed to be in. Maybe not so much for a meeting with the Bats and his birds.

You look right ahead at Constantine, “I don’t like being summoned.” 

“Ah, but you’re the best person I know for this job. I had to get you over here.” he says.

You take a quick look at all the other people in the room. Then at the screen behind them. Your information is plastered on it. Well, the information that you’ve decided to let the government think was yours. Your codename was at the top of the screen.

“Constantine says that you’re the best way into the underworld.” Batman says.

You’re confused to say the least. Constantine was Constantine, why would he call you in order to get them into the underworld when he can do it himself? It defeats the purpose of having to call him.

“I’m sorry,” you direct to Batman and then look at your friend, “I need you to state specifically what I’m needed for.” 

Constantine moved from the family over to you. As he did you watched as Nightwing followed him with his own eyes. Now Dick knows you’re not just Jason’s friend from around Gotham. Great.

“Bats got intel that something it going down with this magic group, the-” he starts. “hex mutiny.” you finish.

“You already know about them?” Nightwing says.

“I was just getting someone to put in a good word for me with them before you summoned me here. You’ve got great timing you know that?” you say to Constantine.

He smiles, “Well then it seems like you can be of great service, spygames.”

“And what exactly would I be doing, if I can even get a spot with them?” you throw out the question to the family.

Red Robin crosses his arms, “We need someone on the inside to tell us what they are planning for Gotham.”

“I doubt they’d let a newbie in on their plans.”

“Good thing you won’t be a newbie.” Batman says.

Constantine conjures an amulet in his hand. You want to hit him over the head. He could really be a pain in the ass. You grab it from him.

“With this, you’ll be in the perfect position to get in and get out. Easy.” he says.

You shake your head, “Every time you say that I get a new scar.” 

“I promise sweetheart. No scars this time.” 

“Yeah yeah, you owe me for this.”

EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER

You knew you would end up wounded. Typically with Constantine it was nothing deadly, or nothing your own magic couldn’t fix. But you knew that your luck had to run out some day. And it wasn't his fault.

After finding out what the group was really up to you couldn’t just let them operate. They weren’t really rebels. No they used that name to paint a narrative. They were fascists.

You held the wound to your waist to stop the bleeding. This would have to be the farthest you could go. There was no way you could run out of this. Not with the blood seeping through the cracks of your fingers.

At least you brunt the members down to the ash. It took a lot out of you. And that’s why you weren’t prepared for a hit that tore right through you. 

“Why aren’t you moving?” Jason, or Redhood, said through the comms.

You leaned against the hallway wall.

At least you’d die someplace pretty. When you first came in you didn't notice how clean and meticulous everything was. There were painting of famous magicians on the walls. Along with some stolen art, a Van Gogh or two. 

You ripped the amulet off your neck and felt the illusion fade. The necklace fell to the floor and you let out a pained breath.

“I think,” you coughed and on the clean wall was not splatters of blood, “this is it.”

You could hear Jason shouting on the other end. He was calling out your name, calling out for Constantine to come and help you. Duke was calling for you too. And you could’ve sworn you heard Cass say your name once. 

With your only free hand you tried to open a portal out of the base. You knew it would be useless as you had a mortal wound and portal magic works best under no stress and panic, or blood loss. The usual light from your hands glowed faintly until it didn’t.

“Constantine can’t summon you?” Dick asked.

At that you let your body drag down the wall until you reached the floor. When you did sit down more blood came out. So you decided to lay down horizontally. 

“Hey hey- I told you I wasn’t gonna let anything happen to you.” you hear Constantine through the comms.

You want to laugh, but it ends out more of a chocked gargle.

“I screwed up the mission. I deserve it.” you said.

“You did good. Better than any of us.” Batman said.

“Constantine you need to call in whatever favors you have to get her out of there. Now!” Jason shouted.

“Dont,” you started.

“No. We’re getting you out of there-”

“Jason, I’m not a saint. I never would’ve imagined going out like this.” you said.

Once you were born you were thrusted in this world. All you knew was to use magic as a weapon. To get ahead, to get power, to get the glory. And that lasted you until you turned 19. 

Then Constantine crossed paths with you. He was the one to show you that magic has other uses. Such as helping and healing. You learned the best stuff from him.  And you took what you learned and began to help in ways you could.

You didn’t go on the straight and narrow. Never did you consider yourself a morally correct person. Sometimes the lines were blurred, or they need to be blurred. And so you took down seedy organizations, went on recon missions all over the world.

It wasn’t justice. But it was close enough that you could sleep at night or the odd hours of the morning for more than four hours.

“Sweetheart I don’t break my promises.” Constantine said finally.

You were just beginning to feel your eyes grow heavy. The pain was starting to be comfortably numb. Then above you appeared someone you weren’t expecting in the slightest. 

“Caliban?” you asked.

“You owe me double.”

4 DAYS LATER

When you woke up you felt battered and weak You weren’t used to these feelings and you weren’t used to being so close to death. Everyday was a new experience when you’re the Priestess of Espionage.

You cracked open one eye to find a couple of deviants at your side. Jason, Duke and Cass. The youngest took the chair next to you while Duke and Jason seemed to take the floor. Since they weren’t in their gear you guessed that you were out for longer than a couple of hours.

“Not my version of hell but I’ll allow it.” you say in a raspy voice.

It wakes everyone up.

Jason and Duke bolt to your bedside.

“Why’d you almost die on me?” and “Are you feeling okay?” come from them both, respectively. It makes you want to laugh but when you feel the ache in your waist you stop yourself.

“I’m alive, so there’s that. Positives.” you answer.

Jason shoots his younger siblings a look and they scurry out the room. You try to sit up to ask what it was for but he puts his hands up for you to stop any movement. So you lay back down.

“He would kill me if you tore your stitches.” 

You shut your eyes, “Jason I don’t think Constantine would kill you per say.”

You hear the door opening so you decide to open your eyes. And sure enough you see Jason leaving the room and someone coming in. Dick Grayson, out of his suit as well. 

As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t read his face. Besides the clear betrayal that was there. He definitely knew that you knew he’s Nightwing.

“Hi.” you say.

His face softens, “Hi.”

“I just want to say that I would’ve told you about who I am. Sooner that you think actually but this mission kinda derailed all of that.” you say.

With his arm crossed over his chest he nods, “How long did you know I was Nightwing?”

You wince.

“For about two years now. Once Jason told me he was Red it was hard to not notice the similarities of the Wayne family and the Bat one.” 

He laughs at that and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. It must be going good if he wants to laugh. 

“And when did he tell you that I like you?” he asks.

“He didn’t explicitly say that.” 

There’s a beat of silence. You’re looking at him and he’s looking at you. But he’s the one who seems to be holding his breath this time. You try to hide the smirk you feel forming on your lips.

“What?” he asks.

“Jason had told me that I should ask you out. He didn’t say anything about you liking me.” you answer him.

The red tint that covered Dick Grayson was absolutely adorable.

He nods his head to himself. Twice.

“I- I’m gonna get Jason for you.” he moved to the door.  And you don’t really know what to say. All your words get jumbled in your brain and you can’t put them together in a way that is smooth enough so you deicide to just try your best.

“If you were to ask me out, I would say yes.” you say.

He looks directly at you. Then his signature smirk appears.

“I’ll bring back some food for later.” he says.

“it’s a date.” you answer.