#The Seven Ancients are really happy that their good friend Bruce is back to his normal self | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

arrow-guy · 4 years

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Talk to Me

Original request from @scrawlingwithstyle: Here's a request I've been sitting on for a bit. ClintxReader; Clint is deaf and most people rely on his lipreading skills, but Reader knows some ASL from when her family thought her autistic younger sibling would never speak (they became vocal close to seven years old). They have secret conversations across the room, thinking no one else on the team understands. . . . They're wrong. Adjust however you like!

A/N: Okay, it’s taken probably close to a year to actually get around to this, but i kind of breezed through writing it? And it was a whole bunch of fun to finally put down in a document. I didn’t change much about your request, but I definitely added to it, and made it a little romantic? Idk if it’ll come off as romance, it’s kind of goofy (it’s Clint, there needs to be a goof somewhere.) I really hope you like it, though!!

Page dividers by @carryonmyswansong

Pairing: ClintxReader

Word Count: 5.5k

Warnings: None

“Are you sure about this, Bruce?” I ask. “Ross let me go as soon as you went AWOL. I haven’t worked with people like this in years.”

“Of course I’m sure! You were the best back in the day.”

“Back in the day,” I laugh. “You make it sound like we’re ancient.”

“We’re not as young as we used to be,” he says. “But that’s the point. You’ll bring some much needed experience to the table.”

“But I’m not a spy and I definitely don’t have any powers.”

“Trust me, (Y/N), superpowers are not all they’re cracked up to be, and both spies have long since ceased their spying activities.” I cock one eyebrow and he laughs. “For the most part.”

“Saying a spy stopped being a spy is like saying you misplaced the hulk.”

“Ah, very true.”

“I’ll do it, though.”

“You will?”

“Well I can’t very well leave you to fend for yourself, now can I? As it stands, I’m already a shitty friend, working together can’t hurt things.”

Bruce grins and grips my shoulder. “I’ll see you Monday, then.”

I roll my eyes, but can’t fight back my smile. “Do I need to pack a bag, or will I be allowed to go home at the end of the day?”

“Not sure yet. Might as well bring a change of clothes and a toothbrush just in case.”

“Alright, then. I’ll see you Monday.”

“I can’t believe you actually pulled it off, Banner,” Stark says. “You wrangled a counselor for the team?”

“What,” I say. “Like it was supposed to be hard?”

Bruce laughs and reaches out to place his hand on my shoulder. “I’ve known (Y/N) for just about as long as I can remember. I’m sure she’ll be a good fit.”

“As long as you can remember, huh?” I look past Captain Rogers and find a sandy haired man. He grins when I meet his eyes. “Just how long?”

I bob my head from side to side. “Somewhere between twenty years and most of our lives.”

He whistles. “Pretty long time, then.”

“Mhm.”

Bruce clears his throat. “I’m sure (Y/N) wants to see where she’ll be working, so I’ll just show her to her office.”

Everyone in the boardroom waves and Bruce leads me out of the room. As soon as we’re out in the hall I sigh and bow my head, finally able to let my shoulders relax.

“That was a lot.”

Bruce chuckles. “Trust me, it’ll either get worse or stay exactly the same as time goes on, depending on who you’re talking to.”

“The blond guy who spoke up, that’s Hawkeye, right?”

“Clint Barton, yeah.”

“Will I be seeing much of him?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t really know much about the guy. He seems pretty happy-go-lucky and stable most of the time, though.”

“Huh.” I shrug and hitch my bag a little higher on my shoulder. “You never know with some people.”

“True. I’m sure you’ll deal with him at least once more after this. He’s the curious type.”

“I guess I’ll have to look forward to that, then.”

Bruce hummed in agreement and leads me to the elevator bank and takes me down to what will eventually be my office. He gives me a basic rundown of the facilities and shows me which restroom is closest to my office. I ask for a baseline reading on everyone on the team and Bruce rattles off what he’s noticed about the main five.

“Steve will most likely drop by to make small talk, but it may take some time for him to open up in any way that counts. Tony will joke about therapy, but once he warms up to you it’ll be impossible to get him to leave.”

“Oof, that bad?”

“He’s long-winded.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to enforce appointments with him when he starts to take interest.”

“Probably wise.”

“And Natasha?”

“I doubt you’ll see much of her. She has her ways of working through her issues on her own.”

“Do they involve murder?”

“Don’t know, and I don’t care to.”

“Got it. None of our business. I’ll let her come to me if she needs anything.” I plop down behind my new desk. “What about Thor?”

“Who knows. He shows up when he wants and tends to be a pretty jovial guy.”

“Ah. Is there anyone else outside of the tower I can expect?”

“Wanda, Sam, and Rhodey will be around from time to time. If Steve has his way, Bucky will move in at some point, and Wanda is currently in the process of moving into the tower, so you may see her more after that. I’m not sure how often she’ll drop by. She’s fairly private due to her powers.”

“Energy manipulation, right?”

He nods. “That, and other mind tricks.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“But that just leaves Clint, and we’ve already gone over what you can expect from him.”

“It doesn’t just leave Clint, Bruce.” I fold my hands on the desktop. “I expect to see you in here at least once a week. Ideally twice.”

Bruce scowls. “(Y/N), you know how I feel about that.”

“Yeah, well, I listen to your opinions on that stuff when I’m just your friend. Now I’m your therapist, and you’re going to listen to me because I know what works for you. So I expect you to get your pasty ass in here when you’re scheduled.”

“You’re making appointments for me now?”

“Until I’m sure you’ll come to me on your own, yes.”

He rolls his eyes. “Fine. Send me the schedule. I’ll see you at my appointed time.”

“Wonderful.” I relax my shoulders, letting my professional mask slip. “Thanks for this, Bruce. I mean it.”

“I know you do.” He cracks a smile. “You’re the only person I trust to get to the root of our issues.”

“I appreciate that. I’ll try not to let you down.”

“Believe me, (Y/N), if anyone’s gonna let me down, it’ll be the team.” I laugh and he heads for the door. “I’ll see you later. Good luck with your first day.”

“Thanks, Bruce. I’ll see you later!”

“So, (Y/N),” Tony says, spreading out on the couch across from my chair. “What’s your deal?”

“My deal?”

“Yeah, what makes you tick? What motivates you to try and heal the fragile minds of the Avengers?”

“I’d say a decent paycheck is a pretty good motivator, Mr. Stark.”

He seems disappointed with my answer. “Is that it?”

“Well, that, and I want to make sure Bruce is doing alright. He’s struggled with therapy in the past, and I want to make sure he’s getting the kind of help that he needs.”

“I see.” He presses his lips together and folds his arms. “You’re not even curious about the rest of the team?”

“Of course I’m curious, but nothing discussed in this tower will be shared with anyone outside. I take my patients privacy very seriously.”

“You sure you don’t just fear for your life?”

“Living in New York, I fear for my life constantly. That doesn’t mean that I’m worried about getting merced if I get a little loose lipped outside of work.” I sigh and lean back in my chair. “That being said, I won’t be sharing your confidential information with anyone you haven’t specifically given authorized access to your records.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah. It’s almost like I’m a professional, right?”

He smiles. “I’m really starting to like you, (Y/N).”

“Then I guess I have a lot more of this to look forward to, then, don’t I?”

I laughs and hauls himself up from the couch. “We’ll see.”

I make a note of his response in my open document. “Sounds like a tentative yes to me, Mr. Stark, and I’ll be here so long as you deem my services necessary.”

He nods and exits my office. He leaves the door open.

“How are you liking it here so far, (Y/N)?”

“It’s been quiet, Captain Rogers. It’s a bit like pulling teeth trying to get anyone to make use of their resources.”

“I guess it would be. We’re a relatively private bunch.” He pauses a moment. “And, please, call me Steve.”

“Right, Steve. Is there anything that I can do for you today?” I ask. “It’s entirely alright if you just want to make small talk.”

“Oh, well, uh…” He awkwardly clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably on the couch. “I guess I just wanted to get a lay of the land.”

“I understand.” I glance around my office. “I should probably bring in some art and plants. Make it a little less sterile in here.”

Steve laughs. “That might help.”

I smile. “Maybe an area rug?”

He shrugs. “Whatever you think would be best.”

“I appreciate the creative freedom.” I close my laptop, set it to the side, and settle back in my chair. “Is there something on your mind, Steve?”

“No,” he says quickly. He immediately looks conflicted. “I… well, kind of.”

“Feel free to speak. Nothing you say will leave this office.”

“You hardly know me.”

I shrug. “I know how stressful this environment can be. And, while your team is very good at what they do, they’re also the ones who are causing your stress.”

“I don’t know if I’d say that.” I watch him chew the inside of his cheek. “I guess I’m just concerned that things might not get better, even when Bucky’s moved in.”

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t know. I’m worried that it might not be a good fit for him, or that the team won’t accept him, or that he might not even want to be around me.”

“Those are all valid concerns. Have you mentioned any of this to him?”

“God no. I don’t want to stress him out more than I already have with all of this moving business.”

“I might suggest bringing it up. He might be having similar worries himself, and, as helpful as it is to work towards what’s troubling you with me, I won’t be able to settle your nerves.”

“Maybe you’re right…”

“If nothing else, it might open up a new line of communication between the two of you, which couldn’t hurt.”

Steve stays for another hour, just talking. When he leaves, he asks if I want the door open or closed. I don’t give him a definite answer and he leaves it open, just a crack. I laugh and start on his profile.

Someone knocks on my door and I glance up from my paperwork to see Clint standing in the doorway.

“Mr. Barton,” I say. “I was wondering when I might see you.”

He shrugs. “Here I am.”

“After two weeks, I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

“If I was?”

“Then it’s none of my business.”

The corner of his mouth lifts in a smile. “I like that answer.”

I rise from my desk and gesture to the couch. He raises his eyebrows, but takes a seat anyway. I sit across from him and watch as he tries to decide just how he should sit. In the end, he leans heavily on his knees. Nothing about him is relaxed.

“I’m starting to think Bruce was wrong about you.”

“What’d the green bean tell you about me?”

“Nothing concrete,” I answer. “He just mentioned that you seem to have a positive outlook on things most of the time.”

He snorts. “Great.”

“Mmm, I see. It’s a facade, then?”

He frowns and presses a finger to his right ear. “Could you say that again?”

“I said, it’s a facade, then?”

“Sometimes.”

I nod. “Interesting.”

He barks out a laugh. “Yeah, interesting.”

I watch him look around the room, examining the art on the walls and the stacks of paper on my desk. When he turns his head to the left, I notice his purple earpiece and something suddenly clicks. He tilts his head to the side when he sees me staring.

“What?”

“Would it be easier if we signed?” I ask, signing along as I speak.

He looks surprised. “You sign?”

I laugh. “Yes. My little brother is on the Autism spectrum. When he was a kid, he was almost entirely nonverbal. Mom taught him sign, and the rest of the family learned along with him.”

“That must’ve been really nice for him.”

“It was nice to be able to communicate with him when he couldn’t vocalize what he wanted to say. He eventually started speaking when he was about seven, though.”

“And you still held onto the signing skills?”

“Of course! It’s not like he just, bam, started talking. It was a long process, and he still has nonverbal days sometimes.” Clint starts to actually smile and it warms my heart. “It’s come in handy in my particular line of work too. Deaf and hard of hearing folks need counsellors and therapists too.”

“Which brings the topic of conversation back to me.” He shakes his head and leans back against the couch and signs, “You’re a tricky one, (Y/N).”

“I’m not tricky!”

“Then what?”

“I’m accommodating.” I speak again, but continue to sign along. “You don’t have to tell me everything, or anything, really. But I’m here to help, if you need me.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, Clint. Any time.”

“Seems like you and Clint are getting close,” Bruce says.

“I don’t know what you mean, man.”

“He’s in here all the time, (Y/N). There’s no way Barton needs therapy five times a week.”

“It’s not always about therapy, Bruce. I strive to make my office a safe space where everyone knows that they can speak freely. He knows that he can come here and chill out without worrying about the rest of the team.”

“Barton doesn’t really worry about anything, though.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

Bruce stares at me, eyes narrowed, and snaps his fingers. "You like him."

I roll my eyes. "I do not like him, Bruce. And you're not even here to talk about Clint, you're here to work on yourself and managing your stress levels."

He rolls his eyes. "I'm sure there's something we could talk about aside from me."

I sigh and hold my head in my hands. "I've been here for two months. I haven't been around long enough to form anything more than tentative relationships with the rest of the team. I'm more concerned about whether or not they can open up to me than I am with my love life."

“Right,” Bruce clears his throat.

“Thank you.” He looks thoroughly ashamed and I have to laugh. “I appreciate the interest, but it’s just not something that you need to worry about.”

“No, I understand.” He smiles and shrugs. “I guess I just miss having that easy rapport with you.”

“I mean, we still have that, Bruce. It’s just not something that I want to talk about in the workplace. It’s one thing to shoot the shit over lunch on a Saturday, it’s another to discuss my patients with another patient, all of whom are my coworkers.”

“I didn’t think about it like that.”

I smile. “It’s fine. Did you want to pick up where we left off on Tuesday?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“(Y/N)?”

I’m startled by the woman in the doorway. “Ms. Romanoff?”

She shakes her head and steps into my office. “As long as you’re not a government official, it’s just Natasha.”

“Ah, right.” I sit a little straighter in my chair. “What can I do for you, Natasha?”

“Clint’s said you’ve helped him a lot.”

“I don’t know about that. We just talk. He does all the helping.”

“I figured you’d say that.” She moves quickly across the room and takes a seat on the couch. “I’d like to talk to you, if you have the time.”

“Oh.” I scramble up from my desk to sit across from her. “What about?”

“I need help working through a recent case.”

“Are you sure I’m qualified for that?”

“Well, you said Clint does all the helping. Maybe what I need is a sounding board.”

“Fair enough. Where are you caught up?”

Natasha rattles off the details of a recent mission. I do my best to follow her, but she loses me when she starts explaining the intricacies of a piece of Hydra technology they discovered. Eventually, she perks up, almost looking like she wants to jump up from her seat and run from the room.

“I think I’ve got it.”

“That’s great!”

She calmly gets to her feet and walks to the door. “Thank you, (Y/N).”

I shake my head. “It was my pleasure.”

“Even so, you helped me.” She flashes me an unexpected smile. “I appreciate that.”

“It’s not a problem, Natasha. I hope that we can speak again at some point.”

She nods and heads for the door. “I’ll see you around.”

In the hall I hear, “Oh, hey, Nat.” and Clint pokes his head in soon after.

I smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He leans in the doorway and folds his arms. “What’d Nat dump on you?”

“Doctor patient confidentiality, Barton,” I say. “I can’t tell you.”

His arms fall to his side and he dramatically slumps into the room. “I thought you trusted me!”

I laugh. “I do trust you, Clint. But it’s not my information to give.” He drapes himself across the couch and grins at the sight of me fighting back my smile. “If it were, Bruce would have full access to what we talk about in our sessions.”

“That’s private information, (Y/N)!” He laughs. “I see your point.”

“Good.”

“Did you want to grab lunch later? That weird little cafe down the street started serving some kind of coffee burger.”

“Ugh, and you want to eat that?”

“(Y/N), it’s a coffee burger.”

“With all the heinous shit you put in your body, it’s a wonder you’re still alive.”

“If you think I’m bad, you should meet my dog.”

“Is that an offer?”

“Maybe.” He shrugs. “Guess you’ll have to stick around long enough to find out.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s been four months, Clint. If I haven’t run for the hills yet, I’m pretty sure it’s not gonna happen for a while yet.”

Something twinkles in his eyes. “That’s good to hear. I was worried I might scare you off.”

“If anyone were to scare me off, it’d be Tony.” I shake my head. “That man is a handful.”

“What happened to patient confidentiality?”

“Since when is Tony being a handful a secret?” He laughs and I relax in my seat. “But, yeah, I’ll get lunch with you.”

“Really?”

“Someone has to make sure you don’t keel over from physically eating coffee.”

“Oh come on! It’s not like they solidified the coffee and stuck it on a bun!”

“How do you know they didn’t? Maybe they turned the coffee into jello, passed it through a meat grinder, and threw it on a griddle.”

His face scrunches up in disgust. “Ugh, that’d just be burnt coffee.”

“I’ve watched you drink an entire pot of burnt coffee.”

“Desperate times, (Y/N). They call for desperate measures.”

I sigh and shake my head. ”I guess it’s fine, so long as you’re not addicted to caffeine pills.”

“Those don’t do anything for me.”

“That’s terrifying.”

He laughs, hauls himself up from the couch, and offers me a hand. “Shall we?”

“Shall we what?”

“Head out for lunch.”

“Now? I thought you said later.”

“It’s been like five minutes. It’s later now.”

I laugh. “I can’t just go now. I have an appointment with Steve in twenty minutes. We can leave after that.”

He pouts. “Fine.”

“Don’t give me that look, Clint!”

He sighs and trudges towards the door. “I guess I’ll just have to make a reservation for one thirty.”

“That’d be great.”

He flashes a brilliant smile before disappearing out into the hall. I shake my head and move back to my desk.

“That man is gonna get me in trouble.”

“I thought you said you weren’t involved with Clint?”

“I’m not, Bruce.”

“Then what’s this?” He places his phone on my keyboard.

I pick up the phone and find an article titled “Hawkeye’s New Flame, or Just a Fling?” pulled up. A picture of Clint and I at lunch the other day sits just below a paragraph speculating who I could be. I snort and hand him his phone.

“Clint and I went to lunch. That’s all.” I sit back and fold my arms. “What’s the problem, Bruce?”

“I don’t want you getting dragged into some kind of media storm because you work with us.”

“It’s one article!”

“There’s at least four more like it that I’ve seen.”

“I’m not worried about it, Bruce. Clint just went out for lunch and some pap caught us talking. That’s it. There’s nothing more to it, but I can’t stop people from talking.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal with it.”

“No one should have to deal with anyone plastering their personal life all over the internet, but you know what? I’d rather get caught out in public with Clint than Tony.” I laugh. “Can you imagine the shitstorm that’d kick up if that happened?”

Bruce tries not to laugh. “I guess you’re right.”

“It was bound to get out that the Avengers brought in a counsellor at some point. It’s better that it’s like this instead of some media outlet picking up a rumor and deciding that you’re all unstable.”

“Well…”

“I’m not saying you’re the most sane bunch, but that’s no one’s business but yours. Regardless, don’t worry about this. It’ll be fine.”

“Alright.” He pockets his phone. “You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”

“Of course I would, Bruce. If something comes up, I’ll let you know.”

I sit on the floor of the gym and lift the collar of my shirt to wipe the sweat from my face.

Clint plops down on the floor beside me and tips his head to the side.

“Definitely didn’t expect to find you in here,” he says.

“What, I can’t work out?” I groan and lay back. “Ugh.”

“You okay?”

“No. I knew I should’ve just stuck to the treadmill.”

“What’d you do to yourself?”

“Weights.”

He laughs. “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know. Is wanting to be able to lift a very large dog a good reason?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a bad reason.” He lays beside me and props himself up on his elbow. “I could help you, if you want.”

“I don’t know how I feel about being all sweaty gross around you.”

He pokes my stomach and I laugh and shift away. “I don’t know, (Y/N), sweaty’s the new sexy.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.” I laugh and scrunch my nose. “Also kind of gross.”

“Sweet and kind of gross, I think you’ve pretty much summed me up perfectly.” I laugh so hard that I snort and he grins. “So, do you want help working out?”

I press my fist to my mouth to quiet my giggling. “If you’re willing to, I really would appreciate it.”

“Then it’s a done deal.” I thank him and his smile softens. “Sorry about those articles last week, by the way.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“I should’ve warned you, at least. I’m used to it, but you didn’t sign up for pap shots and gossip columns when you took this job.”

I scowl. “Honestly, Clint. If you’re not gonna read my lips, read my hands. It’s totally fine. I don’t care. I had a nice time at lunch. A few dumb articles won’t change that.”

“You mean that?”

“Well, yeah. I like spending time with you outside of all of this,” I say, gesturing to the tower in general. “With, y’know, no expectations of maintaining all of the professional bullshit.”

“Pretty sure you’re the most professional one here.”

“Thanks, I’m glad that comes across in the day to day, but do you understand what I’m saying? Like I genuinely do not care about what a shitty news outlet says. At the end of the day, the only opinions that matter are ours.” I sigh and settle on the floor. “Sorry.”

“Sounds like we’re not the only ones who need therapy.”

I hum. “Maybe I do.”

“No shame in it.”

I smile at him. “I know.” I sit up and get to my feet. “It’s getting late, I should head out.”

“You’re in tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll be around till noon. I’ve got a wedding later in the day.”

“Not yours, right?”

I laugh. “No, definitely not mine.”

“Cool,” He smiles up at me. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Since when do we have staff meetings?” Clint asks.

“Since we brought on a counselor,” Tony says.

I frown. “I’ve been here six months and I’ve never been to any kind of meeting.”

“I’m going to ignore the fact that you brought that up and just keep moving with the meeting.”

I snort and shoot Clint a look. He laughs and signs for me to stop. I wave him off and turn my attention back to the head of the table.

Tony rambles on for about half an hour before Steve cuts in and the two of them start going back and forth. They bicker for twenty minutes before Thor swans in, greeting everyone with his bright, booming voice. I was stuck in my office the last time he was on Earth, so our paths never had a chance to cross. Steve takes a moment to introduce the two of us and Thor vigorously shakes my hand, unintentionally jostling me around the whole time. He takes his seat on the other side of Bruce and the conversation picks up again.

I catch Clint’s eye twitching in my peripheral when Thor speaks a little too loudly. I gesture to get his attention and he raises his eyebrows when he meets my eyes.

“You good?” I sign.

He nods. “Can’t pay attention to save my life in these meetings.”

“I’ve never known anyone to compliment your attention span.”

He mouths, “Oh, ha ha,” and I laugh.

“You’re mean, (Y/N).”

“And here I thought you liked me.”

“Never said I didn’t.” He grins. “The way things are going, I’d say you’re probably just my type.”

I shake my head and hide my smile behind my hand. “Stop.”

“Aw, you're cute when you're embarrassed." I flip him off and he laughs. “That's a compliment!"

I snort. “Pay attention, Clint.”

We manage to make it through another hour and, by that time, someone has turned off the lights and started giving a presentation. I fold my arms on the table and rest my chin on top and beg myself to stay awake through this meeting. I’m sure it’ll only be a little while longer.

Clint’s hand creeps into my line of sight and he taps the table to get my attention. I shoot him a quizzical look and he lifts his eyebrows.

“You still with us?” he signs.

“No.”

“It’s going longer than I thought it would.”

“I’m honestly about to fall asleep.”

“Aw, (Y/N), no.”

“This is how I go out. Avenge me, Clint.”

“No!”

“It’s your job. You have to.”

“But who will help me through the trauma?”

I cover my mouth to muffle my laughter. “I’d be dead, that’s none of my concern.”

He shakes his head. “And you call yourself my friend.”

Natasha clears her throat, startling me away from the conversation. I try to pay attention to the presentation, but I just can't wrap my head around what they're talking about and Clint easily distracts me again.

"Quick question."

Surprised, I sign, "Shoot."

"Would you want to go out with me?"

My brain stops working for a second. "Wait, what?"

"I said, will you go out with me?"

My heart hammers in my chest. "Like as friends, or on a date?"

He sighs. "We've been hanging out as friends for months now. I'm asking you on a date, stupid."

My face heats and I sit back in my seat. “Oh.”

He laughs. “Did I break you?”

“A little.” I frown.

“Just say yes!”

Startled, I glance up the table, only to find Natasha glaring at Clint and I. Everyone is looking at us and I suddenly want to disappear.

“What’s the problem?” Steve asks.

“I’m sick of watching the two of them flirt with each other,” Natasha says. “You’ve been mooning over each other for months. Just say yes and be done with it.”

“Nat, they haven’t said a single thing since the beginning of the meeting.”

“They’ve been signing at each other the entire meeting.” She looks directly at me and signs, “I see everything.”

“Sorry.”

“Just say yes.” She looks very pointedly between Clint and I. “You’d be good together.”

“I thought you said you didn’t like him!” Bruce says.

“That was months ago, Bruce. Things change.”

“Don’t be hard on her,” Natasha says. “Clint’s an acquired taste.”

“I’m just gonna, um…” I gesture to the door. “I’m just gonna go.”

I see Tony and Steve nod and I shove my chair back from the table and make my escape. The door shuts behind me, and I’m free. I sigh, relieved to be free of the weight of everyone’s eyes on me, only for the embarrassment of having my crush exposed to my coworkers to settle deep in my stomach.

I press my fingertips to my temples and walk down the hallway. “I knew he was gonna get me in trouble.”

I make the decision to just go back to my office. Maybe I can at least get some work done or, at the very least calm down. I turn as the elevator doors close and catch a glimpse of the conference door opening at the end of the hall. I shift slightly so that it’s not in my line of sight.

The elevator ride feels like it’s too long and I immediately flop down on my couch as soon as I’m in my office. I can't get comfortable and shift around until I'm upside down with my legs over the back of the conch, staring at the ceiling. I press the heels of my hands over my eyes and groan out of frustration.

“I left without even answering him,” I mutter.

The door suddenly opens and I freeze, pulling my hands away from my face, waiting for whoever it is to announce themselves.

"(Y/N)?"

"Clint?" I try to sit up and smack my head on the edge of the coffee table. "Shit."

"Are you okay?" he asks.

I rub my forehead and sit up a little more carefully. "I'll live."

He takes a seat on the coffee table and watches intently as I sit upright on the couch and face him. He reaches out and gently touches my forehead, only to jerk his hand back when I wince.

"Sorry."

"Don't, it's fine."

"Okay." He sighs softly and shuffles awkwardly on the table. He stills when I touch his knee and takes my hand in his. "I'm sorry about the meeting. I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that."

"Honestly, Clint, you don't need to apologize," I murmur. "I got flustered and then embarrassed when everyone else got involved."

"I know. I probably like pushing your buttons a little too much."

"That's not it."

"But I do push your buttons."

"Yeah, but only 'cause I let you." He smiles and I squeeze his hand. "But I'm a deeply private person. To have Natasha butt in like that, no matter the good she meant by it, really set me on edge."

"I had no idea."

"I don't feel like I have to keep everything close to my chest when I’m with you. You tease me, but it’s never from a place of malice and you know me well enough that you never take it too far.”

“I mean, you give as good as you get.” He doesn’t meet my eyes as he runs his thumb over my knuckles. “But still. I should’ve just asked in private, but you know me.”

“Yeah. You’re sweet, but kind of stupid sometimes. More than a little impulsive. And way too fond of coffee.”

“Aw, I thought that was endearing!” He smiles when I laugh. “The invitation still stands, but you don’t have to say yes.”

“What’re you talking about?” He meets my eyes and I shake my head. “I’m not about to turn you down. You haven’t introduced me to your dog yet.”

“Oh, I get it, you only want me for Lucky.”

“Mhm.”

He shakes his head and kneels on the floor in front of me. “Shoulda known.”

“I know, I’m pure evil.” He grins and takes my face in his hands. “I should be fired, right?”

“Without a doubt.”

I hum softly and lean forward to bump my nose against his. After a moment’s hesitation, Clint closes the distance between us and gently kisses me. I place one hand on his forearm and tilt my head to the side to kiss him back. He smiles against my lips and pulls away, his eyes flitting over my face.

“So… about that dog.”

I have no idea what would happen to them after that, but I’d like to think they’re having a great time, petting dogs and continuing to mess with each other, all whilst falling in love.

I’d love to know what you guys thought of this little one shot. Did you love it, did you hate it? Did you breathe out through your nose a little bc you kind of laughed but also didn’t? Be sure to like, reblog, comment, or shoot me an ask and tell me all about it!

If you’d like to be tagged in future fics, please let me know!

Tag list:

@ghostlyhamlet, @claws-of-vibranium, @creaturefeatures101, @buckysendoftheline, @imagine-assembling-the-avengers, @ptprocrastination, @1950schick, @amayasymone23, @arfrona-and-marvel, @ek823, @fanaticfangirl001, @furrywerewolfcollector, @kissofvenom922, @dawn-phantomhive, @fangirlwithasweettooth, @mairhof1, @starryeyesbadguys, @trap-house-homiecide, @buckywhitewolfbarnes, @kaepm981, @howdoesoneadult, @pcdmesamidala, @thefandomplace, @sian22redux, @skeletoresinthebasement, @lady-thor-foster, @jazzcutie, @gaytonystark, @geeksareunique, @nyxveracity, @breezy1415, @feelmyroarrrr, @darling-loki, @lemonadeorange73, @princess-unicorn124, @hermionie-is-my-queen, @tofeartheunknown, @queenoftheunderdark, @avengerscompound

#clint bartonxreader #readerxclint barton #clint barton x reader #reader x clint barton #clintbartonxreader #readerxclintbarton #clint barton #hawkeye #reader insert marvel fic #my perfect birdie boy

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i-am-a-bad-influence-writes · 3 years

Text

Boys are raised to be men. Part 1 - Two broken people

Series Masterlist - Bucky Masterlist - Full Masterlist

Summary: Things are different outside the city. When Bucky moves out of the city to live closer to his father’s best friend, Steve, he meets a peculiar girl from a strange family. She’s loved by everyone in the village and like him, she’s missing a limb. And, to Bucky’s surprise, she’s determined to make him part of her life.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word count: 2377

Author’s note: I am not disabled and I couldn’t ever imagine what it’s like. If you have anything to not about that aspect of the story, please send me a message so I can fix possible mistakes or misunderstandings in upcoming chapters. Also, let me know if you want to be tagged in future updates.

‘Good morning mister and misses Rogers.’ You smile and wave at your next-door neighbors who are enjoying the warm spring sun on their porch. In your hand is a plate of cookies. You have always liked baking and often bring a plate to your neighbors on Sunday so they have something to enjoy with their tea after attending church. You would join them at church but you are simply not religious and you can’t stand the pastor in this town. He’s a dick and after his son spent the night in your bed once, you can’t look him in the eye.

‘Morning Y/n,’ Steve replies with a smile. His wife, Peggy, gets up from her seat and shuffles inside to get another cup. She does this every Sunday. Well, she’s been doing this every Sunday ever since a few months. It seems her memory is declining quite rapidly but Steve doesn’t mind reminding her to do mundane tasks. He’s as happy as can be. From what he’s told you, their love story hasn’t been sunshine and butterflies at all. He was nearly killed in the war and just barely survived. When he came back, Peggy was engaged to another but they still found each other in the end. It’s beautiful. You could only hope to marry a man as kind as Steve, who will look at you like he still has a crush on you. Because damn, Steve looks at Peggy like he’s a schoolboy with a crush, like she’s the most beautiful woman in the world, like she’s the only woman in the world. It’s wonderful. You’ve seen that look on Tony’s face when he looked at your mother and you’ve been seeing it more and more from him when Pepper comes around. ‘How have you been Y/n,’ Steve asks, patting the chair next to him to gesture you to sit down on the straw chair. You put the plate on the table and take a seat. The chair barely budges under you even though the thing looks ancient. Good craftsmanship. ‘I’m doing well,’ you say with a smile, ‘I might not be a Christina but I do think the Lord has put an angel on my shoulder.’ ‘Well, you know we pray for you and Peter,’ Steve tells you with a gentle smile, ‘you deserve happiness after everything.’ Peggy steps back outside and shuffles her way over to you two. And of course, in true Peggy fashion, she’s heard everything. ‘I agree,’ she says as she puts the third teacup down on the table with shaky hands, ‘you two are wonderful children.’ Steve smiles at his wife and holds her hand to help her sit down comfortably, only turning back to you when he’s made sure she’s properly seated. ‘Say, how’s that man of yours? Ehm, Samuel, was it not?’ Steve nudges you like you’re two teenagers gossiping. You chuckle and shake your head. ‘Sam and I are still friends,’ you tell him, ‘nothing is ever going to happen between the two of us.’ ‘Maybe you should try living in the city if you’re not interested in the men here,’ Peggy suggests as she does every Sunday but you are perfectly content here. You’ve always liked the little life you’re living. You don’t need and don’t like the big fancy cars, busy streets, and small apartments. ‘I’d rather stay here,’ you shrug, ‘and there are enough people to choose from here.’ ‘Let’s go down the list of potential suitors for a second,’ Steve suggests but he’s not really interested in your opinion. He just wants to know who is with who and what the drama is. He just wants to know about the “youngsters.” Youngsters being people in their mid to late twenties. ‘First up, Thor Odison.’ ‘Lovely guy but he’s in love with Jane. You know, the farmer’s daughter.’ ‘Oh, those two are never going to work out,’ Peggy chimes in, ‘she’s way too much of an individual for him.’ ‘Agreed,’ Steve nods, ‘Loki Laufeyson?’ ‘No way,’ you laugh, ‘that man is a trickster. He’s a great friend but I could never date him.’ Peggy shrugs at Steve’s confused look. ‘Okay, that’s fair,’ Steve agrees with a sigh, ‘Natasha Romanoff?’ ‘She’s dating Bruce Banner. Besides, you do remember she’s my ex, right?’ ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Steve says with a sultry look and pats you on the shoulder for a second. ‘Don’t you work at her flower shop?’ Peggy looks quite confused as she asks you about it. ‘Yes, we’re still friends. We just came to the conclusion that we weren’t going anywhere. She’s great but just not for me,’ you explain. ‘How about the Maximoff twins? They seem like something you’d be interested in,’ Peggy asks. ‘They’re fine but Wanda is already dating Vision and Pietro, well, he’s cute but not quite my type,’ you explain but there’s a blush pulling up on your cheeks. Steve picks up on it right away. ‘Is that so? Didn’t I see Pietro sneak out of your house a few weeks ago?’ He grins, sipping on his tea. Gosh, for being elderly the two are awfully gossipy. ‘We’re not talking about those kinds of endeavors on the day of the Lord,’ you say to try and laugh it off while simultaneously admitting to Steve’s indication. Steve seems satisfied with this answer but Peggy seems lost in thoughts. ‘What about Bucky?’

‘Dad! Did you know we have a new neighbor,’ you yell into the house from the hallway while kicking off your shoes and hanging your jacket most hastily. You walk into the living room to see Tony sitting on the couch with a rugged-looking man. The man only has one arm, which has her surprised for a second but she isn’t one to stare as she is also missing part of a limb. Besides, there’s enough else to stare at. This man is a gift. His hair is a tad bit long and he has a bit of scruffy facial hair. And his lips. There’s something about his lips. The corners look upturned at any given moment. It makes him look friendly and approachable. You are certain he either is or used to be quite the ladies’ man. For a short second, you get lost in his icy blue eyes. Wow. Just wow. This man is beautiful. ‘I do know,’ Tony says a bit annoyed at your loud entrance, ‘Y/n, this is James Barnes. James, this is my daughter, Y/n Parker.’ James looks a bit confused at the introduction as his eyes flicker from you to Tony until you shake hands. He doesn’t ask about the difference between the names though. ‘So you’re Bucky?’ He nods at your question. ‘Would you prefer I call you Bucky or James?’ ‘Bucky. Thanks for asking.’ A faint smile appears on his face. ‘He’s already met Peter,’ Tony tells you to explain the confusion on his face earlier. ‘Ah,’ you chuckle, ‘I understand. We aren’t the most usual bunch.’ ‘James- I’m sorry, Bucky here is from the city.’ Tony completely brushes away the whole conversation and hops right into a new topic as you take a seat next to Bucky. ‘Why’d you decide to move somewhere so boring?’ Bucky seems hesitant in answering but something tells you it has a lot to do with his missing limb. You can tell by the way he’s slowly retreating into his jacket. ‘You don’t have to tell me,’ you assure him, ‘I don’t mind.’ ‘Thank you,’ he smiles gratefully and sits up a little straighter again like bricks have been lifted off his shoulders. You can’t help but wonder if your dad was interrogating him up until now. The poor man must’ve been stressed out of his mind. ‘So what do you do, Bucky?’ Tony asks it while he gets up from the couch, making his way over to the kitchen to get the grocery list you put on the fridge whenever you need something. After all, you made a deal yesterday. You cook, he gets groceries. ‘Not much these days,’ Bucky admits, ‘I used to be in the army.’ Ah, that answers a lot of questions. ‘Sow hat do you do to pass the time,’ you ask as you hear the front door close. Of course Tony wouldn’t tell you he was leaving. He’s just glad you took the unexpected guest off his hands. ‘I paint,’ he tells you, looking slightly more at ease now that Tony left, ‘I’m not great but it’s a nice way to pass the time and get some emotions out.’ ‘You’ll have to show me sometime,’ you say with a wink. It catches Bucky off guard. Did you just flirt with him? ‘Would you like some more tea?’ ‘Oh, no, I’m good,’ Bucky says and quickly gets up, ‘I only came by to introduce myself.’ You nod and get up to show him out. You notice he’s still wearing his shoes even though you never wear shoes inside the house. Tony probably felt bad about asking him to take them off so he didn’t. You watch him step outside but you just can’t let him walk away. He’s just too… Wow, he’s too beautiful for you to let him walk away. ‘If you don’t have anything to do tonight. Most of us hang out at the pub downtown every Sunday around seven pm.’ Bucky isn’t sure what to say and you feel obligated to keep talking. ‘It’s just a bunch of stupid people getting drunk but it’s fun’ And now you’re oversharing but Bucky doesn’t seem to mind. He shows a friendly smile but doesn’t look too sure of what to say. ‘You don’t have to but if you want to, I’ll leave here at seven,’ you tell him, ‘so I guess I’ll see you around?’ He smiles and nods to you. You close the door as he walks down to the house next door. Old man Steve’s house. ‘Ah, Bucky, how do you like the Parkers?’ Steve calls out to him before he can make it down their driveway. Bucky and Steve go back a long way. Bucky’s father was good friends with Steve and the man had always been like a backup dad to him. So when his father passed and he got overwhelmed in the city, the next best option was to go look for Steve. ‘They’re a strange bunch,’ Bucky admits, ‘but the girl, Y/n, she’s really sweet. She invited me to the pub.’ ‘You better go punk,’ Steve says in a tone that’s close to warning, ‘you won’t get a better offer to meet the youngsters in town.’ ‘Youngsters? From what you told me, they’re all nearing their thirties.’ ‘You know what I mean,’ Steve argues and waves it off. Bucky takes a seat with Steve on the porch, the chair creaking under his mass. ‘So what’s up with that family? I mean, I know of Stark industries but I never expected to find Tony Stark in a small town like this.’ ‘It’s not my place to tell you.’ Steve looks pained as he says it and it surprises Bucky. Sure, three people living in a house that don’t all share the same last name, there’s a story there. But Steve’s reaction makes him think it’s more than that. ‘Those three have been through a lot. They aren’t related by blood but they’re more of a family than most others down here.’ Bucky gazes over his shoulder at the house next door and watches as the door to the Parker residence opens and the two siblings come running out. The two are like spitfire as Y/n chases Peter for something that doesn’t seem to matter much to them judging by the smiles on their face. ‘I can see that.’ Then, suddenly, they hear Y/n yelp and she falls in the grass in front of their house. She lets a string of muffled curses fall from her mouth as her brother runs up to her. The two seem to be concerned about her leg. Steve tries to call Bucky back but he’s already running up to them. Peter sees him coming and tells him they’re fine but Bucky doesn’t want to go back to Steve. Instead, he kneels down next to Y/n. ‘Hey, are you okay?’ She doesn’t look at him. His eyes fall to the strange picture in front of him. It looks like her leg has been snapped in half at the knee but last time Bucky checked, ankles aren’t made from metal. ‘Yeah, fine,’ she grumbles as she pulls her flared jeans up to her mid-thigh to reveal the prosthetic that came off, ‘it just got stuck and I tripped.’ She grabs the metal leg and pushes it back into place like it’s nothing. Something stirs inside Bucky. “She’s like me,” he thinks, “she’s broken too.” But he doesn’t speak. He understands now why Steve tried to call him back and why Peter tried to tell him it was fine. He wouldn’t want help either. Because when you’re broken, people feel the need to treat you like a child, like you can’t do anything on your own, like you’re not a grown adult with a brain. You lost a limb, not your brain. ‘I’m sorry, I was worried you hurt yourself,’ he says softly and offers his hand to help her up but she politely declines and gets up herself. ‘It’s fine,’ she huffs and pushes her smile back on her face, ‘did you make up your mind about tonight?’ He smiles back at her. ‘Yeah, I’d love to join you. Steve wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I declined.’ ‘You know him well, right?’ ‘Yeah, he used to be friends with my dad.’ ‘Explains the pictures on the fireplace,’ she teases, ‘and all the stories.’ ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Bucky groans, letting his arm drop to his side, ‘please tell me these friends of yours aren’t close to Steve.’ ‘Just Sam but I think you’ll like him,’ she tells him, ‘he’s the same kind of chaotic as you.’ She pats his shoulder and walks back to her house, Peter following her closely behind. ‘Great, just great,’ Bucky sighs.

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goldandbluesmiles · 4 years

Text

Gotham’s Keeper

Summary: Magic lived in Everyone. Or the one where was chosen as Gotham's Keeper at birth.

Part 1 of a Series.

TW: There is mention of miscarriage. And there more moments when Bruce doesn’t really like himself. Mention of jumping off a building.

AO3

XXX

Magic lived in everyone.

From the tiniest hum under their skin, like the one Bruce heard from his mother when he cuddled with her, to the more visible and stronger kind that Alfred wielded with precision. Magic lived in everybody and once you were a certain age, it finally came alive.

Not that it was asleep before. It just wasn't...connected. Even then, most children knew what their magic was going to be like. The little girl who could make animals happy with just a touch knew she would be a healer. The little boy who's magic sounded in his laugh and one day would weave itself in his voice, even if it was too weak to do anything other then sing fussy babies to sleep.

Bruce could never understand his own magic though. It thrummed in his body, loud and fiery, with no way or direction. It did seem to want to teach or push or even lay down. It was just there like...like it was waiting.

Waiting for what? Little Bruce wondered for the first time after his fifth birthday when he had finally put into words the feeling that his magic gave him.

His mom smiled at him when he mentioned it, her omega scent of honey and apples wrapping around him.

"You will figure it out, sweetheart," she told him, "Everyone eventually does,"

His dad ruffled his hair and nodded, "Don't worry son. Your mother is right. Everything has its place, so does your magic,"

Relieved by his parents' reassurance, Bruce leaned into the Alpha, letting himself be surrounded by his scent of burnt cinnamon and smoke.

(Years later he would have a little boy who would tell Bruce that he smelled like smoked apples and honey)

XXX

He's seven years old and the magic is still twirling under his skin. By now he knows it's normal.

No, not like the majority. That means it's different from the rest.

But everything has its place. That's what his dad always says and Bruce believes him. So, he goes to the library and looks through books he shouldn't be able to understand and ignores the soft whisper at the back of his head that becomes louder every day.

(One day he would whisper back)

XXX

There two gunshots in an alley, two bodies, scattered pearls and Bruce can no longer ignore the voice in his head.

He knows better than to give in to it though.

Not yet.

(He does eventually. It's the best thing and the worst thing)

XXX

Alfred thinks he's mourning and coping. Leslie thinks it's s good hobby. Lucius is worried but thinks he understands the isolation.

They're all wrong.

Bruce devoured ancient texts after ancient texts hidden among normal libraries, seen as commodities and fairytales.

The magic doesn't say that though, but then not everybody had Bruce's magic so maybe they just didn't notice.

Everything had its place, that's what his dad had said and Bruce will find his place, no matter what.

(He does)

XXX

He's eleven, a grade ahead of kids his age and standing at the edge of a building. The jump might kill a normal person, it might not.

It won't kill him though. He's not trained yet, not the way the magic wants him to be but he knows the magic needs him and he knows the magic is alive, more alive than the most alive magic out there. It'll save him from that.

The Alpha behind him doesn't know that though.

"You not gonna jump, are you?" she asked

"No," he said as he turned around. She was pretty, about his height, with dark brown- almost black- curls, nice green eyes and olive skin. She took a good look at his face and her eyes widened.

"Bruce Wayne," she said, "What are you doing here?"

He could lie. He could tell a dozen different falsehoods that would fit a rich boy like him standing where he stood.

Instead, he told none of them.

"Three years ago my parents died here," he tells her and she nods with sympathy. Everyone knows the story of the fallen Waynes after all.

"I'm Selina," she said, "Want me to stand with you?"

That was unexpected.

"Sure," he told her

She stood with him and for some unexplainable reason, he felt them connect.

(Many years later, he would have a family, and she would still stand with him and he won't understand completely but he'd understand enough.)

XXX

He was fifteen and sitting in the precinct while Jim Gordon looked at him with tired eyes.

"You gotta stop doing this kid," said Jim, "Gave Alfred a heart attack,"

Bruce just pursed his lips and stared off.

Jim sighed and was about to say something else but someone else caught his attention.

"Wait here a second," said Jim, "And do not move,"

Bruce shrugged.

"I mean it,"

"Yes, Sir," mumbled Bruce

Jim nodded and went off to talk to a lady that was waiting for him. A few minutes later he felt something tug at his sleeve. He looked to the side and saw a little redhead, freckled girl standing at his side. If the pictures on Jim's desk were anything to go by, this was Barbara Gordan.

"Uh hi?" said Bruce

"Mommy and Daddy said I had to wait here," she said, "I'm Barbara. I'm four years old,"

"Hi Barbara," said Bruce, "I'm Bruce. I'm fifteen,"

"Hi Bruce," she said, "Are you here with your mommy and daddy too?"

Bruce lips twisted, "No,"

"Oh," she said, "Are they at home?"

"No. I don't have them anymore," In hindsight saying that to a little kid probably wasn't a good idea but Bruce wasn't well versed in talking to small children

Instead of becoming confused, Barbara got a serious look in her eyes.

"Are they with the stars?" she asked, "Daddy said that's where his mommy is now,"

Bruce remembered something about a funeral Alfred and Leslie had attended.

"Yes, I suppose that's where they are,"

She nodded again and kept looking at him.

"You can share my seat," he said, scooting over a bit. The chair was made for a grown adult but Bruce was really skinny for his age and Barbara was a tiny child so after some maneuvering, they both fit.

"Here," she said, holding out a small bag she had in her hand, "You can have some of my candy. Candy makes me less sad. It's leftover from Halloween. I was a fish for Halloween, what were you?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you," he said, taking a sucker from the offered bag

"I like asking questions," said Barbara, "You find out things,"

Bruce smiled. He was starting to like this little girl.

"Well, I was a superhero,"

Barbara nodded, "That's a cla-cla-lass"

"Classic?"

She smiled, "Yeah, a classic. I bet you looked really nice,"

"You too,"

That's how Jim, Mrs. Gordan and Alfred found them later, sitting together and talking about Halloween costumes.

"I see you made a friend," said Jim

"Yeah! Bruce is nice, Daddy,"

Bruce blushed.

"He is isn't he?" said Jim

Barbara nodded and when it was time for her to leave, she gave Bruce a big smile and waved goodbye.

"Bye Bruce. Nice to meet you. Eat more candy,"

After that, it became normal for Jim to bring Barbara with him to the manor. Lucius started bringing Tiffany, Lucas and Tam with him and before Bruce knew it, he was somehow babysitting four active kids while their guardians had tea together.

(Years later, Bruce would sit at a long table surrounded by his loved ones and tell the story of how he first met Barbara Gordan and there will be many smiles to go around)

XXX

He was still fifteen in his sophmore year when he met Beta Oliver Queen and realized Alphas weren't the only ones he was attracted to.

They had English together, but only because Bruce skipped a grade years ago. Oliver was funny, his kisses made him feel like he was floating on clouds. His touch was tingly, but Bruce didn't know if it's because of the Beta or because Bruce was practically in love with him. They went to dances together and skipped classes together. Bruce's friends became Oliver's and Oliver's friends became Bruce's.

People in their circles don't really like two Males, especially an Omega and Betas being together but neither of them cared.

Bruce thinks he might want to stay with Oliver forever.

Their relationship ended two years later with broken bones, blood on a bat and blood between Bruce's legs. It was neither of their faults but they didn't recover enough to stay.

Afterwards, Bruce looked through the ancient texts again and found every passage on Keepers and packs.

By the end, he had a few answers.

Keepers weren't meant to have normal packs. Keepers shouldn't have children. Keepers should only have connections for the sake of their city.

It was his fault. His fault his and Oliver's little girl was never going to be born. All his fault.

God, he wished he had never wanted Oliver in the first place.

(Years later, he would stand in a League of Keepers and stare at Oliver. Both of them behind masks and he would understand. And he would heal. It wasn't his fault. It was neither of their faults. Bad things just happened sometimes)

XXX

He was eighteen and he packed his bags.

Alfred was heartbroken.

Leslie had mist in her eyes.

Lucius's mouth was set in a hard line.

Jim watched with kind eyes

Little Barbara was confused.

None of them understood.

(Years later, they would. And they would be proud)

XXX

He was twenty and Alpha Talia Al Ghul was one of the most gorgeous people he had ever seen. Long shiny brown hair, golden brown skin, hazel eyes and small pink lips. He wasn't ashamed to admit that at first, the attraction had been all physical. She had been the last of his trainers with the League and she had worked him hard, just like he had expected.

What he hadn't expected was the way his heartbeat when she winked at him, or the way heat pooled in his belly when she pushed him on the ground or the way his fingers itched to run through her hair.

He hadn't expected the way his smile stretched wider whenever she was around, had not expected the flutter in his stomach, and definitely had not expected to be falling in love with her.

"You look lovely from up here," she said to him as she straddled his thighs, blade at his throat.

"Spend my heat with me," he blurted out

Talia raised her eyebrows and he blushed.

"That was not how I wanted to ask," he mumbled, looking to the side. He had thought about it of course but he had wanted to plan it a little better. Definitely hadn't meant to blurt it like that. And definitely not in the position they were in.

"How about this," she said, getting off of him, "Next time you beat me,"

"You could just say no," he grunted as she helped him up

"No," she grinned, but there was a sincere look in her eyes, "I'm merely making you work for it,"

"Huh," he said, smiling at her, "Okay then,"

He beat her three months later. She grinned at him asked when his next heat is.

"Three weeks later," he said

"Well, we have plans to make then," she said, a playful glint in her eyes

They talk about nesting, and his favourite heat snacks and...sex

"Have you had sex before," she asked

"Yes," He answered, pushing away the image of a blonde Beta with pretty eyes and an even prettier smile

"During heat?" she asked

"Yes," he said, pushing the memories harder

"Do you want to with me?" she asked, "We'll use contraceptives of course,"

He thought about it, "Yes,"

Bruce left the League seven months later. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked away. He had expected this. He was a Keeper, he couldn't stay and she would never leave her father.

It was better this way anyway.

(Over the years they would hurt each other in immeasurable ways. Still, he will never be able to bring himself to regret her.)

XXX

He's twenty-one and he's perched on top of one the oldest gargoyles in the city. His magic swirled around him, hungry and alive.

You are ready, Bruce Wayne

"So glad you approve," he said sarcastically

Now, now, none of that. You are ready.

"Yes. Yes," he said, "Why can I properly hear you now?"

Your mind is open now, child

"Hmm,"

Let us go forward

Bruce stood straight and cast his mind out to the city.

And Gotham answered its Keeper

He's home.

(Years later, he will stand in the same place. And he will not be alone.)

XXX

The ides just kinda popped into my head. What of cities chose their protectors and than it kinda snowballed from there. I also decided to add the a/o/b dynamic just cause I could.

I hope people enjoyed it!

#bruce wayne #selina kyle #talia al ghul #alfred pennyworth #magic #alternative universe #au #alpha/beta/omega verse #omegaverse #barbara gordon

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ghostmartyr · 5 years

Text

Pokémon Black 2 Randomized Nuzlocke Run [Part 7]

It is time for badge number seven.

Lesgo.

Vertex (Luxray)

Caspet (Gengar)

Nessy (Milotic)

Diego (Gardevoir)

Photon (Rayquaza)

Cerberus (Dodrio)

Squad goals.

Why won’t Unova Gyms ever just let me leave?

And apparently I’m not going through Twist Mountain? I’m getting a lift on a plane?

If that’s the case, that’s happening later. I think I’m going to get Cerberus up to level 40 in the sad death tower before I do anything else. I don’t want to have members of my team lagging consistently. You will all be useful. I will make it happen.

Also, something I haven’t mentioned yet (...I think, it’s been a while to get this far) is that Pokemon Breeders in this gen seem to be available to fight every single time you enter that route. Not like you can fight them if you want. After beating them, if you leave and go back to the route, they will do the exclamation point thing.

This is annoying.

Route 7, also known as that place before the sad death tower, has one.

It is not irritating enough to conjure up hate for. And yet.

Flash forward into the future a bit later, and we have a team where everyone’s above or at 40 except for... Photon. Photon, my friend, we’re just gonna slap the Exp. Share on you and continue with the plot. Your legendary status means me stacking the deck with levels is less important.

I can’t believe this place has a purpose in this game. Or that I get to fly in a plane (I assume, my memory on the sequel games is even worse than my memory for Black and White starting out). There’s something weird about using a plane to get around in a Pokemon game. Doesn’t feel natural.

Oh well, too bad so sad.

...Lentimas Town.

I have no memory of this place.

Hey, Bianca’s coming with us! Yay!

I really have no memory of this place, but there’s some Fire pokemon in Reversal Mountain, apparently, and also Professor Juniper reminds everyone that Black and White happened, so it makes no sense for Team Plasma to be trying to wake up a dragon; they’re all accounted for after all.

My exploits from last game mattered, you guys. They really did happen.

No, but I’m easy to please. Any time the games reference games that happened in the past for the current game, I am made a happy camper. Us and N catching a legendary dragon each is a good thing to keep in continuity.

I’m starting to maybe remember this place... maybe?

I guess we don’t stay here long, so time to not really care. I do continue to like how the setting is not an exact copy of the previous games, though. There’s a lot of repetition that comes from this being a sequel, but everything’s been thought out well enough that it really does feel like a new journey.

Now see, my question is if there’s a cave to this Reversal Mountain, and is it marked with a different title. I’m catching something very soon, but do I have the option of picking between outside Reversal Mountain and inside, or do I... perchance... get both?

It’s probably just one and I should just march into the grass.

I don’t wanna.

Ah, but it looks like I have to step through grass anyway. But there is the option of dark grass vs. normal grass.

I am too battle-weary and scarred. Normal grass.

!!!! A Normal pokemon for the normal grass! Hi Miltank! Let us be the best of friends and not roll each other into death. Photon’s the best bet for not accidentally killing the little lady (I did not check this with numbers and have no plans to).

Only while I was typing, Miltank used Bide, and I missed that, so Nessy with her excellent HP had to go out and deal with the consequences of Photon’s one attack. Nessy and Twister are taking Miltank down at a safe rate. She’s in the orange, so throwing time.

While she’s using Rollout.

Of course.

Hey, first ball! We’re Pokemon Going over here!

Her name is Bessy. Because it is.

But whoops, I need to head back to the Pokemon Center for a hot second and get her out of the Graves box. You’re not dead yet, darling.

Dark grass has Luxio.

It also leads to a strange house instead of fun cave time.

See, right there in the title. Can has pokemon?

Coool. Want to join my gang?

Nessy and Twister seem to be an okay catching combo. Let’s see if we can get it working twice in a row.

Damn it, Nessy. Your first one left him in the green. The green. Sigh.

Farewell, unnamed shark friend.

(he woulda been bruce)

Ahoy random Gigalith in the upstairs of the house with the moving furniture I can’t cap because these are stills. Sadly I’m not in the mood to deal with Sturdy, so I’m going to run from those instead of harvesting them.

Awww, there’s a Castform downstairs. Plus a Spell Tag.

Then the furniture moves and clears up a doorway. Behind which is a trainer.

I feel like a lot of the NPCs we meet in these games have very hard lives. Hello Sentret in the middle of the room. Are you keeping this one company?

Ludicolo is in the front room.

Caspet learns Dark Pulse. Bye-bye, Night Shade.

Waaaaaait. Wait. Aren’t you the ghost girl from the bridge in the last games? I remember you! Is this where you get something to do instead of just being odd? Note that it doesn’t count if it’s an event thing that needs a code or internet or special event items!

She’s looking for her parents.

And her Abra.

....Then a wild Abra shows up.

Is that scripted, or did the Randomizer just give me an amazing gift?

Weepinbell back downstairs.

I go through another door, and get a Full Heal for my trouble. With added wild Octillery. Fuck you, Octillery. You are banned from all my runs forever.

Ooooo wild Haxorus. Look at all these things I can’t have. Downstairs has a stray Riolu. The trouble I go through for a... Dusk Stone. Yeah, okay, that’s nice to have. Toxicroak is also here.

Then back upstairs, suddenly Gible. What’s this place usually supposed to have?

The second floor’s chairs have moved, so I go through one of the upstairs doors. Another trainer room. Yay. With a Mr. Mime. Yay.

I’m really sorry about your life/undeath, NPC Ghost Girl.

Oh, neat. Lunar Wing.

I have no memory of which legendary that belongs to. I want to guess Cresselia, but I don’t know if it’s even in this game. I do know it’s a gen four legendary, which would make sense for the sidequest feel of this house.

Oh wait it doesn’t matter because Randomized Nuzlocke.

...Well fine, but I’d still like to know.

That makes me feel surprisingly sad.

One last door to check out. Empty but for Golett (want) and a Rare Candy. Time to leave.

Back outside there’s an Exeggcute I wouldn’t have wanted. The normal grass has Whismur.

There was a cave after all. Ugh. I can’t believe this counts as the same route as outside. Cave and grass should get to be different.

Heeey! Bianca! Wait, before we team up and I abuse your healing for exp, I need to check the other side of the cave.

Oh. The other side of the cave has a Max Repel and that’s it. Back to Bianca, I guess. And she’s psyched for Heatran, which is a very relatable feel.

Zoroark and Tangrowth for the first encounter of the cave. I say, pretending it matters. Stoutland can also be found here. Knowing their propensity for knowing Crunch, I think maybe something not Caspet can be in the front. Photon, gain your own exp for a change.

Crawdaunt is another feature. It’s a dark, Dark cave.

I was checking to see if Cerberus can learn Acrobatics. No, but he can learn Fly. You know, that classic Dodrio usage. Fly. Which he is absolutely learning.

Aww, a wild Togepi. It’s gone now.

I love getting to wander with someone who handles the healing. It’s so nice battling without stress. Also known as grinding without needing to use up items.

Haa. See, normally you’d be right, but.

Huh. There’s a Magikarp and a Weedle through a different passage. Neat. You will not be missed. Then we come across a bizarrely gen-appropriate pair of Tympole.

Can Triple Battles not be a thing? I don’t care for them. They make me worry. Arguably I could help myself by arranging my team so I would have a good comp for whenever I fell into one, but where would the fun in that sane choice be.

Dust clouds come with Munchlax. Neato.

We’re in a legendary’s nest. They’re all like this.

...Why can you find Luxray and Ninjask here???

Ditto for Steelix and Porygon. Yay for Randomizer randomizing every single room of an area. It’s cool, but in the larger places it can be really disorienting. A male Nidoran also says hello.

I don’t know where to find the Magma Stone to get Heatran, so we’re done with Reversal Mountain, I believe. Geez I hope that’s the name of this place. I’m too lazy to check at the moment.

I have escaped!

And found a Shiny Stone. Win.

I didn’t recognize this place, then I remembered. Water. Bay. Post-game trauma. They messed with the map to keep things interesting.

What.

My curiosity is piqued.

But I want to get something random in the waves before I investigate.

Um.

Well this is awkward.

Level 39.

Photon should not be out front for this. Nessy?

Okay. Nessy gets Regice in the red. Regice knows Curse and Ancient Power. I do have a Master Ball. I can’t deny that I’m seriously tempted by it, but we’re going to try doing this like a standard trainer first.

Net Ball doesn’t work because of course it doesn’t (I just wanted to use it because Surfing), and Regice knows Superpower. Ah yes, the Regis and their. Stuff. First Ultra Ball doesn’t get anywhere. Same for second. Icy Wind is Regice’s last move.

My team has no Fire or Fighting on it. I miss having those options.

Have I been able to buy Timer Balls anywhere? Those would be nice to have right about now, as my Ultra Ball supply dwindles.

I am out of Ultra Balls.

Look, Pokemon Go legendary catching can be rough. You only get so many balls, and even if you do everything perfectly, it still might run on you.

But you don’t end up spending twenty minutes trying to catch one thing.

Seconds after I type that:

Heeeeeyo.

What do I name it, though?

Refrigerator.

That doesn’t fit.

Refriger8r.

Okay, so I have to stock up on Ultra Balls, and possibly also healing options depending on my mood when I look at the prices. Then we go see what Undella Bay and Route 14 have to offer.

The Undella Pokemon Center only has Luxury and Dive Balls. :(

My beloved Timer. Where...?

And then I bought 50 Ultra Balls.

I’m going to sell some stuff.

Okay Bay, what do you have for me?

Yeah, I can make this work.

Assuming I don’t accidentally kill it.

Thank goodness for Nessy still knowing Twister. Gottem.

His name is now Zentrotta. I think we can agree he’d be happier if I hadn’t caught him. Tragedy at its finest.

Caspet is back up front, and for now Nessy will carry the Exp. Share. She’s not had much to go up against, so she’s lagging a tad.

Aw, there’s a little Deerling on the water. Aaand it’s gone.

Hello what is this.

Indeed.

...I have questions I can’t really make myself care about enough to type.

So this guy only moves if we beat him, and before we get the chance to beat him we have to pass some game-acknowledged strength test. I probably need another badge or something. But there’s enough ground to walk back and forth, so what have you got for me, Seaside Cave?

Cool beans.

Nessy, come help not kill it.

Yay, caught.

His name is Blimperton now. Welcome to the box.

Outside, the deep water spots can be Venomoth. How pleasant.

Jelli to you too, good sir.

Huh, okay, they just give you a random Jellicent encounter here.

Game. I was just trying to speed along to the Pokemon Center. Please.

Unfezant down, Simisage down, Vertex can be in for Samurott. Level 41, so I’m. not as overleveled as I usually am except for Caspet. Caspet has reached 47 and I don’t mind her being completely overpowered.

For an update, since I think I’m pretty bad about keeping track of their levels in this: Caspet is 47, Nessy is 43, Vertex is 43, Diego is 44, Photon is 45, Cerberus is 43. Everyone is healthy and alive.

Geez I hate Triple Battles. Random trainers don’t share my feelings. This is an annoyance.

ROTATION BATTLES AREN’T THAT MUCH BETTER, OTHER RANDOM TRAINER. STOP THINKING YOU’RE SPECIAL JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE AN ACE OR A COOL OR WHATEVER THE HECK YOUR TITLE IS I DIDN’T READ IT.

And I can’t continue down through Route 14 because there’s a block of people in the way. So I guess all that’s left to do is check out what the sequel to this route has in store for me.

Last game it did not have anything I wanted.

But this time...!

Eh. I’ll catch you I guess.

Her name’s Tux now.

Meanwhile, in the dark grass...

Yep.

Wormadam, too. Such grass. Much excite.

Off up to Route 13.

New route means yet another new pokemon. ...After we fight a bunch of trainers because I care more about levels than pokemon I’m hoping to never use at the moment.

Several minutes later, the only other trainers are through grass, so let’s go!

Eyo. I don’t think I’ve had you before.

Cerberus, are you up for helping?

Well, one hit almost took half your health. So let’s say no.

Nessy!

...You know, given the amount of damage it’s doing. I think I’m going to Surf and risk fainting before it kills Nessy. Aaand... yeah. Mienshao out.

This grass also has Sandile. And Cascoon.

Nothing I have knows Cut. Languish there for all days.

That Ranger wants a Triple Battle.

Why is this route like this.

Hey, a Heatran! Bianca, guess what!

Oh so you don’t need Cut. Meh. I’m not in the mood.

Professor Juniper and Bianca say hello in town. Bianca, walk about twenty steps to the right so you can find something neat. You’ll love it, promise.

But no, it’s time to listen to an old lady talk about the Giant Chasm. I don’t wanna do that, either. I want my badges. I maybe should have taken the aquarium route to speed that along, but I don’t know if that would actually do anything.

Wait, I was spamming A. Was there a directive in there?

Hm. I sense plot ahead.

This villain understands me.

Oh cool battle time.

Russell, buddy, you run almost as much as blondie scarf from gen 4. Take a chill pill. You have won all the good big brother points you possibly could just by caring about a Purrloin this long.

So everything’s telling us to go to Opelucid. For Dragons.

Hard pass, where’s the surfer Gym? Water sounds way friendlier. I’m going to see if that one’s blocked off or not.

DAMN IT.

The janitor won’t let us pass. ;-;

Okay fine, I guess we’re heading to Opelucid. And plot, probably. The plot is of no interest to me. This is true in pretty much every single one of these games. I’m in it for the pokemon. The human with their human troubles are way less fun.

New route! What will it have for us?

I had to embrace fun when I saw one of the grass patches shaking. Our first route with a wiggly grass option! And it is...?

I’ll gladly take it!

...If I can catch it!

...Preferably without anyone dying!

I’m going to let Photon take a stab. Crunch should be super effective, but Photon doesn’t have STAB adding to it, and Metagross has rocking Defense. So this might be pathetically sad, but nothing should die.

PHOTON.

FRIEND.

NOT FOOD.

Three Ultra Balls in, I am sad.

But we get it! Huzzah!

Its name is Stormy. :)

Ouch, Caspet’s trying to learn Destiny Bond.

Caspet?

You’re not dying. This is the definition of a useless move.

What else does this here grass hold when it’s not wiggling?

ELEKID. Noooo. Why must we always pass like ships in the night... Claydol is also here.

The dark grass’ first entry is Jynx and Magikarp. Chingling is also here. Buizel too.

Cerberus has learned Drill Peck! Oh happy days!

Normal grass has Vaporeon, Huntail, and Spinda to go with what we’ve already seen.

Vertex is moving up front, and Diego is getting the Exp. Share instead of Cerberus for the time being.

Another bridge, another route.

Another set of trainers that really make me want to have a Fire type.

There’s dark grass on one side of the bridge, normal grass on the other. A pass through on my bike didn’t get anything to pop out of the dark grass, so normal grass wins the prize for this route’s catch.

Before that, there are trainer battles.

Of the Triple variety.

yay

Ooooooh. I like this. I like this a lot.

Vertex, do not murder.

Vertex follows instructions, paralyzes Vileplume, and dodges getting poisoned twice. This is why he’s allowed to live. One Ultra Ball later, and new friend acquired.

Named... Bongo.

Geez, this grass also has Mamoswine. We’re not fighting that. The water’s dark spots get Zebstrika.

Uh.

So she shoves me out.

Rude. I’m the protagonist. I go where I want.

I’m starting to rush a little since this part is getting long and I haven’t even hit the badge town, but hey! I do remember this sequence! I remembered it belonging to a different game, but A for effort, right?

Made it to Opelucid.

Since the game itself suggests via Iris to go to Route 9 first, I’m guessing I should clear up anywhere that offers trainers to fight before trying the Gym. Dragon is a pain anyway. I don’t have anything except Nessy’s Twister that’s super effective against it. I think even at the level I’m at, it should be okay, but I also think it could go incredibly badly, which I don’t want.

But before that, Route 11 didn’t force me to go through any grass, so I still have a pokemon to catch there. Let’s watch.

Huh, interesting. ...Vertex, let’s swap you out before something unfortunate happens. Though it is level 36, and he does know Crunch... Yeah, we’re going to be stupid. Magnitude 7 doesn’t do a threatening amount of damage. Yay.

She is caught, and her name shall be Winn.

Now the other side of Opelucid, after healing up.

Miltank! But we have a Miltank. Next.

I like.

Vertex. Critical hits are for trainer battles. Sigh. Farewell, Route 9. I think we could have been great together, but alas. Now to go through all the everything else to do in this route and then go finally get the seventh badge.

Hm. I think maybe I’ll just get everyone on the team up to 50, then go for it. Nice, even number.

Other things of note: I have found a Mart with Quick Balls. The world is bright. But for now, grinding. ...Against Torchic and Deerling, apparently. Maybe I want other grass. Oh, but dude. Glaceon in the dark grass. Nice. Ha, randomized and still offering super effective options outside scary gyms. Golduck and Nidorina are here, too. And Braviary and Pansage.

-winds the clock forward a few hours-

K, we’ve got folks at level 50 now. So, Drayden?

Dragons.

Cerberus is going to sit in first for a while. He’s on the fragile side, but his Attack and Speed are good, and Flying should be neutral to everything in the Gym. Same cloth as Caspet, only physical. Nessy might take over just for the comfort of tankiness, but this is where we start.

First person in the Gym has one level 46 Fraxure.

Dragons are scary.

Oh fuck you.

Fuck. That’s partially on me. If I had used Drill Peck instead of Fly, Fraxure would have been busy Dragon Dancing and would have done zero damage. But I used Fly to try to hit Fraxure hard while avoiding any of its attacks, and.

Look, the screencap’s right there.

Fuck.

Nessy’s going in, under the theory that nothing on my team is going before Dragon Dance x2 Fraxure, but Nessy’s the most likely option for surviving.

It uses Taunt so it doesn’t matter.

Great.

Cerberus, I like Dodrio. An Adamant Dodrio? Wonderful. You will be missed. Fly will be missed. Many things about this feel awful.

Bye.

Stormy is a Jolly Metagross that’s a little quick tempered.

Welcome. You’ll be given the Exp. Share while your new friends try very hard to make it through the rest of this Gym without casualties.

-drums fingers-

With Dragon Dance being a move everything in this Gym is probably going to know, I do not want to play the long game with any of the trainers. I want to go in and kill everything in one hit.

...Caspet is in front.

-hides eyes behind hands-

-gives Caspet a Spell Tag-

One trainer down as planned.

IIIIIII hate this gym.

Druddigon has Crunch. Things to keep in mind.

So now we have the most obnoxious part of this Gym. I get to choose between Rotation and Triple Battle for the next peg up it. My usual path says I do both. In case you haven’t noticed, I hate Triple Battles. Doing one is not high on my list of desired outcomes.

But I’d feel weird avoiding it. Famous last words. -sigh- Caspet, Vertex, Nessy. That’s the order. Let’s do this.

Easy part done. Rotation Battle win. Ugh.

For the sake of my sanity, I’m giving Caspet all three of my Rare Candy. Yes, I have a favorite, yes, it’s the closest thing I have to a starter. If I’m putting her so close to the chopping block, I’m going to make sure she’s fully equipped. Druddigons are surviving to attack her right now, and that’s no bueno.

Triple Battle. Weeee.

It ends in a round because Caspet wins at life. Awesome. Okay.

All that’s left is Drayden.

This guy’s face is a lot less scary when it isn’t up close.

Sooooooo. Level 46 Druddigon is first. Shadow Ball finishes it. Flygon is next. ...That one, I think I can trust to Nessy. Flygon isn’t as much about hard hits.

Level 46 again. Crunch gets a critical hit that just barely keeps Nessy in the green, Nessy uses Surf. Surf brings Flygon to a sliver of red, so I go with Surf again. Hopefully Flygon’s other moves don’t do more damage than a critical hit Crunch, or Drayden feels like healing it.

Yeah, Drayden goes with a Hyper Potion.

...Flygon’s next Crunch gets a critical hit too, what the hell.

Surf after that faints it, though. So that’s two out of three down.

Drayden’s last pokemon is Haxorus. Nessy’s too far in the red to keep in without healing, and Haxorus is high on the Dragon Dance strat list. But if Caspet can’t get it in one hit, I’m pretty confident in Haxorus’ ability to fuck Caspet up.

But I’m honestly pretty confident in Haxorus’ ability to fuck my entire team up. Caspet would be the best bet for ending it fast. ...So, you know. Caspet. Go. Go. not die.

Level 48 Haxorus. Yaaaaaaaaaaay.

CASPET YOU BEAUTIFUL GHOST.

THAT’S BADGE SEVEN.

WE’RE NOT ALL ALIVE BUT ENOUGH OF US ARE.

AND I WAS PREWARNED ABOUT GETTING TALKED TO OUTSIDE ABOUT UNOVA’S MYTHOLOGY, BUT FOR NOW THIS PART IS OVER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

#Pokemon #Nuzlocke Challenge #Nuzlocke

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ellana-ravenwood · 6 years

Text

The New Trinity - Damian Wayne x Reader (xplatonic!Jon Kent)

Well, here it is. Damian is a bit older than he is currently in the comics (seventeen instead of fourteen) by the way. Hope you’ll like it :-) :

You can find my masterlist here : @ella-ravenwood-archives

__________________________________________________

The New Trinity.

That’s how everyone started to call you guys.

“You guys”. Damian, Jon and you. The Bat’s son, The Superman’s son and...You, the mighty Wonder Woman’s daughter.

The New Trinity.

It made sense really, because of who your parents were. The actual Trinity. Three of the mightiest hero in the World, forming the perfect team. And you were their children. Three.

The New Trinity.

That’s how everyone started to call you guys, as your friendship grew.

And it royally pissed you off.

Ever since you were born, everyone (and by everyone you meant your mom’s friends of course, the others...the others couldn’t know) always constantly compared you to your mother. All. The freaking. TIME !

And sure, you loved her to death, and she was the coolest and most badass woman you ever met...but you were you.

Your own being.

You weren’t all like her. Sure, you had her eyes, and sometimes, her mannerisms. And her powers. But your personality wasn’t the same (except for the part of you that was stubborn and that had to help those in need).

Besides, it annoyed you that everyone always compared you to the great “Wonder Woman” and never to your father, who was a goddamn war hero !

Of course...you never met him.

None of them ever met him.

Steve Trevor was dead long ago.

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

Before he died, almost a hundred years ago now, your mother and your father had plenty of times to get to know each other, to become best friends, to learn about each other’s culture...To fall helplessly in love.

One night of passion. Of pure bliss and love.

It’s all it took for you to exist. One night of passion, finally, after a long time playing a game of cat and mouth together...And it had to be the day before your father’s death.

Before he sacrificed himself to save many. Before your mother lost him forever...

And here you were.

But your mom’s pain wasn’t ending there.

You were born with a heart defect, and the technology of the time in the Human World couldn’t save you. The amazons couldn’t do much either...

You were dying, and that would have been the end but...Your grandmother couldn’t bear to see her precious daughter in such pain, and as Diana, panicked, arrived with you back to her homeland desperate for help...Your grandma did something she wasn’t suppose to do.

She used ancient Greek powers that the gods left behind after they disappeared, allowing her to freeze you in time, to stop you from growing a second older, hoping that one day, someone could fix your disease...Hoping that someday, she could unfreeze you and someone would be able to save you.

How ironic, really, that you were born with this particular part of your body being deficient. Right after your father’s death...almost as if to symbolize your mom’s pain ! A literal broken heart...

It took long agonizing years for the technology in the Men’s World to finally be able to save you. And so your mother brought you with her, a little baby, a little bundle that knew already too much what pain was...Bruce Wayne is the one that paid for the very expensive surgery, and you were safe.

You were finally able to live your life. Your mother decided that it would be more fit for you to grow up in your father’s world, and though it was totally different from when he was still alive...Diana could finally see an exit to all her pain.

Especially since she had just made new friends. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. And they were building a team together, to protect the World...Diana Prince was done hiding. Diana Prince was done trying to forget.

It was over. Just like you, she wasn’t frozen in time anymore, she needed to move on. And so a new life began for her, and your life finally started, years after your actual birth.

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

Your mom told you all about your father, and though you never met him and never would, you greatly admired him. For so many reasons...and it actually really bothered you that no one ever compared you to him.

You were brave, you were courageous...And sure your mom was too, but your dad was even more ! He sacrificed himself !! An he...

-What are you brooding about (Y/N) ?

You were in the Justice League Watchtower, sitting on a couch in one of the common room, thinking about how it was unfair that everyone always forgot about your dad, when Jon sat in front of you and Damian next to you and took your mind off of it all.

You smile at Jon (not noticing how Damian’s eyebrows furrow). That boy’s always been great to take your mind off of things, with his good nature and jokes. And Damian...Well, Damian...He was Damian. Jon was two years younger than you (technically, you were almost 90 years older than him but, since you only grew old afterward...you were his age). Damian was your age (a few months older...well, if we ignored the actual year you were born in).

-I was just thinking about what Flash said earlier.

You answer. Damian sightly smirks but says nothing, as Jon smiles at you some more and, putting his hand under his chin, takes a thoughtful expression and says :

-Which things ? Because like, Flash talks a lot. Both Flashes talks a lot. Was it Uncle Barry or Cousin Wally ?

You smile slightly at the “uncle” and “cousin” thing, realizing that...yes, all those people are your family. Truly.

-Uncle Barry. And about how we are the...new “Trinity”.

Jon’s smile widens even more, and you instantly knows he doesn’t feel like you on that matter. You turn your gaze a bit away from him (and he doesn’t even realize it), and your eyes cross Damian’s. Oh. Him. Him he understands. He always does and...Jon’s voice, once more, takes you away from your daydreaming :

-I know right ? It’s great ! We’ve entered the great hero pantheon !

You can’t help but chuckle at your best friend’s words, and how cute it is that he’s trying to put some greek words in there (you taught him what “pantheon” was a few weeks ago).

Not wanting to ruin his good mood, you decide to not talk about how annoyed you are at this name. The New Trinity. You wanted to be the new...your own thing. Damian, Jon and (Y/N). Your own selves ! But something was telling you that Jon wouldn’t understand.

Sure, he was your best friend, but he couldn’t...He was so proud to be like his father. Maybe because everyone was telling him that he was very much like his mother mentally ? Like he took more after her than him ? So he was happy to feel connected to him in that way ?

Yes. That’s something you could understand. And so, instead of saying what you really think, and though you hate to lie to him, you say :

-Yeah, it’s pretty cool right ?

Jon nods and his attention is suddenly caught by a sound neither you nor Damian can hear. He stands up and after a “be right back”, leaves the two of you for some unknown location.

Damian grumbles something and shakes his head, which makes you smile.

-I knew I wasn’t the only broody one.

You say, a mischievous look on your face. You know it’s going to annoy him. A bit like you, he dislikes being constantly compared to his father (even more to his mother, for obvious reasons), and just the word “broody” is sensitive with him, as it’s the word everyone uses to qualify his dad’s daily mood.

But your smile...The way your eyes squeezes because of it, and your nose wrinkles...He can’t help but smile back at you.

You’ve always had that effect on him.

You guys met years ago, before you even met Jon.

Ever since you were a child, you spend a lot of time at the Wayne household as it seems like your mother and Damian’s father just really got along, and needed each others often for emotional support. There wasn’t any ambiguity between them, they really were just friends, very closed ones.

You spend a lot of time there, bonding with Dick, Jason and Tim...The day Damian arrived, you remembered as if it was yesterday, even though it was over seven years ago.

You could have hated him, because he really was a disrespectful brat at the time...And yet, yet you never did.

He was awful to you at first, but unlike everyone around him, instead of getting mad and such...you talked back, you stood your ground, or sometimes, downright ignored him.

You never hated him though, no matter how harsh he was with you. And just like that...You were the first one that ever broke his shell. The first one to ever see the true Damian, the insecure and full of self-doubts little boy who just really wanted his father’s approval.

This is probably what attracted him to you irrevocably. What made him want to be with you all the time. Of course, at the time, you two were merely children, and there were no romance there, only a very strong friendship. But as the years passed...his feelings changed. He’d never admit it though, as he was pretty sure you had a crush on Jon, not him. And oh, how wrong he was.

But that wasn’t the story right now. Nop’. Right now wasn’t about how he felt about you, or rather, wether he liked you that way or not..But about what bothered you in that instant.

He could see you weren’t happy. He hated to see you like that...And so, casually, as if he was just starting yet another conversation, he smiles slightly at your remark on him being broody (knowing perfectly that you were trying to annoy him so you guys wouldn’t talk about yourself) and say :

-I know what you’re doing.

You give him a half-smile and plunge your (E/C) eyes into his green ones.

His heart skips a beat..

-Oh yeah ? And what am I doing then, Robin ?

He’s overly aware of how close you are from him right now, as you leaned towards him, your lips so. Damn. Close. His heart skips another beat, and to his own amazement, when he speaks again, his voice doesn’t even falters or shakes :

-You’re trying to make fun of me, to annoy me, so that we don’t talk about why you’re bothered that everyone calls us the “new Trinity”. You know, I’m not ten anymore, those old tricks don’t work.

Your smile disappear and he feels his heart tightens this time. He hates thinking it’d be his fault if you...But your smile is back in an instant, as you regain countenance over yourself. You look at him intently and say, suddenly looking away :

-You know why it bothers me.

For a second, you’re afraid he’ll make you say it out loud.

He’ve already done it before, forcing you to open up to him, knowing it’ll make you feel better. But this time...This time you really don’t wanna talk about it. Because it’ll make you talk about your father and you can never talk about him without wanting to cry...

Damian tries to decipher the expression of your face, and...He thinks he understands. And he truly does.

-Yes. I do know why it bothers you.

You’re wrong, to worry about him forcing you to talk today. He understands that it’s not the time. And so, instead, with gentle movements, he takes your hand in his and squeezes it slightly.

You’re startled by his sudden touch, but don’t pull away. You smile weakly at him and...yes. Yes he understands why you’re bothered about being called “the New Trinity”.

He lets you put your head on his shoulder, and you stay like that for a moment. It’s comfortable. It’s nice. It’s what friendship looks like, two people always being there for each others. But it’s also...Something more ?

From the corner of the room, Jon, who came back after checking something out, looks at you, an enigmatic smile on his face.

He knew it. He knew that that damn stubborn Damian felt something for you too ! Or he would have never let him touch you like that. It was common knowledge he wasn’t such a fan of public display of affection like that, and yet, in front of all the heroes present in the common room...He let you put your head on his shoulder.

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

It was oh so frustrating, to know that your best friends were in love with each others, but that they were both too proud and stubborn to ever say it out loud.

It was oh so frustrating, to see your best friends get jealous whenever the other one would talk to a girl/boy, or even go on dates, and yet doing nothing.

It was oh so frustrating, and heart breaking, to see your best friends sad and getting sick over the other one dating someone else, but still not admitting their feelings...

Jon have had enough.

Enough of seeing you and Damian turning around each other without ever doing anything. Enough of seeing your almost kisses and soft touches in the midst of battles. Enough of seeing you hurt to see the other ones with others. Enough of seeing you two fight for no reasons, trying to avoid talking about your feelings for each others !

Jon had to do something. But what ?

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

Making them go on a date without their knowledge worked brilliantly.

It also was an easy plan to make really. He just had to tell you guys to meet him at Gotham county Fair and not show up. At the last minute, he said he couldn’t come, and you and Damian spend the day together at the fair.

Jon, a bit creepily, stalked you guys.

He almost screamed out in frustration when, in the haunted mansion, a monster startled you and you jumped in Damian’s arms, your face so close to his, your lips getting closer and...the monster coming back to scare you ruining the moment.

When he passed after you and Damian (as he followed you guys discreetly), he tripped over the actor in the monster suit. He felt a bit bad about it, but damn, almost kiss again !

You two were so made for each other, he knew it. After all, he was your best friend ! He could see all the looks you gave each others, all the laughs and smiles you shared.

Only you could make him laugh so hard.

Only him could make you smile so sweetly.

And looking at you, going around the fun fair like that, he was just more and more sure that you were made for each other.

You took silly pictures in the Photo Booth, you went on the ferris wheel, making the wagon you were in rock dangerously, laughing your ass off (you got banned from the ferris wheel after that..), you went to the haunted mansion and went out fingers tangled...only to realize you were holding each others hands and awkwardly apologizing and letting go (grrrroooooaaaaah !!! Jon screamed in his head). He won a teddy bear at darts for you, you won a stuffed animal (a dog of course) for him. You joked around. You talked, about anything and everything, about nothing too.

It almost seemed like you were both just regular teenagers dating. Even though you were far from normal teenagers...That’s why Jon knew you guys were made for each other.

You made the other one feel normal. Feel like the World wasn’t too fucked up...

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

Jon jinxed himself. He knew it. By thinking that making you guys go on an unknown-date things were going to move forward, he was oh so wrong.

Things didn’t move at all. Not one bit.

You guys acted like the great day you had spend together was just another friendship thing. Like you didn’t almost kiss a few times. Like, when the man to whom Damian bought a candy apple for you said : “Oh gentleman, buying things for his girlfriend ! Youngsters this days don’t do that anymore...” neither you nor Damian corrected him and said that you weren’t his girlfriend...never happened.

It has been like that for YEARS !! Bot h of you acting as if you were “just very good friends”.

No.

You were more than that.

You were good friends with Jon. You’d hug Jon, but never put your head on his shoulder. Damian would always have a good time with Jon, but he’d never laugh so full heartedly with him than he did with you. You’d smile at Jon, but you’d never give him that sweet little tender smile. Jon would tease you sometimes, but instead of blushing like you did with Damian, you’d laugh and talk back. And whenever you’d do that, Damian would literally smell like “jealousy”...

You were friends with Jon. Best friends. You’d die for him, and he would for the both of you. A strong bond linked you all, the fact that people called you the “new Trinity” wasn’t just because you were similar to your parents and such. It was also because of how strong your friendship was, how you always were there for each other etc etc...But the link that was between you and Damian was different.

Jon noticed it from day one. The first time he met you two, you were twelve and him ten. His father had kept him away from any superhero stuffs for a while but, after realizing that his son was also a super, he just brought him in too...and that’s when he met you two.

Already there, Jon noticed how different Damian would be around you. How softer his voice would be when talking to you. How guilty he felt whenever he was acting like a douche towards you. And you...You would be less sassy with him than with other people.

Already there, Jon noticed that there was something special between the two of you. And he just knew he was right !!

But his little trick, making you guys going on a “date”, made him realize something...you two were two damn stubborn to ever admit your true feelings to each other ! He had to take another offensive.

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

It was a disaster.

For the past three months, Jon very obviously stated multiple times that you liked each other, and instead of denying it, both of you would just plainly ignore him ! Treat him like a child ! He hated that !

He went to sleep over at Wayne Manor once, to see how Gotham’s street were...He downright told Damian that you liked him, and Damian just turned towards him, stunned, said :

-Don’t be silly Jon, she can’t like me.

And continued his damn patrol !! Hell even Damian’s father was surprised when only Jon was there, and not you ! So used to always see you guys together more than with anyone else !

When Jon told the Batman that he was sure that you and Damian liked each other, Bruce slightly smiled and said :

-Of course they do. Don’t fret Jon, they’ll realize it one day...

Jon stopped himself from saying something about how it took years to Bruce to “realize” that he was really in love with Selina Kyle and wanted to marry her...Wasted years !

He couldn’t let his friends waste that much time when it was obvious you were so into each others...

When he told you Damian liked you, you had the same reaction than him, that’s how much alike you were ! How PERFECT you’d be together !!

And when he asked both of you why you thought the other one couldn’t like you, you said the same thing again :

-Because you idiot, he/she’s too good for me !

...Jon didn’t understand. He just couldn’t.

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

You always thought that Damian was the smartest and bravest man you’ve ever met.

He always thought you were the smartest and bravest woman he ever met.

It was always like that, and it drove Jon crazy. You both loved (he was now sure it was not just a teenage infatuation) each other for the same reason, and yet were blind to see that the other one did too ! It baffled him, how smart and yet so daft you both could be.

Jon tried everything he could. He tried to set you up on other “dates”, it ended up every time the same way. Just...”we’re friends”.

He tried to tell you outright, you wouldn’t believe him. He tried to confront you with it with both of you in the same room, but you’d just turn everything into ridicule and mock him. Act as if he was going crazy. Jon knew this was some sort of...self-defence mechanism you both had...And yet.

Jon tried everything. And he was tired. He decided to give up...at least for now.

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

-I understand my little one.

You sigh in relief, as your mother ruffle your hair lovingly, as she used to do when you were a child.

You had just told her everything, about how bothered you were by this “new Trinity” thing, and about how you wished people would recognize your father more. You were afraid to hurt her feelings...Bringing your father up was never really a good idea. And telling your mother that you were tired to be compared to her ? Maybe it wasn’t the most delicate thing to do but you couldn’t lie anymore...

You smile weakly at her, and she shakes her head. She grabs your face between her hands and say :

-(Y/N), my dearest one, please, don’t ever feel like you can’t tell me something alright ? I couldn’t always talk to my mother when I was young and...I just want you to know that I’ll always be there for you, not matter how...delicate a topic is. Ok ?

You nod shyly, which was stupid, because this was your mom ! Why were you shy with her ? A soothing kiss from her on your forehead makes you forget all your worry and, just like when you were a child, you close your eyes and dive into her arms as she opens them for you.

Her hugs were always the best. She holds you tight against her heart, and starts to sing one of those Greek lullaby you like so much...and oh you decide it’s magic, because just like that, she makes you blurt out :

-I really like Damian and I have no idea how to deal with those feelings !

You can’t see her face, but you know your mom is smiling slightly above you.

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

-You don’t know what to do with those feelings uh ? Have you ever told her ?

-God no ! What if she doesn’t like me back ?

-What if she does ?

It’s very rare, that Damian would speak so openly with his father. He wanted to talk to Dick, but his brother wasn’t around that day and...The way his dad asked him what was the matter just made him want to talk to him.

And for one of those rare time, he did. He told his dad everything about how he felt and such. He told him his doubts, how his heart beat so much around you etc etc.

-I don’t know father, I don’t know.

Bruce can’t help but smile sweetly at his son. It makes his heart swell, to talk about such trivial matters with him. As if they were a normal father and son, and not just...Them.

-Damian, my boy...What’s the worst that could happen ?

He could loose you. That’s what the worst that could happen. He could loose you and your friendship forever. By not telling he loved you, he ensured the fact that you’d always be friend, that him telling you how he felt and you not reciprocating wouldn’t make things awkward ! By acting as if you were just friends, he would make sure you’d always be around...And even if one day, you fall in love with someone else, at least he’ll still have your friendship !

-Damian, you guys have been friends since forever. Let’s imagine she doesn’t feel the same way for you...It will indeed be weird for a while, but in time, things will get back to normal. It won’t...It won’t change your friendship.

Something in his dad’s voice makes Damian flinch :

-Are you...are you talking by experience?

Bruce nods.

-Way before your birth. I thought I loved Diana. Hell, I probably really did love her, though now the feelings I have for Selina makes me realize that maybe it wasn’t love with a big “L”. What I mean by that is...I told her. And you know what ? She didn’t feel the same. Her heart was still not over Steve Trevor. And she rejected me...Are we not friends anymore ?

-...No.

-So, Damian, my boy, tell me, knowing that this won’t destroy your friendship...If you tell her how you really feel, what’s the worst that could happen ?

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

Loosing you.

That’s the worst that could happen.

Loosing you for good.

“The New Trinity” was called for what was suppose to be an easy mission...that quickly turned into a disaster.

Jon, you and Damian were fighting for your lives, waiting for the cavalry to arrive...

A trap. It was a trap.

Apokolips’ troops were waiting for you. A large amount of them. Too many to be able to fight them all, even if you were “the new Trinity”.

You were back to back, making sure you’d all protect each others’ blind side.

Back to back.

Protecting each others, being there for each others, as you always were.

But that day, Bruce’s words were floating around in Damian’s head, and the advise your mom gave you were also in yours. And you weren’t focused enough for that, you weren’t ready enough !

This was just suppose to be a reckon mission !

Jon sees it. But he can’t do anything about it.

He also sees the spear lunging towards Damian...but even though he’s fast and strong, he’s busy with his own ennemies and know he won’t be there in time to save his friend !

But you’re there...In the way...The spear hits you right in the heart.

At the same time, your parents arrive, as well as the rest of the League.

It takes a few minutes for them to annihilate Apokolips’ troop. Your mother doesn’t see you, in Damian’s arms, a spear in your heart...

Damian feels himself crying. His vision is blurry with tears, and as he looks up to Jon, he says :

-She’ll pull through right ? Right Jon ? Tell me she’ll pull through !

But Jon can’t say it. He can’t say anything. A lump is stuck in this throat. He falls down on his knees, and takes his head in his hands, not able to stop himself from sobbing...He just witnessed his best friend dying, and he wasn’t able to do anything about it ! Jon took your hand and...did you just squeeze it back ?

Damian could feel his heart slowly tearing apart, as he held your lifeless body in his arms...And all of the sudden, the words blurt out :

-No. No. No come back please, come back (Y/N). I can’t live without you. You’re my best friend. You’re my...You’re my everything. Please come back...Come back. I’ve got so much to tell you...Please...Come back. Come back. I love you (Y/N), I love you so much...I lied, I dont’ think you’re just my friend, you’re more than that to me...You’re...you’re my everything...please...

The raging battle around you all comes to an end.

Damian, face riddled with tears, looks up and is faced with your mother...

How could he ? How could he tell her that you died, sacrificing yourself to save him ? How could he ?

But your mom...She...smiles ?

-Well, if people don’t start comparing you with your father now, I don’t know when they will.

You groan. Wait...You groan ? And you move in Damian’s arms. Laboriously. It’s difficult. You cough a bit, but not blood.

Wait. Come to think of it, there’s no blood anywhere. What ?

You open one eye, then the other. Your mom smiles down at you, as well as the rest of the League. They saw how you jumped in front of your friend to save him. You can see how Bruce thanks you in silence.

And you can see Damian’s face. Tears. His confused expression, him not registering you’re not dead. A shit-eating grin spread on your face as you say :

-I’m your everything uh ? You love me uh ?

Your mom shakes her head, and say :

-Oh that’s also definitely your father. Damn that man and his sometimes a bit cruel teasing, his stupid sense of humor.

Jon looks at you and, suddenly understanding what’s going on says :

-Oh no you didn’t just do that ! I can’t believe it ! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT (Y/N) !!

You smile at him and winks, which makes you wince a bit...Sure, you were wearing your impossible to pierce armor that your grandmother gave you (a bit like Mithril in the Lord of the Rings you told her...she didn’t understand), and so the spear didn’t do any permanent damage but...man it was going to bruise !

That spear was launched with force !

Jon is on his feet already, and, throwing his arms in the air, he gives you his best : “WHAT THE FUCK ?!” facial expression. Your mother can’t help but laugh, and pat him on the back, an understanding look on her face.

Damian is still stunned. What was going on ?

And suddenly. It hits him too. Yes. The armor that can’t be pierced. It’s as if someone shot you and you were wearing a bulletproof vest. Bruised but not dead.

He ignores your teasing, the way you said : “so you love me uh ?” and takes you in his arms, holding you tight in his arms.

-Don’t ever do that to me again you idiot, don’t you dare do that again...

He says. You smile and hug him back, saying :

-Becauuuuuse...You love me ?

He doesn’t even care you’re not saying it back, as he says again :

-Yes. I love you.

You smile and answer :

-Good. Cause I love you too.

The kiss you share is a bit clumsy and shy, but it’s a good one. And when he lifts you up in his arms and helps you up on the league’s ship, you feel happier than ever.

Jon too, is happy. And oh so finally relief. It took him months for that to finally happen ! If only he knew that the only thing that would make you guys admit to each other that you were in love was a life endangering situation, he would have found a way BEFORE that...

Your mom and Damian’s father smile at each other. They couldn’t dream of a better person for their children that those two eh ?

In the ship, bundled against Damian, you realize that...Yeah, it wasn’t actually that difficult to say it. Because you love him. For real. You just love him.

As simple as that.

And he loves you and...The worst didn’t happen. He hoped the worst would never happen...He would make sure it would never happen.

Another clumsy kiss, and...yes. As simple as that.

___________________

This is the fucking worst. I wrote this annoyed at something and couldn’t focus totally on it. Besides, there were a lot of people talking around me and such and...yeah I really couldn’t focus. I’m still posting it though, because I know myself, I won’t ever re-write it and it’ll be lost in my drafts forever, like other finished stories are (finished stories I really hate)...So I figured, since I promised a Damian story, I’ll just post it and so be it. Anyway. The End.

PS : Let’s be honest for a second, this might be erased because I feel really self-conscious about how bad it is. Like way more than usual. UH.

#Damian Wayne x Reader #Robin x Reader #Damian Wayne imagine #Damian Wayne reader insert #Robin imagine #Jon Kent x Reader #Jon Kent imagine #Wonder Woman x reader #Wonder Woman imagine #Wonder Woman x daughter!reader #Damian Wayne #Jon Kent #Wonder Woman #Bruce Wayne #Clark Kent #Damian Wayne x y/n #Robin x y/n #Robin reader insert

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shewhorunswithfandoms · 6 years

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Resistance Chapter 1

So. I’m going to regret this later. But this is the first chapter of a Young Justice fanfiction I’ve spent a long time writing. It features an original character (albeit a bit of a cliche one) but here you go~

Tags: @writing-yj @imagineyoungjustice

It used to be different. There used to be a time when people would laugh at the concept of real life superheroes. They didn’t appear all at once; they popped up slowly. It began with rumours in Gotham City of a vigilante, then Metropolis was attacked by aliens and Starling City gained a vigilante when they changed to Star City. At first, people didn’t believe the rumours. As more sightings headlined in their respective local newspapers, however, we began to believe, to hope. We began our downfall.

It all started when the Flash, Central City’s Scarlet Speedster, died. President Luthor is who everyone knew was behind the death; but any evidence implicating him would mysteriously disappear before it could be used against him. The Justice League wasn’t seen for nearly a week, assumed to be in grieving of one of the founding heroes.

We were wrong though. In our blind trust of these heroes, we forgot they weren’t perfect. We thought they had retreated to simply let the news sink in, but we could have never known they were really plotting. They call it Liberation Day, June 20th, 2009, or the day Superman murdered President Luthor and took over the government. He had melted Luthor where he sat, on the chair in the Oval Office. We laughed hesitantly, so very sure it was just a prank in bad taste. Our illusion shattered quickly, as we screamed in terror of these false gods.

Liberation Day was six years, nine months and twenty days ago. The Justice League and the golden days of safety are just fading memories to the younger generations. The Justice Lords and terror are our new reality. They rule with an iron fist, our every action watched by their cameras and spies.

Murmurs of a resistance sometimes catch my ear before they are quickly squashed. Murmurs saying the Bat isn’t dead, that he is trying to fix what happened nearly seven years ago. They are hard rumours to believe though, no one has seen even the Bat’s shadow since Liberation Day.

Batman wasn’t the only one to disappear. On that one day, on June 21st 2009, every single superhero who was opposed to the Justice Lords’ new rule just vanished. For the first few days, Gotham was a madhouse. The villains and gangs reigned superior. We all cowered like dogs and hid in our houses until the streets outside went silent. We watched as, one by one, every villain outside was systematically slaughtered by the Lords, only a few being left alive to go on and serve as deputies. The citizens of Gotham watched in horror, unbelieving that our so called heroes could do such a thing. Me? I watched it just as they did, with confusion and shock. I had grown up with these heroes. Superman was Uncle Clark to me, he was the nice one who always snuck me cookies. He was the one who helped convince Bruce to let me aid him as a heroine.

This was my family murdering people on the streets. I had shamed myself, saying I should be out there defending my neighbors as the blood filled the streets. Bruce’s order to give up my cowl and lay low had overridden any thoughts I had of running out there. I cried myself to sleep every night, hearing people cry out for the caped crusaders who had defended them before this. I cried because my friends, my family, were no more. I cried because this was not how it was supposed to be. We were here to protect people, not massacre the ones who dared to defy.

It hurts still, even now (six years, nine months, twenty days). Today is the day I’ve always been fearing, since the takeover and Bruce’s disappearance. The news was blaring out the headline Gotham rebel arrested and a picture of my former brother in arms, Richard Grayson. They had put out wanted alerts for every member of the Batfamily the moment we went underground. I hadn’t seen him in so long (six, nine, twenty) but I would know his crystal blue eyes anywhere. They didn’t have the same sparkle as they had before, he had grown a beard and looked so very thin.

“The notorious rebel Richard Grayson has been apprehended by Happy Harbor police this week. He has been #2 most wanted since Liberation Day almost seven years ago. He is being arrested for acts of treason, being an illegal vigilante in Gotham years ago and assaulting one of the Justice Lords. They are still searching for Bruce Wayne and Alexandria Kyle, #1 and #3 Most Wanted respectively. Please call your local police if you have seen either of these fugitives.” The news woman read off the teleprompter in an almost dead monotone, the screen switching to show pictures of the other fugitives. I blinked, hardly recognizing my own photo. I had not seen myself since I changed my appearance, and not heard my true name in just as long. I went by Abigail Ramone now, and looked nearly completely opposite of Alexandria.

My shocked gaze at the ancient television screen was interrupted as my phone rang. All use of cellphones had been forbidden, and contact restricted to only phone lines the Lords could monitor. I hesitantly crossed into the hallway off my living room, hovering over the phone as it rang a few more times. I had waited a tad too long, however, and the answering machine kicked on with a whirring, creaking, groan.

“Abby, it’s your Uncle Moony. I was hoping you could meet me at the park down the street from your mother’s old home tonight three hours before curfew.” A gruff voice crackled out of the machine, soundly awfully familiar for some reason. I didn't have an Uncle, let alone one named Moony. I glanced back to the living room, where the flat voice was still reading facts about Dick, Bruce, and Alexandria. It was suspiciously timed, a phone call from a fake Uncle and Dick getting caught.

“Most knew the three as former vigilantes in Gotham. They were the notorious Batman, Nightwing, and Feline. They all vanished after Liberation Day, and have not been seen until now. Wayne is believed to be somewhere around Keystone or Central City, while Kyle is believed to be in Coast City. In other news..” I turned the television off. I didn't get my hopes up on Bruce being near Central considering how off my supposed location was. I had stayed in Gotham because I knew that was the last place they would expect me to stay, and because I couldn't bring myself to leave the only city I’d ever known.

It was almost surreal still, seeing the Gotham of now. Don’t get me wrong, Gotham was still the most crime infested city in the nation. It still rank of corruption and drugs, but it didn’t hold a candle to the Gotham of yesterday. No more villains such as Poison Ivy and Riddler interrupted our days. Some had survived the first wave of massacre, fleeing to Arkham Island; but the Lords had actually been trying to drive them there. They sank the island, with all of it’s occupants. They hadn’t just killed some villains; they kill innocent workers and guards who had done no crime against them. All of the big bads had been there, Joker and Harley, Penguin and Killer Croc, Riddler and Ivy, Freeze and Scarecrow, Two-Face and Firefly. All of them gone the instant Lord Orin had commanded the ocean to swallow Arkham Island whole.

There was anarchy at first, various gangs trying to get their piece of Gotham until Lord Diana established her Amazonian deputies as the Gotham Queens. Most of the big cities had a ‘patron Lord’, which were the heroes who used to protect them. Metropolis became the new capital, with Lord Kal at the helm. Washington DC was destroyed when the Lords bombed the Hall of Justice to keep people from gathering there in protest. Lord Diana had chosen Gotham when Batman and his heroes went into hiding, knowing we would be formidable if we ever decided to try and take back Gotham. Lord Oliver had assumed Star City, establishing his deputies as Roy Harper and Ray Palmer when Dinah Lance had vanished. Lord Orin had returned to Atlantis after the Lords established their hold and hadn’t been seen since. Lord J’onn remained, to my knowledge, in the floating satellite the League had once called home, presumably to monitor any intergalactic threats. As for the rest of the world, all travel outside the country had been prohibited; our contact with the outside forbidden. We knew nothing of what happened to the rest of the world six years, nine months and twenty days ago.

I glanced back at the answering machine. The house that was listed on my forged papers as my childhood home didn’t have a park anywhere near it. The only place I can remember having a park nearby was my true home, which frightened me. Whoever that had been knew who I really was. These cover identities were secrets, shared only with the fellow protectors of Gotham. They were all set up when we first became heroes, and we worked hard on making them believable. We added paperwork to the trail, growing the covers as we grew ourselves. A glance at the clock told me I had just enough time to get changed and arrive early in order to get a good hiding spot to figure out who ‘Uncle Moony’ really was.

#youngjustice #fanfiction #batman #justice league #meg writes

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goodvibesatpeace · 7 years

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10 Secrets Of Quantum Physics That Will Help You Become Your Greatest Version

Lets go Quantum baby!!

Someone wrote it asking me if I could talk about how Quantum Physics, Quantum Mechanics can help us become our Greatest Version?

and I am reading this question like

“We haven’t even had breakfast yet :)”

But we are already and always diving deep into these fascinating and mind boggling topics... and I am going to share with you what has helped me along my journey.

I read a book, many years ago called

“The Holographic Universe”

and it made me choke on my corn flakes :)... it really made me see reality in a different light... my view of reality was being shattered before my eyes.

Quantum Physics is all about how we are living in a sea, a wave of infinite potential realities and at every single moment, you can change your life.... and it’s helped me so much.

Democritus, the Ancient Greek Philosopher in 460 BC... talked of the Atom, the smallest part of matter, atomos meaning indivisible.... since then Quantum Physics and Quantum Mechanics has taken it a step further.... and I am going to share with you what I have discovered what I have learnt and what I have applied, how it relates to my life right now and how it helps me go to the next level.

Now, in Ancient Egypt on every temple, you had ‘Know Thyself’... the Philosophy was if you were to come to know yourself, you will come to know how the universe works.

Albert Einstein said

“Reality is an illusion albeit a persistent one”

Nikola Tesla, the great scientist said

“If you want to understand the universe and how it works, know about energy, vibration and frequency”

First Amazing Secret about Quantum Physics

So the first amazing secret I discovered about Quantum Physics... and how I have used it to become my Greatest Version... it starts with this. For so long, classical Physicists, the Newtonian Physics has told us we are separate from our environment, we are separate from the Universe we live in.

The Human Being is a kind of accident, we are clockwork, we are almost like a machine... the mechanical man, the mechanical woman. So everything is set in stone and, basically, we are alone... we have no control over the Universe, we can’t change it.

Quantum Physics is about realizing that we actually can because research shows the Unified Field theory... this theory shows how everything is connected. And I wrote down that when you realize your thoughts can change your reality.... your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health will improve.

I always tell people how we are living in great times, when you realize we aren’t separate.... there is a reason why there has been so many wars, we are in spiritual warfare because we are still living in that old paradigm that we are separate from everything around us.... separation is the greatest illusion. Quantum Physics shows that actually everything is connected, we are going to come back to that later.

Second Amazing Secret about Quantum Physics

The second amazing secret I discovered about Quantum Physics along my journey.... is that the old Newtonian Physics was all about how we are living in a deterministic universe... our genes, deterministic. If your parents had it, that’s why you have got it.

Now Quantum Physics Quantum Mechanics is showing us that doesn’t even make sense because there is something called epi-genetics, studies have showed how our perception is actually changing our DNA... how you think of yourself is everything because that actually starts effecting every single cell within your body.

Our Brain is processing 400 billion bits of information per second but we only have access to 2,000 bits of information... so something else is going on. Our Brain, the frontal lobe which, actually, makes us a lot different from other species... is super powerful and our perception can change our DNA.

The great Dr Bruce Lipton talks of that... we have had him here, and its amazing when you realize you are not a victim of circumstance like the old deterministic way... you can actually create your reality by changing your thoughts.... and that is how I have used it along my journey.

I have said

“Everyday I want to wake up with a bunch of grapes in my mouth” ... and its fantastic

Third Amazing Secret about Quantum Physics

The third amazing secret I discovered about Quantum Physics.... is that everything is energy and everything is vibrating. Everything you see around you is comprised is everything you can’t even imagine of. There are worlds within worlds, inside of your body, your cells... they have their own little universe that you know nothing about.

Just like in the food we eat... food holds information, food is information... and that is what I started to discover that energy is transferred... so whatever you are eating holds memory from whatever it was before. If you were eating a delicious Mango that was chilling in the sun, you absorb all of those beautiful frequencies, all of these nutrients... from all of those beautiful sun rays hitting that Mango.

And, before I become a lacto-ovo-vegetarian... I was eating all of this meat and I could feel that my vibration was lowering, then I realized

“Ok, I get it”

If the animals are being killed in pain, there energy is being transferred into my body... because energy can never be destroyed.

So, Quantum Physics actually helped me eat a plant-based diet without meat... because it helped me to see to interconnectedness between everything.... and everything is conscious.

Fourth Amazing Secret about Quantum Physics

The fourth amazing secret I discovered about Quantum Physics..... there has been so many studies, the founding fathers of Quantum Physics, we are talking about people like Max Planck, Erwin Schrödinger. When they started to do early experiments and we will go into them later.... they found fascinating observations, they saw how we are living in a interactive universe... meaning there is a link to how we observe things to how they actually react.

How we observe the universe is what comes back to us.... and that has what has help me along my journey.. is to realize... I studied under a mentor called Peter Deunov, a genius... Einstein learnt from him.... Bulgarian master teacher, he said

“We live in the world we are thinking of”

Now many experiments in Quantum Physics have shown how, just by observing something you actually start changing it.... and that is immense,

So a practical way to apply this into your life is... if you wake up and you feel very tired, if you just have one positive thought... that is going to start to send ripples around the field... and its going to start to change everything around you.

Mirror Neurons... when you start smiling, I start smiling... when your happy, I am happy, when you are sad, I am sad. We affect everything around us and that is what has helped me along my journey.

So when I started to realize that there is a huge link between observer and matter... how you perceive the universe is everything, in fact, it is what creates your reality.

Fifth Amazing Secret about Quantum Physics

The only thing that matters is what it means to you... now I was talking to a good friend and what happened was I would say something like this and I wondered how they would take it

and she said something that really spoke to me, she said

“Well, it only matters what it mean to you”

this is what Quantum Physics is showing us when we talk of how we create our reality. It doesn’t matter what people think of you because the perception you have of yourself is greater then the perception other people have of you :)... It only matters what it mean to you.... and that has freed me along my journey and it has helped me become my Greatest Version.

Number Six

Consciousness is real.... people like Gregg Braden, I used to read his books, and its fascinating when you realize just.... if enough people Mediate on something, it actually influences a certain event.

We are talking about how our beliefs affect our reality. Belief is the program which creates our reality. Our consciousness is real.. Harvard studies have shown that just praying for someone who's in another country can actually effect and influence how that person feels.

So, once again, you are seeing examples of the Unified Field Theory. We have been told that everything is separate... No..... space is just a construct that gives us the illusion that there are separate objects..... Everything is connected.... Consciousness which is Awareness is real.

Number Seven (Double Slit Experiment)

Now lets get into an experiment called The Double Slit Experiment.... Now when I reading this many years ago it really spoke to me.... I am going to break it down in the most simple way I can.

Now in Quantum Physics, they talk of a Particle being, basically, a small part of Matter.... we are talking about Electrons, Particles and then you have got the Wave.

What actually happened was they had one slit and they fired some Particles through it and when it hit the wall, it was just in a straight line.... then they fired particles with two slits, it was two separate straight lines which is what your would expect, two bands.

Then they fired Electrons, which are the smallest part of Matter through the two slits and something happened.... they got multiple bands on the wall. They did the same with Wave, they put it through the two slits and they got multiple bands on the wall.. what we call Interference Patterns.

Now why are these Interference Patterns so essential in helping us become our Greatest Version.... because they show us how, in the Subatomic Level, the Quantum Field.... Waves and Electrons react very differently to what we think.... and Interference Patterns are like they do whatever they want.

This means that the Past, Present and Future are all happening simultaneously, time does not exist and therefore Laws can be bent, broken, changed... and Electrons are Electrons of potentials.... nothing is set in stone.

Number Eight (Entanglement Experiment)

Now lets look at another experiment called The Entanglement Experiment. Quantum Physicists showed how if you do something to an Atom, an Electron in one place and you separate the Electron... the other Electron would do the exact same thing.

Two Electrons in two different places, if you do something to one it effects the other one showing us that space doesn’t even exist.

And it really blew my mind... when we talk of Entanglement, we can start to realize how Telekinesis works, how we can actually read people’s minds because everything is Entangled.... everything was part of everything else at the beginning of creation. Well, guess what, there is no beginning and there is no end.

So Entanglement, how I use this is to realize that what I do to you, I am actually doing to myself

Entanglement is that we are never alone... Entanglement shows us, in becoming our Greatest Version, that everything is actually connected and that’s why studies have shown, back in the day when Soldiers would go off to War... of something happened to them, the Mother would feel it instantly and already know the news before it came to her.

Entanglement... you can use it to realize how Separation is the great illusion ever created.

Number Nine

Dr Daniel Omodon talked.... What he need, Genius... How intention effects Water. What he did was say certain things to Water Particles and then freeze them and if he said ‘Love’ to a Water Particle it would from the most amazing Crystal.

If he talked to the Water Particle’s with hate... the Particle would create a shape not very pleasing to the eye.

So if our thoughts do that to Water and our body is over 60-70% water... imagine what we are doing to our body with our thoughts?

Its impressive to realize that... even the water in our body, once again, we are changing it.. and that is what sometimes makes someone Healthy and makes someone Unhealthy.... by seeing how our thoughts effect the Water Molecules and realizing that everything is alive with our body.... everything is conscious and everything is effected by everything else.

Now before I go onto number 10, what I actually found fascinating was a Quantum Physicist said... we often talk about our Present.... for instance, we have Cause and Effect, throw a ball down and it touches the ground, that’s Cause and Effect... so our Present creates a Past experience.

Now, check this out, Quantum Physicists are actually telling us how our future is actually creating our present experience... the future is already here. If there wasn’t a ground, I wouldn’t be able to throw a ball in the first place... there being a ground is the reason I threw the ball... so actually the future is controlling everything.... its trippy I know :)

Number 10

What really helped me was to realize this.... our concentration and our attention span is between 6 to 10 seconds per minute meaning we are not paying attention most of the time.

Now, in helping ourselves become our Greatest Version, to tap into the Field what I have discovered is that we have to create more... we have to get a better attention span.

Because that is where we start observing and start influencing the Field.... we start molding reality around us but it can only be done through attention.

So I used Meditation to tap into the Quantum Field.... and also Attention is created through Intention and the power of Intention is what really Quantum Physics, Quantum Mechanics is all about.

The mere act of observing... that is why Quantum Physic experimentation is so trippy... because just looking in on a experiment, being part of the experiment actually changes the whole direction of the experiment according to who is doing it.

And that is why it is one of the most amazing sciences around because you are starting to realize that me being part of it is changing everything. So, intention changes everything.

Paolo Coelho and the great book ‘The Alchemist’ said

“When you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you get it”

Now this is simple Quantum Physics.... by just seeing it already there, it is already happening because there is no out there... everything is taking place within ourselves.

So someone last asked me

“Do you think we can change matter?”

I say

“We are part of everything we see”

So of course we can... and then I say

“Feels so good to be alive Baby!”

You are Worthy…You are Enough… You are Beautiful… You are Powerful….just the way you are!

Have a wonderful day!

Much Love to all… There are many deep waters out there!!.. go in peace my friends :)

#greatest version #physics #quantum physics #science #atoms #matter #unified field theory

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yawednesdays-blog · 6 years

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Happy New Year! This year in YA we have evil faeries, meet-cutes, Valkyrie, twin sisters, Nightwalkers, clock towers, gunslingers, train car romances, the Hinterland…and that’s just in January! Even if you re-set your TBR on New Year’s Day, OTWB will have it full in no time. Let’s get reading!

One To Watch Books January 2018

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January 2nd

Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black, January 2nd, Little Brown Books For Young Readers, 384 pages

No one can write a leading man you love to hate quite like Holly Black and The Cruel Prince is no exception. Jude and her sister were stolen away to live among the High Court of the Faeries when she was just seven. While Jude hates them, she is also attracted to them- their beauty, the immortality, and even their cruelty. What will Jude risk to become one of them and is the bargain worth what she must give up?

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Chainbreaker (Timekeeper #2) by Tara Sim, January 2nd, Sky Pony Press, 488 pages

We absolutely feel in love with Danny and Colton in Timekeeper and the time has finally come for their return!

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Everless by Sara Holland, January 2nd, HarperTeen, 336 pages

In Everless, time is the highest form of currency. The elite tax the underclass to extend their lives while running down the poor. Jules and her father escaped Everless, the grand estate where they served the rich. But when Jules’s father becomes ill, she must return in an attempt to earn enough time to save his life. But returning to Everless has more dangers than Jules could imagine.

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Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined To Meet Anthology January 2nd, HMH Books For Young Readers, 320 pages

Some of your favorite authors tell tales of first meetings and people destined to come in each other’s lives. Featuring stories from Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton, Katie Cotugno, Jocelyn Davies, Nina LaCour, Emery Lord, Katharine McGee, Ibi Zoboi, Julie Murphy, Nicola Yoon, and more.

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Batman Nightwalker (DC Icons #2) by Marie Lu, January 2nd, Random House Books For Young Reads, 272 pages

You may think you know Bruce Wayne, but you’ve never seen him as written by Marie Lu!

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Between the Blade and the Heart (Valkyrie Book 1) by Amanda Hocking, January 2nd, Wednesday Books, 319 pages

Valkyries have one duty- return immortals to the afterlife by slaying them when their time has come. Malin knows what her duty is and she’s willing to do what is necessary. But when Malin learns her mother spared the life of an immortal, Malin’s commitment to duty questioned.

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Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely, January 2nd, Jimmy Patterson Presents, 432 pages

Meet 17 year Serendipity “Pity” Jones. She’s inherited two things from her mother- a set of six shooters and perfect aim. She’ll need both (plus a little luck) is she’s going to survive the Wild West.

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You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon, January 2nd, Simon Pulse, 384 pages

Twin sister Adina and Tovah have little in common, except their desire to achieve. Adina yearns to excel as a music prodigy and to gain the special attention of her music teacher. Tovah has her sights on getting into medical school and becoming a surgeon. When the sisters test for Huntington’s, a rare genetic disease that is slowly robbing their mother of her humanity, one girl test negative, one positive. With this difference between them, Adina and Tovah may have grown too far apart to repair the bond they once had.

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As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti, January 2nd, Sourcebooks Fire, 432 pages

Living in a desert town at the edge of nowhere may sound like a teenager’s worst nightmare. But in the town of Madison every person gets one wish and Eldon plans on making his wish count. But the good folks of Madison are finding that making your wishes come true is no easy task.

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The Forgotten Book by Mecthild Glaser, January 2nd, Feiwel & Friends, 368 pages

“A Jane Austen-inspired YA tale about a sixteen-year-old girl who finds a magical book—and discovers that anything she writes inside it comes true.” -Goodreads

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Love and Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen, January 2nd, Katherine Tegen Books, 368 pages

“A twenty-four-hour romance about two teens who meet—and perhaps change their minds about love—on a train ride to Upstate New York in the middle of a snowstorm.” -Goodreads

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Before I Let You Go by Marieke Nijkamp, January 2nd, Sourcebooks Fire, 368 pages

Corey and her best friend Kyra were inseparable in their small town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Kyra is forced to move away she begs her friend to stay strong until her return. But just a say before Corey comes back to Lost, she learns her friend has died. Corey knows the people of Lost Creek and she’s convinced they are keeping something from her. Corey won’t rest until she finds out what really happened to Kyra.

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Busted by Gina Ciocca, January 2nd, Sourcefire Books, 352 pages

Marisa didn’t mean to become the school’s default private investigator for busting cheating boyfriends, but she soon finds out she’s got a knack for snooping. When Marisa’s frenemy Kendall asks Marisa to spy on her boyfriend and the mystery girl he’s into, Marisa agrees. But things get complicated when Marisa realizes the girl Kendall’s man is into to is Marisa herself.

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The True Queen (The Impostor Queen #3) by Sarah Fine, January 2nd, Margaret K. McElderry books, 384 pages

“In this epic conclusion to the Impostor Queen series, Sarah Fine’s sweeping tale of two fierce leaders imbued with unimaginable power and called to unthinkable sacrifice finally answers the question: who has the strength to be the True Queen?” -Goodreads

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January 9th

Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman, January 9th, Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers, 352 pages

“Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the second novel of the chilling New York Times bestselling series from Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.”

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Unearthed by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, January 9th, Disney-Hyperion, 382 pages

Earth is on the verge of extinction, until a transmission from a long dead alien race is received. From the shell of the uninhabited alien world, scholar Jules can learn about the technology and evolution of this ancient race. That is if scavengers like Mia don’t strip the planet bare first. Jules and Mia have very different reasons for traveling to Gaia, but once on the planet they find a pressing reason to band together: survival. As Jules and Mia fight to unlock the planet’s secrets they realize that there is more to Gaia than meets the eye.

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Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) by Seanan McGuire, January 9th, tor.com, 160 pages

“Beneath the Sugar Sky returns to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the “real” world.”- Goodreads

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A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen, January 9th, Amulet Books, 336 pages

Budding scientist Spencer wants to define the complicated relationship with his bestie/crush Hope. But some things defy definitions and love is one of them.

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Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke, January 9th, Clarion Books, 432 pages

All Jane Sinner wants is to get her high school diploma so she can start community college. But when expulsion derails Jane’s plans, she finds herself in an alternate high school program with a housing twist. Jane soon finds herself on a student run “Big Brother” like reality show that becomes way more popular than anyone could have predicted, least of all Jane.

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January 11th

The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart, January 11th, Penguin Random House, 368 pages

During a long hot summer, five friends make a pack to sacrifice one thing each that means something to them and put it on a box. The vow never to visit the box alone, never at night and never ever will a sacrifice be removed. Four years later the friends have grown apart and strange things start to happen. They soon realize that someone has broken the pact and the penalty could be their lives.

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January 16th

Iron Gold (Red Rising #4) by Pierce Brown, January 16th, Del Rey, 480 pages

We return to the world of Darrow and the revolution he started. But it’s a decade later and the peace Darrow and his friends fought and died for is still elusive. Rather than endless peace, the revolutions opened to door to endless war. Darrow has not forgotten the world he envisioned and he’s still prepared to fight for it, even if he loses himself in the process.

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Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed, January 16th, Soho Teen, 288 pages

A searing #OwnVoices coming-of-age debut in which an Indian-American Muslim teen confronts Islamophobia and a reality she can neither explain nor escape–perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Adam Silvera.

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Truly, Devious: A Mystery (Book1) by Maureen Johnson, January 16th, HarperCollins, 432 pages

Ellingham Academy was supposed to be a haven for free thinkers and learners. But when the founders wife and daughter were kidnapped, the school became known for their unsolved disappearance. Years later, Stevie Bell will be attending Ellingham as a student. She’s determined to solve the cold case. But with 5 odd housemates and a heavy workload, Stevie has no time to play detective. But when murder returns to Ellingham, Stevie must make investigating her top priority- her life may depend on it.

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Blood And Sand by C.V. Wyk, January 16th, Tor Teen, 320 pages

The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic―and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus…

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Poison’s Cage (Poison Kiss #2) by Breeana Shields, January 16th, Random House Books For Young Readers, 335 pages

Book #2 of the Poison Kiss series is here, and the stakes are higher than before!

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You Won’t Know I’m Gone (The Black Angel Chronicles #2) by Kristen Orlando, January 16th, Swoon Reads, 320 pages

Reagan has a second chance to join the Black Angel Training Academy after going rogue to hunt her parents’ killer. But to that that chance she will have to live without the aliases she wears like a second skin. Can Reagan just be herself? Is the vulnerability worth the risk?

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All That Was by Karen Rivers, January 16th, Farrar Straus Giroux, 384 pages

Piper and Sloane were best friends. They grew up together, from childhood to first love, and in spite of how different they were, their friendship was supposed to last forever. That is, until Piper caught Sloane kissing her boyfriend—and just days later, Piper was found dead, washed ashore on a beach. Sloane was torn with grief and guilt. How do you make amends for hurting someone you love, if that person is no longer around? And how can you ever move on and love again?

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January 23rd

Reign of the Fallen (The Reign of the Fallen #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh, January 23rd, Razorbill, 384 pages

Odessa is a master necromancer. She returns the noble dead to the land of the living. The task is a delicate one that if done wrong will create zombie-like creatures known as Shade. The number of Shades is increasing at an alarming rate. Is someone intentionally creating Shades and if so, why? Are Shades are the tool that could bring Odessa’s kingdom to ruin?

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Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann, January 23rd, Swoon Reads, 277 pages

Alice was ready for the perfect summer- binge worthy TV, junk food, hanging with friends, and stints working at the library in between. But Alice’s plans hit a snag with her girlfriend breaks up with her after Alice confesses she’s asexual. Well, this expert in love was a fail and Alice is no rush to repeat it. That is until she meets fellow (super cute) library employee Takumi. Is Alice willing to risk their budding friendship to see it he’s interested in a relationship? And even if he is, can he handle the kind of relationship Alice is has to offer?

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Markswoman (Asiana) by Rati Mehrotra, January 23rd, Harper Voyages, 384 pages

Kyra is the youngest Markswoman in the elite Order of Kali. In order to become initiated into the Order you must repudiate your former life. While Kyra is committed to the Order, there is one aspect of her life she cannot let go- revenge.

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January 30th

The Hazel Witch by Melissa Albert, January 30th, Flatiron Books, 368 pages

Alice’s and her mother have always been outrunning their bad luck. Things go from bad to worse when Alice’s grandmother, the author of a very popular and very grim collection of fairy-tales, dies alone of her estate Hazel Wood and Alice’s mother is kidnapped by shadowy figure who is only supposed to exist on the pages of Alice’s grandmother’s books. If Alice is going to get her mother back she’s going to need the help of her classmate and super fan Ellery. Together they must travel to Hazel Wood and maybe beyond.

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Reign The Earth (The Elemantae #1) by A.C. Gaughen, January 30th, Bloomsbury, 448 pages

Shalia is a daughter of the desert and her people have been at war with their neighbors for years. In an attempt at peace for her people, Shalia agrees to marry and become Queen of the Bonelands. But Shalia gets more from her new husband then she bargained for. Calix is hell-bent on exterminating the Elementae, a race of people with the power to control the elements. What is even worse is Shalia’s feelings for her new husband’s brother and the untapped powers they alight in Shalia. With her people’s safety on the line, Shalia must decide where her loyalties lie.

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Purple Hearts (Frontline #3) by Michael Grant, January 30th, Katherine Tegen Books, 576 pages

“New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant unleashes the gritty and powerful conclusion to the Front Line series and evokes the brutal truth of World War II: War is hell. An epic tale of historical reimagining, perfect for fans of Code Name Verity and Salt to the Sea.” -Goodreads

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Keeper by Kim Chance, January 30th, Flux Books/North Star Editions, 408 pages

“When a 200-year-old witch attacks her, sixteen-year-old bookworm Lainey Styles is determined to find a logical explanation. Even with the impossible staring her in the face, Lainey refuses to believe it—until she finds a photograph linking the witch to her dead mother.”- Goodreads

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Wires and Nerves Vol. 2: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer, Feiwel and Friends, 320 pages

Wire & Nerves: Gone Rogue is the next edition of graphic novel based on the very popular Cinder series.

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Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarry, January 30th, Harlequin Teen, 400 pages

Drix is a convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and his second chance at getting is life back is the govenor’s rehabilitation project. Elle is the governor’s daughter. When Drix and Elle meet, it’s instant chemistry. Drix is not the kind of boy Elle’s political parents had in mind for her, and Drix has too much at stake to get on the govenor’s bad side. Can two people from opposite side of the tracks meet in the middle?

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The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis, January 30th, Balzer + Bray, 336 pages

Evan Panos is having a hard time finding himself. His mother things he’s a failure, his father is ignoring the growing rift and Evan is having feelings for his best friend Henry that are anything but platonic. Evan finds solace in drawing in an abandoned church. But Evan will have to face his life eventually, whether he likes it or nor.

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This Is Not A Love Letter by Kim Purcell, January 30th, Disney-Hyperion, 368 pages

Jessie’s boyfriend Chris has disappeared one week before graduation. The police want to chock it up to a runaway, but Jessie doesn’t believe it. Chris is popular and has a full ride to college on a baseball scholarship. And the last place Chris was seen was the same spot her was beaten up by kids from the rival high school. And Chris is one of the only black students in their small town. No, Jessie is convinced something is terribly wrong. As she advocates for Chris, Jessie must face hatred, denial and worse in his absence. It will take Chris’s disappearance for his voice to be heard.

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So that’s our first OTOB round-up of 2018. We’re off to a great start! See you next month.

Ann-Eliza

One To Watch Books: You Guide to January YA Releases Happy New Year! This year in YA we have evil faeries, meet-cutes, Valkyrie, twin sisters, Nightwalkers, clock towers, gunslingers, train car romances, the Hinterland...and that's just in January!

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