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alixanonymous · 4 years

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How A Demon Commissions An Angel ~ A Daminette FanFic ~ Chapter 10: A Discussion Of Demons

From the phone of Bruce Wayne:

Chat Name: Barbra Gordon

Barbra Gordon: Hey B, do you have a minute? There’s something you should see.

Me: Is this related to what we talked about earlier?

Barbra Gordon: Yes.

Me: I’ll be there soon.

Batcave - Gotham City, New Jersey

12:30 A.M., Nov. 11th

Bruce Wayne was well aware that taking his children out each night to fight crime in the deadliest city in America automatically disqualified him from ever winning a Father Of The Year award. However, as he looked around the meeting table at his sons, he wondered if there was ever any chance for him at all.

Dick Grayson, the first Robin and his first failure as a parent that had somehow turned out well anyway, was smiling around the table at his family like there was nowhere he’d rather be despite the fact that he’d had to make the commute from Blüdhaven on his night off while his ever increasing caseload was waiting for him back at the crappy apartment he called home.

Tim Drake was the son who others outside the family often considered to be his greatest pride, the one who he’d given so much responsibility to at such a young age. He was drinking coffee out of a thermos, larger than any seen before, working on a tablet Bruce couldn't remember the last time he’d put down, and occasionally glancing around the table as if wondering what would be so important to call a meeting on that he didn’t already know about.

Oh and his greatest failure as a father? Just walked in.

Jason Todd, the son he’d lost due to his own pride that had returned nothing like the child he was when he’d died, came up to the table swinging a gun around one finger that Bruce had since realized was never loaded like that, as if Jason’s self preservation just barely overrode his need for people to know he was not the boy they once knew. How long had it taken Bruce to figure that one out? Too long, too late.

As he’s not one for awkward silence, Jason calls out “What’d the demon do this time?” as soon he reached the others.

Which brings us to the most recent chapter of “Bruce Wayne’s adventures in being a horrible parent.” Best get started then.

“After the incident the other day,” Bruce gives Jason a look and gets a smirk in return, “I asked Barbra to look into Damian’s communications with the French girl.”

“Wait!” Jason cuts in, “You lecture me for going through his phone and then ask Carrot Top to read his messages? Gee, hypocrite much?”

“I’m sure Barbra would’ve monitored the situation regardless,” Jason scoffs at this and now it’s Dick who’s giving him a look. Bruce continues, “I only wanted her to notify me if she found anything concerning.”

He stands up to pass out the papers he’d brought with him. Normally, he’d just bring the files up on the BatComputer but Bruce Wayne is nothing if not addicted to self-punishment and he likes physical evidence of his shortcomings as a human being.

“These are excerpts from their messages over the last week or so.”

Since he’s already memorized everything in those packets and has every word imprinted in his mind, all that’s left to do is watch his sons read history repeating itself.

Tim, unsurprisingly, is the faster reader and as he goes through the papers, he has a look of confusion on his face that only intensifies as he goes on. Once he finishes, he takes a swig from his thermos like there’s alcohol in there instead of caffeine although with how he makes it, Bruce thinks it’d be equally strong either way. He then flips back to the start and begins to read it over again.

Dick’s smile is long gone by the end of the first page. As he reads on, the only way to describe his expression is heartbreak. His eyes become shiny and when Bruce sees this he can’t help but think it’s a miracle that the person who has been in this longer than everyone except him and Alfred can still manage to wear their heart on their sleeve in spite of the life they lead. His smile becomes a frown near the end.

Jason as always is the hardest for him to read. At some point early on, he stops spinning his gun around, placing it on the table as he hunches over to read closer to the papers. There’s a look of concentration on his face that Bruce hasn’t seen in a while along with something else. There’s an ache in his chest when he realizes that he doesn’t know this Jason well enough to know if it’s anger or pain. Once he’s done, he looks away from the table and stares off into space. Again, Bruce is unable to tell whether he’s just lost in thought or actively avoiding looking at them, him.

Dick is the first to break the silence, “That’s it! I’m moving back in.”

Bruce can’t decide if he’s relieved by the offer or angry at himself because he’s such a bad parent he needs his eldest son to raise his youngest.

Since this isn’t Dick’s first time making this particular statement, he expects Tim to shut him down like he normally does. When he turns to look at Tim however, Bruce finds him rereading the part he can easily identify as when Damian is explaining how he doesn’t hate Tim. He almost didn’t include it in the packets he distributed as he was sure Damian would not want them to find that out this way but something had compelled him to leave it in.

“So,” Jason starts and Bruce braces himself, “What’s the plan?”

They all turn to look at him expectantly.

“I brought you all here to get your opinions on what to do,” Bruce explains, trying to proceed with caution as he’s definitely the one responsible for this problem.

Jason lets out a bitter laugh, “No, of course you don’t have a plan already. Any one we come up with will probably involve you talking to your own kid and none of us would be here if you knew how to do that.”

“Jason!” Dick reprimands, sounding a little exhausted. It somewhat works and Jason goes back to ignoring them in favor of his thoughts. The damage is down however and Bruce will add that moment to the others he uses to remind himself of his mistakes.

“Where is Alfred? What does he have to say about all of this?” Dick asks and Jason’s attention shifts back to the table.

Bruce was not at all looking forward to dealing with the disappointment from the closest thing he has to a father figure, especially given how many times he had been encouraged by Alfred to talk to Damian, only to push it back time and time again.

He answers, “He’s making sure Damian stays asleep and away from the cave. I’ll fill him in on everything later.”

Stephanie and Cass were patrolling Gotham tonight, covering for Bruce and Tim who’s turn it had been when the meeting was called. Barbra was across the room, directing them as usual from the BatComputer. She would catch them up upon their return.

There’s silence once again only to be broken when Tim finally joins the discussion.

“Did Damian tell you why he broke that girl’s hand?” Tim asks Dick, the most likely of them to be confided in.

Once more, Dick looks heartbroken as he shakes his head.

“Please, did you even give him a chance to?” Jason asks while looking straight at Bruce as if he already knew the answer to that, and he did.

While his youngest son had been suffering from a lack of education about boundaries, Bruce has been busy doing damage control, never once asking what had provoked Damian. It seemed being the World’s Worst Father trumped the title of World’s Greatest Detective.

Dick too already knew the answer to that so he didn’t wait for a reply before continuing the conversation. “How did we never notice how his idea of boundaries was so warped?”

“It’s right here,” Tim answers, pointing at one of the papers. “Damian usually scared everyone off before they got too close so it never came up before. We were too focused on pushing him to make friends to notice the problem was more than just antisocialness.”

If Bruce wasn’t certain this was all his fault, he might take a moment to curse Talia once more for just how much his ex-lover had screwed up Damian’s ability to live a normal life.

“Somebody’s going to have to explain that to him. He can’t keep going on thinking we expect him to allow people to touch him without his permission,” Dick says, looking towards Bruce and not noticing Jason and Tim raising their eyebrows at that behind him. At least two of his sons seem to know him well enough to doubt the possibility of that conversation going successfully.

“Yeah, but like how do we explain the nuance to him? I mean, yeah that girl messed up but also most people would just brush her off. That’s what we would do. He can’t attack every person who reaches out for a handshake and think it all counts as self defense,” Tim adds. Dick and Bruce both look thoughtful at this.

Jason looks frustrated with them as he states, “You’re treating him like he’s a kid. I think even the demon spawn can tell the difference between a handshake and someone getting too handsy. You guys acting like he’s always seconds away from going into full assassin mode is part of the problem. Jeez, ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy?”

Bruce looks at his other two sons and finds Dick looking sheepish and Tim looking down at the table. He just sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose before deciding that of all his children, Jason might actually be the most qualified to tell him how he failed as a parent.

“What would you have me do then?”, he asks and for a moment Jason looks like he can’t decide whether or not the question is sincere.

“Well, I’d maybe start by not calling secret midnight meetings to talk about him behind his back,” he starts in a casual tone that is most definitely sarcastic, “Or no, actually let’s start by not going through his messages because you know at some point you’re going to have to sit down and talk to him about all this stuff and I doubt fessing up that you’ve invaded his privacy, compromised his safe space, and shared his deepest insecurities with almost the entire family will win you any brownie points.”

The other three people seated at the table freeze and take a moment to let that implication sink in. Bruce thinks he sees even Barbra wince across the room out of the corner of his eye.

Jason’s not finished yet. He continues, “You know exactly what you have to do, you knew before you called us and before you even read those messages. Yet for some reason you still keep approaching this as Batman when really the kid just needs his dad to talk to him sometimes like he’s more than just another problem for you to solve.”

That was the biggest difference Bruce could see in him. This Jason didn’t hesitate to go for the kill. While subtlety was more Bruce’s style, no one could deny it was brutally effective.

Avoiding the obvious barb, he tried to focus on the advice. Talk? He could do that. Although… Dick could probably do that better so maybe they should have him do it. He opens his mouth to suggest this but someone else is already speaking.

Dick’s saying, “Okay, I agree with that but it doesn’t look like B’s the only problem here. Little D seems to be feeling left out.”

Mistaking Dick’s meaning, Bruce recalls his reasons for keeping Damian away from Wayne Enterprise and wonders if perhaps he had been too quick in his decision making. There was no harm in letting Damian learn about the company.

Well as long as there was someone equipped to guide him.

“I’ll arrange an internship for him with Lucius Fox, or actually why not have him shadow you for a while, Tim? That might give you two a chance to see eye to eye on some things,” Bruce proposes.

Tim looks uncomfortable at this but lucky for him someone is already jumping to shoot down this idea.

“Oh hell no!” This is Jason of course. “When are you going to finally see this whole ‘I’ll just let other people handle my son’ thing ain’t working out? Did you even read these before making copies for everyone and their mother? Damian clearly still isn’t over you giving away his ‘birthright’ to the replacement,” Jason says, making finger quotes at birthright. “Making him shadow Tim would be like rubbing it in his face.”

“Yeah, second that. That should be something you introduce him to, like you did with Timmy,” Dick agrees, smiling encouragingly before going on to say, “Although that’s not what I was getting at. I meant that he feels left out in the family, not just with the company. I just knew he needed more brother bonding time!”

Both Tim and Jason grimace but it’s too late. No one can stop Dick Grayson when it comes to his family and so the last half of the meeting is just Dick mapping out his whole plan of ways to incorporate Damian more into the family including movie nights and a new group chat that’s not BatBusiness related.

Tim looks like he’s taking notes and pulls out his phone a couple times to cross check all their schedules because of course he has everyone’s on hand. Jason for the most part looks like he’s not paying attention at all only to then interrupt and shoot down an idea with very valid reasoning to back him up. Bruce just listens and follows their lead, only to be reminded every few minutes that he’ll also have to work on spending time with Damian on his own. He’s coming up with his own plan in his head that may or may not utilize some of their ideas as well.

They’re wrapping things up when Tim suddenly has a question. “What about the French girl? Should we be worried about her selling this to the tabloids?” he asks, holding up the messages.

Jason snorts and mutters something about bat paranoia although he is the only one to have personally talked to the girl and Bruce wonders if he would still share that sentiment if that weren’t the case. They all knew the lack of respect the media showed to their wish for privacy.

“No, she doesn’t seem to be cause for concern,” Bruce assures the other two, leaving out the fact that Ms. Dupain-Cheng didn’t even know his son’s last name. He knew that would only lead to more questions from them and since he’s already ruined so much, he refuses to also spoil the surprise Damian had in store for them for Christmas. He already made sure to have Barbra prevent the others, namely Tim, from accessing the rest of the messages as Bruce is positive he was planning to.

Sure enough, Tim gives him that look that directly translates to “Nevermind, I’ll look into it later”. Bruce doesn’t acknowledge it or encourage him.

Jason doesn’t seem satisfied with his response and launches his defense of the girl. “Yeah, no. None of you are allowed to mess with Spitfire. She seems like the only person the demon spawn’s got on his side that actually respects his boundaries. So don’t screw this up,” he finishes before getting up and leaving the cave, but not without a pointed look to Bruce. Tim follows after him, thermos and tablet in hand now alongside the packet of papers.

Bruce expects Dick to make his exit too so he doesn’t wait to do what he’s wanted to since this disaster of a meeting began which is bury his head in his hands and sigh. He’s surprised but doesn’t startle at the hand that lands on his shoulder.

“It’s not your fault,” Dick starts and Bruce just gives him a look.

“Yeah, okay so it’s kind of your fault,” he huffs out a small laugh before continuing, “But it’s not something he can’t come back from and it’s not an excuse for you to go into your ‘I’m a bad parent and my children are better off without me’ mode.” He’s the one getting the look now, the one that says “You know I’m right”.

And Bruce does know that yet he still feels the need to argue, “I-” is all he gets out before he’s cut off again, which may be good since he really didn’t know what he was going to say.

“Stop. Just stop, B. That kind of thinking is what got us to this point in the first place. Okay? Now the rest of us we get it now but Damian, he’s too young to figure out that you’re not rejecting him so much as trying to save him from yourself, for some stupid reason that I’m sure you think makes sense in your head. And yeah, I know you still feel guilty for how he spent his childhood, you know with the League and all but Bruce, at some point you’re just gonna have to get over yourself and realize he’s here now. He’s safe. He’s got us now and we’re going to fix this, alright?” Dick says, pleading and Bruce guesses he’s not the only one needing this pep talk at the moment.

So he says the only thing he can say to that which is, “Okay.”

Dick gives him a small smile and a pat on the shoulder before also making his leave, but not without saying goodbye to Barbra of course.

After he’s gone, Bruce feels a wave of exhaustion wash over him and decides to do what he so rarely does and leave whatever work he has left to go over for the morning. The talk with Alfred can wait till then too he figures.

He makes his way out of the cave and up to the manor. While the lights are on upstairs, there’s no sign of Alfred and no need to track him down at the moment so Bruce heads straight for his bedroom before stopping along the way in front of a door that’s not his own.

It’s been awhile since he’s done this and he’ll probably dwell on why that is later but he quietly opens the door and checks on his son, taking care not to wake him. For some reason unknown to them all, Damian almost never turns out his light when he sleeps so the picture Bruce gets is a clear one. His youngest is curled up on his side around his Great Dane, Titus while Alfred the Cat is sleeping at the foot of the bed. Bruce wonders if it’s also a coincidence that he’s angled toward the phone resting on his nightstand.

He used to do these late night check ins more often when Damian first came home. It took him a while to fully believe he’d had a child for so long that he hadn’t known existed so he’d check in every night as if afraid the boy would disappear. Even now, he’s still surprised by how young and untroubled Damian looks in his sleep. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful picture, he gently closes the door and heads to bed.

Wayne Manor - Gotham City, New Jersey

6:30 A.M., Nov. 11th

The first thing Damian always does when he wakes is take in his surroundings. This had first become the case in the early days after he had come to live with his father, back when he would wake up forgetting he had left the League. It was why he refused to turn off his lights at night if he didn’t have to, despite being raised in the shadows and continuing to work in them to this day. It was now a subtle reminder to himself that he had escaped the past and a little act of rebellion against his upbringing.

Alfred the Cat was still sleeping at the foot of the bed but Titus was nowhere to be seen which meant Pennyworth had probably let him out already. He gives himself a few minutes to get his bearings before checking his phone. The only notification is for a sappy “Good morning! Have a good day at school!” text from Grayson which makes Damian wonder if he has what he’s heard other people refer to as “empty nest syndrome”, whatever that means. He also sees the texts he exchanged with Marinette the day before and in the privacy of his room, smiles while remembering parts of their conversations.

Twenty minutes later he heads down to breakfast, dressed in his school uniform with his phone in hand on a singular mission to get a picture of Drake’s coffee for the girl he… didn’t want to disappoint.

It’s here! Yay! I feel like this took forever and a day but I’m happy with it finally! AO3 comments might’ve also restored my confidence in my writing so if you left one thank you! :) Now I’m off to relax and reread comments over and over again (while giggling stupidly) since this stubborn and stressful chapter is finally done! Till next time! <3

Master List

#MariBat #Daminette #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Damian Wayne #FanFiction

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risingmoonyue · 4 years

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Batman/P5 Crossover

-Sometime before Akechi but after Futaba or Haru

-Damian is sent to Tokyo to check it out for whatever reason (maybe they had a fight, or he’s going stir crazy, or he’s just the only one they can send at the time and didn't bother with all that "you're not old enough" business)

-Dami is younger than Futaba by a year or three or four

-He is baby

-He is transferred to Shujin as a child prodigy where he also immediately joins the "outcast" community because of his attitude and intelligence

-Talia goes too, manages to cut off all his communications with the Batfam, and is planning to take him home in a month whether he likes it or not

-For whatever reason, Batfam doesn't realize this??? (Like, either she's faking reports or they're too busy (think fight or chaos in Gotham scenario maybe???))

-Anyways, obviously Dami doesn't want this

-Somehow the Phantom Thieves hear about the situation

-Maybe he was assigned to shadow Makoto for a while, and they managed to overhear a phone conversation either to Talia or Dami trying to get in touch with the Batfam and nothing really working

-And eventually they outright see him fighting with his mother with him at some point (either in person or over a phone call) mentioning that she already disowned him, he's happy with his Father's family, and that he will head her family business over his dead body—and oh would you look at that, you already managed that, care to try again Mother?

-The PT's are understandably alarmed

-And learn her name from Damian (from Makoto maybe or someone else he bonded a little with) (MORGANA) (THEY GAVE HIM MONA FOR A DAY AND NOW THEY KNOW EVERYTHING FROM HIS MANY PETS TO HIS LEAST TO MOST FAVORITE SIBLINGS STARTING FROM TIM TO DICK TO HIS FAVORITE FOODS TO EVERYONE IN HIS FAMILY’S NAMES TO HOW STUPID HE FINDS EVERYONE AND WHY THEY'RE STUPID TO HIS FAVORITE MUSIC TO WHY ANIMALS ARE SUPERIOR TO HUMANS AND MONA’S LIKE OMG TMI BUT LOVED IT THERE BECAUSE HE WAS PAMPERED LIKE NO TOMORROW GOT ONLY THE BEST FOOD AND THE BEST BEDS AND TOYS THAT HE GOT TO TAKE WITH HIM BACK TO LEBLANC AND NOW AKIRA AND SOJIRO ARE LIKE DUDE WHY AND MONA’S LIKE IM KEEPING HIM THIS HUMAN IS GOOD SORRY AKIRA YOU’RE DEMOTED)

-The palace is basically a fortress full of assasin ninjas and clones

-Dunno what her keywords are tho

-Or her what her palace actually is

-Help?????????

-Cognitive Bruce, Ra's, Damian, Dami clones, and Jason (maybe rest of batfam??? Idk)

-Long story short, the traps are so assassin-y that they need someone who knows the actual Talia because egads, this is the closest they have all come to actually dying

-And they didn't really want to do it and were just gonna power through

-But Dami manages to find out and get in and of course uses his background to help out whether they like it or not

(-he's slightly off put by Joker's name, but then decides to just solely call Gotham!Joker "The Clown")

-At some point they are captured by the Shadow Talia who is decked out in super fancy traditional Arab clothing and probably every conceivable hidden weapon known to man

-Talia says Damian won't and can't ever change from who he "is meant to be", referring to him as her Alexander and basically brutally addresses all of his insecurities concerning the batfam and people and society in general

-And all this is kinda killing him cause he still loves Talia despite the fact that she killed him and had a violent citywide custody battle with Batman but he also loves the batfam too even if he would absolutely never admit it (except to maybe Grayson)

-Joker does his emotional kick-start thing and/or Dami is like Makoto and just gets so mad he triggers it himself, but either way, lo and behold, Damian is now a persona user, usurping Futaba's place as the baby of the team

-The outfit is kinda inspired by his future adult league outfit with the top and bottom and gold jewelry, but has a raggedy cloak with dull gold edges, a Robin mask and gauntlets, and his main weapons are batarang-sword hybrids

---acknowledging his past and moving on with his present

-Persona: Aladdin, Tsun Zu, Ali Baba, somone else???? Need ideas plz help

-Probably the fastest member of the group

-His small body makes his hits not as strong, but hoo boy can that kid move around

-Hits a lot and dodges most

-Most of his Persona abilities are physical and have high crit and/or are status affects

-Downside is he has not a lot of SP (compared to the rest of the group)

-And he has pretty good HP

-Those good ol' “superior genetics” have to be good for something after all

-Anyways they escape to find the treasure another day

-And Dami is all smug because HA you definitely can't stop me now

-And the PTs are just resigned to keeping an eye on the extremely competent snotty assassin/vigilante child

-They do like him though so it's not too bad (comes with learning all his darkest secrets via his mother and thought processes that tends to accompany watching someone at their lowest get a persona)

(-They do manage to temper him a bit and help him adjust better to actual society too that's nice)

-As such, they also know about Batman and Robin and his whoooole family. Both sides.

-Damian decided not to tell batfam because he does agree with the whole "most adults suck" mentality that the Phantom Thieves have; despite his deep, deep respect for his father and mother and Grayson, they all do kinda suck

-And he’s rather not get pulled out as he surely would if he told them

(-On a side note, he likes Sojiro

-The man gives him coffee, curry, and leaves him mostly to his own devices

-Instant win)

-He is dubbed "Mockingbird" apon return to the metaverse because of his freaky talented vocal skills in mimicking anyone and everyone's voice

-Eventually, they beat Talia

-She doesn't publicly confess to all her sins unlike everyone else

-PTs don't realize it worked until Damian came into school with a genuine smile on his face, and more relaxed than he'd been since he got there

-PTs are confused until Damian's like, this works out because hey, don't want to have several people assassinated and draw the entire freaking league to Tokyo

(-Which was probably why Talia didn't)

-They agree

-But she does break down to tears in Dami's arms and promise to ACTUALLY TALK CIVILLY with Bruce to try and make up for everything and try to fix up the league

-He stays for the rest of p5

-But steers all his reports very much away from the Phantom Thieves

-If anything, he downplays absolutely everything, and makes it seem like it's nothing super big but he's gonna stay a while to keep and eye out because y'alls are busy and I like it here and I haven't gotten expelled so there

-The PTs like to add funny stuff on there just to see if they’ll notice

-Like, Akira likes to have Dami describe his day in excruciating detail. Like, recounting the entirety of his nine or so months to Sae during police interrogation, excruciating

-Mona is pushing for the shiny stuff

-Yusuke just likes to put in bursts of randomness (Dami once mentioned that an acquaintance made another acquaintance T-pose in a church for art lol)

-Ann loves to rant about food

-Haru is always insisting on about feelings

-Ryuji likes to complain about everything and puts in ridiculous requests

-Futaba is just putting in every gen-z thing ever

-Makoto is actually responsible and tries to get him to talk about his progress in school and his social life

-And Akechi is absolutely nowhere near any of this and doesn’t know it exists

-When they have the Tokyo/Japan-wide calling card, Batfam sees it too because let's face it, that's totally the sorta thing that they would keep an eye out for even if he didn't look at the news in the entirety of the time Dami was in Tokyo

-And they send a message to Damian (the first actual communication they've had since before Talia) saying "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON OVER THERE????"

-And with the entirety of the Phantom Thieves looking over his shoulder, Damian's just like "Chill dudes, everything's fiiiiiiiiiine"

-And they're like "UH WHAT PART OF THIS IS FINE????" because they've dug around a bit and found every news report, and oh hey, this isn't anywhere near as calm as Damian described and he’s being super OOC and what’s going on?!?!?!?!?!

-And Damian, being egged on by the most of the PTs, just sends a winky face

-Just

-😉

-And he's smug, because it's still chaos over there so they can't actually come get him and try to pull him out because he's being super ooc

-Which means he's free to do what he wants/needs in the meantime

-Cue the end of the game

-And Dami is going with them on their summer road trip and cackling because the batfam is scrambling to find him in Tokyo but lol nope he's in a van the Japanese government tried and fail to follow

-And he found all the trackers like, a year ago

-Every

-Single

-One

-They eventually track him down to Akira's house where they're calmly eating dinner (and they've been expecting this for the past week so Mona was keeping watch just so they could pull this off) and talking about how uneventful the school year was

-Cue mass confusion in the batfam

-As the PTs enjoy just confusing them so much

-By talking to Mona

-Talking normal then crazy then normal again

-And just generally being their normal selves lol

-They explain absolutely nothing beyond gushing about how much progress socially and academically he’s made (gotta embarrass the baby of the group somehow) and making sure that if Dami absolutely has to go home that he's able to stay in touch

(-Later, Damian forms his own hero persona outside of Batman and Robin)

(-He names it Mockingbird)

(-Batfam proceeds to have a brain aneurysm while the PTs dab their happy proud tears out of their eyes on their regularly scheduled tea time at the Wayne Manor)

(-Damian sends a private plane every week or two lol)

(Bonus: ARTTTTTTT)

(Psst if you guys have ideas for art, outfits, interactions or scenarios, let me know)

#my writing #my art #batman #persona 5 #p5 #persona #batman x p5 #damian wayne #akira kurusu #ren amamiya #p5 protagonist #ive been holding onto this one for a wHILE

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violetsmoak · 5 years

Text

Appetence [3/?]

AO3 Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/20251420/chapters/47997634

Blanket Disclaimer

Summary: Red Robin is investigating the disappearance of a friend and stumbles into a spot of supernatural trouble. He doesn’t expect to be saved by Jason Todd, miraculously alive five years after his death and now with the inexplicable ability to commune with the dead. Meanwhile, when Jason returned to Gotham he meant to maintain a low profile and not get involved with Bat business. That was before he found out how hot his Replacement is.

Rating: PG-13 (rating may change later)

JayTimBingo Prompts This Chapter: #incubus (sort of) #paranormal investigator

Canon-Compliance: Alternate Universe; Jason still died but was not found by Talia when he was resurrected. All other events mostly follow the same chronology as New Earth continuity, with mentions made to events in New 52

First Chapter

Author's Note(s): Bit of a shorter chapter today because I have stuff to do later so I'm updating early.

Beta Reader: I’ll get back to you on that.

________________________________________________________________

It’s another two hours before Jason returns to the East End. It had taken all of his concentration to keep Cole’s ghost focussed on him and his stories, instead of whatever unnamed force might tempt him back to gravesite. After the boy vanishes in the gradual, whispering way spirits do when their unfinished business if met, Jason doubled over at the sudden migraine.

He much prefers when unfinished business can be completed in one place instead of having to carry a phantom passenger with him.

Being tired—and now that he thinks about it, hungry—does not help his bad mood.

Another kid. Another victim of the fucking Joker.

Just how many more kids was the nutcase going to take out? How many more Robins? Because Jason’s seen pictures of the new kid—blurry and imprecise as anything to be found in a Gotham tabloid, but enough for someone with an eye for it to judge some facts—and he’s fucking tiny. It doesn’t matter that the girls in the Bowery where Jason lives say he’s meaner and more dangerous than any of the others. He’s smaller than Jason’s replacement—smaller than that girl even. What the hell is Bruce thinking?

Again, the temptation rises within him to hightail it over to the manor without warning and rip Bruce a series of new ones while he’s too busy gaping in shock to defend himself.

He doesn’t, though.

Knowing Bruce, he’d think it was a trick and beat the snot out of Jason, then stick him in a cell somewhere until he could confirm his identity. Jason’s been behind the door of enough cells to last him a lifetime, and that alone holds him back.

And who’s to say he doesn’t blame me for getting myself killed in the first place?

He knows that’s not likely, somewhere deeply buried inside, but it’s hard to shake the idea. Old insecurities return in full, memories of pity and concern and frustration, and his final moment waiting for his dad to save him and being disappointed.

And then being disappointed again when his wits returned to him and he discovered the Joker was still breathing. That Bruce didn’t deal with it—didn’t kill the fucker that killed Jason and shot Barbara.

He remembers that horrible week, wondering if she was going to live or die, and then being told she’d never walk again. Vibrant, ass-kicking and beautiful Batgirl with her wings forever clipped. In a way, he thinks he’s angrier about Barbara than himself. As Robin, he was always going to be a direct target of the Joker; Barbara wasn’t shot and tortured because she was Batgirl—she was shot and tortured because she was Commissioner Gordon’s daughter.

And after all that, Bruce just put the bastard back in Arkham, where he could have a taxpayer-paid vacation then break himself out again whenever he felt like it.

Something needs to be done about him, and B’s sure as fuck not going to do it.

With every step, Jason finds himself getting a little angrier. It’s a cool rage, different from the volatile mess of hormones and emotions he was as a kid, but it’s still there. Say what you want for the brain damage, but he was so out of it that it’s probably why John’s meditation techniques took when Bruce’s didn’t, tempering him.

He’s still prone to rash action, of course, but for something like this—something as serious as the Joker—he’s going to have to think it through. Somehow, he doubts it’s just going to be as easy as walking into the asylum and shivving the guy. And Jason’s not exactly keen on getting arrested, not after he worked his ass off to set himself up with an identity and a job and everything here in Gotham.

It bears thinking about, and he can’t do anything immediate about it now, so he’ll sleep on it. Something will come to him.

Jason turns the corner, intending to do just that as he heads for his apartment.

Well, it’s not really an apartment. It’s more office space over a bar on the border of Crime Alley and the Bowery. It’s just cheaper to rent an office than an apartment these days; with housing costs soaring, even property in the worst parts of Gotham are wildly out of his price range.

(He’s not a billionaire’s son anymore.)

Might stay out of my price range for a while. PIs don’t make much, to begin with, and my niche is kind of…specific.

Mediumship isn’t exactly a lucrative business, nor is paranormal investigation. Both jobs attract the crazies, but he knows from experience the ones who are legit will pay good money for his services.

Still, the whole set-up isn’t so bad.

He’s been getting his food from the local bodegas and the bar downstairs, and he’s sure after a bit of saving he’ll even be able to go out to the occasional sit-down restaurant when he gets a craving for something gourmet-ish (He doesn’t think about how Alfred could whip up a do that would put the cordon bleu to shame).

Jason sprung for a decent quality sleeper sofa, so it’s not like he’s kipping on the floor and the office even has a bathroom with a shower, which was a big plus when his landlady, Trista, showed it to him. The ambulance chaser who occupied the space before him said he used to work a lot and needed to be able to shower between jobs. He’d also said if he hadn’t been so keyed into his job, he’d have noticed his life falling apart around him and not shot himself three months ago.

Yeah, that was a fun one…

Since helping the previous owner move on and then taking up residence in the cramped office space, Jason’s made a point of warding the entire office against any other wandering spirits.

I happen to have very strict office hours, ta very much.

He pauses on the street leading to his place, his stomach growling again, and decides he’ll head into the bar for a pick-me-up beforehand. Trista, who also owns that place, doesn’t offer a lot in the way of food, but what she does is pretty good. Hers is the only place he’s been so far that can make decent fish and chips.

As he heads in that direction, he notices a familiar face standing on the corner across the street. He decides to make a quick detour.

“Rhonda,” he says with a grin, “you’re lookin’ especially gorgeous tonight.”

“Boy, I don’t need you to tell me shit I already know,” the woman tells him with a sniff. “And if you’re cruisin’ for a lay, I’ll tell you what I always tell you—you too young.”

“You’ve been tellin’ me that since I was twelve,” he grins.

Rhonda is the only person here in Gotham that knows he’s back, and that’s only because recognized him one night while he was heading back from a job. When he first landed himself on the streets as a kid, Rhonda was one of the girls who looked out for him and whatever other orphan was wandering around here at the time. After he was adopted by Bruce, he made a point of checking up on her as Robin, chasing off johns that tried to get over her time (even though she was already pretty good at managing that herself) and buying her food whenever he could. He never expected her to still be here when he got back, but she’d taken one look at him and cursed.

“I knew that story about you bein’ dead was bullshit,” she informed him as she took a drag of a cigarette. “What you do, run off on the rich man or some shit? He been tellin’ everyone you’re dead for years now.”

“To him, I am dead,” he’d replied, not wanting to go into it. “And everyone else better keep thinkin’ that too.”

“Ain’t gonna hear it from me,” she’d shrugged. “But why the fuck did you come back to this shithole?”

“Home’s home,” he had shrugged, and she’d nodded because she knew exactly what he was talking about.

Now, she sizes him up and considers his face. “Rough night, it looks like. You gettin’ in trouble again?”

“Nah, just exorcisin’ some…personal demons. Quiet night for you?”

“Mostly. There was a cape around couple minutes ago, though, so keep an eye out.”

She knows he tends to avoid them.

Jason raises an eyebrow. “Which one?”

Christ, I hope it wasn’t Batman or Robin. Don’t think I could take seeing either of them tonight.

“It was Red. Came through to ask some questions.”

It takes him a moment to connect the name to the roster of vigilante’s he made himself memorize before coming back here. Red Robin is the one he suspects used to be his replacement, probably got graduated or replaced himself when the newest brat was put in the boots.

“He came here?” Jason asks. “Why?”

“Usual mask thing, comin’ down here to talk to the little people who might’ve seen somethin’.”

Jason makes a thoughtful noise, a bit impressed. He was always the only one who bothered coming down here; even Bruce avoided the minor crooks of the Alley after he started getting more invested in Gotham’s rogues.

“Red’s good people,” Rhonda says then, looking like she’s considering something. “He’s the only one that tries with us. Pays good money, buys food—sorta like Robin used to. And you know he’s doin’ it on purpose, ‘cause when he’s around the city, he usually sticks to Chinatown or Tricorner. That’s what the news say, anyway.”

Jason is again surprised. “Definitely goin’ out of his way then.”

“Hm.”

He thinks about it a further minute and then shrugs. “Anything else interesting happening tonight? You need anything?”

“Yeah, for you to get off my corner so I can get to work,” Rhonda retorts. “Unlike you, I don’t like livin’ off bar food. Gotta be careful what you put in the temple, you know?”

“I dunno, give me a chili dog any day…”

Jason chuckles as she shoes him away, and then continues on his way to the bar. Maybe he’ll pick up something to go—

Just as he’s about to step into Trista’s bar, the hair on the back of his neck stands on end, and he feels a minor flicker of vertigo.

Something’s off.

Turning back to the street, he casts his eyes about, looking for anything out of ordinary to explain the sudden unease. Something nags at him, something that feels…hungry almost.

Since his senses are only attuned to the spirit of the dead, a hungry presence is never a good sign. Ghosts can sometimes become so enraged over their deaths, so tied to the mortal realm, that they become psychic vampires, attaching themselves to the living and feeding off of them like a parasite until they drop from exhaustion.

Fuck. Can’t leave one of those wandering around, if that’s what this is.

He gives an irritated groan and walks away from the bar, turning his focus on tracking the sensation. It’s not exactly calling out to him personally, but it’s still present enough for him to notice.

Jason digs into his pocket, winding his prayer beads around his wrist and checking if he’s still got any iron on him. Nothing big enough to make much difference, but for distraction if it comes to it.

As he reaches the end of the block, Jason catches sight of the cape first.

Damn, I don’t miss the days of having to wear gear like that.

Because that cowl thing the vigilante is sporting is almost as much a tragedy as the green leotard Jason used to sport (they weren’t panties, fuck you very much, they just looked that way—as if Alfred would allow someone to go outside the house in just their underwear). And the cape is so thick it gives him no idea as to the stature or body behind it.

At least this Red Robin guy is smart enough to have a full body-armor suit instead of pixie-boots and a t-shirt.

Might be the only thing he’s smart about, judging by his company.

The too-perfect-looking young man that beckons the vigilante to follow him into the alleyway is all cold blue eyes, sharp smile, and sleek movement. And even if Jason couldn’t read the malevolent aura emanating from the direction of the two men (and that’s a doozy, especially if it’s coming from only one individual), he’s seen that look before in eyes just as cold.

He knows the tactics of an incubus seeking its next meal, and this one seems to have decided it has a taste for vigilante tonight.

This isn’t really Jason’s thing—incubi are low-level demons, more John’s area of expertise than his. Getting involved would mean willingly crossing paths with one of Gotham’s masks, which he’s been taking pains not to do since returning.

But he’s also not allowing any kind of unrestrained feeding and killing to happen on his turf. And these darkest, dingiest parts of Gotham have always been his. Even when he was trailing after the big Bat.

Plus, this guy is Red Robin.

Jason hasn’t had any particular interest in the growing number of masks cropping up in Gotham over the years, but this guy’s obviously a bird. Which means Jason has a kind of personal connection to him. Call it brothers-in-arms or something poetic like that, even if they’ve never met.

Also, the way incubi feed…no one deserves to have that happen to them, especially in a filthy alley like this one. Jason’s always had concern over consent issues, and with incubi, the way they get that consent literally straddles the line far too closely for his taste. This Red Robin might be Bat-trained, but unless he’s taken a master class in the occult (doubtful, considering Bruce’s distrust of anything resembling magic), he’s being led away like a lamb to the slaughter.

Probably he’s already been ensnared by the thing’s powers and doesn’t even realize it. Like a baby bird in front of a snake.

Jason sighs in defeat and rolls his shoulders in preparation for what he knows is going to be an unpleasant interlude.

“Time to be a hero,” he mutters to himself and stalks toward the shadowy alley where the two figures have disappeared.

⁂

Next Chapter

#jaytimweek2019 #jaytimweek #jaytimbingo2019 #JayTim #fanfic #jaytim fic #jason todd #tim drake #original characters #prompt: supernatural #drama #mystery #angst #incubus #paranormal investigator

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gsarchived · 5 years

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𝘽𝘼𝙎𝙄𝘾𝙎 ,

full name. zatanna zatara. pronunciation. zuh-tan-na nickname. zee, z, ‘tanna, mistress of magic, magic maid. height. 5′7″ age. thirty-one. due to the magic coursing through her blood and seeing as it affected her father and mother, she ages slower then a normal human. zodiac. taurus. spoken languages. she’s fluent in english and italian, as well as backwards speech. she also knows a fair bit of romani and turkish because of her mother’s heritage, though she isn’t as fluent in it as she’d like to. she also knows some spanish and arabic.

𝙋𝙃𝙔𝙎𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙇 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙄𝘾𝙎 ,

hair color. black. eye color. blue, and a bright blue like the water in greece. skin tone. her skin has a warm tone to it, mostly due to the red undertones. her skin is deeper then a tan color and it stays pretty consistent through different lighting, though it might look more golden in the direct sun. body type. she’s slim, though not overly. zatanna is proportionally curvy in the right places, most obviously in her chest, ass and thighs. as for muscle definition, it’s more lean muscle. she’s not as much of a skilled fighter like diana, but she does yoga often and works out at least a few days a week. accent. growing up in america means she has more of an american accent then someone like her father. while giovanni’s accent was thick and obviously italian, her’s is more subtle. there’s hints of her italian heritage in her voice when speaking english, but it becomes more pronounced when she speaks the language itself. dominant hand. right. posture. she’s in the show business, so that requires the perfect posture. straight back, shoulders never hunched over, ass jutting out only slightly. at home, however, she lets herself relax a bit more. it’s nothing overly bad posture wise, but she will let herself lean over a bit more or let her shoulders hunch. scars. other then cuts and bruises from the fighting that heal quickly over time, there’s only one prominent scar that she has. despite healing from the ordeal, she has a faint scar on her neck from the time the joker shot her. she’s still bitter about it and most times her hair is covering that side of her neck. tattoos. while she thinks tattoo’s look great on others, she doesn’t have any herself. she’s never had the will to and when she was younger, her father would have killed her for doing so. most noticeable feature. eyes and legs.

𝘾𝙃𝙄𝙇𝘿𝙃𝙊𝙊𝘿 ,

place of birth. gotham, new jersey. hometown. gotham, new jersey birth weight. between 7-8 lbs. birth height. about 19 inches. manner of birth. due to giovanni’s fame and connections to the wayne family, thomas wayne actually helped them find a private hospital for sindella to give birth at prior to. giovanni was fine with going to a public hospital, but was grateful for the help neverless. first words. daddy. seeing as her father is everything to her, even after death, it only made sense. siblings. none. though, if sindella hadn’t disappeared, it’s most likely they would’ve had more kids. parents. giovanni zatara ( father, deceased ), sindella zatara ( mother, deceased ). parental involvement. zatanna loved her parents to death, even her mother who she known for a short while. her father was the one to help her grow up and taught her everything, seeing as sindella disappeared when she was just a few months old. she was very much a daddy’s little girl and she adored her father more then anyone, and he the same. giovanni would’ve given up anything for her, including his life.

𝘼𝘿𝙐𝙇𝙏 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 ,

occupation. illusionist, stage magician and leaguer. current residence. gotham, new jersey. close friends. bruce wayne, lois lane, john constantine ( sometimes ), alfred, diana prince. relationship status. sadly single. it’s not for her attempt in trying, however. most of the time, she frequents in hook-ups and one night stands since her dates have ended up disastrous. financial status. she’s literally ... rich. nothing compared to bruce, but she makes good money. most of it comes from her shows and her book, though her father did pass some down to her as well, along with shadowcrest. she owns a fancy penthouse in gotham and an apartment in san francisco. driver’s license. she could ... technically get away with not driving. and just teleport everywhere. so, while she doesn’t frequently drive, she does have a license. criminal record. nothing really. she once got caught as a teen with weed, but that’s it. vices. sex, liquor, flirting with the dark side.

𝙎𝙀𝙓 & 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀 ,

sexual orientation. pansexual. romantic orientation. biromantic. preferred emotional role. submissive | dominant | switch | unsure preferred sexual role. submissive | dominant | switch libido. it’s ... high. pretty damn high. she’s no stranger to hooking up with people she just met, and frequently engaging in sex with whomever she’s in a relationship with. she’s also flirted with many ‘ villains ‘ before, either having sex with them post-battle or banter resulting in making out up against the alley wall. she’s also not opposed to having sex, well, where ever. turn on’s. a good ass on either gender, easy to banter with, humor, bad boys or anything with a ‘ bad side ‘, scruff on guys, arms on either gender. turn off’s. lying to her or screwing her over in general. also objectifying her to nothing but a ‘ hot piece of ass ‘. love language. often touching, even if it’s a hand on the arm, kisses on the cheek, cuddling, eager to show how much she loves them. relationship tendencies. oh, how she’d love to be in a relationship, but she has a terrible track record of them. most of the time it’s just mutual hook-ups or a friends with benefits situation. but if she is in a relationship, she gives it her all, even if the other is half-assing it. she’s all about communication and honestly, and hates going to bed angry at the other. she’s also incredibly open, not to the point where it’s annoying on social media, but has no problem showing her love.

𝙈𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙊𝙐𝙎 ,

character’s theme song. oh god. probably every little thing she does is magic ??? or anything magic related. hobbies to pass the time. reading with a cup of tea in her hand, watching netflix, thinking up new tricks for her shows, attending charities and helping out in the community. physical illness. none. left or right brained. right brained probably. fears. losing the people she loves, losing her magic, not being able to control her magic. self confidence level. it’s pretty high with everything. sometimes she’s overly confident, but she does have moments where she’s insecure. vulnerabilities. her emotions because those run high, her abilities with her magic, the ability to protect people, bruce wayne, john constantine, giovanni & sindella zatara.

tagged by. @diamcndclaws :’) tagging. @piratehook, @talentforlying, @interphrase ( for nick ! ), @webheadedhero.

#* headcanons. / let's look at what makes you a woman.#bye this took half an hour

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writemoment · 6 years

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The Cold Reality Pt.3

Writer: Ellie-Mae (Pen Name)

Part: 3/5

Previous Parts: 1 - 2

Summary: People leaving you is inevitable in life, that's what y/n's come to learn. No one really lasts, even when promises are made, everyone fades away eventually. One day, y/n's almost killed when caught in the middle of an Avengers battle but gets whisked out of harms way by a pale, dark haired man, dressed in green and gold. Will this be the start of a mischievous but unavoidable ending?

Pairing: Marvel Loki x Reader

Warnings/Rated: Nightmares, Angst, Trust Issues and Fluff.

Word Count: 6,840

( Reader ) P.O.V.

I've been with the Avengers for a total of two weeks and it's been hectic, to say the least. Ever since I arrived at the main base, I've been dragged to Stark and Banner to get poked and prodded for testing on the stone. There's not a whole bunch that they can do because it is inside my body and we don't know how far we can push it, yet.

Another worry is the long-term effects it may have on me. It's something I hadn't considered because I've been hoping that it'd be done with soon but clearly, it's a real possibility. Thor and Loki have been working with them because they're more familiar with the technology than we are, here on Midgard.

The thing that's hindering us is that the Asgardian Princes are clueless on how the technology will interact with our tech and especially with it being inside a 'mortals' body. Ah, right - Loki.

Loki has been with me, everywhere, for a week now and it's exhausting. We bicker and argue in between us actually having normal conversations. It's so odd because it's like he can't allow himself to be pleasant, not even for a moment. But when he is, I actually like him and it's only when he realizes his actions that he reverts back to his mischievous ways.

On the contrary, Loki has kind of been my personal medic as of late. With all the testing that's been going on, the stone has been causing after-effects of pain and Loki's used his magic to help me out, more than once.

Since that day in the hall, I don't ask about his magic much. Loki may be a jerk sometimes but he still deserves to have some privacy, he's still a living being. And so, that leads us to where I am currently.

Through the week of roaming these halls, I've found another library that's almost identical to the one from the towers. As it turns out, these libraries are usually void of members of the Avengers because they're Loki's hideouts. Which is no excuse to avoid these shelves of literature!

I sit on the couch in the ‘hideout’ with a book in my hand, thumbing through the pages with much interest. I glance up and see Loki watching me from a corner, with curiosity etched into his features. "What?"

He blinks rapidly, almost like I broke him out of a deep thought. "I beg your pardon?" He asks, refocusing on reality. I bite my lip to stop myself from chuckling and sigh as an alternative.

"Why were you looking at me like that while I was reading? You do know that Midgardians read as well, correct?" I thoroughly enjoy teasing Loki because that's when he's his most natural in communication. It's the common ground in which we both can speak through.

"Ah, yes. What a surprise that was to discover." He chuckles, "My apologies. It just peaked my curiosity as to why you'd be reading an Asgardian spell book." Well, I didn't think he paid too much attention as to what I did in my time as he watched over me, but apparently he notices. My cheeks heat up at this realization and I blow out my cheeks before I explain myself.

"Ever since you've been using your magic to help me, I've been curious as to the tricks you do. I didn't want to bother you with my string of questions or make you uncomfortable, so I've been reading about it instead." My embarrassment is evident in my movements and I gently close the aged book.

This seems to have taken Loki by surprise and he watches me carefully, only fueling my insecurities. Slowly, he slides the book from my hands and flips through it's contents. Looking back at me, he closes it before continuing.

"What would you like to know?" He asks, coming to stand in front of me. I stutter while trying to dismiss the bother but he cuts me off. "It's not a bother and you'll waste less time if you would simply ask."

I search his face and see that he's patiently waiting for me to continue forth with my questions. "Okay...So, the other day, you healed my finger when I sliced it while cooking - How is that possible?"

A smile tugs up at Loki's lips and he opens the book to a chapter, going through the explanation. Scooting over, I pat the seat beside me and wait to see his reaction. He abruptly stops speaking and we remain silent for a few moments.

Loki then moves in beside me, brushing his arm against mine as he proceeds to show me the pages of Asgardian magic. Despite us spending quite a bit of time together, this is the closest we've been socially. He's helped to heal me and relieve pain but nothing of this nature.

The act in itself brings a delightful shiver through my body and I try to stay still as to not bring attention to my reaction. I try to refocus my attention on the pages before me but I'm very aware of the man sitting beside me.

He goes to answer several of my questions and I work up to the most pressing of one that's on my mind. Hesitantly, the words spill forth. "Loki? I don't want to cross a line or anything but...how can you turn your skin to such freezing temperatures? You've done it to aid me with the core but it's nowhere near the ice charms mentioned."

Although he tries his best to hide it, his posture goes rigid and I can slowly feel him closing up again. Gosh dang it, why'd I have to go and ruin everything. Quickly, I dismiss the subject by rambling a string of words that result in me answering my own questions. Good job, Y/n. A+ job.

Loki nods, still letting me in a little and I can see his mind turning in ways I can't even begin to comprehend. Without thinking about it, I reach over and give his forearm a reassuring squeeze that causes me to immediately stutter awkwardly, once again, making things weird.

Surprisingly, Loki chuckles and lays his hand over mine as a silent thank you. I stare at him as he looks at me and I feel the familiar warmth spread through my chest as his thumb grazes my knuckles. He's just about to say something when we both hear footsteps coming towards us.

Retracting from one another, I feel sad at the lost connection but my attention is drawn to Peter as he scurries into our view. "Y/n! We found more of those stone, core things! Mr Stark wants you in the lab asap!" He says, sounding excited.

Peter and I have hung out a few times, sitting around watching pop culture classics in the living room and goofing off. He's a neat kid and I enjoy his enthusiasm at most things.

Loki and I exchange a look as we get up to follow the young man to Stark's and Banner's lab - a place that I've come well acquainted with, sadly. "How'd you find more Chitauri cores, Pete?" I ask.

"Oh, Thor and Steve were able to scavenge some from the battle you were injured in." I wince at the memory and he apologies quickly before continuing, "Mr Stark had originally discarded them in a warehouse but sent for them after he learned about you."

"Then why did it take so long?"

Laughing, Peter looks over at us. "See, that's the thing - The Avengers have so much crap that's been thrown to the side that they didn't remember where the cores where exactly."

"How organized." Loki comments. I smile at him, enjoying his sarcasm and Peter looks like he's just seen a miracle as he registers Loki's playful grin. Sometimes I forget that not many people are around him enough to know that he's not all bad.

Turning one last corner, we all enter the lab together and I immediately recognize the various weapons of the Chitauri warriors. "Ah,'bout time you showed up." Tony says before pulling me over to the devices.

"Y/n, take a look and tell me which one almost killed you." Tony says, nonchalantly. Bruce coughs and Tony gets the message. "If you could, please. We need all the information we can gather." Bruce frowns at the drawn out politeness but continues sorting through the tech anyhow.

Immediately spotting the alien gun, I cross over to it. Just before I can pick it up, Loki's hand grabs mine and gently places it back at my side. "I think it'd be wise if you don't handle the technology, pet. Please, be cautious." He says quietly and directed for my ears alone.

Nodding, I point to the gun before Loki hands it over to the guys. I feel irritation bubble at the distrusting looks that they give him but I push it down. Honestly, Loki has been trying to help them. I know he's made some mistakes...Okay, a lot of mistakes. But that doesn't mean that he can't be trusted. Even Tony created weapons to hurt people, that doesn't make his changes any less valid.

Bruce politely invites me and Loki to take a seat, as they will be needing us nearby. Stark tries to send Peter away but I request that he stays to keep me company, which is granted. "Just don't touch anything, okay, kid? I don't need you getting hurt and me having to explain it to May." Tony pleads.

Now the fun begins....

****

Scratch that! This isn't anywhere near fun....

In the last three hours, we've discovered that it's incredibly hard to penetrate the Chitauri tech with Midgard tools, it could even be potentially harmful. They decided, since these are basically raw energy sources, that it'd be best if we mess with them outside. This way, no one around us can get hurt and we don't catch anything on fire or something.

Heat doesn't do anything to it, water doesn't do anything and it's resistant against a large amount of weight. We learned that me touching the cores don't hurt me like regular tech does and I can control it with ease.

The cores produce a lot of energy and can enhance a lot of our tools. "Hmm, let's try this." Tony says, walking over to the core with a arc reactor in his hand. He goes to connect the two but the core starts brightly shining, almost smoking in the presence of the arc reactor. "Tony!!" I cry out.

Tony turns and sprints with us but we can only manage to get just out of reach when it detonates. The blast knocks us off our feet and we all tumble to the ground. We're all breathing hard as we turn on our backs to see the damage. In the ground, a good sized hole has been blown from the Earth. "Well, now we have a place to bury my body." I dryly joke, internally freaking out.

"Y/n..." Loki starts but I talk over him.

"Because that's clearly what's going to happen to me. There's no denying it. You all know that this can't end well for me." My voice breaks but no tears fall. "It's okay....I accept it."

"No." We all snap our attention at the voice. Peter.... "No, this isn't how it's going to end. We can fix this, right, Mr. Stark?" No one says anything. "Mr. Stark?"

"Kid...I don-"

"We can't just let her die! That's not an option!" Peter says, irritated at our acceptance. "You guys are just giving up." Tony looks down at the grassy ground that we all are still sitting upon and guilt is written across his face.

"The boy is right." Loki stands and walks over to me. "You dying is not an option and we need to look for another way." He says but his focus is on me as he cups my hands in his, helping me up from the ground. "We will find another way." His hands are still holding mine and the others agree to keep searching.

They may have faith but I have none to be found.

****

I'm wandering around in the middle of downtown New York and it's vacant of any life. "Where did everyone go?" I wonder out loud, not being able to figure out what's going on.

My feet propel me forward and I find myself tripping over something. Oh...tripping over someone. "Wanda!?" I exclaim, crouching to the ground to turn her body and examine the damage. A startled gasp leaves me when I see her eyes glossed over and her skin cold.

"No, no. You can't be dead, you just can't."

I stand up and stumble away from her, not wanting to be near my lifeless friend. My back hits the door of a car and I immediately slide down the side, to the pavement.

I glance away from her and my eyes land onto another body, adorned in red, white and blue. I push myself up and search the ground around me, covering my mouth at the horrors surrounding me.

All the Avengers are dead..

"No, this isn't right! I'm the one who's supposed to be dead!" I cry out. Fingers wrap around my ankle and I look down at Loki's hand, grabbing at me. "Why would you hurt us?" He trembles out, a terrified and hurt look etched into his face. "Why did you kill them?!"

"But-But I didn't kill them! I didn't...did I?" Tremors rake my body and I reach down to help Loki up but he flinches away from me. "Loki, I'm trying to help you."

"NO! You will hurt me, you will kill me like you killed the rest of them!" He screams. I try to beg him, tell him that I am no harm to him. "The others may have trusted you but I won't. They're dead because of you!"

"Loki!!! Please!!"

Crying out, I startle awake and sit up in bed. Panting heavily, a cold sweat drenches my skin and I feel sick to my stomach. I'm gasping as I try to capture a stable breath.

Quickly, I fling myself out of bed and into the hallway. I sprint around the corner and bang loudly on Loki's door. When no one answers, I feel the nightmare set in again and I rest my forehead against the wooded frame, tears leaking down my cheeks.

"Y/n?"

Whipping my head around, I see a concerned looking Loki standing behind me with a bottle of water in hand. "Loki!" I whimper and I wrap my arms around him, not caring about any awkwardness it may cause. I just need the relief of feeling his beating heart and knowing that he's alive.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He asks, immediately wrapping his arms around my shoulders and his eyes stare down at the crown of my head. His hand comes up and caresses my hair before cupping my face, pulling it into view. "What's going on, Y/n?"

Sniffling, I back away a bit but he keeps contact with a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. It's nothing, just a stupid dream."

"Nightmare?" He asks and I nod, frowning at the thought. Loki opens his bedroom door and sweeps me inside. God, it's freezing in here. "Oh, sorry - I like it cold." He says, almost as if he read my thoughts, before turning up the heater. "So, a nightmare you say?"

"Yeah....I don't know, I guess everything's just getting to me. I know it's just a dream and it's something I don't want to recount. I- I just don't want to be alone right now, if that makes sense." I say, my voice quiet.

The room switches to a hushed atmosphere and I feel like I've become a nuisance, overstaying my welcome. "I'm sorry. I'll just be heading back to, uh, bed, then." I stutter, standing up from the edge of his bed.

"How come?" Loki asks, looking confused. "You just said you don't want to be alone, yet you return to your private quarters? That's counterproductive, don't you think?"

My mouth opens but no words or sounds come out. It's true, I don't want to go back and be alone with my thoughts. I'm quite taken aback by Loki's observance of my feelings and emotions, plus how kind he's being to me. "Yeah....It's just- This isn't your problem and I didn't want you to think I expect anything of you."

"If I did not want to help you, I would have said so. I would think you'd have figured this out by now, pet." He assures me. Dang, he calls me 'pet' a lot....Dang, I haven't corrected him and now find it endearing.

Loki walks up to me, leaning down to look me in the eye, "Do as you wish. Do note, however, that you are not a bother to me." With that, he goes to the other side of the bed and plops down with his hands behind his head.

I study him, searching for any signs of trickery that may fool me, but there's no dishonesty to find. Giving in, I sigh and move to sit down with my legs crisscrossed on the bed. "Thank you...." I say, looking down at my hands that are folded in my lap.

"For what?"

"I don't know. I guess- for not turning me away." Loki has been nicer to me the past few days and I'm not sure why, but I'm grateful nonetheless. "I know that we don't always agree and that both of us can be obnoxious-" I trail off.

Gaining more courage, I look to Loki and find him already watching me. "but you've helped me more than once. I've never once said thank you and that's wrong, so I want you to know that I'm very grateful for everything you've helped me with."

Loki's blue eyes soften and it's almost like a whole new person is beside me. There's no hostility or harshness to the way he's looking at me but a guilty look soon finds it's place. "I should have never called you an ungrateful mortal and I should not have hid your condition from you. I have not been worthy of such thanks. I'm sorry, Y/n."

A forgiving smile spreads across my lips and Loki looks as if a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. "So, I was wondering if you would tell me how you learned your tricks?" I ask, wanting to start conversation. The God of Mischief shows a genuine smile, teeth and all, and I begin to wonder how many people have had the honor of seeing such an expression on the Norse God.

"Only if I get a story in return, yes?" We shake on it and he begins his intricate story of being a child on Asgard and how it all started. Both of us exchange stories, share laughs and find joy in each other's company through the night.

The next thing I know, I'm opening my eyes and It's morning. Sitting up, I see the silky green sheets covering my body and I remember the events that occurred last night. Oh crap, I'm sleeping in Loki's bed!! I search around but he's nowhere to be found in the room. All I can feel is guilt at the thought of kicking him out of his own room and I know that I need to find him.

Scurrying out from underneath the covers, I start my way out the room but soon trip. My hands reach out to take the fall but I land on top of something softer than the floor. "Oh, god!!!" I scream, rolling off Loki and apologize repeatedly.

I hear him chuckle at me. I'm sure I sound like a broken record, which is great. "Good morning to you, too." He teases, sitting up from his make-shift bed on the ground. The friendly banter reminds me of our conversation last night and I feel my shoulders relax at the realization that we're on good terms.

"You should have woken me up and sent me to my room. I didn't mean to kick you from your own bed! I'm so so so sorry, Loki." I apologize again, not being able to help myself as I blush.

"Y/n! It's okay. After your nightmare, I figured you'd need the sleep. Plus, I wanted to be nearby in case it happened again." Loki explains, shrugging it off as no big deal. Butterflies fill my abdomen and I wrap my arms around my middle, hiding the feeling as if he could see.

Nodding, I thank him. With a smile, Loki stands up and offers a hand to me, which I gladly take. "After you." He gestures to the door and I walk out with him following. "To your room, I take?" After I nod, he escorts me to my room, "I'll be out here by the time you finish."

"Thank you, Loki." With that, he turns and walks away, disappearing behind the corner. Even when he's long gone, I smile that direction. Just as I turn around to enter my room, I'm faced with none other than Peter Parker.

"Peter!!" I exclaim, covering my startled heart with my palm. "You scared me."

"Sorry. Are you alright, Y/n? You seem awfully jumpy this morning." He asks, looking past me. "And what were you looking at? I saw you smiling down the hall." Of course he did, because I'm an idiot.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. My emotions are kind of everywhere, lately." I explain. One thing I love about Peter is that he doesn't question me like he does with the others. We share a few more words before he says he's off to Tony's and leaves.

If there's something I'm for certain about, it's the fact that I'm developing romantic interest in Loki. Part of me is giddy and the other part is dreadful because I know that it could never work out. I'm me and nothing's going to change that, not even this stupid core.

Taking a deep breath in, I enter my room to start changing and cleaning up for the day. After taking a shower and getting dressed into fresh clothes, I walk over to my bed. My eyes land on the green plush cover that had been draped across my body that first night in Stark Towers.

My fingers brush over the soft material and I smile at the memory held with it. Loki and I have more in common than I realized. From my point of view, he's just as used to distancing himself from others as I am.

Which makes us growing closer a lot harder.

Do I want to grow closer with Loki? Of course. Should I allow myself to? Most likely not. Am I going to end up regretting this? I'm not su-

A knock sounds at the door and I stride over to it, meeting the god that's plaguing my thoughts. "Hello." I'm greeted with the same heartwarming smile from earlier. My cheeks flush and I manage to only make 99% of a fool out of myself by saying 'Hi' - which occurred after I stumbled for correct sounds in the English language.

Closing the door behind me, I fall into step beside Loki and we make light chatter on our way to breakfast. "I enjoyed talking to you last night." He tells, looking straight ahead.

"Yes, I enjoyed it too. It's nice to hear about how others grew up and see their perspective on things." I lock my fingers together and try to keep myself from reaching out to him. "Asgard sounds like a beautiful kingdom. As does your mother, Frigga."

The way Loki's expression has become so bright towards me has me yearning to permanently keep it as such. "I do believe you'd be fond of Asgard. As well, you would be well adored by Frigga."

"I wish I could have a chance to meet her and see where you've grown."

"Perhaps that can be arranged." Loki says. Although his confidence in the future is evident, I feel my stomach drop. I will never have the chance to travel with Loki or Thor or any of the Avengers that I've come to care for. "What is troubling you, love?"

My attention is snapped back to him and I force a tight lipped smile, shaking my head. "It's nothing. Just daydreaming." I dismiss the thought with the wave of my hand but I know that Loki can see through my false speech. Still, he knows that now is not the time to push at such a subject and let's it dissipate.

Our conversation has died down to a comment here and there as we continue walking, both of us trapped within our own thoughts. We reach the kitchen and I pour myself a bowl of cereal, reaching into the fridge for the milk.

"Ah, good morning - Loki, Y/n." Thor's naturally loud voice booms through the space around us. I wave slightly at him, continuing with my task. Things are still a little awkward between Thor and I, though we are in the process of getting back to comfortable.

"Morning, brother." The dark haired man responds, his voice so close behind me that the heat of his breath fans over my scalp. Goosebumps trickle across the surface of my skin and a slight shiver rolls through me.

Thor looks between us and smiles, sending me into a fidgeting motion with reddened cheeks. "What have you two been up to?" He asks with a slightly humorous tone. My eyes snap up at him and he gives me an innocent expression, raising his eyebrow for an answer.

"What's with the inquires? I've been doing my job and watching over Y/n." Loki snaps, sounding irritated at the blonde. The hash words weren't directed at me, yet I feel like my heart has been punctured and is slowly deflating.

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!!! Of course, I'm only a job and I need to keep a grip on reality. I'm just a liability and nothing more.

Thor must take notice of my slowly deteriorating happy mood and quickly fills the silence. "I wish to spend the day with Y/n and-" Thor is cut off by Loki's harsh snigger.

"Keep wishing, brother dear."

"I don't have to, Loki. Stark has already agreed to me taking your...duties for the day." Thor informs us and I can see that he most definitely notice my discomfort earlier with the choice of words. Loki looks outraged but there's nothing he can do about it.

After taking a few bites of breakfast, I lose my appetite and hop off my seat to stand beside Thor. "I'll see you around, Loki." I say drably, still feeling the residual effects of my hurt emotions from earlier.

Now it's Loki's turn to notice the change in my nature and he gives me a concerned look, eyes scanning me for anything that could lead him to what's got me changed. I feel like he can see through my barrier, as if my walls that I spent years building up has all been made of glass. Glass that he's slowly cracking, letting in the harsh of the cold reality.

Before he can figure me out, I turn and walk out of the kitchen and I hear Thor follow immediately. No words are shared as I walk aimlessly through the facility but that doesn't stop the loudness that my brain is torturing me with.

Pushing against these mixed feelings as much as possible, I take a deep breath and turn to speak with the God of Thunder. "So, why have you requested my presence this fine day, Thor?" I ask, putting on a friendly smile.

"No reason in particular, my friend. I thought we could use this time to catch up on the time we've lost in the past days." He explains. So that's exactly what we do. We spend all morning talking and it doesn't take very long for our sibling-like banter to return to normal.

I'm hugging my middle, laughing so hard that it hurts my gut. "Oh, how I've missed talking with you." I admit, fanning my warm face.

"As I, with you." He sighs, finally calming down from our intense laughter. "You and Loki have become closer, have you not?" He asks, finally speaking his hesitant thoughts from this morning.

Shrugging, I fiddle with my fingers and interweave them with each other. "So it would seem." I reply, rather sadly. There's no use in attempting to hide my disappointment because Thor has this brotherly way of seeing through all of that.

"What is it that keeps you from speaking your mind, Y/n?" Thor inquires. My eyes sting with the ghost of tears and I bite my tongue to keep them from spilling. A long quiet passes as I gather myself to answer my friend, the brother of the one I've become rather fond of.

"The heart is a treacherous thing, is it not?" I ask. Thor looks at me, not quite understanding what brought on this question.

"That's a curious question. I suppose the heart could be just so but that's why we must yield to the knowledge we possess in our mind." Thor's eyes continue to watch me carefully, as if I am the greatest mystery of the millennium.

I shake my head at how ridiculous this all could seem. "I'm scared, Thor." I quietly tremble out, my voice cracking. The blonde god looks immediately concerned and I can feel the tears brimming. "There is no hope inside me that can be used to convince myself that I will survive much longer."

"Y/n.."

"No, Thor. You don't get it!" I cry out, the tears slipping down my cheeks with ease. "This Chitauri rubbish in my arm is what got me here and because of it, I was able to meet you and Peter and Loki and Steve and everyone else. That in itself has been something I had never imagined would occur in my life."

My frown deepens when I see the pity on his face. "But this will also be where my life will come to it's end. I can't bring myself to imagine any alternative or wish for something more because that would be bringing a disservice upon myself. I can't afford anymore heartbreak than I've already encountered."

I look up at the ceiling, swiping my fingertips underneath my eyes to clear away the moisture that's collected there. "I'm sincerely sorry that this has all happened to you, Y/n. Just as you can not bring yourself to hope, I can not convince myself that this will be your end."

Thor stands before striding over to where I sit. I tilt my head up to look at him and he pulls me up into his embrace, which I gladly melt into, letting the tears run free. "You are one of the most kind of individuals I've met in all my years and I'd have liked for us to meet under different circumstances."

I sniffle in response before he continues, rubbing my back soothingly. "But this is just another obstacle that you have to face and do know that we are all here to go through it with you." Thor finishes, "Okay, my friend?"

My arms tighten around the god and all I can manage is to quietly choke out, "Thank you so much, Thor. I couldn't- I couldn't have imagined having anyone better than you on my side." I close my eyes and I know that we both disagree with one another but for the same reason.

We don't want the outcome of this to hurt the other.

****

After our conversation, Thor and I took a walk out in the surrounding forest of the property. Which got us somewhat lost in the process and thus resulted in our return being late at night. "Thanks for today, Thor. I'm glad we got to hang out, again."

"My pleasure. Goodnight, lady Y/n." He squeezes my shoulder before walking away. Having fun with him today was a nice change but I had continually thought about Loki throughout the whole ordeal. Which made me angry because I shouldn't be thinking of him when he was almost positively not thinking about me.

Both of my shoulders slump and I know that I need to try to rest up. Twisting the knob, I swing my door open and as I enter, I notice Loki sitting at my desk. The one person I've been trying to tune out, all day!

By instinct, I jump back and hit my head on the still open door. Scowling, I close it quickly before glaring at the man that's in my room without invitation. "You're back later than I would have expected."

"Lower your expectations and get out of my room, Loki." I snap, walking into the bathroom and checking my head. Silence follows and I beg that it means he's left but my mind knows better.

Peeking around the corner, I see him still sitting there and he seems unfazed by my harsh words. Maybe if I just ignore him, he'll get the message and leave. I go through my room, gathering my sleeping garments and retreat back to the washroom in order to finish up.

Afterwards, I open my way back into my room and I no longer see Loki sitting at my desk. Slight guilt eats away at me and I groan as I climb underneath the comforter, trying to relieve the irritation bubbling in my chest.

Plopping my head down upon the soft cushioning of my pillow, I stare up at the ceiling and imagine becoming acquainted with the Avengers in less unfortunate circumstances. I imagine what could have become of Loki and me if I had not been an assignment. Would he have any connection with me as I have come to have with him?

Tossing over onto my side, I close my eyes and allow myself to dream of an alternate reality where things are different. Where I would have no expectations or unfortunate pasts or anything of the sort. Where I am different than I am right now.....

Bodies lay at my feet, drained of any life that once filled them and the core in my arm is glowing brightly, almost happily at the deaths it has caused. "Very well done, Y/n, Mortal of Midgard." A dark hooded figure approaches the scene but I can't make out their face. "Nothing suits you better than the darkness that has eroded every fiber of your being."

"Who are you?!" I scream, terrified of what I've involuntarily become. "Why have you done this?" My voice hoarsely calls.

The figure laughs loudly and only now do I hear a feminine ring to them. "Bring forth the trouble." She commands and Chitauri warriors step forward with a beaten and bruised Loki between them, his head hanging low.

"No! Don't you dare hurt him!" I beg desperately. "Please, kill me! Kill me instead of taking anymore lives!" I offer, wanting all this pain and suffering to end here. This needs to end.

Loki's head tilts upward until his eyes land on me, but there's only hatred being held towards me. "You!!!" He yells, thrashing against the soldiers he's held against. "This all happened because of you! They all died by your hands!"

Tears sting my eyes and I don't understand what he's going on about. "Oh, do shut up. Instead of royal highness, he should be royal whine-ness." The figure jokes but there's no humor to be found in these situations.

"Who are you!?" I demand, trying to buy time for Loki to pull one of his mischievous tricks and break free.

"Ah, me? You know me whether you realize it or not." With that, the hood gets pulled from their head and reveals the culprit. "Surprise."

My heart drops and my face falls slack. "No, no. This can't be real. This isn't real!!" The horror seeps into my mind and I can't take my eyes off of her. Standing in front of me, adorned in black robes, I stare into the eyes of myself....

"Yes, my dear. This is what you have become." She says, gesturing to herself. "This is us, spattered in the blood of our victims. You are nothing but the past. I'm the future, you in this form."

With a wave of her hand, another Chitauri warrior comes forward and plunges their sharpened staff straight through Loki's chest. His eyes watch me as they lose color, his body slumping as his remaining life flees his body.

"Loki, no!!! Loki, please! No!!"

Screaming, I struggle against the covers as I try to run from the nightmare. Within seconds, my door flies open and my bedside lamp gets turned on. My eyes adjust to the lighting and soon fall onto Loki, who has come to my aid.

"Y/n, are you okay?" He asks hurriedly, concern plain to see. He stands by the edge of the bed, looking me over as I sit there frozen in my panic. "Y/n?"

I don't realize I'm crying until Loki's thumbs swipes the droplets from my cheeks. "I'm sorry, Loki." I whisper, hiccuping in the process. Part of me expects him to prod me for more context but what happens is out of character.

Loki sits beside me, in the bed, and pulls me to his chest in a hug. "No reason to be sorry, pet. It's okay." He coos as his fingers roam through my hair, soothingly. I can't push away my feelings right now and his comfort is something I greatly need. I lean into him and try to steady my breathing to the rhythm of his.

We stay like that for, what appears to be, a long time before anything is said. "Loki, how did you know I had a nightmare?" I ask.

"I heard you crying out. Given the fact that you've told me of your occurring nightmares, I didn't want you to be alone again." I was crying out? "Yes. You actually..." He answers and I realize I must have thought out loud.

"I, what?" I ask.

"Never matter. What were you dreaming about?" I want to tell him but I don't want to scare him away. I don't want him to think I'm crazy and I definitely don't want him to know that he's a big part of my nightmares.

I shake my head and he sighs. "Y/n? Please, talk to me. I want to help you." Giving in, I continue to hide my face in his chest so he can't see me and I can't see his expressions.

"My nightmares are about the Chitauri core. I always end up hurting, even killing, people in my dreams and there's nothing I can do to change it. There's no escaping what's a part of you." I don't go into details because I feel like that's a discussion for another time and I don't feel comfortable enough to expose that part of myself just yet.

"Oh, pet." Loki sighs, leaning back for me to look at him. "You need not to fear this. I won't-, We won't let anything hurt you."

Pushing away from his body, I feel the fear creep up again. "No, it's not that! Can't you see, Loki? I'm scared of hurting people. I don't want to be that, especially against my own will."

"Y/n, you will never, ever, be that kind of person. You are more than strong enough to choose your own actions and be who you truly are." My heart flutters at his words and his blue irises twinkle at me, almost affectionately.

"Thank you...Loki." I softly say, not able to think of a better response.

He chuckles at me and moves to leave the bed. "Don't leave." I say quickly, not thinking it through. Did I seriously just say th-

"As you wish, pet." He replies, coolly. Swiftly, he moves back beside be and we both look at each other for a long moment. "Get some rest, Y/n." I go to protest but he shushes me. "I'll still be here when you wake up."

"Loki, you don't have to-"

Once again, he quiets me and I huff in defeat. Laying down, I look over at him and I'm acutely aware of the space between us. My eyes start to grow heavy with every passing second but I fight against it.

Loki doesn't miss this and he smooths over my hair. "Sleep, please." His voice is soft and I imagine falling asleep to his voice would be pleasant. As my eyes flutter closed, I hear him speak one last time. Loki says it so softly, I wonder if I've imagined such words slipping past his lips.

"I'm not going to leave you. I promise."

Part Four Here

Masterlist Here

A/N: Cute? Angsty? Funny? Let me know what you think!!! Ah, I loved writing these. Make sure to follow me for updates!! (Crossed out means I couldn’t tag you! Sorry.) - Ellie-Mae

Tags: @jclements919 @jcalpha1 @immoralquandary @kany-eet @anaswolves @mysticalstarfishpolice

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ellana-ravenwood · 7 years

Text

“I don’t like cats” - Bruce Wayne x Reader

“i love your stories. i have become addicted and i was wondering if you could write a batmom story of were selina kyle doesn't know bruce is married and she comes to the manor in a very sexy outfit and batmom and the boys walk in on that and it very awkard. thanks :)” requested by @cheesecake-chic

Well, first, thank you, and then : here it is. I know a lot of you tell me I shouldn’t think my writing is shit, but with this one, I’m really...unsure. Meh, it’s all over the place. Anyway. Hope you’ll still like it :

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

_________________________________________________

Today, Bruce woke up with the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Usually, his guts were always right and he spent the entire morning on edge...

But as the hours went by, and he saw that everyone was safe, he relaxed a bit. When your lips kissed his cheek lovingly as you came down in the kitchen for breakfast, he let go a little bit. When his sons didn’t even fight once, he let go a little bit. When Alfred made the best pancakes ever, he let go a little bit. When his hands wrapped around your waist to bring you closer, and his lips kissed your neck, while his sons made loud “ewwww” noises, he let go even more...And by noon, he was his normal self again. Still slightly worried about everything, a bit broody and all (though your presence made him smile like an idiot), but not waiting for a catastrophe anymore.

And oh how wrong he was to let his guard down.

It was 10 pm when all Hell broke loose (ok, he was over-exagerating).

It was 10 pm when Selina Kyle knocked on the Manor door, wearing a dress that was revealing a lot of skin.

It was 10 pm when Selina Kyle invited herself in the Wayne family house, and after a sexy “Long time no see Bat” and her sultriest look, kissed Bruce without any warning as he was coming to the entrance hall to see who rung the door, curious of who came to visit at such an hour.

It was 10 pm when you came in as well, with all of your kids, wondering too who was ringing so late in the evening.

Reflexively, as you all witnessed your Bruce pushing Catwoman away (oh the bitch stuck her tongue in his mouth !), your two oldest sons, Dick and Jason, held your shoulders...Just in case you decided to jump on Selina you know, and like, kill her or something. It was notoriously known that when you were jealous, you were dangerous. Granted, you weren’t often jealous, as Bruce only had eyes for you, and mostly ignored women who were hitting on him unsubtly (though none of them would ever dare doing it in front of you, and if they did, your natural sarcasm and wits would humiliate them right on the spot).

Bruce’s eyes were going between you and Selina, and the worry he felt earlier in the day came surging back. He knew how well you and Selina fought, if you decided to attack, it would be a disaster...

But it didn’t seem like you were reacting. At all. Your sons were holding you by your shoulders, waiting to use all their strength to hold you if need be. Damian and Tim’s stance also showed they were ready to intervene.

But you weren’t really reacting. You were just looking at Selina blankly, as if the things you just saw were trying to register themselves in your head.

Selina Kyle.

Catwoman.

Whom you knew slept multiple times with your now husband. The only woman you ever felt truly jealous of. Because she had a somewhat serious thing with Bruce. Hell, because Bruce used to be in love with her...used to ? For some reasons, all of a sudden, you felt like maybe he still had feelings for her, because he didn’t pull immediately away from her when she was kissing him...Maybe it’s because he was surprised ? You hoped to the Gods it was the case, because otherwise, it would break your heart...What if he pulled away only because you and your sons came in ? What would have happened if you didn’t ? Would he have kept kissing her ? Your mind was in a haze.

And oh she had the nerve to try and kiss him again ! This time however, her lips didn’t enter in contact with his, as he pushed her away when she started to approach him again.

-Oh Bruce, come on, it has been so long since last time we saw each others ! Almost ten years ! Didn’t you miss me ?

-I...Hum...I am...I did I...I got...

He...He did ? Your heart sunk. And you could feel it starting to crack.

He missed her. The woman he used to love.

And the way he was stumbling on his words...Bruce rarely did so. The only times you heard him struggling to make a sentence was when he proposed to you.

Selina smiles at him, and he smiles back. But not of the smile he usually gives you, no, of a very awkward and fake one. But you don’t realize that, for you, he just smiles back...widely...He even chuckle. It’s a nervous one, but to your ears, it sounds like he’s laughing because he’s happy to see her.

Catwoman finally turns around, following Bruce’s eyes that are looking at you, acknowledging yours and your children’s presence for the first time.

-Ah. Your kids right ? Of course, sorry, I got excited to see you again, sorry about that, you’re probably right, kissing you in front of them...Awkward.

Bruce nods, and his gaze locks with yours...but you don’t really see him. You’re in another world, trying to calm your heart from beating wildly. Trying to not cry in front of all of them. If you had actually look at him, you’d have realize that he was trying to tell you that Selina meant nothing to him, she wasn’t even a friend anymore (she used him too often, and one day, ten years ago, left without a word...with friends like this, you didn’t need enemies right ?). You often could communicate just with your eyes, freaking people out when they realized you were holding entire conversations by just looking at each others...But you weren’t really looking at him right now, you were looking through him, he could see it, and he hated it.

Selina approached your children and you, the grip your sons had on your shoulders tightened a bit. Just in case. But you do not move.

With a charming smile, that even you had to admit was wonderful, she said :

-Well, there’s more than last time. Are you Dick and Jay ?

Your oldest kids nod slowly, their eyes still on you.

-Wow, you’ve grown, so handsome...and who are you guys ?

Bruce comes next to her, his eyes still fixed on you, and he speaks for them (Damian was glaring at Catwoman, unhappy to see his mother blanking out like she was because of her, and Tim was just too worried for you to register anything really) :

-This is Tim. And that’s Damian.

-And your daughter ? Or maybe Dick’s girlfriend, or Jay’s. Oh, a ring ! Oh my God Richard did you get married ?!

You get why she misunderstand who you are. You do look younger than Bruce, as he has quite a number of years on you...But you’re also obviously way older than your sons. And Hell, Dick was too young to get married ! But you understood her misunderstanding, somehow. Of course, in her head, Bruce Wayne couldn’t be married. Especially not...to someone like you, a nobody, not even an exceptionally beautiful woman. Of course. Of course...

Selina smiles at you, and you don’t even know what to say. You totally want to punch her in the face, but you find yourself unable to move. And her smile is so beautiful, her charisma so strong...How could you stand a chance against her ?

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

Almost ten years ago, it was luck that brought you and Bruce together.

You were a young writer that was starting to get famous at the time, and you took advantage of your newly found fame to organize a charity for better access to books for Gotham’s poorest population. It was a small charity, in one of the worst neighborhood in G city, and you never expected the great Bruce Wayne to come...and yet. And yet he came. And to no one’s surprises, the charity was a massive success. His money helped building new libraries all around Gotham.

He never told you, but he fell for you almost instantly. As soon as he saw you, on the stage, awkwardly giving a nervous speech about how important it was for everyone to have a fair access to books. Maybe he should have told you how quickly he fell for you, and how you eclipsed every women he ever met in the first minutes he saw you. Maybe if he had told you, you wouldn’t feel so insecure right now, faced with Selina Kyle, the only one that you ever felt jealous of.

Hell, he didn’t even wait the end of the soiree to invite you to dinner the next day ! He went to you immediately after your speech, said he loved your books (and he really did), and gave you a massive check for your organization. How could you have said no to his invite ? Besides, he was extremely handsome and charming, and so smart !

From that point, everything just went downhill. Five dates later, two to fancy restaurants, one just walking on the dock, and two others going to the movie theater and..You ended up in his bed. And you just never left it.

Not even three months later, you got married. It was really love at first sight. And you became Mrs. Wayne, mother of two young children, at barely 23 years old. Needless to say, tabloids and Gotham’s media went wild. Was Bruce Wayne loosing his mind by marrying such a young woman ? She probably just wanted him for his money !

Ten years later, you proved them wrong, and became an important part of Gotham’s life, taking a great interest in the most disadvantages population, as you always did.

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

And yet, even though so many newspaper and tv channel talked about you through those ten years Catwoman was god knew where, Seline Kyle never heard of you. She thought you were your son’s fiance. YOUR SON’S FIANCE ! You knew you looked younger than your real age but...Come on ! You wanted to punch her, but you found yourself unable to move.

However, you could speak. You looked at her dead in the eye, making her flinch at the intensity of your gaze, and before Dick or anyone else could answer her question about him being married, you simply said :

-I’m (Y/N). Wayne. Nice...Nice to meet you.

“Nice to meet you” ? Really ? Why were you being so nice with her ? Where was your wits and sarcasms ? Usually, you would have put her in her place already, and the incident would have been closed.

But you just couldn't find the strength in you to...do anything. Bruce was still in love with her, you just knew it. Because otherwise, why would he stare at you like that, with...this emotion you couldn’t read in his eyes ? Why wouldn’t he talk, defend you, say that your his wife ? Say anything really, but that he also missed her...

Sadness. That’s what Bruce felt at the moment. Sadness to see you in such a state. Not yourself. His (Y/N) would have said something sarcastic already, or something if she felt alright...He only saw you speechless or unable to do anything in the worst time of your life. When Jason died, when Damian died, when you lost your parents etc etc...so, seeing you like that right now, knowing it was all because of something stupid as you clearly thinking he didn’t love you anymore was...well, it made him sad. But he was so caught up with worrying about you, about how you felt and all of that, that he forgot to talk. As simple as that. It just didn’t register in his head that he should end this right now, say that you’re his wife, and that probably, Selina should go. Or at least, stop trying to kiss him and touch him.

-Wait...Wayne...Does that mean...

Oh ? Was she finally going to get it ? Given the fact that she grabbed Bruce’s arms (and again, all he did was stare at you, he didn’t even pull away this time), probably not.

-Did you adopt Dick and Jason for real ? Are they Waynes now ?

It was too much for Damian, he was about to say the things his father should have said, that you weren’t Dick’s girl, that was gross, you were his mom ! And Bruce Wayne’s wife, which is why you were called Wayne, not because you married one of his sons...But your next action shocked him too much for him to do anything.

You just laughed. Bursted out in laughter. Unable to breathe because you were laughing too much, your entire body shaking with each giggle.

Everyone, including Selina, just stared at you, confused.

-Hum...Did I miss something ?

Catwoman asked, and you laughed even more. Somewhere along this huge qui pro quo that was slowly breaking your heart, you finally looked at Bruce, truly looked at him. And what you saw in his eyes made your heart...sing.

You couldn’t read his facial expression, but oh his eyes...everything was clear. He didn’t even have one thought in his head about Selina Kyle, except that, if because of her intrusion he lost you, he was going to loose it.

Through his eyes, you saw that he wasn’t sorry because he fell out of love with you, and didn’t want you to discover it like that like you thought...no, he was afraid for you. Afraid you’d misinterpret things, and hell you definitely did.

His eyes were telling you “I love you”, you completely misread everything since the beginning. Reminiscing the latest event, you just couldn’t help but laugh at yourself and your stupidity. Damn sometimes your insecurities were a drag...

He pushed her away a fraction of seconds before you came in, so he didn’t pull away from her because of you. He made an almost disgusted face when he wiped his lips from her saliva, meaning he didn’t grant her access to his mouth. When he saw you and your children, the fear that was in his eyes wasn’t because you walked in on him kissing another woman (or rather, her kissing him), it was because he was scared you’d jump on Catwoman and kill her, or something. Which is why your kids grabbed your shoulders. They weren’t sorry for you, they were ready to restrain you.

When she asked him if she missed her, he wasn’t agreeing that yes, he did, he was trying to say that he got married, and stumbled on his words because you occupied his thoughts and he was afraid you’d misunderstand things.

When Selina smiled to him, his smile was the fakest he only reserved for TV and rich fuckers that thought they were better than anyone else, he wasn't giving her his genuine smile he only gave you and his children.

When she approached you and your children, the face he made, the way he was looking for you to look at him, wasn’t because he wanted to tell you things were over between the two of you, but because he was trying to tell you...you were being stupid, you were misreading everything.

You slapped yourself because if you had look at him right away, you would have understand everything. You two were always able to talk just by looking at each others...His eyes, the way he looked at you, just kept repeating “I love you (Y/N), only you, forever”.

Catwoman was utterly confused now, and really thought that you were completely nuts, seeing you slapping yourself and laughing like a crazy person...Still laughing, but slowly calming yourself down, you showed your ring, and Selina got even more confused.

You then took your husband’s hand, and showed his wedding band and...Oh. It hit her. Oh. Oooooooooooh. How could she have been so stupid ? Of course you didn’t look that young, now that she was truly looking you. You were probably in your mid-thirties or something, while your son was but an 18 year old boy...But to her defense, you did look younger, and people really had to look at you and your little flaws to know you were older !

Catwoman took two steps backward, and...Oh my this situation was beyond awkward.

She mistook Bruce’s wife for his son’s. She kissed him passionately in front of them (she didn’t even got that he wasn’t responding !). She was acting as if she was with the Batman, while he was now married...Oh.

Married men really wasn’t her thing. She had a lot of flaws, but flirting with someone else’s man wasn’t one of them. She genuinely didn’t know Bruce got married...She never would have pegged him for the kind of guy who would make such a commitment. Even when they had their “thing” (she admitted they couldn’t really call it a “relationship”, it was more an infatuation and a sexual thing than love), he would push her away if it got a bit too serious. So married ? You had to be extraordinary (if Bruce could read minds, he would have agreed, you were the most extraordinary person he ever met, the only one he ever loved, the only one he couldn’t imagine his life without...the only one who ever made him wanna get married).

Slowly the awkwardness of the situation downed on Selina, and it was slowly killing her. She hated looking ridiculous, and you were still laughing ! Shifting on her high heels, embarrassed, trying to fit her dress around her so that it would hide a bit more her skin, she couldn’t help but think she looked pathetic, walking into someone’s house, after ten years of silence radio, and expecting him to just get back with her as if nothing happened...How stupid could she be ?!

Seeing her horrified face, you quickly said :

-Oh I’m not laughing at you by the way, to be honest I don’t even know why I’m laughing, I...I just...it’s just that...Haha I thought...And then I looked at Bruce and I understood you meant nothing...Sorry that wasn’t very tactful but you know what I mean and...I’m allergic to cats, I don’t like cats...Except for Pennyworth Damian, your cat is the exception that confirm the rules and...Oh sorry Miss Kyle i’m just so...oh god I was about to kill you and all...And I guess we...I guess we...I GUESS WE JUST AVOIDED A CAT-ASTROPHE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Your entire family face-palmed themselves. Of course. Only you, only you could turn a situation that was so intense and could have ruined the family seconds before, into something utterly ridiculous and make a corny joke. Of fucking course. Don’t get them wrong, they loved you, so much it hurt, but sometimes...Sometimes they just had to facepalm.

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

It took you twenty good minutes to stop laughing and regain your contenance.

During those twenty minutes, Selina Kyle never felt as awkward as this in her entire life.

Bruce’s youngest kid kept glaring at her slyly, clearly happy that she felt embarrassed and was red as a tomato. Damian had heard about Catwoman, he knew she was an arrogant and proud woman, though his father always said she was a good person (deep down, and though a bit selfish), so seeing her that uncomfortable after she almost destroyed his family, broker his mom’s heart...Well, maybe it was a bit evil of him, but it was truly a delight.

Tim was coming back to his senses. His mother’s laugh brought him back in real life. During the entire awkward encounter, he just kept thinking about what could go through his mother’s mind, and it made him stress too much, because no matter the scenario he made up in his head, he could only see her leave and...Wayne Manor couldn’t stand without their Batmom.

Jason and Dick weren’t holding you by the shoulders anymore, and were looking at each other, a bit confused. They weren’t as worried for you as their little brothers were, because they knew their father, they knew that what he had with Catwoman was never...serious. Not like with you. Besides, she always been nice to them before she mysteriously disappeared...But of course, she wasn’t even playing in the same sandbox than their mother.

Bruce was looking at his wife stupidly, in awe, relieved that she wasn’t going to leave or something like that...and that made Selina more awkward than ever. Because, he was really devouring his wife with his eyes, and the smile on his face was the most genuine she ever seen and...Well, it was never like that with her. Oh god, everything was so not going like she planned.

When you finally came back to your senses, your laughter subsiding, you looked straight at Selina’s face and...Asked her if she wanted tea.

No, she didn’t. She wanted to leave, right now...But she said yes, because she realized that she almost destroyed Bruce’s family by her cluelessness.

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

Selina disappeared all those years ago because she had really bad problems with some of her...”clients” in Gotham, and it was just easier to leave, because not even the Batman could have had ensure her protection.

Besides, it was good she left, she wasn’t sure she would have bared the humiliation of Bruce “breaking up” with her for you. Because there was no doubt that, even if they were seriously involved with each other, as soon as he laid eyes on you, she would have been gone from his mind, replaced by you. No doubt.

-You could have at least...left a message.

-I had to completely disappear Bruce, I couldn't risk it.

-I guess you’re right...

Yeah ok, Selina was jealous. The way the Batman was looking at you, the way your sons seemed ready to protect you, the way Bruce’s hands seemed to be unable to not touch you...and the expression on your face, so relaxed, just...happy. She was kind of jealous. Not of you though, of them. Because clearly, there was something in you that sprout all those reactions, and you really must be an incredible woman.

She asked how you met, how you convinced him to marry you and...got put back in her place by your youngest son, Damian, who said his father was the one who convinced you to marry him. You really didn’t wanna get married when you two met and...You scolded your son to be nicer. More polite. And he excused himself. selina had a hunch that that kid rarely said “sorry”, and was pretty impressed.

You all talked for a long time, Bruce catching up with his old “friend”. You didn’t feel an ounce of jealousy toward her anymore (or almost), the worst had passed. He wasn’t leaving you for her. And the way he looked at you made you feel sexier than her, even though she was gorgeous.

The thing was, she might be technically more beautiful than you, but no one would call her that...Because your aura was so strong, your charisma was so intriguing, that if you two were in a room...Well Selina would hate being in a room with you. She liked being the center of attention, with you around, she wouldn’t be. Which was funny because, the last thing you wanted was to be the center of the attention...

You all talked for a long time, or rather, your sons ended up talking a lot with Selina, and you and Bruce just stayed there, looking at them proudly, in each other’s arms.

Selina Kyle wasn’t the only woman you were truly jealous of anymore.

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

When evening finally came, Selina left, and your children went down the bat-cave. Before their father joined them, he took you to your shared bedroom, and made sure you knew how much he loved you. His words of adoration for you were almost too much, and the way he worshipped your body made you melt...God you loved that man too. To death. So much it hurt..

FIN. And I’m annoyed at myself cause it’s, if not terrible, very meh...Sorry to be annoyingly insecure, sometimes I’m ok with my writings, sometimes I’m like : oh my god it’s so bad. But I still post it, because of reasons.

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redrobin-detective · 7 years

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Don't know if this had been asked before but how would resolve/explored/develop the batfamily dynamics pre 52? I don't know if it was you or someone else, but it was brought up that the idea of Damian being more Dick's kid than Bruce's would be a neat idea to explore. Bruce would still bond w/Damian but he'd have to deal w/Damian seeing Dick as his real dad and Dick staying Batman for Damian's sake. Tim and Dick repairing their bond while the former and Damian would learn to accept each other.

Sorry, I know, I’ve held onto this for nearly a week but this is such a big ask I’ve been thinking about how to best describe and format it so I’ve been doing it bit by bit. Because I’ve given quite a bit of thought to how to integrate the ideas of pre-Flashpoint smoothly into N52, using the plot lines and developments from the later without sacrificing the former. I think it could have easily have been done and been more interesting because DC dropped off on some intense plotlines. *Also to save my fingers, Pre = Pre-Flashpoint/N52

Dick/Dami- I have done a few posts about how close they were pre and how Dami and Bruce really weren’t. Bruce was not the best father before he came back from the dead and had no interest in working with Damian in order to help the boy heal. In my fantasy, this would have played out. Damian would have refused to leave Dick’s side as his partner while now Bruce is hurt/confused on why his son now doesn’t want to be with him. I want Damian and Bruce to have a relationship but I want B to have to work for it. Nightwing and Robin shows Dick and Dami together with Batman and Red Robin has Tim and Bruce teamed but slightly at odds with each other, the once close relationship showing strain while Dick and Dami are going strong. Eventually Bruce earns Damian’s love and trust and begins patrolling with Bruce but he still remains immensely close to Dick and, no one says it aloud, but everyone considers him more Dick’s child than Bruce’s. By the time of Damian’s death, it should be Dick who is outraged and inconsolable with grief barely able to function while Bruce goes into his angry/panicked mode because he’d barely gotten any time with Dami and now he’s gone.

Tim- Just Tim in general would need a lot of work done and I’m not just saying that cause he’s my favorite. Red Robin left us with some pretty massive loose ends not to mention Timmy had be been bent and twisted by his experiences to the point that he was different and not always in good healthy ways. In Batman and Red Robin, we see the strain slowly start to show. B is still mad for Tim almost killing Boomerang at the same time he’s upset at how much Tim has grown-up and grown away. He’s also lowkey upset about Dami and, I don’t want to say he’s using Tim to fill in until Damian comes back but it’s implied. He also becomes increasingly concerned for Tim’s mental/physical health. Tim meanwhile is a slow, steady downward slope of depression and feelings of isolation and hurt/anger/insecurity over how the batfam treated him the past few years. First half would show the two fighting and generally slipping down, maybe Tim has a bad health scare with spleen and finally enough is enough and they focus on pulling Tim back. Also like to see a resolution to the Ra’s arc in which Ra’s comes in and tries to sway Tim over to his side which becomes more possible as Tim slips further away from the batfam. The whole fam/Titans get together and help get Red in a better place. (also wishful thinking, as all this occurs, Tim begins to realize his love for Conner and is dealing with that on top of everything. It spills out one night and is delighted/terrified to find his best friend has felt the same way for a long time. they agree to put any relationship on hold until Tim is in a better place but they sneak a few kisses and the support really helps Tim get back together)

Tim/Jason- Just as an aside I’d really like to see this (brotherly/friend) relationship develop. I like that N52 had these two be friends but it drove me nuts that after 6 years of Jay wanting nothing more than Tim’s death they’re besties? I’d like to think Jay would be one of the first to see how bad things have gotten for Tim because he’s been there, he know what it’s like to be the forgotten Robin. And Jay is still angry but his head is finally starting to clear from the Pit and he acknowledges that what happened with him and B wasn’t Tim’s fault. And as he watches Tim slowly spiral downwards with seemingly no help, Jay decides he won’t see another Robin die. Jason approaches Alfred, then B about Tim’s health and ways to help. It’s tense and awkward as they test the waters but they agree to, separately, help get Tim straight. It’s slow going but between Outlaw missions, Jay stops by Tim’s apartment and hangs out with him. They patrol when B is with Dami, they talk and properly get to know each other. They find they have a bit in common and actually like talking. Tim finally talks about some of the messed up things that happened and lets Jay know how bad things got and Jay finally talks about his traumas and comes to terms with them. As Tim is still angry at Dick/Bruce, Jason becomes a confidant in the batfam.

Jason- Actually RHATO Rebirth Jason is a pretty good idea of what I’m thinking of. We have a Jason who, after a few years finally is able to move past the Pit’s influence and think clearly for the first time in a while. It makes him realize that most of his actions were done out of anger so he re-evaluates. B sees this and takes the opportunity to reach out which Jason appreciates and returns by telling B about Tim. That’s where B and J start making things right, when they’re talking about how to best help Tim, they’re also covertly talking about how to deal with what happened. It gets out that Hood is a Bat and Jay is forced to ally himself properly with his family in order to avoid being torn apart by the criminal community. Jay will never be the golden son, he agrees that he won’t purposely kill but he toes the line far more than Bruce is comfortable with. The trust between them is razor thin but they’re trying. B hates it but he uses Jason as an agent who does the things B cannot/will not do. Jay spends only about half the time in Gotham, the other half with the Outlaws (NOT Kory/Roy, Jay needs his own team not hand-me-downs, Artemis/Bizarro?). He gets on better terms with Tim, but is still at odds with Dick even more so on Tim’s behalf for replacing the kid when he was down. Eventually learns to like Dami and becomes a proper big brother with him. I’d like a side arc seeing Jason going back to school? Going to GCU maybe with Steph under a false ID, that’d be nice.

Cass and the BOP- Having read Cass’s Batgirl run I think it’d be a natural progression that she’d fit in with the Birds. Cass loves her new family but she also needs space for herself to grow and she remembers Bruce was rather suffocating with her. She moves in fulltime with Barbara on the excuse she’s there to help/respond quickly but honestly she’s working on bettering her people skills and needs that constant human interaction. Babs teaches her to read when not on missions and the other Birds are very supportive of Cass. Cass also trains the other Birds in techniques and really hones the Team’s skills. They become just as formidable and respected as the Bats. They learn to coordinate better so they each can have more times off. The Birds would have their own section of Gotham as “theirs”, their own rogues gallery, get involved in the ladies’ personal lives. Barb is still struggling with her on again/off again relationship with Dick, now complicated by children in all but name, Damian and Cass (lol Bruce lost two children to other people). Cass is working on being a person and not a weapon but trying to keep up her impressive skills. Steph is a reserve member, available if needed but she’s really trying to ally herself with the Bats. She and Cass though retain a strong relationship, Steph because her relationship with Tim has soured and she needs someone and Cass because Steph was her first friend.

Stephanie- I’d basically like a continuation of her Batgirl run which was marvelous and go read it. Stephanie is still trying to prove herself to that Bats that she’s worthy of the cape and cowl and, for the most part, she’s earned it. Bruce now grants her the Batgirl title and keeps her on the roster and her belt equipped. But there’s always gonna be some tension between them and he’s undeniably harsher on her than the others. She patrols often with Dick and Damian who like/trust her more and, a lot of times, if Dick is working or whatever it will just be her and Damian. She relishes the big sister role and the feminine influence is good on Damian (though he’ll never admit to it). Continues her classes at GCU, nearly falls over when Jason sits next to her in her English Lit class. The big problem for her is keeping up with the other more confident/well-trained heroes and also repairing her relationship with Tim. She messed up, he took it badly, she moved up in batfam, he started spiraling out of control. He’s still angry about what went down but recently has been trying to repair the relationship. But too much has happened and they’ve both changed so much. Neither likes admitting how different from Robin and Spoiler they are. Her and Jay discuss how to handle Tim while studying poetry. As Tim’s health improves, he lets Steph in more and they start their friendship over. Also very close to the BOP/Cass and while she’ll hang out with them a lot out of costume, she’s determined to be a Bat. Maybe after she gains some confidence, she might switch over to the BOP for good.

#batman asks #batman headcanon #long post #this is huge but I would have DIED to have seen this in N52

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