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jinjeriffic · 4 months

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DC x DP prompt/ficlet

Throwing my hat in the ring with this idea that has been doing the zoomies in my brain for days. The Tim/Danny Accidental Ghost Marriage to Fake Dating to Friends to Lovers AU:

Pariah Dark was a piece of shit. Before his imprisonment, mortals would sometimes manage to bargain with the Ghost King for scraps of power. One of the "standard" deals was to send PD a "Bride" to play with and feed on (because I HC he feeds on fear and pain) and what better way than a little mortal battery that couldn't get away from him? The deal was sealed with a cursed amulet. Now in one instance, the contract was never fulfilled (maybe the petitioner died before he could complete his half) and the amulet was lost. After Pariah was imprisoned and couldn't make deals anymore the knowledge of the rituals needed was gradually forgotten since they didn't work anymore...

Eventually the amulet gets dug up by archeologists (maybe in Egypt or Mesopotamia?) and ends up in a traveling exhibit in Gotham. A Rogue robs the place (Riddler? Two-Face? doesn't really matter). When the Bats show up to foil the robbery, during the fight with the goons a drop of Red Robin's blood gets on the amulet, there's a blinding flash of green light and the amulet is suddenly glued to him.

While everyone is dazed by the ghostly magic flashbang, Fright Knight pops out of a portal, yoinks Red Robin across his saddle and jumps back through the portal before anyone can stop him. Cue the Bats trying to frantically figure out what in the multi-dimensional occult hell happened and where RR went?!

Meanwhile, Danny is disturbed to receive a ghostly missive in his college dorm to tell him that his Mail Order Bride has been delivered to his Ghost Zone Palace and is awaiting him so they can consummate their Unholy Matrimony.

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Danny: Wtf I have to study I don't have time to get MARRIED

Fright Knight: I'm sorry my liege, but according to the laws of ghosts, gods and magic you already ARE

Danny: Wtf. How did this happen?

RR: I would like to know that too

Danny: Oh shit, you're a superhero. Frighty, you can't just kidnap people! Especially not SUPERHEROES!

RR: While that's good to hear, I would really like to know about this supposed marriage..?

FK: I am not aware of the exact details, I was merely summoned to retrieve the Bride of the Ghost King. There used to be standard magical contracts for this, which went into effect when the Bride bled on the King's Token...

RR: Shit

Danny: Hold on, PARIAH got married? Multiple times??

FK: ...but we can always consult the Royal Archivist, if we can dig him out from under the several thousand years worth of paperwork that piled up while there was no King actively ruling...

Danny: Oh ancients, am I gonna have to deal with that?? I have exams to prepare for, dude!

RR: ...the dead still have to do exams? And paperwork?? *horror*

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Some time and explanations later...

Royal Archivist: It took some digging, but I believe I have found the contract in question. You are one Timothy Drake-Wayne, correct?

Tim: Fml

RA: Ahem. The contract was sealed with your mortal blood, as is standard procedure. Congratulations, you are officially King-Consort of the Infinite Realms! Until death do you part, and all that

Danny: Can I see that contract? ...This isn't in English

RA: Oh dear, looks like we will have to schedule your Royal Highness classes in reading cuneiform/hieroglyphics

Tim: Okay, does it say anywhere in that contract how to dissolve it? What's the procedure for a ghost divorce? Fright Knight mentioned the previous king being married multiple times

RA: Well usually, when Pariah tired of a consort he would simply devour their soul...

Danny: Ewwwww I am so not doing that

Tim: I concur. I can't imagine my soul would taste good anyway

Danny: That's what you took from that??

RA: ...but when you die and your soul passes into the Afterlife proper, the contract will be fulfilled. As long as you're not resurrected again.

Tim: Nuts, there goes that loophole

RA: Until then you are the Consort and duty-bound to fulfill his Royal Highness' every whim; ghostly, spiritual, carnal...

Danny: *sinks through the floor in embarrassment*

Tim: Can't he just... release me from the contract? Take the amulet off me or something?

RA: Not without obliterating your soul, no

Danny and Tim: Fuck

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Some time later, while Danny is away consulting other ghosts on possible ways of dissolving the contract, they discover the nasty little clause that if Tim isn't in regular physical contact with Danny the amulet starts draining his life force. To prevent victims from escaping you see... Danny really really hates Pariah right now.

They eventually return to the mortal plane to explain to the Batfam what the hell is going on and that they're still trying to fix it. In the meantime, Danny can't miss any more classes (studying areospace engineering at MIT or sth) and Tim has to stick close to him because of the curse...

Alfred: Oh dear, looks like Master Timothy will have to go to college after all *unflappable British Smugness*

Bruce pulls a lot of strings to fast track Tim getting his high school diploma and let him attend classes with Danny (he's not officially enrolled yet, but Money, Dear Boy). They never know when Danny has to respond to a ghost emergency or Red Robin to a Bat emergency, so they stay pretty much joined at the hip in their civilian lives. Of course there's gonna be rumors. Why did the Wayne CEO suddenly drop everything to go to college? So they make up a story about Danny and Tim having been secret boyfriends for a while and Tim becoming so smitten that he moves with him to Boston...

Cue the fake dates, interviews with magazines, couple photoshoots to really sell the bit... and the two young men gradually becoming friends... and then "Feelings?? But what do I do?? He was forced into this?" etc.

#dcxdp #dpxdc #dp x dc #dc x dp #dc x dp crossover #dc x dp prompt #danny phantom #tim drake #red robin #danny fenton #ficlet #batman #batfam #accidental marriage #arranged marriage

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miscmonstro · 1 year

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I’ve been seeing a decent amount of “Amity gets scooped and plopped into dc dimension” style prompts so consider: Shadow Zone Amity.

Amity doesn’t appear out of no where in Illinois, in the dc world. It’s not near Gotham/Star City/Metropolis. Instead it’s inside of Gotham (bc batman crossovers remain my interest but any city could work).

So. Idk how many people are familiar with Transformers Prime but the shadow dimension is a mirror of the real world but in muted colors and people in the shadow dimension can see and hear people from the original dimension, however, people in the regular dimension cannot see/hear/feel/etc. anything from the shadow dimension.

I like that idea but instead of it being the shadow dimension being a mirror it’s a copy of DP’s world and instead of a one way type of perception the dp and dc dimensions remain separate… kinda.

Amity absorbs parts of Gotham and makes a shadowy copy of various places. The citizens of Amity are like, “Well. There’s a new park/office building/street/etc. I guess.”

Gotham, meanwhile, remains the same. Physically.

Sometimes people will appear in Gotham, walking, sitting in the park, etc. But they never acknowledge anyone and can disappear between one blink and the next. If there happen to be two and they speak to each other, it sounds like static. No one can’t touch them- Gothamites go through them. These ‘shades’ are Amity people in the Gotham areas that have a shadowy duplicate in Amity. None of the Amity people are aware this is happening.

I imagine the Gotham side of things dubs the Amity people shades ghosts XD

Anyway, on the Amity side a major ghost fight has to happen in one of the Gotham sections and so the Amity people run. Some are screaming, all are frantically trying to get away. One problem though- Ghost Zone ghosts don’t render on the Gotham side. So the Gothamites don’t see Phantom nor whoever he was fighting.

So now the Bats are desperately trying to figure out what could have spooked all the ‘ghosts’ (Amity shades) so badly because, I mean, it’s Gotham. It’s going to pop up again and bite them, right?

I figure Gothamites can get into Amity too. If one of them passes a threshold from an area of overlap where Gotham exists in the shadow zone then they can step into Amity, however no one from Amity can see them and no one can hear them. If they get back to a place of overlap they’ll end up back in Gotham.

Maybe overtime the merging gets better/worse and things start interacting more. Roads appear and disappear on either side. Buildings clipping in and out of reality, the Amity shades being able to interact with Gotham by like tripping on things that exist in Gotham but not Amity, the Amity people seeing items move that Gothamites are moving around in their dimension, etc. I don’t know. But listen.

The court of owls needs to have one of their 13th floor shindigs and just. Amity shades everywhere. They take over all the 13th floors, making the owl associates terrified because why are all these ‘ghosts’ suddenly haunting notoriously cursed floors?? They begin to believe their own stories. Bonus if the Amity people take the coffee and that’s the only thing they can interact with from the Gotham side 13th floors so now the owl court is supplying the ‘ghosts’ coffee so they can still use the 13th floors as their meeting places in ‘exchange’. The coffee offerings are appeasement. Meanwhile Amity side people are convinced there’s a coffee ghost somewhere because these brands don’t actually exist and where else is it coming from?

The Nasty Burger and Bat Burger could overlap. Someone walks into Nasty Burger and orders Nightwings. Someone at Bat Burger walks up and asks for Nasty Sauce.

Vlads lab and the batcave could merge sometimes. Imagine one of the bats running an analysis and suddenly theres a different computer with cloning info or detailing how to cut off a ghost’s circulation to control them more effectively? Or Danny sneaks into Vlad’s lab and theres a stack of adoption papers and foster stuff for various situations (that belong to Bruce, unbeknownst to him) and is utterly horrified at the level of detailed scenarios that Vlad’s got adoption contingencies for.

#Dimensional Shenanigans #amity park #gotham #dp x batman #dp x dc #dp x dc prompt #miscmonstro writings #Shadow Dimension #Chaos #danny phantom

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deepwithintheabyss · 7 months

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@cadkitten @zeroducks-2 this is somehow only 7 months old??? feels longer, anyway yeah this is like first draft of me writing this scene whatever, trying to nail down what happens how so it's not like something I'd post on ao3 this way idk

thought this was the quickest and best way to just share it with you two (and idk anyone else who'd want to see)

damn I just read through this I forgot I did this, anyway yeah JayTim tentatodd not much tentacle action in this draft though, or oviposition, just implied

It watched in anticipation as its prey drew close to its hiding grounds once again.

It had been stalking their prey for months now, drawing closer and closer, watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and claim.

To ensure its prey would be theirs, thoroughly marked and carrying their offspring.

It had started to get impatient with waiting, but its prey had been following along so well, and had been getting more careless and comfortable with the idea of being watched.

Not that its prey knew who or what was watching it of course, its instincts may have had it tipped it off to it being watched by them but it hadn’t found it at all, it hadn’t even an inkling of suspicion of what its intentions were.

Otherwise its prey wouldn’t offer itself up so nicely to them.

Red Robin knew he had fucked up the moment he realised he wouldn’t be able to call back up in his current position.

During his brief scuffle with the goons a hit to the head had ensured he lost his communicator, while he was recovering from the brief bout of dizziness they had managed to trap his feet in a chain and it hadn’t been long before the rest was looped around him as well, trapping his arms in a rather awkward bent to himself.

Using the hooks in the ceiling they had hoisted him up before scattering away, leaving him to sway gently upside down unable to free himself without it taking long painstakingly precision to ensure he didn’t fall or hurt himself.

Screaming for help wasn’t an option as well, not only couldn’t he trust whoever might hear him to be friendly, but the warehouse he was in was pretty out of it’s way in a deserted corner near the bay, no one would hear him over the crashing waves of the sea.

He shudders when he hears the warehouse creak, Gotham news warned about an upcoming storm and he definitely didn’t want to be caught in the middle of it strung up in some chains in a warehouse, he needed to get out of them fast.

He doesn’t want to find out if they kept up to date on building regulations via being inside a possible collapsing building.

Half an hour later the storm starts to hit fast and hard, the wind is merciless creeping into the big hall, not only lowering the temperature drastically but also making him sway much more than before.

He only has gotten one arm free (and it looks like he’ll spend another hour or two trying to extract himself in the cold with freezing and stiff fingers) when something hot and wet lands on his lower leg and squelches almost obscenely in doing so.

When twisting and turning, trying to get whatever that is away does nothing, he uses his hard earned muscles to pull his upper body up to take a look into the dark, to hopefully make out what is creeping up his thigh, squinting into the darkness he can barely make out a long shape on his leg, following it he is only greeted with more darkness and a possible writhing mass of something.

He shudders, pulling more frantically on his restraints, fuck being careful and avoiding damage, he doesn’t want to figure out what that thing is at all.

More of that hot length creeped up (down?) his leg and he has the realization that it feels like one of Ivy’s vines, just hot.

He hopes he is wrong and it is not the Gotham Rogue, he doesn’t want to know what new thing she cooked up while dawdling time inside of Arkham, he pushes the worry at a possible Arkham breakout aside for later, he has other things to worry about right now than his family needing back up.

Two more tentacles join the first one in its quest to squirm down his body and between the chains, if it wasn’t for the uncertainty about what they want with him he would feel grateful for the warm they provide against the chill.

He had a brief moment of relief as the chains finally loosen around him and he can breathe again, before every single tentacle constricts around him making him utterly unable to move, even more so than before.

The strong muscles ensured that he was held totally motionless up in the air

He’s fast asleep when something disturbs his rest.

It’s hot and pressing in between his legs, pressing forwards and sliding in with no resistance.

Tim tries futilely to twist away, sleep still clinging heavily onto him.

The heavy arms across his torso tighten, drawing him in closer as he gets softly shushed.

“Shh, it’s okay Tim, I’m just going to help you.” He hears Jason softly croon into his ear

He tries to twist so he is facing Jason, so he can demand what he means with that, when a thrust in his ass derails all further thought and he lets out a soft moan.

Tim hadn’t known how much he wanted this until Jason started to give it to him, he wordlessly pressed back, trying to figure out what to say or even do.

“That’s it sweetheart, let me make you feel good, I want to make you feel all good just for me.”

A whine escapes him as Jason sets a slow, almost lazy pace, it’s an unrelenting languished pace that with each snap of his hips drives straight into his prostate.

Jason is caging him in his arms, giving Tim no way to move, not that he even knows if he wants to move at all, it’s so good but too much as well, his sensitive nerves are screaming at him to get away to press back he can’t decide at all.

All he knows is that the hunger in him is demanding for Jason to be faster, to be harder to satisfy the yearning in him. To stuff him with his cock and cum till he was overflowing with it.

But Jason isn’t moving any faster, ignoring his soft pleas of “Jason, Jason please” and continues with his torturous pace.

Thoroughly satisfied he looks down at Tim’s sleeping form in his arms, he softly caresses the little bump in his stomach, almost crooning with the feeling of vicious satisfaction and possessiveness that sweeps through him, the image of Tim’s stomach swelled fully stirs the heat in his groin and he has to dismiss it.

“Later” he tells himself, “now it’s time to sleep”.

He wakes up to movement and heat in his groin, when he blinks open his eyes he sees the most delicious sight ever.

Tim is bouncing in his lap, fucking himself on his cock all desperate, unable to hit his sweetspot at all, but unwilling to give up on trying.

The sight he makes bouncing up and down, face drawn into distressed and exhaustion evident in the way his whole body shakes has Jason moan out loud, especially when he notices how the little swell of Tims stomach is moving with him.

He has to use every last bit of restraint to hold himself back from just bending tim over and fucking into him until he can’t move at all.

But it’s worth it for how Tim’s big teary eyes open up so he can look at him and plead.

“Jason, Jason please fuck me, please please I need-” he moans high pitched and oh so prettily when Jason lifts his hip to meet Tims thrust, the tears are now actually rolling down his face as his pace becomes faster and more frantic, “please please please” he whimpers.

Tim can barely do anything more than awkwardly shuffle through the apartment, his stomach has swelled up to an enormous size in the past 8 months, and if Jason is to be believed it will swell some more in the last 4.

Tim does not look forward to when he can do nothing more than lay in bed and get pampered and oh so sweetly fucked by Jason.His mind has grown more hazy over time, leading to him saying things like “I wish the others were here” or “the brat would look so good pregnant with your eggs Jason”, if he was of clearer mind he might have noticed how still and thoughtful Jason had gotten at those words, but in his hazy mind he just had continued babbling, about how they could all cuddle and get fucked by Jason together, how he would make sure they all felt good.

anyway the handwritten notes are just, Damians Pov as he wonders why the fuck Tim would call him over, slight worry because Tim hasn't been seen outside in a while even when he said he's fine. Suprise and worry when he sees Tim is pregnant which obviously confuses him, being kinda touched that he is the first person they tell before he realises he walked into a trap. All the signs of Tim not being clear headed had been brushed aside until it was too late and now he's caught by Jasons tentacles as well as the other two talk about how good he'll look pregnant

#the abyss speaks #jaytim #my writing

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acourtofidiots · 1 year

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This isn't a request (I know those are closed!) so much as it's an idea that popped in my head after scrolling through that one night stand prompt list you reblogged and I wanted to share it! Thinking about the reader and Dick with the prompt: “Want me to hit the right spots again?” Dick says softly, sending shivers running down (Y/N)’s spine; hand splayed on their bare stomach. “Y-yes, please,” (Y/N) answers, arms tightening around their neck. “Need you like I needed you last night.”

Like maybe they've known each other for a while and there's always been a little bit of tension there, especially in more physical moments like when they're sparring. When they eventually snap, the sex is frantic and rough, months of what was bubbling under the surface exploding in the moment. The next morning, when things are slower and softer, he takes you apart piece by piece, and you realize it may not have been a one night stand after all.

this has my head full of thoughts oh my god

so maybe y/n is part of the justice league and for one mission they need to go undercover in gotham for a bit. and one night they go out clubbing or something and meet dick and they end up fucking. and the next day the move on like nothing happened

but they can’t stop thinking about each other. how good the other felt, their mouths, hands. how well they clicked together. but the two of them figured that since gotham is so big, they might never see each other again. so they move on.

flash forward a few months later and y/n gives the justice league a debriefing on their mission. dick is there cause he was trying to catch the same guy and wanted to hear how y/n did it. and it doesn’t take him long to figure out that y/n is actually the person he can’t stop thinking about and so after the meeting, he corners them and just casually brings up that he knows their civilian identity. and y/n goes “wtf how” and he just kisses them and it immediately brings back memories and they end up being friends for a while before they start dating.

(minors and ageless blogs dni; please don’t spam like my posts)

#I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA OH MY GOD #ask julia #anon #anonymous #dick grayson x reader #dick concepts

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dessarious · 2 years

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Shots Fired Pt2

Beginning Next

It was almost two months later that Adrien looked out of his office window to find Tim Drake and Richard Grayson stalking the building. He held back a groan thinking of what Mari would do if she spotted them and got up to go deal with the problem. He really hoped they weren’t here to accuse him of something else or he might not be able to hold her back. Knowing his luck she’d use the Kwami to help. Plagg was more than ready to unleash chaos on his behalf and Adrien knew very well the Kwami had a very skewed idea of when enough was enough.

He slipped out the back of the building and circled around behind the Waynes. They appeared to be arguing and didn’t even notice his approach. He wanted to roll his eyes. If this was their normal awareness he had no idea how they’d survived in Gotham of all places. Then again maybe they just let their guard down because they thought it was safe here.

“I already tried hacking in to get us on her appointment list Dick. Their security is that good and it makes me wonder what they’re hiding.” Adrien felt his eyes roll. It couldn’t be that they were worried about sabotage and thieves. No, there must be more nefarious reasons. As if Wayne Enterprises wasn’t locked up like a vault.

“They’re a cooperation Timmy. Of course they have cyber security. And since it’s someone that it’s likely what they do for a living the fact that you couldn’t get in just means they hired the best. And honestly do you really think she wouldn’t have just tossed us out once she saw us after what happened? We need to figure out how to get on her good side.”

“You could try apologizing.” Both men gave out a startled yelp as they turned to him. It was more satisfying than he’d like to admit.

“How can we apologize when we can’t get near her?” Tim sounded rather frantic and Adrien could see the sleep derivation practically dripping off him. It was the exact same thing he’d seen in Mari constantly until they’d taken down his father.

“It wouldn’t do you any good anyway.” They both just looked confused and he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “You didn’t insult her so she’s not the one she thinks needs an apology.”

“It was perfectly reasonable for us to suspect something was going on. Given your history and the fact that she just suddenly made herself public.” Dick was looking at Tim like he’d lost his mind.

“Given Gabriel’s history you mean. I doubt either one of you has any idea what my real history is like. What growing up in that house was like. Mari knows exactly who I am and what I went through and has never once considered ending our friendship. She’s the one that convinced her parents to adopt me, not to mention get me to agree to that instead of emancipation. She said I deserved to know what being part of a real family was like.” He smiled fondly at the memory of Marinette pushing him into a chair and yelling at him for a good two hours about how he deserved better and she was going to make sure he got it whether he liked it or not. Their skeptical looks brought him back to the present. “Since you’re so good at hacking, why don’t you get into the police records? That’ll at least tell you why I was never charged with anything.”

“Just because there was no evidence doesn’t mean there was no crime.” He couldn’t help the tired huff that left him. He was so sick of being treated like this. If Mari would have agreed to it he’d have just sold the company to her and washed his hands of it. Unfortunately she, and most of the employees, had decided he was needed there.

“Fine, believe what you want. I was just trying to help you. There’s no way you’ll get near Mari if she knows what you think of me.” Tim looked like he wanted to argue more but Dick let out a gasp.

“Is that Cass?” Adrien looked past them and sure enough Cass was walking up to the building. Hang on…

“How do you know Cass?” They both turned wide eyed stares on him and Dick’s voice was about half an octave higher when he spoke.

“How do you know her?” He rolled his eyes again and gestured towards the building where Mari came out and ran straight to the girl, jumping into her arms.

“She’s Mari’s girlfriend, of course I know her.” The boys just watched in shock as the two girls laughed and talked without letting go of one another. He knew his smile was a bit wistful as he watched them but he couldn’t help it. No matter how happy he was for Mari, he couldn't help but think about the fact that he would likely never have that. She told him all the time that the right person would come along eventually but he knew better than most that there were no guarantees. When they leaned in to kiss he had to look away as his chest tightened. He could admit to himself that he was scared of losing Mari when she decided to settle down, even though he knew she’d tell him it wasn’t going to happen.

“Why is Cass kissing the designer you two have a hardon for?” The voice startled Adrien and he turned to see the one Mari had deemed ‘Spot’ at the gala. He couldn’t help but give him a once over wondering how someone so buff could be so quiet. The other two started yelling at him about his word choice and sneaking up on them. Adrien was trying to quiet them down when he saw the girls look their way.

“Shit. We’re all so dead.” He knew running wasn’t any good. She’d just track him down. As Mari stormed towards them he tried to think of something, anything to make this better and came up with absolutely nothing. Cass was following just behind, though she looked confused more than anything else.

“I didn’t think any of you would have the balls to come back here to harass Adrien again after the last time. Isn’t being black listed from working with us enough? Do I need to take more drastic measures?” The Waynes all straightened up under her glare but Cass just looked at them in confusion before pulling Adrien to stand with her and Mari.

“Be nice to Adrien.” The boys all looked shocked at her statement and Mari scowled at them before turning to Cass.

“How do you know the Waynes?” Cass just raised an amused eyebrow and Mari groaned after a moment. “I forgot you were adopted by Bruce Wayne. No wonder you spend most of your time in Asia.” Cass chuckled silently. It was a quirk he’d noticed that she rarely made noise that wasn’t necessary. It had made him worry about her home life but Mari said that he shouldn’t worry about it. Spot had no such filter and laughed loudly.

“Oh I like you. I’ll be nice to whoever you want if it means I could get the chance to hear you go off on B again.” Adrien winced as Mari looked even more furious. This guy couldn’t open his mouth without pissing her off. It was a shame too since he was the only one who hadn’t accused him of anything. Not to mention he was cute. Before Mari could go off on him Cass leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Whatever she said caused Mari to study him more closely before turning a frown on her girlfriend.

“Really?” Cass just hummed an acknowledgement. Mari seemed torn for a moment.

“Fine. But if you say one nasty thing to him you’ll regret ever being born. Are we clear Spot?” Cass actually let out a giggle at the name and her brother glared at her.

“You’re way too late for that threat short stack, but you have my word. Name’s Jason, if you’re interested.” Adrien expected his tone to set her off again but Mari’s look actually softened.

“Sorry, I tend to get snarky when people I love aren’t treated properly.” Jason looked surprised at the apology and Adrien got the feeling he wasn’t on the receiving end of them often.

“I get it. You protect family at all costs.” The way he said it made Adrien think he was speaking from personal experience. Given the way Mari was studying him she caught something in his tone as well.

“You’ll vouch for Jason but not us?” Dick was pouting at Cass. She gave him a flat look and surprised everyone by pulling Adrien into a side hug. He knew she didn’t like physical contact with most people and she certainly hadn’t ever initiated it with him. The fact that she was doing so now in a show of solidarity against her own family almost brought tears to his eyes. Mari had all the luck.

“Well duh. You two were there to back Bruce’s bad play but I was forced to go. I didn’t even know what you idiots were planning until Bruce started trying to convince short stack she was being held against her will.” Cass gave a derisive snort and Adrien coughed to cover a laugh. At this point the thought of anyone being able to contain Marinette when she was set against it was insane. He winced as he remembered the time he and Cass had tried to make her get a decent amount of sleep. That had been a disaster. Before Dick or Tim could get their wits about them enough to argue more, Mari’s phone beeped at her.

“Maman is expecting us for lunch. We’d better not keep her waiting.” She and Cass tugged him along with them, but Mari stopped after a moment to look back. “You too Jason.” He hesitated so Adrien spoke up.

“Trust me you do not want to turn down Sabine’s cooking. It’s what Mari used to get me to sign the adoption agreement. Ow!” He was expecting the pinch from Mari. He was not expecting the poke from Cass. “You wouldn’t force me to be alone with these lunatics would you?” He gave his best kitten eyes and Jason let out a huff before walking up to throw an arm around his shoulders.

“Sure cinnamon roll. I’ll keep the mean girls away.”

Beginning Next

Ko-Fi

Tag List

@fantasylover-92 @mizzy-pop @aespades @loupgris-blog1 @comteqfr @literaryhiraeth @lilfuturescars @ravennm84 @read-fantasy-to-escape-reality @girloffanfiction @acount-is-secret-but-needed @heartsong18 @darkdaysandfakesmiles

#maribat #bffmari&adrien #adrien agreste #protective marinette #marinette dupain cheng #cassandra cain #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #richard grayson #adrien needs a hug #mari needs to chill #stubborn tim drake #bruce wayne salt

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soulmate-game · 3 years

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Useful Part 2

fluff with a little hurt and comfort. If you want answers as to the lack of angst, look through my recent posts for an explanation.

—* — * — * —* —*

“Wait, you have a WHAT?” were the first words that the rest of the Gotham-based vigilantes heard when they finally were able to track down where Damian had gone. Dick looked over at Bruce, who was noticeably tense. No surprise there, the man had just found out that he had a second biological child. One who was apparently a superhero already, without his intervention, and also apparently had a tragic background in the League of fucking Assassin Assholes. Not to mention that Damian’s track record with meeting siblings wasn’t great, even if this one wasn’t actually new to him. Nobody had any real fear of Damian relapsing on his no-kill rule, they knew he had matured far too much to be at risk of killing for something as immature as sibling rivalry anymore.

But there was still fear. Because this new Wayne was an Unknown Factor, and as a rule the Bats hated Unknown Factors. And they had no idea what the relationship between the two had been before they had been separated, or what it would become now.

“That wasn’t Damian’s voice,” Dick helpfully pointed out the obvious. Bruce only frowned, doing his best (and failing) to hide his anxiety about what they would find. Silently, the group inched forward to the edge of the abandoned building they were on top of so that they could look over at what was happening. What they saw was a girl, presumably the same one who had been in a ladybug onesie and had fearlessly begun to ask them to leave Paris— until she had laid proper eyes on Robin and fled, that was. That girl was sitting down next to an unmasked Damian, who had his arm around her shoulders and let her lean into his side. He even smirked cheerfully at her question before continuing to speak to her.

“A dragon-bat. I knew you’d love hearing about him, I’ll introduce you when you come visit the Batcave. His name is Goliath,” Damian admitted smugly. Despite the familiar attitude and pride behind his words though, his spying family couldn’t help but notice that he kept periodically rubbing the girl’s (they really needed to find out her name) shoulder in reassurance. None of them missed the tear tracks on both of their faces, or how red the girl’s eyes were. Clearly they had missed something big.

But nobody wanted to try to figure that out yet. This scene was too precious, too breathtaking for them to interrupt just yet. They had never seen Damian this vulnerable around someone outside of their little circle before, someone from the Time Before Bruce, no less. Most of the time, only Nightwing was able to see this side to Damian. And usually the roles were reversed, with Damian being the one consoled. They had never seen him in the position of the comforter before. The pillar of support.

It really cemented just how far he had come.

So they watched silently as the girl flinched, pulling away a bit and hunching in on herself. The laugh she let out was small and overflowing with self-degradation.

“You make it sound as if the rest of your family actually wants me to visit,” she replied sourly. Damian gently cuffed her over the head, frowning.

“Two things,” he held up two fingers from his free hand. “One: They will. They accepted me, and I was— well, you remember how I used to be. Once they actually meet you, and process the fact that there’s another Wayne now, they will bombard you with more welcoming than you will know what to do with. Two: It’s Our family, Marinette. Not mine, ours.”

Well, at least they had a name now. But it seems like they had bigger issues now, like Marinette’s clearly damaged sense of self. Jason and Tim traded knowing glances; it wasn’t hard for them to guess where, or how, she might have been damaged enough to think so lowly of herself.

They watched as Marinette shook her head.

“I don’t know. It’s one thing to try to… to get to know you again. We used to be close before… everything,” she haltingly argued, voice small and frail and uncertain. But she never once looked away from Damian’s eyes, trying to convey as best as she could what she was feeling. “But they’re different. They don’t have any reason to trust or like me, Dami. And I’m bad at, well everything, but especially,” she waved her hands frantically as if indicating the whole situation they were in. “I mean, listen to me! I can barely articulate right now, and I’m talking to someone I’ve known my whole life! I’m a mess. Nobody wants a mess.”

It was Damian’s turn to snort, and he pulled her right back into his side. “Please. If anything, that’s exactly the type of child Father goes looking for. We’re all a mess. Especially Father, trust me.”

“You’re just trying to make me feel better,” she accused suspiciously, but sank into his sideways embrace anyway. Damian chuckled.

“No, I’m being honest. He’s terrible at emotions, not that I really have much room to talk. We all are pretty bad with them. But he’s the most obvious when it comes to that issue,” Damian smirked over at his sister conspiratorially. “For example. He still tries to tell people that he works alone, and pushes people away because he has this intense desire to protect, but doesn’t know how to say “I don’t want you to get hurt, stop worrying me,” so instead he says “Go away, I don’t need you,” only for us to see through that nonsense and remind him that the amount of people in his team is in the double digits already. He doesn’t want to admit he cares about us and is vulnerable—”

“Sounds familiar,” Marinette teased with a watery grin, startling a short laugh from her twin. He nudged her a little roughly (but not to roughly) and playfully glared at her. Marinette just giggled.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he lied with a grin before waving his free hand in dismissal. “Anyway. Another example. He has no idea how to tell a stranger, “hey, I’m your father and I will not reject you. In fact, I’m completely willing to adopt you right this moment and whisk you away to Gotham and relative safety and hire an entire team of therapists to help you and buy you half the world if you asked for it,” so instead he and the rest of our emotionally constipated family just lurks on the edge of a building in broad daylight eavesdropping on us and expects us not to notice.”

“Wait what,” Marinette’s gaze instantly whipped up towards the sky, taking only half a second to locate the aforementioned eavesdroppers. Everyone except Bruce at least had the courtesy to duck down and pretend not to be there when they noticed she had seen them, leaving Batman standing seemingly alone on the concrete roof. Marinette blinked once. Twice. Then turned to Damian. “I’m gonna blame the fact that I didn’t notice them on emotional turmoil, because there is no way I’ve gotten THAT rusty.”

Damian smiled, but didn’t laugh. He knew that was a deflection to try and distract from Marinette’s quickly resurging self-consciousness. Her hands were already trembling again, and the fear from only minutes ago had resurfaced. The insecurity. He could practically see the words “I’m not good enough,” written in her irises.

“You’ll be fine,” he whispered, standing up and pulling her with him. “If anyone has to worry here, it’s me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Marinette whisper-hissed right back, eyes wide in disbelief and confusion. “You’re— You! Mister Perfect!”

Damian rolled his eyes, and his self-deprecating smirk matched the laugh Marinette had given just a few minutes earlier. “For the League, maybe,” he shrugged. “Never the Wayne family. Which is why I know you’ll be fine. If they put up with everything I’ve done and still call me one of them, they’ll accept you with barely a second thought.”

Marinette’s next argument was cut off by the sound of a dozen soft footfalls stirring up dirt not far ahead of them. The BatClan had landed from the rooftop.

Marinette gulped.

But if there was one thing— one thing she still remembered from her days as Marie Al-Ghul, it was how to fake pride and confidence. She straightened her shoulders automatically, lifted her chin, and pulled away from Damian’s supporting arm around her shoulder. Damian let her.

A little bit of old resentment flared up in him as he saw Batman walk up close enough to comfortably talk with them. Resentment that he no longer held onto, but that had haunted him nearly every night of the first two years he spent with his dad. The realization that maybe his twin was the one that was meant to be a Wayne. Marie had the blue eyes, the compassion, the more specifically detective-oriented mind. The calm head. Sometimes. Marie was exactly who he imagined when he thought of a naturally born member of the BatClan. Stubborn, clever, morally just. She had risked immediate death just because she refused to fight him, for crying out loud. Because she didn’t want to hurt the boy who used to be her best friend. The only ally she had ever had, growing up.

Meanwhile, he still had issues reigning in his anger sometimes. He had too much blood on his hands, he was more of a battlefield tactician than a long-term strategist. Still stubborn, but also completely unaware of the pain he brought others with his words or actions a lot of the time. He used to be such a rage fueled little demon, and thinking about how his sister fit the classic Wayne outline more thoroughly than he did had made him destroy more than a few practice dummies in frustration.

But now, looking at Marinette trying so hard to appear strong and proud when he knew she was still so shattered inside, relief overpowered the old and dull resentment. This was what she needed, he could sense that easily. She, just like him all those years ago, needed Bruce and the others to start to heal her and reforge what the League had badly molded.

“... Marinette, I suppose?” Damian nearly facepalmed at his father’s awkward attempt at a conversation starter. Marinette herself was clearly too keyed up and overthinking things to even register any amusement at the lame attempt, merely nodding with an overly serious expression on her face.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Monsieur Wayne. Or that’s my name nowadays, that is,” She stumbled a little in her response before clenching her fists and forcing herself to continue as calmly as she could muster up. “My birth name was Marie Al-Ghul.”

Bruce’s eyebrows visibly furrowed underneath his cowl. “Was?”

“I…” Marinette finally looked away, shame creeping back onto her face. “I was explicitly told that I was stripped of the Al-Ghul name and would be killed if I ever dared lay claim to it again. So I not-so-legally changed it. And I was later adopted.”

Several sharp gasps or the hiss of breath through teeth bit through the quiet breeze. Nobody was necessarily surprised, Marinette could see it when she looked through her eyelashes and examined the winces and sympathy on the faces of the vigilantes before her. Batman’s shoulders were stiff, as if someone had paralyzed only his shoulder blades.

“And the people who adopted you?” Batman pursued. Marinette couldn’t read his tone very well, but it sounded vaguely angry so she quickly raised her hands in a placating gesture and her eyes widened significantly.

“They’ve been amazing! They don’t know anything about my past, or who raised me, but they are endlessly patient with me. I mean, honestly! Sabine caught me when I was trying to steal one of her gold bracelets in Hong Kong— and I know I’ve never been as good of a combatant as Dami, but I’ve always been better at sleight of hand and stealth so honestly that’s impressive— and she saw my dirty eight-year-old face and for some reason decided, ‘yeah I want this one as my daughter’ and roped Tom right into it and next thing I know they somehow tailed me to my hideout? I still don’t know how the hell they managed that, but Tom had a huge plate of steaming buns and I was so hungry and suddenly it’s two years later and I’m adopted and we’re on a plane to Paris—” Marinette threw up her hands. “I still don’t fully grasp what happened sometimes.”

She belatedly seemed to realize that she had just gone on an entire breathless rant at the speed of sound, and slapped her hands over her mouth before lunging into a deep bow. “I apologize! I spoke horridly out of turn!”

To her surprise though, she was met with a soft laugh instead of a scolding. She jerked in surprise, whipping her head up only to see Batman holding a hand over his chin to hide his large grin. It only took another second for the boys behind him to laugh a lot LESS softly. Nightwing strolled over casually and swung an arm around both her and Damian’s shoulders, playfully nudging her brother with his knee.

“I think she fits right in, don’t you little D?”

“Of course,” Damian scoffed, though his eyes were playful. “She is a Wayne by blood. She ‘fits in’ more than you strays.”

“Dami!” Marinette whipped back to him and puffed out her cheeks. “That was uncalled for!” she barked. Damian held his hands up in surrender.

“Relax,” he said as soothingly as he could manage. “They know I’m joking,” he dropped his hands and a knowing smirk took over his face. “And besides, now you’re relaxed so my plan worked,” Marinette could only blink at that. She… did feel more relaxed, actually. “Also. I told you you’d be accepted easily. They already consider you one of us.”

“Wha— there’s no way—” she frantically looked at each of the older men around her, but each of them just shot her a smile or grin and a short nod. Her shoulders and jaw both fell, and it broke a little of everyone’s heart.

Marinette looked so utterly shocked, bewildered to be accepted as if it was still something profoundly foreign to her. And there was that disbelief in her eyes, that distrust that screamed that she expected some sort of lie here. That told that she thought this would all crumble away at any second. If anyone had any reservations about bringing her into their inner circles, it vanished right that moment. She needed support, or she’d crumble away and they all knew it.

“How about we start by talking about the situation with Hawkmoth?” Red Robin spoke up, walking forward to stand beside Batman. “I assume that’s a little more in your element?”

Damian silently vowed to thank Tim later for that. In a silent, completely anonymous way of course. Couldn’t have Tim thinking they were friends or something now, could he? Marinette instantly straightened up and nodded, her confidence returning with a little more sincerity this time.

“Yeah. Yeah, let me transform again. It’ll be easier to explain.”

—*—*—*—*—*

It was three weeks later, on Marinette’s third now-weekly visit to the Batcave, when the question finally came up. Jason had asked to spar with Marinette for the first time, having seen her in action as Ladybug and wanting to test the girl when she didn’t have superpowers to rely on. Damian hadn’t been down in the cave to warn him, and the result was Jason’s gut sinking as Marinette scrambled as far away from him as she could, eyes wide and chest heaving in the beginnings of a panic attack.

“Shit,” Jason muttered before he quickly knelt down and did his best to talk her down, to calm her until her breathing slowed and her pupils were back to normal. It wasn’t long afterwards that Marinette started hugging herself, refusing to look at him. But he wasn’t going to just back down, he wanted to solve this issue. If even the mere suggestion of a spar was enough to set her off, he needed to figure out why and fix it.

So he carefully lowered himself so he was sitting only a foot away from her, resting his arms across his knees casually.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “Didn’t think it would be a sore subject. That’s on me.”

Marinette just shrugged, but didn’t answer him. She just buried her face in her arms and took a shaky breath.

Jason let the silence linger for a while before trying again. “Does this have to do with certain Asshole Assassins?”

That startled a slightly hysterical bark of laughter from her, and she had to wipe away a few tears when she raised her head and finally turned it in his direction slightly. Not enough for her to be looking at him, but just a subtle turn to show that she was listening and speaking to him. “Yeah.”

“You know, you never told us why you got disowned,” Jason tried to make his words as casual as possible, but wasn’t surprised when Marinette still stiffened and took a sharp breath. He didn’t push. The stage was set, and he’d wait until either she took the opportunity to open up or told him to leave well enough alone. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, and her foot tapped on the ground a bit. Clear signs of her anxiety around the subject, and Jason’s hopes vanished a little. He would probably have to wait longer for her to be ready to share.

But, to his pleasant surprise, he was wrong. She took another few minutes to gather her thoughts, but she did eventually open up to him.

“I refused to fight Damian,” she admitted. “It was… We were seven. It wasn’t supposed to be a fight to the death, but it was a very important spar. We were using live weaponry, and we were told to fight until we couldn’t anymore. Whoever fell first would be relegated as a mere soldier, and have to fight for status like any other assassin in the League. The winner would officially be named as G— as Ra’s Heir. I didn’t want to fight, because I knew Damian would win but I also knew that it wouldn’t be as easy as Ra’s probably expected if I gave it my all like he wanted. I knew both Damian and I would be heavily injured if I did as he asked, and it wouldn’t be worth it. If I misjudged anything, any single hit, I could have accidentally injured Damian permanently and ruined his worth in Ra’s eyes, and that wasn’t an option. I didn’t care that throwing the fight was as good as giving up my life, because at least I could be sure that Damian kept his. I could make sure that he was treated well, or as well as anyone could hope for in the League anyway. I could, with only a few words, make sure he became indispensable. Ra’s and Talia never liked me as much as Damian anyway, I figured… I figured it was nobody’s loss,” She swallowed heavily, clenching her eyes shut. “I was always just the spare. The extra. Damian was their crown prince, the one with actual value. Even to me. I saw him, and I saw everything I wanted to be. I… I tossed down my weapons and let him stab me, because I figured I owed it to him for being such a failure in comparison to him. That I owed it to him to do everything I could to make things easier for him, since I was just an unnecessary obstacle—” strong arms wrapped around her, and she turned to sob into Jason’s chest as he just silently held her.

“Idiot,” Damian whispered, making Marinette jump. Her twin sat only a few feet away, though only Jason would have known when exactly he had gotten there with them. He shook his head at her. “I never would have gotten as far as I did without you,” he whispered, looking up at the cave ceiling. “You were the only real rival I had. When you left, everything was either too easy or nearly impossible, nothing was the same as trying my best against someone who was just as good as me. And when I got here and met the others, I didn’t think any of them were worthy of taking your position, you know,” he scoffed a bit as he got lost in his memories. “That’s why I hated Tim for so long, I think. He reminded me of you so much that I wanted nothing more than to punch him for daring to replace you—”

“Heh, the Replacement twice over, huh?” Jason joked. Damian chuckled with a small eye roll.

“Plus, he just has a really punchable face,” Damian added, trying to distract from the emotion behind everything he had just admitted. “Part of me thought you were dead. The other part refused to believe that. And seeing Tim and how some of his mannerisms were the same as yours,” Damian shrugged a little. “It stung. Especially that second year, when I started to regret that you never had the chance to come here and join them with me. Meet them with me.”

Marinette sniffled. “... Who are you and what have you done with Dami? He’s never this sappy.”

Damian flicked a pebble at her head with a good natured glare, successfully diffusing the serious air a little. Marinette wouldn’t ever be normal, and it would take a while before she was no longer fragile, but she could get there. Especially now that her bridges with her brother had been mended, and and a whole new family had cropped up to help support her.

She was glad Damian had convinced her to try, again.

#maribat #platonic daminette #sibling daminette #bio!dad au #bio!dad bruce wayne #ml x dc #mlb x dc #Useful

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behindheremeraldeyes · 3 years

Text

damirae week 2021

sunday, may 9th - soulmates & wedding/ honeymoon

title: you are my secret

summary: the universe wanted her to know his deepest secret, and even if it made things easier for her to find her soulmate, his secret came with heavier responsibilities than she could’ve expected. — Soulmates AU where they know each other’s secret. Ao3

There are some secrets that do not permit themselves to be told.

— Edgar Allan Poe

His secret revealed itself to her like a wave that crashes against the shore— all at once, all too much.

It came in a dark nightmare, chasing her like a horrific, shadowy figure. She had tried to run, scream for help, even, but no sound came from her sore throat. There was no place where she could hide, no one who could save her, and eventually, she was captured in that thing’s tight grasp. Though she didn’t know what was happening, fighting it proved itself worthless, as her small body refused to move a muscle. An ominous force enveloped her surroundings, and she could no longer see or hear anything.

Something lurked in those shadows— something bizarre and surreal— and chills ran down her body as her small world suddenly grew silent. Might have been seconds or days, she didn’t know, but eventually, screams erupted in her ears. Her eyes widened, then, tears running down her face as a wave of emotions swept her off her feet. Raven was having an epiphany. An unannounced realization of the truth in its rawest form, and instantly, the world was not the same.

And it would never be again, no. Not anymore.

She woke up with her lungs begging the world for air, sweat soaking the covers and a heart ready to burst out of her chest. Her eyes were frantically scanning the room, her pupils still fighting to adjust to the dim light that came with the first rays of sun. Her body was shaking uncontrollably, and before she knew it, her eyes were brimming with burning tears that ran down her cold cheeks. It was the most tragic, yet bewildering moment of her young life, and though she could not deny the fear taking over her senses, her mind had never been that clear before. She had never been more alive.

So this is how it feels, she wondered. Her fingers ran through her messy, dark locks that were falling forward; and it was as if she could feel her brain pulsating under her touch. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and thousands of new thoughts were trying to find a place to settle inside her head.

Raven was confused, yes. Disoriented, even. However, at that moment— at that unique and special moment where a whole new world seemed to reveal itself to her— she was sure of one particular thing that would change everything.

She knew his secret. Finally, the cosmic forces that rule the universe have revealed his best-kept secret to a 16-year-old girl. She knew that Damian Wayne is the man behind the green mask and yellow cape.

He is Robin.

He is her soulmate.

Initially, the idea itself seemed to have been taken from one of her old fantasy books; where the world is dystopian and reality follows no rule whatsoever. She had to be dreaming. Hallucinating, even, but the information was solidified in her core as one of her most visceral memories. No matter how much she has tried to— and she really did try— not even her sharp mind could deny that new discovery. She tried not to freak out, but it was hard not to overthink when her entire lifestyle was about to be jeopardized because of that one secret that was revealed to her.

Raven was but a normal, high-school girl. She had plans to go to college after graduating, and she wished for nothing more than a tranquil life after that. Though she was already familiar with the universe’s rule regarding pairing people who are, supposedly, very compatible, having a soulmate or not has never really entered the equation of her future, especially since she was decided not to let her life be dictated by it. From the very beginning, she refused to believe fate could ever control her with trivial things such as love and understanding, and at some point in her life, the raven-haired girl was ready to do anything to prove her point.

She was ready to defy the forces responsible for selecting two random individuals to be each other’s soulmates.

She was ready to go as far as she had to, but eventually, once her teenage-ish years got behind her, and her insubordination gave place to more reasonable thoughts; Raven decided she could settle for a person who could make her smile every now and then. A person who could share with her a simple life, and eventually, a simple love.

And with or without Robin, Damian Wayne himself could never give her simple.

For as long as she can remember, he has been in the cover of the magazines with his father, Bruce Wayne. He’s the heir of one of the most successful companies in the world and the favorite target of many paparazzi because of his cold and reserved personality. His life has always been exposed to the world— or, apparently, just some of it— and she has always believed them to be complete opposites.

Their worlds were galaxies apart. He didn’t fit any of her expectations, and she was sure she didn’t fit his either. And even if sharing a secret was supposed to bring them closer, his secret identity has only served to distance them even further.

Could two people so different like them ever find common ground? She didn’t know, however; the deed was done. They were walking around, living their own lives while carrying each other’s secrets, and one day— if things worked out as they are supposed to— they were bound to meet and stay together for the rest of their lives.

They didn’t know how, where or when, but it was going to happen. The universe was going to make sure of it. Damian Wayne and Raven were bound to fall in love, just like that. And until their special day could come, she was decided to keep on living her life as she had originally planned to.

Oh, how foolish of her.

The longer it took for their paths to cross, the clearer it became for her that a secret such as Robin’s real identity came with certain responsibilities she had never really prepared for. Just by knowing it, Raven was already included in a very selected and powerful group of people, who had no idea about her mere existence, let alone her true intentions. If anyone did as much as suspect that she knew about his identity, chances were her head would be on the line and Batman would be the first to pay her a visit at night. She could get into trouble—real trouble— and even without wanting to, she would eventually end up dragging her loved ones with her.

Her family and friends didn’t deserve to suffer the consequences of her future love life. She didn’t, either, but that was never a matter up for discussion. Raven had to keep them safe at all costs, and that was why, once her high-school days were over, the girl didn’t think twice before leaving it all behind and moving to Gotham city on her own. It was a very hard decision, but it was the right one if she wanted to keep them safe. It had to be. Also, if she were to live in Gotham, she might get a chance to meet him and properly introduce herself as his soulmate.

Like that would be easy…

With her impeccable grades and remarkable school records, it was easy for her to get into Gotham College, where she began her English Major. It wasn’t her dream college— far from it— but it would have to do for the time being. She found herself an apartment, and for it was Gotham city, it was cheap enough for her to afford it on her own. It wasn’t located in a fine neighborhood or anywhere worthy of a Wayne, but according to the owner, no one had died in there, so perhaps, that was a win.

Once settled in, it didn’t take her long to get to know his city. Apart from its terrible fame, Raven eventually found some nice places spread around the city. There were good bakeries, small bookshops, and there was this one park that took her breath away. Whenever she had time, she would go there to think about life or just breathe a little.

Life in Gotham wasn’t as bad as she had originally expected it to be. After almost five years, her ears were almost used to the constant symphony of sirens, and not even the weirdos dressed as clowns robbing the bank at least once a month took her sleep away anymore. Her eyes shone a little brighter whenever she saw the dynamic duo on the cover of the newspapers, and she would be lying if she said that her heart didn’t grow worried whenever she saw a building on fire or something of the kind.

Perhaps that was their connection as soulmates making her think more about Damian. Or, perhaps, that was just a stupid reaction evoked by her own mind growing anxious. She couldn’t quite tell anymore.

After so many years without as much as an interaction, Raven was starting to grow weary. When she first thought about living in Gotham, she believed it would be just a matter of time until their paths crossed and she could tell him they were soulmates. She actually believed that meeting him would be easy, but eventually, the raven-haired girl realized that Damian Wayne was almost as unreachable as his father.

She has never seen him walking on the streets by himself. Whenever he’s out of his mansion, hordes of people surround him and setting an appointment at his father’s company is nearly impossible for a girl like her. According to his secretary, his agenda is already full until May 2034, and even then there will be no guarantee that Mr. Wayne will be able to meet her. He’s a very busy man, for sure.

Still, her name is on the list, just in case.

A defeated sigh escaped her lungs as she was making her way home from work one Friday night. It was winter, and Gotham is a particularly cold city. A black scarf was wrapped around her neck and her arms were hugging her body so she could get a little warmer. It had been one of those days, and she honestly just wanted to get home and drink a warm cup of tea.

Her heeled boots were clicking against the concrete sidewalk as she followed the masses of employees towards the subway station. All of those people, herself included, were on their way home after another long week of work, and as Gotham citizens, none of them wanted to take longer than necessary to reach their destination. Though not decreed by the mayor, the city was under constant curfew due to the elevated crime rates, and those who were smart enough didn’t dare put their luck to test.

The clock was about to strike 9:45pm and she was casually waiting for the train to arrive at the platform. Raven watched as at least 40 people surrounded her, most of them entertained by their cellphones, and she couldn’t help but close her amethyst eyes for a moment so she could take a deep breath. She was tired, cold, and her stomach was begging her to be fed. She really just wanted to get home and get this day over with.

Unfortunately, Two Face’s minions had other plans.

Once the train stopped and its automatic doors opened, at least 20 men, all armed, walked out, pointing their guns at everyone. People were startled, the tension in the atmosphere thick enough to be cut with a knife, and even if there was no hysteric reaction from anyone, it was as if she could hear the strangled screams wanting to call for help.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” One of them started, showing off the gun in his hands. “I know you’re all dying to get home, but you’re not going anywhere until we’re finished with you.”

In all of those years she has been living in Gotham, that was the first time she was this close to real danger. Her eyes widened immediately, her heart skipping a beat as adrenaline started to kick in. There was a man at least 2 meters away from her, and if his finger did as much as slip, her brief life could come to an abrupt end. She was looking around the sea of people, and all Raven could see were hands being lifted in the air, but no one really trying to alert the authorities or call for help.

She swallowed dry, then, her mind focusing on the small girl all alone who was trembling in fear. Someone had to help them. Someone had to call the cops so they could take care of those bandits.

And apparently, that’s someone would be her.

Once she made up her mind, her icy fingers slowly reached for her coat’s right pocket and tried to get her cellphone without being noticed. Her heart was beating faster in fear of being discovered, but she didn’t stop. With her thumb, she pressed the main button, and even without seeing the device, she slid her finger to across the screen, hoping to have gained access so she could make an emergency call. She motioned her fingers to dial 911, and when she thought everything was going according to plan, one of the bandits looked at her, their eyes connecting, and she knew she had been caught.

“What do you have back there, doll?”

A smirk took over his smug face and her blood ran cold at the sight. Her lips trembled when he lifted his gun to point at her, and at that moment, she knew she was going to die. Her life was about to end and all because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Great timing, Raven, she thought. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t really that bad.

When the man was about to pull the trigger, his gun was knocked over his hand by a flying projectile. He winced in pain, catching everyone by surprise, and before anyone could notice, more projectiles came flying towards the other men. Her eyes followed the sound of metal hitting the floor, and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized the batarangs lying motionless on the concrete. They were here, at last. Help had finally arrived.

Before a smoke screen suddenly exploded near them, Raven thought she had seen his pointy ears and dark cloak coming from the celling and punching the one who was probably the leader on the face. At that moment, the sea of people started to dissipate as they all ran for their lives, like a scared herd of buffalos. People bumped on her shoulders as they passed through her, yet, her feet still refused to move from the spot as her eyes captured a glimpse of his yellow cape jumping in front of her.

Damian, she thought, her heart skipping a beat.

Perhaps it was the thrill of finally seeing him so close, but she just couldn’t bring herself to find an escape route. Raven knew she should be running towards a safer place, but something inside her spoke louder than reason itself. She couldn’t convince her feet to move away no matter how much she tried to, and soon, she realized why. Coming from behind the train, a new bandit showed up, pulling a smaller gun from behind his back. He was quick to aim it at the Boy Wonder, but what followed made her feel as if the entire world was suddenly trapped in a slow-motion picture.

Her eyes saw the man aiming that gun towards him while he was still engaged in another fight. An unexplainable fear took over her senses, and before she could even think things through, her body was already moving on its on. The raven-haired girl was running towards his yellow figure as fast as she could, her arms extending as she got closer. A loud shot was heard by the time she shoved him away from the approaching bullet, and as her eyes closed in pure reflex, Raven felt an arm snake around her waist, right before her feet lost contact with the ground.

She was flying. Her eyes remained closed, but during that fraction of a second, she knew she was flying.

Did she take that shot?

Was she dead?

Who was going to feed her cat?

And what about Damian? Was he okay?

Raven didn’t know. Her head was filled with all of those unanswered questions by the time she had landed, but her eyes were still closed in pure fear. Her hands were covering her face, and she could feel tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

If she wasn’t dead yet, she was definitely going to pass out real soon. Her head was spinning, her knees were about to give in and she just couldn’t find anything around her to keep her consciousness from slipping away. She was about to collapse. She was going to—

“Hey, what the hell did you do that for? Are you insane?!”

A harsh voice invaded her ears, and suddenly, she felt two hands on her shoulders. Her eyes shot open in reflex, and much to her surprise, the first thing she saw was that green mask of his. Their faces were standing so close that she could see the expression lines deforming his tanned skin as he was probably glaring at her. A scowl decorated his thin lips, and only then she realized how tall he actually is as his body towered over hers.

It was him. It was Damian, right in front of her. At last, fate had brought them together, and apparently, he was mad at her.

“Why did you push me like that? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” He continued, her lips parting in awe. “Are you even listening to me!?”

“I-I…” She mumbled, her head still mixing all the words. “You were going to get shot. I thought— “

“I saw that guy back there. I was not going to get shot.” He released her shoulders, and she felt sparks running down her skin at the lack of contact. “Seriously, civilians these days. They think they can be heroes.”

“Hey, I was trying to help, okay!?” She answered, growing slightly irritated at his arrogance.

“Help? How? By getting killed? Thanks, I don’t need your help.”

“God, you’re such a jerk! Next time I’ll let you take that stupid shot!”

“I was not going to get shot!” He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “TT, whatever. I need to go back and help Batman. Get out of here and try not to get into any more trouble by saving strangers, okay?”

“I— What—?”

Her lips stumbled upon the words as she watched him turn around so he could return to the battlefield. All the anger that was taking over her disappeared and was replaced by a longing feeling she had never felt before. The cape that adorned his back swung as he walked away, her emotions growing anxious at the scene.

He was leaving. Damian was going back to his impenetrable world, and he didn’t even know her name. After almost 5 years, that was their first interaction, and however troubled it had been, it was still the only thing they had. Raven couldn’t let that chance slip away from her fingers, no. Not after everything she went through to meet him.

She bit her lower lip, then, but eventually, her eyes were filled with a confidence she didn’t know she possessed. She filled her lungs with fresh air and took a step towards him. “Robin, stop! I need to tell you something.”

“Not gonna happen.” He stated, not bothering to turn to face her. “I have a job to do and—”

“Damian, wait!”

His name rolled out of her tongue and she watched as his shoulder tensed. The world around them went mute, her chest tightening in response. His feet came to a stop, and slowly, he turned to face her once more. Raven could feel his eyes glaring at her with enough intensity to tear a hole in her skull, but she was decided not to back off. “What did you just say?”

“I-I… I know who you are.”

“You’re delusional.” He said, trying to deny her words. “You must have mistaken me for—“

“Damian, I know it’s you.” She spoke, confidently. “I know your secret. I’ve known it for almost 5 years now.”

His hands turned into fists, and in a blink of an eye, he walked back towards her. A mix of anger and bewilderment exhaled from him, and she could hear his heavy breaths moving his chest. His hands were once more on her shoulders, his grip tighter than last time in order to prevent her from escaping. “Who are you? Who told you about my identity?”

“You can call me Raven…” She started, her amethyst eyes on him. Though she knew he could end her life if he wanted to, she was not afraid. No of him. “And over five years ago, I’ve received your secret in a dream. I believe you also know a secret of mine.”

His grip on her loosened a bit, as if he was taken aback by her words. If anything, Damian is a very intelligent man, and at that moment, he certainly knew the meaning behind her words. He knew she was his soulmate. However, she didn’t know what he would do about that.

“Shit.” He mumbled, quickly taking his hands off her. She saw his eyes squinting as he observed her, his hands turning back into fists. “This shouldn’t be happening right now.”

“I know. I didn’t mean to follow you here or anything, but—“

“You have to go, Raven.”

“What?”

“Get out of here. Now!” He commanded, his voice not leaving any space for discussion.

“But Damian, I—“

“Don’t call me that!” He scolded her. “Get out of here and go home. I need to get back there and help Batman.”

“And what about us!? I can’t leave and wait for another miracle to bring us together. I know you have things to do, but we need to do something about this! Don’t push me away!”

“I’m not pushing you away, Raven! I—“

“Yes, you are! I’m not going anywhere! Not until—“

“Will you just shut up?!” Suddenly, she felt his hands pulling her closer by her coat, and in a rough move, he sealed her cold lips with his warm ones. Her heart was racing inside her chest, her mind spiraling as she tried to understand what on earth was going on.

Damian was kissing her. That or he just wanted her to stop talking, really. Still, their lips were touching and as something inside her lit up, it was as if all of that anxiety gave in. Her breath was caught up in her throat, and all the words she had planned on using to prove her point were now completely forgotten.

“Can’t you see I’m trying to protect you?!” He pulled away, his hands still clutching her coat. His cheeks were tinged in a light shade of red, as he continued to scold her. She could feel his grip loosening, and slowly, he bit his lower lip. “Just find somewhere safe, Raven… I’ll find you again, I promise.”

His voice came out as a tender whisper, knocking down whatever was left of her previous bravery. Her entire body was growing warmer, now, and even if she had been afraid of letting him go, Raven knew she should follow his words and seek shelter somewhere. He was going to find her once everything was over, he told her, and oddly enough, she knew she could trust him.

A weak nod was all she could give him at that moment, but it proved itself enough for him. He nodded back, and after holding onto her stare for a second longer, Robin turned away and ran back to where the fight was happening. She watched him as he disappeared in the distance, and though she didn’t want to see him go, her warm heart didn’t break.

He was coming back for her; she knew it. He would find her again.

And until then, Raven was going to wait for him.

Once she recovered from all the things that had happened, the raven-haired girl looked away and started to run towards the exit of the subway station. She didn’t look back nor did she doubt his words, instead; she ran away, looking for a place to hide.

———————

Waiting for him, she discovered, was a lot easier now that they had something palpable connecting them. The days went by faster. Soon, winter melted into spring, and for the first time in her life, the flowers seemed more colorful than before. The weather was warm, birds were chirping, and Gotham city seemed to welcome the sun into its dark streets.

Her world had changed after that day. It was only natural, she knew, now that she had finally met the person she was destined to be with for the rest of her life. It was weird and unsettling, at first, but she came to terms with it after she had time to sleep on it and demystify a thing or two about finally meeting her soulmate.

The first and most important thing: she was not in love with him. At least, not yet. Meeting her soulmate for the first time didn’t make her fall in love with him at first sight like some people like to say. It didn’t change her life as much as she had expected it to, and if she were to be honest, Raven was quite happy about it.

She wanted to understand why they were so compatible before giving in to fate. She wanted to understand him without anything clouding her thoughts, and she wanted him to do the same about her.

Above all, Raven wanted them to have a choice. And if they ended up choosing each other, well, then they would think about what that meant later.

For now, as she rested her elbows against the metal rail that offered her a clean view of the lake, she was just focusing on enjoying her Sunday off. There was a book inside her bag, and she was decided to read a couple of chapters before heading home and getting ready for another week of work.

Just another ordinary day, or so she thought, until he arrived.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw as the young man walked towards her, his hands hidden inside the pockets of his hood. His hair was darker than hers, skin tanner and eyes colored in an emerald green. He stood still, some good 11 inches separating them, and though his face was hidden, she knew it was him.

At last, he had found her.

“You know, you’re not the easiest person to track, Roth.” He started, his voice calm as the wind brushed his cheeks. He was looking at the lake in front of them, and unlike last time, he seemed to be at peace. “Certainly took me longer than I expected.”

“Well, I guess that’s a good thing about being a nobody, right? There are a lot of people like me out there.”

“Maybe.” He sighed, his head now turning to face her as she did the same. “Still, I’m a pretty good detective.”

“With a very good self-esteem, too.” She offered him a small smile, to which he simple smirked.

A moment of silence took over them, as both of the young adults allowed that pure moment to sink in. There was no rush or anxiety lacing their feelings at that moment, much to their contentment, for they could absorb every minor detail of what would be the beginning of the rest of their lives.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone about my secret identity?” He asked, honestly, and her brows furrowed in awe.

In all of those years that she has held onto his secret, never once has Raven considered the idea of telling anyone about it. It was illogical. Irresponsible, even. Had she spoken to the world about who’s the man behind the green mask, his life would’ve been ruined in levels she could never imagine. It could get him killed. And if anything, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

“It was never mine to tell. I could never reveal your secret, Damian.” She spoke, simply, and a smile threatened to tug at his lips.

“Fair enough.” He nodded, letting out a long sigh. “If it helps, I didn’t tell anyone about your secret, either. Though I doubt anyone would be interested to know there was a girl out there who’s afraid of popping balloons.”

A sincere chuckle escaped the depths of her core, and that alone brought a smile to his face. Of all the secrets she holds, that one childish thing was the one chosen to be revealed to him. The forces of the universe certainly weren’t kind to him, even if that was probably not a common fear out there. Still, there were definitely more people who were afraid of popping balloons than fighting crime as Batman’s iconic sidekick. His secret made him unique.

His secret has brought them together.

“I guess not even your detective skills could help you on that, right?”

“It would’ve taken me a lot of time if I were to use just that information, but I’m sure I would’ve found you.”

“Oh, and how can you be so sure?”

“I just know it. We were bound to meet, anyway, so there’s no point in debating how.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She agreed, not wanting to press on useless matters. They were together now, and that was all she cared about.

“Also, after that day, even in the middle of that crowd, I saw you first. I didn’t really understand why at first, but I guess it has something to do with this thing.”

“Probably. I know little myself, to be honest. Thought that when I found you, things would make a little more sense.”

“And how’s that going so far?”

“Honestly?” She asked, tilting her head to the right, her short hair brushing her cheeks. “I still have no freaking clue of what to do next.”

“That makes two of us, then.” He sighed, leaning forward and resting his arms over the metal rail. His hood was still covering his head, and even if she knew better, Damian looked like a normal guy at that moment. He didn’t look like the son of Bruce Wayne, let alone Batman’s partner.

At that moment, he was just a normal guy talking to a normal girl about normal things. And for a reason she couldn’t quite understand, that brought her peace. Perhaps they weren’t so different, after all.

Perhaps they could even make it work.

A tender smile took over her lips, and slowly, she took a step closer to him. Raven extended her hand towards him, and her eyes watched as he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. “Why don’t we start from the beginning, then? I know you’ve skipped a few steps when you kissed me the other night, but… Whatever. I’m Rachel, but you can call me Raven.”

His eyes watched her for a moment too long, and it was as if she could see the wheels turning inside his head. Eventually, though, a sly smile took over his lips, and he reached out for her hand. His hand was calloused, but his touch was warm; and together, they shook hands. “Damian. Nice to meet you, Raven.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Damian.”

There was really no telling what would happen, or even if anything would happen at all. Still, at that moment, both of them were ready to try it. They already knew each other’s secrets so, perhaps, they could try to learn another thing or two.

fin.

-----------

a/n: I had this idea while browsing Pinterest for some Soulmate AU ideas and I LOVED writing it! Honestly, this is my very first soulmate AU ever and I really enjoyed playing with this weird scenario. It’s by far the one theme I loved the most to write, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it! Please, tell me what you think!

#damirae #damirae fanfiction #damian x raven #damirae week 2021 #demonbirds #mydamiraefics

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scaryscarecrows · 3 years

Text

Long Shot

AN: This is EARLY on: Jason’s about seventeen, and the only reason no one realizes that he has no idea what he’s doing is because of his scary helmet. Antoine is not adequate adult supervision, and oh boy, does it show.

* * *

Antoine looks at the man lying-apparently-dead on the floor. Looks at the Arkham Knight. Throws all caution out the window and points at the body, goes, “You killed him.”

“On accident!” The Knight sounds a little hysterical, modulator or not. “I didn’t even touch him and he just keeled over!”

“Shit.”

“Uh-huh.”

They both stare at the corpse. They needed this guy to let their client know that yes, job done, pay up. And, uh. Yeah. Little problem here.

“He is dead, right?” Maybe he just passed out. “He’s not just gonna pop up?”

“Dead as a doornail.”

“Shit,” he says again. The Knight nods.

“Uh-huh.”

Well, this is bad. Very bad. Hem. Ah.

“Okay,” the Knight says suddenly. “Okay, we can fix this. We’ll send an e-mail from his laptop.”

Antoine has no better idea, so he goes to try and get in there while the Knight begins the raid of the room, searching for credit cards, loose cash, and passwords. The laptop is poorly password-protected; it’s the man’s birthday. Hm.

A phone rings, and it takes both of them a second to figure out which one it is. It’s the Knight’s, and it’s their client calling. Oh, no.

“Yessir, I’m looking at him now.” Well, it’s true. “He was just about to e-mail you, I believe--no, he said something about a broken phone, the replacement’s in the mail, but--I’ll ask.” Ask what? “Mr. McGrathy, our client wants to Skype with you to ensure that this is all above board.” Antoine frantically shakes his head, they cannot Skype, the guy’s dead-- “He’s fine with that. Whenever you’re ready.”

The Knight hangs up. Antoine points, again, at the corpse on the floor.

“Sir,” he says, bracing to run if the Knight flips out on him, “small problem with that.”

“I know.”

“So what, we take the money and run?”

Silence. Antoine’s just about to think that yes, that’s what they’re going to do, when the Knight makes a pleased sound and starts rummaging through his belt.

“Get him in the chair,” he says. “Put some sunglasses on him, he’s, uh, he’s just had that procedure where you get your eyes dilated.”

“So what, he sits in the chair? Pretty sure Harris will notice, even if I duck down and like, wave his hand or something.”

“The camera’s going to short out,” The Knight says, finally digging out a...Antoine has no idea what that is. It has dials, that’s all he knows. “But McGrathy is going to say a few things, easy enough. And then yeah, we rob him.”

“You lost me, sir.”

“Just get him in the chair.”

Antoine hauls McGrathy into his desk chair, positions him so he looks...as not-dead as possible, and turns around to find some sunglasses. This is bad. How does this even happen, man? The Knight really didn’t touch him; he kicked the door in and the guy, well...he keeled. He straight-up keeled.

“This is Daniel McGrathy.”

“Shit-!”

The Knight laughs and holds up the device.

“Voice synthesizer,” he says. “I can do just enough phrases to pull this off.”

At any other time, that would be cool, but right now? Antoine’s trying to calm down, that scared the crap out of him, Jesus Christ.

“Think it’ll work?”

“No idea,” comes the cheerful response. “Here’s to hopin’. He all set?”

As set as Antoine can make him. He doesn’t look that lively anymore; his head keeps trying to loll over and his damn mouth doesn’t want to close. But, well, laptop cameras flatter no one.

That said, if this works, it’ll be a damn miracle.

* * *

“And it worked,” Jimmy says skeptically, noticeably not helping Antoine haul the corpse into the desk chair. “Not only did this happen another time, but you did something out of a bad movie and got away with it.”

“It worked until our client called the guy again,” the boss says, “and found out what happened, but we still got paid, so.”

“He wasn’t mad?”

“We were in the room with him. An agreement was reached.” Agreement. Sure. You could call it that. “But it worked enough to get us back there.”

“Jesus.” Jimmy takes his glasses off to rub his face. “I can’t believe you got away with it.”

Fair.

“Well, we did, mostly, so help me prep him.” Jimmy cackles. “Shut up.”

“I can’t believe this happened again.”

“Both of these guys left Gotham within the past three years,” the boss says absently. He’s fiddling with the synthesizer, occasionally rapping it against his palm. “They might have mistaken me for someone else*.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Leave it to Jimmy to just ask shit.

“Don’t know--here we go! Is he ready?”

“Almost.”

“There’s no way you can do this twice.” Gee, thanks for the confidence, Jimmy. It really helps. “There’s no way.”

“Not if he’s not ready,” the boss points out. Antoine holds out a hand.

“Sunglasses.”

It worked once. It has to work again. It’s the only option they have. And this time at least, the lighting is terrible, which makes it a lot easier to hide, er, everything.

…

God, how does this happen to them?

“We’re ready,” he says. The Knight sighs.

“Okay. Get ready to kill the camera. Worst-case scenario, Rogers, you hack into the client’s account and take what we’re owed plus a hassle fee.”

“Yessir.” A pause. “We’re gonna take his money too, right?”

“Of course.”

THE END

*Several people, from civilians to goons to the Militia, manage to mistake the Knight for Batman. As far as I know, only the civilians have said this to his face.

#arkham knight #jason todd #antoine drouot #jimmy rogers #shenanigans with a corpse

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flying-nightwing · 4 years

Text

The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End

I’m trying something new y’all, this is a third person POV because I want you to unveil the actions at the same pace as Jason and not MC/reader. I absolutely loved writing this, so hopefully I did it right and you will enjoy this adventure like I did!

ps: this isn’t something fun or light hearted, it might be triggering for some people. if you are in a fragile mindset right now (especially with everything that’s happening right now), maybe it would be best to save it for later. Please take care of yourselves xx

Masterlist in bio/pinned

Pairing: Jason Todd x reader (ish)

Word count: 5060

Warnings: death (major theme), language

Summary: Jason finds something deeply unsettling during a not so typical night in Gotham (I’m not saying more y’all, read and find out).

It had been a strange night for Jason. Things had been quiet, not too quiet to become suspicious, but enough to underwhelm him at an unsettling level. Everything from the gloomy, yellow-ish night sky above him to his tensed muscles screamed trouble--and his instincts were rarely wrong--but there was nothing big happening. He was almost tempted to pick a fight with the wrong person just for the sake of it, just to shake off this nagging feeling that serious shit was about to blow in his face. Although starting beef again with Sionis would be quite entertaining, he wasn’t sure he had the energy to deal with another tantrum from the eccentric man on the longer term.

So instead, he kicked the door from the building’s roof on which he was hanging around and half heartedly climbed down the stairs. Plastic tarps were flapping around in his face like badly designed Halloween ghosts, and the wind in the half constructed walls were whispering unintelligible songs in his ears. That specific construction site had been abandoned as the recurrent vandalism had weighed the construction costs into the negative, making the company leaving it behind completely as a rotting proof the poorer Gotham neighborhoods were no longer a concern to city hall. Jason thought about the community center that had been bulldozed down to make room for the apartment complex, leaving dozens if not hundreds of children and teenagers without an after school hangout place, and it made him sigh. Now the cheap carcass served to shelter squatters, or well, him when he needed a hideout in between safe houses.

The building in itself wasn’t very high like the skyscrapers one could find in the diamond district, it was rather on par with the rest of the apartment complexes around. From a distance, you couldn’t even differentiate it from the rest. Cheap, smog stained concrete looked the same whether or not it was a finished product. The aesthetics wasn’t something developers around here were aiming for, nor were the resident seeking lodging. Low income neighborhoods didn’t get to benefit from trendy landscaping. But the city didn’t really care about that, they claimed nobody really came around here anyway, like poor people weren’t people in the first place. But Jason knew, and every day he resented those officials on the city council a little bit more.

A thud coming from the floor he had just passed made him halt his descent, his ears strained to try and catch some more noise. He waited a few seconds, and concluded it must have been a squatter tripping and falling on the floor when no other sound followed. But he hadn’t taken a full step down that a loud and clear cry for help bounced on the unfinished plaster on the walls. Without much more thinking, he turned around and climbed back up the five steps he had already taken, going straight for the origin of the sound. He was about to round the corner of a threshold when he bumped into a frantic young woman, her eyes wide and terrified.

“Please help!” She cried, gripping the sleeves of his leather jacket like it was a lifeline. She had an angry, scabbed rope mark on her neck and bruises the size of fingerprints around. “Somebody’s after me, he tried to strangle me!”

Well, that was a new one. Usually, there would be little punks making graffiti or trying to steal material from the structure, petty non-violent crimes like that, but he had never seen homicide, especially not since he started coming around. Nevertheless, he gently pushed the woman aside and pulled out his gun, ready to investigate.

“Stay close” He said, and she nodded vigorously. He carefully walked inside the room, analysing his surroundings for any thread or hostile individual. The floor creaked lightly under his boots, making the woman jump every other second. However, his search eventually came up empty, so he clicked the safety of his gun back on and slid it back in his thigh holster. He faced the girl and shrugged. “If there was anyone here, he’s long gone”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah” He replied. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m not sure” She flinched, still visibly. “To either questions, to be honest. All I remember was seeing this blurred figure grab my head and slam it on the floor, then his hands were around my neck… And I woke up, and there we are”

“Do you have any idea who did this?”

“No really” She rubbed her temples. “I was grabbed on my way back from work and dragged in here. I know it was a man, but he was masked”

“Damn” He muttered, looking around. There wasn’t much left to do now, beside making sure that woman got home safely. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Do you have somewhere safe to go?”

“Yeah, I have an apartment a few blocks away” She nodded timidly.

They climbed down the stairs, Jason following a pace behind her. She was recoiled on herself, her eyes darting from one place to another like she was expecting to be jumped at any time now. She was shivering from the harsh wind, clearly not dressed for one of Gotham’s cold September nights. He thought she was lucky to have fallen onto him and not someone with ill intentions. The people coming here usually left each other alone, but with the lady’s assailant on the loose, he wouldn’t be so trusting of everyone’s intentions around here.

“Here, we’re almost out” He said as the front door came into view. She sighed in relief as she took the last step down and closed the distance with the door. She reached for the handle, pulled, but nothing moved. She then tried to push, but it didn’t move any more.

“I-It’s like it’s locked” She stuttered in disbelief.

“Let me try” Jason stepped forward, pushing and pulling the door like she did before. Strange, that door was never, ever locked. He then tried to pick it, even break it, to no avail. The door simply wouldn’t open. He huffed and took a step back, thinking. “Let’s try the backdoor”

The pair moved through the ground floor, passing in front of a few empty sleeping bags on the way. Jason went straight for the small door, only to be met with the same problem.

“Alright, you wanna play this game?” He muttered harshly, pulling out his gun and aiming at the handle. He fired a shot, but the bullet bounced right back on his red helmet. “Son of a bitch!”

He muttered a few more curses before kicking the stubborn door in frustration, then turned to the woman.

“Well, somebody doesn’t want us to leave '' He stated with bitter humour. “Maybe your wannabe killer is still around, after all”

“Oh god” She gasped, her chest suddenly heaving quickly. She was having a panic attack. “We’re trapped. We’re gonna die, aren’t we?”

“Hey, hey” He tried to reassure her, an uncertain hand on her shoulder. “I won’t let him get near you. He certainly didn’t plan on having me around, so he’ll stay away if he knows what’s good for him. We’ll find a way out”

She bent over, hands on her knees, and shut her eyes tight, focusing on her breathing until it somewhat calmed down. She then nodded slowly, standing straighter again. “O-okay”

“You sure?”

She took a deep breath and nodded again.

“Alright…” He drawled out, looking at her for a second more to be sure she was actually okay. “Let’s go around and see if there’s anyone in here tonight, and if they have seen anything”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” She eyed him with uncertainty. “...He could be out there”

“Then it’s his mistake” He shrugged. “Come on”

Like earlier, she followed closely behind him as he checked each floor in detail. He came across a few homeless people he had seen around before, none of which could ever commit murder, or attempt to for that matter. He saw it in their eyes, they were harmless. They had been on the second floor, the only one which seemed inhabited at all that night. The third floor came up empty as well, so Jason didn’t waste time there either. However, he was a little more careful on the fourth. It was where he had found the girl, so there was a slight chance the assaulter might still be hanging around there. He began with the first apartment on the left, then the one on the right he initially searched. He paid specific attention to any detail he might find; hair, cloth, blood splatter, anything. He was crouched over a suspicious stain when he heard it.

A deafening scream.

In less than a second, he was on his feet and through the threshold of an adjacent room, only to come face to face with a decaying corpse. The woman was staring with horror like she was in a trance, a hand covering her mouth to either hold back any more screams or her own vomit. Probably both, Jason thought.

“That definitely complicates things now” He hummed.

“How can you be so calm?” She was freaking out again. “There’s a body! A dead body!”

“Yeah, I know” He replied, unbothered, taking a step closer to observe. The nauseous smell of decomposition was starting to get through his helmet, and he genuinely wondered how she hadn’t barfed her guts up already. Her state of shock perhaps helped to keep her together, at least for now. “Looks like it’s a woman. Probably has been there for two weeks or--fuck this is nasty”

He backed up and gently pulled her out of the room, away from the corpse. She didn’t need to see anymore of it.

“Well, there’s good news and bad news” He sighed. “Bad news is your guy and this poor woman’s killer are most likely the same person. Good news is that you, unlike her, escaped him”

“Oh god” She gagged, but dry heaved on air. “This can’t be happening”

“Okay, listen” He sighed, “I’m sure this is a lot for you, and you didn’t ask for any of this. But the killer is potentially here keeping us trapped, and I need you to hold it together a little bit longer until I figure this out, kay?”

She gave him a wild look like he was crazy. “How can you expect me to hold it together?”

“Is there anything you can focus on?” He tried, getting a bit impatient. Things weren’t adding up in his head and he needed to concentrate, but he couldn’t if his new unwilling investigation partner started freaking out every other minute. Then, he noticed her fingers fidgeting with a necklace around her neck, a small ring with a azur gem hanging from it. “What does that ring mean?”

She looked down at it, like she was surprised she had subconsciously showed it up. “Uh, it was my mother’s. Family heirloom, y’know. She gave it to me when I graduated college”

“It’s very pretty” He said. “Look at it and think about your mother, okay?”

She nodded, and he took a step away to pace around in peace. So there was a killer who managed to trap them into the building, or intended to trap only her, which was why he was hiding away now that Jason was here too. But then again, Marty on the second floor didn’t see or hear anything all night, and that guy had a sharper ear than a cat. Then came the question of why he didn’t see or smell the body on his first general scouting of the place. Surely, a decaying body would have ticked him off way sooner. Maybe the killer dragged the body from a higher floor? It would make no sense as to why he would have done that, but there was no other logical explanation.

He went to rub the bridge of his nose, only to be met with his helmet. He let out another muffled curse and looked at the ceiling in exasperation. “This is the one time I could use one of my stupid brothers”

“Why?”

He let out a dry chuckle. “They’re idiots and annoying as fuck, but they’re better detectives than I could ever be. Solving this nonsense puzzle would be an easy game for them”

“Then what’s stopping you from calling them?”

Jason paused, staring at the woman for a moment. No, it wasn’t that simple. “Last time we spoke, I… We fought pretty bad. I don’t think they ever want to see me again”

“I’m sure--”

“We’re on our own for this, trust me” He interrupted, his tone dry enough to make her recoil. He coughed and relaxed his tense posture, taking a deep breath. “I can solve this, I don’t need them. I’ll go check the body again, stay here”

“Wait!” She called before he could turn around. “What if he comes back?”

He blinked a few times, then began patting his side and pockets. He wouldn’t leave her a gun, or she’d hurt herself in the state she was in, or accidently shoot him for that matter. Nervous firing rarely even found their intended target anyway. A knife was also out of the question for the same reasons. Besides, she didn’t seem skilled enough to hold her own with a blade, and he had no idea what weapons the killer carried. The knife would basically be useless, if not more dangerous for her. He finally felt a small lump in his pant pocket, then fished for it. He pulled a small taser that definitely wasn’t his, remembering he had disarmed it from a goon earlier that night. He had no idea he had kept it, but it would do.

“Here” He held it up to eye level, pressing the button. A blue-ish current was formed, crackling and fizzling. “You hold it out and press the side button to turn it on. Don’t point it at me or yourself. Got it?”

“Uh-- I guess--”

“Great” He pushed the device in her hand and turned on his heels without more ceremonies.

He inhaled deeply and held his breath as he returned to the corpse, thinking about a thousand better ways he could have been spending his Friday night. He crouched next to it, grimacing at the decaying skin that made the victim’s identity barely recognizable. He noticed the dried out hair first, it was the same color as the poor girl on the other side of the wall. The exact same, he could have sworn. The killer must have a very specific m.o. he stuck to. There had been a couple of girls going missing in the last weeks, it must have been one of them. Nobody would think to check here, or rather nobody would bother. He turned his head to the side, coughing as he worked to catch his breath despite the putrid smell. He forced himself to return to his half assed detective work, scanning for any trace of struggle or aggression. The rope the killer used to choke her was still around her neck, but that was nothing Jason could work with as he already knew about the obvious neck fetish that was in play here. He poked the rotten skin with the end of his gun, pushing hair and clothes away to try and find something he could have missed with a first glance. No viable piece of information could be found in the teeth or under the nail since he was about two weeks too late, and he could not make the distinction between decomposition marks and actual contusion marks. Dammit. He had nothing.

He was about to give up when something shiny got his attention on the victim’s chest. There was a chain plunging into the neckline of her shirt, and with his gun he carefully pulled it up. He was certain his brain physically broke in two when he came face to face with a stained, yet recognizable ring with an azur stone.

“What…” He trailed off softly. “... The Fuck”

Thinking about it, the victim’s clothes were awfully similar to what the lady on the other side was wearing, beside the obvious dirtiness difference. He looked over his shoulder, to where she was pacing nervously, then back to the corpse. Same hair, same clothes, same ring. Same approximate size, same bone structure, rope position coinciding with her strangling mark. Jason did not want to be thinking what he was thinking, because only crazy people were seeing ghosts. But was he totally sane? That was debatable. It would explain why they were locked in the building for no goddamn reason, or why Marty didn’t hear anything, or why he did not notice the corpse or the smell during his initial search, or why that lady did not stop once to rethink asking an armed stranger in a red mask for help, or why…

Besides, ghosts would not even make the list of the weirdest things he’s seen. He himself came back from the dead, so the idea wasn’t actually that far fetched. But now, the question he faced was, how do you tell someone they’re dead, when they’re convinced they’re alive? Bruce’s training did not prepare him for that, and honestly neither did Ra’s.

He slowly stood up, trying to scour his brain for a gentle way to break it to her. He couldn't just rip the bandaid off, that would be insensitive. And if she really did control who could get in and out of the building, would sending her into ghost shock--if that was even a thing--risk trapping him here forever as well? How does one even deal with a bloody ghost? Reluctantly, he returned to the other room, where the woman looked at him with hopeful eyes. Jason felt a pinch in his heart, knowing he would be the one to break the news to her.

“Anything?” She asked, her arms wrapping around herself. He gave a sad nod, and she sighed in relief. “Good, I just wanna go home”

“I…” He struggled to find the words. “What’s your name?”

“(Y/N)” She said, uncertain.

Jason was glad his mask hid his expression. His eyes closed as his suspicions were officially confirmed; she had disappeared a little less than three weeks ago without a trace. She had been presumed dead by the GCPD, apparently rightfully so, he found out.

“(Y/N), I have good news and bad news”

She kept staring at him to let him speak. She didn’t seem to grasp the undertone of his words, or how he somehow said it completely differently than the previous time. She really wasn’t aware of her situation.

“Good news is that I found who the victim is” He began, his voice heavy. He wasn’t the type to just get emotional for strangers like this, but this one especially struck a chord in him. “Bad news is… You’re--you’re not going home, (Y/N)”

Her face fell. “W-What?”

“The… Body, on the other side” He half heartedly pointed behind him. “It’s you. You went missing three weeks ago, and you’re...”

“That’s crazy!” She shrieked. “That’s impossible! I’m here, I’m right here, I’m real…”

Her voice faltered at the end, like she was starting to doubt herself. Jason softly jerked his head to the other room, silently making his way back to the corpse with her carefully following behind. He stopped and crouched like he had done minutes ago, and in the same way, lifted the ring. Something clicked in her face, a newfound horror etching on her features. This time, it wasn’t because she found a corpse, but because she found out the corpse was hers.

“No…” She stumbled back, and Jason hurried to steady her. He didn’t know if it was necessary, since she probably couldn’t even feel physical pain anymore, but it seemed like the right thing to do. He escorted her out of the room once again and waited beside her as her entire reality came crashing down. It felt surreal for him, he couldn’t even imagine what it was like for her. He let her slide down the wall and rest her head in her hands as she processed all of this. “I can’t be… My family, they must be worried sick”

“I’m sorry, (Y/N)” He sighed, sliding down next to her.

“But I’m--” She tried to argue, then a tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m not ready to go”

He took off his mask for the first time, ruffling his hair in the process. The least he could do was to give her a human face as the last she would ever see. “Take all the time you need, I’ve got nowhere else to be”

She eyed him with confusion, at both the removal of his mask and his words. “Why?”

He smiled sadly at her. “I don’t think you should be alone right now. I’m Jason, nice to formally meet you”

“I don’t think it matters now” She mumbled, casting her glance downward. She handed him back the small taser, realizing she wouldn't need it anymore. “I’m dead. I don’t even know how I’m even still here, or where I’m even going. I don’t understand anything--”

“You don’t have to,” He interrupted softly. “It’s okay not to understand. And it’s okay to be afraid. But death is a part of life, and despite how scary it might be when it rings at your door, sometimes it’s better not to fight it”

“Easy to say for someone who is still alive” She said, making his lips subtly curl up. At least she was calming down now.

“I died years ago” He admitted, and her eyes widened comically. “No, I’m not a ghost if that’s what you’re wondering. I was resurrected through magic… But I know what it feels like”

“How did you die?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Jason hesitated. He wasn’t used to talking about this, but he figured he could at least vent to a ghost. It might even make her feel better about the circumstances of her death, he thought. “I died in an explosion” He finally revealed as he looked away. “I realized I was dead when the countdown reached two seconds and nobody came for me. Two seconds isn’t a long time to come to term with the end of your own existence, and everything that comes after”

“I suppose not” She sighed. “I guess I’m lucky I have time to figure it out. What’s it like, on the other side?”

“I honestly can’t really remember” He shook his head. “My memory from the moment I closed my eyes to when I reopened them is scrambled. And even if I did recall, it might be different from you”

“You think so?”

“I hope so”

He did not elaborate on that, and she did not ask. Jason wasn’t sure whether his visions of hell were from his time in the grave, or if the pit messed with his perspective, but he certainly hoped this girl wouldn’t have to go through something similar as well. They waited in silence for a moment as neither felt the need to speak up. He respected her need to have a moment to herself to absorb all this like he had wished he could have had. He had never felt as vulnerable as when he waited, helpless and unable to move, for the bomb to go off. He had been terrified, clinging to a last hope it was just a nightmare, or that help would have swept in at the last second like it always happened in the movies. He had been truly alone then. Perhaps it was why she had found him earlier, she felt his connection to death and his ability to relate. She seeked one last ray of warmth before disappearing, one last attempt not to be forgotten by reaching out to someone with the best chance to understand her. He doubted it was a coincidence he was the one she let help her.

“You didn’t have to stay with me…” She spoke up. It could have been ten minutes or more, Jason couldn’t tell. He had been in his head the whole time. “But you did, for what it’s worth. Thank you, Jason”

“You’re welcome, I guess” He half shrugged. “It’s… It’s just things I wish had been said to me in my last moments, comfort I wish had been brought to me when it was time to go. I’m glad it helped ease this transition for you”

She gave him a small smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. He could feel her unnatural cold radiating on him, see the bleakness of her skin and the absence or a steady rise and fall of her chest now that he was up close.

“Well, I’m glad you found me” She muttered, letting her hand fall back down to her side. “I… I think I’m ready to go. But before, could you do me a last favor?

“Sure” He nodded.

“Could you bring back my necklace to my mother?” She asked, staring straight into his eyes. And probably his soul, by the looks of it. “This case might never be solved, I don’t want it to be lost in an evidence bag”

He was initially surprised by the request, but it made sense. This would be the last thing her mother would have of her daughter, and it didn’t belong in a locker kept away forever. He nodded. “I can do that”

“Thank you” She gave him the first real smile he had seen on her face. Her eyes had lost the life in them, that was obvious, but there was this peacefulness that hadn’t been there before. Her resolve to accept her faith showed more and more in her expression, and it was steadily becoming clearer she did not belong to this plane of existence anymore. Two weeks trapped in between life and death without being heard or seen must have been so exhausting, and now she was ready to let go. “Just one more thing”

Jason furrowed his eyebrows at her sudden knowing expression. He could see it clearly despite her image slowly fading away. Was she even aware of it? He didn’t know, but it didn’t seem painful. He hoped it wasn’t, she deserved an undisturbed rest for what had been done to her in this life.

“A piece of unwanted advice from a dead girl?” Her tone was a bit playful. He let out a quiet chuckle, his shoulders barely raising. “Call your brothers”

She became serious, and so did he.

“The worst thing about this, is that I left this life without even being able to say proper goodbyes to my family” She explained. “I wish more than anything I could just see them one more time to tell them I love them, but I can’t. Don’t take for granted there will always be a later for it, because there might not be”

“I…”

“Please, for me” She said, almost entirely faded now. “I hope I see you again one day, Jason. Thank you for everything”

And then she was gone. Jason stared at the empty space beside him, like there had never been anyone there. The cold spot was gone, and with it the last image of her smiling face. The smell of the corpse returned at full strength now that she wasn’t there to manipulate the surroundings, but he couldn’t be bothered by it as much as he was before. He found himself unable to tear his eyes away from where she had been seconds ago, struggling to tell whether or not it had actually happened. But it must have, the entire experience had felt way too real to be a product of his imagination, and the dead body served as a material proof his head didn’t conjure it all up. Slowly, he stood up and went back to the body for one last time. He’d have to place an anonymous call to the police to tip them to the body tomorrow, after giving a heads up to the squatters to steer clear of the building until the situation died down. He bent down and only took the necklace without disturbing anything else, slipping it in a pocket for safe keeping. He’d also have to find a way to give it back to her mother without making it seem like he had killed the girl…

With one last silent goodbye to a new found yet ephemeral friend, Jason made his way down to the first floor, his step a little slower and heavier than last time. The first light of the morning peeked shyly through the sky of Gotham as the clouds appeared clear up, like it was their way of reflecting the peaceful passing of a soul on the other side. He never believed in symbolism in nature, but this once, just this once, he could make an exception. He reached the bottom of the stairs and carefully made his way to the main doors, pausing in front of it. The birds in the walls didn’t seem to mind him as they sang the arrival of the morning, and he put back his mask to face the outside once again. He gripped the door handle, pushing even so slightly.

It opened with a groan.

Sighing, he stepped outside and fished for his phone in his back pocket. He went to his contacts, scrolling down until he found the name he was looking for. Reluctantly, he pressed it and came face to face with the taunting call icon. Surely he would still be awake, his patrol would have ended not too long ago. Or he’d be asleep, and then he’d disturb him. Hesitating, his thumb hovered above the lock screen button, then over the call one, then again, the lock screen. He let out a frustrated huff, looking at the sky. There might not be a later… Or perhaps there will. But was he ready to take that chance? He looked at his phone again, taking a deep breath and making his decision.

As the first sun ray reflected his helmet, he called Dick Grayson for the first time in years.

111 notes · View notes

reddrobins · 4 years

Text

times like these ♡

dick grayson x reader

summary: you get kidnapped by deathstroke and then realize why dick would’ve ever taught you self defense... its times like these you wish you would've payed attention.

warnings: anGST, like a shitton of angst. please have tissues.

you struggled against your bonds in distress and frankly annoyance.

god, how long had you been down here? Was down here really... down?

you honestly had no clue. all you did know was that you were not at home, laying in bed snuggled with your boyfriend, and that was beginning to get on your nerves.

i mean sure, you should be scared, this is technically a kid-napping, but hey - it's gotham, you knew it would happen eventually. you just wished that you got a little bit of a heads up before it happened.

"hello?" you yelled, or well, at least tried to - your throat was quite sore.

you grumbled to yourself in frustration. first a sore throat for reasons you couldn't fathom and second no response to your cry of distress.

what would dick do? you bit your lip, trying to think back to the hours and hours of self defense training the man had taught you. god, why hadn't you listened?

you tried to wiggle around in what you presumed was a chair. there was rope around your arms, you knew that. and the more you thrashed about, you took note that there were bonds around your ankles as well.

great. obviously whoever captured me just had to be intelligent. you thought.

you then tried to take note of your surroundings, picking out any small detail that would give you a hint to where ever the fuck you were.

you made silent notes on what you could see. metal poles, a tray of glittering objects, a small light bulb in the far left corner of the room and -

you gasped.

you would know that helmet from anywhere. though it was dark, you could clearly point out the half orange shell. your mind instantly went into a frenzy.

even though you had woken up calm and collected, like dick taught you to, now knowing who you were dealing with shook you to your core.

if there was anything you had remembered from dicks intense defense lessons, it was that deathstroke was not one to be messed with. not ever.

you leaned your head back, trying to calm yourself.

okay, you said to yourself okay, if his helmet is here then maybe he's elsewhere and i have time... i can do this. you really tried to think back to what you had learned, silently cursing yourself for not taking dicks lessons seriously.

first, you tried to, once again, wiggle your wrists out of their entrapment, only to end up with killer burns from the rope.

you hissed, and decided you needed a different approach.

what if, you thought, what if i just jumped with the chair towards an exit?

though dick may have advised against this route and suggested a much better thought out plan, you weren't a vigilante and this seemed to be your most sane and well thought out approach.

screeech!

the metal chair sounded as you took your first hop. you stopped in panic, what if slade was here? what if this was all a set up?

you shook your head, no. c'mon, you have to stay calm... think like dick, what would he do?

well, he would probably fip out of the chair or break the binds or - you sarcastically rambled to yourself.

so, with nothing else to help you out in this dire situation, you jumped again and again and again, until your knees hit what seemed to be a wall. or wait - was this a door?

your eyes lit up as you felt the latch with your knee, now fully knowing that this was in fact a way to freedom, a way back to your loving boyfriend.

you took a deep breath and jumped once again, slamming your side into the door in hopes of breaking the lock.

and of course, to your distress, it didn't even budge.

of course it didn't, you thought, i’m not strong, i’m not some super, why did i even think this would work?

you cried out in frustration and simply gave up.

you sat there with your head down, thinking about the worst.

you were going to die.

you were going to die and you didn't even know how you got here, how slade found you, if you even said goodbye to dick. so many questions were left unanswered that at this point, you didn’t have any energy to care about.

that was until you heard footsteps on the other side of the wall.

optimistically, your eyes brightened and you picked your head up, its dick! he's come to save me, i knew it. i just knew he was com-

your chipper thoughts were cut short as the door opened, sliding your tied up figure and the chair with it.

it was, in fact - not dick.

no, it was much worse.

"ah, i see you've tried to escape?"

you shut your eyes and gulped, of course, of-fucking-course it was deathstroke. you were stupid for thinking otherwise.

you felt pressure on the back of the chair and slowly you were tilted up and dragged back to where you woke up.

you kept your head down as deathstroke circled you, like a cat closing in on a mouse.

"I said, i see you've tried to escape... is that true?"

a tear slid from your eye as fear got the best of you, "yes" you responded meekly to the mercenary.

he let out a simple “hmm” at your answer and stopped his pacing, standing in front of you.

you didn’t dare look him in the eye, you knew better not to.

as you sat in front of the beast you hoped and prayed to whatever god was out there that dick was on his way, that he was someone leaping from building to building to bring you home.

“i’m really sorry about this my dear, i didn’t want to bring you into this but your nightwing has something of mine. so it is only fair that i took something of his, yes?”

at this point you couldn’t stop the flow of tears. all you wanted was to leave, just to be held by dick once more. whether it be at the manor or at his apartment, you just wanted to be with him, anywhere but here.

you felt a hand on top of your head, soothing you as you shook, crying.

“shh, please, you do understand just why i had to do this. i’m not one to kidnap civilians unprovoked. if you are to be mad at anyone, my dear, be livid with your boyfriend.”

another wrack of sobs laced through your body, though this time not out of fear but out of anger.

how dare he blame dick for this?

“you’re wrong.” you muttered.

slade bent down tugging on your hair instead of his continuous petting, “what was that?”

“i said,” you raised your voice slightly, “you’re wrong. this isn't anyone's fault but your own, slade.”

as soon as the words left your mouth, you instantly regretted it. It was times like these you wish you had followed what dick told you to do in the event of a kidnapping.

slade growled in response, letting go of you, he walked away - leaving your peripheral vision.

this, if anything, scared you even more.

“i’m normally not fond of my hostages speaking out, especially when the price is this high.”

you squeezed your eyes shut, breathing rapidly, and tried to calm yourself down. dick will be here soon. dick will be here soon. you kept repeating to yourself.

“i’m sure you understand now that i do have to punish you for that snide remark, it's only fair.”

your breath caught in your throat at the threat. you weren't ready to die, hell you had just graduated college and had an upcoming internship at wayne enterprises - thanks to dick of course.

you had heard it before you felt it.

a loud squelching noise sounded in the air, close to your right ear.

you choked on your saliva when you realized where this noise had come from.

somewhere off in the distance, slade had thrown a knife at you, embedding itself perfectly into your right shoulder.

“fuck!”,you let out a strained groan at the pain. blood and gore was never your thing, however you couldn't not pass out now. no, you had to stay awake for dick.

“i hope you know that was just a warning, next time i won't be as forgiving.” deathstroke walked back over to your chair and tapped on the dagger's handle, driving it more into your bruised shoulder.

“please” you whimpered, “please, i’ll do anything, i’ll give you money, whatever you need. just please let me go.” though on the outside you frantically pleaded with the man, on the inside you were yelling at yourself, “don't show the enemy your weakness!” dicks voice sounded in your head.

“i told you, what i want is nightwing. you, are the only thing that can bring him to me.” he then pulled the blade free from your shoulder, ripping a pained scream from your lips.

“you’re sick. if you think d- nightwing is going to fall for this stupid kidnap stunt, then you’re dumber than you look.” you had no idea where this burst of confidence came from, most likely slades lack of faith in dick set you off.

“you can say his name-” slade started, boredly twirling the bloody dagger between his fingers, “i already know everything there is to know about your pretty dick grayson. i’m sure not as much as you do though, is that right (y/n)?”

you don't know why you were so shocked he knew your name, but nonetheless - it surprised you. apparently the surprise was visible.

“i keep tabs, you know? I knew about you the minute you and grayson met at the library on 3rd street in downtown gotham.”

you swallowed, he’s really had tabs on me for that long? you thought.

it’d been 3 years since that fateful meeting, 3 years slade had known all about.

“what are you even after? Why track me for that long?” you looked at the mercenary incredulously - 3 years of stalking seemed like overkill, especially since you were just a mere citizen.

“grayson and i have a long past, years and years of small fights, big fights” he waved his hand dismissively, “but never- in all of my years, have i seen that boy so devoted to someone, i knew from the start you were crucial to his well being.” slade pocketed the blade then walked towards his helmet and picked it up, putting the item on.

“that being said, there's a bounty on your heros head, and i am going to claim it.”

you furrowed your brows in confusion, “you said he took something from you?”

slade sauntered back toward you, going behind you, “he did. he took from me the one thing i had in this city, my reputation.” he began to untie your hands, to your confusion.

“your little pretty boy had made quick work of dismissing me to the world as nothing more than a mere mercenary.” deathstroke then moved to your ankles, loosening the roped on them as well.

now, you were confused for a multitude of reasons. why (a) was slade untying you and why (b) would dick ridicule deathstroke when he warned you about how dangerous he truly was?

slade now stood in front of you and held out a hand, “we have to go. get up.”

you reluctantly grabbed his hand and stood up, hissing in pain at the movement on your shoulder wound.

you reached up with your left hand and gripped onto your bloody shoulder, trying to stop it from leaking so profusely. “where are we going?”

the older man turned to you, gun in hand, “your boyfriend is almost here, i need time to move you.”

at his words your heart soard, dick! was! coming! to! save! you!, your mind screamed.

deathstroke apparently saw the glee in your eyes and jabbed the loaded gun at you, “that doesn’t mean to get any ideas. this isn’t over until i say it's over.”

“oracle, give me the coordinates again.” dick was racing, leaping from building to building faster than he ever had in his whole crime fighting life.

“40.7829° N, 73.9654° W. you’re two building away from her current location” she relayed. “nightwing, please, be rational about this. i know deathstroke has (y/n) but you need a well thought out plan.”

dick grumbled at barbara's words, how could she reprimand him during a time like this?

“barbara, really not the time right now.” he grit out, anger and desperation radiating off him as he closed in on your location.

“nightwing! we’re on the coms, its oracle.”

the raven haired man rolled his eyes, but understood barbara was right, “god, you’re right, i’m sorry.” he ran a hand down his face as he stood on the edge of a skyscraper.

“it’s fine, just please try to be safe at least… if not for yourself, then for (y/n)?”

just at your name his heart ached, god he hoped you were safe, what he wouldn’t do to just hold you in his arms right now. “i’m going off coms, i’ll rejoin when (y/n)’s safe. stay close.”

before babs could get a word in about how unintelligent that was right now dick clicked his earpiece off.

“just hold on for me (y/n).” he pleaded as he grappled to the next building. the building where you were currently captured.

yet again, deathstroke had tied you down - without any care for your hurt shoulder - but this time stayed close by instead of leaving you.

“he’s going to kick your ass.” you suddenly blurted out. god why won’t you shut up? you scolded yourself internally.

slade actually chuckled at that, not before coming up behind you and digging his hand into your wound.

you screamed, the pain almost unbearable.

“oh, i’m sure he may. however, this time i have the upper hand.” he stated cryptically.

you tried to crane your neck to see him, “what do you mean?”

“i mean you.” slade stated dumbly, almost as if talking to a child, “you’re leverage. if sweet nightwing tries anything, i’ll kill you.”

your world immediately froze. you knew it. you knew you were going to die.

though you had anticipated it from the start, hearing it confirmed did not make you feel any less frightened.

you were about to open your mouth, to plead, to cry, whatever it was you could do, when a window smashed.

in came your knight in shining spandex, escrima sticks ready to wail on whoever dared to touch you.

dick caught sight of your form and his eyes softened, there you were, bloody and bruised and tied to a chair - not a way he liked to picture you on a friday night.

“(y/n)” he stated softly. you gave him a pained smiled, “dickie, i knew you'd come.”

the two of you stared at each other lovingly for a while until a cough ruined the moment.

“as cute as this reunion is, we don't have all night. now, nightwing, i’m willing to make a trade.”

the man in question glared at deathstroke, anger and fury in his glimmering blue eyes. “what’re you offering, slade?” he grit out.

“I propose a life for a life.” your eyes widened in panic at his words, you searched for dicks face, him dawning a solemn gaze at the floor.

“no. you’re insane. that’s not going to hap-” you started

“okay.” dick interrupted.

you choked, “okay? dick- you can't possibly be serious,” you pulled at your restraints, “dick don't do this.”

ignoring your pleas, dick placed down his weapons and kneeled to the floor, hands behind his head. “do whatever you want, just don't touch her. please.” he said quietly.

deathstroke laughed, he actually laughed. “pathetic. how weak big nightwing can be in one little exchange. it's disgusting.” he sneered.

“dick, dickie don't do this, please, i’ll be strong for us, you can’t do this to us.”

dick let out a spiteful laugh, “and what, you think it’s better if you die? not happening. slade, i’m all yours, just let (y/n) go.”

deathstroke hummed in amusement at the situation at hand, it was just too easy. “i’ll let her go on my terms. forgive me if i’m not trusting of you vigilante types.”

nightwing looked up at slade and all but growled, “that’s not the deal you set out. let. (y/n). go.”

“or, what if i just kill both of you” slade dealt, “what if i save the lovers heart ache and ended you both right now.”

you let out a strangled sob and caught dicks eyes, the later starting to tear up as well. “you wouldn’t” he said, “that’s not your m.o. slade, you don't kill innocents.”

“I don't now, hmm?” he tested the waters, placing the gun to your back.

you whimpered in response to the cold barrel, crying out dicks name.

“you wouldn’t” dick seethed.

deathstroke clicked the bullet into place, the sound echoing throughout the room.

dick bit his bottom lip, “please, slade, please…” he begged.

your body shook as you cried, not being able to express the fear you truly felt.

“dick, its okay…” you managed to squeak out as you felt the chamber push harder into your back. you knew this time slade meant business.

the vibration of the shot rang about the room.

“no!” the raven haired man screamed out as you slumped forward, blood seeping through the front of your shirt “no.” he said, quietly this time.

“i told you grayson, eventually your sins would catch up to you, and alas - tonight they have.”

the last thing you heard was the clatter of weapons and a battle cry before you passed out.

#dick grayson #brenton thwaites #dick grayson x reader #batman x reader #titans x reader #titans imagine #dc comics imagine #dc x reader #fanfiction #nightwing #nightwing x reader

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diyunho · 4 years

Text

The Joker x Reader - The Delta Paradox. Chapter 1: Deceit

Rumor is the outbreak spreading like fire around the world is somehow Dr. Morbius’ fault: people turned into monsters after getting bitten by the ones already ravaged beyond the irreversible mutation. The last news broadcasted four months ago suggested not all creatures are mindless beasts, a few might still remember who they are and The Joker is about to find out if the story is true.

“Dad…” you whisper and point at the box on the shelves. “I found some peas.”

The Joker turns around and silently walks your way, signaling you to fill up your backpack while he patiently waits for his turn.

The King of Gotham and his 23 year old daughter are scavenging the convenience store on Halsey Street for supplies: food was running low and they had to come out of the bunker in order to acquire basic necessities.

It’s hard to see in the darkness with the tiniest flashlight since they can’t risk being detected.

“Did you find water?” you mumble under your breath.

“No.”

“Dammit, we only have six bottles left,” you sigh, upset at his disclosure. “Should we raid the mall too?”

The Joker covers your mouth, carefully listening.

You can’t discern much until an unnerving screech echoes in the air followed by others in the next second.

“Ssstttt,” J removes the restrain and you clutch to his arm, scared to death.

“Dad…”, you gulp at the commotion happening in the distance: the creatures are probably hunting and you are not willing to become the prey.

“What do we do?” you barely utter and The Clown shakes his head, worried.

“Let’s use the sewers entrance by the dumpster to make it passed the dangerous radius; it’s still open from last time we were here.”

“Ok…” Y/N quietly agrees.

J adds the rest of the containers to his rucksack and lifts it up when he accidentally knocks off a light bulb: the fragile glass shatters to pieces and the two of you stare at each other terrified for a few moments.

The turmoil outside immediately intensifies as The Joker urges:

“Run!”

The panicked Y/N follows her father and she can’t even hear what he’s saying over the deafening roars that seem to come from above the building. Suddenly, the mad man turns and gives you a violent push against the loading dock exit; it’s so unexpected you stumble and before you have the possibility to process what’s going on, J locks it.

“Dad?!” your eyes pop at the small, broken window just to distinguish him backing away. “Dad?!” you start crying. “What are you doing?! Let me in!” The Princess pleads with her parent.

The Joker bites his lip, conflicted at his desire to survive no matter the cost: even if the price to pay is his own daughter.

“Daddy?!” Y/N sobs, petrified at his behavior. “Please?...”

“Better you than me,” he grumbles and runs in the opposite direction, covering his ears when your screams reach him. J rushes out of the shop and drops in the sewer, three monsters already on his trail attempting to grab him; yet they fail because thankfully these beasts are so much larger than the humans they used to be: they can’t fit through the narrow gap The Joker used.

Your father keeps navigating the convoluted catacombs in the darkness while the dim flashlight fails to warn him of the obstacle floating in front of him. He staggers on the dead dog and plunges in the disgusting waters, instantly resurfacing after the initial shock of how bad it stinks. J crawls to near the concrete wall, panting up a storm succeeding the whole ordeal and it hits him: Y/N didn’t pursue.

How could she? The Clown sacrificed his daughter in order to save himself and her agony still resonate in his mind. She was brutally ambushed without any chance of escaping her fate: The Joker made sure of that when he forced her out of the mini-market.

The same daughter that came back for him at the Penthouse when it was clear things are going downhill - no other gang member ever returned; the same daughter that accompanied him in their perilous searching trips as it all went to shit; the same daughter that took care of him when he got sick in the bunker and risked her life in order to bring her father antibiotics; the same daughter that was the only family he had left on this God forsaken planet.

And now she’s gone.

The Joker is all alone like he was always meant to be: nothing can withstand his poison.

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

8 Months Later

The King of Gotham sneaks in the blackness with precious cargo: tonight was a lucky one. He found soda, crackers and peanuts at a vending machine inside the mall. The road to the bunker is not a short one and he has to be alert; food is scarce and each time he has to venture further and further to find needed items which is why he’s still roaming at this late hour.

Surprisingly calm atmosphere in this neighborhood; J saw a lot of creatures on McCormick Avenue and then an infested Main Boulevard made him backtrack and take this path. It was the correct call because his progress has been steady: moving in shadows has developed into a skillful talent.

He abruptly stops noticing movement blocking his route West of 5th Street. The Joker had no idea it’s swarming with the infected also.

J barely notices something splattering at his feet and freezes: it’s difficult to discern what it is but he has a vague concept. He looks up only to see one of the winged scouts landing on the broken light pole whilst drooling and sniffing the air. The Joker’s body is stiff, his senses sharpened to the maximum: what is he supposed to do? Try to leave? That’s an enormous risk and motion could unleash a chain reaction among the beasts if the one above identifies the helpless individual. Stay? The threat would be equally menacing.

The high pitch snarl belched by the demon’s throat makes him inhale in fear: was he spotted? Or is this merely a power display from the crazed predator?

The Joker feels there’s something behind him and before he can act a sharp pain in his forearm makes him yell. Another bite in his leg makes him lose balance and he collapses to the ground, unable to defend himself from the hoard. The burning sensation is taking over completely: the creatures tear his flesh apart and he passes out without having the strength to shout for help anymore.

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

The Clown opens his eyes and rapidly blinks since the sunlight is hard to endure.

“Ugh…” he groans and rolls on his side on the concrete pavement.

Everything hurts, including the brain: it’s as if someone drilled holes and he can’t concentrate or form thoughts.

He aims to lift his torso off the walkway unsure why it’s strenuous to accomplish such a simple task; J doesn’t register the reason why is the different anatomy he now has: scaly, gray skin, long, distorted arms with sharp claws, inverted knees and membranous toes. The wings certainly don’t add to his ability to sport the same agility he was blessed with while still a person.

He finally manages to gather himself up, surprised to experience an odd sensation: The Joker is so much taller after his mutation and everything crushes down once the hideous reflection shown in the partially broken glass belonging to “Macy’s” department store glares back at him.

“Ahhh!” J blurs out alongside an uncanny roar emerging from his transmuted vocal cords. The frantic sound gets the attention of beasts in his vicinity, then they ignore him because he’s one of them.

“Fuck…” he mumbles in disbelief at their reaction, grateful they didn’t attack.

The Joker’s raspy breath scores big with a creature nearby though.

Apparently a female due to her red orbs, she’s approaching the former human with a certain restrain.

The Joker would love to bail: unless he can control the horror of what’s happening to him in a few moments, he might get out of there in one piece.

The curious monster is inches away and J had nothing better to do than articulate:

“… Do you… understand me?”

“Grrrrrrr…” the female sneers, unraveling her fangs.

“Y/N… is that…is that you?” The Joker tosses the question out there for the lack of a better plan.

No answer, just a low howl that makes a few males digging in rubble unhappy: why is the group’s favorite displaying interest in the newcomer?

They shriek and emerge more and more agitated, drawing the attention of others in the proximity. The displeased attitude seems to elevate the mood in a negative direction to the point of having a large flock landing on the same street too.

“Crap…” The Joker assesses his situation and it’s not good. “Shoo!” he gently gives the female a nudge and she coos as her distorted fingers touch his grotesque face. Nevertheless, her gesture unlocks the gates of hell: the female’s keen dart towards the unfortunate Clown with the sole purpose of finishing him off. Competition is not tolerated from a rookie and that’s how The Joker is perceived by the mindless crowd--a threat to the hierarchy.

A loud, eerie scream covering all others makes the murderous bunch halt in their tracks: a humongous female leading the group that arrived moments ago is making them retreat. She keeps shoving them and growling while followed by a huge specimen: definitely The Alpha Male with his yellow eyes and dominant figure that don’t allow disobedience.

The party showing The Joker affection gives up on her advances as you stand in front of your father, not necessarily excited about the encounter.

“Dad?...” you smell the air out of habit.

“… … Y… Y/N?... …” The Joker stammers at the inexplicable revelation. “You… You’re alive??!!”

“If you consider this being alive.”

“Delta, we have to go soon!” one of your fighters announces. “They might snap again!”

Your parent is baffled and you bother to enlighten him a bit:

“I’m part of a coven made of turned humans still self-aware. You’re lucky we flew by and saw you. I felt you were born but I didn’t know it was you until I sniffed you. I wished I knew so I won’t waste my time!!!!” the bitter statement brings to life past memories. “Let’s go!” you raise your voice.

“We’re not taking him with us?!” The Alpha Male inquires, baffled. “He’s self -aware!”

“Trust me, we don’t need someone like him amidst us!” you spread your wings and prepare to fly.

“Y/N… “ The Joker gulps. “Can I come?... Please?... I don’t want to die here.”

Y/N ignores his plea and angrily replies:

“Better you than me!”

How can he justify his behavior in these circumstances? It’s impossible to request forgiveness when you’re at an obvious loss regarding your daughter.

“I’m sorry I did what I did, ok… Pumpkin?”

“I am NOT your Pumpkin!! I am Delta!!!” Y/N mutters.

“Huh?” the clueless King inquires and your obvious disapproval suggests you hate where the conversation is headed.

“Delta is more valuable than any of us and we must protect her at all costs until we find Morbius,” one of your companions gives away details you don’t care your father knowing about. “She can do incredible…”

“Enough!!” you cut him off. “We’re leaving!”

“What… what things?...” The Joker attempts to distract you from the imminent departure.

“None of your business!” you float in the air, the other 40 sets of wings following you while he is left behind with the horde that made him an outcast: brainless monsters already clustering around once more in order to punish his transgression.

“Hey!!!” The Alpha Male glides on top of The Joker. “Delta said you can come!”

“Really?” hope flourishes in his heart.

“Hurry up before they shred you to pieces!”

“I don’t know how to fly!” J shouts.

“Don’t be an idiot! Move your shoulder blades!”

Your father would normally go ballistic at such affront but he actually ignores the disrespectful sentence due to the insane events leading to today’s reunion.

What other choice does he have besides taking advantage of this unique opportunity?

The Joker clumsily bumps into a trash bin and finally ascends towards the blue skies trying to keep up with the flock.

His daughter might be a mystery now but one thing is undeniable: he would rather suffer a thousand deaths before abandoning her again.

Also read: Masterlist

https://diyunho.tumblr.com/post/153664676321/joker-x-reader-masterlist

You can also follow me on Ao3 and wattpad under the same blog name: DiYunho

#the joker x reader #the joker fanfiction #the joker imagine #morbiusxreader #morbius fanfiction #morbius imagine #jokerleto #the joker suicide squad #the joker jared leto #joker fanfiction #joker imagines #joker #mister j #dc #dcu

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tired-college-student-writing · 4 years

Text

Tim’s Secret Weapon Pt.6

I’ve been slightly obsessed with @ozmav ‘s Damian Wayne/Marinette Dupain-Cheng pairing as of late, and just saw a post that has inspired me more than anything else has in months, so I felt the need to write it

Summary- Tim has always seen the numbers floating above people’s heads, been able to perceive their threat levels with a single glance. After being a hero for so long he thought he was desensitized to seeing high numbers above people’s heads until Damian brings a new friend home.

Part 1 Part 5 Part 6 (HERE) Part 7 ____________________________________________

“I’ll go find her,” Tim offered, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

“I should go,” Damian argued, only for Timto waved him off as he grabbed his costume from the wardrobe.

“You look like you just faced Sweet tooth,” He shot back as he pulled off his top. They were used to changing in front of each other by now and he was already wearing his bike shorts under his outfit, “I’m going because I can explain how better then all of you even if I can’t track her number like I would normally.”

“He’s got you there brat,” Jason huffed, “Though taking backup isn’t exactly the worst idea, replacement.”

“I can go,” Dick yawned, rolling to his feet as Tim finished pulling on his costume, “Better me then letting Jay get arrested for his guns.”

“I didn’t even bring them!”

____________________________________________

Red Robin was trying desperately to not to laugh as he jumped onto the rooftop.

He and Dick had split up soon after leaving the hotel, remaining in contact with the others through comms. Only after a few short minutes, Tim flew back towards the direction Dick had gone after hearing his eldest brother let out a startled yelp before the unmistakable sound of the comm flying out of his ear.

The girl with a foot on top of Dick’s back was in a black suit, dark yellow boots and gloves cutting off in sharp points at her knees and elbows, yellow strips cutting around her legs and waist, a top hanging off of a rope she had wrapped around Nightwing’s arms and torso, while translucent wings fluttered on her back. Her yellow and black hair was french braid over her right shoulder, the sharp black tip curved forward with a bee comb placed firmly at her scalp. Her eyes covered by a dark visor that reflected the light to show the compound eye design.

Even with her number gone with the magical transformation, Tim couldn’t help but feel like she looked familiar.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” She questioned, voice slow and regal.

“Well, I’m Red Robin,” Tim greeted, trying to ignore the laughter from Jason and Damian in his ear, “And under your foot is Nightwing who is never going to live this down.”

“Gotham’s heroes?” She questioned, unwrapping Nightwing with a snap of her wrist allowing him to rise, “What on earth did you get all the way to Paris?”

Tim shrugged, “We’re trying to speak to Ladybug, the League had been ignorant of the situation here until recently and we came to offer our help, miss...”

“Abeille,” She offered before scoffing, “The league was unaware about we were dealing with, really?”

Nightwing gave a sheepish smile, “Well the lack of international coverage and lasting damage, anything we found online seemed faked. As soon as we Red realized that it wasn’t we set out for France.”

Abeille gave them a considering look, “Well… while I’m not happy it took you so long to come help, better late than never I guess. I saw Ladybug out and about earlier so let me give her a call.”

She picked up her top and it split it in half, showing off a screen and keyboard.

“How the he-”

She cut Tim off, “Don’t question the magic, it will just give you a migraine if you think about it too long.”

“Abeille? I didn’t know you’d be on patrol already, usually, you don’t head out until 6,” The distinct voice of Marinette sounded through the speaker.

“Well I saw two masked weirdos that I didn’t know hopping around the rooftops, so I checked it out,” She answered dryly, “Lo and behold that is wasn’t an Akuma or Sentimonster,”

“What? Who are they then? Please tell me this isn’t an Owl situation again,” Marinette asked hastily.

Abeille smirked, “well no wannabe heroes being stupid,” She told the other hero as she turned the device around to point at the two Gothamites, “But we have two real heroes that would like to meet you,”

“Hello!” Dick greeted with a cheerful wave as Marinette’s mouth fell open.

“Nightwing and Red Robin?” She questioned, “What are you doing here?”

“They said the League finally got a clue,” Abeille relays, “Should I send them over to the normal meeting spot?”

“Well, yeah but we should probably-”

Tim listened to his comm before cutting her off, “Would it be alright if the other Bats with us too? Bats, Red Hood and Robin feel like we should talk as a group?”

Dick snickered, “Yeah Rob wanted to come originally, but he met with his girlfriend in civvies and she pumped an entire tray of eclair on him so he had to clean up.”

Ladybug visibly paled in the screen as the pieces slide into place, “Yeah, you can all come. I’ll meet them alone in 30 minutes, Abeille. You can keep patrolling. Bug Out!”

The screen cut off as Abeille hummed, “I can give you guys the coordinates if you give me the signal you’re working on.”

Tim raised an eyebrow, “It’s a secure channel, you-“

“Oh I know I shouldn’t be able to link up to it,” She cut him off with a wave of her hand, “But again magic, it can link up to anything as long as I have the necessary info and a miraculous communicator can’t be hacked, so no worries about your secrets being leaked. It’ll even wipe the memory of your signal from itself as soon as I detransform.”

“Geez,” Dick whistled as Tim related the message to her, “Are there any drawbacks to having one of these?”

She snorted as their comma both dinged with the coordinates, “Yeah, two big one, they send out butterflies and feathers on a semi-regular basis to turn our family and friends against us,”

“Mood,” Tim hummed thinking back to when he had to fight other heroes due to the villain of the week’s mind control.

____________________________________________

The location they were given was for an office building across from the Louvre, no windows higher than it, and a rusted shut access door. Overall not a bad meeting spot, seeing as it would be very hard to spot them up there unless they were sitting on the edge of the building.

The Bats were only partially hidden from view as they waited for Marinette to arrive, Damian pacing slightly.

There was a near-silent ‘twip’ before they saw a polka-dotted yoyo wrap around one of the many antennas next to them and a frazzled looking Ladybug appeared in front of them.

“Are you guys really…” She trailed off with a slightly panicked look on her face.

“Yes, Habibti,” Damian confirmed lightly, “I am sorry for startling you earlier, but we thought it best to inform you that we knew now and offer our support.”

“But how?” She questioned, seeming not at all concerned that her boyfriend was in fact a superhero from a superhero family as she buried her hands in her hair, “I mean I’ve always been careful around you to not let my powers slip, I used the horse miraculous to travel back to Paris is an Akuma came while I was in Gotham so I had an alibi if you ever questioned me, but that didn’t seem to matter since No one outside of Paris seemed to believe that there was anything happening anyways, heck even the tourists seemed to publicity stunt the mayor is running since there’s never any lasting damage-”

Damian stepped forward and wrapped her into a firm embrace, allowing her frantic breathing to slow as they all waited silently.

“I’m Meta,” Tim spoke after she seemed mostly calm, voice a little weak as Dick places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “We know because I’m meta and as it turns out Miraculous users screw up my skills enough for me to take notice, I just recently put it together, Demon Spawn’s girlfriend and the hero of Paris.”

Her eyes widen over Damian’s shoulder, “Is that why you avoided me when I first came over?”

The group chuckled as he blushed slightly, but he opened his mouth to start explaining what he could do and how they could offer help before a cry sounded to their right.

Instinct pushing all of them towards the edge they rushed to see a ten-foot tall woman in a huge red ball gown, blood dripping from her hands as she screeched. Guards dressed in bright red squire outfits lined the Louvre’s courtyard.

“Great,” Ladybug mumbled as she watched Chat taunt the being, Viperion and Abeille arriving as well, “I hate Valentine season, so many love based akumas.”

“We should-”

“You should go back to your hotel,” Marinette cut off Bruce, causing all eyes to fly to her, “I have a team already who are starting to show up and introducing all five of you at once mid-battle will only serve as a distraction. I’ll come over after and we’ll talk, then we’ll discuss the next including a plan to introduce the permanent team, but for now, you need to stay out of the way until we figure out what to do.”

Damian looks like he wants to protest, but Bruce simply nods.

“It’s your city,” The patriarch, “We will defer to you, but could we stay within viewing distance of the battle? It would allow us to observe how you usually operate.”

She bit her lip but nodded, “Stay hidden please, I really mean it when I say I don’t want any distractions, Kwami knows that they get mind-controlled enough without it.”

She swan dived off the ledge with that, yoyo snapping out to catch her and launch her towards her teammates, Ryuko who had just arrived easily sidestepping to allow their leader to take point next to Chat Noir.

The Gotham Heros settled onto the rooftop to watch as Tim's eyes scanned the heroes below and mentally added them into his system.

Viperion was a mystery still, but even with the numbers he was so used to seeing missing he didn’t have a problem placing the others with what he observed earlier.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng- Cursive Soft Pink 15, Codenamed Ladybug

Chloe Bourgeois- Delicate Canary Yellow 14, Codenamed Abeille

???- Calligraphed Burgundy 13, Codenamed- Ryuko

Adrian Agreste- Bubble lettered Neon Green 15, Codenamed Chat Noir.

____________________________________________

Taglist: @vixen-uchiha @iggy-of-fans @mewwitch @roseinbloom02 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @mochinek0 @royalchaoticfangirl @09shell-sea09 @mystery-5-5 @derpingrainbow @aloha-posts-stuff @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @maribat-archive @blue-peach14 @kae690 @zazzlejazzle @vincentvangoose @be-happy-every-day-please @xxmadamjinxx @celestiacq @peculiarlylostdreamer @dani-ari @melicmusicmagic @themcclan @nyctamaximoff @nataladriana9 @drama-queen-supreme @miraculousbelladonna @urbanpineapplefarmer @graduatedmelon @lexysama @hecate-hallow @ki117h3dr4g0n @vinerlover @interobanginyourmom @bluefiredemon @imanerddealwith @tinybrie @clumsy-owl-4178 @shizukiryuu @whogavemeaninternet @schrodingers25 @lunar-wolf-warrior @urbanpineapplefarmer @xxmadamjinxx @crazylittlemunchkin @littleredrobinhoodlum @rougemme @dur55 @phantommeow12 @kand-roo @silvergold-swirl @officiallyathiana @completelypeccable @redhoodsdoll @nataladriana9 @mariae2900 @northernbluetongue @sturchling @thesunanditsangel @reyna-avila-ramirez-alreanaldo @bobothyross @taoiichii @magnitude101999 @magicalfirebird @nataladriana9 @panda3506 @aquariusrunes @woodland-queer @sayarock121 @mindfulmagics @magic-miraculous @my-name-is-michell

#miraculous ladybug #batman #maribat #marinette dupain cheng #tim drake #meta!tim #Damian Wayne #dick grayson #Jason Todd #bruce wayne #numbers AU #chloe bourgeois

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watchtower-feed · 4 years

Text

Death Do We Part (Part 8)

SSA Spin-off ✧ Jason Todd ✧ Physical Link ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧ Notes: Oh boy. This part and the next were supposed to be just one part. At the end of this fic, I’ll have enough words for a freaking novel! Please, though, tell me what you think of the story! Loving and violent reactions are welcome. Words: 2,800+

You’re startled. You quickly scan the property for any movement but you just miss the figure retreating into the distance. Back into Gotham City.

As soon as they get back to the cave, you’re waiting for them on your toes. “He was here!” you shout frantically. “He was at the manor!” You hover over them until they’re running towards the monitor where you have all of the surveillance cameras up and running.

You all watch silently, hands leaning on the desk, eyes straining for the slightest movement in the darkness.

“There he is!” you point at the camera placed directly in front of Jason’s room. Alfred replays the video like he has for the hundredth time that night. You wait as they watch the seemingly boring video, and then there it was, the slightest movement of the tip of a nearby hedge nearly off-camera, as if someone passed through it.

“Are you sure it’s not the wind?” Dick asks in a serious tone. He believes you but he wants the details. Needs them before he brings his hopes up.

You nod. “I knew something was different tonight. At the time I wasn’t feeling different temperatures. And I could hear…”

“You could hear?” Tim tries to prompt you to keep going. What’s the point of keeping secrets now when it’s what got everyone in this mess in the first place?

“I was talking to myself-- talking to Jason-- like I do every night. And I could almost hear myself in my own ears--”

“Like he was listening to you,” Bruce interrupts, eyes wide.

“That means he’s in Gotham! He was here! At the manor!” Dick says excitedly.

You suddenly frown, making all three of them stare at you. “He was.”

Alfred sighs, “That’s what Y/N has been trying to tell you, master Bruce. Before we came down to the cave, Y/N felt seasick again.”

The sudden news greatly diminishes their spirit. Bruce wanted to be angry. He wanted to scold you and Alfred for not telling them about this sooner. Instead, Bruce turns around and enters the bat plane again, leaving his two partners behind. You know where he’s going. You know Bruce is going to spend all night tracking every boat, every ship, and every yacht that left Gotham docks until he finds Jason.

But you also know he won’t find him. You’ve been at this for a year but it’s becoming very clear that you’ll only find Jason if he wants to be found. And maybe that’s for the best.

In the meantime, your new life has to keep going, or in your case, it has to start.

“Being dead for two years and a ghost for another has nothing to do with your education, Y/N,” Alfred argues with you for the tenth time this month, “We’re enrolling you into Gotham University. You start next week.”

“Next week? That’s too soon!”

Tim is the same age as you and Jason, biologically, but you always argue that you’re older than him and death just held you back two years. It bothers you that you’re both going to be freshmen at Gotham U but Tim is going to leave you three semesters behind.

Tim chuckles, “You’ve been hiding in the manor for too long. It’s time to re-introduce you back into society, Y/N.”

“Ew. You’re starting to sound like Dick.”

“Hey!” Dick yells out as he enters the kitchen.

Ever since Jason ran away from Gotham, you’ve gotten closer to Dick and Tim. You use each other to keep Jason’s presence alive, telling each other stories about him while Tim listens and chimes in whenever familiar Jason-Robin stories would come up. At some point, you stopped talking about Jason and just told each other about what life was like before. With friends. Your family.

You decided not to return to your own family. You knew one day Bruce or Alfred would ask you but you prepared yourself to say no. Your family and friends have already mourned for you. Given what your life is now and who it’s linked to, you don’t want them to have to experience that kind of heartbreak again.

“Welcome to Gotham University, Robin Wayne. Hmm,” The sophomore in charge of freshman orientation has set her sights on you and Tim, being Waynes and all. “Bruce can’t seem to stay in a stable relationship for more than a month but he sure does like to adopt kids.”

“I’m 18,” you say frankly, trying to get this moving along.

Tim snickers beside you. It was his and Dick’s bright idea to choose your name for you. They both think it’s a great inside joke but you think all that crime-fighting has seriously messed up their sense of humor.

You’re thankful though that they don’t really call you that. They still call you by your real name.

College and your new identity aren’t about starting a new life and closing the old one. Robin is your identity to the outside world and Y/N L/N is your secret identity. Much like how Robin is to Tim and Nightwing is to Dick and… Batman is to Bruce Wayne.

Bruce.

He’s the one who’s taking Jason’s absence much harder than all of you. He disappears all night doing his usual routine of keeping the city safe and then spends any downtime looking for any trace of Jason in Gotham or anywhere else in the world.

He would catch you by surprise every now and then, asking you if you’ve felt anything about Jason. Anything at all. A change in temperature. The direction in the wind. Sudden hunger. And you always shake your head sadly.

You actually saw Jason that night. You vividly saw his shadow leap over the property and back into Gotham. It took everything in you to not run after your soulmate.

You didn’t tell Alfred or Bruce or anyone because you wanted to give Jason time to get away. If he heard you that night, you hope he followed your advice. That he’s living a better life and this time you won’t let Bruce mess it up.

Even though you don’t talk about Jason as much, to Tim and Dick the search for Jason continues as well. At least once a week, they would join Bruce in his search and they always ask you to join them.

They’re not forcing you to do it. You can say no if you don’t want to. But how will that look? Everyone wants Jason back except for you, the one person who can actually find him and knows where he is.

You feel it. You feel the familiar wind in your hair and the flying sand in your face. You know he’s back at the fortress and it makes you angry. You thought he would choose a better life so why is he back there?

But of course, whenever Tim or Dick asks you, you lie.

“I haven’t felt anything new. It’s like he’s gone completely radio silent on me or something.”

Tim chuckles and teases, “That’s not what radio silence means.”

You roll your eyes. “Shut up,” you joke back.

Dick stares at the two of you and then leans in close with a smirk, “What’s this? What’s going on here?”

“Nothing!” you both snap at Dick. You shove him but it doesn’t really do anything. Regardless, he fakes being hurt to appease your feelings which only makes you more frustrated.

Partly, because he’s right. After being sensitive to another person’s every sense and feeling, you’ve become adept at reading people. You know that Tim has been spending more time with you than Dick has and he always tries to talk to you about almost anything.

You’re also aware that your body seems to find every excuse it can to touch Tim, to be close to him.

And even more so, you’re aware that nothing can ever happen between the two of you.

Tim is Jason’s replacement. Jason is your soulmate. The very existence of Tim in your life is due to the fact that Jason is your soulmate. You can’t even look at Tim without looking for a single trait of Jason’s, a sign that he’s the one standing in front of you.

So then why? Why are you lying next to each other in the garden, staring up at the stars, sharing a blanket, and fingers twitching to touch the other?

You’re just talking about being Robin, the crime-fighting Robin that soars the Gotham skyline alongside the dark knight. You’re exasperated by the idea that the three of them would want to endanger their lives every single night.

Tim half-agrees that you’re right and then he tells you about Batman’s training, how in-depth it is, and accurate, that it’s what keeps him going out there. Tim knows that the three of them never did it for the glory or the fame and infamy. Speaking on Jason and Dick’s behalf, Tim tells you that it was all about being able to stand next to Batman and help him in his mission to save the city.

You listen in awe because you never thought of it that way. Boys. Children. Putting themselves on the front line for Batman. The savior of Gotham City.

You look at Tim and say, “He’s lucky to have you.” Then you look up again. “Gotham should really appreciate you more. Maybe a Robin signal would be just the thing,” you chuckle and Tim does too.

But it’s quiet now. All you can hear is your breathing and Tim’s breathing. You turn to the side again, hoping to start another conversation, but you find Tim is looking at you as well. You watch as a red shade grows on his cheeks and his eyes dart away from your gaze.

He’s surprised to find that you’re still staring at him when he looks back. Slowly and gently, Tim raises his head so he can lean down close to you but he stops only an inch from your lips, waiting and hoping for you to close the gap, to decide for yourself.

You can feel his short breaths on your lips and you close your eyes before you lean in. His lips are soft and small. Neither of you move and it’s over so soon. Tim’s smiling and the redness on his face has gone up to the tips of his ears.

“You’re so red,” you tease happily.

Tim’s flustered but he teases back, “So are you, Y/N! You’re like a beetroot!”

You laugh and smile.

Tim holds your hand when he walks you back to your room. He holds your fingers together while you walk side by side. There’s a warmth to them you can’t deny. You’re smiling the whole time and even you can feel the redness traveling to your ears.

Tim walks you to your door and says goodnight. You wait for him to enter his own room before you close your door. You lie down on the bed and sleep comes to you easier than it ever has this past year.

In the morning, you wake up with your name written on your arm.

Y/N.

Suddenly you can smell the scent of your bed and it smells like Jason. Everywhere you look you see every single item Jason has touched. You see his clothes peeking from the open door of your wardrobe. You see his picture on your nightstand.

You feel sick to your stomach and you vomit on the floor. You’re crying as you’re heaving out acid yet again. Why? Why now? Why do you get to feel guilty over a kiss when Jason had sex with Talia? Why do you feel betrayed and guilty at the same time?

“This isn’t fair, Jason!”

Your sobs and retching start getting louder. Bruce quickly enters the room, followed by Tim and Alfred. “Y/N, what’s wrong?” Bruce asks and you know he’s not asking for you. He’s asking for Jason which makes you cry harder.

“Get out!” you scream at them, making everyone flinch at the shrillness of your voice.

“Y/N…” you know Tim is about to place his hands on your back and you quickly snap and slap his hand away.

You glare at the ground, “Don’t touch me.” You refuse to look at the hurt expression on Tim’s face. But he sees the newly written mark on your arm. Defeated, Bruce gently leads him out of the room.

“Y/N,” Alfred’s stern voice gets through to you. You know you did something extremely wrong. You know it before you even did it. “One day you will come to understand that we are trying to help you. We care for you. Not just for master Jason, but you as well.”

You wait until Alfred closes the door behind him before you crumple back onto the bed. You keep crying and massaging your coarse throat while staring at your name written on your arm.

Jason never does write anything else. He also never rubbed off your name on his arm. You would stare at it and touch it every night and wonder why he wrote it.

Absentmindedly, you would even touch it during the day. Tim sees you doing it during a lecture and you’re aware enough to turn and see the look of shock and then anguish pass over his face before it became stoic.

You stop talking to Tim completely after that and you even find yourself distancing yourself from Dick. An easy feat considering, he’s only at the manor once a week. But you could never keep yourself away from Alfred. He wants you to apologize to Tim but you can’t, not just yet. And you know Tim doesn’t want that at the moment.

You spend most of your time in the cave again. This time you’re actually helping Bruce find Jason.

“I checked the fortress. There was no one there. Not a single assassin,” Bruce relays it to you over the comm while he’s in the bat plane.

“How about the sacred city? I sensed the same feelings from the fortress. That might be the only other place Jason is familiar with.”

“On my way now.”

You wait and you watch but deep down you already know he’s not going to find him there. It has been a week since you last felt that, another week before you finally decided to help Bruce. But you didn’t feel seasick afterward so maybe Jason hasn’t gone far.

“Still no sign of him, Y/N. Any other ideas?”

“Any other cities in the area?”

“Not for hundreds of miles.”

You sigh and fold your knees close to your chest, “Come back, Batman. Let’s call it a night.”

You’ve been spending a lot more time with Bruce at night and he doesn’t question you about it. The only things you talk about are the missions and Jason. Every little thing you feel, you try to relay to Bruce but you don’t really come up with anything useful. Nevertheless, Bruce always checks out your suggestions.

“That’s the last of the League’s fortresses.”

“And still no Jason.”

“Hn,” Bruce grunts, “maybe. But it is a little odd,” he looks at the monitor, almost like he was talking to himself. “Every single fortress was empty and turned into rubble. It’s almost like someone’s been methodically attacking every known base of the League.”

“You think someone has it out for them-- You think Jason is doing this?”

Bruce looks at you, “Other than the weather and the environment, do you feel anything different about your body? Things you wouldn’t be feeling in relation to your own activities.”

You think about it for a while. But your first thought is how strange it is that you would’ve lashed out at such a question just last month.

“My body is still always fatigued even though I’m barely exercising. I feel them more on my arms, too.”

“How about now?”

Now you close your eyes and you numb your senses to your own body. You can feel an even steady wind hitting you in the face and noise coming from where the wind is coming from. “I feel a fan…” The wind isn’t that strong or the noise too loud but you’re disappointed to find out that that’s all you feel. “That’s it.”

“Strange.” Bruce is already looking at the monitor. His elbows on the desk while his hands hold up his chin. “These past few weeks, whenever you try to tune in to Jason’s feelings, you always come up with nothing. But he’s obviously up to something.”

You try to run through all of the implications in your head and only come up with one thing. “Do you think he found a way to figure out when I’m tuning in? And turns off his own senses?”

Bruce turns around, eyes narrow. He stares at your worried face for a second before he puts on a pensive expression. “It’s not impossible.”

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧

#ssa #superhero soulmate au #DC fanfiction #DC imagines #DC reader insert #Jason Todd fanfiction #Jason Todd imagine #Jason Todd x reader #Red Hood fanfiction #Red Hood imagine #Red Hood x reader #watchtower-feed #atbucud #jason todd #red hood

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caffeinetheory · 4 years

Text

TIMARI SOULMATE AU THING

-Anything you write or draw on your skin appears on the other’s

--This applies to injuries and cuts

-Tim is older by a few months

-They find out about the connection after Mari’s 7th birthday when they both get sizable bruises on each leg but can only remember causing one

--Que parents explaining what it means and frantic research

--Constant conversations follow

--Both become fluent in the other’s language with in 2 years (and even then people find out after 2 years because sometimes they slip when talking)

--Many inside jokes and weird words they made up trying to understand the other language that only they know the meaning of

-They send notes of worry to the other after bad injuries and notes of encouragement

-Wonder Women basically adopts Mari when she finds out there is an active Ladybug

--Mom used to be a Ladybug so she knows all about the Muraculi

-Mari does still have friends despite Lila’s best efforts

--Lila isn’t a main antagonist though still isn't a good person (I want to focus on more fluffy things so that's why; she is no way a good person or redeemed character)

--Her class support system: Cholé, Alix, Adrien, Kim, Luka, Kagami and Max

--Juleka comes around after hanging out with everyone and talking with Luka

--Nino, Nathaniel and Marc also support Mari but aren’t as open because fear and Nino is on the fence about his Girlfriend

--Jagged, Penny, Clara, Audrey all have a respect and care for Mari

-Tim and Mari have battles of witt on their arms to try to figure out who is smarter

--(Spoiler: they are both insanely smart) it is basically a tie

-Most of the good in person fluff will take place after Hawk Moth is defeated and Mari is the official Guardian

--My girl needs some happiness and good luck man

-Mari and Tim accidentally find out each others identity after they leave themselves notes on their arm and putting the pieces together; however this is often forgotten between stress and more important things

--Because of this though when the Justice League gets a message from Paris, he knows it is real and believes it

--When they find out they don’t tell the other because they understand and respect how important secret identities (this is part of the reason it doesn’t really cross their minds)

--Mari figures out who Robin is; she forgets that Red Robin is a thing so doesn’t look into finding him out

--Figuring out Robin was an accident so she doesnt looking to the rest of the BatFam

--Tim forgets about all the stuff about Ladybug on his arms because living in Gotham has enough to deal with so he tries not to focus on too much at once/has bigger problems

--“I JUST MEET RED ROBIN/LADYBUG” moment in Paris, after a patrol where they run into each other when the League is investigating the plea for help

--The Wayne’s and Diana are there on “official” business but really it is just a cover so they can investigate

--Diana hears about this from both sides as she befriended Mari earlier and finds this a lovely development

---She also figures out that they are soulmates but doesn’t tell them, it’s better if they figure it out themselves

---Does often have a knowing smile when talking to the 2 of them about it though

-It took years before the team decides that they need to contact the League

--This is a few years in maybe 4 going on 5

--Wonder Woman is the one going through the messages and immediately wants to help

--Tim walks in about ½ way through the message and stops what he is doing, immediately knowing this is real thanks to his soulmate

-BATBOIS

--Jason basically gets adopted by the Dupain-Cheng’s after coming to their bakey every morning while in Paris

---Loves Mari and would do anything to protect her

---Loves the fact she can easily flip him like its nothing

--Damiain respects her abilities and accepts the fact she is basically his older sister now

---Both end up becoming very protective of the other in their own ways

---Wants to teach her how to use his blades so badly and to meet all his pets

--Dick loves her from basically the beginning

---Loves her happy and optimistic attitude despite her situation (he can see himself in her a little bit)

---Instant friends and she smuggles sweets to him

--They meet when Dick follows Jason to the bakery one morning

---When Dick introduces Mari to Kori she is taken into a bone crushing hug that everyone is worried about the small girl but she instantly returns and is perfectly fine

----Kori already loves her

--All the boys meet her in Paris at the bakery but Tim and Bruce (Alfred did not come)

--Tim was never awake so they brought him back coffee and Bruce while he did go, she wasn’t there at the time

-There many “dumb” battles of witt have lead to many late night talks

--Anytime the bois need help with a really bad puzzle by the riddler Tim asks his soulmate under the guise of a normal “battle”

---There is rarely context but always a fun time

-Both have gotten a lot of big scars that sorry the other but they have comfort in the fact they know the other is still ok and alive

--Small messages and self care tips/messages usually litter their arm after a particular bad injury/scar

--This always makes them feel better and brings a small smile to their lips on both parties once they get the message they are okay

--Lots of check in messages too after big fights and encouragement

-Team Miraculous

--Ladybug is the leader and tends to be point base for public relations (Mari)

--Chat Noir is the second in command, and is the go to if Ladybug isn’t available

---Adrien has matured a lot and is a respectable force to be reckoned with

---Both of them help train the others and often spare together to blow off steam

--Ryuuko is Kagami, she became a permanent holder at the same time Luka did

--Viperion is Luka and it is after the four become a semntited team that Mari decides they should know each other’s identities

--Queen Bee joins a little but after, she’s a reformed Cholé

---While hesitate at first Mari gets them all to be accepting

---Probably changes name and outfit though, but is a permanent holder

--King Monkey and Pegas are semi permanent holders (Kim and Max respectfully)

---Only not permanent because they want to avoid suspension but are full members of the team

---Also work as civilians, helps with the cover

--Alix also is a part of the team but only as a civilian

---They have considered giving her the Fox

----She helps answer questions and acts as a ground base for the hero’s as she is the main “civilian” the government goes to if they need the team

--They are a really tight team and trust each other fully

--The turtle and fox get used but sparingly

---Ivan might be turtle sometimes

---Nino later might be a good choice too, I’m not fully sure yet

----Fox has been used by Alix and maybe Juleka too but unsure about Juleka right now

--All holders have slight effects from their miraculous

---Mari and Adrein have the most as they’ve had theirs the longest

---Mari has good luck and is able to embed some of that luck into what she makes

----She also doesn’t do well in the cold

----Things tend to grow more around her, especially flowers, almost like they are growing toward her

---Adrien has bad luck (thanks to Mari’s gifts this isn't really bad though) and if not careful can break anything

----Likes to take naps in the sun and is very protective

----Cats like to gravitate to him

---Kagami has lots of extra body heat

---Luka can sometimes predict what is going to happen, can predict a lot of normal everyday things

---Cholé can easily knock people out now, she knows all the right places to hit to incapacitate someone

---Max (weaker cause hasn’t had as long) knows the fastest way to get places and shortcuts basically anywhere

---Kim (weaker cause hasn’t had as long) is able to freerun and parkour with little training

----Can also sense when some chaos is about to happen, however it isn’t to sting yet but does get stronger the longer he has his miraculous

---Alix (has the weakest, but still strong) has the ability to tear apart half truths and lies, she gets this from the fox but also works on it herself after vowing to not let Lila fool anyone she cares about again

-After Hawk Moth is defeated Adrien moves in with the group

--Mostly stays with Mari and Kagami

---Considering moving with Mari when she leaves Pairs

-Mari becomes the Guardian before Hawk Moth is defeated

--It is about when she makes a real team, Fu gives her the knowledge and training she needs

--He’s been doing it indirecting since the beginning (well a few months in) but after she takes initiative with making the team he is more direct

--He waited to make sure she as ready and she is

-Mari plans to move to Gotham to properly meet her soulmate after school

--This is to move the Miraculous and to further her career

--This is one of the biggest motivators to contact the League to get help defeating Hawk Moth

--The team is more than onboard with going with her and follow where she goes

---They are basically family, and family supports family

--This move would also help them with Uni and furthering their potential careers, so it is a win-win for everyone

--They do want to stay a Superhero team after Hawk Moth but more low-key, the move would also give them a chance to be more open about wanting to do this

---They don’t want to step on toes but want to help if they can

-Soulmates in this au (romantic at least)

--Tim and Mari (duh)

--Adrien and Kon (Conner/Superboy)

--Cholé and Kagami (maybe Luka, unsure but I’m a sucker for poly, I could always make it a Young Justice member, any ideas welcome)

--Kim/Max/Alix (we love poly and these are a good trio)

-Kon-el/Conner and Adrien

--For the longest time Adrien didn’t think he’d ever be loved/have a soulmate

---Conner wasn’t around yet so that’s why his connection wasn’t there

--Adrien cried the first time he got a mark he cried

---It made him know there was someone else

---Mari stayed with him the whole night holding him and telling him, she knew he would have someone

--Conner rarely responds, the boy doesn’t know French so it’s kinda hard

---Tim notices the language and offers him help, he is also the one to explain what soulmates are to Conner

--Conner feels bad for his “other half”

---Partly due to the whole secret identity thing

----He isn’t great with people

----His other half seems to get hurt a lot and doesn’t want to be another cause of that pain

--Despite never getting much from his soulmate Adrien always leaves messages of encouragement and validation

--He understands how much that can mean to someone

---He starts to leave some in Englsih too, just in case his soulmate only knows Englsih

----Mari’s idea but he was more than on board for

---He often apologies of injuries he gets

----Conner doesn’t usually notice the injury but the note afterward

-----part of his alien blood is why he doesn't usually feel

------When he does notice he does worry a lot because if he feels it what must have happened to this other person (is under the impression it is a normal civilian)

--Adrien is so happy to know he is loved by someone else, because as Conner may not show it, he has a feeling his other half cares

---Mari is so happy that her best friend has gotten what he needed to know he was loved she cries with him too

----It happens a year or so after being heros so they are close but don’t quite know each others identities yet, but that happens not long after

--Conner is convinced to go and help when the Justice League goes to Paris

---He goes and stays with Tim most of the time

---Tim is the one who convinced him to go and acts as a translator, as Conner has a grasp of the language he isn't too confident

---He does meet Chat Noir but only briefly; both are more focused on the bigger picture

----Both act like lost puppies with Mari and Tim respectfully; and when they get together this doesn't change too much

----They are a really fluffy couple, Adrein needs physical affection and Conner accepts

-How they meet (Tim and MAri) [finally I know]

--They meet as heros before they meet as civilians

--They meet as heros on a patrol before the final battle with Hawk Moth

---This is where the “HOLY SHIT I JUST MEET RED ROBIN/LADYBUG” moment happens, after they get back from patrol they indemnity write the other

----Mari talks to Diana about all this over breakfast the next day

-----they both know the others identity because Diana told Mari so she would trust her because she knew Mari because of her connection with the Miraculous, instant connection

----Wonder Woman figures out they are soulmates through this (Tim had a mini crisis with her that night)

--She “may or may not” leave hint to Bruce to set something up for them

--The 2 are to focused on the final battle to worry about the potential revelations

---While fighting they have instant synergy and chemistry that goes unnoticed by them at the time but everyone else notices and takes note

--Bruce decides to “spontaneously” sponsor a trip for a class to go to Gotham, as a senior/graduation reward for a class that has done a lot for their community

---It is also a way to give a break to the poor kids who have been dealing with this for far to long

---The “contest” is announced about a week or so after the final battle

---Wonder Woman tells Mari about it

---Mari then proceeds to write far more than one would have expected, she really wants her class to have something good finally, and even excluding all the hero end stuff they do it is close to being a novel

----She would have won even if wasn’t a set up

---Wonder Woman tells Bruce which class to choose and doesn’t question it as he trusts her judgment, he also doesn’t question why she is so insistent but completely agrees with her choice

----Diana is the one to tell Mari who instaly is giving her a bone crushing hug which Diana returns in fold

---The whole squad is hyped

----Luka and Kagami pulled some strio “happen” to be going to Gotham themselves

----This is also seen as a great opportunity for them to scout places for them to consider moving after school is done

--They meet at Wayne Enterprise building

---Dick is leading the tour

----Diana may or may not have given him some hints that Tim’s soulmate is in the group

--Lila’s empire is destroyed that week, she tried to lie about the Waynes to the Waynes

---Tries to say she is dating Damiain who is way younger than her and knows nothing

---Conner is staying with Tim because his soulmate said something about Gotham and figured spending time with Tim isn’t bad either

--Identity get revealed on purpose during the trip (probably near the end)

--When Mari sees the boys she is confused but happy to see her new friends again so soon

--Diana is a good support for Mari and a “wing woman” of sorts

--Jason is so happy to she his new “sister” when he crashes the tour to mess with Dick

--Tim is passed out in his office when they pass

---Mari writes a note to her soulmate about how funny it is, this makes Conner look up as he is watching Tim and sees the note appear in his arm

---Mari doesn’t notice but Dick and Jason do

---This leads to the 3 trying to get them to talk

---Adrien catches on and instantly wants to help his bestie meet her boy

----Adrien then tells his soulmate about it later because he wants to and Conner sits straight up and has a huge revelation

-----The boys along with Diana and Mari’s squad set them up and they have a good time and it is really cute

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b33p-b33p-bitch · 3 years

Text

Heart to Heart

A lil vent fic I did

The woods are kinda nice.

The bits of sunlight bleeding through multiple branches, of multiple tree’s; light gusts of wind pushing your hair away from your face but not all over the place ?

Welcome and pleasant.

The occasional squirrel scittering by to find nuts from the years long winter sleep ?

Adorable.

And the times when you get to the wood line ?

And there’s an open meadow ?

Grass reaching as high as your hips, wild flowers swaying in the breeze; so cold out that bee’s can’t buzz around your head but warm enough to wear a cute sundress ?

Extravagant.

Not only is this the perfect place to just sit down and relax.

It’s a good place to cry !

Much like how Amber desperately needs to.

....She needs to cry a lot.

Amber laid herself down into the plains sea of green, letting the tears slide down quietly. Hiccuping only slightly, elbows a top her knees as her hands held her face.

Fingers squishing her plump cheeks and wiping away the rolling globs of water from her eyes.

Amber didn’t get yelled at or anything.

Didn’t do anything wrong.

Not by a long shot, she just needed to leave for a bit and cry.

....

This sort of thing happens pretty often, it’s Gotham afterall.

Stress, anger, sadness, fear and a plethora of other feelings swamp the city on a daily basis.

Sometime’s literally, sometimes figuratively. Either way the emotions of others just weigh down on Amber’s own thoughts and well being.

So...she’d fire up the warp, and just, go away from people...

Away from other people’s problems...

Away from other people’s needs...

Their wants, wishes, and desire’s...

Eventually she’ll go back to her apartment and block out society for a while.

That’s all she wants right now, to breathe, let go of the access turmoil, and just...

Be...

....

Wait...what is that noise ? Is it coming from-

“Amber ?!! Where the fresh fuck are you ?!?”

...Ah....looks like she didn’t power down the warp...

Or leave a letter for Edward before heading off...

Amber wiped her face one more time before picking her head up from her hands, giving her boyfriend the ability to find her, once he spotted her pink hair in the grass....

Edward let out a noise similar to fog horn going off....

A very...squeaky and high pitched fog horn...

He then proceeded to run, and then tumble down from the woods end to the meadow.

...Amber wishes now that he didn’t wear so much green, so often. At least she could hear him manically trying to get up and run over to her, so thanks ears.

She couldn’t help but crack a smile watching Ed frantically fighting the tall grass grazing against his sides as he went over to her side.

It’s almost cartoon-esque how Edward moves ~.

The fact he was such a puppy with Amber in general was sort of silly too.

If anyone knew how the ever infamous, ever intelligent ‘Riddler’ would choose to cling off of a large sentient rock hybrid woman’s arm ? And how he worried so much about her despite the years of not caring about anyone besides himself ?

Yeah...

People are going to have a trip if the relationship ever became public.

Edward shuffled into Amber's view, huffing and heaving for air to pass through his lungs and ease the dull ache of his heart beat in his eardrums.

“Are....are you alright dear ?”

He took a deep breath.

“I...I didn’t...hah...you weren’t in..”

Amber could see how strained her lover's skinny toothpick body was, the meadow was pretty large. And the amount of space between the woods and the meadow is certainly sizable too.

“Oh Eddie...come here,”

Amber uncrossed her legs, leaving her lap open.

“Come sit down and relax for a second, ok ?”

Aching legs slowly worked to set the smaller males body into his self proclaimed ‘queen’s’ gentle hold.

Blindly obeying the request to let his tired self recoup, head laying against Amber's godsent breast’s; arms limply wrapped around her neck, melting into the embrace.

......

“Dear...”

Amber hummed.

“What happened ?”

“Excuse me ?”

Edward lifted himself from her chest to look Amber in the eye.

“I'm not a fool who can’t see that his lover has been crying for, what I would have to presume has been far too long ! And especially without any comfort....”

He paused.

Amber hung her head.

“I'm guessing you saw how red my eyes must be, huh ?”

“Sweetheart, you’re so flushed with a hot pink that those ridiculous pink sapphires would quite possibly mistake you as one of them; but with all silliness aside, what’s been troubling you ?”

With a shake of her head and a lift of her shoulders, Amber refuted any idea of her being hurt.

“Nothings wrong really, I just soaked up too much of the emotional baggage Gothamites suffer from on a...”

Amber pondered for a moment.

“Yeah...yeah on a pretty frequent basis, I guess.”

“Though I have to agree, Gotham is full of tension and high strung emotions - I’m quite literally a part of why that’s true; I doubt that’s what’s brought you so low. “

Edward moved to hold Amber’s face in his hands. Hoping eye contact and the physical touch would urge an honest answer.

“Sweet heart,”

Edward hushed.

“Please, talk to me.”

Purple eyes stared back at ‘green’.

Then blinked a few times.

Ambers brows furrowed with a frown.

“Edward I thought you said you were going to throw away those contacts, you know they hurt your eyes-”

“Oh don’t try to change the subject !”

Amber rose her hands in defense,

“I’m not ! Honest ! I genuinely told you already what’s going on with me; Eddie you promised you ditch them.”

Edward grimaced and shifted uncomfortably in the former’s lap.

“I’ve been wearing them less than before...besides if I started to do crimes without them in the bat would get suspicious and would start looking into that more. Besides the psychologist I’ve started seeing knows me by the alias - which by the way, they know as having blue eyes and freckles.”

“....I mean Batman probably already knows that-”

A gloved hand was placed onto her mouth before she could finish, with an audible but soft plap.

“Yes dear - I’m sure he knows,”

Edward huffed.

“He always has to know more than me, to undermine me !”

“Honey,”

Amber took his hands into hers.

“Batman has to. He can only think so far ahead of you; grasping at straws to know more than you do is the best plan Batman has !”

She cupped Edwards cheek, grazing faded pink of her skin against his more lively hued flesh. Edward reached one of his own to grasp at his lovers, moving the digits closer to ghost kisses against them; Amber continued to coo.

“Sweetheart, there’s so many now....so many rogues - criminals, and schemes for Batman to keep focus on. Memo to memo, you don’t think he’s struggling to keep everything in check ?’

The ginger sighed.

“That’s just pipe dreaming. If he was able to thwart me before when there was merely a handful of us Batman is sure to know all my riddles....fuck, I honestly don’t think I can keep coming up with them at this point.”

“Edward don’t say that.”

“And why not ? I know you want me to turn a new leaf, to have a ‘normal’ life -”

“I want you to be happy; and riddles - they make you so, so happy.”

Amber pressed her other hand against the small of Edward's back, pulling him flush to her chest, eyes locked.

“You have to be one of the most creative and intelligent men I have ever met, that I’ll probably ever meet; you’ve made so mind boggling riddles and trinkets - just things that it makes my peanut brain fit to burst sometimes !”

Her lover chuckled.

“You have a brilliant mind, and because of that brilliance my curiosity made me search you out; your passion for what you do made me fall for you in the first place, you realize that right ?”

Edward nodded, albit solemnly.

“If you decide to change, be a private eye or go coding for some video game industry - I want to be here for you,”

Amber pressed her forehead against her lover.

“For as long as you want let me be.”

Fin.

#my writing #Don't Steal #DC comics #edward nygma #The Riddler #OC insert #canon x oc #my OC #Amberlynn Diadem #vent sort of #reblog if you want

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