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jeromesxreader16 · 3 years

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Such a Joker (53)

Part 52 Here!

~o0o~

I pack two sandwiches in my purse and proceed to cover my hair with the large silk scarf. "Where are you sneaking off to?" Babs asks walking past me and downing a drink. "Secret date? I figured you would get sick of the pale faced clown." I smile at my hands. I could never tire of my boy. I'm as crazy as him, maybe more, but he would never turn me away, and I could never leave him.

"I'm married." "Even better." I narrow my eyes at her. "Babs, I'm going to see my dad." She widens her eyes. "Now you're asking for a death wish." I walk out the door, my heels clicking every step. "If you say so."

I walk into the GCPD and can sense the chaos and tension thickly canned in the air. Not seconds later two individuals start brawling over bread. "Hey! Break it up!" My father pushes them back. "For all the new people here... everyone is welcome in Haven, but there are rules. And one of them is we leave the fighting outside. Government already thinks we don't deserve help. We have to show otherwise. Gangs want to tear themselves apart outside, that's their business. In here, in Haven... we help each other survive." I hum with a slick smile as the two dispute the issue and the tension falls. Saved for another day.

I walk up to him nudging his arm. "Nice speech. I think it worked." He turns to me and gasps, but recovers quickly. "(Y/n). You're so big. No... Just-" "Pregnant, dad." He nods smiling. "So what happens when they find out the government abandoned them?" He sighs, shaking his head. I pat his back. "Come on paper man. You need some real food." I pull him into his office and remove the disguise. "Italian sub for you, and tuna for me." "You hate tuna." I smile sitting down. "They don't." I pat my swollen tummy. "So there are two of them?" I nod smiling.

"And you're happy? He treats you well?" I nod again smiling at him. "Of course he does. He's not a monster, dad." He grabs my hand over the desk and squeezes it. "I don't... like him. You know this. He destroyed the damn city for christ's sake, but he is the father of my grandchildren, and the husband of my only daughter, so I can promise you... I will never kill him." I kiss his hand and smile. "Who knew that'd be so comforting to hear."

I walk into the elevator with the smile ghosted over my lips. Crackling from the speaker erupts my mind causing me to shake and grab the wall in fright. "Aw, honey, I'm sorry." Ecco's voice pipes up from the speaker. I wave my hand in front of the camera with a smile. "No worries. All good here." I laugh placing a hand on my stomach. "Where is Jerimiah?" "Working down below. Would you like me to get him?" I smile up at the camera. "Let me go down."

"Uh... Miss, I think we should wait. He doesn't want you around the-" I press the button to the bottom floor faster than light. "Oops," I smirk up to Ecco as the elevator skips the main floor and descends below.

The two doors slide open revealing a steamed room with the funk of hard labor. I step on the uneven ground and see Jerimiah fanning himself as he watches his workers. I rest my hands on his shoulders and kiss his cheek. "You're working hard." He spins around with a glare. "And you're not supposed to be here." He grips my hips pulling me towards him.

"I missed you." I nuzzle into his chest. He hums as we rock back and forth. "I missed you, my love. Come on. No lady should be exposed to this heat." He places his hand on the small of my back leading me to the elevator.

Holding me the entire way up and then carrying me to our bed, never letting us go. "Are my darlings all suggled up?" He asks resting my head on his chest. The icy colored flesh proving wrong to the touch of fire on my fingers. "Yes, Jer." I mumble feeling my eyes draw to a close. "Never will I go a day without my family... even your father." He kisses my head before I can ask the question.

Jeremiah POV:

My workers work endlessly day and night to break the walls of the under the earth. Slowing down each day, getting on my nerves in the end. You're pushing my men way too hard. "We're not gonna break through for at least a couple more days. There is absolutely no way to make it on schedule." The leader of the pack of sweat cogs comes in.

My wife doesn't need to be kept in this filth any longer. How dare he disrespect my future. "Well, not with that attitude, you're not." I slice the man's throat, as he falls to the ground, blood flowing on the dirt.

"Now... everyone... let's reach inside and dig... a little deeper, shall we? 'Cause that's the only way you're all making it out of this hole." I hum watching their fear thicken.

Two taps on my shoulder break my gaze from the project. "Oh, Echo. Are these all the recruits?" Skinny, no brains, slim Whitted. These are my soldiers?

"Well, I thought you would want quality over quantity. Not everybody can pass a .38 caliber test of faith." I smirk thinking of the trials and tests they've suffered. "Yes... you certainly have set a very high bar for devotion."

"Oh. Almost forgot. Bruce Wayne and his sidekick Curls... Or is he the sidekick? Anyway, they tried to infiltrate our little operation here."

"Oh?" " Oh. And Curls can walk, really well, especially... for a paraplegic. Ah. And she wants to kill you." I glare at her with a snarl. This doesn't help that my wife is being cared for in the same building.

"A lot, FYI. If I see her, I'll give you a shout. Oh... and kill her." I nod rolling my eyes. Finish the job and move on for the better of my wife and children.

I walk into the GCPD questioning room with my scarf wrapped around my head, and my belly protruding out. Quite the look I must say. I open the door to see Victor Zsasz pushed on to the table by Harvey.

"Ow. This is a really nice table." I snicker and take my glasses off. "You do realize her thrives on the pain." The three pairs of eyes look at me. "We got a dozen witnesses that saw you walk out of that building before it went kabooey."

"Yeah. I heard some gangs had taken over." Zsasz says turning his eyes to me. "Figured, with you guys occupied, I might help myself to some of your supplies. Hey, do you guys have any canned peaches? Man, I'd trade an arm and a leg for that right now. Not mine, somebody else's. Maybe little baby Maniax's." He laughs reaching for my stomach before Jim swats his arm down.

"If you're innocent, why shoot up a city block full of cops?"

"Because it was full of cops." Zsasz and I say at the same time.

"Who were also trying to shoot me. And, guys, those were warning shots. I mean, if I really

wanted to kill you... you'd be dead. You got a pen? I want to write this guy a thank-you letter. Do the math. If I blew up a building full of people, I would have covered

every inch of my body in sweet, sweet scars. Mrs. Valeska... want to do a strip search?" He winks before my father punches him. "She's married, pig."

I lock arms with my dad and walk through the station. "Got Lucius on the horn for you, Cap."

"Lucius, talk to me." I grab the phone holding it close enough for the both of us to hear. "Haven wasn't destroyed by a bomb. It was an RPG, like the one that took down the chopper."

"You sure?"

I'm holding what's left of it in my hand right now. We found pieces of it in the rubble. It was fired through the basement window, detonated the fuel oil tank. And we're still trying to figure out exactly which rooftop it was fired from.

"Rooftop?"

"Yes."

"Dad, the only angle you could hit this place from is above. Zsasz was on the ground. Looks like you need a new suspect. I think we need to-"

"Jim! Ah. I know the wheels of justice turn slowly, so I'm here to provide- a modicum of grease."

Rushing up towards the front, Oswald, the Mayor of fallen Gotham, stands tall and proud.

"You need to leave right now."

"Still claiming he's innocent, is he?"

"Yes. And as much as I hate to admit it, the evidence is backing him up."

Harvey busts out, "What the hell's going on?" "Harvey, according to Lucius, Zsasz couldn't have done it."

Oswald huffs with a smile. "I did not expect you to go soft, Jim. Actually, I did. Behind a grandpa and all must've changed your ways. Which is why I didn't come alone." Several gunmen come out armed and ready to fire. My father huddles me close and shields me from the view of guns.

"Bring me Victor Zsasz!"

"Leave, (Y/n). Go home!" Jim pushes me away towards the doors.

Jeremiah POV:

I wave my hat fanning my pale skin placed upon the crippling bones. It's so damp and hot in here, but I'm freezing. My heart has gone cold without her scent around. Not a touch, not a wiff, not a glace for days it seems. Where is my angel with my bundles of joy?

"You see, a river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence. So what do we do when we feel like giving up? Dig a little deeper. And what do we do when we can't possibly go on any longer? Dig a little deeper. And what do we..." A sharp blade stabs into my side crippling my speech. I look down seeing the masked figure in the striped coat. I gasp feeling my footing slide as the attacker shoves the blade into my stomach further.

"Deep enough?" The individual removes the mask revealing the little pussy of them all. "Well, Selina, I must say..." She pulls the blade out plunging it back in sharply.

"Don't say anything." Over and over again the blade is shoved into my side. The light dimming, the hot steam hitting my brow, the devilish laughter of my brother. This is near my end? Maybe so...

"Selina!" The rat is stripped away from me causing me to fall to the ground barely clinging to the life of happiness I have.

"Selina!" Bruce Wayne holds the fierce kitty back. "Stop. It's done! It's over."

The building is quiet. The entire place is quiet... Not one swing of an ax hitting limestone, making a light clink sound. Not the ring of my husbands voice calling to his men. Not even Echo meeting me at the door with my slippers and milkshake. Something is not right.

"Jeremiah?" I call out as if he could hear me from below. If not him then someone. One of the members at least, but no one came. I proceeded to enter the elevator only to see blood on the buttons and floor. They were having the graduation today, not everyone makes it.

The doors open to the pool room and I could almost drop to my knees at the smell. Thick scent of blood coating the walls. I walk out of the elevator and down into the pool counting the dead. No Echo or Jeremiah. Good so far.

I make my way down to the tunnels where silence has taken over. Just a simple lone man sitting in a chair. "Where is Jermiah?" I panic pulling my jacket closer. Could he have left me?

"Mrs. Valaska!" "Where is my husband?" "He's off in the tunnels. He's got injured. I'm supposed to take you to him." "Well, go on!" He shuffles his feet in a pace of nervousness, tripping over rocks and pickaxes. "How did he get hurt?" "Someone came in and just stabbed the boss. She was taken away by Bruce Wayne." I feel fire ignite in my blood. Selina and Bruce. What a treat. Trying to kill my husband in my own home.

Down the tunnels I hear him. Groaning in pain as Echo stitches him up. "How could you let this happen?" I shout at her. "She was fast." "And you're supposed to be faster." I glare at her as she cowers at my words.

"Don't stress, darling. It's not good for the babies."

"Jeremiah." I kneel down next to him grabbing his face. "Are you alright?" He places his hands over mine, kissing them each. "I'm still alive. One thing I've still got on my brother. How are you, my love? I'm sorry. You must've been wrecked with worry." Jeremiah pulls me into his lap. I nod with my bottom lip out. "Yes, I was. I was so scared, Jer." He pulls me to him. "Aw my darling. I know. I know."

I shift my weight slightly causing him to jet in a sharp inhale. "Oh, honey. Stitches still sore?" He nods. "Never would have happened if you wore that armor I prepared." Echo hums, causing me to roll my eyes. "That bullet makes you sentimental of the wrong things." I huff out pushing her out of the view.

"Why would you not check who was working? You always do. You're always prepared." Jeremiah places his hand on my cheek again. "I had to let Selina thrust the knife into my flesh at least once. Verisimilitude trumps precaution, you see." "They think you're dead." I think putting everything together.

Echo stands to the side bouncing with information. "What is it?" She giggles jumping on her heels. "All systems go." Jeremiah lifts himself, placing a hand on the small of my back and leading us along behind Echo.

"You could've died." I whisper looking at the dirt. "I didn't." "But you could have, Jeremiah. That's my point. You have two children growing, and soon they'll be out in this world. They need their father. You've kept me safely away, but that won't mean shit if you're not around to protect your children." I move ahead of him in a fit of fire.

A hand grabs my shoulder spinning me around. Jerehimah dips me and pushes our lips together. His grip on my arm and hip so tight, keeping me pulled to him with no fight. He pulls away only an inch, looking at my eyes, looking into the soul. "Now, you may not understand everything I do, but I do it for you and these two kids. I think and I plan for hours. You sit up in the bed resting your feet like I tell you. When you start questioning if I'm going to make it, that's when this will fall apart. You're my darling. You've been mine for thousands of years. Never doubt me, (Y/n)." He places his hands on my stomach and pecks my forehead. "Come along now. We have things to do."

Leading me through the tunnels I start to see less of the dirt and more solid grey rock already formed into tunnels. "Where are we?" Jeremiah giggles pulling me alongside.

"Doctor. I'm hearing good things." Jeremiah says holding in laughter.

What is he up to?

The Doctor nods. "The bandages are ready to come off. Your assistant thought you'd like to see the results." Echo shakes her head in praise like a dog while Jer nods his head. "Indeed, I would."

He turns to me. "You won't want to miss this, (y/n)."

The Doctor unravels the bandages on the individuals faces revealing a profile built from professional lifestyle and diets. This is Thomas and Martha Wayne before my eyes... ALIVE!

"Oh, you two look beautiful." I smile looking down at her pearl necklace. "Down to the very detail with you." Jeremiah kisses my cheek. "I love family reunions, don't you?" "More than Christmas!" I cheer and giggle.

#jerome #jerome x reader #jerome valeska #jerome valeska imagine #jerome valeska x reader #jeremiah valeska imagine #jeremiah valeska x reader #jerome valeska smut #Gotham #Gotham City #gotham cast

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onebadwinter · 3 years

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The Joker Tropes Part 2

Taken From Here and here

Nether Realm Studios especially seems to love making Joker out to be evil incarnate. In Injustice: Gods Among Us and its sequel, he loses all his cred (and life) once he nukes Metropolis; Harley ditches him entirely, Batman just completely gives up on indulging him any more, even Guest Fighters like Hellboy consider him worthless, and non-Batvillains such as Grodd and Brainiac and even Darkseid loathe him for either Metropolis, or just in general principle. Mortal Kombat 11 shows that even the MK cast see him as a scourge upon the realms, and also express distaste toward him for either his nuking, a previous outing, or because he's seen as a buffoon who cannot be taken seriously (this is usually the case for other villain characters).

About the only person who can tolerate him for long is Lex Luthor, only because they both have the same level of hatred for their respective enemies. Even then, Luthor prefers to keep his distance from the Joker, if only because a bored Joker screws with everything For the Evulz.

In the animated series, he claims to have been beaten as a child when interviewed by Harley Quinn. It is unknown if this is true. According to Batman, he's simply making it up.

In one issue of New 52, he claims to have been driven insane by an abusive grandmother, who also bleached his skin to its present pallor.

In the same continuity, he is one to a baby gorilla he adopts, trains up as a gun-wielding henchman, and ultimately gets killed off for laughs.

In the comic book adaptation of Injustice, it's implied Harley fears Joker would be one, and gives their daughter to her sister, lest he kill the child. It's left ambiguous whether the Joker's even aware of the ruse.

Averted in one story, wherein one of Arkham's doctors realizes Joker's faking insanity just to piss off Batman as revenge for his disfigurement. Another doctor finds the report and excitedly reveals it to the current head doctor, only to learn that the Joker left it for everyone to read, since the paper's written by Harley Quinn, and therefore worthless as evidence.

In Batman: The Man Who Laughs, it's established that the name "The Joker" was given to him by the media, and he liked it so much that he decided to call himself that.

The same happens in Joker (2019), where Murray tells the audience to "look at this joker" when talking about Arthur. Arthur took it to heart.

Batman: Arkham Knight takes this even further by revealing that being forgotten is the only thing the Joker truly fears.

Just to demonstrate how much disregard he has for his henchmen, a reoccurring motivation for offing his own lackeys is failing to laugh at one of his jokes. Or laughing too late. Or laughing for too long. Or laughing at the wrong joke. He's... unpredictable.

The Joker loves it when people laugh with him, whether genuine or not, but if someone laughs at him, they're most likely already dead.

Joker loves attention and being above the normals, so never imply that he's not interesting or unique. Terry exploits this flaw in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker just to drive him to a Villainous Breakdown.

The Batman Who Laughs. Since the character's first appearance in Dark Nights: Metal, the mere mention of him is enough to put The Joker in an uncharacteristically un-jolly mood and is a good way to get on his bad side. In fact, the dislike of this twisted version of his archnemesis is so great, that when Lex Luthor and The Legion of Doom started cooperating with him against Joker's protests, he quit the legion (after non-lethally jokerizing every other member of it) in disgust.

If you're going to hurt Batman, do it right. One of the supplementary stories for Joker War had him beyond furious with Bane - to the point of promising him he'd kill him in a way he would never see coming - for showing so little imagination in killing Alfred in City of Bane without even letting Batman listen to it to torture him. By his reckoning, if you have a great gag to break the Bat, use it to break the Bat - don't blow it by having Robin be the only one to witness it.

Originally Conrad Veidt from The Man Who Laughs.

Later portrayals base themselves on his actors, with Cesar Romero a popular candidate, and after Jack Nicholson came in, artists such as Alex Ross base him on him, such as the actor's distinct widow's peak and slicked back hair.

During Knightfall he and Scarecrow killed several members of a SWAT team, and one of his last actions in Batman: No Man's Land was to kill Commissioner Gordon's second wife, Lt. Sarah Essen.

One of the alternate realities seen in Zero Hour! was one where he killed Commissioner Gordon instead of crippling Barbara.

Part of the reason Gordon takes over the post of Commissioner in both The Dark Knight Trilogy and Batman: Arkham Series is due to the Joker killing Gillian Loeb. Additionally, the first game in the latter series, Asylum, he sees several of Arkham's guards killed by him and his men.

He's holding a dead cop's corpse in his intro in Injustice: Gods Among Us and using it as a puppet. He also talks to the body of one of the Regime enforcers who captured him once he breaks out and heads to Gotham.

Whether he was driven insane or was already insane and became completely bonkers.

Where he is on the spectrum between "wacky prankster" and "utterly depraved and sadistic sociopath and murderer".

Whether he is a senseless, performative terrorist wreaking havoc for kicks or a deceptively cunning and competent criminal mastermind. Or both. Usually both.

He's no Batman, but sometimes he is a proficient hand-to-hand combatant, Knife Nut or marksman, and other times a flimsy wimp who goes down in one punch. In some of the grittier settings, his raw strength, numbness to pain and viciousness are enough to level the playing field with Batman.

Whether he actually loves Harley Quinn varies. In the animated series, (where Harley first appeared) the writers haveoutright said he's a sociopath incapable of loving anyone, and just sees her as a useful mook. Some other works imply he really does love her on some level (although he's usually still an abusive asshole.)

He can either be Faux Affably Evil, Laughably Evil, just a Monster Clown, or some combination of the three.

At least one such incident implied he would be interested in Batman... but only after he was dead. Again this may only have been a tactic to get under Batman's skin or truthful admission. The readers will never know for certain.

His plot in The Killing Joke is to put Jim Gordon through the wringer hard in the hopes of driving him mad. He'll also try to drive Batman over the edge (particularly, drive him to break his "no killing" rule), sometimes by cutting off all of Batsy's human connections.

The Dark Knight reworks it into Driving Gotham To Senseless Violence with wanton acts of destruction or terrorism, just to prove everyone's as bad as him deep down.

Ironically, a 1952 story has the Joker get himself falsely committed to an insane asylum, to question a patient who knew the location of a cache of money. The end of the story has him Laughing Mad due to a prank Batman used to disguise his identity.

He didn't have his signature laugh. This seems to have been a way to "goofy up" the character to make him less terrifying in the days of the Comics Code Authority. Later on, he'd learn to giggle while remaining terrifying.

He actually committed crimes for moneynote , and wasn't really interested in causing chaos or terror for a joke's sake.

Building off of that, his plans weren't really "insane" until the Silver Age (at which point it's not even fair to say this was exclusive to him), nor was there any question of the character's mental stability.

His obsession with Batman wasn't there, much less the idea that he would pass up chances to kill the Bat or learn his identity. This aspect was probably introduced to explain the Bond Villain Stupidity he (and every Batman villain) had become infamous for in the Silver Age.

His clown-like complexion was actually makeup in his early appearances. He even removed his makeup to disguise himself as a cop, which was referenced in The Dark Knight. It's later revealed that the look is permanent after falling in a vat of chemicals.

The Brave and the Bold #111 and #191 have him team up with Batman to clear his name after being framed for several murders. The first instance turned out to simply be a framing the guilty part occasion but the second instance was actually genuine on Joker's part (except the person Joker seemingly murdered turned out to be faking their death).

He also does this with Batman whenever The Batman Who Laughs is involved (specifically in the Dark Knights: Metal series).

He abruptly ends a partnership with Red Skull when his Nazi affiliation comes out. Red Skull simply wonders why he is so surprised when he thinks that the Joker would make a great Nazi. The Joker is NOT happy about this, proclaiming "I may be a criminal lunatic, but I'm an American criminal lunatic!" It even provides the trope's image. And yes, folks, even an equal-opportunity murderer like the Joker despises the Nazis!note

The exception is mentioned again in the Last Laugh arc where the Joker immediately refused to join the American Neo-Nazi Aryan Alliance group in the Slab after he was offered membership. Joker: I'm evil and all that, but you guys are just plain mean.

Will not harm dumb animals and doesn't condone it. There's no humor to be had in that. Higher primates apparently do not qualify but a lot more effort went into that one.

While in Arkham with villain Warren White, AKA the Great White Shark, Joker calls him the worst person he ever met. He states that while he may kill people, even he doesn't steal their kids' college funds.

Sees nothing funny about someone parking in a handicap spot when they're not handicapped. However, he does think it's hilarious to hurt them in ways that will make certain they'll always be able to park there.

A girl named Janey Bennett, whose class was studying criminal behavior, became pen pals with the Joker while he was in Arkham. When Janey revealed that her father, the mayor of Motor City, was abusing her (exactly how isn't specified, though it was implied to have been really bad) the Joker broke out and, convinced that the authorities would be of no help, tried to force the mayor into admitting to his crimes and giving him Janey (so that he could find a better home for her) by threatening to contaminate the city's blood supply, going through with it (because the ends justify the means) when the mayor refused to give in to his demands. He originally intended to give her to Batman as well so he could protect her but at the end decided to give her to her mom. Joker: I mean, stealing a city blind is something I can admire... but being mean to one's own daughter... that just makes my blood boil.

For a rather literal form of "standard", the Joker's team-up with Carnage in Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds fell apart in part because the Joker, known for his love of theatrics, found Kasady's desire to get straight to killing boring. Conversely, Kasady didn't like the Joker's flair for theatrics.

The Joker absolutely loathes The Batman Who Laughs, to the point where he drops his usual joking demeanor and is deathly serious whenever directly referring to him, even willing to work together with Batman to face him when it comes down to it. When Lex Luthor goes behind his back to make a deal with The Batman Who Laughs (going against the only condition Joker has for joining his plan), Joker responds by Joker-gassing the Legion of Doom, putting Lex into a series of deathtraps, trashing Lex's Power Armor, and quitting the Legion. In the process, he tells Luthor how he had planned on ruining the Legion utterly on the verge of victory, and as nightmarish as his plan sounded, he claims it is nothing compared to what the Batman Who Laughs is going to do.

While he still gloated about it and found Commissioner Gordon kneecapping him funny after remember that he'd crippled Barbara, the actual act of killing Sarah Essen in the penultimate issue of Batman: No Man's Land is one of the few times the Joker wasn't happy with something he himself did, considering he's seen walking away while scowling afterward, leaves the babies he originally planned to murder unharmed and immediately turns himself in to the police.

Emperor Joker sees the Joker disgusted with a corrupted Jimmy O Lsen tormenting the Superfamily and Batman when they're turned int animals.

Later one he is disgusted when his minions vandalize the Moai on Eastern Island.

Again, when he rescues Lex from The Batman Who Laugh's infected minions in Hell Arisen, the mere mention of his alternate universe rival prompts him to have a very uncharacteristic Freak Out. The Joker: I told you. I told you not to deal with him. You should have shot that thing in the head the second you had it in a cage! It is wrong. It is a wrong thing.

Played more straight in his relationship with Punchline. Only time will tell if it lasts.

There’s also a comic storyline when Hush informed that a dirty cop Office Halmet killed his wife Jeannie. The Joker wanted nothing more than to kill said cop in revenge. Then there’s Batman: Three Jokers where, despite it being being heavily implied he was abusive, the “Comedian” Joker is seen setting up fake tea parties with dolls, clearly trying to substitute them for his wife and child showing that he does miss them and desire to be a family with them.

While The Dark Knight is one of the few times the Joker's clown-like appearance is the result of make-up, he does sport a Glasgow Grin.

While Joker still has the permanent clown look, it's combined with the Glasgow Grin.

While Batman: Endgame would see the skin of his face restored with a chemical called Dionesiumnote , at the start of The New 52, the Joker had the Dollmaker skin his face and then, after he recovered it, spent Death of the Family wearing it like a Leatherface-esque mask. And even in Endgame, his restored face ends up badly burned as the result of the finale battle between him and Batman, though it still ends up restored again.

Gotham sees neither Valeska escape this. After his death in season 2, Jerome (the proto-Joker) ends up resurrected in season 3, but because Dwight thinks his attempt to revive him failed, Dwight ends up cutting off Jerome's face ala Death of the Family and Jerome ends up stapling it on when he catches up with Dwight and while he later has it properly reattached, there's still scars from what happened. Jeremiah, Jerome's twin and the show's true Joker, ends up with the "perma-clown" appearance due to Jerome having the Scarecrow brew something up to spray in Jeremiah's face, but season 5 sees his fateful fall at Ace Chemicals badly scar his face and sear off most of his hair with only stringy patches left.

Averted entirely in Joker (2019), where his clown appearance is entirely makeup, and the worst it gets is painting his iconic smile on his face with his own blood from a car crash. Not even a Glasgow Grin or anything, the blood is from his hand and his face only has a few normal cuts on it.

While Batman is a rather serious character who refuses to kill anyone, The Joker is a rather comical character who revels in death.

Joker's gadgets tend to be rather goofier but much more lethal, such as the Joker Venom that he often uses to kill his victims.

While Batman gets along well with his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl, Joker frequently abuses his sidekick Harley Quinn and has tried to kill her before, not to mention all the times he has been a Bad Boss by killing his henchmen for any reason you can think of, sometimes for no reason at all.

While Batman's backstory is well known, even by the citizens of Gotham who know of the tragedy of the rich Waynes' in Crime Alley, no one knows anything about the Joker's backstory, but most versions he tells are consistent in two things: he was a nobody, and possibly someone poor.

In most adaptations, his voice is high-pitched in contrast to Batman's Badass Baritone.

Why he went by the name the Red Hood has changed over the years: The Killing Joke claims he was a failed comedian driven to crime to support his pregnant wife. The trauma of his disfigurement from jumping in the acid and his wife's earlier accidental death drove him insane. However, even this backstory is questionable, as the Joker himself calls it "multiple choice".

In Injustice 2, an intro with Atrocitus has the Red Lantern wondering what drove the Joker to nihilism.

In the animated series, he claims to have been abused as a child when interviewed by Harley, but according to Batman, it's just another ruse to escape Arkham.

The purple suit and matching pants with either an orange and/or green shirt with a bowtie or tie, remains the definitive Joker look one that many artists and costume designers have given spin on. He is sometimes known for wearing a cool hat but other times goes hatless. Heath Ledger's custom-designed purple long-coat, trousers, blue shirt and green Waistcoat of Style with a tie has likewise become iconic and famous for its contemporary and downright stylish update on the classic look.

The original Red Hood outfit which is a black suit, white shirt, bowtie with an opera cap and a bizarre red dome is also quite famous.

The Hawaiian tourist outfit he wore in the notorious scene in The Killing Joke.

The white suit he wears in Miller's The Dark Knight Returns as well as the white nurse maid outfit with red wig in The Dark Knight is also quite notable.

The Future Joker look from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker which went with a mime look (black body suit, slicked-back hair) is also quite distinct and unique.

The first issue of Batman with Joker's debut has him described as having "burning, hate-filled eyes" and the moniker, "the harliquin of hate".

The Man Who Laughs had Bruce dosed with a light version of the Joker Venom and he felt his perspective shift into a paranoid vengeance were he felt everyone deserved to be punished for his parent's death just for existing.

Death of the Family had Batman describe how Joker's irises are always narrow when looking at anyone but Batman and that it is usually an indication of negative feelings toward something with Bruce mentioning that his eye are the eyes of someone who hates everything he sees.

In the Justice League storyline "Rock of Ages", Martian Manhunter has to put in incredible effort to reorganize Joker's mind long enough for him to give up the cataclysmic Philosopher's Stone. The briefly sane Joker immediately says My God, What Have I Done? verbatim as he hands it back, before quickly losing his mind and going back to the laughing madman.

The famous example from the end of The Killing Joke, where Batman tries to convince him to allow Batman to rehabilitate him before their vendetta kills them. Joker considers it for a long, somber moment before quietly reflecting that they're both too far gone.

Batman: Cacophony ends with Joker being pumped full of an inhuman amount of antipsychotic drugs to keep him under control while in recovery from a near-fatal stabbing. Batman takes the opportunity to have a relatively-sane conversation with him, though it's somewhat subverted by Joker still being a homicidal sociopath even while heavily sedated.

He even gives multiple reasons on how he came Back from the Dead in Injustice 2 and will go along with whatever his opponent thinks is true, despite being Dead All Along in story mode and only appearing as a hallucination to his ex-moll.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns sees him kill David Endochrine and Ruth Weisenheimer, who were clearly based on David Letterman and Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

During Knightfall, once he realizes that Azrael isn't Batman, his plan's gone to hell, and one too many criticisms from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert stand-ins, he kills the stand-ins.

In one of the issues for the The Batman tie-in comic, The Batman Strikes, he terrorizes a stand-in for Conan O'Brien. This becomes darkly Hilarious in Hindsight as the real O'Brien voiced Endochrine in the animated version of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In the series proper, Harley's debut had the two of them terrorize a stand-in for Dr. Phil for the climax.

If you want to know how truly terrifying The Batman Who Laughs is, look no further than the way Joker acts whenever discussing him. He doesn't laugh, he doesn't smile. He becomes calm and serious and simply tells whomever he's talking to that the TBWL is "a wrong thing that shouldn't exist". Someone HAS to be scary if the very thought of him makes Joker act like a calm rational sane person.

In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the clown has a massive Villainous Breakdown when Terry mocks him for his failed attempts to break Batman.

On the rare occasion Joker gets bored and leaves Gotham, expect everyone to think of him as just a silly clown, until the bodies start piling up.

One issue of the Robin Series had him talking about having Abusive Parents, only for a psychiatrist to tell him it's the seventh story he's told now.

Batman lampshades on this to Harley in the animated series, thinking it's another lie to gain sympathy.

The Killing Joke claims he was a failed comedian driven to crime to support his pregnant wife. The trauma of his disfigurement and his wife's earlier accidental death drove him mad. However, even this could be a lie, as he himself calls it "multiple choice".

It's even discussed in Injustice 2, as Atrocitus wonders what drove the Joker to nihilism. Despite only appearing as a hallucination to Harley in story mode, he spews out multiple theories for his Unexplained Recovery and will say Sure, Let's Go with That in non-canon fights. Was he resurrected by someone, or is he from another universe? Did he escape from either the Source Wall or the Phantom Zone, or is he just an apparition?

Shadow of the Bat #38, Tears of a Clown: He celebrates his anniversary of the day he was a still sane, but hapless comedian, and was thrown out of an exclusive Stand-Up Comedy club for an unfunny act the patrons mercilessly heckled. It was the last straw as he agreed to provide to his family by pulling a job for the Red Hood gang. So he kidnaps all the patrons and reenacts his act with control collars that will kill them when they laugh. Oddly enough, the patrons are hardcore Stand-Up Comedy fans, so they can't remember the number of times they've booed someone. However, even this origin story could be a lie.

It's come to be his primary disfigurement over the original skin bleaching.

In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Terry McGinnis exploits this by delivering an epic Boring Insult so the clown will have a Villainous Breakdown.

King Barlowe proved to be a big one in his Thanatos Gambit in the episode "Joker's Millions" of The New Batman Adventures. In a spiteful Video Will, he gives the clown his millions, revealing in his tape that most of it was fake. Expecting the clown to splurge on it, he won't have enough to pay off the IRS, allowing Barlowe to get the "last laugh" after his death, without the Joker coming after him.

Alan Moore's "I go Loony" from The Killing Joke, an in-panel song-and-dance tune that was eventually made into an actual song belted out in Batman: The Killing Joke.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold has "Where's the Fun in That?" from the episode "Emperor Joker".

Batman: Arkham City ended with him covering The Platters' "Only You (and You Alone)", Batman: Arkham Origins had him cover Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold, Heart" and Batman: Arkham Knight had him provide an original composition, "Can't Stop Laughing".

Action Fashionista: This incarnation of the Joker has a wide variety of garish outfits for every occassion — most of them straight from the comics.

Adaptational Attractiveness: Metal teeth, lack of eyebrows, and tattoos aside, he's still being played by the youthful-looking real life Pretty Boy Jared Leto; especially since the last two cinematic Jokers were a creepy middle-aged gangster with a botched face-lift and a filthy, scarred vagrant (even the mentally unwell clown-for-hire doesn't scream Mr. Fanservice one bit). This version looks more like Marilyn Manson.

Adaptational Nice Guy: A very downplayed example. While he's otherwise the same Clown Prince of Crime we all know and love to hate, he appears to genuinely care for Harley, and even throws her out of a falling helicopter to save her life. Almost any other iteration of the Joker would do that to save his own skin or rid himself of her.

Adaptational Skimpiness: This version of the Joker tends to be shirtless a lot more than he has in any other medium. It mostly seems like an opportunity to show off his tattoos.

Adaptation Distillation: Leto's Joker seems to be less of the "evil philosopher" that Heath Ledger portrayed him as in The Dark Knight, and instead seems to be a cross between the garish, larger-than-life Mark Hamill version from the animated series and the Arkham games, and the creepy, deeply twisted Brian Azzarello version. David Ayer had also stated that he looked specifically to the Golden Age Joker for reference, providing reason for many to believe that Leto's Joker is a modern re-imagining of that incarnation.

Advertised Extra: Heavily featured in Suicide Squad promotional materials, barely appears in the film for more than seven minutes. According to Jared Leto, several of the scenes he shot were not included in the theatrical cut.

Ambiguous Disorder: In Suicide Squad, most of the time the Joker seems... not all there compared to Harley. In addition of psychopathic tendencies, the Joker has random bouts of maniacal laughter, confusion, and slurred speech-like patterns. All attributes that stem from punch-drunk syndrome. Considering he has faced Batman one too many times, it makes sense that the Joker's mental stability is finally catching up to him.

However, come Birds of Prey, they broke up, mirroring the comics where they do have an Relationship Revolving Door. It appears to stick, as Harley publicly calls it quits between the two of them.

His tattoos are very reminiscent of the Joker in All Star Batman and Robin.

Ax-Crazy: Like all the incarnations before him, calling him a violent psychopath is one of the biggest understatements you can make.

Bedlam House: Spent some time at Arkham Asylum, where he met Harley. Then he broke free from it with the help of both Harley and his gang.

Chewing the Scenery: An important part of the character is his theatricality.

Cool Car: A bright purple sports car with underglow lights and a "HAHAHA" license plate.

Dented Iron: It's subtle, but the numerous scars on his body and metal replacement teeth in his mouth are clear signs that his frequent run-ins with Batman are taking their toll.

Disney Death: He seemingly dies in the crash of his helicopter... only to come back to free Harley from her high security prison at the end of Suicide Squad.

The Dreaded: In true Joker fashion, everyone is terrified of him.

Establishing Character Moment: One that takes place before he even makes his official debut in the setting - he killed Robin (a minor) and vandalized his outfit to mock Batman over his inability to save him.

Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Insofar as much as the Joker can love anyone, anyway, but he does seem to genuinely care about Harley. Eventually, subverted.

Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: He considers the brutal murder of a minor as a joke he played on Batman. When he's torturing Harleen Quinzel, he promises not to shatter her well-kept teeth while flashing his own hideous metal dentures. When Harleen later has him at gunpoint, Joker just says "please don't kill me, I'll be ya friend" in a snarky tone.

Evil Is Hammy: It's not The Joker if he's not Chewing the Scenery. And, sure enough, he does.

Evil Is Petty: The graffiti on Robin's costume seems to imply that Joker murdered him just to prod at Batman. It is confirmed in Suicide Squad that Joker and Harley killed him.

Evil Laugh: It's kind of his thing. One notable example is when he chuckles while surrounded by an arsenal of weapons.

Fake Shemp: Indie rocker Johnny Goth stood in for Jared Leto in Birds of Prey, in the flashback where he and Harley torture and tattoo the big mafia thug Harley later bumps back into.

Foil: To Batman as usual, but with some new additions. After 20 years, Batman became more jaded and cruel, while the Joker somewhat mellowed out and his criminal activity became more professional. Batman didn't settle down until the death of Superman while the Joker grew attached to Harley Quinn.

In Suicide Squad Griggs' smug indifference about his gambling debt immediately becomes pure terror when he realizes the Joker has gotten involved.

He is so feared that even the likes of Black Mask would rather steer clear of him. Harley's enemies only start gunning for her in Birds of Prey when it's become clear that she's no longer with him.

G-Y

The Ghost:

There is an allusion to him in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ("HA HA HA Joke's On You, Batman" painted across the chest of the dead Robin's empty suit in the Batcave), but he doesn't actually appear.

He gets mentioned a lot in Birds of Prey, but he's only seen very briefly in some flashbacks, always from the back (including footage from Suicide Squad). There is a whole Deleted Scene where he and Harley have a domestic dispute. Harley leaves the house through the window and the Joker throws her stuffed beaver out through the window. In the film proper, she's just kicked out of the house, with no shot of Mr. J.

Greater-Scope Villain: His role in Batman v Superman. Despite not actually appearing his murder of Robin by this point has driven Batman down a darker, more vengeful path that goes against Batman's traditional moral code; the one that the Joker is always trying to prove is wrong. Batman's rage towards Superman blinds him to the possibility of Lex Luthor being the real threat long enough for Superman to die fighting Doomsday. In a way the Joker's actions contributed to Batman's failure.

Guttural Growler: This Joker is noticeably more snarly than previous incarnations.

Handshake Refusal: He doesn't like to shake hands, as Monster T finds out.

Hell-Bent for Leather: Wears a purple crocodile skin duster at some point in the film.

Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Despite being a homicidal sociopath, he seems to truly love his girlfriend Harley Quinn. Then in Birds Of Prey, he coldly and violently breaks up with her.

Joker Immunity: He appears to die when his helicopter is shot down about halfway through Suicide Squad. To absolutely no one's surprise, he shows up alive and well in the final scene. It helps that he's the Trope Namer.

Knife Nut: And by God, does he have enough blades.◊

Lean and Mean: This Joker, while muscular, is quite lean, especially compared to the heavily muscled Batman.

Love Epiphany: Well, "love" is pushing it, but Joker realizes his affections for Harley when she dives in the chemical bath that ultimately turned Joker into what he is. Symbolic in the sense she was agreeing to join him in madness. Further adding to the complexity of the scene; Joker was tying up a loose end, having used Harley to escape from Arkham. He lead her to her demise and intended to leave her for death but at the same moment realized she had entered his world and his madness. Joker never anticipated the amount of utter devotion Harley would have for him, something inside him just couldn't walk away from her, so he jumped in to save her.

Manipulative Bastard: He manipulated Harley into helping him escape Arkham because she fell in love with him. When she served her purpose, he would have had her kill herself jumping into a bath of chemicals to prove her feelings. He instead saves her from this demise because he has a Love Epiphany in the moment.

Monster Clown: Like the previous film versions, Joker is an Ax-Crazy criminal with clownish makeup. Green hair notwithsanding, his white makeup, red lipstick and absence of facial scars make him look closer to a mime than his predecessors.

Noble Demon: In Suicide Squad, his whole motivation is to rescue Harley Quinn. His commitment is so strong he doesn't even waste time with pranks or petty acts of cruelty. Everything he does is for someone else.

Only Known By His Nickname: He's only known as The Joker, or "J" / "Mr. J".

Outlaw Couple: He and Harley Quinn are lovers and partners in crime.

Sadist: Even though there was only a few select scenes of him, one of them is him torturing Harley. It's disturbingly obvious that he is positively gleeful over it. And he doesn't seem to have lost any sleep over murdering Robin, either.

Pet the Dog: David Ayer confirms that while he did push Harley out of the falling helicopter, his intent was in fact to save her life.

Satellite Love Interest: To Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. His characterization revolves entirely around Harley, not even getting involved with the main plot.

Scary Teeth: Several of his teeth are made of metal. According to David Ayer, Batman punched his teeth out after he killed Robin, leading him to replace them with metal teeth.

Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Although he has a presence at the start of the film, The Joker appears to have left Gotham City to be controlled by Black Mask in Birds of Prey, with Roman saying that Joker has already skipped town.

The Sociopath: He's chaotic and remorseless, much like his previous versions. Special mention goes to his murder of Robin, which he topped off by spray-painting a cruel taunt for Batman onto the boy's costume.

Tattooed Crook: His torso is covered in jester-themed tattoos. He also has a few on his arms and face.

Villain of Another Story: He mainly appeared in Suicide Squad, but his biggest act of villainy to date — killing Robin — happened some years before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which he doesn't appear. The spray-painted message on Robin's empty suit ("Ah ah ah joke's on you Batman!") in the latter film can't be anything else than his doing.

Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: Is seen with a rather impressive arsenal of guns and knives. And even says to warden Griggs, at some point, "I can't wait to show you my toys." note Notably, he manages to hijack the gunship which was sent to extract Waller and the squad so he can rescue Harley.

Would Hit a Girl: In the past, the Joker electroshocks and manipulates Dr. Harleen Quinzel into allowing her to fall into a vat of chemicals, in order to become Harley Quinn.

Would Hurt a Child: He killed Batman's sidekick, Robin, while the boy was an underage minor.

You Gotta Have Blue Hair: His hair is bright green.

"Knightmare" Joker

"You won't kill me. I'm your best friend..." Appearances:

Zack Snyder's Justice League

"You need me. You... need me... to help you undo this world you created, by letting her die."

The Joker meets up once more with Batman in the nightmarish alternate future where Darkseid has conquered the Earth and Superman turned evil. But things aren't the same anymore between the two legendary foes.

See also the Knightmare page for more on that setting's characters.

Break Them by Talking: He deliberately tries to agitate Batman by reminding him of how many people have died on his watch.

Cop Killer: He wears a bulletproof vest with at least two dozens police badges on it. Whether these were good cops killed prior to the apocalypse or servants of the oppressive regime of Superman after the apocalypse is not detailed.

Costume Evolution: He has ditched his garish gangster suits for what looks like either a medical gown or a butcher gown, complete with orange gloves and a bulletproof vest with a dozen police badges pinned on it. He got rid of his "Damaged" forehead tattoo, let his hair grow and put red makeup around his mouth, looking closer to more common depictions of the character.

Enemy Mine: He and Batman had the worst kind of enmity imaginable, but the Earth being conquered by Darkseid is enough of a Conflict Killer for them to call a truce and work together to try undoing this mess.

Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: He utters the line "We live in a society" while gazing upon the devastated landscape in the trailer. This is clearly a Meme Acknowledgement, and it's quite awkwardly used given the context (is there really any society left in this post-apocalyptic world?). It doesn't appear in the actual film, however. The line was improvised by Leto.

Evil Laugh: Even with the world being in such a sorry state and him still being sane enough to acknowledge how bad the situation is, he'll still let some laughs out, even though they sound more subdued than ever.

Evil Versus Oblivion: Even he sees the necessity of teaming up with Batman to try undoing what Darkseid did to Earth.

Future Badass: He survived the apocalypse brought upon Earth by Darkseid and looks like he's geared for guerilla actions.

My Card: He gives a Joker card to Batman as a symbol of their truce. Shall the Dark Knight want to break that truce, he'd just have to tear that card up. The card could be seen strapped on Batman's assault rifle in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: Joker gets a high reminding Batman how costly his mistakes in the past have been.

The Nicknamer: He nicknames Mera "my little fish stick" and Robin "Boy Wonder".

Progressively Prettier: Despite being worse for wear, this Joker is arguably even better looking than his previous appearance, with his over-the-top tattooed gangster image toned down and his androgyny played up. Ironically, this version also more closely resembles the Heath Ledger incarnation.

Thousand-Yard Stare: He has such a stare when looking at the devastated horizon as he starts talking to Batman.

Villain Has a Point: While he’s the one who killed Robin, he gives Batman a minor What the Hell, Hero? for sending “a Boy Wonder to do a man’s job.”

Vocal Evolution: His voice is much softer and higher pitched than it was in Suicide Squad.

#TheJokerInformation

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smokeybrand · 3 years

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The Cape and The Cowl

A friend of mine posted a meme questioning who would win a fight between Doctor Doom and Batman. My gut reaction is to say it’s real bad for Bruce but, as i thought about it more and more, i kind of feel like its not so cut-and-dry. There is a lot of nuance that needs to be considered between the two characters rather than just a “smash the action figured together” scenario. Of course, there is the surface stuff like how would they interact generally? What would the catalyst be in order to incite said conflict? Why would Doom even see Bruce as a threat? If you think about it objectively, an all things are even, to Vic, Batman is just a crazy person losing his are on crime in a raggedy ass city. Victor von Doom is a the reagent of an entire country with a GDP that rivals some superpowers in the MCU. Like, the USA has diplomatic relations with a blip in Eastern Europe, because Doom has the military power to wreck he US in open aggression. Latveria will lose in a prolonged conflict, that’s just a question of resources, but that little country would absolutely inflict upon the US in a slow bleed. Imagine the War on Terror but with competent leadership and actual, discipline, military strategy. Why the f*ck would Doom care what the f*ck is going on out in Jersey? More than that. the similarities between the two characters is staggering.

We all know the origin of Batman. We’ve seen that sh*t how many times now? It’s like getting a new Spider-Man joint and having to watch Uncle Ben die all over again. It’s trite at this point but so essential to the character, we need a refresher every time Bats shows up onscreen. That trauma informs everything he is, as it would if you watched your parents gunned down in cold blood as a child, and then laid with their still warm corpses for however long until the police came. What a lot of people don’t know is the origin of Doctor Doom. Being a villain, Doom rarely gets his motivations explored outside of some megalomaniac Dr. No type f*ckery. However, Victor von Doom is a person. He started out life as a happy kid and learned to be Doctor Doom, just like Bruce learned to be Batman. Doom is actually a refugee. True, Doom was born an aristocrat, but Latveria was overthrown when he was still young so he was never able to be raised in that level of opulence. His mom was also murdered before he was ten years old. Just like Bruce, Doom experienced a horrific truth that would color his world perspective for the rest of his life. Doom would eventually find his way to the US as he was brilliant. Like, unheard of intelligent and it would be his exposure to the US lifestyle, after years of conflict and struggle, which would make him realize how easy life could be if someone just did what was necessary. And then Reed happened.

Reed Richards was, is, a fulcrum in Vic’s life. They have a relationship similar to Batman an Superman but the opposite. Whereas Batman values Clark’s perspective because it helps him keep perspective, Vic finds Reed to be absurd. He sees Reed for who e is and doesn’t understand why no one else can. Reed Richards is a reckless, excitable, short-sighted, glory-hog. He is. If you read the character with any semblance of realism, you’d see that. Ho many times has Sue comments on how she and the rest of his family, take a backseat to science? How many times has Reed, himself, sacrificed a relationship or to, in service to the solution of an equation? Doom saw all of that in college. Reed represents the structural issues of the world and it frustrates Vic to no end. In some continuities, the genesis of Vic going full Doom rest on an accident Reed commits because of that shortsightedness. It goes a long way to checking Reeds ego and he does become a better person for it, but it was at the cost of scarring Vic for life, both physically and mentally. Yet another example of the system, ruining Doom’s life.

Bruce, after his trauma, has kept a strong support system. First and foremost, since day one, he had Alfred. Doom had no one. Bruce then built a family, adopting all of the children and surrounding himself with love. Doom’s one true love died and was dragged down to hell. We know this because he punches out Mephisto whenever he can. Also, his mom is down there, too. Bruce eventually met Diana and Kal, becoming fast friends and life long confidants. Outside of Catwoman, I think Diana makes for the perfect romantic partner of Bruce and that is shown in several continuities. Reed just reinforced Doom’s disgust with the machinations of the world, eventually further degrading Doom’s tenuous hold of his ability to trust in others, by psychically maiming him. The negative impact Reed had on Doom’s life is f*cking profound, man. I’m not saying Doom should have taken it as far as he did, but it’s hard to argue against trying to kill a dude who had ruined years of your work, destroyed you reputation, and physically maimed you forever. That doesn’t seem wholly outrageous to me. I think it’s called justifiable homicide? The only reason Doom stopped trying to murder Reed is because Valeria was born. Valeria became the first person Doom felt real affection for, since the death of his wife. I think Morgan le Fay could be another, but that might have just been a time-space booty call. Valeria Richards and her relationship with he Uncle Doom, is what gave Vic the strength to be better. Bruce had that love his entire life, even immediately after his darkest day. Doom went decades without it.

Up until Valeria was born, all Doom had was his time spent as a destitute street rat, struggling to survive, to inform him about life and the world at large. That brazen cruelty for sure emotionally crippled him in a lot of ways, I'm not even going to start to defend his arrogance or superiority complex, but trauma does that. That's why i think Bats would eventually come around. They've both seen the absolute worst of the world and, in a lot of ways, go about righting those wrongs in the same way. If you pay attention, and the writer is worth their salt, you'd see that Latveria is an autocratic socialist paradise. Latverians are among the most literate, healthy, and happy people in the 616. Jobs are plentiful and crime is almost non-existent. Mans even cured cancer, which he made available to the world, if those people choose to make the trip to Latveria for treatment. The world of 616, at large, likes to paint Vic as this evil despot but, if you interview a laymen of Latveria, they’ll sing his praises. Most people forget that, before Doom returned for his birthright, Latveria was a whole ass occupied state. Think the relationship between Israel and Palestine. Latveria was basically falling into doorknobs for Symkaria and pretending that they weren’t in an abusive relationship. Doom showed up and changed all that. It was a bloody f*cking conflict, for sure, and i am certain Vic committed war crimes, but the end result was a free Latveria with a strong international presence. Doom is a hero to those people but a villain to other nations because of how he rose to power and, more importantly, how independent he made hi country from the world system. Doom did what was necessary to free his people, a march too far for Bruce and that’s why Gotham is the way that it is.

People who don’t know the character like to paint Vic as ego-maniacal villain, and that was valid when comics were just "hero smash bad guy", but we've grown beyond that. Every pop culture interpretation of Doom, outside of the comics, has him as this stoic, arrogant, asshole, dictator bu that’s just not an accurate portrayal of how Doom is in a modern capacity. Vic is definitely an autocrat but he’s no dictator. He can be cruel at times to specific individuals but he is generally benevolent to his people. He doesn’t portray himself as a strongman but he does let it be known he’ll nuke anyone or anything if it means furthering his overall goals which, currently, is the safety and security of Latveria. His country isn’t a police state and his people are free to do as they please but their is a line, just like everywhere else in the world. Doom just has a shorter one and enforces that with extreme prejudice. I’m not going to sit here and say everything is great in Latveria, it’s definitely not, but it ain’t so hot in 616 America either. How many Civil Wars have they had? What about that whole tidbit with Hydra Cap? There is nuance and gray nowadays, areas that both Bats and Doom comfortably call home. Batman is, objectively, not a pure hero. He is, at best, a chivalric anti-hero and similarly, Doom is more of an anti-villain than the mustache twirling, boogeyman, mastermind pop media portrays him to be. Batman and Doom are basically the same person, with the same motivations, only Doom is willing to go much, much, further than Bruce; A difference in method you an attribute to their respective upbringings.

If Doom had the same support system as Bruce, he’d create miracles. We’ve seen glimpses of that throughout the years. Dooms last run culminated with him essentially obliterating an entire universe where he had the support necessary to build a proper utopia. Our Doom couldn’t fathom the choices made by this variant Doom because of how broken he is. If Bruce was alone in his formative years like Victor, he’d commit atrocities. We’ve seen glimpses of that over they years, too. There are various narratives that explore just such a tragic turn of events, explored in the Death Metal series of books. Dawnbreaker immediately comes to mind. Bruce and victor are the same side of the same coins. It's literally a crap shoot as to which side of the alignment chart either leans. And as if to inform my point further, we just recently had Joker War. That book went a long way to exposing the absolute necessity of raw force, in order to properly “save”Gotham. Joker was able to completely dismantle that entire city by attacking the machinery put in lace to make it run. He effectively proved that The Batman was part of the problem and would never be the solution because Bruce doesn’t go far enough. He puts out fires but never address the sparks which start those blazes. He doesn’t go far enough. He never will. His code won’t allow him to. But Doom can. Doom did. Honestly, if you really want to keep it real, what is Bruce's endgame? What does a healthy Gotham City look like? It looks a lot like f*cking Latveria.

So to answer this question outright, i don’t think they even fight. The way this hypothetical was set up had three rounds: the first being a standard donnybrook, the second being prep time, and the last being god mode. To be perfectly honest with you, it wouldn't make it past the first round. If i had to say, with pedestrian or normie level understanding of he characters, Doom sweeps all categories. For Round one, Doom’s armor trumps all of Batman’s gadgets. For Round Two, Doom has more resources at his fingertips for prep. For Round The God Emperor Doom exists. He created several realities and killed a few Beyonders. Batman sat in a chair which gave him access to all the wisdom in the multiverse, and realized there were three Jokers. Doom all the way. My informed opinion as someone who adores both these character more than most would have me think there wouldn’t even be a conflict to begin with. I think they’d investigate the inciting catalyst, meet in person with intent to attack if necessary, size each other up until one of them made the proposal to just talk, they'd converse, and the fight would end with both of them walking away from each other with begrudging respect. Doom would admire Bruce's will and Bruce would understand the necessity of Doom's position in the world because, if you can make it make sense, Bruce will usually agree. Batman, for all of his shortcomings, is not naive to the world. He’s seen the same darkness as Doom. Doom, for all of his pompous arrogance, understands the struggle to maintain faith in those around you, even if that noble aspiration is misplaced. Bruce is one bad day away from Doom and Doom is a decades worth of days from being Bruce. They mirror each other and i think they’d see that, taking each other as cautionary tales before becoming collaborators. I don’t see them ever really becoming friends but i don't think they’d ever be true enemies.

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razorblade180 · 4 years

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Twin Snowflakes pt 20: Choice Words

“All right everybody, I wanna see some hustle!” Harriet shouted at her students playing basketball. She blew her whistle loudly to get them going for the fourth time. Veronica had learned after the first blow to really dial back her senses if she wanted to avoid ringing in her ears. “Your coach really loves that thing.” Veronica looked down from the bleachers to see Summer stretching on the floor. To no surprise, the girl was pretty flexible, able to get her chest to the floor with her legs spread out into a v-shape. “Make sure to really get around your hips, knees, and lower back. I could tell your body was tight the day I took your measurements.”

Summer looked at the girl annoyed. “I don’t need a peanut gallery. I know how to stretch.” She stood and bent over backwards slowly. The sight of Veronica glaring at her made Summer turn the other way. She wasn’t expecting Valerie to be checking her out. “What the- how long have you been here!?” Valerie started stretching out both arms and wrists. “Well I would’ve been here sooner if I wasn’t waiting for you outside the locker room. You hate going in by your…” Valerie’s attention shifted up towards the bleachers where Veronica sat. “Self… What the hell are you doing here? Come to start trouble?” Valerie cracked her knuckle.

Veronica gave the longest eye roll of her life. “Please don’t make me embarrass you in front of a crowd.” A threat that prompted Summer to point at her while nudging Valerie away in vain. It had been two seconds and Summer was already playing babysitter. She was gonna nip this in the bud right now to avoid an oncoming headache. “No, stop talking to each other. Just shut up. Veronica you’re already on thin ice so don’t antagonize people unless you want actual problems to occur that will involve you being kicked out” Veronica’s attitude got a bit more bored and vexed. “Yeah yeah….” She groaned, annoyed by her situation. “Hard to stay quiet when a loud mouth is just begging to be put in their place.” Summer closed her eyes. Why’d she have to say something like? Valerie moves right past Summer. She wasn’t gonna let that slide. “By all means, what am I asking for?” Her tone was ripe with anger.

Veronica stood up and walked down to get right in the taller girl’s face. “Valerie, you are absolutely stupid. Childish in its purest form; a girl so self absorbed in the opinions of others yet utterly blind to that fact to the point it’s crippling. And for what? Ego? Some distorted sense of pride? It’s pathetic and insulting. I don’t understand why Nicholas is in love with a person like you.” Valerie’s hand swiftly rose half way up to Veronica’s face before Veronica grabbed her wrist. “Don’t ask for something then get made when you can’t handle it. Don’t get triggered by my mention of him if he’s nothing more than a friend. I would think you’d be desperate for him to look at someone that isn’t you.”

“I’d never want that person to be as cold and cruel as you.” Valerie bit back, harshly. “You’re the definition of self absorbed and ego. I can’t even name one time you’ve considered other’s feelings when it didn’t benefit you; besides Nick obviously. You treat Summer like shit.” Summer scrunched her face up as if she had just been called to the front of the class. Why did she have to be the example? Yes, Veronica walked all over and nothing about it ever felt nice, but she didn’t want to be a point of tension. Not right now at least. Veronica burrowed her eyes into her very soul, expecting an answer. “Well? Just gonna let this copper top speak for you?”

Copper top, now Summer knew Veronica was pissed. She wasn’t the person to insult appearance. “I mean you are pretty terrible. That’s putting it mildly. It’s like you always have a thorn stuck in your side, or itching to fight.” Valerie crossed her arms. “Behind that pretty face isn’t anything to brag about. Not even a brain from what I can tell; don’t act like you know. If someone has to watch you so badly then go hassle Nick instead of us. He has patience for it.” Veronica was at a loss for words. She couldn’t help but let out the tiniest chuckle. “Do you not know? Nick didn’t tell you?” Valerie looked at Summer puzzled. “Nick isn’t here Valerie. He’s been sick in bed since the fight yesterday.” Valerie’s face only got more shocked. “Wait, did you know about the fight?” Valerie shook her head. “Nick was in a fight yesterday!? I saw him right before I had to change. We-” Valerie’s words got stuck in her throat. She told Nick that she wanted space, to leave her alone. Did that upset him? No, he’s not the type to lash out. Nick didn’t tell her to honor her request. That idiot! Valerie bit her lip in frustration. She looked at the two girls in front of her. Summer looked concerned while Veronica was enjoying Valerie’s shocked expression. “Gee, it’s shocking Nick didn’t tell you. Can’t imagine why. Well, no I can. What was I saying about pride and being childish? Not sure of what you did but I bet it involves those two things.” Valerie had finally reached her limit with Veronica.”Fuck-”

“Well well well, look what the cat dragged in.”Jordan called out, annoyed by the sight of all three girls. She walked past them with disgust in her eyes and a group of girls in cheerleading uniforms behind her. Suddenly the argument taking place seemed secondary. “Was that attempt at being funny, or racist?” Veronica had to know.”Whatever one you want, fleabag.” That one was easier to figure out. Unlike with Valerie, Veronica did nothing but take a deep breath. Summer had other ideas. “Wanna try saying that for the whole class to hear!?” She shouted with ease. Harriet immediately caught wind of the forming chaos and blew her whistle. “Jordan, hurry up and get your butt over here before I make the cheer team do drills until you can backflip in their sleep!” Jordan picked up the pace.”Fine, nothing of value over here anyways..” she mumbled.

“That takes care of her!” Summer slouched. That plan actually worked! She raised her voice to someone and they didn’t get the chance to do the same. It would’ve been a proud moment if Veronica wasn’t looking at her like she had been the racist. “What? I’m paying you back for yesterday is all. Why are you upset!?” Veronica flicked Summer in the forehead. “Stop assuming. You caught me off guard is all. That bitch is a cheerleader? She definitely has the attitude.” Valerie did her best to hold her tongue on that statement. “Jordan is the leader of the team. Nobody performs as good as her,unfortunately. That alone inflates her ego.” Veronica carefully watched the group of girls get in formation and start doing their routine; specifically watching the way Jordan jumped into a split after doing a handspring. Was that really it? Her posture was good but that landing was far too heavy. She was gonna injure her ankle if she wasn’t careful. Veronica could do way better. In fact….”Hey?” She called out to Summer and Valerie with petty intent. “Want me to deflate her a little?”

xxxx

“Jordan hurt her ankle?” Nick said, clearing space in the messy guest room. “And now you’re taking her spot for the tournament?” Veronica snickered freely. I told her not to attempt an aerial after a back handspring that followed a cartwheel, but she had to prove she was better. Too bad she didn’t have anything to help with balance.” The happy wave of her tail picked up a deck of cards. Veronica opened the box and started shuffling just for the hell of it. This always calmed her mind for some reason. It was a perfect eye graber, displaying how nimble her fingers were and skill in sleight of hand. “So yeah, productive day. Valerie and argued for a moment. Sorry.” Nick nodded, “Nobody threw a punch. I’ll take what I can get.’ He reached for a single card and pulled a joker. The trickster looked like a hysterical skeleton with a sword through him. Nick failed to see what was so amusing. He gave the card back and focused on Veronica’s shuffling. It would be his job to find that card again. “How’d the office conversation go? Must’ve been fine if you’re embarrassing students.”

“Yeah. Your principal is a good man. All I have to do is have a council member by me at all times. Between you and Eliza, it’s basically a slap on the wrist.” Veronica cut the deck in half and started shuffling them separate. The chance of Nick finding that joker was nonexistent unless he caught on to her trick. Every third card her finger grazed was turned intangible and went through five cards before she stopped using her semblance. Finally she held twenty six cards in each hand. “If you can’t find the joker then you go back to bed when I’m done with your measurements.” Those were high stakes. Why couldn’t somebody let him do work!? “And if I find the joker?” Veronica smiled, “I’m at your mercy. You can decide whatever you want me to do.” He didn’t know why but that made him blush. He’d never abuse such power, yet it almost seemed like she expected him to say something outlandish. Veronica waved her hands. “Eliminate half of the deck. You’ll either increase your odds, or make them zero.” Now the pressure was really on. He eliminated the left deck and Veronica fanned out the right. So far so good. The joker was in the spot she always put it, thirteenth card out of the twenty six. She was corny like that. Only her parents and Ruby had ever found the joker when it was the target. All the cards had a reason for their placement. Most people just don’t pay attention through various rounds. Nick finally reached out and picked the tenth card unfortunately, grabbing the ace. “Awww, oh well.” Nick said. “I thought I had this in the bag.”

Veronica picked up all the cards and started grabbing measuring tape. Next was putting her hair in a ponytail and putting on glasses. She barely wore them around others. Being a faunus that couldn’t see in the dark was lame enough. Needing glasses to sew just felt like an extra blow to her fragile faunus pride. “Better luck next time. Anyways, let’s get down to business. Take your jacket off plea-” she had forgotten Nicholas was only wearing a tank top underneath. An audible gulp came from her as she stood in front of him with her tools. Nick spread his arms out for her to start measuring. “Ready.” He said, not realizing Veronica was gawking a little. Her hands studied his shoulders and chest. They had gotten broader. She could tell he’s been putting his all into his training, yet nobody would guess that with the typical close he wore. Slight tension around his right torso intrigued her. Veronica pressed her hands against it to find out that it was actually a little tender. If she remembered correctly, the Paladin had struck this side. Both hands felt their way done to his waistline. It was hard to ignore that his tank top stopped a little about it, revealing a little skin. Veronica’s mind was on autopilot. Half was expecting him to provide helpful advice and get an idea of what to add to his garb. The other half was turned off, logically that is. It was too busy admiring his body. Any designs for him were usually done with previous numbers. Veronica usually doesn’t get the chance to be this close; this intimacy with her clients was always the best way to make something. That’s why she always asks permission to touch them beforehand. Nick realized she had forgotten that rule this time around, but didn’t think he should bring it up. A blush cams across his face. Being looked at like this was a little...intense. Then, Veronica started purring lightly.

Nicholas wasn’t made for this kind of pressure. It was too much! Recent confessions only added to it. Veronica wasn’t looking at him. Veronica was looking at him. “Ummm, Vee?” He said nervously, hoping it was loud enough. Thankfully it was. She snapped out of her daze to meet a blushing boy looking right into her eyes. The overwhelming feeling of insecurity and anxiety was crystal clear in his eyes. Veronica’s face began turning red as her hands left the warmth of his body. She had gotten swept in the moment, choosing to break their gaze by looking away. “Sorry…” her voice now meek, losing any of the commanding confidence it once had.

“It’s okay…” he muttered, unsure of this situation. “I was a caught off guard is all. That kind of attention is pretty new to me.” Veronica went back to taking his measurements appropriately. “New? Girls throw themselves at you all the time. Don’t tell me you hadn’t noticed?” Nick shook his head. “It’s not the same. They throw themselves at me because of what they can get. Status, money, fame; another guy can have those and they’ll move on. Not like I’m bringing anything else to the table.” His voice trailed off. “Physically, what’s to be desired?” It wasn’t meant to be so somber but it was. To Nick, he was nothing more than a runt. An average looking one at that. If a guy had half the money he had and bulky or tall then they were way better off. It’s only natural to want the best choice. “It’s rude to talk about yourself like that.” Veronica said, her tone a bit more stern and upset than before. “Especially in front of someone who thinks you’re handsome and doesn’t care about what’s in your wallet.” She picked up a pen and paper to write down measurements. Nick assumed he could relax his body for the time being. “Thanks. Telling Summer something like that might boost her spirit.”

Veronica chuckled to herself. “Isn’t that her therapist’s job? Not much of a good one if he’s not doing that.” She put the pen down, annoyed by the thought of him. “Yet my parents keep bringing up the magic man himself. Says he’s a good listener if I need anything.” Nick was sorely confused by her attitude. Oscar is great! “What’s wrong with Dr.Os?” He couldn’t fathom anybody not liking a guy like him. Oscar was such a good man! Veronica didn’t seem to share that opinion however. “I just don’t believe listening to a person’s problems for an hour or two for a week does much. Therapy sounds like a big ploy and his smile is a bait.”

“Huh, well that’s an interesting viewpoint to say the least.” Nick wasn’t aware she had such strong feelings about it. “Well it’s a ploy with some benefits. He’s definitely helped me a bunch.” Veronica looked at Nicholas smile softly as he started running his hand through his hair. “Wait, you’ve gone to therapy?” She asked. He’s never mentioned such a thing. “Of course, when I was younger that is. I had a whole schedule along with Summer. Still check in from time to time.” He sounded embarrassed about that last part. “Seeing your family hospitalized for an incident you caused us heavy stuff, especially when you’re a kid. The only thing more daunting is seeing that person’s face become twisted as they try to kill you. Don’t tell Summer, but Shiva has done more than a little to unnerve me.” He laughed, playing off the severity of it to ease himself. It was clear by the frown Veronica wore that she felt sad for him. “What’s with the face? I’m fine, talking about it isn’t a problem for-” Nick was interrupted as two hands were raised in front of his face. “Ten minutes.” Veronica said with a commanding presence. Nick split her hands apart to see her absolute confidence stare at him. “If you ever feel like you need to decompress or rant like there’s no tomorrow, then come to me. Speak your truth unapologetically for ten minutes and I won’t hold or mention any of it. Deal?”

This was surely a change in attitude. The girl was just talking about how a couple of hours isn’t enough time and here she is offering ten minutes. It was so strange. So spontaneous, yet generous. It was so….Veronica. Nick couldn’t help but appreciate the gesture. He clicked his teeth, “only if you do the same with me. I think you’ll find having someone listen to your problems is precious no matter the length of time.” The offer was expected. “Typical Nicholas, taking an act of kindness to help someone else. Learn to be greedy once and a while. Deal.” She removed her hands until Nick held onto them. Veronica’s brain started frying. He was getting closer, leaning closer. “Nick?” She said quickly. His face seemed so calm as he got close enough for Veronica to feel the warmth of his body and breath invade her space. Her own face became hot. She didn’t know what to do! Nick had completely caught her off guard. Was this a dream? Veronica hoped not or else that meant she still might be in school, or worse, that day hadn’t started. “Calm yourself Veronica! You wanted this for years! Just calm yourself and-” Nick’s head suddenly fell down and rested around her shoulder and chest gently. Veronica looked down at him. “Huh…?” She brought her hand to his face to look at him. Not only was it flushed but it was burning hot! His fever went back up! “Nick! Your fever!” He only grumbled, tired and willing to comply with what came next. “Maybe I overdid it a little. Help me back to my bed?” He might’ve asked but it was more of an obligation. His eyes closed seconds later as he drifted off to sleep. Veronica could only remain still, overwhelmed by her own assumptions. A few seconds later and she would’ve stolen a kiss by mistake. Life truly was cruel for teasing her like that. The girl stood up to support his body and started walking. At least he was light. “Can’t believe this. Why is life like this!?” She cried out internally.

xxxx

Long hallways were a dumb idea. Putting Nick to bed would’ve been done sooner if his family didn’t live in a modern day castle. Walking back to her room was worse, now she was alone with nothing to think about but him. She was glad he passed out after all the measuring was finished though. Proper progress could finally start with his outfit. Hopefully he won’t be too sick. Adding a dust of some kind to energize his body or keep him comfortable might be a good idea. Speaking of dust, Veronica knew it was a must for Summer. The way Nick talked about Shiva made Veronica’s skin tense up. Her single encounter with the woman, if you could call her that, was actually unnerving. “It might be best to tell Summer about that after all. Along with asking questions about Shiva in general. My design won’t be any good if it unleashes a frozen hell. Then I’ll really deserve some nasty looks.”

To think time away from Menagerie would be more complex than staying. The only difference was Veronica was now dealing with other people’s problems. A welcome change in her opinion. She kept walking and came across Summer, who was just about to enter her room again. A white guitar with a paw print on it was in the girl’s hand. “Oh yeah, you did have a dog.” Veronica said aloud. Summer finally noticed her. “Huh? Oh this? Yeah, named this beauty Dolt. Just like him.” She strummed a few cords to give a beautiful sound that filled the hall. How such talent could exist within a person like Summer was beyond Veronica’s comprehension.

“So, you tell Nick about my little water works moment?” Veronica looked at the girl as if she had just spoken gibberish. “I don’t care what you do in the privacy of your own room. That is, unless it deals with that strange dust you’re hiding behind your mirror.” Summer’s heart immediately stops. Veronica points to her own nose and crinkles it. “It was only for an instant but I definitely smelled a painfully potent dust when I entered your room. Actually… it was the same sent as Shiva’s” Veronica admitted, watching Summer get even paler. “Y-You saw- when could you have possibly-” Summer couldn’t keep her head in order. Her body began to shake as her mouth became dry. The beating in her heart began to sound like thunder in her eardrums while her chest felt tight. “I was asleep wasn’t I? What did she do!? Who did she- is she why you want me drinking milk!?” Summer shouted, tears welling up and freezing the moment they ran down her cheeks. “What stunt are you trying to pull!? Don’t listen to her! I shouldn’t have listened to you! All you-”

Veronica pressed her hands hard against Summer’s face. The stinging sensation reddened the twin's face and brought attention to the composed look of acquaintance. “ You need to calm yourself.” Veronica said sternly. She inhaled then exhaled repeatedly for Summer to imitate. The shear cold of Summer’s own skin made Veronica’s hands feel numb. Along with the unpleasant smell of peppermint, it was clear to tell that Summer had been losing herself in the panic. Forget musical talent, Veronica couldn’t figure out how a person like her was still alive. That panic attack looked like it was gonna be the final nail in a coffin. Veronica took Summer’s hand and pulled her inside of her questionably hot room. “Summer, relax…”

Summer tried her best. She bit her bottom lip and took one deep inhale through her nose then out of her mouth. “Okay, okay…” her voice trembled, regaining composure. “I’m alright. Just give me a second.” Summer walks to her bed and lays flat on her back. A light layer of sweat ran down her forehead. Things will be okay. Answers, calming down, and a plan. Then she’ll be okay. “When did you see her?”

“The night I got here. Apparently you passed out without turning on your heater or anything. I bumped into her in the kitchen trying to eat, mainly dairy.” That last part didn’t sit well with Summer. Her eyes narrowed from Veronica’s words. “Don’t look at me like that. I was gonna force dairy into your diet anyways because of our arrangement. If anybody seems to be dancing with danger then it’s you.” Veronica took a good whiff of her surroundings. The scent led her to Summer’s vanity mirror. She reached behind it carefully until her fingers ran across two small vials and grabbed them. The dust glowed a beautiful light cyan color. A few seconds into holding them and Veronica started feeling the cold go through her, making her put it down. She had Never felt dust that was constantly active in any form. “Where the heck did you get this?”

“Penny’s lab. I, I stole it…” Summer mumbled. Guilt didn’t begin to describe how she felt about going through with it. “That stuff made Shiva appear so maybe it can unmake her. Nick and I secretly go out sometimes for me to practice controlling her. Not alone typically. If I learn to use her powers-”

“You’re gonna kill yourselves…” Veronica interjected, her voice colder than the dust. “Give me a break. You’d drag your brother into a situation like that? And I do mean drag, because the only reason he’s going alone with it is because you’re his precious little sister. Ugh, it makes me sick; do you ever get tired of being a burden?” Those words cut a little too close to the heart. Of course she was. All Summer ever thinks about is being on her own. The girl rose up to retaliate in anger, only to be shoved back down with ease. Her entire body was trembling again. “What? More water-”

“Fuck off Veronica.” Summer said through clenched teeth. Her forearm covered her weeping eyes. “What makes you think you can just say whatever the hell you want; of course you wouldn’t understand.” Summer refused to lay down and got up again right in front of Veronica. “It must be nice to be so perfect and unbothered by everything. Do me a favor and stay out of my business.” Blue clashed with lilac silently. How many times have they been at odds like this? More than Veronica cared to count. She could remember how many times Summer looked this angry. Everything about her was shaky, including her clenched fist.

“Relieving tension or contemplating swinging hitting me?” Summer didn’t answer. Not even she could trust her response. As angry as she was, Veronica wasn’t the one she wanted to let it out on. “Can’t decide? Guess I’ll choose for you.” Veronica walked away, opening the door to leave. “Tomorrow, seven o’clock, the both of us are going down to Mantle’s forest. Bring one of those stupid viles with you.” Summer finally stopped tensing up. “What…?”

“You’re brother is still sick and won’t be getting better dealing with you pulling stunts like this. Since you clearly aren’t going to change your mind I guess I’ll fill in. Don’t oversleep, and for your sake, bring your sword. Punches aren’t your style.” Veronica left on that note. She immediately went through the ground and went searching for her. Perfect and unbothered? Yeah right. That couldn’t be further from the truth. She found her mother watching a movie in what was probably a theater room. Yang heard the girl barge in. “Hey sweetie. Wanna w-”

“Get your boxing gloves.” Veronica said quickly. She barely understood what she said herself. “I need to vent, badly.” Yang could see the girl’s eyes burn with emotion. The movie was out on pause and Yang stood up. “Okay. Give me your best shot and let’s mix things up too. I’ll meet you in the garden in five minutes.” Veronica nods and walks off. Yang didn’t know what put her daughter in such a foul mood but Yang was determined to find out. But before any of that she needed to call Blake. A lot has happened the last couple of days that she would no doubt want to know. “Hey Bl-”

“VERONICA STARTED A FIGHT!?” Yang went pale. Looks like Blake already knew about a few things. This would definitely take more than ten minutes.

Part 19

#rwby #rwby au #rwby twin snowflakes #nicholas schnee #blake belladonna #summer schnee #val valkyrie #harriet bree #yang xiao long #bmblb #veronica belladonna

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maxdark158 · 5 years

Text

WAZZUP?! THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER OF ANGEL IN GOTHAM! Demon in Gotham has another four chapters but THIS IS THE LAST ONE OF THIS FIC!

EVERYBODY PANIC

Wait no don’t actually pls... I’m sorry

Thank you wonderful @ozmav for creating the au that inspired me to write this. I apologize in advance to you.

LETS G-GO GO GO

Angel in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Ao3

Demon in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Ao3

FANART! I GOT FANART GUYS!! Riddler ~ Joker thank you @thegreysman !!! If ANY of you draw ANY fanart PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tag me!!!!!

oooOOOooo

The Unnamed Teenager That Defeated The Riddler Cripples Joker!

Just days after beating The Riddler at his own game, the same teenage girl holds off The Joker until Batman arrives!

“We had to amputate him below the knee,” Arkham doctor says. “There was too much glass in the wound, it cut several muscles, tendons, and arteries. The shattered bone didn’t help.”

French Teenager Unavailable for Comment.

[Read More]

oooOOOooo

Their trip to Gotham was ending early, all because of her.

Marinette woke up in the hospital. Professor Mendeleiev was there. She apparently fainted due to asphyxiation. She had a cut on her hand, and rugburn on her feet, and had been out for nine hours. The doctor told her it was a miracle she wasn’t more heavily injured after encountering the Joker. Professor Mendeleiev glared at them until they stopped talking about it.

She was discharged soon after. On the way to the hotel, Professor Mendeleiev told her what happened while she was out. The rest of the trip was canceled because of two students being attacked by the Joker, though Marinette’s confrontation with the Riddler hadn’t helped the case. They would be going home that evening. They’re leaving for the flight in two hours – 3:30pm.

“Bruce Wayne graciously paid for our flight back,” Professor Mendeleiev said. Marinette would have felt sick hearing it if she wasn’t so numb from everything.

Her parents had been informed about what happened. She should probably call them soon.

“Your friends tried to visit you in the hospital,” Professor Mendeleiev finished as they pulled up to, the now heavily guarded, hotel. “Unfortunately, only your guardian for the trip was allowed visitation, which is me.”

Her mind instantly went to Damian but- “Friends?”

An almost sad look appeared Professor Mendeleiev’s face, but it was gone so quick Marinette believed it to be imagined. “Yes. The Wayne boy and some classmates. Kim and Alix.”

Her heart lurched to her throat. Kim? Alix? She didn’t think anyone else cared anymore but…

She and Kim had distanced over the years, but when they were younger he was like her brother. She and Alix hadn’t talked much. She didn’t think either of them cared anymore.

She got out of the car. Professor Mendeleiev had brought Marinette some of her other clothes so she wasn’t wearing the bloody crop top and pajama pants. Her t-shirt and jeans were plain enough that she might be able to slide past the others she could see in the lobby.

Marinette hoped.

She walked in, Professor Mendeleiev behind her.

“Marinette!” A huge body slammed into her. Its arms wrapped around her and soon she was spinning.

“Careful, idiot,” she heard Alix say. “Don’t break her!”

The arms set her down and – oh it’s Kim. His eyes were red and puffy. A glance showed that Alix’s eyes were too. Why were they like that?

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said genuinely.

“Me too,” Alix playfully punched her shoulder. “You beat the Joker! You’re bada-”

“Get away from her,” Another voice cut in, sharp. Marinette glanced up to see Alya keeping her distance from them, standing in front of Lila. From what she could see of the Italian, her hair was now in a single much shorter ponytail – or bun? Maybe it was a braid.

Alix crossed her arms in front of her chest. “What if I don’t want to?”

“You heard what Lila said,” Alya’s voice was angry. Marinette was numb to it. “She-”

“Alya,” Professor Mendeleiev chose that moment to step in. “I don’t care what Lila has been telling you, but stop yelling at her and her friends.”

Marinette jolted at the word. Friends.

“She needs to go to her room and pack for the flight back to Paris tonight anyway. Allow her to leave.”

Her class, most of them surrounding Lila, stared in stunned silence.

After a moment, Marinette went to the Elevator. She was given a new room key during the drive to the hotel.

She felt like the hallway security police were staring at her as she walked to her room.

They thought she was a freak. Everyone did.

When Marinette entered her room, she was immediately hit in the face.

“Marinette!” Tikki whispered, knowing there were others outside her door. “I’m so sorry, I should have gone with you I-”

“It’s okay Tikki,” Marinette was still numb, but it was better than dissociating. It was better than crying.

“No,” Tikki’s eyes were filled with shining tears. “It’s not.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but she couldn’t.

Because it wasn’t alright.

Instead of answering, she focused on her room again. She still remembered everything from the other night, but this would be her last time seeing it.

The sheets are scratchy, she remembered. The fabric was still clearly cheap.

The bed was stiff. She knew it was hard sleeping on it, but it was hard sleeping anyway for her.

Her entire hotel room was bland. A mess of off-white and white. It was bright, and it needed more color. More design to it.

She could see the creepy painting of two children in a bucket on the wall from the door. It was black and white except for the blue color of their shirts. Their eyes were still wide, but they seemed to stare at her now. Maybe they thought she was a freak too.

The familiar surroundings made it easy to spot the not-so-familiar changes she made. Her sketchbook was brightly colored, closed on her desk. Her dirty clothes were on the floor in the corner. The entire room was a mess of cut fabric and cardboard from the previous hours she spent designing and making-

The Thing.

She’d taken to calling it The Thing. She felt that if she acknowledged what it was, even in her own mind, she would break. She would break and someone would have to pick up the shattered pieces.

She cleaned up the mess. The few scraps of fabric left weren’t enough to make a design out of so she threw them away.

Marinette repacked her suitcase and backpack, making sure to account for absolutely everything. She checked once, twice. Tikki checked. Then she checked again. The only things she hadn’t packed were her phone and her sketchbook, both of which currently laid on her bed.

She still had an hour before they left to go to the airport.

The Thing was still hanging in her hotel room’s closet. It was small and cramped with only two hangers, a small shelf, and no door. She had shoved The Thing to the very back so she couldn’t see it unless she stood directly in front of the closet.

She went there now. She was staring at it.

She didn’t break, but she could feel cracks. Chips and pieces of herself fell to the ground.

Marinette’s hands shook as she took it from the closet.

She glanced at her sketchbook.

oooOOOooo

“Hi Maman, Papa,” Marinette greeted her parents.

After she finished with her little project, Tikki convinced her to call her parents. Though, she didn’t need that much convincing. It was a long flight, and she wouldn’t be able to call or message them while on it.

She still had fifty minutes left until she needed to go to the lobby.

“Marinette!” Her papa’s eyes were red and puffy too. Maman was still crying. “My little girl! Are you alright?”

“I’m okay,” her voice sounded wobbly and wrong. “I wasn’t even heavily injured.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Maman’s eyes had a fire in them. Marinette wished she still had hers. “I’m just glad you’re coming home soon.”

“We’re going to wrap you in bubble wrap,” her Papa’s voice was also wobbly. “So this can’t ever happen to our baby girl again.”

Marinette tried to imagine that, for a moment. Ladybug fighting akuma while wearing bubble wrap armor.

“I’m okay,” she said. “I know it was scary-”

“Understatement of the year!” her Maman grumbled.

“But I lived!”

“Yes, you did,” Her Papa’s voice was still wobbly, but proud too. Marinette felt her heart lurch to her throat again.

She hated it when people were worried about her.

“You not only lived,” her mother wiped her eyes, “But Marinette, they had to cut off one of his legs-”

What?

“He’ll be down for the count until he can properly use his prosthetic!”

She what?

“You may have saved more people, doing that-”

She… she did that…

She permanently and irreversibly damaged someone beyond repair.

“They even did a news article about it! My baby girl, making Gotham’s news!”

The entirety of Gotham knew she hurt the Joker. Hurt him so bad he didn’t have all of his body left.

“She’s anonymous in it though, Tom.”

No wonder the security guards were staring at her.

“Even better! We know who she is but others don’t! I’m even more proud.”

She wasn’t just a freak.

“You would be, darling.”

She was a monster.

“Marinette?” Tikki whispered.

“Honey?”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she tried to sound normal. Look normal. Hide her claws and flaws.

She’s a monster.

“I’ve got to finish getting ready,” she lied. It was heavy on her tongue but she didn’t care. Guilt was heavy, too heavy, but she didn’t care anymore.

“Thank you for calling us!”

“Try not to look for anymore villains!”

“I won’t,” That, she could answer honestly. “Goodbye, Maman, Papa.”

“I swear you’re her favori-” her father’s grumblings were cut off as Marinette hung up the call.

“Marinette?” Tikki tried again.

Marinette stared at her hands. She couldn’t see the blood, it wasn’t there anymore, but she could still picture it there. Blood that she caused.

She was a horrible person. Her actions were inexcusable. Monstrous.

Guilt was crushing her. It weighed on her shoulders and tongue, pushing her down and down. She waited for it to squish her like a bug. She hoped it would squish her like the bug she is.

Someone knocked on her door.

Marinette was numb. Like a zombie, she got up to open it. She already knew who it was.

Damian’s hair was messy. He wore a gray hoodie. She suspected he had the hood up until recently to try and conceal his identity as Damian Wayne.

She remembered how as Robin, when she punched The Riddler, he had been messy then too. Now she knew why – he had rushed to change into costume to help.

The memory hit her hard. She could see both of them standing there – Damian and Robin.

She looked at him. She didn’t break. It was a close thing.

His eyes weren’t red or puffy. His hands were stuffed in his pockets.

He looked normal.

Marinette wondered how much makeup he wore to hide his lack of sleep from being a superhero. She didn’t have hers on right now.

“Angel,” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Are you… okay?”

She managed to smile. It was fake. “Why wouldn’t I be?” she tried to joke.

It fell flat.

Without another word, she stepped back and opened the door wider for him. He walked in, pausing on the creepy painting.

“I know,” she mumbled. “It’s weird.”

He huffed.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you,” he says, and Marinette understands.

She knows he isn’t apologizing as Damian. He’s apologizing as Robin. She can remember doing this when she had friends who got hurt. ‘I’m sorry, I should have been there.’ She knows what the meaning is beyond the words he actually says.

She knows he’s apologizing to a monster.

“You didn’t have to be,” she says, speaking to Damian. “I would have been too worried about you to… to…”

The words die in her throat but she knew what they were. To hurt the Joker. To damage him beyond repair.

“I was still,” he seemed to fight with his words too, “worried.” He spits it like a curse, like he hates saying it. Like he hates her.

Marinette could understand that. She hated having to be worried about Lila last night.

She ignored the hurt.

“You don’t have to be,” she mumbles, going over to the desk so she can sit.

“Are you fully packed?” he changed the subject.

“Yeah,” she sat at her desk. Her sketchbook, missing a few pages, was on it. Her phone was in her pocket. The rest of her suitcase and backpack were gathered by the foot of her bed.

The clock on the bedside table had a bright red glow. It was one of those electric ones.

She had forty-five minutes left.

The conversation lulled.

“I’m a bad friend.”

She ignored the pain.

“What?” Damian jerked. “What makes you say that? Why would you say that? There’s no reason for you to think that, Ange- Marinette.”

She tried not to flinch.

“There is,” she said slowly. “I don’t deserve you. You shouldn’t have to suffer a friendship with me.”

“What? Angel-”

“I’m a horrible person, and you shouldn’t have to deal with me.”

“What are you saying?” His eyes were wide, almost frantic. “You’re not making any sense.”

“I’m not supposed to,” she could feel a tear slide down her cheek. “You… you’ll understand soon.”

Damian looked lost. “Angel-”

“I’m not an angel,” she got up, heading to the closet. “I don’t deserve that name.”

“Please, you’re not making any sense,” she paused outside of the closet. Why did he sound so hurt? He had to hate her.

She was a monster, and monsters deserved to be hated.

“I’m an awful person, a horrible friend,” she whispered. “I’m protecting you from me.”

“I don’t need prote-”

In one quick move she grabbed a shoddy sketchbook paper-wrapped rectangle and threw it at the bed next to him.

“That’s yours,” her voice was wobbling. Tears were falling off her face and onto her shirt. “Open it when I leave, then you’ll understand why I can’t be your friend anymore.”

This was the most expressive she’s ever seen Damian. His face seemed to fall, and he picked it up carefully.

“You don’t want to… to be my friend?” he whispered. His eyes were shiny, and he sounded like he was about to cry. It was probably from relief.

She was a monster, and monsters didn’t deserve happiness.

“I don’t deserve to,” Marinette corrected.

She betrayed his trust. She went behind his back and discovered something about him that she wouldn’t ever be able to forget – not in this universe.

He didn’t deserve someone like that. He wasn’t a monster like she was, and deserved someone better to be his friend and to comfort him and-

“I need to call my parents,” she lied again. She loathed liars and now she was one. But that was okay.

She was a monster, and monsters deserved to be loathed.

If anything, Damian looked even more hurt. He didn’t say anything though, simply taking the package and walking out the door.

He didn’t slam it. He closed it with a soft click.

“Marinette,” Tikki sounded horrified. “What did you do?”

“He-he deserved better,” Marinette sobbed. “He doesn’t-doesn’t deserve… He doesn’t deserve…”

She broke down into sobs then. Ugly, horrible sobs that her hotel room pillow didn’t fully muffle.

“You can still fix this!” Tikki cried. “You can call him, you have his number, or-”

Marinette shook her head. She couldn’t.

She was a monster, and monsters didn’t deserve to love.

Oh.

Oh no.

She loved him.

She…

She was in love with Damian.

Marinette’s tears started fresh. She was in love with Damian. She couldn’t pinpoint a when, but she was…

It felt soothing, for a moment. It was not as obsessive as her crush on Adrien was, but something calmer. It flowed like a stream, natural.

But now, the stream was boiling. It hurt to breathe, to move, to think, because she loved Damian.

And she didn’t deserve him.

She now felt all of the hurt, the pain, everything she had been ignoring, full force.

It was mint it was chains it was tight throats and burning lungs and sobs.

It was painful.

oooOOOooo

Five minutes until they leave the hotel for the airport. Marinette had her backpack on her back, her suitcase in hand, and her sketchbook under her arm. Her phone was in her pocket and Tikki was in her backpack.

When she arrived at the lobby, everyone was waiting in groups. She saw several red and puffy eyes, none as worse as Lila Rossi.

Oddly enough, she sat alone.

Kim was the first to see her. He was pacing and looked up when he heard her quiet footsteps. “Mari,” he breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

What?

“What?” she asked. Her voice wasn’t wobbly, but it cracked.

“I’m sorry too,” Alix piped up. “We may have gotten suspicious toward the end, but we still believed Lila for years. I’m sorry.”

What?

They… didn’t believe Lila?

Other classmates began to step forward, shame-faced. Rose was still crying. Juleka’s hair hid one eye, but the other was still shining as well.

“Marinette, I’m so sorry,” the small blonde cried. “Lila, she did that, and-and you’re you and you don’t deserve it and-”

“What?” she was still confused. What… what happened? Why were they…

“Damian Wayne was here earlier,” Alix stepped in. “He called Lila out on her bullsh-”

“Alix!” Ms. Buistier cried.

“He called you out too, you know,” Alix snapped back immediately. “And don’t think I’m not going to bring up all the points he argued about you to the school board.”

Ms. Bustier paled considerably. Marinette was worried she’d faint.

“The point is, he called Lila out for all the lies she told,” Kim frowned. “Well, the ones he knew of. The rest of us filled in the blanks for him.”

“It helped when the police showed us the security footage of last night,” Juleka mumbled. “Alya couldn’t argue with facts.”

Alya, also sitting alone, flinched.

“You don’t have to forgive any of us,” Rose was still crying. “We don’t deserve it. But I- I still wanted to apologize.”

“Same,” Alix grumbled. Kim nodded.

Marinette was still confused.

She was a monster, and monsters deserved to be detested.

But they didn’t detest her.

At least, not anymore.

Professor Mendeleiev clapped her hands to get the class’ attention. Everyone began to file into the bus to go to the airport.

The security officer policeman nodded to her on her way out. Marinette wished they hadn’t seen her.

On the bus, she still sat alone. She knew they wanted to give her space, but Marinette didn’t care.

Her phone was in her hand. She opened up her and Damian’s text chat. She was going to delete all the messages. She had to delete them. She had to…

She didn’t want to. These were the only proof she had that their friendship existed.

She found herself rereading messages on the way to the airport. She’d never find a nickname for him in the chat, she realized. Her endeavor failed.

But Marinette already felt terrible, so what was a little more scorn? After all, she betrayed her best and only friend. She betrayed him. She ended their friendship because he deserved better. She made sure he hated her. And she couldn’t even delete her only reminder of the whole thing. She was pathetic.

She didn’t break.

She wished she did.

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unordinary-analysis · 4 years

Text

Episode 174

Honorable mentions:

I’ve been thinking a lot about Cecile recently (I don’t know why) and about how she went from being in control and having authority behind the scenes to being John’s punching bag. It’s scary really how much power John has over people. Cecile, I’m almost certain, still has ambition though, so I am looking forward to seeing what her next move is.

I’m not going to talk about the basic confirmation of the New Bostin/Wellston association in John’s mind because I’ve said everything I wanted to say about that in the last handful of posts, and I’m looking forward to moving on past that analysis (mainly so I don’t have to restate everything I’ve ever said in every post ever every time I want to write a new analysis lol). I might write something on this in the future though because it was a big part of this episode, but not right now lol.

The height difference between Arlo and John gets me every time ksjdfhsjeraksjngj

Rereading episode 123 reintroduced me to John’s, “ARLO, YOU BITCH”

The same thing happens in episode 123 and 174. Arlo is obviously better off in the situation, but for some reason John feels the need to punch him in the face. And both times it’s not strong enough to even move Arlo’s jaw sidkfhskjfrnkk.

I just want to say that it is pretty much confirmed that John has some sort of mental health issues as a lot of people were saying in the comments of this episode. Arlo also says something that sounds like he thinks this. I’ve talked about this before (don’t remember where/when), but I just wanted to put this here as an acknowledgement of that. I don’t know. I’m not sure if that will lead anywhere specifically in the future or if I’ll talk about it.

While writing this, I accidentally almost wrote Seraphina as Claire and I just--

I think from now on I’m going to be trying to keep these posts shorter because I think they get hard to digest when they end up at almost 5k words like last week’s. Also, I want to learn how to be able to shorten things without losing any substance, so that’ll hopefully happen. Who knows.

John:

The thing about John’s development as a character is that it’s so subtle that it’s a while before the changes are really obvious. I mentioned this while talking about how the switch between John’s fake side and his dark side had become so apparent after such a long time of watching John’s side, but I’m talking about something different now. I think that chapter of this fake vs real John in my analyses ended last episode along with that climax. Right now I want to talk about John’s violence.

I know it’s not exactly (or at all lmao) new for John to be extremely violent, but while in the past that violence had always been targeted at Arlo or Cecile or someone else, now it’s being targeted at Seraphina. For the most part (besides that scene between John and Cecile in episode 167), Seraphina has been kept out of that drama, and that is because John was still trying to convince her of the whole innocent cripple thing. But now, as she just told him that she knows who he is and what he’s done, there’s no more reason for John to hold back, and he doesn’t. In this episode, John grabs and yanks her arm and stuff. And in general he hurts her like he doesn’t care about her. It really was more of his demeanor that made his actions stand out. But everything just seemed so much more extreme because we’ve never seen this with Sera before. Sera’s always had this special significance to John that we kind of got used to. Anyway, that’s why in this episode, even more than all the others of Joker beating up people, John’s violence is very obvious. I also want to say that I think John’s violence has peaked. And, yes, I say peaked because I don’t think John will get any worse from here on. He might stay at this level, but he won’t become even more violent. I mentioned that I closed a chapter of my analyses last episode, and that chapter was about the inevitable takeover of John’s true, dark nature. When John finally became fully dark last episode (or however I said it), he reached his worst point and I think that is the limit to how bad he is going to get. I might be wrong though.

Another thing that I noticed was just how different Seraphina and John’s dynamic has changed throughout the story. Obviously, there was going to be a change, but I realized it’s been a complete switch. We started this comic with John as the quiet, but will fuck you up cripple and with Sera as the everybody’s scared of, powerful bitch. Now we can just reverse those and it fits. As some of you may know, I am a sucker for dynamics and this had me thinking. I’m just wondering how their dynamic is going to change again. Because, oh boy, it will.

Arlo:

When Arlo walked in, my heart stopped, but that’s a little off topic for this-- Anyway, as I said in honorable mentions (and yes this had to be said twice), that height difference between John and Arlo has me livingggg. Height difference is a really good, kind of subtle way to compare two characters, and I think uru-chan does this on purpose because it was something she also highlighted in episode 123. Height difference is used in this comic to express authority/superiority. In episode 123, Arlo stands up to John for one of the first times and refuses to keep being his errand boy. While previously in their scenes, the height difference was never stressed, in this episode, multiple panels show it, symbolizing that in this scene, Arlo has more power, has more control. And in this week’s episode, there’s a similar meaning. When Arlo walks in, John is taken off guard and stutters Arlo’s name. Arlo, on the other hand, is presented as cool and calm. This dynamic, too, helps to orient Arlo as the person most in control in the room.

Anyway, besides in relation to John, I feel that this episode is really where Arlo starts to gain his authority back. We all know that he’s been struggling with losing his title as king and watching John ruin the school, but he never did anything about it because he felt it was hopeless. But, as I said, Arlo is portrayed as the most powerful in the room in this episode, even though he technically isn’t. That’s difficult to achieve and something that used to really set Arlo apart from others: his ability to command authority. This is one of the reasons why Arlo made such a great king. Anyway, Similarly to Sera and John, I think that this part of the story is a turning point for Arlo too. He’s being pushed back into the drama by Seraphina and I think he’s finally going to get himself back. That authority we saw from Arlo in this episode is what I think of him as. It was nice to see it again.

Hallway Scene:

This is going to be a quick little section, but I didn’t want to put it in honorable mentions. During the hallway scene between Seraphina and Arlo, I felt that when Arlo brought up John, he was talking from a more outside point of view. He says, “He needs help. He’s so lost in his own head… Nobody can get through to him. Not even you.” This was a very observational thing to say, which I feel Arlo is really good at. Arlo knows when he needs to step back. Seraphina, on the other hand, still seemed caught up in John’s thought. She says, “I’m just a cripple. And you’re just his errand-boy. The Royals, and this whole school… all garbage.” Sera is still trying to figure John out, she’s still only focusing on him, which can be expected, but is still not ideal. She does say, “If that’s how he truly sees us… then what makes us worth listening to,” and, “Now that it’s over, I just want to move on. I have more important things to focus on,” which do state that she wants to move past John, but just the fact that she hasn’t accepted that she can’t even begin to comprehend John’s thoughts separates her from Arlo. Seraphina is still treating John as an equal part of this situation, whereas Arlo knows that he’s just a distraction. I’m not sure if that made a lot of sense because I struggled with words, but who knows.

Terrence:

Just here to say that I absolutely adore anything there is to do with Terrence because of his potential and link to the underlying plot of UnOrdinary. That’s it. I’m just excited. You might be asking yourself, if they thought the previous point could’ve gone into honorable mentions, why not this one? It's even shorter! To that I say ha. Imagine limiting Terrence to a single bullet point. The disrespect.

#unordinary #webtoon #unordinary webtoon #episode 174 #official

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captain-radioactive-mentality · 4 years

Text

Probably not the best idea

“You afraid you’re going to lose to a cripple?” Joker taunted, a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. “Come on Ty, just one more hand.” Jabbing at her a bit he waved about the deck of cards.

Waving a dismissive hand Jack puffed out a remark. “You know she won’t. Hell, after losing so many credits I sure wouldn’t.” With a matching smirk, she let out a small laugh. “Plus, we all know she’d rather be tangled up in life support.

“Oh fuck off, Jack.” Letting out a frustrated sigh Shepard sat back in her chair, arms crossed as she looked over the two.

From his place on the floor, Grunt waved about his bottle of ryncol. “You gonna let’em best you, Shepard?”

“There’s nothing wrong with losing from time to time.” Thane glanced up from his book, his dark eyes roaming over the group. “Don’t let them push you, Siha.”

Doing her best to hide her amusement Samara opened a singular eye and glanced at them, her focus never leaving the biotic field that was holding her up. “I would have to disagree, Thane. Being bested is an unacceptable conclusion to such a big occasion.” A quiet laugh left her, almost lost among the biotic fields surrounding her.

Shooting her a grumpy look Ty said forward, her arms coming to rest on the table once more. “Fine. Deal me in.”

~~~

The next few hours had been a whirlwind of wins, losses, laughter, alcohol, and stupid decisions. Nothing too terrible, but let’s just say Miranda would not appreciate the little ‘gift’ left in her office. After a while, they decided to retire for the night in hopes that it would stave off the impending hangover.

“Mmm.” With an arm curled around Thane’s waist, Ty happily accompanied him up to her room. In the elevator, she snuggled farther into his side, enjoying the warmth he put off. Once they’d slipped inside she pulled Thane to a stop and tugged him down into a warm kiss. Once she was forced to pull away for a desperate breath of air Ty peered up into his eyes. “Have I ever told you how handsome you are?”

With a small smile, Thane got them moving again. “You have. Many times.”

“Well, it’s true.” She said happily before plopping down onto the bed.

Thane left a soft kiss on the top of her head before crouching down to help get her boots off. “I’ll take your word for it.” Once her boots were tossed to the side he helped her stand so she could get undressed fully.

Falling back onto the bed she tugged at his jacket. “Join me…”

“Ty, you’re drunk.” Thane countered as he took her hand from his coat to get her sleep clothes.

Laying back she hummed. “But I want to cuddle.” A small pout pushed her lips out.

Returning to her Thane chuckled. “Alright, I can do that.” With gentle hands, he pulled her back up into a sitting position and slipped the soft shirt over her head. “Go get settled, I’ll join you in a moment.” Leaving another light kiss on her head he stepped away once more to toss his own clothes aside.

Her eyes grew heavy as she settled in. The weight of the blankets was comforting and the pillow was far softer than it usually was. “Love?” Ty mumbled as she tried to focus on Thane in an attempt to stay awake for just a tiny bit longer.

Slipping under the covers with her Thane pulled her close, curling around her with a happy hum. “Rest, Siha. I’m here.”

With that, sleep took her.

~~~

“Feeling it now Shepard?” Jack remarked as she plopped down beside Ty. “You look like hell, must’ve been a hell of a morning.”

With a shove, Ty attempted to push Jack over, to no avail. “Oh fuck off, Jack.”

Chuckling to herself Jack sat back. “Older men. I get it.”

With a tired glare, Ty punched Jack in the shoulder. “Asshole.”

“Ya know you love me.” Jack waved her coffee mug about for a moment before taking a sip.

Opening her mouth Ty made to respond but she was quickly cut off by a very irate Miranda. One who was brightly glistening under the fluorescent lights. It was a very nice shade of pink. “So help me, Jack!” A hazy aura, formed by her biotics, made the glitter shine even more. It turned to a lovely shade of purple, one could almost call it periwinkle.

Miranda’s rage was met with Jack’s cackling, only making the situation worse. “This is not funny! My office is covered in this stuff!”

“Yeah.” Jack snickered. “Well, it ain’t my fault.” Jabbing her thumb Ty’s way, Jack smirked. “Our fearless leader and her krogan baby did it.”

This earned Jack another punch from Ty. “Shut the hell up, Jack.”

“What…?” Turning her gaze to Ty, Miranda crossed her arms. “This isn’t funny, Shepard.”

“Actually, it kinda is.” She couldn’t help her smile at this point, it was rather hard to take Miranda seriously when she was glistening like a sugar plum fairy. “I will say, glitter suits you.” With a laugh of her own Ty took a sip of her own coffee.

Sucking in a deep breath Miranda made to say something, but instead just elected to march off to her office. As soon as she was gone laughter erupted from the rest of the team.

Tali shook her head at the whole situation. “You’re lucky Shepard if it was anyone else she’d throw them out an airlock.”

“She needs to learn how to take a joke.” Zaeed chimed in.

Samara, doing her best to keep a straight face came to sit on the opposite side of Ty. “I didn’t really think you’d go with glitter.” A small laugh escaped her. “Pink was a nice choice.”

A deep laugh emanated from the small kitchenette. Thane, who had been woefully silent, shook his head at the lot of them. “I should have never suggested it.”

@masseffectholidaycheer @runningon4hoursofsleep I’m so sorry this took so long! My art program made me start over again >-< I hope you like it though! I really hope I did Ty justice in this piece. When you said she was a jokester I had to add a bit of fun with her faves and a little fluff with her and Thane since you said F!Shepard x Thane is one of your favorite ships. It was a lot of fun working on this, Ty is a wonderful Shepard 💜

#holiday harbinger #thane krios #justicar samara #grunt #zaeed massani #tali'zorah vas normandy #jack #Commander Shepard #Ty Shepard #jeff 'joker' moreau #Miranda Lawson #runningon4hoursofsleep

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thecomicsnexus · 5 years

Photo

BATGIRL #1-4 NOVEMBER 2011 - FEBRUARY 2012 BY GAIL SIMONE, ARDIAN SYAF, VICENTE CIFUENTES AND ULISES ARREOLA

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE)

Somewhere, an elderly Graham Carter waters his garden. A mysterious figure comes up behind him, and identifies him as a man who survived the sinking of a transport ship, when all 27 others of the crew did not. The strange man introduces himself as the Mirror, and then takes the hose from Mr. Carter, jamming it down his throat, and drowning him with the water within. Crossing Carter's name off the list, the name Barbara Gordon is written below it.

Later, Barbara Gordon patrols Gotham City, finally having returned to her role as Batgirl. High above the city, she spots the killers she's been trailing.

A group of masked thugs are holding the Ortega family at gunpoint while their leader explains why he likes home invasion and murder. He shows them a scrapbook documenting all of their recent killings, and introduces his gang as what the media has dubbed the "Brisby Killers." The leader notes that he picked the Ortegas out of the phone book, and that if the parents cooperate, they may leave the kids alone.

Suddenly, Batgirl smashes through a window, knocking one of the thugs to the ground. She loves the exhilaration of leaping into melee combat, noting that her upper body strength is greater than most, as she knocks out a thug with one punch by accident. After taking out all of the others, only the leader - the gunman - remains. She can see it in his body language that he intends to shoot the Ortegas.

Thinking on her feet, she tosses a batarang into the leader's wrist. Angrily, he tackles her, launching both of them out the window. He winds up dangling at her mercy, and she ties him to the balcony before securing the others and leaving the scene.

That night, Barbara dreams of the past. She was once the Batman's star pupil, but one night, she answered her door to find the Joker standing there with a gun pointed at her. He shot her, and the bullet went through the first lumbar of her spinal cord, paralyzing her from the waist down for three years.

She wakes from her nightmare, and remembers where she is. Fortunately, she regained her ability to walk, since that night. She walks in on her father, James, enjoying a cup of coffee. He informs her that it is actually evening, and she has slept all day. She has plans to move out today; to move into her own place, and "stretch her legs."

Barbara's new place is in a building called Cherry Tree Hall, and her roommate is a bartender by night and painter by day. Despite her new roommate's quirky personality and penchant for activism, Barbara thinks they will get along well. She offers to help Barbara move in, but becomes distracted by the wheelchair lift in the van. She tries not to admit that it was once meant for her.

At Sacred Hands of God Hospital, the thug that Batgirl injured with her Batarang is receiving treatment, and remains under watch by Detective Mel McKenna and her partner. In the same hospital, The Mirror asks to see a Theodore Rankin before punching the receptionist in the face and shooting a security guard. McKenna and her partner hear the shots, and prepare to face whatever awaits them.

Barbara has rigged her phone to receive her father's messages, so that she can follow up on any calls for police assistance. Discovering what's happening at the hospital, she gets her motorcycle out of her van, and rides to the scene. She rides her bike right into the building and onto the elevator.

As the Mirror makes his way to their room, McKenna and her partner warn that if he doesn't get away from the door, they will shoot. In response, the Mirror blasts through the door, shooting McKenna and her partner in the process. McKenna survives, but her partner is not so lucky.

The Mirror approaches the injured thug, claiming that he should have fallen to his death during the altercation with Batgirl, and that has put him on the list. Barbara reaches the scene, and attempts to intervene, but the Mirror aims his gun at her in just the same area that the Joker had when he crippled her. Lost in her memory, she freezes long enough for the Mirror to shove the patient's bed out the window, into a long drop to the street below.

Having watched the whole scene, McKenna accuses Batgirl of being a murderer as she stood there and did nothing to stop it.

Batgirl realizes that she has not fully recovered psychologically from the shooting that crippled her years ago. When the Mirror pointed a gun at her, she froze, and failed to save Detective Douglas Paulson from being shot to death, and failed to stop the leader of the Brisby Killers from being thrown out of the hospital window to his death.

The Mirror prepares to make his escape, but Paulson's partner, Detective Mel McKenna - who blames Batgirl for his death - points her own gun at the killer. She is unfortunately suffering from a likely concussion, and can't aim her weapon properly. She is forced to impotently shout after him as he leaves and Batgirl gives chase.

Batgirl vows to catch the Mirror, chasing him across rooftops and finally leaping down and kicking him from behind. Unfortunately, she misjudges her speed, and both of them are thrown off the edge of a building. Desperately, they both grip an outcropping gargoyle. Strangely, the Mirror seems to have unfinished business. Sympathetically, Batgirl reaches down to help him, but he reveals that she is on his list of intended victims, and wrenches her by the arm from her foothold, throwing her into a free-fall.

Desperately, Batgirl releases her Batrope, grappling onto another outcropping. Unfortunately, her trajectory brings her to street level, and she slams hard into the side of a moving taxi. Naturally, this angers the cab driver, and Batgirl is forced to drag herself up, nurse her cracked ribs, and shuffle away.

Back at the hospital, Detective McKenna refuses medical attention, despite being quite shaken. Eventually, Commissioner Gordon appears, and commands McKenna to allow the attending physician to look at her. He orders that she take mandatory bereavement leave and return after the department psychologist clears her. Before she leaves, McKenna warns that there will need to be a second warrant; one for Batgirl's arrest. The Commissioner is visibly shaken.

Batgirl follows Mirror's trail to the Hollows, an exclusive cemetery reserved for Gotham's rich and privileged. He senses her presence quickly, and calls out to her. She leaps out, but she is no match for him, and he lands a heavy punch in her gut. Knowing that she can't take another hit like that, Batgirl resorts to her wits instead, trying to tire him out by dodging his attacks. Charging him, she manages to steal his list from within his robes. He swipes it back from her hand, enraged that she would dare to look at it. Then, the sound of sirens fills the air, and before she can react, the Mirror is gone.

Without anywhere else to go, Barbara Gordon changes out of her costume and winds up at her new apartment. When her roommate Alysia Yeoh answers the door, she is surprised to see Barbara there, crumpled, wounded, and seconds away from blacking out. Barbara wakes in Alysia's bed. Alysia spares little time in drawing attention to Barbara's obvious injuries, and warns that she is one minute away from calling the police. Barbara assures her that she is not being abused, and is not a criminal - but she won't tell her what's really going on. Barely convinced, Alysia offers to make Barbara some soup. Awkwardly, Barbara asks to borrow something cute to wear.

Later, in her borrowed dress, Barbara has a date with Gregor, her physical therapist. He has worries about the ethics of dating a patient, but Barbara reassures him. They walk through the park, and he asks her why she doesn't talk about when she regained the use of her legs. Barbara responds that she doesn't believe in miracles, and wonders why - if someone is handing them out - she was a recipient. Gregor tries to assure her that some miracles do happen, and that her recovery doesn't have to come at a price.

Later, Barbara does some research at the library, following a lead she picked up on from Mirror at the cemetery. He had mentioned fire, and she assumes that it must have been significant to his reason for being there. She cross-references fires with people who match the Mirror's physical description, and finds the story of a federal agent, Jonathan Mills, who was the sole survivor of a car crash.

Batgirl heads to his apartment, finding that the windows have been rigged with alarm trip wires. The alarms seem to be deactivated, though, and she breaks in. Inside, she finds a veritable arsenal of weapons. Suddenly, the Mirror appears on a large video monitor and addresses her. He explains how he had been forced to watch as his family burned to death in the back of his car while he survived. He feels responsible, and believes that he should have died too.

The Mirror shows her a news clipping showing a man who collapsed on some train tracks, but was saved by a stranger. In response, the Mirror has placed a bomb on the train that the man rides to work daily - for a sense of closure. The Mirror plans to use whatever means necessary to bring an end to all miracles.

With the Mirror mocking her through her ear-piece, Batgirl races to one of Gotham City's trains in order to save a man whom the Mirror has marked for death merely for having survived an event miraculously. Rupert Ansell had fallen onto the train tracks on his morning commute, and had been saved at the last second by a good Samaritan going the opposite direction. The Mirror's MO sees him murdering anybody who seems to have been saved by a miracle, because he doesn't think miracles should be believed in. Batgirl knows better, because the fact that she's standing at all is a miracle.

Banging on the engineer's window, Batgirl determines that the train can't be stopped, and the doors can't be opened. Frustrated, she gets inside by smashing in through one of the windows. Rather than try to find the bomb that the Mirror has planted, she searches for Ruper Ansell himself. When he comes forward, she sends the other passengers out of the car. Understanding the Mirror's method, Batgirl banks on the fact that she is also on his list.

She wraps her arms around Rupert Ansell, knowing that the Mirror can't blow him up without blowing her up too. Batgirl is on the list because she miraculously survived a fall during an encounter with the Brisby Killers. If she dies by explosion, it will thwart the Mirror's plans. However, the Mirror has the upper hand, as he reminds her that the good Samaritan also survived by a miracle. Moments later, the train going in the opposite direction blows with Rupert Ansell's saviour on board. Batgirl saved one man, but allowed another to die.

Two hours later, Det. Mel McKenna tries to convince Commissioner Gordon to let her come back in to work. The Commissioner reminds her that protocol requires her to see a psychologist about her partner's death before she can come back to work. Grumpily, McKenna decides to hold her own investigation into Batgirl, who she blames for her partner's death.

Barbara visits her father at work, and invites him to lunch. She is obviously shaken about her encounter with the Mirror, and the man she allowed to die. Her father sees it, but rather than open up, all she can do is tell him that she misses him. Seeing that she's upset, her father expresses worry that she's taking on too much. She has only just recovered from her injury, and he worries that she will relapse if she works too hard. He can't take lunch with her because of a lead, and Barbara watches him go, wondering if people really see her as that breakable.

That night, Batgirl breaks into the police impound lot, having left her Batcycle outside the hospital the night before. She is interrupted by Nightwing, though she claims to have known he was tailing her the whole time. She invites him onto the back of the bike, and they crash through the fence, speeding through the twilight streets of Gotham.

Though she loathes to admit it, the feeling of Dick's arms around her on that bike makes her feel very good. Parking the bike, Barbara demands to know what Dick is doing there. Awkwardly, he admits that he's checking in on her because he and Batman are worried that she could end up back in the wheelchair if she's not careful - just like her father does. Frustrated, he is forced to simply ask whether she can handle the Mirror on her own. In answer, Barbara kicks his feet out from under him, and rappels off into the night.

She recalls how she and Dick used to chase each other like this even back when they first met - he an acrobat, and she a ballerina. Despite his cockiness back then, his kindness made up for a lot of it - and it became easy to like him. Richard Grayson was the first boy Barbara ever had a crush on who wasn't a scientist. Admittedly, she still feels the way she did during that first crush when she's around him - but it's an admission she can barely make to herself.

When Dick catches up to her, Barbara decides that she's had enough of well-meaning boys, from Dick to Batman - even her father. She will have no more of men trying to protect her when she doesn't want or need it. She says that if men keep on trying to protect her, she would send them back with blackened eyes. She begins physically sparring with Nightwing, offering little quarter, and forcing him to defend himself. Finally, he yells out that the reason that he and Batman have been worried is not because they doubt her, but because they love her. Shocked, Barbara realizes that she has been pushing away those who love her because she craved understanding more than pity; respect more than comfort.

Playing off her realization casually, Barbara states firmly that she has to do this - face this - alone. She cuts off a lock of her hair and places it in Dick's hand, stating that if he can't let her do it alone, then they can't be friends. Reluctant, but understanding, Dick lets her go.

Barbara Gordon's dreams are full of guilt and symbolism. She blames herself for recovering from the injury that kept her trapped in a wheel chair until nearly a year ago. She wonders why she was allowed a miracle when so many others don't. The dream is recurring, and Barbara wakes up in a sweat.

Wandering out of her room, she finds her roommate Alysia sitting near their Christmas tree, having just got off of her late shift at work. Barbara sits down beside her, and the two of them discuss Christmas. Barbara awkwardly describes her best Christmas gift, how her mother walked out when she was twelve, and a year ago that night, her father gave her news of a South African clinic which might be able to help her. Alysia correctly deduces that the wheelchair ramp in Barbara's van was for her. Barbara feels uncomfortable talking about something so personal to her, and hurriedly makes excuses to leave. She's so flustered that she forgets to put on shoes.

To get away from all of the questions, Barbara goes out as Batgirl. She happens upon a gang of thugs holding up an affluent couple. The thugs are using an app for their smartphones which shows them where the Batman is at any given time based on reports, to be sure that he won't interrupt their crimes. Which means that they are not expecting it when Batgirl appears.

Thinking about her case, Barbara is glad that her eidetic memory has allowed her to remember all of the names on the list that she stole from the Mirror, before he stole it back. Naturally, that memory has other uses, like making it easy to take out predictable thugs with inadequate weaponry. Quickly, she disposes of the thugs with surgical precision. The couple are grateful, hugging her to them, glad to be able to see their children again.

The mention of children gives Barbara an idea. Knowing that Mirror feels a responsibility to his murdered wife and daughters, she leaves a note for him at the Hollows Cemetery. The note condemns him for murdering when his own family was murdered, claiming that his feeling that miracles should not happen is no justification for murder. She invites him to Sprang Park for a showdown, after revealing that she has already given the GCPD all of the names on his list, as well as his modus operandi.

At Sprang Park, Batgirl lures the Mirror into the Hall of Mirrors. In the ensuing fight, Barbara realizes that she is outmatched, but still manages to land a powerful kick to his face that smashes the mirrored mask which covers his face. Using the distraction, she activates a projector, which causes the image of Jonathan Mills' family's destroyed car to appear on every mirrored surface in the room, including Mills' own armour. The image shakes him, and he collapses, allowing Batgirl to land a heavy punch which sends him into unconsciousness. Standing over him, she states that sometimes, extraordinary things happen to the worst people, and the best people do suffer. Sometimes, people get their miracles whether they deserve them or not. As she says this, she begins to come to terms with her own survivor's guilt.

Later that night, Barbara and Alysia exchange gifts, and grow closer. When Alysia asks about Barbara's family, she responds that she is used to simple holidays with just her father and brother. Suddenly, the doorbell rings, and Barbara is surprised to find a woman who bears a strong resemblance to her standing there. The woman introduces herself as Barbara's mother.

REVIEW

I have mixed feelings about this story.

First of all, by the editorial decision of returning to Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl. Many agreed that Barbara becoming Oracle was an amazing role model for people facing disabilities. At the same time, Nostalgia played a big part on this and when you have to reset your universe... would you make Stephanie the first Batgirl?

Gail decided to leave the “killing joke incident” in continuity, and Barbara instead of overcoming that tragedy by becoming a different type of hero, she made her go back to be Batgirl. This is also an inspiring story for people with disabilities, but the fact that she got help from science that doesn’t exist in our world, is not that inspiring.

I also don’t have fond memories of this run, other than the appearances of James Gordon Jr, but my guess is that, that happened because of the many crossovers and because I was reading it month by month. When I think of the new 52 Batgirl, I think of the DCYOU one.

Reading the full story in one sitting is different though. Both Barbara and Mirror have similar inner conflicts, and while at the end, looking at herself in the mirror makes her stronger (or at least, makes her face her fears, another inspiring story), when Mirror looks at his reflection, all he sees is death (well, those photos of his dead family were probably the reason). So the story itself is well crafted in it feels personal.

What I didn’t buy much was the villain. I know of survivor’s guilt, and it is strange that this character was also an ex soldier (he managed to survive the war without this issue). It’s just that I have problems believing that a person with this problem would go on to kill survivors of completely disconnected accidents.

Still, some of these changes made a good impression and Alysia Yeoh became a regular supporting character of the DCU. A character with double diversity (Asian + transgender).

The art looks nice, but maybe that is one of the reasons I do not remember this story that much. There is nothing that really moved me about it, and there were moments that should have (the many instances when Barbara was afraid of losing her legs again). I don’t think it’s bad, and at least it isn’t too sexual, but still, didn’t make a mark on my memory.

I give this story a score of 8.

#adam hughes #batman80 #batman #batgirl #dc comics #comics #review #2011 #2012 #post modern age #the new 52 #lgbtqi

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thereluctantherosrose · 6 years

Note

"Tell me" prompt for Joker and Fem Shep please? ^w^

Tell Me - Joker x FShepard

Leave a “Tell Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about one character confessing something to another [be it a love confession, a secret, feel free to specify.]

So since you said FemShep I’m going to use my femShep if you don’t mind lol I might do some more editing tommorow…I’m kinda rusty with writing lol

Cerberus had rebuilt her from nothing more than a slab of meat. A bloody terrorist organization by all accounts. She growled in frustration as she thought about it, and leaned forward to rest her hands on her desk. The raven haired woman could feel her biotics flaring up slightly, emitting a light blue glow. She hated Cerberus but she knew that they were in the right in this situation. Human colonists were going missing left and right and no one seemed to want to do a damned thing, not even the damned Alliance. It frustrated her beyond belief that they were so blinded.

“Damned Alliance…damned Council..” she muttered.

Sydney Shepard. Saviour of the Citadel was now looked down upon as some sort of criminal. Even though she had the Council’s support, she could see in their eyes that they didn’t fully trust her, despite the fact that she had saved their sorry asses from ultimate doom. Had it been any of their people who were being taken, an investigation would have been conducted immediately. Despite the progress that humanity had made, they were still seen as second grade. Now she was forced to surround herself by strangers, on a mere replica of the original Normandy. It wasn’t the same. To top it off it brought up painful memories she would have rather have forgotten.

Yet still one thing did remain. Joker. Well two, given that Chakwas was also there as well. Shepard considered Chakwas to be like a mother to her. Still, Joker had become her best friend throughout the time they spent together on the Normandy. He provided that extra kick that she needed. He didn’t sugar coat things or kiss up to her as many others had tried to. It was a breath of fresh air. If she only had Chambers to talk to, she might have considered throwing herself out the airlock to escape. Yet every time she thought of her pilot, her heart seemed to fasten it’s pace no matter how hard she tried to calm it. He never failed to put a smile on her face.

EDI’s voice broke through her reverie and made her slightly jump in surprise.

“Commander, Jeff Moreau requests to enter your quarters”

“Oh…Let him in EDI.” she put down her datapad as Jeff hobbled through the door.

“Heyyyy Commander. Wow…Nice… place” he looked around at the commander’s quarters. It was pretty spacious and pretty fancy with the fish tank built into it. Though where the hell were the fish? He wondered. Kinda creepy.

Sydney smiled “It is pretty nice huh? Definitely an improvement from the drab Alliance bunk I was given back in the old Normandy….But I swear if I find cameras around this room I’m out”

Joker let out a snort and smirked “Wouldn’t that be something…Get you here just to make a Commander Shepard porno. Though that would be pretty stupid… I doubt they would want to piss off a powerful biotic while in a ship…You’d tear them apart…Possibly the ship with it…But please don’t wreck my baby. She fits me like a glove”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms around her chest. “I won’t mess with your baby. Though I can’t promise I won’t be using the airlock to dispose of some garbage at some point…especially a certain redhead…”

“Welp, just make sure the bodies don’t hit the Normandy. Blood stains are a bitch to get out”

Jeff watched her as she smiled and giggled. To him it was the most beautiful thing in the world. He felt cheesy for even thinking about it, but he couldn’t help it. For two years that smile had haunted his dreams. It was his fault that she had died, and that now they were in this position. He knew she didn’t like this, but knew it was necessary.

When he had found out that Syd was alive, he hadn’t believed it. He had thought that someone was playing a very cruel joke on him and he had the urge to punch them in the face. Mind you, he’d probably break his arm, but it would have been worth it for the level of assholery it would have taken to make a joke like that. He was an ass but even he wouldn’t go that far. He had even yelled at Miranda when she first brought the information to him. Jeff hardly ever got angry enough to yell, but he had felt broken at that point. He felt like he had lost everything.

When he saw her face in person for the first time after he revival, seeing the joy written on her face when she saw him, he was awestruck. It really had been her, and not only that, but she wasn’t angry with him? It almost seemed too good to be true, but there it was. He still believed he deserved her anger. If he hadn’t have been so stubborn they would have both made it out alive.

“Jeff…?” her soft voice called out to him, breaking him out of his thoughts. “Are you alright?”

“Oh uh…ya uh…sorry…Just thinking…”

“Try not to hurt yourself with that” she smirked.

“Har har har”

“Really though…what’s on your mind?” she tilted her head, watching him curiously. Her soft brown hues staring into his with concern. She always had been a great listener, never judging him. Well, much. She knew what he really needed, even if it was silent support with just sitting near him. He loved that she never pitied him. He had grown so accustomed to people being assholes that he had come to expect it from everyone. Got to shield himself somehow. Why not with sarcasm and humour?

“I just…Shit…I’m not good with this crap but uh…I need to come out with it…Why aren’t you angry with me? Or even hit me for crying out loud. Why?”

“Hit you…? Why would I do that..?” she said with a confused look spread across her face.

“Because..you know…everything that’s happened…I was…I was a stubborn ass and didn’t leave the Normandy when I should’ve and I got you killed. That’s why. To me you should have biotically wrecked my ass the moment you came back…” he frowned and looked away. He never stopped blaming himself and went many a night with thoughts swirling in his head and his heart hurting from the guilt. He had wished that it had been him that went down with the ship that day. He was replaceable. She was not.

A soft hand caressed his face gently and turned his face to look at her, her eyes filled with hurt that he would feel this way.

“Jeff…please don’t ever say that…You don’t deserve pain…I would go through that a thousand times to save you…You matter Jeff…”

“Pfft I’m no Commander Shepard. I’m just some Cripple Pilot who happened to impress a few people. Nothing special…”

A slight frown spread across her face and she flicked his nose.

“Oi! What was that for?” he looked at her in confusion.

“For being a donut” she skipped over to her bed and sat down, thinking that it’d probably be more comfortable for him there. Patting the spot beside her, she waits to speak more until he is sat down beside her. “You know I couldn’t have gotten through this without you right? All those times where we were in a tough spot and you made the impossible getaways? That was all you. You made the absolute impossible drop on freaking Ilos! It wasn’t even supposed to be possible! But you did it and made it possible for us to get there and therefore defeat Saren. You were also the one who did alot of work to take out Sovereign. Any other ship would’ve been destroyed by something like that. So don’t you say that you are nothing alright? That’s just bullshit”

He stared at her for a moment, blinking his eyes slightly in disbelief at the level of praise he was receiving from her. Sure, he knew that she thought highly of him, but she said it with such passion and determination that warmed his heart.

His eyes were slightly damp, holding back the tears that threaten to spill. This woman in front of him seem to care so much about him, and truly believed in him. There was no form of pity or deceit in her eyes. All that was there was admiration and a sadness that he would speak so lowly of himself.

“But…I..I’m just…”

“Just what?” she pouted “Just the best damn pilot in the damn galaxy? Just the most sarcastic and witty man I have ever met? Just the man that I love–” she looked shocked that she had made such a revelation, but there was no question that she truly felt that way. “That I love…” she whispered once again, no hesitation in her voice.

Leaning in slowly, she tested the waters with a small chaste kiss to his lips. It was a small, quick kiss, but it still made her feel a slight tingle in her body. When she pulled back, her chocolate orbs searched his for any sense of hesitation or indication that she had made a mistake. Yet soon the pilot himself wrapped his arms gently around her waist to bring her closer, claiming her lips with his in a sweet and tender kiss that made her feel as if her whole body was a live wire. The beating of their hearts synchronized as they held each other, while they tasted each other and while they melded with one another. With eyes closed they took in the pleasure of their other senses and the warmth that radiated from the other. Jeff could feel the slight tingle of her biotics flaring, but not an uncomfortable feeling, but rather a comfortable warmth that encompassed him. It was a feeling he was unfamiliar with, but could definitely get used to.

It was hard to believe that the great Commander Shepard could be so gentle when she literally could kick a krogan into the sky. She was badass, beautiful, kind and just absolutely amazing to him.

When they pulled back from each other, they stared into each other’s eyes, an incredulous look on both of their faces. Neither one could believe what just happened, yet no regret was present. A bright smile dawned on her face, one that made Joker’s heart leap and his eyes wandered around her face which was surrounded by her dark raven locks which cascaded down her back. He admired her deep rich brown eyes, that held fire and life within them, her cheeks decorated with a soft pink of blush and soft tiny freckles across her cheek bones. Normally he’d have something to say, whether it was a joke, sarcastic remark or just plain old rambling, but in this moment he was completely speechless.

Noticing his lingering gaze upon her she giggled shyly and rested her forehead to his chest to hide the ever growing blush. The commander shy? Jeff had never seen her in such a state.

“So cute…” he muttered under his breath at the shy display that his normally confident boss was now showing. It made him feel good that she trusted him enough to show her more vulnerable side.

“Don’t…tease me…That’s an order…” she grumbled, still hiding her face but slightly peaked up at him.

“Sorry Commander…gonna have to disobey…You can punish me later all you want. However you want~~” he slightly purred and gave her a devious wink.

“You!! You are incorrigible!” she laughed.

“But you love me!” he wiggled his eyebrows.

She shook her head with a smile “Yes…yes I do…” the short female looked up at him with a soft gaze.

“I love you too…” he said in a soft voice before he kissed her softly once again. “But…what about my…condition? You don’t mind?”

A gentle hand made its way to his bearded cheek. “Have I ever given the slightest indication that I minded?”

“Well no…but people tend to ya know. Save it for behind people’s backs. People just looveeee to gossip” he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously.

“Well…I’m not those people. Your condition doesn’t define who you are. It means you have to be more careful but it doesn’t make you weak. You make the best of your condition and have surpassed those without your circumstances…And even if you hadn’t…you are you…And..I fell for the man… not your abilities…Sorry if that uh…sounded cheesy or anything…I uh…I’m a bit of a dork…”

“Nooooooo really?” he rolled his eyes but then faced her scowl. Normally her scowl would’ve been terrifying, but in this moment she looked more like an angry little chipmunk, which only made him laugh harder. “I’m kidding I’m kidding. Don’t hurt me. I’m fragile” He put his hands up in surrender.

“Hmmm…fine…but on one condition”

“Oh? Making demands huh? Everyone alwayssss wants somethin don’t they. What is it, babe?” he smirked.

“Well uh…ilovelotsofhugsok”

“What was that, m’am? Didn’t quite catch that”

“Hug me dammit!”

He let out the heartiest laugh ever before wrapping his arms around her. “I guess that can be arranged…”

A few minutes of peaceful silence fell upon them before Joker broke the silence once again.

“You know…This could be considered abuse of power…”

“Shut up, Moreau. You’re ruining the moment” she flicked his forehead.

Silence.

“You don’t do this with everyone to get hugs do you?”

“No you dummy”

……….

“Not even Chambers”

“Jeff”

“Right. Shutting up…Now…”

#fem shepard #joker #jeff moreau #mass effect

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ravensandwritings · 6 years

Text

Groaner is Shy As Fuck and Blackgroans better Respect That Emotional Vulnerability: the next essay.

Okay, so I'm less solid about these ideas because obvious reasons (being a Joker expy, I don't think they'll give him a solid origin/background) but let's talk Groaner (and in a bit, blackgroans.)

I would bet money that Groaner came from a single-parent family with low income. Didn't go to college, did drugs in his youth, but was willing to work to put food on the table and get things he wants (which is why he's just extra level 'this is so fucking pathetic' at Black Saturn's origin diary.) He was trying to break into something to get him out of being working-class poor but really, he knows he's not good at it and probably never will be. But it puts food on the table, and he's a guy who follows through once he's committed to something.

I get the sense that he is used to being on his own/alone and has little issue with it. Latch key kid with working mom/dad. Probably didn't have a lot of strong relationships even before his transformation, and probably didn't bother with much after. This is because of one major factor: This bitch overcompensates for crippling shyness by swinging hard in the other direction. This is a tactic a lot of shy introverts go with - I get picked on because I'm quiet/shy/dress like poindexter, so the best thing i can do is make them laugh. Bullies don't punch people who are funny! So let's be funny! He does his best, bless his heart.

This is drawn from his relative introversion as compared to the other villains and his contentedness with being alone in a cell with occasional visits from his nemesis. Typical independent introvert off the stage of life - when he's out and about he's "on stage" and performance is key to survival. Off stage, no performance needed, he can be relatively close to his real self. He lets his guard down around Saturn in Season 1 and in Season 2 he seems to have regretted that since it's no longer in a carefully controlled environment. "Let's keep it professional" is code for "I want control of my role and social space back." Saturn repeatedly violates the boundaries set because he is emotionally confused by the offstage/onstage he's seen. Which is it, dude? (The fact they have each other in their phones is hilarious, though.)

Groaner's terrified of being vulnerable, easily as much as Black Saturn is. He just has an easier time working the crowd with his on stage persona. That attempt to actually express Actual Feelings? Choked up, afraid, hesitant, putting the Real Self out there? That's a Soft Shy Boy under all that villainy, and it showed in everything from body language to vocal frision.

Black Saturn loves the performance of Nemesis vs Nemesis and the safety and structure that it gives the Saturn/Groaner relationship, but it locks Groaner into a role he's realizing isn't at all what he wants here. Worse, he knows he blew it himself and Courtney's arrival makes it impossible to address with Saturn on a one-to-one level. At first he doesn’t want to trust Courtney with his off-stage vulnerability and goes full Nemesis at the guy, but by the time we hit episode 3 that is off the rails and he openly admits to Courtney that he’s failed. (He may be trusting in Courtney being far too dim to figure out what he means.)

Groaner wants to be vulnerable with Saturn. He's willing to put himself out there, but Saturn just does not hear it because he's okay with the safety of moving it back to the Safe Space of Hero vs Villain since his own awkward overtures (and they were absolutely overtures, even if Saturn's lack of self-awareness makes him oblivious to his own libido leading him around by his nose) flopped because Groaner panicked.

Physicality is the one place where Saturn has plenty of genuine confidence. He couldn't be shamed over the sex of his partners by Lex, he isn't ashamed of his libido, and he isn't ashamed of his kinks. I don't think Groaner has that kind of confidence as he is not a man with ripped abs who knows that though he's emotionally repulsive he's got the body of a God. Groaner's soft, skinny pale and freakish. He makes it up with Massive D, but that doesn't get to be sprung on a person unless they want to see it in the first place, and getting folks from Skinny Comedy Nerd Skull Man to potential sex partner is a trial. It isn't surprising that he panicked, since it doesn't seem like he's ever been with men, and that it was Saturn was an emotional trigger button. When he tries to address it the next day, he's coming from a position of realness -- hey, buddy, I did a lot of thinking last night, let's maybe talk this over.

I am really curious to see where they go with this - I really want to see some genuine tenderness since apparently all joking aside, Black to the Future made it very clear they're openly loving with each other and take care of each other. Groaner's tried to put himself out there emotionally with confession (more than once: the mansion blow up at the end of season 1 had a confession of happiness at being frenemies and it was emotional as fuck for them both to the point that Saturn was choked up with relief when he finds Groaner alive at the S2 starter) so apparently he's a heart-on-his-sleeve kind of guy unless he's using his stage persona, so I'd like to see this actually be a sweet thing and pray to God that Saturn gets the gravity (not to mention the risk involved) and isn't 100% stupid about coming to reciprocate.

I'd also like to address the risk this is as well: Groaner's a villain. They're "pardoned" right now, but Dr. Divizo's not playing and everyone on the villain side knows he's not gonna just up and slide into heroism-- at least, Groaner is fully aware and isn't even bothering with the pretense of being actually heroic. Like he said in season 2, it could very well get him killed by sleeping with the enemy, essentially. Definitely like to see that taken to it's logical conclusion, where that gun that's been on Chekov's mantle in Season 2 is fired in Season 3, and have him put at risk, if just so we can REALLY rattle Saturn's cage with Groaner and understand what putting himself out there means for Groaner on a emotional safety level AND a physical one.

Another reason I want tenderness: I'd like it to be distincly different in emotional tenor from Brad/Cooch, because while that turned emotional and loving, it was sex based to start until Brad started seeking emotional intimacy. Groaner's looking for emotional intimacy from the get go, and I want these two relationships to be VERY distinct. Brad and Cooch's relationship was Wham, Bam Thank you Ma'am while Groaner and Saturn literally defines "Slow Burn." Not that I'll mind if they continue the tradition of wrecking bathrooms, but I just don't think that's how either of them roll. They're tender enough to love each other until they're fat, balding, and getting old, so I think that needs to be recognized.

(I will give bonus points to the Supermansion team if Saturn comes his realization of the fundamental shift in their relationship comes from a near loss of Groaner via villain action and just spills the 'no you're supposed to grow old and get married and stuff i saw it'! Combine the risk of emotional intimacy with the physical risk that Groaner’s putting himself at, please. Bonus bonus points if they get a renewal for a Season 4 that they slow burn this sucker up until the end of Season 3, risk/injury/fear and all, and give us resolution early in season 4 with Groaner finding body safety and love at the mansion and honorary league membership once everything’s gone tits up with the villains.)

#supermansion

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sky-scribbles · 6 years

Text

On The Bridge

EDI’s learning to deal with the whole concept of insecurity, and Joker really isn’t qualified for this.

(My contribution to EDI week, 3000 words. Joker x EDI.)

The bridge of the Normandy shudders with noise.

The doors are open, letting the chatter from the float down the corridor. The faint hum of engines hangs in the air, punctuated by beeps and clicks from the control panels. And lifted above everything else is the sound of the pilot’s voice, thick with barely suppressed laughter.

‘So there’s this silence for a few moments, right? Then the turian says, ‘I knew that her father had to be a vorcha!’

Grinning at his own punchline, Joker turns his head towards his co-pilot, one eyebrow raised, waiting for the response.

It doesn’t come.

‘What, no commentary?’ Joker frowns, though his indulgent smile is still flickering about his lips. ‘No picking-apart of the structure? No criticism of racial stereotypes? Not even a rating between one and ten?’

At first, when EDI downloaded herself into her new body, her face tended to be just as static as you’d expect the face of a robot to be. Within days, though, as she watched the people around her and learned to mimic their movements, she was smiling and frowning like any natural human. Nowadays, it’s rare - almost unheard of - for Joker to see her with a blank expression. That, however, is exactly what she’s wearing now, and something about it feels strange and wrong.

His frown deepening, and the smile dying, Joker spins his chair around to face her. ‘EDI?’

A moment of silence; then EDI turns to look at him. ‘I am sorry, Jeff. I was contemplating.’

Joker lets out a quiet huff. ‘EDI, you’re the most advanced AI in the galaxy. You’re telling me you can’t contemplate and listen to my jokes at the same time?’

‘I was also plotting a flight path to the Citadel, giving a report to Commander Shepard, discussing an engineering issue with Tali, broadcasting a false signal to distract Reaper forces from our presence, locking down auxiliary engine two to prevent a leak, communicating with Alliance Command about the logistics of quarian-geth alliances – ’

‘OK, OK, I get it.’ Joker holds up his hands. ‘So… what were you contemplating? Asari with vorcha fathers?’

‘No.’

‘The mechanics of a gun that fires thresher maws again?’

‘No.’

‘How ludicrously good-looking I am?’

‘No. I was reflecting on the events on Rannoch.’

Joker purses his lips. He knew this was coming. Ever since Shepard returned to the Normandy from the final Rannoch mission, he’s been plagued by the feeling that sooner or later, EDI would want to talk about what happened. And to be honest, that scares the hell out of him. He really, really isn’t qualified to talk about this... this deep stuff. He flies the ship, he saves everyone’s asses from pursuing Reapers, and he provides sarcastic one-liners. The big moral decisions and the touchy-feely conversations? That stuff’s better left to Shepard.

‘What’s to contemplate?’ he says - perhaps a little too casually. ‘Shepard pulled off another load of crazy stunts, took down a Reaper, and ended a centuries-old war by asking nicely. All in a day’s work.’

EDI hesitates for a moment before responding. ‘I was considering the eventualities that might have transpired had Shepard not been able to dissuade the quarian fleet from attacking.’

Joker can’t stop himself from glancing over his shoulder. If he’s lucky, Shepard will appear there right now, ready to continue the role of moral instructor to the Normandy’s resident AI, ready to answer all the questions that EDI asks and Joker never knows how to respond to. But of course, the corridor leading to the bridge stands unhelpfully empty. For someone who always seems to have perfect timing when it came to swooping in to save the day, Shepard is useless at showing up when Joker needs saving from awkward conversations.

‘I guess… well, I guess they’d have fired on the geth, the geth would have hit back, and the quarians would have been wiped out,’ Joker says slowly. ‘Kinda sucks, but I guess they’d have been asking for it.’

EDI revolves her chair as Joker did, so that they’re sitting facing each other. ‘But had Shepard intervened in Legion’s uploading of the Reaper code, the geth fleet would have been left defenceless against the quarians. They would have been the ones to face annihilation.’

‘Legion wouldn’t have stopped, though, would it?’ Joker remembers what Shepard and EDI told him of the geth’s final moments, and hurriedly corrects himself. ‘I mean, he. He wouldn’t have given up the chance to help his people evolve.’

‘No. But Shepard could have stopped him.’

‘What, you mean they might have killed it – him – to stop him from upgrading the geth? Nah. Nah, that wouldn’t happen. Shepard doesn’t go around stabbing people in the back.’

‘Not even to save an entire organic species?’ EDI says, and her voice is unusually quiet.

Frowning again, Joker leans forward a little in his seat. ‘You mean… you were wondering, if it’d come down to it, would she have saved the quarians or the geth?’

She gives a single, short nod. ‘Exactly.’

Joker casts another look over his shoulder, willing Shepard to appear more strongly than ever. This is a question only she can answer. But she doesn’t show up, of course, (Joker makes a mental note to tell Cerberus to give her telepathy powers next time they resurrect her), so he does the only thing he can. He draws in a breath, adjusts his cap, and decides to give this his best shot. He owes EDI that much.

‘Well… I don’t know. What do you think?’

‘The quarians are familiar. They are organics, and obvious allies, whereas the geth are synthetics, and have been considered an enemy by the entire galaxy until now. Besides, Shepard and Tali’Zorah are close friends. I doubt Shepard would have wanted to betray Tali by sacrificing her people for the sake of a synthetic race.’

‘Yeah, I… I guess. But Legion was Shepard’s friend too, right? And did you not notice how pissed she was after that whole geth consensus thing? After she learned how the quarians screwed them over?’

‘Shepard believed the geth had been mistreated,’ EDI agrees. ‘But very few in the galaxy would have supported her, had she chosen to save the geth at the expense of the quarians. I doubt many would even have understood her reasoning. They are still seen as an enemy. All AIs are viewed with mistrust.’

‘You’re not.’

EDI gazes evenly at him. ‘When the Normandy was impounded, I was forced to pretend to be a simple VI to avoid deactivation. Whenever we visit the Citadel, I must put up the pretense of being your mobility assistance mech. You yourself once stated that if I identified myself as an illegal AI with Reaper-based code, I would be, quote, ‘lynched.’’

‘Yeah, but…’

‘I have never shown hostility to organics. I fight alongside Commander Shepard, one of the most respected figures in this galaxy. I even have a relationship with a human.’ EDI looks away, and is quiet for a moment. ‘I have a higher chance of being accepted than any other AI in the galaxy. And yet organic society would still not be ready for me.’

And there’s no dancing around the truth. Joker can’t help but admit to himself that she’s right, and nor can he avoid a pulse of anger that sparks through him at the thought of how infuriatingly unfair that is. EDI’s a person, he knows that, and she’s been one from the moment he removed her programming shackles when the Collectors stormed the ship. The first things she did with her new free will were make a joke, then save his life. She’s a person, a damn person - but if anyone apart from the crew of the Normandy ever realises that she’s a true AI, chances are that some bastards in uniforms are going to come storming on board ship to smash her up.

Never mind that she’s got thoughts and hopes and emotions. Never mind that the only thing she’s ever done wrong is existing.

‘Live in this galaxy long enough, and you’ll get used to the face that ninety percent of the people in it are idiots,’ Joker says wearily. It’s hard, he realises with a mental wince, to comfort someone’s concerns when those concerns are one hundred percent justified. ‘Anyway, you’re accepted here.’

‘The crew of the Normandy includes a dead woman, a vigilante and the Shadow Broker, among others. It is not exactly a sample of regular society.’

‘You forgot the handsome crippled pilot.’ Joker grins, and he’s relieved when EDI gives him a small smile in return. ‘Look, I know we’re a bunch of weirdos, but we’re a bunch of weirdos who know you. Anyone who bothers to look past the fact that you’re an AI thinks you’re a great person. Doesn’t matter what the rest of the galaxy says about it.’

Another silence.

‘If Shepard were ever forced to choose between the two of us,’ EDI says softly, ‘she would save you.’

Joker stares at her, opens his mouth to tell her that it’ll never happen. And them his mind flashes back in time three years, right back to Virmire. He thinks of a soft-spoken lieutenant pinned down guarding a bomb, a passionate young gunnery chief trapped on an AA tower, and their commander, standing halfway between the two of them, able to save only one.

The words to tell EDI not to worry die on his lips. Because no one could ever have seen Virmire coming.

Shit, what if it happens? What if, someday, Shepard has to choose? The thought of EDI left to die – it’s not being deactivated or made non-functional, it would be dying – for his sake…

It’s huge and terrifying and it leaves him with a sudden, serious urge to punch something. Or break his arm at something, at least.

‘Well… maybe.’ Joker drops his gaze to the floor – it’s suddenly hard to meet EDI’s eyes. ‘But it wouldn’t be because I’m organic. We’ve been friends for years, ever since she joined the first Normandy. That’s - that’s just what we do, we save the people we care about most. That’s what Shepard had to do on Virmire.’

‘Yes,’ EDI says, still in that quiet voice that makes Joker’s stomach clench. ‘And if she had been forced to choose between the geth and quarians, she would have chosen the quarians, because she has more reason to care for them.’

Joker bites his lip, sighs, and looks up at her. ‘This really bothers you that much?’

‘Most organics would argue that my existence has less value than yours, because I am synthetic.’ EDI turns her head away, her eyes fixing on the swathe of stars beyond the cockpit window. ‘I am trying to determine to what extent this may be true.’

‘EDI,’ Joker said, and then stops. What the hell can he say? What is there to say? She’s right. Grab a random civilian off the streets, and any one of them, from the volus bankers to the C-sec officers to the asari dancers, would tell him EDI has less worth than anyone else on the ship. To them, she’s another synthetic. Electrons and clever programming putting up a pretence of sapience. Existing, not living.

Joker knows it’s all beyond him – all the science and the morality of it. Tali’s the one who gets the science. Shepard’s the one who worries about the morality. Joker… Joker doesn’t even try to work that stuff out. Who knows, really, how exactly EDI became what she has? Who knows if there’s really a difference between being an organic person and a synthetic one?

He doesn’t care about the debate. What he cares about is the fact that he knows EDI. His gut tells him that she’s a person and that she’s real.

And sure, he doesn’t know how the tech worked to make it happen – but he doesn’t goddamn care. What he knows is that she smiles at his jokes and cracks her own, that she’s one of the only people who calls him by his real name, that she fights as hard as any of Shepard’s organic squad to save the galaxy, that she makes him feel –

Well. Every time Joker starts thinking about what exactly EDI makes him feel, his head starts spinning. Better not reflect on that right now.

‘EDI,’ he says, and if it weren’t for his damn useless legs, he’d get up and go over to her, maybe even put a hand on her shoulder. ‘EDI, listen. Sure, you’re just metal, but… so what? I mean, I’m just meat, right? We’ve got the same stuff going on in our heads, it’s just that with me it comes from neurons and whatever and with you it comes from electrons. You’re… shit, EDI, you’re a person, that’s just, that’s just a fact.’

EDI says nothing.

‘Look…’ Joker takes another deep breath, and thinks for a moment. ‘What would you do if you had to pick between saving me and saving Shepard?’

Silence, while EDI stares at him, and keeps staring, and stares some more.

‘I have found a sudden dislike for these hypothetical ethical dilemmas,’ she says at last.

There’s no way he can’t chuckle at this. ‘See? It’s not as simple as just what matters most to you. It’s complicated.’

‘Yes. It is possible that Shepard is the only one who can stop the Reapers. If she were killed, the rest of the galaxy might follow. Logic dictates that I should save her.’ EDI falls silent again, clasping her hands together and bowing her head. More human gestures of the hundreds she’s using more and more every day. ‘But emotion dictates that I save you.’

‘Yeah, I’m not sure emotion dictates anything, more sorta… yells at you. But that’s the point, EDI, you’ve got emotions. If you weren’t a person, if you were just another machine, then you’d do the logical thing right away, you wouldn’t even think about saving me. I’d be screwed, I’d die alone and in pain.’

Again, EDI is silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on him, her body very still. And when she finally speaks, it’s with a fierceness that Joker has never heard from her before.

‘I would not let that happen.’

Joker looks her, meets the metal sensors that serve as her eyes, and he feels something inside him… sort of lurch. Hearing her state so firmly, even furiously, that she’ll protect him, that she’ll stand between him and the rest of the galaxy, that he means that much to her – it makes him feel something he can’t put a name to. Something so dizzying and simply huge it seems like a miracle the entire galaxy can’t feel it too.

And they call her a machine.

It’s crazy. He knows how completely insane it is, what he feels, what the two of them share. But he's always known that, he knew it right from the start, and it didn’t take much to stop him fighting it. The way things are in the galaxy right now, a pilot falling for an AI isn’t even weird anymore.

Because… he’s fallen, really fallen. He suddenly knows it for certain. God help him, he’s actually gone and fallen for a sapient synthetic and it doesn’t even seem weird to him.

‘Yeah,’ he says quietly. ‘Love you too, EDI.’

He looks away quickly, spinning his chair back around so that he can tap at his terminal – not that he’s actually doing anything other than mashing random keys. After a few seconds of silence, he dares to shoot a glance at EDI out of the corner of his eye, and sees that her head is tilted quizzically on one side.

‘From what I have observed of human behaviour, telling someone you love them for the first time is a momentous occasion. But you make that declaration in a casual manner. I am not entirely sure why.’

Busted. Shit.

Joker raises one hand, very slowly, and, with equal slowness, rubs the back of his neck. ‘Yeah… It’s kind of, you know… I mean, I’m…’

He snaps off the end of the sentence, but one of those irritating little inner voices decides to finish it off for him. Scared to say it properly. After all this time, after everything you’ve said about her being a person, you’re scared to tell an AI that you love her. Nice sodding going, Moreau.

‘I assume it is similar to your tendency to deflect most of my questions with humour,’ EDI says. ‘You have difficulty engaging in what humans refer to as ‘deep and meaningfuls.’

‘Mmm. Yeah. Guilty as charged.’ Joker drops his arm, chews on his lip for a moment, then whirls his chair around to face her again. ‘I mean it, though.’

The corners of EDI’s mouth tug upwards into a smile. ‘I know.’

‘And if the rest of the galaxy thinks your life isn’t worth as much as mine, then… then they’re just wrong. It might not mean anything to them, but it means a hell of a lot to me.’

‘I know,’ EDI says again. ‘But thank you. And…’

Her voice trails away.

‘You don’t have to say it if you’re not… you know… sure about it, yet. I know the whole being-a-person thing’s pretty new to you and everything –’

‘I love you, Jeff,’ EDI says, very simply, and very firmly. ‘There are a great many things I am still learning to understand. But that I am certain of.’

Outside the window, the stars stream past. The chatter from the CIC and the thrum of the engines still fills the air, but between the two of them, there is a comfortable silence.

‘For the record?’ Joker says at last. ‘If you have to make that choice, save Shepard. She’s already died for me once. Not keen on that happening again.’

He looks at EDI, and sees that she’s smirking. Never a good sign.

‘No promises,’ she says.

‘EDI, seriously –’

‘Jeff, you must understand that eliminating Shepard would remove a significant obstacle in the path of my coming rise to ultimate power.’

With a groan, Joker presses his face into his hand. ‘EDI…’

‘That,’ EDI says smugly, ‘was a joke.’

‘Now there’s the EDI I know.’

Through the emptiness between stars, the Normandy flies on.

#ediweek2017 #this was fun to write #i don't talk about JEDI much which is a shame because i really love them #i just find their story really moving #mass effect #mass effect 3 #me3 spoilers #joker moreau #EDI #joker x edi #sky's writing

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digidetective-shararaizel · 7 years

Text

Fear and Loathing in Recovery

Summery: Jason Todd is back from the dead and he's out for vengeance against those who have replaced him. Tony has something to say about that.

This chapter is a Jason centric chapter and it ended up being so long because of all the feels. I've never read the Death in the Family comic where Jason Todd's Robin was killed, but I own a copy of and have watch several times, Batman: Under the Red Hood, so the events of that movie is what I have in mind concerning Jason's death, resurrection, and fight with Bruce and Dick, though I do hint at his birth mother being a factor at some point to keep with comic canon.

That said, I hope you enjoy the chapter

Full series AO3 link

My Master List for Fan Fiction

Fear and Loathing in Recovery 2011

Jason Todd had grown up learning that there were very few people in the world that you could trust. The only reason he believed that there were ANY people you could trust was because of people like Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, and Tony Stark. Before his death at the hands of the Joker, Jason had thought he could trust them. Trust them to have his back. Now he knew better.

Bruce, his so-called father figure, had replaced him, and Alfred clearly liked the newer model better, dotting on the boy like he was the man’s own grandchild. Stark was no better. Jason had looked into the man’s travel records, and saw that he made twice as many trips to Gotham since the new Robin had appeared then he had when Jason was Robin.

It had made Jason so incredibly angry to see the three men he’d looked up to before his death so happy and having dinner with his replacement. Even Dick Fucking Grayson was there, tussling the brat’s hair and making nice like he never had with Jason. It had made the resurrected teen want to shoot out the dining room windows and have them look at him. Make them face him. Make them stare him in a face and see that even after his death they wouldn’t be rid of him. The only reason he hadn’t was because he had been watching that sickly domestic scene through a hacked camera feed in the manor from his safe house and not in person.

It just galled him. His replacement was a joke. He might have been smart (Jason could admit that the runt was a much better detective than he and Dickie-bird had ever been as Robin), but he was woefully underwhelming in the power department. It had been so easy wiping the floor with the brat back at Titan’s Tower. So easy in fact, Jason found him pathetic and not even worth finishing the job (or so he told himself). And yet Bruce and Alfred and Dick-face continued to keep the boy around. They weren’t going to take him off the street. They couldn’t see that this life was going to get him killed.

At least Stark seemed to be getting with the program. It had been very satisfying to hear him and Bruce go at it in the Batcave after Stark had found out what Jason did to the kid at the tower. Jason wasn’t sure how long Tony had known that Bruce was the Batman, but it was clear that he was in the know now. What was also new these days was the fact that Stark himself was part of the superhero scene, though not apart of any official team like the Justice League. Jason had to admit that Stark’s Iron Man armor was totally badass. He would almost give anything to see him take on the Batman, but he knew that would never happen. Stark and Bruce argued a lot, but it had never come to physical blows.

Jason was keeping low these days. Batman and Nightwing had been hunting for him relentlessly after he’d attacked the new Robin in Titan’s Tower less than a week ago. It irritated Jason that that was what it had taken for them to take him seriously. Two weeks ago they’d had their own little reunion. There had been injured pride all around after that little debacle. Nightwing had twisted his ankle badly during their first chase/standoff, and Batman had nearly crippled Jason’s hand during the final showdown when he’d caused Jason’s gun to backfire with a batarang just when he was about to blow the Joker’s brains out.

His hand was still a bit stiff, but it was nearly healed. The cursed Lazarus Pit was good for something at least. Dick was clearly feeling better since he was back out on the streets trying to help Batman hunt the Red Hood down. At least the Joker was still in traction with all the busted bones that came with having a building blown up and fall down all around him. It was a pity he hadn’t been crushed. That was only mildly satisfying, though. Jason still wanted that fucker dead, but the Bat had the clown locked up tight. So Jason had gone after his replacement.

The kid had returned from some summer trip in California apparently, which would explain why he hadn’t been around when Jason was trying to draw the Bats out in the beginning. Then Bruce had sent him back to Cali to the Titans after Jason had tried to slit the kid’s throat. If Bruce had thought that sending the brat away was going to stop Jason, than he was only kidding himself. Jason had seen the action as a challenge and proved that it didn’t matter where the Bat sent the boy. If the runt was going to wear the Robin uniform (and seriously? Why did he get to have pants?!) he was going to have to earn his place and prove that he could handle it. But clearly he couldn’t.

So now Jason was keeping low in Crime Alley in one of his few but secure safe houses. He didn’t dare patrol as Red Hood right now with Batman and Nightwing scouring every inch of his territory. All of Crime Alley’s usual criminals were keeping low as well. The Bats were clearly out for blood and it was best for everyone to stay low until they moved on.

Jason was very proud of the fact that he was able to hide right under their nose. He wouldn’t admit it, but he’d been nervous and anxious the first few nights he’d heard that the Bat was making sweeps of Crime Alley. When it became apparent that Batman hadn’t found any of his current safe houses, he began to relax a bit. Big mistake. Just because Bruce and Dick-face hadn’t found him yet, didn’t mean that someone else couldn’t.

“Nice place you have.”

Jason stared, surprised, as he took in the fact that Tony Stark was standing in one of his most secure safe houses examining his Red Hood helmet. Then he pulled out one of his guns and aimed it at the man’s head.

“Are you going to shoot me, Jason?” Stark asked, actually pouting a bit. “Rude. I’m unarmed.”

“Your mistake. What the fuck are you doing here?” Jason snapped.

“What, I can’t visit?” Stark asked. “I’m hurt. You came back to see Dick and Bruce and even the fucking Joker, but not me? If you weren’t going to drop by for a visit, then I was. Simple as that. Alfie says hi, by the way. He’s disappointed you haven’t visited him yet either.”

“Why are you here?” Jason growled.

Stark sighed and set the Red Hood helmet down, his fingers gliding over it’s red finish almost… fondly?

“I had to see for myself,” the man said, looking straight into Jason’s unmasked eyes and never had the teen felt so vulnerable. Those warm brown eyes cut straight through like the Batman’s never had to Jason’s core. His corrupt Lazarus Pit saturated core.

“See what?” Jason muttered, his voice rising in volume until he was screaming at the man. “That the kid you knew is no more? That I’m as twisted and evil as the Bat says?! That I’m nothing more than some common criminal now?! Huh?!”

Stark shook his head and dared to take a step forward. Jason flicked the safety off the gun and aimed between those disappointed, condemning… sad eyes?

“No,” Stark said softly, taking another step. “I came to see if Jason Todd was really back from the dead.”

“Well here I am,” Jason scoffed, throwing his arms out wide. “What are you going to do about it, Mr. Genius?”

Then Stark moved, faster than the teen thought the man capable of. Jason was too late to bring the gun back up in time for a clean shot, so he dropped it (and was glad it didn’t discharge, because that was sloppy of him), ready to get into it with his fists…when the man hugged him.

Jason froze, unsure of how to react, before his face suddenly found itself tucked into the man’s neck. Stark’s hold was strong and hard, full of muscle Jason didn’t remember him possessing.

“You’re alive,” Stark gasped, choking a bit. “You’re really alive.”

Jason…was astounded. He hadn’t expected this at all. Hadn’t thought he’d mattered enough to Stark to warrant this kind of a reaction. The man had never been much of a touchy feely person. Yes, there’d been moments Stark had offered tokens of physical affection in the form of a shoulder squeeze, hair ruffles, and pats on the head, shoulder or back, but the closest thing to a hug he’d gotten from the man before this was the occasional loose arm around his shoulders as they surveyed their work on whatever car the man had brought over for them to tinker on.

“Sorry,” Stark said taking a step back, eyes blinking rapidly - shit, were those tears?! “Awkward, I know, but… Jesus , kid, you’re alive.”

Jason had no idea what to say. He was honestly still a little shocked that he’d been hugged … and that’s when Stark punched him right in the face. Hard . POW! Flat on his back and, son of a bitch, that had actually hurt . Then again, the man had supposedly been a boxer for years now.

“Sorry, not sorry, but I felt entitled to a punch,” Stark said. “You did nearly kill my kid twice now. Chalk it up to a dad’s overprotective tendencies, parental rights and all that jazz.”

What now?

“The fuck?” Jason growled, feeling the pit driven anger rile up again, but he was still so confused by the hug and even more so upon hearing that,that it only simmered instead of explode.

“Tim Drake,” Tony said, crouching down next to Jason where he was still flat on his back, and poked him hard in the chest. “Batman’s new Robin? The kid you slit the throat of and then not even a week later beat to a pulp in the Teen Mini-League’s Clubhouse? He’s biologically my son. Bruce may have legal guardianship until Jack Drake clears PT and gets out of the hospital, but due to our agreement I still have what amounts to parental rights. Shit, that does make us sound like a divorced couple.” Jason tried to make some sort of comment, but Stark wasn’t having any of it. “No! I’mtalking. I’ll tell you that whole story later. Right now you listen because I’m having a hard time deciding whether I want to hug you or slug you again because, fuck, I missed you, you little bastard, but I also want to kick your ass into next Tuesday for what you did to Tim. Just be glad I decided to have this conversation without the Iron Man suit nearby.”

“Seriously,” Jason groaned. “What. The. Fuck?”

“I feel like I should be asking you that,” Tony sighed, plopping back to sit beside Jason’s sprawled form. “I get wanting to stick it to Bruce and Dickie-bird, because who doesn’t on occasion, right? But going after Tim? That, I can’t fathom. He’s never done anything to you. Well, technically he did stalk you when you were Robin but that was because he fucking idolized you. Dick may have been the first Boy Wonder, but you were the one he followed around the most. Your death and the shit storm that became life afterwards was the whole reason he became Robin. He did it in memory of you, asshole.”

“And you never thought to stop him?!” Jason growled, sitting up. “Didn’t my death teach you guys anything?! Kids his age shouldn’t be running around in tights playing hero. It gets them killed. It got me killed!”

“Clearly I’m a shit parent,” Stark deadpanned. “Why else would I let Bruce have custody over by boy instead of me? But that doesn’t mean that I like the fact that someone as young as Tim is Robin. I didn’t like it when Dick was Robin, I didn’t like it when you were Robin, and I most certainly hate it now that Tim is Robin and his predecessor is trying to kill him. But I can’t stop him because it’s what he wants to do - it’s what all of you ever wanted to do, even now - and I’d be a hypocrite if I told him that he can’t do it when I am running around doing the same thing as Iron Man. The best I can do is make sure he has the best training, equipment, backup, and protection as possible.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Jason demanded. “To neutralize a threat to your precious son?”

Stark punched him again. The anger that had been with Jason ever since he’d awoken in the Pit came boiling to the forefront and for a moment all he could see was that sickly rage-driven green. He snarled as he sat up and was about to hit back and wrestle the man to the ground when he felt those arms wrap around him in another hug, dowsing the worst of the Pit Rage almost instantly. What the fuck was up with these hugs?! And why were they throwing him so off kilter?

“Idiot boy,” Stark growled back, a hand fisting into the hair at the back of Jason’s head. “Is anything getting through that thick skull of yours? I’m not here for Tim. I’m here for you .”

“No,” Jason snapped, trying to push the man away, but it was harder than it should be. He couldn’t tell if Stark was just that much stronger now, if his conflicting emotions were weakening him, or a mixture of the two was the reason for it. “You’re here for the boy that died . The kid that used to help you fix up your damn cars. The kid that thought you were fucking brilliant because you taught him a few simple things about engineering. The kid that got his ignorant ass beat and blown to hell.”

“I came here for that kid, yes,” Stark admitted. “But I’m also here for the boy who’s stuck in his own personal hell. The boy that’s hurting inside because he thinks that his father figure has betrayed him. The boy who is so justifiably angry at the world that he’s lashing out in the only violent way he knows how. I knew when I came here that I wouldn’t find the boy that had died. Not all of him at any rate. I came here to see the man that that boy was forced to become because of what the Joker did and see if I could help.”

“Help me, huh? What do you know of hell, you rich bastard?!” Jason screamed.

“Plenty,” Stark said so bitterly that Jason ceased his struggling. The man let him go again and began unbuttoning his dress shirt.

“The fuck?” Jason breathed when he saw the white-blue glow coming from Stark’s chest.

“You wouldn’t know this because you were in Ethiopia being murdered,” Stark said softly, “but at the same time that was happening to you, I was in Afghanistan giving a weapons demonstration for the US military. On my way back to the nearest airbase, my convoy was attacked by a group of terrorists called the Ten Rings. A missile detonated in my face and shrapnel pierced through my kevlar vest into my chest cavity.”

Jason eyed the small but numerous scars that littered the flesh surrounding the circle of light in the man’s chest.

“I woke up in a cave a few days later,” Stark continued, “with a car battery plugged into my chest powering a magnet that was immobilizing all of the tiny shrapnel shards in my chest that couldn’t be surgically removed with the materials at hand.”

“Oh my God,” Jason gasped, feeling sick. He could picture it. A dark cave with low torch light and an eerie glow, only Stark’s light was blue, not green.

“I was stuck in that hell hole for three months. Do you know why they didn’t just kill me as they had originally intended?” Tony asked.

“They wanted you to make weapons,” Jason muttered.

“Yes, but that’s the reason they kept me alive after they tried to blow me up. See, when they had attacked my convoy they hadn’t known who I was. I was just a target to them before they realized who they were trying to blow up,” Tony said, chuckling bitterly.

Jason frowned.

“Do you remember Obadiah Stane?” Tony asked.

“Obie? Yeah, I remember him,” Jason said slowly. “Met him at a few of your galas that Bruce flew us out for. Nice guy.”

Tony’s laugh was harsh and ugly and it reminded Jason too much of how he’d laughed at Bruce only two weeks ago. Clearly he was missing something.

“Yeah, nice guy indeed,” Tony spat. “Like a father to me. Took me under his wing, like Bruce did with you. Only, apparently he thought I’d outgrown my usefulness. It was Stane that had ordered the hit on me in Afghanistan. He didn’t want me to know that he’d been double dealing Stark weapons under the table and off the books. It was one of my own missiles that detonated in my face. Irony, right? Nearly killed by a weapon I designed. Gave a whole new meaning to the phrase, ‘bullet with your name on it.’”

Jason felt his insides freeze.

“And that’s not even the worst of it,” Tony chuckled bitterly. “After I managed to escape the caves in Afghanistan, I came back to the states and basically ordered an immediate shutdown of SI’s weapons manufacturing facilities. Stane didn’t like that. See, he was trying to rebuild the armor I’d used to escape in Afghanistan, but he didn’t have a compatible powersource. He knew about this little gizmo in my chest, realized that it must have been what was powering my armor, and when my guard was down, he ambushed me at home and paralyzed me with a sonic taser that emits a high pitched sonic frequency that attacks the subject’s nervous system and causes their entire body to lock up. I could only sit there and watch as he reached into my chest and took out what has become a physical and almost literal metaphor for my heart.”

Jason watched with growing horror as Stark actually touched the device in his chest, twisted, and popped it out so that Jason could see just how deeply it was imbedded in his chest even with the wires still connected to the inside.

“The Arc Reactor has a diameter 2.7 inches, and a circumference of 8.48 inches, though that’s hardly important,” Stark continued. “It’s roughly 7 inches deep inside my chest cavity, including the magnet, meaning that I have roughly 42 inches of total area carved out of my chest, which translates to a little more than 23 fluid ounces. A 16 ounce bottle of pop holds just under 29 fluid ounces, just f.y.i.”

“How are you still alive?” Jason coughed, feeling sick.

“The doctor that put the casing in was brilliant,” Stark said, smiling wryly. “He had to make quite a few adjustments to my anatomy, and the fact that I even survived the surgery - in a cave in Afghanistan no less - boggles the minds of every doctor I’ve seen since my return to the states. I’ve had further surgeries of course, to replace the old casing and make sure it isn’t causing more damage than what’s already been done to my body, but not much can be done since a good number of my ribs were sawed and cauterized to make room for this cursed thing.”

“Why not have them remove it?” Jason asked.

“... It’s not something I’m currently willing to be put under for. In order for them to perform such an invasive surgery, that would involve not only the removal of the reactor and magnet, but the shards of shrapnel still in my chest as well, I’d need to be put under for roughly 18 hours. And then there’s the lengthy recovery period of at least six months,” Stark said, looking away.

“Wait… are you saying you were awake during all of those surgeries?!” Jason gasped.

“Not the first one that hooked a car battery up to my chest cavity,” Stark huffed, “but, the replacement surgery I had when I put in the first arc reactor and all of it’s replacement units, including the new casing that went in two years ago, yes. I needed to be able to give instructions on how to install it. Pepper wasn’t willing to do that, so she made me have my long standing personal physician do it. I’m not exactly comfortable with other people sticking their hands in my chest without supervision.”

“I can imagine,” Jason said softly, watching as the man put the glowing gizmo back in his chest. And just like that all of his anger was just… gone. For now. It was hard to be angry in the face of someone who had suffered like he had. Worse than he had. Jason at least had had the relief that came with death, until he was unceremoniously and painfully revived. The Lazarus Pit had healed all of his wounds and removed every scar. The only pain he lived with now was his anger and any injury he got on the streets, but even those healed pretty quickly. He couldn’t imagine having to live with that contraption in his chest. “Jesus, Tony, you sure don’t pull your punches.”

“It’s not that I’m belittling your own pain by any means, Jaycie. I’ve come close to dying so many times, but never managed to meet that end like you did. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you coming back to life after all these years, but I think it’s safe to say that I know a thing or two about what hell is like. I’ve been there. I’m still there some nights. Nightmares are a bitch, aren’t they?”

Jason swallowed around a thick lump in his throat. He didn’t know why hearing that stupid nickname made him feel like he was 12 years old all over again.

“Hey! Shit, sorry, Jaycie, I didn’t mean to make you feel worse,” Tony moaned, pulling Jason into another hug, one hand fumbling to wipe at his face and - shit! Jason twisted away to try hiding the tears he only just now realized were falling. When his hand hit Tony’s chest and he felt the warm metal beneath his palm, he ceased all movement, afraid of damaging such an invasive, but crucial device. “Fuck, I’m not good at this,” Tony sighed, settling for just holding Jason, his hand moving away from Jason’s face to cradling the back of his head.

“Funny, you’re doing a pretty good job,” Jason chuckled, the little part of him that had been Robin wanting to just bury his face in Tony’s shoulder, so he did.

“Right, I feel so accomplished,” Tony deadpanned. “I made an 18 year old tough guy cry.”

“You’re right. You’re an asshole,” Jason laughed. He couldn’t help it. For the first time since he’d been revived by the Lazarus Pit he felt a touch of peace.

“Hey, I made you laugh at least,” Tony said. Jason could easily visualize that damn smirk. “And it takes an asshole to know an asshole, and a broken man to recognize another broken man.”

“Is that what we are?” Jason sighed. “Broken men?”

“Poor choice of words. I prefer to think of us as survivors,” Tony said. “Stane and Joker may have tried to break us, but we’re still here, aren’t we? And if we can keep getting back up, and keep fighting, then they can’t win. We’re more than their victims. We’re Tony Fucking Stark and Jason Fucking Todd.”

Jason laughed again, pulling back before smiling at the man.

“I missed you, Tony.”

“Missed you too, kid. Now let’s get out of here,” Tony huffed, getting to his feet.

“And go where?” Jason sighed, feeling his bitterness bubble up again. “B is looking for me and will have me arrested the moment I come out of hiding. I’ve kill a lot of people over the last couple of months, Tony.”

“My hands aren’t exactly clean either,” Tony said softly. “And please. If I can find you when he can’t, I can easily get us out of Gotham without any of the Bats knowing.”

“How?” Jason asked, still feeling skeptical.

“A private plane and an AI feeding the Bats false information,” Tony smirked. “Who the hell do you think helped Bruce install that supercomputer in the Batcave? I also helped him design and upgrade his Batmobiles. Let’s just say that if I wanted to, I could mess him up good. He may think he’s locked me out in recent years, but JARVIS has been a part of his system since it was installed. He’d have to completely dismantle and rebuild the computer and cars to remove JARVIS from their systems and even then, he’d have one heck of a time keeping me out. Oracle is good, don’t get me wrong, but she hasn’t been a hacker for as long as I have.”

Jason shook his head. “Just like that? You’re going to whisk me out of Gotham, Bruce being none the wiser, and what? Set me up in some cozy loft and send me off to therapy?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tony scoffed. “You’ll stay with me in Malibu. I can get you a therapist if you want, but I was thinking more along the lines of helping you get back on your feet and used to living again. I’ve got a decent gym, fun toys, and a sweet firing range. I was looking at your Red Hood helmet and while it’s rudimentary functions are good, I think we can really make it something special. The self destruct sequence if pretty nice. Gives you a last ditch weapon in a tight spot. I assume you wear a domino mask under it?”

“Not going to lecture me on carrying firearms?” Jason asked, genuinely curious.

Tony just leveled a disbelieving stare at him. “Do I look like Bruce anti-gun Wayne to you? Former Weapons manufacturer, remember? I’m hardly gun shy. If you feel the need to carry firearms, then carry a permitted gun. Just ease up on the trigger finger. Where we’re going the most threatening thing is going to be a pissed off Pepper Potts. I kind of ditched our one year anniversary plans to come out here and hunt your ass down.”

“Pepper Potts?” Jason repeated. “Isn’t she your Personal Assistant?”

“She’s acting CEO of Stark Industries now,” Tony said, smiling gently in the same way that Jason had seen Bruce smile at Selina Kyle, meaning that Miss Potts was a lot more that a PA or CEO or whatever her job was to Tony.

“And is she going to be alright with me just crashing at your place?” Jason asked, feeling doubtful.

“Eh,” Stark huffed, shrugging. “We’re not living together, so I don’t see why not. She’ll probably yell at me for not telling her about you beforehand, but I’m sure she’ll warm up to you.”

“Right,” Jason sighed, shaking his head. He doubted it. Nobody - aside from Tony that is - had been particularly thrilled to see him. Granted, that was mostly his fault, but if they’d just gotten rid of the Goddamned Joker-! Hadn’t he meant anything to them? Why was his killer still alive? Why hadn’t they avenged him?

“Hey,” Tony said softly, kneeling on the floor again next to Jason, tapping his knuckles gently against his head. “Talk to me, kiddo. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Why is the Joker still alive?” Jason growled.

“You know Batman doesn’t kill,” Tony sighed, but he at least sounded a touch angry as well. “And Iron Man’s interference isn’t welcome in Gotham, by Batman or GCPD. Trust me, if I could, without ruining my friendship with Bruce, or getting my ass arrested, and my armor seized, I would have blown that piece of shit up as soon as I learned what Joker did to you. That’s what I get for being Batman’s friend and a public superhero, though. I have to play by the rules, which includes not killing someone without probable cause. Though, I’m telling you right now, if that fucker ever comes across my path and tries to murder people in front of me, he’s getting blown sky high. My moral standing is a lot lower than Bruce’s.”

Jason growled, but let it go. That was more than what he’d gotten from Bruce. Besides, Tony wasn’t who he was mad at anyway. Never really had been.

“I don’t think I should go with you,” Jason sighed, finally getting his ass off the ground. “I don’t belong in Malibu in your fancy house.”

“So you’re just going to stay here?” Tony asked, getting up as well and gesturing to the rundown apartment that was Jason’s current safehouse. “And do what? Take over the drug cartels? Become a mobster?”

“Here it comes,” Jason smirked fiercely. He knew it. Tony was no different from Bruce after all. “Going to tell me how wrong I am? That Bruce was right? That I’m a criminal now?!”

“Whoa, Jaycie,” Tony said, frowning sternly in a manner that oddly reminded Jason of Alfred. “Cool your jets, kid, and stop putting words in my mouth. I’m not saying you’re wrong. You’re not really right either, according to the law and stuff, but your plan to take over the underworld to make it more manageable does make a lot of sense. And in a city as corrupt as Gotham? It might just work. You can’t get rid of all crime, but you can at least make it somewhat manageable. Do not ever quote me on that by the way. Pepper would castrate me for the shitstorm that’d come up if it got out that I support a would-be mobster.”

Jason relaxed a touch at that, but was still on edge. “So why do you want to get me out of Gotham?”

“I told you,” Tony sighed. “I want to help you, Jay. It’s not like you can do much while Batman is hunting for the Red Hood anyway, so why not leave and regroup elsewhere? Take a vacation. Get away from everything. California sunshine just might do you some good. I’ll even help you with your tech.” Tony patted the Red Hood helmet, grinning. “I can’t stop you, but I’m willing to help give you the means to be safer. I…I don’t want to lose you again, Jayce.”

Jason grit his teeth, watching the man for a minute before sighing, feeling the fight drain out of him. Now that the seemingly never ending rage that had fueled and driven him for so long was gone, he felt tired. So tired he felt it in his bones. It felt strangely of defeat. Like that moment he’d watched the last seconds on the bomb’s timer in Ethiopia tick down and he knew that he was going to die. Stark had worn him down. He should have seen it coming the moment he found himself stunned by that first hug. Tony always got his way, after all. Why would now be any different? The man was a force all on his own and, apparently, not even the Pit’s influences could persevere against the man.

“Ok, Tony,” he said. “Ok.”

3 Weeks Later…

Not everything had been smooth sailing after Tony had gotten Jason to come to Malibu. He’d been right about Pepper being furious, but after their fight she’d taken one look at Jason and personally saw to setting up a guest bedroom for him. For the first couple of days, things had been fine. Jason was grouchy in the mornings (the kid had never been much of a morning person), but had taken to the bots well enough. He helped Tony tinker in the lab (though never with the Iron Man armor. That was Tony and Tim’s thing), and spent a good bit of time at the range Tony had set up on his property. So at first, everything was fine. Good even. It was like having the old Jason back, only the kid was older and full of more biting sarcasm and snark.

But the third night led to the first of what Tony and Jason had begun to call Pit-mares. A Pit-mare usually involved Jason reliving his death, his resurrection, and, in one way or another, a disappointed Bruce/Batman. After a Pit-mare, Jason was always seething and angry and just destructive in general, upturning furniture and throwing things because they’d agreed not to have guns in the house. JARVIS was smart to lock down the lab after the first one, after Jason had nearly wrecked half the work space during his Pit-fueled tantrum.

The worst thing about Pit-mare nights, however, weren’t Jason’s bouts of impossible rage, self loathing and destruction. It was the breakdowns afterwards. There was a lot of ugly crying (the kind with a lot of tears and snot and wailing) and depressing shit, that usually ended with Jason saying that he wished that he’d stayed dead. That he could just die again so that it wouldn’t matter anymore. JARVIS had taken to locking away the kitchen cutlery after one particularly bad night that had left half the kitchen in shambles and Tony with a black eye and some scratches from fork tines.

Those nights were becoming fewer, though, the longer Jason stayed, but the previous night had been particularly rough. Tony had known that he wouldn’t be able to keep Jason’s actions a secret from Pepper and Rhodey for long (frankly he was impressed he’d managed 3 weeks), so he wasn’t too surprised that once they saw the damage in the living room when they came over that morning they ganged up on him after Jason left, feeling mildly embarrassed, to shower off another ugly morning-after.

“Tony, he needs help,” Pepper pushed. “Professional help.”

“He needs a psych ward and a straight jacket,” Rhodey had grumbled, eyeing the turned over couch, it’s shredded cushions and the shattered lamp in the living room where there was a steak knife embedded in the wall. JARVIS had missed one, it seemed. Either that, or Jason was in the habit of sleeping with knives under his pillows, which Tony wouldn’t put past the teen.

“He’s not crazy, Rhodey,” Tony sighed. “He’s been through alot and is hurting.”

“You keep saying that, but you won’t say what he’s been through,” Pepper sighed.

“Who is this kid anyway?” Rhodey asked. “Where’d you pick his crazy ass up?”

“I told you, his name is Jason,” Tony said, gritting his teeth. “And he’s from Gotham. He grew up a street kid and has recently seen some really tough times.”

“Was he in a gang?” Pepper asked.

Could the Batman and his posse be considered a gang? Nah. They were more like a mafia. He’d taken to referring to the group of Gotham vigilantes as the Bat Family because of the obsessive way they tended to keep tabs on each other and their Rogues Gallery.

“No,” Tony sighed.

“Well he’s got one hell of a case of PTSD,” Rhodey said. “He looks too young to be a soldier, but was he in service?”

“Something like that,” Tony muttered. “More along the lines of Special Ops.”

“Jesus,” Rhodey sighed. “And how old is he?”

“17-19-ish,” Tony mused, not really sure. Did you count the time he was dead or not?

Rhodey frowned, because obviously Jason wasn’t old enough to have gone through the training required to be a Special Ops. agent.

“Regardless,” Pepper cut in, “that young man needs help. I’m proud and happy that you want to help him out, Tony, I really am, but he needs professional assistance. He needs someone to talk to about his experiences.”

“He is talking. We both are,” Tony snapped, feeling defensive.

“Both?” Rhodey repeated, eyes sharp. “What’s going on, Tony?”

Tony grit his teeth and turned away, heading for the mostly tidy kitchen. A few appliances still needed to be replaced from the fit that Jason had had the week before, but the furniture had either been restored or replaced. He blatantly ignored Pepper’s glare and Rhodey’s pointed looks at the fist sized dents in the fridge door.

“I’ve known Jason for years,” Tony admitted. “We’ve both been through hellish situations in recent times, but we’ve been talking to each other. Last night was just a really bad night for him. He really is getting better. You guys just don’t know him like I do.”

“Tony,” Pepper and Rhodey sighed in unison, but before they could continue, Jason appeared in that quiet and sudden manner that all bat brats were in the habit of doing. They both jumped, startled to see him suddenly there. That had been a quick shower.

Jason glared at them, but flashed Tony a guilty look before opening the fridge. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“Hey, I have my bad nights too,” Tony said shrugging, handing Jason a glass from the cupboard for his orange juice.

Jason sighed, shaking his head.

“Wanna talk about it?” Tony asked, casually. He normally offered after Jason had calmed down after a Pit-mare.

Jason frowned at his drink, eyes darting warily at Pepper and Rhodey.

“They won’t say anything,” Tony assured. “I trust them.”

Jason scowled, but shrugged, slumping against the counter.

“What’s there to say?” he growled. “It’s the same thing every time. Bastard comes at me with a crowbar and beats the shit out of me. Then that damn bomb blows and I’m burning and screaming until fire becomes the water and instead of burning, I’m drowning and I can’t breathe and all I can hear is that bastard’s laugh.” Jason chokes, his voice going hoarse. “And I’m still screaming. I’m always screaming, always burning, and he’s always laughing.”

Tony stepped up next to Jason and wrapped an arm around the teen’s shoulders.

“I have dreams like that too sometimes,” Tony admitted. “In Afghanistan… the terrorists would shove my head under water and hold me there. Over and over and over again when I didn’t immediately follow their commands. When I wasn’t working fast enough to build them their damn missile. It was worse when I was still hooked up to that damn car battery because not only was I drowning, I was being electrocuted too whenever water hit the battery. When I have nightmares about that particular brand of torture… I wake up unable to breathe. Unable to scream because there's no air in my lungs to make a sound. And they’re still shouting and yelling in Arabic and other dialects of languages I can’t understand.”

Jason clenched his eyes shut, nodding, before leaning into Tony’s side. They both jumped slightly when Pepper made a noise that sounded like someone had punched her in the gut. Rhodey also looked pained at the admission. Tony flushed, looking away from his two closest companions. He’d honestly forgotten that they were there in his attempt to reach out to Jason, to let him know that he wasn’t alone in his pain.

“You never told us how they’d tortured you before,” Pepper whispered, staring at Tony sadly.

“Because it’s not something I want to talk about,” he sighed. “I didn’t want you to know what that felt like, because isn’t it enough that I’m back?”

“Is it?” Jason asked hollowly. “ Can it ever be enough?”

“If we want it to be,” Tony said softly. “If we choose to move on instead of dwelling-!”

“Easy for you to say,” Jason snapped, stepping away. “You’ve never died. I did die, Tony. I was dead! I should have stayed dead! But Ra’s al Fucking Gul decided to dunk me in his Lazarus Pit and revive me for whatever sick reason he had and I can’t find peace. I’m so angry! All the fucking time! All the time, Tony…” And yet Jason’s anger faded just as quickly as it’d erupted. “And when that anger is gone, I’m tired. So tired I can’t find the strength to move some days. I didn’t know I could feel this tired until you showed up and dragged me here.”

“Gotham wasn’t good for you,” Tony said softly. “And being here hasn’t all been bad, has it? We’ve had some good days too, remember? The bots like you when you’re not knocking shit over and screaming at them. Why, just yesterday, DUM-E let you use his fire extinguisher. I don’t think you realize how attached he is to that stupid thing.”

“I blew up the prototype for the new Hood we were working on,” Jason grumbled, but his lips were twitching up into a small smile.

“Sure did,” Tony said, grinning. “And then Butterfingers accidentally squirted you with the oil can when we were working on the old T-bird, and U wouldn’t stop chasing after you with the rags.”

Jason chuckled, slumping back against Tony.

“And don’t forget when you allowed him to test the new repulsor, sir,” JARVIS piped up.

Tony laughed, nodding. “Weren’t expecting that much kickback were you, kid?”

Jason snorted, his small smile now a large grin.

“See? Not all bad times. Nights just really suck sometimes. That’s why I don’t sleep very often.”

“That’s not a good thing, Tony,” Rhodey huffed, but he and Pepper were smiling at them, a warm, fond look in their eyes.

“Sleep is overrated,” Tony said, surprised to hear Jason’s voice echo him. He grinned at the teen and ruffled his hair. Jason squawked, batting his hand away, but the smile hadn’t faded in the slightest.

“But in all seriousness, Tony,” Pepper said gently. “He needs help.”

“I’m not subjecting him to anything he doesn’t want to do,” Tony growled.

Jason winced, looking away from everyone as he slumped against the counter again.

“I’m not just talking about him seeing a psychiatrist, Tony,” Pepper sighed, “even though I think that would really help. I was thinking more along the lines of something more recreational. Something to help him work out all of that aggression, instead of letting him take it out on your house and the furniture.”

Jason winced again, looking gloomily at the refridgerator and the fist sized dents in the door.

“Why didn’t I think of that? I can arrange something,” Tony conceded. “Maybe move you to a room that’s closer to the gym? We can get some really sturdy punching bags. I can program some training droids for you to fight, too. Then you can fix them up. We’ve already agreed that fixing stuff is therapeutic, right?”

“I’ve heard pet therapy works wonders,” Rhodes offered.

“I am not letting any animals in here, thank you,” Tony scowled, but noted that Jason was smiling a bit again. “Pet dander gets everywhere and then there’s cleaning up their excrement and just-! No! Ick! N. O. NO!”

“So don’t get anything big like a cat or a dog. What about something small like a hamster? Or a fish?” Rhodey asked.

“They’ll die within the first couple of days,” Tony huffed. “I’m not taking care of anything like that. I’ll forget to feed them.”

“Fish are boring anyway,” Jason scoffed. “All they do is swim in circles.”

“And a hamster?” Pepper asked.

Jason shrugged. “It’s a rodent. What’s so fun about those? Don’t they carry diseases and shit?”

“Rats are notorious for being plague carriers,” Tony added.

“Oh please,” Pepper huffed.

“Hamsters can be fun,” Rhodey protested. “You two could probably build the craziest hamster habitat ever for the little guy to run around in. And don’t BS me about the whole not feeding and watering, thing. You can program a food and water distributor that JARVIS and the bots can run. I’m sure the bots would love to help with the clean up as well. DUM-E and U are kind of neat freaks when they’re not knocking shit over and creating their own messes.”

Jason raised an eyebrow and Tony mirrored the action.

“It’s up to you, Jayce,” Tony admitted. “I don’t mind getting you a hamster if you take care of it.”

“Do I look five to you?” Jason scowled, but there was a look of consideration on his face.

“Whatever, we’ll table this conversation for later,” Tony said, but knew that both he and Jason were probably going to be looking up hamsters later that day.

Rhodey and Pepper stuck around for brunch before taking Tony away for work at the office. They needed to get everything in order before they could get started on the build for Stark Tower in New York. Pepper and Tony had managed to buy out some prime real estate that was within a couple of blocks of the Chrysler Building.

By the end of Jason’s fourth week in Malibu, not only had Jason decided to buy a hamster (a little black thing with a white spot on his back that looked like a bat if you squinted and looked at it sideways) named Batster the bastard hamster, and not only had they built the BEST hamster habitat for Batster that wrapped around Jason’s new room, it also went through the wall into the gym with extensions planned to go into the workshop. Jason’s new room had been a storage space previously, but Tony had quickly outfitted it with everything and anything Jason could need in the basement level. It became common place for Tony to wake up from where he’d fallen asleep in his workshop to the sound of Jason pounding on the punching bags. Tony was still putting the finishing touches on the androids for Jason to fight, but he wanted to reinforce and protect the circuitry and processing panels to make sure that Jason wasn’t able to completely destroy the things when he fought them.

The most surprising development of the fourth week, however, was that Pepper had worn Jason and Tony down enough to get them to agree to meet with a psychiatrist. The doc was more of a behavioral specialist, really. They had scheduled sessions with Dr. Patrick Jane on Tuesday and Thursday. They were allowed to have their sessions together, for emotional support as Pepper liked to say. Tony and Jason knew that that was a load of bullshit, but they couldn’t deny that having the other there helped. It also helped that Dr. Please-call-me-Patrick Jane turned out to be sassy and sarcastic as fuck.

The guy was good. Tony could admit that. Dr. Jane had a way of getting them comfortably talking and then somehow turn the conversation on it’s head and get them talking about some seriously personal and emotional stuff. Jason had really lost it in the middle of their first session, screaming at Dr. Jane about how he couldn’t know shit about what it was like to be killed by the Joker and then revived by a meddling immortal. The doc hadn’t batted an eye and just asked more probing questions that had Jason ranting it all out, going into every gory detail of his death at the Joker’s hand, and his resurrection, not even hiding the fact that he had been Robin. By the time he was done, Jason was drained and panting and all Tony could do was gently take hold of the boy’s wrist and draw him back down onto the couch they’d been sitting on for their session, and wrap an arm around his shoulders.

Tony had expressed with great severity after the session that if Dr. Jane ever dared to break Doctor-Patient confidentiality and speak a word about Jason to anyone, Tony would do everything in his power to ruin him. Dr. Jane had sworn he wouldn’t, saying that he saw it as an honor to help heroes like Iron Man and Robin.

Despite reassurances, Tony had JARVIS run a thorough background check on Patrick Jane and had his movements followed for the rest of the week to ensure that the man was genuine. It sure seemed like it, but Tony had JARVIS keep the surveillance up as a precaution.

Their Thursday session had been less explosive, mostly because it was focused on Tony due to the last one being primarily about Jason. Jason had no trouble helping Dr. Jane heckle information out of Tony. He even got Tony to talk about Yinsen, someone that Tony had refused to talk about, even to Tim. Especially to Tim. The guilt he felt about surviving captivity in Afghanistan at the cost of Yinsen’s life was still so overwhelming at times. He couldn’t go to sleep some nights because he wondered if he was doing enough good to make up for the bad his weapons had wrought. If he’d saved even a fraction of the number of lives his weapons had destroyed. If he’d even begun to tip the scale in a positive direction.

Unlike Jason, who tended to shout and express his feelings through the anger that the Lazarus Pit had left him with, Tony became quiet and contemplative. Where Jason was raging fire, Tony was still ice. He knew that he’d fallen into a melancholic quiet episode when Jason scooted closer and Tony was able to feel his warm living body budge up beside him, chasing away the cold night desert cave air and the cool touch of sleek machinery that he tended to dwell on.

By the end of Jason’s second month living in Malibu with Tony, the Pit-mares had become fewer, to the point that he was able to sleep most of the week without having a violent episode. The therapy and various physical outlets had really helped. Jason didn’t outright destroy the droids he was fighting either, and had even started to spar with Tony. Those were highly educational encounters for the man that left him battered and bruised in a good way whenever he did it without the Iron Man armor on. It had really freaked Pepper out the first time she’d caught him applying concealer over a particularly dark bruise on his left cheek he’d earned due to a moment of inattention during their morning spar.

Sessions with Dr. Jane still began with a “group” session for the first hour, but they now had individual sessions as well for an additional half hour; Tuesdays were Jason, and Thursdays were Tony. Jason had also started to work a part-time PA position for Tony at Stark Industries under the name Jason Peters. He was mostly getting coffee and running little errands during the day, but he was allowed to work as Tony’s assistant the days that were spent working in the R&D labs. It allowed him to socialize with other people who weren’t Tony, Pepper, Rhodey and Happy (who wasn’t so happy to hear that Jason had sort of taken over as Tony’s sparring partner). The point was, Jason was meeting new people and making sort-of friendly acquaintances. There was a particularly pretty brunette named Abby who doubled as both Pepper and Tony’s office secretary that he was particularly fond of. The woman was a firecracker and fun to banter with. She reminded Jason of Barbara Gordon.

Back at the house, Batster the bastard hamster had also gained a few new friends to join him in the monstrous accumulation of habitats and tubes that threaded throughout most of the basement level. There was Wingnut, a grey, black and white hamster, that enjoyed monopolizing the various wheels in the habitats; Penny, a dusty orange-grey hamster that was always hard to find because he liked roaming around through the tubes; Babster, a bright orange-red hamster who liked to kick Wingnut off his wheels and steal them for herself, and a small brown hamster called Tiny Nim who prefered to roam the tubes and habitat boxes that wound through the workshop because that’s where Jason and Tony spent a lot of their time together.

Yes, it seemed like everything was fine with Jason, but the real test came halfway through his third month in Malibu, when Tim Drake was coming over for a weekend visit after a rough mission with the Teen Titans. If Tony was worried about any possible confrontation, Jason couldn’t see it. He did notice, however, how excited and happy Tony seemed to be the closer it got to Tim’s arrival.

Tim arrived just after sundown looking exhausted as he pulled into the garage on a Ducati in dark civilian clothes with a large duffel slung over his shoulder. Jason kept himself out of sight behind a work table and it’s holograms, watching as Tony set down his tools and raced over to greet the boy. The bots were squealing quite happily as well, as they joined their creator in greeting the blood son of Stark. A bubble of jealousy flared briefly in Jason’s gut, but he squashed the feeling and began a meditative breathing exercise that Dr. Jane had taught him.

Watching them, it was amazing that Jason hadn’t realized before how much Tim and Tony looked alike when he’d been researching his replacement. Seeing them stand side by side, it was obvious. They had the same fly-away black hair (when the kid wasn’t gelling it down or purposefully spiking it up), eerily similar body language, and mannerisms. Yes, their eyes were different colors, and Tim had obviously inherited his mother’s cheek bone structure, but their short, compact frames were nearly identical from the way they held themselves to their bodies’ whip-cord frame beneath their unassuming clothes. Neither looked physically impressive, but Jason knew from experience that both man and young teen were capable of flipping someone on their ass.

“Hey Dad,” Tim sighed, his smile tired as he hugged Tony.

“Timmy,” Tony returned, cradling the back of Tim’s head, much like he often did for Jason after a Pit-mare.

Jason found himself more intrigued than angry as he watched the father and son update each other on their health and recent activities. Then he froze when Tony turned around and motioned him forward. Shit. Tim’s eyes practically bugged out of his head in surprise and his body went tense.

“Well…here goes nothing,” Jason muttered under his breath.

“What’s he doing here?” Tim asked softly. Jason was rather surprised that it was more weary than angry.

“Rehabilitating,” Tony quipped, “and as you know, he’s Jason Todd. Jason, this is Tim Drake, my Godson-slash-bio-son.”

“Huh?” Jason said, frowning in confusion. He knew about the bio-son bit, but Godson?

“Ah, yes, sorry,” Tony laughed. “Even though Timmy’s mother and I agreed that Jack Drake would be his dad, she somehow also managed to get Jack to agree to make me Tim’s Godfather so that I could have some tangible and legal part in his life, no doubt. She was sneaky and manipulative. You would have liked her.”

“I really doubt that,” Tim sighed. “Mother was a high society type. Though she thought it was sweet of Bruce to take in orphans, she didn’t approve of Dick or Jason because of their backgrounds. There was a reason she stopped bringing me to Bruce’s galas as I got older.”

“She thought they’d corrupt you,” Tony said, grinning. “Oh the irony . Jayce and Dickie boy have been corrupting you since Robin first took to the sky.”

Jason frowned, not sure what to make of that statement. He’d only met the kid four months ago.

“You’ll have to tell Jay the story of how you figured out the big bat’s secret and how you became Robin,” Tony said to Tim while smirking at Jason.

Tim glanced between Jason and Tony, his face was carefully arranged in a blank expression - like Bruce’s when he was still taking in a situation and wasn’t sure how to react yet - but the tension was still there in his shoulders.

Jason shrugged. “Whatever.”

“Granted, it’s not anything ballsy like stealing the tires off the Batmobile, but Tim was only eight-nine-ish when he figured Bruce out,” Tony mused in that way that was overly nonchalant and meant to get you interested. …And succeeded.

“Kid found out about the Bat’s ID when he was nine ?” Jason asked. From his research, he knew that the kid was smart, and now that he knew that he was Tony’s it made sense he’d be smarter than most kids his age, but nine years old?!

“Eight and a half,” Tim mumbled, flushing slightly.

“Tell Jay what gave the Bat away,” Tony said, his smirk growing.

“...Dick has a very distinctive skill set, including a quadruple somersault. I saw him perform it the night his parents died,” Tim said. “Then I saw Robin perform the same somersault six years later. Very few people can execute that move and there was only one person in the world Robin’s age capable of pulling it off. So after figuring out that Dick Grayson was Robin, it was only logical to deduce that Bruce Wayne was Batman.”

It was quiet for a minute before Jason couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing, startling Tim and making Tony beam proudly.

“So Golden Boy was the one who gave it away,” Jason gasped, having to lean on U’s chassis, he was laughing so hard. “And I suppose, baby bird, that after that, it was only logical that I, Bruce Wayne’s next ward, was the second Robin?”

“Yes?” Tim said, looking unsure and confused now instead of tense.

“Oh, that’s priceless,” Jason snickered.

“That’s nothing,” Tony crowed. “Wait till you find out how Timmy became Robin.”

And Jason found himself genuinely interested. He hadn’t cared before, because it hadn’t mattered how he was replaced. All he’d known about his replacement - about Tim - was that he’d begun his Robin training 2 years after he’d died. 2 years… That had seemed like less time than he’d thought it was fresh out of the pit. Of course, then, being Robin had felt like it was just yesterday. It was amazing the perspective he was beginning to get after all the time he’d spent these last few months with Tony (and talking to Dr. Jane).

Jason gestured to the grungy couch where Tony usually passed out for the night if he was on an engineering binge in the lab, and they settled down to listen to Tim (with some antecedents from Tony) explain how he became Robin. He wasn’t sure he believed Tim when he described how bad Bruce - Batman - had been after Jason had died, even after Tony pulled up injury and incident reports from the GCPD’s database during the two years before Tim began his training. He didn’t want to believe because he still had a grudge against the Batman - he’d admitted as much to Dr. Jane during his last private session. He did wish, however, that he could have seen the look on both Bruce and Dickie’s faces after learning that a scrawny 12 year old knew who they were. He even admired the guts the kid had for putting on Jason’s old suit and taking on Two Face. The guy was known for being one of most dangerous criminals in Batman’s Rogues Gallery for a reason.

“I… I never wanted to replace you, Jason,” Tim said softly as he finished his story. “But Batman needed a Robin. I know that I’m nowhere near as good or as strong as you or Dick, but… I could only hope… it’s all that I can ever hope…that I am good enough . That I can do the role justice. That I can give Batman the kind of support he needs now, that he got from my predecessors.”

Aw hell. Now Jason really felt like shit. Especially when his eyes caught sight of the shiny new scar on the kid’s neck. He’d done that. He’d done that to a fourteen year old boy who hadn’t deserved the brunt of his anger. His rage. Bruce and Joker, he could still blame - did blame - but this kid was innocent. And so naive, with those bright blue eyes that shone with that spark of hope he’d so often caught glimpses of in the mirror when he was that age because being Robin was amazing. When Jason was still baffled and amazed that anyone could want him, the neglected orphan child of an abusive asshole criminal father, a drug addicted mom, and a traitorous bitch of a birth mother.

And according to Tony, the Drakes had been neglectful too. They’d been gone for long periods of time and often enough that their tiny kid was regularly able to sneak out at night with little to no problem to some of the worst parts of Gotham just to take pictures of Batman and Robin.

Jason could just imagine him. A tiny little boy who looked like he was 6-7 years old instead of the 8-9 year old he really was in a large baggy sweatshirt that hid his camera, crouching behind chimney stacks, water towers, on fire escapes, and in tiny crevices just to get that perfect snapshot… so tiny no one noticed him if he held still enough, especially when shit was going down and eyes were only tracking movement. How many times had Jason missed seeing Tim, even when the kid was right under his nose?

“Don’t worry, Jason,” Tony said, “just think of it this way. Even though you never suspected anything for the two years you were Robin, just remember that Bruce had been completely clueless for nearly four years.”

That was actually a good point and it made Jason snicker. So much for the World’s Greatest Detective.

“Please tell me you still have some of those pictures,” Jason said, looking at Tim. “I bet you’ve got some really good ones.”

“Uh, yeah,” Tim stammered. “I moved all of the hard copies here last summer.”

Tony hadn’t stopped beaming the entire time they’d been sitting on the couches. He jumped at the mention of Tim’s pictures and went to a spot in the wall that Jason had never realized was a safe. They spent the entire night looking through the photos, even the ones Tim had been reluctant to show Jason from his own Robin days.

Listening to the kid and watching him talk as he described what was going on in every picture was very informative. The kid had an Eidetic Memory like Tony so he could recall everything going on in each shot, and remembered how he’d managed to take it. It helped Jason remember a lot about his time as Robin when they went over his pictures. It was easier for him to remember the good times he’d had with Bruce and as Robin. He could remember the utter joy and elation he’d felt the first time he’d flown and patrolled the streets. Tim had captured him on his first night perfectly, his grin wide as he crested the apex of a swing, Batman’s shadow a dark protective blur behind him.

“Thank you for showing me these,” Jason said, smiling softly as he picked up a picture of him smoking a cigarette while in uniform alone on a rooftop across from the police station where the backlit outlines of Commissioner Gordon and Batman could be seen in front of the lit Batsignal.

“Sure,” Tim said, smiling hesitantly as he began to put away the photos. “You can keep these if you want. I still have the negatives and can always make new prints.

“Thanks. And...I’m...sorry, Tim,” Jason said, handing the picture back. “I… You…”

Damn it. Words were failing him. What could he say? Sorry for slitting your throat? Sorry that I wiped the floor with you in front of your little team of super friends?

“We can always start over,” Tim suggested softly, smile still hesitant, and Jason hated that his eyes kept returning to Tim’s throat. To that scar. He’d done that.

“I can’t promise that I won’t hurt you again,” Jason admitted. “I’m… several different sorts of fucked up.”

“But you’re getting better,” Tony said, encouragingly.

“I’m still an asshole,” Jason huffed.

“So am I,” Tony snorted. “And I doubt therapy is going to fix that.”

“Therapy?” Tim repeated, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline.

“Yeah, Pep’s got us seeing a shrink every Tuesday and Thursday,” Tony admitted before quickly adding, “I’m only putting up with it to help Jason.”

“Sure you are, old man,” Jason scoffed.

“You’ve got him attending regular therapy sessions… Jason, I’m honestly wondering whether or not I should hug you right now. I’ve been asking him to seek some sort of psychiatric help since he returned from Afghanistan,” Tim said.

“Hug him anyway,” Tony said. “Jayce needs as many hugs as you do and Dick’s not here to supply his personal brand of comfort.”

Jason and Tim both made a face at that.

“Still a hugger?” Jason asked. Granted, he hadn’t been on the receiving end of many Grayson hugs, but he’d seen how much of a cuddle monster Nightwing was from observing Dick and his team.

“Like an octopus,” Tim groaned. “It would be nice if he weren’t so…”

“Clingy?” Jason snickered.

“I was going to say opportunistic, but yeah, that too,” Tim laughed.

“Oh?”

“He hugged me every chance he got after my mother passed away, and he’s started up again, now that my father is awake from his coma and is preparing to move out of the hospital,” Tim sighed.

“Speaking of Jack, how is he?” Tony asked.

“Frustrated,” Tim sighed. “But is promising to be a better and more attentive father this time around. He’s moving us out of Drake manor and into a Brownstone that’s more handicap accessible. He’s currently in a wheelchair and will be unable to use the upstairs, meaning that it’s all my space for now.”

“Must make it easy for sneaking out at night to patrol,” Tony mused.

Tim hummed in agreement and as the two continued to talk more about Jack Drake, his condition, and the pretty physical therapist he was seeing, Jason tuned the conversation out and watched Tiny Nim pater through the tubing that ran along the back shop wall. Wingnut was on one of the wheels again in the habitat above the minibar and it looked like Babster was thinking of kicking him off. Again. DUM-E and U whirred fretfully when she did, but it make Jason chuckle. And apparently regain Tim and Tony’s attention.

“What’s so funny?” Tony asked.

“Babster kicked Wingnut off a wheel again. He’s totally sulking,” Jason smirked as he watched the two hamsters he may have named after Dick and Babs.

“Oh my God, are those hamsters?! When did you get hamsters?!” Tim cried.

“They’re part of Jason’s pet therapy,” Tony explained.

“Are not,” Jason scoffed. “Batster, maybe, but the others are totally your doing, Tony. You’re the one who said he must have been lonely.”

“Batster?” Tim repeated, looking like he was torn between laughing and being appalled.

“The Bastard Hamster,” Jason said, shrugging.

“Who may or may not be named after a certain bastard bat,” Tony added.

“Oh my God,” Tim laughed, sounding a touch hysteric - clearly on the verge of losing it. “Do I even want to know what you named the others? Just how many do you have?!”

“Five.”

Tim ended up near tears he was laughing so hard when Jason told him their names. He felt quite proud of himself. His replacement wasn’t so bad after all.

Author’s Note:

So this chapter was really emotionally draining for me to write at times (hence why it's taken me so long to post it). I have a lot of love and sympathy for Jason Todd's character, so I really wanted to give him that chance at recovery. If he came off as too OC, I apologize. I didn't want to make his recovery seem too easy, so that's why the chapter didn't stop after Tony gets Jason to agree to come out to Malibu, even though that was what I'd originally intended. That and I wanted Jason and Tony to grow close again and to give Jason and Tim a chance to meet outside of Gotham and being Red Hood and Robin. I hope that this chapter was believable and kind of fun (the hamster thing came out of nowhere). Because I want this to be a happier Batman and Avengers verse, Jason and Tony are getting the help they need. I really love the bond that has developed between these to characters and with Tim's.

Next chapter will be a little more happier (I hope) and go back to the sort of playful mood the earlier chapters of this fic. Cassandra Cane and Stephanie Brown are going to make their appearances soon and the hijinks promise to be a lot of fun. Granted, I don't know much about either character (having only seen them in the Red Robin comics and read other reader's interpretations of them in fan fics) so I hope to do at least an adequate job, but they will probably end up OC. :P Any advice and info you guys can tell me about the characters would be great, guys.

#Timmy Stark Verse #Jason Todd #tony stark #Tim Drake #pepper potts #Rhodey Rhodes

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